Volume 28, #2 Spring, 2003
AUDUBON MIAMI VALLEY
P.O. Box 556
OH 45056
http://www.orgs.muohio.edu/audubonmiamivalley
MARK YOUR CALENDARS!
CLIP AND SAVE THESE MEETING
DATES
Unless otherwise noted, all
meetings are held at the
Lebanon Citizens National
Bank, 30 Park Place
West, Oxford.
Carpool--Bring A Friend!
Monday, March 3, 2003, 7:30
PM. Sarah
Karpanty, “Aiza
Biby’s Planting for the Future
Project: Kids, Trees, and a
Vision for
International Conservation
Projects.”
Sarah Karpanty, Miami
graduate, is currently pursuing
her doctoral degree at SUNY
on Long Island,
continuing her investigations
into the predator/prey
relationship of hawks and
lemurs. She has also
initiated a conservation and
education project known
as the Aiza Biby
project. She will share with us
her
commitment to this project
and how she envisions its
significance as a
conservation tool.
April 3, Hefner Lecture. See article ---------------->
Monday, April 7, 2003, 7:30
PM. Laura Busby,
“Audubon Centers in
Ohio and Where Do the
Chapters Fit?”
Laura Busby earned her
Master’s of Environmental
Science degree from Miami
University and has most
recently been serving as the
acting Vice-President and
Executive Director of the
state office of Audubon
Ohio. Laura’s initial
responsibility with Audubon Ohio
was as the birding trails and
festivals program
coordinator. She has also been responsible for
implementing the Audubon
Centers initiative under
National Audubon’s 2020
Vision.
Saturday, April 12, 2003, 12
- 4. Earth Day, Cook
Field, Miami University,
Oxford. (Corners of Rt.
73, Patterson, and
High.) In case of rain, go to
Withrow Court. Celebrate Earth Day with speakers,
demonstrations,
entertainment, food, and educational
displays.
Monday, May 5, 2003, 7:30
PM. Dave Russell,
“Spring is here! Are you ready?”
Dave Russell, Visiting
Professor of Zoology at Miami
University, teaches Ornithology
and is renowned for
his skills as a field
ornithologist. He possesses two of
the most remarkable ears for
identifying birds found
anywhere in the Midwest. Dave will spend the
evening preparing us for the
wave of neo-tropical
migrants that are just about
to descend upon us.
SEE INSIDE FOR FIELD TRIPS
& WORKSHOPS!
HEFNER LECTURE
Delia and Mark Owens will
speak April 3, 2003, at
8:00 pm, in 144 Benton Hall,
Miami University.
Conducting research and
conservation projects in
Africa for more than twenty
years, they are well
known as authors of Cry of
the Kalahari and The Eye
of the Elephant. They have published in Nature, the
Journal of Mammalogy, Animal
Behavior, and
Natural History.
Currently they are analyzing
more than ten years of
African elephant data. We have not yet received the
lecture’s title, but
the audience might be the first to
learn about the results of
this work. Most recently,
Delia and Mark have been
working on a grizzly bear
project in the western U.S.
Check out our website for
more information as we
receive it. For more
information about Delia and
Mark's work, see
http://www.owens-foundation.org.
Audubon Miami Valley is proud
to help sponsor the
annual Hefner Lecture at
Miami University.
Interested in BARN OWLS?????
Highlands Nature Sanctuary in
Highlands County,
Ohio, is working to secure
land that includes at least
one barn owl nest site. To learn more, go to
<<www.highlandssanctuary.org>>
and look up
Ridgeview Farm.
FIELD TRIPS, WORKSHOPS, & MORE!
SILVOOR WILDFLOWER WALKS
For guided views of the
wildflowers in the Silvoor
Biological Sanctuary, meet
Sundays, April 13 and
April 27, 2 PM at the Pfeffer
Park shelter house just
off Rt. 27 coming into Oxford
from the south.
BIRDING & BEYOND WORKSHOP
is Sunday, May 4, from 1 to 4
PM at the Hueston
Woods Nature Center. Practice your birding skills
AND learn how to attract more
birds into your view
by making your yard a
welcoming habitat. Contact
Ann Geddes at 513-756-9063 to
register.
BIRD BANDING
Tim Tolford invites you to
join him as he bands birds
at Gilmore Ponds: April 19; May 3, 4, 10, 17, 18,
24, 25, and 31. He sets the nets about 5:45 AM,
does the first check around
7, and closes up shop by
noon. Let him know you are coming and get
directions at
<<TolfordTK@aol.com>>.
Look for
other information and
birdbanding opportunities at
<<www.tolford.com/birdband.htm>>
and
<<http://www.aves.net/obba/>>.
GILMORE PONDS/RIVERSIDE
NATURAL
AREA Saturday, March 22. Carpool from Meijer’s
in Hamilton at 7 AM. All day in diverse wildlife
habitat. Contact Chuck Holliday at 513.863.6223
or
<<chuck76029@aol.com>>.
FOSSIL HUNTING Saturday, April 5. Hueston
Woods State Park. Carpool from Oxford Wal-Mart
parking lot at 9 AM. Geologist Joe Marak will
introduce you to ancient
crinoids, brachiopods, and
more! Contact Joe Marak at 513.523.3058 or
<<marakjh@muohio.edu>>.
CINCINNATI ZOO! Saturday, April 12.
Pre-register by April 4. Explore the world’s
biodiversity and particularly
its birds. Admission
fee. Limit: 20. Contact Casey Tucker at
513.664.4011 or
<<tuckercj@muohio.edu>>.
SPRING VALLEY WILDLIFE
AREA/CAESAR
CREEK STATE PARK Saturday, April 26.
Carpool from Oxford Wal-Mart
lot at 7 AM. A
great opportunity to see
early spring birds and
maybe an endangered spotted
turtle or massasaugua
rattlesnake!. Contact Casey Tucker at
513.664.4011 or
<<tuckercj@muohio.edu>>.
AUDUBON BIRDAY PARTY
--CELEBRATING CONSERVATION
Saturday, April 26. Meet near Hueston Woods
State Park Nature Center from
noon to 3 PM. It’s
National Audubon’s
birthday, and we are honoring
area conservationists and
members, and celebrating
HWSP’s recognition as
an Important Bird Area.
Cake, ice cream, door prizes,
and lots of fun things
to do, such as bird kite
making (and flying if there’s
wind), and pin the tail on
the bird. And you'll surely
want to see and hear the
Statehooded Warbler in
this Ohio Bicentennial
year. Contact Debra Bowles
at 513.523.3740 or
<<studios@artallover.com>>.
BIRDATHON May
3-11. Help raise money for
Bird Blind improvements at
Hueston Woods State
Park Nature Center. Hook up with a team of birders
or pre-register yourself to
count as many species of
birds as possible within the
count days. Supporters
pledge amount of money per
species seen or as set
donation. To count or donate contact Bill Heck
at
513.523.7715 or
<<heckwc@muohio.edu>>.
WARBLER WALK Saturday, May
10. Carpool
to south of Connersville,
Indiana, from Oxford
Wal-Mart at 9 AM. Spend a leisurely morning
exploring the secret lives of
warblers, the
neo-tropical jewels of North
America, at Kathy
Hunter’s and Ron
Huffmeier’s farm. Contact
Debra
Bowles at 513.523.3740
or studios@artallover.com
FROM THE PRESIDENT
What an exciting year this
will be for Audubon
Miami Valley! Yes, that’s right: we start 2003
with
a new name that better
reflects our increasing
presence in Southwest
Ohio. Members at the
general meeting on February 3
strongly endorsed the
change from the Oxford
Audubon Society to
Audubon Miami Valley.
Speaking of programs, this
season’s lineup has been
outstanding. Special thanks to Hardy Eshbaugh
who, with help from Dave
Barrett, arranged this
season’s outstanding
program schedule. Thane
Maynard, the “90 Second
Naturalist,” regaled the
February crowd with his
tales. Thane also brought
along a couple of his animal
friends. All of us had a
chance to pet a Three-Banded
Armadillo and an
American Alligator.
We have loads of exciting
times coming up, too.
Just peruse the Calendar of
Events and Field Trip
pages! Whether it’s at an AMV meeting,
on a field
trip, or just rambling around
our beautiful natural
areas here in Southwestern
Ohio, I hope to see you
soon!
--Bill Heck, AMV President
CONTACT US TO KEEP IN CONTACT
E-mail PR Guru Debra Bowles
at
studios@artallover.com
if you want the latest info
electronically.
ELECTION OF OFFICERS
The Nominating Committee is
preparing a slate of
candidates for elections at
our annual meeting in
May. Positions include those of President,
Vice-President, Secretary,
Treasurer, and three
members at large of the Board
of Directors. If you
would like to suggest
someone, please contact Jim
Reid, Chair of the Nominating
Committee, at
<reidyou@aol.com> or (513)
523-4803.
NEW SECRETARY OF AMV
We welcome Tim Tolford as the
new Secretary of
the AMV Board. Tim lives in Hamilton, Ohio, with
his wife Carrie and daughter
Sophia, eight months
old. Tim has been a youth director and an
elementary music teacher.
Currently, he operates a
part-time handyman business
while enjoying
full-time responsibilities as
a stay-at-home-dad.
Tim has had a long love
affair with birds. His
interest began in the late
‘70s as a youngster and
continued through college at
Ohio Northern
University where he signed up
for an ornithology
course in 1988. The professor of the course held a
Master Permit to band birds
and introduced Tim to
the Ohio Bird Banders
Association. Tim was hooked
forever after! From this point on, and until he began
banding on his own, he
volunteered often at many
banding stations around Ohio
and has now banded
more than 1,000 birds. He has also made a number
of presentations to many ages
of students on the
subject of bird banding.
Tim is a member of Black
Swamp Bird Observatory,
President of Ohio Bird
Banding Association
(OBBA), and member of
Association of Field
Ornithologists (AFO).
We welcome Tim to our Chapter
and thank him for
taking on the role of
Secretary.
--Jim Reid, AMV Vice
President
HELP WANTED!
Audubon Miami Valley needs
YOU! Can you help
with any of the following?
· We
are working to strengthen our membership
and development areas. Are you interested in
the “back room”
operations of an organization?
Here’s your chance to
participate.
· And
speaking of membership, we need to
develop a membership
database. If you have
database experience and can
help out, please
give us a call.
We always are looking for
those interested in
participating in any
fashion. So whether you have
minutes, hours, or days to
contribute, please contact
Jim Reid at 523-4803 or
<reidyou@aol.com>, or get
in touch with any of our
officers or committee
chairs, to discuss the
possibilities.
BIRDING AND BEYOND
December 7 dawned cool and
grey, but the weather
was not a factor for those
attending the initial
session of the Birding and
Beyond Workshop. At
the comfy Bird Blind area at
Hueston Woods Nature
Center, participants came to
meet fellow novice
birders, learn common winter
birds, and test their
skills as well as participate
in bird crafts and hot
cider ‘n cookies.
As a result of a strategy
session last year, your local
Audubon Board formalized a
commitment to
sponsor a minimum of two
workshops a year for
beginning birders. Several of us who had asked
folks to come join last
year’s Christmas Bird Count
had received feedback that
they would . . . except
they didn’t feel they
knew the birds well enough and
might feel embarrassed in a
group of “serious”
birders. Well, this workshop and others upcoming
are for them! We wanted to demonstrate to novices
that they really do know most
of the winter birds,
and if they were having
difficulties with a couple,
well, they would have several
hours of personal
attention to help them master
the tricky ones!
Debra Bowles is the creative
motivating force
behind the “For the
Birds” workshop. Her vision
is
to share with others her
passion for birds and the
environment. Various activities kept interest high
during the three hours: Talks about general birding
and selecting binoculars; a
slide show of common
birds, a skills test at the
bird blind, and an activity to
make peanut butter/corn pine
cones to take home to
entice birds to one’s
own yard.
Many handouts and fact sheets
were distributed. A
variety of books about birds
to entice further reading
over the winter months was
displayed. Bill Wilson
shared many of his
interesting bird photographs. Bill
Renwick loaned us a laptop
for searching bird
information. Andy Farrell of the Nature Center
capped the morning with a
fascinating tour for
participants of the raptor
rehabilitation facilities. We
enthusiastically want to
thank all the above, as well
as Dave Osborne and Ben
Mattox for supplying the
bird slides; Ben had prepared the slide show but
fell
victim of a last-minute
virus, as, unfortunately did
several who had registered
but had to cancel.
The next workshop, hosted by
myself, Debra
Bowles, and Chris Parker, is
planned for Sunday,
May 4, from 1 to 4 PM at the
Hueston Woods
Nature Center. We’ll continue developing birding
skills and explore what one
what one can do to
attract birds to one’s
own backyard by improving
habitat. We’ll have checklists of plants
that will
drive those feathered creatures
wild! So join us!
It’s free! It’s fun! It’s open to everyone!
--Ann Geddes, AMV
Conservation
To register contact Ann at
513-756-9063.
Thanks to
Carol Heppe
And John Blocher
for supporting AMV projects!
MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS
Members of the National
Audubon Society receive 6
issues/year of Audubon, the
best nature magazine
going. By becoming a member of NAS you
automatically become a member
of Audubon Miami
Valley!
Yes, I want to do my part in
improving the
environment and join Audubon
Miami Valley!
[ ] Individual
Membership, first time rate, $20.00!
Already A Member?
You can join the growing
circle of Friends who give
generously to Audubon Miami
Valley’s program in
Butler and Preble Counties.
Remember, your contribution
is Tax Deductible.
Contribution Enclosed:
$___________
Name
_________________________________
Address
_______________________________
City __________________ State
____ Zip ____
Make check payable to Audubon
and send to:
Liz Woedl, Membership
Audubon Miami Valley
6505 Buckley Road
Oxford, OH 45056
NORTHWEST BUTLER TRANSPORTATION STUDY
This article originally
appeared in Valley Trust
News, the newsletter of the
Three Valley
Conservation Trust, and is
reprinted with their
permission.
For the last two years,
discussions have been
underway concerning the need
for transportation
improvements in the Oxford
area, including the
possibility of a Route 27
by-pass around Oxford.
Because of the significance
of such a road to
development and environmental
protection in the
area, the Three Valley Trust
has been an active
participant in these
discussions. The Northwest
Butler Transportation Study,
led by the Ohio
Kentucky Indiana Regional
Council of
Governments, has identified
several goals, including
improving transportation
efficiency and access,
safety, and preserving the
character of the regional
landscape consistent with
land use plans. The study
is now nearing completion,
and public meetings will
be held this spring. It is essential that area residents
make their opinions known.
Studies of traffic patterns
in the area have shown
that a substantial part of
the traffic congestion in the
area now and in the future is
locally generated,
rather than simply passing
through Oxford on Route
27. This includes daily commuting to and within
Oxford, event-oriented
traffic for sports and other
University functions, and
trucks making deliveries to
the University and businesses
in Oxford. This has
two significant
implications. First, access to
Oxford
and Miami University must be
a central component
of any plan; and second, a
by-pass can have only
limited effects on traffic
problems in Oxford and its
immediate vicinity.
Several alternatives have emerged. Among these
are: 1) a variety of upgrades
to existing roadways
such as signal improvements,
lane and shoulder
width increases, etc.; 2)
re-alignment of Route 27
around Millville; 3) widening
or re-alignment of
Route 27 between Millville
and Oxford; and 4)
construction of a Route 27
by-pass around Oxford.
Considerable discussion has
focused on whether an
Oxford by-pass would go to
the north and east of
town or to the south and
west. It is now clear that a
by-pass to the north and east
would better serve the
transportation needs of the
City and the University,
largely because much of the
traffic coming to and
from Oxford comes from the
east via Route 73, and
a bypass on the southwest
side of the city would not
serve that traffic. In addition, continued
development on the south and
west of Oxford would
force a new road to be placed
farther from the city
and thus be less likely to
divert traffic from Oxford.
It is equally clear that a
by-pass to the north and east
would have major
environmental consequences,
including two crossings of
the Four Mile valley, and
considerable stimulus to
residential and commercial
growth to the northeast of
Oxford.
We have come to a critical
point in the
decision-making process. In the simplest terms, we
need to choose between
building another new road
that will generate traffic
and encourage sprawl, and
finding solutions that
encourage more sustainable
forms of transportation. Two public meetings are
planned for this spring at
which citizens are
encouraged to express their
views. The dates of
these meetings are not yet
known. We urge you to
attend these meetings and
make your feelings
known.
--Bill Renwick
Watch for announcements of
meetings in early
April and June. Check
or call the
Butler County
Engineer’s Office at (513)
867-5744 or (513) 424-9144.
CRANE CREEK SAFARI--WOW !!!!!
Oxford Audubon’s annual
Crane Creek birding trip
last May 2002 was cold, wet,
and wonderful. Led
by Casey Tucker, ornithology
grad student at Miami
University, our group
numbered a dozen with
birding expertise spanning
beginner to professional.
Preparatory material was put
into our hands well
before the event. We even had a “Spring
Primer” by
Dave Russell. I had doubts about this trip having
much value for me with sooo
much info packed into
such a short time; little did
I know we were in for an
awesome experience!
Crane Creek State Park and
Magee Marsh Wildlife
Area ride Ohio’s
northernmost edge lapped by Lake
Erie’s southern
waves. Both before and after
grueling migratory flights
across the big water, birds
gather here for major fueling
and rest. Prior to
European settlement this
Black Swamp provided
birds with millions of acres
of marsh wetland
crawling with juicy insect
larvae. Today’s drained
agricultural and developed
areas leave few such
places. The preserves are
therefore internationally
famous for seasonal
concentrations of birds, and the
region is fully equipped to
make watching them
enjoyable and
successful. It’s an effort
appreciated
by both people AND birds.
An Information Center and
displays at the actual
birdwatching area get you
oriented. You then step
up onto a raised, miles-long
boardwalk meandering
into woods and marshes and
beaches protected from
further development. You step into a world of birds
so close–up that
binoculars are often unnecessary.
We drove from place to place,
then walked at many
locations, and our hard work
was richly rewarded
We saw well over 100 species
during the three days.
The majority were firsts for
me: Warblers in
Cerulean blue, brilliant
yellow, rich chestnut and
black and white; a beautiful
Sora Rail; a nesting
Woodcock; a secluded Screech
Owl we could have
touched; an absolutely
elegant Green Heron with
trailing plume; and a
Phalarope. Stunningly brilliant
Scarlet Tanagers perched in
rare shafts of afternoon
sunlight, and Bald Eagles
treated us to their
magnificence. Despite dreary weather, these Aves
had to fuel themselves so
they busily went about it.
The entire countryside
welcomes birders with
billboards and banners of
special deals for food and
lodging. Sometimes we
brown-bagged it; other
times we ate full hot meals
at restaurants. Our
lodgings at Camp Perry were
entirely adequate and
comfortable. We called it home base and made
friends: Birders are interesting people!
Now, a year later, I realize
it was truly a life-altering
experience. Here at home, for example, many of the
same warblers at Crane Creek
migrate right through
Butler and Preble Counties
since we are in the thick
of the Warbler Belt. In the past I simply wasn’t able
to identify those flitting
jewels of color. Now I know
they’re here, have seen
and identified and talked
about them, and thanks to
Audubon and the Crane
Creek trip people, I’m
enjoying them much more.
--Debra Bowles
ORPHANED BABY ANIMALS?
If you find a baby critter
this spring, resist the urge
to “help”
it. If its eyes are opened,
chances are its
parent(s) are nearby and
waiting for you to go away.
If its eyes are closed,
chances are it won’t survive
anyway. For species specific information,
contact:
Second Chance Wildlife, (513)
875-3433 and (513)
624-9763; or Hueston Woods
Nature Center, (513)
524-4250.
SPRING EARTHKEEPING HINTS
Empty frozen-juice cans and
those plastic dippers in
laundry detergents make great
seed-starting pots.
ANSWER TO LAST ISSUE’S “WHO SAID IT?”
“When we dropped in on
an Audubon meeting 20
years ago, we were greeted by
Liz Woedl, who was
so friendly that I got
hooked. The OAS has given
me the opportunity to do my
small part to promote
environmental awareness and
conservation.” John
Blocher, former President,
Newsletter Editor, and
current Treasurer.
OXFORD CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT
Moderate weather (30-38
degrees F and partly
cloudy skies) seemed to limit
the numbers of both
birds and counters on our
count day, Saturday,
December 14, 2002. Here are the pertinent facts:
23 participants (32
in 2001) Record 51
58 species (65
in 2001) Record 74
5,181 birds Past
9-year average: 7,143.
Thanks to the counters: Debra Bowles, Al Cady,
Jim Clark, Susie Crate,
Sharon Edwards, Hardy and
Barb Eshbaugh, Ann Geddes,
Bill Heck, Chuck
Holliday, Jack Keegan, Dave
Osborne, Bill Pratt,
Jim Reid, Larry and Leslye
Sherman, Ryan Stander,
Beverly Thomas, Casey Tucker,
Carolyn and Ernie
Wengler, Ray White, and Bill
Wilson; and to the
feederwatchers who reported
in throughout the day:
Robert Drake and Bruce
Magurn. And many thanks
to Liz Woedl and all the
others who brought the
great food; Debra Bowles who
made the re-usable
cloth napkins; and Ryan
Stander and Miami
University for allowing us to
use their great Ecology
Research Center.
For further Oxford records,
see AMV’s website at
http://www.orgs.muohio.edu/audubonmiamivalley/xmas2002_birdcount-93-02.html
and see
for North America results.
--Larry Sherman, AMV compiler
and website manager
THINK SPRING, AND THINK HONEYSUCKLE DAYS!
Once again hearty volunteers
are needed to tackle
the dreaded duo, honeysuckle
and garlic mustard,
strangling our schools’
nature areas. This is a great
reliever of stress, cabin
fever, and many other
ailments! Come Saturday, March 29, behind
Marshall School (Route 27
south of Oxford) 10 am
to 2 pm. On Saturday, April 5, 10 to 2, meet
behind
Kramer School (400 W.
Sycamore St., Oxford).
Bring work gloves, shovels,
lunch or snack and
come for all or part of the
day. Wear long-sleeved
work clothes, boots, and
other gear for the weather.
Children must bring an adult
as a work partner.
To learn about and improve
wildlife habitat the
students will plant native
trees, shrubs, and
wildflowers later. Contributions to their efforts are
greatly appreciated (and tax
deductible!) and can be
made payable to EMU at
“Seedling Fund,” 5431
Tallawanda Lane, Oxford, Ohio
45056. Contact the
Environmental Mobile Unit
(EMU) at 523-9849 for
more information.
AUDUBON MIAMI VALLEY
A CHAPTER OF THE NATIONAL
AUDUBON SOCIETY
P.O. BOX 556
OXFORD, OH 45056
Published quarterly by
AUDUBON MIAMI
VALLEY, P.O. Box 556, Oxford,
Ohio 45056.
FOX TALES deadlines are the
15th of February,
May, August, and
November. Send contributions to
Sharon Edwards, AMV Ed., P.O.
Box 556, Oxford,
Ohio 45056.
AUDUBON MIAMI VALLEY OFFICERS
and CHAIRS
(all in the 513 area code)
President Bill Heck 523-7715
Vice-Pres. Jim Reid 523-4803
Treasurer John Blocher 524-7490
Secretary Tim Tolford
Members Chuck Holliday 863-6223
At Large* Barb Eshbaugh 523-8305
Conservation Ann
Geddes 756-9063
Chris
Parker* 422-8642
Education Alan Cady 727-3258
Field Trips Casey Tucker 664-4011
Membership Liz Woedl 523-1782
Newsletter Sharon Edwards 523-9849
Programs Dave Barrett 524-8561
Hardy
Eshbaugh 523-8305
Publicity Debra Bowles 523-3740
Questions, concerns, and
suggestions are welcome.
Paper for this newsletter
donated by:
International Paper
Hamilton Mill
20% Post-Consumer Recycled
Content
Thank You!