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Audubon NewsVolume 14, Issue 3 November 2008
Monthly Meeting: Thursday, November 6, 2008
Magical Mushrooms 1
Field Trips 2
BIG SIT Report 3
Helping Backyard Birds 4
Redbirds (poem) 4
Conservation Corner 5
Duck Stamps 5
Evergreen Master Plan 5
Backyard Habitat 6
Tips for New Birders 7
AnnualReport 8
P.O. Box 221093 Charlotte, NC 28222
Upcoming Events
11/1 – Moss Creek Grnwy.11/6 – Magical Mushrooms11/8 – McDowell Prairie11/9 – Mushroom Walk11/15 – Cowan’s Ford Wildlife Refuge11/18 – Wing Haven11/20 – Six-mile Creek Grnwy.11/23 – Pee Dee NWR11/29 – Ft. Fisher/Southport12/4 - Winter Hummingbirds12/6 – Wintering Waterfowl12/20 – Gaston CBC12/21 – Lake Norman CBC12/27 – Charlotte CBC1/3 – Pee Dee NWR CBC1/8 – Food and Fotos1/17 – Huntington Beach St. Park
If you have been out and about at all this fall you have probably noticed at least one or two interesting fungi peeking their heads through the grass or leaf litter. Back in September on the Sherman Branch walk it was nearly impossible to more than a few feet before you encountered different mushroom. And although it has cooled off some the fungi are still blooming and Reed Patterson will be at our November meeting to provide us a peek into the magical world of mushrooms.
Reed Patterson is a local amateur mycologist who has been studying, gathering and eating wild mushrooms for over 20 years, having gotten interested in them when he was a boy. He will talk to us about identifying different types of mushrooms and explain their life-cycle. He will bring samples, if possible, and he will have illustrations and references.
To follow-up this fascinating program Reed will lead a field trip on Sunday, November 9th in the Derita area. There is a second growth forest there that has some very unusual plants and is a great spot for mushrooms. People should meet at the Food Lion parking lot at the intersection of North Graham St and Sugar Creek Rd at 10 AM and they will then follow Reed to drive a short distance to the location of the walk.
Don’t miss this fascinating program on Thursday, November 6th at 7:30 PM in the fellowship hall of the Sharon Seventh Adventist Church (920 Sharon Amity) for a very informative program.
Magical Mushrooms
©Brad Kuntz
Could there be a person alive in the U.S. who is not aware of the impending national election? We doubt it.
But it’s certain that many citizens eligible to vote will stay home on election day. For presidential year elections held between 1960-1995 in the 37 countries with free elections, the U.S. was at the bottom with 54% voter turnout, tied with Switzerland. Only Poland suffers lower turnout at 51%.
With election day right around the corner, it’s time for everyone to make up their minds, and get out and vote! Pun-
dits are predicting long lines and record turnouts, so you might consider voting early.
Each election has repercussions for the environment and each vote is im-portant. The current issue of Audubon magazine features the views of John McCain and Barack Obama on important environmental issues. Of local importance are the bond issues. Take some time to review the proposals at http://meckbirds.org/conservation/250BondPackage2.pdf before making your final decision.
Whatever your choice, this year’s elec-tions feature nail-biting Senate races, exciting House seat battles, state ballot initiatives that impact local and na-tional environmental issues, and a new president to lead our nation. All of it will decide how the environment fares for the next four years. Please vote!
Audubon News Page 2
Field TripsAll Mecklenburg Audubon Field Trips are free and open to the public. Directions for all trips can be found on the Mecklenburg Audubon website - meckbirds.org. Click on Field Trips. Please remember to contact the trip leaders several days before the trip. If you don’t, you may not receive information about last minute changes or cancellations. Also, if they don’t know you are coming, they might leave without you!!
KEY TO PHYSICAL DIFFICULTYEasy - Trails are level to slight grades usually paved. .5-1.5 miles
of walkingModerate - Trails can be uneven with some hills. 1-2.5 miles of
walking.Strenuous - Trails vary greatly. 2.5+ miles of walking.* - Trails are handicapped accessible.Continued on page 3
Saturday, Nov. 1, 2008: Moss Creek Greenway - Cabarras County1/2 Day Leader: Corey Slovick - 704-451-4644 or [email protected]
In the NW corner of Cabarrus county near NC-73 and Odell School Rd. lies the private Moss Creek Development. Bordered on the SW by Rocky River, a wonderful nature trail runs the length of the development. Corey Slovick, a resident and MAS member, birds there regularly and has offered to show us this “new” birding location. Meet us in the Odell Elementary School parking lot, on the corner of Odell School Rd. and NC-73) at 8 AM to explore this trail.
Saturday, November 8th: McDowell Prairie1/2 Day - Moderate Leader: Ron Clark [704-866-0811 or [email protected]]
We will look for winter sparrows and others at the prairie. We will walk about 1 1/2 miles, mostly flat. There are no facilities and it is in the open, so wear sunscreen if you are so inclined. By 11:00 or so, we will go to nearby Copperhead Island to check for some woods species and scope the lake. There are facilities there.
There is limited parking at the prairie, so will meet in front of the Harris-Teeter at the corner of Highways 49 and 160 at 8:30.
Sunday: November 9, 2008: Mushroom Walk1/2 Day - Easy Leader: Reed Patterson
Reed Patterson, our program speaker, will led us on a field trip to learn about mushrooms and anything else growing in the woods. This will be bushwhacking, meaning not using trails, so wear sturdy shoes or boots. . The property is near Derita and is being strongly considered by the city for purchasing for a greenway. It is second-growth forest with many unusual plants. He has explored it several times.
We will meet at the Food Lion in Derita (on the north side of Charlotte) at the corner of Sugar Creek Rd. and Graham St. at 10:00. It is a 2-3 hour trip.
Saturday, November 15, 2008: Cowan’s Ford Wildlife Refuge1/2 Day - Moderate Leader: Ron Clark [704-866-0811 or [email protected]]
After scoping the ponds from the viewing stand, we will bird beside them, then follow the wood/field edge beyond them, and return through the woods behind the stand. For those interested, we will take a short walk to Duck Cove and see what waterfowl may have arrived.
This is a 1/2 day trip, no facilities, 1 1/2 miles, slightly rolling. Meet in the parking lot at 8:30 AM.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008: Wing Haven (Myers Park)1/2 Day - Easy* Leader: Ron Clark [704-866-0811 or [email protected]]
Nestled in the heart of Myers Park Wing Haven has been a unique part of Charlotte since its cre-ation in 1927 by Elizabeth and Edwin Clarkson. The gardens and bird sanctuary, enclosed on all sides by brick walls, encompass three acres in the heart of a quiet residential neighborhood. Throughout the gardens, emphasis is on plantings for bird attraction – providing cover, nesting sites and food. Many pools, re-circulating fountains and dripping bird baths, delight visitors and birds alike. This is a great trip for beginning bird watchers.
We will meet at Winghaven at 8:30. There is a $5 entry donation for non-members.
©Jeff Lemons
©Jeff Lemons
Audubon NewsPage 3
Field Trips
Thursday, November 20, 2008: Six-mile Creek Greenway*1/2 Day - Easy* Leader: John Buckman
Once again we will investigate this corner of Mecklenburg Co. Winter birds should be settling in, but we never know what is going to turn up at this greenway.
Meet John in the parking lot off of Marvin Rd.
Sunday, November 23, 2007: Pee Dee National Wildlife RefugeFull Day Leader: Ron Clark [704-866-0811 or [email protected]]
When birders think of National Wildlife Refuges places like Pea Island, Chincoteague or Merrit Island spring to mind. Places on the coast. But there are literally hun-dreds of smaller refuges across the country that protect unique habitat for both flora and fauna. Pee Dee NWR is one of the smaller refuges tucked away in a not so glamorous place - the NC Piedmont. But the refuge is a unique and wonderful place to wander for hours at a time and not see anyone else.
Winter in waterfowl should be arriving and sparrows should be settlling in. There will be a fair amount of easy walking so wear comfortable shoes. We will eat on the refuge so remember to bring a lunch, snacks and plenty of water.
We’ll meet at the Mc Donalds at Windsor Square at 7 AM.
Saturday, November 29, 2008: Fort Fisher/Southport, NCFull Day Field Trip Leader: Taylor Piephoff [[email protected]]
The Fort Fisher and Southport area is a great place for winter, coastal birding. The variety of habitats are wintering homes for an assortment of sparrows, shorebirds, waterfowl, seabirds and even a few stray neotropics. One never knows what will be encountered on this trip.
For non-birders, Southport is rich in history with attractions such as the Smith-ville Cemetery, and across the Cape Fear River by ferry are Fort Fisher and the NC Aquarium. Fishing Charters are also available inshore and offshore.
Contact Taylor Piephoff by NOVEMBER 20 if you plan to attend.
Saturday, December 6, 2008: Wintering Waterfowl1/2 Day - Easy Leader: Judy Walker [704-537-8181 or [email protected]]
Coddle Creek is the place to see large numbers and variety of ducks in the Char-lotte area. We’ll first check out the wetlands behind the H. H. Gregg store at Concord Mills and then head up to the reservoir.
We will meet at Panera’s Bread across from Concord Mills Mall off I-85 at 9 AM and will return about 1 PM.
Upcoming Christmas Bird Counts Saturday, December 20th - Gaston County Sunday, December 21st - Lake Norman Saturday, December 27th - Charlotte Saturday, January 3rd - Pee Dee National Wildlife Refuge
Detailed directions to meeting spots can be found at meckbirds.org/trips
BIG SIT REPORT
©Jeff Lemons
The 14th annual BIG SIT [MAS’s 3rd] took place on 10/12. Seventeen birders helped out on that Sunday in beautiful fall weather. All the eyes and ears paid off as we totaled 64 species seen or heard - the best we have had so far.
Starting with great horned owls du-eting in the morning , we finished with a spotted thrush species at dusk. It was fun to see everyone so excited when we finally tallied our first titmouse for species #61!
Hoping to hit 60, it was very pleasing to find 64 thanks to some late migrants going through. Wilson’s Snipe, Mead-owlark, American Kestrel, Bald Eagle, Black-throated Green, Black-throated Blue and Magnolia Warblers, Chat, Red-breasted Nuthatch and both king-lets were some of the best birds tallied.
As of October 26th the Bird Watch-er’s Digest web site (sponsors of the event) indicated we were tied for 20th place nationally with 193 sites report-ing and still some not in. We currently have the high count for the Carolinas but Pea Island has not reported in yet. Most of the higher counts were coastal sites so for those who participated, we should be proud of our results.
Black-throated Green Warbler
Audubon News Page 4
Helping Backyard Birds:
Northern CardinalThe iconic and melodious “redbird” is a
favorite yard bird from New England east to the central Great Plains. Common in parks and suburban neighborhoods with adequate shrubby nesting and foraging sites, they can be attracted to more urban locations by planting patches of native trees, bushes, and shrubs.
What Northern Cardinals Need
Food: Adult cardinals eat a wide range of seeds and fruits. Seeds and fruits make up about 70 percent of the annual diet. When available, they also eat insects. Adults feed their nestlings almost entirely insects. At bird feeders they are drawn to sunflower and safflower seeds provided on open flat feeders or on the ground.
Nesting: Cardinals are habitat general-ists, requiring areas of dense shrubs and small trees for nesting sites. They usually build nests 3 to 6 feet high on a sheltered branch fork of a low tree or shrub. Males require low trees or tall shrubs with prom-inent perches for singing. Invasive plant species are detrimental to birds nesting in urban/suburban habitats.
Shelter: Cardinals roost and sleep in thick vegetation of low bushes or shrubs.
Other: Cardinals will drink and bathe at a birdbath or small pond. They are sus-ceptible to predation by cats and collisions with picture windows. Male cardinals are very territorial and may attack their reflec-
tion in windows or car mirrors. Low flying cardinals also frequently collide with automobiles.
How You Can Help
• Plant native fruiting trees and shrubs including wild grapes, mulberry, sumac, and hackberries.
• Provide sunflower or safflower seeds in a tray feeder.
• Scatter small amounts of seed on the ground; avoid spreading more food than can be eaten in a day to avoid fungal or bacterial growth and attracting mice.
• Avoid using pesticides that may poi-son insects eaten by cardinals, and avoid herbicides that kill weedy plants that provide a source of seeds.
• Plant thick patches or rows of diverse native bushes, shrubs, and low ornamen-tal trees. Favorites may include dog-woods, hawthorns, native honeysuckle, native cherries, sumacs, elderberries, spirea, and wild grapes.
• Encourage neighbors to plant bushes and shrubs to provide additional habitat.
• Plant native ornamental trees to pro-vide singing perches for territorial males.
• Minimize pruning of bushes and shrubs to provide adequate cover for roosting and sleeping.
• Provide a birdbath or small pond for bathing and drinking. Make sure to keep birdbaths clean and free of mosquito larvae.
• Keep cats indoors to keep them safe from outdoor hazards and to protect birds. Remove feral cats from neighbor-hood.
• Screen windows or make them vis-ible so cardinals can avoid colliding with them, especially if male cardinals are attacking their reflection. More infor-mation at www.audubonathome.org/ SafeWindows.html.
• Whenever possible, plant patches of shrubs for cardinals away from busy roadways.
Redbirdsby Sara Teasdale
Redbirds, redbirds,
Long and long ago,
What a honey-call you had
In hills I used to know;
Redbud, buckberry,
Wild plum-tree
And proud river sweeping
Southward to the sea,
Brown and gold in the sun
Sparkling far below,
Trailing stately round her bluffs
Where the poplars grow —
Redbirds, redbirds,
Are you singing still
As you sang one May day
On Saxton’s Hill?
Audubon NewsPage 5
Conservation CornerCongress Passes Incentives for Clean and Renewable Energy
After nearly a year of political infight-ing, Congress finally passed into law a much needed package of clean and renewable energy tax incentives earlier this month. The tax package, which included many important tax exten-sions for renewable energy and energy efficiency measures, was a last minute addition to the economic recovery pack-age. Many of the tax extensions in the package were set to expire at the end of the year.
These tax incentives are critical for sustaining ongoing investments in clean energy technologies. Such invest-ment creates new jobs, bolsters local economies, and moves us away from our dependence on dirty fossil fuels that contribute to global warming. In addition to investments in renewables like wind, solar, and geothermal, the package also included incentives for manufacturing more energy efficient appliances, increasing efficiency in our homes, and incentives to make it easier to buy more fuel efficient vehicles.
Great Lakes Compact Signed by Presi-dent
On October 3, shortly after Congress approved the Great Lakes Compact by an overwhelming majority, President Bush signed the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact, endorsing sweeping protections for the Great Lakes that culminate a decade’s worth of work by Audubon and other conservation organizations, government agencies, businesses, the public, as well as countless local, state, and federal leaders.
The Great Lakes Compact is a land-mark international agreement that will prevent mass export to water-thirsty states in the Southwest as well as foreign nations around the globe. The Great Lakes contain more than 90% of the fresh surface water in the United States, and 20% of the world’s supply. However, scientists estimate that only 1% is natu-rally replenished by rain, snow melt, and groundwater each year. The Compact will
help protect this one-time gift of the glaciers.
House Passes No Child Left Inside Act
Environmental education received a major boost on September 19th, when the House approved the No Child Left Inside Act of 2008 by a vote of 293-109. The legislation would authorize major new funding for states to provide high-quality, environmental instruction. Funds would support outdoor learning activities both at school and in non-for-mal environmental education centers, teacher training, and the creation of state environmental literacy plans.
Support Habitat Conservation -
First Federal Duck Stamp.Design by J. N. “Ding” Darling
Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamps, commonly known as “Duck Stamps,” are pictorial stamps produced by the U.S. Postal Service for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. They are not valid for postage. Originally created in 1934 as the federal licenses required for hunting migratory waterfowl, Federal Duck Stamps have a much larger pur-pose today.
Federal Duck Stamps are a vital tool for wetland conservation. Ninety-eight cents out of every dollar generated by the sales of Federal Duck Stamps goes
directly to purchase or lease wetland habitat for protection in the National Wildlife Refuge System. Understandably, the Federal Duck Stamp Program has been called one of the most successful conservation programs ever initiated and is a highly effective way to conserve America’s natural resources.
Besides serving as a hunting license and a conservation tool, a current year’s Federal Duck Stamp also serves as an en-trance pass for National Wildlife Refuges where admission is normally charged. Duck Stamps and the products that bear duck stamp images are also popular col-lector items.
Federal Duck Stamps are sold at most National Wildlife Refuges and in many post offices across the country. You can also buy both stamps on the internet, and many sporting goods and outdoor stores sell the Federal Duck Stamps.
Please mark your calendar now to come represent the Audubon Society and nature lovers at a new master plan meeting for Evergreen Nature Preserve on the evening of November 12 at Winterfield School.
Park & Recreation is proposing additions and changes to the 78-acre preserve. Each of these can affect the preserve and its habitats.
It is important for birders to have their voices heard at this meeting -- to ensure that the preserve we all worked hard to establish will continue to pro-vide habitats for the wide variety of birds that have been seen there.
Save this DateWednesday, Nov. 12thEvergreen Master Plan Open Meeting
Buy a Duck Stamp
Audubon News Page 6
Backyard Habitat:Seed Basics
Every fall I get questions from people asking what is the best birdseed to use to attract birds to the yard. The first thing I do is to point out that birds are individuals and as individuals they have different pref-erences and needs. However, you have to go out and poll every bird in the yard to find out what they need. Here is a quick summary of what the literature says about birds and birdseed in the southeast.
Sunflower Seeds:
Probably the most widely pre-ferred and eaten type of seed. Nearly fifty dif-ferent species of birds are known to eat this pre mium grade fuel. It comes in several forms and varieties. Al though the larger striped sunflower seed is enjoyed by a large number of birds, the smaller black-oiled seeds are easier for chickadee-size birds to handle. If you don’t like all the mess under the feeder try hulled seeds often called sunflower hearts. These are more expensive and tend to spoil more quickly but are great patios and apartment balconies. Providing primarily sunflower seeds also attracts fewer house sparrows and starlings.
Millet:
This small whitish seed is preferred by ground eat-ing birds such as mourning doves, juncos, sparrows, etc. White millet is preferred over
the red variety. Yes, house sparrows and starlings do like this seed too.
Niger/Thistle:
Although most of us refer to this seed as thistle, it is unrelated to the native thistles found in southern fields and by-ways. It is actually grown in Africa. Usually used to attract Goldfinches, other finches, chickadees and Pine Siskens love these
tiny seeds. To keep the house finches from gobbling down this somewhat expensive seed use a tube feeder with the feeding holes below the perches. Goldfinches and siskens are small and agile enough to feed upside down from the perch. House Finches can’t!
Peanuts:
Loved by people and birds alike. Titmice, chickadees, nuthatch es, woodpeckers, cardinals, many sparrows and even the Carolina wrens love it. Although unshelled peanuts are easier for the smaller birds to handle, I once put whole shelled peanuts out on a platform feeder and watched a titmouse abscond with most of them in less than ten minutes. He just stabbed the shells with his beak and they flew off to stash them someplace safe and sound. Stay away from ‘peanut hearts’, the hard little pieces that fall out when the peanut is split in half. These are not as appealing as the meaty peanuts.
Corn:
Cracked corn attracts many of the same species that millet does - sparrows, juncos, and doves. Whole kernels are attractive to
jays, some wood-peckers and what are considered game birds -- quail and turkey, which are hard to find in Mecklenburg County. It will also attract waterfowl
including Canada Geese. Cornmeal can be mixed with suet or peanut butter to add energy. The downside of corn is that it attracts cowbirds, grackles, starling, rock doves and house sparrows.
Safflower:
Related to the sunflower, it will be eaten [but not necessar-ily preferred] by cardinals, titmice, doves, finches, grosbeaks and a few sparrows. It is not as messy as sunflower seeds but is more expen-sive. I tried it for a while because I read somewhere that squirrels won’t eat it, which just goes to prove that not every-thing in print is true. My squirrels didn’t hesitate a second.
Seeds to avoid:
Milo (large reddish round seeds in birdseed mix), canary seed, buckwheat, wheat, rice, oats, flax and rape seed. Birds will eat this if nothing else is available but you know someone down the street will have the good stuff. They also attract cowbirds, star-lings and grackles.
Seed Mixes:
Although convenient, mixes found in supermarkets, home improvement cen-ters, etc. generally have a lot of ‘filler’ which is not eaten by the birds. If you really want to do it right you make your own mix of 50% black-oil sunflower, 30% white mil let, 10% peanuts, and 10% cracked corn. Or experiment to see what the birds like.
Audubon NewsPage 7
Tips for New BirdersWhen trying to identify a
bird one of the basic questions you should ask yourself is what
does the bird look like. Most beginning birders tend to focus in on color when looking at a bird and not really ‘see’ the bird. This not very helpful if you encounter a flock of LBJs (little brown jobs). They might be sparrows but they could also be female or immature warblers, buntings, grosbeaks, or blackbirds. Cardinals and Summer Tanagers are both red but the look very different. Recognizing that look takes time in the field but will become second nature the more you bird.
The look of the bird is really made of several elements, which we will discuss over the next few issues. One of element is the bird’s bill/beak. You may have heard more experienced birders say something like, “It had a vireo not a warbler bill.” Becoming familiar with beak shapes will help you quickly sort an unfamiliar bird into a family of birds that will make it easier to identify.
Familiarity with bills is particularly helpful during the fall migration when birds are not in their breeding plumage and there are a lot of immature birds with drab plumages. A good example of this is two very similar looking birds – Ten-nessee Warbler and the Red-eyed Vireo. They are about the same size, similar in color and have an eye stripe. But their beaks are not the same. The warbler’s beak is thinner and pointers, whereas the vireo’s bill is broader and somewhat blunt.
Another example of when the bill becomes important is when you are trying to distinguish between a Downy and a Hairy Woodpecker. The bill on a Downy Woodpecker is usu-ally the same length or shorter than the width of its head. The Hairy Woodpecker’s bill is always longer than the width of its head. Even if the bird is at a good distance if you get a profile view of the bird you should easily be able to deter-mine the length of the bill.
The beaks also tell you a lot about the bird’s life style since it is main way they get food. Each species lives in a specific habitat niche. Even within that niche they are often food specialists with bills uniquely adapted to securing that food. Insect eaters have very different beaks from those that pri-marily eat seeds. Both the robin and hawk are predators but hunting worms needs a very different beak than one that has to tear its prey apart. It’s fun to look at the beaks of unfamil-iar birds from other parts of the world and guess what type of food they eat.
So take some time to familiarize yourself with the different beak shapes and then when observing a bird make sure you note what type of beak it has. It may be the key to identify-ing the bird.
Tennessee WarblerRed-eyed Vireo
A cone shaped bill is found in many birds such as finches and grosbeaks. It is a strong beak used for cracking seeds.
Thin, slender, pointed beaks are found mainly in in-sect eaters. They are used to pick insects off leaves, twigs, and bark. This warbler is a good example.
Woodpeckers have strong beaks that taper to a tip, forming a chisel for creating holes in trees for food or nests. These birds feed on insects that live under the bark.
Hummingbirds have long, tubular bills that re-semble straws, which they use to sip nectar from flowers.
Mergansers, specialized for eating fish, have sharp tooth-like structures on the edge of the bill to hold fish tightly.
Hawks, owls, and other birds of prey that catch and kill live prey have sharp, “hooked” beaks. These are used to bite the skull or neck and also to tear the body into pieces small enough to swallow.
The edges of a Mallard’s bill are fringed to strain plants, seeds, and small animals from mud and water.
Beaks flat and wide at the base are found in birds that catch insects in flight, such as flycatchers. These birds also often have whiskers at the corners of the mouth, which effectively widens the mouth open-ing, allowing more effective capture of prey
Audubon News Page 8
MAS Board
Judy Walker - [email protected]
Rob Bierregaard - Vice [email protected]
Larry Barden - [email protected]
Lucy Quintilliano - [email protected]
Ron Clark - Field [email protected]
Jack Meckler - [email protected]
Carol Ann Tomko - [email protected]
Jill Shoemaker - [email protected]
Louise Barden - [email protected]
John Buckman - [email protected]
Jeff Lemons - [email protected]
Audubon News is published monthly from September through May by the Mecklenburg Audubon Society, a chapter of National Audubon. Local members receive the newsletter via postal mail and/or electronic mail. It is also posted on the Mecklenburg Audubon web site - meckbirds.org.
Who’s New?
If you are not aware of it, the Starbucks at Cotswold Shopping Center provides coffee for our monthly meet-ings. So the next time you in the neighborhood and need a cup of joe, stop in and thank them for us.
John RudisillJean & Jim Scarbrough
Join now and your membership will be effective until June 2009.
Return to: Lucy Quintilliano, Treasurer, Mecklenburg Audubon Society, P. O. Box 221093, Charlotte, NC 28222
q Individual Membership [$10] q Family Membership [$15]
q Please, save trees and send me [us] the newsletter electronically.
q Please, add me to Meckbirds, the local listserv about birds and the environment.
q I [we] would be willing to lead a field trip. q I [we] would be interested in participating in a work day.
q I [we] would be willing to do a program.
Mecklenburg Audubon SocietyBecause National Audubon has reduced the chapter share of the national membership, Mecklen-burg Audubon now must offer a Local Membership to cover the cost of the newsletter, web site & cost of meetings.
Name:
Address:
Phone: Email:
It was a Very Good YearThe 2007-08 season was a very good year for the Mecklenburg
Audubon Society. Here are some highlights from our annual report to National Audubon.
45 - average attendance at monthly meetings•
2,040 volunteer hours. Members participated in clean-up • days at preserves, monitoring species at preserves and refuge, working with students in schools, presenting edu-cational programs, and manning tables at events.
47 field trips with an average of 14 participants.•
Sponsored 35 Audubon Adventure Classrooms.•
Sponsored 4 Christmas Bird Counts•
Took top honors in the Great Backyard Bird Count.•
Secured a grant to build Prothonotary Warbler boxes at • Cowan’s Ford Refuge.
Helped raise $4,000 to print the Piedmont Edition of the • North Carolina Birding Trail book.
