Letter from the President John Wright

Well this past month has been pretty exciting for the Chapter. There are two particular developments that I wanted the Chapter to be informed about.

First is the Lake Thoreau controversy, which Chuck Gramling covers, so I will not repeat. At the request of the members at the November meeting, I drafted a letter to send to the University to support those who wish to keep Dr. Eubanks’ intentions for the land. There were four key points that we addressed: 1) Doing the right thing; 2) Environmental concerns and need to keep such green space in our community; 3) Potential development of a biological research/resource center for the University and others to study the biological sciences; and 4) The potential discouraging of future donors if their intentions for their gifts are not followed. You can view the full letter on our website and we encourage all members to write their own letter in support of keeping and using this land as it was intended.

On another note, the Junior Birders Program began this past week. We had one interested boy and his father join us at the zoo for a walk around. The birding was not optimal, but lots of information was given regarding awareness of the needs of birds and wildlife; utilizing your ears and eyes before your binoculars; how to use an identification guide; and finding an old nest as well as acorn caches of the squirrels in the park. Finally, we gave them a bag of birdseed to help attract wild life to their home. His assignment (set by his father) was to see and identify ten species of birds in the next week. He will also be bringing a few more members next month. So if you know any young children, please tell them to join us the second Saturday of the month at 9 a.m. at the zoo’s butterfly garden. We will also be sending out a press release regarding the program during Thanksgiving week.

Which brings me to my final wish for all to have a good Thanksgiving. I am thankful for the responsibility and trust you have given me. Hope to see you all at the December meeting.

Bird Quiz Larry Smith

Take a wild guess:

What bird species had the highest total count in the

Hattiesburg CBC last year?

Answer to November Quiz

The bird with a nasal voice, white supercilium (eyebrow) and habit of climbing upside down is the Red-breasted Nuthatch. If anyone knew another bird that would fit, it was not mentioned. I left out the obvious mark of red breast so as to not make it too easy. As it was, Eileen Atkins needed only a little prompting to name the correct bird and take away the BIG prize. Of the other nuthatches, the White-breasted has an entirely white face without a black eyeline, and the Brown-headed has -- guess what? A brown head.

Red-breasted Nuthatches are, as any good birder knows, among those species with “irruptive” movements in winter, meaning in certain years large numbers move south of their usual range. On occasion, they can go as far as southern Texas. This appears to be a good Red-breasted year, at least for some. The latest info I have from MISSBIRD is a total of 27 seen in the state this fall, including 5 at one time at a feeder in Oxford. As usual, I have not seen a one, and I am not aware of any being reported in the Hattiesburg area. I can recall a fall season several years ago, back in the Larry and Terrie Gates era when there was a very large irruption of Red-breasted Nuthatches. Larry said they were “everywhere” in our area. Of course, I didn’t see a single one, until Larry singled one out for me.

November Field Trip – Fun in the Forest Chuck Gramling

On November 17 we made our way through the De Soto NF. Field Trip regulars Larry and Linda Smith, Emily Nelson, Diane Lafferty, Cile Waite, & Josh Hodge were there, and we welcomed special guest Jim Beckman (Field Trip Coordinator for Audubon San Francisco which hosts 50 weekly field trips annually), daughter Kelly and grandson Alex as we headed down towards the woods of Brooklyn, Janice, New York and eventually out into the country!

Well, despite a lower-than-desired turn-out of birds, we still had fun. We were glad that Jim saw & heard at least one life bird: the Pileated Woodpecker at Cypress Creek Landing. Early on, we struck out for birds though Dr. Smith quickly identified the Rock Doves at the Roses Parking Lot before we headed out. Ashe Lake only provided one Pied billed Grebe. We did the 10-15 mile gravel New York Road with no stops or birds to stop for but a lot of dust. The most common sightings were of the Orange-Breasted Bootfoots out looking for the big buck (yes, it’s hunting season again).

With Emily’s keen eyes we did find a large flock of Chipping Sparrows with some other birds including Pine Warblers just before we got to Cypress Creek Landing. The birds were flying between the Proclaimed Wilderness side of the road into the managed NF area. Lots of them, hundreds, flew over the road. At the landing, we found the Pileated, Titmice, Chickadees, a Ruby Crowned Kinglet, woodpeckers, and a nice view of Black Creek.

As for food, as always, we ate well, food for all. Despite yours truly baked the Winn Dixie chocolate chip batch off the chip bag with reasonable success. It is a known fact that the best cookies were made by PWAS’s own “Cookie Lady Linda;” we were all grateful for those White Chocolate-Macadamia cookies she furnished for us!

Well, It was another great trip: we saw some birds, shared some time, enjoyed the beautiful Mississippi woods, and ate some good food. But there’s more to come, so meet us on the Christmas Bird Count in December next month!

A Florida Field Trip – Thanksgiving in the Sun Ronnie Blackwell

This started out as a short note to our Pine Woods list serve (pinewoodsaud) as an update on our Florida trip. Well, I have proved once again that I can’t write anything short! Now, doesn’t this sound like a great “field trip” for March?

Sorry we missed the field trip Saturday. We sort of took our own field trip. We spend Saturday night at the historic Wakulla Inn south of Tallahassee and took the first tour boat out in the morning. The slow boat tours down and back up the spring-fed Wakulla River are always beautiful. We were lucky enough to get boat #8 which has been converted to an electric motor by Florida State engineering students; the result is smooth and silent running—great for wildlife viewing. We saw Blue-winged Teal, American Widgeon, Gadwall, Little Blue, Great Blue, and Tri-colored Herons, Great and Snowy Egrets, manatees, but, alas, no Limpkin. The snails are recovering at Wakulla, but there are still not enough to sustain a Limpkin population.

We spent Sunday & Monday nights on Sanibel Island and had the expected spectacular array of wading birds at Ding Darling NWR. I think the most impressive sight for me was seeing flocks of Redish Egrets fly into the roosts after a long day of dancing on their offshore sand spits. Lin maintains the tree of late-sleeping Roseate Spoonbills took “Best in Show.”

Tuesday we visited Audubon’s Corkscrew Sanctuary. The swamp is very dry there. The famous Lettuce Lakes which are usually bubbling with both wildlife and vegetation have been reduced to stagnant pools with a lone Purple Gallinule, a couple of White Ibis, and the mandatory, posing Anhinga. We did see a few songbirds including veritable flocks of Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, a Prairie Warbler, and a Yellow-throated Warbler. We did manage to find a Limpkin feeding quietly in the shadows. Later, we tried to drive the 11-mile road out to the famed Fakahatchie Strand, home of the ghost orchid and other rarities. We gave up after four miles of a road that was simply potholes stitched together. It was still great to get out into wild Florida. The highlight of this expedition was watching yet another Blue-gray Gnatcatcher taking blissful sunbath within three feet of our car.

We spent much of the week doing as little as possible with our Miami family, the Vilbergs. Bill, the man who taught me to always carry a folding chair on a birding trip, and I were by far much better at this activity than the rest of the family, rousing only to eat another turkey sandwich or slice of key lime pie.

Friday we drove deep into the Everglades to hurricane-battered Flamingo. The motel there is probably closed forever, but there is once again an active marina complete with giant Crocodiles watching the kayakers float by. It was a beautiful day and raptors were soaring at every turn of the road—Kestrels, Peregrine Falcons, Red-tailed Hawks, Red-shouldered Hawks (a really showy Florida subspecies), Swainson’s Hawks, Sharp-shinned Hawks, Bald Eagles, Osprey, and Short-tailed Hawks. The Anhinga Trail provided us with practically every species of wading bird on the continent including plenty of wood storks.

We ended the day with a Cuban feast at Calle Ocho’s famed Versailles Restaurant and then drove home through the dusk as Miami’s feral parrots and mynahs chattered their goodnight chants.

More reasons to give thanks.

The Lake Thoreau Controversy Chuck Gramling

Hi folks, I want to get your ear about a property called "Lake Thoreau" out West Fourth Street here in Hattiesburg adjacent to the Rails to Trails trail. The place is a natural area woodland forest, previously owned and managed by the now-deceased Dr. Leon Eubanks, former USM Professor. In his will he left it to be called a natural preserve; during his lifetime, it was for private (paying) members to enjoy. Somehow between the courts and his will it was offered to several conservation groups, including Rails to Trails, National Audubon, and USM.

The court granted ownership of the Leon Eubanks Property to the USM Foundation along with a sum of $150,000 for upkeep as a natural area. Now the USM Foundation has received an offer to purchase this land for a couple of million dollars (grossly under-valued) by a developer. It should concern us all that a man's will be violated. This place of longleaf pines and wonderful Southern Magnolias planted by Dr Eubanks (grown from seed), offers much as a 200+ acre continuous forested area to the urban sprawl area of eastern Lamar County. It is a significant bird/wildlife habitat amidst the current and planned housing subdivisions. We hope the USM Foundation will respect Dr Eubanks’ will and the court decision to manage it as a natural preserve named after Professor Eubanks.

Perhaps at that time, PWAS could have made an offer to take ownership. When USM accepted ownership, responsibilities, and liabilities, it seemed like the perfect end. PWAS president then, I think we were happy the USM Foundation took this gift and associated management requirements, and believed the greater good was served both to Dr. Eubanks and the court’s requirements. The USM Foundation needs to make a public statement on their position on this property; we hope that the USM Foundation will clearly state the property can not be sold per the court’s conveyance. Another alternative of the Foundation is to transfer ownership the property to a conservation group such as TNC, NAS, or Rails to Trails for its intended purpose if the Foundation is not able to maintain this area per the court’s original determination and per Dr. Eubanks’ stated intentions.

Keep this on your radar screen of what’s happening in our community. Thanks.

December Field Trip: The Christmas Bird Count Larry Smith

The CBC this season is scheduled for Saturday, December 29. Everyone is encouraged to participate. Let’s try to reverse the trend of declining bird species (65 last year!) and declining total bird counts. There were 13 field participants last year, about typical for recent years, though our 31 party hours was a new low. Of course, it is not all our fault. Our searching area continues to be eroded by sprawling development, and the wreckage of Katrina is still with us. We just have to try harder!

A sign-up sheet will be available at the December 5 meeting, and teams will be assembled at the Birdy Committee meeting the following Tuesday. Every attempt will be made to place participants in the area and/or with the team of their choice. In general we like for teams to search the same areas as previous years. Theoretically, this improves results since you will be birding areas you are familiar with. Don’t forget, pre-emptive scouting is not only allowed but is encouraged. In fact, it is not too early to start. Please report any significant birds seen anytime from December 26 through January 1 for the Count Week tally. For those not able to participate in the field, count birds at your feeders and call in the results. (Count only the highest number of any species seen at one time.)

For those who are new to our count, our area is a 15-mile diameter circle centered at Presbyterian Christian School on Tatum Road. We count for 24 hours beginning midnight on the 29^th. Compilation will be at the Smith’s (3207 Arlington Loop) at 6:17 p.m. Chili and beverages will be served. Feel free to bring snacks, deserts, salads. Afterwards, participants are expected to return to the field for owling until midnight. Napping will not be tolerated, unless you are 72 or older. Phone in late sightings.

Friends and newcomers are invited. If you know a potential Auduboner, this is a great way for them to get into the action. If you are unable to attend one of the meetings, call Larry Smith at 601-264-8364 or 601-818-9158 (cell) for an assignment.

Calendar of Events

Dec. 6, 2007 (Thursday): Pine Woods Audubon Society Board Meeting, 6:15 p.m. in Hattiesburg Zoo Education Center. The Public is invited to attend.

Dec. 6, 2007 (Thursday): Pine Woods Audubon Society Chapter Meeting, 7 p.m. in Hattiesburg Zoo Education Center. PROGRAM: Mississippi Sandhill Cranes (presented by Scott Hereford). Contact Program Chair Josh Hodge (601-606-3440) for information.

Dec. 11, 2007 (Tuesday): Pine Woods Audubon Society Birding Committee Meeting, 5:30 p.m. at location TBA at Meeting. Contact Ron Blackwell (601-543-0091) for information.

Dec. 14, 2007 (Friday): Jackson County CBC. Please call Millie Page at 388-1230 or JoRee Pease at 875-4138 for information.

Dec. 15, 2007 (Saturday): Cleveland CBC. Call Dr. Mark Bonta, 662-646-4096

Dec. 18, 2007 (Tuesday): Southern Hancock County CBC. Ned Boyajian, compiler. Call Larry Smith if you need email or phone number.

Dec. 22, 2007 (Saturday): Deadline for items for January Pine Warbler to newsletter editors by email (lin.harper@usm.edu) or by phone (601-545-2437).

Dec. 29, 2007: Hattiesburg Christmas Bird Count. Contact Larry Smith for information (601-264-8364). Team organization held at Birding Committee Meeting on December 11^th. Come on out and have some fun!

If you have not yet signed up to provide an

Audubon Adventures Classroom, please do so NOW!