My newest print to benefit conservation efforts is this 2014 gouache painting of a Semipalmated Sandpiper with American Avocets (more info about my gouache technique here). This is a common scene in the Mississippi River Delta region, where catfish ponds and other managed wetlands create habitat for large numbers of American Avocets, migrating Semipalmated Sandpipers,
Print to support shorebird habitat preservation Read More »
Auction closed with a winning bid of $1660! Thanks to everyone for your support. And you can still make a donation at the ABC website here. Like so many other birders, I’ve had the great pleasure of sitting and birding in the Paton’s backyard sanctuary in Patagonia, Arizona, where Violet-crowned Hummingbird is one of the
Hummingbird Art Auction to benefit Paton’s Birder Haven Read More »
The other morning I was passing a farm field near my house. It’s a place where I often go birding and as I glanced around I was thinking “maybe there could be a Rough-legged Hawk today”. But I’ve never seen a Rough-legged Hawk here in 12 years in the neighborhood, and all I could see
Rough-legged vs. Red-tailed? Read More »
Thanks to all who donated (and to Audubon California for facilitating), the Sandpiper Information Center at Pak Thale is ready for its grand opening on 26 June! The center will be managed by the Bird Conservation Society of Thailand and will provide information about Spoon-billed Sandpipers and other rare species for visiting birders and local
Thailand Sandpiper Info Center – Grand Opening Read More »
There is more evidence of the dire situation with Spoon-billed Sandpiper – efforts are currently underway to develop a captive-breeding population. A team led by staff from the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT) and Birds Russia, along with several other international organizations, is currently in Siberia working to locate and capture a small number of
New efforts to save Spoon-billed Sandpiper Read More »
The benefit auction concluded in Feb 2011 (more information in a post here) is all about protecting salt pans in Thailand that are critical wintering habitat for many species of shorebirds including Spoon-billed Sandpiper. Protecting wintering habitat is particularly important for shorebirds, because many of them spend eight or nine months of each year there.
Salt pans and sandpipers Read More »
The painting shown here is currently available at auction (see box at right, revised on 24 Jan) with 100% of the proceeds going to support the efforts of the Bird Conservation Society of Thailand. Or you can make a donation through Audubon (see below). Funds will go to an information center at Pak Thale, Thailand,
Donate to help Spoon-billed Sandpiper Read More »
Up until the 1980s, permanent sea ice north of Canada and Russia would have been a substantial barrier to the movement of birds around the Arctic Ocean, inhibiting passage east or west along the northern shores of North America and Siberia. As can be seen in the two images above, however, those barriers have almost
Birding and a warming arctic Read More »
An article in the Aug 28, 2010 edition of the New York Times – Warning to Birds: All-Glass Buildings Ahead – describes recent developments in window technology to prevent bird collisions, which is very encouraging because it demonstrates a recognition of the issue by the major news media and by industry. Thanks to the work being done
New York Times on windows and birds Read More »
Spoon-billed Sandpiper populations have been declining for decades, but the reasons are still unclear. Update September 2010 – My conclusion below is that climate change is likely to be the cause of declines, but recently Zockler et al (pdf here) concluded that hunting on the wintering grounds is a more significant threat. Apparently fledging rates at
Why is Spoon-billed Sandpiper disappearing? Read More »