TH TENNES E WARBLER Newsletter of the Tennessee Ornithological Society August, 2009 Editor, Theresa Graham PRESIDENTS MESSAGE Thanks to Richard Connors for two years of faithful service as President of our Society. Richard, you’ve set a fine example for me to follow. I’ve got my work cut out to measure up. Thanks to Amy Potter and the Nashville chapter for hosting the Spring Meeting. In spite of an uncooperative weatherman, the hard work and dedication of all involved was evident and made for a most enjoyable weekend. Please see Richard’s recap of the Spring Meeting on page 3. The Mayfield-Gray chapter will host the Fall Meeting and Symposium in Columbia, the weekend of November 6, 7 and 8. Donette Sellers and the good folks of the Buffalo River chapter, have graciously agreed to assist. Dr. David Pitts takes on the formidable task of organizing the symposium. Please see Tommy Edward’s announcement on page 2. For those of you who like to plan in advance, the Winter Meeting will be hosted by the Memphis chapter. Possible locations include: Pickwick Lake, Reelfoot Lake or Paris Landing. Have a preference? Let me know and I’ll pass it along. Details will appear in the December Warbler. The 201 0 Spring Meeting will be hosted by David Trentley and the Knoxville chapter, while Jay Walko and Memphis take on 201 1 . At the Spring Meeting, the Board of Directors accepted a proposal by Wallace Coffey and the Bristol Bird Club to host a joint Spring Meeting of TOS and The Virginia Society of Ornithology in 201 2. Among the many things Chuck Nicholson does for wildlife and the environment, coordinating our state’s participation in the U. S. Geological Survey’s North American Breeding Bird Survey is a difficult and often thankless one. It is not a task that can be accomplished alone. In a state with as many active and knowledgeable birders as Tennessee, it’s disappointing that some established routes are not being surveyed. This is especially embarrassing considering the number of observers who survey more than one route (thanks Chuck, Bill Pulliam and Stephen Steadman. Apologies to anyone I missed). Please contact Chuck for more information and see if you can help. After all, we are the Volunteer State! Speaking of volunteers, my thanks to Danny Gaddy, who has agreed to take on perhaps the most difficult task of all: heading up the Nominating Committee! Also, a select Committee of past Presidents has been formed to review our Constitution and By-laws. Richard Connors, Susan McWhirter and Danny Gaddy will report on potential changes during the Spring Meeting in Knoxville. As previously mentioned, Dr. David Pitts will organize the symposium at the Fall Meeting. Thanks to Chuck Nicholson for the tremendously successful sessions he has arranged for us for more years then he probably wishes to count. Virginia Reynolds has generously agreed to join the Conservation Research and Funding Committee, as Dr. Pitts steps down to handle organizing the symposium. If you don’t know which species of waterfowl is depicted on this year’s Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp (Federal Duck Stamp) you should rectify the situation ASAP. Buy one! Available at most Post Offices, National Wildlife Refuges, Wal- Marts and larger sporting good stores (i.e. Bass Pro) purchasing a Duck Stamp is perhaps the best $15 you can spend for wildlife. 98% of revenue generated by stamp sales is used to purchase or obtain long-term easements for wetland and upland habitat through the world’s first, and still the best, National Wildlife Refuge System. By the time you receive this, shorebird migration will be well underway and the trickle of southbound passerines will soon turn into a flood. Get out and enjoy it. For those of you we missed in Nashville, hope to see you in Columbia. Comments and suggestions are eagerly sought. Please contact me at: dickpreston@biariver.net or home: (901 ) 837-3360, cell: (901) 828-8384. The Tennessee Warbler August, 2009 Page 2 TOS FALL MEETING COLUMBIA, TENNESSEE NOVEMBER 6 - 8, 2009 The Tennessee Ornithological Society will be holding their fall meeting in Columbia Tennessee on November 6-8. The Mayfield-Gray Chapter along with the Buffalo River Chapter will host the event. Birders can make reservations at the Richland Inn in Columbia. The Richland Inn is located at 2405 Pulaski Hwy, Columbia, TN. This is at the intersection of Hwy 50 and Hwy 31 in Columbia. Phone numbers for reservations are as follows: (931 ) 381 -4500 or 1 -800-828-4832. Reservations can be made at anytime. Costs per room is $75.00, this includes tax. Due to the phosphate industry in Maury County, this area is blessed with a diversity of bird species. Field trips will include trips to Monsanto Ponds, Williamsport Lakes, and other secret out of the ways spots only known by local birders. If any questions should arise please contact me at Tommv.Edwards@tn.aov . Over the past few months I have been overhauling and updating the TOS website, www.tnbirds.ora . The most obvious changes are a new, cleaner look and easier site navigation. There are also been several less obvious changes which improve the speed at which pages load and make routine site updates easier. These changes are not yet complete, as I am still systematically working my way through the site and updating pages. There have also been major enhancements to the birding site guide pages. A few new guides have been added in recent months. I’ve added Google maps to the pages listing Middle Tennessee and East Tennessee birding sites. I’ll add a similar map to the West Tennessee page once we have more site guides to map. I have also added a tool to the individual site guide pages which will give you driving directions to the sites after you type in your address or zip code. The online archive of back issues of The Migrant has been improved by the addition of a search tool to the main archive page, http://www.tnbirds.org/MiarantOnline/Miarant lndexMain.htm . Users can type in search terms such as names of birds, places, and observers and get a listing of articles that include their search terms. As always, I am dependent on you to help provide the information that gets posted on the website. Is the information about your chapter correct and current? If not, please send me the updates. All of you have favorite birding sites. Are your favorites described in the birding site lists? If not, volunteer to write a site guide. I also welcome your suggestions and criticisms. TOS WEBSITE UPDATES Chuck Nicholson, TOS Webmaster. cpnichol@bellsouth.net The Tennessee Warbler August, 2009 Page 3 TENNESSEE’S WATCHABLE WILDLIFE WEBSITE In early fall, TWRA will be going live with a new website about Tennessee’s wildlife. The web page will include information about Tennessee’s wildlife, where to watch wildlife, and about the Watchable Wildlife Endowment Fund (aka, Bluebird license plate), how those funds have been used over the years, and how to contribute directly to the fund, in addition to purchasing the license plate. One main feature of the web page is an extensive review of the birds of Tennessee. We will have species accounts with information on each bird, with features such as many photos for identification, songs to listen to, population status information, and where the best places are to see your favorite bird in Tennessee. Users will also be able to find birds by habitat type, color, taxonomic group, alphabetic order, whether they are backyard birds or birds that come to feeders, the 1 00 common birds of Tennessee, among others. Over time we will be adding information on other groups of critters such as snakes, fish, frogs, bats, mammals, etc. Another major feature will be information on where to watch wildlife. We will have site details with directions, maps, and what wildlife can be viewed for 200 sites in Tennessee. We will have information on TWRA Wildlife Management Areas and Refuges, State Parks, State Natural Areas, National Wildlife Refuges, National Forests, etc. Users will be able to find sites using an interactive Google map program or from a static list of sites. The site will also include many other features, including FAQ’s about birds, basic bird ID skills and tips, a newsroom with periodic updates on wildlife news, links to bird related sites like the TOS web page, and seasonal information on highlights to take advantage of in coming months. The site will be constantly updated as it grows overtime. Keep your eyes open for the announcement of the web page and the URL in the coming months! Scott Somershoe TWRA State Ornithologist Spring Count Data Due If you participated in a recent spring bird count and have not turned in your data to your count compiler, please do so soon. 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. E-mail is acceptable at aves7000@bellsouth.net he Migrant. I would like to have the data sometime in the first month after the count. This allows timely reporting to The Migrant editor. I hope everybody had fun participating. TOS appreciates your time and data. Ron Hoff ♦ Tennessee Bird Count Compiler ♦ Tennessee Ornithological Society 282 Hackworth Lane ♦ Clinton, TN 37716 ♦ (865) 435-4547 ♦ aves7000@bellsouth.net The Tennessee Warbler August, 2009 Page 4 Highlights from Spring 2009 TOS Board of Directors and Membership Meetings Treasurer Mac McWhirter informed us that TOS funds suffered some loss in this down economy, but it could have been worse. Thanks to some smart investing by our esteemed Treasurer (a large Thank you to Mac!), the move to Vanguard Funds saved the day and minimized the loss. Funds were given to Optics for the Tropics, a project presented by Scott Somershoe to help local bird researchers in the tropics and help our neo-tropical birds ($200). And one mile was purchased in the Adopt-A-Mile fundraising effort by Operation Migration to benefit Whooping Crane reintroduction ($200). Various mechanisms were discussed for funding non-game wildlife. The only action resulting from this discussion being a move to promote and have for sale federal Duck Stamps, with funds going to National Wildlife Refuges, places good for all birds - game and non-game. Our Collateral Materials person, Donna Ward, will have the Duck Stamps for sale at the next TOS meeting. Sandhill Cranes and Hiwassee Refuge: TWRA will host a “water bird” wildlife viewing event in the area in early December. In early November Birchwood School will host their event, still emphasizing native American heritage as well as the Hiwassee cranes. No official input from TOS at this time for either event. It remains to be seen how this will play out. TOS will keep the SACR statement from spring ’08 as is, with no change in TOS policy. The latest communication from the Eastern Flyway Council, as related by David Aborn, is that they have no prohibitions to hunting eastern Sandhill Cranes, and that it is up to the states to implement a plan (which they would approve) and establish a hunt. It was reiterated that there would be a public comment period. TOS 2009 Distinguished Service Awards were announced for Wallace Coffey and Donette Sellers. Donette, of Buffalo River Chapter, was present to receive her award, and her commendation was read by Polly Rooker. Wallace was not present, but his commendation was read by Danny Gaddy. Congratulations to Wallace and Donette! Our speaker Gary Myers related the amazing story of his efforts to raise funds for wildlife, starting from scratch and eventually securing $4 billion plus! At first just for wetlands for duck habitat, and eventually for all birds and habitats, with the sponsorship of Partners in Flight for all of North America. The gavel was turned over by Richard Connors to in-coming TOS president Dick Preston. Thanks to all officers and committee members who contributed to the meetings, and thanks to the Nashville Chapter for hosting a smooth event. We missed those of you who could not attend. Richard Connors ♦ Thank you to Van Harris and the Agnes and Nancy Harris Charitable Fund for the donation to Tennessee Ornithological Society providing additional support to the Optics for the Tropics, Inc. programs. ♦ Thank you to Jennifer and Jay Mills for their donation to Tennessee Ornithological Society providing additional support to the Conservation and Research Fund. The Tennessee Warbler August, 2009 Page 5 TOS Conservation Policy Committee June 30, 2009 The TOS Conservation Policy Committee (CPC) was established at the 2002 TOS fall meeting with the direction to study environmental issues of importance to Tennessee birdlife and develop TOS position statements on them. The six current members are: Melinda Welton and Bob Hatcher co-chairs, Dick Preston and Gregg Elliott from Memphis, Chuck Nicholson from Knoxville, and Kevin Calhoun from Chattanooga. Van Harris of Memphis completed his term this spring and was replaced by Karen Gregg (Gregg) Elliott. She is currently a science teacher in Memphis and has worked for almost 20 years in conservation policy, first in Washington DC, then in California. She has worked at the Government Accountability Office, The Nature Conservancy, the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation, and Point Reyes Bird Observatory. Gregg currently volunteers with TOS, Shelby Farms Park Conservancy, and occasionally freelances as a writer or education/ outreach consultant. Following is a summary of recent committee actions. State Legislation Calls and emails were sent on behalf of TOS to the 1 0 members of the TN House Environment Sub- committee: 1 . in support of the Governor’s Energy Bill SB2300/HB231 8 2. in opposition to the Coal Gasification Bill HB1 51 8 3. in opposition to HB1 61 5 that would weaken protections to headwater streams and rivers 4. in opposition to HB1 61 6 that would also weaken clean water laws 5. in support of the Scenic Vista Protection bill (HB 0899), which would have protected Tennessee’s mountaintops from mountaintop mining. The bill failed to get out of the subcommittee. Although committee support was divided, because some members thought it would make little difference to bird conservation, TOS endorsed the Tennessee Beverage Container Recycling Act. The bill did not pass and was allowed to roll over until next January, when it can be reintroduced. ■ The committee considered and ultimately decided not to support a new Whooping or Sandhill Crane license plate for funding of TWRA’s Nongame Program. The yield from each new plate would be $1 5, half the yield of the current bluebird plate. This would likely result in no significant net gain in nongame funding. Federal Legislation ■ Appalachian Restoration Act - In April, TOS sent letters to Senators Alexander and Corker in support of the bipartisan Appalachian Restoration Act (S. 696), which would prohibit the dumping of mountaintop mining waste into streams and rivers. Reauthorization of Neotropical Bird Conservation Act - In June, the committee invited Tennessee birders to contact our Senators concerning reauthorization of this act. The bill passed in the House in late June and was up for action by the Senate. It proposes an increase in funding from $6 million to $20 million per year by 2015. Restoration of Endangered Species Protections After a split vote by committee members, TOS signed onto an Endangered Species Coalition letter supporting quick action by the Obama Administration to restore needed endangered species protections. Some committee members thought this action was unnecessary, as some of the desired changes were already underway. The administration announced additional changes on April 21, 2009. The Tennessee Warbler August, 2009 Page 6 Continued from page 5 Gary Mvers Fishing Fund TOS make a donation to the “Gary Myers Fishing Fund”. This fund will provide access to fishermen as well as helping protect streams valuable to many bird species. M. Welton attended a fundraising event and thanked Gary Myers, on behalf of TOS for his years of service and leadership in non-game bird management. Bells Bend Development Plans. Davidson Countv On May 28, 2009, TOS presented a statement to the Metro Nashville Planning Commission in favor of preserving the unique biological diversity of rural Bells Bend of western Davidson County. On June 25, 2009, the Commission voted against a proposed 550-acre development on Bells Bend. Metro Nashville Council must act on the proposal and individual Nashville TOS members are contacting their respective councilmen. Cross Creeks National Wildlife Refuge. Draft Comprehensive Conservation Plan On May 31 , 2009, TOS wrote the refuge manager in support of Alternative D for managing the refuge over the next 15 years, as it would significantly enhance both wildlife management and public use. West Tennessee Tributaries Project On June 23, 2009, Dick Preston and Gregg Elliott attended a meeting in Obion, TN on the new draft supplement No. 2 to the final EIS for this project, which has a long history of channelizing the Obion and Forked Deer Rivers. The West TN River Basin Authority, working with the Army Corps of Engineers, is proposing an innovative set of potential projects that may lessen past damage from channelization and restore fish and wildlife habitat. The committee will draft final scoping comments for submission by July 24, 2009. Bob Hatcher and Melinda Welton, Co-Chairs Tennessee Bird Records Committee Report K. Dean Edwards, Secretary During the spring of 2009, the Tennessee Bird Records Committee reviewed 22 reports of rare bird sightings from across the state. A full report on the reviews will be included in a forthcoming issue of The Migrant. This round of reviews produced several changes to the Official List of the Birds of Tennessee including the addition of two new species: Green Violet Ear (Shelby Co, Sept 2007) and Chestnut-collared Longspur (Lake Co, Dec 2008). The status of Trumpeter Swan has been changed from ‘Extirpated’ to ‘Accidental’ based on review of a Jan 2009 report from Dyer Co of two banded swans which were determined to be wild-born individuals from an established population in Wisconsin. Upon re-evaluation of the April 1974 report of Masked Duck from Obion Co (MIG 45:2) including original photographs by Paul Crawford, the Committee has voted to remove Masked Duck from the Official List. The Committee wishes to thank everyone that submitted sighting reports and continues to encourage new submissions. In particular, there are several species which have been reported in Tennessee but have not been submitted to the TBRC. Report forms and instructions can be found online on the TBRC page of the TOS Website. Current members of the Committee include Dean Edwards (Secretary), Kevin Calhoon, Mark Greene, John Henderson, Don Miller, Jan Shaw, and Phillip Casteel (Alternate). V The Tennessee Warbler August, 2009 Page 7 OPTICS F OR THE TROPICS TWRA’s State Ornithologist, Scott Somershoe, has been working with the Appalachian Mountains Joint Venture and the Chiapas Regional Alliance, which included a visit to Chiapas in March 2009, to build relationships between the regions and develop research projects in Chiapas, as we share many high priority birds. At the annual meeting of TOS in May 2009, the state chapter voted to contribute $200 to Optics for the Tropics, a non-profit organization. Optics for the Tropics purchases binoculars and scopes at an extreme discount through Eagle Optics, Inc. for research projects in the tropics. TOS earmarked funds for projects in Chiapas, Mexico. TWRA also contributed enough funds to cover over half of the equipment needs for field researchers in Chiapas that previously had poor quality or no equipment for bird surveys. We encourage individual chapters to consider contributing funds to the Optics for the Tropics program. Please contact Scott Somershoe at scott.somershoe(a>tn.aov or 615-781-6653 for more information. For more information on Optics for the Tropics, please visit: http://www.opticsforthetropics.org/ Field Guide To The Farm Bill Do you find the Farm Bill confusing, especially when it comes to the varied conservation-and-bird elements? Does the alphabet-soup of CRP, WRP, GRP, EQIP,FRPP and CSP have your head spinning? This publication - prepared by the U.S. NABCI Committee and the Intermountain West Joint Venture - should help clarify the situation for you. It is a 42-page downloadable booklet written by Randy Gray, an expert with over three decades of farm-conservation experience. The guide covers historic Farm Bill evolution, administration, maximizing benefits, performance measures and much more. An emphasis on bird conservation is particularly appreciated. You can download your own copy here: http://www.fishwildlife.ora/pdfs/FarmBillGuide.pdf. Articles Source: The Birding Community E-Bulletin (July 2009): http://www.refuaeassociation.org/birdina/ NewestSBC.html Cap-And-Trade: Birds and Wildlife The U.S. Plouse of Representatives recently passed the American Clean Energy and Security Act. This cap- and-trade system is intended to limit the effects of climate change by putting a cap on greenhouse gas emis- sions while investing in significant energy efficiencies and technologies. Of interest to birders, the bill also establishes a Natural Resources Climate Change Adaptation Fund to assist federal and state agencies in protecting wildlife. The fund, starting with a market set aside of 1% could increase to 4% or 5% by 2040. The bill also charges the U.S. Department of Agriculture with implementing agriculture and forestry carbon offset projects, including conservation programs. Articles Source: The Birding Community E-Bulletin (July 2009): http://www.refuaeassociation.org/birdina/ NewestSBC.html The Tennessee Warbler August, 2009 Page 8 CHAPTER. NEWS A mature bald eagle graced the skies over the BRISTOL BIRD CLUB’s annual picnic at Steele Creek Park in Bristol, TN on Saturday, June 20th. Six past presidents were among the 44 attending members (Wallace Coffey, Bert Hale, Larry McDaniel, Janice Martin, Dave Worley, and Bill Grigsby). Dave Worley turned his gavel over to newly inducted President, Lisa Tyler of Johnson City, TN. Other officers are: Dave Worley, 1st VP; John Moyle, 2nd VP; Janice Martin, Treasurer; Wilma Boy, Asst. Treasurer; Diane Worley, Secretary; Richard Lewis, Statistician; and Wallace Coffey, Curator. Larry McDaniel has lined up some exciting speakers for our upcoming meetings. Richard Cretz will do a slide presentation at our July 21 st meeting using some of his awe inspiring photographs of sightings from the Pinnacle region which borders Tennessee, Virginia and Kentucky. On August 18th, local biologist, Nora Schubert, will present data from her recently completed master’s thesis on “The Fall Migration of the Sora”. At our Fall banquet (location to be determined) BBC member, Tom Hunter, will thrill us with photos from an upcoming trip to the Amazon Basin in Ecuador, including stories of birding with indigenous peoples. The Bristol Bird Club’s regular meeting time and place is 7:30 to 9:00 pm on the 3rd Tuesday of each month at the Bristol, VA Public Library. We welcome all who are interested in birds and birding! Lisa Tyler GREENEVILLE CHAPTER - Abundant rainfall in spring appeared to signal the end of the drought that plagued Greene County in 2007 and 2008. The migration produced an unusual assortment of late dates for some species, early dates for a few, and generally low numbers of many songbirds, especially warblers. The highlight of the season was the appearance of a White-winged Dove on 3 June at the home of a Chapter member, who obtained several photographs of the bird. This probably represents only the second report of the species in East Tennessee. Other notable Greene County observations in spring and early summer included the following: American Bittern (present for the 6 th consecutive spring at Wal-Mart Distribution Center wetlands); Snowy Egret (on 14 May); Bald Eagle (a nest with 2 young was observed in June, providing the first breeding record for the county); Sora (1-3, at Wal- Mart Distribution Center wetlands and Joachime Bible Refuge of Lick Creek Bottoms Wildlife Management Area in April and early May); American Woodcock (present in spring at a known display site in Greeneville and at Lick Creek Bottoms Wildlife Management Area); Eurasian Collared-Dove (present in Mosheim for the 60 th consecutive month); Barn Owl (continues to be present at the Joachime Bible Refuge); Eastern Screech-Owl (a family of 2 adults and 4 young were observed in Greeneville in late June); Barred Owl (2 calling on Greene Mountain Road on 11 April); Alder Flycatcher (on 1 7 May; a first county record); Willow Flycatcher (present in Beulah community in May and June; probably nesting); Warbling Vireo (1-2, on 10 and 12 May); Sedge Wren (on several occasions in April and May; generally a good showing for this seldom-reported species); Swainson’s Warbler (along upper Paint Creek in May and June; probably nesting); Dickcissel (present for the 12 th consecutive year at the Joachime Bible Refuge; also found at 4 previously unreported sites); Vesper Sparrow (1-2, on 18 and 28 March); Savannah Sparrow (many singing males heard throughout spring); Brewer’s Blackbird (6, on 7 March); Pine Siskin (present into May; best showing in over a decade). The Chapter’s fall count is slated for Saturday, 26 September. For information about the Greeneville Chapter or other events, please contact: - Don Miller pandion@embarqmail.com or - Jim Holt iimbouh@comcast.net . Don Miller The Tennessee Warbler August, 2009 Page 9 CHAPTER. NEWS The KNOXVILLE CHAPTER has had many interesting speakers in recent months. At our March meeting - our speaker was Jack Wrighter who is a volunteer with Operation Migration. In Jack’s own words: “My first encounter with Operation Migration was quite by accident one day in early 2005. I was waxing my airplane at the airport in Marietta, GA, when my friend and OM volunteer Dave Mattingly walked up and said, ‘I have a cool movie you may want to see. It is about a group of people trying to reintroduce a Whooping Crane migration in the eastern U.S. This is the greatest thing I have ever done, and they sure could use you and your airplane for a couple of weeks this fall to assist as a top cover pilot with their 2005 migration.’ Well, that two weeks turned into ten, and that year became an annual event for me.” Our topic at the April meeting was the Cerulean Warbler Research Project in the Upper Cumberland Mountains. The speaker was Than Boves, a second year PhD candidate at UTK in Natural Resources. He spoke about his work studying the effects of forest management on Cerulean Warblers and other forest songbirds in the Cumberland Mountains. In 2008, Than received a JB Owen award from KTOS. Than received a B.S. from the University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign). He received a M.S. in raptor biology from Boise State University working with roadway mortality of Barn Owls and ornamentation in Barn Owls. After he delivered such an interesting presentation with pictures and statistics he volunteered to lead a field trip for us to see his research area. We saw and heard several nesting pairs of Cerulean Warblers and lots of other species too. At our May meeting we were enlightened by Ana Raymundo, a University of Tennessee student from Merida, Yucatan, Mexico who gave a presentation about her research project “Monitoring the Effect of Coastal Development on Avian Migration Stopover Habitat in Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve, Quintana Roo, Mexico.” At the May meeting a new slate of chapter officers and two state director positions were elected by the general membership, they are: MarkArmstrong, President; Billie Cantwell, Vice President; Marie Oakes, Treasurer; Kathy Bivens, Secretary. KTOS Volunteers with appointed positions will continue to serve in these jobs: Tony King and Denise Nauman, refreshment coordinators; Robin Barrow, field trip coordinator; Ginger Goolsby, newsletter editor; Patty Ford, newsletter editor -distribution; David Johnson, shade grown coffee sales coordinator. KTOS State Directors - elected in May 2009 for a two year term: Jean Alexander - term expires May 201 1 Chris Welch - term expires May 2011 Existing KTOS State Directors elected in May 2008 to serve a two year term: Ron Hoff - term expires May 201 0 Dolllyann Myers - term expires May 201 0 David Johnson - term expires May 2010 Our June meeting was a social event - a picnic at Knoxville Botanical Gardens and Arboretum where the new slate of officers were introduced. Kathy Bivens The Tennessee Warbler August, 2009 Page 10 CHAPTER. NEWS The 66th consecutive Elizabethton Spring Bird Count was conducted on Saturday, April 25, by members and friends of the LEE AND LOIS HERNDON CHAPTER of Tennessee Ornithological Society. A total of 41 observers in seven parties spent 94 party hours and seven nocturnal hours in the field, with three feeder watchers also participating. The Spring Count focuses on the five-county area consisting of Carter, Johnson, Sullivan, Unicoi and Washington. A total of 152 species were tallied, which is slightly above the recent average of 1 46 species established over the past 25 years. The-all time high for one of the chapter’s Spring Bird Counts is 161 species. Rick Knight, the count’s compiler, noted some highlights from this year’s count, including Virginia Rail, Sora, Dunlin, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Black- billed Cuckoo, Northern Saw-whet Owl and Loggerhead Shrike. A total of 27 species of warblers were represented on the count, but few purely transient species — Nashville Warbler, Cape May Warbler, Northern Waterthrush, Palm Warbler and Yellow-rumped Warbler were the exceptions — made a count day appearance. Most breeding warblers were well represented, including Black-throated Green Warblers, Hooded Warblers, Ovenbirds and Black- throated Blue Warblers. Notably absent from the count were: Barn Owl, Common Nighthawk, Acadian Flycatcher, Summer Tanagerand Purple Finch. The most numerous bird on the count was the European Starling with 670 individuals counted. Other common birds included American Robin (593), Cedar Waxwing (462), Common Grackle (451) and Red- winged Blackbird (336). The Herndon Chapter conducted its 16th Carter County Summer Bird Count on Saturday, June 6. A group of 21 observers in five parties found 112 species, exactly the 1 5 year average. Yearly totals in this county have ranged from 105 to 118 species, according to compiler Rick Knight. One hybrid — a Brewster’s Warbler at Hampton Creek Cove in Roan Mountain — was also observed. Some good birds included a pair of lingering Ring- necked Ducks, a Spotted Sandpiper and 20 species of warblers. Some notable misses included Northern Bobwhite, Ruffed Grouse and Great Horned Owl. The most common warbler was the Hooded Warbler with 75 individuals counted . The most abundant bird represented on the count was the European Starling with 432 individuals counted. Other common birds included American Robin (292), American Crow (197), Canada Goose (160), Common Grackle (153) and Red-eyed Vireo and Barn Swallow, both tied at 129 individuals for each species. Participants in this year’s count included Tom McNeil, Rob Biller, Lisa Tyler, Nora Schubert, Glen Eller, Roy Knispel, Brookie and Jean Potter, Bryan Stevens, David Thometz, Reese Jamerson, Kim Stroud, Don Holt, Dianne Draper, Kathy Noblet, Joe McGuiness, Rick Knight, Gil Derouen, Ellen Parker, Paul Bays and Mary Anna Wheat. Officers for the chapter are Roy Knispel, president; Katherine Noblet, vice president; Gil Derouen, treasurer; and Mary Anna Wheat, secretary. Bryan Stevens OCTOBER. 31ST DEADLINE The deadline date for the December issue of The Tennessee Warbler is October 31st 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) The Tennessee Warbler August, 2009 Page 11 CHAPTER. NEWS MEMPHIS CHAPTER TOS members Margaret Jefferson, Virginia Reynolds and Barbara Wilson set up and manned an information booth during the Earth Day Celebration Program at Memphis’s Lichterman Nature Center. New officers were elected for the Memphis Chapter(2009-10) at the May meeting. Dick Preston passed the gavel to incoming Chapter President Jay Walko. Congrats go out to Dick as he now takes on the job as the new State TOS President. Other elected officers are: Vice-president: Ginger llardi Treasurer: Barbara Priddy Corresponding Secretary: Martha Waldron Recording Secretary: Knox Martin Curator: Dick Preston Newsletter Editor: Jay Walko Local Directors : Allen Sparks, Al Sampson State Directors : Virginia Reynolds, Van Harris, Knox Martin, Susan McWhirter, Theresa Graham Chapter Hikes Chapter members and guests enjoyed a good amount of fine weather during this years spring migration, one or two trips may have had some rain, but overall a lot of birds were seen by all, as we visited many sites within Memphis/Shelby Metro area as well as several trips to surrounding locals. Places visited this spring include: Wapanocca NWR - Turrell, AR Wall Doxey St Park - Holly Springs, MS Dagmar WMA - Brinkley, AR. Herb Parsons WMA (TWRA) - W Fayette County, TN Peterson Lake Nature Center Boardwalk - Collierville, TN Overton Park - Memphis, TN John “Jay” Walko IN MEMORIUM OAK RIDGE, Tenn. — Bettie J. Levy, age 92, of Oak Ridge, died on Tuesday, June 2, 2009, at her home, surrounded by her family. She was born May 26, 1 91 7, in Los Angeles, Calif., to parents Nathaniel and Mildred. After college at UCLA and completing her Ph.D. in classical languages at the University of Texas, Austin, she moved to Knoxville to work for the Tennessee Valley Authority in August 1 943. She met her future husband, the late Henri A. Levy, also of California, while hiking on the Appalachian Trail in the Smoky Mountains National Park in June 1 945. They were married Nov. 1 , 1 947, in Oak Ridge, where they lived the rest of their lives. Henri and Bettie are survived by two children and three grandchildren. Before her children were born, Bettie worked for the Manhattan District and the Atomic Energy Commission in Oak Ridge. Later, she worked in education, first as a substitute teacher at Oak Ridge High School and later at Webb School of Knoxville, before taking a permanent position at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, where she taught until retirement as tenured associate professor of classics. Throughout their lives, Bettie and Henri continued their love for the out of doors, spending many enjoyable days in the local mountains with the Smoky Mountain Hiking Club. They were avid travelers, bird watchers, and amateur astronomers, and they were devoted to numerous causes for the betterment of Oak Ridge, the environment, and the world. Bettie was an active member of many local and national organizations, including the League of Women Voters, FORNL, the Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge, Mass Audubon, Oxfam, a member of the Tennessee Ornithological Society for 28 years, and the Nature Conservancy. A memorial was held at the Jewish Congregation of Oak Ridge. The Tennessee Warbler August, 2009 Page 12 “How did they know?” The Saga of a Lost Warbler He was born and grew up in the Spring of the year. His parents taught him he had nothing to fear, except for a hawk, a fox or a bear. He knew he had to leave the forest he loved to fly South with his kin to their Winter home. But, alas, he decided instead to roam. When the day came to gather for their big journey He ignored parents and friends searching for him And went off to play on his own in the woods Too late he realized he also must fly South But how would he find the way without a guide? How did they know? He kept wondering why. How did they know which mountain to cross? Which river to follow, how not to get lost? How did they know after reaching the sea How far to go before searching for land Or to keep flying over waves without end? For many long days he flew South in the wind But he was lost without help of family and kin If only he had waited and learnt from them But unfortunately he was never heard of again Gerry Papachristou, 2009 Send corrections & Change of Address Requests To: treasurer@tnbirds.org “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 The Tennessee Warbler - August, 2009