The Rivertown Naturalist - Hudson River Audubon Society

The Rivertown Naturalist
of
the
January/February 2010, vol. 37, no.4
Hudson River Audubon Society of Westchester,
Inc. is a non-profit chapter of the National
Audubon Society serving the communities of
Ardsley, Dobbs Ferry, Hastings-on-Hudson,
Irvington and Yonkers.
Our mission is to foster protection and
appreciation of birds, other wildlife and habitats,
and to be an advocate for a cleaner, healthier
environment.
www.hras.org
DIRECTIONS TO
LENOIR PRESERVE
Hudson River Audubon Society of
Westchester, Inc. holds its meetings at
Lenoir, a Westchester County Nature
Preserve, on Dudley Street in Yonkers,
New York (914) 968-5851.
By car: Take Saw Mill River Parkway to
Exit 9, Executive Blvd. Take Executive Blvd.
to its end at North Broadway and turn
right. Go ¼ mile on North Broadway and
turn left onto Dudley Street. Parking lot is
on the left.
Hudson
River
Audubon
Societ y
of
Westchester
What We Don’t See:
A Look at the Hidden Biodiversity
in a Hudson River Tidal Marsh
january 27 ~ 7:00 pm ~ lenoir nature center
Join HRAS and Eric Lind for a
program focusing on the wildlife and
recent activities at Constitution Marsh.
Eric Lind is the Director of the
Constitution Marsh Audubon Center and
Sanctuary, a 270-acre tidal marsh located in
Putnam County, New York on the east shore of
the Hudson River, just south of the village of
Cold Spring.
This program will take place Wednesday,
January 27 at 7:30 pm (refreshments served at 7:00 pm)
at the Lenoir Preserve Nature Center.
Program is free and open to the public.
The Incredible Journey of the Butterflies
Weather permitting, on Wednesday, February 24, 7:00 pm at the
Lenoir Preserve Nature Center, there will be a special showing of a
spectacular DVD, entitled The Incredible Journey of the Butterflies.
This NOVA production stars hundreds of thousands of butterflies.
Once a year, a veritable flood of monarch butterflies take to the skies
of North America, heading from birthplaces in Canada and the U.S. for
two months to a final destination 2,000 miles away in the mountains of
Central Mexico. How do they do it — and how even dedicated scientists
can’t trick them into going elsewhere — remains a mystery.
Also mark your calendars & watch for details in future
newsletters about programs for Spring 2010:
March 24: Antarctica. A Trip to One of the Most Beautiful, Remote,
and Interesting Places on Earth
April 28: The Birds of Central Park
May 26: Costa Rican Ecology, Our Coffee and Our Cars.
A Naturalist’s Travel and Musings in Central America
June 23: Members’ Night
drawing by kirsten munson
Newsletter
2
The Rivertown Naturalist
9 th Annual “Seasons at
Project
FeederWatch at
Lenoir
Lenoir” Art & Photography
Exhibit
We began our Project FeederWatch
Once again, it’s time to decide on works you wish
to submit for our annual exhibit. As always, artwork
season at the Lenoir Nature Center
in any media and photography are welcome. The only
in November with very few birds, due to the warm
criteria is that works must be inspired by the
weather. The birds were still able to find food on their
Lenoir Nature Preserve.
own. However, there are now plenty of birds at our
feeders, and we invite you to come see them and help
There are so many possible subjects — Lenoir’s
us count.
abundant wildlife, gardens, trees, structures,
volunteers, staff and visitors engaged in activities
Below is our schedule for the rest of the season.
at Lenoir or just enjoying the serenity — to name a
Note that there are still 2 vacancies if you’d like to be
few. There will be a “Kids Corner” for the creations of
the “leader” on either of those days. To volunteer
children involved in our education programs.
to be the leader of the day, or to find out information
about the times of each watch, please call or email
If you wish to have your works included or have
Carol Lange (CarolLange @ aol.com; 914-668-5101).
questions, please call Lynn Shaw at 718-549-2380
or email her at Lynnbshaw @ msn.com before
Saturday, January 16 — Kelli and Michael
February 20 (please write “Seasons at Lenoir” in the
Sunday, January 17 — Jackie Bruskin
subject area). Also include titles of works, media,
Saturday, January 30 — Pamela Sullivan
and prices if you wish to sell. Please make note of all
Sunday, January 31 — Mary Harrington
dates. There is no February newsletter, so there will be
Saturday, February 13 — Paul Oehrlein
no reminders.
Sunday, February 14 — Kelli and Michael
Dates to Remember
9:30am–
12pm
Sunday, February 28 — Sandra Wright
Works to Lenoir
(must be ready
for hanging)
Saturday,
March 6
11:00am–
2pm
Opening
Reception
Saturday,
April 3
10:00am–
3pm
Pick up Works
The gallery will be open to visitors on Tuesdays
through Saturdays from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm.
Saturday, March 13 — Alan Soiefer
Sunday, March 14 — Jackie Bruskin
Saturday, March 27 — open
Sunday, March 28 — Mary Harrington
Thursday, April 8 — Yvonne Lynn
Friday, April 9 — Hilary Soiefer
drawings by kirsten munson
Saturday,
February 27
Saturday, February 27 — open
Remember, we are INSIDE looking
out at the birds, and we have
refreshments!
The Rivertown Naturalist 3
Science Watch: Homing in on How Pigeons Navigate
“We have recorded for the first time the brain waves of a free navigating animal.” —A. Vyssotski
saul scheinbach
Since the Egyptians first took advantage of the innate
homing ability of pigeons 3,000 years ago, we have been
intrigued by their ability to fly hundreds of kilometers (km)
and find their way back to their home roost from a place they
never have seen before.
The homing pigeon (Columba livia), a domesticated form
of the rock pigeon, has been an important tool in human
communication. The founder of Reuters News used a fleet of
pigeons to deliver stock prices. Pigeons told the Romans of
the conquest of Gaul. News of the battle of Waterloo was first
delivered to England by pigeons. During World War I a pigeon
was even given the Croix de Guerre, awarded for heroism
during combat, for delivering important messages despite
having been wounded.
Pigeon navigation appears to rely on several signals at
different times; sighting the sun, detecting the smell of the
home loft and sensing the earth’s magnetic field all play a
role when flying over unfamiliar countryside — see Science
Watch: The Sixth Sense of Homing Pigeons (September 2007)
or at www.hras.org. Visual cues such as highways and railroad
tracks appear to predominate when birds fly over familiar
landmarks.
While scientists agree that this “map and compass”
strategy allows pigeons to perform their remarkable
navigational feats, it has been impossible to determine what
visual cues a bird perceives during flight, and so the nature of
the mental map has remained
controversial. Now a study
of pigeon brain waves
dur ing f lig ht reveals
exactly what pigeons pay
attention to in order to help
them navigate.
Writing in the July 28, 2009 issue
of Current Biology, physiologist and animal behaviorist
Alexei Vyssotski and colleagues at the University of Zurich
in Switzerland found that pigeons’ brains show distinctive
activity as they fly over familiar sites. Such characteristic brain
waves indicate that pigeons identify landmarks and therefore
develop a local map during homing.
The researchers used a device, the “Neurologger 2”, which
consists of a GPS tracker and an electroencephalograph to
track the birds’ route while also recording brain activity during
flight. The team outfitted 26 birds with this instrument, which
weighs just two grams (0.07oz), and let them loose over the
Mediterranean Sea, 18 km (11.2 miles) from the Italian coast
and 30 km (18.6 miles) from their home loft.
Vyssotski et al. were able to identify a particular band
of brain waves (middle frequency) that diminished as the
pigeons flew over the featureless surface of the water, but
showed up as the birds neared the coastline and flew over
familiar landmarks. Birds flying in flocks produced fewer brain
waves than single birds, indicating they paid less attention to
where they were and relied more on their fellows for guidance.
Birds were also released 5 km (3.1 miles) from the home loft
over land, where they had to fly over two familiar landmarks
(highways) to reach home. Middle frequency brain waves again
peaked as the birds passed over the highways.
However, the team also saw peaks in brain activity when
they did not expect them. These peaks occurred at two points
close to home as the birds flew over a featureless rural area.
Something had caught the birds’ attention, and when the
team visited the spots, they found feral pigeon colonies at
both locations. Clearly the birds had more in mind than just
the flight path.
Bird brains, even those of pigeons, are more complicated
than we may think.
4
The Rivertown Naturalist
Upcoming Programs at
Lenoir Nature Center
January 9, 2010 – 10:00 am
Introduction to Birds and Birding
How does color help a bird? Why do birds sing?
Why are birds able to fly? Learn the answers to
these questions and more. We will also learn how
to identify birds and where to bird in Westchester.
Come and join us as we watch and identify birds as
they come to the feeders at Lenoir Nature Preserve.
All ages welcome.
February 6, 2010 – 10:00 am
Surviving the Winter
How do animals survive the cold, ice and
snows of winter. What strategies do they use?
Why do some animals leave our area in the winter?
Why don’t frogs and turtles freeze? What happens
to insects in the winter? How do squirrels and deer
survive? Learn the answers to these questions and
more at Lenoir Nature Preserve. All ages welcome.
“Eider we find it, or we don’t…”
From Friday, November 27 to Monday, November 30,
Michael, Kelli, Carol, Jackie, Fran, Saul and Judi and two
of Judi’s friends, Lois and Alan, braved the winds and the
surprisingly welcome warm days to bird the Cape Ann and
Gloucester area in Massachusetts.
We had ocean views from the motel and could even bird
from our rooms; we had good food choices; we had parks,
preserves, oceans, inlets, and roadsides from which to look
for birds. And we had sunshine. There were even leftover
autumn colors, berries and flowers.
And we all got to see a King Eider! A rare visitor from
the far north. In addition, other highlights were Common
Eiders, a Snow Goose, Surf-, White- and Black scoters, and
a Northern Gannet, all close up, as well as many far away
birds, unidentifiable to all but Michael in his scope. Total
number = 47 species.
On one of the days of the trip, Michael and Kelli shared
the birth of their great-niece, Laiken Jewel, with us. A new
“lifer” for HRAS. Welcome! — judi veder
April 3, 2010 – 10:00 am
A Walk to Welcome Spring
Join us as we take a walk around Lenoir
Nature Preserve to see nature awakening after
winter. What birds have returned from their winter
homes? Which wildflowers are in bloom? Are the
salamanders active? Join us as we explore the
preserve in search of nature’s wonders. All ages
welcome.
Spotlighted Species: Black-capped Chickadee (Parus atricapillus)
A small active acrobatic bird with a black cap and bib, white cheeks, buffy sides and a bold
manner make this bird a favorite at winter feeders. They range across the northern United States
drawing by kirsten munson
and southern Canada. Its diet is seeds, insects and berries; they nest in tree cavities often
enlarging small natural cavities in rotten wood. Chickadees gather in small flocks and may be
joined by Nuthatches and Titmice. To survive the winter, Chickadees have dense plumage and
shiver to keep warm. On a cold winter night, they drop their temperature and go into a state of
controlled hypothermia. Listen for its chick-a-dee-dee-dee call. — walter
chadwick
The Rivertown Naturalist 5
Hudson River Audubon Field Trips
New York State Waterfowl Count
Eagle Fest
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Saturday, February 6, 2010
meet at 7:30 am at van cortlandt park
all day, croton point park
Michael Bochnik will be covering the West Bronx for the
New York State Ornithological Association’s (SNYSOA) NY
State Waterfowl Count. Please join him as he covers Van
Cortlandt Park in search of waterfowl. Meet at the southern
end of the Golf Course building at 7:30 am.
SNYSOA has conducted this survey annually since
1955, except for a brief hiatus in 1968–1972. Results are
published in “The Kingbird”, the quarterly journal for
SNYSOA.
In most years, more than a quarter of a million birds
are tallied. In addition to being an enjoyable outing, DEC
has acknowledged this to be a useful survey for long-term
monitoring of waterfowl populations wintering in New York.
Other birds will be searched for including winter Rusty
Blackbirds. Trip over by 10 am.
The 6th Annual Eagle Fest sponsored by Teatown
Reservation salutes the Bald Eagle with live birds,
entertaining show and informative programs. Hudson River
Audubon Society will help man an observation site, most
likely at the southern end of the Croton train station.
Come anytime during the day. More information on the
Fest can be found at www.teatown.org/eaglefest.htm
Past Kingbird Journals Now Online
Owl Prowl
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Pelham Bay Park offers you the best chance
to see up to four or more species of owls. Great Horned
Owls may be nesting and both Saw-whet and Long-eared
Owls may be hiding in the pines. Barn and Barred Owls are
occasionally found as well. The park holds many half-hardies
in winter such as Brown Trasher, Gray Catbird and Hermit
Thrush. Fox Sparrows are usually found easily in the woods.
View of the Sound should yield a variety of ducks, loon
and grebes. We’ll travel to the southern area of the park
where the stadium lights host huge Monk Parakeet nests,
and a walk to the base of the old landfill may yield a variety
of sparrows in the fields and raptors patrolling the dump for
a meal.
We will also have a friendly cupcake bakeoff as well. Taste
some of the best cupcakes around and vote for the best!
(Joint trip with Huntington Audubon)
drawing by kirsten munson
meet at 8:00 am at pelham bay park,
bronx (northeast corner, or far left as
you enter the large parking lot)
The Kingbird, a quarterly journal published
by the New York State Ornithological Association
(NYSOA), is devoted exclusively to New York State
ornithology. Field reports of rarities, often with
photographs, are a regular feature, along with
general articles on birds and bird behavior, and
good birding areas.
Now 56 years of past Kingbird journals can now
be viewed online at www.nybirds.org/KBsearch.htm
As current editor for Region 9, I think this is
an invaluable tool for anyone looking at New York
State’s past avian history. For instance, in 1951
in The Kingbird, vol. 1 # 4, it was reported that 10
warblers were regular breeders in Grassy Sprain:
“Yellow and Blue-winged Warblers, Redstart,
Yellow-throat and Ovenbird still nest in the large
parks of the Bronx. At Grassy Sprain in Westchester
County, all of these species as well as the Black and
White, Worm-eating, Chestnut-sided and Hooded
Warblers and the Louisiana Water-thrush are regular
breeders.” Now only Common Yellow-throat, Yellow,
Blue-wing, and Prairie Warblers regularly breed.
Or how in 1951, a pair of Canada geese with
three young was a notable record. — michael
bochnik
6
The Rivertown Naturalist
[email protected]
914-237-9331
Vice-President
Saul Scheinbach
[email protected]
718-884-4740
Conservation
Paul Steineck
[email protected]
Treasurer
Paul Oehrlein
[email protected]
914-693-2569
Secretary
Judi Veder
[email protected]
718-884-4740
Education
Beverly Smith
[email protected]
914-965-5553
Walter Chadwick
[email protected]
914-237-5791
Publicity
Jeanette Johnson
[email protected]
914-965-7541
Membership
Carol Lange
[email protected]
914-668-5101
Programs/Season’s
Lynn Shaw
[email protected]
718-549-2380
Butterfly Garden
Mary T. Harrington
[email protected]
914-667-1494
Science
Saul Scheinbach
[email protected]
718-884-4740
Circulation
William Van Wart
914-376-2401
Hospitality
Kelli Bochnik
[email protected]
914-237-9331
Educator
Walter Chadwick
[email protected]
914-237-5791
Feeder Watch
Carol Lange
[email protected]
914-668-5101
Development/Bluebird Trail
Pamela Sullivan
[email protected]
914-591-7399
Lenoir Liaison
Danniela Ciatto
[email protected]
914-968-5851
Rivertown Naturalist Editor
Sandra Wright
[email protected]
914-674-9147
Join The Hudson River Audubon Society of Westchester!
Every membership supports Audubon’s vital efforts to protect
birds, other wildlife and natural habitats. Membership includes a
subscription to Audubon magazine and affiliation with National
Audubon. As a member, you will also receive our chapter
newsletter, The Rivertown Naturalist, and an open invitation to
all our guest lectures, field trips and events.
SIGN ME UP AS A NEW MEMBER.
ONE YEAR FOR $20.
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Address
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Telephone
CHAPTER NO C9ZR200z
Send check and this application to:
National Audubon Society
P.O. Box 422250
Palm Coast, FL 32142-2250
Please make check payable to National Audubon Society.
www.hras.org
✄
HRAS BOARD MEMBERS & VOLUNTEERS
President/Field Trips
Michael Bochnik
HUDS ON R IV E R AUDUB ON S OC IE T Y
OF W E S T C HE S T E R , INC
P .O. B ox 616
Y ONK E R S , NY 10703
DA T E D MA T E R IA L
P leas e E xpedite
NON P R OF IT OR G .
U.S . P OS T A G E
P A ID
W HIT E P L A INS . NY
P ermit 7312