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SVBNC News

Scioto Valley Bird and Nature Club is offering a $500 scholarship for students enrolled in courses in Wildlife Sciences, Zoology, Botany or other courses in Natural Science for the school year 2010 - 2011. See below for information and an application form.


Kingston CBC 2010

The following is a count of our Area of the Kingston Christmas Bird count, January 1, 2010:

Mourning Dove 35
European Starling 190
House Sparrow 222
Downy Woodpecker 4
American Crow 19
Cooper Hawk 1
Carolina Wren 3
Tufted Titmouse 8
Rock Pigeon 320
Northern Harrier 4
Brown Headed Cowbird 6
Red Tailed Hawk 11
Pied Billed Grebe 2
Mallard Duck 4
American Black Duck 1
American Kestrel 2
Northern Cardinal 11
Horned Lark 5
Eastern Meadowlark 1
American Tree Sparrow 2
American Robin 1
Carolina Chickadee 2
White Throated Sparrow 5
Eastern Blue Bird 2
Red Bellied Woodpecker 1
Brown Creeper 1
Song Sparrow 2
Junco 2
House Finch 40
Common Grackle 30
Red Winged Black Bird 20
Northern Flicker 1

Temp 30
Miles Traveled by Car 62
Time on count 5 hrs
People on Count;

William Bosstic, Compiler
Joe and Ella McMahon
Dave Hess
Lisa Ratcliff


Paint Creek/Rocky Fork CBC 2009

Several members of the SVBNC took part in this year’s Christmas Bird Count, coordinated by Steve Wagner of Milford, Oh. The count was conducted on December 20. 2009. The total number of species was 73 containing 9387 individual birds. The all-time record is 75 species, and two with 74. The list follows :

Common Loon – 1
Pied-billed Grebe – 43
Horned Grebe – 3
Great Blue Heron – 27
Tundra Swan – 2
Canada Goose – 284
American Black Duck -214
Mallard – 69
Gadwall – 13 tied high count
Redhead – 1
Ring-necked Duck – 2
Bufflehead – 20
Hooded Merganser – 31
Ruddy Duck – 37
Black Vulture – 56
Turkey Vulture – 1
Bald Eagle – 7 4 adult, 3 imm
Northern Harrier – 36 tied high
Cooper’s Hawk – 6 high
Red-shouldered Hawk - 7
Red-tailed Hawk -47
American Kestrel – 24
Wild Turkey – 8 tied high
American Coot – 340
Killdeer – 5
Ring-billed Gull – 656
Herring Gull – 9
Rock Pigeon – 9
1 Mourning Dive – 462
Short-eared – 4
Belted Kingfisher – 6
Red-headed Woodpecker – 2
Red-bellied Woodpecker – 61 high, old record 39
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker – 4
Downy Woodpecker – 53 high, old record 43
Hairy Woodpecker – 8
Northern Flicker – 20
Pileated Woodpecker – 11 tied high
Horned Lark – 535
Blue Jay – 44
American Crow -179
Carolina Chickadee – 80 high
Tufted Titmouse – 85 high
White-breasted Nuthatch – 38
Brown Creeper – 5
Carolina Wren – 24
Golden-crowned Kinglet – 15
Eastern Bluebird – 63
Hermit Thrush – 2
American Robin – 267
Northern Mockingbird – 11
Water Pipit – 56 high
European Starling – 3171
Yellow-rumped Warbler – 53
Northern Cardinal – 164
Eastern Towhee – 3
American Tree Sparrow – 26
Chipping Sparrow – 2
Field Sparrow – 5
Fox Sparrow – 1
Song Sparrow – 97
Swamp Sparrow – 1
White-throated Sparrow – 63
White-crowned Sparrow – 21
Dark-eyed Junco – 34
Red-winged Blacked – 26
Eastern Meadowlark – 39
Common Grackle – 74
Brown-headed Cowbird – 100
Purple Finch – 1
House Finch – 43
American Goldfinch – 139 House Sparrow - 247


The Scioto Valley Bird and Nature Club was formed in 1990 with the goals of supporting conservation, education, and research. The membership has grown immensely from the original 8 members, with an opportunity to now offer a one-time $500 scholarship to a sophomore-level or higher student pursuing a degree in the natural sciences with a minimum 3.0 gpa.

The scholarship fund will be sent directly to the student’s school of attendance. Applicants must submit the following to be considered for an award:

(1) A completed Scioto Valley Bird and Nature Club Scholarship application.
(2) A college transcript
(3) A written reference from one educator attesting to the applicant’s educational abilities.

Completed applications must be submitted by July 31, 2009, and sent to:

Education Committee
Scioto Valley Bird and Nature Club
3 Edgewood Court
Chillicothe, OH 45601

APPLICATION

Last Name First Name Social Security No.

Permanent Address City State Zip Code

Local Address City State Zip Code In the spaces proved (or on separate attached sheets), respond to the following (1,000 words): EXPLAIN HOW PURSUING A DEGREE IN THE NATURAL SCIENCES IS IMPORTANT TO YOU IN PURSUING YOUR CAREER/OCCUPATIONAL GOALS. WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO ACCOMPLISH IN YOUR IDEAL CAREER CHOICE? SHARE BELOW ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOURSELF WHICH DEMONSTRATES THAT YOU ARE DESERVING OF THIS AWARD.

I hereby agree to write a letter of acknowledgement if I am selected as an award recipient. I also plan to attend a Scioto Valley Bird and Nature Club meeting to receive my award letter.

___________________________________________________ _____________________

Signature Date

SVBNC Meeting Minutes for May 2008

The April 28th meeting of the Scioto Valley Bird & Nature Club was held at 7:00 p.m. at Mound City Visitors Center.

President Matt Vick called the meeting to order. Bird sightings around the area included Virginia rail, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Red-breasted Nuthatch and Vesper Sparrow.

The fourth annual Bird Fest at Mound City was announced for May 3rd. This event grows each year and is a good event for the Park Service, as well as the Club. Featured speaker will be Julie Zickafoose.

Theresa Herrnstein gave the Treasurer’s Report. Membership has remained around 75 and the account balance still stands at over $8,000.

Dr. Scott Moody gave the night’s program on Bigfoot. Dr. Moody is a professor in the Biosciences Department at Ohio University. His talk centered on the evidence of Sasquatch and if the evidence could hold up to scientific scrutiny. Dr. Moody made a compelling argument for a large bipedal creature in North America. The best evidence is found in plaster casts of footprints from the early 1960’s. These casts show the dermal ridges, similar to human finger prints that are unique to a living creature and not the work of a hoax.

Submitted by Dave Hess, Sec.

SVBNC Meeting Minutes for March 2008

The March 24th meeting of the Scioto Valley Bird & Nature Club was held at 7:00 p.m. at Mound City Visitors Center. Vice-President, Nelson Coleman, called the meeting to order for President Matt Vick who was unable to attend because the recent birth of his new daughter.

Theresa Herrnstein gave the Treasurer’s Report. Membership is at 73 members. Account balance for all funds is over $8,000.00. She also brought up the issue that additional names should be added to the club’s bank account. By unanimous vote, the names of the President, Matt Vick, and Board Member / Secretary, Dave Hess, will be added to the club’s account at Citizen‘s National Bank. These names are subject to change with each election of officers to include the current sitting president and board member serving the longest term.

Club member, Kelly Sieg, presented paintings of saw-whet Owls to fellow bird banders, Bill Bosstic and Bob Placier, from Randy Lakes. Randy had visited Buzzards Roost last fall and was so impressed with the owling project that he had the paintings commissioned by Ann E. Geise for the clubs’ three licensed banders. Paintings were also given to a few of the long time banding volunteers.

The speaker for the meeting was Club Member Joe McMahan who presented a program on the Maps Banding Project at Ross Lake. Bill and Donna Bosstic started this Maps station in 1997. Joe had a power point on the species found thru 2007. Banded were 3,641 birds, covering 76 species. The top five birds banded, in order from most to the least are: Gray Catbird, Common Yellowthroat, Song Sparrow, White-eyed Vireo and American Goldfinch. Birding at Ross Lake has been very productive as well. To date, 203 different species have been found there! If anyone is interested in this list, please contact Joe or Bill.

Meeting ended at 8:35 p.m.

Submitted by Dave Hess, Sec.


SVBNC Meeting Minutes for February 2008

Scioto Valley Bird and Nature Club, February 25th meeting was brought to order by Matt Vick, President. Thirty members were present.

Teresa Herrnstein, Treasurer, reported fifty seven 2008 memberships and reminded club members that dues are due for 2008. Single membership is $10 and family membership is $15. Myra Vick asked the club to add $100 to the fee allotted for speaker, Julie Zickafoose because she had learned that Julie charges $600, not the $500 that was voted in January. A motion to increase the fee by $100 was made by Ella McMahon and seconded by Constance Jones. The motion was passed without objection.

Debbie McFadden told the club that Buzzard’s Roost had obtained a grant for $300 for printing the 2008 activities calendar pamphlet and she showed a sample around.

At this time Matt turned the meeting over to Nelson Coleman who introduced the evening’s speaker, Bruce Lombardo. He has lived in Africa for 10 years spending the last five years as Education Coordinator for the Painted Dog Conservation Project in Zimbabwe at Hwange National Park. This park, the size of Connecticut, is an extension of the Kalahari. It is an intact African ecosystem, gets two feet of rain a year and has six months without rain.

The presentation started with the characteristics of the Painted Dog (Lycaon pictus) also known as the African Wild Dog or Cape Hunting Dog:

  • Slender bodies for heat loss

  • Enormous ears for hearing and heat loss
  • Distinctive coat patterns enable identification & relationships
  • All adults regurgitate food for pups
  • Only alpha female has a litter <1i>Hunt in pack
  • Are obligate hunters DO NOT scavenge
  • 80% kill rates
  • Are afraid of people
  • Keystone species prey on most abundant midsize antelopes
  • Maintain antelope biodiversity
  • Less than 5000 individuals remain in the world
  •  Wire snare poaching is a major problem

    Bruce then showed slides that at first glance seemed nearly empty and encouraged group to look for small animals which he then zoomed and asked us to identify. Some of the birds were new but many of the other animals were familiar to members. Bruce told us he has accepted a ranger’s position at Hopewell Culture National Park. We can look forward to seeing him at our meetings.

    Subbmitted by Ella McMahon subbing for Dave Hess


    SVBNC Meeting Minutes for January 2008

    The January meeting of the Scioto Valley Bird and Nature Club was on the 28th at Mound City. President Bob Placier called the meeting to order at 7:00 pm.

    The first order of business was election of officers for 2008. Constance Jones brought nominations to the floor for a new President, Vice President, one board position and secretary. The results were: President - Matt Vick, Vice-President - Nelson Coleman, Secretary - Dave Hess (renewal) and Board Member - Dave Hess (renewal).

    Theresa Herrnstein gave the Treasurer’s Report. The club ended 2007 with 103 members. The total account balance is $7,253.64, including the Friends of Buzzard Roost Fund and the Adopt an Owl program. Anyone wanting a financial report can contact Theresa.

    Debbie McFadden gave the club information concerning a grant that she is writing for the Friends of Buzzard’s Roost. Myra Vick had scheduled a Silent Auction for the meeting tonight. The club raised $370.00. The goal was to raise enough money to bring Julie Zickefoose to the Birdfest at Hopewell Culture Center on May 3, 2008. The club voted to contribute any additional money to reach the goal. Meeting adjourned at 9:00 pm.

    Submitted by Dave Hess, Secretary

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