Lesser Prairie Chickens proposed for T&E listing today!

Video courtesy of Texas Parks and Wildlife "U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Initiates Process to Consider Lesser Prairie-Chicken As "Threatened" Species Under the Endangered Species Act November 2012 Agency seeks information from public, scientific community to inform final decision; continues work with states on voluntary conservation agreements Based on scientific evidence that the lesser prairie-chicken and its habitat are in decline, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today that it is initiating a process to consider whether the species should be recognized as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. The Service will make a final determination on whether to add the lesser prairie-chicken to the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife based on the best available science. Members of the public and scientific community are encouraged to review and comment on the proposal during the 90-day public comment period. State conservation agencies, in partnership with federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Bureau of Land Management and partners such as the Sutton Center, are working on a range-wide, voluntary conservation planning effort that will play a significant role in conserving lesser-prairie chicken habitat." USFWS webpage Fantastic--I just hope it is not too late for the dwindling Colorado population of this species. SeEtta

Another cool Lesser Prairie-Chicken video

This video is courtesy of Linda Rockwell, birder and bird photographer who has a blog PhotoFeathers with lots of nice bird photography. In celebration of the proposed listing of Lesser Prairie-Chickens today by the USFWS. The listing may not have to come to fruition if this proposed listing can motivate the private and public entities to get serious about conservation of this species. SeEtta

Female Williamson's, dressed for blending in

Female Williamson's Sapsuckers are not boldly plumaged like their male counterparts. Like in many bird species, females of this species have plumage that blends in with it's environment which is important so when they are nesting they do not draw too much attention to themselves (and where their nest site is located) by possible predators. SeEtta

Gorgeous Williamson's Sapsucker

I found this male Williamson's Sapsucker this week in Canon City. By this time of the year, it is most likely that this and the other sapsuckers are going to winter here. Yesterday I drove from location to location where I have found sapsuckers and came up with 1 juvenile Yellow-bellied, 3 male and 2 female Williamson's Sapsuckers. SeEtta

First winter Harris Sparrow

I spotted this Harris Sparrow, a first winter bird, on the grounds of the University of Colo State University-Pueblo. I had attended one of my water roundtable meetings and was walking my dog, Chase, when I saw it. As it was late afternoon the light was getting poor. It was associating with several White-crowned and Song Sparrows near a storm run-off created wetlands. I also saw a Cooper's Hawk looking at sparrows there.

I had another water roundtable related meeting the next day and stopped to see if I could refind this bird earlier with better light. However, there was a lot of student activity and little bird activity so I did not refind it. SeEtta

More Canon City sightings of Harlan's Hawk(s)

Three days ago (Oct 30) I spotted the hawk in the top pic at dusk. It is a dark morph Harlan's Hawk-it is all dark except for tail (only underside visible) that clearly has a light/grayish undertail (at least the distal portion visible in pic), with wingtips a little shorter than tail (a characteristic of Harlan's per Hawks of W. North America). I suspect this is the dark morph Harlan's I have spotted a couple of times in Canon City in the past 2 weeks.

Since I knew at least one Harlan's was still around, the next day I went looking for one and the bird in the bottom pic flushed from it's perch and began circling higher and higher so I barely got this one reasonable pic before it took off. There is a 'white swath' (description in Hawks of W. North America) under it's eye visible when photo enlarged. White on neck not visible in this photo or in my brief views in the field (so could be an integrade?). This bird looks to me like a juvenile intermediate morph Harlan's--it has 'spike pattern' on it's tail feathers as listed as a trait for this age/subspecies in Hawks of W. North America (HWNA); it appears to have dark 'spikes' on the tips of it's secondaries and barred outer primaries(another two HWNA field marks); and black and white streaked breast. This does not match the second Harlan's I found last week in Canon City ( http://birdsandnature.blogspot.com/2012/10/a-second-harlans-hawk-in-canon-city.html ) so I have to think this is a third Harlan's? SeEtta

'Hurricane Sandy Sweeps Rare Seabird to Cape Wildlife Center'

October 31, 2012

Petrels typically live 30 miles offshore, rarely seen by rehabbers
by Deborah Millman

In addition to loons, gannets, and other commonly-seen seabirds, Hurricane Sandy's blustering winds also blew to shore a rarely seen (and among the tiniest!) seabirds—a storm petrel, now recuperating at Cape Wildlife Center.
A rare bird indeed

"Petrels spend most of their lives on the open sea; they are most often only seen when blown ashore by storms," CWC Medical Director Dr. Roberto Aguilar said. "The birds typically stay at least 30 miles off-shore and are almost never seen on Cape Cod. This is one of the few we've even seen at the Center."

A rescuer had found the seabird close to the shoreline, upside down and struggling in the water, buffeted miles off course by Hurricane Sandy. Arriving at the Center the evening after the hurricane had passed, the little bird was weak and weary.

After stabilizing the small, webbed-footed bird overnight, staff then faced the challenge of keeping the petrel as stress-free as possilble.

Special birds / special needs

"Because petrels almost never step on land, placing them in a standard seabird habitat to recover would be a huge stress on them. They need constant access to large bodies of salt water just to stay normalized," explained CWC Director of Wildlife Rehabilitation Lynn Miller. "Caring for them is among the most challenging tasks for wildlife rehabbers."

"Cape Wildlife Center has a 3,500 gallon saltwater pool and aviary that will suit the petrel well once he is deemed healthy—but, in the meantime, closer quarters are necessary," noted CWC Director Deborah Millman.

The solution? A bathtub.
A little pool for a little bird

Miller oversaw the set-up of the porcelain habitat, customizing the tub with a mirror for company, netting the top to prevent injuries, creating a strength-building diet, and calling for frequent saltwater showers to help the petrel regain his waterproofing.

So far, the temporary oasis seems to be working.

"The petrel is underweight and storm-weary, but seems otherwise healthy," Miller said. "We will monitor his vital signs and provide the rehabilitation he needs to be returned to sea, healthy and strong."

Deborah Millman is director of the Cape Wildlife Center, operated by The HSUS in partnership with The Fund for Animals.
copied from http://www.humanesociety.org/news/news/2012/10/petrel-cape-wildlife-center-103112.html SeEtta