REMEMBER: YOU MUST HAVE A WMA USER PERMIT TO ENTER THE WMA. GO TO JAS WEBSITE FOR INFO

Transcription

1 Jackson Audubon Bird Field Trip and Chapter Program Calendar NOVEMBER 2017-DECEMBER 2018 All Events Are Free & Open to the Public WebSite: JacksonAudubonSociety.org Phone: OR Lefleur s Bluff State Park Family Bird Walks are scheduled every first Saturday of the month except January, July and August. Four Chapter Meetings are held each year: February, May, Aug, & Oct on the of the month. NOVEMBER 4, 2017 NOVEMBER 11, 2017 SATURDAY FIELD TRIP MAHANNAH WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA (MDWFP) Search for winter arrivals including harriers, eagles, ducks plus owls and other surprises. Meet at Mahannah WMA Headquarters at 8am DIRECTIONS: Take Hwy 20 toward Vicksburg; go north on Hwy 61 for miles; Turn left onto Floweree Rd and drive 5-7 minutes and turn left on the road to the WMA Headquarters. There are large brown signs. REMEMBER: YOU MUST HAVE A WMA USER PERMIT TO ENTER THE WMA. GO TO JAS WEBSITE FOR INFO. Leaders: Mary and Bill Stripling DECEMBER 2, 2017 DECEMBER 30, 2017 CBC Annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count Around the Barnet Rez Compiler: Mary Stripling Contact Mary at if you would like to participate. (There will be a tally up supper following the count at dusk (about 5pm) at the Hunter Education Building at Turcotte Facility. Always fun with good food.) JANUARY 2018 No in January

2 JANUARY 20, 2018 Saturday Field Trip and Special Waterfowl Workshop Meet at Visitor Station at 7:45; departs at 8am til Noon. Panther Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Yazoo County. LEADER: Seth Swafford, Refuge Manager and Chris King Location: Meet at Panther Swamp Refuge Visitor Information Station located at MS Hwy I-49 (NOT 49E or 49W) 12 miles east of Yazoo City. 1 hr north of Jackson and Vicksburg. Go to Yazoo City, take I-49 toward Louise, MS and go about 12 miles (10 minutes) to Refuge Headquarters. You will pass Erickson Road. Follow refuge signs and refuge road is on the left, if coming from Yazoo City. If coming from Yazoo and you pass Hwy 16 you have gone too far. Google: MS I-49, Louise, MS for map to refuge. DO NOT GOOGLE PANTHER SWAMP. FEBRUARY 3, 2018 Leader: Dave King FEBRUARY 24, 2018 Saturday Bird Field Trip 8am-noon Pearl River Wildlife Management Area (WMA Permit Required, see website for info) Directions: We will meet at the Brown s Landing Boat Launch. Coordinates: , We will be searching for waterfowl and over wintering birds at Brown s Landing, the Turcotte blind, and at the Pearl River WMA and Waterfowl Refuge. Leader: Steve Peterson FEBRUARY 27, 2018 JAS QUARTERLY CHAPTER MEETING Meet & Greet: 6:00pm Business Meeting: 6:15pm (slate of officers for May election will be presented) PRESENTER: Cathy Shropshire, Ph.D. PROGRAM: Pursuing a Dream: Protecting Mississippi s Natural Resources: A Portrayal of Fannye A. Cook Join us in this living history encounter with the MS Museum of Natural Science s founder, Fannye A. Cook, as portrayed by Dr. Cathy Shropshire. Learn about the remarkable woman who created a state agency to conserve Mississippi s wildlife resources. She was the force behind the creation of Mississippi s agency known as the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks, and its educational and research arm, the Museum of Natural Science. Miss Cook was the first person to collect and catalog Mississippi wildlife, and to lead the effort to protect and restore the state s natural environment. This presentation will introduce you to this extraordinary woman whose pioneering work and legacy began in the 1920s. ( , ) Phone: Phone:

3 MARCH 3, 2018 Leader: Dave King MARCH 24, 2018 (in case of high water dates : Mar 31 OR APRIL 21) Saturday Bird Field Trip 8am-NOON Fannye Cook Natural Area, Rankin County This urban natural area was recently dedicated in honor of Miss Cook, an avid birder, wildlife conservationist and founder of the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science. The area includes about 2,600 acres of wetlands in Rankin County on the north side of Lakeland Drive between Airport Road and the Barnett Reservoir. It is not open to the public yet but we have obtained permission from Wildlife Mississippi to enter. Beautiful area and should be full of early migrants. DIRECTIONS: At the stop light on Lakeland Drive; Go north on Airport Road which is actually named Liberty Road. (do not got south toward the airport). From the stop light on Lakeland go north one mile then turn left (north) onto a gravel road; Go one mile and you will see a gate on your left. This is the entrance to the refuge. We will meet at this gate and proceed together. There are maintained vehicle roads in the area so we will drive to several areas and stop and bird. LEADERS: Bruce Reid, Libby Hartfield, Mary & Bill Stripling APRIL 7, 2018 Steve Peterson APRIL 14, 2018 Saturday: 8:00 a.m.-noon Saturday Bird Field Trip Tensas River National Wildlife Refuge, Louisiana LOCATION: The Refuge is located in Louisiana just across the Mississippi River from Vicksburg. Take Hwy 20 to Vicksburg and cross the river at Vicksburg. Follow Hwy 20 and exit at Tallulah (exit 171). Turn right onto Hwy 65 North and drive approximately 2 miles into Tallulah. Turn left between the courthouse and Popeyes onto Hwy 80 West. After approximately 7 miles, turn left onto Quebec Road. Follow Quebec Road for approximately 11 miles and the visitor center and headquarters are on the left.

4 APRIL 28, 2018 Saturday Bird Field Trip: 7:45-NOON Annual Spring Migration Field Trip Vicksburg National Military Park. Meet in Military Park Parking Lot for carpooling LEADERS: Joan & Doug Clark Look for warblers, tanagers, thrushes, orioles, flycatchers and many more. Newly arrived migrants will be singing and setting up nesting territories. Park fee per vehicle: $8.00 MAY 5, 2018 LEADER: Mike Sileo MAY 23, 2018 JAS ANNUAL CHAPTER MEETING & POTLUCK SUPPER Meet & Greet: 6:00p Business Meeting & Election of Officers: 6:15pm PRESENTER: Doug Clarke, Retired Fish Biologist, ERDC, Corps of Engineers, Vicksburg PROGRAM: Dragonflies ( , ) Phone: JUNE 2, 2018 JUNE 11-15, 2018 JAS/Millsaps Bird Camp for Kids, JAS President and Education Chair TO REGISTER: Contact Millsaps College Enrichment Series Call: JAS (601/ ) or Millsaps (601) for details or go to to register online SPONSORS: Millsaps Community Enrichment Series / Jackson Audubon Society / WildBirds Unlimited / JULY 2018 No in July. AUGUST 2018

5 No in August. AUGUST 25, 2018 Saturday : Special Sundowner Field Trip Roseate Spoonbills & Wood Storks St. Catherine Creek National Wildlife Refuge Time: 4-8pm (Sundown) Meet: Headquarters Office Parking 21 Pintail Lane Sibley, MS (Natchez, MS) Refuge #: 601/ LEADER: Chris King, President, JAS ( ) Jackson Audubon Society is sponsoring a special Sundowner Field Trip to St. Catherine Creek NWR. There are lots of birds at St. Cat this time of year. This time last year there were thousands of birds coming to roost at sundown. We are hoping that this huge birding event will continue, which will depend on the water levels in the 900 acres of shallow impoundments established for waterfowl, wading and shorebirds. Possible birds: 2,000-3,000 Neotropic Cormorants (high count for Mississippi). These are not the Doublecrested that we usually see in abundance Roseate Spoonbil 3,000-4,000 Wood Storks (as many as 10,000 are dispersed over the Refuge) Hundreds and hundreds of long legged waders (Great Egrets, Snowy Egrets, White Ibis, dark ibis, Little Blues, a few night-herons, a few Tri-colored Herons, etc.) 3 Bald Eagles It will be HOT but worth it! Bring a big hat, a folding chair, water, umbrella (just in case). This will be a great show. Don t miss it!! We look forward to seeing you. Directions: From Natchez, take US Highway 61 South for 10 miles, then turn right (at the Dollar General Store) onto York Road at Sibley for 2 miles. You will see the large brown St. Cat sign. Then turn left onto Pintail Lane. Meet at Headquarters office which is the first building on your left. We will then head to The Swamp, which is marked on the refuge map. We strongly recommend you do not rely on an electronic navigation device to find your way around the refuge. Also, there is very limited phone service after you leave the Headquarters. Visitor maps are available at the Kiosk at entrance of the refuge as well as the headquarters office. Be sure to grab a map. AUGUST 28, 2018 JAS QUARTERLY CHAPTER MEETING Meet & Greet: 6:00pm Business Meeting: 6:15pm ( , ) Phone: SPEAKER: Richard Rummel, Black Bear Coordinator and Exotic Animal Coordinator, MS Dept of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks, Jackson PROGRAM: UPDATE ON BLACK BEAR IN MISSISSIPPI

6 The black bear was almost eliminated from Mississippi and has been on the state s endangered species list since It is currently estimated that less than 150 still remain in the state. The primary reasons for the decline in population numbers were habitat destruction and over-hunting. Today, illegal kills and collisions with automobiles are the primary causes of death in Mississippi. Bears benefit from management practices that promote a diverse habitat, such as shelterwood cuts and small clearcuts. A diverse, productive habitat contains blackberries, hardwoods, and other food plants; shrubs and fallen logs that provide escape cover; and brushpiles and large trees that can serve as den sites. Bears require living areas where they can avoid human contact and can coexist with humans if provided habitat where all their needs are met. Efforts are being made in Mississippi to preserve bear habitat, especially bottomland hardwoods along some of the major river systems. Forest management activities in these habitats include leaving some large, old-growth timber, which may be important denning sites for females. SEPTEMBER 1, 2018 Leader: Billy Mitchell SEPTEMBER 15, 2018 Saturday Field Trip: SKY LAKE WMA BOARDWALK TO SEE SOME OF THE WORLD S LARGEST & OLDEST BALD CYPRESS PLUS DELTA SHOREBIRDING, Belzoni, MS MEET: Skylake WMA Headquarters at 9am. Optional: Lunch at catfish house in Belzoni. Learn about fall migration of shorebirds plus visit Sky Lake Swamp & Boardwalk to see one the WORLD S largest and oldest Bald Cypress trees. The 3,500-acre Sky Lake WMA has some of the largest and oldest bald cypress trees on Earth, with some perhaps more than 1,000 years old. A boardwalk takes visitors through the ancient trees. Sky Lake is an old, abandoned channel of the Mississippi River. Native Americans are thought to have occupied the site of Sky Lake and nearby up to several thousand years ago. For more info go to Skylake website. (Users of the Sky Lake boardwalk and headquarters area are exempt from having a state-issued Wildlife Management Area user permit). Directions: From Belzoni, take Highway 7 north for about 8 miles, turn left on Four Mile Road for 3 miles to Permit Station, then go left onto Lake Road. Go about 0.25 miles to WMA headquarters. You will see office building and parking lot for the Boardwalk. OCTOBER 6, 2018 LEADER: Rynetta Coetzee OCTOBER 23, 2018 JAS QUARTERLY CHAPTER MEETING Meet & Greet: 6:00pm Business Meeting: 6:15pm

7 SPEAKER: Sarah Wheeless Hammond PROGRAM: THE LANGUAGE OF BIRDS ( , ) Phone: NOVEMBER 3, 2018 Leader: Skipper Anding NOVEMBER 10, 2018 SATURDAY FIELD TRIP MAHANNAH WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA (MDWFP) Search for winter arrivals including harriers, eagles, ducks plus owls and other surprises. Meet at Refuge Headquarters at 8am DIRECTIONS: Take Hwy 20 toward Vicksburg; go north on Hwy 61 for miles; Turn left onto Floweree Rd and drive 5-7 minutes and turn left on the road to the WMA Headquarters. You will see large brown WMA signs. REMEMBER: YOU MUST HAVE A WMA USER PERMIT TO ENTER THE WMA. GO TO JAS WEBSITE FOR INFO. Leader: Mary and Bill Stripling DECEMBER 1, 2018 LEADER: Mike Sileo DECEMBER 29, 2018 CBC Annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count Around the Barnet Rez Compiler: Mary Stripling Contact Mary at if you would like to participate. (There will be a tally up supper following the count at dusk (about 5pm) at the Hunter Education Building at Turcotte Facility. Always fun with good food.)