American Woodcock Conservation in Pennsylvania: Wildlife officials in Pennsylvania are creating over 783,000 acres of new habitat to help increase American Woodcock populations to what they were in the 1970s. Also, the new conservation plan is designed to set up 12 demonstration areas to help officials highlight how habitat management can improve populations for a bird that is underappreciated.
Breakdown:
- 571,000 acres on private land
- 67,900 acres on state game lands
- 144,250 acres on other public lands
Yazoo Pumps No More: The Environmental Protection Agency decided to veto a $220 million flood-control project in the Mississippi Delta. This project, the Yazoo Pump, was deeply opposed by the National Audubon Society, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services, and other conservation groups.
Messing with the Mississippi River has caused and continues to cause all sorts of problems for the millions of birds that use it as a migration flyway twice a year. Wetlands, once thought of as wastelands, are also crucial to the livelihood of all animal species. Conserving the Mississippi River watershed would save the U.S. money in the long run over cleaning up after hurricane-induced flooding.
The Mississippi River Basin drains about 40 percent of the area of the lower 48 states, making it the largest watershed in the country. Up to 90 percent of all freshwater entering the Gulf of Mexico comes from the Mississippi River.
Taken together, the Mississippi River Basin and the Gulf of Mexico encompass more than 40 million acres of large river floodplain, coastal wetlands and the waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
Approximately 60 percent of all North American bird species depend upon the River’s habitats, including 40 percent of all waterfowl and shorebirds that migrate along the Mississippi flyway.
Source: Denver Post
15-Year Old Josh Corvill Shows Birding is Anything But Geeky: A wonderful article about a young western birder with a passion that easily could convince more teenagers to become birders.
“I am birding all the time. Every second of every day I am birding. I have seen several cool birds from the window of my English classroom.†Josh is the youngest participant in the online Montana Outdoor Birding Group, which has cemented his reputation statewide. Not bad for someone who doesn’t even have a drivers’ license yet.
On a Montana Outdoor Birding Group posting about a February bird sighting, Josh wrote: “I was just outside having a snowball fight with some friends, and a GREAT HORNED OWL flew over!!! This was not even 20 minutes ago!!! … Number 71!!! OH YAH!!! You can tell I still have an adrenaline rush, can’t you.†– The Daily InterLake
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My ex used to hunt woodcock, until I convinced him to stop killing birds & start raising them, instead. Over the years we raised of 40 different types of birds, mostly game birds. It was a great learning opportunity & fun, to boot.
where in the world would I look to find woodcock eggs for my incubator there are a few woodcock in the swamps behind my house but I would like to buy some eggs so I can add to the flock These little birds are funny to watch while I am out picking morrels in the spring time