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PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER
Delaware Audubon
DELAWARE AUDUBON COAST DAY 2004 DEBUTS
THE
Journal
Vol. XXV1I No.1 September-October 2004
“PIPING PLOVER SUITE”
PIPING PLOVERS POISED FOR PREMIER PERFORMANCE
The “Piping Plover Suite” will make its world debut at Coast Day 2004. Commissioned by the Delaware Audubon Society, sponsored by the Brandywiners, Ltd., and composed by Scott Roewe, this four-minute symphonic work is intended to help raise awareness of the plight of the Piping Plover.The piece will be presented live at Coast Day by the Cape Henlopen Community Band under the direction of Barry Eli.The Introductory Narrative will be read by Dr. Carolyn Thoroughgood, Dean of the University of Delaware’s College of Marine Studies. Composer Scott Roewe will be honored at a reception hosted by Delaware Coastal Programs and the Delaware Natural Heritage Program at 2:00 pm in the DNREC tent. Ann Rydgren, the driving force behind the Suite, which has been years in the planning, has long held that,“People are more often moved to action by art than by science.” With the assistance of longtime friend and fellow educator Barbara Roewe, the two aim to take this musical message into the classroom. Described as “An interdisciplinary project for mathematics, language arts, science and performing arts,” the package available from Delaware Audubon includes a Resource Packet/Study Guide and an audio CD. By listening to the CD and using the resources provided,“The students will understand the concept of environmental conservation using different disciplines, such as science, research, computer literacy, language, and performing arts.” The purpose of using this musical composition is to motivate students to create stories, poems, drawings, posters, websites, brochures, theatrical presentations and/or skits which communicate the plight of the Piping Plover and inspire positive actions. The Piping Plover, which makes its home along the Atlantic coastline, is a “threatened and endangered” species. Delaware beaches host several nesting pairs every year. It is hoped that the “Piping Plover Suite,” based on the call of this shy and gentle bird, will be a rallying cry heard near and far. The Piping Plover Teacher Resource Packet is available from: Delaware Audubon Society, Inc., P.O. Box 1713, Wilmington, DE 19899. Please include $5 remittance or download it FREE from the Delaware Audubon website, <www.delawareaudubon.org>.
PRESERVING OUR NATURAL STATE
IN THIS ISSUE
Annual Bird Seed Day ..................11 Backyard Wildlife..............................7 Bird Tales............................................7 Books of Interest ..........................12 Calendar ............................................4 DE Audubon Welcomes..............4,7 Letter From the President..............2 More than Just Birds ........................5 News & Views ......................6,8,9,10 Officers & Committees ..................2 Site Seeing ..........................................5 Thank You! ........................................5 What You Can Do ..........................3
DELAWARE AUDUBON SOCIETY, INC. A State-wide Chapter of National Audubon
LETTER FROM
THE
PRESIDENT
The Delaware Audubon Society is pleased to announce the public debut of the “Piping Plover Suite,” an original musical composition by Mr. Scott Roewe, on Sunday, October 3, at Coast Day in Lewes.We have planned several activities in conjunction with the performance from 12:00 to 12:45.We cordially invite attendees to be a part of this historical event! This project has been many years in the making, and thanks to the unfaltering efforts of Ann Rydgren and Scott Roewe, it is finally coming to fruition.The Suite is an educational program available to teachers throughout Delaware via our website. It includes a narrative, CD, background information, and the music itself. It is a cross-curricular program which can be adapted to any grade level.We hope that students will learn about this very threatened species and assist in its recovery in Delaware. Please join us in the long-awaited debut of this moving composition! Asha Iyengar
Delaware Audubon Society 2004-2005 Officers and Committees
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If there are any issues that you think Audubon should address that you feel strongly about, please write Issues, P.O. Box 1713, Wilmington, DE 19899, or call the office at (302) 428-3959. Chairpersons can always be reached through the office answering machine – (302) 428-3959.
Honorary Chairman of the Board ........................................Russell W. Peterson President ......................................Asha Iyengar Vice President ............................Ann Rydgren Secretary ......................................Ellen Wright Treasurer ......................................Mark Martell Conservation Committees: Environmental Advocate ........................Open Dredging ......................................Leslie Savage Nest Box Projects ..........................Peggy Jahn Armchair Activists ..................................Open Adopt-a-Wetland ..............................Peggy Jahn, Kathy Tidball White Clay Creek Adopt-a-Highway ................................................Dorothy Miller Important Bird Area Program ....................................................Ann Rydgren Programs Committee ............................Open Publicity Committee Internet: ................................Fred Breukelman
[email protected] Membership ..............................................Open Records ......................................Dave Brannan Education Committee ..............Kathy Tidball Social Committee Annual Dinner......................Nancy Frampton Field Trips Committee....................Peggy Jahn Publications Committee ..........Ann Rydgren Finance Committees Fundraising:Grants ....................Mark Martell Fundraising:Bird Seed Sale ................................Mark and Susan Martell Fundraising: Birdathon ......................Maud Dayton & Ruth Holden Fundraising: Silent Auction ........Asha Iyengar Fundraising:Wildlife Sanctuary..............Open Fundraising:Piping Plover SuiteAnn Rydgren Directors for service until 2005: Peggy Jahn Leslie Savage Directors for service until 2006: Dorothy Miller Directors for service until 2007 John Knox Tom Shuey Fred Breukelman
COAST DAY 2004
S UNDAY, O CTOBER 3 11:00 AM - 5:00 PM U NIVERSITY OF D ELAWARE H UGH R. S HARP C AMPUS 700 P ILOTTOWN ROAD, L EWES , DE
The Audubon Journal is published bi-monthly by the Delaware Audubon Society. Original articles may be reprinted without permission. Please give credit to the Delaware Audubon Journal and the author. Co-editor: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ann Rydgren Co-editor and Contributing Writer: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Mary Leah Christmas Assistant Editor: . . . . . . . . . . . Barbara Roewe Design & Layout : . . . . . . . . . .Maryellen F. Birk Printing: . . . . . . . . .Sprint Quality Printing, Inc. Delaware Audubon Society, incorporated in 1977, is a state- wide chapter of the National Audubon Society.
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WEB SITE http://www.delawareaudubon.org MAILING ADDRESS: Delaware Audubon Society P.O. Box 1713 Wilmington, DE 19899 TELEPHONE: 302-428-3959 DELAWARE AUDUBON SOCIETY E-MAIL:
[email protected] We can receive contributions through your United Way payroll deduction designation. Our United Way designation number is 9017.
VISIT DELAWARE AUDUBON'S WEBSITE http://www.delawareaudubon.org. Sample educational, informative articles and features. Order books and other goodies from the Marketplace. Search the archive of past articles. Visit our photo gallery. Survey legislative updates and Action Alerts. Email policy makers.
“Preserve Our Natural State”
W H AT Y O U C A N D O . . .
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C O N S E RVAT I O N AWA R D N O M I N AT I O N S
It is that time of year for the Delaware Audubon Society to receive nominations of individuals who have made significant efforts and contributions in our environmental community.The Audubon Conservation Award will be presented at our annual dinner. The Audubon Board wishes all Delaware Audubon members to have the opportunity to participate in the nominating process. The Award may be granted to a volunteer for their significant contribution, or unusual service in environmental affairs, for a period of years. Past recipients have been Peggy Jahn, Lynne Frink, Gwynne Smith, Rick West, Jacob Kreshtool,Til Purnell, Don Sharpe, Barbara Lundberg, Leah Roedel, Ruth Ann Minner, Joseph Biden, Winston Wayne, Russell Peterson, Grace Pierce-Beck, Dorothy Miller, Edward W. Cooch, Jr., Lynn Williams,Thomas Sharp,Ann Rydgren,Albert Matlack, and Warren Lauder. To make a nomination, please fill out the following form and return to: Award Delaware Audubon Society P.O. Box 1713 Wilmington, DE 19899
Nominations must be received before November 15, 2004.
VOLUNTEER O P P O RT U N I T I E S
Join the fun! Meet new people! Do a great thing! WE NEED YOU!
Volunteers Make It Happen!
✶ WILDFLOWERS Wildflower enthusiast for special area in Dover. ✶ WELCOME WAGON Fun loving, creative person needed to recruit and integrate new members. ✶ MARKETING/RECRUITMENT Need someone with a “Type A” personality and marketing experience who is willing to help the environment in Delaware through member recruitment, targeted marketing and advertising for our annual birdseed sale, general member solicitation, and expanding our annual appeal. -A-HIGHWAY ✶ ADOPT Team of two people with 146 years of combined life experience wishes to hand off Adopt-a-Highway activity to team of four with 146 years or less life experience. In other words, we’re getting too old to do this! Please call 302-428-3959 and leave a message if you are interested in helping.
2005 N O M I N AT I O N F O R M
Nominee Name: .................................................................................................................... Nominee Phone Number: .................................................................................................. Title/Position:.......................................................................................................................... Address: .................................................................................................................................. .................................................................................................................................................. City State Zip: ........................................................................................................................ Nominator Phone Number: ................................................................................................ Address: .................................................................................................................................. .................................................................................................................................................. City State Zip: ........................................................................................................................
Please provide several brief sentences stating why the nominee should be considered for this award. Detailed information may be required at a later date if the Awards Committee accepts the nomination. This form may be copied if you need more forms.
SUPPORT DELAWARE AUDUBON’S ANNUAL BIRD SEED DAY! Place your order today and pick up your seed on Saturday, October 23. See pages 10-11 for more information.
Please call Field Trip leaders ahead of time and register. You will be notified if any changes arise. Most trips are half-day. Dress according to the weather and ask leader if waterproof boots, etc., are needed.
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“DE A U D U B O N W E L C O M E S ...”
New Board member John Knox
SEPTEMBER
19 Sunday 7 AM Delmarva Ornithological Society. Fall raptor & passerine migration, Cape May, NJ, Higbee Beach. Meet at the canal parking lot (dirt lane, farthest lot) at Higbee Beach. Full day. Please call Jason Guerard 813-951-0807 to RSVP and for directions.
NOVEMBER
7 Sunday 9 AM Adopt-a-Highway pick-up on Creek Road, Newark. Come lend a hand for a couple of hours and enjoy being outdoors with congenial people. We will be working on Creek Road from Wedgewood Road to White Clay Drive. Bring your own work gloves. A pointed stick for picking up pieces of paper is a handy thing to use. Dress for the weather and bring a lunch and binoculars for birding afterwards, if you wish. Any questions? Call the Audubon office, 302-4283959. Meet at the Chambers House Visitor Center north of Hopkins Bridge Road on Creek Road. 14 Sunday 9 AM Conowingo Dam Bald Eagles and Water Birds Meet in the parking lot at the first overlook. This is a halfday trip. Dress for the weather, as it is always colder near the water. You may want to bring your lunch and telescope. Please call Peggy Jahn if you intend to go, 302378-6474.
Calendar
OCTOBER
3 Sunday 11AM to 4 PM COAST DAY Come hear the Premier Performance of the “Piping Plover Suite” at noon. See you at our Audubon booth! College of Marine Studies in Lewes. 10 Sunday 8 AM The Birds of Grass Dale. Especially for Beginning Birders, a walk looking at fall migrants. Meet at picnic tables near Grass Dale parking lot, Fort DuPont State Park, Delaware City. Ann Rydgren, 302-235-0242. 23 Saturday 9 AM -1 PM Bird Seed Pick-up Day Delcastle County Park. Bird Seed orders must be picked up today. For information, please call 302-428-3959. 24 Sunday 9 AM Bombay Hook Entrance fee. Half-day trip. Bombay Hook is an internationally known destination for birders, right in our ‘backyard’! Meet in the parking lot next to the Information Center. Please call Peggy Jahn if you intend to go, 302-378-6474.
DECEMBER
12 Sunday 9 AM Bombay Hook Ducks and Geese Plus? There is an entrance fee. Meet in the parking lot next to the Information Center. This is a half-day trip. Please call Peggy Jahn if you intend to go, 302-378-6474.
NAME: John D. Knox COUNTY OF RESIDENCE: New Castle DELAWARE AUDUBON MEMBER SINCE: 2004 OCCUPATION:Technical Support, J. P. Morgan Chase CURRENT READING: The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. Read two newspapers daily. HOBBIES: Reading; gardening; community support; anything PC related. MY ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS: Pollution, recycling efforts, and the fact that Delaware is the cancer capital. MY PHILOSOPHY IS BEST DESCRIBED AS: Hope for the best but prepare for the worst. EARLIEST NATURE INTEREST: Catching frogs, toads, and turtles as a child. MOST SATISFYING BIRDING OR NATURE MOMENT: I just bought a new house in October 2003 and discovered that there are five Cardinals that live in a tree just beyond my back fence.
Whether you are a new or longtime Delaware Audubon member, let us hear from you! Tell us about yourself! Send your answers to the above questions to
[email protected] for possible use in a future issue of the Journal. Be sure to include “Delaware Audubon Welcomes” in the Subject line.
News & Views
MORE
THAN J U S T B I R D S ...
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SITE SEEING
The Silent Auction this year offered a great variety of items and lots of fun! Please visit our donors and thank them for supporting Delaware Audubon. We appreciate the generosity of the following donors:
This column will suggest Internet websites that may be of interest to readers. If you have a favorite that you think will interest others, please call us at 302-428-3959 or send the address to us at
[email protected].
“A Hummingbird Garden”
Having recently moved from in-town Newark to suburban north Wilmington, we took advantage of a larger yard to develop a Hummingbird Garden.We planted Salvia, Bee Balm,Tiger Lily, Lantana, and other Hummingbird favorites, and hung two feeders. Results were rapid.Within days of putting up the feeders in June, Hummingbirds were visiting them, and they came all summer. They are evidently intelligent: One remembered the location of a feeder I had moved three weeks before.They don’t seem to mind the presence of a gardener and will even fly in for a closer look. Famously pugnacious, they chase off other birds, even much larger ones, and engage in sparring matches with bees and wasps. Delaware and Hummingbirds have long been intertwined. It was in Christiana Hundred that DuPont president Crawford H. Greenewalt (1902-1993) began his landmark photographic studies of Hummingbirds in flight.To capture them in midair, as had never been done before, he used an ultrafast camera that snapped pictures when the Hummingbird flew into a beam of light shining on a photocell. He also built a wind tunnel with a feeder at one end, adjusting the fan until he could correctly calculate (again for the first time) Hummingbirds’ speed in flight—nearly 30 m.p.h.Another former DuPonter is making a major contribution today: H. Ross Hawkins, who founded The Hummingbird Society in 1996, with headquarters at 249 East Main Street in Newark.There are more than 2,000 members in all 50 states and 26 foreign countries—evidence of tremendous worldwide interest in these fascinating birds. W. Barksdale Maynard
Brandywine YMCA Cameras, Etc. Delaware Theatre Co. Harry’s Savoy Grill Horizon Helicopters, Inc. Wild Birds Unlimited Ruxana Bhatti Senator Joseph Biden Connie DelPizzo Peggy Jahn Warren Lauder Mark Morehead
Learn about the prospects of Global Warming from Pentagon models. <http://www.fortune.com/fort une/print/0,15935,582584,00. html>
✃
J O I N D E L AWA R E A U D U B O N N O W !
INTRODUCTORY MEMBERSHIP OFFER
For $20.00 Receive Membership to National Audubon Society and Delaware Audubon Society
Join NOW and receive a FREE navy blue backpack!
Name ________________________________________________________________ Address ______________________________________________________________ City _________________________________ State ___________ Zip ___________ Phone ( ) __________________________________________________
Referred By__________________________Date ____________________________
Please make all checks payable to: National Audubon Society
Send this application and your check to: Delaware Audubon Society P.O. Box 1713, Wilmington, DE 19899
7XCH D90
News & Views
P I P I N G P L O V E R 2004 R E P O RT
Now that the last of this year’s eight surviving Piping Plover chicks is flying, Cape Henlopen State Park’s Gordon’s Pond beach will reopen to the public on Monday,August 30, and the historic nesting habitat on the ocean side of the Point will reopen on Wednesday, September 1.The bayside beach at the Point will remain closed until October 1 for use by shorebirds migrating south for the winter. “Despite getting off to a good start with 12 active nests, this was a disappointing nesting season for Delaware’s endangered beachnesters,” said Marnie Pepper, the Division of Fish and Wildlife’s Piping Plover monitor. The park’s Red Foxes were major culprits, causing Plover parents to abandon more than half the nests. Of the 19 chicks that hatched, there were 6 fledglings from 7 Gordon’s Pond nests and two fledglings from 5 nests at the Point of the Cape. In 2003, 14 chicks fledged, the most since DNREC began keeping records. Holly Niederriter, DNREC Endangered Species Specialist Piping Plovers return to Delaware in March or early April and build their nests in the sand between the dunes and the water.According to Pepper, this practice puts the species in danger from beachgoers, pets, and predators. Both eggs and the young birds are so well camouflaged that they are in danger of being stepped on or otherwise disturbed by humans. Offroad vehicles also can degrade their habitat and destroy their nests. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service put the Atlantic Coast population of Piping Plovers on its list of threatened species in 1986.According to the federal agency, only 1,190 nesting pairs remained on the East Coast in 2000— a level that puts these birds in danger of extinction. The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control’s Piping Plover Recovery Program has been a joint effort of the Division of Fish and Wildlife, the Division of Parks and Recreation, and the Division of Soil and Water Conservation for 15 years. Total nests: 12 Total chicks fledged: 8 GORDON’S POND
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P I P I N G P L O V E R S U M M A RY
GP-1 nest = 4 chicks; none fledged GP-2 nest = 4 chicks; 2 fledged GP-7 nest = destroyed by fox GP-8 nest = abandoned; only had 1 egg GP-9 nest = destroyed by fox GP-10 nest = 4 chicks; none fledged GP-11 nest = 4 fledged THE POINT PNT-3 nest = 3 chicks; 2 fledged PNT-4 nest = abandoned; probably due to fox harassment PNT-5 nest = abandoned; probably due to fox harassment PNT-6 nest = abandoned; probably due to high tide PNT-12 nest = destroyed by fox
BLUEBIRD BOXES
To help you appreciate and understand nature, Delaware Audubon has available by order well-constructed pine nest-boxes with a shingle roof, a wire mesh insert for insect protection, and an easy front opening. Designed by Warren Lauder, this box has proven to be one of the best. Nest boxes should go up in February before Bluebirds return to nest. Help Delaware Audubon and help the Bluebirds come back. Priced at $25, we are sure you will be pleased with this box. Order now for yourself and your friends.
You can order Bluebird boxes when you order your bird seed! See page 11.
Downstate members can pick up their boxes from Dennis Foley near Milton, DE. Please arrange for pick-up when you call Fred Jahn, 302-378-6474.
ORDER NOW FOR CHRISTMAS • DOWNSTATE PICK-UP AVAILABLE
News & Views
Bird Tales . . .
“O F C O R M O R A N T S
AND
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“DE A U D U B O N W E L C O M E S ...”
New Board member Thomas Shuey
S T. T H O M A S A Q U I N A S ”
This morning, on the south side of Smyrna, a Mystery Waterfowl flew over my car in the direction of Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge.We have all heard the joke about deer knowing to cross the road at Deer Crossing signs.This bird passed overhead at the intersection bearing the directional road sign to Bombay Hook. Some people strum air-guitar with Aerosmith. Others play mini-golf and pretend all eyes are on them at St.Andrews in Scotland. For fun, I assumed my best bird-authority persona and pronounced him a “Cormorant” because, as I thought to myself,“he looks like one”—though I have no idea what one looks like.After returning home and checking several sources I learned he was indeed an adult Double-crested Cormorant. Call it “blind luck”—though I wasn’t sitting in a blind but in a bright green coupe. This happened to me once before, years ago.While watching Jeopardy! a particular clue left me, uh, clueless.“Thomas Aquinas!” I blurted at the TV screen.There was no hunch followed, no tugging in the gut, just the seizing of the nearest, handy, mental object.As it turned out, the correct Jeopardy! question was:“Who is Thomas Aquinas?” I have never forgotten that moment, and I will not forget this one, either, whether it was the spirit of Roger Tory Peterson whispering in my ear this morning or the author of Summa Totius Theologiae. Mary Leah Christmas NAME: Thomas Shuey COUNTY OF RESIDENCE: New Castle DELAWARE AUDUBON MEMBER SINCE: 2004 OCCUPATION: Senior Product Engineer HOBBIES: Gardening; fishing; Kiptopeke camping trips; hiking. MY ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS: Delaware Bay water quality, and you name it. If it is a concern to the environment, it is my concern. EARLIEST NATURE INTEREST: Camping with my parents from age two. MOST SATISFYING BIRDING OR NATURE MOMENT: Years spent hiking the Colorado Rockies. Camping trips to Kiptopeke State Park,VA.
Whether you are a new or longtime Delaware Audubon member, let us hear from you! Tell us about yourself! Send your answers to the above questions to
[email protected] for possible use in a future issue of the Journal. Be sure to include “Delaware Audubon Welcomes” in the Subject line.
E L L E N W R I G H T ’ S B A C K YA R D W I L D L I F E
As Joey happily munches on grass, he doesn’t seem to notice the Brownheaded Cowbird standing watch on his back. Joey is my horse. I think Joey is quite happy to have the Cowbird on his back since it eats any fly that lands on him. Joey and my other horse,True, are accompanied by Cowbirds most of the time while they are grazing.A group of 5-10 Cowbirds walk near the horses or sometimes ride on their backs as they graze and eat the insects that are disturbed by the horses. Brown-headed Cowbirds are nest parasites and only reproduce by laying their eggs in the nests of other birds.They do not build their own nests. Cowbirds’ eggs usually hatch first.This results in the Cowbird chicks demanding more food and nest space than the host chicks.The host chicks don’t always survive. Even though the Cowbirds cause problems for other birds by taking over their nests, Joey and True are very grateful for the natural fly control.
News & Views
G R A S S D A L E S U M M A RY 2003
Ann Rydgren, Project Manager to an abundance of wildlife makes Grass Dale an ideal teaching tool. Delaware Audubon made 27 visits to Grass Dale in 2003 for a total of 168+ person-hours. Species or sub-species noted for the first time in 2003 are: Slime mold, Earthworm, Lone Star tick, Spotted Turtle, Eastern Wood-peewee and Winter Wren.The highest number of bird species seen in one data-collecting period in mid-June was 56.The catalog of flora and fauna now totals 136 bird, 84 plant, 48 insect, 16 mammal, 10 amphibian, 1 minnow, 1 crustacean species and 1 invertebrate and 1 fungus. Data is available by request on a CD in an Access database. Although Bayberry bushes continue to thrive in the Sector 4 field (originally a
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field of Multiflora Rose and then a meadow of Goldenrod), the field is now being overrun by an invasive shrub, Elaeagnus umbulata a.k.a.Autumn Olive.The number of Purple Loosestrife plants has dwindled to 2 plants from over 100 in 2001. Special thanks are due to Peggy Jahn and Andy Urquhart for their time and perseverance during all kinds of weather to collect data for this project and to Dave Brannan for his determination in getting such excellent pictures of the flora and fauna at Grass Dale.Thanks, also, to John Savage for all his help in fine-tuning the Access database.We greatly appreciate the cooperation of Superintendent Becky Webb and her staff at Fort DelawareFort DuPont State Park in giving us every possible assistance for this longterm project.
Grass Dale is a unique area where at least six different habitats are found within a 100-yard radius.Woods, tidal marsh, fresh water pond, hedgerows, meadow and scrub habitats can be observed by walking around the existing quarter-mile track. In combination, the variety and richness of these habitats make Grass Dale very attractive to wildlife. Such easy access
F I N A N C I A L S U M M A RY F O R : 2003
Balance Sheet: Assets: Cash and Investments
31 December 2003 Balance 34,798.43 31,160.98 3,637.45 34,798.43 31,536.29 WE
HAVE EXAMINED THE
Fund Liabilities: Unrestricted General Fund Restricted Funds: Fund Activity Statement: General Fund - Beg Bal + Restricted Funds closed + Contributions - Expenses Net Fund Change: General Fund - End Bal Restricted Funds - Beg Bal + Contributions - Expenses - Closed Funds to General Net Fund Change: Restricted Funds - End Bal
FINANCIAL RECORDS OF THE FOR THE YEAR
DELAWARE AUDUBON SOCIETY 2003 AND FIND
THEM TO BE IN EXCELLENT CONDITION AND HAVE NO COMMENTS.
2,773.25 17,600.13 20,748.69 -375.31 31,160.98 12,393.30 0.00 5,982.60 2,773.25 -8,755.85 3,637.45
DAVE BRANNAN FRED JAHN
News & Views
N E S T B O X P R O J E C T 2004
All of our boxes are designed by Warren Lauder, and these nesting boxes have produced a bumper crop of young.Although wet, damp weather prevailed, the food crop for consumption was excellent. Deerfield produced the highest population of young Bluebirds we have experienced. The area continues to be the best in New Castle County, if not the entire state.The golf course is surrounded by undeveloped parkland of woods and few houses. Housing brings House Sparrows and Starlings into an area. We have placed a type of wire cage over the entrance holes to prevent snakes and raccoons from taking the young.The birds have adapted without any problems. Buena Vista is moving right along as a good location. Next Spring, we will place wire cages over the entrance holes there.A big “THANK YOU” to our volunteers for the Buena Vista Bluebird Trail.They made the entire program a success.Thanks to: Julia Lawson and Dolores Whitely, Jennifer Christy and husband Peter, Robert Mentzer and Diane Crom. Peggy Jahn, Manager, Nest Box Project. Sometimes Bluebird eggs vary in color, and we have white eggs.Years ago, in the 1970’s, I had a pair of nesting Bluebirds with white eggs at White Clay Creek State Park.This year, we had a pair at Buena Vista that produced two clutches of white eggs. We have grave problems at the DuPont golf course with House Sparrows invading the boxes.We keep removing them as many as four times before they get the message.The best location there is the Nemours course that is away from all the surrounding houses. The Purple Martin scouts arrived early this year and suffered the problems associated with cold, wet weather.The majority arrived in April and had successful nesting. The Artesian Water Company site proves to be the best one we have. The surrounding marshes are a great draw.The four houses with four gourds placed on each one have filled up well.The gourds are the first they select. Starling-proof entrance holes have helped keep the Starlings out. While some House Sparrows get in,
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we remove them at each visit. The Agriculture Farm at the University of Delaware, Newark, has a small colony of Purple Martins with two houses with gourds. We have found that gourds are selected before the house “apartments.” This may go back to their early history when the Indians placed natural gourds around for the birds to nest in. In the western part of the United States, the birds nested in tree cavities and they still do in a few areas. I understand the Purple Martins are having a difficult time on their wintering sites in South America.The birds like the city parks and all the local lights around at night. Because the birds collect in huge colonies and move in to stay, their droppings are causing problems. Some towns are cutting down the trees in their parks to get rid of the birds. It appears we need a sanctuary with lights to protect this species in their wintering areas. I will issue updates on this problem as I learn more.
NEST BOX SUMMARY
PURPLE MARTIN RESULTS: Peggy Jahn’s yard..........................................................................................58 fledged Artesian Water Company..........................................................................97 fledged U. of D. Agriculture Farm, Newark ........................................................33 fledged BLUEBIRDS RESULTS: MBNA Deerfield Course ........................................................................103 fledged DuPont Country Club................................................................................37 fledged Buena Vista................25 Bluebirds,13 Tree Swallows, 25 House Wrens fledged Fifty-one visits were made by volunteers to all the sites combined.
News & Views
D E L AWA R E
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MARK YOUR CALENDARS! S AT U R D AY, O C T O B E R 23 A U D U B O N ’ S A N N U A L B I R D S E E D D AY
The Delaware Audubon Society greatly appreciates every purchase you make during the annual Bird Seed Day event.Your support is important because the proceeds from the sale support the Audubon Adventures Program. The Audubon Adventures Program provides free environmental education kits to all Middle School students and their teachers throughout the state.
WA L D E N C E L E B R AT E S SESQUICENTENNIAL
August 2004 marked the sesquicentennial of the publication of Thoreau’s Walden.What better way to celebrate this literary event than by reading?
Walden by Henry David Thoreau The Walden Woods Society <http://www.walden.org> has produced a special 150th Anniversary illustrated edition of Walden. Walden Pond: A History* by W. Barksdale Maynard A Place of My Own: The Education of an Amateur Builder by Michael Pollan Tiny, Tiny Houses by Lester Walker The Tiny Book of Tiny Houses by Lester Walker Cabins: A Guide to Building Your Own Nature Retreat by David R. Stiles, Jeanie Stiles, David Stiles Rustic Retreats: A Build-It-Yourself Guide by David R. Stiles, Jeanie Stiles
At the request of our membership, we also offer custom built, pine, Delaware Audubon Bluebird box houses for sale, along with the top selling A-6 Droll Yankees bird feeder. Send in your order form and payment today! Support Bird Seed Day! Attracting birds to backyard feeders is a wonderful way to bring Nature into our lives and the lives of our children. Below is a handy reference to help you make the best selection of bird seed to order:
TYPES
OF
SEEDS & THE BIRDS
T H AT
L O V E ‘E M
Black Oil & Striped Sunflower Blue Jay, Chickadee, Grackle, Evening Grosbeak, Finch (American, Gold, House, Purple), Sparrow (House, Song,White-Throated,White-Crowned) Mourning Dove, Northern Cardinal,Tufted Titmouse Sunflower Nutmeats (No Husks) American Goldfinch, Sparrow (House and White-Throated) DE Audubon Mixed Premium (Oilseed, cracked corn, peanut hearts, white millet) Attracts many species Medium Cracked and Whole Corn White-Throated Sparrow, Dark-Eyed Junco, Cardinal, Mourning Dove, Sparrow Niger (Thistle) Finch (Gold, House, Purple), Mourning Dove, Sparrow (Song,While-Throated), Dark-Eyed Junco Safflower White-Throated Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, Mourning Dove Peanut Hearts Common Grackle, House finch, Mourning Dove, Sparrow (Song,White-Throated, White Crowned) White Millet Dark-Eyed Junco, Mourning Dove, all species of Sparrow, House Finch, Northern Cardinal
* See page 12, BOOKS OF INTEREST
WE’RE LOOKING FOR SOME SEED MONEY! B I R D S E E D D AY : S AT U R D AY, O C T O B E R 23
Place your order now for Delaware Audubon’s annual Bird Seed Day and beat the October 15 deadline.
Bird Seed Day is Audubon’s main fund-raiser. Proceeds from the sale enable us to continue vital programs and initiatives such as establishing an Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary. To order a winter’s supply of bird seed, fill out your order form and MAIL IT with a check made payable to Delaware Audubon Society, to: Birdseed c/o Tom Shuey 137 Bernice Drive Bear, DE 19701 IT MUST BE RECEIVED BY OCTOBER 15. OR ORDER BY PHONE before October 1 Call 302-428-3959, leave a message. We will call you back, take your order, total it up for you. Send a check, made payable to Delaware Audubon Society, for the total to Birdseed c/o Tom Shuey 137 Bernice Drive Bear, DE 19701 IT MUST BE RECEIVED BY OCTOBER 15. MARK YOUR CALENDAR AND DON’T FORGET TO PICK UP YOUR ORDER! October 23 between 9AM and 1PM at Delcastle County Park, located off of McKennans Church Road. We have no way of storing seed that people forget to pick up. Seed not picked up by 1:00 pm will be donated to Tri-State Bird Rescue and Research. OR USE OUR DELIVERY SERVICE If you live above the canal in New Castle County take advantage of our special delivery service. For a donation of $10 or more your seed will be delivered to your door. We Can Use Your Help If you can spare some time on Bird Seed Day , we can use your help shuffling papers, calling out orders, and generally having a good time. Even an hour of your time will help.
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Please use this form or make copies. Pass out copies of the forms to your friends. We hope, with your help, to make this year’s sale our best ever!
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B I R D S E E D D AY O R D E R F O R M
Size 25 lb. 40 lb. 25 lb. 50 lb. 25 lb. 25 lb. 50 lb. 25 lb. 50 lb. 25 lb. 4 lb. 8 lb. 25 lb. 25 lb. 5 lb. 25 lb. 12 oz. 12 oz. Type of Seed Black oilseed Black oilseed Striped sunflower Striped sunflower Sunflower nut meat Delaware Audubon Premium Mix Delaware Audubon Premium Mix Cracked corn Cracked corn Whole corn Thistle (niger) seed Thistle (niger) seed Thistle (niger) seed Safflower Peanut hearts White millet Suet cake (High energy) Suet cake (Peanut butter) Bluebird House, Pine Droll Yankees A-6 bird feeder Quantity Price* Total $ .................. $ .................. $ .................. $ .................. $ .................. $ .................. $ .................. $ .................. $ .................. $ .................. $ .................. $ .................. $ .................. $ .................. $ .................. $ .................. $ .................. $ .................. $ .................. $ .................. $ .................. ................ 11.50 ................ 18.00 ................ 15.00 ................ 28.00 ................ 23.00 ................ 13.50 ................ 24.00 ................ 8.00 ................ 13.50 ................ 7.50 ................ 5.00 ................ 9.50 ................ 27.00 ................ 19.00 ................ 8.00 ................ 9.50 ................ 1.50 ................ 2.50 ................ 25.00 ................ 23.00 ................ (Subtotal) ❑ Yes! I want delivery. Here is my donation of $10 or more Enclosed is my check payable to Delaware Audubon for ❑ I will PICK UP my order between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Saturday, October 23 at Delcastle County Park. Name ........................................................................................................................................................ Address .................................................................................................................................................... .................................................................................................................................................................... Telephone ................................................................................................................................................ ❑ I will be able to help on Bird Seed Day, October 23, between the hours of ..............................and ............................ ❑ I don’t need any seed this year, but here is my donation of Please mail this order form to: Birdseed c/o Tom Shuey 137 Bernice Drive Bear, DE 19701 $ .................. $ .................. (Total) $ ..................
Thank You for Your Support!
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BOOKS
OF
INTEREST
over the years.This literary Mecca and popular recreation area has long teetered between the competing forces of conservation and commercialism. Grassroot organizations have fought to make its future secure. Maynard places the reader at a vantage point from which to view the “departing past and inrushing present.” Thoreau situated himself similarly. Maynard observes that Thoreau lived “on the very edge of [town] in order to see its foibles more clearly, fleeing to the woods to better understand civilization....” Such perspectives are exactly what we need, but present us with the paradox of Walden Pond: By visiting, we run the risk of besmirching the place. Maynard reminds us,“As is often the case in Thoreau, the fact of human disturbance in the landscape fueled new observations.” There is much beauty to be seen; however, let us be keen observers who strive to leave no trace. An educated visitor is a respectful visitor.This reviewer recommends all forthcoming editions of Walden be sold as a set, shrink-wrapped with Maynard’s remarkable book.
About the Author: W. Barksdale Maynard teaches architectural history at Johns Hopkins University and the University of Delaware. He has served as a consultant for The Walden Woods Project and was a visiting scholar at the Thoreau Institute at Walden Woods. He is a longtime member of Delaware Audubon as well as a contributor to the Delaware Audubon Journal.
Walden Pond: A History. W. Barksdale Maynard. Oxford University Press, 2004. 416 pp., illustrated.
W. Barksdale Maynard’s Walden Pond: A History is “a deep map.” That term was the subtitle of William Least HeatMoon’s PrairyErth, the 1991 best-seller hailed by critics as “our modern-day Walden.” While Heat-Moon’s paean to the prairie was a deep map likened to Thoreau’s Walden, Maynard’s book provides us a deep map of Walden Pond itself. Heat-Moon plumbed the historical, sociological, and geological depths of a remaining corner of Kansas prairie, a place far removed from Concord, Massachusetts. Maynard’s book does the same, but pitches camp right at the source. Our knowledgeable guide, staff in hand, helps us “read the runes of Nature” (Thoreau) and those of humankind.As Maynard writes, “Walden is...a text rife with secrets and artifice, its complex utopian and reformist ideas couched in a seemingly simple story about a man living in the forest.” Maynard’s “map” reveals Walden, and Walden Pond, in its satisfying chronological strata of chapters, from the 1820s and into the dot-org era. Addressed are such things as the transcendental community in Concord;Thoreau’s friendships with Alcott, Emerson, and Channing;Walden in the broader context of Thoreau’s life and literary fabric; analyses of Walden by scholars and historians; and some of the other individuals inspired to seek a “life in the woods”— including Delmarva’s own Gilbert Byron.We are also shown Walden Pond itself, through the seasons and
MLC