oct-nov 2004 wingbeat cullman audubon society newsletter

8/9/2019 Oct-Nov 2004 WingBeat Cullman Audubon Society Newsletter

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Coming attrac-tions

• October 12: Meeting

7PM. Falcons.

• October 17: Field

Trip. 6:30AM. Lo-

cal Sites.

• November 9: Meet-

ing 7PM. Conserva-

tion.

• November 20: Field

Trip. Wheeler Wild-

life Refuge.

• December 19: All

day. Christmas Bird

Count.

November Meeting 2

November Field Trip 2

Program Schedule 3

Field Trip Schedule 3

Night Field Trip Re-port

4

Inside this issue:

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2004

Cullman Audubon SocietyPO Box 1444

Cullman, AL 35056

Volume 9, Issue 1

WINGBEAT

Francene Van Sambeek, Editor

WELCOME

FALL!

OCTOBER 17TH FIELD TRIP-LOCAL SITES BY JIMMY WELLSSince Hurricane Ivan’s rampage, our scheduled trip to Dauphin Island, has been cancelled. But in the true spirit of bird-

ers everywhere, we will carry on. Jimmy Wells has put together a great birding trip of local sites. This will be a similar loopas was done last October, but with a new twist. We will be visiting Tune Farms, which is an organic farm located behind theTrade Day parking lot. Features of the farm include a pond, open fields, woods, and a large beaver swamp. It's been an ex-

cellent spot to bird, and when asked, the owners were thrilled with the prospect of a club visit. The owners will be providingcoffee and talking to the group about their farm.

So the game plan for this field trip will be in two stages. First, meet at the Stuckey's located at the intersection of Hwy 31and I-65 at exit 318. We will leave at 6:30 AM, carpooling to the beaver swamp where we called up the owls last year. We'llcheck a few other spots, then return to Stuckey's at 8:00 AM to meet any sleepyheads that want a later start. From there,we will head to Tune Farms, grab a cuppa joe, then tour the farm. After that, another loop around Lacon/Falkville, endingaround noonish. Anyone wanting to continue further, we can head up to the sinkholes in Leighton for an afternoon session.

Remember all are welcome to these FREE birding field trips!

OCTOBER 12TH MEETING: DAVID NEWBY, MASTER FALCONEROn Tuesday, October 12th, 2004, David Newby, Master Falconer, will be the Cullman Audu-bon Society’s featured speaker. Mr. Newby is a Master Falconer and will be doing a live birddemonstration for our group. This is a must-not-miss chance to be up close to thesemagnificent birds of prey.

The meeting starts at 7 PM and will be held in the old Science Building on the campusof St. Bernard Prep School. See page 3 for a map and directions. Birding doorprizes

2004-2005 CULLMAN AUDUBON FIELD TRIPS By David Pylant

The Cullman Audubon Society is planning a busy year of field trips. With a

great depth of local experts serving as guides and exciting birding hot spots to

visit, anyone attending a field trip is sure to enjoy themselves. Our field trips are

children-friendly experiences, so parents bring your junior birders along for the

trips! The following field trips have been tentatively arranged for this year’s schedule:

October 17, 2004 Lacon, Tune Farm

November 20, 2004 Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge December 19, 2004 Christmas Bird Count

January 16, 2005 Guntersville/Spring AOS meeting

February 19, 2005 Talladega National Forest

March 13, 2005 Bankhead National Forest

April 23, 2005 Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge

May 15, 2005 Local Sites/Culpepper Farm

Please look for future monthly postcards and newsletters detailing where to

meet and more details regarding each field trip. See ya there!



WINGBEAT

2004-2005 Officers/ Committee Chairs

OFFICERS:President : Henry Beeler

(W) 256-739-0455 900 Shady Lane

(H) 256-739-3436 Cullman, AL 35055

[email protected]

Immediate Past President : Jerry Jacob

(H) 256-734-6775 251 CO RD 1401

(W) 256-775-1389 Cullman, AL 35058

(F) 256-734-6288 [email protected]

Vice-President : Neal Culpepper

(W) 256-739-1389 545 CO RD 1169

Cullman, AL 35055

Secretary/Treasurer : Julia Bright

(H) 256-784-6277 546 Holmes Drake RD

(W) 256-352-8036 Falkville, AL 35622

[email protected]

COMMITTEE CHAIRS:Conservation/Research: David Pylant

(W) 256-352-8242 403 9th St SE

(H) 256-734-5716 Cullman, AL 35055

[email protected]

Program: Neal Culpepper

(W) 256-739-1389 545 CO RD 1169

Cullman, AL 35055

Education: Vince Meleski

(W) 256-974-6166 121 CO RD 1415

(H) 256-739-4589 Cullman AL 35058

[email protected]

Field Trip: David Pylant

(W) 256-352-8242 403 9th St SE

(H) 256-734-5716 Cullman, AL 35055

[email protected]

Publicity: Julia Bright

(H) 256-784-6277 546 Holmes Drake RD

(W) 256-352-8036 Falkville, AL 35622

[email protected]

Electronic communications: Jimmy Wells

(W) 256-734-3894 210 CO RD 469

(H) 256-739-0933 Cullman, AL 35057

[email protected]

Newsletter : Francene Van Sambeek

(W) 256-352-8036 266 CO RD 699(H) 256-775-6407 Cullman, AL 35055

[email protected] (F) 256-352-8038

Christmas Bird Count : Jimmy Wells

(W) 256-734-3894 210 CO RD 469(H) 256-739-0933 Cullman, AL 35057

[email protected]

Membership: Rachel Moody

(W) 256-737-2259 1194CO RD 1043(H) 256-747-8040 Cullman, AL 35057

Bird Rescue: Robert Lindsey

(cell) 256-636-0208

Earth Day: OPEN

Cullman Audubon Website: www.cullmanaudubon.com

National Audubon Website : www.audubon.org

NOVEMBER 9TH MEETING: CONSERVATION For the November 9, 2004 meeting of the Cullman Audubon So-

ciety, we are pleased to have Mike Roden with the US Soil andConservation Service, as our featured speaker. Given the impor-tance conservation plays in birding, this will be a great meeting toattend.

The meeting starts at 7 PM and will be held in the old ScienceBuilding on the campus of St. Bernard Prep School. See page 3 fora map and directions. Birding doorprizes given away afterthe meeting.

Newsletter deadlines: 20th of the odd numbered months for publication in the next news-

letter. Send to Francene Van Sambeek at the address or email listed to the left. Please

include “Audubon” in the subject line.

NEED MORE BIRDING TRIPS? Georgia's Colonial Coast Birding & Nature Festival, a three-day

event celebrating wildlife, will be held from October 8-10, 2004 at

Jekyll Island. Field trips are planned to many different natural areasin coastal Georgia. The Festival is supported by GA. Dept. of Natural Re-

sources, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Georgia Ornithological Society, localAudubon Societies & Jekyll Island, Georgia's Jewel.

The field trips will include locations such as Cumberland Island National

Seashore, Harris Neck National Wildlife Refuge, Black beard Island, Al-tamaha Waterfowl Management Area, Andrews Island, Fort Stewart, Sapelo

Island, Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, DOT spoils site in S.C.,

Coastal Marsh Ecology pontoon trip and many other sites.

There will be a variety of seminars such as shorebirds, gulls and terns,warblers, hummingbirds, birding by ear, bird photography, digiscoping

(digital cameras), butterflies, creating backyard habitats and more. "The

Rookery" which is fun and free, is an interactive exhibit hall, located in the

Jekyll Island Convention Center. It will offer live raptors shows, children'sprograms and over 50 exhibitions including nature artists, photographers,

conservation organizations, optic companies and much more. This is an ex-cellent opportunity for "hands on" shopping and testing of binoculars and

digital cameras from experts.

Friday will start off with a birding contest along the Georgia Coastal Bird-

(Continued on page 3)

NOVEMBER 20, 2004 FIELD TRIP: WHEELERWILDLIFE REFUGE

With this great natural resource available to us just up the road, howcould we not schedule a field trip to Wheeler Wildlife Refure.

We plan on meeting November 20th at 7:00 AM at the entrance of thepark. There are numerous trails through the park, but wear good footwearfor the hikes.

Look for the postcard reminder next month if there are any changesto this field trip. Remember all are welcome to these FREE birding fieldtrips!



WINGBEAT

C o t t a g e D

r i v e

Highway 278 East

S a i n t B

e r n a r d A v e

R i c h

a r d A v e N

E

Auditorium, Old Science Building

E i g h

t M i l e C

r e e k

Ave Maria

Grotto

Holly PondCullman

ST. BERNARD PREP SCHOOL

2004-2005 CULLMANAUDUBON

PROGRAM/SPEAKERSby Neal Culpepper

The Cullman Audubon Soci-

ety is planning a busy year of

activities. Through a combina-

tion of guest speakers and fieldtrips the local chapter of the Na-

tional Audubon Society is em-

phasizing the environment and

what citizens at the local level

can do to have a positive impact.

The following speakers have

been arranged for this year’s

schedule:

October 12, 2004 David Newby, Master Falconry, Live Bird Demonstration

November 9, 2004 Mike Roden, US Soil and Conservation

December 14, 2004 Christmas Party Social

January 11, 2005 Charles Pinkston, Alabama Coop. Extension, Fire ants

February 15, 2005 Pete Conroy, Jacksonville St. University, Live Owls

March 8, 2005 Arnold Caylor, Organic Gardening,

Auburn Experimental Substation

April 12, 2005 Bob Keefe, Forest conservation and the coffee bean,

Whole Earth Store

May 10 , 2005 Officer Elections/End Of Year Social

The meetings begin at 7 PM and are open to the public. We meet in the old

Science Building on the campus of St. Bernard Prep School. See below for a

map and directions. Birding doorprizes given away at the end of every

meeting! For more information, contact Henry Beeler at 256-739-3438 or

Neal Culpepper at 256-739-1389.

More birding trips. (Continued from page 2)

ing Trail. Join us Friday evening for the"Toasting and Boasting about The Coast" festi-

val kick-off social, featuring a talk by expert

birder and former Georgia Lt. Governor Pierre

Howard. The festivities continue on Saturday

night, with a low country boil dinner banquet,followed by our keynote address from noted

ornithologist and professor Ralph "Rocky"

Gutierrez, speaking about the Spotted Owl.

There are fees for field trips and seminars. En-

try to "The Rookery" is free. For more informa-tion call 1-877-4JEKYLL, Pat Metz 912-652-

4415 or check the festival website www.

coastalgeorgiabirding.org.

AUDUBON NEWSWIRE HAPPENINGSAugust 9, 2004 - The National Audubon Society applauded Delaware

State Natural Resources Secretary John Hughes and Delaware officials

for banning the sale and possession of live snakehead fish. Audubonhad called upon 14 states, including Delaware, to ban possession and

sale of the snakehead fish. Snakeheads are aggressive predators thatscientists fear could decimate native fish populations and disrupt the

natural ecological balance of rivers and lakes. In the past four months,

fourteen northern snakehead fish -- including two females full of eggs --

have been found in the Potomac River of Maryland and Virginia,

prompting concern that the species may have established a breeding

population that could grow dramatically and impact the ecological bal-

ance of the river and its entire watershed. "Delaware officials have rec-

ognized the potential ecological impact of this invasive species that(Continued on page 4)



Cullman Audubon SocietyPO Box 1444Cullman, AL 350 56

SEPTEMBER 25TH FIELD TRIP REPORT-NIGHTTIME RUNNINGS BY JULIA BRIGHT

It was not a dark and stormy night. It was a clear, calmnight, illuminated by the moon as it soared over the hori-

zon. Dr. Randy Haddock, Field Director, Cahaba River

Society, and a rugged band of adventurers set out for athree hour cruise.

The day- September 25th, 2004.

The time- dusk, peak mosquito time.

The location- the Cahaba River, just above the dam of

the Birmingham Water Works.

The purpose- the noble quest for knowledge.Five canoes cut through the water, the first “womaned”

by Francene Van Sambeek and Julia Bright, followed by

David Pylant and Henry Beeler, Neal Culpepper and Jimmy

Wells, Booty Richter and son. Dr. Haddock and Derrick Amason paddled in the rear of the formation, either to pick

up survivors or to flee faster.

The first river inhabitant encountered was not at all

pleased with the passing flotilla. A large beaver swamstraight at the first canoe, slapped the water with it’s tail

then headed to shore with a final slap to ensure that wewere aware of it’s displeasure at the interruption. Calls of

owls and other nocturnal creatures echoed across the river.

Jimmy had brought his CD player to attract potential birds

and persuade them to answer back. The natives obviouslyconsidered the CD’s lyrics sufficient and did not feel the

need to respond in kind. One large owl of undetermined

species flew overhead and disappeared into the canopy of trees. Numerous bats and large flying insects skimmed theriver’s surface.

As the darkness increased, the glowworms emergedalong the river banks. The water works’ inlet pumps were

our designated turn around spot. As we gathered at the

turn, careful not to become part of Birmingham’s drinking

supply, Randy illuminated us on the illustri-ous life of the lightning bug and the general

workings of the river’s ecosystem.

AUDUBON HAPPENINGS (Continued from page 3)

would be both severe and irreversible," said Mike Daul-

ton, assistant director of government relations for the Na-

tional Audubon Society. "Delaware is leading these 13states without bans in taking every precaution to make

sure these harmful species are not introduced to rivers

or lakes anywhere in their state. We are heartened thatthey are the first to ban snakehead fishes, and we are

hopeful that the remaining states will follow their lead."

Visit http://www.delawareonline.com/newsjournal/

local/2004/07/31delawareputssna.html for more informa-

tion.

August 28, 2004- Mississippi birders have something

new to crow about - Audubon Mississippi and its part-

ners have published the state's very first birding trail

map, which is now available to the public. The full-

color, 4" x 9" foldable map highlights more than 50 bird-

ing hotspots throughout Mississippi's six southernmostcounties, and includes sites on the mainland as well as

sites accessible only by boat. The map is available free

of charge at the state's 12 Welcome Centers, and uponrequest from the offices of Mississippi Division of Tour-

ism, Audubon Mississippi, and the Mississippi Coast

Audubon Society. A minor shipping fee may be applied

for maps supplied upon request.

The Mississippi Coastal Birding Trail map wasmade possible through the Power of Flight Grant Pro-

gram, a partnership of Southern Company and the Na-

tional Fish and Wildlife Foundation. The program pro-

vides funding for on-the-ground habitat conservation

and education programs that protect birds within theservice territories of Southern Company's operating com-

pany affiliates, including Mississippi Power,

which served as the local administrator of the

grant. For more information, please contact

Audubon Mississippi at 601/661-6189.

You can learn more about birding trails nationwide by

visiting National Audubon's new birding trails website

at http://audubon.org/bird_trails.

oct-nov 2004 wingbeat cullman audubon society newsletter

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