audubon news · awareness of chimney swifts by holding the third annual swift night out. this year...
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Audubon NewsSeptember 2003 A publication of the Mecklenburg Audubon Volume 9, Number 1
Audubon News is published nine times a year, September – May by Mecklenburg Audubon Society
Serving Cabarrus, Gaston, Iredell, Lincohn, Mecklenburg and Union Counties in NC and York County SC.
Swiftly Fly the BirdsIn the fall, birders’ efforts turn
to the challenge of either hawk or
confusing fall warbler identifica-
tion. We tend to forget there are a
large number of other avian
species that migrate in the fall.
And some of them can put a real
show if you know where to look
for them. Chimney swifts are one
such species. We note their ar-
rival in the spring. They spend
the rest of the summer zooming
around, chittering above our
heads, ignored by most of us.
Then in the fall they begin to
gather in large flocks getting
ready to migrate. At night these
large flocks roost together in a
wide variety of ‘chimneys’. In
some areas, hundreds if not
thousands of birds will dive into a
factory chimney at dust. it is
truely a site to behold.
So what do you really know
about this ‘flying cigar’? Not
much you say? Well, this is your
chance to learn more about this
common summer resident. Judy
Walker, will present you with
some amazing facts and figures
about these creatures at the first
Audubon meeting of the fall.
Let’s see how many folks can
flock to the fellowship hall of the
Sharon Seventh Day Adventist
Church at 7:30 PM on Thursday.
September 4th.
And theWinnersAre!
number of swifts that enter. When
you have your number, contact us
with your results. A page will be
set up on our web site to compile
the results as they come in. You
may send in your results by
email, fax, phone or regular mail
- we will continue to update the
results through mid-September.
Here are the contact numbers:
Driftwood Wildlife Association
1206 West 38th, Suite 1105
Austin, Texas 78705
Email: [email protected]
Fax or phone: (512) 266-3861
A Birding Night Out
Congratulations to our
Birdathon winners:
Carol Bowman
Bobbie Cox
Chris Hannah
Julie & Ed Engle
Susan Ellerman
Dave Frech
Richard Kingston
Karen Hudson-Brown.
Don’t miss the awards
cermony at the September
meeting!!
The Chimney Swift nesting
season is drawing to a close, and
the roosting flocks have begun to
congregate. Once again this year
we are going to try to raise
awareness of Chimney Swifts by
holding the third annual Swift
Night Out. This year the event
will be held the weekend after
Labor Day: September 5, 6 and 7.
Over the next couple of weeks
you should locate a Chimney
Swift roost in your area. A roost
is a location where swifts gather
at dusk to spend the night. Then
on one night over the weekend of
September 5, 6 and 7, observe the
roost at dusk and estimate the Continued on page 5
FIELDTRIPS
Sunday, September 7Butterfly WalkMcAlpine Greenway [1/2 day]
Birds are not the only beautiful winged creatures
that can be found in the Charlotte area. Butteries
are at their peak in September when a variety wide
variety can be found. The
Mecklenburg Park and Recreation
Department has created wonderful
habitat for butterflies at McAlpine
Greenway. We will take a leisurely
Sunday afternoon stroll around the
greenway to see what we can find.
We will meet at 1:30 PM at the
Monroe Rd. entrance to the
Greenway. If you are interesting in
participating contact Taylor Piephoff at 532-6336.
Saturday, Sept. 27Hawk WatchingMahogany Rock OverlookBlue Ridge Parkway [Full day]
C0ars aren't the only ones who use the Blue
Ridge for transportation. During the day Hawks,
Eagles and Falc the warm thermals created along
the mountain ridges as their highway to their
wintering habitats.
Neotropical migrants also use the mountain
ridges as guides to their winter abodes. They do
most of their traveling at night to avoid those
'nasty' raptors on the move during the day. But
during the day they can be found foraging through
the tree tops along the parkway. So we will have
an opportunity to observe two very different types
of birds in their migrant travels.
This is probably the easiest type of birding
except for perhaps watching your feeder. You
should bring along a lunch as well as something to
sit on (blanket, lounge chairs, whatever).
Most of the day we will let the birds come to us
but there will be some forays into the woods look-
ing for warblers as well. I guarantee (except if it's
pouring rain) when you leave this field trip you
will be able to identify at least one raptor (if not 4-
5) in the air and one butterfly.
We will meet at the Mc Donald's at the Cornelius
Exit (Exit 28) of I-77 at 7:15 AM. If you are inter-
ested in going contactl Taylor Piephoff at 532-
6336.
Sunday, September 28:Jumpin' Jackson Park [Full Day]
You may have heard about how
fabulous spring migration is in
Central Park, NY. Well Jackson
Park in Hendersonville, NC is a
close rival, especially in the fall.
Hopefully, we will hit one of its
wonderful waves of warblers. In
past years birds were dripping off
the trees.
We will meet at 7:30 AM at the
MacDonalds on Four Seasons
Blvd. (Exit 18 off I-26). It's on the right as you are
heading into Hendersonville. The Rt. 74 makes this
a quick 2 hour drive from Charlotte if you plan to
drive out in the Saturday AM.
If you plan to go on the Hawk Watch you could
just make a weekend of it. Hawk watching usually
slows down around 4 PM so you could take a
leisure drive down the Parkway to Hendersonville.
There are hotels at Exit 18. If you are interested
in this trip contact Judy Walker [704 687-2559 (w);
704-537-8181 (h)]. Check the website for hotels in
the area.
What does coffee have to do
with birds? Plenty! In the mid-
elevations of Mexico, Central
America, the Caribbean, and
Colombia, most of the forests still
standing are in traditional coffee
plantations. These provide the
last refuge for birds that have lost
their habitat to the vast destruc-
tion of tropical forests.
Coffee, a shade-loving shrub,
flourishes under the canopy of
diverse tree species. Humming-
birds, swallows, warblers, orioles,
tanagers and other native and
migratory birds find a safe haven
in the remaining forests of shade
coffee plantations.
Scientists and birdwatchers
have noticed a marked decline in
migratory bird populations over
the last 25 years. The tree canopy
in shade coffee plantations pro-
tects the soil from erosion and
provides a natural mulch for
coffee plants, reducing the need
for chemical fertilizers and
herbicides.
The term "shade-grown" can
refer to a number of different
farming practices that use shade
trees. The term generally de-
scribes coffee that is grown under
a canopy of diverse species of
shade trees, often on small farms
using traditional techniques.
Shade-grown coffee, in contrast
to sun-grown or "technified"
coffee, provides food and shelter
for songbirds, as well as other
animals and plants. The use of
shade trees provides natural
mulch, which reduces the need
for chemical fertilizers. Up to 40
species of trees can be found on
traditionally managed shade
coffee plantations; these trees
protect the coffee plants that
grow beneath them from rain and
sun, help maintain soil quality,
reduce the need for weeding, and
aid in pest control. Organic
matter from the shade trees
reduces erosion, contributes
nutrients to the soil, and prevents
metal toxicities.
The original varieties of coffee
brought to the New World centu-
ries ago are relatively intolerant
of direct sunlight, and require the
filtering effect of shade trees to
protect the leaves from burning.
In the last 25 years, however, new
sun tolerant coffees have been
created and farmers have been
encouraged by USAID and other
international development agen-
cies to convert their growing
practices. While sun coffee
produces substantially increased
yields, it requires additions of
chemical fertilizers, and a range
of insecticides, herbicides and
fungicides. In addition, sun
coffee plantations cause increased
erosion and toxic run-off. Prior to
the last 20 years or so, nearly all
commercial coffee production
was managed under the canopy of
shade trees. But debt strapped
nations seeking to boost exports
have taken deliberate steps to
"modernize" growing practices
away from shade coffee.
Why should I buy shade-grown
coffee? By purchasing coffee that
is grown in the shade, consumers
can help keep shade coffee eco-
nomically viable for farmers
while preserving increasingly
scarce habitat for wildlife such as
neotropical migratory birds.
How does buying shade coffee
help migratory birds? Shade
coffee is grown in a forest-like
setting. The structure of a shade
coffee forest mimics a native
forest, with several vertical levels
of growth and a wide variety of
plants and insects for the birds to
eat. In fact, shade trees found on
traditional coffee farms provide
habitat for a surprisingly rich
diversity of species, especially
migratory birds. One study con-
ducted in Mexico found over 140
species of birds in the forests of
shade coffee farms while sun-
coffee farms contained only 5-6
species. As rainforests disappear,
shade coffee farms offer one of
the last places for birds to feed
and rest in many tropical regions.
In addition to birds, shade coffee
plantations provide habitat for
orchids, insects, mammals (such
as bats), reptiles, and amphibians.
By creating consumer demand
for shade-grown coffee, we can
Drink a Cup of Java for the BirdsYour coffee could help save habitat for migratory birds!
Conservation Corner
Continued on page 5
by: Geoffrey A. Keller
Project FeederWatch is a winter-
long survey of birds that visit
feeders at backyards, nature
centers, community areas, and
other locales in North America.
FeederWatchers periodically
count the highest numbers of each
species they see at their feeders
from November through early
April. FeederWatch helps scien-
tists track broadscale movements
of winter bird populations and
long-term trends in bird distribu-
tion and abundance.
Project FeederWatch is operated
by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology
in partnership with the National
Audubon Society, Bird Studies
Canada, and Canadian Nature
Federation.
Anyone with an interest in
birds! FeederWatch is conducted
by people of all skill levels and
backgrounds, including children,
families, individuals, classrooms,
retired persons, youth groups,
nature centers, and bird clubs.
All you need to do is count birds
that appear in your count site
because of something that you
provided (commercial or natural
food, or water). For each species,
report only the highest number of
individuals that you saw in view
at one time. By following this
procedure, you are certain to
avoid counting the same bird
more than once. You'll report your
bird counts to scientists at the Lab
of Ornithology, either over our
web site or on paper Data Forms.
There is a $15 annual participa-
tion fee ($12 for Lab members,
CAN$25 for Canadian partici-
pants) that covers your materials
and newsletter subscription, staff
support, web design, and data
analysis. Project FeederWatch is
supported almost entirely by
participation fees. Without the
support of our participants, this
project wouldn't be possible.
Participants receive a Research
Kit and the Lab's quarterly news-
letter, Birdscope. Your kit, which
arrives in November (or 3 weeks
after you signup when you signup
during the FeederWatch season)
contains instructions, a bird
identification poster, a wall calen-
dar, a resource guide to bird
feeding, and data forms—every-
thing you need to start counting
your birds. You provide the
feeder(s) and seed.
Anywhere that you can consis-
tently observe throughout your
count days. Choose obvious
boundaries, such as the border of
your yard or the area within a
courtyard.
Our survey is conducted each
winter from November through
early April. You may join at any
time of year and start receiving
the quarterly issues of the news-
letter. The last day to sign up for
any given season is Feb. 28. On
Mar. 1 we begin taking sign-ups
for the following season. Kits are
shipped in the fall or, if you sign
up during the season, about 3
weeks after you sign up.
How much time does it take?
It's up to you! Select your own
bird-count days--two consecutive
days once every two weeks (or
every week if you enter data
online and you choose to count
that often). Count during all or
part of those days.
FeederWatch results are regu-
larly published in scientific
journals and are shared with
ornithologists and bird lovers
nationwide.
As a FeederWatcher, you will
learn more about winter birds and
how their populations are faring.
You'll also contribute to the
science and conservation of
North American feeder birds.
Citizen Science
Project Feeder WatchNeeds You!! Considering how well we did with the
GBBC, Charlotte should have a lot of
folks enrolled in this program.
The highest flying birds ever recordedwere a flock of geese over Dehra Dun,India, at an altitude of 29,700 feet.
Did You Know??Did You Know??Did You Know??Did You Know??Did You Know??
Red-Tails in Love
A Wildlife Drama in Central Park
By Marie Winn
This is a fun book for anyone with
an interest in birding, from the
novice to the professional
ornithologist. It is generally light
and upbeat, but, like the real world of nature, it has its
heartbreaking moments. It is very easy reading.
Any birder will relate to the “Regulars”, who, like many
of us, are out there every day monitoring the bird activity
in their neighborhood. It’s just that their neighborhood
includes Central Park, and the Regulars include some
unusual characters, including Wall Street executives, book
publishers, playwrites, and our very own Sharon Freedman,
who relocated to Charlotte from NYC.
The author, who lives in Manhattan and is one of the
Regulars, writes a nature and bird watching column for the
Wall Street Journal and does a great job of incorporating
enough technical information to maintain the interest of the
experienced birder without overwhelming beginners.
There is a wealth of information about birding hot spots in
Central Park, including a map entitled The Birders View of
THE RAMBLE. You’ll be tempted to take your binoculars
with you on your next trip to NYC.
To quote the experts:
“A delightful read, blessed with a lovable cast of
characters, feathered and otherwise.” USA TODAY
“An amazing drama, as good as any soap opera and all
the more remarkable since it is a true wildlife story”.
BIRDING
Check it out. You won’t be disappointed.
Reviewed by Lucy Quintilliano
Book Nookhelp stop the con-
version of acreage
from shade to sun.
The more we buy,
the more acreage of
forests we can preserve by giving
farmers financial incentive to keep
producing shade coffee in the tradi-
tional manner, thereby saving forest
habitats for farmers, as well as wild-
life. You can purchase shade grown
coffee at Home Economist and Cari-
bou Coffee.
Adapted from Seattle Audubon’s Northwest Shade
Grown Coffee Campaign - http://
www.seattleaudubon.org/shadecoffee/index.html
Coffee Con’t.
Along with the number of swifts
counted, please include your city and
state or province and the date that you
observed the roost. If you provide the
exact location of the roost that you
monitor, we will also include that
information in the results.
For more information and to see the
results from previous years, go to:
http://www.concentric.net/~Dwa/
page68.html
Thank you for your support of
Chimney Swift conservation. We look
forward to hearing from you!
Congratulations!!Congratulations!!Congratulations!!Congratulations!!Congratulations!!
Julie and Wayne Covington were visited by a
stork on July 1st. Claire Elise is growing like a
weed.
The Stork Has Landed!!
Night Out Con’t.
Birding tips for beginners
Over 305 people participated in
International Migratory Bird
Day’s seven programs or bird
hikes and/or three half-day
festivals held at Reedy Creek,
Latta Plantation, and McDowell
Nature Centers. Adult partici-
pants to the festivals sampled
shade-grown coffee courtesy of
Home Economist and Caribou
Coffee while children ate edible
nests, created window silhouettes
to help prevent bird and window
collisions, designed their own
binoculars, made toys to help
keep their cats indoors, planted
seeds for the birds, constructed
suet bird feeders, and more.
Field trip and bird banding
demonstration participants tallied
IMBD Revisited
61 species, including such high-
lights as Common Loon, Osprey,
Indigo Bunting, Blackpoll War-
bler, Prairie Warbler, Scarlet
Tanager, Acadian Flycatcher, and
Wild Turkey.
In addition, over 50 entries to
the Migratory Bird Artwork
Contest for K-5th Grades were
received at Latta Plantation
Nature Center. Entries were
judged earlier in the week and 15
awards were presented to winners
at the festival on May 10.
Thanks go to Wild Bird Center,
Wild Birds Unlimited, Home
Economist, Talley’s Green Gro-
cery, Papa John’s Pizza, Chirp ‘n
Chatter, Caribou Coffee, The
Bookrack, and Ci Ci’s Pizza for
the donation of prizes to contest
winners, door prizes, food for
volunteers, and craft materials.
Mecklenburg Audubon Society
members, Alan and Ken Kneidel,
Larry and Louise Barden, Judy
Walker, Betty O’Leary, and
Lizbeth Stockman deserve
special thanks for helping to lead
the bird hikes, banding demo,
and activities for children. An
additional 14 volunteers and 16
Division of Natural Resources
staff helped make this event
possible.
Everyone knows it is helpful to have a map when traveling to new places [or at least some of us
do]. Well the same thing holds true for birding. It is important to understand the geography of a bird
to identify it correctly. The bird identification books tend to use terms referring to different parts of
the bird’s body to describe the bird such as - the bird has two white wing-bars or the eye-ring is
broken. While looking at the picture in the
book it seems obvious. But when you are in the
field it will be important to know if the yellow
on that warbler is on the breast or the belly.
Where exactly does the breast stop and the
belly begin anyway???
Here is a bird map that might help you begin
to learn the parts of a birds body. As you can
see it’s a composite but I think it still does a
good job of showing what’s where. And you
are more likely to remember this picture than
some of the ‘official’ ones in the ID books.
Study hard. You will be quizzed at the next
monthly meeting!
Bird Geography 101
1. Thou shall have no other interest
before birding. If thou does, thou shall
not discuss it with other birders.
2. Thou shall not take unto thee any
graven image of the birds that are in heaven above without giving
photo credit to the photographer. Thou shall not capture and cage the
wild birds, nor shall thou visit birds in zoos (unless the birds are
endangered and part of a breeding release program), nor shall thou
respect and cherish any introduced species.
3. Thou shall not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain: not when
thou just missed seeing that rare bird, nor when the potential life bird
doth not sit still for an identification, nor when thou droppeth thy
binoculars in the middle of the lake.
4. Remember all thy birding days, and keep them special. Six days shall
thou labor and do all thy work: but the seventh day is to renew thy
spirit with the avian flock. Work is the curse of the birding classes.
5. Honor those who introduced thee to birding and taught thee about
birds that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy
God giveth thee. If thou should dishonor those experts, thy days may
be short. Honor those who own the private property where birds
congregate that they may allow thee to come back the next time.
6. Thou shall not kill any bird (nor any bird hunters - no matter how
strong the provocation). Thou shall labor to protect and keep them for
all the days of thy life (well, maybe not the hunters...).
7. Thou shall not take any thing that belongs to another birder without
asking: not his place in the hide, nor his field guide, nor his birding
partner, nor his lunch.
8. Thou shall not steal a bird’s eggs or, more importantly, a bird’s
habitat if thou wish to see the bird long on this earth.
9. Thou shall not bear false witness about birds thou hast identified or
heard, nor shall thou exaggerate or brag about birds thou hast seen.
Thy word is thy bond, especially on Birding Big Days.
10. Thou shall not covet thy neighbor’s life list, but must create thine
own. Thou shall not covet thy neighbor’s birding scope, nor his
identification skills, nor his bird photography ability, nor his ability to
travel to see more birds than thou, nor any other thing that is thy
birder neighbor’s.
Remember these commandments, and keep them holy, in the name of the
Father (John James Audubon), and the Son (Roger Tory Peterson) and
the Holy Ghost (Charles Sibley).(Adapted from Tina’s Ten Commandments of Birding at http://www.camacdonald.com/birding/
10commandments.htm)
Ten Commandments of Birding
- long, pointed wings
- long tail
- powerful wingbeats
- constant flapping
- rounded wings and long tails
- Cooper’s hawks - flap, flap, glide
- Cooper's hawks - longer neck that
extends beyond their wings
- Sharp-shinned hawk -smaller
neck, head does not extend beyond
the line of their wing
- high-soaring
- chunky bodies
- large, broad wings
- short, rounded tails
QuickHawk ID
To help you get ready for hawking
watching this fall here are some tips for
distinguishing between the three basic
types of raptors.
Buteo
Accipiter
FalconPerigrine, Merlin and Kestral
Cooper’s, Sharp-shinned, N. Goshawk
Red-tailed, Red-shouldered, Broad-winged
Thu. 9/4 – Swiftly Flies the Bird [Monthly Meeting]
Sat. 9/7 – Butterflies at McAlpine Greenway [1/2 day]
Sat. 9/27 – Hawk Watching [Full day]
Sun. 9/28 – Jackson Park [Full day]
Thu. 10/22 – Spectacular Spiders [Monthly Meeting]
Sat. 10/11 – Huntington Beach [Full day]
Sat. 10/18 – Pee Dee NWR Work Day [Full day]
Sat. 10/25 – McDowell Prairie [1/2 day]
Thu. 11/6 – Talking Turkey [Monthly Meeting]
AAAAACTIVITIESCTIVITIESCTIVITIESCTIVITIESCTIVITIES C C C C CALENDARALENDARALENDARALENDARALENDAR
For additional activities and information go to http://meckbirds.org
Nonprofit OrganizationUS Postage
PAIDPermit No. 1779
Charlotte, NC
Published by Mecklenburg AudubonA Chapter of National Audubon
P. O. Box 221093, Charlotte, NC 28222
meckbirds.org
Audubon NewsAudubon NewsAudubon NewsAudubon NewsAudubon News
WWWWWHATHATHATHATHAT’’’’’SSSSS I I I I INSIDENSIDENSIDENSIDENSIDE?????
Monthly Meeting Info 1
Swift Night Out 1
Field Trips 2
Shade Coffee 2
Winners 3
Feeder Watch 4
Book Nook 5
IMBD 6
Birding Tips 6
Ten Commandements of Birding 7
Hawk ID Tips 7
Board MembersBoard MembersBoard MembersBoard MembersBoard Members
Judy Walker - President
704-537-8181
Rob Bierregaard - Vice President
704-333-2405
Larry Barden - Secretary
704-547-4059
Lucy Quintilliano - Treasurer
704-364-9028
Taylor Piephoff - Field Trips
704-532-6336
Wayne Covington - Bird Count
704-362-1774
Marek Smith - Membership
704-875-1391
Louise Barden - Publicity
704-535-6385
Rita Leonard - Member-at-large
704-569-9622
Mecklenburg Audubon is a chapter of
National Audubon. Meetings are held at
Sharon Seventh Day Adventist Church,
920 N. Sharon Amity Rd. on the first
Thursday of each month, September –
May at 7:30 PM.
Keep in Touch ElectronicallyLet the World Wide Web help keep
you up-to-date on Audubon activities
and issues at the Mecklenburg
Audubon web site - meckbirds.org
Or communicate quickly and easily
with other birders in the Charlotte
metropolitan area via our local elec-
tronic discussion list - MAS-L. For
instructions on how to subscribe go to
– http://meckbirds.org/listserv.htm