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• President's column
• Recent Bird Research at Tall Timbers
• Beginning Birdwatching classes
• Member's Travel Column

The Apalachee Audubon Chapter wants to recognize and thank Buckeye Florida for its generous contribution in support of publishing this Newsletter.

I have just returned from our Apalachee Audubon canoe field trip to see manatees in the Wakulla river.  The trip was a great success as the participants saw a total of five individuals.  We in North Florida are truly blessed with a rare abundance of nearby options for wildlife viewing.  If you haven’t been on one of our field trips, or its been a while since your last one, take the opportunity to join us in all the fun.  Every time I go on one I am rewarded with a unique experience.
 While I’m on the subject of Wildlife habitat and special viewing opportunities I would like to tell you about a new project Ellen and I are starting.  We recently purchased 4.5 acres and a home off Buck Lake Rd. and are planning to change what is now a pecan grove and little else, into a wildlife friendly habitat.  To that end, we have contacted  Dr. Ben Fusaro and Joe Newton of the Master Wildlife Conservation group (highlighted in the article above), to do an analysis of what we now have and to develop a plan for converting the property to wildlife-enhanced space in the future.  I will meet with them soon and keep you updated on our progress.

-- Jim Shelton

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Tall Timbers Research Station in northern Leon County recently had the biggest
face-lift in its 45-year history.   Beginning in April 1998, a logging company worked
through about 3,100 acres of upland pineland habitats on the Station and cut out
all hardwood trees with a diameter of 4" or more.  A total of 18,500 tons of hardwood
pulp and saw logs has been removed on 785 truck loads.  The trees ranged in age
from 30-50 years with a median age of 43 years.

This logging operation was undertaken to help recreate the open, park-like
characteristics of native pineland habitats on the Station.  Prescribed fires
help reduce hardwood encroachment into pineland habitats in natural settings,
but since Tall Timbers sits largely on former agricultural lands with a disturbed
understory, an occasional thinning of hardwoods seems to be needed in
combination with prescribed fires to perpetuate the open characteristics of
natural pineland habitats.

Breeding bird populations were monitored before and after the logging operations
to see which species responded most dramatically to the hardwood removal.  As you
might expect, species that were more numerous before the hardwood removal included
Northern Parula (declined 60% after removal), Downy Woodpecker (down by 75%),
and other species that favor hardwood trees for foraging and nesting.

The big winners were species that favored bare ground, grass cover, and low
stature shrubs.  Blue Grosbeaks increased by 450% while Indigo Buntings increased
by about 150%.  Other species showing modest increases included Bachman's
Sparrow, Carolina Wren, Northern Bobwhite, and Mourning Dove.  Several of these
species show persistent population declines in Florida and South Georgia in recent
decades.  This study helps to show how certain logging operations can benefit
declining species and also will provide land managers with information they can use
to maintain natural pineland habitats on their properties.
       Jim Cox
 
 

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Due to the lack of interest, there will not be birding classes held this fall.  We will offer the birding classes again in the spring (probably in March) so be watching for the announcement and please sign up early.
 

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  Visiting China for 3-weeks as a tourist and birder is a fabulous opportunity. Beijing's population alone is eighteen million, almost three times that of Cuba. Hoards of people seemed to be everywhere. Yet birding at Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, and the Summer Palace produced 10 lifers. And nearby real Beijing (Peking) Duck for dinner, yummy, what a difference.
 Our group was formed by SUNBIRD, a British birding tour company. We left Beijing for a three hour non-stop train ride to Beidaihe,  a seaside resort approximately 280 kilometers east. Recently rediscovered as a top migration watchpoint, it is now the destination for seeing Asian and Siberian migrants. Many think Attu of the Aleutians is the destination for these. Surely they don't know of Beidaihe. Led by arguably the most informed bird tour leaders of China, Paul Holt and Hannu Jannes of  Finland, I saw 228 species, 110 of which were first time ever birds (lifers), and  24 of which were on my ABA North American hit list.
 Our daily routine for birding in Beidaihe was easy  - good comfortable western style hotels with television; excellent Chinese meals with fresh eggs, pork, chicken, fish and vegetables; transportation for 26 participants to birding sites in a luxury 45 passenger bus; and even clear weather every day. However we left the comforts of Beidaihe for several nights on two excursions: Happy Island and Old Peak.
 Happy Island is a small flat sand island covered with fields of tall grass in some parts and dense acacia in others. Maintained as a duck/wildlife reserve, only birders and support personnel were on the island. We slept on metal-frame cots with a wood top, a thin reed mat, and a bag of rice as pillow. We simply took off our boots, slept in field clothes, and used Chinese style slit latrines. But we had excellent views of:
Jungle Nightjar, Mandarin Duck, Pied Harrier, Yellow-legged Buttonquail, Broad-billed Sandpiper, Brown Hawk-Owl, Black-capped Kingfisher, Blyth's Pipit, Lanceolated Warbler, Golden-spectacled Warbler,    Elisae's (Narcissus) Flycatcher, and the Mugimaki Flycatcher.
 The highest mountain close to Beidaihe is Old Peak at 1424 meters. A protected patch of remnant forest is there - one of the few patches on the entire eastern seaboard. On arrival we clearly heard the haunting calls of Lesser, Indian, and Oriental Cuckoos echoing through the canyons. Chinese Leaf Warblers, White-bellied Redstarts, Chinese Song Thrushes, and Yellow-throated Buntings were immediately spotted. Under the canopy of the trees were solid banks of flowering deciduous azaleas as well as ground cover plants. The natural beauty was absolutely lovely. Only at Old Peak did we see the Hair-crested Drongo,  Manchurian Bush Warbler, Grey-sided Thrush, and Koklass Pheasant. While returning to Beidaihe at a stream near The Great Wall, Paul shared a rarely ever seen nesting sight for the Long-billed Plover. What a treat!
 While we were in Beidaihe, US warplanes bombed the Chinese Embassy during the Kosovo conflict. Three Chinese were killed. The US was persona-non-grata. After returning by train to Beijing, our group was totally surrounded by well over a hundred Chinese. Some were just curious about westerners. One lady reached over to Paul Holt and felt the hair on his arm. Paul, the clown, then pulled up his pants leg and showed his even hairier leg. The lady and a few others laughed. (Chinese do not have much body hair.) A lot of the others looked very serious and tough. One asked where we were from. Our French birder responded "French-Swiss". The mob disbanded immediately and we had no further  problem.

                Dave Redfield

Editors note:   If you have a special trip that you would like to share with us, let us know.  Please send your article (250-300 words) to
Jim Shelton  via E Mail to birdjim@sprintmail.com.

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