VOLUME 34, NUMBER 5 FEBRUARY 2003

HOSPITALITY: Provided by the sponsors of this special program.

BOARD MEETING: Due to the time scheduled for this program, no board meeting is scheduled.

FIELD TRIP: Wheeler NWR, Feb. 1, meet 6:00 a.m. in commuter lot at I-24 exit 11. See detail on page 2 of this newsletter.

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE, Randy Ellis

At the first Warioto Audubon board meeting in September, incoming president Randy Ellis suggested that we organize a special program to explore the issues and concerns associated with West Nile Virus. One might ask why Warioto Audubon should organize a program on WNV. While much of the recent press coverage has been about illness and death in humans, the virus has shown itself to be much more general in its host requirements than one might anticipate. In fact, WNV gained its first notice by causing death in native and exotic birds in the New York City area. Initial concern for the spread of the virus was associated with bird migration, especially along the eastern seaboard. The virus has now spread throughout most of North America, undoubtedly aided by bird migration. While birds are involved in the dispersal of WNV, they are also one, if not the major victim of the virus. As local natural history writer Joe Allen pointed out, a recent article in Birders Digest describes the death of tens, even hundreds of thousands of raptors and other birds dying from WNV infections. An article in the Washington Post reported that "nearly 200 species of birds, reptiles and mammals fell ill from West Nile this summer" in addition to "at least 241 people" and "more than 14,000" horses. Clearly, WNV is a major concern for Audubon members.

After meeting Tennessee’s newly appointed medical entomologist Kristy Gottfried at the Tennessee Entomological Society meeting in October, I took it upon myself to make Randy’s plan a reality. Four speakers have been invited to cover topics of concern to the public in general and to those folks with particular interest in birds and other wildlife. . The program is entitled "West Nile Virus – The Impact on Humans, Livestock and Wildlife: Prospects for the Future." The presenters are Ms. Gottfried as well as Drs. Randy Ellis, Gary Swinger and Don Dailey. They will review the WNV life cycle and it relationship to birds and mosquitoes, mosquito vector control, human health concerns, veterinary concerns and the potential impacts on populations of bird and other wildlife.

Ms. Gottfried holds a Master of Science in entomology from the University of Tennessee. For the past several years Ms. Gottfried has been at the Division of Vector-Borne Infectious Disease at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention in Ft. Collins, Colorado. This past summer she returned to Tennessee as the state’s Medical Entomologist. She will cover aspects of the WNV life cycle and mosquito control.

Dr. Ellis is a local physician, but many know him as a conservationist though his involvement in Audubon and Friends of Dunbar Cave. Dr. Ellis holds a medical degree from Vanderbilt University and is a staff physician at Gateway Medical Center and DoctorsCare. He will discuss human health concerns related to WNV.

Dr. Swinger holds a doctor of veterinary medicine from the University of Illinois and a Master of Public Health from the University of Michigan. He is the Tennessee State Public Health Veterinarian. Dr. Swinger will evaluate the WNV concerns related to large domestic animals and companion animals.

From Austin Peay State University is Dr. Dailey a microbiologist in the Department of Biology. He holds a Ph.D. from the Indiana University School of Medicine. This past year Dr. Dailey began investigating the presence of WNV in birds. He will evaluate the documented and potential impacts on birds and other wildlife.

This program should dispel some concerns, possibly raise new concerns and increase public awareness of the facts and fiction of this emerging disease. The program is free and open to the public. It is scheduled to begin at 6:00 p.m. in room E-106 of the Sundquist Science Complex and should last until about 7:30, ending with a panel question session. Refreshments will be provided following the program. Sponsors for this program include Gateway Medical Systems, DoctorsCare, the Montgomery County Health Department and the Center for Field Biology and the Department of Biology at APSU.

Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge on February 1 promises to be a banner birding day for Warioto members, especially if you’re interested in waterfowl. Highlights you can expect are 30-40,000 ducks, approximately 2000 Snow Geese, a few Ross’ and White-fronted Geese, along with several hundred Sandhill Cranes and some Lapland Longspurs (unless a warming trend in late January sends the numbers down). A special treat is in store for us in that Dwight Cooley, refuge manager, plans to join us for the day. Dwight is a super birder and will be a marvelous asset to our tour.

Additionally, Polly Rooker has donated copies of Ducks at a Distance, a waterfowl identification guide published by the U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service, for us to have for quick and easy reference that day.

Trip instructions are: Meet on February 1 at the Exit 11 commuter parking lot for a departure at 6 a.m.; plan to car pool; bring a sack lunch and drink (Suva suggests a day pack); dress warmly in layers; don’t forget your field guides, binoculars and spotting scopes. We will return to the Exit 11 parking lot somewhere in the neighborhood of 6 p.m.

Let’s all put in positive vibes for good weather on February 1, but just in case, if you plan to participate in this field trip please call Barbara Wilbur, 647-4956, by January 28. In the event of inclement weather and the trip has to be postponed/canceled Barbara will call each person who has signed up.

Directions to Exit 11 Commuter Parking Lot: Heading east on Hwy 76 connector road from Madison St., turn right onto Sango Rd. at the Amoco Market, McDonald’s and Holiday Inn Express. Proceed down Sango Rd. approx. 0.1 mile (road curves sharply to left, then begins to curve to right) behind the Amoco Market. Behind the Amoco Market on left is the fenced-in commuter lot.

*******************************************

April 5 - 1:00 p.m. WILDFLOWERS with Dr. Wayne Chester along the Cumberland River Bicentennial Trail, Ashland City, TN; meet in McCord parking lot.

April 26 - Early morning. BIRDS with Dr. David Snyder in the Land Between The Lakes. Bring binoculars, spotting scope, field guides, lunch, drink. See time options in next column.

Two time options: (1) Start early - meet Dr. Snyder at 6:00 a.m. at the South Welcome Station or (2) Start a bit later - meet in McCord lot at 6:00 a.m. and travel as a group to LBL to begin birding with Dr. Snyder at 7:00.

May 10 - Set your own time. SPRING BIRD COUNT, form your own group, bring your lunch, drink, binoculars, spotting scope, field guides. Plan for a wonderful day in the field.

Further details about these trips will be placed in future issue of this newsletter.

Join the Chattanooga chapter of the Tennessee Ornithological Society and the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency for "An Evening for the Birds," a benefit featuring preeminet bird expert Kenn Kaufman and Cherokee storyteller Choogie Kingfisher.

Kenn Kaufman is a gifted speaker and author of several books including the Peterson Field Guide to Advanced Birding, Kingbird Highway, and Birds of North America. He is currently a field editor for Audubon and a columnist for numerous magazines.

Choogie Kingfisher is a traditional storyteller of the Cherokee Nation. He has received widespread recognition for his storytelling of traditional Cherokee legends and myths. He has traveled throughout the United States and several foreign countries practicing his craft for over 16 years.

This event will take place at the historic Chattanooga Choo-Choo on February 7, 2003 at 6:30PM EST and will benefit the Cherokee Memorial Park to be built on the Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge and conservation projects protecting Sandhill and Whooping Cranes, and other migratory birds.

Admission is $15.00 and includes a ticket to sample desserts donated from restaurants throughout the Chattanooga area. There will also be a silent auction. For lodging, the Chattanooga Choo-Choo is offering a special $69 package (call 1-800-872-2529). For event details or to purchase a ticket, go to www.chattanoogatos.org or call (423) 886-4130.

The event officially kicks off the 11th Annual Cherokee and Sandhill Crane Viewing Weekend, held each year in Birchwood, TN. There you can view Bald Eagles, thousands of Sandhill Cranes, and enjoy numerous presentations (including a special children’s program).

For more information about this event you may contact:

This year will hold in store many conservation challenges so let’s first draw some inspiration from the conservation victories of the past year (Given the most recent elections, we’re going to need some inspiration!):

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reversed itself and denied use of 4,500 pounds of granular carbofuran on rice fields in Louisiana.

United States Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the legality of the Roadless Area Conservation Rule that protects what remains of America's pristine, roadless forests. This means the policy is now officially in effect!

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) postponed the program to poison blackbirds pending completion of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) which will identify the environmental effects of the program. The poisoning threatens to kill numerous other birds including steeply declining populations of grassland songbirds.

On April 18, 2002, the U.S. Senate voted 54-46 to protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge from oil and gas drilling.

President George W. Bush signed the farm bill into law that includes $17.1 billion in funding over the next ten years for conservation programs including the Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP), the Farmland Protection Program (FPP), the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP), and the creation of the Grasslands Reserve Program (GRP).

President George W. Bush signed the North American Wetlands Conservation Reauthorization Act that authorizes federal money to match donations from sportsmen, state wildlife agencies, conservationists and landowners.

U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate passed the "Clark County Conservation of Public Land and Natural Resources Act of 2002" that establishes wilderness areas and promotes conservation on 440,000 acres of public land in the Las Vegas (Clark County) area.

House-Senate Conference Committee rejected granting DoD an exemption from provisions of the Endangered Species Act on DoD-controlled lands. Such exemption would have undermined critical habitat protection for more than 300 imperiled species that are found on DoD lands. The Committee also rejected the proposal that would have undermined the protection under the Wilderness Act of critically important wild areas in Utah. The Committee did, however, agree to a modified version of the House-passed exemption from the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA.)

Pacific Fisheries Management Council adopted fishery management plan that prohibits the use of pelagic longline gear in the waters off California, Oregon, and Washington. Pelagic longlines generate high levels of bycatch, the unplanned capture and discarding of seabirds, fish, and other marine wildlife, which often results in their death and waste.

Much was accomplished last year, but most of these victories are temporary. The challenges ahead, given the recent changes in congress, are daunting. The president and new congress will be much emboldened by the results of the last election. Our friends in congress are fewer. Attempts to mine and drill in ANWR and other special public lands will be reintroduced this year. The Bush administration has been working steadily through the administrative tools available to it to systematically weaken environmental regulation across the entire spectrum of environmental legislation. One example is their recent proposal to exempt small and temporary water bodies from the provisions of the clean water act. This proposal has yet to be formally entered into the federal register, but when it is, it will require vigorous opposition if the progress in clean water and wetlands preservation over the past 30 years is to be preserved.

I thought our readers would like to know the results from Warioto’s 32^nd annual Christmas Bird Count. Debbie, the CBC compiler will get the results to Joe Allen for his thorough analysis. I hope to have this in the March newsletter. For now, I will give the briefest of summaries. We had 20 birders in the field and eight more watching the feeders. Field counters were Suva Bastin, Alan Bottomlee, Jennifer and Randy Ellis, Elizabeth and Kevin Fitch, Elaine Foust, Debbie and Steve Hamilton, Bonnie and Leonard Kruck, Bill and Gloria Milliken, Daniel Moss, Anna and Martin Ragland, Joe Schiller, David and Logan Snyder, and Amy Atkins Wallace. Feeder counters were Joe Allen, Dee Dee Burkemper, Annie Heilman, Thurston Lee, Helena Minniehan, Evelyn Nixon, Louise Podell and Sally Schiller (feeder count compiler).

The efforts of these fine volunteers resulted in 69 species being documented on the December 14 count. Debbie received no additional "count week" records. While the total species is up by three from last year, it is still low compared with the previous six years. This year we were unable to get observers into the zinc plant bottoms, so this may have resulted in fewer waterfowl species than we sometimes count. We did not see a few other species that we have typically observed on the count. I will let Joe tell more about that next month.