07-2007 Towhee Newsletter Tahoma Audubon Society

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So many wonderful drawings were

entered in this year’s contest, it was hard

to choose the winners.But here on the cover of The Towhee,

in glorious black and white, are the first

place winners in each category; inside

on pages 6 and 7, you will find the 2nd

and 3rd place and Honorable Mention

winners.

We sure wish we could print in color

to give you the full impact of beautiful

compositions, but fortunately, the News

Tribune has put the full gallery of win-

ners on their website. Go check it out at

http://www.thenewstribune.com/adven-

ture/story/86922.html.

You can also view the original art-

work in the gallery at Tacoma Nature

Center over the summer months.

Published by the Tahoma Audubon Society

IN THIS ISSUE:

July/August 2007 Vol. 38 No.6

25 years ago page 2

TAS Bylaw changes page 2

Bryan Flint column page 3

New Owl species? page 4

BirdSongs page 4

New members page 5

Education page 8

Field trips page 9

Conservation page 10

Birdathon pages 9, 11 & 12

Paul Webster page 12

Results of the 2007 TAS Bird Drawing Contest

Top left: An boldly drawn Osprey by Kendyl Born, a homeschooled firstgrader; Top right: A beautifully composed illustration of a chickadee by EmilySands, a sixth-grader from All Saints School; Above: A wonderful painting ofa chickadee by Lauren Sullivan, a fourth-grader from St. Nicholas School.

Anyone who drives in the metro-

politan Puget Sound region knows

that getting from point A to point B is

an exhausting chore that gets worseevery year. Our nation’s love of cars

has influenced our transportation sys-

tems to such an extent that roads have

been built at the cost of all other

viable options. Ninety-two per cent

of all trips are made using an auto-

mobile. Sure, we have ferries, taxis,

public buses and trains. Yet the serv-

ices are limited in both routes and

frequency that make the option an

unrealistic one for many. By con-trast, roads are available 24/7. Gas

was once cheap (or so I hear). Buy a

car and you can go anywhere you

want. Complete freedom. That’s

what its all about, right?

Sometime after our local road net-

works and interstate highways were

built, we settled down and focused on

other important issues. We had our

roads, now we just needed to use

them. And use them we have.Washingtonians drove 27.6 billion

highway miles in 1995, and that

number is expected to increase to

48.5 billion miles by the year 2020 –

a 79% growth in travel.

Unwilling to invest in our trans-

portation system, we effectively

ignored them for the past 20 years.

Unfortunately, several factors have

contributed to making that a costly

mistake. The factors creating stresson Washington’s roadways include:

1) State population growth rate of

54% between 1980 and 2006.

End of the roadBy Krystal Kyer

see “Highway” on page 5

On the web @ tahomaaudubon.org

Cross-Base Highway a relic of the past



Staff

Flint, Bryan Executive Director

[email protected] 253-565-9129

Kyer, Krystal Conservation Coordinator [email protected] 253-232-9978

Newton, Gabriel Education Coordinator

[email protected] 253-565-5479

Tahoma Audubon Board of Directors

Brosius, Jane Membership 253-759-9852

Carkner, Dick 253-922-1604

Garner, John 253-756-9057

Gilmur, Thelma Membership 253-564-8210

Hukari, Molly Past President

Jordon, Al 253-588-7191

Larson, Sally 253-588-9839

Larson, Wayne 253-588-9839

LeGreid, Kathleen Publication 360-458-1483

[email protected]

Matthaei, Fred 253-564-6947

McNair-Huff, Rob Conservation 253-752-3628

Roening, Marcus 253-756-0215

Sloat, Sally Administration (contact) 253-564-0655

Shea, Margie Education 253-591-6439

Sullivan,Brian Volunteer 253-278-1026

[email protected]

Our field trips continued through

the summer, but regular meetingswere put off till fall.

Freshwater biologist

Ray Herbig led a trip

to study pond crea-

tures at the Snake

Lake Nature Center;

We studied what

will be the future of

Ruston Way Park

System on site with

Tacoma Planning Department’s

“waterfront” person; and Bob

Ramsey led an all day field trip from

“Snowline to Shoreline” starting withthe wildflowers of the mountain

meadows. There was a “Gray Whale

Potluck Picnic” at Stan & Helen

Engle’s backyard with a new film by

the American Cetacean Society, “The

Whales That Wouldn’t Die.”

We went to Anderson Island with

Peter Andrews for birding and the

local museum; to Wright Park with

Mary McKeever; and another all day

trip to Riechel Creek at Vale, with

Dan Sokolowski on his 160acres near the

S k o o k u m c h u c k

River. On an

evening walk with

Darlene and Ric

Zarwell we saw

where the

Audubon Nature

Center will be at the

mouth Of McAllister Creek,

Nisqually Delta. President Art

Peterson, Friends of Chambers

Creek, took us along the wilderness

trail in the Chambers Creek canyon.

It would be easy to check out

some of these same places and see

how they’ve come along in the 25

years since the 1982 summer.

Just the other day ...

July/August 2007Page 2

The Towhee is a publication of the Tahoma Audubon Society . The

Tahoma Audubon Society was chartered in 1969. TAS advocates for the

protection of wildlife and promotes conservation through education and

activities that enrich its member’s experiences in and with the naturalworld.

The Towhee is published monthly, nine times a year, with a combined

Jul/Aug and Dec/Jan issue. Submissions of articles and photographs of

birds, bird lore, natural history, conservation, and environmental educa-

tion are reviewed and considered for inclusion by the editor.Copy is due

by the 15th of the month and may be sent by e-mail, disk, or typed.

Editor: Kathleen Ann LeGreid: phone 360-458-1483

E-mail:kaleditor@ mindspring.com

Mailing: Vera & John Cragin and Winfield Giddings

Design & Layout: Robert Kelton: E-mail: [email protected]

Printing: Consolidated PressPrinted on recycled newsprint

By Helen Engle

Here’s what TAS was doing back in 1982

Feedback, comments and reminis-

cences welcome, 253-564-3112,

[email protected].

HELP NEEDED! Come water and weed at the

Adriana Hess Wetland Park/Audubon CenterMonday, July 16--9:30 to 11:30 a.m.

Monday, August 20--9:30 to 11:30 a.m.Bring your favorite tools for weeding of small plants and trimming

back grass. Bring a lunch and stay for the 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. plantwalk.

University Place parks depend on help from volunteers and welike to be helpful here at the park where we are located. Weappreciate any amount of time that you can come and help.THANK-YOU so much to weeders and waterers who helped from

May 16 to June 16. Janet Bent, Margie Griffin, Earline C LucoMcQueen, Connie Decker, Karen Harris, Tom Gergen, Jennie Hall,and Berta Thompson.

Tahoma Audubon Societyproposes bylaw changes

During the past few months, the

Tahoma Audubon board has been study-

ing the bylaws of our organization with

the idea of updating them to reflect the

changes we have gone through in the past

two years.

Anytime changes are proposed,

those changes must be published

in two consecutive issues of the

Towhee. This gives you, the

membership, a chance to view the

proposed changes. The changes are

then voted on at the membership meeting

following the publication of the second

issue which in this case would be on

September 14th.

The following articles are those in

which we have proposed changes. The

changes are in bold, underlined type. We

invite comments on these changes by

emailing Molly Hukari at

[email protected] .

You may view the bylaws in their

entirety at www.tahomaaudubon.org or

call 253-565-9278 or come into the office

at Adriana Hess to request or view a copy.

The address at Adriana Hess is 2917

Morrison Road West in University Place.

The following proposed change wasmade to provide a reference forchapter creation as opposed to thedate of incorporation.

ARTICLE I: STATUS

The Tahoma Audubon Society was reg-

istered on 12 August 1974 under the

provisions of the Washington State Non-

profit Corporations Act, RCW 24.03.

Tahoma Audubon was chartered by

National Audubon on March 17, 1969.

The following proposed changereflects our adoption of a chapter-

only membership. ARTICLE III: MEMBERSHIP

Section 2: Classes of member-

ship and dues shall be the same

as those maintained by the

National Audubon Society. Tahoma

Audubon Society may institute a

chapter membership separate from

National Audubon.

When the bylaws were written in1974, committee chairs wererequired to be on the board.This cre-ated a more cohesive, communica-tive board. As the chapter haschanged and people’s lives havebecome busier, this requirement hassometimes been an impediment tofilling chair positions. In the followingarticle, the word “shall” has beenchanged to “may”, giving chairs theoption of not being on the board.

ARTICLE V: BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Section 2: The Board shall consist of at

least twelve members who are members

of the Society, with four elected each

year to serve for three years. The chair-

persons of the standing committees, if

SEPTEMBER 7 THROUGH 23.It's time to get Tahoma Audubon schedule ready for the Fair.

Call Thelma Gilmur, 253-564-8210 and say you will volunteer for a 4-hourshift. You'll receive a free ticket to the Fair for every day you volunteer.TAS has been at the Fair for 37 years telling the story of conservation. Weare there this year, in the Northwest Outdoors Tent. We will need nearly200 volunteer slots filled to adequately staff our booth, make presentationsin the "Hands-on Arena”, and be the building guides on our given days.Please pull out your calendar and let me hear from you. Please call 253-564-8210. We'll need people to put up and take down the booth, too, so ifyou have time on September 5,6, or 24 let me know.

Sign up to staff booth at Western Washington Fair

see “bylaws” on page 3




The phone woke me out of a dead sleep at two

thirty in the morning. Three Pierce County Council

members, staff from the Regional Transportation

Improvement District (RTID) and representatives

from Piece County Executive’s Office had been up

all night trying to work out a compromise on theCross-Base Highway. They were looking for some-

thing the environmental community could accept.

The next morning the RTID would vote on a roads

package to put before the voters in November.

How did this come to be? How could it be that the

fate of a three-county roads and transit plan hinged

on the opinion of Tahoma Audubon and its allies?

After so many years of being ignored on the Cross-

Base Highway, how could it be that elected officials

stayed up all night trying to find a way to meet our

approval?

It is the most recent example of the Audubon way:

fighting for its mission to preserve and protect

wildlife habitat in Pierce County.The Audubon way is to be tenacious and unyield-

ing in speaking truth to power about the need to pro-

tect habitat. That means never giving up, even when

it takes years to get the message across.

The Audubon way is to build coalitions and work

with allies to get the message out. Nothing Audubon

has succeeded in has been done on its own. In the

fight against Cross-Base, we united with the

Woodbrook Hunt Club and the equestrian communi-

ty and other allies in the environmental community

like Conservation NW.

The Audubon way is to work constructively to

ensure that our interests are at the table when the

decisions are being made. Being at the table

involves the willingness and ability to compromisewithout giving up your core values.

The Audubon way is to never believe that a cause

is lost, just because the power structure tells you that

it is. Three months ago the Cross-Base was consid-

ered fait accompli. No one thought that it would

actually get

removed from the

regional road proj-

ect list.

Only because of

the hard work of Audubon leaders

and our allies in the

C r o s s - B a s e

Coalition, it was.

We were able to

highlight the envi-

ronmental issues of the project in the media, with

elected leaders, and key community stakeholders.

The final compromise reached gives us certainty that

our issues will be addressed and alternatives actually

considered before money is appropriated for the

Cross-Base Highway. There is still $200 million left

to be found before the project could be completed.

The recent success against the Cross-BaseHighway would not have been achieved without the

hard work of key people who put in endless hours.

Thank you to Melody Fleckenstein, Tonia Oliver,

Jen Hansen, and every one in the equestrian commu-

nity. Thank you to Dave Werntz, Jen Watkins and

Hudson Dodd with Conservation NW and the mem-

ber groups of the Cross-Base Coalition. And thank

you to all the Audubon members who made their

voices heard.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S CORNER

Fighting to protect wildlife habitat in Pierce County

July/August 2007 Page 3

Tahoma Audubon is the Pierce County chapter of National Audubon.

As an Introductory member of Tahoma Audubon you also receive a

National Audubon membership and Audubon Magazine for one year.

Renewing your Chapter Membership ensures that we can continue to

do our work in Pierce County. Chapter membership includes: Towhee

newsletter subscription, free family events, birding trip invitations,

class & book discounts, conservation activities, annual celebrations

and more. Joint TAS/National Audubon membership includes:

Chapter membership, National membership, annual Audubon

Magazine subscription, and support of Important Bird Areas (IBA)

and state and national conservation agendas.

Membership Fee:

___ Introductory (first year) $20

___ Joint National/Tahoma Audubon $50

___ Chapter member renewal $30

___ Other Contributions _____________

Member(s) Name: _______________________________________

Address: _______________________________________________

City______________________________ Zip__________________

Phone: home ___________________business _________________

e-mail: ________________________________________________

Member #: _______________________________ (office use only)

Checks payable to: Tahoma Audubon

2917 Morrison Rd. W. University Place, 98466

Tahoma Audubon Society, established in 1969, is a 501(c)(3) non-

profit organization. Donations are tax deductible.

• $10 million for mitiga-tion and environmentalenhancements. Thisincludes money forimpacts to the equestri-

an community.• $60 million that isdependant on success-ful mediation. Could beused on Cross-Base or176th depending on theresults of the mediation.• $30 million for Cross-Base. Money cannot bespent until after themediation.

• Mediation does notstart until January 2009,when County Executivewill be term limited outof office.

• The mediation will startwith a fresh look at thetraffic problem in SouthPierce County and howto solve it, leaving theopportunity for some-thing other then Cross-Base. It will have priori-ty consideration of pre-venting impacts to OakPrairie habitat.

What we got from the Cross-

Base Highway compromise:

not appointed from the Board, may

become members of the Board. The

immediate past president shall also be a

member for one year after the new presi-

dent is elected.

We hired our first executive director in2004. We have added language toclarify that role.With the addition ofthis article, the numbers of subse-quent articles increased by one. Ihave not included all of thosechanges for the sake of conservationof space.

ARTICLE VIII: EXECUTIVE DIREC-

TOR

Section 1: The Board may choose to

hire an Executive Director. The

Executive Director’s job will consist of

those responsibilities in the job descrip-

tion and will include working with vol-

unteers and coordinating committee

and staff communication with the

Board. The Executive Director will

follow the policies of the organization.

The next change creates an avenueof communication between the board

and committees which could havebeen lost by the change to Article V.Board of Directors.There was also the desire by somecommittee chairs to update thedescription of the role of their com-mittees.Those changes also follow.

ARTICLE IX : COMMITTEES

Section 1: The President, with the

approval of the Board of Directors, shall

appoint chairpersons of standing com-

mittees. The chairpersons shall be mem-

bers of the Society. They may select their

own committee members with the rec-

ommendations and suggestions from the

Board. Terms of office shall be for oneyear. They may be re-appointed.

Standing committees shall be composed

of not less than three members. Each

committee will present no fewer than

quarterly reports to the Board.

d. Publications: The role of the

Publication Committee is to establish

and maintain guidelines to present

Tahoma Audubon to its membership

and to the public through publications

and media using a professional, uni-

form, and consistent message. The

Publication Committee publishes, at

least six times a year, a bulletin (TheTowhee) for the members of Tahoma

Audubon.

e. Education: The Education

Committee shall generate environmen-

tal education and natural history pro-

grams for youth and adults utilizing

sites operated by Tahoma Audubon

and natural areas of Pierce County.

The committee shall work with

schools, agencies, businesses, organiza-

tions and individuals in the communi-

ty to pursue its goals of environmental

education. The education committee

program should be developed as apart of the annual planning process.

The education committee shall serve

in a collaborative and supportive role

for the Education staff.

This final change clarifies which edi-tion of Robert’s Rules of Order will beused.

ARTICLE XIII : PARLIAMENTARY

AUTHORITY

In matters not covered by these bylaws

the most current edition of Robert's

Rules of Order shall govern.

... Bylaws changescontinued from page 2




BIRDSONGS by Phil Buly Technology and birdwatching


Birdwatchers have long headed into the woods with little moreequipment than binoculars and a notebook. But when Laura

Erickson sets out on a birding trip,she now brings along two digitalcameras, a Palm device with a bird-species database and an iPodloaded with bird songs.

Indeed, many traditionalists who think that the whole point of bird-ing is to commune with nature bristle at the technology now avail-able to the modern birdwatcher, from laser pointers used to identify

birds perched on high branches to devices that play birdcalls.Professional alerting services, already popular in the UnitedKingdom and springing up in the U.S., allow hardcore hobbyists to

receive notices of local sightings on their cellphones orBlackBerrys.

"I have seen good friends in the field that looked like electronics

stores when they came down the trail," says Richard Payne, presi-dent of the American Birding Association,a Colorado Springs,Colo.,nonprofit that counts about 18,000 members. "It's not my style."

- By ANDREW LAVALLEE from the Wall Street Journal

Last September, my wife Angie and I were plan-

ning a trip to Ecuador to visit her family and see

more of the country. I planned to go off on my

own for a few days and do some birdwatching and pho-

tography. I was researching lodges and some informa-

tion on the San Isidro lodge caught my eye. According

to the site, for the last several years the managers and

guests there had been observing a pair of owls that were

a mystery, potentially a new species of owl. There was

even a close range photo of the bird. I spoke with the

managers and came to find out that the bird in question

was very similar to the Black Banded Owl but lived at a

much higher elevation than the Black Banded was sup-

posed to occur. I checked my “Birds of Ecuador” and

sure enough the Black Banded Owl was not supposed to

occur over 3,000 feet and the elevation at San Isidro was

7,000 feet! My interest piqued, I made a reservation to

stay at the lodge.

The driver picked me up in Quito, the capital city of

Ecuador. We had a day of birding on the way from San

Isidro to Quito. Our first main stop was high in the

paramo at Papallacta Pass. We searched for the elusive

Rufous Bellied Seedsnipe at 14,000 feet but did not find

it. However, we had a beautiful view of the lake dotted

open country from atop the

peak we were on. There

were many consolation

prizes including a singing

Tawny Antpitta and several

Stout Billed Cinclodes.

Upon arriving at San

Isidro, beautiful Inca Jays

greeted us in the parking lot.

Soon after that the manager

showed me the rather tame

Chestnut Crowned

Antpittas that came to feed

on worms put out by the

lodge staff. What a great

start! However, soon after

that the rains started and

continued most of the rest of

the afternoon. I decided to

take a rest, have dinner and

then try for the mystery owl.

The manager, Galo, tried to

locate the owl but we nei-

ther saw nor heard it that

first evening. The next day

I saw many beautiful

species of hummingbirds

and tanagers. The most

memorable experience of

the day was a Masked Trogon feeding on a large moth on

the ground just outside my hotel room. I had left my

large lens down at the lookout a few buildings away. I

rushed into my room, grabbed my 70-200 zoom and man-

aged to get some nice closeups as the trogon tried to sub-

due the moth. That evening 3 Dutch graduate students

and I tried for the owl again. We caught brief glimpses

of an owl but not

enough to even say

what species. Two

nights done and no

mystery owl, I was

starting to get worried.

The next day I saw

more nice species but I

had really chosen this

spot to see and record

the mystery owl and I

was not having any

luck. As I was having

dinner the 3rd night, the

Galo burst in and said

the owl was in its usual

perch atop a secropia

tree near the road.

Dessert could wait. We

headed out with spotlight and camera in hand. Sure

enough the owl was atop its favorite tree. The tree was

quite high and far away, but with my big lens and flash I

could reach it and make some fairly good images. It's a

striking black and white strix owl. The owl then flew

around from the perch nearer to us but we only caught

glimpses of the flight in the darkness. It landed back in

the secropia tree with a very

large insect in its beak. I

snapped off a rapid succes-

sion of photos and to my

delight I had some fairly

good ones of it feeding on

this big bug. The guide

explained that was why it

was attracted to this spot.

The large lights that illumi-

nated the road into the lodge

attracted large numbers of

very big moths and other

insects. The owl would

catch its prey in the air like a

very large flycatcher. The

guide told me he had even

seen the owl feeding on a bat

once. The owl disappeared

and we went to look in an

area where it sometimes

perched at night, very close

to my cabin. The guide

summoned me that he had

found it very close to the

trail. I followed and there it

was at very close range. So

close that I couldn't fit the

whole bird into the picture.

I took some closeups. In the darkness there was not easy

way to back up off the trail. I decided to head to my room

and grab my smaller lens. I did so and surprisingly the

bird was still there. I snapped off a few good photos and

then the bird departed.

The next day I enjoyed the good weather and beauti-

ful hummingbirds. That evening I decided to look for

the owl in the same area, near to my cabin that I had pho-

tographed it the previous evening. I heard a strange call,

it sounded a bit like a dog and a bit like an owl. I locat-

ed the bird near a large floodlight, this was lucky as I was

by myself and needed the light to help me focus on thebird. I took many nice photos with different poses, the

bird yawning, stretching and looking at me. I heard

another owl calling from nearby and the owl I was pho-

tographing returned its call. I was thrilled, listening to a

possible new owl species communicating with one of its

own kind high in the Ecuadorian cloud forest.

On this trip I learned that they had been seeing

these owls for about 7 years and had seen

young with the adult owls at least 2 years but

had never found a nest. I observed these owls at very

close range and they looked quite a bit larger than the 15-

17 inches listed for the Black Banded Owl, about the size

of our Barred Owl, which is listed at 21 inches. Other

people I talked to regarding this owl think they are larger

than the typical Black Banded Owl as well. Reportedly

the voice is very different too. This high altitude owl has

not been seen anywhere else in the world, but at the same

altitude in both Peru and Colombia people have heard and

recorded the same voice in the night. Galo told me that

they need to collect a bird to verify if its actually a new

species. The lodge is certainly not going to let anyone

do that as these birds are a big draw for tourists. If I were

a professional ornithologist I would certainly be trying to

find this bird in other parts of the Andean cloud forest and

try to determine if it were a new species (hopefully they

can figure this out without collecting one). I am not an

expert on the topic of new bird species, but it seems to me

a larger bird with a different voice, living at a very dif-

ferent altitude and habitat is probably a different species.

But for now it remains the San Isidro Mystery Owl.

Viewing and photographing it at close range was one of

the highlights of my birdwatching and photography expe-

riences.

Nate Chappell is a longtime Tahoma Audubon member. He is theavian gallery moderator of a top rated nature website, www.naturepho-tographers.net . He and his wife Angie, who is Ecuadorian, are lead-ing nature photography tours to Ecuador and Thailand this winter.There is more about these tours in this months Towhee. You can con-tact him at 253-512-1060.

photo/Nate Chappell

A possible new owl species gobbles up a big bug

photo/Nate Chappell This species is a striking black and white strix owl.

By Nate Chappell

Photographing a possiblenew owl species in Ecuador




July/August 2007 Page 5

New and Returning: Theresa And

& Terri Duf, M Baker, Nicole

Bateman, Ana Bennett, Mary Blyton,

Troy & Nita Born, Jane Davison,

Jack Dempsey, Sara Derr, Sandra

Elliott, Thomas Gergen, Dolores

Barrett, Dorie Golding, Yvonne

Herth, Ed Hume, Jerry Johannes,

Rebecca Johnson, Howard & Shirley

Johnson, J Kitchens, MarceilleKobel, Mark Kuhlmann, Peter &

Annie Laney, William Leneweaver,

Eric Lick, Lin Livingston, Diane

Martin, Monika Mc Faddeen, Denise

McCluskey, Brad McPhee, Bonnie &

Peter Meyer, Nicole Okada, David

and Chris Parent, Joe & Nancy

Peters, Dolores Sarandos, Tom Sims,

Ralff Somoff, Robert Sotak, Eileen

Stubblefield, Janda Volkmer, Louis

Walton, Nancy Jean White, Christine

Wood.

Introductory: (Joining through TAS

as new and will appear in New and

Returning at a later date.) Parker

Briggs, Lanny Walker.

Special Support, Chapter New andRenewing: (Joining through TAS.)

Susan Dawson, Worth & Marian

Gurley, Judy Krill, Thomas

Mansfield, Jim & Carolyn Nelson,

Edna Vandenheuvel, Donna & Alan

Zimmerschied.

Special Support, Joint TAS and

NAS: (Renewing done through

TAS.) Ronald

Coleman, John

Cragin, Harold Gray,

Sherrie Kilborn,

Dian Lord, Earline

C Luco McQueen.

Renewal: (List is from National,

including earlier listings under Joint

TAS and NAS in our monthlyreports.) Ruth Amos, Greg

Anglemeyer, Nora Arnold, Beverly

Ball, Juanita Bjork, Jerry Broadus,

Mary L Bryan, Anita Dorman,

Charlotte Duggan, Janis Elliott, Paul

Field, Linda & Scott Green, Mary

Baker Hairston, Shannon Heinrick,

Mr & Mrs John Herzog, Kent

Howard, Johnny Hughes, Howard &

Doreen Johnson, James Julich,

Katherine Loveless, Suzanne Mader,

Patricia McGill, Lynette Miller, NoraMiller, Michael Mitchell, Helen

Neighbor, Dale Pedersen, Warren

Picha, Tanja Scott, Rick Semple,

Jessica Troy & Steve Sissel, Dr

Ronald Taylor, David Taylor, Paul

Thompson, Joan Torfin, Laurissa

Wallace, Annette Wanwig, Monica

Weidman, Nancy Wittenberg, Mary

Zimmer.

Welcome greetings to new and returning members, May 16 to June 15, 2007

2) A72% increase in the number of registered vehi-

cles from 1980-2003.

3) Urban sprawl and increase in average trip length

(miles).

4) Congestion leading to increases in travel time.

5) Safety issues and failing roads due to lack of

maintenance.

6) Subsidized oil prices that mask the true cost of

driving and owning a car.

The real problem is that the current way of thinking

about transportation planning is to build more roads to

handle more capacity for more cars on those roads.

The trouble with that train of thought (no pun intend-ed) is that the solution feeds the problem, creating a

bigger problem requiring a bigger solution. In this

case, more cars need more roads, and adding capacity

adds demand for even more roads, and so on. Call it

the Flintstones method, if you like.

Adding more lanes to existing roads feeds that self-

reinforcing mechanism. Although, its not as bad, one

could argue, as constructing entirely new roads. New

roads have the nasty habit of traversing new territory –

land previously undeveloped by people or at least in a

more natural state then say existing roads or shopping

centers or residential neighborhoods. Laying new con-

crete often means filling unbuildable lands – wetlands,

in particular. Washington Department of

Transportation is the single largest contributor to wet-land mitigation. New roads also contribute to urban

sprawl and poor land use regulations.

Case in point, the proposed Cross-Base Highway or

SR 704 (I’ll get to that later).

After decades of ignoring our regional road prob-

lems, policymakers are proposing a solution: build

more capacity to handle the number of cars on today’s

roads, thereby cutting congestion and commuting time.

Sound familiar? It should, because it’s the old

Flintstones method. That, coupled with a modest tran-

sit package, constituted the policymaker’s solution six

years ago.

A lot has happened since then to force a change in

the direction and thinking on what constitutes good

transportation planning. Worldwide acknowledgementand awareness of the scientific consensus on global

warming and climate change is forcing governments,

especially at the local level, to take steps to cut green-

house gas emissions. In Washington, 55% of our

greenhouse gas emissions come from the transporta-

tion sector. At the same time, our country is at war

(again) in the Middle East, where over two-thirds of

the world’s proven oil reserves lay. Gasoline prices are

high and steady. And at home we constantly fight to

keep oil exploration out of national wildlife preserves.

So when Sound Transit and the Regional

Transportation Investment District (RTID) moved for-

ward simultaneously to develop a new transportation

plan for the region (meaning King, Snohomish, and

Pierce Counties), they knew that they were facing an

enormous challenge. The old school of thought pre-

dominated discussion in the early days. As the outsidefactors, coupled with the involvement of numerous

local environmental groups putting pressure on both

bodies for new solutions grew, they had to listen.

Maybe they didn’t want to. But in the end, they did.

The result is a regional transportation package that

emphasizes public transit options and ‘fix it first’ prior-

ities over simply building new capacity to move cars.

The Flintstones solution of just moving cars is out-

dated and a proven failure – like rock wheels. The

new solution is to emphasize moving people and

goods, not cars. How do we get people to and from

work? How do we transport goods? The answers

aren’t to be found in miles paved. The answers consist

of a package of creative solutions like rail, light rail,

sidewalks, bike lanes, HOVlanes, tolling (a.k.a. con-

gestion pricing), carpooling, telecommuting, smart

urban planning, etc.

The fact that the final version of the $17 billion joint

transportation package set to go before voters this

November consists of 61% Sound Transit funding, and

more RTID money going to fixing existing roads, con-

gestion pricing and non-motorized options points to a

real change in transportation planning. And that

change is one for the better: better for the environment

AND better for people and commerce.

The proposed Cross-Base Highway is evidence that

real change is underway in transportation planning.The road represents the last bastion of old school trans-

portation planning. Up until May 2007, the RTID

executive board clung to the thought of this new road

as an answer to traffic problems in South Pierce

County. It was the only new road slated to be in the

roads package. A six-mile long, two lane road (maxi-

mum speed 45 mph), with stop lights on both ends,

running east-west from SR 7 near Roy to I-5 at Thorne

Lane in Lakewood. The road would bisect Fort Lewis

and McChord, cutting across a wetlands system that

includes Audubon Springs and Spanaway Marsh, and

also across rare Oak Woodland Prairie Habitat, home

to numerous endangered and/or threatened species of

birds, wildlife, and plants. The path of the road is also

designated an Important Bird Area (IBA). Ongoing

projects in the area include bluebird nest box place-

ment and monitoring, and numerous field trips over theyears by Auduboner’s to the wetlands.

Falling squarely within our mission to protect birds,

wildlife and their habitats, Tahoma Audubon pursued

this issue with great tenacity over the years. We joined

a coalition of groups that included environmental

organizations, equestrians, local business owners, and

neighbors who were willing to fight for a solution that

did not including paving another natural area. A previ-

ous lawsuit over the endangered Gray Squirrel was

lost, appealed, and lost again at the state Supreme

Court of Appeals. Another lawsuit lays in waiting, and

is focused on the project’s environmental documents

that fail to adequately address NEPArequirements.

The coalition’s parties to the lawsuit didn’t want to

go this direction, unless forced to. Instead, we workedto put political, media, and public pressure on RTID

board members to remove the Cross-Base Highway

from the list of roads projects. In 2003-4 we meet with

Pierce County Executive John Ladenburg, the project’s

key supporter, to negotiate alternative options and

routes for the highway, as well as for better environ-

mental mitigation. After two years, the talks were

stalled. In 2007, Mr. Ladenburg again worked hard to

kill any opposition to his project.

After numerous meetings with RTID executive

board chair Shawn Bunney in the spring of 2007, we

were able to come to agreement on an alternate plan

that did not include funding for the Cross-Base

Highway per se. At the May 31st RTID executive

board meeting, the board voted in favor of a roadspackage free of any Cross-Base Highway money. This

was a huge symbolic victory for our coalition, and we

celebrated, if only tentatively.

By the following week’s vote of the full RTID

board, consisting of members of all three county coun-

cils, the political will had changed. We lost our votes

needed. We faced the very real possibility that 1) a

package fully funding Cross-Base would move for-

ward or 2) we would burn all our bridges with local

officials if we continued to oppose the package and be

blamed for its failure, as well. Either way, it was clear

we weren’t going to get what we wanted that day. And

after hours of all night negotiations over the phone,

brokering a deal en route to the meeting, and stalling

the meeting for two hours to get to a mediation agree-ment, we had a decision to make.

Most of us took the deal. We took a deal that was

hard to swallow, but in the end it is more than what we

had the week before. Its more than a symbolic victory:

it is a real opportunity for us to prevent an ill-con-

ceived environmentally destructive new road from ever

being built.

In the bigger picture, the would-be Cross-Base

Highway signals a paradigm shift in regional trans-

portation planning away from the Flintstones method

toward real solutions that move people and goods.

Now it is up to the Sound Transit and RTID boards

to sell it to the public, and its up to the region’s voters

to buy it, both literally and figuratively!

Highway ...-continued from page 1


Cross base highway, as currently proposed, wouldcross Fort Lewis military base and Fort Lewis IBA



July/August 2007 Page 7Page 6

Tahoma Audubon Bird Drawing Contest – 2007

Third place winners:

Grades 1-3: Nora Loney, a 3rdgrader with the Busy Bees 4HClub, right .

Grades 4-5: Chloe Sabo, a 5thgrader from Harbor MontessoriSchool, below .

Grades 6-7: Parker Olive, a7th grader fromHarborMontessori School, below right .

Grades 1-3: CambrieWilliams, a 3rd grader fromEvergreen Primary, right .

Grades 4-5: Julia Harper, a4th grader from All SaintsSchool, below .

Grades 6-7: Adam Nelson,a 7th grader from HarborMontessori School, below right .

Here are the drawings that made honorable mention. Remember, all the winning entries can beviewed in full color on the web at http://www.thenewstribune.com/adventure/story/86922.html

H a n n a h P e n a ,

5 t h g r a d e .

E m i l y R e p o n t e ,

5 t h g r a d e .

J o s h u a A l f a r o ,

4 t h g r a d e .

A n g e l a R a m o u s , 5 t h g r a d e .

A l y s s a S l y t e r , 5 t h g r a d e .

K a i t l i n M i l l e r , 5 t h g r a d e .

K a t e F a r n h a m ,

3 r d g r a d e .

K r i s t i n e K i n g s b u r y ,

7 t h g r a d e .

A n d r e w K r y l a t o r , 3 r d g r a d e .

C a r i s s a V r e u g d e n h i l , 3 r d g r a d e .

J e r e m y K e i s t e r , h o m e s c h o o l .

B l a k e W i l l i a m s ,

1 s t g r a d e .

R i l e y C l a r k e ,

4 t h g r a d e .

B r i a n L e e ,

6 t h g r a d e

.

Second place winners:




EDUCATION

Page 8 July/August 2007

1919 South Tyler Street, Tacoma WA 98338253-591-6439 www.metroparkstacoma.orgOpen Tuesday – Friday 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

& Saturday 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.

2917 Morrison Road W., University Pl.WA 98466253-565-9278 www.TahomaAudubon.org

Open Monday – Saturday10:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.

Tahoma Audubon Family Programs Discovery Walks All ages welcome, $5.00/person, free to Audubon membersThese walks are designed for families, and friends of all ages, with a special

invitation to grandparents. Discover a new location each month as you explore

the site with an experienced nature guide. Call 253-591-6439 for directions.

Pre-registration is required.

July 21 Snake Lake Watershed 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

August 18 Nelson Nature Park 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

Morse Wildlife Preserve ProgramsBest for ages 2 and up, free to Audubon members

Explore this natural treasure located in Graham during the following special

open days. Call Gabriel for more information and directions at 253-565-5479.

Community ProgramsEnjoy a guided hike and activities with a different theme each month.

Programs run 10:00 a.m. – noon.

July 28 Habitats of Morse: Wetland

August 25 Habitats of Morse: Coniferous Forest

Open Trails: Walk the trails and discover the beauty of the five habitat zones

in the preserve. Programs run noon – 4:00 p.m.. July 8 August 12

Tahoma Audubon Just for Kids Nature Story Time

Best for ages 2 – 6, $5.00/child, free to Audubon members and U.P. residentsJoin us as we explore the park at the Adriana Hess Audubon Center in

University Place with nature stories based on the current theme. Adults are

welcome with the children. This is a wonderful grandparent/grandchild activi-ty! Space is limited. Call 253-591-6439 to register.

July 27 On the Beach 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

August 24 In the Deep 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

Day Camps for kids age 4-6 & 8-10Visit the Tacoma Nature Center page on the MetroParks website for details:

www.metroparkstacoma.org.

Tacoma Nature Center Summer Day Camps Day Camps for kids age 5-15Visit the MetroParks website for details: www.metroparkstacoma.org.

Tiptoe through Tidepools at Titlow BeachSaturday, July 14, 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m., FreeBring your family and join us on one of the lowest tides of the year to explore

the beach, learn about tidepool life and have lots of fun! The low tide of -3.2’

will be at11:43 a.m.. There will be self-guided tide pool exploration with natu-

ralists available for questions, a guided bird walk of Titlow park, crafts and

other activities for families. For more information, call 253-591-6439.

Nature Discovery Wednesdays4:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m., Free

Animals are awesome! Join Tacoma Nature Center and Point Defiance Zoo &Aquarium staff to explore some amazing animal adaptations for survival.

You’ll get a chance to handle real animal skulls and pelts and meet a small live

animal ambassador from the Zoo!

July 11 Franklin Park

July 18 Jane Clark Park

July 25 Manitou Park

August 1 South Park

August 8 Jefferson Park

August 15 Portland Avenue Park

August 22 McKinley Playfield

Carnival in the Park Fridays5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m., Free

Summer Carnivals are back! Bring family, neighbors and friends. Come seeclowns and performing pigs, do hands-on science and experience some cool

critters, play carnival games and enjoy carnival food available for purchase.

July 6 Jefferson Park

July 13 Manitou Park

July 20 McKinley Playfield

August 17 Wright Park

Special Events

Park Party Fridays5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m., Free

Enjoy a fun, family-oriented evening at one of Tacoma’s great parks.

Activities for all ages. Challenge your family to a friendly relay race and play

other fun games. Slip your way down the inflatable water slide. Relax in the

park. Bring a picnic. And explore, with staff from Tacoma Nature Center and

Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, animals’amazing lives.

July 27 Jane Clark Park

August 3 Franklin Park

August 10 South Park

Tacoma Nature CenterArt ExhibitsAs part of the changing art gallery at the Center, please join us for:

Tahoma Audubon Bird Drawing Contest Winners, June 5 – August 25

The winning contest entries of the 8th annual contest will be on dis-

play for the summer at the Tacoma Nature Center. Participants

range from grade 2 to 7. Gallery available most open hours, call

ahead to ensure availability.

It’s time to clean those reading glasses and position your reading lamps.The Tahoma Audubon Book Club is gearing up for another year of readingand discussion. We are sorry to say that Dana and Amy Garrigan will not beour leaders this year as they are moving to Wisconsin where they will becloser to family.

In May at the Garrigan’s last meeting of the book club, we recounted theyears and books that we had read together. It was inspiring to discover thatwe had covered over two dozen books together. I want to take this opportu-nity to thank Dana and Amy for their guidance and let’s not forget the treats!

I am a richer person for having met them both. When conversation rollsaround to environmental issues, I have a much fuller background due to thebooks and discussions we have all shared. Best wishes and happy birding.

For our next book I have chosen “Condor: To the Brink and Back - TheLife and Times of One Giant Bird” by John Nielsen.This book will link nicelywith Diane Yorgason-Quinn’s article in the June Towhee “The Condors ofArizona.” For those of you who read that article and had your interestpiqued this is a great opportunity. Mr.Nielsen willreveal the story of the capture of the last wild birdsand the breeding program that led to the reintroduc-tion of Condors in California.

Please join us at our new day and time, Monday,September 10th at 7:00 pm at Adrianna Hess. Ifyou have any questions, contact Alan Ferguson at253-460-5569 or [email protected].

Tahoma Audubon Book Club

San Juan Islands Audubon announces with great joy, the birth of threeWestern Bluebirds in the Bailer Hill area of San Juan Island.These are thefirst juvenile bluebirds seen in the San Juans since about 1965.The par-ents are one of eight pair of Western Bluebirds translocated from Ft. Lewis,Pierce County, Washington, in March of this year.Both parents have sur-vived and were seen feeding the fledglings insects caught in the shortgrasses of Garry Oak habitat. Many volunteers spent the early wintermonths building and placing nest boxes throughout San Juan County inclassic bluebird feeding and breeding habitat. Please let us know if yousee any groups of bluebirds in the San Juans or adjacent counties. CallSan Juan Islands Audubon, Barbara Jensen, 360-378-308 or San JuanPreservation Trust, Kathleen Foley, 360-378-2461.

Baby birds on San Juan Island



Page 9July/August 2007

Adriana Hess Audubon

Center Bird Walk Monday, July 9--noon to 1:00

p.m.

Monday, August 13--noon to

1:00 p.m.Leaders: Ruth and Patrick

Sullivan

Adriana Hess Audubon

Center Plant Walk Monday, July 16--noon to 1:00

p.m. Monday, August 20--

noon to 1:00 p.m.

There has been extensive

planting of natives at Hess,

this trip will look at the trees

and shrubs of the park. Come

get ideas for your yard.

Leader: Richard Van Deman.

Morse Wildlife Preserve

Bird WalkFriday, July 27--9:00 to 11:00

a.m.

Friday, August 24--9:00 to

11:00 a.m.Leader: Betty Jones. Call

TAS office to register, 253-

565-9278.

FIELD TRIPS

The 2007 Wenas Campout was great.About 200 people, including families with kids,enjoyed the nice weather and good program.

The Field Trips went up the canyons, on theridges, to the Lake, and all around WenasCreek and the Important Bird Area (IBA).

Besides day trips there were night-time owl

prowls, bat-watching, and bug-watching withthe “black light.”

At our Campfire programs Wildlife BiologistWDF&W Ken Bevis gave us good hope thatthe Wenas Important Bird Area will be protect-ed by the DNR Land Swaps.

Inspiring Nature Teacher Rob Sandelin did a"Tribal Values” program. He reminded us ofthe uniqueness of our Audubon Campout andthe impressive 3-generation run the event hasenjoyed.

The cumulative bird sightings list was readeach evening by Wilson Cady and we hit ahigh county of 127 species.

Native Plant Society’s Don Knoke talkedabout the flora of the Wenas Creek drainage,and what a good year this has been for wild-flowers.

Michelle Noe, Bats Northwest, talked aboutthe Bats we see in our state and showed herhigh-tech instrument that translates bat soundsto frequencies the human ear can hear.

Richard Repp of Yakima Valley Audubontalked about the Bluebird Trail, and how wemight help monitor the numbered boxes.

Don Norman, Consultant on all things natu-ral, and his crew of bird-banders were set upalong the Creek in camp and at Hardy Canyon.

Start thinking now about the 45th AnnualAudubon Campout at Wenas the weekend ofMay 24-26, 2008. For more information andlots of wonderful photos, see our website:wenasaudubon.org

Saturday, May 12, we began at 5:30 a.m. in front of

Art Wang’s house in Tacoma looking for Band-tailed

Pigeons. We had to wait later in the day to find the

pigeons at Snoqualmie Pass, but the singing Bewick’s

Wren and the view of Commencement Bay with the ris-

ing sun pinking the clouds were spectacular. This year

we were joined by Annie Meyer, a twelve-year-old bud-

ding birder, and her parents Nancy Hausauer and

Dane Meyer. Also on the trip were Wayne

Sladek, Patti Coolsen and Ed Sakai.

West Hylebos Park was alive with the

songs of the Black-throated Gray Warbler,Warbling Vireo, Wilson’s Warbler, Yellow

Warbler and Black-headed Grosbeak. A

Rufous Hummingbird whizzed by singing “zeee chup-

pity-chup.” A Red-breasted Sapsucker followed us

around the pond to visit his favorite trees.

In the muddy fields next to Emerald Downs we

found a flock of Long-billed Dowitchers, a Pectoral

Sandpiper, and Blue-winged Teal. Wayne spotted a

Sora walking along the far edge of the field in full view

of the group. The trees by the creek were filled with

Common Yellowthroats singing their “witchety-witch-

ety-witchety” song.

We headed for the mountains, stopping at Asahael

Curtis for the Townsend’s Warbler, Pacific SlopeFlycatcher and Varied Thrush. The Hyak sewage

treatment ponds had the usual pair of Barrow’s

Goldeneye.

A Turkey Vulture flew overhead as we exited for

Stampede Pass. The Hairy Woodpecker was working

the dead trees. Everyone had a great look at the noto-

riously difficult to see Hammond’s Flycatcher singing

its identifying “bean diiip” song.

At the Northern Pacific ponds in Cle Elum, we

found the Nashville Warbler, a colorful male Western

Tanager, and a Barrow’s Goldeneye with ducklings.

A Hooded Merganser was tending her young in the

marsh at the Teanaway Bridge. We pulled out an

American Dipper from the bridge on Masterson Road,

and a Calliope Hummingbird at a feeder.

Hidden Valley Road was hiding a number of

surprises. White-breasted and Pygmy

Nuthatches were both nesting near the road.

A pair of Red Crossbills flew in and landed

on the feeder below us. The Say’s Phoebewas flycatching from her perch on the fence.

We experienced a common occurrence in

Eastern Washington. The further East we went the

stronger the wind Annie spotted a Long-billed Curlew

flying along Lower Green Valley Road. But along the

Old Vantage Highway, Sage Thrashers and Sage

Sparrows were not to be seen or heard in the sage brush.

We heard one Brewer’s Sparrow.

The wind was calmer when we arrived at the

Caliche Ponds for Black-necked Stilts, Blue-winged

Teal, Cinnamon Teal, Ruddy Duck, and Yellow-head-

ed Blackbird. A Great Egret flew over Dodson Road.

We found our Canvasback and a Ring-necked Duck at

the end of Frenchman’s Hill Road. We headed for ourhotel in Moses Lake having seen or heard 119 birds.

Thank you for your support of the Audubon cause.

Your money is well spent; approximately 99% of

Birdathon funds go directly to Audubon education and

conservation programs. Our Birdathon includes

almost no expenses as it is completely organized and

run by chapter volunteers, with Thelma Gilmur lead-

ing the effort.

Trogon Tours Trip To Thailand January 13-27, 2008

Nate Chappell and his wife, Angie will lead a 2 week tripto Central and Northern Thailand next January.We willalso have 1 to 2 Thai nature guides with us the entire trip.The trip is focused on seeing and photographing thebirds and mammals of Thailand. We will travel fromBangkok to Unesco World Heritage site Khao YaiNational Park, Phu Khieo Wildlife Sanctuary and DoiInthanon National Park in Northern Thailand. You willhave a chance to see and photograph many beautifulspecies of birds and animals. Thailand is rich in manybird families including giant hornbills, beautiful trogonsand colorful kingfishers. Cost: 3,400 includes all hotels,meals, transportation, park fees and guiding. Does notinclude the cost of airfare to/from the US to Thailand.Call Nate Chappell at 512-1060 for more information.Trogon Tours, Inc's website is www.trogontours.net.

Trogon Tours Trip To Ecuador December 8-16, 2007

Nate Chappell and his Ecuadorian wife, Angie, will leada trip to the mountains and western slope of the Andes.These are some of the best birding areas in the world.Elevations will range from 2,000 to 14,000 feet. We willstay at hotels in Quito, the Tandaypa Valley and Mindo onthis trip. Quality viewing and photography of Ecuador'sbirds will be the focus of the trip. Spectacular specieswhich participants have an excellent chance of seeinginclude Andean Cock of the Rock, 3 species of Antpittas,Andean Condor and many species of beautiful hum-mingbird and tanager. Cost: $1,700 includes all hotels,meals, transportation, park fees and guiding. Does notinclude cost of airfare between the US and Ecuador.Call Nate Chappell at 512-1060 for more information.Trogon Tours, Inc's website is www.trogontours.net.

Trogon Tours trips to Ecuador and Thailand

Where do you like to go to look for birds,hunt for butterflies, and photograph thewildflowers? Perhaps you like to visit a for-gotten state park or forest service road.Maybe you like to haunt the nearby sewerponds to check out wintering ducks andmigrants. Is there a place you’d like to visit

a place that you’ve wondered about? Doyou want help identify-ing the flora and faunaof a place? We mightknow the person whocan lend a hand.

Share your specialplace with other naturelovers and birdwatch-ers by leading a field

trip. Do you know someone else who wouldlike to lead a trip? Trip leaders don’t have tobe birders or naturalists.The people who

join the trip can tell you what you see andhear.You just need to be willing to shareyour time showing people your specialplace.

Join the Field Trip Committee at theSnake Lake Nature Center on Thursday,July 19, at 6:00 p.m. for a potluck planningsession. Bring your ideas for field trips anda dish to share (If your last name startswith A-M bring main dish; N-Z bring salador dessert). No matter what kind of ideayou have, (birds by bike? shrubs in winter?)we want to hear about it.We’re looking foreverything: short trips to look at lichens,mid-week trips to find dragonflies, day-longtrips to hunt for butterflies, and three-dayexpeditions to see all there is to see.Wewant them all.

A Birdathon trip with Heather and Marcus Roening

Birders' Picnic at Titlow, June 14, 2007, com-plete with tablecloths and floral arrangements.TAS director Bryan Flint on far right whips upthe birders to volunteer for field trips.

Photo/Diane Yorgason-Quinn

Where’s your favorite place?

44th Annual Washington

State Audubon Campout:

The Hazel Wolf Bird Sanctuary Campground in

the middle of the Wenas-Clemans Mountain IBA





Imagine people working together, communicating,

and learning from one another – all for the common

good of restoring degraded urban natural areas. Now

stop imagining. It’s happening right now, right here in

Tacoma. A collaborative effort is underway to protect

and restore publicly owned open-spaces and parks in

Tacoma. Citizens, neighborhood groups, local non-prof-its, City of Tacoma agencies, and Metro Parks Tacoma

are working together to coordinate efforts aimed at com-

bating invasive species like English ivy, holly, and

Himalayan blackberries from out-competing our native

vegetation. Without a comprehensive plan and volunteer

efforts to get a handle on these problems, our urban

canopy cover will continue to decline, and so will the

quality of habitat available for birds, wildlife, fish, and,

yes, people.

The Green Tacoma Partnership (GTP) is a collective

effort to address the pressing problem of declining habi-

tat and urban forests, along with associated decline in

ecosystem services, and quality of life in the city.

Through quarterly meetings, the partnership connects

diverse groups with each other, offering opportunities tonetwork, learn about other’s projects, and create opportu-

nities to work together.

Based on participant’s requests, a series of collabora-

tive restoration trainings and hands-on work parties are

underway. Free trainings are conducted at a different

site already adopted by a local group for restoration

work, and offers a chance for participants to connect to

one another, lend a hand, and learn a new environmental

restoration skill. Summer work parties have occurred at

Blueberry Park, Oak Tree Park, Puget Creek Gulch, and

Point Defiance. The trainings included tool usage and

safety, Scot’s broom removal techniques, planning andmanaging large work parties, and safe and effective

English ivy removal techniques. Over 200 people have

participated in these free events.

It’s not too late to get out there, meet your neighbors,

and get your hands dirty doing restoration work in

Tacoma. The next GTP training and work party will be

held on Saturday, July 28, 2007 from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. at

China Lake Natural Area, in collaboration with Sierra

Club Tatoosh Group “Ivy League.” Focus will be o

removing Scot’s broom and other invasive species.

Along with building communication and group capac-

ity, the partnership serves as a conduit for the City of

Tacoma to share its work on the Open Space Plan as it is

being developed by the consultant, Parametrix. This is

an excellent opportunity for neighbors, groups and citi-zens directly involved with restoration efforts, to provide

direct input into the planning process as its being devel-

oped.

If you are interested in learning about the City’s Open

Space Plan, you may want to attend the next quarterly

meeting on Wednesday,

July 11, 2007 from

6:30-8:00 p.m. at the

University of Puget

Sound – Wyatt Hall.

A large portion of

the meeting will bededicated to a mini-

design charrette. What

do you think should be

included in the Open

Space Plan? What

doesn’t belong there?

What does an ‘open

space plan’look like to

you? What is most

important? What kind of policy tools will help you do

your work? These are the kinds of questions we will be

discussing. The results will be available to the consult-

ant, to help inform the process as it is happening. So

bring your ideas!

Learn more about the Green Tacoma Partnership onthe web at: www.greentacoma.org Or Call Krystal at

253-232-9978 for more information about GTP trainings

and quarterly meetings

More about the Open Space Plan can be found online

at: http://cityoftacoma.org/Page.aspx?hid=4784

CONSERVATION


Working Together: Restoring Tacoma’s Natural Areas

photo/Ruth Sullivan

Monthly birdwalk at the Adriana Hess Audubon Center in May 2007

The Conservation Committemeets on a regular basis,contact Krystal for details.253-232-9978 or e-mail @[email protected]

Q U A R T E R L Y M E E T I N G

Q U A R T E R L Y

M E E T I N G

Join a growing community of volunteers dedicated to protectingand restoring Tacoma’s natural areas and public open spaces.

Network, Collaborate, and Create!Share your restoration activities, find a helping hand,seek and offer advice.

Learn about the Open-Space Plan and participate in a design-charette.

Last but not least, enjoy free hot beverages and cookies.

Wednesday, July 11th, 6:30-8:00 PMUniversity of Puget Sound in Wyatt Hall,

1500 N.Warner,Tacoma WA

Disappearing birds send environmental wake-up callAudubon analyses reveals dramat-

ic declines for some of Washington’s

most familiar birds. This decline for

some of the most common and

beloved birds in Washington State

echoes the disturbing findings from

the National Audubon Society. Anewscientific analysis reveals how local

and national threats are combining to

take a toll on birds, habitat and their

habitats across the country.

The dramatic national declines are

attributed to a variety of factors,

including the loss of shrub steppe,

grasslands, mature forests and wet-

lands, and other critical habitats from

multiple environmental threats such

as sprawl, energy development,

intense management for single

resources, and the spread of cleanfarming techniques. The national

study notes that these threats are now

compounded by new problems

including the escalating effects of

global warming and demand for corn-

based ethanol.



July/August 2007 On the web @ tahomaaudubon.org Page 11

Story and photos by Diane Yorgason-Quinn

n order to have a suc-

cessful Birdathon, first

one must choose a great

birding trip, such as May

19th’s Birdathon trip to

North Kitsap with Rolan Nelson.

Secondly, one must make those

birders work! Just giving a flat

amount doesn’t work the birders

hard enough! Make ‘em sweatfor those extra species. I pledged

to Faye McAdams Hands, and

she really has her system down.

Not only does she have to come

up with as many species as pos-

sible to get the most revenue for

Tahoma Audubon, but she

charges double for life birds,

state birds, or birds seen out of

their usual flight path. For next

year, she’s already come up with

a new device to charge double

for any species seen which has

ever been on the Endangered or

Threatened lists. This was afterwe realized we had several of

them this time, counting Bald

Eagle, Osprey, and a bunch of

Marbled Murrelets!

Cleverly timed to coincide

with the end of International

Migratory Bird Week (see

IMBD’s website at

http://www.birdday.org), Rolan Nelson scheduled his

Birdathon field trip to the most northerly reaches of the

Kitsap peninsula. Attended by a full flock of birdathon-

ers including the alpha male, new Tahoma Audubon

director Bryan Flint, we set out to find as many species

as possible and charge our sponsors dearly for them.

While getting ready to roll out of the Purdy Park &Ride, birds were already appearing and demanding to be

counted. Not one, not two, but three Bald Eagles

zoomed in and then were gone! It was an omen for the

day! Band-tailed and Rock Pigeons joined the crows

overhead.

Alighting first at Hansville, we scanned the bumpy

waters along with the Hansville mascot, a Bald Eagle

sitting on a piling just out of our reach, self consciously

ignoring us. grebes, Rhinoceros Auklets, guillemots,

sea ducks, gulls, and Marbled Murrelets were out there

for the gleaning, just waiting for someone to count them

between swells. Just around the corner, we came to

Point No Point, site of the oldest lighthouse in

Washington, which was given that strange name by

Captain Wilkes in 1841. Surrounded on three sides by

water, this jut of land has been the site of treaty signings

more than once, and being the first landfall, it continues

to draw odd passersby of the bird and fish sorts, so one

arrives with hopes for rarities. The murrelets and auk-

lets were close at hand here as we walked past the light-

house and into the rosebush tangles, where we foundthree Western Kingbirds, blown way off course (mean-

ing double dollars for TAS)! Then just off the point, we

visited a local with whom Rolan had made arrange-

ments and got some more amazing surprises. Two

female Yellow-Headed Blackbirds at the feeders (more

double dollars)! These were even more off course than

the kingbirds! As we enjoyed the many birds there, a

Western Tanager was spotted as well. A great day for

sunshine-yellow birds with more to come.

Next stop was Foulweather Bluff, a Nature

Conservancy reserve, where a walk through woods

brings you out to a fabulous beach with snow-capped

mountains on the other side of the salt water and still

tidal ponds behind us. The woods were so completely

insulated from the weather that it was like being indoors.

Stepping over a few downed logs on the path showed

that the name, “Foulweather” was given for good rea-

sons. Just-arrived Flycatchers were calling within the

sanctuary as well as the year-round Wrens, Bewick’s

and Winter. A creeper crept out to check out this bunch

of humanity. Once we exited the “door” from the forest,we stepped out onto this stunning beach where eagles

and Osprey ruled the skies along

with the gulls and Caspian

Terns. Herons were on the

beach and goldeneyes on the

pond. One of the most unusu-

al Osprey nests anywhere

dominated the inland side. It

wasn’t in the top of a tree, but

on a lower sideways branch, and the tree wasn’t even

dead! But there was definitely an Osprey sitting in it,

and then she flew off and circled several times when her

mate came back, giving us one of those “Wow”

moments that birders live for.

After lunch we walked part of the long and scenicHansville Greenway Wildlife Corridor starting at Buck

Lake Park where four species of swallows cavorted over

the lake and the playground equipment. Common

Yellowthroats, avens, and a rare close-up look at a male

Wilson’s Warbler were some of the many highlights.

This fascinating trail loops through multiple habitats

including ponds, woods, and meadows, part of the way

following an ancient rail bed. It is still undiscovered to

most people in the greater Puget Sound area, but not

around these parts. Wildlife checklists are maintained

on Hansville’s website (http://hansville.org), and much

effort continues to be expended in keeping this area pris-

tine.

After this great day of birding and company, we final-

ly counted the birds and broke up the party. We werepushing 70 species, but not quite there.

Unfortunately for my pocketbook,

Faye refused to quit birding, but kept

looking for more birds on the way

home and indeed until the end of the

24-hour period that started when we

met up with Rolan. She managed to

add several more species, so I had to

pay more! However, unlike most bills

I pay, when writing out this check, I

smiled in the realization that I had had

a GREAT day of birding and cama-

raderie, and it was all so worth it.

A Birdathon trip to

Birdathoners at Buck Lake, Kitsap County.

A dragonfly at Hansville Greenbelt.

Osprey and mountains seen from Foulweather Bluff, May 19, 2007



Documents

07-2007 Towhee Newsletter Tahoma Audubon Society