Cuts to Wetlands Reserve Program hurts fish, birds and wildlife

How long before federal lawmakers truly appreciate the many ecological functions associated with wetlands and their significance to society at large?

That's the $10,000 question that many in the conservation circles continue to ask, particularly in light of the recent actions by the U.S. House of Representatives to cut a bipartisan-supported conservation program yet again.

Despite President Bush's request for full funding, the House has cut the hugely popular and vitally important Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) from 250,000 acres (full annual enrollment) to 144,776 acres — a cut that has many seething, and deservedly so."Decreasing funding to the Wetlands Reserve Program is simply unacceptable to the hunting, fishing and conservation community," said Dave Nomsen, vice president of governmental affairs for Pheasants Forever and a co-chair of the Teddy Roosevelt Conservation Partnership (TRCP) working group. "We hope that the Senate hears our concerns."

Truth is, wetlands are among the most productive ecosystems in the world. Some biologists liken them to rain forests or coral reefs. They also support numerous species from all of the major groups of organisms — from microbes to mammals.

Thanks to the educational efforts of many of our conservation groups, we now realize that wetlands provide many societal benefits. Indeed, wetlands provide fish and wildlife habitat (up to one half of all bird species nest or feed in wetlands), improve water quality by filtering out chemicals, lessen shoreline erosion, store flood water (an acre of wetlands can store 1 to 1.5 million gallons of floodwater) and provide numerous recreational opportunities (hunting, fishing, bird watching and more) at minimal cost.

To echo Dave Nomsen of Pheasants Forever, it is simply unacceptable to the hunting, fishing and conservation community to cut the WRP.

...this program needs funding...

The Pilot-Independent - Walker, Minnesota

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Birdwatching reaches new heights in VietNam

In a country that supports nearly 900 species of birds, the members of the Ha Noi Birdwatching Club (HBC) should have no trouble keeping themselves busy.

The recently formed group has plans to organise a birding trip every three months, with the next birding trip planned for the Cuc Phuong National Park in August.

"We hope more and more members will join in our upcoming activities," said Le Manh Hung, the club leader.

The HBC is the brainchild of several young scientists from the Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources and the Ha Noi National University. With some technical support from the BirdLife International Viet Nam Programme, the initial idea for the HBC emerged in 2000, but only this year has it become a reality.

The club enjoyed successful first birding trips to the Xuan Thuy National Park in Nam Dinh Province and to the Van Long Nature Reserve in Ninh Binh Province, and by the end of April, the HBC had attracted quite a few young enthusiasts. Many bird species were recorded, but the most notable observations were 11 co thia, black-faced spoonbills (Platalea minor), a species considered globally endangered.

According to BirdLife International, bird watchers of all skill levels, areas of interest and ages can find something interesting in observing wild birds. Some birders travel the world just to look for a few rare species that they wish to see once in their lives. Other enthusiasts simply enjoy watching birds at feeders in their gardens.

Bird watching has become a popular hobby in a number of countries, and many foreign bird watchers have begun to visit Viet Nam.

Though the concept of bird watching is entirely new to most local people, the country has developed a reputation for its wide range of habitats sheltering a variety of beautiful and rare species.

Winging it: Black-faced spoonbills in Xuan Thuy National Park, Nam Dinh Province. — Photo by Duc Tu

"BirdLife is now seeking funds from the business sector in Viet Nam with the aim of organising a series of events this October to join the World Bird Festival 2006 – Asia events," said Jonathan C Eames, programme manager of BirdLife International in Indochina.

Eames said that events will be organised for the first weekend of that month, centered around the theme, "Connecting People and Nature." "BirdLife hopes that the fund-raising will be successful and that these events will attract participation from a lot of bird and nature lovers nationwide," Eames said.

...to see beautiful and rare birds is a sight in deed...

Viet Nam News

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Pennsylvania Game Commission: Backyard Bird Oases

by Joe Kosack.

A surefire way to attract songbirds - and often other wildlife - to your backyard is by adding a birdbath or small pond, according to Pennsylvania Game Commission biologists. During the dog days of summer, water has almost magical powers of attraction on many birds, because it's something they use regularly.

It's not that birds are big drinkers, or hygiene extremists. A belly full of water and wet feathers definitely are not conducive to flight, a bird's chief mode of transportation and first line of defense. Drinking and wading in water can help birds manage their body temperature when the sun is baking backyards and suburban settings. In fact, water can be as or more important than food to some birds when the heat is on.

Birds typically do just fine regulating their body temperatures through breathing; they do not sweat. As cooler, fresh air circulates through a bird's respiratory system, it shuttles away the warm, moist air that radiates from its overheated body tissues. As a general rule, the smaller a bird, the greater its body's loss of water via breathing - and need to replenish what it has expelled. This can be accomplished through eating juicy fruits and berries, or bugs, or at a puddle or backyard birdbath.

"Adding a water source to your backyard will almost always draw birds and provide countless hours of bird-watching pleasure," said biologist Doug Gross, an endangered bird specialist for the Pennsylvania Game Commission. "Water will pull in everything from bluebirds and American goldfinches to ruby- throated hummingbirds and robins.

A water source can be made more attractive to birds by adding a water dripper, mist sprayer or a cascading trickle. Birds seem to key on moving water and the sound of it, particularly when it's found or heard in an area where water is hard to come by. Once located by birds, a properly maintained water source rarely sits idle. Birds usually wait in nearby trees for their turn to access the water for drinking or bathing.

Created in 1895 as an independent state agency, the Game Commission is responsible for conserving and managing all wild birds and mammals in the Commonwealth, establishing hunting seasons and bag limits, enforcing hunting and trapping laws, and managing habitat on the 1.4 million acres of State Game Lands it has purchased over the years with hunting and furtaking license dollars to safeguard wildlife habitat. The agency also conducts numerous wildlife conservation programs for schools, civic organizations and sportsmen's clubs.

...thats a great bird  program...

Pennsylvania Game Commission: Backyard Bird Oases: Financial News - Yahoo! Finance

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