The Leaflet, November / December 2001

Off the Beaten Path by Bob Kissel

When I started thinking about my first Leaflet column in early September, my intent was to shower appreciation to past President Jess Gwinn and departing board members Jim Hengeveld and Ang Jordan for their remarkable time and efforts over the past several years. My first meeting as in-coming SAS President was September 10. Twelve hours later our world changed with the horrific events of September 11.

However, I submit that the mission of National Audubon Society and its 500 local chapters, including SAS, has not changed. In fact, our core values of environmental protection and education are even more fundamental to the present and future health of our country. One issue that has received scant attention following the events of September 11 is the necessity of a comprehensive, forward-looking national energy policy including a critical examination of our consumptive American lifestyle. Increasing our energy self-sufficiency will not come from the status quo of ever-increasing demand and more drilling.

Your SAS Board of Directors has reconfirmed the importance of SAS' role in promoting positive environmental policy nationally and especially locally. The Board will continue to organize field trips and monthly educational programs, fund raising events, and our sponsorship of Audubon Adventures in local classrooms. My priorities in the next two years as SAS President include continued work to establish an endowment to support and expand SAS activities. It also seems imperative at this point in SAS' 30 year history to broaden our membership and the base of volunteers involved with SAS events.

Perhaps most importantly, it is my hope that our membership will help to foster a culture of conservation by increased participation in the "life" of SAS via field and educational programs, financial support for our school-based program, volunteering your time to our fund-raising activities, and recruiting new members. But mostly, spend time with your family and friends to celebrate the great outdoors, from your backyard to pristine wilderness areas.

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Another Christmas Bird Count Looms Large—Sign Up Now! by Don Whitehead

Sassafras Audubon’s annual Lake Monroe Christmas Bird Count (CBC) is scheduled for Saturday, December 15, 2001. This will be the 26th consecutive year for this prestigious CBC. As always, the success of the bird count depends on the number of eyes, ears, minds, and bodies in the field on that day. The more observers we have, the more completely we can cover our designated count circle and the more thoroughly we can cover each team’s territory within the circle. We need all of you! Give me a ring or an e-mail and sign up now: (812) 339-1782 or whitehea@indiana.edu.

As most of you know, the Christmas Bird Count is part of a long-term monitoring program established by National Audubon to provide basic data on the status and trends of wintering bird populations in North America and elsewhere. The program has been in existence for over a century and now involves over 1800 counts. Last year 52,471 observers participated in 1823 CBC’s! Each year there are 35-40 CBC’s run in Indiana.

The count is carried out in a designated circle with a radius of 7.5 miles. The objective on count day is to cover all of the area (and habitats) within the circle as thoroughly as possible and to record both species and the number of individuals of each species. Our circle is centered on the intersection of Route 446 and Tower Ridge Road south of Lake Monroe. As a result, the circle includes all of the lake and its associated wetlands and refuges, a large area of Hoosier National Forest, and much agricultural land south of the lake. In short, our circle has wonderful habitat diversity and thus has the potential for recording a very large number of species.

Over the years we have built this count into one of the best in the state—almost every year the Lake Monroe CBC tallies the highest species count of any Indiana CBC. In fact, we have surpassed 100 species a number of times in recent years—the only Indiana CBC to do so. Over the 25 years of the count we have recorded over 140 species!

The Christmas Bird Count is great fun—a time to spend an entire day in the field in interesting habitats trying to determine what is around, and trying to see how many unusual birds can be found. We usually have between 50-70 observers in the field every year working in 10-12 different teams. There is always a sense of friendly competition between teams—trying to see who will record the greatest number of species and the most unusual bird. This competition then extends to a larger arena—with our count trying to outdo the other counts in the state.

Most teams have two meeting times: one before first light for those wishing to work on owls, and one at sunrise for those more interested in day birds. Individuals can work all day or a portion of the day, depending on preferences and time available.

The important thing is that we have the best counts when we have the greatest number of teams and observers in the field. The count is for beginners as well as more advanced birders. In short, we need everyone we can get; more people beating the bush or watching the sky of the lake generate more birds. Anyone interested should call or e-mail me to be assigned to a team or to obtain information (see first paragraph).

The CBC always ends with a wonderful pot-luck dinner hosted by Henry Wahl in the party room of Woodcrest Court, 2602 E. 2nd Street. The food is always great, and the final tally for the count is lots of fun. Bragging rights for the year are established there.

Hope to see you all for our 26th Christmas Bird Count.

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In Memory

Sassafras Audubon Society would like to recognize the following contributions:

In memory of Nellie B. Harrigan

In memory of Louis Rothert

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SAS Calendar for November / December 2001

All outings and programs are free and open to non-members.

Wednesday, November 7, 2001, 7:00 p.m. "Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology’s Project Feederwatch"

Presented by Sandy Belth in room 1C of the Monroe County Public Library. For more information, contact Steve Cotter (349-3736).

Saturday, November 10, 2001 "Half-Day Trip to Lake Lemon and Lake Monroe"

Waterfowl, late migrants. We will visit a number of birding hot spots on both Lake Lemon and Lake Monroe looking for grebes, loons, diving ducks, surface-feeding ducks, gulls and other migrants. Meet at 7:00 a.m. at the west side of Bloomingfood's parking lot on East 3rd St. For further information call the leader, Don Whitehead (339-1782).

Saturday, November 17, 2001 "Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge"

An excellent opportunity to see and study migratory waterfowl for beginners and experts alike. Meet at 8:30 a.m. at the west side of Bloomingfoods parking lot on East 3rd St. Bring a lunch! We will be back by mid-afternoon. Call Cathy Meyer for further details (339-8184).

Wednesday, November 28, 2001, 7:00 p.m.
November Program: "Painting the Birds of Indiana"

Join us for a special November Program, a conversation with Bill Zimmerman about "Painting the Birds of Indiana." Meet at the Monroe County Public Library, Room 1C.

Saturday, December 1, 2001 "Half-Day Trip for Local Wintering Waterfowl and Passerines"

We will take a trip to some of the best birding spots in Monroe County to see waterfowl and other birds that are residing in the area at that time of year. Meet at 8:00 a.m. at the west side of Bloomingfoods parking lot on East 3rd St. Call Jim or Susan Hengeveld for details (988-1671).

Saturday, December 8, 2001 "Half-Day Trip to Hawthorn Mine and Dugger Unit of Greene/Sullivan State Forest"

Come see raptors and sparrows that overwinter in the grassy areas of Western Indiana, including (hopefully): Short-eared Owls, Rough-legged Hawks and Le Conte's Sparrows. Meet at 7:00 a.m. at the west side of Bloomingfoods parking lot on East 3rd St. Call Lee Sterrenburg for details (333-6368).

Saturday, December 15, 2001 "26th Annual Lake Monroe Christmas Bird Count, Potluck and Tally"

Join in the fun for our 26th Lake Monroe Count. The more participants and groups we have, the more birds we can record. The day will conclude with our traditional potluck and tally hosted by Henry Wahl at the Woodcrest Party Room at 2606 East Second Street beginning around 6:00 p.m. To be placed on a team, call Don Whitehead at 339-1782 or e-mail whitehea@indiana.edu.

Saturday, December 29, 2001 "15th Annual McCormick’s Creek Christmas Bird Count"

Round out the year with a great day of birding. All eyes (and ears) are needed. Come join us on Saturday, December 29th for the 15th Annual McCormick's Creek Christmas Bird Count. The count circle includes McCormick's Creek State Park, the Restle Unit of the Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge, Greens Bluff Nature Preserve, and a section of the White River. Come join us and make this another great year for the count! To be placed on a team, please call Sandy Belth at 825-8353, or e-mail her at belthbirds@aol.com. The day is topped off by a potluck dinner and tally at the Belths home.

Because of the holidays, there will be no December Program.

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Fall Feeder Cleaning a Success!

On Saturday, October 6th, a beautiful fall day, a number of hardy SAS board members and volunteers donned rain pants, boots, and gloves, and started scrubbing away! Over 300 feeders were brought to the parking lot of Wild Birds Unlimited at the corner of 15th Street and College Avenue in Bloomington, earning $970 after expenses. The next time you are visiting Wild Birds Unlimited, please express your appreciation to the owner, Ross, for allowing us to hold this fund-raiser in his parking lot!

Chris Freeman, owner of ICU, spraying a feeder at the third fall cleaning.The feeders were power-washed by SAS board members and volunteers, with an extra special effort put in by Indiana Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning! ICU donated not only the use of their high-powered steam sprayer, but also the time and sweat of ICU owner, Chris Freeman, and his employee, Bart Brown. Given the huge number of feeders that were brought in to be cleaned, we couldn’t have done it without their help! If they can clean feeders, they can clean anything! If you ever need your carpets or upholstery cleaned, or your deck power-washed, these guys are good!

SAS plans to continue to offer feeder cleaning events every spring and fall. Cleaning your feeders on a regular basis is very important to prevent the spread of disease and to help ensure the general health of your birds. Power washing and disinfecting the feeders with steam might not make the feeders look brand new, but they will be clean and sanitized. All proceeds from feeder cleaning events help fund SAS's continuing efforts in both education and the funding of local environmental actions and activities.

Thanks again for all of your support! Hope to see you in the spring. The birds will thank you for it!

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An Unexpected Passenger: Rescuing a Screech Owl by Ang Jordan

When we published a story on WildCare, Inc. on the front page of our last Leaflet, little did I imagine that I would soon have need of their services myself. At the end of September I was on my way back to Bloomington from Evansville. A couple of miles south of Washington, IN, my bird radar picked up the unmistakable silhouette of an Eastern Screech Owl, sitting as if perched in a tree, but on the shoulder of the road. I had already driven past before I realized I knew what it was. It was about noon and I knew that no owl ought to be sitting at the roadside in broad daylight. At the next crossroad about 100 yards further on I pulled over and returned to investigate.

I walked back with trepidation, not knowing if I might find an owl in some bad or worse state of injury. As I got closer, I could see that its back was towards me. Cars and semis whizzed by a dozen feet away and I went to face the bird with my back to the traffic. The owl, an adult grey phase, looked ok, but sat with its eyes closed in an attempt to remain camouflaged against the shaded patch of asphalt. Slowly, it peeked up at me, but didn't fly away. So I had to decide what to do next.

Not wanting to leave the owl on the shoulder for fear it would get hit by a vehicle or nabbed by a predator, I determined the next step was to try to pick it up. After waiting until there were no cars coming, I knelt slowly, talking to the bird, and picked it up with both hands. The owl remained quite calm. At first it kept its feet curled up and wouldn't grasp my hand. The owl squinted at me a little bit; one of its eyes appeared to be injured. I examined its wings gently and it did not seem to have other injuries. Given a moment to recover, however, the owl still did not fly away. Holding the owl close to my chest, I went back to the car to confine it and make further decisions.

With the owl sheltered by some newspaper on the floor of the car, I called the Wild Birds Unlimited store to get advice. They gave me the number for WildCare, Inc. (323-1313). I left a message on the WildCare pager, and then deliberated about what to do in the parking lot of a little church across the road. My dilemma was that I didn't want to take the owl away from its territory if it would be able to recover on its own, but I also didn't want to leave the bird while it was susceptible to danger. A phone call with Susan Hengeveld confirmed my suspicions that since I had been able to pick the owl up without a struggle, it would probably need help to survive.

I had a paper gift bag with me which seemed the best receptacle at hand for owl transport. I managed to steer the little fellow in, and covered the bag with my sweater so it was dark, warm, and relatively closed. The owl remained quiet on the remaining hour’s drive, except for scrabbling around a little when I slowed down. I kept thinking to myself bemusedly, "I have an owl in my car—who would believe it!" It even occurred to me that the owl, positioned at the side of the road as it was, seemed almost waiting for the right person to stop and give it a lift.

About the time I was getting back into Bloomington I got a call back from Michael, a rehabilitator with WildCare, Inc. He game me directions so I could bring the owl over immediately. Happily, upon examination Michael said the bird was in good condition, though it had likely been hit by a car since its eye problems indicated head trauma. He described the owl as "fat," retaining good muscle tone, and not infested by parasites. Unfortunately, many birds are found only after they have been stranded on the ground for some time, where they may lose weight and become riddled with blood-sucking pests. I was told that treatment would consist of steroids to reduce swelling, and with luck the owl's eyes should return to normal.

About a week later I heard from WildCare that the owl was recovering, had been flying, and was regaining the use of its eye. I provided a detailed description of where I found the bird so it could be released in its home territory.

I love owls, and I never would have wished to get a close-up look at one in this way. But since I did, I felt privileged to be able to provide help. It was a beautiful little bird—incredibly light, with soft, perfect feathers, even tiny ones that went all the way down to its sharply-taloned feet. I was amazed at how fearless the owl was, looking evenly at me and not struggling to get free. I don't know if this was because it was still stunned, or couldn't see well, or if this is part of the owl's defensive strategy. It did start to recover itself a bit in the car, though, making a "tick-tick-tick" noise when I had to corral it into the bag, and later posturing on its back with wings spread and talons outstretched. I can only hope that this brave (and lucky) bird will be able to return to its home and contribute to the future of the Eastern Screech Owl. My thanks, too, go out to the dedicated volunteers at WildCare, Inc. who are able to provide this kind of care when needed. To contribute, call 323-1313 for the hotline, or 5970 W SR 48, Bloomington, IN 47404 by mail.

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A Report on the Midwest Birding Symposium by Cathy Meyer

Over the Labor Day weekend I attended the Midwest Birding Symposium in Green Bay, Wisconsin. There were over 500 people in attendance to enjoy the birding field trips, speakers, and sessions. The hosts were Birder's World magazine, Eagle Optics, and the Wisconsin Society for Ornithology. The focus of this year's event was wetlands and cranes. As many of you know, there will be some young Whooping Cranes following an ultra-light aircraft from Necedah National Wildlife Refuge in Wisconsin to Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge in Florida in hopes of establishing a new migratory population of Whoopers. Over $22,000 was raised at this conference for the Eastern Partnership to help this project. If anyone would like to make donations, mail checks to the National Resource Foundation, PO Box 2317, Madison, WI 53701-2317 or the International Crane Foundation, PO Box 447, Baraboo, WI 53913 and label them for "Operation Migration."

Speakers at the Symposium included photographer Arthur Morris, ornithologist and author Ken Kaufman, ecologist Peter Stangel, Texas bird expert Father Tom Pincelli, George Archibald of the International Crane Foundation, and Alicia Craig , nature educator for Wild Birds Unlimited. Sessions covered identification problems, attracting wildlife, restoration projects, photography, optics, and more. The marketplace had dozens of booths displaying art, software, birdfeeders, books, clothing, optics, tours, and information about Purple Martins, wildlife refuges, the Whooping Crane project, and more.

About 170 species were recorded on the various field trips during the weekend. T here were special activities planned for families and children, as well. Highlights included Long-tailed Duck, Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Western Sandpiper, Baird's Sandpiper, White-rumped Sandpiper, Red-necked Phalarope, Little Gull, Clay-colored Sparrow, Brewer's Blackbird, and 23 species of warbler. Black-crowned Night Herons were common.There were several nearby birding areas that could be visited several times each day, with new species turning up on every visit. Most featured wetlands attractive to shorebirds, herons, and gulls, but migrating warblers and vireos were found in the vegetation at each site.

On the trip home, we stopped at Horicon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge, billed as the largest cattail marsh in the world. Waterfowl migration will peak much later, but we saw lots of egrets, teal, coots, and Common Moorhens. The Yellow-headed Blackbirds were a treat to see and there is a nice boardwalk on one of the hiking trails.

This was the 7th Symposium, which is held every two years and twice at each location. The next one will be September 14-17, 2003 at the Regency Suites in Green Bay. Hoosiers should plan to attend. It's informative and a lot of fun!

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Private, State, and Federal Partners Announce a Conference

"Working Landscapes in the Midwest: Creating Sustainable Futures for Agriculture, Forestry, and Communities"

November 8-9, 2001 in Delavan, Wisconsin

Our vision of a working landscape is one in which agriculture, forestry, and other natural resource based activities are conducted in harmony with the environment, taking into account the value of natural, ecological and social integrity for current and future stakeholders.

This conference will explore practices and policies that promote land-based economic activity to sustain families, communities and ecosystems, while also providing multiple benefits to society.

Join us for active dialogue, creative work and networking on this emerging concept at beautiful Lake Lawn Resort in Delavan, WI on November 8-9, 2001.

Limited scholarships are available.

For more information, please visit the conference website at http://www.workinglandscapes.org, e-mail wlinfo@iatp.org, or contact Marin at (612) 870-3436.

Explore Art Through Wood

Woodcuts on nature themes. That's the focus of a workshop being offered by Mt. Gilead Friends Retreat on Saturday, November 3.

Bill Shetter will demonstrate and then assist participants in learning how to cut simple designs into wood blocks, later printing them into black and white images that may be taken home. The program, scheduled from 1:00 - 5:00 p.m., will be held at the Friends Meeting House near the corner of Smith and Moores Pike. The fee is $25 which includes all materials.

For more information or to register, call 336-5576 or e-mail mtgilfr@bloomington.in.us.

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