On Weds. Feb 07 PBS "Nature" featured the annual long-distance migration of three shorebird spp -- Far Eastern Curlew, Hudsonian Godwit, and Red Knot. These are global species that inhabit different continents at different seasons. The Godwit winters in Chile and summers in Alaska. The Curlew flies 13,000 miles between Australia and N. China each year concentrated en route on the remaining 1/3 of undeveloped wetland near the Yellow Sea. The flocks of featured Red Knot winter on the coast of Mauritania and breed in Siberia. Each of these spp is tracked by geo-locators.
The show includes footage of attempts to net-trap more birds for tagging (only one Curlew provides the migration data for the species) and searching the tundra for newly hatched Knots. Birds in flight are shown from above and the waves of flocks we love to watch from the shore. As you know the shorebirds in MN migrate great distances, some to the S hemisphere as do many other families. This program shows a sample of three shorebird species (of the 89 spp worldwide of Sandpipers and allies) all major trans-boundary travelers and seasonal residents. The Godwit might be seen in W MN in migration. The MBTA protects non-game birds in the US/Canada/Mexico, but Europe has little/no bird protection laws. There are 1000's of migrating Knots shot in France each year. And many passerines and raptors continue to be shot during migration passing to/from Africa and Europe. The show is a good look at the birds and the bird lovers and researchers studying their distribution and migration, all of whom are concerned about their conservation and survival. As a bonus you will see a Spoon-billed Sandpiper nesting with babies. In the MSP area "Nature" is shown on Weds night repeated Sunday night. If you miss the rebroadcast this Sunday Feb 11 at 7:00pm you can find it on TPT Passport (if you are a member/donor) or on Amazon Prime video (info from close of program.) ------------------ GAndersson St Paul ---- General information and guidelines for posting: https://moumn.org/listservice.html Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html During the pandemic, the MOU encourages you to stay safe, practice social distancing, and continue to bird responsibly.
