Just A Chirp

Grosse Pointe Audubon Winter 2012

Who needs snow when we have snowies?

From the President: Last winter it was gulls and eagles in record numbers. This unusually warm, snowless winter, however, the inux of unusual birds into the area appears to be led by snowy owls. Snowy owl reports come to me almost daily by email, including at least three snowies being seen regularly in Harrison Township, splitting time between the Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Metro Beach Metropark and the roofs of private residences and businesses along South River Road. And were not alone. Reports have come from all over the Great Lakes region, New England, the northern Plains and from as far south as Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma. So, whats going on? Why are there so many snowy owls being seen in the lower 48 states this year?

A snowy owl in Harrison Township.

Have they come south because theyre searching for food? Well, yes and no. Amazingly enough, it was a great summer for snowy owls on the tundra. The lemming
See From The President, Page 2

Winter Schedule
Cut out this schedule and put it on your refrigerator to help you remember these important dates. Jan. 23 -- Maine: Pufns, Plants, and Whales Join Nancy Tar for a visit to Maine, where she will show you the Atlantic Pufn Reclamation Project started by Steven Kress 35 years ago. Along the way well see Acadia National Park, pelagic birds, plants, lobsters, and nback whales. Feb. 27 -- Turkey Vultures: Gorgeous in a Different Way Dorothy McLeer will tell us how these masters of the migratory winds often go unappreciated for their vital job as part of natures cleanup crew. Learn some of their surprising tricks of the trade and about their unique adaptations as the ghoulish gourmand of the bird world. March 19 -- Grosse Pointe Audubon President Bill Rapai has written a book on the Kirtlands warbler, The Kirtlands Warbler: The Story of a Birds Fight Against Extinction and the People Who Saved It. Join him for a celebration of the books March release and hear his presentation based on the book. ! PAGE 1

From The President, from Page 1 population was at a cyclical high, so more owl hatchlings survived. But now that winter is here, this owl population boom has caused an increase in competition and has forced more owls south to look for food. So, what are they eating if there are no lemmings in southern Michigan? Skye Haas, a naturalist and biologist who lives in the UP, tracked the diet of snowy owls in Marquette a few years ago by surveying the places the birds regularly visited. Haas found the owls were eating Buehead ducks, rats, gulls, and, most surprisingly, a Long-eared Owl. Given the number of ducks being found in ice-free Anchor Bay and the coots being found in the North Marsh at the Metropark, it looks like there will be no shortage of food for the owls in our area. These owls are fairly easy to see -- if youre there at the right time. Obviously they wander across a pretty wide area, but they are active and obvious during the daytime. If one is around, its fairly easy to see sitting on a rooftop or on a light pole. Its also possible that a snowy owl might venture into the Grosse Pointes in the next two months. It wouldnt be the rst time. A neighbor told me a few years ago that when she was a student at Maire Elementary School, a snowy owl landed on the schools roof. Seven Ponds If you recall, I wrote in the fall newsletter So, as your president, I believe we have four options: 1. Do nothing. That means maintaining the status quo in our relationship with Seven Ponds by sending a nancial contribution each year. 2. Withdraw total support and nd another organization to support. 3. Withdraw total support from Seven Ponds and use the money to support Grosse Pointe Audubon. !

4.Continue our relationship with Seven Ponds, but at a reduced level of nancial support. At that time, I wrote that I had no opinion as to which option we should choose, choosing instead to see if a consensus would form. Since it has not, Im going to propose an option at our January meeting. Seven Ponds continues to list Grosse Pointe Audubon as a participating chapter, and the nature centers director, Mike Champagne, has assured me that he looks forward to continuing his relationship with Grosse Pointe Audubon. GP Audubon is still on Facebook! Our Facebook experience seems to be a success. Our page can be found at: http:// www.facebook.com/pages/Grosse-PointeAudubon/145490528869148. Even though Im not on Facebook, I have to admit I am impressed by how quickly word of our new page spread and how many big names in ornithology have friended us. A big thanks to Ed McHale for administering this page for our group. Bird Walks at the Ford House Start your new year o right! Join Rosann Kovalcik for walks on Jan. 14, Feb. 11 and March 24. All walks are at 8 a.m. There is a $7 fee. Call (313) 884-4222 to register. Dues If there is a dues notice attached, that means we have no record of your dues for the 2011-12 year. Please pay your dues and to atone for your sin, throw in a couple of bucks extra, okay? Ink cartridges = $ Keep donating your old ink cartridges and cell phones! Please bring these items to our meetings and deposit them in the box by the front door. Your waste will be recycled for cash that will help keep Grosse Pointe Audubon in the black. Epson and HP cartridges only. PAGE 2

Seven Ponds Nature Center

Call (810) 796-3200 for more information or to register for programs. Snowshoe Making Workshop Sundays, Jan. 15, & 22, 1:00 4:00 p.m. In this three-session workshop, participants will each make a pair of Ojibway style snowshoes. Participants will receive the snowshoes in kit form and will be guided through the process of lacing the sections, nishing the snowshoes, and attaching bindings. Along the way, well learn about the different types of snowshoes and their long history in North America. Fee includes snowshoe frames, lacing, bindings, nishing materials, and all instructions. The workshop is limited to 12 participants. Registration is required. Fee: 170.00 ($160.00 member). Winter Bird Walk Wednesday, Jan. 18, 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 nches and other winter residents. We will start our morning watching the feeders over hot beverages and then walk some of the trails. Bring binoculars and eld guide, and dress for the weather. Fee. WinterFest Saturday, Jan. 21, 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Join us for our annual winter fun day. Included is a bonre on the ice, ice cutting and snowshoe lacing demonstrations, mammal tracking, snowshoe walks, cross country skiing, and ice skating. Inside will be childrens crafts; bring a tshirt, sweatshirt, or pillowcase to decorate with animal tracks. Includes a campre lunch of a hot dog, chips, and hot chocolate too! Bring your own skates and cross country skis or try out the centers snowshoes. In case of snow and/or ice shortage, alternate activities will be planned. Please sign in and get stamped upon arrival. Fee: $3.00 per non-member and free for members. Must register by January 17. Nature Photography Workshop Mark Carlson & Bob Grzesiak Saturday, Jan. 28, 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Take charge of your camera with expert classroom and eld instruction. Cost: $79.00. Native American Program Sunday, Jan. 29, 2:00 p.m. Through storytelling, song and dance, and artifacts, Tuscarora Indian Wayne Jackson will take us on a historical journey dating back 10,000 years. With Mr. Jackson as your guide, you will visit the Anasazi and Hopewell cultures. This program is appropriate for school-aged children to adults. Admission fee. Wood Carving Workshop Saturday, Feb. 4, 9:00 a.m. 12:00 p.m. This workshop will give participants a basic orientation to woodcarving and they will be able to complete a small project. All materials will be provided: gloves, thumbs guards, knives, and wood. This workshop is open to people age 12 and over. It is requested that children 12 14 years old attend with a parent. Please call to register. Fee: $13.00 ($10.00 members). Cross-country Ski the North 80 Saturday, Feb. 4, 2:00 p.m. Amidst the snowy landscape, subtle clues will tell us where some critters have their homes. Bring you own skis. Winter Bird Walk Wednesday, February 22, 8:00 a.m. Days are getting longer and year-around resident birds are singing on sunny days. There may also be enough open water for ducks and possibly the rst wave of blackbirds. Bring binoculars and eld guide, and dress for the weather. Fee. PAGE 3

JUST A CHIRP!

WINTER 2012

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 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