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Volume 66 - No.4 Photo by Jim Simpson Dayton Audubon Society,1375 E. Siebenthaler Ave., Dayton, OH 45414-5398
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Dayton Audubon's 2003 Annual Meeting will take place on June 18 at Wegerzyn Garden Center, 1301 East Siebenthaler Avenue from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. This will be a casual, pleasant evening, and a good opportunity to meet other members and to hear from Officers and Directors about what has happened with DAS in the past year and what is expected in the future. We will also elect Officers and Directors for the coming year. This year marks the 80th birthday of the Dayton Audubon Society, so we are going to have a small celebration at this meeting; desserts, beverages, and a birthday cake! It will be time of reminiscing, and a time for looking to the future, and we hope that all members will come out. This will be an informative, and entertaining evening that you will not want to miss.
Other nominations will be presented by the committee at the meeting, as well as open nominations from the floor. We meet in the lower level at Wegerzyn - entry is via the ramp to the west of the main entrance. Parking is free. Please join us! |
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Sunday, June 1, 6:30 a.m. 46th Breeding Bird Census - Aullwood Audubon Center and Farm. Leaders: Aullwood Staff (890-7360). The 46th annual breeding bird count at Aullwood. Breeding birds will be in full swing, and song should abound early in the morning. Meet at the Aullwood Audubon Center near Englewood. On US 40 west of I-75 (north of Dayton), 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.
Tuesday, June 10, 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, June 18, 7:00 p.m.
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| Many of you have used Dayton Audubon Society's Rare Bird Alert Hotline (see the box below) for updates on unusual bird sightings and to keep abreast of Dayton Audubon activities. You might be unaware, however, of the work involved in maintaining and updating this service. DAS owes a great deal of gratitude to Jim Arnold, Betty Berry, Ralph Dennler, and Gene Storer for taking care of the RBA. Thanks! |
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Birdathon 2003 was another great success, and we thank all those folks who supported the effort. Our total number of species was down by about 20, but the north wind and later migration contributed to that. However, Dave Dister did pick up a Long-tailed duck at Breshler Reservoir near Lima, a first for the DAS Birdathon. They are usually out of our area by mid April. The Tenacious Towhees from Xenia Middle School had 16 young birders and 11 adults on their team, and the Beckmans introduced them to Tar Hollow. Three of the boys, Robbie O'Brian, Kyle Farley, and Nathan Ivey were thrilled to have added species number 200 to their respective life lists, and Nick Neary will probably have his 200 by the time school is out; he needs only a couple more. The Old Squaws had the most species at 109, followed by the Wild Berrys with 98; Dave Dister, 94, the Solitary Sandpipers, 83; and the Towhees, 82. We were honored at our Birdathon Kick-off at Books and Co. to have the Beaver Creek Wetlands president, Denny Jarvi, explain the functions of the wetlands and their importance to the community, and Tom Hissong, Education Director of Aullwood Audubon Center and Farm, to give a very informative presentation with a mini ornithology class and birdathon. It was a super program, and a big thanks goes to Tom for assisting us again. The tabulation is far from over, but the Tenacious Towhees brought in the most money with over $1,300! Congratulations to these Xenia Middle School kids! |
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With hundreds of visitors looking on, a team from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife captured, examined and banded a seven-week-old eaglet near Delaware State Park on May 16. Mark Shieldcastle of the Black Swamp Bird Observatory examined the bird and pronounced it well-developed and healthy. ODNR used the event to mark the recovery of eagles in Ohio over the past 30 years. Director Sam Speck noted that Ohio's eagle population has recovered from a low of four nesting pairs to a present population that has produced approximately 100 surviving birds this year. Bald eagles are now found in all of Ohio's major watersheds except the Great Miami. The eaglet was recovered from a nest near the southern dike of the Delaware Dam system. Both parents were visible during the proceedings, occasionally swooping by from perches in nearby trees. According to Shieldcastle, nine eaglets have previously fledged from the nest. |
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According to a recent BBC report, scientists in England and Canada have documented bird behavior suggesting that birds are susceptible to marketing similar to that used to lure shoppers in department stores. Stores frequently position eye-catching "decoy" products near stocks of other products that they are trying to move. The target brands benefit from the attraction generated by the decoy products. The study team used similar methodology to attract Rufous Hummingbirds to less desirable flowers that they would normally shun. The researchers created a mock flower bed containing feeding wells that varied in nectar volume. The birds would normally choose the flowers with the greatest volumes of nectar. By placing attractive "decoy" flowers near the wells with lower volumes of nectar, the researchers found that the birds invariably headed for the inferior wells. Dr. Melissa Bateson, one of the researchers, noted that the birds were acting like impulse shoppers, making instant decisions based on the immediate choices. According to Dr. Bateson, the research "shows that birds, like humans, are actually more irrational than we previously thought." |
| 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. |
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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. |
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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
or leave a message at our website, |
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 leave a message at our website,
www.dayton.net/Audubon.
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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, except December and April. See you there! |
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Southwest Ohio Rare Bird Alert937-640-BIRD (2473)To report unusual sightings, call Betty Berry at 937-836-3022, or Jim Arnold at 937-862-4437 |
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