August 21, 2010
The Petroleum Reserve Crew (Biologist Peter Elstner and Intern Luke Eberhart-Phillips) had difficult terrain to negotiate, but were successful!
The ALMS crew on Kodiak Island completed their Uganik Island, Wide Bay and Dog Salmon River points. After a day of inhospitable weather – things cleared and they could work!
Go to the Research Updates link to find out what is happening on these and other projects.
August 20, 2010
ABO has a large selection of individual and boxed cards from many local artists like Amy Noon, Jill Marshall and Christy Yunker Happ. Stop by ABO or go to the cards page to see them.
July 8, 2010
The Summer Arctic Warbler Newsletter is out! ABO Board of Directors Jeff Walters tells about his volunteer time with the National Park Service and the Alaska Region Inventory & Monitoring Program, carrying out bird surveys along the Noatak River in northwest Alaska. The Species Spotlight is the Arctic Tern (the little bird with the longest migration route); the Conservation Corner highlights what to do if you find a baby bird on the ground; and we tell you about ABO’s Alaska Bird Camp, Youth Mentoring Program, and the upcoming Sandhill Crane Festival.
June 8, 2010
Are birds flying into your windows?
Baby birds are out and about and they aren’t very experienced fliers yet. Some of them may fly into windows. A simple, effective deterrent has been developed by the folks at the Bird Screen Company. These screens can be mounted a number of ways, all simple and quick. ABO now carries these screens – come by and see them! This link has photos of the screen on windows and of the different mounting mechanisms.
Standard Bird Screen has black top and bottom frames, black fiberglass screening (replaceable), is attached by screw hooks or suction cup brackets, and the bottom is attached to the window pane with suction cups. Hardware for mounting both ways is included with every Bird Screen. 24″ wide – $20/ 30″ wide – $22.50/ 36″ wide – $25.
Why does this happen? According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, “One of the greatest hazards to birds is plate glass, with windows in homes and offices killing as many as one billion birds each year. Glass is invisible to birds, and if it reflects the images of trees, bushes, the sky or other natural habitat, a bird may fly directly into it.”
What can you do? There are several ways to warn the birds that your window is not a safe place to travel. Remember that if you have bird feeders, you have an added responsibility in ensuring that your home is a safe habitat for birds! This link will download a fact sheet with a variey of possible solutions. This and other fact sheets can be found at the Bird FAQs link under “Reports and Publications” to the right. Additional information is available from the Acopian Center for Ornithology Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and the Audubon Society.
June 2, 2010
ABO has field projects on the Tanana Flats, Yukon Flats, Creamer’s Refuge, Kodiak Island, Alaska Peninsula/Becharof, Arctic, and Innoko National Wildlife Refuges, the BLM’s National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, and the BLM’s White Mountains. Check the Research Updates page to learn what our field biologists, interns, and volunteers are finding.
Nestling photo by Claire Giuliano for ABOThe Yukon Flats Rusty Blackbird crew has been busy! The ice was already out on the Shack Lake when they arrived on May 12. The birds have taken their cues from the early spring. A few nests were in progress when the crew started work on May 13. They have found 10 nests so far and the first chicks hatched on May 24. They have sighted a bird that they banded in 2009 as a nestling. Go here for updates on other projects.
