prair ie fa lconNorthern Flint Hills Audubon Society Newsletter

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Jul 12- Saturday Morning Birding 8 a.m. Sojourner Truth Park

Jul 20- Annual Planning Mtg. Home of Tom & MJ Morgan see page 6

No Newsletter in August

Sept 8 - Board Meeting Home of Tom & MJ Morgan

Sept 13 - Saturday Morning Birding 8 a.m. Sojourner Truth Park

Vol. 42, No. 11 ~July 2014

pg. 2 - Skylight Plus Pete Cohen

pg. 3 - Biscuit Wood Dru Clarke

pg. 4 - Scissor-tailed Flycatcher

pg. 5 - In memory

pg. 6 - 7 June Program in Review

July 20th, 4:00 p.m. at the home of Tom & MJ Morgan1440 Beechwood Terrace, 539-8106

Potluck to follow meeting

WE NEED IDEAS FOR THE COMING YEAR!

WE NEED YOUR IDEAS!!! ALL MEMBERS WELCOME,

and we would love to have more people join the board.

Annual Planning Meeting

Upcoming EventsInside

p. 2 July 2014 Prairie Falcon

Skylight plusPete Cohen

© 2014 Peter Zachary Cohen

In that era when my age could still be written with a single digit I was free to wander alone into

my grandparents’ 100 acres where their neighbor’s milk cows foraged amid a lot of blackberry bramble and a sizeable area of creek-fed woods. I felt the power of learning where each cow path led, and the challenge of leaving them to find my way by dead-reckoning among the solid trunks, decaying deadfalls, and limber brush. There was a wondrous calm there, mixed with the scrambling of squirrels, the exotic minty-damp aroma of the creek, and the fearful yet irresistible excitement that the neighbor’s bull, supposedly safely fenced away, might not be. I’ve taken many a walk in the woods since, but only recently found it described as “forest bathing” or “Shinrin-yoku” in Japan where it has apparently taken on the status of a popular therapeutic recreation.

It is therapeutic not simply because of the various benefits of physical activity, and immersion in the sound-absorbing stress-reducing ambiance of a forest, but also, and particularly, because of an ingredient, the 1937 discovery of which is attributed to a Leningrad biochemist, Boris P. Tokin (1900-1984). He named it Phytoncide – i.e. “plant killer.”

In English the words would be more accurate if transposed as “killer plant,”, because what’s involved are volatile substances produced and released by plants that are toxic to various organisms that would attack them. And these substances seem to provide benefits to humans as well, enhancing the immunization function of certain natural killer (NK) cells, and sleeping ability, too. And it’s not just trees, but various vegetables that produces them, and these substances can be obtained simply by breathing them in.

Actually, though it’s likely more economical to take a walk in the woods, it’s not necessary to do so. Experiments are reported to have shown benefits to

humans receiving essences of Cryptomeria japonica in the confines of hotel rooms, and from what I’ve read there seems to be no discovered negatives from taking in too much of a good thing.

From here the subject goes into technical depths and I have to go out into the woods leaving open the question as to why other plants such as prairie grasses and forbs aren’t mentioned.

Far above these vapors, and beyond any cloud vapors as they come and go, certain lights should be shining brightly in the nights of July and August.

In July, the Moon and Mars form a duet on the evening of the 5th, with Virgo’s bright star, Spica, close by to the left. Then on the evening of the 7th the Moon’s bright neighbor will be Saturn, with a star called Zubenelgenubi to the Moon’s right. The star’s name in Arabic means “southern claw”. It’s now regarded as the brightest star in Libra, but got its name before Libra was given an existence separate from Scorpio, thus the fortunes of fame. The Moon gets close to Scorpio’s brightest, Antares, the 8th/9th. Venus is the morning star, with Mercury trying to be seen above it the 12th-17th. Jupiter barely shows before setting early. Moon full the 12th at 6a25; new the 26th at 5p42.

In August the Perseid meteor shower will be blanked on the 11th by the Moon, which will be full on the 10th at the time of its being closest to Earth, big and bright above high tides. It is back with Mars and Spica, between them, on the 3rd, and between Mars and Saturn the 4th. Jupiter, having moved into Cancer, meets with Venus before dawn the 17th-19th. He, bright as he is, still playing a weaker second fiddle to her. The Moon joins them the 23rd. Meanwhile Mars, in Libra, slips below Saturn in the SW evening twilight the 22nd-27th and is glowing apart the 31st as the Moon gets between them. The Moon is full the 10th at 1p09; new the 25th at 9a13.

July 2014 Prairie Falcon p. 3

Biscuit WoodDru Clarke

© 2014 Dru Clarke

As an unrepentant tree lover, life in a prairie province, amidst those devoted to grasses, can prove challenging. I cherish the expanses of woods and enjoy walking in their shade, especially when the sun is boiling the air in summertime.

We have a wealth of walnuts - though they

look better standing than cut down- and chinquapin oaks, prevailing like druids on slopes sliding into creek bottoms; the troubled ash and elm - beset by borers and suppurating disease - and box elder; the occasional hickory and Kentucky coffee tree with its “doubly pinnately compound” leaves (that is, multiple opposite leaflets arranged feather-like on the same repeated pattern, making the entire leaf, designated by where its petiole is attached to twig, enormous – several feet! – when it is finished growing). But probably the most dominant or frequent – by count- is the often overlooked hackberry tree, a member of the elm family, that, in much of the literature, is given short shrift, some even derisively calling it “trash.” Whoever said such a blasphemy obviously doesn’t appreciate the ubiquitous nature of this adaptable tree.

Not only here at home but at Manhattan High’s Project WOLF woodland, adjacent to Wildcat Creek, the hackberry was the most ‘important’ tree, determined by its frequency (distribution by each measured quadrat) and sheer numbers over years of student counts for ecological study. In the woodlands by the streams at Konza Prairie Biological Station, it is common. It – there are 100 species worldwide, 7 in North America - is found on every continent except Antarctica and its seeds have been discovered in the graves of 500,000 year old humans. On fall walks with students in Project WOLF, I would often pluck a blue-black fruit from the tree and peel off the thin, sweet skin with my teeth: a grin would entice the kids to try one, being careful not to bite down on the stone-hard seed within. The fat and protein-rich seed, with its sugary skin, can be mashed into a paste that can be toasted and eaten like a granola bar. ‘Milk’ can be made from the crushed seed and water and jam from the flesh. Northern Plains Indians used it as a spice and extract for sore throats, others as a treatment for gynecological problems as well as venereal disease.

The bark may be its most interesting visual feature: it is crusty and rucked into long grey channels, and resembles an eroded, stratified series of canyons. If you’re into hugging trees, this one will give you a warty embrace via blunt woody acupressure.

The wood is yellowish, brittle but hard. Cathy Bylinowski of University of Missouri Extension told me that its name ‘ biscuit wood’ she learned, as a community liaison for the Land Institute, from a Mr. Talkington of Matfield Green who supplied her with it for her brick, wood-fired oven as it would make a hot, fast fire good for baking biscuits. (And, from another source, the jam made from the fruit was slathered on biscuits.) To me, the bark sometimes looks like the surface of a baked drop biscuit! On another note, the wood was used as fuel for the altar fire accompanying peyote ceremonies.

On the KSU campus, two hackberry trees from the original arboretum that were damaged and a danger to passersby were removed but repurposed as benches for the newly created “Meadow” (adjacent to Beach Museum) and as growth medium for shiitake mushrooms. The tree is afflicted by a number of galls and frantic-looking ‘witches brooms’ often adorn the branches.

The array of wildlife benefiting from hackberry ranges from the tawny emperor, hackberry and mourning cloak butterflies to bluebirds, yellow-bellied sapsuckers, mocking birds, quail, woodpeckers and cedar waxwings, squirrels, raccoons, possums, skunks and foxes. Kevin Cook, Wildlife Window columnist, says: “A hackberry in a ravine is like a lodge in the forest.”

Many might know Hackberry Glen, a privately owned preserve along McDowell Creek Road. Misidentification probably led to its name, as the dominant tree in this relict community of plants ( there is walking fern and paw paw trees) is the hop hornbeam or ironwood whose leaf resembles the hackberry but whose identity is clinched by the hop-like fruits that appear in summer.

Maybe the next time you see a hackberry tree you might be inclined to hug it, aware of its giving nature. At least, give it a nod. Please – no trash talk.

p. 4 July 2014 Prairie Falcon

Scissor-tailed Flycather

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To think that at the turn of the 20th century this wonder of nature was almost annihilated is dishearten-ing. Throughout the dust bowl and Great Depression years. The scissortail was poached to dangerously low levels. Driven by the European hat market, poachers killed the birds by the thousands solely for their tails which sold for two cents apiece. Strict laws and a staunch conservation effort saved the scissortail from possible extinction.

From its long tail to its famous sky dance, no other Oklahoma bird is more striking and identifiable than the scissor-tailed flycatcher. One of only seven states where it nests. In the warmer months they can be seen in the open prairies and on roadside fences. With a diet largely composed of agriculturally harmful insects, they are economically beneficial. So it is no wonder that the State Legislature adopted the scissortail as the state bird in 1951.

Cool Facts The Scissor-tailed Flycatcher forms large premigratory roosts in late summer, with up to 1,000 birds in one flock. They often roost near towns, perhaps taking advantage of the large trees as roosting sites. The Scissor-tailed Flycatcher uses many human products in its nest, such as string, cloth, paper, carpet fuzz, and cigarette filters. One study of nests in an urban area in Texas found that artificial materials ac-counted for 30% of the weight of nests. A member of the kingbird genus Tyrannus, Scissor-tailed Flycatchers resemble other kingbirds in behav-ior, voice, and morphology. Only one other Tyrannus species—the Fork-tailed Flycatcher—has a dramati-cally long tail. Scissor-tailed Flycatchers tend to wander widely on their way to and from the wintering grounds, a habit they share with Fork-tailed Flycatchers and Tropical Kingbirds. During spring and fall they may show up almost anywhere in North America, as far north as British Columbia and Nova Scotia.

July 2014 Prairie Falcon p. 5

Marilena FergusonWe remember this fellow bird watcher...

Marilena Ferguson Stories:

Joe Hawes: When we would go birding – after hours of riding in a van drinking coffee – Marilena would say, “Clyde, it is time for a Domas del Comino.”

Mike Clarke: On a trip to Cheyenne Bottoms with a group of students, they kept asking “When are we going to get there?” How much farther?” on and on, until finally Marilena turned to them and said, “We’ll be there when you see “Effie’s tits.” That quieted them down.

Dru Clarke: We loved her gentle manner and keen eye for birds, her diminutive stature and strong spirit and sense of humor. We won’t ever forget her quail dinner fixed for us and you when we were newlyweds: it was a kind and welcoming gesture for a displaced easterner. We learned a lot from both of you on bird counts and just by being near to you, and I had an additional personal connection with each of your children (whom I adored). Thank you for that gift, Marilena, and for being the soulmate to that big, handsome guy, Clyde all of these wonderful years. p.s. I looked up the meaning of “Ferguson”(Fergus or Fear in Gaelic/Scottish) and it meant ‘man-strength’ or ‘virility’, so we named our newborn bull Scottish Highland calf Fergus to always remember the strength of this beloved family and the time of year. Dru and Mike Clarke

Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better. ~ Albert Einstein

p. 6 July 2014 Prairie Falcon

Joel Greenberg Presentation

A passionate and informative program! Thanks to Margy Stewart for providing lodging, several meals and transportation to the airport! MJ and Tom Morgan for transportation and touring around Man-hattan (including a trip to KMAN radio station for an interview).

Joel answering a question by Diane Barker

Carla Bishop and Clyde Ferguson Author Joel Greenberg signing his book

July 2014 Prairie Falcon p. 7

and a trip to Konza Prairie...Thanks to Friends of Konza Prairie Docent Ann Murphy, for a tour of the Bison Loop.

Jim Koelliker, Patricia Yeager, Ann Feyerharm, and Kevin Fay in background

Gary Jeffrey and Tom Morgan, Margy Stewart in background

Thanks to Patricia Yeager and Carla Bishop for refreshments!And Thanks to Stormy of Claflin Books for providing books for the book signing!

http://passengerpigeon.org/http://joelrgreenberg.com/

Northern Flint HIllsAudubon SocietyP.O. Box 1932Manhattan, KS 66505-1932

Membership Information: Introductory memberships - $20/yr., then basic, renewal membership is $35/yr. When you join the National Audubon Society, you automatically become a member of the Northern Flint Hills Audubon Society. You will receive the bimonthly Audubon magazine in addition to the Prairie Falcon newsletter. New membership applications should be sent to National Audubon Society, PO Box 422250, Palm Coast, FL 32142-2250. Make checks payable to the National Audubon Society and include the code C4ZJ040Z. Questions about membership? Call 1-800-274-4201 or email the National Audubon Society join@audubon.org. Website is www.audubon.org . Subscription Information: If you do not want to receive the national magazine, but still want to be involved in NFHAS local activities, you may subscribe to the Prairie Falcon newsletter for $15/yr. Make checks payable to the Northern Flint Hills Audubon Society, and mail to: Treasurer, NFHAS, P.O. Box 1932, Manhattan, KS, 66505-1932RARE BIRD HOTLINE: For information on Kansas Birds, sub-scribe to the Kansas Bird Listserve. Send this message <subscribe KSBIRD-L> to <list serve@ksu.edu>and join in the discussions.

Contacts for Your Elected Representatives ( anytime) Write, call or email: Governor Sam Brownback: 2nd Floor, State Capital Bldg., To-peka , KS 66612. KS Senator or Representative: State Capital Bldg., Topeka, KS 66612. Ph# (during session only) Senate - 785-296-7300. House - 785-296-7500. U.S. Senator Roberts <Roberts@senate.gov> U.S. Senate, Washington DC 20510. Jerry Moran U.S. Capital Switchboard 202-224-3121.

NFHAS BoardPresident: PatriciaYeager-pyky@flinthills.com776-9593Vice Pres. MJ Morgan - tom.morgan@juno.com Secretary: Donna Roper - droper@k-state.eduTreasurer: Carla Bishop - cbishop@k-state.edu

COMMITTEE Chairs:Membership: Jacque Staats 537-3664 Programs: Kevin FayConservation: ButterflyGarden:AlsopProperty: PatriciaYeager-pyky@flinthills.com776-9593Education: Land Preservation:Bird Seed Sales: Newsletter: Cindy Jeffrey cinraney@ksu.edu 565-3326Fieldtrips: Patricia Yeager, Kevin Fay 776-9593At-large: Tom MorganAudubon of Kansas Trustee: Hoogy Hoogheem

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Published monthly (except August) by the Northern Flint Hills Audubon Society, a chapter of the National Audubon Society.Edited by Cindy Jeffrey, 15850 Galilee Rd., Olsburg, KS 66520. (cinraney@ksu.edu)

Also available on-line at www.ksu.edu/audubon/falcon.html