march-april 2008 signal smoke newsletter travis audubon society

8/9/2019 March-April 2008 Signal Smoke Newsletter Travis Audubon Society

1/16


2/16

2 SI GNA L SM OKE / March/April 2008 TRA VIS AUD UBO N SOC IET Y

Subscription InformationSignal Smoke (ISSN 1931-9282), was pub-lished 11 times yearly through Volume 56,

No.4, and beginning with Volume 56, No.5,is published 6 times yearly. Subscription isa TAS membership benefit. To join, use theform on the back page of this issue or goto www.travisaudubon.org for an on-lineform. For address or subscription changes,

please call 512.300.BIRD (2473) or e-mailinfo(at)travisaudubon.org. The USPS does notforward Signal Smoke. Copyright 8 2008. No

part of this publication may be reproduced

Newsletter DeadlineThe submissions deadline is the first day of themonth preceding the first month of publication(for example, June 1 for the July/August issue).Submit uncopyrighted articles, announcements,and art to Tess Sherman, tsherman1(at)austin.rr.com; or mail to 210 E. Walnut Dr., Austin,TX 78753. Submissions by email or on a CDare preferred but not required. Call Tess at 300-BIRD if you have questions.

TAS Rare Bird Alert Eric Carpenter 300-2473select option #3

Advocacy Jeff Mundy 334-4300

Bird Records Lawrence Buford 452-6344Ethel Kutac 346-7659 Habitat Conservation Valarie Bristol 300-BIRD Education Byron Stone 970-5154

Field Trips Laurie Foss 300-BIRD Hornsby Bend John Kelly 331-8693

Hospitality Susan Moak 925-4590Latin America Bob Warneke 300-BIRD

Programs Ann Gardner 306-0737 Property and Finance Pat Dillon 663-4448 Publications Tess Sherman 300-2473 Sanctuary Chair Terri Siegenthaler 263-2237 Society Historian John Kelly 331-8693 Urban Habitat Jane Tillman 794-0058

COMMITTEE AND SUBCOMMITTEE CHAIRS

ABOUT SIGNAL SMOKE

Mission StatementThe Travis Audubon Society promotes the enjoyment, understanding,

and preservation of birds, other wildlife, and their habitats in Central Texas.

From the TAS President

Travis Audubon Society

General AddressP.O. Box 40787, Austin TX 78704

Address for DonationsP.O. Box 40787, Austin TX 78704

Phone numbers listed below withoutan area code are local numbers in the

512 area.

OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS2007-08

PresidentMarsha May 300-BIRD

Vice PresidentValarie Bristol 300-BIRD

TreasurerVacant 300-BIRD

SecretaryVacant 300-BIRD

DirectorsAnne Donovan

Sam FasonGray JolinkKelly LoganChris MaseyJeff MundyMichael PortmanBill ReinerTerri Siegenthaler

Exective DirectorNancy Manning 300-BIRD

Office AdministratorDiana Digges 300-BIRD

BAKER SANCTUARY STEWARD

John Wilcox 219-8425

CHAETURA CANYON SANCTAURYSTEWARDS

Georgean & Paul Kyle 266-3861

ACT REPRESENTATIVESJohn Kelly (state president) 331-8693Bryan Hale (state treasurer) 474-5599

SIGNAL SMOKE EDITORTess Sherman 300-BIRD

TAS TELEPHONE

The office number is 512-300-BIRD(2473). To leave a message for Board

President Marsha May, press 1. To reportsightings of rare or unusual birds in Cen-tral Texas, press 3. To ask a bird-related

question, press 4.

TAS WEB SITEwww.travisaudubon.org

TAS EMAILinfo(at)travisaudubon.org

Signal Smoke (ISSN 1931-9282)

Signal Smoke is printedon recycled paper

without permission in writing from TravisAudubon Society.

Dear members, the Travis Audubon Society has adopted the followingpolicy on recreational access in the Balcones Canyonlands Preserve:Travis Audubon Society, partner in the Balcones Canyonlands ConservationPlan (BCCP), and owner of 680 acres in the Balcones Canyonlands Preserve

(BCP), supports the limited access to the BCP lands as described in the original

management plan agreed to by all partners.The current drive by recreational

users for more widespread and unsupervised access must be carefully weighed

against the harm. Preserve lands should not be opened to additional use unless

scientific study clearly demonstrates that no endangered species will be

affected. The habitat in Travis County has been greatly reduced by development

and the remaining preserves are a bare minimum to protect eight endangered

species and twenty-seven species that are at risk.

Our community promised to preserve 30,428 acres, and it currently has only

27,000 acres in the BCP. Until the preserves are complete, any damage to

current preserves would require additional land to mitigate for harm to thespecies caused by recreational use. After the BCP is complete, great care must

be taken to keep the habitat viable. The loss of habitat in Travis County will

always make protection of the species a great challenge.

continued on page 5


3/16

TR AVI S AUD UBO N SOC IE TY SI GNA L SM OKE / March/April 2008

Ecological Literacy Volunteer Day

March 29, 2008 & April 26, 2008

9am 1pm at Hornsby Bend Center for Environmental Research

Help maintain Hornsby Bend Trails! Did you know that all the

Hornsby Bend Trails were built and are maintained by volunteers?

If you enjoy birding or walking along the Colorado River here,

please join us in keeping the trails open to the public.

We do three hours work and one hour of learning about the

ecology of the Colorado River and Hornsby Bend - Wear work

clothes and work shoes, bring water if warm weather and

binoculars if interested in birds. PIZZA WILL BE SERVED!!!!

The spring season is fast approaching. For many Austin areabirdwatchers, this is their favorite time of year, when thevariety and numbers of birds are highest. Indeed, if I had to

limit my bird watching to just two months per year, I would try

to get out as much as I could from March 15th until May 15th.

Countless migrating birds move thru central Texas during this

period, and it is also when most of our summer residents return.

It would be no surprise to many that know me that I would be

spending a considerable amount of time during the spring at

Hornsby Bend Biosolids Management Plant. Hornsby Bend

boasts a bird list that exceeds 350 species, with many of those tobe expected or looked for during spring migration. The sludge

flats on Pond 1West serve as perhaps the best and most accessible

shorebird habitat in central Texas, with as many as twenty-five

different kinds of shorebirds, and thousands of individuals,

visiting on their way north. Birds on Pond 1W can vary not just

from week to week, but daily, and even sometimes hourly.

But birding at Hornsby during the spring is much more than a

visit to the ponds. Trails along the Colorado River extend from

the southeast corner of Pond 2 and travel upstream some three

miles to Platt Lane. The trees along this riparian corridor are not

only great for migrating warblers and other passerines, but are

home to several nesting species, and can be thick with singing

Painted & Indigo Buntings. The trails offer several spots to peek

out over the river, and with some patience and some luck, one

might encounter a hunting Osprey or perhaps one of the Ringed

Kingfishers that is often present in the area.

With some work, a days list exceeding 100 species can be had

during the peek of migration towards the end of April and into

early May. At times when a passing storm or north wind has

forced migrating birds to put down in our area, there can be birds

almost everywhere. Under such favorable conditions, my best

one-day total at Hornsby was one day in late April 2006 when I

encountered 130 species. You can bird at Hornsby on your own,

though more fun can be had by joining other birders in either

the monthly survey on the 2nd Saturday of each month or on

the more casual monthly bird-walk on the 3rd Saturday of each

month. It is also important to note that Hornsby Bend is not a

public park but a working wastewater treatment facility owned

by the City of Austin. Volunteers maintain upkeep of the trails

and roads around the ponds, and you can help out by showing

up for the Ecological Literacy Day on the last Saturday of

every month. Information on all of these events and more about

Hornsby Bend can be found at www.hornsbybend.org.

Eric Carpenter

Austin Bastrop River Corridor PartnershipFebruary River Monitoring Trip [Saturday Feb 2, 2008]

Report from Claude Morris cgmorris(at)flash.net

Iknow I used this phrase in the last report but I will use it againhere. Slathering on sunscreen in 75 degree weather makes forexcellent kayaking. I like that word slather. Dont get to use it ve

often. Especially in the winter in the same sentence with sunscre

Not only was the weather beautiful, but the birding was as well. Wcollected sixty-four species and unexpected numbers of some of

those species. We quit counting Red-winged Blackbirds after ma

huge flock streamed over. Spotted Sandpipers and Killdeer were

very plentiful. Our highlight birds of the day include a mature Ba

Eagle that gave us several nice views and three Pileated Woodpe

ers.

Thanks go to Marilyn Kircus, Julia Balinsky, Andy Balinsky, Chr

Masey, Eric Carpenter and Alan Kugler. As a side note, Alan Ku-

gler is going to start doing bird surveys on the Colorado River fr

Bastrop to Smithville. These areas are very birdy and promise to

good surveys. If you wish to be on Alans mail list, contact him a

joallakug(at)hotmail.com.

Location: Austin Colony - Webberville

Observation date: 2/2/08

Number of species: 62

Wood Duck 8

Gadwall 6

Mallard 2

Green-winged Teal 2

American White Pelican 15

Double-crested Cormorant 32

Great Blue Heron 12

Great Egret 7Snowy Egret 6

Black Vulture 46

Turkey Vulture 48

Osprey 5

Bald Eagle 1

Red-shouldered Hawk 8

Red-tailed Hawk 14

Crested Caracara 12

American Kestrel 1

American Coot 34

Killdeer 62

Spotted Sandpiper 48

Greater Yellowlegs 8

Least Sandpiper 32

Wilsons Snipe 6

White-winged Dove 1

Mourning Dove 12

Belted Kingfisher 8

Red-bellied Woodpecker 24

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 1

Downy Woodpecker 3

Northern Flicker 2

Pileated Woodpecker 3

Eastern Phoebe 12

White-eyed Vireo 3

Blue Jay 4

American Crow 8

Cave Swallow 26

Carolina Chickadee 36

Tufted Titmouse 15

Carolina Wren 29House Wren 2

Ruby-crowned Kinglet 6

Eastern Bluebird 2

Hermit Thrush 1

Northern Mockingbird 1

European Starling 200

American Pipit 54

Cedar Waxwing 18

Yellow-rumped Warbler 62

Chipping Sparrow 5

Savannah Sparrow 22

Song Sparrow 2

Lincolns Sparrow 6

Swamp Sparrow 1

White-throated Sparrow 2

White-crowned Sparrow 2

Northern Cardinal 36

Red-winged Blackbird 1000

Eastern Meadowlark 8

Common Grackle 18

Great-tailed Grackle 200

Brown-headed Cowbird 200

American Goldfinch 8

Hornsby Bend News


4/16

4 SI GNA L SM OKE / March/April 2008 TR AVI S AUD UBO N SOC IE TY

NATURALISTSCALENDAR

by Bill Reiner

o by Robert Baumgardner

Birdathon, continued from front page

One of the problems with being a tree or any plant, for

that matter is a lack of mobility. With water and minerals

drawn from their roots, and energy from the sun, trees

can produce their own food through photosynthesis, but sexual

reproduction is another matter. How does a tree transport its pollento another trees flowers to fertilize them?

Many trees depend upon the wind, and March, our windiest

month, is a great time for spreading pollen. The risk of frost killing

delicate flowers is diminishing, and the air is usually quite dry,

too, so pollen grains dont stick together. Ashe Junipers get a jump

start by flowering in January, but several other central Texas trees

cast their pollen on the March winds. Among them are American

Elms, Pecans and other hickories, oaks, hackberries, willows,

cottonwoods, sycamores, ashes, and walnuts.

If it seems an unlikely thing for a grain of pollen to be blown

onto the tiny flower of a different tree of the same species...well,

it is. Thats why wind-pollinated plants produce so much pollen,

to increase the odds. Park your car for a few days under an oak

or Pecan in March to see just how much pollen the trees release:

youll come back to find it thinly coated with a yellow-green dust.

The placement of wind-pollinated flowers also improves their

chances for fertilization. The male and female reproductive parts

of most of these trees develop in separate flowers on the same tree.

For example, the staminate (pollen-bearing) flowers of walnuts

dangle from the previous-years twigs in long clusters called

catkins, where any breeze can shake loose the pollen. The pistillate

(seed-producing) walnut flowers grow at the ends of the current

years twigs, tucked singly or in small clusters among the newleaves. Separating the sexes this way helps to prevent a tree from

pollinating itself.

Cottonwoods and willows take the idea of sexual segregation a step

further. As with Ashe Juniper, the staminate and pistillate flowers

of these species grow on separate trees. These species are called

dioecious a term meaning two houses. (Trees like walnut,

having both staminate and pistillate flowers on the same tree are

monoecious.)

Wind-pollination works best when there is a high proportion

of trees of one species growing together a bottomland grove

of Pecans, for instance. That way more Pecan pollen will reach

Pecan flowers and not be lost by landing on a hackberry. Many

more trees are wind-pollinated in temperate forests, which

usually have few dominant species, than in tropical forests, wh

the nearest tree of the same species may be a mile or more awa

Wind pollination works well for trees in open habitats, such as

cottonwoods, sycamores, and willows beside lakes and rivers, o

Live Oaks and Post Oaks on savannas. It also works well for ta

trees of the forest canopy, whose upper branches are constantly

exposed to the wind. It doesnt work well in the wind-sheltered

interior of a forest, which is why understory trees and shrubs su

as viburnums, hollies, buckeyes, and Eastern Redbuds depend

upon alternative means of cross-pollination.

If spewing pollen willy-nilly on the breeze seems a waste,

consider these alternatives. For the vast majority of flowering

plants the only other option is to persuade some mobile creatur

to carry the pollen for them. Insects are the most numerous,

and thus most likely, candidates. Insects are not known for

their altruistic motives; they must usually be bribed. Kickbacks

come in the form of nectar, but producing nectar consumes a

lot of a plants energy and material resources. Then theres all

the marketing that goes with the project: attracting the insect

with sweet or foul smells, and directing it with brightly-colored

flowers.

Wind-pollinated plants avoid this hassle, instead investing

their resources in larger quantities of smaller, buoyant pollen.

Since the wind isnt swayed by bright colors or strong smells,

the flowers of these plants are usually inconspicuous and have

little odor. You probably wont notice a hackberrys flowers, fo

instance, unless you specifically look for them. The flowers of

wind-pollinated trees arent showy like a Redbuds, but they ge

the job done. If you doubt it, take an inventory of all the trees

around you.

Reprinted from Spring 2002

4. Challenge teams from other conservation organizations, such a

Sierra Club, Save our Springs, Save Barton Springs, etc.

5. Teams among TAS committees, such as Latin America

Committee, Field trip committee, etc.

6. Anyone who ever taught a TAS birding class, how about getting

your students together for their 1st Birdathon?

7. Celebrity birding teams do you know a famous person who

might lend his/her name to help raise funds?

8. Multi-day trips, such as High Island for migrants, Hill Country

GCWs, Rockport.

Scout teams or Homeschoolers

Choose a team theme such as conservation, education e

BIRDATHON HEADQUARTERS will be at Zilker Park. Join us

from 6:00-9:00 am for coffee and breakfast snacks and at 11:00-2

pm for Lunch. Please check travisaudubon.org for upcoming majo

announcements or call the TAS office at 300-BIRD after March 1

for details on your participation.

Nancy Mann


5/16

TRA VIS AUD UB ON SOC IE TY SIG NAL SM OKE / March/April 2008

[24778-v1-0115]IM367-0408

SUCCESS DEPENDSON THE RIGHT CHOICES.Helping you make the right choices is whatour financial consultants do best.

Michael Portman

Financial Consultant

Vice President-Investments

301 Congress Avenue, Suite 100Austin, TX 78701

(512) 472-6852

[email protected]

A.G. Edwards is a division of Wachovia Securities, LLC. Member SIPC.

THE

DAN CALLAWAYR E P O R TDan Callaway,

photo by Robert Baumgardner

Participants: Ethel Kutac, Terry Banks, Dave Seal,

Homer Rushing, Catfish Kelly and Dan Callaway

From Austin we headed West on Hwy 290 throughDripping Springs. At the Hays/Blanco County Line,we turned right on Ranch Road 3232. At the dead end we

turned right, then immediately left and into the park. The

headquarters has a water feature outside the office picture

window. A Rufous-crowned Sparrow made sure we all

had good looks. Twenty species of birds were recorded

at the bird blind in the hour we spent there watching in

the 35-degree weather. Northern Cardinals and House

Finches seemed to dominate. Sparrows were Chipping,

Vesper, Lincolns, Field, White-throated, White-crowned,and Spotted Towhee. Outside the blind, Dave found us a

Fox Sparrow. Going back on RR 3232 we added Lark and

Savannah Sparrows. Other interesting birds in and near the

blind included Cedar Waxwings, Orange-crowned War-

bler, American Goldfinch, Ladder-backed Woodpecker,

and Western Scrub-Jay.

After a warm bowl of soup at Rileys BBQ in DrippingSprings, we headed back to Austin and continued East

through town on Hwy 71. Two miles East of the FM 973

intersect, we turned left into Southeast Travis County

Metro Park. A Green-tailed Towhee had been reported

near the hiking trailhead. Homer played his tape of the

bird and he appeared within seconds. We all got great

looks and this was a lifer for Terry. Then we had apple

pie furnished by Homer for his lifer last week, the Says

Phoebe. We finished the day by circling Hornsby Bend.

Here we added Swamp Sparrows to complete our 13-

sparrow day. Other good birds at the ponds were Eared

Grebes, Wilsons Snipe, two Bonapartes Gulls, Cave

Swallows, and American Pipits.

Total species: Sixty-three

Best bird: Green-tailed Towhee

Birding to Perdernales Falls State Park - 1/23/08

Travis Audubon is committed to working with mountain bikers,

runners and dog walkers to add recreational lands to the Cityand County park systems. However, the preserves must be

preserved.

Lets protect this important habitat for Golden-cheeked

Warblers and other rare species, and for the enjoyment of future

birders. This embodies the vision of Travis Audubon Society

inspiring conservation through birding!

Marsha May

From the President, continued from page 2

Business Members

Travis Audubon is delighted to

recognize its Business Members:

Capital Printing Co.

Jeff Baker Stanberry Realtors

Mundy & Singley, LLP

Powell, Ebert & Smolik, PC

To learn about the benefits of supporting Travis Audubon as

a Business Member, please go to www.travisaudubon.org and

click on Business Members, or contact Travis Audubon at

512.300.BIRD (2473).


6/16

6 SIG NAL SMO KE / March/April 2008 TRA VIS AUD UB ON SOC IE TY

TAS News and Notes

HELPING SAVE THE BLACK-CAPPED VIREOIn 2007, Travis Audubon Society again sponsored cowbird trapping

at the Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge. This was

in support of the endangered Black-capped Vireo, which has been

severely impacted by cowbird parasitism of its nests. In various

studies, as many as 90% of vireo nests were found to have been tak

over by cowbirds. At that level of parasitism, very few vireo chicks

have survived to fledging.

Karen Kilfeather trapped 368 cowbirds during the vireos

three-month nesting season, greatly helping to increase vireo

productivity. Since trapping began, the number of vireos nesting

in existing colonies has approximatly doubled. Vireos have now

spread to nearby areas where they were previously absent. Without

the support of Travis Audubon the vireos would undoubtedly find

themselves even closer to extinction.

Travis Audubon Society is Movin on Up!

Moving Sale

Travis Audubon Society is moving upstairs to bigger digs. Inpreparation for this exciting shift we are holding a moving

sale and offering items including Dr. Blairs duck decoys and

rare, out-of-print books. Have some tea and baked goods while

enjoying the musical stylings of Beth Asmussen and our very

own President, Marsha May. You can even enter a raffle to win

camping gear rental for four from REI, valued at over $300!

So bring your friends and family and come down to the AGE

Building at 3710 Cedar St. on March 15th from 9am to 4pm and

join the fun!

Annual Meeting & Board Member Election

Our annual business meeting will be held March 20,2008. At the meeting, current TAS members will voteon a slate of candidates for the Board of Directors. The new

term will begin on April 10, 2008.

The Nominating Committee was hoping to have the slate

of nominees available for publication in this issue ofSignal

Smoke, but that didnt happen. By the time you read this, theentire slate, along with brief biographical information will

be available on our website. The information will also be

available at the annual meeting. If you dont have internet

access and would like the information before the March

meeting, call Shelia Hargis at 291-1861.

Also, make sure your membership is current so you can vote

in this election and have a voice in the governance of Travis

Audubon Society.

Austin Butterfly ForumApril 28, 2008Book signing at 6:30 pm, lecture at 7 pm

Zilker Botanical Center

http://www.austinbutterflies.org

Speaker: David L. Wagner, Ph.D,

Discovering the World of Caterpillars

David Wagners recently published Caterpillars of Eastern

North America (Princeton University Press, 2005), is regarded

as one of the most comprehensive field guides ever published

on the caterpillars of both butterflies and moths. Since moth

caterpillars outnumber butterfly caterpillars ten to one, the

coverage of moths is invaluable. The book covers nearly 700species, with 400 full-page species accounts. Information

includes distribution, seasonal activity, food plants, life

history, and tips on raising and photographing caterpillars.

Austin Butterfly Forum members have been using this book

for a year and have found it extremely useful for the Austin

area. It gives amateurs a real chance of identifying most of

the caterpillars of moths and caterpillars in the Austin area.

The information on moth caterpillars is a unique resource for

amateurs.

David did graduate work at the University of California,

Berkeley and is currently Associate Professor of Ecologyand Evolutionary Biology at the University of Connecticut.

He is co-author of two United States Forest Service guides,

Caterpillars of Eastern Forests and Geometroid Caterpillars

of Northeastern and Appalachian Forests. Dr. Wagner is a

Backyard Biologist who has found over 1,000 species of

butterflies and moths in his own backyard. He says there are

many things yet to learn. Join us for an introduction to the

world of the caterpillar, part of the amazing biodiversity in

your own backyard.

Attention H-E-B shoppers.

During April, most H-E-B stores (and also Central

Markets) will be honoring

Earth Day by supporting

groups belonging to Earth

Share of Texas. When you

check out, look for tear-off

tabs at the checkout stands.

Just select a tab in for $1,

$3, or $5 and add it to your

purchase. Last year, H-

E-B ran an experimental

program that raised $25,000

for organizations belongingto Earth Share of Texas.

Almost $900 went to the four

Audubon chapters in Central

Texas, including Travis

Audubon Society. Last years

project was so successful that

its now being expanded to

other areas of the state. So please consider showing H-E-B that

Texans support the environment. Buy those tabs when you shop!John Kelly


7/16

TRA VIS AUD UB ON SOC IE TY SIG NAL SM OKE / March/April 2008

Balcones Songbird Festival 2008

Where can you find the biggest nature festival in Texas

(away from the coast and the Lower Rio Grande

Valley)? Look no further than right here in the Austin

area. Last year more than 500 people attended the Balcones

Songbird Festival at the Balcones Canyonlands National

Wildlife Refuge in western Travis County.

Folks came to the Festival from twenty states last year. Ofcourse, most attendees were local, which is really what we were

hoping for. We want to show Texans the wonders of nature

they can find near their homes. And by doing this we hope to

continue improving the way people view endangered species.

The Festivals big draw: tours into the habitats of Central Texas

two endangered songbirds, the Black-capped Vireo and the

Golden-cheeked Warbler. Last year everyone on the vireo tour

got to see from a discrete distance, of course vireos on the

nest. Everyone on the warbler tours got to see the target bird.

And at least two groups were lucky enough to stumble across

nesting warblers. Its safe to say that very few people have ever

seen both of these birds on the nest on the same day (no

guarantees for 2008, of course!).

The Festival also offers tours exploring the various habitats

of the Refuge. There will also be tours featuring, among other

things, wildflowers, native plants, butterflies, and geology.

On Sunday afternoon, April 27, therell be free activities

for the whole family. Tentative plans for this years Sunday

events include hawk flights, reptile displays, bird-banding

demonstrations, birdhouse building, and many other activities

for kids and adults.

The Festival runs from Friday to Monday, April 25 to

28. You can check the Festival website for more detailson activities and information on registration at www.

balconessongbirdfestival.org. Hope to see you there.

John Kelly

CELEBRATE!Wine & Star Shine! This event starts at the winery. A chance to share

in the joy of accomplishment for volunteers and participants alike.Z

Tejas Executive Chef, Jack Gilmore, will delight you with food pair-

ings to complement Flat Creek Estate award winning wines.

NATURE TOURS

Tours will start at Refuge Headquarters and be transported to trail

heads by vans unless otherwise specified.

Warbler & Vireo Habitat

This is a birding tour for determined birders to see our keynote spe-

cies. Bird watching with experts. Multiple tours will go to separate

destinations to look for Warblers and Vireos each morning. Easy to

moderate hiking.

Explore Hill Country Birding

Join a top Texas birder to look for special Hill Country birds that nest

on the Refuge. Painted Bunting, Canyon Towhee, Vermilion Fly-

catcher, Black-throated Sparrow, and Grasshopper Sparrow possibili-

ties to name a few.

Golden-cheeked Warbler Habitat

This is a birding tour for determined

birders to see our keynote species;

Bird watching with experts. Easy to

moderate hiking.

Exploring the Backcountry

The only thing well pay atten-

tion to is everything under the Sun. Be ready for a wide-ranging

introduction to the ecology of the Texas Hill Country from two of

Central Texass most experienced naturalists. Learn your geology,

watch for weathers influences on habitats, and bet on bumping in

some birds and botanical treasures. Moderately difficult hiking in

the back country of the Refuge not usually open to the public. We

ankle-supported, waterproof shoes as uneven footpaths and stream

crossings may be encountered.

Creeks to Canyons

Led by the Refuges biologist, this trip will explore the natural

history of the Hill Country--the wildlife, vegetation, and geology

of the area. Learn about the canyons of the Balcones Canyonlands

study the creeks, and explore the woodlands, savannas, and shin-neries which make up the Refuge.

A Walk on the Fire Line

See how fire is used as a dramatic tool to create and enhance habi

tat for songbirds. The tour will start with a slide show of before an

after photos of areas that will be visited.

Nature Photography Workshop

This class will emphasize basic outdoor photography. Film or digi

tal cameras are welcome. The instructor will cover composition,

lighting, depth of field, and some basic field tips for bird and natu

photography. All cameras are different, so be sure to bring your

camera manual with you to class. Participants will meet at Doeski

Ranch.

Take a Trip to Selah, Bamberger Ranch

Join us on a convoy of self-driving participants from the Refuge

Headquarters to Selah, Bamberger Ranch Preserve. This tour take

about 1 hour and 15 minutes to get there. A box lunch is provided

on a stop at LBJ National Historical Site along the way. On this 3

- 4 hour tour of the ranch you will see the results of thirty-seven

years of habitat restoration. We will show you projects which dem

onstrate principles of good stewardship. You may also see dinosau

tracks, fossil beds, a herd of endangered Scimitar-horned Oryx. an

a bat cave. Transportation is on the Bluebonnet, an open air trailer

with a shade bonnet.

Black-capped Vireo Habitat

This is a birding tour for determined birders to see our keynote spe

cies. Bird watching with experts. Moderate hiking.

Backyard Birding

An introduction to the tools required for birding and a short walk t

learn the common backyard bird sights and sounds. This nature to

leaves on foot from the Refuge headquarters.

Full information including dates, times, and registration are

available online at www.balconessongbirdfestival.org


8/16

8 SIG NAL SM OKE /March/April 2008 TR AVI S AUD UB ON SOC IE TY

Monthly Meeting InformationTAS Regular Monthly Meeting - 7:00 pm (doors open at 6:30 pm for social time)

Program begins at 7:00 pm. Location: LCRA Board Room, 3700 Lake Austin Blvd. The board room is in the Hancock

Building, the middle building in the courtyard. Well be in the room on the left upon entering. Please note that this

locaton is subject to change. Notification will be made via the webpage and email blasts. Parking available in the

adjacent garage and lots. Refreshments provided.

Thursday, March 20, 2008

Guest Speaker: Dr. Wayne H. McAlister

Matagorda Island an Enchanting Ribbon of

Sand.

Matagorda Island is not pristine but it retains much of its

natural aura: royal terns and brown pelicans loaf on the beach,

sheepshead killifish dart amid stalks of smooth cordgrass in

the bayside shallows, wands of sea oats wave over the sand

dunes and ghost crabs scuttle across the sand. The routine

number and diversity of birds rises to a veritable plethora

during spring and fall migration. Although it is not really

disjunct from the rest of the world, the island is an isolated,

discrete ecosystem. It has a well-defined edge, a topographyabsolutely dominated by the whim of the Gulf of Mexico

and a select cadre of well-adapted creatures forced into tight

alliance by the unforgiving barrier environment. A visit to the

island is a lesson in ecology, a rare delight at experiencing a

wild place still wild, a chance to release and indulge yourself,

and always, in one way or another, an adventure. At your

March meeting we will take a photo tour of the island to whet

your appetite for a scheduled visit on April 12th.

Dr. Wayne H. McAlister is a retired instructor in biology

at Victoria College who took a position as environmental

education specialist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

and was stationed on Matagorda Island from 1993-2003. Heand Martha immediately fell under the trance of their barrier

island home. While leading field excursions with visiting

groups they learned many of the islands secrets, some of

which they reveal in Life on Matagorda Island. (If you have

a copy, bring it for an authors signature; if you want a copy,

they will be on sale for $20:18.35 + 1.65 sales tax.) The

McAlisters now live near Victoria. When the opportunity

arises they still enjoy returning to Matagorda to guide tours

and renew ties.

Alamo InnLower Rio Grande * Lodging for

BirdersGuiding * Guides include Benton Basham

Artists studio * Grover Terry BeamanOptics dealer * Brunton & Alpen

956-782-9912www.alamoinnsuites.com

801 Main Street, Alamo TX

across from El Dorado Restaurant

April 17, 2008

Guest Speaker: Kevin ConnallyThe Balcones Canyonlands Preserve: A

Community-Based Conservation Model

Travis County and the City of Austin recognized by the early

1980s that our regions unique rugged beauty was home

not only to a vibrant and rapidly growing center of higher

education, medical advancement, technological innovation,

and the seat of state government, but also to a host of plant and

animal species found nowhere else on earth. In order to ensure

the continued strength of the local economy while protecting

the areas unique native wildlife, the Balcones Canyonlands

Conservation Plan (or BCCP) was created.

Today, almost 28,000 acres (including Travis Audubon

Societys Baker Sanctuary) have been set aside to create the

BCP for the benefit of our unique native wildlife. Thousands of

visitors each year have the opportunity to visit and learn about

the natural treasure in our collective backyard. Perhaps, most

importantly, national attention is being focused on the BCP

model of community-based conservation that seeks to balance a

healthy economy with healthy ecosystems.

Travis Countys Senior Environmental Resource Manager,

Kevin Connally, will speak at the April Membership

Meeting about the history and current status of the Balcones

Canyonlands Preserve. Kevin will talk about the FunnelEffect, describe how the Lone Star State is changing right

before our eyes, and discuss how local efforts are working

to save what National Audubon has described as one of the

nations Ten Most Endangered Birds - the Golden-cheeked

Warbler. For more about the BCP, see Travis Countys website

at: www.co.travis.tx.us/tnr/bccp/default.asp

Kevin Connally has been working on land management

and natural resource issues for eighteen years, and has been

dedicated to the Balcones Canyonlands Preserve since 2001.

His previous resource management experience includes

time with the Nature Conservancy in remote west Texas, the

Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife performing salmonand steelhead research in Hells Canyon and working to

restore declining fisheries on the Mid-Atlantic Coast. Kevin

is a member of the Wildlife Society and uses his time as a

TPWD-certified Master Hunter Education Instructor to forge

a wider conservation consciousness among current and future

generations of Texans. When not scrambling around in remote

corners of hidden wilderness chasing fish or watching birds,

he is often found volunteering his time to engage the public in

wildlife and conservation issues.


9/16

TR AVI S AUD UBO N SOC IE TY SI GNA L SM OKE / March/April 2008 9

Notes from Chaetura CanyonThe Winter Wren that inhabited the vegetable gardenand enhanced the species list for Chaetura Canyonscontribution to the West Cave Christmas Bird Count had moved

on by the time 2008 rolled around. The Chipping Sparrows

numbers began to rise, and it is such a delight to see them

falling like feathered rain onto the millet-feeding platform just

outside the kitchen window.

A little further down the trail, butstill visible from the kitchen, the

cedar log feeder stuffed with a

mix of peanut butter, cornmeal,

oatmeal and shortening continued

to attract a pair of Golden-fronted

Woodpeckers as well as a steady

stream of Northern Cardinals,

Western-Scrub Jays, Black-crested

Titmice, Carolina Chickadees and

an occasional Bewicks Wren.

A lone Orange-crowned Warbler

took exception with all visitors and

attempted to hold the log against allcomers.

Not all is peace and harmony during the winter at the Canyon.

The visiting accipiters seem to enjoy bird watching in the same

way we all enjoy perusing the menu at our favorite restaurant.

The youngster featured in the accompanying photo periodically

perched on the afore-mentioned millet-feeding platform

presenting an easy photo opportunity. Coyotes tend to be on the

top of the mammalian food chain as they patrol the canyon rim

at night just below the residence. They tend to be heard rather

than seen on a regular basis.

People also migrated to the Canyon as we hosted a contingent of

National Wildlife Federation Urban Habitat Stewards organized

by Jane Tillman. After a two-hour walk of the trails enjoying and

discussing the diversity of vegetation in its dormant state and

discussing what was to come, the hungry group enjoyed bowls

of home-made soup on the deck on an atypically mild January

afternoon. An unexpected finale to the workshop was a trio of

Osprey cavorting above the Canyon and eventually flying

off to the south following Lake Austin as it leaves MansfieldDam.

And speaking of things to come: the Chimney Swifts are on

their way back! Brush Freeman normally reports the first of

the season for Texas around March 10th while birding on the

Gulf Coast. For the past few years TASs own Jeff Mundy ha

seen the first Chimney Swifts in the Austin Area. Those of

us who are enamored by these aerial acrobats normally hear

them before we see them. Their distinctive chippering or

twinkling call always heralds the arrival of Spring. You can

join in the nation-wide monitoring effort by reporting your

first Chimney Swift sighting at www.chimneyswifts.org. The

reports are compiled at and posted from Chaetura Canyon.

The next event at Chaetura Canyon will be the Education

Committees Chimney Swift Tower Workshop on March 9th. The

resulting tower will eventually be erected in one of the area parks.

We invite you to celebrate the return of the Chimney Swifts to the

Canyon by joining us for a new TAS Spring event: Chalupas and

Chimney Swifts in April. This will be the kick off to our Second

Saturday Swift Watch events that will occur monthly throughout t

Chimney Swifts season. We hope to see you at one or more of the

enjoyable events!

Georgean and Paul Kyle, Sanctuary Stewar

Please join us for

Chalupas and Chimney Swifts at Chaetura Canyon

Where? Travis Audubons Chaetura Canyon Bird Sanctuary

When? April 12th, 6:00 PM til 10:00 PM (Rain Date: April 19th)

What? - Observe Chimney Swifts impressive aerial displays

- Wander the self-guided upper-canyon nature trail

- Enjoy a Mexican Food Buffet with ice cold beer and soft drinks

- Marvel at a screening of The Secret Home Life of Chimney Swifts, Starring Twig, Timber and Puddin

Who? The first 25 Travis Audubon Members (or Wanna-bes) to sign up

How Much? $35 for TAS members / $50 for non-members

How Come? - Simply to enjoy the company of Chimney Swifts and fellow conservationists

- Proceeds to benefit projects at Travis Audubons Chaetura Canyon Sanctuary

Please contact Sanctuary Stewards Georgean and Paul Kyle

to make your reservations ASAP: [email protected] or 512-266-3861

Be There, or Be Square!

Photo credit: Georgean Kyle


10/16

10 SIG NAL SMO KE /March/April 2008 TRA VIS AUD UBO N SO CIE TY

Jeff Baker,REALTOR , BirderCell: (512) 619-7421

Fax: (512) 371-9952

4000 Duval St. Austin TX 78751

SEARCH AREA LISTINGS @jeffbaker.stanberry.com

Also check out:

bakerproperties.biz & jeffbakerart.biz

Environment & Client Friendly

[email protected]

Come explore Denney Ranch 2

Saturday Mornings in Burnet CountySaturdays, March 1, 8, 15, 22, 29Saturdays, April 5, 19, 268:00 am to Noon

Just in time to welcome returning Golden-cheeked Warblers,the members of Travis Audubon Society are invited to exploreDenney Ranch 2, a 96-acre, privately-owned wildlife management

area in central Burnet County, near the intersection of FMs 963 and

1174. Groomed trails pass through restored prairie on the way to

the woods along Allen Creekprime warbler habitat. A mid-walk

resting spot is at the edge of a pond in a mature, brush-cleared oak

motte with birdfeeders and benches. For more information, please

contact property stewards, Deborah Douglas, M.D. and Thomas

Fisher, M.D. (Denney Ranch 2, P.O. Box 1339, Burnet, TX 78611

or [email protected]). Photos courtesy Deborah Douglas.

The 2008 TAS Copper Canyon OdysseyYou asked for it!! Travel Surveys are in. TAS members voted

the Copper Canyon of western Mexico as their #1 choice for

a 2008 birding trip.

Join Fellow TAS members May 24 31, on a journey that

offers fabulous birding in addition to spectacular scenery,

unique lodging, indigenous peoples, and one of the worlds

most amazing train rides.

Look for neo-tropical bird species including: Russet-crowned

Motmot, Bare-throated Tiger-Heron, Eared Trogon, Sinaloa

Wren, Red-faced Warbler, military Macaw. Your Copper

Canyon Birding guide is a native from the region. He will

be able to get you on the bird, as well as delight you with

personal anecdotes.

Journey from sea level to 7700 feet elevation, exploring

diverse habitats of the Chihuahuan desert, grasslands,

tropical & subtropical forests, and coniferous forests of the

Sierra Madre Mountains.

Meet members of the Tarahumaras, Indigenous people

renowned for their running, and crafts of pine-needle

baskets, pottery, drums, and carvings.

Your participation will contribute to the Travis Audubon

Society, and a select local conservation organization. A

program will be arranged with the organization to facilitate

an international exchange of ideas.

TAS Copper Canyon Odyssey is managed by the trusted ladies

of Panama Boutique and JB Journeys. You will be escorted by amember of Travis Audubon.

Group size is limited to ten. Put your name on the interest list

now by e-mailing: [email protected], subject line

TAS Copper Canyon Odyssey.

More details will be available at the March general meeting, and

by an e-mail broadcast.


11/16

TRA VIS AUD UBO N SOC IET Y SI GNA L SM OKE / March/April 2008 11

In 2007, Northwest Travis County received over forty-five

inches of rain. The year started out with a see-saw rain

pattern that ended when rainfall amounts evened out in May.

From May through July, our area received over twenty inches of

rainfall and it was during this period that Lake Travis filled up

and adjacent low-lying areas flooded. This increased summerrainfall caused a spike in the growth of forbs and grasses. The

last five months of 2007 left our area with a total of slightly over

eight inches of rain. Winter freezes killed back the forbs and tall

grasses, which left large dead fuel loads in wildland habitats.

Under these conditions, fires can start from most causes. With the

exception of lightning fires in some areas, the number of starts

is generally low. Fires in open cured grasslands will burn briskly

and spread rapidly on windy days. Timber fires spread slowly

to moderately fast. The average fire is of moderate intensity and

control is relatively easy.

What moisture our part of the county received after January

1, 2008 was the result of Pacific moisture moving in from thewest and overrun by Arctic fronts that left little in the way of

measurable rainfall. For the most part, the weather systems that

passed through in January were dry and were accompanied by

high winds and low relative humidity that measurably increased

the fire danger.

Various factors such as fuels, weather, topography, and risk are

combined to assess the daily fire potential of an area. As of this

writing, Travis County has already experienced at least one

Baker SanctuaryNews

burn ban and several Red Flag Days. The current Keech-Byram

Drought Index (KBDI) for Travis County is 500-600. The KBDI

attempts to measure the amount of precipitation necessary to

return the soil to full field capacity. It is a closed system ranging

from zero to 800 units and represents a moisture regime from zer

to eight inches of water through the soil layer. Zero is the point ofno moisture deficiency and 800 is the maximum drought that is

possible. At any point along the scale, the index number indicates

the amount of net rainfall that is required to reduce the index

to zero. This means that in Travis County that there is moisture

deficiency of 5 to 6 inches in the soil.

The old adage may be that the only things you can be sure of are

death and taxes, but anyone whos spent his or her life in Texas

knows theres a third certainty: drought. Looking back at last year,

Texas was awash with water in late 2007, but ranchers, farmers

and land managers know that the next drought begins the day the

rain ends.

(Portions of this article were taken from www.tpwmagazine.com

& www.tamu.com).

Annual Open House is Scheduled

You are invited to bring a sack lunch and join us for the Travis

Audubon Society Baker Sanctuary Annual Open House scheduled

for March 29th. Guided hikes will be offered throughout the

morning and the Sanctuary will remain open that afternoon for

additional visitation. Additional information below.

John Wilcox, TAS-Baker Sanctuary Stewar

Breakfast with the Birds

Join Golden-cheeked warblers in their habitat at

Baker Sanctuary on April 19, 2008 from 7 am

to noon. You will be serenaded by the morning

songs of the birds and feast on a delicious gourmet

breakfast. There will be a guided educational tour

around the Sanctuary featuring information on the

assemblage of habitats which support golden-

cheeks and diverse array of other wildlife.

$100 per person

Call Travis Audubon Society office to purchase

tickets at 300-BIRD

Annual Open House

Please join TAS on Saturday March 29th for Baker

Sanctuarys Annual Open House. Guided tours

will take place from 9 am to noon. Tours will focus

on ecology and feature Golden-cheeked warblers,

plants, butterflies and bugs. Adventurous folks are

free to take self-guided tours from noon to 4:00 pm.Enjoy a variety of displays on native plants and

wildlife species. Light snacks will be served but we

encourage you to bring a sack lunch for those longer

walks. Please contact Travis Audubon Society with

any questions at 300-BIRD or info@travisaudubon.

org.

Join us at these upcoming Baker Sanctuary events


12/16

1 2 S I G N A L S M O K E / March/April 2 008 T R A V I S A U D U B O N S O C I E T Y

TAS Events - March 2008February 26

through March 2

Saturday, March 87 am & 4 pm

Saturday, March 157:30 am to Noon

Saturday, March 22

7:30 am to Noon

Saturday, March 29

Lower Rio Grand Valley with Gary WaggermanMay be your Last Chance Trip for these Lower Rio Grande Valley hot spots. You can sign up now for

what may be some of the great birding spots in the LRGV before they may become inaccessible in the

no-mans-land between the Border Fence and the Rio Grande River. We plan to begin in Zapata County

on Tuesday and finish on Sunday in Cameron County on South Padre Island. In between we plan to vi

most of the major refuges and parks in the Lower 4 counties. The expenses of the field trip leader will

split among the participants. Contact Gary Waggerman for a detailed day-by-day itinerary at 512-775-

8720 or waggerman(at)sbcglobal.net.

Monthly Bird Count at Hornsby BendContact Eric Carpenter at ecarpe(at)gmail.com for more information. Sponsored monthly by the Horns

Bend Bird Observatory.

Monthly Bird Walk at Hornsby BendMonthly Bird Walk at Hornsby Bend, led by George Kerr, Laurie Foss and Shelia Hargis. Austins pre

mier birding site. No registration required. Contact fieldtrips(at)travisaudubon.org for more informatio

More information and directions to the site can be found online.

Commons Ford Ranch Park with Ed FairCome bird one of the most diverse parks in the Austin Park system. Located on Commons Ford Rd.just west of Bee Caves off Cuernavaca, the park list contains over 170 species. Commons Ford always

presents the opportunity for an unusual species or two. Extensive walking on mostly level ground but

accommodations can be made for those who do not want to walk as far. Registration required and limi

to fourteen participants. These trips fill up fast so get your reservation in early! To confirm your partic

pation or for more information contact Ed Fair ezflaw(at)sbcglobal.net or call 512-560-1943.

Baker Sanctuary Open HouseOver the years, many TAS members and guests have visited our beautiful Baker Sanctuary in northwe

Austin. Currently at 690 acres, our Sanctuary provides nesting and breeding habitat for Central Texas

very special Golden-cheeked Warbler, listed as endangered by the U.S. Government and the State of T

as. Because of its endangered status, the GCWA was among several plant and animal species included

for protection under a regional habitat conservation plan called the Balcones Canyonlands Conservatio

Plan (BCCP). The primary goal of this plan is to assemble and manage over 30,000 acres in northwest

Travis County, called the Balcones Canyonlands Preserve (BCP) system, to protect viable populations

for the species addressed in the plan. The Travis Audubon Society has committed its Baker Sanctuary

the BCP system and is one of several managing partners in the BCP. No registration is required. Be sur

to bring plenty of water. For more information email fieldtrips(at)travisaudubon.org

TRAVIS AUDUBON SOCIETY NATURE BOOK CLUB

We invite you to join the Travis Audubon Society Nature Book Club, which is usually held on the 4 th Thursday of every

other month at 7:00 pm at BookPeople (at 6th and Lamar, thank you BookPeople!). The group is informal and fun, and

you can choose to go to all the meetings and discuss all the books, or you can pick and choose the meetings featuring

books you would like to discuss. You do not have to have read the book to attend. In March were reading:

Thursday, March 27 2008 -Birding on Borrowed Timeby Phoebe Snetsinger (2003)

Birding on Borrowed Time by Phoebe Snetsinger is a touching memoir highlighting the life and birding adventures of the author.

A late-comer to the birding world, Phoebe began her hobby at 34 and not long after was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Doctors

gave her only a year to live, but Phoebe gave herself seventeen, dedicating every one of them to her passion for birding. Phoebe

documented over 8,000 bird species from her extensive travels across the globe before her death in 1999. Killed in a traffic accident

in Madagascar, Phoebe left this earth while fulfilling her last wish that she might go down binoculars in hand.

This selection is tentative and the meeting location is subject to change! Before you commit to reading a book for a particular

month, you may want to call Terry Banks at 451-6302 or e-mail tessiembanks(at)msn.com to find out if the book is still current and

verify the meeting location.


13/16

TR AVI S AUD UB ON SOC IE TY SIG NAL SM OKE / March/April 2008 13

TAS Events - April 2008Thursday April 3

hrough Monday, April 7

Tuesday, April 8

Saturday, April 127 am and 4:00 pm

Saturday, April 12

Saturday, April 197:30 am to Noon

Saturday, April 197:00 am to Noon

Friday April 25hrough Monday April 28

Concan and Uvalde County led by Gary Waggerman and Bob RasaStay tuned for more information about this exciting field trip in Uvalde County. We expect accommodations

to be at Neals Lodges in Concan. The area surrounding Concan is considered one of the best birding areas i

Texas! Several hundred species of birds can be spotted throughout the year, including the endangered Golde

cheeked Warbler and Black-capped Vireo.

Fort Hood with Stan Van SandtJoin Stan for a spring trip to this unusual birding hot spot. Fort Hood, a major Army training base located onapproximately 220,000 acres (88,000 hectares) in central Texas, supports the largest known breeding populations of Black-capped Vireos and Golden-cheeked Warblers under any single property management. Wellleave Austin from a central meet-up point so that we can car-pool to the property. Limit twelve participants.Contact fieldtrips(at)travisaudubon.org to register for this trip.

Monthly Bird Count at Hornsby BendContact Eric Carpenter at ecarpe(at)gmail.com for more information. Sponsored monthly by the Hornsby Be

Bird Observatory.

Matagorda Island, led by Laurie Foss and Shelia Hargis with Dr.Wayne McAlisteMatagorda Island, accessible only by boat, is not pristine but it retains much of its natural aura. The routine

number and diversity of birds rises to a veritable plethora during spring and fall migration. On a good day inApril, an observer can easily find more wood warblers, buntings, orioles, tanagers, and thrushes in one clumof salt cedars on Matagorda than he is likely to see elsewhere for the remainder of the year. Dr. Wayne H.McAlister is a retired instructor in biology at Victoria College who took a position as environmental educatispecialist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and was stationed on Matagorda Island from 1993-2003.The field trip will leave from Fulton Harbor in Rockport on The Skimmerat 7:00 am and return to the harboat 5:00 pm. Participants should bring their lunch, water, a hat, and sunscreen and wear comfortable walkingshoes. Cost of the trip is $100, a portion going to benefit Travis Audubon Society. More information will besent to each participant with your paid reservation. Email fieldtrips(at)travisaudubon.org with any questionsand to let Laurie and Shelia know youve paid via PayPal. Sunday morning well have an opportunity to continue to bird in the Rockport area. Stay if you wish or head home; your choice.

Monthly Bird Walk at Hornsby BendAustins premier birding site. No registration required. Contact fieldtrips(at)travisaudubon.org for more info

mation. More information and directions to the site can be found online.

Breakfast with the Birds at Baker SanctuarySee our announcement on Page 11 of this issue.

A Special Weekend at High Island with George KerrIf youve never birded the Houston Audubon Sanctuaries at High Island, this trip is for you! For birders thernothing like that first time you see the spectacle that is migration on the Upper Texas Coast. Travis AudubonSociety has collaborated with Houston Audubon Society to put on a first-ever Ambassador Program WeekenYoull be hosted by Houston Audubon volunteers in their homes. Your host will be your personal guide to vand bird in the places youve heard so much about Boy Scout Woods, Anahuac NWR, Bolivar Flats, SmithOaks and more. Arrive at your hosts residence Friday evening and depart Monday afternoon (final arrange-ments will be made between you and your host). There is no fee for this trip, but expect to pay your hosts gand incidentals. This fieldtrip is limited to twelve participants so be sure to get your registration in right awa

Priority for the trip will be given to those who have never been to High Island. Email fieldtrips(at)travisauduon.org to register.

About TAS Field Trips All TAS field trips are open to members and nonmembers and to experienced and inexperienced birders. Wear appro-priate clothing and walking shoes, and bring binoculars and water. Unless otherwise noted, field trips are free. For complete, up-to-date information

on field trips, including cancellations due to weather or other circumstances, please check the TAS website at www.travisaudubon.org. Because of

the publication schedule of the newsletter, things can change. If you do not have Internet access, please contact the person(s) listed with the event

description.

About Hornsby Bend Maps and other information about the Hornsby Bend facility may be found on the Hornsby Bend website at www.hornsbybend.org


14/16


15/16

TRA VIS AUD UBO N SOC IET Y SI GNA L SM OKE / March/April 2008 1

Workshop info

Travis Audubon Society Gull Identification Workshop

Travis Audubon Society will offer a gull identification classon Saturday March 22, 2008. The class will be taught byByron Stone, who also teaches Travis Audubons popular Sparrow

Identification Class. The gull class will consist of five to six hours

of classroom instruction on a single day, and a brief field excursion

to a nearby reservoir to practice identification skills with local

gulls. An optional weekend excursion to a coastal location will beoffered on a separate weekend for a modest additional fee to cover

the instructors expenses.

This class will focus heavily on identification of the six species

of gull that occur regularly in good numbers in Texas, including

Ring-billed, Herring, Laughing, Franklins, Bonapartes and

Lesser Black-backed Gulls. Class participants will learn a general

approach to gull identification that will be helpful anywhere in

the world, and will learn to determine the age of most gulls they

encounter, which is a prerequisite for accurate identification of the

most confusing species of non-adult gulls. The class will

cover in some detail the identification of each age-group of each

of the above species, and participants will learn what field marksare important to separate each of the above species from each other

and from other similar gulls which occur occasionally in the state.

In addition to the above six species, some time will be spent on

identification of an additional five or six species of gull which

occur less frequently in Texas, including California, Thayers,

Glaucous, Mew and possibly Little Gull, Sabines Gull and Black-

legged Kittiwake.

Byron will use digital images of gulls at rest and in flight which

he has collected in his travels, or borrowed with permission from

others, much like the way he teaches his sparrow classes and

workshops. Class will be limited to thirty participants, and initial

registration preference will be given to Travis Audubon Societymembers who have previously taken a TAS class. Fee is $45 for

TAS members, $60 for non-members. For registration and more

specific class information, contact Byron at drbirdie(at)aol.com.

Chimney Swift Tower Workshop

at Chaetura Canyon

Chimney Swifts are now listed as an endangered species inNova Scotia, and the future for these aerial insectivores is uncertain in the remainder of their breeding range. Georgean an

Paul Kyle will conduct a workshop on building and maintainin

new habitat for this declining species on Sunday, March 9th, fr

1-4 pm.

The workshop will begin with an introduction to Chimney Swi

that includes a slide presentation and video highlights from a

typical nesting season. Participants will then construct an actua

Chimney Swift Tower. After the project is completed, participa

will take a one-mile walking tour of the Chaetura Canyon Bird

Sanctuary. There are currently sixteen Chimney Swift towers o

the property that demonstrate a variety of designs and material

One of the towers will be opened, and the class will be shown

how to evaluate the nesting productivity of last years season.

Refreshments will be served on the deck overlooking the Cany

following the tour.

Chaetura Canyon has been the epicenter for Chimney Swiftconservation and research worldwide for more than twenty yea

Master Naturalists and property owners with wildlife exemptio

may find this workshop useful in their conservation efforts.

Chimney Swift Towers also make great Eagle Scout projects, s

Scout Masters, Eagle candidates and their parents should consi

taking advantage of this unique opportunity.

Registration is limited to ten builders (16 years of age and

older). The cost of this workshop is $35 for TAS members and

$45 for non-members. The fee includes a copy of the Kyles bo

Chimney Swift Towers: New Habitat for Americas Mysterious

Birds. For more information or to sign up for the workshop,

please contact Anne Donovan at 472-3030 or email her atajdonovan(at)austin.rr.com.

For a preview of the walking tour, visit www.ChimneySwifts.o

and click on the Chaetura Canyon Bird Sanctuary link.

Austin Butterfly Forum

Zebra Heliconians may be to the butterfly world what Painted Buntings are to the birdingworld so irresistibly spectacular that they captivate amateurs and turn them into ardententhusiasts. Even better than Painted Buntings, Zebra Heliconians were seen in backyards

all over Austin in 2008.

Will this trend continue? What can you do to support future generations of Zebras, Julias, and other

Heliconian butterflies? The answer may be as simple as planting certain Passionflowers, the hostplant of this genus.

Katie Hansen from the University of Texas at Austin will speak about Native Passionflowers, the beautiful genus Pas-

siflora, at the March meeting of the Austin Butterfly Forum. Join us at Zilker Botanical Garden Center at 2220 Barton

Springs Rd on March 24th at 7:00 pm to learn more about which Passionflowers to grow, which to avoid, and the com-

plex co-evolution that has been taking place between the Heliconian butterflies and their hostplants.


16/16

16 SI GNA L SM OKE / March/April 2008 TRA VIS AUD UBO N SOC IET Y

Travis Audubon SocietyMembership SecretaryP.O. Box 40787Austin TX 78704

Dated Material - DO NOT DELAYADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

Nonprofit Org.U.S. Postage PaidPermit No. 2301

Austin, Texas

Join your local Audubon chapter, Travis Audubon Society,by using the form at the right. Your dues will be put to usesupporting local conservation, education, research projects,

field trips, and other Travis Audubon activities right here inCentral Texas. We seek your support through your member-ship in our local chapter. (To become a member of the nationalAudubon, please go to their Web site at www.audubon.org.)

Join Travis Audubon now and supportlocal birds, wildlife, and their habitats.

Travis Audubon Society chapter members receive six issuesof this Signal Smoke newsletter, priority sign-ups on local fieldtrips, discounts on our educational classes, the opportunity

to participate in our e-mail group and attend our wonderfulmonthly lectures, and more!

To join Travis Audubon Society:Make your check payable to Travis Audubon Society andsend it with this form to TAS Membership Secretary, P. O. Box40787, Austin, TX 78704, or join on-line using any majorcredit card by going to www.travisaudubon.org and clickingon Membership.

Travis Audubon SocietyYES! I want to enjoy the benefits of Travis AudubonSociety chapter membership. Enroll me as a member of

Travis Audubon Society. Enclosed is my check for: $12 Youth Membership (up to age 18)

$25 Individual Membership

$35 Family Membership

$75 Painted Bunting Membership (bonus TravisAudubon T-shirt)

$100 Vireo Membership (bonus T-shirt and book)

$250 Warbler Membership (bonus T-shirt, book, andfree workshop)

$1,000 Lifetime Membership (bonus T-shirt, book,free workshop, and listing in annual report)

T-shirt size (for premium memberships) __________________

This is a gift membership from ________________________

Name _______________________________ Phone ________________

Address _____________________________________________________

City ____________________________ State _____ Zip _____________

Email ______________________________________________________

Visit the TAS Web site:www.travisaudubon.org

march-april 2008 signal smoke newsletter travis audubon society

Documents