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Big Bluestem Flyer

Newsletter of the Big Bluestem Audubon Society


Volume 44, Number 3 January-February 2009

Programs Field Trips


Meeting Place All field trips are free and open to the public.
Extension & 4-H Building, I S U, Ames Meet at 8:00 a.m. in the public parking lot west of
The building is located at the southwest corner of 13th Street (behind) the Ames Wild Birds Unlimited, located south of
and Stange Road. Enter off of Stange Road on the first street the railroad tracks at 213 Duff Ave. Please arrive before
south of 13th Street (Wanda Daley Drive) the departure time to arrange carpooling. Contact Jeff
Nichols (515-795-4176, or
January 15, 2009 ozarksbirder@hotmail.com) for more information.
Thursday, 7:30 pm January 3 (Saturday)
Stephen Dinsmore Boone Christmas Bird Count
A naturalist's trip to Ecuador and the Contact Mark Widrlechner at 515-233-1532.
Galapagos Islands E-mail: mpwskd@aol.com
Steve will explore some of the incredible bird diversity of
January 16-19
Ecuador, with a particular focus on the unique birdlife of
Long weekend trip to northeastern Minnesota
the Galapagos Islands, also including other fauna and
Contact Jeff Nichols before January 1
flora of this tropical region. to sign-up or for more information.
Dinner: Hickory Park, 1404 S Duff, Ames
February 13-16
February 19 Great Backyard Bird Count
Thursday, 7:30 pm See Page 3
Jim Pease
Reminiscences About His Wildlife Talk February 28 (Saturday)
Christiansen Forest Preserve and Skunk River
Show
Jim’s stories illustrate people's love/hate relationship bottoms (Story Co.)
with wild critters and his approach to them and to the March 28 (Saturday)
wildlife resource. Colo Bogs Complex and Hendrickson Marsh
March 19 April
Steve Hummel TBA—Possible early evening Woodcock watch
Iowa's Aquatic Insects - Little Critters of Great
Importance May 9 (tentative)(Saturday)
Bird-a-thon
April 16
David Marquis June 6 (Saturday)
Living With Caged Birds Birders’ Brunch at McFarland Park (Story Co.)

May 21
Roseanne Healy
Fabulous fungi of Iowa woodlands

The mission of the Big Bluestem Audubon Society is to enjoy the observation and study of birds and natural ecosystems,
contribute to their conservation and restoration, engage in educational activities to benefit humanity,
and gain a broader understanding and deeper appreciation of the world in which we live.
Visit us online at http://bigbluestemaudubon.org
Page 3 Page 5
Page 2 Rivers and Wildlife Celebration
Officers and Committees Bald Eagle Days Membership Form
President’s Corner Great Backyard Bird Count Coupons
Page 4 Page 6
Ames and Saylorville Bird Counts Field Trip Report
Big Bluestem Audubon President’s Corner
Society of Central Iowa Big Bluestem Audubon members were once again a part of Christmas
Officers Bird Counts at Saylorville and Ames. Preliminary and nearly complete
President: David Edwards
tallies are shown on a later page. On both count days the weather started
515-292-3790
dcejce@dandje.org out comfortably and then deteriorated rapidly. And yet the events went
Vice-President: Larry Dau well. One more count in our area is at Boone on January 3.
515-275-4963, We are anticipating more great programs in 2009. Steve Dinsmore’s
lgdau@netins.net recent trip to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands will lead off the new
Secretary: Shane Patterson year, followed by Jim Pease’s stories from his long service as the “animal
515- 232-4682
guy” for the ISU Extension Service and Iowa Public Radio.
shane7896@yahoo.com
Treasurer: Michael Meetz The BBAS Executive Board is open to any ideas you may have about
515-382-2534 fulfilling our education, conservation, and restoration mission. Thanks to
mmeetz@iastate.edu our Birdathon and other fund-raising endeavors, we are able to modestly
Board Members support new projects. Give your ideas to any board member.
Mary Doud The board is also looking ahead to maintaining the Big Bluestem
515-795-4176 Audubon Society. We have several open positions among the officers and
BorealBirders@hotmail.com the board beginning next fall. It is not to early to think about stepping up
Kelly Weichers
to serve for a time to keep the high quality of the society and its activities
319-231-6999
goinfishin@hotmail.com we have enjoyed.
John Pohlman David Edwards
515-232-6816,
itsartjohn@isunet.net
Tim Grotheer
515-233-9873
tgrotheer1@msn.com
Lloyd Crim
515-5026
lcrim@opencominc.com
Special Assignments
Archivist
Hank Zaletel
515-382-427
madowl@midiowa.net
Bird-a-thon

Conservation
Bruce Ehresman
515-296-2995
Bruce.ehresman@dnr.iowa.gov
Field Trips
Jeff Nichols
515-795-4176
ozarksbirder@hotmail.com
Publicity & Outreach
Larry Dau
515-275-4963,
gdau@netins.net
Schools Liaison
Amy Yoakum
515-232-2516
ayoakum@storycounty.com
Newsletter Editor & Membership
David Edwards Newsletter Material Deadlines
515-292-3790 Because we would like to have the newsletter to each member before the first day of its
dcejce@dandje.org coverage, the editor needs to have material at least two weeks before that. Hence the deadline
for the next issue will be the 18th of February.

Visit our website at http://bigbluestemaudubon.org

2 Big Bluestem Flyer January-February 2009


Rivers and Wildlife Celebration 2009 Bald Eagle
Audubon Nebraska presents the 39th annual Rivers and Wildlife Celebration, Appreciation Days
to be held Friday-Sunday, March 20-22, 2009, in Kearney. Timed to coincide Many Bald Eagles migrate to Iowa for the
with the annual migration of 500,000 sandhill cranes and millions of waterfowl winter. Come out and enjoy them at one (or
through central Nebraska, this annual wildlife festival is for anyone interested in several) of the Bald Eagle events held this
experiencing one of the greatest wildlife spectacles on Earth and learning more winter!
about the natural world in a friendly and informal atmosphere. Weekends Jan. 3 - Feb. 14:
Featured speakers for this year’s event are: Mississippi River Visitor’s Center, Rock
Pete Dunne – Author and birding expert from Cape May Bird Observatory Island, IL
Joel Sartore – National Geographic photographer January 3: Clinton, IA
Felipe Chavez-Ramirez – Director, Platte River Whooping Crane January 10: Muscatine, IA
Maintenance Trust January 10-11: Quad Cities, IA/IL
Field trips to the best birding hotspots in the area are led by local birding January 17: Dubuque, IA
experts throughout the festival. The highlight is a full-day birding trip with Pete January 17-18: Keokuk, IA
Dunne on Sunday, March 22. Other full-day and half-day trips will take place on January 23: Des Moines, IA
Thursday, Friday, and Saturday to the Rainwater Basin and other migration January 24-25: LeClaire, IA
stopovers. Tours may also include stops at local prairie-chicken booming February 14-15: Omaha, NE
grounds and prairie dog towns. February 22: Saylorville Lake
There will also be trips to viewing blinds along the Platte River at Audubon’s
Rowe Sanctuary at sunrise and sunset. Witnessing Sandhill cranes leave from
and return to the River up close is an event no birder should miss. Field trips
have limited space, so participants are encouraged to register early.
Other conference highlights include Brian “Fox” Ellis, who portrays John
James Audubon; a photography workshop with Randy Hampton and Joel
Sartore; a free crane behavior class; and lots more.
To obtain a registration brochure, call or write Audubon Nebraska, P.O. Box
117, Denton, NE 68339; 402/797-2301; Nebraska@audubon.org. Brochures can
also be downloaded at www.Nebraska.audubon.org.
The Rivers and Wildlife Celebration is presented by Audubon Nebraska,
Audubon's Rowe Sanctuary, and
the Nebraska Partnership for All-Bird Conservation.

Great Backyard Birdcount


Bird and nature fans throughout North America are invited to join tens of thousands of everyday bird watchers for the 12th annual
Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC), February 13-16, 2009. This is a joint project of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the
National Audubon Society.
Anyone can take part, from novice bird watchers to experts, by counting birds for as little as 15 minutes (or as long as they wish)
on one or more days of the event and reporting their sightings online at www.birdcount.org. Participants can also explore what birds
others are finding in their backyards—whether in their own neighborhood or thousands of miles away. Additional online resources
include tips to help identify birds, a photo gallery, and special materials for educators.
The data these “citizen scientists” collect helps researchers understand bird population trends, information that is critical for
effective conservation. Their efforts enable everyone to see what would otherwise be impossible: a comprehensive picture of where
birds are in late winter and how their numbers and distribution compare with previous years. In 2008, participants submitted more
than 85,000 checklists.
The Great Backyard Bird Count is made possible, in part, by support from Wild Birds Unlimited.

January-February 2009 Big Bluestem Flyer 3


Saylorville ad Ames Christmas Bird Counts
(Preliminary
Saylorville andAmes
and Incomplete for Ames)
Christmas Bird Counts
(Preliminary and incomplete for Ames)

4 Big Bluestem Flyer January-February 2009


Clip and Join
Don’t forget gift memberships!

Membership Application forms

New member of the National Audubon Society. You will


receive the Audubon magazine, the Big Bluestem Flyer,
membership card. — $20
Please make your check payable to National Audubon
Society and include “Chapter Code H-57” on the check
OR
Subscribe to the Big Bluestem Flyer for one year and
participate in some Big Bluestem Society Activities — $10
Restrictions are that you will not be a National Audubon Society
member or have voting privileges, and you cannot be an officer or
committee chair. Please make your check payable to Big Bluestem
Audubon Society.
Show your
support for Send your check and this coupon to
Wildlife in Iowa. Big Bluestem Audubon Society
PO Box 543, Ames IA 50010

Name _______________________________________________
Address _____________________________________________
City_____________________ State____ ZIP_______________
Phone ________________ E-mail _______________________
Please do not use this form for renewals
to the National Audubon Society.

Present the coupons below at the time of your purchase and a donation will be given to BBAS.
Donations will fund the various habitat restoration and educational projects undertaken by BBAS.

Brekke's Town & Country Store, Inc.


Donate
1 1/2 miles east of I-35 on new U.S. 30 and 1/4 mile north
15%
of your next Hours: 8-6 M-F, 8-4 Sat. (515) 232-7906

purchase* to Purchase Donation


Up tp $15 $1.50
Big Bluestem $15 and over $3.00
$35 and over $5.00
Audubon Society Over $70 $7.50
*Coupon must be presented at time of purchase.
Valid only on regularly-priced merchandise. Brekke’s offers Big Bluestem Audubon Society a
One coupon per purchase.
May not be combined with any other offer. donation when bird seed or other bird products are
Valid only at Wild Birds Unlimited of Ames.
purchased.
Valid through June 30, 2009
Present this coupon with your purchase and a
213 Duff Ave Ames, IA 50010 (515) 956-3145
donation will be given to BBAS.
Mon-Wed 9:30-5:30 Thurs 9:30-8
Fri 9:30-5:30 Sat 9-5 Sun 12-4
BIRDSEED • FEEDERS • BIRDBATHS • OPTICS • NATURE GIFTS Offer good until February 28, 2009

January-February 2009 Big Bluestem Flyer 5


Field Trip Report
Swan Lake State Park and points in between ( November
1, 2008) Eight participants birded a number of locations in
Boone, Greene, and Carroll counties on a pleasant but not
too “birdy” of a day. Stops included Mabaska Ponds,
Harrier Marsh WMA, the "Casey's" in Ogden, Snake Creek
WMA, Grand Junction sewage ponds, Spring Lake County
Park, and Swan Lake State Park (after lunch at "Uptown
Cafe" in Jefferson). We tallied 57 species including
American Black Duck (Mabaska Ponds) and 11 other
waterfowl species, both kinglets, American Pipit, eight
sparrow species, Lapland Longspur, Pine Siskin, and Rusty
Blackbird (one at Spring Lake).
Jeff Nichols

Volume 44 No. 3 January-February 2009

unless you renew.


issue of the Flyer
this will be your last
mailing label,
your name on your
If you have an “X” after

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

We welcome new members!

Ames, IA 50010-0543
PO Box 543
Ames, Iowa Big Bluestem Audubon Society
Permit No. 131 David C. Edwards, Editor
U. S. Postage Paid Big Bluestem Flyer
Non-Profit Org.

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