IfIf youyou lovelove thethe wonderswonders ofof ourour planet,planet, thenthen we’rewe’re lookinglooking forfor you.you. JoinJoin thethe FortFort WorthWorth AudubonAudubon SocietySociety NOW!NOW! to provide refreshments (e.g., cookies or whatever else) for our monthly meetings, September through May. Welcome to our PRESIDENT’S Ideally, this person also makes sure monthly meetings! there is a beverage, such as punch (and coffee, if the person is really energetic) The Fort Worth Audubon Society PEN at the meetings. Unless we find a by Lynn Barber meets the second Thursday of each volunteer for this job (or a group of month, September through May, people willing to share it), there will not at 7:30 PM. All meetings are free be any beverage(s) at the meetings, and and open to the public. Meetings there will only be the cookies if some are held at: Sometimes when I write this column, kind volunteers happen to bring them. I I feel called to expound upon some expect we can survive without this, but it good cause, you might say, to preach sure would be nice to have a volunteer UNT Health Science Center about an issue, to use this column as an to help with hospitality. How about 3500 Camp Bowie Boulevard environmental pulpit. you? Research and Education Bldg. Everett Hall Room 100 But today, I have a far more concrete OK, I said at the beginning that I’d also (go to www.hsc.unt/campus- goal in mind: FORT WORTH AUDUBON mention our “usual needs.” Our usual map) NEEDS YOU!! Really! In addition to needs that our members can help us our usual needs (see below), I have with include the following: We need Easiest entrance is from park- two really specific needs that I’d like to people to attend our monthly meetings ing lots A or C off Clifton Street. present to you and see if I can interest and enjoy and learn from our monthly Doors are west end of building, you in volunteering to help. programs (2nd Thursday of each lowest level. school-year month). We need people to First, and very importantly, I need come to our field trips to see the birds, you to consider helping us with our butterflies, trees, flowers, etc. (See www. educational mission. As you may fwas.org for details.) We need people know, Fort Worth Audubon provides to help with our various projects that we Audubon Adventures to a number of may announce from time to time. And elementary school classrooms in Tarrant the members of our excellent board, as County. This is an excellent, interesting well as other FWAS members, would like publication that helps children learn to meet you!! Come join in. about the environment, and more and more teachers are finding it a valuable addition to their classroom. Coordination of this program, along with FWAS Officers 2004-2005 working with other chapter members to get speakers on birds for local groups, Position...... Name...... Phone No...... Email is what the FWAS Education Chair does. Unfortunately, Regina Biel, who President...... Lynn Barber...... 817.361.7131...... [email protected] was our Education Chair last year and Immed. Past-president...... Buck Buchanan.....817.481.8381...... [email protected] through this last summer, is unable to VP Field Trips...... Phil Craighead...... 817.596.3227...... [email protected] continue in that position for personal VP Programs...... D.D. Currie...... 817.451.4086...... [email protected] reasons, and we therefore have need for Treasurer...... Gretchen Hines.....817.737.4944...... [email protected] a new Education Chair. There are many Newsletter Editor...... Andrew Shetley.....817.834.6200...... [email protected] people whom the Education Chair can Secretary...... Gail Morris...... 682.429.2811...... [email protected] call on for help if needed, but we need Member-at-large...... Simone Jenion...... 817.249.1133...... [email protected] someone to coordinate this effort. How Member-at-large...... Donna Erwin...... 817.292.5274...... [email protected] about you? If you are interested, please Member-at-large...... Steve Fowler...... 817.916.0907...... [email protected] call me to discuss, or contact Regina (see OSFH Project Coordinator Phil Craighead...... 817.596.3227...... [email protected] www.fwas.org), who is handling this for Ornithology...... Greg Keiran...... 817.282.3312...... [email protected] the time being as much as she can, until Conservation...... Jim Sipiora...... 817.860.5984...... [email protected] we find her replacement. This is too Bird Forecasts...... Dell Little...... 817.451.4086...... [email protected] important a task to let lapse for lack of a Hospitality...... chair. Please consider helping. Membership...... Ann Hoover...... 817.496.4437...... [email protected] Education...... Second, we still need a Hospitality Publicity...... Jim Jones...... 817.267.5554...... [email protected] Subscriptions/Mailing...... Hester Schwarzer..817.265.0777...... [email protected] Chair. While this position may not Count Leader...... Daniel Floyd...... 817.263.1191...... [email protected] be as important in furthering FWAS’s Volunteer Coordinator...... Sophie Floyd...... 817.263.1191...... [email protected] overall goals, it is very important to TX Audubon Rep...... Bob Scott...... 817.282.1372...... [email protected] many of our members. The basic duty TX Audubon Rep...... D.D. Currie...... 817.451.4086...... [email protected] of this person is to coordinate others Webmaster...... Bob Smith...... 817.237.9747...... [email protected] 2 REMINDER: Centennial Photo Contest Got some photogenic feathered friends? Caught that feisty Damselfly on film? Get your 15 minutes of fame by entering them in our Centennial Photo Contest, open to all Audubon staff and Chapter members. AUDUBON magazine’s eminent Art Director and Photo Editor will RememberRemember toto joinjoin usus forfor judge entries, with the winners’ photos BirdingBirding inin thethe ParkPark highlighted on our website and Intranet. Licensed Products prizes will be awarded to the top finisher in each of the six Foster Park 8:30-10:00 AM categories, and one overall Best in Show. Photos submitted will help to build our First Saturday of each month photo library. Please contact Kim Phillips at [email protected] for entry forms or Sept. 3rd, Oct. 1st, answers to any questions you may have. Nov. 5th, Dec. 3rd Best of luck and happy shooting!

Lights, Camera… Puffins! Everyone welcome. FWAS awards The Puffin Cam is Now Easy walking. Live Binoculars available for use. scholarship to Guides present Matinicus Rock, Maine, August 5, 2005 to bird with you. chapter member - Today, Audubon announced that Mindy Halligan, an outstanding young researchers, students, and bird lovers Members, come introduce lady and loyal member of the Fort Worth worldwide will have the chance to get friendly folks and families to the Audubon Society, was awarded the 2005 intimate views of puffins and other Maine wonders of bird watching. Environmental All-Star scholarship for her seabirds. The Project Puffin seabird active participation in Chapter activties, camera is now beaming live-streaming On Trail Lake Drive,1 mile north of I-20 and her commitment to making a positive video from Matinicus Rock-Maine’s largest difference in our world. The $500 colony of Atlantic Puffins and Razorbills. scholarship was made possible by the dues Matinicus Rock is located 22 miles south of of FWAS Chapter-only Memberships. Rockland, Maine. This is the first year that Audubon.org’s Education In addition to serving as chapter Hospitality that Matinicus Rock seabirds will appear Co-chair, Mindy also constructed a butterfly on the web - to watch, click on www. Pages Sporting a New garden at the Old State Fish Hatchery as projectpuffin.org. Look part of the chapter’s efforts to develop an The robotic camera was funded by grants The education pages on Audubon.org attractive site there for wild creatures and from MBNA Foundation and the Disney have been redesigned to provide a more those who enjoy them. Wildlife Conservation Fund. The video engaging and kid-friendly look and feel. Mindy also received this year the Girl signal is beamed by microwave 25 miles to The same rich content is still there, with Scout’s highest award, personally Rockland where it is linked to an Internet pages focused on Audubon Centers, presented by Governor Rick Perry. She is a connection at the site of the future Project Audubon Adventures, Audubon Camps, freshman at Tarleton State University, with Puffin Visitor Center. and Audubon educational publications a major in wildlife management. When the Center opens, a unique camera for schools and families, as well as Bird & Wildlife information and links to In a recent card to FWAS, Mindy expressed feature will allow visitors to pan all complementary Audubon At Home pages. her sincere gratitude for the honor and directions, zooming in and out for closer promised to attend meetings when she views, visitors will be able to operate the Click here www.audubon.org/educate/ could, and that she will bring cookies, too. camera. The camera is an invention of index.php to view our new look! Daniel Zatz of SeeMore Wildlife Systems of Homer, Alaska.

Patronize these Wild Bird Center, Watauga Wild Birds Unlimited, Fort Worth special friends of 8436 Denton Highway 6033 Camp Bowie Blvd. Fort Worth Audubon Tel. 817.514.8804 Tel. 817.735.8677 Wild Bird Center, Fort Worth Wild Birds Unlimited, Hurst Russell Feed & Supply 4634B SW Loop 820 740 Grapevine Hwy. 1621 N. Crowley Rd. Tel. 817.737.4944 Tel. 817.498.7136 817.297.9756

3 and Magnificent Hummingbirds were coming to feeders, and to the Guadalupe Mountains to find a Spotted Owl, and then back down to South Padre Island where there was a Brown Noddy. And finally, one more pelagic bird was added on the July 29 trip out from South Padre Island. It makes me tired to write about it. But the year is just 7/12 over. All of the above bring me to 496 [or 495?] bird species for the year. Whatever else I get to see will be very slow going. But there are birds that still are possible. I hope my “new” car, purchased at the TRAVELING BIRDER end of May and now having over 17,000 miles on it, holds out. If you want to see the full list so far and pictures of some of the birds By Lynn Barber seen, see www.lynnbarber.com.

As I write this, it is raining furiously outside, but I am delighted in the rain and delighted that “my” Rufous Hummingbird has just returned for the 5th straight year! Of course, I don’t know if she is the same bird as I have had before, but I prefer to think so. So, while I’m waiting for the rain to end so I can get out and bird some more, let me tell about my “Big Year” travels since I last wrote. Although last month’s column was correct in the total number of species seen when the newsletter was published (495), I hadn’t CONSERVATION really had time to write about the summer birding travels since the Spring Bird Count in that newsletter, so much of what I report By Jim Sipiora below occurred before I actually reached 495. Some of the highlights of my birding travels since what I reported on last month The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service(FWS), USDA Forest Service, follow. and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources have been My husband and I headed out to Fort Davis the second week of working with numerous other organizations for 30 years to save May. New western birds were everywhere! The road to Davis Mt. the endangered Kirtland’s Warbler. This year preliminary results State Park produced a male Western Tanager, a Common Black- indicate a population of over 1,400 singing males up from last Hawk on its nest, and a Western Wood-Pewee. A trip to Big Bend years record of 1,341. Conservation measures to benefit the National Park resulted in sightings of Bullock’s and Scott’s Orioles, a warblers include intensive habitat management, control of Brown- Lucy’s Warbler and an Elf Owl. I lugged camping gear and water headed Cowbirds and most recently research on the birds winter up the Chisos Mountains past singing Colima Warblers to Boot range in the Bahamas. The research is centered on the island of Springs, and was rewarded with sighting Band-tailed Pigeons, and Eleuthera where the warblers are color banded at 12 different hearing Whippoorwills, two Flammulated Owls and numerous sites to gather information on wintering habitat use, site fidelity, Western Screech-Owls after it got dark. In the morning, there were and annual survival. The species, like many other neotropical Painted Redstarts and Blue-throated Hummingbirds around the migrants, spends nine months on its wintering grounds each year. springs. Back down on the desert were Varied Buntings at Sam Bahamian students are being trained to fill the local conservation Nail Ranch. positions. A recent search for birds on their breeding grounds in Michigan that were banded in the Bahamas led to the discovery of North of the Fort Davis area, I found singing Black-chinned a male that was banded as an adult in 1995. This bird which is at Sparrows and more Varied Buntings, while in the Davis Mountains least 11 years old is the oldest known Kirtland’s Warbler on record. were Hepatic Tanagers, Broad-tailed Hummingbirds, Plumbeous Vireos, Grace’s Warblers, Buff-breasted Flycatchers. I finally got to A federal judge has ruled that Mute Swans are not protected by see Montezuma Quail by going to a private residence where they the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. This allows the state of Maryland to were coming in to feed on the ground, and I had to go all the way resume its control of the birds on Chesepeake Bay. down to Ruidosa to find Gambel’s Quail, where they were easily Mute Swans are not native North American birds. Five birds were seen sitting up on fence posts. High in the Davis Mountains were accidentally introduced in 1962 and today the population numbers a MacGillivray’s Warbler and a Dusky Flycatcher, both singing, and more than 3,600. The swans are voracious eaters of bay grasses, in the Guadalupe Mountains was a singing Gray Vireo. destroying the food source for native birds and habitat for blue After that, a trip east to the Sabine Woods area near Port Arthur crabs and other marine life. The American Bird Conservancy and was not too fruitful, but there were Wood Storks at Brazoria NWR. the National Audubon Society have fought in favor of this ruling Then, unbelievably, I heard that an Olive Warbler had been found while the Fund for Animals has opposed it. Maryland has not in the Davis Mts, so back I went!! And got to see and photograph made any announcement as to when it will resume Mute Swan it!! control measures. Finally, a few days in Ft. Worth, and then I headed down to New On June 14, FWS announced that it will undertake a review of Braunfels for a Green Violet-Ear in someone’s backyard. I took the California race of the Spotted Owl to determine if it should be a break from Big Year birding and did my three Breeding Bird listed under the Endangered Species Act. The subspecies inhabits Survey Routes in north Texas in early June, and then the pelagic the northern Sierra Nevada and Central Coast ranges south to birding season began on June 16. A great trip out on to the Gulf the mountains of Southern California. Among the reasons for the from South Padre Island, where I added Masked Booby, Red-billed subspecies decline include recent wildfires in owl habitat, new Tropicbird, Cory’s and Audubon’s Shearwaters, Bridled and Sooty state forestry regulations, and the continued range expansion of Terns, and Band-rumped and Leach’s Storm-Petrels to my year. the Barred Owl which both hybridizes with the Spotted and also Then back west to Fort Davis where a White-eared Hummingbird takes over its territory.

4 In an effort to reduce bird electrocutions and collisions at power lines, an BACKYARDS agreement has been signed between FWS and Edison Electric Institute’s Avian FOR BIRDS Power Line Interaction Committee. Under By D.D. Currie this agreement, utility companies are encouraged to develop plans that conform to new voluntary guidelines drawn up Turk’s Cap by FWS to prevent power line mortality. Large numbers of birds, typically eagles, hawks, and owls, die each year as a result One of my favorite bird and butterfly of collisions with and electrocutions by attracting plants is Turk’s Cap (Malvaviscus power lines. Some of the solutions are drummondii). The plant gets its name from its resemblance to a Turkish fez. wire insulators and spacers to keep birds This is a great perennial for a number of from “grounding out” across multiple reasons. It has a long blooming season wires, visual markers that make wires more - from May to November - and can grow visible and siting wires away from wetlands in both sun and shade. Over half of my and areas with high bird densities. backyard is in the shade most of the day. I was having trouble finding a native plant that not only grows in the shade, but also blooms. Turk’s Cap filled the bill. I also (Bird Forecast - Continued from page 6) have Turk’s Cap planted in the front yard Yellowlegs are all fairly common. Wilson’s Snipe in full sun.

(formally Common) start showing up the end of This plant measures about 4-5 feet in August (8/31/02, D.D. Currie). Historically, there diameter and stands about 4 feet tall. have been some significant shorebirds appear at Turk’s Cap can grow in a wide variety of Village Creek drying beds this time of year. Hist: soils. I have had great success in both Red Knot (9/5/98, J.W. Sifford), Ruff and 2 Red- sandy soil and “black gumbo” clay soil. It necked Phalarope (Ed Wetzel, 8/29/98), Red is also very drought tolerant. I sometimes Phalarope (9/10/98, Martin Reid). get lazy in the summer about watering A couple of persistent Rufous Hummingbirds the plant in my front yard. It continues to have shown up at the beginning of August thrive, despite my mistreatment. at Lynn Barber’s and Rachel Dugas’s yards, so If you need a large space filled in quickly, be on the watch at your own feeders. Hist: Turk’s Cap is a good choice. It grows Broad-tailed Hummingbird, FWNC (8/30/04, rapidly and can become quite large. Mark Klym). Black-chinned should mostly be Turk’s Cap can be easily propagated. gone, so Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are your dominant species. Several years ago, I wanted to start Turk’s Cap in my yard, but could not find it Most winter woodpeckers aren’t here yet, but for sale at any nursery. A woman who here are some unique records for this period: worked at one of the nurseries gave me Red-headed Woodpecker, FWNC Rd. to Greer a few almost bare twigs from a plant in Is. (8/15/04, David Powell). Hairy Woodpecker, her own yard. I was skeptical that I could VCDB entrance (9/1/99, RBA); Pileated keep them alive, but gave it a try. The Woodpecker, Village Creek Historic Area (VCHA) twigs looked pretty bad the first month hummingbirds will arrive when the Turk’s (9/24/03, D.D. Currie). or so, but soon took hold. The plant can Cap starts blooming. I had never realized Olive-sided Flycatchers show up late August also be propagated from seed. this before, but really started taking note (8/24/03, VCHA, D.D. Currie; 8/26/00; River OK.....now for the bird and butterfly of the timing. Sure enough, for the past Legacy Park [RLP], RBA). Empid. Flycatchers part. This is an excellent plant for start coming through. Least, Eastern Wood- several years, within days of the first few attracting hummingbirds. It also blooms, here come the hummers. You can Pewee and listen for the Alder’s. Yellow-bellied attracts butterflies and other birds, but Flycatcher at Buffalo Ridge Park, Haltom City practically set your calendar by it. I grow it mainly for hummingbirds. I (9/9/98, Sheridan Coffey) and Martin Reid’s yard The plant also provides a food source typically get hummingbirds in my yard (9/5/03). Western Kingbirds are leaving, but for other birds, as it produces small red in July. I mentioned this to Gail Morris, Eastern are coming through in large groups. “cherries.” Hist: Presumed Couch’s Kingbird in Martin Reid’s and she casually pointed out that the yard (9/04/01). Up to 6 species of vireo regularly pass through Tarrant County: White-eyed, Red-eyed, Warbler by 1st of Sept. A few sightings of Orchard Orioles are fairly common, and Philadelphia, Warbling, Blue-headed and, more Kentucky Warbler (9/2/00, RBA), 1 Canada Baltimore can be found in bunches, including rarely, Bell’s Vireo. Hist: Yellow-throated Vireo Warbler (9/7/05, RBA), Ovenbird and Chestnut- 18 seen at VCDB (9/14/02, D.D. Currie) and showed up at FW Botanical Gardens (8/31/97, sided Warbler (9/9/98, Jim Sipiora, RLP), and 50+ at Martin Reid’s yard (9/5/03). a Prairie Warbler at FWNC (9/10/00, RBA). All Sheridan Coffey). Resources for this report include FWAS Forums warbler numbers increase into mid September. Some warblers have already started showing since 1998, Texbird Archives 1997, Texas up. Black and White Warbler and Northern Summer Tanagers are still hanging around or Clearinghouse Records, and Birds of Tarrant Parula are usually the first here. By the end of migrating. Blue Grosbeaks as well as Indigo and County Bar Graph Checklist 2nd Ed. 2000. August, Louisiana and Northern Waterthrush, Painted Buntings are mostly gone, but some Thanks to all of those who contributed over the Black-throated Green Warblers, American will still be migrating, especially immatures. Hist: years. If there are any suggestions, again pass Redstart, Wilson’s, Nashville, Yellow Warblers Lazuli Bunting at FWNC (8/30/04, Mark Klym). them along to me at [email protected]. Until (8/24/03, D.D. Currie, VCHA). Yellow-breasted next month, stay cool and keep the binos clean. Chats (8/23/02, Jim Sipiora, RLP) plus Mourning 5 ORNITHOLOGY REPORT and BIRD FORECASTS Roseate Spoonbill (4), Short-billed Dowitcher (6), in Tarrant County were at Village Creek drying Noteworthy Records for Tarrant County: Sanderling (1) and Neotropic Cormorant (10) beds (VCDB) on 9/1/97, not that long ago. Mid-June to Mid-August - 18 July: at Hagerman. (Lee Lemons) These birds should be around for the rest of this by Greg Keiran time period, but gone soon after. As for the A group* from the Fort Worth Audubon Society rest of the ducks, most species should trickle conducted a bird survey 23 July on a private in by mid September, with Blue-winged Teal Rufous Hummingbird (one female) - 5 Aug: ranch in Jack Co. located approx. 5 miles south gathering in numbers early and Green-winged Back for 5th year in yard (Lynn Barber, Fort of Jacksboro. Several notable species were Teal being the first, even as early as the 21st of Worth) seen despite the extreme heat. Highlights August. included 2 SPOTTED TOWHEES (Sophie Floyd); Black-bellied Whistling Duck (9) - 30 June: at one COMMON GROUND DOVE (Sophie and Any Neotropic Cormorants could still be hanging VCDB (Dell Little, Arlington) Daniel Floyd); 5 VERMILION FLYCATCHERS around Lake Benbrook (Martin Reid, 9/4/03) Black-necked Stilt (13), (four kids, two adults still (4 seen by Phil Craighead, Ann Hoover, Lynn and post nesting Anhingas could be seen at sitting on ground nests) - 30 June: at VCDB (Dell Barber and one seen by D.D. Currie and Dell VCDB or Ft. Worth Nature Center (FWNC). Little) Little at a different location); one LOUISIANA American Bitterns can be found at VCDB near WATERTHRUSH (Phil, Ann, Lynn); 10 BULLOCK’S Mississippi Kite (one) - 30 June: at VCDB (Dell the beginning of September. Historical note ORIOLES (D.D. and Dell); 9 GRASSHOPPER Little) (Hist): Least Bittern at Eagle Mountain Lake Fish SPARROWS (D.D. and Dell); GOLDEN FRONTED Hatchery (8/25/97). Mississippi Kites (35) - 4 August: at VCDB (Lynn WOODPECKERS, MISSISSIPPI KITES, ORCHARD Barber) ORIOLES, BELL VIREO’S, AND BLUE GROSBEAKS Also, be on the lookout for Tricolored Heron, White Ibis (17) (one all white) - 30 June: at (seen/heard by several groups). Dell and I White Ibis, White-faced Ibis, Wood Stork, and VCDB (Dell Little) birded several other locations in Jack Co. after Roseate Spoonbills (including 11 Ed Wetzel the survey. We had 12+ CAVE SWALLOWS on & Jim Sipiora, 8/24/02, VCDB) at VCDB or Most interesting from North Central Texas: FM 3324 and several more near Lake Jacksboro; anywhere along the River Legacy trail, especially Nesting Swainson’s Warbler: below spillway one TREE SWALLOW and one SPOTTED the east end (Bird’s Fort), where Charley Amos at Lake Tawakoni. E-mail from Brian Gibbons SANDPIPER at Lake Jacksboro. What other had 27 Wood Storks and 5 Roseates (8/31/03). and Derek Hill to Richard Kinney, 28 June: surprises are out there in this great, under- Hist: Glossy Ibis records include 8/24/03 & “Hi Richard, Success! Derek and I found the birded county! D.D. Currie, Arlington. 8/28/03, VCDB Martin Reid; 8/25/04 VCDB Greg Cook. Hist: Little Egret (probable) VCDB, nest 100 feet from where we were looking *Participants in the survey included Jim Jones, 8/22/97, Martin Reid. (Though not accepted yesterday. 3 tiny babies! Photos to document Andy Shetley, Buck Buchanan, Jean Ferguson, by Texas Birds and Records Committee, it is still this first regional record. We also had an adult Gail Morris, Phil, Ann, Lynn, Sophie, Daniel, Dell, believed to be the bird.) Broad-winged Hawk along I-20 at mile marker and D.D. 254, 2 miles w of Tank Farm Rd. We had 3 Mississippi Kites are finishing up with nesting, Be on the lookout for in September (Fall Brown-headed Nuthatches at the end of C.R. so expect to see some young ones around. Migration): 4805, east of Edom. We saw a SHARP-SHINNED Northern Harrier begin showing up at the HAWK carrying food in Kaufman County! In Grebes and Pelicans, Ibis, Northern Harrier, end of August, Osprey near the middle of southern Van Zandt County we had 5 male Falcons, Sora, Sandhill Cranes, Shorebirds, September, and Cooper’s and Sharp-shinned Anhinga in a small swampy pond. It was an Flickers, Flycatchers, Swallows, Swainson’s increase. The Broad-winged and Swainson’s awesome, hot day.” Thrush, Vireos, Orioles and, of course, Hawks’ migrations increase by mid September. Cave Swallows (5) - 15 June: feeding over Lake “Confusing Fall Warblers.” Some top prizes Also, Peregrine Falcons start appearing. (J.W. Tawakoni, and an adult and juvenile Horned possible for September: Red Phalarope, Golden- Sifford, 8/30/02 and Bill Lawrence, 9/9/02). winged Warbler, Lesser Goldfinch, Black-headed Lark on the beach. The Cave Swallows are Soras become present at VCDB by 8/16 or later. sitting on nests in the culvert colony nearby. Grosbeak, and Anna’s Hummingbird. The bulk of migration in late August is the family (Matt White, Campbell) Send your sightings to: of shorebirds, obviously. Semi-palmated Plover Yellow-throated Warbler and Kentucky Warbler Greg Keiran - 9 S. Kingston Ct. - Bedford, TX are fairly common, but Black-bellied Plover have - 3 July: in woods below the Tawakoni spillway. 76022 appeared a handful of times. (9/6/99, Rare Bird (Richard Kinney, Edgewood) Alert), including Charley Amos’s sighting of 2 (H) 817/282-3312 - (W) 817/280-7598, at Bird’s Fort, 8/13/05. The Black-necked Stilts Acadian Flycatchers (several) - 7 July: scattered [email protected] along the creek and sloughs in the woods will be around with their young a little while longer. American Avocets should be popping below Tawakoni spillway. (Richard Kinney, August - Septempber Bird Forecast up here or there (8/23/00, VCDB, Bird’s Fort, Edgewood) By Dell Little Benbrook, Lake Worth). Willets show up Caspian Tern (one) - 9 July: at Lake Lewisville This is the inaugural bird forecast report. I will occasionally (8/19/97, G. Lasley, M. Lockwood, (Thomas Riecke). Also reported on 5 July. (Keith be mentioning what birds should be around in M. Reid; 8/21/98, RBA). Also, Marbled Godwit Lockhart, Highland Village) the next month or until the next newsletter. I and Long-billed Curlews (8/19/97, G. Lasley, Anhinga (5), Tricolored Heron (one) and will also be diving into to the archives to share M. Lockwood, M. Reid), as well as Sanderling Neotropic Cormorant (3) - 9 July: Clear Creek notable historical sightings for the county. (9/1/99 and 9/12/99, VCDB, RBA) and Dunlin Heritage Nature Preserve in Denton. (Thomas Hopefully we all will get something out of this. (8/22/99, VCDB, RBA), Short-billed Dowitcher Riecke & Bob Stone) Maybe encouragement to get our binos out. (VCDB, 9/5/03, J.W. Sifford). Buff-bellied Or a moment of nostalgia. If I miss anything, Sandpipers are rare but usual, and the mystical Broadwinged Hawks (2) - 4 July: in Montague especially significant historical records, feel free Upland Sandpipers are uncommon, as well as Co. The first bird, an immature, was seen just to e-mail me at [email protected]. OK, here Wilson’s Phalarope. Of course, your Peeps Least, west of Sunset. The second bird, which was an goes. Western, Semipalmated, Baird’s Sandpipers, adult, was seen near Amon G. Carter Lake. (D. plus Pectoral, Stilt, Solitary, Spotted and both D. Currie and Dell Little, Arlington) I found it interesting that possibly the first successful nesting Black-bellied Whistling Ducks (Continued on page 5 6 Fieldtrip to Lewisville Lake September 10 Meeting Time: 7:30 AM Leader: Lawrence Duhon

Meeting Location: Parking area for Cicada/Cottonwood Trails (see directions below)

Trip Details: We will cover the various habitats found below Lewisville Dam, including Fort Worth Audubon Society wetlands, bottomland forests, and open prairie. These are found in 2005-2006 Birding Outings the Lewisville Lake Environmental Learning Area (LLELA). For more DESTINATION DATE LEADER/NOTES______details, see http://www.ias.unt. Lake Lewisville (LLELA, below dam)...... Sept 10...... Lawrence Duhon/Keith Lockhart edu/llela/main.htm. Also, you can To Be Announced...... Sept 24...... find a seasonal bird checklist for Hackberry Flats, OK ...... Oct 1 ...... Phil Craighead this area at http://www.duhons. River Legacy Park East ...... Oct 15 ...... Charley Amos net/LewisvilleBirds.htm. We will Will include provisions for birders with physical disabilities hike the public trails for a couple Whooping Crane Stakeout ...... Oct 29...... Various of hours, and we will also visit the 9616 Heron Drive; Winscott-Plover Rd; Lake Weatherford; Mosque Point; Winnscott Plover Rd. areas of this large preserve that Woodpecker Watch at FW Nature Center Nov 12...... Bob Smith Benbrook Lake ...... Nov 26...... Simone Jenion are not ordinarily open to the Tarrant County Christmas Bird Count ...... Dec 17 ...... Daniel Floyd public. There is a $3 per person VCDB Christmas Bird Count ...... Dec 26...... Jim Sipiora entry fee to access this federally- Lake Tawakoni State Park vicinity...... Jan 7...... Richard Kinney managed area. Will include area below dam for Smith’s Longspurs, if permission can be obtained. Raptor Rave ...... Jan 21 ...... Bob Smith Winscott Plover Rd., Benbrook Aledo Rd. After covering LLRA, we will have Granger Lake and Hornsby Bend ...... Feb 4 ...... Dell Little & D.D. Curie the option of going on to nearby Scavenger Hunt...... Feb 18 ...... Gail Morris Lewisville Lake Park to view the Lake Buchanan Boat Trip ...... March 4...... Ann Halligan Bald Eagles good variety of shorebirds usually Meridian State Park ...... March 25 ...Phil Craighead Golden-cheeked Warblers Tierra Verde Golf Course ...... April 8 ...... Andy Shetley present there. There is a $10 per Will include provisions for birders with physical disabilities vehicle entrance fee there, so Big Day ...... April 22...... TBD carpooling is recommended. Fort Worth Audubon Society vs Dallas Audubon Society Spring Bird Count ...... May 6 ...... Daniel Floyd Directions: From Fort Worth, go Lake Caddo...... May 20-21..Gail Morris north on S.H. 121 until it intersects For details, visit our website www.FWAS.org Interstate 35E. Go north to exit #453, Valley Ridge Blvd. Stay on the northbound access road to Jones Street (near Phil Dill Boats), Field trips are open to all, members and nonmembers, beginners to and then turn right. The entrance world-class birders. We especially want to encourage and welcome first- gate to LLELA is at the end of time birders to come on our local trips in the Fort Worth area. These trips Jones Street, where it intersects are an excellent way to get started learning the birds and the best loca- Kealy Street in Lewisville. Pay your tions and seasons to find them. There are always people on these trips entry fee (the gate opens at 7:00 who are willing and able to answer any question about birds. We try to AM) and drive about a mile to the help everyone see all the birds we find. Don’t let bad weather deter you. parking area on the right. Often the best birding is in the worst weather. Miserable conditions cer- tainly build camaraderie. Come prepared. Warm weather trips may bring It is recommended that mosquitoes, chiggers, etc. Always bring along food and water because participants bring water, lunch, lunch is always in the field. If you have any questions, call Phil Craighead, and insect repellent. Field Trip Coordinator, at 817.596.3227, or by email: [email protected]

7 General meeting: Sign up now for September 8 Fort Worth Audubon Society 7:30 PM Chapter-only Membership Rich Gunnels, 2006 Richland Creek Wildlife Single membership: $20 Management Area Couple at same address: $30

A look at this unique, Send your name, address, phone eco-friendly water number, and email address to: treatment facility and FWAS Membership the bird and wildlife 2901 Hitson Lane magnet it has become. Fort Worth, TX 76112 Emphasis will be given to the exceptional Make checks payable to birding opportunites Fort Worth Audubon it offers. Please indicate if you want to receive See page 2 for directions the newsletter in print form.

Southwestern Flyer - The newsletter of the Fort Worth Audubon Society - Published 10 times per year. Lynn Barber, executive editor; Andrew Shetley, managing editor and designer; Paula Murphey, copy editor. Photos by FWAS members Glenda Kielstrup, Lynn Barber, Phil Craighead, and Andrew Shetley. Copyright 2005

FORT WORTH AUDUBON SOCIETY, INC. Non-profit Org. Lynn Barber, President U.S. Postage P.O. Box 16528 Fort Worth, TX 76162 PAID Fort Worth, TX Permit No. 867