march-april 2004 mobile bay audubon society newsletters

8/9/2019 March-April 2004 Mobile Bay Audubon Society Newsletters

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Mobile BayMAY/JUN E, 2004

VOLUME XX III NO. 3

A CHAPTER OFT H ENATIONAL AUDUBON SOCIETYSINCE1971Audubon Society

Contents

FIRST ANNUAL ALABAMACOASTAL BIRDFEST

COMING IN OCTOBERby John BoromNo one has been able to

estimate accurately the volume ofmigrating shorebirds, waterfowl,and passerines fanning out overthe 600 mile-wide Gulf of Mexicoeach autumn and spring, butbiologists estimate that thenumber could run as high as sixbillion. Biologists have docu-

mented more than 200 species ofbirds that use the rim of landaround the Gulf as a way stationand launch pad.

Every fall millions of migrat-ing birds come to or pass throughCoastal Alabama. This fall,birders are expected to enjoy watching and learning more aboutthem when the first annual

Alabama Coastal BirdFest iscelebrated October 14-17, 2004.

A series of paid and free events,including guided wildlife and birdtours, nationally known speakers,displays, exhibits, workshops,childrens activities, and socialevents are planned to take place allaround the Mobile Bay area.Guided tours along the 240-milelong Alabama Coastal Birding

Trail, which has been noted forits diversity of natural habitats,will be a highlight of the event.

Initial funding support forBirdFest came from a grant fromthe Mobile Bay National EstuaryProgram to Faulkner StateCommunity College. Othersponsors include the Alabama

Department of Conservation andNatural Resources, Alabama GulfCoast Convention and VisitorsBureau, Alabama Power Founda-tion, Baldwin County Commis-sion, City of Fairhope, ConocoPhillips, Dauphin Island BirdSanctuaries, Dauphin Island SeaLab, Eastern Shore Chamber ofCommerce, Mississippi-AlabamaSea Grant, Mobile Bay AudubonSociety, Mobile Convention and

Visitors Corp., The Forum, TheNature Conservancy, U.S. Fishand Wildlife Service, and theWeeks Bay Reserve Foundation.

Coastal Alabama is a perfectlocation for birding. The MobileBay Audubon Society Check Listof Alabama Gulf Coast Birdsidenti-fies 379 species based on records

Board of Directors ............ 2

Splinter Hill Field Trip ..... 3

The Coffee-BirdConnection ....................... 4

From the 500 MostImportant Bird Areas ........ 7

New Members .................. 8

Did You Know.................. 9

Boreal ConservationFramework ........................ 10

Calendar ............................ 11

Florida Saints are for theBirds .................................. 11


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from experienced members ofthe Mobile Bay AudubonSociety, the Coastal Birding Association and the BirdRecords Committee of the Alabama Ornithological Society.Migratory birds such as Merlin

and Stilt Sandpiper from as faraway as Alaska or Canada comehere to their wintering groundson the Northern Gulf Coast orpass through here on their wayto Central and South America.

Birders can expect to seebirds of all sizes, ranging fromthe tiny Ruby-throated Hum-mingbird (0.11 ounce) andYellow-rumped Warbler (0.43ounce) to the Brown Pelican(8.2 pounds) and Wild Turkey(16.2 pounds). SemipalmatedPlover and Greater Yellowlegsreturn year after year to winteron Dauphin Island, LittleLagoon Pass, and Mobile Point.Flocks of Lesser Scaup andShort-billed Dowitcher returnto Mobile Bay each fall fromCanada and Alaska. Sharp-shinned Hawk and Broad-

winged Hawk soar into our areabefore they cross the Gulf.Blue-winged Warbler andScarlet Tanager are usually seenon Dauphin Island and FortMorgan.

Such bird diversity is a bigattraction to birders that cometo see not only birds that areyear-round residents to our areabut also migratory species fromall over North America.

Ecotourism is very popular andwe hope that this event willencourage people to come andenjoy great birding and thenatural beauty of Coastal Alabama in October. We alsohope that people will gain agreater understanding that we

share our world with manycreatures so our actions have farreaching impact.

According to federal wildlifeofficials, more money is spent watching birds and other wildlifein Alabama than is spent on

hunting. An economic analysisby the U.S. Fish and WildlifeService found that, countingpurchases of everything fromvehicles for exploring, to birdseedand binoculars, $626 million wasspent in 2001; thats almost $25million more than was spent onhunting. Birding is a hugeindustry and preserving thestopover habitat on the NorthernGulf Coast is important. All ofthe proceeds from the AlabamaCoastal BirdFest will be used topurchase and improve habitatsfor birds on the Alabama GulfCoast.

Come let us show you the wild and beautiful AlabamaCoast and join us for somespectacular birding and a won-derful time! Most events havelimited space, and reservations

will be accepted in the order inwhich they are received. For moreinformation on Alabama CoastalBirdFest 2004, including regis-tration forms and a completeschedule of events, visitwww.mobilebayaudubon.org/birdfest or call 251-990-0423.


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What a great group we hadfor this outing! More and more

people are joining in the fun.Our planned field trips are a wonderful opportunity toexperience unique environmentsthat others can only imagine.And, Splinter Hill was noexception. After the walk, wealways stop for lunch to relax andenjoy each others company.Then we are back home in theearly afternoon.

The Splinter Hill Bog hasrecently been purchased byForever Wild from a privateowner. It is an undeveloped tractof land that happens to be

inundated with pitcher plants.The land is hilly, and underneath

the surface of the soil it is verymoist which accounts for the largenumber of carnivorous pitcherplants. More land will be pur-chased in the near future by theNature Conservancy of Alabama.

Splinter Hill is located northof the Perdido-Rabun exit off of I-65 in the tiny community ofSplinter Hill.

Our guide, Keith Galdin of

State Lands Division of ADCNRled us through the briars and thebrambles, up and down hills tosee more pitcher plants than youcould imagine. You could never

tell from this area that they are anendangered species. There were so

many at times that we could nothelp but step right on them.There were no roads or trails tofollow unless you were a rabbit ora deer. We did see their trails.

Besides seeing so manypitcher plants, there were manytypes of wildflowers and severalbirds spotted or heard. Ourguide, Keith, pointed out manyspecies that we could see. We

were even treated to a visit by agarter snake which Keith caughtand let anyone who wanted tohold him. Thanks to everyone, weall had a wonderful day.

Eleanor Livaudais

SPLINTER HILL PITCHER PLANT BOGFIELD TRIP

MARCH 27, 2004


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THE COFFEE-BIRD CONNECTIONShade-Grown Coffee Migratory birds and many resident birds find sanctuary in the forest canopy of traditional coffee

plantations. Shade trees protect the plants from rain and sun, help maintain soil quality, and aid in natural pest

control, thanks to the birds.

Traditional coffee plantations help to conserve watersheds, leading to higher water quality andquantity for local populations.

Shade-grown coffee is cultivated in specific ways that help protect biodiversity. Shade coffee plants can produce crops of beans for up to 50 years.

Sun-Grown Coffee 90% fewer bird species are found in sun-grown coffee areas compared with shade-grown coffee areas. Requires chemical fertilizers and pesticides and year-round labor, placing financial demands on the

growers. Leads to great soil erosion and higher amounts of toxic runoff endangering both wildlife and people. Sun coffee plants produce crops of beans for only 10 to 15 years.

What Conservation-minded Coffee Consumers Can Do

If the demand for shade-grown, organic coffee continues to increase due to the efforts of The National Audubon Society and other concerned groups, we will be helping many of the neotropical migratorybirds survive to return and breed in our backyards. Here are some ways to help:

Buy Locally Many national retail chains such as Whole Foods, Caribou Coffee, and Wild BirdsUnlimited now carry at least one brand of genuine SGC. Coffee beans bought locally throughmarkets, health food and coffee shops marked Mexican Organic are likely grown under bird-friendly conditions. If your favorite shop has none of these, ask the management to look intomarketing shade-grown and/or organic coffees. When buying these coffees locally, let them know

why you made your choiceits for the birds!

Order By Mail An increasing number of coffee companies are specializing in high-quality organiccoffees that are also shade grown and, therefore, come from good migratory bird habitats. Whenordering coffee from these companies, send a message or talk with someone in charge about howimportant the conservation of tropical bird habitat is to your coffee-buying decision.

Get Informed Gather information about the coffee-migratory bird connection and spread the newsto community groups, co-workers, and the news media. Together we can greatly help protectmigratory birds breeding in the U.S. and Canada, as well as many of the beautiful resident birdssharing these habitats with the migrants wintering in the tropics.

These companies are making substantial effort to market quality shade-grown coffee:

Audubon Premium Audubon Premium shade-grown coffee is certified as

Organic Coffee Co. sustainably managed by the Rainforest Alliance and

1933 Davis St., Suite 308 certified organic by OCIA. According to the distributor

San Leandro, CA 94577 the Audubon Premium uses 100% organic Arabica beans

1-800-829-1300 grown on traditional farms. Four habitat-friendly, organic

http://www.auduboncoffeeclub.com/ blends are available: French Roast, Rainforest Blend,

Breakfast Blend regular and decaf in whole bean or

Ground.


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Birds and Beans Inc. All Birds and Beans coffee is purchased by their coffee

2415-B Lake Shore Blvd. West suppliers directly from coffee cooperatives. In exchange

Toronto, Ontario, Canada M8V 1C5 for producing the highest quality coffee using organic and

9221-9221-9221 shade-grown methods, the farmers are guaranteed a buyer

FAX: 416-913-6453 and fair price for their coffee. Shade-grown coffees cer-

http://www.birdsandbeans.ca/ tified by the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center are Mex-

ico Hacienda Miravalles, Bolivia Colonial Caranavi,

and Peru Penachi.

Caf Campesino Caf Campesino only purchases coffee grown in socially

302 W. Lamar Street, Suite C and environmentally responsible ways from democratically

Americus, GA 31709 managed small-scale farmer cooperatives. A source of fair-

4728-4728-4728 trade, shade-grown, organic coffees from Guatemala,

FAX: 912-924-6250 Mexico, Nicaragua and Peru.

www.cafecampesino.com

Caf Canopy A source of shade-grown, organic coffees certified by an

FMZ International independent, third-party using shade criteria developed by

7966 Arjons Drive, Suite 107 the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center. Caf Canopy

San Diego, CA 92126 carries the bird-friendly seal of approval, and a percentage

4966-4966-4966 of sales support SMBC research and conservation

www.shade-coffee.com programs.

Caf Sombra Caf Sombra grows on an estate coffee farm located 3000

Colorado Trading Company ft. atop the Borborema Mountain range in northeastern

3100 N.W. 72nd Ave., Suite 121 Brazil. Caf Sombra received the Smithsonian Migratory

Miami, FL 33122 Bird Centers certification in late 2002 and will ship cer-

9405-9405-9405 tified bird-friendly coffee starting in early 2003. Offers

http://www.cafesombra.com two shade-grown coffees, Sombra Dark and Songbird

Symphony Light Roast.

Caffe Ibis Caffe Ibis specializes in mountain-grown, shade-grown,52 Federal Avenue fair-traded, certified organic coffees. Some of their coffees

Logan, UT 84321 are Smithsonian Bird Friendly certified (e.g., Organic

4777-4777-4777 Mexican Altura #10, Organic Bolivian #35, Organic

FAX: 435-755-9139 Peruvian Rainforest #16, Organic Aztec Dark #28).

[email protected]/about.html

Caribou Coffee Company Rainforest Blend, a 100% organic, sustainable coffee, is

615 North Third Street grown without chemical fertilizers or pesticides, under a

Minneapolis, MN 55401 lofty canopy of shade trees. These groves provide a home

888-CARIBOU (888-227-4268) for thousands of plants, animals, and migratory birds; and

http://www.cariboucoffee.com/ the farms maintain the highest standards of housing,

medical care and education for all workers.

Counter Culture Coffee Markets Sanctuary brand line of shade-grown coffees,

4823 Meadow Dr., Suite 112 including those from Costa Rica, Guatemala, Nicaragua

Durham, NC 27713 and Mexico. A better cup of coffee and a safe haven for

888-238-JAVA (5282) songbirds.

www.counterculturecoffee.com

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Green Mountain Coffee offers a full line of certified

33 Coffee Lane, P.O. Box 657 organic and fair-trade coffees, with 5% of pre-tax earnings


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Waterbury, VT 05676 donated each year to social and environmental initiatives.

6768-6768-6768 Recent partnership with Newmans Own Organic line

829 Parkway Drive protected, Higher Ground roasts exclusively 100% certified

Leeds, AL 35094 fair-trade and organic coffees that are also shade grown.

8575-8575-8575 Offering 12 oz. or 2 lb. bags, whole bean or ground.

http://www.highergroundroasters.com

Jims Organic Coffee Full line or organic coffees certified by Quality Assurance21 Patterson Brook Rd. International. QAI regularly sends inspectors to the farms

W. Wareham, MA 02576 to ensure that rigid quality control standards for organic

800-999-9218 production are met.

http://www.jimsorganiccoffee.com

Montana Coffee Traders Markets the Good Migrations line of sustainably

5810 Highway 93 S. produced coffee that is certified organic, shade grown,

Whitefish, MT 59937 co-op produced, and fair traded. S ix regular blends and

5282-5282-5282 two water-process decaf blends available. A supporter

FAX: 406-862-7680 of International Migratory Bird DayGood coffee

www.coffeetraders.com doing good work.

Peace Coffee Organic and shade-grown coffee that is fair traded is a2801 21st Ave. S., Suite 120 component of sustainable communities, where ecology,

Minneapolis, MN 55407 economics and culture overlap. Organic coffee promotes

7872-7872-7872 healthy farmers and environments, shaded coffee farms

email: [email protected] increase biodiversity and bird habitat, and fair trade sustains

www.peacecoffee.com vital communities. All Peace Corps coffees are shade

grown, organic, and fairly traded.

Poverty Bay Coffee Company Poverty Bay Coffee Company is a micro-roaster of 100%

3902 West Valley Hwy. N shade-grown coffee. As a member of the Northwest Shade

Suite 106 Coffee Campaign, it has pledged to support and assist the

Auburn, WA 98001 campaign in their efforts to inform the public about the

5203-5203-5203 benefits of shade-grown coffee and to raise the public

email: [email protected] awareness about the connection between coffee-growingwww.povertybay.com practices and threatened segments of the environment.

Order online or by toll-free number.

Sacred Grounds Sacred Grounds is a QAl-certified organic coffee roaster,

Organic Coffee Roasters buying exclusively organic and shade-grown coffee.

686 F Street Organic coffees are generally grown on small,family-owned

Arcata, CA 95521 farms under diversified shade cover, the natural habitat of

2532-2532-2532 hundreds of species of migratory songbirds. Shade coffees

email: [email protected] include Organic Peruvian French Roast and Organic

www.sacred-grounds.com Guatemalan Aroma Roast.

Seattles Best Coffee Mountain-farmed and shade-grown OCIA-certified organic

1321 Second Avenue coffees. Organically grown coffees are farmed above 4,000

Seattle, WA 98101 feet in the shade of surrounding jungle canopy. Besides

9659-9659-9659 being much easier on the environment, they offer a superior

email: [email protected] taste. Six choices available in their line of 100 percent

http://seabest.com/organic/html organic coffees.

Thanksgiving Coffee Company Offers six shade-grown coffees under the Song Bird brand in

19100 South Harbor Dr. partnership with American Birding Association.


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P. O. Box 1918 Thanksgiving uses the Rainforest Alliance certification

Fort Bragg, CA 95437 program (ECO-OK) to certify the shade level of its coffees.

800-648-6491

FAX: 707-964-0351

www.songbirdcoffee.com

Vienna Coffee Company Working to expand their line of organic, fair-trade, and

1813 Southcliff Drive shade-grown coffees. Current sustainable coffee

Maryville, TN 37803 offerings are: Organic Mexican Chiapas and Mexican Pluma2058-2058-2058 San Pablo.

Fax: 865-981-9319

Email: [email protected]

www.viennacoffeecompany.com

The Audubon MissionThe Audubon mission is to conserve and restore natural ecosystems, focusing on birds, other wildlife, and

their habitats for the benefit of humanity and the earths biological diversity.

There are approximately80,000 communication towersin the United States, and about

5,000 new towers are being builteach year. This rate will likelyincrease with developing celltower and digital televisionnetworks. Nearly 50,000 ofthese towers are more than 200feet tall, are in the vicinity of anairport, or are along majorhighways, and thus are requiredto be lit according to regulationsestablished by the FederalCommunications Commission.

Bird kills caused by towers,their guy wires, and relatedstructures have been documentedfor over 50 years. Most birdskilled by towers are neotropicalmigratory songbirds that migrateat night and seem to be confusedby towers lights, especially in

poor weather conditions. Theextent of tower mortality is not welldocumented: the Fish and Wildlife

Service estimates four to fivemillion birds are killed each year attowers, but others estimate anannual loss of up to 40 millionbirds. At least 230 birds speciesare known to have been killed bycollisions with towers. TheSwainsons Warbler, Cerulean Warbler, Bachmans Sparrow, andHenslows Sparrow, all listed asextremely high priority for conser-vation, have been documented asbeing killed at towers. In 1998,approximately 10,000 LaplandLongspurs were killed at threetowers in a single night in westernKansas.

Little research has beenconducted into the causes of thismortality, or into discovering ways

to reduce bird kills at towers.Research protocols have beendeveloped, and funding thatresearch should be a priority forboth government agencies andindustry. Until more is learned, anumber of steps can be taken tominimize bird mortality: reducethe number of towers by collocat-ing multiple antennae on existingstructures; construct towers below200 feet to avoid the need forlights; where lighting is necessary,use minimum intensity; dismantle

inactive towers as soon as possible;use visual markers in areas ofraptor and waterfowl movements;down-shield security lighting fortowers, and use best currentknowledge in lighting towers(e.g., white strobes seem to attractfewer birds than red).

From The 500 Most Important Bird Areas in theUnited States 2003

By American Bird Conservancy


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Welcome to the Mobile Bay Audubon Society, the local chapter of the National Audubon Society. We thank you foryour support. A few facts about our chapter: Monthly meetings are held on the 2nd Tuesday from September thruMay at 7:30 PM alternately in Fairhope and Mobile (See calendar for details of programs and locations.) Programsof interest are planned for each meeting and field trips are scheduled regularly. We are a non-profit organizationalldonations are tax deductible. A list of officers is listed in the newsletter; feel free to call any of them for information.Join us as often as you canwe want to get to know you.

Ottilie Halstead, Membership Chairman

Cullman John Thrasher

DaphneLinda DawsonPataricia L MeadorSusan RossSylvia WaldingRebecca Bowen

Dauphin IslandKay BreitenfieldShirey Clark

ElbertaB. Gonzalez

FairhopeShirlee LewisThomas L McCulloughRoger RichardsonDorothy Thompson

FoleyCarol B BurkleSobieck

Gulf ShoresDon Byrd

IrvingtonDoris J Pack

LillianMary CooperJean B Schmitz

LoxleyCarolyn Rivero

Magnolia SpringsMr.-Mrs Joe Sankey

Mobile John BuckleyL P CaroltonBrandon Flynn

Tuck HaywardSue KilbornJoycelyn KilpatrickDavid W TurnerHelen D Vail

Orange BeachMr.-Mrs. Dorence Hanson

RobertsdaleCarl R. AndersonVirgil BuckAllen MathisMable Wilsey

SaralandAllen E Gleghorn

Spanish FortBrenda G. Anderson

SummerdaleBarbara Harbrecht

New Members


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As it is with the rest of thecountry, the future of wild lands

and wildlife rests firmly in thehands of people. In addition tolands set aside for conservationby organizations like The NatureConservancy, the NationalAudubon Society and the Forever Wild Land Trust, the purchase ofhunting licenses is extremelyimportant.

Congress passed the Pittman-Robertson Act in 1937 toprovide money for the selection,

restoration, rehabilitation andimprovement of wildlife habitatand wildlife management re-search. Since its inception, theact has produced more than $2billion for conservation efforts inthe nation. It generates, onaverage, about $200 million eachyear. The funding comes from an11 percent tax on sporting arms,ammunition and archery equip-ment and a 10 percent tax onhandguns. In 2003, Alabamareceived $3.7 million in actmoney, which ranked 29th in thenation. That amount wascombined with a 25 percent statematch.

Thanks to the Pittman-Robertson Act, programs existthat have helped keep thepopulations of a number of gamespecies viable. In 1920, the

North American elk populationwas 100,000 and today it is up to500,000. In 1920, the WildTurkey was scarce, and today thepopulation is estimated at 2million. In 1920, the while-taileddeer population was 500,000 andtoday it is up to 14 million. In1920, the pronghorn antelopepopulation was 25,000, and todayit is over 750,000. The WoodDuck has been brought back fromthe brink of extinction in the1920s to the most common

breeding duck in America today.The population and number of

hunting licenses it sells each yeardetermine each states share of theacts money. A 2001 survey doneby the U.S. Fish and WildlifeService shows there were 423,000hunting licenses sold in Alabamathat year.

In Alabama, successful conser-vation efforts through the nongamewildlife program include:

.Releasing 91 Bald Eagles torestore a nesting population;

Releasing 66 Ospreys toincrease nesting pairs;

Building more than 10,000Eastern Bluebird nest boxes andcoordinating more than 1,000volunteers to Bring Back theBluebird;

Managing and protectingGaillard Island in Mobile Bay to

produce more than 10,000 BrownPelicans in eight yearsmorepelicans produced in Alabama

than in the lastcentury;

Starting a monitoring pro-gram to conserve Alabamassongbirds.

The Pittman-Robertson Actmoney is just as important to ourconservation efforts today as it wasin 1937, said Gary Moody, chiefof the wildlife division of theAlabama Department of Conserva-tion and Natural Resources. It

doesnt matter if youre talkingabout songbirds or endangeredspecies or deer, improving habitatis beneficial to them all, Moodysaid. The money we get goes toimproving habitat, but it also goesto wildlife management andhunter education programs. Soits not just the hunters whobenefit, its everyone who enjoyswatching wildlife.

Nonhunters and birders cando their part in helping improvewild lands and wildlife in thestate, and they do not have to buyguns or ammunition to do it.State officials are urgingnonhunters to buy huntinglicenses. A resident huntinglicense costs $15 per year.

Did You Know?By John Borom


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NewsletterDeadline

Any member is welcomed andencouraged to submit articles forthe newsletter. I would be happyto include anything you think

would be of interest to themembership.Please send your articles for the July/August issue to DelaneSmall by June 25.Address:1 Fiesta DriveSpanish Fort, AL 36527Email: [email protected]

Stretching from Alaska to theAtlantic Ocean, Canadas borealforest is one of the worlds largestforests. It accounts for 25 percentof the earths remaining intactforests, covers 1.3 billion acres,and is larger than the Brazilian Amazon. With more fresh waterthan any place on earth, Canadasboreal forest supports some of thelargest populations of wildlifesuch as grizzly bears and wolves,and provides vital breedinggrounds for up to a third of NorthAmericas land birds and 40percent of its waterfowl.

In December 2003, theCanadian Boreal Initiative (CBI)announced a landmark vision toprotect this global treasure. TheBoreal Conservation Frameworkproposes a new approach tobalancing conservation and

economic development: theestablishment of a network oflarge interconnected protectedareas covering about half ofCanadas boreal region, and theuse of cutting-edge sustainabledevelopment practices in remain-ing areas. The Framework reflectsan extraordinary alliance ofconservation organizations, FirstNations, and timber and oilcompanies who have signed on to

the Framework. (Informationabout the Framework can befound at CBIs web-site:www.borealcanada.ca)

While vast tracks of the borealregion remain unspoiled at thispoint, the release of the Frame-work comes at a time whendevelopment is rapidly escalating

and land use decisions in everyCanadian province and territorywill determine the fate of much ofthe boreal region within the nextthree to five years. With over 90%of the boreal under public owner-ship, a critical next step will be topersuade Canadian governments toplay a central role in making theFrameworks vision a reality.

Much of the resource develop-ment in the boreal is being drivenby U.S. consumption. The U.S. isthe leading importer of Canadianforest products and oil and gas.Eighty-one percent of Canadasforest products go to the UnitedStates, and most of the wood cutin Canadas boreal is used to makepaper, including catalogs, junkmail, magazines, and newspapers.And the U.S. buys more of its oiland gas from Canada 60% of

which is produced from the boreal than any other single source.Of the 298 bird species that

have some of their breedinggrounds in the boreal forest, atleast 40 species of land birds andseveral species of ducks are alreadyexperiencing population declinesin part due to habitat loss fromlogging and oil and gas develop-ment.

While American consumption

is largely responsible, it also meansthat American citizens and compa-nies can influence the fate of thisglobal treasure. The boreal isperhaps the greatest forest conser-vation opportunity left on earth.

An international campaignfocused in the U.S. is emerging.The Boreal Songbird Network is a

new network of conservationgroups that include: the BorealSongbird Initiative, the NationalAudubon Society, the National Wildlife Federation, DucksUnlimited, the Natural ResourcesDefense Council, and the Ameri-can Bird Conservancy. Thesegroups are working to build abroad base of internationalsupport for boreal conservationand the adoption of the BorealFramework.

For more information on howyou can help protect the borealforest, please go to the BorealSongbird Initiative website atwww.borealbirds.org.

The Boreal Songbird Initia-tive is a new project dedicated toeducating bird conservationistsand naturalists throughout theUnited States about the impor-

tance of North Americas borealforest to migratory birds.

Boreal Conservation Framework Lays Out Visionfor Protecting Vital Breeding Grounds for Billions

of North American Birds


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Florida did it right! Stateparks along the Panhandle arewild, pristine and a joy for camp-ing. Hot showers in clean bathhouses and miles of trails forhiking are a real plus.

Near Panama City, St.Andrews State Park has white

sandy beaches where BlackSkimmers line up in the wind.Little Blue Herons squabble overnesting sites in their rookery.Ruddy Turnstones were busy onthe big rocks. Black Ternsmingled with Least Terns.

On south where Highway 98bends eastward, we took a righttoward St. Josephs Peninsula, ournext camping spot. Hooded Warblers and Eastern Toweeswatched us set up gear and laidout sleeping bags in our little bluemini-van. This was April 11 andwinds blew at near gale force,hinting that we just might witnessa full fledged fall-out. We werenot disappointed!

Next morning we hesitated to

make coffee because the trees andlow shrubs sparkled like they hadbeen decorated for the winterholidays - almost a shame to movearound with little fluffy guyseverywhere, resting up from a long journey across the Gulf. Shiningred fluffs (Tanagers), fuzzy blue

balls (Indigo Buntings) andmulti-color decorations (RoseBreasted Grosbeaks) were theornaments.

Other campers enjoyed thebirds, not realizing they werebeing treated to what might be aonce in a lifetime experience.They were not birders for theyhad no field glasses. Binos werenot needed anyway. Flocks ofIndigo Buntings fed at roadside.Many Warbler species flittedthrough the brushy growth.

Two days later we headed eastto St. Georges State Park wherethere was not a full fallout, but anexcellent birding day. AmericanOystercatchers, Bald and Golden

Eagles, Lesser Nighthawks andeven a Painted Bunting waited forus. A special treat was a BlackThroated Blue Warbler!Swainsons were heard but notseen. On to St. Marks where westayed in Sweet Magnolia, a fancybed and breakfast, and took day

trips to St. Marks Refuge and to Wakulla Springs. More birdsawaited us including Glossy Ibisand nesting Willets. Tourists watched the alligators while weenjoyed Black Neck Stilts andBlue Wing Teal.

Because Florida State Parks areso beautiful and well kept they areoften filled, making advancereservations necessary. Fortunatelywe had reserved several months inadvance.

Every spring we head adifferent direction for birding andcamping and every time we saythis is the best. Whether itsEufaulla, Big Bend, Cape May orMadera Canyon - theres alwayssomething wonderful.

Florida Saints are for the BirdsCeleste Hinds

May


12/12

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Everyone wants to understand painting. Why is there no attempt to understand the song of the birds? Pablo Picasso

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