Newsletter of The Lehigh Valley Audubon Society A Chapter of The National Audubon Society

T H E O S P R E Y

VOLUME XXV • NUMBER 3 July 2001

NOTES FROM YOUR PRESIDENT

It might feel like the end of summer and the dawn of fall to you,

but we at the Lehigh Valley Audubon Society consider this a

Happy New Year! Why?

First, this is when our binoculars fill with delightful first year

birds, and the air is stirred by their tentative and sometimes

amusing songs: Who can resist celebrating this chorus of avian

youngsters?

Second, this month we announce our program guide for the

coming year, and like those first year birds, we're anxious to sing

about all that we have to offer.

Check out the enclosed schedule for details, and be sure to keep it

posted for easy reference. In the meantime, let me give you a

preview of some of the highlights:

· The best way to improve Hawk identification skills is to observe

birds of prey throughout their migratory period. LVAS has three

Hawk watching trips planned during peak times throughout the

season, twice to Bake Oven Knob and once to Little Gap. Go on all

three of these trips and before you know it, you'll be confidently

calling out "Sharpie" while those less-experienced birders struggle

with their field guides.

Birders ought to consider signing up for Birds Over the Valley, a

community education course on April 19th and 20th. An evening

lecture and slide presentation -- one for novices and one for

intermediate birders -- is followed by an intense field experience

with knowledgeable LVAS guides. Sign-ups are limited for this

popular course.

When the Spring migration is over, many of us experience

something like "Warbler Withdrawal." No need to suffer this year:

LVAS has events to extend your exposure to these jewels of the

bird world: A May 14th talk by Pocono Plateau environmentalist

John Serrao followed by a May 19th trip to the Poconos to see a

variety of warblers and other species on their Northern nesting

grounds; and a June 8th trip to Smith's Gap and Graver's Hill to

look for nesting warblers and interesting grassland species such as

Grasshopper Sparrow and Bobolink. Fritz Brock's May 18th trip to

Leaser Lake offers local birders another opportunity to see

warblers on the nest.

Had enough? Maybe not.

· LVAS has scheduled a second year of Boat-n-Bird for June 1st;

Read about this year's Lehigh River canoe trip inside this issue of

The Osprey and think about signing up for next year.

I've saved the best for last. A family camping trip. I'm not sure if

the Lehigh Valley Audubon Society has ever tried anything like

this, but camping and birding are made for each other. This first

annual (I am optimistic, aren't I?) camping trip will be held the

weekend of July 20-21st at Mauch Chunk Lake Park in Jim Thorpe

where I recently camped during the Lehigh River Sojourn. While

there, I heard Black-billed Cuckoos singing in the trees, watched a

Bay-breasted Warbler feed her young, and managed to fit in some

mountain biking, swimming, kayaking, and even some campfire

time.

So Happy New Year, fellow LVAS members. I look forward to

extending our celebration all year: from the Hawks of fall into the

delicate beauty of a Cardinal on a snowy winter's day through the

springtime glory of warblers in the budding-out trees until we are

all together, around a campfire, where we pause to hear a Great-

horned Owl asking and answering, "Who's awake? Me too."

Karen

S i g h t i n g s R e p o r t by Kathy Stagl

April, May, and June 2001 In This Issue!

Beginning Birding Pg.

3

Sustainable Environment Pg.

4

Duck Stamps! Pg.

5

Over the quarter sightings of ducks and waterfowl were replaced with warblers, vireos and

other woodland and field birds with shorebirds also passing through.

Birds of note included a NORTHERN SHRIKE which stayed until at least April 8th.

Sightings from the Monocacy Nature Center ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER on both

the 28th and 30th of April. A pair of BREWER’S BLACKBIRDS were seen in the

Lehighton area on March 31st and a RUSTY BLACKBIRD was at Monocacy nature Center

the first week of April. A MISSISSIPPI KITE was seen over Williams Township on April

18th. An AMERICAN BITTERN and a MERLIN were seen at Beltzville in mid-April along

with another ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER. Birds reported from the Beltzville area

(Sightings Continued on page 2)

2

The Osprey, published quarterly by the Lehigh Valley Audubon Society, P. O. Box 290, Emmaus, PA 18049

Printed with consideration by Rhoads Press Inc.

6265 Hamilton Blvd., Allentown, PA. 18106 (610) 395-8000

Please support the businesses that support the LVAS and our conservation efforts!

The natural

alternative Backyard birding is an

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the third weekend in April included a RED-NECKED GREBE

and a WHITE-WINGED SCOTER. Birds seen at Lake Minsi on

the 22nd included a COMMON TERN and a FORSTER’S

TERN. There was another FORSTER’S TERN sighting on the

22nd along the Lehigh River at the Chain Dam. The same day a

VIRGINIA RAIL was heard calling in Upper Milford Township.

May birds included a LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL at

Green Lane Reservoir on May 1st. YELLOW-THROATED

WARBLERS were seen at Jordan Parkway and Bethlehem Boat

Club and a GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER reported from

North Bangor on the 2nd. A movement of WHITE-WINGED

SCOTERS through the area on the 19th included reports of 48

seen on Leaser Lake and 6 at Johnson’s Pond in Schnecksville.

Also on the 19th birds reported from the Monocacy Nature Center

included an OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER and a MOURNING

WARBLER. MOURNING WARBLERS were also seen in West

Allentown on the 20th and in North Bangor on the 23rd. Also on

the 23rd an ALDER FLYCATCHER was near Macungie and an

OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER was at the Pool Wildlife

S a n c t u a r y i n E m m a u s , a n d a B A L D

EAGLE was near the town of Vera Cruz. Another ALDER

FLYCATCHER was heard and seen in Walnutport on the 27th.

Sightings from the flooded field by Green Pond included 2

DUNLIN on the 19th and 27 SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERS.

Sightings from Beltzville State Park at that time included GRAY-

CHEEKED THRUSH, PHILADELPHIA VIREO. A RED-

HEADED WOODPECKER was seen in Lynn Township, a

SORA and a MARSH WREN were seen in Heidelberg

Township. On the 26th, a WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER was

seen at the flooded field by Green Pond.

June sightings included 6 SNOW GEESE on the 8th at the Church

Road area of Green Lane Reservoir and a FORSTER’S TERN

seen flying around Green Pond on the 16th. A KENTUCKY

WARBLER was seen along the Plainfield Recreation Trail.

From a different birding perspective in June, those navigating

Valley waterways reported sightings from the Lehigh River

including GREAT BLUE HERONS, GREEN HERONS,

DO UB LE -C RE ST ED CO R MO R ANT , C OM MON

MERGANSERS with young, SPOTTED SANDPIPERS,

KILLDEER, OSPREY, SHARP-SHINNED HAWK, EASTERN

KINGBIRD, CEDAR WAXWINGS, VEERY, WOOD

THRUSH, COMMON YELLOWTHROAT, AMERICAN

REDSTART, YELLOW and YELLOW-THROATED

WARBLERS, RED-EYED and WARBLING VIREOS. Paddlers

on another canoe trip from Riegelsville to Frenchtown on the

June 24th saw COMMON MEREGANSERS, WOOD DUCKS,

SPOTTED SANDPIPERS, WARBLING and YELLOW-

THROATED VIREOS and a juvenile BALD EAGLE near Upper

Black Eddy.

(Sightings Continued from page 1)

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS! April, May & June 2001

Paul N Bader, Robert Barbieri, Jim Barker, P A Barnes, Russell

Bartholomew, A Begies, Brook Bergey, Elizabeth Beury, Susan

E Billowitch, Andrew & Henrietta Bollinger, Janice B Bonner,

Karen A Brown, Allen Buck, Dr. Bridgette Budhlall, Lenny &

Kathy Burkert, Catherine Capkovic, Martha Clark, Beverly

Cole, Mrs. Ednamae Cortezzo, Jane C Cory, Michael Craig,

Alice H Cunfer, Charles Defanti, Andrew Deluca, Marian B

Dickes, Wendell W Dickmeyer, Tara Doyle, Angela E Drake,

Faith Drescher, Beverly A Edwards, Charles Eichman, Mary

Esten, Sandra Farkas, Marianne Foreman, Dean Frantz, Rick

Gaeta, Frederick Gerstner, Christopher Gigler, Frank J Godiska,

Lydia Golas, Harold Gregory, Judith Gretz, Lloyd A Groth,

Sherry L Herr, Shirley M House, Barbara & Bill Hubbard,

Deborah Hunter, Linda Huzar, Thomas Jenkins, Mr. Lee Koplin,

Ralph F Kunkle, Mildred Kurzawa, Jeff R LaBarre, Kate

Lampe, Mr. Ed Lavenburg, Jane H Lindenmuth, Alison Lutton,

Valerie Lutz, Donald R MacRae, Susan W Marcellus, Ms. Belle

Mark, Richard & Lisa Mast Regan McCann, Marypat McKee,

Marilyn Mistry, Olympia A Mocellin, Norine L Moore, Heather

Munsch, Gizella Nagy, Willard R Nothstein, Lu A Novak,

Wendy A Porter, C A Rampulla-White, Ms. Pauline Rausch, M

Relli-Dobrilla, Carl Reynolds, Chris-Matt Richards, Larry

Rinker, Mr. Amos W Rogers, Wilhelmina Rovers, Joseph

Rusenko, Gregory Savacool, Judy Schleicher, Irene Sedlock,

Darlene Shellhammer, Heidi Stufflet, Linda K Taylor, Harry E

Thatcher, Mary L Vankeuren, Daniel J Wilson, Russell Wilt, R I

Yamochko.

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C O M P U T E R I M A G E S O F B I R D S Over 450 images of North American birds plus some mammals, fish, and plants are available for insertion in your newsletters, articles,

letterheads, etc. Most images are black-and-white, cost $1.00 each, and can be sent via e-mail or on diskette.

Send $1.00 for a catalog to the artist: Dr. George C. West, 691 W. Vista Hermosa, Green Valley, AZ 85614.

E-mail: kbaybird@aol.com

Binoculars are probably the most important item on the equipment

list for birders. They are also expensive. Even birding with

inexpensive binoculars involves an outlay of one hundred plus

dollars. We will present articles, (not consecutively) about

binoculars, which are intended to help new birders with the use,

care, and selection of this necessary tool. If you have never used

binoculars, or are relatively inexperienced with them, be assured

that they are not difficult to learn to use. Buying binoculars

probably represents a significant investment. Carefully decide what

you want and buy those. If you follow the learning advice below,

you should do fine with your new purchase in short order. It takes

only a short time to become comfortable and adept with them.

Sometimes beginners are advised to "get a pair that are not strong

and learn how to use them first". Don't waste your money buying

binoculars you'll only use for a short time.

Some other articles, about binoculars, will soon follow this one.

"Beginning Birding, Your Binoculars, Adjustment and Care" will

cover adjustments you'll make, cleaning, and care of those units.

"Beginning Birding, Your Binoculars, Technical Stuff" will discuss

those facts and numbers you should understand in order to make a

good choice. First, let's look at some tips on their use.

The best way to become adept at using your binoculars is through

practice. New birders often have trouble using them. The bird is

often difficult to find in the binoculars or the binoculars are

difficult to focus quickly. To help find the bird, let's first describe

the cause of the problem most folks experience. When they spot the

bird with bare eyes, they begin to raise the binoculars but, at the

same time, begin to lower their gaze toward the binoculars. The

result is that they have lost the direction to the bird. When looking

through the binoculars, the size of the field of view is drastically

reduced due to the structure and magnification of the binoculars.

Under this circumstance, the bird is very difficult to relocate and

probably won't be relocated at all. To find birds more successfully

and quickly, you must keep your gaze on the bird and bring the

binoculars completely up to your eyes. To reemphasize, keep

looking directly toward the bird. To practice, place a soda can on

the back fence. Stare at the can and bring the binoculars to your

eyes. The can should be in view if you have done it right. Repeat

the exercise until you find the can in the center of your view every

time. You'll find that doing this exercise will sharpen your learning

curve and make your birding experience ever so much more

enjoyable.

High power binoculars are more difficult to use than lower power

units. But, most people find that they can learn to use their

binoculars fairly quickly, no matter what power they choose. As

stated before, this writer does not recommend the purchase of an

"intermediate training pair" of binoculars. After practicing with the

exercise above and a little birding, you will soon be quite

comfortable with them.

In order to get a good look you must focus the binoculars on the

bird you are looking at. Sometimes it is difficult to focus quickly

enough. There are a couple of tricks that can help. First, focus the

binoculars for a distance where you are most apt to see birds. Then

move the focus adjustment about a quarter turn to the right (or left

if you prefer). When you do spot the bird you'll know to always

turn the adjustment to the left (or right) to see a sharp image.

Second, if you expect a bird to arrive at a certain perch or in a

certain area you should pre focus on an object in the area where

you expect the bird. While the main reason for having the

binoculars is to see birds, there are some neat little tricks you can

do with them.

Have you have ever been in the field with a botanist? You may

have noticed that they carry a small hand magnifier called a

“loupe”. But you too have a very fine loupe. You can use your

binoculars to magnify a little flower or blade of grass quite nicely.

Just hold the object in your fingers, hold one side of the binoculars

to one eye with the objective lens toward your eye, the "wrong

way" (so everything looks a long way off). Look at the object as

you bring it closer - closer - closer until it is just a tiny fraction of

an inch from the eyepiece. When the object is close enough, you'll

see that it is nicely magnified.

Another trick is to use the binoculars as a pointer. Warning - you

have to be friends to pull this off. Sometimes it's hard to describe to

another, just where that little bird is. Wouldn't it be nice to be able

to walk up to the bird, put your finger right on its head and say "it's

right here"? With a telescope, of course, a bird is pointed to by

merely finding it in the scope and letting others look. It's the fact

that both barrels of the binoculars look at the same thing that

allows them to be used as a pointer. Here's how it works. First,

locate the bird yourself and view it with just one side of the

binoculars using the right eye to look through the left eyepiece.

Hold your head out of the way, to the left, as much as possible so

your friend can see the view through the right eyepiece using the

left eye. That view should be the same as yours and you have just

pointed to the bird and its location.

Don is a regular writer and lecturer about birds and teaches a

beginning birding field course in conjunction with the Houston

Audubon Society. Contact him at (281) 997-0485 or

cdplace@concentric.net

Beginning Birding

Your Binoculars, How to Use Them by Richardson

Copyright 1999

4

Imagine you and five hundred other people on a big cruise ship

in the middle of a big Lake. There's a catch. You are there because

you and the others were contaminated in an accident. The ship will

have to stay isolated from all things ashore for at least 60 years.

The top deck and pool deck were converted into agricultural farms.

Your group was given a great variety of plants to grow plus a few

farm animals. Wind and solar power will generate modest

quantities of electricity. The fish in the lake are edible and the

water potable when boiled.

What will you choose to grow? What will you do with the

garbage? For what will you use the electricity? What will daily life

be like? How will you resolve disputes among the passengers?

What will you do with the human and animal waste? How will

decisions be made? How will you deal with unwanted pregnancies

and people who want large families? Will you breed the animals

for food even though their meat yields only a small amount of

nutrition compared to what you could obtain growing for human

consumption?

Many scholars believe the Earth can support two to five billion

people indefinitely depending on how wisely we use our resources

and get along with one another. There were less than two billion

people on the planet when the Titanic set sail in 1912. Now there

are more than six billion with another one and one-half million

added every week (births minus deaths). In the last 150 years,

extremely rapid population growth combined with the development

and use of powerful machinery and chemicals has greatly

diminished the natural world. Where will we go when the Earth is

depleted and trashed? This is a new problem. We never before

lacked for space and resources. It is not surprising or particularly

shameful, therefore, that we are not inclined to plan for the long-

term. As a child in the fifties, when many remote South America

jungle tribes were still undiscovered (by Westerners) and many

people believed in Martians, our teachers reassured us that by the

time we exhausted and polluted the Earth, we would live in

enclosed biospheres or develop settlements on other planets.

Enough of fantasy. Without an immediate (within a decade or so)

turnabout in how we interact with the planet, global chaos is a real

possibility. Already, communities are fighting over ever

diminishing resources. There is growing civil unrest in response to

overcrowding, mass migrations and loss of sense of "home".

Environmental issues are becoming part of our daily news.

Global warming is changing the climate and most of the world's

nations are alarmed. Energy shortages require drilling in areas that

were previously off-limits and considered too precious to spoil.

Species extinction is accelerating. (There are more primates in zoos

than there are in the wild.) Terms like suburban sprawl,

overfishing, deforestation, ozone depletion and red-alert smog days

are heard frequently. China and India (1/3 of all the people in the

world) have recently introduced state mandated family size limits

and in some areas, forced sterilization.

How will the problems be resolved? Who will be in charge? How

will population growth be stabilized? Who will protect the

remaining farmland from further loss to development, erosion and

degradation? Who is making sure the air and water will remain

healthy for our grandchildren and their grandchildren? Fortunately

we have sufficient knowledge, skills and tools to achieve

sustainability. Lacking are empowered institutions, a well-

informed populace and the political resolve.

One alternative is to let nature take its course. Natural history

shows time and again what often happens when one species

dominates its environment. It will deplete its food supply. Most

will die-off and will kill off others species in the process. From

there a new order will evolve. Humans are not exempt from this

cycle and until recently we didn’t fare much better than the

animals. We survive longer now by using our superior intellect

and acquired skills to more thoroughly exploit nature’s resources.

Yet, in time, the result will be the same for us as for other species-

only more so.

Only by adopting a new balanced relationship with the planet,

can we prevent our demise. The first step requires putting

environmental education on the top of the priority list. Only a well-

informed world community will be willing to accept the changes

required to achieve environmental sustainability. To lead and

coordinate this effort, I propose a global environmental resource

and education center. It will be unprecedented in size and influence

among NGOs (non-governmental organizations). It could be called

Alliance for a Globally Sustainable Healthy Environment or,

for short, Sustainability Alliance. The Alliance will include

hundreds of environmental, scientific and educational

organizations ranging from grassroots groups to major institutions.

The Alliance headquarters campus will be large enough to house a

conference center, exhibit halls, TV production studios, lecture

rooms, libraries, press-briefing rooms, cafeterias and the activity of

thousands of visitors a day. There will be ongoing teacher

workshops, student tours and a working sustainable agriculture

farm able to feed staff and visitors. It will maintain a world-class

website that will connect anybody and everybody that wants to

network, learn, teach and participate in the process.

Environmental groups will comprise most of the membership.

They know the issues and have the organization. Among the others

will be educational institutions and scientific organizations. It is

the Alliance members that will plan and administer the programs.

The Alliance institution will be the enabler and facilitator. This last

point is key. The Alliance staff need not be environmentalists or

activists. Their job is to run the organization.

The Alliance will be funded mostly by private donations.

Contributions will be solicited for the development of a global

education and connectivity infrastructure that will enable and

support those who want to supply, access and make best use of

reliable information dealing with long-term environmental

sustainability. The criteria for information to be suitable for

AGSHEN is not what side it is on but how well it can be supported

by fact and if it benefits future generations. How could anyone

justify not supporting such a mission? AGHEN will be the only

(or most prominent) organization with this all-encompassing broad

-based approach. As the severity of the problems become known

and accepted, AGSHEN will be the preferred instrument of change.

Does this idea sound too ambitious or idealistic to take seriously?

I don't blame you if it does. Three years ago I had no idea how

(Sustainable Environment Continued on page 7)

Birders, Grandparents, Incinerator Protesters Share Dream The Dream- A sustainable healthy environment for people and other living things.

The Problem: Humans are degrading most of Earth's ecosystems.

The Solution: A Sustainability Alliance described below.

Duck Stamp Story

The story of the Duck Stamp is inseparable from that of waterfowl

in the United States. Once the North American continent teemed

with wild ducks, geese, swans, brants and other water birds. Native

American Indians and early Europeans settlers hunted the plentiful

birds, taking only what they needed to feed themselves and their

families.

Times have changed, however. The expanding U.S. population has

meant trouble for waterfowl and other wildlife. People have leveled

forests, plowed prairies, dammed rivers and, most importantly,

drained wetlands to make way for man's houses, factories, roads,

farms, and shopping centers. Millions of acres of pristine habitat

that waterfowl need to survive have been lost.

The decline of waterfowl was accentuated during the 1800's and

early this century by overeager hunters and a commercial demand

for meat and feathers. Market hunters decimated great flocks and

some individual species were so reduced in numbers as to be in

danger of extinction.

Compounding these man-made problems, periodic drought dried up

the prairie potholes, northern bogs and southern swamps used by

waterfowl for food and habitat. The infamous "dust bowl" of the

1930's, in particular, left many formerly lush wetlands dry and

lifeless.

By the late 1920's a number of American conservationists, hunters,

and government officials had become alarmed at the prospect of

losing some of our waterfowl species. The first positive step

towards preventing that was passage of the Migratory Bird

Conservation Act in 1929. It authorized the Department of the

Agriculture to acquire wetlands and to preserve them as waterfowl

habitat. The law also established a commission of Federal and State

officials to evaluate land for possible acquisition.

"Ding Darling"

The Migratory Bird Conservation Act of 1929 was the first step in

securing waterfowl habitat but it provided no permanent source of

money with which to buy and preserve land for waterfowl. That

omission was soon corrected by Jay N. Darling, a nationally known

political cartoonist for the Des Moines Register. Also a noted

hunter and wildlife conservationist, "Ding" Darling had often put

his artistic talents into biting cartoons depicting the destruction of

the nation's waterfowl and their habitats.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt had appointed Darling in 1934 as

chief of the Bureau of Biological Survey, a predecessor of the U.S.

Fish and Wildlife Service. In that position, Darling was instrumental

in the conception and development of a stamp to be bought by all

waterfowl hunters that would generate funds to pay for acquiring

and preserving habitat for ducks, geese and swans.

On March 16, 1934, Congress passed and President Roosevelt

signed the Migratory Bird Hunting Stamp Act. Popularly

known as the Duck Stamp Act, it required all waterfowl hunters 16

years or older to buy a stamp annually. The revenue generated was

earmarked for the Department of the Agriculture, and then five

years later transferred the authority to the Department of Interior

and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to buy or lease waterfowl

sanctuaries.

The Duck Stamp Program

In the years since its enactment, the Federal Duck Stamp Program

has become one of the most popular and successful conservation

programs ever initiated. Some 635,000 hunters paid $1.00 each for

the first stamps, which went on sale August 22, 1934. Since then,

the price has gradually risen to the current $15.00 and the number of

stamps bought climbed to a peak of 2.4 million in 1970-71. Today,

some 1.5 million stamps are sold each year.

Not only waterfowl hunters buy Duck Stamps; they have become

popular with stamp collectors as well. A collector who had bought

each stamp the year it was issued would have paid a total of $304

by 1996. That investment would now be worth well over $5,000.

Stamps issued before 1941 are exceedingly rare since the law

originally specified that unsold stamps were to be destroyed the

following year. Although the majority of excess stamps are still

destroyed annually, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which

administers the Federal Duck Stamp Program, as well as the U.S.

Postal Service, continue to sell each year's stamp for 3 years.

More importantly, as of 1995, Federal Duck Stamps have generated

$501 million that has been used to preserve 4,389,792.86 acres of

waterfowl habitat in the United States. Many of the more than 510

national wildlife refuges have been paid for all or in part by Duck

Stamp money.

But waterfowl are not the only wildlife to benefit from Federal

Duck Stamps. Numerous other birds, mammals, fish, reptiles and

amphibians have similarly prospered because of habitat protection

made possible by the program. Further, an estimated one third of the

nation's endangered and threatened species find food or shelter in

refuges preserved by Duck Stamp funds.

Not only wildlife, but people, too, have benefited from the Federal

Duck Stamp Program. Hunters are ensured birds for their bag, and

other outdoor enthusiasts gain places to hike, bird watch or merely

visit. Moreover, the protected wetlands help dissipate storms, purify

(Continued on page 6)

HISTORY OF THE FEDERAL DUCK STAMP

5

water supplies, store flood water, nourish fish hatchlings important

for sport and commercial fishermen.

Picking a Duck Stamp

The first Federal Duck Stamp, designed by "Ding" Darling himself

at President Roosevelt's request, depicts two mallards about to land

on a marsh pond. In subsequent years, noted wildlife artists were

asked to submit designs. The first contest was opened in 1949 to

any U.S. artist who wished to enter. A U.S. Fish and Wildlife press

release dated January 18, 1950 states that this was the first open

national competition. There were 88 design entries submitted in the

first competition by 65 artists. The number of entries rose to 2,099

in 1981 in the only art competition of its kind sponsored by the

U.S. Government. To select each year's design, a panel of noted

art, waterfowl, and philatelic authorities are appointed by the

Secretary of the Interior. Winners receive no compensation for the

work, except a pane of their stamps. Winning artist may sell prints

of their designs, which are eagerly sought by hunters,

conservationists, and art collectors.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service mails contest regulations to

interested artists each spring. All entries must be postmarked no

later than September 15. Artists may choose their own medium and

designs may be in black-and-white or full color, and must measure

10" wide by 7" high.

Printing

After the winning design has been selected, the artwork is

submitted to the Treasury Department's Bureau of Engraving and

Printing (BEP) for production of the stamp. A security document

designer at BEP prepares a model, combining the artwork, title,

and denomination. BEP experts determine what portions of the

stamps will be reproduced by the intaglio process, how the colors

of the remainder of the image will be separated, and what printing

methods and equipment will yield the best reproduction of the

artwork.

After the model is approved by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,

a single subject master steel die of the intaglio image is hand

engraved. A steel transfer roll is made from the master die and the

image is transferred repeatedly to make the intaglio printing sleeve.

The engraver also prepares a separate single subject die for each

color appearing in the final print. Offset lithographic printing plates

are prepared from these hand separations.

Beginning with the 1946-47 issue, the plates were laid out with

central vertical and horizontal gutters, dividing the 112 subjects per

sheet into four panes of 28 stamps. This permitted complete

perforation of the stamps on all four edges of the stamps on all four

edges of each pane. The sheets were cut into panes along the center

lines of the gutters. Formerly, there were no gutters, and the 10

stamps adjacent to the cut lines on each pane had non-perforated,

straight edges.

For the first time, beginning with the 1987-88 issue, the stamps

were perforated on a web offline perforator, which results in a

perfect center of "bull's eye" hole where the corners of four stamps

intersect.

Federal Duck Stamps Housed at the Smithsonian

In March of 1995 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service transferred its

complete set of the annual series to the Smithsonian Institution

where the collection is housed in the National Postal Museum.

Included in the collection is a complete set of die proofs. At

transfer, the official collection consisted of 21 panes of 28 stamps

each, dating from the first issue through 1954-55. Under a current

agreement between USFWS and the Smithsonian, a sheet, a pane,

and die proof of each issue is added to the collection. Those

wishing to study the collection of Federal Duck Stamps can do so

by contacting the National Postal Museum, 2 Massachusetts Ave,

NE, Washington, D.C. 20560.

Reproduction of the Federal Duck Stamp

Until 1958 it was illegal to reproduce a picture of the actual

stamps. But in September of that year, Public Law 85-921

amended the United States code to permit black-and- white

illustrations of revenue stamps: "for philatelic, numismatic,

educational, historical, or noteworthy purposes in articles books,

journals, newspapers, or albums ..." In 1984 amendments to the

Migratory Bird Conservation Act authorized the color and black-

and-white reproduction of the stamp. Any individual or

organization who chooses to reproduce the Federal Duck Stamp on

a product must receive approval from the U.S. fish and Wildlife

Service in the form of a license agreement and must pay a royalty

for each unit of product sold. The image of the Federal Duck

Stamp on any product must be less than three-fourths or greater

than one and one-half the size of the actual Federal Duck Stamp.

These size requirements hold true for reproducing the Federal duck

Stamp in journals, books, newspapers, etc.; however, permission is

not required on these instances. The revenue received from

royalties must go directly into the Migratory Bird Conservation

Fund, after deducting expenses for marketing.

Purchasing Stamps

Federal Duck Stamps may be purchased from the Federal

Duck Stamp Office (DSO) in Washington, D.C., any first or

second class U.S. Post Office, various sporting goods

stores (including many KMart and Walmart stores), and

most national wildlife refuges. Representatives of the DSO

often sell Federal Duck Stamps and related products at

philatelic events and at wildlife and art expositions across the

country. Rules for entering the contest, details on purchasing

stamps and products, and other additional information are

available by writing the Federal Duck Stamp Office, U.S.

Fish and Wildlife Service, 1849 C Street, NW. Suite 2058,

Washington, D.C. 20240, or calling (202) 208-4354.

(Reprinted from the Fish & Wildlife Service Web page)

(Continued from page 5)

6

7

Birding doesn't have to be competitive. It's possible to enjoy birds

purely for their beauty and flight and musical calls and songs. But

competition brought an edge of excitement to the first annual

LVAS "Boat and Bird" trip on the Lehigh River.

Here's the background: In 1998, LVAS birders Fritz Brock, Pauline

Morris, and Bernie Morris participated in The Wildlands

Conservancy's Lehigh River Sojourn. They astounded Conservancy

folks by identifying 62 species on the trip, most of them through

song. When Fritz heard that this year's trip was covering the same

territory at approximately the same time of year, he threw down the

gauntlet. "We can beat the record," he wrote to me, "if the weather

cooperates."

Ah yes, the weather. Fifteen intrepid birders took to their canoes—

once again supplied by The Wildlands Conservancy—on the

morning of June 2nd, despite drizzling rain and dire predictions of

thunderstorms that dissuaded nearly half of those registered from

participating. Amongst the group were some newcomers to

LVAS—Dan Poresky, owner of Dan's Camera City, and ace young

birders Matt and Adam Sabatine—as well as two of the Valley's

most respected identifiers—Fritz and Sherri LaBarre.

No surprise that the first birds were identified while the canoes

were just getting wet: Warbling Vireos were singing tenaciously,

Northern Rough-winged Swallows were circling over the shallow

moving water, and Yellow Warblers were everywhere. Even the

European Starlings hanging around the Bethlehem Steel structures

were a welcome sight.

The trip continued with the sun shining brightly and clouds

clearing. Raincoats came off and more birds sang: Northern

Parulas, Red-eyed Vireos, Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, and Veerys

chorused from the banks. Spotted Sandpipers scooted from shore to

shore in surprisingly large numbers, and an overhead Cooper's

Hawk brought excitement.

Sure, the abundance of Baltimore Orioles was cheering, but we

were looking for new species, so the Fish Crow calling in its

Boston accent, the Scarlet Tanager's husky version of the Robin's

song, and even the Brown-headed Cowbirds perched on a power

line were greeted enthusiastically.

By the time the group reached "The Gut," a small interior pond on

Island Park, we were up to 60 species and quickly running out of

time. Of course, we were thrilled to see Wood Ducks with young

and the newborn White-tailed Deer was a vision, BUT WE HAD

ALREADY SEEN WOOD DUCKS AND WE WEREN’T

COUNTING HOOFED SPECIES!!

Streaking just overhead came species 61, a Red-headed

Woodpecker. Wow. Unexpected and just in time. Still, we waited,

basking in the sun, listening closely. Where was the Yellow-

throated Vireo, the House Finch, the Indigo Bunting? Even worse

than that, where was the Belted Kingfisher? During the three canoe

trips I'd taken to prepare for this trip, I had never failed to spot

fewer than three of these showy birds!

We cut right toward the beach that signaled the trip's end, happy

that the day had been so pleasant, pleased that we had chosen not to

back out, not to give in to Weather Channel's negative predictions,

but just a bit depressed. Eyes scanned the skies. Just one more

species and we could tie the record.

"Cue the Osprey," I called, to no avail.

Just when it looked as if defeat was inevitable, a tiny bird came

buzzing out over the path, a bright and beautiful species beloved by

birders and non-birders alike: Ruby-throated Hummingbird.

Species 62.

Good enough, we concluded. Next year's trip, scheduled for June

1st will again have a mission. Next time the stakes will be higher—

we've got a tied record to beat—and next time we'll see four Belted

Kingfishers and an Osprey.

B o a t a n d B i r d by Karen Dolan

serious the situation was or how committed I would become to finding a solution. I have

every intention of bringing the Sustainability Alliance to fruition. I've read and collected

volumes of information. I've attended conferences and workshops and shared ideas with

lifelong activists, family and friends. Many long-time environmentalists, who privately

told me they are losing hope, see this concept having a greater likelihood of success than

any they previously encountered. It's time to put it together.

You can help create and launch this far-reaching enterprise. Environmental or

organization experience is not needed and there will be no requests for money. The

first thing to do is contact me so I have your name and can keep you informed on our

progress. Better yet, you can join one of our exploratory meetings where interested and

'just curious' people can share, learn and move the process forward. If you can't make it to

a meeting and you are ready now to see how you can contribute, please give me a call or

contact me by mail or email. The list of things to do is long and varied. There is more

information on our (not yet polished) website: <www.agshen.org>.

Contact: Dan Poresky c/o Dan's Camera City 1439 Fairmont St. Allentown PA 18104.

Phone: 610-434-2313 ext. 389. Email: <dan@GAASE.org>

(Sustainable Environment Continued from page 4)

LEHIGH VALLEY AUDUBON SOCIETY

P. O. BOX 290

EMMAUS, PA 18049

LVAS OFFICERS and EXECUTIVE BOARD

President Karen Dolan (610) 814-0701

Vice President Peter G. Saenger (610) 682-2401 Treasurer Fritz Brock (610) 797-2675

Secretary Amy Francisco (215) 679-8892

Ted Fritzinger Barbara Malt Dennis Miller

Bernie Morris Pauline Morris Joanne Sora

________________________________________

COMMITTEE CHAIRS Field Trips Bernie Morris (610) 967-0257

Programs Barbara Bolle (610) 282-1116

Membership Joanne Sora Newsletter Peter G. Saenger (610) 682-2401

Records Position Open

Conservation Jon Levin (610) 366-9996 Education Karen Dolan (610) 317-1618

Social Pauline Morris (610) 967-0257

Youth Coordinator Adam Sabatine Ways & Means Position Open

Christmas Count Dennis Miller (610) 759-7514

Publicity Ted Fritzinger (610) 434-0346 Birdline (hotline) Dave DeReamus (610) 252-3455

Our Committees are always looking for help with the

various LVAS projects: Call today and see how you

can help! 610-814-0701

________________________________________

To hear about local bird sightings or to report

sightings, call the LVAS Hotline at 610-252-3455

Web site: http://www.lehigh.edu/~bcm0/lvas.html

NON-PROFIT ORG

US POSTAGE

PAID PERMIT No. 99

EMMAUS, PA

Mississippi Kite

by George West

2001-2002

Field Trips

and

Evening Programs

Schedule

INSIDE!