november-december 2003 delaware audubon society newsletter

8/9/2019 November-December 2003 Delaware Audubon Society Newsletter

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Vol. XXVI No.2November-December 2003

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

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

Calendar ..................................4

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

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

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

Site Seeing................................5

Backyard Wildlife!....................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 JournalDE L A W A R EAU D U B O N

IN T H I S IS S U E

U.S. F I S H A N D W I L D L I F E SE RV I C E RE L E A S E S

BI R D I N G I N T H E UN I T E D STAT E S RE P O RT S

Washington, DC, October 11, 2003 - A new federal economic report found that46 million birdwatchers across America spent $32 billion in 2001 pursuing oneof the Nations most popular outdoor activities according to a report from theInterior Departments U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The report, Birding in theUnited States: A Demographic and Economic Analysis, is the first of its kind

analyzing data from the 2001 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildl ife-Associated Recreation.

Nearly one in five Americans is a bird watcher, said Service Director SteveWilliams. This report recognizes what we always thought to be true.Birdwatching is very popular and contributes greatly to our economy, so it isimportant that we continue to workwith our partners to restore andprotect habitat to ensure healthy birdpopulations.

Montana, Vermont and Wisconsinled the Nation in birding

participation rates as a percentof total state population.California, New York, andPennsylvania had the mostbirders. Birders spent $32 billionon gear such as binoculars, travel,food and big ticket items such ascanoes, cabins and off-road vehicles. Thisspending generated $85 billion in overall economic output and $13 billion infederal and state income taxes, and supported more than 863,000 jobs.

To be considered a birdwatcher, an individual must take a trip a mile or morefrom home for the primary purpose of observing birds or must closely observe ortry to identify birds around the home. Those who notice birds while mowing thelawn or picnicking at the beach were not counted as birders. Trips to zoos andobserving captive birds also did not count as birdwatching. Watching birdsaround the home is the most common form of bird-watching. Taking trips awayfrom home counted for 40 percent (18 mill ion) of bi rders.

The full report - and a second report, the 2001 National and State EconomicImpacts of Wildlife Watching Addendum - is available on-line at.

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

N A T U R A L ST A T E


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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 & CO 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 theoffice answering machine , 302-428-3959.

Honorary Chairman of the BoardRussell W. Peterson

President Matthew Del PizzoVice President Leslie SavageSecretary Ellen WrightTreasurer Mark Martell

CONSERVATION COMMITTEES:Environmental Advocate Grace Pierce-BeckRecycling OpenDredging Leslie SavageProposal/pol icy Review Dave ChambersNest Box Projects Peggy JahnArmchair Activists Open

Adopt-a-WetlandPeggy Jahn, Kathy Tidball

White Clay Creek Adopt-a-HighwayDorothy Miller

Important Bird Area Program Ann Rydgren

PROGRAMS COMMITTEE Open

PUBLICITY COMMITTEEInternet Fred Breukelman

[email protected]

MEMBERSHIP RECORDS David Brannan

EDUCATION COMMITTEE Kathy Tidball

SOCIAL COMMITTEEAnnual D inner-Nancy Frampton

FIELD TRIPS COMMITTEE Peggy Jahn

PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE Ann Rydgren

FINANCE COMMITTEESFundraising-Grants Andrew UrquhartFundraising-Bird Seed Sale

Mark and Susan MartellFundraising Birdathon

Ruth Holden, Maud DaytonFundraising-Sil ent Auction Asha IyengarFundraising-Wildli fe Sanctuary OpenFundraising-Piping Plover Suite Ann Rydgren

DIRECTORS FOR SERVICE UNTIL 2003Dorothy 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

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 DELAWAREAUDUBON 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 Members,

Well it seems fall is finally creeping into ourstate. I saw large flocks of swallows gatheringup. I heard two barred owls talking back andforth. Maybe mating rituals are beginning to

happen.

And, yes, the leaves are starting to drop offand the trees are showing their branches as ifthey were long arms reaching towards thesky. With this years crazy weather, lets hopefor a good winter with plenty of winterfinches, owls and waterfowl.

Thanks for caringMatt Del Pizzo

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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: . . . . .Mary Leah Christmas

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

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

Delaware Audubon Society, incorporated in

1977, is a state- wide chapter of the National

Audubon Society.

Thanks to everyone who purchasedbirdseed! Our annual birdseed salewas a great success thanks to thehard work of Mark and Susan Martelland their crew of bag handlers andpaper shufflers: Asha Iyengar, MarkKawalski, Ann Rydgren, Tom Shuey,Mike Warner and Randy Will is.

T h a n k

Yo u


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P reserve Our N atural State

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

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A L E RT:

COLOR-MARKED RED-TAILED HAWKS

Please be on the lookout for color marked Red-tailed Hawks throughout themigration season and through winter and spring. Birds have been color-marked atLittle Gap on the Kittatinny Ridge in eastern Pennsylvania and reports so far havecome back from Quebec to Tennessee and from the Atlantic coast through theAppalachians. This is a joint project of Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, Little GapRaptor Research Group, and the Wildlife Information Center.

The Red-tails are marked with Yellow, Green or Red (Pink) dye on the first 4secondaries forming a square patch of color along the trailing edge of each wing.The color can be seen best from below, but is visible from above as well.

What You Can Do

If you see one of these birds, please report the following: Your Name, Address, Phone, email Date and Time (EST) of sighting Location (State, County, exact locality) Age of hawk (adult, immature) Dye Color Behavior of hawk when observed

Send information to:Dan KunkleWildlife Information Center

P.O. Box 198Slatington, PA 18080wi ldli [email protected]

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

VO L U N T E E R

OP 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 and

corporation 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

integrate new members.

V WILDFLOWER LOVERWildflower enthusiast neededfor special area in Dover.

WHAT YOU CAN DO!Please call 302-428-3959 andleave a message if you areinterested in helping.

Volunt eers

Make It

Happen!


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I want Audubon to sponsor a program on

..............................................................................................(topic) in my area.

Name: ..................................................................................

Phone: ( )......................................................................

Zip Code: ..............................................................................

Send to:Program, Delaware Audubon SocietyP.O. Box 1713, Wilmington DE 19899

4NOVEMBER 2 00 3

2 Sunday 9:00 amAdopt-a-Highway pick-up onCreek Road., Newark.Adopt-a-Highway Pick-UpCome lend a hand for acouple of hours and enjoybeing outdoors withcongenial people. We willbe working on Creek Roadfrom Wedgewood Road toWhite Clay Dr. Bring yourown work gloves. A pointedstick for picking up pieces ofpaper is a handy thing touse. Dress for the weatherand bring a lunch andbinoculars for birdingafterwards, if you wish. Anyquestions? Call the Audubonoffice 428-3959. Meet at the

Chambers House VisitorCenter north of HopkinsBridge Rd. on Creek Rd.

16 Sunday 9:00 amConowingo DamBald Eagles and Water Birds.Meet in the parking lot at thefirst overlook. This is a half-day trip. Dress for theweather, as it is alwayscolder near the water. Youmay want to bring your

lunch and telescope. Pleasecall Peggy Jahn if you intendto go, 378-6474.

DECEMBER 2003

7 Sunday 9:00 amBombay HookDucks and Geese Plus ?There is an entrance fee.

Meet in the parking lot nextto the Information Center.This is a half-day trip. Pleasecall Peggy Jahn if you intendto go, 378-6474.

ANNUAL CHRISTMAS

BIRD COUN T

December 2003__________

14 Sunday

MiddletownCompiler-Bruce [email protected]

14 Sunday

WilmingtonCompiler-Howard Brokaw

655-8076

21 Sunday

Bombay HookCompiler-Andy [email protected]

January 2004____________

3 Saturday

RehobothCompiler-Joe Swertinski

[email protected]

4 Sunday

Cape HenlopenCompiler-Frank [email protected]

BL U E B I R D T R A I L S

DO I N G W E L L

In addition to the Bluebird Trails,the Purple Martin sites are havingsome success in bringing thesebirds back to New Castle County.Here are the bird fledgling counts

for the 2003 breeding season.

Buena Vista(This is a new location.)Blue Birds Fledged 8House Wrens 19

DuPont Country Club andNemours Golf CoursesBlue Birds Fledged 35Tree Swallows 26

Deer Field Golf Course

Blue Birds Fledged 60Tree Swallows 3

Artesian Water Co. atChurchmans MarshPurple Martins Fledged July 16total young 83

University of Delaware FarmPurple Martins approx. 25

Jahns yardPurple Martins 20

This Spring was very strange dueto the weather. Cold and wetweather for long periods madenesting diff icult and almostimpossible for the purple martins,as there were no insects to eat.Some people managed to feedthe martins crickets andscrambled eggs.

There is a Bluebird Trail on theChristiana Hospital grounds thatneeds some TLC. If you areinterested, please call 428-3959and leave a message.

Peggy JahnNest Box Chairperson


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N ews & Views

TA K E PA RT IN

1 0 4 T H AN N U A LC H R I S T M A S BI R D

C O U N T

The National Audubon Societycalls upon volunteers everywhereto join with birders across thewestern hemisphere andparticipate in Audubons longest-running wintertime tradition, theannual Christmas Bird Count(CBC). This year, nearly 2,000

individual counts are scheduledto take place throughout theAmericas from December 14,2003 to January 5, 2 004.

This year, Audubon scientists arehighlighting the fact that many ofthe birds to be counted areproduced in the great NorthAmerican boreal forest, whichextends from Alaska to EasternCanada. Boreal speciestraditionally seen on the CBC that

appear to be declining includeBelted Kingfisher, NorthernFlicker, White-throated Sparrow,White-crowned Sparrow, PurpleFinch, Pine Siskin, and especiallyRusty Blackbird.

The data, 100% volunteergenerated, have become a crucialpart of the U.S. Governmentsnatural history monitoringdatabase. Articles published inthe 103rd CBC issue of American

Birds helped ornithologists betterunderstand the effects of WestNile virus on regional birdpopulations.

Contact the DelmarvaOrnithological Society Compilersin your area to participate. SeeCalendar on page 4

BO A R D N O M I N AT I O N S

We are seeking enthusiastic people to help guide Delaware Audubons activitiesand legislative actions by serving on the Board of Directors. Serving in thiscapacity entails about eight meetings a year as well as participation in a fewtelephone calls/e-mail sessions. This is a prime opportunity to directly andpositively affect the environment in Delaware. Please submit the name ofsomeone you would like to see on the Board. Self-nominations are alsowelcome. Don t be shy!

The mission of Delaware Audubon Society is to promote an appreciation andunderstanding of nature; to preserve and protect our natural environment; and,to affirm the necessity for clean air and water and the stewardship of our naturalresources.

To maintain the mission of the Delaware Audubon Society, dedicated peoplemust make it happen. This starts with a strong Board. Now is the time for Boardnominations for the coming year.

Most people enjoy having fun and attaining a feeling of self-satisfaction. As aBoard member, you can take great pride in knowing that your down payment oftime and hard work will help secure the preservation of a healthy environment.

Please send your nominations for the Delaware Audubon Board to:NominationsDelaware AudubonP.O. Box 1713

Wilmington, DE [email protected].

Nominees Name: __________________________________________________

Nominees Phone Number: __________________________________________

Person Making Nomination: __________________________________________

SI T E SE E I N G

This column will suggest Internet websites that

may be of interest to readers. If you have afavorite that you think will interest others, pleasecall us at (302) 428-3959 or send the address tous at [email protected].

This lady found a humming bird nest and gotpictures all the way from the egg to birds leavingthe nest. Took 24 days from birth to flight!Very neat and good pictures.

http://community-2.webtv.net/hotmail.com/verle33/HummingBirdNest/


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N ews & Views

i ME M B E R S H I P INDE L AWA R E AU D U B O N

i BL U E B I R D NE S T BO X E SBluebird Nest Boxes priced at $20/pineand $25/cedar. Order now for yourselfand your friends (302) 378-6474. Pleasearrange for pick-up when you order fromFred Jahn, . Designed by Warren Lauder,this box has proven to be one of the best.

Nest boxes should go up in Februarybefore Bluebirds return to nest.

i BO O K S Amphibians and Reptiles of Delmarva

James F. White, Jr., & Amy Wendt WhiteTidewater Publ ishers and Del awareNature Society. $14.95.

This book would make a lovely gift foranyone interested in the outdoorsfromthe casual reader to the professional

herpetologistand be sure to buy one foryourself. Tuck it into your birdingbackpack when going forth to explore thewoods, fields, streams, dunes, andmarshes of the Peninsula.

West Nile Story

Dickson DespommierApple Trees Productions, LLC, 2001133pp. (103pp. of text plus referencesand index.) $14.99.Order from [email protected].

The author, a Columbia U. Professor ofPublic Health and Microbiology,describes the science and drama ofidentifying WNV, the foreign agent, andthe link among dying humans, horses,and birds. This is a nice backgroundsource with references and withoutjournalistic hype.

EL L E N WR I G H T S

BA C K YA R D W I L D L I F E

VO L U N T E E R S:

TI N Y G I F T S F O R W I L D L I F E

Before I weed whack the fence linealong my horse pasture I look for plantseedlings to transplant. This year I havefound many Sassafras seedlings. Theyproduce berries that the birds like.Thats why the fence line is a greatplace to look for seedlings becausemost of the seeds have been deposited

there by birds. This way I find plantsthe birds like. I have also foundBradford pear, Cherry (not wild cherrytrees but another variety), Crabapples,White Mulberry, maple and Cedar.Sure they are small but some of themgrow pretty fast. The way I look at it isthey are free and in a few years someof them are quite large. It just takessome patience. It is a lot of funwatching them grow.

Virginia creeper has started growing up

some of the fence posts. It turns abeautiful red color in the fall and thebirds love the berries. It can bemistaken for poison ivy but Virginiacreeper has more leaves than poisonivy. Poison ivy only has 3 leaves.

Once several years ago I found a tinytree in the backyard lawn. Itransplanted it and it is now a beautiful15-foot tree covered with red berries. Ithas dark red leaves that look likecrabapple leaves. Once you start

looking you will notice these tiny giftsgrowing in the yard and garden.

G I V E A W I L D G I F T

Please support Delawares NongameWildlife program with a donation onyour state tax return. The nongame taxcheckoff is the primary funding sourcefor Delawares Nongame andEndangered Species Program.


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Bald Eagle

One of 59 species of eagles in the world, the BaldEagle is one of two eagles in North America (the otheris the Golden Eagle). The Bald Eagle is the onlyexclusively North American eagle.

B i rd T a l e s . . .

B i rd T a l e s . . .

HE R E I S A

B I R D F O R Y O U

T O C O L O R.

N ews & Views

MY FR I E N D FL I C K E R

4/13There is a well-known fableabout blind men trying todescribe an elephant. One,holding the tail, says theelephant is like a rope; another,at the side of the elephant, saysit is like a wall; etc. The bird

pecking the ground in ourbackyard yesterday was anamalgamation of MourningDove, Greater Prairie-Chicken,and Dalmatian, with somedesigner accessories thrown in.What we saw was a femaleNorthern Yellow-Shafted Flickerhappily lightening our load ofants. Our new pal is a shiningexample of the importance oflearning by seeing. Now thatwe have seen one, we can never

forget what they look l ike!

6/16Drifting in the window just camethe sound of a woodpeckerdrumming. I once heard asimilar sound issue from aMockingbird (good trick, eh?),but then it was followed by therest of the repertoire. The field

guide states that Flickers drumon dead limbs or tin roofs duringcourtship and to proclaim theirterritory. Havent seen anyFlickers in almost a month, sothey may be otherwise occupiedin this manner.

7/31The last time we saw a Flicker,5/21, was the first and last daywe saw a Hummingbird. Iwondered about the chances of

their reappearing at the same

time. Sure enough, theHummingbirds returned withgusto yesterday, and someyoung Flickers were seen thisevening. To paraphrase an oldsaying, if you dont like theornithological weather, wait twomonths.

8/27A juvenile Flicker is sitting onthe fence between our yard andthe neighbors vegetable garden.Was alerted to his presence byhi s repeated k leeer. H is rednape patch and male-distinguishing black mustacheare present, but our binocularsbetray a hesitancy in colorationthat bespeaks youth. Just as I aminspecting him, he seems to beinspecting us. Welcome, friend!

Mary Leah Christmas


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

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We have all suspected that watching birds is therapeutic, but here is proof. HeSaw a Hummingbird is the true story of a professional photographer who waslosing his eyesight to severe diabetes, and along with it his morale. Then camethe chance appearance on his Palm Springs patio of an Annas or CostasHummingbird amidst the oleanders and orange blossoms.

More than just a nice story, the book also shares valuable insights madethrough close observation of the hummingbirds, with findings sometimes atodds with generally accepted lore. Which is more surprising: That

hummingbirds perch (and often do), or that a legally blind photographer cancapture these creatures so beautifully on film? Neither is a surprise to those whotake the time to observe, and not just see.

MLC

He Saw a Hummingbird: How the Tiniest of Birds and a Mans Indomitable

Spiri t Combined to Bring About a Miracle

by Norma Lee Browning and Russell OggNew York: E. P. Dutton, 1978.

RE P O RT:

N AV Y SO N A R HA R M S

MA R I N E AN I M A L S

High-powered sonar from Navyships appears to be giving whalesand other Marine mammals aversion of the bends, causing them

to develop dangerous gas bubblesin some vital organs and bloodvessels, to beach themselves anddie, according to a study publishedin the journal Nature.

Reporting on beaked whales thatwere stranded in the Canary Islandssoon after an international navalexercise last year, researchers forthe first time found a conditionsimilar to decompression sicknessin 10 of 14 dead animals. The new

data begins to explain how andwhy high decibel mid-frequencysonar used by the U.S. Navy andother military fleets appears tocause some deep-diving marinemammals to die.

november-december 2003 delaware audubon society newsletter

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