Dayton Audubon Society"The Yellow Warbler"The Newsletter of the Dayton Audubon SocietyMarch 2005Volume 67 - No. 8
Dayton Audubon Society, 1375 E. Siebenthaler Ave., Dayton, OH 45414-5398 |
Photo by Jim Simpson
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On Wednesday, March 16, Bernadette Plair of the Cincinnati Zoo will present a program describing her efforts to reintroduce Blue-and-Gold Macaws (Ara ararauna) to Trinidad. Throughout much of its range, the species is declining due to habitat loss and harvesting for the pet trade. The species disappeared from Trinidad in the 1960s, but in 1999 the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden spearheaded a pilot project to reintroduce Blue and Gold Macaws to the protected Nariva Swamp in Trinidad. 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 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!
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Saturday, February 26, 9:00 a.m. Field Trip: Oxbow Miami River. Our 19th annual trip to this outstanding location. Leader: Jim Simpson (433-3649). Please see the Winter/Spring Field Trip Schedule for details.
Tuesday, March 8, 7:30 p.m.
Wednesdays & Thursdays, March 9 & 10, 16 & 17, 6:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 12, 8:30 a.m.
Wednesday, March 16, 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, March 19, 8:30 a.m.
Saturday, March 26, 9:00 a.m.
Saturday, April 2, 8:30 a.m.
Saturday, April 2, 8:30 a.m.
Friday-Saturday, April 25-26, 5:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. |
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Warmer temperatures and rain marked the 80th annual DAS Christmas Bird count held this past January, but high water provided an unusual number of ducks. The species count of 65 was rather low, possibly due to the rain, but we still logged record counts of Northern Shovelers, Hooded Mergansers, and Sharp-shinned Hawks. We thank the Dayton Daily News, particularly writer Dale Dempsey, for their usual excellent coverage of the Christmas Count. Thanks and well-done to this year's participants, and especially to Count Compiler Charlotte Mathena, who did her usual excellent job. |
Pied-billed Grebe...........3 Double-crested Cormorant....1 Great Blue Heron...........74 Canada Goose............2,383 Mute Swan...................3 Gadwall ...................20 American Black Duck........10 Mallard...................835 Northern Shoveler..........22 Green-winged Teal...........2 Ring-necked Duck............9 Greater Scaup...............1 Lesser Scaup................1 Hooded Merganser..........101 Common Merganser............9 Bald Eagle..................1 Sharp-shinned Hawk..........6 Cooper's Hawk..............11 Red-tailed Hawk............51 American Kestrel............8 Ring-necked Pheasant........1 American Coot...............5 Killdeer....................2 Ring-billed Gull..........330 Herring Gull................9 Rock Dove.................138 Mourning Dove.............235 Great Horned Owl............1 Barred Owl..................1 Belted Kingfisher..........13 Red-bellied Woodpecker.....40 Downy Woodpecker...........94 Hairy Woodpecker...........14 |
Northern Flicker...........12 Pileated Woodpecker.........9 Blue Jay...................16 American Crow.............176 Horned Lark.................7 Carolina Chickadee........289 Tufted Titmouse............75 Red-breasted Nuthatch.......1 White-breasted Nuthatch....75 Brown Creeper..............29 Carolina Wren..............46 Winter Wren.................1 Golden-crowned Kinglet.....23 Eastern Bluebird...........13 American Robin............178 Northern Mockingbird.......15 European Starling.......5,981 Cedar Waxwing..............13 Yellow-rumped Warbler.......6 Eastern Towhee..............5 American Tree Sparrow......70 Field Sparrow...............2 Song Sparrow...............75 White-throated Sparrow....209 White-crowned Sparrow.......3 Dark-eyed Junco............82 Northern Cardinal.........293 Easter Meadowlark...........4 Common Grackle..........4,352 House Finch...............159 American Goldfinch........185 House Sparrow.............409 |
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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 Dick Balk, or any of the officers or Board members listed on the back page. A simple commitment of time, with a wealth of satisfaction! |
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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 29, until 5:00 p.m. Saturday, April 30. 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. Last year we were able to raise over $4,000 dollars for Aullwood and the BCWA; this year, we hope to do even better. Call today! More details will be in the next Yellow Warbler. |
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The National Audubon Society Board of Directors is composed of 36 members, nine of who are regionally nominated by Chapters in a three-year cycle. In 2005, elections will be held for Directors from the Great Lakes, Mid-Atlantic and Western Regions. The nomination process for this year's election closed on January 31, 2005, and the nominations received for the Great Lakes Region are Jess A. Gwinn, Sassafras Audubon Society, IN; A. Peter Cannon, Jr., Madison Audubon Society, WI; and Peter A. Precario, Columbus Audubon Society, OH. The election campaign phase takes place from February 1 until June 30, 2005. Ballots will be mailed to the Chapter Presidents on or about April 1 and the Chapter Services Office must receive voted ballots by June 30, 2005. Details on the election process, candidate statements and contact information, can be found at http://www.audubon.org/nas/board/regional/index.html. |
| 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! |
| 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.
Environmental Legacy
Time and Talents
Previous Yellow Warblers
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