CB@ NEWSLETTER for members of the Carolina Bird Club, Inc., ornithological society of the Carolinas Volume 42 July/August 1996 Number 4 Wonderful Beaufort By The Sea September 20 - 22, 1 996 Our Fall CBC meeting is being Beaufort, South Carolina. An uns treasure of the Southeast awaits you city untouched by commercialism no other place, Beaufort affords you a rich, historic past in a warm, friendly setting. Excellent birding, recreation, lodging, dining and shopping will make your trip long remembered. Most of our field trips will be done in the spectacular ACE Basin. Today the ACE Basin is used primarily for wildlife and timber management, recreation and commercial fishing, and limited farming. The basin has enormous natural value because private landowners over a large geographical area have tended it wisely. Undeveloped, the area has not been polluted. These values have drawn national attention to the biologically rich basin of the Ashepoo, Combahee and Edisto (ACE) rivers. Some 350,000 acres in the basin offer some of the best bird watching in South Carolina. More than 50,000 acres are public land providing numerous birding opportunities of over 265 species of resident and migratory birds. Our motel headquarters will be the Holiday Inn, Beaufort, SC. It is located' 2 1/2 miles nw on Highway 2 1 . The rate for our rooms will be $49.00 plus tax. Single (one double bed), double (two double beds) and king (one king bed) rooms are available at this rate. We have blocked rooms for 20-22 September. If you plan to arrive on Thursday, September 19, you need to make your reservation NOW. The hotel usually fills up 2 months in advance due to Parris Island graduation each month. The cutoff for reservations is September 6. Cancellations are required by 6:00 p.m. on the day of arrival. To make reservations use the form provided in the newsletter or phone ( 803)524-2 144 to make a credit card reservation. Indicate that you are making a reservation for the CBC meeting. l)o not use the Holiday Inn Reservation Center 800 number given in the May/June Newsletter, or you will not get the special rate. CBC registration will start at 3:00 p.m. on Friday at the motel. At 6:00 p.m. registration will be moved to the auditorium of the Technical College of the Lowcountry located at 100 Ribaut Road. Turn right at the traffic light across from the motel and go approximately 1 mile. Directions to the college will be available at the motel. A get-acquainted time and refreshments will begin at 6:30 p.m.(no cash bar). At 8:00 p.m., Tom Murphy of the Wildlife Endangered Species Department will tell us about birding the ACE. A flyer will be available at the hotel desk for Thursday early birders. Friday field trips will begin at 7:00 a.m. with full- day and half-da.y excursions. Saturday field trips will also begin at 7:00 a.m. with many half-day and full-day adventures. Please fill out your field trip choices and mail them with your meeting registration as soon as you can, so we will know if we need to add more trips to serve you better. Saturday evening from 7:00 - 8:00 p.m., we can start the night by comparing notes about the day’s birding. At 8:00 p.m. Phil Wilkerson will show slides and share birding adventures. The ACE Basin Boat tour is a trip into serenity. Wynema and I were on the maiden voyage of the tour in Febmary and we loved it. During a calm and peaceful trip, we saw over 50 different species of birds. The cost of the boat trip is $16.00 per person, and this is due when you sign up. Please sign up soon. If the response is sufficient, we will have a trip on Friday also. The boat is a 38 passenger covered pontoon boat with a bathroom. For additional information, contact Van Atkins, 2040 Church Creek Drive, Charleston, SC 29414, phone (803) 766- 7000, fax 556-1592 or V Atkins@AWOD.com. INSIDE The Traveling Birdwatcher 2 Backyard Birding 3 Aggregating Aves 4 Special Field Trips 5 New Members 8 The Traveling Birdwatcher Amazon Adventure by Roger McNeill This past November seven Carolina Bird Club members took off from across the state for a week-long trip to the Iquitos Amazon Basin of Peru. Our goal was specific and easily obtained— see lots of different birds, and immerse ourselves in the natural history of Amazonia. The trip exceeded all our expectations, even those of Amazon veteran and tour orga- nizer, Simon Thompson. We all met in Miami, most of us without a hitch. 1 had been delayed for hours in Raleigh because of a snow storm in Chicago. My four hour layover turned out to be a five minute window and a one- half mile sprint across two Miami terminals. There was no chance my bags would catch up, but, oh well, I had my binoculars, my field guide and notebook, what else could I need? Our flight was enjoyable, we even played Peruvian Bingo for a $ 100 prize on the trip down. A refreshing night’s stay in Iquitos prepared us for the morning speed boat ride down the Amazon proper. We were on our way to the Explorama Lodge, a mere 2,300 miles up river from the Atlantic. At this distance the river was “only” about two miles across. The power of this river is legendary and entire islands appear and disappear at the whim of the river. We swerved the speed boat all the way from Iquitos missing massive trees floating down river to the Atlantic. Upon arrival at Explorama Lodge we immediately entered birder mode. Species we would see by the hundreds later were all new. A five minute walk to the dorms took 45 minutes, but we picked up a bunch of birds! Our accommodations were rustic but very comfortable; open air walls with sleeping quarters of mosquito netting. The luck our group was to have was foreshadowed by a Sunbittem, standing on the roof of our very cabin. A typical day included a walk before breakfast, breakfast, a morning walk or boat trip, lunch, an hour siesta, afternoon walk or boat trip, dinner, species compilation and lastly, optional owling. Before breakfast walks were taken down wide trails out in the open by the river. The forest remained dark until mid- morning, and birding is difficult in these low light conditions. Chestnut-bellied Seedeaters, Lesser Kiskadees, Fork-tailed Palm and Short-tailed Swifts were common in the cleared areas and Whit- eared Jacamar, Straight-billed Woodcreeper and Greater Ani were never missed up and down the main trail. Breakfast was heralded by the beating of traditional native drums and the “Pavlovian Effect” soon had our group heading back for a meal of fruit, rolls, beans, rice and eggs. Birding was possible even at the dining hall table. Had mom been there to tell us to take our binoculars off, we would have missed Glittering-throated Hummingbirds feeding on Ginger flowers and Black- spotted Barbets just outside the kitchen. The after breakfast expedition consisted of boat trips in search of Black-capped Donocobious, White-headed Marsh Tyrant and Oriole Blackbirds, or a walk down the Bushmaster Trail for five species of Manakin. All trips were successful not only in the numbers and looks we had at birds, but also in the multitudes of butterflies, monkeys and other creatures. We managed to see two species of Poison Arrow Frog, Dendrobates ventrimaculatus and Eipedobates trivittatus. The latter was observed transporting it’s tadpoles across the rain forest floor by carrying them on it's back. Most afternoon trips started around one o’clock. Partly because of the local siesta tradition, and partly because it seemed to rain between eleven and one thirty. This afforded group members the time to bird by themselves, take a nap, or stake out a fruiting tree with a scope. Some of the best birding came by sitting on one’s butt and letting the hordes of tropical tanagers land in front of the scope. Paradise, Gree- &-gold, Swallow, Silver-beaked, Magpie, Masked Crimson, Turquoise, and Opal- crowned Tanagers could all be found at a single fruiting tree. These tanagers plus the multitude of honeycreepers, dacnis and barbets kept us busy for hours. Group afternoon walks repeated the same pattern as the morning trips. Two forays were made to marshes where Homed Screamers, Plum-throated Cotinga and a multitude of mixed feeding flocks were encountered. The second half of the trip consisted of a stay at the Explomapo Camp, a slightly more rustic and deeper jungle experience. The camp is located 47 miles down river from the Lodge, up the Napo and Sucusari Rivers. Napo camp is the gateway to ACEER an amazon research camp which has one of three canopy walkways in the world. The walkway is over 10 stories high and twists and turns for over 400 meters above the tree tops. Screaming Pihas called all around. Greater Yellow-headed and King Vultures flew just feet over our heads, and a White-necked Puffbird sat high abover the forest floor but a eye level for us. The trails surrounding Napo Camp (Continued on page 4) This spring produced some of the best backyard bird viewing of our 17 years here in Green Level, in western Wake County, NC. Little did we know the usual 36 Evening Grosbeaks would become 1 10, most often 70 each day, from mid-December to May. They ate 75 to 100 pounds of seed per week , but the startling sight was worth it, and many people came to see them. As they awakened me each morning, I became so attuned to them that I could tell whether there were 50, 70, or 1 00, just by the sound. On a very cold April 6, the Yellow- rumped Warblers mingled under the pear tree with 30 American Goldfinches and 8 White-throated Sparrows while Field Sparrows sang from the broomstraw across the road. The next week hummingbirds arrived, and swifts moved into the chimney again. Chickadees nested in the blu- ebird box. April 19 brought our first Rose-breasted Grosbeaks since February 20, 1988, and the Whip-poor- will started his night song from the pond across the road. Rebekah Huggins, from her farm in Pisgah Forest, NC, reported a Merlin that same day and a repeat nesting of Eastern Screech Owls with four babies in the Wood Duck boxes (their largest number yet, they usually get three). Her 31 Evening Grosbeaks “almost ate us out of house and home” from February 9 to May 1 . She hosted six Rose-breasted Grosbeaks May 1-9, saw a Belted Kingfisher with young, and heard a Black-billed Cuckoo. A new yard bird for her, an Acadian Flycatcher, appeared early June. The next week in Green Level, Indigo Buntings arrived and then came daily for the millet. April 29 was most memorable — the day the Wood Thrushes arrived. At dusk, we opened wide the French doors, pulled up big wicker chairs, and listened to nothing but the tinting of five Wood Thrushes as they sang in the rain from the lowground. Jennifer Maher’s (Raleigh) son complained in early spring that his basketball net was frayed, possibly from the icy winter. But in early May, Jennifer saw a female Summer Tanager land on the basketball goal rim at the edge of their heavily- wooded backyard. Backyard Birding with Martha K. Brinson Even with Jennifer just below, the unfazed bird began pulling nylon fibers out until she had a beak full, then flew off. This went on for several days. Occasionally, the male appeared but never participated. When she pulled strands from mid-air, “she looked just like a fish on a line.” The net now hangs by three strands. Gail and Herman Lankford of Raleigh got Chipping Sparrows April 15; 3 Indigo Buntings the 16th; their first Red-eyed Vireo the 20th; a Panda, Prairie Warblers, and a House Wren the 22nd; swifts the 27th; a Catbird May 2; and hummers May 3. On May 4, they saw an American Redstart male, a Great-Crested Flycatcher, and two Common Yellow- throats and heard a Bob-white. May 7 brought a Scarlet Tanager. A pair of Wood Thrushes have remained and sing daily. Frances Nelson saw a Scarlet Tanager May 3, a female Rose-breasted Grosbeak May 4, joining an already-arrived male, and their first Chestnut-sided Warbler May 6. Their bluebirds fledged tixi this year, and Carolina Wrens nested in their garage. A female Wood Duck crossed the driveway with 1 2 babies trailing behind; they swam across the pond to the other side and never returned. Back in my yard I heard a Great- Crested Flycatcher May 12, and May 19 the Chimney Swifts, Titmice, Cardinals, Thrashers, and Chickadees fledged. A male Orchard Oriole ate buds from the river birch, and I saw an Eastern Kingbird. I checked my neighbors’ two baby bluebirds in their nest lined with squares of cellophane. A patch of blue under the nest turned out to be a male bluebird, which I removed. Weeks later the neighbor caught sparrows building a nest on top of the female bluebird. May 25, bluebirds came when our chickadees left, with four eggs by. June 15. Pine Warblers pecked at persimmon buds, which sounded like rain as they dropped. After strong winds blew in May 27, an Eastern Wood Peewee appeared briefly, perching on a tomato stake. In early June, a female Blue Grosbeak arrived, then the male. Just then, three male Indigo Buntings appeared, with a male bluebird on a wire above, altogether quite a study in blue. A pair of Brown- headed Nuthatches flitted about in the pines. American Goldfinches veered through the yard in perfect formation like a school of fish. Fledgling Hairy W oodpeckers squeaked m the pecan tree, and a second brood of Titmice young mingled with the earlier set, with one hanging upside down on the peanut silo. Orchard Orioles tended their nest in the tall cedars. Across the road, a pair of bluebirds took turns hovering at a crack between bam boards. When 1 peered in, peering back was a black snake. A Northern Panda sang in full view from a field pine, and I heard a Bob-white. In mid-June an immature Red-bellied Woodpecker tried out some suet while two White-breasted Nuthatches pecked at the sweetgums. Three Downy Woodpeckers, all clinging to one peanut silo, beaked each other, sending the silo into a spin. The spring viewing has been great, but since backyard birding isn’t everything. Bob and 1 are heading out for eight days of birding in Wyoming. 1 want to thank Herman and Gail Lankford, whom I find to be inspiring birders, for introducing me to CBC, and 1 look forward to hearing from more of you about the birds in your backyard. — Martha (6/2X/96) 4300 Green Level Road, Apex, NC 27502, (919)362-4724. Aggregating Aves by Bob Wood ■< Amazon (continued from page 2) and ACEER harbor had some very special Amazon species. Black-necked Red Cotinga and Pavonine Quetzal are very localized, but were found here. We encountered over thirty species of bird that had the word “ant” in their name. As anyone who had birded the tropics can attest “ant” birds are some of the toughest species to find and identify. You thought fall warblers and empidonax flycatchers were tough!? We encountered one Army Ant swarm with an attending Black-spotted, Bare-Eye and Scale-backed Antbird. They were raiding another ant species nest and you could actually smell the formic acid as the ants passed at our feet. Had we not spotted the Bare-Eye, we would have-walked right into the ants’ path— serious pain!!! Along the fringes of the ants Were other mixed feeding flocks. We found it difficult to walk most any trail and not come back with a new bird or two. Every different tropical habitat contained different species of wildlife. This diversity was attested to by birding river islands. Birding a one to two-year- old river island contains one group of .birds— Pied Lapwings, Plain-crowned Spinetail. A three to five-year-old island contains a completely different set of birds— Red-&-White and Dark-breasted Spinetails, Striped Cuckoos and Lesser Homeros. Mature river islands had Orange-fronted Plushcrowns, Cinnamon Attilas and Pale-legged Homeros. All in all, over 260 species of birds were identified by the group, with 240 being seen by most members. Ten species of mammal were observed, including Gray and Pink River Dolphin, White lipped Peccary, four species of monkey, Agouti and a very cuddly Paca. ' ■* Once you visit this part of the world you will become enchanted and wish to return over and over. Its a wonderful place for all levels of naturalist. Keep your calendars open for a return trip January 18-25, 1997. We will be joined by the premier regional birder, a native of the forest, for the entire week. This promised to add anew dimension to our trip. Information can be requested by calling either myself at (910) 349-4376 or Simon Thompson at (704) 684-1741. Hope to see you in the tropics! 1501 Walnut Street, Reidsville, NC 27320. We all know that geese come in gaggles and that quail come in coveys. And many of us have wondered why it’s crows, rather than killdeer, that come in murders. Bert Fisher and I were wondering just that when we were returning from our first-ever Big Day. We didn’t set any records, but in our state of stupor we came up with the following substitutes for the regular list. With some junkyard help from Lex Glover: A parting of Double-crested Cormorants An ego of Great Cormorants A herd of Cattle Egrets A stick of C innamon Teal A chain gang of Northern Shovelers A sorority of Redheads A circus of Harlequin Ducks A tribe of Oldsquaws A Klan of H ooded Mergansers A conspiracy of Masked Dudes A wave of Surf Scoters A confederacy of Mississippi Kites An audience of Clapper Rails A loose affiliation of Solitary Sandpipers A snitch of Wandering Tattlers A tangle of Red Knots An infection of Parasitic Jaegers A comedy of Laughing Gulls A smidgeon of Little Gulls A Waterloo of Bonaparte’s Gulls A Sea of Caspian Terns A loaf of Sandwich Terns A stable of Bridled Terns A chimney of Sooty Terns A blade of Razorbills A quarry of Rock Doves A funeral of Mourning Doves An asylum of Yellow-billed Cuckoos A farm of Ram Owls A blizzard of Snowy Owls A saloon of Barred Owls A slum of Common Poorwills A waist of Belted Kingfishers A pillow of Downy Woodpeckers A barbershop of Hairy Woodpeckers A T-ball team of Least Flycatchers A forest of Tree Swallows An account of Bank Swallows A canyon of Cliff Swallows. A school of Fish Crows A dealership of Bewick’s Wrens A neighborhood of House Wrens A season of Winter Wrens A recluse of Hermit Thrushes A Cord of Wood Thrushes A sassing of Northern Mockingbirds A dripping of Cedar Wax wings A drunk of Red-eyed Vireos A plantation of Magnolia Warblers A longing of Pine Warblers A grove of Palm Warblers An integration of Black-and-white Warblers A kitchen of Ovenbirds • A bayou of Louisiana Waterthrushes A derby of Kentucky W arblers A T ara of S carlet Tanagers A canvas of Painted Buntings A river of Savannah Sparrows A mona stery of Vesper SpaiTows A plague of Grasshopper Sparrows A chorus of Song Spartows An emancipation of Lincoln’s Sparrows A flurry of Snow Buntings A dismal of Swamp Sparrows . A junkyard of Rusty Blackbirds A tankard of Brewer’s Blackbirds A fleet of Boat-tailed Grackles We are gravely concerned that some people might have the idea that Palm Warblers come in handfuls rather than groves and would appreciate it if members of the Club could help correct that misconception. CBC Fall Meeting, Beaufort, SC Field Trip Registration Form Name Address (duplicate for additional registrants) City. State Zip Phone ( ) Select the field trips for which you wish to register. Please register early so that additional field trips may be scheduled if needed. Friday and Saturday early trips will leave from the city parking lot across the street from the motel. The noon 1/2 day trips will leave from the motel parking lot. Participants will need to bring water and food. Friday All Day Trips 7:00 a.m. Donnelly Wildlife Management Area Pete Laurie 7:05 a.m. Bear Island Wildlife Management Area Charlie Walters 7:10 a.m. Bonny Hall — Westvaco Tract Mike Aldenderfer Friday 1/2 Day trips 7:20 a.m. Hunting Island State Park Ben Smith 7:25 a.m. Donnelly Wildlife Management Area Bob Maxwell 1:00 ii. m. Huntmg Island State Park Ben Smith 1:05 p.m. Savannah National Wildlife Refuge and Webb Unit Pete Worthington 1:10 p.m. Cheehaw Combahee Plantation Bob Chinn 1:15 p.m. Donnelly Wildlife Management Area Lex Glover 1:20 p.m. ACE Basin Combahee Unit Van Atkins Saturday All Day Trips 7:00 a.m. Bear Island Wildlife Management Area Perry Nugent 7:05 a.m. Donelly Wildlife Management Area Dennis & Lynn Burnett 7:10 a.m. Bonny Hall - Westvaco Tract Mike Aldenderfer 7:15 a.m. Cheehaw Combahee Plantation Bob Chinn 7:20 a.m. Savannah National Wildlife Refuge and Webb Unit Graham Dugas 7:25 a.m. Hunting Island State Park Ben Smith 7:30 a.m. ACE Basin Combahee Unit Charlie Walters 7:35 a.m. ACE Basin Boat Tour ($16 fee required) Van Atkins (if filled 1 would would not be willing to schedule on Friday) Saturday 1/2 Day Trips 8:00 a.m. Huntmg Island State Park Jack Peachey 8:05 a.m. Donnelly Wildlife Management Area Pete Laurie 8: 10 a.m. Bear Island Wildlife Management Area Lex Glover 8:15 a.m. ACE Basin Combahee Unit Bob Maxwell 1:00 p.m. Huntmg Island State Park Bob Maxwell & Jack Peachey 1:05 p.m. Donnelly Wildlife Management Area Gift Beaton 1:10 p.m. Bear Island Wildlife Management Area Lex Glover 1:15 p.m. ACE Basin Combahee Unit Pete Worthington Sunday trips will be discussed Saturday night. Mail with meeting registration form to Carolina Bird Club, Inc„ P.O. Box 29555, Raleigh, NC 27626-0555 Fall Meeting Field Trip Descriptions Hunting Island State Park - Beautiful scenery, easy walking, Good Birds! This field trip covers a variety of habitat - Maritime forest, lagoon, mud flats, four miles of beach and ocean. We should see lots of herons, egrets, shore birds and perhaps a good number of migrating warblers. There is also a beautiful lighthouse that is open to the public. Bonny Hall Club - It was the first tract of land purchased for a NWR. It contains 832 acres and is located on the Combahee River. Song birds as well as waders should be in this area. * Westvaco Track - Located on the Combahee River it is a combination of forested pine, hardwoods, marsh, ponds and bottom land hardwoods. A great habitat for a variety of passerines, rails and wading birds. * Bear Island WMA - Located between the Edisto and Ashepoo rivers covering some 13,000 acres of marsh impoundments, tidal marshes, woodlands and agricu- ltural lands. We should see Wood Storks , Glossy Ibis, Black Neck Stilts and many shore birds, Perhaps Eurasian Collared-Dove and maybe White- winged Dove. Donnelly WMA - This 18,000 acres of property is a cross section of the Lowcountry, wetlands, managed rice fields, forested wetlands and a natural stand of long leaf pine. Common Snipe, American Pipit, American Avocet and Glossy Ibis can be found at the causeway by the lodge. Savannah NWR - A gem of seven miles of driving the causeways with plenty of places to pull over and explore great birding areas and to check out the Purple Gallinules. Webb Wildlife Center - One of the few places we will see Red-cockaded Woodpeckers on our trips. This is a small refuge but a gem. Cheehaw Combee Plantation - This is a Private plantation owned by Hugh Lane, He also owns Willtown Bluff Plantation, both of which are in the ACE Basin Project. It borders on the Combee River and is managed for waterfowl and upland birds. * ACE Basin Combahee Unit - Managed for wildlife diversity and offers excellent birding from several access points. Painted Buntings are abundant as are wading birds and shore birds in the fall and winter. * ACE Basin Boat Tour - This area consist of more than 100,000 acres of salt marshes, mud flats, front beach, maritime forest and estuarine waters providing resident and migratory habitat for a great variety of coastal birds. The trip is 3 or 4 hours on a 35 foot covered pontoon boat with a bathroom. The trip cost $16.00 (due at sign up-ASAP). If we have enough we will have a Friday trip also. * These locations do not have rest room facilities. CBC Fall Field Trips September 28, 1996 Limit: 12 participants Cost: $10 Mahogany Rock Leader: Will Cook Mahogany Rock, iti Alleghany County, NC, at Blue Riclge Parkway milepost 235, often has a spectacular number and variety of migrant warblers and hawks in the Fall. We will spend the morning looking for mixed flocks of warblers and other passerines. There may be dozens of Tennessee Warblers and others that are more common here than further east, but you never know what will show up on a given day. Philadelphia Vireos are regular at this spot and the rarer warblers, Mourning, Connecticut and Kirtland’s, are possibilities; I've Seen all of these here either in fall ‘94 or ‘95. In the early afternoon we will help out the regular hawk watchers, some of whom spend every weekend in September and October scanning the skies and identifying distant specks. If . 'V \ i V > we’re lucky, we will see hundreds of Broad-winged Hawks, but we could be socked in and see none. A picnic lunch and beach blanket are recommended although fast food is available in nearby Sparta, later in the afteijioon, we’ll try some other spots along the Parkway for more migrant passerines then head to Sparta for dinner and to tally the day’s results. Lodging is available in Sparta at the Alleghany Inn (919) 372-2501. There are also a variety of fast food joints and a couple of decent restaurants. The group will meet at 7:00 a.m. at the Mahogany Rock Overlook, Blue Ridge Parkway milepost 235. If you want to listen for nocturnal thrush calls— this may be a great spot for it— arrive before dawn. Registration: Call Will Cook at (919) 967-5446 or e-mail cwcook@acpub.duke.edu to reserve space and for more details. Mail registration form with $10 fee to CBC Headquarters only after reserving space. October 5, 1996 Cost: $13 (+$12 for boat, payable at dock) Birding at Cape Lookout National Seashore Leaders: Russ and Patricia Tyndall Limit: 10 Participants Trip participants will meet in the parking lot of the Best Western Buccaneer in Morehead City at 5:45 a.m. We will carpool to Barbour’s Marina on Harkers Island and be ferried to Cape Lookout. We plan to be birding at the Cape by 7:00 a.m. and ■ will return to Harker’s Island about 12:30 p.m. The focus of this trip will be passerine migrants, however, the Cape is also and excellent vantage point to observe seabird and raptor migration. The boat trip from Harker’s Island to the Cape can offer interesting birding, also. Potential participants of this trip should remember: -Mosquitoes and other biting insects can be ferocious at the Cape, especially in calm conditions. Bring plenty of repellent and “dress defensively.” -Weather may be hot, cold, windy or wet. Sunscreen is absolutely essential. -The number and variety of migrants at Cape Lookout will be very dependent on weather conditions. Fortunately, the isolated geography of the island makes it likely (but not certain) that we will see at least a few migrants. -Participants should plan to take plenty of water with them. There is no place on the island to purchase beverages, and temperatures could be warm. Quite a bit of walking may be necessary on this trip, and the more water you have to drink the better! -Shelter is limited in the area we will be birding. -There are no restrooms on the section of the island where we plan to bird. Our references are contradictory on this point, however, we have never noticed restrooms on previous trips. For more information on birding at Cape Lookout, read the appropriate sections of A Birder’s Guide to Coasted North Carolina by John Fussell. If weather conditions make the ferry trip impractical or hazardous, the group will instead bird Fort Macon, Bogue Banks and the Croatan National Forest until early afternoon. Registration: To sign up, call. Russ or Patricia Tyndall at (919) 556- 6541 between 6:00 and 10:00 p.m. Mail registration form with $ 1 3 fee to C BC Headquarters only after reserving space. Birding S.E. Arizona in Style by Clyde Smith If you are the kind of birder who sleeps in the back of your tmck when you are off chasing birds and consider a cold shower in a campground the height of luxury, this article is not for you. However, if you like to bird with a few more creature comforts occasionaly, I want to let you in on a great find. When I was planning our recent trip in June, 1996, to Arizona and New Mexico, fellow CBC member John Watson had strongly recommended that we visit the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area in southeast Arizona. On the basis of his recommendation and an ad in Birder’s World magazine, I scheduled two nights at Casa de San Pedro, a bed and breakfast inn about 21 miles south of Sierra Vista, AZ. We were nearing the end of our two week trip and had spent the previous night in San Antonio, NM, at the sort of bed and breakfast room in a private home which we had become accustomed to on our visits to Canada. We were not prepared for what we found when. we arrived at Casa de San Pedro. Casa de San Pedro is a Territorial style inn built around a courtyard and fountain. It is exquisitely decorated and furnished with hand-carved furniture from Mexico in an effort to capture the atmosphere of the old inns of Spain and Mexico. While I was there, one of the partners (75 . partners, most of them birders, were involved in the construction of the inn which opened in November, 1995) was installing an antique ranch bell outside the massive 200-year-old front doors imported from Mexico. Ten guest rooms, each with a private bath and either king size beds or two double beds, offer comfort and elegance to rival the best luxury hotels. At $95.00 per day the rate is moderate by American B & B standards. A hill gourmet breakfast is served in the dining room at 7:30 each morning, and in the evenings home-made fruit pies and coffee or tea are available to insure that you don’t go to bed hungry. A great room is also available for reading and relaxing. Both rooms have large windows for observing feeders which attract a variety of birds. Because of the proximity of the San Pedro River you can bird before breakfast if you are an early riser, or if you plan to go further afield, an earl y-bird breakfast is also available. During oiir stay, a honeymooning couple were served breakfast at 9:00 a.m. on the patio, but they weren’t interested in birds. I was fortunate that on my first morning there I was invited to bird with Dick Barth of California, one of the investors in the inn. On the second morning we were joined by a partner, Craig Anderson of Phoenix. Both knew the local birds well, and I built my Arizona list rapidly. None were rarities, but I was especially impressed with the Black-throated Sparrow, Towsend’s Warbler and Vermilion Flycatcher. In addition to the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area, Casa de San Pedro is a convenient base for birding Madera canyon, Patagonia, Empire Cieniga, Garden Canyon and Ramsey Canyon. For more information and reservations call (520) 366-1300 between 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Arizona time. A Day For Sandhill Cranes Grade Gooch, Refuge Guide at Okefenokee NWR, has extended an invitation to CBC members to attemd. their annual “Sandhill Crane Awareness Day,". February 8, 1997. Activities will include lectures, slide presentations, guided bird walks, boat tours, folk music and a workshop for youngsters. “Eagle Lady,” Ms. Doris Mager, will present live Bald Eagles, a Golden Eagle, Caracara, and a Great- horrted Owl . This program is- sponsored by Suwannee Canal Recreation Area, Okefenokee Wildlife League, and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. For details contact Grade Gooch at Okefenokee NWR, Rt. 2, Box 3330, Folkston, GA 31537, tel. (912) 496- 7836. If At First You Don’t Succeed, . . . At the CBC spring meeting at Fontana, the membership voted to amend the. club by-laws to require quarterly financial statements raather than the current schedule which requires only three financial statements each year. The proposed amendment was published in the March/ April CBC Newsletter, but it contained a mistake which was corrected at the meeting by an amendment from the floor. The amended pro- vision passed. However, club by-laws do not allow for amendments from the floor. Therefore, the Executive Committee will resubmit the amendment to the membership at the fall meeting in Beaufort, SC. The following text of the amendment is as it should have been published originally and as it was approved at Fontana: Article V The Treasurer: (2) shall report to the Executive Committee all monies received and disbursed in the name of the Club through financial statements prepared for the following periods: (a) 1 January to 30 April 1 January through 31 March (b) 1 January to 3 1 August 1 January through 30 June (c) 1 January to 3 1 December 1 January through 30 September (d) 1 January through 31 December (Comment: The By-Laws currently call for only three 'statements each year.) Membership Application and Order Form Name . City t State, Enter/Renew Membership As Indicated Individual ($15) . Affiliate Club ($20) Family ($20) . Contributing ($35) Student ($10) . Patron ($50) Librar y/lnsti tution ($15) _ Life ($250) Make check payable to Carolina Bird Club, Inc. Address Zip Tel.. ( ) ( )_ . . (home) (business) Send Materials Indicated CBC Cloth arm patch $1.50 ea., $1.25 ea. in quantity CBC Decals (vinyl stick-on) $2.00 ea., $1.75 ea. in quanity _Daily checklists 10/$ 1, 25/$ 1.2, 50/$2.50, 75/$3.75, 100/$5 and mail to PO Box 2955, Raleigh, NC 27626-0555 Registration Form CBC Special Field Trips Name(s)_ Address City State Zip Telephone! ) (day) ( ) (evening) Enclosed is my check in the amount of $ for the following field trips: Mahogany Rock ($10), Cape Lookout ($13). I have called the appropriate trip leader to ensure that space is available. Make check payable to Carolina Bird Club, Inc., and mail to PO Box 29555, Raleigh, NC 27626-0555 Holiday Inn Reservation Form Carolina Bird Club Fall Meeting, September 20-22, 1996 Name ! Address ■ City State Zip Rooms are $49.00 plus tax Please reserve single double kmg room at $49.00 per night. My check for the first night’ s lodging is enclosed. 1 will arrive and depart . Mail with deposit to Holiday Inn of Beaufort, Attn: Kerri Golmon, PO Bos 1008, Beaufort, SC 29902 or call 1-803-524-2144 Registration Form CBC Fall Meeting, September 20-22, 1996 Name(s) Address. (list each name for name tags) City State Zip . Enclosed is my check in the amount of $ for member registrations at $6 each, nonmember registrations at $7 each and $16 for each person registered for the ACE Basin boat tour. Mail with check payable to Carolina Bird Club, Inc., PO Box 29555, Raleigh, NC 27626-0555 Welcome New Members Clarence E. Ballenger III Trenton, NC John & Bobbie Huggins Mt. Pleasant, SC Charlotte & John Presley Raleigh, NC Patricia Caruso Piedmont, SC Paula A. Lareau Simpsonville, SC Olivia J. Smith Charleston, SC Ai & Betsy Catlett Henderson, NC Sue & Phil Lessner Simpsonville, SC Hilary Vinson Asheville, NC Aaron Cook Valdese, NC David Johnson Leicester, NC Lenore Wade Charlotte, NC Ann Newsome & Doug Deneve Winston-Salem, NC Mrs. Weldon Jordan Fayetteville, NC Charles Walters Charleston, SC Edie E. Haller * Warrenville, IL Dee & Neil Pederson Camilla, GA While I was on vacation in Arizona, my Mac SE died a natural death after Adobe HomePublisher, my new page- layout program. seven years of faithful service. With a Newsletter deadline approaching, 1 had to act fast. I acquired a new Mac Performa with 8 MB of RAM and 1 gigabyte hard disk. It is equipped with software which will convert most common Mac and PC word processing programs to my word processor, ClarisWorks, which I can then import to Thefore, 1 will welcome your 3 1/2” floppy disk when submitting articles for publication, but also include hard copy, just in case. Clyde Smith, Editor CBC Newsletter is published bimonthly by Carolina Bird Club, Inc., the ornithological society of the Carolirias, with headquarters at Raleigh, NC. CBC is a nonprobit 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. Submission deadline is the 10th of January, March, May, July, September and P.0. Box 29555, Raleigh, NC 27626-0555 Nonprofit Organization U.S. Post Office Raleigh, NC Permit No. 1654 3000 E 0 142 SMITHSONIAN LIBRARIES NHB 25-MRC 154 WASHINGTON DC 20560 CBC Newsletter is printed on 100% recycled paper with 60% post-consumer content