Holiday Brown Bag raffleBefore tHe program

5:30 - 7:00 PMSee details on page 5

Rainier Audubon Society November 2009

rainier auduBon programs are Held at federal way united metHodist CHurCH

29645 - 51st Ave. So. 98001 (in unincorporated Auburn)

Directions:In Federal Way, take 320th St. EAST past The Commons, crossing over I-5 and Military Rd. At 321st St, turn left. Stay on 321st as it becomes 51st Ave.

So. Follow 51st Ave. to 296th. Church will be on your left.

Eighty species of dragonflies and damselflies are recorded in Washington, distributed among nine families, resulting in plenty of diversity in body form, coloration, and habits. They can be abundant, especially the damselflies that fly by the thousands at many interior lakes. They are usually associated with water, but the big blue darners can be seen almost anywhere, hawking for insects over lawns and parking lots in the city. Nearly a dozen species live in city lakes and ponds in Puget Sound urban areas, but just as in birds, you have to travel around the state to appreciate the real diversity of the group.

After receiving his Ph.D. in zoology from the University of Miami, Dennis Paulson taught college and adult

education courses in natural history for over 40 years. He recently retired from his position as the Director of the Slater Museum of Natural History at the University of Puget Sound. One of his primary goals as a biologist has

been to blend the science of biology with the study and appreciation of nature. His special research subjects have long been dragonflies, and he has studied

them all over the world, resulting in the largest collections of Odonata specimens and photos in western North America. He has written over 40 scientific papers on the Odonata, also a booklet, Dragonflies of Washington, and is presently working on field guides to North American dragonflies and damselflies.

Please join us for this entertaining and information-packed presentation. Refreshments and conversation available before, during, and following the program.

Monday, November 16, at 7:00 PMRainier Audubon Presents

Dr. Dennis Paulson

Dragonflies and Damselflies of Washington

What follows are a few notes about the Fall ACOW (Audubon Council of Washington) meeting in Everett the weekend of October 9 - 11.

I attended the Conservation Committee meeting. Several resolutions were put forward by individual chapters, and eight “priorities” were presented for consideration by coalition partners at the 2010 legislative session. Top priority was given to the Invest in Clean Water proposal because petroleum byproducts are the number one contributor to water pollution in this state and in Puget Sound. The proposal calls for a per-barrel fee on gasoline, diesel, lubricants, industrial fuels, and asphalt and road oils. Home heating oil, agricultural diesel, and aviation fuels are exempted. This fee will be imposed at the refinery, not at the gas pump. The money will be distributed to local governments through a competitive grant process, with local governments providing matching funds.

Several other resolutions are ready to go forward, and the sponsoring chapters are asking for Board votes from other chapters for support. Briefly, these are:

√ Request that the Dept. of Energy transfer land to the Dept. of

Notes from the Fall ACOWby Jim Tooley

(continued on page 7)

Western Forktail

November 2009 - PAGE 2

----------nanCy streiffert----------------------steve feldman*------------------------Jim tooley *----------------------------dale meland*-------------------------Carol sCHulz---------------------------Carol stoner*-------------------------pat totH---------------------------------dan streiffert-------------------------deBra russell--------------------------Jane gardner --------------------------nanCy Hertzel------------------------Bernedine lund-----------------------annette taBor*-----------------------nanCy streiffert----------------------max prinsen----------------------------erin woJewodski-prinsen

rainier auduBon soCietyPO Box 778. Auburn WA 98071. (253) 796-2203

website: www.RainierAudubon.orgemail: info@RainierAudubon.org

president

viCe president

treasurer

program CHair

field trip CHair

BaCkyard HaBitat CHair

memBersHip CHair

Conservation CHair

mailing CHair

Hospitality

newsletter editor

ivy eradiCation Coordinator

eduCation CHair

CHristmas Bird Count Coordinator

Board memBer

Board memBer

----(253) 796-2203----(360) 802-5211----(253) 854-3070----(253) 946-1637----(206) 824-7618----(253) 854-3207----(206) 767-4944----(253) 796-2203----(425) 271-0682----(253) 631-3105----(253) 255-1808----(253) 839-3729----(253) 927-3208----(253) 796-2203----(425) 432-9965----(425) 432-9965

OFFICERS

*Also serves as Board member

September and early October gave us a lovely “Indian” summer. Warm, sunny days and cool nights have the trees and bushes turning color and our gardens producing their last summer goodies. As a “foodie,” I find it intriguing that humans survived the pre-electrified eons by “co-evolving” with plants they could preserve in dry storage — without modern processing — apples, fresh or as fermented cider, grapes as wine, cabbage as sauerkraut, and all the winter squashes. The last two are good sources of vitamins C and A as other fresh sources dwindled before global marketing, refrigeration, and freezing. Then there are the high protein dry beans available in all their shapes and colors! Perhaps we should emulate our ancestors and use more of these seasonal foods, often

cheaper and with smaller carbon footprints than asparagus from Chile in December!

At the same time, the wild creatures prepare for less abundance.

Some store nuts and seeds, others harvest native and non-native

berries and seeds. Swallows, flycatchers, and warblers, dependent on flying insects, migrate. Insect gleaners — chickadees, bushtits, nuthatches — scour branch and bark for hidden insects, helped out by our suet and seed feeders. Anna’s

Hummingbirds defy (my) logic and overwinter,

seemingly thanks to our nectar feeders. I wonder what other

sources they use in winter. Any ideas? Join us to share all your bird

and outdoor ideas and adventures!

President’s Messageby Nancy Streiffert

The following are excerpts from an email sent by the Audubon Board of Stewards on October 15, 2009, relating to the closing of Audubon Washington’s Olympia Office.

State staff and board members have worked with senior staff of National Audubon to examine all options available, and have concluded that it is necessary to re-focus Audubon’s activities in Washington on core activities and plan to rebuild the program from those areas of strength. We reached this decision because of the growing staff and leadership at Seward Park, and the economy of scale achievable with consolidation. Structurally, this has meant closing the office in Olympia, cancelling a

planned search for a new Executive Director, and bringing staff together around the Seward Park Audubon and Environmental Center. As a result, the Interim Executive Director position currently held by Charlie Kahle will end on October 23, and as of that date, state staff will report to Gail Gatton, the Director of the Seward Park Audubon Center.

Audubon Washington’s focus on policy, science, education and birding trails will continue on a strong footing with coordination from this

Recent Changes in Audubon Washington

base in Seattle. Christi Norman, the Washington State Birding Trail Program Director, has relocated to the Center and will run the Birding Trail program from

there, while Don McIvor, Science Coordinator, will continue to work out of his home in Twisp and our public policy consultant Miguel Perez-Gibson will provide a presence for Audubon out of his office in Olympia.

In order to provide Audubon chapters and conservation constituents in Washington with the support they need, we have assembled a network of resources. Taylor Felt at Seward Park will be available to answer administrative questions; Christi Norman and

2009 / 2010 Christmas Bird Countby Nancy Streiffert, CBC Coordinator

The Kent/Auburn Christmas Bird Count (CBC) will be held this year on Sunday, December 27. The Christmas Bird Count is a nationwide citizen science project in which amateur and expert birders spend the day counting all the birds they see in an assigned area. The data collected are sent to National Audubon, where it is analyzed and used in many ways; for example, data from the past more-than-100-years shows avian population trends and the effects of habitat changes, disease, predation, and other information vital to resource managers, environmental stewards, and others who strive to ensure a healthy future for birds and the planet.

Anyone can help! Expert birders

lead a small group in one of our 10 areas, all within a 15-mile radius circle that stretches from Renton to

the Pierce County border and from Puget Sound to Maple Valley. Beginners and novices can keep records and learn from the experts as well as explore potentially new birding areas for future trips. The day starts early, usually at dawn — winter days are so short that birds have to get moving to be able

to get their calories in before the next cold night. You can start with the group and leave early or join up later, if that works better for you.

Another option that doesn’t involve driving or exposing yourself to cold weather is to count birds

in your own yard or at your feeders. Rainier appreciates the many feeder watchers who contribute their

findings to our count.As darkness ends the birding

adventure, we join together for a potluck dinner to warm up, share sightings and compile our sightings — always lots of surprises, oohs and aahs.

Our CBC area map will be at our November and December meetings, as well as knowledgeable people to answer your questions. Please join us on this year’s CBC and get some fresh air and help our feathered friends! Contact Nancy at (252) 796-2203 or by email at nancy_streiffert@hotmail.com

Seward Park Audubon and Environmental Center in Seattle

November 2009 - PAGE 3

(continued on page 7)

Field Trips — by Carol Schulz

White-tailed Kites in the FallSunday, November 15

7:30 AM to Late Afternoonleader: roger orness

White-tailed Kites are not known to migrate, but the young disperse in the fall and there is always the possibility of finding late nesting pairs, too. This year has been a down year for kites, but we will find them. Our trip will take us through several valleys where kites have nested in the past, and we will also seek them in new areas. Our main target birds will be any hatch-year juveniles. We also should see good numbers of other raptors — one year we had 41 American Kestrels. This trip is limited to seven people and two vehicles, so sign up early to secure a spot.BRING: Scopes, binoculars, lunch, and snacks. Be prepared for a long drive and a long day, returning to Tacoma in late afternoon.MEET: At McDonalds at the Hwy. 512 Park & Ride at 7:30 AM. Depart promptly.DIRECTIONS: Take I-5 to Hwy. 512 south of Tacoma. Turn right and take an immediate left on South Tacoma Way. Travel south one block, and turn left into the Park & Ride. Meet near McDonalds.SIGN UP: Call or email Roger at (253) 922-7516 or r.orness@comcast.net

Kent to East Lake WashingtonSaturday, November 28

8:30 AM to Mid-afternoonleader: Carol sCHulz

After Thanksgiving“Walk-Off-the-Calories” trip

The Saturday after Thanksgiving will be a great time to visit areas in and near the Kent Valley (depending on where the birds are being seen). Then we’ll travel north to two parks on East

Lake Washington: Juanita Beach Park, and Juanita Bay Park. Some folks call this our “Diet Trip.” We will walk about two miles on both paved and unpaved trails. These areas near Kent, as well

as the parks in north Kirkland, should have excellent birding this time of year. We will be looking for eagles and hawks, dabbling and diving ducks, Cackling Geese, woodpeckers, songbirds, and more.BRING: Warm clothes, lunch (turkey sandwiches?), hot drinks, snacks, and water. Scopes are welcome.MEET: 8:30 AM at the Kent-Des Moines Park & Ride. (People who wish to leave early may bring their own cars.)DIRECTIONS: Take I-5 to exit 149. Go east on Kent-Des Moines Rd. approximately one block. Turn left (north) 1/2 block on Military Rd. The Park & Ride is on the left.SIGN UP: Call or email Carol at (206) 824-7618, linusq@att.net.

Kittitas County Birding in WinterSunday, December 66:30 AM to Evening

Co-Leaders:CHarlie wrigHt

and roger orness

Come enjoy a day of winter-season birding in central Washington. We will venture over Snoqualmie Pass and visit areas including Swauk Prairie and South Cle Elum along our route. Large numbers of raptors including Rough-legged Hawks and Prairie Falcons are seen wintering in the open snow-covered fields of Kittitas. Proceeding east, we will reach the Columbia River at Vantage, where waterfowl are sometimes present in vast numbers. Some target species will include unusual loons, ducks, American White Pelicans, and possibly rare gulls. Chukar are occasionally seen in the basalt outcroppings here.BRING: Many layers of clothing for cold weather conditions, a lunch, and snacks. Scopes are welcome. Space is limited.MEET: At 6:30 AM at the Auburn Safeway store at Auburn Way and Main St. DIRECTIONS: Take Hwy. 18 to Auburn and exit at Auburn Way (Hwy 164). Turn north (right) on Auburn Way and drive three blocks. Safeway sign and gas station will be on the left. Park in the Safeway lot just beyond the gas station and straight out from the Safeway door. We will meet and carpool (promptly) from there.SIGN UP: Contact Roger at r.orness@comcast.net or by phone at (253) 922-7516. Email is preferred.

November 2009 - PAGE 4

We weren’t the only ones out there.

By accident, our eBird field trip to Foothills Trail coincided with South Prairie’s centennial celebration and a 10k race called the Salmon Run. The usually quiet trail was bustling with activity.

The twelve of us birders encountered runners huffing and puffing in the opposite direction as we meandered slowly along, checking the bushes. Not surprisingly, birds were hard to come by, as person after person filed past us back to the starting point.

As soon as the last runner passed, we hit a big flock of birds. American Robins and Cedar Waxwings flew this way and that, and Swainson’s Thrushes “whitted” from deep in the dogwood thickets. In the treetops were Yellow-rumped and Black-throated Gray warblers. Suddenly, we were invaded by woodpeckers, with five Downy and two Hairy, as well as two Red-breasted Sapsuckers in the same group of trees. One of the sapsuckers showed very well, working its columns and rows of sap wells on the side of a cherry tree only ten feet from us. With a heard-only Pileated and a number of Northern Flickers, we recorded all the expected woodpeckers along the trail.

At two places on South Prairie Creek, we witnessed hundreds of Pink Salmon fighting and spawning with literally all their remaining vital force. The males’ outrageously humped backs were exposed from the gravel shallows only feet from us as the females listed to the side and dug nests to hold their

eggs. Several spawned-out salmon were strewn on the shoreline and you could smell that strong yet healthy smell of rot in the air. While salmon-watching, we were delighted to see a total of seven American Dippers chasing each other sprightly up and down the creek. These unusual relatives of wrens are fond of salmon eggs this time of year, but one that we saw had found a large caddisfly larva and was dispatching it on a pebble, dipping all the while.

Participants on this trip were encouraged to join eBird (www.eBird.org), a citizen-science project run jointly by Cornell and Audubon. I printed and handed out reports showing bar graphs from eBird, with seasonal information on all 169 birds that have been seen on the Foothills Trail since 2001. These graphs are accessible to all, with a little exploring, on the eBird website.

After the trip, I created a checklist with all the species and

numbers we observed, and added it to the eBird database, which automatically updates the charts. I also sent the checklist out to trip participants to add to their own eBird accounts. We ended up with 58 species and a very rewarding outing. Several participants commented that they would be using eBird more from now on.

To learn more and start using eBird, just visit www.eBird.org and sign up today! It’s free, easy, and adds meaning and gratification to your birding experience.

A September e-Bird Field TripA Different Kind of Field Trip

by Charlie Wright

November 2009 - PAGE 5

Back by Popular Demand!

Holiday Brown Bag Raffle

at Our November MeetingMonday, November 16

Doors open at 5:30 PM!Browse the raffle itemsfrom 5:30 till 7:00

How it WorksPurchase as many tickets as you like for $1 each, then browse the items on the tables around the room and drop a ticket into the bag beside any item you want

to win. The raffle will be open for browsing from 5:30 till 7:00 PM, at which time the program will begin (Dr. Dennis Paulson,

Dragonflies and Damselflies of Washington; see page 1).

After the program (about 8:00 PM), we will draw a ticket out of each bag. If your ticket is drawn, you get to take the item home!Great gifts we remember from

last year included a basket filled with chocolates, original

watercolor paintings, birdhouses, and so much more! Don’t miss

this opportunity to help out your Audubon chapter and shop for the holidays at the same time.

Note: Millie is the big, beautiful cat who hangs out at the Wild Birds Unlimited store in Burien. Millie is very observant and has decided to write this monthly column to pass on to us what she sees and overhears while supposedly sleeping.

Hello, again — and welcome to the second installment of my “mewsings!”

The Autumn Equinox has come and gone. Can you feel the change in the air? The morning of the equinox, I learned on KPLU’s “Birdnote” that many ancient cultures closely watched the changes in the sun’s daily patterns. Many cultural legends regarding this involve birds. One legend from South America is that only the giant Andean Condor with its 10-11 foot wingspan had the strength to lift the sun each morning and drag it back down each evening. The Andean Condor is the national symbol of Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.

The most frequently asked question in the store these last few weeks has been, “Where have all my goldfinches gone?” The American Goldfinch is a common resident in our region year-round, although it may be a little more difficult to find them during the winter as they are rather nomadic and like to move from place to place. After they finish nesting in late August/early September, goldfinches molt their feathers and the ones they grow back are a somewhat drab olive-green color. The male may have a small patch of yellow on its throat. Look for the distinctive white and black wing bars and you’ll know that your goldfinches are still around.

Speaking of birds that stay here all year, you may know that our Anna’s Hummingbird does just that. But do you know who “Anna” was? Some sources refer to her as “Princess,” others as the “Duchess of Rivoli,” but Anna de Belle Messena was married to Victor Messena who had quite an extensive collection of bird specimens. John James Audubon went to Paris to

visit the couple and was smitten by Anna’s charm and beauty. He later honored Anna by having Rene

Primevere Lesson name the beautiful little bird after her, thus immortalizing her beauty forever in the name of our only over-wintering hummer.

After learning about the “Martin Box Regiment” (which I wrote about in last month’s Mewsings), I was curious to find out if any other birds had “made history.” I found out about the 77th

Infantry Division, also known as the Lost Battalion. During World War I, they

found themselves trapped for six days in a hollow in the Argonne Forest. The commander, Major Charles Whittlesey, released three homing pigeons requesting aid, none of which made it through enemy lines. He had one homing pigeon left named Cher Ami. Despite heavy enemy fire, Cher Ami succeeded in flying a distance of twenty-five miles in twenty-five minutes. Cher Ami lost an eye and a leg, yet completed the flight and delivered the message he had been entrusted with. The soldiers were saved! Cher Ami was considered a war hero and received the French Medal, the Croix de Guerre, a gold medal and a silver medal. He died June 13, 1919, was preserved and can still be seen today at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.

You’ve probably heard of a “gaggle of geese” or a “murder of crows.” But have you heard of a “charm of finches” or a “stare of owls”? I’ve heard there are over 140 collective nouns used with birds. I’ll try to introduce you to a few each month. Since Varied Thrush is the Bird of the Month, a group of thrushes is called a “mutation” or a “hermitage.”

Until next time, keep on watching and feeding our little feathered friends and do not for a second believe that hummingbirds migrate on the backs of geese!

— Millie, the Muse of Mews

Mewsings from Millie

November 2009 - PAGE 6

Notes from ACOW(continued from page 1)

Don McIvor will respond to Birding Trail, science, and Important Bird Area questions, while Miguel Perez-Gibson will work with Chapters on targeted forest-related, legislative, state budget and related issues (with more details to be sent soon). Please contact Lynn Tennefoss or Rebecca Richter in the Audubon Chapter Services Office with any questions about the annual reports, baseline funding, membership related issues, outreach materials or on other chapter business related topics. You should also feel free to contact Gary Blevins with any questions, concerns or suggestions. Contact information is below.

At the ACOW meeting, attendees initiated a discussion about how Chapters could continue to support each other and the state program in order to pursue collective Audubon action on state-level conservation issues. We welcome and support this dialogue and look forward to continuing to take part in it.

Contacts:Taylor Felt: (206) 652-2444 x100, tfelt@audubon.orgChristi Norman: (206) 652-2444, ext 104, cnorman@audubon.orgDon McIvor: (509) 977-9456, mcivor@audubon.orgGary Blevins: (509) 326-2399, GaryB@spokanefalls.eduAudubon Chapter Services: (800) 542-2748, chapter_services@audubon.org

Recent Changes in Audubon Washington (continued from page 3)

Help Salvage Native Plants!King County Native Plant Salvage Program

Dig in with other volunteers digging up trees and shrubs from this site scheduled for development. In the afternoon, we’ll be potting up the salvaged plants so they can recuperate before going to King County

habitat restoration sites. Once replanted, these native plants will help reduce erosion, shade streams, and provide habitat.

When: Saturday, November 7, 2009, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM

Where: Black Diamond

Directions to Salvage Site:From I-405 in Renton, take Hwy. 169 to Black Diamond. Turn right on Roberts Drive. Go approximately 1.5 miles and watch for sign on left.

Turn left into site on gravel road.

Contact: Cindy Young by email at cindy.young@kingcounty.gov or (206) 296-8065

November 2009 - PAGE 7

Interior to preserve one of the last three tracts of shrub-steppe habitat left in the state.

√ Request designation of areas in the Hanford Reach as a National Monument; this would provide a steady source of funding to manage the area.

√ A resolution to oppose the Radar Ridge Wind Energy Project to protect Marbled Murrelets. While there is support for properly located wind power projects, Radar Ridge is opposed because its siting fragments Marbled Murrelet habitat.

√ Request for a ban on the use of lead fishing tackle in fresh water. Marine water and commercial fishing are exempted.

There was much discussion in both the Conservation Committee and at the conference in general about how to proceed in the future, as state funding and support have been slashed, and ACOW attendance has been falling over the last year. The economy may be affecting attendance as well. This was a serious problem for Pilchuck Audubon as it made plans for the meeting this fall. Rainier Audubon faces similar problems in Spring 2010 as we make plans to host ACOW. How many to plan for? How many rooms to reserve? What size banquet and meeting rooms?

On Saturday, there were several short presentations on activities over the past year by individual chapters. Breakout sessions included Low Impact Development, Puget Sound Starts Here, and Fun with Pet Waste, to name a few.

Sunday, several birding trips were led by members of Pilchuck Audubon. Trips covered local hot spots and lasted until noon.

Rainier Audubon Membership Subscription or Renewal Form

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