The

Raven's

Nest

June

2023

Dear Nancy,

It’s been quite a spring here in the mountains, and a very busy one for Blue Ridge Audubon. In addition to our regular Saturday bird outings, we have had numerous volunteer-led bird outings for school groups and community organizations. We have had three great evening programs, and hosted a festive Beaver Lake Bird Sanctuary Celebration to highlight the wonders of avian spring migration. We have been raising money for Motus towers through our annual Birdathon. And we have been training local school groups in advocacy to ensure that another generation is ready to help protect birds and the places they need.



We have one more program before winding down our spring season. Our June program will feature climate scientist (and BRAC board member) Douglas Rao giving a presentation on Climate Change and its coming effects on birds. If you missed his lecture at the Lights Out Seminar at the Collider in March, be sure to make this one—Douglas is a gifted and entertaining speaker. We would appreciate a good turnout as this program serves as our Annual Membership meeting at which we will elect officers and new at-large Board Members. I hope you can make it.

I’d also like to take this opportunity to give a public Thank You to three volunteers who are rotating off the Board of Directors this summer: Nancy Casey (who served as President 2019-2021), Susan Richardson, and Bonnie Snyder. These three have devoted countless hours of their time and expertise in volunteering to run and host Audubon events as well as behind-the-scenes work to ensure that our organization runs smoothly. I can honestly say that you will never encounter more selfless and devoted volunteers and we have all benefitted tremendously from their time serving on the Board. Fortunately for all of us, all three of them will still be working as BRAC volunteers, but if you happen to see them, please do let them know how much their service is appreciated!

John Koon

President, Blue Ridge Audubon



Cerulean Warbler, Alan Lenk

The changing climate is affecting ecosystems and societies across the world. Climate change is already being felt in North Carolina, and it will continue to pose a significant challenge in the foreseeable future for the 10.5 million people who call this state home and for the richly diverse ecosystems found here. In 2019, the National Audubon Society released a report - "Survival by Degrees" - concluding that nearly two thirds of bird species in North America face the risk of extinction because of the changing climate. These at-risk bird species include Wood Thrush and Golden-winged Warbler which currently can be observed in western North Carolina. This presentation will briefly summarize the recent findings from the North Carolina Climate Science Report and the Survival by Degrees investigation to highlight climate impacts on the communities and ecosystems in North Carolina. In addition, the presentation will also share a few resources on how people can adapt to and mitigate changing climate. 

Douglas Rao is a research scientist with the North Carolina Institute for Climate Studies in Asheville, North Carolina. Douglas received his Ph.D. in Geographical Sciences from the University of Maryland in 2019. His research focuses on using long-term environmental observations to understand the impact of temperature change on ecosystems. He also works with NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information in Asheville. Douglas is an at-large board member of Blue Ridge Audubon & the chair of the chapter's Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee.

2023/24 Blue Ridge Audubon Board Slate of Candidates

At our May board meeting, the Blue Ridge Audubon Board of Directors approved a slate of candidates that was presented by the Nominating Committee. On the slate are two new At-Large board members: Elizabeth Booth and Lucy Taggart. Also on the slate are returning board members, John Koon, president, Kate Johnson, secretary, and Douglas Rao, at-large member.

Come on out to meet our candidates and to vote in person at our June 20 program meeting! We thank all our candidates for giving their time and talents to serving on the Blue Ridge Audubon board.

New Treasurer Needed!

Blue Ridge Audubon Chapter is looking for someone with some basic accounting skills to take over the role of treasurer. Linda Walker has been our wonderfully dedicated treasurer for over 5 years and she's hoping to retire! If you're able to use Excel, balance a checkbook, create a budget sheet, and have attention to detail, this job is for you! Plus you get to serve on the BRAC board with a bunch of great people. Linda will train you on the spreadsheets and everything you need to know. So, if you’re good with numbers, this will be an easy fit. This is your chance to help out and volunteer for our chapter! Please send an email to blueridgeaudubon@gmail.com.

Representative Eric Ager Visits Beaver Lake Bird Sanctuary

Board members Bonnie Snyder and Tom Tribble hosted state representative Eric Ager (District 114) at the Beaver Lake Bird Sanctuary in May. Tom and Bonnie gave him a presentation of the history of BLBS and it’s importance for birds, wildlife, and people in an urban environment. We were thankful that Representative Ager took the time to come out to the Sanctuary, and are particularly grateful that he said he’d like to partner with us as a resource and to help us when he can.

The Big Atlas Weekend is coming up this June 23 to 25! A bird atlas is a systematic survey of a region usually carried out by volunteers. The North Carolina Bird Atlas is designed to gather essential information about the current and future distribution and abundance of North Carolina’s birds and prevent listing species as endangered or even from becoming extinct. The Big Atlas Weekend is an opportunity for birders in North Carolina to do some intensive atlasing and engage in some friendly competitions. For many birds in our area, breeding activity peaks in mid to late June, so it’s a great time to confirm breeding and fill gaps in the Atlas dataset. The Big Atlas Weekend will have prize opportunities for atlasers of all skill levels, ranging from first timers to veterans. One prize winner will be randomly selected to win a Cornell Lab of Ornithology Bird Academy course of their choosing. For a more detailed write up on the Big Atlas Weekend, please see this article by Mike Resch. If you just need specifics of the competition visit this eBird site. Go on out and count some birds!

Last month’s Supreme Court’s ruling in Sackett vs EPA will not be good for wetland environments or for birds. The ruling limits the scope of the Clean Water Act to wetlands that “adjoin” a water body by a “continuous surface connection.” (The ruling does not answer whether the Clean Water Act applies to intermittent streams, which flow steadily but only for parts of the year. The implications are substantial, particularly in the Southwest, where most streams are ephemeral or intermittent.)

In reality, the wetlands impacted by the Sackett ruling serve a vital role for hundreds of species of birds as breeding sites, migration stopovers locations, and wintering sites. The court decision should be evidence enough that it is well past time for Congress to specifically address perceived ambiguity of the issue by clearly defining the scope of the Clean Water Act in a way that clarifies and strengthens wildlife environmental protections.

One short summary of the situation and options can be found from the American Bird Conservancy:

https://abcbirds.org/news/supreme-court-clean-water-act-ruling/

Reprinted from the Birding Community E-Bulletin. You can access all the past E-bulletins on the National Wildlife Refuge Association (NWRA) website:

https://www.refugeassociation.org/birding-community-e-bulletin

Patsy Pond, freshwater marsh in NC

Our “Plants for Birds” walks at Beaver Lake Bird Sanctuary just had a one-year anniversary! We are thankful to Randy Richardson for leading these walks and sharing his knowledge of our native flora and their importance to birds in the sanctuary. We also thank all the volunteers who planted the many native plants that grace our Sanctuary. Randy’s walks take place in Spring/Summer/Fall on the fourth Saturday of each month at 1pm. I include here a snippet of Randy’s April report for a taste of what you might encounter – every month is different:

“Some of the phlox and coreopsis were already in bloom, complementing the beautiful Wild Columbine and Giant Solomon’s seal on the opposite side of the walkway. Along the boardwalk the botanical highlights included Wild Geranium, Dwarf Crested Iris, and Golden Alexanders.”

* * *

Notable recent sightings at Beaver Lake include Yellow-breasted Chat, Wilson’s Warbler, and a Common Raven by Simon Thompson.

Images:

Calycanthus floridus (Carolina Allspice), May 2023

Thermopsis villosa (Southern Lupine), May 2023