&L-. cni ,C333 CBC Newsletter Carolina Bird Club ISSN No. 0162-7120 www.carolinabirdclub.org For members of the Carolina Bird Club, Inc., Ornithological Society of the Carolinas Volume 59 February 2013 Number 1 It May Be Winter... But Imagine Spring in the Blue Ridge! Announcing the Spring Meeting in Asheville, NC Asheville in the spring is a great place to be! The area offers a rich diversity of habitats from spruce-fir for- ests at high elevations down to cove hardwood wood- lands in valley bottoms. The area provides nesting habitat for northern and southern birds, and dozens of other species pass through during spring migration. The CBC 2013 Spring Meeting will be held in Ashe- ville, North Carolina on May 3-4. There will be many field trips to all the birding hot spots in the area such as Jackson Park, Curtis Creek, Hooper Lane, Mt. Mitchell, and the Blue Ridge Parkway. The CBC Spring meeting was last in Asheville in 2006 when we finished with 148 species, including 31 species of warblers. We'll be staying at the Crowne Plaza Tennis & Golf Resort located on One Resort Drive in Asheville, just one mile from downtown. The 125-acre resort offers complimentary amenities that include an on-site fit- ness and wellness facility with an 8,500 square foot fitness center, group fitness classes, indoor saltwater lap pool and indoor and outdoor tennis courts. You may also want to take advantage of the Adelaide Spa, the newly redesigned 9-hole, par 34 golf course, or Asheville's only zip-line canopy adventure. The resort is near all major Asheville attractions like the Blue Ridge Parkway, Biltmore House, NC Arboretum, Pis- gah National Forest, and is convenient to UNC- Asheville and the River Arts District. The resort offers a shuttle to the downtown area for a small fee if you want to browse around Asheville’s unique art galleries, restaurants, shops and breweries. We were able to negotiate a significant discount from the resort’s normal rates. Double rooms are $99 plus tax, king rooms are $109 plus tax, and king executive suites are $129 plus tax. These rates will also apply three days before and after our event. Rooms feature private balconies, mini refrigerators and high-speed internet. The Crowne Plaza Resort has provided a customized website for CBC meeting attendees. You can go to this website to make reservations and learn more about the resort: https://resweb.passkey.com/go/ CBC2013MAY You can also call 888-233-9527 for reservations, 7 days, 7 a.m.-l 1 p.m. through April 2 and mention the group code CBC. After April 2, 2013, the website link will no longer be active, and you must call 800- 733-321 1 Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. for reserva- tions assistance. Reservations made after April 2, 2013 will be on a space available basis at the prevail- ing rate, which may be higher than the contracted group rate. Be sure to check the next Newsletter for more infor- mation and field trip details. We hope to see you there! CBC Newsletter (USPS# 023-534), February 2013, Volume 59, Number 1 . Published bimonthly by the Carolina Bird Club, Inc., 6236 Teal St., Unit 8-D., Wilmington, NC 28403. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to CBC Newsletter , Carolina Bird Club, Inc., 6236 Teal St., Unit 8-D., Wilmington, NC 28403. Lake Mattamuskeet Improvements Long known as one of the state’s premier winter hirel- ing hotspots, Lake Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge in Hyde County, NC is now even more attrac- tive to birders as a result of recent improvements. Visitors used to spartan facilities now enjoy a new vis- itor center with wildlife displays, informational exhib- its, and staffers that can provide current refuge infor- mation. There are also indoor bathrooms (no more relying only on portable potties!) pond. King and Virginia Rails, along with Eastern Screech Owls, can often be heard here. Driving back toward the visitor center and pump station, visitors should keep an eye out for bear, deer, and even the occasional bobcat. Birders used to viewing the waterfowl impoundment that lies to the south of the entrance road from NC 94 will no doubt be pleased to know that they can now circumnavigate the marsh on a gravel road that leads along the south edge and back to NC 94. This en- hanced access allows for much better views of the birds that use this area for feeding and roosting. Inside the new visitor center The changes outside are even better! As a result of canal dredging, the margins of the Wildlife Drive, a five-mile gravel road leading along the south shore of Lake Mattamuskeet, are now open and provide better viewing of the canal and adjacent tree lines, as well as providing habitat for a variety of sparrows. Not to be missed on the Wildlife Drive is the spur road leading past the boat ramp to waterfowl blind number one. The view from this narrow peninsula jutting into the lake is incredible, and there are often large numbers of swans, ducks, and geese visible, even at times when the waters along the Highway 94 causeway appear unproductive. Farther down the Wildlife Drive are opportunities to view passerines, Wood Ducks, and from short paths leading to the lakeshore, more swans, ducks, and geese. At the end of the Drive a new boardwalk leads to excellent views of a freshwater cattail marsh and One of North Carolina’s best birding sites is now even better due to enhanced access to productive birding areas and the new visitor center. The next time you find yourself in Eastern North Carolina, take some time to explore old favorite areas at Mattamuskeet and see some of the new features. I think you’ll be glad that you did! -Steve Shultz 2 Birder’s Book Review Steve Shultz M Rare Birds: The Extraordinary Tale of the Bermuda Petrel and the Man Who Brought It Back from Extinction Elizabeth Gehrman ISBN 978-0-8070-1076-1, 240 pages, hardbound 2012, Beacon Press, $26.95 While the title may be somewhat unwieldy. Rare Birds was an absolute delight to read. Sure, 1 was aware, as are many, that the Bermuda Petrel breeds in Bermuda, there are not many of them, and they were thought to be extinct for quite some time until a cou- ple were seen flying around some uninhabited islets among the dozens and dozens sprinkled across the Bermudian archipelago. I probably presumed that someone, or a group of someones, maybe an NGO, stepped in and put up a few fences to keep out the rats and everything was pretty much fine. I really had no idea that one man’s passion, one man’s sacrifice, one man’s mission in life (in this case not an understate- ment), was so critical to ensuring that today some 250 Bermuda Petrels can enjoy soaring over the North At- lantic. That man is David Wingate who, in the early 1950s as a teenager, accompanied a pair of ornithologists to a speck of rock in Castle Harbour, Bermuda and did the unthinkable, they found a live Bermuda Petrel, the first time one was recorded in over 300 years. Since that moment, Wingate became obsessed with the plight of the petrel. He even went so far as to move his home closer to theirs, setting up shop on Nonsuch Island, a no frills, no utilities, windswept rock where he was, initially, the only permanent human resident. Wingate lived on Nonsuch on and off, mainly on, until 2002, passing the baton of petrel stewardship to the present Bermuda Conservation Officer, Jeremy Ma- deiros. masterful job of intertwining the natural his- tory of Bermu- da, fascinating in its own right, with the life history of the petrel, again quite interesting, but tying it all to- gether is the story of a man’s life. Filled with elation, such as seeing birds return to the island for the first time after fledging years before, to tragedy, like that the Wingate family experienced during the summer of 1973, we see the Bermuda Petrel through the eyes of the man who gave up so much in order to give the birds a chance at survival. While it is certainly heart-wanning to know that the petrels enjoy a high level of protection today, and that their future is as bright as it can be for a species with a world population that numbers in the low hundreds, it is also cautionary to read how close man came to ren- dering the Bermuda Petrel extinct, time and again. These lessons can of course be applied to other at-risk species, and it is gratifying and empowering to under- stand that one person can make a difference, and that one person can be anyone who applies themselves with the level of persistence and passion exhibited by Wingate. i) Apr pipnc Ol XX JJ O The Extraordinary Tale of the Bermuda Petrel and the Man Who Brought It Back from Extinction ELIZABETH GEHRMAN Now one might think that a book on this subject could be rather dry and possibly filled with a good deal of scientific information, like a chart of petrel wing chord comparisons or something (there is not, by the way). This is where Rare Birds will surprise you, for the book is really three stories in one. Gerhman does a With the Gulf Stream off North Carolina being one of the very few places that birders can hope to see a Ber- muda Petrel, this book is especially relevant to those of us here in the Carol inas. I sincerely hope that you have an opportunity to read Rare Birds , and that it has the same impact on you as on me. 3 Wings Over Water 2012 The 16th annual Wings Over Water festival celebrat- ing the wildlife of Eastern North Carolina was held in early November. As is often the case, the “water” part caused a bit of a challenge. In this case the water itself was long gone, but the impact to the narrow barrier islands remained. The water came from Hur- ricane Sandy as it passed offshore to an eventual ren- dezvous with the New Jersey coast. Ocean over- wash, a common occurrence on NC 12 south of the Pea Island Visitor Center, sufficiently rearranged the roadway that vehicular access to points south was not possible. With road closures beginning at the north end of the Bonner Bridge over Oregon Inlet, many of the sites normally visited during the festival were not accessible. Festival management performed admira- bly, contacting participants to rearrange schedules, and by general consensus, even without access to the south end of Oregon Inlet and the Pea Island NWR, the festival was a great success. Excellent birding at Alligator River NWR helped fill the void, with flooded fields off River Road hosting a concentration of shorebirds not often found in the area. Visitors wowed at the close-up views of sand- pipers, plovers, and other birds with a love for shal- low freshwater. Just to keep things interesting, a mother bear and cubs could frequently be found just down from the shorebirds. The festival’s keynote speaker, John Sill, provided a hilarious overview of “Little-Known and Seldom- Seen” birds, capping an enchanting evening of social- ization at the North Carolina Aquarium. Planning is already under way for the 17th edition of Wings Over Water, which will be held slightly earlier in 2013, so keep an eye out for announcements and registration information. _Q f Happy New Year ! Warm Wishes for a Prosperous 2013 Executive Committee Changes The beginning of the new year brings a pair of chang- es to the CBC Executive Committee. Samir Gabriel replaces Judi Durr as the Club’s Treasurer. Judi’s efforts to help modernize our bookkeeping, registration, and member services were instrumental in realizing the improvements we are en- joying today. Samir’s background in accounting and management will no doubt be warmly welcomed as he works to build on the work of those who served in the past. Editor ’s Note: I can personally vouch for Samir being a good guy. Last spring I drove o ff with his freshly-brewed cup of coffee perched on the bumper. Needless to say it did not make it very far before be- coming part of the landscape. Samir ’s response was a laugh and a chuckle. I ’m not sure if it was the thrill of seeing the pair of stately Trumpeter Swans on the pond in front of us or not, but anyone who does not bemoan the loss of a hot cup of Joe after being up since o ’ dark thirty watching grouse gets a plus mark in my book! On the publication side of the house, Kent Fiala ends his run as editor of The Chat, the official publication of the Carolina Bird Club. Kent picked up the duties of editor from Bob Wood ten years ago and has en- sured that each of the quarterly issues comes to you in a timely manner and with varied and interesting con- tent. Kent passes the torch to Don Seriff. Don’s first issue of The Chat will be Volume 77, Number 1 Win- ter 2013. Kent remains as the webmaster of the Caro- lina Bird Club website www.carolinabirdclub.org. LeGrand Honored Dr. Harry E. LeGrand Jr., long time North Carolina Bird Records Committee member and well-known birder, was honored recently for his work in the field of wildlife conservation. LeGrand received the Thomas L. Quay Wildlife Diversity Award from the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission for his dedica- tion to the preservation and conservation of wildlife in North Carolina. LeGrand is only the seventh person to receive this honor. Congratulations, Harry! 4 CBC Website Enhancements The Club continues to modernize some of the tasks that heretofore were only performed via the mail. In this day of e-everything, where folks frequently check the internet to see how warm it is instead of stepping outside, you might reasonably expect to be able to pay your annual dues online with a credit card. Well, now you can. Just go to http://www.carolinabirdclub.org and click on the "Join the CBC" link that is in the up- per left corner of every page. While the link is labeled "Join the CBC", it is for renewing members as well as new members. Members may now also submit change of address re- quests online by clicking on the “Change of Address Form” on the “About the Club” tab. If you have not visited the website recently, some rela- tively recent features may be of interest to you as well. The ever-expanding Photo Gallery features an educa- tional “Flashcard Mode” that allows you to identify a bird in a randomly selected photo, and then click the “Reveal Text” button to confirm your ID. One of the most exciting recent additions to the site is the hosting of Birds of North Carolina: Their Distribu- tion and Abundance. This easy-to-navigate tool pro- vides a commentary on each species found in North Carolina with notes on distribution and abundance in each of the state’s three geographical provinces. For uncommon or unusual species, tips on finding repre- sentatives of the species are included. If you have not visited recently, log in, there is much to discover and enjoy! Welcome New Members! The CBC warmly welcomes the fol- lowing new mem- bers. Daniel Edgeworth Beaufort, SC Kate Sheehan Anderson, SC Ornithology Library Peabody Museum Yale University, New Haven, CT Tom and Carla Ledford Monroe, NC Jim Guyton Charlotte, NC Spencer Mortensen Holly Springs, NC Samuel Messinides Camden, SC Jessica Porter Lexington, SC Cynthia and Vincent DiMattia Greensboro, NC Jamie Thomas Charleston, SC Carolina Gilmore Durham, NC Bud and Janice Weakland Whitmire, SC Jim and Shirley Barborak Jamestown, NC Susan Hamilton Columbia, SC Tom Fanslow Asheville, NC James and Beverly Seiferheld Charlotte, NC James Brailsford Edisto Island, SC Judith Meyer Washington, NC Mark and Alison Whitaker Statesville, NC Scott Winton Durham, NC Stacia Ballew Charleston, SC Lawrence and Diane Zoller Apex, NC Lauren Mobley Rock Hill, SC Pam Ford Charleston, SC Fred and Marcia Scheideman Hickory, NC Sara Hartnett Greensboro, NC Karen and Mark Hogan Chapel Hill, NC Chris and Noah Clack Gray Court, SC Ramona Bearor South Glens Falls, NY Lon McCauley Raleigh, NC Richard Jackson Etowah, SC Ken and Edna Lewis Taylors, SC Meta Harker Frankfort, KY Denise Williams Lenoir, NC Sam Upchurch Durham, NC Robert Blohme Bennett, NC Joe Blackburn and Pam Rhodes Charleston, SC Tom and Ruby Austin Blythewood, SC Linda Montgomery Clemson, SC 5 Changes to By-laws and Dues Schedule As noted in the December 2012 issue of The Newsletter, The Executive Committee is proposing changes to the Carolina Bird Club Bylaws and dues schedule. The changes proposed are intended (1) to make the dues structure easier to understand and simplify the categories and (2) to increase slightly the Life membership dues to recognize increasing costs. The Carolina Bird Club membership will be asked to vote to approve these changes at the Winter Meeting in Nags Head in late January 2013. The Executive Committee proposes amending Article IE Membership and Dues and Article III. Member Vot- ing Privileges by ( 1 ) eliminating the Associate and Sustaining categories, (2) adding a Family category and (3) confirming the Associate Life category. Family membership will cover any number of people who reside at the same address. Specifically the Executive Committee proposes the following amended wording: Article II. Membership and Dues, Paragraph 2: Memberships are available in the following dues- bearing categories: a. Individual (also available to non-profit organizations), b. Family (also availa- ble to commercial business entities), c. Student, d. Patron, e. Life, f Associate Life (in household with Life Member) Article III. Member Voting Privileges, Paragraph 1: On items presented to CBC members for action, one vote may be cast by persons 15 years old and older for each paid-up membership in the categories listed below. In the case of paid-up Family membership, one vote may be cast by each person 15 years old and older covered by the membership. Commercial business entities and non-profit organizations may not cast votes, a. Individual, b. Fami- ly, c. Student, d. Patron, e. Life, f. Associate Life (in household with Life Member) In addition, the Executive Committee proposes the following dues schedule to be effective January 26, 2013: Category Amount Frequency Individual $25 Annual Family $30 Annual Student $15 Annual Patron $50 Annual Life $500 Payable as a lump sum or in 4 Associate Life (in the same household with a Life Member) $100 Payable as a lump sum or in 4 Online Publications Password Change Reminder! The most recent editions of the Newsletter and The Chat are online on the CBC website. All CBC members will use the same username and password to access these publications. The username and password changed on November 30! The new username is "cbc" and the password is "thech@". This is a member- ship benefit, please don't share the password with nonmembers! The password will be changed from time to time, but can always be found in the most recent print edition of the Newsletter. http://www.carolinabirdclub.org 6 CCB Biologist Reunites with Hope Bryan D. Watts Editor 's Note: The CBC Newsletter featured Hope in several previous articles. This is an update on the now-famous Whimbrel that has provided much insight into shorebird migration. Since Hope ’s transmitter is no longer functional, we may not have any further up- dates, but imagine that Hope will enjoy many future summers in the North and winters in the Tropics. Fletcher Smith from The Center for Conservation Bi- ology traveled 1,500 miles to St. Croix in November to catch up with a Whimbrel named Hope. Since cap- turing Hope on May 19, 2009 in Virginia and fitting her with a satellite transmitter. Smith and a team of researchers have tracked the bird for more than 50,000 miles (80,000 kilometers) back and forth four times between breeding grounds on the Mackenzie River Delta in the Northwest Territories of Canada and her winter territory on Great Pond, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. During that time Hope made extraordinary flights over the open ocean, encountered several major storms, and along with two dozen other tracked birds, has revealed important details of migration previously unknown to science. Smith traveled to St. Croix in November to capture Hope again and remove the transmitter that had stopped transmitting. Hope's signal was lost shortly after her arrival on Great Pond in early September. From observations and photographs made by local re- searcher Lisa Yntema it became clear that the trans- mitter's antenna had broken off. Plans were made and coordinated with local officials to capture Hope in an effort to remove her transmitter. With assistance from local biologists. Smith sat in a blind for more than two days watching noose carpets placed in Hope's favorite foraging and roosting locations. Hope was captured on the morning of November 20. Her transmitter was re- moved but leg bands and her identifying color coded flag were left in place for future identification. Removal of the transmitter marks the end of the most successful tracking effort of a shorebird to date, but not the end of Hope. She will continue to be searched for along Box Tree Creek in Virginia during spring migration and on her winter territory in Great Pond for years to come. CBC Seeks Headquarters Secretary As of press time, the Carolina Bird Club is seeking a part time bookkeeper/secretary to perform the follow- ing functions, plus other duties as needed: • Using Quickbooks, record receipts and disburse- ments and provide reporting. Process new mem- berships and membership renewals using hardcopy forms and online payments. Reconcile monthly bank statements. • Send notices to members when their dues need to be paid; track membership. Send new member welcome packages. • Manage enrolments for each of the three annual seasonal meetings, updating the registration web- site and providing reporting. Prepare participant packets for each meeting. Attendance at each meeting is desirable to manage and coordinate the check-in desk. • Liaison with CBC Newsletter editot, Chat Editor and printer for Club mailings. • Manage registration and payments for bonus field trips. • Attend annual planning meetings. Please note that the preferred candidate can make a multiyear commitment of no less than three years. This position is one of two signatories on the Club’s operating account, and his/her address is used by the USPS for the Newsletter and The Chat. The weekly time commitment varies. It can be as little as 5-6 hrs/ week or 20-25+ hrs/week leading up to the three sea- sonal meetings. Compensation is $500. 00/month. Please note that this position is considered an inde- pendent contractor, not an employee of the Club. Interested? Contact: Samir.Gabriel@itg-global.coni 7 Carolina Bird Club, Inc. 1809 Lakepark Drive Raleigh, NC 27612 Periodicals Postage Paid at Wilmington, NC 28403 and additional mailing offices SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION LIBRARIES 3 9088 01680 1714 0A JAAlAAAA *MIXED ADC 270 142 O /3OQ0 SMITHSONIAN LIBRARIES NHB 25-MRC 154 BOX 37012/SERIALS WASHINGTON DC 20013 Hill' In1 Upcoming CBC Meetings Asheville, NC May 3-4, 2013 Litchfield, SC Fall 2013 CBC Board Members President, Marion Clark Lexington, SC 803-996-0480 mclark66@sc.rr.com Vice-Presidents Mark Buckler, Corolla, NC Michael McCloy, Cullowhee, NC Jeff Click, Easley, SC Secretary Phil Fowler, Concord, NC Treasurer Samir Gabriel, Huntersville, NC NC Members-at-Large Ron Clark, Kings Mountain Karyl Gabriel, Huntersville David McCloy, Southern Pines John Voigt, Emerald Isle SC Members-at-Large Don Faulkner, Easley Irvin Pitts, Lexington Immediate Past President Taylor Piephoff, Charlotte, NC Editor of The Chat, Don Seriff, Charlotte, NC Website Editor, Kent Fiala, Hillsborough, NC Editor of CBC Newsletter, Steven Shultz 4201 Sentimental Lane, Apex, NC 27539 919-779-2826, newsletter@carolinabirdclub.org Deadlines for submissions are the 15th of December, February, April, June, August, and October. Headquarters Secretary, Katherine Higgins, Wilmington, NC hq@carolinabirdclub.org 'Wsm CBC Website: www.carolinabirdclubvprg 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 A non-profit, $25; Family, $30; Student, $15; Patron, $50 and up; Sustaining A businesses, $30; Life, $500; Associate Life (in household with Life Member), $100 (both Life memberships can be paid in four annual installments). Membership dues of $25 include $4 for a subscription to CBC Newsletter and $5 for a subscription to The Chat. Cost for CBC bird checklists, including postage: 10©$5.45, 25@$13.40, 50@$27.00, and 100@$54.00. Submit application for membership, change of address, and payment for checklists to: CBC Headquarters Secretary, 6236 Teal St., Unit 8-D, Wilmington, NC 28403. Copyright © 2013. Printed on 100% recycled paper at Crass Roots Press. 8