Winter Meeting Report

Gregory J. Harber

 

     As I write this report it is another dreary, rainy night in Alabama, like so many other nights this winter.  The primary difference between tonight and January 28, however, is that it is 30 degrees warmer now, thankfully.  Driving from Birmingham to Guntersville that cold afternoon I didn’t delay since the weather forecast called for freezing precipitation, which did not bode well for the next day’s field trip plans.  And, since this meeting was a joint endeavor with the Georgia Ornithological Society, I had hoped that everything would be just perfect for our guests.  As it turned out, it nearly was.

 

     The Friday night gathering featured the usual fare offered by the member’s favorite slides format: wonderful slides and tales of birding trips to destinations near and far.  I especially enjoyed Cecil Kersting’s slides of birds seen on his recent trip to Antarctica.  What a fabulous place!  At the conclusion of the evening Stan Hamilton, our field trips leader, advised us that the temperatures were hovering just below freezing and a light rain had settled in over the city.  “Stay tuned and we’ll see what tomorrow shall bring.”

 

     The next morning dawned cold and rainy but the roads were passable, so after a slight delay, the field trips departed as scheduled.  Linda Reynolds, who along with her husband Dick so thoroughly handled our meeting arrangements, led a group to Town Creek and Lake Guntersville State Park.  Steve McConnell and I led two separate groups along the Guntersville waterfront, while Stan escorted many of the Georgia birders to Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge where they met refuge manager Dwight Cooley.  As an added bonus, Stan’s group made a last minute dash, a successful one at that, to see the Western Grebe over near Wheeler Dam.

 

     Saturday morning’s raw conditions made for some very brief forays from our cars as we tooled along the waterfront, hoping for a glimpse of the Red-throated and Pacific Loons that had been reported on Friday.  All for naught, though.  Eventually Steve opted to head north while I headed south to the site of the former Big Spring Minnow Farm, in search of sparrows hearty enough to brave the cold winds.  No White-crowned Sparrows as I had hoped but we did have a brief look at a Lincoln’s Sparrow in the hedgerow.  The loons were as elusive as ever as we drove past the waterfront again, on our way to Clarence’s Rib Shack for lunch.

 

     Fortified by the hot luncheon fare and encouraged by the diminishing rainfall, we motored on over to the US 431 bridge landing to join the others headed to the Hawk Farm for an afternoon outing led by Dick and Linda.  While the bird variety and numbers were uncharacteristically low for this location, the group was treated to the sight of Bald Eagles tending to eaglets in a nest they had built near the dam.  Upon learning that a number of people had not yet seen the loons, Linda and Dick led the whole caravan over to the AL 69 causeway, from which the loons had been seen earlier in the day.  The Pacific Loon was located far offshore from the boat launch but in the cold winds it was a less than satisfactory view.  The Red-throated was far off too, but at least it was readily distinguishable from the many Common Loons.  Tomorrow might be a better day -- the eternal mantra for birders everywhere.

 

     The dinner program featured Pat and Jack Casselberry, volunteers with the Operation Migration Whooping Crane project.  Their’s was a most informative, and even entertaining (dancing, anyone?!), program addressing the efforts to restore a migratory population of Whooping Cranes to the eastern United States.  As many of you know, the cranes are taught to follow ultralight aircraft as they learn their migratory route from Wisconsin to Florida, where the Casselberrys live.  The success the project has enjoyed thus far is a testament to the results that can be accomplished when people of goodwill and a dedicated spirit work together.  Adding a special dimension to the program was the knowledge that three of these endangered cranes from previous classes had stayed briefly in the vicinity of Wheeler NWR back in December.  Regrettably one was later found dead but the other two successfully migrated to Florida.  The cause of death remains uncertain at this time, to my knowledge.

 

     Early Sunday, Stan led an intrepid bunch out the park to meet Linda again.  This time owls were the subject of their quest.  Barred and Great Horned Owls obliged these dedicated souls, and an Eastern Screech Owl was obliging enough for some of the Georgia birders staying in the park.  I on the other hand had my heart set on those dang loons, still!  So over to the causeway I went. 

 

     This morning the birding gods smiled on us and took mercy.  The Pacific and Red-throated Loons were within easy viewing distance at the midpoint in the causeway.  The Red-throated was so close one did not even need optics of any sort to see the snake-like curvature of the bird’s profile as Jeff Wilson pointed it out to us.  And the Pacific?  Why its tidy little chinstrap was as plain as day.   The small coterie of birders gathered on the causeway had now grown large enough to catch the attention of the locals.  As I was leaving Guntersville, the clerk at the convenience store asked what the reason for all the commotion was.  “Loons!”  I said.  She had no way of knowing or appreciating what splendid views we had all enjoyed.

 

     As I said, I was in the process of leaving, but not for Birmingham.  I and several other Birmingham birders decided to forego attending the compilation in favor of striking out for the Western Grebe – a life bird if for several of us, including me.   While we were successful in finding this bird too, we did have occasion for one regret.  It is a lesson I shall not soon forget:  Never ignore the sight of Jeff Wilson’s vehicle pulled well off on the shoulder of the road and headed nose first into the fence, with a large flock of gulls wheeling in the distance.  As I would later learn, Jeff had found an Iceland Gull!  Steve McConnell had placed a call over to the crowd at the compilation, but alas, we were unaware of the presence of this rarity as we sped west.   A lesson in life to savor the moment and to treasure what you have.

 

     The final species tally for the weekend was a respectable 118.  Most importantly though, we enjoyed spending time with the GOS, sharing some wonderful birds and forging new friendships.  As Bob Sargent, the GOS president said, it is now time for us to go visit them.  I look forward to that day.