CAAS Call Note - January 2023

Join Us AT OUR JANUARY MEETING! Thursday, January 5th 7:00pm Foster Community Center, Room 213 200 N. Foster Ave, Lansing MI Up to My Ears in Mud and Traffic Speaker - Susan Elbin Lessons from Long-term Bird Monitoring in New York City.

One of our newest CAAS board members is a relocated, retired ornithologist from New York City. Dr. Susan Elbin will be giving us an overview of the work she did as Director of Conservation and Science at NYC Audubon.

There are more than 350 species of birds that spend a significant portion of their life cycle in New York City.

Susan will give us a glimpse into the lives and conservation issues facing some NYC birds, share her secret to working with a small staff in a very large city, and celebrate some of their conservation successes!

This meeting will also be available via Zoom - msu.zoom.us/j/95784218245 Password - CAAS

Dedicated to creating a greater awareness, appreciation, and understanding of the interrelatedness of all Michigan’s wild places and wildlife and the need for stewardship.

A NOTE FROM OUR PRESIDENT I hope your holiday season was healthy, relaxing, fun, and filled with family and friends! Ours started with the Christmas Bird Count and wraps up spending New Years Day with family.

This year seemed to fly by for me and I can't exactly put my finger on why.

It may have been the changing COVID environment, a return to a busier schedule, my kids entering their teenage years (our son just received his driving permit!!) or the amount of time I was able to spend outside.

Whatever the cause, I am hoping to intentionally slow down parts of my day and be a little more present during this very busy season of life in 2023.

One way I like to do this is by practicing mindfulness in my birding and walks outdoors. Especially on my solo walks. (I really like to chat an connect with others on my group walks.) If you are interested in learning more about this practice, I will be sharing a talk with the Kellogg Bird Sanctuary Birds and Coffee chat on Zoom January 11th. (Details are on page 2.)

get used to a new field guide, or using a new app when there are fewer birds around and more common backyard visitors.

It is also a great time to dive into learning online or reading a new title. I have just started a few books and went a little heavy on non-fiction last year, so I have a pile of fun fiction books ready to go. Will I learn better bird ID from my fantasy/dystopian future books, likely no.... but my head will be in a much more relaxed and fun place, ready to head outdoors in the spring!

I really am looking forward to hearing from one of our newest CAAS Board Members Susan Elbin this month at our meeting. I was lucky enough to connect with her for a Zoom chat just after she moved to town and I am excited to hear about her work in New York!

Hope to see you all soon!

Kristy Taylor CAAS Board President

I would also like to invite you to attend a First Day Hike with CAAS Board Member Barb Andersen. This hike will start your 2023 outdoors at Fenner Nature Center for a walk and bird count. Join her at 9am on January 1st at the Fenner parking lot and start of your year with a beautiful walk with friends!

Our Michigan winters are long, but give us plenty of time to anticipate spring migrants and prepare our homes and communities for warm days ahead. Winter is a great time to

1 2022 CBC - MSU Art Building

CAAS EVENTS Monthly meetings are held the first Thursday of the month September - June All meetings are open to the public.

Meetings will begin at 7pm in Room 213 at Foster Community Center, 200 N. Foster Ave. Lansing, MI (unless otherwise listed) January 1 - First Day Hike Fenner Nature Center 9am - Meet at the Parking Lot Join CAAS Board Member Barb Andersen for a first day hike at Fenner Nature Center. This hike is open to all members. Dress for the weather, paths may not be clear depending on snowfall and current weather conditions.

January 11 - Birding and Mindfulness Speaker - Kristy Taylor Kellogg Bird Sanctuary - via Zoom Free Registration birdsanctuary.kbs.msu.edu/events February 2 – Michigan's Wildlife Action Plan and State of the Bird, Speaker - Tony Henehan Learn about the State Wildlife Action Plan, how it helps birds and species of special concern here in Michigan and what the Restoring America's Wildlife Act could mean for our state.

Thursday March 2 - Red-tailed Hawk Research and Migration Speaker - Nick Alioto Do Red-tailed Hawks migrate Strait?

Unraveling the mystery of a soaring migrant in the Great lakes region.

SOWING WILDFLOWER SEEDS IN WINTER High Country Gardens

by David Salman Traditionally, we think of the balmy days of spring or summer as the time to sow seeds in our gardens. And while this may be true of many annual flowers and vegetables, seeds of perennial wildflowers are best sown in the late fall or winter! Why? Many perennials have seeds that require a period of cold, moist conditions to break down naturally occurring chemicals in the seeds that inhibit germination. These substances protect the seeds from germinating prematurely such that they wait until the following spring to sprout. This process is called cold stratification.

I have found that by working with nature and the weather, perennial wildflower seeds can be sown directly into the landscape to add color, feed pollinators like bees and hummingbirds and create a more natural looking landscape.

My favorite technique is to mimic mother nature and sow these seeds just before snowfall. You can watch the weather carefully beginning in the late fall/early winter months for predictions of a good snowfall, 4-6 inches at least. You can seed just before the snowstorm, so the snow acts as a blanket.

Steps To Sowing In Winter 

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Thursday April 6 - TBA Spring Bird Walks - Saturday Mornings in April and May at Fenner Nature Center Walks begin at the parking lot at 8am.

Beginners are welcome.

Thursday May 4 - Migration in MidMichigan at Capital City Bird Sanctuary Enjoy a walk at this local Michigan Audubon managed property and see what birds are moving through!

Thursday, June 1 - Member Walk and Ice Cream Social at Fenner Nature Center Join CAAS members and guests for a quick annual meeting followed by ice cream and a walk around Fenner.

Check out our Facebook page at facebook.com/capitalareaaudubon for events around the state and much more!

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Make sure you seed in an area with a prepared garden bed (grass or weeds have been removed).

Get a plastic bucket and mix the seeds with slightly damp sand to help distribute the seeds more evenly onto the ground.

Go out and scatter the seed/sand mix over the area to be seeded and wait for the snow to come and “tuck them in.” When the snow melts, the freezing at night and thawing during the day help work the seeds into the soil.

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Continued snows just enhance the effect and provide the moist, cold conditions these perennials seed require to germinate the following spring.

If you miss the first couple of snows, it’s fine to sow the seeds right on top of the snow (though they may not germinate quite as robustly as those sowed directly onto the ground). With a little sunshine, the darker seeds absorb and heat up melting themselves down into the snow. Better yet, the next snow buries the seeds down more deeply below the surface. Just as sowing prior to the first snows, seeds are moved into soil by freezing and thawing as the snow melts later.

I don’t recommend sowing on top of the snow if your yard gets a lot of wind.

Wind can blow the top layers of the snow and seeds to another part of the landscape or your neighbor’s yard! In windy areas, it’s best to try and get underneath the snow earlier in November of December.

To make sure the perennial wildflower seeds are subjected to a long enough stretch of cold, moist conditions, try to get the seeds sown by February. Note that a mixture of annual and perennial wildflower seeds can be sown using this method. The annuals will sprout nicely even though they don’t need the damp winter cold.

Be patient and by late spring/early summer you should see lots of small seedlings establishing themselves into your landscape.

Sow seeds directly on snow during the winter will produce the perfect conditions for germination in the spring.

EAST LANSING CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT Thank you to all of this year's CBC Participants! Full results will be posted next month, and additional information and historical results can be found at www.audubon.org/conservation/joi n-christmas-bird-count

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CAAS MEMBERSHIP Support community programs with your CAAS Membership. Your membership supports programs in our community and monthly meetings Sept. through June.

Memberships run the length of the program year, September to August.

SEPTEMBER 2023 - AUGUST 2024 Membership Categories Individual $15.00 Family $20.00 Contributing $30.00 Sustaining $50.00 Donor $100.00 To sign up and pay online, visit capitalareaaudubon.org If you would like to mail your membership form and payment, please mail to CAAS, PO Box 22065, Lansing, MI 48910

CALL NOTE Published monthly September through June by the Capital Area Audubon Society PO Box 22065, Lansing MI 48909.

Deadline for submissions: 20th of the month.

2022-2023 CAAS Officers President Vice President Secretary Treasurer Membership

Kristy Taylor Patricia Deventer Nick Segerson Michael Caterino Richard Yarsevich

Editor & Facebook Publicity & Hospitality Field Trip Coordinator Program Coordinator Historian Website

Kristy Taylor Sandra Conn Patricia Deventer Barb Andersen Sandra Conn

2022-2023 CAAS Board of Directors Michael Caterino Sandra Conn Patricia Deventer Susan Elbin Barb Andersen Nick Segerson Kristy Taylor Richard Yarsevich OPEN SEAT caaudubon@gmail.com capitalareaaudubon.org facebook.com/capitalareaaudubon

CAAS COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT To grow and help connect our community to nature, we need your help!

Each year the CAAS is invited to take part in a number of community events including Potter Park Zoo's Migratory Bird Day, the Arbor Day Educational Event, The Quiet Activities Symposium and more.

We would love to reach out to more areas of our community, but we need your help. If you would be interested in signing up to help run a booth at an outreach event, please let us know! You can email caascallnote@gmail.com for more information and to be added to the events sign up list.

Booth volunteers hand out coloring pages, bird bingo sheets, stickers, help answer simple bird related questions (or point to great educational resources) and share our love of birds with others.

CAAS Members help families make re-usable bags from t-shirts at the Potter Park Zoo.

AUDUBON CLIMATE WATCH In 2016, Audubon's climate scientists piloted a new research project to see how climate change is affecting birds. Climate Watch, as it's known, recruited volunteer birders and community scientists to fan across the country at the same time, twice a year, to count bluebirds and nuthatches. The goal was to see how both species are moving across the landscape to adjust to global warming.

Bluebirds and nuthatches were deliberately selected as the focal birds. They're charismatic and easy to identify. Plus they live in the United States during winter and summer, which is when both Climate Watch surveys take place. Scope was also important. Audubon's 2014 Birds and Climate Change report expected bluebirds and nuthatches to shift their ranges as temperatures rise, and between the seven species—Eastern, Western, and Mountain Bluebirds plus White-breasted, Red-breasted, Brown-headed, and Pygmy Nuthatches—they had pretty good geographic coverage, spanning most of the country.

But not good enough. In 2019, starting in the May 15–June 15 survey window, Climate Watch volunteers can also search for goldfinches (American and Lesser), towhees (Eastern and Spotted), and Painted Buntings.

"We wanted to make sure everybody could get involved," says Brooke Bateman, senior scientist at the National Audubon Society in charge

of the Climate Watch program. "We wanted more urban coverage and geographic coverage."

The additional species fill those niches.

American Goldfinches are urban and suburban birds that are widespread across the continental United States.

Painted Buntings and Eastern Towhees add Texas and Florida to the map, while Lesser Goldfinches and Spotted Towhees invite westerners into the fold.

The only states where Climate Watch species aren't common are Alaska and Hawaii (none of the species live on Hawaii).

Can you identify any of the following birds in the field?  American Goldfinch  Eastern Bluebird  Eastern Towhee  Red-breasted Nuthatch  White-breasted Nuthatch If so, you can become a volunteer to help study how birds are reacting to climate change.

The next survey will take place Jan 15 - Feb 15, 2023 and is open to the public, including all interested Audubon chapters and centers, in addition to organized groups and individuals with an interest in birds.

For more information and to sign up to help, visit www.audubon.org/conservation/climat e-watch

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