Kingfisher Named Bird of the Year 2009

The kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) is the favorite bird of many people, who call it the “Flying Jewel.” The bird earned this nickname because of its multicolored, shiny feathers. In contrast to its rust-brown belly and white throat, the upper feathers—depending on how light falls on them—dazzle the eyes with hues of azure blue and emerald green, including a turquoise strip along the back.

From the beak to the tip of the tail, the bird measures 16 cm long. Its short legs and tail feathers make it appear a bit clumsy, but its flight is so swift that predators present no danger. Present estimates of breeding pairs range from 5,000 to 8,000 in Germany alone. In the vicinity of Hamburg, the estimated kingfisher population consists of 35–40 breeding pairs.

The kingfisher is a loner during the winter months and does not tolerate others of its kind in its territory. But this changes during breeding season when the male calls the female. This leads to negotiations with possible mates—lengthy flights of pursuit, flat across the water and high above the trees, coupled with many freshly caught fish as offerings to the female.

The pair has a month-long encounter. Most of these pairings are monogamous, but occasionally not. However, the male will take care of both his families then! This is quite a feat, considering the birds breed three times a year, and sometimes four.

On average, up to 70 percent of all adult kingfisher die, as do 80 percent of the new hatchlings, according to NABU (German Nature Conservation Association). Kingfishers are non-migratory in Germany and only leave their territory if the waters freeze over. If the frosts last too long, the birds will perish.

This is the second time since1973 that NABU and the Landesbund für Vogelschutz (LBV) (The Society for the Protection of Birds) has selected the kingfisher as Bird of the Year—this time for 2009. The bird represents the living rivers and meadows that make up its territory.

NABU has begun a huge, federally sanctioned and funded project to let the Havel River return to its natural course and do away with the many dikes and gradations. The project will permit the river to once again meander in a natural pattern through meadows, ponds, and flood plains. The area is hopefully set to become a paradise for animals and humans and, of course, for the Flying Jewels.

By Heike Soleinsky, Epoch Times Staff

Read more: Epoch Times

This Christmas - Connect with Nature

Christmas is a time for giving, and a time for family. What a great opportunity to start a family tradition of giving back to the earth and instilling the values of sustainable living to your children, friends and community. Start an annual, earth-friendly Christmas family tradition! It will also get you outdoors for a few hours to build an appetite for the big dinner.

Annual Christmas Day Bird Count - take your binoculars, a field guide to local birds, a small pad or journal for each participant and walk a course through your neighborhood, local park or countryside. Try to identify and count every bird you see, and make a note of it in your journal. At the end of the hike, list the species seen and number of birds per species. There's always a surprising discovery, and the activity highlights the presence and value of our feathered friends. Compare the results from former years and you'll become experts on your local bird population and migration habits. This is a great family activity because even the youngest eyes are just as good at spotting the birds and contributing to the event. For more information, see our page Annual Bird Count

Family nature hike - a peaceful walk through nature on Christmas day will be remembered and valued more than the score of the football game.

Nature restoration activity - planting a small tree together symbolizes the value of nature and offsets the 'taking' of the Christmas tree. An hour spent cleaning up or enhancing a natural area also enriches the giver and acknowledges nature as the source of our well-being.Decorate a tree for the birds - place seed bells, suet, pine cones with peanut butter and seed trays on any tree in your yard, preferably a tree in the open where cats can be seen easily by the birds. To attract a wide variety of birds, use varied seed types such as black oil sunflower seed, wild bird mixed seed and nyger seed bells. This is a great activity for kids, and offers an important food source for birds during the winter.

Read more: How to have a 'green' Christmas, Eartheasy.com

Backyard Birders Do Citizen Science

Project FeederWatch lets birders participate in a citizenscience survey without leaving their back yards.

Run by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology in Ithaca, N. Y., and Bird Studies Canada, a nonprofit research group in Ontario, the project involves about 15,000 volunteers across the continent who make lists of all the birds that show up at their backyard feeders from November to early April. The collaboration began about 20 years ago, when Erica Dunn, an ornithologist who started the Ontario Bird Feeder Survey in 1976, realized that a larger survey would be better able to track population and migration trends. She approached the Cornell Lab about starting a similar study in the United States, and their joint effort enrolled 4,000 volunteers in 1987, its first year.

Project FeederWatch is a great way to learn about birds, with the support of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and countless other birders, accessible by e-mail. A $ 15 fee includes instructions, a handbook about birds and bird feeding, a poster with color illustrations of common feeder birds, a calendar, data forms and return envelopes. Records can also be submitted online.
More information is at www.birds.cornell.edu/pfw.

Read more: Backyard birders do citizen science
BY ANNE RAVER NEW YORK TIMES NEWS SERVICE

Birding California's Central Coast

For spectacular scenic vistas and an exciting array of bird species, this region of the Golden State is unsurpassed

When I first drove the coast route from Santa Barbara to San Francisco, I couldn’t believe my eyes: mile after mile of undeveloped coastline giving way to redwood groves and towering hillsides, lush river mouths, and rocky gorges. I saw California Condors soar lazily overhead along Big Sur’s magnificent cliffs, elevated by gentle west winds. Growing up at the beach on the East Coast, I found this simply unthinkable—a place where nature has trumped the almighty dollar, where land is preserved instead of being developed, and where sunsets help earn California its nickname, the Golden State.

Nestled between the bustling celebrity of Los Angeles and the windswept streets of San Francisco lies an idyllic expanse of coast that time has seemingly forgotten, in all the right ways. This 300-mile stretch of central California is perhaps the most scenic coast in the United States. Many people visit this area simply to make the famous drive along Highway 1 in Big Sur, but there is much more to this area than scenic beauty. The region’s storied past is rich, spanning our imaginations from Zorro to Steinbeck, from Spanish missionaries to Russian fur-traders, from Cannery Row to fine wineries. Its biodiversity is no less complex. Hosting a remarkable variety of birds, Monterey is one of the most bird-rich counties in the United States, with 489 species recorded so far, and it provides some of the finest pelagic birding in North America.

Monterey Bay

On its calmest days, Monterey Bay is idyllic. Warm, dry breezes ripple cobalt waters, giving the impression that you are closer to the tropics than you actually are. But on wild days, gray clouds wall up and march in from the northwest, signaling the arrival of autumn’s first powerful cold fronts, torrential rains, hurricane-force winds, and raging seas—the ocean’s raw power on display. Residents take the changes in stride, prepared for anything life-by-the-sea throws their way. In Monterey people say you should “dress in layers,” and it’s not unusual to need a hat and gloves in August—or shorts and a T-shirt in December. Despite the changeable weather, Monterey Bay is without doubt the crown jewel of the central coast. It is one of the most productive marine environments in the world, and wildlife abounds in many forms. The area is especially important for pelagic birds, and a day trip on Monterey Bay at any season is sure to be unforgettable.

by Brian Sullivan

Read more: LivingBird Cornell Lab of Ornithology