Lowland Eagles of San Diego County

Well, it's been a prodigiously Eagle-y month here in the flat lands.

First we had an adult Bald Eagle in the San Pasqual Valley during our scouting trip on 16 December 2012 for our Escondido CBC count area. This was in the same tree -- possible even on the same branch -- where we had an adult and second-cycle Bald Eagle during the 2011 Escondido CBC.

Then we had what appeared to be a third-cycle Bald Eagle in the very same San Pasqual Valley tree a week later. Although as luck would have it, neither bird turned up for the actual 2012 Escondido CBC.

Ospreys also seemed to be well distributed this month, with individuals seen at Torrey Pines State Reserve, San Elijo Lagoon, Batiquitos Lagoon, and over the SD Bay at Coronado.

Then today on New Years Eve morning during a quick walk around the Encina Power Plant lagoon at Agua Hedionda, we were surprised to see a Turkey Vulture come cruising over the train tracks and start circling above us. Turkey Vultures just aren't very common in this area of the coast ... although they are considerably more common west of I-5 between Oceanside and San Onofre on Camp Pendleton.

Imagine our surprise then when this oddly-placed 'Turkey Vulture' with its relatively small head and V-shaped wing attitude, turned out instead to be a mature Golden Eagle upon close examination! (As luck would have it, we'd gone out for a walk without a camera, but did have the presence of mind to brings the bins.)

The San Diego County Bird Atlas (Unitt, 2004) notes that while Golden Eagles are on a steep decline in San Diego County, there are four recognized nesting territories west of I-15: three in Camp Pendleton, and one around Lake Hodges.

Our bird today was about 10 flying miles from the closest dependable Camp Pendleton Golden Eagle sighting area, and a good 14 flying miles from Lake Hodges. It would really be interesting to know where this bird calls "home," and what it was doing in such a relatively urbanised area.

Onging losses of bird and wildlife habitat in Southern California

One of the areas we've birded frequently in the past was the Macs Road Pond (restricted area) at MCB Camp Pendleton in San Diego County.  Typical bird lists for the site included three to four dozen water and upland birds.

However, this pond went dry over the summer of 2012.  We've checked back a few times over the fall, but construction in the area made it tough.  Nevertheless, there hasn't been any water in the area.

The other day, I stopped by on the way off base for Christmas break.  There was a bit of water around the sewer outfall pipe (?) at <33.243031,-117.395692>.  There was also a small bit of standing water (mere inches deep) in the main pool area between the road dike and Stuart Mesa Road.  But what had once amounted to acres of shallow lake and wetlands, remains effectively dry and dead.

Gone are the breeding Redheads, Coots, and Pied-bill Grebes. Nowhere to be seen are the Common Gallinules, Soras, Northern Shovelers and assorted Teals, and resident bands of Black-necked Stilts and Killdeers.

We don't know if this is due to climate-related precipitation changes, or changes in management of the Base's water resources.  Either way, it's a sad loss of too-scarce riparian and wetland habitat in increasingly urban and dry San Diego County.

Charity begins at home ... right?

Before you fork out those end-of-year charitable donations in response to all those last-minute emailed pleas for 2012 donations, it would be prudent to take a look at where your charitable donations go.
 
Fact is, many Americans are woefully naive when it comes to who "non-profit" thing.   Popular misconceptions notwithstanding, "non-profit" does not equal "doing the Lord's work."

All 501C3 non-profit status means in most states is that the entity is involved in some loosely define "public interest" activity, and that it has structured its accounting in a way that, from the IRS's perspective,  the entity earns no "profits" (although they can usually carry over excess income from year to year).
 
What 501C3 non-profit status does NOT mean is that the staff and directors and vendors and suppliers of the "charity" are all living a life of ascetic monks.

Consider for example the National Audubon Society, which gets money one way or another from virtually every active birder.  According to the BBB, National Audubon's Chief Executive Officer John Flicker (Flicker?  Really?  Has John Flicker met Debbi Shearwater?) made a cool $337,760 for the fiscal year July 1, 2008 to June 30, 2009.  Correct me if I'm wrong, but that's a lot of money to be paid for being the nation's best bird lover!

Now mind you, I'm not just picking on National Audubon, which is by no means the worst "non-profit" offender.  According to a recent Snopes report:

• The President and CEO of the United States Fund for the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), Caryl M. Stern, receives yearly compensation was $472,891.  (While it takes good care of its CEO, it is unclear whether or not UNICEF actually does very much to help poor children.)
• 
  
• The current President and CEO of the American Red Cross, Gail J. McGovern, in 2010 received a total yearly compensation of about $1,037,000.
•  
• The President and CEO of United Way Worldwide, Brian A. Gallagher, last reported total yearly compensation of $717,076 (including a base salary of $415,613).
• 
  The CEO of Goodwill Industries International, Jim Gibbons, in 2011 received a total reported compensation of $725,000.
   
• The two men who served as the Veterans of Foreign Wars' Commander-in-Chief during the 2009 tax year (Glen M. Gardner, Jr. and Thomas J. Tradewell, Sr.) received an aggregate total compensation of $329,868.
   
• In the 2009 tax year, the National Adjutant of Disabled American Veterans (Arthur H. Wilson), who is described as "serving as the DAV's chief executive officer," received a total compensation of $328,252.

I guess what it all boils down to is, in 21st century America, we've constructed a complex social caste system where most of the wealth is concentrated in a few families, and a bit-less wealthy servant class dedicates their careers to cajoling, begging, or conniving some of that wealth away to their respective "non-profits."  Of course, these professional panhandlers wear $1,500 suits, or little black dresses and pearls.  But if you did the same "work" standing next to a freeway off ramp with a "Will Work for Food" sign ... you'd likely get a ticket or worse.

The unseemliness of some high-class begging aside, some also wonder about the legitimacy of such relatively rich folks advocating on behalf of the poor or disadvantaged.  

Some people also point out that such well-heeled individuals working in the environmental non-profit arena are exceedingly well-insulated from the economic impacts of policies they may advocate.

On the other hand, is it not deeply troubling that an increasingly large share of 'public interest' work is being chosen, prioritized, and funded by a small handful of wealthy individuals ... individuals who must be pandered to relentlessly to get a share of their loot?  At best, it all seems very destructive to democratic principles.

Passing of Rich Stallcup

Rich Stallcup -- Ornithologist, Naturalist, Author, and Birder supreme – succumbed to complications from Leukemia on Saturday, December 15 2012 – the night of the Point Reyes Peninsula Christmas Bird Count.

Rich was one of the most famous, prolific, and beloved birders in California, and is known through-out the United States.  Together with our own Guy McCaskie, Rich is considered to be one of the true "Godfathers" of California ornithology.

Rich was a teenager when he began birdwatching in the early 1960s and he has continued to play a significant role in the State's birding world ever since. His birding discoveries on Point Reyes and Marin County are prolific and his Big Day and Bird-a-thon accomplishments are legendary.  Drafted into service during Vietnam and posted to Monterey, Rich recorded 18 "first" Monterey County bird species in a very short time. His Marin County "firsts" are said to number 90.

Rest in Peace Rich.  Yours was that too-rare combination of scientific expertise and human compassion.

Photo: At sea on Monterey Bay 18-Feb-1979 © D. Roberson

The Modernity of Jazz Album Covers: 1950s-1960s

From the blog "How to Be a Retronaut" -- The Modernity of Jazz Album Covers: 1950s-1960s. 

Very cool.

Our National Parks: Of, By, and For ... the Concessionaires?

Nowadays, it can cost upwards of several hundred dollars per night to stay in a lodge or hotel in one of our citizen-owned and much-beloved National Parks. You can also spend hundreds more partaking of amenities like camping, rafting, climbing, horseback riding, hiking, eating, etc.
 
So, what's the common link between all these things? 

Private concessionaires.

Now, is it a problem that the superintendents of some of our most beloved National Parks seem to have an, er, unhealthy relationship with these highly profitable operations?
 
Watchdog group Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) believes it's a serious problem. So do investigative journalists at the Seattle Times.

On the other hand, the Obama Administration doesn't seem troubled at all.  

What do you think?

Grand Canyon NP Superintendent David Uberuaga by ERIKA SCHULTZ / THE SEATTLE TIMES

San Pasqual Valley (SD County) Bald Eagle

While out scouting our Escondido CBC area on Sunday, December 16 2012, we came across what is probably a fully mature adult Bald Eagle just off Bandy Canyon Road near the Santa Maria Creek bridge.  Approximate map coordinates are [33.074947,-116.97989].

This is the same tree -- probably even on the same limb -- where we had two Bald Eagles in our Escondido CBC area on 31-DEC-11, and also on 01-JAN-12. One of those looked to be a 3d-year bird, and the other appeared to be a mature adult bird. Sadly, however, that data is not available on the eBird range and point maps, presumably due to the chronic petulance and pedantry of the local eBird Gestap ... , er, monitors.

Please note the markedly ragged flight feathers on the left wing. (Unfortunately, the bird had launched and retracted landing gear before we got anywhere close enough to see any leg banding.)  It would be interesting to know if this bird also turns up at the Ramona Grasslands, which is only a few miles away by air. There was some question at least year's CBC if we were in fact counting the same BAEAs seen that day in Ramona.

***

AVISO! Your best viewing bet is to park at the Santa Ysabel Creek/Bandy Canyon Road trailhead and walk down the trail. But this bird is VERY skittish. We stopped a good distance away, hoping to get off a quick photo. However, the bird still bolted. We last saw it high up and headed southeast towards Ramona.