Calendar
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Please see Field Trip Schedule for DAS Field Trip details.
Wednesday, March 7; Thursday March 8; and Friday, March 16; 6:30 p.m.
Woodcock Walks at Aullwood
Saturday, March 10, 8:30 a.m.
DAS Field Trip: Cowan Lake State Park.
Tuesday, March 13, 7:30 p.m.
DAS Board of Directors Meeting.
Harrigan Auto Center Reserve, 475 Congress Park Dr.
Saturday, March 17, 9:00 a.m.
Gem City Birders Field Trip: Spring Valley Wildlife Area.
Contact Nancy Nerny, 278-4022, for details.
Saturday, March 17, 7:30 p.m.
Aullwood Lecture Series.
Music of the Birds, featuring Bill Thompson and Julie Zickefoose.
Please see the article below for details.
Wednesday, March 21, 7:00 p.m.
Dayton Audubon Society Meeting.
Birds and Climate Change, featuring Casey Tucker.
Please see the article below for details.
Sunday, March 25, 8:30 a.m.
DAS Field Trip: CJ Brown Reservoir.
Saturday/Sunday, March 24-25
GCB Field Trip: Waterfowl Weekend.
Contact Chuck Gardner, 222-1522, for details.
Saturday, March 31, 9:00 a.m.
Field Trip: Spring Valley Wildlife Area.
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Birds and Climate Change
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For the most part, this winter has been relatively mild for much of the eastern United States. In Ohio alone, the average temperature for December of 2006 was 38.7° F, which was 7.8° warmer than the 20th Century average. December of 2006 was also the 4th warmest on record for the state over the last 112 years.
Our changing global climate imposes many hurdles and potential problems for birds to overcome. Casey Tucker, Education Specialist for Audubon Ohio (National Audubon's state office in Columbus) will discuss this issue in a program at the March.21, 2007 DAS meeting. This talk will explore some of those problems, how birds are responding, and suggest simple actions that all of us can take to help slow climate change and protect birds globally.
The program will take place at Wegerzyn Garden Center, 1301 East Siebenthaler Avenue 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!
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Christmas Bird Count Results
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The 82nd annual Dayton Audubon Society Christmas Bird count, held this past New Year's Eve, featured rain, rain, and more rain. The continuous rainfall and a very low number of ducks contributed to below average results. Our participants recorded only 58 species, but that included first-time-ever records of a Wild Turkey and Spotted Sandpiper!
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.
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Pied-billed Grebe..........13
Great Blue Heron...........43
Canada Goose............1,148
Mute Swan...................5
American Black Duck.........8
Mallard...................360
Hooded Merganser............6
Northern Harrier............1
Cooper's Hawk...............5
Red-tailed Hawk............37
American Kestrel...........11
WILD TURKEY.................1
American Coot..............14
SPOTTED SANDPIPER...........1
Ring-billed Gull..........176
Herring Gull................2
Rock Dove.................220
Mourning Dove.............619
Eastern Screech Owl.........1
Great Horned Owl............5
Barred Owl..................2
Belted Kingfisher..........18
Red-bellied Woodpecker.....66
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker....4
Downy Woodpecker...........68
Hairy Woodpecker...........10
Northern Flicker...........16
Pileated Woodpecker.........3
Blue Jay...................47
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American Crow..............48
Carolina Chickadee........295
Tufted Titmouse............57
Red-breasted Nuthatch.......2
White-breasted Nuthatch....57
Brown Creeper..............48
Carolina Wren..............70
Golden-crowned Kinglet.....60
Ruby-crowned Kinglet........1
Eastern Bluebird...........60
Hermit Thrush...............1
American Robin..........2,266
Northern Mockingbird.......13
European Starling.......3,372
Cedar Waxwing...............5
Yellow-rumped Warbler.......2
Common Yellowthroat.........1
Eastern Towhee..............6
American Tree Sparrow......36
Field Sparrow...............7
Song Sparrow...............83
Swamp Sparrow...............2
White-throated Sparrow....254
White-crowned Sparrow.......2
Dark-eyed Junco...........237
Northern Cardinal.........351
House Finch................85
American Goldfinch.........73
House Sparrow.............191
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Birdathon Coming Soon!
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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 27, until 5:00 p.m. Saturday, April 28. 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!
DAS and Books & Co. will once again team up to kick off Birdathon during B&C's Birding Night at their new location in The Green on Monday, April 23 at 7 p.m. Aullwood Naturalist and long-time DAS friend Tom Hissong will be on hand to speak about spring migration and field identification marks for beginning birders. It will be a great way to round out the Earth Day weekend, so plan to attend.
More details about Birdathon will be in your next Yellow Warbler.
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Birding at Glen Helen
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The Glen Helen Ecology Institute has recently reorganized their web sit to include a list of birds sighted within the Glen's borders. You can view it at www.antioch-college.edu/glenhelen/science/birds.html.
In 2007, Glen Helen will be building a composite year list of all the birds found in the Glen. DAS members are welcome to submit their own records of sightings; submissions should note the species name, date of observation, where in the Glen it was observed, and the name of the observer. The records can be submitted at the Glen Helen Building at 405 Corry Street in Yellow Springs, or by e-mail to glenhelen@gmail.com.
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Winter Bird Banding
The Ohio Bird Banding Association will be sponsoring a winter bird banding demonstration in conjunction with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at the Caesar Creek Visitors Center, Saturday, March 10, 2007 from 9:00 a.m. till 2:00 p.m.
This event is free to the public and will feature the following demonstrations:
1. Bird Banding will be explained and demonstrated using live birds.
2. Three trapping methods will be employed to show how birds are safely removed from the traps and released unharmed back into the wild. (Mist Nets, Bal Chatri trap, and Seth Lowe traps will be on display.)
3. Biometrics will be explained and how information is gleaned from the live trapped wild birds before they are released back into the wild.
4. Bird migration, ecology, and mortality from human and natural causes will be explained.
5. Bird conservation will be featured with nesting boxes, feeders and window protection decals available from the Friends of Caesar Creek Visitors Center.
For more information contact Jim O'Boyle at 513-897-1050 or Bob Thobaben at 937-382-4739.
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Aullwood Lecture Series
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Aullwood's 50th Anniversary Lecture Series features three nationally recognized authors and actors - all with important environmental messages that reflect Marie Aull's conservation ethic. The lectures will be held at the Marie S. Aull Education Center, 1000 Aullwood Road, and tickets can be purchased individually or at a discounted series price. Books by the authors can be purchased at Aullwood's Nature Store, and the authors will sign their books after their programs.
Music of the Birds
Bill Thompson III and Julie Zickefoose
March 17, 7:30 p.m.
A Sense of Wonder: A Play Based on the Life and Works of Rachel Carson
Kaiulani Lee, Actress
April 10, 7:30 p.m.
Birds and the Undiscovered World
Kenn Kaufman
April 21, 7:30 p.m.
Kenn Kaufmann will provide two special additional programs: Principles and Pitfalls of Bird Identification Workshop and Bird Watching and Brunch.
For more information, all Aullwood at 890-7360, or visit their website at Aullwood.center.audubon.org
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Audubon In The Classroom
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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!
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Get Involved!
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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 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!
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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.
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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
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Environmental Legacy
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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.
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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.
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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. See you there!
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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
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Previous Yellow Warblers
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E-Mail Dayton Audubon(audubon@dayton.net)
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