Volume LX, Number 4 January 2008

Audubon Teaches Nature

Raptors Up Close ~ An Intimate Look at Alabama’s Hawks
Presented by Anne G. Miller
Sunday, January 6, 2008 at 2:00 P.M.
The Alabama Wildlife Center at Oak Mountain State Park
Anne is the founder and Executive Director of as Anne discusses this most interesting group of
The Alabama Wildlife Center. Located in the heart of birds.
Oak Mountain State Park, the Center’s educational Additionally, don’t forget that the January field
mission is to arouse awareness and concern for Ala- trip to Lake Guntersville will include a trip to the Hawk
bama’s native wildlife and the problems they face be- Farm near the Guntersville dam. This location is
cause of the rapid spread of human activity. As a probably the best place in Alabama in the winter to
direct result of her extensive work in rehabilitating watch for rare hawk species. Two years ago two
wildlife with the intent of returning them to the wild Rough-legged Hawks were observed at the farm
Anne has gained a wealth of knowledge about her during the BAS field trip to this site. More importantly,
favorite group of animals: raptors! it provides a limited opportunity to
access this private property that is
Several species of hawks otherwise off-limits. Read the field
are found in Alabama throughout trip details elsewhere in this news
the year, and winter is an ideal letter and make your plans now to
time to observe them. Buteos, join us on January 19th.
accipiters, falcons and eagles -
we have them all. Our buteos Remember, the Alabama
consist primarily of Red- Wildlife Center will serve cookies
shouldered and Red-tailed and punch in the Observation
Hawks, with Red-tails being Room before the seminar. And
the most common hawk in door prizes will be awarded too, but
Alabama in the winter season. you must register and be present in
Cooper’s and Sharp-shinned order to win.
Hawks are the most likely
accipiters one might see in Our next seminar in the series:
Alabama any time of the year,
but Northern Goshawks aren’t February 3:
completely out of the realm of Amazing Migrations ~ a Look at the
possibilities. Peregrine Falcons Migratory Routes of select Alabama
or Merlins are both uncommon Birds, presented by Dr. Jim Brown
and our most likely eagle is the Bald Eagle but and Greg Harber, Guest Speakers
Golden Eagles are occasionally seen too.

But how to tell one from the other? Rounded Come early for fellowship and refreshments in the
or pointed wings? Broad vs. narrow, or short vs. long Observation Room at The Center!
tail? Soaring, flapping or gliding, or a combination of
all three? Don’t be confused; come learn for yourself
SoSo for the Record
Sightings - September 29 through November 24, 2007

Howard Horne (Mobile) has posted an alert to Alabama birders about the possibility of “encountering some great birds that
have been seen north of us this fall season.” In particular, various RBAs have reported sightings of Northern Saw-wet Owl,
Northern Shrike, and Townsend’s Solitaire. Northern Saw-wet Owl has already been banded in Alabama 21 November at
the Walls of Jericho Forever Wild tract by Eric Soehren and John Trent. So, it behooves us all to be vigilant.

Also, though not as rare, many more Red-breasted Nuthatches than usual have been reported this fall.

Other sightings were:

9/22 Caspian Tern (2); “Probably off course, tropical depression” (SD).

9/29 Philadelphia Vireo; Red-breasted Nuthatch; Ruffner Mountain Nature Center (SD).

10/3-8 Red-eyed Vireo (window kill); “A lesson for my grandsons about huge numbers of birds killed each year from colli-
sions with buildings and cell-phone towers,” Gray Catbird; “First in eight years. This bird is of special interest to me be-
cause of declining numbers on the Farm. Was at one time a common nester,” Ovenbird; “For five days, a first for the Farm,
and a treasure,” Rose-breasted Grosbeak; “Drinking from dripping sprinkler,” Cusick Farm, Leeds (GC,RC,CA,JA).

10/13 Snow Goose (both morphs); Great Egret; Peregrine Falcon; “Scattering everything,” Sanderling; Stilt Sandpiper;
Bonaparte’s Gull (early Tn Valley); Blue-headed Vireo; Red-breasted Nuthatch; Orange-Crowned Warbler; Decatur
area. Pied-billed Grebe and American Coot (many of both); Laughing (1) and Ring-billed Gulls; Forster’s Tern; Gun-
tersville (GJ,DJ).

10/14 “Needing a Sparrow fix.” Savannah, Song, Lincoln’s (2), Swamp Sparrows; Sedge and Marsh Wrens; “Nice to see
the wrens and the Lincoln’s Sparrows. They are birds I do not see very often in the Birmingham area” Saginaw Swamp,
Shelby Co (GJ).

10/18 Wood Duck (over 100 in two locations, high for Mountain Region); Logan Martin Lake (RH,PD).

10/27 California (1ad,1, 3rd year !!!) and Lesser Black-backed Gulls; Guntersville (SMcC,GJ).

10/28 Purple Finch (6+); Clay (BS,MS).

11/2 Red-breasted Nuthatch (3); Pine Siskin (small flock); Clay (BS,MS).

11/20 Black-legged Kittiwake; Bear Lake mudflats, Colbert Co (DS).

11/23 Rufous Hummingbird ; Vestavia, Huffman, and Steele (BS,MS).

11/24 Ground Dove (3) !!; Tanyard Road, Shelby Co (GH).

Contributors:
Cole Alexander Patrick Dawson Howard Horne
Joseph Alexander Scot Duncan Greg and Debi Jackson
George Cusick Greg Harber Steve McConnell
Richard Cusick Russell Hatfield Bob and Martha Sargent

Please submit sightings for February FF at least five days before the January first deadline to Ann Miller,
520 Yorkshire Drive, Birmingham Al, 35209.
 January Monthly Meeting
Rwanda, Land of A Thousand Hills
Presented by Dick Mills
Thursday, January 17, 2007 at 7:00 p.m.
Birmingham Zoo Auditorium

Notorious for the gruesome genocide that occurred tion in 2003. The Volcanoes National Park, home to
there in 1994, Rwanda, the "land of a thousand hills," the rare mountain gorilla, reopened in July 1999 and
is now a reasonably safe and increasingly popular travelers can once again visit these gentle giants,
travel destination. The country's main attraction, the made famous by Dian Fossey.
mountain gorillas, have miraculously survived - even
thrived - despite a devastating civil war that brought Dick Mills the President / Owner of World Dis-
poachers, settlers and rebel soldiers into their rugged covery Safaris, Inc. Birmingham, Alabama visited
park refuge. Between April and July 1994 an ethni- Rwanda in October of 2007. His program will focus,
cally motivated genocide, during which nearly 1 million both on the wildlife of this beautiful country and on the
Rwandans were methodically hunted down and mur- programs the people of Rwanda have made to insure
dered by Hutu extremists took place, while the inter- their survival.
national community watched but refused to intervene.
Attend and enjoy this program
Since then, however, this central African
country has embarked on a program of positive Please come early at 6:45 to socialize and enjoy
change and gradual reconciliation. Local as well as some refreshments. Guests are welcome.
international tribunals have dealt with the perpetrators
of the genocide. The country held its first elections in
1999, paving the way for the unveiling of a new de- Hans Paul
mocratic constitution and a peaceful presidential elec- VP Programs

John Findlay Bluebird Trail

15,525 Bluebirds have fledged from the trail Perhaps you would like to become
since its beginning! Imagine! And a volunteer to check several boxes this
last year 480 Bluebirds fledged coming year? The boxes are already in
from the trail! place and need to be checked about
once every 10 days from March through
There are many rewards July. Our Bluebirds nest as many as
from monitoring Bluebird boxes three times during the nesting season.
during the nesting season. Some
females are so trusting I had to lift Patsy Scott (Mrs. Mark) is the
her from the eggs to count them; John Findlay trail chairman whom you
she did not leave the box! One should call to be a volunteer. Her phone
volunteer had the exciting experi- is 995-5502. Patsy would provide you
ence of watching a baby hatch out the instructions and routine for checking
of its shell! Unlike most birds, the boxes.
Bluebirds are very accepting of
"homo sapiens" and like to nest
near human habitation. Harriett Wright (Findlay)

The Birmingham Audubon Society would like to thank the following for their recent memorial gifts:

In memory of Percy Lee Thigpen from Maureen Shaffer

Friends of Edward Patrick Roden, Jr. of Pratt City, AL have selected Birmingham Audubon Society as the
recipient of the proceeds from their annual golf tournament held in memory of Mr. Roden.
January Half-day Field Trip
January 5, 2008
Shades Creek Birding Spots
This month's half-day field trip is to two loca- with sparrows and woodpeckers. Depending on re-
tions on Shades Creek. We will start in Homewood cent weather the ground may be mushy in some of
exploring the lagoon between Shades Creek and Wild- these areas, so dress appropriately with suitable foot-
wood Shopping Center. Owls, raptors, and a variety wear.
of ducks and wintering passerines have been seen
here. Travel plans: meet at Wildwood Shopping
Center on Lakeshore Parkway in front of Office Depot
After we have explored this area, and depend- at 7:00 am. For more information contact our trip
ing on what birds were seen, we can optionally visit leader Hans Paul (807-7357) or
the Freshwater Land Trust Shades Creek Restoration [email protected].
Project site off of Morgan Road. This area is teeming

January Field Trip

Saturday, January 19, 2008
Lake Guntersville & Environs
Please join us Saturday, January 19, for an At 12:45 PM, we will prepare to visit the
all-day trip to view wintering waterfowl and raptors in nearby Hawk Farm to view hawks and eagles. Return
the Guntersville area. It is the best place I know of to to 431 N, Blount Av, go left to just before US 431
have a very close look at a number of ducks species crosses the lake. This is the site of the former Harbor
up close and enjoy their rich colors. In addition, hawks House restaurant. We will meet here to caravan to
and eagles are quite Guntersville Dam and
likely. from there on to the Hawk
Farm. PLEASE - ONLY
We will GO TO THE HAWK
leave at 7:00 a.m. FARM WITH OUR
sharp from the GROUP. IT IS NOT
McDonald’s in the OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.
Tarrant Shopping
Center on Highway If you wish to
79 N in Pinson, meet the group at Gun-
From I 59/20 take tersville Dam at 1:00 p.m.
the Tallapoosa go north on Hwy 431
Street Exit, go about across Lake Guntersville.
3 miles north, about Some 12.5 miles from
10 signal lights. where Hwy 431 crosses
McDonald’s and the the lake, turn left onto the
Tarrant Shopping Lake Guntersville Dam
Center will be on the Road. Stop in parking lot
left. After traveling at the end of the road.
north on AL Hwy 79, we will stop around 8:00 am at Here we will consolidate riders and go to Hawk Farm
the Burger King in Guntersville for coffee, biscuits and as we will need as few cars as possible driving onto
a rest room break. To reach the Burger King from the property.
Highway 79, turn left at the intersection with US 431
and drive north a few blocks. Since temperatures in Guntersville can be
quite lower than those in Birmingham, it would be
During the morning we will make several advisable to wear coats, hats, gloves, etc., and lots of
stops around Guntersville Lake with Dick and Linda warm layers. Please bring drinks, snacks and
Reynolds, our hosts, expert birders and guides to the binoculars and a spotting scope if you have one.
area. At 11:30, we will stop for lunch at the Gunters-
ville Public Library. Refer to the accompanying map For more information, call our trip leader John Swan
for the location of the library if you wish to join the trip 933-6469 home, 205-276-4909 cell.
in progress. Bring your favorite picnic lunch and
drinks. See you on January 19!
 Welcome to the Kid’s Corner, the newest fea- pounds.) That’s about the size and weight of an up-
ture of the Flicker Flashes, written especially for fledg- side-down Volkswagen Beetle car. In Alabama, the
ling naturalists! Each issue we will feature a different eagles lay eggs and take care of their babies from
animal or habitat found in Alabama. This issue will about January to April.
feature our national bird and an Alabama native, the
American Bald Eagle. The female will lay up to 3 eggs, which are
about the size of goose eggs. Both males and females
In 1782 the Continental Congress chose the incubate, or hatch, the eggs. It takes about 35 days
American Bald Eagle as our national bird because it is for the eggs to hatch. Both males and females feed
the eagle found ONLY in North America. The Golden the young. The eaglets, baby eagles, are never left
Eagle can be found in North America and Europe. alone for long. There is usually a parent somewhere
nearby. The eaglet is the fastest growing North Ameri-
American Bald Eagles are found from Alaska can bird. By the time the eagle chick is 6 weeks old,
to Northern Mexico with almost half of them living in he will weigh between 8 and 9 pounds.
Alaska. We have eagles that spend all year in Ala-
bama and we have northern visitors. During the win- A pesticide named DDT almost killed all the
ter, as food becomes hard to find, bald eagles migrate eagles in Alabama and in the lower 48 states. DDT
south to find food. They may come from as far away was used to kill mosquitoes and other insects. Run-off
as Canada looking for food. from DDT ended up in the rivers and lakes. This
chemical killed fish. (Eagles love to eat live or dead
The Bald Eagle is not really bald. Its head is fish.) When eagles ate the dead fish, the DDT caused
covered with white feathers. These white feathers ap- their eggs to be brittle. The eggshells would break be-
pear when the bird is 4-5 years old. The term bald fore the chicks hatched. Due to the use of DDT, 1949
originally meant white. The bald Eagle’s scientific was the last time eagles were born in Alabama. The
name is Haliaeetus leucocephalus. (The scientific use of DDT was banned in 1973. Alabama did not
name is in Latin. The word parts are halo=sea, aee- have any eagles building nests or laying eggs in the
tos=eagle, luekos=white, and cephalus=head) So his state anymore. In 1985 the first eagles were released
name means “white-headed sea eagle.” I think his in Alabama but the first successful hatching was in
name fits! Male and female eagles are identical in 1991. Today we have over 80 pairs of bald eagles
color. The white head and tail indicates the eagle is an breeding in Alabama.
adult. It takes 4-5 years for an eagle to become an
adult. That’s a lot longer time than most birds and a On June 28, 2007, the American Bald Eagle
whole lot shorter than people. soared off the Endangered Species List. Our national
bird is still protected by the Bald and Golden Eagle
Females are usually larger than the males. Protection Act and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
This is true for most predatory birds. Bald eagles can
weigh 8-15 pounds and be 3-3.5 feet tall with a 7-foot Where to Watch Bald Eagles
wingspan. These strong wings help the birds to soar
on wind currents or dive onto prey. They have excel- Eagles may be seen any where throughout
lent eyesight and can see as far as 1.5 miles. That’s the state where there is a large river, very large lake,
where we get the phrase “Eagle Eye.” They also have or near the coast. There are several places in Ala-
sharp talons and hooked beaks that help the birds bama where eagles can easily be seen. The best time
catch and eat prey. The talons and beaks are made of of year to watch eagles is during the winter. We have
keratin. Your hair and fingernails are made from kera- northern bald eagles spending their winters with us
tin, too. while their homes are very cold and food is scarce.
Along the Tennessee River you may see a bald eagle
Bald eagles build their nests in the tops of on any day.
trees. They reuse their same nests year after year.
Before laying eggs, they refurbish (rework) and add to 1. The area around Waterloo, AL has excellent view-
the nests. The biggest Bald Eagle nest ever found was ing opportunities.
20 feet deep, 10 feet wide and weighed 2 tons (4,000
 (Cont’d from previous page)

2. Joe Wheeler State Park hosts an Eagle Watch week-

end in January.

3. Lake Guntersville State Park has Eagle Watch week-

ends throughout January.

4. Perry Lakes Park near Marion, AL has a pair of nest-

ing eagles. They can be seen flying over the fish hatch-
eries at the entrance to the park.

For more information about the Eagle Watching Week-

ends, contact Joe Wheeler State Park at 256-247-5466
or Lake Guntersville State Park at 256-571-5440. You
can always call 1-800-ALA-PARK for both parks, too.
Good luck using your “eagle-eyes!”

Bald Eagles Watching Rules

1. Eagles usually sit in treetops watching for fish. Scan

the tree line along riverbanks.
2. To have the closest view of the eagles, use binoculars
or a spotting scope (telescope).
3. Never approach an eagle or eagle nest.
4. Do not make loud or sudden noises.
5. Do not enter private property without the owner’s per-
mission.
6. Follow all laws, rules and regulations governing the
use of roads and public areas.
Bald Eagle Word Search
 Did you know? rather than using the grocer's "see through" plastics.
Or you might slip shoes into them to protect clean
The average American uses between 300 and clothes when packing.
700 plastic bags yearly. These bags litter the land-
scape, clog landfills and choke wildlife. Uganda has combated the plastic bag prob-
lem with a nationwide ban on the import and use of
If everyone in the US tied their annual con- plastic bags. A new law imposes a jail term of three
sumption of plastic bags together in a chain, the chain years or a fine of up to $20,000 for anyone caught
would reach around the earth not once, but 760 times. selling plastic bags. Kenya has a similar ban going
Baggers in Birmingham are beginning to "get it" when into effect in January.
asked to put groceries in shoppers' canvas bags. The
more we ask baggers to do this, the easier this gets. For more information on the destruction which
plastic bags cause, and for a little purchase
Are you wondering what to do with those plas- opportunity to reduce your plastic bag consumption,
tic bags which keep our newspapers dry during go to www.chicobag.com Some folks are serious
drought or rain? Put apples and oranges in them about this issue. What about us?

clip along dotted line

~ Membership Application ~
Birmingham Audubon Society/ National Audubon Society
Name:_______________________________________________________
Address: _____________________________________________________
City:_______________________________ State:__________ Zip:_______
Phone: ( )

† Introductory membership ~ $20.00 † Regular membership/Renewals ~ $20.00

Includes quarterly subscription to Audubon The National Audubon Society handles

magazine and 8 issues of Flicker Flashes, the membership renewals through their
chapter newsletter. Membership Data Center. Contact them at
Senior (62 & older) and student (full-time) 1-800-274-4201 or write them at:
memberships available for $15.00. P.O. Box 52529,
(Preferred method of payment for all new mem- Boulder, CO 80322-2529.
bers is through the chapter, using this form).

† My check for $___________ is enclosed.

Please make check payable to: National Audubon Society

Mail this form and check to: Birmingham Audubon Society

P.O. Box 314
Birmingham, AL 35201

Birmingham Audubon Society *AOO7XCH8

 January 2008 February 2008
5 Flicker Flashes articles due, February issue 1 Flicker Flashes articles due, March issue
BAS 1/2 day Field Trip, Shades Creek/Morgan
Road 2 BAS 1/2 day Field Trip, Downtown/McWane
Gulf Shores Christmas Bird Count Center

17 Board Meeting, (BZA) 5:45 p.m. 21 Board Meeting, (BZA) 5:45 p.m.
General Meeting, BZA 7:00 p.m. General Meeting, BZA 7:00 p.m.

19 BAS Field Trip, Lake Guntersville SP 23 BAS Field Trip, Talladega National Forest

25-27 Alabama Ornithological Society meeting,

Joe Wheeler State Park, Rogersville, AL

Gulf Shores Christmas Bird Count Correction

The calendar in the November/December Flicker Flashes listed an incorrect date for the Gulf Shores Christ-
mas Bird Count. The count will be held on Jan 5, 2008, not on Dec 29, 2007 as listed. We regret the error.

Birmingham, Audubon Society

A Chapter of the National Audubon Society Non-Profit Org.
P.O. Box 314 U.S. Postage
Birmingham, AL 35201 PAID
Business Office: Permit No. 3794
200 19th St. No.
Birmingham, AL 35201 Birmingham, AL
(205) 714-8227

DATED MATERIAL
Please deliver by December 31

Printed on recycled paper

Birmingham Audubon Society

www.birminghamaudubon.org
(205)879-7709

Flicker Flashes is published eight times a year by

the Birmingham Audubon Society.
Editor: Bianca J. Allen (205) 854-5233
Ass’t Editor: Greg Harber (205) 251-2133