Oct 2011 Stanislaus Audubon

8/12/2019 Oct 2011 Stanislaus Audubon

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/oct-2011-stanislaus-audubon 1/8

Valley Habitat 1

The Valley Hab itat October 2011

A Jo in t Pu bl ic at io n of th e St an is la us Aud ub on Soc ie ty

an d the Yo ku ts Gr ou p of th e S ie rr a Cl ub

Our October 21st Program: "Of Alta, Svalbard, Ice, and Isbjorn (Ice Bear)"

World Population toPass the Seven BillionMark -- Just AnotherDay or a Malthusian

Catastrophe?

--by Brad Barker, Yokuts Chair

Anyone who has drivennear the Briggsmore Overpass atrush hour knows there are toodamn many people in the world.And they just keep coming.Human reproduction is relentless.At current rates, about 77 millionnew humans are added to theearth's total each year (and yes,that's after the dearly departed arefactored in.) So, that's nearly211,000 people added each day,the equivalent of a new “Modesto”appearing on the planet every single

day. Yesterday, a new Modesto.Today, a new Modesto. Tomorrow,a new Modesto. Repeating everyforeseeable day. Am I making my point?

When my grandparentswere born at the beginning of the20th century, there were about oneand a half billion people on earth.It took a very long time to reachthat number; in fact, it took all ofhuman history and prehistory.Then, in just a single century, hard-ly a blip in the geologic age of the planet, the human population quad-rupled to six billion. And since1999 we've nearly added another billion. By the end of this month,October 2011, we'll pass the seven billion mark and keep on going.

The 20th century will beknown for many things: the biggest

wars, the digital age, the space race, airtravel, nuclear power, huge leaps inmedicine, the rise and fall of theSoviet Union, the spread and impact of automobiles, and so on. Butthe most dramatic event of thatcentury has got to be, pardon theexpression, the “explosion” of hu-man population. Humans havesuch an enormous impact on the planet that things will never be thesame.

Seven freaking billion --the only good thing about thismilestone is it's a teachable mo-ment. Fortunately, there are manyfine organizations working on pop-ulation issues. Check them on theweb: Population Connection, theCenter for Biological Diversity,and 7 Billion Actions (connected tothe United Nations).

Continued on page 7

In July, Richard and Lynn eco-toured the sea ice and fjords of a Norwegian island just ten degrees fromthe North Pole. They returned with stills and videos of massive glaciers, marine birds, walruses, tundra,and polar bears. Effects of global warming will be illustrated. And, they'll add a visit to the World Her-itage site at Alta, Norway with its 6,000 year-old petroglyphs .

The program will be held Friday, October 21st, at the Fellowship Hall of the College Avenue Church,

1341 College Ave. (at Orangeburg) in Modesto. Refreshments and Socializing begin at 6:45 p.m., and the program starts at 7 p.m. It is free and open to the public.



Valley Habitat 2

Stan islaus Audubon Soc iety

RECENT SIGHTINGS OF RARE OR UNCOMMON BIRDS

(NOTE: The first three paragraphs of this report were intended

to accompany the photographs in the September issue of Valley Habitat.)

MERCED COUNTY: On May 18, Peter Metropolous had a “LEAST” BELL’S VIREO singing on the Souza Trail atthe San Luis National Wildlife Refuge. Shortly thereafter, another birder reported a second singing Bell’s Vireo. Thatis the same location where two Bell’s Vireos were found last spring, so they might be the same birds returning. Since

this vireo is a state endangered species, its return to the Central Valley is always encouraging news.

STANISLAUS COUNTY: On May 23, Joe Devine and his grandson Caleb had three BLACK TERNS overHawkins Pond. This tern is very social, and may migrate in flocks of thousands. Ralph Baker had a YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT on June 19 at the San Joaquin River N.W.R. This odd bird, which sounds like a thrasher, is placedin the Wood-Warbler family. The chat bears a resemblance, however, to tanagers, yet its scientific name is Icteria vi-

rens, which suggests an oriole, so its placement is an ongoing anomaly.

Daniel Gilman and Sal Salerno found a COMMON POORWILL in Del Puerto Canyon on the evening of July

1. John Harris and Sal Salerno had three LESSER NIGHTHAWKS flying over a pond on Willms Road on July 5.These birds were called goatsuckers because of the folktale claiming that they’d suckle on goats at night. The truth is,

these aerial acrobats forage for insects from dusk to dawn.

MERCED COUNTY: On September 5, Ken van Vuren had a BAIRD’S SANDPIPER near Gustine. The mi-gration route of these birds is usually through the Great Plains. In the spring, they may travel 9,300 miles from the Arc-

tic to Southern America in only five weeks.

STANISLAUS COUNTY: On September 11, Eric Caine had a first-summer COMMON TERN (not pictured)at the restricted-access Modesto Water Quality Control Facility. This tern drinks water on the wing, dipping its bill in

the water as it glides; those living on the coast drink sea water.

BAIRD’S SANDPIPER © Tom Grey

2011 Collaborative Big Year Update

The grand total of species observed in Stani-

slaus Audubon’s collaborative Big Year is

now at 233 species for Stanislaus and

Merced counties. Some recent additions in-

clude a Sanderling on August 14 and a Com-

mon Tern on September 11, both seen at the

Modesto Secondary Wastewater Treatment

Plant, and a Baird’s Sandpiper at GustineSewage Ponds. Sewage treatment facilities

may seem like a strange place to see rare

birds, but they often provide habitat for mi-

gratory and wintering shorebirds, waterfowl,

gulls and terns. Migration is in full swing so

hopefully we’ll get closer to the 2009 total of 251

species.




Valley Habitat 3

Any layman birder like mewho attempts to explore that question

must be prepared to suffer the slingsand arrows of outraged ornithol-ogists. Even many biologists andfellow birders may shake their headsand mutter over this page. But when Irecall that my readership is com- prised mostly of generalists, and thatmy purpose is to stimulate interest in

birds, those facts should be armor enough.

The definition of any species,not only birds, is a highly chargedissue. John Wilkins has written,

with nearly as much truth as wit,that there are “n+1 definitions ofspecies in a room of n biologists.”To simplify their contentious de- bates, I’ll point to their two major

explanations.

In 1942, Ernest Mayroutlined the Biological SpeciesConcept. The BSC defined a spe-cies as “a group of interbreedingnatural populations that are re-

productively isolated from othersuch groups.” That key term,“reproductive isolation,” means thattwo different species cannot success-fully produce offspring that can re-

produce themselves.

The BSC is elegant in itssimplicity, yes? But birds will be birds, and we know of many specieshybridizing in nature, notably amonggeese, ducks, and gulls. One estimatehas it that 10% of species have pro-

duced hybrids. If we strictly adhereto the BSC, that would require“lumping” of distinctly different birds. Bullock’s and Baltimore Ori-oles, as one of numerous examples,were once lumped as a single species because their hybrid offspring are

fertile.

In 1980, an alternative to theBSC was proposed. The Phylogenetic

Species Concept defines a species as“the smallest aggregation of popula-tions or lineages diagnosable by a

unique combination of character

states.” This definition can usemany markers to determine how onegroup of birds is recognizably differ-ent from other closely related birds.The DNA sequencing techniques thathave developed over the past thirty years

have given the proponents of the PSC

more clinical tools for identifying species.

The PSC is right for the mod-ern age, yes? But once again, natureintroduces difficulties by producingsubspecies of birds. A subspecies(also called “race”) shows variationin appearance from the main speciesdue to geographical isolation. Thesevariations in size, plumage patterns,and even vocalizations can be subtle

over their ranges. Look in your fieldguide at Dark-eyed Junco, and you’llsee six races of the same species.Kenn Kaufman has stated that overone-third of all North American spe-cies has some geographical variation.If we adhere strictly to the PSC, its proponents have claimed, the number

of bird species may double!

The American Ornithol-ogists’ Union (AOU) is responsible

for the classification of North andMiddle American bird species. Alt-hough the birds themselves havehardly changed in recent decades,their scientific and common namesare in constant flux: the AOU Check-list of North American Birds is nowin its 52nd supplement. Its Classifica-tion Committee had been “lumping”similar birds into the same species,

but recently the trend has movedinto “splitting” previously consid-

ered subspecies into separate spe-cies.

Although the AOU stillswears by the BSC, its actual practice has adopted some of themethods of the PSC. Recentsplits include Mexican Whip- poor-will from Eastern Whip- poor-will, as well as the PacificWren from Winter Wren. Birderscall that an “armchair tick,”meaning that they can comforta-

bly add a new species to their listwithout having to chase after it. TheWestern Scrub-Jay you see in your backyard is subtly different from theone you saw during your last trip tothe coast, and the AOU may be split-ting those races into separate species

someday.

Humans have a compulsiveneed to categorize experience in or-der to know the world. Nature, in itsinfinite diversity, is continually re-sisting such categories and absoluteknowledge. I’ve only skimmed thesurface of a fathomless well here.How many species of birds are there?

Stay tuned. The answer to the ques-tion proposed in the title above mayhave to be summarized not by words,

but by a punctuation mark: ?

WHAT IS A SPECIES, ANYWAY? by Salvatore Salerno

Marbled Godwit and Whimbrel © Joe Devine



Stanislaus Audubon Society

Board of Directors: Bill Amundsen, Ralph

Baker, Eric Caine, Joe Devine, Lori

Franzman, Jody Hallstrom, David Froba,

Daniel Gilman, John Harris, Harold Reeve,Salatore Salerno, Dale Swanberg.

Officers & Committee Chairs

President: Sal Salerno 985-1232

([email protected])

Vice President: Eric Caine 968-1302

([email protected])

Treasurer: David Froba 521-7265

([email protected])

Secretary: John Harris 848-1518

([email protected])

Membership: Revolving

San Joaquin River Refuge Field Trips:

Bill Amundsen 521-8256

([email protected])

Other Field Trips: David Froba 521-7265

([email protected])

Christmas Bird Counts:

Harold Reeve 538-0885

How to Join Audubon

To become a member of the NationalAudubon Society, which entitles you

to receive Valley Habitat and Audubon

Magazine, send your check for $20.00 to:

National Audubon Society

Membership Data Center

P.O. Box 51003 - Boulder, CO 80323-1003

Visit our web site at www.stanislausbirds.org

Valley Habitat 4


UDUBON FIELD TRIPS

September 24. O'Neill Forebay /San Luis Reservoir. The wooded areasattract late migrant vagrants. We'll also check the water for early winter birds. Meet at 7:00 a.m. at the Stanislaus Library parking lot at 1500 IStreet. Trip leader, Dave Froba. We'll be back early afternoon.

October 1-2. Monterey Coastal and Pelagic. This is a Sacramento Audubon

trip. It is a low-cost opportunity to take a boat trip out into Monterey Bayto see pelagic species, those that spend their whole non-nesting life, dayand night, at sea. Contact Mark Cudney, [email protected], 916-987-2422.

October 22. Modesto Reservoir and area. Wintering birds should have ar-rived by now and be ready for our inspection: water birds, tree birds, andhawks and eagles. Meet at 7:00 a.m. at the Stanislaus Library parking lotat 1500 I Street. Trip leader, Dave Froba. We'll be back about noon.

November 12. Woodward Reservoir. "The best underbirded area in thecounty" says one local expert. We'll look for raptors as well as water and

perching birds. Meet at 7:00 a.m. at the Stanislaus Library parking lotat 1500 I Street. Trip leader, John Harris. We'll be back about noon.

December 10. Merced National Wildlife Refuge. For all-around birding(water birds, shorebirds, perching birds, raptors) this may be the best placeto bird near Modesto and it will be in high season. Meet at 7:00 a.m. at theStanislaus Library parking lot at 1500 I Street. Trip leader, Sal Salerno.

We'll be back early af te rno on .

See p. 6 for information on field trips to the San Joaquin NWR.

Early Birders, 9-10-11

September 3rd Audubon Trip by Dave Froba

We birded several Stanislaus River parks this morning,

focusing on pure migrants. We got two Willow Fly-

catchers, several Yellow Warblers, and a quick view at a

Wilson's Warbler. Also of note was a Lincoln's Sparrowwhich is not supposed to migrate back into this area

until mid-September and a Cooper's Hawk which

was soaring like a Red Tailed over Horseshoe

Lake, instead of waiting quietly in a tree for the

prey to come to it like a good Cooper's Hawk.

mailto:[email protected]




Valley Habitat 5

Yokuts Group of the S ierra Club

September 23-25, 2011 Fri-day-Sunday Camping w/Dayhike (1A) Pinecrest Lake,Emigrant Wilderness(Yokuts)Meet at Pinecrest Lake Campgroundon Friday after 4:00pm. The sitesnear the lake are convenient. We’llhike around the lake and up to Cleo’sBath on Saturday. Bring all your owngear/food. Bring something for a pot-luck dinner on Saturday night. Sun-day morning, we can go hiking orrelax. Departure time is negotiableamong the group. It’s $20 per site pernight, 6 people/2 vehicles per site,elevation 5700’, piped water, flushtoilets, hot showers available at nearby Pinecrest Store. Call 877-444-6777 or recreation.gov for more info.Contact Monica [email protected] .

October 1, 2011 Saturday

Day Hike (1A)

Bear Lake, Emigrant Wilder-ness (Yokuts)

This is approximately a six mile hike, beginning at Crabtree at elevations ofabout 7,200-7,700ft with a moderateuphill on the way in. Swimming is anoption, if warm enough. Bring lunch,ten essentials, and money for dinnerat Mi Pueblo in Sonora on the wayhome. Meet at Denny’s parking lot inOakdale at 8:00 a.m. Contact MonicaCasey at [email protected] ,or co-leader, Alan Bernikoff at aber-

[email protected].

October 1, Saturday - Calav-eras Big Trees State Park,

South Grove Loop Trail

(Day Hike 1A, Delta-Sierra

Group)

Come walk in the woods amongst theMonarchs of the Forest on this de-lightful day hike. We will hike alongBig Trees Creek and then meanderdown a side trail to stand beneath the

splendor of the two largest trees inthe Park: the Agassiz Tree and thePalace Hotel Tree. This is a 5 mileloop hike is for people of all levelswith an elevation gain of 400’. Bring2 Liters of water (.5L for every milehiked), trail snacks, lunch, hiking boots or comfortable tennis shoes, hat& sunglasses, sun-block, and layersof clothes (weather can change ab-ruptly in the mountains). Rain can-cels. Sierra Club does not organize

carpools but you are welcome to ar-rive15 minutes early to arrange pri-vate agreements between yourselfand other drivers. We suggest thatriders bring $$ to compensate theirdrivers, $4 per hour of driving & anequal share of any added fees; StatePark fees are $8 per car, and optionaldinner afterwards. Meet @ 8:15, REI-Stockton, 5757 Pacific Ave, Stock-ton, CA 95207 Provisional Leader;Mari, 209-298-8756. Assistant

Leader; Paul Plathe.

Sunday Oct. 9 Day Hike (1C)

Eightieth Birthday Hike toMount Hoffman, Yosemi-

te National Park,

Leader Frank's annual hike to the ge-ographic center of Yosemite, Mt.Hoffman (elev.10850' ) - ascendsfrom the May Lake trailhead parking

area ( 8000' ) for a totalround distance of 3.5 miles. Carrysack lunch, one plus litter, snacks etc.

etc.

Hiking staffs highly recommended.Due to limited numbers of hikers, areservation is required. For meeting place, time, and reservation, contactleader, Frank, email -

[email protected] ,

ph. (209) 962-7585.

October 15th, Saturday -Come discover Shealor

Lake! El Dorado NationalForest (Day Hike 1A, Delta-

Sierra Group)

Enjoy this less known hike to prettyShealor Lake! This hike is an easy/moderate hike that hikers of any levelcan enjoy with a round trip of 3.5miand a 450' elev. gain. The trail pro-vides wildly contrasting alpine scen-ery, including dark volcanic peaks inthe nearby Mokelumne Wildernessand lighter-colored granite canyons

of the Caples Creek Proposed Wil-derness. Bring 2 Liters of water (.5Lfor every mile hiked), trail snacks,lunch, hiking boots or comfortabletennis shoes, hat & sunglasses, sun- block, and layers of clothes (weathercan change abruptly in the moun-tains). Rain cancels. Sierra Club doesnot organize carpools but you arewelcome to arrive 15 minutes early toarrange private agreements betweenyourself and other drivers. We sug-

gest that riders bring $$ to compen-sate their drivers, $4 per hour of driv-ing & an equal share of any addedfees. Optional dinner afterwards.Meet @ 8:15, REI-Stockton, 5757Pacific Ave, Stockton, CA 95207.Provisional Leader; Mari, 209-298-

8756. Assistant Leader; Paul Plathe.

Saturday, Oct 29th Dayhike 2B Annual “End-of-

daylight-savings-time” hike.

Yosemite Valley on the old “Big OakFlat “ghost road”. Meeting time & place: 7:30 at the parking area behindthe Fruit Yard (intersection of GeerRoad and Rt 132). For further infor-mation or details please contactYokuts trip leader Randy Brown at

http://recreation.gov/





http://us.mc362.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected]







http://recreation.gov/



Valley Habitat 6


Yokuts Elections 2012 by Kathy Weise

…although our elections won’t gather as much media attention as the state elections they are important to theYokuts group. There are several positions open and I encourage you all to consider working on the manage-ment committee. The committee meets once a month on a Monday evening. I have listed the positions and Iwant to stress we all work together and help with the different duties. It is a wonderful group of people with

varied interests, opinions and strengths. These are 2 year terms.

Positions open for 2012 are: Chair

Conservation Chair

Secretary

It has been my pleasure to work with most of them for the past 12+ years and while having fun I have learnedmuch through their insight and abilities. Please consider joining us. You may contact the nominating com-

mittee with any questions or to volunteer for one of the positions.

Ballots will go out in our November Habitat.

Nominating Committee:

Nancy Jewett Alexandra Hoffmann Kathy Weise

[email protected] [email protected] [email protected] 209-985-1575 209-545-5948

See http://sierraclub.typepad.com/layoftheland/ where you can find “LeConte Memorial Lodge, The

Sierra Club’s Home in Yosemite National Park” among other compelling conservation articles.

MONTHLY BIRDWATCHING TRIPS TO THE SAN JOAQUIN RIVER NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

Stanislaus Audubon Society organizes a bird watching field trip each month to the San JoaquinRiver N.W.R. The next trip will be on Sunday, October 16. We will meet in the parking lot behind theStanislaus County Library, 15th and H Streets, Modesto at 7:00 a.m. Starting this year, we will be doingthese trips on the third Sunday of each month, except November and December. In November, we will goon the fourth Sunday, which is November 27. The permit that has been issued to Stanislaus Audubon So-

ciety slows us to visit most of the closed portion of the refuge on our field trips. Hope to see you there!



http://sierraclub.typepad.com/layoftheland/2011/09/leconte-memorial-lodge-the-sierra-clubs-home-in-yosemite-national-park.html









Valley Habitat 7


Yokuts Group of the Sierra Club

Management Committee

Chair Brad Barker 526-5281

Treasurer Sylvan Bupp 524-0074

Secretary Anita Young 529-2300

Programs Alexandra Hoffmann 985-1575

Conservation Sandy Wilson 577-5616

Membership Kathy Clarke 575-2174

Hospitality Candy Klaschus 632-5473

Publicity Dorothy Griggs 549-9155

Outings Randall Brown 632-5994

Newsletter Nancy Jewett 664-9422

Mailing Kathy Weise 545-5948

Politics Jerry Jackman 577-5616

Population Milt Trieweiler 664-1181

Fundraising Leonard Choate 524-3659

Website Jason Tyree [email protected]

Check out our Website:

http://motherlode.sierraclub.org/yokuts

To send stories to the Habitat, e-mail: [email protected]

Sierra Club Membership

Enrollment Form

Yes, I want to be a member of the Sierra Club!

Yes, I want to give a gift membership!

______________________________________________________________________ NEW MEMBER NAME(S)

________________________________________________________

ADRESS

______________________________________________________________

CITY STATE ZIP

______________________________________________________________

TELEPHONE (optional) EMAIL (optional)

From time to time, we make our mailing list available to other worthy organizations.

If you prefer your name not be included, please check here.

MEMBERSHIP CATEGORIES (check one)

INDIVIDUAL JOINT

Special offer $15

Regular $39 $49

Supporting $75 $100

Contributing $150 $175

Life $1000 $1250

Senior $25 $35

Student $25 $35

Limited Income $25 $35

Contributions, gifts and dues to the Sierra Club are not tax-deductible; they support

our effective, citizen-based advocacy and lobbying efforts. Your dues include $7.50

for a subscription to SIERRA magazine and $1 for your Chapter newsletter.

PAYMENT METHOD: (check one)

CHECK VISA MASTERCARD AMEX

______________________________________________________________

CARDHOLDER NAME

___________________________________________________________

CARD NUMBER EXPIRATION DATE

_____________________________________________________________________

SIGNATURE

GIFT MEMBERSHIP: A gift card will be sent for your use. Enter your name

and address below and the name and address of the gift recipient above.

_____________________________________________________________________

YOUR NAME(S)

_____________________________________________________________________

ADDRESS

______________________________________________________________________

CITY STATE ZIP

______________________________________________________________________

TELEPHONE (optional) EMAIL (optional)

Enclose payment information and mail to:

P.O. Box 421041, Palm Coast, FL 32142-1041

World Population (cont. from page 1)

And, of course, our Sierra Club hasan excellent approach: 1.) Recognize that

increased population is unsustainable andconnected to many of the world's most seri-ous problems. 2.) Promote voluntary fami-ly planning and realistic sex educationaround the world and in the U.S. (The U.S.has the highest teenage pregnancy rate ofany developed nation.) 3.) Advance eco-nomic and educational opportunities forwomen and girls especially in developingnations where birth rates are much higher.4.) Curb our ecological footprint. And

there's plenty more at sierraclub.org. So look, the English scholar Thomas

Malthus warned us about population problemstwo hundred years ago. But you don't need tostudy Malthusian growth models to knowwhich way the wind blows. There's too damn

many people. Do something.

http://sierraclub.org/





The Valley Habitat October 2011

Yokuts Group

Mother Lode Chapter

Sierra Club

P.O. Box 855

Modesto, CA 95353

Non-Profit

Organization

U.S. Postage

PAID

Modesto, CA

Permit No. 139

CURRENT RESIDENT OR

YOKUTS ANNUAL GARAGE SALE: JOIN US!

DONATIONS NEEDED SEP 30 – OCT 7

Clean out the clutter and help the Yokuts. Drop off donations at the home of Jerry Jackman from Sep 30 throughOct 7st 2011. We live at 704 Tokay Avenue, off Sunrise, two blocks north of Briggsmore. Donations can be left on

the porch. Call Jerry (209) 577-5616 if you need assistance.

WINE AND CHEESE AND PRICING PARTY FRIDAY, OCT 7 5PM - 9 PM

Mark your calendar for the best Wine and Cheese and pricing party ever. Oct 7, 5-9 PM, 704 TokayHelp us organize and price donations and bring some wine or cheese to share, or just yourself! We always have fun.

We love to meet new people.

GARAGE SALE\FUND RAISER SATURDAY, Oct 8 8AM - 3PM

Join us to help out or shop for lots of bargains and great stuff that is always donated. Contact Sandy at 209 577-5616(evenings) if

you are interested.

7AM – 9 AM - The sale starts at 8 AM but the first two hours are always busy. We need extra people to get organized in

the morning. Posting signs and fighting off the early buyers.

9 AM – 3 PM - Help with Yard sale. Come for a few hours or all day.3 PM – 4 PM - We need people to help pack up and/or haul away leftovers to charity and recycling.

Oct 2011 Stanislaus Audubon

Documents

Transcript of Oct 2011 Stanislaus Audubon