Echo Olympia, Washington Volume 2014, Number 2

March/April 2014

Message from the President

Taking OffBy Debra Nickerson

It is spring, and flocks of shorebirds are feeling energy pulse through their multitudes be-fore taking off along flyways for homeward destinations. In the same way, your chapter board is hard at work finding new destina-tions in South Sound. The BHAS Board of Directors is working on new offerings that will expand our opportunities as we work and grow together. Energy and excitement is running high through this body of intelligent, dedicated, and hard working individuals. I am in awe of all our volunteers are doing.

The BHAS board is composed entirely of volunteers. The board members and other core organizers are nothing less than incredible. It is an honor and joy to

work with so many thoughtful and creative people. You can find the board members on the Contacts page of this newsletter. I would like to mention each indi-vidual board member and their contributions here, but will have to wait. Instead, enjoy learning about those

involved in our current opportunities.

Just this year, we have again organized our wonderful Annual Dinner and Auction under

the leadership of Meagan Thorn and Margery Beeler. Someone in Tacoma called our Annual

Dinner, “the place to be in the spring,” which says a lot about its scope and festive atmosphere.

In partnership with Capital Land Trust (CLT), BHAS board members, including Whittier Johnson, are lead-ing bird walks on CLT properties. BHAS and CLT will install nest boxes, built by New Market Skills Center students, and conduct bird surveys on the land trust’s Twin rivers Ranch property; BHAS is also coordinating

March 1, SaturdayFeathers: Function and BeautyThe BHAS Monthly Program will not occur on the usual second Thursday of the month. Instead, the March “program” will be the Annual Dinner and Silent Auction on Saturday, March 1. Biologist and artist Chris Maynard will speak at the annual dinner. Chris, who works solely with feathers, will show us how he creates art with feathers and unique feather designs. Chris is passionate about feathers. He combines science, his knowledge of birds, and his artist’s vision to create intricate feather shadow-boxes. Recognized by art collectors and the press, his shadowboxes are known worldwide.

April 10, ThursdayThe Truth about JawsSharks are among the most fascinating and feared ani-mals in the world. Their predatory role in marine eco-systems is vital to the health of the other marine life that share their home, yet many shark populations are in de-cline, due to over harvest and habitat degradation. Join Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium’s Education Specialist, Cathleen McConnell, to learn about the unique biology of these incredible fish and the challenges shark popula-tions face in the oceans today. The program concludes

with an opportunity for hands-on exploration of shark skin and jaws from a variety of species.

Monthly program meetings are held on the second Thursday of the month at the First Christian Church meeting hall at 701 Frank-

lin St. SE, in downtown Olympia. Arrive at 7 p.m. to socialize; programs begin promptly at 7:30.

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Annual Dinner and Auction, Just Around the Corner!By Meagan Thorn

We hope to see you at the 27th Annual Dinner and Auction on Saturday, March 1st, 2014. The dinner will be held at the Olympia Community Center, 222 Columbia St NW. Doors open and the silent auction starts at 5:00 p.m. Our evening’s program is Feathers: Function and Beauty, by BHAS member Chris Maynard.

Hopefully we already received your RSVP and pay-ment. The dinner is catered this year, and reservations and payment are required by February 18th. Because the dinner is catered, there is no need to bring your own plates and utensils, as in past years.

The silent auction is Black Hills Audubon Society’s major fundraising event of the year. In addition to the silent auction, we will have BHAS vests and T-shirts on sale, a plant sale, and a raffle. We count on your gener-osity to make the evening a financial success.

Just a few reminders:

E We are only able to accept cash or checks for any purchase at the annual dinner and auction.

E We have a full lineup of auction items, so if you haven’t already discussed a possible contribution with us, please hold it for next year.

E If you placed a bid on an auction item, please do not leave without checking to see if you had the high bid. If so, collect the item and take it to the cashier table for payment.

Come join us for a great evening, help us raise money for our education and conservation efforts, see friends,

and celebrate our chapter’s accom-

plishments of the past year.

ongoing nest box monitoring.

Under Shelley Horn and Bonnie Wood, we organized classes, one-day field trips, and overnight trips planned to Othello and Malheur. With the help of Teresa Mikel-son, we are now on Meetup.com, where you can join, sign up for trips and activities, and get weekly updates on our events; please go to Meetup and check out South Sound Birders- that’s us! We are helping teachers devel-op eBird accounts of sites on campus. We are organiz-ing a trip to take 45 youth to the coast during migration. We have expanded Birds and Beer to include Shelton, and our monthly field trips continue to fill to capacity. Our web presence, thanks to webmaster Deb Jaqua, continues to keep abreast with new technologies.

The invigorated and enlarged Conservation Commit-tee, chaired by Sam Merrill, is keeping watch on more fronts; challenging issues through comments, direct communication with stakeholders and bureaucrats, contracts with attorneys for various kinds of work, and partnerships with other non-profit groups as well as governmental agencies. It is arduous work most of the time, but so very important to maintain.

I am deeply grateful for the work of all our dedicated volunteers. I imagine you are too.

President’s messageFrom page 1 More of an “Online

Presence” for BHASBy Debra Nickerson and Teresa Michelsen

BHAS has joined Meetup.com by sponsoring the South Sound Birders Meetup group. By joining Meetup.com, you can see all the events, classes, and trips BHAS of-fers, and sign up for most online. You can change your RSVP easily, if necessary. You can also see who else is coming. In addition, you will receive emails immedi-ately notifying you of new South Sound Birders events, and reminders for those events for which you have signed up.

One very nice feature of this site: you can post online that you are going to go birding at a particular time, and invite others to join you. Meetup offers spontane-ity, which is convenient given that our schedules and weather (and the presence of rare birds!) can often fluctuate. Joining Meetup is free. It is our hope this medium will be used by many. We hope many more of our members, and others who are interested in getting outside and going “birding” with us, will find it useful. The site will be available for use at our program meet-ings and the Annual Dinner, so you can sign up there, too. We will be available to answer questions about Meetup at most of our events.

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By Bill Shelmerdine, Olympia CBC Compiler

The Olympia Christmas Bird Count (CBC), held on Sunday, December 15th 2013, is in keeping with a long tradition. The Olympia count has a tradition of conduct-ing the count on the first Sunday of the count period. Ninety two participants ventured out on count day. More intrepid counters logged a few hours before sun-rise to see just which owls might be about. (Note that three owl species were recorded on count day, while a 4th, Western Screech-Owl, was recorded during count week). Conditions were rather mild on count day, but freezing temperatures the previous week likely affected count numbers. Count participants encountered frozen water on many of the smaller freshwater bodies.

A total of 122 species were recorded during the count. This number is well below average, falling short of the 125 species recorded on last year’s count. The total number of birds recorded came in at 40,092, about 75% of last year’s tally. Reports from the field sug-gested birding was slow everywhere and birding was tough overall. Waterfowl numbers in particular could be characterized as unremarkable to dismal and were certainly affected by the previous week’s freeze.

Interestingly, I do not recall numbers in past counts fluctuating, particularly consistently by group. Not so this year; the fortunes of some groups seemed to rise or fall together. As a rule, grebes and finches were down in numbers. Doves and corvids seemed to prosper, as might be expected from examining both long-term count numbers and regional trends.

Black Phoebe was recorded for the first time on this year’s count, following a couple of years with sightings just a day before, or the day after, count day. Six species posted new high counts, including Greater White-fronted Goose (13), Eurasian Collard Dove (58); Mourning Dove (95); Anna’s Hummingbird (111, up from the new high of 67 last year); Western Scrub-Jay

(70), and Common Raven (32). All except the geese are following a long-term increasing trend. Peregrine Falcon numbers tied with previous high counts of 8 (3 years), while Bald Eagle numbers were 112, the second highest ever recorded on the count. Both of these latter species can be linked to conservation success stories.

New low counts were established for several species (especially if the results for early counts from the 60’s are omitted due to much reduced observer effort). Low counts were recorded for Horned Grebe (136), Red-necked Grebe (27), and Western Grebe (6). Eared Grebe was missed on the count this year for only the 3rd time in the past 30 years. In the finch group, both Pine Siskin (4) and Purple Finch (8) posted new low counts. The Siskins are cyclic in abundance and many area counts reflected similar low numbers to a complete lack of records this year. Purple Finch numbers are fol-lowing a declining trend reflected in the CBC numbers.

Wrapping up with a few more notable observations: Orange-crowned Warblers made a showing for the second year in a row, with 2 to 3 found on count day. A single Tundra Swan was noted at McAllister Springs. Both Tundra and Trumpeter are uncommon on the count, with only about six records in the past 30 or so years. And in the notable misses department, Long-tailed Duck and Lincoln’s Sparrow were both no-shows for the count.

As usual, the compilation dinner after the count was a fun affair with much camaraderie. The chili feed was a rousing success (as usual). Many thanks to all who help organize, cook, and simply make it hap-

pen. Thanks also to the counters and area count leaders for an-other great count and a great day in the field. Hope to see you all again next year.

Olympia Christmas Count 2013 Summary

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The Port of Olympia Continues Steps for Further Airport DevelopmentBy Sue Danver

Master Plan: In November 2013, the Port of Olympia withdrew its Determination of Non-Significance for the Environmental Checklist (SEPA) for its Airport Mas-ter Plan Update. BHAS had requested this withdrawal because of a significant lack of protection for prior-ity wildlife species and habitat in the Master Plan and Checklist.

In December, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and the Port of Olympia met to ad-dress the protection of prairie species and habitat at Olympia Airport. On January 3, 2014, WDFW wrote a review and response letter regarding the development plans presented in the Airport Master Plan. This de-tailed review had been missing from the Master Plan/SEPA Checklist. The letter said:

“The following (letter) outlines the WDFW review of the Olympia Airport 10 Year Development Plan 2014-2018 and 2014-2023 planned activities dated September 2013. This response outlines the impacts of said activities and WDFW’s recommendation con-cerning six prairie species and their habitat inhabit-ing, or potentially inhabiting, the Olympia Airport. WDFW recommendations are aimed at preserving these species now and in the future (e.g. satisfies both 5- and 10- year plans or thereafter).”

The Federal status of the Mazama Pocket Gopher is to be announced in February 2014, and implementation begins in March, 2014. The Port of Olympia awaits this decision to learn what further development constraints might apply at the Airport. BHAS hopes that the new Airport Master Plan Environmental Checklist (per-haps available in late March) will clearly delineate the potential effects of the proposed growth of the Olympia Airport on Thurston County.

SEPA Policy Update: In November 2013, the Port pro-posed a new appeal policy to deal with comments sub-

mitted on Port project environmental reviews (SEPA). BHAS and its Attorney Gerald Steel advocated for an alternative procedure where the Port Commissioners, and not the Superior Court, decide on the merits of an appeal. Due to concerns raised, the Port Executive Di-rector and Port Commissioners postponed a December decision until 2014 and plan a March workshop.

Request for Industrial Stormwater Permit: Only through careful reading of legal ads in the Olympian did we learn that the Port of Olympia was requesting an Industrial Stormwater Permit, a NPDES permit, for its airport property. The WA Department of Ecology (DOE) is responsible for issuing this permit, and it is required of any facility that discharges to surface waters of the state. BHAS responded to the Port’s request with a com-ment letter listing concerns about potential Olympia Airport runoff and recommending permit conditions.

BHAS’s concerns are the connection of the drainage to the Deschutes River and the lack of water quality assessments along the pathways. Increased discharge to a river that already has water quality problems is problematic. Retaining the water on-site may be fea-sible but would require dedicated space. DOE has not yet responded to BHAS’s letter.

BHAS concluded its DOE comment letter with the following:

“Please recognize that the priority wildlife habitat, nearby Deschutes River, Swamp Lake and other ar-eas are environmentally sensitive. The SEPA Check-list for the Airport Master Plan Update stated that the ‘goal of the Master Plan is to develop the Airport into an aviation facility that can accommodate future demand without being significantly constrained by its environs.’ BHAS disagrees with the Master Plan goal and believes that development at the Airport should adapt to the natural constraints of its loca-tion, not vice versa.”

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By Bonnie Wood

After having last year’s trip to Malheur National Wild-life Refuge prove, in many ways, a happy experience, Black Hills Audubon is feeling ambitious and is plan-ning three field trips farther afield. Please consider join-ing us for one or more of this year’s ventures, for each takes us to different ecosystems and birding hotspots very different from those in Western Washington.

Othello, WashingtonOn March 28-30, Othello, Washington will hold its annual Sandhill Crane Festival. A very well organized, entertaining, and well-attended festival it is, and I rec-ommend it highly if you have never been there. If noth-ing else, the sight and sounds of hundreds of Sandhill Cranes lifting into the air in the evening to return to their roosts will stir the heart. In addition, the nearby Columbia National Wildlife Refuge has access roads and a couple of short hikes that bear exploring. Bur-rowing Owls, Yellow-Headed Blackbirds, and Western Meadowlarks are just three of the species that thrive in this region.

The town of Othello truly pulls out all the stops to welcome visitors to the festival. See www.othellosandhillcranefestival.org for more details about the festival’s many activities and to order a catalog (although the final activities schedule has not been finalized). Sign up for the activities that interest you; some have a fee. The field trips, classes, the bike trip: I enjoyed them all.

We will spend the weekend in Othello and invite you to join us. Black Hills Audubon will organize carpools to Othello. If you are interested in being part of a carpool, contact Debbie Nickerson at debranick@gmail.com or 754-5397 or call the BHAS phone line at 352-7299. BHAS also reserved six rooms at Othello’s Best Western ((509) 488-5671). We encourage you to call to reserve one (under BHAS and Deb Nickerson) or reserve a room on your own soon—motel rooms in Othello book quickly for the festival weekend. In case lodgings fill up in Othello, other places to stay include Moses Lake, about 45 minutes away. For more information, see the festival’s website: www.othellosandhillcranefestival.org.

On Friday evening, March 28, Black Hills Audubon will hold a friendly, informal reception from 8:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. in the “Breakfast Room” at the Best West-ern. All BHAS members are invited. Snacks and drinks provided. We will convene to touch base, share plans,

and see familiar faces. Join us!

Bend, OregonLater in the spring, May 24-25, Black Hills Audubon will lead field trips in the Bend, Oregon area, five to six hours away. In May, Bend is typically sunny, warm, and rich with birds we do not have in Western Wash-ington. There are numerous city, county, and state parks to explore. We will see Lewis’ Woodpeckers, White-breasted Nuthatches, Pygmy Owls, Common Nighthawks, Lesser Goldfinch, and many, many other high-desert birds. The list of possibilities is vast. If you wish to go again, Bonnie Wood and other Black Hills birders will show you profitable birding spots in the Bend area, or in Sisters location of Oregon’s Wood-pecker Festival in mid-June (www.ecaudubon.org), so you will have a better sense of the region.

We will meet each morning at one birding location in the morning and spend the day exploring. Be prepared for walking and hiking several moderate miles a day. For example, Shevlin County Park has a six-mile loop trail, with moderate ups and downs. The last time I was there, highlights included Lewis’ Woodpeckers fighting over a nesting snag, a foraging White-headed Wood-pecker, and a Bald Eagle perched above the creek not twenty feet from me, completely unfazed by my staring and camera clicks.

Transportation and lodging in Bend is up to you - Bend has abundant lodging options. If you are interested in joining us in Bend, Oregon, call Bonnie Wood at (360) 943-4612 or e-mail bwood2800@gmail.com.

Malheur National Wildlife RefugeFinally, a return trip to Malheur National Wildlife Ref-uge in Princeton, Oregon is in the works. BHAS is in the midst of organizing an overnight trip to Malheur. Please see our website, www.blackhills-audubon.org, for details. Stay tuned for more information and details as our plans mature.

Black Hills Field Trips— To Othello, Malheur, and Beyond

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Field Trips and EventsThere is a yellow crocus blooming in my backyard, and some primroses have opened, too. When I went for a walk yesterday, I heard Chickadees tootling their courtship whistle. The Song Sparrows in my yard have not perfected their distinctive melody, but they are working on it, and that signals spring.

Although March and April in the Pacific Northwest may still be gray and rainy, early spring brings some new gifts every day. The first swallows will begin arriving soon, along with other early migrants. Join one or more of the field trips be-low to see who is in town, or make a foray on your own. Please note, Black Hills Audubon plans three longer-distance field trips this year: the Othello Crane Festival at the end of March; the Bend, Oregon area, as a preview to Central Oregon’s Woodpecker Festival; and a return to Malheur National Wildlife Refuge over Memorial Day weekend.

Field Trips and Events CapsuleMarchEvery Wednesday – Birdwalks, Nisqually NWR1 Annual Dinner – Program: Feathers:

Function and Beauty1 Birding & Breakfast—meet at Tumwater Falls

Park, Breakfast at River’s Edge Restaurant14-16 Event: Wing Over Water Birding Festival15 Field Trip: Hood Canal17 Birds and Beer—Olympia: Fish Tale Brewpub20 Field Trip—Eagle’s Pride Golf Course, JBLM 26 Birds and Beer—Shelton: Smoking Mo’s28-30 Event: Othello Sandhill Crane Festival

Recurring Field Trips and EventsBirding & Breakfast, first Saturday of each

monthWant to get a head start on your weekend? Join us for Birding and Breakfast on the first Saturday of each month. Bird with us at 7:30 a.m.; then enjoy breakfast at 9:00 a.m. at a local restaurant. Or, if you are a late riser, just join us for breakfast and we’ll give you the run down on what birds are in the area. Beginning birders are welcome. Share what you know, connect, enjoy. No expert guide. For more information, contact Leslie Lynam at (360) 402-9513 (cell) or Deb Nickerson at (360) 754-5397 (cell).

March 1—Tumwater Falls Park. Next to Falls Ter-race Restaurant. Meet at parking area (C St SW Olympia). Breakfast at River’s Edge Restaurant at Tumwater Golf Course (4611 Tumwater Valley Dr SE Olympia).

April 5—McLane Nature Trail. Meet at trailhead parking area. Breakfast at Shipwreck Café (244 Madrona Beach Rd NW Olympia). Discover Pass required.

AprilEvery Wednesday—Birdwalks, Nisqually NWR4-6 Event: Olympic Birdfest5 Birding & Breakfast—meet at McLane Nature

Trail, breakfast at Shipwreck Café10 Program: The Truth About Jaws12 Field Trip: Birds and Botany at Burfoot Park19 Field Trip: LOTT Hawks Prairie Reclaimed

Water Ponds21 Birds and Beer—Olympia: Fish Tale Brewpub25-27 Event: Grays Harbor Shorebird Festival27 Field Trip—Eagle’s Pride Golf Course, JBLM30 Birds and Beer—Shelton: Smoking Mo’s

Birds and Beer, Third Monday monthly gatherings Join birders each month at 4:30 p.m. at two differ-ent locations. People will share their “best birding spots in our area.” Come ready to share where and why you go birding in a particular spot. People new to our area will benefit from your knowledge. Birders gather in Olympia on the third Monday of the month at the Fish Tale Brewpub, 515 Jefferson Street SE, Olympia, where they meet at the couches in the back. Birders also gather in Shelton on the last Wednesday of the month; they meet at Smoking Mo’s, corner of Railroad Ave & 2nd Street, Shelton WA. For more information, contact Deb Nickerson at (360) 754-5397 (cell).

Olympia—March 17, April 21 Shelton—March 26, April 30

Guided Field Trip, Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge Every Wednesday MorningJoin Phil Kelley from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. to see native birds and early migrants at Nisqually Na-tional Wildlife Refuge. March and April are excellent months to see diverse waterfowl, raptors, songbirds,

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and others. Be prepared for any kind of weather and for walking. Bring water and snacks as needed.

The Refuge has a $3.00 entrance fee, which is waived if you have a Golden Eagle Pass, federal interagency pass, or other applicable pass.

Guided Field Trip, Eagle’s Pride Golf Course, JBLM Third Thursday of each monthJoin leaders Denis DeSilva, David Wienecke, and/or Valerie Elliott on March 20 and April 17 from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Spring is upon us, and Eagle’s Pride Golf Course’s ponds and thick, diverse habitat, make it a great place to spot many bird species, especially now that migrants will be trickling in. Last spring, for ex-

ample, five swallow species abounded and nested at the course, and over 70 species of birds were docu-mented in the last year. Its location, only one-half mile from Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge, helps draw birds to the JBLM property.

Meet at the driving range parking lot. Take exit 116 off I-5N. Turn north off the ramp and then right into the golf course. The driving range access road, a narrow gravel road, is an immediate left, or you can park in the main lot and easily walk up to the driving range.

As always, dress for the weather and bring water and snacks as needed. Contact David Wienecke at david.l.wienecke.naf@mail.mil or call (253)- 964-0341 (office) if you have questions.

Field Trips and EventsMarch 15, Saturday

Field Trip: Hood Canal Leaders: Jim Pruske and Dave HaydenStarting at Potlatch State Park, explore Hood Ca-nal’s bird-rich estuaries, including Lilliwaup, Jorsted Creek, Hamma-Hamma, and Duckabush. See Hood Canal’s birds, among them perhaps Harlequin Ducks, Black Scoters, and Dippers. In all, we will probably see 15 species of ducks and 35 species of other birds. There will be no more than a mile of walk-ing on level ground.

Trip will last from 8:00 a.m. to late afternoon. Bring water, snacks, and lunch. Bring a Discover Pass if you have one. Dress for any kind of weather. Meet at the Park and Ride at S.E. Craig Road, which is on the right side off the first Shelton/Bremerton exit (North Highway 3) from Highway 101.

Call Jim Pruske at (360) 459-3655 or e-mail Dave Hayden at dtvhm@nwrain.com to reserve a spot. This trip has a limit of three cars and twelve people.

March 14, Friday – 16, Sunday Event: Wings Over Water Birding Festival Blaine, WashingtonLocated on the Pacific Flyway in the northwest corner of Washington State, The 12th annual Wings Over Water Birding Festival celebrates the incredible variety of migratory birds that visit Blaine, Birch Bay, Semiahmoo, and Drayton Harbor. The festival offers field trips, nature cruises, expert speakers, wildlife

demonstrations, activities for children, and more. An all-day Birding Expo will be held on Saturday, March 15, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. For more infor-mation, see http://www.wingsoverwaterbirdingfestival.com/.

March 28, Friday– 30, Sunday Event: Othello Crane Festival Othello, WashingtonThe annual Sandhill Crane Festival in Othello is a well organized, entertain-ing, and well-attended festival. We recommend it highly; Othello is only three hours away, and the trip to the festival is worth it, especially if you’ve never been there before. You will see

hundreds and hundreds—thousands!—of Sandhill Cranes. Many other birds call the

Columbia Plateau their home as well. See the accompanying article for information about Black Hills Audubon’s plans to convene in Othello. For information about the festival and to obtain a catalog of festival activities (although this year’s full slate of activi-ties has yet to be completed), go to http://www.othellosandhillcranefestival.org/.

April 4, Friday – 6, Sunday Event: Olympic Birdfest Sequim, WashingtonThe Olympic Peninsula Audubon Society times its annual Olympic Birdfest to overlap wintering birds and migrants that visit the North Olympic Peninsula, a rich location in the state for birding. Field trips are planned for Neah Bay, Sequim Bay, Dungeness Spit, Ediz Hook, Port Angeles Harbor, Salt Creek, and the Elwa River, as well as trips through wooded areas to spot songbirds and owls in the evening. Boat trips to Protection Island are also planned. A banquet

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and other activities will also be held. Proceeds from the festival support the Dungeness River Audubon Center. For full information about the festival, see http://www.olympicbirdfest.org/.

April 12, Saturday Field Trip: Birds and Botany at Burfoot Park Leaders: Craig Merkel and Bob Wadsworth Join Craig and Bob from 8:30 a.m.–11:00 a.m. One of Olympia’s lesser-known and loveliest parks, Bur-foot Park has a bit of everything, both for humans and birds. There is open greenspace, lawn, and flower gardens at the top, and as you wend your way down to the beach, you pass through old-growth conifer and cedar forest. In the bluffs on the beach fronting upper Budd Bay, Pigeon Guillemot nest, and they will be active this time of year. Of course, there will doubt-less be many other birds and waterfowl in this varied landscape.

We are fortunate to have Bob Wad-sworth as a leader on this trip, for he is versed in the native botany of Pacific Northwest landscapes and will be able to help identify plants at Burfoot, as well as birds. Burfoot Park is on the left side of Boston Harbor Road, about four and a half miles north of Olympia. If you reach Boston Harbor, you have gone too far. Meet at the parking lot. Bring water and snacks as needed. Be prepared for the weather and for walking uphill and downhill on rough and perhaps slick path and ground. The trail down to the beach is about one mile or so. To sign up, e-mail Craig Merkel at quetsal48@comcast.net or Bob Wadsworth at RWADSRK@gmail.com, or call the BHAS line at (360) 352-7299.

April 19, Saturday Field Trip: LOTT Hawks Prairie Reclaimed Water Ponds Leader: Susan MarkeyThis trip to a local multi-use facility is well-suited for both beginning and experienced birders, with amazingly rich birding. We will walk the easy gravel paths around the reclamation ponds, marshes, and vegetation. We should see ducks, raptors, passerines, and wading birds. For the last few years, a pair of bald eagles has nested in a Douglas Fir above the ponds.

Trip is from 9:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m. Meet at the Reclamation Pond facility parking lot at 9:00 a.m. Dress appropriately for the weather and bring binoculars. We will take our time exploring the paths for about two hours; the walking paths are

level. All are welcome. To sign up, contact Susan at slmarkey@comcast.net or call (360) 438-5663. The ponds are at 3001 Hogum Bay Road in Lacey, west of I-5 off the Hawks Prairie exit. See the map at www.lottcleanwater.org/pdf/hpFact.pdf .

April 25, Friday–27, Sunday Event: Grays Harbor Shorebird Festival Hoquiam, WashingtonEach Spring, hundreds of thousands of shorebirds

stop to rest and feed in Grays Harbor estuary on their migration northward. Coming from as far south as Argentina, these Arctic-bound shore-birds are among the world’s greatest migrants, some traveling 15,000 miles round-trip. This event is timed to match the annual migration of hundreds of thousands of shorebirds as they

pause at the Grays Harbor estuary to feed and rest before departing for their nesting grounds in the Arctic. The concentration of birds in Grays Harbor allows birders an excellent chance to view many species and

to see birds take flight in beautiful formations.

The weekend is filled with activities, in-cluding field trips, a banquet with a keynote

speaker, lectures, a birding marketplace, and more. For information,

see www.shorebirdfestival.com.

For lodging and visitor information,call 800-942-4042 or clickwww.olympicpeninsula.org

www.visitsunnysequim.com800-737-8462

Come bird with us!BirdFestOLYMPIC

PENINSULAApril 4-6, 2014

San Juan Island CruiseGuided Birding TripsBird Drawing ClassAuction & Raff leTotem TourPhotographyWorkshopGala Banquet with featured speaker: Noah Strycker

For more information:www.olympicbirdfest.orginfo@olympicbirdfest.orgor 360-681-4076

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Climate and BirdsBy Lynn Tennefoss, VP, National Audubon Society State Programs and Chapter Services

Audubon scientists have been working on a detailed scientific study which clearly illuminates the risk that cli-mate change poses to North America’s birds. We already know climate change is a very serious threat to our birds; the results of this study will show which birds are most threatened by climate change and where.

The research results will be submitted to peer-review science journals over the first half of 2014. The scientific publishing process doesn’t always move quickly, so it’s hard to pin down the date just yet. Depending on the review process, publication could come as early as February, or it could be as late as June.

Numerous studies by the world’s top climate sci-entists and biologists indicate that climate change poses an extremely dire threat to birds and biodiver-sity-the greatest threat since humans have been on the planet, as David Yarnold said in his column this fall in

Audubon magazine (www.audubonmagazine.org/articles/climate/audubon-view-0).

In the first half of 2014, Audubon is submitting a paper for publication that quantifies the specific risk to North America’s birds in a greater level of detail and clarity than has been available so far; we’ll know which birds are most threatened by climate change and where.

With that knowledge in hand, it will be our responsibility to figure out what to do about

it-how to protect our birds today and to-morrow as climate changes. But then, we already know the basics: We’ve got to protect the habitats birds need, and we’ve got to do everything we can to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This new

information about the threat climate change poses to birds will add urgency and clarity to our

work in a way that few other things have before.

We are very excited about this report and the oppor-tunities it offers to galvanize Audubon’s work around protecting birds and habitat from climate change.

Mailing Address: PO Box 2524, Olympia, WA 98507BHAS Message Phone: 360-352-7299Website: www.blackhills-audubon.org; E-mail: 4info@blackhills-audubon.org

BHAS Officers:President: Deb Nickerson .................360-754-5397

pres@blackhills-audubon.orgVice-President: Whittier Johnson ..... 360-866-8156 vice-pres@blackhills-audubon.orgSecretary: Tracey Scalici ......................................................

secretary@blackhills-audubon.orgTreasurer: Susan Markey ..................360-438-5663 treasurer@blackhills-audubon.org

Other Board Members (At Large):Margery Beeler, Shelley Horn, Deb Jaqua, Leslie Lynam, Craig Merkel, Sam Merrill, Elizabeth Rodrick, Kris Schoyen, Meagan Thorn, Anne Van Sweringen

Committee Chairs:Conservation: Sam Merrill ................360-866-8839 sammerrill3@comcast.net

CBC & Bird ID: Bill Shelmerdine ....... 360-866-9106georn1@hotmail.com

Education: Shelley Horn .... shelleysmail@me.comField Trips: Bonnie Wood .................360-352-7299 bwood2800@gmail.comMembership: Margery Beeler ...........360-352-5437 mswampcat@aol.comHospitality/Outreach: Leslie Lynam 360-402-9513Programs: Kris Schoyen ................... 360-754-1710Publications & Webmaster: Deb Jaqua ........................................ 360-491-3325

webdeb1@gmail.comEcho Editor: Anne Van Sweringen…360-534-9953 avs55@comcast.netEcho Layout & Design: Lee Miller ....360-753-0942 aleemiller@igc.org The Echo is published bi-monthly. The Editor welcomes articles, photographs, artwork, etc. for the newsletter. The deadline for the next issue will be April first. Graphics by Nature Icons/Ultimate Symbol unless otherwise noted.

Audubon’s MissionTo conserve and restore natural ecosystems, focusing on birds, other wildlife, and their habitats for the benefit of human-ity and the earth’s biological diversity. BHAS Chapter goals are to maintain, restore, and protect our ecosystems for future generations; and to promote environmental education and nature-based recreation.

Black Hills Audubon Society Contacts:

10 Black Hills Audubon Society

Armchair Birding

ApologiaBy Anne Kilgannon

My copy of this slim book has a dust jacket bold with black paper finely etched with a swirling relief of abstracted images. One might see these images in a dream or from a speeding car at night moving through a forest that crowds the road. This inky pattern follows the text, swarming over the pages, warning the reader that just out of view is a wilderness. A black road appears and arrows through the story told by Barry Lopez, surely one of the most pro-found and observant nature writers working today.

Here, he tells us of a journey he took some years ago, crossing the country from his home in Oregon to Indiana. He tells of a practice that punctuated and deepened his awareness of the country he passed through. The highway rose and fell and rounded through the terrain of forest, mountains, rivers and grasslands. As he continued, Lopez’s attention was caught and held by the spectacle of dead animals shattered by collisions with cars. Deer, raccoons, hawks, jack rabbits, once a red fox, a young porcupine, skunks, a garter snake, all left on the road, legs a-tangle, sometimes smeared over the surface.

Nonetheless, Lopez would stop, and calling upon his own deep pool of respect and reverence, he would re-move the bodies to more sheltered resting places, so they could sink more gently into the earth, as seemed more fitting to his heart. He did this for large and small, the charismatic and the prosaic, without evaluation or judg-ment, all beings fitting in his scheme of life and death. He registered them, each with deep attention: “I nod before I go, a disconcerted gesture, out of simple grief.”

Lopez does not exempt himself from this story. Dur-ing his journey, he too adds to the inadvertent carnage. Early in the trip, his car hits a sage sparrow and later,

on a mountain pass, a gull. He almost loses control of his car, glimpsing his own possible demise from ac-cident. Lopez is not outside of the experience, not out-

side—despite being shielded inside his moving cocoon of steel and glass—of what we call na-ture. His life hangs in the balance, his senses engage with the mess of blood, hoof and feathers. He breathes the stench of skunk and feels the weightlessness of a broken hawk body. His fingertips graze fur, scrape insects from the surface of his car, close the eyes of a bird staring stark in death. His words open our own hands to grief and the sorrow

we more usually push away from our conscious minds at such sights.

What to do? He asks us only to pay attention. Unspo-ken, but naturally arising from his gestures, we might create our own responses to the singular and whole-sale destruction we witness. A friend murmurs a Bud-

dhist blessing for the bodies she sees by the roadsides. Lopez gives us another way, too. In his writing, he shows us the beauty of the world, the heart-stopping wonder of creation. Even in death, more so in life, we can bow

in awe and yet be lifted up by birds, rising on wings that tug us into the sky. We are lifted by the sight of a golden coyote leading its secret life along the hedgerow, by the flash of salmon in a stream, by our own animal lives. And know we are not separate.

This essay, “Apologia” can also be found in the collec-tion of essays by Barry Lopez, About This Life: Journeys on the Threshold of Memory, published in 1998 by Alfred A. Knopf. A description of the workshops offered by Macy and Brown can be found in their book Coming Back to Life: Practices to Reconnect Our Lives, Our World, published by New Society Publishers, also in 1998.

Apologia, by Barry Lopez, with woodcuts by Robin Eschner, University of Georgia Press, 1998.

Lopez’s attention was caught and held by the spectacle of dead

animals shattered by collisions with cars.

11http://blackhills-audubon.org

Audubon Outreach–BHAS

Black Hills Audubon Society (BHAS) Membership Form Become A Member Or Renew Your MembershipPlease check the appropriate box, complete, and mail:

Option 1. BHAS Chapter-Only Membership: (includes individual or household):

This membership is intended for those NOT wishing to be a member of the National Audubon Society. As a chapter-only member, you receive the BHAS newsletter, The ECHO; all of your dues go directly to BHAS for its programs. Please make check payable to Black Hills Audubon Society.

Regular Member: 1 year: $20 2 year: $35 3 year: $50

Senior/Student: 1 year: $15 2 years: $25 3 years: $35

Option 2. National Audubon Society Membership: Chapter C9ZY12OZ

If you live in Thurston, Lewis, or Mason County, your NAS membership includes your BHAS membership. Most of your dues go to support national efforts. You receive Audubon magazine and The Echo. Please make check payable to National Audubon Society. [Use this form only for new NAS memberships. Make NAS renewals using the forms sent to you by NAS and send directly to them.]

Regular Member: $20 Senior/Student: $15

E I would like to help Black Hills Audubon’s education and conservation programs. Enclosed is an additional tax-deductible donation of $ __________ [Please make checks payable to Black Hills Audubon Society.]

Name: _______________________________________________________________________________________

Address _______________________City/State/zip: __________________________________________________

Phone/email: _________________________________________________________________________________

My check for $____________ is enclosed. Mail to: BHAS Membership PO Box 2524, Olympia WA 98507

Black Hills Audubon Society, a member chapter of National Audubon Society, is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with members in Lewis, Mason and Thurston counties. Contributions are deductible to the extent allowed by law.

By Leslie LynamYou are invited to join us! Audubon Outreach-BHAS welcomes new members and creates opportunities to bird and socialize together. We assist with chapter projects and events, and organize educational experi-ences for Thurston, Lewis, and Mason counties. New-comers are welcome. By volunteering alongside others, we get to know each other better.

Audubon Outreach meets the fourth Thursday of Sep-

tember, January, and April. The next Meeting is Thurs-day, April 24th from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Debra Nickerson’s house; call (360) 754-5397 for directions.

Here are some ways you can help:

E Come to First Saturday Birding and Breakfast and answer questions about Black Hills Audubon;

E Greet at, or bring refreshments to, a Program meet-ing on the second Thursday of the month;

E Staff a table at local events with Audubon materials, and answer questions about Black Hills Audubon.

For more information, contact Leslie Lynam at (360) 402-9513 or Debra Nickerson at (360) 754-5397.

PO Box 2524 • Olympia WA 98507-2524

Return service requested

Nonprofit OrgUS Postage

PAIDOlympia WA Permit #107

Printed on recycled paper with soy based ink

Helping Streaked Horned Larks and South Sound PrairiesStory and photo by Audrey Lamb, Center for Natural Lands Management

Many organizations are working together to restore prairie habitat and con-serve rare species that live on prairies, such as the Streaked Horned Lark— recently listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.

To increase the numbers of Streaked Horned Larks, we improve their habitat, pro-tect existing birds, and bring in new larks. Last year, we restored over 330 acres of Streaked Horned Lark habitat using prescribed fire, which removed invasive species and helped native prairie plants grow.

The larks in the South Sound are in trouble. Many of their eggs don’t hatch. To address this problem, we bring in new birds with different genes. How are the larks brought in? Very carefully! We move the eggs

from a location in Oregon to a protected South Sound prairie on the same day. So far, a male lark that originated in Oregon has matured and successfully bred. This spring, we plan to move more lark eggs to South Sound prairies.

For more information or to volunteer with our restora-tion projects, please contact Audrey Lamb, CNLM, at (360) 357-6280, alamb@

cnlm.org, or visit www.southsoundprairies.org.