The Hooter - National Audubon Societykittitasaudubon.org/Newsletters/2012_05May.pdf · Did you know...
Transcript of The Hooter - National Audubon Societykittitasaudubon.org/Newsletters/2012_05May.pdf · Did you know...
Shrub-steppe, once a dominant ecosystem of the
American West, has shrunk by nearly 60 percent
throughout the region, even more in Washington
State. Kim Thorburn, of Spokane, will present a
program on our Columbia Basin and this most
fragile and fastest-disappearing habitat. Kim will
show photographs reviewing threats to the shrub-
steppe, along with the conservation status of birds
and other wildlife that depend on its health.
Wildlife biologists refer to “umbrella species,”
whose protection may lead to preservation of
other species dependent on a similar habitat. The
Greater Sage-Grouse, once very common in the
Kittitas Valley, is such a species in the shrub-steppe. State and regional efforts to restore Greater
Sage-Grouse, as well as Columbian Sharp-Tailed Grouse, will be presented.
Kim Thorburn is a retired physician, cur-
rently volunteering with the Washington
Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW),
doing surveys of tagged Sage and Sharp-
Tailed Grouse. She was volunteer of the
year in 2010 for WDFW, and is President of
Spokane Audubon.
Please join us on Thursday, May 17th at
7:00 PM in Hal Holmes. Bring friends for all
to have a better understanding of our sage
environment. The program is co-sponsored
by Ellensburg Public Library and Kittitas
Audubon.
Many thanks to the Ellensburg Public Library for co-sponsoring our program meetings here!
The Hooter
“Our Diminishing Shrub-Steppe Community: Fragile, Abused, Imperiled” presented by Dr. Kim Thorburn
Membership Meeting - Thursday, May 17th @ 7:00 PM ~ Hal Holmes Center
Kittitas Audubon May 2012
All Audubon meetings, held
on the 3rd Thursday of
each month, September
through May (except De-
cember), are open to the
public, so feel free to come
and meet with us. A brief
business session precedes
the program.
Stay afterwards
for juice, treats,
and conversation.
This will be the last program before our
summer break.
Mark your calendars for Kittitas Audubon’s
Annual Potluck Picnic on August 16th, 2012.
The mission of Kittitas Audubon is to develop an appreciation of nature
through education and conservation,
with a focus on birds.
Sage Thrasher
Page 2 The Hooter
KAS BOARD MEMBERS President – Gloria Baldi 933-1558 Vice President – Bud Rechterman 962-4508 Secretary – Jim Briggs 933-2231 Treasurer – Sharon Lumsden 968-3889 Conservation – Janet Nelson 674-6165 Education – Judy Hallisey 674-6858 Field Trips – Steve Moore 933-1179 *Newsletter – Jan Demorest 933-1179 *Historian – Vacant Programs – Jeb Baldi 933-1558 Publicity – Gerry Sorenson 968-4857 Wildlife Habitat – Joe Meuchel 933-3011 *Bluebird boxes – Jan Demorest 933-1179 Past President — Gloria Lindstrom 925-1807
Membership – Tuck Forsythe 925-2356
*Christmas Bird Count – Phil Mattocks 962-2191 *Librarian - Ginger Jensen 925-5816 Social/Greeter – Kay Forsythe 925-2356 *NON-VOTING POSITIONS
KAS Board Meetings are held at 4:30
PM on the 1st Thursday of each
month on the third floor of the CWU
Science Bldg, Room 301 (above the
elephant desk). These meetings are
open to the public and all Audubon
members; please come and join in the
discussions. Meetings adjourn by 6:00
or 6:30, after which we all go out for a
sociable dinner ~ NO business discus-
sion allowed!
The Hummingbirds are
back! Reports of Rufous
Hummingbirds in the upper
county and in the hills to the
northeast of Ellensburg are
trickling in. Observing these tiny flying gems is a pleasure
for many of us, and we rush to put up feeders in hopes
that the ‘hummers’ will soon find ours.
Did you know that North America (US & Canada) has ap-
proximately eighteen hummingbird species (counting a
few rarer visitors from Mexico)? Of those only the Ruby-
throated is found east of the Rocky Mountains. We in the
west consider ourselves lucky, even though the warm
southwest has the largest number of different species. In
Kittitas County we have four to watch: the Rufous, Calli-
ope, Black-chinned, and Anna’s. All are smaller-sized,
ranging from three to four inches. The Rufous is the most
common and is the only one of the four with orangish-
brown coloration, but the Calliope and Black-chinned are
also regular feeder visitors. The Anna’s is the least com-
mon in our area.
Flowers in your yard (or nearby) are the best way to at-
tract hummers. Some recommended ones are: zinnias,
petunias, columbine, bee balm, delphinium, lupine, and
trumpeted vines, such as Zauschneria (orange carpet) and
honeysuckle. Adding the feeder is a focal point for the
hummers to feed and for you to watch.
It is best to locate your feeder in a shaded area, as nectar
will spoil more quickly if the feeder is placed in direct
sunlight. If you do place it in sunlight, be prepared to
change it every day in hot weather, and every two to
three days in less warm weather.......and make sure there
is a perch branch near the feeder…..or add one.
The nectar mix is one part white table sugar to four parts
water. Prepare by bringing to a boil one cup of sugar and
four cups of water. (Boiling helps to slow fermentation.)
As soon as the mixture starts to boil, remove it from the
heat, let it cool, fill your feeder, then store any remaining
nectar in the refrigerator. It is essential to clean your
feeder each time you refill by washing it in plain hot wa-
ter. (Using detergent may leave a residue which is harmful
to birds.) If really dirty, use a gentle abrasive cleaner to
scrub away the dirt, or shake some raw rice in the feeder.
Some definite ‘do nots’ are:
Do not use a sweeter mix ~ it will harm the birds.
Do not substitute honey for the sugar as it harbors a fun-
gus that is harmful to the birds.
Do not add any dye or coloring to the nectar; the bright
(Continued on page 4)
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Send in your stories & photos!
The Hooter is the newsletter of
Kittitas Audubon, published
monthly except for July.
~~~~~~~
Submissions from members &
other readers are most wel-
come and encouraged! The editor reserves the right to edit
for space, grammar, and/or suit-
ability. Email text and/or photos to
[email protected] or snail mail
to Jan Demorest, Hooter Editor,
712 E 2nd Ave, Ellensburg, WA
98926. Submissions need to be in
by the 20th of the preceding month.
April’s First Saturday BirdWalk ~ Well, I was
wrong. We did not have leaves on the trees for
the April walk….but all the better to see birds.
There were some doubts about the day when we
arose as the thermometer read 17 degrees and
there was fog. However, it cleared quickly and
the eight of us counted six species before leaving
the parking lot……..the first being an Osprey
drying itself after a successful breakfast dive (at
least we hoped it was). Spring is evident with the
birds ‘pairing up’ and looking ‘oooh’ so fine in
their breeding colors. Beautiful Wood Ducks, Am
Goldfinches, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Mallards,
Tree Swallows, and even starlings. Possibly there
are Wood Ducks in the KAS box as there were two
pairs very active in that area. The Red-tailed
Hawk was on the nest with its mate on a nearby
branch. Tree swallows are claiming most any
cavity available, even a dilapidated box which we
will replace in the fall. At least five Downy
Woodpeckers were chasing about in one location,
while one lone Pied-billed Grebe floated on the
upper pond. We ended the morning in warm sun
with 25 total species. Enjoyable BirdWalk! Please
join us May 5th for the next walk……and bring
friends. ~ Jeb Baldi
Confluence Park ~ Wenatchee WA ~ 21 April
2012 ~ Three people in one car - Tom Gauron,
Diane Bullock and Cricket Webb—for a full day of
birding. We started a loop going out to Vantage
and turning left at George, quickly clearing all the
usual suspects, red-tail, robin, Red-winged
Blackbird, et al. As we moved out into the
agricultural fields of the Basin, the first Northern
Harrier appeared ~ a beautiful light gray male.
Thank you, Tom, for suggesting the stop at
Crescent Bar. We hit a couple of bonanzas. First,
in the orchard just in town, we heard a bunch of
birds singing. About the time I was giving up
hope of seeing any, I realized that all the birds
were singing one after the other, never more than
one at a time. When we heard the Bald Eagle, it
hit us ~ this was a recording designed to
discourage birds. It did that, and also fooled
three birders in the process!
Next was a tree just starting to leaf out, across
from the inlet, full of warblers, finches, and
kinglets. The inlet at the public parking lot had
Buffleheads and a pair of Horned Grebes that
prompted Sibley to come out. Just as well, since
there were swallows zipping over and under the
bridge. This seemed a good time to remind
ourselves which swallow was which ~ Cliff
Swallows and Violet-greens here.
Back on the road to Wenatchee we had a couple
of interesting sightings. Watching birds is more
than just seeing the bird; it also involves being
aware of the interactions among birds, and
between birds and humans. We came upon a
Prairie Falcon and female Northern Harrier
contesting the ownership of a field. Prairie Falcon
seems to have won, since the harrier departed
and left the falcon sitting on a perch.
At Confluence Park, we identified a Willet, after it
finally unwound from its tucked position. Next
was the flycatcher ~ Dusky or Hammond’s, with
Sibley’s help, was as close as we could get. There
was also a very froggy pond with a very “birdy”
brush/tree area leading into it. We went in,
letting the birds settle, and then tried to see/
identify as many as we could. With a few
exceptions, they were all Ruby-crowned Kinglets,
the most I’ve ever seen!
After a lunch break, we worked our way home,
over Blewett Pass, detouring down Bettas Road.
Mtn. Bluebird, Western Meadowlark, Say’s
Phoebe, Spotted Towhee, and a kestrel rounded
out the 50 birds we saw. ~ Cricket Webb
(Bonus Mammals: Mule Deer, Yellow-bellied
Marmots, Garter Snake)
Field Trip Reports Page 3 The Hooter
YOU ARE INVITED TO THE WENAS CAMPOUT,
May 25-28, 2012
For over four decades Audubon families have been
camping over Memorial Day weekend at the
Wenas Creek Campground.
. The “primitive” campground along the north fork of Wenas Creek has exceptional opportunities for birding, botanizing
and enjoying spring in the eastern foothills of the Cascades.
There are wonderful field trips scheduled, and there will be an old-fashioned campfire in our “approved” firepit device each
evening, with singing, storytelling and recapping the sightings of the day.
Please visit Webmaster Michael Hobbs’ beautiful Wenas Website to see Hazel Wolf’s familiar smiling face and get lots
of downloadable information about our campout. www.wenasaudubon.org.
There's a bird checklist, wildflower checklist, outline of field trips and program, directions to the campground, and lots of
photos.
This is a free and open event ~ no need to register, just show up, for part or all of the weekend, or for a day.
Page 4 Hooter This & That...
color of your feeder is enough to attract
the birds.
Hummingbirds become imprinted on
feeders, and will show up for ‘sipping’
even if you have removed your feeder.
They are also suspicious of a new
feeder and you may have to leave it in
place for at least a week before you see
any action. So put out your
feeder………..and enjoy these beautiful
creatures!!
President, Gloria Baldi
Note: If insects, such as bees or ants,
are a problem, search for a feeder that
has nectar guard tips.
President’s Message (Continued from page 2)
“Bird House Boys”… or should it be “Old Guys Play in Tom’s Shop”?
(L to R) Tom Gauron, Jeb Baldi, Steve Moore, and Wayne Erickson; photo by Diane Bullock
Because Tom Gauron is so generous in letting us
use his woodshop for construction of nest boxes,
it’s difficult to pass on an offer to construct a
more unique design that is claimed to attract
birds……..at least eastern North American birds.
Several of us had seen the design in pictures, and
Steve found plans in a book……so we went to
work. The little box is for Red-breasted
Nuthatches and/or Chickadees, and the larger one
for bluebirds. Now that we have a few, we plan
to field test to see what birds are attracted to
these new ‘digs’. ~ Jeb
Are you READY to
GET INTIMATE with the
SHRUB STEPPE? Saturday, May 5th
9am to 1 pm
Rotary Pavilion
Fun for Everyone!!!!! Exhibitors...expert led fieldtrips...story telling...and so much
more
Snake Sneaking, River
Bugs, Wildflower Walk, Bird Walk, Geology
Rocks, Kids'
Activities,
Beaver Tales
New This Year! ~ Shuttle from
Downtown to Field Trips at Helen
McCabe State Park and Umtanum
Short-billed Dowitchers foraging on the central Oregon
coast. Jan & Steve spotted these in a mixed flock with
Sanderlings, Western Sandpipers, Black-bellied Plovers
& Dunlins. photo by Jan Demorest
Short-billed Dowitchers
Birding SW Louisiana - March 2012 Page 5 The Hooter
Marianne Gordon and her daughter, Susan, drove
to SW Louisiana for a quick look around. Here’s
their report, beginning with Day 2, since Day 1
was a long travel day in the car:
DAY 2 ~ First thing in the morning was to look
for a place besides Starbucks to get espresso,
not an easy task for us Northwesterners. The
first two on my internet-generated list were not
open. We ended up way south in Lake Charles
near a college: good coffee, but too far out of
our way for future stops.
Lesson # 2: Call ahead for important things,
which in our case, included coffee.
We tried to follow the map that came with a SW
Louisiana birding brochure that I had received
from the Lake Charles Chamber of Commerce,
but it was virtually worthless (Lesson #1 was
map-related). It had green dots for likely
spots, but they weren’t numbered and they did
not correspond to the narrative in the brochure.
What a poor editing job! But still, we made our
way to LA 14 which looped around some very
pretty farmland. Even though we missed the
entrance to the Lacassine NWR this first morn-
ing (thanks to the birding map!), we saw a
good selection of the usual farmland birds. We
counted 24 Red-tailed Hawks on LA 14. One
writer says you can see every variation in Red-
tailed Hawk plumage in this region. Back south
on LA 27E, heading straight to the beach, we
hadn’t been driving for more than a mile or so
when we found a field full of Sandhill Cranes.
Susan had never seen them before. It wasn’t
until after we got home and looked at our pic-
tures that we decided that another bird we saw
along LA 27E with the striking Great Egret was-
n’t a “ho-hum Great Blue
Heron.” It was a Tri-colored
Heron which prefers salt
marshes and as a conse-
quence is only seen along the
Gulf and south Atlantic coasts.
On our drive south, we
stopped at Cameron Prairie
NWR following the refuge driv-
ing loop around a large wet-
land (aka: prairie) ~ the high-
lights were Roseate Spoon-
bills, Snowy and Great Egrets,
and ibises with their strange,
long, down-turned bill.
There are few turnouts along the roads through
the wetlands, and we were forced to do what
we could from the truck windows until we got to
the road along the coast, LA 82. We headed
east to the Rockefeller Preserve – one of the
places actually well-marked on our maps – but
discovered that it is run by the state depart-
ment of wildlife and has no tourist facilities.
Backtracking, we found the preserve beach ac-
cess road which netted us Sanderlings and the
first of many Brown Pelicans.
Turning west we came to Cameron, a tiny town
with a tiny ferry, bigger than the one at Keller,
but not by much. It cost us all of a dollar to
cross. Laughing Gulls crowded around, not for
what people could give them, but for what was
stirred up in the ferry’s wake.
We saw many signs of past hurricanes, includ-
ing metal buildings with all of the first floor sid-
ing gone. In many places, the only remaining
sign of a house was the big foundation timbers
that would have held the building up out of the
storm surge. The oaks that have survived the
hurricanes are stubbornly strong
old trees.
We birded our way west as far as
the big bridge across the Sabine
Pass which marks the Texas state
line. There is a string of rocky
breakwaters along the western half
of this road. Sandbars building up
behind them attract an impressive
range of birds: American Avocet,
Black Skimmers, a variety of gulls
and terns, Sanderlings, Willets, and
both Brown and White Pelicans.
(Continued on page 6) Glossy Ibis
Brown Pelicans, gulls, and terns facing the wind.
We stopped at the Peveto Wood wildlife sanctuary.
The “wood” doesn’t look like much – a handful of
gnarly trees and weather-beaten shrubs – but for a
place that gets hammered periodically by hurricanes,
it’s re-
markable
that it
stands at
all. It also
serves as a
migratory
bird trap,
especially
in bad
weather
when ex-
hausted
birds reach
land and have to rest and feed before continuing on
their northbound migration to the boreal forests of
Canada. Susan found six bird species in the little
time we spent there. By this time, it was getting
late in the day and time to get back to the hotel and
dinner. Marianne Gordon ~ to be continued next month!
SW LA Birding (Continued from page 5)
Page 6 Hooter Spring Cleaning Time
Peveto Wood, the first landing point for migrating warblers after crossing the Gulf of Mexico from South & Central America.
26th ~ Saturday ~ Wenas Area Birding.
Join west-side Audubon members on a bird
-finding walk in prime east-side riparian
and forest-edge habitat. Flycatchers, ori-
oles, warblers, vireos, Picidae, and blue-
birds await your inspection. Tentative loca-
tion is Hardy Canyon, a 3-5 mile walking
trip. Participants coming from Ellensburg
will rendezvous on the Umtanum-Wenas
road at a specified time and place. Call
Steve Moore, 933-1179, by Thursday, May
24 for rendezvous details.
JuneJuneJune (details in next Hooter)
2nd ~ First Saturday Birdwalk
9th ~ Saturday ~ Toppenish NWR
and Old Fort Simcoe
16th ~ Saturday ~ Robinson Canyon
23rd ~ Saturday ~ Lake Wenatchee/
Tall Timbers
30th ~ Saturday ~ Vantage Hwy: Sage
Steppe to Columbia River
Upcoming Field Trips (Continued from page 8)
When you start your spring cleaning don't forget the birds. Feeders need to be cleaned at least
once a month to keep from spreading disease. When was the last time you cleaned yours?
Most directions call for bleach. A non-toxic alternative is white vinegar as in these directions from:
http://www.care2.com/greenliving/how-to-keep-bird-feeders-clean.html
"Cleaning your bird feeders once a month, year round, is important for the health of the birds. It is
recommended that hummingbird feeders be cleaned every four days. And it is important to make
sure you avoid toxic cleaners.
Organisms such as Aspergillus fumigatus, a fungus which causes respiratory infections in birds,
can grow on the feeders.
Here is a non-toxic solution and technique to make this chore easier and safe for the birds.
If you are enthusiastic about bird feeding and operate more than a couple of feeders, cleaning
them on a rotating schedule will prevent having to clean them all at once–a potentially
burdensome task.
Obtain a tub big enough to hold your bird feeder(s), a scrub brush, outdoor hose, gloves, scent-free liquid soap or
detergent, and white distilled vinegar.
Place your feeder in the tub outdoors, fill it it with warm water and a squirt of liquid soap or detergent. Wearing
gloves, scrub the parts of the feeder you can reach, and rinse thoroughly with a hose. Empty the tub and fill it
with clean water and 4 cups of vinegar.
Let the feeder soak for 1 hour. Rinse thoroughly."
While your feeders are soaking scrape up and discard the leftovers on ground or deck under the feeders. A layer of spilled seed and hulls is a good place for bacteria to lurk. Birds have a hard enough time surviving without our adding disease to their hazards. Marianne Gordon
Page 7 Hooter
Darling Bird Studios, ©2007 UNA
Membership & other news!
BECOME A KITTITAS AUDUBON MEMBER!! (Or renew your membership)
Receive The Hooter ~ help support education and conservation activities and projects!
Two options are available:
OPTION 1: Membership in National Audubon includes a subscription to the magazine, Audubon, membership in the local chapter (KAS), and KAS monthly newsletter, THE HOOTER
____ Join as a new National Audubon member $20 (includes KAS membership)
____ Renew a National Audubon membership $35
Make check payable to: National Audubon Society Include this form and mail to: Membership Data Center,
P.O. Box 420235, Palm Coast, FL 32142-0235
Name ___________________________ Address __________________________________________
City _____________________________ State, ZIP _________________________________________
Chapter Code COZY220Z
OPTION 2: Membership in only the local chapter, KAS, includes the monthly newsletter, THE HOOTER
____ Join the local Kittitas Audubon Society (KAS) chapter $20
____ Renew your KAS membership $20
____ Make a donation to KAS $______ (amount)
Make check payable to KAS and mail to: KAS, P.O. Box 1443, Ellensburg, WA 98926
Name ____________________________________ Phone __________________________________
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State, ZIP _________________________________ Would you like to receive The Hooter electronically?
May we print your name in The Hooter as a new, Yes ____ No, prefer paper edition ____
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Kittitas Audubon is a 501(c)(3) non-profit educational society.
All memberships and donations are tax-deductible to the full extent of the law.
Membership forms are also available on our Web site: Kittitasaudubon.org.
For membership information contact Membership Chair, Tuck Forsythe ~ [email protected]
Check out BirdKitt!! Get the latest news on bird sightings in Kittitas County from our very own regional “BirdKitt”, an online “listserve” for all persons inter-ested in bird sightings in Kittitas County. You can post your own sightings and sign on to have new postings sent directly to your email address.
If you are not already signed up, here’s how to do it: send an email
to [email protected] . Reply to the first email about Bird-kitt that you receive from “yahoogroups”. To unsubscribe: send email to birdkitt - [email protected] . If you have difficulty, contact Chris Caviezel [email protected]
This is a great resource for finding places
to look for birds in the valley.
GET “THE
HOOTER” ONLINE
Save paper, printing,
postage. If you would
prefer to receive the
electronic version,
send your name, mailing address, &
email address to:
At the beginning of each month,
we’ll send you an email with a quick
link to the new Hooter.
Upcoming KAS Field Trips
THANKS TO KITTITAS COUNTY BUSINESSES SUPPORTING KAS!
Inland Internet, Roslyn, donates Internet service for our Website: http://www.kittitasaudubon.org
Old Mill Country Store, Ellensburg ~ Provides a discount on bird seed to KAS members
and prints our county bird lists. Get your bird seed here!
Kittitas Audubon
P.O. Box 1443
Ellensburg WA 98926
May May May 5th ~ Saturday ~ First Saturday Birdwalk,
Rinehart Park. May is the best month to see
many songbirds arriving to mate and nest. Also
passing through are colorful sights like Town-
send’s Solitaire, Western Tanager, and Nashville
and Yellow-rumped Warblers. 3-hour walk; Jeb &
Gloria Baldi lead. Meet at bridge parking lot at 8.
6th ~ Sunday ~ Columbia Basin Birds ~
* NOTE DATE CHANGE ~ Marianne Gordon has
led this trip for many years and finds this time of
the spring to be especially bird-rich with 50+ spe-
cies expected. Waterfowl and a few cranes still
ply the fields and ponds; burrowing owls are a
possibility. Car circuit of Columbia River, Crab
Creek, Othello area, and Columbia NWR. Call Jo
Ellen Richards, 509-884-4444 for details.
11th-14th ~ Friday through Monday ~ 4 days
~ Malheur Wetlands. An encore to last year’s
trip to watch birds assemble at this amazing cen-
tral Oregon basin of rivers and lakes. This year
we’ll be about 2 weeks later, so slightly warmer,
possibly with more arriving migrants and fewer
stopover geese - plus maybe a mosquito or two -
depending on La Niña. Accommodations (3
nights at Malheur field station) and dinner fare
(local dining spots) similar to last year. Call
Steve & Jan for reservations, 933-1179.
19th ~ Saturday ~ Naneum & Colockum For-
est & Stream. Colorful and vocal passerines,
nuthatches, woodpeckers and maybe a hummer,
as we search from the north margin of our valley
up into the pines. Previous trips found Black
Swifts, a chat, and bluebirds nesting in aspens
near our lunch spot. Leader Steve Hall; call 925-
4877. (Continued on page 6)
The Hooter - May 2012 The Newsletter of Kittitas Audubon - http://www.kittitasaudubon.org
May 17th Program
“Our Diminishing Shrub-Steppe
Community: Fragile, Abused, Imperiled”
7:00 p.m.