Calling all birders! Every Christmas season Callaway Gardens® participates in The National Audubon Society’s Christmas Bird Count Program.
Volunteer birders are needed to assist with the Callaway Gardens count on Saturday, January 2, 2010. Some participants simply watch feeders from the comfort of their home, while others walk and drive through different portions of the count area to census the bird populations.
Last year between December 14 and January 5, Audubon’s official “count period,” more than 59,000 volunteers around the world participated in more than 2,100 bird counts. Apart from its attraction as a social, sporting and competitive event, the Christmas Bird Count reveals key scientific information about the winter distribution of resident and migratory birds across the Western Hemisphere.
Each count has a designated circle measuring 15 miles in diameter. All the birds seen or heard during the 24-hour (midnight to midnight) count day are tallied by birders. The center of the Callaway Gardens Count circle is near the Mountain Creek® Inn at Callaway Gardens, so the census area encompasses all 13,000 acres of Callaway Gardens, as well as the FDR State Park and a large portion of Harris County. The National Audubon Society charges each participant a $5 fee to help offset the cost of data processing. Preregistration for the Christmas Bird Count is required by December 18, 2009. To volunteer for this exciting event, call the Preserve at Callaway Gardens at (706) 663-6745 or email ccroft@callawaygardens.com .
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Showing posts with label pine mountain. Show all posts
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Thursday, December 10, 2009
Monday, September 14, 2009
Blue Morpho Month at Callaway Gardens’ Cecil B. Day Butterfly Center
September is Blue Morpho Butterfly Month at Callaway Gardens’ Cecil B. Day Butterfly Center. In addition to the more than 1,000 tropical butterflies flying freely throughout the conservatory, there will be hundreds of spectacular Blue Morpho butterflies.
The Blue Morpho (Morpho peleides) is a spectacular iridescent blue butterfly native to the rainforests of South and Central America. The undersides of the wings are brown with eyespots with a contrasting vivid blue color on the outer side. This iridescent color actually results from microscopic scales on the backs of their wings reflecting light, giving the brilliant shimmering blue appearance. As a Blue Morpho flies, its contrasting wing colors of bright blue and dull brown fool the eye and make the morpho look as if it is appearing and disappearing. The word ‘morpho’ actually means change or modify. The flash of the bright blue side of their wings actually startles predators, giving the butterfly time to escape harm. This tropical butterfly is usually a forest dweller but will venture into sunny areas occasionally. It is one of the largest butterflies with a wingspan of 5-8 inches.
Since they feed on juices of rotting fruit, they are usually easy to find in the Day Butterfly Center at the fruit feeders. Blue Morphos often fly in long chains of five or more to make a spectacular sight. Be sure to visit the Day Butterfly Center this month to view these magnificent creatures.
Due to the large size of the Blue Morphos, they make beautiful subjects as they float through the air for photos or video. The best time to photograph butterflies at the Day Butterfly Center is on sunny days before 10:00 a.m. or after 2:00 p.m. is on sunny days as they are most active between these hours.
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The Blue Morpho (Morpho peleides) is a spectacular iridescent blue butterfly native to the rainforests of South and Central America. The undersides of the wings are brown with eyespots with a contrasting vivid blue color on the outer side. This iridescent color actually results from microscopic scales on the backs of their wings reflecting light, giving the brilliant shimmering blue appearance. As a Blue Morpho flies, its contrasting wing colors of bright blue and dull brown fool the eye and make the morpho look as if it is appearing and disappearing. The word ‘morpho’ actually means change or modify. The flash of the bright blue side of their wings actually startles predators, giving the butterfly time to escape harm. This tropical butterfly is usually a forest dweller but will venture into sunny areas occasionally. It is one of the largest butterflies with a wingspan of 5-8 inches.
Since they feed on juices of rotting fruit, they are usually easy to find in the Day Butterfly Center at the fruit feeders. Blue Morphos often fly in long chains of five or more to make a spectacular sight. Be sure to visit the Day Butterfly Center this month to view these magnificent creatures.
Due to the large size of the Blue Morphos, they make beautiful subjects as they float through the air for photos or video. The best time to photograph butterflies at the Day Butterfly Center is on sunny days before 10:00 a.m. or after 2:00 p.m. is on sunny days as they are most active between these hours.
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