The Leaflet, January / February 2002

Off the Beaten Path by Bob Kissel

I first formally volunteered in the Spring of 1970 as a Junior in high school, working with adolescents at the now-razed Chicago State Hospital. My school (Loyola Academy) had a strong emphasis, almost a requirement, for community service. Each Friday five of us made our way to the hospital on the far west side of Chicago. The bonds we formed in our volunteer time together have endured to this day.

Sasssafras Audubon Society as an environmental organization is now completing its 30th year. The list of members who have offered their time and expertise reads like a "who's who" of Bloomington activists: Restle, Whitehead, Hewitt, Zeller and Brittain are but a few names of past and present SAS members who have pitched in. Yet at present SAS finds itself at a crossroads in these more challenging times.

Thirty years ago SAS was a lone voice for environmental activism and conservation. We now find ourselves in an "alphabet soup" of environmental organizations with our present mission primarily educational. Yet the issues of environmental degradation, urban sprawl, and biological diversity have not disappeared, only changed. National Audubon has altered the manner and amount of SAS' share of our members' yearly dues, pushing SAS to examine its economic self-sufficiency. And perhaps most worrisome is the decline in help from SAS' general members at our various community and fund-raising events. SAS board members have carried the weight of running these activities but struggle to do so without more hands.

In this issue of the Leaflet you will find a postcard listing volunteer opportunities and an article summarizing these events and committees. SAS board members are asking you to volunteer a bit of your time so we can thrive as an organization and serve our community in environmental and conservation education. If you are willing to help, please send the postcard or e-mail Bill Rainey with your interests. We pledge that your time will be well-utilized and you will be called at most once a year!

In closing, I have one more request for your time. The issue for drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) is quite alive despite substantial public opposition. The U.S. House of Representatives has passed such a resolution and the pending Senate vote will be close. Votes on such controversial issues ARE influenced by the number of citizens who write, e-mail or call their elected officials. Please join the SAS Board to express your opposition to ANY drilling in the ANWR by contacting Senator Bayh [(202) 224-5623; www.senate.gov/~bayh/] and especially Senator Lugar [(202) 224-4814; www.senate.gov/~lugar/]. Our collective opposition needs to be heard!

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Hawk Mountain Rendezvous by Ross Brittain

This past October Jess Gwinn, Ross Brittain and Bob Kissell of Sassafras Audubon Society all made the trip to Hawk Mountain in Eastern Pennsylvania to watch the autumnal hawk migration and participate in Saw-whet Owl banding. For those of you who aren’t familiar with Hawk Mountain, it is part of the Kittatinny ridge of the Appalachians that acts as a funneling point for migrating raptors each fall. For a few hundred years European settlers used this mountain as a place to shoot thousands of hawks each year until Rosalie Edge purchase the property and set it aside as the world’s first Raptor Sanctuary.

Saw-whet Owl after being banded.I make this trip every year to see migrating hawks and last year my wife, Jaime, and I were treated to our first owl banding excursion. It was so much fun staying up all night to band the owls that I arranged to do it again this year with Jess and Bob.

The weather was unseasonably warm during our time at Hawk Mountain, which made the hawk migration “slow” by their standards (we only averaged 100 raptors a day, but a slow day at Hawk Mountain is still better than the best day for raptors I’ve had in Southern Indiana). The diurnal migrants were primarily composed of Sharp-shinned Hawks, Cooper’s Hawks and Red-tailed Hawks. However we also received excellent looks at several Harriers, Merlins, Red-shouldered Hawks, a Peregrine Falcon, an immature Golden Eagle, Osprey, and American Kestrel. Passerines included Pine Siskins, Purple Finches, Yellow-rumped Warblers and thousands of American Robins. I personally was treated to having Black-capped Chickadees eat peanuts out of my hand, a behavior common in Black-capped Chickadees but relatively rare among our Carolina Chickadees in Southern Indiana.

By far the highlight of the trip was participating in banding the diminutive, nocturnal migrants, Saw-whet Owls. On our first night in Pennsylvania, Jess and I met up with Bob (who had driven over from a business trip in Connecticut) for a rendezvous with the owl banders, Todd Bauman and Eric Hynes. The owls are attracted into mist nets by playing their breeding “broadcast” call. Starting at 10pm we spent the next eight hours extracting 31 Saw-whet Owls out of mist nets and placing them into plastic tube containers and socks to keep them calm during the process. This total set a new record for the Hawk Mountain Owl banding crew. Their previous high for one night had been 27. We heard many more in the trees around us as the night progressed. In fact, there were so many birds that we did not have enough “containers” for them so I took my sock off and we placed one of the owls in my sock to keep it still while the banding process continued. Jess later noticed that one of the owls even coughed up a pellet in one of the socks.

A Saw-what Owl on the arm of SAS President Bob Kissel.The banding process consists of placing a marked band on the right leg of the owl, measuring the primary feathers, weighing the bird, identifying the age by the molt pattern, identifying the color of the eye, identifying the amount of white feathers on the facial disk, measuring bill length, measuring tail length, and gauging the relative health by the “feel” of the muscle around the keel. After each bird was banded and measured one of us would have the opportunity to release the owl, usually by placing it on our outstretched arm and letting it fly away when it was ready. All this data is gathered because so little is known about the Saw-whet that they don’t know what information is significant, but hope to find out through this program.

One especially feisty bird was placed on Jess’s shoulder by Eric and decided that it was fine once it could do as it pleased. This Saw-whet spent the next 30 minutes perched on Jess’s shoulder while we finished banding the other eight birds from that net check. In fact the owl only flew away when Jess moved a little more than usual and the bird merely went to one of the rafters of the shelter we were stationed in. As the night wore on we could tell that this owl planned to roost in this shelter for the coming day and Eric decided this would not be a good idea. With the bravado that only comes from experience, Eric simply walked up to the owl, gently grabbed it and took it outside to a nearby tree so that it could find a more suitable roosting place.

It was a wonderful experience to hold and study these secretive creatures. One of the things this banding program has discovered is that Saw-whets are actually a fairly common bird on the east coast down into the Carolinas and that they don’t cross over the Appalachians in migration (the Saw-whet population chooses one side of the mountains or the other in migration and stays on that side). When the Hawk Mountain Owl Banders started seven years ago, everyone told them that Saw-whets were rare in Eastern Pennsylvania. They banded over eighty birds that first year and opened the eyes of many ornithologists in the east. Currently there are eight Saw-whet banding stations in Pennsylvania. One of the owls we caught on our night of banding had actually been banded the previous year at a station about 50 miles west of Hawk Mountain. It is our hope that SAS can someday sponsor a Saw-whet Owl banding station in Indiana, where there currently are none, to add to the growing data on Saw-whets. We’ll keep you posted on our progress.

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Thank You, Audubon Adventures Sponsors

"Toad in Trouble!," "Hanging Around with Spiders," "Fine Feathered Outdoor Café," "How to be Cold-Blooded," "Bear Necessities."

These are just a few of the topics that Audubon Adventures children will be learning about this year. Eighty-five teachers in our seven county area have received their Audubon Adventures kits, enabling approximately 2200 elementary students to learn more about the natural environment.

These children would not have this great opportunity were it not for the generous support of individual SAS members, businesses, and foundations. SAS greatly appreciates the important contributions of each and every one of our sponsors.

Individuals

Businesses

Foundations

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Start Planning Now for the 2002 Birdathon

It's not too early to start thinking about the 2002 Monroe County Birdathon. Teams of 3-6 birders compete to find the most species of birds within the county limits from midnight to midnight on May 4. Each team picks a worthy environmental cause, such as SAS, to support with pledges it raises from friends and neighbors. Prizes are awarded by Wild Birds Unlimited. Registration is $15 per person and includes a t-shirt and potluck tally dinner. For information, contact Cathy Meyer at Monroe County Parks and Recreation at 349-2805 or cmeyer@co.monroe.in.us.

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SAS Calendar for January / February 2002

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

Saturday, January 19, 2002 "Goose Pond Area and Strip Mine Grasslands"

Plan for two-thirds of a day and bring a lunch. The trip will feature wintering raptors, sparrows and waterfowl. We will leave early, some time before dawn, to get out to the Goose Pond area in time for sunrise. Call Don Whitehead at 339-1782 for reservations and the meeting time and place.

Wednesday, January 30, 2002 7:00 p.m.
"January Program: Winter Tree Identification"

Indiana Department of Natural Resources District Forester Ralph Unversaw will present "Identifying Indiana's Trees Without Leaves" in Room 1-C of the Monroe County Public Library at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, January 30. Learn how to identify local trees during the winter. Refreshments will be served. This event is free and open to everyone. For more information please contact Steve Cotter at 349-3736.

Friday - Sunday, February 8, 9, 10, 2002 "Eagle Watch Weekend"

Join the fun of learning about not only eagles but the other wildlife of the Lake Monroe area. Sponsored by the IDNR, you must make reservations to attend this event at the Fourwinds Resort. SAS's own Jim and Susan Hengeveld will lead a hike on Saturday, February 9th, and Ross Brittain will give a presentation on Creating Backyard Wildlife Habitat on Sunday, February 10th. There will be opportunities to view eagles, learn about the local wildlife, talk to conservation organizations, and shop for nature-related items. For more details and to make reservations please call The Lake Monroe Paynetown Office at 837-9546. They will assist in getting you in touch with the proper personnel.

Saturday, February 23, 2002 "Lake Monroe Eagles and Waterfowl"

A half-day trip to see the late winter eagles and waterfowl at Lake Monroe. Meet at 8:00 a.m. at the west side of the Bloomingfoods parking lot on East Third St. Call Don Whitehead at 339-1782 if you have any questions.

Saturday, February 23, 2002, 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. "Nature Conservancy Stewardship Work Day"

This work day will take place at Big Walnut Natural Area, Putnam County. Bring gloves and a lunch. For more information, contact Meghan Martin at (800) YES-LAND [(800) 937-5263] or mmartin@tnc.org.

Wednesday, February 27, 2002, 7:00 p.m.
"February Program: Bluebird Nesting Box Program"

Wild Birds Unlimited store owner, Ross Brittain, will share how the local Bluebird Adoption Program is helping several bird species in Monroe County and how bird lovers can get involved with the program and how to help cavity nesters in your own habitat. This free program will be held in Room 1-C of the Monroe County Public Library at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, February 27. Refreshments will be served. For more information please contact Steve Cotter at 349-3736.

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Volunteer Job Descriptions

SAS board members are asking you to volunteer a bit of your time so we can thrive as an organization and serve our community in environmental and conservation education. If you are willing to help, please send the postcard or e-mail Bill Rainey with your interests. We pledge that your time will be well-utilized and you will be called at most once a year!

Conservation Committee

The Conservation Comittee monitors local, regional and national environmental issues. When issues are deemed relevant to the SAS mission, a position on the issue is formulated and an appropriate response from SAS is prepared. If necessary, the general membership is alerted so that they may also act. Responsibilities could include any of the following: staying abreast of current environmental issues; attending meetings held by the government or other local organizations; writing letters.

Feeder Cleaning

We have two feeder cleanings annually. The fall one occurs somewhere between the last Saturday in September to the first Saturday in October. The spring cleaning is usually on a Saturday at the end of April. Shifts are usually three hours between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., but any amount of time helps. There are several different volunteer needs during the event. These include CHECK IN: helpers needed to check-in customers, tag feeders, and collect money; CLEANERS: people who don’t mind getting a bit wet, emptying out old seed, scrubbing down feeders; WASHERS: folks who are comfortable running a pressure cleaner to do the final power wash; CHECK OUT: helpers needed to help organize washed feeders, help customers reclaim feeders.

Fundraising and Endowment

This committee has the prime task of raising funds via our regular community events, grant writing, and funding our endowment plan. We will work closely with specific community event coordinators, such as for donation of items or services for the May silent auction/raffle. We will also write grants and approach local individuals and businesses to solicit financial support to establish SAS' endowment fund. Our work will generally be on-going during the year with the exception of activity tied to specific SAS events or grant proposal deadlines.

Outings and Programs

If you have any ideas for SAS Membership Outings (i.e. bird, wildflower or mushroom hike, etc.) please let us know so that we may contact you to arrange a time and place for such an outing. Likewise if you have an idea for an Education Program (i.e. snakes, bats, trees, etc.) that you can give to the SAS membership please let us know so that we can help make your services available. However, you do not have to lead either the Outings or the Educational Programs. If you just have a good idea for either we can try to find someone to lead the group.

Program Setup and Refreshments

SAS regularly hosts educational presentations by experts on a wide variety topics. Most of the indoor programs are held in the Monroe County Public Library at 7:00 p.m. on the last Wednesday of each month. Help is being sought coordinating the purchase and setup of snacks and drinks for these events. Typically coffee, juice and cookies are provided.

Silent Auction / Raffle

Our silent auction and raffle take place in May, but preparation occurs in the preceding months. Help is needed for the following responsibilities: COLLECTION: finding donated items for the silent auction and raffle from area businesses / local members; specific information is needed and receipts given to donors; PUBLICITY: getting the word out; making and putting up fliers, selling raffle tickets; RUNNING THE BOOTH AT EARTHFEST: the auction is completed at Earthfest (typically the third Saturday in May at Karst Farm Park). Volunteers are needed to stay at the booth, explain how the auction works, and call winners for pick up. Shifts are about three hours.

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Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival by Bob Kissel

After having been on local and overnight SAS birding trips and a trio of professional tours, I decided to attend a birding festival in the Rio Grande Valley (RGV) of Texas in November. The "Valley" is one of the prime birding areas in the country as it offers a broad range of local specialities (e.g., Altamira Oriole, Ferruginous Pygmy Owl, Buff-bellied Hummingbird) as well as the chance to find Mexican vagrants such as Blue Bunting, Clay-colored Robin, or Hook-billed Kite. Now in its 8th year, RGV Festival organizer Fr. Tom Pincelli welcomed almost 1000 bird-watchers to the "Valley".

Centered in Harlingen, the Birding Festival offered a daily choice of 10-12 low cost bus trips to well-known areas like South Padre Island, the King Ranch, and Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge. On my five trips the number of participants ranged from 15-45 and birding skills seemed beginner to moderately advanced. Each bus trip had 2-4 leaders, both local "Valley" and nationally-recognized birding experts. My trip to Bentsen State Park was led by Jon Dunn and David Sibley! The RGV Birding Festival also offered an afternoon and evening selection of instructional seminars and children's programs. The daily Birder's Bazaar had over 80 exhibitors offering optical equipment, nature art, t-shirts, and demonstration birds and animals. I was able to hold a juvenile Black-bellied Whistling Duck at the Bazaar.

Over the five days of the Festival, well over 200 bird species were recorded on the various field trips. I added 25 new birds to my life list and highlights included Audubon's Oriole, Olive Sparrow, Green Kingfisher, and Muscovy Duck. With no scheduled afternoon field trips, I was able to return to areas already visited as well as to explore new locations. The RGV Birding Festival was a fun and productive introduction to the birding "hotspots" in the Rio Grande Valley. I hope to return to the "Valley" soon for "target birding" of the species that were missed.

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Milwaukee Audubon Society's 22nd Annual Natural Landscaping Conference

The Milwaukee Audubon Society's 22nd Annual Natural Landscaping Conference will be held on Saturday, February 9th, 2002. The keynote speaker will be Sally Wasowski, nationally respected landscape designer and author. Her long anticipated book, Gardening with Prairie Plants, is due out December, 2001, and is already getting rave advance reviews. She has also written for Country America magazine, Texas Gardener, and a number of Brooklyn Botanic Garden handbooks, along with numerous other full-length books. For seven years, she has taught sell-out classes on landscape design at SMU's School of Continuing Education.

The conference offers a total of 12 sessions and the keynote address. International prairie expert Neil Diboll will present an all-day intensive workshop on prairies, appropriate for novices to experienced gardeners. This workshop covers history, prairie and meadow design, ecological structure of grasslands, seeding rates-seasons and methods, site preparation, prairie and meadow management, and a discussion period. Janet Macunovich, Michigan author, will be doing a session on transitioning a yard to natural landscaping from one that is traditionally landscaped. Vicki Nowicki will present a session on the art of landscaping and land conservation with the use of vegetable gardens. These are just a few of the interesting sessions that are planned.

The conference is from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. with a fee of $25 in advance and $30 at the door. There is also an extensive exhibition area where seeds, plant lists, books and more can be purchased. For more information and a brochure, please contact the Milwaukee Audubon Society at (262) 375-1565, or e-mail milwaudubon@core.com.

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Use Your Shopping Dollars to Help SAS

Your shopping dollars can help SAS thanks to community-minded programs from Marsh and Mr. D’s. (Note: at this point, Kroger does not have a similar program, but reportedly they are considering starting one.)

Marsh supermarkets have recently introduced the Community Shopper program. Register your Fresh Idea card using the form we’ve provided here, at either your local Marsh store or online at www.marsh.net. Then, when you use your Fresh Idea card to purchase Marsh brand products, the company will donate 1% of the purchase price to SAS. During special promotions, other selected national brand products will count as well.

For Mr. D’s Community Cashback program, fill out the provided form and turn it in at the customer service desk. Then, shop at Mr. D’s using your Customer Advantage card. Each quarter, the company donates a portion of their Community Cashback fund to local organizations, based on the number of customers participating and how they shop at the store.

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last updated 30-Oct-2004