november-december 2009 flicker flashes birmingham audubon society newsletter

8/9/2019 November-December 2009 Flicker Flashes Birmingham Audubon Society Newsletter

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Volume LXII, Number 3 November/December 2009

63636363rdrdrdrd Birmingham Audubon Society Christmas BanquetBirmingham Audubon Society Christmas BanquetBirmingham Audubon Society Christmas BanquetBirmingham Audubon Society Christmas BanquetTuesday, December 1, 2009, Vestavia Country ClubTuesday, December 1, 2009, Vestavia Country ClubTuesday, December 1, 2009, Vestavia Country ClubTuesday, December 1, 2009, Vestavia Country Club

~featuring~~featuring~~featuring~~featuring~Gary Mullen and Beth MotherwellGary Mullen and Beth MotherwellGary Mullen and Beth MotherwellGary Mullen and Beth Motherwell

Come celebrate the 2009 holiday season and our Ala-bama natural heritage at the 63rd annual BirminghamAudubon Society Christmas banquet on Tuesday, Decem-ber 1st at the Vestavia Country Club. Join with us to wel-come Beth Motherwell, University of Alabama Press andDr. Gary R. Mullen, Ph.D. Auburn University, guestspeakers, as they introduce us to Philip Henry Gosse andthe Alabama he described in the early 1800's.

Beth Motherwell is the Chief Copywriter andDevelopment Officer of the University of Ala-bama Press and the driving force behind a

series of field guides in the works devotedto the wonderful and diverse world of Ala-bama natural history. The first and secondvolumes of this series, named the GosseNature Guides, will appear next May in theFall/Winter 2010 Catalog of the UA Press:Butterflies of Alabama by Sara Bright andPaulette Ogard and Nature Journal by L.J.Davenport.

Dr. Gary R. Mullen is a professor of ento-mology in the Department of Entomologyand Plant Pathology at Auburn University.

He holds a MS and Ph. D. in entomolgy andinsect ecology from Cornell University. Dr.Mullen has a distinguished career in the naturalsciences and academia as a professor, honoree, officerand board member of many professional societies andauthor. His achievements and honors are too numerous tolist here. As a member of the Auburn University facultysince 1975, he has taught courses in medical and veteri-nary entomology, aquatic insects and arachnids.

A particular interest of his is the pioneering English natu-ralist, Philip Henry Gosse, who sojourned in DallasCounty, Alabama in 1838. Gosse had a fascination with

Alabama natural history, particularly insects. Dr. Mullenwas instrumental in bringing to Auburn the first exhibit ofGosse's beautiful watercolors of Alabama insects,"Entomologia Alabamensis". He has written the entry forGosse on the Encyclopedia of Alabama website and theIntroduction and an essay in the forthcoming "EntomologiaAlabamensis", which will be co-published by University ofAlabama Press and Auburn University in the Fall of 2010,

to coincide with the 200th anniversary ofGosse's birth (1810-1888).

Philip Henry Gosse came to Alabama via

Canada, where he became a self-taughtstudent of the entomology of Newfound-land. In 1838, he found employment withRueben Saffold, a plantation owner inPleasant Hill, Alabama, as a schoolmas-ter. During his time in Dallas County, hestudied and drew the local flora andfauna, which he later published alongwith his observations of plantation life asLetters from Alabama, 1838. As a natu-

ralist, Gosse is known for his original andpioneering work in marine zoology and orni-

thology. He was the foremost popularizer of

natural history in mid-Victorian England andwas elected a fellow of the Royal Society of Lon-don in 1856. He published more than 40 books,

among which are The Birds of Jamaica (1847), Illustra-tions of the Birds of Jamaica (1848-1849), Popular BritishOrnithology (1849) and Natural History, Birds (1849).

Our March field trip will follow in Gosse's footsteps as weretrace the places he describes in Letters from Alabama.Please see the invitation and reservation form for the ban-quet in this issue ofFlicker Flashes and mail it in soon.Join us in what promises to be a festive and exciting eve-ning.


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Sightings September 1 through September 24, 2009

While mowing an open field on his farm in Leeds, 8 September, Birmingham Audubon member, George Cusick,flushed a small bird that at first he thought to be a female Red-winged Blackbird. However, as it flew a few feet anddropped into the grass he realized it was a rail. Another attempt to flush it failed, typical rail behavior. Fortunately, itflushed again, allowing George a better view, and he realized it was aYellow Rail! He was able to give excellent de-tails to Greg Jackson (Bird Records Editor for Alabama), and it will be recorded as the fifth record for the MountainRegion of Alabama. This bird probably migrates through Alabama far more often than we realize, but, because of itssecretive nature, is seldom seen.

Another seldom seen migrant, Mourning Warbler, was seen at Clay, 5 September, by Bob and Martha Sargent, andRuffner Mountain, 20 September, by Greg and Debi Jackson.

Other sightings were:

Contributors:

Please submit sightings for January 2010 FFat least five days before the December 1, 2009 deadline to:Ann Miller, 520 Yorkshire Drive, Birmingham, Al. 35209

Alice ChristensonGeorge CusickGreg HarberSue HutchisonJohn Imhof

Greg and Debi JacksonHelen KittingerAnne G. MillerBob and Martha SargentMaureen ShafferHarriett Wright

9/1 White Ibis; American Kestrel (4); Common Ground-Dove; American Golden Plover (2); Shelby County(MS,AGM,HK).

9/5 Hooded Warbler; Meadowbrook (JI).

9/9 Warblers-Blue-winged, Tennessee (2), Chestnut-sided, Magnolia (2), Yellow, and American Redstart(10); Botanical Gardens (HW,AC).

9/16 Double-crested Cormorant (15);Great Egret (5); Great Blue Heron (25); Logan Martin Dam

Northern Harrier; Shelby County (MS, HK, SH).

9/19 Sandpipers- Western and Buff-breasted; Pell City mudhole (GJ,DJ).

9/24 Yellow-bellied Flycatcher; Warblers- Blue-winged (2) and Blackburnian (5); Ruffner Mountain (GJ).

Common Nighthawk (150-200!) Homewood (GH).


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November Monthly MeetingEnsuring the Survival of Diamondback Terrapins

on the Gulf Coast of AlabamaPresented by: Andrew Coleman,

Ph.D. candidate at UABs Department of Biology Wildlife ServiceThursday, November 19, 2009, 7:00 p.m.

Birmingham Zoo AuditoriumThe diamondback terrapin is a unique species that hasexperienced a rich cultural history in the United States. Itis the only North American turtle to exclusively inhabitbrackish water environments of salt marshes,bays, and estuaries. At the turn of the twenti-eth century, terrapin stew was considereda gourmet food item. Unfortunately, manypopulations throughout the terrapinsrange are now experiencing a drasticdecline and this decline has been ob-served in Alabama. Andrews study attempts to as-sess the current situation and determine which factors

are threatening the future survival of terrapins in Ala-bama. History of diamondback terrapins in Alabama willbe discussed along with some of the ongoing research

efforts which are designed to better understand the con-servation concerns of this ecologically important species.

Andy Coleman received his B.S. in biology fromthe University of Alabama in 2002. He com-

pleted a M.S. at Appalachian State Univer-sity in 2005, where his research focusedon salamander speciation and phylogenet-

ics. In addition to his Ph.D. research ondiamondback terrapins at UAB, he is

also working on a M.S. in environmental policyfrom Johns Hopkins University. Following his graduation

he plans to enter the environmental policy field.

Come Early for Refreshments and Conversation

On September 1, 2009, BAS launched our new and im-proved website. If you have not seen the website, pleasecheck it out: www.birminghamaudubon.org. Thanks toall the hard work of Website Committee Members,Donna Shook, Jean Folsom, Hans Paul, and Bob Tate,

and our new Webmaster, Ernie Stokely, we have a veryexciting and easy to use website, filled with tonsof information. The feedback from thecommunity has been very positive andwith your help and input, we will continueto make updates and improvements.

Following are just a few reasons whyyou will want to use the website.

Get the latest and most up-to-date infor-mation about BAS activities by visitingthe Home page. The current months FieldTrips and Monthly Meeting information arelisted here. Also found on the Home page areField Trip Reports and Breaking News, a sectionwhich will be posted when we have something to share.Most recently we used this section to post a notice of themigrating nighthawks and where to find them. Did youget to see them?

TIP: At the bottom of many articles, especially on theHome page, you will see a Read more: link. You willneed to click on this link to read the entire article.

Recent Article Updates will list the last eight articles

that have been updated on the website. Just click on thearticle name to go directly to the article. This is a greatway to find out whats new on the website!

Pending Calendar Events gives you a quick glance at

the BAS calendar. There is an entire month listed and allyou have to do is click on an event to betaken to the details.

Need to contact us or send us somebreaking news? Go to Other Links at

the bottom of the Home page. ReportWeb Site Issues can be used to reportany problems you might find with thewebsite. Contact Us will send yourmessage directly to our AdministrativeDirector, Bianca BJ Allen. SubmitBreaking News can be used to submit

articles to our Breaking News reviewpanel. If you know of something that would

be of interest to the birding community, please let usknow!

If you decide you want to purchase one of those goodlooking shirts with the BAS logo that everyone is wear-ing, go to the BAS Merchandise page from the AboutUs menu for more information.

Shirley Farrell's Kid's Corneris posted underEduca-tion which is a great way for you to share it with your

(Continued on page 9)

BAS Launches New Website!


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November Field Trips

Tapawingo SpringsSaturday, November 7, 2009, 7:00 a.m.

Tapawingo Springs and the headwaters of Turkey Creek

will be the site of our November half-day field trip Satur-day, November the 7th. These beautiful, clear waterwaysare the home of several federally endangered fish spe-cies - the Watercress Darter, the Rush Darter and theVermilion Darter. Owned by the Freshwater LandTrust, the property is undergoing restoration bymembers and volunteers of the Trust. Their ef-forts are aided by BAS' donation of the 2009Birdathon funds.

Travel plans: Meet at 7:00 a.m. in the parking lot atthe now-out-of-business Winn-Dixie at the T-intersectionof AL-75 and AL-151. Staff from the Freshwater Land

Trust will be our escorts. Parking is limited at theSprings, so please consolidate rides as much as possi-ble. There are several routes to the Winn-Dixie parking

lot; travel north on AL-75 (Parkway East); from I-20/59,

take Exit 128 (Tallapoosa St.) onto AL-79, travel north tothe junction with AL-151, turn right to the intersec-

tion with AL-75; from I-59, take Exit 141 (Clay-Chalkville Road), go back over the inter-

state and continue on Chalkville MountainRoad. As you pass Old Springville Road (Publixon your right), the road name will change toSweeney Hollow Road. Continue on Sweeney

Hollow Road to AL-75, turn right and travel throughPinson to the T-intersection with AL-151.

Bring water, snacks, your cameras and binoculars.Dress appropriately for the weather.

For further information, please call Jessica Germany at595-0814 or Maureen Shaffer at 822-8728.

Wheeler National Wildlife RefugeSaturday, November 21, 2009, 7:00 a.m.

The last of the fall migrants will have moved south by thetime you read this newsletter, and a whole host of winter

visitors will have taken their place in your yards and atthe feeders. Winter is right around the corner,and that can only mean one thing. Its time forthe annual BAS trip to Wheeler NWR, nearDecatur in North Alabama. Plan to join uson Saturday, November 21 to view thou-sands of Snow and Canada Geese, ducks,ducks and more ducks, perhaps a few SandhillCranes and whatever else decides to surprise us!

Travel plans: Our gathering place is the parkinglot at the Fieldstown Road Shopping Center inGardendale, off I-65N at exit #271 (FieldstownRoad). Turn right on to Fieldstown Road, an-other right onto Odum Road, and an immediate left intothe shopping center. We will leave at 7:00 a.m. and cara-van up I-65N toward Decatur to the Priceville exit (#334), a drive of approximately 60 miles, and reconveneat the Hardees at 8:30 a.m.

After a rest break, we will announce further details. Ourgroup will separate into sub-parties, which will be lead by

expert birders through various locales of the refuge, suchas White Springs dike, Arrowhead Landing at Limestone

Bay, Beaverdam Peninsula with its viewing platform, andthe Buckeye Unit of the Refuge. One major bonus is thatwe will be able to travel to areas of the refuge that arebehind gates that are normally locked and inaccessibleto cars.

This will be an all-day trip, so bring a picniclunch, drinks and snacks. Remember,

weather this time of year can be changeable, sodressing in layers is advised. Have a full tank of

gas. Bring your binoculars and spotting scopes.For those who wish, supper may be shared at a local

restaurant at days end.

Please try to consolidate riders and car pool as much aspossible. If you are leaving your vehicle at any of thegathering areas, please park it at the far edges so as toavoid congestion around shops and stores.

For questions and details, please call our field trip leader:Greg Harber, 251-2133.


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Here follows a summary of issues addressed by theConservation committee, any action taken and newsconcerning issues that came to light during the summer:

The suggestions and ideas that arose from the StrategicPlan as applicable to the Conservation Committee werediscussed along with what steps are needed to imple-ment them. The concept of being proactive versus reac-tive, the hows of addressing issues, i.e. position papers,the writing table and other writings were discussed. Itwas decided that the theme of migration and how to pro-vide food, water and shelter for migrating birds would be

an excellent way to initiate our proactive phase. By iden-tifying and compiling a list of areas and places alreadyprotected and those in need, we may be able to takesteps to begin a process to obtain such protection.

The recent "report card" jointly issued by the Gulf Resto-ration Network and the Alabama Rivers Alliance, gavethe state of Alabama a D+ for its failure to implementparts of the federal Clean Water Act. The subject of theWriting Table this month was to encourage the AlabamaDepartment of Environmental Management (ADEM) tocarry out the regulations and policies of the Act.

Endangered Species: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Servicehas closed thousands of caves and former mines in Na-tional Forests in 33 states in an effort to control a fungusthat has killed an estimated half-million bats. The ordercovers the Forest Service 13-state Southeast region.Biologists are concerned that entire populations of bats,particularly endangered species like the Gray Bat, theIndiana Bat and the Ozark Big Eared Bat, could bewiped out. The fungus affects bats' hibernation habitsand causes them to starve. At this point, it has not beendetermined what is causing the fungus. Bats are benefi-cial mammals, playing an important role in keeping in-sects such as mosquitoes under control. They feed dur-ing the months of April through October, consuming their

body weight in insects every night. The loss of half a mil-lion bats means that 3.4 million pounds of insects werenot consumed during the year.

On the international front, more than 200,000 acres ofwetlands in the Bay of Panama have been officiallydesignated as a Protected Area under the country of

Panama's National Protected Area System. More thanhalf of the wetlands in the Bay are now in a protectedstatus.

Nationally, the Second Court of Appeals ruled on Sep-tember 21 that five large electric power plants (in theNortheast) can be sued in federal court because the car-bon dioxide emissions contributed to a host of danger-ous impacts in several states: rising temperatures, heatwaves, forest fires, smog and drought. The SecondCourt held that federal courts are empowered to curbdamaging carbon pollution, unless and until the legisla-

tive and executive branches actually regulate pollutionwith legislation.As of press time, the Environmental Protection Agencyannounced a proposed rule to begin to regulate green-house gas emissions of large power plants and industrialfacilities. The rule will require polluters emitting at least25,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions to install thebest technology to capture the emissions.

The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) has stated thatnearly $3 billion is projected in clean up costs and opera-tional changes for the coal ash spill at the Kingston planton December 22 of last year. This amount would be ap-plied to its customers. 3 million cubic yards of ash havebeen removed to the Arrowhead Landfill near Uniontownin Perry County. The cleanup is expected to be com-pleted by Spring 2010. The TVA president says that hehas not been able to find an individual that is culpable tothe point that someone needs to fired.

Breaking News:

Shipments to Arrowhead Landfill in Perry County areproceeding on a faster pace than anticipated. Thespeed-up is aimed at cleaning up the disaster by earlyspring. 110 rail cars (as opposed to 85 cars) filled with

coal ash laced with toxic chemicals are moving throughBirmingham and the surrounding area from Kingston, TNon their way to the landfill. An EPA spokesman said themain concern was that the rail cars be properly lined andcovered and that the landfill is able to manage thewaste. ADEM reports that the landfill remains within itspermitted daily disposal limit of 15,000 tons of waste.


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Water Fowl

Alabama has many lakes, rivers, and swamps which pro-vide excellent overwintering habitat for waterfowl. Water-fowl includes members of the orderAnseriformes,which are ducks, geese, and swans. These birds areeasily recognized by their small stout bodies, webbedfeet, and short bills.

Lets start with the ducks. Male ducksare more colorful than females. How-ever, the male duck goes through an

eclipse phase of molting those colorfulfeathers. During this time the malesand females look alike.

There are four subfamilies of ducksthat are found in Alabama, mostly dur-ing the winter months: Dabbling, Div-ing, Sea, and Whistling.

The most common ducks in Alabama, Wood and Mal-lard, are in the Dabbling Duck group. These ducks areeasy to recognize when they are feeding. Their tails stickstraight up in the air and their heads are underwater.

They eat plants, mollusks, and insects. Many times,these ducks walk around on the land near the water.Other ducks found in this group are Teals, Shovelers,and Pintails.

Diving ducks are the freshwater ducks that dive under-water to catch fish, mollusks, and insects to eat. Theseducks have their legs positioned further back on theirbodies than dabbling ducks. It is difficult for these ducks

to walk around on landdue to the position oftheir legs on their bodies.To take flight they musttake a running start inorder to lift off of the wa-ter. Common ducks inthis group are Canvas-back, Scaup, and Red-head.

Sea Ducks are diving ducks that are found in saltwaterhabitats. Some of these ducks also live in freshwaterhabitats for part of the year, too. This group includesMergansers, Scoters, Bufflehead, and Long-tailedDucks.

The Whistling Duck group is characterized by the soundsthey make. This group makes whistling sounds insteadof quacking. The Fulvous Whistling-Duck has bred inAlabama in the past and is occasionally seen during thewinter months.

The Canada Goose can be found throughout the stateyear-round. This goose species was originally a wintermigrant. As lakes were built, people purchased these

geese to stay year round. Today,many people feel these geese are anuisance because they multiply rapidlyand leave messes on lawns and side-walks. Geese feed on land, eatinggrass, leaves, seeds, grains, andsometimes, aquatic plants. Othergeese that can be seen during thewinter months are Snow (or BlueGoose), Rosss, and White-fronted.

Swans are those large, graceful white birds but unfortu-nately, are rarely seen in Alabama. The only swan thathas been officially recorded in Alabama is the TundraSwan.

During the winter months of

September through Marchyou may see about 26 spe-cies of ducks, 4 species ofGeese, and if youre lucky,one species of swan in Ala-bama. The best areas tolook for waterfowl are LakeGuntersville, Wheeler Na-tional Wildlife Refuge, Eu-faula National Wildlife Ref-uge, and the Gulf Coast. On Saturday, November 21st,the Birmingham Audubon Society will take a field trip toWheeler National Wildlife Refuge. What a great way to

see the various species of waterfowl in Alabama withbirding experts! For more information about this field tripsee the November Field Trips section of this newsletter.

A couple of great websites to learn how to identify thedifferent types of ducks, geese, and swans by sight andsound are: http://www.ducks.org/hunting/waterfowlgallery.aspx and http://www.enature.com (clickon birds).

Duckling artist - Jaeden, 4th grade, TuscaloosaSwan artist - Meredith, 4th grade, Tuscaloosa

Geese artist - Mary Margaret, 4th grade, Tuscaloosa


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45th Annual BAS Fall Count Saturday, September 26, 2009

Canada Goose 581Wood Duck 30Mallard 32Blue-winged Teal 21Wild Turkey 13Northern Bobwhite 10Pied-billed Grebe 3Double-crested Cormorant 73Great Blue Heron 50Great Egret 76Snowy Egret 1Cattle Egret CWGreen Heron 12Black-crowned Night Heron 1Yellow-crowned Night Heron 9White Ibis 2Black Vulture 37Turkey Vulture 28Osprey 3

Bald Eagle 2Northern Harrier 2Sharp-shinned Hawk 5Cooper's Hawk 7Red-shouldered Hawk 26Broad-winged Hawk 125Red-tailed Hawk 29American Kestrel 12Sora 1Killdeer 210Spotted Sandpiper 4Semipalmated Sandpiper 1Pectoral Sandpiper 4

Buff-breasted Sandpiper 3Rock Pigeon 207Eurasian Collared-Dove 23Mourning Dove 602Common Ground-Dove 3Yellow-billed Cuckoo 3Eastern Screech-Owl 8Great Horned Owl 2Barred Owl 12Common Nighthawk 1Chimney Swift 49

Ruby-throated Hummingbird 62Belted Kingfisher 19Red-headed Woodpecker 28Red-bellied Woodpecker 74Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 1Downy Woodpecker 55Hairy Woodpecker 4Northern Flicker 13Pileated Woodpecker 19Eastern Wood-Pewee 26Yellow-bellied Flycatcher CWAcadian Flycatcher 1Empidonax Species 1Eastern Phoebe 103Great Crested Flycatcher 1Eastern Kingbird 1Loggerhead Shrike 6White-eyed Vireo 26Yellow-throated Vireo 2

Philadelphia Vireo 1Red-eyed Vireo 14Blue Jay 224American Crow 631Fish Crow 7Barn Swallow 4Swallow Species 2Carolina Chickadee 192Tufted Titmouse 160White-breasted Nuthatch 34Brown-headed Nuthatch 27Carolina Wren 119Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 11Eastern Bluebird 226Swainson's Thrush 5Wood Thrush 6American Robin 31Gray Catbird 23Northern Mockingbird 233Brown Thrasher 46European Starling 721Blue-winged Warbler 1Golden-winged Warbler 1

Tennessee Warbler 16Northern Parula 1Yellow Warbler 1Chestnut-sided Warbler 3Magnolia Warbler 16Black-throated Blue Warbler CWYellow-rumped Warbler 2Black-throated Green Warbler 2Blackburnian Warbler 1Yellow-throated Warbler 2Pine Warbler 36Palm Warbler 1Bay-breasted Warbler CWBlack-and-white Warbler 3American Redstart 14Worm-eating Warbler 1Northern Waterthrush 1Common Yellowthroat 6Hooded Warbler 4

Wilson's Warbler 1Canada Warbler 1Yellow-breasted Chat 1Summer Tanager 16Scarlet Tanager 8Eastern Towhee 54Chipping Sparrow 44Field Sparrow 17Lark Sparrow 1Song Sparrow 3Northern Cardinal 303Rose-breasted Grosbeak 15Blue Grosbeak 8

Indigo Bunting 104Red-winged Blackbird 135Eastern Meadowlark 20Common Grackle 8Brown-headed Cowbird 102House Finch 125American Goldfinch 56House Sparrow 70

Total 6,687

Conditions on count day were gloomy to start the morning and at times storms interrupted the counting for severalhours; temperatures ranged from 70-77, with light NW breezes. The weeks preceding the count were very wet due toa stationary-slow moving low-pressure system. 30 observers in 14 parties spent 96.45 hours in the field with an addi-tional 3 hours devoted to owling; covered 609.5 miles by car and 27.6 miles on foot, tallying 121 species on countday, with 4 count week species. A total of 22.75 feeder watch hours were reported. Special thanks to Jean Folsom,our gracious compilation hostess, and to all who spent time afield. Sharon Hudgins, Compiler.

Observers by party, leaders in boldface: Sharon Hudgins, David George, Greg Harber, Bianca J. Allen, MarieBlair, Jessica Germany, Donna Shook, Mary Frances Stayton, John Imhof, Frank Farrell, Harriett Wright, Mary LouMiller, Katherine Bouma, Lida Hill, Mary Hines, Gina McWilliams, Elisa Mejia, Jeff Pribble, John Swan, Helen Kit-tinger, Sue Hutchison, Rick Kittinger, Ron Kittinger, Jim Sherrill, Sallie Brice, Allen Brice, Maureen Shaffer, GregJackson: Feeder Watchers: Anita Alldredge and Donna Shook, Linda Cicero, Nancy Simmer& Montevallo resi-dents.


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74th Annual Birmingham Audubon Society Christmas Bird CountSunday, December 27, 2009

All BAS members and friends are invited to participate inthe 74th BAS Christmas Bird Count, to be held Sunday,December 27, 2009. The Birmingham Audubon SocietyCBC was begun in 1946 and thanks to the continued

support of our dedicated members and friends this won-derful Christmas tradition continues to this day. Considermaking the Christmas Bird Count a part of your holidaytradition and join in the fun on count day.

Accompanying this article you will find a copy of the mapdetailing the count circle and the various territories withinthe circle. I invite all of our members to consider partici-pating in the count by choosing an area (you do not haveto live within the territory or the count circle) and contact-ing the corresponding party leader to make arrange-ments to join the group. If you are not able or do not wishto participate, but have some unusual winter birds visit-

ing your feeders that we should record for the count,please call us in advance. We especially would love tohear from you if you have some owls in your neighbor-hood or wintering hummingbirds!

Get your holidays off to a merry start by joining in thecount. David George will handle compiling duties andMaureen Shaffer will host our compilation at her home,located at 2313 Chestnut Road in Vestavia Hills near theCountry Club. Call Maureen if you need directions: 205-822-8728. The compilation will begin at 5:00 p.m. Mau-reen will provide a light meal for participants so no needto eat before arriving.

Greg Harber~ for the Bird Counts Committee

Area Leader Phone

123

4/7

John Imhof (contact)Greg HarberMary L. MillerStan/Dana Hamilton

995-0688251-2133879-5984951-5630

Area Leader Phone

5/68/9101112

Pelham RowanHelen KittingerMaureen ShafferAndrew HaffendenDavid George

970-0844560-0778822-8728428-1700477-5074


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The Birmingham Audubon Society gratefully acknowledges the following gifts and memorial donations:

Memorial for Lev Hazlegrove from Sheila BancroftMemorial for Robin Burks from Elberta G. Reid

Audubon Teaches NatureNature Photography ~ Capturing Birds and Critters in Photographs

Presented by Paul FranklinSunday, November 15, 2009, 2:00 p.m.

The Wildlife Center at Oak Mountain State Park

Wildlife watching is a popular and ever-growing hobbyfor many an outdoor recreation enthusiast. Ecotourismfestivals are popular in many states and we enjoy at-tending them to sample the local flora and fauna.Capturing images of the wildlife you see in yourbackyard or during your travels helps prolongyour enjoyment of the wildlife you ob-serve. And, the advent of digital cameratechnology has made it all even easier.But have you ever wanted to add thatextra touch that adds pop to your pho-tographs? Well, heres your chance tolearn!

Paul Franklin is a past-president of BAS and a long-timeinstructor at the Audubon Mountain Workshop. Paul isalso an accomplished photographer who teaches pho-tography classes at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens,and his column on birdwatching is a regular feature inThe Birmingham News. Greg Harber said, As a studentof many of Pauls birding and photography classes, I can

assure you that attending this seminar will help to im-prove your photography skills.

As usual, we will gather for refreshments prior to the pro-gram, in the front Observation Room at the Ala-

bama Wildlife Center. After refreshments andsome social time together, we willmove to the Auditorium for the after-

noons program. Door prizes will beawarded but you must register and be present

in order to win. The programs are free but parkadmission is $3.00 per person.

The next seminar:

January 17- Sandra Allinson, Curt Cearly, andAshley Rozelle-Gault,Birds on Parade ~ Close Encounters withAlabamas Birds of Prey

Come early for fellowship and refreshments in theObservation Room at The Center!

Choose reusable alternatives to disposables: Rags vs. paper towels

Cloth napkins vs. paper napkins

Cups and glasses vs. styrofoam and plastics Lidded containers and bowls vs. plastic wraps or silver paper

Eco-Friendly Advice - Recycling Tips

grandchildren, nieces, and nephews. Don't worry, theywill know how to find it on the computer just give themthe website address.

The current issue ofFlicker Flashes is available onlinewell in advance of you receiving your copy in the mail.Its also a great way to read it when you are out of town!Youll find it on the News menu.

The Photos page is a work in progress. We will soonpost photos from many of our field trips. If you have pho-tos you want to share, please send them to Jean [email protected]. Keep an eye on this page!

Well, that is just a sampling of ourSUPER COOL web-site. Hope you all enjoy using it! Please visit the websiteoften and let us know what you think!

(Continued from page 3)


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BirminghamAudubon Society

cordially invites you to attend its

63rdAnnual Christmas DinnerTuesday, the First of December,Two Thousand and Nine

at Six-thirty in the Evening

Vestavia Country ClubVestavia Country ClubVestavia Country ClubVestavia Country Club400 Beaumont Drive, Vestavia Hills, 35216400 Beaumont Drive, Vestavia Hills, 35216400 Beaumont Drive, Vestavia Hills, 35216400 Beaumont Drive, Vestavia Hills, 35216

Reservations cannot be accepted after November 24, 2009

Name________________________________________________________

Address ______________________________________________________

Please make ______ reservations for the following people (at $38.00 per person):

________________________________________________________________

Enclosed is a check in the amount of $ __________

I prefer to sit with: _____________________________________________________

Make check payable to:Birmingham Audubon Society

Return check & form to:Mrs. Mary Brewer

3145 Warrington RoadBirmingham, AL 35223

(205) 967-0752

Philip Henry Gosse:Philip Henry Gosse:Philip Henry Gosse:Philip Henry Gosse:

A Young English NaturalistA Young English NaturalistA Young English NaturalistA Young English Naturalist

in Alabama, 1838.in Alabama, 1838.in Alabama, 1838.in Alabama, 1838.Presented by:

Gary Mullen and Beth Motherwell


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clip along dotted line

~ Membership Application ~Birmingham Audubon Society/National Audubon Society

Yearly membership includes a quarterly subscription to Audubon magazineand 8 issues ofFlicker Flashes, the Birmingham chapter newsletter.

Name: _________________________________________________________

Address: _______________________________________________________

City: _____________________________ State: __________ Zip: _________

Phone: ( ) ______________________

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Birmingham Audubon SocietyP.O. Box 314

Birmingham, AL 35201

Phone: 205-714-8227

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Field Trip ReportTom Imhof Family Bird Walk

Saturday, October 3, 2009

Todays Birmingham Audubon Society field trip to thewoods at the Birmingham Zoo produced a few migrantsthat were enjoyed by all. This Family Bird Walk is heldeach spring and fall in memory of Tom Imhof, and we

were led today by Harriett Wright and Toms son, John.Also present were our president, Mau-reen Shaffer, and members Lida,Mary, Pelham, Brooks, John andyours truly.

Several warbler species were observed:Black-throated Green, Golden-winged,Tennessee, Pine, Chestnut-sided andAmerican Redstart. There were multiplesightings of Philadelphia Vireos (five, I be-lieve), Red-eyed and White-eyed Vireos, Scarletand Summer Tanagers, Wood and Gray-cheeked

Thrushes, Red-shouldered and Coopers Hawks, Red-bellied,

Red-headed and Downy Woodpeckers, and Brown-headed and White-breasted Nuthatches. An EasternPhoebe and Least Flycatcher rounded out the bunch.Escorting all these birds through the woodlands were theusual contingent of chickadees and titmice, who were so

kind to loudly announce their arrivals and departures.

When I arrived back at my Southside (Birmingham)apartment I was greeted by the sound of more chicka-

dees and titmice, so naturally I investigated a bit andwas surprised to find an Eastern Wood-Pewee, NorthernParula and American Redstart in the tree over head.

Hardly what I would call ideal bird habitat aroundhere, but I guess the birds were more interested inthe bugs in the hackberry than in the zip code.

Many thanks to Francesca at the BirminghamZoo for tending to our early morning needs; she

supplied the utensils and hot water for thecoffee and hot chocolate.

Thanks also to our president, Mau-

reen Shaffer, for bringing the Krispy Kreme doughnuts!We'd also like to thank Francesca for giving us an upclose and personal look at Falco, the American Kestrel,when we returned from our walk. Falco is one of severalbirds in the Zoo's Bird Education Program.

Submitted by: Greg Harber


12/12

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Birmingham Audubon SocietyA Chapter of the National Audubon SocietyP.O. Box 314Birmingham, AL 35201

Business Office:200 19th Street NorthBirmingham, AL 35203(205) 714-8227Email: [email protected]

DATED MATERIALPlease deliver by November 1, 2009

Birmingham Audubon Societywww.birminghamaudubon.org(205) 879-7709

Flicker Flashes is published eight times a year bythe Birmingham Audubon Society.Editor: Greg Harber (205) 251-2133Co-Asst Editor: Bianca J. Allen (205) 854-5233Co-Asst Editor: Donna Shook (205) 664-2982

Non-Profit Org.U.S. Postage

PAID

Permit No. 3794Birmingham, AL

Copies ofFlicker Flashes can be viewed and downloaded from the BAS web site: www.birminghamaudubon.org

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BAS 1/2 day Field Trip, Tapawingo SpringsAudubon Teaches Nature,The Wildlife Center, 2:00 p.m.Board Meeting, Birmingham Zoo Auditorium(BZA), 5:45 p.m.General Meeting, BZA, 7:00 p.m.Andrew T. Coleman, UAB Dept. of Biology,Ensuring the Survival of Diamondback Terrapins

on the Gulf Coast of AlabamaBAS Field Trip, Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge

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Flicker Flashes articles due, January issueChristmas Banquet - Vestavia Country ClubChristmas Bird Count - Wheeler NWRChristmas Bird Count - GuntersvilleChristmas Bird Count - Birmingham (74th)

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Flicker Flashes articles due, February issueChristmas Bird Count - Gulf ShoresBAS 1/2 day Field Trip, Ruffner MountainAudubon Teaches Nature,The Wildlife Center, 2:00 p.m.Board Meeting, Birmingham Zoo Auditorium(BZA), 5:45 p.m.General Meeting, BZA, 7:00 p.m.

Dr. Ken Marion, UAB Professor,The Galapagos Islands: A Land Time ForgotAlabama Ornithological Society meeting,Lake Point State Park, Eufaula, ALBAS Field Trip, Guntersville State Park

november-december 2009 flicker flashes birmingham audubon society newsletter

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