Blue Ridge Audubon Chapter |
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Blue Ridge Audubon's
Meetings & Walks are Free and Open to All
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Bird Walks
We are sorry to report that Blue Ridge Audubon bird walks will be suspended through the winter due to continuing concerns about Covid 19 and public gatherings.
BRAC Programs
Blue Ridge Audubon program meetings will resume in March 2021. For now, we expect BRAC programs to be online this spring.
Please check our website and Facebook page for updates.
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Dear friend,
When I wrote last year’s end-of-year message, I never could have imagined what lay ahead. I recall listing out the many things for which I was thankful. I try to remind myself that in sad and difficult times such as these, that it’s even more important to count our blessings. High on my list of things to be grateful for is this planet’s amazing natural world and our incredible birds.
As a local chapter of the National Audubon Society, the Blue Ridge Audubon Chapter (BRAC) is a non-profit organization run completely by volunteers. We rely almost entirely on donations from our member/supporter community to fund our work -- and for the upkeep of the Beaver Lake Bird Sanctuary. Beloved by the Asheville-area community and a haven for birds, the Sanctuary is free and open for all to enjoy, 365 days a year. More than 200 species of birds have been identified there and more than 50,000 people visit each year. This year, your donations to Blue Ridge Audubon funded removal of invasive plants from the Sanctuary this year. Next year, we plan to continue the war on invasives, and replace them with native and bird-friendly plants, shrubs and trees.
As we face daunting challenges ahead, Blue Ridge Audubon will keep working hard to be a positive force for birds and the environment. I hope you will consider BRAC for an end-of-year, tax-deductible charitable contribution. Your donation will help us maintain the Beaver Lake Bird Sanctuary and continue to make a difference for birds. Please visit our Donation webpage to contribute on-line, or you can send a check to BRAC, PO Box 18711, Asheville, NC 28814.
Best wishes for a safe and peaceful holiday season,
-Nancy Casey
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Carolina or Black-Capped Chickadee?
by Marilyn Westphal
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In areas where Carolina and Black-capped Chickadee ranges overlap, it can be very difficult to tell the two species apart, especially because they readily hybridize. Both species can be found in Western North Carolina, but the breeding range of the Black-capped Chickadee is limited to high elevation areas, generally above 5,000 feet, in the Great Smoky, Plott Balsam, Great Balsam, and Pisgah Ridge ranges. This includes the areas along the Blue Ridge Parkway above 5000 feet roughly from Graveyard Fields to the Great Smoky Mountains, as well as areas within GSMNP itself. Even in these areas, although chickadees will almost invariably sing the Black-capped song, it is difficult to be certain whether the chickadees are Carolina, Black-capped or hybrids because each species can learn the other's song. Appearance is also not necessarily determinative because the differences follow a continuum from typical Carolina to typical Black-capped. |
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In late summer and fall some Carolina Chickadees will move up to higher elevations for a while, and in winter some Black-capped Chickadees will move downslope and may mingle with Carolinas, making telling them apart even more complicated.
These two species overlap in other areas in Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and elsewhere, and a great deal has been written about the possible expansion of one or the other, interbreeding, and the resulting confusion and complications of determining species. Thus far, the only certain method of telling them apart is through DNA testing. In WNC, unless you are above 5,000 feet and west of Graveyard Fields, it is probably safest to assume the chickadees you are seeing are Carolina.
Top: Carolina Chickadee by Dan Pancamo
Bottom: Black-capped Chickadee by Missy Mandel
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Carolina Native Nursery
by Tom Tribble
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Blue Ridge Audubon continues our spotlight on our chapter’s nursery partners with a feature on Carolina Native Nursery (CNN) in Burnsville. CNN is a grower of almost 200 species of native trees, shrubs, perennials, ferns, and grasses. They specialize in raising from seed many of the rhododendrons, azaleas, and mountain laurel indigenous to the Southern Appalachian Mountains. Growing their own plants demonstrates CNN’s commitment to providing the highest quality, locally native plants while at the same time making a positive impact on the environment. This commitment is reflected in their bold and ambitious but simple mission - “To save the earth, one plant at a time.”
Carolina Native Nursery serves both wholesale and retail clients and is open to the public from spring to fall. It’s possible to order plants by email or phone through the winter. Founder and President Bill Jones has been a longtime supporter of Blue Ridge Audubon. He and his staff are extremely knowledgeable and can advise about which plants grow best in our climate and elevation.
One of the easiest ways for homeowners to help birds is to plant native species which provide food and shelter for both residential and migrating birds, as well as bees and butterflies. Trees are particularly important for birds. To find a list of native plants suitable for your area, check out Audubon’s Plants for Birds.
Then, get planting!
Swainson's Thrush on American Beautyberry by Alan Lenk
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Beaver Bits
Text and photos by Jay Wherley
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The predicted finch “irruption” has reached Beaver Lake Bird Sanctuary this season – with sightings already of Pine Siskin, Purple Finch, and the first-ever reported Evening Grosbeak at the sanctuary on the 20th of November. There is still a chance of adding Common Redpoll – one has been spotted along the parkway in Avery County.
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Ducks have been coming and going, although in relatively small numbers, with 12 species reported so far this season. Two of the more uncommon are shown in the attached photos – Green-winged Teal and Northern Pintail. Fun facts: a group of teal is known as a “coil”, “dopping”, or “spring”. Pintails are known as “The Greyhound of the Air” due to their swift and elegant appearance in flight.
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Notable recent sightings at Beaver Lake include Evening Grosbeak and American Pipit.
Images:
Green-winged Teal drake – Beaver Lake, December 2020
Northern Pintail hen – Beaver Lake, December 2020
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About the Blue Ridge Audubon Chapter |
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Blue Ridge Audubon is a chapter of the National Audubon Society, serving Buncombe, Henderson, and surrounding counties in western North Carolina.
We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Donations are
tax-deductible to the extent
allowed by law.
Blue Ridge Audubon Chapter
PO Box 18711
Asheville, NC 28814
Raven's Nest Editor:
Marianne Mooney
mooney.marianne@gmail.com
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Blue Ridge Audubon's mission is to protect birds and the places they depend on. We believe that a world in which birds thrive is a world that benefits all living things.
Our vision is a vibrant and just community where the protection of birds and our natural world is valued by everyone.
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For the latest information and schedule changes,
check our Website or Facebook/Instagram page.
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