ASK

Newsletter

June 2023 | Volume 78, Number 10

MESSAGE FROM THE BOARD

By Donna Keller

With the frenetic pace of spring migration behind us, we birders breathe a sigh (of contentedness? relief? wistfulness? all of these?) and turn our attention to other activities until the birds resume their travels later in the summer and into fall. This summer, the ASK Board will continue its work, although at a slightly slower pace, lining up speakers for the next program year beginning in September and spending time processing the results of the recent member survey for publication in the September newsletter.

This has been a year of solid accomplishments for ASK. As you’ll read later in the newsletter, membership is up this year and now totals 335. Field trip leaders are reporting good attendance and new faces alongside longtime attendees. Our Facebook, Instagram, and newly revamped website are ways that new people are finding us. We heard from many excellent speakers at our monthly meetings. Classroom visits continue, reaching many young people in our community and, hopefully, sparking for some a lifelong interest in birds. This spring for the first time, ASK partnered with Portage Parks and Recreation to offer a six-session Young Birders Academy for students in grades 4-5.

I have marveled at the interesting and interested people I have met at tabling events, member meetings, and field trips this year. Hopefully, ASK can harness even more of our excellent member energy next year. Expanding our pool of volunteers for tabling events at community gatherings, welcoming member contributions to the monthly newsletter (book reviews, travel articles, poems…), and recruiting members to the Nominating and Outreach Committees are at the top of my wish list for the organization.

Gratitude abounds for the many volunteers who made the above accomplishments happen. ASK’s capacity for community impact is directly tied to the generosity of members, both in terms of financial donations and time given. Please accept my sincere thanks to all who have contributed in any way to our organization. I wish you all a safe and relaxing summer and look forward to seeing you in the fall for more birding adventures!

ASK BOARD ELECTION RESULTS

By Donna Keller

At the annual meeting held on Monday, May 15, the following slate of candidates was approved by the membership and terms will begin as of July 1, 2023:

President (1-year term) – Donna Keller

Vice President (1-year term) – Dave Lemberg

Secretary (1-year term) – Pam Jackson

Treasurer (1-year term) – Mark Jackson

Past President (1-year term) – Nate Strong

Board Member (3-year term) – Gail Walter

Board Member (Last year of a-3 year term) – Ilse Gebhard

Susan Schneider will serve the second year of her 3-year term as Board member.

We are grateful to these ASK members for their leadership of our organization!

“EARTH EMERGENCY” FILM JUNE 26

By Susanne Rose

The PBS film “Earth Emergency” will be shown Monday, June 26, at 7:00 PM at Kalamazoo First Presbyterian Church. Narrated by Richard Gere with appearances by Greta Thunberg and the Dalai Lama, the film examines and explains four feedback loops involving forests, permafrost, the atmosphere, and the poles. These alone, and together, accelerate warming toward points of no return, perhaps to a state not experienced in human evolution. This type of climate change appears to be not well understood by the public and by many policy makers. Free and open to the public. Presented by the Earth Care Team at First Presbyterian.

HELP BUILD THE ASK ARCHIVES!

By Susanne Rose

If you participate in an ASK field trip or event, snap a photo (or more) of it and email it to your archivist, Susanne Rose, at sdrosekazoo@gmail.com for inclusion in the permanent ASK archives. Include a caption of the place, date, attendance, what you saw, weather, whatever you think is relevant. Your email will be printed in color on quality paper and added to ASK archives stored permanently at the WMU Zhang collection.

DONATIONS THANK YOU

By Ilse Gebhard

The Audubon Society of Kalamazoo would like to extend a heartfelt thanks to the following members for their donations. These donations were received between December 8, 2022, and May 25, 2023. Donations to our Birdathon team will be reported in the September newsletter, along with the Birdathon results.

Operations:

Steve Allen (Geum Services)

Barry Bruns

Mary Carroll-Bruns

Kay Frankowski

Tom Hagadone

Pam Jackson

Mark Jackson

Tracy Mersfelder

Pamela Miller

Donna Parr

Michael Parr

Donna Pennington

Marybeth Pritschet-Davis

Tim Tesar

Tina Tipton

Elaine VanBelleghem

Peregrine Fund:

Five non-members

Ilse Gebhard

Pam & Mark Jackson

Vern & Lyda Stillwell

Gift Memberships by:

Pam & Mark Jackson

Grants from Donor Advised Funds at the Kalamazoo Community Foundation:

Anonymous

Monica Evans

Benevity Causes:

One non-member

ASK thanks corporate member Geum Services, Inc.!

ILSE GEBHARD RECOGNITION

By Donna Keller

We would be remiss if we did not acknowledge the contributions of our outgoing treasurer, Ilse Gebhard. Ilse has served as treasurer of ASK since 1994, deftly handling the many responsibilities that come with the role. From writing checks to guest speakers, to providing the board with monthly treasurer’s reports, to filing many required forms, to interfacing with the Kalamazoo Community Foundation where we have several funds, to providing annual financial reports to members in the June newsletter, and so many more crucial responsibilities, Ilse has kept ASK’s finances in great shape. It takes great attention to detail and a significant amount of time to fill the treasurer’s role, and to have done it so well for so long has been a gift to our organization. Thank you, Ilse, for your many years of service to ASK as its treasurer!

2022-2023 MEMBERSHIP REPORT

By Ilse Gebhard and Laura Shaw

As of May 25, 2023, our membership stands at 335, up from last year at this time by 29 members. In the previous 20 years our membership has varied from 308 to 368, with an average of 331. Our overall member retention rate was 89%, which is very good. The renewal rate of last year’s new members was 69%, which is fair. We added 67 new members this year, up from last year by 40 members. Our numbers have grown as the pandemic has eased. Many of our new members joined by using the ASK Web Page form. Our current ASK members are also a good source of new memberships. Please encourage your non-member birding friends to become members, or consider giving a membership. A membership form can be found at:

https://kalamazooaudubon.org/support-ask/

We continued in-person meetings, which provided opportunities to socialize and enjoy each other’s company, except for a Zoom-only meeting in January. All meetings were well attended, with a Zoom option for those unable to attend. Links to the videos were provided afterwards.

Field trips were held throughout the year, as were our fall and spring Kal-Haven trail walks. Many of our members enjoyed independent birding, reporting to our ASKbirds discussion group. We had good participation in the Christmas Bird Count, although we were unable to hold the potluck. Participation in our successful Birdathon was also enthusiastic. We enjoyed dessert outside at the annual meeting at the Wolf Lake State Fish Hatchery.

We have retained the electronic format for our newsletter. This saves money, conserves resources, and allows us to view full-color photos submitted by authors.

Our Web Page gives people the opportunity to contact us by phone and e-mail. In addition to attracting new members, it is linked to our Facebook page and the Peregrine Falcon Web Cam Page that went online eight years ago. The Peregrine Cam project has been enthusiastically received and supported by our members. See links to web pages below.

We again had a very good year and will continue to pursue our goal of a growing and active membership. The board is exploring ideas on how to attract a more diverse membership, including families and younger members. We plan to continue with the ASKbirds group’s impromptu bird walks in addition to increasing the number of regular field trips in the near future.

Look for your membership renewal form in the mail in late July.

www.kalamazooaudubon.org

https://www.facebook.com/AudubonSocietyofKalamazoo/

https://www.kalamazoofalcons.com

ASK ANNUAL MEETING

By Pam Jackson

ASK held its Annual Meeting on Monday, May 15^th, at Wolf Lake State Fish Hatchery. The members present enjoyed socializing and the tasty baked goods provided. The meeting was held in the auditorium with six board members and approximately 30 members present. Once again, we want to thank our friends at Wolf Lake, especially Shana Ramsey, for their hospitality and collaboration on programs throughout the year.

The meeting agenda included the following items:

Call to order
Approval of minutes from the 2022 Annual Meeting
Shana Ramsay, Wolf Lake State Fish Hatchery
Kathy Sills and Brandon Bear, Mattawan Elementary School
Beginner Birder Walks
Survey Results Recap
Birdathon Results
Election of Board Members for the 2023-2024 Fiscal Year
Adjourn and Bird Walk

For more information on each discussion item, please visit our website to view the meeting minutes (https://kalamazooaudubon.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Audubon-Society-of-Kalamazoo_2023_0515_annual-meeting_draft-website.pdf) and PowerPoint presentation (https://kalamazooaudubon.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/ASK-Annual-Meeting-2023_0515_Presentation.pdf).

Thank you to all the members that were able to attend!

ASK President Donna Keller

Kathy Sills and Brandon Bear, Mattawan Elementary School

Photos by Pam Jackson

GOOD NEWS FOR THE BIRDS!

By Julia Richardson

In early February, Consumers Energy (CE) announced its plans to acquire property using eminent domain to install a high voltage transmission line from Kalamazoo to Lawrence. On my property alone, this would require the removal of 100’s of trees, including a mature white pine forest where a Great Horned Owl lives. I went out and walked amongst the threatened trees. It was as if I could hear their voices. The proposal was completely unacceptable—something had to be done.

Some of the threatened trees. Photo by Julia Richardson

Of course, there were naysayers, “You can’t stop a big company like CE. Don’t waste your time.” Even so, I put everything aside and began working 12+ hours a day to save the trees. I started a Facebook group and encouraged my neighbors to join. Then I followed the path of the proposed route and began knocking on the doors of strangers. Some were devastated because the line would run too close to their home for safety. Many were unaware. Within a few weeks, we had several hundred members in the Facebook group. It was no longer necessary to go door to door as word spread like wildfire.

In my initial conversation with Consumers, I was told the line was needed for an indoor marijuana grower in Lawrence. When I learned this, I emailed the CEO with my concerns. He emailed back: “I was able to get AEP to do a joint venture with Consumers. This has been in the works for over two years. They will not be needing the 20-mile stretch. AEP has a grid very close to the farm and will be using it along with Consumers.”

I reached out to AEP and learned the two companies had planned to partner until studies determined improvements were needed to AEP’s existing line. A potential solution was identified, but CE decided not to proceed. The idea that a solution was being ignored because of a failed partnership ignited passion in the Facebook group. We wrote piles of letters to local and state officials. In addition, we wrote to the newspapers, contacted media (my introverted self was on the news three times), and voiced our concerns at township meetings.

Within two months, we had resolutions against the proposed line from four townships, one village, Van Buren County, one state representative, and two state senators. We traveled to Lansing to attend the Michigan Public Service Commission meeting and filled over an hour of public comment. A few weeks later, on the eve of a planned Earth Day protest in front of CE, we received word that CE hoped to once again partner with AEP. They would not be going across Van Buren County. 24 miles of trees were saved! This is good news for our beloved birds!

Andrea, Karla, Sue, Gail

(Photo by Kris Gibson)

May 20 Field Trip to Brown Sanctuary

By Sue Creager

Our group was small but we had a very productive walk. It was led by Sue Creager and Gail Walter. We had a total of five women. We arrived at 9:30 am on a breezy gray morning and were greeted by a Wood Thrush’s fluted notes and a very busy pair of brilliant orange and black Baltimore Orioles. The song and color was just beginning.

The trail took us through a deep wooded area with low undergrowth with a variety of birds singing loudly. A number were identified by their song and calls. The path progressed to a beautiful marsh with mirrored waters; the scene was enhanced by multiple Tree and

Bam Swallows getting a good breakfast of insects by gracefully swooping over the water. We proceeded to the boardwalk and took note of a very busy Yellow Warbler carrying nesting material, busily flying from marsh to a willow tree. We initially took a second look because we thought we had a Wilson’s Warbler, but on closer inspection the head feathers were missing which made the head look like it had a black cap. We only stayed a short time because we seemed to be interrupting the process of feathering a nest.

We continued to the river, flushing two Wood Ducks, then caught the sound and sight of a pair of Great-crested Flycatchers. Suddenly there was a distinct call from a Prothonotary Warbler, the bird we all came to hopefully get a look at. It landed on a tree limb hanging over the river very close to us and jumped into a perfect window so we all had satisfying looks. Kris Gibson took some great photos; this bird made our day.

Female Prothonotary Warbler (Photos by Kris Gibson)

We continued along the river and spotted a Solitary Sandpiper on the opposite bank. We caught more birds on the way out of the sanctuary. Just before getting to the road, a Scarlet Tanager presented himself and sat long enough for a photo op. It was a great way to spend a morning in May with five women who really enjoyed each other in nature’s space.

38 Species: Canada Goose, Wood Duck, Turkey Vulture, Sandhill Crane, Solitary Sandpiper, Belted Kingfisher, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Acadian Flycatcher, Great-crested Flycatcher, Yellow-throated Vireo, Warbling Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo, American Crow, Tree Swallow, Barn Swallow, Tufted Titmouse, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Eastern Bluebird, Wood Thrush, American Robin, Gray Catbird, European Starling, Yellow Warbler, American Redstart, Prothonotary Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Scarlet Tanager, Eastern Towhee, Chipping Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting, Red-winged Blackbird, Baltimore Oriole, House Finch, American Goldfinch

ASK GRANTS MADE FOR THE 2022-2023 MEMBERSHIP YEAR

By Ilse Gebhard

This past membership year the ASK Board evaluated three worthwhile projects to support, based on our Articles of Incorporation, which state: The purpose of the Audubon Society of Kalamazoo is to foster and promote appreciation and understanding of the natural world, including wild birds and other wildlife, by educational, scientific, investigative, literary, philanthropic and charitable pursuits. Each grant addresses at least one of the purposes. ASK proudly presents:

$1,621 to the Wolf Lake State Fish Hatchery and Visitor Center for New Signs

https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/managing-resources/fisheries/hatcheries/wolf-lake

The Wolf Lake State Fish Hatchery and Visitor Center is a Southwest Michigan birding hotspot with a variety of habitats that support a wide range of bird species. Wolf Lake’s habitats include prairie, forests, ponds, and wetlands. This collection of habitats provides food, water, shelter, and space for many animal species but is most known for its bird species. In fact, during the peak of spring migration in 2021, a local birder reported just over 100 species in a single day! With nearly 200 documented species including rare birds like the Yellow- headed Blackbird, Wolf Lake is a special place for birds. Its nature trails are open year-round, dawn to dusk, and are free of charge to birders, nature enthusiasts, and families.

In 2003 Wolf Lake was a recipient of a statewide grant that included all six Michigan DNR fish hatcheries. The grant added, improved, and renovated interpretive exhibits and visitor amenities at the hatcheries. In addition to many upgrades at Wolf Lake, a bird observation deck was built on the southeast corner of the largest pond, also known as Pond 24. The deck is located at a premiere location to view the pond, wetlands, and wildlife at Wolf Lake. The deck also includes benches and interpretive signs. The current signs focus on the variety of bird species found at Wolf Lake. At nearly 20 years old, the interpretive signs have outlived their useful life and need replacement.

With new signs comes an opportunity to improve upon the content of the signs too. The intent is to highlight several bird species found at Wolf Lake, showcase how individuals can help birds, and provide basic bird identification tips. The signs provide a unique and important opportunity to highlight the importance of birds at Wolf Lake and beyond.

$100 Kellogg Bird Sanctuary

https://birdsanctuary.kbs.msu.edu/visit/

The Kellogg Bird Sanctuary offers field trips to complement classroom learning. Field trips include Birding Basics, Meet & Greet with Live Birds of Prey, and All About Owls! Each year over 1,500 school-aged children visit on field trips, but there is capacity for more field trips if funds were available for Bus Scholarships. Our grant will help provide transportation to students K-12 to visit the Sanctuary, enriching their classroom learning with an interactive field trip.

$250 Kalamazoo Nature Center

https://www.kalamazooearthday.com/earth-day-2023

To support and participate in Kalamazoo Earth Day 2023 put on by the Kalamazoo Nature Center, Public Media Network, Kalamazoo Parks and three neighborhood associations (Edison, Oakwood and Vine). This provided us with an outreach opportunity to educate the residents in the Vine Neighborhood about the importance of birds and their conservation.

WELCOME TO THESE NEW ASK MEMBERS!

Melody Allen	Julie Eilenberg	Tracey Mersfelder
Jacque Anderson	Hannah Fisher	Casey Metzger
Nina Asunto	Kay Frankowski	Pamela Miller
Emily Berezowsky	Kris Gibson	Daniel John Patrick
Taras Berezowsky	Tom Hagadone	Erik Peterson
Beth Bradburn	Charlie Hissong	Rebekah Poxson
Barry Bruns	Henry Hissong	Marybeth Pritschet-Davis
Dan Burton	James Hissong	Harper Ramsey
Stacy Burton	Stephanie Hissong	Lucy Ramsey
Bruce Caple	Anne Jasiak	Ken Robinson
Mary Carroll-Bruns	Karla Kelly	Pamela Rups
David Chadderdon	Sharon Klemm	Joanna Sblendorio
Katelyn Chilla-DeHaan	Nancy Anne Kurzava	Tina Tipton
Mike Cook	Brisa Leighton	Sue Vrobel
Peter Dewitt	Renee Leslie	Lane Ware
Michael Dreibelbis	Patrick Linehan	Sarah Ware
Michael Dwyer

2022/2023 ASK OUTREACH EVENTS

By Ilse Gebhard

The 2022/23 membership year was astoundingly busy for ASK participation in community outreach and education events. Many of our members may not realize how extensive and varied these outreach efforts are and the volunteer hours involved. Some events are all-day affairs, or even two-day, requiring multiple volunteers. Please email Donna Keller at dperrykeller@gmail.com to be put on the list of volunteers we can call for help at tabling events. You don’t need to be a hotshot birder to represent ASK at an event.

Thank you to all that have brought our message about birds and their conservation to the general public.

Table with Bird Exhibits and Handouts at the Following Locations or Events:

Kiwanis Sandhill Crane Fest

Earth Day Kalamazoo

Asylum Lake Preservation Association Event

Zugunruhe Event at the Kalamazoo Nature Center

“Our Planet Live in Concert” Movie Event at Miller Auditorium

Peregrine Falcon Presentations:

Friendship Village

Oakland Drive-Winchell Neighborhood Association

Women on Wednesdays

Bird-Friendly Building Design Presentations:

Hawk Migration Association of North America (HMANA)

Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency (KRESA)

Bird Population Declines/Urban Bird Treaty Presentations:

Friendship Village

Rotary Club of Kalamazoo

Green Drinks Kalamazoo

Cooper Township Board

Kalamazoo Area Wild Ones Board

Kiwanis Club Kalamazoo

Zugunruhe Event at the Kalamazoo Nature Center

City of Portage Environmental Board

Comstock Township Board

Pavilion Township Board

Schoolcraft Township Board

Landscaping with Native Plants for Birds and Butterflies Presentations:

Club of Little Gardens

Oakland Drive/Winchell Neighborhood Association

Home Builders' Association Event

Moline Library

Boomer Bash in Allegan

Hastings Library

Bird Feeding and other Bird Subjects Presentations:

Decatur Library

Friendship Village

Kellogg Bird Sanctuary

Field Trips or Bird Walks Joint with or for:

Great Backyard Bird Count at the Wolf Lake State Fish Hatchery

Earth Day Kalamazoo

Asylum Lake Preservation Association Event

Friendship Village

Kleinstuck Preserve Bird Count for the Kalamazoo Nature Center

Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy (SWMLC) Private Donor Walk at Black River Preserve

Zugunruhe Event at the Kalamazoo Nature Center

SWMLC Social Hike at Portman Preserve

SWMLC Social Hike at Black River Preserve

Two Rivers Coalition/Van Buren Conservation District for “Paddle with a Naturalist,” Van Auken Lake Event

NOTES ON ASK’S 2022-2023 TREASURY STATUS

By Ilse Gebhard

The accompanying detailed treasury report (following) shows our proposed budget for 2022-2023 and the actual income and expenditures as of 5/26/23, for our fiscal year ending June 30, 2023. Please note that to date our income exceeds our expenses and should cover any remaining expenses for the year.

As ASK has its own 501(3)c status, we handle memberships and donations for operations ourselves. As in the past, we use the Kalamazoo Community Foundation (KCF) for investing our non-endowed assets and for processing donations to and holding the Endowment Fund.

In addition, several items deserve explanation:

Pledges to the 2023 Birdathon are $2,859.70. The actual total received will be reported in the September newsletter. The money raised will be split evenly between the Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy to help manage grassland bird habitat in Kalamazoo County and the American Bird Conservancy to support habitat for our migratory birds on their overwintering grounds.
The value of ASK’s Endowment Fund at the KCF at the end of March 2023 stood at $59,560.05. The spendable portion ($2,607.03) available to ASK, was used, in part, to make grants to educate the public about birds and the environment. See grants article in this newsletter. As with Endowment Funds in general, the whole amount is not ours to withdraw. We only receive a certain spendable amount each year as income.
The value of our Operations Fund at the KCF at the end of March 2023 stood at $34,499.37. Since our income for the year exceeded our expenses, we did not need to withdraw any money for operations.
After considerable expenses last year on equipment that needed replacement for the downtown Kalamazoo Peregrine Falcon nesting project, donations to the project are exceeding expenses so far this year. Overall, from the start of the project in 2013 until now, donations specifically earmarked for the project from people who enjoy watching the nest cam have exceeded the incurred expenses. We would like to acknowledge the continued support for the project by the 5/3 Bank where the nesting box is located.
In 2015 ASK established an Education Grant Fund for schools at the KCF with the money received from the Virginia Maxwell bequest. After a one-year hiatus due to COVID, an abbreviated 6th round of grants was made for the 2021-2022 school year. We restarted the full Education Grants program for the 2022-23 school year (7^th year), making grants of $11,680.95. See the December 2022 Newsletter for a detailed report on schools and projects. The fund now stands at $11,399.75 and we plan to spend it down to zero this fall with an 8^th round of grants to schools.

APRIL 2023 TREASURY REPORT

Income	22-23 Budget	5/26/2023
Bulk Mail Refund		35.90
Corporate Membership	100.00	120.00
Donations-Operations	4500.00	5588.00
Donations Benevity	200.00	434.48
KCF Bird Grant		1350.00
KCF Endowment Spendable	2607.00	2607.03
Memberships	2500.00	2800.00
Peregrine Income/Donation	300.00	540.78
Speaker Stipend Income		75.00
Sales Income		3.00
Total Income	10207.00	13554.19

Expenses	22-23 Budget	5/26/2023
Archives	50.00	20.00
Bank Charges/PayPal Fees	40.00	134.23
Birdathon Expense	250.00	258.00
Bird Counts Expense	50.00
Education	500.00	229.16
Exhibits		90.10
Fees	20.00	120.00
Field Trips/Binoculars	1030.00	1021.93
General Grants		1971.00
Insurance	1050.00	448.46
Membership	465.00	651.72
Merchandise	75.00
Newsletter	500.00	47.94
Office Supplies/Copying	150.00	122.34
PO Box	150.00	182.00
Peregrine Expenses	660.00	534.00
Programs	1400.00	1584.04
Refreshments	50.00
Rent	700.00	480.00
Special Events	200.00
Special Projects	200.00
Stamps	220.00	308.10
Web Page	200.00	249.48
Total Expenses	7960.00	8452.50

Balance	2247.00	5101.69

ASK Bird Walks

ASK bird walks are impromptu walks, announced a few days before the walk, and listing the place and time to meet. Any ASK member who wishes to share a birding opportunity with other members could announce an impromptu birding trip.

Announcements for ASK bird walks will be made through the ASKbirds messaging group. By joining the ASKbirds group, you will receive ASK bird walk announcements via email and be able to post your own bird walks to the group.

To receive ASK bird walks announcements, email Thom Jones at thomljones@gmail.com and ask to be added to the group.

NEWSLETTER CONTRIBUTIONS

The deadline for contributions to the newsletter is the 10^th of the month. We are continuing to solicit member contributions of articles for the newsletter (tell us about a fantastic birding trip you took, tell us about your favorite local place to bird, share a memorable birding experience, review a bird/nature book that you enjoyed); publication subject to editorial review and space availability. Please email to

Jan Shillito, Editor, at janimaltoo@aol.com.

Events Cancellation Policy

If the weather is questionable, please check our website or Facebook page.

Field trips and bird counts are held rain or shine; they are only cancelled in severe weather. Contact the leader listed if conditions are questionable.

For MEMBERSHIP information, see the Join/Donate tab on our website (button below). If you need further assistance, text Laura Shaw at 269-365-1733 or call her and leave a voicemail message.

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