Dec 2009 Corvid Crier Newsletter Eastside Audubon Society

8/8/2019 Dec 2009 Corvid Crier Newsletter Eastside Audubon Society

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The Corvid Crier ~ December 2009/ January 2010 1

Eastside Audubon Society Vol 28, No 10 December 2009/ January 2010

The Mission of the Eastside Audubon Society is to protect, preserve and enhance naturalecosystems and our communities

for the benefit of birds, other wildlife and people.

HIGHLIGHTS INSIDE:

Focus on the Board 2

Volunteer Spotlight 3

BirdLoop -- 4Great WA Birding Trail 5

Holiday Gift Wrap 5

Field Trips 6

Backyard Bird Count 7

Second Breeding Season forMigratory Songbirds 8

Bird of the Month 9

Directions to Eastside AudubonNorthlake Unitarian Universalist Church,308 4 th Ave. S. (corner of 4 th Ave. S. andState). Take I-405 exit 18 (NE 85 th, Kirk-land). Drive west on Central Way to 3 rd St.(stoplight). Turn left (south) on 3 rd St. andfollow it as it bears left and changes nameto State St. Turn left on 4 th Ave S.

TAKE THE BUS! Routes 540, 230 and255 serve State Street in Kirkland.

The Corvid CrierChristmas Bird Count and Dinner Saturday, December 19Bird Count: 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Dinner at 6:00 p.m. (RSVP)Come and join one of the 8 teams of birdcounters in the EAS annual CBC. We wel-come anyone who wants to help - from begin-ner to expert. Be sure to wear comfortableshoes/boots, warm clothes and bring lunch.The 8 count areas and leaders are:

Fall City Preston Area -- ( Kathy Andrich,

206-390-3159 or [email protected])L. Sammamish SP-Cougar Mt.-Issaquah (Martyn Stewart, 425-836-3849 [email protected])

Marymoor Ames L. (Brian Bell, 425-485-8058 or [email protected])

Pine Lake Plateau (Jim Rettig, 425-402-1833 or [email protected])

W. Lake Sammamish Parks (MaryFrancesMathis, 425-803-3026 [email protected])

East Snoqualmie Valley (Joyce Meyer, 425-868-7986 or [email protected])

West Snoqualmie Valley (Hugh Jennings,425-746-6351 or [email protected])

E. Lake Sammamish Trail (Tim McGruder,425-822-8580 or [email protected])(involves a 4.5 mile walk)

All those interested in going on one of thecounts should call or email the leader for moreinfo and/or to signup for that count. Everyoneis encouraged to support the CBC by donatingthe $5.00 fee. The count fees collected duringeach CBC help cover the cost of generatingmaterials for compilers, producing the annualCBC summary issue, and maintaining theCBC Web site and database. Only those pay-ing the $5.00 are reported as participants inthe National Audubon CBC. The count lead-ers are responsible for collecting this money.

Tallies from our annual CBC will be com-bined with counts taken throughout the nationto help determine bird distribution and popula-tion trends. Birds will also be counted in Cen-

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EAS Annual Dinner Thursday, January 28, 2010 at 6:30 p.m.After enjoying a delicious dinner, we willcelebrate the Chapters 2009 accomplish-ments. The new Board of Directors will beinstalled, and the outgoing Board Membersand our many volunteers from 2009 will behonored.

Back by popular demand - members of thePhoto Club will present several short musicalfade dissolve shows of their work. You canbet there will be some wonderful bird pic-tures!

This year Audubon Washington will talk to usabout the Great Washington Birding Trail, andthe new Puget Sound map now in the works.This is a chance for Eastside Audubon to par-ticipate in the Birding Trail program, and

highlight the great birding spots in our area.

Please bring a dish that serves six, correspond-ing to the first letter of your last name:

A-G ... bring a dessertH-P bring a hot dish

Q-Z bring a saladBeverages and bread will be provided, and wewill use the churchs china and flatware.Dinner starts at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Janu-ary 28th at the Northlake Unitarian Church,308 Fourth Avenue S. in Kirkland. Everyoneis welcome .


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President Cindy Balbuena [email protected] President Open Secretary Carmen Almodovar [email protected] Ellen Homan [email protected] Director Jan McGruder (425) 822-8580

[email protected]

At large board member Helen LaBouy [email protected] At large board member Margaret Lie [email protected] large board member Tricia Kishel [email protected] Brian Bell [email protected] Bird Photography Tim Boyer [email protected] Trips Hugh Jennings (425) 746-6351

[email protected] Plant Walks Sunny Walter (425) 271-1346

[email protected] Walks Christopher Chapman (425) 941-3501

[email protected] Bird Questions? MaryFrances Mathis (425) 803-3026

Conservation Andrew McCormick [email protected]

Marymoor Park Jim Rettig (425) 402-1833 [email protected]

Education Mary Britton-Simmons (360) [email protected]

Programs Claudia Strickland [email protected]

Communication Anusha Raman [email protected] Tom Grismer (206) 720-9892

newsletter@eastsideaudubonMembership Sunny Walter (425) 271-1346

[email protected]

308 4th Avenue S. (Corner 4th Ave. S. and State)

Committee Chairs/Board (board positions underlined)

Executive Officers

Eastside Audubon Society(425) 576-8805 www.eastsideaudubon.org

Open Board PositionsThe following positions are open and waiting for volunteers. Pleasecall the office if you have questions or are interested: Vice President,Adult Education chair, Advocacy, Financial Development chair, Bir-dathon, Gift Wrap, and Merchandising.

In his ground-breaking book Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Chil-dren from Nature-deficit Disorder ,Richard Louv, a columnist for theSan Diego Union-Tribune , exhortsparents, city planners and educators

to reconnect children to the naturalworld. He believes that birdingcould be an especially wonderful wayto experience nature. The Youth Education Committee of Eastside Audubon shares his belief. Its members dedicatethemselves to creating in youth a strong connection to natureand especially to birds.

How do we accomplish this task? To answer this question,lets take a look back over some of the thirteen goals we setfor ourselves in 2009. From January to December, weworked with approximately 1000 students. We gave class-room presentations, sponsored activities such as making birdfeeders, took children on bird walks, and held a childrens

program night. For example, at Enatai Elementary School,volunteers gave a presentation on bird beaks and food tosecond graders. After researching native plants that attractbirds, we worked with the teacher and City of Bellevue toplan a garden in a nearby park. The city prepared the ground,and 25 excited students carrying garden tools arrived in thepark to plant. What a successful project!

In addition, we awarded individual teacher grants of $150each to two teachers and a $500 college scholarship to aRedmond High School senior planning to study environ-mental science and policy making. Our camp scholarshipprogram for low-income students is always a summer high-light. This year seven middle-school students attended eitheran overnight or a day camp, thanks to your generous dona-tions.

In the midst of all of this activity, we continued to improveand expand our curriculum. This years new lesson plansincluded topics such as migration and bird identification.Soon our Classroom in a Box will be completed for loan toteachers after our presentations in their classrooms. The pro-gram contains lesson plans and all the materials necessary toteach theman invaluable tool for teachers. Thanks to agrant from REI, we will be able to improve the quality of ourprograms through the purchase of a variety of materials. Ourlist includes books, a microscope, art materials, DVDs, astorage container and clipboards. We are very grateful to theRedmond REI for their continual support of the EastsideAudubon Youth Education Committee.

Recently we created a vision statement for our committeeagood ending note for this article. The Youth EducationCommittee is dedicated to inspiring children to connect tonature and especially to birds so that they become lifelongstewards of the environment.

Focus on the Board: EducationBy Mary Britton-Simmons, Education Chair

Christmas Bird Count and Dinner

tral America to keep track of migrants. You can also stay at home andcount birds in your backyard, be sure to count for at least two hoursand make sure your location is within the EAS count circle. email

Hugh Jennings at [email protected] or phone 425-746-6351 andleave a message with your results before 5 p.m. on Dec. 19. All re-sults will be tallied at the dinner following the count.

After the bird count, counters are invited to join Eastside Audubon fora warm, wholesome meal. Dinner is served at 6:00 p.m. and will beheld at Northlake Unitarian Universalist Church, 308 Fourth Ave. S.,Kirkland. All are welcome, whether you are a counter or not. Cost is$6.00, which includes dinner (vegetarian and meat), dessert anddrinks. Please call the office (425-576-8805) for dinner reserva-tions.

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The Corvid Crier, Vol 28, NO 10Publication Date: December 1, 2009.Published by: Eastside Audubon SocietyP.O. Box 3115, Kirkland, WA 98083-3115

The Corvid Crier is published monthly by the Eastside Audubon Society except that there are no issues inJanuary or August.

Deadline for material submission is the first Wednesdayof the month preceding publication. Send material byemail to:

[email protected]: EAS Newsletter

or by mail to:Eastside Audubon Society Attn: Tom Grismer P. O. Box 3115, Kirkland, WA 98083-3115

Eastside Audubon Office/ Audubon CenterThe office is downstairs at NorthlakeUnitarian Universalist Church inKirkland, 308 4th Avenue S. (Corner4th Ave. S. and State ). Directions: I-405 exit 18 (N. E. 85th-Kirkland). Gowest on Central Way to the light on 3rdSt. Go left on 3rd St. Follow this street(it bears left and changes name to StateSt.) Then turn left on 4th Ave. S.

(425) [email protected]: Mon, Tues, Fri

9:00 a.m. 1:00 p.m.

December/January MeetingsDec 2/ Jan 6 (Weds) 4:006:00 p.m.Web CommitteeMeets first Wednesday each month inEAS Office. All interested parties areinvited. Questions? Email [email protected]

Dec 8/ Jan 12 (Tues) 7:00 p.m.

Youth Education CommitteeMeets in the EAS Office. All interestedparties are invited. Questions?Email [email protected]

Dec 10/ Jan 14 (Thurs) 7:00 p.m.Photo GroupMeets in large room upstairs from EASOffice. Questions? Email Tim Boyer [email protected]

Dec 18 (Sat)Christmas Bird Count and DinnerSee page 1.

Jan 28 (Thurs) 6:30 p.m.Eastside Audubon Annual DinnerSee page 1.

Volunteer Spotlight on:Margie Huff

AAAA t this time of year, when we think of the idea of giving, our vol-unteer, Margie Huff, comes to mind.Although she says she is a fledgling

member of Eastside Audubon (EAS),with not much history of volunteering;I say it is the helping in any amountthat counts.

So, lets meet Margie. She was bornand grew up in Edmonton, Alberta,Canada. Graduating as a RegisteredNurse, she went on to spend most of her career as a certified cardiac criticalcare nurse. She left for California inher early 20s. After a bit of time, shemoved to Washington living inBremerton, Whidbey Island, Belling-ham and settling in Kirkland. Margiehas two married daughters and agranddaughter, spread between NewYork and west Seattle.

Although she has had a long-time dor-mant interest in birding, her inspirationto join EAS came while visiting herdaughter and son-in-law in rural NewYork. While in their backyard, she hadher first site of a pair of cardinals and

another dozen species. She said, Thishooked me into birding for good.While there, she visited the AudubonConservation Marsh and saw IndigoBuntings, Baltimore Orioles, CedarWaxwings and a Lesser Bittern with itsunusual call and strange behavior.

As a volunteer for EAS, Margie hashelped staff the Audubon booth atthree public events, answering ques-tions and encouraging people to joinand share the joy of birding and its

positive impact on our environment.She participated in our spring plantsale, collected cardboard and did someplanting for the Marymoor Birdloop,and helped a bit in the EAS office.

Margie also volunteers at the KirklandHopelink food bank, helps at herchurch Sunday school and in a care

group for those in need. After Katrina,she made two trips to the Gulf area tohelp clean and rebuild small towns.She said, It was very strange to see nobirds that first spring, six months later;much of their habitat had been de-

stroyed. Margies hobbies includetraveling, hiking, theater-going, read-ing and spending as much time as pos-sible at the beach.

What about her favorite bird? TheNorthern Flicker has become her fa-vorite bird, even surpassing her long-time favorite, the Cedar Waxwing. Shesays, It is a great thing to sit at mytable and look out the window everymorning and see the creatures busy atlife!

Margie enjoys the opportunities shegets through EAS to become moreknowledgeable about birds and toshare with a community of memberswho find time to protect and promotebirds and our society. She says she hashad the privilege to attend some greatbirding trips and gain knowledge andinspiration from the leaders and groupmembers.

Thank you, Margie, for your help since

2008. It is much appreciated. We look forward to seeing you in 2010.

By Volunteer: Marlene Meyer


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Audubon BirdLoop Enters a New FutureThe Audubon BirdLoop Project atMarymoor Park enters a new future in2010. In 3.5 years, more than 150EAS individuals volunteered over2100 hours (worth about $42.500.00)to build a gate, install interpretivesigns and two new informational ki-

osks, extend a boardwalk, buy twobike racks, clear invasive plants andplant natives in their place, open uptwo new side trails, and add trail signsalong the paths. After all this, thegrant money has been exhausted. Somy term as Project Manager has cometo an end. Nevertheless, I will con-tinue to volunteer to get the final ki-osk panels in place, bike racks androad signs installed, and a storageshed built. Further, I will continue to

join future work parties and help inhabitat restoration.

Given the above, new leadershipneeds to emerge from EAS so that theProject continues to receive appropri-ate attention. Whats needed? Some-one, or a team, to adopt, for example,the Main Trail, or the Forest Trail, tosee that vegetation gets trimmed back

now and then. Someone, or a group,to help organize habitat restorationevents. Someone, maybe you, whowill be a new contact with the Park staff. Will you step forward to ensurethat our investment in the Park has asecure future?

It has been an inspiration to me to seeso many volunteers come out month

after month on both hot and cold days,on very wet days, on days with snowon the ground, and always with asmile on their faces, to complete thetasks at hand. Thanks to all of youwho participated in this Project in anyway. Your work helps keep the birdssinging! It really does!

Jim Rettig

Thank You to Our VolunteersWe appreciate all the work carried onby our Board. Beyond all the work they do to make EAS a thriving Chap-ter, they meet once a month to plan fora sustainable future. Thanks to Car-men Almodovar, Cindy Balbuena,Brian Bell, Mary Britton-Simmons,Ellen Homan, Tricia Kishel, HelenLaBouy, Margaret Lie, TimMcGruder, Jim Rettig, and SunnyWalter

Thanks to volunteers who helped withour recent mailings newsletter andelection notices Lea Knapp (theQueen of mailings), Jill Keeney,Hank Myers, Pat Vernie, and Clau-dia Welch.

Finally, without the efforts of Car-

men Almodovar, Cindy Balbuena ,Brian Bell , Melinda BronsdonPaula Flores, Jill Keeney, TriciaKishel, Karin Olefsky, Claudia andBill Strickland, Sunny Walter, themonthly program meetings wouldntbe nearly as interesting, rich in contentor well-executed, so thank you, thank you, thank you for your time!

If weve missed anyone thank you!You know who you are and by yourown generous commitment, you set awonderful example and demonstratethe power of individuals to effect sig-nificant change into our communities.We greatly appreciate your time, gen-erosity and leadership and we knowthat you are our most passionate pro-

moters. We do request that you pleasecontinue to submit your volunteerhours by emailing the same [email protected] wheneveryou get a chance.

We cannot thank you enough for yourinvaluable contributions as a volun-teer. Our goals require sincere andcommitted volunteers and we aregrateful for the energy, enthusiasm,and dedication you bring to your roleas an Eastside Audubon volunteer.Would you like to volunteer for EAS?Check out the website for currentneeds.


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Final Loop of Great Washington State Birding Trail Embraces Puget SoundQ. String together everyones favoritebirding place and what do you get?

A. The Great Washington State Bird-ing Trail.

Each loop of the birding trail is a

strand of natures gems, said Audu-bons birding trail Program DirectorChristi Norman. Every site on eachof our five soon to be six mapsrepresents important habitat for ourresident or migrating birds.

After the eastern Washington map isunveiled at the capitol in late January,itll be time to begin the seventh route,the map that will complete the birdingtrail across Washington (drum roll,please!): the Puget Sound loop.

When its time to add a new route tothe trail, I come straight to Audubonchapter members, said Christi. Theyknow their birds and when andwhere to find them.

So, beginning in January, Christi andbirding trail editor Hilary Hilscherwill come to Audubon societies withinthe boundaries of the final loop Ta-homa, Rainier, Vashon-Maury, Kit-sap, Seattle, Eastside, Whidbey Island,and San Juan.

Each map takes from 12 to 18 monthsto develop and is a collaborative effortfrom the get-go:1. Each chapter in the route forms a

Birding Trail Committee .

2. Together with the local chapter,

chambers of commerce, tourismbureaus and tribes, Audubon pre-sents community workshops about the economic and conserva-tion benefits of birding trails.Birding trails, now in more than30 states, enjoy widespread localsupport.

3. Local people nominate birdingsites that have healthy habitat andsafe and legal access.

4. Christi and local birders visitsites; staff creates a rough draft of the route.

5. Rough drafts go to Birding TrailCommittees for local review .

6. Audubon staff and volunteersproof all text .

7. Birders buy printed maps to findand enjoy Washingtons birds.

The other maps of the birding trail arethe Coulee Corridor, and the Cascade,Southwest, Olympic, and Sun and

Sage loops.

Q. Why a birding trail in Washing-ton?

A. Because bird watching is ourfastest-growing outdoor recreation :

46 million Americans watch birds.A. Because our state is home to 346regularly occurring species of birds an exceptionally high number.

A. Because birds are good for busi-ness : Americas birders spend $30billion a year including $10 billion ontravel. Research shows that every 100new bird watchers create one newfull-time job, generate $2,500 in reve-nue, and return $2,600 in taxes.

We are very excited that the GreatWashington State Birding Trails havefinally come to Puget Sound. Comelearn more about our involvement inthis effort and what we can contributeto this effort. Christi and Hilary willbe speaking at our Annual Dinner onJanuary 28.

Volunteer for the Annual Holiday Gift Wrap!This is the 21st year for the HolidayGift Wrap at REI in Redmond andafter the snow closing us down lastyear, we are back!!! Join otherAuduboners in wrapping gifts andraising money for Eastside Audu-bon at REI. In addition to setting upour tables at REI in Redmond,well also be wrapping gifts at thenewer REI in Issaquah.

We will be wrapping gifts for thesix days before Christmas(December 19 th through 24 th) withmorning, afternoon and eveningshifts.

To volunteer, please call Helen La-Bouy at 206-915-1345 or [email protected] to let her know:

Which REI store you prefer;

What dates and shifts work foryou.

If you are unable to volunteer for afull shift (usually 3 hours) and youcan give at least two hours, please letus know.


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park is one block south of the exit. Turn right at third stopsign, to Dog Area parking lot. Parking is $1.

Dec 5 (Sat) 9:00 to noonMarymoor Park Habitat RestorationJoin us in restoring native habitat at the Marymoor Park interpretive area. Dress for the weather and bring clippers,gloves, snacks and water. Meet at SE corner of ParkingLot G. Jim Rettig 425-402-1833

Dec 5 (Sat) 8:00 to noon Green LakeWalk Green Lake with expert birder Martin Muller whohas acquired intimate knowledge of this lake and the 150bird species found there. Meet by 7:25 a.m. at SouthKirkland P&R near the bus stop (on 108th Ave. NE justnorth of hwy 520 and Northup Way) to carpool, or meetat Green Lake. We will park at the west end of Green

Lake near the Bathhouse Theater and meet Martin on thelake side of the theatre, between the brick building andthe water. No sign-up, just show up. Group size is amaximum of 15. Passenger cost/person $2.00. HughJennings 425-746-6351

Dec 12 (Sat) 7:00 a.m. to darkSamish Flats - registration required Seeing swans, geese, raptors and seabirds is the primarygoal of this fall, all day, trip. The birding route has yet tobe determined but will include Samish Flats. Dress for avariety of weather conditions. Bring lunch andfluids. Trip limited to 3 cars, 10 people. Two drivers willbe needed. Meet at south end of KingsgateP&R. Passenger cost/person $20.00. Mike West andJoyce Meyer. Call 425-868-7986 to register.

Dec 15 (Tues) 9:00 to noonJuanita Bay Park Bird WalkA relaxed walk in the Park, seeing what birds are in thearea. Meets the 3rd Tuesday of each month at 9:00 .Bring binoculars and meet in parking lot. No registrationrequired. MaryFrances Mathis 425-803-3026

Dec 28 (Mon) 9:00 to noonBirding the Hot Spots of King CountyMonthly field trip on fourth Monday of each month towherever the birds are. Meet before 9:00 a.m. at north endof the Newport Hills Park-N-Ride (I-405, exit 9) and planto be back by noon. Passenger cost/person $2.00. HughJennings 425-746-6351

Jan 6 (Weds) 8:00 to noonLake Sammamish State ParkSee Dec 2 entry.

(Continued on page 7)

Dec 1 (Tues) 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Samish/Skagit Flats - registration required The Samish and Skagit Flats are always interesting inearly December. We will be watching for waterfowl,including Swans. Raptors, including hawks, eagles,falcons and perhaps Short--eared Owls are present. Wewill also look for other waterbirds, and small songbirds inthe treed areas. Scopes very helpful. Dress for possiblewet weather and maybe wind. Waterproof footwareadvisable. Bring lunch and money for carpool. Limited to11 in three cars. Meet at the south end of the KingsgateP&R before 7:30 (if full, go to the north end of the P&R).Passenger cost/person $20. Brian H. Bell 425-485-8058 .

Dec 2 (Weds) 8:00 to noonLake Sammamish State ParkThis urban park offers a wide assortment of birds andhabitats due to its varied ecosystems. The trip willinvolve walking approximately 2-3 miles. Dressappropriately (rainproof in layers; some of the trailscan be muddy if wet). Just inside the main entrance, takethe first left into the large parking lot and meet at thenortheast end. Co-led by Sharon Aagaard and StanWood . Call Sharon with any questions, 425-891-3460.

Dec 4 (Fri) 9:00 to noonMarymoor Park Bird WalkJoin us for a morning walk along the nature trail, seeingwhat birds are in the area. Meets the 1st Friday of eachmonth at 9:00. Bring binoculars and meet at the SWcorner of the Dog Area parking lot (Parking Lot D). Noregistration is required. To reach Marymoor Park, takeSR 520 east from Seattle to the West Lake SammamishParkway exit and follow the signs. The entrance to the

F IELD TRIPS Parents and children over 8 are welcome on all trips. **FRS Radio owners, please consider bringing them on trips.**See www.eastsideaudubon.org/events/ for the latest information and for reports of last months field trips.

Meeting Places for Field Trips: Kingsgate Park and Ride: I-405 exit 20B northbound or

20 southbound, N. E. 124th St. Go west to light at 116thAve. N. E., then right (north) a few blocks to P&R lot (on

the left). Meet in the S.E. corner. 1300 116th Way NE,Kingsgate. Newport Hills Park and Ride: I-405, exit 9. 5115 113th

PL NE, Newport Hills. South Kirkland Park and Ride: 108th Ave. NE just

north of hwy 520 and Northup Way. 10610 NE 38th Pl. Tibbetts Park and Ride: Take exit 15 from I-90, turn

right (south) and go past the new multistoryIssaquah Park & Ride to the 3rd traffic light. Turnleft (east) on Newport Way NW, go one block andturn right (south) into the Park & Ride. Meet at thewest end of the parking lot (away from the entrance)to carpool. 1675 Newport Way NW, Issaquah


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Jan 16 (Sat) 7:30 a.m. to late afternoonSkagit/Samish FlatsThis is a great time to visit the Skagit and Samish Flats.The tidal flats and fields provide habitat for 20,000+ snowgeese in winter (they nest in Siberia). Many buteos, owl,and falcons hunt in the area. Tundra and Trumpeter Swansshould also be numerous. Meet before 7:30 at the southend of the Kingsgate P&R. Bring a lunch. Passenger cost/ person is $20.00. This trip will be limited to 11 people.Call Hugh Jennings at 425-746-6351 or [email protected] to reserve a space.

Jan 19 (Tues) 9:00 to noonJuanita Bay Park Bird WalkSee Dec 15 entry.

Jan 25 (Mon) 9:00 to noonBirding the Hot Spots of King CountyMonthly field trip on fourth Monday of each month towherever the birds are. Meet before 9:00 a.m. at north endof the Newport Hills Park-N-Ride (I-405, exit 9) and planto be back by noon. Passenger cost/person $2.00. HughJennings 425-746-6351

Jan 30 (Sat) 8:00 to noon West Seattle ShorelineExplore the shores and waters of West Seattle along ElliotBay and Puget Sound to Lincoln Park. Numerousviewpoints overlook the water and freighters, ferries andsea birds. Expectations include goldeneyes, scoters, gulls,Harlequin Ducks and shorebirds. Should be done by noon.

Meet before 8:00 a.m. at north end of the Wilburton P&R(I-405, exit 12). Passenger cost/person $3.00 . HughJennings 425-746-6351

Feb 5 (Fri) 9:00 to noonMarymoor Park Bird WalkSee Dec 4 entry.

Feb 10 (Weds) 8:00 to noonLake Sammamish State ParkSee Dec 2 entry.

Feb 13 (Sat) 7:30 a.m. Olympia AreaWe will visit the Olympia Watershed Park which has a 1.5mile trail that winds thru a diverse habitat for many birdsassociated with mixed coniferous and deciduouswoodlands. Next will be the McLane Creek Nature Trail,then Perry Creek, Mud Bay, Capitol Lake, PercivalLanding, North Point, East Bay and finally Priest PointState Park. The Olympia waterfront offers enjoyablebirding for wintering waterbirds, shorebirds and smallbirds. Last year we saw Western Scrub-Jay, Townsends

Warblers and a Barred Owl. Bring a lunch. Meet before7:30 a.m. at north end of the Newport Hills Park-N-Ride(I-405, exit 9). Passenger cost/person $15. HughJennings 425-746-6351

Feb 16 (Tues) 9:00 to noonJuanita Bay Park Bird WalkSee Dec 15 entry.

(Continued from page 6)

Great Backyard Bird Count February 12-15, 2010The Great Backyard Bird Count is anannual four-day event that engagesbird watchers of all ages in countingbirds to create a real-time snapshot of where the birds are across the conti-nent and in Hawaii. Anyone can par-

ticipate, from beginning bird watchersto experts. It takes as little as 15 min-utes on one day, or you can count foras long as you like each day of theevent. Its free, fun, and easyand ithelps the birds. Detailed information

will be in the February Corvid Crierand also can be found at:http://www.birdsource.org/gbbc/

Dr. Kerri W. Scarbrough, Optometrist17320 135th Ave. N.E. ? Woodinville

(425) 398-1862

See the birds better!

Dr. Kerri W. Scarbrough, Optometrist17320 135th Ave. N.E. Woodinville

(425) 398-1862www.eevisioncare.com

BusinessName

TM Construction

Residential ConstructionRemodel, Repair, Carpentry

10% discount for Audubon members

425-457-0465 [email protected]

Tim McGruder General Contractor tmcon**1480t


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Biologists for the first time have docu-mented a second breeding season duringthe annual cycle of five songbird speciesthat spend summers in temperate NorthAmerica and winters in tropical Centraland South America.

It was known that these species, whichmigrate at night when there are fewerpredators and the stars can guide their

journey, breed during their stay in temper-ate regions of the United States and Can-ada.

But it turns out that they squeeze in a sec-ond breeding season during a stopover inwestern Mexico on their southward mi-gration, said Sievert Rohwer a Universityof Washington professor emeritus of biol-ogy and curator emeritus of birds at theBurke Museum of Natural History andCulture at the UW.

"It's pretty much unheard of to have anocturnal migrant with a second breedingseason. It's a pretty special observation,"Rohwer said. "We saw these birds breed-ing and we were completely surprised."

Migratory double-breeding has been ob-served in two Old World bird species ontheir northward migration, but this is thefirst documented observation of "migratory double breeders" in the NewWorld, and the first anywhere for thesouthward migration, Rohwer said.

The scientists traveled to the lowlandthorn forests of coastal western Mexico tosurvey and collect songbirds that hadraised their young in the United States andCanada and then immediately migrated toMexico to molt, or shed and replace theirfeathers.

But during July and August in three con-secutive summers, 2005-2007, the re-searchers found individuals from five spe-cies -- yellow-billed cuckoos, orchardorioles, hooded orioles, yellow-breasted

chats and Cassin's vireos -- that werebreeding rather than molting.

They found evidence that the birds had, infact, bred earlier that year. Females of allfive species examined in July had dry andfeatherless brood patches, indicating theyhad bred earlier that summer. (To moreefficiently transfer heat to eggs, the ab-dominal brood patch becomes featherlessand thickened with fluid when females are

incubating, but as the young mature itdries out and remains featherless.). In theMexican breeding ground, there was acomplete absence of young birds, indicat-ing the females had not bred in the area of the thorn forests.

Active nests were found for two speciesand males of all five species were singingand defending territories or guarding fe-males, behaviors associated with breed-ing. In addition, isotopic analysis of thebirds' tissues showed that many had re-cently arrived in west Mexico from tem-perate areas farther north.

Rohwer is lead author of a paper describ-ing the findings, published the week of Oct. 26 in the online edition of the Pro-ceedings of the National Academies of Science . Coauthors are Keith Hobson of Environment Canada, a national agencycharged with preserving environmentalquality, and Vanya Rohwer, a graduatestudent at Queen's University in Kingston,Ontario. He is Sievert Rohwer's son andtook part in the work while a UW under-graduate. The research was funded by theBurke Museum Endowment for Ornithol-ogy, the Hugh and Jane Ferguson Founda-tion, the Nuttall Ornithological Club andEnvironment Canada.

The observation is much more than anoddity in bird behavior, Sievert Rohwer

said. He noted that orchard orioles mightraise a first brood in the Midwestern andsouth-central U.S. and a second on Mex-ico's western coast, yet both sets of off-spring find the same wintering area inCentral America. The question is howboth groups find the right place, sincethey must travel in different directions.

Then there is the yellow-billed cuckoo,once commonly seen throughout the west-ern United States and as far north as theSeattle area but now seldom seen alongthe West Coast. Disappearing habitat in

the U.S. is usually cited as the reason.But Rohwer believes the real problemcould be the transformation of thorn for-ests of southern Sonora and Sinaloa, statesin northwestern Mexico, into irrigatedindustrial farms. That loss of habitat, hesaid, could mean not enough young areproduced in the second breeding season tosustain the populations previously seen onthe U.S. West Coast.

"It turns out that many of those migrants,both molt migrants and the newly discov-ered migratory double breeders, are de-pendent on the low-altitude thorn foreststhat become very productive during themonsoon," Rohwer said.

The thorn forests lie in an arid and forbid-ding scrubland that springs to life with themonsoon lasting from June through Au-gust. The monsoon brings virtually all of the area's annual rainfall. The small treesleaf out and insects become abundant,making an ideal stopover for migratingsongbirds.

However, with plenty of biting insects,temperatures often at 100 degrees Fahren-heit and humidity hovering near 100 per-cent, it is a difficult place for researchersto work, so there has been little previousdocumentation of life in the thorn forest.The new findings could spur more work there.

"For western North America, the conser-vation implications are pretty serious,"Rohwer said. "Biologists know theoreti-cally that they should pay attention tothese migration stopover sites, but they'vebeen largely ignored for their conserva-tion implications."

For more information, contact Rohwer at206-543-4066 [email protected]

by Vince Stricherz

[email protected]

First Evidence for a Second Breeding Season among Migratory Songbirds

UW/Burke Museum: These eggs were col-lected in August 2006 from an orchard oriolenest in Sinaloa, on the west coast of Mexico.


9/9


The White-winged Scoter is one of theworlds three scoters, all of which areseen in winter along the Washingtoncoast. They are all in the genus

Melanitta from the Greek melas , black,and netta , a duck. Heinrich Boie (1794-1827) Latinized the Greek word for duck and misspelled it. However, the princi-ple of priority allows the error to stand.Fusca is from the Latin fuscus , dark-colored. The common name derivesfrom the distinctive white wing patcheson the secondary flight feathers. Theorigin of scoter is unknown (Holloway).

In addition to the white wing patches, themale White-winged Scoter has a whitecrescent-shaped mark trailing out fromthe eye. Only the front portion of the billis orange in contrast to the Surf Scoterswhite and orange bill. The head, neck and back are black and the sides are dark brown. The female is dark brown withtwo faint white marks on the face. Thesemarks are not as distinctive as similarmarks on the female Surf Scoter.

White-winged scoters are found in ma-rine waters in winter, but breed in freshwater ponds in the interior of Alaska andCanada in the open boreal forest. White-winged Scoters in the highest abundanceare found throughout the Northwest Ter-ritories. The nest is a shallow depressionon the ground in dense brush often at adistance from water. It is usually linedwith plant material and there are 9-10pale buff or pinkish eggs deposited. Thefemale alone incubates the eggs for

about a month (Kaufman). Little isknown about the first flight and it couldoccur anywhere between seven and tenweeks after hatching.

Diving for mollusks is the preferredmethod of feeding. The White-wingswill bring them to the surface and swal-low them whole. During breeding bothadults and ducklings will eat insects, fishand some plants. In winter the birds flyin small flocks low over the water inlong wavering lines, called strings. Dur-ing the height of migration several thou-sand can gather on the water as if in astaging area. They are strong flyers andexcellent swimmers, but awkward ontake-off, when they have to run along thewater for a while before lifting off.These ducks are generally silent.

White-winged Scoters have a very strongphilopatry, the instinct to return to thesame breeding area, and because of it

they are vulnerable to changes in habitat.Early records show breeding populationsin North Dakota and it is thought thatexpansion of agricultural use of land andhunting eliminated this portion of thebreeding area (Brown et al). Canadianbreeding habitat needs further monitor-ing. Scoters are also vulnerable to oilspills both from direct contact and alsodue to damage to their foraging habitat inestuaries and bays.

To see White-winged Scoters in theircharacteristic string on the water, go tothe following Web site:

http://macaulaylibrary.org/video/ flashPlayer.do?id=48769

(Photo credit: Gary Luhm. Referencesavailable upon request at [email protected] )

BIRD OF THE MONTH Andrew McCormick White-winged Scoter Melanitta fusca

Length 21 inWingspan 34 inWeight 3.7 ln (1,670 g)AOU Band code WWSC

Thanks to Sweet Cakes

Have you noticed the wonderful cakes and cupcakes being servedat our meetings? They have been donated by Sweet Cakes of 128 Park Lane in Kirkland. Sweet Cakes makes custom desserts,cakes, cookies and more. They do custom orders too!

Thank you Sweet Cakes for your delicious and wonderful dona-tions!

Dec 2009 Corvid Crier Newsletter Eastside Audubon Society

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Transcript of Dec 2009 Corvid Crier Newsletter Eastside Audubon Society