The Near Georgia Report* - www.neargareport.com - by Mark McShane: Snow Bunting - Palm Coast, Flagler County, FL

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Snow Bunting - Palm Coast, Flagler County, FL - 12/4-7/10

Hi All,

A Snow Bunting was found on 12/4 in Palm Coast in Flagler County, Florida. The bunting was relocated today.

The post from FloridaBirds-L:
http://lists.ufl.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind1012A&L=FLORIDABIRDS-L&T=0&F=&S=&P=7071

The post from the Florida RBA:
http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/listserv/wa.exe?A2=ind1012&L=flarba&T=0&O=D&P=1861

Good Near Georgia Birding!

Mark

1 comment:

AnonymousDecember 19, 2010 at 12:09 PM
Bird is still there 12/19/10 and was not relocated
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Georgia's first, and arguably the rarest bird to be seen in Georgia in the 21st century, also the most southeastern record for North America! Photo 2/2/08, only the 3rd U.S. record ever outside of south Texas! This immature bird showed up the week of 10/21/07 at the home of Marshall and Laurie Jackson in Dublin, GA, and was banded on the 29th. The hummer was last reported from the site on 4/4/08! The young male acquired much of his adult body plumage before departing! More, and even later, photos can be seen in the Favorite Georgia Birding Photos GREM sections! Photos by Rachel Cass. Click or tap on photo for last report.

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WHOOPING CRANES IN THE SOUTHEAST

Many folks know that the only naturally occurring population of the endangered Whooping Crane (the tallest bird in North America) is the small flock which migrates south in the fall from Canada's Wood Buffalo National Park to its wintering grounds at the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge in Texas, and that in spring migrates back to the site in Canada to nest and breed. The total number of wild birds fluctuates and is probably still less than 400 right now.

Reintroduction efforts in the eastern United States have resulted in very small migratory and non-migratory populations of the cranes in the east. Tremendous efforts have been sustained by many organizations such as the International Whooping Crane Recovery Team, the International Crane Foundation, Operation Migration, and the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership, as well as by many government agencies, and by others, to work for the reintroduction and protection of the species. Single cranes or very small groups are seen annually in parts of the eastern United States due to these efforts and the birds are often in the company of Sandhill Cranes.

In order for Whooping Cranes to make a successful comeback from being endangered it is vitally important for them that everyone understand and respect their fragile status and comply with some observing guidelines when the birds are found during migration or in their non-migratory territories. Guidelines say that if a Whooping Crane is found it's best to quietly observe from a distance, and some even recommend to keep 600 feet or more away from the birds, not disturbing, or pressuring them in any way. Trying to remain as concealed as possible while observing them is a good idea, but concealment shouldn't be used to approach them.

Reporting their location and leg band information, to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and to local department of natural resources wildlife officials is requested. Also, reporting Whooping Crane sightings to various Whooping Crane related organizations via the reporting links on their websites is very important to all of the folks who conduct sustaining efforts to support the potential comeback and recovery of the crane in the wild. More Whooping Cranes may eventually be seen in the Southeast if we all work to recognize and respect their current delicate status and to promote their welfare.

Captain Brooks Good and... Me !

8/7/10, Here is Captain Brooks Good still giddy with excitement after I had just passed on to him the grand sum of all of my seafaring and birding wisdom and knowledge! I thought this might take a while on the way up the Intracoastal Waterway to the Altamaha Sound but it looks like we only made it about 3 feet from the dock before it was all over?! What a fantastic trip and Captain, the thought of mutiny never occurred to any of us, and 4 of our target Long-billed Curlews were found! Click or tap on the photo for Brooks' Coastal Outdoor Adventures & Coastal Cuisine website, highly recommended. Photo by James Fleullan.

Wandering Albatross (WAAL)

Snowy, Tristan, New Zealand, Gibson's, and Amsterdam subspecies
Can wander 500+ miles a day, almost as far as a Georgia birder can!
Up to a 12-foot wingspan
Largest extant bird wingspan
May be almost 4 1/2 feet in length
May live 60 or more years
Eggs hatch after 2 1/2 months
Half of all albatross species nest in New Zealand
All of the great albatross species and subspecies are listed as Threatened by the IUCN, the decline of the great albatrosses is thought to mainly be due to the impact that longline fishing is having on the birds.