April 2007 White Tailed Kite Newsletter, Altacal Audubon Society

8/8/2019 April 2007 White Tailed Kite Newsletter, Altacal Audubon Society

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Mission: To promote the awareness, appreciation and protection of native birds and their habitats through

education, research and environmental activities.

Program meetings for the general community are held on the third Monday of each month (except for July andAugust) at 6:30 p.m., at the Chico Creek Nature Center, 1968 E. 8th St.

April Program Monday, April 16, 2007, 6:30 p.m., Chico Creek Nature Center

Vamos a Panama! (Lets go to Panama!). Come join Dawn Garcia (AAS Conservation Chair) andJulie Nelson (AAS member) as they share the experiences and incredible photographs of their recent tripto Panama. Photos will include various species of hummingbirds, toucanets, flycatchers, tanagers,puffbirds, and the ever-elusive Quetzal(among others). Journey with them to high cloud and lowlandrainforests and glimpse amazing herpetofauna, bugs and plants discovered throughout their adventures. Tomake this even more of a tropical adventure, Julie and Dawn will provide homemade cookies made fromPanamanian cacao, grown organically in the lush rainforests ofBocas Del Toro.

Julie Nelson and Dawn Garcia, Los Quetzales State Park, Panama

White-tailed KiteApril / May, 2007


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Local Chapter Membership Update

We want to thank members who have responded by joining our local chapter this past year! Your annualdues provide the necessary funds for Altacals many local conservation projects and outreach programs.We welcome your input and contributions to help make our organization better and stronger. If you areinterested in volunteering for any projects, please contact our project leaders or our membershipcoordinator.

For those of you who have yet to join locally, this will be your last newsletter mailing. If you decideto join, we have a variety of membership levels at which you may contribute. Please see our updatedmembership form in this newsletter or download a copy online at:

http://www.altacal.org/membership_application.pdf

We encourage you to receive your newsletter by e-mail if possible. This saves us both time and expensein mailing. You may also receive e-mail alerts regarding upcoming events and rare bird alerts if you sochoose. Feel free to contact your new membership coordinator, Carolyn Short, at (530) 345-4224 [email protected] regarding your membership status, information updates and corrections.

We thank our past membership coordinator, Alison Shedd, for her many hours devoted to membershipduties!

May Program Monday, May 21, 2007, 6:30 p.m., Chico Creek Nature Center

Looking to add a few new birds to your life list? How about a Gray Jay, Black-backed Woodpeckeror Clark's Nutcracker? These are just a few of the birds you are likely to see on a trip to LassenVolcanic National Park. Join Steve Zachary, the Education Specialist for the past 16 years at LassenVolcanic National Park, when he presents a program on some of Lassen's amazing birds. Lassenbecame a national park in 1916. Today, it includes 106,000 acres of coniferous forest, 78,000 acres ofwilderness, more than 50 species of mammals including Black Bear, 150 miles of hiking trails and over190 species of birds. All this and it is located just 50 miles northeast of Red Bluff, right in our ownbackyard!

Cliff Lake Lassen Volcanic National Park


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January Program Monday, January 15, 2006, 6:30 p.m., Chico Creek Nature

Center

Our January program guest presenter flashes a picture up on the large screen. The crowd hushes andthen several people call out, Orange-crowned Warbler! Who recognized the immature Yellow Warbler,asks John Mac McCormick? Silence. Another photo flashes up of a hand holding a blue-colored birdand youre thinking to yourself It's got to be a Blue Grosbeak, but this time you are going to be surebefore you speak out. Take your time. While youre trying to decide let me ask you, would you

recognize a juvenile Dark-eyed Junco or a juvenile Spotted Towhee if you saw one? Hint: they dontlook anything like the adults. OK, now youre ready. It has to be a Blue Grosbeak, right? Sorry, its afirst spring Indigo Bunting. Hey, trick question, those are not supposed to be around the Sierras. Notsupposed to be, but sometimes are says Mac. OK, maybe those were the more difficult exceptions. Howabout we try something a little easier? Up flashes a picture of three flycatchers just caught on a singlenet run, can you tell me which one is the Gray, which one is the Dusky and which one is theHammonds? OUCH!

The January program presented by John Mac McCormick was a fascinating, if a bit humbling, lessonin bird identification from the perspective of a bird bander. Having banded birds in the Sierra NevadaMountains for more than 12 years, Mac is faced with questions such as these every season. Through a

series of slides of birds in the hand, Mac guided us through the steps needed for the successfulidentification of some of the more difficult birds found in the Sierra Valley and Yuba Pass areas. Heexplained that with a little practice and study, it is not as daunting a task as it first seems. Along withthe ID tips, Mac entertained us with stories of his time in the field and the difficulties he has faced andlessons he has learned as a bird bander. It was a well-presented and fun evening that both challenged usand motivated us to keep improving our identification skills.

February Program Monday, February 19, 2007, 6:30 p.m., Chico Creek Nature

Center

A good turnout welcomed Dan Airola, wildlife biologist, ornithologist and environment consultant toour February program. Purple Martinswere the subject and Dan was the man to talk about them. He

has been studying Purple Martins as a volunteer in the Sacramento area forover 12 years. It quickly became apparent by his enthusiasm, in-depthknowledge and sacrifice, that Dan loves these birds. He noted that becausethe small population in Sacramento (approximately 150 pairs) is the lastremaining breeding population in the Central Valley, it is important that weknow as much as we can about why they are able to maintain colonieshere and not in other places.

Dan explained that the crash of the Central Valley Purple Martin populationscoincided with the invasion of European Starlings into the state. Bothare cavity-nesters and the Starlings being more aggressive were able to out-

compete the Purple Martins for a limited number of suitable nesting sites.Luckily, the Purple Martin population in the Sacramento area wasable to switch to the undersides of long freeway overpasses which coincidently were constructed atabout the same time as the Starlings arrived there. The Martins utilize the hollow interiors of thesestructures and access them by entering the weep holes on the undersides. Accessing these weep holestakes a level of flying skill that is mostly lacking in Starlings and so the Martins were able to find asuitable replacement for their traditional nesting sites. Dan continues to study these birds trying todetermine why the colonies have not expanded outside of the Sacramento area even though there is anabundance of these highway structures.


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Upcoming Bird Walks and Birding Trips

All of our field trips are open to beginning birders. Anyone with a sense of wonder is welcome to participate.

April 1, Sunday - Sutter Buttes/Peace Valley - Trip leader: Jennifer Patten - On this trip, we will visitan early California cemetery, a Wintun grinding rock site, an old homestead, and a beautiful side canyondeep within the Buttes. We hope to pick up early Spring migrants. We will meet at the Park n Ride(the lot closest to Rte 99) at 6:30 a.m. to carpool to the Live Oak Waffle Shop for breakfast. Then at8:00 a.m. well meet with Ranger Tim Davis who will lead us into the Buttes and will return atapproximately 3:30 p.m. Participants who cant make breakfast should meet by 8 a.m. in Live Oak at theWaffle Shop. Bring hiking boots, binoculars, field guide, lunch, water, and raingear (if needed). Thereis a twenty-person limit and a $20 donation. To secure your spot call Jennifer at 345-9356.

Sutter Buttes

The Smallest Mountain Range in the World

April 8, Sunday - Teichert Pond/Birding By Ear - Trip co-leaders: Scott Huber and Dawn Garcia -Chicos Hidden Wetland - the view from Rte 99 is enticing; a large pond surrounded by tules and ringed

with willows and oaks. Trip leader, Scott Huber, will direct you through the maze of streets that lead tothe heart of Teichert Pond(s). Once in, you'll delight in the diversity of avian life found in this 'secretwetland' just blocks from downtown Chico. Co-leader Dawn Garcia, an expert at identifying local birdspecies by ear, will point out audio clues for ID'ing species seen and perhaps some that are onlyheard! Expect at least three woodpecker species, a number offlycatchers, numerous sparrow species,a few raptors (possibly a Great Horned Owl), at least three warbler species, some ducks, geese andshorebirds and with any luck, some surprise migrants! Consider picking up one of the great birding byear CD sets to prepare you for this trip:Bird Songs of California(Keller - Cornell Lab of Ornithology)or Western Birding by Ear(Peterson Field Guides).

Meet at the Chico Park n Ride at 7:00 a.m. (the lot nearest Rte 99) and then carpool (parking at thepond is very limited) for the short drive. Four hours should be plenty of time to pick up all of the speciespresent AND have you distinguishing a Purple Finch song from a House Finch song like a pro! Thetrip is free and open to the public. Spring weather is iffy so bring a rain slicker in case of light rain(heavy rain will cancel). Bring water and binoculars and don't forget the 'OFF!' as the mosquitos couldbe hungry! This is an easy, slow paced and short walk suited for all age levels. For more informationplease contact Scott Huber at 899-5957 or [email protected]


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April 27-May 7 Unofficial Altacal Texas Trip

Join a small group of committed (or should be) Chico birders for an ornithological trip of a lifetime tothe Pineywoods, Gulf Coast and Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas. Expect sixty plus life birds or more

including spectacular Texas endemics and spring migrant warblers, grosbeaks, thrushes andflycatchers. Contact Mike Fisher (624-4777), Scott Huber (321-5579) or Tim Ruckle (566-9693) formore information.

May 13, Sunday Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge

Trip Leader: Anne-Lise Feenstra - Meet at the refuge south of Willows at 8:00 a.m. There is a $3entrance fee per car. Wear shoes for hiking. Bring lunch and beverage, binoculars, a spotting scope,(if you have one), a bird field guide, sunblock and mosquito repellent. First, well take a a one-to-two-mile hike along the Wetland Walk to look for birds in the marsh and willows. Then well follow theAuto Tour Route with stops at pullouts to look for birds in the marshes and ponds. Lunch break will beat the viewing platform. This is a great time to see shorebirds, nesting waterfowl, and summer visitors(last year in May we saw five species of warblers and two species of phalaropes). The trip will endabout 2:00 p.m. Heavy rain cancels. For more information call Anne-Lise at 865-5254. Note: Cellphones or two-way radios will help during the drive around the refuge.

May 19/20 - Saturday/Sunday Sierra Valley Trip Leader: Mac McCormick - This trip covers avariety of mountain habitats. We will bird the marshes and open fields at the headwaters of the FeatherRiver, the sagebrush lowlands of the Sierra Valley, the conifer woodlands ofYuba Pass and well take ashort trip to the Lake Basin area (Sand Pond Boardwalk). This trip always gives us a good variety ofbirds. Last year we witnessed many young birds being fed by their parents. We will meet at the Park nRide at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday and carpool to the area. Saturday night we will camp out at the Yuba PassCampground. Contact Mac McCormick if you wish to go, so transportation and camping can becoordinated - [email protected]


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May 27, Sunday - Upper Bidwell Park Trip Leader: Phil Johnson - Take a casual walk along thecreek side and adjacent woodlands in search of birds that breed in Upper Park. No experiencenecessary. Just bring your binoculars, a field guide if you have one, hiking shoes, water and snacks.Meet at the newly constructed parking lot by Horseshoe Lake at 8 a.m. and walk until about 11:30 a.m.(2-3 miles). For more information, contact Phil Johnson at 570-7139.

Cliffs and Big Chico Creek in Upper Park

Conservation Corner

California Condors - Going, Going, Gone? Not If We Can Help Them!Dawn Garcia, Conservation Chair

Hi, all. Please help continue to protect the California Condor. It is crazy to think that we spendmillions on protecting this incredibly endangered species yet we still allow hunting with lead bullets intheir foraging areas. The condors, as well as other species, are very sensitive to lead, which they ingestas they feed on the carcasses from hunters' spoils (the guts and remains after hunters kill and take meat

from their quarry). These spoils are actually great forage for condors, but not when they involve leadshot. Believe it or not there are alternatives to lead shot! So, follow the steps below and PLEASE writea quick letter encouraging the banning of lead shot (not hunting) in the territory of California Condors. Ihave included a very close-up shot of a Condor that was taken by Julie Nelson's brother. It is anawesome reminder of why we have chosen to bring this bird from the brink of extinction!Thanks!Dawn

Condor photographed by Mark Nelson in Big Sur, February, 2007.

For a sample letter you can send on to the Fish and Game Commission, click here:http://ca.audubon.org/docs/condor_sample_letter.rtfSend your letters to: [email protected] more information on California Condors and lead, click here.http://ca.audubon.org/california_condor.htmlAttend the public meeting: 10 am, 12 April or 8:30 am 13 April 2007

UC Davis, Bodega Marine LaboratoryLecture Hall, 2099 Westside RoadBodega Bay, CA


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Lumpers and Splitters and Species, Oh My!

[The following Reuters article piqued the interest of a number of birders and ornithologists, not all of whom were necessarilylisters. To the best of our knowledge, there is no universal scientific agreement on what defines a species, so these sorts of

studies are fun at the very least. Ed.]

Bird DNA

Genetics Reveal 15 New North American Bird Species - February 19, 2007 - By Alister Doyle,

Reuters

OSLO -- Genetic tests of North American birds show what may be 15 new species including ravens andowls look-alikes that do not interbreed and have wrongly had the same name for centuries, scientistssaid on Sunday. If the findings from a study of birds' DNA genetic "barcodes" in the United States andCanada hold true around the world, there might be more than 1,000 new species of birds on top of10,000 identified so far, they said. A parallel study of South American bats in Guyana also showed sixnew species among 87 surveyed, hinting that human studies of the defining characteristics of speciesmay have been too superficial to tell almost identical types apart. "This is the leading tip of a processthat will see the genetic registration of life on the planet. You cant protect biodiversity if you cantrecognize it" said Paul Hebert of the Biodiversity Institute of Ontario, a co-author of the report in theBritish Journal Molecular Ecology Notes.

The scientists found 15 potential new species among 643 types of birds studied from the Arctic toFlorida. The sample covers almost all 690 known breeding species in North America. "North Americanbirds are among the best studied in the world," said co-author Mark Stoeckle of the RockefellerUniversity in New York. "Even in a group where people have been looking very carefully there aregenetically different forms that appear to be new species." Look-alike species were of the NorthernFulmar, Solitary Sandpiper, Western Screech-Owl, Warbling Vireo, Mexican Jay, WesternScrub-Jay, Common Raven, Mountain Chickadee, Bushtit, Winter Wren, Marsh Wren, Bewick'sWren, Hermit Thrush, Curve-billed Thrasherand Eastern Meadowlark.


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Banding News

Northern Saw-whet OwlPhoto by Dawn Garcia

Thank You for Supporting the Northern Saw-whet Owl Project at the Big Chico Creek Ecological

Reserve (BCCER)!

As a member of Altacal Audubon I always enjoy having members of our Society come and visit theNorthern Saw-whet Owl (NSWO) banding Station at BCCER. As many of you may know afterattending my presentation in November and visiting the site, we are in our third year of monitoringNSWO at the BCCER. Year 2006 was especially memorable as we captured, measured, and banded 65new owls. Who knew that Chico had so many migrating NSWO in our foothills? My goal is tocontinue our monitoring station to understand the needs of this petite owl with the ultimate goal ofhabitat preservation. Funding is essential now as we go to permanence. I have applied for severalgrants including small grants from groups such as us, and larger grants from the CSU Chico and birdconservation organizations. I want to give a huge THANK YOU! to Marylou Martin who hasgenerously donated $100 to our NSWO project. Donations to AAS for the NSWO project are tax

deductible. Please consider donating to this project. And please make sure to visit this fall when theowls are flying through!

Sister Society (Cape Cod Bird Club) News

Here are some of the happenings over the last two months from our Sister Society, the Cape Cod Bird

Club, in Massachusetts. Keep in mind that if wed love to see some of the birds in their bailiwick, theyd

get a kick out of seeing such Chico-area locals asAcorn Woodpeckers andYellow-billed Magpies.


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The first prolonged freeze of the winter continued throughout the first week of February. Ice piled up onCape Cod Bay, and just about all ponds iced over. The sighting of the week was a Northern Goshawkappearing at a Yarmouthport development before being mobbed by crows on February 3.

Another unusual bird of prey report came from North Falmouth where a Rough-legged Hawk was seenby a homeowner on February 5. A female King Eider was seen along with all three species ofScotersand six Harlequin Ducks (one female and five males) at Nauset Beach in Orleans. Hundreds of alcidswere seen off Head of the Meadow Beach in Truro. The vast majority were Razorbillswith at least oneThick-billed Murre in the mix. There was quite a show of presumedFinback Whales off Race Point inProvincetown on February 1, seen close to the shore and staying mostly near the surface.

The first week of March saw a touch of spring followed by a blast of winter. Early harbingers of springwere sighted on Cape Cod. The first was a report of two Ospreys flying over the bike trail near theOrleans/Eastham town line on March 3. Interestingly, last year another early Osprey was also spotted onMarch 3 around Nauset Marsh.

Another sign of spring was heard at the Crane Wildlife Management Area in Falmouth on February 28.There a birder heard four American Woodcocks calling at dusk. Days later, other observers insoutheastern Massachusetts heard calling woodcocks.

On March 1 a Short-eared Owl flew over and then dipped down into the dunes at First Encounter

Beach in Eastham.

There was a spectacular avian display at Race Point in Provincetown on March 3. Numbers of birdsincluded 320 Red-throated Loons, 5 Common Loons, 6 Horned Grebes, 1 Red-necked Grebe, 80Northern Gannets, 10 White-winged Scoters, 1 Black Scoter, 1 Long-tailed Duck, 500 Red-breasted Mergansers, 1150 Sanderlings, 650 Dunlin, 5 adult Iceland Gulls, 15 Black-leggedKittiwakes, 3 Common Murres, 1 Black Guillemot, 150 Razorbills, and 7000 additional large alcids.Later that day at Provincetown Harbor there were 3 Great Cormorants, 2 Ruddy Turnstones, and 12Purple Sandpipers. A Wild Turkey strutted through Beech Forest in Provincetown on March 3.

Two separate reports ofTree Swallows were reported on March 5. One was seen in Cotuit and the othernear Woods Hole in Falmouth.

Finally, a reminder that winter had not left the Cape was a sighting of 12 Ring-necked Ducks and adozen Hooded Mergansers on Widow Hardings Pond in Eastham on March 6.

New Altacal Forum Website

We have set up a forum web page on Google Groups. This web site is where Altacal members andnonmembers can gather and exchange interesting birding information. You do not need to join GoogleGroups to read the Altacal Group web page but do need to join in order to post or reply to a post. Theweb site URL is http://groups.google.com/group/altacal. Take a look and see what is being talked about!

Help Build the New Chico Creek Nature Center

How? Buy a brick! The existing Chico Creek Nature Center wasbuilt with money donated by the Altacal Audubon Society over 25 yearsago. Altacal has recently contributed a matching grant toward theconstruction of the new Center and is also buying a logo brick. Weencourage Altacal members to consider contributing in this way also.For more information go to http://www.bidwellpark.org


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Rex Burress

Those Tit Birds

I was parked on the Oroville levee in mid-February at a time when the early almond trees were startingto blossom. It is always heartening to see the emergence of the bright white-and-pink almond petalsalong the somber shores after wearisome winter days.

Equally fascinating were the honey bees busily working in the blooms, a grand sign that both the beeand the tree had survived into another season. The flower had hidden away in a bud, and the bee lived onby being part of a colony clustered over honeycomb in some hive nook.

There was other activity in that almond tree. Birds! Everything seemed to be rejoicing that sunshineprevailed and had given new life to the land. Not only sparrows and linnets were stripping lovely petalsand nuzzling the nectar, seemingly oblivious to the beauty they were destroying, but one of my favoritespringtime songsters, the titmouse, was plucking other tiny insects from the sacred chalices. Yellow-rumped Warblers were there along with others, but none bothered the abundant bees. Not manyspecies of birds will eat bees, almost as if there was a truce...or a reluctance to get any mass Apis attackinvolved.

Although titmice may whistle any month of the year, the plaintive clear notes are very apparent inspring. I love to hear the "witt-y witt-y" drawn out so slow and shrilly that even aging ears can detectthem. It doesnt matter if they are the western type, or the eastern Tufted Titmouse species, the call issimilar, and I grew up with those songs in the timberlands of Missouri.

There is something jaunty about the little gray crest on the titmouse, and the chickadee-like body is plaingray; in fact, the Feather River resident was formally called "Plain Titmouse, Parus inornatus," but thenew moniker is "Oak Titmouse,Baeolophus inornatus." Oh, those hair-splitting scientists! The "Oak"titmouse I saw that February day was in an almond tree, not an oak, and it was soon investigating acavity in a walnut tree!

I think the pair of bright-eyed birds had found their nesting destiny. There are so many possibilities. But

the hole in a walnut knob was of much interest. First one would pop in then fly away, and then the matewould pop in and then away. It must have been visual communication because they were never side byside. The female selects the site, and incubates the eggs since the male has no brood patch, but the maledoes feed her at the nest...so say some very patient observers. Garnering just a small amount of bird lifehistories takes enormous time.

Titmice, and the related chickadees, are gentle birds and very curious. They respond to "squeaking"sounds and approach quite close. They are commonly found around eastern birdfeeders looking for suet,bread, and peanut butter.

One of the other "tit" bird species is the Bushtit, Psaltriparus minimus, another gray bird even smaller

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of an ounce than the titmouse. Found only in the western states, they swarm along the river in thewinter in flocks of 20 or 30 scrounging the thickets for hiding insects and egg cases. We know themfrom the huge sock-like nest a pair constructs in the springtime where they brood a large family.Industrious is the word for bushtits!

Just why the term "tit" should be incorporated into bird names is odd, even though the titmouse has atit of a hair-do, unlike the smooth-headed bushtits and Wrentits, the other brush birds comprising theCalifornia Tri-Tits! The long-tailed wrentits are quite shy and seldom venture far from the thickets. Atleast they didnt dupe them the "teat" birds!


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Snow Goose Festival Results

Adults and youth alike from across the North State once again had the opportunity to be enchanted bythe wintering waterfowl and associated wildlife at the 8

thannual Snow Goose Festival of the Pacific

Flyway January 25-28, 2007 in Chico, California.

This annual festival has proven to be immensely popular festival and has continued to gain momentumand to delight all who attend.

Some of the huge draws for festival-goers are the State and National Wildlife Refuge tours, hiking theSutter Buttes, local rice farm tours, bird-banding sessions, nature photography workshops, the Owl

Prowl, and bat box building. Our popular free programs such as the Junior Naturalist Activities andMeet the Owls and Live Native Reptiles, attracted hundreds of young people.

This is Altacal Audubons largest sponsored event with Altacal serving as the Snow Goose Festivals

fiscal agent. Plus many of Altacals board and chapter members also volunteer their time and talents to

this wonderful event. In addition, this years keynote speaker was Glenn Olson, Executive Director of

Audubon, California whose presentation was all about Conserving California in the 21 st Century.

Clearly, it was an Audubon activity from start to finish. Here are some impressive numbers associated

the festival:

4,000 program brochures printed and distributed, primarily by mail.

820 participants for the field trips and workshops. This included 70 children and 750 adults. 192 people at the Uptown-Downtown Reception and Art Exhibit

340 people at the Gathering of Wings Banquet

650 additional people came to Saturdays and Sundays free activities and exhibits at the ChicoMasonic Family Center, 200 of whom were children.

Out of 57 field trips and workshops, 48 were full with waiting lists.

Our maximum capacity for all our events was 1,850. We were 92% full with 1,700 spots filled.

Bird Walk and Birding Trip Reports

February 4, Sunday - Black Butte Lake and Vicinity Trip Leader: Anne-Lise Feenstra - On abeautiful warm day Emilie, Margaret and Anne-Lise saw 44 species of birds. At the Graves Cemetery avery curious Northern Mockingbirdcame to within three feet of us. Two Black Phoebes were perchedon the catwalk over the irrigation canal. Numerous Savannah Sparrows and Western Meadowlarks,as well asAmerican Kestrelsand Red-tailed Hawkswere seen along the road as we drove to the lake.The water level in Black Butte Lake was quite low. On the mudflats and in shallow water we sawBonapartes Gull, Snowy Egret, Great Blue Heron and Killdeer. A Belted Kingfisher gave us aclose-up performance; she hovered over the water, then dove in and caught a fish. Along Big OakNature Trail we saw Spotted and California Towhees, Oak Titmice, Ruby-crowned Kinglets andNuttalls Woodpeckers. Near the end of the trail Margaret spotted a Red-breasted Sapsucker high in acottonwood tree, and as we watched it another one flew in. Western Bluebirds, three Common


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Ravens, a pair ofRed-shouldered Hawksand two American White Pelicans were seen near GrizzlyFlat. A Says Phoebe was spotted on the way to our last stop at the dam overlook. There we observedmore Bonapartes gulls, as well as Western and Pied-billed Grebeson the lake. Below the dam onStony Creek we saw Common Mergansers, a Great Egretand a Double-crested Cormorant. HornedLarks were feeding on the grass by the parking lot. Just as we left, an adult Bald Eagle flew by andcircled over the dam tower; a nice finish to a pleasant day of birding.

Tower at Black Butte Lake

February 9-11, Friday/Saturday/Sunday - Bodega Bay

Trip leaders: Mike Fisher and Jennifer Patten - Eight members hung in through the uncertainty of tworeschedules to finally make the drive over to Bodega Bay. As it turned out, the wait paid off as theweather was perfect, sunny and warm with not a breath of wind. Those who arrived before dark onFriday scanned the bay as the sun set and found rafts of birds settling in for the night. Over 70Common Loons, equal numbers ofRed-breasted Mergansers, hundreds ofRuddy Ducks, and largenumbers ofEared Grebes could easily be seen.We camped at Bodega Dunes Campground where we had the place almost completely to ourselves.Saturday morning we awoke to a dawn chorus ofCalifornia and Spotted Towhees, Bewicks Wrens,Chestnut-backed Chickadees, Varied Thrushes, White-crowned and Golden-crowned Sparrows,California Quail and a Great Horned Owl. After a quick breakfast we started the long day of birding


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at the Tides Restaurant where we drank more coffee and scanned the Bay from the comfort of theirdeck. Great looks were had at Eared and Horned Grebes, Common Loons, Greater and LesserScaups, Buffleheads, Surf Scoters and lots and lots ofBrants. A mixed flock of shorebirds flew bysignaling us to move on.

At the shoreline we found huge numbers of MarbledGodwits, lots ofWillets and a few Black Turnstones.Moving on to a small marina on the west shore of the baywe spotted more Black and Ruddy Turnstones, SnowyEgrets, and Common Goldeneyes. Among the hugenumbers of Western Gulls we were able to pick out aGlaucous-winged Gull and a Mew Gull. Friendlycompetition broke out over the ID of a raptor sitting onthe pier. Was it a Merlin or Sharp-shinned Hawk? Seenonly from the back, it was difficult to tell. However, weall agreed on the majestic pair of Peregrine Falconsseen working the skies surrounding the Bay.

Surf Scoter - Photo by Scott Huber

Next we headed over to Bodega Head and hiked the loop all the way around the point. New to us here

were Surfbirds, Black Oystercatchers, and both Brandts and Pelagic Cormorants in full breedingplumage. In the scrub we saw Savannah Sparrows, SongSparrows, and Says Phoebes. Large numbers ofCaliforniaSea Lions were seen basking on the rocks below. On theway back around the bay we studied a large group ofshorebirds and picked out Leastand Western Sandpipers,Dunlins, Sanderlings and a lone Semipalmated Plover.Towards the end of the day, a final stop at Salmon Creek andBeach yielded stunning pairs of Common Mergansers andCinnamon Teals, and finally, as a fitting end to a long day ofbirding, two groups ofSnowy Plovers. In all, the trip yielded

a total of 103 species of birds in and around Bodega Bay.

Snowy Plovers - Photo by Scott Huber

February 18, Sunday - Butte Basin

Trip leader: Skip Augur - Six birders met for anextremely windy morning of birding at some of our localflatlands. On the way to our first stop we got great looks atSandhill Cranes(within 50 feet) and CommonGoldeneyes. At Llano Seco we got a good sampling ofducks but missed the hoped-for Common Teal

(AKA Eurasian Green- winged Teal). TreeSwallows were hawking insects by the hundreds overthe water, indicating that Spring is on the way.We continued down Road Z to an overgrown area withflowing water where we encountered Wood Ducks, aCommon Moorhen, a Spotted Towhee, a Fox Sparrow, and a Nuttall's Woodpecker. We alsochecked a few spots for Burrowing Owls but saw none - perhaps the wind was keeping them down.We then checked out Road ZZ and continued on to Aguas Frias Road where we encountered a fewEnterprise-Record reporters who had been chasing us, looking for tie-ins to the Great Backyard BirdCount. We spoke with them for a few minutes and provided photo ops before returning to Chico.


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February 24, Saturday - Chico State Birding Club Raptor Run Trip Co-Leaders: Michelle Ockenand Colleen Martin - Participants: Jennifer Patton, Mike Fisher, Dawn Garcia, Dr. Mel Richardson, TimRuckle, Liz Leyvas, Levi Bateman, Colleen Martin, Jeff Martin and Michelle Ocken. Lets not forgetRandall Peterson who joined up with us on the Nelson Rd. leg.

Altacal members joined with CSBC members on a trip thatstarted out on Cottonwood Rd. just south of Chico in Butte County. Itwas here that we got wonderful looks at a Burrowing Owl (seeattached photo). We also got a Ferruginous Hawk and Rough-legged Hawk on Cottonwood Rd. Conspicuously missing were theWhite-tailed Kites. From there we took a detour to the FeatherRiver in hopes of finding an Osprey - but to no avail. After theriver, we headed first to Nelson Ave. and then to Nelson Rd. Wetook Nelson Rd. to 7 Mile Ln. and stopped at Llano Seco for a bit.Mike got the Eurasian Green- winged Teal in his scope but there

Photo by Dr. Mel Richardson

were so many teals on the pond that the others were unable locate him before something spooked themand we nearly froze. It was at this point that we decided to head into town for some warm food andgood libations (uh-beer). Although there were some birds that we expected to see that we didnt, it was

a great day! The Rough-legged Hawk was a lifer for Michelle, Colleen and Tim and the FerruginousHawk was another lifer for Colleen. Liz and Jeff racked up quite a few lifers as well. What a day!

March 4, Sunday - Mendocino National Forest Genetic Resource and Conservation ("Tree

Improvement") Center

Flowering Shrubs AlongThe Comanche Trail

Trip leader: Skip Augur - Four birders met for an enjoyable morning of birding at the MendocinoNational Forest Genetic Resource and Conservation ("Tree Improvement") Center. Although theweather forecast predicted a cloudy day, the sun came through and by the end of the morning a few of uswere removing some of our layers. It was still a bit early for migrants, but Varied Thrusheswere still

present in good numbers among the American Robins. None of the rarer birds from the ChristmasCount were present, but we did get great looks at a Cooper's Hawkwith a small rodent (or perhapsbird; the view of the animal in-claw was obscured). Good numbers of White- and Golden-crownedSparrowsand Ruby-crowned Kinglets were still present, as were the resident House Finches, LesserGoldfinches, and courting Red-shouldered Hawks. We also got good looks at an Orange-crownedWarblerand a Bewick's Wren. Near the end of the morning we also saw a Lark Sparrow.


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Opportunities and Events

The Aleutian Goose Festival

March 30-April 2 - Crescent City, CA - Choose from 80 guided birding, nature and heritageexcursions, featuring coastal lagoon, river and ocean trips; more than 170 bird species during the

weekend, and a coastal fly-off spectacle of 30,000 once-endangered Aleutian Canada Geese. Located inthe home of Redwood National and State Parks, the Smith River National Recreation Area, and LakeEarl Wildlife Area. Contact: Redwood Economic Development Institute, 140 Marine Way, Suite A,Crescent City, CA 95531 Tel: 800-343-8300 or 707-465-0880, [email protected] ,http://www.aleutiangoosefestival.org

Wildflower and Nature Festival, Oroville

March 31-April 1 - The Feather River Recreation and Park District will hold its first Wildflower and

Nature Festival the weekend of March 31 and April 1, 2007. Hiking tours are planned for FeatherFalls, Big Bald Rock, the Feather River Nature Center, and Table Mountain. There will be films andslide shows shown at the State Theater. There will be a dinner held at River Bend Park on Saturdayevening. River Bend will also serve as the hub of the festival. There will be booths located there forpeople to sign-up for guided tours, purchase self-guided tour maps, rent bicycles or kayaks, sacklunches to bring on hikes, obtain educational material, and other related booths. They will also haveactivities and booths specifically for children. They would like to invite you to participate by having abooth at the event representing your groups interests. If you have any questions, please contact LorenGill at (530) 589-3807 or Gina at the Districts office, (530) 533-2011.


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California Goldfields (Lasthenia californica) Sunflower Family (Asteraceae)

Creates beautiful sheets of yellow along the margins of the valley in April. Also common on Table Mountain. Two to three inches tall.

California Native Plant Societys Wildflower Show and Plant Sale

April 22 - Sunday noon 5, CARD Center 545 Vallombrosa, ChicoAdults $4.00 Seniors/Students $3.00Under 12 Free8.Mount Lassen Chapter of the California Native Plant Society is having their biannual

fundraiser. Over 200 Species of wildflowers collected from local plant communities will be labeled andon display - Native Plant Saleof showy shrubs to drought tolerant grasses from local native plantnurseries with expert advice - Native Plant Books, CNPS Posters, t-shirts and more for sale - LocalExpertsto help identify flowers and diversity of our plant communities - Displaysto help understandlocal efforts to control invasive plants and learn the importance of rare plants - Nature Walksalong BigChico Creekwith local naturalists; Rex Burress, Janna Lathrop and Jim Bishop- Childrens Activitiesofplants close-up, -making a plant press, fieldbook, bookmark with CSUC students.

Sierra Fawn Lily (Erythronium multiscapoideum) Lily Family (Liliaceae)

A whitish lily about 4 inches tall of shaded, brushy foothill slopes and on serpentine in the mountains. Takes its name from the spottedappearance of its large basal leaves. Blooms early in March. Covers the floor of the Magalia Cypress grove in good years.


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Godwit Days Spring Migration Bird Festival

April 20-22

Arcata, California welcomes you to the 12th Annual Godwit Days, the three-day Spring MigrationBird Festival where amid our ancient redwood forests, marshes and the Pacific Ocean, 450 species ofbirds have been recorded annually. One can watch Marbled Murrelets, have face-to-face encounterswith Spotted Owls, and take small boat tours of Humboldt Bay to view migrant shorebirds at theirpeak. Nearly 100 birding field trips and workshops are offered in the heart of California's RedwoodCoast. Contact: Godwit Days non-profit Organization P.O. Box 894, Arcata, CA 95518 Tel: 800-908-9464 or 707-444-2938 Fax: 707-269-0632. http://www.godwitdays.com Same as last year, AltacalAudubon has agreed to pay for the registration fees of two Chico State Birding Club student membersfor the festival weekend.

South Bay Bird FestApril 22, Alviso, CA - 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM - Location: Environmental Education Center, AlvisoGuided walks, hands-on activities, crafts, street fair, and more. Call (408) 262-5513 for moreinformation.

Heron Festival and Wildflower Brunch

April 27-29, Kelseyville, CA - Heron Festival is a celebration of the Great Blue Heronsreturn totheir nesting sites around Clear Lake. Activities include pontoon boat rides to view the heronry andguided kayak trips to view birds on Kelsey Creek. Informative and interesting nature presentations areheld at Clear Lake State Park along with informative booths, children's activities, and a WildflowerBrunch. Guided bird walks are available. Contact: Redbud AudubonSociety,www.redbudaudubon.orgor call 1.800.525.3743

Great Blue HeronClear Lake, CA


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28th Annual Endangered Species Faire

May 5 - Bidwell Park, Cedar Grove - Since 1979, the Endangered Species Faire has commemoratedEarth Day with a full day of exhibits, activities, presentations and entertainment. Between 6,000 and10,000 people of all ages visit and participate in Northern California's oldest annual environmental fairheld at Cedar Grove in Bidwell Park. The Faire is designed to give local school classrooms, governmentagencies, environmental organizations and community groups a public forum to present information onecology, wildlife and a host of environmental issues. The Faire offers teachers an opportunity to developan environmental education project as part of their classroom curriculum. Schools from the districts of

Chico, Paradise, Durham, Oroville, Corning, and Orland participate in the resource fair, making K-12grade students the primary participants and visitors of the Faire. Each class researches an environmentalchallenge, illustrates the problem and possible solutions, and presents their results to the general publicas part of a booth display or activity. The Faire facilitates networking between teachers and students,state and federal resource agencies, and environmental organizations. This year's theme is "GlidingGiant Garter Snakes: Protect their Wetlands Home," intended to increase awareness of this local andthreatened species and its habitat. For more info: Saturday 10-4 p.m. Call BEC at 530-891-6424 oremail [email protected]

Giant Garter SnakeThamnophis gigas

Watershed Celebration

May 12 - Sacramento River Discovery Center 9 a.m. 1 p.m., 1000 Sale Lane, Red Bluff, (530)527-1196.

Celebrate the River!

International Migratory Bird Day

May 12 Details to be announced on www.sacrivertrust.org


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Call for Volunteers / Burrowing Owl Surveyors in 2007

This spring the Institute for Bird Populations (IBP) will again be asking volunteers to survey breedingpopulations ofBurrowing Owls (BUOW) in their region. This will be the final year of the two-yearcensus period, (2006-2007) which is being conducted to replicate a similar survey conducted between1991 and 1993. We are lumped in with the Northern Central Valley Region where a total of nine pairsof BUOW were documented. As many of you who participated last year know, we had very fewBUOW detections in our tri-county (Tehama, Butte, and Glenn) area. We found one pair of owls with

young in our 26 survey blocks and two additional pairs were found in Tehama County, not within ourblocks. So far our data show a decline of breeding BUOW in these counties from the previous census.During the 1991-1993 survey, nine breeding pairs were found in Tehama, three in Butte and none inGlenn. However, five of these blocks with breeding pairs were not part of our census last year. Thesefive blocks with known breeders will be a priority for survey this year. Year two (2007) surveys areincredibly important to determine if low breeding BUOW numbers are consistent between 2006 and2007.

In addition, BUOW sightings are even more crucial as Butte County is currently developing a HabitatConservation Plan (HCP). The BUOW, a California Species of Special Concern, is one of 30 speciesthat will be addressed in the HCP. We need to know where these birds are to protect their habitats forsustainable populations in our County. Also, the California Department of Fish and Game is in theinitial stages of writing a Species Recovery and Management Plan for BUOW and data from our surveywill be used in that plan. And one last reason to get out there - its fun! Our volunteers received extrakudos as we were one of a handful of regions in the state that successfully surveyed all blocks in 2006.Please include the 2007 census on your agenda this spring! If you are interested in surveying again orfor the first time please contact Dawn Garcia at [email protected].

Sightings

(If you have any interesting sightings in March, April and May, you can send them to the Newsletter Editor [email protected] by May 7 for possible inclusion in the next newsletter.)

January 22 Tim Ruckle saw a Varied Thrushin a flock ofAmerican Robinscoming to his yard inChico for water. It was the first time he had seen one there. Dawn Garcia noted that she had a veryconsistent male Varied Thrush for two weeks at her home in Paradise with a female showing up onoccasion. She noted that, at the Christmas Bird Count, several were seen. She also had several at the

Butte Creek Ecological Preserve and had seen three at the Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve whereshe bands. She said it seems like an invasion year for Varied Thrushes! Denise Devine also saw aVaried Thrush at the water dish in their back yard on the morning of March 6.

February 14 - Warren and Jennifer Patten saw two Great Horned Owls on the south trail of UpperPark about 5:30 p.m. Both where hooting away when one flew to a dead tree and entered a large holeand settled down as if it was sitting on eggs. At the same time a flock ofTundra Swans flew overheading north.


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February 16 John Oswald saw a Greater Roadrunner on Cohasset road just past the airport entranceon the opposite side of the road. There is a cut out and it was on the concrete culvert. He said he wasonly 6-8 feet away and it was unmistakable.

February 19 Laura Massie lives in Paradise and for the first time in 20 years she had 14 Band-tailedPigeons visting her garden. As of the 19th, they had been there for three weeks. If anyone is interestedseeing the birds she can be reached at [email protected]

February 20 - Jennifer Patten hiked into Upper Bidwell Park looking for the reported Northern PygmyOwl. As she hiked the Yahi trail, just before the Bear Hole parking lot the owl flew right past her andlanded in a tree near the creek. As she was hiking down road heading home, she heard two Black Railscalling on the north side of the road near the Diversion Dam.

March 10 Jeff Price had three Band-tailed Pigeonsat his feeders in Paradise, the first he had seenthere in a year. He figures they are moving around.

March 12 On the trail in Paradise Dawn Garcia saw her first confirmed Orange-crowned Warbler ofthe season.

Peregrinations

[Perigrinations reports on birds seen on trips outside the Butte/Glenn/Tehama counties area except forthose sponsored by the Altacal Audubon Society or other local birding groups]

March 9, Friday - A group of birders from Chico - Jay Bogiatto, Shelly Kirn, Jackson Shedd, J.T.Lewis, Tim Ruckle, Mike Fisher, Jennifer Patten and Scott Huber - drove four hours each way to foothillwoodlands on the east-side rain shadow of the coast range at Mercy Hot Springs in the Panoche Valleyto see Long-eared Owls. They were not disappointed! As the group arrived at Mercey Hot Springsaround 10 a.m., the owls were immediately visible in the trees in front of the parking space at the hot

springs office.

After paying the owner $5 (each) admission theytoured the surrounding tamarisk and pine trees where

they saw at least 15 owls and probably missed two orthree times as many more that were perfectlycamouflaged in the dense foliage.

Photo by J.T. Lewis Photo by Scott Huber

Also of interest at the hot springs was a striking 'yellow-phase' House Finch. They spent the rest of the

beautiful day birding the currently green hills and valleys in the Panoche area. Of particular interestwere numerous Sage Thrashers, two Golden Eagles, a Peregrine and a Prairie Falcon, Tri-coloredBlackbirds and an early Cassin's Kingbird! Jackson stirred up a Poorwill and J.T., who campedovernight, heard the owls (including a Great Horned Owl) calling all night.

On Sunday, Michelle Ocken, Colleen Martin and Jeff Martin made the trip and saw three Barn Owlsinaddition to the Long-eared Owls. It was a memorable weekend for everyone who went, and for most ofthe birders this was a life bird.


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Submission of Articles

(Notices or articles submitted for publication consideration should be sent by e-mail message to the newsletter editor asMicrosoft Word (if possible) attachments by the 7th of the month prior to the next issue of the newsletter (i.e., Jan, Mar, May,

Jul, Sep and Nov 7th) - [email protected] Thanks, Ed.)

Altacal Board of Directors

President: Phil Johnson 570-7139/[email protected]

Co-Vice-Presidents: Jennifer Patten 345-9356/[email protected]

Mike Fisher 624-4777/[email protected]

Secretary: Kathryn Hood 342-9112/[email protected]

Treasurer: John Oswald 342-1651/[email protected]

Membership: Carolyn Short 345-4224/[email protected]

Newsletter: Tim Ruckle 566-9693/[email protected]

Publicity/Web Site: Wayland Augur 893-9222/[email protected]

Field Trips: Scott Huber 321-5579/[email protected]

Sanctuary: Dave Tinker 824-0253/[email protected]

Conservation: Dawn Garcia 872-2165/[email protected]

Education: Ruth Kennedy 899-9631/[email protected]: John Merz 345-4050/[email protected] Shedd 342-5144/[email protected]

Marilyn Gamette343-3154/[email protected]

Board meetings are held at 5:15 p.m. on the 2nd Thursday of each month (except July and August). The usual meeting placeis the Altacal Audubon Society/Snow Goose Festival office at 635 Flume St., Chico. The public iswelcome to attend.

Local Chapter Membership Application

Please join us! Your membership will help Altacal Audubon Society (AAS) continue its important

work.

Altacal is a chapter of the National Audubon Society. In addition, it is a separately incorporated non-profit organization. With a local chapter membership, 100% of your membership dues goes to supportlocal projects and activities. AAS is an all-volunteer organization that conducts all of its programs withno paid staff. We offer regularly scheduled field trips focused on birds and bird habitats, our ownwebsite, www.altacal.org/, a bi-monthly newsletter (White-tailed Kite), monthly membership meetingswhich include lectures and media presentations on birds and other natural history-related topics, andadvocacy to protect and conserve local habitats as well as special projects and programs. Other AASactivities include:

sponsoring and participating in the annual Snow Goose Festival

sponsoring and participating in the annual Endangered Species Fair

founding and providing continued support to the Chico Creek Nature Center

owning and managing the Arneberg Sanctuary as a wildlife habitat and research area

helping to monitor the bird populations at the Del Rio Wildland Preserve near the SacramentoRiver

paying to maintain public access and a wildlife viewing blind at the Chico Oxidation Ponds

leading annual Christmas Bird Counts in Chico and Oroville for the past 50 years


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Welcome to theAltacal Audubon Society! Please indicate your choice of membership options:

$20 Basic Membership $10 Low Income/Student $35 Family

$50 Sponsor $100 Sustaining $500 Patron $1000 Benefactor

Payment method:

Cash

Check Date: ______________

Important: Membership in Altacal Audubon does not include membership in the National AudubonSociety. We encourage you to also support National Audubon in their important education and lobbyingefforts. To join the National Audubon Society contact them at their website http://www.audubon.org

Name: Phone: (_____) _______________

Address: _________________________________ E-mail Address: ____________________________

City: ________________State: ____ Zip Code: _______

Save paper! Send me an e-mail version only Notify me by E-mail about upcoming programs and events I would be interested in volunteering to help

Please make checks payable to Altacal Audubon Society, and mail to: AAS, P.O. Box 3671, Chico,CA 95927

April 2007 White Tailed Kite Newsletter, Altacal Audubon Society

Documents

Transcript of April 2007 White Tailed Kite Newsletter, Altacal Audubon Society