By David Curson, Director of Bird Conservation, Audubon Maryland-DC

Blackwater-Fishing Bay Marshes is the largest Audubon's Important Bird Areas Program is currently developing an inventory of the critical sites for bird conservation in Maryland and DC. Important Bird Areas are the focus of Audubon's bird conservation work and will help guide conservation and outreach initiatives of Audubon Maryland-DC, bird clubs and other interested groups.

How will the Important Bird Areas Program help birds? At Blackwater NWR Audubon Maryland-DC is already working in partnership with refuge managers to combat some of the many threats that face the site. These threats include marsh loss caused by the introduced nutria and sea-level rise, invasive plants, such as Phragmites reeds, and encroaching suburban development to the north. The IBA Program's contributions include assisting the nutria control working group to secure continued funding and nominating a land parcel for purchase as a site for a future education center using federal Land and Water Conservation Funds. We are also helping to draft a section of the refuge's Comprehensive Conservation Plan to promote monitoring and conservation of the saltmarsh bird community.

By Carol Schreter, Recording Secretary

At the November lecture, the proposed BBC By-Laws were adopted by a general vote. From now on, at Board meetings, a quorum will be seven (not ten). The Board then approved the revised Manual of Operations at the November Board meeting.

Our new Chip Notes editor Carolyn Webb created the October/ November 2005 issue. Send future submissions to Carolyn at her new e-mail address, .

By Wendy Olsson, Conservation Committee

Nurseries frequently sell English Ivy to ground out a slope or fill in a spot with an evergreen groundcover that thrives in both sun and shade and a range of conditions. Don't buy English Ivy! Not all green is good, and English Ivy is downright destructive.

English Ivy kills trees - As English Ivy grows up trees (vines can grow up to 90' long), it deprives trees of light, weighs them down, and may kill the tree or cause it to topple much earlier than under normal circumstances.

Urban woodlands are falling victim to English Ivy - The city of Portland, Oregon lists English Ivy on its "Prohibited Plant List" because it is so aggressive and requires so much control to ensure it doesn't outcompete native species.

English Ivy kills forests - English Ivy's dense mat of groundcover smothers out native tree seedlings, therefore disrupting the natural succession process in the forest.

English Ivy has an economic impact -- Large, healthy trees also bring economic value-many home buyers are attracted to neighborhoods with beautiful, established trees. Landscaping can add between 7% and 15% to a home's value. As these trees disappear and aren't replaced, home values and a neighborhood's character are affected. Also, remember getting a tree cut down is expensive, for large jobs you can expect to pay thousands of dollars.

If you have an area infested with English Ivy, or trees covered in English Ivy, get rid of it! Before working with English Ivy, put on protective clothing and sturdy gloves, since it may cause an allergic reaction.

By Joe Lewandowski

9-4-05 -- Weather was warm and sunny with highs in the 70's. Nine birders came out today but only saw eighteen birds. Two warblers, the Black-and-white Warbler, and Chestnut-sided Warbler, were bright spots of the day; along with a great view of a Broad-winged Hawk.

9-11-05 -- This was another beautiful day at the Arboretum and eleven birders joined us to stroll the grounds. Not to be disappointed, forty-six species hit our bird list. Blackburnian Warbler, Yellowthroat, Parula, Magnolia Warbler, Redstart, Ovenbird, Thrasher, Wood Thrush, Yellow Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler, Canada Warbler, Hummingbird, Chipping Sparrows, and Rose-breasted Grosbeak were the high points of the day. Can anything be more perfect?

9-18-05 -- Sunny with pleasant temperatures greeted the four birders that came out for today's walk. Fifty-two species - another great showing. Ten species of warblers, Osprey, Blackburnian Warbler, Yellowthroat, Parula, Magnolia Warbler, Redstart, Veery, Thrasher, Wood Thrush, Pine Warbler, Black-throated Green and Blue Warblers, Kestrel, Scarlet Tanager, Baltimore Oriole, Chipping Sparrows, and Rose-breasted Grosbeak were our treats for the day.

9-25-05 -- A cloudy day with temperatures in the 60's was what greeted the eight birders at Cylburn today. We only saw thirty-eight species, a good day for Cylburn generally, but not as spectacular as the last two week ends. Sharp-shinned Hawk, Yellowthroat, Pine Warbler, Thrasher, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Black-throated Green Warbler, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Veery, Wood Thrush, Black-throated Blue Warbler, and Magnolia Warbler were the notables.

10-2-05 -- It was still a sunny day at Cylburn Arboretum with temperatures in the 60's, but for the eight birders; Fall has come to the Baltimore area. Twenty-one birds were seen with three warblers: Pine Warbler, Black-and white Warbler, and Black-throated Green Warbler, a Cooper's Hawk, and a Scarlet Tanager. Better luck next time.

10-9-05 -- Overcast and cool best describes this day at the northwest Baltimore park. The five birders must like the outdoors as nineteen birds were seen. A Swainson's Thrush was the only bright spot of the day.

10-16-05 -- Sunny, windy and cool greeted the fourteen birders out and about. A good turn out for the Cylburn walk. Twenty-six species were our top draw today. Ruby and Golden-crowned Kinglets, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Yellowthroat, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Magnolia Warbler, Juncos, and a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker helped our birders enjoy the day.

10-23-05 -- Temperatures in the 50's with sun light and a cool day was the scene for the last Cylburn walk of the Fall. Four birders came out and tallied forty-five species. Sparrows: Song, Swamp, Chipping, House, White-throated, White-crowned, Blue-headed Vireo, Sapsucker, Kinglets, Hawks (Three Species), Warblers (Four Species), and the usually mix of common birds were a fitting ending to a delightful Fall birding season at Cylburn. While we lost some trees and underbrush at the Arboretum, birding was still good for a place close to home. Till Spring.

By Elise Kreiss

The day we went to Sandy Neck, it was close to 50 degrees & calm. There were tame Sanderlings; also Brant flying back and forth, mumbling to themselves. As usual, there were Common Eider everywhere; also large numbers of Common Mergansers. I had my first close in view of a pair of Black Scotors; also Surf and White-wing.

There were Horned Grebe & at least one Red-necked Grebe, loons, and just a few Long-tailed Duck, although later we had a chorus of them off the Sandwich Boardwalk. We really were looking for land birds on the beach; and may have had one horned lark.

We had lots of gulls all days. Most of them got by unidentified, but we had one Bonaparte's. We arrived at the Sandwich Boardwalk in time to see a departing flock of white and dark colored land birds. Possibly my second look at Snow Buntings. Oh, well.

Back-of-the-dunes by the salt marsh netted three highly pishable American Tree Sparrows, and we had a Harrier - first one I've ever heard calling. In a single rose hip complex, we had Song and Savannah Sparrows, an American Tree Sparrow and a Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow, listed as "rare but regular" in winter in the Audubon guide to Cape Cod. Frustratingly, Paul did not see this characteristically uncooperative species. Its little orange-decorated face winked in and out of the woody stalks, but he didn't stay put or come out.

We saw very little at Navigation Road; but it is so pretty. We were in time to see a hunter make what he later told us was his only kill of the day - a Black Duck. We were too far away to see anything very clearly; but following the shot, we saw a backlit raptor twisting in the air. It remained on the ground even when the orange-clad hunter got close. He told us the hawk, which he thought was a Cooper's, connected with the duck before it hit the ground, and proceeded to eat it as he approached. He admired its spunk and left the duck where it fell. As another hunter remarked, "It is the season of giving."

By Roberta Ross

We are currently in need of a Treasurer and a Lectures committee chair.

The treasurer receives deposits to our bank accounts, pays the bills, and keeps our financial records. It would be good to have someone who can use a computer spreadsheet program (we've been using Microsoft. Excel) to keep these records, as we have been doing it this way for several years now. The treasurer submits monthly statements to the board and an annual financial statement at the end of the fiscal year and files any required tax statements. The treasurer also participates in the annual budget process with other members of the board.

Our current treasurer Martie Dunn and previous treasurer Anne Brooks can talk with you if you want to know more about doing this job.

The Lectures chair is responsible for scheduling the lectures at our chapter meetings ("Tuesday Evenings at Cylburn"). Debbie Terry has been doing this job for many years, and she would be glad to give you more information on what she has been doing if you are interested in this.

If you think you may be able to fill one of these jobs, please reply to Roberta Ross, Correspondence Secretary, or Pete Webb, President, .

Roberta Ross
(410) 467-8137

By Joan Cwi

The habitat on Isla Cozumel and the northeast coast from Cancún to Playa del Carmen was badly damaged by Wilma. For about 50 miles south of Cancún virtually all trees 15 feet and taller sustained broken limbs and/or trunks, and apparently all were defoliated. Evidence of the storm was obvious for another 50 or so miles south of Playa del Carmen to well below Tulum.

While there is now a prodigious amount of new foliage, especially on vines and shrubs, it seems from a quick, 24 hour visit that most of the birds on Cozumel were either displaced or killed in the storm. In one afternoon and one morning we found no flowers or fruit at all, not even at our hotel. I suspect that a few Cozumel Emeralds survived the cataclysm, but we could not find even one, and it does seem probable that many perished. The recently re-discovered Cozumel Thrasher also seems to have disappeared, although I hope not. Reason tells me that both of these endemics must have adapted over the millennia to even category 5 hurricanes, and certainly the hummingbird bounced back after Gilberto in 1988; nonetheless 3 continuous days of exposure to 100+ mph wind and sheets of rain must have been tough for most species. Among the birds we did find were a few Cozumel and Yucatán Vireos, a lone Bananaquit, a lone Yellow-lored Parrot, as well as several Swainson's and "Golden" Yellow Warblers, and a handful of Black Catbirds. Obviously some birds did endure the holocaust, but--based on previous visits dating back to 1986--the actual numbers of birds on Cozumel were down about 75%, and species diversity was nearly as badly hit (this estimate is based purely on subjective observations and is not scientific whatsoever).

South of Cozumel the first location we visited with good numbers of birds and good species diversity was at Tulum. Here we found our missing Caribbean Elaenia, along with more Black Catbirds and Yucatán Vireos. I've seen all three of these before at Tulum, but the ease with which we found them led me to believe they had been displaced from points north by Wilma.

Thirty miles inland, the ground in the ruins at Cobá was alive with a pulsating carpet of small toads. These were being enthusiastically scarfed up by practically all species of birds, including trogons, motmots, woodcreepers, jays, and Green-backed Sparrows. This "bloom" of terrestrial plankton was apparently a consequence of the unusually heavy rains associated with the 2005 hurricane season. Probably the Cape May Warbler at Cobá and the 2 Black-throated Blue Warblers we found at Punta Laguna were refugees from Wilma's onslaught. Both species are Cozumel Island specialties.

There was no storm damage evident from Valladolid west, including at such birding sites as Chichén Itzá and Uxmal. All of the regular endemics were at these sites, including Yucatan Jay, Gray-throated Chat, and Orange Oriole. As others have speculated with respect to Río Lagartos, Celestún on the northwest coast may actually be hosting unusually large numbers of birds displaced by Wilma this winter. Mexican Sheartails were almost abundant and Mangrove Vireos were quite common. The estuary mangroves were alive with wintering warblers, and here, too, we found a complacent American Pygmy Kingfisher.

Calakmul (the ruins are located in the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve in the center of the Peninsula) was the highlight of our tour. Trogons, toucans, and other frugivores were common. Other species here included a pair of Yellow-lored Parrots, a couple of Eye-ringed Flatbills, and a Red-capped Manakin. Army Ant swarms were attended by Tawny-winged, Ruddy, and Northern Barred- Woodcreepers, and by pairs of Gray-throated Chats. We saw approximately 100 Ocellated Turkeys, as well as a Great Currasow... On a brief visit to the small, nearby ruins at Chicanná, we had an adult Bicolored Hawk which permitted us to digiscope it for at least 15 minutes.

The tour concluded with a visit to the Sian Ka'an Biosphere on the Vigia Chico and Muyil Roads. Birding is always excellent at these locations... I was slightly surprised that we didn't encounter out-of-place warblers or other oddities that had been driven down the east coast of the Yucatán to Sian Ka'an by Wilma. Some of the birds we did observe in this biosphere included Thicket Tinamou, a group of five Hook-billed Kites (with a spectacular dark morph in the group), and a couple of Rose-throated Tanagers (conspicuous by their absence on Cozumel).

The Baltimore Bird Club offers merchandise for sale through its mail order section. The following items are available. All prices include shipping costs.

Please make your check or money order payable to "The Baltimore Bird Club" and send your order to: Joseph Lewandowski, 3021 Temple Gate, Baltimore, Maryland 21209.

"CafePress" Web Page:

Shireen Gonzaga has arranged a new web page on CafePress for the Baltimore Bird Club. The web page sells everything from T-shirts & sweat shirts to mugs, caps, notebooks and tote bags. There are baby clothes, stickers, license plate frames and even underwear! All come with the BBC logo designed by Don Culbertson. The club receives $3 for each item sold.