Just A Chirp

Grosse Pointe Audubon Spring 2014

Its a flick about Flickers!

From The President Okay, Ill say it: I need a break from PowerPoint. After giving so many on the Kirtlands Warbler over the last three years, and sitting through many at Kirtlands Warbler Recovery Team meetings and the recent MiBCI meeting, I am PowerPointed out. Which is why I am looking forward to Aprils meeting so much: No PowerPoint. Yeah! Instead, we will be watching the documentary Birders: The Central Park E!ec". This award!winning documentary celebrates birding and birders in New York Citys Central Park. And there will be popcorn! Oh, yes, there will be popcorn. Annual Meeting, Annual Appeal The April meeting will also serve as Grosse Pointe Audubons annual meeting to elect o"cers. If you would like to increase your activity level in Grosse Pointe Audubon, please consider running for o"ce. We will be voting for president, vice president, secretary and treasurer. Volunteer to lead so your president doesnt have to manufacture a scandal that will #nally$ get him thrown out of o"ce. Please! Sign up for GP Birding Challenge Set your calendar now, and join Grosse Pointe Audubon on Wednesday, May 7, for the ninth annual Grosse Pointe Birding Challenge. At 5 a.m. sharp, teams will start scouring the Grosse Pointe communities for as many bird species as they can count. Tabulation takes place at noon at Panera Bread in the Village, and the winner takes home a trophy and a feeling of smug superiority. Join a team for the entire morning or just for an hour. All are welcome, even if you live outside of the Grosse Pointes. Sign up for a team at the April
See From The President, Page 2

Spring Schedule
Cut out this schedule and put it on your refrigerator to help you remember these important dates.
April 14 Movie Night! Instead of a speaker, Grosse Pointe Audubon will show the birding documentary Birders: The Central Park Effect. This meeting will also serve at our annual meeting for election of ofcers. May 7 Grosse Pointe Birding Challenge. More information above. April 29, May 6, 13, 20 Bird walks at Country Club of Detroit. 6:30-8 a.m. More information on Page 2. May 10 Our annual eld trip to Seven Ponds Nature Center. Come help us gather data for the International Migratory Bird Count. More information on Page 2. May 13 Bird Walk at Patterson Park. 6:30 p.m. More information on Page 2.

From The President, from Page 1 14 meeting. O"cial rules are posted at gpaudubon.blogspot.com. Annual Seven Ponds Trip Our annual trip to Seven Ponds is set for Saturday, May 10. Meet at the Nature Center at 10 a.m. for a naturalist!led bird walk. We will be gathering data for the North American Migratory Count, which is also being held that day. Meet at the Nature Center for a 10 a.m. walk led by Mike Champagne. Bird Walks at the Country Club Join us at 6:30 a.m. on April 29, May 6, 13 and 20 for bird walks at the Country Club of Detroit. We meet at the stand of trees down the service road that runs down the hill to the left of the clubhouse. All walks must end by 8 a.m. Wear waterproof shoes! Bird Walk at Patterson Park Join us on Tuesday, May 13, for an evening bird walk at Patterson Park in Grosse Pointe Park. We will meet in the parking lot at 6:30 p.m. and will walk the park for about 90 minutes. Of all of the Grosse Pointe parks along the lake, Patterson is, by far, the best for birding. Well likely nd terns, swallows and orioles. In years past weve had hummingbirds, tanagers and rare warblers, including the hard! to!nd Mourning Warbler. Dress for the weather, of course, and consider wearing waterproof shoes, even if it hasnt rained in a couple of days. Register for Tawas Point Birding Festival Registration is open for the annual Tawas Point Birding Festival in East Tawas. This year, the festival is billing itself as the Biggest Little Festival in America. Theres a certain truth to that. The Biggest Week in American Birding goes 10 days and attracts people from all over the world. The Tawas Point festival lasts only four days, has far fewer people, but the area has far, far more species of birds! The festival is scheduled for May 15!18, and among the speakers are Sharon Birdchick Stiteler and Tom Stephenson and Scott Whittle, the authors of The W arbler Guide. Seriously, instead of driving to Magee Marsh and ghting the crowds in the parking lot and on the boardwalk, consider Tawas Point. More information is available at tawasbirdfest.com. New for 2014 is the birding and biking tour of Iosco County. The tour will be led by Josh Hass, president of the Battle Creek Brigham Audubon. The tour will start at Gateway Park in East Tawas, go around Tawas Bay and follow the Lake Huron shoreline north to the famous Tuttle Marsh. Lunch will be provided while birding Tuttle Marsh before returning to Gateway Park. Birding all the way, of course. Bring your own bike. Ink cartridges = ! We want your ink cartridges and old cell phones! Please bring these items to our meetings and deposit them in the box on the table by the front door. Your waste will be recycled for cash that will help keep Grosse Pointe Audubon in the black. Epson, Canon, Lexmark and HP ink and laser cartridges are accepted.

Seven Ponds Nature Center

Call (810) 796-3200 for more information or to register for programs. Saginaw Bay Birding Wednesday, April 2, 7:30 am to 4:30 pm Today we will head north to Fish Point and other areas on Saginaw Bay in search of tundra swans, ducks and geese, raptors, and other early migrating birds. We may also get to see such lingering winter residents as snowy owl, northern shrike, and Lapland longspur. Well make a day of it, stopping for lunch along the way. Some participants may be required to drive. Bring binoculars, eld guide, snacks, and spotting scope if you have one. Dress for the weather. Please pre-register. $18.00 ($15.00 member). Woodland Wildower Workday Friday, April 4, 1 pm Come help us ready the Woodland Wildower Area for the beautiful array of blossoms that will be coming our way soon. Fulll Master Gardener Hours. Dessert and Discover: Invasive Plants Sunday, April 6, 2 pm This afternoons discussion will focus on identifying and learning how to manage nonnative, invasive plants in your yards. During the program we will enjoy a fabulous dessert and we will nish the program off with a walk to see many of the plants up-close and personal. Please pre-register. Botanical Easter Eggs Sunday, April 13, 2 pm Sign up to learn this old-fashioned way of coloring Easter eggs. Wrapped in owers and leaves and soaked in a natural dye, these beautiful eggs are sure to become a yearly tradition in your house. Pre-registration is required. Ages 12 and up. $5.00 ($2.00 members). Invasive Plant Workdays Sunday, April 20, 1 pm Thursday, April 24, 2 pm We will spend the afternoon working on removing garlic mustard. This a great opportunity for community service hours and master gardener hours. Bring gloves and water. Owl Prowl Thursday, April 24, 7 pm Our owl prowl will begin indoors with a short talk about the owls of Michigan. Well then hike along the trails in hopes of calling in one or more of the centers resident owls. Bring a ashlight. This program is limited to 25 participants. Please pre-register. $5.00 ($3.00 member). Salamander Foray Saturday and Sunday, April 19-20, 2 pm Join us for a salamander day of discovery at Jonathan Woods. We will be looking for many examples of the six species that reside in the rich woods while learning about their natural history and conservation. Meet at Seven Ponds and carpool to the site. Limit 12 at each session. Please pre-register. $3.00 per adult, $1.00 per child (members free). Spring Bird Walk Wednesday, April 30, 8 am This walk will take us in search of year-around resident birds and those that have already come back from the south, including sandhill cranes, ducks, swallows, eastern bluebirds, eastern towhees, blackbirds, and others. All bird watching levels are welcome. Bring binoculars, eld guide, and dress for the weather. $3.00 (no charge for members). NatureFest and Native Plant Sale Saturday, May 3, 9 am to 5pm An annual day of family fun.

JUST A CHIRP%

SPRING 2014

About Grosse Pointe Audubon

Bill Rapai, president, (313) 885-6502 or BRapai@aol.com Sylvia Sanders, vice president, (313) 886-0869 Mark OKeefe, treasurer, (313) 884-7472 or Birds891357@aol.com Joanna Pease, representative to Seven Ponds Nature Center, strixvaria@sbcglobal.net www.gpaudubon.blogspot.com http://www.facebook.com/pages/Grosse-Pointe-Audubon/145490528869148 Grosse Pointe Audubon meets in the Annex of the Pointe Unitarian Church at 17150 Maumee, between St. Clair and Neff in Grosse Pointe. Social hour starts at 7 p.m. and the meeting starts at 7:30. Our meetings are free and open to all, so bring a friend!

Grosse Pointe Audubon 443 St. Clair Grosse Pointe, MI 48230