Briefs

Whales Whoop, Ships Listen

Lab Teams Seek a Win for the Birds

Learn to Record Sounds

Celebrating “Tundra to Tropics”

Whales Whoop, Ships Listen

In January, 2008, after years of development, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, working with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and other partners, launched a system of auto-detection listening buoys for the busy waters of Massachusetts Bay. These buoys have been detecting the unique whoop of right whales ever since. Buoy detections are verified at the Lab and passed on to ship captains, giving them advance notice about when and where to slow down.

Ships pose a deadly hazard for slow-swimming whales. Only 350 North Atlantic right whales still exist, all along the East Coast. Reducing the current pace of more than one whale-ship collision every year is critical if right whales are to survive.

Learn more about this exciting conservation project, see current whale detections, and watch and listen to right whales at www.listenforwhales.org.

Lab Teams Seek a Win for the Birds

Saturday, May 10, 2008, marks the silver anniversary of the World Series of Birding in New Jersey. For the 25th time, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s team will be vying to win the title and raise the most funds for conservation.

Beginning at midnight, the Cornell/Swarovski Sapsuckers will crisscross the state of New Jersey in a carefully-timed plan to find more birds than any other team in 24 hours. Each bird they find will bring in funds for conservation, thanks to pledges of friends and supporters.

The Lab’s student team, The Redheads (named for the “Cornell Big Red”) will boost the Lab’s fundraising efforts, competing in Cape May County.

“We’re psyched, as always,” says Sapsucker Ken Rosenberg, the Lab’s Conservation Science director. “There are some unknowns this time around, since we’ll have new team members and we’ll be in everyone’s crosshairs after winning the event for the past two years. But we have the best birders in North America, and we're determined to hold onto the championship!”

Lab director John Fitzpatrick and Information Science director Steve Kelling have retired from Team Sapsucker after 12 and 14 years, respectively. Rosenberg, returning for his 24th year, will be joined by two of eBird’s project leaders, Brian Sullivan and Marshall Iliff, eBird programmer Tim Lenz, and flight-call expert Andy Farnsworth.

Contribute to bird conservation and help motivate our teams for the win! You can pledge any amount for each species identified on the Big Day. Every cent goes toward conservation and education because long-time sponsor and partner Swarovski Optik covers expenses for both teams.

To learn more about the teams or to make a pledge, visit www.birds.cornell.edu/wsb or call (800) 843-BIRD.

Learn to Record Sounds

Birders, researchers, and those interested in natural sounds are invited to attend the Macaulay Library’s 2008 Sound Recording Workshop. During the week-long session starting June 7 at San Francisco State University’s Sierra Nevada Research Station, participants will learn how to select and use audio recorders and microphones in the field and how to document and analyze recordings. The station is rich with birds such as White-headed Woodpecker, American Dipper, and Western Tanager. For more information, visit www.birds.cornell.edu/audioworkshop.

Celebrating “Tundra to Tropics”

This spring, bird enthusiasts across the Western Hemisphere will celebrate the theme “Tundra to Tropics” during International Migratory Bird Day (IMBD). The Lab invites the public to join its IMBD celebration on Saturday, May 17, 2008, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The event will include exhibits and activities for people of all ages, as well as games and readings for children.

Visit www.birds.cornell.edu/birdday to learn more. Visit www.birdday.org to learn about events at other locations.

 

For permission to reprint all or part of this article, please contact Laura Erickson, editor, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 159 Sapsucker Woods Rd., Ithaca, NY, 14850. Phone: (607) 254-1114. email: lle24@cornell.edu