Why not share the advantages of a Friends of SAS membership with family and friends? Membership in SAS allows them to join a group of like-minded people concerned with wildlife and the environment.  They will have the satisfaction of knowing that dues money helps to support our local conservation efforts.  They will also receive our bimonthly newsletter, the Leaflet and a 10% discount on selected items at the Bloomington Wild Birds Unlimited and Bloomington Hardware stores.

Gift membership form: html // pdf

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November / December 2006 SAS CALENDAR

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

Watch our web site http://www.sassafrasaudubon.org and the Bloomington Birds list for announcements about other upcoming outings and activities.

November 2-5:  Wings on the Water
This four-day program takes place at the Fourwinds Resort and Marina on Lake Monroe.  See www.eaglesatlakemonroe.com or contact Jeff Riegel at the Fourwinds Resort and Marina at 1-800-824-2628 for details.

Saturday, November 11, 6:30 a.m.
Goose Pond FWA Early Waterfowl, Sparrows and Raptors
We will journey to Beehunter Marsh and Goose Pond to look for early waterfowl migrants, sparrows and early wintering raptors.  Meet in the northeast corner of the Wal-Mart parking lot on SR 45 in Bloomington at 6:30 a.m.  We will caravan to the Goose Pond area from there.  If time permits, we may visit Hawthorn Mines as well.  We will return by early afternoon.  For more information, contact sasATsassafrasaudubon.org

Saturday, November 18, 8:00 a.m.:  Local Waterfowl Outing
Join us to look for some waterfowl, shorebirds, and any other birds that we may find at and around the local lakes.  Meet at 8:00 a.m. in the northwest corner of the K-mart parking lot on E. Third Street in Bloomington. We will caravan to our birding site and should return before noon.  For more information, contact sasATsassafrasaudubon.org

Saturday, December 9, 8:00 a.m.:  CBC Warm-up Birding
Jeff Riegel will lead us on this half-day of birding in anticipation of the following Saturday’s annual Lake Monroe Christmas Bird Count. We should find some winter waterfowl visitors on the lakes, maybe a Bald Eagle or two, and other smaller winter birds.  Join us and hone your winter bird skills for the Christmas Bird Count.  Meet at 8:00 a.m. in the northwest corner of the K-mart parking lot on E. Third Street in Bloomington. We will caravan to the lake and should return before noon. For more information, contact sasATsassafrasaudubon.org

Saturday, December 16:  Annual Lake Monroe Christmas Bird Count
See the article in this Leaflet for details.  Contact Don Whitehead to sign up at 812 339-1782 or whiteheaATindiana.edu.

Sunday, December 17:  Brown County State Park Christmas Bird Count
Meet at the Nature Center at 8:00 a.m.  Contact Jim Eagleman at 812-988-5240.

Sunday, December 17:  Spring Mill Christmas Bird Count
Contact John Castrale at jcastraleATdnr.IN.gov for more information.

Tuesday, December 19:  Patoka Christmas Bird Count
Contact John Castrale at jcastraleATdnr.IN.gov for more information.

Wednesday, December 20:  Goose Pond Christmas Bird Count
See the article in this Leaflet for details.  Contact Lee Sterrenburg to sign up AT 812-333-6368 sterrenATindiana.edu.

Saturday, December 30:  McCormick’s Creek Christmas Bird Count
See the article in this Leaflet for details.  Contact Sandy Belth at 812-825-8353 or belthbirdsATaol.com.

Monday, January 1, 2007:  Muscatatuck NWR Christmas Bird Count
Meet at the Visitor Center at 7:30 am.  Contact Donna Stanley at the refuge office 812-522-4352.

Saturday, January 13: Brown County State Park Winter Hike
For information check www.browncountywinterhike.com or call the Nature Center at 812-988-5240

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President’s Note

by John Lawrence

September marked a changing of the guard for your Sassafras Audubon Society. On Saturday the 16th, Dr. Ron Weiss of the Chipper Woods Bird Observatory came to Bloomington and gave a program on avian flu for SAS.  But before Dr. Weiss’s informative talk began, we had a short yet important matter of business to take care of: the SAS annual meeting, and the election of new board members.  The SAS members present elected Marc Allaire, Terri Greene, and Jim Mitchell to the board to replace outgoing directors John Byers, Mike Clarke, and Jess Gwinn.

John, Mike, and Jess deserve our gratitude for their years of service to SAS.  As Treasurer, John has kept track of finances and made sure all the bills got paid.  And while our new Treasurer, Marc, is out of town for a month or so, John is continuing to keep things running.  Mike, as Field Trip Chair, has worked hard to arrange the outings that we all enjoy.  I’ve seen many bird species for the first time on SAS trips that Mike coordinated or even led, and I know a lot of other folks have, too.  Jess, of course, has been President of SAS, and has recently served as Conservation Chair.  He’s kept SAS involved in critical local environmental issues such as the state forest logging plan and I-69, and has also coordinated work days like the tree planting with Sycamore Land Trust and the invasive plant control at Goose Pond.  On behalf of SAS, thank you John, Mike, and Jess for all you’ve done!

Our new board members also deserve thanks as well for taking on the commitment of serving on our volunteer board.  Marc will be back and taking over from John soon, and in the meantime Terri and Jim have already been hard at work.  Terri has done the layout for the past couple of Leaflets as well as the new birding guide, saving us a substantial amount of money.  Jim has been arranging the outings, and our full calendar shows that he’s been busy, too.  SAS is fortunate that our new board members (and our continuing members, as well) are willing to give their time and effort to help our organization promote conservation.

If you’re interested in getting involved yourself, SAS would like to have your help, too.  Whether it’s participating in one of the Christmas Bird Counts, leading a field trip, helping out at a work day, or taking one of the open seats on the board, there are a lot of opportunities for you.  We hope to hear from you, and thank you for your continued support as a member of SAS.

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Owl Banding Volunteers Needed

Again this year Ross Brittain is looking for a few hearty volunteers to help with the owl banding program.  Are you willing to spend three plus hours at night in the middle of a forest that is so cold you may need many layers of clothing plus blankets or sleeping bags to keep warm?  That may not sound too inviting until you learn that the purpose of this “suffering” is to capture and band Northern Saw-whet Owls as part of an ongoing project conducted by Ross Brittain and Jess Gwinn.  Ross invites a limited number of volunteers to help him with the banding project in Yellowwood State Forest.  He can accommodate as many as five volunteers per night, although two or three is better to keep the noise down.  The sessions start at sunset or sometimes later and usually last for three or more hours.  Be sure to bring water, snacks, and a chair.  If you are interested, contact Ross at rabrittaATindiana.edu.

Sassafras Audubon Society’s
Saw-whet Owl Adoption Program
Supporting research on the migration patterns
of the Northern Saw-whet Owl in Southern Indiana:

Adopt an Owl form

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Kankakee Sands Important Bird Area – Restoring the Lake that Used to Be

by Bob Dodd

In the mid-1800s Kankakee Sands was the location of Beaver Lake, one of the largest lakes in Indiana.  The area was known for its abundant wildlife, particularly waterfowl.  An article in a local newspaper describing the area mentions “Great flocks of geese, mallard ducks, redheads, wood ducks, pintails, spoonbills, teals, butterballs, and a few canvasbacks.”  Hunters in the area noted that “the birds were so thick you couldn’t miss a shot.  We always had any kind of fowl we wanted to eat.”  All of that changed by the turn of the century, partly due to indiscriminate hunting, but also due to drainage of the lake.  What had been a resting place for millions of waterfowl became corn, wheat, and soybean fields.  The surrounding prairies were also plowed and the native grasses replaced by commercial crops. 

In 1996 the Indiana chapter of The Nature Conservancy (TNC) acquired 7209 acres of the former lakebed and surrounding grasslands and savanna.  In 1998 they added the Conrad Station Savanna, north of the former lake. Adjoining TNC property is the Conrad Savanna Nature Preserve.  The combined areas comprise 809 acres.  The 640-acre Beaver Lake Nature Preserve adjoins the area to the east.  The Indiana Department of Natural Resources owns both nature preserves.  The Kankakee Sands IBA includes all of these areas plus some private land.  Adjoining the area to the southwest is the 10,000-acre IDNR Willow Slough Fish and Wildlife Area (a separate IBA).  Since acquiring the property TNC has been hard at work restoring the area to a combination of wetlands and grasslands (they do not plan to restore the lost Beaver Lake).  They have already restored hundreds of acres of the property to native grasses and marsh.  One cannot buy native grass seed at the local hardware store, so TNC has established their own facility on the property to grow and process seeds from dozens of native plant species.   The result of their work is a vast expanse of prairie with scattered ponds and marsh that is home to a wide variety of birds, although not the thousands of ducks and geese that once used the area during their migration. 

Among the grassland species of concern in the Kankakee IBA are Upland Sandpiper, Sedge Wren, Grasshopper Sparrow, Henslow’s Sparrow, Dickcissel, Bobolink, and Eastern Meadowlark. 

Dickcissel

Although wetlands vary in expanse from year to year and are not the primary concern of the restoration, migratory shore birds make use of the area.  Shorebirds of conservation concern reported from the area are American Golden-Plover and Marbled Godwit.  Rare Black Rail and Wilson’s Phalarope have also been described from the area.  In addition to these specialties a remnant of the waterfowl that once used this area still passes through during migration.  The savanna area has its own distinctive set of open forest birds.  It is an especially good area to find abundant Red-headed Woodpeckers.  The area is frequently birded by northwest Indiana birders, so you may wish to check the Indiana bird list for recent finds before traveling to Kankakee Sands.   Our brief visit to the area on a warm mid-September day was somewhat disappointing although we were pleased to see a pair of Ruffed Grouse fly from the road into the tall grass of the restored area. 

Kankakee Sands is six miles north of Morocco in Newton County on both sides of US 41.  TNC has an office in a converted house on the west side of the highway.  There is an information kiosk beside the office, and although they have no regular visitor’s center, the staff members in the office can give you maps and information about the property.  Maps of the IBA and TNC portion are available on the web.  Mowed grass paths lead from the office area into the restored prairie.  The paths are wet after rains so wear appropriate footwear.  TNC also has several parking and wildlife observation areas around their property.  The state nature preserves and private property areas are closed to entry, but they, as well as the TNC property, can be conveniently birded from county roads.  If you want to spend the night in the area for an early start to birding, camping is available at the Willow Slough Fish and Wildlife area.  The nearest area of motels and restaurants is in Rensselaer.

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Christmas Ideas for Birders

At the time your are receiving this Leaflet Christmas will be only a month and a half away – certainly time to be thinking of gifts for your birding friends.  Here is a list of gift ideas compiled from suggestions by SAS board members and former board members.  Maybe one of these is just what you have been looking for. 

We are obviously biased, but we think the best gift would be a gift membership in SAS (see the coupon in this Leaflet).  Another great idea would be a copy of the just-published Birding Guide to South-Central Indiana  (see the coupon in this Leaflet).  Another thought would be a contribution to SAS or some other conservation organization in the recipient’s name.  But if you want something that is easier to wrap and put under the tree, here are some additional ideas:

Dawn Hewitt suggests binocular shoulder straps to replace the neck strap that came with your binoculars.  These are much more comfortable for an extended period of birding, and you don’t have to worry about your binoculars banging against your chest as you walk along.  Cathy Meyer suggests a neck cooler for your birding trips in hot summer weather.  It should be great for a mid-day butterfly expedition in August as well as birding trips.  These neck bands work by evaporative cooling.  Nancy Martin suggests the Thayer Birding Software CD that can be purchased from the Cornell Ornithological Lab.  “The software features songs of 708 species.  Users can select color, size, habitat, or location of a bird and the program will display any species that match the description.  It also has a listing and record-keeping program.”  Susan Hengeveld suggests a great birding CD idea: the recently published Brock’s Birds of Indiana.  It can be ordered on line from the Amos Butler Audubon Society in Indianapolis (www.amosbutleraudubon.org).  This “book” is available only in electronic form.  If printed it would make a1000 page book, which would probably be no more convenient in the field than the CD and a laptop!  This is obviously an at-home reference to the 409 species of birds known to have occurred in Indiana. 

Here are some books that should be of interest to the bird lover:

• Birding Babylon: A Soldier’s Journal for Iraq by Jonathan Trouern-Trend (Sierra Club Books, $9.95).  Some how this soldier managed to do some birding in a very hazardous area.
• The Singing Life of Birds: The Art and Science of Listening to Birdsong by Donald Kroodsma, (Houghton Mifflin, $28).  This book should help you with birding by ear.
• Audubon’s Elephant: America’s Greatest Naturalist and the Making of the Birds of America by Duff Hart-Davis, (Henry Holt, $27).  This tells the story of John James Audubon and the most famous bird pictures ever produced.
• Birding on Borrowed Time by Phoebe Snetsinger (American Birding Association, $20).  She used her last years after recovering from cancer to see almost all of the world’s birds.
• Guide to Indiana Preserves by The Nature Conservancy (Indiana University Press, $28).  This book is brand new.  Some of the reserves are all or part of IBAs, e.g. Kankakee Sands.
• Wild America by Roger Tory Peterson and James Fisher (Houghton Mifflin, out of print).  This one is a real classic published in 1955 and is the basis for the following book.  You may find a used copy or a more recent paperback edition.
• Return to Wild America: A Yearlong Search for the Continent’s Natural Soul by Scott Weidensaul (North Point Press, $26). Weidensaul retraced the route taken by Peterson and Fisher 50 years later.

If you would like to wrap your present in special paper, the American Birding Association has bird wrapping paper – as well as lots of other birding items if you want additional ideas.  And you could always use your 10% member discount at the Bloomington Wild Birds Unlimited store or Bloomington Hardware.

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Thank You SAS Members for Help on Work Day

by Brad Feaster, Goose Pond FWA Property Manager

I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who participated in the Phragmites spraying at Goose Pond Fish and Wildlife Area on August 26.  I’d like to especially thank Jess Gwinn for organizing the event and Andrew Mertz for providing some much-needed spray equipment.  Also, a special thank you goes out to Randy Sapp of Bedrock Outdoors for donating the use of two Argos to help us get around.  This would not have been possible without their efforts and the other volunteers who participated.

Phragmites is notoriously hard to kill and we did not expect 100% die-off.  However, we did expect to get a better kill than what we ended up with.  Some stands we hammered.  Some stands were hurt a little and some stands showed no effects at all.

Several factors may have come into play, not the least of which was 2 inches of rain over the next day and half following the application.  It was a good effort nonetheless, and we’ll surely apply what we learned to future applications.  On our next application, we may go against most of the literature and apply before the plant reaches tassel stage.

Again, thanks for your interest and your time.  We look forward to holding similar events in the future.

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Lake Monroe Christmas Bird Count Set for December 16

by Don Whitehead

That wonderful time is almost here again!  We are rapidly approaching the date for the annual Lake Monroe Christmas Bird Count sponsored by SAS. This year the count will be on Saturday, December16.  It will be the 31st count in our CBC history.

Ring-necked Duck

As most of you know, the CBC is both a birding event and an important scientific enterprise.  On count day teams of birders spend the day (and some of the night) working within a specified portion of our official count circle attempting to identify all of the birds seen or heard and tally the number of individuals for each species.  CBC count circles are standardized with a radius of 7.5 miles.  Our count circle is centered south of Lake Monroe close to the intersection of SR 446 and Tower Ridge Road.  As a result the circle includes all of Lake Monroe, wetland areas on the east of the lake, portions of Hoosier National Forest, and extensive field areas southwest of the lake - in short, great habitat diversity.  We normally divide the circle into 12-14 areas - with a different team covering each area.  Thus we usually have up to 14 teams in the field on count day, each with a leader and as many willing birders as possible.

The data that we gather each year are entered into our own data base and submitted to National Audubon’s master data base that includes all of the thousands of counts run in this country, Canada, and elsewhere in the world.  Since some of the counts date back to the early 1900's, there is a massive database from which local, national, and hemispheric trends in winter bird populations can be deduced.

The Lake Monroe CBC is by far the most interesting in Indiana.  Virtually every year we record the highest number of species of all the counts in the state.  We are the only Indiana CBC that has recorded 100 or more species, and we have done it 6 times!  In the 30 previous years we have tallied over 140 species including many rarities.

The count is great fun involving a lot of camaraderie and friendly (?) competition between groups.  The success of the CBC is clearly dependent on the number of birders (and teams) in the field.  The more people and teams, the better the coverage of our area and the greater the number of species and individuals recorded.  Thus - WE NEED YOU!  This is a plea to get you to call or e-mail me and ask for a team assignment for the count.  The more people who attend the merrier and the better our chances of retaining our position as the best CBC in the state.  This is a wonderful event for novice birders as well, as you can help spot birds and learn identification from the team leader. Many people start in the pre-dawn hours working for owls, others start at first light and work all day, and others work for a portion of the day.

To sign up for the count, e-mail me (whiteheATindiana.edu).  I can provide information on the different team areas and assign you to a team and provide information on starting times and places.

The day ends with the traditional potluck dinner, which has been hosted for 30 years by Henry Wahl.  It is held at the party room of Woodcrest Condominiums at 2602 E. Second St.  The food is usually wonderful - and the dinner is followed by the tally, at which time team and individual bragging rights are established.  Join us for this wonderful event. You will not regret it.

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Goose Pond Christmas Bird Count Scheduled for December 20

by Lee Sterrenburg

Please come help with the Goose Pond Christmas Bird Count in Greene and Sullivan Counties on Wednesday, December 20. 

This exciting and important new CBC features highly varied habitat.  The count circle includes all 8000 acres of the Goose Pond Fish and Wildlife Area (Beehunter Marsh and Goose Pond) in Greene County, most of the forested parts of Greene-Sullivan State Forest, and almost all of Hawthorn Mine.  It also includes extensive agricultural fields east of GPFWA.  This is a fast changing area.  When the WRP wetland restorations are completed at GPFWA in 2008 there will be over 4950 acres of shallow water wetlands, in addition to the deep-water strip mine pits at Hawthorn Mine and in GSSF.  GPFWA is the site of the largest in-progress WRP wetland restoration project in the entire USA.  The wetlands and the restored 1200 acres of native prairie grasslands at GPFWA are changing the avian map of southwestern Indiana.  Come help us track those changes.

Last year (December 2005) we did an unofficial trial run of the Goose Pond CBC and tallied an impressive 85 species, in addition to presently uncountable Whooper Swan.   This is a fine number for a brand new CBC and it already ranks GP among the highest counts in Indiana.  Results last year included a Prairie Falcon, (2) Northern Shrikes, the first ever single-party sighting of multiple Marsh Wrens (4) during the winter in Indiana, and a stupendous mixed flock of icterids and European Starlings at Beehunter Marsh that Jim Hengeveld estimated as over a million birds.  There were 17 species of waterfowl including (13) Snow Geese and a Cackling Goose, (86) Wild Turkeys, 9 species of raptors including (28) Rough-legged Hawks and a Merlin, 4 species of owls including (52) Short-eared Owls, (649) American Tree Sparrows, and (24) Lapland Longspurs.  There is a possibility of over-wintering King Rail.  This count has a great future.

Northern Harrier

If you would like to participate please contact compiler Lee Sterrenburg by email (sterrenATindiana.edu).  I can provide information on the different team areas and assign you to a team and provide information on starting times and places.

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20th Annual McCormick’s Creek Christmas Bird Count

by Sandy Belth

All eyes are needed!  Come join us on Saturday, December 30, for the 20th 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, Green’s Bluffs Nature Preserve, a section of the White River, and Flatwoods Park.  Last year we had 16 people in the field and recorded 64 species. Our record of 75 species was tallied on January 3, 2004.  Let’s break the record this year!  If you can help for all or part of the day, please call me at 825-8353 or email belthbirdsATaol.com to be placed on a team.  As always, the day will be topped off by the traditional potluck dinner and tally at our house.  We really look forward to a great count this year!

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Six Raptors Steal Return to the Wild Show

Laura Edmunds and Patty Reynolds from Return to the Wild brought six feathered friends to the Audubon program at the Monroe County Library on September 27.  Some 50 people including many children marveled as Laura and Pat displayed the raptors one at a time beginning with an American Kestrel and concluding with a Bald Eagle.  Also on display were a Eurasian Barn Owl, Peregrine Falcon, Harris Hawk, and Augar Buzzard (an African native). 

Laura described how each bird was adapted to its mode of life and environment.  The kestrel has several adaptations for finding and capturing mice.  The barn owl is adapted for silent flight and has ultra-sensitive hearing to capture rodents in the dark.  The falcon can fly at speeds up to 240 MPH and catches birds on the wing.  The Harris Hawk on display is trained for falconry.  It is very social and quite maneuverable in flight.  The Augar Buzzard has especially large wings allowing it to fly at great altitudes in the mountains of Africa.  The eagle is adapted for soaring as it looks for its favorite food, fish.

The main purpose of Return to the Wild, a non-profit organization in Brown County, is rehabilitation of injured birds and raising young birds that are separated from their parents.  The birds are usually released to their natural habitat.  Sometimes the injuries are such that a bird will not be able to fend for itself if released.  Birds that have been in contact with humans from a very early age may be too dependent on humans to survive in the wild.  Some of these birds enter “show business” and participate in educational programs such as we enjoyed at the Audubon program. 

Answer to Bird ID: Dark-eyed Junco

last updated November 12, 2006