Dayton Audubon Society

"The Yellow Warbler"

The Newsletter of the Dayton Audubon Society

April 2005

Volume 68  - No. 2

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

2005 Birdathon is Here!

The annual Birdathon has become one of Dayton Audubon's most popular events, and continues to grow every year. Last year, we raised just under $5,000 for Aullwood Audubon Center education programs and the Beaver Creek Wetlands Association, two organizations dedicated to the education of children and the preservation of natural habitat in the greater Dayton area. Join us this year as we try to pass that $5,000 threshold in donations for the same two organizations. Birdathon participants spend 24 hours counting as many different bird species as they can see or hear. Money is raised through donation pledges - typically a per-species amount, but fixed amounts are also welcome!

This year's Birdathon will be held from 5:00 p.m., Friday, April 29th to 5:00 p.m., Saturday, April 30. Create your own team or join one of the existing teams; at this time of year, you might see and hear up to 100 different species just in this area! We need ALL chapter members to support this important effort! You can participate in several ways:

* Collect pledges and/or donations, and send them to the Birdathon chairperson, Judy Whitaker, c/o Dayton Audubon Society, 1375 E. Siebenthaler Ave., Dayton, Ohio, 45414-5398. Make checks payable to Dayton Audubon Society. You can also pledge to one of the teams listed below.

* Participate in the count: You are welcome to join us for 24 hours of FUN; improve your birding skills and raise money for two very worthy environmental organizations that are right here in our area.

* Bring your pledges and/or donations to Patty's Shelter at Englewood MetroPark at 5:30 p.m., Saturday, April 30th for refreshments and the big tally! Hear about those great sightings!

As an extra incentive this year, non-Audubon members who contribute $20 or more will receive a membership to the National Audubon Society and Dayton Audubon. For details on this program, how to enter your own team (it's very easy), or other Birdathon questions, call Judy Whitaker at 293-1914.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Yes, I will support DAS Birdathon. I pledge _____________ per species to the team(s) checked below.

_____Old Birders (formerly the Old Squaws and the Jay Birders): Charlotte Mathena, Sue Tackett,               Jim Hill, John Howard
_____Aristoquacks: Barbara Keegan, Jennifer Monahan, Judy Whitaker
_____Philanthropic Phalaropes: Jim Simpson, Mike Zimmerman
_____Solitary Sandpipers: Mike Coogan, Mark Dillon
_____Wright State Rails: Wright State University and Beaver Creek Wetlands
_____Wild Berrys: Betty Berry and Betty Leve
_____Tenacious Towhees: Xenia Central Middle School students

Instead of a per species pledge, I will donate $________________ to Dayton Audubon's Birdathon.

Name___________________________________ Phone_____________________________________ Address___________________________________________________________________________ City, State, Zip__________________________________________________________________

Meet the DAS

On Wednesday, April 20, we'll be bringing back the perennially popular Members Slide Show. Not limited to slides, of course; all DAS members are invited to bring out their birding pictures, art work, or other items that you'd like to share with your fellow DAS members. It's always a good turnout, and plenty of fun, too. If you plan to participate, please call Program Chair Lee Hall at 434-4531, so he can coordinate the program. Dust off that old projector carousel and show us your stuff!

The program will be held at Wegerzyn Garden Center, 1301 East Siebenthaler Avenue, from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. We meet in the 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!

Calendar

Saturday, April 2, 8:30 a.m.
Field Trip: Spring Valley Wildlife Area.
SVWA is an outstanding Miami Valley birding locale, and late March is very good for waterfowl headed north. Go south of the town of Spring Valley on US 42 along the Little Miami River. Turn left (east) on Roxanna-New Burlington Rd. Follow to Pence Jones Rd and take all the way to the end (past the trailer park) to meet leaders Barbara Keegan and Jennifer Monahan (435-0707) in the lower parking lot. Please bring your scope if you have one.

Saturday, April 2, 8:30 a.m.
Gem City Birders Field Trip: Lima Reservoir and Grand Lake St. Marys.
If you are eager to see waterfowl, these reservoirs and lakes are a great place to see Scoters, Long-tailed Duck, large numbers of Ruddy Ducks and other kinds of ducks. If we're lucky, we may see a Lapland Longspur! Meet leader Dave Dister (855-3013) in the Ridge Road parking lot of the Boonshoft Museum of Discovery with a mid-morning snack. After a lunch at the La Charreada restaurant, we'll bird a bit more, then head home to brag about our sightings.

Tuesday, April 12, 7:30 p.m.
DAS Board of Directors Meeting
Leland Center, 1375 E. Siebenthaler Avenue.

Saturday, April 16, 8:00 a.m.
Gem City Birders Field Trip: Highland Nature Sanctuary, Pike County.
Leader: Jane Henry. Jane is excited to show us this beautiful private nature area. Located near Hillsboro, it will be bursting with spring wildflowers (Trillium, Columbine) and new migratory birds! The land reminds us of that in Hocking Hills, but only slightly rugged. Bring a packed lunch when we meet at Lofino's Market, just off U.S. 35 and Fairfield Rd. We may stop for snacks at an Amish Market and then for dinner on our way home. For more details, call Jane (426-8428).

Sunday, April 17, 7:30 a.m.
Field Trip: Aullwood Audubon Center.
The fields and woods at Aullwood can be literally hopping with birds during the spring migration. Join Aullwood naturalist Tom Hissong (890-7360) on this popular field trip in looking for the abundant spring bird life that abounds at Aullwood. Meet Tom at the Aullwood Audubon Center: Take US 40 west from I-75 (or from the airport access highway) at Vandalia, turn south on Aullwood Road at the east end of the Englewood Dam (between the Dayton International Airport and Englewood), and go 1/2 mile to the nature center on the left.

Wednesday, April 20, 7:00 p.m.
DAS Meeting/Program: Members Slide Show
Please see above for details.

Saturday, April 23, 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Aullwood Native Plant Sale.
At the Aullwood Farm, 9101 Frederick Pike. Call 890-7360 for details.

Saturday, April 23, 8:30 a.m.
Gem City Birders Field Trip: Shawnee Prairie and Nature Center.
Leader: Nancy Nerny. Meet in the upper Ridge Ave. parking lot of the Boonshoft Museum to car pool to Greenville's Shawnee Prairie. At 9:30, we'll meet Steve Miller there to visit the nature park's varied habitats. They have some unique wetlands where we may find new birds for our yearly list! Afterwards, we will lunch at C.J. High Marks restaurant at noon, the return to tour the Nature Center or just bird watch along the way home. For more info, contact Nancy (278-4022.)

Friday-Saturday, April 29-30
DAS Birdathon.
Please see above for details.

Sunday, May 1, 8:30 a.m.
Field Trip: Fort St. Clair State Memorial, Eaton.
Because of the good areas of both upland and riparian woods, and because the timing of this walk is during prime migration, Leader Daryl Michael (687-1480) hopes for a very good selection of passerine migrants, particularly wood warblers. Take U.S. 35 west from Dayton, or U.S. 127 south from I-70 to Eaton, go west on S.R. 122, and follow the signs to the State Memorial. Meet Daryl in the main picnic area. If you like to explore new areas, this will be a great trip for you!

DAS Grant to Brukner Nature Center

On Tuesday, March 1, the Dayton Audubon Society awarded a grant of $200 to the Brukner Nature Center in Troy, Ohio to assist them in updating the Center's nature library, particularly to develop a section for children's nature books. Brukner is a privately funded, non-profit nature preserve dedicated to environmental education and wildlife rehabilitation. They have had a long, fruitful relationship with Dayton Audubon, and DAS was proud to assist them in this new effort. Projects and Memorials Chair Tom Schaefer, along with Board members Lee Hall and Mike Coogan, presented the award to Brukner Administrators Debra and Bob Brill.

Lee Hall presents a check to Debra Brill

Germantown MetroPark
Amazing Birds Festival

Saturday, May 21, Noon - 3:30 p.m.,
Germantown MetroPark Morning Glory Shelter, 6910 Boomershine Road.
Come to a celebration of birds! The festival will feature presentations of "Live Hawks and Owls" by The Raptor Center of Glen Helen Ecology Institute at 12:30 p.m. with, and "Wings of Flight" by the Columbus Zoo at 2 p.m. The Wings of Flight program present some of the Avian wonders of the world, including colorful talking parrots, as well as bird training techniques. Other festival highlights include National Audubon Society displays and hands-on birding tools. Food, fun children's activities, and nature center tours will round out your day. For details call 855-7717.

Pre-Festival Bird Walks
9 a.m. (3 hrs), 10 a.m. (2 hrs), and 11 a.m. (1 hr)
Germantown MetroPark, designated an Important Bird Area by the National Audubon Society, is the place to be for great birds this day. Join in one of our morning bird watching hikes and then stay for the festival. All hikes will meet at the nature center and end at noon on the festival grounds. Families are especially welcome at the 10 and 11 a.m. walks. Bring binoculars. Reservations requested: call 855-7717.

Ohio Senators Split on Opening Arctic Refuge to Oil Drilling.

On March 16 the U.S. Senate voted to include a provision in the FY2006 federal budget that would open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling. The vote was 51 in favor of drilling, 49 against.

Once again, Ohio Sen. Mike DeWine voted against drilling. And once again, Ohio Sen. George Voinovich voted to open the refuge to drilling. Voinovich's vote was not decisive. Had he joined DeWine in opposing drilling, the vote would have been 50-50, and Vice President Cheney would have then presumably cast a deciding tie-breaking vote in favor of drilling.

Drilling will not start tomorrow, and there may still be opportunities to prevent it. The House did not include drilling in its version of the budget, so it will have to survive a conference committee between the House and the Senate. Efforts will undoubtedly be made to send a message to oil companies through the marketplace, shareholder actions, and otherwise to discourage them from bidding on leases, and legal challenges to drilling could delay it for years.

To send a message to Senator DeWine thanking him for his stance, write to 140 Russell Senate Building, Washington DC 20510, phone 202-224-2315, or e-mail him through his website, dewine.senate.gov.

Audubon In The Classroom

One of the best ways to further the environmental cause is through education, and one of the best environmental education tools is National Audubon's Audubon Adventures program. Audubon Adventures provides to participating classrooms four packets, each covering a different environmental/ecological topic, such as animal communication, wildflowers,and pond life. The packets contain instructional material, pictures, posters, and other items, including a teacher's guide, and are geared to the 4th or 5th grade level (although it has been used successfully in 6th grade classrooms as well). The materials are fun as well as educational, and participating teachers have been unanimously enthusiastic.

Dayton Audubon 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 Barbara Keegan at 435-0707. 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!

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 tschaefer@ameritech.net. You can also write to

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

or e-mail us at
audubon@dayton.net

Environmental Legacy

A bequest of any size to Dayton Audubon can have a lasting effect 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 Dick Balk at 937-886-0092, 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 Jim Arnold at 937-862-4437

Previous Yellow Warblers
[Top Page] [The Yellow Warbler] [Schedule of Events] [Field Trips] [Rare Bird Alert] [Hotlines] [Favorite Birding Sites] [Organization] [Dayton Bird List] [Scholarships and Grants] [Audubon Adventures] [Links] [Join Audubon] [The Butterfly Page]

E-Mail Dayton Audubon(audubon@dayton.net)