3/13/10 – After reading a mention in the Andes Gazette of a nesting pair of Bald Eagles on Dingle Hill along the Pepacton Reservoir, my wife and I went to see for ourselves. It was a blustery day, with temps in the mid-30’s, a light rain, snow melt coursing down the hillsides.

We found the nest and saw an eagle.

The nest is located uphill on Route 30, on a curve between Dingle Hill Road and Close Hollow Road. (See map). You can’t miss it, on the high point jutting into the curve.

You may not park on the wide shoulder of the curve, as the many No Parking signs attest. Other signs warn of protected area. Best bet is to park on Close Hollow, or on Route 30, reservoir side, just in front of the “Former Site of the Town of Arena” sign. From this point you can get a good look at the nest, and are far enough away not to disturb them. With a good lens, you can get some good shots. REMEMBER… please be “subdued,” quiet, no loud talking, slamming cars doors, etc. Respect this Bald Eagle nursery!

According to the DEC………

I sent an info request concerning these eagles to NYDEC. If they respond, I’ll post that here.

After turning around and driving home, we saw one of the eagles perched next to the nest, a wonderful sight! Hopefully these eagles will continue to breed for many years, and their offspring will help repopulate the NYC Watershed with this majestic symbol of our nation.

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Fortunately, there’s still time. The species is numbered in the millions and not single or double digits. But the Rusty Blackbird is indeed threatened. Why? Although Partners in Flight estimated their population at 2 million in 2004, it was over 13 million in 1965, decreasing by 10% a year. So it’s just a matter of time before this species becomes extremely rare and then perhaps extinct.

You Can Help! Mark Your Calendars for the Rusty Blackbird Hot Spot Blitz!

Knowledge is the key to conservation. We don’t know much about this bird, since its nesting and winter habitats are not easily accessible. The following is from the Migratory Bird Center – The Rusty Blackbird Blitz.

Last year, birders throughout the country scoured the countryside for wintering Rusty Blackbirds to help researchers understand their distribution and find important local concentrations (hotspots).

But there is much more to learn. We want to blitz for several years to both locate more hotspots and determine how stable the already discovered hot spots are from year to year. Already, the information gained is being used to implement research and conservation efforts!

When?

January 30 – February 15, 2010. This is when rusties become easier to find (males sing!) and the population is relatively sedentary.

What?

During a single 17-day period, volunteers will search for Rusty Blackbirds (particularly flocks or concentrations) in any potentially suitable locations or habitats. We will revisit areas of concentration in the future to determine if they are indeed Rusty Blackbird hotspots.

Where?

We focus on the following states known to comprise the Rusty Blackbird winter range: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas (east), Virginia, and West Virginia.

How?

It’s simple! Use whatever you like—your database of previous sightings, birding intuition, local legend, or local knowledge—to search the most likely places for wintering Rusty Blackbirds.

You can go wherever you like, whenever you like, and as often as you like anytime between January 30 – February 15, 2010. We are simply looking for the number of birds present at each location, along with very basic habitat information.

The Blitz is loosely organized through a steering committee and state team leaders. These valiant volunteers are there to drum up participation and assist with any questions. Also, they may be able to steer you to areas that need coverage. (find link to list towards bottom of this page)

All you have to do is submit your observations (or lack thereof) via e-Bird. We will do the rest! (Failure to find rusties is important information as well).

• See the protocol

Sources of Additional Info:

Migratory Bird Center – The Rusty Blackbird Blitz

eBird: Participate in the Second Annual Rusty Blackbird Blitz!

National Audubon Society – Watchlist – Rusty Blackbird

Rusty Blackbird Website

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It may come as a surprise, but American birds are in serious decline. In March of last year, US Secretary of the Interior, Ken Salazar, announced that one-in-three American birds are endangered. Even once common birds are showing precipitous declines. Birds face a barrage of threats, which are only complicated—and heightened—for migratory birds.

Mongabay.com – January 4, 2010

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The past several years have seen an explosion of social media tools and applications. How can they be applied and help birders (and other outdoor enthusiasts or frankly anyone)? Well, Gunnar Engblom, blogger, owner, manager and guide of Kolibri Expeditions, is willing to share his knowledge with you for free! There are no strings attached. Check it out and sign-up. I did!

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When do you throw in the towel and concede that a rare species has gone extinct? A new study presents a methodology for helping conservationists answer this difficult question…

Conservation Maven – 12/30/2009

Statistically they may be correct, having the numbers in the researchers favor… but there are PLENTY of examples of not only birds, but mammals, amphibians, fish, etc., that have long been thought extinct, and yet they turn up, sometimes with thriving populations. To me this sounds very “corporate.” Now of course concerning dinosaurs… – Dennis

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In the early 1960s, Rachel Carson wrote “Silent Spring,” an important book that helped increase public concern for the environment. The work was most directly about the dangers and effects of irresponsible, uninformed pesticide use. Carson’s broader message — the one that resonated with the public around the world — was about the failure to take care of the environment with which humanity has been entrusted.

Carson painted a picture of a silent spring — devoid of the beauty of bird songs because of society’s widespread use of deadly pesticides. The moral of her story had many layers: about humanity’s responsibility to care for the Earth and its resources; about the duty to be informed about our choices; and about the consequences of putting short-term, profit-driven desires ahead of our obligations to future generations.A parallel story to Carson’s cautionary tale is being played out today along the shores of the Delaware Bay. The horseshoe crab, a creature more than 350 million years old, is the trademark inhabitant of Delaware Bay; the bay is the epicenter of the horseshoe crab population. This ancient mariner is a keystone creature for the estuary. Many other animals thrive because of its presence. It is the foundation of a globally unique ecological relationship with migratory shorebirds.

The Delaware Bay is one of four major shorebird migration stopovers in the world. Just a decade ago, more than 1.5 million birds congregated on the bay shores. One of these birds, the red knot, makes an incredible 10,000-mile journey from its winter home at the tip of South America to the Arctic. This shorebird depends almost exclusively on horseshoe crab eggs to complete its migration. The horseshoe crab obligingly lays its eggs on the bayshore beaches at the time of the birds’ arrival.

The red knot population visiting the Delaware Bay has been steadily declining since the 1990s. In the 1980s, they numbered more than 150,000. In 2004, there were a mere 13,315. This rapid decline is due to a shortage in their food supply, resulting from excessive and unrestricted harvesting of the horseshoe crabs for fishing bait. At this rapid rate of decline, leading shorebird experts believe the red knot will be extinct by 2010 without immediate action to protect the horseshoe crab, also on a course of decline due to the overfishing.

While a series of steps has been taken over recent years to address this ecological crisis, state and federal decision-makers, including state Environmental Commissioner Bradley M. Campbell, have stopped short of fully protecting the horseshoe crabs and migratory shorebirds. Only by taking the definitive step of enacting an ongoing moratorium on the harvest of horseshoe crabs until science tells us that both species are recovered can we secure their future.

State and federal officials have failed to take this action because they have put the short-term, profit-driven desires of a small number of part-time, commercial crab harvesters ahead of their obligation to protect the horseshoe crab and red knot. When the overharvesting results in a silent spring along the Delaware Bay, the commercial operators will simply move on to another target, oblivious to the lesson Carson tried to impart and leaving the rest of us with a life diminished by the absence of these intrepid travelers.

Acting Gov. Codey and Campbell have an opportunity to fully protect one of the irreplaceable natural resources of the Delaware Bay by enacting a full moratorium on horseshoe crab harvesting. Money can compensate fishermen for lost revenue — an action supported by the American Littoral Society and other environmental groups. Only a strong public demand for Codey and Campbell to take this action will make it happen. Once the ancient horseshoe crab and intrepid red knot are gone, no amount of money can bring them back. Extinction is forever.

By Timothy P. Dillingham, executive director of the American Littoral Society, a coastal conservation group based in Highlands.

Asbury Park Press – June 22, 2005

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