VOLUME 33, NUMBER 5 FEBRUARY 2002

HOSPITALITY: Evette Strickland will provide the post-meeting refreshments.

BOARD MEETING: Thursday, February 7, 7:00 p.m., D-125 (Biology Conf. Rm.), Sundquist Science Bldg., APSU.

FIELD TRIP: The Great Backyard Bird Count will be our field activity this month. See messages below.

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE by Sally Schiller

Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

On January 12^th Jeff Barrie with the Alaska Coalition of Tennessee brought to Clarksville the 8 X 32 foot map of Tennessee displaying a collage of more than 2000 photographs of Tennesseans opposed to drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The Warioto Chapter served as the local hosts for the traveling display and I had made arrangements for the display to be set up at Governor’s Square Mall. Following an article in the Leaf Chronicle on January 10^th which chose to characterize the display as a "protest" the Mall management withdrew their permission for us to set up in the Mall. The display was moved to the Clarksville-Montgomery County Library and the public who had the opportunity to see it seemed to enjoy it and several more faces and names were collected for this unique petition to our Senators. Please keep in mind that the Senate will vote on an energy bill in early February and it is more important than ever for Senators Frist and Thompson to hear from their constituents on the issue of drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC)

The GBBC will be held February 15-18. This is a community outreach activity sponsored by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Audubon Chapters across the country. In this count anyone with an interest is encouraged to count birds in their back yard or local park or anywhere for as little as 15 minutes or as much as all day for four days. The count data are then entered over the Internet by each individual or cooperative group of counters. Results from across the country will be totaled right away and can be viewed from the same Internet site. For more information on the GBBC go to www.birdsource.org. If you would like to participate but do not have Internet access let me or another officer know and we will see that your data gets entered. You may contact me for more information (my phone & email appear below).

Pennys for Parks

The Warioto Board members agreed to join the coalition of organizations supporting the Pennys for Parks legislation in which a penny from the gas tax would go to support state parks in Tennessee. Letters to the editor and to state senators and representatives are needed to let them know that we want our state parks reopened and that the gas tax could supply a source of revenue without greatly impacting the TN Department of Transportation’s budget. If you would like more information about this issue please give me a call at 387-4071 or email me at schillers@apsu.edu.

Our presentation this month, "Hiking the Colorado Trail," will be given by J.R. Tate - or will it be his alter ego, Model-T? J.R. has "thru-hiked" the Appalachian Trial three times (!!!). Last July and August he hiked the Colorado Trail with several like-minded companions. The Leaf-Chronicle and Tennessean published serial accounts of his 1998 hike on the AT and the Colorado hike.

J.R now has a book, "Walkin’ on the Happy Side of Misery," that describes his experiences hiking the AT. He will have signed copies to sell after the program. Please come out and bring your friends to listen to the ever-entertaining tails of J.R. Tate, perhaps Montgomery County’s most famous resident. I guarantee it will be a good time!

February’s field trip will be the Great Backyard Bird Count. I hope everyone will participate. I know I will! I had tried to plan a field trip to LBL to view the migratory eagles, but the logistics could not be overcome. So, I will provide a little information on the event in the case that you and your family would want to take the guided trip on your own. Land Between The Lakes is offering van tours to view some of the expected 150 bald eagles that migrate here from southern Canada and Michigan. The cost is $5-7 per person and requires reservations and a full deposit. Boat tours are also available at an extra cost. Available tours this month are Saturday, February 9: 9 am-12 noon & 1-4 pm and Sunday, February 10: 1-4 pm. There is also a last chance tour in March. The number to call for reservations is (270) 924-2020. Here is a web page with more details for those interested http://www2.lbl.org/lbl/CALGate.html. Jill Eichhorn said she and the family went last year and had a great time.

Every year Audubon chooses a set of conservation priorities. The list is too long to fit into one newsletter, so below is the first half. The remaining five priorities will be in next month’s newsletter. The following is a brief summary of some of Audubon’s conservation initiatives for this year:

1. Protecting The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) From Oil Drilling

Pro-drillers in the Senate are more determined than ever to push through a measure that will open this area to oil drilling. We have been working with the Alaska Wilderness Coalition (AWC) here in Tennessee to try to convince senators Frist and Thompson to change their opinion about the need to drill in ANWR. We were at the library on Saturday, Jan 12 with AWC’s Faces of Tennessee exhibit to sign up more Tennesseans in our photo petition to Sens. Frist and Thompson. We are trying to show them that many, many Tennesseans prefer them to support substantial investments in energy efficiency to provide greater energy independence, security, and self-reliance for America instead of drilling ANWR. The necessary technology currently exists, and even small efficiency gains would eliminate the need to drill ANWR. The Arctic Refuge, including its coastal plain, has extraordinary value as a nesting, migratory, and wintering area for millions of birds. Birds that nest or pass through ANWR migrate to each of the 50 states, and six continents. Please consider contacting Sens. Frist and Thompson directly to express your opposition to oil drilling in ANWR.

2. Oppose poisoning of Red-Winged Blackbirds

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is proposing to poison two million blackbirds a year for three years starting this spring in an effort to reduce sunflower crop damage in the Northern Plains. Numerous other birds, including steeply declining populations of grassland songbirds, could be killed in the process. Audubon opposes blackbird-poisoning because it cannot be justified on economic or scientific grounds. The USDA's own studies by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) show that killing large numbers of Red-winged Blackbirds may not reduce damage to sunflower crops. Blackbirds are estimated to damage about one to two percent of the $300 million annual production of sunflowers. Due to a strong public sentiment against this proposal, the USDA is currently conducting an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to examine the issue further.

3. Investing In Kids & Nature - Environmental Education

Educating children and adults about the environment provides them experiences and tools to make better, more informed decisions about protecting it. Environmental education has been proven to increase learning and test scores and helps students perform better in math and science. Environmental education fosters respect for people and places by encouraging students to get involved in community service projects.

4. Protecting Migratory Songbirds

Congress for the first time last year funded the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act. This law provides funds to support habitat protection and restoration in the Caribbean and Latin America, where approximately 5 million birds of 500 species, including some of the most endangered birds in North America - the Kirtland's Warbler, Hermit Thrush, the endangered Black-capped Vireo, and Kentucky Warbler, spend their winters. This is especially important for threatened and endangered species. Audubon will work with Congress to secure funding for the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act each and every year for the next five years.

5. Audubon's Land & Water Conservation Priorities

Audubon has nominated nearly 25 sites that are particularly important for America's declining avian species. We'll work to see that Congress funds these sites through the Land & Water Conservation Fund and helps to protect our nation's dwindling natural habitats.

6. National Wildlife Refuges

Audubon will encourage Congress to adequately fund the National Wildlife Refuge System. This year's budget - Fiscal Year 2003 - will coincide with the Refuge System's 100th anniversary. Back in 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt designated the first National Wildlife Refuge as a means of protecting critical habitat for birds and wildlife. Today, there are over 530 national wildlife refuges that span across 50 states, host more than 700 bird species, and are the primary habitat for about 250 threatened and endangered species. These refuges are critical for protecting our country's diverse bird and wildlife populations. But in spite of their important role, they find themselves in dire need of care. Many are battling issues such as: incompatible activities on and near refuge lands, inadequate water supplies, habitat loss, limited water supply, invasive species, and insufficient budgets for operations, maintenance and new land acquisition. In fact, the Refuge System faces an overwhelming $2 billion backlog in operations and maintenance needs. Hundreds of refuges have no staff, no signs, brochures or restrooms, no way to serve the public and no aid for resident bird and wildlife populations. Audubon will look to Congress to secure adequate funding for these precious bird and wildlife havens during this once-in-a-lifetime centennial year.

Audubon members are invited to attend a workshop on the Important Bird Area (IBA) program at the TOS Winter Meeting at Pickwick Landing State Park on Saturday, February 9. For more information go to www.tnbirds.org The IBA program is an international initiative with main objectives to: Identify the most essential areas for birds. Monitor those sites for changes to birds and habitat. Conserve these areas for the long-term protection of biodiversity. For more information go to www.audubon.org.

The Warioto Audubon count had good participation this year. We had 19 people in the field (Amy Atkins, Suva Bastin, Alan Bottomlee, Ken Davenport, Randy Ellis, Elaine Foust, Debbie and Steve Hamilton, David Kim, Sandy Koenig, Bonnie and Leonard Kruck, Amanda Libby, Gloria and Bill Milliken, Anna and Martin Ragland, Joe Schiller, Scott Williamson). Debbie Hamilton compiled the count and Annie Heilman compiled the feeder count.

Joe Allen has written an analysis of the Warioto CBC, but I can say that I thought it was a disappointing day. We recorded only 64 species (+ two count week). It is one of our lowest counts. The waterfowl diversity was very low. I guess they were all up north - or at LBL. We did not get bobwhite, Great Horned Owl, Winter Wren, Hermit Thrush, Brown Thrasher, Tree Sparrow, Chipping Sparrow, Fox Sparrow or Purple Finch on the count. Most of these are uncommon but regular sightings on the CBC. Of course, if the CBCs goes as they have in the past, we will have a good count next year.

The Kentucy LBL was a success 91 species tallied (down from 97 last year). They had good participation (25) which is great when there are all those waterfowl to count. Most notable among these was the 226 American White Pelicans. Large numbers of Common Loons, Pied-billed and Horned Grebes, Double-crested Cormorants and Common Goldeneyes were seen. Lesser Black-backed and Glaucous Gulls were uncommon sightings for LBL. The 1700 bluebirds was a high count for LBL and the Vesper Sparrow was a rare species on their count. They recorded 1115 juncos and 30 Purple Finches. Carl Mowery compiled their count again this year.

Last year, Little River Audubon (Hopkinsville) did not hold a count. Three intrepid members, including compiler David Childs, got out on December 29^th to ensure that the count does not end. They reported 46 species. I imagine they were stretched very thin trying to cover the count circle. They report a Purple Finch, a species that is becoming more uncommon in our area.

As expected, the Hickory-Priest CBC recorded a very nice selection of waterfowl and wading birds. I was impressed by the 52 Black-crowned Night Herons reported. The 13 participants in the Hickory-Priest CBC, compiled by Chris Sloan, reported 87 species. This is a little low for the count according to Chris. He pointed out a few noteworthy species. They saw three Chipping Sparrows at two locations. Of course, we are accustomed to seeing "chippys" in summer, but they are uncommon this far north in the winter. They were reported on three area counts last year, including the one Debbie and I saw at Ringold Mill. Chris also notes the sighting of three Red-breasted Nuthatches and a Purple Finch. Both are winter residents of our area, but are not seen with great regularity. Another unusual species was the Sedge Wren seen in Shelby Bottoms. This species winters along the southeastern coastal plain and summers to the north.

The Nashville count, compiled by Jan Shaw, reported 83 species. Interesting species included American Pipits (7), Purple Finches (5), Pine Siskins (20), and Lapland Longspurs (2). They also reported an American Tree Sparrows, an occasional winter visitor from the north, and a Common Yellowthroat, a rare winter visitor from the south. Absent this year from the Nashville CBC were the hummers. Over the last several years they have had one or two species on the count. I was impressed by the 2108 crows (Would that be a "mass" Murder of crows. Ha! Ha!).

There were 19 field counters and five feeder watchers who contributed to Warioto Audubon’s 31^st annual CBC. They turned in a report of 6.055 individual birds of 64 species. This was below our 30-year average of 70 and the 72 species seen in the 2000 count. One new species, the American Pipit, was seen at Mark’s slough in the Hickory Point area.

Several species were found in healthy numbers, but only one regular, the Fox Sparrow, was not found. It was the first time since 1993 that no Fox Sparrows were seen. Notably scarce was the Bobwhite, only seen during count week, but not on count day. Also in very low numbers was the towhee (28), meadowlarks (17) and grackles (20).

Bluebirds (209) continued in high numbers. Cardinals (294), mockingbirds (122), robins (212), Cedar Waxwings (323), House Finches (190) and Myrtle Warblers (69) were normal. The woodpecker clan fitted into a normal pattern: red-bellied (64), downy (47), flicker (18), pileated (16), hairy (13), red-headed (11) and yellow-bellied sapsucker (11).

Seen in high numbers were Turkey Vultures (154), Black Vultures (98) and Rock Doves (pigeons) (279). Wild Turkeys number 56.

Amid the rapid growth of Clarksville and the loss of habitat, we find that the birds are utilizing the habitat still available to a good advantage. We still count birds exclusively in the official count circle established 31 years ago. Most of the bird species are still found in practically the same proportions as they were then. I am surprised, but pleased.