Jan-Feb 2008.Qxp:Jul 97 Issue

8/14/2019 Jan-Feb 2008.Qxp:Jul 97 Issue

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Volume XXVI, No. 1

January-February 2008

BexarAudubonSocietyis a chapter of theNational Audubon

Society. Its primarygoals are to promotespecies and habitat

conservation and envi-ronmental educationin the community.

The Envision Process

Thursday, January 106:30PM gathering; 6:45 announcements; 7:00 programTrinity University Cowles Life Sciences Building, Room 149 (see map, p. 4) Free; open to the public

Bexar TracksFor the latest news & updates, see http://www.bexaraudubon.org & http://www.sa-naturecenter.org

Something different: a program less about what andmore about how to. It will be of special interest topeople who are or wish to become active in conserva-tion efforts.

Peter Bella, director of the Natural ResourcesDepartment of AACOG (Alamo Area Council of Governments), will explain how the Envision processcan be used to set the course for local conservationand environmental protection.

The goal of Envision is to bring community stakehold-ers together in a wide-area visioning process that yieldsa clear, citizen-led focus on community needs andresources. It is a democratic, collaborative process usedaround the country. It can embrace a wide array of

quality-of-life indicators, e.g., the economy, employ-ment, education, public safety, and government, as

well as culture, recreation, growth, health, social envi-ronment, natural resources, and the natural environ-ment. The results can often leverage funding frompublic and private sources, too.

Peter has spent nine years with AACOG. As director ofthe Natural Resources Department, he provides strate-gic planning, targeting air-quality improvements withinthe AACOG region. He also presents widely before localelected officials and the general public in order tofamiliarize them with the air-quality work of the depart-ment and the clean-air challenges faced by those livingin the San Antonio region. He also researches legal andtechnical aspects of federal and state statutes relatedto air quality.

Peter holds a BS in Physics, magna cum laude, and anMS in Mathematics, both from UTSA.

Saturday, February 16, 9:30am 12 noon

Winter Walk at Crownridge Canyon Natural Area

Join Patty Leslie Pasztor for a leisurely hike at this won-derful Natural Area in Northwest San Antonio. We willlook for birds and animal signs and do some wintertree I.D. This is San Antonios first Natural Area devel-oped as part of the Edwards Aquifer Protection initia-tive. The 200-acre preserve has hiking trails through a

variety of habitats. Features include a canopy-levelbridge overlook, beautiful forested canyon bottoms,hillside vistas, and restored grasslands. We will meet at

the trailhead pavilion. For reservations and questions,call (210)837-0577.

Directions: take Interstate Highway 10 west about 1/2mile past Loop 1604. Take exit 554 for Camp BullisRoad. Two miles down the access road, take a left ontoCamp Bullis Road. Proceed under the interstate and

continue heading west on Camp Bullis Road. After 1.6miles, take a right on Luskey Blvd. Crown Ridge CanyonNatural Area is on the right.

There will be no program meeting in February. Happy Valentines Day!Judit Gowen, Texas Parks & Wildlife Dept. Urban Biologist, speaks on Wildscaping March 13.

Trinity biologist Dr. Kelly Lyons will speak on exotic/invasive plant species April 10.May 8 falls during Trinitys final exams, so our May meeting (the final one until fall)

will be held on Thursday, May 15.

Jan-Feb 2008.qxp:Jul 97 issue 12/10/07 11:39 AM Page 1


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Bexar Tracks 2 January-February 2008

The 11th Annual Great Backyard Bird Count

February 15-18, 2008Count for Fun; Count for the Future

Photo by Ardith Bondi of New York,who was witness to this confronta-

tion between an immature Red-tailed Hawk and a gray squirrel.Both came out of the encounterunscathed. Winner in the Behaviorcategory of the 2007 GreatBackyard Bird Count photo contest.

The Great Backyard Bird Countis an annual four-day event that engages bird watchers of all ages in count-ing birds to create a real-time snapshot of where the birdsare across the continent. Anyone can participate, frombeginning bird watchers to experts. It takes as little as 15minutes. Its free, fun, and easy and it helps the birds.

Participants count birds anywhere for as little or as longas they wish during the four-day period. They tally the high-est number of birds of each species seen together at anyone time. To report their counts, they fill out an onlinechecklist at the Great Backyard Bird Count web site.

As the count progresses, anyone with Internet access can

explore what is being reported from their own towns oranywhere in the United States and Canada. They can alsosee how this year's numbers compare with those from pre-

vious years. Participants may also send in photographs ofthe birds they see. A selection of images is posted in theonline photo gallery.

In 2007, participants reported a record-breaking 11 millionbirds of 616 species. They submitted more than 80,000checklists, an all-time record for the ten years of the count.

Why Count Birds?Scientists and bird enthusiasts can learn a lot by knowing

where the birds are. Bird populations are dynamic; they areconstantly in flux. No single scientist or team of scientistscould hope to document the complex distribution andmovements of so many species in such a short time.

We need your help. Make sure the birds from your com-munity are well represented in the count. It doesnt matter

whether you report the 5 species coming to your backyardfeeder or the 75 species you see during a days outing to a

wildlife refuge.

The All About Birds web site provides photos, sounds,

maps, and information about birds:www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/For help in distinguishing similar-looking species, visit theGBBC page on tricky IDs:www.birdsource.org/gbbc/learning/trickyIDsWant to photograph birds? Get advice from the experts at:www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/bp

The GBBC is a joint project of the Cornell Laboratory ofOrnithology and Audubon.

Everything you need to know is onthe GBBC web site:www.birdsource.org/gbbc/

How to participate

What 2007 participants have to say

A special page for kids Science stories Gallery of remarkable participant

photos like the one at left

Online Bird Guide

Birding Tools

Bird-Feeding Tips

Audubon WatchList

Top 10 Birds for 2007 GBBC

GBBC Slideshow with Top-10 Birds



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Birds: Bellwethers of WatershedHealth Lynne Trulio, PhD fromSan Jose State University, is authorof an educational module on thistopic: www.epa.gov/watertrain/birds/

Because they respond to basicchanges in landscape and habitatcondition, birds can be good indi-cators of watershed health. Birdsare also well-studied and very pop-ular with the public. This moduleintroduces how birds respond tochanges in watersheds and howlandscape conditions can be man-aged to help birds and improveoverall watershed health. Many ofthis modules photos and graphics

were provided courtesy of theAmerican Bird Conservancys mag-azine Bird Conservation.

Its excellent information, nicelypresented, and worth your perusal.

Gardening for Birds For someinteresting ideas, take a look at:

www.hgtv.com/hgtv/gl_wildlife_birds/article/0,,HGTV_3652_4409419,00.html

Very Merry Berries for the Birds! Many good trees and shrubs pro-

vide pretty and good-eating berriesfor wildlife American beautyberry,crabapple, pyracanthia, agarita, etc.Check your local Extension office orHorticulture websites, andwww.hgtv.com/hgtv/gl_trees_shrubs

_fruit/article/0,,HGTV_3647_3366315,00.html

Field Guide to the Worlds Birds www.flickr.com/groups/birdguide/pool/

Beginning Birding Involved inteaching youngsters how to bird or

want to learn more about thesport? Check out Texas Parks andWildlifes web pages.www.tpwd.state.tx.us/adv/birding/

beginbird/beginbird.htm

It Could Happen According tothe New York Times (12/9/07),2008 may offer a rare springbloom in Californias Death Valley,

the result of an unusually wet fall.Death Valley is home to more than1,000 species of wildflowers. For apeek at the last such incident, see:

http://travel.nytimes.com/travel/guides/north-america/united-states/california/death-valley-national-park/overview.html

The Yangtze River dolphin, thebaiji, is now considered to beextinct, according to an article byGreg Bungo:

www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2007/aug/08/endangeredspecies.conservation

Conservationists described theextinction as a shocking tragedycaused not by active persecutionbut accidentally and carelesslythrough a combination of factorsincluding unsustainable fishing andmass shipping. In other words, toomany people were living their liveson or near the habitat of the baiji.

This is hardly a surprise in badlyoverpopulated China. We can cer-tainly expect more episodes likethis in overpopulated India, as wellas China.

Effective household cleaningproducts A number of greencleansers are available today, made

without the petrochemicals, chlo-rine, phosphates, and other toxinsin many cleaning products. Go to:www.newdream.org/consumer/cleaners.php for a list.

Make your own cleansers with sim-ple ingredients such as vinegar andbaking soda. Studies have shownthat a 5 percent solution of vinegarkills 99 percent of bacteria, 82 per-

cent of mold, and 80 percent ofgerms (viruses). Dissolve 2 table-spoons of vinegar in 2 cups of

water to create a basic householdcleanser. For more tips see:

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/make-your-own-non-toxic-clean-ing-kit.htmland search

www.care2.com for additional tips.

Children are particularly vulnerableto the effects of products used inthe home and school. New York

became the first state to institutegreen-cleaning legislation requiringall schools and government agen-cies to use environmentally benigncleansers. Read more about this atwww.emsc.nysed.gov/facplan/gree

nclean.htm

Submit questions about consumerchoices and their environmentaleffects to [email protected] atAsk Audubon.

The Birdhouse Network: A Decadeof Dedication If youre lookingfor a new way to indulge your pas-sion for birds, consider joining TheBirdhouse Network, a citizen-sci-ence project of the Cornell Lab ofOrnithology. Participants put upnest boxes and record informationonce or twice a week about whatthe birds are doing. Over the past10 years, participants have submit-ted nearly 70,000 records detailing

when birds build their nests, howmany eggs they lay, and when thefledglings take their first flights.

These efforts have helped expandscientific knowledge aboutBluebirds, Tree Swallows, HouseWrens, and other cavity-nesters.

People of all ages and skill levelscan be part of The BirdhouseNetwork. To sign up or find outmore, visit the project's web site:www.birds.cornell.edu/birdhouse, orcall (800) 843-2473. The project feeis $15 ($12 for Lab members).

Purple Martin Time! Its time to

think about welcoming PurpleMartins late January or earlyFebraury. New colonies may bestarted later into the year, too. Forinformation, housing, tips, andmore, see the Purple MartinConservation Associations website:www.purplemartin.org/

January-February 2008 3 Bexar Tracks

News & Information



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Cowles

Cowles is just uphill from the Laurie Auditoriumand between the Library and the ChapmanGraduate Center. Park by the Laurie or inlots or on streets to the west. Handicappedparking is across from Cowles. Enter fromOakmont or Rosewood. Call Patty for addition-al directions (210)824-1235 or see additionalmap at bexaraudubon.org/map.jpg

LaurieLibrary

Chapman

Map to Cowles Life Sciences Building, Trinity University, west of Highway 281

Earth Share of Texas raises money for environmen-tal and conservation organizations through workplace

giving. If your employer participates in such pro-grams, please ask them (if they dont already) to addEarth Share to your giving options. By designating theAudubon Foundation of Texas (AFT), Bexar AudubonSociety can benefit. BAS receives credit for our sup-port getting the word out and promoting participa-tion. Then BAS receives funding annually from AFT.Want more info? 1-800-GREENTX, [email protected], or www.earthshare-texas.org

El Cielo Nature Festival A sus-tainable development project in theBiosphere Reserve the forest inthe clouds in Northeast Mexico.Register Online:www.elcielofestival.com

Come meet the local guides and

help preserve this wonderful area.Nature Festival (4th Annual)February 28 March 2, 2008.

Both events will be hosted atCiudad Mante, Tamaulipas. Allinclusive festival package trips willbe departing from McAllen, Texas.

Audubons Rowe Sanctuarywillhost a Chapter Workshop, TakingAction for Birds in a ChangingClimate, March 14, in conjunction

with the 2008 Audubon Rivers and

Wildlife Celebration in Kearney,Nebraska. For more information seewww.audubon.org/local/index.html.

The Rivers and WildlifeCelebration centers on the annualSandhill crane (and Whoopingcrane) migration one of the nat-ural wonders of the world. (Editors

note: If youve never witnessed it,dont wait another year!)

A new booklet is available, BatWatching Sites of Texas,producedby TPWD in partnership with the Bat

Viewing Sites Forum coalition ofpartners. The booklet covers basicinformation about free-tailed bats,plus bat-watching etiquette for thepublic. It includes maps and infor-mation about 10 established sitesacross Texas where people can wit-ness evening bat emergences fromcaves, tunnels, and highway bridges.

The booklet is available for $2 at anyof the bat-watching sites, or peoplecan order it by sending a check for$2 made to Texas Nongame Fund,

mailed to Wildlife Diversity Program,Texas Parks and Wildlife Department,4200 Smith School Road, Austin, TX78744.

More information about free-tailedbats is on the TPWD web site:www.tpwd.state.tx.us

Whos What? and how to contact themPresident & Webmaster, Harry Noyes 210-490-3124

[email protected], Caryl Swann 210-653-2860 [email protected], Anita Anderson 210-533-8726 [email protected]: Kara Ryf 503-803-2856 [email protected]

Amy L. Whitley 210-340-0114 [email protected] Ikerd [email protected]

Editor, Susan Hughes 210-532-2032 [email protected]/Outings,Patty Pasztor210-824-1235

[email protected]


San Antonio

AudubonBeginnersBirdwalk EachSecond Saturday ofthe month at 8am.Begins at the JudsonNature Trails Housenext to the AlamoHeights SwimmingPool on Viesca St.Info at (210)342-2073. Binocularsavailable to lend.

Report your birdsightings to SanAntonio AudubonSocietys Birdline at(210)308-6788.

www.saaudubon.org



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First Saturday Walks, 9-11am

The first Saturday of each month,the San Antonio Natural AreasProgram of the San Antonio Parks

and Recreation Department holdsa natural and cultural history inter-pretive walk at one of the NaturalAreas. Contact (210)564-6400 forthe schedule, locations, and reser-

vations. $2 per person donationsuggested. Limited to 15 personsper hike.

January 5 Friedrich WildernessPark, 12603 West Ave.

February 2 Eisenhower Park,19399 NW Military Dr.

Second Saturday Programs atEisenhower Park

Co-sponsored by SA Parks andRecreation Natural Areas Programand Bexar Audubon. Reservationsrequired; details occasionallychange. Call (210)564-6400. $3each or $5 per family donationsuggested.www.sanaturalareas.org

Eisenhower Park, Harris (MassPavilion), 19399 NW Military Hwy.

Take FM 1535/Military Hwy exit offLoop 1604 on the citys northwestside. Go north on FM 1535/MilitaryHwy for 2 miles. Park entrance ison the left, just before CampBullis. Program is in the largegated pavilion.

January 12 Bare Branches 10am-12 noon Go for a walk withcity forester, Michael Nentwich, toexplore our trees in winter. Learnhow they can be used in urban situ-ations and begin to think about trees

you may want to plant in your yard

this year.February 9 The PEAK, PromotingEnvironmental Awareness in Kids,program 9am-12 noon (designedfor children 8-12 years) is the resultof a partnership between the LeaveNo Trace Center for Outdoor Ethicsand REI (Recreation EquipmentIncorporated) and is designed to

educate children about the outdoorsand responsible enjoyment of ourshared public lands. www.lnt.org

Mitchell Lake Audubon Center

10750 Pleasanton Road, San

Antonio, TX 78221, (210)628-1639www.mitchelllakeaudubon.org

News: BAS Board member Kara Ryfis the new docent and volunteercoordinator at Mitchell LakeAudubon Center.

MLAC has received funding fromthe City of San Antonio and theKronkosky Charitable Foundationfor the construction of an ADA-accessible outdoor-education pavil-ion that will increase capacity toaccommodate more school and

community programs. It will havecovered seating and additionalrestrooms. Work is also near com-pletion on an outdoor amphitheatredonated by KB Homes that will pro-

vide open-air theatre seating adja-cent to the visitor center as well aspicnic areas.

2008 Docent Training for theMitchell Lake Audubon Center

Come on Saturday, January 5 from2-4pm for a Docent OrientationMeeting at the Mitchell LakeAudubon Center, 10750 PleasantonRoad (exit 46 from IH-410 Loop).MLAC is seeking individuals whoare enthusiastic and energeticabout nature and wish to instill thisappreciation through education.

Orientation will provide informationabout the MLAC Docent Programand an opportunity to meet staff

and see the site! Refreshments willbe provided.

The Training Program will take placeSaturdays beginning onJanuary 12.Cost: $35.00 per person. For moreinformation please contact theVisitors Center (210) 628-1639.

February 14-16 4thInternational Partners in FlightConference McAllen ConventionCenter. Registration information at:

https://pif.secure.mpcstudios.com/Specials

February14-16 Texas Chapterof the Wildlife Society SanAntonio. February 13 Population-estimation workshop.

www.tctws.orgFebruary 14-16 8th AnnualBrownsville International Birding& Nature Festival Offers birdersand other nature lovers a completeprogram of field trips, seminars,and other events that explore thebiodiversity of South Texas andNorthern Mexico.www.brownsville.org

February 22-24 AnnualCelebration of Whooping Cranesand Other Birds Port Aransas.Birding tours by land and sea,

seminars by world-renownedspeakers, free juried nature-relatedtrade show (completely revampedthis year with a wide selection ofoptics, paintings, photography, andone-of-a-kind gift items for thenature lover in all of us).

Other activities include tours of theAnimal Rehabilitation Keep at TheUniversity of Texas Maine ScienceInstitute, photography workshops,and field trip. the InternationalCrane Foundations InternationalChildrens Art Exhibit, annualbeach dash, and much more.www.portaransas.org/cranes.html

March 27-29 Texas TropicsNature Festival McAllen.www.mcallencvb.com

May 15-18 Dragonfly Days Weslaco.www.valleynaturecenter.org

Events




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In my first column, in the November-

December issue, I noted that BexarAudubon seeks better ways to create a

culture of conservation, i.e., a societyin which conservation is an assumption

rather than an afterthought, in everygovernmental and business decisionprocess.

I also suggested that Bexar Auduboncan best succeed by being a goal-orient-

ed, realistic organization. In short, we

must face obstacles and problems forth-rightly, not ignore them. At the same

time, we must engage those obstaclesand problems with determination and

intelligence, not surrender to them. And

we must honor our chapters reputationas a moderate, constructive organization.

With those underlying values in mind,

lets look at what we mean by findingbetter ways. In briefest terms, we want

to stop chasing after stampeding issuesand instead head them off at the pass.

In other words, lets be more strategic.

We want to minimize exhausting,never-ending political battles over per-

mits, zonings, ordinances, developmentplans, utility lines, etc. Of course, some

such fights are unavoidable. But as a

realistic organization, we know we are

unlikely to win the war for conservationby fighting endless skirmishes againstdetermined, well-funded interests. That

will only burn out our people.

What then is the alternative? The alterna-tive is to be imaginatively goal-oriented,

i.e., to identify creative, win-win ideas

whose results will outweigh all of thosepetty squabbles.

Win-win ideas must offer prompt con-

servation benefits for everyone. They

must be appealing or at least acceptableto business, preferably by creatingmoney-making opportunities. At the

very least, their costs must be reason-able and fairly shared. They must gore

no ones sacred oxen. And they should

help build a foundation of trust, coop-eration, and good will between business

and conservationists/environmentalists.

One example of a win-win strategy isthe Prop 1/Prop 3 programs to protect

land over the Edwards Aquifer Recharge

Zone by taxing everyone at a modestrate and buying the land from willing

sellers. Another is WildFest San Antonio,in which the Tourism Council and con-

servation groups are cooperating tobuild a world-class annual festival with

both ecotourism and education benefits.(See article on page 7.)

Finally, Bexar Audubon is working on a

third win-win idea. I like to call it TheHanging Gardens of Bejar, to empha-

size the tourism potential. So far thats

not catching on. What does have

momentum is the underlying idea:bringing to San Antonio a concept thathas been very successful in some other

cities, such as Chicago, namely the

green-roof/green-wall concept.

This embodies installing live gardens on

the roofs and/or walls of buildings. The

gardens help to insulate the buildings,cutting utility costs, but also bring wide

benefits to the city as a whole: airpurification, tempering the heat-island

effect, etc. (And potentially offeringtourist-luring vistas, roof-top bistrosand boutiques, etc.) Its a win-win

because business reaps immediate bene-fits from utility savings and attracting

customers. Its scalable. Whether onebusiness or a hundred or a thousand do

it, at any level it has some value.

Mayor Phil Hardberger laid a founda-tion for this initiative when he signed

the Sierra Clubs Cool Cities procla-

mation. Now an energetic young leader,Mario Obledo, is organizing a non-

profit group to foster green roofs. BexarAudubon plans to work with Mario to

kick-start the program by hosting a

one-day green-roof workshop for archi-tects, builders, government officials, and

business owners. Reflecting the syner-gism this strategy offers, our workshop

will take place Friday, May 2, as one ofthe first events in the 2008 edition of

WildFest San Antonio.

Be looking for more information onour workshop in coming months. For

now, I urge all BAS members to puttheir thinking caps on and come upwith more win-win conservation ideas

that Bexar Audubon can pursue infuture years.

Harry Noyes

The Unexpected President

Master Naturalist Program Seeks Applicants

Chapters of the Texas Master Naturalist program areconducting spring training classes for volunteers wanti-ng to learn about natural resource and conservationmanagement. With 41 chapters located across thestate, the program aims to develop a corps of well-informed citizen volunteers who educate their com-munities about the management of natural resources.

The main qualification needed to become aCertified Texas Master Naturalist is an interest inlearning and in playing an active part in conserva-tion. Volunteers receive a minimum of 40 hourstraining from educators and specialists from placessuch as universities, natural resource agencies,nature centers, and museums.

Training topics include interpretation and managementof natural resources, ecological concepts, eco-regionsin Texas, and natural systems management. Volunteersare expected to give 40 hours of service a year incommunity education, demonstration, and habitatenhancement projects and are also expected to pur-

sue a minimum of eight hours of advanced training inareas of personal interest.

Alamo Area Chapter classes start February 28withapplications accepted until February 1. For informa-tion phone (210) 842-7967 or email:

[email protected]

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and TexasCooperative Extension co-sponsor the Texas MasterNaturalist Program.



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Stewardship Earth & WildfestSan Antonio 2008We have a special Spring season onthe way, with two major conservation-related events Bexar Audubon Society

members should be sure to supportand to enjoy. While they may seemquite different, we encourage you tothink of them as a package and tosave the date for both.

First comes Stewardship EarthWeekend, April 18-20. This is a multi-faith celebration of Gods creation forthose who believe the environment isa blessing from God and it is mansduty to safeguard that treasure even as

we benefit from the use of its fruits.

Stewardship Earth 2008 is scheduledjust before Earth Day on April 22.

Throughout the weekend, on their vari-ous holy days, the many faiths of SanAntonio will pursue a common, con-centrated focus on the stewardship ofthe Earth, through bulletin inserts,prayers, homilies, and religious-schoolclasses to remind their members that

we have a duty to save Gods creation,the worlds beauty and resources, forGods children of the future.

We urge Bexar Audubon members toparticipate at their houses of worship.If you arent sure your congregation

will participate, ask. If need be, encour-age your leaders to join in and then

work to help them organize the event.For more information, visit:www.solarsanantonio.org/StewardshipEarth.htm

Just two weeks later comes our com-munitys civic celebration of Nature,

WildFest San Antonio, May 2-4 .

The first WildFest occurred last May, anevent of historical significance. For thefirst time, the San Antonio businesscommunity and the San Antonio envi-ronmental/conservation community

worked together on a major initiativeto boost nature tourism and nature

education. The roster of events wasworld-class, ranging from excursions tothe Bracken Cave bat emergence tobirding tours at Mitchell Lake, seminarson nature photography, and nativeplants. Clearly San Antonio can com-pete with the countrys best festivals,as far as activities and leaders.

WildFest combines a nature-tourismgoal and a local nature-education goal.

The events are attractive to both audi-ences and the availability of events isample to serve both audiences. Weurge you to put WildFest on your calen-dar, both as volunteers to lead activities

or to assist with administrative supportand as participants, to learn from andenjoy the activities that appeal to you.

You can track WildFest plans over thecoming months by checking out theWildFest website atwww.wildfestsanantonio.com

Plans are to add online registration tomake it easier to reserve early forones preferred activities.

If you have friends who want to visit SAthis year, urge them to come duringthis special weekend and participate inWildFest activities.

We urge you to see this as a pack-agebe inspired by Gods love fornature during Stewardship Earth 2008,then by nature itself at WildFest.Encourage your fellow worshippers todo the same.

And by the way, use both of theseevents to promote family togetherness.After worshipping together onStewardship Earth weekend, take yourchildren or grandchildren to a few ofthe many fun and educational eventsbeing offered on WildFest San Antonio

weekend. Harry Noyes

Whooping Crane Numbers BreakRecord Fifth Year In A Row

AUSTIN, Texas Wildlife scientistsreported December 3 that for thefifth year in a row a record-breakingnumber of whooping cranes 257 had completed their wintermigration to the Coastal Bend of

Texas. The previous record was 237during last years Winter. Expertspredicted more were on the way,raising the estimated flock size to261, according to National Whoop-ing Crane Coordinator Tom Stehn.

Whoopers have also expanded theirrange. This year a record-high 82cranes were documented onMatagorda Island, a record 13 onthe Lamar Peninsula, and the 31cranes at Welder Flats tie the previ-

ous record high there.Whoopers have also settled on pri-

vate lands, such as San Jose Islandand the Lamar Peninsula, and pri-

vate landowners are also playing asignificant role by providing flockactivity updates and observations.

Weve passed the highest numberwe've seen since counts began in1937, said Lee Ann Johnson Linam,

TPWD wildlife biologist. The goodnews is that for the last several

years weve set a new record eachyear, so were on the right track.

Whooping cranes have been on theendangered species list since1970, when only 56 birds sur-

vived in the wild in a flock thatwintered in Texas and nested inCanada. That flock passed the100-bird mark in 1986 and the200-bird mark in 2004. Texascontinues to play a key role inthe survival and recovery of thisendangered species, and todaythe flock that winters in Texascontinues to be the only self-sustaining wild population in the

world.

Additional information aboutwhooping cranes and how tosee them may be found at the

TPWD web site:www.tpwd.state.tx.us


Events & News

www.epa.gov/espp/poster/crane.htm



8/8

Non-profitOrganization

U.S. Postage PaidSan Antonio, TX

Permit #1527

Bexar Audubon Society, Inc.P.O. Box 6084

San Antonio, TX 78209-0084

Membership and Support for

Your Environmental Voice in Our Community

Bexar Audubon welcomes new members to join Audubon through the chapter. This brings 100 percentof the first-years dues directly back to support local work. The same applies to gift memberships placedthrough the chapter. Your additional tax-deductible donation is greatly appreciated. Bexar Audubonreceives only a few thousand dollars each year from National Audubon Society as dues share. The restwe must raise ourselves. Your help is needed, and your donations will be put to good use right here inSouth Central Texas to provide environmental news and education to the community, including thenewsletter, programs, San Antonio Environmental Network Issues Forums, Second Saturday programs,and other activities you may or may not hear about.

Individual introductory memberships are $20; seniors and students join for $15.Please provide the following information for each personal subscription or gift:

Name __________________________________________________________________________________

Mailing Address with ZIP code______________________________________________________________

AC & Phone________________________________e-mail ________________________________________Do you wish to opt out of other mailings by Audubon or those with whom it shares lists? ___yes ___noMake checks payable to Bexar Audubon Society and mail to the address above.Enclosed: $__________for subscription(s) $_______ additional donation

NOTE: Renewals should be sent directly to National Audubon Society.

Bexar Tracksis the official

newsletter of the Bexar

Audubon Society, a Chapter of

the National Audubon Society.

The Chapters primary goals

are to promote species and

habitat conservation and envi-ronmental education in the

community.

Your membership includes

National Audubon and Bexar

Audubon and subscriptions to

Audubon and Bexar Tracks. TheEconomyisawhollyownedsubsidiaryoftheEnviro

nment.TimWirth



Documents

Jan-Feb 2008.Qxp:Jul 97 Issue