OB® NEWSLETTER for meinbers of the Carolina Bird Club, Inc., ornithological society of the Carolines Volume 45 November/December 1999 Number 6 Beaufort in Winter - First Meeting of the 21st Century The Carolina Bird Club winter meeting will be held in Beaufort SC, January 28- 30,2000. . If you were there in September of 1996, you know what a great place it is. If you didn't make it then, you have a pleasant surprise waiting for you. Beaufort is on the water with breathtaking views. Nature at it's best, and all you have to do is enjoy it. There are many historical homes to see along tree-lined streets. Excellent birding, recreation, lodging, dining, and shopping will make your trip come back to your mind for time eternal. Many of the field trips will be in the ACE Basin. 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. Our motel headquarters will be the Holiday Inn in Beaufort, SC, located on Hwy. 21. Phone (843)- 524-2144. Be sure to use the three-letter code CBC to make your reservations. Make your reservations early; the motel usually fills up two months in advance due to Parris Island graduation each month. Registration will start at 11:00 a.m. Friday morning at the motel and move in the evening to our meeting place at the auditorium of the Technical College of the Lowcountry. The auditorium is located at 100 Ribaut Road. Turn right at the traffic light across from the motel and go approximately one mile. The auditorium is on the right side. A get-acquainted time and refreshments (no cash bar) will begin at 6:30 p.m. At 8:00 p.m. Bill Elliot and John Cely will be talking to us about tracking Swallow-tail Kites with transmitters. A bird-on-your-own flyer will be available at the motel desk for Thursday early birders. Friday field trips will start at 7:00 a.m. with full and half- day excursions. Saturday field trips will also begin at 7:00 a.m. with many half-day and full-day adventures. Please complete your Meeting and Field Trip Registration Form and mail it as soon as you can so that we will know if we will need to add more trips to serve you better. Saturday evening from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. we can compare notes on the day’s birding. At 8:00 p.m. Bill Hilton Jr. from York, SC, will be talking about “Hummingbirds Future Seasonal Meetings Spring 2000: Blowing Rock, NC May 5-7 Fall 2000: Fort Caswell, NC September 29-October 1 Winter 2001: Atlantic Beach, NC January 26-28 Spring 2001: Asheville/Hendersonville, NC Fall 2001: Santee, SC Winter 2002: Nags Head, NC Suggestions for future meeting places are welcome. Contact a member of the Executive Committee. and Hamburgers” ( The Tropi Connection). I have not set up an ACE Basil tour as the weather may be a little ra^n January - - but - - if, as time gets closer, the weather cooperates, I will post something on the CBC Web site: http://members.aol.com/cbirdclub. We will have a short boat trip over to Pritchard Island that you will love. There will be a morning and afternoon trip Friday and Saturday. Each trip is limited to 20 people, and the cost will be $5.00 per person. There will also be a wagon ride tour on Bear Island Friday and Saturday mornings. People who have trouble walking far and non-birding spouses who wish to register for this trip should so indicate, and we will give you priority. The limit is 35 each day. For additional information contact Van Atkins, 2040 Church Creek Dr., Charleston, SC. 29414. Phone (843) 766- 7000, Fax (843) 556-1592 or e-mail: vatkins@awod.com. Fait Meeting 2 Backyard Birding 3 Christmas Bird Counts 4 Mlni-Breeding Bird Surveys 7 New Members 10 Floyd Couldn’t Dampen Spirits by Patricia Tyndall * CBC Newsletter Published bimonthly by Carolina Bird Club, Inc. President: Len Pardue, 16 The Circle, Asheville, NC 28801 , 828- 254-7618, E-mail; eljeep® mindspring.com Vice Presidents: Charlotte Goedsche, Asheville,NC John Wright, Greenville, NC Andrea Ceselski, Irmo, SC Sect: Kathleen O’Grady, Columbia, SC Treas: Patricia Tyndall, Vyake Forest, NC NC Members-at-large: John Huggins, Pisgah Forest, NC JoAnn Martin, Ellenboro, NC Lynn Barber, Raleigh, NC Bob Holmes, New Bern, NC SC Members-at-large: Van Atkins, Charleston, SC Carroll Richard, Hampton, SC Immediate Past President: Bert Fisher, Durham, NC Editor of The Chat: Bob Wood, Columbia, SC Editor of CBC Newsletter: Clyde Smith, 2615 Wells Ave, Raleigh, NC 27608, 919-781-2637, E-mail: Smith82534@aol.com (submit * items of interest by the 1 0th of the first month of publication) Headquarters Sect: Tullie Johnson, 11 W Jones St, Raleigh, NC 27601-1029 (submit application for membership, change of address) CBC Newsletter is printed on 100% recycled paper with 60% post- consumer content CBC Rare Bird Alert (704) 332-BIRD An uninvited guest named Royd tried to keep Carolina Bird Club members from visiting Charleston, SC., in September, but the storm, which did hit parts of North and South Carolina hard, could not stop the fall meeting. Though not all the registered members could attend, those who did were treated to good birds, terrific programs and cooperative weather. Van Atkins, SC. meniber-at-large, organized field trips to plantations, gardens, beaches and historic Charleston sites. The beautiful scenery was only matched by good bird sightings including, Philadelphia Vireo, Nashville and Wilson warblers, Sora and a Dickcissel. Two terrific speakers presented programs on Friday and Saturday. Tom Blagden shared his breath-taking pictures of nature in SC. Blagden had a series of photos from a recent photo shoot on Wood Storks. The audience was treated to up-close pictures of nesting Wood Storks and were certainly thankful that we did not have to climb through the swamp .and up the tower Blagden had to use to photograph the birds. Everyone in attendance learned interesting facts about hummingbirds from Bob and Martha Sargent of Alabama. The Sargents, who founded The Hummer/Bird Study Group, Inc. in 1993, wowed the crowd with several up-close photos of common and rare hummingbirds they have banded over the years. CBC members also learned about ways to attract hummingbirds to their yards. The Sargents shared their secrets of the best plants to have, care for feeders and control of pests. The Sargents have banded more than 9,000 Ruby-throated Hummingbirds at their home and banding station in Clay, Alabama and have banded and documented several rare visiting hummingbird sightings in North and South Carolina. Bylaws amended During a business session the membership approved changes to the bylaws which allow for the membership dues to be increased for the coming year. The new membership categories and dues changes are as follows; Student, $10/$ 15 Individual, $15/$20 Associate (new), $5 Sustaining (new), $25_ Patron, $50/$50 and up Life $400 in 4 years (Those currently working on a life membership can . continue toward their $250 level.) The bylaws also were amended to define voting rights for the membership categories.. One vote may be cast by persons 15 years old and up for each paid-up membership in the following categories [non-profit organizations and business entities may not cast votes] : a. Individual b. Associate (in same household with individual member) c. Student d. Sustaining e. Patron < fLife Nominations committee members Judy Walker, from Charlotte, and John Fussell, of Morehead City, have been named to the Nominations Committee. Lex Glover, of Lugoff, SC., . is the chairman of the committee. The Nominations Committee will prepare a slate of nominees to serve in any offices to be vacated on the CBC Executive Committee. Field Trip Coordinators The CBC now has two field trip coordinators to organize trips throughout the year. Steve Patterson will organize ’ (continued on page 10) CBC Web Site http://members.aol.com/cbirdclub November 8, 1999. I received a.nice letter from Dave Lovett of Charlotte, NC. He and his wife went on a field trip September 18 to Jackson Park, near Hendersonville, where he saw a Northern Waterthrush; his wife missed it. The next morning, Mr. Lovett was sitting on his deck reading the paper and watching the regular birds in his yard. Some movement about 25' away at the edge of a small group of trees caught his eye. He could see the wagging tail, jerky movements and eye stripe of what he thought was a Northern Waterthrush. He bolted into the house like a madman for his binoculars which he says he should have had with him in the first place. He was right about the bird; it was a Northern Waterthrush and this time his wife saw it, too. She says it came because she missed it the day before at Jackson Park, and Charlotte is south of Hendersonville. He says he'll never sit on the deck to read the paper again without his binoculars close by. Another interesting tidbit from Mr. Lovett’s letter is his description of one of his “ponds” and this was where the waterthrush was turning over last winter’s leaves. The pond is a turtle sandbox filled with rocks with a dripper hose threaded through a clay strawberry pof ’ and is a popular place with his backyard birds. We have had no waterthrushes in our yard, but CJ did see a female Rose- breasted Grosbeak on our platform feeder on September 23. On October 2, a Saturday, I arose before the House Finches and saw all “good” birds on our feeders. First, 'goldfinches covered every hole on Chip Request For Assistance Painted Buntings (Passerina ciris) of the Atlantic Coast breeding population are being uniquely color-banded from southeastern North Carolina to northeastern Florida as part of a five-year study of annual survival. Each bird has a metal band plus three color bands (2 bands each leg). Color bands being used are: ^k blue, light blue, yellow, red, dark pink, light pink, orange, purple, light green, and black. Carefully note band positions (upper and lower on bird’s left or right legs). One to three bands of the same Backyard Birding with Frances J. Nelson the tube feeder, but pretty soon, the chickadees arrived and shared the feeder with the goldfinches. Meanwhile, a Brown headed Nuthatch, a White-breasted Nuthatch, and a Pine Warbler took turns at the suet hanging near the tube feeder. A titmouse flew in, looking about the size of a robin because it was so much larger than the little birds. Later, three brown-headeds Notes from Here and color may be used on an individual. Please send sightings of color-banded buntings to Paul Sykes, USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, School of Forest Resources, The University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602-2152 (ph. 706/542- 1237, FAX 706/542-1235, E-mail Paul_Sykes@usgs.gov). Winter Hummingbirds Susan Campbell is on the verge of getting her permit for banding hummingbirds. In the meantime she is keeping tabs on late/wintering and four chickadees shared the tube feeder while a Red-bellied Woodpecker feasted on the suet. A Brown-headed Nuthatch flew onto the suet and frightened the woodpecker. A Pine Warbler who had been waiting patiently for the woodpecker to finish, got on the top of the suet feeder and the brown-headed fed from the bottom. On October 18, 1 looked out the front window to see three bluebirds on the platform feeder. I've seen bluebirds there before, but they were using the platform as a scanning tower. This time, they were actually feeding. CJ said they were probably this year’s brood and were looking for bugs in the feeder. Two days later, the bluebirds were replaced by a Red- breasted Nuthatch. So, now we have the three eastern nuthatches hanging around our feeders. We know cooler weather is coming for sure because we saw our first j unco on October 23 and a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker on the 27th. The Yellow- rumped Warblers showed up with little fanfare and we forgot to note the date, but on November 4, CJ saw seven or eight Pine Siskins at our feeder, and he heard a White-throated Sparrow. And our feeders are active most of the day with winter- coated goldfinches, the three nuthatch breeds, chickadees, titmice, cardinals. Downy and Red-bellied Woodpeckers, and Pine Warblers. Happy birding, and please let me hear from you: 2061 Ferbow Street, Creedmoor, NC 27522; (919) 528-1156; cj]n@aolcom There hummingbirds in North Carolina. Those who sight such birds should notify Susan at (910) 949-3207 or ncaves@utinet.net. Keep those hummer feeders up! Ventures 2000 Brocure The new 2000 Ventures Bird Watching and Nature Tours brochure is now ready. ' Get your copy from Simon Thompson, Ventures, Inc.; PO Box 1095, Skyland, NC 28776; Phone/FAX: (828) 859-0382; simon@teleplex.net. You can also visit their Web site at www.birdventures.com. 1999-2000 Christmas Bird Counts (The 100th Christmas Bird Count is the world’s oldest and largest citizen science program. If you would like to participate in one or more of the counts listed below for the Carolinas, contact the person indicated for further information. In most cases the phone numbers are home numbers and should not be called after 9:00 p.m.) > Friday, December 17, 1999 Brevard, NC Norma Siebenheller (828) 884-5443 Congaree Swamp, SC Robin Carter/Caroline Eastman eastman@cs.sc.edu (803) 782-8820 Saturday, December 18, 1999 ( ■ Clemson, SC J. Drew Lanham lanhamj @clemson.edu (864) 985-0170 Columbia, SC Robin Carter/Caroline Eastman eastman@cs.sc.edu (803) 782-8820 Greensboro, NC Elizabeth Link (336) 273-4672 McClellanville, SC Perry E. Nugent . (843) 556-3841 Mount Jefferson, NC Vaughan Morrison elml@skybest.com . • (336) 877-8795 Raleigh, NC Susan Campbell ncaves@utinet.net ' (910) 949-3207 . BobHader (919) 782-1898 Raven Rock SP, NC Paul Hart harttwins@aol.com (910) 893-4888 Tryon, NC Simon Thompson simon@teleplex.net (828) 859-0382 Wayne County, NC Eric/Celia Dean edeangld@icomnet.com (919)736-7264 York/Rock Hill, SC Bill Hilton, Jr. bhilton@infoave.net (803) 684-0255 ‘ Sunday, December 19, 1999 Durham, NC Mike Schultz mschultz@duke.edu (919)490-6761 Henderson County, NC ' Wayne K. Forsythe wforsythe@a-o.com (828) 697-6628 Hendersonville, NC Marilyn Westphal mjwestphal@unca.edu (828) 891-9896 Lake Norman, NC Taylor Piephoff - Piephoffr@aol.com (704) 532-6336 Morehead City, NC John Fussell jfuss@bmd.clis.com_ (252) 240-1046 Southern Pines, NC Libba Watson weymouth@pinehurst.net (910) 692-2167 Tuesday, December 21, 1999 Chester, SC Long Cane, SC New River, NC Chapel Hill, NC Charlotte, NC Cumberland County, NC Bodie/Pea Island, NC Cape Hatteras, NC Charleston, SC Albert Conway . (803)329-3759 Thursday, December 23, 1999 Steve Wagner swagner@lander.edu . (864)223-0416 James Coman • hillshepherd@skybest.com (336) 359-2909 Sunday, December 26, 1999 > ' Will Cook cwcook@duke.edu (919)967-5446) Wayne Covington (704) 556-7383 Hal Broadfoot, Jr. halwb@aol.com after 12/14- (910)484-2348 Monday, December 27, 1999 Paul Sykes (706) 769-9436- Tuesday, December 28, 1999 Harry LeGrand harry.legrand@ncmail.net (919)832-3202 EdPlitch ^ (843)795-5277 (continued on page 6) Field Trip Schedule CBC Winter Meeting, Beaufort, SC January 28-30, 2000 Trip # Departure Time Name of Trip Thursday, January 27 - Birding on your own (site list at desk). Friday, January 28, All-Day Trips 1 7:00 am Donnelly WMA 2 7:05 am Bear Island WMA 3 7: 10 am Savannah NWR, Onslow Island, Webb Wildlife Center Friday, January 28, Half-Day Trips 4 7:20 am Bear Island WMA Wagon Tour 5 7:25 am Bear Island WMA 6 7:30 am Pritchard Island ($5 fee) 7 7:35 am Donnelly WMA 8 7:40 am Spring Island 9 7:45 am Parris Island 10 1:00 pm Bear Island WMA 11 1:05 pm Donnelly WMA 12 1:10 pm Spring Island 13' 1:15 pm Parris Island 14 1:20 pm Harbor Island 15 1:25 pm Pritchard Island ($5 fee) Trip # Departure Time Name of Trip Saturday, January 29, All-Day Trips 16 7:00 am Bear Island WMA 17 7:05 am Donnelly WMA 18 7:10 am Savannah NWR, Onslow Island, Webb Wildlife Center Saturday, January 29, Half-Day Trips 19 7:20 am Bear Island WMA Wagon Tour 20 7:25 am Bear Island WMA 21A 7:30 am Donnelly. WMA 21B 7:35 am Donnelly WMA 22 7:40 am Pritchard Island ($5 fee) 23 7:45 am Parris Island 24 7:50 am Spring Island 25 1:00 pm Bear Island WMA 26 1:05 pm Donnelly WMA 27 1:10 pm Spring Island 28 1:15 pm Parris Island 29 1:20 pm Harbor Island 30 1:25 pm Pritchard Island ($5 fee) Winter Meeting Field Trip Descriptions Bear Island WMA: located between the Edisto and Ashepoo rivers covering some 13,000 acres of marsh impoundment’s, tidal marshes, woodlands and agricultural lands. Ducks, ducks and more ducks should be the order of the day. There have bpen White Pelicans there for the past 2 months. Eagles are a sure bet, and we should find Black-necked Stilts. Also Shore birds. Tom Murphy has arranged for a tractor and trailer to make a tour of the Refuge on Friday and Saturday mornings. There is a limit of 35 people on each trip. Donnelly WMA: This 18,000 acres of property is a cross section of the lowcountry: wetlands, managed rice fi61ds, forested wetlands and a natural stand of long leaf pine. If the water is down there will be a lot of shore birds. If it is up then there will be a lot of ducks. I saw a Golden Eagle there last week. There have been five Sandhill Cranes there in October and November. Savannah NWR: A gem of seven miles of driving the causeways with plenty of places to pull off the road and explore the great birding and check for rarities. Onslow Island: This small island (part of the Savannah NWR) is really another dredge spoil site In January the pond frequently has a small population of Stilt Sandpipers and American Avocets as well as more common Sandpipers. Sparrows are usually in abundance to test your ID skills. 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. Spring Island: This is a gated community that we have - pennission to biid. It has been left natural with a lot of areas for wildlife. It is only 12 miles from the motet and will be the place to watch for raie birds. Parris Island: This is the Marine Base, but don’t let that fool you; it has ponds, lakes, and camping areas that make for great birding. Just a short way from the motel. Pritchard Island: -is a pristine three-mile long barrier island owned by the University of South Carolina. It is just north of Beaufort next to Fripp Island. It is well known as one of the last (continued on next page) - Descriptions (continued from previous page) undisturbed nesting habitats on the SC coast for the Loggerhead Sea Turtle. USC uses it for research, instruction and as a center for the loggerhead turtle conservation project. The island is restricted to limited parties of outdoor and environmental education-oriented groups. A USC naturalist will guide us on our trip which is limited to 20 people. There will be a short boat trip Friday and Saturday. The cost will be $5.00 each payable at the meeting. Sign up early; this will be a great trip. Harbor Island: This is also a private community with great birding. George and Judy Halleron live here, and they have offered to share their island with us. If you are online then you will remember seeing the never-ending reports on Carolinabirds of the different birds coming to their island. This is also close to ride from Fripp Island. We will have a morning and afternoon the motel. Christmas Bird Counts (continued from page 4) Thursday, December 30, 1999 Litchfield/Pawleys Island Jack Peachey (E of Waccamaw R) ppaw@sccoast.net (843) 347-5810 Tonya Spires (W of Waccamaw R.) (843) 397-0384 Ocracoke Island, NC Peter Vankevich ipvank@cais.net (202) 547-4523 Spartanburg, SC Lyle Campbell Icampbell @gw.uscs.edu (864) 585-1228 - . _ Friday, December 31, 1999 Portsmouth Island, NC Peter Vankevich pvank@cais.net , (202) 547-4'523 Saturday, January 1, 2000 Ace Basin, SC David Chamberlain (843)884-0019 Pete Laurie (843) 559-2046 Falls Lake, NC Brian Bockhahn birdranger@excite.com (919) 967-4732 Stone Mountain, NC John MacConnell jgmac @ fastransit.net (336) 384-1162 Wilmington, NC Sam Cooper czrwilm@aol.com (910) 799-3825 Sunday, January 2, 2000 Buncombe County, NC Marilyn Westphal mjwestphal@unca.edu (828) 891-9896 Carolina Sandhills NWR, SC Bill Hilton, Jr. bhilton@infoave.net (803) 684-0255 Greenville, NC John Wright jwright@skantech.net (252) 756-5139 Jordan Lake, NC Barbara Roth Bfarrroth@aol.com (919) 967-4732 Pee Dee NWR, NC Bob Kluttz (704) 563-8613 Santee NWR, SC Lex Glover bglvr@clemson.edu (803) 438-9855 Southport, NC Ricky Davis RJDNC@aol.com (252) 443-0276 Monday, January 3, 2000 Cleveland County, NC Jo Ann Martin jamloon@blueridge.net ' : (828)453-7400 Cure for the Summer Blahs - - A Mini-Breeding Bird Survey by R. Haven Wiley The national Breeding Bird Survey, organized by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, has generated striking evidence for changes in bird populations in the United States in the last half of this century. In this survey, each participant counts birds seen or heard every half mile along a 25-mile route once a year. Over 2000 of these routes are run each year at , randomly selected locations throughout the United States ^d southern Canada. North Carolina has about 50 of these routes, fewer than one per county. A Mini-Breeding Bird Survey (MBBS) consists of similar roadside surveys, but, unlike the national survey, it includes 10 or more shorter routes in one county. Why a Mini-Breeding Bird Survey? First of all, like the national survey, it’s a way to obtain information about trends in populations of summering birds. It complements the local Christmas Bird Count and spring migration Big Day. Over the years, information from annual surveys can document local changes in breeding bird populations. Such information is power. Those who are concerned about loss of habitat in the wake of urban sprawl, for instance, will find they can use this information to gain the ear of fellow citizens and local governments. But the best reason for an MBBS, we discovered, is sheer fun! Each year, as May passes, we all face the annual birding doldrums - at least a month with few migrants and vagrants. We are stuck with our familiar local breeders. We discovered, however, that the combination of summer birding and a chance to explore nearby but seldom-visited places produces a new awareness of the communities we live in. We also discovered some unsuspected avian neighbors. An MBBS gets the, blah out of summer birding. As participants vied to pick the comer of Orange County that fascinated them the most and then scouted and ran their routes early on Sunday mornings in June, we all felt like we had developed some new connections with our neighborhoods. By getting off our beaten paths, we also found unsuspected numbers of grassland species, such as Grasshopper Sparrows and Eastern Meadowlarks, lurking in \ Orange County fields. We also located a Chuck-will's-widow and a Baltimore Oriole, both marginally beyond their usual ranges. ' Of course, ‘not all species are equally likely to be counted in a roadside survey. Conspicuous birds of open country, like American Crows, probably seldom escape detection. Denizens of large forests, many of which are feeding young by late May and thus singing less, are under represented. Nevertheless, our first MBBS detected Louisiana Waterthrush, Ovenbird, Scarlet Tanager, and Hooded Warbler - but missed Kentucky Warbler. Another source of concern, differences among observers, is also not so, serious as it might seem. First, we allowed people to count in teams of two, if they desired (a departure from the national BBS in which, there is only one observer counting), and this team approach pulled in a lot of observers we wouldn't otherwise have attracted. (Of our total of 12 routes, four were run by single participants and eight by teains of two.) Second, we assume that, just as in the national BBS, our MBBS will work best if people keep the same routes from year to year. The important thing is to get started and let participants build confuience and form an attachment to their routes. How did we set up the routes? The first step was to divide Orange County into six more or less equal parts (with evenly spaced north-south and east-west lines). Then, I used a mler to mark north-south and east-west coordinates along the edges of the map (actually I just laid two rulers vertically and horizontally along the edges of the map). With a random numbers table, I then picked random X and Y _ coordinates within the county until I had one in each sixth of the map. The next step was to find a route on public secondary roads (no state or federal numbered highways) that lay within each sixth of the county and that passed as close as possible to the random point in that sixth. The last step was to find a second route in each sixth that as nearly as possible bisected the first one and ran perpendicular to it. No attempt was made to choose routes that passed favorite spots or avoided certain areas (such as urban areas). We wanted to know all about the County's breeding birds - urban, suburban, and rural. Each route was 10 miles long. Dividing Orange County into sixths created areas that were just about the right size to enclose 10-mile-long routes. A bigger or smaller county might need more or fewer subdivisions. This entire procedure for selecting routes, of course, only needs to be done once. As in the national BBS, we will use the same routes year after .year. Why randomly selected routes? Why not have every participant choose a favorite route? One answer is that, by randomly choosing our routes, we could credibly claim that we were getting information about our breeding birds that was at least free of our own biases. Like the national Breeding Bird Survey, we wanted to collect some scientific data about our populations of breeding birds. Another good answer is that favorite birding spots lose their luster during the summer doldrums. Since breeding birds generally stay put, even the usual hot spots lose the excitement of the chase. What better way to put some excitement back into summer birding than to strike out into seldom-visited territory? Like (be national survey, we ran each route once, starting 30 mins before sunrise (which the U. S. Naval Observatory will calculate for you on their web site) on a Sunday morning in late May or June. Every 0.5 mile by the odometer, we stopped at a convenient spot, got out of the car, and counted all birds seen or heard for exactly 3 minutes (or longer if traffic made it impossible to hear or concentrate for part of the time). We did not count birds more than a quarter of a mile away (half the distance to the next stop). If there was not a safe place to stop at the (continued on next page) MBBS (continued from previous page) designated odometer reading, we continued until the first place that permitted a safe stop. And so on for 20 stops " 9.5 miles from start to finish -- or a little more if the locations of a few stops needed adjustment. It took about two hours to finish a route, from door to door. Since this was the first-ever survey, scouting the routes a day or two ahead of the actual count day helped participants have a successful count, because we then knew in advance where our stops would be and could change the stops to avoid hazards such as busy intersections or the absence of any road shoulder. We introduced one important innovation that differed from the national BBS. At each stop we classified the habitat on each side of the road into one of several broad categories. For our neck of the woods, we recognized (1) forest dominated by pines, (2) forest dominated by hardwoods, (3) fields (including trees and bushes along edges), and (4) buildings and associated habitats (lawns, trees). We also noted the presence of nearby water (lake or stream), but aquatic habitats were not frequent nor extensive enough in Orange County to warrant their Operation Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History is pleased to announce a new crossdisciplinary international science education project called OPERATION RUBYTHROAT, and its associated website at http;//ww w. ruby throat.org . The project is based upon several years of pondering how to link students in the U.S. and Canada with peers in Mexico and Central America, using a common species-the Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris)--s& the focus. Operation RubyThroat is also intended as a way to stimulate U.S. students and teachers to relate ornithology to other scientific disciplines-and to non-science areas such as art, drama, geography, music, and creative writing. I am hopeful you will have a chance to browse the website and provide preliminary feedback concerning its own category. Over the years, the MBBS will thus accumulate information about changes in land use in the County and any associated changes in breeding birds What do you do with the data? A volunteer willing to spend a few hours ' each year has to assemble to information, preferably in a computerized spread sheet. This project is ideal for a local club. I set up spreadsheets in Microsoft Excel and also converted them to simple web pages, so everyone could see the results. The web site also has a digitized a map of the routes. Take a look at http://www.unc.edu/~rhwiley/mbbs. (E- mail and our web site were essential to organizing the Orange County MBBS and disseminating information quickly. Our participants came from all over the Triangle, and all but one had e-mail. We used the hstserv Carolinabirds to help recruit participants.) What will we do differently in the future? The format for recording our observations at each stop was not easy to standardize. Observers had different preferences - some mqre convenient for the compiler than others ! The web site has some alternative sheets for recording observations. In addition, we agreed that a sign in your car window with big letters Rubythroat is Up and educational validity and scientific accuracy. It is not intended to supplant or compete with any existing hummingbird project or website, but rather to selectively aim at a target audience of K-16 teachers and students in the Western Hemisphere, exciting them about natural history and science learning and building collaboration on conservation issues. Nonetheless, Operation Ruby Throat also encourages participation by home- schooled students, nature center personnel, scout leaders, individual young people and adults, and others who share an interest in Ruby-throated Hummingbirds. To that end, there is considerable information about hummingbird banding, hummingbird gardens, and related topics. Please take a look at the website, make a posting to the Guestbook, and-if you like-become a registered participant in "Bird Survey" or a call to the sheriffs department in advance is a good idea. Several of us met officers from the sheriffs department, patrolhng the roads early in the morning, but encountered nothing but friendly inquiries. Will a MBBS divert attention from the national BBS? I doubt it. We discovered that many of us feel comfortable working close to home oh a short foute but hesitate to take on a national route. Perhaps in time, as participants gain confidence, a local MBBS will actually generate some additional volunteers for the more ambitious and distant national routes! Why are they so much fun? It's a mystery! We were all surprised. We barely finished our first MBBS of Orange County before we laid plans to take on Chatham County next year. Once a summer isn't enough! Orange County MBBS participants in 1999: Barb Brooks (3 routes), Kate Finlayson, Karen Piplani, Kent Fiala, Will Cook (2 routes, with Rachel Harden as recorder on one), Marsha Stephens, Shantanu Phukan, Judy Murray, Robin Moran, Betty King (with her husband as driver and timer), Haven and Minna Wiley, and Ginger Travis. Humming! support of Operation Ruby Throat. Also please know that the project-and the website-are a "work in progress" and that I am open to constructive suggestions for fine-tuningrits components, shifting its directions, and implementing its goals. If you have comments in that regard, please send them and any corrections to me via (NOT to bhilton@infoave.net). I'm quite excited about the potential of Operation Ruby Throat. I hope you will be, too, and that you will pass this information on to teachers and students and hummingbird fans that you know. Place a browser bookmark at http://www.rubythroat.org and revisit often to watch us grow! Happy Hummingbird Watching! Bill Hilton Jr. Membership Application and Order Form Name (List individual member first then any associate meinbers.) City_ State Zip_ Address Tel.. ( )_ ( )_ (home) (business) E-mail address. Enter/Renew Membership As Indicated; Send Materials Indicated: Individual (and non-profits) ($20) Patron ($50 up) CBC Cloth arm patch $2.00 ea. Associate (in household w/ind) ($5) Life ' ($400) CBC Decals (vinyl stick-on) $2.00 ea., $1.75 ea. in Student ($15) (4 installments of $100) quanity Sustaining (and businesses) ($25) Checklists 10/$ 1.75, 25/$5, 50/$9 .50, 75/$ 12.75, 100/$ 16 Make check payable to Carolina Bird Club, Inc. and mail to 1 1 W. Jones St., Raleigh, NC 27601-1029 Motel Reservation Form Carolina Bird Club Winter Meeting, January 28-30, 2000 Name(s) ^ l Address City State Zip Please reserve a room for me at the Carolina Bird Club meeting rate of $74.46 including tax. Arrival Departure!. My check for the first night’s lodging is enclosed. Mail with 'deposit to Holiday Inn, P.O. Box 1008, U.S. Highway 21, Beaufort, SC 29902 or call (843) 524-2144 Name(s). Address, Meeting Registration Form CBC Winter Meeting, January 28-30, 2000 (list each name for name tags) City. State. Telephone C (day) (_ ) (evening) e-mail Zip. Enclosed is my check in the amount of $ for member registrations at $10 each and nonmember registrations at $20 each. Registration at the meeting will be $20 for members or nonmembers. Field Trip Registration In the form below please indicate by Trip Number your choice of field trips. If registering for more than one person write the first name with each choice. Note that Trips #6, 15, 22 and 30 require a $5 fee payable at the meeting. Friday (morning or all-day) Friday (afternoon) Saturday (morning or all-day) Saturday (afternoon) Mail with check to Carolina Bird Club, Inc., 1 1 W. Jones St., Raleigh, NC 27601-1029 Carolina Bird Club, Inc. CB® 11 W. Jones St., Raleigh, NC 27601-1029 Nonprofit Organization U.S.Post Office Raleigh, NC Permit No. 1654 SMiTHSOHIAN fM8TrrUT!0!< LIBRARIES 3 9088 01273 2905 .-o--;.— v-'W'vl-- " ."vc; > .-ton DC Welcome New Members Nancy Barton Columbia, SC ' W. H. Chance, Jr. Winston-Salem, NC Ann Waters Augusta, GA Scott Yarbro Charlotte, NC Fran Colinet Suniter, SC Floyd (continued from page 1) Dr. Jil Franing Chapel Hill, NC South Carolina trips and Gail Lankford will plan North Carolina trips. Anna’s Hummingbird that had taken up residence at her home in Charlotte. The Hookers were the hosts to a Sandhill Crane this summer and welcomed any birder who came to wait out the bird’s arrival to ponds at their home near Shelby. The CBC and its members appreciate anyone who helps them see birds. If someone you know has gone the extra step to help CBC members let a member of the board know who they are and why they might deserve to be the next recipient of a “thank you certificate.” Jo & Grady Coldston Mt. Gilead, NC iRobert & Lois Herring Chapel Hill, NC Tom & Cat Monaghan Greer, SC Annette Rathbun Rector, PA W. C. Robbins Boone, NC Certificates of Appreciation Many people in North and South Carolina have shown their generosity to birders. Jhe CBC executive committee is beginning a new program to recognize and thank those who have gone the extra step to help birders see birds. Judy Walker and Bill and Anita Hooker were the first recipients of a “thank you certificate” from the CBC. Both Judy and the Hookers welcomed birders to their homes to see rare birds this year. Judy had nearly 100 birders at her home during all hours of the day to see an Generous gift to Red Cross While CBC members enjoyed a weekend of birding their thoughts were not removed from the disaster Hurricane Hoyd and its floods caused in both Carolinas. And those who attended the Charleston meeting put their money where their hearts were. A collection taken Friday and Saturday nights brought in more than $1,700 which was sent to the American Red Cross to help flood victims. Eveiy CBC member who contributed to the collection should be commended for their generosity.