Highlights from the
Alaska Bird Conference in Sitka
by Anna-Marie Benson
Brad Andres, from the US Fish & Wildlife Service, presented an interesting poster about the changing face of the Alaska Bird Conference. "The first Alaska Bird Conference was held in 1982 for the purpose of sharing information that would ‘lead to new and better ideas for managing migratory birds and conserving their habitats’. The scope of the conference has gradually broadened to include all aspects of Alaskan ornithology, including an increase in presentations from universities. Presentations from women have increased over the years from 13% in 1982 to 50% in 1997."
The 8th Alaska Bird Conference was held in Sitka from 29 February to 1 March. It was well attended, considering it was not held in a major city. There were approximately 30 papers and 18 posters from biologists representing state and federal agencies, universities, and non-governmental organizations. We are pleased to announce that Alaska Bird Observatory will host the next Alaska Bird Conference in Fairbanks during March of 2002.
Keynote Address: Lessons for Alaska Monitoring Programs
Keith Bildstein, the Director of Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, gave a keynote address that provided an excellent example of the value of long-term migration count data. Hawk Mountain Sanctuary has conducted counts of migrating hawks since the early 1930’s. Rachel Carson, the author of Silent Spring, noticed declining ratios of immature and adult Bald Eagles passing over Hawk Mountain in the early 1960’s. This was one of the first indications that eagles and other raptors were possibly experiencing decreased productivity. Hawk Mountain’s 30-year data set was extremely valuable for showing that the declines in numbers of immature birds were a recent phenomenon rather than a natural fluctuation in numbers. Further investigations of this decline showed that DDT and other pesticides were drastically affecting nesting success of many bird species. The migration monitoring program at Hawk Mountain served as barometer for detecting drastic environmental changes.
Although many of the bird monitoring programs in Alaska are still in their infancy, lessons from places such as Hawk Mountain illustrate the importance of long-term monitoring programs such as those conducted by ABO.
Landbird Monitoring at the
Denali Institute Migration Station
ABO cooperatively operated a songbird migration monitoring station with the Denali Institute for the second consecutive year during fall migration of 1999. Captures at this station in 1998 surpassed our expectations for this site. We approached the 1999 season with more staff and high expectations and were surprised with extremely low capture rates. The season was characterized by lower captures of most species but was punctuated with captures of a Belted Kingfisher and three Northern Shrikes. Unfortunately, two seasons of data does not provide enough information to determine causes for the differences in numbers.
We’d like to thank Dorinda Dutcher, a Camp Denali employee, who spent many of her days off volunteering at the migration station. Kristine Sowl provided much-needed help by travelling from Fairbanks to volunteer for two weeks. Suzanne Cardinal and Alan Brelsford worked as interns for eight weeks; we valued their hard work and desire to obtain excellent field skills. We thank Cathy Pohl for managing the migration station this year; her insight and expertise greatly improved the project. We are grateful to the Denali Institute for funding this project. Special thanks to Nan Eagleson, Bob Barni, and Jerryne Cole for their support in numerous ways throughout the year.
The full report for 1999 Denali Institute Migration Station is available on-line.
The 2000 Alaska Bird Camp
June 5 - 9
The Alaska Bird Camp is an exciting opportunity for kids ages 10 - 12 who are especially enthusiastic about birds. Working with professionals from ABO and other agencies, participants will learn to identify local birds, observe birds in the field, discuss issues affecting Alaska’s birds, explore careers in wildlife sciences, and an opportunity for fledgling ornithologists to conduct scientific research. This day camp is based at Creamer’s Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge in Fairbanks and includes bird-watching trips to a variety of habitats. The cost of the camp is $170 and includes educational materials and snacks, but not lunch or transportation to and from the refuge. Scholarship assistance is available. Host families are also available for out-of-town campers. For more information and / or an application form, please contact Andrea at 451-7059 or birds@alaskabird.org. |
In The Field...
ABO will be hosting the 75th annual Western Bird Banding Association meeting (WBBA) September 8-10 at Wedgewood Resort. The meeting will include field trips, workshops and demonstrations of various techniques, a paper session, and a banquet with a keynote presentation. ABO members are encouraged to attend the keynote address, which will be announced in our summer newsletter. If you would like a brochure about the meeting, please call or e-mail our office at birds@alaskabird.org.
Volunteer Opportunities at the Creamer’s Field Migration Station: Returning volunteers are needed to sign up for spring mist netting, which runs from 25 April to 5 June. The volunteer calendar will be available at our annual meeting on March 30, or you may stop by or call the office after April 3 to sign up. There will be no mandatory meeting for returning volunteers this spring.
New volunteers are needed for fall banding from 15 July to 30 September. Anyone interested in helping with our mist-netting program is invited to an orientation session scheduled for 18 July. We encourage you to visit our banding station prior to the session to learn more about our work. For more information, please contact our office or visit the Volunteers page at this web site.
From the Director
by Nancy DeWitt
ABO recently welcomed two long-time ABO members to our Board of Directors. Carol McIntyre is a wildlife biologist for Denali National Park, where she has been studying Golden Eagle ecology for 13 years. This work has been the focus of Carol’s graduate research, and she is nearing completion of a Ph.D. through Oregon State University. Carol has participated in raptor migration studies at Cape May and in Israel, and in 1985 she moved to Alaska to help monitor Peregrine Falcons along the Yukon River for the National Park Service. In 1999 Carol was our top Birdathon fundraiser, and we are thrilled to have someone with her expertise and dedication to bird conservation on our board.
Mary Teel and her husband, Ron, have been enthusiastic "Adopt-A-Net" and Birdathon supporters for several years. Mary has a B.A. in English-Secondary Education and became addicted to birding when she and Ron took a bird identification course from Sue Quinlan and Bud Lenhausen. You can now find them in the audience for every community presentation about birds, unless they’re off on a birding trip. Mary has become a great champion for ABO, constantly recruiting new members and bringing visitors to our banding station. Her enthusiasm is a great addition to the board.
It’s official! David Shaw has been hired as ABO’s Field Biologist. David first worked for us as an intern at the Denali Institute Migration Station in 1998. Following work with the Colorado Bird Observatory last summer, Dave zoomed up the Alaska Highway to take over the field biologist role vacated by Steve Springer. Besides working at the Creamer’s Field Migration Station, he will be conducting bird census work in Denali Park in June, helping with our training programs, and providing assistance with other research projects.
Anna-Marie Benson has been promoted to Senior Biologist, assuming management of all research projects, including two new ones. In cooperation with Tetlin National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska Department of Fish & Game and the Skaggs Foundation, we are implementing a multi-year study along the Tok River to document the impacts of logging on boreal forest bird populations. We are also working with the Department of Defense and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to monitor the impacts of military aircraft noise on nesting passerines.
ABO welcomes our new board members, staff, and cooperating partners as we look forward to another exciting field season!
Spring & Summer 2000 Training
ABO is excited to announce that we have expanded our training program to meet growing demand from biologists throughout Alaska. We will continue to offer a 10-day course in May on the basics of banding, aging, and sexing Alaska passerines. In addition, a new, 2-day workshop on censusing passerines will be held this June 1 & 2; this course is ideal for people with some experience censusing birds, and who would like to brush up these skills. Finally, a 2-day molt-limit workshop will be offered in May for those bird banders who interested in the fine points of aging Alaska passerines. ABO also offers on-site training that can be tailored to meet specific needs. On-site training is a cost-effective alternative for stations that may have several trainees rather than incur the cost of travel to Fairbanks. Send letters and inquiries to: Anna-Marie Benson, Senior Biologist, Alaska Bird Observatory, PO Box 80505, Fairbanks, AK 99708, (907) 451-7059, ambenson@alaskabird.org.
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Youth Mentoring Program
This past summer Abby Hawkins and Luke DeCicco, two 13 year-old volunteers and former Bird Campers, expressed interest in helping us with a swallow study. The following excerpts are quoted from Abby and Luke’s science-fair poster:
Nesting Swallows at Creamer’s Field
Background Information: Swallows are pretty common at Creamer’s Field in Fairbanks, and they’re fairly easy to study because they nest in boxes. However, there’s not much written about their nesting habits at high latitudes.
Questions: Does clutch size affect fledgling weight? Do all chicks grow at the same rate?
Methods: We checked every box we could find and recorded how many eggs, or chicks there were in each box. We marked the chicks using nail polish on their toenails so we could tell individual chicks apart. Every 4 days we met at Creamers Field and checked the boxes, weighed the chicks and measured the wings and tail. We banded the chicks when they were old enough. We calculated the average chick weight for each box, and calculated an overall mean for boxes with four , five, and six eggs. We compared growth rate of chicks in each box by plotting them on a graph.
Results: We monitored 12 boxes and weighed 54 chicks. The mean weight at fledging varied depending on the clutch size. The mean weight at fledging for four-egg clutches was 25.1 grams, 23.4 grams for five-egg clutches, and 22.0 grams for six-egg clutches. We made line graphs of the nestling growth and some just kept growing and growing, but some grew a little bit and then stayed at that weight. Amazingly, some of the chicks weighed more than the parents when they fledged. We also found out that the nestlings’ legs were too fat to band early, and we had to wait until they were almost ready to fledge to band them
Discussion: We think that if the clutch size is smaller, it makes sense that the chicks would be bigger because the parents have fewer mouths to feed. If the clutch is too big, then the adults will have to work harder to feed all the chicks. It’s hard to tell if a bigger clutch size is better because the chicks tend to be smaller. We don’t know if smaller chicks have a harder time surviving than larger chicks because we didn’t follow them after they fledged.
We found that all nestlings do not grow at the same rate. There could be a number of reasons why chicks don’t grow at the same rate. We think it’s because the ones on top will probably get more food because they’re the ones the parents see first. The space in the boxes is limited, so the stronger ones will probably be on top.
Fundraising News
Hawk’s Nest Raffle
Denali National Park Wilderness Centers, Ltd. (Camp Denali/North Face Lodge) has again generously donated a three-night stay at the awesome Hawk’s Nest cabin for our annual raffle. The Hawk’s Nest is a wilderness cabin located near Wonder Lake in the heart of Denali National Park. The stay, valued at $1,035, is scheduled for June 16-18 and includes a restricted road permit to drive to and from the cabin (day use of the park road east of the cabin must be via the park buses). Up to four people may stay in the cabin. We need people to help sell as well as buy tickets, which are $5 each or five for $20. The drawing will be held May 19, and the winner need not be present. For information or tickets, contact us at (907) 451-7059 or birds@alaskabird.org. Permit #1784
Birdathon 2000
Every May, members and friends of ABO and Arctic Audubon Society demonstrate their commitment to protecting Alaska’s birds by participating in the annual Farthest North Birdathon. During this fun event, participants collect pledges, choose a day between May 13-29 to go birding, and then try to identify as many species as possible in a 24-hour period or less. You can do this as a team, with your family, or go it alone. The idea is to have fun, enjoy birds, and raise money for local bird conservation programs. You don’t have to be a pro at identifying birds, since we offer a leisurely, guided Birdathon around Fairbanks for novice birders. And, if you aren’t able to participate, you can still help by making a pledge to one of the ABO Birdathon teams, including our new youth team.
All participants are eligible to win prizes, including two round-trip domestic tickets on Alaska Airlines and a Princess Tours train trip/overnight package to Denali National Park. Other prizes will be awarded for most money raised and most species seen among several divisions.
Counters are asked to register by contacting our office by phone or e-mail, or by mailing in the registration form on page 7. We’ll send you a Birdathon packet, complete with pledge forms, tips on getting pledges (including a sample letter to send to potential sponsors), collection forms, and a list of hot birding spots in the Tanana Valley. Packets will also be available at our annual meeting.
Other News…
The Trees from the Heart fundraiser held last December raised $685 for ABO. Special thanks to ARCO Alaska, Inc. for their sponsorship, Lori Quakenbush for donating the tree, Bob Ritchie of ABR, Inc. for buying it, and Randall Compton for donating a print and drawing. We also thank the following for donating or making ornaments: Kate Bennett, Mary Calmes, Betsy Chronic, Holly Debenham, Luke DeCicco, Laurel Devaney, Nancy DeWitt, Joan Friday, Kay Hackney, Janlee, Bonnie & Brita Irving, Dan Kennedy, Gail Mayo, Lise McCann, Sara McDaniel, Elizabeth Porter, Will Quintel, Bob Ritchie, Ken Russell, Melissa Sanford, Ted Swem, Andrea Swingley, and John Wright.
We’d like to welcome the following new Adopt-A-Net Sponsors for 2000: Alaska Feed Company, Alaska Heart Institute, Fred Meyer, Martha Hanlon Architects, Inc., Midnight Sun Lions Club, Nature Alaska Tours, North Pole Physical Therapy and Sports Rehabilitation, and Tesoro Alaska Petroleum. We’d also like to thank those who have renewed their sponsorship: ABR, Inc., Alaska Children’s Trust, Alaska Railroad Company, Arctic Audubon Society, Bunky the Birdathon dog, Friends of Creamer’s Field, Adrienna Holden, Holm Town Nursery in memory of John Holm, Mt. McKinley Bank, Ron & Mary Teel, and The Usibelli Foundation. Their support provides crucial funding for our landbird monitoring program at the Creamer’s Field Migration Station. If you or your company would like to sponsor one of our nets, please call Nancy at 451-7059.
Other thanks… to Ed & Laurel McLaughlin for a projection screen; Mike Joyce for a tripod; Lori Quakenbush for airline miles to attend the Alaska Bird Conference; and Allen Smith for several first-class upgrade coupons. Also, thanks to Mike Joyce, Laurie Averill-Murray, Brad Andres, Kristine Sowl, Suzanne Beauchaine, and an anonymous contributor for donating their older edition field guides for use in our education programs. Finally, thanks to Jim & Sharon Blick for a big box of bird books for our library.
Contributor Spotlight
ABO relies on the support and generosity of numerous individuals, businesses, and organizations to monitor and conduct ecological research on Alaska’s birds, and to provide environmental education programs that promote appreciation for and conservation of birds. We would like to recognize the Arctic Audubon Society for their long-term support of our work and thank them for their recent contribution of $3,300 to our 2000 programs. According to their president, Sherry Lewis, "The Board’s donations are based on Arctic Audubon’s philosophy of protecting Alaskan ecosystems through research, education and management." We are pleased to have Audubon as a partner in our conservation work.
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Censusing Birds in Denali:
An Intern’s Perspective
By Curt Gervich, 1999 ABO intern
June 10, 1999, 3:30 AM, Denali National Park and Preserve, Park Road mile 0.0. I clutched my green, hot beverage container like it was the very thing holding me upright. Indeed it was. Sucking down a gulp of the motor-oil like coffee it held, I slowly felt the drink’s warmth spread through my body, all the way down to my toes. I glared at my companion -- wide-eyed, a skip in his step, and more amazingly, his ears perked. He stared into the spruce forest just off the shoulder of the road, willing a sound to come from the haze within the trees. I swore to myself there was no noise, that at this ungodly hour the only things stirring were us and the Lil’ Colt (so named for the emblem on the camper shell), our seemingly tireless orange GMC pick-up with a canopy bed equipped like an Embassy Suite(™).
Suddenly, my ears twitched, my eyes rose to meet the morning, and I heard it. Like bells, wind chimes, or a xylophone, the song rose in a swirl of notes sounding like the clinking of champagne glasses. The song reached its pinnacle, and then… there was an answer. Then dozens of songs emanated from all parts of the forest. The trees were alive. "Swainson’s Thrush," whispered Steve Springer, Field Biologist for the Alaska Bird Observatory. I was his intern. Never before a birder, I had three weeks to learn as many species as could be found in the non-existent confines of Denali National Park. After Steve’s prompting I knew one. "And there’s a Yellow-Rumped Warbler," Steve noted. I scratched down information as quickly as Steve produced it; my mind a mess of chirps, onomatopoeias, four-letter species codes, and sentences like "Quick, three beers" which if you listened hard you actually believed is what the parched Olive Sided Flycatcher was calling for.
Steve was conducting an on-road Breeding-Bird Survey that June morning. He stopped the Lil’ Colt every half mile for 30 miles along the Denali Park road, and at each stop he counted all he could detect for three minutes. I watched as he took in information about birds I couldn’t see or hear. After each three-minute survey he explained what he had detected. On a leap of faith, I accepted this information, and the fact that I was not, no matter how hard I tried, EVER going to hear the things Steve did. The more birds I did hear, the more confused I became.
Aside from using the Lil’ Colt to conduct on-road surveys, I followed Steve daily as he conducted off-road surveys. Always beginning data collection at 3:30 AM, we hiked along transects through muskeg swamps with tussocks 3 feet high, over mountains, and across rivers. Travelling perpendicular to the road, we hiked 250 meters between survey points, ending 3 kilometers from the Lil’ Colt at point 12. Steve laughed at me when I couldn't hear a robin 10 feet away. He smirked when I mixed up the "chichichic" of a Wilson’s Warbler and the "jabbajabbajabba" of a Myrtle Warbler anytime we heard either. Slowly I began to think I was merely along for bear protection; to save Steve’s voice as we "hey bear"ed our way through the park or to be sacrificed if we came along that angry grizzly I’d been warned about.
Then it happened. After conducting a survey near Teklanika, I heard a recognizable noise. It was miles away, but unmistakably, an American Tree Sparrow. I signaled Steve. He didn’t hear it. I signaled again, and he curiously placed his folding clipboard around his head and used it like a satellite pulling in noise from outside his normal reach. His face lit up. "Tree Sparrow," he whispered. "I know. I heard him," I shot back. He smiled, and haughtily asked me if I’d heard the two robins to our southeast. I had. "And the Wilson’s to our back?" he smirked. "Check." "The Savannah Sparrows on the hill?" "Check, check, and check. There were three." "I only heard two," said the pro. "Listen again, there went the third." I corrected him, and he knew it.
From then on Steve and I consulted each other after each survey. Not as before, as teacher and student, but as fail-safes, making sure we had observed correctly and unbiasedly, and had recorded our data accurately. I was by no means on the same field as Steve Springer, but if he is the varsity, I at least make the JV cut.
ABO Wish List
ABO needs your help to gear up for a very ambitious field season! We are looking for donations of the following items:
- 100 MB Iomega Zip Drive
- 4-wheeler
- Portable CD player
- Two-way radios
- Camp stove
- Sleeping bags and tents
- Cooking gear, utensils and plastic plates, bowls and cups for our "new" 1977 camper-trailer
- Cabin or apartment to rent for interns
- Windows ‘95 or higher-compatible laptop computer
Attention Teachers:
Once again the Alaska Bird Observatory and the Alaska Department of Fish & Game will be offering our popular natural history science education programs for school groups during May. More information about these programs will be sent to Fairbanks-area schools at the beginning of April. Groups visiting ABO are required to pay either $35 per presentation or $2 per person to help cover administrative and materials costs. Some scholarship assistance is available for those classes not able to pay all or part of the $35 fee, or that need assistance with transportation costs. If you are interested in visiting the banding station you must call our office at 451-7059 or e-mail us at aswingley@alaskabird.org between April 12 and 16 at 3:00 p.m. On April 19 we will notify you with confirmed dates and the number of slots available to your school. Those classes not accommodated will be placed on a waiting list. If you miss our call-in deadline, please call us anyway and you will be placed on the waiting list. For more information.
Mark Your Calendars!
ABO will host the 75th Annual meeting of the Western Bird Banding Association in Fairbanks from September 8 - 10, 2000.
Did You Know?
The name "hell-diver" refers primarily to the Pied-billed Grebe, but is also a local name for the Common Loon, Horned Grebe and Bufflehead. When shot at, these birds dove so quickly and remained underwater so long, that hunters concluded they had dived to Hell.
From 10,0001 Titillating Tidbits of Avian Trivia
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Alaska Bird Observatory