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The
Raven's
Nest
January 2025
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Birding Events
Join us for birding on these Saturdays.
Free and open to all.
January 18, 9 am
NC Arboretum
registration required
February 1, 9 am
Beaver Lake
February 8, 9 am
Jackson Park
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Programs/Events
Sanctuary Workdays
Tuesdays at 10 am
Jan 14, 21, 28, Feb 4, 11
Beaver Lake, Asheville
Board of Directors Meeting
Tuesday, Sept 10, 6:30 pm
To attend email: blueridgeaudubon@gmail.com
Program Meeting:
Restoring Natural Floodplains
With David Lee and Lia Waldrum
of Conserving Carolina
Tuesday, January 21, 7 pm
UNCA Reuter Center, Asheville
Birds & Brews Trivia
Sunday, February 16, 4 - 6 pm
Turgua Brewing, Fairview
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Friends,
Happy New Year! I think I speak for a lot of us in Western North Carolina when I say Good Riddance to 2024 and the tribulations that it brought us.
To be fair, most of the first nine months were pretty good to us. Last spring we hosted some great programs including Simon Thompson’s Antarctica Experience recap, a great Beaver Lake Celebration, and a successful Birdathon to support Wild Bird Research Group’s Saw-Whet Owl research in the western North Carolina mountains. But Helene’s arrival on the very day our Swift Night Out event was supposed to happen really wreaked havoc on our autumn–both literally and figuratively. In addition to the horrific loss of life, homes and livelihoods, we suffered significant damage to Beaver Lake Bird Sanctuary and unfathomable destruction to many local parks and bird habitats.
But even by year’s end the resiliency of western North Carolina’s human and avian inhabitants has begun to break through. As the larger community has rallied and started to recover, so has the birding community. As of the beginning of the year, we have all of the Beaver Lake Bird Sanctuary boardwalk repaired and open, and we have resumed our Saturday Bird outings, some at the usual locations– and in place of the Owen Park outings, new locations like the North Carolina Arboretum (which will be our January and February “3rd Saturday” Outings–Free but registration required on our website). We even were able to conduct our annual Christmas Bird Counts at heavily damaged areas in Buncombe County and in Lake Lure.
As volunteers finished up the Buncombe Count, word spread that birders had spotted a pair of cackling geese, the cute diminutive cousin of the familiar Canada Goose that is common in the western and central and Pacific Flyways but a real rarity in western North Carolina. As a few dozen of us gathered in the afternoon light to delight in the first sighting of these geese in Buncombe County in 20 years (previously also spotted on a Christmas Bird Count day), it became a poignant community moment, with friends not seen for months reunited and relative newcomers welcomed too. And it was a real opportunity for reflection. The Christmas Bird Count had been successful. The birds were still around. Not all of them, at least in the places they used to be. But many were and some were obviously taking advantage of the new habitat niches created. And now the arrival of the cackling geese delivered the promise that, with the right assistance, the birds will recover and respond as will we.
So I am looking forward to a great 2025. I look forward to a great slate of programming and outings within Blue Ridge Audubon this spring. I look forward to taking advantage of opportunities that we have to influence how agencies keep bird protection and wise habitat restoration in mind as we manage our local parks and national forests in the coming years. And I look forward to continuing to repair and restore the habitat at Beaver Lake with our fleet of our volunteers.
I hope you will join us in these endeavors over the coming year. And may it be a great year for all our friends–including the feathered ones.
John Koon
President, Blue Ridge Audubon
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Restoring natural floodplains offers transformative benefits for both communities and ecosystems. This speaker series highlights Conserving Carolina’s innovative floodplain restoration projects along the French Broad River, focusing on their role in mitigating flood risks, improving biodiversity, and enhancing water quality. Using real-world examples, such as the Pleasant Grove and Kings Bridge restorations, we’ll explore strategies to restore natural functions to floodplains and build resilience against extreme weather events like Tropical Storm Helene. Attendees will gain insights into effective restoration techniques, the power of community partnerships, and the importance of integrating traditional ecological knowledge. Join us to learn how these projects serve as a model for creating thriving, sustainable landscapes that support both people and nature.
Reuter Center, Room 206 (upstairs)
University of North Carolina - Asheville
300 Campus View Rd.
Asheville, NC 28804
Photo: Backwater slough at Pleasant Grove, Jennings Environmental
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The following is an excerpt from Scot Quaranda's blog, Everywhere is Sacred. In this article the author shares his experience participating in the 2024 Christmas Bird Count in an area heavily affected by Hurricane Helene. | |
Birding in the Apocalypse
by Scot Quaranda
Our section for the CBC was primarily in Fairview, North Carolina, in the southeastern part of Buncombe County. When Hurricane Helene came through in late September, it tore through much of the eastern part of the county. Asheville was bad, but places like Swannanoa, Bat Cave, and Fairview will never be the same. Anywhere there was a river, tributary or creek saw historic flooding.
We started our day at a carp pond where we saw Mergansers, Mallards and our first of four Great Blue Herons. The pond was in great shape, in fact when we finished our day there and logged our 40th species (Mourning Doves), there were about 20 people fishing. Because of the conditions at the pond, we were not at all prepared for what was to come. The further out we traveled the greater the destruction we witnessed.
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One of our early stops was the Spring Mountain Community Center. The suggestions left to us from previous birders was to park and walk the trails and scan the creek. The only problem was that there were no trails. In their place were mounds of sediment, debris, trash, and some signs of what once was a beautiful spot.
We walked the former trails, mouths agape, scanning for signs of life, and only hearing the sounds of our feet tromping through the rubble. Even though we knew we were not going to see anything, it felt like we had to complete the circuit as a way to somehow honor this sacred land that had been completely transformed. We made our way back to the car and nary a word passed between us, each lost in our own thoughts.
Photo: Song Sparrow by Darcy Quaranda
If you'd like to read the rest of this article you can view it here: https://everywhereissacred.substack.com/p/birding-in-the-apocalypse
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Top Wins for Birds in 2024
by Audubon North Carolina Staff
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From mountains to coast, Audubon staff and members flocked together to advance ambitious projects and policies for birds this year.
Twas a year full of advocacy wins, hands-on bird research, and ambitious new conservation projects—all to protect birds and the places they need in North Carolina.
Highlights from the year included the launch of our new Urban Forestry program, local and state advocacy for conservation funding and native plants, major new milestones for marsh restoration at our Pine Island Sanctuary, and new tracking and research projects led by our coastal team.
We launched new program with partners to help landowners improve Golden-winged Warbler habitat
Audubon North Carolina partnered with EcoForesters, a nonprofit forestry organization, to launch a new program offering financial assistance and habitat management guidance to Mitchell and Yancey County landowners for Golden-winged Warbler habitat restoration. Audubon has contacted landowners in the past and is welcoming continued landowner participation for this priority bird. With much of the land in western North Carolina in private hands, it is increasingly important that we continue educating landowners and promoting bird-friendly forestry practices.
Continue reading: https://nc.audubon.org/news/top-wins-birds-2024
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Beaver Bits
by Jay Wherley
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Are there any bird species that are more likely to be seen during January at Beaver Lake Bird Sanctuary than any other month of the year? Somewhat surprisingly – yes!
Gadwall, Common Merganser, and Ring-billed Gull observations have a bit of a peak in observations this month.
We’ve only ever had two species of gulls at the lake, Ring-billed and Bonaparte’s. To distinguish the two look for a plainer head and black tipped light/yellow bill on the former, and a dark spot/head with smaller black bill on the latter.
Common Mergansers may roost on the lake in the evening at this time of year, while daytime feeding on the river. Look for them early in the morning or arriving towards dusk. The adult drakes have a reddish thin bill on a dark head/neck with pure white breast and flanks. The bill is similar on females, who feature wispy reddish-brown “bed-head” feathers off the back of their similarly colored head.
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Drake Gadwalls have a black lower aft section, a black bill, an intricate brown feather pattern, and a somewhat blocky head. The hen may remind you of a mallard at first – look for that blocky head shape, a patch of white secondaries towards the rear flank, and orange/yellow edges on her bill.
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Notable recent sightings at Beaver Lake include Tundra Swan and Common Goldeneye. Three Tundra Swans (two adults, one juvenile) were present on the lake for a short time on December 19th. This was only the second sighting at BLBS (first in 2016).
Photos: Gadwall, Beaver Lake, 2015 by Jay Wherley; Tundra Swans, Beaver Lake, 2015 by Jay Wherley
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About the Blue Ridge Audubon Chapter | |
Blue Ridge Audubon is a chapter of the National Audubon Society, serving Buncombe, Henderson, and surrounding counties in western North Carolina.
We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Donations are
tax-deductible to the extent
allowed by law.
Raven's Nest Editor:
Jennie Burke
jennifer_bradbury85@yahoo.com
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Blue Ridge Audubon Chapter
PO Box 18711
Asheville, NC 28814
Blue Ridge Audubon's mission is to protect birds and the places they depend on. We believe that a world in which birds thrive is a world that benefits all living things.
Our vision is a vibrant and just community where the protection of birds and our natural world is valued by everyone.
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