THE 7^ TENNESSEE WARBLER Newsletter of the Tennessee Ornithological Society August, 2016 Editor, Theresa Graham PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE Over seventy members and guests attended the TOS Annual Meeting hosted by the Memphis Chapter and held at Reelfoot Lake May 6-8. The weekend weather was perfect; and the birds co-operated with over 140 species heard or seen at last count. The release of a recently rehabilitated Bald Eagle back into the wild was an added treat. Looking ahead, information and registration for the upcoming Fall TOS meeting at David Crockett State Park near Lawrenceburg September 30 - October 2 can be found in this issue of The Warbler. The Buffalo River Chapter has graciously agreed to host this meeting. It will be fun birding an area that many of us have not visited recently. We continue to partner with the American Bird Conservancy, TWRAand TVAon various projects. Signage for the Tennessee Birding Trail has been completed, and funding to set the signposts in the ground is forth-coming, so hopefully you will begin to see these start to pop up state-wide. An additional project discussed at the meeting involves a request from David Hanni, the Bird Conservation Coordinator in the Biodiversity “wing” of TWRA. David hopes to take inventory of all the heron rookeries in our state. There is concern that Double-crested Cormorants may be encroaching on these rookeries and squeezing herons and egrets out of their breeding grounds. If you know of any rookeries, please let your local chapter know. We are encouraging each chapter to designate a person to be the contact person for this project. If you are an at-large member, or prefer to contact David directly, one may reach him at David.Hanni@tn.aov . I strongly believe that this is the type of partnership that TOS should encourage. We have the manpower and the distribution throughout the state to gather the info needed and to make it available to David. If you are wondering, it is not necessary to monitor the rookery yourself. Also, if you have GPS coordinates, that’s great, but a description and/or address for the location is fine, too. Hope everyone has had a wonderful summer. If I don’t see you before, hope to see you this fall in Lawrenceburg! Good Birding! Steve Routledge, President The Tennessee Warbler August, 2016 Page 2 2016 TOS FALL MEETING AND SYMPOSIUM David Crockett State Park, Lawrenceburg, TN September 30-October 2, 2016 The Buffalo River Chapter TOS will host this fall’s meeting and symposium at David Crockett State Park near Lawrenceburg, TN. The meeting will be held Friday, September 30 through Sunday, October 2. Activities will include field trips on Saturday and Sunday mornings, the annual symposium, and board of directors meeting. Pre- and post-meeting field trips are also scheduled for those wanting to extend their visit. Accommodations: • David Crockett State Park: Cabins (2 bedroom, 2 bath, $155.00 per night, 2 night minimum). Reservations for the TOS weekend must be made by phone, 931-762- 9408, ask for Donna. The cabins will be held for only TOS reservations until August 31. • David Crockett State Park camping ($8.00-primitive, $20-water/electric per night) • Americas Best Value Inn (866-239-2992), Lawrenceburg • Richland Inn (931-762-0061), Lawrenceburg • Rodeway Inn (931-762-4448), Lawrenceburg Field Trips: Saturday and Sunday, meet at David Crockett State Park Restaurant at 7:30 • David Crockett State Park: Park Rangers will lead walks on park trails, searching for the many fall migrants in the area • Laurel Hill WMA: Look for water birds at Laurel Hill Lake and fall migrants in the management area • Natchez Trace Parkway: Look for fall migrants as you cruise the scenic highway from Hwy. 64 north to Meriwether-Lewis Park > Pre-meeting boat trip (Friday afternoon): See additional information in this newsletter. > Post-meeting Shrike-a-Thon (Sunday afternoon). See additional information in this newsletter. Fund-raiser for TOS Conservation and Research Grant Fund. Symposium and Board Meeting: Saturday afternoon, beginning at 1:30, in the basement of the David Crockett State Park Restaurant. To make a presentation or display a poster, contact Damien Simbeck, tnbarredowl@aol.com . Registration: Friday evening, 5:00-8:00, David Crockett State Park, Pavilion 1, including a dessert social hosted by Buffalo River TOS members. Registration fee is $15.00 per person and includes a $3.00-off coupon for dinner at the David Crockett Park Restaurant on Saturday evening. Use the attached form for pre-registration. Pre-registration is not required but is preferred. For additional information, contact Damien Simbeck (256-856-3079, tnbarredowl@aol.com 1 or Don Simbeck (931-629-4944 or don.simbeck@amail.com 1. The Tennessee Warbler August, 2016 Page 3 2016 TOS FALL MEETING AND SYMPOSIUM Lawrenceburg, TN September 30-October 2, 2016 Pre-meeting Boat Trip For folks interested in conning early for the fall meeting and birding a little in north Alabama, a 4-hour boat trip is being planned for Friday afternoon, September 30. Atrip on the Nautical Wheeler (see www. scenicwheelerlake.com for cruise information) has been scheduled, but will require at least 12 confirmed participants by September 23. We will meet at Joe Wheeler State Park Marina in Rogersville, Alabama at 11:30 on Friday, September 30. We’ll set sail at 12:00, head to Wheeler Dam, lock through the dam, cruise around the tailwaters before locking back through and returning to the marina by 4:00. Gulls and migrant terns begin arriving at the dam by late August and numbers are rising by late September. This is a great time of year for Laughing, Franklin’s and Lesser Black-backed Gulls. There are two local records of Sabine’s Gull and one Long-tailed Jaeger in late September. Also, large numbers of herons and egrets congregate on the island below the dam. Great Blue, Little Blue, and Black-crowned Night- Herons, Great, Snowy, and Cattle Egrets are usually present. Cost is $30.00 per person, payable directly to Captain Steve Graham after the cruise. Contact Damien Simbeck ( tnbarredowl@aol.com) for registration. 2016 TOS FALL MEETING AND SYMPOSIUM Lawrenceburg, TN September 30-October 2, 2016 Shrike-a-Thon Fund Raiser Lawrence County, Tennessee still has one of the largest Loggerhead Shrike populations in the state. Annual Christmas Bird Counts (1972-2016) averaged of 20.3 shrikes per count. Twenty shrikes were counted in 2016, and forty were counted in 2014. The count circle includes only a portion of the good shrike habitat in northern Lawrence County. On Sunday afternoon, teams will ride around the open farm country north and west of Lawrenceburg, looking for as many shrikes as possible. Each sighting will be mapped to document distribution in the area. To make this excursion even better, we are turning our efforts into a fund-raiser for the TOS Conservation and Research Grant Fund. During the fall meeting, members will be allowed to make pledges for the Shrike-a-Thon. When the shrike count is completed, those making pledges will be contacted with our totals and actual donations will be requested (i.e. pledge $2.00 per shrike and we tally 50 shrikes, you will make a $100.00 donation to the grant fund). Members can also sign up at the meeting to be part of a team, if you don’t mind staying a little longer for some extra bird watching. The Tennessee Warbler August, 2016 Page 4 2016 TOS FALL MEETING AND SYMPOSIUM Lawrenceburg, TN September 30-October 2, 2016 Pre-registration Form Name(s): _ Address: _ City/State/Zip Code: _ Chapter Affiliation: _ Email: _ Phone Number: (Home)_ (Cell)_ Total Registrations_ @ $15 each = $_ Make checks payable to Buffalo River Chapter TOS Mail to: Royce Neidert, 207 Old Jackson Hwy., Loretto, TN 38469 Spring Count Data Now Due If you have any spring count data and have not sent them to me, please do so at your earliest convenience! Please make sure you include the following: 1 - Hours and miles by car, foot, and any night birding 2 - Number of observers and parties 3 - Any feeder watching hours & names 4 - Start and end times for the count 5 - Weather data for the count 6 - Names of all the participants 7 - Anything else about the count, i.e. record high or low numbers, extraordinary weather, all-time species total for your particular count, etc. As always, TOS thanks the participants and compilers for their efforts in these surveys to help monitor our birdlife. These data are important and your efforts are much appreciated. Ron Hoff • TOS State Count Compiler 282 Hackworth Ln. • Clinton, TN 37716 • 865-435-4547 aves7000@bellsouth.net The Tennessee Warbler August, 2016 Page 5 Sandhill Crane Hunt Update By Cyndi Routledge This winter marks the 4 th season for the Tennessee Sandhill Crane hunt. Due to recent changes in the way the US Fish and Wildlife conducts its waterfowl surveys this 4 th season will remain as an “experimental” hunt; however, the hunt will be expanded to 45 days from the current 30 days with closure for the Crane Festival weekend. We fully expect this hunt to move to an “operational” hunt come the 2017-2018 season. In preparation for this move TWRA and your Wildlife Commissioners are proposing some changes to the current rules, namely a longer hunting season, increasing the hunting zone to state-wide, an increase in available permits, and moving to a computer draw which will allow TWRA to deem hunters ineligible for future drawings for not reporting efforts in previous years. Currently there is no penalty. As a citizen of the State of Tennessee you will have a chance to make comments during the Public Comment Period for all Migratory Game Bird Seasons from Oct 15- Nov 15,2016, which will include Sandhill Cranes. Since this hunt is not going away I encourage you to make thoughtful and constructive comments. In the meantime if you have any questions about the hunt, this procedure, or anything related to Sandhill Cranes in Tennessee, contact Joe Benedict at Joe.Benedict@tn.gov In addition, if you would like a copy of the summary of the hunt statistics for the last 3 years you can contact me, and I’ll be glad to send it to you. OPERATION MIGRATION Though the Ultra-Light led migration of young Whooping Cranes has ended, Operation Migration (OM) continues its work to enlarge the eastern migratory population of the cranes which currently totals about 100 birds. OM plans to be able to track each crane with transmitters; however, there are about twenty tracking devices that are non-functional. The cranes will have to be captured and refitted with working transmitters. OM welcomes contributions to fund purchase of new transmitters and to support the day-to-day expenses of raising the Whooping Crane chicks that will add to the eastern population. Join OM at the 14 th North American Crane Workshop, January 11-15,2017 in Chattanooga in conjunction with the Hiwassee Crane Festival. Finally, give a “WHOOP” for cranes! It will make you feel better! Tony King, Certified Craniac 865-988-6172 The Tennessee Warbler August, 2016 Page 6 THE NEW FEDERAL DUCK STAMP RELEASED The latest Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp (popularly called the “Duck Stamp” and costing $25) was released on the morning of June 24th in Springfield, Missouri. Almost all of the revenue from the sales of this stamp - adding up to an estimated $40 million for the stamp year-will go directly to the Migratory Bird Conservation Fund (MBCF). The MBCF receipts come from the sales of the Stamp and from import duties collected on arms and ammunition. This dedicated funding will secure vital breeding, stopover, and wintering habitats for waterfowl, other bird species, and other wildlife across the National Wildlife Refuge System. Today, parts of 252 National Wildlife Refuges (accounting for 2.37 million acres) and over 200 Waterfowl Production Areas (with over 3.0 million acres secured) owe their existence to the Stamp investments made through the MBCF. It is encouraging to know that every time you buy a Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation (Duck) Stamp you are helping secure valuable habitat for birds and wildlife and for future generations of Americans enjoying the Refuge System. The artwork on the 2016-17 Stamp shows a pair of flying Trumpeter Swans painted in acrylic by Joseph Hautman, of Plymouth, Minnesota. The species pictured this time, Trumpeter Swan, is especially significant. It represents a significant American conservation success story. This swan historically suffered huge population declines. By 1933, fewer than 70 wild Trumpeter Swans were known to exist, and extinction seemed a real possibility. Aerial surveys, however, discovered a Pacific population of several thousand trumpeters in Alaska. Increased conservation efforts have resulted in native western population recovery. In addition, multiple reintroductions to the central part of the continent -mostly around the Great Lakes - have also proven to be highly successful. It is also important to appreciate this swan species is not hunted, emphasizing that the Stamp is not simply “for hunting,” but its purpose is essentially to secure valuable habitat to conserve waterfowl and other species through the National Wildlife Refuge System. Source: Wingtips (June 27, 2016) OUR DUCK STAMP DOLLARS AT WORK The Migratory Bird Conservation Commission (MBCC) met in April. The Commission approved expenditures of $10.8 million from the Migratory Bird Conservation Fund (MBCF) to conserve 7,200 acres for six National Wildlife Refuges, through purchase of fee-title land and conservation easements. These funds were raised largely through the sale of Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamps, commonly known as “Duck Stamps.” The Duck Stamp program has been in place since 1934 and has raised more than $980 million to conserve more than 6 million acres of important habitat for the National Wildlife Refuge System. Over 250 refuges of the 563 refuges in the system have had at least part of their land acquired through MBCF/ Stamp dollars, and 106 of them can attribute at least two-thirds (66.6 %) of their existence directly to MBCF/ Stamp dollars. At the same time, almost all of the Waterfowl Production Areas (WPAs) in the Refuge System - or 3 million acres - can be attributed to MBCF/Stamp investments. The Migratory Bird Conservation Commission is chaired by the Secretary of the Interior, Sally Jewel. Its members include U.S. Senators Thad Cochran of Mississippi and Martin Heinrich of New Mexico; Representatives Robert J. Wittman of Virginia and Mike Thompson of California; Tom Vilsack, Secretary of Agriculture; and EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy. Sources: The Friends of the Migratory Bird/Duck Stamp; Migratory Bird Conservation Commission. The Tennessee Warbler August, 2016 Page 7 FEDERAL BAN TO BENEFIT SEABIRDS A federal ruling issued April 4, 2016, by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), will protect seven types of forage fish off California, Oregon and Washington. Affecting federal waters 3 miles off the coast and covering 280,000 square miles, the ruling makes dozens of species of forage fish off limits to commercial fishing. The term forage fish is a general description of smaller fish and invertebrate species found in the lower tropic levels of the food web that play a significant role in the ecosystem as prey species for larger fish, marine mammals and seabirds. Among the species protected are: Silversides, Pacific Sand Lance, Pacific Saury, several species of smelt, several species of herring, and several species of squid. As many as 30 resident species of seabirds and between 60 and 80 migratory species depend on these forage fish for their survival. The ban is the result of four years of advocacy by several conservation groups, including the National Audubon Society, the Pew Group and Oceana. Sources: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and National Audubon Society DEADLY PIPES ADDRESSED Open pipes, such as uncapped PVC pipes used to mark mining claims, function as death traps for hundreds of thousands of birds each year. These birds become trapped inside the pipes and are unable to escape, ultimately starving to death, or dying of dehydration. More than 3,000,000 mining claims use these sorts of pipes in the United States as boundary or claim markers. Fortunately, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) recently took action to reduce this serious threat to birds. A memorandum to BLM field offices across the nation called for staff to identify all vertical pipes on BLM-managed lands and to cap, close, remove or screen them, to prevent wildlife from becoming trapped. In addition, vertical pipes on future facilities must have permanent caps or screens to prevent harm to wildlife. Mine claim holders are also being encouraged to voluntarily remove PVC pipes used as mine markers and replace them with wildlife-safe markers. “This is a small change that will make a big difference,” said BLM Director Neil Kornze. “Too often, birds, bats, lizards, snakes, and small mammals find themselves unable to escape from pipes and vents.” In June of last year more than 100 organizations, led by the American Bird Conservancy, sent a letter to BLM and the USDA Forest Service, asking the two agencies to address this longstanding threat to birds. (TOS is a member of the American Bird Conservancy and a signatory on the letter.) Courtesy: The Birding Community E-Bulletin April 2016 The Tennessee Warbler August, 2016 Page 8 CHAPTER NEWS Birding Kingsport, the KINGSPORT TOS CHAPTER - The inaugural youth bird watching class at the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Kingsport began on March 7 with a full enrollment of seven clubbers and met weekly through April 4, 2016 when a graduation ceremony was conducted. A class highlight was a field trip to Warriors Path State Park where over 30 bird species were identified. Birding Kingsport Chapter partnered with the Kingsport Birding Trail to provide the programming as a mutually beneficial outreach to community youth and future classes are being scheduled. The life enhancing program was sponsored by Healthy Kingsport, a Healthy Tennessee pilot program. We have had an active program of bird walks in the Kingsport area, primarily on the Kingsport Birding Trail, but have ventured further afield on several field trips. Highlights of recent field trips - Phipps Bend (nesting Common Ravens), Kingsport Greenbelt (Yellow-crowned Night-Heron - 8, nesting), Cattails at Meadowview golf course (Sora, Virginia Rail, and nesting Green Herons), Roan Mountain and Hampton Creek Cove State Natural Area (Golden-winged Warblers), Seven Islands State Birding Park with a detour to Cherokee Lake for a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, Sycamore Shoals State Park on the Watauga River, and Amis Mill and John Sevier Lake (Rogersville, Hawkins County). Members of Birding Kingsport also participated in the Herndon (Elizabethton) chapter’s 5-county spring count by covering the western Sullivan county area. Officers: President - Bill Grigsby, 1 st Vice President (Programs) - Rack Cross, 2 nd Vice President (Activities) - Gary Bailey, Corresponding Secretary - Kim Pruden, Recording Secretary - Priscilla Little, and Treasurer - Betty Bailey. Meetings are held at the Downtown Kingsport Association, 229 Broad Street, Kingsport on the 4 th Tuesday of each month at 7:00 PM. Bill Grigsby, President The NASHVILLE CHAPTER ofTOS jumped into spring with the return of our annual Wednesday morning Radnor State Park walks. A quick look into the NTOS archives astounded us to find that this popular event started in April of 1977! Averaging 25-30 birders for each of the 4 walks this current spring, it’s evident that these annual Wednesday spring and fall walks are still popular and an important part of what NTOS does not only for its members but as part of our outreach in the community. Many thanks to Melinda Welton, Josh Stevenson, Kevin Bowden and Richard Conners for volunteering to lead walks this spring. Our fall walks will begin on September 21 st . Our annual spring bird count took place on April 30 th and included parts of Davidson, Cheatham, Williamson, Rutherford and Wilson counties. Thirty-seven participants in 13 parties totaled 161 species. It was a rainy day, but with the precipitation arrived a delightfully high number of shorebirds, 13 to be exact, including 30 American Avocets, 330 Willets and a Franklin’s Gull. A huge thank-you to all who participated and to Jan Shaw and Scott Block our co-compilers. Our “split” meeting location experiment seems to be working out well. We have enjoyed returning “home” to Radnor Lake State Park and will remain there thru the August 18 th meeting. However beginning with the September 15th meeting and continuing each month through the December 15 th we will “switch” locations and begin gathering at the Warner Park Nature Center. The NTOS Board of Directors has contacted a graphic artist and is in the early stages of updating our NTOS Nashville Warbler logo. Watch for the unveiling on our new publications going forward. Finally, many thanks to members John Kell and Ashley Heeney for stepping up and volunteering to be our newest State Directors. Their term began at the TOS May Spring meeting at Reelfoot Lake and will continue till May of 2018. Hope to see everyone at the Fall TOS meeting which is being hosted by the Buffalo River Chapter and being held at David Crockett State Park near Lawrenceburg. As always, good birding! Cyndi Routledge, NTOS President The Tennessee Warbler August, 2016 Page 9 CHAPTER NEWS The JOHN W SELLARS - LEBANON CHAPTER of TOS has been active and invites all to join us anytime! In April we birded the cedar glades and had a program followed by May birding for scissortails and lark sparrows in Rutherford County followed by a cookout with delicious food and great fellowship of birders and families. In July we plan to bird the Duck River Unit near New Johnsonville in West Tennessee on Saturday, 23 July 2016. Trip will be led by Stephen Zipperer. We hope to see various sandpipers & plovers, Caspian & Black Terns, American White Pelicans, various herons (Great Blue, Little Blue & Green) & egrets (Great, Snowy & Cattle). All are possible. Stephen suggests making yourself familiar with Black Terns in non-breeding plumage. Keep posted on details by visiting our website https://lebanonbirdina.org/ ! This website will have updates for Fall once we solidify our field trips and programs in August. Come birding with us! The members gathered at Cedars of Lebanon State Park on Saturday, 21 May 2016 for some early morning birding and a cookout. We had a great turnout and the weather was perfect! Shortly after 7:30 AM, Stephen Zipperer led some of our members to one of the birding hotspots in Rutherford County forScissor-tailed Flycatchers, Loggerhead Shrikes, and Dicksissel. After getting close-ups of each of these birds, they raced back to Wilson County where they saw Lark Sparrows and Grasshopper Sparrows. Meanwhile, back at the park other members birded among the ash, hickories, junipers and oaks. Highlights included the Acadian Flycatcher, Red-headed Woodpecker, Summer Tanager, Yellow-breasted Chat, Common Yellowthroat, Indigo Bunting, White-eyed Vireo and Yellow-throated Vireo. ASwainson’s Thrush and Wood Thrush were also heard. About 11:00 AM, everyone came back to shelter #5, and a feast ensued. Members brought side dishes, desserts, burgers, brats, and hotdogs. Jack Zipperer brought his grill and did most of the cooking, and Greg did most of the eating. In all, 24 members and family gathered for a wonderful day in the park. Good birding, good food, and good friends. Greg Tomerlin The Tennessee Warbler August, 2016 Page 10 CHAPTER NEWS LEE & LOIS HERNDON (ELIZABETHTON) - The 73rd consecutive Elizabethton Spring Bird Count, which was held Saturday, April 30, set numerous records for this long-running survey of the region’s birds. The 59 observers in 13 parties (both representing record highs for participation) enjoyed favorable weather over the coverage area, which included Carter County and parts of adjacent Johnson, Sullivan, Unicoi and Washington Counties. Long-time count compiler Rick Knight announced that the annual count tallied 166 species, eclipsing the previous record of 161 set in 2005. By comparison, the average number over the last 30 years has been 147 species. Highlights for this year’s Spring Bird Count included American Golden-Plover and Fish Crow, which were new to this annual survey of birds in the region. Other notable find included Hooded Merganser (a hen with two young), a lingering pair of Common Mergansers, Virginia Rail, Black-billed Cuckoo, Northern Saw-whet Owl, Peregrine Falcon, Sedge Wren, and Cerulean Warbler. Amazingly, given the long history of this count, 21 species occurred in record high numbers this year. Knight said the increased number of observers and parties certainly contributed to this. The Herndon Chapter conducts two summer bird counts. The long-running Carter County Summer Bird Count was joined three years ago with an annual survey for neighboring Unicoi County. Although its hasn’t been conducted for a long time, the Unicoi County Summer Bird Count established a new record this year with a total of 112 species reported, in contrast to the 110 and 111 species tallied during the first two Summer Counts conducted in 2014 and 2015. A total of 21 observers in five parties counted birds in Unicoi County on Sunday, June 12. A total of 20 species of nesting warblers made the count, including Blackburnian, Swainson’s and Magnolia. Other highlights from the count include a single Northern Bobwhite, four Bald Eagles, a Red-shouldered Hawk (a scarce bird in Northeast Tennessee) and three Red Crossbills. The 23rd annual Summer Bird Count for Carter County was held June 18 with 18 observers in seven parties. Strong winds were a problem for most of the day, causing a few missed species and reduced numbers for others. Still, this year’s count managed 108 species, just below the average of 112 for the previous 22 years. The range for this count has varied from 105 species to a high of 121 species. The chapter will hold a summer picnic in July and a planning meeting/dinner in August before resuming its regular monthly meeting schedule in September. Bryan Stevens, Newsletter Editor Photo by Bryan Stevens Pictured from left are: Glen Eller, Chapter President Roy Knispel, Gary Wallace and Rick Knight. Wallace was honored for his many contributions over the years to the chapter and its activities. The Tennessee Warbler August, 2016 Page 11 CHAPTER NEWS MEMPHIS CHAPTER President, Kate Friedman, would like to thank all the chapter members who helped coordinate the 2016 Spring State TOS Meeting. We had over 70 members from across the state attend the meeting at Reelfoot Lake State Park. A huge thank -you also goes out to the Park Rangers at Reelfoot for providing the canoe float, pontoon boat cruise and bald eagle release. Thanks also to our TOS state president, Steve Routledge. Saturday night’s banquet was catered by Blue Bank Fish Restaurant. Congratulations to Glenn Criswell, long time TOS member, who received a Distinguished Service Award. The highlight of the evening was the presentation by Matt Hill, biologist with the Missouri Department of Conservation who talked about his work with the Greater Prairie Chicken. MTOS participated in the Memphis Zoo’s Bird Fest on May 28 th . Bird Fest was hosted by the US Fish and Wildlife Service as a celebration of the 100 th anniversary of the Migratory Bird Treaty. It was estimated that over 2,500 zoo visitors participated in Bird Fest activities and over 800 passports were distributed encouraging families to visit each station and learn about birds and bird conservation. MTOS was also at the Hatchie Bird Fest in Brownsville June 3-5 th . The weekend started with children’s activities at the Hatchie National Wildlife Refuge led by Refuge Ranger Tara Dowdy. Friday evening Hatchie NWR Manager Brian Roberts talked about conservation efforts taking place at the Refuge and across the region. Birders had several enjoyable options for birding hikes on Saturday and Sunday morning. The weekend also featured a line-up of great speakers, including Carol Reese, UT Extension Ornamental Horticulture Specialist, Dr. David Pitts, retired Professor of Biological Sciences at UT Martin, Bart Jones, noted butterfly expert, and several others. In March, April and May the Memphis Chapter led several hikes to Shelby Farms Park, Wall Doxey State Park (MS), Shelby Farms Greenline, and Overton Park. At our annual Chapter banquet in March we were delighted to have John and Dale Stokes entertain us with their collection of birds of prey. In April we were pleased to have Chris Sloan, NTOS member, speak about his journeys to Papua New Guinea. Dr. David Aborn traveled from Chattanooga in May, and gave an informative program on bird banding. The MTOS chapter is looking forward to our annual summer picnic at the Mid-South Raptor Center on Saturday, August 20 th . TOS members from across the state are welcome if you happen to be in the Memphis area that day! For more information, contact MTOS President, Kate Friedman or Mid-South Raptor Center Director and MTOS Secretary Knox Martin for more details. Just prior to press time we learned that chapter member Jim Ferguson passed away on July 8 th . Jim joined the chapter in 1975 and immediately became one of our most impressive leaders. He served on several chapter committees as well as both a local and state director. He served as our chapter president from 1982 - 1984 and subsequently served as president of the state organization from 1985 - 1987. Jim served on both the finance and by-laws committees, and as vice president for West Tennessee. Jim was the driver and recorder for his wife Sue, on her breeding bird survey route in West Tennessee since 1983, and rarely missed a chapter Christmas Bird Count. In addition to his interests in birding, Jim loved gardening and cooking, was a devotee of the arts and an accomplished writer. He is survived by his wife Sue, to whom he was happily married for 50 years, and their three children, Chris, Jennifer and David. Kate Friedman, MTOS President OCTOBER 31ST DEADLINE The deadline date for the December issue of The Tennessee Warbler is October 31st. Please submit all articles, announcements, reports and items of interest by this deadline date. Submit Material To: Theresa Graham, Editor PO Box 366, Oakland TN 38060 (901)465-4263 (home) e-mail: 2araham@bellsouth.net The Tennessee Warbler August, 2016 Page 12 In Memory of Jerry Ruth Walker October 10,1933 - June 9, 2016 If you were to look at the obituary posted online about our dear friend, Jerry Walker, three items stand out that were important to her; Family, Faith and Birds The birding world lost a faithful observer while family and friends lost a wonderful person in their life. Jerry and Dean came to Garr’s Feed one Saturday and joined our meeting. They were to become, as they are in other areas, faithful. If any were to ask my advice what Jerry represented, it was to share your passions with good observations and laughter...lots of laughter. When I asked her about what bird caught her attention, she said a Hooded Warbler. She told me she was exploring a swamp or marsh as a young girl, and that yellow bird caught her eye. This sighting added to her love of the outdoors. How fortunate for all she ended up with Dean, a kind- hearted, sweet-spirited man with a love for birds. They were parents who loved sharing with their family, and nurturing the children they loved so much. This continued until her last. She loved family, friends, outdoors, and life. We could always rely on Dean and Jerry to get our Loggerhead Shrikes and Wild Turkeys coupled with some astute observation they noted. Both were a reliable and great team. Personally, I am grateful for the yellow bird she spied while exploring as a child. It help to fuel a passion that continued. And this love remains today as we laugh at good stories, enjoy family and friends, and share our passions-be it through birds, other hobbies, etc. But share it with laughter and love. Whenever I spy this yellow bird, I know it gave us a fun friend and fellow birders we will always love, cherish and remember with a smile. Melissa Turrentine John Sellars TOS Lebanon Chapter The Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act The purpose of the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act (NMBCA) is to provide financial support and foster international cooperation for initiatives that will perpetuate healthy bird populations. The NMBCA is the only Federal grants program available throughout the Americas and specifically dedicated to the conservation of our migratory birds. The NMBCA addresses migratory bird population needs on a continental scale and conserves birds throughout their life cycles. The projects supported in other countries foster security, generate good will, and improve foreign relations, while sustaining healthy bird populations Since 2002, the NMBCA has provided more than 50 million dollars in grants to support 451 projects in 36 countries. Partners have contributed an additional 191 million dollars, affecting 3.7 million acres of critical habitat, resulting in crucial success in protecting birds like the Canada Warbler, Long-billed Curlew and Red Knot. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service The Tennessee Warbler August, 2016 Page 13 WHY BIRDS HIT WINDOWS Birds can’t see glass. As a result, up to one billion (yes, billion) birds hit glass and are killed each year in the United States alone, as they try to navigate around houses and office buildings and other obstacles. There is a myth that people can see glass but birds can’t. In fact, neither birds nor people can see glass (we learn to recognize and know what a window sill, door frame, etc. contain). Many people are injured every year by colliding with unmarked doors and windows; embarrassment is the usual result. But because of their small size and high-speed flight, birds hit glass and are usually killed or sustain injuries that will likely kill them. Birds can learn to avoid glass: for example, birds in zoo exhibits learn to avoid to exhibit walls if the glass is marked for their first few days of residence. Wild birds can learn about specific pieces of glass, but, overall, birds don’t seem to recognize clues that windows are present and frequently don’t survive their first impact. Birds hit glass because it presents a triple threat: 1) Reflections of vegetation or landscape attract birds to collide with glass. 2) Green habitat inside buildings with see-through glass can lure birds to their deaths. 3) Glass corners or narrow passages can allow birds to see through to habitat on the other side of a building, and they die trying to fly through. Almost 50 percent of bird collision mortality happens on home windows, and the most likely place for birds hitting windows is near bird feeders. WHAT CAN YOU DO? If you have outside screens on all your windows, you are already on your way to having a bird-friendly home. Research has identified ways to alert birds to windows. The easiest way to stop birds hitting windows is to ap¬ ply visible patterns to the outside of glass: Most birds will avoid glass with vertical stripes spaced four inches apart or horizontal stripes spaced two inches apart. Stripes should be at least % inch wide. Generally, white stripes perform better, as they show up well against a wider variety of backgrounds. Tapes and decals are readily available on the internet or at stores for bird lovers. Cords or netting can be mounted in front of glass, as can motorized shades or screens. Courtesy: American Bird Conservancy (TOS is a member organization of ABC) Learn more: abcbirds.org GLOBAL BIG DAY SET NEW RECORD On 14 May, a team of more than 15,000 birders took to fields and forests around the world, recording more species in one day than ever before. This was the second Global Big Day - a coming together of the global birding community, united by our passion for birds. 6,263 species, 43,848 checklists, 15,953 e-birders, 145 countries. Source: The Cornell Lab of Ornithology eBird News June 2016 Send corrections & Change of Address Requests To: npmcwhirter@amail.com “THE TENNESSEE WARBLER” Published by the Tennessee Ornithological Society 274 Beech Grove Rd McMinnville, TN 37110 PRESORTED STANDARD MAIL U.S. POSTAGE PAID MEMPHIS, TN PERMIT NO. 238 Want to save a tree, unclutter your mailbox and save mailing expense for the Society? If you would prefer to read each edition of The Warbler online at the TOS website http://tnbirds.org/warbler.htm please drop Mac McWhirter an email at npmcwhirter@gmail.com The Tennessee Warbler - August, 2016