Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
thrasherNewsletter of The Richmond Audubon Society T
HE
We promote the enjoyment, understanding,and preservation of birds, other wildlife, and habitat through education, advocacy, and fellowship.
RAS MEMBER’S MEETINGSWHEN: RAS membership meetings are on the 3rd Thursday of the month at 7:00 PM (except June, July, August and December). Come early for coffee, cookies and conversation beforehand starting at 6:30 PM.
WHERE: Held at St. Luke Lutheran Church • 7757 Chippenham Pkwy., Richmond, VA at the corner of Custis Road and Chippenham Parkway unless noted.
VISIT: www.RichmondAudubon.org for updates and additional information.
IN THIS ISSUE
Feature Article 1
President’s Message • RAS Board Brief 2
Upcoming Program 3
Member Photos 4
Member Photos 5
Field Trips 6
About RAS • RAS Board & Committees 7
Issue Features 8
May/June, 2017 • Volume 44, Issue 3
THE SoUNd of BIRdS STUdyA NEW pRojEcT GEAREd To lINk ElEMENTARy-AGEd STUdENTS To BIRdS
The Sound of Birds Study is a new project geared to link elementary-aged students to wild birds through numerous field expeditions.
Students will participate in activities to include:
• Going on birding expeditions in their own schoolyards, neighborhood parks and on prearranged field trips
• Keeping sketchbooks/journals to record/log what they see and hear in the field
• Navigating appropriate wildlife websites such as Cornell Lab of Ornithology or Audubon Society to search for bird characteristics and recordings of sounds
• Mapping wildlife by loading field data, photos and sound files into the DGIF www.inaturalist.org website
• Learning to identify local wild bird songs or calls by bird species and imitate those sounds on their instruments
• Singing bird-themed songs
• Writing and being able to verbally communicate a narrative about how birds are able to make the sounds they make and how their vocal anatomy differs from ours
• Creating works of art to support their findings in the field
• Dancing or acting out birds’ roles as they observe them in nature observe them in nature
Students will hear and collaborate in a live concert of bird-inspired historical orchestral or chamber music repertoire and give a performance/presentation of their work on the project.
Photos by Mary Elfner
- 2 -
thrasherNewsletter of The Richmond Audubon Society T
HE
May/June, 2017 • Volume 44, Issue 3
RAS BoARd BRIEfAt the RAS Board Meeting in mid-March there was discussion on finalizing efforts for RAS’s hosting of the Virginia Society of Ornithology Annual Meeting, including field trips, menu, speakers, auction, vendors, and volunteer needs. There was expressions of extreme gratitude for Abby Walters and Wes Teets efforts in the transformation of the RAS website.
please join us in service and support the RAS committee that best fits your talents!
fRoM THE EdIToRIf you are interested in contributing to a future issue, have an idea for an article, or would like to help on the committee, email: [email protected]
Submissions are due on the 10th of the month preceding the publication date (see page 7). Thanks to all who have contributed.
Bob Schamerhorn - Editor
pRESIdENT’S MESSAGEI have lived in Richmond since 2002, and it really feels like my home now. But I wanted to share some interesting bird-related news from my real home—my parent’s farm back in rural Indiana. I grew up on the same farm my father grew up on and where he has lived his whole life. He has seen a lot of changes in the almost 70 years he’s lived there. And in recent years, there have been some wildlife sighting on his property that are firsts for his lifetime.
A couple of years ago, he participated in a program in Indiana that was meant to restore grassland habitat in formerly agricultural areas. Certain strips of land were seeded with various native plants instead of being used for crops. The idea was to create habitat for certain species of butterflies and other insects. As we know, creating habitat with native plants helps sustain insect populations, which helps sustain bird populations, which helps other species thrive, and so on and so on in the Circle of Life. In the case of this particular habitat restoration project, it resulted in a brand new species appearing on the farm that had never before been spotted, at least in my father’s lifetime: wild turkeys! It’s interesting that such a simple change produced such a dramatic result in just one season.
My mother recently shared some photographs of a wetland area on the farm that my parents enrolled in a conservation program. Over Easter weekend, they had a pair of swans who spent some time there—another first for the Geller farm! If she hadn’t sent me photographs, I never would have believed it!
You so often hear about the quantity and variety of species disappearing over time. It is encouraging to me to think that some small changes can generate the opposite effect.
Eileen R Geller - RAS president
- 3 -
thrasherNewsletter of The Richmond Audubon Society T
HE
May/June, 2017 • Volume 44, Issue 3
UpcoMING MEMBERS MEETINGSRAS Meetings held at St. luke lutheran church, 7757 chippenham pkwy, Richmond, VA. The program begins at 7:00 pm, with coffee, cookies and conversation before, starting at 6:30 pm.
MAY 18 • ProgrAM: BIrD CoNSErVATIoN IN VIrgINIA pRESENTEd By: SERGIo HARdINGOrnithologist Sergio Harding from the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (DGIF) will be speaking with us about what DGIF does to conserve sensitive birds in the state of Virginia. The talk should include species such as Golden-winged Warbler, Loggerhead Shrike, and Peregrine Falcon.
Photos by Bob Schamerhorn • www.iPhotoBirds.com
- 4 -
thrasherNewsletter of The Richmond Audubon Society T
HE
May/June, 2017 • Volume 44, Issue 3
Glossy Ibis by Naseem Reza
Canada Geese by Lewis Barnett
Blue-winged Warbler by Lori Schamerhorn
Great Crested Flycatcher by Lewis Barnett
thrasherNewsletter of The Richmond Audubon Society T
HE
May/June, 2017 • Volume 44, Issue 3
- 5 -
Baltimore Oriole by Naseem Reza
Blackpoll Warbler by Lori Schamerhorn • www.helemai.net
- 6 -
thrasherNewsletter of The Richmond Audubon Society T
HE
May/June, 2017 • Volume 44, Issue 3
RAS fIEld TRIpScheck the RAS Listserv or the RAS website for information and any late breaking news about field trips.
jUNEjune 3rd Saturday lickinghole creek craft Brewery
Start time: 9 AM Join John for a walk on the site of Virginia’s only Farm Brewery. Located on Little Lickinghole Creek in Goochland County, the property boasts a variety of habitats and birds. After the walk participants will head to the patio to try some fine craft beer. Contact John Ditto ( [email protected] • 804-307-8958 for more info and to coordinate carpooling. The brewery is located at 4100 Knolls Point Dr, Goochland, VA 23063.
june 4th first Sunday Bryan park with Adolph White
Start time: 6:20 AM Meeting location: Shelter 1, Joseph Bryan Park. Join Adolph for early morning birding in Bryan Park. This historic park in Richmond’s Northside always has an abundance of birds. Resident birds will be busy with the breeding season. Contact Adolph at [email protected] for more info.
june 24th Saturday powhatan State park with Wendy Ealding
Start time: 8 AM. Join Wendy Ealding to explore Powhatan State Park. One of Virginia’s newest State Parks, Powhatan features a mix mature forest and open fields along with trails along the James River. Meet Wendy at the park’s playground parking lot at 8 AM. The regular car fee applies to enter the State Park but no additional fee will be charged for the walk. For more information contact Wendy at [email protected]. Park address: 4616 Powhatan State Park Rd., Powhatan, VA 23139.
Note: If anyone would like to plan and or lead a Richmond Audubon Society field trip please contact John Ditto at: [email protected]. Most field trips are at local Richmond area parks. Field trips are posted in the Thrasher for the following 2 months. Please check the RAS calendar for monthly updates. Thank you.
MAyMay 7th first Sunday Bryan park with jan frye
Start time: 6:40 AM. Meeting location: Shelter 1, Joseph Bryan Park. Join Jan for early morning birding in Bryan Park. This historic park in Richmond’s Northside always has an abundance of birds. Migration will be peaking and resident birds will be busy with the breeding season. For more information, contact Jan at [email protected].
May 13th Saturday 42nd St. with lewis Barnett
Start time: 7 AM. Warblers! Join Lewis to explore one of the best locations within city limits for enjoying the spring warbler migration. This beautiful section of the James River Park has a treetop pedestrian bridge that can produce eye level views of hard to spot warblers and other migrants. Meet Lewis at the 42nd st. lot off of Riverside dr. A small $5.00 donation per person will be collected to benefit Richmond Audubon. For more information contact Lewis at email [email protected]
May 20th Saturday dutch Gap with lewis Barnett
Meet at 8:00 AM at the entrance to Henricus Historical Park/Dutch Gap Conservation area. Explore this great birding destination to see what’s breeding and what’s still migrating. Early birders meet at 7:00 AM at the Dutch Gap Boat Landing parking lot. Sleepyheads join us at 8:00 at the main Henricus/Dutch Gap entrance gate. For more information, contact Lewis at email [email protected]
ABoUT THE RIcHMoNd AUdUBoN SocIETyRichmond Audubon Society (RAS) is a chapter of The National Audubon Society (NAS), becoming a member of either Society, enrolls your membership in both (NAS and RAS by zip code). Renewals are processed through The National Audubon Society.
AffIlIATES: Chapter of the Virginia Society of Ornithology (VSO) and the Virginia Conservation Network (VCN).
MAIlING AddRESS: Richmond Audubon Society P.O. Box 26648 • Richmond, VA 23261
pHoNE (Message line): 804-601-4917
WEBSITE: www.RichmondAudubon.org
fAcEBook: www.facebook.com/RichmondAudubon/
MEET-Up GRoUp: www.meetup.com/RAS-Meetup/
TWITTER: www.twitter.com/@RichmondAudubon
lISTSERV: www.freelists.org/list/va-richmond-general
NoNpRofIT: RAS is a registered nonprofit 501 (C) (3) charitable organization. Donations are tax deductible.
NEWSlETTER: “The Thrasher” is issued bimonthly (Jan-Feb, March-April, May-June, July-August, Sept-Oct, Nov-Dec) The newsletter is available for download (PDF) from the RAS website or by special request for a hard copy.
RAS BoARd MEETINGS: Second Thursdays of January, March, May, July (annual strategic planning session), September, and November. Board Meeting start times and locations vary, members are welcome to attend, contact the President or Secretary in advance.
AUdUBoN SocIETy MEMBERSHIp ApplIcATIoNYes, enroll me (us) as member(s) of both National Audubon and Richmond Audubon Societies at the address below, at the introductory rate of $20.00. A subscription to the NAS “Audubon” magazine is included.
Name_________________________________
Address ______________________________
City __________________________________
State_________ ZIP _____________________
Phone ________________________________
E-mail ________________________________
Enclose a $20.00 check payable to National Audubon Society for Individual/Family Membership and write “X53”as the memo. Send check and application to: Richmond Audubon Society p.o. Box 26648, Richmond, VA 23261 X53
- 7 -
offIcERS & coMMITTEE cHAIRpERSoNS of THE RIcHMoNd AUdUBoN SocIETyPresident Eileen Geller [email protected] First Vice President Ellison Orcutt [email protected] Second Vice President Wes Teets [email protected] Secretary Lori Schamerhorn [email protected] Treasurer Lewis Barnett [email protected] Bird-a-Thon Chair Lewis Barnett [email protected] Conservation Chair Mary Elfner [email protected] Cyberspace Chair Ben Griffon [email protected] Development Chair Jack Esworthy [email protected] Education Chair Joyce Caldwell [email protected] Field Trips Chair John Ditto [email protected] Hospitality Chair Vacant IBA/VAC Representative Len Smock [email protected] Legislation Chair James Shelton [email protected] Membership Chair Mario and Gail Grasso [email protected] Past President Lewis Barnett [email protected] Programs Chair Abby Walter [email protected] Publicity Chair Diane Jadlowski [email protected] Thrasher Editor Bob Schamerhorn [email protected] Youth Chair Ellison Orcutt [email protected]
thrasherNewsletter of The Richmond Audubon Society T
HE
May/June, 2017 • Volume 44, Issue 3
Richmond Audubon SocietyP.O. Box 26648
Richmond, VA 23261www.RichmondAudubon.org
Non-Profit OrganizationU.S. Postage PaidRichmond, VA
Permit Number 3022
- 8 -
THIS ISSUE fEATURES:THE SoUNd of BIRd STUdy(See page 1)
pRESIdENT’S MESSAGERAS BoARd BRIEf(See page 2)
UpcoMING MEMBERS MEETING(See page 3)
MEMBER pHoToS(See pages 4 and 5)
UpcoMING fIEld TRIp lISTINGS(See page 6)
thrasherNewsletter of The Richmond Audubon Society T
HE
Prairie Warbler - by Bob Schamerhorn
