Winter 2007 Mobile Bay Audubon Society Newsletters

8/9/2019 Winter 2007 Mobile Bay Audubon Society Newsletters

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Mobile Bay

Audubon Society

Winter 2007

A Chapter of the National Audubon Society Since 1971

Volume XXVII No.3

Fall 2007

Fourth Annual Alabama Coastal

BirdFest is Big Hit

The rains came down on two days,but the wet weather didnt keepthe birds or the birders away fromthe Fourth Annual AlabamaCoastal BirdFest. We didnt haveto cancel a trip, said John Borom,president of Mobile Bay Audubonand one of the events organizer.We tell people that if the weatheris wet, we might rearrange a trip,

and we did do that on the firsttwo days, but everyone saw birds,and we think everyone had a greattime. Of course, Saturday andSunday were beautiful, so we hadgreat weather for our Bird &Conservation Expo and for thetours that went out on thosedays.As in previous years, birders fromall over the United States attendedthe four-day festival. We hadvisitors from 18 states this year,including California, Maine,Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, andTexas. We also had a visitor fromCanada again this year. I think thework is getting out that theAlabama Coastal BirdFest is a greatspot for birding. said FranMorley, BirdFest coordinator.

Proceeds from BirdFest are usedto help preserve and protecthabitat on the Alabama GulfCoast, Borom said. Ourproceeds are used to purchasehabitat land; weve donated$30,000 so far, and we hope tomake a donation from this yearsBirdFest. But the festival alsoserves to educate people about the

need to preserve our vital GulfCoast habitats.In addition to 18 guided tours,the 2007 Alabama CoastalBirdFest included two eveningevents and a free, day long Bird &Conservation Expo, with exhibits,speakers, vendors, artists, livebirds and other animals, and kidsactivities. On Thursday night a 5Rivers Delta Resource Center inSpanish Fort, visitors enjoyed apresentation of works byphotographer Terry Hartley ofMobile. Friday nights dinner atthe Nix Center in Fairhopefeatured a talk by Dr. Geoff Hill,professor of ornithology anddirector of the Hill Lab at AuburnUniversity.

Sponsors and supporters of the Alabama Coastal BirdFest include Alabama Department ofConservation and NaturalResource, Lands Division; 5Rivers Delta Resource Center,Alabama Power, The Forum;Mobile Bay National EstuaryProgram, Faulkner StateCommunity College, Degussa,

Baldwin County Commission,Mobile County Commission,Dauphin Island Sea Lab, DauphinIsland Bird Sanctuary, Weeks BayReserve Foundation, The NationalOceanic and AtmosphericAdministration, The TalkingPhone Book, City of Fairhope,Eastern Short Chamber ofCommerce, Gulf ShoresConvention & Visitors Bureau,and Mobile Bay Convention &Visitors Bureau.The see more photos from thisyears festival, visitwww.alabamacoastalbirdrest.com.The First Annual Alabama CoastalBirdFest will be Oct. 16-19,2009. Details will be postedonline when they are available.


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Board ofDirectors 2007

John Borom, Ph.D., PresidentP O Box 432Fairhope, AL 36531

Elizabeth Williams, Vice PresidentBirdathon and School Film Prog.3616 Pepper Ridge DriveMobile, AL 36693

Eleanor Livaudais, SecretaryP O Box 492Point Clear, AL 36564

Ottilie Halstead, Treasurer andMembership33 Paddock DriveFairhope, AL 36532

Delane Small, Edior1 Fiesta DriveSpanish Fort, AL 36527

John Dindo, Ph.D.2651 Hillcrest RoadMobile, AL 36695

Edwina Mullins, Publicity4606 N Sunset DriveMobile, AL 3608

John Porter, Ph.D., DauphinIsland Audubon SanctuaryP O Box 848Dauphin Island, AL 36528

Elizabeth French, PhD,Field Trips36 Ridgeview DriveChickasaw, AL 36611

Roger Clay, Field Trips

P O Box 247Daphne, AL 36526

Garland Sims, Special Projects101 Laurel StreetFairhope, AL 36532

Celeste Hinds112 Lake RidgeFairhope, AL 36532

Bob Ridgeway14127 River Wood Rd.Citronelle, AL 36652

Anita Bryant, Jr. AudubonSponsor and Audubon

Adventures

2200 Tulipwood DriveMobile, AL 36605

Judy Lovell14750 County Rd 66Loxley, AL 36551

Ex Officio MembersNancy Hora416 LaBordeMobile, AL 36609

Edith McClinton170 N Lafayette StreetMobile, AL 36604

990-0423 (B)928-5219(H)

643-7257

928-1901(B)928-8967(H)

928-9537

460-2400(B)626-9700(H)

861-7558(B)

666-8226(H)

344-1175

861-2120

452-1121

626-547(B)

928-9047(H)

928-6772

928-6526

866-5968

422-5161

342-6824

432-4898

Chester McConnell4363 Old Shell Rd, Apt. 211Mobile, AL 36608

345-0792

251-964-5387

2008 CalendarsOur 2008 Feathered Friends calendars have arrived and are more

beautiful than ever. Yes I know that I say that every year, but theMaslowskies have outdone themselves this year with pictures of theCommon Redpoll, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Water Thrush, IndigoBunting, and the Scarlet Tanager to name a few. Each print has aninteresting note about habitat and food. The calendars are for 16months beginning with September.We all receive free calendars but they dont compare with these so buyone for yourself and several to give away. At $5.00 they are a bargain.We gave out last year early in the season so if you would like 5 or more,call Elizabeth (643-7257) and she will hold them for you. They will befor sale at each meeting and at the Birdfest.

Christmas Party7:00 p.m. Five Rivers Resource Center on

the CausewayAnnual Christmas party and program by John and Bev Winn

Ethiopia, the Gift of the Nile. Bring a friend and a plate of your specialholiday goodies (finger food only)


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In September of 2007 BobbyHarrison, co-discoverer of the

Ivory-billed Woodpeckerestablished The Ivory-billed Woodpecker Foundation. Thefoundation is a 501(c)3 charitableorganization whose main purposeis to obtain further photographicdocumentation of the Ivory-billedWoodpecker, and to establish ifthe Ivory-bill persists in otherdrainage systems throughout itshistoric range.On February 23, 2008 The Ivory-

billed Woodpecker Foundationwill hold its Second AnnualFundraising Celebration Gala.The event will be held inHuntsville, Alabama at the Jaycees Facility located at 2180 Airport Road. The eveningbegins a 6:00 pm with a socialhour, dinner at 7:00pm andkeynote address at 8:00pm.Attire for the evening will be

professional (coat and tie).The keynote speaker for this yearsevent will be Dr. Jerry Jackson. Jackson is the Whitaker EminentScholar in Science at Florida GulfCoast University in Naples,Florida. He is the author ofnumerous books, including, InSearch of the Ivory-billedWoodpecker, and is recognizedworld wide as an authority of theIvory-billed Woodpecker. Jackson

is also an outspoken critic of theevidence presented as scientificproof of the Ivory-billed Woodpeckers existence. Thisyears program should prove to beinformative and entertaining sinceit will be given from a criticsperspective. It is a program thatyou will not want to miss! (Galaticket required)

The Ivory-billed Woodpecker FoundationSecond Annual Fundraising Celebration Gala

Emcees for this years event willbe Bobby Harrison and Tim

Gallagher, co-discoverers of theivory-billed woodpecker in easternArkansas on February 27, 2004.In addition to Emcee duties,Bobby and Tim will give anupdate on the current ivory-billsearch, as well as keeping theevening flowing and on schedule.Entertainment for the evening willbe vocal artist Curt Carter, whohas been inspiring students totake a closer look at the natural

environment for over 25 years.The rediscovery of the ivory-billinspired him to compose GhostBird a song, which he willperform along with other greatsongs of his own creation.For those who would like to makea full day of the event, WheelerNational Wildlife Refuge locatedin Decatur, Alabama will host carcaravan tours to areas that are of

great interest to birdwatchers.Beginning at 8:00am refugepersonal will lead a group throughthe White Springs Dikecompound. This is one of thepremier birding sites of theTennessee River Valley. BaldEagles, Ospreys and hawks areoften seen in the area, as well aswintering songbirds andshorebirds. The tours will alsoinclude Arrowhead Landing,

which attracts large numbers ofSnow Geese, White Pelicans,loons, and a large variety of waterfowl. Your owntransportation will be required toenjoy this event.At 10:00am at the JayceesFacility, Bobby Harrison and TimGallagher will present a programon how to conduct a low impact

search. Bobby has long been anadvocate of using a stealth

approach to locating anddocumenting Ivory-bills. Bobby will discuss techniques ofcamouflage for your canoe andperson, using video cameras andsearch strategies. (Gala ticketrequired)At 11:00am at the Jaycees facility,Bobby will show his September 4,2004 video. Bobby has beenworking with a NASA videoanalysis to create a clearer and

sharper version of his video.Although this work is still inprogress, the results should proveto be quite interesting. (Galaticket required)At 1:00pm, Jamie Hill, who haslead both the Arkansas andFlorida camera deployment searchwill give a presentation on how touse time lapse cameras in thesearch for the Ivory-bill. Jamies

knowledge of time lapse camerausage is unsurpassed. For thoseinterested in learning how to usetime-lapse cameras or, would likean entertaining behind the sceneslook at the ivory-bill search, thisprogram is for you. The eventlocation will be at the Jayceesfacility, (Gala ticket required)Last years fundraising gala was agreat success with more than 135people from 10 states in

attendance. With this yearsexpanded program, the event isexpected to be an even greatersuccess. Reserve you tick soon,and support the Ivory-billed Woodpecker Foundation in its ongoing mission to search anddocument the this icon ofconservation.


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MBAS Board Mem-

ber Named

Alabamas Outstand-

ing Science TeacherAnita Bryan, MBAS board

member was recently named Alabamas Outstanding BiologyTeacher by the National Association of Biology Teachers. Anita teaches physical science andenvironmental science at MurphyHigh School. She will go toAtlanta in November to behonored and accept the award.Anita is our Mobile County Audubon Adventures coordinatorand sponsors the student

Audubon Club at Murphy.We are proud to have this award-winning teacher on our Board until 1999. The country is now

open to visitors allowing us toexplore its breathtaking beautyand wonderland of birds. Some600 species have been recordedtin this tiny country. Tom willtake us for a walk through oak andrhododendron forests and beneathtrees festooned with lichens,

mosses, ferns and orchids. (Yes,orchids!) Join Tom Sterling on Tuesday,January 29, as he takes us on this journey to Bhutan, the CloudKingdoma true Shangri-la.

CalendarDec. 11 Annual Christmas Party and Special Presentation, EthiopiaThe Gift of the Nile, presented byJohn & Beverly Winn, Five Rivers Delta Resource Center, 7:00 p.m. Bring a friend and a plate of yourspecial holiday goodies (finger food only) to share.

Jan. 8 Board Meeting, 6:30 p.m. General meeting 7:30 p.m. Grand Canyon National Park, June 2007,presented by John Borom. Five Rivers Delta Resource Center. Bring a friend.

Jan. 29 Film: Bhutan, the Cloud Kingdon, 7:30 p.m.presented by Tom Sterling. Five Rivers ResourceCenter. Bring a friend.

Feb. 12 Board Meeting, 6:30 p.m. General meeting 7:30 p.m. Yellowstone and Grand Teton NationalParks, July 2006, presented by John Borom. Five Rivers Delta Resource Center. Bring a friend.

Tom Sterling, narrator, naturalist,photographer, has recently madethree trips to this fascinatingcountry of Bhutan. He hascaptured the spectacularlandscape, lush rainforests,glorious monasteries, quaintvillages, festivals, and wildlife thatis unique to the Himalayas.

Bhutan, nestled between Tibetand India, because of itsmountainous terrain, hasremained isolated from theoutside world for centuriestelevision was not introduced here

Bhutan, The Cloud

Kingdom


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New York, NY & Ithaca, NY-

Millions of novice and accom-

plished bird watchers can make

their fascination with nature add

up for science and for the future

during the 11th annual Great

Backyard Bird Count, led by

Audubon and the Cornell Lab of

Ornithology. During Presidents

Day weekend, February 15-18,

2008, anyone can count birds

from wherever they are and entertheir tallies online at

www.birdcount.org. These

reports create an exciting real-

time picture of where the birds

are across the continent and

contribute valuable information

for science and conservation.

These volunteers are counting

not only for fun but for the

future, said Tom Bancroft, Chief

Science Officer for Audubon.Its fun to see how many differ-

ent kinds of birds can be seen

and counted right in your back-

yard or neighborhood park. Each

tally helps us learn more about

how our North American birds

are doing, and what that says

about the health and the future of

our environment.

The GBBC is a great way toengage friends, family, and

children in observing nature in

their own backyard, where they

will discover that the outdoors is

full of color, behavior, flight,

sounds, and mystery, said Janis

Dickinson, Director of Citizen

Science at the Cornell Lab or

Ornithology.

People of all ages and experiencelevels are invited to take part

wherever they are--at home, in

schoolyards, at local parks or

wildlife refuges, even counting

birds on a balcony. Observers

count the highest number of each

species they see during at least 15

minutes on one or more of the

count days. Then they enter their

tallies on the Great Backyard Bird

Count web site

www.birdcount.org.

The web site provides helpful

hints for identifying birds. Partici-

pants can compare results from

their town or region with others,

as checklists pour in from

throughout the US and Canada.

They can also view bird photos

taken by participants during the

count and send in their own digitalimages for the online photo gallery

and contest.

In 20076, Great Backyard Bird

Count participants made history,

breaking records for the number

of birds reported, and the number

of checklists. Participants sent in

81,203 checklist tallying

11,082,387 birds of 613 species.

Literally, there has never been a

more detailed snapshot of acontinental bird distribution profile

in history, said John Fitzpatrick,

Director of the Cornell Lab of

Ornithology. Imagine scientist

250 years from now being able to

compare these data with their

own!

Already, the count results show

how the numbers of some birdsspecies have changed in recent

years, such as a decline in North-

ern Pintails and an increase in

Hooded Mergansers, consistent

with trends from the Christmas

Bird Count and Breeding Bird

Survey.

People who take part in the

Great Backyard Bird Count see

the results of their efforts in the

news and in bird conservation

work taking place across the

country, said Audubon Education

VP, Judy Braus. Whether the

counts occur at home, at schools

or nature centers, theyre more

than engaging and education

science activities for young people

and adults, theyre a way to

contribute to the conservation of

birds and habitat nationwide.Lt. Daniel Britt, who served in

Iraq 16 months, is glad to be

back home in Zimmerman, MN,

where he and his sons plan to join

the GBBC. We get a bunch of

birds in our backyard, Britt said,

but my oldest son, Daniel, and I

may cross country ski into the

Sherburne National Wildlife

Refuge to count birds there.

For more information on how toparticipate, including identification

tips, photos, bird sounds, maps,

and information on over 500 bird

species, visit www.birdcount.org.

The Great Backyard Bird Count

is sponsored in part by Wild Birds

Unlimited.

Great Backyard Bird CountIn February, volunteers throughout the US and Canada are in-

vited to count for Fun, Count for the Future!


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NationalAudubonSociety

MobileBayAudubonSociety

POBox483

Fairhope,AL36532

www.mobilebayaudubon.org

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A 1-year subscription (3issues, one per quarter, excluding summer) of our chapter newsletter.

Automatic membership in National Audubon Society, and a 1-year subscription (4 issues, one per

quarter) of Audubon, its award-winning magazine.

Admission to Audubon Centers across the country.

A 10% discount on products at select Audubon Nature Stores and more!

Mobile Bay Audubon Wants You!Every membership supports Audubons vityal efforts to protect birds, wildlife and natural habitats.

As a member, youll become an important part of our dynamic chapter and receive a host of benefits including:

Make check payable to National Audubon Society and mail to: National Audubon Society,Membership Data Center, P O Box 52529, Boulder, CO 80322-2529

Name:

Address:

City/ST/Zip:

Telephone:

Chapter Code: A01 7XCH

Yes! I want to join Mobile Bay Audubon and National Audubon Societry!____$20 - 1 year Introductory Rate

_____ $15 - 1 year Student/Senior Rate

_____$30 - 2 year Special Rate

_____$1,000 - Individual Life Membership

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It is not half so important to know as to feel when introducing a young child to the natural world. Rachel Carson

Documents

Winter 2007 Mobile Bay Audubon Society Newsletters