National Audubon Society

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Birds everywhere

“The wonder of birds can be experienced everywhere.” –Lili Taylor, board member, National Audubon Society.

On April 30, Audubon’s Discovery Center welcomed actress and Audubon board member Lili Taylor whose book “Turning to Birds” had been published the previous day.

Lili’s essays about her personal journey towards identifying herself as a birder struck a chord with me. When I first entered the world of Audubon, I admit to being intimidated by the deep bird knowledge that so many of my colleagues possessed—would I ever feel comfortable and accepted by them? But I soon learned that birders (and birds) are patient and great teachers. Birders also possess an inescapable and contagious enthusiasm. Soon I too was hooked and now travel with binoculars and have bird ID apps on my phone.
But even as I now get excited when I spot a new bird (such as the Phainopepla on a recent vacation trip to Joshua Tree), what I most appreciate about birds was what Taylor articulated—I can experience their wonder everywhere.

It seems right, therefore, that on a warm evening in late spring, next to an abandoned reservoir in the middle of Philadelphia, the large crowd gathered for a book reading found themselves mesmerized by an osprey soaring across the water and grabbing a fish with its talons. Magic.

--Suzanne

American robin on tree. Photo: Clyde Dexter

Lili Taylor Book Launch at the Discovery Center

On Wednesday, April 30th, the National Audubon Society welcomed board member, renowned actress and author Lili Taylor to the Discovery Center for a special in-person event celebrating the release of her new book Turning to Birds: The Power and Beauty of Noticing. Through a series of essays, the book examines how Taylor’s interest in birds led to finding peace and a greater understanding of nature and life lessons.

A standing-room only crowd of 150 people attended the event, where Taylor read from her book and was interviewed by Jennifer Bogo, who is the editor of Audubon’s award-winning magazine. Thank you to Lili Taylor for an inspiring and thought-provoking conversation!

Lili Taylor reading from her book. Photo: Bernard Devlin

Spring Migration in the Mid-Atlantic Region

Spring has arrived, and with it comes the return of millions of migratory birds to the Mid-Atlantic region. Over the next several weeks, these birds will journey back to their seasonal homes as part of the annual spring migration. However, this awe-inspiring natural phenomenon comes with challenges - especially in urban areas, where human-made infrastructure poses serious threats. Volunteer-led programs in the Mid-Atlantic such as Lights Out Philly, Baltimore, and the newly-launched Washington, D.C. campaign encourage property owners and businesses to turn off or block external and internal lights during the spring migration season, from April 1st to May 31st. Read this brief blog on our website about spring migration, and how you can take action at home to protect birds during their long seasonal journeys.

Bird migration map. Photo: BirdCast

Earth Day Native Plant Sale and Art Show at the John James Audubon Center

More than 330 people attended Audubon’s Earth Day festival and Native Plant sale over the April 18 weekend. Children - and adults - had fun making seed bombs for pollinators and painting toad abodes to attract wildlife to their homes and community spaces. A Watercolors Workshop, led by Sue Stefanski, encouraged creativity and nature appreciation. The Philadelphia Mycology Club guided a nature walk to explore the plants, animals, and fungi of Mill Grove, and friends and families also enjoyed canoeing on the Lower Perkiomen Creek. A variety of vendors added to the festive atmosphere, offering goods ranging from bird supplies and beeswax products to handcrafted terrariums.

Stefanski’s work is also featured in "Naturally Fused," a temporary exhibition by local artists in the historic Mill Grove house. The compelling exhibition of photography and painting inspired by nature will be on view as part of the ticketed house tours Wednesday – Sunday at 1:00pm through June 29th.

Participants in art exhibition. Photo: Heather Moqtaderi

Launch of Tern Raft in Maryland’s Coastal Bays

The partnership between the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Audubon Mid-Atlantic, and the Maryland Coastal Bays Program has entered another season of an innovative conservation project initially aimed at preserving three of Maryland’s state-listed endangered colonial nesting waterbirds: the Common Tern, Royal Tern, and Black Skimmers (Common Terns have since become the focus). Now in its fifth season, this project features an artificial raft in Maryland’s coastal bays, showcasing how habitat reproduction can significantly benefit species that have lost their natural homes. The floating wooden-framed platform now provides a crucial nesting site for Common Terns, whose populations have declined by an alarming 90-95% since the mid-1980s due to sea level rise and the erosion of their naturally occurring barren sand nesting islands.

At this time last year, the team had identified 11 returning adult birds that had been banded in previous years. This year, the team has already identified 85 returning birds—about 30% of all the adults previously banded—demonstrating strong site fidelity, or "philopatry." This behavioral trait is particularly evident in Common Terns, which are highly invested in returning to their colony.

As the colony continues to grow and mature year after year, it’s clear that the artificial raft is playing a vital role in supporting these terns. Be sure to follow us on social media for updates on this exciting project and the continued success of the floating raft!

And if you have children, a new book on the tern raft - “Return of the Terns”! is available at the Maryland Coastal Bays website here, and will soon be available at the John James Audubon Center!

Tern raft installation. Photo: Kim Abplanalp

Pennsylvania Legislative Update

Last week, the Shapiro administration released its "PA Lightning Plan," a package of energy policy bills designed to have a positive impact on the environment. Included in the plan are:

HB501, The Pennsylvania Reliable Energy Sustainability Standards (PRESS) act which calls for 35% of all energy in the state to come from renewable sources such as solar, wind and geothermal. Currently only 5% comes from such sources. As we know, habitat loss and pollution from climate change is the biggest threat to birds. Transitioning to renewable sources of energy will be critical for birds' survival. 
HB503, the Pennsylvania Climate Emissions Reduction Act - a Pennsylvania-specific cap and invest program which will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and invest revenue generated from polluters into clean energy technology and ratepayer protections.
HB504, the Community Energy Act, enables the state to authorize community energy programs, including solar. The proposed Community Solar regulations would allow people without direct access to solar panels the ability to purchase solar generated energy and would allow energy developers to build solar arrays and sell that energy to customers. Audubon supports Community Solar because it makes renewable energy more accessible to everyone, and it encourages solar development in the state. A similar bill passed the Pennsylvania House last year, but didn’t make it through the Senate. This year, Audubon is hopeful that the bill will make it to the governor's desk.

In addition to supporting these energy bills, Audubon also is in favor of other pieces of legislation that protect riparian buffers & waterways, enhance wildlife corridors, protect pollinators and call for more solar development on top of new warehouses. To view our current list of legislative priorities in Pennsylvania, please visit our online tracker here.

Pileated woodpecker on tree. Photo: Rolland Swain

Upcoming Events in the Mid-Atlantic

Introduction to Birding: Spring Migration at the John James Audubon Center

Visit Audubon on Saturday, May 10th from 9:00 until 11:00am for an introduction to the wonderful world of birding! You’ll learn where to go to watch birds, what equipment you’ll need, how to use it, and what to look for first, before heading off to explore Mill Grove with Damien Ruffner, Audubon Mid-Atlantic’s Program Manager for The Discovery Center. More information and registration available on our website here.

Birding Tour of Druid Hill Park in Baltimore

Join us on Saturday, May 24th from 8:00 until 9:30am for a birding tour in Baltimore’s Druid Hill Park. Druid Hill Park is Baltimore's oldest large park and is home to 745 acres of forests, fields, and a large lake. 189 species of birds have been documented here, including nesting Baltimore orioles and yellow-crowned night herons. Audubon and Baltimore Bird Club experts will lead us in search of avian friends! No experience necessary. More information and registration here.

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Audubon Mid-Atlantic
3401 Reservoir Drive, Philadelphia, PA 19121
(610) 990-3431 | audubon.org

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