Flicker FlashesThe monthly guide to Birmingham Audubon

Birmingham Audubon’s new Coastal Programs office is now

open in downtown Mobile, with new staff members already hard at work implementing the Alabama Coastal Bird Stewardship Program, funded through the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund managed by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.

The coastal staff ’s first tasks include managing fall, spring, and winter Audubon Coastal Bird Surveys—which began in the wake of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill—and leading stewardship efforts for eleven bird species nesting on the beaches of Mobile and Baldwin counties. The ultimate goal is to foster increased survivorship and stable-to-growing populations among target species still impacted by the worst maritime oil disaster in U.S. history.

The Alabama Coastal Bird Stewardship Program is consistent with National Audubon’ gulf-wide approach to coastal-species monitoring and stewardship. Birmingham Audubon and Mobile Bay Audubon, the program’s volunteer partner, proposed the project in 2014 with guidance and support from National Audubon. Data collected by the team will help inform regional conservation planning, while outreach work will build volunteer support for surveying and nest-site stewardship.

Coastal Programs Coordinator Mozart Dedeaux previously worked as the Education Coordinator for Pascagoula

River Audubon Center and as the Director of Conservation Education and Digital Content for Audubon Mississippi. A former science teacher, he holds a BFA in Fine Arts from Loyola University, and an undergraduate degree from William Carey University, where he also completed graduate work in the Masters of Education Program. “Moz” also has experience working in New York City’s music industry, where he was a session player for national radio and television commercials, a composer/scorer for industrial and commercial video, and a recording artist for Capital Records.

Coastal Senior Biologist Katie Barnes comes to Birmingham Audubon from a three-year stint monitoring Wilson’s Plovers, Least Terns, Black Skimmers, and Common Nighthawks in Cameron Parish for Audubon Louisiana. A native of Pittsburgh, she earned a BS in Biology from Saint Vincent College (where she studied White-breasted Nuthatch foraging behavior), and an MS is Biology from East Stroudsburg

THE LATEST

Birmingham Audubon’s new Mobile office is taking flightSuzanne Langley, Birmingham Audubon Executive Director

Meet the Coastal Programs staff

From left to right: Mozart Dedeaux, Katie Barnes, Emma Rhodes. Photos: Birmingham Audubon

University (where her thesis focused on Louisiana Waterthrush ecology). An avid birder and bird-bander with field experiences ranging from the deserts of Arizona to the beaches of the Gulf Coast, Katie brings a wealth of expertise to her new position.

A native of nearby Foley, Alabama, Coastal Biological Technician Emma Rhodes is a recent graduate (BS Biology, with a minor in GIS) of the University of South Alabama. While much of her recent research has focused on the effects of window strikes on bird mortality, she has also spent parts of the last eight years banding neotropical migratory birds on Fort Morgan. In addition to these pursuits, she has worked as a research assistant for Audubon’s Maine-based Project Puffin in 2014 and 2015, and has volunteered both for Audubon Mississippi and for Birmingham Audubon as part of their Audubon Coastal Bird Surveys.

OCTOBER 2017

Volume 70 Issue 02

Birmingham Audubon is Alabama’s leading non-profit organization promoting conservation and a greater knowledge of birds, their habitats, and the natural world.

Help our Junior Board build Chimney Swift nest towers in the Magic City. Visit birminghamaudubon.org/swifts to give.

Birmingham Audubon’s Flicker Flashes

Birding trip: Tannehill Ironworks Historical State Park Details on next page.

07 OctoberSaturday

06 October Friday

09 October Monday

Greg Harber teaches our new adult course “Introduction to Birds and Birding,” starting Monday, October 9th. Photo: Birmingham Audubon

McWane’s Jun Ebersole takes us on a tour of Alabama’s ancient aquatic life, Thursday, October 19th. Photo: Jun Ebersole

Gosse Nature Walk #8: Moss Rock Nature Preserve, noon to 2 p.m. Special guest Ken Wills, co-author of Exploring Wild Alabama: A Guide to the State’s Publicly Accessible Natural Areas, joins us to provide an expert’s take on this special urban preserve. Meetup is at noon at a locked gate located near 2497 Chapel Road in Hoover—full directions and registration details on our website:

birminghamaudubon.org/event/2017-10-06

Tom Imhoff Memorial Beginner Birdwalk at Avondale Park. 8–10 a.m. Learn the basics of birding with Birmingham Audubon Outreach Director Ansel Payne. Register online at:

birminghamaudubon.org/event/2017-10-09

19 October Thursday

Monthly Nature Program, “An Overview of the Fossil Sharks and Bony Fishes of Alabama,” with special guest Jun Ebersole, Director of Collections at McWane Science Center. Reception starts at 6:30 p.m., talk runs from 7–8:30 p.m., in the East Room at Birmingham Botanical Gardens.

birminghamaudubon.org/event/2017-10-19/

21 October Saturday

Birding trip: Cheaha State Park Details on next page.

Find this year’s full calendar on our website:

birminghamaudubon.org/events

Introduction to Birds & Birding (Day I). Master birder Greg Harber teaches you everything you’ll need to know about your new favorite hobby. Mondays, 6:30–8:30 p.m., at our Birmingham offices (3720 4th Ave S). $50/members, $75/non-members (one-time registration fee covers all six meetings). For more details, and to register online, visit:

birminghamaudubon.org/classes/IntroBirds2017

Introduction to Birds & Birding (Day II). 6:30–8:30 p.m., at our Birmingham offices (3720 4th Ave S)

16 October Monday

Introduction to Birds & Birding (Day III). 6:30–8:30 p.m., at our Birmingham offices (3720 4th Ave S)

23 October Monday

CALENDAR

17 October Tuesday

Junior Board Fundraiser at Rojo (2921 Highland Avenue).Join us for food and conversation, 5 p.m. to closing.

Education Committee meets at 6 p.m. (Birmingham office)03 OctoberTuesday

Junior Board meets at 8:30 p.m. (Birmingham office)

Membership Committee meets, 8:30 a.m. (Birmingham office)18 OctoberWednesday

Board of Directors meets, 5:45 p.m. at Birmingham Botanical Gardens.

25 October Wednesday

October 2017

FIELD TRIPS

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Join us as we hit the road in search of Alabama’s autumn migrants

Fall colors (the plumage kind)

This month’s half-day field trip takes us to the rich woodlands of Tannehill Ironworks Historical State Park, the site of an early iron furnace located at the southwestern end of the Appalachian Mountains. A favorite stop on the Appalachian Highlands Birding Trail, Tannehill’s easy trails, beautiful scenery, and relative proximity to Birmingham make it a must-visit site for beginning and advanced birders. Meetup is at 7 a.m. at the McDonald’s in McCalla (4746 Eastern Valley Road), located just off I-459 (Exit 1). From there, we’ll carpool and caravan southwest on Eastern Valley Road to the park entrance. Park admission is $5 for adults under 62, $4 for seniors, and $3 for children ages 6 to 11. As always, remember to bring plenty of water and snacks, a full tank of gas, insect repellent, rain gear, sunblock, and seasonally appropriate attire.

Full details: birminghamaudubon.org/event/2017-10-07Trip leaders: Susan Barrow (205-253-8667) and Matt Hunter (205-915-8186)

Tannehill Ironworks Historical State Park Half-day trip, Saturday, 07 October, 7 a.m. to noon

At over 2,400 feet above sea level, Cheaha Mountain is Alabama highest point, a magnet for fall migrants, and an almost ideal location for an autumn birding trip—join us on this full-day adventure to one of Alabama’s most beautiful highland parks. Meetup is at 7 a.m. at the Eastwood Chick-fil-A (1648 Montclair Road), located just south of the Walmart and west of the Starbucks. From there, we’ll carpool and caravan east on I-20 to Oxford/Anniston (Exit 188), before turning south on Leon Smith Parkway and heading down scenic roads to the park entrance. Admission to the park is $5 for adults under 62, $2 for senior and for children ages 6 to 11. Be sure to bring along some additional cash, as we’ll plan for a lunch in the historic Pinhoti Dining Room, a state park restaurant located near the summit. You’ll also want to pack water and snacks, insect repellent, a full tank of gas, rain gear, sunblock, and seasonally appropriate attire.

Full details: birminghamaudubon.org/event/2017-10-21Trip leader: Matt Hunter (205-915-8186)

Cheaha State ParkFull-day trip, Saturday, 21 October, meetup at 7 a.m.

We rely on members just like you to help us help birds

Birmingham Audubon wants you!

Science

Foster the next generation of Magic City birders—become an education volunteer, and help lead bird walks with elementary-aged children from throughout our region.Contact the Outreach Director: anselpayne@birminghamaudubon.org, 205-719-3678

Education

We’re still looking for more birder-volunteers interested in helping us monitor heron and other wading-bird populations along Birmingham’s Village Creek—a great opportunity to help us understand the ecology of this important urban waterway! We’re also interested in putting together a team of volunteer Chimney Swift roost monitors for the fall 2018 migratory season. Training in bird identification and data-collection protocols will be provided.For more details, contact the Outreach Director: anselpayne@birminghamaudubon.org, 205-719-3678

Questions about accessibility? Email us (info@birminghamaudubon.org) for more information about how we can meet your needs.

FOREVER WILD

PEOPLE

OfficersJoe Watts, PresidentLori Oswald, President-electMelanie Seibold, SecretaryKen Marion, Vice President: ConservationMary Busbee, Vice President: EducationMaggie Amsler, Vice President: Programs

Board of Directors Junior BoardGreg Harber Christopher BurksTy Keith Carley EzzellEllen McLaughlin Philip GibsonHans Paul Roopa NashElberta Reid Melanie SeiboldMichael Russell Ann Sweeney

Lois Woodward

StaffSuzanne Langley, Executive DirectorAndy Coleman, PhD, Program & Science DirectorAnsel Payne, PhD, Outreach DirectorChris Oberholster, Partnerships & Policy DirectorChris Sykes, Membership & Volunteer ManagerMozart Dedeaux, Coastal Programs CoordinatorKatie Barnes, Coastal Senior BiologistEmma Rhodes, Coastal Biological Technician

MISSION

To promote conservation and a greater knowledge of birds, their habitats, and the natural world.

CONTACT INFO

Birmingham Office3720 Fourth Avenue South, 2nd FloorBirmingham, Alabama 35222Phone: (205) 719-3678

Mobile Office118 North Royal Street, Suite 505Mobile, Alabama 36602

http://birminghamaudubon.orginfo@birminghamaudubon.org

Follow us on social mediaFacebook: @BirminghamAudubonInstagram: @BhamAudubonTwitter: @BhamAudubon

Non-Profit Org.U.S. Postage

PAIDPermit No. 3794Birmingham, AL

Birmingham AudubonA staffed chapter of the National Audubon Society

Mailing Address:Birmingham Audubon3720 Fourth Avenue South, 2nd FloorBirmingham, AL 35222

Please check your mailing label for your membership expiration date.

Flicker Flashes, produced by staff and volunteers of Birmingham Audubon Society, is published September, October, November/December, January, February, March, April, May/June. Copy is due the first of the month preceding the issue.

Editorial contact: anselpayne@birminghamaudubon.orgEditor: Ansel PayneEditorial consultant: Ty KeithLayout consultant: Michelle Blackwood

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Flicker Flashes