gmr044@leah.Albany.Edu (Gregg Recer) (08/03/89)
Yes Virginia, birding can be exciting in the summer!!! I know some of you out there may be inclined to think migration is the only time to think about birding. Well, there is more to do out there this time of year than watch newly fledged blue jays beg food from and be ignored by nearby adults (although this is quite entertaining :-) ). We've made two short (weekend length) trips in the last 6 weeks which have really livened things up birding-wise. Our first trip was to northern, down-eat Maine. I'm talking about the northern-most coast area (Quoddy Head, Lubec, Machias, etc.). The main object of our desire was a place called Machias Seal Island. This little chunk of rock, about 10 miles off the coast, is a breeding colony for loads of alcids and terns. The stars of the show are Atlantic Puffins. They're really quite amazing to see, although I thought the Razorbills were more attractive. Some Thin-billed murres also were present although they don't nest there. Roughly 1500 pairs of Arctic Terns nest on the island as well as about 100 Common Tern pairs. It's really an amazing place. There are several other parks and refuges in the area that are worth seeing. We just got back from Parker River NWR on Plum Island, Ma. (near Newburyport). The shorebird migration is already under-way. Highlights included Hudsonian Godwit, both Dowitchers, both Yellowlegs and Lesser Golden Plover. This time of year the fresh-water waders are still around and we saw loads of Snowy and Great Egrets as well as Little Blue, Great Blue and Black-crowned Night herons and Glossy Ibis. A nice change from the flock of House Finches we're always seeing at our feeder. Hope this provides some inspiration. Email any questions you might have about directions, etc. for these places. Gregg
mikeg@techsup.UUCP (07/28/90)
I have a question about the Audubon Society. Here in Texas they shut down in the summer, probably from the heat. It's hot but it doesn't stop me from getting out and birding. I am a relative beginner and am really enjoying learning all that I have. I am overwhelmed at times at the amount of information and the amount of birding that lies ahead of me. My question is "do all Audubon Societys shut down during the summer, or just the southern states where excessive heat might be a problem, or is it just Texas? Thanks in advance for any answers. Mike Gephart <wanderer> techsup FT. Worth
rmura@world.std.com (Ron Mura) (07/30/90)
In article <36600001@techsup> mikeg@techsup.UUCP writes: > > My question is "do all Audubon Societys shut down during > the summer, or just the southern states where excessive > heat might be a problem, or is it just Texas? > The Mass. Audubon Society does not shut down. There is a National Aud. Soc. and many other societies (usually by state). They are separate organizations. The closing in Texas is probably just a policy of that society. Maybe few people go out in the summer, so they decided they could make better use of their funds by having staff in the other seasons. -- - Ron Mura, Boston, Mass. rmura@world.std.com
mjm@oliven.olivetti.com (Michael Mammoser) (08/06/90)
In article <36600001@techsup>, mikeg@techsup.UUCP writes: > > My question is "do all Audubon Societys shut down during > the summer, or just the southern states where excessive > heat might be a problem, or is it just Texas? The Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society, here in the Bay Area, shuts down also in the summer. I don't know if the main office is closed, but the newsletter publication is suspended after June until September. No field trips are sponsored during this time either. Perhaps this is a money saving effort. Mike