Kodiak Audubon Society 2012 Newslettter

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KODIAK AUDUBON SOCIETY! APRIL 29, 2012

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10:00 -11:30 amBuild a Bird Feeder

Build your own bird feeder andwelcome birds to your backyard!Children under 8 years of agemust have an adult assist withthis activity.

11:30 am 12:30 pm

Visit Artemis the OwlA presentation featuring"Artemis" the Great HornedOwl (courtesy of owl handlerRandi Pearlmann from the BirdTreatment and Learning Centerin Anchorage).

1:00 2:00 pmBird Banding Demo

Baranov Park (weatherpermitting)Learn about theMonitoringAvian Productivity &Survivorship (MAPS) program,acitizen science program, whichbands migratory songbirds andprovides information tocontinent-wide database.

Celebrate International Migratory Bird DayKodiak National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center(402 Center Ave)

IMBD celebrates and bringsattention to one of the mostimportant and spectacular eventsin the Americas - bird migration.Public awareness and concern arecrucial components of migratorybird conservation. Citizens whoare enthusiastic about birds,informed about threats, and

empowered to become involvedin addressing those threats, canmake a tremendous contributionto maintaining healthy birdpopulations. By modeling whatcan be done and involving people,their interest and involvement instewardship can grow(fromwww.birdday.org).

2011 - 2012 CONSERVATION REPORT FOR KODIAK AUDUBON

by Stacy Studebaker

2011 was a busy year for the ConservationCommittee. Many new issues popped up but we havecontinued to follow the FAAs Kodiak AirportEnvironmental Impact Statement process for theproposed Runway Safety Areas (RSA).

Over the last six years, the Federal AviationAdministration has been preparing an EIS to

evaluate actions proposed by the Airport Operator,the Alaska State Department of Transportation andPublic Facilities (ADOT&PF), to improve theRunway Safety Areas (RSAs) at the Kodiak Airport.Kodiak Audubon has been involved from the start tohelp protect important habitats, salmon, and speciesof conservation concern at the mouth of the BuskinRiver. The EIS will be published this summer and

Continued on page 3
http://www.birdday.org/http://www.birdday.org/


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! PAGE 2

PRESIDENTS CORNERGreetings Habitat-Huggers,

Its spring. Kodiak Audubon is gearing up forleading bird walks for the 5th grade classes at FortAbercrombie with Peterson Elementary(May 4) and

at Camp Woody(May 10 and 17) with Main and EastElementary. Even though the weather is frequentlysnotty, its always loads of fun. We are also lookingforward to International Migratory Bird Day on May19th hosted with the Kodiak National WildlifeRefuge Visitor Center (see the other article fordetails) and of course we are excited for our summerhiking series.

Kodiak Audubon has switched to publishing asingle printed newsletter each year which will comeout in April/May with a copy of our hiking guide. Tostay up to date on programs and events, join us onFacebook or visit our blogkodiakaudubon.blogspot.com. As most of you know,the ever-popular Birds About Town column, has nowbeen officially retired. If you are interested in thebirds being sited around town there is a YahooGroup KodiakBirding moderated by Rich

MacIntosh. Please join and share all of the birds thatyou are sighting around the island.

Thank you to everyone involved. Way to go

Auduboners!

In October we hosted NilsWarnock, the Director of AudubonAlaska, who gave a presentation,From Highways to Flyways:Migration of Alaskas Birds in which

we learned about how crucial Asianwintering grounds are for thebreeding birds of Alaska.

In November, we hada booth at theAAUW bazaar.Each year we sellAudubon Calendarsand the Kodiak

Audubon Hiking and

Birding Guide. We alsodisplay and sell cat bibs,

which always received quite a fewcomments and chuckles.

We also became betteracquainted with Kodiaks winter birdlife as Rich gave his annual WinterBirds of Kodiak presentation toprepare us for the Christmas Bird

Counts. Thank you to Nils Warnockand Rich MacIntosh for sharing yourexpertise and photos.

Each year in December KodiakAudubon runs two Christmas BirdCounts one in the Kodiak area andanother in the Narrow Cape area.The results from the Kodiak areacount as reported by Rich MacIntoshon KodiakBirding, This was the 39thconsecutive Kodiak Christmas BirdCount. Sixty one people participatedthis year. We tallied 78 species and11,071 individual birds on count day,and an additional 7 species in Count

Week (the periods three days before,and three days after Count Day).Count Week birds were Brant,Eurasian Wigeon, King Eider, Rough-legged Hawk, Peregrine Falcon,Thayer's Gull, and American Three-toed Woodpecker. The Count Daytotal was very good, despite bad

weather. Our best ever Count Day

total, 86, is the all-time high count forthe State. The post-count compilingparty, held at Claudia and StoshAnderson's house, was fabulous.Thank you Claudia and Stosh. Formore details, please visit http://

groups.yahoo.com/group/KodiakBirding/message/396

In late March, we screen themove, The BigYear, and then took everyone out tosearch for Borealand Northern Saw-

whet Owls.

KodiakAudubon decidedto host fewerlecture speakersthis year with the advent of the newBrown Bag Lunch Series hosted bythe Kodiak National Wildlife Refugeand the Alutiiq Museum EveningLecture Series.

THE FOLLOWING IS A RECAP OF THIS PAST YEAR.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/KodiakBirding/message/396http://groups.yahoo.com/group/KodiakBirding/message/396http://groups.yahoo.com/group/KodiakBirding/message/396http://groups.yahoo.com/group/KodiakBirding/message/396http://groups.yahoo.com/group/KodiakBirding/message/396http://groups.yahoo.com/group/KodiakBirding/message/396http://groups.yahoo.com/group/KodiakBirding/message/396http://groups.yahoo.com/group/KodiakBirding/message/396


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! PAGE 3

Contributors

CINDY TRUSSELLPresident of KodiakAudubon Society

CINDY BOWER

Newsletter andhiking programcoordinator

STACY STUDEBAKERConservation chairand organizer forInternationalMigratory Bird Day.

will include the FAAs preferredalternatives for the Runway SafetyAreas and runway extensions.There will be a 60-day commentsperiod. Working with othergroups, tribes, agencies and

individuals, Kodiak Audubon hasmade a difference in protectingthe Buskin River State RecreationArea from unnecessary impactsand encouraging the developmentof alternatives that will not disturbthis area that is so important toour community.

August 27, 2011

We submitted comments to the

Kodiak Regional AquacultureAssociation on their proposal forNutrient Enrichment of KarlukLake. We do not support nutrientenrichment or stocking of KarlukLake or any other lake in therefuge that is relatively pristinemainly because these lakes arewithin the Kodiak NationalWildlife Refuge whose mission is,in part, to protect naturalecosystems. Many other lakes inthe Kodiak Archipelago have beenartificially enriched or stocked andwe believe that some should beleft alone to serve as a control inorder to learn more about thenatural fluctuations of Kodiaksalmon and brown bear habitat.

Sept. 1, 2011We submittedcomments to the Borough Parksand Recreation Committee on theKodiak Road System Trails MasterPlan. Audubon members havebeen very dedicated and activemembers of this committeethroughout the development ofthe plan. The plan is nowcomplete and the committee heldits first Trails Summit on April25th. Although we feel the planfalls short in some areas ofconservation concern, we thankthe committee for their efforts inthe art of compromise and arepleased that the plan is complete

so they can now move forwardwith getting grant money toimprove trails.

December 21, 2011

We submitted comments toKodiak Island Borough Planningand Zoning Committee on therequest by A1 Timber to build alogging road in Chiniak acrossstate and borough land. Audubon

was opposed to the request due tomany natural resource impacts andsupported the Chiniak communitythat was also opposed to the idea.Audubon members testified inperson many times at meetings.The permit was denied.

January 21st, 2012

We submitted comments to theAlaska Department of Natural

Resources Division of Mining,Land and Water on the AlaskanWet Dog Jetski Race Eventproposed for May of 2013. Wehave many concerns about safety,environmental impacts, andinfrastructure impacts on smallcommunities along the 1000+ mile

proposed route in the Gulf ofAlaska.!

Kodiak Audubon continuesto participate in the KodiakArchipelago Cooperative Weeds

Management Area groupmeetings that direct efforts toprotect our native flora fromintroduced and invasive plantspecies.


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Hiking Program Continues in 2012

The Kodiak Audubon Societyinvites you to join us for a stroll, ahike, or a climb! Volunteers lead hikes

on our beautiful island. Meet yourhike leader at 9:30 am in front of theKodiak Island Convention & VisitorsBureau (Ferry Building) at the end ofCenter Avenue, downtown. Check the

schedule inside for dates,destinations, and difficulty levels.

You may participate in thesehikes at your own risk and should beaware of dangers in the wilderness and

your own limits. Only select trips witha level of difficulty you can manage.Let the trip leader know about anyproblems you may have. Children are

welcome if accompanied by aresponsible adult and if the trip is nottoo strenuous (e.g. # 1 type hikes).Dress appropriately for Kodiaks cooland wet climate. Carry rain gear anduse the layering principle. Wear good

quality waterproof hiking boots.Bring a snack or sandwich, water,

camera, and binoculars to enjoy thewildlife and the glorious vistas.

Calendar

May 19, 2012

International Migratory Bird Day

June 2, 2012

Fort Abercrombie Hike

June 3, 2012

Near Island North and South Ends

June 9, 2012

Up and Over Old Womens Mountain

June 10, 2012

Boyscout Lake Trails

June 16, 2012

Three Pillar Point Trail

Kodiak Audubon Society 2012 Newslettter

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