CWAS Newsletter March

Newsletter, March - April, 2007

Programs

Birding in Botswana
Thursday, March 15, 2007, 7:30 PM
Rye Nature Center
873 Boston Post Road, Rye

Speaker: Peter Durkin

Botswana is one of the last remaining wild places on earth and home to 550 species of birds. Botswana resident, master falconer, author, and tour guide, Peter Durkin shares insights into the country, its birds, other fauna, its diverse landscapes and unique cultures. The talk and accompanying PowerPoint presentation shows many of the beautiful and varied birds of Botswana, provides details of the National Parks, Game Reserves, and other wild areas, including indigenous animals found only in this country. Please join us for an fascinating and informative program.

For directions log on to: www.ryenaturecenter.org or call 967-5150.

Global Warming: Global Climate Change Overview,
Its Impact on Birds, and Audubon's Role in Finding a Solution
Thursday, April 19, 2007
7:30 PM
Church Street School, Room 20
295 Church Street, White Plains

Speaker: Michael Burger

Michael Burger, Director of Bird Conservation for Audubon New York, will summarize what is known about human impacts on the Earth's climate system, including the most significant causes and potential impacts on wildlife and habitats, and solutions for the future as well as Audubon's role in finding those solutions. Mr. Burger oversees Audubon's bird conservation programs, including the IBA, the Forest Bio-diversity Stewardship Program, and the Grassland Conservation Program. At present he is stationed at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology in Ithaca, NY.

Please join us for a timely discussion on one of the most important issues of our time.

Field Trips

Sunday, April 22, 2007, 8 AM Read Sanctuary, Marshlands Conservancy & Larchmont Reservoir. Meet 8 AM at Read. A visit to 3 nature centers to find spring migrants. Co-sponsored with Bronx River/Sound Shore Audubon.

Saturday, May 12, 2007, 7 AM, Our Annual Birdathon. Rain Date: May 19th. Meet at Education House for car-pooling. At the height of spring migration, we will visit Forest Park in Queens and the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. Dress in layers and bring a lunch.

Sunday, May 20, 2007, 7 AM, Doodletown Rd. Meet 7 AM at Ed. House or 8 AM at Doodletown Rd. This is a hotspot for migrating songbirds. We should see a variety of warblers, flycatchers, indigo buntings, orioles, and perhaps cuckoos. The trail is a bit steep and rocky at the beginning, so sturdy shoes are a good idea. Co-sponsored with Bronx River/Sound Shore Audubon.

Saturday, June 30, 2007, 8 AM, Bird and Butterfly Walk, Ward Pound Ridge Park. Meet at 8 AM at the Nature Center in the park. Co-sponsored with Hudson River Audubon and Bronx River/Sound Shore Audubon.

The County Parks sponsor many spring bird walks. For a schedule, go to www.westchestergov.com or pick up a brochure at one of the parks.

Directions to Education House. Homeside Lane is located off North St. in White Plains. Going south on Mamaroneck Avenue from downtown White Plains, make a left turn on Ridgeway. Go down Ridgeway to the traffic light (firehouse on the left) and turn right on to North Street. Homeside Lane is the third right and Education House is the first building on the left. Parking is available in the circular driveway.

Church Street School Courtyard Garden

Courtyard Scientists in Full Swing

On Wednesday, February 7th, I paid a visit to the Courtyard Scientists' Club which meets in Wendy Podell's art room. These enthusiastic and articulate fifth graders gave me an overview of the structure of the club and some of their recent projects. It was discovered early on that the students had many different interests so they decided to divide the club into several committees: artists; photographers; safety; weather recorders; map makers; newspaper; and photo story (a computer program that allows them to upload their photos so that all classes can access them).

The artists and photographers showed me an attractive and informative display board of their projects. The artist made a water-color painting of the Blue Stem Grass plant (one of our garden plants) in winter and from research on the internet found and pasted up pictures of the plant during different seasons of the year. Two photographers had recorded the stages of decay over a period of several weeks of some pumpkins that had been placed in the garden by the kindergarten class. Ms. Podell also showed me some lovely, delicate watercolors of the bird feeders and a bird house.

The weather committee records the temperature, clouds, and precipitation, using the international weather symbols. In addition, they record the temperature of the water in the bird bath. All of this information is maintained on the computer.

I was impressed by the map committee's project (yet to be completed) to make a scale map of the garden. So far, they have measured the perimeter of the garden in meters, and to account for the garden's incline, also took measurements inside the school. Much math expertise will be going into this endeavor.

A focus on safety is a large part of the school's culture, so the students on this committee have set down in a booklet a list of rules that all of the students should follow when in the garden.

Another student wrote a short article for the school newspaper, The Challenger, publicizing the courtyard scientists, and characterizing the courtyard as "a majestic place with all the birds and flowers."

All of the committees will be working on a spring project to design a scavenger hunt for the kindergarten students. Suggestions for a booklet describing the hunt include puzzles and mazes.

Considering the short time the club has been in existence, mostly during the late fall and winter, the students have made remarkable progress using their artistic, literary, scientific, math, and social skills to make this garden a relevant part of their school experience. Much appreciation and credit are due art teacher, Wendy Podell, and enrichment teacher, Loretta Cannino, who have devoted their lunch and prep time once a week to help make the Courtyard Scientists' Club a success. As soon as the birds start coming to the feeders, Joan Conca will get a lunchtime bird club going.

With the arrival of spring, there will be much more activity in the garden. We'll keep you posted.

-- jsa

Birdathon 2007

For the last several days around lunchtime a Red-tailed Hawk has flown over our house and perched high in the bare trees in back, scanning the land below to find a tasty treat for its meal. It waits patiently, sometimes as long as 10 or 15 minutes, in search of its prey and then finding nothing to its taste, flies off to seek another vantage point for its search. On Saturday, May 12 (rain date, May 19), the members of the CWAS Birding Team will be seeking out our prey, the multitude of bird species to be found in the New York area during the spring. Unlike the hawk's, our feast will be one for the eyes and ears, but we will need the patience of the Redtail to locate the objects of our search: those brightly-colored, spring-plumaged, hard-to-spot, song-rendering warblers, as well as other passerines, shore birds and raptors. Also unlike the hawk, we will have more than one pair of eyes for the search. We will have binoculars-a must-some spotting scopes, and team members with skills ranging from beginner to advanced. Team members with more advanced skills are always willing to share their expertise, so beginners, don't be shy; we welcome all who wish to participate in our most rewarding field trip of the year. The day will be structured as follows: early birders will begin at 5:30 am at Read Sanctuary in order to give us a head start on our count; the rest of us will meet at Education House at 7:00 am for car-pooling, first to Forest Park in Queens and then to Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge where we will have lunch and then go on to bird the refuge. We will end up at about 4 pm to tally the species and then head for home, birding along the way..

What is the point of the Birdathon besides the joy of finding some of nature's most beautiful creatures? We need to raise money to fund our camp scholarships, which turn the younger generation on to the joys of nature, and other educational programs that benefit the community. This is our major fund-raiser so we ask that all of our members pledge an amount per species or flat amount, using the handy coupon below or respond positively when a board member calls to ask for a pledge. The more species we see, the more money we raise from those who pledge a per-species amount. As a guideline for those donors, we usually tally more than 100 species-last year we had 109.

As in past years, Birdathon Chairman, Herb Ruskin, has agreed to match, up to $200, the highest pledge received by May 12th. Thanks to the generosity of many of our members, last year we raised a record amount-over $3,000. We would like to repeat that performance in 2007, so please mail in your tax deductible pledge today. And if you can, join us on May 12th-we guarantee a great day of birding.

If you have any questions, please call Herb Ruskin at 949-4429 or Jeanne Alpert at 946-1780

Click here for our BIRDATHON PLEDGE Form

Snowy Owl at Piermont Pier

On Saturday, February 10, Frank, Nancy Moore and I traveled to Piermont to view the vagrant Snowy Owl that has been in residence along the pier for more than a month. Braving the biting winds from the Hudson that swept across the pier, we got terrific, long looks through the binoculars and scope at this beautiful specimen, a vision of snowy white feathers tinted brown on the tips. Every now and then the owl would turn its head so that we could see its yellow, cat-like eyes, then quickly turn back to face away from us. This is a large owl, almost 2 feet high with a wing spread of more than 50 inches-a spectacular sight and a life bird for all three of us.

-- jsa

Volunteer Needed!!!

We need a person with computer capability to help us publicize our programs to local newspapers. Copy is provided by the newsletter editor and all submissions to the various news outlets are by e-mail. The current publicity chair has all the contacts and will forward them to the new chair. If you are interested, please call Jeanne Alpert at 946-1780 or e-mail to jsalpert@optonline.net.

Meet New Board Member Jean Coates,

who with her husband Colin, will be visiting in the U.S. from England for the next 3 years while Colin is on a business assignment here. Jean will be working on the Scholarship Committee as well as helping out with fund raising for the Birdathon. An elementary school teacher in England, she is also volunteering in Joan Conca's classroom 3 times a week. Jean feeds birds all year round in England and both she and Colin are avid bird watchers.

We welcome Jean and Colin to the U.S. and look forward to working with Jean on the CWAS board.

CWAS Home Page	Newsletter, March - April, 2007 Programs *Birding in Botswana* Thursday, March 15, 2007, 7:30 PM Rye Nature Center 873 Boston Post Road, Rye Speaker: Peter Durkin Botswana is one of the last remaining wild places on earth and home to 550 species of birds. Botswana resident, master falconer, author, and tour guide, Peter Durkin shares insights into the country, its birds, other fauna, its diverse landscapes and unique cultures. The talk and accompanying PowerPoint presentation shows many of the beautiful and varied birds of Botswana, provides details of the National Parks, Game Reserves, and other wild areas, including indigenous animals found only in this country. Please join us for an fascinating and informative program. For directions log on to: www.ryenaturecenter.org or call 967-5150. *Global Warming: Global Climate Change Overview,* Its Impact on Birds, and Audubon's Role in Finding a Solution Thursday, April 19, 2007 7:30 PM Church Street School, Room 20 295 Church Street, White Plains Speaker: Michael Burger Michael Burger, Director of Bird Conservation for Audubon New York, will summarize what is known about human impacts on the Earth's climate system, including the most significant causes and potential impacts on wildlife and habitats, and solutions for the future as well as Audubon's role in finding those solutions. Mr. Burger oversees Audubon's bird conservation programs, including the IBA, the Forest Bio-diversity Stewardship Program, and the Grassland Conservation Program. At present he is stationed at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology in Ithaca, NY. Please join us for a timely discussion on one of the most important issues of our time. Field Trips Sunday, April 22, 2007, 8 AM Read Sanctuary, Marshlands Conservancy & Larchmont Reservoir. Meet 8 AM at Read. A visit to 3 nature centers to find spring migrants. Co-sponsored with Bronx River/Sound Shore Audubon. Saturday, May 12, 2007, 7 AM, Our Annual Birdathon. Rain Date: May 19th. Meet at Education House for car-pooling. At the height of spring migration, we will visit Forest Park in Queens and the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. Dress in layers and bring a lunch. Sunday, May 20, 2007, 7 AM, Doodletown Rd. Meet 7 AM at Ed. House or 8 AM at Doodletown Rd. This is a hotspot for migrating songbirds. We should see a variety of warblers, flycatchers, indigo buntings, orioles, and perhaps cuckoos. The trail is a bit steep and rocky at the beginning, so sturdy shoes are a good idea. Co-sponsored with Bronx River/Sound Shore Audubon. Saturday, June 30, 2007, 8 AM, Bird and Butterfly Walk, Ward Pound Ridge Park. Meet at 8 AM at the Nature Center in the park. Co-sponsored with Hudson River Audubon and Bronx River/Sound Shore Audubon. The County Parks sponsor many spring bird walks. For a schedule, go to www.westchestergov.com or pick up a brochure at one of the parks. Directions to Education House. Homeside Lane is located off North St. in White Plains. Going south on Mamaroneck Avenue from downtown White Plains, make a left turn on Ridgeway. Go down Ridgeway to the traffic light (firehouse on the left) and turn right on to North Street. Homeside Lane is the third right and Education House is the first building on the left. Parking is available in the circular driveway. *Church Street School Courtyard Garden* Courtyard Scientists in Full Swing On Wednesday, February 7th, I paid a visit to the Courtyard Scientists' Club which meets in Wendy Podell's art room. These enthusiastic and articulate fifth graders gave me an overview of the structure of the club and some of their recent projects. It was discovered early on that the students had many different interests so they decided to divide the club into several committees: artists; photographers; safety; weather recorders; map makers; newspaper; and photo story (a computer program that allows them to upload their photos so that all classes can access them). The artists and photographers showed me an attractive and informative display board of their projects. The artist made a water-color painting of the Blue Stem Grass plant (one of our garden plants) in winter and from research on the internet found and pasted up pictures of the plant during different seasons of the year. Two photographers had recorded the stages of decay over a period of several weeks of some pumpkins that had been placed in the garden by the kindergarten class. Ms. Podell also showed me some lovely, delicate watercolors of the bird feeders and a bird house. The weather committee records the temperature, clouds, and precipitation, using the international weather symbols. In addition, they record the temperature of the water in the bird bath. All of this information is maintained on the computer. I was impressed by the map committee's project (yet to be completed) to make a scale map of the garden. So far, they have measured the perimeter of the garden in meters, and to account for the garden's incline, also took measurements inside the school. Much math expertise will be going into this endeavor. A focus on safety is a large part of the school's culture, so the students on this committee have set down in a booklet a list of rules that all of the students should follow when in the garden. Another student wrote a short article for the school newspaper, The Challenger, publicizing the courtyard scientists, and characterizing the courtyard as "a majestic place with all the birds and flowers." All of the committees will be working on a spring project to design a scavenger hunt for the kindergarten students. Suggestions for a booklet describing the hunt include puzzles and mazes. Considering the short time the club has been in existence, mostly during the late fall and winter, the students have made remarkable progress using their artistic, literary, scientific, math, and social skills to make this garden a relevant part of their school experience. Much appreciation and credit are due art teacher, Wendy Podell, and enrichment teacher, Loretta Cannino, who have devoted their lunch and prep time once a week to help make the Courtyard Scientists' Club a success. As soon as the birds start coming to the feeders, Joan Conca will get a lunchtime bird club going. With the arrival of spring, there will be much more activity in the garden. We'll keep you posted. -- jsa *Birdathon 2007* For the last several days around lunchtime a Red-tailed Hawk has flown over our house and perched high in the bare trees in back, scanning the land below to find a tasty treat for its meal. It waits patiently, sometimes as long as 10 or 15 minutes, in search of its prey and then finding nothing to its taste, flies off to seek another vantage point for its search. On Saturday, May 12 (rain date, May 19), the members of the CWAS Birding Team will be seeking out our prey, the multitude of bird species to be found in the New York area during the spring. Unlike the hawk's, our feast will be one for the eyes and ears, but we will need the patience of the Redtail to locate the objects of our search: those brightly-colored, spring-plumaged, hard-to-spot, song-rendering warblers, as well as other passerines, shore birds and raptors. Also unlike the hawk, we will have more than one pair of eyes for the search. We will have binoculars-a must-some spotting scopes, and team members with skills ranging from beginner to advanced. Team members with more advanced skills are always willing to share their expertise, so beginners, don't be shy; we welcome all who wish to participate in our most rewarding field trip of the year. The day will be structured as follows: early birders will begin at 5:30 am at Read Sanctuary in order to give us a head start on our count; the rest of us will meet at Education House at 7:00 am for car-pooling, first to Forest Park in Queens and then to Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge where we will have lunch and then go on to bird the refuge. We will end up at about 4 pm to tally the species and then head for home, birding along the way.. What is the point of the Birdathon besides the joy of finding some of nature's most beautiful creatures? We need to raise money to fund our camp scholarships, which turn the younger generation on to the joys of nature, and other educational programs that benefit the community. This is our major fund-raiser so we ask that all of our members pledge an amount per species or flat amount, using the handy coupon below or respond positively when a board member calls to ask for a pledge. The more species we see, the more money we raise from those who pledge a per-species amount. As a guideline for those donors, we usually tally more than 100 species-last year we had 109. As in past years, Birdathon Chairman, Herb Ruskin, has agreed to match, up to $200, the highest pledge received by May 12th. Thanks to the generosity of many of our members, last year we raised a record amount-over $3,000. We would like to repeat that performance in 2007, so please mail in your tax deductible pledge today. And if you can, join us on May 12th-we guarantee a great day of birding. If you have any questions, please call Herb Ruskin at 949-4429 or Jeanne Alpert at 946-1780 Click here for our BIRDATHON PLEDGE Form *Snowy Owl at Piermont Pier* On Saturday, February 10, Frank, Nancy Moore and I traveled to Piermont to view the vagrant Snowy Owl that has been in residence along the pier for more than a month. Braving the biting winds from the Hudson that swept across the pier, we got terrific, long looks through the binoculars and scope at this beautiful specimen, a vision of snowy white feathers tinted brown on the tips. Every now and then the owl would turn its head so that we could see its yellow, cat-like eyes, then quickly turn back to face away from us. This is a large owl, almost 2 feet high with a wing spread of more than 50 inches-a spectacular sight and a life bird for all three of us. -- jsa *Volunteer Needed!!!* We need a person with computer capability to help us publicize our programs to local newspapers. Copy is provided by the newsletter editor and all submissions to the various news outlets are by e-mail. The current publicity chair has all the contacts and will forward them to the new chair. If you are interested, please call Jeanne Alpert at 946-1780 or e-mail to jsalpert@optonline.net. *Meet New Board Member Jean Coates,* who with her husband Colin, will be visiting in the U.S. from England for the next 3 years while Colin is on a business assignment here. Jean will be working on the Scholarship Committee as well as helping out with fund raising for the Birdathon. An elementary school teacher in England, she is also volunteering in Joan Conca's classroom 3 times a week. Jean feeds birds all year round in England and both she and Colin are avid bird watchers. We welcome Jean and Colin to the U.S. and look forward to working with Jean on the CWAS board.
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	Central Westchester Audubon Society
	Elmsford, Greenburgh, Harrison, Purchase, Rye, Rye Brook, Port Chester and White Plains
	P.O. Box 359, White Plains, NY 10602 email: cwas@centralwestchesteraudubon.org