Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
Champaign County Audubon Society � A chapter of the National Audubon Society
The Trip of a Lifetime Cleo and Steve D’Arcy
Co-Presidents of Champaign County Audubon Society (CCAS)
In March we celebrated Steve’s
wonderful new vision by taking a trip to
the Galapagos Islands. This archipelago
had always been on our “bucket list,”
and we couldn’t have found a better way
to renew our joy of birding. To make the
experience even more special, our 25-
and 28-year old children joined us for
the trip of a lifetime.
What are the Galapagos? They
are a chain of volcanic islands located in
the Pacific Ocean 600 miles west of
Ecuador right on the equator. There are
15 main islands and over 100 smaller
islets and rocks in the chain. The oldest
islands are in the eastern part of the
archipelago and the youngest in the
west, with the whole group moving
towards South American at about 6
inches per year. The youngest islands
are still being formed and volcanic
eruptions occur nearly every year.
The islands are situated where
three tectonic plates converge, resulting
in the volcanic activity that creates
them. They are also situated where three
ocean currents meet, a fact that is likely
responsible for bringing an incredible
variety of species to the islands and for
providing resources for the survival of
those diverse species.
So why would you want to visit
the Galapagos? If you are interested in
biology, you doubtless associate the
Galapagos with Charles Darwin’s
voyage as naturalist on the HMS Beagle.
In 1835 Darwin visited only four of the
islands, studying their geology and
islands, studying their geology and
biology. He noticed differences among
the mockingbird species that he
collected on different islands, but he did
not carefully study differences among
the species we now call “Darwin’s
finches.” In fact, he put all of the finches
that he collected together without even
noting their islands of origin. When
these birds were later studied in
England, Darwin realized that many of
them were different species of finches
which were also unique to specific
islands. These observations were critical
to Darwin’s development of the theory
of natural selection to explain the
evolution of species.
If you want to follow up on this
story, we recommend that you read “The
Beak of the Finch: A Story of Evolution
in Our Time” by Jonathan Weiner.
Weiner chronicles evolutionary
scientists Peter and Rosemary Grant’s
study of over 20 generations of
Darwin’s finches on the island Daphne
Major. Through their work and that of
others, Weiner illustrates that evolution
is happening all around us and that it
can be observed and measured.
Of course, another reason to
visit the Galapagos is to see Darwin’s
finches and some of the other birds,
amphibians, reptiles and mammals that
call the archipelago home. We saw more
than 40 species of birds, including old
friends like the brown pelican and the
yellow warbler, and new ones, like the
Galapagos dove and the famous blue-
footed booby. The birds and other
animals have little fear of humans, so
we were able to get remarkably close to
giant tortoises munching on plants, to
frigate birds displaying their red throat
pouches, and to swimming sea lion pups
that blew bubbles at us. We will always remember our encounters with these and
many other amazing animals and hope
that you someday have the chance to
experience the amazing Galapagos
Islands for yourselves.
April 2010 � Volume 27, No. 3
Costa Rica, a Naturalist’s
Paradise
April Program at Urbana Free Library
Auditorium
Thursday, April 1, 7 pm
Presented by
Marilyn Campbell Educator & Naturalist editor, Illinois Audubon
Magazine & former Executive Director of Illinois
Audubon
The Meadowlark Messenger Page 2
Champaign County Audubon Society
P.O. Box 882, Urbana, IL 61803
217-367-6766
www.champaigncountyaudubon.org
Officers Co-Presidents: Cleo D’Arcy, 344-3639
Steve D’Arcy, 344-3639
Vice President: Beth Chato, 344-6803
Secretary: John Dunkelberger
344-4973, [email protected]
Co-Treasurers: Caroline Mallory & Darin
Eastburn 344-2297
Committee Chairs
Conservation: Helen Parker, 367-3130
Education: Stacey Clementz, 896-2455,
Field Trip: Elaine Regehr, 367-5787
Finance: Astrid Berkson
356-4647, [email protected]
Habitat: Robert Vaiden, 344-9042
Membership: Janet Jokela, 352-3632
John Chato, 344-6803
Nature Shop: Beth Chato, 344-6803
Program: Dorothy Neumann, 344-1427
Publications: James Nardi, 333-6590
Publicity: Colleen Brodie
352-0805, [email protected]
Members at Large 2010-11 Beez Gordon, 355-3402
Brian Threlkeld, 384-5164
Pam Leiter, 344-6507,
Members at Large 2009-10
Charlene Anchor, 359-8214,
Ansel Anderson,356-2433
Caroline Mallory & Darin
Eastburn 344-2297
Newsletter Coordinator: Ruth Walker,
328-1530
Phone Coordinator: Kyra Shair, 356-1265
Webmaster: Pam Leiter, 344-6507,
BirdNotes Listserve Manager: Dan Olson, 586-4389, [email protected] Champaign County Audubon publishes The Meadowlark Messenger nine times per year. Comments regarding the newsletter or articles for submission are welcome by the Co-Presidents.
As of the time of this writing the cooler temperatures have kept some of our winter
birds in the area and delayed many of the spring migrants. Here are some of the birds
seen in the past few weeks at various locations around the area. Busey Woods: Pine
Warbler, Phoebes, Brown Creepers, Hermit Thrushes, Yellow-rumped Warblers,
Juncos, Fox Sparrows, Purple Finches, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Black-capped
Chickadee. UIUC Swine ponds: Mockingbird, Le Conte's Sparrow, Loggerhead
Shrike,Western Meadowlark, Wilson's Snipe, Ring-billed Gull. Meadowbrook:
Louisiana Waterthrush, Broad-winged Hawk, Wood Duck, Peregrine Falcon,
American Woodcock, Wilson's Snipe, Golden- and Ruby-Crowned Kinglets,
Northern Flicker, Tree Swallow, Winter Wren, Brown Thrasher, Blue-gray
Gnatcatcher, Red-winged Blackbird, Mallards, White-throated Sparrow. Riverbend:
Common Loons, Osprey. Curtis Road wetlands: Smith's Longspurs. Heron Pond:
Great Blue Heron, Pileated Woodpecker, Sora, Great Egret, Gadwall, Bald Eagle,
Bufflehead, Green-winged Teal, Northern Shoveler, White Pelicans, Wood Duck,
Black Duck, Double-crested Cormorant, Tree Swallows, Pie-billed Grebe, Common
Loon, American Coot, Swamp Sparrow, Red-headed Woodpecker. Backyard birds:
Red-breasted Nuthatch, Downy Woodpecker, Carolina Wren, Junco, Gold Finch,
House Finch, Chipping Sparrow, Phoebe, Carolina Wren, Northern Flicker, Red-
Bellied Woodpecker, Brown Thrasher, Eastern Towhee, Brown Creeper. In the
general area: Peregrine Falcon, Turkey Vulture, Chimney Swifts (first seen April
17).
FIELD NOTES: February and March 2010 Darin Eastburn
Recent Bird Sightings
Signs of spring started to creep into the area this past month, including some early
migrants. American Woodcocks have been seen (or heard) at several locations in the
area, and Bluebirds are becoming a more common sight. In addition to sightings of a
couple of Woodcocks, the first few Sunday bird walks at Busey Woods/Crystal Lake
Park yielded some interesting birds including a Red-shouldered Hawk, a Cooper's
Hawk, Ring-billed Gulls, Killdeer, Turkey Vultures, Blue Jay, Black-capped Chickadee,
Downy Woodpecker, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Eastern Bluebird, American Goldfinch,
Carolina Wren, White-breasted Nuthatch, and American Crow. Birders at
Meadowbrook Park have reported seeing Woodcocks, Screech Owls, Eastern Bluebirds,
a Vesper Sparrow, Carolina Chickadees, Eastern Towhees, Eastern Phoebe, Savannah
Sparrows, Chipping Sparrows, Red-headed Woodpecker, Belted Kingfisher, and Great
Blue Herons. Male Red-winged Blackbirds are also back on territory watch, epaulets
ablaze. An impressive variety of waterfowl have been observed at Weaver Marsh,
Homer Lake, and Heron Pond. These include the Lesser Scaup, Wood Ducks, Canada
Geese, Mallard Ducks, Ring-necked Ducks, Buffleheads, Mute Swans, Canada Geese,
and Cackling Geese. Apparently, some Red-tailed Hawks and Great Blue Herons were
having a dispute over nesting sites at Heron Pond. Osprey and Bald Eagles were also
observed there as well.
One lucky birder had a very good day at Clinton Lake recently, sighting over 50 bird
species. Some of those reported included: Pied-billed Grebe, American White Pelicans,
Wood Duck, Mallard, Gadwall, Green-winged Teal, Northern Pintail, Northern
Shoveler, Redhead, Ring-necked Duck, Bufflehead, Common Merganser, Northern
Harrier, American Kestrel, American Coot, Ring-billed Gull, Herring Gull, Barred Owl,
Tree Swallow, American Tree Sparrow, Fox Sparrow, Song Sparrow, and Eastern
Meadowlark. Two weeks earlier someone else observed many of these same species
plus a few others including: Great Horned and Screech Owls, White-fronted Geese,
Red-breasted Mergansers, Hooded Merganser, Black Duck, Canvasback, Lesser Scaup,
Greater Scaup, Common Goldeneye, and Widgeon.
Other birds seen recently in our local area include: Rough-legged Hawks, Turkey
Vultures, Killdeer, Rusty Blackbirds, Pine Siskins, Eastern Phoebe, House Finches,
Downy Woodpeckers, and Juncos. A few people have been fortunate enough to spot
Sandhill Cranes flying overhead.
Audubon Nature Shop Spring birds are returning! Get ready with new binoculars, and/or a new field guide. We
have a wide variety to meet your tastes. Also CDS or DVDs to help learn those songs.
The Meadowlark Messenger Page 3
Membership Corner Janet Jokela, Membership Chair We would like to extend a warm welcome to our new and renewing CCAS Friends, and new members: Ansel
Anderson, Richard Bishop, Richard Bronson, Steve Buck, Sarah Cleeton, Sandy Cox, Joseph Dicheau, Maggie
Flowers, Joan Gary, Nancy Hanks-Sutton, Paul Heath, Susan Hesketh, Jaquetta Hill, John Hilty, Jennifer Hines, Joyce
Hofmann, Cyril Jacquot, Julia Kellman & Phil Miller, Sue & Ron Kidoo, Ester Launderville, Pam Leiter, Faye Lesht,
Germaine Light, Kay Lindsay, Ann Lowry, Frank Medlen, Walter & Jane Myers, Kenneth Rauckman, Edward &
Nancy Schneider, Larry Silkwood, Michael Stiff, Eva Sweeney, Clyde Sweet, Patricia Vilchis, Sandra Volk, Ruth
Walker, and Brittany Way. Thank you for your support. We look forward to seeing you at CCAS events.
Conservation Corner Helen Parker, Conservation Chair SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE
Agriculture is our one truly essential industry--without food, we die, and the amount we can obtain from
hunting and gathering will not support even a small fraction of the world's population. Here in central Illinois, we are
surrounded by farm fields, and only those who think that food grows in the supermarket are unaware of the importance
of agriculture. However, the factory-style farms of conventional agriculture are essentially mining the soil--and the
high yields we are accustomed to can only be maintained with large inputs of nitrogen and phosphorus. What if there
were another way?
The recent Audubon Council meeting (March 13) was held at a place called "Prairie Crossing", where,
among other things, people are practicing, and teaching a more sustainable agriculture. Prairie Crossing is located in
Lake County--an area that is almost quintessential suburbia--yet the county actually still has 27,000 acres of farmland.
The Prairie Crossing farm operation is relatively small scale; emphasis is on vegetables and fruits and chickens and
similar small livestock in an "organic" setting. We were shown the huge plastic hoop structures in which vegetables
can be started for transplant, giving plants a head start on the growing season. Composting is a way of life. Raised
beds and crop rotation are utilized. Local people wishing to get started in this sort of farming can begin by renting
space. Crop yields are quite high--the notion that organic farming gives lower yields than "conventional" is false.
Exactly how this sort of farming could be scaled up to the 1000-acre farms that we have around here is not at all clear
to me, but more information on the Prairie crossing operation can be found on their web site www.prairiecrossing.com
with links from there to a couple of other sites. It is a very interesting experiment in living with the land.
ANOTHER VICTORY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT
While the Winter Olympic games in Vancouver provided athletes from all over the world the opportunity
to go for the gold, Glacier National Park won a victory too during an Olympic signing ceremony all its own.
On February 18, 2010, Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer and British Columbia Premier Gordon
Campbell signed a historic agreement in Vancouver, British Columbia, that promises to protect the Trans-boundary
Flathead River Valley from all types of mining and oil and gas extraction--forever!
This is great news for Glacier National Park because the wild, unsettled Canadian Flathead Valley is just
upstream from Glacier and provides critical habitat for Glacier's wildlife--including grizzly bears, wolverines, elk, and
mountain goat.
The Meadowlark Messenger Page 4
FIELD TRIPS
Elaine Regehr, Field Trip Chair
SUNDAY MORNING BIRDWALKS Sundays, March 7 – May 30, 7:30 – 9 AM. Sunday Morning Bird Walks. Join Champaign County Audubon
Society leaders on their weekly search for birds in Busey Woods and Crystal Lake Park. Meet at the Anita Purves
Nature Center parking lot.
Saturday, April 3. Heron Park in Vermilion County. Bob Schifo, a resident of Vermilion County who
frequents that area, will lead. Meet at the Anita Purves Nature Center at 7:30 AM or join us at the park. There is a
boardwalk out over the water and a group of nesting Great Blue Herons across the road to the north. Among birds seen
in the area recently are Osprey, Bald Eagles, Tree Swallows and Swamp Sparrow.
Saturday, April 24. Sangamon River Forest Preserve. This area is the newest forest preserve for
Champaign County. Beth Chato will lead. Meet at the nature center at 7:30 AM.
Coming up in May
WEDNESDAY MORNING BIRDWALKS AT MEADOWBROOK PARK On Wednesdays in May, we'll have Mornings at Meadowbrook. We'll meet at 7:00 AM at the Race St. parking lot
(south of Windsor Road) to look for birds at Meadowbrook Park, winding up at about 9:00 AM
The Meadowlark Messenger Page 5
Join Audubon. Yes, I'd like to join! Please enroll me as a member
Membership for 2010 new renewal Friend of Champaign County Audubon Society $15.00 _______
(includes CCAS newsletter only) Friend of CCAS and National Audubon Society $35.00 _______
(includes “Audubon” magazine & CCAS newsletter) My check for $__________ is enclosed, made payable to Champaign County Audubon
Society (CCAS). Your information and NAS contribution will be forwarded to National.
Name: _____________________________________________________
Address: ___________________________________________________ C0ZG500Z
City: ________________________ State: _______ Zip: ____________ 7XCH
(Please provide 9-digit zip code) Send this application and your check to:
Champaign Co. Audubon Society, Membership Chair, P.O. Box 882, Urbana, IL 61803-0882. Thank you!
-
CCAS Member Activities
& Benefits: 14 Audubon Adventures
Classrooms
Mini-grants to educators
Kendeigh grants for
scientific studies
Great Backyard Bird Count
Youth Bird Count Day
Nature Shop at the Nature
Center
Meadowbrook prairie
restoration
Field trips, Annual Bird
Counts
Annual Birdathons
Monthly member meetings
Meadowlark Messenger
Advocate for conservation
Education Corner
Stacey Clementz, Education Chair ([email protected])
Congratulations Mini-Grant Recipients!
Congratulations to Melissa Kearns of Urbana Middle School, Penny Evans and Stephanie Ellison of Prince of
Peace Community Early Learning Center, Melinda Lundberg of Yankee Ridge Elementary and Marylyn Pirtle of
St. Joseph Grade School, our 2010 mini-grant recipients. It is always a privilege to support environmental
education projects in this county. Thanks again to all educators who applied for funds.
Wood engraving by Thomas Bewick from A History of British Birds (1797)
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES Bob Vaiden
Help rebuild our shattered environment! Join other volunteers and the Urbana Park District for Stewardship
Saturdays. Help collect seeds and remove invasive weeds, improve trails and restore the native landscape.
Stewardship work days:
April 10th: Busey Woods 9 -11 am. Meet at Anita Purves Nature Center
Weaver Park 1 – 3 pm. Pull off Main Street at Smith Road (contact 384-4062).
April 24th: Meadowbrook 9 -11 am. Meet at Race street parking lot.
Webber Park 1 – 3 pm. Meet at Dog Park parking lot on Perkins Road.
Please dress accordingly; tools, gloves, snacks are provided!
Calendar of Events, April 2010 Thursday April 1, 7 PM. General meeting at Urbana Free Library Auditorium. Marilyn Campbell, editor of
Illinois Audubon Magazine, will present a program entitled “Costa Rica, a Naturalist’s Paradise”.
Sundays March 7 – May 30, 7:30 – 9 AM. Sunday Morning Bird Walks. Join Champaign County
Audubon Society leaders on their weekly search for birds in Busey Woods and Crystal Lake Park.
Meet at the Anita Purves Nature Center parking lot.
Saturday April 3, 7:30 AM. Heron Park in Vermilion County. Bob Schifo, a resident of Vermilion County
who frequents this area, will lead. Meet at the Anita Purves Nature Center at 7:30 AM or join us at
the park. There is a boardwalk out over the water and a group of nesting Great Blue Herons across
the road to the north.
Thursday April 15, 7:15 PM. Champaign County Audubon Society Board Meeting at Anita Purves Nature
Center.
Saturday April 24, 7:30 AM. Sangamon River Forest Preserve. This area is the newest forest preserve
for Champaign County. Beth Chato will lead. Meet at the nature center at 7:30 AM.
The Meadowlark
Messenger April 2010 ���� Volume 27, No. 3
Champaign County Audubon Society P.O. Box 882 Urbana, Illinois 61803-0882 (217) 367-6766 Return service requested
Non-profit Org. U.S. Postage
PAID Urbana, Illinois Permit No. 58
