Make a Difference!
Opportunities Abound,
Your Help Is Needed
BEXAR
AUDUBON ' .
SOCIETY
SAN ANTONIO
TEXAS
· Thursday, October 15, 1998-Chapter Meeting . . '
It's a Finite World. Folks
POpulation Growth Will
Things are happening and they seem to
be happening too fast for our little crew of '
dedicated volunteers. Your chapter needs
Determine Our Future
your help. ' 7 p.m. -Social Time
One opportunity is for an Outings
Chairperson. This is a little work and a lot
of fun. We try to have at least' one outing
each month to some environmentally
important site or activity. The Outings Chair
gets to talk to a lot of interesting people and
scout out interesting places. If you are
interested call President Bill Sain at 408-
7731. '
A more inside job is that of helping
- maintain our chapter website. It is up and
running (sort of) but needs more- personal
attention from someone who can devote the
time. It requires weekly updates for current
environmental meetings and monthly
updates for chapter events. It is a wonderful
opportunity for people with artistic talents to
make a dynamic presence for our Chapter.
In this case, computer skills are essential and
you must have access to the internet. This
would be a great job for our young!')r '
members! Those interested may contact Bill
(see above) or Jiii-SoJ1deen at 830-980-3277
or email at jsondeen@netxpress.com.
In Lieu of a Chq,pter Outing:
Check out pages 5 an~ 6 for a number
of Upcoming Events in the area for
birding and other opportunities: '
Oct. 11-17-Nationa/ Wildlife Refuge
Week at Balcones Canyonlands NWR
Oct. 18-Big Sit! Contest
Oct. 23-25-Butterf/y Festival in
Mission, Texas
Oct. 24-Twenty Fifth Anniversary
Bash at Mitchell Lake
Oct. 31-Landscaping and Wi/(1/ife
Workshop and Yard Tour
..
7:30 p.m.-Speaker's Program
Free and open to the public
Ruble Center, 419 E. Magnolia (east of McCullough; take Mulberry exit off 281)
For VIA public transportation, take Route 5 (St. Mary's/McCullough/North Star Mall) to Magnolia
!=ach October we observe World
Population Awareness Wee'k. This year
may be especially significant, since
depending upon whose counter you go by,
the world human population number has
either just passed or will soon pass the six
billion mark. That's a lot of people. Many of
us don't realize that the U.S. is the third most
populous country in the world, with 267.7
million people. According to the Population
Reference Bureau, we 'are among the
fastest growing of the more developed
countries.
Within the U.S., Texas gained more
people in the years 1990-96 than any other
state in the union. We now have a
population of 19.4 million, with a projection
of 27.2 million by the year 2025. At current
annual growth rates-1.8 percent, which is
twice the U.S. national rate-Texas's
population doubling time is only 39 years.
This is ·due, in part, to the fact that 29
percent of Texas's pqpulation is younger
thao age 18. We are the fifth "youngest"
state in the U.S. While the average number
of persons per square mile in Texas is only
74; some 80 percent of this population is
now urban, so the den'sity in cities is
substantially greater than 74 per square
·mile. If you live in or visit a Texas city, this is
not news.
The San Antonio metropolitan area
itself had almost 1.5 million people in 1996.
If you have lived in· San Antonio for more
. than a few years, you can remember when
you could get "anywhere" in fifteen or twenty
minutes-door-to-door. There were no
traffic jams. A few main arteries served the
whole town. You could attend "A Night in
Old San Antonio" at Fiesta an·d know a lot
of the folks you saw. Your feet could touch
the. ground, and you could walk casually
along the few lanes inside La Villita talking ·
with your friends. It's not like that today!
. So why should Audubon members care
about world population-or Texas or San
Antonio population? Because human
pop).Jiation pressures are the greatest
source of negative impact on wildlife and
wildlife habitat and on our .entire natural
resource base. A recent article in the journal
"BioScience," co-written by Environmental
Defense Fund ecologist Dr. David Wilcov~,
confirms that habitat loss is the greatest
single threat to endangered species. It
imperils'85 percent of endangered species
in the continental United Sta~es and Hawaii,
including many migratory birds and the
species who in part depend upon the
Edwards Aquifer ecosystem of central
Texas. Audubon's mission includes
. protecting birds, other wildlife, and their
habitats ..
Our speaker for the October BAS
geryeral membership meeting will be
Susan Hughes, Texas Coordinator for
the National Audubon Society
Population and Habitat Campaign.
Hughes is a past president of Bexar
Audubon Society and the Audubon Council
bf Texas and chairs the nominating
committee of. the Texas Audubon Society.
She is an elected member of the Edwards
Aquifer . Authority board, and the
environmental representative on the South
Central Texas Regional Water Planning
Committee for Senate Bill1 implementation.
She was recently appointed to the City
Public Service Citizen Advisory Committee.
BEXAR AUDUBON SOCIETY
Chapter of the National Audubon Society
P. 0. Box 6084, San Antonio, TX 78209
210-822-4503
'-- GOALS
The Chapter's primary goals are
to promote species and habitat
conservation and environmental education
in the community.
President
Vice Pres.
Treasurer
Secretary
Past Pres.
OFFICERS
Bill Sain (71634.230@comp~s~rve.com) .... 408-7731
Mike Mecke ...... (mmecke@saws.org) ........ 344-3737
Betty Minyard ... (mink@texas.net) .............. 344-6128 ·
Deborah Robinson ........................................ 493-4663
........................ (dlr2spirit@compuserve.com)
Susan Hughes . . ....................................... 532-2332
........................ (Susan@wordwright.com)
BOARD OF DIRE<{TORS
Term Ending 1999:
Kim Hoskins ...................................................................... 696-3780
Jane Nelka ..... .................... Qsneal@texas.net) .......... 561-0313
Harry Noyes ......................... . ........ .....................•....... .'. 490-3124
Term .Ending 2000:
Chris Dullnig ......................... (cdullnig@juno.com) . 830-980-8156
Maria Elizalde .. ... . . ...... ..... ...... . ....................................... 695-4?56
Janis Merrit ......................... . ................. : ............. : ....... 698-1095
COMMITTEE CHAIRS
Adopt-a-Park Bill Woller .... ~ ................................................. 696-3186
Aud. Adven. Betty Minyard ... (mink@texas.net) ..........•... 344-6128
Birdathon Bill Sain (716,34.230@compuserve.com) .... 408-7731
Conserv. Richard Pipes .. (rjpipes@flash.net) .... 830-281-2452
Education .Mary Kennedy .. (mbkenned@aol.com)698-7175x267
Karen Peissinger ............................... , .......... 266-4300
Hospitality Nancy Johnson ............................................. 655-1338
Memb. Deborah Robinson ........................................ 493-4663
" ........................ (dlr2spirit@compuserve.com)
Naturallnit. Tom Wilson ...... (twilsond@AOL.com) ........ 492-4799
Outings ...................................................................... available
Fall is upon us and the temperatures seem to be lowering a bit. The Mockingbird
in our front yard is continually singing these days. The Black-chinned Hummingbirds
are busy at our flowers andJeeders. I was out in the Davis Mountains of West
Texas twice in September. During the S!3cond trip I noticed that the trees were
beginning to turn to their autumn colors. Deborah joined me on this second trip and
we saw numerous bird species, Prong-horned Antelope, White-tailed Deer, Collared ·
Lizards, a Western Coachwhip (snake) and Javelina. One group ot Javelina
wandered through the Davis Mountain State Park in mid-day. · A mother and two
young were with them. We visited the McDonald Observatory and the Chihuahuan
· Desert Besean;:h Institute where we visited their arboretum and greenhouse. I did
not realize how many different, and intriguing, species·of cactus existed. We also
visited, and swam in, the San Solomon Springs at Balmorhea State Park. For those
.of you whq attended last month's meeting on Endangered Species in the Edwards
Aquifer, you heard a little about these springs and their endangered species (Pecos
Gambusia and Comanche Springs PLJpfish). We swam with these, and other species,
in th.e pool built around the springs. It was a wonderful experience.
October has many reasons to celebrate. In addition to cooler weather, October
includes National Wildlife Refuge Week (Oct 11-16) and Population Aw~reness Week
(Oct 25-31 f Visit one of our National Wildlife Refuges (NWR) and see the wonderful
work being done. There are several that are within a 2- 3 hour drive of San Antonio.
These include the Balcones Canyoolands NWR near Austin, the Attwater Prairie
Chicken NWR near Eagle Lake, and Atascosa NWR north of Corpus Christi.
As for population, you need not look far to see how population growth impacts
wildlife, its habitat, and your quality of life. Just take a drive around San Antonio
during rush hour or drive through the Hill Country and watch the RechaliQe Zone of
your sole source of drinking water being paved over. Note the Ozone Action Days,
all the efforts to improve long-range plat:Jning in San Antonio, and the ,various
.organizations working to try to preserve some of our natural beauty. Come to our
October meeting to hear more about population-related issues and how National
Audubon is working to address these issues. Hope to see you there.
-Bill Sain
Programs Chris Dullnig .... (cdullnig@juno.com) . 830-980·8156
=~~~c~~ord ~;~~ ~~~~~~·::::·(il~~~~~-@·;;;~i·~:~ct~)-·::::::::·736:7425 r
Ways & Means Bill Sain ............ (see above) ....................... 408-7731 "
Bexar Tracks Tom Wilson ...... (twiiSOI'\d@~OL.com) ..... : .. 492-4799 J
Editors Jtll Sondeen .......................................... 830-980-3277 -Whadaya Think?
Qsondeen@NetXPress.com) ........ Fax: 830-438-7393
Bexar Tracks is your newsletter.
We welcome your contributions.
Next deadline: October 23, 1998
Please fax Jill or email Tom as above; diskettes
and hard copy should be sent to Tom Wilson,
13227 Hunters Spring, San Antonio, TX 78230.
Printed with soy ink on
recycled paper.
Visit Bexar Audubon's
Web Site:
http://www.audubon.org/chapter/tx/bexar/
Suggestions and contributions are welcome.
Please contact Jill Sandeen at
jsondeen@ netxpress.com
October 1998
Is There a Better Place
~ fo-r Our Monthly Meeting?
For a very long time, Bexar Audubon has been meeting at the Ruble Center,
located at 419 E. Magnolia St., which is in an older part of the city yet to benefit from an
invasion of historic restorators. ·
Some members have suggested that our chapter might see a marked improvement
in attendance a(our meetings if we find a better location for them . .They suggest that
the Center is ha,rd to find and leaves some who leave it in the dark of a winter's night a
little apprehensive for their safety.
The officers and board members welcome your opinion about the meeting place.
- Some things to consider in proposing a new location. Obviously, the auditorium
should be large enough to hold us. Beyond)hq.t, it should be reasonably centrally
located, easy to find and close to convenient public transportation. It must be inexpensive
to rent: Finally, it should not be or appear to be in a location less than safe in the
evening hours.
Anyone who wants to weigh in on this issue should contact any of the officers and
board members whose names and telephone numbers appear on this page of
BexarTracks.
2
---:-,
Bexar Tracks
CHAPTER NEWS
Sep 17 Meeting Recap: What's Down There, Anyway?
Mysterious Creatures Swarm Beneath Our Feet
Hidden in the Depths of the Edw~rds Aquifer
You can't hear them even in the still of
the night. They don't appear in your toilet
bowl like the legendary New York City sewer
rats. But they are there, hundreds of feet
below us, going about their busy lives as
we go about ours, each oblivious to the
other but their continued existence rests in
our hands.
The busy web of life that has evolved
to live in the Edwards Aquifer was vividly
described to a large audience-including
a group of ecologically-minded students
from Mary Kennedy's TMI class-at the
September BAS meeting by Dr. David
Bowles, a conservation biologist for the
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
Dr. Bowles detailed a large and
exceedingly varied contingent of animals
that has made its home in the waters of the
aquifer. This group of animals is a unique
biological treasure trove, the likes of which
exist nowhere else on this continent and
perhaps on the entire planet. For example,
Dr. Bowles said there are 45 known species
of invertebrates, ranging from minuscule
worms and snails to sizeable crustaceans.
The large vertebrate species include
the fountain darter and Texas blind
salamander, of endangered species fame,
and a blind catfish that lives in underground
San Antonio and can reach six inches in
length. The catfish, like most aquifer
species, Dr. Bowles said, is believed to be
descended from a surface-dwelling species
that was trapped as the Edwards Plateau
rose and the ocean receded. Living in total
darkness these species, over time, lost their
eyes and their color.
The Edwards Aquifer is all but unique
in its large variety of wildlife, Dr. Bowles said,
because of its rapid recharge and discharge
characteristics. As anxious San Antonians
have noted, the aquifer goes up quickly
when it rains and down rapidly when it
doesn't. The quick recharge, he said, brings
fresh supplies of often microscopic plant
and animal materials washed from the
ground which sustain the smallest animals.
The littlest critters are eaten by larger
animals and so on up the food chain to the
blind catfish and salamander.
Bowles said there is perhaps another
food source, one now under investigation.
October 1998
As occur in ocean trenches, there may be
hot vents in the depths of the aquifer. In
the ocean hot vents, releasing clouds of
mineral rich water, are the food source for
a variety of bacteria, which are eaten by
larger animals, etc. This may also be true
in the aquifer, Bowles said, although much
research needs to be done to prove this
hypothesis.
Dr. Bowles said that 15 of the 171argest
springs in Texas are fed by the Edwards.
The aquifer has the largest springs, the
largest wells and the most diverse fauna of
any known. "What we have here is unique,"
he said.
Bowles noted that several of the
aquifer's largest springs, including two in
San Antonio, are now all but completely dry.
Springs at lower elevations, such as the
Carnal Springs in New Braunfels and the
San Marcos Springs will flow only so long
as water levels are maintained. With
population pressures continuing to increase
only a real commitment to protecting the
aquifer will maintain this unique resource
of wildlife under our feet.
-Tom Wilson
Just Who Is Bexar Audubon?
Many members of the Bexar Audubon Society (BAS) aren't even sure how or when
they joined. Others are glad to be members but don't realize what kind of company they
are keeping and still others know and care very much about this organization.
To begin with, we are a large organization by San Antonio standards. At last count
we had 1 ,521 members. That number is the one provided to the BexarTracks staff by
the National Audubon Society in the form of little sticky mailing labels with your name
(and others) on them which we dutifully affix to this information-packed publication and
cart off to the post office.
Joining the Audubon Society is easy enough: sign up, pay your dues and you are
in. Every month people do this, sometimes in such numbers that our membership
varies by more than 100, as newcomers sign on and old members move away or (gasp!)
fail to renew their memberships. Since we don't see all of you at our monthly meetings,
we assume that some members prefer just to enjoy the monthly magazine and perhaps
keep up with local happenings through this newsletter.
As you might suspect, most of our members live right here in San Antonio. But we
have loyal members in Bend, Oregon; Pilesgrove Township, New Jersey; Wynne,
Arkansas; and Savannah, Georgia. ·
Closer to home our neighboring counties check in with the following memberships:
County City & Membership
Gillespie Fredericksburg (1)
Kendall Bergheim (1), Comfort (2), Boerne (51)
Frio Bigfoot (1)
Medina Castroville (3), La Coste (2)
Bandera Bandera (10)
Atascosa Poteet (1 ), Pleasanton (17)
Guadalupe Kingsbury (1 ), Seguin (37), Cibolo (12), McQueeney (1 ), Schertz (19)
Wilson Stockdale (1), LaVernia (1), Floresville (14)
Comal Canyon Lake (30), Bulverde (12), New Braunfels (69),
Fair Oaks Ranch (1)
And members who live in Bexar County but outside center city zipcodes include:
Atascosa (1), Helotes (19), Converse (12), Universal City (25), Elmendorf (5), Adkins
(5), St. Hedwig (1) and Von Ormy (6).
So that's who you are and where you live. We hope you are pleased to be in such
good and diverse company and we would encourage you to come to a meeting, adopt a
project and otherwise help make this area a more convivial habitat for man and beast.
-Tom Wilson and Jill Sondeen
3 Bexar Tracks
LOCAL NEWS
Meeting Recap:
Citizens Make Progress on
Loca~ Nature Preserve System
Undaunted by the threat of downpours,
more than 60 enthusiastic citizens
convened at O.P. Schnabel Park very early
on Saturday, September 12th, to move
forward with the next steps in developing a
system of nature preserves in the Bexar
County region.
After a recap of input from two previous
citywide public meetings; ad hoc
committees reported on the status of their
work. Draft vlsiori and mission statements
for both the preserve system and a central
coordinating body were read. A core
steering committee of 13 citizens, balanced
in technical background and geographic~!
distribution, was appointed.
It will be the steering committee, in
conjunction with four primary·
subcommittees, which will now begin the
work of drafting the organizational structure
for the ultimate system. The work of the
subcommittees will focus primarily ' on
preserve selection and management
guidelines, preserve-based environmental
education and outreach·. programs,
intergovernmental cooperation and support,
and secure finar)cial grounding. ·
The next public meeting to report on
progress of the committees is scheduled· for
March 2nd, 7:00 pin, at the Witte Museum
auditorium. Meanwhile all interested
citizens are invited to provide input or join
the work of the committees. For now, please
direct inquiries to the ,San Antonio Open
Space Advisory Board Chairman
{826-4698) or American Institute of
Architects' Committee on the .Environment
Chairman {828-8705).
. -Susan Rust
Teaming with Wildlife is a tax to allow
the "non-hunting" outdoors person to
contribute to wildlife. and habitat
conservation in the same way that the 1937
Pittman-Robertson Act taxes firearm and
ammunition sales of the hunting outdoors
person for the benefit of wildlife.
In addition, duck/goose hunters
provide m9ney through the 1934 Duck
Stamp Act (which non-hunters may also buy
to support wetlands pre§lervation.) Both of
October 1998
ENVIRON_MENTAL .NEWS
World Population Awareness Week
How I Got Here from .There,
Why the 'Population Issue?
Editor's Note: Our October chapter meeting speaker, Susan Hughes, is interested in many
environmenal issues. Here she explains why she has come to believe that population is
ainong the most important. · · . , · · ,
At least in fhe envjronmental segment
of the population activist community, I
. believe few people come to the human
population issue directly. I don't have data,
but my · assessment is based on
conversations with others and my own .
experience .. Wf? get tliere through a series
of epiphanies. , ·
For example, I got involved as an
environmental activist because I was moved
by the plight of endangered species~ 1
wanted to save the critters and didn't want
· anything to. do with the peop'le who were
causing the problem. Then it dawned on me
after attending my first Audubon regional
conference in 1991, conveniently qn the
topic of population, that how right I 'really
was. People were causing the problem, and
if we were to have any success with
enjjangered species, we all had to deal with
the people issue-if not first, at least in
parallel. .
The more I learned about population
issues here and internationally the more I
realized the ir:1tricacies of the people and
planet interrelationship. I remembered
Maslow's hierarchy of needs. There was no
way many of the people in the world could
possibly factor into their lives a concern for
the preservation of t~e "nat~ral" :-vorld-
Legislation Defined
whatever that means any more-until they
were able to meet the day-to-day needs for
their children and envision a future for them.
. Beyond that there are several camps
of people who approach the challenges from
different perspectives: those who can see
and feel population pressures in their own
back yards, and those who cannot see it
here, but decry the conditions in other
countries. Integrating all these folks into a
united front is probably not only impossible,
but not necessarily desirable. We need to
approach the problems from many different
'dir13ctions, surrounding them, not attacking
them head-on and we need every faction
and different perspective to hope for
s·uccess.
This challenge is too great for one
camp~ign. The problems are too diverse for
a single solution. The implications are too
significant to clump and lump. We must
combine forces and collaborate wherever .
it makes sense, support one another where .
possible, and keep the focus on a healthy
world full of diversity and promise:
Yes, people are· the problem, but
people are also the only solution through
their ~ommitment, ingenuity, and optimism.
-Susan Hughes
'.'Teaming" Proposals Would Allocate Tax
Moneys to Help ~ifferent Kinds of Wildlife
these acts tax hunters and the funds are
divided and distributed to Federal and State
Wildlife agencies for habitat find other
improvement of game animals and
migratory birds. ·
These taxes q.re in addition to the
license and tag fees hunters and fishers pay
to the state. The facts are that .the
"non-hunter" population is growing and
impacting these resources and the hunting
population is dedining. The "non-game"
4
needs for funding are ever-increasing since
so many of the threatened and endangered
species are not game species and there are
simply no funding sources for them. So if
this bill passes, the tax on binoculars, for
example, could fund habitat acquisition for'
great blue herons and red-legged frogs.
-Janine Perlman
Editor's note: Visit their web page at:
www. teamjng.com.
Bexar Tracks
ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS/ UPCOMING EVEN__ T ~S_,_, ______· ~~
October 11-17, 1998
National Wildlife ~efuge Week To Be Celebrated
. at Nearby Balcones Canyonlands·NW:R
Editor's note: The following calendar and summary of events courtesy of Chuck Sexton, Refuge Naturalist.
Calender of Events
Open House: Sat - Sun, Oct. 1 0-11, at the Nagel tract of Balcones Canyonlands NWR.
Open House again on Sat., Oct. 17. ·
Directions: This is on RR 1174 in east Burnet Co. From San Antonio enjoy the drive north
to Marble Falls on US 281, then head east on RR 1431 and look for RR 1174 about 12 miles east
of town; turn north and go 4.5 miles until you see the wooden "Nagel Ranch" sign on the right.
What: ' Hawk-watching, butterfly watching (especially th~ monarch migration), hiking.
Staff ana volunteers will be on hand to answer questions.
Contact Information': Keep in touch with Chuck Sexton at <chuck_sexton@fws.gov> or at 512-
339-9432 x26. Lago Vista may be spons~ring tours as well; call512-267-7952 in October.
Highs and Lows at Balcones Canyonlands NWR
This has been a very busy summer at
the Refuge. It has also been a roller­coaster
of "good news, bad news" events.
First some of the good news. We found
lots of Black-capped Vireos and Golden­cheeked
Warblers on territory on .the
Refuge. Our regular vireo colonies were ·'
packed to the gills (perhaps 60 males or
more), two small colonies increased from
2 to 5 territories and from 3 to 6 territories,
respectively, and we detected young male
vireos trying to. set up territories in several ·
other locations. We take all this as a sign
of last year's good productivity and (pat,
pat) our good habitat management.
Perhaps the most conspicuous habitat
management we do is our prescribed fire
program which. was applied to about 2300
acres last winter (total of over 4000 acres
in 2 years). As the summer_drought set in
and fire hazards increased, the Refuge
became one of the important staging areas
for visiting fire-fighting crews from the U.S.
Forest Service, B.ureau of Indian Affairs, ·
and other agencies. Through July and into
August, a succession of three different 20-
person fire crews. were stationed at the
Refuge along with one to two support
helicopters. They were occasionally very
busy fighting fires in Central Texas during
that period, but also had to time to enjoy
the Refuge and even help with some small
scale habitat manipulation. One crew
trimmed over 20 acres of brush and small
trees to create habitat that will probably be
ready for some Black-capped Vireos in just
a year or two.
Biological studies slowed down d1,1ring
the heat of the summer but we tried to keep
October 1998
up with our key species; the productivity of
our two endangered birds was modest at
best. Ted Eubanks helped to compile· a
dragonfly list for the Refuge which now
numbers over 36 species: The acquisition
of the 260-acre New Sa~em tract on RR
1431 has allowed us to add some
interesting plants to the Refuge list, most
recently tropical sage.(discovered by Eddie
Hertz). As summer wanes, we've begun
our annual nighttime deer counts; it's great
fun to see what's around in the evenings!
Despite all the fun we have and the
success on current Refuge lands, we face
some grave challenges. While we are '
braced. for the fact that areas around the
proposed 46;000-acre Refuge will
eventually be settled by more and more
people, we were completely unprepared for
the construction of a 2.5~square mile city
within bur proposed boundary." A developer
has purchased 1600 acres of ranch land in
the upper Cow Creek watershed that we had
hoped to acquire for the Refuge. He is now
constructing roads and infrastructure for the
subdivision known as Whitewater Springs.
Earth-moving equipment is now noisily at
work shaping this subdivision of 1 to 5-acre
"view lots" which are billed as being "next
. to" a preserve.
Needless to say, the biological value
of the entire Whitewater Springs area will
be.severely diminished as this subdivision
builds out; the entire character of a major
portion of the. Refuge may be forever
changed. Although the developer is still in
discussions with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife
Service, in this particular case the.protection
of the Endangered Species Act has been
5
insufficient to prevent the large-scale habitat
loss. The bottom line is the bottom line: We
have not received anywhere near the kinds
of acquisition fuhds (an estimated $8 to 1 0
million needed in the short term) to stave
off the hungry -land rush that is still going on
around Austin. We might get $2 million for
the upcoming year, .. or nothing. That has
yet to be decided . . In the mean time,
development interests and land speculators
are not waiting. With only 1'6,000 scattered,
federally-owned acres of the Refuge area
COIT)fortably protected (along with a few
private ranches), we don't yet have a viable
Refuge. The potential outcomes for this
46,000-acre area of the Hill Country are
starkly divergent; the solutions are apparent.
In part to help protect the Cow Creek
- watershed better, we have recently
requested authorization to include more of
the watershed within our "acquisition
boundary" but that designation carries no
weight and no consequences until and
unless we have the money to actually. buy
land or conservation easements.
I want to end on a positive note: We
are receiving increasing positive support
from Lago Vista and Liberty Hill, whose
reinvigorated Chambers of Commerce see
the value of ecotourism in the area based
on the drawing power of a healthy Refuge.
.To this end, we are happy to announce that
for National Wildlife-Refuge Week we have
much to celebrate and enjoy. The hawk­watching
is always promising and the fall
wildflowers and butterflies should be in full
force. Come join us! . Or visit us at
<refuges.fws.gov> or <sturgeon.irm1.r2.
fws.gov/u2/refuges/texas/balcones.html>
Bexar Tracks
U~COMIN._G EVENTS
Y'all Come!-Saturda Oct. 24 1998
Mitchell Lake Holds Anniversary Bash
I would like to invite everyone to a celebration sponsored by San Antonio Audubon Society commemorating the 25th year of
Mitchell Lake as a waterfowl sanctuary. The celebration is to be held Oct 24, 9:00 am - 3:00 pm at Mitchell Lake in San Antonio.
The more people we can get, the greater the impression we will make on the City Council and San Antonio Water System as we
try to convince them that the wetlands and uplands are important natural areas and contribute to the community. If nothing else you can
shoot the breeze with local birders and old friends.
Couch Potatoes Arise
"Big Sit" Contest Seeks Entrants
for Sedentary Birding Event
Birders who expect the birds to come to them are sought for
•
the 6th annual National BIG SIT! contest scheduled for Oct. 18, 1998.
. Like the contest itself, the rules are easy. Find a spot anywhere
in the area you wish to represent. Draw an imaginary circle 17 feet in
diameter. Count how many birds you, or you and your teammates, can
see or hear within 24 hrs while you are within that circle.
Last year in 23 states, 196 individuals in 48 circles counted
298 species while competing for the most birds seen within a single
circle, and the most birds seen from combined circles within a state.
Last year, California came in first, with Connecticut following and then Texas. We
need more people out there! Do your backyard, do your favorite birding area, bring a ·
lawnchair, have a barbeque, fall asleep, and watch the patterns of nature from your stationary
vantage point.
The New Haven Bird Club of Connecticut sponsors this event. Call John Himmelman
at (860)663-3225 for more info and to register your spot (we don't want 2 people showing
up in the same place!). Or send E-mail to jhimmel@connix.com. I will send you the rules
and regs sheet. There is no registration fee! Everyone who compiles for their team or
participates as an individual receives the several-page write up on who did what where,
after the event. ·
-John Himmelman, New Haven Bird Club
Get Wild
-Bob Doe, President, SAAS
Texas Butterfly Festival
To Be Held in Mission
Butterflies, in all their varied splendor,
will be the focus of the Texas Butterfly
Festival to be held in the Rio Grande Valley
city of Mission, October 23 through 25. The
city is located on an important butterfly
migratory route and many different varieties
of the colorful insects should be on hand.
The Festival includes expert speakers
who will discuss both butterflies and the
habitats that attract them. Other aspects
of South Texas wildlife (including birds) will
also be discussed. Tours will be held to
see butterflies on the wing and other
attractions-natural and historical--in the
Rio Grande Valley. Special programs are
planned for children.
For information on how to regist~r and
on travel and accommodations call 1-800-
580-2700. The Festival is sponsored by the
North American Butterfly Assn. and the
Mission Chamber of Commerce.
UPCOMING CHAPTER
MEETINGS
November 1998 • Jerry Cooke: Do's and
bon'ts of White-tail Deer
becember 1998 - Holiday Party and Slide
Show
-Landscaping for Wildlife Workshop & Yard Tour
When-Saturday, October 31~ 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Where-San Antonio Garden Center, 3310 N. New. Braunfels
Learn how to turn your backyard into a
haven for songbirds, butterflies, and
hummingbirds at this fun and informative
workshop. Morning talks include topics
such as Basic Wildscaping, Plants for
Attracting Hummingbirds and ButterfHes,
Attracting Songbirds and Basic Bird ID,
October 1998
Garde.n Design, and Environmentally
Friendly Pest Control.
Participants can learn how their yards
may be certified as ''Texas Wildsc~pes."
Native plants as well as bird houses, bat
houses, etc. will be for sale in the COL!rtyard.
Lunch is on your own. The Yard Tour is
6
from 1 :30 to 4:30. This will be a mapped
out, self-guided tour to four or five great
local landscapes.
Cost is $15 /person, $25 I couple.
· Make checks payable to "Bexar Audubon
Society" and mail to: Landscaping
Workshop, TX Parks & Wildlife Dept., 134
Braniff, San Antonio, TX 78216. For more
information: call Judit at 348-6350 or Patty
at 824-1235.
Bexar Tracks
BIBDT. LE-­Tales
from, the Sandwich Bar ·
" Invasion of the Seed Snatchers"
-. Conclusion
By Mari 'Bailey
For several days early this spring, the familiar whistling sounds of a whitewing in
power lift-off were ignored. After all, hadn't the species "won" by outsmarting every feeder
I had? Some were ALWAYS near the leeders. But I began to notice a ver,~d-THESE sounds
were EVERY TIME I filled the "sandwich bar'' and they always origi!"lated frorn th€1 SAME
place in the cedar tree. The take-offs became more and more reluctant and finally I glimpsed
who was becoming so'accustomed to me.,...:.a "mama dove" with a nest built only 6 feet off
the ground and less than 3 feet from the feeder .closest to. the front door of our house!
Soon she refused to leave her-nest at all. She still kept an eye on me, but maternal
duties beckoned. Weeks later, we noticed three additional bobbing heads peering out from
her brooding wings. A short time later all of them moved on and a bit of bad weather soon
destroyed their flimsy nest, leaving nothing but memories. What a close encounter-could
it be any closer? Why, yes. . · .
I was destined to learn much more about whitewing doves beginning on July 19, when
a homely, starving waif of a whitewing beg~n flying or running to us in the front yard so that
we could offer him water or lift him up to the sandwich bar feeder.s so he could "binge" on
peanut butter, seeds and bread! For tO days BD (as in Baby Dove) visited us 3 times a day
aM then returned to roost in the trees or the yuccas. Via much attention he has prospered,
into a chubby, fully-feathered, if small, whitewing and thus we are STILL learning about
whitewings via CLOSE observation nowadays. Do you think I could get PAID for· all of this
information-like the ·researcher I so e'nvied 20 years ago in San Antonio-;-the one who
studied this "rare" species-the whitewing dov~?
'.
Batty?
Halloween Is·Coming!
Prince Vlad Kretzulesco, the last living
descendant of Count Dracula, takes bat
conservation very, seriously. ·
On the trees surrounding his castle, just
.outside Berlin, he keeps boxes for the bats
-to welcome back the creatures of the night
and encourage them to stay.
"There are all these mystical stories
about bats, but they are really just "cuddly
little creatures," said Prince Kretzule.sco.
"You can watch them for hours just fluttering
about. I see them here in the moms of the
castle."
Editor's note: "Cuddly" may not be the
word. of choice for most people, but many
BAS members, as far as ·we know not
related to Count Dracula, keep bat houses
on . their property because these hard
working critters eat so many bugs,
especially mosquitos.
Where.Have All the· Sp~rrows Gone?
In an item posted on. TEXBIRDS,
veteran Texas birder Brush Freeman
reported that he has received an E-mail
,which stated that there has been "a slow
t:lecline of the House Sparrow in the state
. over the last few decades." That piqued
Freeman's cu'riosity and he asked "are
house sparrows declining? I confess that
as a· kid I remembered many more than I
encounter now, But then I spent a lot more
time on or around farms where livestock etc.
made conditions prime for these guys."
Freeman suggests that veteran Texas
birders· (t)1ose with 20 years or more
experience) may want to cogitate on this
alleged trend and share their observations
with him. His E-mail address is:
brush@ONR.COM
BexarTracks also will be happy· to
publish further thoughts on this happening.
. Americans Spend .Big Bucks Watching Their Wildlife ·
Editor's note: A recurring theme in the last few issues (Mar, May, Aug, Sep) of BexarTracks is the lucr(ltive-and ecologically positive­possibilities
of developing wildlife watching. Here we give expanded information on the USFWS report mentioned in last month's issue.
Wildlife watching has flown out of the natural resource legacy, and in its economy. were wildlife watchers in 1996. The report
backyard bird feeder and into the Fortune Three types of ·expenditures· are is based on the Service's "1996 National
· 500arena,accordingtoanewreportbythe detailed-in the report. l;xpenditures for Survey oL fishing, Hunting and
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service:"1996 equipment and related items, such as . Wildlife-Associated Recreation," which is
National and State Economic Impacts of binoculars, cameras, wild bird food, conducted every {> years by the· U.S.
Wildlife Watching." membership in wildlife organizations, . Census Bureau. The s'urvey, based on
"Sales of seemingly small items such camping equipment, and motor homes, more than 34,000 interviews with anglers,
as binoculars and bird seed are becoming accounts for 57 percent of total sp~nding. hunters, and wildlife watchers, is the most
a major force in the Nation's econorny as · Trip-related expenditures, such as for food, comprehensive survey of wildlife-related
people take a greater interest in watching lodging, and transportation, constitute 32 recreation in -the United States.
wildlife," said Service Director Jamie percent of total spending by wildlife Copies of the report, ''1996 National
Rappaport Clark. For many local watchers. Other items, such -as books, and State Economic Impacts of Wildlife
· communities, the economic potential of their magazines, contributions, and land-leasing, Watching," and -the "1996 National Survey
wildlife-watching opportunities still may be make up 11 percent of. wildlife watchers' of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife-Associated
unrealized. This report shows that nationally spending. . Recreation" are available by calling the U.S.
and locally, investments in wildlife and wild Nearly 63 million people age 16 and ·Fish and Wildlife Service's publications unit
places are investments in this country's older-31 percent pf the U.S. population- at 304-876-7203.
October 1998 Bexar Tracks
~ububon
a laust
Newsletter Mailing Party-Thanks to Tom
Wilson for hosting the mailing party. Before
they knew what hit 'em, the following non­members
were dragooned into helping with
the mailing party, where they outnumbered
bona fide members (Tom and Jill Sondeen).
Mrs. Dolores Wilson, Ms. Olivia Castro
and Ms. Raquel Tafolla. The latter two ladies
live in Uvalde and had come to the big city,
they thought, for a little shopping. Thank you
very much.
Beginning Bird Wa\k.
San Antonio Audubon Society's
Beginners' Birdwalk meets on the Second
Saturday of each month at the Judson Nature
Trails in Alamo Heights at 8:00AM. (except
in the summer, June through August, when it
is 7:30) Visitors are welcome. Membership
is not required and we have a few binoculars
to lend.
For more info, call me at 342-2073 or
email me at gbird@express-news.net. "
-Georgina Schwartz, SMS
Bexar Audubon Society, Inc.
P. 0. Box 6084
San Antonio, TX 78209
Address Service Requested
Non-profit
Organization
U.S. Postage Paid
San Antonio
Permit #590
W19
NOV98
78249-1130 j
r------------.,
: lnt~~~~"~~~~u~::!~:~~vhip· : ~- R~?U~-~ING ~~Y~~~T~ ~·~ . ~. _j
I Bexar AudubonSociety I Second Thursday of Each Bexar Audubon·$·o!f.i'~t¥B~ard .Meeti~gs.
I , (Chapter Code W19) I Month. Call408-7731 for more info. Members welcoln~3 5~ . '",;:;~ f#.:·
~ New memberships to National Third Thursday of Each Month Bexar Audubon SocietY General -~eetir;Jgs, Open
Audubon Society, including a (except Aug) Call822-4503 for info. to the public, Ruble Center, 419 E~; Magnolia,7 pm
subscription to Audubon magazine, are
$20 ($15 for seniors or full-time
students). This includes membership in
Bexar Audub~:m and a subscription to
Bexar Tracks,as well.
Makes a great gift!
Name ____ ~----------------
Add~-------· ----------------
c~--------------------------
state ________ Zip ______ _
First Saturday of Each Month.
Call 698-1057 for more info.
Second Saturday of Each Morrth.
For information and reservations,
call 698-1 057
Second Saturday of Each Month.
For information and reservations,
call 342-2073
Friedrich Wilderness Park offers a free guided '
general natural history hike
Bexar Audubon sponsors t!'Je "Second
Saturday'' program at Friedrich Park
$2 donation requested
Beginning Bird Walk- meet at the Judson Nature
Trails in Alamo Heights at 8:00AM. (except ir:J the
summer, June through August, when it is 7:30)
Visitors are welcome. Membership is not
required. We have a few binoculars to lend.
Phone: ( ) 1~------------------r-------------------------~
Mail this coupon and your check- I
pa~able to "National Audubon Society" 1
1
Fourth Saturday of Each Month.
Call 308-6788 for more information
Birding morning at Mitchell Lake - meet at 8 am
Led by Ernie Roney (656-4239;
San Antonio Audubon Soc.)
to: •
1 ~----------------~----------------~----~
Bexar Audubon Society
P. 0. Box 6084
San Antonio, TX 78209
First Tuesday of Each Quarter San Antonio Environmental Network meets at
I March, June, September, December. the Witte Museum auditorium, 7 pm. Free and
I Call736-7425 for more·info open to the public ... _-----------...
October 1998 8 Bexar Tracks
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