Greetings all,

I'd like to reply to Lance's posting wearing my Audubon Hat (although not my 
Audubon email) to point out that the ENTIRE river from the Mass border to 
Weathersfield Bow (Claremont on the NH side) is a bi-state IBA.  As posts in 
the last few months have indicated, this is an exceptional area for 
waterfowl during spring migration, which was a driving force behind the IBA 
status. While people are out looking for the rare goodies, I strongly 
encourage you to keep track of numbers of other waterfowl (as most seem to 
be doing) and - most importantly - submit your records to either NH Audubon 
or VINS (latter via VT ebird). Although we have lots of numbers, until 
Eric's recent "discovery" of the Hinsdale roost there wasn't anywhere near 
this amount of coverage.  I especially encourage people to do something 
systematic when they cover the river, so that data are comparable across 
years.

With changing land use in the valley, it would also be interesting to see 
where the birds are primarily foraging during the day, in the event it is 
possible to conserve such areas through easement or other means.  If 
development or conversion to poorer habitat (e.g., sod farms, vegetables) 
continue to increase, there will be fewer cornfields along the river in 
which waterfowl can forage, at which point the cool open water areas where 
they roost will be moot.

There's nothing like a rarity to spark interest, but I encourage everyone to 
think a little longer term than simply adding another checkmark to various 
lists. Go out there and collect data that can ultimately be used for 
conservation!

Thanks,
Pam Hunt
Bird Conservation Biologist
NH Audubon
3 Silk Farm Road
Concord, NH  03301
[log in to unmask]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Lance Tanino" <[log in to unmask]>
To: "New Hampshire Birds" <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, March 28, 2007 10:57 AM
Subject: Monadnock Chapter CT River duck patrol field trip


> Hello birders,
> Here's an announcement about an upcoming field trip to the CT River this
> Saturday starting from Hinsdale where many exciting waterfowl reports have
> been made recently and ending at Herrick's Cove, an Important Bird Area
> (IBA).
>

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