November-December 2004 Wrentit Newsletter ~ Pasadena Audubon Society

8/8/2019 November-December 2004 Wrentit Newsletter ~ Pasadena Audubon Society

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Volume 52 – No. 5 November-December 2004

Drawing byGuy Coheleach Pasadena Audubon Society

A Chapter of National Audubon Society

To bring the excitement of birds to our community through birding, educationand the conservation of bird habitats.

General Meetings held at:

Eaton Canyon Nature Center1750 N. Altadena Drive, Pasadena

7:00 pm Social

7:30 pm Program

President’s Perch

W RENTIT Founded 1904

THE

Januar y ProgramDecem ber ProgramNovember Program

Deserts of North AmericaSylvia Ranney GallagherNovember 17, 2004

(see President’s Perch, page 7)

CHRISTMAS COUNTDINNER

When:

6:00 pm

Saturday, December 18, 2004

Where:

Matt Denny’s Restaurant

And Pub

145 E. Huntington Drive

Arcadia, CA

(626) 446-1077

Parking:

Ample parking in rear off

Wheeler Street

Details and Reservations:

See Page 3

For many people the word DESERT produces an image of desolate, barren

sand – or glorious carpets of springwildflowers among towering green

Saguaros.Both images are correct, but they arefar from the whole picture. SylviaGallagher will take you on a slide tour of the deserts of North America. She willaddress such questions as: Why are thedeserts located where they are and how dothey differ from one another? What aresome of the birds typical of each desert,and how are they adapted to life in theirsevere environments?

Sylvia received her PhD in Chemistryand has taught at John Muir High School,Chaffey College and Col Poly, Pomona.She is a past Vice-president of Sea and

Sage Audubon and is currently their BirdInformation chair. Besides conductingvery successful birding skills workshops,she was a major contributor to the OrangeCounty Breeding Bird Atlas and produced Learning California Bird Sounds.

A Geologist Analyzes theProspects for the Survivalof the Salton SeaDr. Ivan P. ColburnJanuary 19, 2005

This lecture is designed to inform thelistener on how the Salton Sea came

into being, how it has evolved to itspresent state, and what we can expect tosee happen to it in the future. Alsoaddressed are a number of alternativestrategies that might be instituted tomitigate the negative impact of thosefactors that are causing the rising salinityof the Salton Sea.

(Editor’s note: While most agree onthe origins of the sea, there is a widevariation of solutions proposed. Dr.Colburn will present only some of thoseproposed solutions.)

Communication is important to justabout everything human. And it’s the

life-blood of an organization like ours. AtPAS we have four ways we communicate,The Wrentit , our Website, our ListServ,

and word-of-mouth.Right now you’re probably reading

this out of The Wrentit , the newsletter of Pasadena Audubon Society. This has beenthe mainstay of our society’s communica-tion for decades and still is the main sourceof trips and news of PAS. Bev McKenzieedits and Don Rogers does the layout. Butit couldn’t happen without the logisticalsupport of Alex Strong. All membersreceive this newsletter and if you don’t,please see the membership application inthis newsletter.

Our second form of communication is

our website. Jane Strong started andmaintains this site and as she points out,the best way to use this site is to explore.Besides listing all upcoming trips,programs and other chapter information,it contains interesting information about

our environment and a copy of the latestWrentit . But if you’re looking for a placeto bird or hike in the Pasadena area, look no further than this website. There is alisting, with clickable map, of birdingsites in our area. It also has links to moresources. So, after you put down thisnewsletter, explore! Pick up your mouseand go to WWW.PASADENAAUDUBON.ORG.

Birding has taken full advantage of the Internet and email. One of the mostproductive ways has been with ListServs.When you join a ListServ, it acts as a

In this Issue

Conservation 2A Visit to North Ronaldsay 2Christmas Count/Dinner 3In Memorium 3Field Trip Reports 4Field Trips 5Calendar 6Lost Books 7New Members 7Magpie Study Group 7Kid’s Corner 8

Board Member ChangesMadeline West, long-time member of

the PAS Board, has resigned. We thank herfor her dedication and her ability andwillingness to wear many hats.

We are, however, pleased to welcomeMark Hunter as a Member-at-Large. Welook forward to working with you, Mark!



PAGE 2 The Wrentit

C ons erva t i on

Invasive Species:

Invasive species threaten more than one-third of the birds on Audubon’s

WatchList. WatchList species are thosethat face population declines, are threat-ened by habitat loss on their breeding or

wintering grounds, or have limitedgeographic ranges that heighten theirvulnerability to isolated disasters likesevere weather or oil spills. Invasiveplants like bufflegrass, Phragmites, andsalt cedar are destroying habitat neededby many of America’s fastest-decliningbirds, including Costa’s Hummingbird,Curve-billed Thrasher, Seaside Sparrow,Abert’s Towhee, and the Elf Owl.

Another WatchList species, the Long-billed Curlew, has been declining signifi-cantly over the past 150 years largely dueto the disappearance of much of its prairieand meadow habitat. On San Luis Na-

tional Wildlife Refuge in California, aninvasive plant called yellow starthistle iswiping out grasslands and rendering thearea unusable for breeding by the curlews.Invasive species are a leading cause of bird extinctions

Working with other conservationorganizations and using a science-basedprocess, Audubon has identified morethan 200 species of birds in America thatshow either significantly decreasingnumbers or restricted range, or face otherthreats. The Audubon WatchList includesbirds that are restricted in their breeding

range, such as the Whiskered Auklet,Elegant Tern, and Millerbird, which arehighly vulnerable to introduced invasivepredators in their specialized breedingareas. Other species on the WatchList,such as Bell’s Vireo, are experiencingwidespread habitat loss across their range,with invasive species as a contributingfactor in their decline. Others, like theBristle-thighed Curlew, have specialvulnerabilities to invasive species. TheBristle-thighed Curlew has a uniqueflightless molt period, which makes thespecies particularly vulnerable to intro-duced predators that can quickly capture

the defenseless birds.Invasive species have entirely or

partially caused the majority of all birdextinctions since 1800. Many of theseextinctions were of island birds lackingnatural defenses against introducedpredators. For example, invasive browntree snakes, which arrived in Guam afterWorld War II as stowaways on cargoships, have decimated Guam’s nativeforest birds. The birds of Guam evolvedin the absence of snake predators, makingthem easy prey for the tree snakes, whichare skilled climbers with a voracious

Cormorant Slaughter andProposal to Shift MigratoryBird Management to USDA

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’sWildlife Service (WS) has been

steadily killing thousands of birds acrossthe U.S. Even prior to an October Fishand Wildlife Service (FWS) Cormorantdepredation, the WS had killed some47,000 Double-Crested Cormorantsannually, and destroyed thousands more

eggs. This new depredation order allowsWS to kill unlimited numbers of cormo-rants in 24 states, without requiringpermits, if the birds are “injurious topublic resources”, regardless of scientificevidence to the contrary.

Acting under this order, the MichiganWildlife Services has finalized plans forthe eradication of thousands of Double-Crested Cormorants on the Les CheneauxIslands in Lake Huron. WS alleges thatthe cormorant control is necessarybecause the birds eat yellow perch.Scientists and conservationists have

repeatedly noted the lack of scientificdocumentation linking cormorants todeclines in yellow perch populationpopulations. A definitive, peer-reviewedstudy to examine the impact of cormorantpredation on yellow perch in the LesCheneaux Islands concluded that cormo-rants removed only 24,000 out of a totalof 2.76 million legal-sized yellow perch in1995 – less than 1%. Since total annualperch mortality was estimated at 45%,researchers concluded that other sourcesmust therefore account for the remainingmortality.

WS is already escalating cormorant

control and kills thousands of other fish-eating birds around the country underFWS permits. These include Black-crowned Night Herons, Great BlueHerons, Belted Kingfishers, mergansers,and tens of thousands of gulls.Recently introduced legislation, H.R.3320, would place independent authorityfor controlling all take of migratory birdsin the hands of the WS, taking it awayfrom the jurisdiction of the FWS. Thislegislation would also remove thesemanagement actions from public reviewby exempting WS from the National

Environment Policy Act.Those wishing to voice their concern

should contact their House Representativeand/or email Harry Burrows, staffer forSubcommittee Chair Wayne Gilchrest,[email protected].

Source: Birds Calls, vol. 8, No. 2 American Bird Conservancy

A Visit To North Ronaldsay

In May 2004 we visited North Ronaldsay,the most northerly island of Orkney,

Scotland, located on the migratory cross-roads for birds heading toward Iceland andGreenland and Scandinavia. We planned aday trip, arriving on Loganair’s 8-seaterplane from Kirkwall. The North RonaldsayBird Observatory [NRBO; WWW.NRBO.F2S.COM]is a mile from the airfield, and on our waythere we wandered past Holland House(early 1700s) and an early 1800s church.Cheerful NRBO staff prepared an interest-

ing lunch, a North Ronaldsay lamb sand-wich made from native sheep which eatseaweed, washed ashore by strong tides.

We wandered across Nouster Bay’sexpansive sandy beach, adjacent to NRBO;it hosted a couple of dozen plump, curiousgrey seals. Many fulmars nested below therock dyke which confines the sheep to theintertidal zone. Inland from the Bay aresmall farms, some abandoned, a few cattle,lush green fields, bluebells, and fewvehicles.

Thick fog precluded the scheduled5:00 pm return flight to the mainland andwe were told to be ready at 10:30 am thenext morning. The visiting nurse andteacher (of three students) advised us toreturn to NRBO, where we were warmlywelcomed, fed a sumptuous dinner, andslept in a dorm. The evening’s discus-sions, among the ten NRBO guests,centered around ongoing bird monitoringand banding; there weren’t unusual birdvisitors at this time.

After a fabulous breakfast, we againenjoyed Nouster Bay’s shore and seabirdsand the inland passerines. The planeattempted a couple more landings but wasdiverted to mainland Scotland. So we

proceeded to the Ancum Loch bird blind,set in a marsh marigold and horsetailwetland, and then back to the Bay beforethe NRBO staff located us when the planewas actually on its way.

In the garage-sized airport there was aposted notice: “No banking facilities inApril. Next visit of the bank on 10 May2004”. Someone had changed “2004” to“2009”.

Jan and Bob Stul

appetite for eggs, chicks, and small birds.Because of the brown tree snake, nine of the 11 species of native forest-dwellingbirds have been extirpated on Guam. Fivesubspecies of forest birds were driven toextinction, such as the Rufous Fantail andGuam Flycatcher.

Please visit HTTP:// WWW.AUDUBON.ORG / CAMPAIGN / INVASIVES / THREATS.SHTM for more

informationSource: Audubon.org



November-December 2004 PAGE 3

The Christmas Count is our mostsignificant event of the birding year.

It’s about lending our bird-watchingtalents to an important project, it’s aboutmaintaining a tradition, and it’s also abouta group effort. It’s a chance for all of us to

get together, socialize, find birds, andhave quite a bit of fun in the process.

We are blessed with a broad array of habitats in our Pasadena count circle.Ponds, rivers, marshes, mountains, oak,chaparral, riparian, coastal sage andexotic/ornamental plantings all occur. Incombination with our mild climate, thesehabitats create a wide diversity of winterbird life. The Christmas Count creates ayearly snapshot of the early winteravifauna of the San Gabriel Valley.The count circle, extending 7.5 miles inevery direction, has its center at theintersection of San Gabriel Boulevard andDuarte Road. It includes such interestingand productive birding locales as Santa FeDam, Big Santa Anita Canyon, WhitterNarrows, Peck Pit, Eaton Canyon and theHuntington Gardens and L.A. Arboretum.The circle also reaches Mount Wilson,thus offering the possibility of a numberof mountain birds.

The Pasadena/SGV count originatedin the mid 1940’s, and while the sixdecades that followed have seen a

tremendous amount of change, wecontinue to find close to 150 species eachyear. In fact, that’s far more than werefound on the early counts. Of course ourability to find and identify birds hasincreased dramatically since that time.We also add new and rare birds to the

count list on an almost annual basis. Whatunexpected birds will show up this year?Whatever your birding ability, be sure to join us for this event and be a part of thediscovery. It’s a great learning experiencealways enjoyable, and it is worthwhile

because it contributes to our knowledge ofbird distribution and population trends.

This year’s Pasadena/San GabrielValley Christmas Count will take place onSaturday, December 18. Our pre-countmeeting will be held at the Eaton CanyonNature Center on Wednesday, December 15at 7:00 pm. At the pre-count meeting wewill hand out count materials and checklists,review procedures and assign count areas tothe participants. If you’re unable to attendthe pre-count meeting, you can call to signup for (or be assigned) an area to count.

As usual, we will hold a post-countdinner and wrap-up at 6:00 pm on countnight. This year we’ll meet at MattDenny’s Restaurant and Pub on Hunting-ton Drive in Arcadia. See below fordetails on the dinner.

For additional information, pleasecontact count coordinator Jon Fisher at 818-544-5009 or at [email protected].

Jon Fishe

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PPPPPasadena/San Gaasadena/San Gaasadena/San Gaasadena/San Gaasadena/San Gabrbrbrbrbrielielielieliel VVVVValleallealleallealley Chry Chry Chry Chry Christmas Count/Dinneristmas Count/Dinneristmas Count/Dinneristmas Count/Dinneristmas Count/DinnerSunday, December 18, 2004

In Memorium:Arden BrameBy Mickey Long

I

t is with sadness

we report thepassing of Arden H.Brame, supervisorof Eaton CanyonNature Centerduring two periods,1965 through 1968and 1970 through1978. Arden, who

died August 19, 2004 at the age of 70, becamethe second supervisor of the then-new NatureCenter just two years after it’s construction in1963.

His primary professional interest wasHerpetology, reptile and amphibian study,

and Arden was especially known for hisresearch with salamanders, naming manynew species from North, Central and SouthAmerica, and publishing over 50 scientificpapers. A specialty of Arden’s was theslender salamander genus Batrachoseps,and I have strong personal memories of fieldtrips with Arden and his wife Pat to twodesert springs in the Santa Rosa and InyoMountains to study newly discoveredslender salamanders at oases where they hadnot been expected before. We coauthored apaper on the odd tail-raising defensivebehavior of the rare Desert Slender Sala-

mander. Many friends will also rememberthat one of the bathtubs at the Brame housewas devoted to the live, four-foot plusJapanese Giant Salamander.

Arden was President of PasadenaAudubon Society from 1971 to 1976, and itwas he who encouraged me to join the Boardof Pasadena Audubon Society in the early1970s, shortly after I came to work for theNature Centers. Arden had a strong conserva-tion ethic and worked hard to acquire land forpublic use at the early La Vina and Cobb Estateproperties. He was also good at introducingyoung naturalists to important contact people inthe field. Arden was a confirmed (hopeless)bibliophile and was generous with his books,donating many hard-to-get items to the EatonCanyon library in early years. This madeliterature available to staff and public for

research and enjoyment.He moved to a research position at the

County Natural History Museum from1968-70. Arden developed a strong interestin genealogy and plunged into this study asvigorously as he did into salamanders, joining numerous societies. During thecourse of study he discovered he had anolder half brother of the same name, thus heproudly became Arden H. Brame Jr., II.

Arden was preceded in death by his wifePat, also a Nature Center employee performingart and display work for all of the NatureCenter’s then in the County system.

Dinner After The CountGood Food, Rest, Relaxation

Join us at Matt Denny’s in Arcadia.We have four greatmeals to offer you:

• BBQ’d Tri-Tip or

• BBQ’d Chicken Sandwich, served on aroll w/choice of fries or fruit

• Grilled Vegetable Sandwich w/fruit• Chinese Chicken Salad – vegetarian or

w/chicken(Meals include soft drink or coffee)The cost is just $13/person including

tax and tip. To expedite food service andsimplify bookkeeping, payment inadvance is appreciated. Please see WillFulmer at the November General Meetingat the Pre-Count Meeting December 15,or mail your reservation before Dec. 15 toPAS’ address on page 8. Be sure toindicate your food preference. Freeparking in the rear off Wheeler Street.

If you have questions or needdirections, contact Bev McKenzie (626)355-9842 or [email protected]

Websi teHTTP:// WWW.PASADENAAUDUBON.ORG

PAS on the WEB

L is tServe

HTTP:// GROUPS.YAHOO.COM / GROUP /

PASADENAAUDUBON /



PAGE 4 The Wrentit

Fie ld Tr ip Repor t s Hahamongna WatershedParkOctober 2, 2004

The gates were open to the park, so weknew it would be a good day.

We totaled over 40 species for themorning. Highlights included; Say’s andBlack Phoebe on top of the same Oak at

the same time, Black-headed Grosbeak,Gray Flycatcher (5th year running?) in theOaks North of the parking lot, WesternMeadowlarks (before soccer practicestarted in the main field), 2 Say’s Phoebeson the East side, a flock of ChippingSparrows, an American Kestral chasing aCooper’s Hawk out its territory, and astream of Nutmeg Mannikens pouring intothe a weedy patch below the dam.

The next monthly walk on Nov. 6,will be at Peck Pit (Peck Water Conserva-tion Park).

For directions see Magpie, page 7. Ron Cyge

Oxnard PlainSaturday, September 25, 2004

This was the Pasadena Audubon trip tothe Oxnard Plain of Ventura county.

We started at 7:00 am at Leo Carillo StateBeach, then went to Sycamore Canyon,the sod farms, and finally the tamarisk rows. We logged in a whopping 96

species (including Black-hooded Para-keet) with multiple highlights. Scoping theocean from Leo Carillo produced onePomarine and a few Parasitic Jaegers,Common Terns, a Royal Tern, some Surf Scoters, two Western Grebes, and theusual pelicans, cormorants, gulls, andshorebirds. Just down the road at SycamoreCanyon, we changed gears to land birdingand pulled out a Yellow-breasted Chat, twoWillow Flycatchers, a Ruby-crownedKinglet, and a White-winged Dove.

We stopped briefly along the PCH atMugu Lagoon and picked up a few morewaders and shorebirds. On the sod farmsalong Arnold and Casper Roads, wemissed some of the rarities that had beenpreviously reported but were able toscrape up a Baird’s Sandpiper and watchsome White-tailed Kites kiting. Next wewent to the Hueneme Rd. tamarisks (“TheHueneme tams”) and saw lots of Orange-crowned Warblers, a few juncos, aCommon Ground-Dove, but not muchelse. The Laguna Road tamarisks (“TheLaguna Tams”) had been the subject of numerous postings to rare bird alerts forthe past week or so, and when we arrivedin the afternoon they did not disappoint.

Warblers and Warbling Vireos werestreaming by. We saw multiple HermitWarblers, a Black-and-white Warbler, anAmerican Redstart, and a rarest-bird-of-the-day Lucy’s Warbler in the time thatwe were there. It was hard to tear our-selves away from such great birding, butby then it was 4:30 pm. Thanks to those of you came and shared this extra long dayof really fantastic birding.

Jon Feenstra

Antelope Valley/Piute PondsSaturday, August 7, 2004

This was the Pasadena Audubon’ssummer shorebird trip to the Antelope

Valley. We birded the Piute Ponds onEdwards AFB, the Lancaster SewagePonds, and Ave G.

Highlights at the Piute Ponds werescope views of a LeConte’s Thrasher,three Bank Swallows, five Barn Owls,

Oxnard AreaSunday, October 3, 2004

Those of us who didn’t go to Oxnardwith Jon Feenstra September 25 were

getting kind of jealous of his great report.So Kathy Moyd instigated a trip today andshe, Kathi Ellsworth, Sid Johnson, and Iwent first to the Laguna Road tamarisks.Quite a few birders were there and in acouple of hours we got 13 species of warblers. Rarest to commonest (roughly),they were Cape May, Virginia’s, Chest-nut- sided, Blackpoll, American Redstart,Black-throated Gray, Hermit, Townsend’s,Yellow, Wilson’s, Yellow-rumped, Orange-crowned, Common Yellowthroat. Therewere abundant Townsend’s and Hermit.Lots of warbling vireos, too. What I foundunique about this place was the very closedistance between the watchers and thebirds. It made for some wonderful looks.

After that we headed for the sodfarms on Arnold south of HuenemeRoad, finding no plovers, then to thebeach at the end of Arnold, for someroutine shorebirds and one muskrat! Thenback to the sod farms for some AmericanPipit, Killdeer, and Black-bellied Plover.

Then lunch, then to the Ormond BeachWetland near the Oxnard sewage treat-ment plant. This was a nice place to walk around, full of various grebes, terns(including common), ducks, etc. We alsosaw a kingbird that we eventually decidedwas a Tropical Kingbird, based on thevery high extent of yellow on the body.Pretty good day, with a lot of life birds forthis beginner. I’ll not soon forget watch-ing dozens of warblers from as close aseight feet away, either.

Mark Hunte

Lewis/Cyger TripSan Gabriel MountainsSunday, July 18, 2004

At the PAS dinner, I was the winningbidder on a birding tour for four

given by our own erstwhile Ron Cyger.Quite selfishly, I decided that it was best

to go by myself. I sent Ron a copy of mylife list; he declared my list of mountainbirds “old” and “spotty,” which it cer-tainly is, and we decided it was best to tryto see what we could of birdlife at higherelevations.

I picked up Ron at 5:30 am in mytrusty truck, Blanca, and off we went,well-supplied with water and gear. One of our first stops was the Buckhorn Camp-grounds in the San Gabriel Mountains, just above 6,000 feet in elevation. Wepromptly spotted some great birds: aWestern scrub jay (an oddity because it’s

rarely seen at that elevation); a white-headed woodpecker (a new life bird forme, among others seen that day); a red-breasted sapsucker; a Western WoodPewee, and others. Then it was off toLittle Jimmy’s Campground trail, a hikingtrail beginning at mile marker 65.50 on theAngeles Crest Highway. The highlight of that very warm hike was the small riparianspring that runs across the trail, attractingbirds in a nice little microzone of green andwater. I promptly named it “Cyger Springs”!I think it should go on the maps with thatdesignation. We saw a Steller’s Jay, aPygmy Nuthatch, Green-tailed Towhees,

many Mountain Chickadees, and otherspecies.

We also visited several other localesduring the day, having a great timecommuning with nature and each other.Ron has an incredible ear, and he heard atleast ten species that I didn’t see (or evenhear, in some cases!) including a NorthernPygmy-Owl and a Black-Headed Grosbeak.

Our final destination was the GrassyHollow Visitor’s Center, where we had anice late lunch and strolled around,looking for more birds. A warm andlovely day up in the mountains.

Now, to spot that Lewis’ Woodpeckerthat must be hiding up there somewhere! Dan Lewis

several Black Terns, a Peregrine Falcon,two Canvasback, and many Western andLeast Sandpipers. The Lancaster SewagePonds had some Black Terns and aBoneparte’s Gull flying around andhundreds of Wilson’s and Red-neckedPhalaropes. In addition, a juvenile Baird’sSandpiper was with the loads of Leastsand Westerns. At Ave. G on the side of

the freeway between Avenues G and H,the flooded vegetation contained an adultSolitary Sandpiper. A total of 77 specieswere seen by the group and the day out inthe crippling heat was quite refreshing.

Jon Feenstra




Field Tr ips

Eaton Canyon Monthly WalkSunday, January 16, 20058:00 am – noon

See November 21, 2004 for details.

Hahamongna Monthly WalkSaturday, December 4, 20048:00 am – noon

This is monthly bird walk is forbirders of all ages and experience. A goodvariety of resident and wintering speciesshould be in residence.

Exit the northbound 210 Freeway atBerkshire and make a right, then a left at thelight. The park entrance is on the right atthe next stop light. Take the first left afterentering Hahamongna Watershed Park andpark by the ballfield.

RON C YGER [email protected] (preferred)(626) 449-3625 (before 9:00 pm)

Christmas Bird Count

Saturday, December 18, 2004All DaySee page 3 for information on

Christmas Count and Count Dinner.

Eaton CanyonMonthly WalkSunday, November 21, 20048:00 am – noon

Pasadena Audubon and EatonCanyon Nature Center are cosponsoringmonthly walks at Eaton Canyon. Thewalks are led by Hill Penfold who hasbeen leading them at ECNC for manyyears. Hill is wonderful with birders of alllevels and Eaton Canyon is one of the bestlocations to learn the birds of the Pasa-

Prado Regional ParkSaturday, November 20, 20048:00 am – noon

Wintering waterfowl, marsh birds,

and gulls will be the main focus of attention (last year Little Gull and Black-legged Kittiwake were reported from thissite). However, the mature trees at thepark also support woodland birds.Suggestions for additional afternoonbirding will be entertained by the leader.

Take Route 71 south past Chino tothe Euclid Ave. exit, turn east on Euclidand the park entrance will be on yourright. There is a per-car entry fee; youmay wish to carpool.

Larry Allen(323) 221-2022

[email protected]

Eaton Canyon Monthly WalkSunday, December 19, 20048:00 am – noon

See November 21, 2004 for details.

Peck PitSaturday, November 6, 20048:00 am – noon

This field trip is in lieu of the regularHahamongna Monthly Walk. For direc-tions see Magpie, page 7.

Ed Stonick (626)796-0595 or [email protected]

North Slope of the SanGabrielsSaturday, November 13, 20047:45 am – noon

On this trip we’re going to visit someinfrequently birded locations along thenorthern slope of the San Gabriel Moun-tains. In winter, the North Slope isexcellent for finding birds that retreatfrom higher elevations. Additionally, thisarea collects birds that wander in from thenorth and rarely occur in the LA basin. On

last year’s trip we saw a Yellow-belliedSapsucker and many Lewis’s Woodpeck-ers. If we have time we’ll head out intothe Antelope Valley to look for winteringraptors and longspurs.

Meet at the Park & Ride on Ave S inPalmdale. Dress warm.

Jon Feenstra(626) 792-4346

[email protected]

dena area.The walks are held on the third Sunday

of each month. Meet at the flagpole: bringwater, binoculars, hats, but no dogs.

Hill Penfold (818) [email protected]

Peck PitSaturday, January 1, 20058:00 am – noon

This field trip is in lieu of the regularHahamongna Monthly Walk. For direc-

tions see Magpie, page 7. Ed Stonick (626)796-0595 or

[email protected]

Perris Lake, San JacintoWildlife AreaSunday, January 15, 20058:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.

Perris Lake is one of SouthernCalifornia’s largest reservoirs. It hostsnumerous species of water birds andcoastal sage scrub residents. Recentrarities have included Pacific Loon, Red-necked Grebe, Tufted Duck, and several

species of gulls including Little andThayer’s.Nearby San Jacinto Wildlife Area has

even more variety and numbers of ducks,raptors, including eagles and owls,shorebirds and passerine species. It islocated within the San Jacinto Lake CBCcircle, which is consistently among the topfive counts in the U.S. for inland areas.We’ll meet at the Marina and bird thenorth shore of the lake. We’ll thenproceed the short distance to the SanJacinto Wildlife Area. Carpooling isrecommended as there is an $8.00 parking

fee for Lake Perris. Allow about one hourand 15 minutes for the drive.

Ed Stonick (626) [email protected]

Salton SeaJanuary 29 – 30, 2005

The Salton Sea has been a traditionalway for PAS members to begin their yearlist for many years now. Species lists forthe weekend regularly run into the 100’sat one of the premier birding spots on thecontinent. We will bird all day Saturdayand half a day on Sunday, heading homeafter lunch.

This trip is for Pasadena AudubonMembers only. (What!? Not a memberyet? Download an application from ourwebsite and send it in today!) and this trip

is limited to 15. To reserve a spot on thetrip, accommodation information andmeeting location/times, please email(highly preferable) or call Ron.

This trip will be a great way to startyour 2005 year list!

Ron Cyge626-449-3625 (before 9:00 p.m.

[email protected]

Hahamongna Monthly WalkSaturday, February 5, 20058:00 am – noon

See September 4, 2004 for details.

Santa Fe DamSaturday, February 12, 20058:00 am – ?

This park in eastern LA Countycontains a lake surrounded by trees andchaparral habitat. In the winter, a diversegroup of waterfowl, gulls, andsongbirds are attracted to the water andsurrounding vegetation. Flocks of Cassin’s Kingbirds, Cedar Waxwings, andAmerican Robins regularly spend thewinter feeding on the dense berry trees.Wintering rarities are occasionally foundamong these birds.

The entrance to the park is on the

north side of Arrow Hwy. two blocks westof Irwindale Ave. in Irwindale. Meet atthe first parking lot. There is an entrancefee.

Jon Feenstra (626) [email protected]



PAGE 6 The Wrentit

Submit material for the next Wrentit by December 1st

Calendar

*Trip Leader InformationJohn Feenstra (Chair) (626) 792-4346 [email protected]

Larry Allen (323) 221-2022 [email protected]

Ron Cyger (626) 449-3625 (before 9 pm) [email protected] (preferred)

Josh Engel (909) 990-9203 [email protected]

Nick Freeman (818) 247-6172 [email protected]

Sid Heyman (626) 571-5991

Hill Penfold (626) 352-4954 [email protected]

Mark Schell (626) 355-3938 [email protected]

Ed Stonick (626) 796-0595 [email protected]

Madeline West (626) 574-0429 [email protected]

November 2004Date Day Time Event Location Leader *

6 Sat 8:00 am Field Trip Peck Pit Ed Stonick

11 Th 7:30 pm Board Meeting Pasadena Presbyterian Church585 E. Colorado (at Madison)

13 Sat 7:45 am Field Trip North Slope of San Gabriels Jon Feenstra

16 Tu 9:00 am Magpie Group Peck Road Park Sid Heyman

Madeline West

17 Wed 7:00 pm General Meeting Eaton Canyon Nature Center Program: Deserts

20 Sat 8:00 am Field Trip Prado Regional Park Larry Allen

21 Sun 8:00 am Field Trip Eaton Canyon Nature Center Hill Penfold

December 20044 Sat 8:00 am Field Trip Hahamongna Watershed Park Ron Cyger9 Th 7:30 pm Board Meeting Pasadena Presbyterian Church

585 E. Colorado (at Madison)

14 Tu 9:00 am Magpie Group San Dimas Nature Center Sid HeymanMadeline West

15 Wed 8:00 am Pre-count Meeting Eaton Canyon Nature Center Jon Fisher

18 Sat Various Christmas Bird Count Count Area Everyone

6:00 pm Count Dinner Matt Denny’s Restaurant

145 E. Huntington Drive, Arcadia,

19 Sun 8:00 am Field Trip Eaton Canyon Nature Center Hill Penfold

January 20051 Sat 8:00 am Field Trip Peck Pit Ed Stonick

13 Th 7:30 pm Board Meeting Pasadena Presbyterian Church

585 E. Colorado (at Madison)

15 Sat 8:00 am Field Trip Perris Lake Ed Stonick

16 Sun 8:00 am Field Trip Eaton Canyon Nature Center Hill Penfold18 Tu 9:00 am Magpie Group Santa Fe Dam Sid Heyman

Madeline West

19 Wed 7:00 pm General Meeting Eaton Canyon Nature Center Program: Salton Sea

29/30 S/S All Day Field Trip Salton Sea (PAS Members Only) Ron Cyger

February 20055 Sat 8:00 am Field Trip Hahamongna Watershed Park Ron Cyger

10 Sat 8:00 am Field Trip Sante Fe Dam Jon Feenstra20 Sun 8:00 am Field Trip Eaton Canyon Nature Center Hill Penfold

8:00 am Field Trip San Joaquin Wildlife Area Mark Schell




Become A Chapter Memberof Pasadena AudubonSociety

Recent policy changes by the NationalAudubon Society have severely

reduced and will soon eliminate the share

of NAS membership dues returned tolocal chapters. The chapters have beenencouraged to offer Chapter Only mem-berships.

Please fill out the application below.A PAS membership of $35 or more,entitles you to a Pasadena AudubonSociety tee shirt and pin. You can pick them up at any of our general meetings!

Pasadena Audubon Society is a 501(c) (3) corporation, which entitles you todeduct your contributions on your federaland state tax returns.

Ron Cyger

Magpie BirdStudy Group

The group meets the thirdTuesday of each month. We

bird 9:00 am to about 11:30 am,eat sack lunches and have a short

business meeting. All PAS mem-bers welcome.

Tuesday, November 16, 2004Peck Road Park

Drive down Myrtle in Monrovia, itbecomes Peck Road, to the traffic lightat Clark Ave. The park entrance is the

first right after the light.

Tuesday, December 14, 2004San Dimas Nature Center

Meet at the Nature Center

Tuesday, January 18, 2005Santa Fe Dam

The entrance to the park is on thenorth side of Arrow Hwy. two

blocks west of Irwindale Ave. inIrwindale. There is an entrance fee.

Sid Heyman (626) 571-5991 Madeline West (626) 574-0429

President’s Perch (continued)Lost Books

Did you happen to pick up one of four bird monographs on the

front table with other books after Jonand Mickey’s Raptor program? Theyprobably looked like free handoutsbut they belonged to Eaton Canyon

Library (were unlabeled).They are the Birds of NorthAmerica Series: one each for Merlin,Cooper’s, Sharp-shinned and Red-tailed Hawks. They are part of avaluable collection.

If you have one or more, pleasedrop them by Eaton Canyon and youwill have our thanks!

Mickey Long

PAS is pleased to welcome the follow-ing new members. We hope you will get involved in our many activities.

Alhambra: Rosemary Flores; Altadena:Suzanne Audia, Karin Bugge, Ray Morris;Arcadia: Ruby Frenchick, Carol Platz,Bernard Steg, Robert Weber; Azusa:Elena Grandinetti; La Cañada: ShereeButts; Los Angeles: Catherine Newell;Monrovia: Annette Kleihauer; MontereyPark: Gloria Enriquez; Montrose: LisaStewart; Pasadena: Martin Berkowitz,Robert Hatch, R.J. Haugen, T.A.Holliday, John Marquez, Pat McLaughlin,Michael Moreau, Pamela Waterman;

Rosemead: Leo Vanhoof; San Gabriel:Jay Darmstaetter, Yoruba Favorite,Thomas Lyall, Fred Nelson, HarrylStandfuss; San Marino: Nicole Petrens;Sierra Madre: George Beardshear,Kathryn Bray, Martha Spriggs; SouthPasadena: Karla Butler.

New Members

clearinghouse and you receive anymessage sent to that ListServ (or varia-tions on this theme). For example, to sendout a trip announcement to the memberson the list, I just send an email message tothe ListServ. The ListServ then forwardsthat message to all members. Likewise,

any member of the ListServ can send anemail message to the ListServ which isthen forwarded to all members. Mostmembers only use it to receive informa-tion. The Pasadena Audubon ListServannounces trips and meetings, it has tripfollow-ups, and sends out other events ortopics of interest to the members of Pasadena Audubon Society. To subscribe, just send an email to [email protected] and to posta message after joining just send an emailto [email protected]’s really that easy.

The final, and probably most satisfy-

ing, way of communicating is word-of-mouth. Talking to other members is thebest way to find out about trips, peopleand places. Every meeting begins with asocial period and birding segment. Hopeto talk to you at the next one!

ReminderNovember 17-18, 2004

Audubon California AssemblyContact:

Jill Shirley(530) [email protected]

November 18-21, 2004Central Valley Bird Symposium

Contact:

Frances Oliver(209) 369-2010HTTP:// WWW.CVBS.ORG /

Membership ApplicationNameAddressCityState Zip Code Phone

Donor’s address for gift membership:Name

AddressCity State Zip Code

Yearly Membership for Individudal or Family

PAS Chapter Only [ ] $20 [ ] $35* [ ] Other _________

* Plus Chapter Pin and Tee Shirt (not Centennial shirt)

[ ] $15 Senior/Full-time Student

NAS C06 [ ] $35 Basic Membership Only

Make checks payable and mail to:Pasadena Audubon Society, 1750 N. Altadena Drive, Pasadena, CA 91107

E-mail



DATED MATERIALNon-profit Organization

U.S. PostagePAID

No. 1880Pasadena, CA

PAGE 8 The Wrentit

Pasadena Audubon Society

1750 N. Altadena Drive

Pasadena, CA 91107

Printed on

50% recycled paper

Kid’s Corner

Conservation Silvia Vieyra (323) 266-5184Field Trips Jon Feenstra (626) 792-4346Hospitality Laura Garrett (626) 564-1890Programs Ron Cyger/Bev McKenzieMagpie Bird Study Group Madeline West (626) 574-0429

Sid Heyman (626) 571-5991

President Ron Cyger (626) 449-3625

Vice President Norm Arnheim (626) 405-0844

Secretary Jean O’Hagan (626) 792-4406

Treasurer Will Fulmer (626) 798-1606

Membership Lois Fulmer (626) 798-1606Publicity Priya Kumar (626) 793-8832

Michael Graesser (626) 793-8832Youth Education Norm Arnheim (626) 405-0844

Pasadena Audubon Society Chapter only–$20. Wrentit subscription only–1 yea$10. National Audubon Society membership fees–$35. National members receive

Audubon magazine and The Wrentit. Messages or queries for Pasadena Audubonmay be left at (626) 355-9412. For change of NAS address call: (800) 274-4201

Editor Beverly McKenzie (626) 355-9842Desktop Publishing Donald G. Rogers (626) 286-2546Printing Pasadena Print Stop (626) 577-0510

Wrentit Mailing Alex Strong (626) 799-3364

The Wrentit is published by the Pasadena Audubon Society1750 N. Altadena Dr., Pasadena, CA, 91107

Pasadena Audubon Society Board

Committee Chairs

Board Members at Large:

Eileen Burton, Mark Hunter, Dan Lewis, Brian Tomikawa

Our Trip with Jon Feenstra

Editor: John and his family were successful bidders at the Silent Auction in June for a personal birding trip to be led by Jon Feenstra. This is the second sectionof John’s article about their adventure.

Our next stop was Little Jimmy

Springs, where we saw lots of goodbirds. At the beginning of the hike weheard a Western Tanager (yes, it was Jonwho identified it), and later had amazingviews of Dusky Flycatchers, Pygnuts and“Whibnuts” (you can guess what thoseare), Mountain Chickadees, Thick-billedFox Sparrows, and Purple Finches. Onetime we had a great view of a LeastChipmunk, and Jon joked that you wouldneed many of them just to make onesandwich! Only Eleanor didn’t think thatwas funny. We also heard a Pine Siskin inthe distance, and were very lucky to hearsome Golden-crowned Kinglets, which,according to Jon, are rare and local in LosAngeles County. At the end of the hike wesaw gorgeous male Purple Finches singingvery beautifully, a juvenile Anna’sHummingbird sitting very close by, andabout seven beautiful Lawrence’s Gold-finches perched high on some ScarletMonkeyflowers.

We returned to the car and drove off to Grassy Hollow. Of course, we almostinstantly saw Violet-Green Swallowsswarming amongst the bugs. We walkedto the bird observatory and saw somefeeding Purple Finches, a female Cassin’s

Finch and several Brown-headed Cow-

birds. Surprisingly, we saw a HouseFinch, which is very unusual in themountains. After watching a couple of White-headed Woodpeckers, we saw a juvenile Chipping Sparrow in a puddle. Itwould have taken us forever to identify it

if Jon wasn’t there.When we were finished birding at the

bird observatory, we went to the picnicbenches and had lunch. It was very niceto see some ‘almost-done-nesting’ Violet–Green Swallows, and it was humorous tosee some confused Whibnuts climbingboth up and down the walls of the NatureCenter, not just the trees! As we wereeating lunch, Jon told us about some of the birds seen in the winter both there andin other places we visited that day: VariedThrushes, Williamson’s Sapsuckers, andmany others.

From Grassy Hollow we went to Blue

Ridge Campground, andalthough we didn’t see awide variety of birds, oneof the species was for me alifebird. As we walked intoa wooded area, I almostinstantly saw a Townsend’sSolitaire, my 297th lifebird!In my excitement I dropped

my lens cap and rushedover to it to take a pictureof it. Instead, I scared itover to my mom and Jon,who were a little fartherahead. Soon I heard themcalling, “JOHN! JOHN!COME OVER HERE!!!” “IKNOW! I KNOW! I SAW

THE TOWNSEND’S SOLITAIRETOO!!!” I excitedly replied. After findingmy lens cap I quietly ran over to them.Soon some more solitaires came by, mostly juveniles.

We then went to Lightning Ridge, to

take some pictures of ourselves and saw apair of Hairy Woodpeckers on the way.I’m afraid, though, that Jon and I werelooking at a Say’s Phoebe, not the camera.It was great birding with Jon Feenstra. Iwas amazed at how much I learned andhow much he knew about the birds of LosAngeles County. I know that I’ll go tothese locations again and I hope that youhave the chance to too. Thank you againJon!

John Garret

Eleanor, John, and Laura Garrett with Jon Feenstra (second

from left)

November-December 2004 Wrentit Newsletter ~ Pasadena Audubon Society

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Transcript of November-December 2004 Wrentit Newsletter ~ Pasadena Audubon Society