Issue 4, November 2022
Stockbridge
Audubon
www.stockbridgeaudubon.org
Representing Northeast Indiana
President’s Words
By Lorenzo Kleine
Sparrows rarely get our attention or
appreciation–they (usually) aren’t brightly
colored and they seem to be everyday, familiar
birds. They’re easy to overlook simply because
we expect them to be there. On bird walks they
are usually the first birds that stop getting
mentioned out loud–as if we are collectively
wishing for something more than just….another
sparrow.
Despite this, sparrows are notable harbingers of
cooler weather for birders and this is a time to
reconsider the scrappy seed-loving birds we take
for granted. While some sparrows spend their
summers in Northeast Indiana, quite a few are
quite literally “snowbirds” avoiding harsher
conditions farther north. Many may be surprised
to learn that Dark-eyed juncos, the handsome
black and white birds that enjoy spending time
near feeders, are a sparrow species. Many
birders note their “first junco of the fall” as a
sign of the season. Fox sparrows and White-
crowned sparrows challenge the notion that
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P.O. Box 13131, Fort Wayne, Indiana 46867
sparrows have to be “small” and “brown”. Adult
White-crowned sparrows sport striking white
and black stripes on the top of their head.
With our fall field trips ending for the season, a
great occasion to celebrate winter sparrows will
be at our upcoming area Christmas Bird Counts–
information on dates and how to get involved are
included in this issue. The CBCs are the oldest
citizen science project in the world so I
encourage you to attend if you can! Every
observer (and every sparrow) counts.
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).
Fork-Tailed Flycatcher Spotted on
Stockbridge Field Trip
By Cynthia Powers
It isn’t often that most of our field trip
participants get a “lifer.” But that’s what
happened on our October 29 trip to the Lake
Michigan area!
Thanks to our leader Jeff McCoy, expert on
lakefront birding, we were directed to the
“stakeout” location to see a Fork-Tailed
Flycatcher, a bird that really belongs in South
America. Jeff said, “Just watch for a bunch of
people with spotting scopes.” Sure enough, the
black and white bird was flying back and forth
across Broadway just south of Beverly Shores
Drive, so that everyone got excellent views.
This was only the third record of this species in
Indiana.
Fork-tails are in the same genus, Tyrannus, as
our familiar Eastern Kingbird. This one had
been eating insects and Virginia creeper berries,
according to birders who had observed it starting
the Thursday before our arrival.
The weather was calm and sunny, so we made
several other stops. We saw a Red-throated
Loon in Lake Michigan, and climbed the famous
“green tower” viewing platform at Dunes State
Park. (It isn’t really green any more, but
replaced an old green water tower, so the name
has stuck.) Although we were too late to see a
flight of Evening Grosbeaks, we enjoyed the
peaceful view of the lake.
Migration season is full of surprises, and the
word is that we may see Evening Grosbeaks here
this winter. So stay alert!
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Photos courtesy of Ed Powers
Limberlost 2022 Updates
By Terri Gorney Lehman
Stockbridge Audubon Society gave a donation
towards the purchase of ten acres next to the
Loblolly Marsh Nature Preserve. This land was
purchased by the Friends of the Limberlost for
restoration of it for bird habitat. It is land that
retired regional ecologist Ken Brunswick has
wanted for a long time. Ken has been
instrumental in overseeing this restoration
project.
The Friends paid for mowing and herbicide
spraying to prepare the property due to slow
progress and delays due to Covid-19. This fall
restoration began.
The ten acres is being restored to a sedge
meadow, wet prairie, and emergent wetland. The
Friends have been working with U.S. Fish &
Wildlife Service which recommended using The
Stanger Group, Inc., from Goshen. In late
September, tiles had been removed, three small
ponds dug, and plantings completed. Green is
already sprouting.
Restoration takes time and patience (and
money!). Ken Brunswick has said it looks worse
before it looks better. Ken fortunately had the
foresight to see what restoring part of the old
Limberlost Swamp could mean for wildlife. In a
little over 20 years, the Limberlost Conservation
Area now consists of over 1700 acres.
In August, Naturalist Curt Burnette placed a trail
cam in an area of Limberlost where there are no
trails and that stays wet a good part of the year.
Seven river otters, beaver, deer, turkey are some
of the wildlife that have been captured on it.
The bird list for Limberlost is at 226 species in
about 14 years.
In 1946, a group of Geneva residents formed the
Limberlost Conservation Association and
purchased Gene Stratton-Porter’s Limberlost
Cabin on December 31, 1946. LCA donated it to
the state of Indiana. In 1947, they were searching
for land that could be made into a Bird Sanctuary
as a tribute to Gene. A tract of 12.4 acres was
purchased off County Line Road east of US 27.
They donated this to the IDNR. Nothing much
was done until 1999 when Ken Brunswick pushed
to get a parking lot made and trail created with the
help of Boy Scout Troop 67 and others.
In 2002, the Limberlost Conservation
Association sold the 27.88 acres to the west of the
Limberlost Bird Sanctuary at a bargain price to
the Friends of the Limberlost. Ken dug a pond and
planted a prairie full of native plants and grasses
and constructed trails. This preserve of 40 acres
is not well-known but has become great birding
habitat with its woods, prairie, and pond.
My husband Randy and I enjoy birding here.
Highlights have been red-shouldered hawks,
brown creepers, Lincoln’s sparrows, purple finch,
blue-headed vireo, Nashville warbler, golden-
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crowned kinglets, and the yellow-rumped
warblers. In October of this year, we had seven
species of sparrows: song, field, chipping,
American tree, Lincoln’s, swamp, and white-
throated. The Limberlost Bird Sanctuary has
lived up to its name.
The Friends of the Limberlost board is happy to
see Fort Wayne native Ryan Smith (who is a great
birder and has been on many Stockbridge field
trips) as the new east-central regional ecologist, a
job that Ken Brunswick retired from in December
2013. We know that Limberlost will continue to
grow and become even better.
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
zzedpowers@aol.com and let him know whether you
would prefer a paper or emailed version. (Telling
him just once is sufficient.) If you don’t wish to
continue receiving the newsletter after the first issue,
don’t do anything and nothing further will be sent to
you.
Shade-Grown Coffee Still a Benefit
Noblesville’s Wood Warbler Coffee offers eco-friendly,
ethically grown whole-bean and ground coffees, which
are available in 12-oz. packages; 5-lb. bags of whole
beans also may be ordered. Unfortunately, they have
discontinued the “Conservation Partners” relationship
with Stockbridge. Although we no longer will receive a
portion of the purchase price of one particular blend, the
coffee continues to be a great choice for those who wish
to buy sustainably-grown coffee. Learn more at
https://woodwarblercoffee.com.
 2022 Christmas Bird Counts
GENE STRATTON-PORTER CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT
When: Friday, Dec. 16, 2022; 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Where: Gene Stratton-Porter SHS; 1205 Pleasant Point, Rome City, IN 46784
CBC Circle: The GSP CBC encompasses a number of wonderful properties including ACRES’ Detering and
Lonidaw nature preserves, the Gene Stratton-Porter State Historic Site, Bixler Lake Park in Kendallville, and
the Chain O’Lakes State Park.

Details: Birders can meet at the GSPSHS Carriage House for a quick gathering & final assignments if they
would like. Assignments will be sent out ahead of time so they can familiarize themselves with area. We will
return to the site at 12:00 noon to enjoy a warm lunch and compare lists. Birders can then return to the field or
head home for the day after lunch.
Register by 12/14 by emailing Tiffany Parker at tmparker@indianamuseum.org.
Tiffany Parker
Northern Regional Director
Gene Stratton-Porter State Historic Site & Limberlost State Historic Site
tmparker@indianamuseum.org
p: 260-854-3790
c: 317.416.2604

FORT WAYNE CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT

At the time of this publication, the Fort Wayne Count has been canceled for 2022.

PIGEON RIVER CBC

The Pigeon River Christmas Bird Count is on hiatus until at least next year. Many thanks to all who have served
as compilers in the past! The hope is that there will be a new compiler for the 2023 count.

POKAGON CBC
The 43rd Annual Pokagon Christmas Bird Count will be held on Wednesday, December 28, 2022. The
Pokagon CBC is a part of the 123rd Annual Christmas Bird Counts sponsored by the National Audubon Society.
From December 17, 2022, to January 8, 2023, all throughout North America, birdwatchers contribute to citizen
science through the methodical process of counting and recording birds in established, predetermined 15-mile
diameter circles.
On Wednesday, December 28, birders in predetermined teams will disperse into a 15-mile diameter circle, the
center being the center of Steuben County, to count both species and numbers of birds.
Participants will not gather at the Pokagon State Park to divide into teams and head into the field, as done in the
past. Teams will be determined in advance and team leaders will be mailed CBC materials ahead of time. It will be
up to each team to determine how they wish to bird in their respective areas. Each team will meet at a site
determined by the team leader and from there, carpool or car caravan, safely stopping at birding sites they determine.
Birders should bring their own birding optics and dress for a day in the field. Participants should also bring a
sack lunch to enjoy in the field, or their team may wish to make other lunch arrangements on their own. All
results will be returned to the count compiler and a final report will be sent to the National Audubon Society
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and to all participants. There is no fee for the event.
Residents within Steuben County, within the count circle, may also participate by recording birds at their
feeders and reporting them to the count compiler.
Prior registration is required. To do so, contact count compiler Fred Wooley at 260-243-0513 (cell) or E-mail
fwooley@frontier.com. Registration deadline is December 15, to allow time to form teams, distribute
materials, and for teams to be in contact and make their plans. For further information, contact Fred Wooley.

TIPPECANOE CBC
The Tippecanoe Audubon Society Christmas Count will be Saturday, December 31, 2022. The 15-mile-
diameter count circle is centered at Oswego, Indiana in Kosciusko County. Birders of all skill levels are
welcome. Those interested should get in touch with Dave Hicks at djhicks@manchester.edu or 260-982-2471.

SANJO (Southern Adams, Northern Jay and Ouabache) CBC

SANJO CBC (Southern Adams Northern Jay Ouabache) will be held on Saturday, December 31, 2022. There
has been a CBC in Adams County for over 50 years either as a circle or a county count.
Members of Mississinewa Audubon Club, Robert Cooper Audubon Society and Stockbridge Audubon Society
have participated the last several years. Territories include Limberlost Swamp Nature Preserve, Loblolly
Marsh, Ouabache State Park, Rainbow Bend, Bird Sanctuary, Limberlost Park. There will be a chili lunch at
noon at the Limberlost Visitor Center. All new comers welcome. We welcome counters and property and
neighborhood counters inside the circle. Plenty of good territory.
Meet at Limberlost Visitor Center at 8:00 or go directly to your territory. Compiler- contact Terri Gorney
Lehman for details 260-413-5671 or bandtgorney@aol.com

SOUTHWEST ALLEN CBC - Saturday, December 31, 2022

We’ve survived two years of Covid, and last year the derecho of June 13 devastated Fox Island County Park
which has served as our headquarters since our count began in 2015. Nevertheless, birders are resilient, aren’t
we?
Communication is the key! To make things easier for park staff, I will send out team assignments by email.
You will need to make your own arrangements for meeting up. We will plan to have our chili lunch in the
nature center at noon, with preliminary reports posted on the overhead projector. After that, teams may finish
covering their assigned territory or watch their home feeders, and email the completed counts to me that
evening.
The count circle includes Foster Park, Fox Island, Eagle Marsh, Fogwell Forest, the Arrowhead properties, the
new LC Nature Park, many rural roads and residential areas. Usually I divide the circle into six territories.
Feeder watchers are needed too, as long as you live in the count circle.
You MUST contact me as compiler as soon as possible, but before Dec. 20. That’s so areas don’t get counted
twice, and for any last-minute changes.
Christmas Bird Counts have been going on since 1900. They started as a protest against the custom of
Christmas bird shoots killing as many birds as possible. Now the CBC’s contribute valuable information for
science as well as being a lot of fun!
Maybe we’ll see a Snowy Owl, or Evening Grosbeaks.
Cynthia Powers, compiler, zzedpowers@aol.com or 638-4291

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Members voted last June to select a bird to represent Stockbridge Audubon. All the birds
on the ballot were year-round residents and any would have been a fitting mascot–but we
can only have one winner! The result of the member vote to choose our avian
representative is hidden in the word search below!

WORD SEARCH by Cynthia Powers

The words may be forward, backward, diagonal or overlapping. Circle the ones you find in the
grid on the next page, and check them off the list. Some letters will be left over; mark them
with a highlighter and fill in the blanks below. They should spell the scientific name of
Stockbridge’s new logo.

Turkey Field guide Ruff

Vulture Eagle Lark
Sandhill cranes Life list Falcon
Whippoorwill Thrush Hairy
Chickadee Willet Vireo
Redtail Wren Down
Hummer Rail Trail
Binocs Sora Gape
Scope Big Suet
Robin Sit Seed
Redwing Blackbird Goose
Downy Nest Fish
Mallard Quail Caw
Fledge Bobwhite Poop
Nuthatch Fly Bats
Bluejay Cow Tea

Our new logo will be:

----- ----------

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S I T G N I W D E R T F F A T
E L B I G C G O O S E V A E H
N S B L A C K B I R D U L O R
A O L Q U A I L R A I L C V U
R R U F F L E D G E I T O I S
C A E I S F I S H W P U N R H
L L J E I W A C R T U R K E Y
L I A L B I N O C S K E A O N
I A Y D P O O P R R W R E N W
H R V G A P E E A G L E S E O
D T E U P R F L Y A I D U S D
N C H I C K A D E E S T E T U
A O H D D O W N U T H A T C H
S W R E M M U H A H A I R Y S
E T I H W B O B D R A L L A M

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P.O. Box 13131, Fort Wayne, IN 46867

Return Service Requested

|Stockbridge Directors and Officers|

Inside this issue:
Lorenzo Kleine, President lorenzo.kleine@gmail.com
President’s Words
Julie Henricks, V.P. & Newsletter Editor 260-433-6330
Terri Gorney Lehman,
Secretary & Program Chair 260-490-6725
Fork-Tailed Flycatcher Eric Helfrich, Treasurer 260-693-3246
Sighted on Field Trip Greg Majewski, Director_________________gamajewski@gmail.com
Cynthia Powers, Director________________ 260-638-4291
Ed Powers, Membership 260-638-4291
Limberlost 2022 Updates Dave Reichlinger, Director 260-432-9431
Sandy Schacht, Director Emerita 260-433-0245
Stephanie Wagner, Director sewsings328@gmail.com
And lots more good stuff! Phil Wixom, Webmaster_________________a28n28@yahoo.com
Andrew Wolfe, Director jawwolfe@gmail.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: __ $20

Address_____________________________________

City/State/Zip________________________________

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