Appreciation

 

The subject line of the email reads "Certificate Of Appreciation Awarded To: MICHELE BURTON "

If you asked me, I would say, "DON'T OPEN THAT EMAIL"

The subject line ranks up there with "You may have already won" as a subject worth suspicion.

 Then, I read the sender's name...BandReports@usgs.gov ... and, I just had to open it.

It was way back in May when I met A233. I was photographing Caspian Terns here in Olympia when I noticed that several of the birds were banded. When I got home, I discovered that I could read some of the tag numbers when I magnified the photos. A quick web search revealed the U.S. Geologic Survey Patuxent Wildlife Research Center Bird Banding Laboratory. I sent off a report of my sightings and promptly forgot about it. 

Until today... 

Here's the text of the email:

The North American Bird Banding Program

Bird banding is important for studying the movement, survival and behavior of birds. About 60 million birds representing hundreds of species have been banded in North America since 1904. About 4 million bands have been recovered and reported.

Data from banded birds are used in monitoring populations, setting hunting regulations, restoring endangered species, studying effects of environmental contaminants, and addressing such issues as Avian Influenza, bird hazards at airports, and crop depredations. Results from banding studies support national and international bird conservation programs such as Partners in Flight, the North American Waterfowl Management Plan, and Wetlands for the Americas.

The North American Bird Banding Program is under the general direction of the U.S. Geological Survey and the Canadian Wildlife Service. Cooperators include the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Mexico's National Commission for the Knowledge and Use of Biodiversity and Secretary of the Environment and Natural Resources; other federal, state and provincial conservation agencies; universities; amateur ornithologists; bird observatories; nature centers; nongovernmental organizations such as Ducks Unlimited and the National Audubon Society; environmental consulting firms and other private sector businesses. However, the most important partner in this cooperative venture is you, the person who voluntarily reported a recovered band. Thank you for your help.

U.S. Geological Survey

Canadian Wildlife Service

 The very cool things I learned after receiving the certificate are:

• A233 was born in 2006, making it 14 years old this year
• The average lifespan of a Caspian Tern is 12 years
• The oldest recorded wild Caspian Tern was at least 29 years, 7 months old when it was found in Louisiana in 1989. It had been banded in Michigan in 1959.
  (Klimkiewicz, M. K. 2002. Longevity Record of North American Birds. Version 2002.1. Patuxent Wildlife Research Center. Bird Banding Laboratory. Laurel MD.)
• A233 was banded in Chinook, near the mouth of the Columbia River
• Dr. Dan Roby is still involved in Tern research