TH TENNES E WARBLER Newsletter of the Tennessee Ornithological Society August, 2014 Editor, Theresa Graham PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE - JUNE 2014 Ron Hoff, TOS President I hope this message finds everyone enjoying the summer. For those of you who did not make it to the annual spring meeting in Chattanooga, you missed a good one. The folks in the Chattanooga chapter did a fine job setting this up, and we got a lot of things done in the business meeting. The birding was fantastic as well, with one of the best spring migrations in several years adding to the enjoyment of a fun weekend. You can find a copy of the minutes of the meeting on the TOS web site ( www.tnbirds.ora l. A second Tennessee Breeding Bird Atlas was once again discussed. It was decided that we did not have the personnel or money to do another one at this time. The feeling was that instead of a second atlas, TOS should go back to doing spring county Forays again. We’re going to try to schedule 2 county forays next year. These will probably be run in late May so as not to interfere with the breeding bird surveys run in June. Counties that have little historic bird data will be emphasized. I will work with some folks on the protocol for these forays. They will likely run Friday evening through mid-day Sunday. The results will be published in our journal, The Migrant. If doing 2 forays in May turns out to be a good schedule, we will try to do 2 forays each May as long as we can sustain that pace. The competition for designing a new TOS logo resulted in 7 entries. Unfortunately none of the designs garnered more than half of the votes from the board of directors. It was then decided to try to re-design the old logo. I am currently working with a talented graphics designer and should have something sent out to the board-of-directors for a vote soon. We had a request to see if TOS could support a young birder going to an American Birding Association bird camp this summer. The board couldn’t decide what this request should fall under, but wanted to support encouraging young birders to pursue learning more about birds. It was decided that we should institute a sub-committee under the Conservation & Research Funding committee, tentatively called the Education & Scholarship committee. Chris Welsh, Danny Gaddy, and Dick Preston have kindly agreed to serve on this committee and are currently working up guidelines for it to handle future requests and proposals. We have had a very birdy start to the year with some outstanding winter birding and one of the best spring migrations in recent years. I encourage everyone to go birding whenever you get the chance. We simply cannot take our feathered jewels for granted anymore. When you are “out there”, if you see something unusual or interesting, please consider writing up a “round table” note for our journal. These are short notes from a paragraph to a couple of pages detailing ornithological oddities, unusual behavior, or exceptional numbers. The Tennessee Warbler August, 2014 Page 2 2014 TOS FALL MEETING & SYMPOSIUM AT MANCHESTER, TENNESSEE October 3-5, 2014 The Tennessee Ornithological Society’s 2014 Fall Meeting and Symposium will be held in Manchester, TN on October 3-5. The Highland Rim Chapter will host the meeting and extends a cordial invitation to all TOS members. Events include the annual symposium, a board of directors meeting and field trips. The Ambassador Inn and Luxury Suites at 925 Interstate Drive (1-24 Exit 110) will be the headquarters for the event. For reservations, call 931-728-2200 or 800-237-9228 or ambassador@schattenproperties. com . A block of rooms is being held for TOS, and the special room rate is $45 plus tax. There is a complimentary breakfast provided by the Ambassador from 5:30 to 9:30 a.m. The Ambassador Inn is reached by taking Interstate 24 to Exit 110 (Route 53 — Manchester and Woodbury). After exiting, go North to Interstate Drive; the Ambassador sign will be visible on the right. The Inn is within walking distance of Cracker Barrel, Oak Restaurant and quick markets/service stations. A Waffle House and two Mexican Restaurants are nearby. The Annual Symposium The Annual Symposium will feature invited and submitted talks. A formal call for papers will be issued soon. Meanwhile, if you are interested in making a presentation, please contact Ron Hoff at aves7000@ bellsouth.net. Field Trips Field trips will be held Saturday and Sunday mornings and depart from the Ambassador Inn. Details of the field trips will be posted on the TOS web site. Board of Directors Meeting The TOS Board of Directors will meet Saturday afternoon. Registration The registration fee is $10. Pre-payment is encouraged although attendees may pay upon arrival. Registration will be from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m. on Friday, October 3, at the Ambassador Inn Conference Building. Send a check made out to Highland Rim Chapter/TOS to: Vida Sherwood, 1326 Harton Blvd., Tullahoma, TN 37388. For additional information on the meeting, contact Joyce P. Adams, 676 Wilkerson Lane, Winchester, TN 37398 (931-962-0280/cell 931-636-1837) at adaipa@comcast.net . The Tennessee Warbler August, 2014 Page 3 / \ TOS 100 th Memorabilia In preparation for the celebration of the 100 th Anniversary of Tennessee Ornithological Society, we have been gathering photos, books, artifacts, articles, and remembrances about the organization. We are looking at and making displays for projects TOS members have been involved with such as Chimney Swift Banding, Eagle Hacking, Breeding Bird Survey, and Christmas Bird Counts. We encourage each chapter of TOS to think about its history, archives and activities. If you have items or displays you would like to share, space will be available at the TOS state meeting April 30-May 3, 201 5. Let us know what you have, so we can plan for your items and displays. The meeting will be held at Montgomery Bell State Park. If you have questions, please contact Steve Routledge everout@bellsouth.net Susan Hollyday sshollvdav@amail.com . Let’s celebrate! V J Spring Count Data Now Due L U Spring count data are due as soon as possible to allow me to get my report in to the editor of The Migrant. Besides the actual count data, please be sure to include the effort data below: 1 - Hours and miles by car, foot, and any night birding 2 - Number of observers and parties 3 - Any feeder watching hours & names 4 - Start and end times for the count 5 - Weather data for the count 6 - Names of all the participants If you do not have a local compiler you can send the data directly to me at the address/email below. TOS appreciates your efforts to record and track our bird populations and abundance. Thanks for helping us to archive this data for future generations and researchers. Ron Hoff • TOS State Count Compiler 282 Hackworth Ln. • Clinton, TN 37716 • 865-435-4547 aves7000@bellsouth.net The Tennessee Warbler August, 2014 Page 4 Fourth Wonder of Hummingbirds Festival-August 23 rd by Vickie Henderson August and September are busy migration months in east Tennessee when thousands of Ruby-throated Hummingbirds from northern breeding territories are moving south through our state on their way to wintering grounds in Central America and southern Mexico. Visitors to the 2014 Wonder of Hummingbirds Festival will have the opportunity to see some of these hummingbirds up-close as Master Bander MarkArmstrong demonstrates how hummingbirds are captured, weighed and measured, and banded before being released to continue their migration journey. The festival will treat visitors to renowned speakers on nature topics, live animal demonstrations, guided nature walks and vendors selling food and drinks, locally made arts and crafts, bird feeders and supplies, garden items, and a “Bargain Barn” selling gently used books and other merchandise with nature-related themes. New for 2014, a special children’s area will offer educational activities for kids and child-focused nature walks! “Environmental Man”, portrayed by Oliver Lang, will also enchant children with his food-chain costume and his ability to channel familiar animals that tell him stories containing valuable lessons about conservation. Speakers will present programs from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 pm. T. David Pitts, Professor of Biology at UT Martin, will speak on some of his fascinating research on Ruby-throated Hummingbird nesting and on bluebirds. David Unger, Professor of Biology, Maryville College, will speak on wolves and bears. Chris Ogle, with TWRA, will speak on wildlife diversity in Tennessee, and Peg Beute, naturalist with Ijams Nature Center, will offer information about hummingbird plants for your garden. Stephen Lyn Bales, author of Ghost Birds, Jim Tanner and the Quest for the Ivory-billed Woodpecker, 1935-1941, will speak on the Ivory-billed Woodpecker, and Joel Greenberg, author of A Feathered River Across the Sky: The Passenger Pigeon’s Flight to Extinction, will speak on the passenger pigeon. Chris Mahoney, Master Gardener from Chattanooga, will be available to discuss plants and flowering shrubs that can help attract hummingbirds to your garden and Steve McGaffin, Naturalist and Educator for the Knoxville Zoo, will lead a butterfly walk. Additionally, Lynne McCoy, an east Tennessee wildlife rehabilitatorwho takes in 600-800 birds and mammals per year, will bring some of her animal “ambassadors” to meet and inform festival visitors. The Wonder of Hummingbirds Festival will take place Saturday, August 23 th from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and has an admission of $5.00. Children under six are admitted free. Hummingbird banding will begin at 8:00 a.m. and last until 2:00 p.m. The festival is co-sponsored by the Knoxville Chapter of TOS and Ijams Nature Center, and will be located at Ijams Nature Center, 2915 Island Home Ave., Knoxville, TN 37920 (865-577-4717). For more information about the festival contact Billie Cantwell at 865-567-4273 or bfcantwell@amail.com The Tennessee Warbler August, 2014 Page 5 earth |.compJcx MEMPHIS SHOREBIRD WORKSHOP Have you ever wanted to bird “the pits” in Memphis but just weren’t sure about going it alone? Want to sharpen your shorebirds-in-basic-plumage I.D. skills? Or is it just plain high time for some end of summer birding excitement? Well, we have THE answer to all these questions. Please join us as the Memphis Chapter TOS and Delta Wind Birds co-sponsor a shorebird workshop on August 30, 2014, at T.E. Maxson Wastewater Treatment Plant, 9:00 AM - 1 :00 PM. The workshop will be led by University of Mississippi Ornithology Professor and DWB President Dr. Jason Hoeksema. For the indoor portion we will first review overall anatomy and topography of typical shorebirds. We will then cover key ID points (including vocalizations in some instances) of most regularly occurring shorebird species migrating through our region, plus a few rarities. We will discuss how to distinguish adults from juveniles, which is an important starting point for fall shorebirding. We’ll discuss how to separate the peeps that co-occur in our area in the fall, including Least, Semipalmated, Western, and Baird’s Sandpipers. We’ll then head into the field, where we’ll put our knowledge into action and practice what we’ve discussed. There should be some useful information for birders of all levels of experience. Participants should definitely bring their own food & drink for eating while we bird, as the workshop will likely run through the lunch hour. We will shoot for a 4-hour event. We plan to conduct the event rain or shine. If it is raining, we will bring a couple of big tailgating tents and bird comfortably from underneath them. Limit 25 participants: $30. Students & young birders: free. Registration page: http://www.deltawindbirds.org/product/fall-shorebird-identification-workshop-Satur- dav-aua-30-memphis/ Best of all, you’ll be helping a great cause! All proceeds benefit Delta Wind Birds, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing habitat for migrating shorebirds in the Mississippi Delta. Hope to see you there! Gaynell Perry Memphis Chapter TOS Birding the area info from TN Watchable Wildlife website http://is.gd/s5vr2u Plan your trip http://www.memphistravel.com/ The Tennessee Warbler August, 2014 Page 6 KTOS Reaches 830 Students with Discover Birds Program By Vickie Henderson Under the coordination and leadership of Billie Cantwell, the Knoxville TOS Discover Birds Program is giving area students the opportunity to increase their awareness and knowledge of birds! The program includes three activities: a slide-show introduction to birds, a show-and-tell experience with bird-related items, and an interactive bird walk with the aid of birding telescopes, binoculars and Waterford Press Pocket Naturalist Guides to Tennessee Birds, donated by the Waterford Press. Each student participating in the program also receives a free Discover Birds Activity Book to continue their learning and enthusiasm. Since November of 2012, the KTOS program has reached 830 students and their teachers, and club members have contributed $1450 to the program for the purchase of books. Not all of Knoxville’s Discover Birds Programs are taking place in school settings, however. As the program has become more visible through websites, social media and the Discover Birds Blog, educators in other settings are requesting participation in the program. Last November, a Webelos Scout Den from Norris joined a KTOS birding field trip to Cove Lake State Park under the leadership of Tom Howe and received activity books for each child in the den. Parent-teachers with the Blount Home Education Association participated in a program held at Ijams Nature Center that incorporated a Red-tailed Hawk demonstration with Ijams’ naturalist, Stephen Lyn Bales; and Billie Cantwell and Doug and Paula Schneeberger took the program to a Brownie Troup at Big Turtle Park in Oak Ridge in May. Essential Ingredients: Interactive Bird Walk and Discover Birds Activity Book The Discover Birds Program is a flexible educational program that can be adapted for any outdoor environment where birds are found and by using any part of the program that works with the setting and the volunteers that are available. In addition to the activity book, the interactive bird walk is considered the one essential ingredient to the success of the program. There is nothing like seeing the details of a bird and its behavior up-close, whether through a chance encounter, a seed feeder, or via a spotting scope. Evidence of that impact can be found in the excited feedback received from students and teachers when they encounter birds during the program. One first-graders gave us immediate feedback after seeing a Mourning Dove up-close after he and his classmates followed instructions and moved “slowly and quietly” toward the bird. The cooperative dove was gathering nesting materials just on the other side of a fence. The children succeeded in viewing the bird at close range without it taking flight. With wide-eyed, breathless excitement, the child reported back, “I’ve never been that close to a bird before!” (You can see the images and read more about this story on the Discover Birds Blog at the following link: http://discoverbirds.bloaspot.com/2014/03/ discover-birds-visits-natures-wav.htmh The Tennessee Warbler August, 2014 Page 7 Continued from Page 6 Our Discover Birds volunteers also bring their individual innovations to the student experience. While visiting First Lutheran School in Knoxville, Marikay Waldvogel showed students how she uses her mobile phone bird ID application to aid in identifying birds and let the students upload their bird sighting to eBird Birdloa . Chris Welsh has recently uploaded our bird walk lists to eBird and we’ve shared these lists with teachers, receiving surprised responses over the number of species found around their school yards. On a recent visit to Clayton- Bradley Academy in Blount County, 41 species of birds were identified in our morning walks including a pair of nesting Eastern Kingbirds that gave students good looks through the scope, a pair of Green Herons that perched on the power lines, and 50 nesting Cliff Swallows! Visit the Discover Birds Blog to see the fun images and stories of children and teachers enjoying their Discover Birds experience. You will find an email subscription feature in the upper right sidebar of the blog. Enter your email address to receive new blog posts as they are published. For more information about the Discover Birds Program contact Billie Cantwell at 865-567-4273 or bfcantwell@ amail.com. Discover Birds Activity Books By: Cyndi Routledge Originally created as a “coloring book” for the 2012 Tennessee Sandhill Crane Festival and subsequently updated to correspond to the Tennessee educational core curriculum standards, the Discover Birds Activity Book, written and illustrated by Vickie Henderson, continues to introduce children in our state to the wonderful world of birds. A total of 4000 activity books have been printed and distributed since that first book rolled off the presses in the fall of 2011. Thanks to a $12,000 grant awarded by the Tennessee Crane Fund, 12,000+ books will be printed and distributed free of charge, upon request, beginning in the fall of 2014. Books will be distributed to programs that offer their students interactive learning experiences focused on birds, including county and state park programs, civic groups, conservation organizations, homeschoolers and teacher classrooms. Cyndi Routledge, the Discover Birds project coordinator, will be supervising that ongoing effort and anyone interested in receiving books should contact her at routledaes@bellsouth.net . In return, recipients of these books will be asked to create a summary of how the books were used and distributed to satisfy the use of the grant funds, and this information will not only serve as a record of the outreach for the Discover Birds Program but will also be spotlighted on the Discover Birds Blog page. Donations will be graciously accepted, and any money collected will be used for future printing expenses. In addition and to enhance this 4 th printing we are proud to introduce a written Curriculum Guide for the activity book. This guide, available as a pdf or text download, was developed through a generous donation of time and effort by Memphis chapter member and retired Tennessee teacher, Gaynell Perry. This guide coincides with the Tennessee curriculum standards and is currently available on the Discover Birds Blog page at: http://discoverbirds. bloaspot.com/2014/05/discover-birds-cu rriculum-auide.html as well as on our own TOS website on the education page at: http://www.tnbirds.org/education.html . We are very excited about this new addition and believe this added resource will be a valuable tool not only for the classroom teacher but for homeschoolers, naturalists and any adult wanting to share the joy of discovering birds with children. The Tennessee Warbler August, 2014 Page 8 - PICTORIAL HIGHLIGHTS - 2014 TOS ANNUAL STATE MEETING CHATTANOOGA, MAY 2-4, 2014 The Tennessee Warbler August, 2014 Page 9 RECIPIENTS OF TOS DISTINGUISED SERVICE AWARD CHATTANOOGA, MAY 2-4, 2014 Mac McWhirter receives TOS Distinguished Service Award from President Ron Hoff for his faithful management of the Society’s finances for over nine years in his role as State Treasurer. David Vogt received the President’s Volunteer Service Award from Ron Hoff for his work establishing the Bird Banding Station at Whigg Meadow. The Tennessee Warbler August, 2014 Page 10 CHAPTER NEWS Members of the ELIZABETHTON, LEE AND LOIS HERNDON Chapter of Tennessee Ornithological Society conducted a spring bird count in early May, as well as two summer bird counts in June. The chapter held its annual Spring Bird Count on Saturday, May 3. The count has now been held for several decades and is conducted in the five-county area of Northeast Tennessee that includes the counties of Carter, Johnson, Sullivan, Unicoi and Washington. A total of 40 individuals in nine parties looked for birds on a beautiful May day, which in itself was a slight change from the way the count has been conducted in the past. The count has traditionally been conducted the last weekend in April but was moved back this year so as not to compete with the Roan Mountain Spring Naturalists Rally, which was held a week earlier than its usual date. A total of 1 57 species found fell somewhat short of the all-time record of 161 species, which was established back in 2005. The average number of species for this count is 147. ACanvasback found on a pond in Washington County during the count established a new late date for this duck in Northeast Tennessee. Other species of interest making the count included Western Sandpiper, Gray- cheeked Thrush, Blackpoll Warbler and Sora. The chapter held its 21st Elizabethton/Carter County Bird Count on Saturday, June 7. The 19 observers in six parties logged 58 party hours, plus 5.5 nocturnal party hours. A total of 116 species were tallied, slightly above the average of 112. The range for this count spans from 105 to 121 species. Long-time chapter member Rick Knight compiles the summer and other seasonal counts conducted by the chapter. Some exceptional finds on this year’s Elizabethton/ Carter County Summer Bird Count included Double- crested Cormorant. With the exception of the cormorant, all the species recorded are known or suspected to nest in Carter County. A total of 22 species of warblers was also tallied during the count, as well as birds such as Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, Hermit Thrush and Red Crossbill. The first-ever Unicoi County Summer Bird Count on Saturday, June 14. Knight, a long-time compiler for the chapter’s seasonal bird counts, organized and launched the count as a means to collect valuable information about the local distribution of birds in an often overlooked county in the region. Nineteen observers in five parties logged 53 party hours, plus three nocturnal party hours, searching for birds from Flag Pond to Limestone Cove within Unicoi County. A total of 111 species were tallied during the count. The consensus among participants was that the Unicoi County Summer Bird Count was an enjoyable and worthwhile undertaking that should become an annual activity. Some of the outstanding birds for this count included Peregrine Falcon, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Bald Eagle and 21 species of nesting warblers. Knight noted that all 1 1 1 species found during the count are known or suspected to nest in Unicoi County. Current officers for the chapter are Roy Knispel, president; Kathy Noblet, vice president; Kim Stroud, treasurer; and Charles Moore, secretary. Upcoming projects for 201 4 include production of a 2015 calendar. Club members hope to have the finished product available by October, which will provide time for holiday sales of the product. Photographs will be provided by chapter members. Bryan Stevens, Newsletter Editor 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) e-mail: 2araham@bellsouth.net The Tennessee Warbler August, 2014 Page 11 CHAPTER NEWS BRISTOL BIRD CLUB / STEPHEN M. RUSSELL Chapter - Members and friends of the Bristol Bird Club enjoyed our annual picnic on Saturday, June 7, 2014, at Steele Creek Park in Bristol, TN. The officers for 2014-1 5 assumed duties at the end of the picnic. The officers are: President: Lois Cox 1st Vice President: Kevin Blaylock 2nd Vice President: Bill Grigsby Treasurer: Judy Roach Secretary: Faye Wagers Bryan Stevens presented a program on birds of Northeast Tennessee at our May meeting. Bryan writes a weekly birding column for the Bristol Herald Courier. He has worked in the newspaper business for several years and is an avid birder. Our April program was presented by Mary Erwin. She used portions of a film funded by the National Science Foundation and Indiana University called “Ordinary Extraordinary Junco”. The film is available for free at www.juncoproject.org. In March Scott Somershoe, State Ornithologist of Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, gave a program on the Golden Eagle Project. Lois Cox, President KNOXVILLE TOS was busy in the spring with monthly meetings, field trips and the Discover Birds Program. In March, Oliver Lang, KTOS member, presented at our monthly meeting. Oliver is otherwise known as E-Man or “Environmental Man!” He gave a very engaging presentation on an interpretation of nature. Field trips were made to Kyker Bottoms, Forks of the River and Cades Cove. KTOS volunteers presented the Discover Birds program to students at the Nature’s Way Montes- sori School. In April, Scott Somershoe, State Ornithologist, pre- sented TennesseeJMjrte]^^ There was a field trip to the Maryville Greenway and weekly field trips to Sharp’s Ridge. The Discover Birds program was presented at First Lutheran School on April 29. In May, Brock Hill, deputy commissioner of Parks & Conservation, spoke about plans for the new Seven Islands State Birding Park. Volunteers presented the Discover Birds Program at Sevierville Primary School, in Oak Ridge, to a Brownie Troop and to students at Clayton Bradley School. There were birding field trips in south Knoxville, Cove Lake State Park, Cades Cove and the Cherohala Skyway. In June we had our annual monthly meeting at Ijams to celebrate 90 years of KTOS. New officers were introduced and everyone enjoyed a wonderful potluck dinner. Afield trip was made to Mt. LeConte. For the next 2 months Billie Cantwell and members of KTOS will be preparing for the “Wonder of Hummingbirds” festival. It is on August 23, 201 4 at Ijams Nature Center in Knoxville and will be even bigger than it was last year. On May 30, KTOS member Gary Woody passed away. Gary and his wife enjoyed birding in many places including France, Central and South America and Thailand. Gary will be missed by all of us. Karen Wilkinson, KTOS Secretary At MEMPHIS TOS’ annual March potluck over 70 members and guests feasted on barbecue and were entertained by veterinarian and wildlife rehabber Dr. Shannon McGee and Happy Times Farm menagerie. In April Rhodes College student researchers presented interesting findings regarding the incidence of avian malaria in East Tennessee. We ended our program season with a sobering presentation by USFWS Biologist Bob Ford on current land management dilemmas faced by the National Wildlife Refuges. Spring field trips were both numerous and productive. Our North American Migration Count held on May 10 yielded 126 species. Compiler Dick Preston reported that sixteen observers in six parties drove 1 1 6 miles (14 hours), and walked 13 miles (15 hours). Some “good finds” included: American Bittern, Sora (3), and Olive- sided Flycatcher. Some of the notable “misses” were hard to explain: Belted Kingfisher, Northern Flicker, and Black-throated Green Warbler. Other common The Tennessee Warbler August, 2014 Page 12 CHAPTER NEWS Memphis Chapter - Continued from page 1 1 birds we usually find, but didn’t this year: Wild Turkey, Hairy Woodpecker, American Kestrel, Tree Swallow, Gray Catbird, and Black and White Warbler. Missing Loggerhead Shrike was also disappointing. Several members took advantage of a learning opportunity at the annual sparrow identification workshop held by Strawberry Plains Audubon Center. In May other Memphis members attended an informative shorebird workshop conducted by Delta Wind Birds at Coldwater River NWR. We have arranged to have this workshop presented at Earth Complex (“the pits”) in Memphis in late August. Please see your open invitation elsewhere in this edition of The Warbler. The Chapter also co-sponsored the second annual Hatchie Birdfest by leading field trips, presenting programs, photography, bird nests, and informational exhibits. MTOS extends its sympathy to Dorothy Cowan in the loss of her husband Charles, both longtime members of our club. Mr. Cowan was a Navy veteran, Mason and Shriner, and had worked for Shelby County Sheriff’s Rescue. Conservation is the final word from Memphis as our first- ever MTOS finance committee held its inaugural meeting this May. In keeping with the mission of our state organization, committee members unanimously agreed to recommend that the chapter support conservation as a top priority. In order to do so and maintain routine operating costs within the means of our present dues structure, strategies include a reduction in printing and postage, our largest annual expenditure. This includes the migration from paper to digital newsletter and directory, both of which will now be e-mailed to members. This sacrifice will allow us to continue a long-standing tradition of donating treasure as well as time and talent to help sustain local, state, national, and international conservation projects. As always, our meetings, speakers, and field trips for the 2014-2015 season will soon be posted on http:// www.tnbirds.ora/chapters/Memphis/Memphis.htm NASHVILLE TOS members are getting excited to host the 100 year Anniversary April 30 through May 3, 2015 at Montgomery Bell State Park near Dickson and Burns, Tennessee. We encourage those who are planning to attend to make their reservations early, as many members already have. Presently the rooms are $84 plus tax/ night. The suites are $195 per night and the villas (cabins), which sleep up to eight people, are $178 - $190/ night with a two night minimum. Camping facilities are also available. If in the event we sell out the lodge, there are several motels within a 1 5 minute drive near exit 1 72 on 1-40. To make a reservation just call the lodge at 1 -61 5-797- 3101 or 1-800-250-8613. You may want to mention our Group Number: 6834. Susan Hollyday ( sshollvdav@a mail .com ) is communicating with chapter members throughout the state to bring any special memorabilia they would like to share to the anniversary. There will be ample room for these displays so feel free to bring as many items as you wish. Please let Susan know what you plan to bring and how many tables, etc you might need, also. We will all benefit from learning about and/or reliving the history of our organization. In addition to our anniversary preparations, Earl Henry, Jr. represented NTOS at the 4 th annual Vendor’s weekend at Bell’s Bend. We were also treated to 4 stellar programs the past few months. Jan Shaw shared her recent trip to Scotland. Bill Reeves of TWRAdiscussed the difficulties surrounding non-game funding. Ron Hoff gave a wonderful presentation of the Fiji Islands and Sandy Bivens told us all about the banding program at Warner Parks. Thanks to all of you for your time and effort in giving these presentations. Our field trip calendar was full, also. Besides our six spring-time Radnor walks, we had trips to Beaman Park, Long Hunter State Park, a tour of Rutherford County and a joint venture with the Highland Rim chapter to Bark Camp Barrens led by Susan McWhirter. Thanks to all who participated. Steve Routledge Gaynell Perry, President The Tennessee Warbler August, 2014 Page 13 OPERATION MIGRATION 2014-2015 In April, the eight colts which wintered at St Marks Wildlife Refuge in Florida under the watchful eye of Brooke Pennypacker, alit and flew back to Wisconsin. The migration north took them eighteen days. Their journey south took ninety-six days! Unfortunately only six cranes made it to Wisconsin. On May 14, two were found dead (1-13 and 3-13) in Kentucky, one due to allegedly striking a power line. The allotment for Operation Migration this year was eight chicks, hatched in mid May 2014 from eggs from several sources. Brooke Pennypacker and Geoff Tarbox, in Patuxent, MD, trained these chicks to bond to surrogate parents, plus be conditioned to trike engine noise. On July 8, 2014 these chicks were boxed and flown to White River Marsh, Wisconsin, courtesy of Windway Capital. This is their 32nd flight for OM. They are Whooping Crane champions. It has been such a wet spring at White River Marsh that pen maintenance was behind schedule. Somehow between now and July 9 runway grass has to be mowed and the site readied for their incoming chicks. Training will continue until October when the migration will head south again. Meanwhile behind the scenes, OM has to keep the FAA happy when using Ultra Light Aircraft. So far Joe Duff has been able to comply with FAA requests. For example, the craft have to be inspected in order to fly. The only place where OM’s Ultra Lights may be inspected is in Washington State. So Joe Duff and crew trailered the UL’s from Wisconsin to Washington and back to comply. Without going into nuts and bolts details, the trikes used by OM have been upgraded from Light Sport Aircraft to Special Light Support Aircraft (SLSA) to satisfy another FAA request. Furthermore, the FAA issued an exemption to the Flying-For-Hire Rule, allowing OM to continue with Whooping Crane Recovery, yet ensuring that it is done as safely as possible. As you may imagine, this whole operation costs money. That is why OM is constantly requesting pledges to their Milemaker Campaign. This year past Milemakers have already pledged $200.00 per mile for 250 miles of the 1250 mile migration. It is never too late to become a Milemaker. Your pledge will continue to help OM in their worthy quest to establish a viable population of Whooping Cranes. What magnificent birds they are. To pledge go to Operation Migration website http://www.operationmiaration. ora/contri bute.htm . You too may become a Milemaker. Lastly, here is the story behind the demise of 14-11. She was tracked and located in a wheat field in Waupaca Co Wl. July 21 , 2013. She did not die instantly, but had flapped a path thru the wheat field for many yards, until she died. Later the perpetrator was apprehended. He admitted he shot her. He saw the crane, thought it was an Albino Sandhill Crane, went to a friend, borrowed his 22 rifle, returned to the site and shot 14-11 . After returning the borrowed rifle, he proudly e-mailed a friend to state that he had just killed the bird. Only when he was told of his major indiscretion did he realize what he had done. In court, the judge slapped him with a $2000.00 fine and forbid him to hunt anywhere for 2 years. Once again, a slap on the wrist. Yet again the Right to Bear Arms goes awry. The bird 14-11 was of breeding age. How has her senseless death affected the gene pool of the Eastern Population of Whooping Cranes? Bird on! Tony King, Certified Cranic 865-988-6172 Send corrections & Change of Address Requests To: npmcwhirter@amail.com “THE TENNESSEE WARBLER” Published by the Tennessee Ornithological Society 1760 Rayburn Walling Road Rock Island, TN 38581 PRESORTED STANDARD MAIL U.S. POSTAGE PAID MEMPHIS, TN PERMIT NO. 238 Want to save a tree, unclutter your mailbox and save mailing expense for the Society? If you would prefer to read each edition of The Warbler online at the TOS website http://tnbirds.org/warbler.htm please drop Mac McWhirter an email at npmcwhirter@amail.com The Tennessee Warbler - August, 2014