Entries from March 2008 ↓

March is coming to a close and the busy months of birding and bird conservation are upon us. We have several projects and outings planned for the next few months, and of course we’ll be sharing them as often as possible!

1. Bird Banding - we are working on creating a series about bird banding including videos showing how it’s done and showcasing some of the amazing migrant birds that come through our area. There are even plans of creating a new website for Sand Bluff Bird Observatory to help promote this local gem we have in our county.
2. Earth Day - we will most likely be helping out on Earth Day to promote our local bird club. We hope to get some new people interested in birding and of course, bird conservation.
3. Bird Counts - we have a Sandhill Crane count in April, the Spring Bird Count in May, and our 72-hour birding extravaganza, also in May. These counts help to determine how bird populations are doing and are tons of fun besides.
4. D.R.B.S. - We will be continuing with the Deer Run Bird Surveys to get an idea of what birds use this nature preserve, especially as a migration stopover and for nesting.
5. Specialized Bird Conservation Population Study - We are trying to start population studies on 13 species of birds in our area, a project we hope to have our bird club participate in.
6. Writing a Book - We are in the process of writing a birding book. We can’t give out too many details at this time but over the next few months we hope to get ideas from our beloved readers and bird conservation friends.

Sandhill Cranes dancing - by Dakota

We spent part of Sunday morning searching for waterfowl and shorebirds. Unfortunately, we didn’t find much of either and the weather was drizzly. However, we did find a few cool birds along the backroads of Winnebago County, Illinois.

Ring-necked Pheasant

Turkey Vulture

Common Grackle

March is coming to an end shortly and migration is really just beginning. We are getting excited for more birds to come through and for nicer weather!!

Today, Birdfreak had the privilege of leading a field trip for the North Central Illinois Ornithological Society (NCIOS), our local bird club.

It was very chilly, but there was a full sun advantage. The goal was to search for various migrating waterfowl. The main lake (Pierce Lake) was unseasonably frozen. However, the two sections of the lake that were open contained quite a few different duck species.

1. Hooded Merganser
2. Common Merganser
3. Wood Duck
4. Ring-necked Duck
5. Lesser Scaup
6. Bufflehead
7. Mallard
8. American Black Duck
9. Northern Shoveler
10. Redhead

Hooded Merganser, Lesser Scaup, and a Great Blue Heron

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Our very first photo uploaded to Flickr. This photo was shot in southern Texas a few years ago.

Pied-billed Grebe with a “friend”.

Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamps, which we prefer to call Bird Conservation Stamps (Duck Stamps) are one of the best ways of creating and restoring habitat. 98 cents of every dollar goes straight to conservation funding making it the most cost-effective form of bird conservation.

• In 2007, approximately 1.6 million duck stamps were sold! At $15.00 each that means over $23 million that goes straight into protecting habitat for birds.
• Since 1991, there has not been any price increase on the Duck Stamp. This year there is a proposal to raise the price to $25.00, a notable increase but one that is important to increasing conservation.
• Some people might be discouraged to purchase the stamps but even if total sales decrease by say 10% (1.44 million stamps) the new price will raise over $35 million, a substantial increase in funds. But hopefully all birders will be inspired to purchase stamps.
• If there are 40 million birders in the U.S. and just half of these birders buy one stamp a year, that’s $490 million (98%) that would be used to purchase and protect land that birders enjoy.

Bird Conservation Stamps do more than protect waterfowl. Many species of birds benefit from the increase in habitat protection.

Do your part and buy a stamp if you haven’t yet. Or you can join The National Wildlife Refuge Association (NWRA) and buy a stamp with your membership!

Nearly every work day I try to get out at lunch to do a little birding. Having an hour break away from the computer is great not only for stress relief but for finding what birds are on the move.

Brown Creeper - a lunchtime capture of a couple months ago

Of course, birding for less than an hour at midday is by no means the optimal bird-finding experience. However, just being out when the weather is nice (or not) is well worth the often low number of birds found. Of course, during migration these noon outings often yield the first-of-the-years for several species of birds.

Soon there will be Eastern Towhees, Brown Thrashers, and many more wonderful birds that I’ll hopefully discover on these short diversions from the corporate world.

-Birdfreak

In 2008 the American Marketing Association released their newest definition of marketing, as follows:

“Marketing is the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large.”

If we as bird conservationists wish to increase our ranks, we should apply this new definition to promoting bird conservation. So let’s break this definition down.

“…activity, set of institutions, and processes…”

Promoting bird conservation requires action from a wide array of sources: teachers and schools are essential to getting the word out on how important birds are and why the conservation of them is so important. Along with teachers are parents, the government, and of course the birding community as a whole.

One of the most important things the birding community must realize is that every time we as birders are in the public, we are representing bird conservation. Every time a list-serv discussion turns into a name-calling, whiny display of immaturity, new birders are lost. Each time a photographer is scolded in the field for “getting to close”, another conservationist might be lost.

Black-throated Green Warbler

“…creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value…”

Blogging has afforded many birders with the opportunity to easily create, communicate, deliver, and exchange their thoughts and ideas. Whether these all have value is up for interpretation, but the tools are available for anyone with an idea to reach others.

Bird conservationists must capitalize on this medium but not just to reach other bloggers. Many websites positioned to promote the wonderful birding places we have do a terrible job of connecting. The National Wildlife Refuge System is a prime example of a whole series of websites that are mismatched and poorly displayed. Many barely illustrate why anyone would want to go there. If a curious person wants to enjoy nature in a new place yet can’t find out any real information online, they may not be able to find it anywhere else.

“…for customers, clients, partners, and society at large…”

Who are we creating value for? Bird conservation efforts benefit customers - those that hike, camp, photograph, etc. but aren’t “true” birders. Clients are those that profit off bird conservation or the byproduct of it: natural environments for people to enjoy (with their thousands of dollars worth of equipment).

Partners are us birders. We have a direct claim in the fact that there are places to go birding. But if we are unaware of bird conservation efforts in need of volunteers, citizen science projects, policy changes, etc. it makes acting on these impossible.

Lastly, bird conservation marketing requires value to society at large. There has been and always will be millions of people who don’t care and won’t help. Yet, society will always benefit more by having natural places, clean air and water, and wildlife diversity than without.

The new marketing definition can easily be applied to bird conservation but in order to save birds, we must all be proactive in our approach to reach some lofty goals.

“To truly be a bird conservationist is to preserve land not only at home but in places you may never visit.” -Eddie Callaway, Birdfreak