The
President’s Pen
by Lynn Barber
I just spent a delightful week on North Carolina's Outer Banks at a family reunion. Of course, I worked in a little birding while I was there. And then I visited with my long-time NC birding buddy, Lena Gallitano, who is just finishing up her term as President of Wake County Audubon Society in Raleigh. Her yard is filled with wintering Baltimore Orioles - I counted five of them! And strangely enough, as do I, she also has a wintering female Rufous Hummingbird! In addition to birding her backyard for a morning, we discussed our concerns about the environment and ideas for what to do about them. As a result of our discussion, Lena very kindly shared with me some web sites that she had found helpful in keeping her informed about the issues and in providing a way for her to express her opinions on the issues to decision makers. I would like to share these web sites with you.
The first of these is Audubon Take Action: www.capitolconnect.com/audubon (e-mail alerts and automated action center). National Audubon sponsors this site, and it is closely related to the environmental lobby work done with the U.S. Congress. If you register with this site, they will alert you to issues that need public support. Alerts for both the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and the Roadless Rule came from this site. This site allows you to take immediate action from the original e-mail.
Another site is that of the Natural Resources Defense Council: www.nrdc.org/action (e-mail alerts and automated action center). According to the web site, "The Natural Resources Defense Council's purpose is to safeguard the Earth: its people, its plants and animals and the natural systems on which all life depends." NRDC works through the legal system and has been extremely effective in prohibiting many environmental disasters worldwide. One recent success was to stop the sonar disturbances that have caused so many whale deaths.
There are two environmental news and commentary magazines that Lena mentioned: Grist Magazine - Grist.org This magazine provides a free e-mail version that is delivered weekly. Grist is direct and to the point, holding back no punches. Sometimes its tongue-in-cheek commentary and sarcasm is very irreverent, but then they do give good wake-up calls about what's happening.
E/The Environmental Magazine - emagazine.com This magazine provides an online version, but the free version is limited in scope. They seem to provide more news articles than commentary, but the articles are well-written and interesting. The free version is sent via e-mail weekly. I hope these sites are helpful to you. Please take every opportunity to become better informed about environmental issues. And whether you use these sites or find other ways, I hope you do find time to take action on behalf of the environment.
Thanks to Eagle Optics (or Procrastination Pays) By John Zihlman
In December 2003, Fort Worth Audubon applied for one of three $1,000 grants offered by Audubon Texas and the Texas Audubon Council each year. The grant was requested for the purchase of binoculars, various identification books, and some new bird slides for Fort Worth Audubon's Introduction to Birds class that is conducted by D.D. Curry. FWAS's application was chosen to receive the grant in March 2004. I had chosen a pair of binoculars to purchase online from Eagle Optics, but due to various lame excuses, I failed to act until mid-November. On returning to the Eagle Optics web site, I discovered that the binoculars had gone up by 32%. That discovery meant we were now looking at purchasing two or three fewer pair than the ten pair we originally wanted for the class. I was going to have to do some begging now. I called Eagle Optics and spoke to Tim Austin, a manager with Eagle Optics. First of all, he readily agreed to give FWAS the original price on the binoculars I had chosen, but then he told me of Eagle Optics' program that matches optics purchases for educational programs. It is their hope this will allow optics to be more accessible to conservation groups such as ours and the individuals we serve. The bottom line is that FWAS will be getting 14 new pair of Eagle Optics Denali 7x32 binoculars for the same price we would have paid for 10 pair of lower-end binoculars for which we originally budgeted. Said another way, $1250 worth of binoculars for about $640. So if I had not put this off until the price went up, forcing me to beg for a better price to avoid shame and possible banishment from FWAS, I would not have discovered this wonderful offer. Procrastination has never worked out for me as well as it did this time. God takes care of procrastinators too. Special thanks to Tim Austin and Eagle Optics for their generosity and for offering a program that gives something back to our chapter and the community. We appreciate their kindness.
Conservation by Jim Sipiora
California Condor Continues to Make Impressive Gains One of three California Condor chicks hatched earlier this year in California is expected to fledge in the near future. The other two unfortunately did not survive, yet the potential for the first wild condor to leave the nest in California in around two decades now seems a very realistic possibility. Meanwhile, two more chicks are expected to fledge this month in Arizona, and the young bird that fledged in the Grand Canyon area last November is still doing well. The bird was recently caught and vaccinated for West Nile Virus, and fitted with a satellite tracking device so that its movements can be monitored. Condors have soared over mountainous areas of the American West since prehistoric times. Their numbers plummeted in the 20th century due to loss of habitat and food, over- hunting, and the poisoning of predators that are then scavenged by condors. A captive- breeding program was initiated in the early 1980s, when the last remaining 22 birds were taken into captivity. After a 25-year, $35 million effort, the condor is now back. There are currently 99 condors living in the wild in California, Arizona, and Baja California, Mexico. The goal for the recovery effort is to establish two geographically separate populations, one in California and the other in Arizona, each with 150 or more birds and at least 15 breeding pairs. On June 25, 2004, FWS issued notice in the Federal Register of an impending Environmental Impact Statement that could ultimately result in the issuance of an incidental take permit for one California condor, as part of a condor-specific Habitat Conservation Plan for Tejon Ranch, which covers some 300 square miles in Southern California. The ranch is poised for both residential and commercial development, including the erection of power lines. Contact: David Fischer, ABC, dfischer@abcbirds.org.
Ornithology Report by Greg Keiran
NOTEWORTHY RECORDS Mid-October to mid-November 2004 Eurasian Widgeon (Lubbock): 10/31/04: I just finished loading three photos of the Eurasian Widgeon currently in Lubbock onto my webshots page, which I took October 30. They're of slightly different angles showing different features of the bird, with American Widgeon in all pictures for comparison. Comments are always welcome. You can view the photos at http://community.webshots.com/album/114027981mRFUjP Brandon Best, Lubbock Flammulated Owl near Tawakoni:
On the morning of Tuesday, November 2, I was driving north from the small Hunt County town of Lone Oak on FM 513. This is about four air miles from Lake Tawakoni. I spotted a small owl dead on the side of the road. I almost ignored it, but something about its size kept nagging at me because it was about the size of a Pygmy Owl. So I turned around and found a very fresh, road-killed Flammulated Owl. Measurements: Wingspan 16 inches. Length: 6.75 inches exactly. This individual provides a first record for the species for both NE and NC Texas. It also suggests, as I have thought for some time based on records from Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, Galveston and the Gulf of Mexico, that the species is a stealth migrant through the interior of Texas. I will be depositing the specimen in a museum to preserve and document this incredible record. Matt White, Campbell TX Rufous Hummingbirds: Individual lingering birds still reported in SW Fort Worth and Bedford since August (Lynn Barber and Rachael Dugas). American Redstart: This afternoon behind the Living Science Center at River Legacy, I spotted an adult male American Redstart. He was very cooperative, giving several on our field trip very good looks. He better get moving if he wants to beat the cooler weather we have blowing in.
From TEXBIRDS: Red-breasted Nuthatch: Many reports. Looks like an invasion year. Hagerman Reports: (all by Lee)
10/19/04: Today in five hours, we got 66 species. FOS Orange-crowned Warbler; Yellow- rumped Warbler; Avocets; Ruddy Duck; Pipits; Field, Song, White-throated, Vesper, and Savannah Sparrows; Horned Grebes; Ruby-crowned Kinglet; Tree Swallow; and lots of Pelicans.
10/20/04: FOS immature Bald Eagle. This is the earliest I have ever seen one in Texoma land.
10/26/04: Today in five hrs., we got 60 species. Most regular birds: FOS White-fronted Geese, Snow Geese, Gold Finch, American Golden Plover, a few shore birds, and lots of ducks. The Anhinga is still at Dead Woman Pond. The Pileated Woodpecker was at the nest tree. He stayed there in the same place preening. It was a first to see one stay in the same place for such a long period of time.
11/2/04: Today in five hours, we had 54 species. Not bad for an overcast, dreary, cool, rainy day. The geese are arriving. We saw White-front, Ross, Canada, and Snows. Not many, but more every week. FOS Bald Eagle (mature) near Q pad on the main road. You still have to detour to get to the west side. The Pileated was at the nest tree. Hope they nest there again. Lots of ducks: Greenwing, Bluewing, Gadwall, Redhead, Pintail, Shoveler, Mallard. A few shorebirds (no shore mud flats, the lake is still up). About 25 Avocets were around, plus lots of Pelicans. A few sparrows (they seem rather late.) Tawakoni Reports:
10/28/04: I ran into a feeding flock of birds at Lake Tawakoni Rains Co. I was attracted to the harsh calls of Chickadees and Titmice "fussing" as if responding to a Screech Owl tape. The feeding flock included 25-30 Ruby-crowned Kinglets, a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Downies, Red-bellies, a Nashville Warbler, a Black-throated Green Warbler, White-throats, and a Winter Wren. If not for the Chickadees and Titmice, I would have missed the Winter Wren. What was odd was that I didn't see any Yellow-rumps or Orange-crowns in the flock, which is hard to explain. Also present at Lake Tawakoni: 6 Avocets, 3 Caracaras, 1 Osprey, lots of peeps, Common Yellowthroat, House Wren, Yellow-rumps and Orange-crowns at a different location. A Sprague's Pipit continues to be seen in the traditional longspur field. Richard Kinney, Edgewood, TX
11/3/04: A cool, windy day with a little drizzle at Lake Tawakoni, but considering, the birding wasn't all that bad. Lots of Snow and White-fronted Geese over Lake Tawakoni and another good day for migrating Turkey Vultures. Small kettles of 20-30 birds were seen from 9:00 am until noon. I generally don't enclose a list of birds, but here are the birds seen today: Pied-billed Grebe, White Pelican (hundreds), Double-crested Cormorants (thousands), Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture (hundreds), Greater White-fronted Goose (hundreds), Snow Goose (500+), Wood Duck, Gadwall, American Widgeon, Mallard, Northern Shoveler, Green-winged Teal, Scaup/Ring-necks, Red-shouldered Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Crested Caracara, American Kestrel, American Coot (hundreds), American Avocet, Least Sandpiper, Wilson's Snipe, Ring-billed Gull (500+), Herring Gull, Forster's Tern (250+), Mourning Dove, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Downy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Pileated Woodpecker, Eastern Phoebe, Scissor-tailed Flycatcher (40+) (amazing), Loggerhead Shrike, Blue Jay, American Crow, Barn Swallow (1 late), White-breasted Nuthatch, Carolina Wren, Bewick's Wren, House Wren, Winter Wren, Sedge Wren, Ruby-crowned Kinglet (many), Eastern Bluebird, Hermit Thrush, American Robin, Northern Mockingbird, Brown Thrasher, European Starling, American Pipit, Orange-crowned Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler (hundreds), Pine Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Towhee, Chipping Sparrow, Field Sparrow, Savannah Sparrow, Le Conte's Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Lincoln's Sparrow, White- throated Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Northern Cardinal, Red-winged Blackbird, Eastern Meadowlark, Brown-headed Cowbird (hundreds), American Goldfinch. Richard Kinney, Edgewood, TX
11/7/04: I received a note from Ross Rasmussen today. He reported finding a Pacific Loon near the public boat ramp just east of Holiday Marina on Lake Tawakoni. Also present in this area were 5 Red-breasted Mergansers, 12 Common Loons, 3 Horned Grebes. Also seen on the lake were a flight of 250 Scaup and 3 Buffleheads. Richard Kinney, Edgewood, TX.
11/8/04: Yesterday afternoon (November 7) I found two Red-throated Loons at Lake Tawakoni. The birds were observed in good light for over 30 minutes from the public boat ramp at West Tawakoni in Hunt County (on the western end of Two Mile Bridge). Red- throated Loon is annual, or nearly so, at Lake Tawakoni, but all prior records have come from the Rains and Van Zandt portions of the lake. This will provide the first record for Hunt County. Also, on November 2, 2004, (sorry for the belated post) a first winter California Gull was carefully studied and compared with Ring-billed and Herring Gulls on the pilings at Holiday Marina in Van Zandt County. Matt White, Campbell TX.
TEXBIRDS: 10/12/04: Simone Jenion and I saw a small flock (10) of Redheads today from Mustang Park from the south shore of Lake Benbrook and a circling medium-sized flock of White Pelicans. Also quite a few Northern Flickers, large flocks of Barn Swallows, still some Scissor-tailed Flycatchers, Least Sandpipers along the shore, a few Eastern Meadowlarks, a Roadrunner, and Northern Harrier. Lynn Barber, SW Fort Worth
10/15/04: I stopped by VCDB this afternoon for about an hour on my way back to Fort Worth from continuing legal education in Dallas, and birded with Simone Jenion. Some ducks have arrived, and we saw small numbers of Green-winged and Blue-winged Teal, American Widgeon, Northern Pintails, Northern Shovelers, and two Ring-necked Ducks (I think the plumage of one seemed to be closest to adult female breeding and the other might have been a juvenile, as shown in Sibley), plus Mallards, Black-bellied Whistling- Ducks and a Wood Duck. There were more shorebirds than I had seen there recently, including both Yellowlegs, Stilt Sandpipers, many Least Sandpipers, and a couple of Short- billed Dowitchers, plus waders including White Ibis (one juvenile) and three White-faced Ibis, Great Egrets, and Great Blue and Little Blue Herons. And sparrows seem to be showing up, with a Clay-colored Sparrow and a couple of Vesper Sparrows. Hawks that were seen were American Kestrel, Sharp-shinned, Cooper's, Red-tailed and Northern Harrier. Lynn Barber, Fort Worth
10/16/04: I birded this morning at the Fort Worth Nature Center, mainly on or near Greer Island, first with my TCU birding class and then with Simone Jenion. Highlights: a very large flock of circling Ring-billed Gulls, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, both Red-shafted and Yellow-shafted Northern Flicker, Orange-crowned Warblers, Nashville Warblers, lots of American Coots, Northern Pintails, a couple of Winter Wrens, and a couple of White- throated Sparrows. After lunch, at Cement Creek Lake, again with Simone: more Coots, American Widgeons, American Pipit, Green-winged Teal, Gadwalls, a midday Sora picking at the algal mats, Savannah Sparrows, a Common Yellowthroat and a Swamp Sparrow. At home (southwest Fort Worth), my Rufous Hummingbird continues. Also had a circling Cooper's Hawk at suppertime. Lynn Barber, Fort Worth
10/21/04: Where else can you sit at the window and look at Red Breasted Nuthatch, Brown Creeper, Great Egret and Great Blue Heron? I went out of the garage to look for a FOS creeper I'd been hearing here in the yard on Lake Worth, and the Nuthatch flew from a tree over my head to the peanut feeder, and then back again to within just a couple feet with its snack. The creeper was in the same tree! It's great to be in the woods with the trunk-climbing types! White-throated Sparrows are plentiful and noisy, as are the Brown Thrashers still. DP in Fort Worth
10/22/04: Yesterday (Oct. 21), Simone Jenion and I birded around Lake Benbrook. We saw about 43 bird species. Highlights included: At Dutch Branch Park: flocks of House Finches (not usually a highlight, but the numbers, over 50 at least, made them noteworthy), White-crowned Sparrows, a FOS Lincoln's Sparrow, many Northern Flickers (both Red- and Yellow-shafted), and Ruby-crowned Kinglets. At Mustang Park: Scissor-tailed Flycatchers still around, a flock of about 14 Ruddy Ducks, three Black-throated Green Warblers, and three FOS Yellow-rumped Warblers. Along Winscott-Plover in far SW Tarrant County, a Brewer's Blackbird. Also, I had a FOS Field Sparrow in my yard on Oct. 20. Lynn Barber, Fort Worth
10/26/04: Yesterday (10/25) I was surprised to see an Inca Dove sitting on my back fence where I usually have Mourning Dove and, more recently, White-winged Dove. It's the first time I've ever seen one this far north and especially in a suburban location, but I've only recently been able to watch my feeder during the day. Who knows what else I've been missing? Donna Cole, The Colony, TX
10/29/04: Birded this morning (Oct. 29) into early afternoon in Arlington (Tarrant Co.) with Simone Jenion. Had about 60 species mostly at the eastern portion of River Legacy Park east of Collins/157 (just north of the Trinity River; formerly known as the "Forbidden Zone") plus a quick trip into Village Creek Drying Beds. Highlights at River Legacy Park (in order seen): White-breasted Nuthatch (heard), Canvasback (1 female), Gadwalls (many), Green-winged Teal (many), American Widgeon (many), Ring-necked Duck, House Wren, Northern Flicker, Orange-crowned Warbler, Brown Creeper (at least 3), Pine Warbler, White-throated Sparrow, and Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. Highlights at VCDB (in order seen): Northern Pintail (many), Northern Shoveler (a few), Baird's Sandpiper, both types of Yellow-legs, and Blue-winged Teal. Lynn Barber, Fort Worth
11/3/04: I just came back from lunch. There are 2 male and 2 female Hooded Mergansers, with 2 Ring-necked Ducks in the ponds along Las Colinas Blvd. Also, at least 2 of the Scaup in the 114/161 Canal are Greater Scaup (non-adult males). Gilbert Wade, Fort Worth Report your sightings to: Greg Keiran 9 S. Kingston Ct. Bedford, TX 76022 (H) 817/282-3312 - (W) 817/280-7598, gkeiran@AOL.com
Practically Green -
What you can do in your everyday life to reduce your impact on the planet by D.D. Currie Proper Disposal of Cellular Phones Cellular phones were used by over 128 million Americans in 2001, according to the Cellular Telecom-munications and Internet Association (CTIA) Semi-Annual Wireless Industry Survey. Inform, Inc., an environmental research firm, estimates that cell phones are replaced approximately after 18 months of use, which will result in over 130 million phones being disposed of annually by 2005. Many consumers also store old cell phones because they are unsure of how to discard them, contributing approximately 500 million cell phones to the situation. With toxic elements like lead, mercury, nickel and cadmium found in each mobile unit and its battery, it is important to keep cell phones and cell phone batteris out of landfills and incinerators. There are many resources available to help you either recycle your old cell phone or reuse it through donation programs set up nationwide. Go to the following web site for information about how to dispose of cell phones in your area: http://www.earth911.org/master.asp?s=ls&cat=1&serviceid=245
THE TRAVELING BIRDER TRAVELS TO-Foster Park, Fort Worth By Lynn Barber
Fort Worth Audubon has begun a new type of field trip. It's called "Birding in the Park," and it is scheduled to occur monthly at Foster Park on Trail Lake Drive in Fort Worth. The field trips will go from 8:30-10:00 AM, one Saturday a month. The next one is on Saturday, December 11. Foster Park is located on the northwest corner of the intersection of Trail Lake Drive and South Drive, which is north of I-20 about a mile or so. There is parking on both sides of South Drive, and there is no admission charge to the park. FWAS's Birding in the Park series of field trips is open to everyone, but is particularly aimed at families and beginning birders. We are planning to have at least one of the FWAS board members come to each Birding in the Park field trip to act as informal leader. We are also planning to provide loaner binoculars to participants who need them. Walking in Foster Park is easy, and many birds can often be seen from the sidewalk that meanders through the park. In fact, Foster Park has been the site of numerous sightings of rare birds over the years. We always can see the domestic ducks and sometimes a few wild ones that join them in the river that flows through the park. Who knows what else we'll find on these little leisurely adventures! Come join us and find out what's at Foster Park in December, and let your friends and relatives know about Birding in the Park if they are interested in the out-of-doors and the birds that might be found in Fort Worth.
Fort Worth Audubon Society 2004-2005 Birding Outings
DESTINATION DATE LEADER/NOTES Benbrook Lake December 4 Simone Jenion Meet at the Benbrook Antique Mall at 7.30 to go to Memorial Oak Park to look for sparrows, finches and other wintering birds. We will then work our way to Dutch Branch Park, looking for shorebirds and ducks, etc. From there, we will go to Mustang Park, and Winscott Plover Rd. This will be a half day trip.
Tarrant Co. Christmas Bird Count December 18 Daniel Floyd Team members needed. Contact Daniel Floyd by email, phone, or at the meeting.
For details, visit our website. Field trips are open to all, members and nonmembers, beginners to world-class birders. We especially want to encourage and welcome first-time birders to come on our local trips in the Fort Worth area. These trips are an excellent way to get started learning the birds and the best locations and seasons to find them. There are always people on these trips who are willing and able to answer any question about birds. We try to help everyone see all the birds we find. Don't let bad weather deter you. Often the best birding is in the worst weather. Miserable conditions certainly build camaraderie. Come prepared. Warm weather trips may bring mosquitoes, chiggers, etc. Always bring along food and water because lunch is always in the field. If you have any questions call Phil Craighead, Field Trip Coordinator, at 817.596.3227, or by email:PHILMARGI@aol.com