Jul-Aug 2010 Wingbars Newsletter Atlanta Audubon Society

8/9/2019 Jul-Aug 2010 Wingbars Newsletter Atlanta Audubon Society

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ATLANTAAUDUBON SOCIE4055 Roswell Roa

Atlanta, GA 3034

678.973.2437www.atlantaaudubon.o

GOS RARE BIRD ALE

770.493.8862

July-August 201

Volume XXXVI, Issue 7 ATLANTA AUDUBON SOCIETY

I N S I D ESpeaker Series................

2010 Photography Conte

Presidents Perch............

Birding Trails ...................

Field Notes - April...........

Field Trips........................

A Million Thanks.............

Binoculars Fundraiser.....

Nature Through Art .........

LAB Training...................

Shorebird Extravaganza .

Kite at Kennesaw...........

Classifieds.......................

AAS Classes...................

Bird Brainer.........................

Funin Fundraising ...........

Membership.....................

Dragonflies......................

While north Atlantas Buckhead neighborhood may bebest known for its high-end malls and non-stopdevelopment, fortunately, it also remains a lush anddiverse landscape with large lots and rolling topography.

Atlanta Audubon Societys 2010 Backyard WildlifeSanctuary Tour now in its ninth year highlights fourprivate gardens in Buckhead and Sandy Springs. Thetour also includes the chance to explore the 25-acre

Blue Heron Nature Preserve nearby, home to AtlantaAudubon.

All of the properties are certified as Backyard WildlifeSanctuaries by Atlanta Audubon Society, and reflecteach owners tastes and interests in providing anurturing environment for birds and other wildcreatures through a focus on native plants.

The public is invited to tour fascinating backyardhabitats and a large church property including:

Home of Thaea Lloyd,

570 Valley Lane, Sandy Springs

Thaea Lloyd has been a gardener since childhood. Afocal point of her half-acre lot is a small structure shecalls The Bear House. Its rustic porch with inviting patiois an ideal place to relax and bird watch.

The heavily planted lot is divided into several outdoorrooms, each creating a different microenvironment. Asher neighborhood continues to urbanize, Lloyd placesthe highest priority on selecting plants that are nativeand provide food and habitat for wildlife while alsoproviding beauty. In the past, plants were selectedsimply for their looks.

One highlight is a Washington Hawthorn tree thatattracts hundreds of Cedar Waxwings each winter.

Home of Celia and Don Gilner,

4867 Northland Drive, Buckhead

The Gilners have lived on their seven-acre property for30 years. Anchored by a 1937 granite home, the gardenfeatures a pond, waterfall, Japanese garden and pasturewith horses bordering Nancy Creek.

The pond attracts herons, Mallards, Canada Geese andWood Ducks. The pasture with shrubs, bird feeders andnesting boxes attracts cardinals, bluebirds, hawks,Brown Thrashers and Pileated Woodpeckers.

A mature mahonia patch is often used by robins fornesting, while its berries attract many bird species.Native plants such as wild blackberries, elderberries andalder shrubs also attract birds and wildlife. A generousplant buffer around the pond provides cover and shadefor birds, as well as frogs, turtles and fish.

Home of Atlanta Audubon Society, Blue Heron

Nature Preserve, 4055 Roswell Road, North

Buckhead

An ideal site for Atlanta Audubon, the 25-acre BlueHeron Nature Preserve is dedicated to protecting andrestoring wetlands along and near Nancy Creek. The

focus is on community involvement and education ininnovative ways to preserve local green space andwetland habitat, gain accessibility, stabilize creek banks,attract wildlife, and improve water quality along NancyCreek.

The Blue Heron Nature Preserve was founded in 2001when a local schoolteacher, the North Buckhead CivicAssociation and a developer worked together to setaside seven acres of floodplain along Nancy Creek.Residents, community groups, businesses and students

An added bonus at the Blue Heron Nature Preserve

during the day of the tour will be the chance

to meet two Georgia authors.

From 10:00 AM to noon, award-winning nature writer

Charles Seabrook will sign his bookCumberland Island:

Strong Women, Wild Horsesand discuss his upcoming

book about the ecology of the Georgia coast to be

published later this year.

From 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM, John Yow will sign his funny

and informative new book The Armchair Birder:

Discovering the Secret Lives of Familiar Birds.

Childrens activities will be held from noon to 1:00 PM.

Experience Buckheads Natural Side:AAS Hosts 9th Annual Backyard Wildlife Sanctuary TourSaturday, September 11, 2010 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM

(continued on page 6)

The greatly reduced lawn in Lisa Franks backyard makes way for

drought-tolerant shrubs and trees. (page 6)

Photographer: Lisa Frank


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Board of Directors2010

OFFICERSPresident Carol Hassell

[email protected]

President-elect Harriette Hoyt404.664.3688

[email protected]

Co-TreasurersEllen Miller

[email protected]

Tom Painter404.524.8833

[email protected] Secy Mark Jernigan

[email protected]

DIRECTORSConservation Dave Butler

[email protected]

Education Vacant

Field Trips Stanley [email protected]

Communications Vacant

Public Relations Beth Giddens770.792.3712

[email protected]

JoAnn Jordan678.488.8022

[email protected]

Volunteers Vacant

AT LARGEJoy Carter

[email protected]

Jay Davis404.624.4973

[email protected]

Pam Higginbotham770.939.3592

[email protected]

Linda [email protected]

David Kuechenmeister404.822.8089

[email protected]

Victor WilliamsEarthshare Representative

[email protected]

STAFFExecutive Director Catharine Kuchar

[email protected]

Education Coordinator Emily Toriani-Moura678.973.2437

[email protected]

Administrative Coordinator Sally Davis678.973.2437

[email protected]

WebsiteJim Flynn

[email protected]

Wingbars ManagerDiane Hawkins-Cox

[email protected]

Wingbars EditorSusan Milne404.502.5496

[email protected]

ProofreadingSteven Phenicie770.849.0391

[email protected]

Design & LayoutCopy Preparation 770.939.2002

[email protected]

Newsletter deadline is the first of the monthfor material to be published

the following month.Please submit articles as MS-Word to

[email protected] attachments, if possible.

Wingbars is the official newsletter of AtlantaAudubon Society and is published 10 times a

year. We feature news, upcoming events,meetings, field trips and projects.We hope youwill join us. Opinions expressed are those of theauthors and do not necessarily reflect policies

of the Atlanta Audubon Society.

Mission Statement:

Protecting Georgias birds and the habitats that sustain them

through education, conservation and advocacy.

2 Atlanta Audubon Soci

What do the forest canopies of Madagascar,subterranean waterways of the Ozarks, termitemounds of the Brazilian Cerrado, leaf litter in the

Amazon Basin, and the rocky shores of CentralBrazil have in common?

These locations all host microhabitats with

taxing environmental conditions, such asdrought, lack of sunlight, or a limited water

supply. Organisms living in these ecosystemsmust adapt in order to survive severe wind,

fluctuating water levels or total darkness. Just asthe long, pointed bill of the dowitcher, ibis andsandpiper allows these birds to inhabit areas

with food buried beneath the soil surface, thelateral line system (a series of sensory organs) of

the Ozark Cave Salamander aids this creatureslife in the dark by increased sensitivity to

vibrations.

One other aspect that these far-reaching

environments have in common is the attentionDr. Dant Fenolio, the Amphibian Conservatio

Biologist at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens. Danis interested in the community of organisms thlive in and around some of the most challengin

environments, particularly subterranean speciethat inhabit aquifers. He received his

undergraduate education in Biology andEnvironmental Studies from the University of

California at Santa Cruz and his Masters degreein Zoology from the University of Oklahoma.

While in Oklahoma, Dant studied Ozark blindcave salamanders and forest canopy amphibianin Madagascar. Dants Ph.D. came from the

University of Miami, where he worked with theAmphibian Conservation Action Plan to furthe

research that could help halt amphibian declin

With the Atlanta Botanical Garden, Dant helpto coordinate both local and international

amphibian conservation efforts and to developcaptive breeding methods for endangered

species. Dant is finishing a book project abouthe organisms in some of the darkest reaches o

our planets biosphere. Come see some fantastphotographs as he shares his knowledge of theforms of wildlife that live most or all of their

lives in the dark. There will be something foreveryone in this talk, ranging from rare mamm

to deep sea fish to insects found nearly 100 feeabove the Madagascan forest floor!

Dant will also help us celebrate the talented

photographers that won prizes in the variouscategories of this years AAS photographycontest. Please join us! No registration is

necessary. This is a free event open to the publ

JULY SPEAKER SERIES LIFE IN THE DARK with Dr. Dant FenAND EXHIBITION OF THEWINNING PHOTOGRAPHS FROM THE

AAS 2010 PHOTOGRAPHYCONTESTThursday, July 15

Photo Exhibit and Hors doeuvres: 7:00 PM to 8:00 PMMeeting and Presentation: 8:00 PM to 9:00 PM

Location: AAS Conservation and Education Office4055 Roswell Road, Atlanta, GA 30342

Knife Fish, Upper Amazon Basin

Photographer: Dant Fenolio

Red Hills Salamander, Alabama

Photographer: Dant Fenolio

New AAS President-elect

The AAS Board of Directors has elected Harriette Hoyt to the position of President-elect. Harriette brings

her amazing enthusiasm and experience to the Board and we are excited to welcome her to this position

Harriette will become President of AAS beginning in 2011.


3/12July-August 2010 3

The Natural Order and a Thank-You

ve mulled over recent events, seeking an item or issue that would provide a timely topic for this column.Theres much thats not very encouraging, plenty thats discouraging, and some thats just plain calamitous.

Yet, today as I go through this less-than-happy mental exercise again, Im sitting on a porch looking into awoodland, mostly hardwoods, but with a few pines as well. From here, Im engulfed in the bustle and noisychatter of birds going about their normal ways incubating a first or second nest, perhaps caring for thehatchlings or keeping an eye on fledglings, or maybe teaching the hungry beggars to find food for themselves.

This is an ongoing, orderly beauty. And if I will just sit, listen and watch, I can experience a moment of refugeand peace. Ive tapped into the wonder of a natural order that never ceases to amaze me.

Those of us who care about the well-being of birds indeed, all wildlife and their habitats should take theopportunity to tune in to such beauty and peace, even as we do whatever is in our power, individually andcollectively, to ensure the continued healthy existence of birds. We should enjoy them and find a moment ofespite in their orderly processes, but never take them for granted or assume someone else will step forward onheir behalf.

I also take this opportunity to offer a hearty thanks to Emily Toriani-Moura, and to wish her

well as she embarks on an exciting new chapter in her life. Last year Emily was selected asthe Education Coordinator by Executive Director Catharine Kuchar. Emily broughtenthusiasm, skill and knowledge to this new position. She developed and updated childrenseducational materials, including Learning About Birds, which will continue to be relevant.She taught children about birds in schools and in such programs as the Beltline EducationPartnership. Emily also worked on AAS adult education programs, including the SpeakerSeries, and created new presentations for community outreach.

But now Emily leaves with her husband to return to his home country, Brazil, where he will establish a newoffice for his Atlanta-based employer. Emily plans to continue her work in education and on behalf of birds. Wewish them both well.

Presidents Perchby Carol Hassell

AAS to Establish Birding TrailsThe Atlanta Audubon Society is developing birding trails for the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Greater AtlantaBirding Trail Adventures will provide local residents and visitors with many exciting options to see resident andmigrant birds while also experiencing many of the interesting and beautiful attractions of the metro area.Birding trails were first developed in Texas along the Gulf Coast and have been replicated in many other statesacross the nation. Weaving together good birding sites with historic sites, national and state parks, local publicspaces, coastlines and lakes, the trails offer a diversity of cultural and natural experiences for all ages andbirding abilities.

Board members Joy Carter, Stan Chapman, David Kuechenmeister, and Dave Butler are identifying appropriatesites for the project. The main trail will encompass the entire metro area and may include such well-knownbirding sites as Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield, Panola State Park, Newman Wetlands Center and

Cochran Shoals. Each county in the area will have its own birding trail. For example, DeKalb Countys trail couldnclude Stone Mountain, Clyde Shepherd Nature Preserve, Constitution Lakes, Fernbank Forest, Henderson Park

and Arabia Mountain Nature Preserve, among others. The counties visitors bureaus and parks departments, theAtlanta Regional Commission and the Georgia State Parks and Historic Sites Division of DNR will all be invitedo join AAS in promoting the trails in brochures and on web sites.

We will be developing maps, signage, information about each site, and photos to provide trail users with the bestexperience possible. Our hope is not only to expand birding opportunities in the Atlanta area, but also topromote the conservation of the natural spaces that provide habitat, nesting sites and food for resident andmigrant birds.

f you know of sites that you think should be included in our trail system, please let us know. Contact Dave Butlerat [email protected] or call the AAS office.

OrioleBack Issues

Needed

The Important Bird A(IBA) collection of t

Georgia Ornithologi

Society (GOS) journThe Oriole, continuegrow. IBA has all iss

dating back to June 1and most of those b

to March 1976. IB

would love to obtaolder copies. Thank

the generosity of donIBA has multiple cop

of many issues and sent several to GOS

fill gaps in its collecti

IBA would also likemake issues availabl

the various GeorgAudubon Societies a

other ornithology-relagroups in the state

Contact Charlie [email protected]

you have any bac

issues to donate.

Question:

Do anybirds trulyhibernate?

See page 6 for answ

Inaugural issue of

The Oriole, from January

Emily Toriani-Moura


4/124 Atlanta Audubon Soci

ATLANTA AREA

DUCKS THROUGH PELICANS Interesting duck

sightings included two REDHEADS at Lake Varner on 9

April (JSe, BL, HG), a summering RING-NECKED DUCK

at the E.L. Huie Land Application Facility (ELHLAF) in

Clayton Co. at least through 24 April (fide RT), and a

female HOODED MERGANSER at the Chattahoochee

River National Recreation Area (CRNRA) with six young

on 16 April (DL). COMMON LOONS were noted with a

flyover at Henderson Park in DeKalb Co. on 6 April

(JSe), a single bird at Lake Horton on 13 April (SM) and

13 on Lake Lanier on 26 April (JF). JSe and CL noted a

nesting PIED-BILLED GREBE at the ELHLAF on 18 April.AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS were reported from Lake

Lanier with 11 birds on 11 April (JP fide JSe) and 40

birds at Sweetwater Creek State Park on 16 April (fide

PD).

BITTERNS THROUGH PHALAROPES At the ELHLAF

one AMERICAN BITTERN was noted on 24 April (fide RT)

and three LEAST BITTERNS on 18 April (JSe, CL). A

good count of eight CATTLE EGRETS was reported from

Bartow Co. on 25 April (NF). Another good report from

Bartow Co. was a PEREGRINE FALCON on 25 April (NF).

JSe and CL had a couple good counts of 15 SORAS

and 31 COMMON MOORHENS at the ELHLAF on 18

April. Other excellent sightings from Bartow Co. were

single AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVERS on 2 April (JSe)

and 25 April (MF), an extremely rare BLACK-NECKED

STILT on 11 April (fide JSe), and two WILSONS

PHALAROPES on 25 April (HG, PB).

CUCKOOS THROUGH WRENS A BLACK-BILLED

CUCKOO was a rare sighting at Henderson Park in

DeKalb Co. on 27 April (fide LR).A WILLOW

FLYCATCHER was heard calling in Fulton Co. on 12 April

by DF. The peak count of 26 RED-EYED VIREOS came

from the Kennesaw Mt. National Battlefield in Cobb

County (KMT) on 29 April (NF).A MARSH WREN was a

good find at the ELHLAF on 18 April (JSe, CL).

WARBLERS For most of the month warblers were at

best average in numbers and diversity.That changed

on 24 April with the passage of a significant front

which brought in a good number of migrants and

yielded counts of 24 species of warblers over the next

few days. The following counts came from KMT unless

otherwise stated: four BLUE-WINGED WARBLERS were

seen on 26 April (BZ), single NASHVILLE WARBLERS

were seen between 11 April and 26 April (m.ob.), 22

BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLERS were seen on 29

April (NF), 25 PALM WARBLERS were counted on 24

April (GB), 24 BLACKPOLL WARBLERS were reported on

28 April (BZ), four CERULEAN WARBLERS were seen on

21 April (GB), and 32 HOODED WARBLERS were

reported on 28 April (BZ).

TANAGERS THROUGH BLACKBIRDS The peak count of

SCARLET TANAGERS was 23 on both 25 and 27 April at

KMT (GB, BZ). A male WESTERN TANAGER was a rare

find in Atlanta on 1 April (CH).A small flock of WHITE-

CROWNED SPARROWS was a nice sighting in BartowCo, on 9 April (PMcL).The peak count of 42 ROSE-

BREASTED GROSBEAKS came from KMT on 25 April

(GB). Five DICKCISSELS were reported from Rockdale

Co. on 30 April by NF. As many as seven BREWERS

BLACKBIRDS were seen in Bartow Co. on 2 April (MB).

GEORGIA AREA

DUCKS THROUGH EAGLES SW had a couple good

counts at the Altamaha Waterfowl Management Area

(AWMA) on 24 April with 34 BLACK-BELLIED

WHISTLING-DUCKS and 12 MOTTLED DUCKS. A

CACKLING GOOSE was a good find in Murray Co. on 27

and 28 April (JSp). Rather late was a REDHEAD in

Walton Co. on 29 April (JSe). As many as 50 AMERICANWHITE PELICANS were reported from Jekyll Island on

16 April (DS). Good counts of MISSISSIPPI KITES were

35 in the Valdosta area on 28 April (LM), 34 in Bulloch

Co. on 29 April (BBr) and 27 west of Forsyth also on 29

April (PR). A GOLDEN EAGLE was a good find in Floyd

Co. on 1 April (DR).

BITTERNS THROUGH TERNS There were three reports

of inland AMERICAN BITTERNS with single birds at

Robins Air Force Base on 10 April (BS et al.), one in the

Athens area on 11 and 12 April (B&KO), and one in

Murray Co. on 20 April (JSp). A CATTLE EGRET was a

rather rare sighting in Gordon Co. on 16 April (JSp).

High counts from the AWMA included 230 WHITE IBISon 10 April (CM) and 100 GLOSSY IBIS on 9 April (CM

et al.). A very rare WHITE-FACED IBIS was discovered

on Little St. Simons Island on 26 April (DS). LT counted

14 ROSEATE SPOONBILLS on JI on 8 April and some of

the birds were engaging in mating behavior on 14 April.

Five UPLAND SANDPIPERS were seen in Laurens Co. on

20 April (GB, TP). A very unusual sighting was that of a

WHIMBREL in a small tree at West Point Dam on 24

April (JB). Two CASPIAN TERNS were a good report

from Carters Lake on 14 April (JSp).

OWLS THROUGH THRUSHES Single BARN OWLS

were seen in Clarke Co. on 20 April (ET) and in Glyn

Co. on 24 April (PMcL, RM).WC had a good count o

30+ RED-EYED VIREOS at Pine Mt. on 27 April. BBr

reported two HORNED LARKS in Bulloch Co. on 29

April. Four BANK SWALLOWS were seen in Gordon

on 28 April (JSp) and three RED-BREASTED

NUTHATCHES were found in Whitfield Co. on 12 Ap

(AS). In the Valdosta area BBer reported between 5100 THRUSHES flying overhead on the night of 25 A

WARBLERS There were a total of three reports of

NASHVILLE WARBLERS from the northern part of th

state between 21 and 26 April (m.ob.). Good counts

migrant warblers included 11 NORTHERN PARULAS

28 April in the Athens area (JMcN) and 19 CAPE MA

WARBLERS in the Athens area on 28 April (JMcN), A

rare AUDUBONS WARBLER was seen in Whitfield C

on 28 April (JSp, AS). WC counted 30 BLACKPOLL

WARBLERS at Pine Mt. on 27 April. Back at Athens

JMcN had 16 AMERICAN REDSTARTS on 28 April. S

had a nice count of six SWAINSONS WARBLERS in

Milledgeville area on 14 April. The first ever RED-FAWARBLER to be found along the East Coast was

spotted and photographed by WC at Pine Mt. on 27

April. Unfortunately the bird was not relocated for o

observers to enjoy.

TANAGERS THROUGH SISKINS WC had 25 SCARL

TANAGERS at Pine Mt. on 27 April and a male

WESTERN TANAGER was reported from the Athens

on 3 April (AM, MN).A LINCOLNS SPARROW was a

good find in Clarke Co. on 29 and 30 April (RH). Twe

INDIGO BUNTINGS was a good count from Pine Mt.

27 April (WC). There were three reports of DICKCISS

with one in Gordon Co. on 28 April (JSp), two in Cla

Co. on 29 April (JN), and two in Oconee Co. on 30 A

(MF, CLu). MF and CLu reported 500 BOBOLINKS inOconee Co. on 30 April. MH had 12+ BALTIMORE

ORIOLES in the Valdosta area on 2 April. Two RED

CROSSBILLS were noted in Pickens Co. on 7 April (

GS) and one was in Murray Co. on 18 April (JSp). T

PINE SISKINS were seen in Harris Co. on 3 April (VW

and one was in Lamar Co. on 5 April (CM).

CONTRIBUTORS John Barrett, Michael Barrett, Gif

Beaton, Brad Bergstrom, Brandon Best, Brenda

Brannen, Walt Chambers, Phil Delestrez, Nathan

Farnau, Jim Flynn, Mark Freeman, Dan Furbish, Lar

Gardella, Hugh Garrett, Richard Hall, Margaret Harp

Charles Haynes, David Hollie, Dennis Lacoss, Carol

Lambert, Bill Lotz, Carole Ludwig, Ruth Marley,AngMaxted, Steve Mitchell, Peggy and Terry Moore, Pa

McLean, Joel McNeal, Linda Most, Charlie Muise,

James Neves, Mark Nipper, Bill and Karla OGrady,

Steve Parrish,Tom Patterson, Jean Pugh, Paul Rane

Dan Roper, Larry Russell, Bob Sargent, Georgann

Schmalz, Jeff Sewell, Diane Shearer, David Sibley,

Adam Smith, Joshua Spence, Eugenia Thompson, L

Thompson, Rusty Trump,Vicki Williams, Sheila Willi

and Bob and Deb Zaremba.

Terry Moore, 13000 Bucksport Ct., Roswell, GA 300

[email protected]

April Field Notes by Terry Moorez

By far the best bird of the month

was the Red-faced Warbler

found by Walt Chambers at

Pine Mountain. This is obviously the

first record of this species for GA

and as far as I know, the first for

the East Coast. Although it was seen only for

about 30 minutes, photos were taken of this

very colorful male. Congrats Walt!

The Atlanta area came in with 179 species

(average = 176.5) to bring the year-to-date

total to 210 (average = 201.2). The Georgia

area recorded 243 species (average = 248.0)

to bring that year-to-date total to 296 (average

= 290.3).



Field Trips Compiled by Stan Chapman

Field trips are open to the public and free (unless otherwise noted). We welcomeeveryone from beginners to advanced birders! Please check the Atlanta Audubon

Website (www.atlantaaudubon.org) for additional July-August field tripsthat may be scheduled.

Sketch by Anne McCallum

Saturday, July 3 andSaturday, August 7, 8:00 AMPiedmont Park, Midtown AtlantaRob McDonough (cell phone 404.754.8159)Meet at the Piedmont Park Conservancy Building,corner of Piedmont Avenue and 12th Street.Birding focus: Nesting birds of woodlands andond, including Red-headed Woodpeckers.

Notes: This trip is especially good for beginners,children and families, who are invited on all AAS

rips. Directions:From south of Atlanta, take I-75-85 north to Pine Street (exit 249B). Go straighton Pine, cross Peachtree Street and then turn leftonto Piedmont Avenue. Travel about one mile to2th Street.From northwest of Atlanta, take I-75outh to Exit 250 and follow the signs to 10th

Street. Turn left onto 10th and follow it _ mile toPiedmont Avenue. Turn left onto Piedmont, andollow it for _ mile to 12th Street.From northeast

of Atlanta, take I-85 south to Exit 84, and followhe signs to 10th Street. Turn left onto 10th, andhen follow the directions above.From MARTA,

get off at the Arts Center station, walk south to4th Street, turn left (east) and walk two blockso Piedmont Avenue, and then turn right and walk

wo blocks to 12th Street.

Saturday, July 10, 7:00 AMPiedmont National Wildlife Refuge, nearJuliette, GALloyd Pappy Snyder

cell phone 678.296.4463)Meet at the park and boat ramp off Juliette Roadn Juliette. Note that the leader will stay at thisocation until 7:30 AM, at which time the group

will carpool to the refuge.Birding Focus: Nesting species, including Red-cockaded Woodpecker, Acadian Flycatcher, CliffSwallow, Kentucky Warbler, Yellow-breastedChat, Orchard Oriole, and Bachmans Sparrow,

among many others.Notes: Bring insect repellent and protectionagainst ticks and chiggers and wear waterproofootwear. This trip will run well into the

afternoon hours, so bring water and snacks.Directions:From Atlanta, go on I-75 south andake exit #186 (Juliette Road). Turn left at the end

of the exit ramp and follow Juliette Road for 9.2miles. About 120 yards after crossing the railroadracks in Juliette, turn right into the park and boatamp JUST BEFORE you reach the river bridge.

Saturday, July 17 andSaturday, August 7, 7:30 AMReynolds Nature Preserve, 5665 ReynoldsRoad, Morrow, GA 30260Anne McCallum and Will Wagner (ranger)

Meet at the parking lot for the preserve.Birding focus:A 146-acre tract in the heart ofClayton County, Reynolds Preserve hosts a goodselection of resident birds, including the AcadianFlycatcher, Pileated Woodpecker, and Barred

Owl. A wide, level trail leads into the forest andalong three ponds. The preserve has been activelycombating invasive plants for the last five years,and it is now one of the few places in the Atlantaurban area to see a remarkable sample of theeastern deciduous climax forest.Notes: Will Wagner will attend the August 7 triponly. Directions:From Atlanta, take I-75 south(about 15 miles south of downtown) to exit 233.Turn left at the end of the exit ramp ontoHighway 54/Jonesboro Road (north). After 0.7miles, turn left at the light onto Reynolds Roadand go 1.2 miles. The preserve parking lot is onthe leftalmost immediately after a curve to theleft.

Sunday, July 18 andSaturday, August 14, 8:00 AMCharlie Elliott Wildlife Management Area,Mansfield, GA (Jasper and NewtonCounties)Ellen Miller

Meet at visitors center parking lot on Elliott Trail.Birding focus: Charlie Elliott Management Areaincludes fields, ponds and woodlands. At thistime of the year, raptors, herons, flycatchers,meadowlarks, vireos, Summer Tanagers, OrchardOrioles, and Blue Grosbeaks all may be seen. Ifmigrating Swallow-tailed and Mississippi Kiteshave been located nearby (as was the case in

2009), these species will also be targeted duringthe August 14 trip.Directions:From Atlanta, take I-20 east to Exit98/GA11, turn right and follow for 9.5 mi. Turn leftonto Marben Farm Road (spelled Marbin insome locations) and follow the sign to the visitorscenter, which is at the end of Elliott Trail (a rightturn off of Marben Farm Road).

Sunday, July 25 andSunday, August 15, 8:00 AMCochran Shoals Unit of ChattahoocheeNational Recreation Area, Cobb CountyVictor Williams (cell phone 678.640.730Meet at the kiosk at the north end of the parklot of the Interstate North Parkway entranceCochran Shoals. The address is 1615 InterstaNorth Parkway, Marietta. There is a parking $3 (or annual pass) at this site.

Birding focus: Cochran Shoals has a divershabitat of river, fields and forest that is veryattractive to many species of resident birds. one of the best places in Atlanta to see the GBlue Heron and Red-headed Woodpecker, asas several species of raptors. There is also th

possibility of Indigo Buntings, CommonYellowthroats, Orchard Orioles, and ProthonWarblers.Notes: Note that considerable walking isinvolved, some of which might be on wet graDirections:From Atlanta: Take I-285 to theNorthside-New Northside-Powers Ferry Roa(exit 22). Going west on I-285, turn right at thfirst light onto Interstate North Parkway. Get

the middle lane and stay on this road as it cuwest through an intersection and crosses theriver. After crossing, the parking lot is animmediate right. Going east on I-285, continueast at the exit to the second light, then turn(north) onto New Northside Drive and stay imiddle lane. Cross the bridge over I-285 andcontinue through the traffic light on the otheonto Interstate North Parkway, then continuwith instructions above.

Saturday, July 31 andSaturday, August 21, 8:00 AMSweetwater Creek SP, 1750 Mount VernoRoad, Lithia Springs (Douglas County)

Phil Delestrez (work phone 404.772.587Meet at the Office/Interpretive Center inside

park. There is a parking fee of $5 per vehicleBirding focus: This state park, which is the

visited day-use in Georgia, contains a diversihabitats, including a large lake, hiking trails aa creek and through the woods, and a grasslarea. Both the scheduled walks should allowobservation of resident nesting species, whil

August 21 walk might also reveal some earlymigrants. Target species include Scarlet andSummer Tanager, Indigo Bunting, Blue Grosand Osprey.

If you would like to lead a field trip, volunteer to help with the Field Trip Committee, contribute ideas for places to go, or give feedback abou

leaders or trips, please e-mail Stan Chapman, Field Trips Coordinator, at [email protected].

Note:For up-to-date information about field trips, go to atlantaaudubon.org. It is wise to check this website to make sure no changes have

occurred in the schedule of trips. Trips are commonly added following publication of this newsletter. All trips are open to the public. No

reservations are necessary. Membership in Atlanta Audubon Society is encouraged but is not required to attend these field trips. The only fee

that apply are those charged for entrance to any venue.

Insect repellent, sunscreen, and waterproof footwear are recommended for these summer field trips.

(continued on pa


6/126 Atlanta Audubon Socie

Volunteer Corner Volunteer Corner VolunteCorner Volunteer Corner Volunteer Corner Volunte

Answer:Yes, the CommonPoorwill sleeps in atorpid condition forup to three months.

Were Almost Half Way Thereon Our Binoculars Fundraiser:

Wont You Join Us?We have raised almost half of whatwe need to purchase 20 pairs ofchild-friendly binoculars (6.5 x 32Eagle Optics Ravens) for oureducational programs at the BlueHeron and off-site at schools andwith community groups. For everypair we purchase, Eagle Optics willdonate a pair.We would like to raisea total of $1,190 for this effort. Ifyou would like to contribute, please

send a check to Atlanta AudubonSociety,4055 Roswell Road,Atlanta, GA 30342 and write in thememo line: Binoculars Fundraiser.We will send you a thank you letterand acknowledgement for your tax-deductible donation.

A Million Thanks!Atlanta Audubon Society is an amazing organization because of its

volunteers! As always, we extend our unending gratitude to ALL of ourvolunteers, but we would like to send a special thank you to the followiindividuals this month.

Many thanks go out to Carl Tyler and Jim Wilson for helping to createAASs first bird photography class coming in August. Introduction to Bir

Photography is an eight-hour course (August 21, 1:00 PM-5:00 PM and Au22, 8:00 AM-noon). Carl and Jim have been working hard to make this specia

class possible.

We cant thank Stan Chapman enough for everything he has done over the past spring to organize somany AAS field trips. Stan is doing an amazing job and we are extremely grateful to him. Thanks, Stan

Thank you to Stacy Zarpentine for helping to run the Peeps and Pancakes walk in May and to MarIgyarto for conducting a special Gardening for Birds and Other Wildlife talk at the ChattahoocheeNature Center. Both events were part of AASs participation in the City of Roswells Wild in Roswellcelebration.

joined forces to help restore the land to its original state,removing invasive plants and replacing them with natives.Recently, the City of Atlanta purchased two large parcelsnearby that will remain public green space. One is a nine-acre wetland off Emma Lane and Lakemoore Drive; thesecond is the five-acre former sewer tunnel constructionsite on Roswell Road. In 2007, the five-acre architectssite at 4055 Roswell Road was purchased by the City,bringing Blue Herons holdings to 25 acres.

Home of Lisa Frank, 4108 Haverhill Drive,

North Buckhead

The transformation of this property began in the early1990s from a typical ranch house lot surrounded by open

lawn, to an atypical diverse garden landscape, nowbeginning to mature. Created by horticulturist Terry May former superintendent of grounds at the Atlanta BotanicalGarden this is truly a plant collectors garden featuringunusual trees, shrubs, perennials and groundcovers.

Always planned as drought-tolerant and wildlife friendly,the garden is not watered and no pesticides are used.Evergreens provide ample nesting sites while a variety ofberries and nectar provide food. Pine tree snags attract sixspecies of woodpeckers, and brush piles are used asshelter. The layered effect of trees, shrubs andgroundcovers provides a beneficial environment for birdsand other wildlife, further supported by the adjacent

mature woodland and nearby Nancy Creek.Plants of particular benefit to birds are a large mass ofSalvia gauranitica for hummingbirds; berry-producingspecies such as Cornus alternifolia, Cotoneaster lacteusand several hollies including Ilex latifolia, Ilex glabra andIlex Mary Nell.

An art gallery in the basement will be open to AASvisitors, showcasing the art of Franks late mother ShirleeFrank.

Trinity Presbyterian Church, 3003 Howell Mill Road,

Buckhead

Members of Trinity Presbyterian have long valued the

natural beauty of their 25-acre property, an astonishinsize for a single parcel within the City of Atlanta. Specfeatures include a high canopy of mature trees, denseundergrowth and a wealth of native plants.

Visitors will enjoy a stream, pond, nature trail and awoodland garden known as the Glen. Birdbaths, bluebboxes and many plantings are all designed to attract band encourage nesting and migration.

Led by an active Sustainability Committee, Trinitymembers are committed to acting as wise stewards ofcreation. Several green initiatives are ongoing. Theseinclude offering classes on environmental issues,improving energy efficiency in their buildings, support

several environmental groups and continuing to enhantheir property with wildlife preservation in mind.

Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 the day of the tour(children 12 and under are free when accompanied byadult). Advance tickets are available July 1 by calling AAS office at 678-973-2437. Tickets can be paid for byphone with a credit card and will be mailed or emaileAdvance tickets are available until Wednesday, Septem1 at noon. Day-of-tour tickets will be available at sites and #5. We encourage you to purchase tickets in advaso you can plan the tour in the order that suits you besSpecific directions to each site can be found atwww.atlantaaudubon.org, or use MapQuest. Large tex

directions will be available on the AAS site beginningAugust 1.

The Backyard Wildlife Sanctuary Tour is one of AtlantaAudubon Societys most important fundraisers.

Special thanks to our property owners for opening theprivate sanctuaries to the public, and to volunteer touchair Jacqueline McRae. Questions? Contact [email protected].

Volunteers are needed to assist visitors at each site. Plcall AAS to become a tour volunteer on September 11

Backyard Sanctuary Tour (continued from page 1)

Holiday BanquetHost Committee

NeededIt is that time of year again to

plan the yearly AAS HolidayBanquet and Silent Auction inDecember. We need achairperson, or co-chairs (thiscould be a couple), to help hostour event. In addition, we needother committee members whocan help with planning, eventexecution, securing silentauction items, decorations, etc.Please help us make our holidaybanquet a reality. We would liketo secure at least 7-8 committeemembers and 1-2 chairs to helphost this event.

We will not be able to holdthe event this year withouta committee in place.

If you are interested, pleasecontact us [email protected] call the office at678-973-2437.


7/12

Exploring Nature through ArtSaturday Drawing Series with Atlanta Artist Carol Sutherland

This block of three classes represents the equivalent of a 15-hour community education introductory drawing class and will prepa

you for working with colored media and creating quick sketches indoors and out.

Class Times: Saturdays, 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM

Class Location:AAS Education and Conservation Center at 4055 Roswell Road, Atlanta, GA 30342

Please bring lunch and water to all classes.

See supply lists online at www.atlantaaudubon.org.

Cost: Friends of AAS: $75 per class / Non-members: $100 per cla

Registration is required and class size is limited. Please visit

www.atlantaaudubon.org or email [email protected] to fa registration form.

We look forward to seeing you in class!

Learning About Birds Training Session for TeachersThursday, July 29 9:00 AM-1:00 PM

AAS Education and Conservation Center at 4055 Roswell Rd., Atlanta, GA 30342

Would you like to teach about bird conservation and environmental stewardship in your classroom or after school club? Are you

ooking for resources to help teach kids how to identify Atlantas birds? Would you like to provide a special nature journal to your

students? Then this workshop is for you! We will show you all of the resources that are available through AAS for you and your

organization. You dont have to be an ornithologist to teach about birdsanyone can learn!

The workshop is free!A special lunch will be provided and all teachers will receive a supply of special nature journals and pencils

their students, along with many other valuable resources. Come and meet like-minded teachers and leaders during a fun day of

earning.

You must pre-register for this workshop: Contact Emily Toriani-Moura at 678-973-2437 or [email protected].

(Veteran LAB kit users are asked to bring their kits for refurbishment.)

We hope to see you on Thursday, July 29. Please let your friends and family members who are teachers know about our special

Learning About Birds training session.

July-August 2010 7

July 17

Basics of Colored Pencil

Drawing

Learning basic

techniques for coloredpencil can enrich your

drawing experience. Soft,buttery, wax Prisma color pencils can

produce bright, vibrant color (like acrylicor oil) or they can look light and airy usinga more sketchy approach. We begin with

some color exercises in fundamental skillbuilding, then progress to drawing a small

eaf. Our major focus will be a small colorrich image of a bird or natural object

drawn with a layering technique. Bringcolor-rich images of birds (i.e. PaintedBunting, tropical parrot, etc.).

August 14

Art of the

Quick Sketch

This class

provides a strongfoundation for outdoor

field sketching. The quicksketch is a more advanced skill requiring

practice and clarity of composition.Experienced artists have mastered quickinsight in order to capture the essence of

a subject with simplicity and economy.The student can experience this process in

a series of skill-building activities drawinga variety of subjects.

The day will fly by in this quick sketch

intensive. Prior drawing experience is veryhelpful.

October 16

Field Sketchi

You will have ftoday in the

GREATOUTDOORS.

Expect the daysoar by as you find yourself immersed i

discovery. Youll learn to use yourviewfinder to frame interesting choicesdrawing subjects: perhaps the texture o

trees bark, lichens on a log, rocks in thcreek bed, a composition of leaves on t

ground, or a group of tree forms in thelandscape. Select your favorite and beg

to observe, study, and then draw!

Your perception and drawing skills willevolve in this class as your instructor

guides and helps you draw the NaturalWorld.

Carol Sutherland demonstrates how to

raw a magnolia flower in charcoal.

Photographer: Mary Bartlett



The AAS Shorebird Workshop of May 15 and 16actually got underway a couple of months earlier,with a two-hour presentationShorebirds MadeEasyby noted ornithologist and past AASpresident Georgann Schmalz. Georganns cramsession and the thick sheaf of hand-outs she

thoughtfully provided had most of us convincedthatyes!we would be able to tell a Willet froma Dowitcher.

Those who arrived early enough Friday eveninghad the benefit of a second preparatory session byDNR Program Manager and shorebird expert BradWinn, who would be our leader on Saturday.Among other gems, we learned from Brad that theRuddy Turnstone is the only bird that will dighorseshoe crab eggs out of dry sand; that theLong-billed Curlew is alone in its ability to pluckout the ghost shrimp hidden deep in theirburrows; and that the Whimbrels we would seewere in the process of doubling their body weightbefore they resumed their northward migration. Ofspecial relevance to our expedition, Brad told usthat the horseshoe crabs had been busy layingtheir eggs, and that, with any luck, we would get towitness a feeding frenzy.

From our scattered encampments along coastalHighway 17, we convened at 8:00 AM Saturday andcaravanned to the boat ramp. The sun-bakedlocals fishing off the pier must have wondered as14 binoculared oddballs in cargo pants and big-brimmed hats clambered aboard DNR speedboats,wrestled into life jackets, and flew off into St.Catherines Sound.

Minutes later our three boats (piloted by Brad,Tim Keyes and Adam MacKinnon, of the GeorgiaDNR) stopped a few yards off of a long spit of grassand sand. First to catch our eye was a loneWhimbrel, standing in lordly fashion at the top ofthe sandy rise, his long decurved bill a thing ofwonder. Further along the shore we came upon agathering of literally hundreds of RuddyTurnstones and Dunlin, all in rich breedingplumage and waiting patiently for the tide torecede and expose the banquet below.

At our next stop, a tiny grass island in the middleof the sound, the wait was over. The horseshoe

crabs had done their work, and the promisedfrenzy was on in earnest. The little island and the

waters edge were covered with furiously feedingDunlin, Willet, and Dowitchers by the hundreds;Oystercatchers, Forsters Terns, Peeps and ahandful of Marbled Godwits for good measure.

We proceeded to St. Catherines Island Bar, a longcrescent of beach littered with horseshoe crabsthat hadnt made it back into the water. Whatmore could we see? Well, not hundreds, butthousands of birds (Brad estimated five- or six-thousand)including the renowned Red Knots,those champions of migration who leave thesouthern tip of South America and make their wayto the high Arctic. Seeing these birds rise and turnin the morning sun, their movements miraculouslychoreographed, was a sight to behold.

From the observation deck of the ChampneyIsland Marsh Project, we scoped out Black-necked

Stilts, Mottled Ducks, and Moorhensnot tomention the Black-bellied Whistling Ducks,notable less for their black bellies than for thebeautiful white pattern visible on the tops of their

wings as they soared over the marsh. The marshoverlook on Butler Island offered one more chanceto spot the elusive Least Bittern. Some said theygot it; others were skeptical. The days last lightfound us on the beach, at Goulds Inlet, where we

watched yet more hundreds of birdsRed Knots,Black Skimmers, Royal Terns, Willet, Turnstones,

Whimbrels, Laughing and Ring-billed Gulls, Black-bellied Ploverstry to hold their sandbars againstthe rising tide.

Then, suddenly, it was dark, and Lisa told Art toturn on his cars headlights so we could completeour checklists.

Sundays destination was Jekyll Island, so weconvened at the Visitors Center on thecausewaybehind which, as it happens, is anobservation tower overlooking a stretch of theislands beautiful marsh. While we scoured thegrass with our scopes, hoping for a glimpse of railor Sora, a pair of Willet put on a lovely aerialdisplay, showing off their striking black-and-white

wing pattern to full effect. No sooner were they

done than a Roseate Spoonbill cruised lowoverhead, an hors doeuvre for the smorgasborthat awaited us.

Our leader was local conservation activist, birand bird artist Lydia Thompson, who hoped toone of the three pairs of beach-nesting WilsonPlovers shes been keeping track ofdown froseven, she told us. Those birds failed to make appearance, but literally thousands of othersshowed up instead. Amidst a vast flock of RedKnots, Lydia was delighted to see one wearingorange band, indicating that it was indeed heanorth from Tierra del Fuego. And here werehundreds of Black Skimmers, many of which hflattened themselves on the sand, trying to stcool, Lydia said. Also part of the congregation

were countless Royal Terns, a few of which weengaged in . . . harrumph, harrumph . . .copulatory behavior.

Next stop on Lydias tour was the amphitheat(Who knew there was an abandoned, dilapidaamphitheater on Jekyll?) Our destination was

small pond in the woods beyond the old structwhich turned out to be the nest site of WoodStorks, Roseate Spoonbills, Great Egrets, andother waders. Crowded at the very top of a sindead pine tree were a half-dozen active WoodStork nests, with the big parent birds flying inout and, in some cases, quarrelling over whichnesting materials belonged to which bird. In aleast 40 Wood Storks occupied the premises, a

with perhaps a dozen of the magnificentSpoonbills. On a dead limb just above the watfine-looking male Anhinga stretched his wings

Shorebird Extravaganza on the Georgia CoastBy John Yow

The group enjoys the sights in St. Catherines Sound

Photographer: Art Hurt

(continued on next p

Off St. Catherines Island, Dunlin have a feast


Wood Storks nest near the Jekyll Island Amphitheate


Black Skimmers at South Beach on Jekyll Island



9/12

dry in the sun.

Lydia took her leave after lunch, and the groupwas left with one final stop on the itinerary: WoodyPond at Harris Neck NWR. The first thing we sawwas a young alligator, green from duckweed,unning on the bank. We saw gorgeous Wood

Ducks, babies swimming along behind, andAnhingas, Tricolored Herons, Black-crowned NightHerons and Moorhens. But the main attractionwas white birds. In the trees along the pondsopposite shore and stretching to its end far in thedistance, hundreds, maybe thousands, of WoodStorks and Great Egrets nested. It was a vastcurtain of white against a background of green, aight almost unimaginable, and a most fitting

culmination to a weekend of avian marvels.

Thank you, Lisa and Art Hurt. Thanks also to BradWinn, Tim Keyes, Adam MacKinnon, and to LydiaThompson, for an incredible shorebirdextravaganza. See you next year.

John Yow is the author ofThe Armchair Birder:Discovering the Secret Lives of Familiar Birds.)

July-August 2010 9

Look who saw a Swallow-tailed Kite at Kennesaw Mountain!By Carol Lambert

On May 15 at about 1:00 PM, a group of Cub Scouts and leaders of Pack 841, Alpharetta

Georgia, hiking to the top of Kennesaw Mountain from the top parking lot, were thrilledsee a Swallow-tailed Kite soaring on thermals. Parent Tory Caudle was quick with acamera and able to get a good photo of the bird.

The sighting was reported to Stan Chapman, AAS field tripsdirector, who referred it to Jeff Sewell, compiler of the Georgia

Ornithological Society (GOS) Rare Bird Alert. According to Giff

Beaton, author of Birds of Kennesaw Mountain-An AnnotatedChecklist,this is the first sighting of this species for the mountain.He and other regular Kennesaw birders were amazed, thrilled and

envious of the Cub Scouts experience.For more information on the bird species of Kennesaw Mountain,visit Bob Zarembas excellent website, kmt.georgia-birding.com.

Remember to report all unusual bird sightings to the GeorgiaRare Bird Alert 770-493-8862 and also, if possible, post it to the Georgia birding listserv, Georgia Birders

Online www.listserv.uga.edu.

ub Scounts of Pack 841 Alpharetta, GA

hotographer: Tom Penhallegon Swallow-tailed Kite, Kennesa

Mountain 5/15/10

Photographer: Tory Caudle

Shorebird Extravaganza(continued from previous page)

Directions: Take I-20 west from Atlanta, to exit

#44 at Thornton Road, which is the third exitwest of I-285. Turn left onto Thornton Road andgo 1/4 mile. Turn right at Blairs Bridge Road,and after 2.1 miles, at a 4-way stop, turn leftonto Mount Vernon Road and proceed to the

park.

Saturday, August 21 andSunday, August 29, 8:00 AMClyde Shepherd Nature Preserve,DeKalb CountyLisa Hurt

Meet at the entrance to the preserve at thecorner of Pine Bluff and Wood Trail Lane inDecatur.

Birding focus: Clyde Shepherd has aboardwalk over a pond and wetland, andwoodland trails. Some early fall migrants andnesting species, including warblers, vireos, andtanagers may be seen. Raptors are commonlyfound, and the pond may have herons and WoodDucks.Note: Bring waterproof footwear, as trails canbe wet. If it has rained recently, rubber bootsare advisable. Directions:From I-285 N or Son the east side of Atlanta: Take Highway 78,Stone Mtn. Freeway exit, west toward Decatur.Highway 78 merges with Lawrenceville Highway(also called U.S. 29) and passes North DeKalbMall, after which it changes its name to Scott

Blvd. Shortly, you will pass the QT station onyour right. Just past this station, turn right at thenext street, Harrington Road. Follow it for 0.6miles and turn right on to Wood Trail Lane.Follow Wood Trail a short distance until itmakes a 90-degree turn to the left and becomesPine Bluff. The entrance to the refuge, wherethe group will meet, is at this corner.From I-75-

I-85 N or S: From I-85 north or south, takeNorth Druid Hills Road exit, east towardDecatur. After approx. 3 miles, you will seeNorth DeKalb Mall on your right. At that point,turn right on to Lawrenceville Highway, which isalso Highway 29. After 0.6 miles, immediately

past the QT station, turn right on to Harring

Road and follow directions as above.

Saturday, Aug. 28, 8:00 AMChicopee Woods, Gainesville, Hall CounPeter Gordon (cell phone 678.617.8826Meet at the Chicopee Lake Aquatic StudiesCenter parking lot.Birding focus: Chicopee Woods has a divehabitat of forest, streams and wetlands.Directions: Take I-85 north from Atlanta toI-985 (exit 113), which is a merge from the lane. Follow it about 20 miles to Exit 20. Turight at the end of the ramp and go to the fitraffic light. Turn right at the light onto CalvChurch Road. Stay on Calvary Church Road

3-4 miles. Look for Chicopee Woods ElemeSchool on the left. Chicopee Woods AquaticCenter and the entrance into the preserve wbe about 0.25 miles farther on the right. Wemeet in the parking lot.

Sunday, August 29, 8:00 AMBartow County LoopMark McShane

Meet at the parking lot of the Fairfield Inn,Cartersville, GA.Birding focus: The timing of this trip coincwith the southward migration of many specof shorebirds, and Bartow County is anexcellent area to find sandpiper species. Th

loop also traverses good grassland habitat.Notes: The group will carpool from theFairfield Inn. Much of the route through BaCounty is described in the wingsoverga.comwebsite. (Click on GA Birding Locations taMost of it will involve driving to ponds, fieland a sod farm area. The leader will bring ascope to share and participants are encourto bring theirs so that everyone can getexcellent views. Directions:From Atlantatake I-75 to exit 288 (about 40 miles north odowntown Atlanta), turn left at the end of tramp and park at the Fairfield Inn, 20 CanyParkway, Cartersville, GA 30120.

Field Trips(continued from page 5)

The group poses at the Jekyll Island Amphitheater




CLASSIFIEDS

Rates for 2.5 x 2.5 ads are $20/month or $45/quarter. Ads must be consistent with the conservation and birding mission

of Atlanta Audubon Society. Ads may be accepted via email, preferably in .pdf format. Call 678.973.2437 if you have questions.Send payment to WingbarsAds, Atlanta Audubon Society, 4055 Roswell Road, Atlanta, GA 30342.

Send ads via email to Catharine Kuchar at [email protected].

Just what you need toidentify more birds: thbest songs, photos andrange mapson an iPodor iPhone.

en ou omeTo The Mountains -

Ask about the new Birders Guide to Fannin County!We feature Coles seed,squirrel-proof feedersthat truly are, houses,hummingbird stuff,great books, Audubonoptics, & hard to findhardware. Plus 100sof Ravensburger Puzzles,Music of the SpheresChimes & a hugeselection of educationaltoys andgames for kids!

Downtown Blue Ridge & Inside Mercier Orchards

611 E. Main St. Blue Ridge, GA 30513(706) 258-BIRD (2473) blueridgebirdseed.com

P.O. Box 921455, Norcross, GA 30010

Website: www.workshopcreations.comE-Mail: [email protected]: 770-448-5363 Fax: 770-448-5363

Affordable Housing

and Feeders for

Birds, Bats and

Butterflies

Workshop Creations, Inc.

Basic, functional and long-lasting

cedar products

Order on our website:

Bird Songs of GeorgiaCD now available.

Email Georgann Schmalz atgeorgannschmalz@windstream

or visit

www.birdingadventuresinc.com

Bird BrainersOur thanks to the participants in the Wingbarscaptionchallenge! In our last issue, we asked readers to submitcaptions for this screen grab from a website streamingvideo of a barn owl nest box. Maria Birdseye thinks thislittle owlet is singing, Oh-h what a beautiful evening!Oh what a beautiful night! And Betsy Edmondson, whofollowed the progress of the barn owls daily and wasstruck by how dirty the box seemed (the floor of thebox was covered with dried up owl pellets and smallanimal carcasses), came up with this caption: Would

someone please call housekeeping?!? This place reeks!

Wed love to feature your photos in future BirdBrainers challenges. (Were sure theyll be of betterquality than our screen grab!) Please send them toDiane Hawkins-Cox at [email protected].

Oh-h what a beautifulevening! Oh what abeautiful night!

Would someone pleasecall housekeeping?!?This place reeks!

Becoming a Better Birder NowSaturday, July 24, 8:00 AM to 11:00 AM

AAS Education and Conservation Office4055 Roswell Road

Atlanta, GA 30342

$35 Friends of AAS/$45 Non-members welcomeOrnithologist Georgann Schmalz will cover aspects of birding that anovice birder usually needs to learn by experience in the field andoften does not. Participants will spend time learning good techniquesof birding in the field such as understanding which part of the tree aparticular bird prefers to forage or how to pick up as many visual cuesas possible while a bird flits in and out of the foliage.

Introduction to Bird PhotographySaturday, August 21, 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM

Sunday, August 22, 8:00 AM to noonAAS Education and Conservation Office

4055 Roswell Road, Atlanta, GA 30342

$50 Friends of AAS/$75 Non-members welcomeLearn how to use your SLR camera to capture creative birdphotographs, and begin your journey to become the naturephotographer that youve always wanted to be!During this eight-hour workshop, you will receive photographicinstruction from Georgias first IBA Coordinator, Jim Wilson. Long-time AAS member and conservation activist Carl Tyler will also dissetting up your backyard as a bird sanctuary for photography.

Dont Forget These AAS Classes!

Registration is required for both classes. Please visit www.atlantaaudubon.org to download a registration form.

We look forward to seeing you!



Wingbars is mailed only to Friends of Atlanta Audubon. All new National Audubon Society members receive an

ntroductory copy and can continue to receive this newsletter by becoming a Friends of Atlanta Audubon member.

Enrollment as a Friend of Atlanta Audubon does not include membership in the National Audubon Society. Thus,

you will not receiveAudubon magazine.

f you are not a Friend of AAS, please take this opportunity to fill out and return the form below.

Atlanta Audubon Society Membership Director, 4055 Roswell Road, Atlanta, GA 30342.

You can also join online: www.atlantaaudubon.org.

Join Atlanta Audubon Society

BENEFITSOF

MEMBERSHI 10 issues

(July/August andJan/Dec combin

of WingbarsNewsletter

Friends discounton classes, tripsand special even

Use of the AASlibrary

Agreattaxdeduction!

J Make check payable to:Atlanta Audubon SocietyMembership Director4055 Roswell Road, Atlanta, GA 30342

J Please charge my credit card:

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Renew Online!

You can renew your memberonline by visiting our websitewww.atlantaaudubon.org a

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We are excited to be able to o

this service to you!

Simply go towww.atlantaaudubon.

and click onJoin/Renew AAS Onlin

(located under the log

Putting the Funback into FundraisingBy Harriette Hoyt

What is it you enjoy most about the Atlanta Audubon Society? Is it the bird walks, the seminars, the lecture series? Maybe you amore into conservation and follow the improvements that AAS is making to the Important Bird Areas throughout Georgia. Continu

our vital work requires regular infusions of money from grants, donations and fundraising events. With this inmind.

Mark your calendar: September 11 from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM

AASs largest fundraiser is the Backyard Wildlife Sanctuary Tourthis year on September 11from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM As par t of the Tour, we are fortunate to have two local writers at the

Blue Heron Preserve (BHP) signing their books. Nature writer/journalist Charles Seabrook willbe at BHP from 10:00 AM to noon signing his book Cumberland Island: Strong Women, WildHorses. John Yow will be at BHP from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM signing his book

The Armchair Birder: Discovering the Secret Lives of Familiar Birds.

The tour is a fantastic opportunity to enjoy a day in wildlife-friendly gardens in Buckhead, whilecontributing to AAS by supporting its most important fundraiser of the year.

Looking for Fundraising Ideas

What other ways can AAS combine fun with fundraising? How about annual or semi-annual birdseed sales, a quarterly VIP bird wand/or staffing a concession stand at the Verizon amphitheatre? What about a personal gift or a matching dollar-for-dollar grant to s

the way for AAS into the 21st century? Could you fund a scholarship to help further educate local students on birds and theenvironment?

What are your ideas? We want to know! We are listening!AASs Long Range Planning Task Force is ready for your input: just send your ideas to Harriette Hoyt at [email protected].

YowsArmchair BSeabrooks

Cumberland Island


12/12

NON-PROFI

ORGANIZATIO

U.S.POSTAG

P A I D

Atlanta,GA

Permit #917

Atlanta Audubon Society4055 Roswell Road Atlanta, GA 30342

Atlanta Audubon Society is an independent, non-profit

501(c)(3) organization. Your donations are tax deductible to

the fullest extent allowed by law.

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

Wingbarsis printed on recycled paper

Dragonflies of the Wetlands with Giff BeatonSunday, July 25, 8:30 AM

Newman Wetlands Center / 2755 Freeman Road / Hampton, GA 20228

Clayton County Water Authority Environmental Education www.ccwa.us

Join Giff Beaton, author ofDragonflies & Damselflies of Georgia and the Southeast, for a morning walk through the NewmanWetlands Center trail in Clayton County. Well learn identification techniques for the many species of these beautiful insects that p

crucial pest management role in our environment. The walk is free, but group size is limited & reservations are absolutely

required. Space in this program is limited and all participants must have a reservation. Quiet, attentive children 10 years+ arewelcome. Program participants from 2009 who wish to come again this year will be put on a wait list until July 20, when any availa

spaces will be offered. Reservations: 770-603-5606 or email: [email protected]

Giff Beaton (left) shows a dragonfly to a workshop participant

Photographer: Carol LambertHalloween Pennant

Photographer: Giff Beaton

Documents

Jul-Aug 2010 Wingbars Newsletter Atlanta Audubon Society