PRESIDENT’S PEN
by Lynn Barber

A number of years ago I read an article in a birding magazine about the different "stages" of birding. Most of us start off casually. One day we notice a brightly colored bird, maybe a cardinal, After that, we begin noticing, more birds, especially when they are in our yards. Perhaps we start to feed them to attract greater numbers, or to bring them closer to our windows. That may be it for many of us.

But something happens to others of us. Something not easily explainable, or perhaps not explainable at all. We begin to look for birds, to go out of our way to see birds. When we go on vacation, we don't just sit at the beach, we look at the shorebirds and maybe even the gulls (that's going a bit far for others, however). When we go camping, we might take binoculars and a birdbook. Or we might ask those who are a bit more nutty about birding just what was that little bird that we saw on the ground that had a gray back and a white front and white edges on its tail.

And then, for even fewer of us, something goes just a little bit screwy. We start a list. That's where the trouble begins! A list begs to be added to, or at least it does for me. So we've seen 25 species. Just where can we go to add to that number? Can we get to 100 species? Maybe we should take a trip somewhere that's really birdy, like a bird sanctuary, or go to a new part of the country where they have different birds. 

It only gets worse, if we let it. We sign up for birding trips. We get a computer program to help us track our bird sightings. We buy more bird books. We upgrade to new binoculars, and maybe we invest in a birding scope. We are now really hooked. Hopefully, our family members understand, and even better, maybe they like birds too.

All of this leads to my point here-birdwatchers are a very diverse group. And Audubon members are even more diverse. In fact, not all Audubon members are birdwatchers. And those who are birdwatchers are at different levels of fanaticism. You can tell this when you come to Fort Worth Audubon meetings. If you come to a variety of meetings, you'll see a variety of people depending on the program. 

There is no one way that is best or right. The thing that unites us, I think, is our love of nature, however we manifest it and however varied the part(s) of nature we love best. 

So, we don't need to be fanatic birdwatchers to find value in FWAS and to contribute to FWAS activities. But it sure is fun to be one (see Travel Column for further evidence on my birding obsession). I hope that you enjoy birds, and the rest of nature, at some level, and that you will come to FWAS meetings and fieldtrips to share in that enjoyment with other FWAS members.

General Meeting February 10
Speaker: Stephen Shunk

ALBATROSSES TO WOODPECKERS: THE BEST OF OREGON BIRDS
Join Oregon naturalist Stephen Shunk for a virtual tour of Oregon featuring the state's impressive diversity of birds. Steve will highlight numerous species representing a wide array of habitats: from the deep waters off the continental shelf to the lava fields of the Cascade Crest; from the alpine tundra of Eastern Oregon's Steens Mountain to the expansive marshlands of the Malheur Basin. Beginning and expert bird watchers alike will delight in images of the rare Shy Albatross and the secretive Hutton's Vireo; the gregarious Pinyon Jay and the flamboyant Sage Grouse. Steve will discuss specific behaviors of Oregon bird species as well as regional conservation issues. He will also share some of his very favorite Oregon birding hotspots.

Steve's drive to share his enthusiasm for birds led to the founding of his birding guide company, Paradise Birding, in 1992. Steve has co-founded the Oregon Birding Trails project and the East Cascades Bird Conservancy, combining birding tourism and citizen science toward a culture of bird conservation. 

Mr. Shunk will also be speaking at Audubon Dallas, Monday, February 14. His topic will be the 11 breeding species of woodpeckers in Oregon. Meetings are held in the auditorium of Texas Scottish Rite Hospital, located at 2222 Welborn, Social at 7:00 p.m., meeting begins at 7:30 p.m. For more information, visit audubondallas.org, or call Shelly Seymour at 214-824-7882. Public welcome.

Ro Wauer, March meeting speaker, to offer book signing

Ro Wauer, our March 10th speaker, will be hosting a book signing prior to the general meeting (i.e, 6:45 - 7:30pm). Ro has written a number of books on birds, bird finding, and butterflies in Texas.
Books will be available for purchase. Please be prepared to pay with a check. Mr. Wauer will also lead a field trip on March 11th to the Fort Worth Nature Center from 8am - 12pm to find and identify butterflies. The field trip is limited to 12 participants. The first 12 people to sign up will be eligible to attend.
Please contact D. D. Currie at 817-451-4086 or ddbirder@sbcglobal.net if you would like to attend.

Save the Endangered Species Act
by Bob Scott, president
Tarrant Coalition for Environmental Action (TCEA)

Did you know that there are only 70 Florida panthers left on this earth? There's no time to spare-we must act now to save our panthers, bald eagles, grizzly bears and hundreds of other endangered species before we miss our chance forever!
Visit the site below to sign the Endangered Species Act Legacy Pledge. If you're a registered user, simply hit reply and then send and we'll add your name to the pledge automatically. http://www.saveourenvironment.org/ctt.asp?u=282511&l=5582 
The Florida panther is just one of hundreds of unique species currently at risk of vanishing forever. And now the Endangered Species Act, the key law that has protected these precious life forms for the past 30 years, is on the verge of extinction as well.
Both houses of Congress and the White House are attempting to weaken the Endangered Species Act by enacting harmful legislation and policies. If Congress and the White House succeed in weakening the Endangered Species Act, it could mean bad news for Florida panthers and hundred of other species who rely on its protections to survive.

That's why several environmental organizations, including SaveOurEnvironment.org, have joined forces with endangered species champion Rep. John Dingell (D-MI) to create the Endangered Species Act Legacy Pledge. We need to get as many signatures as possible to show Congress and the President that we will not tolerate their meddling with the Endangered Species Act!
Once our endangered species are gone, we can never bring them back. Go to the web site below to sign the pledge now!
http://www.saveourenvironment.org/ctt.asp?u=282511&l=5582

When various threats arise to the Endangered Species Act, in the form of legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives or the Senate or negative administrative actions, the conservation community will be able to take the list of pledge supporters to members of Congress and let them know that their constituents support strong protections for our nation's endangered fish, plants, and wildlife. We also will be sharing this list with the media to show the strong support for the Endangered Species Act. 
Please take a moment to pass this on to your friends, family, and co-workers and ask them to join you and tens of thousands of others dedicated to protecting our endangered species from destruction.
Thanks so much for your help!

The Endangered Species Act Legacy Pledge
WHEREAS, the United States has a long and proud tradition of respect for the Earth's wildlife and natural resources, and
WHEREAS, we have a responsibility to our children and future generations to be good stewards of our environment and to leave behind a legacy of protecting endangered species and the special places they call home, and
WHEREAS, the strength and vitality of the human environment is inextricably linked with the health of all species and the places they live, and

WHEREAS, species' extinction and habitat destruction are a serious threat to our own welfare. For example, nature is the source for most of our commonly prescribed medicines, and the loss of species could mean the loss of life-saving drugs, and
WHEREAS, we have a responsibility to use the best available science to ensure we protect this legacy for future generations, and

WHEREAS, for over 30 years, the Endangered Species Act has served as the nation's safety net for wildlife, saving hundreds of plants and animals from extinction, putting hundreds more on the path to recovery, and safeguarding the habitats on which they all depend,

I, THE UNDERSIGNED, PLEDGE to uphold the Endangered Species Act so it may continue to protect our plants and animals and the special places they live from the finality of extinction.

ORNITHOLOGY REPORT
by Greg Keiran

NOTEWORTHY RECORDS
Mid-December 2004 to Mid-January 2005
12/16/04: Sedge Wren (1) reported at VCDB (Dell Little)
12/23/04: American Dipper (Dallas) reported at Prairie Creek Park just north of the concrete walkway/dam near the intersection of W Lookout Drive and W Prairie Creek Drive in Richardson. (Shawn Ashbaugh, Austin)
1/11/05: Immature male Anna's Hummingbird reported from yard in Fort Worth (Lynn Barber). Our last Anna's Hummingbird was reported from the yard of Ad York in west Fort Worth in July 1994. There are two older reports in Tarrant County by Warren Pulich. 
Burrowing Owl (Waco): I went out Steiner Road to see if the Burrowing Owls were there again this year. I found it pretty quickly. I had a digital camera with me (no zoom) but I took a few shots. When I got home and downloaded them on the computer and zoomed in, there were TWO owls in one of the photos! Also, Steiner Road was covered with Horned Larks dusting. If anyone needs directions to the owls, please contact me personally. Karen Arquette, Elm Mott, Texas (8 miles north of Waco)
Hagerman Reports:
12/14/04: A beautiful day for birding; crisp weather, sun shining, birds galore. We got 74 species in 5 hours of birding in Grayson County. Highlights: Common Goldeneye, male Purple Finch, Horned Grebe, Pileated Woodpecker, plenty of sparrows (Harris's, Fox, White-throated, White-crowned, Song, Field, Savannah). Robins & juncos everywhere, all four geese: Wh. Front, Canada, Ross, Snows. At Goode, a rusty blackbird. All in all a good day. (I said I would post directions to get to the west side. Perhaps it would be better to e-mail me for the directions, since I don't know from where you would be coming.)
12/28/04: Today in 5 hours we got 76 species. I got a pair of quail on the way out for 77. A good day at Hagerman. We got Purple Finch, House Finch, and ducks (Bufflehead, Ruddy, Canvasback, Ring-neck, Redhead). All a little unusual this time of year. However, the best find of the day was a Prairie Falcon. It has been a number of years since we've had one. Good birding! Lee Lemmon
Tawakoni Reports:
12/09/04: A warm and pleasant day with light winds greeted me at Lake Tawakoni, and once again the park was covered with lots of birds. The most surprising bird of the trip was a small flock of Cattle Egrets six miles north of Edgewood in Van Zandt County. The lake itself had lots of Horned Grebes on it (40+ in one area). No Pied-bills. Really odd. Richard Kinney
12/12/04: As has been the case recently, the Lake Tawakoni woods and fields were covered with birds. Very few ducks and no shorebirds were seen, however. "THEY'RE BACK!": about 40 Smith's Longspurs were seen in the old Longspur field in Rains County. This is the field where they have been seen for many years off Rains County roads 1480 and 1475. Also in this field were several Laplands, lots of American Pipits, and Savannah Sparrows. These birds were seen by Ron Baltzegar. At the Sabine River on the Rains/Van Zandt County line, lots of sparrows were seen by walking toward the dike on the Rains County side of the river and then turning to the left. Great views of LeConte's Sparrows were had by all. Swamps, Songs, Savannahs, and White-throats seemed to be everywhere. Also, a few Lincoln's and Fields were seen. >From the Holiday Marina off Farm Road 47 in Van Zandt County, a gull that is almost certainly a California Gull was seen with some Ring-bills and Herring Gulls and Forster's Terns on the pilings at the marina. Also present were several Horned Grebes, Common Loons and several Bonaparte's Gulls. Two Ospreys were seen from this area as well. An adult Bald Eagle was perched on the dam near the spillway. It was being harassed by a Caracara. Ron got a great photo of the size comparison of these two birds. Again, Lake Tawakoni State Park in Hunt County had numerous sparrows, mainly White-throats, as well as Chippings, Swamps, Savannahs, and Songs. Also present were at least six Pine Warblers, innumerable Ruby-crowned Kinglets, and Yellow-rumped Warblers. Upwards of 20 Orange-crowned Warblers. We got tired of counting them. A very late Black-throated Green Warbler. I believe this to be latest ever around the lake. Goldfinches were in the weeds and at least one Purple Finch in a tree. Singing House and Winter Wrens. Another Osprey (Three for a December day? No way!) There were also Common Loons and lots of Horned Grebes off the points in the park. Could go on and on like this forever. Did I mention a view of a Hermit Thrush that was just 6 feet away? Wow! What a day. Richard Kinney, Edgewood
Texbirds Reports:
12/10/04: Texbirders, The last couple of days have been busy in my yard. In addition to my female Rufous Hummingbird, there have been 25-40 American Goldfinches many times during the day at the feeders, eating in the crepe myrtles, and visiting the birdbaths the pecan tree. There's been an Orange-crowned Warbler eating nuts at a nut feeder, and today, two PINE SISKINS (one at the feeder with the goldfinches, and later both in the pecan tree). Pictures of all of these are on my website - www.lynnbarber.com (on the yard bird page and on the Rufous Hummingbird page). Also today, three Dark-eyed Juncos; 2 Yellow-rumped Warblers; House Finches; Carolina Chickadees; Downy and Red-bellied Woodpeckers; Cardinals; Mourning, White-winged, and Inca Doves; and Northern Mockingbird. Lynn Barber, SW Fort Worth.
12/22/04: I participate in Cornell's project feeder watch. I have noticed that as the weeks go by, my count of Purple Finches is growing. This week my count was 20 females and 12 males. For those who don't know, these counts represent the count of birds that you see at one time. So, these are mutually exclusive individuals. One of the males has a distinctive white patch on the top of the head. He has been here for two weeks now. It would seem that the birds are backing up here from the north. Any other observations or comments? Bill, Greenville
12/26/04: Ray, Margie, Dell Little and I birded around Benbrook Lake (Tarrant County) and Goforth Rd. (Parker County) today. Birds were few and far between. We did see a high number of Horned and Eared Grebes at Benbrook Lake, seen from Mustang Point. Both were easily seen and distinguishable from one another. The highlights of the day, though, were 2 Grasshopper Sparrows seen on Goforth Road. The birds were in a mixed flock of Field, Savannah, and White-crowned Sparrows. They perched in clear view in a small mesquite tree for a quite a long time. D.D. Currie, Arlington
12/27/04: These are my most interesting sightings in the past month. We live on one of Arlington's small lake systems, central southwest part of town, between I-20 and I-30. Merganser - Nov. 30. First sighting for my lake, which gives me 123 for my local list since 1977. Unfortunately, it was a lone female mixed in with Northern Shovelers, Scaup, and Ringnecks. Most likely it was a Red-breasted, but can't rule out a Common. Pine Warbler - Dec. 14. I have had this here in the past, but not often. Black-crowned Night Heron - Dec. 25. Hung around on our dock by the water for about 30 minutes, late in the day. No question of the identification. I've seen it here a few times, but never in winter half of year. Sharp-shinned Hawk - Dec. 18, 25, 27. Also seen occasionally in the past, usually in the winter. It had the local crows and jays all upset on the 18th. We watched it as it perched on the back of a chair in a face-off with a squirrel, which was partly in a hole in the dock, for several minutes on afternoon of the 25th. On morning of the 27th a Sharp-shinned had breakfast in a tree in our front yard. Urban home birding can occasionally be exciting. Julia Burgen
12/27/04: I went out to the railroad crossing on Aledo Road (just west of Fort Worth) this evening to see the Short-eared Owls that were reported yesterday and had a pleasant surprise. In addition to a couple Short-eared and the usual assorted raptors, I was able to spot two Ferruginous Hawks. This is only the second time I've seen these birds and the first time in Texas.
1/9/05: Birders around Lake Worth, possibly looking from Mosque Point or the Castle area, keep your eyes peeled for a second-winter or possibly winter adult Laughing Gull. This morning I observed one in good sunlight aerial "dueling" with a juvenile Ring-billed. Notes I dictated while watching them pointed out the equal size, darker uniform grey above, all-white tail above and below, large amount of black on wingtips above and below, and the striking black of the bill against a relatively unmarked head. Cheers for now--D.P. in Ft. Worth
1/16/05: Return of Red-breasted Nuthatch to my yard has followed a 10-year absence. I also have a brilliant male Purple Finch this morning along with the Nuthatch (and tons of American Goldfinches and Robins). There was a long hiatus on Purple Finch sightings in my yard also. This week, a Hermit Thrush has found a place near where the garbage pickup happens, and two weeks ago, two Eastern Bluebirds were fiddling around on my roof. First time for them in my heavily wooded yard in more than 10 years. Marilyn Turnage, Flower Mound
Send your reports to:
Greg Keiran
9 S. Kingston Ct.
Bedford, TX 76022 
(H) 817/282-3312, (W) 817/280-7598, gkeiran@AOL.com 

Conservation
by Jim Sipiora
No Protection for Aliens, Declares U.S. Government

Not the human kind, nor the kind from distant galaxies, but the winged kind-birds from other countries around the globe that have been introduced to the U.S. both intentionally and accidentally, and that can subsequently wreak havoc on the environment. In 2001, following a surprising judicial interpretation of America's oldest surviving wildlife statute, introduced bird species could be afforded federal protection under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and so efforts by state or federal wildlife agencies to control them could be thwarted. Not any more, thanks to the Migratory Bird Treaty Reform Act of 2004, which was attached to the massive 2005 Omnibus Spending Bill approved by Congress. Bird conservation groups, such as American Bird Conservancy, are applauding the new legislation and have praised Congress for its actions.

The Reform Act now clearly distinguishes between the native species that the original Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 was implemented to protect and introduced species such as the Rock Pigeon and European Starling. The law also redresses the imbalance created by the 2001 court decision regarding the alien Mute Swan. In a bizarre reversal of logic, it became illegal to shoot a Mute Swan, while permits were readily available in many states to hunt native Tundra Swans, despite their decline in some places where introduced Mutes are present. The bill now awaits President Bush's signature.

Invasive species are regarded as one of the biggest conservation threats in America today, with such issues as northern snakehead, west Nile virus, and feral domestic cats regularly making headlines around the nation. Introduced European Starlings have been blamed for declines in Eastern Bluebird and Red-headed Woodpecker populations, and avian malaria (carried there by birds introduced from elsewhere) has contributed to the decline and extinction of several bird species in Hawaii. Rep. Wayne Gilchrest (R-Maryland) led the charge for the Reform Act, which has received overwhelming support from dozens of national conservation, ornithological, and wildlife management organizations. 

"The inclusion of the Migratory Bird Treaty Reform Act in the omnibus bill redresses the balance that was upset by the 2001 court ruling," said David Fischer, Director of Government Relations for American Bird Conservancy, which has helped lead the fight for the new legislation. "The Migratory Bird Treaty Act was created to protect our native migratory bird species from over-hunting and was never intended to apply to introduced species. Mr. Gilchrest and other members of Congress are to be commended for their efforts in getting this legislation passed." 

"The Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 is one of the first and most important federal conservation statutes. It has prevented unregulated removal of native birds from wild populations throughout its history," said Rep. Gilchrest. "The biodiversity of our nation's ecosystems is worth preserving in as pristine a state as possible, and statutory clarification of the Act's purpose-to protect native birds-helps protect this nation's natural wild bird heritage."

TRAVELING BIRDER 
By Lynn Barber

I have been doing a lot of Texas bird traveling this month as I began my Texas Big Year! And as I write this, the month is just a little over half done. Simone Jenion and I began the year doing a 10-day jaunt around the state. We began by heading off to Houston to try to find the Thick-billed Kingbird south of there that had been found in the Christmas bird count. No kingbird, but we saw 83 other bird species that day before turning in for the night in Kingsville. No real rarities that day, but we did see our first Cackling Geese-at least since Cackling Geese are now a separate species from Canada Geese.

January 2 found us at Frontera Audubon Nature Center in Weslaco, way down in the lower Rio Grande Valley, looking for and finding (!) a gorgeous male Crimson-collared Grosbeak. And photographing it. We zipped off to McAllen where a Green-breasted Mango Hummingbird has spent much of the winter, and there he was sitting in a leafless tree in a backyard when not chasing and being chased by Buff-bellied Hummingbirds. And we ended the day with a total of 104 species for the year.

We stayed in the Valley for the next couple of days, visiting Sabal Palm Grove south of Brownsville (Altamira Orioles, Groove-billed Anis, Neotropic Cormorants) and then heading to Boca Chica jetty where we found the previously reported Black-legged Kittiwake. At the South Padre Island Convention Center were the normal shorebirds and marshbirds, including Least Bitterns and Clapper and Virginia Rails. When we headed west up the Valley, we added the hard-to-see Muscovy Duck and got to see two of them sitting in vegetation along the river at Salineno. While waiting for and eventually seeing Brown Jays at the trailer of the Dewind's near there, we saw Altamira, Hooded and Audubon's Orioles, together with Northern Cardinals and Green Jays. A very colorful mix, over which flew a Hook-billed Kite! And an Eastern Screech-Owl peered out at us from his nest box.
The big highlight of January 5 was the Rufous-capped Warbler, found for us by Martin Reid in Frio County, south of San Antonio. A very cooperative bird, heavily photographed. And then we said goodbye to Martin and headed west to Alpine.

On January 6, we tried to find the Ruddy Ground-Doves in Big Bend but did not. But I did get to see a Baird's Sparrow (a lifer) south of Marfa after much looking where one had been seen by others before. We came back to Alpine and saw an Anna's Hummingbird coming to feeders, plus both Red-breasted and White-breasted Nuthatches. We had a Red-naped Sapsucker in the Davis Mountains, and Cassin's and Sage Sparrows on our drive north to the Panhandle. And the total was up to 210 species at the end of January 7.

The trip after that to and through the Panhandle produced Townsend's Solitaires, Ferruginous and Rough-legged Hawks, Great Horned and Long-eared Owls (five north of Dalhart!), American Tree Sparrows, Yellow-headed Blackbirds, longspurs, Common Mergansers and the Tundra Swan, originally found by D.D. Currie. The 10-day marathon concluded with 230 species!
Since then, birding around Tarrant County yielded the Short-eared Owls on Aledo Rd. and the Rufous Hummingbird in my yard. And I got to see my very own Anna's Hummingbird that had arrived in our yard while I was out gallivanting about the state.
Another two-day trip to the Valley for rarities that had been reported on Texbirds added White-throated Robin, Social Flycatcher, Elegant Trogon, Blue Mockingbird, and Golden-crowned Warbler. At 252.

And now, as I write this on January 18, I'm birding again with Simone, and we are in Galveston. We started the day in Houston and visited two homes to see a wintering male Calliope Hummingbird and a wintering male Broad-billed Hummingbird. Both stunning! Then to Jesse H. Jones County Park north of Houston to see lovely Purple Finches and down to Quintana, where we found the Little Gull and the Lesser Black-backed Gull, as well as Red-breasted Mergansers diving and seeming to play with the Bonaparte's Gulls, and the wintering Catbirds and a Least Flycatcher.

What a whirlwind it's been! And tremendously fun! I have no idea whether I'll last the year or not, but what a way to go! Right now my total is at 266 species. For me, it's already been a Big Year. It remains to be seen how big it's going to be. Stay tuned.

PRACTICALLY GREEN
What you can do in your everyday life to reduce your impact on the planet
by D.D. Currie

How about a magazine/book exchange?
In response to Susan Roothaan's January talk on taking personal responsibility for our individual environmental impact, I would like to propose that we start a free monthly magazine and book exchange at the general meetings. What I learned from the January meeting is that alot of our members have books and magazines that they no longer want, but do not know what to do with. Often, these valuable resources end up getting thrown away. 
Susan proposed a community approach to reducing our environmental footprint. The membership of the Fort Worth Audubon is our community, so let's share our resources.
I will be bringing a number of magazines to the February meeting that will be available to anyone who wants them. They will be available during the social period before the general meeting. I encourage everyone to do the same.

Thanks to the following donors of door prizes for the January meeting
• Bob Ryan
• Doug Oxford
• Dale Roberts
• Wild Birds Unlimited, Camp Bowie
• Sales Reps for McGraw-Hill and National Geographic