The Kachemak Bay Birders would like to thank everyone who participated in, or donated prizes to, this year's (2013) Big Spit Plus Challenge during the 21st Kachemak Bay Shorebird Festival.  The event could not have occurred without you.  This year's Big Spit Plus was expanded in time (2.5 days) and location (Stariski River South to Homer and East to Fox River Flats and trips on the waters of Kachemak Bay). 

Participanting teams and the number of birds observed

YOUTH

1^st Place: Mr. Whitekeys and Friends found 80 species

            Grace, Damien, Eve, Atlas, and Max Burke

2^nd Place: Birding Buntings found 55 species

            Nolan and Landon Bunting

FAMILY/MIXED GROUP

1^st Place: Pedaling Plovers found 104 species

            Erick and Lori Paulsrud

2^nd Place: Many Sparrows found 57 species

            Silas, Aurora and Anna Firth

Participation: Family Big Year found 41 species

            Mike, Jen, Katie and Rosie McCrudden

DONORS

Bay Excursions (Karl Stoltzfus)–discounts on trips out on the Bay

Gary Lyon–print

Kachemak Crane Watch?gift certificates to the Homer Book Store

Kachemak Bay Conservation Society?youth prizes and bags

Captain's Coffee?beverage coupons

Don Jose's?gift certificate for a meal

Cosmic Kitchen–gift certificate for a meal

Two Sisters–gift certificate for a meal

Fat Olive's–gift certificate for a meal

Thank you everyone

Over 270 species of birds in the United States and Canada have been documented striking windows, and each year millions of birds die from striking windows.

The Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pennsylvania is working on project identifying bird window collisions and they would like you help. The college, however, is only looking for information on those birds not currently on their list of bird window strikes. The list of birds they have documented as striking windows is available on their website.

For more information on how to report a bird strike or for a list of birds already identified, check out their website: 

http://www.muhlenberg.edu/main/academics/biology//faculty/klem/ACO/GlassHome.htm

For more information on how to prevent window strikes go to the American Bird Conservancy's website: http://www.abcbirds.org/abcprograms/policy/collisions/glass.html where you can download their brochure on what you can do to prevent window strikes.

Have you ever been out bird watching and noticed that one of the birds has color bands on one or both legs?

According to Alaska Audubon, researchers attach color and numeric markers to birds to track individual birds. With color bands, each bird receives a unique combination of colors. For some birds, color bands are placed on their leg(s).  For some large waterfowl, such as swans, researchers use collars instead of bands. For large soaring birds, such as golden eagles, researchers may use wing tags. These are large number tags attached to the wings so they are visible when the birds fly high overhead.

Banding helps us understand where birds migrate, where they may stop along the way, and where they spend the winter away from Alaska. Finding these locations is essential to maintaining healthy bird populations. If there is habitat loss at stopover sites along migration routes or on wintering grounds, that affects the populations of birds in Alaska.

It is important for researchers to know where these birds are spotted. If you come across a bird with color bands on its leg(s), write the colors down in order (top to bottom), and be sure to note if they’re on the right or left leg. For birds with collar bands or wing tags, write down the number. The information recorded should be submitted to the U.S. Geological Survey, North American Bird Banding Program at:

http://www.reportband.gov/