Birding: 



A chance 

 for amateurs 

 to contribute 



41 



By the late 1940s and early 50s, birdwatchers all 

 over the country had drawn big red circles around 

 Wilmington, N.C. on their maps. For many, the 

 Tarheel shipping town stood as soil of a mecca, a 

 birdwatcher's heaven. 



Wilmington's birds didn't gain their fame by 

 accident. If not for the hard work and dedication of 

 one Mrs. Edna Appleberry, they might have gone 

 unnoticed by the outside world. 



It was she and her young college student assist- 

 ants who startled the nation's birdwatching com- 

 munity with a record-breaking Christmas count of 

 more than 160 species and a spring count of 184 

 species in the early 50s. Wilmington's annual 

 Christmas count had steadily increased since 1945 

 when Mrs. Appleberry took charge and 68 species 

 were sighted. But a count of more than 160 placed 

 the port city in front of most, if not all, other 

 communities. 



Mrs. Appleberry was in her 40s before she was, 

 as she says, "pushed" into birding. She never 

 earned a formal degree in ornithology. But she can 

 probably tell you as much about birds and their 

 behavior as a formally educated bird scientist. 



That represents one of the unique things about 

 birding. It's something all kinds of people with all 

 kinds of backgrounds can do — and do well. And as 

 they practice their hobby, sighting and studying 

 birds and their habitats, they contribute to every- 

 one's understanding of birds. 



Mrs. Appleberry's contributions, and those of 

 thousands of other amateur birdwatchers, have 

 helped place birds among those animals that are 

 best known taxonomically and ecologically, ac- 

 cording to Dr. Thomas L. Quay, North Carolina 

 State University ornithologist. "Amateurs have 

 contributed as much as professionals to our knowl- 

 edge of birds," he said. 



Such organizations as the National Audubon 

 Society, to which many amateurs belong, have 

 thrived on private support, Quay said. It is through 



Audubon's support of education, research and 

 enforcement programs that much information has 

 been gained. Quay also pointed out that several of 

 the nation's privately endowed museums have 

 made significant contributions to the study of 

 birds. 



Mrs. Appleberry is almost 81 now. She says her 

 vision has dimmed in the last few years, cutting 

 into her birdwatching. But her interest remains 

 strong. 



She isn't willing to call herself a "good birder" 

 or to take much credit for her contributions. But 

 she is convinced that amateurs "can be of tre- 

 mendous help to professionals." But to be of help 

 "they must be honest in their reporting," she said. 



What's the attraction of birdwatching? Mrs. 

 Kitty Kosh, a neighbor of Mrs. Appleberry who 

 rarely leaves the house without a pair of field 

 glasses dangling around her neck, finds it hard to 

 explain. But the way her face lights up at the 

 mention of her hobby, you know it's simply heart- 

 felt fun. 



"I guess the greatest joy for me is just watch- 

 ing," she said. "There's not a lot of competition to 

 see who can spot more birds," Mrs. Kosh said. 

 "One of th"e biggest joys of finding something rare 

 is sharing it," she said. 



Birding isn't a hobby that takes a lot of fancy 

 equipment, Mrs. Kosh added. "A lot of people just 

 put up a bird feeder and watch with their bare 

 eyes. Others invest in a pair of binoculars and a 

 bird book. Those that really get interested might 

 buy a spotting scope, a device that looks a lot like 

 a telescope," she explained. 



Watching birds isn't always a relaxing hobby 

 either, Mrs. Kosh said. "It's easy to cover a lot of 

 ground," she noted. Birding like she does in the 

 winter — often from 8:30 a.m. to 2 o'clock in the 

 afternoon — it's easy to see why you wouldn't call 

 it relaxing. 



Government protection 

 for birds and wildlife 



What protection does government pro- 

 vide for those birds nesting on North Caro- 

 lina's dredge islands? 



Many of the birds that nest there are 

 protected by federal migratory game laws, 

 according to Frank Barick, chief of the 

 section of the Wildlife Resources Commis- 

 sion responsible for interagency coordina- 

 tion. North Carolina cooperates with the 

 federal government by helping enforce laws 

 that prohibit the taking of migratory birds, 

 he said. 



A bill that would have enabled the state 

 to lend further protection to endangered 

 species was tabled in the 1975 General 

 Assembly. But according to Barick, the 

 WRC is pressing forward to develop an 

 endangered species protection and restora- 

 tion program. Of the waterbirds, brown 

 pelicans and the southern bald eagle would 

 likely be included on a state endangered 

 species list, Barick said. 



The Commission, under authority of 

 statutes which designate it as the agency 

 responsible for the protection and enhance- 

 ment of wildlife, has mapped out a three- 

 phase endangered species program, Barick 

 said. The first step is to compile informa- 

 tion on species which may be threatened. 

 Secondly, the Commission will conduct 

 studies to determine more about the exact 

 status of various species and factors in- 

 fluencing their status, with the goal being 

 to develop recommendations for maintain- 

 ing endangered wildlife. Finally, the Com- 

 mission will use the recommendations to 

 establish regulatoiy and restoration pro- 

 grams aimed at safeguarding the perpetua- 

 tion of the species, according to Barick. 



University of North Carolina 

 Sea Grant Program 

 1235 Burlington Laboratories 

 North Carolina State University 

 Raleigh, N.C. 27607 



Publications 



The following publications are available 

 from the UNC Sea Grant Program office. 



Proceedings of a conference on manage- 

 ment of dredge islands in North Carolina 

 estuaries. Parnell, J. F. and R. F. Soots, ed. 

 UNC-SG-75-01. 



Sea Grant in North Carolina. Berg, 

 D. R. UNC Sea Grant annual report for 

 1974. 



Demand for and cost of coastal salt 

 marsh mosquito abatement. DeBord, 

 D. V., G. A. Carlson and R. C. Axtell. 

 UNC-SG-75-11. 



Synopsis of marine fisheries. Chestnut, 

 A. F. and H. S. Davis. UNC-SG-75-12. 



The role of North Carolina in regulating 

 offshore petroleum development. Kilpa- 

 trick, J. E. UNC-SG-75-09. 



Deepwater port development in North 

 Carolina: the legal context. Dawson, A. C. 

 III. UNC-SG-75-08. 



North Carolina fishery law: its relation 

 to international, federal and sister state 

 law. Andrews, W. P. Jr. UNC-SG-75-10. 



Fishery resource conference 



A conference exploring the abundance and use of 

 fishery resources in North Carolina's coastal 

 waters is set for September 18-19 at New Bern's 

 Holiday Inn. 



Speakers at the two-day meeting will update 

 participants on the status of fishery resources and 

 the impact of foreign fishing and extended juris- 

 diction on those resources. Regional resource 

 management will also be discussed. Later sessions 

 will delve into problems associated with seafood 

 processing, utilization and marketing. 



Conference sponsors are UNC Sea Grant, the 

 Coastal Plains Center for Marine Development 

 Services, NCSU Agricultural Extension Service, 

 National Marine Fisheries Service and the N.C. 

 Department of Natural and Economic Resources. 



