Volume 54 Number 1 www.watermanbirdclub.org January 2012 JANUARY 2012 MEETING Our first meeting in 2012 will be on Monday, January 23rd at the Freedom Plains Church Parish Hall, Route 55, Freedom Plains, across from Arlington High School, at 7:30 PM. Our Speaker will be our own member, Steve Golladay. He will present High Speed Photography of Hummingbirds. Learn about hummingbirds as well as photographic equipment and technique. Steve will demo his hummingbird photography setup, which includes five off camera flashes + one on-camera flash, and will show you some stunning photographs he was able to capture with it. We hope you will join us for a every informative and fun evening. Refreshments will follow our meeting. James Baird SP Norrie Point Vanderbilt Mills Mansion Tymor Forest Harlem Valley (w/red maple Rail Trail Mansion syrup pails) Amenia FEBRUARY 2012 & MARCH 2012 FIELD TRIPS WEDNESDAY Feb. 1 James Baird State Park *pg. 66. Meet at the restaurant parking lot at 9:00am. Feb. 8 Norrie Point *pg.78. Meet at the museum parking lot at 9:00am. Feb. 15 Bowdoin Park *pg. 16. Meet at the upper level parking area at 9:00am. Feb. 22 Vanderbilt Mansion *pg. 126. Meet at the visitor parking lot at 9:00am. Feb. 29 Wilcox Park – if closed Thompson Pond. Meet at park’s parking lot (off Rt. 199 east of Parkway) at 9:00am. Mar. 7 Mills Mansion *pg. 78. Meet at the Mansion parking lot, Staatsburg at 9:00am. Mar. 14 Tymor Forest *pg. 124. Meet at the barns at 9:00am. Hot dog roast after walk (optional). Bring your own. Mar. 21 Harlem Valley Rail Trail – Amenia. Meet at parking lot off Mechanic St. at 9:00am. Mar. 28 Southern Dutchess Rail Trail. Meet at new parking lot, Rt. 376 (just south of old parking lot), Hopewell Jct. at old train station at 9:00am. Most of the above places are listed in Where to Bird in Dutchess County and/or on our website at www.watermanbirdclub.org/BirdersGuideWhere.htm. Inclement weather cancels walk. Dress for the weather, bring lunch and beverage. Any questions for February trips call Barbara Butler @ 677-9025. Any questions for March trips call Carol Fredericks @ 452-7619. * * * WEEKEND FIELD TRIPS ARE ON BACK PAGE * * * 1 Volume 54 Number 1 www.watermanbirdclub.org January 2012 EXECTIVE OFFICERS 2011-2012 President: Maury Lacher 462-5105 Vice-Presedent: Barry Haydasz 266-8084 The next Wings deadline is Feb. 13, 2012. Treasurer: Ken Fredericks 452-7619 Send articles to Chuck Martinez and copies to Recording Secretary: Deborah Kral 914-204-1114 Janet Allison & Barbara Michelin. Contact Corresponding Secretary: Suzanne Infante 831-3494 information is on back page. Member-at-Large: Shelly Redl 473-2001 Member-at-Large: Frank Margiotta 758-5803 Immediate Past President: Rodney Johnson 876-2291 RTWBC Membership Report 1/12/2012 Committee Chairs Bluebird Trail: Susan Gilnack 758-5796 Thanks to all those members who have renewed their Circulation: Ruth Greenwood 223-3100 memberships for 2011-2012. And a special thank you Programs: Binnie Chase 724-5912 to those (approximately 25%) who included an extra Membership: Steve Golladay 221-6140 contribution with their renewal. As of Jan 12, Records: Barbara Butler 677-9025 Newsletter: Janet Allison 266-2340 approximately 60% of last year's members have Barbara Michelin 297-6701 renewed. The renewal rate to date of our on-line Chuck Martinez 896-6455 subscribers is much lower (41 %) than that of members NYSOA Delegate: Barbara Butler 677-9025 receiving the newsletter by mail (74 %). Rare Bird Alert: Deborah Kral 868-7934/914-204-1114 Education: Alan Peterson 266-5093 Not sure if you renewed? Check the membership Historian: Adrienne Popko/Carrie Grey 229-5967 expiration date on your newsletter. And please rejoin Hospitality: Susan Gilnack 758-5796 us! Publicity: Kateri Kosek – 226-6267 New members since November 2011 newsletter: Sunshine: Dora Russell 454-2628 Richard Forman & Christine Luchini, 667 Traver Rd., Library: Ken Fredericks 452-7619 Pleasant Valley, NY 12569 Barry Haydasz 266-8084 Conservation: Kelly Liao 855-0192 Glenn A & Rebecca Thompson Atherton,291 Freedom Web Site: Carena Pooth 724-5107 Rd, Pleasant Valley, NY 12569 Weekend Field Trips: Barbara Michelin 297-6701 Census: Herb Thompson 609-577-3477 Holly E. Cusick, 25 Ralph St, Beacon, NY 12508 Eamon Freiburger, 6 Apple Summit Ln., LaGrangeville, NY 12540 Bluebird Program Michael & Julie Kessler, 363 Smith Rd, Hyde Park, NY 12538 Looking ahead. There will be a program on Bluebirds on Tuesday, April 23, 2012 at the Freedom Plains Krista Morris, 18 Michael Dr, Wappingers Falls, NY Church Parish Hall, Route 55, Freedom Plains, across 12590 from Arlington High School. Our speaker will be John Robert and Linda Olivo, 14 Putnam Road, Hyde Park, Ruska from the Bluebird Society. More details in our NY 12538 next issue. Peter Schoenberger, 95 West Saugerties Rd, Woodstock, NY 12601 David M. Schwartz, 176 Cream St, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601 Steve Golladay, Membership Chairman Ralph T. Waterman Bird Club 25 Taconic Drive, Hopewell Jct., NY 12533 845-221-6140 Thank You Note Dec. 4th, 2011 Dear Dora, Please thank the bird club for the beautiful Thanksgiving floral arrangement we received. It is still looking great, down here where it is 80 degrees, almost. We will be up to visit our family Dec. 22-30, even tho we can’t stand the cold anymore. Eastern Bluebird, photo by Steve Golladay Happy Holidays, Ginny and Otis 2 Volume 54 Number 1 www.watermanbirdclub.org January 2012 Waterman Bird Club Christmas Bird Count December 17, 2011 The 2011 CBC, the 54th annual count for Waterman Bird Club, was very good. The species total, 77, is above average and higher than the previous two years. The unseasonably mild weather was surely a factor. An all time high of 242 Ring-necked Ducks, 8 Bald Eagles, 7 Common Ravens, 299 Tufted Titmice, and 150 White- breasted Nuthatches were seen this year. The 13 Belted Kingfishers this year is only one less than to highest ever and 6 Brown Creepers are the most seen since the 1990. White-throated Sparrows, 346, and Dark-eyed Juncos, 752, are the highest numbers tallied since 1991 Liz Martens found a Northern Shoveler, only the fourth time seen since 1958. Two Sharp-shinned Hawks is the lowest number seen since 1998. I want to thank the Team Leaders for all their help with the CBC. Alan Peterson stepped in to lead a team this year. Eamon Freiburger, age 12, was our youngest participant. Of course, it is all the participants who made this CBC a success. Thank you to Maha Katnani for opening her home for the after-count dinner. Team Leaders Area Members Species Barbara Butler Rockefeller Fld. Kelly Liao, Binnie Chase, 45 Sta., Verbank, Debi Kral, Dotty Fleury, Tymor, Clove Carena Pooth ,Herb Thompson Valley Alan Peterson Lk. Walton, Eamon Freiburger, Abby Dux, 47 Towns of Aimee & Tom LaBarr, Fishkill, Liz Jamison Wappingers Carol Fredericks Vassar Farm Ken Fredericks 28 Frank Margiotta Kateri Kosek Vassar Campus David Holub 24 Barbara Mansell Salt Point David Grover, Ellen Bender 44 Liz Martins Adrienne Popko Barbara Michelin Sylvan Lake, Betsy Carswell, Bill Case, 51 Town and Ken Harris, Liz Jamison, City of Pk., Allan Michelin, Rodney Johnson, Wappingers Maha Katnani, Bonnie & Bud Fair, Richard Fitzgerald, Melissa Fischer, Aimee & Tom LaBarr, Adrienne Popko Krista Morris Moores Mills, Fritz Waterman 41 Barry Haydasz Baird Park Susan & Jerry Gilnack, Maryanne Pitts Chet Vincent Pleasant Valley Steve Galliday 52 Shelly Redle, Adrienne Popko Feeder Watchers: Judy Atwood, Karen Jacquith, Evelyn Stevenson, Sandy LaPerche -Compiler: Herb Thompson 3 Volume 54 Number 1 www.watermanbirdclub.org January 2012 Dutchess County Christmas Bird Count Summary - December 17, 2011 Avg. Avg. Avg. Last Last Last # per # per # per Year Year Year of yrs yr of yrs yr of yrs yr Prev. Prev. Prev. Found when Found when Found when SPECIES NAME Found SPECIES NAME Found SPECIES NAME Found 2011 1958- Found 2011 1958- Found 2011 1958- Found 58- 58- 58- now 58- now 58- now 58- now now now now now now Greater White-fronted Goose 3 1 2003 Broad-winged Hawk 0 none House Wren 2 1 2007 Snow Goose 1 15 6 2009 Red-tailed Hawk 89 54 48 2010 Winter Wren 1 35 2 2010 Brant 8 3 25 2002 Rough-legged Hawk 24 2 2008 Golden-crowned Kinglet 5 51 10 2010 Canada Goose 5104 41 3083 2010 Golden Eagle 1 1 1980 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1 28 2 2010 Mute Swan 26 32 44 2010 American Kestrel 1 49 7 2010 Eastern Bluebird 99 51 53 2010 Tundra Swan 1 2 2002 Merlin 1 1 2008 Swainson's Thrush 1 1 2003 Wood Duck 3 23 4 2010 Peregrine Falcon 2 10 1 2010 Hermit Thrush 3 24 2 2010 Gadwall 7 3 2001 Common Moorhen 1 1 1974 American Robin 297 53 168 2010 American Wigeon 5 4 2000 American Coot 47 34 54 2010 Gray Catbird 2 23 2 2010 American Black Duck 45 54 36 2010 Killdeer 5 1 2009 Northern Mockingbird 53 51 55 2010 Mallard 508 54 406 2010 Wilson's Snipe 13 2 2005 Brown Thrasher 2 1 2009 Blue-winged Teal 0 none American Woodcock 1 1 1997 European Starling 2248 54 2476 2010 Northern Shoveler 1 4 2 2002 Bonaparte's Gull 1 2 1975 American Pipit 6 8 2008 Northern Pintail 15 2 2007 Ring-billed Gull 404 46 267 2010 Cedar Waxwing 92 50 107 2010 Green-winged Teal 3 2 2005 Herring Gull 20 54 36 2010 Lapland Longspur 5 2 1985 Canvasback 17 48 2006 Lesser Black-backed Gull 1 2 2007 Snow Bunting 21 53 2010 Redhead 6 3 2006 Great Black-backed Gull 3 40 6 2010 Cape May Warbler 0 none Ring-necked Duck 242 33 58 2010 Gull, species uncertain 1 1000 2006 Palm Warbler 2 1 1991 Greater Scaup 7 2 2005 Rock Pigeon 494 49 405 2010 Yellow-rumped Warbler 4 26 5 2010 Lesser Scaup 4 15 2006 Mourning