Tricks and Treats for a Green Halloween
by National Audubon Society
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[Yes, Halloween is over and Christmas is fast approaching, but I couldn’t resist sharing this thought-provoking
article from NAS (www.audubon.org/Halloween/Green.html ) that Pat Jaynes sent in. Remember these tips for next
Oct. Ed]
Sure, witches, ghosts, and ghouls are scary, but so is the amount of pollution and waste created during
popular holidays like Halloween. Here are a few tips for making your Halloween a green one that can help
save you money and help save mother nature, too.
- Carry reusable candy bags such as pillow cases or canvas bags that you and your kids can decorate
and use again next year. They are sturdier than plastic bags too.
- Be creative and make your costumes rather than buying them from a store. These prepackaged
purchases are usually loaded with plastic, from the cloth to the many accessories. Or head to your local
thrift store for some bargains, and donate your costume back when you're done or pass it on to other
friends and family.
- Use rechargeable batteries in your flashlight as you trek along your trick or treating path. There are
also flashlights that you just shake to charge, requiring no batteries at all.
- Plan a green Halloween party by including reusable items like utensils, plates, tablecloths. When filling
the goodie bowl, try purchasing candy with less wrapping. Better yet, make some homemade treats like
cookies, candied apples or caramel popcorn for your guests—these require no plastic but create just as
many grins . . . and cavities.
- Make your own decorations or recycle last year's. If you're feeling ambitious, make your own, such as
shrunken apple heads, out of materials you have around the house. Simply peel, carve, and soak
apples in 1 cup of lemon juice with 1 tablespoon of salt and let them sit and shrivel. When the party's
over, just toss them into the compost.
- Be a pumpkin eater and make use of those jack-o-lantern leftovers, which are also full of vitamins. The
seeds also make excellent eating for birds and humans alike-- just dry them in the oven for a toasty
treat. When buying your pumpkin, head to your local farmer's market or pick your own at an actual farm
where you'll be supporting local growers and having a lot of fun.
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From the President's Desk
by Jerry Wilhm
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My notes in the past have been about birds or the Payne County Audubon Society. Since this is Oklahoma’s
centennial, I am going to pose some questions about early Stillwater:
1. What famous author and historian visited the Stillwater area in 1832 and provided a description of the
valley. He also wrote The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Rip Van Winkle.
2. Who was the Boomer leader who led an invasion of this area from Kansas in the early 1880’s. He carved a
trail to Stillwater and is often called the “Father of Oklahoma.” He died in 1884.
3. Who led 300 Boomers from Kansas to the banks of Stillwater Creek and faced the rifles of the U.S. Calvary
who were trying to drive his group from the area in 1884.
4. Oklahoma territory became part of the United States as a territory in 1803. It was part of the Louisiana
purchase. Who was the president of the United States at this time?
5. What is the name of the lawyer from Iowa who participated in the land run of 1889 and donated 80 acres
for the town site. He also provided Stillwater with the leadership to develop the town site, the county seat,
and the Oklahoma A&M College. He is called the “Father of Stillwater.”
6. Louis Jardot helped build the Opera House in 1900 at 116 East Ninth. What famous lawyer, politician,
congressman, and secretary-of-state gave a speech in the Stillwater Opera House?
7. What is the name of the reformer who brought her anti-saloon campaign from Kansas to Oklahoma? She
led a rally in the Stillwater Opera House and sold small hatchets.
8. What is the name of the family whose patriarch homesteaded acreage at the northwest corner of Sixth and
Washington? Most of the family were farmers but two operated a successful blacksmith shop in the 100 block
of East Seventh. A major north-south street was named in their memory.
Source - One Hundred Years of Memories, D.E. Newsom
Last year, a neighbor in Brentwood condominiums asked me about birds at her feeder. I was unaware of the
problem, but found the following information at a Cornell University internet site: In January 1994, house
finches with red, swollen eyes were observed at feeders in Washington D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. The eyes
were crusty, runny, and sometimes swollen shut. The disease is caused by a bacterium, and it rapidly spread
across the eastern part of the U.S.
Birds with eyes swollen shut are often observed searching for food below bird feeders. The disease itself is
usually not fatal, but affected birds typically die from starvation since they cannot obtain sufficient food. Birds
can be treated, but the organism persists. Thus, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recommends that treated
birds not be released into the wild since they will spread the disease.
Ornithologists at Cornell are studying the disease and are encouraging individuals who have observed the
problem to participate in their survey. You can participate by contacting them at www. birds.cornell.
edu/hotisignup/signup.hym
Most Oklahomans are probably unaware of the many symbols adopted by Oklahoma. Mistletoe is the oldest
of Oklahoma’s symbols It was adopted in 1893, 14 years before statehood. Mistletoe grows on trees
throughout the state and is especially plentiful in the southeastern regions. The dark green leaves and white
berries are particularly apparent in fall and winter when the deciduous trees have shed their own leaves.
Mistletoe is now Oklahoma’s floral emblem.
Other plants that are state symbols include Indian blanket (wildflower), Oklahoma rose (flower), Indian grass
(grass), and redbud (tree).
The best known symbol is the state bird, the Scissor-tailed Flycatcher. This beautiful bird is easily recognized
by its extremely long black tail with patches of white, and by its pink wing linings (Birds of Oklahoma Field
Guide, Stan Tekiela, Adventure Publications Inc., Cambridge MN).
The scissortail is a summer resident and migrates to Central and South America in colder seasons. Like other
flycatchers, it hunts for insects by waiting on a tree, post, or power line. It also drops to the ground to hunt
for insects. The male performs an up-down and zigzag courtship flight, demonstrating his long tail.
Other animals that are Oklahoma symbols include the buffalo (animal), wild turkey (game bird), white-tailed
deer (mammal), raccoon (furbearer), honeybee (insect), black swallowtail (butterfly), collared lizard (reptile),
and white- or sand bass (fish).
Other state symbols include the rose rock (rock), port silt loam (soil), milk (beverage), “Howdy Folks” (poem),
and green & white (colors). Music symbols include the fiddle (musical instrument), drums (percussion musical
instrument), “Faded Love” (country and western song), square dance (folk dance), and “Oklahoma Wind”
(waltz).
The state motto is Labor Omnia Vincit, labor conquers all.
ANSWERS, Early Stillwater:
1. Washington Irving; 2. David Payne; 3. William Couch; 4. Thomas Jefferson; 5. Robert Lowry; 6. William Jennings Bryant;
7. Carrie Nation; 8. Duck family
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PCAS October and November Programs
by Susan S. Walker
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Wildlife Artist Rudy Miller Gives Octobert Program
After an introduction by Jerry Wilhm, who shared a Zoology dept office with Rudy 45 years ago, Rudy Miller
explained the evolution of his wildlife art ando showed slides of some of his earlier work to an avid audience
of Kent Andersson, John Couch, Damona Doye, Jennifer Grindstaff, Sonja Hannon, Jason Heinen, Helen
Jordan, Elicia Ligon, Iris McPherson , Freddy Miller, Helen Miller, Katie O’Connell, Tim O’Connell, Thea
Pratt, Carolyn Simank, Mark Steele, N. Dale Talkington, Susan Walker, and Jerry & Nona Wilhm.
Tall Grass Prairie Docent, Iris McPherson, Gives November Program
Nature Conservancy docent and longtime PCAS member, Iris McPherson, presented the November program
on the Nature Conservancy's Tallgrass Prairie Preserve.
Advertised as “the largest protected remnant of tallgrass prairie left on earth,” the Tallgrass Prairie
Preserve north of Pawhuska protects nearly 44,000 acres.
Originally spanning portions of 14 states from Texas to Minnesota, urban sprawl and conversion to cropland
have left less than 10% of this magnificent American landscape.
Since 1989, the Conservancy has proven successful at restoring this fully-functioning portion of the tallgrass
prairie ecosystem with the use of about 2500 free-roaming bison and a “patch-burn” model approach to
prescribed burning.
Attending the program were Kent Andersson, Mildred H. Carroll, Vince Cavalieri, Mark Freeman, Robert
D. Freeman, Sonja Hannon, Karen Melcher, Freddy Miller, Helen Miller, Tim O’Connell, Jim Ownby, Ben
Saintridge, Carolyn Simank, Nikki Skeleton, Elaine Stebler, Liz Skillern, Jerry Wilhm, and Nona Wilhm.
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A Little Birdie Told Me . . .
by Susan S. Walker
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Parrot for a Pet?
Here’s an e-mail I received from my cousin Hansi recently after a discussion of the death of Alex, the African
Grey Parrot.
“I think a parrot would make an interesting pet, but they live forever, and bond very seriously to their owner. I
wouldn’t want that commitment.
“However, here’s a story which sort of explains why I am interested in parrots.
“Several years ago, we went to buy a car at the Honda dealership. Rob was with the salesman; Nick and I
were in the showroom, as was a giant cage containing a male Amazon Grey parrot.
“Nick, to amuse himself, started clicking his fingers, and then launched into a whistling version of Colonel
Bogey’s March (Bridge on the River Kwai).
“The bird began to dance and bob his head in time with the clicking and whistling—sashaying along his perch
in one direction and then sashaying back the other direction—really into the music.
“We signed the papers for the car, but had to come back the next day to pick it up. Next day, Nick went over
to the cage, started clicking his fingers, and the PARROT - in rhythm with the clicking - immediately began to
whistle Colonel Bogey’s March . . . did at least three lines of music while again dancing along his perch. Quite
amazing.”
Grilled Insects, Yumm-um!
I love Great–tailed grackles! Particularly love them when the males cock their tails, stretch their necks, and
strut their stuff to attract females. These birds are urban scavengers, often found cockily hunting insects and
human detritus in parking lots. I always thought this behavior strange until at Food Pyramid I watched a pair
of males go systematically from car to car snapping up dead and dying bugs caught in the grills.
Quail Tale.
In late October I found a tiny quail pecking in the center my gravel driveway—not an Oklahoma species but an
escapee from the Game Farm birds on the corner adjacent to our property. Three families with two vehicles
each share this portion of the driveway. I stopped the car and easily picked up the nearly tame baby
quail.
What to do with it?
Patty Imboden came to mind. She has raised a host of animals, including crows, ravens, and songbirds of all
sorts, and she and Les now manage their property for native quail. So, I took the quail to Patty.
A week later she called to tell me that she’d returned the bird to the Game Farm. Patty figured that the quail
would have to take its chances in the wild. Being with its own kind was better than being raised in isolation.
Look Florence, a Flock of Flickers!
That was my cry several years ago when Florence Wass and I were birding at Lone Chimney Lake. Would be
today also if Florence hadn’t moved to PA. My ravine is filled with flickers and they are noisily pecking at the in-
sects in the house eaves and window ledges.
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From Your Humble Historian: A Bit of History
by Susan S. Walker
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Each time the PCAS shifts officers and directors, boxes and boxes of files and papers exchange hands. As the
2007-2008 PCAS Historian, I was on the getting end of this giving.
For weeks, the files and boxes languished, stacked high by my little corner desk. Then one evening I found
some resolve and started sorting through the stacks. Lo! I turned up our Articles of Incorporation, our
Constitution, our Bylaws and Chapter Policies. I also turned up several attempts at pulling it all together into a
history of sorts.
Helen Miller, the Chapter’s first president and still active member, wrote the most knowledgeable and
complete history, so I reproduce a condensed version of it here, supplemented with notes and observations of
my own and with information gathered from other members.
An Audubon Society has existed in Stillwater since 1955, with Marguerite Baumgartner, Bracie Fawcett, and
Florence Wass among a group of very active birders. [That makes PCAS nearly 53 years old! We neglected to
celebrate our 50th anniversary. Guess we’ll have to do it up big on our 55th in 2010. Ed.]
In 1977, the National Audubon Society’s local representative asked John Couch and Helen Miller to organize a
chapter of the NAS. The organization then became more formal with constitution and bylaws. Presidents were
elected for 2-year terms.
Here is a list of past presidents: Helen Miller, John Couch, Scott Shalaway, Billy Teels, Helen Jordan,
Freddy Miller, Linda Bryant, John Dole, John Couch, Pat Jaynes, and our present president, Jerry Wilhm,
who is beginning his fourth year. If you do the math, you will see that Jerry is not the only one to extend his
presidency beyond a two-year term. Birders tend to be busy people; it is not always easy to find someone to
take on the responsibilities of president.
Scott Shalaway was in the OSU Zoology Dept when he was president but left OK to live on a farm in W.VA,
where he makes his living writing a nature column carried by a dozen or so newspapers, hosting a nature-
oriented TV show and radio program, and, with a Canadian company, marketing high-quality wild bird food.
Scott also found time to write and publish several natural history books. Billy Teels and John Dole have also
gone to jobs outside of Stillwater, John, too, publishing a book: Butterflies of Oklahoma, Kansas, and North
Texas.
In 1979, Ann Redelfs began putting out a Chapter newsletter—Feathers. Subsequent editors included Carl
Wisk, Susan Walker, Coetta Lamp, and a succession of paid individuals not associated with the Chapter. At
present Susan Walker is again putting out Feathers and Pinfeathers.
In 1982, PCAS gave its first stipend for bird research. In 1986 the award went to Cathy King for work on “A
Behavioral Study of Captive Maguari Storks in the U.S.” Cathy went on to do work in the international arena,
married Koen Brouwer, a Dutch scientist working with storks, and now curates and does research at the
Amsterdam Zoo in the Netherlands.
In 1983, PCAS began a savings account to accumulate money for a Nature Center.
In 1984, Mike Carter, an OSU graduate student and PCAS member, was given a stipend to survey the birds
of Payne County. His 3-year study resulted in the “Payne County Bird Checklist,” published by the ODWC and
still used by PCAS. [Methinks it’s time to update the checklist. Ed]
Also in 1984, Dolly Warden developed and published the first Pinfeathers page in Feathers.
In 1985, PCAS began to buy equipment for a future Nature Center. The first purchase was a “Space-master”
spotting scope and tripod.
In 1986, Helen Jordan nominated PCAS for an award as part of the national Take Pride in America Program—
listing numerous community activities of the Chapter—and we won. Helen Jordan and Helen Miller attended an
awards ceremony in the State Capitol Building and were given a certificate by then governor George Nigh.
In 1987, NAS presented PCAS with a framed certificate in appreciation of its having the largest number of
Birdathon participants in the West-Central Region.*
Also in 1987, The ODWC awarded Rod Soper, an OSU Zoology graduate student, a contract and $156 for the
construction of 14 bluebird houses to be placed “in a segment of Highway 51 between Stillwater and I-35.”
Rod had to monitor the trail during the breeding season for 5 years and then “his responsibility may be
transferred to the Student Chapter of the Wildlife Society or other group with the Department’s approval.”
Several different PCAS members, including Helen Miller, Kate Hellgren, and Olin Thomas have taken a turn at
monitoring the trail since 1991 when Rod Soper relinquished responsibility. Today the trail is being monitored
by OSU student Hailey Deslauriers.
In 1988, 1989, and 1990, PCAS donated a number of bird and environmental children’s books and bird
videos to the Stillwater Public Library.
In 1989, Elaine Stebler recruited Carolyn Hunger to help with Birdathon, and in 1990 the two coordinated it
together. They went to both the Tulsa Audubon Society and the OKC Audubon Society in February of 1990 to
give presentations on “Successful Birdathon Fundraisers— Tricks of the Trade.”
In 1990, under Elaine and Carolyn’s dual leadership, the amount of money the chapter raised won PCAS first
place among chapters in the state and West-Central Region, as well as second place in the nation for
chapters of its size.
Between 1988 and 1991, Elaine Stebler won the following awards before relinquishing her direction of
Birdathon in 1991:
- 1986—National Audubon Society's Birdathon Award for Most Sponsors and Most Funds Raised, West-
- 1987—National Audubon Society's Birdathon Award for Most Species Counted, West-Central Region
- 1990—Payne County Audubon Society Award for Unselfish Devotion of Time and Effort towards
Birdathon.
In 1991, Carolyn Hunger won the National Audubon Society’s William Dutcher Award for her work as a
Birdathon fundraiser. Carolyn became a Birdathon ambassador for the NAS, making presentations to other
chapters and at national and regional conferences.
Between 1992-2004, the PCAS participated in establishing Heinrich’s Park, in saving Gallagher Woods from
development, in protecting the area north of Boomer Lake from development, in trying to get a prairie
preserve established in Oklahoma, and in improving the natural areas at Sanborn Park and Lake McMurtry.
Between 2004-2007, our participation in the Cornell University Great Backyard Bird Count increased
significantly due to the encouragement of Pat Jaynes and the student counters pressed into service by Tim
O'Connell. In three of those four years, PCAS led the state in
participation.
In 2005, Susan Walker became editor-in-chief again of the PCAS newsletter, Feathers. Due to Susan's
publishing knowledge and today's computer technology, the publication experienced a welcome new look.
In 2006, the PCAS began to work with others in Oklahoma to establish an IBA (Important Bird Area).
In 2006, over 300 people attended Nature Day, even though it was held in the Stillwater Parks Events and
Recreation building on East Ninth due to rain.
In 2007, a record 400+ attended a sunny beautiful Nature Day at Sanborn Park. The increase in participation,
for the most part, due to the coordination and organizational skills of Crystal Cork, Nature Programs Director.
In 2006, 2007, the Chapter began receiving grants for Audubon Nature Camp from the Ligon family’s Delta
Foundation.
In 2007, Birdathon began to return to the competitive and rewarding event that in the late '80s and early
'90s saw PCAS reach national acclaim. Five teams participated—Tim O'Connell's Team Timmy's Tyrannid
Targeters sighting a record 131 species! Tim and his students have become a very important part of the
Stillwater area bird census. Another 'Thoner who deserves special recognition is Edwin Glover. Ed
consistently raises the most funds year after year. In fact, Ed often Ed raises more money than all the other
participants combined.
In 2007, Ed Glover raised $2500for Birdathon—a full $500 of that being his own generous contribution.
In 2007, Jim Ownby, eager to travel the world photographing birds, retired as webmaster and our .org site
expired. Susan Walker created a new .com website (using much of Jim’s material) and now serves as its
webmistress.
In 2008, with Delta Foundation grants, and an increased emphasis on fundraising, the PCAS plans to expand
Nature Camp, increasing it in size with an enrollment of 50 campers.
*At the time, the West-Central Region was comprised of eight states: North and South Dakota, Nebraska,
Kansas, Oklahoma, Iowa, Missouri, and Arkansas.
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In My Yard
by Joyce Konigmacher
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One day recently, I walked into the dining room, and found a tiny snake lying on the floor. I didn't know if it
was dead or alive, so I poked at it with a pair of tongs. It was alive. It occurred to me that the snake probably
was looking for a nice warm spot to spend the winter, and hey, the refrigerator was only 6 inches away. I’ll
bet the snake was planning to hole up for the winter either behind or underneath the fridge. Lord knows
there is plenty of warmth under a fridge. This is not the first time I have found one of these teeny snake-lets
near the fridge. I got a dish towel, scooped up the snake, and carried it outside. But I sure can't figure out
how this snake got into the house when I have two dogs living here. Perhaps I should check my houseplants
more carefully when I bring them back into the house at the end of the season.
Speaking of dogs, the other night, I thought one of my dogs was gonna die. I had let the dogs out for their
evening 'constitutional,' but when I called them to come back into the house, Suzie just stood in the yard, as if
she didn't know where she was. She walked REALLY slowly, and appeared to be running into things, as if she
couldn't see where she was going.
When she got into the house, she had a dazed look about her. Saliva was streaming from her mouth like
water pours from a fountain. She sat down, with her head raised, eyes half-closed and panted and drooled.
This dog was just fine 10 minutes ago! I was really worried. She would walk two feet, bounce against a
doorway, and then sit and drool. This went on for over an hour. Needless to say, I didn't get much sleep that
night, because I was trying to keep an eye on her. These things happen only during vet clinic off-hours. The
next morning, she seemed somewhat better. I took her to the vet. Poisonous Toad-itis was the $30 diagnosis.
The @#$% dog can locate a poisonous toad in the backyard, in total darkness, but can't find a snake on the
dining room floor, while we are all standing around in the same room!
On the weekend before Thanksgiving, a large flock of robins, along with their friends the cedar waxwings,
showed up to assist with some autumn tree clean-up. They descended upon the Chinese Pistache and
feasted on the berries, which look like bunches of pink peppercorns. At times, the birds had some difficulty
with trying to hang onto a branch and grab the berries from the ends of a spindly stem. When they tired of
the Chinese Pistache, they moved to the adjacent cedar tree and began to strip the lovely blue fruit from its
branches. Those were the same branches that I was going to create a lovely Christmas garland with. Please
note that I speak in the past tense here, because after their feeding frenzy, the branches are just a
nondescript barren green.
I had turned on the hose so that it would drip loudly into the birdbath. Between bites, the robins would come
down to the birdbath, peer into the water for a second or two, and then wade right in and start splashing
water all over the place. Perhaps eating makes one need to bathe? You know how robins are. They bathe
several times in succession. I have noticed that blue jays do that too. They are the only birds that I have seen
that exhibit this behavior. Fly in, take a bath, go land on a limb and groom for a few minutes; then back down
to the water and start the process over again, at least three times. Sort of a lather, rinse, repeat kinda thing.
I looked for, but never actually saw, any of the cedar waxwings feeding each other. Perhaps because the
berries were so plentiful, no one really had to share. Just sit on a branch and stuff your face.
Sounds like a good way to celebrate Thanksgiving, doesn't it?
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Oology and Ralph's Talking Eggs: Bird Conservation Comes out of its Shell
A Book Review
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Before modern binoculars and cameras made it possible to observe birds closely in the wild, many people
collected eggs as a way of learning about birds. Serious collectors called their avocation “oology” and kept
meticulous records for each set of eggs: the bird’s name, the species reference number, the quantity of eggs
in the clutch, the date and location where the eggs were collected, and the collector's name. These
documented egg collections, which typically date from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, now
provide an important baseline from which to measure changes in the numbers, distribution, and nesting
patterns of many species of birds.
In Oology and Ralph's Talking Eggs, author Carrol L. Henderson uses the vast egg collection of Ralph
Handsaker, an Iowa farmer, as the starting point for a fascinating account of oology and its role in the origins
of modern birdwatching, scientific ornithology, and bird conservation in North America. Henderson describes
Handsaker's and other oologists' collecting activities, which included not only gathering bird eggs in the wild
but also trading and purchasing eggs from collectors around the world.
Henderson then spotlights sixty of the nearly five hundred bird species represented in the Handsaker
collection, using them to tell the story of how birds such as the Snowy Egret, Greater Prairie Chicken, Atlantic
Puffin, and Wood Duck have fared over the past hundred years or so since their eggs were gathered. Photos
of the eggs and historical drawings and photos of the birds illustrate each species account. Henderson also
links these bird histories to major milestones in bird conservation and bird protection laws in North America
from 1875 to the present.
Carrol L. Henderson has headed the Nongame Wildlife Program of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
for thirty years. He lives in Blaine, Minnesota.
Mildred Wyatt-Wold Series in Ornithology
Now available at the Stillwater Public Library
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On Saturday, October 6th, Tim O’Connell conducted some experimental mist netting at Sanborn Lake. The
previous Thursday evening at Rudy Miller’s presentation, he invited all interested to meet him out there at 7
AM.
I, of course, was intrigued, so met Tim and Vince Cavalieri, Paul Van Els, Andy George, Ray Moranz, and Zac
Roehrs (all OSU grad students), Helena and Andrew Moranz (Ray's kids), Casi Morgan (OSU undergrad), and
Kent Andersson (husband of newly hired Zoology professor Jennifer Grindstaff) at 7 AM at Sanborn.
When I arrived, Tim was just setting up the nets with the help of his students. Between sips of coffee and
donut breaks, all four nets were erected by 7:45 AM.
The first netted bird, a gray catbird, found itself at the makeshift banding station in Tim’s car trunk at 8 AM.
The same net also trapped a female cardinal and both Carolina and Bewick’s wrens, the latter after Tim pished
them in. He is an excellent mimic.
Tim says: “There is, as yet, no specific research project to which Saturday's exercise can be attached. I was
mostly trying to get some practice in advance of some potential research ideas. One such idea is to do
repeated netting and banding in cross-timbers oak forest patches that have been invaded by eastern red
cedar and examine habitat quality for wintering songbirds, especially yellow-rumped warblers.
“The repeated banding can tell us things such as length of stay in different patches (the longer they stay
usually means the more they like it there), overwinter survivorship, and general health and condition, such as
amount of fat.”
Go to the website photo gallery to view more photos of this activity.
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Sanborn Lake
by Les Imboden
Our inaugural bird walk at Sanborn November 3 was well attended, making a nice beginning to what we can
hope will be a regular event. There were nine of us at the lake on this beautiful day.
The regulars who were there were Sonja Hannon, Patty Imboden, Tim O’Connell, and me. Many thanks to Tim
O'Connell for inviting half a dozen of his undergraduate students (Tim’s graduate students were “chasing
Whooping Cranes in the Great Salt Plains”). Undergrads Clint, Cedric Frye , Cara Hammer, Andrew Mixon, and
Kat Sever are exactly the kind of beginning birders the outing was intended for.
Here is a quickie review of the 25 birds we identified: Chickadee, Cardinal, Canada Goose, Blue Jay, Pied-billed
Grebe, Great Blue Heron, Red-shafted Flicker, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Goldfinch, Junco, Starling, Double-
crested Cormorant, Robin, Franklin's Gull, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Field Sparrow, Carolina Wren, Mallard, Yellow-
rumped Warbler, American Crow, White-throated Sparrow, Red-winged Blackbird, Belted Kingfisher, Northern
Mockingbird, Chipping Sparrow. Oh, and a mystery bird.
The weather was perfect, but honestly I've seen more birds at Sanborn. We are still about two cold fronts
from having the birds we would normally expect here.
Oklahoma Botanical Gardens
By Jerry Wilhm
Vince Cavalieri, a graduate student at Oklahoma State University, led an outstanding field trip at the
Oklahoma Gardens on November 18, 2007. Tim O'Connell, ornithologist at OSU, and a number of experienced
birders also provided considerable help to those of us who are less adept at bird identification.
An unusually large group of 19 birders had the opportunity of observing 34 species. Several birders gave bird
alarm calls which attracted such birds as the Ruby-crowned Kinglet, goldfinches, and several species of
sparrows. A White-crowned Sparrow posed for several minutes on a wood pile within ten feet of some of the
participants. The bright sunshine produced spectacular views of trees in their fall colors in the gardens as well
as impressive reflections from some of the birds.
We observed 34 four species: American Crow, American Goldfinch, American Robin, Bluebird, Bluejay, Brown
Creeper, Canada Goose, Carolina Wren, Carolina Chickadee, Cedar Waxwing, Chipping Sparrow, Dark-eyed
Junco, Downy Woodpecker, European Starling, Harris Sparrow, Killdeer, Northern Cardinal, Northern Flicker,
Northern Mockingbird, Orange-crowned Warbler, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Red-
shouldered Hawk, Ring-billed Gull, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Savannah Sparrow, Spotted Towhee, Tufted
Titmouse, White-throated Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Winter Wren, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, and
Yellow-rumped Warbler.
Nineteen birders participated: Kent Andersson, Vince Cavalieri, Jen Grindstaff, Sonja Hannon, Ashilin
Hunter, Ian Imboden, Pat Imboden, Jeremy Lovekamph, David Miller, Freddy Miller, Tim O'Connell, Mai
Onowe, Zac Roehrs, Erica Schaecher, Michelle Schaecher, Marla Steele, Jerry Wilhm, Nona Wilhm, and
Steve Winter.
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QUARTERLY QUIZ TO MAKE YOU A WIZ
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Birds in Cliches
Most people can identify the birds that appear in the following trite expressions but few know the
origin of the clichés. Some appeared centuries ago. If you get stuck, answers are below.
1. “Don’t count your _____ before they hatch” (don’t try to profit from something before it is earned).
From Aesop’s fable about a milkmaid carrying a full pail of milk on her head and daydreaming about
selling the milk for eggs that will hatch and make her rich. But she tosses her head and spills the milk.
2. “Sitting in the _____ seat” (a position of advantage). Originated in the south but popularized by
Mississippi sportscaster Red Barber in the 1940’s.
3. “Horses are scarcer than _____ teeth around here” (rare items). From John Gilmore’s My Southern
Friends in 1863.
4. “I quit cold ____” (an abrupt withdrawal from a habitual activity). Origin unknown. Also, “Let’s talk
____” (get to the point, speak plainly). Appeared by the time Thomas Haliburton edited Traits of
American Humor (c. 1840).
5. “The mad _____ with a balde face to toote” (lunatic behavior). From John Shelton’s “Phyllyp
Sparowe” in 1529.
6. “She ate like a _____ , slept little.” (a misconception that birds eat very little). From Barnaby Ross’s
The Tragedy of X: Drury Lane’ Mystery in 1930.
7. “A ____ song” (farewell appearance or accomplishment). The term rests on the false belief that has
been around since ancient Greek times and was mentioned often by Elizabethans, especially
Shakespeare, that swans sang beautifully and mournfully just before they died.
8. “Mad as a wet ____” (extremely angry). Appears in H.L. Mencken’s The American Language in 1919.
9. “Naked as a ____” (nude). D. Delman used it in Sudden Death in 1972.
10. “A little ____ told me” (information from a secret source). Included in John Heywood’s 1546 proverb
collection.
(Submitted by Jerry Wilhm. Source : C. Ammer, The Facts on File Dictionary of Cliches, Checkmark Books, 2001.)
1. Chickens, 2. Catbird’s, 3. Hen’s, 4. Turkey, 5. Coot, 6. Bird, 7. Swan, 8. Hen, 9. Jaybird, 10. Bird
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Geese of a Feather Gaggle Together
By Christine Tarski, About.com, and Terry Ross
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Do you know what a group of ravens is called? What about a group of peacocks, snipe, or hummingbirds?
Here is a list of Bird Collectives, terms that you can use to describe a group of like bird species.
A ballet of swans
A bazaar of guillemots
A bevy of quail [or swans]
A bouquet of pheasants [when flushed]
A brace of grouse
A brood of hens
A building of rooks
A cast of hawks [or falcons]
A charm of finches
A colony or huddle of penguins
A company of parrots
A congregation of plovers
A convocation of eagles
A cote of doves
A cover of coots
A covey of partridges [or grouse or ptarmigans]
A deceit of lapwings
A descent of woodpeckers
A dole of doves
An exaltation of larks
A fall of woodcocks
A flamboyance or ostentation of peacocks
A flight of swallows [or doves, goshawks, or cormorants]
A fling of dunlin
A gaggle of geese [wild or domesticated]
A host of sparrows
A kettle of hawks [riding a thermal]
A murmuration of starlings
A murder or congress of crows
A muster of storks [or turkeys]
A nye of pheasants [on the ground]
A paddling of ducks [on the water]
A parliament of owls [or rooks]
A party of jays
A peep of chickens
A pitying of turtledoves
A plump of waterfowl
A raft of ducks [on water]
A rafter of turkeys
A sedge of cranes
A siege of herons
A skein of geese [in flight]
A sord of mallards
A spring of teal
A tiding of magpies
A trip of dotterel
An unkindness of ravens
A watch of nightingales
A wedge of swans [or geese, flying in a "V"]
A wisp of snipe
Groups of birds in general:
A flock of birds, a dissimulation of birds, volery of birds
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COPYRIGHT 2007 PAYNE COUNTY AUDUBON SOCIETY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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