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chance of a lifetime; Humane Society chastized



Hi Carolinabirders,

Walked in again yesterday, and was rewarded with my first Gray Catbird of 
the year. A few spend the winter in the Triangle, but their ratings on 
the Triangle Bird Checklist go from "rare" in mid-March to "occasional", 
to "uncommon" in mid-April, to "fairly common" at the end of April 
through the summer. I also had a close-up look at a pair of Blue-gray 
Gnatcatchers, and watched as a Red-tailed Hawk used a strong tailwind to 
leave two would-be-mobbing American Crows eating his dust. No birds of 
interest today, but did see an American Lady and two Tiger Swallowtails, 
apparently none the worse for the cold snap. My fiance is taking my car 
to Ohio for the weekend, but hopefully that won't stop me from getting 
out and seeing some birds....

Pasted below, a volunteer opportunity that I'd take over most paid jobs. 
The raptor migration past Veracruz is one of the last great wildlife 
spectacles, maybe the best sight in North America now that the Passenger 
Pigeons are gone and the Bison so greatly reduced. Trust me, if some 
fluke were to relieve me of grad school duties in the fall, I'd be there! 
Even better than those spots on the oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico, which 
I understand are in their last year of birding service (see 
http://www.geocities.com/NapaValley/8596/ for details).

An amusing, if disappointing, news story at 
http://washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A29831-2001Apr17.html
The Humane Society in Washington DC euthanized some mockingbird chicks 
because their nest was near a sidewalk and the birds were attacking 
pedestrians, then was busted by Fish and Wildlife for breaking the 
Migratory Bird Treaty Act. The judge, in sentencing the Humane Society, 
noted that the organization "has not made any attempt to duck the issue" 
and did not pose any "risk of flight". Sick humour of the day.

Good birding,

Josh


Joshua S. Rose
Duke University
Department of Biology (Zoology, R.I.P.)

jsr6@acpub.duke.edu
http://www.duke.edu/~jsr6/

****************************************************

EXPERIENCED VOLUNTEER HAWKWATCHERS NEEDED (n=3) for season long counts of 
diurnal raptors and wading birds in central Veracruz, Mexico. The 
Veracruz River of Raptors project is a conservation initiative whose 
mission is to promote the conservation of migratory raptors, wading birds 
and their habitats. A team of nine hawkwatchers (6 Mexican, 3 American) 
are responsible to monitor raptor and wading bird migration from two 
sites located in the Gulf coastal plain. The seasonal total raptor count 
is of over 4.3 million birds, plus >450,000 wading birds and assorted 
land birds, butterflies, and dragonflies. Work duties include 
standardized counts of migrants (from 8:00 am through 6:00 pm, daily from 
August 20 through November 20, 2001). Desired qualifications include at 
least two years of experience in raptor identification, ability to work 
long hours under hot, humid, weather conditions, and as part of a team of 
different cultures who live in primitive, basic, housing conditions in 
the small city of Cardel (30km N of Veracruz City). Volunteers are 
required to arrive in Veracruz, Mexico, at least 5 days before the 
official beggining of the count for orientation and training workshop and 
to stay for the entire season. Pronatura Veracruz will cover air 
transportation, housing, and a stipend of $600/month to cover food and 
local transportation for volunteers. To apply send cover letter, resume, 
and the name, phone number, and e-mail of two references to Rafael 
Rodríguez Mesa, field crew coordinator, Veracruz River of Raptors project 
at ralpa_x@yahoo.com <mailto:ralpa_x@yahoo.com> or by fax at 011 52 (2) 
818-6546.
 ****

                                Gracias,

Ernesto