The Pine Warbler
January 2009
Volume XXXIV, Issue 5
President's Letter by
John Wright
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all! As I reflect upon the
importance of this holiday I noticed how important birds are to this
holiday: “Seven Swans a Swimming, Six Geese a laying, Four
Calling Birds, Three French Hens, Two Turtle Doves and a Partridge in a
Pear Tree.” Ah, the twelve days of Christmas and obviously
even back then birds were vitally linked to the holiday. Also what
about Christmas Island? The island was discovered on Christmas,
1643 by Captain William Mynors. The special aspect of Christmas
was not lost on this island, being some of the breeding grounds for
rare birds such as the Boobies, Frigates, Bosuns, etc. This
island was truly a unique gift and treasure to be watched over as well
as many of our needed protected lands.
Lest we forget, that this is also the time of the year, when our
organization holds its Christmas Bird Count (Jan 3rd). It is
another opportunity to do some Citizen Science and help gather
information about the birding patterns throughout the world.
As all these thoughts race through my mind about the importance of the
holiday and trying to figure out what to give loved ones, I was
challenged to find the right gift to share with them. The Twelve
Days can be a little costly (heck even just the bird parts of it) and
it may even be more challenging to find uncharted islands (what with
google earth). So what to give still has me perplexed as the real
meaning of this Holiday is religious, family, sharing of ourselves with
others. This is the key to my gifts: sharing my love for the world we
live in. How about a guidebook? Or a walk in the woods? Or
building/landscaping land to better suit birds and wildlife?
After Christmas consider reusing the tree as a feeder before mulching
it for landscaping. Sharing a bird count with the nieces and
nephews. Yes these are truly the gifts that keep on giving and
instill found memories with loved ones that will last forever and make
the world a little more enjoyable.
I wish you all the best, and if you are a last minute shopper as
myself, feel free to use the above. …and to all a Good
Night.
John
December Field Trip:
Seaman Lagoon by Jeremy Nicholson
December 6th was the Seaman Lagoons field trip with the Gulf Coast
Audubon Society. There were about fifty birders including five
from Pine Woods Audubon Society and a group from Alabama. All of
the birds showed up too! We all assembled at the gate to the lagoons
where we were divided into smaller groups and assigned different
sections of the facility to begin birding. At 8:00 the
temperature was still cool but walking in the sun was very comfortable.
We began birding in the middle of the treatment facility. There
were hawks, crows, blackbirds, grackles, and killdeer in the spray
fields to our North. The Sora, rails and Marsh Wrens were very
vocal amongst the cattails in the settling ponds to our South.
The Tree Swallows claimed air supremacy but the occasional strafing by
ducks from the lagoons kept us on our toes.
The drained ponds in the northwest corner yeilded sandpipers, snipe,
Black-necked Stilts, Greater White-fronted Geese, Northern Harriers,
Palm Warblers, and Bald Eagles. The actual lagoons were loaded with
nearly a dozen species of ducks including, Scaup, Northern Shoveler,
Green-winged and Blue-winged Teal, Ruddy Duck, and Bufflehead.
The highlight of the day was found in the middle lagoon: a drake
Cinnamon Teal.
It was interesting to see a man-made system supporting a relatively
high number of bird species. I may think twice before eating
duck, but the birding was outstanding!
November Program Note by
Chuck Gramling
Pine Woods Audubon invites members and the public to the Thursday,
January 8th program at 7:00 PM. Dr. Michael Davis, from
USM’s Department of Biological Sciences, will discuss the
potential plans and uses for USM’s Lake Thoreau property.
If you are not familiar with the property, it is located off West 4th
street on Lake Thoreau Road, west of Hattiesburg. Dr. Leon
Eubanks, deceased, left this property to be maintained in its wooded
condition in a conservation request; USM was determined to be the best
institution to conserve the property per Eubanks’s will.
Pine Woods Audubon is excited that Dr. Davis is working towards current
and future planning for the property. This wooded property
represents a special habitat reserve in the urban sprawl of West
Hattiesburg. Join us at the meeting, learn about plans for Lake
Thoreau, and determine what we can do to continue to support
USM’s effort to maintain this unique and special property.
Audubon Meetings are free and open to the public. Light
refreshments will be served and
Visitors are always welcome!
Book Review by
Ronnie Blackwell
Birdwatcher: The Life
Of Roger Tory Peterson –Elizabeth Rosenthal (Lyons Press,
2008, 390pp + notes)
Elizabeth Rosenthal’s biography of the man who
was known as “The Great One” for most of the last century
is somewhat of a throwback. It’s a thorough and comprehensive
treatment of Peterson’s rise from a poor Jamestown beginning to
his reign as the preeminent wildlife artist of his time. Rosenthal
shows that young Roger’s gifts developed early and that,
throughout his life, his genius was readily apparent in spite of his
natural shyness and social awkwardness. Peterson was only twenty-six in
1938 when he published his first field guide. That single act
revolutionized not only every field guide that followed, but the infant
pastime of bird-watching as well. For the first time birders could
carry a guide into the field that described birds as they look alive,
instead of dead in hand.
As I’ve said, this book is a bit old
fashioned: methodical and complete instead of sketchy and scandalous.
Rosenthal doesn’t shy away from showing her subject’s warts
and failings, but she always maintains a genuine fondness for The Great
One. It makes for a great read. And be sure to check out her
website and her other publications at http://www.petersonbird.com
Gulf Coast Christmas Bird Counts:
Citizen Science at Work
Hancock County – December 16
(from an email by Ned Boyajian, Count Coordinator)
First, I would like to thank you all for your efforts and commitment.
Not many people would be willing to pay five dollars for the privilege
on stumbling about all day in the fog. Nevertheless the results were a
bit disappointing, only 144 species and a near record low of c. 14000
individuals. Only two species were even marginally unusual: Long-tailed
Duck and Sandhill Crane (which I think JoRee sent over to us out
of pity).
Certainly, the fog and denial of access to the Waveland Lagoon had some
bearing on these results, and we are still plagued by the effects, both
direct and indirect, of Katrina. But in the long term, I think we
simply need to adjust to the fact that there are far, far less birds in
the world than there once were. One positive note is that the parity of
results among the territories seems to indicate that our territory
sizes and allocation of observers are getting better. I'd like to
hear from all of you on this and any other suggestions you might have
for improving the count.
Jackson County – December 19
(by Ronnie Blackwell)
On December 19th Pine Woods members Diane Lafferty, Jeremy Nicholson
and Ron Blackwell traveled to the Gulf Coast to participate in The
Jackson County Christmas Bird Count. We had great weather and an easy
day counting hundreds of song birds in the Gulf Islands National
Seashore and surrounding areas. We explored some great habitats that
might make for good field trip destinations in the future. But the
highlight of the trip was the hospitality shown us by the Woodrey
family. A preliminary tally promises an official count of more than 150
species.
Pine Woods Audubon Christmas Bird Count
Saturday, January 3, 2009
We currently have five teams (well, Diane is a team of 1 and needs help
to cover Petal & outlying areas!) participating with sixteen
counters registered. If you want to participate, get word to
Larry Smith or just contact one of the Team Captains: Grayson
Rayborn, Diane Lafferty, Jim Puckett, or Ronnie Blackwell. If dawn is
too early, meet us for lunch at Shoney’s in town for a
preliminary count and afternoon planning session (and food, of
course!). Or, count your birds at home and bring your list to the
compilation at Larry & Linda’s house (or you can call them in
to Larry: 601-818-9158). We will continue counting the three days
after, so let me know if you see something unusual or even rare!
All birds and birders welcome!
Happy New Year! See you Saturday evening at 6:17 p.m. at 3207
Arlington Loop!
Calendar of Events
January 3, 2009 (Saturday):
Pine Woods Audubon Society Christmas
Bird Count. Contact Larry Smith, Count Coordinator, to
participate (601-818-9158). Lunch at Noon at Shoney’s in
Hattiesburg; Compilation at 6:17 p.m. at the Smith home (3207 Arlington
Loop).
January 8, 2009 (Thursday):
Pine Woods Audubon Society Board
Meeting, 6:15 p.m. in Hattiesburg Zoo Education Center.
The Public is invited to attend. Contact any Board Member or
officer for more information or to add something to the Agenda.
January 8, 2009 (Thursday):
Pine Woods Audubon Society Chapter
Meeting, 7 p.m. in Hattiesburg Zoo Education Center.
PROGRAM: Lake Thoreau (Dr. Mike Davis). Contact Program Chair
Chuck Gramling (601-408-0499) for information.
January 13, 2009 (Tuesday):
Pine Woods Audubon Society Birding
Committee Meeting, 5:30 p.m. at the Keg & Barrel
Restaurant. Contact Ron Blackwell (601-545-2437) for information.
TBA in January: Field Trip to Sandhill Crane Refuge,
north of Ocean Springs. Contact Ron Blackwell (601-545-2437) for
information.
January 18, 2009: Deadline for items for December Pine
Warbler to newsletter editor by email (lin.harper@usm.edu), by
phone (601-545-2437), or by fax (Attn: Lin @ 601-266-6541).