This post stretches geographic legitimacy for UV-Birders, but it
features a familiar migrant and so may be of interest. I'm wrapping
up an extended trip, first to Puerto Rico, now the Dominican
Republic. On Puerto Rico, VCE has launched islandwide surveys for
Bicknell's Thrush, attempting to clarify the species' status there.
Almost 2 weeks into the project, our local team is still awaiting
its first encounter with the bird. I had the privilege of spending
4 days with two of PR's top birders, Jose Salguero and Julio
Salgado, and while we didn't turn up any thrushes, we had some
memorable birding. For anyone interested in details, check out two
these two blog posts:
http://vtecostudies.org/blog/among-the-machetes/
http://vtecostudies.org/blog/angels-trump-bicknells/
My week in the DR has been limited to Santo Domingo, where I'm
afraid I have no exciting birds to report. My "vacation" ended
abruptly upon arrival, and I've participated in a non-stop series of
meetings and discussions, both with our staff person here, Juan
Carlos Martinez-Sanchez, and an array of local partners. Most focus
has been on Sierra de Bahoruco, a biodiversity-rich mountain range
in southwestern DR that is fast losing ground to illegal charcoal
production and commercial agriculture. I reported on this a year
ago, and the unfolding ecological crisis is more dire than ever, an
extremely complicated situation. On the positive side, we're
helping spearhead a consortium of local conservationists who are
determined to turn things around, and we have a grant from US Fish
& Wildlife Service with our main partner here, Grupo
Jaragua, to do just that. It's an uphill battle to say the
least, but one absolutely worth our effort - I bounce between
feeling dispirited, energized and optimistic! VCE has worked in
Sierra de Bahoruco for >20 years now, and it's a critical region
for overwintering Bicknell's Thrush. Rest assured that no one is
ready to throw in the towel, far from it. There is a remarkable
commitment among our local partners, and we now must spur action at
higher levels of decision-making. Despite daunting odds, I'm
convinced we're on the right track.
I fully expect to have more encouraging news to report in the months
and years ahead.
Chris
--
Chris Rimmer
Vermont Center for Ecostudies
P.O. Box 420
Norwich, VT 05055
802-649-1431 ext. 1
www.vtecostudies.org