Tips on Photographing Birds Endowment Spending Committee

FEBRUARY 2015
THE
Kitsap Audubon Society – Since 1972
Kingfisher
February 12, 2015, Program
Tips on Photographing Birds
Times and his own books:
Kayaking in Florida, Pineapple
Press; and Rails-to-Trails
Florida, Globe-Pequot Press.
He has presented programs on
wildlife photography at various
birding festivals and Audubon
chapters, including the 2013
Audubon National Convention in
Stevenson, Washington. Audubon
Advocacy Day
Award winning photographer
and author David Gluckman will
offer tips on photographing birds
that will be helpful to serious
and casual photographers alike.
He will illustrate his talk with
images taken at Malheur National
Wildlife Refuge and Ladd
Marsh Wildlife Area in Eastern
Oregon. He’ll cover a range of
topics, including cameras and
lenses, camera settings, tips
for shooting birds in flight,
working with natural
light, and atmospheric distortion.
If time permits, he may spend a
few minutes talking about using
your smartphone for nature
photography.
David Gluckman is a certified
Nikon Professional who has
specialized in bird photography for
the last nine years. His photos of
birds have appeared in numerous
publications, including the Seattle
Join National Audubon CEO
David Yarnold in Olympia on
Audubon Advocacy Day,
February 18, 9:30-5:00 (lunch
provided). Speak up for birds
and urge your elected
officials to cut carbon pollution,
invest in clean energy, and keep
our communities safe for birds
and people. Learn more at
http://wa.audubon.org/events/
audubon-advocacy-day-2015
The Kingfisher is printed on recycled
paper by Blue Sky Printing and mailed
by Olympic Presort, both family owned
local businesses.
Endowment Spending Committee
The following KAS members have been appointed to a committee that will
gather, evaluate and make recommendations to the board on proposals and
requests to invest money from the Ann Sleight bequest fund on behalf of our
organizational mission: Ray Coleburg, Sara Kane and Don Willott.
Kitsap Audubon Society
President: Janine Schutt
360-830-4446, jeschutt@hotmail.com
Vice President: Judy Willott
206-842-6939, jdwillott@mac.com
Treasurer: Sandy Bullock, 360-3945635; roadrunner1957@comcast.net
Secretary: Diane Bachen, 206-8551667, dianebachen@comcast.net
At-Large Board of Directors:
Connie Bickerton, 206-200-8425,
connieb_1999@yahoo.com
Gene Bullock, 360-394-5635;
genebullock@comcast.net
Ray Coleburg, 360-535-4105
Sharron Ham, 360-779-5458, shabobham@
comcast.net
Byron Kane, 360-297-2716, bk4all@
centurytel.net
Alan Westphal, 206-780-7844, westphalac@
aol.com
Standing Committee Chairs:
Field Trips: Alan Westphal,
206-780-7844, westphalac@aol.com
Conservation Chair: Don Willott
206-842-6939, dwillott@mac.com
Education Chair: Gene Bullock,
360-394-5635; genebullock@comcast.net
Hospitality: Milly Bellemere & Bob
Schumacher. 360-830-4231, rbellemere@
wavecable.com
Membership Administrator: Sara Kane
297-2716, membership@kitsapaudubon.org
Programs: Vic Ulsh
360-479-6900, vic@bradleyscottinc.com
Publicity: Gene Bullock, 360-394-5635;
genebullock@comcast.net
Refreshment Chair: Sharron Ham
360-779-5458, shabobham@comcast.net
Purple Martins: Sandy Pavey,
360-930-0807, s4sandy55@gmail.com;
Paul Carson, 360-779-2612
Raffle Coordinators:
Dawn Hansen, Roberta Heath
Wildlife Sightings: Joan Carson
joanpcarson@comcast.net or 360-779-2612
Scholarship Chair: Sandy Bullock
360-394-5635, roadrunner1957@comcast.net
KAS Facebook Page: Connie Bickerton,
connieb_1999@yahoo.com
Webmaster: Mike Szerlog,
360-881-0470, szerlog@comcast.net,
www.kitsapaudubon.org
Kingfisher Editor:
GeneBullock, 360-394-5635;
genebullock@comcast.net
President’s Letter - Janine Schutt
A belated Happy New Year
from Kitsap Audubon Society!
2014 ended on a high note with
the annual Christmas Bird Count
on December 20th. Unfortunately
it was a rainy day, which made for
less than ideal counting conditions.
But as usual, Kitsap Audubon
birders proved to be a hardy
bunch and braved the elements.
76 volunteers in cars, boots, and
boats (and backyard counters in
warm and cozy homes) logged an
impressive 124 species and 20,388
individual birds. The final results
are reported in this issue. Thank
you to all who participated.
In November, Kitsap Audubon
received the final distribution
of funds from the estate of
founding member Ann Sleight.
Last month we received a check
for $17,407.15. This brings the
total amount of Ann’s gift to
more than $377,000. We have
invested $350,000 with the Kitsap
Community Foundation and are
keeping the remaining $27,000 in
a money market account at Kitsap
Bank.
The inaugural “Endowment
Spending Committee” has been
established. A special thank
you to Ray Coleburg, Sara
Kane, and Don Willott for your
willingness to serve. As stated
in the Kitsap Audubon Society
Bequest & Endowment Policy, “the
Endowment Spending Committee
shall review all requests for
alignment with the KAS mission
statement and strategic goals and
shall consider whether sufficient
funding exists for the request.
The Committee shall present
each request in detail with their
recommendation for full, partial, or
zero funding to the KAS Board of
Directors.”
The Nominating Committee
for the 2015/2016 Executive
Committee is taking nominations
for President, Vice President,
Treasurer, and Secretary. Our
current secretary, Diane Bachen,
is willing to serve again for
another year. Talk to Sharron
Ham, Gene Bullock, or Connie
Bickerton if you are interested in
serving or would like to nominate
someone. Candidates will be
announced at the March meeting.
Finally, I would like to
send a heartfelt thank you
to Barbara Wilhite, who has
worked diligently behind the
scenes for the past eight years
as Kitsap Audubon’s Publicity
Chairperson. Barbara is stepping
down from this position and
Kitsap Audubon is grateful
for her services. The Publicity
Chairperson is responsible for
announcing monthly meetings
and other special events with
the local media. Gene Bullock
has graciously agreed to take
on this responsibility, so thank
you, Gene!
Kitsap Audubon Society meets the 2nd Thursday of each month, September through May, 7:00 to 9:00
p.m., on the lower level of the Poulsbo Library, 700 NE Lincoln Rd. Open to the public. Free parking.
Campaign to Save
Grover”s Creek
The Kitsap Forest & Bay
and its coalition partners
have launched a campaign
to conserve 270 acres for a
Grover’s Creek Preserve under
the stewardshjip of the Great
Peninsula Conservancy. This
Magical place has a high-quality
peat bog and a rare grove
of 200-year-old Sitka spruce,
hemlock, cedar, Douglas fir
and grand fir. It is home to
an abundance of wildlife,
including bear, beaver, mink,
otter, salamanders and frogs.
Its wetlands form a vital part of
the headwaters that nourish the
Grover’s Creek estuary on North
Kitsap’s Miller Bay. It will also
add a critical link in the Sound to
Olympics Trail corridor.
$1,755,000,000 has already
been raised through grants and
private donations; but $325,000
is needed to close the gap and
complete the purchase. The
fundraising deadline is May 31,
2015.
Ttax deductible donations
may be sent to Great Peninsula
Conservancy, 23 Pacific Ave.,
Suite 101, Bremerton WA 98312.
Make checks payable to Great
Peninsula Conservancy and write
“Grover’s Creek Campaign” in
the memo line.
To learn more, call
360-373-3500 or visit
www.greatpeninsula.org.
Great Backyard Bird Count
Bird watchers young and old
from more than 100 countries
are expected to participate in
the 18th annual Great Backyard
Bird Count (GBBC), February
13–16, 2015. Anyone anywhere
in the world can count birds for
at least 15 minutes on one or
more days of the count and enter
their sightings at www.BirdCount.
org. The information gathered by
tens of thousands of volunteers
helps track the health of bird
populations at a scale that would
not otherwise be possible. The
GBBC is a joint project of the
Cornell Lab of Ornithology and
the National Audubon Society
with partner Bird Studies Canada.
Last year’s Great Backyard Bird
Count shattered records after
going global for the first time,
thanks to integration with the
eBird online checklist program
launched in 2002 by the Cornell
Lab and Audubon. Participants
reported their bird sightings
from all 7 continents, including
111 countries and independent
territories. More than 34.5 million
birds and 3,610 species were
recorded—nearly one-third of
the world’s total bird species
documented in just four days.
The Great Backyard Bird Count
is a great way for people of all
ages and backgrounds to connect
with nature and make a difference
for birds. It’s free and easy. To
learn more about how to join the
count visit www.birdcount.org and
view the winning photos from the
2014 GBBC photo contest.
Mitten Tree Report
Kitsap Audubon has an annual
tradition of bringing hats, scarves,
mittens, nonperishable food items
and toiletries to the December
meeting to decorate our Mitten
Tree. Sara and Byron Kane then
deliver the collected donations to
food banks and groups that serve
the needy in our community. This
year our donations went to the
YWCA Women’s Shelter, Salvation
Army, St. Vincent De Paul and
Poulsbo Fishline.
Our December collection
included 18 pounds of food, a
large bag of toiletries, 8 handknit sweaters, 92 hats, 60 pairs
of gloves/mittens, 19 scarves, 22
pillowcases, a knitted toy animal
and more.
Our volunteer knitters include
women in the prison at Purdy,
who knit and crochet items for
our Mitten Tree during the year
using yarn we donate. We collect
donated yarn year round, so
donations are always welcome.
Bring your yarn to the meetings
or call Sara (360) 297-2716 to
arrange for pick-up
Field Trips & Events - Al Westphal, Field Trip Chair
Point No Point/Hansville:
Saturday, February
14. Al Westphal,
Leader, westphalac@
aol.com, 206-780-7844
(e-mail preferred). Halfday. We’ll meet at the
lighthouse parking area at
8:30 a.m. to continue our
series of visits to Kitsap
County’s pre-eminent
“important bird area”
with a mid-winter field
trip. Ww will walk the beach
to look at wintering Puget
Sound waterfowl and others,
then return via the marsh
trail. Contact Al Westphal to
register and for more details.
exceptional views of a unique
colony of Pelagic Cormorants
and pair of Peregrine Falcons
that nest on the underside of
the Warren Avenue Bridge.
Skagit/Samish Flats Area:
Saturday, March ­­7. Al
Lion’s Field/Port Washington Westphal, Leader, westphalac@
Narrows: Saturday, February aol.com, 206-780-7844 (e-mail
21 (half-day). Contact
preferred). An annual
Gene or Sandy Bullock to
highlight! We will look for the
reserve a spot (360-394great over-wintering flocks of
5635; genebullock@comcast.
Snow Geese and Trumpeter
net). This morning field trip
Swans along with a terrific
to Port Washington Narrows
array of other waterfowl,
in Bremerton is a tradition
shorebirds, raptors, and
started many years ago by Ivan others. This will be a long
Summers. We customarily end full-day event. Group size is
it with lunch at the Boatshed
limited. Contact Al Westphal
Restaurant. Tens of thousands to register and for details.
of marine birds winter in these
Circumnavigate Bainbridge
protected waters, and wellIsland: Sunday, March 8.
maintained Bremerton parks
provide outstanding views plus Aboard the 80-foot“Admiral
convenient parking. We’ll meet Pete” with George Gerdts
as leader/naturalist. Expect
at 9 a.m. at Lion’s Field Park
great looks at three species of
on Lebo Lane. We’ll also visit
cormorants; sea ducks; rockyEvergreen Park and stop at
shore sandpipers; a Bald Eagle
Lower Rota Vista Park. Kitsap
or two; great scenery; and a
Audubon has installed steps,
unique, close-up view of the
a handrail and an interpretive
Bainbridge Island shoreline.
sign at this charming little
The trip starts and finishes at
park at the end of Elizabeth
the Winslow City Dock and
Avenue, which offers
runs from 9:45 to 2:00. Call
George at 206- 842-8138 for
further details. To reserve
a space call the Bainbridge
Island Parks and Recreation
Department at 206-842-2306
ext. 118. (Ask about Class
# 131850-01.) Credit card
payment is accepted. Leave
your e-mail address when
signing up, and directions and
a map of Bainbridge Island
will be sent to you via e-mail.
Price is $75, but KAS members
will have 20% of the cost of
the trip ($15.00) donated to
KAS. Be sure to tell the BI
Parks when you sign up that
you are a KAS member so the
donation can be made.
Port Susan Snow Goose
and Birding Festival: February
28 – March 1. http://www.
snowgoosefest.org/
Wings Over Water Northwest
Birding Festival: March 13 –
15 (Blaine, WA). http://www.
wingsoverwaterbirdingfestival.
com/
Othello Sandhill Crane
Festival: March 27 – 29
(Othello, WA). Check the
website for details: http://www.
othellosandhillcranefestival.org/
Olympic BirdFest 2015:
April 10-12, 2015 (Sequim,
WA). Guided field trips, a
boat cruise, silent auction,
and a gala banquet. Join the
Birdfest Pre-trip on April 8-9,
2015, two days exploring
northwest coastal Washington,
a region rarely seen by birders.
Website: www.olympicbirdfest.org
Field Trip Reports
Hansville/Point No Point:
Saturday, December 13
(Al Westphal). A big group
enjoyed a brisk but dry
morning in Hansville. You
never know what you’ll see
at Point No Point, and the
group was treated to a number
of interesting observations
including a very large number
(200+) of Common Murres,
close up looks at a Redthroated Loon and several
Ancient Murrelets, a Peregrine
Falcon on the hunt, and a pair
of competing Bald Eagles
making an accidental water
landing! Total species count
of 51 made for an excellent
morning of birding.
celebrated the new year with
a short easy excursion to the
Poulsbo waterfront to look for
the wintering waterfowl and
other local birds. The group
counted 27 species including
terrific looks at scoters,
mergansers, and goldeneyes.
We also encountered a small
flock of Eurasian Collared
Doves, a species becoming
more and more common
around Kitsap County.
record 67 species for the day,
with wonderful looks at Longtailed Ducks, Ancient Murrelets,
Pileated Woodpecker, and even
an Anna’s Hummingbird, plus
many others.
Jay Wiggs photo
Port Gamble to
Marrowstone Island,
Wednesday, January 14
(George Gerdts). George
and Mary Ann led a group
of nine for a magnificent day
out birding. It was fabulous
weather, good birds, and
Poulsbo’s Fish Park, Saturday,
most of all, a great group
January 3 (Al Westphal &
Gene Bullock). Seven members of birders! We managed to
Zen of Bird Watching - Gene Bullock
I once asked a friend to explain
his passion for motorcycling.
“If you don’t know,” he said, “I
can’t explain it to you. If you know,
I don’t have to explain it to you.”
Devotees of pursuits ranging
from stamp collecting to rock
climbing can relate to his “zenlike” connection with those who
share his passion. I once met a man
with a world-class collection of
automobile license plates. He was
the envy of kindred collectors.
I recall the first time I went
fishing. I sat with my line dangling
in the water for what seemed like a
tediously long time, and wondered
why people spent their time this
way. But after I landed my first
fish, I never wondered again.
A love for nature and wildlife
may be in our DNA, but it
sometimes takes the right spark to
ignite those latent impulses. Young
birds have the innate ability to sing,
but it’s triggered by listening to
their parents sing.
My labored point is if you’re
introducing children to bird
watching, it pays to create the
right setting. Pick a location and
time of the year when birds are
plentiful and easy to see. Spring
birding at places like Nisqually
Wildlife Refuge or Theler Wetlands
in Belfair can be ideal. But a
well-stocked backyard feeder is a
wonderful place to bond with birds
and kindle a life-long love affair
with bird watching. Once hooked,
they’ll patiently endure the cold and
rain that come with winter birding.
Learning to identify birds from
a book can be challenging. But
groups like the Kitsap Audubon
Society offer introductory trips
for beginners that can jump start
the learning process. Starting in
your own backyard makes it easy
to start with a relative handful of
familiar birds. Getting up close
and personal with birds is made
easier when you can watch them
from the window. It’s like turning
an aquarium inside out, with the
observer seated comfortably inside
while the fish feed outside the glass.
With nurturing models and
enthusiastic examples, a love for
nature and birds comes naturally.
And with the proliferation of manmade threats to their survival, our
birds need lots of devoted friends
working to protect them.
Kitsap CBC - 40 years and counting - Gene Bullock
Undeterred by an all-day rain,
75 Kitsap Audubon volunteers
spent the day, December 20,
counting birds. Kitsap Audubon
CBC Compiler Janine Schutt
reports that the day netted 124
species of birds (sees her final tally
on facing paage).
It was Kitsap Audubon’s 40th
annual Christmas Bird Count
(CBC). The official 15-mile
diameter circle is centered at the
intersection of Fairgrounds Road
and Stampede Boulevard, and
covers most of Kitsap County,
from Seabeck to Bainbridge Island
and Poulsbo to Port Orchard.
Kitsap Audubon sends eight
teams of observers out to count
birds in defined areas within its
CBC circle. A ninth owling team,
led by Bainbridge Island owl
researcher Jamie Acker, sets out
soon after midnight. Data from some 2,300 count
circles throughout the Western
hemisphere allows ornithologists
and others to monitor the
fluctuations, range and movement
of bird populations across North
America and beyond.
The annual Audubon Christmas
Bird Count is a tradition that
started 115 years ago. In 1900,
Eurasian Collared-Dove —
Connie Bickerton.
there was mounting concern that
many species of birds were being
hunted to the brink of extinction
by market hunters for their meat
and feathers. For decades, hunters
also celebrated the holidays with a
traditional “side hunt,” when teams
competed to see which could
kill the most birds and game in a
single day. Dr. Frank Chapman,
an officer in the fledgling National
Audubon Society, suggested a new
Christmas tradition of counting
birds, instead of killing them.
He could not have imagined the
phenomenal scale of its success
and importance since then. Today
it involves an estimated 70,000
observers. It’s the largest, longestrunning census and citizen science
project on the planet.
Scientists have grown to rely
on the trend data gleaned from
the annual Christmas Bird Count
to understand how birds and the
environment are faring and what
we can do to protect them.
The local results are often
affected by the weather. This
year’s rain-splattered lenses made
it harder to see and count the birds.
As one observer joked, unlike us,
many birds had the good sense to
hunker down someplace out of the
American Dipper — Janine
Schutt.
wind and the rain. Another joked
that maybe it should be called the
Christmas Blurred Count.
While many birds migrate
farther south for the winter,
lots of species hang out here all
winter. A variety of shorebirds
and waterfowl winter in protected
coves, inlets and tidal estuaries
along the Washington coast.
Serious birders consider winter a
peak time to bird.
The Kitsap CBC often
produces a few surprises. This
year’s highlight was a Yellowbilled Loon, found on the Hood
Canal by Scott Hall. Because of
changing climate, several species
are now fairly common, which
were considered rare for this
region a decade or two ago, such
as Western Scrub Jay, European
Collared-Dove, Barred Owl and
Anna’s Hummingbird. Wintering
flocks of Western Grebe used
to number in the thousands; but
have declined dramatically with
declines in herring stocks.
Citizen science, such as the
Christmas Bird Count, plays a
valuable role in helping document
change and formulate policies;
but the main reason the CBC has
become so popular is that it’s fun. White-throated Sparrow —
Janine Schutt.
2014 Christmas Bird Count - Janine Schutt, Compiler
SPECIES
TOTALS
Merlin
1
Hummingbird, Anna’s
64
Loon, Red-throated
7
Pheasant, Ring-necked
1
Vireo, Hutton’s
Pacific
61
Grouse, Ruffed
2
Jay, Steller’s
Common
30
Quail, California
15
Scrub-Jay, Western
1
Coot, American
12
Crow, American
Plover, Black-bellied
18
Raven, Common
Killdeer
14
Chickadee, Blk-capped
310
36
Yellowlegs, Greater
23
Chestnut-backed
156
4
Sandpiper, Spotted
105
Yellow-billed
Grebe, Pied-billed
Horned
Red-necked
Eared
Western
Cormorant, Brandt’s
25
284
46
98
Least
Surfbird
1
56
4
1124
19
4
Bushtit
8
Nuthatch, Red-breasted
47
Creeper, Brown
12
Wren, Bewick’s
21
Double-crested
388
Turnstone, Black
25
Pelagic
232
Sanderling
22
Pacific
50
258
Marsh
6
2
Sp.
1
Rail, Virginia
2
Dipper, American
Gull, Bonaparte”s
30
Kinglet, Golden-crwned
Sp.
9
Heron, Great Blue
Goose, Greater
White-fronted
Goose, Canada
Cackling
51
1
712
Dunlin
Snipe, Wilson’s
Mew
85
4
Ring-billed
2
1
California
15
3
Herring
Gadwall
10
Widgeon, Eurasian
13
Graylag (domestic)
Duck, Wood
American
Mallard
3582
925
6
Waxwing, Cedar
2
Warbler, Orange-crwnd
1
797
Yellow-rumped
17
Townsend’s
Gull, Glaucous-winged
Sp.
168
Pintail, Northern
49
Murre, Common
5
Teal, Green-winged
240
Guillemot, Pigeon
29
Duck, Ring-necked
57
Murrelet, Marbled
4
123
Auklet, Rhinoceros
33
Pigeon, Rock
11
Pigeon, Band-tailed
1918
White-winged
Black
120
8
Duck, Long-tailed
33
47
Western
256
Scoter, Surf
1048
Thayer’s
GW X Western
Duck, Harlequin
Thrush, Varied
Starling, European
45
Lesser
Robin, American
101
3
Shoveler, Northern
Scaup, Greater
Ruby-crowned
5
202
Towhee, Spotted
Sparrow, Fox
Song
474
11
Dove, Eurasian collared
Dove, Mourning
Owl, Great Horned
Barn
2
135
54
145
1
White-throated
2
White-crowned
30
Golden-crowned
Blackbird, Red-winged
2
8
Lincoln’s
Dark-eyed - Oregon
105
671
175
975
22
Brewer’s
Finch, House
87
Bufflehead
674
Western Screech
Purple
59
Golden-eye, Common
633
Northern Pygmy
Crossbill, Red
3
Barrow’s
508
Barred
4
Siskin, Pine
Merganser, Hooded
123
Northern Saw-whet
3
Goldfinch, American
Common
103
Kingfisher, Belted
Red-breasted
135
Sapsucker, Red-brsted
Duck, Ruddy
Eagle, Bald
Hawk, Sharp-shinned
8
52
Woodpecker, Downy
Hairy
37
8
22
8
5
N. Flicker, Red Shafted
54
Cooper’s
5
Wooodpecker, Pileated
10
Red-tailed
7
Falcon, Peregrine
1
Sp.
1
596
10
Grosbeak, Evening
Sparrow, House
Total Birds Seen
Total Species Seen
52
20,388
124
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SILVERDALE WA
PERMIT NO. 111
Kitsap Audubon Society
P.O. Box 961, Poulsbo, WA 98370
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The Kingfisher is the newsletter of the
Kitsap Audubon Society, P.O. Box 961,
Poulsbo, WA 98370. It is published
eight times a year, September to May.
Submissions from readers are welcome.
We reserve the right to edit for space,
grammar or legal reasons. Email text or
photographs to genebullock@comcast.
net or mail to Gene Bullock, 1968
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Visit our website at www.kitsapaudubon.org