TT^. 2. I '2- &

for members of the Carolina Bird Club, Inc., ornithological society of the Carolinas

Volume 38 Winter’ 1992 Number 5

"Celebrate A Magical, Mystical Place"

"Celebrate a magical, mystical place
called the ACE Basin— 350,000 acres of
forest and wetland deemed worthy of
protection by conservationists in many
walks of life." This is the invitation of
South Carolina Wildlife magazine in a
feature article "South Carolina's Wetland '
Wilderness" based on the book of the same
name by Tom Blagden Jr. The November-
December, 1992 issue also visits the ACE
Basin in its "Field Trip" feature. Once
you see these articles you will
immediately want to make reservations for
the Carolina Bird Club winter meeting
January 29-31, 1993.

Headquarters for die meeting will be the
Holiday Inn, Beaufort, SC. The rate for
up to four persons per room is $48.00
plus 7% tax. Check-in is at 2:00 p.m.
and check-out is at noon. The deadline
for reservations is January 18,
1993. Please iise the form provided in
the Newsletter or call (803) 524-2144. A
deposit of one night's lodging or a credit
card number is required if arrival is to lie
after 6:00 p.m. A 24 hour notice of
cancellation is required for refund of
.deposit.

Directions to the motel: From I-

95. northbound, take exit 8 at Hardeeville
and follow the signs. From 1-95
southbound, take exit 33, then Highway
17 north to Highway 2 1 south. There are
a number of other motels in the area if
alternative accommodations are desired.

Registration for the meeting will
begin on Friday at 3:00 p.m. in the CBC

A SON*

hospitality suite (check with front desk for
location). Refreshments will be provided.
There will also be an opportunity to
register .before the evening meeting.

Evening programs will convene in
the meeting room of the Holiday Inn.
Friday evening will begin at 6:30 p.m.
with a social hour and cash bar. At 8:00
p.m., John Wright, Carolina Bird Club
president, will welcome members and
guests and make announcements. Mike
Provst, Wildlife Biologist with the ACE
Basin, will update us on the ACE Basin
project. A discussion and sign-up for
Saturday field trips will conclude the
program.

The Saturday evening program will
begin at 8:00 p.m. Following a guest
speaker, there will be a count-down of
species seen on Saturday field trips and a
discussion of Sunday field trips.

Field trips will focus on the ACE
Basin, one of the largest, most pristine
and viable estuarine systems in North
America. We will visit Bear Island and

Donnelley Wildlife Management Areas,
ACE Basin National Wildlife Refuge and
Poco Sabo Plantation (privately owned).
Other areas will include Hunting Island
State Park, Savannah National Wildlife
Refuge, Savannah River Spoil Site and
Webb Wildlife Center.

For those who can come in a day early,
Friday Field trips have been arranged.

A schedule of field trips will be available
at the Holiday Inn front desk Thursday
evening. Friday morning field trips will
meet in the Holiday Inn parking lot at
7:00 a.m. All-day trips currently
scheduled are: (1) Bear Island WM A and
Poco Sabo Plantation, (2) ACE Basin
NWR and Donnelley WMA, and (3)
Savannah River Spoil Site and Webb
Wildlife Center. You will need to arrange
for food and drink on these trips. Friday
afternoon trips will begin at 12:00 noon
in the Holiday Inn parking lot.
Destinations will be Bear Island WMA,
ACE Basin NWR, Savannah River Spoil
Site, and Hunting Island State Park.

Saturday will include both all-day and
morning field trips to the same areas as on
Friday. However, due to the distances
involved there will be no afternoon trips
scheduled. The motel can provide a bag
lunch for approximately $5.00.

Sunday field trips will be in the
morning only.

Contact Lex Glover, PO Box 117,
Lugoff, SC 29078 or (8Q3) 438-1703
(evenings) for additional information.

(SMEETTING

The Traveling Birdwatcher

* * >. * . .

A Bird That Counts

When is the last time you saw a bird
that brought tears to yOur eyes?. For me,
it was August 1, 1992. It was a 14-
month old, female California Condor.

She was soaring over the Sespe Condor
Sanctuary in Southern California. The
tears came for two reasons. She was so
huge and beautiful in flight in her own
right, that tears of joy appeared. The grief
for all of her ancestors that have been
exterminated by human actions added tears
of sadness.

My birding friends' first comment has
been "Your can't count that bird on your
list." Maybe this article will help them
understand why my "list" is irrelevant to
this experience. If you are interested in
this adventure and in the Condor Recovery
Team's activities, please read on. For the
purposes of this article I will use the name
condor to refer to the California Condor
( Gymnogyps californianus ). It should be
noted that Andean Condors ( Vultur
gryphus ) have played a vital role in the
program, serving as trial released birds.

I was fortunate to be invited to a
gathering of the men and women who
have worked hard to save the condor, i
flew 3000 miles, drove for five hours, and
hiked two miles in the mid-day sun for a
slim chance to view a condor from a
distance. Thank goodness I took along
my' scope, because she flew up a long way

Carol Cassetti of Lexington, SC is
seeking to educate the public about the
problems faced by Chimney Swifts.

These small insect eating birds are losing
their winter home in Peru because of
deforestation, and they are rapidly being
shut out of their summer nesting sites in
the US and Canada by chimney caps.
Although ethical chimney sweeps will not
disturb a Chimney Swift nest already in a
chimney they are strong advocates of
capping chimneys to keep them out.

Cassetti has issued a plea to
homeowmers to allow their chimneys to
serve as nesting sites for swifts. She also
supports rainforest preservation and urges

Katherine Higgins

away for only about ten minutes. Wijh
her nine foot wing span, she made the
Turkey Vultures look small. She was
magnificent. I'll never forget her.

After viewing the condor, I turned around
to hike back off the mountain. The valley
below vyas covered— invisible due to smog
from Los Angeles (60 miles away). I
thought to my self that we have made the
earth unfit for condors, and we are quickly
making if unfit for ourselves.

The Condor Recovery Team organized
itself years ago when bird lovers and
scientists realized that the bird was
becoming extinct. In April, 1987, the last
condor left alive in the wild was captured.
The population declined due to the effects
on bird's eggs of DDT spread by humans.
The few surviving adults were killed off
from eating lead shot in the carrion they
feed on. There was much controversy
when the decision was made to capture the
last few birds for a captive breeding
program. But if a few brave men and
women had not had the courage to carry
on, the condor would surely be extinct
today.

With the most recently captured birds,
the captive population is now about 60
birds. Last October, two female condors
were released. They live an artificial wild
existence, with humans continuing to feed
the birds "safe" carrion. The risk of lead

Chip Notes

the development of alternative housing.
Anyone with ideas for such housing or
who would like more information on
Chimney Swifts should write to Chimney
Swift Preservation , PO Box 1093,
Lexington, SC 29072.

Wetlands for the Americas has
undertaken a joint venture funded by the
U,S. Fish and Wildlife Service to save the

poisoning is still high, and the death of
even one bird is too high a price to pay
for now. It is hoped that more birds can
be released soon.

The Condor Recovery Team that has
worked so hard— some individuals virtually
dedicating their entire professional careers
to this program— are to be congratulated.
Some critics would say that one single
species is not very significant in the "big
picture." I disagree. I believe that saving
our earth begins with one species, one
recycled can, one less mile in an
automobile. These people are doing as
much as they can, as- we all should.

My birder friends asked me "Why go to
so much trouble to see a bird you can't
put on your list?" My nonbirder friends '
don't understand at all. My reasoning was
that the chance to see a condor was
possibly a "once-in-a-lifetime"
opportunity. There are no guarantees. In
spite of the valiant efforts of the Condor
Recovery Team in California, a .

catastrophic event could wipe out the
condors at any time. There are so few
left. I did not want to take a chance to
miss the condor like I've missed the Ivory-
billed Woodpecker and the Carolina
Parakeet. Believe me, after seeing the
condor, it was worth the effort. If I get
the chance, I'll go again next year.

Eskimo Curlew, one of the most
endangered shorebirds in the world. This
fall WA began coordinating a survey of
the birds in the pampas of Argentina, in
Uruguay, and and the Pantanal in Brazil,
using Golden Plovers and Upland
Sandpipers as indicators. If located, a
program for protecting this almost extinct
species will be initiated.

The first of 45 volunteers went into the
field in early October— no results have
been reported as yet. If any readers have
information about Eskimo Curlews,
please contact Hurnedales para las
Americas, Monroe 2142, 142H Capital
Federal, Argentina, Tel. (541) 781-9171.

Winter Field

Outer Banks Winter Birds

Leaders: Jan Weems, John & Paula Wright Limit:

This wilt be a leisurely trip that
combines bird -watching with a taste of the
history of Nags Head. A visit to the outer
Banks at this time of year provides on
with good opportunities to see large
numbers of wintering waterfowl along
with loons, grebes, herons, and birds of
prey.

The group will meet Friday, January 8,
1993 at 9:00 p.m. for an orientation
session at the First Colony Inn, a newly
restored bed-and-breakfast offering special

rates. Saturday night, Camille Turner
Lawrence of the First Colony Inn will talk
about the history of the Inn and Nags
Head. Participants provide their own food,
lodging and transportation. Continental
breakfasts are provided for Inn guests.
Mention that you are wkh the museum
bird trip when making reservations ( 1 -800-
368-9390). All rooms have refrigerator
and microwave. This trip is cosponsored
by the North Carolina Museum of Natural
Sciences.

January 8-10, 1993

30 Participants Cost: $32

Registration: Send names of each
participant (minimum age 16) and check
payable to NCDA Museum Extension
Fund to: Education Secretary, North
Carolina State Museum of Natural
Sciences, P.O. Box 27647, Raleigh, NC
276 1 1 . Request registration for Program
Number 046. A brochure describing the
program may be obtained by writing or
calling the museum (919) 733-7450.

Huntington Beach and Moore's Landing January 16-17, 1993

Leader: Robin Carter Limit: 15 Participants Cost: $10

Meet at 7:00 a.nv. either or both days at
the S honey's Restaurant next to the Days
Inn on US 17 on the north side of
Georgetown, SC. Come early if you want
breakfast. We will leave at 7:00 a.m.

On Saturday the destination will be
Huntington Beach State Park. Dress
warmly, bring a lunch and water, and be
prepared for a three mile walk along the
edge of a salt marsh and along the beach.
We will walk to the South Jetty of
Murrell's Inlet which is often the birding
hot spot of South Carolina in mid-winter.
Along the way we will skirt the salt
marsh, alert for sparrows (Seaside, Sharp-
tailed, and perhaps something better—
Leconte's is possible), Sedge Wrens, and

rails. At the jetty we should find Purple
Sandpipers, Great Cormorants, Common
and Red -throated Loons, and many other
species. We will hope for a rare gull or
duck. Common Eider, Harlequin Duck,
and even a Razorbill are possible, but by
no means certain. At the base of the jetty
we might find a Lapland Longspur or
something even better. It is easy to spend
the entire day at Huntington Beach,
especially- if rarities have been spotted in
other parts of the park.

Sunday's destination will be the Francis
Marion National Forest (for Red-cockaded
Woodpeckers) and the pier at Moore's
Landing in the mainland part of the Cape
Romain National Wildlife Refuge. We

will visit Moore's Landing near low tide,
when tremendous mud and sandy flats are
exposed in Sewee Bay. We should have
little trouble finding American
Oystercatchers, Marbled Godwits, and
many other shorebirds, gulls, ducks, and
perhaps a Bald Eagle. Sunday's trip will
finish at about lunch time.

There are a variety of motels in
Georgetown. Two of the better (both on
US 17 north of the city) are the Days Inn,
1-800-325-2525 or (803) 546 8441; and
the Carolinian Inn, (803) 546-1514.

Registration: Contact Robin
Carter at (803) 782-8820 to reserve space.
Send registration form with fee to CBC
headquarters.

Oconee County Hot Spots February 20, 1993

Leaders: Teddy and Ned Shuler ; * Limit: 20 Participants Cost: $10

Oconee County, South Carolina boasts
of having 1000 miles of shoreline— not bad
for a county six hours inland from Myrtle
Beach! But we are virtually an island
surrounded by Hartwell lake, the
Chattooga and Tugaloo Rivers, and dotted
with many small mountain lakes. Both
Keowee and Jocassee Lakes are also here;
so naturally we will look for ducks and
other waterfowl on this trip.

Oconee also boasts thousands of acres of
the Sumter National Forest, pastures, and
a variety of other habitats to support

sparrows and varied winter species. Ned
and Teddy will share some of their favorite
birding spots with you.

The nearest motel is a new Days Inn in
Seneca eight miles from Clemson (803)
885-0710 (toll free reservations 800-325-
2525). Clemson also has Ramada,
Comfort, and Holiday Inns.

Meet at 8:00 am in front of Ingles in the
Scenic Plaza Shopping Center at the
intersection of Highway 1 1 (Cherokee
Foothills Scenic Highway) and Highway.
28 between Seneca and Walhalla.

Note: Townville is not far from
Oconee. Those who are interested in
visiting this well known hotspot could
stay over and plan a side tnp there on
Sunday.

Registration: Contact Teddy or
Ned Shuler at (803) 944-0236 to reserve
space. Send registration form with fee to
CBC headquarters.

The twenty participants and leaders of
the Thanksgiving Weekend CBC field trip
to the Outer Banks and Lake
Mattamuskeet put in two full days of
birding. The weekend produced several
good birds on a Saturday which threatened
(but never produced) another soaking rain
and a Sunday of glorious weather. '
Saturday's good birds included Eurasian
Wigeon and Lesser Black-backed Gull at
Pea Island, Pomarine Jaeger and Purple
Sandpiper near the Hatteras Lighthouse,
Peregrine Falcon at Cape Point and Lesser
Golden Plover from the deserted
campground nearby. . The highlight of the
day was the "vigil" at a bird feeder in
Frisco where we waited anxiously for the

Field Trip Report

by John Wright

» b

*

arrival of a pair of White- winged Doves.
They came, as we expected they would, for
they had been coming regularly to the
same feeder for nearly three weeks.

On -Sunday we birded down to Oregon
Inlet before taking off for Lake
Mattamuskeet. Ocean watching in the ‘
morning turned up Brant in addition to a

few "strings" of scoters. The arrival at
Mattamuskeet in early afternoon was
somewhat disappointing because most of
the waterfowl were far beyond scope range
on the lake. We did, however, have some
good land birding, with several Orange-
crowned Warblers among the Yellow-
rumps and a Bald Eagle soaring overhead.

Heading north from Mattamuskeet a
quick roadside stop yielded Brewer's
Blackbird. Our final destination, the First
Colony Farm area near Lake Phelps,
grudgingly yielded five Short-eared Owls
just as darkness closed in.-

Our final tally included about 130
species and more than a few memorable
moments.

Conservation Committee

At CBC's fall meeting in Wilmington,
Dr. Jim Parnell placed a well-aimed jab
which landed home. The gist of Dr.
Parnell’s challenge to our thousand or so
members was to become involved in
conservation efforts now. Many species
of birds have become drastically reduced in
numbers and their necessary habitats are
vanishing. If we, as CBC members, .
expect to continue enjoying our bird
watching pursuits, we had better do what
we can to be sure that there are birds to
pursue. Ouch! Uppercut to the

binoculars! '

During their fall retreat the CBC
Executive Committee agreed with Dr.
Parnell who is now honorary "Father of
the Conservation Committee," and the
person who first said, "what a lovely
idea," has become the new chair of that
committee— namely me. Now I need
your help. President John Wright has
asked me to prepare a slate of interested
members willing to serve on a
conservation committee and present it at
the winter meeting in-Beaufort.

Forming

\ .

The new committee will also need your
ideas about ways to involve our members,
about the scope of Carolina related issues
we should tackle, and about the nuts-and-
bolts of creating an effective conservation
group to represent CBC.

Please write to me soon if you feel that
our cause is worthwhile and that you
would like to help. We should be up and
ready to run by the winter meeting. My
address is: Teddy Shuler, 275 Lake
Cheohee Road, Tamassee, SC 29686,

Tel. (803) 944-0236.

Cornell Ornithologists Warn Against Antifreeze Chemical

Mixing glycerine with water in winter
bird baths could harm the birds that drink
and bathe in the water warn experts at the
Cornell Lab of ornithology. Furthermore,
the risky practice is not particularly
effective for lowering the freezing point of
water, the ornithologists found, and they
recommend electric heaters instead.

"There’s on question that birds need help
finding liquid water in the winter when
their natural water sources freeze," says
Todd Culver, the Lab’s Education
Specialist. "Bird baths that don’t freeze are
a good supplement to feeders for attracting
birds." ‘ ,

However, recent articles in magazines
and newspapers around the country have
recommended using glycerine, an alcohol-
like chemical, as a bird bath antifreeze.

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology has
responded to dozens of inquiries from
concerned bird watchers. *

The Cornell ornithologists conducted
experiments and consulted with wildlife
veterinarians. They found two problems
with using glycerine in bird baths:

"Rather large concentrations of glycerine
must be used to prevent a water bath from
freezing," says Gregory Butcher, director
of the Lab’s Bird Population Studies
Program. "In order to lower the freezing -
point to 15 degrees Fahrenheit, for
example, you need a 30% glycerine
solution," he said of the chemical, which
is a low-level toxin and has a sweet taste.
"Birds that ingest large amounts of the
substance will experience elevated blood
sugar levels, causing hyperglycemia and

possibly death."

"Many birds bathe and preen themselves
in cold weather," says Culver. "If you use
enough glycerine to prevent the water
from freezing, it causes the feathers to

k »

mat. Birds bathe and preen to enhance the
insulation value of their feathers. Matted
feathers are poor insulators and can be
fatal in cold temperatures."

A better solution to the frozen bird bath
problem is an electric immersion-style
heater, which costs only pennies per day
to operate, the Cornell ornithologists'
recommend.

News release provided by Cornell
Laboratory of Ornithology, 159 Sapsucker
Woods Road, Ithaca, NY 14850

December 9 •— Although only two
months have passed since the last
newsletter, we have had some activity—our
100th bird. We identified a Winter Wren
on October 20th. We had seen the little
bird several times before, but we could
never seem to correlate seeing the bird and
having our binoculars with us. Not only
was this pretty little bird a milestone on
our property list, neither CJ nor 1 had one
on our life list, so it was quite a find.

Other than the wren, though, our
backyard birding has been rather slow. .We
usually have a two week lull in the fall
lie fore the winter birds arrive, but this year
the lull lasted nearly six weeks. We were
beginning to think that the winter birds
had forgotten about us this year. In fact,-
we were without our ordinary hordes of
birds for so long that I got excited when I
. saw two House Finches on October 25. I
should have known better.

We had seen a White-throated Sparrow, a
Song Sparrow, and a Brown Creeper two
weeks earlier in the woods, but our feeders
stayed bill. On October 30 we saw a
junco and a Swamp Sparrow, but neither
one was near a feeder .-

We left later that day for Charleston, SC
to visit my brother and sister-in-law, and
while we were there we went birding at
Folly Beach. We saw the usual
shorebirds, but the highlight was meeting
Edwin Gardner who works for the SC
Aquarium. He's doing a project on
dolphins and would like volunteers to help
count them. He thought birders would be
good for this job. If you're interested in
helping him, give him a call at (808) 588-
221 (home) or (803) 724-3786 (work).

On our way back from Charleston we
took a side trip to Huntington Beach State
• Park where we saw more Common
Gallinules than we have ever seen at one
time. We also saw Great Egrets, Tri-
colored, Little Blue and Great Blue
Herons, Ruddy Ducks, grebes, and coots.
One man had seen a Bald Eagle earlier, but
we couldn't stay long enough to see it.

When we got home our back deck Was
empty, and the feeders, were still full.
Where were the birds? The next morning
CJ saw a Woodcock near the pond and a
pair of Wood Ducks on the pond, but it
wasn't until November 6 that our winter
birds arrived-at 8:00 a.m. the back deck
was full of juncoes and goldfinches. I
wondered if the juncoes were the same
ones we had last year because one was

Backyard Birding

with Frances J. Nelson

peering in the front door, and three or four
sat at the edge of the front deck where we
put feed last year.

Later that day, as I walked the big dog
through the woods, the birds were
unusually noisy. I heard Carolina Wrens
and Red-bellied Woodpeckers calling back
and forth, so I figured they were as happy
to have the other birds back as I was. In
addition, I saw Pine Warblers and kinglets
flitting around.

On November 12, before I got home
from work, CJ saw 60-70 Canada Geese
fly low over the creek evidently heading
for Beaver Dam Lake in northern Wake
County and fours miles as the goose flies
from our house. I'm really sorry that I
missed that spectacle, but it’s only fair.
Since I work part time, I get to see more
birds around the house than CJ does.

A week later, I saw at least twenty
vultures in and around our biggest oak
tree. As I got nearer, they flew away, but
they congregated on one of the power line
towers adjacent to our property. That
evening we saw at least 100 on the tower
and nearby trees. I lpve hearing them fly
when they are in a group. They sound
like wind rustling through trees in
October.

The vultures (both Turkey and Black)
were in place every evening, and we
thought about doing some kind of study
on them, but when we returned home after
Thanksgiving in Washington, NC, the
vultures were gone. We see a few flying
around, and CJ discovered that some had
moved to a more protected tower, but now

we only have about 20, and we can't see
them from our trail. We would really like
to learn more about vullures--can anyone
recommend a vulture txx)k?

The vultures left and the House Finches
arrived. Since Thanksgiving we have been
inundated. They were cleaning out the
thistle feeder daily, so we broke down and
bought a House Finch proof thistle feeder.
It works! The goldfinches figured out that
they have to feed upside down (the perches
are above the holes), and the House
Finches don't eat like that. They do mob
the tray beneath the feeder to catch any
falling seeds, but they don't vacuum the
seeds from the feeder itself. The new
feeder has already paid for itself, and the
House Finches aren't going hungry--they
are scarfing up sunflower seeds.

That's about it for our own backyard
birding, but Eloise Potter sent me a
delightful article by Ken Morrison that
was in The Mountaineer, Wainsville, NC.
Birders in Maggie Valley have seen a
white hummingbird at feeders in their
yards. Mr. Morrison spent several hours
on different occasions trying to see the
albino hummer, but of course the bird
failed to show. He did see the Rufous
Hummingbird in a yard in Hyatt Creek
(west of Waynesville). He photographed
the Rufours and sent the pictures to the
Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh,
so if you happen to be in the Raleigh area,
stop by the museum.

Or stop by our place thirteen miles nor
of Raleigh straight up Six Forks Road. If
you can't stop by, then write about your
birds and sent the info to me at 1006
Dogwood Hill Lane, Wake Forest, NC
27587, or call (919) 528-2827.

Red-cockaded
Woodpecker Symposium

Red-cockaded Woodpecker Symposium
III: Species Recovery, Ecology and
Management will’ be held January 25-28,
1993 at the Charleston Marriott Hotel,
North Charleston, SC 29418. For
brochure containing program details and
registration information contact U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service, 75 Spring
Street, S. W. , Atlanta, GA 30303.

In The Field

with Simon R. B. Thompson

»• To handle a small bird is nothing short
of special. Depending’.ou the species, it
lies in the palm of your hand passing on
to you its high body temperature and
rapidly beating heart. To think that a
small bundle of flesh and feathers that
weighs so little can fly thousands of miles
each year on its annual migrations is an
astounding feat. *

’ On October 4 seven members of the
Carolina Bird Club participated in a bird
banding weekend at the home of Evelyn
and Tommy Dabbs and, despite the
appalling weather, banded a healthy
selection of both migrant and resident
South Carolina birds. Bird banding is a .
scientific process that enables us to study
* the migration patterns of birds. Also
summering and wintering population
studies, information on breeding biology,
longevity and ecology are aided by the
process.

. Bird banders are required to be licensed
by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and
we were very privileged that day to have
both Evelyn Dabbs and Lex Glover to
show us the intricacies of removing birds
from the nets and measuring their wing
chords. They were ably assisted by a
whole gang of volunteers and helpers who
seemed to get as much out of the banding
As the leaders did.

The process of banding birds is like
searching for buried treasure. The nets are
strung out in thick vegetation along
cleared paths where the delicate mesh
cannot be damaged by tree limbs and
branches. Once the nets have been opened
they are checked every thirty minutes.

This prevents the birds from getting too
tangled in the nets due to their struggling.
After carefully removing the birds, they
are gently placed into a holding box which
keeps them in the dark prior to banding.
Once removed we aged, sexed and

measured the birds and then carefully
placed an aluminium band on each bird's
leg. This small band displays a number a
a place to contact whenever a bird is
recaptured or found dead.

At the end of our day of banding we had
handled 20 individuals of 13 species.

These ranged from aggressive Cardinals
and Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, armed with
fierce seed cracking bills, to tiny and
seemingly frail American Redstarts,
Magnolia and Black-throated Blue
Warblers. Also looking at the finer
identification features of a Gray-cheeked
Thrush was invaluable.

Ten individuals were also recaptured
which indicated local birds or no
migration going on due to the very rainy
weather.

All in all, despite the weather, we had a
most enjoyable day, and my thanks go all
around to Evelyn and Tommy, Lex and all
who shared their enthusiasm and
knowledge with us.

If you would like to contribute an.,
article or make suggestions on topics for
” In the Field” contact Simon R. B.
Thompson, 109 Bradshaw Road, Tryon,
NC 28782, Tel. (704) 859-6049.

Travels With
Simon

In his capacity as Nature Director of the
Foothills Equestrian Nature Center in
Tryon, NC, Simon Thompson plans and
leads nature oriented ventures all over the
world. Two scheduled for 1993 will be of
special interest to birders:

Visit the Rainforests of the Amazon—
spend a week deep in the rainforest at a
comfortable, rustic lodge. Over 1 50 *
species of birds possible in a week. Feb.

Hummingbird

by Oottie Foy

*

Even after your excellent -article
on hummingbird identification in
the Newsletter (Summer, 1990) I
continue to read in The Chat
about "veteran birders" seeing and
identifying immature male Rufous
Hummingbirds in the field. How
can this be done?

...Wilmington, Washington,
Winston-Salem, Greenville, et al.

It has been known for many years that
immature males and females of several
species of hummingbirds cannot be
identified in the field. A true "veteran
birder" does not taint his reputation by
guessing at, not only a bird's
identification, but its age as well. I wrote
to several of the birders cited, asking, for
their identification criteria, but to date I
have not had the courtesy of a reply.

There is still an enormous amount of
misinformation around both North and
South Carolina. Misguided identifications
such as those mentioned by the
questioners does little to help those birders
(especially novices) who are familiar with
certain ramifications of hummingbird
identification. As I have already stated,
printed positive statements like those
questioned compound an already
perplexing and cohfusing situation. All
are unconfirmed and are hatching year or
females and they cannot be identified in
the field!

Send your humingbird questions to Mrs.
Dorothy J. Foy, PO Box 457, Oriental,
NC 28571.

20-27 and July 24-31.

Venture to the Galapagos Islands— a 1 2-
day visit to Darwin’s islands, the home of
many rare and unusual animals and plants.
Aug. 8-19.

For more information contact Simon R.
B. Thompson, FENCE, 500 Hunting
Country Road, Tryon, NC 28782. Tel.
(704)859-9021.

Membership Application and Order Form

Name — • Address

• * . V

City T : • State, Zip Tel. ( )__ ( )

(home) (business)

Enter/Renew Membership As Indicated Send Materials Indicated

Individual

($12)

Family

($15)

Student

($6)

Affiliate Club

($15)

Library/Institution

($15)

Life ($200) CBC Cloth arm patch $1.50 ea., $1.25 ea. in quantity

Patron ($50) CBC Decals (water type) 75c ea., 50c ea. in quantity

Daily Checklists 10/$ 1.00, 25/$ 1.25, 50/$2.50, 75/$3.75

100/$5.00

Make check payable to Carolina Bird Club, Inc. and mail to PO Box 27647, Raleigh, NC 2761 1

Registration Form

CBC Special Field Trips

Name(s)

Address

(list each participant)
City

State Zip.

Enclosed is my check in the amount of $ _for the following field trips: Huntington Beach/Moore's Landing, Jan. 16

& 1.7, 1993 ($10) Oconee County, February 20, 1993 ($10). I have called the appropriate trip leader to ensure that space is

available. * •

Mail with check to Carolina Bird Club, Inc., PO Box 27647, Raleigh, NC 27611

• • • • i i i • a.a • • > a • ■ i ■ • • • • • • ■ a • a • • • • i i ■ • t • • • • i • • i ■ t • • a t • ■ a • • ■ • • • • • i • a ■ • i a ■ i • a ■ ■ ■ ■ • ■ l ■ • ■ i ■ ■ a • a t > • i i a • i ■ i ■ a • ■ • ■ t a ■ • • i • ■ • ■ i

Holiday Inn Reservation Form

Carolina Bird Club

Winter Meeting, January 29-31, 1993

Name Address - - ■

City , State. ; Zip.

0 * •, , . •

Rooms (up to 4 persons) $48.00 plus tax.

Please reserve room(s) at $48.00 per night. My check for the first night's lodging is enclosed. I will arrive .

and depart ; .

Mail with deposit to Holiday Inn, PO Box 1008, Beaufort, SC 29902 or call (803) 524-2144.

Name(s).

Address.

Registration Form

CBC Winter Meeting, January 29-31, 1993

(list each name for name tags)
City

_ State Zip

Enclosed is my check in the amount of $ for member registrations at $4 each and nonmember registrations

at $5 each. Registration at meeting will be $5 for members and $6 for nonmembers.

Mail with check to Carolina Bird Club, Inc., PO Box 27647, Raleigh, NC 27611

= Welcome New

Members

Anthony C. Duke

Inman, SC

Linda Hutchinson

Charlotte, NC

Laura Moser
Chape) Hill, NC'

-Dan, Pat & Patricia Earnhardt Donald Kepler family

Greenville. NC Hilton Head Island, SC

Stanley Rikard

Savannah, GA

Jerry & Gwen Erazier Peggy King

Moore, SC • Old Fort, NC

W. D. Spearman family

Pickens, SC

Robert Hoekstra family
Winterville, NC

Bobby & Vange Lutfy
Youngsville, NC

Richard & Lois Thorpe

Spartanburg, SC

Executive
Committee Report

The, CBC Executive Committee fall
retreat, which has become ah annual event,
was held this year in Charlotte, NC on
October 24.

The Committee approved a proposal by
Treasurer Bob Wood and Headquarters
Secretary Tullie Johnson to maximize
, income on endowment and restricted funds.
It also received a report from Newsletter
Editor Clyde Smith on plans to go to a
bimonthly publication schedule in 1993
which had been authorized previously by
the Committee. Deadlines for copy will
be January 10, March 10, May 10, July
10, September 10 and November 10.

Preliminary action was taken to
establish a conservation committee to
increase CBC awareness of and

\

involvement in conservation issues. SC
Member-at -Large Teddy Shuler will take
the lead in organizing the committee with
assistance from Secretary Len Pardue.

Progress reports were heard on the work
of the Nominating Committee and Bird
Species Records Committees. Also
reporting was SC Member-at-Large Lex
Glover on a special project to place bird
sighting clipboard stations at key birding
sites in the Carolinas. Details on a pilot
station at Huntington Beach State Park in
South Carolina will be presented to the
Committee at the winter meeting.

Another proposal which will be
investigated for future action is the sale of
CBC T-shirts and related items.

The Committee tentatively scheduled
future seasonal meetings in 1993 for Lake
Lure, NC, May 7-9; Nags Head, NC,
September 24-26; and in 1994 for
Litchfield, SC, January 28-30; Roanoke
Rapids, NC May 13-15; Boone, NC
September 23-25.

The Executive Committee retreat closed
with a thorough discussion of a report
from Chat Editor Herb Hendrickson and
President John Wright on the
establishment of an annual award for
outstanding student research in

ornithology. The basic funding for the' *
award will come from royalties on sales of
Birds of. the Carolinas which were
dedicated to this purpose by authors Eloise
F. Potter, James F. Parnell, and Robert P.
Teulings.. The proposal was approved and
if details can be worked out, the first award
will be made in the fall of 1993.

A Moving Story

« .

Once upon a time there was a faithful
member of the Carolina Bird Club who
failed to receive his CBC Newsletter and
Chat: He missed a meeting announcement
and bird sighting records that were
important to him.

What was the problem? Had he insulted
Clyde Smith or Herb Hendrickson? No,
he had moved and failed to notify the CBC
headquarters scretary of his new address.
Moral: Don't rely on a little bird to tell
us. Send changes of address to Carolina
Bird Club, Inc., PO Box 27647, Raleigh,
NC 27611.

CBC Newsletter is published quarterly by Carolina Bird Club, Inc., the ornithological society of the Carolinas, with
headquarters at Raleigh, NC. CBC is a nonprofit corporation, founded in 1937, with membership open to anyone interested in
birds, natural history and conservation. Members are encouraged to submit items of interest to CBC Newsletter, Clyde Smith,
Editor, 2615 Wells Avenue, Raleigh, NC 27608. ' •

CAROLINA BIRD CLUB, INC.

CB@

P.O. BOX 27647, RALEIGH, NC 2761 1

Nonprofit Organization
U.S. Post Office
Permit No. 1654
Raleigh, NC 27611