|
Welcome to
The Bluebird Box
since 1995 |
Bluebird Festivals/Conferences (Part 3)From: "emcooper" emcooper"at"bayou.com Attention All Louisiana Bluebirders: LOUISIANA BAYOU BLUEBIRD SOCIETY, invites you to attend a meeting on September 21, 2002 at Waddill Refuge, 4142 North Flannery Road, Baton Rouge, La., at 2:00 until 5:00. Guest speaker is Tena Taylor, MISSISSIPPI BLUEBIRDS and member of NABS Speakers Bureau. There will be door prizes. Come join us. Membership forms are available. Contact one of the following if you can attend: Evelyn Cooper, emcooper"at"bayou.com Subject: North American Bluebird Society Annual Convention Just a last minute reminder of The North American Bluebird Society Annual Convention in Penticton, British Columbia June 13-16, 2002 Hosted by the Southern Interior Bluebird Trail Society all meeting information is on the web at http://www.nabluebirdsociety.org/annual2.htm . Plane ticket prices still look like good pricing, but they could be going up soon. For affiliates there are some good breakout sessions scheduled on Thursday-
here is what I think the schedule will be. This is of course subject to change. Hope you can join us!!! Alicia Craig Visit a list of the wonderful organizations we support http://www.wbu.com/alliances/ Be a Citizen Scientist, visit http://birds.cornell.edu/citsci/ From: "Pauline, Mountain City TX" bluebirds"at"austin.rr.com Pauline Tom Keith Kridler's "losing of chickadees" post reminds me that if you have not planned to attend the mid-June NABS Convention in beautiful British Columbia you might want to make plans to do so, In addition to meeting many who post on Bluebird-L, you'll have the opportunity to meet SANDY Kridler. Sandy Kridler must be a saint. How many of our spouses would stay with us if we set a fan in the open window on a cool night and let it blow air in while we slept - to "test for hypothermia"???!!!!!! I laughed outloud just getting a mental picture. You're very likely the "The Bluebird Lady" or "The Bluebird Guy" where you live. At convention you'll meet people who love bluebirds and are devoted to the cause as much or moreso than you are. Last year during the banquet I sat at the table with Keith (and Sandy) Kridler, Gary Springer and Kevin Berner. I watched grown men cry as they listened to a beautiful medley of songs that mention bluebirds. There's a kindred spirit at convention that transcends differences in bluebirding philosophies that you read on this list. Incidentally, Keith has shared with me on and off this list how agonizing it is for him to lose bluebird eggs and nestlings to starlings as he is using 4 Peterson boxes this summer for Cornell's study that constantly records temperature in nestboxes with dataloggers. This man (who is "Mentor" to me and many others) has fledged thousands and thousands of bluebirds. Yet the loss of a small number of bluebirds - even for the sake of science - brings pain to him. Who all from Bluebird-L is going to be attending the NABS Convention? "Bluebirds Across Texas...one nestbox at a time" www.texasbluebirdsociety.org ----- Original Message ----- Keith Kridler Mt. Pleasant, Texas We have been sleeping with windows open enjoying the 40*F nights but last night to test for hypothermia I set a fan in the window and let it blow air into the bedroom and we nearly froze.....Over night low was 59*F, nearly 20 degrees warmer than nights where heat was trapped in the room by insulation and no wind was blowing into the house. Remember nestboxes have ventilation, the birds door is left open and there is no real thermal mass or insulating factors in the construction of the box. These young birds are cold blooded and have not developed their insulating feathers. Predators: Cameron learned that bluebirds are a predator of other small birds. Bluebirds VERY OFTEN will remove other species of birds, their eggs and their young from a nestbox they choose. I am sure the titmice killed the chickadee that entered their nest this spring in my yard. House Sparrows cannot enter (it would be the very rare house sparrow that was this small) nestboxes with 1&1/8" entrance holes if the wood is about 3/4" thick. Two nights ago a friend drove up late and saw a red fox by the corner of our house and it trotted right in front of their car and into our front yard heading off into town. You can add fox, rats, (other rodents too) opossums, weasels almost an endless list of hazards able to climb to the box, these birds face death everyday. House Wrens can enter any hole the chickadees can enter and they also kill young birds on occasion. I am constantly out at night and walking the area woods and have not seen a red fox in years near us while gray fox are very common. Our neighbor saw a bobcat at our back fence and 12 wild hogs just last week and I have NEVER seen any of these from our land! If I can miss a whole herd of hogs then it is no wonder a small predator can slip in and eat some of my birds! These birds will re-nest and will replace themselves but witnessing death is about the only unpleasant aspect of closely monitoring your boxes. KK Date: Fri, 24 May 2002 00:08:38 -0500 Who all from Bluebird-L is going to be attending the NABS Convention? Ann Wick From: "Dan McCue" dmccue"at"usit.net Greetings all - The Tennessee Bluebird Trails, Inc. will be holding their quarterly meeting at the Pickwick Lake State Park in the very southern part of west Tennessee. All Bluebirders are welcome to come and enjoy the fellowship on June 1st, Saturday at 10:30 AM at the main shelter house at the entrance. Bill Sullivan, from Savannah is co-guest speaker with Marilyn Mullins. Marilyn Mullins' scout troup has set up a Bluebird Trail at the park and she and hopefully some of the scouts will conduct a tour of the boxes after lunch. Bill will be doing some comparisons with the Purple Martin and the Bluebirds and how they interreact one with the other. The TNBT is a state organization and we also are anticipating the attendance of Tina Taylor, President of the Mississippi Bluebird Association, as of this date.We also will be previledged to have the President of the Kentucky Bluebird Society in attendance. The only necessary requirement is, 'you must love Bluebirds'. Come out and enjoy our meeting as our quest. Dan McCue, President of Tennessee Bluebird Society of TN, Inc. From: "Gary Springer" springer"at"alltel.net I attended the NABS annual convention last year and had such a wonderful time that I would love to attend this year. If any of you can go but do not, it is probably because you have never been with a group of people dedicated to bluebirds and conservation. You will never know how wonderful and moving this experience is until you have it. Last year it was held in Columbus Ohio, much closer to Georgia than Penticton, and, near Pittsburgh where I needed to visit my ailing father. If I do not attend this year it will be due only to lack of financial resources. It is probably a three day drive to Penticton. But, in three days and with only $15 bucks in my pocket I hitchhiked from Pittsburgh to Los Angeles when I was 18 years old. Presently I have a 1999 pick-up truck and have what has proven to be too much credit so the challenge isn't near what it was when I made my earlier trek across the country. I'm hoping that there is someone on list that lives between Atlanta and Penticton, that has the time to join me in this over the road trip to share transportation expenses and to make the trip safer. If this trip becomes a reality, I'm hoping it will also include a visit to the old growth forest of Olympia National Park which I have heard is some of the most magnificent temperate forest in the world. If anyone lives somewhere near the rout between Atlanta and Penticton and who is also up for some adventure, please let me know. We just might add a few more bluebirders in every state along the way and have a "March to Penticton". Sincerely, Gary Springer From: "Jim McLochlin" bluebirdbox"at"cox.net Pauline Tom asked a few days ago who would be going to NABS. I was in the height of my busy work schedule and had no time to respond. In any case I will be there and I look forward to a great time and seeing old friends, making new ones, and meeting some whom I have never met but have come to know through Bluebird-L. I also will be taking pictures at the conference of bluebirders who are both on the list and of those not on the list who have gained prominent recognition as bluebirders. If you are not going to Penticton but would like to have your picture on my web site with other bluebirders then email me or if you prefer snail me your picture (if you want to send via snail mail send me an email and I send you my postal address). To see pictures from last year see http://audubon-omaha.org/bbbox/pictures_of_bluebirders.htm Jim McLochlin The Audubon Society of Omaha
http://audubon-omaha.org/ You can send me an instant Message from Windows messenger to omahawebsol"at"cox.net From: "Pauline, Mountain City TX" bluebirds"at"austin.rr.com Jim McLochlin wrote "To see pictures from last year see From: "Gary Springer" springer"at"alltel.net Hi all, I want to thank those of you who generously offered to provide financial
assistance so I might attend the NABS 2000 Conference in Penticton, British After putting some numbers together it appears that the driving option will be more costly than flying because of the many nights I would need a room during the 8 days the total trip would take. And, since I'm still far short of the funds needed for either means of transportation, I can not attend. But, I urge any of you that are able to make last minute arrangements to attend this conference, to do so. Or, if you are now making next years vacation plans, give serious consideration to attending the North American Bluebird Society 2003 convention in Nebraska. If you got a wonderful feeling when you saw your first bright blue bluebird
eggs inside one of your nest boxes, or, if you get a tremendous rush of joy Thanks again, Very sincerely, Gary Springer. From: "Gary Springer" springer"at"alltel.net If I still haven't convinced you attending a NABS Convention is an awesome experience you don't want to miss, please read the following Message I posted to list after returning from the NABS 2001 Conference: I love surrounding myself with the beauty of nature. When I'm not working or writing posts, I'm almost always in the forest or field or swimming in the lake. My Television has been turned on for less than two hours in the last 7 years and there are many days when I don't go beyond the borders of the secluded forest that surrounds my home. Hotels, banquets, lectures and large gatherings of people in a conference setting aren't my ideas of a great time. And, this must have been obvious to fellow bluebirders at the conference because before I was at the hotel one hour, they had already confiscated my truck keys to keep me from making an early departure. But the initial shock and following excitement of talking face to face with people I've written to and talked to on the telephone during the past two years about those things that interest me most caused me to stay up past 2:30 in the morning even though I had just completed the 12 hour drive from Georgia to Ohio a few hours earlier. When I went to bed I just knew I'd never get up three hours later at 5:30 AM to get ready for the first field trip. But, I did. Without an alarm clock. I could summarize the events, list the names of speakers, describe the
awesome material they presented, and list the many people that attended, many
whose work with which we all are familiar. But there is about as much chance of
being successful in describing the excitement and joy that grows Not only was it exciting to share the joys of bluebirding with other people that love them, but it was educational as well. I dare say everyone learned much, even those most well recognized nationally in the field of bluebirding. I could begin writing all I learned but this post would turn into a book so I will instead share those discoveries and new insights through my future posts as they become relevant to future discussion. I will, however, make special mention of one visitor at the NABS 2001 Conference. I wasn't even aware he had attended until I was ready to depart. The back door of the hotel closed behind me as I lugged my baggage to the truck. There were starlings on the pavement directly in front of me. These flew a short distance to perch on a cyclone fence separating the hotel property from a road and an adjacent office park. One starling, apparently recently fledged, had a tough time keeping its balance on the fence. I thought of rushing it to see if I could capture it. But before I took two more steps they had increased the distance between us. There were the sounds of traffic, house sparrows and starlings and a few other birds. But wait a minute. Somewhere between all these sounds, wasn't that the barely audible song of the Eastern Bluebird? Couldn't be. Must be my imagination. Or, someone playing a recording of the bluebird's song one last time before departing the hotel. But, if it were a bluebird, it would have come from across the road. So, I walked in that direction, just to make sure I was hearing things. I listened for a while. Again, I heard what seemed to be the right pitch but it was drowned out even more so than before by the incezzznt chatter of house sparrows and passing cars. My doubt increased but I continued straining my ear. Suddenly, the city sounds paused and the clear warble of the Eastern Bluebird echoed from the direction of the office park across the road. And even more surprising, as I fixed my gaze in the direction of the song, a male bluebird flew to the top of a light tower. No one would believe this. I saw it and was having a hard time believing it myself. I ran inside the hotel and there, in the restaurant, was Steve Eno. We both scurried back to the parking lot where I had heard and seen the bluebird. And, we listened. And, we watched. But nothing even resembled the sound of a bluebird. I had retrieved my binoculars from the truck and I studied the shrubs, building ledges, light towers, and ornamental trees for a bluebird. And we watched and listened but nothing sounded anything like a bluebird and only starlings flew about. We walked a short distance to view another part of the office park but all we saw were more starlings. But, wait, wasn't that the remnants of a nearly drowned out song of a bluebird? Steve had heard it too but wasn't sure. But, a moment later, as before, the clear warble of the Eastern Bluebird pierced the city sounds leaving no doubt our friend had joined us for the 2001 NABS Conference. If bluebirds mean a lot to you, I guarantee you will treasure the experience of the 2002 NABS Conference. Be there! Gary Springer Most extensive source of Bluebird information http://audubon-omaha.org/bbbox/bestofbbml/bblindx.htm Real Bird Homes www.realbirdhomes.com From: EHDerry"at"aol.com And it 2004, the NABS Convention will be in New York State, in Ithaca, the
home of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology! The dates are: July 7-11, 2004. Judy Derry From: "emcooper" emcooper"at"bayou.com ATTENTION ALL LOUISIANA BLUEBIRDERS: DO YOU LOVE BLUEBIRDS? LOUISIANA BAYOU BLUEBIRD SOCIETY invites you to attend a meeting on September
21, 2002, at Waddill Refuge, 4142 North Flannery Road, Baton Rouge, La., at 2:00
until 5:00. Guest speaker is Tena Taylor, MISSISSIPPI BLUEBIRDS and member of
North American Bluebird Society Evelyn Cooper, emcooper"at"bayou.com From: "Keith & Sandy Kridler" kridler"at"1starnet.com Keith Kridler Mt. Pleasant, Texas A sunny/cool morning at 79*F! I can't believe no one has yet posted about THE NABS meeting. What a GREAT time was had by ALL. 300+ People from 27 states and 6 Canadian Provinces showed up to exchange information and attend the final banquet! 200+ people went on bus tours on Friday to various destinations around Penticton. Many others who registered late went on private tours or self guided tours! I ran into one fellow that drove 10 hours from Washington State that was not even into bluebirds that came to be with "others who love birds". He was SOOOO excited just to be riding around with those talking about birds, those actively involved with saving birds, those who were trying to save habitat and those involved with saving the various other living and wonderful creations that surround each of us! This meeting EXUDED excitement and spread the "Bluebird Fever" to those only mildly interested. I talked a couple of times to a pair of local ladies that "volunteered" to help their group put this on and they planned to man a booth early so that they could "slip away" later in the conference thinking this would NOT be something they could get too pumped up about....They were AMAZED at the mix of people that showed up and how much FUN everyone was having! They ended up attending EVERY event and stayed late EVERY night and got back early EVERY morning just to visit with new found friends. They are both going to register for the Nebraska (meeting next spring) right away so as not to miss the BEST of the field trips. THIS is what NABS meetings are about! Just standing next to some of these people you will absorb some of the excitement and "warmth" from them just like basking in sunshine! Those like Erv Davis and Floyd Van Ert get up EVERY morning and have breakfast at 4:30 AM and generate a flood of excess enthusiasm until late at night. Others like Ann Wick and Myrna Pearman always stay in high gear carrying the "fever" from one spot to another! Try to make plans to join one of the next two NABS meetings as there is NO WAY to put into words this type of experience! We (the birds and NABS) desperately need the support of each and every one of you right now joining with 3,500+ active members of NABS so that we can continue to make a profound difference, for the birds and for those people we meet who are "border line" bluebirders! Try to directly help the birds in your area by placing nestboxes. Support your local group or state group. Join NABS so that we can support continent wide efforts and help connect the far flung state groups and Canadian Provinces into one close knit family. Just as all three species of bluebirds gather in the late fall and winter into huge flocks in the deep south we should all attempt to gather as bluebirders once a year in a single location to renew and/or exchange "The Happiness of the Bluebirds". KK From: "Mary Beth Roen" mbroen"at"hotmail.com Keith, Thanks for the report on the NABS convention. It sounds like it was an amazing experience. I am planning to go to the 2004 convention in Ithaca, NY. What btter place to go for a convention, than the home of Cornell Lab of Orinthology? Many of us on Bluebird-L donated money to to the Lab for their building fund, so we have a vested interest in it. Combining the NABS convention with the experience of seeing and experiencing the new Lab is an opportunity I can't refuse. Hopefully I will see many of my list friends at that convention, even some of my own state friends I have never met! Mary Roen, River Falls, WI From: "Keith & Sandy Kridler" kridler"at"1starnet.com ... Date: Sat, 22 Jun 2002 15:41:09 -0400 KK and all, But I beg of you KK, please see to it that you are a featured speaker for the 2003 meeting if not the 2004 meeting ok?? And try to con BruceB, Maynard, FreadJ, BruceJ, Katherine, Rhonda, Stan, Barry, and that guy out in Iowa, and the leaders of NY,PA,MS,TX, NB,KY, OH, to present workshops on their special subjects also. We should be able to get one volunteer out of that gang. Thank you again KK, for your full report of the meeting and for giving so much of your time and knowledge to teaching. Many more that you know appreciate it very much! Wendell Long From: "Jim McLochlin" bluebirdbox"at"cox.net I apologize for the un-timeliness of this Message but I have worked six twelve hour shifts (three days and three nights) in the last week since I returned from NABS 2002 and have another twelve hour shift tonight before I get two days off and then do it again (normally my shifts are not this bad, but I had to pay back a lot of trades so I could go to NABS 2002). As Keith said, everyone who was in Penticton for NABS 2002 had a great time. It certainly has a way of rejuvenating like nothing else can. It is truly hard to put into words all the excitement from the sights and sounds of a NABS convention. However, Keith did a pretty good job of that. It is so great to be in the company of, as NABS president Doug LeVassseur described, Bluebird Pioneers. His definition for a Bluebird Pioneer is a bluebirder who was involved in bluebirding before there were bluebird groups (such as NABS or the Minnesota BBRP - which came into existence at about the same time 25 years ago). If you think of the commitment these bluebirders must have had to forge ahead when there was no wide spread support it is truly amazing. Today, we bluebirders have many advantages over these Bluebird Pioneers. We have not only the support the organizations in a physical sense but we also have the benefit of their cumulative knowledge and experiences. Today on this list we also enjoy in person the benefit of some Bluebird Pioneers (Joe Huber for one comes to mind), other Bluebird Pioneers have come and gone on the list for a variety of reasons but through the magic of the Best of... their Message continues to educate and inspire. Doug also spent some time reviewing the initial results of the survey that was in sent out NABS Bluebird a few months back. One of the standout results that should make all NABS members proud of is the percentage of bluebirders who are active trail monitors (97% maintain at least one nest box). As Doug stated that is an amazing number of active members for any organization. Many nature/conservation organizations have members who do little more than read their publications and support the cause only through money. NABS is obviously different, the members are actively pursuing native cavity nester conservation. Of concern to me is another result of the survey. Ninety-three percent of the NABS membership is over forty years old and eighty-one percent are over fifty. Don't get me wrong, I like people over forty (I better or I will need some counseling on self esteem). What does concern me is the few younger members we have. I understand that many do not become active in nature/conservation until they mature, but when there is opportunity to expose and educate a younger person to our organization we should try and capitalize on that. Also of concern to me is the downward trend in numbers of the NABS organization. At one time there was over seven thousand members, and now we have just over thirty-five hundred (don't become too upset if my numbers are slightly off as I mentioning them from recollection). Part of this decline is due to the expanding number of local bluebird organizations (which is great). However this umbrella group we call NABS benefits us all. Sometimes the benefits are indirect as in research and other times direct to our newly formed bluebird group or support for new literature. As Keith mentioned in his Message NABS is what unites us all as bluebirders wherever we live in North America. When you come to visit us in Nebraska for NABS 2003 during March, you will experience once again the excitement of being a bluebirder. I don't think anything can compare to that, but you will also have the opportunity to experience the sandhill crane and duck/geese migration in a way that will astound. If you are even thinking of coming book your room early as they will fill up fast. Sorry for a long winded Message, but I had much to say and only said a small part of it. Jim McLochlin The Audubon Society of Omaha http://audubon-omaha.org/ You can send me an instant Message from Windows messenger to omahawebsol"at"cox.net From: "Gary Springer" springer"at"alltel.net As I sit under huge oak trees billowing in an unusually refreshing cool summer wind beside the tattered 1800's tenement house in a small clearing of a forest which has been my home for nearly a decade, it occurred to me that not once has another human being sat still with me to take in the beauty of the living things that have captivated me since I first set foot on the property. It also occurred to me that here at "Walden Forest", named by me after Thoreau's Walden Pond, I live in surround life. As soon as I step outside my house and fix my gaze away from it, except for the sky, practically every square inch of the view from the clearing is living matter. Down is a seldom noticed world hidden by grasses from which the bluebirds pluck their summer meals. Out is a myriad of small plants and leafy shrubs that create the cover from which birds and other animals dart in and out. And, upward, enclosing an opening to the sky that frequently hosts hawks and other soaring birds, are the tops of the lush green trees towering above and engulfing the clearing. So what does this have to do with the NABS 2002 annual convention? For me the convention is about meeting people that share an excitement about living things. I've not felt that same excitement anywhere else. Two speakers at the NABS convention expressed this when they noted that the people, not the trappings, is what makes the conference a wonderful event year after year. And, you will never know just how wonderful it is until you attend. If I could write something that would give you just a taste of this experience, I would. But, hard as I tried, I could not. I even asked many of the attendees, "What is it about the NABS Convention that makes it so wonderful". One answer was given consistently in many different ways. People that care enough about a little blue bird to spend a big part of their life making sure it has a home, are special people. Thoreau lived near Walden Pond for two years, about one fifth as long as I lived a hermit's life amongst the birds and other wild animals at "Walden Forest" near Carnesville, Georgia. I had often wondered how Thoreau pulled himself away from his quiet retreat submerged in the beauty of nature. But now, I too find it necessary to pursue another kind of life. In ten years of spending most of my time alone, enthralled by a continuous succession of exciting and wonderful events of the natural world, the feeling or thought of loneliness never occurred to me, until now. It comes as quite a surprise, but apparently, like the bluebirds and other animals who shared the forest, I too am a social creature with social needs, not a rock, not an island. Transition into a woodsman was natural, breath-taking, inspiring and inviting. Words that best describe my return to a more social life among my own species are trepidation, apprehension, and necessary. Oh, to be a bluebird! Or, attending a bluebird convention! Gary Springer From: "Jim McLochlin" bluebirdbox"at"cox.net Information and a registration form is starting to show up for the NABS 2003 convention in Kearney, NE on the NABS website. This promises to be another great convention. As I have mentioned in the past rooms fill up fast in the Kearney area at this time of year because of the Crane migration and all of festivals, conventions, etc that go on. So if you plan on attending the first thing you want to take care of (and soon) is to get your room reservation. I made mine at the host hotel (I-80 Holiday Inn). Here is the direct link to the NABS site: While visiting the NABS site take a complete tour to see all the new things available to you and if you are not a member of NABS consider whether you should be. The convention is open to members and non-members. Jim McLochlin The Audubon Society of Omaha =
http://audubon-omaha.org/ You can send me an instant Message from Windows messenger to From: "emcooper" emcooper"at"bayou.com 25 members and growing!! DO YOU LOVE BLUEBIRDS? LOUISIANA BAYOU BLUEBIRD SOCIETY invites you to attend a meeting on September 21, 2002, at Waddill Refuge, 4142 North Flannery Road, Baton Rouge, La., at 2:00 until 5:00. Guest speaker is Tena Taylor, MISSISSIPPI BLUEBIRDS and member of North American Bluebird Society Speakers Bureau. There will be door prizes. Membership forms are available. Please contact one of the following if you can attend: Evelyn Cooper, emcooper"at"bayou.com From: "Tena Taylor" tenataylor"at"tycom.net Tena Taylor, Calhoun City, Mississippi Hello, friends! Bluebirds are flying over Mississippi this hot day! MISSISSIPPI BLUEBIRDS will have our Summer meeting on July 20 at 2:00, at Bailey's Break Hunting Club in Charleston, MS. Dan McCue, Vice President of the Tennessee Bluebird Society will be our very special guest speaker, if all goes well with him! I look forward to finding out just what is going on in the bluebirding world these days. I've missed you all! Date: Wed, 10 Jul 2002 14:56:23 -0400 ... From: "PTom" ptom"at"austin.rr.com You're invited to Texas Bluebird Society's first ever "Celebration of Texas Blues" in San Marcos (between Austin and San Antonio) on October 11th and 12th. Please see schedule below. Note that Keith Kridler will present Friday evening slide show! There's quite a line-up of speakers! (Also opportunity to visit with Kate Oschwald and Doug Rohde, TBS officers!) Visit [www.texasbluebirdsociety.org] for an info sheet with registration form. We will waive $10 membership fee for those attending from out of state! CELEBRATION OF TEXAS BLUES Friday evening, 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. (Oct 11th) Saturday morning, 9 a.m. - Noon (Oct 12th) Saturday afternoon, 1:00 - 5:30 (Oct 12th) Saturday evening, 6:30 - 8:30 (Oct 12th) Bluebirds Across Texas...one nestbox at a time, From: "Gretchen Hughes" lghughes"at"
joink.com
HELLO ECIBS MEMBERS, Loren and Gretchen Hughes\ From: Lynn Ward lWard"at"pmai.org PLEASE JOIN US FOR THE MICHIGAN BLUEBIRD SOCIETY PICNIC. It will be a fun time for all to meet and share with other blue-birders from across the state! WHEN: Saturday, September 14th, 12:00 noon to 3:00 pm WHERE: Hudson Mills Metro Park (just north of Dexter & Ann Arbor) WHAT TO BRING: A passing dish, beverage & tableware; and if you'd like, bluebird photos, stories and nest boxes to share with the group. There will be a short business meeting detailing the progress to date of the Michigan Bluebird Society and discussion of plans for next spring. If you would like to be on the Michigan Bluebird Society mailing list, From: "emcooper" emcooper"at"bayou.com MEMBERSHIP GROWING - 57 Evelyn Cooper, emcooper"at"bayou.com An affiliate of the North American Bluebird Society From: "Kathy Clark" lilbirdie2u"at"hotmail.com KATHY CLARK, NEW CUMBERLAND, PA EVERYONE IS WELCOME!!!!!!!! “BLUEBIRDS OVER THE POCONOS” Join us at The Shawnee Inn and Golf Resort for a wonderful gathering of ** EXHIBITS, BLUEBIRD ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION, RAFFLE, SPEAKERS, VENDORS, SOCIAL: March 7, 2003 from 7:30 - 9 p.m (meet at sign in lobby) FEATURING: “For the Love of Bluebirds” – Keith Kridler, Co-Author of “The
Bluebird Monitor’s Guide”, written in conjunction with the Cornell Lab “Wanderings of a Naturalist” – Brian Hardiman, Naturalist, Monroe County Environmental Education Center “Twenty Years on the Trail –An Ongoing Comedy” – Karen Lippy, BSP’s Own Newsletter Editor and Board Member EARLY BIRD SPECIAL (before 1/15/03) $22.00 per person Registration fees include all conference fees including the Shawnee Inn’s Special Deli Buffet Lunch, morning and afternoon coffee breaks and snacks, and all conference activities. Confirmation letter will follow receipt of registration including program, hotel information, and map/directions. FOR SPECIAL LODGING RATE AT THE SHAWNEE INN AND GOLF RESORT, PLEASE CALL 1-800-SHAWNEE (1-800-742-9633) OR FIND IT ON THE WEB AT www.shawneeinn.com. Mention BSP for room discount prior to 2/7/03, otherwise rooms subject to availability. Hurry don’t wait! From: "Dottie, Hickory Hollow, Brown County, Indiana"
yumyumkatts"at"voyager.net The Brown Co. BB Club picnic was held Sunday at Yellowwood State Forest. It was a wonderful time. The weather was perfect. Yellowwood is such a pretty park. The shelter house is Indiana limestone with big beams and sits up on a little hill. You can see the lake from there. So beautiful and serene. Dan Sparks, our BB Club President, and his wife Pam, did a fantastic job of putting the picnic together. They even cooked hamburgers for us. Thanks Dan and Pam! Dan reported the BB Club had a great year. I'm hoping he will post our totals. Happy Bluebirding! Dottie, Hickory Hollow Date: Fri, 20 Sep 2002 10:58:15 -0400 ~ Third Annual MBA Conference ~ Sunday, September 22, 2002 The Auburn Sportsmen's Club, Auburn, MA Members of the MBA as well as non-members are invited to attend our 3rd Annual Bluebird Conference of the Mazzzchusetts Bluebird Association. You are welcome to participate in pre-conference events, which include banding migratory warblers (weather permitting), as well as two mini-workshops to enhance your success with bluebirds and other native cavity nesters. PRE-CONFERENCE SCHEDULE: 7:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. ~ Bird Banding (weather permitting/see note below) Early birds get a chance to participate in the banding of migratory warbler species. Call (413) 549-3937 for recording on whether bird banding will need to be canceled due to weather conditions. 10:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. ~ Open MBA Workshop Herb Everett and Nan Millett will talk about supplemental feeding with mealworms, raisins and suet mixes. All you need to know will be included in this workshop. 11:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. ~ Open MBA Workshop Haleya Priest and Gigi Hopkins will talk about and demonstrate how to winterize your boxes and how to prepare for extreme and unexpected cold weather during the spring nesting season. CONFERENCE SCHEDULE: 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. ~ Conference Registration & Lunch Break Bring a bag lunch and any questions for round table discussions about our favoritetopic! (snacks and drinks available at club all day) 1:00 p.m. ~ MBA Conference Introductions and Business Meeting 1:30 p.m. ~ Featured Event: Our own Gail Hansche Freelance writer and professional bird photographer who is well sought after for her slide shows and presentations on bluebirds and other aviary delights! You don't want to miss this! 2:45 p.m. ~ Open floor roundtable discussion and Q & A period for general bluebirding questions. 3:00 p.m. ~ Bluebirder Award Of The Year, Closing Remarks and Raffle Drawing. Hope to see you there! Questions? Call Hart Millett (978) 263-0988. Call 413) 549-3937 for recording whether bird banding will need to be canceled due to weather conditions. Go to our website for more information and directions: http://herper.tripod.com/mbahome.html Haleya Priest mablue"at"gis.net From: "emcooper" emcooper"at"bayou.com Louisiana Bayou Bluebird Society had its first statewide meeting in From: "emcooper" emcooper"at"bayou.com 91 Members and Growing! LOUISIANA BAYOU BLUEBIRD SOCIETY invites you to attend a Fall Event on November 2, 2002, at Robert E. Lee, Jr. High School, 1600 North 19th Street, Monroe, La., at 2:00 until 5:00. Dave Cagnolatti, Baton Rouge is the featured speaker. Round table discussion will follow. Door prizes will be given. The public is invited to attend. You may contact the following: Evelyn Cooper, 318-878-3210, or emcooper"at"bayou.com Bluebirds along the bayous.....where we lend a helping hand! From: KCBSP"at"aol.com Bluebird Annual Conference Comes to the Poconos Would you enjoy seeing bluebirds around your property? Might you like to start or help with a bluebird trail? Are you interested in giving birds a fighting chance to raise their young and increase in number despite the loss of natural habitat and suitable nest cavities? Thanks to the caring efforts of individuals like you, the beautiful sky-blue Eastern Bluebirds are once again singing their lovely songs in fields and back yards across Pennsylvania. Almost any homeowner who lives in a suburban or rural area can set out the nest boxes that attract these gentle birds. Just in time for the new nesting season, the Bluebird Society of Pennsylvania
(BSP) will host its 4th annual statewide conference on March 8, 2003. The Keith Kridler - "For the Love of Bluebirds" Keith Kridler has been an active bluebirder since age 10. He has been
involved with national research on nestboxes, predator guards, traps, winter
feeding, and many other issues that affect bluebird survival. He has written
hundreds of articles for newsletters and co-authors the monthly newsletter Brian Hardiman is a Naturalist with the Monroe County Environmental Education
Center. He has served as Interpretative Ranger with the National Park Karen Lippy (one of our own) is the BSP Newsletter Editor and Education
Chair. She has been a trail monitor at Codorus State Park since 1983,
coordinating 14 monitors for the park's 170 nestboxes that have fledged over
3,000 bluebirds over the years. Her presentation is a mostly humorous look The conference registration fee is $22.00 per person ($25.00 after 1/15/03).
This fee includes The Shawnee Inn's Special Deli Buffet Lunch, morning and For further information about this event or more information about bluebirds,
please contact: BSP, PO Box 267, Enola, PA 17025-0267, on the web at Or just ask me!!! Thanks... Kathy Clark From: KCBSP"at"aol.com Hello Bluebirders Here is some information about the next upcoming conference in PA. I hope all new bluebirders will attend and come to learn. We are going to talk bluebirds until WE TURN BLUE!! :) If you are interested please write anyone copied here or check our web site. I apologize for any scrambing of text if it appears... I like bluebirds more than computers. :) Kathy Clark, New Cumberland, PA Bluebird Annual Conference Comes to the Poconos Would you enjoy seeing bluebirds around your property? Might you like to start or help with a bluebird trail? Are you interested in giving bluebirds a fighting chance to raise their young and increase in number despite the loss of natural habitat and suitable nest cavities? Thanks to the caring efforts of individuals like you, the beautiful sky-blue Eastern Bluebirds are once again singing their lovely songs in fields and back yards across Pennsylvania. Almost any homeowner who lives in a suburban or rural area can set out the nest boxes that attract these gentle birds. Just in time for the new nesting season, the Bluebird Society of Pennsylvania
(BSP) will host its 4th annual statewide conference on March 8, 2003. The Keith Kridler - "For the Love of Bluebirds" Keith Kridler has been an active bluebirder since age 10. He has been involved with national research on nestboxes, predator guards, traps, winter feeding, and many other issues that affect bluebird survival. He has written hundreds of articles for newsletters and co-authors the monthly newsletter "The Bluebird News". He is the co-author of the recent book The Bluebird Monitor's Guide, written in conjunction with the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology and The North American Bluebird Society. He has also appeared on The Nashville Network to discuss bluebird conservation issues. Brian Hardiman is a Naturalist with the Monroe County Environmental Education
Center. He has served as Interpretative Ranger with the National Park Karen Lippy (one of our own) is the BSP Newsletter Editor and Education
Chair. She has been a trail monitor at Codorus State Park since 1983,
coordinating 14 monitors for the park's 170 nestboxes that have fledged over
3,000 bluebirds over the years. Her presentation is a mostly humorous look The conference registration fee is $22.00 per person ($25.00 after 1/15/03).
This fee includes The Shawnee Inn's Special Deli Buffet Lunch, morning and For further information about this event or more information about bluebirds
, please contact: BSP, PO Box 267, Enola, PA 17025-0267, on the web at From: "Keith & Sandy Kridler" kridler"at"1starnet.com Keith Kridler Mt. Pleasant Texas It really does not matter who is on the program at ANY bluebird meeting! IF you have EVER been to a gathering of "BLUEBIRDERS" you would know that the REAL fun starts outside the meeting rooms as we get to meet and visit one on one with other people who are as passionate about cavity nesters as we are.....There will be small clumps of avid bluebirders drawn to this meeting like a moth to a street light who will gather in stair wells, meeting rooms, restaurants and visit till they are kicked out.....in the wee hours of the mornings.....Some will shift to parking lots or "all night" locations..... Many people will come here to share their knowledge and answer questions. Bluebirding is not a "competitive sport" but a "co-operative one". Each of us feed off of the successes and failures of the others!!!! We are working on a project far larger than "bluebirds"! We are taking a "DREAM" and making it real! We are educating tens of thousands of people about changing habitat and the needs for nesting boxes.. In the Bluebird Monitor's Guide I give the way NABS started in the 1970's..... (Mary Janetatos reworked it, for she was there, I heard this as a whispered rumor, Larry Zeleny did not want this to be a "one man" effort.) This whole movement started out as Larry Zeleny's dream....This group felt that they might with years of work be able to attract at BEST 350 bluebirders from across North America. We are going to be holding this meeting in a state that ADDED more than 170 members in the LAST month!!!! They have over 900 members in just a few short years...... This movement is so strong that China is producing MILLIONS upon MILLIONS of various bluebird items for sale in North America. In the 70's & 80's Fran Hanes working from her basement could produce all of the baked on, hand painted porcelain bluebirds the whole country would buy!!!! Nestboxes have become a $billion annual business in North America with a market so huge that China is now building and selling "correctly made nestboxes" in our stores..... The majority of these are "BLUEBIRD" BOXES....This meeting is more about people, WONDERFUL CARING PEOPLE, than it is about birds....It is about sharing the joys and dreams of others involved firsthand with actually MAKING THIS WORLD A BETTER PLACE! Only yesterday NABS started out in a cramped living room with a dozen people reading old letters dumped out of a grocery bag. Today, this morning, 58 million Americans will provide feed or bird houses or water for the feathered friends in their yard....What will be the dream of tomorrow???? Can you actually dream that BIG??? Someone on this list asked a couple months ago, "What is worth driving 6 hours across the country to go to a "Bluebird meeting?" I can't put it into words but if you come it will change the way you think about "bluebirding" for the rest of your life. Keith Kridler From: "Larry A Broadbent" rockets"at"mnsi.net Announcements - Annual Meeting http://www.ontarioeasternbluebirdsociety.org/ a.. The annual meeting of the Ontario Eastern Bluebird Society (OEBS) is
being held on Saturday, March 15, 2003 at the Royal Botanical Gardens, main
centre, in Burlington Ontario. From: KCBSP"at"aol.com Kathy Clark, New Cumberland, PA Just a little more than 2 weeks from now!! Everyone is welcome!! Bluebird Annual Conference Comes to the Poconos Would you enjoy seeing bluebirds around your property? Might you like to start or help with a bluebird trail? Are you interested in giving bluebirds a fighting chance to raise their young and increase in number despite the loss of natural habitat and suitable nest cavities? Thanks to the caring efforts of individuals like you, the beautiful sky-blue Eastern Bluebirds are once again singing their lovely songs in fields and back yards across Pennsylvania. Almost any homeowner who lives in a suburban or rural area can set out the nest boxes that attract these gentle birds. Just in time for the new nesting season, the Bluebird Society of Pennsylvania (BSP) will host its 4th annual statewide conference on March 8, 2003. The conference will be held at The Shawnee Inn and Golf Resort, Shawnee-on-the-Delaware, PA and will run from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Anyone interested in attracting bluebirds is welcome to attend. In addition to the featured speakers listed below, informal roundtable discussions will cover everything you need to know to experience success with bluebirds. Topics will include the natural history and habits of the bird, nest box placement and design, predator control, and other beneficial birds such as chickadees and tree swallows that might use your box. Wildlife exhibits; live and silent auctions, a raffle, vendors, food, and the good company of fellow birders will make this an enjoyable and informative day. Our featured speakers are: Keith Kridler - "For the Love of Bluebirds" Keith Kridler has been an active bluebirder since age 10. He has been involved with national research on nestboxes, predator guards, traps, winter feeding, and many other issues that affect bluebird survival. He has written hundreds of articles for newsletters and co-authors the monthly newsletter "The Bluebird News". He is the co-author of the recent book The Bluebird Monitor's Guide, written in conjunction with the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology and The North American Bluebird Society. He has also appeared on The Nashville Network to discuss bluebird conservation issues. Brian Hardiman is a Naturalist with the Monroe County Environmental Education Center. He has served as Interpretative Ranger with the National Park Service at Delaware Water Gap National Recreational Area and has been part of research projects relating to Bald Eagles, Spotted Owls, and Peregrine Falcons throughout the continental United States. His presentation will highlight the birds, flora, and fauna of the Pocono Mountains area during all seasons of the year. Karen Lippy (one of our own) is the BSP Newsletter Editor and Education
Chair. She has been a trail monitor at Codorus State Park since 1983,
coordinating 14 monitors for the park's 170 nestboxes that have fledged over
3,000 bluebirds over the years. Her presentation is a mostly humorous look The conference registration fee is $22.00 per person ($25.00 after 1/15/03). This fee includes The Shawnee Inn's Special Deli Buffet Lunch, morning and afternoon coffee breaks and snacks, and all conference activities. A confirmation letter will follow receipt of registration including program, hotel information, and map/directions. Special rate lodging is available at the Shawnee Inn until 2-7-03, ask for BSP rate. For further information about this event or more information about bluebirds , please contact: BSP, PO Box 267, Enola, PA 17025-0267, on the web at http://www.users.voicenet.com/~cnshum/, or (717) 938-4089. From: "Larry A Broadbent" rockets"at"mnsi.net Dear Friends, Announcements - Annual Meeting The annual meeting of the Ontario Eastern Bluebird Society (OEBS) is being held on Saturday, March 15, 2003 at the Royal Botanical Gardens, main centre. Time 8:30 registration, 9:00am meeting start, ends 4:00pm. Our guest speaker for the afternoon will be Robert McCaw, one of Canada's premier wildlife photographers. He will be presenting a slide show as part of his talk. If you are interested in meeting some of the top Bluebirders in Canada, this meeting is for you! - Bucket raffle and prize draws too! For information contact Tom Kott at 905-957-3208 or email at tkott"at"glanbrookconservation.on.ca Regards, From: KCBSP"at"aol.com Kathy Clark New Cumberland, PA On March 8 The Bluebird Society of PA held its 5th annual conference at the Shawnee on the Delaware in Stroudsburg, PA. The weather even cooperated and the sun shined all day long! There were 150 people in attendance that day, and the day's events ran from 8 to about 5 p.m. We had a great show and tell the evening before with 60 people for it! That
was so much fun. Everybody showing and sharing all their gadgets, unique one of
a kind items, and telling stories. Keith, Sandy and Shawn Kridler came from
Texas to be a part of our event. Keith gave a super program on all Also a strange bird showed up protesting!!! He wanted his own trail and we learned all about his species and his nesting habits. "Barf" the black vulture! Black vultures also are cavity nesting species, and we played out a little skit about them with Barf and our mascot, Bluebelle. These skits are educational even though sometimes a bit silly. A hand out was also provided to participants at the conference all about vultures, and the next day it seemed the vultures were everywhere we went when we went bird watching! How strange huh? :) We ended the day with a silent and live auction, a raffle and lots of door prizes. I think everybody had a great time!! I'm posting a link here to just a few of the pictures taken that day. Keith is the one with the microphone in his hand looking all serious and his arm bent and his hand on his hip. I'm the blonde with the little granny glasses and the black sweater. Karen is standing at the podium with her book in hand. Perhaps you will know or recognize others, and I'm not sure who else is on the list that was at the conference. I hope you enjoy the pictures as much as we enjoyed the day!! Perhaps we might see you at the next one! From: KCBSP"at"aol.com Hi Everyone! We finally figured out how to share these all with you in a format you can do with ease. I hope that you like them. We sure had a great time and hope anyone who is interested will help next year or attend. Kathy Clark, New Cumberland ********* To view Kathy Clark's pictures at Shutterfly, http://www.shutterfly.com/osi.jsp?i67b0de21b3352709c411 (If you can't click on this link, try copying and pasting it into your web browser.) NEED HELP? http://www.shutterfly.com/support/form8.jsp ************************************* Where your pictures live Bluebird Festivals/Conferences (Part 4) |
BEST OF BLUEBIRD_L CLASSIFIEDS HOME | Audubon Society of Omaha | The Bluebird Box | Bluebird FAQs | Search | Contact meAll material was originally posted on the Bluebird_L or Bluebird mailing list, and has been reposted here with slight modifications to make the posts more readable in an HTML format. In cases in which quoted material has been deleted to save space, this is indicated by an ellipsis (...)For more information about Bluebird_L, check out http://www.cit.corn.edu/cit-pubs/email/using-lists/index.htm. If you wish to contact the author of a post, you will need to edit the e-mail address, replacing "at" with the "at" symbol (above the number 2 on your keyboard). (This change was made to discourage spammers.)If you are the author of a posting and would like to see a particular post (or posts) removed from these web pages, please contact me with the web page address, title of post, and date and time of the post(s), and I will remove whatever material you like. If you have a different opinion from one posted here, you need not contact me, as often I will have a different opinion too. The intent is to try and provide both sides to the issues facing bluebirders, and to do so in an impartial and objective manner.If you have problems, encounter broken links (unless they are within an e-mail thread, as I do not maintain those links), or have suggestions on how the site can be improved to make it more useful, please contact the Best of Bluebird-L Classifieds webmaster.Website design by
Chimalis
|
