Volume 48 April/May 2002 Number 2 Migration Time at Black Mountain Spring Migration! The mountains of North Carolina are among the best places to observe this annual event. The Carolina Bird Club’s Spring Meeting at the YMCA Blue Ridge Assembly near Black Mountain, NC, on May 3-5 provides access to the best areas for finding migrants, as 'well as year-round and high elevation birds. Field trips to familiar places, such as the Blue Ridge Parkway, Mount Mitchell, and Jackson Park, offer ample opportunities to find the much sought-after warblers, such as Cerulean, Swainson’s, and Black- burnian. Field trips will also take you to places you might not be as familiar with, such as Curtis Creek Road, the new town park in Fletcher, Mud Creek in Hendersonville, the trail along the river at Warren Wilson College, and, of course, the Assembly grounds. The showy colors of spring wildflowers and butterflies will add to the beauty of the season, and along with the bright colors of spring males in breeding plumage, should ensure a wonderful weekend. Friday night our speaker will be Dr. Jane Holt, a Mississippi native who started her career as a biology professor at Catawba College. She went on to become the Chair of the Biology Department of Presbyterian College in Clinton, South Carolina. She is now retired and lives in Montreat. To keep busy during retire- ment she is Chair of the Montreat Conference Center Wilderness Committee, which is responsible for the conservation and preservation of this 3000 acre wilderness. Dr. Holt’s program, Remarkable Adaptations of Birds in Southern Appalachian Habitats, is devoted to long-time studies of neotropical migrants which breed in this area. Her work continues the work begun by Dr. Eugene Odum in the 1940s. Dr. Odum, of the University of Georgia, is one of the pioneers in ecological studies. Following up on his research, Dr. Holt took a census of the breeding bird populations in the Highlands area in the 1950s, the 1970s, and the 1990s and has compiled that data to show population trends over a span of over fifty years. She will discuss general adaptations of birds to a changing environment and the impact of development on their populations. Our Saturday evening program will be quite timely considering all the interest in the status of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker both in the southern United States and in Cuba. The speaker will be Dr. Jerome Jackson Stecoah Gap Due to the distance involved, we have not planned a CBC field trip to Stecoah Gap. However, a special field trip has been organized to Stecoah Gap by Simon Thompson of Ventures, Inc. on Sunday 5 May. This will be an all-day trip to see an excellent selection of warblers in the western NC Mountains. These should include Golden-winged, Cerulean, Kentucky, and more. Registration is limited to 1 5 people and the cost will be $30 per person, which includes a delicious picnic lunch. Contact Simon at 828.253.4247 for further details. V J who is currently Whitaker Eminent Scholar in Science and Director of the Whitaker Center for Science, Mathe- matics, and Technology Education at Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers, Florida. Dr. Jackson is author/editor of 14 books and over 400 professional articles and science-related articles written for popular audiences. He has served as editor of professional journals, such as the Wilson Bulletin, regional editor of American Birds, and consulting editor of Birder’s World. He has also served in the leadership role of several professional organ- izations, including the Wilson Ornitho- logical Society. Dr. Jackson has been active in environmental education, teaching biodiversity concepts at various educational levels from third grade through middle school to the university level, in the United States, Peru, and Indonesia. He has also contributed to nature programs on public radio and television. Dr. Jackson’s professional expertise focuses on endangered species and forest and coastal ecosystems, but much of his research deals with woodpeckers. In 1988 he led an expedition for the National Geo- graphic Society into the mountains of eastern Cuba in search of the Ivory- billed Woodpecker. His program Endangered Birds, Endangered Forests — The Ivory-billed Wood- pecker in the United States and Cuba will focus on the results on this expedition as well as other research he has done on the Ivory-bill and its related ecosystems. Page 1 Accommodations B Qck Mountain Details Directions Rooms at the Blue Ridge Assembly are in two hotel-style buildings, each room has two double beds and private bath. The rate per room per night is $7 1 , which includes the Assembly conference fee. For those not staying on campus, there is a $ 1 0 commuter/ conference fee. CBC has contracted with the Assembly (per their requirement) to take three meals on the campus. These are a bag lunch for Saturday’s field trips; Saturday dinner, and Sunday breakfast. The total cost for these three meals is $24.00 per person. Meals are served buffet style in the dining hall. Vegetarian meals are available. Traveling on 1-40, take Exit 64 (Black Mountain/Montreat/ Highway 9) and turn south on Highway 9. Proceed 0.5 miles and bear right on Blue Ridge Road. Travel 0.9 miles and turn left at the small Blue Ridge Assembly sign. Follow the entrance road to the main parking lot on the left. Registration is in the Blue Ridge Center building, just down the hill from the parking lot. Meal Options Black Mountain has several bed and breakfasts and inns, and there are several motels along 1-40 east of Asheville. Black Mountain has a good selection for dining, including German, Italian, Greek and other ethnic restaurants, as well as BBQ, steak, seafood, and fast food restaurants. Asheville, with a very eclectic selection of dining options, is nearby. Field Trips There will not be any field trips scheduled for Thursday, but the Parkway is only 10 miles to the west, and the Assembly grounds have many trails you might wish to explore on your own. Directions to the Parkway and maps of the trails on the grounds will be available in the lobby of Blue Ridge Center. Field trips will leave from the main parking lot beginning at 7 AM. It is important to carpool, especially for the longer trips. You may order a bag lunch at the Assembly for the all-day Friday and Saturday trips, or bring your own. Please indicate which trips you want to be a part of on the Registration Form on the next page. Complete descriptions of field trips can be found in the February/March newsletter or at www.carolinabirdclub.org Meals are available at the Blue Ridge Assembly for everyone, whether or not you are staying there, but you must make reservations. Lunch is served from 12:00-12:45 and costs $8.00. Dinner is served from 6:00-6:45 and costs $10.00. Breakfast in the dining room doesn’t begin until 8 AM, so coffee, muffins, bagels, etc will be available in the lobby beginning at 6:00, provided by CBC. McDonald’s and Huddle House in Black Mountain are also open at 6 AM. Breakfast at the Assembly is $6.00. Please indicate below which meals you would like to reserve: Thursday lunch Saturday bag lunch* Thursday dinner Saturday dinner* Friday lunch Sunday breakfast* Friday bag lunch Sunday lunch Friday dinner * Persons staying at the Assembly are already signed up for these meals. If you want vegetarian meals, please indicate: meals for person(s). Enclosed is a check for: Lunches at $8 each, for person(s) Total Dinners at $ 1 0 each, for person(s) Total Breakfasts at $6 each, for person(s) Total Total amount enclosed for meals Name(s): Address: City: St: Zip: Please send this form, along with a check for the total amount, to: CBC Headquarters, 1 1 West Jones Street, Raleigh, NC 27601-1029 by April 15, 2002. If you have any questions, contact Jo Ann Martin at 828.453.7400 or jamloon@.bellsouth.net. Page 2 Registratlon/Room Reservation Form Black Mountain Spring Meeting May 3-5, 2002 Name(s): Address: City: State: Zip: Telephone (Day): (Evening): E-mail (optional): Fill out the portion that applies to you. □ I WILL NOT be staying at the YMCA Blue Ridge Assembly. Registration for members: $20.00 (pre-registration) $30.00 (at the meeting) Registration for nonmembers: $30.00 (pre-registration) $40.00 (at the meeting) This registration fee includes the Assembly commuter/conference fee. I have enclosed a check for member registrations and non-member registrations, for a total of $ . □ I WILL be staying at the YMCA Blue Ridge Assembly. My check for the following is enclosed: member reservations @$10 Total non-member registrations @ $20 Total three meals per person @ $24 Total accommodations @ $71 per room per night (includes Assembly conference fee.) room(s) for nights Total Please reserve room(s) for the following nights: Thursday, May 2nd Friday, May 3rd Saturday, May 4th Check in time is 3:00 PM; Check out time is 10:00 AM Total amount enclosed for registration, meals, and accommodations: Total Please send this form and your check payable to Carolina Bird Club by April 15, 2002 to: Carolina Bird Club, 1 1 West Jones Street, Raleigh, NC 27601-1029 Registration will begin on Thursday, May 2 at 5 PM in the lobby of the Blue Ridge Center. YMCA Blue Ridge Assembly is a smoke- and alcohol-free facility. Field Trip Registration Friday Field Trips — All Day Trip No.4 Curtis Creek to Mt. Mitchell Trip No. 5 Parkway South to Mt. Pisgah Trip No. 6 Fletcher Park / Lake Julian Friday Field Trips — Morning Trip No. 1 Craggy Gardens Trip No. 2 Beaver Lake Trip No.3 Chimney Rock Park Friday Field Trips — Afternoon Trip No.7 Assembly Trails — Wildflowers Trip No. 8 Bat Cave Trip No. 9 UNC-A Botanical Gardens Trip No. 1 7 Mills River/Hooper Lane/Lake Osceola Trip No. 1 8 Parkway North to Mt. Mitchell Saturday Field Trips — Morning Trip No. 1 0 NC Arboretum Trip No. 1 1 Jackson Park & Mud Creek Trip No. 12 Curtis Creek Road Trip No. 1 3 Swannanoa Area Trip No. 14 Fletcher Park / Lake Julian Saturday Field Trips — Afternoon Trip No. 19 Bent Creek / Powhatan Trip No.20 Jackson Park Trip No.2 1 Swannanoa Area Trip No.22 Assembly Trails-Wildflowers Saturday Field Trips — All Day Sunday Field Trips Trip No. 15 Max Patch Trip No.23 Curtis Creek Road Ir.ip.No.l6 Dillingham to Craggy Gardens Trip No.24 Jackson Park Page 3 An Outstanding Weekend at the Outer Banks Note from Susan Campbell Just got home from our weekend in Nags Head. I would say it was indeed a success. Despite cloudy and windy weather Friday, most of our time on the Outer Banks was gorgeous! The trips, programs and company were wonderful. Sorry that more of you did not join us. We had 160 participants and saw 172 species of birds. A complete list can be found on the Carolina Bird Club web site [www.carolinabirdclub.org]. Despite the low numbers of waterfowl and shorebirds, we still had a good diversity of birds. Highlights included an appearance by the Ash- throated Flycatcher at Alligator River NWR on Saturday afternoon — at the same time that a Western Kingbird (yet another for Dare Co. this winter !?!) was located by Van Atkins fairly close by on the refuge. And the Common Black-headed Gull remained near the spot where it was initially located last week for many to see. Also a Western Grebe was spotted by Jeff Pippen et al. in the surf off the beach in Duck. And Sunday some lucky birders got to see a dark phase Rough-legged Hawk in addition to two light phase individuals at Alligator River NWR! Additionally, at the Ash-throated spot this morning, a number of folks were being watched themselves by a family of four River Otters sitting on the edge of the adjacent canal. A good number of participants had nice looks at more common overwintering species such as Lesser Black- backed Gull, Bonaparte’s Gull, Horned Grebe, Peregrine Falcon, Purple Sandpiper, Least Sandpiper, Palm Warbler, Orange-crowned Warbler, and both Nelson’s and Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrows. The pelagic trip had great viewing conditions yesterday, [see article by Harry LeGrandj. They had great looks at many offshore species — and not just birds either! Thanks go out especially to the field trip leaders, beach drivers (arranged by Pat Moore), the local bird club members (Cape Hatteras Bird Club and the North Banks Bird Club) that provided us with evening refreshments, US Fish and Wildlife Service personnel, Nature Conservancy personnel, NC Audubon Board members, and our program speakers Mike Tove and Chris Canfield for making the weekend so special. Without you all, the weekend would Note from Harry Le Grand on the Pelagic It was a good but not great pelagic, at least by this jaded observer’s standards. But, we did see six pelagic species, which is about as good as one can hope for in winter. First we had 2-3 Great Skuas, though none were seen well and certainly not lifer views for folks. In fact, if it weren’t for the fact that only Great of the skuas should be here in winter would they even be listed as “Great” rather than “skua sp.”. Also disappointing were the alcids, of which we tallied 1 0 Razorbills, essentially only flying away. But, February has always been a better month for alcids, as colder weather later into the season seems to push them farther south to NC. Normally we would expect to see many dozens of Razorbills, if not more, in mid-February, with hopes of Dovekies or Puffins. Continued on page 5 Can't Set Enough of the Open Sea or Need a Few More Life Birds? CBC member Brian Patteson of Hatteras, NC wants members to know that he still has space on several pelagic trips from Hatteras and Manteo this spring and summer. This is a good time to see the Gulf Stream specialties and several of the rarer species that have been seen with increasing frequency in recent years. Trips with space include the following: From Hatteras: May 25, 26, 27; June 1,2; August 10, 1 1, 24, 25; October 12 From Manteo: May 31: June 8, 9; August 17, 18, 31; September 1, 16 Additional departures may be added if there is enough interest. For more information, call Brian Patteson at (252) 986-1363 or visit his website at http://www.patteson.com/ special Carolina Bird Club Field Trip Thanksgiving in Costa Rica A special Exploration of Costa Rica especially designed for the CBC November 20 - 30, 2002 Cost: $2,650 per person including airfare from Raleigh or similar city Deposit: $300 per person deposit is required to hold your space Leader: CBC Member and Ventures Owner, Simon Thompson Costa Rica is a birding paradise, where beginning and experienced birders alike can enjoy tropical Central American birding at its very best. Highlights could include Resplendent Quetzal, Three-wattled Bellbird, Scarlet Macaw and dozens of hummingbirds. During this 10 day Venture to Costa Rica, we will have time to visit a variety of habitats in several areas of the country and a chance to see over 300 species of birds. We will visit Monteverde (cloud forest), Cerro de la Muerte (highland forest), Virgen del Socorro (mid-elevation forest), La Selva (Caribbean lowlands), and Carara (moist western lowlands). By staying two or more nights at each location we will be able to thoroughly explore each area we visit, and spend prime-time birding in the early morning and enjoy optional “owling” at night. Add to this Costa Rica’s spectacular scenery, a wealth of tropical flora and butterflies, and colorful “Tico” culture and you have the ingredients for a truly outstanding natural history Venture. □ Please send further information on the Costa Rica Trip. Q Please register me for the Costa Rica Trip. My check for $ is enclosed (made out to Ventures, Inc) Name Street Address City/State/ZIP Phone E-mail (if applicable) Return to: Ventures, Inc. • P.O. Box 1095 • Skyland, NC 28776 • Phone/Fax: 828.253.4247 • E-mail: travel@,birdventures.com Continued from page 4 We DID get good views of the other four. We had about 43 N. Fulmars, by Brian Patteson’s tally. Everyone got on quite a few. We also had 7 Manx Shearwaters, all singles dashing past the boat. Fortunately, they banked enough so we could see the white undertail coverts. A few were even in the Gulf Stream, so we had to be really sure of those, as Audubon’s were probably out there as well. A tally of 18 Black-legged Kittiwakes was about an even mix of adults and immatures. Quite a few joined the gull flock (GBBG, Herring, and one or two Lessors, along with Gannets) in our wake, thanks to Butch Pearce’s chumming efforts. We tallied at least 3800 - 5000 Red Phalaropes! Most were in the slick at the edge of the Gulf Stream. Because of the 2-3 foot seas, we were able to go farther from Hatteras than normal on a winter trip, and Captain Spurgeon Stowe was able to get as far north as “The Point”, well known to birders as a hotspot on warm weather pelagic trips. This lies about at the edge of the Gulf Stream, where the bottom drops off sharply. From there southward along the edge of the stream we were constantly kicking flocks of phalaropes, along with 5000-8000 Bonaparte’s Gull, by my Continued on page 6 Page 5 Continued from page 5 guess, off the water. Nary a Little Gull could be found, however. (We did have an adult “Nelson’s Gull” - hybrid Glaucous X Herring on the trip.) No warm weather birds could be found in our brief stay in the Gulf Stream. We were hoping to find Black-capped Petrel, or maybe Audubon’s Shearwater. But, we spent relatively little time there. Other things offshore added to the merit of the trip. We had a Humpback Whale tail-slapping within sight of Buxton/Frisco on the way out, and presumably the same individual there on the return. This slapping of the tail, several dozen times, was very unforgettable! Also, we had great views looking down on several Hammerhead Sharks and a handful of Manta Rays. We had 5-10 views of Loggerhead Seaturtles, as well. Plenty of Bottlenose Dolphins were seen, but only that and the Humpback completed the meager cetacean list. (I’ve seen Fin, Minke, Harbor Porpoise, Common Dolphin, and a few others on winter trips.) Birding the “AAighty" Roanoke River Roanoke River National Wildlife Refuse Field Trip Bertie and Martin Counties, NC The Roanoke River National Wildlife Refuge is part of an intensive land conservation effort to protect the bottomland forests found throughout the Roanoke River floodplain. Considered to be the largest, intact, least disturbed bottomland forest in the mid-Atlantic Region by the NC Natural Heritage Program, the coastal plain reach provides breeding habitat for over 30 species of neotropical migrants. On this field trip we will depart on boats from the Hamilton boat ramp, cruise up and down the river looking for Mississippi Kite, Bald Eagle, Cerulean Warbler, Summer and Scarlet Tanagers, and dodge Prothonotary Warblers darting from bank to bank. There will also be plenty of opportunity to explore the floodplain habitats seeking out Swainson’s and Kentucky Warblers, Yellow-throated, Red-eyed and White-eyed Vireos, Wood Thrush, etc. Since the tail end of the migration season will be upon us an)Thing is possible i.e. Canada Warbler, Veery, Blackpoll Warbler are just some of many possible sightings. We will meet at the Hamilton boat ramp at 7:00 AM. The boat ramp is off HWY 125 in Hamilton, NC. Bring food and water. Coolers with ice will be provided in each boat. Dress appropriately. Knee boots may be necessary. Contact the trip leader for information on water conditions before the trip. Lifejackets must be used and will be provided. When: Saturday, May 18 Leaders: John Wright, 252-756-5 139 Jean Richter, Refuge Wildlife Biologist, 252-794-3808 or Jean Richter(a),fws.gov Cost: $10.00 Limit: 12 people How TO Resister: First contact Jean Richter to make sure there is room on the trip. Then fill out the form on page 7 and mail it and the registration fee to Carolina Bird Club, 1 1 West Jones Street, Raleigh, NC 27601-1029. Make checks payable to Carolina Bird Club. Roanoke River Registration Form Saturday, May 18, 2002 Name(s): Address: City: St: Zip: Telephone (Day): (Evening): Email: Enclosed is a check for $ for participants Mail to: Carolina Bird Club, 1 1 West Jones Street, Raleigh, NC 27601-1029. Make checks payable to Carolina Bird Club. Page 6 CBC Slate of Off icers Report of Nominating Committee Carolina Bird Club Annual Business Meeting Black Mountain, NC • May 4, 2002 Office President Secretary Treasurer ENC Vice-President WNC Member-at-Large ENC Member-at-Large SC Member-at-Large Nominees Van Atkins, Charleston, SC Sue Pulsipher, Linden, NC Stephen Harris, Clemmons, NC Kent Fiala, Hillsborough, NC Dwayne Martin, Claremont, NC Susan Campbell, Whispering Pines, NC Steve Patterson, Pickens, SC New Book for the Traveling Birder A new book, Birding in North Carolina State Parks, produced by Audubon North Carolina, is now available. Using the same basic format as Wake Audubon’s A Birdwatcher’s Guide to the Triangle, the 164-page book describes 34 state parks. The 35 contributors are park superintendents, park rangers, and birders, including several CBC members. There are also map and bird illustrations. Proceeds from the sale of Birding in North Carolina State Parks will benefit joint projects between Audubon North Carolina and the North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation. Volunteers from the seven NC Audubon chapters are helping to sell the book at Audubon programs, local nature stores, county and city parks, bird stores, science museums, and independent bookstores. The book will also be available at some of the state parks. And of course we’ll be selling the book at the Carolina Bird Club meetings! The book is a wonderful way to show off our state parks for visitors who enjoy birding, hiking, and nature. Birding in North Carolina State Parks costs $15, or $18.25 by mail. Make checks payable to National Audubon Society-NC and mail it to; Karen Bearden, 1809 Lakepark Drive, Raleigh, NC 27612. For more information you can contact me at 919-844-9050 or chickadeebirders@, earthlink.net. CBC Board Members President Van Atkins 843-766-7000/729-0271 vatkins@awod.com Vice Presidents John Wright, Greenville, NC Dick Blee, Brevard, NC Donna Bailey, Winnsboro, SC Secretary Sue Pulsipher, Linden, NC Treasurer Patricia Tyndall, Wake Forest, NC NC Members-at-Large Sandy Cash, Durham Charlotte Goedsche, Asheville Dwayne Martin, Claremont Susan Campbell, Whispering Pines SC Members-at-Large Kathleen O’Grady, Irmo Gary Sowell, Hopkins Immediate Past President Len Pardue, Asheville, NC Editor of The Chat Bob Wood, Columbia, SC Editor CBC Newsletter Judy Walker, Charlotte, NC Headquarters Secretary Tullie Johnson, Raleigh, NC The CBC Newsletter is published bimonthly by Carolina Bird Club, Inc., the ornithological society of the Carolinas. CBC is a nonprofit corporation headquar- tered in Raleigh, NC. Founded in 1937 the membership is open to anyone interested in birds, natural history and conservation. Members are encouraged to submit items of interest to the CBC Newsletter editor: Judy Walker, 7639 Farm Gate Dr., Charlotte, NC 28215 birdwalker@mac.com Submission deadlines are the 10th of January, March, May, July, September and November. Submit membership applications and change of address to: CBC Headquarters Secretary 1 1 W. Jones St., Raleigh, NC 27601-1029 CBC Newsletter is printed on 100% recycled paper with 60% post-consumer content. Page 7 CBC Carolina Bird Club, Inc. 11 West Jones St. Raleigh, NC 27601-1029 Nonprofit Organization U. S. Post Office Raleigh, NC Permit No. 1654 SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION LIBRARIES 3 9088 01273 3069 3000 E 0 izio Obraries WASHINGTON DC 20560 IVel^ome New Members Audubon North Carolina Chapel Hill, NC Elizabeth & Richard Bruce Cullowhee, NC Cornelia Carrier Charleston, SC Oliva Griffin Taylorsville, NC Mel & Betty Hochhalter Chapel Hill, NC David Jones Ridgeland, SC Kate MacQueen Chapel Hill, NC Christopher Moorman Raleigh, NC Life Membership Michael Tove Cary, NC What's Inside Black Mountain Weekend 1-3 Outer Banks Wrap-up 4 Costa Rica Opportunity 5 Roanoke River Field Trip 6 CBC Business 7 Rare Biro Alert: 704-332-BIRD Web Site: www.carolinabirdclub.org Page 8