Riparian Breeding Bird Surveys: We need your help!

Floating down a stream in a canoe, ticking off bottomland bird species may sound like recreation, but it's also science! The NC Wildlife Resources Commission is beginning it's second year surveying for bottomland bird species (including Cerulean Warbler, Swainson's Warbler, Kentucky Warbler, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Prothonotary warbler and more). This year we are focusing on the Cape Fear River Basin (see map of selected segments to survey here).

We are looking for participants to assist in covering all the river stretches possible between now and June 15th. Bird ID and canoeing skills are preferred, but not necessary. If you would like to participate, contact Scott Anderson.

Nightjar Surveys Start Tomorrow!

If you are interested in participating in this year's Nighjar Survey effort, it's not too late! Surveys can be run on any night between May 18 and May 31 or between June 16 and June 30. This is part of a national effort to monitor the distribution of nightjars (Whip-poor-wills, Chuck-wills-widows, and Common Nighthawks). The effort is mainly run through the Center for Conservation Biology.

You only have to learn three bird calls, it only requires a few hours of driving at night, stopping at 10 locations to listen for a few minutes. More information can be found at www.nighjars.org, the national organization. From there, you will find the designated routes that are available in your area (there are 50 left in North Carolina for adoption), and you will have to register in order to participate.

If you are signed up and ready to go, here's a handy chart for determining when to go.

If you have any questions about the protocol or anything else feel free to contact Scott Anderson.

Sandy Mush GL AMKE Nesting Going Well

Report from Joe Tomcho:

The Sandy Mush Game Land American Kestrel Nest Box Monitoring Project is off to a good start for the 2013 nesting season .  We currently have 7 kestrel nests with the possibility of two more nests in the coming weeks.  The project has already broken last year’s record of 7 nests by 5 breeding pairs and the season is still early.  There are currently 21 kestrel nest boxes in the project area with 18 on the game lands and the remaining 3 on private lands.  Two of the current nests are on private lands.  Landowner participation in the project has been great and we hope to expand and  place more nest boxes on private lands in the project area next year.

Nest box status:

1  -1egg 4/11

4  -4egg 4/11

7  -5egg 4/14

8  -3egg 4/14

10-5egg 4/14

13-3egg 4/14

20-3egg 4/11

We have a couple interns from Haywood Community College; Alex Wilson and Shelly Read who are assisting with the majority of the observations and data collection.  They will also assist with the banding events held throughout the summer.

 

2013 Spring NCPIF Meeting Minutes Posted

Minutes from the Spring NCPIF Meeting at Umstead State Park have been posted, including all presentations given at the meeting.  Please let me know if you have any updates/corrections!

NCPIF Fall Meeting - Call for Location

NC PIF will continue to host bi-annual meetings in the spring and fall of each year.  Our next meeting will be this coming September or October. I am looking for a volunteer to help with logistics securing a location and planning the meeting somewhere on the coast.

Please contact me if you are willing to help out!