Hawk Watchers will be social-distanced at Little Pinnacle!
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September Chapter Meeting - All About Bluebirds!
We will be gathering online for our September Chapter Meeting. Our speaker will be Dr. Lynn Siefferman from Appalachian State University. Dr. Siefferman will be talking about her research on bluebirds. Among other interesting topics, she has researched the correlation between Eastern Bluebird coloration and reproductive success.
Our Chapter Meeting will be held on September 22nd at 7:00 pm on Zoom and Facebook Live. Look for an email with information about how to receive a link to join this meeting.
NC Audubon Advocacy Day was Biggest Yet
Forsyth Audubon members "flocked" to Raleigh virtually this summer for the annual NC Audubon Advocacy Day. Members met with legislators virtually to talk about matters important to our organization. The main priorities discussed were growing the state's conservation trust funds, supporting a cleaner energy future for birds and people, and supporting solutions to the heirs' property problem. Click on this link to see an article from Audubon North Carolina about this important day.
It's Never too Late for Spring Cleaning!
Our Spring Clean-Up at Forsyth Audubon adopted area Bethabara Wetlands organized by Keep Winston Salem Beautiful (City of WS) scheduled for April 4th was postponed/cancelled due to the Pandemic. The next scheduled organized clean up would have been in Fall and so far no date has been set. Meanwhile here is a suggestion for members, bird-watchers, bird/nature lovers alike :
When you go out to the Bethabara Wetlands area and walk the trail around it, pick up any trash that you see. You would have to bring your own trash bag, and take it home to dispose of in your home trash.(DO NOT LEAVE TRASH BAGS THERE). Please do not handle/touch any trash directly with your hands, use gloves. It is strongly suggested that you use trash pick-up sticks (available at the Dollar Store). This is by no means a group activity or an organized event. It's a suggestion to keep the Wetlands area and trails clean either when you're out there to bird-watch, or make a trip just to clean up if you're so inclined.
The Great Egret, Green Herons, Red-winged Blackbirds, Woodpeckers, Nuthatches, etc. and other rare visitors ( Common Gallinule) all thank you!
Meet the Board
Forsyth Audubon wishes to thank outgoing board members Nathan Gatto, Jean Chamberlain, Nancy Russo, and Chuck Thompson for their hard work and dedication to the Forsyth Audubon board.
Our current board members are:
Don Lendle -President
Rick Mashburn - Secretary
Deirdre Herrington - Treasurer
Jennifer Hemric - Membership
Max Nottke - Conservation
Wendy Hawkins - Education
Joy Richardson - Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
Heather Moir - Communication
Allison Gagnon
Barb Borucki
John Noble
Ann Robertson
If you are looking for ways to get involved with Forsyth Audubon, we encourage you to reach out to any of us for ideas. Since we are unable to meet in person at Chapter Meetings and Bird Walks currently, here are some short interviews with a few of our board members, so that you can get to know us better.
Joy Richardson
Forsyth Audubon: Favorite bird?
Joy Richardson: Pileated Woodpecker and song of the Wood Thrush
FA: Favorite birding spot?
Joy Richardson: Anywhere with my mom. Birding is something we can still do together as she ages.
FA: Do you have a “spark bird?” (a bird that you saw that helped you first fall in love with birds and birding?)
Joy Richardson: I do not have a spark bird, but a spark event. In college, I was able to use someone else’s spring break trip tickets at the last minute, just because I was the only person the professor could find with a current passport. It was a biology class to Costa Rica and I was introduced to and immersed in birding. I have enjoyed it ever since.
FA: Tell us about your garden:
Joy Richardson: The pollinator gardens I wish for and I have in my mind are not visible yet .
FA: What do you like to do when you’re not birding?
Joy Richardson: Parent teenagers Learn about and work for social justice issues. Jog, hike, read.
FA: How did you first become involved with Forsyth Audubon?
Joy Richardson: I have not been involved much until now. Attended some bird walks in the past 3 years;
Deirdre Herrington
Birding has become my post-retirement pastime of choice. The birds and bird songs that seem so obvious to me now were merely a pleasant background before. The more I learn the more humbled I feel by how much there is to know.
FA: Do you have a “spark bird?” (a bird that you saw that helped you first fall in love with birds and birding?)
Deirdre Herrington: My spark bird was probably an Indigo Bunting, seen at Tanglewood. I had never heard of this bird before (an embarrassing admission 5 years later). And to see it through a scope was really something else! But don't ask me to pick a favorite now; there are too many.
FA: Do you have a “nemesis bird” (a bird that you have tried over and over to find and that has eluded you ?)
Deirdre Herrington: My current bird nemesis is the Brown Creeper. For a common enough bird it has managed to avoid me.
FA: What do you do when you’re not birding?
Deirdre Herrington: When I'm not birding I enjoy golf; golf course birds are a distraction I use as an excuse for my high handicap.
FA: What has been the most rewarding thing about your involvement with Forsyth Audubon?
Deirdre Herrington: What I've enjoyed the most about Forsyth Audubon are the people involved, many of whom have now become friends as well as teachers (there are some really knowledgeable folks!). If you love birds, you love the environment and Mother Earth needs all the help we can give her right now!
Rick Mashburn
FA: Favorite Birding Spot
Rick Mashburn: A hilltop deck in Carroll County, Virginia
FA: Do you have a “spark bird?” (a bird that you saw that helped you first fall in love with birds and birding?)
Rick Mashburn: A childhood afternoon spent with a passive Great Blue Heron. I thought we were friends, but the poor thing was dying.
FA: What is your favorite project/activity with Forsyth Audubon?
Rick Mashburn: Bethabara Greenway access project with Susan Jones, Carol Gearhart and many others.
Don Lendle
FA: Favorite Bird
Don Lendle: My favorite bird in the Eastern Meadow Lark. I just love the beautiful song as the bird sits on a fence post in a meadow. I was first introduced to this bird by Cynthia Donaldson on a spring bird trip to Virginia, I can still picture it all in my head!
FA: Tell us about your garden:
Don Lendle: I have large gardens, native plants and vegetables, all supporting birds and pollinators. I spend lots of time there, especially this year.
FA: How did you first become involved with Forsyth Audubon?
Don Lendle: I first became involved in Audubon when I was approaching retirement about 8 years ago. I decided to join a bird walk, met some nice people, took Rob Rogers great beginning birding class, and went on a weekend birding trip to Maggie Valley and Great Smokey Mountains Park. The fun hasn't stopped yet.
FA: What do you do when you’re not birding?
Don Lendle: My favorite activities are out of town Birding Trips, to the Coast or Mountains, to the Southwest or Pacific Northwest.
FA: What has been the most rewarding thing about your involvement with Forsyth Audubon?
Don Lendle: The most rewarding part of Audubon is the wonderful friendships made while enjoying nature and working to preserve it.
It's time for Birds and (bring your own) Beer! We will be meeting via Zoom once again in September for Birds and Beer on Wednesday, September 16th at 7:00 PM. Look for an email announcement with information on how to access the Zoom Link. Zoom Birds and Beer is a lovely way to spend an evening. Fall migration will be underway, and this will be a great way to catch up on the latest bird news. Don't miss it!
Follow us!
Forsyth Audubon is pleased that Hannah Addair is managing Forsyth Audubon's Instagram! We now have a presence on Facebook and Instagram. Visit us on Social Media! Tell your friends!
Order "Birding Guide to Forsyth County"!
The fifth edition of "Birding Guide to Forsyth County," by David Disher, is now available. David's book, in a handy 6 x 9 paperback format, compiles documented observations for 280 bird species in Forsyth County. Learn what birds can be seen here and during which weeks of the year you are most likely to see them. Photos of uncommon sightings are included. Information on local birding spots also is included. For $15, this is a great gift for your favorite birder. All profits go to our chapter. Copies are available at Wright's Backyard Birding Center, 3906 Country Club Rd., Winston-Salem, and at Wild Birds Unlimited, 1589 Skeet Club Rd, High Point. Copies also are available for sale at our monthly chapter meetings. If you have a smart phone or tablet, download the electronic version available for $4.99 from www.lulu.com.
Forsyth Audubon T-shirts are here! They are available now at most of our chapter events, or you can pick one up at Wright's Birding Center during business hours. There are two different styles to choose from, both with our fabulous brown-headed nuthatch logo. The soft cotton poly blend shirts are $20.00 and the polyester tech tee with the cool dri wicking fabric is $25.00.
Learn about and work for social justice issues. Jog, hike, read.
