In FlightFall 2013

HawkWatch Festival & Green Bazaar

September 28 & 29 • 11am - 5pm

203-869-5272Vendors & Sponsors: Call Jeff at x239

greenwich.audubon.org

William Shakespeare’s

�s�ou �ike �t ��Sunday, September 8 • 2:15 - 5:30pm

Performed by the Castle Theatre Company from England

Visit Quaker Ridge’s great hawk watching lawn for the peak of the raptor migration and enjoy a traditional outdoor performance of one of Shakespeare’s best loved comedies, As You Like It.

Our local Shakespeare On The Sound theatre company will host a pre-performance discussion with the Castle Theatre Company.

Picnics welcome and family friendly. Seating is on the grass and is available on a first-come first-served basis. Main performance: 3:00 pm.

Donations suggested for Adults: $10 & up. RSVPs togreenwichcenter@audubon.org are appreciated. Contact Jeff x239.

Note: If case of rain, the play will be in the gallery. Seating inside limited.

�hakespeare on �awk�atch �awn

• Live Birds of Prey Shows 1 & 3 pm• Eco-friendly Vendors & Exhibits• Wild Hawk Counting • Games

• Great Food On-Site • Nature Gift Shop

Event Schedule & Details on Website

Chandler Robbins - A Living LegendDiscusses “A Century ofChange in AmericanOrnithology”Wednesday, September 11 • 6:30 pm

Join Audubon Greenwich when we welcome Chandler S. Robbins, the manwho invented the breeding bird survey protocol still used today. He is celebratedfor his 70-year career with the PatuxentWildlife Research Refuge near D.C. andBaltimore. His talk, “A Century ofChange in American Ornithology” will provide us a new perspective on the differences between birding in the 20’s & 30’s and today. Since then, taxidermy and egg collecting, which were both common pursuits, have all butdisappeared. With them, so have many ofthe species that birders used to take forgranted. So too have gone the big springmigration waves - today’s observers simplycan’t appreciate what the bird migrationwaves used to be like.

A reception with Mr. Robbins at 6:30 pm willbe followed by his presentation. Audubon Members: $12; Non-Members: $20.RSVP requested to 203-869-5272 x 239.

2 • AudubonGreenwich In Flight

The Mission of Audubon Greenwich is to motivate people to conserve, restore, and

enjoy nature, focusing on birds, other wildlife,and their habitats, through education, land

stewardship, science, and public policy advocacy.

BOARD OF DIRECTORSLauren Hampton, Chair

Carl Hewitt, Vice Chair

Lolly Prince, Vice Chair

Roxanne Vanderbilt, Vice Chair

John Knox, Treasurer

Jennifer McCarroll, Secretary

HONORARY BOARD MEMBERSJane-Kerin Moffat Gary Palmer

AUDUBON GREENWICH STAFFMichelle Frankel, Interim Center Director

Andy Chapin, Land Steward

Jeff Cordulack, Events & Communications Manager

Ted Gilman, Education Specialist

James Flynn, Education Specialist

Francesca Williams, Education Specialist

Gigi Lombardi, Store Manager & Registrar

John Fairty, Grounds & Facilities Manager

AUDUBON CONNECTICUT STAFFStewart Hudson, V.P. & Executive Director

Patrick Comins, Director, Bird Conservation

Sandy Breslin, Director, Government Affairs

John Hannan, Director of External Affairs

Michelle Frankel, Deputy Director of Development

Tiffany Witmer, Development Officer

Elizabeth Newman, Finance Manager

Taralynn Reynolds, Bird Friendly Comm. Coordinator

AUDUBON GREENWICH613 Riversville Road, Greenwich, CT 06831203.869.5272 • http://greenwich.audubon.org

The sanctuary and trails are open seven days a week,from sunrise to sunset. The center and gallery areopen Monday through Saturday from 9 am-5 pmand noon-5 pm on Sunday. Store closed Mondays.

Center and Trails Admission: Members - FREE

Non-members - Adults $3.00Children/Seniors - $1.50

Allison Bourke

John Conte

Denice Crettol

Debby Ethridge

Ann Flinn

Matthew Fry

Eda Peterson

Jeff Siegal

George Sorenson

Tom Baptist Leaves Audubon A LegacyAfter sixteen years with Audubon, Tom Baptist,

founding VP & Executive Director of AudubonConnecticut, has retired and will become theSuperintendent of Public Works for the City ofHartford. Under Tom’s leadership, Audubon inConnecticut has grown into a network of staff and three busy centers, 27 officially recognized ImportantBird Areas, a world class educational facility in Greenwich, and it enjoyed annual giving increases from $35,000 in 1997 to over$1.6 million in 2012. One of his most recent projects was the now fully signed‘In-Lieu of Fee’ agreement with the Army Corps of Engineers. This uniqueAudubon-led program will advance our mission and generate millions of dollarsfor conservation projects across the state. Audubon greatly appreciates all of Tom’s contributions to conservation in Connecticut.

New State Director Stewart J. Hudson starts September 3 The National Audubon Society and the board of

Audubon Connecticut have named Stewart J. Hudson of Madison, Ct., VP and executive director of AudubonConnecticut. “Stewart is a star in the conservation world and we’re lucky to have him join AudubonConnecticut,” said Audubon President and CEO David Yarnold. “He’s a proven leader on policy, science, climate change and green finance and that’s a great fit for Audubon.”

Hudson comes to Audubon from the Emily Hall Tremaine Foundationwhere he served as president for twelve years. During this time, he directed thefoundation’s grant making portfolio of over $45 millions. He also played a central role in the management of the foundation’s $85 million endowment.“It is an honor to have been selected as vice president and executive director

of Audubon Connecticut. I have been a longtime environmentalist and birder,and I believe in the bird-focused conservation that drives the National AudubonSociety,” said Hudson. “Its state offices, centers and chapters across the countryare a great way to connect people to nature and to make measurable progresstoward restoring America’s natural resource infrastructure.”

Greenwich Center Leadership UpdateIn June 2013, Karen Dixon retired after six years as the Center Director.

Among her many achievements, she maintained a balanced operating budget,filled the critical Land Steward position, and helped Audubon CT initiate theSchoolyard Habitat program. We wish Karen the best of luck.While the search for a permanent Center Director is underway, Audubon has

named Michelle Frankel, Ph.D., as interim CenterDirector. Michelle has been a valued staff member since 2007 and brings a strong background in bird conservation, environmental education and development. With Audubon CT, she is both theDeputy Director of Development and a ConservationBiologist. The Audubon Greenwich team is excited to have her on board!

Stewart Hudson

Tom Baptist

Michelle Frankel

Your purchases help support Audubon’s conservation workStore open Tuesday - Saturday 9 am to 5 pm; Sundays 12 noon to 5 pm; Call x221.

• Unique gifts for nature lovers of all ages• Feeders, seed, suet, and supplies• Binoculars and spotting scopes• “Birds and Beans” bird-friendly organic coffee • Nature guides and garden books• 10% discount* for Audubon members*discount not applicable to seed or suet

NATURE

NATURESTOREwhere shopping is a natural experience

GREENWICH

Fall 2013 • 3

In homage to the river of raptors thatpass over Audubon Greenwich duringtheir autumn migration south and to celebrate the 10th anniversary of theKimberlin Nature Education Center,Greenwich will open a new exhibitionfeaturing John J. Audubon’s birds ofprey in watercolor and host an art conservation fair over the weekend. On Thursday, September 19 doors

open with a reception starting at 5 pm.At 7 pm, Joel Oppenheimer will unveilan authentic Bien folio, a rare treasureon display for one evening only.Oppenheimer will also discuss his ownnew masterpiece, THE BIRDS OFAMERICA: The Bien ChromolithographicEdition. This is the first complete reproduction of Bien chromolithographs:150 full-color illustrations of Americanbirds in facsimile form. Measuring 13-¾ by 20 ½ inches, bound in cloth witha full cloth slipcase, this is a stunning work that will completeany library’s reference material for Audubon prints, and is sure to be the centerpiece of any bird lover’s library and artenthusiast’s collection. Book supplies are limited. To pre-order a book ($350) for signing during the Greenwich events, contactDavid Oppenheimer at 312-642-5300 or doppen@audubonart.com.

On Saturday & Sunday, September 21& 22, the Oppenheimer Gallery atAudubon Greenwich will host an artconservation and appraisal fair. JoelOppenheimer, Inc. conservators will offerfree evaluations of fine art, paintings,photographs, works on paper and familyheirlooms. Guests can bring their piecefor assessment and receive a conditionreport with recommendations for repairswhile a certified art appraiser will beavailable most of the weekend to provideappraisals. Visit the gallery online tolearn why Oppenheimer is regarded asone of the most respected private artrestoration and conservation laboratories.

www.audubonart.comThis special series of events is sponsored

by The Coughlin Group, Ace Private RiskServices, and Joel Oppenheimer, Inc.

AUDUBON’S RAPTORS IN WATERCOLOR & ART CONSERVATION FAIR

September 19, 21 & 22

John James Audubon - Audubon’s Fifty BestWatercolors, New-York Historical SocietyEdition, Plate 56, Red-shouldered Hawk

STAY UP-TO-DATE WITH AUDUBON PROGRAMS! Send a blank email to: AudubonGreenwichNews-subscribe@yahoogroups.com for weekly program reminders.

Saturday, September 7Introduction to Raptor Migration and Identification2:00-3:30 pm Come learn about our amazing migration of raptors and learn tips on how to identify these long-distance travelers as they fly over our Quaker RidgeHawkWatch Site. Indoor introduction followed by hawk counting practice outsidewith the Quaker Ridge Hawk Watchers. Ages 8 & up. RSVP to Ted at x230.

Sunday, September 8Shakespeare on Hawk Watch Lawn

�s�ou �ike �t �2:15-5:00 pm The Hawk Watch Lawn will serve as the venue, followinglong tradition of outdoor Shakespearian performances. All ages. Picnics welcome. Suggested donation for Adults:$10. RSVPs appreciated to greenwichcenter@audubon.org. All details online. Inquiries to Jeff at x239. Rain or shine.

Wednesday, September 11 Guest Speaker Chandler Robbins 6:30-8:30 pm“A Century of Change in American Ornithology” Join Audubon Greenwich when we welcome Chandler S. Robbins, the man whoinvented the breeding bird survey protocol still used today. He is celebrated for his70-year career working for the Patuxent Wildlife Research Refuge. His talk willprovide us with a new perspective on the differences between birding in the 20’s &30’s and today.

A reception with Mr. Robbins at 6:30 pm will be followed by his presentation. RSVP Required to 203-869-5272 x239. Audubon Members: $12; Non-Members: $20.

Saturday, September 14 Searching for Insects and Spidersin the Goldenrod Jungle 10:30 am-12:00 pm Join Audubon naturalists to seek out a wonderfulvariety of insects and spiders in our hilltop meadows. The rich blooming goldenrod and otherwildflowers attract many insects and their insectand spider predators. All ages. RSVP to Ted at x230.

Saturday,September 21Using Binoculars forBird and Wildlife Study 11:00 am-3:00 pmCome sharpen your bird and wildlifewatching skills with your binocularsand learn about the binocular features that are useful for a variety of wildlife study purposes. Ages 7 & up. RSVP to Ted at x230.

Saturday, October 12Autumn Hike to Mead Lake2:00-3:30 pmJoin us for a leisurely hike to enjoy the fallcolors, migrating birds, scampering squirrelsand chipmunks and other natural surprisesalong the way. All Ages. RSVP to Ted at x230.

Saturday, October 19Harvest Moon Hike & Slow Food Potluck6:30-9:00 pmBring a dish to share for a potluck dinner and then join a moonlit walk down toMead Lake. Along the walk, hikers will enjoy the night and listen for insects, mammals and perhaps hear and see migrating birds as they cross the disc of themoon. Wear walking shoes and bring a flashlight. Binoculars are helpful too. Dinner is all ages & hike suggested for Ages 8 & up. $10/person. Bring a dish suitable for 4 people; ingredient list appreciated. RSVP to Jeff at x239.

Saturday, & Sunday, October 26 & 27‘Nature Art Class’ with Adriana Rostovsky10:00 am-12:00 pmJoin your choice of two fun days when art and nature meet re-purposing materialsto highlight our role in caring for the environment. Our special guest teacher,Adriana Rostovsky, will show us how to create textures and collages with nature’streasures found outdoors at the Audubon Greenwich center. Class details online:www.adrianarostovsky.com. All ages welcome. $25 for first two people and $5 per additional (prices are per day). RSVPs for class are important so please RSVP to Adriana at 646-752-2322 or rostovsky.adriana@gmail.com.

Saturday, November 2BIRDING: Cove Island Park, Stamford9:00 am-1:00 pm

Cove Island Park has been designated asan Important Bird Area due to the richvariety of bird life attracted to its mix ofopen water, salt marsh, meadow, thicketand forest areas. Join us for a field trip to seek out migrant waterbirds, shorebirds, raptors, and songbirds. Either meet at Audubon Greenwich for van ride/carpool or meet near the bird sanctuary entrance gate at southwest

corner of the Cove Island parking lot. $10 in van or $5 to meet group. Ages 8 & up. RSVP required to Ted at x230.

Sunday, November 10 E4C: Family Breakfast & Live Animal Show9:30-11:30 amBring the family for a kid-friendly breakfast event & live animal show! Breakfast and fun in the gallery for first thirty minutes and then the show begins.All ages. $25/family. Space is limited so RSVPs are required. Contact Jeff at x239.

AUDUBON GREENWICH NATURE PROGRAM CALENDARF A L L 2 0 1 3

DOCUMENTARY FILMS

‘Unacceptable Levels’ - About the Chemical Soup We Live In

Thursday, October 10Over 80,000 chemicals flow through our system of commerce,and many are going straight into our bodies. Until recently,modern science really didn’t understand what that could meanfor all of us in the long run, but that is changing. UnacceptableLevels examines the results of the chemical revolution of the1940s through the eyes of filmmaker Ed Brown, a father seekingto understand the world in which he and his wife are raisingtheir children. Film at 7:00 pm. $12/adult & $5/under 21.

‘The Slow Food Story’A food film & potluck dinnerThursday, November 7

Enjoy a hearty meal and film with Slow Food fans and guests. Thenew film chronicles the rise and spread of the ‘Slow Food’ movementthrough a biography of its charismatic Italian founder, Carlo Petrini,and friends who accompanied him along their adventures. All ages.Dinner at 6 pm. Film at 7:30 pm. $5 for Audubon suggested per person.BYOB & bring a dish or treats to share with 4-6 people. RSVP with dishinfo to Jeff at x239.

More film & event details online. Events are 6-9 pm. RSVPs are appreciated to greenwichcenter@audubon.org

or by voicemail to x239.

.

Audubon’s Raptors in WatercolorOPENING AND BOOK SIGNING

Thursday, September 19 • 6:00-8:00 pmJoel Oppenheimer will unveil an authentic Bienfolio, a rare treasure on display for one evening only. He will also discuss his own new masterpiece, THE BIRDS OF AMERICA: The BienChromolithographic Edition – the first completereproduction of Bien chromolithographs: 150 colorillustrations of American birds in facsimile form.Supplies limited. To pre-order book ($350) for signingduring the events, contact David Oppenheimer at312-642-5300 or doppen@audubonart.com.

ART CONSERVATION ANDAPPRAISAL FAIRSaturday & Sunday, September 21 & 22 • 10 am-5 pm

Joel Oppenheimer, Inc. conservators will offer free evaluations of fine art, paintings, photographs, works on paper and family heirlooms. Bring pieces forassessment and receive a report with recommendations for repairs. A certified art appraiser will be available most of the weekend to provide appraisals.

FIRST SUNDAY BIRD WALKSMorning bird walks on the first Sunday of every month at Greenwich PointPark are becoming a local birding tradition. Get out & enjoy the morning.

No charge or RSVP required. Bring binoculars & or camera.

Meet at 9:00 am at the flagpole near the second concession stand in Greenwich Point Park. Note: Seasonal parking passes may be required.

Check town website.

Questions? Call Merideth Sampson at 203-637-9822.

Programs suitable for all ages unless otherwise indicated. Register by calling 203-869-5272. Audubon Greenwich, 613 Riversville Road. http://greenwich.audubon.org. Programs: $3/adult members; $5/adult non-members; $1.50/member children and seniors; $3/non-member children and seniors.

Citizen Science at Audubon Greenwich

Be a Part of Exciting Scientific Discovery

Peregrine Falcon

September 21 is Pentax Optics Deep Discount Day. Check online for binocularsales and exchange information.

HawkWatch Festival & Green Bazaar

September 28 & 29 • 11am - 5pm• Live Birds of Prey Shows 1 & 3 pm

• Eco-friendly Vendors & Exhibits • Wild Hawk Counting • Games • Great Food On-Site • Nature Gift Shop

Event Schedule & Details on WebsiteVendors & Sponsors: Call Jeff at x239

Black-capped Chickadee

Black crowned Night Heron

Bumblebee

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Saturday, November 16 BIRD SCIENCE: Behavior, Feeding and ‘Project Feederwatch’ 2:00-3:30 pmJoin us to get better acquainted with our winter bird neighbors and learnhow you can host them both with native plant foods and bird feeders. Alsolearn how your family can be ‘Citizen Scientists’ and count birds all winterlong and report your sightings to scientists at Cornell University. All ages.RSVP to Ted at x230.

JULY 6, 2013 - Weather conditions for this year’s North American ButterflyAssociation Annual Butterfly Count were very hot and sunny. We made regularuse of shady spots to scan the meadows for butterflies. With these challengingconditions, we had both lower numbers of individuals and numbers of species, in comparison to counts in recent years. While we did see a number of our usual species, several species usually seen were totally absent from our count.Sustained hot weather in the days leading up to the count and rainy weather earlier in the season may have contributed to the lower numbers observed. In the weeks following the count, numbers of Tiger Swallowtails and PearlCrescents increased somewhat giving hope that these species had not been as seriously reduced as had been feared.Special thanks to Ioa Byrne, Carolyn Hartel, and Diana Loveall for carrying out

the majority of the count in the very hot conditions.

6 • AudubonGreenwich In Flight

Citizen Scientists Conduct Official Counts Count results reported by Ted Gilman

SPECIES (# OBSERVED)

Black Swallowtail - 1Eastern Tiger Swallowtail - 1Cabbage White - 5Orange Sulphur - 3Clouded Sulphur - 1Hickory Hairstreak - 1Great Spangled Fritillary - 8Red Admiral - 1Monarch - 1Silver-spotted Skipper - 4Common Wood Nymph - 1Little Wood Satyr - 1Spring Azure - 1Unidentified Skipper - 4(small species)

TOTAL INDIVIDUALS - 33TOTAL SPECIES - 14

JULY 27, 2013 - Temperatures were again very warm for Audubon Greenwich’sAnnual Dragonfly and Damselfly Count. But a light breeze and some cloudcover made conditions more pleasant. First scans revealed no dragonflies.However, after several minutes, tiny wings were spotted among the meadowgrasses and wildflowers. Upon discovering one, the search was on and a goodvariety of species was counted. We surveyed several different habitats includingpond, river, forest, lake, and meadow with shady rest stops along the way. Welocated two, possibly three, new species for our survey. Painted Skimmer andGreat Blue Skimmer sightings were confirmed and an unconfirmed sighting of a Golden-winged Skimmer was made. While not new to our region, these werethe first individuals of these species which we have seen on our official surveys.In the weeks since our official count, we have continued to see a good variety

of species particularly at the Quaker Ridge HawkWatch lawn area.Special thanks to Carolyn Hartel, Kay and Larry Koppl, Jill Yolen, Jane Kerin

Moffat, and the Walsh Family for braving the heat to help conduct this year’s survey.

SPECIES (# OBSERVED)

DAMSELFLIESEbony Jewelwing - 6Fragile Forktail - 3Spreadwing - 1(Female Common?)

DRAGONFLIESCommon Green Darner - 1Painted Skimmer - 1Great Blue Skimmer - 1Eastern Pondhawk - 1 Slaty Skimmer - 2Widow Skimmer - 4Twelve-spotted Skimmer - 4 Blue Dasher - 50-60 (at least 30-40 at Mead Lake)

Eastern Amberwing - 18Common Whitetail - 3Saddlebags sp. - 4Unidentified Darner - 1 (likely Shadow Darner)

Unidentified Skimmer - 1(Golden-winged?)

TOTAL INDIVIDUALS - 100-110

Painted SkimmerPainted Skimmer

The Painted Skimmer and The GreatBlue Skimmer are two new species sighted during this year’s count.

Citizen Science at Audubon Greenwich

Be a Part of Scientific Discovery Our Citizen Science volunteers contribute to many different research projects:Christmas Bird Count • Summer Bird Count • Fall Hawk Watch CountSummer Butterfly Count • Summer Dragonfly and Damselfly Count

Project Feeder Watch • Great Backyard Bird Count • Vernal Pool Surveys

Volunteers opportunities are available for adults, teens, and motivated younger children. Get involved and help Audubon Greenwich provide our community with an outstanding resource for conservation and education.

To join our Citizen Science efforts, please contact Ted Gilman at 203-869-5272 x230.

Great Blue SkimmerGreat Blue Skimmer

BUTTERFLY COUNT JULY 6, 2013

DRAGONFLY & DAMSELFLY COUNT - JULY 27, 2013

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National WildlifeRefuge System have selected 10 pilot projects across the country to serve as “Urban Refuge Initiative”partnership projects to increase awareness, understanding, and support ofthe Service, the National Wildlife Refuge System, and naturalresource conservation. The Urban Oases program, a model partnership between

the Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge, AudubonConnecticut, and 10 other organizations, was selected as the top ranking Urban Refuge Initiative partnership project. Theproject was awarded a $40,000 grant and will result in the designation of the New Haven Harbor Watershed as one of the first Urban Wildlife Refuges in the country. This program will create a replicable model for

community- based wildlife conservation that engages new

and diverse audiences and increases the availability of qualityhabitat in urban areas for migrating birds and other wildlife.Using a combination of community-based land stewardship, demonstration habitats, citizen science, green jobs training,innovative education programs and natural history interpretation, the Urban Oases program is creating a network of wildlife-friendly habitat oases in municipal parks,schoolyards, and front yards. Educators from the Greenwich and Bent of the River

Audubon Centers will educate school children, neighborhoods,and the public about watersheds, Long Island Sound, and themany ways people can protect nature. Audubon’s project partners include: the Menunkatuck Audubon

Society, Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge, U.S. Fishand Wildlife Service Southern New England Coastal Program,Common Ground High School, Urban Resources Initiative, YalePeabody Museum, City of New Haven Department of Parks,Recreation, and Trees, Friends of Beaver Pond Park, Friends ofWest River Park, and New Haven public schools.

Urban Oases: Creating Bird Friendly CommunitiesBy: Michelle Frankel, Ph.D.

Fall 2013 • 7

The Toyota TogetherGreen CollegeFellows program is designed to giveselected college students additional experience in conservation, science andenvironmental education at Audubonsites around the country. Preference isgiven to students who have participatedin the Leaders in Environmental Actionfor the Future (LEAF) program. Angelica Guerrero, a Toyota

TogetherGreen College Fellow, worked at Audubon Greenwichfrom June to August 2013. She is a junior pursuing a Bachelor’sdegree in Psychology at the College of Staten Island CUNY.

Angelica’s work included land stewardship projects toremove invasive species and maintain trails. She also helped the summer nature day camp, teaching campers about natureand taking them to explore the great outdoors. When askedabout her experience, Angelica noted, “One interesting thingabout my work location is how open minded and intrigued the adults and kids are about birds and their environment.Being from NYC you don’t get much bird interaction asidefrom the pigeons.” She added, “My biggest concern right nowis the lack of availability and knowledge of nature the youngergeneration has. I think it is important to get young peopleinvolved as much as they can so they can know what MotherNature has to offer.”

Audubon Greenwich Hosts TogetherGreen College Fellow

Angelica Guerrero

The Urban Oases program is part of National Audubon Society’s Bird Friendly Communities initiative to engage people of all ages andbackgrounds to create healthier communities and habitats for both birds and people.

Audubon Connecticut’s Urban Oases programin New Haven will be serving as a nationalmodel for community-based conservation.

PRSRT FIRST CLASS

US POSTAGE

PAIDSTAMFORD CT

PERMIT NO 102

613 Riversville Road

Greenwich, CT 06831

SAVE THE DATES

September 11: Chandler Robbins Discusses 100 Years of Birding

September 19: Gallery Openingwith Speaker Joel Oppenheimer

September 21-22: Art Conservation and Appraisal Fair in Gallery

September 28-29: Hawk Festival& Green Bazaar

This newsletter is printed on 100% post-consumer recycled paper manufactured with alternative energy sources.

The steady background music of whirring cricketwings providing the accompaniment to the changingcolors and varied life dramas of autumn’s seasonalchanges; multi-colored dragonflies, with their wingssparkling in the sunshine, alternately zipping aboutover fields and then resting on prominent flowers,bare tree branches, or fence posts, all the while on the lookout for their flying insect prey; migrantsongbirds such as thrushes, vireos, and tanagersgorging themselves on the abundance of dogwood,viburnum, and Virginia creeper fruits, as well asinsects, as they prepare to launch themselves into thenight skies to follow their ancestral paths to their wintering grounds inwarm lands of the Caribbean, Central and South America; vivid carpetsof yellow goldenrod and purple aster blooms attracting an amazingarray of bees, wasps, flies, beetles, butterflies and other insects to theirlast great banquet of pollen and nectar for the growing season; a shamrock spider, tucked away in her self-made tent of leaves and silk at the edge of her spiral web, waiting for the vibrations which signal a trapped insect and a valuable meal; an osprey soaring high over theQuaker Ridge hawkwatch, on its way south to spend the winter alongthe shores of Lake Maracaibo in Venezuela or even along the mightyAmazon River in Brazil; solitary spring peeper tree frogs, giving

occasional calls from the forest floor, anticipating thebreeding choruses which will return with thewarmth of spring; a ruby-throated hummingbirddashing uphill over the Audubon Center driveway,then halting briefly to refuel at a bright pink thistlebloom, scarlet trumpet honeysuckle, or sugar waterfeeder and then continuing on its way, flashing by thehawkwatchers on the lawn; early morning sunlightsetting sassafras leaves aglow with their rich yellow,orange and red hues between the shadows at the forest’s edge; scanning the forest and seeing howplants or animals have responded to the new holes

and sunlight in the forest canopy created last autumn, when SuperstormSandy’s strong winds toppled towering oak trees; yearling white-taileddeer bucks, challenging one another with their first sets of spike antlersand learning about the serious business of the autumn mating season; a spectacular golden eagle, having traveled south all the way fromLabrador in the far north of Canada, soaring over Quaker Ridge on itsway to a winter’s stay in the ridge and valley zone of the Appalachianmountains; scudding gray clouds and blustery winds delivering the first dancing snowflakes to cover autumn’s new layer of fallen leaves andprovide shelter for new seedlings and small creatures through winter’scoming cold….

Black-throatedGreen

Warbler

FALL 2013

Natural History NotesBy Ted Gilman, Education Specialist

MOST VALUABLE PLAYERS:

Teacher Naturalists! Do you have an interest in the natural world? Would you like to share your passion with the next generation? Fall training dates are September 11, 12, 18, 19from 9:30am-2pm. Contact Ted Gilman at x230 for all the details.

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