TH TENNES E WARBLER Newsletter of the Tennessee Ornithological Society August, 2006 Editor, Theresa Graham PRESIDENTS MESSAGE As President of the Tennessee Ornithological Society this past year, I have been privileged to experience how well a group of dedicated volunteers can function. Keep up the good work! I want to acknowledge some members who have agreed to assume new duties in TOS: I am delighted with the election of Richard Connors to be President-elect this year. I know that he will do a great job and I look forward to working with him. I also have confidence in the work that will be done by Dean Edwards, who agreed to be Secretary for the Tennessee Bird Records Committee. Take a look at the updated TBRC page on our website to see the status of records under consideration. This is not an easy job and is one that invites scrutiny more than most. It takes all of our individual efforts combined to make the work of TOS meaningful. The Spring meeting in Nashville was terrific! The birds were cooperative and several popular birding areas were showcased with field trips. Susan Hollyday was responsible for overseeing the excellent organization of the meeting, and many Nashville club volunteers became involved in a state event for the first time. Thanks to all for your hospitality. At the Spring meeting, I saw Bobby Harrison present on the Ivory-billed woodpecker discovery for the second time in a year. Each time, I have been amazed at the elusiveness of the bird and have tried to remain open-minded about the ongoing debate regarding its existence. Bobby presents a good argument, but some of the skeptics make good arguments as well. However, thanks to audio recordings and additional sightings, I personally am now convinced that Ivory-bills are in Arkansas. The debate will continue but we can all agree to hope that the species has managed to survive. Plans are in the works for a fall meeting in Clarksville. In addition to the paper sessions, we will continue to offer open work sessions to address issues important to TOS. Hope to see you there! Danny Gaddy The Tennessee Warbler August, 2006 Page 2 TOS FALL MEETING CLARKSVILLE, TN OCTOBER 27, 28 AND 29, 2006 More details and specific location to be announced and will be posted on the TOS website once available. Dan Mooney Contributions TO TOS Conservation & Research Fund Received Thank you to the following members who have generously contributed to the TOS Conservation and Research Fund: • Wallace Coffey • Van Harris and the Agnes and Nancy Harris Charitable Fund Mac McWhirter, Treasurer REPORT FROM THE TENNESSEE BIRD RECORDS COMMITTEE At the TOS Spring Meeting in Nashville, TOS President Danny Gaddy appointed Don Miller and Kevin Calhoon (as alternate) to the Tennessee Bird Records Committee (TBRC) to replace outgoing members Mike Todd and Nell Moore. The TBRC selected Dean Edwards to act as Secretary. The remaining current members of the seven- person committee are John Henderson, Rob Peeples, Dick Preston, and Chris Sloan. Several updates have been made to the TBRC website ( www.tnbirds.org/TRBC ) including a revised Official State Bird List (up-to-date through 2005 TBRC actions), updated list of pending and recent TBRC actions, and updated photo site. More updates are planned for the future. The TBRC is currently reviewing a number of records including: Mottled Duck, White-tailed Kite, California Gull, Thayer’s Gull, Gull-billed Tern, Inca Dove, Townsend’s Solitaire, Golden-crowned Sparrow, and several others. Everyone is encouraged to submit documentation for sightings of rare species to the TBRC, The Migrant, and North American Birds (published by the American Birding Association). Submission of photos for the TBRC photo website is also welcome and encouraged. There are still several species which have been reported in Tennessee which have not been submitted to the TBRC and documented in articles in The Migrant. Dean Edwards, Secretary The Tennessee Warbler August, 2006 Page 3 SUMMARY OF TOS CONSERVATION POLICY COMMITTEE ACTIVITIES SINCE MAY 2005 1 ) TOS has joined the Tennessee Teaming with Wildlife Coalition, organized by TWRA, to urge Congress to support for increased funding for wildlife through the State Wildlife Grants program and for wildlife funding to be included in any potential climate change legislation. 2) TOS submitted comments to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services in favor of the proposed delisting of the Bald Eagle and adoption of the National Bald Eagle Management Guidelines. These guidelines strengthen the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act which augments protections offered by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. 3) TOS sent letters to the entire TN Delegation expressing our strong opposition to efforts to weaken the Threatened and Endangered Species Act. 4) TOS signed-on to letters on the following topics as members of the Bird Conservation Alliance • To FCC Commissioners urging them to take action to prevent avian mortality at communication towers. • In support of the reauthorization of the Migratory Bird Conservation Improvement Act • Opposing the changes to the Endangered Species Act sponsored by Rep. Pombo 5) TOS sent a letter to governor Bredesen: • thanking him for providing $1 0 million to the Tennessee Heritage Trust Fund for land acquisition and for supporting the acquisition of high-priority portions of Bowate^s lands • thanking him for making State Parks more accessible for the public by canceling entrance fees. • thanking him for the appointments of Jim Fyke as Director and Paul Sloan as Deputy Commissioner of the TN Department of Environment and Conservation. • asking him to request that the U.S. Office of Surface Mining conduct a comprehensive statewide review of the environmental issues surrounding coal mining. 6) TOS submitted comments to the USFWS in support of adopting Alternate D for the Comprehensive Conservation Plans for Reelfoot, Lake Isom, Lower Hatchie, Chickasaw and Hatchie National Wildlife Refuges. Alternate D offered the most meaningful improvements in wildlife conservation and habitat management while still affording the public reasonable recreational opportunities. Melinda Welton Conservation Policy Committee Chair The Tennessee Warbler August, 2006 Page 4 NAMC & Spring Count Data Due If you have any data from the recent North American Migration Count (NAMC) or any traditional spring counts, please try to send them to me as soon as possible. All Tennessee Bird Counts should have the following data included with the bird statistics: 1 . Miles and hours by foot, car, and other modes (canoe, horse, etc.) for each party. 2. Miles and hours for each night birding (owling) party are kept separately. 3. Feeder-watching hours are also kept separately; include names of feeder-watchers. 4. All count day weather data: temps; wind; precipitation; clouds, storms/fronts. 5. Please include the starting and ending times of the count. 6. Please include the number of observers, number of field parties, and names of all observers. For example, one person in a car is one observer in one party; 4 people in another car are 4 observers in one party; this example results in 5 observers in 2 parties. 7. Please send the data to Ron Hoff, 282 Hackworth Lane, Clinton, TN 37716. Email is acceptable at aves7000@bellsouth.net . I would like to have the data sometime in the first month after the count. This allows timely reporting to the Migrant editor. These statistics help future researchers make better use of the data. It greatly helps any count compiler to follow the latest AOU checklist order when turning in data. This is the checklist that the compiler follows and it is usually updated every year. The checklist can be found at http://www.aou.ora . If you do not have access to a computer, the species order on the most recently printed yellow TOS field card is correct. It is also important that you keep a copy of the records you turn in to your compiler. This way, if anything gets lost, there is a backup. Count week species (CW) are only used for the Christmas Bird Count (CBC), as this count is conducted over a period of more than two weeks. CW species are recorded 3 days before and 3 days after the CBC date. Spring and Fall counts usually represent a one day event (two at most) and do not have a count period. The CW designation then is not used in any bird count other than a CBC for publication in the MIGRANT. The count area for any North American Migration Count (NAMC) both Spring, which is always the second Saturday in May, and Fall, which is always the third Saturday in September, is each county. Some traditional bird counts are run on days other than the NAMC and some traditional counts include parts of more than one county for their count area. Rare or unusual birds should always be documented. If you don’t have a standard form for reporting a rarity, just make some notes as quickly as you can after the sighting without looking at a guide book. Not using a guide book while making your notes helps insure that you only record what you saw, not what the book points out. Send these notes to your local compiler. Local compilers are encouraged to ask for documentation of rarities, keep a copy for their own records, and send a copy of the notes to the state compiler. Ron Hoff, TOS state count compiler The Tennessee Warbler August, 2006 Page 5 CHAPTER. NEWS STEPHEN M. RUSSELL CHAPTER - The Bristol Bird Club (BBC) Recent Activities : During June, Ron Harrington and Wallace Coffey participated in their sixth year of the national program Birds in Forested Landscape fragmented forest studies sponsored by Cornell University. Club members participated as field trip leaders for the May 12-14 Clinch Mountain Trails Spring Migratory Birding Festival of Virginia Birding Trail at Saltville, Va. and May 20-21 Bristol Bird Club Natural Tunnel State Park Spring Birding Weekend (International Migratory Bird Day (IMBD) event to lead hikes along the Natural Tunnel segment of the Virginia Wildlife and Birding Trail. The Bristol Bird Club had an enjoyable picnic July 1 at Bristol’s Steele Creek Park. It was a nice day of fellowship — catching up with everyone and meeting the new folks. More than 30 birders, members and guest, attended the annual outing. We now have four BBC members on the paid staff at the Steele Creek Park Nature Center — Kevin Elam, Larry McDaniel, Chris O’Bryan and Rudy Morales. A fifth member, teenager Charlie Parker is a volunteer naturalist at the park who has donated hundreds of hours in the past year. All but one attended our picnic and contributed to an otherwise good day. Up Coming Activities : Many of Bristol Bird Club’s members left July 8 for the club’s tropical Birding Special Trip to Trinidad and Tobago. Dr. John Moyle, a board member of the Asa Wright Nature Centre in Trinidad and a member of the Bristol bird Club, arranged for the trip in the jungles at the Asa Wright Nature Center thru July 1 6. July 15 th & 22 nd BBC Funfest/Wards Feed Store Bird Walk 8:30 A. M. (Bays Mountain Park, Kingsport) July 29 th Virginia Highlands Festival, Virginia Creeper Trail Bird Walk. 7:30 A.M. Abindon, VA. Ron Harrington is busy organizing our BBC’s Sponsored Mendota Hawk Watch with coverage to begin Sept. 8 and continue throughout the month. Sept. 15 th -17 th Bristol Bird Club Natural Tunnel State Park Fall Birding Weekend. Join our birders on hikes along the Natural Tunnel segment of the Virginia Wildlife and Birding Trail. Participants will view many species of birds passing through Southwest Virginia during the autumn migration. Sept. (TBA, but usually the third or fourth Friday) Bristol Bird Club Annual Banquet. Bill Grigsby The JOHN SELLARS CHAPTER had a nice spring with some enjoyable programs and bird count. We were delighted to have Polly Rooker from TWRA speak in March on her trip in the Katrina Disaster area of Mississippi, and we enjoyed Alice Kling’s program in February of her trips to several places in Africa. In April, we had several guests join us as we met during the Wildflower Pilgrimage at Cedars of Lebanon State Park. These included Helen Batey, Dr. Kim Sadler of MTSU, and Elizabeth Fitch, graduate student and adjunct at MTSU. We had two budding naturalist granddaughters of Jane Farris attending, also. In May, we did our usual Spring Count and totaled 91 species. We were lower in numbers of birds and observers from last year. We take a break in June and July and will resume in August with our usual meetings. Several members have had travels to various places and we look forward to sharing any of our adventures when we resume the meetings. Melissa Turrentine The Tennessee Warbler August, 2006 Page 6 CHAPTER. NEWS GREENEVILLE CHAPTER - Spring 2006 was cooler and wetter than in most of the last few years, but good species variety and individual numbers were nonetheless recorded in Greene County. In several instances, unusual species or unusually late occurrences were noted. The most memorable species of the spring was Short- eared Owl, observed on many dates in March at the Joachime Bible Refuge, a unit of Lick Creek Bottoms Wildlife Management Area in the western part of the county. As many as three birds were seen on more than one occasion. The following significant records were also generated by the Greeneville Chapter: American Wigeon (on May 6, quite late for the county); Redhead (2 on April 16, also quite late); American Bittern (on April 1 6 and May 6); Great Blue Heron (nesting confirmed along the Nolichuckey River in early May); Cattle Egret (on April 22); Sora (2 on April 1 6); Wilson’s Snipe (2 on May 13, quite late); American Woodcock (1-5, found at four sites); Eurasian Collared- Dove (observed for the twenty-fourth consecutive month); Chuck-will’s-widow (13 on May 6); Whip- poor-will (20 on May 6); Willow Flycatcher (on at least two occasions); Cliff Swallow (observed often; now a fairly abundant nesting species in the county); Sedge Wren (on May 6); Cerulean Warbler (1 on April 22 and 27); Swainson’s Warbler (2 on April 22); Lincoln’s Sparrow (on May 6); Dickcissel (observed at the Joachime Bible Refuge for the ninth consecutive nesting season); Brewer’s Blackbird (observed several times in March). The chapter’s fall count is scheduled for Saturday, September 16. Anyone interested in participating may contact Don Miller (423-639-41 00; raincrow@xtn.net ) or Jim Holt ( jimbouh@adelphia.net ). The LEE & LOIS HERNDON CHAPTER of Tennessee Ornithological Society held its 63rd annual Elizabethton Spring Bird Count on Saturday, April 29. Twenty-nine observers in six parties covered Carter County and parts of adjacent Johnson, Sullivan, Unicoi and Washington counties. The count yielded a total of 145 species, which is about average. According to compiler Rick Knight, the average for the previous 20 years is 144.9 species. Some highlights, according to Knight, included Green-winged Teal, Peregrine Falcon, Virginia Rail, Caspian Tern, Forster’s Tern, Barn Owl, Northern Saw-Whet Owl, Red-headed Woodpecker, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Philadelphia Vireo, Bobolink, Purple Finch, Pine Siskin and 27 species of warblers, including Golden-winged, Nashville, Bay-breasted, Canada, Prothonotary and Swainson’s. The chapter hosted a bird walk at Sycamore Shoals State Park in Elizabethton as part of International Migratory Bird Day on Saturday, May 13. The chapter’s annual Summer Bird Count, held on Sunday, June 11, established a new record with 117 species found. This count’s average is 1 1 0.75 species. Some unusual birds found on this year’s summer count included Osprey, Peregrine Falcon, Northern Bobwhite, Red-shouldered Hawk, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Hermit Thrush, Blue Grosbeak, Red Crossbill, Pine Siskin and 20 species of warblers, including Prairie, Golden-winged, Kentucky and Blackburnian. The chapter held its annual July Picnic on Thursday, July 6, at Rotary Park in Johnson City. For more information about the chapter, visit http://aroups.vahoo.com/aroup/HerndonBirdClub/ Bryan Stevens Don Miller The Tennessee Warbler August, 2006 Page 7 CHAPTER. NEWS Recent chapter meetings in the KNOXVILLE CHAPTER have featured several interesting programs. In April, Benny Thatcher presented “Songbird Nesting Ecology in Relation to Conservation-Oriented Timber Harvesting in Tennessee.” For our May program we welcomed Roger Tankersley who presented “Shorebirds in Tennessee.” Our June meeting was our annual picnic at Ijams Nature Center and was mainly a social event — the only order of business was the installation of new officers for 2006-2007. New Officers Elected The Nominating Committee of KTOS nominated the following individuals for state and local offices for 2007: TOS State Directors: Ron Hoff, Dollyann Myers and Charlie Muise; KTOS Officers: President - Dan Mooney, Vice President - Mark Campen, Secretary - Kathy Bivens, Treasurer - Marie Oakes; KTOS Executive Committee Mem- bers at Large: Jean Alexander and Tony King. 2006 Spring Counts - submitted by Ron Hoff Many members of the Knoxville TOS chapter went into the field on two separate occasions this spring to help count birds. The local Spring Count was held April 30, while the North American Migration Count (in association with International Migratory Bird Day) was held on the usual second Saturday in May, which this year was the 1 3th. Not all the data is in yet but Susan Hoyle and Martha Rudolph found a rare Mississippi Kite in east Knox. Co. on May 1 3th. A late Common Loon, found by Tony King on the same day in Loudon Co., was also a surprise. Notable finds in Blount Co. included Least Bittern, Virginia Rail, and Canada Warbler. eBird — submitted by Dan Mooney In January of this year we started entering KTOS field trip reports into eBird. eBird is a database hosted by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society. One of the benefits to using eBird is instant access to your state and county list. So far this year KTOS field trip participants have seen 1 41 species of birds on field trips sponsored by the club. Totals for each county: Knox 97; Campbell 91 ; Cocke 52; Loudon 63; Blount 54; Anderson 34; Jefferson 32. Also volunteers in the chapter are entering data into eBird to preserve the records of some of our more experienced birders. Thank you Charlie and Tracey Muise! KTOS would like to thank outgoing president Charlie Muise and vice president Tracey Muise for their service to the club. Good luck with your new life in Georgia! Both Charlie and Tracey served three consecutive years. Charlie is the fifth person to serve three years in a row as president. David Highbaugh was president 1958-60, Fred Alsop 1 969-71 , Boyd Sharp 1 975-77 and Tim Snow held the office 1 992-94. Tracey is only the second person to serve three consecutive years as vice president. David Highbaugh was president 1 958-60, Fred Alsop 1 969-71 , Boyd Sharp 1 975-77 and Tim Snow held the office 1 992-94. Louise Fuller $100 memorial used at Seven Islands Wildlife Refuge. A $1 00 gift given in memorial of Lou Fuller was donated to the Seven Islands nest box program. Cats Indoors! —submitted by Tracey Muise This year, at the suggestion of Chris Welsh, the Executive Committee decided that KTOS should sponsor an International Migratory Bird Day (IMBD)-Cats Indoors! poster contest. Similar contests are held throughout the country. As the name indicates, the purpose is to have young people design posters that promote bird and cat safety. The average life expectancy of an outdoor cat is just two to five years, while an indoor cat may survive for 1 7 or more years. Each year, free-roaming cats kill hundreds of millions of birds and small mammals. The Tennessee Warbler August, 2006 Page 8 CHAPTER. NEWS The MEMPHIS CHAPTER had an active spring field trip schedule. In March, Martha Waldron led a hike at Shelby Farms Park and gave Chapter members a tour of the Mid-South Raptor Center. Fifteen observers recorded 48 species including Palm and Pine Warblers. On April 2, Van Harris led a hike at Dagmar Wildlife Management Area (AR) near the site of the 2004 Cache River Ivory-billed Woodpecker sightings. Ten observers recorded 43 species including many first of spring birds. Participants were impressed with this birder friendly WMA along the cypress lined Robe Bayou. On April 1 5, Bob llardi led a hike at Wall Doxey (MS) State Park. Eighteen observers enjoyed a near perfect day and recorded 56 species. Notable were especially nice views of Wood Duck, a pair of Blue- gray Gnatcatchers on a nest, Yellow-throated, Hooded, and Prothonotary Warblers, and six American Woodcock. Gerald Papachristou led an April 29 hike in Overton Park. Notable species included Mourning Warbler and Least Flycatcher. On May 21, Dick Preston led a hike at Chickasaw National Wildlife Refuge. Fifteen observers recorded 70 bird species at the West Tennessee refuge along the Mississippi River. Notable were breeding plumaged Black-bellied Plover, Dunlin, Black Tern, Glossy Ibis and Le Conte’s Sparrow. Mississippi Kite, Little Blue Heron, and the endangered interior subspecies of the Least Tern were also seen in good numbers. The Shelby County Spring International Migratory Bird Day count was held on May 13. Twenty-three observers recorded 121 bird species including Connecticut and Swainson’s Warblers, Peregrine Falcon, Black Tern, Western Kingbird, and Yellow- bellied and Willow Flycatchers. Dr. Jerome Jackson presented a program In Search of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker: Past History and Recent Reports at the Memphis Chapter banquet in March. Other spring programs included The Natural History of the Chimney Swift presented by Dick Preston and Birding the Deeep South presented by Carolyn Bullock. Carolyn shared her “trip of a lifetime” to Antarctica and Chile. Outstanding photos of Antarctic wildlife were provided by Dan Doolittle. This spring, TOS members promoted bird education through participation in a number of Earth Day and International Migratory Bird Day events, a Heron Hoedown Festival at the Touliatos Nature Center, and a Flying Wild workshop for Memphis school teachers and the Tennessee Environmental Education Association. MTOS member Van Harris writes an entertaining and educational column on birds and birding for The Commercial Appeal. Knox Martin has an informative article on the Mid-South Raptor Center in the July/August issue of the Tennessee Conservationist. We are saddened by the loss of long time member Nelle Moore who died recently at the age of 96. Nelle was honored with the Distinguished Service Award at the May 2005 meeting of the Tennessee Ornithological Society. Margaret Jefferson NASHVILLE CHAPTER - This spring Field Trips were abundant and successful. Nearby we visited Ellington Agricultural Center with a new trail system and varied habitat. We had several morning field trips at the newly acquired North Reserve of the Warner Parks, aiding in compiling a list of species found there. Beaman Park in northwest Davidson Co. was a sure spot for Worm-eating Warblers and continues to be so (in June). A bit farther from home we explored the various units of the Harpeth River State Park noting 61 species on April 29, including 1 2 warblers. In June we birded the Bark Camp Barrens near Manchester where we saw and heard many Henslow’s Sparrows. We were led on this trip by Polly Rooker and Josh Campbell of TWRA. In April and May NTOS led Walks at Radnor Lake SNA each Wednesday morning for six weeks. We were pleased to have some beginning birders and have gained several new members from this outreach program. In April NTOS participated in Tennessee Critters Day at the Bicentennial Mall. We talked to members of the public about birds, particularly feathers. Kids and parents marveled at “zipping and unzipping” Turkey feathers, looking at them with a magnifying glass. The Tennessee Warbler August, 2006 Page 9 CHAPTER. NEWS In Memory of Frank Stanton Crawford (1919-2006) NASHVILLE CHAPTER - Continued In May we hosted the TOS Annual Meeting. We were delighted to see folks from across the state. Thank you for helping us enjoy the reception, field trips, dinner and information about the Ivory-billed Woodpecker. We had fun and hope you did too. This summer we are sponsoring a week-long Bird Camp at Shelby Bottoms in cooperation with Metro Parks. It will introduce a dozen urban children to the world of birds. We are using NTOS Conservation Funds for this project. Susan Hollyday Memphisto Host 2006 Federal Duck Stamp Contest The 2006 Federal Duck Stamp Contest will be held in Memphis. Contest entries will be on display September 25 through October 7, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Memphis College of Art, located in Overton Park near the Memphis Zoo. OCTOBER 31 th DEADLINE The deadline date for the December issue of The Tennessee Warbler is October 31 th . Please submit all articles, announcements, reports and items of interest by this deadline date. Submit Material To: Theresa Graham, Editor PO Box 366, Oakland TN 38060 (901)465-4263 (home) (901)748-9324 (fax) e-mail: 2graham@bellsouth.net The John Sellars Chapter is deeply saddened to announce the passing of Frank Stanton Crawford, who died January 6, 2006. Frank Stanton Crawford was born on Dec. 19, 1919 and he died Jan. 6, 2006. He served in the Navy during WWI1 1 944-45. He was born in Savannah, GA. Retired from the Federal Railroad Administration. In 1985 he & wife Norma moved to Lebanon, TN, Oct. 1986. Frank was a member of the John Sellars TOS for many years. He would always cheerfully keep record of his yard birds. We in the club could depend on his White- crowned sparrows, finches of sorts, and for many years he’d have Common Snipe in a little wet area of the yard. To know Frank was to realize he was a man who enjoyed reading, learning, and history. Hobbies included woodworking, turning wood, and making wine. Anything he created was a piece of art in itself. Frank was a passionate man about living. He began in the nature realm as a hunter and ended up being an avid observer. Frank was dedicated in all respects, husband of 50 years to Norma VonBergen, a father and a grandfather. He is survived by daughter Kay Brinkhurst (vice- president of John Sellars Chapter), four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Wife Norma and son Frankie preceded him in death. Frank will sorely be missed as lover of life, nature appreciator, and friend to those who knew him. The Tennessee Warbler August, 2006 Page 10 Jon Anthony “Tony” Koella June 1 0, 1 938 - March 1 , 2006 by Lyn Bales “Tony was a birder’s birder,” said his wife Mary Laura. “He could stand out in the middle of a field with his eyes closed and hear every bird conversation within his hearing range — every call, every chip note, every little pip — and tell you what birds were present, what they were saying, and where and how many there were. He would say, ‘A cerulean warbler is in that tree and at least five American goldfinches are flying overhead.’ And he’d be right.” “But more than that, he was the sweetest man in the world. He never said an unkind thing about anyone and was always positive.” Even through his long illness, Tony Koella remained upbeat. If you asked him how he was, no matter the circumstances, he’d say, “just fine.” He handled his decline with such grace, dignity and humor that he was an inspiration to us all. The last time many of us saw Tony was in June 2005 at the spring picnic at Ijams Nature Center when Tony was awarded the TOS Distinguished Service Award. The honor is given by the statewide organization in recognition of outstanding service to the Tennessee Ornithological Society. Tony’s mother sparked his interest in birds by giving him a bird book to keep him “out of her hair.” He started birding at about age twelve in the early 1 950s. The late J.B. Owen was one of his earliest birding companions. Over the summers during high school, Tony, an Eagle Scout, taught nature and birding to Boy Scouts at Camp Pellissippi near Norris, where he was a counselor. He was a graduate of Maryville High School, North Carolina State University where he obtained an engineering degree Magna Cum Laude, and Harvard University where he received an MBA degree. In the mid-1970s under Gov. Winfield Dunn, Tony served as State of Tennessee Assistant Conservation Commissioner. He referred to this job as his all-time favorite because this position gave him the unique opportunity to visit every state park in Tennessee and presented unlimited birding opportunities on a paycheck. Also, he looked for new wildlife areas and was always interested in their development and protection and was a strong supporter of the Land Conservancy. As a member of the TOS since 1 967, Tony played important roles as a dedicated conservationist and a leader at both the state and local levels. He served as TOS State President from May 7, 1983 until May 4, 1985 and while in that office urged local chapters to form conservation committees, challenged members to broaden the base of participation in TOS, and encouraged the involvement of more young people by sparking their interest in birds. In 1 974, Tony and Ken Dubke of Chattanooga went to the Highland Rim region and encouraged the establishment of a new local TOS chapter there. During his tenure as president, TOS fully endorsed the Breeding Bird Atlas Project and also supported the Peregrine Falcon Restoration Project as a conservation project. In 1 989, Tony was elected vice president of the Knoxville Chapter of TOS. At the local level he has been one of the most dedicated participants in annual bird counts. Although Tony often birded alone, he was quick to share his discoveries and special birding locations with other club members. When he found a rare Harris Sparrow at his White Pine farm, birders came from all over the country for viewing, and Tony led many people to one of East Tennessee’s last Bachman’s Sparrow locations near Crab Orchard. He thoroughly explored the places he birded — covering nearly every square yard to obtain a complete species count. Tony’s main contribution to birding in Tennessee was his discovery of the abundant bird life at Rankin Bottoms on the French Broad River in Cocke County. When Tony first reported sightings of over 1 00 Great Egrets and regular flocks of over a hundred shorebirds on the mudflats at Rankin, few people had ever heard of such numbers in East Tennessee. Today Rankin Bottoms is recognized as one of the premier birding places in East Tennessee and a critical stopover site for migrating shorebirds. The day Tony was interred at Grandview Cemetery in Maryville, a flock of broad-wing hawks migrating north passed overhead. Those at the service felt it was a fly-over, a final salute from the avian world to the man who loved them so much. Tony is survived by his devoted wife Mary Laura and five children. The Tennessee Warbler August, 2006 Page 1 1 Paul Sevier Pardue May 10, 1917- March 28, 2006 by Lyn Bales Paul Pardue showed me my first Prothonotary warbler,” says Jim Campbell. “It was around 1963. At the time he lived on the Holston River and he took me and a friend out on a boat to see it. Paul was a really, really great guy. “For the second month in a row, KTOS mourns the passing of another longtime member. Paul S. Pardue died on Tuesday, March 28. An avid outdoorsman and life member of TOS, Paul remained active throughout his life, climbing Mt. LeConte at age 80. Paul joined KTOS in 1 953 and was elected chapter president two years later, serving two terms in 1 956-57. At the TOS Annual Meeting held May 1 -3, 1 959, Paul was elected state president and served for two years: 1 960-61 . A note in the TOS newsletter at the time read, “The election of Paul Pardue as president was outstanding. Paul is active in the affairs of the Knoxville chapter. He is an excellent bird student. His keen attitude and interest in the affairs of the society should figure greatly in adding new life to T.O.S. Give him your support.” In May 1960, the Forty-first Annual Meeting of the Wilson Ornithological Society (WOS) was held in Gatlinburg. The meeting was sponsored by KTOS and Paul served as co-chairman of the organizing committee. A total of 332 people attended the meeting. On Friday morning, May 9, Pardue, as TOS state president, welcomed the visiting WOS members. In the late 1 980s, Paul helped with the Breeding Bird Atlas project that counted birds during nesting season across the state. The six year effort that began in 1 986 culminated with mapping the distribution of every bird species that nests in Tennessee. A note in J.B. Owen’s Our First 70 Years, states that the first documented bald eagle nest appeared in East Tennessee on Tellico Lake in March 1991, and that Paul Pardue photographed the eagles at their nest. In November 1 996, an Allen’s Hummingbird turned up at Pardue’s house and many area birders made a trip there to see it. One of the things that Jim Campbell recalls about the hummingbird discovery was that it coincided with a local visit by Vice President Al Gore. “We were at Paul’s looking at the Allen’s. He had moved to a home near where Little River joins the Tennessee near the airport. A big plane took off and slowly turned overhead. We all looked at it with our binoculars and realized it was the vice president leaving after his visit.” Sometimes it’s odd what events we associate with people. The vice president had nothing to do with the Allen’s Hummingbird or with Pardue, but it’s these genial recollections that keep the departed alive in our minds; in this, their spirit lives on. Just one random moment, yet, over the course of a lifetime, it’s the little things that define our lives. Birding means a lot of things to a lot of people. For many, it’s the avocation’s ability to bring people together, creating friendships and rewarding associations. When two birders meet, they always have something to talk about. Isn’t it funny that feathered, non-human creatures can somehow elevate our own humanity? And what can be more human than mourning the loss of one of our own? A great lover of birds has died, and we’re all saddened by his death. Pardue will always be remembered for his warmth and friendliness. He will be sadly missed by his family and all those that knew him. “THE TENNESSEE WARBLER” Published by the Tennessee Ornithological Society P.O. Box 22682 Memphis, TN 38122 PRSRTSTD U.S. Postage Paid Memphis, TN Permit No. 1286 Send Corrections & Change of Address Requests to: The Tennessee Warbler ♦ P.O. Box 22682 Memphis, TN 38122 ♦ treasurer@tnbirds.org The Tennessee Warbler - August, 2006