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Volume 66 - No.5 Photo by Jim Simpson Dayton Audubon Society,1375 E. Siebenthaler Ave., Dayton, OH 45414-5398
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The September 2003 meeting of the Dayton Audubon Society will feature the photographic skills of Bob Williams, presenting a program on "Birds of Florida." Bob, a past president of DAS, and his wife Betty moved to Florida following his retirement, but they returned to this area about three years ago. We will have an opportunity after the program to discuss the best birding areas of Florida and species identification. The program will take place on September 17 at Wegerzyn Garden Center, 1301 East Siebenthaler Avenue from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Our meetings will now be held in the main auditorium, not in the lower level; you can use the front doors and elevator or stairs. Since we will no longer be faced with the problem of limited seating capacity, everyone is encouraged to attend and bring their friends. Refreshments will be served and parking is free. Please join us! |
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Following is a list of this month's activities. Please see Field Trip Schedule for detailed descriptions of field trips in September and beyond.
Saturday, September 6, 8:30 a.m.
Sunday, September 7, 8:30 a.m.
Tuesday, September 9, 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, September 14, 8:00 a.m.
Wednesday, September 17, 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, September 20, 8:30 a.m.
Sunday, September 21, 8:00 a.m.
Saturday, September 27, 8:00 a.m.
Sunday, September 28, 8:30 a.m.
Sunday, October 5, 8:00 a.m.
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Audubon Ohio and Germantown MetroPark, with support from the George Gund Foundation, will offer an opportunity for interested birders to act for bird conservation by becoming involved in a program that has worldwide scope - the Important Bird Areas (IBA) program. IBAs are areas critical to bird conservation, of which nearly 100 have been identified in Ohio, including Germantown MetroPark. An IBA monitoring workshop will be presented on Saturday, October 4, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Germantown MetroPark Nature Center, 6910 Boomershine Road. The workshop is designed to instruct birders on surveying birds at their favorite IBAs, and to motivate individuals or groups to "adopt" an IBA and engage in some form of regular bird census suited to the site. The agenda will include methods for observing birds and conducting surveys. Point counts, transect counts, area searches, nest searches, and bird banding will be covered, plus a new web-based data entry system called E-bird. Participants will be able to volunteer to census birds at IBAs in Ohio and see their data used in conservation on these sites. All skill levels are welcome. A Fee of $10 for materials must be received by October 1 to register; call 855-7717 for details. The program will also include a continental breakfast, break refreshments, and lunch. Reservations are required and limited. Workshop Agenda 8:00 a.m. Registration and continental breakfast 8:30 a.m. Introduction to Important Bird Areas 9:00 a.m. Overview Surveys & Monitoring 10:00 a.m. Break (Refreshments provided) 10:15 a.m. Methods (in the field) - Point Counts - Breeding Bird Survey 11:15 a.m. Methods (in the field) - Area Search - Nest Search - Breeding Bird Atlas 12:00 noon Lunch (Provided) 12:30 p.m. Methods (in the field) - Transects 1:30 p.m. Methods - Mist netting 2:00 p.m. E-Bird - What to do with your data 2:15 p.m. Break 2:30 p.m. Overview ID by Songs/Calls 3:15 p.m. Open session, Survey Questions, Difficult ID Questions 3:45 p.m. Beyond Listing - IBAs and You 4:00 p.m. Evaluation, adjourn, and safe home.Visit the web site at www.audubon.org/states/oh/oh for more information about IBAs.
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Many of you have noticed the damage to the levy near the parking lot at Spring Valley Wildlife Area. According to Scott Phillips, Division of Wildlife site manager for Spring Valley, the control structure for the lake blew out last winter and repairs were hampered by the extremely wet spring and summer. He expected that progress would be made in late August/early September, and once the structure is secure they will slowly begin filling it up with water - trying not to stress the new structure. By mid-September the project should be complete and the lake refilling. Scott also said that he thought the area was currently working great as a bird attractor. He mentioned a mixture of water-filled pools and mudflats with a variety of shorebirds and waterfowl using the site, as well as good food crops of smartweed, etc. growing for the fall duck migration. For the coming year, the proposed plan for the lake and marsh is to avoid any management manipulation during spring to protect nesting, then slowly decrease the water level to accommodate migrant shorebirds by August, which will also allow food to replenish, then slowly raise the water levels in fall for duck migration. |
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This past summer, Dayton Audubon sadly bid farewell to two longtime members and friends, Hannah Copleston and Alma Hain. Hannah was the Editor of the DAS newsletter many years ago, and she was also known for providing an active interest in plants and vegetation on field trips when no birds were in sight. As editor, Hannah would provide a rough copy of the "bulletin" to her sister Grace Powell, who would type a "Ditto Master" for John Hain to run off the final newsletter on the mimeograph at the Dayton Museum of Natural History. After Hannah moved to St. Leonard's, she pursued her interest in nature and, with Charlie Briesh's assistance, established a nature trail for the residents of St. Leonard's. Hannah was also involved with Dayton Art Institute as a Docent. Alma Hain and her husband John were very active in DAS activities from the 1960s through the 1980s. Alma and John usually could be counted on to do the job that no one else wanted to undertake, including processing the Dayton Audubon bulletin. Both John and Alma were Life Members of DAS, and will always be remembered for their gentle ways and dedication. Memorial contributions in Hannah's or Alma's name can be made to Dayton Audubon Society. |
| 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. 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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