THE BECKHAM OBSERVER · 2019-10-29 · The Beckham Bird Club has moved its membership process into 21st Century. Members are now encouraged to renew memberships online, paying either

THE BECKHAM OBSERVER BECKHAMBIRDCLUB.ORG NOVEMBER 2019

LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY

West Africa 2018

Win Ahrens will be our speaker at the November meeting of the Beckham Bird Club. In December of 2018 he cruised the west coast of Africa embarking from Lisbon in Portugal visiting 11 different countries along the West Africa coastline arriving in Cape Town, South Africa twenty-four days later. Along the way he was able to spot a number of local species enlisting the help of bird guides in Sao Tome and Namibia. The itinerary included many countries not frequented by regular cruises or bird trips. It was a rare glimpse of people and

bird life in a far corner of the world. Please join us on Tuesday, November 12 to relive the adventure. Our meeting is at St.Mark’s Episcopal Church, 2822 Frankfort Ave, Louisville, KY 40206, 38.254256, -85.689458. St. Mark’s is at the corner of Frankfort Avenue and Kennedy Ave. Please enter by way of the back door near the parking lot.

MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL TIME IS HERE…WITH SOME CHANGES

The Beckham Bird Club has moved its membership process into 21st Century.

Members are now encouraged to renew memberships online, paying either with a credit card

or with a PayPal account. Here is how:

1. Go the Beckham Bird Club website http://www.beckhambirdclub.org/ and click on the

membership tab at the top of the homepage.

2. You will see a list of membership categories, with the dues for each (slightly increased

for 2020) and a yellow button that says “Donate.”

3. Click on the button. It will take you to PayPal.

4. Enter the amount you wish to pay and then, using the optional pull-down menu,

designate for membership. (You can also donate to Birdathon, but that comes later.)

5. Select payment either through your PayPal account, if you have one, or by credit card.

6. If you select credit card payment, you will be asked for credit card information, including

your name and address, (don’t worry, it’s a secure site) and then be asked to create a

PayPal account. Doing so will simplify the process next time. (Just remember to write

down your password and save it where it can be relocated.)

7. Complete the transaction by following the PayPal prompts. You will get an email

confirmation of your payment.

8. Because PayPal provides only limited information about payers to the BBC, please take

the following IMPORTANT STEP: Please email your name, address, email and telephone

number to [email protected] so we can keep our membership roster up to date.

UNLESS YOU RECEIVE THE NEWSLETTER BY MAIL, YOU WILL NOT RECEIVE A MEMBERSHIP

RENEWAL REMINDER AND RENEWAL FORM IN THE MAIL. YOU SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED AN

EMAIL REMINDER WITH THESE INSTRUCTIONS.

However, if you still wish to pay the traditional way, by mailing a form and a check, the

membership renewal form is available here for download and printing:

http://www.beckhambirdclub.org/uploads/4/6/2/1/46215227/2019_membership_form__2_.p

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The BBC board believes that online renewal will make things simpler and more convenient for

most members. The ability to join online should also make it easier to attract new members to

our ranks.

A big thank you to Treasurer Judith McCandless and especially to our web guru Kathy Dennis,

who worked diligently to establish the PayPal account and set it up on the website.

DISTRIBUTION OF THE 2019 BIRDATHON DONATIONS

The BBC Board at their last meeting distributed $20,000 to eight birdathon grant recipients. A

special thanks to all who contributed to this record breaking birdathon of $19,815.17. The

board donated the rest in order to round off the total. The recipients and the amount they

received are:

Jefferson Memorial Forest - $1000 Kentucky Resources Council, Inc. - $2500 Kentucky Conservation Committee - $2500 Raptor Rehabilitation of Kentucky, Inc. - $3500 Creasy Mahan Nature Preserve - $1500 Kentucky Natural Lands Trust - $2500 Louisville Nature Center - $1500 Kentucky Nature Preserves - $5000

UPCOMING FIELD TRIPS

*Please note change in time for the Beckley Creek trip on Saturday, Nov. 9 and Muscatatuck

NWR/Hardy Lake trip on Sunday, Nov. 24.

Saturday, November 2 8:30 am - noon moderate

TURKEY RUN PARK – Brown-Forman Silo area. Residents and migrants. Directions: From I-265 exit (19) Billtown Road, go south and turn left at the T; go 1.5 miles and turn right into Turkey Run Park entrance; continue through the park to the Brown-Forman Silo parking lot. GPS: 38.115846, -85.533371

Andrew Melnykovych 502-608-4655

Sunday, November 3

8:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.

moderate

SPINDLETOP (MAIN CHANCE FARM) - Late migrants and early winter visitors esp. open habitat birds. Meet in the parking lot behind the McDonald's on Newton Pike, just off I-64. GPS: 38.101659, -84.484039

MichaelCallan 502-592-7008

Saturday, November 9

8:00 am – 11:00 a.m.

easy

BECKLEY CREEK PARK – GRAND ALLEE SECTION - For migrants. Meet at the “Port- a-Potty” parking lot at the south end of the Humana Grand Allee just before the large bridge over the creek. GPS: 38.209077, -85.474110

Andrew Melnykovych

502-608-4655

Sunday, November 10 8:30 am - noon

CREASY-MAHAN NATURE PRESERVE – Residents and winter visitors. Meet at Creasy Mahan Visitor Center, Highway 42 to Route 1793, about a 1/2 mile to sign on the right. GPS: 38.400384, -85.590180

Meg & Steve Brown

502-435-3967

Sunday, November 17 8 a.m. – noon easy

FALLS OF THE OHIO & ASHLAND PARK – Waterfowl, etc. Meet at FOTO Visitor Center Observation Deck near Parking Lot. Bring a scope if you have one. GPS: 38.277101, -85.763732

MichaelCallan

502-592-7008

Sunday, November 24 8:30 am – ?? moderate

MUSCATATUCK NWR/HARDY LAKE - Meet at the Muscatatuck visitor center at 8:30 a.m. Bring lunch. Directions: I-65 north from Louisville to Exit 50 (Seymour). Take US Highway 50 east about 3 miles to refuge entrance. About 1 hour north of Louisville. GPS: 38.959304, -85.798258

Pat & Jane Bell 502-326-9610

Saturday, November 30 9 a.m. – noon easy

FREEMAN LAKE – Meet at trail head parking lot off of Ring Road. Bring scopes. Directions: From Louisville go south on I-65 to Exit 94 then turn right on St. 62 (also Mulberry St) about 1 mile (get in right lane) to light at Ring Rd (St 3005) turn right and go 5 miles. Small parking lot on LEFT at the lake. GPS: 37.732011, - 85.870473

Bill Friel 502-203-4109

Sunday, December 1 8 am – 1 pm easy

BERNHEIM FOREST – Winter residents, esp. Golden eagles, finches, & waterfowl. Meet in the parking lot next to Lake Nevin. From Louisville, take I-65 south to exit 112, then east on KY 245 about a mile to entrance. GPS: 37.918675, -85.668639

MichaelCallan 502-592-7008

Saturday, December 7 8:30 am – noon easy

POPE LICK PARK – For residents, migrants and winter visitors. From Gene Snyder get off at Taylorsville Rd toward Fisherville, go about a mile, & take a right on South Pope Lick Rd. Follow signs to Pope Lick Park, part of the Parklands. Meet in the main parking lot. GPS: 38.184655, -85.488095

Andrew Melnykovych 502-608-4655

Sunday, December 8 8:30 a.m. – Noon

Easy

LONG RUN PARK – For winter visitors, residents and waterfowl. From intersection of Shelbyville Road and Flat Rock Road, about 2 miles north on Flat Rock Road to park entrance, then ¼ mile to first fork and right to parking lot near lake. GPS: 38.264517, - 85.418571

Meg and Steve Brown 502-435-3967

The members of Beckham Bird Club wish to extend our

deepest sympathy to the family of Tim Ritter, who passed

away on Tuesday, September 17. Tim was a long time

member of BBC and was frequently on many field trips. We

wish also to thank Home Instead Senior Care for their gift in

memory of Tim.

The club also wish to extend its sympathy to the family of Celia Lawrence who passed away on

October 18. Celia had been an active member of the Beckham Bird Club before her illness and

had served as its treasurer.

A REQUEST FROM THE AMERICAN BIRD CONSERVANCY

In the last 50 years, the United States and Canada have experienced a net loss of nearly 3 billion birds. To reverse these declines and save our birds, we need to take action to reduce human-caused threats.

Outdoor cats are the single greatest direct source of human-caused mortality to birds in the United States and Canada.

Keeping cats indoors – or safely contained outdoors – is a simple and easy way to protect cats and birds.

Take action now to support responsible pet ownership in your community!

Many local governments fail to adequately support responsible pet care – and cats are frequently ignored entirely, leaving cats to roam outdoors, where they harm birds and other wildlife and are themselves at risk. You can help change that!

Start a dialogue with elected officials by asking for the passage of safe, common-sense ordinances that treat cats like we treat dogs. Let’s prohibit animal abandonment, strengthen sterilization and pet identification, and keep our cats safely contained.

Thank you for your support of responsible pet ownership and bird conservation. Please contact your city councilperson.

Pam Spaulding took the picture of the cat with the Robin here in Louisville while she was out birding.

PAST FIELD TRIPS

Tom Sawyer Park, September 28 - Eleven participants birded on a VERY hot morning. The

highlights were seven Magnolia Warblers, one Black and White Warbler, one Blue-winged

Warbler and an American Redstart. Despite the heat and noisy park activities, 40 species were

recorded.

Hays-Kennedy/Garvin Brown, October 6 - Ten members and guests enjoyed a dry day before

the rains hit. A Marsh Wren skulked through brush in front of remaining water at Hayes-

Kennedy. Two soaring raptors, later identified through pictures as Northern Harriers, were seen

at Garvin Brown. A mass of blackbirds and grackles created loud, non-synchronous cacophony

of bird sounds. A total of 41 species were seen.

Beckley Creek- Grand Allee, October 13 - Frost covered the fields on a brisk fall day as fourteen

observers arrived to bird in the Parklands. Very few Neotropical migrants remained, but a few

stragglers made for nice finds. A Yellow-billed Cuckoo, a Yellow-throated Vireo, a Rose-breasted

Grosbeak and a Black-throated Green Warbler were still present in the park. Several Yellow-

bellied Sapsuckers and Swamp and White-throated Sparrows were found, signaling that our

winter birds are beginning to appear. Raptors appeared overhead in the blue sky punctuated

with interesting cloud formations. These included Red-Tailed and Red-shouldered Hawks and a

Kestrel. Just as the group was preparing to head home an adult Bald Eagle came flying over us.

It was a fun morning with great birders and 44 species of birds.

Henderson Sloughs and vicinity, October 19 - Thirteen folks birded the Sauerheber Unit of

Sloughs WMA in Henderson County. I believe with birds seen by the entire group, we had 70

species, but the work was hard and the highlights scarce. The drought conditions and a

currently broken pump have resulted in hardly any water in moist soils units and low levels in

natural sloughs. Plus, the warm temps and afternoon breeze did not help results.

I think for the second time, we got skunked on rails, but despite plenty of habitat for marsh

sparrows we could not find any of them either. We did have some nice looks at Marsh Wrens at

Hardy Slough. Also, the lack of water resulted in virtually no shorebirds being around. We

flushed a single Wilson's Snipe!

We toured around some other spots nearby and eventually found some dabbling ducks on

Anderson Pond, a Merlin bathing in shallow water at the edge of a sandbar on the Ohio River,

and a few Sharp-shinned Hawks.

In the afternoon we strayed off to butterflies and enjoyed nice study of a relatively uncommon

Ocoloa Skipper.

Melco Flood Retention Basin, October 20 – Five members had a great time birding on a mild

and sunny morning. Highlights included a brief (but tantalizing) view of a Lincoln’s Sparrow, a

couple of Least Sandpipers, a Merlin, and a singing Marsh Wren. We tallied 40 species and 1838

individual birds. Thanks to everyone who came out for a fun morning!

BBC Conservation Report Websites October 2019

Fall Yardwork - https://www.audubon.org/news/to-help-birds-winter-go-easy-

fall-yard-work?emci=82ad2dcc-bed8-e911-b5e9-2818784d6d68&emdi=88f3285a-

0fda-e911-b5e9-

2818784d6d68&ceid=1314690&utm_source=ea&utm_medium=email&utm_cam

paign=engagement_20190918_eng-email&utm_content=%5baudience%5d

Cranes - https://www.savingcranes.org/protecting-cranes-and-the-places-they-

dance/

https://www.savingcranes.org/two-whooping-crane-mothers-hard-at-work/

Bird-friendly buildings - https://abcbirds.org/blog/bird-friendly-design-coming-

soon/?omhide=true&eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=03937bed-20f2-4bb3-8849-

9a6a673a7d97

Oak Trees, Bird Migration National Wildlife Magazine October-November 2019

issue (not yet online)

TNC KY acquisition -

https://www.nature.org/content/dam/tnc/nature/en/documents/Kentucky-

2019-Fall-Magazine-Insert.pdf

Mosquitoes -

https://digital.sierramagazine.org/publication/?i=612490&p=10#%22page%22:%

2210%22,%22issue_id%22:612490