2004no3Augnetscape.html

NEBRASKA ORNITHOLOGISTS' UNION

Dedicated to the Study, Appreciation and Protection of Birds

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Newsletter August 2004 Number 3
_____________________________________________________________________________________

Welcome to New Members

We welcome new members:

        Rick Eades, Lincoln
        Mark & Shirley Wilkins, Ogallala
        Stephen Cloyd, Lincoln
        Angus Garey, McCook
        Anita Breckbill, Lincoln

and returning member:

Adolph Philip Meyer, Omaha

Dr. R. G. Cortelyou (Rusty)

Dr. R. G. Cortelyou passed away May 2, 2004, 16 days shy of his 98th birthday. Rusty, as he was known to his friends, contributed much to NOU. He served as president in 1962-64 and as editor of the ‘Nebraska Bird Review’ from 1965-1990. He was an inspiration to those who worked with him in NOU as he was always interested in learning, getting his PhD after age 50 and snorkeling for the first time at age 95. Rusty and his late wife, Margaret, celebrated their 90th birthdays at the NOU Spring Meeting in Kearney in 1996. Later that year they moved to the Seattle area to be closer to their daughter, Carol. We extend our sympathies to the Cortelyou family. We will miss Rusty. A memorial to NOU has been established. Notes to the family can be sent to Carol Cortelyou, 2930-76th SE, A-302, Mercer Island, WA 98040.

NOU Scholarship Fund

At the suggestion of Rusty and Margaret Cortelyou, the NOU has established a scholarship fund for a Nebraska student to attend meetings of the NOU. The fund has been funded by gifts in honor of Rusty and Margaret’s 90th birthdays, sales of Cortelyou memorabilia, and gifts in memory of Margaret Cortelyou and Lona Shafer. Preference will be given to 9th through 12th grade students, although students of any age group will be given consideration. The scholarship will pay all costs for registration, meals, and lodging for the student and one sponsor (teacher, parent, etc.). Costs of transportation to and from the meeting site are not included. To apply, a student must submit a short statement (one page or less) indicating why they wish to attend the meeting. Applications, or requests for more information, should be sent to Mark Brogie, whose contact information is on the back page of this newsletter. Please pass the word to students and teachers that might be interested. This scholarship can be an excellent way to get a young person interested in birding and in NOU.

Upcoming Meetings

2005 Annual Spring Meeting—Tentatively scheduled for May 13-15 at Calamus Lodge near Burwell.

Halsey Fall Field Days, 2004

The 2004 Annual Fall Field Days will be held September 24, 25, and 26 at the 4-H Camp at the
Nebraska National Forest at Halsey. The 4-H Camp has a lodge where we will be having our meals and programs. There is an administration building that has 6 sleeping rooms; each room can accommodate 2 people. These rooms have private baths and linens are provided. The bunkhouse-type cabins have shared bathroom facilities. We can usually accommodate couples privately and singles in men’s and women’s ‘dorm’
cabins. Bring your own bedding and towels, or they are available for $10 per person.

You will find the registration blank with the prices for each facility elsewhere in this newsletter. Please return registration form to Betty Grenon by September 15. Registration will begin at 4:00 p.m. on Friday, September 24. Dinner will follow at 6:00 p.m. We encourage everyone to stay at the Camp, but motels are available in Halsey 2 miles east (Keeney Motel 308-533-2240) or Thedford (Rodeway Inn 308-645-2284 and Arrow Motel 308-645-2246). Good camping facilities are available in the National Forest.

A new requirement by the 4-H Camp this is year is that anyone not sleeping at the Camp must pay $10 user’s fee for the weekend.

There is good birding around the 4-H Camp, along the Middle Loup River, in the National Forest, and in the nearby Sandhills. Organized field trips will be available on Saturday. They will go to Grant & Arthur Counties for roadside shorebirding, Calamus Reservoir, and possibly to South Pine & Yellowthroat WMA in Brown County (if a leader can be found). Many people prefer to ‘do their own thing.’

Friday evening’s program will be a Bub Blake slide show. Saturday night, Rick Wright (formerly from Nebraska now living in Arizona) will give a presentation, “Is There a Future for Birding?”.

Don’t forget to bring something for the door prize drawing on Saturday evening.

Tentative schedule for Fall Field Days

Friday, September 24

4:00 p.m. Registration

6:00 p.m. Dinner

7:00 p.m. Bub Blake slide show

8:30 p.m. Board of Directors meeting

Saturday, September 25

7:00 a.m. Breakfast—pick up sack lunches at this time

7:45 a.m. Field trips leave

6:00 p.m. Dinner

6:45 p.m. Door prize drawing

7:00 p.m. Special business meeting

7:15 p.m. Rick Wright—“Is There a Future for Birding”

Sunday, September 26

7:00 a.m. Breakfast

7:45 a.m. Birding on your own

12 noon Lunch

12:30 p.m. Weekend tally

Special Business Meeting

A special business meeting of the NOU membership will be held at 7:00 p.m., Saturday, September 25, 2004, at the 4-H Lodge at Halsey National Forest. The purpose of this special meeting will be to consider the following amendment to the bylaws of NOU:

To amend Article IX, Section 6 of the bylaws by adding to the existing Article IX, Section 6, the words that are underscored:

When necessary, the business of the Corporation, of the Board of Directors, or a committee may be transacted by mail ballot or by electronic mail. A mail ballot, or electronic mail shall be accompanied by a statement of the pros and cons, compiled in consultation with any known opposition to the proposal. The Secretary shall be responsible for mailing the ballots, whether by surface mail or electronic means, for a meeting of the Corporation, the Board of Directors, and the chair for a committee meeting. Thewritten ballots shall be returned in a sealed envelope addressed to the Tellers of the Election at theaddress specified in the notice of the meeting. The ballot envelopes shall be delivered unopened to the Tellers of the Election, who shall report the results to the Secretary and the President for meetings of the Corporation or Board, or to the chair for a committee. Electronic ballots shall be received at a single e-mail address that has been designated by the Board of Directors.

Explanation—The present bylaws allow for voting by mail. This can be a lengthy process, so the Board of Directors is proposing this amendment to allow electronic balloting. The underscored words have been inserted into the existing Article IX, Section 6.

New Editor

Because of increasing teaching loads at Peru, Bill Clemente has found it necessary to step down as Editor of the ‘Nebraska Bird Review’. Bill has served as editor since 1998, and we thank him for the excellent job he has done. He will continue to work on back issues this summer.

Janis Paseka has agreed to be the new editor. All manuscripts and notes for publication should be sent to Janis whose contact information is on the back page of this newsletter. A big ‘thanks’ to Janis for agreeing to serve NOU in this way. Ross Silcock will continue to compile the quarterly bird reports. Steve Dinsmore will continue to be co-editor.

Important Bird Areas (IBA) Program

In 2002 the NOU Board agreed to a partnership with Audubon Nebraska in the Audubon’s Important Bird Areas program. The Board felt that the goals of the IBA program were much in line with the organization’s aims, and that the bird identifying skills of the members could be of invaluable assistance.

This program is an exciting new statewide effort to identify key sites in Nebraska that are critical to the survival of birds, and to promote the conservation of these sites in order to maintain healthy bird populations. Important Bird Areas provide essential habitat for one or more species of birds, either during breeding season, on migration, or in winter. They range from only a few acres to thousands of acres, and can be found on public, private, or mixed ownership lands.

For sites to qualify as IBA’s they must meet one or more of five science-based, biological criteria. Sites must be natural areas that:

*support one or more endangered or threatened species;

*support one or more species of high conservation concern in Nebraska;

*attract significant concentrations of birds;

*contain rare or vulnerable habitats or an exceptional representative of a natural habitat;

*provide long-term research or monitoring opporutunities, or have contributed substantially to ornithology, bird conservation, or education.

The complete criteria list, the list of birds in need (developed by a panel of the state’s top bird experts), as well as forms to use in nominating an Important Bird Area can be obtained from the Audubon Nebraska office at 402-466-1220 or from its website, <http://www.nebraska.audubon.org/>www.Nebraska.audubon.org.

The first of several nomination periods will end October 31, 2004. Completed forms should be mailed to the Audubon Nebraska office, 5000 Central Park Drive, Suite 101, Lincoln, NE 68504.

Once a site is selected, conservation and monitoring plans are drawn up with the participation of landowners and managers to maintain healthy bird populations. The IBA program is proactive, voluntary for landowners, and has a history of recognizing and celebrating good land stewardship. It ultimately can benefit local communities, their economies, wildlife habitats, and the ecological functions that birds bring to the landscapes of Nebraska.

Kevin Poague from Audubon Nebraska is the state coordinator. He can be contacted at the Audubon Nebraska office as given above, or by e-mail at <mailto:kpoague@audubon.org>kpoague@audubon.org.

NOU members are urged to participate in this program. It is a great way to help conserve Nebraska
birds and their habitats.

NOU Items for Sale

1. Joel Jorgensen’s monograph, An Overview of Shorebird Migration in the Eastern Rainwater Basin, Nebraska has just been published. This book has been accepted by the Board of Directors as NOU Occasional Paper #8. Copies can be ordered from Joel Jorgensen, 1829 South St., #28, Blair, NE 68008 for $7 plus $2 for tax and shipping.

2. The Nebraska Breeding Bird Atlas by Wayne Mollhoff will be $25 at the fall meeting, or can be ordered from Neal Ratzlaff, 536 Brentwood Rd, Omaha, NE 68114 for $29 which includes shipping and sales tax.

Spring Meeting, May 14-16, 2004

Sixty-two NOU members and friends enjoyed a great weekend of birding and visiting at the 105th Annual Spring Meeting held May 14-16 at the Grey Goose Motel in Ogallala. Many thanks to Bill Huntley for making all of the arrangements. Field trips were wonderful, with a total of 190 species identified. Thanks to Bill Huntley, Dave Heidt, and Steve Dinsmore for leading the field trips.

Field trips took us into Keith, Perkins, Garden, Lincoln, and Hayes counties. Everyone expected that we might find some good gulls and we were not disappointed—Great Black-backed, California, Ring-billed, Franklin’s, Bonaparte’s, and Herring were all seen. And, with the water level in Lake McConaughy being so low, we also expected some good shorebirds. Again, we were not disappointed with 27 species being identified. The biggest surprise was the 17 species of warblers found. The most interesting warblers were Blue-winged, Northern Parula, Black-throated Green, Palm, Bay-breasted, and Kentucky. Four-wheel drive vehicles were a must for Steve Dinsmore’s group on Saturday as we went bouncing over the sandy beaches.

Friday evening’s program was given by Gabe Wilson of the Central Public Power and Irrigation District. It is Gabe’s job to monitor and protect nests of the Piping Plover and Least Tern. The low level of Lake McConaughy makes better nesting habitat for these two species. When nests of either species are found, he puts a fence around them to keep humans from bothering the nests. If nests need to be moved, that can also be done by moving the nest only about 6 to 8 feet at a time. If the adult birds do not find the new nest site, the nest is returned to its original location. The main hazards to the nests are human activities, predation, and weather. Most of the field trip participants were able to see nests of Piping Plovers.

Saturday evening’s program was given by Joel Jorgensen. Joel has just published NOU Occasional Paper Number 8, An Overview of Shorebird Migration in the Eastern Rainwater Basin, Nebraska. Joel talked about the importance of the Eastern Rainwater Basis to migratory shorebirds. The continuing drought has degraded many of the wetlands in the area. Work is being done to rehabilitate many of the wetlands by removing sediment to increase the depth of the water. Grazing the wetlands areas during part of the year is also an effective management tool. Joel is continuing his research, focusing on Buff-breasted Sandpipers.

NOU Online Store

Don’t forget to check out the NOU Online Store for nature-related books, videos, and optics. The address is <http://www.withoutbricks.com/NOUStore>http://www.withoutbricks.com/NOUStore .

No NOU Hats

Loren Padelford placed an order for NOU hats in plenty of time for the Spring Meeting. He was told that they would be finished and delivered to his home the day before the meeting started. He was even given the name of the delivery company that should have delivered them. However, the delivery company didn’t know anything about them. It appears they were never made in the first place. Fortunately, no money was ever paid to anyone by NOU. Thanks to Loren for trying. Maybe we can try this again in the future.

Newsletters

You will note in the minutes of the General Meeting that NOU members voted in favor of having only four issues of the newsletter each year, instead of the six we have had for many years. The bylaws still allow for more than four issues if that seems advisable in the future. It will be up to the newsletter editor (the president) to determine when newsletters are published, but a suggested schedule is January, April, July or August, and November.

Annual General Meeting Minutes, May 15, 2004

Previous to the opening of the Annual Meeting, a letter received from Rusty Cortelyou’s family was read to the members. The Annual Meeting of NOU was held at the Ogallala Grey Goose Inn at 8:00 p.m. on May 15, 2004. The minutes of the 2003 Annual Meeting were accepted by the membership as presented.

Treasurer Betty Grenon handed out her report. She noted that the balance of CD’s and checking account as of January 1, 2004, was $30,746.39. As of May 13 the balance is $33,529.06. She informed that the Endowment Fund balance is $13,054.61. Interest therefrom is used for operating. General fund balance is $12,800. $6500 is set aside for the Breeding Bird Atlas, and is to be used at the discretion of NOU and Nebraska Game & Parks. There is $1,108.30 in the Scholarship Fund. The motion to accept the Treasurer’s report passed.

The Treasurer expressed appreciation of Jim Kovanda and Roland Barth for auditing the books.

Alice Kenitz thanked Bill Huntley for making arrangements for the meeting; to field trips leaders, Dave Heidt, Steve Dinsmore, and Bill Huntley; and to Bill Clemente, who is retiring as editor of the ‘Nebraska Bird Review’.

Announcements included that the Fall Field Days will be held at Halsey National Forest on September 24-26, 2004. The NOU hats are not yet available. Items available for sale are Wayne Mollhoff’s ‘Breeding Bird Atlas’, ‘Field Guide to Wildflowers at Fontenelle Forest and Neale Woods Nature Centers’ by Roland Barth and Neal Ratzlaff, Joel Jorgensen’s ‘Overview of Shorebird Migration in the Eastern Rainwater Basin, Nebraska’, and Charles and Mary Brown’s ‘Birds of Cedar Point Biological Center’.

A special business meeting will be called at the Halsey meeting to address an amendment to the by-laws.

It was announced that there is a 20 to 25 persons drop in the membership each year. Records from 1939 are being donated to the NOU Library. Bill Clemente declined to continue being the Editor of the ‘Nebraska Bird Review’, due to his teaching load taking more of his time.

During new business, it was suggested that four rather than six issues of the Newsletter be sent annually. Issuing them in January, April, July or August, and November should allow for pertinent information to be addressed in a timely manner. The motion was made to amend Article IV, Section 4 of the bylaws to read: “The duties of the President shall be to preside impartially at meetings of the corporation and of the Board of Directors, to nominate members of committees for the approval of the Board, to call necessary meetings of the Board of Directors, and to perform such other duties as customarily pertain to this office. The President shall issue a newsletter at least four times per year. The President is responsible for seeing that the newsletters are put into the mail properly and promptly (see Section 11)”. Motion passed by the membership.

Information regarding the NOU Scholarship Fund was handed out. Scholarships will pay all costs of the meeting, not including transportation. Preference will be given to 9th to 12th grade students. Any parent/teacher wishing to attend with the student will be given a similar stipend. Application must be made to Committee Chair Mark Brogie.

Robin Harding presented the Nominating Committee report. The slate of officers presented are
President, Alice Kenitz; Vice President, Dave Heidt; Secretary, Mitzi Fox; Treasurer, Betty Grenon;
Librarian, Mary Lou Pritchard; Director, Jan Uttecht; Bird Review Editor, Janis Paseka. This slate of officers were elected.

There being no further business, the meeting adjourned.

Respectfully submitted, Mitzi Fox, Secretary

IMBD

Thanks to Tom Labedz, Neva Pruess, and Tom’s children for ‘manning’ an NOU booth at the Lincoln Folsom Zoo on International Migratory Bird Day.

Rosalind Morris Receives Award

NOU Member Rosalind Morris has received an Environmental Stewardship Award from Keep Lincoln and Lancaster County Beautiful. The award was presented in April. Rosalind is a past president and past editor of NOU. She began picking up litter after she retired from UN-L in 1990. Each day she walks two ‘litter patrols’, picking up trash as she goes. Places she goes include Woods Park, a parking lot near Lincoln High School, the UN-L East Campus, Folsom Children’s Zoo, and Antelope Park. Morris is quoted in the Lincoln Journal-Star, “When we think of what’s going on in the world, and so many people have so little, it’s terrible that we waste all this stuff. I just don’t like to see litter on the ground, you know. It appalls me that people would do that. I like to see a clean landscape.” She not only picks up litter, but she cleans some of it. She recycles anything that can be recycled and reuses things that can be reused.

Our hats off to Rosalind for being a great example of what all of us, as nature lovers and conservationists should be all about.

Registration for Fall Field Days at Halsey 4-H Camp, September 24-26, 2004.

Registration Deadline September 15

Lodging Price No. of Persons Cost

Friday Night

Cabin………………………………… $16.00 x _____________ = ______________

Administration Building……………$26.00 x _____________ = ______________

Saturday Night

Cabin……………………………… $16.00 x _____________ = _______________

Administration Building……………$26.00 x _____________ = _______________

Linens* (see note below)

Cabins: single charge of…… $10.00 x _____________ = _______________

Admin. Building--included in room fee

Meals

Friday Dinner……………………………… $ 6.50 x _____________ = _______________

Saturday Breakfast………………… $ 5.50 x _____________ = _______________

Saturday Sack Lunch……………… $ 5.50 x _____________ = _______________

Saturday Dinner………………………… $ 6.50 x _____________ = _______________

Sunday Breakfast……………………… $ 5.50 x _____________ = _______________

Sunday Lunch…………………………… $ 5.50 x ______________ = _______________

Registration fee……………………………… $ 4.00 x ______________ = _______________

Users fee for those not sleeping at the camp $10.00 x ______________ = _______________

(New requirement of the Camp)

Total Enclosed with this Form……………… …………………………………$______________

PLEASE INDICATE ANY SPECIAL DIETARY NEEDS __________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

Name(s)_____________________________________________________________________

Address_____________________________________________________________________

City, State, Zip_______________________________________________________________

Phone number _________________________e-mail _______________________________

Make checks payable to NOU and mail with this form before September 15 to:

Betty Grenon, Treasurer

1409 Childs Road East

Bellevue, NE 68005

*Administration Building linens are furnished. Linens are not furnished in the Cabins. Bring your own or they can be rented from the Camp for a fixed fee of $10 for the meeting. Linens include towel, wash cloth, 2 sheets, pillow, pillow case, and two blankets.

Note to Parents: Nebraska 4-H Camp policy allows children 5 years of age or younger to attend free. All persons older than 5 years are required to pay full fees for meals and lodging.

Summary NOU Board Meeting May 14, 2004

The NOU Board met at the Grey Goose Lodge in Ogallala on May 14, 2004. The minutes and treasurer’s report were read. Tom Labedz reported for the Library Committee that Frank H. Shoemaker materials have been transferred to the UN-L Library, to be added to his other material already in the archives. This action was approved by the Board in 2003. Janis Paseka, Linda Brown, Loren and Babs Padelford have been helping catalog books. Paul Johnsgard has donated 3 boxes of unique books that have yet to be cataloged.

Mark Brogie sent a report that the Records Committee has completed 2003 reports and is working on 2004.

Jim Kovanda and Roland Barth audited the treasurer’s books on February 7, 2004, and found them to be in order.

Tom Labedz will investigate putting an ad for NOU Occasional Papers #7 and #8 in the newsletter of the Friends of the State Museum. Dave Heidt will investigate grant resources for placing a copy of “The Breeding Bird Atlas” in each secondary school in Nebraska.

Kevin Poague gave an update on the IBA program.

Clem Klaphake reported on the Nebraska Partnership for All-Bird Conservation. Clem’s education committee is working on birding trails in the state.

An agreement with Joel Jorgensen was approved. He will finance and take care of the printing process and distribution of “An Overview of Shorebird Migration in the Eastern Rainwater Basin, Nebraska” for two years. NOU will pay for copies to go to its exchange partners. NOU will pay for the printing and distribution of these copies. Price for each will be $7 plus sales tax and any shipping costs involved in the distribution. Any profit above Joel’s actual expenses will be divided equally between Joel and NOU. After the first 2 years, copies will be sold through the NOU Library with all funds to be kept by NOU.

NBR subscription rates were raised to $15 USA and $20 foreign.

New field cards are being printed by Nebraska Game & Parks. Mark Brogie has updated the list.

Jerry Toll and Ross Silcock were approved for new terms on the Records Committee.

A special business meeting will be held at the Fall Field Days to vote on an amendment to Article IX, Section 6, of the bylaws to allow voting of the Board by electronic means.

The nominating committee consisting of Robin Harding, Norma Brockmoller, and Alice Rushton will present the slate of officers at the General Meeting.

Membership

Why not pass this membership blank on to a birding friend that is not an NOU member? Or think about giving a gift membership—this would be a great Christmas gift for a friend.

__________________________________________________________________________________________ NEBRASKA ORNITHOLOGISTS’ UNION

Please enter my membership in the category checked below:

_________One Active Member…………$15.00 ________Family Active………$20.00

_________One Sustaining Member……$25.00 ________Family Sustaining… $30.00

_________Student Member………………$10.00 ________Life Member………$250.00

Name____________________________________________________________________________

Address__________________________________________________________________________

City, State, Zip____________________________________________________________________

Telephone________________________________e-mail___________________________________

Make checks payable to Nebraska Ornithologists’ Union and return with this form to:

Betty Grenon, Treasurer

1409 Childs Road East

Bellevue, NE 68005

President and Newsletter Editor:
Alice Kenitz, 190648 Co. Rd. 22, Gering, NE 69341
Phone: 308-436-2959
E-mail Address: akenitz(at)prairieweb. c o m

Vice-President:
Dave Heidt, 1703 Hilltop Drive, Norfolk, NE 68701-2031
Phone: 402-371-3412
daveh(at)northeastcollege. c o m

Secretary:
Mitzi Fox, 2560 Fairgrounds Road, Albion, NE 68620-5200
402-395-2395
mitzi(at)megavision. n e t

Treasurer:
Betty Grenon, 1409 Childs Road East, Bellevue, NE 68005
402-731-2383
grenon925(at)aol. c o m

Editor, Nebraska Bird Review:
Bill Clemente, Department of English, Peru State College, Peru, NE 68421
402-872-2233 (work)
bclemente(at)oakmail.peru. e d u

Librarian:
Mary Lou Pritchard, 6325 O St., Lincoln, NE 68510
402-486-2428

Past Presidents:
Janis Paseka, 1585 Co. Rd. 14 Blvd, Ames, NE 68621
402-727-9229
paseka(at)tvsonline. n e t

Clem Klaphake, 707 Garden Ave., Bellevue, NE 68005
402-292-2276
ckavian(at)aol. c o m

Directors:
Jan Uttecht, Box 823, Stanton, NE 68779 (2004)
402-439-2114

Loren Padelford, 1405 Little John Road, Bellevue, NE 68005 (2005)
402-292-5556
lpdlfrd(at)juno. c o m

Steve Lamphere, 3101 Washington St., Apt. 98, Bellevue, NE 68005 (2006)
402-291-9149

Records Committee:
Mark Brogie, Box 316, Creighton, NE 68729
402-358-5675
mbrogie(at)esu1. o r g

Breeding Bird Atlas and Nest Records Committee:
Wayne Mollhoff, 1817 Boyd St., Ashland, NE 68003
402-944-2243
wmollhoff(at)netscape. n e t

Occurrence Reports:
Ross Silcock, P. 0. Box 57, Tabor, IA 51653
712-629-5865
silcock(at)rosssilcock. c o m

Nebraka Birdline:
Josef Kren
402-721-5487 ext. 6490
800-642-8382 ext. 6490
nebraskabirds@yahoo.com

NOU Website: http://rip.physics.unk.edu/NOU/

NOU Online Store: http://www.withoutbricks.com/NOUStore

Nebraska Ornithologists' Union
3745 Garfield
Lincoln, NE 68506