UpcomingMeetings
Paul McClendon, assistant education coordinator at the Botanical Garden in Athens, will present a talk February 4th entitled "Plants and People" in which he will discuss the various ways plants have been used to benefit people (ethnobotany).  Mr. McClendon received his degree from the University of Georgia in Botany and worked in the Institute of Ecology before joining the Botanical Garden four years ago.  Mr. McClendon is the coordinator of the Master Gardener program and an instructor in various courses offered by the Botanical Garden.
We meet at the Princeton United Methodist Church at 7:00 p.m. on the first Thursday of each month.  The church is located at 2390 S. Lumpkin St., where Lumpkin meets the Macon Hwy (U S44 I /GA 15).

A Note of Thanks to... Eugenia Thompson and Mary Case for organizing the Christmas Bird Count after Branch Howe, organizer of the spring and winter bird counts for many years, died unexpectedly on October 23rd in Nairobi, Kenya.  Branch was sorely missed and we appreciate Eugenia's and Mary's exceptional efforts under these sad conditions.  Alan Campbell for a splendid and visually stimulating talk on ecological perils in the Central American rainforest.

Bird Walks, Field Trips, and Events
February 6th:  Woodcock Walk This is our annual trek to Greene County to see the Woodcock courtship display at dusk.  Meet at the BiLo parking lot at the comer of South Milledge and Macon Highway at 4:30pm to carpool to the Redlands Management Area where Dr. David Krementz will again provide fascinating information on Woodcock behavior before he leads us out to the field to see the display. The route may be muddy or wet, so come prepared with appropriate footwear. A flashlight is also recommended. The walk will be easy and youngsters are welcome to attend this educational field trip.  Woodcocks will not display if it is too cold (below freezing) or rainy so contact Elizabeth Little at 795-5017 to confirm if conditions appear to be unsuitable.
February 13th:  Loon Watch at Lake Hartwell. We will meet at the Athens Tech parking lot on the Athens By-pass at 7:30 am and carpool to the home of Wally and Minnie Crider on Lake Hartwell. The main focus of the trip is to see Common Loons, but we may also see grebes, herons, gulls, etc.  Bring a lunch. A spotting scope is also useful, if you have one.
February 27th:   E. L. Huie Land Application Facility, Clayton County.  We hope to see water fowl on the ponds so bring spotting scopes if you have them.  Meet at 7:00 am at the BiLo on the corner of South Milledge and the Macon Highway to carpool.

Loons in Winter
by Gary Crider
(note the field trip to Lake Hartwell on February 13th)
    Common Loons are certainly not as vocal in winter as they are during their breeding season, but wintering loons can be expected to make at least two types of calls and some territorial display as well.  According to the Stokes Guide to Bird Behavior, Common Loons may use any of their four calls (Wail, Tremelo, Yodel, and Hoot) in winter, but most likely calls heard in winter are the Tremelo-Call and Yodel-Call.  The Tremelo-Call (also know as the loon's "laughter") indicates alarm or fear.  The Yodel-Call, which consists of the wolf-like Wail-Call followed by a series of undulations, is used to defend territory.
    Loons use both the Wail-Call and the Hoot-Call to establish contact with each other.  The Wail-Call may be used by a bird trying to locate its mate or by an adult to locate a chick.  The single note Hoot-Call is thought to be given as a contact call between birds.  This Hoot-Call is sometimes referred to as the Talking-Call because the simple notes appear to be conversational.
    Common loons have winter feeding territories ten to 20 acres in size which they may defend with Yodel-Call, Tremelo-Call, and upright posture.  At sunset, loons stop feeding and gather into rafts of several birds over deep water to spend the night.

1998 ORAS Christmas Bird Count Results
    A total of 82 species and 12,408 total birds were counted by 40 observers under threatening skies on December 19th. Last year 88 species and 10,915 individuals were counted.  Unusual species reported this year were a Double-crested Cormorant and a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher.

Bird Enthusiasts Needed for the 2nd Annual Great Backyard Bird Count
Bird enthusiasts all over North America are being asked to join the 2nd Annual Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC), February 19-22. Cosponsored by the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society, supported by Wild Birds Unlimited and sponsored locally by ORAS, the GBBC asks birdwatchers everywhere to count the birds they see at their feeders, local parks, or other areas. It takes as little as a half hour for each day that you choose to participate on. Last year's GBBC attracted 14,000 participants who reported more than 500,000 birds. Important El Niho-related effects were found by scientists based on the GBBC results. This year's results will be essential for comparisons. Reports are made online through BirdSource <http:/Ibirdsource.cornell.edu/ where birders can obtain infort-nation on how to participate, chart local results, and compare them with the findings of counters across North America. If you do not have access to the BirdSource web site, call Elizabeth Little at 795-5017 for information and submission of results.

sightings
Reported at the January 7th Meeting Norman Giles- Lake Chapman- 100 ring billed gull, 3 hooded merganser one male, two female, 20 ruddy duck, 6 pied-billed grebe, 2 homed grebe, 3 coot and 8 Canada geese on 1/10. Linda Russells- baltimore oriole on 1/1. Owen Kinney- 6 purple finch on 1/3, baltimore oriole near Tallahassee Rd. on I/ 1 2. Glen Hatchell- pair of quail at the feeder on 1/7 David Galewski- cooper's hawk on 1/3. Carrie Straight- cooper's hawk on 1/7. WUGA- I I bald eagle-Lake Thurmond-mid-Dec.

1999 Trip to Georgia's Coast
by Owen Kinney
Over the MLK holiday, Oconee Rivers Audubon made the annual visit to Georgia's barrier islands.  While some opted for a relaxing weekend at the beach, eight brave birders followed the rigorous itinerary of the fearless and ever-enthusiastic trip leader David Galewski in pursuit of the local avifauna.  Starting before dawn Saturday morning, we carefully sampled the mud flats, Spartina marshes, and surf of Jekyll and St. Simon's Islands. At the end of the first day we tallied an impressive 85 species, including the elusive Nelson's sharp-tailed sparrow, a bathing Virginia rail, and an unusually somber reddish egret. Amid the commotion one awe-struck birder was quoted as saying that "the heavens were filled with Black scoters." The next day found the group risking life and limb on Andrews Island in Brunswick. A favorite haunt of local felons, the spot produced our first Black-crowned night heron and a friendly reminder from local law enforcement not to return after dawn.  Late morning found us at Paulke's Pasture, marching abreast through brambleinfested fields in search of the renowned skulker, Henslow's sparrow. Within minutes we had surrounded a small bird, closed the circle with shuffling steps, and flushed it into a nearby bush. To our amazement, this Henslow's sparrow remained perched for 10 minutes, displaying the diagnostic olive nape and rufous wings. Next, we jumped the ferry to Cumberland Island.  Numerous birds were spotted from the boat including common loons, a Bonaparte's Gull, and a group of enormous white pelicans. Cumberland's unspoiled beaches gave us our first look at American oystercatchers, and its mystical forests were alive with the calls of orangecrowned warblers and Pileated woodpeckers. Day three began at a small freshwater wetland named Yeoman's pond.  As we shut our car doors, a large flock of rusty blackbirds sprang from the cattails, while common moorhens and American widgeon feasted on duckweed under the watchful eye of a pair of red-shouldered hawks.  Traveling north, we arrived at Savannah National Wildlife Refuge as the sun broke through the clouds.  Large rafts of green- and blue-winged teal dabbled alongside northern shovelers and thousands of ducks swarmed overhead. A majestic bald eagle perched on a snag above hoards of glossy ibis, ring-necked ducks, and a lone canvasback. Last stop was Tybee island, where purple sandpipers make their southernmost winter home. As always, the trip was a learning experience for all participants and the 133 species seen was a new record for the group.

An African Safari
by Mary Case
November 16th to December Ist, 1998.  The trip to Africa involved almost two days of travel, first overnight to London via British Airways with a 16 hour layover, then overnight to Nairobi, Kenya arriving in the morning (an 8 hour time change).  Near the airport we saw our first giraffes in Nairobi National Park.  Africa was colder than I expected 50's at night to 70's most days.  Although Kenya is on the equator, the elevation was from 5000 ft at Nairobi to 7000 ft in the Aberdare Mountains not far from Nairobi.  On our first day of we visited the "white highlands" and a tea farm near Nairobi.  Here I saw my first colobus monkeys as well as sun birds which take the place of hummingbirds in this country.  The next day we left Nairobi for the Ark in the Aberdare Mountains to see the animals that came to a salt lick there.  The area is lighted all night and we saw our first baboons, elephants ( a herd of 18 with 3 young and 3 juveniles), Cape buffalo, and rising at the sound of a buzzard at 1:30 in the morning to see a mother rhino and her half grown baby. There were a number of brightly colored birds in the trees around the lodge to identify. On the way to the lodge we saw wart hogs on the golf course. From the Ark we went to Lake Nakuruk Lodge located in Nakuru National Park. The lake is salty and home to millions of greater and lesser flamingos, though only thousands were there. Near the lake were ostrich, zebra and rhino. Hippos were in the water. From the dining room at the lodge you could watch the baboons and Cape buffalo roam on the plains. Ox peckers were "riding" on the buffalo.  At the bird feeder by the dining hall brilliant blue starlings came in flocks to get food.  In a small pond near the dining room we saw sacred ibis every morning. The lake had several varieties of shore birds including avocets, egrets and gray herons. There were two birds that I knew from this country--cattle egrets and Eurasian collard doves Our game drives began at 6:30 in the morning just at day break or at 4:00 in the afternoon till dark at 6:00. Out on the plains and in the wooded area we saw a large variety of mammals--Thompson and Grant gazelle, impala, zebra, bushbuck, giraffe and white rhino.  We saw a male lion kill a wart hog by choking it while 5 females looked on. We saw a leopard walking down the road and in another place one was lying on a branch in a tree in the woods. There were small dog-sized deer called dik-dik in the woods and rock hydrax on rocky cliffs (which reminded me of a wood chuck in size). The hydrax is the closest relative to the elephant. Secretary birds wandered the plains here and at the Maasai reservation.  From Nakuru we went to the Maasai Reservation in southern Kenya. This area was drier and less trees than at the Nakuru National Park.  At the bird feeder near the dining area at the lodge the predominant birds feeding were red-cheeked cordon-blues (a warbler-sized pretty blue-breasted bird) and yellow-fronted canaries. These plains, part of the Rift Valley and the northern extension of the Tanzania Serengeti Plain, are dry with low mountains to the east and west.  During the rainy season our driver told us that the grass grows three feet high. This area is home for the Maasai people a nomadic group who heard cattle and goats for a living. It was the dry season and the animals had nipped the grass short.  The animals on these plains included lion, one cheetah, elephant, zebra which migrate with the wildebeest, topi (a deer-like animal), impala, giraffe, ostrich, black rhino, impala, hyena, Thompson and Grant's gazelle.  In the Mara River which crosses the plains were hippos and crocodiles. It is quite impressive to see the large herds and varieties of animals on the plains. Of course we saw birds, Nubian vultures in the scattered tree and tawny and long-crested eagle and others with names as spotted thicknee, violetbreasted roller and black-headed weaver. Helmeted guineafowl and other grouse-like birds were in the brush.  One evening about dark we saw a crowned crane male dancing around a female who ignored him. All of our lodges and surrounding area were fenced in behind electric fences. We did not venture outside, or get out of the van when out on our trips. In total I saw 122 species of birds, 120 new to me as well as 31 different mammals. On this trip wc traveled about 100 miles by saffar' van and air. It was a wonderful trip and I recommend it.

Legislative Updates
by Marta Daniell
   The Georgia General Assembly convened on Monday, January I Ith for it's annual session.  It is usually over by March 17th unless official recesses extend the time.  Forty days (the length of the session, by law) is a short time during which a lot of important decisions will be made regarding our environment.
   As last year, I will review bills related to environmental issues and provide updates at our monthly meetings and in the newsletter.  You can also follow legislation via the Internet at htt-p://www.,izanet.ori-,/services/leiZ and by tuning in to Georgia Public Television at 7:00pm on weeknights for "The Lawmakers." Please take the time to contact your legislator and give your opinion regarding pending legislation.  The mailing address for senators and representatives is:
Rep. or Sen. (name)
Georgia Senate or House of Representatives
State Capitol
Atlanta, GA 30334
By phone, senators may be reached at 1-800-282-5803 and representatives at 1-800-282-5800.
 

Oconee Audubon Society
P.O. Box 48132
Athens, Georgia 30604-8132