When James Taylor performs at Virginia Beach on May 22, he will be singing for the birds. A portion of the proceeds from the concert will go to the Southern Tip Partnership to protect migratory bird stopover habitat on the southern tip of Virginia’s Eastern Shore. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is a member of the partnership which includes the Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program, the Virginia Departments of Conservation & Recreation and Game & Inland Fisheries and The Nature Conservancy. Together, they have protected and now manage more than 28,000 acres of land in the area.
Wood sandpiper. Credit: Ed Sigda with permission
Lost bird brings crowds to Delaware refuge
Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge is attracting larger than usual crowds of birders these days. Why? The discovery there of a wood sandpiper, a migrant shorebird rarely seen on this side of the Atlantic. The bird was positively identified on May 7.
With the recent acquisition of a 90-acre conservation easement in Essex County and the purchase of 175 acres in Richmond County, the Rappahannock River Valley National Wildlife Refuge now protects more than 8,000 acres of land for migratory birds and other wildlife.
Recently arrived snow geese at the new addition to the Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge. Credit: Eddy Edwards/USFWS
"The new 159-acre parcel has already proven its value to migratory birds," says Mark Sweeny, refuge manager. The refuge addition will be managed to provide important habitat for certain birds that nest in grasslands. Funding for the acquisition came from the sale of Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamps, also known as federal duck stamps.
John Sewell (left) and Clayton Socabasin of the Passamaquoddy Tribe—Indian Township Reservation collect data on fish populations in a Tribal Wildlife Grant-funded project. Credit: DJ Monette/USFWS
Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne has announced that $360 thousand in grants will go to three Native American projects in the states of Maine and Rhode Island to help pay for important conservation projects. The grants are part of $6.2 million awarded to 38 Native American projects in 18 states to fund a wide range of conservation projects nationwide.
