fews letter ISSN No. 0162-7120 for members of the Carolina Bird Club, Inc., ornithological society of the Carolinas Lynne Mattocks Lucas Volume 53 December 2007 Number 6 CBC Winter Meeting Visits Georgetown, SC Linda Kolb and Robin Carter The 2008 winter meeting of the Carolina Bird Club is scheduled for January 31st through February 3rd, 2008. While the average tourist might think of Georgetown, South Carolina as a pit stop along US 17 between Charleston and Myrtle Beach, Carolina bird- ers know better. Georgetown is an ideal base from which to explore many of the best birding areas in the state. Within 50 miles of your Georgetown motel you will find a good diversity of birding opportunities. The marshes and barrier islands of Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge, the longleaf pine savannas and dark swamps of Francis Marion National Forest, the pine savanna and marshes of Santee Coastal Reserve, plan- tations along Winyah Bay and the Santee River, and the beaches and jetty of Huntington Beach State Park. All of these and more provide more good birding spots than we could possibly cover in one winter CBC meeting. Right in the city of Georgetown you will find Winyah Bay and parks along its brackish marshy shores, great places for a short birding foray on your own. Add a splash of history and relatively low prices (since Georgetown is primarily an industrial city, not a tourist destination) and you have the makings of a great meeting. v " * We will be staying at the quality Inn and Suites lo- cated at 210 Church St. Georgetown SC 29440. The hotel is holding 65 rooms for us at the rate of $64.99 this rate will be held until Dec. 31, 2007, after which time the rooms will be available on a first come first serve basis. Contact the hotel directly at 843-546- 61 16 to make your reservations. Also located nearby are a Hampton Inn with 98 guest rooms and a Jameson Inn with 61 rooms. Continuing a recent trend, we encourage any of our members to bring their bird related art work or photog- raphy to be displayed in the "meet and greet" room for the duration of the meeting. This room will be locked during non-meeting times for the security of your items. After a great day of birding, join old friends and new for fellowship and an evening presentation. We are pleased to present Doug Pratt with his excellent slide show on birds of Hawaii. Some of you may have en- joyed a recent trip to the islands with Doug to see these very birds! Our other presentation will focus on the ornithological history of South Carolina. On Saturday evening we will have an optional group dinner at the Lands End restaurant across the street from the Quality Inn. Choices include prime rib au jus, chicken Teriyaki served over rice, fried flounder, BBQ baby back ribs, fried shrimp, and shrimp Creole served over rice. Dinner includes salad, bread, a potato if not served over rice, and coffee or tea, all for $15.95 + 20% gratuity. Come kick the winter blahs and bird with the CBC in Georgetown SC! CBC Newsletter (USPS# 023-534), December 2007, Volume 53, Number 6. Published bimonthly by Carolina Bird Club, Inc., 353 Montabello, Bloomingdale, IL 60108-1037. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to CBC Newsletter, Carolina Bird Club, Inc., 6325 Falls of the Neuse Road, STE 9 PMB 150, Raleigh. NC 27615 The CBC Website for Dummies Kent Fia/a Did you know that the Carolina Bird Club has its own web site? If not, you’re missing out on a lot of valu- able information — and this article is for you. I’ve been asked to write an introduction to the web site in the “dummies” style. Of course there aren’t any actual dummies in the CBC, but there are members who have asked me for a guide to the web site starting at a very basic level, so here goes. I’ll start with the assumptions that • you have a computer that you know how to use ® you have Internet access and know how to con- nect to it • your computer has a web browser and you know how to start it up. If you have no computer or no Internet access, you can probably work on a computer at your public library. Take these instructions along and ask your friendly li- brarian to get you started. This could be a painless way for you to get started visiting the CBC on the web. Now let's talk about getting to the CBC web site from your own computer. 1. Start up your browser. When you start your browser, most likely it automatically displays some web site. That web site’s address will appear in a space somewhere near the very top of the win- dow. 2. Replace that address with the CBC web site ad- dress. The easiest way to do this is to move the mouse pointer to the address and click it once so that it is highlighted, and then type over it to re- place it. Type http://www.carolinabirdclub.org and press enter. You’ll see the CBC home page! It’s really that easy — there isn't any more to it than that. 3. But let's make it even easier for next time. Let’s mark this page so that you can return to it without having to type in the address. Here's how: If your browser is Firefox, click on Book- marks, then on Bookmark this Page... then on OK. If your browser is Internet Explorer, click on Favorites (if you see that word on the menu bar, otherwise click on the green and yellow pius-and-star icon near the top left), then on Add to Favorites..., then on Add. Now the CBC web address is conveniently book- marked. In the future whenever you are using your browser, you can just click on Bookmarks (Firefox) or Favorites (Internet Explorer; click on the yellow star if you don’t see “Favorites”) and you will see The Caro- lina Bird Club in the drop-down list. Just click on The Carolina Bird Club and you are there, with no typ- ing. If you have looked at many other web pages, the first thing that may strike you about the CBC web site is that it doesn’t have a lot of fluff (fancy graphics), just a lot of solid information. Half the reason for that is that your webmaster (me) is a no-fluff sort of guy. The other half of the reason is that your webmaster would secretly like a little more fluff but doesn’t know any- thing about graphic design. If there are any graphic de- signers in the club who can offer concrete suggestions, I’d be interested. Another important thing to notice about CBC web pages is that they are all in two parts. There is a nar- row part down the left side of the page that contains links to the various sections of the site, and that is ex- actly the same on every page; and a wider section on the right that has the actual content. These two parts are technically called “frames”. The narrow left frame I call the “navigation frame” because it helps you find your way around the site, and the wide right frame I call the “content frame” because it’s where you read the actual content of the site. The content frame of the first page that you come to always contains club news. It may be news about up- coming meetings or field trips, reports about recently past meetings or field trips, news about the web site, or other news items repeated from the printed News- letter. Typically each news item is just a short blurb, with a link that you can click on to go to another page with more detailed information. Any words that are blue and underlined are a “link” and when you click your mouse pointer on them it will open up a new page for you to read. Get in the habit of frequently checking the site for club news. - (continued) The CBC Website for Dummies (continued) Although the web site never publishes meeting or field trip information before it has appeared in the printed Newsletter, it does publish updates to news, for exam- ple added or cancelled field trips, etc. Another thing on the main page that you should not overlook is the Google search form. You can enter a search term in this form and Google will search for that term just on the CBC site. You might be sur- prised how much you can find! As a homework as- signment, type in something unexpected like “Black Rail” (with the quotes) and count the hits. Now let’s look at the navigation frame, the narrow one down the left side of the window. The CBC web site is organized into a number of different areas, and every one of them can be reached directly by clicking on one of the links in this frame. When you click on one of the links in this frame, it opens a new page in the content frame. Explore! Whatever page you go to, the navigation frame stays constant at the left. A number of CBC members have told me that they find this organization very easy to follow. The link names should all be self-explanatory — the “Home” link takes photo gallery with hundreds of bird photos taken in the Carolinas, the current Rare Bird Alert (and all of the past Rare Bird Alerts since 2003), notices of up- coming meetings and field trips, reports from past meetings and field trips, complete issues of The Chat , the official bird lists for both North and South Carolina, Rare Bird report forms, information about wintering humming- birds, a list of all Christmas Bird Counts in the Carolinas, and a description of the club’s grants program. Under “Member Services” you can submit a change of address, read the bylaws, and find a list of the executive committee members. And if this list is not long enough, there’s an- other link that will take you to the CBC Wiki, which is practically a whole other web site on its own; per- haps the subject of a future article. Most links on the CBC web site take you to other pages within the site, but some take you to pages on other sites. You may notice that links within the site almost always open within the original browser window, but links to outside sites almost always open in a new window. This alerts you to when you have left the site. you back to the starting page; the “Join the CBC” link' If you have any comments or suggestions on the web takes you to a page where you can download the mem- site, they are always welcome. Email them to me at bership application form; and so on. Some of the many fiala@ipass.net, or if it’s easier to remember, webedi- things that links in the navigation pane will take you to tor@carolinabirdclub.org. are guides to top birding sites in the Carolinas, a It’s almost Christmas Bird Count time! Check the Carolina Bird Club website at www. carolinabirdclub.org for the most up-to-date information on dates and contact persons for counts in your area! New Members Kent Bedenbaugh Donna Hefton Mimi Osborne 'Deceased TTfemtfet The Carolina Bird Columbia, SC Southern Pines, NC Vilas, NC Valerie Yurkovich Club warmly wel- Helen Cashwell John & Judy Hench Warren and Sandra comes the following new members: Oak Island, NC Lexington, NC Shank Oak Island, NC Gary Allen Philip Dickinson Winston-Salem, NC Carol Jarrett Fort Mill, SC Scott Slater : •• ^ xv Clayton, NC Lisa Marotto Christopher Baldwin Donald and Eulalie Faulkner Catharina Kranen- burg Roxboro, NC Charlotte, NC Easley, SC North Augusta, SC Diane Tilton H. Douglas Pratt Prospect Hill, NC Georgetown Meeting Field Trip Descriptions Linda Kolb and Robin Carter Trips 1, 13 - Tom Yawkey Wildlife Center This area is a SC Heritage Preserve and administered by the Department of Natural Resources. Public ac- cess can be rather limited, so we are excited to offer two full day trips to this fantastic birding area just 20 minutes from Georgetown. Target birds include American Avocet, American White Pelican, Tundra Swan, Bam Owl, lots of waterfowl, shorebirds, rails, raptors, Red-cockaded Woodpeckers, sparrows and more! Observation towers provide a panoramic view of the south Santee River Delta and surrounding area. This trip seems to be the one to get it all, in one long day! Note that space will be limited, so if you are hoping to go on this trip, register early! Trip 2 - Cape Island, Raccoon Key, and Lighthouse Island We will drive 30 minutes south to McClellanville and board a boat for the trip to the islands. Target birds include Peregrine Falcon, Long-billed Curlew, Red- necked Grebe, Common Ground-Dove, maritime spar- rows, raptors, and sea ducks. We will hope for a Short- eared Owl and Common Mergansers. Note: there is an additional fee of $60 per person to cover the cost of the boat charter. Limit of 12 passengers. Dress appro- priately and be prepared for cold temperatures and possible spray. Trip 3,16 - Hobcaw Barony and Arcadia Plantation No significant walking away from the cars. Hobcaw is an amazing place. At 17,500 acres, it was one of just a few "Baronies" - vast colonial land grants. The habi- tats include Longleaf Pine forests (with Red-cockaded Woodpeckers), hardwood forests, old field habitat, managed waterfowl impoundments, freshwater swamps and maritime forests. Great waterfowl, rails, raptors, sparrows, rare birds - Hobcaw has it all. This trip also visits nearby Arcadia Plantation. Trip 4 - Conway Sewage Plant and New Road What better way to spend a crisp winter morning than at the local sewage treatment plant! While not every- one’s idea of a fun time, birders know sewage plants can attract interesting visitors. We may get skunked, but we might find a Black-headed Gull, shorebirds, waterfowl, and more. The trip will then visit New Road for wintering and resident passerines. Feeding flocks of the more common local birds may attract un- usual visitors, and with this year’s finch invasion, who knows what we will find! Trips 5,19 - Huntington Beach SP Jetty The jetty at the Huntington Beach State Park, together with the nearby tidal creeks and flats, are a top desti- nation for winter birders. The jetty is one of best places in the state to find wintering Purple Sandpipers and Great Cormorants. Rarities are almost to be ex- pected, and species such as Common Eider, Razorbill, Long-tailed and Harlequin Duck, Snow Bunting, Lap- land Longspur, and more have been found during re- cent winters. Northern Gannets and scoters are to be expected. The main drawback to visiting the jetty is that it is more than a 1 .25 mile walk along the beach from the north parking lot. There is a $5 per person entrance fee to the park (A good reason to buy an an- nual South Carolina State Park Pass!) Trips 6,17 - Pawley’s Island and Murrells Inlet This is a trip for "less extreme" birding, with a board- walk (at Murrells Inlet) and great seafood restaurants in the area. You could find many of the same species as you would Huntington Beach State Park (with a lot less walking). Trip 7 - Long-billed Curlew Trip This trip visits Raccoon Key and Lighthouse Island in a covered boat with windows that lower. The boat holds up to 34 passengers. Cost $35. Look for Piping Plover, Wilson's Plover, American Oystercatcher, and more. “Ipswich” Savannah Sparrows winter here. Raccoon Key is famous as a great place to see Long- billed Curlews. Raccoon Key also has Whimbrel, Mar- bled Godwits, all sorts of shorebirds and Peregrine Falcons. Red-necked Grebes are possible in Key Bay. Trips 8b, 21 - Dewees Island We will meet the (free) Dewees Island Ferry and ride several miles along waterway to Dewees Island where we will use golf carts and some light walking to bird the island. Expect wading birds, Piping Plovers and other shorebirds, Common Ground-Doves, Peregrine Falcons, wintering Orange-crowned Warblers and other songbirds. The ocean might yield gannets, loons, grebes or other seabirds. Georgetown Meeting Field Trip Descriptions (continued) Trips 9,22 - Huntington Beach State Park Even if you don't go out to the jetty a trip to “HBSP” can yield great birding and photographic opportunities. This trip will cover the causeway, Mullet Pond, the education center feeders, salt marsh boardwalk, and an overlook on the marshy end of Sandpiper Pond (good for rails and bitterns). This trip will also visit the beach briefly, but will not make the trek to the jetty. $5 per person entrance fee to the park. Trips 10,18 - Santee Coastal Reserve Our tour of the Santee Coastal Reserve's mainland area will cover acres of former rice fields, river front- age along the South Santee River, magnificent Cy- press-Tupelo swamp, upland fields and mixed forest. Expect lots of waterfowl and wading birds, hawks, American White Pelicans, Wood Storks, probable rails, sparrows, raptors, Red-cockaded Woodpeckers, Bam Owls if we are lucky, plenty of Bald Eagles with chances for Golden Eagle. Moderate walking. Trips 11,20 - Samworth Wildlife Management Area If you love sparrows, this may be the trip for you. The “dove fields” along the entrance road often produce an excellent variety of the “little brown jobs”, and some- times something unusual shows up! Also expect lots of waterfowl, American White Pelicans, raptors and wading birds on the ponds and impoundments. Trip 14 - Bull Island Bull Island is a full day boat trip (bring lunch). We have arranged for the ferry to land at the island's north end to reduce the long walk from the regular landing. Here we will look at the massive shorebird roost at high tide, scope the ocean for interesting birds and then check out Jack's Creek impoundment. This is famous as the number one spot for wintering Canvas- backs in SC. Target birds include Canvasback and Redhead, Red-necked Grebe, potentially thousands of shorebirds, Piping Plover, Peregrine Falcon, American White Pelican and more. There is a charge of $35 per person for the ferry. Trip 15 - Murphy Island All day boat trip, cost unknown presently, but proba- bly around $60. A place that is hard to reach (closed to the public in winter) but crawling with good birds. Murphy Island has large open ponds that diving ducks like Canvasbacks and Redheads use, and marshy for- mer rice fields that pintails and Snow Geese use in good numbers. Murphy Island is the top site in South Carolina for wintering Snow Geese and second only to Bull Island for consistent numbers of wintering Can- vasbacks. Murphy is also a good place to see Common Goldeneyes. Murphy Island has plenty of other ducks (often Tundra Swans), Bald Eagles and the occasional Golden Eagle, Peregrine Falcons and other raptors, wading birds, rails, pipits, sparrows and other goodies. Murphy has a front beach that runs from South Santee Inlet down to Cape Harbor. Sandbars close off the beach and are roosting places for shorebirds and gulls. Piping Plovers, Marbled Godwits, American Oyster- catchers and other shorebirds are found here. Murphy Island also has extensive forests and is a good place to see Orange-crowned Warbler. Trip 23 - Tibwan Plantation This area is now owned by the US Forest Service. 35- minute drive. This plantation consist of upland areas, managed former rice fields, impoundments and water- way frontage. Target birds are American White Pelicans, waterfowl, wading birds, sparrows and rap- tors. There was even a Sandhill Crane spotted here on a recent Christmas Bird Count! Trip 24 - McClellanville 'Secret Spots' and Francis Marion National Forest No significant walking away from the cars. We will visit birding spots in and around McClellanville con- sisting of public and private lands. Some nice sparrow habitat in the village and at Palmetto Plantation should produce interesting birds, and we will survey the Cape Romain refuge marshes from the bluff at the edge of town. We will also bird Jeremy Creek and Dupre Road, which is a road leading from town out toward the Santee Coastal Reserve. We will then drive a short way to the Francis Marion National Forest to look for Red-cockaded Woodpeckers, 3 species of Nuthatches, sparrows and other birds of forests and fields. If we are lucky we will find a Barred Owl! Trip 8a - Pier Hopping for Sea Ducks and More We will visit a number of local piers searching for al- cids and rare sea ducks. Who knows what will turn up! Georgetown Meeting Field Trip Schedule Friday Full Day Trips 1 - Yawkey Wildlife Center 2 - Cape Island, Raccoon Key, and Lighthouse Island 3 - Hobcaw Barony and Arcadia Plantation 1/2 Day Morning 4 - Conway Sewage Treatment Plant and New Road 5 - Huntington Beach State Park-jetty trip 6 - Pawley's Island and Murrell's Inlet 7 - Long-billed Curlew Trip 8a Pier Hopping 8b Dewees Island 1/2 Day Afternoon 9 - Huntington Beach State Park 10 - Santee Coastal Reserve 1 1 - Sam worth WMA 12 - Long-billed Curlew Trip Saturday Full Day Trips 13 - Tom Yawkey Wildlife Center 14 - Bull Island (leaving from Garris Landing) 1 5 - Murphy Island 1 6 - Hobcaw Barony and Arcadia Plantation 1/2 Day Morning 1 7 - Pawley's Island and Murrells Inlet 1 8 - Santee Coastal Reserve 19 - Huntington Beach State Park-jetty walk 20 - Samworth WMA 21 - Dewees Island 1/2 Day Afternoon 22 - Huntington Beach State Park 23 - Tibwin Plantation 24 - McClellanville Secret Spots Please check the CBC website at www.carolinabirdclub.org for possible updates to the field trip schedule and a listing of trips that are full. Participants on full day trips may wish to take a box lunch and beverages, as food availability may be somewhat limited. CBC Georgetown Meeting Registration Form Name(s) Address City State Zip Day Phone Evening phone Email I am enclosing $ for the following: Meeting Registration Member x $ 1 5 = $ Non-member x $20 = $ NCBT Donation $ If you plan to attend the Saturday evening group dinner, please indicate the number of persons included in your registration at- tending: Club policy requires all field trip participants to comply with the field trip leader’s assessment and requests concerning the physical ability of each participant to make or complete the trip. Meeting registration at the door costs $25. I release and discharge (and will not make a claim against) Carolina Bird Club for injury, death, or property damage arising from my participation at this meeting and/or Club field trips. This release of liability is entered into on behalf of all members of my fam- ily, including all minors accompanying me. I certify that I am the parent or legal guardian of any such minors and that I am over 18 years of age. Signature Date Signature Date Make check payable to Carolina Bird Club and send to: CBC, 353 Montabello, Bloomingdale, IL 60108 ^ Please update my address or other contact information as listed above Field Trip Sign-Up A.M. lst/2nd Choice P.M. lst/2nd Choice All Day lst/2nd Choice Friday / / / Saturday / / / A Birders Book Review Paul Serridge Pete Dunne ’s Essential Field Guide Companion Author: Pete Dunne Publisher: Houghton Mifflin (2006) List price: $29.95 ABA member price: $23.96 Despite the fact that she is also a birder, my wife has often said that the last thing I need is another bird book! Consequently, when good friends, who are also birders, gave me Pete Dunne ’s Essential Field Guide Companion as a retirement gift she wasn’t exactly overjoyed. To tell the truth, neither was I at first. The book is too big and heavy to carry in the field and, sur- prisingly for a bird book, it has no pictures; none at all! Indeed, the friends who gave me the book did so apologetically, saying that they had purchased it sight unseen by mail order and it was not at all what they had expected. It looked (and felt) like a university text book! However, I had already read and enjoyed books and articles by Pete Dunne and so I decided to at least read the introductory chapter before taking it to a bookstore to exchange it for something more appeal- ing. I am glad that I did. This book is exactly what Pete Dunne says it is (or is not): “ it is not a field guide”; “ this is not a book intended to be carried in the field”; “This book is designed to be used in concert (not to compete) with one or more illustrated guides” In its 710 pages the book describes 691 regularly oc- curring North American species, using the AOU checklist order. Each species is treated in a defined systematic way with sections covering status, distribu- tion, cohabitants, movement/migration, vocalizations, description, behavior, flight, and pertinent particulars. These last 4 sections contain what is for me the “meat” of the book. The book promotes the “Cape May Method” of bird identification: GISS (General Impression of Size and Shape). This is a process of “looking at the big picture first” to suggest an identification and then using de- tailed field marks to confinn it. On reflection, this is what many birders already do subconsciously. This book helps that process enormously. The text is detailed but highly readable, and gives far more information than any illustrated guide could ever hope to do. Where illustrated guides make birds ap- pear static, Mr. Dunne’s text brings them to life. He uses everyday language (“eyebrow” rather than “supercilium”) and an engaging, often humorous style to describe the overall appearance and behavior of a bird. As an example, a sometimes difficult determination in the field is between Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, particularly if an individual is observed at a distance with no possibility of size comparison between the two species. I really appreciate Pete Dunne’s descrip- tion of the Greater Yellowlegs as “a more active, an- gry, and aggressive feeder than Lesser Yellowlegs. Walks with long strides - a Tyrannosaurus Rex of a shorebird”. Beautiful! On- the other hand, he writes that the Lesser Yellowlegs “picks more than jabs at prey in a quick but deliberate fashion”. Some other descriptions which appeal to me and which I have found very useful: The Boat-tailed Crackle with its “noisy displays that border on buf- foonery”. Perfect! The Least Sandpiper “likes to keep its feet dry”. The Band-rumped Storm-petrel “when sitting on the water with Wilson’s, is the first to flush when approached by boats”. (This is exactly how , Steve Howell showed me how to spot a Band-rumped during a pelagic trip on Brian Patteson’s boat this summer.) It is possible that some birders may object to Pete Dunne’s anthropomorphism and use of amusing ex- pressions. For me, they add significantly to the joy of birding. This book would be a welcome addition to any birder’s library regardless of how many books the birder already has. If you don’t already own a copy, I urge you to buy one or, better yet, encourage a friend to give you one! You will derive endless enjoy- ment from it. As usual, my wife has the last word she loves the book! The Citrus Connection: Visit Florida and Southern California with the CBC! The CBC is pleased to announce the first of several bonus field trips for 2008. Join one or both of these adventures as we explore two of the United States’ premier citrus (and birding!) locales. As always, contact the trip leaders for more information and to reserve your place on the trip. These offerings fill up fast, so act soon to avoid disappointment! Florida: Traditional CBC out-of-state trips have followed the recipe of one of the many professional birding tours of- fered around the country. These trips provide transportation, entrance fees, lodging, and the services of one or more CBC leaders familiar with the territory. Generally these trips are well attended, and feedback has been positive from participants. But what if there was a way to combine the planning and guiding skills that are a core part of past trips, but increase the flexibility to allow participants to travel in their own cars with broader choices of food and lodging? This type of trip would need to be closer to home (as it would be kind of crazy to say “We’ll meet you in Seattle!”) and would certainly have a different feel than one or two vehicle-loads of birders enjoying each others company for days on end (for better or worse!). Would it work? Join us from February 15-23, 2008 as we find out by caravanning our way around Florida to great birding hotspots! This “Florida in Winter” trip will start and end in Ormond Beach, Florida, vis- iting Atlantic Coast, central, and Gulf Coast sites. Participants will provide their own lodging, meals, and transportation (no RV’s please). CBC leaders will man the “lead car” and provide navigation and logistical services, and help with bird identification. We plan to carpool to some locations from nightly lodging areas. The objective of the trip is to enjoy Florida and see a lot of great birds! Our first day will include a morning visit to Tomoka State Park in Ormond Beach where Meret Wilson will demonstrate bird banding (if the birds cooperate) and share with us her banding presentation. Then we’ll head down the coast visiting well known places like Merritt Island NWR, JN “Ding” Darling NWR, Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary and Ft. DeSoto, and also less visited spots such as Viera Wetlands, Lake Kissimmee, Shark Valley (Everglades National Park) and Or- lando Wetlands. We’ll see lots of egrets, herons, storks, ducks and shorebirds, early migrants, Florida specialties, and more than likely a Snail Kite or two (in case you missed the one SC!). This trip is designed to be a bit slower paced and with more flexibility as to cost, time schedules and locations visited. Cost will be finalized closer to the trip’s departure, but is expected to be around $100 per participant. The leaders are Pm Williams and Meret Wilson ( Florida resident and bird bander). The trip is limited to 12 participants. For more in- formation or to sign up, contact Pm Williams at (910) 321-0308. California: Join trip leaders Linda Kolb and Bmce Smithson March 1-9, 2008 as we search for California endemics and more. Our trip begins in Los Angeles and concludes in San Diego by way of Santa Cmz Island, the Laguna Mountains, the Anza-Borrego Desert, and the Salton Sea. Come along and see why this area has been called a magnet for birders! Expect to see: Pacific Loon, Western and Clark’s Grebes, Sooty and Black-vented Shearwaters, Brandt’s and Pelagic Cormorants. White-faced Ibis, Brant, White-tailed Kite, Gambel’s and California Quail, Black Oystercatcher, Black Turnstone, Surfbird, Heennann’s, California, Western, and (hopefully) Yellow-footed Gulls, Spotted Dove, Greater Roadmnner, White-throated Swift, Allen’s and Anna’s Hummingbirds, Nuttall’s Woodpecker, Black and Say’s Phoebe, Cassin’s Kingbird, Island and Western Scmb Jays, Oak Titmouse, Verdin, Bushtit, California Gnatcatcher, Wrentit, Cali- fornia Thrasher, California and Abert’s Towhee, Rufous-crowned, Black-throated, and Brewer’s Sparrows, Phainopepla and more. Attendance is limited to 10 participants plus the leaders. Cost for 8 nights lodging, ground transportation, Santa Cmz boat trip, and two leaders is $950 with a $250 single supplement. We will have a cooler with drinks and snacks, but the cost of meals is not included. The cost of transportation to Los Angeles and from San Diego is not included. Please note that this trip starts in Los Angeles and ends in San Diego. Please make your flight arrangements accordingly. Contact Bmce Smithson at Brucesmithson@netscape.net or (910) 799-5083 for trip questions. Contact Dana Harris at hq@carolinabirdclub.org to establish your slot on the trip CBC and N C Binding Trail Collaboration? Lena Gallitano We’re testing the waters, or should we say “flyways”, to determine if there is interest among our membership to develop a site support program for the North Caro- lina Birding Trail (NCBT). The goal of the program will be to connect the CBC and the NCBT by joining with local Trail sites to promote the missions of our organizations. The idea stemmed from a suggestion that members of CBC may be interested in “adopting” sites to provide local site support. Sites for both the Coastal Plain and the Piedmont Trail are listed on the NCBT website, www.ncbirdingtrail.org. The nomina- tion process for the Mountain Trail is open and sites will be finalized by spring 2008. If there is enough interest to initiate this suggestion, CBC will be responsible for managing the program by matching volunteers with local sites through regional coordinators for the coast, piedmont and mountains. The NCBT will facilitate the program by communicat- ing with site managers. Site managers will be respon- sible for site operations, maintenance and working with local volunteers. In order to gauge if there is grass roots support among the CBC membership, we have developed the follow- ing questionnaire. If you are interested in participat- ing, please complete the questionnaire and mail it to CBC at the address provided. Carolina Bird Club NC Birding Trail Volunteer Program Name: Hometown: Telephone: E-mail: Site preference (optional): Maximum distance between home and site assigned (in miles): What task would you be willing to do? Regional site coordinator (specify coastal, piedmont, mountain) Lead field trips Maintain check list Organize work days Trail maintenance Guidance on habitat maintenance to protect wildlife Guidance on day-to-day operations Brochure development Kiosk design, development &- maintenance Signage design, development & maintenance Other Carolina Bird Club, 6325 Falls of Neuse Road, STE 9 PMB 150, Raleigh, NC 27615 Carolina Bird Club , Inc. 6325 Falls of the Neuse Road, STE 9 PMB 150, Raleigh, NC 27615 Periodicals Postage Paid at Bloomingdale, IL 60108 and additional mailing offices T 1 # 864 SMITHSONIAN LIBRARIES NHB 25-MRC 154 . BOX 37012/SERIALS WASHINGTON DC 20013 lillllliilllllililllliilllllllll Upcoming CBC Meetings Georgetown, SC Feb. 1-3 2008 Southern Pines, NC Spring 2008 CBC Board Members President, Steve Patterson Lancaster, SC, 803-667-8199 SCBirder@aol.com Vice-Presidents Marion Clark, Lexington, SC John Ennis, Leland, NC Taylor Piephoff , Charlotte, NC Secretary Pru Williams, Hope Mills, NC Treasurer Bruce Smithson, Wilmington, NC NC Members -at -Large Lena Gallitano, Raleigh Dwayne Martin, Hickory Lucy Quintilliano, Charlotte Ed Toone, Wilmington SC Members -at -Large Linda Kolb, Seneca Dr. J. Drew Lanham, Clemson Immediate Past President, Stephen Harris, Bloomingdale, IL Editor of The Chat, Kent Fiala, Hillsborough, NC Website Editor, Kent Fiala, Hillsborough., NC Editor of CBC Newsletter, Steven Shultz 4201 Sentimental Lane, Apex, NC 27539 919-779-2826, sshultz@nc.rr.com Submission deadlines are due the 1st of January, March, May, July, September, and November. Headquarters Secretary, Dana Harris, Bloomingdale, IL 630-453-8270, srharris@mindspring.com Rare Bird Alert: 704-332-BIRD CBC Website: www.carolinabirdclub.org The CBC Newsletter is published bimonthly by Carolina Bird Club, Inc. Founded in 1937 the membership is open to anyone interested in birds, natural history, and conservation. Current dues are: Individual & non-profit, $20; Associate (in household with individual), $5; Student, $15; Patron, $50 and up; Sustaining & businesses, $25; Life, $400; Associate Life (in household with Life Member), $100 (both Life memberships can be paid in four annual installments). Membership dues of $20 include $4 for a subscription to CBC Newsletter and $5 for a subscription to The Chat. Cost for CBC bird checklists, including postage: 10@$2.50, 25@$6, 50@$11.75, 75@$17.75, and 100@$23.50. Submit application for membership, change of address, and payment for checklists to: CBC Headquarters Secretary, 6325 Falls of the Neuse Road, STE 9 PMB 150, Raleigh, NC 27615