The Hooter - Kittitas Audubon Society

The Hooter
Kittitas Audubon
January 2014
Membership Meeting - Thursday, January 16th @ 7:00 PM
“Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum & Winter Birding in the Sonoran Desert”
presented by Cricket Webb ~ Hal Holmes Center ~ 201 N Ruby St. ~ Ellensburg, WA
Arizona-born desert rat, Cricket Webb, has been exploring her
roots in Tucson the last couple of years. She will be sharing the
bird-related portions of those trips in a photo program.
Peregrine Falcon
Central to the program will be the Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum
(ASDM) and the Free Flight program they run twice a day from October until April every year. For those not familiar with the ASDM,
it is more a zoo, research facility, and conservation organization,
than a museum. It‘s a whole lot more fun than most museums.
They have an aviary with 17 species of hummingbirds! They have
just added an aquarium because there are lots of fish in the Sonoran desert – really there are!
In addition to touring the museum, there will be bird photos from
the Tucson area and other parts of Arizona. If that is not enough,
she will throw in a few from the Bosque Del Apache wildlife refuge
in New Mexico. Lots of pictures and only a little talking!!! Please
join us for an evening in a warmer climate!
All Audubon meetings, held on the 3rd Thursday of each month at the Hal Holmes Center next
to the Library, September through May (except December), are open to the public. Please come
and meet with us. A brief business session precedes the program. Stay afterwards for juice,
treats, and conversation.
~
Many thanks to the Ellensburg Public Library for sponsoring our meetings here!
Lone Snow Goose with Canada Geese ~ Dec. 2013 CBC
~ at Bar 14 pond, near south
interchange
Future Programs
(mark your calendar!)
February 20th:
Birds of Maui ~
Jan Demorest &
Steve Moore
March 20th & April 17th
TBA
Snow Goose
Photo by Doug Kuehn
See lots more CBC 2013 photos inside...
Page 2
The Hooter
KAS BOARD MEMBERS
President – Jim Briggs
933-2231
Vice President – VACANT
Secretary – Diane Bullock
968-3175
Treasurer – Sharon Lumsden
968-3889
Conservation – Beau Fairchild 435-602-2767
Education – Judy Hallisey
674-6858
Field Trips – Steve Moore
933-1179
*Newsletter – Jan Demorest
933-1179
Historian – Gloria Lindstrom
925-1807
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 Baldi
933-1558
Membership – Tuck Forsythe
925-2356
*Christmas Bird Count – Phil Mattocks
962-2191
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 discussion allowed!
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 welcome and encouraged!
The editor reserves the right to edit
for space, grammar, and/or suitability. Email text and/or photos to
bobcat@kvalley.com 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.
“Watch winter waterfowl wisely”
Winter is a fine time to
watch waterfowl at
sites close enough to
home for fun family
field trips.
Ducks, geese, swans
and other waterbirds gather in locations where big open water provides security; adjacent wetlands and fields provide food -- both for
resident birds and those making a migration stopover.
The sheer numbers of these bigger, colorful birds makes viewing
relatively easy and they’re a great species group that provide practice for identification skills. Whether on water or foraging in fields,
waterfowl are relatively stationary, so you’ll have longer viewing
time. Many species of ducks have exceptional markings that make
identification easier, at least compared to songbirds. Take along a
good field identification book.
As with all wildlife, waterfowl watchers need to be respectful. Even
from viewing platforms and boardwalks at parks and refuges, remember that you are in their home. If you get too close or make
too much noise, you might disturb the birds and lose your opportunity to watch them if they flush. And more importantly, this causes
them to waste precious energy that they need to conserve to survive in the cold.
To watch winter waterfowl wisely, follow these tips:

Use binoculars or scopes to keep your distance but still watch
closely

Use telephoto lenses on cameras to get that great shot without
getting too close

Move quietly, slowly, and in plain view

Use a viewing blind if one has been provided

Avoid use of calls, tape recordings of calls, or other devices

Divide large groups of people into small groups to be less disturbing

Don’t try to feed ducks and geese and don’t leave litter that
they might mistake for food
Respect the property of others by viewing waterfowl on public land
whenever possible. In Washington it is your responsibility to know
if you are on private property. (Private property does not need to
be posted or fenced.) If it is necessary to cross private property,
always ask permission of the landowners before doing so.
Washington has a wealth of spots where fall and winter waterfowl
viewing is exceptional. All seven of the Great Washington State
Birding Trail maps -- sponsored by Audubon Washington, Wash(Continued on page 6)
The Hooter
Field Trip Reports
FIRST SATURDAY BIRDWALK ~ Dec 7th,
2014
At zero degrees it wasn‘t easy to leave a warm
house to look for birds at Irene Rinehart Riverside Park. Not the only ‗tough‘ folks, Gloria and
I were joined by Norm Peck, Gerry Sorenson,
and new birders from last month, Anna and
Erick. With the sun at our backs and no wind,
the cold was not as penetrating as we had
feared. The only other person at the park was
with her off-leash dog near the open water on
the upper pond which held approximately 250
Canada Geese, along with two Trumpeter
Swans, American Wigeon, Mallards, and Ringnecked Ducks. Edged with ice, the Yakima
River also had much flowing ice, but it did not
stop the American Dipper and Killdeers from
foraging for food. All in all, it was an enjoyable
morning as we found a total of 22 species. Additional birds discovered were Red-tailed Hawk,
American Crow, Downy Woodpecker, House
Finch, Dark-eyed Junco, Song Sparrow, Raven,
European Starling, Black-capped Chickadee,
Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Great Blue Heron, Blackbilled Magpie, Bald Eagle, Belted Kingfisher, and
Steller‘s Jay.
~ Jeb Baldi
Page 3
2013 CBC Photo Review
(stats will be in February Hooter)
Hooded Merganser (male) following a
pair of Common Goldeneye
Photos by Doug Kuehn
Notice the oval white
marking in front of the
male’s eye - definitive
field mark for Common
Goldeneye.
Red-tailed hawk
that we saw at
the (Jud & Muriel)
Weaver's feeders.
~ Photo by Lee
Barnes
Cooper’s Hawk seen on the Christmas
Bird Count 2013 ~ captured on “film” by
Diane Bullock Gauron
Linda Lundy chats with Tom Gauron and Diane
Bullock in the kitchen of the Bar 14 ranch house
in the northern reaches of the valley. She has
hosted CBC birders for a warm lunch break for
years—Thanks, Linda!!!
~ photo by Kay Forsythe
Page 4
News and weather
Hooter
12-28-13 ~ these are some goldfinches gorging them-
selves on gone-to-seed wild catnip this past week. The
yard doesn't look real tidy, but I know the birds love the
natural seeds when available.
~ from Sharon Lumsden
Editor’s note: This might be the
perfect example of a Natural
Wildlife Habitat “yard” ~ birds
eating wild seeds! I’m envious!
“Feds begin killing barred owls to
help spotted owl”
This June 7, 2011 file
photo shows a barred owl
at the Miami Science Museum in Miami. An experiment, to see if killing invasive barred owls will help
the threatened Northern
spotted owl reverse its
decline toward extinction,
is underway in the forests
of Northern California. The
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said Friday, Dec. 20,
2013, that specially trained biologists have shot
26 barred owls in a study area on the Hoopa Valley Indian Reservation located northeast of Arcata, Calif. They plan to remove as many as 118.
(Photo: Wilfredo Lee, AP)
http://
www.seattlepi.com/news/science/article/Feds-beginkilling-barred-owls-to-help-spotted-owl-5082527.php
For full article in Seattle PI online:
Olympic BirdFest 2014
April 4-6, 2014 ~ Sequim, WA
Visit the rain shadow of the Olympic Peninsula to discover the birds of the coastal
Pacific Northwest—Marbled Murrelets, Rhinoceros Auklets, Harlequin Ducks, dippers,
Black Oystercatchers, Long-tailed Ducks,
and more. Guided field trips, a boat cruise
in the Strait of Juan de Fuca, silent auction,
and a gala banquet. Our featured speaker
is Noah Strycker: ―Bird World: the fascinating parallels between bird and human behavior‖. The festival with the most spectacular setting!
Immediately following BirdFest, join us for
a three-day, two-night birding cruise of the
San Juan Islands, April 6-8, 2014.
Website address: www.olympicbirdfest.org
E-mail address:
opas.birdfest.info@gmail.com
Contact name: Olympic Peninsula Audubon
Society, 360-681-4076
The Hooter
CBC 2013
An abundance of Bohemian Waxwings at Doug Kuehn’s place on Rader
Road during CBC count week!
“Juniper berries—yum!”
Thanks for Renewing!
Susan Bangs
Great Books Still
Available!!!
MANY GOOD BOOKS
STILL REMAIN
FROM THOSE DONATED BY
MARIANNE GORDON
AND CRAIG JOHNSON. TWO
BOXES OF ALMOST NEW TO GENTLY-USED BOOKS WILL BE DISPLAYED AT THE JANUARY 16th
MEETING. SUBJECTS INCLUDE
BIRD CARE, ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES, NOVELS, BIRD IDENTIFICATION, AND MORE. THERE IS STILL
TIME FOR WINTER READING!!
(Books are free, however, any donation
will be greatly appreciated.)
Even though the weather was milder
than usual (high of 47!!!), there was
still ice on Naneum Creek. Any birds
out there, Diane?
~ photo by Kay Forsythe
The mission of Kittitas Audubon is to
develop an appreciation of nature
through education and conservation,
with a focus on birds.
Page 5
News Flash!
Page 6
Hooter
“Wind-farm bird deaths bring $1M in fines” In late November 2013, the US District Court in Wyoming ruled that Duke Energy had
violated the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act, in the deaths of 14 Golden
Eagles and 149 other birds. The fines will be donated to several conservation groups, including the Wyoming Dept of Fish and Wildlife, and the company will implement a plan to prevent further bird deaths.
The wind turbines are ―as tall as 30-story buildings, with spinning rotors as
wide as a passenger jet‘s wingspan. Though the blades appear to move
slowly, they can reach speeds of up to 170 mph at the tips, creating tornadolike vortexes. Eagles
are especially vulnerable because they don‘t look up as they scan the ground for food, not noticing the blades until it‘s too late.‖
The Fish & Wildlife Department is investigating a number of other bird death cases, some of
which are being referred to the Justice department. This case provides a strong precedent for
regulating wind energy projects.
~ from Seattle Times New York Times and AP article ~ (to read entire article go to:
http://seattletimes.com/text/2022321318.html )
Watching Winter Waterfowl (Continued from page 2)
ington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), and others -- include fall/winter waterfowl watching locations. Seattle
Audubon has a wealth of birdwatching information regarding sites and seasonality of species occurrence at their BirdWeb site .
The following are among the best fall/winter waterfowl viewing spots, based in part on accessibility and proximity to
population centers. They include some of WDFW’s mid-winter waterfowl inventory survey “priority one” areas with traditional high concentrations of waterfowl at this time of year, and some of the reserves that are closed to waterfowl hunting. Check links provided for directions, possible access fees, or other rules.
Southcentral Region:
Toppenish National Wildlife Refuge , southeast of Yakima, Yakima County
McNary National Wildlife Refuge , on Columbia River, southeast of Tri-Cities, Walla Walla County
Umatilla National Wildlife Refuge – Whitcomb Island, on Columbia River, southwest of Tri-Cities, Benton County
Northcentral Region:
North Potholes Reservoir Unit /Game Reserve of Columbia Basin Wildlife Area, south of Moses Lake, Grant County
Neppel Landing Park on Moses Lake in town of Moses Lake, Grant County
Billy Clapp Lake Unit of the Columbia Basin Wildlife Area - Stratford Reserve area, northeast of Ephrata and Soap Lake,
Grant County
Columbia River dam pools: Rock Island, Rocky Reach, Lake Chelan dams - Chelan County Public Utility District parklands ; Wells Dam - Douglas County Public Utility District parklands ; Priest Rapids and Wanapum dams - Grant County
Public Utility District parklands
Eastern Region:
Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge , southwest of Spokane, Spokane County
Sprague Lake Unit of Columbia Basin Wildlife Area, west of town of Sprague on Lincoln-Adams county line
For more winter bird areas in the state, visit this link: http://wdfw.wa.gov/living/crossing_paths/
~ From WDFW online posting of CROSSING PATHS NEWS NOTES
Membership & other news!
Hooter
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HOOTER” ONLINE
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send your name, mailing address, &
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Page 7
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 interested 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 subscribe@yahoogroups.com . Reply to the first email about Birdkitt that you receive from “yahoogroups”. To unsubscribe: send email
to birdkitt- unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com . If you have difficulty,
contact Chris Caviezel chris.caviezel@gmail.com
This is a great resource for finding places
to look for birds in the valley.
BECOME A KITTITAS AUDUBON MEMBER!! (Or renew your membership)
Receive The Hooter ~ help support education and conservation activities and projects!
Two options are available:
Darling Bird Studios, ©2007 UNA
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)
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Make check payable to: National Audubon Society Include this form and mail to: Membership Data Center,
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Name ___________________________
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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
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Make check payable to KAS and mail to: KAS, P.O. Box 1443, Ellensburg, WA 98926
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Membership forms are also available on our Web site: Kittitasaudubon.org.
For membership information contact Membership Chair, Tuck Forsythe ~ forsythe@fairpoint.net
See The Hooter in COLOR on our website ~ http://www.kittitasaudubon.org
Upcoming KAS Field Trips
JANUARY
4th, Saturday ~ First Saturday Bird Walk,
Irene Rinehart
Park. Continuing a
January tradition:
we‘ll meet at
Irene Rinehart
parking lot at 8
AM, head for breakfast at the Bar 14
Restaurant, and reassemble afterward at 9
am, back at Irene Rinehart parking lot, for a
2 ½-hour walk. Winter-wonderland specialties to
look for are waterfowl on the ponds, Brown
Creeper, dipper, and eagles. Jeb & Gloria Baldi
lead: 933-1558.
18th, Saturday ~ Toppenish and Fort Simcoe.
Winter raptor search in farmland, wetland and
the brushy woods patches at the fort. We‘ll visit
the refuge, hayfields, and stretch legs at Simcoe.
Leader Steve Moore & Jan Demorest; call 9331179 for meeting details.
FEBRUARY
1st, Saturday ~ First Saturday Bird Walk,
Irene Rinehart Park. Meet 8 AM at Rinehart
parking lot at the river‘s edge. Last year, Tundra
Swans, Least Sandpipers, and dippers were found
sheltering in our neighborhood park. Mid-winter
dishes up surprises in exchange for nippy nose
and fingers. Jeb and Gloria Baldi lead; 933-1558
for info.
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
Randolph Caldecott (1846-1886) from “What the
Blackbird Said. A Story in Four Chirps”, 1881
The Hooter ~ January 2014
The Newsletter of Kittitas Audubon ~ http://www.kittitasaudubon.org