Thrasher - Richmond Audubon Society · ornithologist Roger Tory Peterson and his British counterpart, James Fisher. It is a beautifully written narrative, tracking the 30,000 miles

ThrashertheNewsletter of the Richmond Audubon Society

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014 VOLUME 41, ISSUE 1

Jerry UhlmanRAS Member and Nature Photographer

In this IssueJerry Uhlman 1President’s Message 2January/February Programs 3Jerry Uhlman’s Favorite Photos 4Winter Guests II 5Field Trips-January/February 6

From the Kitchen Window 7RAS Officers 8

Jerry Uhlman believes he is a verylucky guy: For over 25 years he hasenjoyed a delicious potpourri ofbirding, travel, photography andfree-lance writing.

As a birding novice when his wife,Sylvia, and he moved toRichmond, he took advantage ofmany RAS field trips to hone hisbird identification skills, leadingto an all-consuming passion.

Not long after Jerry became afocused birder, he began takingshots of birds with a point-and-shoot Canon camera. In thoseearly days, 12-15 rolls of film gotyou, maybe, 12-15 good pictures.Nowadays, he travels with a CanonRebel T2i with a 100-400 zoomlens hanging from his shoulder.Digital equipment has changed theart and science of photography sothat anyone can expect to take highquality shots.

Jerry’s passion for birding hastaken him on birding treksthroughout most of the UnitedStates and more than two dozencountries in Europe, Africa, andCentral and South America.Among his more memorable tripsare: Ivory Coast during a surprise

coup d'état, a gut-wrenching 4-wheel vehicle breakdown inCalifornia Gulch along theMexican border, and a harrowingflight from Cancun to Havana ona rickety Cubana Airlines plane.

Travel and birding inspired Jerryto write about his experiences inthe field. One of his earliestprojects was to compile a regionalbirding guide for the Richmondarea with the help of RAS birders,a guidebook that continues to be apopular resource to find localhotspots. For over 15 years he’swritten a birding column called“Flyways and Byways” for theRichmond Times-Dispatch, whichstill appears the third Sunday ofeach month. His birding sagashave appeared in a number ofmagazines, most often inBirdWatcher’s Digest.

Yes, Jerry Uhlman believes—no,he knows—he has a charmedbirding life…

See page 4 for Jerry’s favorite photos

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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014 VOLUME 41, ISSUE 1

Richmond Audubon Society

The Richmond Audubon Societypromotes the enjoyment,understanding,and preservationof birds, other wildlife, andhabitat through education,advocacy, and fellowship.

Important Notices

RAS membership meetings are on the3rd Thursday of the month except June,July, August and December. Meetings areat 7:00 PM, and are held at St. LukeLutheran Church at Custis Road andChippenham Parkway unless notified.

RAS Board meetings are held on the 2ndThursday on alternate months starting inJanuary (except June and August). In July,the Board has its annual strategic planningretreat. RAS members are welcome toattend board meetings, but let the Presidentor Secretary know due to spaceconsiderations. Meeting locations vary;contact the President or Secretary forlocation details.

Richmond Audubon Society is also achapter of the Virginia Society ofOrnithology and the VirginiaConservation Network.

Richmond Audubon SocietyP.O. Box 26648Richmond, VA 23261

(804) 257-0813www.RichmondAudubon.org

Richmond Audubon Society is aregistered non­profit 501 (C) (3)charitable organization. Donations aretax deductible.

Thanks to these Thrasher Volunteers:

Lewis Barnett, Louise Reza: Proofreading.Michael Dardozzi: Mailing List.Carl “Spike” Knuth: Illustrations.Ben Griffon: Web Posting.

President’s MessageLewis Barnett

Publication ScheduleThe Thrasher is issued six times a year.Please submit articles [email protected] no laterthan the 10th of the month before eachissue. Deadline for the next issue isFebruary 10.

the Thrasher, Newsletter of the Richmond Audubon Society

The more thingschange

I recently picked up a copy ofWild America, the travelogue co-authored by legendary Americanornithologist Roger Tory Petersonand his British counterpart,James Fisher. It is a beautifullywritten narrative, tracking the30,000 miles the two mentraveled in 1953 in Peterson’sbrand new Ford station wagon.On Peterson’s part, it is a lovingand somewhat wistful portrait ofa landscape and fauna that heknew intimately and loved. ForFisher, it was a grand journey ofdiscovery, as this was his firstintroduction to North Americaand its wildlife. Anyone who hastraveled our continent in searchof birds will find familiar scenesand experiences in their prose.

I was struck by one passage earlyin the book. Peterson wrote,

When James and Idrove south alongthe New Jerseycoast, I wasshocked to see howthings had alteredsince the war’s end.The sandy coast,the dunes, and the

estuaries are nowone continuousline of flimsy beachdwellings,bathhouses,billboards, and hotdog stands. EvenBarnegat andBrigantine, wildbeaches thatresounded to thecalls of plovers andcurlew when Iknew them, arenow almostcompletely builtup. Only onestretch of pristineseashore remains –Island Beach – tenmiles of barrierisland, acquiredjust in the nick oftime by the state ofNew Jersey.

This is a scene that has beencontinuously repeated anywherethere is buildable water frontagein the intervening years. At thistime of year, when our GeneralAssembly is in session, this is areminder that we can’t depend onour wild places staying wildwithout constant attention andeducation regarding their value,both to their wild ecosystems andto us, their human stewards. Iencourage you to attend ourJanuary membership meeting,which will focus onenvironmental issues in theupcoming session, and to takeaction by participating in LobbyDay at the general assembly, orby communicating your views toyour representatives.

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the Thrasher, Newsletter of the Richmond Audubon Society JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014 VOLUME 41, ISSUE 1

January and February ProgramsCaroline Coe, Program Chair

[email protected] - 804-276-1397

Thursday, January 16, 2014Join us to hear what opportunities andchallenges we as conservationists face in the2014 Virginia General Assembly session. AVirginia Conservation Network (VCN)spokesman will bring us information on thisyear's session which convenes on Wednesday,January 8, 2014.

This is a must-attend meeting where we canlearn more about some VCN and Virginiapriorities:

- alignment with local governments andfarmers in support of a ban on uranium miningand milling that protects drinking water for usall.

- call for a more balanced, efficienttransportation system, never been more relevantas lawmakers struggle to plug the fiscal potholeleft by billion-dollar highways.

-Virginia's renewable energy laws whichmust be reformed in order to create jobs andclean kilowatts here at home.

Join us at 6:30 pm for pre-meeting coffee,cookies and conversations. The meeting willstart at 7:00 pm.

Thursday, February 20, 2014The February program will give us a jump start onour birding by ear skills so we're ready and eagerfor the arriving birdsong of returning migrants.Dr. Larry Underwood and colleagues will joinus and share some of the secrets. Dr. Underwood isa biologist, author, birder and professor, and is theprincipal scientific advisor to iKnow Songs, an appfor learning and identifying birds song.

Join us on February 20th at 6:30 pm for pre-meeting coffee, cookies and conversation.  Wemeet at St Luke Lutheran Church, 7757Chippenham Pkwy at Custis Road.  The meetingwill start at 7:00 pm.

Looking ahead to March, John and Caroline Coewill give a program on their 101-day GrandAdventure to Alaska.

Peace in these hectic times!!

Our Winter Guests IIThese winter guests will not come to yourbackyard unless your estate includes a large bodyof water. Fortunately Central Virginia providesthese ducks with many suitable habitats in ourlakes and rivers. As you can tell from the pictures,on page 5, most duck species display a verydifferent plumage depending on their gender,with males being brighter. More than 10 duckspecies make the Richmond area their winterhome, the most common being the Ring-neckedDuck, Hooded Merganser, Gadwall and

Bufflehead. Not widespread but locally common arethe Northern Shoveler, American Wigeon (nopicture), Northern Pintail and Ruddy Duck. Lesscommon but definitely worth seeking out are theLesser Scaup and Redhead. And once every few years,we are fortunate to have the Canvasback visit anddelight us with its uncommon beauty.

See page 5 for pictures of the paired duck species.Special thanks to Lori and Bob Schamerhorn and SteveBaranoff for providing most of the pictures.

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JerryUhlman’sFavoritePhotos

American Flamingo, Cuba

Red-necked Grebe, Montana

Greater Prairie-Chicken, Nebraska

the Thrasher, Newsletter of the Richmond Audubon SocietyJANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014 VOLUME 41, ISSUE 1

Continued from page 1

Northern Bobwhite, Chincoteague NWR

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014 VOLUME 41, ISSUE 1the Thrasher, Newsletter of the Richmond Audubon Society

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Our Winter Guests II

Gadwalls at Dutch Gap, Chester

Photo by Naseem Reza

Lesser Scaups at Fountain Lake, Richmond

Photo by Naseem Reza

Photo by Naseem Reza

Redheads at Fountain Lake, Richmond

Canvasbacks at Mid-Lothian Mines Park, Chesterfield Ring-necked Ducks at Byrd Park, Richmond

Photo by Steve Baranoff

Northern Pintails at Palo Alto, CA

Ruddy Ducks at Innsbruck, Henrico

Northern Shovelers at Chincoteague NWRBuffleheads at Swan Lake, Richmond

Photo by Lori Schamerhorn

Photo by Bob Schamerhorn-www.iPhotoBirds.com

Photo by Bob Schamerhorn-www.iPhotoBirds.com

Photo by Bob Schamerhorn-www.iPhotoBirds.com

Hooded Mergansers at Short Pump, Henrico

Photo by Bob Schamerhorn-www.iPhotoBirds.com

Photo by Bob Schamerhorn-www.iPhotoBirds.com

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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014 VOLUME 41, ISSUE 1

Field TripsEllison OrcuttThese are all the RAS tripsthat have been submitted asof the publication date.Check the RAS listserv

(if you don’t subscribe the archives are atwww.freelists.org/archive/va-richmond-general/)or the RAS website for any late breaking newsabout field trips (www.richmondaudubon.org/ActivFieldTrip.html.)

the Thrasher, Newsletter of the Richmond Audubon Society

January 5th, SundayBryan Park with Sue Ridd:Start time: ½ hour after sunriseMeeting location: Shelter 1, Joseph Bryan ParkBrief description: Join Sue Ridd for her regular earlymorning bird walk in Bryan Park. See what birds havemade the Northside their home for the winter.For more information, call Sue at 270-5365.

January 5th, SundayDutch Gap with Lewis BarnettMeet Lewis at 8:00 am at the entrance to HenricusHistorical Park/Dutch Gap Conservation area. Explorethis great birding spot to see what winter birds arearound. You never know what will turn up at Dutch Gap.For more information, contact Lewis [email protected].

January 8th, Wednesday -8:00 amDutch Gap with John CoeWeren’t able to get out to Dutch Gap over the weekend?Well, John Coe hopes you can join him for one of hissignature 2nd Wednesday walks. Meet John at 8:00 amat the Starbucks on Rte. 10 and Jefferson Davis Highway(12501 Jefferson Davis Hwy, Chester, VA). For moreinformation, contact him at [email protected].

January 11th, Saturday 7:00-10:00 amJames River Winter Count with Richmond Audubon.Help the Richmond Audubon Society inventory the birdspecies of the James River Parks system. It will befollowed by a count compilation and light brunch at Betsyand Ben Saunders' home. All skill levels are welcome. Formore information about participating in this longrunning count contact Julie Kacmarcik [email protected].

January 25th, SaturdayBethel Beach NAP with Arun BoseThis Natural Area Preserve in Mathews County sits onthe western shore of the Chesapeake Bay. Barriersbeaches, salt marshes and the open waters of theChesapeake make it a great birding opportunity. Makea day of it and explore some of the other hidden gemsof the western Chesapeake. Bethel Beach is about 1.5hours east of Richmond. Please contact Arun to RSVPfor this trip and for more information. He can bereached at [email protected].

January 26th, Sunday - 8:00 amMid-Lothian Mines Park with Wendy EaldingJoin Wendy to enjoy birds and history all at once.Mid-Lothian Mines, in Midlothian, is a fairly new parkthat in recent years has become a great spot for winterwaterfowl. In addition to birds, the site providesinterpretive information about one of Virginia’soriginal coal mines. Meet Wendy at 8:00 am in theparking lot adjacent to the pond. The park is on NWoolridge Road, just a short distance south of itsintersection with Midlothian Tpk. Contact Wendy formore information at [email protected].

February 1st. Saturday - 8:00 amDutch Gap with Lewis BarnettMeet Lewis at 8:00 am at the entrance to HenricusHistorical Park/Dutch Gap Conservation area. Formore information, contact Lewis [email protected].

February 2nd, SundayBryan Park with Sue Ridd:Start time: ½ hour after sunriseMeeting location: Shelter 1, Joseph Bryan ParkDescription: See January 6th walk.For more information, call Sue at 270-5365.

February 15th, Saturday - 8:00 amLewis Ginter Botanical Gardens with TylerTurpinSee the birds of Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens. Meetin the rotunda of the visitor center at 8:00 am. Costwill be $7.00 for non-Ginter members. As part of theGreat Backyard Bird Count Tyler will continue birdingthe city, meet him along the way. 10:30 am atBrowns Island, 11:45 am at Pony Pasture, and 1:30pm at the ponds of Stony Point Office Park. ContactTyler Turpin at (804) 317-9478 oremail [email protected] to sign up.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014 VOLUME 41, ISSUE 1the Thrasher, Newsletter of the Richmond Audubon Society

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From the EditorFor this issue we invited JerryUhlman to share his favoritephotos with our readers. As youcan tell from his pictures onpage 4, we are the beneficiaryof Jerry’s extensive travels andfine camera work.

In Winter Guests Part II, DucksRule. I will be remiss if I don’tpoint out that the Mid-LothianMines Park in ChesterfieldCounty is hosting as many as 7species of winter guests in mid-December, including threeCanvasbacks.

From the Kitchen WindowJohn Coe

"Nature does nothing uselessly." Aristotle

A look out the kitchen window as morning lightreveals night's artistry. The trees sparkle withfrozen water tears as a light rain falls on icybranches.

From the window-- nature can brush us lightlywith soft winter beauty, or be a beast and breakour limbs and take our comforts, or fool us withspring-like warmth. The wonder as I watch fromthe window: the birds apparently can readnature's highs and lows and winds and frontsand changes afoot, all without the guidance ofthe weather channel.

Today is cold and there is sleet on the groundand ice on the trees. Beneath the cedar where Ihave spread bird seed there is lively activity - lotsof scratching and leaves dancing up and about.

The sparrows and juncos, cardinals and dovesare in the mix, and this frosty day brings in thetowhee, Fox Sparrow and Brown Thrasher.

The feeders are at full capacity with theoccasional dispute about seating among thechickadees, titmice, house finches and nuthatches. The blue jay will bring order. And upon the deck where I have cedar berries and hollyand suet logs, the woodpeckers and bluebirdsand robins and cedar waxwings and yellowrumps. And today the Hermit Thrush and Ruby-crowned Kinglet have joined- and most unusual,a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker was eating the cedarberries.

There is joy on a wintry day from the kitchenwindow. Happy New Year! The full moon inJanuary called the wolf moon occurs on the 15th.In February, the full moon occurs on the 15thand is named the snow moon, also the hungermoon. And watch for the groundhog onFebruary 2.

Great Backyard Bird Count Survey atJames River National Wildlife RefugeOn Sunday, February 16, The U.S. Fish and WildlifeService and Richmond Audubon join forces for thisannual survey of wintering birds in a remarkablehabitat bordered by Powell’s Creek and the JamesRiver. Meet at the refuge information kiosk, 4550Flowerdew Hundred Road, Hopewell, VA, at 7:30am. Contact Lewis Barnett ([email protected],804-920-4723) for details.

Richmond Audubon SocietyP.O. Box 26648Richmond, VA 23261www.RichmondAudubon.org

Non-Profit OrganizationU.S. Postage PaidRichmond, VA

Permit Number 3022

NATIONAL AUDUBON SOCIETYChapter Membership Application

Yes, please enroll me (us) as a newmember(s) of both National andRichmond Audubon Societies at theaddress below, at the introductoryrate. A subscription to the NASmagazine, Audubon is included.□  Individual/Family  Member(s)  $20enclosed□ Student/Senior Member $15 enclosedName___________________________Address _________________________City ____________________________State___ ZIP _____________________Phone __________________________E-mail __________________________Make check payable to National AudubonSociety and write “C0ZX530Z”on thecheck. Send your check and application to:Richmond Audubon Society,P.O. Box 26648, Richmond, VA 23261C0ZX530Z

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014 VOLUME 41, ISSUE 1 the Thrasher, Newsletter of the Richmond Audubon Society

Officers / Committee Chairs for 2013-2014President Lewis Barnett [email protected] 804-320-7898

1st Vice President Eileen Geller [email protected] 804-747-5143

2nd Vice President Ben Saunders [email protected] 804-272-0605

Bird-A-Thon Lewis Barnett [email protected] 804-320-7898

Conservation Kathryn Rubis [email protected]

Cyberspace Ben Griffon [email protected] 804-767-0131

Development Jack Esworthy [email protected] 630- 940-9698

Education Joyce Caldwell [email protected] 804-560-3444

Field Trips Ellison Orcutt [email protected] 804-339-6976

Hospitality Vacant

IBA/VAC Rep Margaret O'Bryan [email protected] 804-262-1656

Legislation Vacant

Membership Michael Dardozzi [email protected] 267-221-2569

Past President Pam Dummitt [email protected] 804-929-3899

Programs Caroline Coe [email protected] 804-276-1397

Publicity Diane Jadlowski [email protected] 702-308-1953

Secretary Sue Ridd [email protected] 804-270-5365

Thrasher Editor Naseem Reza [email protected] 804-272-1145

Treasurer/Finance Pam Dummitt [email protected] 804-929-3899

Youth Robin Ruth (interim) [email protected] 804-231-5949