July 2004 The Shoreline Page 15
The Wing Nut
By Janet Doughty
Visitors to our coast in May were shocked when beaches
were closed to protect piping plovers. Didn’t those
locals know that it is summer? Don’t they know the
value of tourism? How can some little bird be more
valuable than their money?
Plover
Their consternation is understandable. If I had looked
forward to a few days at Hatteras only to be turned away,
I would have been upset, too. In fact, the very news that
Hatteras beaches were closed because of piping plovers
nesting made me want to go there even more! After all,
I love birds. I would have walked very carefully so as not
to disturb a nest because I just wanted to see the baby
birds!
More people are watching birds and contributing their
observations than ever before. As we add to the body of
knowledge about ornithology, we people are faced with
more and more decisions. For instance, I know that just
my presence within watching distance of the nest would
have disturbed the parents from their duties. One of the
characteristics of the plover family is that the parents
will lead potential predators away from their young but
feigning injury (or insanity) and limping off with great
wailing and drama. While they are distracting predators,
the parents are not incubating or feeding their young. A
pair of Killdeers nest every year in the front yard of an
elementary school in Craven County.
Killdeer are plovers. According to the Compact Ox
ford English Dictionary, a plover is “a short-billed
wading bird, typically found by water but sometimes
frequenting grassland. ORIGIN Old French, from Latin
pluvia ‘rain’.” I looked up ‘pluvia’; it refers specifically
to a meadow where there has been a lot of rain. Since
plovers are generally found between the tides, it isn’t a
bad word for this group of birds. The taxonomic name
for plovers, Charadriidae, is the Latin version of the
name Aristotle gave these birds. That name means ‘an
inconspicuous waterbird that nests in ravines’. The two
plovers in this discussion are both known by their calls:
killdeer is the word that sounds most like a Charadrius
vociferous when in flight while Charadrius melodus
makes a musical little piping sound.
The killdeer in front of the school have fascinated the
surrounding neighborhood for years. These noisy and
striking little birds will scrape a spot in the middle of the
front yard and hatch their eggs right out in front of
everybody. Since these eggs actually get to hatch, there
The Senate Report - Keeping In Touch
By North Carolina Senator Scott Thomas
The 2004 session of the legislature started on May 10.
I have been working on a number of issues important to
our distnct and state.
Governor Easley came to Havelock to announce
$150,000 in state funds to Allies or Cherry Point’s
Tomorrow (ACT). These funds, requested by me and
other members of our local legislative delegation, will
be used by ACT to represent Cherry Point MCAS and
NADEP in the upcoming round of Base Realignment
and Closings (BRAC). I am also working on additional
funding that will be needed in the 04-05 fiscal year.
Major General William Ingram, adjutant general of
North Carolina’s National Guard, joined me in Morehead
City recently to announce my legislation to help support
our National Guard families. The legislation would
create a new vehicle license plate bearing a yellow
ribbon and the words “support our troops” and the
national motto, “In God We Trust.” North Carolinians
could choose to buy these special plates for $30, with
proceeds going toward The Chaplain Aubrey McLellan
Soldier and Airman Assistance Fund, which provides
grants and loans to National Guard families that are
struggling financially.
The ‘In God We Trust’ license plate is an opportunity
to show our national pride and to show our support for
the thousands of troops and National Guard members
serving our country - - and it ’ s a way for us to help fellow
North Carolinians by providing emergency assistance
for National Guard families in need. I presented this bill
in the Senate Finance Committee and on the Senate
floor. It has passed the Senate and now goes to the
House for consideration.
I am also sponsoring several other proposals to help
support our military personnel and facilities, especially
with the next round of federal base closings (BRAC)
coming up next year.
Under those proposals the following would occur:
* $2 million would be appropriated in the 04-05 budget
to help fund the statewide effort and Allies for Cherry
Point’s Tomorrow (ACT) preparation for BRAC.
* One-third of motor fuel taxes collected at the state’s
military installations would be returned to those bases to
fund recreational and quality-of-life programs for troops
and their families (SB 1157).
* A $5 million Military Base Land Preservation Fund
would be created to help military steer development
away from bases and flight routes and to improve noise
and safety problems for nearby residents (SB 1158).
* The Advisory Commission on Military Affairs would
grow from nine to 15 members, including the Lieuten
ant Governor, a Veterans Affairs official and local
government representatives (SB 1159).
* Military reservists assigned to North Carolina would
qualify for in-state tuition at the state’s community
colleges and universities (SB 1160).
* Counties and cities must give military bases ad
equate notice of land-use plarming changes (SB 1161).
On another topic, the Senate has approved an impor
tant health care initiative (Senate Bill 1098) to build a
cardiovascular disease institute at East Carolina Uni
versity and a cancer center at UNC Hospitals.
As a graduate of East Carolina University, I am proud
of the positive impact the university and medical school
have on our entire region and state. This bold initiative
will provide great advances in education, research and
treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Heart disease and
stroke are among the leading causes of death in our state
- - in eastern North Carolina in particular - - and our
cancer mortality rates are well above the national aver
age. Both projects are estimated to create 1,100 jobs
combined.
The bill now moves to the House of Representatives
for their consideration. I hope you will contact members
of the House to express support for these initiatives.
I look forward to your feedback on these various
proposals. And, as always, I welcome your thoughts on
other measures we can pursue to strengthen our economy,
improve education and provide quality health care.
Please contact me at the following address.
SENATOR SCOTT THOMAS
300E Legislative Office Building
Raleigh, NC 27601-2808
Phone: (919) 733-6275 or E-mail: Scottt@ncleg.net
must be something about these birds that provides them
some protection. It isn’t fierce talons; in fact, plovers are
even lacking a 4"’ toe. They make three-toed little tracks,
barely showing a bit of webbing between their toes. It
isn’t their fierce beaks; plover beaks are dove-like,
usually shorter than their heads. It could be the evasive
tactics; it’s hard not to be taken in by a killdeer in full cry,
dragging that broken wing and howling in pain. All that
drama does not feed babies, though.
The advantage those killdeer have is their invisibility.,
On the run, killdeer are striking birds, with the alternat
ing black and white bands across their face and chest.
The rest of their coat is a smart brown, with black and
white edges on their tail. Sitting on the ground, a killdeer
is almost impossible to see. Those black and white edges
break up the apparent shape of the bird; combined with
the brown back, it is excellent camouflage. No wonder
Aristotle thought they nested in a ravine - - when a baby
killdeer is chased and flattens down on the ground, it is
as if the chick dropped into a hole!
Piping plovers have only one black stripe on their face
and chest; the rest of their coat is light with white edges
on the tail and wings. When these little sand-colored
birds sit still on their sand-scrape nests, they are quite
difficult to see. The most careful beach-combing bird
watcher might well step on such a nest site before they
saw it.
Sometimes we have to choose which species needs the
beach the most! For now, we can spend the rest of the
summer listening to the little piping plovers on Hatteras.
Happy Birthday Bess!
On Saturday, June 12, friends and relatives joined Bess
Dolgos in celebrating her eightieth birthday. Everyone
had a wonderful time. Bess sent a special thank you to
one and all.
To my family, neighbors, friends and such.
All of whom I love so much.
I send my thanks to one and all.
If I can remember your number I’ll give you a call.
Your presence at my Birthday Blast
Created beautiful memories that are sure to last.
When your birthday slips on in
Let’s get together and party again.
Sincerely,
Bess
Bess with her two sons, Nick and Mathew.
Guests gather at the sittum after the Birthday Blast at the
house.