Just A Chirp

Grosse Pointe Audubon Winter 2011

The Gulls of Winter

I got a call from an old co-worker the
other day. He had noticed something unusual
going on on Lake St. Clair.
“Have you seen all the birds on the lake
this winter? What’s going on?’ he wondered.
I had seen the birds, too -- at 35 mph
while driving up Lake Shore to get one kid or
another to some urgent appointment. I had
also noticed there seemed to be an unusual
number of gulls on the lake -- more gulls than
ducks! -- but it didn’t sink in until a couple of
days ago when I finally got a chance to grab
my scope and head for the pier at Neff Park.
Holy cow, there were gulls! Thousands of
them!
There are usually very few gulls around in
January and February. That’s because as the
the lake freezes over the gulls move farther
See From The President, Page 2 A Ring-billed Gull on Lake St. Clair.

Winter Schedule
Jan. 24—Maximize Your Memory! Do you have trouble remembering field marks of
certain bird species? Or maybe you’re just tired of trying to remember where you put your
car keys. Join Nancy Piatek for a seminar on how to improve your memory.
Feb. 28—Spiders and Their Kin. Join Cara Shillington, an associate professor of biology
at Eastern Michigan University, for a program on the fascinating world of arachnids. Dr.
Shillington will cover common spider characteristics, including web spinning and prey
capture, with an emphasis on local spiders.
March 21-—The Journey of Cranes. Join Gary Siegrist from Michigan Audubon’s Phyllis
Haehnle Memorial Sanctuary for a program on the Sandhill Crane, the oldest living bird
species in the world. Each fall the Haehnle Sanctuary is a resting place for thousands of
Sandhill Cranes as they stage for their migration to Florida for the winter. This species has
made an amazing comeback from the 1940s, when there were just 27 pairs in Michigan.
April 18—To Be Announced. Look for details in the spring newsletter.

PAGE 1
 From The President, from Page 1
south to where there’s open water or inland to
a landfill in search of easy food. So, why were
all the gulls here?
The answer came in an email for Andy
Hartz, a Grosse Pointe resident and employee
of the Michigan Department of Natural
Resources and Environment. Andy says that
the large number of gulls is the result of an
unprecedented number of gizzard shad -- a
type of fish -- in Lake St. Clair this winter.
The gizzard shad hatch in huge numbers
during warmer-than-usual summers.
Unfortunately, because the first-year fish are
not very hardy, they die when the weather
turns cold. According to the DNRE, as many
as 98 percent of the first-year fish die off! So
this year the lake has a large number of small
dead fish that has attracted an unusual number
of gulls and ducks that are now feasting on the
dead fish.
Even though we seem to constantly abuse
it, I am always amazed at how Lake St. Clair
remains a living ecosystem that is capable of
inspiring awe and marvel.
Bad President!
Let me apologize for being such a lousy
president over the past few months. The
website has not been updated much and this
newsletter is a bit late. But I have a good
reason: I’ve completed my Kirtland’s warbler
book and have turned the manuscript over to
University of Michigan Press for publication in
the spring of 2012.
Now that that little issue is out of the way,
I can give Grosse Pointe Audubon 100 percent
of my attention -- right after I finish painting
my daughter’s room.
Winter Meetings
Seriously, though, I’m excited about the
speakers for our winter meetings. The year gets
started with a visit from Nancy Piatek of
Nursing Unlimited to do a program on how to
Spiders -- like this jumping spider -- will be
the topic of our February meeting. Don’t
worry, it won’t jump off the page.
improve your memory. I know this speaker is a
little outside the box, but her message is just as
applicable to remembering the differences
between a Purple Finch and a House Finch as it
is to where you put your car keys.
I’m particularly excited about our February
speaker, Cara Shillington, because she will be
here to talk about spiders.
Bird Walks at the Ford House
Start your new year off right! Join Rosann
Kovalcik for walks on Feb. 12, March 12 and
April 16. All walks are at 8 a.m. except April’s,
which will start at 7:30. There is a $7 fee. Call
(313) 884-4222 to register.
Dues
If you received a second dues notice with
this newsletter, well, you know what to do. If
you did not receive a dues notice, well, smile
with pride.
Ink cartridges = $
We want your ink cartridges and old cell
phones! Please bring these items to our
meetings and deposit them in the box. Your
waste will be recycled for cash that will help
keep Grosse Pointe Audubon in the black.
PAGE 2
 Seven Ponds Nature Center
Call (810) 796-3200 for more information or to
register for programs.
The Underworld of Snow
Sunday, January 16, 2:00 p.m.
What may seem like a quiet blanket of snow is
actually an environment full of life. We will
discover the action under the snow on this
walk.
Winter Bird Walk
Wednesday, January 19, 8:00 a.m.
Bring binoculars and field guide, and dress for
the weather. Fee: $5 ($3 members).
WinterFest
Saturday, January 22, 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Join us for our annual, good old fashioned
winter fun day. Included is a bonfire on the ice,
ice cutting, snowshoe lacing demonstrations,
mammal tracking, snowshoe walks, cross
country skiing, and ice skating. Inside will be
children’s crafts; bring a t-shirt, sweatshirt, or
pillowcase to decorate with animal tracks.
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 center’s
snowshoes. In case of snow and/or ice
shortage, alternate activities will be planned.
Please sign in and get stamped upon arrival.
Fee: $3 per non-member and free for
members. Groups are welcome with advance
registration (by Jan. 19) by calling the center at
(810) 796-3200.
Winter Wetlands
Sunday, January 23, 2:00 p.m.
Traveling through several wetlands, we will
discuss who lives there and how they survive
under all that ice!
Snowshoe Making Workshop
Saturdays, Feb. 5, 12, & 19, 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
In this three-session workshop, participants will
each make a pair of Ojibway-style snowshoes
for hiking through deep snow or hanging over
the fireplace. Participants will receive the
snowshoes in kit form and will be guided
through the process of lacing the sections,
finishing the snowshoes, and attaching bindings.
Along the way, we’ll learn about the different
types of snowshoes and their long history in
North America. Fee includes snowshoe frames,
lacing, bindings, finishing materials, and all
instructions. The workshop is limited to 10
participants. Registration is required. Fee: $160
($150 member).
Skulls & Bones by Natualist Bob Miller
Sunday, February 6, 2:00 p.m.
What can the skulls we find in the woods teach
us about their owners? What can we learn
about how they made a living in the world
when they were alive? The teeth hold the clues!
Come and be forensic detectives and see what
we can find out through PPT and actual skulls.
This program is for older children and adults.
Spring On The Yukon Delta:
Waterbird Paradise by David Stimac
Sunday, February 13, 2:00 p.m.
Each spring, millions of waterfowl and
shorebirds return to Alaska’s Yukon Delta
National Wildlife Refuge to nest and raise their
young. Join birder and photographer David
Stimac as he recounts the two months he spent
with researchers at a remote camp on the edge
of the Bering Sea. From willow ptarmigan on a
wintery landscape to a green tundra landscape
filled with nesting waterbirds, Dave will share
his experiences of the short subarctic spring.
Winter Bird Walk
Wednesday, February 16, 8:00 a.m.
Bring binoculars and field guide, and dress for
the weather. Fee: $5 ($3 member).
PAGE 3
JUST A CHIRP

WINTER 2011

About Grosse Pointe Audubon

Bill Rapai, president, (313) 885-6502 or BRapai@aol.com
Sylvia Sanders, vice president, (313) 886-0869
Mark O’Keefe, treasurer, (313) 884-7472 or Birds891357@aol.com
Joanna Pease, representative to Seven Ponds Nature Center, strixvaria@sbcglobal.net
www.gpaudubon.blogspot.com
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