our next meeting is monday, october 14th, at 7:00 pm. the ...vbaudubon.org/gannett/gannet.pdf ·...
TRANSCRIPT
October2019
October 2019
Welcome fellow Virginia Beach Audubon Members.
2019/2020 officers are: President - Andrea Bell, Vice President - Marion Zabot, Secretary – open, and Treasurer - Marc Hines. Board members include Linda Anderson, Steve Coari, Kathy Wakefield, Keith Roberts, Brandon Holland and Peggy Waterfield.
Our next meeting is Monday, October 14th, at 7:00 PM. The location will be the Eastern Shore Chapel Episcopal Church, 2020 Laskin Road, Virginia Beach.
Our program for the evening will be a presentation by Wildlife Biologist Karl Suttmann. Karl is a local wildlife biologist, with a variety of experiences. While attending college in Central Pennsylvania, Karl focused on mammal and avian biology, participating in multiple research projects. After graduating with a degree in Wildlife Conservation, Karl went on to become a bat biologist for an environmental consulting company, focusing on bats in the Eastern United States. Later he would begin working as a timber surveyor in the pine plantations of Eastern North Carolina. Eventually he found himself in Virginia Beach working for the US Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services. Karl’s duties now focus on wildlife management at NAS Oceana and helping minimize wildlife struck by aircraft to protect the wildlife and help ensure aviation safety. Karl will go through the ups and downs of being a wildlife biologist, share some of his personal wildlife experiences, along with touching on his past and current positions.
Future meetings throughout the year will introduce us to new and interesting programs. Our 2019 meetings are scheduled for November 11 and December 9, which is our annual Christmas Dinner that will begin at 6:00 PM. To participate, please sign up to attend and bring a side dish. Sign up sheets will be at our October and November meetings. All meetings and speakers are listed on the vbaudubon.org website under meetings.
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October Field Trip
Our next field trip is October 19. We will visit Grandview Nature Preserve at 87 State Park Road in Hampton, VA. The Preserve is located at the end of the Fox Hill Area. We will meet at 7:30am to the left of the intersection of Beach Road and State Park Drive (dead end). The Preserve covers over 475 acres of salt marsh, tidal creeks, and Chesapeake Bay beachfront. The Preserve is a great location to beachcomb, observe the migratory birds, and take photographs. According to ebird.org this is the hottest location in Hampton for birding with over 228 species seen over the years submitted by 833 checklists. Eighty-six species have been identified since September 7 so this should be good area for bird sightings.
Grandview Nature Preserve Beach
September Field Trip Results
Our first field trip this year was to the Hermitage Museum and Gardens in Norfolk at 7637 N. Shore Road. For the two hours eight of us saw 33 species
of birds. The list was: American Crow, Carolina Wren, Great Egret, Belted Kingfisher, Yellow-crowned Night Heron, Mallard, Great Blue Heron, Mourning Dove, Double-crested Cormorant, Ring-billed Gull, Osprey, Brown Pelican, Blue Jay, Downy Woodpecker, Brown Thrasher, Forester’s Tern, Tufted Titmouse,
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Northern Parula, Yellow-rump Warbler, Eastern Towhee, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Brown-headed Nuthatch, Northern Cardinal, Bald Eagle, House Finch, American Goldfinch, Carolina Chickadee, Cooper’s Hawk, Pine Warbler, Red-headed Woodpecker, Ruby-throated Hummingbird and European Starling. Overall, it was an enjoyable morning and a successful outing.
photographs courtesy of Julie Coari
Always check the www.vbaudubon.org website for up to date information on Field Trips and meetings.
Nearly 3 Billion Birds Gone Since 1970
The first-ever comprehensive assessment of net population changes in the U.S. and Canada reveals across-the-board declines that scientists call “staggering.” All told, the North American bird population is down by 2.9 billion breeding adults, with devastating losses among birds in every biome. Forests alone have lost 1 billion birds. Grassland bird populations collectively have declined by 53%, or another 720 million birds.
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Membership Do you have a National or local membership? National members are automatically given an associate membership in the Virginia Beach Audubon Society. However we also have a local membership level that helps us bring in more experienced speakers and programs. So if you are not sure of your status please see Bob Zabot - Membership Chairman who can tell you your National Status. Everyone’s local dues are due now. You can see Bob at a meeting or send him an email at [email protected].
Birding in Virginia Beach Resources for birding information is always a must for birders new and old. One local birder, Rob Bielawski, has created a website that should be added to everyone’s list of birding resources. It is simply BeachBirding.com. It gives you a complete breakdown of where to bird, what you may see, journals, links, etc. Of great importance is the listing of birds that have been seen in the area over the last nine months. September and October so far have been an example of outstanding months of birding with many unique sightings. Over 279 species have been seen this year in the city with September recording 177. Check out his journal pages to get a true picture of what has been seen and recorded in ebird. http://www.beachbirding.com
Regional Community related events:
October 12 - Lynnhaven River Now Annual Fall Fest held this year at Mount Trashmore. See below.
October 19 – Cornell University – October Big Day. This is now the sibling to the May Global Big Day. The concept is to report all the birds you see in a 24 hour period to ebird.org. Can the one-day record of 6,331 species be broken this year? Visit https://ebird.org/news/october-big-day-19-october-2019.
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PlantsforBirds:
www.audubon.org/plantsforBirds
Photo: Tim Timmis/Audubon Photography Awards
WhoopingCranes
The Endangered Species Act has a proven track record of success in providing a safety net that protects our most vulnerable wildlife. It has prevented 99 percent of the species under its care from going extinct, including America's symbol, the Bald Eagle. But the White House has released new rules that weaken it. We should allow this critical law to continue to protect wildlife for future generations, not undermine it.
Please ask your members of Congress to stand up for the Endangered Species Act.
See you at the meeting
VB Audubon Team Leaders
www.vbaudubon.org
www.facebook/vbaudubon
Please send all updated email information to Bob Zabot, [email protected]. Thank you!