Issue 1, February 2020
Stockbridge
Audubon
www.stockbridgeaudubon.org
Representing Northeast Indiana
President’s Words
By Cynthia Powers
This issue includes a full schedule of
spring field trips, and there’s a new family
friendly one! It’s the brain child of our
own Greg Majewski, who will lead it on
April 25. It will not start too early or go
on too long for short legs, and will go on
paved trails. Round up some kids and
come along!
All you bird photographers: how about
submitting pictures of birds and birders
(especially cute kids) to the outdoor
recreation page of the Sunday Journal
Gazette: jgsports@jg.net. Like the kids
on the family field trip!
Following up on the “3 Billion Birds
Gone” study, Natalie Haley at Fox Island
has made a list of the nine species most at
risk in Indiana from rising temperatures.
They are: Red-headed Woodpecker,
Wood Thrush, Brown Thrasher, Field
Sparrow, Henslow’s Sparrow, Eastern
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P.O. Box 13131, Fort Wayne, Indiana 46867
Towhee, Bobolink, Yellow-throated
Warbler, and Scarlet Tanager. All can (so
far) be found in Allen County. Let’s keep
it that way; come with us on field trips and
let’s see if we can find them.
With board approval I signed a group letter
supporting the Migratory Bird Treaty Act,
on behalf of Stockbridge. After all, the
1905 murder of Audubon warden Guy
Bradley solidified support of laws
protecting Florida’s birds from the ravages
of plume hunters. Never forget!
Stockbridge Audubon is now on Instagram!
Follow us at @stockbridgeaudubon (and don't
forget to DM us with any Northeast Indiana
bird photos you have taken, and you could be
featured).
Upcoming Programs and Events
Discontinuation of the Big May Day
Count was announced recently by the
Indiana Audubon Society. The following
appears on their website,
https://indianaaudubon.org/bird-counts/:
“After careful thought and discussion, the
Indiana Audubon Society (IAS) has decided
to end the annual Big May Day Bird Count,
held formally on the second Saturday in
May. Over the last 27 years, the count has
averaged less than 50% participation of
the counties submitting data and
individual participation has seen a study
decline over the years; averaging over a
hundred less counters from the first 14
years to the last 13 years through 2019.”
Sunday, June 7 at 2 p.m.: Mark your
calendars for this event at the Fox Island
County Park nature center. Jeff Ormiston
will give a presentation on dragonflies --
hear about these fascinating insects and
then try to net some behind the nature
center! This promises to be a good
program for families.
Short-eared Owls (Asio flammeus)
of Limberlost
By Terri Gorney
James “Jim” Haw went to the Limberlost
Swamp Wetland Preserve on November 23
2011. His target bird late that afternoon
was the short-eared owl. Northern harriers
were seen here and Jim knew it was good
habitat for the owls. Jim’s hunch was
correct. He saw the first short-eared owls
in this location of restored habitat.
Fast forward to November 22 2019 when
Randy Lehman and I had two of these
magnificent fliers appear at 5:22 pm. They
seem to be using the same roosting area
that Ben Hess found (by accident while
working as the regional ecologist) on
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February 21 2017. Since we reported them
a number of birders have gotten to see
them and even photograph them again this
year.
This is the ninth year that the short-eared
owls have wintered at the Limberlost
Swamp Wetland Preserve. According to
my records, they have first been seen
between November 15 and November 28.
Normally two to five owls can be seen if
you are lucky. Randy and I have seen them
as late as April 8 as we did in 2017. Then
as magically as they appear they leave.
Dusk can be a magical place when the
short-eared owls suddenly appear for a
night of hunting small mammals. They
have helped keep the population of shrews,
moles, voles and mice under control.
These owls fly low over the grasslands
looking for prey.
It is a special sight to view these masters
of the night. They are so silent and seem to
glide. It is fascinating to watch them on the
wing together almost in a playful fashion.
The owls like to perch about three to four
feet off the ground.
On January 16 2017, Kimberley Roll took
a picture of a short-eared owl with the
northern harriers. The owls do not appear
to be shy about chasing the harriers off
when it is dusk.
Amos W. Butler was known as the father
of Indiana Ornithology. In 1907, while on
the board of the Indiana Audubon Society,
he tried to convince “every open-minded
person” as to the great benefit of owls
because they eat small animals and insects
that are “destructive enemies of the Cynthia reports that “We ended up with 50
farmers’ crops.” species total.  That is consistent with
previous totals, which were 50, 52, 47, and
While living at Limberlost, Gene Stratton- 49.
Porter wrote, “The owl can afford to be
silent of the wing, it so dominates the night “Notable were bald eagles, a merlin (good
with its voice. It would give me great description included!), harriers, and an
satisfaction if I had some way of knowing eastern phoebe that forgot to migrate.  And
surely whether other birds sleep two dromedaries in Wells County!  Who
serenely….or whether they are awake and knew!
shudder in fear.” Gene was in awe of owls.
Adorning her carved bed that is still in the “As usual Fox Island's hospitality was
Limberlost Cabin, the owl is one of the outstanding.  Jeff Ormiston came in on his
main motifs. day off to set up the slide show from
National Audubon explaining the history
The habitat restoration at the Limberlost of the CBC.  And three kinds of chili made
Swamp Wetland Preserve has created the by Brett Fisher and Lori Healey.  Although
perfect wintering location for the short- Stockbridge Audubon pays for the
eared owls. It is worth the effort to go out ingredients, their dedication to the art of
in the late afternoon before dark or in the chili making is the best part of the whole
early morning to experience seeing these count.”
owls.
Here’s what was seen that day:
When the short-eared owls return to
Limberlost in November, I think of Jim Species Total
Canada Goose 1098
Haw. Jim died in 2017 and his IN-Bird Mute Swan 16
reports, bird writings of rare finds and FOS Wood Duck 6
birds, are still missed by those in American Black Duck 4
Northeastern Indiana who enjoyed hearing Mallard 640
or reading about his birding adventures. I Northern Pintail 1
Great Blue Heron 5
hope Jim is still having birding adventures
Bald Eagle 9
in the beyond. Northern Harrier 2
Sharp-shinned Hawk 1
Southwest Christmas Bird Count Cooper’s Hawk 7
Red-tailed Hawk 39
2020 Results Red-shouldered Hawk 1
Compiled by Cynthia Powers Ring-billed Gull 40
Rock Pigeon 124
The Southwest Christmas Bird Count, held Mourning Dove 103
on Saturday, Jan. 4, was a lot of fun as Barred Owl 1
Belted Kingfisher 2
always.
Red-headed Woodpecker 2

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Red-bellied Woodpecker 34 Bob-white – 21, Mourning dove – 1, Hairy
Downy Woodpecker 45 woodpecker – 4, Downy woodpecker – 17,
Hairy Woodpecker 11
Flicker -2, Blue jay – 29, American crow –
Northern Flicker 16
Pileated Woodpecker 1 24, Goldfinch – 4, Pine siskin – 2, Tree
American Kestrel 29 sparrow – 379, Slate-colored junco – 63,
Merlin 1 Song sparrow – 14, Cardinal – 26, Brown
Eastern Phoebe 1 creeper – 2, White-breasted nuthatch – 18,
Blue Jay 79 Tufted titmouse – 6, Black-capped
American Crow 310
chickadee – 39.
Horned Lark 6
Carolina Chickadee 53 Totals: 17 species; 651 individuals.
Tufted Titmouse 33
White-breasted Nuthatch 57 On November 2 William Sihler observed
Brown Creeper 2 15 white-winged crossbills.
Carolina Wren 6
Eastern Bluebird 45 Albert A. Ringwalt
American Robin 72 A. K. Mehl
European Starling 927
Henry W. Seeper
Cedar Waxwing 17
Yellow-rumped Warbler 1 William Sihler
American Tree Sparrow 52
Swamp Sparrow 1 Source: Bird Lore, Twentieth Christmas Bird
Song Sparrow 44 Count Statistics
White-throated Sparrow 17
White-crowned Sparrow 4
Dark-eyed Junco 77
Northern Cardinal 100
House Finch 89
American Goldfinch 103
House Sparrow 275

Christmas Bird Count 1920

By Terri Gorney
The Christmas Bird Count of 1920 was
held on December 20 from 7:30 am – 1:00
pm. Notes are that it was fair wind from
the northeast and 18-30 degrees. The
counters covered ten miles of riverbank
and vicinity. It was not noted but if it was
like earlier counts, it was held along the St.
Mary’s River in and around Foster Park.
Least Flycatcher
Photo courtesy of Julie Henricks
If you recently joined National Audubon
Society, you’re receiving this complimentary
newsletter because you are automatically
granted membership in the local Stockbridge
chapter when you join National. If you would
like to continue receiving the letter, which is
produced four times a year, please call Ed
Powers at 260-638-4291 or email him at

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zzedpowers@aol.com and let him know ___ Dave Reichlinger, director
whether you would prefer a paper or emailed
version. If you don’t wish to continue ___ Sandy Schacht, director emerita
receiving this newsletter, don’t do anything ___ Stephanie Wagner, director
and no further issues will be sent to you.
___ Andrew Wolfe, director

Ballot for Stockbridge Audubon: spring Please print off your ballot, mark it, and mail it to
2020, to take office May 2020 Julie Henricks, 16608 Branstrator Road, Ossian,
IN 46777; or email ossianbirder@gmail.com.
___ Cynthia Powers, president
___ Julie Henricks, vice president
Coffee lovers, don’t forget to visit
___ Terri Gorney, secretary www.woodwarblercoffee.com for all of
___ Eric Helfrich, treasurer your shade-grown coffee needs! Use the
___ Margit Codispoti, director Stockbridge tab when ordering, to benefit
our chapter.
___ Lorenzo Kleine, director
___ Greg Majewski, director
STOCKBRIDGE AUDUBON SOCIETY 2020 SPRING FIELD TRIPS

Field trips are open to all; we welcome beginners. Keep in mind: Bring a picnic lunch for all trips lasting past noon. We
leave on time. We carpool for out-of-town trips; sharing gas expenses is appreciated. We can meet people at our destination
or on the way if arranged in advance. Return times are estimates; you can return early if you drive yourself. Dress for the
weather; waterproof shoes or boots are often needed. For further information, contact the relevant trip leader or Ed Powers,
(260)638-4291, zzedpowers@aol.com.

Sat Mar 14 Kankakee FWA; meet at 8:00 AM EDT at north end of Meijer parking lot, 6309 Lima Rd (north of I-69). Waterfowl (up to
five goose species possible), songbirds. Travel mostly by car. Return around 5 PM. Leaders: Margit Codispoti, Stephanie Wagner.

Sat Mar 21 Pigeon River FWA; meet at 8:00 AM at north end of Meijer parking lot, 6309 Lima Rd (north of I-69). Waterfowl, Sandhill
Cranes, songbirds, maybe owls. Return around 5:00 PM. Leaders: Sam Plew, Ed Powers.

Sun Mar 22 Hurshtown Reservoir. Meet at the reservoir, 16000 Roth Rd, 1 mi S of hwy 1 (1.5 mi N of Grabill Rd) at 3 PM. Loons,
grebes, ducks, gulls, maybe Snow Buntings. We circle the reservoir by car, stopping occasionally to get out and scope the water.
Finish by 5:00 PM. Leader: Ed Powers.

Sat Mar 28 Pisgah Marsh and Tri-County FWA; meet at 8:00 AM at north end of Meijer parking lot, 6309 Lima Rd (north of I-69).
Waterfowl, herons, songbirds. Return around 4-4:30 PM. Leaders: John Winebrenner, Ed Powers.

Sat Apr 4 Chain O’ Lakes State Park; meet at 7:30 AM at north end of Meijer parking lot, 6309 Lima Rd (north of I-69), or at the Youth
Campground at Chain O’ Lakes at 8:15. Hawks, woodpeckers, migrant songbirds. Up to five miles on mostly flat trails; may be
some wet spots. Return about 4:00 PM. Leader: John Winebrenner.

Sun Apr 5 Hurshtown Reservoir. Details same as Mar 22.

Sat Apr 18 Fox Island County Park; meet at the Vera Dulin Building parking lot at Fox Island, 7324 Yohne Rd., at 8:00 AM;
Woodpeckers, woodland songbirds, including migrant warblers. Three or four miles on easy trails; may be some wet spots. Finish
by noon. Leaders: Eric Helfrich, John Winebrenner. We will be joined mid-way by members of the Indiana Master Naturalist class.
Park entrance fee of $2 payable at self-serve post just inside gate or at the Nature Center.

Sat Apr 25 Eagle Marsh. Meet at 4:30 PM at the Engle Road parking lot near the gate to the barn. Shorebirds, herons, swallows, etc. Up

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 to two miles on flat trails; boots or waterproof shoes recommended. Finish by 8:30. Leader: David Ward.

Sat Apr 25 Meet at the Lawton Park trailhead (just east of the skate park) at 10:00 for an all-ages, all-skill levels bird walk. Families and
beginners are welcome on this walk that will last until about 11:30. We will walk paved trails along the river downtown through
Promenade and Headwaters Parks and cover up to two miles. We will look for migrating species as well as some of the more visible
resident urban birds. Binoculars are not necessary, but please bring a pair to have the best chance of seeing smaller birds like
warblers. Contact Greg Majewski at gamajewski@gmail.com if you would like additional information.

Sat May 2 Brennan Woods and Badger Barrens Nature Preserves. Meet at north end of Meijer parking lot, 6309 Lima Rd at 7:30, or at
the Fremont Elementary School Parking Lot at 8:30.  We will carpool to nearby Clear Lake to first bird the Brennan Woods Nature
Preserve, a unit of the Clear Lake Township Land Conservancy.  Brennan Woods is a mostly open, rolling woodland featuring large
oaks and healthy woodpecker populations.  There is also a small wooded swamp along the preserve’s edge and a large open area
being restored to prairie.  From there, our tour will continue east of the lake to visit the Blue Heron Ministries’ Badger Barrens
Nature Preserve.  This open, sandy, prairie features great stands of lupine that should just be starting to bloom.   That show alone is
worth a visit. Following this, we will visit other Steuben sites. Leader: Fred Wooley, Stephanie Wagner.

Sat May 9 Fox Island County Park; meet at the Vera Dulin Building parking lot at Fox Island, 7324 Yohne Rd., at 8:00 AM; like April
18, but no IMN class. Finish by noon. Leaders: Margit Codispoti, Stephanie Wagner. Entrance fee of $2 payable at self-serve post
just inside gate or at the Nature Center. NOTE: the Big May Day Count, which normally would have been held on this date, has
been discontinued as noted earlier in the newsletter.

Sat May 16 Magee Marsh Wildlife Area, Ohio; meet at 6:30 AM from the southeast side of the Meijer lot on Maysville Rd. just W of I-
469 at IN 37. Waterfowl, herons, shorebirds, warblers and other songbirds. Return around 6-7 PM. Leaders: Margit Codispoti,
Stephanie Wagner.

Sat May 23 Salamonie Lake; meet at 7:30 AM from northeast corner of Rural King parking lot, Village at Coventry, US 24 just west of I-
69, or meet us at 8:00 AM at Forks of the Wabash, southwest corner of US 24 and IN 9, Huntington. Waterfowl, woodpeckers,
songbirds. Half birding by car, but up to four miles on foot; some hills, may be muddy spots. Return around 5:00 PM. Leader:
Andrew Wolfe.

Sat May 30 Willow Slough FWA/Kankakee Sands; leave at 6:30 AM from Kroger’s, northwest side of jct. IN 14 west and Scott Rd.
Grassland birds and others, some at eastern extreme of their ranges. Return about 7 PM. Leaders: Dave Reichlinger, Eric Helfrich.

Inside this issue:

|Stockbridge Directors and Officers|
President’s Words 6

Short-Eared Owls of
Limberlost
 Cynthia Powers, President 638-4291
Julie Henricks, V.P. & Newsletter Editor 638-4375
Terri Gorney, Secretary & Program Chair 490-6725
Eric Helfrich, Treasurer 260-693-3246
Sandy Schacht, Director 260-356-3681
Margit Codispoti, Director 456-1996
Ed Powers, Membership 638-4291
Dave Reichlinger, Director 432-9431
Stephanie Wagner, Director sewsings328@gmail.com
Greg Majewski, Director_________________gamajewski@gmail.com
Phil Wixom, Webmaster_________________a28n28@yahoo.com

We welcome new members using the form below (or apply online). To speed your service and save us postage, mail renewals directly to National
Audubon, using the form that they provide. Any questions relating to membership? Ed Powers, Membership Chair, will be glad to help!

Online new membership requests: https://action.audubon.org/donate/chapter-membership?chapter=H09

Or mail the following form:

National Audubon Society/Stockbridge Audubon Chapter Membership Application H09

I want to join Audubon! Enclosed is my check payable to the National Audubon Society.

Name YEARLY MEMBERSHIP:

Individual/$20 Family/$20
Address ________________________________

City/State/Zip________________________________

Mail to: National Audubon Society, 225 Varick St., New York, NY 10014