THi TENNESSEE W\RBLER Newsletter of the Tennessee Ornithological Society December, 2015 Editor, Theresa Graham PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE - FALL 2015 Many thanks to all those participating in the TOS fall meeting in Nashville. It was a fun-filled weekend culminating in a wonderful field trip to Basin Springs, the former home and banding station of Katherine Goodpasture. Her grandson, Dr. Joe Little, and protege Sandy Bivens, shared the rich history of the farm and of “Mrs. G’s” research. The web of moss-covered trails were enchanting, and the warmth of the hot coffee and bagels they provided were only exceeded by their hospitality. Thanks again to Sandy and Dr. Little for sharing this treasure with us. One of the most important issues we tackled during our business meeting involved the urgent necessity of our members to get an accurate inventory of our chapter and state archives. I am asking all chapter curators to assess exactly what we have stored away in individual’s basements so that we might ultimately find a permanent home for them. While we are lucky that members have been willing to store these archives in their homes, it is unfair to continue to ask them to do so. Once we have an idea of the amount of material and info we have, as well as the physical size and volume of our archives, we will proceed with attempting to find a place that is safe, accessible and cost effective (i.e. preferably free!!) in which to store the rich history of TOS. If at all possible, I would like to have at least an idea of the physical volume of our archives by January 31 , 201 6. If you are presently storing archives please send this info to me at everout@bellsouth.net . Thanks to Dick Preston and Cyndi Routledge for staying in touch with TWRA regarding the TVA “windfall” money. Because of he efforts of David Hanni and the TWRA design team we will have signage at 144 of the Tennessee Birding Trails sites. Finally, as you will see in this issue, our TOS winter meeting will be held at Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge near Decatur, AL January 22-24. This is an excellent area for winter waterfowl, as well as Whooping and Sandhill Cranes. Come out and join us! Good Birding!! Steve Routledge President-TOS The Tennessee Warbler December, 2015 Page 2 TOS SPRING MEETING May 6-8, 2016 The Memphis chapter invites all TOS members to the Spring Meeting, to be held May 6, 7 and 8, 2016 at Reelfoot Lake State Park. Ellington Hall has been reserved for meeting registration and a Friday night reception, as well as committee meetings, board of directors’ meeting and dinner on Saturday night. Reelfoot Inn has a room rate of $50 (including tax). Space is limited so early reservations are highly recommended! Reelfoot Inn: Address: 1520 State Route 21 East, Tiptonville, TN 38079 Website: http://reelfootlakeinnmotel.com/ Phone: (731)253-6845 Another option is Eagle’s Nest near Samburg, TN: Address: 256 W Lakeview Dr. Hornbeak TN 38232 Website: http://www.eaglenestresort.com/ Phone: (731) 538-2143 Camping at Reelfoot Lake State Park’s south campground is another option. Website: http://tnstateparks.com/parks/campground/reelfoot-lake. Again, make your reservations early. The campground is extremely busy this weekend. Saturday night’s dinner will be catered by Blue Bank Fish House and Grill. Dinner cost is $20 per adult and $1 0 for children. For the Saturday evening dinner program we will learn all about the Greater Prairie Chicken restoration project in our sister state of Missouri from Wildlife Biologist Matt Hill. Depending on the weather, Reelfoot State Park will offer canoe trips on Saturday morning and pontoon boat rides on Saturday afternoon. Cost is $10 per person for each morning and afternoon option. This fee should be paid to Reelfoot State Park on the day of the trip. There will be field trips to local hotspots, including Walnut Log Road, Black Bayou, Long Point and at the Reelfoot Lake State Park Headquarters. Registration information will also be available on the TOS website http://www.tnbirds.org/ For more information contact: Kate Friedman, MTOS President (901) 826-4615 Katef5269@g mai I . com The Tennessee Warbler December, 2015 Page 3 TOS SPRING MEETING 2016 REGISTRATION FORM Name(s) Address TOS Chapter $ for Registration(s) @ $20 each $ for Dinner Reservation(s) @ $20 each $ for Child’s Dinner Reservation(s) @ $10 each $ Total Amount Enclosed. Please make check payable to MTOS. Indicate if Interested In: Canoe Trip Saturday Morning Yes □ No | | Pontoon Boat Ride Saturday Afternoon Yes EH No EZI Mail registration form and check to MTOS Treasurer: Barbara Bullock Pyles 518 Forest Hill Irene Road S. Cordova, TN 38018-4832 TOS Winter Meeting No business will be conducted No work will be done Just bring your scopes and binos And we’ll have fun . fun . . .fun ! ! ! The TOS Winter meeting will be held at Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge Jan. 23-24, 2016. A block of 1 5 rooms has been held for TOS at a rate of $89.99 per night for Friday the 22 nd and Sat. the 23 rd . The deadline date for the held rooms is Jan. 15, though there may be several rooms still available otherwise. Plus, there are many hotels in the immediate area. Just mention the letters T-O-S when you make your reservation. The hotel is located at Exit 334 on 1-65. Hotel info: Comfort Inn 3239 Point Mallard Parkway Priceville, Al 35603 (256) 355-1037 (256) 355-3087 GM.AL1 55@choicehotels.com Hope to see you there! Steve Routledge The Tennessee Warbler December, 2015 Page 4 WHAT U.S. BIRDS ARE MOST IN DANGER OF EXTINCTION? That’s the question the Watch List, published every few years, is designed to answer. The latest edition was published in 2014 and identifies 233 species most in need of conservation action. Species making their first appearance on the 2014 Watch List include the Eastern and Mexican Whip-poor-wills, Chuck-will’s-widow, Bobolink and Evening Grosbeak. Most of the Watch List species are protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and more than one-third of them receive extra protection under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA). The species that are not yet ESA species need urgent conservation attention to keep them from becoming threatened or endangered. A broader report, “The State of the Birds,” examines the overall health of habitat types as measured by bird trends in seven habitats: grasslands; forests; wetlands; ocean; arid lands; islands and coasts. The latest update was published in 2014, the fifth since the initial report in 2009. The State of the Birds and the Watch List are compiled by the U.S. Committee of the North American Bird Conservation Initiative (NABCI) a 23 member partnership of government agencies and conservation groups. The 2014 State of the Birds report can be viewed or downloaded from the University of Cornell website: http:// www.birds.cornell.edu/ . At the bottom of the page, under “publications,” click on “state of the birds.” Courtesy of the American Bird Conservancy FALL BIRD COUNT DATA DUE NOW Fall 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 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. 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 bird count compiler 282 Hackworth Ln. • Clinton, TN 37716 • 865-435-4547 aves7000@bellsouth.net The Tennessee Warbler December, 2015 Page 5 - PICTORIAL HIGHLIGHTS - THE TOS FALL MEETING NASHVILLE, OCT 2-4, 2015 Photos provided by Danny Shelton The Tennessee Warbler December, 2015 Page 6 Guidelines for Tennessee Ornithological Society 2016 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.org). 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, 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, 2015 Page 7 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, 2015 Page 8 CHAPTER. NEWS The STEPHEN M. RUSSELL CHAPTER (Bristol Bird Club) In June, a hearty band of BBC off-road birders enjoyed a field trip which crawled up Pine Mountain in the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area of the Jefferson National Forest aboard 4-wheel drive SUVs. This adventure was to enjoy the rugged high mountain birding and look for Sapsuckers in one of the most populated habitats of the species in the Southern Blue Ridge Mountains. We confirmed four (4) Sapsuckers found on territory. Thirteen birders participated. BBC again coordinated the Mendota Hawk Count during September and the count was led by John Whinery and Ron Harrington. Birders counted hawks this year for 17 days in September, logging nearly a hundred hours of coverage and counting 21 98 Broad-winged Hawks - a very low number as compared to other recent years. Jesse B. Pope, Jr., the Executive Director of Grandfather Mountain at Newland, NC, came the first Friday in October to be the speaker for our annual banquet. We enjoyed an enthusiastic turnout for a great talk by this experienced birder and leader from the Carolina Bird Club. Everyone enjoyed his great photos of a Townsend’s Solitaire on Grandfather Mountain this fall which drew hundreds of birders to see this first North Carolina record for the species. Richard Lewis banding at Steele Creek Park Photo Credit: Michele Sparks BBC First Vice-President Kevin Blaylock and Dave Worley led our third ever sponsored Rainforest Adventure birding trip. The tour included 1 3 birders who spent 11 days in September birding the Pantanal region of Brazil (the world’s largest tropical wetlands) and had 187 species. The club’s previous Rainforest Adventure trips went to Trinidad and Tobago in July 2006 and the Andean Mountains of Ecuador in July of 2008. BBC members Richard Lewis and Michele Sparks were assisted by Rack Cross with a bird banding station as part of the Steele Creek Park Wildlife Weekend which Richard has conducted each year for nearly 20 years. The club’s October meeting had one of its largest crowds of the year with a digital program of original club member photos under the title “Big Owls of the Region - We give a HO-O-OT!” A large group of members were on hand for our regular monthly dinner at a local Greek restaurant before going to the meeting. — FEBRUARY 28™ DEADLINS A 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. v Submit Material To: Theresa Graham, Editor PO Box 366, Oakland TN 38060 (901)465-4263 (home) e-mail: 2araham@bellsouth.net y Janice Martin, President The Tennessee Warbler December, 2015 Page 9 CHAPTER. NEWS The BIRDING KINGSPORT CHAPTER held elections at the September meeting. Officers elected: President - Bill Grigsby, 1 st Vice President (Programs) - Rack Cross, 2 nd Vice President (Activities), Corresponding Secretary - Kim Pruden, Recording Secretary - Priscilla Little, and Treasurer - Betty Bailey. Recent birding trips have been to locations on the Kingsport Birding Trail ( http://kinasporttn.aov/ birdinatraih . including Fort Patrick Henry Dam and TVA Trail, Warriors Path State Park, and several locations on the Kingsport Greenbelt ( www.kinasportareenbelt. com). Kim Pruden joined Richard Blanton of the Nashville chapter to go to the Big Bald Banding Station that was started by George Mayfield, son of one of the TOS founders. The chapter also participated in the fall count of the Herndon Chapter’s (Elizabethton) 5-County Count, finding 55 species including Bald Eagle, Green Heron, Osprey (2), Spotted Sandpiper, Forster’s Tern and 7 species of warblers in our section in western Sullivan County. Upcoming activities include bird walks in the Kingsport area and the Audubon Christmas Count for the Kingsport count circle. The count is scheduled for Saturday, December, 26 th . If you are in the area and would like to participate, you can email birdinakinasport@amail. com or call the compiler, Bill Grigsby at 423-578-481 8. Meetings are held at the Downtown Kingsport Association, 229 Broad Street, Kingsport on the 4 th Tuesday of each month at 7pm. Bill Grigsby, President KNOXVILLE CHAPTER TOS has had a busy summer and early fall, including many field trips, bird counts, events, and the annual Hummingbird Festival. The chapter is particularly pleased to have made several important contributions from the J.B. Owen Fund. The first was a $10,000 donation presented at the TOS Fall Meeting on October 3, 2015, which will be forwarded to the International Crane Foundation for its ongoing “Keeping Whooping Cranes Safe” initiative. As of now, there are only about 600 Whooping Cranes left, including 300 in the Texas to Wood Buffalo, Canada flock, 100 in the Eastern Migratory population, 50 in Louisiana, and the remainder in Florida, zoos, and private collections. As much as 20% of the eastern migratory population has been lost to gunfire in the last 1 5 years, and the goal of the project is to prevent further such losses through public education. At its October chapter meeting, KTOS presented an additional $750 contribution to Lee Bryant to support her ongoing research on Louisiana Waterthrush in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The annual Wonder of Hummingbird Festival at Ijams Nature Center is always a major highlight of KTOS’ summer. This year’s event was held on August 23 and drew 1,350 paid attendees plus many children. The event featured: Stephen Lyn Bales, author of Ghost Birds, who spoke about the Ivory-billed Woodpecker; Joel Greenberg, author of A Feathered River Across the Sky: The Passenger Pigeon’s Flight to Extinction, who spoke on the passenger pigeon; Chris Mahoney, Master Gardener from Chattanooga, who discussed plants and flowering shrubs to attract hummingbirds; and Steve McGaffin, Naturalist and Educator for the Knoxville Zoo, who led a butterfly walk. Lynne McCoy, a wildlife rehabilitatorwho takes in 600-800 birds and mammals per year, brought a few of her animal “ambassadors” to meet festival visitors. KTOS thanks all of our wonderful volunteers, and extends a special recognition to Billie Cantwell who spent countless hours organizing the festival again this year to make sure everything went off smoothly. We had a particularly busy field trip season. These included field trips at Seven Islands State Birding Park, Rankin Bottoms, Foothills Parkway, Alum Cave, and various locations in Knoxville’s urban wilderness. KTOS also held the 2015 Knox County fall birding count on September 28, 2015. Our summer was bookended by two well-attended picnics at Ijams, complete with delicious and healthy dishes prepared by KTOS members. Finally, KTOS is in the process of updating our website to make it more user-friendly and accessible to the public. A test site has been constructed and is being tested and fine-tuned. Stephanie Durman, KTOS Secretary The Tennessee Warbler December, 2015 Page 10 CHAPTER. NEWS LEE AND LOIS HERNDON CHAPTER The 46th annual Elizabethton Fall Count was held on Saturday, Sept. 26. A total of 37 observers in nine parties covered Carter County and parts of adjacent Johnson, Sullivan, Unicoi and Washington counties. This year’s count included new territory around Kingsport that has not traditionally been a part of this annual fall survey. A total of 129 species were found, which is slightly above the average of 125 over the last 30 years. The all-time high of 1 37 species was achieved in 1 993. The most numerous bird on the count was the European Starling (1,347) followed closely by Canada Goose (1,182) and American Crow (896). Of course, some birds were represented by only one individual, such as Northern Harrier, Great Egret, American Wigeon, Ruffed Grouse, Peregrine Falcon, Olive-sided Flycatcher, Eastern Kingbird, Worm-eating Warbler, Northern Waterthrush, Nashville Warbler and Yellow-breasted Chat. The chapter participated in several autumn events, including the annual Roan Mountain Naturalists Rally, as well as a Wellness Fair held on the campus of the Mountain Home Veterans Administration. In addition, bird walks open to the public were held every Saturday in October at Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park. Some interesting birds found during these walks included Peregrine Falcon, Orange-crowned Warbler and Lincoln>s Sparrow. Chapter member and former president Fred Alsop represented the chapter at a ceremony on Thursday, Oct.1 , for the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding for the Development of Bird Watching in Carter County between the Herndon Bird Club and the Carter County Parks and Recreation Board and the City of Elizabethton Parks and Recreation Board. The chapter is excited about the partnership and is already planning several cooperative projects, including a checklist of the birds of Carter County. The chapter will produce a 2016 calendar featuring bird photos taken by members. Sales of the calendar serve as a way to raise funds. Upcoming events include annual Christmas Bird Counts for Elizabethton and Roan Mountain, as well as the chapters annual Christmas party. Chapter officers for 2015-2016 are Roy Knispel, president; Bryan Stevens, vice president; Kim Stroud, treasurer; and Charles Moore, secretary. To keep up with activities of the Herndon Chapter, like the group>s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ Elizabethton-Bird-Club . Bryan Stevens, Newsletter Editor MEMPHIS CHAPTER TOS Officers and Chair Persons led by President-Elect, Kate Friedman, convened in early August to plan upcoming field trips and programs and to discuss the TOS State Meeting at Reelfoot Lake State Park. Later that month, members enjoyed our annual MTOS Summer Picnic hosted by Knox Martin at the Mid-South Raptor Center. Cloudy but pleasant weather resulted in our largest turn-out ever for this annual event. Our monthly MTOS meetings have been filled with exciting presentations and insightful lectures. At the September meeting, David Young gave a presentation on his birding trip to Trinidad and Tobago. David’s stories and photographs of the beautiful birds and their magnificent habitats were enjoyed by all. Virginia Reynolds shared a few wildlife photos from her summer travels to South Africa, and Georges McNeil shared photos from his visit to Parc de Ornithologique in Arles, France. In October, David Hanni, Bird Conservation Coordinator with TWRA, spoke on the future of bird conservation in Tennessee. MTOS field trips are also off to a great start. On our first Wednesday morning hike to Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park, 60 species were observed including a variety of fall warblers. Members also traveled to several locations on September 20 th for our Fall Count when over 100 species were recorded including Bald Eagle, Osprey, Peregrine Falcon, American Avocet, Philadelphia Vireo, and Blackburnian Warbler. Dick Preston, Chairman of the Conservation Committee, asked members to submit comments to TVA regarding preservation of the ash ponds at the Allen Steam Plant, The Tennessee Warbler December, 2015 Page 11 CHAPTER. NEWS Memphis Chapter - Continued from page 10 where approximately 175 species of birds have been documented. Comments from the MTOS Chapter President were submitted before the September 30 th deadline. Our youngest member, Eric Rosenthal, has completed his Eagle Scout project. Working with Knox Martin and Martha Waldron at the Mid-South Raptor Center, Eric designed perching that would benefit injured birds. Eric raised funds for the materials and organized a work day to install the perches on October 1 0 th . Congratulations, Eric! wonderful year in our history with a most appropriate Wednesday morning Radnor walk. Sixteen members hiked the trails most of the morning enjoying a beautiful crisp fall day. From Radnor we ventured to the downtown Library where the history posters that were displayed at the celebration at Montgomery Bell are now on display until the end of the year. I can’t think of a more wonderful way to end a year of celebrating than to share our history and our love of birds in this most public forum. Many thanks to Susan Hollyday for her dedication and many, many hours of preparation to this project. I hope you’ve all had a chance to view these wonderful works of art. Photo provided by Danny Shelton Kate Friedman, MTOS President September brought some changes to our Chapter. Longtime treasurer Susan Hollyday passed the accounting sheets and checkbook to Pam Lasley, our newly elected treasurer, and NewsHawk and Yearbook Editor, Mary Zimmerman passed the “old printing press” to Rick Blanton who has assumed the newly created positon of “Media Coordinator”. We thank both Mary and Susan for their many years of work and dedication to NTOS. There are even more changes on the horizon with the creation of this new Media Coordinator. NTOS will now distribute our newsletter via email as well as continuing to post it on our website. This will enable us to update and modernize our newsletter and better keep in touch with our membership while saving a few trees and a few dollars and cents. As always, Good birding! Cyndi Routledge, NTOS President The NASHVILLE CHAPTER of TOS has had a busy few months. Preparations for the Fall TOS meeting that was held in Nashville on October 2-4, 2015 went smoothly and seemed almost “easy” after what we did for the Spring 100 th Celebration. Many thanks to Marilyn Henry for her wonderful work as hospitality chairwoman for the Fall meeting. The food and drink was superb and the table decorations were festive and outstanding. Also thanks to all members who brought their favorite finger foods to share with everyone. The weather wasn’t what we ordered, but the field trips went off as scheduled and the celebration continued. The highlight of the weekend came on Sunday with a special field trip to Basin Springs, the old ‘stomping’ grounds of Katherine Goodpasture and now her grandson Dr. Joe Little. Joe was thrilled to host TOS and invited us to return “as often as we can”. It’s truly a magical place. October 7th... the true 100 th Anniversary of TOS... found NTOS members continuing to celebrate this most Finally we want to thank everyone who joined us for the 100 th Anniversary celebration in May and/or in October. We loved having you all in Nashville, and we look forward to seeing you all again on the birding trails! The Tennessee Warbler December, 2015 Page 12 Wintering Hummingbirds It’s that time of year again when Ruby-throated Hummingbirds that we so enjoy during summer and fall have all but migrated south, and we are left wondering, “Is now the time to take down my hummingbird feeder?” Contrary to what grandma has told you or what you’ve read, I’d like to convince you to leave at least one hummingbird feeder up, clean and partially full. We have traditionally been told to take down our hummingbird feeders because of the mistaken idea that leaving one up will entice hummingbirds to remain and then they would succumb to the cold temperatures. However, the truth is that when it’s time to migrate all migratory birds, including our Ruby-throated hummingbirds, are genetically programed to fly to the tropics no matter how many feeders are hanging in our backyards. Over the last 20+ years hummingbird researchers have found that a small number of Ruby-throats do stick around for the winter, and we have also found that a small number of western hummingbirds are also migrating east to spend their winters in the eastern United States. Currently 14 different species of hummingbirds have been banded in eastern US during the winter months including at least 6 different species right here in Middle Tennessee. Wintering hummingbirds are not lost, or sick or genetically different. All birds are efficient creatures and if there is an ample food supply, why fly thousands of miles when you can find what you need flying a few hundred. And this is what we have found to be the case with western hummingbirds. In fact they often demonstrate great fidelity to their wintering sites and often spend the entire winter in one location. Some even return to winter at the same home year after year, becoming wintertime members of the family. We suggest that you keep a feeder hanging year round where it can be observed and maintained easily. Partially fill your feeder with the same nectar ratio -4 parts water, 1 part sugar to avoid waste. Red dye, artificial sweeteners and honey are harmful so please do not use them. And if you have a hummingbird visit your feeder AFTER November 15 th and before March 15 th in Middle and West TN please contact Cyndi Routledge at routledaes@ bellsouth.net . In East TN please contact Mark Armstrong woodthrush@bellsouth.net . Both Cyndi and Mark are federal and state licensed master hummingbird banders. With your permission Cyndi or Mark will come to your home to identify, capture, band, and photograph your hummingbird. You will then be able to release your bird back into your yard. BALD AND GOLDEN EAGLES VICTORIOUS: COURT INVALIDATES 30-YEAR “EAGLES TAKE” RULE In August, the U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, in San Jose ruled that the Department of the Interior (DOI) violated federal law when it created a final regulation allowing wind energy and other companies to obtain 30-year permits to kill protected Bald and Golden Eagles without prosecution by the federal government. The court decision invalidates the rule. The court wrote “substantial questions are raised as to whether the Final 30-Year Rule may have a significant adverse effect on bald and golden eagle populations.” In particular, the court cited a lack of compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The lawsuit was filed by the American Bird Conservancy (ABC) on June 19, 2014. TOS is a member organization of ABC and was a signatory on several letters sent to the Secretary of the DOI, opposing the 30-year take rule. More information here: http://abcbirds.ora/article/bald-aolden-eaales-victorious-court-invalidates-30-vear-take-rule/ The Tennessee Warbler December, 2015 Page 13 OPERATION MIGRATION 2015-2016 Seven Whooping Crane chicks arrived from Patuxent, MD, on July 1, 2015 courtesy of Windway Capital Airways. At White River Marsh Wildlife Refuge (WRMWR) Wisconsin, the chicks continued their training, bonding with the ultra-light aircraft (U-Ls) and eventually were able fly with the U-Ls. During this time one chick was deemed unsuitable for the project and was surrendered to another group for care. The remaining six chicks were so talented in their training that they became known as the “best ever” for following the U-Ls. One day all six were filmed soaring behind the U-Ls. This has never happened before. Migration to Florida (St. Marks Wildlife Refuge) was set for September 20, 201 5. Due to windy Wisconsin weather the migration south did not begin until September 30, 2015, At time of the deadline for The Tennessee Warbler , the migration was at stop #5 on migration day 32, in Winnebago Co. IL, 123 miles downrange out of 1100 miles total. Hurricane Patricia’s effects were felt in Wisconsin, causing part of the delays due to bad or windy weather. The intent is to complete the migration by Christmas 2015. This is the first year that Operation Migration (OM) has been able to partially comply with the FAA’s request to upgrade aircraft from U-L’s to Sport Light Aircraft (SLA’s). OM now has one SLA: the one with red color outlining the wing when viewed in real time or on OM’s webpage “ In The Field ”. It’s a beauty. The remaining U-L’s will be converted in due course to comply with FAA regulations. A most troubling event occurred on October 1 5, 2015, when it was learned that the USFWS has launched a vision that U-L led crane migration is not the way to go and a better method for saving Whooping Cranes is in the works. The authors surmised that the Direct Autumn Release (DAR) method was superior, yet all statistics from survival of chicks DAR vs Operation Migration show OM’s to be the best way by far with years of experience to back up the successes. This nonsensical “vision” comes from authority that has overall supervision of wildlife, is full of opinions, and yet does not offer a single dime towards the huge cost of establishing a population of endangered Whooping Cranes. Apparently someone needs a reality check. Stay tuned. Read OM’s “ In The Field ” entry dated October 24, 2015 and draw your own conclusion. This time last year Craniacs had contributed 16% of the $240,000 budget. This year, 59% of the same amount has been realized. Of birding chapters in Tennessee, Bristol Bird Club, Lois & Lee Herndon, Chattanooga and Knoxville Chapters of TOS have contributed, as well as TOS at the Fall Meeting in Nashville. It is not too late to contribute to OM at the rate of $200.00 per mile or part thereof and become a Milemaker. To pledge go to Operation Migration’s website. https://secure.operationmiaration.ora/np/clients/om/donation.jsp?campaian=26& At the most recent count there were 92 Whooping Cranes in the Eastern Partnership flock. They will move south in October and winter in TN and AL. The hope is that you are lucky enough to see one or more of these awesome, rare birds of North America. As usual the migration route passes through Henry and Clay Counties in TN. Opportunities to view the migration are posted on OMs website .Goosebumps are guaranteed! Bird On! Tony King, Certified Craniac 865-988-6172 The Tennessee Warbler December, 2015 Page 14 ICF: “KEEPING WHOOPING CRANES SAFE” PROJECT The International Crane Foundation (ICF) is located in Baraboo, Wisconsin. It has offices in China, India, Cambodia, Vietnam, South Africa, Zambia, and in Corpus Christi, Texas in the US. The ICF has 45 staff members and a network of hundreds of specialists working in over 50 countries on 5 continents. The ICF management has tackled the ambitious task of monitoring the 15 Crane species worldwide. The only complete collection of all Crane species ever assembled are housed at Baraboo, Wisconsin... well worth a visit. Why are we blessed with the ICF located in Wisconsin versus Asia? Because the one crane species in danger of extinction resides in US. In 1941 there were only 16 Whooping Cranes left in the world. They occur only in the US. In 2015 there are approximately 600; 300 in the Texas to Wood Buffalo Canada flock, 100 in Eastern Migratory Population, 25 in Louisiana and the remainder in Florida, zoos, and private collections. The magnificent bird has made a slow recovery, but more needs to be done. To address this issue the ICF management has developed a plan titled “Keeping Whooping Cranes Safe”. In a nutshell the ICF is horrified by the number of Whooping Cranes that have been shot in the last fifteen years. Twenty percent (20 %) of the flock was lost to gun fire. The ICF has proposed raising $150,000 for the program “Keeping Whooping Cranes Safe.” Money will be spent is to create communities that care, involve citizen “Whooper Watchers” in protection, engage hunters in Whooping Crane Conservation, and increase negative consequences for shooting a Whooping Crane. These ideas will take time to develop and deliver, but will make us all more aware of the beautiful Whooping Cranes. For the first eight years that Operation Migration led Cranes to Florida they passed through east Tennessee, landing at Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge. Whooping Cranes became familiar with Hiwassee and felt at home even though outnumbered by Sandhill Cranes. Hiwassee was the place to go to see a “Lifer”. Then a more westerly path was chosen for the migration through Tennessee for safety reasons. The older Whooping Cranes still return to Hiwassee. But one winter, on the migration with Operation Migration, the weather halted the migration in North Alabama. Those cohorts ended up at Wheeler Wildlife Refuge in Alabama instead of flying on to Florida. So now Wheeler has become “The” place to see Whoopers in winter. This fact has led ICF to send a staff member, Liz Condon, to Wheeler. She now has the burden to make “Keeping Whooping Cranes Safe” effective in the Whooping Crane Migration corridor of Tennessee and Alabama All this costs money. Earlier this year ICF contacted Ken Dubke and asked him to raise $10,000. Ken has been a member of KTOS since 1958 and was responsible for organizing the first Crane Festival at Hiwassee. Ken was able to obtain this donation from an anonymous source. At the 100th Anniversary Fall Meeting, October 3, the funds were presented to ICF representative Lizzie Condon. Lizzie Condon will be based at Wheeler Wildlife Refuge area in Alabama, where she hopes to hit the ground running gathering ideas for the tasks ahead. We wish her every success. Bird On! Tony King, Certified Craniac 865-988-6172 The Tennessee Warbler December, 2015 Page 15 Tony passes check to KTOS treasurer Carole Gobert at annual pot-luck picnic at Ijams Nature Center Photo Credit: Billie Cantwell Anonymous donation for $10,000 was presented to Lizzie Condon by Mac McWhirter during 100th Anniversary Fall Meeting in Nashville Photo Credit: Danny Shelton Send corrections & Change of Address Requests To: npmcwhirter@amail.com “THE TENNESSEE WARBLER” Published by the Tennessee Ornithological Society 274 Beech Grove Rd McMinnville, TN 37110 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 - December, 2015