2012-June/July - Kittitas Audubon Society

Darling Bird Studios, ©2007 UNA
The Hooter
Kittitas Audubon
June/July 2012
Summer Break! No Program/Membership Meeting until September, BUT
join us for one of the great field trips coming up in June!
June 2 ~ Saturday ~ First
Saturday Birdwalk, Rinehart
Park ~ Barring a windy AM,
this is THE Saturday to see the
most bird species at our traditional park site. Nesting is in
progress in the cottonwood
forest, with waxwings, warblers, woodpeckers, pewees,
orioles, swallows, and cowbirds
in attendance; a few migrants
like Spotted Sandpiper are still
coming (and going). 3-hour
walk; Gloria and Jeb Baldi
lead; 933-1558 for info. Meet
at the bridge parking lot at 8
AM.
June 9 ~ Saturday ~ Toppenish NWR and Old Fort
Simcoe Birds to go looking for
are Bobolink at their traditional
fields near the reserve, and
Grasshopper Sparrows. More
grassland birds can be expected on Toppenish Ridge,
and Lewis’ Woodpecker and
who-knows-what warblers
nesting in the pine-oak habitat
of Fort Simcoe. Jeb and Gloria
lead; call 933-1558 for info.
Full-day trip.
June 16 ~ Saturday ~ Robinson Canyon ~ Site #20 on
Birder’s Guide to Kittitas
County. A morning’s walk up
a pine and sage valley close to
home, and return by 1 PM.
Meet 7:00 AM at Super 1
parking lot. Steve and Jan
lead; 933-1179 for info.
June 23 ~ Field Trip to Tall
Timber ~ Gerry and Marilyn
Sorenson will host a fieldtrip at
their cabin across from the Tall
Timber Camp. Our cabin is on
the Napeequa River. It is a
two-hour drive from Ellensburg, 30 minutes out of
Leavenworth above Lake Wenatchee; a beautiful drive
through the Wenatchee forest.
We will meet at Super 1 to carpool and leave at 8:00
a.m. There are several
birding trails and we
have seed & hummer
feeders out so we will
see many different birds.
We will return home
around 6:30 PM.
eat inside or on the deck depending on the weather. Everyone is invited; please call
968-4857 before June 23 if
you plan to attend.
(PS From the editor: this is a
beautiful spot with a gorgeous
view of North Cascade peaks
right from the deck! Don’t miss
this opportunity to spend a day
in paradise!)
June 30 ~ Saturday ~ Sage
Steppe to Columbia River
Join Deb to explore our iconic
habitat and see Sage Thrashers, Brewer’s Sparrows, and
Mountain Bluebirds nesting
along the Vantage Highway.
Includes a special search for
Burrowing Owls, and we can
expect other
brushy birds
and raptors
overhead.
Deb Essman,
leader; please
call 9684532.
Please bring a sack
lunch; dessert and coffee
will be provided. We can
Future Programs
Look for news of upcoming fall programs in the August edition of The Hooter
Page 2
The Hooter
KAS BOARD MEMBERS
President – Jim Briggs
933-2231
Vice President – Bud Rechterman 962-4508
Secretary – Diane Bullock
968-3175
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 Baldi
933-1158
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 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.
THANKS! THANKS!
PRESIDENT’S
MESSAGE
June marks the beginning of
the year for the Board of Di-
rectors with new officers taking the reins for Kittitas Audubon…..and it is time for me to step down. Our organization is
fortunate that generous individuals are giving their time and talents to keep us viable. Not only have we managed to fill positions, but so many individuals have contributed in many
ways…………from involving themselves in special projects that enhance bird life, or teaching awareness to others, to giving donations of art and money. Just being a member is a contribution
for the benefit of Kittitas Audubon.
By taking advantage of members’ interests, KAS thrives. The
Bluebird trails and data collecting, the Vaux’s Swift chimney
project, Christmas Bird Counts, nestbox building, the perch
pole project, the Barn Owl educational brochure, the occasional classroom visit or bird booths/displays at events, as well
as the many field trips and monthly programs, are all functions
that involve dedicated people who enjoy the wonder of birds,
and are willing to share. To all…………thank you so much! It has
been a pleasure serving.
Gloria Baldi ~ Out-going President
Editor’s Note: I think I can speak for all on the Board and others who know and have worked with Gloria, or benefited from
her dedication ~ many, many thanks for your leadership and
your passion for the birds!!!
You’ll be hearing from your new president, Jim Briggs, in the
August edition of The Hooter.
The mission of Kittitas Audubon is to
develop an appreciation of nature
through education and conservation,
with a focus on birds.
The Hooter
Field Trip Reports
FIELD TRIP REPORT ~ May’s First Saturday
BirdWalk was on the 5th, Cinco De Mayo! No Mariachi band or music, but the birds we spied most
often were those that migrate to spend the winter
possibly hearing that wonderful cultural music of
Mexico. Swallows ~ Violet-green, Rough-winged,
Cliff, and Tree ~ were spotted. Other species,
including the Osprey, Brewer’s Blackbird, Western
Wood Pewee, and the warblers (Wilson’s, Orangecrowned joined the Yellow-rumped) are just a few
who have recently returned from the southern
hemisphere to brighten our landscape. The morning yielded a total count for the day of 32 species,
a substantial number, as viewing was becoming a
challenge with the leaves almost totally unfolded
and a rather strong Ellensburg breeze in force.
However, we had fifteen pair of eyes searching, of
which five pair were from out of town, coming
from places like Seattle, Austin (TX), and Congo.
A good day meeting people from afar while looking for birds. June 2nd is the next First Saturday
BirdWalk. Come join us along our Riverfront
Park!
~ Jeb Baldi
POTHOLES ~ MAY 6, 2012 ~ There were only
three of us for Kittitas Audubon's annual Potholes
field trip, but we had such a productive day we
were sorry that no one else was able to enjoy it
with us.
Brief highlights by location:
Ginkgo visitor's center: (16 sp.) Say's Phoebe,
Horned Grebe, Common Loon in breeding plumage, and the usual park species.
Silica Road pond: (12 sp.) Cinnamon Teal, Redhead, Black-necked Stilt, and Bufflehead.
Frontage Road and Frenchman Hills Road to
Dodson Road: (23 sp.) Western and Eastern Kingbirds, Eurasian Collared Dove, American
Pipit, Yellow-headed
Blackbird.
Frenchman Hills
Wasteway and Dodson
Road: (24 sp) 4 (!)
Great Egrets, Least
Sandpiper, Marsh
Wren, Green-winged
Teal, and a Great
Horned Owl nest with
two adults and one
fuzzy baby.
Page 3
Highway 26: (8 sp.) shoveler, pintail, American
Avocet, Wilson's Phalarope, Willet, and Western
Sandpiper.
Huntzinger Road: (8 sp.) Osprey, White Pelicans,
Forster's Tern, and Common Merganser.
Old Highway 10: (12 sp.) Western Tanager,
Golden-crowned Sparrow, Mountain Bluebird, and
Ring-necked Pheasant.
We saw 66 species in all. It could have been more
but we were squeezed for time at both ends of
the day. This is the second time I've made this
trip in early May rather than our usual late April
date, and I think we have better birds. I will try
for an early May date next year, too.
~ Marianne Gordon
Malheur Wetlands ~ Central Oregon ~
May 11-14. The first few days of really nice
warm weather brought out birds in large numbers
for six of us
who travWarbling Vireo
eled the 8
hours or so
from E’burg
to Burns,
OR. We
stayed at
the volunteer-funded
Malheur
Field Station, which
is 10 minutes away from the HQ of the National Wildlife
Reserve. At the HQ, flowering trees were filled
with birds (“too many” said our host Duncan at
the Field Station), including Cassin’s and Warbling
Vireos, Western Tanagers, and Yellow, Wilson’s
and Yellow-Rumped Warblers. In the surrounding sage and rabbitbrush we saw many
Lazuli Buntings perch among the vireos and
warblers.
Photo by Jo
Ellen Richards
The ponds along Sodhouse Lane, on the way
to HQ, were also full of birds – more Wilson’s
Phalaropes than we have ever seen anywhere,
and groups of ibis and Short-billed Dowitchers; Cinnamon Teal, Redheads and shovelers
were prominent among the dozen species of
ducks that we saw over the weekend. We
spotted American Bitterns, both pointing skyward in the marsh grass and flying, and Log(Continued on page 4)
Bird News
Page 4
as light grew in the east. We had to search in
darkness for the first grouse beside the road.
Our visit was near the end of the two-month
mating display, but 12 males were still strutting on the lek grounds. We watched for an
hour and a half, and as the other birds began
to wake up, we headed towards breakfast with
frequent stops giving us good looks of
Brewer’s Sparrow, Horned Lark, Sage
Thrasher, shrike, and a Green-tailed Towhee.
Field Trip Reports
(Continued from page 3)
gerhead Shrikes
on nearby
perches. Later
in the day these
ponds gathered
crowds of noisy
and constantly
moving
Forster’s Terns
and Franklin
Gulls.
The Hooter
Forster’s Tern
Technology helped us along on this trip. Craig
Johnson showed us what that tiny camera lens
in a smart phone can
do when it is held up
The Illusive
to binox or a scope –
Marsh Wren
a new kind of digiscoping. (check out the
photo at left - eat
your hearts out SLR
owners!) Sherry
Bayles had a bird ID
and listing program
loaded in her phone,
and added several
birds to her e-list.
Daily drives down the patrol road that
parallels the Blitzen River wetlands
yielded Black-necked Stilts, avocets,
Willets, dowitchers, a few Sandhill
Cranes, and only a very few Great
Egrets. Dozens of Yellow Warblers
were getting ready to nest every 100
feet or so along the willow brush corridor lining the valley. One evening we
dined at the Diamond Ranch, a few
miles to the east of the Blitzen River,
and were treated to a mama Great
Horned Owl and her two fuzzy chicks perched in
a Cottonwood crotch in the back yard. On the
way home in the twilight that evening we
counted 6 more GHO’s on phone poles, for an
evening total of 9 owls.
Our visit to the Sage Grouse lek, west of the
NWR in wide-open sage terrain, began at 5 AM
Our 2+ days of birding yielded a total of 95 species. Other treats
included a Short-eared Owl and Clark’s Grebe,
seen from the shore of Malheur Lake, American
Pipits, the whinny of a Sora (never seen) on
Sodhouse Lane, and finally sighting a Wilson’s
Snipe after hearing many each day.
~ Steve Moore
Last weekend we made a trip up to the Skagit and over
the North Cascades highway. At the summit, we found
Grey Jays. Always willing to come down and grab a
cracker or a nut.
Welcome New Members!
Iden Bottcher
Thanks to Renewing Members!
Gil & Julianne Cutts
Larry & Sharon Fitzsimmons
I have
never seen
a Clark's
Nutcracker
do this
before, but
here is the
proof...
~ Cricket
Webb
Goings-On Near & Far
The Hooter
The Audacity of Maybe
Latest Goings-On with the Perch-Pole (Barn Owl Box) Project ~
Teanaway Barn
Owl Nestbox
photo by Bud Rechterman
Page 5
When KAS solicited for Perch-Pole sites, a Mr.
Doug Chapman said he would like to see a pole
established on his property up the Teanaway.
After Joe and I surveyed the area, I decided
that the old barn would be a most likely place to
put an owl nesting box, rather than a pole
somewhere out on the 90 or so acres of
abandoned hayfield. After a bit of design-asyou-go, I cobbled together what I would hope
to be a suitable box for a nest, and my neighbor,
KAS member, Verne Wood, and I managed to
install the box on the north side of the old barn.
Now it only remains for a cooperative owl to
find the nest and decide to occupy it. So,
"maybe" this might happen--at least that's my
hope. If anyone should be traveling up the
Teanaway Road, take a look at the north face of
the barn, and please report any owl activity you
might see!
~ Bud Rechterman
Vaux’s Spend the Night in Ellensburg!
The Vaux’s Swifts are completing their northward spring migration this week, or at least the portion where
we get to watch and count them as they flutter down into the chimney* of the old Ellensburg Hospital on
East 3rd Ave. These diminutive birds (4.3” long, 11” wingspan, less than 1 ounce) migrate twice a year; “our”
birds probably spend the winter in California and as far south as Central America. In the spring, they fly
north to their nesting areas in Oregon, Washington, northern Idaho, northwestern Montana, and as far
north as mid-British Columbia. Because of the unique formation of their feet, they cannot perch on a limb as
most passerines do, so they spend their waking hours aloft, foraging for insects,
consuming thousands each day! At night, they roost in hollow trees, clinging to
the rough wood, or in old chimneys, clinging to the rough brick. Nesting happens
in forested areas, especially old-growth hollow snags, or, as these disappear, old
brick chimneys.
Kittitas Audubon volunteers spend an hour or more each evening around sunset,
for about a month in the spring and fall, estimating the number of swifts that
enter the chimney to spend the night. This data is sent to the Vaux’s Happening
coordinator in Monroe, WA, who compiles counts from sites all along the west
coast, from southern California to British Columbia. These counts are helping to
provide an estimate of the population, which seems to be declining. The “Swift
Team” in Ellensburg has been counting since 2009. Want to join the Team?
Contact Jan Demorest: bobcat@kvalley.com or call 933-1179.
*See the April 2012 Hooter for more information about our endangered chimney.
The hospital has been purchased by a salvage firm - doomed to demolition!
Swifts entering chimney at Old
Ellensburg Hospital
Page 6
Audubon’s Journey Interrupted
It was late April and we were having breakfast when
our daughter noticed a small flock of colorful birds in
the green ash tree outside our kitchen window. We
live in North Dakota, and in our city, Dickinson, the
winters are typically devoid of birds, save a small flock
of crows, resident European Collared Doves, a few Long-eared
Yellow-rumped
Owls, a colony of Rock Doves,
Warbler
and perhaps the occasional
pheasant that strolls in from the
fields outside of town. Spring
brings exciting new avian visitors. A quick check of our
Golden Guide to the Birds of
North America confirmed that
the new arrivals were Audubon’s
Warblers, or Yellow-rumped
Warblers. We watched the small
black, yellow and white creatures flit about the tree for a few minutes and I
thought no more about it.
The next day I was walking home from Dickinson
State University, where I teach. It was after 5:00
p.m. and campus was pretty quiet. I took an unusual
route home, past an old dorm that had been partially
rented out as office space. Our campus had recently
been designated smoke-free and a glass-enclosed
smoking kiosk that resembled a bus stop caught my
eye. There was a bird frantically flying inside it. You
guessed it; it was an Audubon’s Warbler just like
those in the flock that had appeared at our breakfast the day
before. It was then I noticed
that the entryway had been
boarded over with a plastic laminate. There was no easy way
inside. The bird had accessed
the kiosk by going through a twoinch space under the edges of the
structure. That was the only way
in or out for the hapless creature.
There was little I could do immediately. The maintenance department had gone home for the
day and security wasn’t on duty
for nearly an hour. I continued home and thought
about the bird. I developed real empathy for the
small life held inside that impersonal glass enclosure.
I decided to get my tools. When I got home I informed my wife that I had encountered an ethical crisis and decided to do something about it. I told her
about the bird. The Audubon’s warbler, Dendroica
coronata auduboni, is one of the few warblers that
visits western North Dakota, and I wanted to make it
welcome.
We loaded up the pickup with our power drill and
driver, screw drivers, and a razor knife. We also
brought a ladder. I had been thinking about what was
needed on my walk home. One thought was that I
The Hooter
could remove a panel of the roof and release the bird
that way. But when I actually climbed the ladder, I
could see that there were steel reinforcement bars
and that I’d have to disassemble the entire ceiling to
remove it. Next idea ~ cut away the silicon sealant
along the doorway and unscrew the
screws holding the laminate in place. But
first we thought that we might entice the
bird under the structure with food and
water. We used a shallow plastic container top to place water under the edge
of the structure. We also put a small trail
of currants and sunflower seeds just under
the edge to see if the bird was hungry or
thirsty enough to investigate and perhaps
free itself. A lengthy wait didn’t result in
any interest, so it was back to removal of
the entry barricade. Even when I began
to cut away the thick grey silicon sealant,
it was hard to tell where the screws were. I had
looked from the other side and knew that there were
thirteen screws. Then it occurred to me to run my
finger along the glass while my wife stood on the opposite side of the structure. She could then signal me
when I was parallel to the screws. It worked like a
charm. Soon my Dewalt driver was powering the
screws out in reverse. A glance at my watch told me
that it was now after 6:00 p.m. The night watchman
would be on duty. I called him from my cell phone,
told him who I was, and said that I had an unusual
request. Fortunately, he was sympathetic—
particularly fortunate because I
was 90% through the operation
of removing the entry when I
called. I figured that it was better, if possible, not to get arrested for breaking into a defunct smoking kiosk. Anyway,
once the screws were out, the
laminate was still pretty persistent. The tool I needed was a
crowbar, but I didn’t bring one.
Patience and a screwdriver sufficed. Finally the makeshift door
was pried away and I entered
the sanctuary.
I was actually able to catch the bird. The little warbler
was surprisingly warm. As it rested in my hand, I
gently stroked its head. My wife did as well. We had
never touched a living warbler. Its colors formed a
magnificent collage up close, yet were so subtle in the
foliage of a forest. Finally, we carried it outside what
would have surely been its deathtrap, and I opened
my hand. The bird spread its wings and flew into a
nearby stand of spruce. We wished it success in finding its flock. If it survived, perhaps its genes will be
traversing this route a thousand years from now.
Gary Cummisk
former Conservation Chair, 1987
Kittitas Audubon
Membership & more...
The Hooter
GET “THE
HOOTER” ONLINE
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prefer to receive the
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send your name, mailing address, &
email address to:
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At the beginning of each month,
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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)
____ 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
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Would you like to receive The Hooter electronically?
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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 ~ forsythe@fairpoint.net
Join us in August!!!
AUGUST MEMBERSHIP PICNIC/POTLUCK!!!
Thursday, August 16th ~ 5:30 PM
at “Lindstrom Park” ~ 1831 Hanson Rd. (Hal & Gloria Lindstrom’s)
Grilled hamburgers, buns, and the trimmings furnished by KAS
Members bring the rest ~ appetizers, salads, or desserts
Bring beverage of choice + plates, utensils, & cloth napkins for
each person in your party
Come join the fun ~ bring family & friends, relax and enjoy great food and a chance to
talk with other members in the Lindstrom’s beautiful garden patio. See y’all there!
Details coming in the August Hooter
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
from Pets at Play in the Pearl Series by McLoughlin Bros. Publishers, ca 1880
The Hooter - June/July 2012
The Newsletter of Kittitas Audubon - http://www.kittitasaudubon.org