july-august 2003 delaware audubon society newsletter

8/9/2019 July-August 2003 Delaware Audubon Society Newsletter

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Vol. XXV No.6Jul y-August 2003

Bird Tales ................................7

Books of Interest ......................8

Letter From the President ........2

News & Views ................4,5,6,7

Officers & Committees..............2

Site Seeing................................3

Thank You! ..............................6

What You Can Do ....................3

PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPERc

DELAWARE AUDUBON SOCIETY, INC.

A State-wide Chapter of National Audubon

D e l a w a r eAu d u b o n Journal

DE L A W A R E AU D U B O N

P R E S E R V I N G O U R

N A T U R A L ST A T E

IN T H I S IS S U E

u Delaware Audubon Society is a statewide, volunteer organization of over1500 members.

u The mission of Delaware Audubon Society is to promote an appreciationand understanding of nature; to preserve and protect our natural environment;and, to affirm the necessity for clean air and water and the stewardship of ournatural resources.

u All of our activities depend on the devotion of our members to conservingand preserving the health of our environment.

u Our Audubon Adventures program was used in 209 classrooms in 13 schooldistricts, 1 charter school and 2 parochial schools in grades 3-6. Two teacherworkshops were held to familiarize teachers with the contents of the kits. Thisprogram provides curriculum enhancement materials to teach students aboutwi ldl ife and their habitats and the importance of conservation.

HIGHLIGHTS OF ACTIVITIES 20 02 -20 03

G R A S S DA L E 2002 SU M M A RY A N D HI G H L I G H T S

Ann Rydgren, Project Manager, Grass Dale Project

Highlights continued on page 6

Grass Dale continued on page 4

Data collected this year are available on a CD in Excel or .csv. retrievabledatabases. Results can be searched for in seven geographical sectors, tencategories of flora and fauna, twenty sub-habitats or any other criteria forinformation about species that occur at Grass Dale.

Special thanks are due to Peggy Jahn and Andy Urquhart for their time andperseverance, during all kinds of weather, to collect data for this project, and toDave Brannan for his determination in getting such excellent pictures of theflora and fauna at Grass Dale.

Delaware Audubon made 30 visits to Grass Dale for a total of 200+ person-hours.

The catalog of flora and fauna now stands at 134 bird, 84 plant, 47 insect, 16mammal, 9 amphibian, 1 minnow, and 1 crustacean species.


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t WEB SITEhttp://www.delawareaudubon.org

t MAILING ADDRESS:Delaware Audubon Society

P.O. Box 1713

Wilmington, DE 19899

t TELEPHONE:302-428-3959

t DELAWARE AUDUBON SOCIETY E-MAIL:[email protected]

We can receive contributions

through your United Way

payroll deduction designation.

Our United Way designation

number is 9017.

LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT

Hello Everyone,

Well it has been a pretty tumultuous spring inthe world of horseshoe crabs and shorebirds.Here in Delaware the emergency regulationsproposed by DNREC to cut the horseshoe

crab harvest by 50% to ensure enough eggsare available to migrating shorebirds gotbeaten in court. Fish and Wildlife respondedwith interim regulations. These, too, wereshot down. The case was lost, like the firstregulations, on procedure, not merit. ThenDNREC decided to write new regulations,which, if accepted, will go into effect onAugust 10. The current harvest season hasfeatured attempts by DNREC to do a better

job enforcing the existing regulations, national media coverage, andintimidation by some watermen who have run off birders on isolatedstretches of Delawares coastline.

Delaware Audubon has fought hard for protection of the shorebirds andhorseshoe crabs for over ten years. We began by helping to enact the firstlaws in the world to protect the horseshoe crab. We supported thehorseshoe crab sanctuary at the mouth of the Delaware Bay. Delawarebeaches are the epicenter for Horseshoe Crabs and shorebirds in the world.Now we need new protection for the dwindling spectacle that every springmeets our shores.

Thanks for caring,Matt Del Pizzo

VISIT DELAWARE AUDUBON'S WEBSITE

http://www.delawareaudubon.org.

Sample educational, informative articles and features. Order books and othergoodies from the Marketplace! Search the archive of past articles. Visit our photogallery. Survey legislative updates and Action Alerts. Email policy makers.

TheAudubon Journal is

published bi-monthly by the

Delaware Audubon Society.

Original articles may be

reprinted without permission. Please give

credit to the Delaware Audubon Journal and

the author.

Editor: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ann Rydgren

Assistant Editors: . . . . .M ary Leah Christmas

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Barbara Roewe

Design & Layout : . . . . . . .Maryellen F. BirkPrinting: . . . . . .Sprint Quality Printing, Inc.

Delaware Audubon Society, incorporated in

1977, is a statewide chapter of the National

Audubon Society.

DE L AWA R E AU D U B O N

SO C I E T Y 2002-2003

OF F I C E R S & C O M M I T T E E S

If there are any issues you feel strongly aboutthat you think Audubon should address, pleasewrite Issues, P.O. Box 1713, Wilmington, DE19899, or call the office at 302-428-3959.Chairpersons can always be reached through the

office answering machine , 302-428-3959.

Honorary Chairman of the Board

Russell W. PetersonPresident Matthew Del PizzoVice President Leslie SavageSecretary Ellen WrightTreasurer Mark Martell

CONSERVATION COMMITTEES:Environmental Advocate Grace Pierce-BeckRecycling Open

Dredging Leslie SavageProposal/pol icy Review Dave Chambers

Nest Box Projects Peggy JahnArmchair Activists OpenAdopt-a-Wetland

Peggy Jahn, Kathy TidballWhite Clay Creek Adopt-a-Highway

Dorothy Miller

Important Bird Area Program Ann RydgrenPROGRAMS COMMITTEE OpenPUBLICITY COMMITTEE

Internet Fred [email protected]

MEMBERSHIP RECORDS David BrannanEDUCATION COMMITTEE Kathy TidballSOCIAL COMMITTEE

Annual D inner-Nancy FramptonFIELD TRIPS COMMITTEE Peggy JahnPUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE Ann RydgrenFINANCE COMMITTEESFundraising-Grants Andrew UrquhartFundraising-Bird Seed Sale

Mark and Susan MartellFundraising Birdathon

Ruth Holden, Maud Dayton

Fundraising-Silent Auction Asha IyengarFundraising-Wildli fe Sanctuary OpenFundraising-Piping Plover Suite Ann Rydgren

NOMINATING COMMITTEEMatthew DelPizzo,

Asha Iyengar, Leslie Savage

DIRECTORS FOR SERVICE UNTIL 2003

Dorothy Miller Grace Pierce-BeckAnn Rydgren

DIRECTORS FOR SERVICE UNTIL 2004:Fred Breukelman David Chambers

DIRECTORS FOR SERVICE UNTIL 2005:Peggy JahnLeslie Savage

REPRESENTATIVESSharon Burchenal, DoverKay Tebbens Greene, MilfordTill Purnell, Millsboro


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P reserve Our N atural State

W H A T Y O U C A N D O . . .

SI T E SE E I N G

This column will suggest Internetwebsites that may be of interest toreaders. If you have a favorite thatyou think will interest others,please call us at (302) 428-3959or send the address to us [email protected].

http://www.southernregion.

fs.fed.us/boone/

See how to design and build avernal pond that looks andfunctions like a natural wetland.

This easy to understand bookcontains techniques that theeducator, suburban homeowner,publi c land steward, and privatelandowner may use to establishvernal ponds (ephemeral

wetlands). Vernal ponds providecritical habitat to manyamphibian, reptile, waterfowl,shorebird and bat speciesthroughout North America.

Visit:http://www.southernregion.fs.fed.us/boone/ to view the on onlineversion of the book, or todownload an order form.

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IN AP P R E C I AT I O NO F SN A K E S

A friend of mine ended up with agarter snake in her bedroom after hercat brought it in the house. Thisprompted me to research the bestmethod for removal of a snake. Youcan use a broom to sweep the snakeinto a bucket or empty trash can. Thesnake can also be picked up using abroom handle and placed in atrashcan or bucket. Once caught, justrelease the snake outdoors awayfrom the house. The most common

snakes found around the home arethe garter snake and the black snake.The garter snake is small and can bebrown or brown with a green tint.They have three tan stripes runningthe length of the body. Black snakescan be up to five feet long. Snakesplay a beneficial part in nature. Theyeat rats, mice, and other pests. Theyalso provide food for birds andmammals such as raccoons. Thesnake uses its tongue to smell. Nexttime you encounter a snake, take a

few minutes to see how much funthey are to observe!

Ellen Wright

C A L L I N G AL LC O U C H PO TAT O E SA N D NE T NE R D S

For less than an hour a month, andwithout leaving home, you canACHIEVE something! Through

activities such as letter writing, emailand phone calls, Auduboners affectcritical legislation and policy.

Be a Net Neighbor. Receiveinformation about environmentalissues and respond by email.

You neednt get off the couch tobecome part of a growing network ofindividuals working to protect ournatural world. Call the office, (302)428-3959, and leave a message that

you want to lift a finger to protectour environment.

JO I N DE L AWA R E AU D U B O N NO W !


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N ews & Views

The number of Purple Loosestrife plants has dwindled to 12 plants from over100 in 2001.

Species or sub-species noted for the first time in 2002 are: Seashore Mallow, St.Johnswort, Maiden Pink, Dogbane, Indigobush, Red Mulberry tree, SummerAzure butterfly, Eastern Comma butterfly, American Copper butterfly, Ring-necked Pheasant, Blue-winged Warbler, Blue-headed Vireo, Blackpol Warbler,Coastal Plan Swamp Sparrow, Orchard Oriole, Pickerel Frog, Eastern Mud Turtleand River Otter. The highest number of bird species seen in one data-collectingperiod early in May was 54.

AmeriCorps personnel helped mark 1008 Bayberry bushes in Sector 4.

Originally a field of Multiflora Rose and then a meadow of Goldenrod, moreand more Bayberry bushes are appearing in the Sector 4 field. This nativespecies, so beneficial to wildlife, should be preserved. A long-term plan forpreserving this resource needs to be developed immediately. Special care mustbe taken for the duration of any construction at Grass Dale.

We greatly appreciate the cooperation of Superintendent Becky Webb and herstaff at Fort Delaware-Fort DuPont State Park in giving us every possibleassistance for this long-term project.

Grass Dale is a unique area where at least six different habitats are found withina 100-yard radius. Woods, tidal marsh, fresh water pond, hedgerows, meadowand scrub habitats can be observed by walking around the existing track. In

combination, the variety and richness of these habitats make Grass Dale veryattractive to wildlife. Such easy access to an abundance of wildlife makes GrassDale an ideal teaching tool.

Wildlife continues to usethis site at a very highlevel.

The area surrounding theGrass Dale Center in FortDuPont State Park,Delaware City, DE, wasadopted because the U.S.

Army Corps of Engineersand Delawares Division ofNatural Resources andEnvironmental Control areplanning projects that will

modify and restore this degraded tidal marsh area to a wetland area of greaterbiodiversity. The Habitat Suitability Index Models used are for Great Egret,Muskrat, juvenile Atlantic Croaker, Marsh Wren and Black Duck.

Plans are to document the changes in the flora and fauna as the area changesover time and produce an annual report. Our purpose is to contribute to existinginformation about the connections between wildli fe and habitat.

Grass Dale continued from page 1P I P I N G PL O V E R

UP D AT E

We currently have four piping plovernests (two at Gordons Pond and twoat the Point of Cape Henlopen StatePark). We have at least one more pairat the Point that have not chosen anest site yet. Two of the nests havecomplete clutches of 4 eggs each,one has only three eggs, and theother had a single egg as of Thursday,May 15. Were hoping all the nestsmake it through todays coastal

storm.

Five nesting pairs is not an unusualnumber for Delaware; we had sixnesting pair in 2001 and 2002, andonly three pair in 2000. The 13 yearaverage is 4.3 nesting pair.

There is also a single American oystercatcher nest at the Point.

For those of you unfamiliar withDNRECs piping plover protectionefforts, all nesting areas are closed tothe public in order to protect theplovers from disturbance. This yearwe are recruiting volunteers to guardthe closed areas from people who try

to go into nesting areas. Thevolunteers will be stationed at thefencing closing parts of the beachand will not be entering closed areas.If you are interested in volunteeringto guard the closed beaches andinform the publ ic about pipingplovers, please contact MarnieGrezlikowski, [email protected].

Thanks,Holl y Niederriter


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N ews & Views

BL U E B I R D TR A I L AT DE E R F I E L D GR E AT SU C C E S S

Thanks to Peggy and Fred Jahn, the number of Bluebirds hatched around theMBNA Deerfield golf course has quadrupled. In 1995, at the invitation of thegolf course manager, Peggy and Fred installed four nest boxes on the course.Seventeen Bluebirds hatched that year. As an increasing number of boxes wasinstalled, there has been a corresponding increase in the number of Bluebirdsfledged. In 2002, seventy Bluebirds fledged out of 13 nest boxes. The 2003season will see 15 nest boxes around the course.

Date No. of Boxes No. fledged Date No. of Boxes No. fledged1995 4 17 2000 11 631996 9 44 2001 13 651997 9 39 2002 13

1998 11 40 2003 15 ?1999 11 56

Jean Woods, Curator of Birds for the Delaware Museum of Natural H istory,reports that the Bluebird trail of nest boxes around Charis House and theMethodist Country House for 2002 produced 50 Bluebirds, 15 Tree Swallowsand 22 House Wrens from 27 boxes. Jean was able to restrict House Sparrows toonly two boxes by replacing their eggs with plastic ones.

Ralph Magnan reports that in 2002 at Killens Pond State Park, 65 Bluebirdsfledged along with 62 Tree Swallows, 18 Chickadees, 10 House Sparrows andthree Canada Geese. Hmmm.

VO L U N T E E ROP P O RT U N I T I E S

Join the fun!Meet new people!Do a great thing!

We need help in the followingareas.

WE NEED YOU!

V ATTORNEYExperienced in trust andcorporation law who will giveadvice pro bono. This is alimited project, not l itigation.

V BIRDSEEDMarketing Manager for ourfundraising birdseed sale inOctober. We need morecustomers. One month a year.

V WELCOME WAGONFun-loving, creative personneeded to recruit and integratenew members.

Please call 302-428-3959 andleave a message if you areinterested in helping.

Volunt eers

Make It

Happen!

F I N A N C I A L SU M M A RY, 2002:

Cash & Savings 12/31/01: $51,836.75+/- Change to the General Fund: 7.58+/- Change to Restrictive Funds -7,914.74Cash & Savings 12/31/02: $43,929.59

General Fund Activity for 2002:

Contributions: $20,443.90Expenses: 20,436.32Net Contributions $ 7.58

Restricted Fund Changes for 2002:

Fund Change:Audubon Adventures Net Grants: -$7,926.5Bird Sanctuary Fund $11.76

We have examined the financial records of the DelawareAudubon Society for the year 2002 and find them to bein excellent condition and have no comments.Dave BrannanFred Jahn


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u Auduboners participated in the Christmas Bird Count, Spring Round-up, theWhite Clay Creek Clean-up, Coast Day, Christina River Clean-up (White ClayCreek), and picked up at our Adopt-a-Highway location.

u We presented or participated in a number of workshops, press conferences,presentations to groups, and conferences all over the state. Topics include MotivaScrubbers, Sunoco, Metachem task force, finding solutions to waste reduction,Citizens Right-to-Know legislation, Delaware River dredging, wetlands,biodiversity, land use, birding, horseshoe crab & shorebirds, environmentalregulations,.

u We testified and participated in public hearings in support of theenvironment on various issues, such as, water conservation, the Delaware Rivermain channel dredging project, democratic process in public hearings.

u Delaware Audubon was represented on the following regional and statewideboards and committees:

Bi-State Advisory Council for White Clay Creek PreserveAtlantic States Marine Fisheries Horseshoe Crab Advisory CouncilChronic Violators Regulatory Development CommitteeCoalition Opposed to Deepening the Delaware RiverDelaware Wastewater Facilities Advisory CouncilUniversity of Delaware Sea Grant College Advisory CommitteeWater Resources Agency Citizens CommitteeGovernors Water Supply Coordinating Council

Delaware Water Resources Center Advisory CommitteeCoalition for Natural Stream ValleysDelaware Inland Bays Citizens Advisory CommitteeResearch monitoring for the Inland BaysSave Our Wetlands and BaysDelaware Partners in FlightDelaware Important Bird Area CommitteeChristina ConservancyChristina River Clean-up CommitteeRussell W. Peterson Urban Wildlife Refuge Advisory CommitteeWhite Clay Creek Watershed Wild and Scenic River Management

CommitteePea Patch Island Special Area Management Plan

St. Jones River Greenway Commission

u Delaware Audubon continues to operate two nest box projects to re-establishthe historical range of the purple martin and the bluebird in New Castle County.

u We offered field trips and environmental education for members, electedofficials and the general publ ic.

u Delaware Audubon maintains a web page at delawareaudubon.org.

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N ews & Views

Highlightscontinued from page 1

v ME M O R I A L G I F T SI n Memory of

Mary Frances Hil l Robertson

Dr. John W Alden, JrMr & Mrs Tom A. Bither Jr.Catherine Wheeler BowenAgnes CadotJerry, Debbie, Hannah, and M.GrossmanMs. Scott Hubbar

Ms. Lee HubertBob and Eleanor KerrPeter Macgaffin and familyMr. & Mrs. Stuart P MillerGail MorrisonBob and Melinda PennLibby and Jack SlyChristian StraleyStephen StraleyJohnathan Straley

v SI L E N T AU C T I O NThis years Silent Auction offereda great variety of items and lotsof fun. Please visit our donorsand thank them for theirgenerous support of Audubon.

Astro PowerDelaware Nature Society

Jessops RestaurantOasisGifts for the body, mind & Spiri t. Fairly

traded handicrafts from around the

world.

Trader JoesA grocery store with products from the

exotic to the basic.

Wild Birds UnlimitedOlaine Becker, Artist

Ruxana Bhatti, Artist, photographer

Senator Joseph BidenAlbert DelPizzo

Nancy Frampton

Mary PatLinda Whaley


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The Piping Plover Charadrius melodus is a smallattractive bird that nests on sandy or gravelly beachesand feeds at the waters edge.

B i rd T a l e s . . .

B i rd T a l e s . . .

HE R E I S AB I R D F O R Y O U

T O C O L O R.

N ews & Views

2/14/03

Today was Day One of theGreat Backyard Bird Count(GBBC)an especi all y goodproject while being held captiveby a snow stormand Isubmitted my first list. Apartfrom the usual crew, we had onemystery bird this morning. I

noted that something wasunusual, so I trained thebinoculars on him. He wassimilar to a Brown-headedCowbird, but his head was whiteand mottled and had theappearance of being drizzledwith chocolate sauce. He sat inthe tree for a few moments, andthen flew off. Some sort of colormutation?

2/15/03

The highlight of todays GBBCwas standing outside in thesnow while two slate-coloredDark -eyed Junc oes had adisagreement. The physical

appearance of Juncoes isappealing enough, but them i n i a t u r e - S t a r - W a r s - l a s e r -sounding battle cries as theymade little running charges ateach other was as amusing tome as it was serious to them.Fascinating, the small butsignificant struggles of life thatplay themselves out, right in our

own backyards.

2/19/03

We have had another mysterybird in our yard for the pastthree days. My best guesses are,this is either a common thing inwinter plumage, some sort ofhybrid, or a bird from elsewherethat blew in with the storm. Thisground-feeding fell ow lookssomething like a fancified crossbetween a Semipalmated Ploverand a Ruddy Turnstone: black,downturned spectacles, abrownish cap, a yellowish faceand throat, and a single, blackbreastband holding his brown

cape over his white body.

I am beginning to suspect thesemystery birds are examples ofavian practical jokes played onbeginning birders! That is, thebirds in the thicket at the farmbehind our house have atheatrical makeup kit stashed inthe overgrowth, and they draw

straws for the privilege ofconfusing us. Whats next: ACardinal in a miniature Ivory-billed Woodpecker getup?

Mary Leah Christmas

SAV E TH I S DAT E!

Mark your calendar now forthe Fall Birdseed Sale o n

October 18, 2003 .Order forms will be includedin the September-Octoberi ssue of the Del awareAudubon Journal.


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BO O K S O F IN T E R E S T

Vista Nieve: The Remarkable True Adventures of an Early Twentieth CenturyNaturalist and His Family in Columbia, South America

by Dr. Melbourne R. Carriker;Rio Hondo, TX: Blue Mantle Press, 2001.Softcover. 318 + xiv pp. with B&W photos.

Dr. Carriker, professor emeritus of the University of Delawares College of MarineStudies, has written a warm tribute to his childhood in South America and thelives of his pioneering ancestors who established coffee plantations and madecontributions to natural science.

The perceptive author has made Vista Nieve available in English and Spanishversions. The front cover of the English edition depicts Dusky Parkers Antbirds(Cercomacra parkeri), a new species coll ected by M .A. Carriker, Jr., i nAntioquia, Columbia in 1951. The sepia-tone cover and contents of the Spanish

edition underscore that one is peering through the mists of time.

The book is pleasant, soothing reading for anyone interested in other cultures andother times. Vista Nieve is written with a keen appreciation for detail. One canalmost smell the rain dripping off the banana leaves and hear the gong of the oldhoe-blade used for the plantation bell. The authors reference to pleasantclimate, magnificent vistas, and warm plantation hospitality says it all!

Ordering information:English edition $22.95Spanish edition $23.95 (includes $4.00 shipping/handling each)

Available from the author by check or money order to:Dr. Melbourne R. Carriker23 Hoornkill AvenueLewes, DE 19958

Phone inquiries:(302) 645-4274/office or(302) 645-8768/home.

Mary Leah Christmas

july-august 2003 delaware audubon society newsletter

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