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: dwa@austin.rr.com

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

birdwalker@mac.com

Rob Bierregaard - Vice President

704-333-2405

rbierreg@email.uncc.edu

Larry Barden - Secretary

704-547-4059

larry@lbarden.com

Lucy Quintilliano - Treasurer

704-364-9028

LucyAQ@aol.com

Taylor Piephoff - Field Trips

704-532-6336

piephoffT@aol.com

Wayne Covington - Bird Count

704-362-1774

WayneCovington@hotmail.com

Marek Smith - Membership

704-875-1391

maresmit@aol.com

Louise Barden - Publicity

704-535-6385

louise@lbarden.com

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