COASTAL 



TIDINGS 



Cheerful Twitters 



Every October, they come by the 

 thousands. With bright, metallic greenish- 

 blue colors on their backs and pure white 

 on their throats, tree swallows (pictured 

 above) are easy to spot — and a delight to 

 birdwatchers along the North Carolina 

 coast. 



Eighty percent of the tree swallows' 

 diet is insects, says Dennis Stewart, refuge 

 biologist for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. 

 But, in the colder months they can be 

 happy eating seeds and berries. They are 

 one of only a few birds that can digest the 

 waxy outer coating of fruit-like bayberries. 

 Another of their fall favorites is wax myrtle. 



According to Stewart, tree swallows 

 typically have harsh, yet cheerful twitters. 

 Their note is a repeated siyip — and they're 

 known to be especially noisy when they 

 feed while flying. 



Though they migrate in flocks, tree 

 swallows nest in isolated pairs, choosing to 

 make their homes about seven feet away 

 from their neighbors. The females build 

 their nests out of grasses, then line them 

 with white feathers. 



Nests may be found in open areas 

 near the water, in natural crevices, such as 

 small cavities left by woodpeckers, and in 

 wooden birdhouses. — R.S. 



WOW Moves 

 to October 



Wan, to explore a maritime forest's swamps and 

 dunes for warblers, woodpeckers and other birds? How 

 about taking a boating safari through a salt marsh or a 

 night hike on Jockey's Ridge sand dunes? 



All these natural history trips are part of the 6th 

 Annual Wings Over Water Festival that will be held Oct. 

 15-20 on the Outer Banks. Many birding and paddling 

 trips also are being offered. 



The festival, which celebrates wildlife and wildlands 

 in eastern North Carolina, also features several speakers, 

 including David Jones, director of the N.C. Zoological 

 Park. In addition, educator workshops offer credits 

 toward teacher certificate renewal. 

 To preregister, visit the Web at www. northeast-nc.com/wings. — A.G. 



NOAA Honors Power Squadrons 



The National Oceanic and Atmo- 

 spheric Administration (NOAA) has 

 recognized the U.S. Power Squadrons for 

 contributions to the Cooperative Charting 

 Program. 



Since 1963, Power Squadron volunteers 

 around the country have partnered with 

 NOAA to help update more than 1,000 

 nautical charts. 



Each year, members submit about 60 

 percent of the reports that NOAA receives on 

 geodetic control marks — disks made of 

 brass, bronze or aluminum with 3- to 4-inch 

 diameters. They have been placed strategi- 

 cally around the country to provide starting 

 points for surveying and mapping. In 1807 

 there were close to one million marks, but 

 many have been destroyed by development 

 or erosion and other natural causes. The data 

 on their locations are constantly changing as 

 new marks are instituted. 



Power Squadron members look up 

 these marks on NOAA's online database and 

 then go to the field to find them. Upon 

 locating the marks, they provide NOAA with 

 directions to the marks, as well as informa- 

 tion on each mark's latitude and longitude. 



Power Squadrons also supply NOAA 

 with reports on tide and current predictions. 



"We rely on the Power Squadrons to 

 be our eyes and ears on the water," says 

 Captain Dave McFarland, director of the 

 Coast Survey. 



Information these volunteers provide to 

 the government is vital to the economy. 

 Two-thirds of commercial goods come 

 through the port system, and 78 million 

 recreational boaters pump billions of dollars 

 into the economy. 



Power Squadron volunteers also work 

 hand-in-hand with the government on 

 navigational safety. Promoting safe boating 

 through education was the mission of the 

 small group that founded the organization in 

 Boston in 1914. Today, more than 6,000 

 members, organized in 450 squadrons 

 throughout the country, remain dedicated to 

 safety on the water. They teach safe boating 

 classes to the public and offer classes in 

 seamanship and navigation. 



For more information, call the U.S. 

 Power Squadrons' national headquarters in 

 Raleigh, 888/367-8777, or go online at 

 www.usps.org/. — R.S. 



4 AUTUMN 2002 



