The
Rainier Audubon Society February 2017
Rainier Audubon programs are held at 7:00 PM at the
Federal Way United Methodist Church29645 - 51st Ave. So. 98001 (in unincorporated Auburn)
RAS Mission StatementTo conserve and restore natural ecosystems and protectbirds and other wildlife for the benefit of humanity andbiological diversity in South King County and the worldwe live in.
Rainier Audubon Membership Meeting7:00 PM February 20, 2017
“Stronger Together”Connie Sidles
President Obama, in his farewell address, asked us tolift up our hearts, be not afraid, and pitch in tostrengthen our nation. His message resonates with usbirders. We have long known that we must take actionto preserve nature and keep safe the birds we love.Now more than ever, we need to stay strong and pitchin.
It can be hard to do that, as we know. Sometimes itseems that the tide of development is inexorable. Somany headaches, so much to do, losses along the way,and victories that can slip away even after they're won.How can we lift up our hearts, knowing all this?
The answer may lie in the stories of the people whohave gone before us, faced similar challenges, neverlost hope, never gave up. They gave us the world ofnature we keep today: Mount Rainier National Park,Olympic National Park, Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge, and scores more. Their stories, told to editorand author Connie Sidles, fill her newest book, Caring for Birds & Nature. In broadest terms, this is an oral history ofSeattle Audubon's 100 years of effort to help birds and nature. But it is more, for this book tells the tale of how we canshape the future to preserve what we love.
Come hear these inspiring stories, learn how these ordinary people of the past did extraordinary things, and how wecan too.
Connie Sidles is a master birder and member of Seattle Audubon's Conservation Committee. She is an award-winningauthor of five nature books and a storyteller at heart.
Join us at 6:30 for conversation and refreshments.
Rainier Audubon Society Page 2
February 2017
Position Name Board Member Phone emailPresident Heather Gibson Yes 253-856-9812 [email protected] President Jay Galvin Yes 253-939-3094 [email protected] OpenTreasurer Laura Lavington Yes 253-941-7372 [email protected] Chair Pat Toth Yes 206-767-4944 [email protected] Chair Cindy Flanagan Yes 253-941-3933 [email protected] Chair Dale Meland No 253-946-1637 [email protected] Trip Chair Barbara Petersen Yes 253 389 3204 [email protected] Chair Jay Galvin Yes 253-939-3094 [email protected] Habitat Chair Marie West-Johnson Yes 206-817-8754 [email protected] Chair Dan Streiffert No 253-796-2203 [email protected] Editor Dan Streiffert No 253-796-2203 [email protected] Treesa Hertzel No 253-255-1808 [email protected] at Large Stephen Feldman Yes 360-802-5211 [email protected] Sandra Embrey No 253-517-3633 [email protected] Debra Russell No 425 829 4008 [email protected] Members Max Prinsen Yes 425-432-9965Lifetime Members Erin Wojewodski-PrinsenYes 425-432-9965
Rainier Audubon Society Directory
New Rainier Audubon GoogleGroup / email list
We are combining the old Rainier Leaders email listwith the ras-activities list into a new RainierAudubongoogle group.
The [ras-activities] group has been renamed to[RainierAudubon]. So if you were previously amember of this list, then you are still a member ofthe renamed group. The only difference being thatwhen you send an email to this group, the address [email protected]
I have sent out invitations to join this group tonumerous people. If you get an invitation, you canclick on it to join the group. You must have aGoogle account.
If you did not get an invitation, you may request tojoin the group by going to groups.google.com andsearching for “Rainier Audubon”. You can thenrequest to join the group.
Alternatively, you can sign up on theRainierAudubon.org website.
New Rainier AudubonFacebook Page
Jay Galvin has created a Facebook pagefor us. Please check it out athttps://www.facebook.com/rainieraudubonsociety/Read Laura Lavington’s article aboutthe Women’s March, which I could notfit in this edition.Dan
www.RainierAudubon.org Page 3
February 2017
Climate Threatens Birds Worldwide
See how the Red-crowned Crane and thousands of other speciesworldwide are at risk from climate change.
Read the Report
We've done it again: For the third year in a row, we've pushedthis pale blue dot that we call home past its previous temperaturerecord.
This morning, scientists from two government agencies—the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)—announced that 2016 was the warmest year since modernrecordkeeping began in 1880. NOAA and NASA each maintainindependent datasets of the Earth’s temperature record, and bothagree that 2016 was nearly 1°C (1.69°F and 1.8°F, respectively)warmer than 19th century baselines.
“These datasets are all singing the same song even if they’rehitting different notes along the way,” said Deke Arndt, the chief ofmonitoring at NOAA’s National Centers for EnvironmentalInformation, at today’s press conference. “The pattern is veryclear.”
That pattern is Earth’s undeniable warming trend. Sixteen of the17 hottest years on record have occurred since 2001—a patternthat can’t be chalked up to chance. Instead, scientists attributeglobal warming to fossil fuel-powered plants emitting greenhousegasses. A warmer atmosphere and ocean alter rainfall patternsand weather (which in turn alter the distribution of plants, animals,and other natural resources) while also melting sea ice andglaciers, causing sea level to rise.
Temperatures in 2015 and 2016 were boosted by a strong ElNiño, a natural phenomenon that releases energy and watervapor from the Pacific Ocean into the atmosphere and shiftsweather patterns. But 2016’s record temperatures can’t be pinnedon warming from El Niño alone: “It was really global warmth thatwe saw in 2016, even more so than what we observed in 2015,”Arndt said. As evidence, he pointed to last year's major shifts inpolar ice, especially in the Arctic. Starting in October and lastingthrough the end of the year, Arctic sea ice continued to shrink just
as it should have been refreezing from the winter’s cold. TheArctic is more sensitive to changes in global temperature than anyother area of the world, and could be a sign that we’reapproaching dangerous levels of warming.
web_apa_2012_24674_191779_marlingreene_caspian_tern_kk.jpg
In 2016, Caspian Terns followed warm temperatures and nested1,000 miles farther north than ever recorded. Photo: MarlinGreene/Audubon Photography Awards
The Arctic ice loss in 2016 is among many warming signs that theEarth’s climate is changing in ways we can now see and feel. ForArctic birds, warmer air and water largely means shifts in foodsources. Some fish species that previously couldn’t survive in thefrigid water are now available, while staple foods like Arctic codare migrating north and to deeper water. Some birds benefit fromthese changes, while others fail to find food and starve.
Meanwhile, warm temperatures are killing forests that birdsneed. Yellow cedars in British Columbia, giant sequoias inCalifornia, and Douglas firs in the West are among the treespecies declining as the climate warms. In earlier periods ofclimate change, before humans settled so much of NorthAmerica, these trees would be able to migrate to other areas withmore suitable temperatures. But today, for many species, there’snowhere for them to move; there are too many houses and roadsto establish new forests.
Annual Temperature Cycle from 1980 to 2015
(Continued on page 9)
Bad News, People: 2016 Was Officially the Warmest Year on RecordFor the third year in a row, Earth has set a new record for its highest average temperature since 1880. And the evidence
is everywhere.
By Hannah Waters January 18, 2017
Rainier Audubon Society Page 4
February 2017
Seen & Heard by Calen Randall
Bio: Calen is a 17 year old birder entering his sixth year writing the Seen and Heard. Currently attending Highline College, Calenenjoys birding in the Green River Valley and around Ithaca, New York.
36th Annual Rainier AudubonChristmas Bird Count Report
On December 26th, 59 birdersventured out for the 36th edition ofthe Rainier Audubon Christmas
Bird Count. The birders ranged from localsto John and Mary-Lou Zolko who werevisiting from the Pittsburg, Pennsylvaniaarea. Shoutout to Jeff Jendro for hiscommitment in making the five hourcommute here and back to his home inLongview, just to get out birding in Area 7.Many of the CBC participants were out ontheir first ever CBC. They need at least 35more to catch eternal Rainier Audubonmember and Area 8 leader SteveJohnson. Steve, whohas been sighted in asmany Rainier CBC’s asSong Sparrows have(all 36), is the onlybirder from the firstcount in 1980 that stillattends the CBC now.
After the count theCBC attendees got toperuse through someof the old records fromthe first count. Muchhas changed on thecount since 1980; nolonger are RuffedGrouse spotted in theGreen River Valley,several speciespopulations areconsiderably lower thanthey were on thecounts from the 80’s,and the habitat in thecircle shrinks yearly. However, there ismuch to be excited about. 2016’s countfeatures over double the number ofparticipants as the first counts did andover 10,000 more birds sighted than the1980 version. As well, this year fourbirders 18 and under participated,including 14 year old eBird phenom AdrianLee. Hopefully many of the kids involved
in our CBC for Kids will help increase thatnumber and expand interest in the birdcount for youth. Whatever the case, here’shoping the next 36 years of RainierAudubon Christmas Bird Counts just asmemorable as the first 36!
Here are some of the notable details fromthe 2016 Rainier Audubon CBC:
Total Number of Birds: 29,927
Number of Species: 119 (All speciessighted during count week)
Highlights: The 2016 CBC marked theyear of the owl as a total of five speciesand fifteen individuals were spottedthroughout the count circle including fourBarn Owls (three count week), five GreatHorned Owls, and four WesternScreech-Owls (three in the RedondoCanyon). Waterfowl species such asCanvasback, Redhead, and Ruddy Duckhave bounced back after low totals on theicy ponds last count. Also on the upswingwere finches: Pine Siskins, AmericanGoldfinch, and Purple Finch all postedtheir highest totals in the past few years.
Other highlights included a MarbledMurrelet at Des Moines Marina, threeBlack Turnstone in Area 8, thirtyHarlequin Ducks, and three AmericanDipper.
Varied Thrush was not the easiest bird tospot on this year’s count, unless you werein Area 3, or to be more precise, Ken
Brunner’s yard. Ken spotted a wild 44thrush all hopping outside his house theday of the count! No word was releasedon the type of new bird feed Ken got forChristmas that brought all the thrush to hisyard…
One of my highlights from the count waswatching a murmuration of Starlings overthe Carpinito’s Pumpkin Patch fields. Atfirst the group was merely a small flock,but after a couple minutes of looping overthe corn fields, another group of twentystarlings joined them, and then another.After awhile the flock numbered nearly300 and small bands of Starlings would flyoff and rejoin the big flock at random.Often, this behavior in starlings is notedwhen raptors are nearby. Sure enough, ona telephone wire on the other side of WestValley Highway perched an AmericanKestrel and over on top of a pole aSharp-shinned Hawk. Both staredattentively at the flock of starlings;however, unlike us, I don’t think they wereconducting a bird count so much asscanning the bird breakfast menu.
Notable Lows: Thoughseven species notsighted on the 2015count were seen thisDecember, the 2016edition of the count wasnot without some largemisses, most notablyNorthern Harrier.Overall, it was a lowyear for raptors;however the NorthernHarrier was a surpriseas 2016 was only thesecond time, and firstsince 1997, that aNorthern Harrier hasnot graced the skies onthe Rainier AudubonCBC. Where have theharriers gone? AsCharlie Wright said,“some years the bigHarrier question waswhich birds did we
double count, not ‘did we see any’.” SinceNovember, no Northern Harriers havebeen sighted closer to the circle thanNisqually and Sammamish.
Another surprising miss was GreenHeron. The heron routinely sighted at theOldFishing (Continued on page 8)
www.RainierAudubon.org Page 5
February 2017
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Rainier Audubon Society Page 6
February 2017
Weekly Birdwalks atNisqually
Wednesdays 8 am to 11 amLeader: Phil Kelley
Join Phil Kelley on his weekly bird walksas he counts the birds at NisquallyNWR. The group walks over to an areanear the visitor's center to view the entryroad estuary, and then takes theboardwalk/trail loop out to the TwinBarns, and the Nisqually overlook area.From there, the group walks the dike,and back to the Riparian Forest.
Bring: Good walking shoes or boots,rain gear, water, snacks, and $3 forentry fee unless you have a pass.Scopes are welcome.
Meet: At the Visitor's Center PondOverlook.
Directions: Take I-5 south from Tacomaand exit to Nisqually NWR at exit 114.Take a right at the light.
Sign-up is not necessary. Call or emailPhil Kelley if you have questions.Phil Kelley, Lacey, (360) 459 1499,[email protected]
Soos Creek OwlProwls
Saturday Night, Feb 11, 201710:30 PM - 1:30 AM
or Sat. Night, Mar 11, 2016;10:00 PM to 1:30 AM
Leaders: Joe and Liz Miles
Join Friends of Soos Creek Parkvolunteers Joe and Liz Miles for this latenight program and walk exploring theworld of owls. We'll start indoors for thefirst hour learning calls, ID, and infoabout our local owls, then ventureoutdoors to prowl for owls.
There is limited space for this program.Reservations are required. Best foradults and children over 13 years. Groupsize is limited to 15. The owls program issponsored by Kent City RecreationDept.
Meet: Meet at the Soos Creek ParkMaintenance Shop. Soos Creek
Park/Trail 24810 148th Avenue SE, Kent.
Directions: Take James Street east fromKent. To reach James St, exit I-167 atWillis, turn east to Central, and North toJames. Travel east on James as itbecomes SE 240th St. Travel about 4miles, as 240th dips and turns downhill.Turn right (south) on 148th Ave near thebottom of the hill. The Soos Creekmaintenance yard will be down the roadabout 1/4 mile on the left at a barn andchainlink-fenced parking lot.
Sign-up: Call Kent Commons, Kent CityParks and Recreation, 253-856-5000. Thistrip FILLS EARLY. Please register inadvance.
For further info: E-mail or call Joe Miles,([email protected]), (253)639-0123. Joe can answer your questionsbut cannot arrange the sign-ups.
Valley hotspotsJim Flynn
Saturday, February 11thMeeting time: 7:30 AM
End time: around 4:00 PM
This trip will make the rounds of the valley,looking for wintering birds at such spots asM Street farm pond (Emerald Downs) inAuburn, Frager Rd. and the Kent andBoeing Ponds as well as the Cedar Riverdelta in Renton, near the airport. Weshould see a good variety of ducks, gullsand songbirds. The valley always haspotential for some less common winterbirds like swans, meadowlarks, NorthernShrike and raptors such as AmericanKestrel. The Cedar River is a great spotfor ducks and gulls, including Thayer's andHerring Gulls. This might be your lastchance to see some of these birds whichmigrate elsewhere in spring and won'treturn until Autumn 2017.
Bring binoculars and scope, lots of layersof clothes and snack/drinks as well ascarpool money.
Meeting place: North end of the downtownKent Park & Ride, 902 W James St (justwest of the ShoWare Center)
Sign up with Jim by email, text messageor phone call, [email protected],206 399 6418.
Sequim and theDungeness area
Jim Flynn
Saturday, March 11thMeeting time: 6:00 AM
Sequim is a great birding spot withpotential for all sorts of saltwater andfreshwater birds, gulls and wintershorebirds, as well as open countrybirds like harriers and other raptors aswell as lots of farm country birds andforest habitat denizens. The scenery iswonderful as well. Note: we usually don'thike out Dungeness spit as this takes along time and many of the birds thereare more easily found at our other stops.We will see the spit and may visit thearea around the trailhead.
Bring binoculars, a scope if you haveone. Lots of layers of clothes andsnack/drinks as well as carpool money.
Meeting place: Star Lk park & ride (S.272nd St and 26th Ave S, just west ofI-5) Note: there are other park & ride lotsin the area. Please call before the trip ifyou are unsure about this meeting spot.
End time: We will probably end upeating dinner in Sequim or in Kitsap Co.so we can keep birding until lateafternoon. Back to Kent perhaps 8PM?
Sign up with Jim by email, text messageor phonecall, [email protected], 206 3996418.
Lakes and Parks ofFederal Way &
VicinitySaturday, March 4
8:00 AM to 2:00 PMLeader: Steve Johnson
Steve will be taking us on an excursion.We had a lot of fun doing this trip lastyear. We'll visit some of the many lakesand ponds in Federal Way, where wewill seek rare to uncommon ducks. Wewill also be looking for songbirds andseabirds in Fife and Redondo.
In early March we will be looking andlistening for early migrants. We maywalk up to a mile.
Field Trips - Barbara Petersen
www.RainierAudubon.org Page 7
February 2017
Bring: Lunch, drinks (hot drinks?), warmclothes. A scope is welcome.
Meet: 8:00 AM at the Star Lake P&Rnorth of Federal Way. Folks who wish toleave early may do so.
Directions: Take I-5 to exit 147 north ofFederal Way. Exit onto S 272nd St, andgo west one block to the light. Turn rightand go one block into the P&R on theright.
Sign-Up: Call or email SteveJohnson, 253-941-9852, [email protected]
Raptors of theKent/Auburn Valleywith Roger Orness
Sun Feb 12,2017 8:00AM - 2:00PM
Roger will take us to prime raptorviewing spots in the valley during thisvery popular field trip. Past trips havebeen productive for falcons, accipitersand many red-tails to compare thedifferent color morphs. Eagles could beoccupying their nest and there is achance for an early nesting red-tail ifwe're lucky.
Meet at the Auburn Supermall parking lotjust north of McDonald's on 15th SW offI-167 at 8:00AM to form carpools andleave by 8:30, return by 2:00PM.
Bring lunch, drinks and snacks, dressfor the weather and be prepared for ashort walk on a level gravel road inside aclosed area of the Kent Ponds/GreenRiver Natural Resources Area.
Space is limited. Call or email Roger tosign up at r.orness@comcast,net or 253312 6561 (cell)
Olympic BirdfestApril 7-9, 2017
Enjoy guided birding trips, boat tours,live auction & raffle, gala banquet, andmore. Our featured speaker: notednature photographer Bonnie Block.
Join our festival pre-trip: a three-day,two-night birding/sightseeing cruise ofthe San Juan Islands, April 4-6, 2017.Register separately atwww.pugetsoundexpress.com/audubon.Extend your festival with our Neah Baypost-trip on April 9-11, 2017: two days
exploring northwest coastal Washington.BirdFest registration atwww.olympicbirdfest.org.
SHADOW Lake NaturePreserve Events
http://shadowhabitat.org/
Bee My Valentine: A NativePollinator Celebration
2/11/17 from 1pm to 4pm
Join us at the Preserve for an afternoon ofeducational fun. Craft Valentines, enjoyfestive treats, and learn how you canprepare for spring by supporting Northwestnative pollinators!
Suggested donation $10 per participant.This event is open to all ages, but forchildren under 10, please bring a parent orguardian. Questions? Contact EmilyCarlson: [email protected] or call425-432-4914
Registerhere: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bee-my-valentine-a-pollinator-celebration-tickets-30337917528
Winter Warmer2/24/17 from 5:30pm to 8:30pm
The weather outside might be cold andrainy, but here at the Preserve we haveeverything you need to make it throughthis gray season! Join us for libations,cheese, and an evening of light music.Children will have activities as well -crafting wildlife tree cards and snowy owls!
Suggested donation $10 per participant.This event is open to all ages, but forchildren under 10, please bring a parentor guardian. Questions? Contact EmilyCarlson: [email protected] orcall 425-432-4914
Registerhere: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/winter-warmer-tickets-30338134176
Owl Prowl3/10/17 from 9pm to 11:30pm
Join local birding-enthusiasts to learnabout owls, their biology, and how tomake an owl call! Then, join SHADOWLake Nature Preserve staff and birdingexperts for a night-time tour of thePreserve. Practice your owl calls andsee if we can entice an owl to respond!
Suggested donation $10 per participant.This event is open to all ages, but forchildren under 10, please bring a parentor guardian. Questions? Contact EmilyCarlson: [email protected] orcall 425-432-4914
Registerhere: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/owl-prowl-tickets-31137881241
Make A Splash: World WaterDay Celebration
3/25/17 from 11am to 2pm
Celebrate World Water Day by spendingan afternoonlearning about wetlands! Use a real microscope tolook at aquatic organisms, play nutrient tag, and take a tour of our 5,000-year-old peat bog!
Suggested donation $10 per participant.This event is open to all ages, but forchildren under 10, please bring a parentor guardian. Questions? Contact EmilyCarlson: [email protected] orcall 425-432-4914
Registerhere: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/make-a-splash-world-water-discovery-day-tickets-30342394920
Rainier Audubon Society Page 8
February 2017
Bird of the Month: Brown CreeperReprint Courtesy of Wild Birds Unlimited, Burien
Hole and the back pond at Lake Fenwickwas spotted two weeks before, on theKid’s CBC, however it was nowhere tobe found on the 26th.
Record Highs: There were only twoofficial record highs on the 2016 CBC.Both the Cackling Goose and Ring-necked Duck surpassed their highs setlast year. Cackling Geese nearly doubletheir count high, from 894 last year to awhopping 1644 this count, while 815Ring-necks were sighted (North Lake byWeyerhaeuser was stocked with themthis year). While no other species hitrecord highs, Anna’s Hummingbird camewithin four individuals of tying the 2014record of 88.
Participants: Thank you to everyonewho participated in the 36th RainierAudubon Christmas Bird Count,especially all of our area leaders. Aspecial thanks to Cindy Flanagan for her
efforts in planning the count date,organizing all of the participants, andcommunicating to all of the leaders.
Area 1 Brien Meilleur (Leader), AlexJuchems, Christine Odell (BY)
Area 2 Barbara Peterson (Leader), PatToth, Ken Schroeder, Linda Carlson,Mary-Lou Zolko, John Zolko
Area 3 Ken Brunner (Leader), CarenAdams (Leader), Mary Frey, BarbaraRateille, Laura Beden, Mike Scuderi
Area 4 Joe Miles (Leader), Liz Miles(Leader), Brenda Tom (Leader), LindaBartlett, Nancy Streiffert (BY)
Area 5 Tim Brennan (Leader), Mr. Lee,Adrain Lee
Area 6S David Swayne (Leader), JayGalvin, Carley Randall (BY), CameronRandall (BY), Dorothy Flanagan (BY)
Area 6C Calen Randall (Leader), CindyFlanagan (Leader), Senta McQuage,
Doreen Deaver, Mark Deaver, KaterinaGrishina
Area 6N Roger Orness (Leader), ClariceClark, Etta Cosey, Jerry Broadus,Joanne Cormier, Barbara Carmichal, LizCormier
Area 7 Charlie Wright (Leader), CarolSchulz (Leader), Linnaea Wright, NickWright, Jeff Jendro, Debra Russell, IllaPomeroy
Area 8 Steve Johnson (Leader), JimFlynn (Leader), Lonnie Somer, LauraLavington, Katie Lavington, MarissaRenavente, Julie Cleary, Scott Hoskin,Penny Rose, Donna LaCasse
As well a big thanks to Heather Gibsonfor coordinating the CBC Potluck and toCarley Randall, Dorothy Flanagan, CamRandall, and Annette Tabor for helpingset it up. I can’t wait for the 2017 CBCwith you all!
Seen & Heard (Continuedfrom page 4)
Brown Creepers are tiny woodland birds that love the biggesttrees they can find. They have long tails, slim bodies and curvedbills. They are streaked brown and buff with white underparts.They have a broad buffy stripe over each eye.
These little birds search for small insects and spiders by climbingupward in a spiral around tree trunks and limbs. They move withshort, jerky motions using their tails for support. When ready tomove to a new tree, they fly to the base and resume climbing up-ward.
Brown Creepers breed primarily in mature evergreen or mixedevergreen-deciduous forests. They can be found at many eleva-tions, even as high as 11,000 feet. In the winter, they can befound in parks and suburban areas and may visit seed and suetfeeders.
Brown Creepers build hammock-like nests behind loose flaps ofbark still attached to a tree five to fifteen feet from the ground.Naturalists didn't know this until 1879.
The Brown Creeper's nest consists of a base made in part out ofcocoons and spider egg cases anchored to the inner surface oftree bark with a cup made of fine pieces of bark, fibers, leaves,mosses and feathers.
The male collects the nesting material and the female builds thenest taking up to a month to construct it
The female will lay anywhere from four to nine eggs, usually fiveor six.
Both parents help feed the babies which fledge in thirteen to six-teen days.
Brown Creepers willoften flock with king-lets, nuthatches andchickadees.
If in a treeless area,Brown Creepers willcreep up any verticalobject such as a fencepost, a telephone pole,or even a brick wall.
To hide from preda-tors, the beautifullycamouflaged BrownCreeper spreads itswings and flattens al-most invisibly againstthe tree trunk.
Besides insects,Brown Creepers eatspiders and spidereggs, some sunflower seeds, pine and grass seeds, acorns andcorn, chopped peanuts, peanut butter and suet.
Brown Creepers burn an estimated 4 - 10 calories a day. By eat-ing a single spider, a creeper gains enough energy to climb near-ly 200 feet vertically.
The oldest Brown Creeper on record was at least 5 years, 5months old.
www.RainierAudubon.org Page 9
February 2017
Field Trip Report:Barbara Petersen
A Study of Alcids in FlightOn a sunny but very cold day with temperatures in the 20’s PatToth and I set out with leader Jim Flynn on a quest for ancientmurrelets. This field trip had been cancelled on Dec 10th due topoor weather. Only two of us signed up for the new Jan 7th date,and we were glad Jim was willing to go despite the small group.
Jim knew the best places to search for the species we mostwished to see. Our quest bird, the ancient murrelet, would be alife bird for Pat. In addition to that bird Barbara hoped to seemarbled murrelet and long-tailed duck. After a ferry ride to PortOrchard we headed across the Hood Canal Bridge and on tomany great spots on Marrowstone Island including the marinaat Nordlund, Fort Flagler State Park Campground and Beach,Marrowstone Point, Mystery Bay State Park, and theMarrowstone/Indian Island isthmus.
It was fun searching flocks of robins for a couple of Bohemianwaxwings that had lately been seen with them on the island,but we didn’t find them. We were welcomed by a peregrine inflight as we drove into Port Townsend. On Cherry Street therewe studied a huge flock of robins and cedar waxwings butagain, no Bohemians. We added to our species list at GlenCove Sewage Pond and Fort Townsend State Park, but theinspiration for this article was our visit to Point Wilson! It mayhave reached thirty degrees by then but felt much colder giventhe wind chill factor.
Jim led us to the shelter of the lighthouse and we trained ourscopes on the water. We were fascinated to see severalharlequin ducks repeatedly fly by us close in, and then there were
all the alcids! What an opportunity we had to study alcids in flight.Many, many common murres flew by in groups of two to twenty(and one huge group of a hundred), many marbled murrelets inpairs and small groups, pigeon guillemots and a few singlerhinoceros auklets. I only hope I can retain my new ability to tellthem all apart like that in the bright sunshine. Not so easy wasseparating out ancient murrelets from the marbleds as theystreaked by.
Lucky for us Jim found four ancient murrelets floating on thewater. Pat had her life bird, and we succeeded in our trip quest!Having also seen the wished for long-tailed ducks in a couple ofspots, both of Jim’s trip participants came home highly satisfiedindeed.
The planet’slong-term warming trend is seen in this chart of every year’sannual temperature cycle from 1880 to the present, comparedto the average temperature from 1880 to 2015. Record warmyears are listed in the column on the right. Photo: JoshuaStevens/Earth Observatory/NASA
And those are just the start of a long list of 2016’s warmingsigns. More evidence: Last year, the Great Barrier Reef andother Pacific coral reefs suffered from the worst bleachingevent on record; coral bleaching is caused by warm oceanwater, and if too many bleaching events occur in succession,reefs are unable to recover. Australia’s Bramble Cay melomyswas the first known mammal to go extinct because of climatechange after its island home was washed over by rising seas.In America, Louisiana’s first climate refugees are trying to moveout of harms way; meanwhile, hungry polar bears—themselvesclimate refugees—show up in Alaskan villages as their sea icehabitat melts.
Last year also saw the largest international effort to fight climatechange: the signing and ratification of the Paris Treaty, whichaims to keep global warming within a safe range. The new U.S.administration has vowed to pull out of the agreement andrenege on its pledges to reduce carbon emissions. They’d bekeen to keep in mind that, in a battle between physics andpolitics, physics tends to win. And 2016’s record-settingtemperatures have shown, yet again, that global warming isn’tletting up.
Bad News (Continued from page 3)
Rainier Audubon Society Page 10
February 2017
Save Weyerhaeuser Campus Updateby Cindy Flanagan
Current ProjectsIndustrial Realty Group (IRG), the new owner ofthe 425 acre Weyerhaeuser HeadquarterCampus in Federal Way, plods forth in itsdevelopment plans for the campus; and, ifsuccessful, the nature and character of thenatural forested habitat on the north end of thecampus will be swapped out with warehousesand parking lots. IRG submitted a request for abinding site plan to combine several parcels ofland and build three warehouses totaling onemillion square feet. The location of the site—near the Technology Center-- runs north-southbetween 336th and 224th, and east-west betweenWeyerhaeuser Way and I-5. If one was drivingalong the I-5, no longer would the luring vista ofthe meadow full of walkers and dogs with theformidable backdrop of a lush 50 year old forestbe seen; instead, a conga of semis miraged inthe heatwave rising from the asphalt parking lotsand ‘village’ of warehouses.
The Binding Site Plan has not been approved by the city ofFederal Way. Currently, IRG has filed an appeal to the HearingsExaminer regarding using a Short Plat as is used for residentialdevelopments. IRG must also submit a traffic study.
A significant portion of the Binding Site Plan is in the North Lakewatershed. How will cutting down the acres of trees, altering theland and increasing impervious surfaces impact the water qualityand water flow that goes to the North Lake? All water from theformer Weyerhaeuser Campus drains downhill to the EastHylebos and provides water to the Hylebos stream system. Howwill the Hylebos steam system be impacted? What will happen tothe ground water? How will the bird species diversity beimpacted?
19 ACRE SOUTH EAST PROJECT NEAR THEHEADQUARTERSThe site which would have had the fish processing plant is stillvested in a land use application and another development isplanned. IRG has not released any further information.
CLARIFICATION OF THE 1994CONCOMITANT AGREEMENT BY KEYSTAKEHOLDERSBoth George Weyerhaeuser and former Weyerhaeuser CEOJack Creighton, who signed the 1994 Concomitant Agreementbetween Weyerhaeuser and the city of Federal Way have writtenletters to city of Federal Way’s Mayor Farrell and City Councilstating that the nature and intent of the campus was not forwarehousing or industrial development. Former CEO Creightonstates of the intent of the 1994 Concomitant Agreement,
“We worked with the city staff to develop the specific zoningfor the campus that would allow Weyerhaeuser’s existinguses to continue without requiring special permits. Thoseuses included typical office activities, research anddevelopment facilities, and shipping and receiving facilities—but no true industrial uses or large warehouses.”
Creighton further defines the unique character of the campus,
“In drafting the concomitant agreement with the city, we alsointended to retain the unique character of the campus. Wesought to preserve its open spaces, forested areas, wildlifeand trail system, as well as its natural features, including therhododendron garden, bonsai collection and the shoreline ofNorth Lake.”
Creighton concludes,
“I would like to propose that you provide some specificprovisions regarding the purchasers of the property. Thewarehouses and seafood processing plant would generatesubstantial truck traffic which would present a potential safetyhazard for the property and the people in the area. All of thiswould exceed the bounds of content in concomitantlanguage and should not be approved. The proposal woulddestroy the unique situation of Federal Way--a large park-likestructure adjacent to industrial property.”
With key stakeholders from the 1994 Concomitant Agreementclarifying the intent of the zoning agreement, how will the cityinterpret the agreement?
Conservancy Efforts ProgressSave Weyerhaeuser Campus group and Rainier Audubon areworking in coalition to conserve several areas of the campus:North Lake’s western shoreline, the North Lake watershed,Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden, the Pacific BonsaiMuseum, and many trails that would provide connectivity aroundthe campus and to Federal Way and surrounding cities. Werecognize that with the light rail transit coming to Federal Waythat urban density will increase. The Weyerhaeuser Campuscould provide the open space, urban forest and trail system thatso many will crave. An excellent study of light rail developmentand increased urban density is the Skytrain system that has beenbuilt in the Lower Mainland (Vancouver and neighboring cities) inBritish Columbia. What thosecities did right in their planning, (Continued on page 11)
www.RainierAudubon.org Page 11
February 2017
Millie the Muse of Mews
Hello, and welcome back to my musings!
You know, there are a few things that Ideem essential to my comfort: plenty ofwater, adequate food, a warm bed, aclean litter box and a sunny spot to sleepin when possible. Well, just as I havecertain preferences concerning my home,so do birds.
Some birds want to live in the protection ofthe woods, while others want to be in theopen. In either case, nesting boxes,otherwise known as birdhouses, canprovide a cozy home for cavity-nestingbirds.
So, what makes for a good nesting box?To begin with, the wood used for nestingboxes should always be non-pressure-treated wood so nestlings don't come incontact with harsh chemicals. Cedar, pineor cypress are the best choices. For largerboxes, like for owls, plywood can be used.
The walls should be at least 3/4" thick toprovide insulation to keep the nest warm.Two 5/8" holes near the top on each of theside walls (four holes in all) will provideadequate ventilation. A sloped roof thatoverhangs the front by 2 - 4 inches willkeep out rain and deter predators.
The box can be put together withgalvanized screws. Galvanized screws are
resistant to the elements and provide atighter seal than nails. Also, screws canbe easily removed and put back into placemaking it easier for repairs and annualcleaning.
Most importantly, the box should not havea perch or be painted bright colors. Brightcolors attract predators and althoughproviding a perch is very thoughtful, birdsdon't need it and predators will use it togain access to the box.
Knowing a little bit about the tastes ofcertain birds can help in attracting aparticular species to a nesting box. Forinstance, everyone's favorite, thechickadee, prefers a hole that is 1 1/8" indiameter. The house should be placed 6 -10 feet above the ground and be nearwoods or large trees in a yard.
The House Wren is attracted to a hole thatis 1" - 1 1/8", with the house at the sameheight as the chickadee and in the samekind of habitat.
The Northern Flicker likes a hole that is 21/2" in diameter and a box that is 10 - 20feet above the ground near woods.
Of course, there are some birds that justwon't use a nesting box. These include theAmerican Goldfinch and Anna'sHummingbird.
Besides helping the birds in our yards,nesting boxes have helped bring backsome birds from almost certain extinctiondue to loss of habitat and/or hunting. TheEastern Bluebird, Wood Duck, PurpleMartin and Prothonotary Warbler have allgrown their populations due to nestingboxes.
For more information about nesting boxesfor over 50 species of birds and forblueprints, go to bit.ly/allaboutbirdhouses.
Until next time,
Millie, the Muse of Mews
Mewsings from MillieReprint Courtesy of Wild Birds Unlimited, Burien
especially Burnaby, was made sure they had nearby parks with urbanforest, easy access trails and encouraged passive recreation,such as walking. Take note Federal Way—seize theopportunity!
The city of Federal Way has agreed to sign a letter of intent withour group to show our commitment to work together onconserving the North Lake western shoreline. We are askingthe City Council to pass a resolution to also agree to worktogether with us on conservancy. Mayor Farrell has assignedhis Senior Policy Advisor to liase with our group. As well,District #30 State Representative Mike Pellicciotti has beenhard at work helping learn of possible funding routes that willhelp us to anchor a conservancy.
HOW CAN YOU HELP?We need to anchor support from King County to try to conservethis area. Write to South King County representative of KingCounty Council Pete von Reichbauer and his fellow councilmembers. Ask Councilman von Reichbauer to help conserve
the critical areas of the Weyerhaeuser Campus: the 300 acresof 50-year-old healthy urban forest, the North Lake watershed,the North Lake, the headwaters of the East Hylebos, theRhododendron Species Botanical Garden, Pacific BonsaiMuseum, the 7+ miles of easy access trails, and of course, thehabitat for the diverse wildlife.
Under King County’s Land Conservation Plan, King County hasa goal of working with cities to save 60,000 acres of highconservation value lands including forest lands, natural areas,and trails. All of which Weyerhaeuser entails. We need yourvoice to raise our King County representatives into actionto conserve this 425 acre gem!
District 7 King County Council Representative Pete vonReichbauer [email protected]
For more information visit Saveweyerhaeusercampus.org
Weyerhaueser (Continued from page 10)
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