Dayton Audubon Society

"The Yellow Warbler"

The Newsletter of the Dayton Audubon Society

March 2008

Volume 71  - No. 1

Dayton Audubon Society, 1375 E. Siebenthaler Ave., Dayton, OH 45414-5398
Yellow Warbler
Photo by Jim Simpson

Calendar

Please see the Field Trip Schedule for more Spring Field Trip details.

Wednesday, March 5; Thursday March 6 and 13; and Friday, March 14; 6:30 p.m.
Woodcock Walks at Aullwood

Tuesday, March 11, 7:30 p.m.
DAS Board of Directors Meeting.
Harrigan Auto Center Reserve, 475 Congress Park Dr.

Sunday, March 16, 9:00 a.m.
Gem City Birders Field Trip: Spring Valley Wildlife Area.
Contact Nancy Nerny, 278-4022, for details.

Wednesday, March 19, 7:00 p.m.
Dayton Audubon Society Meeting.
Please check our website, www.dayton.net/audubon/, or the Rare Bird Alert hotline, 937-640-2473, for details.

Thursday, March 27, 7:00 - 9:30 p.m. and Saturday, March 29, 6:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m.
Aullwood Wild Wonderful Waterfowl Workshop and Field Trip
Explore the fascinating world of Ohio's loons, grebes, swans, geese, ducks and other fascinating waterbirds. The Thursday presentation will introduce participants to classification, field identification and vocalization, natural history, legend and lore, migration patterns, reference materials and other interesting information about this unique group of birds. The Saturday water- fowling field trip will take participants to Lake Erie and other areas in northern Ohio to observe these remarkable birds. This is part of Aullwood's Center for Lifelong Learning courses; for fees and other details, call Larry Brown or Tom Hissong at (937) 890-7360.



Aullwood Interns

Aullwood Audubon Intern Program Director Nicole Conrad, along with naturalist interns Liz Kautz of Enola, Pennsylvania; Becca Washburn of Newark, Ohio; Michael Landeche of Troy, Ohio and farm intern Aubury Longenecker of Arcanum, Ohio were guest speakers at the February 20, 2008 meeting of the Dayton Audubon Society. Each intern gave a presentation of their duties at Aullwood along with their life goals and dreams.

For many years, Dayton Audubon has helped sponsor the intern program by annually providing a small stipend to each of that year's interns, to help offset living expenses. After the presentation, Dayton Audubon Society president Michael Coogan presented Nicole Conrad with a check for $700.

Following the meeting the group enjoyed a special treat of ice cream in bag, using supplies which the interns brought with them. Pictured are members of DAS, along with the interns, as they prepare to make their individual servings of ice cream in a bag.

Our next DAS program will take place at Wegerzyn Garden Center, 1301 East Siebenthaler Avenue on March 19, from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Our meetings are held in the main auditorium; you can enter through the front doors and elevator or stairs. Everyone is encouraged to attend and bring their friends. Refreshments will be served, and parking is free. Please join us! Hang this article on your 'fridge so you won't forget!



Christmas Bird Count Results

The 83rd annual Dayton Audubon Society Christmas Bird Count, held December 30, 2007, was quite successful, especially compared to last year's sub-par numbers. Our participants recorded 68 species, including record numbers of Canada Geese (4,103) and Peregrine Falcons (2), plus higher-than-usual numbers of Mallards and Ruddy Ducks, and a Long-eared Owl was once again spotted at Carriage Hill MetroPark. However, we recorded disappointingly low numbers of Golden-crowned Kinglets and Eastern Bluebirds.

We thank the Dayton Daily News for their usual excellent coverage of the DAS Christmas Count, and thanks also go out to this year's participants, especially Count Compiler Sue Tackett.


Pied-billed Grebe------------9
Horned Grebe-----------------3
Great Blue Heron------------68
Canada Goose-------------4,103
Mute Swan--------------------2
Gadwall----------------------1
American Black Duck---------13
Mallard------------------1,486
Northern Pintail-------------1
Ring-necked Duck-------------4
Lesser Scaup-----------------2
Hooded Merganser------------88
Common Merganser-------------4
Ruddy Duck-------------------6
Northern Harrier-------------5
Sharp-shinned Hawk-----------1
Cooper's Hawk---------------10
Red-tailed Hawk-------------37
American Kestrel-------------9
Merlin-----------------------1
Peregrine Falcon-------------2
American Coot---------------13
Ring-billed Gull-----------793
Rock Dove------------------395
Mourning Dove--------------708
Eastern Screech Owl----------2
Great Horned Owl-------------2
Barred Owl-------------------3
Long-eared Owl---------------1
Belted Kingfisher-----------16
Red-bellied Woodpecker------66
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker-----5
Downy Woodpecker-----------171
Hairy Woodpecker------------13

Northern Flicker----------------15
Pileated Woodpecker-------------12
Blue Jay------------------------47
American Crow------------------154
Carolina Chickadee-------------406
Tufted Titmouse-----------------87
Red-breasted Nuthatch------------4
White-breasted Nuthatch---------79
Brown Creeper-------------------12
Carolina Wren-------------------48
Winter Wren----------------------2
Golden-crowned Kinglet-----------3
Ruby-crowned Kinglet-------------1
Eastern Bluebird-----------------8
American Robin-----------------658
Northern Mockingbird-------------4
European Starling-----------10,839
Yellow-rumped Warbler-----------19
Eastern Towhee-------------------7
American Tree Sparrow----------183
Field Sparrow--------------------1
Fox Sparrow----------------------1
Song Sparrow-------------------108
Swamp Sparrow--------------------1
White-throated Sparrow---------384
White-crowned Sparrow------------2
Dark-eyed Junco----------------185
Northern Cardinal--------------341
Red-winged Blackbird-------------1
Common Grackle------------------11
Brown-headed Cowbird-------------1
House Finch---------------------84
American Goldfinch-------------140
House Sparrow------------------245


Birdathon Coming Soon!

A springtime tradition and one of our most popular annual events!! Put it on your calendar NOW: Dayton Audubon's annual Birdathon will take place from 5:00 p.m. Friday, April 25, until 5:00 p.m. Saturday, April 26. Teams of DAS birders will be counting bird species in a 24-hour period, all to raise funds for important local environmental work. Again this year, the money we collect will be divided between Aullwood and the Beaver Creek Wetlands Association. Both organizations are dedicated to the education of children and the preservation of natural habitat right here in the greater Dayton area.

Teams are being formed now; if you would like to participate, to make a pledge, or to help raise pledges from your friends, neighbors, and coworkers, call Judy Whitaker at 293-1914 for more information. This year, as a bonus incentive, a $20 or more pledge to Birdathon will earn the donor a one-year membership to National Audubon/Dayton Audubon.

Help DAS in our biggest fundraiser of the year. Call today! (More details about Birdathon will be in your next Yellow Warbler.)



Gems of Greater Dayton

Dayton's newest book has arrived at the Aullwood Nature Store! Gems of the Greater Dayton Region, a book about "special places reflecting the Miami Valley's unique natural and cultural identity," includes the Aullwood Audubon Center and Farm. Authors Brian Hackett and Dane Mutter present an exciting written tour of our area, while over 100 beautiful photographs visually take us to places such as Patterson Memorial, Beaver Creek Wetlands, and the Miami-Erie Canal.

Gems of the Greater Dayton Region, partially underwritten by Dayton Audubon Society, is available for sale in the Aullwood Nature Store for $35.95.



Columbus Audubon Eco-Weekend

Columbus Audubon Society's annual outdoor learning adventure, Eco Weekend, is a nature retreat for singles, families, young and old from age 4 up. Held at Camp Oty' Okwa near Conkles Hollow in beautiful Hocking Hills (Southeast Ohio) on the first weekend in May, Eco-Weekend offers an affordable and enjoyable weekend learning about nature from experienced instructors who share their expertise, enthusiasm and knowledge of our nature world.

Programs include instruction and excursions on subjects that range from wild flowers to wild animals, backyards to backwoods, creatures to crafts, water sports to winged flight, trees to telescopes, and much more!

Pre-registration is necessary. You can download a brochure from the website, or call Roz Horn, Chair of the Eco-Weekend Committee, at 614-262-0312.



Eagles Aplenty in Ohio This Winter

Observers counted 649 birds during the recent Mid-Winter Bald Eagle Survey - the highest number ever recorded during the event. The previous record count for bald eagles during this survey was 554 in 2006.

In 2007, 194 eaglets fledged from 116 nests in Ohio. Bald eagles were observed in 70 of Ohio's 88 counties during this year's survey, conducted January 2-15. Sandusky, Ottawa, Erie, Trumbull and Wyandot counties, along the western Lake Erie shore, continued to report the largest number. Sandusky County had the greatest number of sightings with 76 reports.

Good concentrations of Bald Eagles were also sighted around the mouth of the Sandusky River, and along the Kokosing, Mohican, Scioto, Grand and Muskingum rivers. The southern-most locations in the state to report sightings were in Brown, Clermont, Scioto and Hamilton counties along the Ohio River.

State wildlife officials and volunteers conduct the mid-winter survey each January as part of a national effort coordinated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The survey documents trends in wintering populations of eagles in the lower 48 states, including both Bald and Golden Eagles.

For details, visit www.dnr.state.oh.us/wildlife.



Get Involved!

Are you fond of birding-related activities? Are you interested in the environment? Do you wish the Dayton Audubon Society offered more for YOU? Well, we can use you!

DAS is always seeking new Officer and Director candidates. If you or someone you know is interested in helping to develop and lead your DAS, please contact President Mike Coogan, or any of the officers or Board members listed on the Organization web page. A simple commitment of time, with a wealth of satisfaction!



DAS Scholarships Available

The Dayton Audubon Society is deeply committed to education and,in part, shows that commitment by offering scholarships annually to individuals who can make a difference in our community. Perhaps you know someone who might benefit from the DAS mission. Read on and, if you can, help us find deserving scholars.

Charlie Breish Memorial Camp Scholarships
Dayton Audubon offers financial assistance for teachers and other adults to attend National Audubon's summer ecology workshops in the Wind River Mountains of Wyoming, the woodland community of Connecticut, and the coast of Maine.

While the camps and workshops are open to everyone these days, they are still especially popular with teachers. If you know of a dynamic elementary or secondary teacher, let us know about them!

National Audubon also offers a summer camp in Maine to youngsters ages 10 through 14.

The Dively Scholarship
Since 1982, DAS has offered tuition help to college students through the Dively Scholarship Program, originally endowed in memory of DAS member Dick Dively. Though we cannot offer a lot of money, the Dively Scholarship has helped both undergraduate and graduate students reach academic goals in fields that further the cause of environmentalism and conservation. Dively scholarship recipients are not restricted to scientific fields; other connections, such as environmental law, are possible.

The Shawen Grant
The Bob Shawen Memorial Youth Ornithology Grant was established in memory of long-time DAS activist Bob Shawen. The goal of the program is to provide funds, materials, and/or speakers for elementary classrooms, youth groups, or field experience settings to promote knowledge of birds, their habits, and their habitats.

What can you do?
Help us find scholarship candidates. Talk to interested people or people you think ought to be interested. Spread the word! To recommend candidates, apply for scholarships, or receive further information, please call DAS Projects/Memorials Chair Tom Schaefer at 937-276-2162, or e-mail him at tom@earthspeaks.org. You can also write to

Dayton Audubon Society
1375 East Siebenthaler Avenue
Dayton, Ohio 45414-5398

or e-mail us at
audubon@dayton.net



Audubon In The Classroom

As students are heading back to school, the National Audubon Society is preparing its 22nd season of Audubon Adventures, an acclaimed environmental education publication for 4th, 5th, or 6th grade elementary classrooms. Audubon Adventures helps teachers make learning about science and nature part of students' everyday lives, integrating reading with science and other core disciplines.

More educators than ever are using Audubon Adventures to bring environmental education into their classrooms, and research shows that incorporating the environment into the curriculum supports improved learning, test scores and community service.

According to a 2000 report issued by the National Environmental Education and Training Foundation, in which they reviewed schools that adopted environmental education as the central focus of their academic programs, the results of including environmental education in the classroom were striking - reading and mathematics scores improved, students performed better in science and social studies, they developed the ability to transfer their knowledge from familiar to unfamiliar contexts, they learned to "do science" rather than just "learn about science," and classroom discipline problems declined.

This year, Audubon Adventures is focusing on four compelling topics: Home is Where the Nest Is, The Buzz about Native Bees, Bats: Mammals on the Wing, and Wild About Birds, featuring The Legacy of John James Audubon. Audubon invites elementary school teachers around the country to engage students' curiosity about the natural world by bringing science to life in the classroom with Audubon Adventures. Each issue is full of facts, activities, and action tips that connect nature with science, reading, and art, and also inspire and empower kids to care for nature in their daily lives.

DAS annually sponsors Audubon Adventures for a number of area schools. If you know of a classroom that would like us to sponsor Audubon Adventures for them, or you would like to sponsor a class yourself, please contact Dick Balk at 886-0092. The cost for Audubon Adventures is $35 per classroom, and the packets are designed for a class of up to 30 students.

The kids need you! We can make a difference!



Environmental Legacy

A bequest of any size to Dayton Audubon can have a lasting effecton on ecological concerns and environmental education in the Dayton area. We ask that you consider leaving a specific amount, a percentage of your estate, or the remainder of your estate after other bequests, to the Dayton Audubon Society.

For more specifics on this, or other information about gift planning, please phone Tom Schaefer, 937-276-2162, or write to Dayton Audubon Society, 1375 E. Siebenthaler Avenue, Dayton, Ohio 45414-5398.



Time and Talents

Dayton Audubon is an organization of volunteers committed to education, the natural sciences, and an environmental ethic. Help and new ideas from the ranks of the membership are needed in order for the organization to reach its goals. If you would like to help in any of the following capacities, please let us know. Your involvement will be welcome.

I would like to help with:

     __ Birdathon


     __ Conservation
     __ Education
     __ Field Trips
     __ Membership
     __ Programs
     __ Publicity
     __ Yellow Warbler

     __ Other:
      ________________________


Send with your name and phone number to Dayton Audubon Society, 1375 E. Siebenthaler Ave., Dayton, Ohio 45414-5398. You can also call DAS President Mike Coogan at 937-438-5688, or e-mail us at
audubon@dayton.net.


As a member of the National Audubon Society, you are also a member of the Dayton area chapter. There are no local dues, and you receive your newsletter automatically. To find out more about the Dayton Audubon Society, contact one of the officers whose numbers are listed in the Dayton Audubon Society Organization webpage. Better yet, come to a meeting or join us on a field trip!

The DAS meets at 7:00 p.m. at the Wegerzyn Center, 1301 East Siebenthaler Avenue, on the third Wednesday of every month from September to June. See you there!


Southwest Ohio Rare Bird Alert

937-640-BIRD (2473)

Includes updated information on DAS activities.
To report unusual sightings, call Betty Berry at 937-836-3022, or Ralph Dennler at 937-294-5086

Previous Yellow Warblers



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