The Great Backyard Bird Count

This weekend, people all over the United States and Canada will be participating in the 14th annual Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC). This year, the GBBC runs Friday, February 18th, through Monday, February 21st.

Sylvan Heights is happy to welcome local students who will be counting our native birds at the park on Friday at 10 a.m. And we invite all of you to come out and visit us this weekend.

Our location has attracted a wide variety of bird species over the last few years, including pileated woodpeckers, prothonotary warblers, yellow-rumped warblers, bald eagles, red-shouldered hawks, and many, many more. Just a few weeks ago, a small group of sandhill cranes were seen regularly around the park.

The four-day count takes place every February, and averages 10 million bird observations. People of any age can participate and no experience is necessary. Contrary to its name, you do not have to count birds in your own backyard, but can elect to count them anywhere - at a local park, school, etc. The project itself is as easy as 1, 2, 3:

• First, participants commit to counting birds for at least 15 minutes during one or more days of the count.

• Second, during your count, you record the highest number of birds of a single species (i.e., 5 cardinals, 8 house finches, 2 chickadees, etc.) that you see at one time.

• Last, submit your data by going to the website and entering your checklist.

A joint effort between Cornell University and the Audubon Society, as well as Bird Studies Canada, this Citizen Science Project is a valuable tool for scientists studying local bird populations. The data recorded help them to monitor the effects of changing weather patterns or diseases on bird populations, compare migratory behaviors to previous years, and monitor "irruptive" species (birds that appear in great numbers some years and not in others).

To learn more about the Great Backyard Bird Count, visit their website at http://www.birdcount.org/.  It has a wealth of information and includes games and activities for kids like puzzles, coloring pages and bookmarks. You can also learn more about birds, flip though their photo gallery, and even see last year's bird count results.

Looking to Improve Your Photography Skills?

We are excited to announce that on Saturday, May 22 from 9 am-3:30, nature photographer, Sol Levine, will be teaching a photography workshop here at the Park.

Geared for beginners and intermediate level photographers, this class can help you become more comfortable with your camera. In addition to learning how to compose images in an outdoor setting, the workshop will also discuss your photography equipment and the affect that the changing outdoor lighting has on it. Budding photographers from 14-years-old and older with enthusiasm, curiosity, and a bit of patience are welcome to participate in this course.

Sol is an award-winning nature photographer whose work has appeared in books, magazines and calendars, as well as museums and art centers. His most recent award was in a Canon Worldwide Photo Contest. Fuji Film has used Sol’s photographs in show booths and two were chosen for an exhibition celebrating the 100th anniversary of the National Wildlife Refuge System. Sol is a member of the Carolina Nature Photographer’s Association, the North Carolina Master Photographers Association and the North Carolina Wildlife Artists Society. To learn more about Sol Levine, you can visit his website http://www.naturesimagesbysol.com/

To register for this exciting workshop, you can contact Sol Levine via email at naturpix@mindspring.com (This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it) or by calling him at 919-453-2653.

No Crocodile Tears Here...

Let me introduce you to two new additions to the Park’s Education Program – American Alligators!

Okay, so they’re not waterfowl – nor even remotely avain in nature, but they are a great tool that our education staff can use to talk about the diversity of wetlands. Native to America, North Carolina is the northern most tip of their range. They are fantastic creatures who are located at the top of the food chain in wetland habitats.

Although they are not crocodiles, they are in the crocodilian family. Only two species of alligators exist in the world, the American alligator and the Chinese alligator, which is much smaller and very endangered. Other crocodilians include crocodiles, caimans, and gharials. However, they all share similar characteristics.

These predatory reptiles are cold-blooded, which means that they cannot control their body temperature the way mammals and birds do. Instead, they rely on their environment to warm or cool them. They are most active in the hot summer months, which isn’t saying a lot, because these cunning animals spend the majority of their time being very still. They use the ambush method to catch their prey, which requires very little movement and a good amount of patience on their part. Since they spend most of their time in the water hunting for food, their body is designed to help them camouflage in their environment. All of the senses that they need to catch a good meal, are located on top of their head – sight, hearing, and smell. This way they can submerge the rest of their body beneath the water keeping it hidden from their alert prey. When a bird or mammal gets close enough…SURPRISE! The alligator quickly snaps it up into its wide mouth and gobbles it down whole. If the prey happens to be too large to swallow, the alligator is equipped with about 80 teeth and incredible jaw strength to tear it into bite-sized pieces.

They also eat a lot of fish and turtles, so to aid them in their underwater dining, crocodilians have three eyelids – one on the bottom and one on top (like us,) but they also have a third one underneath these and it is clear. Called a nictitating membrane, this third eyelid is clear and allows the alligator to see underwater while protecting its eye from debris and such.

While a mother alligator is one of the fiercest animals on the planet, she is also one of the most gentle. Before laying her clutch of 30 to 50 eggs, the female carefully makes a nest of soil and rotting vegetation. Heat from the decomposing matter incubates the eggs for 60 to 70 days and the sex ratio depends on the temperature inside the nest. Eggs incubated at higher temperatures will turn into male alligators, while cooler temps produce females.
The mother will guard their nest until the babies begin to hatch. When she hears her babies making "chucking" sounds and digging their way to the surface, she will help dig up the eggs. If any are having trouble hatching, the female will carefully take the egg into her mouth and carefully break open the egg without harming the baby inside. Once the babies have hatched, she will take them into her mouth or onto her back and carry them down to the water. Many hatchlings will stay with their mother for up to a year for protection from larger predators.

To learn more about these fantastic creatures, call the Park and register for any of our summer camps, education or family programs to meet our scaly friends….

Education Program

Please help a child enjoy nature and learn about conservation at Sylvan Heights Waterfowl Park.

Sylvan Heights educators are passionate about giving children hands-on, outdoor experiences that will open their eyes to the beauty and wonder of nature. But in these tough economic times our public schools and youth organizations need a hand to make educational outings and adventure-learning possible for more children.

We offer two ways for you to make a real difference in a child’s life and in the future of conservation:

1. Sponsor the group of your choice. Your $500 sponsorship will provide program and materials, Park admission and transportation for up to 35 kids and their teachers or chaperones. When you sponsor a group, we’ll send them a letter informing them of the opportunity you provided. We’ll also send you an update describing the group’s visit and the difference your generosity made for the children.

2. Make a donation of any amount for supplies and materials. We need everything from arts and crafts supplies to wheelchairs for special needs students.

Your donation, along with donations from others, will help fill these needs.To help with a tax deductible donation in support of Sylvan Heights education programs, please call us at 252-826-3186.