The

Raven's

Nest

August

2023

Dear Nancy,

It’s been a good breeding season in my yard this year. The Carolina Chickadees got an early start and fledged out four nestlings by early May. The House Wrens that arrive every year with their bubbling song raised a brood in my backyard that fledged by mid-June, and now the same pair has moved to the front yard to raise brood two. Somewhere nearby a pair of Cooper’s Hawks nested and produced three young birds that are now filling the neighborhood with their wild cries as they apparently play tag in our trees. And now the hummingbird feeder is once again becoming a battle zone as the mature male Ruby-throated stakes his claim to both feeders, chasing any immature birds that dare approach them or the nearby bee balm. 

Our chapter’s Board of Directors met a few weeks ago to chart out the coming year for Blue Ridge Audubon. Based on the ideas we discussed, I am excited about our plans to offer wide variety of programs and outings this year, including our traditional Swift Night Out on September 28, followed by an evening program on October 17. We’re planning other programs and outings to reach all bird lovers, like an early morning breakfast with the birds at Ridge Junction, and coffee and birding along the French Broad River. Other ideas we are exploring include a family-oriented activity; how-to programs to familiarize people with the latest in eBird and other web-based birding resources; and social events like Birding Trivia at a local brewery. Do some of these interest you more than others? Have a great idea for an Aubudon event? We’d love to hear about what brings you out to BRAC events. Please email us at blueridgeaudubon@gmail.com and let us know. Be sure and check our website calendar, Facebook and Instagram pages for updates on all Blue Ridge Audubon happenings!

John Koon

President, Blue Ridge Audubon



Cooper's Hawk, Alan Lenk

Birds and Bagels Outing at

Ridge Junction

Blue Ridge Audubon Chapter is hosting an early morning birding event at Ridge Junction Overlook on Sunday, September 10 at 8 a.m. Ridge Junction Overlook, near Mt. Mitchell State Park, is one of the best spots in the Blue Ridge to experience the fall migration of warblers and other passerines. Hundreds of birds can pass through the gap in the mountains here over the course a morning, and numbers tallied have included over 25 species of warblers!

We'll supply the coffee and bagels. Bring your binoculars, a chair, and wear some warm clothes. Restrooms at Mt. Mitchell State Park, 2.5 miles. Rain date is Sunday, September 17. Check our Facebook page for updates.

Ridge Junction at sunrise, M. Mooney

Are You Our New Chapter Treasurer?

Blue Ridge Audubon Chapter is asking someone with basic bookkeeping skills to step up and take over the role of treasurer. Linda Walker has been our dedicated treasurer for over 5 years and her term is ending. If you're able to use Excel, balance a checkbook, create a budget sheet, and have attention to detail, we would value your help. As treasurer, you would serve on the BRAC board with a group of wonderful people. Linda will train you on everything you need to know. So, if you’re good with numbers, this will be an easy fit. Please email blueridgeaudubon@gmail.com. No birding experience necessary, just a desire to be part of a great community of folks whose mission is to protect birds and the places they depend on. 

Beaver Lake Bird Sanctuary Workday



Blue Ridge Audubon Chapter will hold a workday at the Beaver Lake Bird Sanctuary on Saturday, August 19 from 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Rain date is Saturday, August 26. Join us for whatever hours you can be there. We will focus on removing Japanese Stiltgrass - easy to pull - and English Ivy. Wear work gloves, long pants and working shoes as there is some poison ivy. If those dates don’t work, there are weekly workdays at the Sanctuary every Tuesday at 10:00 a.m. Please come if you can!

A Wing and a Prayer Book Talk

We have a special invitation to join the North Carolina Arboretum on Thursday, September 14, 6 - 7:30 p.m. for a talk by authors Anders and Beverly Gyllenhaal. Their new book, A Wing and a Prayer: The Race to Save our Vanishing Birds, covers their 25,000-mile journey in an airstream trailer as they searched for birds and the people who are committed to saving them. According to a review by the Carolina Bird Club’s Steve Schultz, the book “weaves science and storytelling into a compelling and enjoyable read that not only explains the problem but offers solutions. The final chapter provides 30 suggestions to save our vanishing birds.”

Register for the talk at the NC Arboretum’s website. 

Many thanks to everyone who donated to the Blue Ridge Audubon Birdathon. The birders who teamed up to compete in the Birdathon had a great time, but we couldn’t have had a successful Birdathon without you! Over 60 people contributed to our cause and we raised almost $5,000!

As we reported in our last newsletter, the winning team was the Not-So-Common Loons with a total of 132 species. We appreciate their efforts as well as the participation of our other Birdathon teams. But a big shout out goes to the Beaver Lake Bluebirds team who collectively raised $2,252 in donations, almost half the money donated. Way to go, Bluebirds!

This year’s funds will support the construction of a Motus Tower antenna that will be administered by the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. Their biologists are already hard at work tracking Golden-winged Warblers via the existing Motus antennas. Many other species will benefit from the data gathered by scientists studying bird populations.

If you meant to donate and didn’t get to it, it’s not too late! Just click this link to our website where you can make an online donation or send a check to Blue Ridge Audubon, P.O. Box 18711, Asheville, NC 28814. Please note online or on your check that it's for the Birdathon. Many thanks again to everyone for your support of this Blue Ridge Audubon fundraiser. 

Golden-winged Warbler with nano-tag, Anthony Squitieri

In 2019, a garden bed at Lucy S. Herring Elementary School (formerly Vance Elementary School) in West Asheville caught my attention—the garden had, over the years, become a bit overgrown and was showing potential for a positive transformation. At that time, I was serving on the Board of Directors of the Blue Ridge Audubon Chapter, and, as a passionate birder and budding gardener, I was eager to expand Audubon’s Native Plants for Birds program. A partnership between the chapter and Lucy S. Herring Elementary seemed like the perfect fit. I had graduated from the school many years prior, and I still lived just down the street in the house I had grown up in. Also, the school’s focus on “the study of people and their relationship with the natural environment” dovetailed wonderfully with Audubon’s work on native plants and bird conservation.

Please click here to read about how this wonderful garden for birds and children blossomed. You’ll be inspired by Jamie’s story.

During the late summer season, birds in the egret and heron families (among others) begin “post-breeding dispersal” – wandering in any compass direction away from their breeding location. Look for these relatively large birds along the edges of lakes and rivers. Along with the expected Great Blue and Green Herons, often some exciting species appear.

These past sightings are of note at Beaver Lake:

·      1 Black-crowned Night-Heron in August 2004

·      4 Great Egrets in September 2013

·      2 Yellow-crowned Night-herons in July 2021

Other species to keep an eye out for during this time:

·       Limpkin: This species has only been observed once in Buncombe County (Owen Park).

·       Little Blue Heron: Immature birds can appear mostly white, compare with:

·       Snowy Egret: Look for yellow feet on this white egret.

·       Roseate Spoonbill: Pink! No records yet for Buncombe County but it has been observed in Henderson and McDowell County.

* * *

Notable recent sightings at Beaver Lake include Great Crested Flycatcher and Brown-headed Nuthatch.



Images:

Limpkin, April 2010, Viera Florida

Little Blue Heron (immature), August 2009, Viera Florida