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THE PELICANNEWSLETTER OF GREAT SALT LAKE AUDUBON
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2019
BIRDS ‘n BITES Meeting Location: Tracy Aviary (Education Building) Liberty Park (enter at 600 East 900 South) Salt Lake City, Utah
GSLA Contact Information: www.greatsaltlakeaudubon.org (385) 313-0608
Board Highlights page 2Winter Is for Waterfowl page 3In Memoriam page 3Calendar of Events & Field Trips pages 4-5Local Boy Scouts Help the Bluebirds page 6Christmas Bird Count page 7GSLA Grant Program page 7
INSIDE
To wrap up the major events for Year 2019, please join Great Salt Lake Audubon (GSLA) for the final 2019 BIRDS ‘n BITES program, our annual Fall Forum, and the annual Christmas Bird Count field trips. As customary, these informative and entertaining meetings and activities are free and open to all. Dates, times, and detailed information are available on this page and in the Calendar of Events and Field Trips section.
2019 Fall Forum: Thursday, November 7, 2019, 6:00 - 8:30 pm“Irreplaceable Ecosystems in the West” Co-hosted by Great Salt Lake Audubon and Great Salt Lake Institute at Westminster College (map)Audubon Saline Lakes Program envisions a network of healthy saline lakes and their associated wetlands with reliable water supplies to meet the needs of birds and people across the Intermountain West. Saline lakes are critical habitat that millions of birds depend on for breeding, resting and feeding during migration. Our experts will address the central role of water in determining habitat conditions for shorebirds, waterbirds, and waterfowl locally at the Great Salt Lake and regionally across the Great Basin. We will also learn about macroinvertebrate studies at Gillmor Sanctuary designed to inform their management decisions on how to provide the best foraging habitat for shorebirds. We hope to educate and impact you with the beauty of our saline lakes. Please see the Calendar of Events for the location, speakers, and agenda.
BIRDS ‘n BITES: Tuesday, November 19, 2019, 6:30 - 8:00 pm“American Kestrels in Decline” Nikki Wayment, Executive Director, HawkWatch InternationalNorth America’s smallest falcon has been declining for over ten years. The cause(s) have yet to be determined, but potential factors include land-use change, predation, contaminants, and loss of/competition for nesting cavities. We need additional research to better understand these declines and guide conservation efforts. Learn about how HawkWatch International and other organizations are working to understand this decline, and how citizen scientists are making the difference.
American AvocetsPhotography by Scott Baxter
Nikki WaymentPhotography provided by HawkWatch International
THE PELICAN
THE PELICANNEWSLETTER OF GREAT SALT LAKE AUDUBON
Printed on recycled paper.Mission Statement: Great Salt Lake Audubon is dedicated to protecting and enhancing habitat for wild birds, animals and
plants, and to maintaining healthy and diverse environments for wildlife and people throughout the state.
GREAT SALT LAKE AUDUBON DIRECTORY
www.greatsaltlakeaudubon.org
OFFICE152 W Burton, Suite J, SLC, UT 84115 • (385) 313-0608Send correspondence to PO Box 520867, SLC, UT 84152-0867
OFFICERSPresident, Heather Dove.......................................801-201-3637Vice President, Ray Smith....................................801-532-7384Secretary, Leah Richardson.................................801-503-7608Treasurer, Kandy Richards..................................801-599-7410
BOARD OF DIRECTORSTerm Ending 2021Amanda Sharette-Kay.......................................... 480-665-6725 Arlene Hamburg ...................................................317-753-8633 Georgie Corkery ...................................................801-631-8516Term Ending 2020Jeanne Le Ber.................................................. ....801-532-7384Leah Richardson...................................................801-503-7608Ian Batterman........................................................920-360-0805Anne Terry.............................................................361-649-2430Term Ending 2019Kandy Richards.....................................................801-599-7410
COMMITTEE CHAIRSFinance...................................................................OPENNewsletter Editor, Arlene Hamburg.......................317-753-8633Education, Amanda Kay.........................................480-665-6725Field Trips, Ian Batterman......................................920-360-0805Fundraising.............................................................OPEN Social Media Editor, Ian Batterman........................920-360-0805Hospitality, Bob & Darlea Stack.............................801-487-3792 Membership, Heather Dove & Val Stewart.............801-201-3637Programs, L. Richardson & K. Kirchhoff...............801-503-7608Publicity, Rollie and Martha Westman....................651-308-2717Conservation, Heather Dove (acting)......................OPEN Volunteer Hours, Barb Eastman..............................801-671-8932Website, Heather Dove & David Druker.................801-201-3637Submission Guidelines: Original articles and photos arewelcomed. The editor reserves the right to choose and edit as needed. Email articles to [email protected].
The Pelican is published 6 times a year. Submission deadline for the JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020 issue is December 10, 2019.
Three ways to join or renew your membership:1. Great Salt Lake Audubon-only membership is $30 a year. All dues support local education, advocacy, habitat restoration, field trips, newsletter publication, and more. (See membership form on page 8 of The Pelican). Local membership is very important, as GSLA is primarily self-supporting.
2. A new membership to National Audubon Society (NAS) costs $25, with renewal of $35 after the first year. Benefits include the quarterly national magazine and automatic membership in GSLA. Most of your dues support environmental campaigns at the national level. As a new NAS member, you will receive a courtesy subscript to our newsletter, The Pelican, for one year. Thereafter, if you wish to continue to receive The Pelican, please join Great Salt Lake Audubon.
3. You can join both GSLA and NAS if you wish to support both local and national activities.
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BOARD HIGHLIGHTS - SEPTEMBER / OCTOBERBy Leah Richardson, Secretary, GSLA
As we clean up our yards and gardens for the last time this season, we take stock of what was successful and what we want to change next year. The GSLA Board has been doing the same thing. We are very excited about the upcoming redesign of our website. We have wanted to update this for some time, and we finally have the expertise of Board member Georgie Corkery to carry it out. We will keep you posted on when this will be available!
We hope everyone plans on attending our Great Salt Lake Audubon and Great Salt Lake Institute Fall Forum on Thursday, November 7, 6-8:30 pm. We have a wonderful evening planned with staff experts from the National Audubon Saline Lakes Program and Gillmor Sanctuary. They will share their experience and wisdom regarding the Great Salt Lake and western saline lakes in their program entitled “Irreplaceable Ecosystems in the West”.
Thank you to all who participated in the annual Sunflower Seed Sale fundraiser and especially to Kelli Frame of Wild Birds Unlimited for providing the seed this year. Time to fill up the feeders for our local backyard birds!
Please review the events calendar for fall field trips and the annual Christmas Bird Count. Just because it is cold outside, we don’t stop bird watching! Bundle up and join us for more fun fall events.
WINTER IS FOR WATERFOWLBy Mindy Rabideau, Senior Aviculturist, Tracy Aviary
Typically, waterfowl molt right after nesting season. While swans, geese, and duck hens also exchange out their feathers, during this time drakes exchange their breeding plumage for “eclipse” or “basic” plumage. For many species, the drakes end up looking very similar to the hens. Some canvasbacks and redheads, for example, keep their characteristic colors but adopt a much paler version. Waterfowl molt all of their primary flight feathers at once, unique amongst birds, rendering them flightless for 20-40 days. This eclipse plumage allows the birds to camouflage and be less of a “sitting duck” for predators during this time of flightlessness. From fall to early winter, drakes exchange out their body feathers to return to breeding plumage.
But why return to breeding plumage so long before breeding season? Most species of ducks are seasonally monogamous; therefore, they choose a new mate for each breeding season. Unlike songbirds who pair when they arrive at the breeding grounds, many ducks pair on the wintering grounds or during spring migration, making it important to be back in breeding plumage at this time of year.
Courtship behaviors are amongst the most interesting of duck behaviors. Many species have showy courtship displays, such as the head-up-tail-up seen in northern pintail and the head-throw-kick seen in common goldeneye. But some courtship behaviors, even in these same species, can be quite subtle. In ducks, it is ultimately the hen’s decision on who to pair with and you may see many drakes surrounding a hen doing their best displays before she ultimately picks the one whose displays and feathers she likes best.
To see these moves in action, winter is the time to go out and watch waterfowl, as many duck species pair between December-March. Typically, morning is the best time to see these courtship displays, but they also take place later in the day. This winter, visit your favorite wetlands birding spot to see how many of these courtship behaviors you can observe. Winter is also a great time to visit Tracy Aviary to see native species in breeding plumage and exhibiting breeding behaviors.
NOV/DEC 3
CanvasbackPhotography by M. Rabideau
IN MEMORIAMGreat Salt Lake Audubon would like to honor the following individual
in whose memory a generous donation has been made:
Nancy Fink LowerSeptember 21, 1936 – May 14, 2019
Blue-winged TealPhotography by M. Rabideau
Calendar of Events & Field Trips for Nov/Dec 2019Great Salt Lake Audubon: www.greatsaltlakeaudubon.org or (385) 313-0608
Beginning birders and nonmembers are always welcome. Carpooling is encouraged on the field trips. Contributions to drivers for gas money would be appreciated. Be sure to contact the field trip leader to confirm that arrangements are still as published.Physical Difficulty Key:EASY - little or no walking, smooth pathsMODERATE - 1 mile or more, possible rough terrainDIFFICULT - extensive walking which could include rough terrain and significant changes in altitudeDespite our best efforts, ratings for the field trips are still somewhat subjective. Please consult with the leaders. ***EXPECT FIELD TRIPS TO LEAVE ON TIME, SO ARRIVE 5-10 MIN EARLY TO ARRANGE CARPOOLS.***
Saturday, November 2, 7:30 am - 12:00 pm — EASYWasatch Back ReservoirsLeader: Ian Batterman — (920) 360-0805 /[email protected] is a great time of year to see loons, scoters, swans, unusual geese and gulls, and other waterfowl at our local reservoirs of the Wasatch Mountains. Places to be visited are: East Canyon, Echo, and Rockport. Wear footwear you don’t mind getting muddy. If there is time remaining, we may visit other reservoirs like Jordanelle and Deer Creek. We’ll meet at the west side of the Smith’s Marketplace parking lot on 3300 S near the I-215 entrance at 7:30 am. Please call or email Ian if you have questions and to let him know that you will be there.
Wednesday, November 6, 9:00 am - 12:00 pm — MODERATEMountain Dell Rec. Area, Parley’s Canyon Leader: John Middleton — (801) 322-2171 / [email protected] are not sure what the weather will be like, so check the forecast and come prepared. We’ll meet by 9 am in the parking lot just west of the REI on 3300 South and 3285 East for a morning of birding. Call John if you plan to attend. THIS WILL BE OUR LAST SURVEY OF MOUNTAIN DELL THIS YEAR. Since we’ve experienced difficulties birding here in the winter, we will resume our surveys in March.
Thursday, November 7, 6:00 - 8:30 pmFall Forum: Irreplaceable Ecosystems in the WestBill and Vieve Gore School of Business Auditorium at Westminster College (map)Please join us for an informative and entertaining evening with several National Audubon experts! -Max Malmquist, Saline Lakes Outreach Associate-Brian Tavernia, Saline Lakes Ecologist-Marcelle Shoop, Saline Lakes Program Director-Ella Sorensen, Gillmor Sanctuary Manager-Heidi Hoven, Gillmor Sanctuary Assistant ManagerLight refreshments will be served at 6:00 pm with presentations beginning as 7:00 pm. This event is co-hosted by Great Salt Lake Audubon and Westminster College’s Great Salt Lake Institute. We hope to educate and impact you with the beauty of our saline lakes.
Monday, November 11, 6:00 - 8:00 pmBirding for MillennialsCancer Wellness House at 59 S 1100 ELeader: Georgie Corkery — (801) 631-8516In collaboration with Tracy Aviary, Saline Lakes Program, and East Central & Avenues Permiculture Guild, GSLA is hosting gatherings every second Monday of the month with the goal of engaging young and new folks who are interested in learning about the importance of birds. We will discuss coming events and current conservation issues followed by a game of Wingspan! It’s a BYOB potluck, so bring a dish and come hungry.
Tuesday, November 19, 7:00 - 8:00 pmBIRDS ‘n BITES: American Kestrels in DeclineLeader: Nikki Wayment, HawkWatch InternationalMeeting location and abstract of the presentation are found on page 1. Light refreshments will be available at 6:30 pm.
Saturday, November 23, 8:00 am - 11:00 am — EASYJordan River @ 2100 SLeader: Ian Batterman — (920) 360-0805 /[email protected] the winter, water birds like ducks and grebes come to any open water source. Jordan River usually stays open year-round and certain areas are teeming with waterfowl. Jordan River in West Valley between 2100 S and 3500 S is a duck hotspot during the winter with scaup, goldeneye, and dabbling ducks in large numbers. Many songbirds are also seen in this area. Meet at the Jordan River Trailhead Park on 2320 S (~1060 W past the TRAX station) at 8 am. Contact Ian Batterman (email or text preferred) if you are interested.
THE PELICAN4
Calendar of Events & Field Trips for Nov/Dec 2019Great Salt Lake Audubon: www.greatsaltlakeaudubon.org or (385) 313-0608
Monday, November 25, 8:00 am - 12:00 pm — EASYInland Sea Shorebird Reserve (Kennecott’s Mitigation Wetlands)Leader: Bryant Olsen — [email protected] have permission to do a monthly bird survey of the Inland Sea Shorebird Reserve from Rio Tinto/Kennecott Utah Copper. This is seldom open to the general public and features all of the familiar Great Salt Lake wetland habitats and birds that we usually have to travel farther north to find. Who knows what new birds we can document for Salt Lake County out there? We may also explore areas around Lee Kay ponds, the International Center and Saltair/Marina. We meet at 8 am at Fairmont Park (1040 E Sugarmont Dr). PRE-REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED as the number of cars allowed is limited. Email Bryant if you plan to attend.
Wednesday, November 27, 8:00 am to Mid-day — EASYAntelope Island/Farmington Bay Leader: Bryant Olsen — [email protected] duck hunt is on, but that’s okay since hunters cannot be in the areas we will be birding. Meet at the Antelope Island Causeway at 8 am. After birding Antelope Island for the morning, anyone interested can continue birding at Farmington Bay with Bryant. PRE-REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED as the number of cars allowed at Farmington Bay is limited. Contact Bryant to let him know you are coming.
Saturday, December 7, 8:00 am – 11:00 am — EASYPractice Field Trip in Preparation for Christmas Bird Count, Jordan River @4800SLeader: Ian Batterman — (920) 360-0805 /[email protected] trip is especially planned to encourage two groups to participate in the annual Christmas Bird count (CBC) — beginning birders and anyone who has never participated in a CBC. We will stroll along the river, counting and identifying all the birds that we see just like on the official CBC. It’s fun, easy, and often there are good birds to see up close (but that’s not a promise). Meet at 8 am at the Confluence Trailhead parking lot on 4800 S and about 600 W in Murray.
Monday, December 9, 6:00 - 8:00 pmBirding for MillennialsCancer Wellness House at 59 S 1100 ELeader: Georgie Corkery — (801) 631-8516See November 11 meeting for more information.
Saturday, December 14, Time span dependent on Count Team — EASY-DIFFICULTSalt Lake City Christmas Bird CountLeader: Ian Batterman — (920) 360-0805 /[email protected]‘Tis the season to go birding! It is time for the continuation of the longest running bird survey in North America. Starting times and locations will be determined by team leaders. Our potluck social with team reports, count tally, and door prizes, will begin at 6 pm at the Chase Mill in Tracy Aviary (please bring a dish to share). Contact Ian Batterman (email or text preferred) if you plan to participate or to obtain further information; just make sure you do so well in advance so we can organize the teams. Fa-la-la-la-la la-la la la!
Monday, December 30, 8:00 am – 11:00 am — EASYInland Sea Shorebird Reserve (Kennecott’s Mitigation Wetlands)Leader: Bryant Olsen — [email protected] November 25 trip for more information.
Tuesday, December 31, 8:00 am - Mid-day — EASYAntelope Island & Farmington BayLeader: Bryant Olsen — [email protected] November 27 trip for more information.
Wednesday, January 1, 7:00 am – End time dependent on Count Team — EASY-MODERATEJordan River Christmas Bird Count [Meeting place TBD]Leaders: Jeanne Le Ber and Ray Smith — (801) 532-7384Meeting place TBD. Assignments will be distributed and groups will start birding at 8 am. Team reports and count tally will begin at 6 pm at the Sizzler on 9000 S and State St. To sign up, or for more information, call Jeanne or Ray or visit www.audubon.org/conservation/science/christmas-bird-count.
NOV/DEC 5
American Coots, adult and juvenilePhotography by A. Hamburg
LOCAL BOY SCOUTS HELP THE BLUEBIRDSBy Jeanne Le Ber, Board of Director, GSLA
Great Salt Lake Audubon is appreciative of the Boy Scouts who constructed nest boxes for the Bluebird trail in Strawberry Valley. This past year two scouts contributed to the maintenance of our trail.
Cameron Reeder and troop members from Salt Lake City purchased the wood, nails, and paint to build 12 boxes. Cameron’s mom Andrea indicated that it was quite the learning experience for the boys and eventually everyone learned to hammer a straight nail. Cameron and friends joined us in early June to check the boxes during the nesting season.
Much thanks to Cameron, his mother, father (Ron), and the other boys and scout leaders for their assistance.
Brady Pearson from Boy Scout Troop 767 constructed 12 boxes. He led the project, working with scout master Craig Gasser and friends.. Once he got started, Brady was pleased with the process and outcome, expressing enthusiasm for the task.
We asked Brady not to paint the boxes and we will monitor the painted versus non-painted boxes for wear-and-tear and longevity. Due to pending exams, Brady was not able to join us on the September 14th outing when we replaced 24 worn boxes with new boxes.
However, Scout Master Craig Gasser and scouts Brandon and Tyler were there, along with volunteers, Joy Emery, Arlene Hamburg, Susan Kruger, Jeanne Le Ber, Nancy Lombardo, John Middleton, Ray Smith, and Patrick Watson.
A gigantic thank you for all the volunteers and the scouts for ensuring that the Mountain Bluebirds, Tree Swallows, and House Wrens have a place to raise their young next spring.
6 THE PELICAN
Brady Pearson, BS Troop 767, with 12 boxes he made for GSLA (2019-08-30)
Cameron Reeder, Boy Scout, with his 12 nest boxes (2019-09-02)
Scouts Brandon & Tyler in front and from top left Susan Kruger, Nancy Lombardo, Arlene Hamburg, Ray Smith, Joy Emery, John
Middleton, Patrick Watson and Craig Gasser (2019-09-14)
NOV/DEC 7
THE CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNTBy Ian Batterman, Field Trip Coordinator, GSLA
This December marks the 120th year of the Christmas Bird Count (CBC), North America’s longest running community science program. The goal of the count is to document both the number of species seen in a given area and the total number of individual birds seen. Due to the longevity of the count and the data collected, the Christmas Bird Count has been pivotal in monitoring the health of bird populations in North America.
The count lasts from December 14, 2019, to January 5, 2020, and counts happen throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and even into Central and South America. The count is divided into specific count “circles” which are 15-mile diameter areas that are covered by different teams of counters within a 24-hour period. Depending on the area and the number of volunteers, these circles can be counted by anywhere from one to over 100 people.
Volunteers can participate in multiple counts and participation is free. If you are interested, go to www.audubon.org/conservation/science/christmas-bird-count to search for a count circle near you. There are two counts in the general Salt Lake City area which include the Great Salt Lake CBC on Saturday, December 14, 2019, and the Jordan River CBC on Wednesday, January 1, 2020. Please go to the Calendar of Events and Field Trips to learn how to sign-up for either, or both, of these CBCs.
GSLA GRANT PROGRAM - FALL 2019 AWARDSBy Kandy , Grants Committee, GSLA
We are thrilled to announce the continuance of the GSLA Grant Program to support other organizations that share our mission of protecting and enhancing habitat and maintaining healthy, diverse environments. In October, we awarded six grants for a total of $5,150 to the following organizations:
Horizon Elementary School – Student art project: Birds of Salt Lake & Jordan River
Raptor Inventory Nest Survey (RINS) – Equipment for nest surveys
University of Utah, Department of Biological Sciences – Monitoring of migratory song birds
University of Utah, Family & Consumer Studies Department – Mitigation of bird collisions on campus
Utah State University, Department of Wildland Resources – Black Rosy-Finch study
Wasatch Wigeons – Kingfisher Wetland restoration project
Call for Spring 2020 Grant ApplicationsApplication Deadline: March 1, 2020
Awards Announcement: April 15, 2020Maximum Award: $1,000 per grant
Program Details and Application Instructions:http://www.greatsaltlakeaudubon.org/
THE PELICAN8
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