EARTHSTAR NEWSLETTER OF THE MACOMB AUDUBON SOCIETY

http://www.macombaudubon.org Volume 42 number 2, March, April 2016

Programs

March 7, 2016, 7:00pm – Jeremy and Holly Joswick:

“Bird Identification Challenge”

What species of sandpiper is pictured? Can you distin-

guish between a pine warbler song and a chipping spar-

row song? Who made this nest?

Find out how much you know about birds as club mem-

bers Jeremy and Holly Joswick test your visual and audi-

tory knowledge of bird identification in a fun “Jeopardy”

style team challenge. The group will be divided into

two or more teams of equal strength as each is pitted

against the other. Who will be the victorious team?

April 4, 2016, 7:00pm – Don Burlett: “Birding Attu Is-

land, Alaska”

One of the most sought after, remote birding locations

is the US is Attu Island, Alaska; a small island in the Ber-

ing Strait. Don Burlett will inspire us with photos of na-

tive birds and rarities found on the island and tell us a

bit about the natural and cultural history of the island.

Don Burlett is the President of the Oakland Audubon

Club and we are glad to welcome him back to Macomb

Audubon for this presentation.

Passing of the Presidents Gavel from

Colleen Traylor to Randy Baker

Macomb Audubon Society

The Macomb Audubon Society is a

chapter of the Michigan Audubon

society. Meetings are normally

held the first Monday of each

month at 7:00 p.m. at the Sterling

Heights Senior Center located on

the N.E .side of Utica Rd. east of

Van Dyke and South of 18 mile Rd.

Events of the Society are open to

the public.

The mission of the Macomb Audu-

bon Society is to:

.Promote interest in the world of

nature and to aid in the conserva-

tion of natural resources.

Provide an outlet for nature activi-

ties via field trips.

Provide an opportunity for the

exchange of knowledge and expe-

rience through lectures, films, dis-

cussions and newsletters.

Aid organizations that provide

people of all ages with opportuni-

ties to experience these above

given objectives. People can sup-

port our efforts by becoming

members. To become a member,

complete the form on the inside

back cover. Members receive this

newsletter, the Earthstar.

Earthstar Deadline

We appreciate relevant

information or articles of

interest to the Macomb

Audubon membership for

review for publicaton in the

Earthstar. If you have material

that you wish to submit,

please send it by the 12th

of the

preceding month to:

Bill Clark 53253 North Ave

Macomb MI 48042.

Email: wtclark1@comcast.net

Earthstar is published

bimonthly.by the Macomb

Audubon Society, a non-profit

educational organization.

Hey everybody - how you doin’

Nov. 15th. 7:30 am: Well here it tis, my last column as

your Pres. Written to all you beautiful Earth sisters and

brothers, otherwise known as the Macomb Audubon

Society, from the bottom of my heart. Thought I’d

never get this out. 3 days late thanks to my old dino-

saur (computer) not wanting to cooperate for over a week. Time for a new

one? My mid-twenties crew sure thinks so. Okay-okay, I’ll get on it guys.

So. I woke up to the usual POW-POW-POW of opening day of deer season. Live

right across the street from Holly State Game Area so of course it’s a given.

That’ll get your ass out of bed in a hurry. GOOD-MORNING!

Going to start counting my backyard birds on this super fine mid autumn day for

Project Feeder Watch and Michigan Audubon/Kalamazoo Nature Center. As I’ve

told you before its fun and you watch the bird’s anyway so, win-win, yes? Get

signed up and be a citizen scientist. Give a helping hand people. Yeah, yeah,

you’ve heard this lecture every Nov. from me for the last 7 ½ years so I won’t go

on. JUST DO IT! Hmmmmmm, sounds like a commercial from the past doesn’t

it.

(As I sit here writing this I have been up and down watering my succulents that

have to be brought in for the winter and marveling at the little spiders that

came in with them. Cool!)

Any who, I want you to know how much I’ve enjoyed my years as your Presi-

dent. I have definitely had fun with it but now I’m done with it, it’s time for

someone new. (I thank Mom for getting me involved with this motley crew eve-

ry day) We can all thank Randy Baker for stepping up and taking over. We

know he’ll do a great job; he has no choice now does he. So Randy, you just

got hammered. (Or this job might cause you to.) Cough, cough, excuse me. I

meant to say you get the big hammer so use it wisely. Good grief! Time to

move on before I get into trouble.

We’re not here for a long time we’re here for a good time. And believe me, I

certainly had one. Now I get to sit back with the rest of you and enjoy the show.

Hey, will you look at that. A Red-bellied and Hairy woodpecker bickering over

the suet. Gotta go. Time to start counting. Whoopeeeeee!!!

Love you all and thank you so much for your support and kind words over the

years. See you at the Christmas potluck!

Peace, Colleen

P.S. We need to bring back name tags. Randy and Holly’s first assignment?

January 2m 2016

Over two dozen of us got our 2016 bird lists off to a good start at Baypoint Beach at Stony today. With the lake still open

(for a few more days anyway) we saw an uncommon (for January) number of dabbling ducks, including Black Ducks, Am.

Wigeon, Gadwall and Blue-winged Teal. Divers included Bufflehead, Canvasback, Redheads, Ring-necked Ducks, Lesser

Scaup, Goldeneye, Hooded & Common Mergansers. Large waterfowl included Cackling Geese, Trumpeter Swans, and 3-

4 small flocks of Tundra Swans. Two adult Bald Eagles kept things lively on the lake. Eastern Bluebirds were a welcome

sight. With the help of mounts of American Coot, Redhead, Canvasback, and Black Duck, we discussed anatomical differ-

ences in dabblers, shallow divers, and deep diving sea ducks, as well as the vascular systems in their legs and feet, oil

glands, etc.

Thanks to everyone who came out to initiate a new year of birding, those who brought scopes to share, and all of you

that have been giving me well wishes on my recovery.

Good Birding!

Ruth Glass

Stony Creek Nature Center Volunteer

2015 CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT RESULTS

Macomb Audubon Society's participation in the 116th Annual Christmas Bird Count was held on

December 19, 2015 with 36 people in the field and another 4 at feeders.

The weather was just a little warmer than last year. The temperature ranged from 24 to 32 de-

grees with no rain or snow, but there was a strong wind most of the day. We set new records

with 77 species and 22,036 individual birds. That tops the 72 species in 1999 and 20,897 indi-

vidual birds in 2001. Northern Saw-Whet Owl was seen on the Count for the first time. New high

counts were set for six species: 14 for Canvasback, 609 for Redhead, 5 for Lesser Scaup, 16 for

Sandhill Crane, 12,220 for European Starling and 2 for Eastern Towhee. A high count was tied

for four species: 3 for Ruddy Duck, 1 for Merlin, 2 for Barred Owl and 1 for Fox Sparrow. A low

count was recorded for Mourning Dove with only 258.

The complete results can be found on our Macomb Audubon Website or the National Audubon

website: http://birds.audubon.org/christmas-bird-count. Go to Results, Data & Research, con-

tinue to Results: Current & Historical. Next choose Current Year then Results by Count and enter

Western Macomb County, County Code MIWM. Click enter and click the circle under the # sign.

We would like to thank all of the citizen science participants for the time and effort you volunteer

each year to make this count a success. Thank you to the people who set up the room and hot

beverages, contributed soups, chili, snacks and desserts. We would also like Julie Champion,

Kim Sherwin and the rest of the staff at Stony Creek Nature Center to know how much we ap-

preciate them hosting the Tally. This year's count will be on Saturday, Dec. 17th. Please mark

your calendar now and plan to help out.

Thanks again,

Barb Baldinger, Compiler

Tom Heatley, Co-compiler

There is great news on two fronts!

1. First, the adult male eagle at Sony Creek has exhibited no signs of strange or ill behavior over the last ten days so we are assuming he was able to dislodge the fishing line wrapped around his tongue and beak without swal-lowing it, thank God. He is busy gathering grasses for the inner lining of the nest and engaging in other normal eagle activities associated with the early part of the nesting season.

2. Second, I was able to visit the bald eagle nest site in Chesterfield Township, where that pair is also carrying fine nest material to the nest. I watched one of the adults use its chest to push the material into a bowl shape, for the anticipated eggs. I have attached a map of important landmarks at the Chesterfield nest.

a. The red lines are the black cyclone fencing erected by the army around the manor. b. The blue star in the center by Pearl Drive is the location of the abandoned eagle nest, currently covered

in snow. c. The blue star at the bottom of the map on Forton Street, at the foot of Cotton, is the location of their

favorite ‘lookout’ tree for fishing and such (until boating traffic commences this spring). This large cot-tonwood tree sits over a small blue-gray home, the owners of which are ecstatic to be eagle hosts. This tree offers the best view of the eagles, when they are in it.

d. The blue ARROW offers the only line of sight of the nest I was able to locate after much searching. It is an obscured view requiring either a spotting scope or high powered binoculars. The nest is in the southwest side of a large hardwood only 30’-50’ from the cyclone fence border. Because of the traffic hazard, I recommend parking at the school on Sugarbush and walking south to line yourself up with the southwestern-most street. Look all the way down that street, in the big hardwood tree on the left. Visi-bility will be impossible by May.

See you in or around the park! (where I finally have some Purple Finches showing up!)

Ruth Glass

Stony Creek Nature Center Volunteer

Meetings are held the first Monday of most

months at 7:00 PM at the Sterling Heights

Senior Center located on the NE side of Utica

Rd, east of Van Dyke and North Of 18 Mile

Rd.

Thank You to the following members who brought

snacks to the meeting for January: Alice Forton,

Bill Clark. Micki smith, Beverlee Babcock

Donations-

Contributor Level: Patrick & Carolyn Harrington,

Wild Birds Unlimited-Rosann Kovalcik, Ward

Randol, Lori Schutz, Tammy Hooton, Carolyn &

Richard Mikula, John Bieganowski, Terri Udvare,

Shirley Bergman, Ramona & Thomas Van Tol, Ann

Perini, Barbara Walsh.

Donor Level: Colleen Traylor

Frank Lautner Memorials: Frank & Marilyn Dennis,

Paul Mazur, Douglas & Kristen Robinson, Caruso

Family-Dolores, Barry, Jodie & Bonnie, Chuck Bald,

Denis & Laura Barbour. Thank you for your contri-

butions in memory of Frank He would be happy

you chose to honor his memory with a donation to

the Macomb Audubon Society.

We’re Proud Supporters of Macomb Audubon Society

Lake St. Clair Nature Center Board Members & committee Chairs Sterling Heights Nature Center, President Randy Baker (810) 441-2759 Seven Ponds Nature Center, 1st VP (Programs) Holly Vaughn Joswick Stony Creek Nature Center, 2nd VP (Member Ship) Beverlee Babcock (586 ) 263-7666 Burgess Shadbush Nature Center, 3rd VP (Field Trips) Colleen Traylor & Charles Smart Wild Life Recovery Association, Recording Secretary Laura Barbour (248) 853-5465 Michigan Nature Association, Corresponding Secretary Micki Smith (586) 791-9623 Six Rivers Regional Land Conservancy. Treasurer Cheryl McKeever (586) 254-2789 Michigan Audubon RRBO ______________________________ Committees Car Pool Coordinator Vacant For the best bird seed Christmas Bird Count Barb Baldinger (586) 263-6530 At the best prices Environmental & Conservation Vacant Uncle Luke’s feed store Historian Michael Mroz (586) 596-2776 6691 Livernois Hospitality (Refreshments) Betty Ebert & Alice Forton Troy Michigan Hospitality (Door Prizes) Denis & Laura Barbour _______________ Earthstar Newsletter Editor Bill Clark--------- (586) 749-5523 To contact the Macomb Audubon Michigan Audubon Rep. Ray Lalonde Society by e-mail the address is Members-at-Large (2 positions) Vacant macombaudubon@gmail.com Newsletter Production, Mailing Denis & Laura Barbour To join the Macomb Audubon Seven Ponds Representative Paul Messing Mailing list please send an e-mail Web Editor Paul Messing To: macombaudubon-subscribe@ Volunteer Coordinator Vacant Yahoogroups.com Macomb Audubon Society Dues Please make checks payable to Macomb Audubon Society and send to: Beverlee Babcock Macomb Audubon Membership 50229 Pepper Tree Dr. Macomb Mi, 48044. Your name and the names of family members (Please Print) Family membership applies to family members living at the same address______________________________________________________________________________ Address_________________________________City_______________________________________ State_____________ZIP_____________Phone_____________________________ New Member_______Renewal______ Check One _______Family Membership $20.00 Total Amount enclosed $________ ______Individual Membership $15.00 Amount of donation over membership $_____(optional) _____Student Membership $10.00 Contributor----up to $49.99 ____Senior single Membership $12.00 Supporter------$50 to $99.99 ______Senior couple Membership $15.00 Donor-----------$100 and over (senior is over 60) Each year Macomb Audubon makes a membership list available to members. Check here if you wish to have your telephone number left off the list _____ Email Address_________________________________________________________(optional) Check here to receive the Earthstar by Email only_____ Check here if a Michigan Audubon member_____ Check here if a National Audubon member _____ I (we) are interested in becoming a Macomb Audubon volunteer. Please contact me____