Volume XXXI, No. 1 - New York City Audubon

NEW YORK CITY AUDUBON NEWSLETTER
THE URBAN AUDUBON
January-February 2010
Volume XXXI, No. 1
NYC AUDUBON
NEWSLETTER
71 West 23rd Street,
Room 1523
New York, NY 10010
Tel: 212-691-7483
Fax: 212-924-3870
www.nycaudubon.org
5 BOOK REVIEWS
6-7 EVENTS AND
ADVENTURES
10-11 Volunteer
Acknowledgments
Save the Date
Members-Only Tour &
Reception
Friday, March 12, 6-8pm
New-York Historical
Society
170 Central Park West
Join NYC Audubon for a
special evening of art and
fellowship at the New-York
Historical Society. The
next big Audubon exhibit
is not until 2013, but there
is still plenty to see! Enjoy
refreshments and a guided
curatorial tour of Audubon
works visible in storage at the
Museum’s Luce Center.
Robert Verity Clem
I
n the spring of 1953, my junior year at Yale,
an errand took me to the library of the Peabody
Museum as part of my scholarship job. Yale
took advantage of the talents and interests of
scholarship students by putting them to work for a
few hours a week in places that would be rewarding
to them and where they could help the University.
Dillon Ripley, who later became the Secretary of
the Smithsonian Institution, was my boss. Besides
cataloguing bird skins, I got to meet many of the
significant ornithologists of the time when they
came to see Dr. Ripley.
But to get back to the story: doing research in
the library was a young man who had with him a
fantastic painting of a male kestrel. I admired the
work and learned that the young man, Robert Verity
Clem, was the person who painted this miracle!
This chance meeting led to a life-long friendship
with Bob. While still in New Haven, I joined
him in the field from time to time. I remember
an outstanding trip to a huge rock outcrop near
Meriden where one of the last peregrine falcon pairs
had a nest. In a few years their nest site joined the
Peter Rhoades Mott
1,500 others from the eastern U.S. that fell empty
as reproductive failure induced by DDT caused the
demise of the entire population.
A couple of years later, I found Bob in
Chatham on Cape Cod where his family had a
summer home. We explored Monomoy Island and
the North Beach by jeep and on foot. A little later,
Bob purchased a classic double-ender with a “onelung” motor to propel it. It was ideal to carry us
out into Nantucket Sound and down Monomoy.
Bob and the boat are still in Chatham where he has
a residence and a studio in a maritime copse not far
from the center of town.
You may have sensed that I am a devotee of
Bob’s paintings. In my opinion he is simply the
best of contemporary birdlife painters. He was
influenced by the great artist Louis Agassiz Fuertes.
While he has not had the exposure of Fuertes
(certainly by choice) and his work is not as well
known, he is, in my opinion, more than his equal.
Bob has chosen to avoid placing his work
in print. His only major printed work is in The
Continued on page 4
Space is limited; RSVPs
required. Please register at
www.nycaudubon.org or call
212-691-7483. FREE for NYC
Audubon Members at Senior/
Student level and above
(arrive after 6pm for free
museum admission)
www.nycaudubon.org 1
NYC AUDUBON
MISSION & VISION
Bird’s-Eye View
Mission: NYC Audubon is a grassroots community that works for the
protection of wild birds and habitat
in the five boroughs, improving the
quality of life for all New Yorkers.
T
Vision: NYC Audubon envisions a
day when birds and people in the
five boroughs enjoy a healthy, livable
habitat.
THE URBAN AUDUBON
Editors Lauren Klingsberg &
Marcia T. Fowle
Newsletter Committee Lucienne
Bloch, Ned Boyajian, Suzanne Charlé,
Peter Joost, Mary Jane Kaplan, Gloria
Kuhn, Susan Ludmer-Gliebe, Abby
McBride, Don Riepe, Carol Peace
Robins,Tod Winston
Printing & Mailing Kase, Inc.
Design Whitehouse & Company
Publisher NYC Audubon
THE URBAN AUDUBON is published six times per year (Jan-Feb,
Mar-Apr, May-Jun, Jul-Aug, Sep-Oct,
Nov-Dec) by New York City Audubon
Society, Inc.
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
President Oakes Ames
Vice Presidents Richard T. Andrias,
Pamela Manice
Corresponding Secretary Marsilia
Boyle
Recording Secretary Peter Joost
Treasurer Diane Keating
Immediate Past President Peter
Rhoades Mott
Board of Directors Brenda TorresBarreto, Marcia T. Fowle, Diana
Greene, Lynne Hertzog, Noel
D. Humphreys, Mary Jane Kaplan,
Robert J. Kimtis, Harrison D.
Maas, Steve Nanz, Jayne Nozik,
Dorothy M. Peteet, Don Riepe, Dimtri
Sevastopoulo, Peter Shen, David
Speiser
ADVISORY COUNCIL
Sarah Grimké Aucoin, Claude Bloch,
Drianne Benner, Albert K. Butzel,
Rebekah Creshkoff, Andrew Darrell,
Joseph H. Ellis, Sandra Fiebelkorn,
Richard Gershon, Janice Laneve,
Melanie Lyons, E. J. McAdams, Mary
Tyler Moore, George J. Mullen, Jr.,
Alexander Papachristou, Hector P.
Prud’homme, Lynn Rollins,
Lewis Rosenberg, James R. Sheffield
NYC AUDUBON
71 West 23rd Street, Rm 1523
New York, NY 10010
Tel: 212-691-7483
Fax: 212-924-3870
www.nycaudubon.org
RECYCLED
Supporting responsible use of
forest resources
2 www.nycaudubon.org
hirty years ago this month, NYC Audubon had not yet officially been born. It was
preparing for its first board election and waiting for the State of New York to approve
its charter. Yet even in this nascent stage, dedicated teams of volunteers were already
hard at work preparing the inaugural issue of The Urban Audubon, organizing lectures and field
trips, and fighting to protect New York City’s environment for birds and people.
A lot of things have changed in the last thirty years. NYC Audubon has helped to bring
hundreds of acres of city and state lands under some form of protection. Heron and egret
populations in New York Harbor have rebounded from historic lows. Raptors have regained
a foothold in the stone canyons of the city.
Equally important, some things haven’t changed: NYC Audubon still depends on volunteers in everything we do. These passionate individuals bring a level of dedication to their
work that speaks to the power of nature in New York City in stirring a call to action.
Last November’s premiere The Legend of Pale Male reminded me of the power of people
striving toward a common goal. Frederic Lilien’s new film shows how a group of caring
citizens can triumph over the narrow self-interests of a few individuals, for the benefit of all.
Although that story does not have a fairy-tale ending, it remains a hopeful and positive one.
Here at NYC Audubon, we know there are dozens of other less publicized stories of
people working together to protect our precious natural areas. The residents of Brooklyn and
Queens who have rallied to protect Ridgewood Reservoir, the vigilant overseers of the Eyas
Watch, the conservationists clustered in Jamaica Bay—these New Yorkers are not famous,
but they are vital to the health and future of our City. Every Urban Audubon reader owes them
a debt of thanks.
We remain most familiar with our own stories of courage and commitment, though.
So in this issue, NYC Audubon wishes to recognize the hundreds of volunteers who helped
to make our work possible in 2009. From the Project Safe Flight monitors who walk the
streets at dawn, to the Harbor Heron surveyors and conservation assistants who wade through
swamps; from TogetherGreen volunteers who clean beaches and plant trees, to education and
outreach enthusiasts who answer questions or carry equipment; from the office volunteers
who keep us organized, to The Urban Audubon staff who tell the world about what we do—
NYC Audubon owes its existence to your hard work. We cannot thank you enough.
For a full listing of NYC Audubon volunteers, please see pages 10 and 11.
NYC Audubon Board of Directors Seeks New Members
Executive Director Glenn Phillips
Small Photographs Susan Elbin, Steve Nanz, and Don Riepe.
Glenn Phillips
Do you want to be a leader in New York City’s most influential organization focusing on birdlife and
habitat? NYC Audubon is seeking nominations to its Board of Directors for two-year terms beginning in June 2010. If you are a member of NYC Audubon at the Student/Senior level and up, you
are eligible to submit a nomination. Board members:
• Lead NYC Audubon in carrying out its mission to “protect wild birds and their habitat in the
five boroughs.”
• Help strengthen NYC Audubon’s financial base.
• Serve on committees that steer our conservation, education, and advocacy work.
• Participate in lectures and member events.
This is an excellent opportunity to get more involved in your community and learn valuable leadership skills. Board elections will be held at NYC Audubon’s Annual Meeting on Wednesday, June 9.
Submit your suggestions to David Speiser, chair of the Nominating Committee, at nominations@
nycaudubon.org.
Conservation Notes Harbor Herons Conservation Plan
T
he northeastern seaboard is rich in species diversity and
abundance; seventy-four species of waterbirds breed in,
migrate through, or winter in habitats in the Mid-Atlantic,
New England, and Maritimes Regions of the U.S. But at the
same time, this region has been intensively developed by humans,
making it a less than ideal habitat for waterbirds. Environmental
stressors like urban sprawl, pollution, and climate change will have
an increasingly negative impact on colonial waterbirds as they nest,
forage, and winter in these regions.
©NYC Audubon
Herons on North Brother Island
Susan Elbin
So it’s surprising to see that these species seem to be thriving
in the greater New York metropolitan region. NYC Audubon
is working to continue that trend by carrying out conservation
planning at the local level.
As co-chairs of the Harbor Herons subcommittee of the Harbor
Estuary Program, Nellie Tsipoura (New Jersey Audubon Society)
and I are editing the Harbor Heron Conservation Plan, which will
protect nesting and foraging habitat for wading birds in the greater
New York/New Jersey Harbor. The plan itself has been a collaborative
effort involving numerous municipal, state, and federal agencies,
non-governmental conservation organizations,
academic institutions, and individuals.
The most immediate threats to these birds
are human disturbance in the colony and in
foraging areas, loss of high-quality breeding
habitat and foraging grounds, and collateral
damage from residual contaminants in the
soils and waterways of New York Harbor. The
Harbor Heron Conservation Plan addresses
these key threats and encourages additional
protection efforts, ongoing research on
resources used by the birds, and outreach to
the public.
NYC Audubon and NJ Audubon are
confident that this combination of strategies
and actions will provide the best chances of
success for an enduring wading bird colony in
the New York/New Jersey Harbor and across
state borders. The final version of this plan is
now available at www.nycaudubon.org.
Volunteer!
For more details about volunteer
opportunities, contact Erik Karff at ekarff@
nycaudubon.org or 212-691-7483.
OFFICE and Administrative
VOLUNTEERS
Working in our busy and friendly office,
you will know you are making a difference
for the city’s wildlife. Help answer inquiries
about wildlife and about our field trips,
classes, events, and conservation work. We
also need help writing letters, doing research,
entering data, photocopying, and filing.
Word-processing skills and knowledge of
birds is helpful, but not required. This is
also a great opportunity to learn the ins and
outs of a small nonprofit. Volunteer shifts
are available for morning and afternoon
hours, five days a week.
Eco-Adventures and Outreach
Volunteers
Volunteer on our exciting, year-round
eco-adventures throughout the five boroughs
and beyond. Distribute information, engage
trip groups with NYC Audubon’s mission,
talk about our conservation initiatives,
and hand out literature promoting future
events.
www.nycaudubon.org 3
Robert Verity Clem continued from page one
Shorebirds of North America by Gardner D. Stout, Peter Matthiessen,
Robert Verity Clem, and Ralph S. Palmer. The originals from this
book are at the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences. Copies of
The Shorebirds can be purchased from several sources on-line. A second
book, Shorebirds; The Birds, The Hunters, The Decoys by Levinson and
Headley, has small reproductions of prints from The Shorebirds.
If you are determined to find more of his work, there are auction
sites that you can reach by entering Robert Verity Clem on Google.
Several sites have illustrations. And for a fee you can find larger prints
of paintings available at auction. One of the joys of a wander through
the internet is to see his paintings of the winter surf along the east
face of Cape Cod. The combination of scooting eiders and the wild
surf will send a wintery chill and thrill through you!
The prints included in this article are copies of Christmas Cards
that Bob sent to friends in the 1970s.
News & Notes
Project Safe Flight
Article Hits the Presses
Glass and trees can be a deadly combination for New York
City’s migratory birds, according to a September 2009
Northeastern Naturalist article written by former NYC Audubon staff Yigal Gelb and Nicole Delacretaz. Their conclusions are supported by data collected by the authors and
a dedicated team of Project Safe Flight volunteers at New
York City sites from 1997 to 2008. To read the full article,
please visit www.nycaudubon.org.
Board Member Resigns
H. Scott Walter has stepped down from NYC Audubon’s
Board of Directors after serving as a director for two years.
Scott has been an active member of the education committee. He is now director of field operations at the International Rescue Committee.
Strategic Planning Survey Reminder
NYC Audubon is drawing up a new strategic plan for
2010-2013. In November 2009, we sent out a survey to 200
randomly-selected members to get their opinions on how
the organization has changed in the last ten years, and what
direction it should take in the next decade. If you received a
survey and have not yet returned it to us, please take a moment to fill it out. We appreciate your feedback as we plan
for the future.
May Is Birdathon
Month!
T
he Birdathon is a great way to celebrate the arrival
of spring migration and to get friends and family involved in one of America’s fastest-growing pastimes:
bird watching! It is also a fundraising drive, and an important source of support for NYC Audubon’s conservation,
research, and education programs. Now more than ever, we
need your help—and what better way to raise money than by
getting out there and enjoying your favorite activity?
That’s why all of NYC Audubon’s May 2010 trips will
be Birdathon trips. Instead of paying a set trip fee, participants will be encouraged to gather pledges from friends
and family to sponsor their day of birding. Look for more
information in the March-April Urban Audubon and at www.
nycaudubon.org beginning in March.
4 www.nycaudubon.org
Book Reviews
Suzanne Charlé and James R. Sheffield
Birding for Everyone: Encouraging
People of Color to Become Birdwatchers.
by John C. Robinson
Wings-on-Disk, 2008
“I
’ve never met a black bird
watcher before!” That comment,
heard time and again, inspired
John C. Robinson to write Birding for
Everyone: Encouraging People of Color to Become
Birdwatchers.
Robinson, a wildlife biologist, author,
and passionate birder, is engaged in a
campaign to attract minorities, innercity communities, and youths to what
he calls “America’s favorite hobby.” “We
need to change the face of environmental
conservation,” Robinson told an interviewer
from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
Robinson, who worked with the U.S.
Departments of Interior and Agriculture for
over 25 years, believes minorities and inner
city communities aren’t engaged in bird
watching because of the “don’t loop”: “If
you don’t meet others who are engaged in a
particular activity, the odds are you will not
take interest.”
Bird watchers are overwhelmingly
white. According to research Robinson
conducted with the American Birding
Association and the National Audubon
Society in 2000, one-third of the 322 bird
watchers questioned had never met an
African-American birdwatcher.
Even in a city as diverse as New York,
the majority of people showing up on bird
walks are middle-aged whites, according
to Erik Karff, manager of education
and outreach for NYC Audubon. “Our
membership should better reflect those who
reside in the five boroughs. We are currently
reaching out to new and diverse groups­—
minorities and young people,” he said. One
NYC Audubon initiative—co-sponsored
by the Point Community Development
Corporation engages South Bronx teenagers
in local environmental issues.
Successful attempts at breaking the
“don’t loop” typically involve a parent, a
teacher, or a friend. Robinson’s own interest
in biology was stirred when his sixthgrade teacher encouraged him to pick up
Jack London’s Call of the Wild. Soon he was
dreaming of tracking wolves in Alaska.
Several years later, his plans changed, thanks
to an Iowa State University ornithology
class. “[M]y most recurring dream was about
a magnificent frigate bird that magically
appeared in central Iowa.”
Birding for Everyone is part memoir, part
birding basics guide, and part academic study.
It provides engaging, serious reading for
anyone who cares about the future of birding
and our environment—as well as those who
don’t care yet, but might some day. SC
The Wilderness Warrior: Theodore
Roosevelt and the Crusade for America
by Douglas Brinkley
HarperCollins, 2009
A
s Douglas Brinkley’s marvelous
new book demonstrates beyond
any doubt, Theodore Roosevelt
preserved more natural habitats to protect
birds and other wildlife than anyone else
before or since. Brinkley, a distinguished
historian who has authored many important books, captures TR’s unique personality and extraordinary determination to
protect the lands and species that he considered critical.
TR was an ornithologist at heart and
paid particular attention to saving birds.
He was a keen birder by the age of seven,
and at the age of ten founded the “Roosevelt
Museum on Natural History” at his 28 East
20th Street home (not far from the NYC
Audubon office). In 1868, this “museum”
had 250 specimens, including salamanders,
insects, and birds and their nests.
Roosevelt developed close friendships
with John James Audubon, John Muir,
John Burroughs, Gifford Pinchot, and
George Bird Grinnell, who were all concerned with the protection of wildlife and
their habitats. As Governor of New York
he passed the Hallock Bill, which controlled the shooting of non-game birds in
New York. He became a strong supporter
continued on page 9
www.nycaudubon.org 5
Events and Adventures
•
• NYC Audubon Events
• Partnership Events
• NEW YEAR’S DAY
NYC AUDUBON CAMERA
CLUB: LONG BEACH ISLAND/
BARNEGAT LIGHT, WINTER
WATERFOWL WORKSHOP, NJ
Saturday, January 16, 6am-8pm
Rain date: Saturday, January 23,
6am-8pm
Instructor: David Speiser
Meet at the NYC Audubon office
for van transportation. Focus on
shooting harlequin ducks and
purple sandpiper. Other species
of interest include common loon,
scoter, long-tailed duck, ruddy
turnstone and dunlin. We will
also look for Ipswich savannah
sparrow. Instruction will focus on
exposure techniques (especially
challenging for harlequin ducks),
camera technique, cold weather
photography, composition, and
more. If time allows, the group will
search the area for harriers and
short-eared owls. Bring lunch and
water. Equipment requirements:
DSLR, 200mm-400mm or
greater. Tripod not required.
Some birds might be close so
some flexibility in focal length is
desired. Participants should be
comfortable walking over a mile
BEACHWALK, Breezy Point,
Queens
Friday, January 1, 11am-1pm
Guides: Mickey Cohen, Don Riepe
With the American Littoral Society
Meet at Building #1 in Fort Tilden,
Breezy Point, Queens. Start out
the New Year with a brisk hike
on the beach. Visit the dunes,
woods, and hawk watch platform.
Afterwards, enjoy cookies, cake,
coffee, tea and champagne. To
register, contact Don Riepe at 718318-9344 or [email protected].
No limit. Free
• MONTAUK WINTER
©David Speiser
WEEKEND, LONG ISLAND, NY
Friday, January 8-Sunday,
January 10
Guides: Mickey Cohen, Don Riepe
With American Littoral Society
Visit Montauk during peak
winter birding season and stay
at the luxurious Manor House.
See many sea ducks, loons, and
seals. Includes double-occupancy
lodging, most meals, guided
hikes, evening programs, a star
watch, and free pickup at LIRR
station. To register, contact Don
Riepe at 718-318-9344 or driepe@
nyc.rr.com. Limited to 60. $345
($120 single supplement; no
member discount)
•
JANUARY MEMBER WALK:
WINTER RESIDENTS OF
PELHAM BAY PARK,THE BRONX
Saturday, January 9, 9am-3pm
Guide: Ron Bourque
Meet at the Pelham Bay Station
on the 6 train. Look for hawks,
passerines, and waterfowl in one
of the city’s largest parks. With
luck, the group may encounter
owls. Dress warmly and bring
binoculars and water. Limited
to 15. Free for NYC Audubon
members at the Student/Senior
level and up
6 www.nycaudubon.org
on uneven and possibly icy trails.
Limited to 8. $175
•
FOR CHILDREN: WILD
RAPTORS, UP CLOSE AND
PERSONAL, CENTRAL PARK
Saturday, January 30, 11am-noon
Instructor: Volunteers for Wildlife
Meet at the Arsenal in Central
Park at 64th Street and 5th
Avenue. Join us for this live raptor
program and learn about and
meet some of the hawks, owls,
and falcons that live right in your
own backyard! Limited to 25
children. $25 (Parents free)
•
SOARING RAPTORS:
EAGLES AND OWLS OF
THE HUDSON RIVER
VALLEY, NY
Saturday, February 6, noon-7pm
Guide: Joe Giunta, Happy
Warblers LLC
You don’t have to travel to Alaska
to see our country’s emblem, the
American bald eagle. As a result
of one of the most successful
reintroduction programs on
record, many eagles now soar
over the beautiful Hudson Valley.
Travel with us to view this
spectacular raptor, as well as
possibly spot the shy and secretive
short-eared owl. Part of the
Hudson River EagleFest at Croton
Point. Bring lunch, water, and
binoculars. Limited to 35. $60
•
February Member Walk:
Central Park
Sunday, February 7, 8:30-10am
Guide: Harry Maas
Meet at the park entrance at 79th
Street and Fifth Avenue. Join
Central Park regular Harry Maas
in a mid-winter search for hooded
mergansers, finches, fox sparrows,
and (with luck) owls. Limited to 15.
Free for NYC Audubon members at
the Student/Senior level and up
•
NYC AUDUBON CAMERA
CLUB: POLE FARM, NJ
Saturday, February 13, 2pm-8pm
Rain date: Sunday, February 14,
2pm-8pm
Instructor: David Speiser
Meet at the parking lot of Pole
Farm by the model airplane
runway. Pole Farm (located near
Princeton, NJ) is a great place
to shoot birds in flight (BIF). We
will be arriving in the afternoon,
when northern harriers will provide
ample photo opportunities and
short-eared owls may make an
appearance. Instruction will focus
on proper field techniques for
shooting BIF, with or without a
tripod, as well as composition and
exposure. Bring lunch and water.
Equipment requirements: DSLR
with 300+mm lens (400-600mm
is optimal), and a tripod is helpful.
Limited to 8. $90
•
Bald Eagle
WINTER SEALS AND
WATERBIRDS OF NY HARBOR
Saturday, February 27, 11am-1pm
Guide: Gabriel Willow
Meet at South Street Seaport’s Pier
17. Join us aboard NY Water Taxi’s
eco-friendly vessel for a winter
adventure in New York Harbor!
©David Speiser
and migrating passerines, with
side trips to shoot burrowing
owls. Spend most of the day
in the field, where field camera
techniques will be discussed
and practiced. Learn how to
approach birds, proper camera
technique, exposure, flash
photography and more. Evening
will be used to discuss the day’s
experiences and lessons. Includes
double-occupancy lodging and
transportation in Florida. $1,875
($300 single room supplement;
no member discount)
Northern Harrier
Look for harbor seals hauled out
on the rocky shores of Governor’s
Island and the more remote
Hoffman and Swinburne Islands.
Learn about the surprisingly
diverse winter birds of New York
City, including ducks, geese,
loons, and sandpipers, many of
which migrate south from the
Arctic. See the Statue of Liberty
and pass under the Verrazano
Bridge. Dress warmly and bring
your binoculars. Limited to 60. To
register, contact New York Water
Taxi at 212-742-1969 or www.
nywatertaxi.com. $35 for adults;
$25 for children under 12 (no
member discount)
•
WINTER BIRDS OF
BARNEGAT, NJ
Tuesday, March 2, 9am-3pm
Guide: Joe Giunta, Happy
Warblers LLC
Explore Barnegat Inlet’s
expansive beach to view the
winter birds that gather where
land, bay, and sea meet. We
will search for harlequin ducks,
horned larks, Lapland longspurs,
snow buntings, winter finches,
snowy owls and short-eared
owls, in this introduction to birds
of the New Jersey shore. Bring
lunch, water, and binoculars.
Limited to 12. $75
•
©David Speiser
WINTER BIRDS OF SANDY
HOOK, NJ
Sunday, March 7, 10am-5pm
Guide: Joe Giunta, Happy
Warblers LLC
Take a trip to Sandy Hook, a
barrier island at the northernmost
point of the New Jersey coast.
This spectacular peninsula hosts
a variety of species, including
birds wintering from the Arctic
and harbor seals that haul out on
the beach to warm up in the sun.
Other possible sightings include
loons, rarely seen ducks, and land
birds hidden in the fields and
woods of the area, such as snow
bunting and horned lark. Bring
lunch, water, and binoculars.
Limited to 40. $65
•
Purple Sandpiper
PHOTOGRAPHY IN
FLORIDA
Wednesday, March 17-Sunday,
March 21
Guide: David Speiser
Explore southwest Florida with
our photo trip focusing on the
Sanibel Island and Fort Myers
Beach area. Photography will be
focused on waders, shorebirds,
•
MIGRATE TO TRINIDAD
AND TOBAGO
Saturday, March 20-Sunday,
March 28, 2010
Guide: Gabriel Willow
Escape the cold and follow our
migrant species to a tropical
getaway! Spend a week at the
world-renowned Asa Wright
Nature Centre and Lodge, a
200-acre wildlife sanctuary in
Trinidad’s rain-forested Northern
range, and at the charming Blue
Waters Inn in Tobago. Travel
with expert local guides to visit
unique natural areas, including
spectacular beaches, rain forests,
and wetlands. In addition to
our wintering local species, see
parrots and macaws, dozens
of species of hummingbirds,
toucans, trogons, kingfishers,
and other exotic tropical species
rarely seen anywhere else, such
as the rare, cave-dwelling oilbird
and the gorgeous scarlet ibis. We
will also explore charming local
villages, discover local coral reefs
from a glass-bottomed boat, and
possibly even witness nesting sea
turtles. Don’t miss this incredible
journey to a true tropical paradise.
Includes double-occupancy
lodging, meals, guided walks,
and transportation in Honduras.
Limited to 15. $2,520 ($390 single
room supplement; no member
discount)
• MERRITT ISLAND AND
NORTHERN FLORIDA
Saturday, April 17-Saturday,
April 24
Guides: Carol Borneman,
Don Riepe
With the American Littoral
Society
Visit Merritt Island Refuge, Viera
Wetlands, and Fort De Soto Park
during peak spring migration.
See Florida scrub jay, swallowtail
kite, whooping and sandhill
cranes, and caracara, plus gators
and manatees. Includes airfare,
double-occupancy lodging, most
meals, guides and park fees, and
all transportation in Florida. For
more information or to register,
contact Don Riepe at 718-3189344 or [email protected].
Limited to 16. $1,795 ($300
single supplement; no member
discount)
• TO REGISTER FOR ALL NYC
AUDUBON EVENTS and for
more information, visit www.
nycaudubon.org or call 212-6917483 unless otherwise specified.
important information for all
local trips and classes:
•Classes meet at 71 West 23rd
St. room 1523.
•Members at the Student/
Senior level and up receive
a 10% discount on most
local trips and classes. See
membership form on page 11.
•For all bus and van trips, the
meeting location is in front of
71 West 23rd St. in Manhattan
unless otherwise specified.
•We depart promptly at the
stated start time.
important information for all
national/international trips:
•Membership in nyc audubon
at the Student/Senior level
and up is required. See
membership form on page 11.
www.nycaudubon.org 7
Volunteer Profile:
Sandra Koponen
A
2010 Lecture Series
Glenn Phillips
8 www.nycaudubon.org
©Sandra Koponen
s fall migration
approached this
year, Project Safe
Flight volunteer Sandra
Koponen was particularly
busy. But instead of monitoring dead and injured
birds around the World
Financial Center, this year
she was documenting
NYC Audubon’s efforts
to protect Jamaica Bay,
the city’s most important
habitat for birds. Over Sandra Koponen
the course of two weeks,
Sandra visited Jamaica Bay to videotape NYC Audubon’s key conservation areas, from Dubos Point Wildlife Sanctuary and Bayswater Point
State Park to Plum Beach. She then videotaped interviews with staff,
wrote a script, recorded a narration, and edited hours of tape. Altogether,
Sandra volunteered almost 100 hours to produce the three-and-a-half
minute video. When it premiered at the Fall Roost Benefit in September,
guests were impressed by how beautifully Sandra had captured Jamaica
Bay’s wild beauty and the crucial work that NYC Audubon is doing to
protect bird habitat around the bay.
Sandra is a musician and filmmaker who first volunteered for NYC
Audubon after a pair of cardinals started visiting her feeder in the Union
Square neighborhood. “The arrival of their cheerful whistles made me so
happy that it woke me up to bird life in the city,” she explained. Sandra
looked NYC Audubon up on the web and got involved as a Project Safe
Flight volunteer. “Although it was sad to find birds that hadn’t survived
their collision into a window,” she commented, “sometimes I’d be able to
save an injured bird by taking it to a wildlife rehabilitator and that made
me happy. Also, while volunteering for Project Safe Flight I became better at bird identification.”
While it was exciting to premiere her video for an audience of more
than 200 people at the Fall Roost, her most memorable experience as a
NYC Audubon volunteer was observing owls while assisting guide Joe
Giunta on a winter bird walk at Croton Point: “I’d never seen an owl and
was eager to see one. It was sleeting that day, but in a pine grove four
long-eared owls were slumbering.” Later someone spotted a great horned
owl, and everyone was able to take a good look at it through the spotting
scope that Sandra had carried for the group.
Sandra is looking forward to continuing her volunteer efforts with
NYC Audubon, and we are fortunate to benefit from her assistance. If you
missed the premiere of Sandra’s video, you can view it at www.nycaudubon.org or at NYC Audubon’s next outreach event.
All lectures are free and open to the public.
The series has been made possible by the support of the
Corcoran Group and Dr. Claude Bloch.
Salt marshes: a natural and
unnatural history
By Judith S. Weis, Ph.D
Wednesday, January 13, 6pm
The Arsenal, Central Park
64th Street at 5th Avenue
Come explore the natural history of marsh plants and
animals, and the “unnatural history” of how humans have
damaged marshes physically, chemically, and biologically.
Learn about marsh restoration and find out how in just a
few decades, the Hackensack Meadowlands has gone from
a severely degraded habitat to a marsh that is a haven for
birders and ecotourism.
BRIGHT WINGS: AN EVENING OF BIRD POETRY
By Billy Collins & David Allen Sibley
With Columbia University Press and the
Poetry Society of America
Wednesday, March 10, time TBA
American Museum of Natural History
79th Street at Central Park West
Join noted illustrator David Allen Sibley and former U.S.
Poet Laureate Billy Collins for an evening of avian-themed
poems from their new book, Bright Wings: An Illustrated
Anthology of Poems About Birds (review forthcoming in
March-April Urban Audubon). A selection of poets published
in the book will be on hand to read their work.
American kestrels at hawk mountain
By Keith l. Bildstein, Ph.D
Wednesday, April 14, 6pm (note date change)
The Arsenal, Central Park
64th Street at 5th Avenue
As the most common raptor in New York City (and the
emblem of NYC Audubon), American kestrels are thriving
in the five boroughs. But they are facing serious population
threats elsewhere in the U.S. Learn about Hawk Mountain
Sanctuary’s efforts to protect North America’s smallest
falcon in the face of recent declines.
ANNUAL MEETING AND LECTURE
By Felicity Arengo, Ph.D
Wednesday, June 9, 6pm
The Arsenal, Central Park
64th Street at 5th Avenue
lumber, grazing, and mining.
In order to avoid delays or defeats in
Congress, Roosevelt frequently used Executive Orders to establish national monuments,
forests, and other preserves. In Roosevelt’s last
year in the White House, he pushed through
hundreds of orders, including 93 Federal Forest Sites in one 24-hour period! In the months
between the election and inauguration of
Taft (which was March 4 in those days),
Roosevelt became even more aggressive,
adding important sites in Hawaii and Mt.
BOOK REVIEWS continued from page five
of the Audubon Society in its efforts to educate Americans about the slaughter of herons
and egrets for their plumes.
But his greatest achievements came when
he was President, as he was able to use the “bully pulpit” to draw attention to the destruction
of important habitats and to protect them from
further damage. TR was well known as a “trust
buster,” fighting the robber barons who were
ruthlessly using much the country’s lands for
Olympus National Monument on March 3.
Brinkley concludes: “In seven years and
sixty-nine days, Roosevelt had saved more
than 234 million acres of American wilderness. History still hasn’t caught up with the
long-term magnitude of this achievement.”
And the man who accomplished this was
quoted at one of his cabinet meetings in 1903:
“Gentlemen, do you know what has happened
this morning? Just now I saw a chestnut-sided
warbler…and this is only February!” JRS
The Great Backyard Bird Count—Let’s Get Out There
and Count Some Birds!!!
Tod Winston
©Steve Nanz
Calling
All Bird-Loving
New Yorkers!
will be required (habitat, weather conditions,
etc.); the form also provides space to jot down
your sightings.
The GBBC allows scientists to keep
track of species numbers, pinpoint species
that may be in peril, and study changes
in birds’ wintering habits due to climate
change or other causes. Last year’s count totaled a record-breaking 11.5 million birds
nationally, representing 619 species. The
snow goose beat out contenders for most
numerous bird for the second year in a row,
ur birds need your help…and
while the northern cardinal continued a fiveall you have to do is watch ‘em!
year winning streak as the bird counted on
This coming February 12-15,
the most checklists (for the past 10 years,
bird enthusiasts of all kinds—from the
the cardinal and mourning dove have been in
most devoted ornithologist to the most cahot competition for the top spot). The 2009
sual feeder watcher—will take part in the
count documented a massive invasion of
13th Annual Great Backyard Bird Count
pine siskins from the north, accompanied
(GBBC). Thousands of “citizen scientists”
by smaller but still significant numbers of
across the nation will aid the National
white-winged crossbills—and ranges of
Audubon Society and Cornell Lab of OrniGoldfinches at Backyard Feeder
birds such as the fox sparrow are shifting
thology in monitoring shifting winter bird
northwards due to warming temperatures.
populations, providing a clear “snapshot” of
Who knows what will show up this year?
birds across the continent. It’s easy to do and need not take more than
Nationally, participants turned in over 93,000 checklists in
15 minutes of your time.
2009—and while New Yorkers did go to work, frankly, a city of
Whether you choose to watch from your living room couch, stroll
our size can do much better than last year’s 150 or so checklists.
in your own yard, or explore a local park, your observations are valuable
Manhattan, can you beat last year’s total of 44 species? The Bronx:
to the GBBC. (Despite the count’s name, it is OK to stray outside your
Can you best last year’s 57 species on just 13 checklists? Staten Isown backyard—welcome news to apartment dwellers like myself!) As
land! Brooklyn! Queens! Get ready New Yorkers! Put the GBBC on
explained clearly on the GBBC website (see below), observers can particiyour calendar right now (Friday February 12-Monday February 15)
pate for as little as 15 minutes at any time over the count’s four days, and
and visit www.birdsource.org/gbbc for detailed species tallies and to
then fill out a checklist online. If you like, print out a data form on the
prepare for your count.
convenient website beforehand to give you an idea of what information
O
www.nycaudubon.org 9
Volunteer Acknowledgments
N
ew York City Audubon’s conservation and education work would not be possible without the help of
hundreds of volunteers donating thousands of hours each year. We will now be recognizing our volunteers’ contributions in each newsletter. If you volunteered from January to October 2009 and your name
is not on this list, please let us know! We strive to keep accurate records for our funders, and want to make sure
you receive the recognition you deserve.
Project Safe
Flight
Nicole Brilliant
Abby Cramer
Sara Crosby
Diane Darrow
Tania Donabedian
Donna Evans
Peter Flint
Rachel Gugelberger
Matt Hannah
Patrick Harty
Sarah Iams
Christine Karatnysky
Cristina Kowarick
Reynard Loki
Lori McFadden
Ellen McKnight
Adriana Palmer
Anne Radcliff
Dana Rosen
Matthew Rymkiewicz
Ann Seligman
Alla Sobel
Lenore Standish
MaryAnne Stubbs
Alicia Svenson
Denise Trezza
Piper Wallingford,
Project Coordinator
Nina Webb
Conservation
Lee Holmen
Donald Kass
Jeff Kollbrunner
Joseph O’Sullivan
Kate Ruskin
Emilio Tabou
Natural Areas
Initiative
(including I.W.A.S.H.
and Prospect Park
Breeding Bird Census)
Leslie Allison
Isaac Amad
Betsy Andres
Andrew Baksh
Robert Bate
Shane Blodgett
Leonor Chavez
Sunny Corrao
Ed Crowne
Peter Dorosh
Donna Evans
Larry Gast
Doug Gochfeld
Stanley Greenberg
Holly Hagan
Phillip Hoff
Donald Kass
Yula Kapetankos
Nim Lee
Tamara Leighton
Lindsey Ludwig
Laura Mauldin
Tatiana Morin
David Perry
Glenn Phillips
John Pien
Phillip Pond
Rebecca Schultz
Janet Schumach
Ann Seligman
Jaime Stein
Jeanette Sternberg
Judy Stivelband
Ana Sum
Rachel Szekely
Kristen H. Van
Anne Marie Vaduva
Julia Weinberger
Cella Yung
10 www.nycaudubon.org
Harbor Herons
Foraging Survey &
Monitoring
Laura Alderson
Sara Alderson
Catherine Barron
Susan Beck
Charlie Clarkson
Liz Craig
Lisa DeFrancesco
Bey Devletian
Donna Evans
Joel Geib
Colin Grubel
Lena Kelly
Janene Matragrano
Kim Mendillo
Jackie Milander
Luci Betti Nash
Nancy O’Keefe
Adam Osborn
Joseph O’Sullivan
David Perry
Kevin Perry
Don Riepe
Lydia Thomas
Emilio Tobin
Piper Wallingford
Jessica White
Naomi Zurcher
Office
Administration
Leslie Chase
Frances Geller
Pat Hanley
Wendi Harrison
Lee Holmen
Donald Kass
Kirsten Klipp
Mary McGraw
Guy Mognaz
Alexis Mychajliw
Joseph O’Sullivan
Adriana Palmer
Harvey L. Simon
Sarah Lumban Tobing
Debbie Trencher
Pooja Virkud
Bonnie Williams
Education &
Outreach
Barbara Alpert
Regina Alvarez
Anthony Archino
Yuko Ashida
Kathryn Baecht
Andrew Baksh
Ron Bourque
Ned Boyajian
Marcy Boyle
Odette Chalandon
Leonor Chavez
Giah Chow
Tom Clabough
Karen Cook
Alix Cotumaccio
Diane Darrow
Rik Davis
Leslie Day
Debbie Dienman
Sasha Dudding
Linda Lee Ecker
Tatiana Eder
Mary Jo Eyster
Anna Gale
Frances Geller
Naola Gersten-Woolf
Victoria Gilbert
Marianne Girards
Joe Giunta
Beth Goffe
Adam Green
Damian Griffin
Helen Gross
Sheldon Gross
Pat Hanley
Mary Nell Hawk
Sarah C. Haywood
Lucia Hernandez
Laurel Ibey
Nadia Islam
Peter Joost
Donald Kass
Cecilly Kaz
Paul Keim
Sandra Kopenen
Eve Levine
Jim Lewis
Cathy McGraw
Haley Main
Deborah Martin
Kim Mathews
Peter Rhoades Mott
Alexis Mychajliw
Jennifer Neumann
Noreen O’Rourke
Tara Parsons
Amanda Peterka
Rachel Kellie
Quiñones
Don Riepe
Cecelia Rogers
John Rowden
Christina Rubin
Ann Seligman
Jennie Spector
Stayc St. Onge
Alicia Stern
Michelle Stern
Barbara Stettner
Lee Stinchcomb
Emilio Tobin
Sarah Lumban Tobing
Debbie Trencher
Gretchen VanMatre
Hal Weiner
Paul Wilkins
Gabriel Willow
Mathew Wills
Marie Winn
David Woolf
Chrissy Word
Jacklyn Zubrycki
THE Urban
Audubon
Lucienne Bloch
Ned Boyajian
Doug Brin
Suzanne Charlé
Barbara Cohen
Alice Deutsch
Peter Dorosh
Rob Fergus
Marcia Fowle
Peter Joost
Mary Jane Kaplan
Lauren Klingsberg
Jeff Kollbrunner
Gloria Kuhn
Susan LudmerGliebe
E. J. McAdams
Abby McBride
Peter Rhoades Mott
Steve Nanz
Adriana Palmer
Don Riepe
Carol Peace Robins
Erik Salzman
James R. Sheffield
David Speiser
Lloyd Spitalnik
Tod Winston
Fall Roost Benefit
Rachel Elbin
Marcia Fowle
Frances Geller
Diana Greene
Lynne Hertzog
Mary Jane Kaplan
Sandra Kopenen
Adriana Palmer
Kate Ruskin
Jim Sheffield
Alicia Stern
Partnership Acknowledgments
TogetherGreen
Volunteer Days–
Brighton Beach
Cleanup
Amé Alvarez
Delia Barrack
Welsey Byers,
buildOn
Coordinator
Michael Callaghan
Andrea Carvallo
Odette Chalandon
Herbert Coles
June Coles
Louise Crawford
Elizabeth Fitzgerald
Cecillia Galarraga
Nancy Goldner
Mary Holden
Serena Huang
Carey Beth James
Mary Ellen James
Donald Kass
Hope Kaufman
Mastasa Kvetnoy
Elissa Kwan
Henry Lam
Kevin Lin
Elizabeth Maher
Frank Maira
Jessica Mendoza
Lydia Mrvica
Sahar Muradi,
buildOn
Coordinator
Lucinnie Ng
Amy Papadeas
Charles Sands
Julie Snavely
Stayc St. Onge
Students from the
buildOn Program
Kristy Truong
Benny & Kikuko
Turner
Sydney Wayser
Yvonne Wilburne
Anna Yasova
Sean Zhang
C
onservation is not possible without working partnerships. NYC Audubon collaborates with government
agencies and other nonprofit and community organizations to reach broader audiences and achieve conservation goals. Recent partnerships have included the following organizations:
American Bird
Conservancy
American Littoral Society
Audubon Minnesota
Audubon New York
Audubon Pennsylvania
Boreal Songbird Initiative
Bronx River Alliance
Brooklyn Bird Club
Bryant Park Corporation
Central Park Conservancy
Citishare Corporation
Columbia University
Cornell University,
Cornell Lab of
Ornithology
Drosera
Earthday New York
East River C.R.E.W.
Electronic Music
Foundation
Fordham University
Greenbelt Conservancy
Historic Green-Wood
Cemetery
I.S. 5, Elmhurst, Queens
I.S. 318, Williamsburg,
Brooklyn
Jamaica Bay
Ecowatchers
Jamaica High School,
Jamaica, Queens
Lefferts Historic House
Long Island City Community
Boathouse
Lotus Music & Dance
Mathews Nielsen Landscape
Architecture
Metropolitan Museum of Art
Metropolitan Waterfront
Alliance
Midget Squadron Yacht Club
of Jamaica Bay Inc.
Municipal Arts Society
National Audubon Society
National Park Service,
Gateway National
Recreation Area
The Nature Conservancy,
New York
Nature Network
New Jersey Audubon Society
New Jersey Meadowlands
New York City Butterfly
Club
New York City Department
of Cultural Affairs
New York City Department
of Environmental
Protection
Join NYC Audubon
Members are essential to our
education and conservation work. Help
protect birds and habitats in the five
boroughs by joining our flock.
[
[
[
New York City Department
of Parks & Recreation,
Central Park Arsenal
New York City Department
of Parks & Recreation,
Staten Island Greenbelt
New York City Department
of Parks & Recreation,
Urban Park Rangers
New York State
Department of
Environmental
Conservation
New York Water Taxi
New York University
Wallerstein
Collaborative forUrban
Environmental Education
New-York Historical Society
Norton Basin Edgemere
Stewardship Group
Plumb Beach Civic
Association
Port Authority of New York
& New Jersey
Prospect Park Alliance
Prospect Park Audubon
Center
P.S. 144, Forest Hills,
Queens
Rockaway Waterfront
Alliance
Rocking the Boat
Sebago Canoe Club
Sheepshead Bay High
School, Sheepshead Bay,
Brooklyn
Solar One
THE POINT Community
Development
Corporation
Toyota
Transportation Alternatives
United Inter-Yacht Clubs
Association
U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers
U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Animal and
Plant Health
Inspection Service
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Harbor
Estuary Program
University of Connecticut
University of Virginia
Volunteers for Wildlife
Wave Hill
Wildlife Conservation
Society
] Supporting $100 [ ] Family $50
] Individual $25
[ ] Student/Senior (65+) $15
] Subscription $10 [ ] New [ ] Renewal
Name:___________________________________________________
Mail this form with your payment to:
NYC Audubon
71 West 23rd Street
Room 1523
New York, NY 10010
Address:_________________________________________________
Membership in NYC Audubon does not
include National Audubon membership
or Audubon Magazine. Donations to
NYC Audubon are tax-deductible to the
extent allowed by law. NYC Audubon is
a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
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www.nycaudubon.org 11
Celebrating The Legend of Pale Male
©NYC Audubon
P
assion. Commitment. Drive. Faith. Perseverance. All these virtues are
celebrated in The Legend of Pale Male, Frederic Lilien’s hilarious, heartbreaking, heartwarming paean to the triumph of the human—and
avian—spirit.
What better place to honor the many volunteers who daily exhibit these traits
and enable NYC Audubon to carry out its mission to protect Pale Male—and all
of the other countless birds who live in, or migrate through, the five boroughs?
At the film’s gala premiere on November 6, dozens of hardworking volunteers,
so generous with their time and talents, were recognized for their contributions
to New York’s wildlife and wild places. Sharing in the well-deserved recognition
were Pale Male’s human friends—the regulars at the Hawk Bench—many of
whom have lived his defeats and victories along with him for nearly two decades.
(See a complete list of this year’s volunteers on pages 10 and 11.)
The amazing talent and passion of the entire film crew shine through in
every richly filmed, beautifully scored, lovingly written scene of the film. Director/producer Lilien had a tough act to follow. His debut film, Pale Male, earned
15 international awards, aired in more than 75 countries, and was featured on
PBS, HBO, Canal Plus, and Turner Broadcasting. Confounding matters, despite
their earlier success, Frederic and team were beset by a woeful lack of financing.
Yet they do pull it off, easily matching, perhaps surpassing, their first film.
Like Pale Male, they beat the odds.
Ned Boyajian
Director Frederick Lilien at the Premiere of
his Film The Legend of Pale Male
Dated Material:January-February 2010 Newsletter
New York City Audubon
71 West 23rd Street
Room 1523
New York, NY 10010
NON-PROFIT
ORGANIZATION
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
Permit No. 02743
New York, NY
12 www.nycaudubon.org