The Brown Pelican The Newsletter of the Golden Triangle Audubon Society Vol. 16 No. 3 March 2010 Membership Meeting Thursday, March 18, 2010 7:00 PM Garden Center, Tyrrell Park, Beaumont Mottled Duck Habitat Use and Movements Utilizing Satellite Telemetry: Making Sound Management Decisions Based on Science Jena Moon Wildlife Biologist McFaddin/Texas Point National Wildlife Refuges Jena will discuss the results to date of an on-going project to track the movements of female Mottled Ducks on Anahuac and McFaddin NWR and surrounding areas using satellite telemetry. Fifteen radios were deployed during the pilot program year (2009), and two local schools have been involved in the project. Jena has been collecting data on distances traveled, water depth, and the presence or absence of aquatic vegetation. Jena has a B.S. and M.S. from Texas Tech University's Department of Natural Resources Management. While an undergraduate she participated in the US Fish and Wildlife Service's Student Career Experience Program in Roswell, NM working on endangered and wetland species, and on the Kofa NWR in Yuma, AZ, working on big horn sheep and bat conservation. Her master's thesis work with Dr. David Haukos on the survival of female northern pintails wintering in the Playa Lakes region of Northwestern Texas was published in the Journal of Wildlife Management in 2006, and she has several other peer-reviewed articles. After graduation, Jena was the Wetlands and Waterfowl Biologist for the Lower Rio Grande NWR Complex, working in the Lower Rio Grande Valley, Santa Ana and Laguna Atascosa Refuges before joining the staff at McFaddin and Texas Point in 2007. Jena is active in The Wildlife Society and currently serves as the Chair of the Finance Committee of the Texas Chapter. We will plan on having the doors open by about 6:00 p.m. and the program will start at 7:00 p.m. sharp. 1 Calendar of Events Saturday March 20, 2010. Field Trip to Bolivar Flats. The Brown Pelican Saturday March 13, 2010. Sabine Vol. 16, No.3 March 2010 Important Note: Galveston County Woods Work Day. Our four projects Issue number 161 operates a parking permit program on funded by grants from Sempra Energy the Bolivar Peninsula. Any one can Foundation and the Great Texas Birding Golden Triangle drive on the beach for free. But if you Classic have been completed under the park on the beach you must have a Audubon Society able management of Gary Kelley. We parking permit on your windshield. thank Gary for all the time and effort that Web Site for more information The fee for the permit is $10.00 a year he has put into them. www.goldentriangleaudubon.org and permits are obtainable from most On this Work Day, we plan to get merchants on the Bolivar Peninsula. BOARD OF DIRECTORS the trails ready for spring migration. Also, we want to mow around the newly This trip occurs as shorebird President planted tress, and although we hope to migration is in full swing. Bolivar Flats Jim Armacost (409-790-6908) do larger areas with a brush hog, we will is a hemispherically important shore- Vice-President need push mowers to trim around the bird location. We know that a lot of Gerald Duhon (409-899-3368) trees. We will need one chain saw also. birders are intimidated by shorebirds. Treasurer As always, we will want to cut This trip offers an opportunity to Christine Sliva (409-243-2446) vines that are threatening the health of compare many of the "true" shorebirds Secretary oak trees, and perform similar minor with lots of help in identifying them. John Whittle (409-722-4193) tasks. Meet at the vehicle barrier at 8:30 Directors-at-Large Please bring work gloves and insect a.m. From Winnie, take TX 124 south to Edra Bogucki (409-835-7245) repellant, and whatever equipment or High Island. At the shoreline, turn right Sherry Gibson (409-385-6302) hand tools you may have – heavy duty (west) on TX 87 and proceed through Frank Giglio (409-866-4850) riding mower, push mower, DR trimmer, Gilchrist and Crystal Beach until you John Haynes (409-724-6842) loppers, etc. We have a few, but reach the intersection where Loop 108 Gary Kelley (409-697-2346) typically not enough. We plan to turns right (north). Turn left (the Steve Mayes (409-722-5807) provide refreshments. opposite way to Loop 108) along Sherrie Roden (409-962-7911) We are planning another Work Day Rettilon Road. At the beach, if Paula Shaw (409-866-0989) for May 15. conditions permit, turn right (west) Jana Whittle (409-722-4193) Sabine Woods is on the north side about 1/2 mile to the vehicle barrier. It of Highway 87, 4.1 miles west of the takes at least one and a half hours to COMMITTEE CHAIRS stop sign in Sabine Pass. Take Highway drive from the Golden Triangle; more if Program 87 from Port Arthur to Sabine Pass, turn you bird on the way! We will leave the Jana Whittle (409-722-4193) right at the stop sign, and go 4.1 miles. vehicle barrier at about 8:45 a.m., Field Trips although the group will be visually Steve Mayes (409-722-5807) Thursday March 18, 2010. Membership obvious on the flats should you be a Conservation Meeting. See details on front page. few minutes later than that. The Volunteer opportunity! opportunity will exist to visit High Membership, Publicity Island on the way back. Paula Shaw (409-866-0989) Refreshments Some walking is necessary on this Education field trip. How much depends on how Volunteer needed Each month, we rely on volunteers to much mud flat is exposed, and this Webmaster provide the refreshments at our depends on both the tide and the winds Jeff Pittman ([email protected]) membership meeting. We thank the that have prevailed over the previous Newsletter Distribution Lynn Otto, Lu Skillern, and the Parks for day or so. Mary Stafford (409-962-8070) the refreshments. We will gladly accept The flats are slowly returning to volunteers to bring items for the March "normal" after the massive relocation of Newsletter Editor meeting and the remaining spring sand and mud that occurred during John Whittle (409-722-4193) 2010 meetings. We do not expect one Hurricane Ike. There may still not be as 3015 Nashville Ave. person to bring everything, but please much exposed mud flat as was typical Nederland, TX 77627-6749 call so we can coordinate! Even if you pre-Ike and a visit to the North Jetty to would like to bring drinks and cookies view the birds from that side may be The Brown Pelican is or something similar, please call Jennifer indicated. published monthly except July by Armacost at (409) 790-7222 (or email her We expect to stop at Rollover Pass the Golden Triangle Audubon at [email protected]) as far in and High Island on the way back. We Society, P. O. Box 1292, advance as possible. Please help if you will check in High Island for any "early" Nederland, Texas 77627-1292 can! neotropic songbird migrants. 2 For more information, contact Steve Volunteer Opportunities: National Audubon Society Mayes, or 409-722-5807. Conservation, Education, Regionally Nominated Thursday April 15, 2010. Membership Outreach Director for the Southwest Meeting. Speaker Philip Barbour. Region This may be an old refrain, but Topic USDA NRCS Wildlife Habitat Golden Triangle Audubon is currently Nine of the thirty-six positions on Conservation on Private Lands through without volunteers to spearhead two the Board of Directors of the National Partnerships. Philip will discuss activities that should be an integral part Audubon Society are filled by election research projects under way by the of our overall program. of a candidate by the Chapters in each USDA NRCS Agricultural Wildlife We would very much like to have of the nine Districts. The directors serve Conservation Center, Audubon someone monitor local conservation three year terms, and the terms of the Arkansas, and others. issues as our Conservation Committee nine Regionally Nominated Directors are The projects range from prairie chair, and someone develop and lead staggered so that three positions are restoration to Sage Grouse, Northern our educational outreach program as our voted in each year. The Districts were Bobwhite, grassland birds and many Education Chair. There will be great divided in the last redistricting about others. Most of these projects are in flexibility for the volunteers to design five years ago, so that each region the context of working lands (e.g., and focus these programs to suit their contained very approximately the same farms, ranches, pastures, etc.) interests. We envisage that the number of National Audubon members. Conservation Chair will stay on top of The Southwest Region, comprising Saturday April 17, 2010. Field Trip to all local conservation issues, keep the Texas, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico Sabine Woods and Sabine Pass area. board and membership apprised of and Oklahoma, will vote this year. Full details in future issues. important issues and opportunities to Chapters are allocated votes to cast in provide input. On the Education side, in proportion to the number of National Saturday May 8, 2010. Spring North the past, we have provided "Audubon Audubon members in the Chapter. American Migration Count. Contact Adventures" educational materials to Golden Triangle Audubon has one vote John Whittle (409) 722-4193 for further selected local schools. To volunteer, or to cast prior to April 30, 2010. Three details. for further information, contact any Chapters have nominated candidates for member of the board. this position for a three year term Saturday May 15, 2010.