May-Jun 2010 Echo Black Hills Audubon Society

8/8/2019 May-Jun 2010 Echo Black Hills Audubon Society

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Black HillsAudubon Society

Olympia, Washington

Volume 41,

Number 3May/June 2010

Thursday, May 20 th

Chair-Hiking withAlan BauerCome spend an evening with Alan Bauer, who,among many other things, has been a co-author/photographer or Mountaineers Books. Some ohis titles include Day Hiking-Mt Rainier, Day Hik-ing-South Cascades , and most recently, Best Desert Hikes-Washington . His presentation will be rich inphotography and ull o in ormation on his adven-tures in these areas as well as covering conserva-tion issues acing trails and public lands.

NOTE: This meeting will be at the Quaker OlympiaFriends meeting hall (219 B St SW, Tumwater) instead of the Coach House. Come share an evening with professional

photographer Alan Bauer at this new (but temporary) location.

Thursday, June 17

Annual BHAS PicnicThis month, we invite Auduboners and their gueststo the traditional potluck picnic at the Rose GardenShelter at Priest Point Park in Olympia. Well begingathering at 5:00 pm to do a bit o birding, thenplan to eat around 6 pm. The shelter is covered,so comerain or shine!

BYO plate and utensils (but we will supply paperplates, cups, and cutlery or those who orget).Please bring something yummy to share, and wellprovide the so t drinks. In addition, our own David Jen-nings will be attending in his newly appointed role asone o our state Fish and Wildli e Commissioners.

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Contents:May is Birdathon Month ...................................1Jack Davis Conservation Award ........................2Conservation news ...........................................3Dave McNett Env. Ed. Award ............................4Annual Dinner/Auction ....................................4How to Birdathon .............................................5Birdathon pledge orm ......................................6Re rigerator page ..............................................7Field trips and events .................................. 8-11Volunteer Swi t-Watchers Needed ....................9Meet a Volunteer/Birdhouse-Builder .............. 10Birding in Earnest ...........................................12Field Trip Reports ...........................................13BHAS contact in ormation ..............................14BHAS membership orm .................................15Bird-banding Scholarship ...............................16

May is Birdathon

Month!Why should you participate in BHASs 3rd annualBirdathon ? Because Washingtons native birds andtheir habitat need your protection. One o the moste ective ways you can help is by joining togetherwith your ellow Audubon members, celebrateWashingtons birds and raise unds or Black HillsAudubon Society.

Anyone can participateas a sponsor, a birder or both!

You do not need to be an expert birder nor even a


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By Donna Nickerson and Jean MacGregor.

It was most tting that in the rst year o this newdecade we ound ourselves with a nomination orthe award that represented decades o work towardsan important achievement, allowing us to givethanks, long overdue, to the key principal behindthe success.

Adrian Brown is this years recipient o the JackDavis Conservationist o the Year Award. His workis a great lesson and encouragement or us today aswe work on new environmental issues and the oldissues that just wont go away.

Adrian became a member o Black Hills Audubon in1984, and served on the conservation committee.He came to Audubon with a clear vision and goalto help reduce Thurston Countys reliance on usingpesticides to control vegetation along county roadsand parks. Adrian was Black Hills Audubons FirstToxics Activist. Throughout the 1980s and early1990s, Adrian Brown chaired the Toxics Subcom-mittee o BHASs Conservation Committee. He ol-lowed pesticide policy at county, state, and ederallevels, wrote letters and spoke out about the needto reduce or eliminate the use o the worst ac-tors among the thousands o chemical pesticidesin circulation across the world. Adrian didall his research be ore the arrival o the

Internet. He diligently tracked downin ormation by writing letters andmaking phone calls, and piecingtogether his own understanding othreats to the living world.

He raised the concern about sima-zine and 2,4-D in the pesticidesthe County used and the danger othese chemicals entering into PugetSound through storm water runo .And, he raised the issues o impervioussur aceswhich he called pavementandstormwater. He also urged the County to plan orbetter environmental protection given the increasesin the Countys growth in population. Keep in mind,Adrian raised these issues during the 1980s, when

ew people envisioned their uture signi cance.These issues are now at the heart o our environ-mental and economic problems.

Adrian was a central infuence behind ThurstonCounty orming an advisory task orce in 1987 to

evaluate the use o pesticides in the County. Thetask orce included representatives o the a ectedcounty departments (Health, Parks, Public Works,

and the Noxious Weed Board), the Squaxin Tribe,the Washington Friends o Farms and Forests(a.k.a. the Washington Pesticide Applicators As-sociation), the Washington Toxics Coalition, theSasquatch Chapter o the Sierra Club, and Audubon.Also asking to be at the table was one o the unitleads or the state Department o Transportationsroadside vegetation maintenance, explaining thathe wanted to participate as an interested citizen,and a representative o the Monsanto Corporation.The Task Force Chair was Tom Fitzsimmons, thenthe Thurston County Executive (and later to becomeDirector o the Washington Department o Ecology).

Adrian was essential to the task orces ultimatesuccess in writing a landmark Integrated Pest Man-agement policy that was path-breaking at the time.Within a very short time, herbicides were nearlycompletely phased out on Thurston County Roads.

He continued working or decades on the monitor-ing and vigilance that is needed in citizen oversightto ensure and encourage good governance. Adrianwas well aware o the need or both diligence during

the e ort and vigilance a terwards on oversight.He recently told me, i youre in a hurry,

dont start.

His achievements were accomplishedsome 20 years ago and we are ben-e ting rom them now. Our ground-water and aqui er recharge areas,as well as Puget Sound, are sa ertoday because o Adrian.

Adrian is 89 years old, and har-bors the same encyclopedic memory

o acts and objective reasoning thathelped him convince others to make di -

cult choices. It is a tribute to Adrian thatthe person who nominated him, Hans Littoy, wason the other side, working or the Department oTransportation at the time. Both Adrian and Hanswere good riends o Jack Davis. Jack would bepleased that Adrian is listed along with other im-portant leaders in this community that have madea signi cant di erence in our quality o li e, whichis directly dependant on the quality o ourenvironment.

The 2010 Jack Davis Conservationisto the Year Award


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Black Hills Audubon Society

The Western Scrub Jay By Eric Myers

On a rainy February a ternoon, I looked out my

kitchen window and saw a glimpse o somethingblue-gray land in my yard. It took me a ew mo-ments to ocus on it through the rain spots on thewindow. I identi ed it as an Aphelecoma Cali ornica,better known as the Western scrub jay. You canidenti y the Western scrub jay by its long bill andtail and the characteristic blue head, wings, and tail.You can distinguish them rom other jays by its lightgray underparts, white throat, and incomplete bluenecklace. They also dont have a crest.

This individual jay was being ollowed by two Stellerjays as they few back and orth rom the oak trees

we have in and around our yard. The Western scrubjays pre er scrub oak, woodlands and chapparal inthe western states including Western Washington.This pre erence makes it a per ect place to spot thisbird species here in the area o the South Puget Soundprairies. The scrub jays, like many other jay species,store ood in caches in strategic areas in case o stressor disruption. They also have the ability to rememberthese locations a ter long periods o time. These cach-es have a bene cial e ect on the ecosystem by provid-

Conservation NewsBy Donna Nickerson

In this issue, we have a particularly special Jack Da-vis (JD) Conservationist o the Year Award recipientto celebrate as well as several articles rom Conser-vation Committee members.

The rst article, written with input rom Jean Mac-Gregor, is about Adrian Browns achievements andthe inspiration to this generation o activists. Adrianis the recipient o the 2010 JD Conserva-tionist o the Year Award.

In the second article, new committeemember Eric Myers explores habitat andbehavioral characteristics o the West-ern Scrub Jay. This is the rst in whatI hope will become a series o articlesby Eric on bird species and their habi-tat requirements.

The third and ourth articles areupdates on some o our continu-ing work: Jerry Parker, also anew member o the commit-tee and a ormer recipiento the Jack Davis Conser-vationist o the Year Award

ing a unique natural process o planting the seeds ocertain trees in an area. This is especially bene cialto the native oak woodlands we have in this area. So,i you are on a drive in the Tenino area and you see afash o blue, it could be your riendly neighborhoodscrub jay planting that next oak.

Trans erable Development Rights

UpdateBy Jerry Parker At the initiative o Commissioner Sandra Romero, the

Thurston County Commissioners have convened agroup o interested citizens to explore

the possibility o enhancingthe Countys trans er o

development rightsprogram to be used asa tool or addressing

land use issues.

The interested parties include representatives oagriculture, orestry, real estate, land trusts, envi-ronmental organizations, and academics. At theinitial meeting, the concept o trans erable devel-opment rights (TDR) was explained. In explain-

ing the impetus or this e ort, CommissionerRomero cited rom recent studies regarding

the costs to local governments o providingin rastructure and services (e.g. roads,

water, sewer, schools, police) in lowdensity rural development. She emphasized thatTDR is a voluntary program that would allow indi-viduals to sell development rights on rural property(sending areas) to developers within urban areas(receiving areas). In exchange or a privatelynegotiated price, the rural land owner would give upone or more currently permitted development rightswhile the developer would gain one or more ben-e ts as determined by the local government. Thesebene ts could include an increase in allowable de-velopment rights, revised parking requirements, orchanges to other current development requirements.

At this time, subcommittees o the larger group areexamining the experience o TDR programs bothregionally and nationally, and discussing potentialcriteria or both sending and receiving areas, as wellas program details.

Mineral Lands Designation and Asphalt Plant Siting Processes An UpdateBy Susan Markey

By publication time, the Thurston County Board oCounty Commissioners (BOCC) were scheduled to

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We hope that all o you who attended enjoyed thisyears event. We were blessed with good weather,

a great presentation by David Jennings, inspira-tional awards to Adrian Brown (Jack Davis Conser-vationist o the Year) and Jane Poole (Dave McNettEnvironmental Educator o the Year), a wonder ularray o auction items, and plants (orchestratedby Patt Brady), but most o all, a special eeling ocommitted camaraderie among attendees.

We are deeply indebted to many local businessesor their generous donations to this years event

which raised $3880 or BHAS. You are urged toreward them with your patronage. When you doso, please let them know o your gratitude or

their support. Alpine Experience Anthonys Hearth re Grill Applebees Boston Harbor Marina Bucks 5th Ave Capital Divers Casa Mia Childhoods End Gallery

Compass Rose Dinners Done Right

Fireside Book Store Fish Bowl Brew Pub Garys Olympia Auto Service Gull Harbor Mercantile The Iron Rabbit Kim Lincolns Mind Body Spirit Mercato Ristorante Olive Garden Olympia Sea ood Company Orca Books Perennial Gardener Diane Sonntags Seasonals Wholesale Sports Wild Birds Unlimited The Wine Lo tWe are also indebted to others who contributeditems or services and to those who supported theauction by their purchases. Because o this gen-erosity, BHAS netted approximately $3700 or ourconservation, education and advocacy projects.Thank you .

BHAS Annual Dinner/Auction 2010

Submitted by Debbie Nickerson,Education Committee Chair

Our chapter was proud this year to recognize Jane

Poole, a schoolteacher at Lydia Hawk Elementary,as this years recipient o the Dave McNett Envi-ronmental Education Award. Through an integratedapproach to the disciplines, she studies the water-shed via Project GREEN. She has inspired other stato undertake similar curriculum andjoin the network o Project GREENteachers.

She inspires in her students a curios-ity about the ways o the larger worldand a love o learning that tran-scends the school grounds. For 20years, she has spearheaded water-shed education in Thurston County.One ormer colleague stated, She livesand breathes environmental education. Field tripsto Mt. Rainier and the Nisqually Wildli e Re uge area part o the curriculum and while there, studentshone their observation skills and see or themselves

how rivers begin and nally come to rest at theirjourneys end.

Janes extensive background includes working as a

National Park Ranger at ve National Parks, includ-ing Mt. Rainier. She is a graduate o the Universityo Michigan where she worked with Dr. Bill Stapp,

ounder o the Global Rivers Environmental Edu-cation Network. For several years while in Yelm,she was the director o their Cispus Outdoor Campwhere she always taught her popular bird class.

She is instrumental in local re-vegetationprojects, school garden projects, sci-ence workshops or teachers and datamapping in Thurston County.

She has le t an indelible mark upon hun-dreds o students through her untiringe orts to bring the best to her children. LikeDave McNett, Jane is gentle, kind, and a

erce believer in children learning all about the natu-ral world through hands-on experiences and qualityeducation.

Dave McNett Environmental Educatoro the Year Award


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Black Hills Audubon member. I youre entirelynew to Birdathon , it works like a walk-athon.Birdathon ers will collect pledges or fnding and

counting bird species. Its a competitive and edu-cational event or any level o birdwatcher, as wellas or the amily and riends who cheer them on.

You can join our guided trips (a list is in thisEcho issue on page 8), organize your own trip, orcount independently. All guided trips are led bybirding experts and are a great way to make new

riends and connect with other bird lovers. Guid-ed trips range rom intensive all day trips to morerelaxing walks in our local birding hot spots. Look

or the icon next to eld trip title.

Pledge yoursel or have your riends and am-ily pledge you. Its a unique and highly e ectiveway to support Black Hills Audubon Society.

Choose a day in May to go birding. You maygo by yoursel , with riends, or join one o the

ve Birdathon eld trips scheduled or May(Marked with in eld trips listing).

Choose a location to go birding and estimate the number of species you expect to see. Youmay conduct your Birdathon anywhere, yourneighborhood, the county, or anywhere else.

Get your friends, family, and other likely sup- porters to pledge so many cents per species obirds you expect to see, i.g., 25 per species.

Fill out the pledge sheet (below). Try to get atleast a total o $1 per species. For example, oneperson pledges 40 per species, another personpledges 60, and someone else pledge 50 perspecies or a total o $1.50 per species). Themore pledges you get, the more support orBHAS!

Go on your Birdathon trip. Count all the spe-

cies you see within a 24-hour time period. Collect your pledges. It is very help ul to give

the people who pledged a write-up about yourBirdathon with a list o all the species you saw.

This way, more people can learn about birds! Send a check (made out to BHAS Birdathon)

to the Birdathon Coordinator, Sheila McCartan,1909 Lakemoor Place, Olympia, WA 98512.

All pledges are due by June 30, 2010.I you need any assistance or have questions,please contact the Birdathon Coordinator, SheilaMcCartan, at [email protected] , orcall (360) 357-9170. Feedback to the coordinator isalso welcome.

Thank you or participating in this important und

raising event. We hope you have a very success uland un Birdathon !

How to Birdathon : Instructions orConducting a Success ul Birdathon

To participate, complete the registration ormon the next page. For more in ormation contactthe Birdathon Coordinator Sheila McCartan atblackhillsbirdathon comcast.net. Forms are alsoavailable on the website atwww.blackhills-audubon

BirdathonFrom page 1


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Black Hills Audubon Society 2010Birdathon Pledge SheetName of Birder _____________________________Date of Birdathon ________________Location of Birdathon ________________________Estimated Number of Species _______

Actual number of Species Seen ____________Name E-mail or address eve phone Pledge per Amt

species due

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______________________________________________________________________________________________Make checks payable to BHAS/Birdathon , Pledges are due by June 30.

Thank you for your support!


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$

April 30th May 2nd, Grays Harbor Shorebird Festival,http://www.shorebirdfestival.com/

May 8 th , Saturday, Birdathon Walk: Olympias Water rontMay 15 th , Saturday, Birdathon Field Trip: Kennedy Creek to Capitol PeakMay 16 th Sunday, be ore sunrise, Field Trip: Thurston County

Big Day in support o BHAS Birdathon

May 19 th , Wednesday, 8:15 am, Birdathon Field Trip:Nisqually National Wildli e Re uge

May 22nd, Saturday, Birdathon Field Trip: East Grays Harbor CountyMay 23rd, Sunday, 7:00 a.m., Field Trip/Event: Lawn Chair Swallow

Watching & Photography

May 28th - 31st, Memorial Day Weekend, Wenas CampoutMay 29th, Saturday, 8:30 am, Field Trip: Exploring & Birding in Capitol Forest

June 5 th , Saturday, 6:00am, Field Trip: Mountains o Mason County July 25th, Sunday, 6:30 am, Field Trip: Mt Rainier:

Wildfowers and Casual Birding

August 8th, Sunday, 4:00 am, Field Trip: Panorama Point Ptarmigan Trek(Mt. Rainier).

August 26th, Thursday, 6:30am and August 28th, Saturday, 6:00 am,Field Trip: 2nd Annual BHAS Pelagic Experience

September 19th, Sunday, 8:00 am, Patrick Sullivan Memorial Walk at NisquallyNational Wildli e Re ugeSeptember 25th, Saturday, 8 am, Field Trip: Tokeland

Reminder: We will not have Monthly Program Meetings in July or August.They will resume September 16th.


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April 0 th May 2 nd Event: Grays Harbor Shorebird Festivalhttp://www.shorebirdfestival.com/ As part o this event, on Friday, April 30th, 7pm,there will be a

Dessert Reception Craig Lee:Bird Conservation Without Borders

This event will be held at Central Elementary Schoolin Hoquiam, Washington starting at 7pm. For reser-vations, contact 1-800-303-8498. Cost is $15.

Olympias Water rontSaturday, May th, :00 am to NoonField Trip Leader: Sheila McCartanEstimated number o species: 0

This Birdathon trip is short but rewarding, and agreat way or you to easily conduct your Birda-thon . It is tailored or people o all birding abilities.Sheila will start at Marathon Park, bird around thelake, then drive to points around the east and westbay. To sign up, call Sheila at 360-357-9170.

Rating: easy

Kennedy Creek to Capitol PeakSaturday, May 1 thField Trip Leader: Whittier JohnsonEstimated number o species: 0

Whittier will start his Birdathon trip as the tideis alling at Kennedy Creek where he hopes to seewaterbirds and shorebirds. Hell then travel into Cap-

itol Forest searching or Warblers (including HermitWarblers), Gray Jays, Western Tanagers, woodpeck-ers, and other woodland birds. A special attempt willbe made to fnd Northern Pygmy Owl and the elusiveMountain Quail. This trip is limited to 6 people. Callthe Birdathon Coordinator at 360-357-9170 or allthe details and to reserve your spot.

Rating: moderate challenging

Big Day Thurston CountySunday, May 1 thField Trip Leader: Matt PikeEstimated number o species: 70

Seventy species is a conservative estimate or thisall day trip! Starting at dawn and ending at dusk,Matt will take you on a journey through the countylooking or everything he can nd. This trip islimited to 3 cars. Call the Birdathon Coordinator at360-357-9170 or complete details and to reserveyour spot to register.

Rating: challenging!

Nisqually National Wildli e Re ugeWednesday, May 19th ,

:1 am to mid-a ternoonField Trip Leader: Phil KelleyEstimated number o species: 0

Join Phil on his weekly walk at Nisqually NationalWildli e Re uge. The spring migrants should all havearrived, and resident birds including nesting water-

owl will be in evidence as well. The walking is easyand level. Folks are welcome to begin the trip, andturn back at any point. Meet at the Re uge VisitorCenter at 8:15am. Sign-ups are not necessary.

Rating easy

East Grays Harbor CountySaturday, May 22ndField Trip Leader: Kristin Stewart

Estimated number o species: 0East Grays Harbor County is a great place to bird.Kristin will seek out the roads less travelled look-ing or sparrows, orest birds, ducks, raptors, andanything else thats around. Call the BirdathonCoordinator at (360) 357-9170 or all the detailsand to register.Rating moderate

May 2 rd, Sunday, 7 a.m. 10: 0 a.m.Field Trip/Event: Lawn Chair SwallowWatching & PhotographyLocation: East Olympia,

o Rich RoadLeader: Chris MaynardThe group will set up chairs and photographyequipment in Chris ront yard at 7:00 am. We willaim to enjoy watching swallows; use and developphotography skills and learn rom each other

Field Trip and Event Details

Continued on page 9

BHAS Elections in MayBlack Hills Audubon will hold its annual election

o Board members at the May Monthly ProgramMeeting on May 20th. I you, or another BHASmember, are interested in serving on the BHASBoard and contributing to the BHAS mission to

promote environmental education and recreationand to maintain and protect our ecosystems for

future generations , please contact the Chair othe Nominating Committee, Kristin Stewart [email protected] or 360-456-5098.



Volunteer Swi twatchers NeededVolunteers are needed to nd, observe and countnorthbound Vauxs Swi ts. Participants will bepart o an ongoing coast-wide swi t monitoringe ort organized by Pilchuck Audubon.

There are a hand ul o sites in the greater Olym-pia area where Vauxs Swi ts are known to roostduring their migrations. Volunteers will visitthose sites in early May to count birds as theyfy into chimneys at sunset. The big observationand counting days will be the rst two Saturdaysin May.

To volunteer contact Whittier Johnson at 866-8156.

while attempting to photograph swallows in theact o catching eathers or their nests. All levels ophotography skills are welcome or just watch theswallow antics.

Bring your binoculars, lawn chairs, cameras,tripods, and any other equipment. Please sign upby calling BHAS message phone at 360 352-7299.More speci c directions will be provided to the

rst 10 people who sign up. Limit 10.

May 2 th - 1st, Memorial DayWeekendEvent: Wenas CampoutLocation: Wenas Campground,southwest o Ellensburg in anImportant Bird Area.You are invited to a ree campout (May 28-31,

2010) at Wenas Creek Campground, whereyou and your amily and riends will enjoyeld trips, programs, singing, story-telling,

and evening camp res.

The Hazel Wol Wenas Creek Bird Sanc-tuary is located SW o Ellensburg in anImportant Bird Area and has been assuredo protective status. The ree, primitivecampground along the north ork o WenasCreek has exceptional opportunities orbirding, botanizing and enjoying spring in the east-ern oothills o the Cascades.

Please visit the Wenas Website,www.wenasaudubon.org . Youll nd checklists o

Field TripsFrom page 8

birds and wildfowers, an outline o eld trips andprograms, directions to the campground, and manyphotos. For people who dont do websites, con-tact Helen Engle, hengl iinet.com , 253-564-3112,and she will send you printed in ormation.Bring riends and amily, and join us at Wenas

Memorial Day Weekend or as many days and/ornights as you want to stay - May 28-31, 2010.

May 29 th ,Saturday, : 0 am tolate a ternoonField Trip: Exploring & Birding in CapitolForestLeaders: Jim Pruske and Lonnie SomerSpend the day exploring Capitol Forest rom sea

level up to Capitol Peak at 2,700 t. We willbe searching or bird species that inhabit

streams, mixed orest, and second growthorest. Dipper, Hermit Warbler, Gray Jay,Hermit Thrush, and Fox Sparrows areexpected. We should also nd Pygmy

Owls. Mountain Quail are possible.Unique elements o the fora and aunao the orest will be examined. Clubmoss and liverworts are a specialty. Wewill identi y butterfy and other insectspecies as well.

Meet at Mud Bay Park and Ride at 8:00am. This trip is limited to 3 cars. Callthe BHAS o ce at 360-352-7299 to

register.

June th , Saturday, :00am at Mud Bay Park& Ride, to late a ternoon.Field Trip: Mountains o Mason CountyLeader: Terry SissonWe will spend the day driving the back roads o theOlympic National Forest in Mason County. Targetbirds are Golden Eagle and Hermit Thrush. Bringlunch, snacks, and something to drink.

Limit three vehicles. Pre erence will be given todrivers o high clearance 4X4 or AWD vehicles.

For reservations contact Terry at 360-918-8542, or terry_sisso yahoo.com.

July 2 th , Sunday, : 0 am to late a ternoon.

Field Trip: Mt Rainier: Wild owers andCasual BirdingLeader: Kristin StewartJoin me or an earlier-than-usual Mt Rainier trip.I am thinking the wildfowers will be early thisyear due to the low snowpack. We will just go ora relatively easy and slow hike to enjoy the views,




have held a public hearing on proposed changes tothe laws governing the designation o mineral landso long-term commercial signi cance. The changesalter the approval process rom permit-based to onesolely determined by the BoCC via the amendmento the comprehensive plan. Other revisions includesetbacks rom public preserves and exclusion osome sensitive areas such as important wetlandsand critical aqui er areas. Find out more on thecountys web site www.co.thurston.wa.us/planning/ mineral_lands/mineral_lands_home.htm.

The Thurston County Planning Commission (TCPC)was scheduled to hold a publichearing in early May on itsproposed revisions to thecounty code that regulatesthe permitting, siting, andoperation o asphalt plants.Under moratorium since 2003,the construction o new as-phalt plants has been discussedby the TCPC or almost one year. BHAS supportsstricter siting criteria or this industrial use, includ-ing large setbacks rom sensitive areas and restric-tions rom rural areas that are not already servedby industrial-compatible in rastructure (utilities andmajor roadways). See the countys web site www.co.thurston.wa.us/planning/asphalt/asphalt_home.htm or the most recent schedule o meetings onthis subject.

Mineral landsFrom page 3

the fowers, and what birds we happen upon.

We do plan to hike a air distance, but at a leisure-ly pace. Folks who do not want to hike too ar arewelcome to join us or as long as they wish, andto stop along the way. Those who are looking or amore rigorous hike, with White-tailed Ptarmigan asthe primary goal, will also want to join Matt Pikeon August 8th. We have located them on about

hal o the semi-leisurely trips in the past, but thisyear we may not get quite so ar. As is usual on themountain, be prepared or all weather conditions,bring ood and water, etc. I you have FRS radios,they might also be use ul.

We will meet at the Martin Way Park and Ride atabout 6:15, and leave there by 6:30 a.m. Pleasecall Kristin Stewart at 456-5098 to sign up.

August th , Sunday, am to mid a ternoon.Field Trip: Panorama Point Ptarmigan Trek(Mt. Rainier).Leader: Matt PikeTrip leader Matt Pike will guide ambitious bird-ers to Panorama Points east fank in search oWhite-tailed Ptarmigan. Once at Paradise in MountRainier NP, the group will take the Golden GateTrail to the Skyline Trail and approach PanoramaPoint rom the east. The National Park Servicedescribes this route as strenuous; it is approxi-

Field tripsFrom page 9


Meet a Volunteer:

Ken FristoeThank you, Ken Fristoe, or makingGreen-Violet Swallow houses or BHAS.They will be used by various schoolsand community groups to lure morebird li e to an area.

We still have some available i you areinterested in hanging and monitoringthe use o a box. Please contactDebbie Nickerson at 360-754-5397

or more in ormation.



mately 4 miles roundtrip in length, and includes anear 2000 oot elevation gain. Matt also intends to

nd Gray-crowned Rosy nch.

The trip will start early to beat the crowds up the

hill and hope ully fnd ptarmigan be ore they arepushed away rom the trails by the days hikers.Participants should expect a brisk climb up andnear singular ocus on fnding ptarmigan untileveryone has their fll o the snow-shod Lagopus.Once the ptarmigan is in everyones notebook, gen-eral alpine birding un will ensue. Contact Matt [email protected] or more in ormation.

Cost: Carpool teams will share the cost o parkentrance.

August 2 th , (Thursday, : 0 to : 0 pm) andAugust 2 th (Saturday, :00 amto late a ternoon).Field Trip: 2nd AnnualBHAS Pelagic ExperienceLeader: Matt PikeMatt Pike returns BHAS to theocean with the rst rate help oWestport Seabirds. Join Matt onThursday evening or an introductorypresentation on pelagic birding andWashingtons pelagic species. Then jointhe magni cent team rom Westport Seabirds(www.westportseabirds.com) aboard the Monte

Carlo on Saturday or an action packed day at sea40 miles due west o the mouth o Grays Harbor.Space is limited. Contact Matt at [email protected] or more in ormation. Cost: $140 (cov-ers cost o trip and classroom).

September 19 th , Sunday, am to aroundnoonEvent: Patrick Sullivan Memorial Walk atNisqually National Wildli e Re ugeLeader: Those o us who loved andadmired Patrick SullivanThis will be the 4th annual Patrick Sullivan Me-

morial Walk. Nisqually is not at its most active atthis time o year, but this is close to the anniver-sary o Patricks death, and Patrick loved to bird atNisqually. It is tting then, that we gather together

in his memory, as we have in past years, to enjoyNisqually NWR.

We will meet at the Visitors Center overlook at8:00 am, and amble through the re uge to enjoythe re uge and remember Patrick. Nisqually is won-der ul at all times o the year. Call Kristin Stewartat 360-456-5098 i you have questions.

September 2 th , Saturday, am - end o day.Field Trip: TokelandLeader: Phil KelleyMeet at Mud Bay Park & Ride at 8:00 AM. We willcarpool to Tokeland or large shorebirds and any-thing else o note in the area. In addition to Toke-land, home o the Marbled Godwits, we will stop atMidway Beach, Wash Away Beach, Johns Landing,and Bottle Beach. Target birds are large shorebirdson all migration but we will see passerines andsmall shorebirds as well.

Trip will last all day. Bring ood, water and dressor weather. Call Phil Kelley at 360-459-1499 to

reserve a spot.

October 2 nd , Saturday, 9am to pmEvent: Fall Bird Feeder Cleaning

at Wild Birds UnlimitedLook or more in ormation on theBHAS Web site.

October 9 th , Saturday, 7:00 a.muntil late a ternoonField Trip: Ridgefeld Wildli eRe uge

Leader: Scott MorrisonRidge eld always holds a potentialor unusual bird species. Well begin

with a walk on the trail at the CartyUnit and nish with the (mostly driv-ing) tour o the River S Unit. White-breasted Nuthatch is regular and abun-

dant water owl. We are likely to see goodnumbers o Sandhill Cranes, also. Red-shoulderedHawk has been recorded Ridge eld.

Meet in the south parking lot o the Labor andIndustries Building at 7:00 a.m. Trip is limited to

three cars- 12 to 14 people. This is a airly longday (~ 1.5 hours drive each way) so bring ad-equate ood and beverage. Call Scott Morrison at(360) 412-1260 to reserve space. Please indicatewhether youre willing to drive.

Field TripsFrom page 10



Birding in Earnest;February 2010 March 2010By Bill ShelmerdineTo reports sightings, call 866-9106 or send email to

[email protected] period was characterized by early spring arriv-als such as Rufous Hummingbirds , and Tree andViolet-green Swallows . Also, owls became muchmore conspicuous, with an increase in callingnoted in February. During the same period,a number o Northern Pygmy Owl sightings came rom several loca-tions around the Olympic Pen-insula. Moving into March, localgrouse detections were up withthe rst reports o drumming in

the Olympics; Sooty and RuffedGrouse were rst noted during thethird and ourth weeks o Marchrespectively.

On 2/1 Bill Tweit reported a drake Common Teal on the Hawks Prairie Settling Ponds. Formally con-sidered a ull species, this is the Eurasian sub-species o the Green-winged Teal. Also on 2/1, PaulHicks reported a emale Mountain Bluebird romthe Gibson Road area south o Tenino. The previousday, a dozen or so Western Bluebirds were seenat Theler Wetlands in Mason County and reported

to Tweeters list serve.On 2/9 a Western Screech-Owl was seen near theHighway 8/ 101 Junction by Katie Shelmerdine. An-other was heard calling on Johnson Point Road theprevious week. Reports o this species have beenscarce in recent years. On 2/16 and again on 2/21,at least 2 Northern Saw-whet Owls were callingnear our place o o Steamboat Island Road. Also aBarn Owl was calling overhead on 2/17. AnotherBarn Owl was reported rom Steamboat Island Roadnear Highway 101 by Lonnie Sommer on 3/25.

Interestingly, resident Annas Hummingbirds were

reported on nests in Kirkland by 2/20 ( de: HansLittooy). This pre-dates the arrival o the summer-ing Ru ous Hummingbirds by a couple o weeks.The rst Rufous in our area was reported romNisqually on 3/10 by Phil Kelly.

By late February the rst Tree and Violet-green Swallows o the year were reported rom Nisquallyby Shep Thorp.

On 3/5, Mel Atwater reported 5 Evening Gros-beaks in West Olympia, at Goldcrest. Many werealong Nisqually Cut-o road by 3/20. This is an-other species that has declined in recent years.

On 3/6, Dave Hayden reported the rst TurkeyVultures o the year in Thurston County. By 3/16,Turkey Vultures were showing up in numbers,with 2 at Steamboat Island Road and 7 to 8 in the

Skokomish Valley.

On 3/16, Dave Hayden reported avocal Northern Goshawk in Lewis

County near May eld Dam. This isan elusive species anywhere on the

Westside o the Cascades.

On 3/20, 2 Sandhill Cranes were re-ported rom Nisqually, 3 to 4 Eurasian

Collared-Doves were at Glacial HeritagePreserve, and 2 Western Bluebirds were

de ending a nest box at Mima Mounds.

The week o 3/22, Sue Danver reported the rst othe year Band-tailed Pigeons near Capitol Forest.Formerly, at least, this was an occasionally winter-ing species; reports have been coming later in theseason in recent years.

On 3/23, Dave Hayden reported a Northern Pyg-my Owl in west Lewis County along King Road.

Reports rom Nisqually by Phil Kelly and companyon 3/25 included continuing Northern Shrike ,Great-horned Owl , and American Bittern , as wellas the rst Wood Ducks and Merlin o the season.

Looking ahead: Passerine migration should be in ullswing toward the end o April and throughout May.In addition, shorebird movements should be peakingaround the last week o April and rst week in May.Unlike the all southbound migration, Spring bringsthe majority o birds in resh alternate (breeding)plumage. The coast is a great place to be at thistime; check out the Grays Harbor Shorebird Festivalthe weekend o April 30-May 2. And nally the rst

pelagic birding trips o the o the year will beginon May 1; check out Westport Seabirds on-line ora complete schedule o o shore boat trips out oWestport.



Field Trip Reports:Hood Canal,Early MarchBy Andrew Belik

We started at Potlatch State Park, in ideal conditi-ons: light overcast, no rain. We saw a good mix oducks, three grebes, one loon.

In the two most recent seasons, we sawlarge focks, approaching 300 individuals, oWestern Grebes between the park and theSkokomish Delta. This time, we only sawtwo or three.

Once again, the small foat anchored inront o a home just beyond the north

limit o the park o ered a special treat:a pair o Red-breasted Mergansers hopped onto it or rest and preening,giving all o us unhurried telescopetimes at 60X. Last year, we saw a maleHarlequin duck on that foat.

From the park, we hurried straight-away to the Hama Hama to reach itsoon a ter the tide peaked. This wasthe best site o the day. We squeezed ourthree cars onto the small shoulder space atthe start o the private road leading to theoyster beds o the Hama Hama Sea ood Company(we parked there to avoid the suicidal dash across

the south bridge). From here, and walking on theway down, we scanned the marshy inner delta. Thisaccess is a priceless privilege a orded us, year a teryear, by the Sea ood Company.

We spotted Green-winged Teal, Northern Pin-tails , and one male Eurasian Wigeon ; all newducks or the day. A fock o Brant geese , and halthe population o Great Blue Herons rom therookery across the highway, added variety. Theprize o the day, a pair o Harlequin ducks, metus at the mouth o the river. The open canal waterswere unusually calm, helping with long distance

identi cation. We had hoped to see Black Scoters ,but they did not show; just ra ts o the other twoscoters, and the Greater Scaup .

On the way south, in the inner Lilliwaup estuary, wegot a good look at pairs o Common Mergansers .This increased our con dence in distinguishing be-tween the emales o these two species o mergansers.

Our nal stop, at the Salmon Hatchery at Purdy, wasa disappointment: no dippers. As a consolation, we

had close looks at our o their empty nests under thesmall bridge over the creek. The species-count orthe day was 50, including 15 species o ducks.

Experimental OwlProwlSubmitted by Kristin Stewart Gary Wiles led 11 late-night birders into CapitolForest in a rst-ever attempt to hear or see owls on

an organized evening BHAS eld trip. Garywas, as usual, very well prepared, and hadscouted out all the prospective stoppingpoints along the way. Several participantswho have spent time in Capitol Forest duringthe day commented that being there in thedark was a bit disorienting, and Gary ablyled the way.

The night was absolutely gorgeous. It was

quite cold, hovering near reezing, but totallyclear. The stars were amazing, and had we anastronomer along we could easily have hadgreat lessons on the stars.

The method used in this owling adventurewas to stop, get out o vehicles as quietly as

possible, and listen or owls or several minutes.Then we played a recording o an owl or a min-

ute or so, and then listened again. We only triedor one owl species per stop. Three or our olks

thought they heard a distance Great Horned Owl inThurston County, but we were not sure. We heard

no other owls in Thurston County.But when we moved into Grays Harbor County weheard a Northern Saw-whet Owl , and at a laterstop aintly heard both a Barred Owl and anotherSaw-whet . We heard them without having playeda recording, and no birds responded to the record-ings at all. We speculated that the Great HornedOwls were on eggs, or even had recent hatchlings,and so were not interested in calling. However aGreat Horned Owl in my neighborhood in northeastOlympia was calling at 2:00 p.m. on March 22nd.

I would like to mention that the participants on thistrip were amazingly quiet. There was no talking,and no shu fing o eet. It was impressive.

This trip was very popular, and we could easily havelled it a second time. And even though we saw no

owls, we considered the trip a great success!

Gary plans to try this again next year.



President: *Sam Merrill .............360-866-8839Co-Vice President:

*Whittier Johnson ..................360-866-8156co-vicepresw blackhills-audubon.org

Co-Vice President: *Kris Schoyen ........................ 360-754-1710co-vicepresk blackhills-audubon.org

Secretary: Currently vacantTreasurer: *Susan Markey .......360-438-9048

treasurer blackhills-audubon.org *Tracey Scalici .................... trscalici .com*Mike OMalIey ..........................360-943-2369

Michael.omalley comcast.net *Meagan Thorn ............... mithorn net Committee Chairs Conservation: VacantField Trips: *Kristin Stewart ..............

.....360-456-5098kristinstewartO1 comcast.net Membership: *Margery Beeler

360-352-5437mswampcat aol.com

Programs: Kris Schoyen ..360-754-1710kschoyen hotmail.com

Publications (Echo Editor/Webmaster)*Debra Jaqua .........................360-491-3325webdeb1 gmail.com

Education and Birdfeeder Cleaning

Coordinator *Debbie Nickerson [email protected]

Member Volunteers Bird-a-thon Coordinator:Sheila McCartan ......................... 360-357-9170

schooleymccartan omcast.net Bird ID: Bill Shelmerdine ........... 360- 866-9106

[email protected] Echo Designer: Lee Miller .........360-753-0942

aleemiller igc.org Phone Team: Carolyn Harmon and Bonnie

WoodCommittee Chairs may also serve as

Board Members.

Black Hills Audubon Society Contacts

* BHAS Board Member

Black Hills Audubon SocietyMailing address: PO Box 2524, Olympia WA, 98507.Phone: 360-352-7299 (Messages)Website: www.blackhills-audubonE-mail: 4in o blackhills-audubon.org

Black Hills Audubon Society is a non-pro torganization. A member chapter o the NationalAudubon Society, it represents Audubon members inLewis, Mason and Thurston Counties.

Our goals are to maintain, restore and protect ourecosystems or uture generations, and to promoteenvironmental education and nature-basedrecreation.

Monthly program meetings are usually held at 7p.m. on the third Thursday evening o each month,September through June, at the Capitol MuseumCoach House, 211 West 21st Street, in Olympia.

Board meetings are usually at 5:30 p.m. on the sec-ond Wednesday o each month. The site varies rommonth to month; please call the message phonenumber to inquire as to the location. Phone ande-mail messages are welcome, but please rememberthat we are a volunteer-based organization, and itmay take us a ew days to get back to you.

The Echo is published bi-monthly. Editor: Deb Jaqua.Layout and design by Lee Miller. Graphics by NatureIcons/Ultimate Symbol unless initialed.

Material or The Echo should be sent to PO Box2524, Olympia, WA 98507, or e-mailed to DebJaqua at webdeb1 gmail.com . There will not be aJuly-August issue o The Echo. The next Echo will bethe September-October issue, or which the dead-line will be July 29th.



Black Hills Audubon Society (BHAS) Membership orm

Type o Membershipcheck appropriate box Member o Black Hills Audubon Society Chapter (BHAS) onlySingles or household

$20, regular member$35, regular member or 2 years$50, regular member or 3 years,$15, senior or ull-time student$25, senior or ull-time student or 2 years$35, senior or ull-time student or 3 years

Please make check payable to Black Hills Audubon Society.

Member o Black Hills Audubon Society Chapter and National Audubon (both)

$20, rst-time member price$15, Senior or ull-time student

Please make check payable to National Audubon Society.Renewals: please renew your National Audubon Membership by

flling out the orms sent to you by National and sending directly to National Audubon. Thanks!

Subscription onlyreceive the chapter newsletter, The Echo (does not include membership)

$10 chapter newsletter only

Please make check payable to Black Hills Audubon Society.

I would like to help Black Hills Audubons programs o education and conservation.Enclosed is my additional donation o $_________Renewals: please renew your National Audubon Membership by flling out the orms sent to you by National and send-ing directly to National Audubon. Thanks!

Name: ________________________________________________________________________

Address: __________________________________City/State/zip _______________________

Phone/Email __________________________________________________________________My check or $__________ is enclosed.

Please fll out this orm and mail it with your check to the appropriate address:Membership MembershipBlack Hills Audubon Society National Audubon SocietyPO Box 2524 225 Varick Street, 7th foorOlympia WA 98507 New York, NY 10014

Thank you for supporting the Black Hills Audubon Society!

Black Hills AudubonSociety is a 501(C)3

organization.

Contributions aredeductible to theextent allowed

by law.

All dues go to support localBlack Hills Audubon chapter e orts.

Receive the chapter newsletter,The Echo , which describes local

chapter conservation action, events,and feld trips.

Most o the dues go to support national e orts.

Receive the award-winning national magazine, Audubon , and the chapter newsletter, The Echo .

Chapter: C 9 Z Y12 0 Z

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Black Hills Audubon SocietyPO Box 2524Olympia WA 985072524

Nonpro t Org.US Postage

PAIDOlympia WAPermit #107

Return service requested

Over the past 6 years, Puget Sound Bird Ob-servatory has partnered with Seattle Audubonto o er a our-day our-night bird-bandingcamp or teens ages 15-18 years old. Thelocation is in a primitive campground withinWenatchee National Forest. Teens learn thebasics o net placement, extraction and han-dling, ageing, and sexing. A special emphasisis placed on the use o molt to age birds. Thecamp will be held August 2010 with exactdates still to be determined.

Black Hills Audubon is o ering a partial schol-arship in the amount o $400 to help pay orthe cost o attending the camp. The remain-der o the cost, $150, would need to be paidby the applicant. The scholarship is open to

Black Hills Audubon o ers partial scholarship

or a teen to attend bird-banding campany teen, ages 15-18, rom Lewis, Mason, orThurston County. No prior birding or band-ing experience is necessary. To apply, senda letter o interest, including two re erences,to: Black Hills Audubon Society c/o Band-ing Scholarship, PO Box 2524 Olympia, WA98507.

The application deadline is June 30,2010.

For more in ormation on the camp,please see Seattle Audubons website at:www.seattleaudubon.org . Click on Environ-mental Education and High School Programs.For all other questions, please contact TraceyScalici at [email protected] .

Documents

May-Jun 2010 Echo Black Hills Audubon Society