The Yellowthroat
Voice of the
Oconee Rivers Audubon Society
September 2000
Vol. 10 No. 9
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Upcoming Meetings September 7nd At the ENSAT building at Sandy Creek Nature Center at 7:00 p.m. Brita Hanson, a graduate student in the Wildlife Division of the College of Veterinary Medicine at UGA, will present results from her shorebird sampling trips to the coasts of five states from New Jersey to South Carolina during migration season. Her research involves monitoring for certain diseases and she will explain this research, present a slide show, and discuss some of the life history of the shorebirds that were caught and released. To get to the Nature Center Birdwalks and Field Trips: As you read this newsletter, millions of birds are beginning to leave their northern breeding grounds to start a long and perilous migration back to their neotropical overwintering sites in South and Central America. Tis the season to be outside with your binoculars and field guides, enjoying the colorful beauty of Autumn. Oconee Rivers Audubon has planned several fall bird walks to local migration hotspots that will focus on the identification and natural history of birds. We encourage nature enthusiasts big and small to join us and share in the excitement. For those beginners out there, the opportunities for seeing exciting new birds are great. Veterans, celebrate the migration season by sharing your birdwatching secrets with fledgling birders. Bird walks are open to all ages and skill levels and no pre-registration if required. We generally maintain an easy pace and stop frequently. Waterproof footwear and raingear are wise precautions. For more information contact David Galewski at 543-1988.
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Oconee Rivers Audubon/Sandy Creek Nature Center joint Spring 2000 Bird Walk Schedule: All walks start at 8 a.m. unless otherwise stated. September 16th: State Botanical Garden, Milledge Ave., Athens;
meet in front of the Callaway Building in the lower parking lot.
The Federation of Neighborhoods
Monday, September 11th: at 7:30pm at the Student Presbyterian Center on Lumpkin St. across from the UGA track is a special Federation of Neighborhoods meeting. The Chair of the Cherokee County Commission, Emily Lemcke, will talk about their successes in holding back sprawl and about their smart growth land use plan. Monday, October 2nd: (same place, same time) is another special Federation of Neighborhoods meeting. This time it will be a Candidates' Forum, in which those candidates running for election to the Athens-Clarke County Commission will talk directly with the public. Note: In the March-April Audubon magazine, Emily Lemcke, Chair of the Cherokee County Board of Commissioners, was mentioned in the article, "There goes the Neighborhood" by Fen Montaigne. Great article, too. Ms. Lemcke will be the guest speaker on Sept. 11, at the Federation of Neighborhoods meeting at 7:30
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Published monthly by the
Officers President
Chairs Conservation
Submit sightings or articles by calling the Editor
Articles, artwork, notices, and sighting reports welcomed. The deadline for submissions is the 15th of each month. All articles and artwork or copyrighted, and all rights are reserved by the authors. Opinions expressed in articles are those of the respective authors, and do not necessarily reflect the official views of Oconee Rivers Audubon Society. http://www.audubon.org/chapter/ga/oconee Oconee Rivers Audubon Society |
New chapter member Sigrid Sanders and her husband reported
numerous summer sightings from home in Oconee County: Near a creek, a Northern
Parula Warbler sings almost all day every day. A Great Crested Flycatcher
and a Summer Tanager call from the branches of the oak and pecan
trees, and a Red-eyed Vireo sings in the woods. On the first day
of summer, I saw or heard in the neighborhood at least 25 different birds,
including Downy, Hairy and Red-bellied Woodpeckers,
Northern
Flicker, Eastern Wood Peewee, Eastern Phoebe,
Eastern
Bluebird, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Eastern Towhee,
Brown
Thrasher, Mockingbird, Gray Catbird, Robin,
Carolina
Wren, Cardinal, Chimney Swift, Goldfinch,
Mourning
Dove, Indigo Bunting, Field Sparrow, Common Yellowthroat,
Red-tailed
Hawk, and Red-shouldered Hawk. Behind our house, we've heard
a Yellow-billed Cuckoo and a Wood Thrush that sometimes comes
through the woods to sing around twilight.
Titmice and Chickadees
frequently visit, and Ruby-throated Hummingbirds stay busy around
the feeder. The favorite sighting since moving into the neighborhood was
a Broad-winged Hawk that was seen early July 2, and heard calling
from a patch of woods.
CARA Update: Historic Conservation Bill Passes
"The citizens of Georgia clearly expressed support of this bill when they were successful in getting nine of the eleven Georgia Representatives in the U.S. House to vote in favor of the bill in May," said David Waller, President of the International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (IAFWA) and Director of the Georgia Division of Wildlife
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Resources. "Now it is time to let our Senators Max Cleland and recently appointed Senator Zell Miller know that the people of Georgia want this bill to pass to provide Georgia and all other states in this nation with a much-overdue source of permanent funding for our conservation needs." CARA provides significant funding for America's wildlife, parks, coasts, forests, hiking trails, rivers and wetlands. The bill dedicates revenue collected from offshore oil and gas leases to a broad range of conservation activities, including land and water restoration, conservation easements and purchases, and wildlife conservation, recreation, and education. The House of Representative passed similar legislation in May 2000 by a strong bipartisan vote of 315-102. The Senate's bipartisan compromise of CARA, crafted by Chair of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Frank Murkowski (R-AK) and Ranking Democrat Jeff Bingaman (NM), represents a strong and balanced approach that will protect parks, wildlife, coastlines, and cultural and historic sites at the national, state, and local levels for years to come. Over 52 Senators are now cosponsoring CARA or related legislation that would reinvest federal outer continental shelf oil and gas revenue into conservation indicating the real need for comprehensive conservation legislation like CARA. In addition, all 50 governors have voiced support for these bills or their concepts and have worked to move this legislation through Congress. Title III of the Conservation & Reinvestment Act provides funds for a diverse array of fish and wildlife species, with an emphasis on preventing species from becoming endangered. This is especially important for non-game wildlife conservation efforts, which lack a permanent long-term funding source in most states, including Georgia. This historic lack of funding has lead to many species becoming endangered before a state wildlife manager has the funds to act on their behalf. "The momentum this year for CARA is unprecedented," said Waller. "We must take advantage of the incredible bipartisan support CARA has garnered this year and get it passed. I hope states realize what the passage of this bill will mean to conservation in this country. Not since the Federal Aid in Wildlife and Sportfish Restoration Acts were passed have we had an opportunity to do so much good for the future of conservation." Historically, state fish and wildlife agencies have provided funding for the conservation of game species, but have struggled to provide adequate funding for conserving those "nongame" species not hunted or fished. Expanded funding is necessary for states to protect the full spectrum of wildlife. CARA will allow states to employ a much needed prevention approach to wildlife conservation in an attempt to avoid the future listing of endangered species, along with wildlife-associated education and recreation. The Senate version of the CARA bill would reinvest approximately $3 billion annually in federal Outer Continental Shelf oil and gas revenue back into natural resources conservation. The $40 million for Georgia is broken down in the following ways under the House version of the bill (HR 701). It is unclear at this time how the Senate version will differ in the amount of money invested in Georgia:
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Title 1 - Coastal Impact Assistance $6.7 million
Life goes on… in spite of
the summer’s withering heat and drought, a brilliant
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RETURN ENGAGEMENT:
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to bus riders and bikers along the Tour route on Saturday. Dean Crowley of the School of Environmental Design will moderate the bus tour, with commentary provided by Jim Kunstler. SIGN UP NOW! The number of bikes that can tour is unlimited, but the bus is filling fast. Note that preregistration is cheaper at $10, registration day of event $15. Registration forms may be picked up at Jittery Joe's and EarthFare in Five Points. Or register at the BikeAthens website: http://www.bikeathens.com
A rookery of egret and heron… (J. Posey) |
Oconee Audubon Society
P.O. Box 48132
Athens, Georgia 30604-8132
