Newsletter of the Tennessee Ornithological Society December, 2012 Editor, Theresa Graham PRESIDENTS MESSAGE Many thanks to our Nashville chapter for hosting the Fall Meeting. Under the leadership of chapter president Steve Routledge things could not have gone smoother. Those in attendance enjoyed the social mixer on Friday evening and a great line-up of field trips on Saturday morning. Special thanks to Cyndi Routledge for arranging the bird banding demonstration at Warner Park Nature Center. Seeing Northern Waterthrush and Philadelphia Vireos in the hand was a real treat. The paper presented by graduate student Emily Hockman (UT-K) and short programs by Chris Sloan, Earl Henry Jr. and Dr. David Pitts (UT-M) filled our Saturday afternoon. Thank you, Earl, for providing everyone with a selection of note cards featuring your father’s beautiful artwork. Our Board of Directors meeting followed the programs. Treasurer Mac McWhirter reported that the financial condition of TOS remains strong. Our Society’s investments are held in a diverse portfolio of mutual and bond funds, with a current value over $261,000. This represents a 16.7% return for the fiscal year. Our investments remain conservatively invested and broadly allocated, with 53% in equity positions and 47% in bonds and cash equivalents. Mac continues to guide us through tough economic times with astounding success. In preparation for assuming the office of President, Ron Hoff (Knoxville) stepped down as Chair of the Finance Committee. We are fortunate that Susan Hollyday (Nashville) graciously agreed to assume leadership of the committee. Also appointed to the committee were Danny Gaddy (Chattanooga), Jean Alexander (Knoxville) and Dick Preston (Memphis). The Board voted unanimously to donate $500 to the Blythe Ferry land purchase. This valuable 68 acre tract of land will be added to the Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge, managed by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. This will provide additional protection for Sandhill Cranes and waterfowl that winter at the refuge. The Board then voted unanimously to donate $1800 to the Discover Birds Activity Book Project. This book will be used as an outreach and educational tool for elementary school children throughout Tennessee. Our Knoxville chapter is currently conducting a pilot project. Our 201 3 Annual Meeting will be held in Knoxville April 26 - 28. Chapter president Billie Cantwell and her team are hard at work to ensure we have an enjoyable weekend. The election of officers and our Annual Business Meeting will be held on the 27 th . See preliminary meeting details on page 2. Please help facilitate the planning process by registering early. Cats indoors! Not just good for the birds, but good for cats. I strongly encourage each chapter to visit The American Bird Conservancy’s websites ( www.abcbirds.org ) or ( www.abcbirds.org/cats ) and purchase a supply of their brochures (Cats, Birds, and You) or (Trap, Neuter, Release (TNR): Bad for Birds, Bad for Cats) on keeping cats indoors. These brochures can be taken to area veterinarian clinics, wild bird supply stores, park visitor’s centers, Civic organizations or given out during public events. Please see the article on page 7 for additional information. Comments are eagerly sought. Please contact me, Dick Preston, at: dickpreston@bigriver.net . The Tennessee Warbler December, 2012 Page 2 2013 TOS Spring State Meeting Knoxville, April 26 -28, 2013 The Knoxville chapter invites all state TOS members to the 201 3 spring meeting, to be held April 26-28. Friday night registration will be held at the conference hotel from 6-9 p.m., while Saturday afternoon meetings and the Saturday banquet will be hosted at the Knoxville Zoo, located off 1-40 at Exit 392. Half-price tickets to the zoo for Saturday afternoon are available by mail-in, advance purchase only. The conference hotel is the Clarion Inn, 5634 Merchant Center Boulevard (1-75, exit 108). A block of rooms is reserved at a discounted rate of $62.00 plus taxes per night for a choice of a room with either two double beds or one king size bed. A free continental breakfast is included. Make your reservations for the hotel by April 10 by calling (865) 687-8989 and mentioning “TOS” for the discounted rate. All field trips will leave from the Clarion Inn. We are pleased to announce that the speaker for the Saturday banquet will be Dr. Jim Tucker. Currently Professor of Educational Psychology at UTC, Jim founded the American Birding Association in 1968 to bridge the gap between recreational birders and scientists. He has a wealth of birding experience to share, including Big Days with Roger Tory Peterson. The menu for the banquet includes Caesar salad, spinach lasagna, chicken Alfredo, herb roasted potatoes, garlic bread, and dessert. Field trips are still being finalized, but usually include Seven Islands, Kyker Bottoms, Sharp’s Ridge, Norris Dam, Cove Lake, Cross Mountain and the upper Smokies. Send your registration to KTOS by April 10. For additional information, contact Billie Cantwell, bfcantwell@amail.com . TOS SPRING MEETING 2013 REGISTRATION FORM Name(s) Address TOS Chapter: Are you an officer? Please indicate $ for Registrations @ $10 each $ for Dinner Reservations @ $22 each $ for Child’s Dinner Reservations (age 12 & under) @ $10 each $ for Saturday afternoon Zoo tickets, adult @ $10 each $ for Saturday afternoon Zoo tickets, child @ $7 each $ Total amount enclosed. Make Check payable to KTOS Mail registration form and check to: Carole Gobert 1304 Barcelona Dr. Knoxville, TN 37923 The Tennessee Warbler December, 2012 Page 3 TOS FALL MEETING IN NASHVILLE A hearty “Thank you!” to all of you who participated in the fall TOS meeting here in Nashville. We had close to 60 participants including birders from California, Utah, Washington state and Holland. Besides bird banding Sat- urday morning, we were treated to a variety of entertaining and informative presentations by Emily Hockman, Earl Henry Jr., Chris Sloan and Dr. David Pitts Saturday afternoon. The field trips yielded a total of 101 species which included many lifers for our western and European visitors as well as two Philadelphia Vireos, two Hermit Thrushes, and a Northern Waterthrush which Sandy Bivens and her volunteer “Band-Aids” banded Saturday morning. Once again, let me take time to thank Vera Vollbrecht, Sandy Bivens and the Warner Park staff for the generous use of the park and Nature Center. A brief discussion regarding the TOS centennial celebration scheduled for the first weekend in May 201 5 followed the presentations. Montgomery Bell State Park (near Dickson) appears to be the likely venue. As it stands now, TOS will have full access to the three expandable conference rooms (capacity=120 people per room), the entire Inn/Restaurant and to the 8 villas. Camping facilities are also available in the park. We will have up to 45 days prior to the event to “give back” what we don’t need. This state park includes 3000 acres of hardwood forest surrounding three lakes and encompassing nearly 20 miles of trails. In addition, it is within a 30-60 minute drive to Cheatham WMA, the Tennessee NWR-Duck River Unit, Cross Creeks NWR and the Bowie Natural Park in Fairview. We hope to include ideas from all TOS chapter and at-large members in shaping this celebration into an event we will all enjoy, so I encourage every chapter to discuss 1 00 Year Anniversary ideas in their upcoming monthly meetings and share your ideas with us. This is really going to be a lot of fun! Steve Routledge - NTOS [ FALL BIRD COUNT DATA DUE NOW T Data for the recent Fall bird counts are now due. Please send the data to your count compiler as soon as pos- sible, or if you do not have a compiler for your count, send the data to me at my address below, either by regular mail or email. Please include the following with your count data: EFFORT DATA 1 - Hours and miles by car, foot, and any nightbirding 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 7 - Anything else about the count, i.e. record high or low numbers, extraordinary weather, all-time species total for your particular count, etc. TOS thanks you for your cooperation and help monitoring Tennessee’s birds. Ron Hoff • TOS state bird count compiler 282 Hackworth Ln. • Clinton, TN 37716 • 865-435-4547 aves7000@bellsouth.net The Tennessee Warbler December, 2012 Page 4 CALLING ALL VOLUNTEERS!! This year’s Tennessee Sandhill Crane Festival is fast approaching. The event will take place January 19th and 20 th , 2013. Birchwood Elementary School will once again serve as the “hub” and buses will leave from there taking visitors to the Hiwassee Refuge to view the thousands of Sandhill Cranes that migrate through and winter at the confluence of the Tennessee and Hiwassee Rivers. There are many volunteer opportunities available - From setting up your scopes and sharing that viewing experience with festival attendees, to helping at the TOS table at Birchwood. Maybe you’d be interested in selling and serving pizza on Sunday for the hungry or sharing your crane knowledge at the educational display at the refuge. If taking pictures is your thing, we need someone to do that so we have a pictorial history of the event. Perhaps you’d be interested in helping at the Saturday night “Dinner with Darwin”? And if you can’t attend this year’s Festival, never fear!! We have “pre-festival” volunteer opportunities available. Last year’s Festival was a terrific success because of our Volunteers!! So if you have the time to lend ora special talent to share, please contact Cyndi Routledge, Volunteer Coordinator, at routledaes@bellsouth.net or 931-648- 0911 ...and we’ll find YOU the perfect volunteer opportunity! THANK YOU! Cyndi Routledge • TN SACR Festival Volunteer Coordinator DINNER WITH DARWIN The special guest for the Saturday night dinner during the TN Sandhill Crane Festival will be Brian “Fox” Ellis, in the person of Charles Darwin. Brian is the fellow that so thoroughly entertained us as John James Audubon at the 2012 crane festival. We are especially excited by our guest because of the very special role Dayton, TN, played in the acceptance of Darwin’s theory of evolution. Dayton is the site of the famous 1925 Scopes Trial, popularly known as the Monkey Trial, where two famous lawyers battled over the legality of teaching evolution. This will be the first time “Mr. Darwin” will visit this famous town. The location of this historic appearance will be the Rhea County Welcome Center at 6:30 pm, January 1 9, 201 3. Tickets are $28. The reason for this peculiar price is that this is the price of a TWRA annual hunting and fishing license. Space is limited so buy your ticket now at www.tncranefestival.ora SPECIAL PLEA FOR $28 DONATIONS The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency maintains thousands of acres of Wildlife Management Areas and Refuges that benefit both game and watchable wildlife species. Birdwatchers are often criticized because we benefit from the fees paid by hunters and fishers without contributing financially ourselves. The Hiwassee Refuge, the mecca for Sandhill Cranes in the Southeast, is by far the refuge most visited by wildlife watchers of all kinds. Therefore, it is important to let TWRA know that we appreciate their efforts, and will contribute to the management of this special place. By making a $28 donation to the TN Crane Fund (the price of a hunting/fishing license), your money will be put to good-crane-use. In addition, each contribution will be tallied and presented to the TWRA Commissioners as an indication of how much we value this refuge and the cranes, and how important watchable wildlife is to us. Please do not be stopped by the low contribution request. If you were to donate $56, it will be counted as two licenses fees, and a gift of $280 will counts as a “vote” of 1 0 for watchable wildlife. Here’s howto make your donation: By credit card: Call BJ Haas of the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Foundation at 615-831-9311 x115 bhaas@twrf.net OR send a check made out to the Tennessee Crane Fund to The TN Wildlife Resources Foundation, 5000 Linbar Drive, Suite 265, Nashville, TN 37211 attn: BJ Haas. The Tennessee Warbler December, 2012 Page 5 Tennessee Crane Fund A restricted fund of the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Foundation “Promoting viewing , research, and habitat management for Whooping and Sandhill Cranes in Tennessee, to ensure the future of these magnificent wildlife treasures.” Tennessee Crane Fund Goals In addition to handling the finances specific to the Tennessee Sandhill Crane Festival, the TCF will consider funding requests for the following types of activities: Management • Costs related to managing lands currently used by cranes as stopover or wintering habitat including: TWRA lands, leases on private lands for crops related to crane viewing, etc. • Reclaiming potential crane habitat along the Tennessee, Hiwassee, and other TVA controlled rivers. • Research • Identify lands with the potential to provide crane foraging or roosting habitat. • Reduce landowner-crane conflicts. • Crane distribution and habitat use, public attitudes, etc. in Tennessee • Land Acquisition/Leases • Lease of private land or contribute toward the purchase of land used by cranes or useful for crane viewing. • Information & Education • All things related to the Tennessee Sandhill Crane Festival • Enhance viewing experience (platforms, blinds, lectures, signage etc.) • Outreach to schools, civic groups etc. Contributions Checks can be made payable to: Tennessee Crane Fund TN Wildlife Resources Foundation 5000 Linbar Drive, Suite 265 Nashville, TN 37211 Contacts Fund Administrator: Scott Somershoe, TWRA Ornithologist, ( Scott.Somershoe@tn.gov ) 615-781-6653 Tennessee Wildlife Resource Foundation: Joey Woodard, Executive Director 615-831-9311 xl 1 1 BJ Haas, Office Manager ( bhaas@twrf.net ) 615-831-9311 x115 The Tennessee Warbler December, 2012 Page 6 Discover Birds Activity Book Expands by Vickie Henderson Our TOS Discover Birds Activity Book is not only expanding its pages, it is the focal point for an exciting new project designed to get information and resources about birds into Tennessee classrooms! At the fall meeting in Nashville TOS approved funding for the expansion of the current 16-page activity book to 36 pages. One thousand copies of the expanded version of the book will be printed and released at the 2013 Sandhill Crane Festival at Birchwood, TN, January 19 th and 20 th . The new edition will expand on stories of common birds, winter survival, migration and conservation themes with an increased portion of the book devoted to activities designed to challenge young minds. Artist Vickie Henderson, author and illustrator, has invited input from a committee of educa tors from diverse backgrounds, including retired teachers, NIMBioS (National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis) and the Smoky Mountain Insti- tute at Tremont, and others. This input promises to add diversity and a wealth of expertise to the book’s content. Discover Birds Pilot Project The Knoxville Chapter of TOS (KTOS) has expanded on the idea of donating activity books to classroom teachers. At Rocky Hill Elementary School in Knoxville, through the initiative of President Billie Cantwell and Mark Campen, activity books are being provided to all six first grade classes at the school, and each class will be treated to a bird walk lead by KTOS volunteers. Cantwell has put together welcome packets for each teacher that include a sample lesson plan, information and access to the new Discover Birds Blog, bird posters and calendars, and other teacher resources. Bird feeders are also being donated to the school. In November a morning of bird walks and bird activities is planned for all six classes simultaneously. The classes will rotate among the bird walks, a slide presentation of common birds, and a hands-on bird activity chest with feathers, skulls and other discovery items, all being provided by KTOS volunteers. In the Knoxville project, sponsored classrooms have been identified by members of the club with the expense of the donated books being equally shared by the club and individual members. Two additional schools have been targeted to receive sponsorships. KTOS will be compiling information about the successes and challenges of this project model as it goes forward and will share these results at the 2013 spring meeting in Knoxville. In the meantime, TOS chapters all over the state can begin identifying teacher classrooms they would like to sponsor in their area as well as club members who would enjoy leading bird walks. Join us in getting kids excited about birds. Kids are the future of our birds! To reserve books for your club’s purchase, contact Cyndi Routledge at 931 -648-0911 or email: cvndiroutledae12@ amail.com . To find out more about KTOS’ pilot project contact: Billie Cantwell at 865-567-4273 or email: bfcant- well@amail.com . Logo Note: Mindy Fawver’s newly designed logo for the Discover Birds Project The Tennessee Warbler December, 2012 Page 7 MBCC APPROVES STAMP-ASSISTED ACQUISITIONS In early September, the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission (MBCC) met in Washington, DC, and approved the addition of more than 10,000 acres in fee-title (direct purchase) and easements (or leases) to seven units of the National Wildlife Refuge System: • Red Rock Lakes NWR (MT - 810 acres fee and 5,834 acres lease) • San Bernard NWR (TX - 1 ,441 acres fee) • Trinity River NWR (TX - 200 acres fee) • Montezuma NWR (NY - 625 acres fee) • Tualatin River NWR (OR - 24 acres fee) • Wacamaw NWF (SC - 1 ,543 acres fee) • Tulare Basin Wildlife Management Area (CA-164 acres easement) All properties, of course, depend upon willing sellers, and the money for these acquisitions comes from the Migratory Bird Conservation Fund, commonly understood as the account where Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation (Duck) Stamp funds are deposited. Everyone who bought a stamp last year actually contributed to securing these valuable properties. Pat yourself on the back! For more on the MBCC decisions please see here: http://tinvurl.com/9t4f85j Article from “The Birding Community E-Bulletin” October 2012 KITTYCAM RECORDS OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES OF CATS A recent study of house cats that roam outdoors for 5-6 hours every day found that nearly one-third killed birds and other animals. The cats, whose outdoor movements were recorded on small video cameras attached to their collars, killed an average of 2.1 animals for every 35 hour “week” they were outside. Bird kills constituted about 13% of the total wildlife kills. Based on these results, The American Bird Conservancy (ABC) and The Wildlife Society estimate house cats kill far more than the previous estimate of a billion birds and other animals each year. “If we extrapolate the results of this study across the country and include feral cats, it’s likely that cats are killing more than four billion animals per year, including at least 500 million birds,” said Steve Holmer, Senior Policy Advisor at ABC. “Cat predation is one of the reasons why one in three American bird species is in decline.” The study was conducted by scientists from the University of Georgia and the National Geographic Society’s “Crittercam” program. Small video cameras (dubbed kitty cams) were attached to 60 outdoor house cats in the city of Athens, Georgia. The cameras recorded the outdoor activities of the cats throughout the year. Anyone who would like to receive more detailed information, please contact Dick Preston ( dickpreston@ big river. net ). Article from ABC’s “Bird Calls” October 2012 The Tennessee Warbler December, 2012 Page 8 UPDATE: SANDHILL CRANE HUNTING SEASON Several folks have expressed interest in finding out more about the potential Sandhill crane hunting season. Here is where we currently stand on the hunting issue. In January, 2011 , the Tennessee Wildlife Resource Commission (TWRC) voted to delay a potential Sandhill Crane hunting season until 2013. To follow through with the Commission’s request, during the coming year TWRA will follow the normal Federal regulatory process for determining if Tennessee qualifies for a season. During the summer of 201 3 TWRA will decide whether or not to propose a season for the Tennessee Fish and Wildlife Commission (former TWRC) to consider. If a hunting season is proposed by the Agency to the TFWC, it will follow the normal procedures for the Late Waterfowl Season setting. During July 2013, the Agency would send out a press release with proposed late waterfowl seasons, and any potential Sandhill crane season. A public comment period would open at that point leading up to the August Commission meeting. The TFWC would hear discussion and make a decision at the August Commission meeting for the proposed late waterfowl seasons and a Sandhill Crane season if proposed. I wish there was more concrete information to give you; however, since we are eight months removed from the time we need to submit our recommendation to the Commission, we haven’t even begun the process to formulate our recommendation. Daryl Ratajczak Chief of Wildlife and Forestry Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency P.O.Box 40747 Nashville, TN 37204 Phone: (615) 781-6610 Getting Ready for Winter Finches Tennessee birders may want to review their familiarity with “winter finch” field marks. Ron Pittaway of the Ontario Field Ornithologists has once again presented an annual Winter Finch Forecast. Cooperation on the part of the staff of the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (OMNR) and the observations of regional birders allow Pittaway to make annual predictions about the seasonal abundance of winter finches. Although the focus of Pittaway’s forecasts is Ontario, they have implications for a much broader region. Pit- taway writes, “This winter’s theme is a fair number of species - especially Red and White-winged Crossbills, redpolls, Pine Grosbeaks and Evening Grosbeaks - are likely to be on the move this year due to widespread crop failure of fruiting and cone-bearing trees in Canada.” His forecasts also include species such as Purple Finch, Pine Siskin, Blue Jay, Red-breasted Nuthatch and Bohemian Waxwing. The Cornell Lab’s eBird program has posted Pittaway’s forecast, and you can read it in its entirety at: http:// ebird.org/content/ebird/news/ff2012 . Article from “The Birding Community E-Bulletin” October 2012 The Tennessee Warbler December, 2012 Page 9 Operation Migration 2012-2013 This year the migration south from White River Marsh, Wl, started on 09/28/2012, earlier than previous years by about two weeks. At this time, 10/31/2012, the “Sensational Six” and crew are in Piatt, Co. IL, some 289 miles toward this year’s goal of St. Marks Wildlife Reserve in the Florida Panhandle. They have been on migration for 34 days. High winds from the wrong direction are keeping all grounded. Flying was possible on five days only. Sadly, I have to report the first fatality of a Whooping Crane chick when flying and while on migration. In twelve years worth of training, plus flying in all kinds of weather, not once to my knowledge has a crane been injured. On 10/26/2012, while landing in Piatt, Co. IL, Chick #10-1 2 sustained a broken left leg, rushed to the nearest Wildlife veterinary clinic at University of Illinois, Urbana, Chick #1 0-1 2 died on the operating table. OM’s crew were crushed and deeply saddened by this loss. She was the Diva of the group! Craniacs nationwide have offered financial support for this loss. Stay tuned for news of the remaining five chicks on migration. The Mile Maker campaign continues to help defray OM’s cost. This year the sponsorship is $200.00 per mile or part. At this time, of the 1 06 miles of the route in TN, 32 miles have been sponsored. Help by supporting the enthusiastic, hardworking, on-the-road OM crew. Become a Mile Maker! On 10/29/2012 six Direct Autumn Release Whooping Crane chicks, reared in the International Crane Foundation in Baraboo Wl, were released at Horicon National Wildlife Reserve, Wl. Traditionally the DAR chicks remain together on the migration south, while also often mixing with numerous Sandhill Cranes. If they could talk, what stories they would tell. Enjoy following the migration of 2012-2013. M iU$J\qk.tzr '.Jn •V'K ifiA &■: :\i Tony King Certified Craniac 865-988-6172 { \ FEBRUARY 28 th DEADLINE The deadline date for the April issue of The Tennessee Warbler is February 28th. 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: 2araham@bellsouth.net J The Tennessee Warbler December, 2012 Page 10 Guidelines for Tennessee Ornithological Society 2013 Conservation and Research Grants The Tennessee Ornithological Society invites applications for Conservation and Research Grants to support projects that will directly or indirectly help to protect the birds of Tennessee, increase scientific knowledge, or educate others about the importance of Tennessee’s birds. A total of $3,000 is available to be awarded for the grants, which may be divided among multiple recipients. Anyone with a bird-related project, including students, professionals, and individual workers, may compete for a grant. The project may already be in progress at the time of application. Applicants should submit a project proposal using the form that is available on the TOS Website ( www.TNBIRDS.ora T Needed information includes: name, address, telephone, E-mail address, topic, problem to be addressed, objectives, expected results and significance, project location, beginning and ending dates, estimated field time, estimated total cost of project, itemized budget, funds available from other sources, how grant is to be used, experience of applicant in the project area, willingness of applicant to share results at a statewide TOS meeting, and whether the work is under the guidance of a mentor or is independent. A letter of recommendation from a mentor or a knowledgeable associate is strongly encouraged. Up to $50 of a grant may be applied toward the costs of attending an appropriate scientific meeting to present results of the project. Criteria forjudging applications include: — Significance of problem addressed — Clarity of proposal — Adequacy of project design — Adequacy of experience/training — Adequacy of professional guidance — Financial need — Chance for achieving objectives — Potential benefit to the species/resource — Potential for advancing career/studies — Potential for sharing results at a future statewide TOS meeting The application and letter of recommendation should be emailed (preferably) or mailed to Michael Collins, Department of Biology, Rhodes College, 2000 N. Parkway, Memphis, TN 38112; collinsm@rhodes. edu : (901) 843-3557. The deadline for receipt of applications is February 1 . Applicants will be notified of the Committee’s decisions in early March. A check for 60 percent (60%) of the amount awarded will be mailed to the grantee(s) upon approval of award(s). The balance of each award will be paid after the project leader submits a satisfactory progress report with itemized costs and receipts to the Committee Chair, Michael Collins. All grant awards will be announced in The Tennessee Warbler. Respectfully, Michael Collins TOS Conservation and Research Funding Committee Chair The Tennessee Warbler December, 2012 Page 11 APPLICATION FOR CONSERVATION AND RESEARCH FUND GRANT Tennessee Ornithological Society Instructions: Complete and submit to Michael Collins by email (preferably) to collinsm@rhodes.edu or by mail to Department of Biology, Rhodes College, Memphis, TN 38112 (901) 843-3557. Attach any additional information. Name: Email: Address: Telephone: FAX: Topic: Problem to be Addressed and Why Important: Objectives: Project Location: Beginning and Ending Dates (including prior work) Estimated Project Time (Hours): Estimated Total Cost: $ (Attach budget) Anticipated Additional Funding Sources and Amounts: How is the grant to fully or partially fund the project? How will this grant help with research or conservation of birds in Tennessee? Are you willing to present the findings at a statewide TOS meeting: Signature: Date: The Tennessee Warbler December, 2012 Page 12 CHAPTER. NEWS BRISTOL CHAPTER - At the July picnic officers for the 2012 - 2013 year were installed, including Lois Cox as president, John Moyle as first vice president, John Hay as second vice president, Faye Wagers as secretary and Janice Martin as treasurer. Rick Knight will serve as field trip coordinator. The Mendota Hawk Watch was held September 1 through October 5. Tom Hunter coordinated this activity. A total of 7,035 sightings were reported including 6,815 Broad-winged Hawks. Members of the chapter also presented activities for children on Sept. 22, 2012, at a PBS Event at Natural Tunnel State Park in Virginia and at the Steele Creek Park Wildlife Weekend in Bristol, Tennessee on October 13, 2012. Rick Knight led two field trips: one to Winged Deer Park in Johnson City, Tennessee, and another to areas around South Holston Lake. We had good participation and good sightings at each of these events At the September meeting the chapter members accepted a proposal by Wallace Coffey that we join in cooperation with Crumley Farms on Paddle Creek Road in Bristol, Tennessee, to further develop and manage shorebird/wader habitat and observer opportunites at a pond known as Paddle Creek Pond which is situated on the Crumley farm. Through donations by interested individuals we will pay a daily wildlife management habitat fee for each day the water levels achieve and hold low enough drawdown levels to establish adequate habitat. The Annual BBC Banquet was held October 26, 2012, with 31 persons attending. Dr. John Moyle gave a very interesting presentation including pictures from a trip to the Galapagos Islands. Lois Cox Chattanooga TOS 2012 Officers and Directors Clyde Blum President David Stone VP Programs Starr Klein VP Field Trips Cathy Lockwitz Treasurer e-mail: burdbrane@vmail.com Pixie Lanham Secretary e-mail: planham@epbfi.com Kevin Calhoon Statistician Jennifer Rydell Historian e-mail: samburu97@vahoo.com Because of an increase in our membership we are now entitled to 5 directors. Danny and Anita Gaddy Kevin Calhoon Linda Kelly likebird@epbfi.com Bill Colvard w colvard@comcast.net Clyde Blum KNOXVILLE CHAPTER - In September a Wine and the Wild Birding wine tasting event was held at Billie Cantwell’s house with a presentation by Mike Nelson about birds and wine. Some early fall whites and reds from wineries that are related to birding were used as a part of the tasting. All proceeds for the event benefited KTOS. Last October Evan Searfoss constructed an observation tower at the Kyker Bottoms Refuge in Blount County for his Eagle Scout project. KTOS members helped with the construction of the tower and provided funds (A $300 J.B. Owen Award) for the project. He became an Eagle Scout on October 20, 2012 at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Maryville, TN. The J.B. Owen Award was presented to Tiffany Beachy by David Johnson at the October meeting. Tiffany’s project includes the study of Hemlock decline The Tennessee Warbler December, 2012 Page 13 CHAPTER. NEWS Knoxville News - Continued from Page 12 in the Walker Valley in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the study and banding of Louisiana Waterthrush and Acadian Flycatchers in the area. Volunteers are needed for habitat mapping. At the fall meeting in Nashville TOS approved funding for the expansion of Vickie Henderson’s 16- page activity book to 36 pages, including a revised cover. One thousand books will be printed and the new version will be released at the 2013 Sandhill Crane Festival at Birchwood, TN. The Discover Birds Project is focused on getting education about birds into classrooms and centers on the contents of the book as a jumping off point to help teachers include birds in their activities. Six first grade classes and six second grade classes have been sponsored by KTOS members to receive activity books along with welcome packets and classroom lead bird walks. There were field trips to the Foothills Parkway, Cherokee Trail, Brian Hann’s Farm, and Seven Islands Wildlife Refuge. Melinda Fawver KTOS Secretary The MEMPHIS CHAPTER is lucky to have more than one young birder attend our monthly meetings and some of our hikes. Part of our October program was Birds in Our Backyard presented by 11 year old Nathan Lewis. Over a 3 year period Nathan and his father built and placed Bluebird boxes on their property. Nathan monitored the boxes and showed slides of the eggs and the young birds in the boxes and charts of the number of eggs laid, birds hatched and birds fledged. Over the 3 year period, 193 Bluebirds hatched; Carolina Wrens, Carolina Chickadees and Tufted Titmice also used the boxes. His presentation was interesting and well received by our members. Knox Martin and Dr. Michael Collins banded and released a Cooper’s Hawk and 3 Mississippi Kites at the Mid-South Raptor Center. About 20 people attended the release. Eric Rosenthal, another of our young birders, wore the glove for the Cooper’s Hawk to sit on before being released. Eric is 1 3, and I’m told he has around 113 nature books and guides. Our summer was dry with many of the ponds and lakes sinking to very low levels. At a pond which had sunk to an acre or less, there were more than 200 Great and Snowy Egrets, but the big birds for the summer were Wood Storks, white ibis, and Roseate Spoonbills in and around the same small pond. David Blaylock Knox Martin Recipient of the American Association of Zookeepers Lifetime Achievement Award Knox Martin, Founder and Director of the Mid-South Raptor Center in Memphis, was the 2012 recipient of the American Association of Zookeepers Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his work with raptor rehabilitation over the last quarter century. Knox is a Life Member of TOS and has been a member of the Memphis Chapter since 1986. He has held both local and state offices and is currently the Memphis Chapter Recording Secretary, an office he has held for a number of years. He also served three terms as state TOS Recording Secretary, and he has been both a local and state director. Knox recently retired as a keeper at the Memphis Zoo after 25 years of service where he was the coordinator of the Raptor Rehabilitation Program for over 15 years. In 2002 he founded the Mid-South Raptor Center on the grounds of Agricenter International in east Memphis and since then he and a group of dedicated volunteers, many also members of the Memphis TOS Chapter, have rehabilitated and released thousands of area raptors. They have also helped educate many thousands of local school children with on-site and off-site educational programs. Knox received his award at the 2012 AAZK National Conference in Syracuse, NY on September 27, 2012 at the awards luncheon. Send corrections & Change of Address Requests To: npmcwhirter@amail.com “THE TENNESSEE WARBLER” Published by the Tennessee Ornithological Society P.O. Box 22682 Memphis, TN 38122 PRSRT STD U.S. Postage Paid Memphis, TN Permit No. 478 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 - December, 2012