Spring/Summer 2009 - Richmond Audubon Society

Spring/Summer 2009
The View
From My Perch
Coordinator’s Notes
We are fortunate at the Virginia Important
Bird Areas (IBA) program that we have so many
dedicated volunteers! Volunteerism is featured
prominently in this newsletter issue in that we
conducted six TogetherGreen Volunteer Days
events this past year on several IBAs. Thanking
everyone is a big task, but most importantly, I
would like to thank our land managing partners:
Mr. James Akerson of the National Park Service,
and the following from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife
Service: Mr. Cyrus Brame, Ms. Merry Maxwell,
Mr. Joe McCauley, and Ms. Sandy Spencer.
IBAs would not be important bird habitat if it
weren’t for dedicated and talented individuals
such as these who are in the field day-to-day conserving the land by putting wildlife
management methods in place. Also, our new newsletter look comes to us via Bob
Schamerhorn of Infinity Graphics, a dedicated bird photographer and volunteer. If I
were to list all of the folks who help us out at the Virginia IBA program, this newsletter
would be nothing but a list of names! So, thanks to everyone who helps us out!
Mary Elfner
IBA Coordinator for Virginia
melfner@audubon.org • www.audubon.org/bird/iba • 804-788-7660
HELP SUPPORT THE VIRGINIA IMPORTANT BIRD AREAS PROGRAM Visit our new secure
online giving page at: https://loon.audubon.org/payment/donate/VAIBA.html
Many thanks to Tom Jones of AdviceGuys for production of our Outreach CD, Megan
Rollins of DCR-DNH for our IBA map, Bob Schamerhorn of Infinity Graphics for our
Brochure Design, as well as the many photographers who contributed to this effort*
Thank You to Dominion, Media General, DGIF, VAC, VSO, Matt Ryan and Betty B. Ware.
Photography by Bob Schamerhorn • www.iPhotoBirds.com
Front Cover–Little Blue Heron, Back Cover–Prothonotary Warbler,
Pg.1–Grasshopper Sparrow, Pg. 6–Great Blue Heron, Pg. 7–Bald Eagle
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Volunteerism
Photo by Bob Schame
rhorn
Together Green Events
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Photo by Linda
Thanks to volunteers: Al Warfield, Alex McLean, Anam
Bashir, Antoinette Crouch, Ariel Pendergast, Arun Bose, Ashley
King, Bob Schamerhorn, Lori Rutledge, Bridget Ward, Caroline Coe,
Caroline Meehan, Catherine Gillian, Catherine McLean, Charles
Spaulding, Chip Hughes, Colin Dentel-Post, Curt Kloman, Cyrus
Brame, Daniel S. Mills, Danielle Morton, Darlene Nelson, David
Bryan, David Elias, David Taylor, Debi Osborne, Denise Nassetta,
Drew Simmelink, Earline Walker, Elijah Wilson, Elizabeth Schindler,
Ellen Clore, Emily Akerson, Emily Hilliard, Faye Taylor-Hyder, Geoff
Wilson, Greg Smith, Hanna Bird, Hunter Mitchell, Ivy Turner, James
Akerson, James Jack, James McLean, James Shelton, Jan Tyndall,
Jane Peterson, Jeff Maher, Jesse Stewart, Jessica Servis, Jill Davis,
Jim Schroering, Jim Shelton, Joe McCauley, John Coe, John Orrock, Jonathan
Stewart, Josh Smith, Judy Torbeck, Justin Good, Kat Pellot, Katherine
McLean, Kathryn Sutton, Keera Faust, Kevin Rhodes, Kevin Strickland, Kim
Burns, Kristin White, Lars Akerson, Laura Deck, Laurie White, Leah Hickman,
Linda Warfield, Lissy Sanchez, Maggie Gerdts, Margaret Taylor, Maria Smith,
Mariam Bakhtiar, Marie Minor, Marty Moore, Mary Stuart Torbeck, Maston
Gray, Matt Fanelli, Matt Whitley, Mengtan Sun, Merry Maxwell, Michael
Killiam, Michael Larkin, Mike Landefeld, Mike McLean, Mitchell Smith,
Nam Tran, Nathan Wender, Nicholas Dellonger, Pat Blyer, Paul Dennison,
Paul Servis, Phil Johnson, Pierson Geyer, Rachel Starry, Ray Hawkins,
Rebekah McLean, Rhon Nelson, Richard M. Hultz, Ryan Coleman, Sandra
Spiczka, Sandy Altizer, Sandy Spencer, Sean Benkert, Shelia Bullock,
Solima Ghazaoui, Stacia Hicks, Stacy Mitchell, Stacy Salvevold, Stephen
Taylor, Stuart Torbeck, Suzanne Johnson, Suzanne Schaefer, Ted Pyror,
Temple Moore, Theo Dennison, Tiffany Cary, Tiffany Sutton, Toni Crouch,
Vanessa Brown, Victor Gallardo, Victoria Duong , Wendy Ebersburger
Warrfield
Over the course of the past year, the spirit of
volunteerism has been strong throughout Virginia as the
Virginia IBA Program and partners from the National Park
Service, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Richmond Audubon
Society, and the Northern Neck Audubon Society, have
coordinated six TogetherGreen Volunteer Days events that
have benefited birds and their habitats on three Virginia
IBAs: The Lower James River IBA, the Lower Rappahannock
River IBA and the Upper Blue Ridge Mountains IBA. Thanks
to Toyota and to National Audubon Society for fostering this
partnership to increase volunteer conservation throughout
the U.S. Following are pictures from all 6 events and a list of
all our wonderful volunteers! We plan to hold more events in
the coming months, so stay tuned.
Photo by Al Warfield
Northern Neck Audubon Society
Conservation Events
This past spring, Audubon’s Virginia IBA
Program partnered with the Shenandoah
National Park, and local naturalist groups,
to monitor Cerulean Warblers and a few
other target species in the Park. Cerulean
warblers are a species of continental
concern and their numbers are declining
throughout most of their range. Volunteers
conducted walking transect surveys
(2-kilometer) along pre-defined trails and
fire roads in the Park. According to Alan
Williams, Ecologist for the National Park
Service at the Park, “fifteen transect forms have come in so far with one detecting
Cerulean Warbler (CERW). Many of the transects are detecting other target species,
primarily Worm-eating Warblers. We also have collected fifteen or so incidental CERW
observations not counted on the survey but reported via other means, i.e. Breeding
Bird Survey, volunteers on their way to transects and park employees. Thanks to Alan
Williams and Rolf Gubler of the National Park Service for organizing this survey!
Photo by Matthew Studebaker
Shenandoah National Park Priority Species Survey – Upper
Blue Ridge Mountains IBA
During a stunning early summer weekend
in Highland County, several Virginia IBA,
Richmond Audubon, and Virginia Society
of Ornithology birders traveled to Highland
County to search for Golden-winged
Warblers. Highland County is a stronghold
for this Watchlist species and there is
concern that hybrids, particularly Brewster’s,
are on the rise. While more formal surveys
are conducted, such as the Center for
Conservation Biology’s Status Assessment
of Golden-winged Warblers and Bewick’s
Wrens in Virginia (Wilson et al, 2007),
it is important that we get a snapshot of what’s going on in-between these more
comprehensive surveys. During the time period of June 1 to 7, 2009, several birders
located eleven Golden-winged Warblers and two Brewster’s in Highland County.
Thanks to Margaret O’Bryan for making this opportunity available.
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Photo by Bob Schamerhorn
Golden-Winged Warbler - Alleghany Highlands IBA
VSO Foray – Piney Grove IBA and Surrounding Areas
The Virginia Society of Ornithology conducted a foray in mid-June in Greensville
and Sussex Counties, with a focus on Bachman’s Sparrow, with Audubon being one of
the partners. This part of the state was the subject of a foray in 1991 and at that time
Bachman’s was found. Also the Center for Conservation Biology found the species
during a survey in 1996. According to Wendy Ealding of the VSO, “no Bachman’s
Sparrows were located on either Piney Grove or a number of Longleaf Pine restoration
sites in the area. We also looked at regenerating clearcuts in both counties. And
something that appears to have worked against us was the significant spring rainfall,
which appeared to have stimulated a lot of growth in the hardwood shrub layer – in
some cases the hardwoods were taller than the pines.”
Thanks to Wendy Ealding for organizing this foray!
Global/Continental IBA Update
Over the past two years, the IBA Program staff, both in Virginia and nationally,
have been working to gain global and continental status of certain IBAs across the
U.S., including Virginia. In our last newsletter we reported on several IBAs that have
gained global and continental significance through the criteria
of BirdLife International and National Audubon. Several
more have been ranked since then. We are proud of the
fact that the IBAs in Virginia listed below now have
continental or global IBA status.
Virginia IBAs
1. Barrier Island/Lagoon System IBA, recognized Global due to many species
including: Red Knot, Least Tern, and Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow.
2. Delmarva Bayside Marshes IBA, recognized Global due to the Saltmarsh
Sharp-tailed Sparrow.
3. Great Dismal Swamp IBA, recognized Global due to the Rusty Blackbird.
4. Lower James River IBA, recognized Continental due to Bald Eagles and
Prothonotary Warblers.
5. Lower Potomac River IBA, recognized Continental due to American Black Duck,
Bald Eagle and Rusty Blackbird.
6. Lower Rappahannock River IBA, recognized Global due to several species
including: Northern Bobwhite, Prothonotary Warbler and Rusty Blackbird.
7. Mattaponi and Pamunkey River IBA, recognized Global due to Bald Eagle and
Rusty Blackbird.
8. Piney Grove IBA, recognized Global due to Red-cockaded Woodpecker.
9. Upper Blue Ridge Mountains IBA, recognized Global due to Cerulean Warbler.
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IBA in Focus
Great Dismal Swamp
by David Bryan
Southeastern Virginia’s Great Dismal Swamp IBA exemplifies an Important Bird
Area as it truly provides essential habitat for many breeding, migrating and wintering
birds. This IBA, representing the largest remaining block of a swamp ecosystem
which once spanned over one million acres, is characterized by saturated peatlands,
deep organic soils, and fire-adapted woody vegetation. The IBA is unique in that
it includes various forest communities of global importance, such as cypress-bay,
maple-bay-gum, and the beautiful white cedar forests, all of which depend upon local
relationships between fire and water. The area is truly a sight for any naturalist to see!
Due largely to the diverse swampy habitat and multiple forest types, the Great
Dismal Swamp IBA harbors one of the most abundant and diverse bird populations in
the Commonwealth. In fact, over 200 species of birds are known to use the IBA at some
point in their annual cycle, while 96 have been reported nesting on or near the refuge.
Among these annual winged inhabitants of the Swamp is the vulnerable Wayne’s
Warbler, a coastal subspecies of the Black-throated Green Warbler. Additionally,
the IBA supports the only known coastal plain population of Swainson’s Warblers
and significant numbers of high priority Neotropical migrant species such as the
Prothonotary Warbler, Worm-eating Warbler, Prairie Warbler, and Wood Thrush. While
the Spring migration and breeding season is definitely the IBA’s “busy season”, the IBA
is also vital in the Winter as it provides a stopover point for waterfowl and hundreds
of thousands of migrating passerines. For example, large flocks of vulnerable Rusty
Blackbirds, estimated to occur in the thousands, depend upon the wooded wetlands
of the IBA and as many as 23,000 Snow Geese and over 5,200 Tundra Swans (25-30% of
the statewide population) have been recorded on Christmas Bird Counts.
Like all of Virginia’s IBAs, the Great Dismal Swamp faces several threats to its
rare plant and animal communities. Before becoming subject to anthropogenic
pressures, the IBA’s diversity of forest habitats was produced in large part due to
varying hydrologic gradients and the natural interplay between fire and water. Not
surprisingly then, the primary threats to the IBA include long-term suppression of fire
and artificially controlled water regimes that impact natural hydrology, thus leading to
great shifts in the distribution, abundance, and diversity of rare habitats.
Fortunately, due to its importance for birds and other wildlife, the Great Dismal
Swamp IBA has become a focal point for land acquisition and restoration efforts.
Presently the US Fish and Wildlife Service owns and protects the Great Dismal Swamp
NWR (~75% of the IBA) and has been a leader in restoration efforts such as prescribed
burns and the use of water control structures. Other large landowners include the
Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, The Nature Conservancy, the
Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, and the City of Chesapeake.
Hopefully these conservation-oriented landowners will continue to work together
with the Virginia IBA Program in order to protect this vital habitat and its priority bird
populations for years to come!
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Local Government
Outreach Initiative
by David Bryan
Local Government Initiative Outreach Update
Outreach is absolutely vital to the Virginia IBA Program’s mission of identifying
and protecting places in the Commonwealth that provide the most essential habitat
for breeding, migrating and wintering birds. Whether we are working with individual
volunteers or Virginia’s decision-making localities, it is essential that we communicate
for the long-term conservation of the IBAs.
As part of the Virginia IBA Program’s outreach efforts, we have developed a CD
over this past winter and spring*. The outreach CD has been the cornerstone of the
Local Government Initiative (LGI), a project designed to facilitate communication with
County Planners for each of the 58 localities which overlap Virginia’s 19 IBAs. Our main
goals with the LGI were to first provide each locality with a copy of our outreach CD
and then to provide them with a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) shape file
showing the locations and outlines of each Important Bird Area. Ultimately we are
hoping that County Planners will consider our CD and GIS data for the next update
of their localities’ state-mandated Comprehensive Plans, which include important
zoning and land use decisions that may influence IBAs for years to come. While the
LGI is an ongoing project and will continue long into the future, our results thus far
have been encouraging. For example, over 72% of IBA-impacted localities have been
sent our outreach CD upon request, with over 57% of the CD-receiving localities also
requesting our GIS shape files for planning purposes. We have already been able to
hold personal meetings with several County Planners, while many other encouraging
opportunities have also resulted from these efforts.
Overall, we feel that our initial success with the LGI is a major step toward the
long-term protection of Virginia’s Important Bird Areas. Additionally, the experience
gained through this effort will certainly help us as we continue with the LGI and
our most recent Outreach Initiative to Audubon Chapters, bird clubs and Virginia’s
conservation organizations, resulting in increased awareness and protection of the
IBAs far into the future.
CONTEST
If you can name this bird, email your answer by
August 31, 2009 to Mary Elfner at: melfner@audubon.org
with “IBA Bird Contest” in the Subject line. We’ll randomly
draw from all the correct answers and if you’re the lucky
winner, you’ll receive free Audubon prizes! We’ll email out
the correct answer after the drawing… Good luck!
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Help support the Virginia Important Bird Areas Program Visit: https://loon.audubon.org/payment/donate/VAIBA.html
530 E. Main Street
Suite 810
Richmond, VA 23219
IBAs
Important Bird Areas
of Virginia
Purple Martin Festival
Saturday, July 25, 2009, 6 to 9 PM
at Richmond’s 17th Street Farmers Market
Place
Stamp
Here