| Summary: | Bexar Tracks began with Vol. 4, no. 1 (January 1986). It continues Newsletter (Bexar Audubon Society). SfSC. CelL-I fo I ( lliiME-' &L BEXAR AUDUBON SOCIETY r Gs~ irtf &f{ lEX . . TR Thursday, January 15, 1998, Chapter Meeting Puffin Project 7:00pm Free and open to the public · Ruble Center, 419 E. Magnolia (east of McCullough; take Mulberry exit off 281) / For VIA public transportation, take Route 5 (St. Mary's/McCullough/North Star Mall) to, Magnolia Susannah Corona, an aviculturist with Sea World of Texas, will present a slide program on her participation in The Puffin Project, part of the National Audubon Society-sponsored Seabird Restoration Program. In the 1800s, the demands for high fashion not only decimated th.e egret population, but many other seabirds on the coasts of America. Dr. Stephen W. Kress, a professor at . Cornell University, is the National Audubon Society's seabird expert and has <:lirected The Puffin Project since 1973. Conducting an experiment never attempted before, Dr. Kress brought the puffin back tq Maine, where these birds were threatened with local extirrction. ' Sea World and Anheuser-Busch have sent their own aviculturists and keepers-this summer Susann'ah was able to goto. assist in the research involved in the repopulation o(the islands off the Maine coast with puffins, terns and other seabirds, which had been driven away by the feather collectors. , Susannah will tell us about the history of thtproject and tell some fascinating stories of what it is like living for three weeks on remote Seal Island. She'll tell us_ all about puffins-how they are .adapted to their ocean environment, how they catch fish, soci<JJize, nest in burrows, and raise their young. She will also bring a copy of the newly released Audubon book: Project Puffin: How We Brought. Puffins Back to Egg Rock, by Stephen W. Kress, as told to Pete Salmanpohn. . . . ~·~ Saturday, January 17, 1998, Chapter Outing .A Behind-the-Scenes Look at Sea World On January 17th, join us on a behind-the-scenes look at the Sea World Aviculture department. Susannah Corona, an aviculturist with this department, will take us to one of the avian propagation buildings and tell us about the mechanics of raising a variety of hatchlings. We will also visit an area that has been designed by the bird crew for the endangered Attwater's prairie chickens. ·Recently Sea World received permits to help raise this endangered grouse. Then we'll take a walk by one of the flamingo exhibits and up to the Free Flight Aviary, to view the species that Sea World raises, and keeping an eye opel) for the native species that drop by to take advantage of this habitat. Our last stop will be at the Penguin Encounter, where we can look at the Atlantic puffins, as seen in the slide show at the January 15 Bexar Audubon meeting, and discuss some of the ongoing research. As an added bonus we will see the rockhopper penguin chicks that are normally full grown by the time the park opens each spring. Susannah has also been active in proposing wildscape and other natural features within the park. She is very knowledgeable so don't miss this one! We will meet at the Ruble Center at 11 :30 and car pool to Sea World to meet Susannah at 12:00 noon. The trip is limited to 15 people. To assure a spot, contact Dawn Garcia at drmel@sprintmail.com or 210-226-3807. BEXAR AUDUBON SOCIETY Chapter of the National Audub'on 'society < ' ·~ P. 0. Box 608~, Sai1' Antonio, TX 78209 . •. 210-822-4503 . . GOALS .·;. "' 'The Chapter's primary goE!_Is are to promot~ species and habitat : conservation and environmental-education in the community. · · OFFICERS AND BOARD President Bill Sain (71634.230@compuserve.com) . 408-77:3.1'· • , Vice Pres. Richard Pipes . Opipes@flash.net) . 281-2452 • Treasurer Betty Minyard . . (mink@te~as.net) . ·., . 344·6128 ~ Secreta,Y Deborah Robinson (=E!ill Sain's) . ~ . :: . 493-4663 ( Bd. Memb. Chris Dullnig . '(i:dullnig@juno.com)· . 828-4017 Bd. Memb. Kim Hoskins . : . :::.: . : . , .! . 696·3780 Bd. Memb. John Langan . (luby491JPaol.com) . 491·0692 ' Bd. Memb. Mike,~ke . (mmecke~saws.org)_ . 520·6252 Bd. Memb. Katie Nava·Ragazzi . . . ~ . . 804·1226 "--:~.< " .: . . (72703.411 @compuserv.e. .com) Bd. Memb. Harry Noyes . . · . : . , . : . 490-3124 i Past· Pres. Harriet Wiygul . (hwiygul @digocean.com) . 534· 7505 '' COMMITTE~ CHAIRS • Adopt-a-Park Bill Woller . . 223·3281 : Aud. Adven. Betty Minyar9 . (mink@texas.net) . 344-6128 · Birdathon Biii.Sain (71634.230@comilaserve.corri) . 408-n3{::· • Conserv. •Richar~ Pipe~ . Opipes@flash.net) . 281-2.452 • Education 'Katie Nava-Ragazzi . (see above) : . : . B04-1226. · Hospitality , Nancy':Johnson . :·: . . ~ . . 655-1338 Memb. . ~S_?J'.Hughes . ., . ,1., . ,. . .,. . , . ., . , . 532·2332 ' n . (wordwright@com;juserve.com) Naturat· if1it. · Tom Wilson . (lwilsond.@AOL.coin) . .492·4799 '· Outings Dawn Garcia/Mel Richardson . 226·3807 .\ " . (drmel@sprintmail.com) Programs Chris Dullnig . (cdullnig@juno.com) . 830-980-8156 ~ Publicity ,. f:lita Heck . . ., . . 212·8!)3) : SAEN Coord. Bill Sain . ~: . (see above) . : . 408·7721 ~ Ways'& Means Bill Sain· . : . (see above) : . : . " . •.: . 408-772'1' Bexar Tracks , Tom Wilson . ,. (twi/sond@AOL.com) . 492-4799 .• Editors ' Jill Sandeen . (830) 9,80·3277 ~ ' Osondeen@Net~Press.eom) . Fax: (830) 438-7393 -, ,_ Bexar Tracks is your newsletter. . We welcome your contributions . . Next deadline: Jan. 23, 1_997 , Pleas~ fax ~HI o.r email Tom as above; diskettes and hard copy should be sent to Tom Wilson, 13227 Hunters Spring, San Antonio, TX 78230. Printed with soy ink.on recycled paper. January 1998 Sain'Re,lections .· ~ ~ - '. . As I write this on 27 De¢"(1_pt~ as usual, sorry Tom & Jill), I am contemplating· 'the events of the past year ~rid irie~upcoming new year. 1997 was a very important year for San Antonio and BAS. A newly elected mayor and city council opened 'up · ·new, very significant lines of.communications between city leaders, neighbor.hood assc)ciations, and environmeni~l g[.QJ.IpS. · · , A newly approved Mast~r Plan for the city emphasizes neighborhoods; ,sustainable ·development, and environmental-protection. We have gained a new par!< (Walker Ranch) and are making trer.nenoous strioes toward permanent protection of the former Applewhite properties along the Medina River. Progress is being made in th? ma:nagemerit of th~ Mitchell Lake· Wetlands and the Master Plan for Friedrich Park is nearing completion. The BAS-originated Natural Initiatives organization is working to spin off as a separate organization, having. bee1,1 very successful· in promoting Wildscaping and developing the ·Mast!3df.latu~ratist"progral1) . · · This past year was another successful year for the BAS-coordinated San Antonio Environmental Network (SAEN). Average attendance at the four SAEN issue forums was nearly 100 people. Significant strides have also been taken toward ftie establishment of a new-land trust for Bexar County as well as a land protection committee within BAS. BAS members played importantroles in all of these s~ccesses as well as many othe.rs . To list all the BAS members involved and all the g6od work they have done would make this newsletter rival the Express-News in size, so I will have to settle for thanking you en masse. THANK YOU! . :·· · ·By the' ti'me yqu read this,' you will have rhade all df your''New Year's Resolutions ana, if you are llke me, probably broken most of them. I hppe one of those resolutions was to become·more active in BAS. Please do not break, that one! '"This does not mean ybll have td~h6w Wi at City Couhcil meetings· on 'Thursdays-or talk .to newspaper reporters or attend "rather duli· meetings. Ybu can become more active by attending our monthly meetings or outings, writing letters to your elected and appointed officials on any number of environmental topics, or sending us a check (what_ I call "checkbook activism"). . '. Your chapter n·eeds you in any capacity and for any amount of time you are willing to participate. We have monthly "mailing parties" to prepare this newsletter for mailing (call Susan Hughes), we have active Education (Katie Nava-Ragazzi), Outings (Dawn Garcia & Mel Richardson), and Conservation (Dick Pipes) Committees which can always use a little tielp. Nancy Jo'hnson could use some assistance in pr~widing r,~freshmE;Jnts at. qpr m~etings. w.~ -ii"~ , also as:Jively looking for member~generated newsletter items and/or p_rograms. Please come join us, you will not regret it. . . ' "" '• ' . . . ,, . . ' ' . · · . r · -Bill Sain LOCAL NEWS SACS Supports Medina River Outreach Mrs. Bonnie Conner, President of Friends of the Medina River, has received notice from the San Antonio Conservation Society of their continued support for the goals of the recent Medina River Charrette. The society has voted to donate $2,500 for the TV-quality tape production of the Charrette by KLAN Channel9. In the future, portions of the tape will also be available on the web site of the San Antonio Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AlA): http://www.salsa.net/aiasa. • The tape should be a useful tool in helping protect the Medina River for future generations and for showing organizations how to encourage community involvement 2 Bexar Tracks Input Needed for March SAEN Meeting Environmental Education in Bexar and Surrounding Counties There are a number of governmental and non-governmental organizations throughout the area served by BAS that offer a wide variety of environmental/ conservation/natural science education programs through our schools, parks, scout troops, etc. What programs do they have to offer? What topics are covered? What age groups are focused on? No one really knows for sure. Last year, Katie Nava-Ragazzi (the BAS Education Chair) and I were discussing new education programs for BAS to create. We were looking for a niche that needed to be filled, but since we really could not identify all the programs which already existed, we could not identify what needed to be done. We discussed gathering information on education offerings and creating a clearinghouse for those programs. We are about to take the first step in this process when we host the March 1998 San Antonio Environmental Network (SAEN) public issues forum. We will be inviting all of the organizations offering this type of program to either participate in a panel discussion and/or set up a table displaying their offerings. Our target audience will be everyone who is interested in education in general and environmental education in particular. If you would like to assist in the planning of this SAEN meeting or have relevant information, please call me at 408-7731. We are most interested in teachers who have actually utilized some of the available programs. We will start planning this in early January, so call soon! -Bill Sain Nominations Committee It is the time of the year again when we form a Nominations Committee to develop a slate of officers and board members for next year's Board of Directors. Bill Woller has agreed to chair this committee and Susan Hughes and Katie Nava-Ragazzi have agreed to serve. If you are interested in working on this committee or being considered for nomination, please give me a call at 408-7731 and I will pass your name on to Bill Woller. January 1998 CHAPTER NEWS Service to this chapter is a very unique experience. The demands are great but they pale in comparison to the rewards. The knowledge that I am working to make this earth a better place to live, and, most of all, the friendships I have made within the chapter and throughout the environmental and Audubon communities are my rewards. The fun I have on our outings, the information I gleam from our programs and newsletter, and the respect I receive from my association with Bexar Audubon are just a few of the extras. Please come out and join us on the Board. -Bill Sain In Town For the Holidays (as reported on TEXBIRDS listserv) Report from the Home Front. T h i s morning (12 Dec 97) I walked out of my apartment and into Olmos Basin in San Antonio to see what I could find. I· found quite a few birds, and a couple pretty good ones for Bexar County . . They were: ovenbird; field, song, Lincoln's and white-throated sparrows; pyrrhuloxia;. and long-billed thrasher. -Keith Bartels The San Antonio Christmas Bird Count on Sunday, Dec. 21, 1997 went pretty well. We had 147 total species, I think. Highlights included: Common Goldeneye Merlin Green Kingfisher Black Phoebe Say's Phoebe Red-breasted Nuthatch (Seen in several areas, including Mitchell Lake!) Winter Wren Sprague's Pipit Green-tailed Towhee Yellow-headed Blackbird Couch's Kingbird Eastern Kingbird Long-billed Curlew Zone-tailed Hawk 3 -Keith Bartels San Antonio Whoopie! December Outing Report While San Antonio was being hammered with rain, 1 0 Audubon members enjoyed the overcast, mild, weather that Corpus Christi offered during our whooping crane tour in December. Captain Ted, full of vim and vigor, skippered a delightful tour aboard the MV Skimmer amongst and around the wetlands, back bays, reefs, and islands of the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge. Our mission? Whoopers of course! He gave us the updated statistics, 176 cranes this year and a couple with a set of "twins." We were able to observe two "couples" from a very short distance (-50 meters) while Capt. Ted pointed out the behavioral differences between male and female cranes. A large crop of ''wolf berries" was helping to feed these birds, and even tempted several sandhill cranes to forage along the marshy flats. Off in the background we saw several groups of three whoopers: mom, dad, and sandy-colored junior foraging along the berries. Meanwhile, roseate spoonbills brightened the clouds with a flash of pink. Raptors included northern harrier hawks, a red-tail, two osprey, an American kestrel and a nice view of a peregrine f~lcon. Swimming nearby were duck species like common goldeneye, bufflehead and common mergansers. White ibis, long-billed curlews, American oystercatchers, black skimmers, and brown and American white pelicans were some of the other fun bird sightings. We even saw a few mammals: raccoons, a white-sided dolphin foraging in two feet of water, and two deer swimming across the canal! When we came ashore several of us went to lunch and then visited a few of the local sanctuaries. I especially enjoyed watching the brave ruby-crowned kinglets and orange-crown warblers, that flew above our heads to prey on the mosquitoes that we attracted at one of the Connie Hagar sanctuaries. We ·then visited Aransas Woods, one of the newer sanctuaries, which definitely has potential, although it was quiet (except for the swarms of mosquitoes) when we arrived. Most definitely a worthwhile day with fun folks to share it with. Interested in visiting Whoopers on your own? Visit Captain Ted's w'ebsite at http:// www.sirus.com/-sarabei/Crane.html -Dawn Garcia Bexar Tracks EDUCATION Audubon Wants You . Help Tomorrow's Leaders, Today The Audubon Student Netwo·rk (ASN) is a natio'nal network of environmentally active college students. Students are a tremendous asset in the conservation movement, and ASN supports the efforts of students in influencing political leaders, increasing public awareness, and ' educating people on the importance of a healthy environment. ASN consists of two parts: campaigns and an e-mail listserv. ASN organizes issue-specific campaigns each semester; this past fall for example, we focused on the fight to reauthorize and strengthen the Clean Water Act. Members of ASN receive an action packet with guidelines for the campaign, fact sheets about the issues, and general suggestions and resources for activists. The ASN listserv is a forum for student di9cussion of conservation issues and related advocacy on campus. The listserv is an \3ffective avenue for accessing up-to-the-minute legislative information, action alerts, news of environmental issues, and job and volunteer opportunities. Additionally, the listserve is an efficient means for connecting with student leaders on campuses across the country to exchange ideas for-making· environmental advocacy work on campus. · We need your help to ·expand ASN and make the network as effe.ctive as possible. If you are a professor or staff ·member on a college campus; or know any students or student groups who would be interested in joining ASN, please contact the ASN Coordinator at asn@ audubon.org or call202- 861-2242. We'll need each student's (and organization name}, college/university, address, phone number, and e-mail address. CONSERVATION NEWS A Wake up Call Your Morning Coffee Can Save the Rainforest In September, Bexar Tracks carried a story urging members to seek out and buy shade-grown coffee. By so doing they can encourage growers to maintain old fashioned shade coffee plantations which consist of low coffee bushes on the ground shaded by a variety of trees and shrubs. January 1998 CONSERVATION NEWS The up and coming alternative (economics-wise) is for growers to cut down the shade trees and plant new varieties of premium coffees that thrive in the full sun and produce greater yields per acre. The downside to this, and it is substantial, is that cutting down the rainforest canopy eliminates the winter habitat for a wide variety of neotropical birds including Baltimore orioles, ruby-throated hummingbirds, and wood thrushes. This writer can add a personal note to this plea. I have recently returned from a trip which included visits to cloudforest site,s in Costa Rica and Guat~;Jmala. The guides in both places were ecologically sensitive young men who pointed out, with a degree of sad resignation, how coffee growers were converting wooded fields to open fields. They pointed out the problem, as noted above, and added that those open coffee fields-which sort of resemble soybean fields, only often on ·steep slopes-suffer much greater erosion problems with the thin jungle soils and require greater applications of chemical fertilizer. Many of the trees in the traditional canopy belong to the legume family and thus add nitrogen to the soil free of charge. The· obvious way to slow down this attack on the rainforest (or cloudforest at higher elevations) is to create a market for shade grown coffee. Coffee experts believe that the slower maturation rate of the shade grown coffee bean makes for a much better cup of coffee. Undoubtedly, among Bexar Tracks reade'rs, there are those who consider themselves discriminating coffee drinkers and have established close relationships with the purveyors of fine, premium, coffees in San Antonio. Now is the time for you to insist to shopkeepers that gourmet coffee drinkers would really appreciate the opportunity to drink coffee and save the rainforest simultaneously. In the meantime, shade grown coffee can be ordered from Cafe Audubon, a licensee of the National Audubon Society. Cafe Audubon works with th':l Smithsonian Institution's. Migratory 'Bird Center to certify coffees gown in the traditional shaded way. They are taking orders now. Contact the Eco-Organic Coffee Company at 888- 326- 2633. If you have questions or would like more information on the marketing of shade grown coffee please -contact Sara Com is, Director Product Licensing, Audubon, 4 scomis@audubon.org or telephone 202- 861-2242. Thanks . Tom Wilson BAS Bexar Tracks Editor ***ACTION ALERT*** LWCF Funding Could Mean Money for Texas Refuges Texans have an opportunity for major federal funding of wildlife refuges in the state if they can convince Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt to recommend funding for Texas refuges to Congress. As part of a $699 million appropriation for public lands, Congress authorized $250 million in Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) money to be distributed throughout the United States for acquisition of wildlife refuges and instructed Secretary Babbitt to suggest U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's priorities for funding. The Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) and the Balcones-Canyonlands NWR are high enough priorities that the Secretary is expected to include them as a matter of course, but the Trinity River NWR and Austin's Woods (formerly known as Columbia Bottomlands) are less likely unless Texans express support for them. Region 2 of the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) is requesting $5 million for additions to Trinity River NWR, to acquire additional bottomland hardwood forest land. This refuge is in an area of high-quality bottomlands that flood frequently enough to cause serious · problems with developmen~. FWS has already acquired about 5,000 acres. The primary purpose of Austin's Woods NWR (formerly known as the Columbia Bottomlands Project of Brazoria Wildlife Refuge) is to support migratory songbirds returning to the United States in the spring after wintering in South or Central America. Migrating neotropical birds depend on coastal woodlands to recuperate from the long flight. This refuge has the advantage of a large number of willing sellers just wafting for FWS to get the necessary appropriations. Here is what you can do to influence the acquisition process: Write Hon. Bruce Babbitt, Secretary of the Interior, 1849 C Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20240, and urge him to include $5 million each for Trinity River and Austin's Woods NWRs. Bexar Tracks CONSERVATION NEWS NEW LAW "PAINTS" TRESPA.SSER$ IN PURPLE AUSTIN-Trespassers beware: A recently enacted Texas law now allows landowners to mark their property boundaries with a vertical stripe of purple paint and State · Game Wardens are urging hunters and · hikers to watch out · "A lot of people don't know what purple paint is going to mean," said Roy Lawrence, director of law enforcement field operations with Texas Parks and Wildlife. ~'It 's going to be an educational process this year, particularly in East Texas where paint markings on trees are used· extensively by timber companies." The hew law (HB793), which went into effect Sept 1, provides a ?tandardi:Zed method of marking property boundaries, which some landowners say they welcome . in areas where signs may be ·too costly or impractical. . Typically, landowners· are hesitant to put up fences or post signs along creek bottoms or river fronts, which serve as natural boundaries for livestock anyway. Now, instead of posted s·igns, landowners may resort to a vertical stripe of purple paint on a tree or post. The marking must be made at least three feet above ground, but no more than five feet above ground, and must be at leflst eight inches long and one inch wide. Landowners who use the purple paint system are also required to post signs at entrances to their property notifying trespasse'rs.of the purple markings, however, according to Lawrence, absence of signs or markers does not grant permission to trespass. "As long as a person has been given notice that he' or ·she is trespassing, that's all the law requires," said Lawrence. "It can be verbal or written notice, or by way of a posted sign. And, now with purple paint" Lawrence said wardens wi·ll be visiting with landowners in affected areas of the state to make sure they understand the new statute. "We'll try to educate folks about purple paint and the warning signs." According to Herb Kothmann, director of public hunting with Texas Parks and Wildlife, purple paint will not be utilized in the near future by the agency to mark boundaries on public lands. Trespassing in Texas is a Class B Misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed $2,000 and/or up to 180 days in jail, unless the trespasser is in possession of a January 1998 firearm, which upgrades the offense to a Class A Misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $4,000 and/or· one year in jail. Trespass violations are filed by the . landowner, not game wardens. This message is from the news. listserv at Texas Parks and Wildlife. · Audubon Position on Wolves In Yellowstone A Federal judge in Wyoming found the Interior Department's prbgram to reintroduce wolves to Yellowstone National Park and central Idaho to be illegal and ordered the removal of the wolyes. The Asso.ciated Press story discussing the judge's opinion contained the following sentence: "[The] ruling came in a 3-year lawsuit first filed by the Wyoming Farm B.ureau and later joined by the National · Au.dubon Society . " . This sentence, ana the accompanying story, left the impression thatAudubon had filed suit to remove the wolves, .which is completely . inaccurate. . _ In case you're asked questions about this matter, I wanted you to know that we have issued the attached statement to clarify the inaccurate impression created by the article. If you have any questions about this matter, please don't hesitate to get in touch with. me. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAA AAAAA AA AAAAA AAAAAAA STATEMENT ON WOLVES AND LAWSUITS ,DECEMBER 15, 1997 National Aubudon strongly supports all wolf populations, natural and introduced, in Yellowstone Park and Northern Idaho. Wolves are a vital component of these wild, mountain regions. We oppose any efforts to remove or kill the wolves in Yellowstone or Idaho. 5 In a ruling opposed by National Audubon, U.S. District Judge Downes ruled that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's wolf recovery program is illegal. The judge, at· the request of Fish and Wildlife Service, combined several different lawsuits and in one ruling addressed the separate legal issues presented in the suits. Some press reports have mistakenly lumped National Audubon's position with that of the Wyoming Farm Bureau, which has sought to remove wolves from Yellowstone Park. National Audubon sued to protect the endangered species status of naturally occurring wolf populations in Northern Idaho. In the ruling, National Audubon won on the issue of keeping endangered species protection for naturally occurring wolves. Separately, the judge ruled in favor of the Farm Bureau, which opposes 'the wolf _ re-introduction programs. - National Audubon strongly disagrees with this part of the ruling. ·No wolves· should be removed. Naturally occurring wolves should be entitled to the full protection ·of the Endangered Species Act National Audubon will continue its · efforts to have a strong Endangered Species Act to provide protection for the wolf, endangered birds, and other endangered wildlife. -Dania/ P. Beard NAS Senior VP for Public Policy dbeard@audubon.or.q BIG BIRDS RETURN The Associated Press has reported that four more California condors have been released into the Vermilion Cliffs area of northern Arizona. Six condors were released at the Vermilion Cliffs last December, the fir:'it known flight of a condor in Arizona in 72 years. There are now 34 condors living in the wild-19 in California ·and 15 in Arizona. Wildlife officials hope to establish breeding colonies of 150 birds in each state. Condors have increased from 27 individuals in 1987 to 132 today. Bexar Tracks Guess Who's Not Coming to Dinner Recent monitoring of TEXBIRDS, Audubon's birding listserv, has turned up a major concern of Texas birders. The feeders are full, the binoculars at the ready, the cat safely inside, but no birds. From all parts of the state the reports are the same. The usual crowd of freeloaders-sparrows, doves, etc.-are there ,but few if any of the birds for whom we are going through all this effort. No titmice, chickadees, goldfinches, house finches, cardinals, or woodpeckers have appeared. Is this the end of birding as we know it? Is this the year that our continued habitat destruction at home and abroad has reached critical mass and reduced bird populations below sustainable numbers? Not to worry, say the experts. Not that we aren't gradually destroying our hemisphere's ability to sustain wild birds, but this year Mother Nature has had a very good year hereabouts in terms of natural food growing in field, forest, and brush land. And given the choice, birds prefer to eat at her table rather than ours. As the cold continues, and the supplies of wild food diminish we shall see their return. Let us hope. -Tom Wilson BAS Bexar Tracks Editor Bird Banding Helps Us Understand Dynamics of Bird Populations I know nothing about banding except what I read in news groups and lists. Your listing only goes back to 1992, but you record just nine data points of feedback? I assume you only mention your birds banded in Texas. Even so, nine responses out of how many bandings? You must feel that your work has value, or you would not have continued for 20+ years. Please educate me. What objective does banding accomplish? What is the appropriate course of action if one comes upon a banded bird {dead or alive)? How does one get started in banding? January 1998 BIRD TALES Lot's of questions. Hope you have time to respond. Curiously, Joe Hearn, Dallas, TX *** Howdy Joe. I hope I can answer most of your questions. The recoveries that I posted are just those since we started banding in TX in 1990. Having the first recovery in 1992 is pretty lucky, and that's what it is, luck. Along the same lines nine recoveries from 1990 to 1997 is just fine for small passerines. The average recovery rate is less than one percent. That's why so many birds must be banded. The general objective is to gather information that will benefit the species involved. And at this point I should mention that banders have access not only to their own data but also to the data of other banders going back to the first recorded data. In this area would be info. on longevity, migration routes, dating of early and late migrants, examination for parasites and other pathology, effects of winter competition for food at feeders, the best type of food to offer for various species and on and on. If anyone finds a banded bird alive and it survives, the band number should be carefully recorded by two people and the number written on a post card and sent to Bird Band, Washington, DC. For dead birds the band should be removed, flattened and taped securely to a post card, or placed in an envelope and sent to the same address. Don't worry, the Banding Lab. & Post Office have it all worked out, they work for the same people - Uncle. Include the date, exact location the bird was found, what killed it, if dead, and anything else that might be important. A Polaroid would be nice. If the bird happens to be waterfowl there is an 800 no. on the band to call. You will be notified {don't hold your breath though) as will the bander ,who will be able to get in touch with you and give you the third degree. To get involved in banding visit a local banding station, watch and learn. Offer to help and maybe the master bander will take you on as a sub-permittee. {I sub for my wife Hanna.) As a sub you can do all the things a master does without the paper work, which is prodigious. After being a registered sub for three years you can apply for your own master permit providing that you can outline a worthwhile project, i.e., worthwhile to the Banding Lab. We hear it 6 is getting difficult to obtain a master permit without being connected to a univ. museum, or other institute of learning. To be a master bander you must have a federal permit and in most states a state permit. One is useless without the other. As a master bander the whole expense is "on you." You are given the bands and forms required. The banding pliers, scales. measuring tools, nets, traps, etc. you pay for. Wait until you have a wild pig walk through your expensive net. Joe, I hope I have shed some light on this mysterious world (religion ?) of bird banding, but I also hope that some other of the more scientific experienced banders out there use a more powerful light to enlighten you. The whole direction of your free time life may be changing course. -Art & Hanna Richard Editor's Note: This discussion from TEXBIRD, the Audubon listserv, provides some basic understanding of how banding works. If you find a banded bird, you may also call 800-327-BAND. BirdSource Seeks Winter Finches Online One of the first online initiatives of BirdSource, a joint project between the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society, is to monitor the movements of winter finches and red-breasted nuthatches through North America. You can visit this site through the BirdSource home page: http:// birdsource.cornell.edu. Simply click on the Winter Finch Survey logo. A major movement of several winter finch species has begun through much of North America. red-breasted nuthatches, pine grosbeaks, red and Contmued on page 7 Bexar Tracks BIRD TALES BirdSource Continued from page 6 white-winged crossbills, common redpolls, hoary redpolls, and eVening grosbeaks are being reported in unusually high numbersfor this early in the seasori-and/or in extremely far southerly locales. With the use of the Internet and some sophisticated mapping software, we will be able to track their movements in an unprecedented manner. . We need your assistance! If you see winter finches, we would appreciate it if you would fill out a survey form. Using Geographic Information Systems (GIS), animated maps were created that illustrate the southward movement of each of the winter finch species so far this season. The postal code of the location where the birds were observed and provided by participants on the survey form are converted into specific latitudes and longitudes. Initial maps were created for all reports between August 1 and October 31, 1997, then were animated to reflect observations from every ten-day period thereafter. In this way, you can see the movement of winter finches through North America. · . " :'r/ye encoUFage you to took ·at tf:le · site. Aiong with tM~maps -there are some vocalizatipns''-of each species and brief, species. descriptions for some. But most importantly we hope ·that; you will participate by filling out a survey form, and telling others about the site. · -Steve Kelling No More Mr. Nice Cat Cat Predation Is A Major Threat To Wild Bird Populations Everywhere Americans keep an estimated 60 million cats as pets. Let's say each cat kills only one bir<;l a year. That would mean that cats kill over 60 million birds (minimum) each year-more wildlife than any oil spill. Scientific studies actually show that each year, cats kill hundreds of millions of migratory songbirds. In 1990, researchers estimated that "outdoor" house cats and feral cats were responsible for January 1998 killing nearly 78 million small mammals and birds annually in the United Kingdom. University of Wisconsin ornithologist, Dr. Santley ,Temple estimates that 20-150 million songbirds are killed each year by rural cats in Wisconsin alone. Feline predation is not "natural." Cats were domesticated by the ancient Egyptians and taken throughout the world by the Romans. Cats were brought to North America in the 1800s to control rats. The "tabby" that sits curled up on your couch is not a natural predator and has never been in the natural food chain in the Western He'misphere. · Cats are a serious threat to fledglings, birds roosting at night, and birds on a nest. Research shows that de-clawing cats and bell collars do not prevent them from killing birds and other small animals. For healthy cats and wild birds, cats should not be allowed to roam free. Work with your local humane society, veterinarians and state wildlife agency to enact and enforce free-roaming cat regulations. For more information: Free Roaming C,ats. American Backyard Bird Society, PO Box 10046, Rockville, MD 20849 . Ciits: A Hea~y To/1 .-on"Songbi;ds. Ri~h . · Sta'llc.up. P_oinf Rey~s Bird Observatory, 4990 ·shoreline Hwy., Stinson Beach, CA 94924. · Is there a Killer in Your House? George; Harrison, .National · Wildlife. Magazine (October/November 1992). ··. . . . . Beware of Wf]II-Fed Fel(n'es. -Peter · Churcher and John Lawton, Natural History Magazine (.!uly, 1989). ' Catfight. Jon R. Luoma, Audubon Magazine (July-August 1997). Editor's Note: The above comes from the USFWS Migratqry Bird Management Office· courtesy of Christie Van Cleve of the Icarus Facility, Inc. Sedona, AZ. UPCOMING EVENTS Upcoming Chapter Meetings: Feb 19- Phil Beckhelm: Purple Martins Mar 19 - Brian Sullivan: Snow Geese Population Problem 7 UPCOMING EVENTS F.ebruary Outing Birding with the Pipes Joyce and Richard (Dick) Pipes have invited us to join them at their ranch on Saturday, February the 21st. Dick is Bexar Audubon's Vice President and Conservation chair and both Joyce and Dick are energetic naturalists. We'll be traveling down to the brush country in Pleasanton and bird around the Pipes' property. Mesquite and cactus abound and are homes to Wintering sparrows and wrens, as well as year-round residents like the cactus wren, verdin, and pyrruloxia. White-eyed vireos and blue-gray gnatcatcher's can be heard from small drainages. There are three tanks to visit, so depending on the rainfall that collects in the next 2 months we might expect to see some waterfowl: waders, pipits, and shorebirds. Look in the February newsletter for more tidbits and all of the details. It's gonna' be a fun one! -Dawn Garcia 1998 Calendar January 13th . SA Planning Dept. - Downtown_ Planning Workshop - "North Nelghborhoo~d," 6:00-8:00pm;' old Vah3ro: Bldg., 530 McCullough. (Info. · 207-790b) - - ' ·~ . January 17th .: .: Neighborchocid Resource Center - Roundtable - "City Services and Helpful Hints for Neighborhood Asses." (info. 735-05~6) · January 31st_ (te'ntativ~) .:. City of San Anto.nio - Citizen's Conference - "Community lssu~s and·Action," free. February 14th · . . AlA/SA - Beaux Arts Benefit Ball - "30th Anniversary of Hemisfair," 8:00pm-1:OOam, In st. Texan <;:ultures, fee._ (info. 226-4979) '· February 21st . Neighborhood Resource Center - Community Discussion - "Hot Button Issues for Neighborhoods." (info. 735-0586) February 23rd . "An Evening with Peter Matthiessen: A Reading with Commentary: is presented as part of the Stieren Fine Arts Series, Trinity University, 8pm, at the Laurie Audutorium. Free to the public. Bexar Tracks Bexar Audubon So~iety, Inc. P. 0. Box 6084 · San Antonio, TX 78209 Address Correction Requested r. --- "":"' . . 11ntroductory Membership 1 1 National Audubon Society 1 I Bexar Audubon Society I I (Chapter ~ode W19) I I New me~berships · tal I National Audubon Society, including I I a subscription to Audubon magazine, I lare $20 ($15 for seniors or full-timel I students). This includes membership I 1in Bexar Audubon and a subscription 1 Ito Bexar Tracks,as well. I I Makes a great gift! I I Name I I Address I I city I I state Zip I I I IPhone: ( ) I :Mail this coupon and your check- •• payable to "National Audubon I I Society" to: I I Bexar Audubon Society I I P. 0. Box 6084 I I San Antonio, TX 78209 I . ___________ . January 1998 Non-profit Organization · U.S. Postage Paid San Antonio Permit #590 RECURRING EVENTS Second Thursday of Each Bexar Audubon Society Board Meetings. Month. Call408-7731 for more info. Members welcome Third Thursday of Each Month Bexar Audubon Society General Meetings, Open . (except Aug) Call 822-4503 for info. to the public, Ruble Center, 419 E. Magnolia,? pm First Saturday of Each Month. Friedrich Wilderness Park offers a free guided Call698-1057 for more info. general natural history hike Second Saturday of Each Month. Bexar Audubon sponsors the "Second For information and reservations, Saturday'' program at Friedrich Wilderness Park call 698-1 057 $2 donation requested Fourth Saturday of Each Month. Birding morning at Mitchell Lake- meet at 8 am Call 308-6788 for more information Led by Ernie Roney (656-4239; San Antonio Audubon Soc.) First Tuesday of Each Quarter San Antonio Environmental Network meets at March, June, September, December. the Witte Museum auditorium, 7 pm. Free and Call 822-4503 for more info open to the public ' Visit Bexar Audubon's New Web Site: http://www.audubon.org/chapter/tx/bexar/ Suggestions and contributions are welcome. Please contact Jill Sondeen at jsondeen@ netxpress.com 8 Bexar Tracks l !
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