The Leaflet, May - June 2004

Driving 200 miles north through the Indiana spring, I pondered what to write for this column. Should it be about the progression of the seasons? The farmers tilling, fertilizing, and burning off their fields, the changes in the weather and the night sky? The greening grass, profusion of blooms and return of butterflies and birds to our yards? The robins nesting in the yard, the calling frogs, and the veritable orgy of procreation everywhere? Nah.

I'm going to write about storm water. Many of us, of a certain age, recall mounds of soapsuds in streams, strange colors and odors from the discharge pipes of factories and businesses, and the infamous fire in the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland. Because of federal regulations, these things are no longer regular occurrences. Phosphates were removed from detergents and point sources; pollution from known sources such as pipes were limited. Water quality has improved dramatically in most places. Now it's time to finish the job. The EPA instituted Phase II and mandated that the states write regulations to control non-point source pollution, which cannot be traced to a single place where it enters streams or lakes. Much of it is pollutants carried by "runoff," the water that travels over the land in sheets before entering a water body.

Indiana wrote rules which will affect areas of a certain population density, including cities, many towns, universities, prisons and other public institutions, and urbanized unincorporated areas. In Monroe County, the City of Bloomington, Ellettsville, Ivy Tech, Indiana University, and parts of the county are affected. For over a year, these entities have been meeting to make plans for meeting the requirements of these rules and sharing information.

The biggest pollutant of our waters is sediment, much of it coming from erosion caused by human activity. Rule 5 will require more strict measures to control erosion from construction sites. Sediment makes the water murky, blocks sunlight needed by aquatic plants, causes temperatures to rise, buries the natural substrates where mussels live and fish spawn, carries excessive plant nutrients such as phosphates, and clogs the gills of aquatic organisms. Reducing the amount of sediment will vastly improve the quality of water in our streams and lakes for drinking, wildlife, and recreational uses.

Rule 13 is an exhaustive plan to improve the quality of water entering streams from parking lots, lawns, and other areas that drain into storm drains, ditches, and culverts. Think about the water you see running along the curb after a rain and consider all of the sand, dirt, oil, litter, and other pollutants that it carries. Under Rule 13, land uses must be analyzed, each stream studied and characterized, and plans made to improve water quality. A large part of the program requires public involvement and education. In March, the League of Women Voters hosted a forum that was filmed by BCATS for public broadcast. A sub-committee, named SWEET (Storm Water Environmental Education Team), is planning other activities to target segments of the population that can help prevent water pollution. Nationally, the Weather Channel will broadcast a program called "After the Storm" several times in the coming months to address storm water pollution.

So what does all this have to do with you? Everyone will need to become more aware of how our activities affect water quality. Find out where water from your property goes. Storm drain marking programs are in place to stencil drains with messages to remind people that oil or waste dumped in a drain will end up in the water. If you wash your car at home, park it on the lawn so the soapy water filters through the soil. Or use commercial carwash businesses that capture the dirty water and send it to a waste water treatment plant. Make sure your car isn't leaking oil, antifreeze, or other fluids. If you change the oil, recycle it. Have a dog? Each spring there is a large "flush" of fertilizer in the water due to animal waste melting away with the snow. Pick up after your pet. Learn about keeping a healthy lawn and garden that do not require fertilizer or pesticides. Homeowners use these chemicals in greater quantities than farmers do. You may also be rewarded with smaller bills and more wildlife to enjoy during this wonderful spring season.

This past Christmas my husband and I had the opportunity to visit Asia, with ten days in the Philippines and three days in Hong Kong. It was primarily a family visit but we did get in some birdwatching. Our trip total was 98 species, with 31 species in the Philippines. Numbers-wise, Hong Kong was more fruitful, but the Philippine leg of the trip was a good education in the challenges and rewards of birding in a place where bird life is little known or appreciated.

We spent ten days in Cebu, an island in the Visayas region southeast of Manila; half that time at a seaside resort and the other half at my sister’s home in the green hills overlooking Cebu City. Birding in the Philippines is a challenge. The Philippine islands are incredibly rich in species diversity, but the environmental degradation related to a dense human population and overexploitation is intense. The wildlife living on the mountainside where my sister lives compete with a motley assortment of feral and domestic animals including cats, dogs, goats and cows. Another challenge is that birds in the Philippines are noticeably warier than birds in North America (this has been my experience in Japan and Hong Kong as well). It makes sense--birds in Asia have lived for centuries in closer proximity to humans, and today even passerines are still hunted for food in some areas.

Since we had no luck finding a local expert or guide we were on our own. Highlights included three swiftlet species--Island, Glossy and Pygmy, and three species of swallows--Pacific, Barn, and Red-rumped. We were surprised to find that the White-collared Kingfisher is adapted to all kinds of habitats from coastal to dry mountainside. Brown Shrikes were the most common species we saw, with one plucky individual clearly including my sister’s open air living room in its territory. A day trip to a reforestation site in the mountains yielded Everett’s and Mountain White-Eyes, an Arctic Warbler, Grey-streaked Flycatcher and the beautiful, flashy Pied Fantail. Endemics seen included the Philippine Coucal, Philippine Bulbul, Red-keeled Flowerpecker, and Pygmy Swiftlet. Along the coast there was only one species of gull (Black-headed) but many terns. We were able to identify Whiskered, White-winged and Black-naped Terns, and I suspect there were other species that eluded our efforts to ID them.

Information is a big challenge for birding in the Philippines. There is only one field guide (A Guide to the Birds of the Philippines), and it was published just three years ago. When it did finally come out, I pulled out my field notes from my first trip to Cebu in 1998 and was able to identify most of the birds I had seen then--very exciting to finally ID them and add them to my life list a good three years later! I remember reading a review of the guide in ABA, and being annoyed by what I felt was nitpickiness on the part of the reviewer. I was just so darned appreciative that a Philippine bird guide had finally come out. If you’ve ever found yourself in a new, exotic, beautiful place surrounded by fascinating birds and with no means of identifying them, it’s extraordinarily frustrating! At any rate, using the guide in the field this time, I came to see several weak points (e.g. incomplete descriptions of field points and mistakes in the maps), but these are due to the dearth of ornithological research in the Philippines. It is sad but true that birds are little known and studied there. One final note on the guide--if the swallows in the guide have a familiar look, it is because they were drawn by Bill Zimmerman.

The most frustrating moment was looking up while sightseeing in downtown Cebu to see an eagle overhead. We did have binos with us and got some good looks, but found upon consulting the guide that we couldn’t ID it. We Americans are very spoiled, with an array of field guides to consult on tough ID issues. I had brought along field guides to Japan, Taiwan and Hong Kong but they weren’t helpful, and that mystery eagle still taunts me.

Next time: Birding Hong Kong

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

Saturday, May 8 Owen County Mayday Count

Volunteers are needed to help count birds in Owen County. The Mayday count is part of the North American Migration Count, which helps researchers to get a "snapshot" of bird migration each spring and fall. You don't need to be an expert birdwatcher to help. Volunteers are needed to help man teams that will roam the county or to count birds at home at your feeders and in your yard. To volunteer or for more information, contact the count coordinator Jess Gwinn at 876-8623.

Saturday, May 8 Spring Migrants at the IU Research and Teaching Preserve at Lake Griffy

Ross Britain will lead a hike looking for migrating birds at the IU Research and Teaching Preserve at Lake Griffy. This is a Sycamore Land Trust event, but all participants are welcome. Meet at the Preserve parking lot off Matlock Road at 8:00 a.m. For further information, please call Ross Britain at 334-1653.

Saturday, May 15 Bird Walk At Lake Griffy

Join us for a leisurely morning walk through the woods at Lake Griffy to look and listen for spring birds. We'll practice identifying those warbler songs and we'll find out which species spend their summers raising their families in the forests of southern Indiana. This is a great chance for beginning birders to find out what's outside the backyard. We will meet in the parking lot at the east end of the lake (near the boathouse) at 8:00 a.m. and we should return to the parking lot before 11. For more information, contact Mike Clarke at 334-8860.

Saturday, May 22 Spring Hike in the Deam Wilderness

The Deam Wilderness area of the Hoosier National Forest was one of the last places settled in the state in 1826. In the past 70 years, the area has almost returned to its pre-settlement state of mature hardwood forest. On this outing, we'll hike the Sycamore Loop Trail through some of the most spectacular forest in Indiana. The hike is approximately six miles and travels along ridgetops, creek bottoms and along the sides of deep hollows. A fire tower at the trailhead provides one of the most scenic panoramas in the state. Participants will want to wear good hiking shoes and bring water and a trail snack. We'll meet in the northeast corner of the K-Mart parking lot on East Third Street in Bloomington at 9:00 a.m. From there we'll caravan to the Deam. We'll return to town by early afternoon. For more information, contact Jess Gwinn at 876-8623 or Mike Clarke at 334-8860.

Wednesday, May 26, 7:00 p.m. May Program: Indiana’s Timber Rattlesnakes

Zach Walker, state herpetologist for the Indiana DNR will present an educational program on Indiana’s native rattlesnake species. He will be conducting studies on these beautiful and misunderstood snakes, and will discuss his research. A live snake will be on display for the program. Everyone is welcome to attend this free event, to be held at 7:00 p.m. in Room 1C of the Monroe County Public Library. Refreshments will be served.

Saturday June 12, Birding Trip To Universal Mines In Vermillion County

You don't have to travel to the great plains to see some amazing grassland birds. We have some right here in Indiana. Lee Sterrenburg will lead birders to the reclaimed Universal Mines grasslands in western Indiana. Some of the birds found at the mines last spring included Bobolink, Upland Sandpiper, Bell's Vireo, and Least Bittern. Ring-necked Pheasants are numerous on the property and the spectacularly colored males are occasionally seen crossing the roads through the property. Because many of our target birds are early risers, and because the drive to Universal from Bloomington takes a little over an hour, we'll get an early start. Meet us at 6:00 a.m. in the northeast corner of the Sam's Club parking lot near the intersection of State Road 45 and Highway 37 on Bloomington's west side. We should return by early afternoon. For more information, e-mail Lee at [e-mail] or call Mike Clarke at 334-8860.

Saturday, June 19 Butterfly Walk with Sandy Belth

Walk with Sandy at one of her favorite butterfly locations to learn how to identify the butterflies of early summer. The destination will be determined by available nectar sources. This will be a scouting trip also for the upcoming Monroe County Butterfly Count. Meet at 10:00 a.m. at the northeast corner of the K-Mart parking lot on East Third Street in Bloomington. For further information about the walk or the count, contact Sandy at 825-8353.

Saturday, June 26 The Eighth Annual Monroe/Brown County Butterfly Count

Teams will cover parts of Brown County State Park, Yellowwood State Forest and Lake Monroe to identify and count butterflies. All experience levels are welcome to participate. Contact Sandy or Jeff Belth for more information or to be placed on a team, at 825-8353.

Wednesday, June 30, 7:00 p.m. June Program: The Brown County Hills Project

Dan Shaver, director of The Nature Conservancy’s Brown County Hills project, will talk about the Conservancy's forest restoration project and forest management. Everyone is welcome to attend this free event, to be held at 7:00 p.m. in Room 1C of the Monroe County Public Library. Refreshments will be served.

Each year the second Saturday in May is set aside to celebrate migratory birds. This May 8, events will be held at Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge near North Vernon and at Hardin Ridge on the Hoosier National Forest. SAS members will help present educational activities at both events. These activities are great fun for families to learn about birds together, so take your kids or invite the neighbors. Planned activities include a boat trip in Lake Monroe, bird walks, owl prowls, and tours, building nest boxes, learning to use binoculars and field guides, wildlife artists, talks on owls, frogs, fossils, otters, landscaping for wildlife, turkeys, eagles, bluebirds, and more. Kids can enjoy coloring, making play binoculars, spotting cutout birds from a blind, and several games. For information about the Muscatatuck IMBD, contact muscatatuck@fws.gov, and for Hardin Ridge, contact cbasile@fs.fed.us. Pre-registration is required for the boat trip and Muscatatuck tours.

The SAS Board invited a dozen early SAS members to dinner at the Encore Restaurant on May 5 at 6:30 p.m. The Board wanted to talk to these founders about how and why SAS was formed, as part of an on-going strategic planning process. Comments will be taped and transcribed for posterity, and may also be filmed by BCATS.

Thank you to the 44 people who brought 102 bird feeders to be cleaned by the ten hard working SAS members at the Spring Bird Feeder Cleaning. In addition to cleaner, healthier dining for the birds, this project earned about $460 for SAS’ education and conservation fund.

Thank you to Vicky Temple for hosting and publicizing this event at Bloomington Hardware. Their new display of Audubon feeders and houses is great.

Also thank you to Chris Freeman and P.J. Pulliam of Indiana Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning (333-1870) for providing the steam cleaning to sanitize all those feeders.

Dear Backyard Bird Watcher.

Thank you for your participation in the seventh annual Great Backyard Bird Count. This winter we received more that 42,500 checklists reporting 554 species of birds and 4.3 million individuals across the continent. To read our news release on the results take a look at http://www.birds.cornell.edu//pr/GBBCfollowuppr.html.

We are just beginning to explore your report along with all the others in an effort to gain information about the state of North America's birds. We have already noticed that American Crow reports declined dramatically while reports of some northern birds such as Common Redpoll and Hoary Redpoll showed marked southerly movements or irruptions this winter. We invite you to spend some time exploring both national and local results at http://www.birdsource.org/gbbc/results/index.html. We'd be interested to hear about any trends you notice as you explore your local results.

We hope that you enjoyed participating in the Bird Count and that you learned something more about your backyard birds in the process. We'd enjoy hearing your suggestions regarding ways we could make the Count more enjoyable for you in the future.

The next Great Backyard Bird Count will take place February 18-21, 2005, so mark your calendar now. From all of us at Audubon and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, thank you again for your contribution and best wishes.

National Audubon Science Office
545 Almshouse Road
Ivyland PA 18974-1119

Cornell Lab of Ornithology
159 Sapsucker Woods Road
Ithaca NY 14850

Birds, birds, and more birds! Plan now to attend The Montana Birding Classic, May 28-June 1, 2004. This birdwatching adventure includes migrating and nesting birds along the Missouri, Milk and Yellowstone Rivers, as well as, the prairie grasslands, sage brush, and pothole habitats. Proceeds go to the Audubon Community Naturalist Program at the Billings Conservation Education Center. Hosted by the Yellowstone Valley Audubon Society, Billings, Montana. Space is limited. For more information contact Billie (Kathryn) Hicks at (406) 962-3798 or lonsluv@tgrsolution.net.

On March 25 representatives from several organizations, including myself on behalf of SAS, met at Bradford Woods to celebrate the protection of 1500 acres of Indianapolis Power and Light Company land.

Some of you may recall that last fall IPL announced that they were going to auction off a 4000 acre property southwest of Martinsville along State Road 67. They had acquired this property in anticipation of building a power plant. With the power plant concept shelved, they decided to unload this surplus acreage, possibly in several dozen parcels. Needless to say, this kind of development would have destroyed the outstanding habitat. This property had become a wildlife haven over the last 30 years or so since acquisition by IPL. Properties under one owner and of this size are extremely rare in Indiana, especially considering the quality of the habitat.

The Indiana Department of Natural Resources expressed an interest in acquiring the property but IPL did not seem to want to negotiate. Many groups, SAS included, then joined together and actively pressed IPL through various media outlets and direct contacts to cancel their auction plans.

Eventually IPL did agree to sell the highest quality 1500 acres of forest to IDNR. This portion of the land will be managed as part of Morgan Monroe State Forest. The remaining 2500 acres, another 1500 acres of forest and 1000 acres of farmland were subsequently sold at auction. Fortunately this acreage was all sold to one consortium of 4 investors. This group has been in negotiations to enter the forest acreage into the Forest Legacy program, which is a federal conservation easement that allows the property to be managed for timber production but not developed. The 1000 acres of farmland may eventually be placed into a farmland easement. A happy ending for all.

GOOSE POND UPDATE: Much activity has been occurring behind the scenes regarding the Goose Pond acquisition in Greene County. Hopefully these deals will lead to the protection of this vital wetland complex. More news later once the deals are closed.

By the time you read this, the May 1 Birdathon will be history. Several teams will have exhausted themselves searching for birds in Monroe County and one will have emerged victorious. You'll have to wait for the next Leaflet to find out who was on that team. But the Birdathon is more than a birding competition. It's a fundraiser for SAS and it's NOT too late to make a pledge. Just decide how much you would like to donate for each species spotted and we will give you the total due. Past counts have tallied 125-150 species, so a 20 cent pledge will raise about $25-30 for SAS. If you are not the gambling type, you can make a flat donation of any amount you feel is affordable. It will all go to further SAS programs and projects. Mail that check to SAS at PO Box 85, Bloomington, IN 47402. If you would like to pledge per bird, e-mail your pledge to Cathy Meyer (cmeyer@co.monroe.in.us) and get the total.