THRASHER THE SEP/OCT2020 - RICHMOND AUDUBON SOCIETY
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The Sep/Oct 2020
Thrasher
Newsletter of the Richmond Audubon Society
We promote the enjoyment, understanding, and preservation of birds, other wildlife, and habitat through education, advocacy, and fellowship
Carolina Chickadee by Julie Kacmarcik
"You must teach your children that the ground beneath their feet is the ashes of our grandfathers.
So that they will respect the land, tell your children that the Earth is rich with the lives of our
kin. Teach your children what we have taught our children - the Earth is our mother. Whatever
befalls the Earth befalls the sons of the Earth." - Chief Seattle
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COVID 19 Our monthly meetings, field trips, and Adopt-A-Highway clean-ups have been halted for the health of our
members until further notice. The RAS board is looking to sometime this fall to again get together at our meetings and
on field trips, but with cautious optimism. Check in our website, Facebook and Listserv for future information.
__________________________________________________________
President’s Message by Len Smock
The end of summer is approaching, but with this year being unlike any
other we have ever experienced. Our normal routines for this time of year
are nowhere in sight. We continue to face uncertainty in our daily
activities. For Richmond Audubon
members, this usually is a time of
looking forward to renewed bird activity
after the doldrums of late summer. Fall
migration will soon be upon us; who
knows what interesting birds will drop
into our yards or favorite birding places.
We also normally look forward to the resumption of RAS
activities – monthly meetings, interesting and informative
speakers, birding trips to hotspots both near and far with some of
Richmond Audubon Society top birders. Unfortunately, as I
write this we are still unsure as to what activities RAS will be
able to bring to you this fall. We are looking at a variety of
possibilities, designed to keep you engaged, informed, and yet
safe. Be on the lookout for messages concerning these activities
via our webpage, Facebook, Listserv and Meetup Group (see page 19).
In the meantime, one constant is that birds are still all around
us. Are you walking your neighborhood more than you did in
the past? How many species of birds can you see and hear on
a walk. It’s not unusual for my wife and me, on a typical
morning or early evening walk, to see or hear twenty or more
species. Most are common species, like the many American
Robins, Northern Cardinals, Song Sparrows, Downey
Woodpeckers, and Carolina Wrens found in our yards and the
Chimney Swifts flitting above us. Occasionally a far rarer
bird makes an appearance, like the Yellow-Billed Cuckoo we
heard just a few days ago, or the Barred Owl hooting away
from the nearby forested wetland. You don’t need binoculars.
Keep your eyes open and you will see that White-Breasted
Nuthatch as it flits from tree to tree; keep your ears open and
you will hear that Eastern Towhee calling from the
impenetrable underbrush. Whatever you do, keep connected
with nature and the wonderful world around us.
Page 2
Nature’s Realm During a Pandemic (photos also) by Jerry Uhlman
What a strange and surreal time we’re living through—and it may
be far from over. Yet, in nature’s realm life goes on, seemingly with
little awareness of the angst that we humans experience in our
daily lives.
While illness has been an overarching concern, the ripple effect of
the pandemic’s disruption seeped into the many corners of day-to-
day events. My travel plans for a trip to the Midwest during spring
migration were scrapped. For many of us, finding alternatives
closer to home became a reality.
While some birders continued to roam byways, many confined
their birdwatching to brief morning sorties to neighborhood parks well before the arrival of
joggers and dog walkers. Others chose to hunker down in their own backyards, content to
witness spring’s arrival close to home, and perhaps rediscover overlooked pleasures.
For stay-at-home birders, the importance of well-stocked feeders and a water drip became
crucial to attracting more species and increasing birdlife activity. Suet and sunflower seeds
became hot items for most species.
This was a spring and summer during which I paid much closer attention to the similarities
and differences among various species as they crossed paths in the backyard. Claiming one’s
territory, building and defending a nesting site, and feeding in close proximity were activities
that created challenges.
Avoiding Richmond’s heat and humidity
during late spring and summer, I stood
guard early mornings and evenings, when
birdlife would be most active. In-demand
feeders and sought-after bird baths
presented plenty of opportunities to
observe an array of behaviors: boldness
and timidity, bullying and pitched battles,
as well as gentler signs of tolerance and
accommodation.
The most pugnacious species were European Starlings and Common Grackles, glaring at other
feeder birds and threatening havoc if any dared to interrupt their noisy feeding. They,
however, fed side by side together without squabbling much. Smaller birds quickly learned to
avoid both species. Next in the hierarchy of feistiness were House Sparrows, which, despite
their small size, terrorized all but the largest birds in the backyard. Red-bellied Woodpeckers,
too, sent most other species fleeing when they approached feeders. In general, larger species
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displaced smaller ones, sometimes with threats and intimidation and other times simply by
their sheer size.
The most polite and genteel species were chickadees, titmice, hummingbirds, catbirds and
thrashers. The smallest birds relied on quickness and an acute sense of timing, adroitly
darting to the feeders and suet when bullies briefly were away.
On my watch, there were disappointments as well as unexpected delights. For the first time in
many years, no House Wren blessed our backyard. This welcome visitor often took up
residency in a nest box next to the patio, giving us joyful rambling songs and exuberant nest-
building behavior each spring. Sadly, not one dropped by this year.
Instead, Carolina Chickadees settled into the nest box and raised three chicks just a few feet
from the feeders. Within about two weeks, the chicks fledged, tumbling out of the nest box in
rapid-fire, flying off in different directions as their startled parents called in vain to coral them.
And the fledglings quickly disappeared from sight.
In early summer, suet was the food of choice for Gray Catbirds and Brown Thrashers, whose
chicks settled under the suet cage, mouths agape, waiting for parents to fill their hungry
gullets. Too soon these fledglings vanished as well.
Later in this surreal and bittersweet summer, our restlessness swelled and we longed for a
road trip or a food or music festival. Then, right on schedule, goldfinches swarmed to
coneflowers and black-eyed susans in the backyard, a balm that heralds their late summer
nesting. Nature’s realm benignly follows ancient seasonal rhythms, seemingly indifferent to
human vicissitudes. Our backyards bring not only joy and solace, but also grant us a
reassuring safe haven during times of uncertainty and anxiety. Jerry flyways@verizon.net
John Dillard
Richmond Audubon Legend (photos also) by Julie Kacmarcik
John Dillard turned 94 on August 18, 2020. John has been my hero and a steadfast volunteer to our
MAPS' projects since they started more than 17 years ago at Westview, Powhatan and Dutch Gap. He
was instrumental in the development of Kiptopeke State Park and the banding station which gathered
valuable data for decades. I dare say his favorite
spot was Curles Neck Farm in Varina. Many moons
ago, he would bird Curles Neck Farm weekly with
Fred Scott gathering even more valuable birding
data.
John is doing great! Still driving and birding. Darn,
nope, damn COVID has made it impossible for our
usual outings with John. He loves a good crab cake
and a lunch with all the Monitoring Avian
Productivity and Survivorship (MAPS) group. The
facility where he lives has kept him safe and
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healthy. That is the best we can hope for. But darn we would like to celebrate his birthday.
I am asking any of you reading this to send John a belated birthday card (or 2 or 3). We want to
BIRTHDAY CARD "BOMB" his mailbox. We want him to know how loved he is!
You may be saying "I don't know John". Have you been to Curles
Neck...? You know John.
Have you been to Kiptopeke...? You know John.
Been to an RAS meeting, visited our MAPS station...you know John.
You can sign your card a "Richmond Audubon fan"
No belated birthday card...then make one or write a note and slap a
stamp on it. Send him some birding photos. He's been cooped up since
March-let’s send some sunshine to John.
Thank you for getting your card in the mailbox.
If you know of anyone who would be interested in this act of kindness
please forward to them.
His address is:
John Dillard
9100 Bon Air Crossings Drive
Apt 234
North Chesterfield, VA 23235
Stay safe, stay well and keep in touch!
Julie juliekazz@comcast.net
Adolph White Honored (photos also) by Kathy B. Springston
“This is a heartwarming situation for me,” said Adolph White on
Sunday, Aug. 2, when the Bryan Park Purple Martin landlord was
given a first ever Friend of Nature award by Richmond Audubon,
the Falls of the James Group, Sierra Club and Friends of Bryan
Park (FoBP).
The idea to honor him was hatched by several friends he’s made
along trails and watersides, as I got input from them while
interviewing Adolph for stories. The features will be in upcoming
issues of North of the James and the Master Naturalists newsletter.
There were 10 of Adolph’s relatives at the park that morning to
surprise him, along with 20 well-wishers. His daughter, Demetria
Johnson, had kept up the guise that she and her husband, Garland,
and son, B.J., were bringing him to town to just catch up with
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birding pals and give the park’s 27 now southbound martins a little “happy travels” party.
Displaying his framed award to us and his feathered friends, Adolph smiled skyward and said,
“Bon voyage, Purple Martins! I will protect you next year...Nothing messes with my birds.”
John Zuegner, FoBP president, thanked him for his work providing park visitors an opportunity to
see martins raise families up close since 2009.
Adolph may not get to the colony as often, now that he’s moved from Northside to Varina to live
with Demetria and her family and stopped driving. At times he visits his son, Adolph Jr., and his
wife Porsche in Glen Allen, too. But birders vow to help keep an eye on the three martin houses by
the park’s Lower Young’s Pond.
Often, you could catch the retired English teacher there day after day, taking notes and pictures. To
protect the martins’ nurseries, he attached hawk-proof “wire porches” to the houses, put in trap
doors for invading house sparrows and made baffles on the poles to keep snakes from climbing up.
Adolph was asked if the park could use more Purple Martin housing next year. He said more
martins likely would use it. That would take donations.
Adolph said he really enjoyed the gathering and reminiscing about the “Gone to the Birds”
festivals held from 2008 to 2013 at Shockoe Bottom and summer nights, when up to 30,000
martins moved like tornadoes and roller coasters and how they swooped just yards over spectators’
heads to claim branches in a row of Bradford pear trees to roost at dusk. They are gone now but
there is a roost in Winchester, VA at the Walmart that has increased to 10,000 birds.
Adolph taught lots of folks
each July and August about
the migration. He helped his
dear friend, the late Jimmy
Fitzgerald of Providence
Forge, at the festivals with
the Purple Martin
Conservation Association
booth. Jimmy introduced
Adolph to his own 130-bird
colony soon after they met in
2008.
Adolph’s many fun talks with artistic illustrations at the Bryan Park Nature Center, before it closed
for repairs, were remembered as well.
One of six children, Adolph, now 77, grew up close to nature in Surry County, spending any free
time he had in the pine forests. His parents were peanut sharecroppers. Two siblings came to the
park party, his brother Matt White and sister Ruth Webb, both of Richmond.
A portrait of a female Purple Martin taken at Shockoe Bottom one year by Bob Schamerhorn will
brighten his wall and days, Adolph said.
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People signed a handwritten and decorated tribute in which it said, “Adolph is an appreciated lover
and advocate of nature.” Of that and all the cards he took home, Adolph said, “I read each with a
glow on my face... Thank you all for everything.”
“The Purple Martin, North America's largest swallow,
is a swift and skilled flyer: The birds eat, drink, and
even bathe on the wing. The species is part of a group
of birds known as aerial insectivores—birds that feed
on airborne insects—which includes swifts, swallows,
the Chuck-will's-widow, and the Olive-sided
Flycatcher, to name a few. These birds have all shown
steep population declines in the past few decades.”
https://abcbirds.org/bird/purple-martin/
Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQmtQuHStxU
Birdies for Charities
Richmond Audubon Society is participating in a charitable
fundraising program offered by the Dominion Energy Charity
Classic until October 21. The program, Birdies for Charity,
presented by TowneBank, will pay us a 10% bonus on any
donations we generate!
We have a fundraising goal of $1,000. Every donation gets us one
step closer to achieving our goal. Once you make a donation, we
invite you to like our posts on Facebook and share it with your
friends, families, and colleagues so we can continue to promote this
exciting fundraiser to our community.
To make an Online Donation go to:
https://pgatourcharities.org/index.cfm?action=campaigns.donate&campaignID=9&charityID=89
To Donate by check:
Make checks out to PGA TOUR Charities Inc. and write Richmond Audubon Society in the
memo line.
Mail checks to: Dominion Energy Charity Classic, 707 East Main Street, Suite 1025, Richmond,
Virginia 23219 Attn: Birdies for Charity
PGA TOUR Charities Inc. will mail a gift receipt for tax-deduction purposes
Thank you for your support!
Page 7
Dutch Gap Prothonotary Project 2020 (photos also) by Julie
Kacmarcik
It's been a challenging year for all of us on many fronts. Who would've thought COVID-19 would
impede something as innocuous as bird banding? Bob Harris and I typically start spring cleaning
of the 150+ Prothonotary boxes at DGAP in late March or early April. This year our maiden
voyage was May 6. Our mighty Old Town Discovery made just 6 outings this year. In that time we
got a lot accomplished. 94 Prothonotary nestlings were banded and roughly 60 adult female
Prothonotarys were caught: most of them being recaps (they were all banded by us before). We
netted a few 5, 6 and 7 year old ladies! Most of the unbanded girls were 2 years old. One
handsome unbanded male was netted; he now sports his aluminum band.
We have a very large territory to survey. Because of the
large footprint we cover it is necessary to have a trolling
motor on our canoe with 2 batteries. Our outing can be 6-8+
hours long. It's hard to come in when there's "just one more
box" we should check.
Our 2020 work at DGAP was able to contribute to a VCU
student's advanced study degree on Tree Swallow (TRES)
take-over of Prothonotary (PROW) boxes. We typically
observe a TRES take-over in 1 or 2 PROW boxes a year.
Often times there are TRES and PROW eggs in the same
box. The aggressive TRES will usually "win". We have
observed a PROW chick being raised by a TRES and
successfully fledge after being banded. We were happy to
provide data and photos to support Samantha Rogers'
research. Not as glamorous, but equally as important in
2018 and 2019 we collected and GPS'd 80 fecal samples for
another VCU research project on PROW warblers. The
fecal samples were used for DNA extractions and gleaning information on PROW dietary
preferences.
So as you see, we are not just pretty faces out there :-) We've been assaulted by Carp, dodged
thunder and lightning, experienced a White-tailed deer river rampage and watched a Grey squirrel
swim from one river bank to the next. We've banded at sunrise and in the dark. We haul out trash
and cut down fishing line and lures to prevent entrapment of wildlife. We even educate the
fisherman who wondered what that "little yeller bird is".
None, zero, zip of this would be possible without the help and support of so many people. Mark
Battista, naturalist from Chesterfield Parks and Recreation and keeper of the keys and master of
the locks is always supportive of our efforts. Dominion Energy allows us access through their gate
and Richmond Audubon has been a steadfast financial support helping with supplies we need
when they go overboard or replacing depleted batteries as well as a myriad of things. Dr. Bob
Reilly has been a support and resource throughout all our efforts and we are grateful.
Page 8
This year we kept a close tally on the number of PROW boxes and/or poles that were missing in
the lagoon and old river channel from rising tides or the ravishes of weather. Many boxes were
present yet in need of urban renewal. I posted to the RAS listserv in May about the need for
replacement boxes. I offered reimbursement for any wood-workers taking to the task. Before my
email had made it through cyberspace my "Inbox" was filling up with volunteers eager to use their
quarantine time to make a difference and support the DGAP PROW project. A total of 52 boxes
were needed. 60 boxes were made by these wonderful, generous volunteers.
All the boxes were donated by these craftsmen. It was a pleasure to meet them all and talk birds.
My deepest gratitude goes out to George Scarborough, Matthew Crittenden and Rob "VT" Pettus
for their kindness, generosity and skilled craftsmanship. I
remember clearly as Bob Harris had installed one of
George's boxes at K-10, we had just backed up “ye olde”
canoe and headed out. As we turned to look at the new box,
a male Prothonotary had already claimed it as he perched
on top singing his "weet-weet-weet" song.
George
Scarborough
Mathew Crittenden
Rob “VT”Pettus
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I would also like to thank Girl Scout Troop
891 from Chester under the leadership of
Ann Behne, a fellow VCU ER nurse for
their generous construction and donation of
10 Prothonotary boxes. You go girls!
So perhaps the birds and all of nature have
had time to exhale and refresh during these
global pandemic times. I measure my years
by the rhythm of the birds and my banding
projects. Things have been out of synch yet
I have had the privilege to meet some
fantastic, giving people to support our
efforts. The enthusiasm is palpable!
I thank all of you…… Although not all the
Prothonotarys will be sporting their new bands this
year, they have new housing. They will be back next
year!
Please enjoy the photos of those folks who provided
nest boxes for our "Swamp Warbler".
Stay well, stay safe and stay in touch.
Julie juliekazz@comcast.net
Page 10E-mail Listserv (FreeList) To Get More information
The Richmond Audubon Society has an e-mail announcement list called VA-Richmond-General.
Joining the listserv (FreeList) is a fast and easy way to stay in contact with other members and up-
to-date about birds and field trips in the city of Richmond. After you have signed on you can go to
their site and select to receive only one email a day via their digest option.
A separate listserv used for birders in the state of Virginia (usually covers Fairfax DC area) is
called VA-Bird@freelists.org.
Subscribe: Go to https://www.freelists.org/cgi-bin/search?search=va-richmond-general
Select VA-RICHMOND-GENERAL
Enter your email
Select SUBSCRIBE
Do the Robot
Hit SUBMIT
Unsubscribe: Do the same thing as subscribe except select UNSUBSCRIBE from list
To set up digest: (one email a day) go to
https://www.freelists.org/list/va-richmond-general
Enter your email
From drop down list select Turn Digest On
Do the Robot
Hit SUBMIT
Page 11Swallow-Tail Kites Sighted in Virginia
Keep your eyes open and your binoculars up for these beautiful birds. One was spotted in
Rappahannock County by Pam Scrima.
Another one was sighted near Bowling
Green, Virginia by Matthew Crittenden.
“The Swallow-tailed Kite has gathered many names, including "Forked-tailed Kite" or "Swallow
Hawk," nods to its unique appearance and flight style. In the 18th century, the English naturalist
and illustrator Mark Catesby originally christened it Accipiter cauda furcata (forked-tail hawk).
Other nicknames, such as "Wasp Hawk" or "Snake Hawk," describe the bird's diet of insects and
small reptiles.”
Read more at
https://abcbirds.org/bird/swallow-tailed-
kite/?omcampaign=membership?button&eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=d709ebdc-a133-47ec-
b5d8-3c6ed9a5572e
Page 12Look Up! For the Bald Eagle Nests
Bald Eagle nests on cell towers, military communication towers, electrical towers, even a low
platform constructed for Great Blue Herons on Bloodsworth Island. The most recent addition to the
list of artificial nesting substrates for Bald Eagles has been low Osprey platforms.
You can help add information to the data base at the
Center for Conservation Biology (CCB) at William and
Mary College. An unknown number of nests go
unreported at the annual Bald Eagle survey because it
does not cover the Piedmont and mountains of Virginia.
All active or recently active nests known to CCB
(surveyed in last year’s Annual Bald Eagle Survey plus
reported with confirmed location) are presented in the
eagle nest locator. Please view nests in your local area
on the map and report nests known to you that do not appear. To look at the map go to
https://ccbbirds.org/maps/#eagles
If you see a nest not on the locator, please report it. Visit the CCB “Report a Nest” page for
instructions.
https://ccbbirds.org/what-we-do/research/species-of-concern/virginia-eagles/report-a-nest/
Thanks for your help!
Plans for the Trail from Ashland to Petersburg
Here is another exciting addition to our neighborhood. This 40 mile trail will be part of the trail from
Maine to Florida. Great for bikers, hikers, birders, and walkers!
The preferred corridor for a multi-use trail would be located within the counties of Chesterfield,
Hanover and Henrico, cities of Colonial Heights, Petersburg and Richmond, and the Town of
Ashland. The Ashland to Petersburg Trail Study evaluated existing conditions and identified a
corridor least impactful to environmental resources with feedback from state and federal agencies,
affected localities, special interest groups, and the general public.
Read all about http://www.virginiadot.org/projects/richmond/ashland-to-petersburg-trail-study.asp
Page 13Legislative Successes by James Shelton
Richmond Audubon sent emails to Members to call their General Assembly Members to pass the
Green Economy Act which included the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. This was passed in
Virginia.
Richmond Audubon also sent email to Members when National Parks, National Forests and Wildlife
Refuge Maintenance Bill was before the House, then the Senate. This passed in Virginia.
Some emails were more involved than just requesting action from legislators. The Atlantic Coast
Pipeline was set to run through the Allegheny Highlands: a place where some Richmonders travel to
observe birds. This is the site of Golden-winged Warbler conservation which Richmond Audubon
has sponsored.
The Atlantic Coast Pipeline was routed through the Allegheny Highlands and many other forests and
farms. The pipeline was shown to damage water quality where it crossed the mountain trout streams
which are normally crystal clear. It also was planned to cross the Jackson, Bullpasture and
Cowpasture Rivers to clear rivers that form the headwaters of the James River.
The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality had given a blanket approval of all stream and
river crossings. Normally each crossing would have to be considered and there were a huge number.
A judge decided that this blanket approval should be revoked in place of public comments on each
stream crossing. There was a limited time for citizens to make comments.
The Richmond Audubon Society sent out an email detailing the crossings in the Allegheny
Highlands and what parks they were in. We requested comments on these. We do not have an email
system that lets us know who commented. However, legal protection of the forests and streams
began to grow.
The sponsors of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline who wanted to ship natural gas overseas decided to
cancel their project when they were required to allow for protection of the forests and bird habitats.
The Richmond Audubon Society played a role in this successful protection of habitat for birds,
wildlife, farms and recreation in Virginia.
Doug Tallamy!
Nature’s Best Hope Conservation that Starts in Your Yard” What an interesting lecture. Well
presented and interesting. Saving biodiversity, living with Nature is an option!
https://vimeo.com/396957344
Live migration maps
Sometimes you want to see where the birds are migrating to or from. Check out this live radar
migration website for the latest greatest information. Perfect for fall and spring migration.
http://birdcast.info/live-migration-maps/
Page 14It is Never Too Late to Learn
With the “Stay At Home” safety policy it is a great time to expand our knowledge and learn some
fun facts. Check out the following videos.
You could watch this video as a game and try to guess the sound before they show the bird
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7_D0DopQW4
Waxwings the Peaceable Flock Bird https://www.werc-ca.org/waxwing.html
25 Things About Birds (Continued from July/Aug issue)
6. They Can Nap in Mid-Air
Some birds take very long commutes during migrating season—and like human travelers, they’re
able to nap in mid-air. For a study published in Nature Communications, researchers attached a
brain-wave activity sensor to Frigate birds and noted the birds spent some time asleep while
"cruising" in higher air currents and altitudes.
7. There’s a Reason Their Poop is White
The creamy white splatter on your windshield is a result of a bird’s hyper-efficient waste system.
Rather than have separate intestinal and urinary tracts, birds eliminate their waste from their cloaca,
a catch-all orifice that allows for reproductive sex and egg-laying. The white is actually uric acid,
which tinges the elimination white. The small brown center represents stool. The acidic attributes of
bird poop are a detriment to your car’s paint job, but it's highly sought after for what it can do to
your face. Maybe not your face, but certain celebrities go nuts for bird poop facials, where Japanese
Nightingale poop is mixed with rice bran and water and used to exfoliate the skin.
8. Bassian Thrushes Use Farts To Hunt Prey
Birds may not find toots as funny as humans do, but they still make use of them. The Australian
Bassian Thrush farts toward the ground, with the noxious smell helping to unearth worms and other
insect prey.
9. Canyon Wrens Build Patios for Their Nests
The Canyon Wren isn’t always satisfied with a nest made of foraged materials. Like a little home
improvement host, the wren will use rocks to build a tiny, patio-like surface around the nest.
Researchers aren’t entirely sure why they do this, but it may have something to do with keeping
nests dry or attracting the opposite sex.
Page 1510. They Could Be Competitive Eaters
Your backyard may be home to a mini Nathan’s competitive eating contest every single day. Many
species of birds chow down on an impressive number of insects, with the Baltimore Oriole able to
munch 17 caterpillars a minute; a House Wren can pass on 500 spiders to its offspring in a single
afternoon. (To be continued in Nov/Dec newsletter)
Some Beautiful Nests by Julie Kacmarcik
White-Eyed Vireo
Yellow Warbler
White-Breasted Nuthatch
Brown Pelican
Page 16Clapper Rails by Cindy Andrews
More Great Photos by Len Smock
Red-Shouldered Hawk
Osprey
Eastern Screech Owl
Great Grey Owl
Burrowing Owl
Page 17NEWSLETTER
“The Thrasher” is issued bimonthly (January, March, May, July, September, November.) Article
and photos submissions are due by the 10th of the month prior. The newsletter is available for
download (PDF) online at www.RichmondAudubon.org.
Any suggestions, comments, or ideas for the newsletter send to thrasher@richmondaudubon.org.
Thanks and have a great birding day! – Diane Jadlowski & Julie Kacmarcik
OFFICERS & COMMITTEE CHAIRPERSONS
OF THE RICHMOND AUDUBON SOCIETY
President Len Smock president@richmondaudubon.org
First Vice President Mary Elfner vicepresident1@richmondaudubon.org
Second Vice President Wes Teets vicepresident2@richmondaudubon.org
Secretary Pam Scrima secretary@richmondaudubon.org
Treasurer Eileen Geller treasurer@richmondaudubon.org
Bird-a-Thon Chair Lewis Barnett membership@richmondaudubon.org
Conservation Chair Patty Bell conservation@richmondaudubon.org
Cyberspace Chair Lee Williams cyberspace@richmondaudubon.org
Development Chair VACANT
Education Chair Kathy Louthan education@richmondaudubon.org
Field Trips Chair Wes Teets fieldtrips@richmondaudubon.org
Hospitality Chair Lynne Evans hospitality@richmondaudubon.org
IBA/VABBA2 Rep. Ellison Orcutt iba@richmondaudubon.org
Legislation Chair James Shelton legislation@richmondaudubon.org
Member at Large Jason Bullock legislation@richmondaudubon.org
Membership Chair Lewis Barnett membership@richmondaudubon.org
Past President Eileen Geller pastpresident@richmondaudubon.org
Programs Chair Kim Harrell programs@richmondaudubon.org
Publicity Chair Diane Jadlowski publicity@richmondaudubon.org
Thrasher Editor Diane Jadlowski thrasher@richmondaudubon.org
Thrasher Co-Editor Julie Kacmarcik thrasher@richmondaudubon.org
Youth Chair Ellison Orcutt RASkids@richmondaudubon.org
Page 18ABOUT THE RICHMOND AUDUBON SOCIETY
RAS MEMBER MEETINGS: Third Thursday of the month except June, July, August and
December
RAS BOARD MEETINGS: Second Thursdays of January, March, May, July (annual strategic
planning session), September, and November. Board Meeting start times and locations will vary.
Members are welcome to attend, contact the President or Secretary in advance.
For information on late breaking news, meetings, and field trips check the RAS Listserv or the
RAS website. Join our FACEBOOK page or MEET-UP group.
PHONE (Message Line): 804-601-4917
WEBSITE: www.RichmondAudubon.org
FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/RichmondAudubon/
MEETUP GROUP: www.meetup.com/RAS-Meetup/
TWITTER: www.twitter.com/@RichmondAudubon
LISTSERV: www.freelists.org/list/va-richmond-general
NONPROFIT: RAS is a registered nonprofit 501 (C) (3) charitable organization. Donations are tax
deductible.
Page 19RICHMOND AUDUBON SOCIETY Membership Application
Yes, enroll me (us) as member(s) of both National Audubon and Richmond Audubon Society at
the introductory rate of $20.00. Write “X53”as the memo and mail to address below.
A subscription to the National Audubon Society “Audubon” magazine is included.
Name_________________________________________________________________
Address _______________________________________________________________
City ___________________________________ State_________ ZIP______________
Phone ____________________________ E-mail ______________________________
Make check payable to: National Audubon Society
Send check and application to:
Richmond Audubon Society
P.O. Box 26648, Richmond, VA 23261
X53
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