Newsletter Archive
April 2006
Meeting
Monday, April 10, 7 PM,
First Presbyterian Church, MAIN BUILDING, room 412.
Program presenter will be West Virginia’s premier herpetologist, Dr. Tom Pauley, author of “Amphibians and Reptiles in West Virginia.”
NEWS
*Nominating Committee (Harriet Deel, John Smith, and Don Shearer) announce this slate of officers for the upcoming election: President-Jim Waggy, Vice-President-Alice Knight, Secretary-Marilyn Morton, Treasurer- Beverly Wright, Board Members (‘07) John Smith[to finish the term of Alice Knight], (‘08) Donny Good, and (‘09) Connie Bergmark. The club appreciates the committee, the candidates, and the service of Pat Holbrook, who finishes a term on the board in May.
*See the Cultural Center’s magazine, Goldenseal, Spring 2006, for member Maureen “Bunny” Crockett’s article “Flummery and Purslane/Food and the Great Depression.”
*Migration and return of summer resident birds continues, with a great deal of activity this month. Check out arrival and departure dates in your copy of Birds of the Kanawha Valley or on the website, www.kvbirdclub.org. An approximate return date for the hummingbird is April 18. The classic feeder recipe is 4 parts water to 1 part sugar; boil, and keep surplus refrigerated.
*Migration Count/CENTURY DAY will be Saturday, May 13. Many WV counties are using the Cornell program “eBird2” for recording sightings. Check out this great tool at www.ebird.org.
*Asbury United Methodist Church experienced a fire recently. Luckily, our friends with the group, Friends of Blackwater report no damage to their offices.
*NOT YET, but this fall, Handlan Chapter will meet at a new date, time, and location. Beginning in October, we will meet at the South Charleston Public Library, at 6:30, on the 3rd Monday (10/16). This change was approved by the membership at the meeting of 3/13.
*Nearly 15,000 persons wrote letters of comment concerning the Wilderness effort for the Mon Forest. The Wilderness Coalition seeks help with this ongoing issue at www.wvwild.org.
*Three Rivers Avian Center holds its annual MIGRATION CELEBRATION at Little Beaver State Park on May 13.
*LEON WILSON BIRD CLUB of Huntington continues to schedule spring field trips to areas such as Rotary and Barboursville Parks, and the Greenbottom Wildlife Management Area. Information has been forwarded to the Handlan email list. Non-email members may call 586-4135 for more details.
*Our Records- Jerry Westfall has kindly allowed himself to be enlisted as an archivist for our bird sightings records. Thanks Jerry!
*
Osbra Eye Memorial Wildflower Hike: April 22, "http://www.kanawhastateforest.com", Charleston, WV.These wildflower hikes are geared for all ages with an extra hike for photography. Registration is at 9 a.m. and walks begin at 9:30 a.m. Cost for the event is $5 for adults and $2 for children under 16. Walks are sponsored by the Kanawha State Forest Foundation and assisted by the Mary Ingles Trail Blazers, West Virginia Division of Natural Resources, West Virginia Native Plant Society and Handlan Chapter, Brooks Bird Club. For more information or to register, please contact Shirley Schweizer (304) 925-2771
*MAY 13 is National Keep Cats Indoors Day, sponsored by the American Bird Conservancy. As the Keep Cats Indoors website explains, “Each year free roaming domestic cats kill hundreds of millions of birds and small mammals. In addition, millions of outdoor cats are killed or injured by cars or in fights with other cats, dogs, or wild animals. Free roaming cats can contract debilitating and life threatening diseases, become lost, stolen, or poisoned. It is clearly in the interest of both cats and birds to keep cats at home, spayed or neutered, and never abandoned.” For several years, Handlan Chapter has made available informational brochures from the Cats Indoors group.
CALENDAR
APRIL 10- REGULAR MEETING
APRIL 16-BIRD WALK, SPRING HILL CEMETERY, 8 AM, RUSS YOUNG, 925-5668
APRIL 22- EARTH DAY
APRIL 22- Wildflower Hikes, Kanawha State Forest
APRIL 23-CEMETERY BIRD WALK
APRIL 30-CEMETERY BIRD WALK
MAY 1-7- NEW RIVER BIRDING AND NATURE FESTIVAL, FAYETTEVILLE
MAY 7-CEMETERY BIRD WALK
May 8-Handlan Chapter picnic meeting, Coonskin Park
May 13-Migration Count/CENTURY DAY
May 13 -National KEEP CATS INDOORS DAY
MAY 14-CEMETERY BIRD WALK
(Check our website under “Birding on the Web” at www.kvbirdclub.org for links to websites for these events.)
Handlan Chapter, contact: Cindy Ellis 586-4135 ellis_6511@msn.com