More and more migratory birds are filtering into Vermont each day. I 
heard American Redstarts, Ovenbirds, and Black-and-white Warblers at 
Lake Runnemede yesterday morning on an early morning bird walk. It was 
amazing to think that just a few months ago I saw large numbers of these 
birds in the Dominican Republic. I was there with VCE Director, Chris 
Rimmer, in his 15th year of studying Bicknell's Thrush in the heart of 
its wintering range. If you are as amazed and inspired by these small 
birds migrating such long distances despite serious conservation issues, 
come to the Montshire tomorrow evening and learn more about the 
Northeast's only endemic bird species--Bicknell's Thrush.


Chris Rimmer will be presenting at the Montshire Museum Tuesday, May 
13th, at 7pm.*
*

*
Bicknell's Thrush: Conserving a Bird of Two Worlds*

The Bicknell’s Thrush is one of North America’s most rare and vulnerable 
songbirds. Nesting only in mountaintop forests of the Northeast and 
wintering primarily on the island of Hispaniola (Dominican Republic and 
Haiti), Bicknell’s Thrush faces numerous threats to its long-term 
survival. On its breeding grounds, these include acid precipitation, ski 
area development, communications tower construction, wind power 
development, mercury contamination, and climate change. The species’ 
limited winter habitats are under siege from deforestation, caused by 
human population pressures. Since 1992, Vermont Center for Ecostudies 
(VCE) Director Chris Rimmer has led efforts to conserve the species and 
these habitats on which it depends. Chris will discuss this fascinating 
and rare songbird, VCE’s efforts to study it in New England and the 
Caribbean, and how Bicknell’s Thrush represents a vital conservation 
link across international boundaries.

-- 
Julie Hart
Mountain Birdwatch Coordinator
Vermont Center for Ecostudies
PO Box 420 • Norwich, VT 05055
802-649-1431 x 6
http://www.vtecostudies.org/MBW/   

****************************************************************
To post messages, send e-mail to:  [log in to unmask]
Set your e-mail application to PLAIN TEXT ONLY to post messages.
To contact the list owner:  [log in to unmask]
----------------------------------------------------------------
Web based archives and subscription management are available at:
http://listserv.dartmouth.edu/Archives/uv-birders.html
****************************************************************