july-august 2003 mobile bay audubon society newsletters

8/9/2019 July-August 2003 Mobile Bay Audubon Society Newsletters

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Mobile BayJULY, 2003

VOLUME XXII N O. 4

A CHAPTER OFT H E NATIONAL AUDUBON SOCIETYSINCE1971Audubon Society

Contents

Theres a better way to find

out whats going on . ..

After a lot of hard work by Sandra Pate, MEEERC TelecomunicationsCoordinator, Faulkner State Community College, the AudubonSociety is now on line! Sandra did an excellent job. The site is full ofinformation about happenings in our area as well as field trips, special

projects, how to contact board members, beautiful pictures of birdssubmitted by members of our chapter and much more. Check it out:http://www.mobilebayaudubon.org/

http://www.mobilebayaudubon.org/

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

Environmental StudiesCenter Open House ......... 2

Annual Picnic ................... 3

New Members .................. 4

Alabamas Bald Eagle

Restoration ........................ 5

Fall Film Series .................. 5

Audubon Adventures ........ 6

Birdathon 2003 ................ 8

Remembering BachmansWarbler ............................. 9

Nocturnal Predaator ......... 10

Backyard Birding .............. 11

Membership Application . 12


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EnvironmentalStudies CenterOpen HouseIt was a great celebration on

Saturday, May 3, at the Environ-mental Studies Center. Not sinceMay 2001 had there been anopen house at ESC, but it wasmore than an open houseit wasa dedication of the newly reno-vated educational building.

In July 2001 the roof of theold building collapsed andalthough there were no injuries

and wildlife was unharmed,programs for the summer had tobe cancelled. Portable schoolbuildings were brought in tohouse wildlife, offices, and class-rooms. Lloyd Scott and his staffkept the center operating, al-though there were rumors that itwould close. I never believed itand did all I could to convinceone school board member of theimportance of keeping the center

open. Whether or not my actions

and the actions of many othersworked, well never know, buthere we are on May 3, 2003 witha brand new building and theprogram to teach students theimportance of caring for theenvironment goes on.

Highlight of the dedicationceremonies was the release ofthree rehabilitated birdsaBarred Owl, a Red-tailed Hawk,and a Peregrine Falcon. It wasexciting to see them hesitate (as ifthey couldnt believe they werefree), then fly off into the trees.

Mobile Bay Audubon waspart of the Environmental Fairunder the big tent. Visitors whocame by admired the beautifulbird pictures we displayed; sometook a copy of our newsletter or apast issue of Audubon magazine.Our Degusa friends gave awaybird feeder kits and we gavepackets of bird seed. LeslieMcElderry entertained manychildren with her origami skills.She was so patient with the littleones who tried hard to fold thepaper as she did.

Edwina Mullins


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Annual PicnicMay 17, 2003

Once again the annual picnic atthe Lovell Sanctuary was a hugesuccess as can be seen from thesephotographs. The food was good,the fellowship great.


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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 thru

May 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

New Members

Bay Minette

Mrs. W N Crosby

Lucia Partin

Terry Peavy

Chunchula

Buford PerryDaphne

Garlene Stevens

Mike Wishinsky

Elberta

Georgia Cattan

Fairhope

Rose Lauren Belfield

Marjorie Ewing

Rosalee OConnor

Foley

James E Mathews

Gulf ShoresDebra Evans

Sonja J Sanders

Irvington

Karin Wilson

Kalkaska, MI

E J Singer

Lillian

Hugh W Helms

James A Metz

Connie N Prout

Joe Trapp

Livingston, TX

Louis & Marjorie Lewey

Loxley

Rose Davis

Mobile

J E DavisRobert Gard

Iva Penry

Mykhaylo Ruchko

Orange Beach

Bo Davidson

Clara Myers

Jack E Sutherland

Point Clear

Dr. A L Thompson-Graves

Saraland

Thomas E Bilbo

Teddy J GrimesSue Lewis

Summerdale

Hunter Kyser

Theodore

Robert a Nykvist

Transfer into Chapter

George P Goodman


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The numbers tell the storyinthe past 15 years since BaldEagles began re-nesting in Alabama, there have been 209nesting attempts with 214 youngeagles successfully fledging orleaving these nests. This recoveryof the Bald Eagle in Alabama,and indeed nationally, has beenone of the most remarkablesuccess stories in wildlife man-

agement. Amazingly, prior to 1987 therewere no known Bald Eagle nestsin Alabama. None. Alabama lostits nesting Bald Eagles when theydeclined sharply nationwide inthe 1950s and 60s. As eaglenumbers recovered, a few wouldover-winter in our state, butthese birds migrated north tonest each spring. They were notimprinted upon Alabama fortheir nesting behavior. BaldEagles have a strong tendency toreturn to the vicinity where theylearned to fly when they areready to mate and raise their ownyoung. This occurs when they arefour or five years old.

In an effort to resore a nestingpopulation of eagles in the state, atotal of 91 young eagles werehacked and released each springfrom 1985 through 1991 throughthe Alabama Non-game Wildlife

Program. Hacking is a process thatsimulates natural nest conditionsand provides releases with a mini-mum of human esposure.There are now 35 nests across thestate. What a remarkable story! Therecovery of the Bald Eagle will goalong side the modern wildlifemanagement success stories of the White-tailed Deer, the EasternWild Turkey, the Wood Duck, and

the Eastern Bluebird. It is ademonstration of what dedicatedconservationists, with adequateresources, can accomplish.The majestic Bald Eagle is aregular visitor and attraction at

Lake Guntersville State Park andthe Tennessee Valley. They usuallybegain to arrive in November andspend the winter months in andaround the park soaring the skies,fishing the reservoir and roostingin the tall pines along the moun-tain tops.from Alabamas Treasured Forests,Fall 2002

Alabamas BaldEagle Restora-

tion: A Success Story


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Stapleton Elementary School,

Stapleton3

Summerdale Elementary School,

Summerdale3

Swift Elementary School, Bon

Secour1

Foley Intermediate School, Foley1

Gulf Shores Elementary School, Gulf

Shores1

Magnolia School, Foley1Robertsdale Elementary School,

Robertsdale1

Rosenton Elementary School,

Robertsdale1

Central Christina School,

Robertsdale3

Marietta Johnson Organic School,

Fairhope2

A big bouquet of thanks from the many schools in both Baldwin and Mobile Counties who used Audubon Adventure

Kits during this school year. Monies from the annual Birdathon have provided these helpful and diverse lessons and

plans to grateful recipients over the years.

Audubon Adventures is an educational resource kit for grades 3 through 6 about birds, wildlife, and habitats. Audubon

Adventures helps hundred of Audubon Chapters implement successful educational outreach into local schools.

Audubon Adventurews today reaches 8,000 classrooms, totaling approximately 256,000 students. Audubon Adventures

material are professionally designed to increase awareness and appreciation in children about the natural systems of the

earth and to create in them a sense of stewardship for the natural world.Thirty-four Audubon Adventures Kits have been requested by the following schools for the next school year:

Cottage Hill Baptist School, Mobile1

Christ the King School, Daphne2

UMS Wright Preparatory School,

Mobile2

St. Pauls Episcopal School, Mobile2

Daphne Intermediate School,

Daphne1

Silverhill Elementary School,

Silverhill1

Fairhope Intermediate School,Fairhope2

Spanish Fort Elementary School,

Spanish Fort1

St. Lukes Episcopal School,

Mobile2

Corpus Christi School, Mobile1

Dauphin Island School, Dauphin

Island2

Science topics this year included Seeing the Forest for More Than the Trees, Coasts: Where Land and SeaMeet, Home in the Desert, and Freshwater Wetlands. Four new themes in the Audubon Adventuresseries will be released this fall. These are: Grasslands, coniferous forests, fresh water environments and urbanhabitats. By examining different ecological settings, students deepen their understanding of the natural worldno matter where they live. Audubon Adventures includes action-oriented content about healthy habitats,essays, puzzles, word challenges, games and recommended web sites.We welcome you teachers, students andadministrators in our collective effort to enjoy our good Earth and become better stewards. We hope to seeyou at our Audubon meetings and on our field trips each month.

Than Morris, ChairpersonAudubon Adventures


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Wonderful kits. We have trulyenjoyed them!

Vickie KilgoreSummerdale Elementary School

Summerdale

Good addition to the curriculum!Jennie Sisk

Magnolia SchoolFoley

Kits are wonderful when study-ing environments, habitats and

conservation. It also helps explainmigration and weather patterns. Ihave enjoyed using the kit.

Karen PearsonDaphne Intermediate School

Daphne

Kids really love it!Amanda Hall

Spanish Fort SchoolSpanish Fort

They are a wonderful resource inmy classroom. My students enjoythe activities and the newspa-pers.

Susan MitchellFairhope Intermediate School

Fairhope

Wonderful!Gay Crane

Fairhope Intermediate SchoolFairhope

Excellent info. I teach science fortwo classes, so was sent two kits

with 50+ copies of the studentmagazines. Thanks for the inter-esting lessons. We enjoyed them.

Connie RoanDauphin Island School

Dauphin Island

Wonderful addition to ourclassroom! Sandy Downing

St. Lukes Episcopal SchoolMobile

The newspapers were easilyincorporated into my science

program. They were interestingand fun!

Theresa Roh HickeyCorpus Christi School

Mobile

A few of the teachers comments regarding the kits relevance and effectiveness are as follows:


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Through Birdathon effortsthis year, we have given $1403.50

to our Audubon Adventuresschool program. AudubonAdventures is a complete curricu-lum enhancement program theteachers use to support theteaching of science to 4th and 5th

grade students. Materials includelesson plans, hands-on inquiryactivities, research materials andmore. The goal of Audubon Adventures is connecting childrento nature in our community.As always, Edlizabeth Williamswas our star counter. She raised$1153.50 by contacting family,friends, neighbors and industry.She says that its easy becauseeveryone wants to get on the

environmental bandwagon.Many thinks to everyone who

donated to the 2003 Birdathon.Our generous donors include:Mary ToulminFrances VanDeventerLarrie PikeHoward Perry, Jr.Helen BarnettOttilie HalsteadLois BrownGraham PittsMargaret SturteventKay LittlefieldMary NahMr. & Mrs. David LearneoEdwina MullinsDorothy Weis AKZO NobelTerry Hartley

Birdathon 2003A Great Success Story

Lois Cassity Amelia May

Degussa Corp.Col Bill BrierlyDuPont de NemoirsDr. Elizabeth FrenchJohn & Bev WinnMinnie NonkesSallie WaldronMr & Mrs Charlie BaileyErin WheelerLiz DugatMaud SkibaCeleste Hinds John PorterBarbara MillerTom SterlingSirmon & Tina LeeDr. Robert KreisbergMary Floyd


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In July 1833, John Bachmancollected two specimens and sawseveral others, of a new woodwarbler a few miles from Charles-ton, South Carolina. In the sameyear the species was formallynamed after him, by his friend John James Audubon.

Bachmans Warbler is or wasone of the smallest warblers with atotal length of four to four andone half inches. The breedingmale has an olive-green back andface, throat, and bright yellowunderside. There is a contrastingblack patch on the throat and thebreast. The female lacks the blackpatch on the breast and throatand the crown of the head is notblack.

After Bachman found it, itwas not seen again for about half acentury. It was next collected byCharles S. Galbraith, a dealer indecorations for womens hats andthe plume trade, who obtained, atLake Pontchartrain, Louisiana, onspring migration, one in 1886, sixin 1887, and 31 in 1888.

Bachmans Warbler is knownto have bred in the Southeastern

United States and to have spentthe winter in Cuba and the Isle ofPines. Meager records indicatethe birds migrated southward inlate summer and returned in earlyspring. One group apparentlymoved generally along the EastCoast, and another group skirtedthe Gulf Coast and continued up

the Mississippi Valley. There is arecord of 21 of the birds beingkilled on March 3, 1889, whenthey struck the lighthouse beaconat Sombrero Key in Florida.

Historic records indicate thatBachmans Warbler nested in low,

wet forested areas containingvariable amounts of water, butusually with some water that waspermanent. These areas weredescribed as being forested withsweet gum, oaks, hickories, blackgum, and other hardwoods; andwhere there was an opening in theforest canopy, the ground wascovered with dense thickets ofcane, palmetto, blackberry,gallberry and other shrubs and

vines. A 1924 record indicates

that five stomachs of this speciesfrom Alabama contained theremains of caterpillars and a fewfragments of Hymenoptera,probably ants.

A dramatic decline inabundance apparently beganaround 1900, and extended intothe 1940s or 1950s. The cause

is suspected to have been from theloss of habitat both in the UnitedStates and Cuba. Decline may berelated to clearing canebreakhabitat for agriculture in theSoutheastern United States,overhunting for millinery tradeand loss of wintering habitat inCuba; however, reasons for rarity

are uncertain. No confirmedbreeding records have beenreported from the United Statessince the mid-1960s. On March11, 1967, the species was desig-nated as endangered in its entirerange by the U.S. Fish and

Wildlife Service. Bachmans Warbler is presumed extirpated in Alabama. The last sighting in theUnited States was in 1988,although there were eight uncon-firmed reports of the species fromCuba between 1978 and 1988.

Bachmans Warbler is orwas the rarest songbird in North America: in the past 45 years,only lone birds have been seen at widely scattered spots in the

Southeast. Most authorities agreethat if the species still exists it ismost likely in the IOn Swamparea in Charleston and BerkeleyCounties, South Carolina. Thespecies must be very close toextinction and possibly extinct.

Population densities ofmany migratory songbirds havedeclined by 50 percent or more inrecent years. One cause appears

to be the accelerating destructionof the forests of the West Indies,Mexico, and Central and South America, the principle winteringgrounds of many of the migrants.The fate of Bachmans Warbler will probably befall other North American summer residents if thedeforestation continues.

Remembering Bachmans Warbler

Vermivora bachmanii (Audubon, 1833)by John Borom


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Owls are specialized hunters,adapted to find, catch and killprey quickly and efficiently, andthey have been doing it for ages.Owl fossils found in NorthAmerica date back about 60million years. Eight species havebeen documented along theAlabama Gulf Coast.Unusual and effective adaptationshelp owls survive. Large retinasmake their vision 50 to 100 times

more efficient than human eyes atdistinguishing small objects indull light. Their retinas arepacked with light-gathering cells(rods). The lens is capable ofconsiderable forward and back- ward adjustment. This permitsrapid focusing which is usefulwhen the owl drops down onprey. Owls possess binocularvision: each eye views the same

scene from a slightly differentangle, and this improves depthperception. At the same time,owls have little ability to movetheir eyes and must rely on

turning the entire head. Thiscapability is well developed, andsome species can twist their necksover 270 degreesalmost all the way around.Owl hearing is as well developed asvision. Large widely spaced andhighly developed ears are concealedbehind facial feathers and areunrelated to the horns or tuftsused as camouflage by somespecies. Ability to focus sound is

enhanced by the shape of the facialdisk, which acts as a reflector tofocus sound waves. The ears areasymmetrical, both in size andplacement, an adaptation believedto significantly improve ability tolocate prey. Owls hear sounds wellbelow the threshold of humanhearing, and some species cancatch prey in complete darkness byusing hearing alone.

The plumage, including even thelarge flight feathers, are extremelysoft, dense and flexible makingthem appear heavier than theyactually are. This loose texture

permits owls to fly withoutmaking the usual swooshingsound normally associated withbird flight, and they are able todescend on prey in a silent,mothlike glide. Both sexes arecolored alike, but females areusually larger and heavier thanmales. Drab colors allow them toblend into the background ofshaded daytime roosts as well asthe darkness of night. Feathers

on their legs provide insulationand protect against bites by prey.An owl grips and kills prey withits talons. Two of these strongsharp claws branch off the fronttoes of the foot, and two off theback toes, a capability they share with woodpeckers and parrots.On the ground, they walk ratherthan hop. If the prey is smallenough, the owl swallows it whole, otherwise, it holds theprey and tears it apart with itshooked beak and swallows thepieces. The digestive systemabsorbs nutritious portions and

Nocturnal Predatorsby John Borom

Barred Owl Great Horned OwlBarn Owl


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NewsletterDeadline

Please send yourarticles for the

July issue toDelane Small by August 21.Address:1 Fiesta DriveSpanish Fort, AL36527Email:[email protected]

forms indigestible matter (bones,claws, teeth, feathers, hair andarthropod chitin) into roundpellets regurgitated several hourslater.Owl pellets, also called castings,can be found under daytime

roosts or nighttime feedinglocations. Pellets can be dissectedand the hard parts separated fromthe hair and feathers. Closeexamination of the items givesinsight into the owls diet.Owls do not build nests, prefer-ring to take abandoned hawk orcrows nests or use holes in trees orbanks. They are generally veryearly nesters, sometimes along theGulf Coast having young as earlyas January. This is a remarkableadaptation, because the birds gaina great advantage by having theiryoung as close as possible to theannual peak of small rodentpopulation. This insures fairlyeasy prey for the inexperiencedyoung owls.Owls usually lay three to five white and undecorated eggs. Thefemale has the responsibility of

incubation, while the male huntsand brings food to the female.After the eggs hatch, the young

are fed by both parents.Most birds begin incubation onlyafter all eggs are laid, howeverowls start incubation as soon asthe female lays the first egg.Sometimes two weeks may passbetween the laying and hatching

of the first and last egg. Younghatched last will die if the parentscannot find enough food in thearea around the nest. Theycannot compete with the largerolder nestlings. This ensures thatsurviving fledglings are strong.During the day, most owls stay inhollow trees or dark, dense standsof vegetation. They hunt mainlyat night, however on cloudy daysor at dusk they scan the groundfrom a convenient perch andsilently fly over the groundlooking for prey.Owls usually kill what is easiest tofind and catch, and rodentsprovide an abundant source offood. If it were not for the servicerendered by these birds of prey,the mouse and rat populations ofour state would increase todisastrous proportions. All

Alabama owls are protected bystate and federal regulations.

Baby Screech Owls

BackyardBirding

Birds are a joy to watch. Birds willcome to your yard if you givethem what they need: food, water,

nesting sites and safety.Each species of bird has its ownlikes and dislikes. To quicklyattract a variety of birds, offer avariety of food. To keep the birdscoming back year after year, planahead. Plant flowers and shrubsthe birds can use for food orshelter. Put out a large pan ofwater. Plant trees that provideseeds and places to build nests.

One of the best ways to attractbirds is to leave dead trees stand-ing in your yard. Woodpeckerslove them, songbirds sing fromthe bare brancheswhere they areeasy to see. Leave some thickets forthe birds. Tangled branches are agreat place to hide.Read about landscaping your yardto migrant birds. See how tocreate a back yard habitat that willmake your property more attrac-

tive to birds. Finally, use simpleplans to build a variety of birdhouses.

from birding.com


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NationalAudubonSociety

MobileBayAudubonSociety

POBox483

Fairhope,AL366522

Non-ProfitOrg.USPOSTAGE

PAIDFairhope,AL

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Mobile Bay Audubon Wants You!

Join Us Today!Every membership supports Audubons vital 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:

A 1-year subscription (6 bi-monthly issues) 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!

Yes! I want to join Mobile Bay Audubon and National Audubon Society!

$20 1 year Introductory Rate

$15 1 year Student/Senior Rate $1,000 Individual Life Membership

$30 2 year Special Rate $1,500 Dual Life Membership

My check is enclosed. Please bill me.

Name:

Address:

City/ST/Zip:

Telephone:

Make check payaable to National Audubon Society and Mail to :National Audubon Society, Membership Data

Center, P.O.Box 52529, Boulder, CO 80322-2529 ChapterCode: A017XCH

Human popu lation growth is the m ost pressing environmental pr oblem facing the U.S. and the world.

John Flicker, President of the National Audubon Society

july-august 2003 mobile bay audubon society newsletters

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