The Urban Audubon
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The newsletter of New York City Audubon Win t er Win 2015-2016ter 2014 / Volume / Volume XXXV XXXVI N No.o. 4 4 THE URBAN AUDUBON Harbor Herons Enter the Information Age The Fall Roost The Christmas Bird Count Winter 2015-2016 1 65662_NYC_Audubon_Winter15.indd 1 11/12/15 5:31 AM NYC AUDUBON MISSION & VISION Mission: NYC Audubon is a grassroots community that works for the protection Bird’s-Eye View Kathryn Heintz of wild birds and habitat in the five boroughs, improving the quality of life for all New Yorkers. was recently asked to explain the differences among NYC Audubon, Audubon New Vision: NYC Audubon envisions a York, and the National Audubon Society—and then I was asked if a person should day when birds and people in the five boroughs enjoy a healthy, livable I support one or two or even all three. My short answer: We are all part of the vast habitat. Audubon grassroots network. And, yes, you should support all three. NYC Audubon is your local Audubon chapter, working for the protection of birds and THE URBAN AUDUBON Editors Lauren Klingsberg & their habitat in the five boroughs of New York City. Audubon New York, based just north Marcia T. Fowle of Albany in Troy, is a state office of the National Audubon Society focused on conservation Managing Editor Tod Winston issues statewide, in addition to overseeing seven New York State Audubon sanctuaries. Newsletter Committee Ellen Azorin, Lucienne Bloch, Ned Boyajian, And National Audubon, engaged in the protection of entire ecosystems and migration Suzanne Charlé, Diane Darrow, flyways throughout both North and South America, has had its headquarters in New York Catherine Heller, Mary Jane Kaplan, City since its founding in 1905. National Audubon’s presence here, and the fact that our Abby McBride, Sarah McGullam, Hillarie O’Toole, Jennifer Rauch, city and state share a name, make things particularly confusing for New Yorkers—but Don Riepe, Carol Peace Robins the relationships among National Audubon and its state offices and chapters are the same throughout the U.S. Through our national and state affiliations, the Audubon community Printing & Mailing Kase Printing, Inc. Design Whitehouse & Company shares resources and leverages clout. New York State’s 27 local chapters connect through Art Director Christina Rubin the Audubon Council of New York State and are part of a national network that is nearly Publisher NYC Audubon 500 chapters strong. THE URBAN AUDUBON is published Local Audubon chapters are independent organizations, and most—like NYC four times per year (spring, summer, Audubon—have their own 501(c)(3) non-profit status. NYC Audubon is a very large fall, and winter) by New York City chapter, one of the largest in the country. We have our own board and staff, including a Audubon Society, Inc. PhD ornithologist and several wildlife biologists. These resources allow us to act quickly BOARD OF directors and knowledgeably in response to New York City’s specific bird conservation needs. President Harrison D. Maas Signature NYC Audubon programs like Project Safe Flight and Waterbirds of New York Executive Vice President David Speiser Vice President Richard T. Andrias Harbor safeguard the wild birds that live and fly through our ultra-urban and densely Treasurer John Shemilt populated cityscape. Birding walks, classes, and harbor cruises connect people of all ages Corresponding Secretary Marsilia A. with the wild birds in our midst. Habitat improvement projects and birding festivals Boyle Recording Secretary Alexander Ewing create bird-friendly communities. Scientific surveys and monitoring of our parks, islands, Immediate Past President Oakes Ames shores, and rooftops provide reliable data on the health of local and migrating species, data Directors Robert Bate; Karen Benfield; that we share with decision-makers to marshal protection for both birds and habitat. Drianne Benner; Alexander Ewing; Andrew Farnsworth, PhD; Marcia T. NYC Audubon’s independent work cannot be done without you, our members and Fowle; Richard Fried, VMD; Catherine friends. We are your Audubon. We fight for the over 350 species that depend upon New Schragis Heller; Sarah Jeffords; Jeffrey York City’s diverse bird habitat: over 50,000 acres of parks and other green spaces, 578 Kimball; Lauren Klingsberg; Lawrence Levine; Eugene Nardelli; Fredric Spar; miles of waterfront, and over two dozen harbor islands. Your direct financial support is Tom Stephenson critical to our success. In this Urban Audubon issue, read about our projects and activities with pride. And please support NYC Audubon at year end as generously as your means ADVISORY COUNCIL Sarah Grimké Aucoin; Claude Bloch, allow. See page 23 and the enclosed envelope for more information. Every gift of every size MD; Albert K. Butzel; Clifford Case; matters—your participation means everything to us and to our birds. Rebekah Creshkoff; Andrew Darrell; Joseph H. Ellis; Lynne Hertzog; Mary Jane Kaplan; Robert J. Kimtis; Kimberly Kriger; Janice Laneve; Pamela Manice; REMEMBEr NYC AUDUBOn Peter Rhoades Mott; Dorothy M. Peteet, ew York City is forever changing, and with time the need to protect our PhD; Don Riepe; Lewis Rosenberg; James R. Sheffield urban wildlife and habitat becomes more and more critical. A bequest is a Ngenerous and straightforward way to safeguard birds and their habitat in EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR New York City’s five boroughs. It can be expressed “I bequeath [a sum of money or Kathryn Heintz a percentage of my estate] to New York City Audubon Society, Inc. a not-for-profit DIRECTOR OF CONSERVATION AND organization with offices at 71 West 23rd Street, Suite 1523, New York, NY 10010, SCIENCE for its general purposes.” To learn more, contact Director of Development Kellye Susan Elbin, PhD Rosenheim at [email protected] or 646-502-9611. RECYCLED Supporting responsible use of 2 www.nycaudubon.org forest resources 65662_NYC_Audubon_Winter15.indd 2 11/12/15 5:31 AM In This Issue Winter 2015-2016 © N atalie G NYC AUDUBON RE 71 West 23rd Street Gorio Suite 1523 New York, NY 10010 Tel: 212-691-7483 Fax: 646-606-3301 www.nycaudubon.org Cover Photograph: Bufflehead ©Lloyd Spitalnik Small Banner Photographs: Susan Elbin, Steve Nanz, and Don Riepe *This work is licensed under a Creative Commons 6 Attribution License. Features © D avid 6 Harbor Herons Enter the Information Age R odgers by Mary Jane Kaplan 8 The Fall Roost: Our Glass Was More Than Half Full Ellen Azorin 11 A Day at the Beach Carol Peace Robins 8 15 Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas Bird Count © by Jennifer Rauch D avid S peiser 16 Bufflehead (Bucephala Albeola) by Tod Winston 17 Good Eggs: Fostering the Future Stewards of the Shoreline by Hillarie O’Toole 18 Update: The Urban Oasis in McGolrick Park 12 by Suzanne Charlé © 19 Holiday Books for Children S teve by Suzanne Charlé N anz Departments 18 Book Review 4 Conservation Notes 20 News & Notes 5 Volunteer! 21 Volunteer Acknowledgments 15 11 Winter 2015-2016 Lecture Series 23 Support NYC Audubon’s Mission 12 Events and Adventures 24 Holiday Gifts for the Birds Winter 2015-2016 3 65662_NYC_Audubon_Winter15.indd 3 11/12/15 5:31 AM Conservation Notes Debra Kriensky his fall NYC Audubon concentrated Glass Testing from the Leon Levy Foundation to study the primarily on making New York City Our glass testing project with the impact of city lights on bird collisions. With Tsafer for migratory birds via Project American Bird Conservancy, the Wildlife partners from the Center for Urban Science Safe Flight. As winter begins and the last of Conservation Society, Fordham University, NJ and Progress at New York University and the fall migrants clear out, here are some up- Audubon, and Ennead Architects was up and assistance from the Durst organization, we dates from that project and other aspects of running again this fall at the Bronx Zoo. This hope to use a high-tech camera in midtown our work. (Just as this issue went to press, the season, Research Technician Emilio Tobón Manhattan that will measure light emitted National Park Service released its Environ- took the lead in running the tunnel, and we from many different buildings at night to mental Assessment of Jamaica Bay Wildlife are learning more about how birds see glass. see if more light or certain types of light Refuge’s West Pond. The Preferred Alterna- Lights Out correlate with increased collisions. tive plan includes a repair of the breach and We have received a generous grant restoration of a freshwater West Pond and © D on loop trail. See page 20 for more details.) R iepe PROJECT SAFE FLIGHT The Tribute in Light Fall migration reached a peak on September 11, when during the Tribute in Light memorial tens of thousands of birds could be seen circling in the lights. Thanks to the continued cooperation of the Tribute’s sponsor, the National September 11 Memorial & Museum (formerly the Municipal Arts Society), we were able to turn the lights off eight times between 9pm and 4am, allowing birds opportunities to rest or continue on their journey. Many insects were present in the lights as well, providing an abundant food source for bats and insectivorous birds. Collision Monitoring We tend to see more bird–window collisions in fall than in spring, and this fall was no exception. Many warblers collided with glass windows and buildings around the City, especially black-and-white warblers and common yellowthroats. While much of this collision data comes from the monitoring of major collision hotspots by our dedicated volunteers, we are gathering a lot of valuable information from our D-Bird website (www.d-bird.org). A huge thank you to all who have logged in sightings of dead and injured birds.