Just A Chirp

Grosse Pointe Audubon

Winter 2015

Twitter, Twitter...
From The President:
Happy New Year! Its going to be a busy winter
and spring for Grosse Pointe Audubon, and I hope to
see you at many of our events. Besides our usual
meetings, bird walks and the birding challenge, we
have two special programs planned.
Prior to the Jan. 26 meting, we will host a Grosse
Pointe Audubon Garage Sale during our social hour.
Rosann Kovalcik has donated two boxes of bird
books, and I have some additional things that Ive collected over the years. Bring any related items you
want to get rid of. We will put them on sale, with all
proceeds going to Grosse Pointe Audubon. Buy early,
buy often, and please dont forget to bring cash or
check!
On March 22, we will be hosting a birds of prey
program at the Grosse Pointe War Memorial. Francie
Krawcke of the Leslie Science and Nature Center in
Ann Arbor will be bringing birds of prey, and a redtailed hawk will fly across the War Memorials ballroom!

Vehicle Window Decals

New Grosse Pointe Audubon decals are available
now for $1.00 purchase. See below left.
Tweet, Tweet!
Put all the bird jokes aside, because I have something serious to announce: I really love Twitter, the
social media site.
Yes, I know there are any number of inherent jokes
in my announcement Twitter, birders, birds I
get it. But unlike most people, I dont want to Tweet
about my political beliefs, catch up on the latest celebrity gossip or see the latest video of a cat riding a vacuum cleaner. I am addicted to Twitter because it is a
tool that gives me access to more information about
birds and their behavior than I have ever had before.
Every morning when I log on, there, in 160 characters or less, are updates from the British Ornithological Union. Throughout the day, I get Tweets from the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the American Ornithologists Union, the Wilson Ornithological Society,
Bob Mulvihill, the noted Pennsylvania-based bird
bander who is Annie Crarys mentor, the editors of
BirdWatching Magazine, the Smithsonian Migratory
Bird Center, Kenn Kaufman, birding guru and field
guide author, and others. Many of the
More on Page 2

Winter Schedule
Cut out this schedule and put it on your refrigerator to help you remember these important dates.
Remember, Grosse Pointe Audubon meets the fourth Monday
of the month in January and February to avoid conflict with the national holidays.

Jan. 26 Meeting Birding Costa Ricas Osa Peninsula, Mark OKeefe.

Feb. 23 Meeting St. Clair-Detroit River System Initiative: Establishing Priorities for Coordinated Action 2015-2023,
Michelle Selzer of the Michigan DEQ
March 16 Meeting My Really Big Year, Michael Kielb
March 22 Grosse Pointe Audubon is sponsoring, Adaptions for Flight by the Leslie Science and Nature Center in
the Grosse Pointe War Memorial ballroom. 2 pm, $7 adults, $6 children.

PAGE 1

posts include a link to a longer article on a webpage.

As I write this, in just the past week, Ive learned:
That this falls snowy owl invasion is not as
widespread as the invasion of 2013. The 2014 invasion is centered on the Great Lakes region and
the northeastern United States.
That the endangered red cockaded woodpeckers
build their nests exclusively in pine trees infected
with a fungus so the extra-thick sap will discourage
tree snakes from raiding their nests.
That wood ducks are the only species of duck
in North America that regularly produces two
broods.
At 63 years old, the Laysan Albatross named
Wisdom is the worlds oldest known bird. She recently returned to the Midway Atoll in the Pacific
Ocean to her longtime mate. Shortly after returning,
she laid and egg that is expected to hatch in February.
That birds have low-frequency hearing and can
hear the approach of storms. Writing in Current Biology, two biologists noticed that Golden-winged
Warblers abandoned their nests in the Appalachian
Mountains 24 hours prior to a major tornado outbreak and flew about 1,500 miles south before returning to their nesting areas after the storm. The
biologists were able to follow the birds movements
because the birds had been mounted with geolocators as part of a separate experiment. The researchers believe that the warblers were tipped off to the
pending storm by their low-frequency hearing,
which is well beyond the range of what humans can
hear.

birds to sing are similar to those that humans use to

communicate, then birds and humans have more in
common than we previously thought. It turns out we
both have a desire to Tweet. And thats no joke.
Bird walks at the Ford House
Join Rosann Kovalcik for bird walks at the Edsel
and Eleanor Ford House on Jan. 24, Feb. 28 and
March 28. All walks start at 8 a.m. There is a fee, and
a reservation is recommended. Call (313) 884-4222 to
reserve your spot.
Winter Schedule
On January 26 we will be Birding Costa Ricas
Osa Peninsula with Mark
OKeefe. Costa Rica is the size
of West Virginia, but has nearly
as many bird species as Canada
and the USA combined. Osa Peninsula is the most untamed and
uninhabited part of Costa Rica,
and is a birders paradise. Find
out how many life birds Mark
added to his life list.
Our Feb. 23 meeting
program is entitled, St. ClairDetroit River System Initiative: Establishing Priorities
for Coordinated Action 2015-2023 Michelle Selzer of
the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality will join us to
on the St. Clair-Detroit River System Initiative to talk about the effort to restore portions of southern
Lake Huron, the St. Clair River,
Lake St. Clair, the Detroit River, and western Lake
Erie to a thriving ecosystem with a science-based and
broad social support management plan.
And on March 16 Michael Kielb will present My
Really Big Year. Some people try to see how many
birds they can count in a single year. Kielb decided to
try something else. Instead he cataloged every living
thing he could find during 2014, which included butterflies, moths, dragonflies, plants, and fungi. For the
total number of species seen in his Really Big Year,
don't miss this intriguing talk.

Twitter also brought me a fascinating article about

avian evolution, published in The Independent in the
United Kingdom. The article outlined how all birds
today can be traced back to a group of feathered dinosaurs that survived the mass extinction of their giant
relatives 65 million years ago to evolve relatively rapidly into a class of egg-laying animals with two legs
and feathered wings.
The article went on to say that a major point in avian evolution came about 161 million years ago when
birds lost their teeth and grew an avian beak, and analysis of avian DNA found that the genes used by birds Pay your dues
They say you get more with honey than vinegar, so
to sing are the same kind of genes are involved in huhere goes: If you havent done so, please pay your
man speech.
So, what does this tell me? If the genes used by
dues. Or else Im sending a bee after you.

PAGE 2

Seven Ponds Nature Center

Call (810) 796-3200 to register for programs, and check
sevenponds.org for more information. Unless otherwise
noted, the fee for programs is the regular admission,
$3.00 adults, members and children 12 and under are
free.
Some of the things Seven Ponds offers:
Behind the Scenes at Seven Ponds
Sunday, December 7, 2:00 p.m. More info at website.
Winter Bird Walk #1
Wednesday, December 10, 8:00 a.m. More info at website.
Natural Wreath Workshop
Thursday, December 11, 10:00 a.m. More info at website.
A Crisp New Year
Sunday, January 4, 2:00 p.m. More info at website.
Snowshoe Walk
Sunday, January 11, 2:00 p.m. More info at website.
Tracking Walk
Sunday, January 18, 2:00 pm
Winter is the best time to see evidence of animal activity written upon newly fallen snow.
Winter Series #1
Sunday, January 25, 2:00 p.m.
Farming in Michigan More info at website.
Winter Bird Walk #2
Wednesday, January 28, 8:00 a.m.
By this date the lakes are usually frozen and winter is
well established at the nature center. It is an excellent
day to look for wintering finches and other winter residents. We will start our morning watching the feeders
over hot beverages, and then walk some of the trails in
search of such species as eastern bluebird, American
robin, hermit thrush, and golden-crowned kinglet. Bring
binoculars and field guide, and dress for the weather.
Fee: $3.00 per person (no charge members).

Winterfest
Saturday, January 31, 10:00 a.m. 3:00 p.m.
Bonfire on the ice, ice cutting, mammal tracking, snowshoe walks, cross country skiing, and ice skating, inside
childrens crafts. Includes a campfire lunch of a hot dog,
chips, and hot chocolate too! Bring your own skates and
cross country skis or try out the centers snowshoes.
More info at website.
Winter Series #2
Sunday, February 1, 2:00 p.m.
Signs of Insects More info at website.
Snow Moon
Saturday, February 7, 7:00 9:00 p.m.
Night hike, listen for signs of wildlife. We will end the
walk around a nice cozy fire. Fee: $5.00 per person
($3.00 non-member.) Please pre-register by February 2
by calling the nature center.
Winter Series #3
Sunday, February 8, 2:00 p.m.
Build Your Own Ecosystem More info at website.
Winter Series #4
Sunday, February 15, 2:00 p.m.
History tour of a long gone community, the Lapeer State
Home and Training School and Michigan home for the
Feeble Minded and Epileptics More info at website.
Winter Series #5
Sunday, February 22, 2:00 p.m.
Natures Superheroes More info at website.
Winter Bird Walk #3
Wednesday, February 25, 8:00 a.m.
By this date, days are getting longer and year-around
resident birds such as chickadees, titmice, and cardinals
are singing on sunny days. There may also be enough
open water for ducks and possibly the first wave of
blackbirds. Today we will begin our watching inside, enjoying hot beverages while we watch for winter finches
and other feeder birds. We will then take a late winter
walk in search of a variety of species. Bring binoculars
and field guide, and dress for the weather. Fee: $3.00
(no charge member).

PAGE 3

Just A Chirp

WINTER 2015

About Grosse Pointe Audubon

Bill Rapai, president, (313)-885-6502 or BRapai@aol.com
Trina Bressler Matous, vice president, tbressler@aol.com
Mark OKeefe, treasurer, (313) 8847472 or imokruok2@aol.com
Anna Wuerfel, secretary, wuerf2@netzero.net
Joanna Pease, representative to Seven Ponds Nature Center, strixvaria@sbcglobal.net

Go to www.gpaudubon.blogspot.com for an online copy of Just A Chirp, membership

form, rules for the G.P. Birding Challenge in the spring, and more.
Keep up with other Grosse Pointe birders (and Like us) on Facebook!
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