october 2007 redpoll newsletter arctic audubon society

8/8/2019 October 2007 Redpoll Newsletter Arctic Audubon Society

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/october-2007-redpoll-newsletter-arctic-audubon-society 1/6

The Redpoll Newsletter of the Arctic Audubon Society, Fairbanks, Alaska

Vol. 30 Issue No. 1 October 2007

Mission of Arctic Audubon:

Earth has unparalleled natural

diversity, productivity, and

beauty, and provides for

life. Recognizing the full value of nature, we work to

protect Alaskan ecosystems

by encouraging research,

education, and management

that will contribute to

appreciation and good

stewardship of this natural

heritage. We also strive to

conduct our own lives in

harmony with nature.

The Arctic Audubon Society

publishes The Redpoll for its

members monthly fall through

spring. National Audubon

Society (NAS) dues are $35;

new members are $20. NAS

membership includes local

chapter dues. Chapter only

membership is $10 and

includes the newsletter.

Inside…

Arctic Audubon News ...... 2

Bioneers in Alaska .......... 3

Birdathon Results ........... 4

Calendar ........................ 6

Community Events ......... 3

Field Trip Report ............. 2

Membership form ........... 6

Thanksgiving Bird Count 2, 5 A ock of tens of thousands of Spectacled Eiders winter in the Bering Sea. Above, a Whiskered

Auklet perches on a rock. Photos courtesy of the US Fish and Wildlife Service

Important Bird Areas Program in Alaska presentation by Dr. Iain J. Stenhouse

Tuesday, October 9, 7:00 pmNoel Wien Library Auditorium

he Important Bird Area (IBA) concept, rst developed in Europe in the 1980s, is nowrecognized around the world as a valuable tool in bird conservation. IBAs are usually

discrete sites that stand out rom the surrounding landscape as having local, continental,or global signicance or birds. Te National Audubon Society launched its IBA initiativein the U.S. in 1995, establishing program’s state by state. o date, 46 states have initiatedIBA programs and more than 1,500 IBAs have already been identied in the U.S. Withthe cooperation o local experts, Audubon Alaska is currently identiying the top tier sitesacross the state.

Tis is part o an extraordinary global eort to identiy areas that are vital to birds.BirdLie International, a global coalition o more than 100 country partner organizationsinitiated the IBA program in Europe in the 1980’s. Since then, more than 3,600 sites in51 European countries have been identied as IBAs, with a total acreage covering 7% oEurope. Hundreds o these sites and millions o acres have received better protection as aresult o the IBA Program. oday, IBAs are being identied in 156 countries around the

world. By working to implement conservation strategies at these sites, we hope to minimizethe eects that habitat loss and degradation have on birds and other biodiversity.

Dr. Iain Stenhouse is the Director o Bird Conseration with the Alaska State Ofce o the National Audubon Society. He has been involved in conseration or almost 20 years. Aswell as his work in Alaska, he has been involved in research on birds in the UK, Greenland,

Newoundland, and the Canadian High Arctic.



Page The Redpoll October 007

Arctic Audubon Newshe Arctic Audubon Society will hold its annual meeting on

uesday, October 9 at 7:00 pm inthe Noel Wien Library Auditoriumto elect ocers or the coming year.his will be a very brie meeting

prior to the presentation on Impor-tant Bird Areas in Alaska.

All members are welcome to participate. Nominations rom the

oor will be accepted or all posi-tions in addition to the ollowing candidates:

President: Gail MayoVice President: Open

Secretary: Kristy McLeanreasurer: Janet Daley

A list o Board committees andchairpersons can be ound on thelast page o this newsletter. I you

would like to work with a delightul

group o people on a variety o birdand conservation related projects,

please join us! We would welcomea vice president, education chair,and help maintaining our website.I interested, contact Gail Mayo at479-2954.

New Email AddressArctic Audubon has a new emailaddress, eective immediately:

[email protected].

Arctic Audubon Field Trips a Success!by Tom Green, Field Trip Coordinator

S pring in Alaska is a wonderul time with the arrival o birds to the Interiorrom all over the world. Each year, Arctic Audubon sponsors three bird

identication eld trips to local ponds and lakes in May. We try to schedule

these eld trips in May to coincide with the peak migration through theInterior. Each trip is led by a local birding expert.Tis year two o our trips, “Shorebird Identication” and “Waterowl Iden-

tication,” were guided by Mark Ross, a resident naturalist at Creamer’s Fieldand education coordinator or the Alaska Department o Fish and Game. Ialways nd the shorebird identication rather perplexing, but Mark helpedme sort out the conusion this year. We saw Solitary Sandpipers, LesserYellowlegs, Long-billed Dowitchers, and a Red Phalarope in the seasonal

ponds. Dave Shaw then led our “Birding by Ear” eld trip, oering insightsto the identication o songbirds by their calls and songs. Tis eld trip waschallenging as we listened careully to distinguish the White-crowned rom

the Savannah Sparrow.Each eld trip was attended by10-15 birding enthusiasts. ArcticAudubon thanks Mark Ross andDave Shaw or sharing their timeand knowledge with us. ArcticAudubon is currently looking toupdate its list o potential Fieldrip Guides. I you might be in-terested in leading a trip, call omGreen at 452-6370 or email at

[email protected].

Next Month is Thanksgiving Bird Countby Dr. John G. Hewston, Humboldt State University

hanksgiving Bird Count takes place on Tanksgiving Day and lasts onlyone hour. Te counter chooses the time o day that best ts into his/her

holiday schedule. Count instructions and a count orm can be ound on pageve o this newsletter. Started in 1966 by Dr. Ernest Edwards in Virginia,Dr. John Hewston o Humboldt State University has been coordinating and

compiling this count in the West since 1992.Last year 401 counts were received rom the eleven Western States andAlaska. Counters tallied 141 dierent bird species inside their circles atcount time. Te usual three were tops again. Number one was the HouseSparrow (1,991) or the eighth year in a row. In second spot again was theDarkeyed Junco (1,941), and the House Finch was third (1,930). Te rest o the top ten were (in order) Black-capped Chickadee, American Goldnch,Caliornia Quail, Mourning Dove, Steller’s Jay, White-crowned Sparrow,and Common Redpoll. Tis last one is a surprise. Although reported romonly three states, the Common Redpoll was the most abundant species inAlaska and also seen in Montana and Colorado.

In August, Dr. George Archibald led a

crane walk at Creamer’s Field.Photo by Tom Green



October 007 The Redpoll Page

Mark your calendar…

Community Events Winter Birds Family ProgramSaturday, October 13, 9:00 am–NoonUA Museum o the North

For ages 7-12 with an adult. $15 per child/adult pair (preregis-tration required). Discover the secrets to winter survival or birds.Learn about Alaska’s resident birds and ollow the journeys o thosethat migrate to warmer climates.

Winter Bird Feeding WorkshopSaturday, October 13, 10:00 am–NoonAlaska Feed Company; $10 ($5 or ABO members)

Learn how to identiy those eeder visitors and how to attractbirds to your eeding station. Coupons or bird eeding supplies

will be available to participants and door prizes will be awarded!

Inormation at 451-7059 or www.alaskabird.org.Far North Conservation Film FestivalSunday, November 4, 3–9:00 pmPioneer Park; ree admission

Te 2007 Far North Conservation Film Festival will highlighta series o lms on the conservation and sustainability o wildlie,

wild places, and cultures around the world. A new lm on Gates o the Arctic National Park will headline the event. Tis year’s Festival

will kick-o with lm teasers on First Friday, November 2nd at theAlaska Public Lands Inormation Center rom 5–8:00 pm. For moreinormation, call 456-0527 or visit www.arnorthlms.com.

“Creepy Critters” with Friends o Creamer’s FieldSaturday, October 27, 12–4:00 pmCreamer’s Field Farmhouse Visitor Center

Bring the kids to the annual Creepy Critters program andlearn about ravens through educational activities and crafs at theCreamer’s Field Farmhouse Visitor Center. A $3 donation is sug-gested. Call 452-5162 or more inormation.

Birds o the AleutiansTursday, November 15, 7:00 pmUA Museum o the North

Co-authors o Birds o the Aleutian Islands, Alaska Dan Gib-son and G. Vernon Byrd will talk about species diversity in theseremote islands and share images o these rarely-seen birds. Booksigning will ollow the lecture. Free admission.

Fairbanks FeederCountNovember 17, December 15, March 1

Count the birds at your eeder on three Saturdays this winterto help monitor resident birds. More inormation can be ound at

www.alaskabird.org.

Fourth Annual conference…

Bioneers in AlaskaOctober 19-21

Alaska Pacifc University, Anchorage

Bioneers in Alaska: Creating Sustain-

able Communities is an annual con-erence that brings Alaskans together toexplore practical solutions or restoring our environment and revitalizing com-munities.

Tis year’s Bioneers in Alaska coner-ence will be one o 20 concurrent eventsthroughout North America, all par-ticipating via satellite in plenary sessionsrom the main conerence in Caliornia.

In addition, Bioneers in Alaska

will ea-ture its own keynote speakers and dozenso workshops.

Keynote speakers in Anchorage areCatherine Austin Fitts, ounder and

president o Solari Inc., and Andy Lipkis,ounder o reePeople in Los Angeles.

More inormation is available at www.sustainak.org or 907-373-0909.

Alaska Trails Seeks

Executive Director

Alaska rails, a statewide, nonprottrails advocacy group, is advertising

or an executive director. A complete job description is on the Alaska rails website, www.alaska-trails.org, or avail-able by mail. Interested candidates maysubmit a letter o interest, a resumé, andsalary requirements by September 28,2007 to Alaska rails, P.O. Box 140264,

Anchorage, AK 99514 or [email protected].

Christmas Bird CountSaturday, December 29th

Volunteers should call GailMayo, 479-2954.



Page The Redpoll October 007

Between May 12th and June 10th, 57 people went outto count birds or a cause and raise money or Arc-

tic Audubon Society and the Alaska Bird Observatory(ABO) as part o the Farthest North Birdathon. Almost$14,000 has been raised in this year’s Birdathon.

Jim DeWitt was our top individual money raiser bycollecting $2,235 in pledges. Close behind Jim, wasCarol McIntyre with $1,185 turned in. Te Pilsner-Powered Pedal Pushers (Carol McIntyre, Ray Hander,Chris Harwood, and Steve Kendall), raised the mostmoney by a team overall with $3,465, however they

were unable to participate without using ossil uelsas has been their tradition. Te weather, described bythem as “og, drizzle, light rain, rain, heavy rain, andhorizontal rain,” orced them inside a vehicle or theirhistorical route around Fairbanks where they counted80 species.

“Shrike Tree,” a team comprised o ABO boardmembers Philip Martin, Bob Ritchie, and ed Swem,earned the coveted “Golden Binoculars” award or themost species seen (or heard) in a 24 hour period with 88species on a route rom Fairbanks to Delta Junction.

Te Dogtrot Expedition, made up o ABO executivedirector Anne Ruggles, Don Hampton, and their twoIrish setters, won the prize or most money raised whilenot using ossil uels by raising $885. Tey identied

37 species while trekking around Ester Dome. We would like to extend a big thank you to all o this year’s counters and those who pledged them, Wildlieand Wood or sponsoring the evening guided birdathon

walk with Sherry Lewis, and our event sponsors: SteveNeumuth Advertising, Yukon itle Company, and Alas-ka Airlines. We would also like to thank Sherry Lewis,Philip Martin, Gail Mayo, Susan Sharbaugh, and Maryeel or leading birders on counts. A round o applauseis due or Mark Ross or providing the artwork or ourtravel mug prize and or rademark Screenprinters or

donating the art setup ee. Finally, a standing ovationis in order or Prunella Pineather aka Shirley Hughesor inspiring people to “grab their binoculars and headon out!”

2007 Farthest North Birdathon Nets Fun & Funds

Birdathon Prizes AwardedMost Money Raised:

Indiidual: Jim DeWitt ($2,235), Carol Mc-Intyre ($1,185), Ray Hander ($1,000), Nancy

DeWitt ($1,074), Anne Ruggles ($885), SteveKendall ($785), Sherry Lewis ($761), and FrankKeim ($610).eam (based on aerage/person): Beringia Bone-

yard Birders ( Jim & Nancy DeWitt) $1,654.50 Family: Jim & Nancy DeWitt ($3,309)Youth: Payton & Blayke Riey ($270)

Most Species Seen in Alaska:88 by “Shrike Tree” (Philip Martin, Bob Ritchie,and ed Swem)

Most Environmentally Friendly eams:

Bird Dogs ( Jeanette Moore & amily)- 47 speciesin their yard;

Dogtrot Expedition (Anne Ruggles, Don Hamp-ton, and two Irish Setters)- 37 species aroundEster Dome.

Best eam Name: Adult Guided Birdathon (Kathy Campbell,DeeDee Hammond, Clare Hill, Michael Mc-Cann, Linda Mellman, Jack Rasmussen, DebRyan, Susan Sharbaugh, and Paulette Wille)

Winner o Alaska Airlines tickets: Ray Hander

Winner o Zeiss Binoculars: Jim DeWitt

Other Valued Counters:Laurel Devaney, Ken Russell, Sally & Joe Gal-braith, Fairbanks Kiwanis Club, Max & GraciaLewis, Sue Guers, Matt imp, April Harding,Karen Jensen, Helen Sudkamp-Walker, Stan

Justice, Dave Shaw, Ruth Jolly Knapman, im Walker, ricia Blake, Odessa Bogusch, BettyConnor, Chris Villano, Debbie Moses, EricEnlow, John Maloney, Joyce Bateman, JuliePinkowski, Linda Bruemmer, Lou Caruel, Mari-lyn Askelin, Mark Simon, Matt Emslie, MerrittHelerich, Pete racy, Rosy Lim, Siri uttle,Carrie Dershin, and Sharon Baring.

Special Tanks to our Prize Donors: American Birding Association, Marty Baldridge,Beaver Sports, Hot Licks Ice Cream, Ivory Jacks,Patagonia, Princess ours, Sourdough Fuel, StanStephens Cruises, and the urtle Club.

BirdathonHaiku bySherryLewis

Longspursflyasone

Largeflockswirlinginthefield

Onespeciesonlist.



October 007 The Redpoll Page

Thanksgiving (window watch) Bird CountCounter’s name and mailing address:

_________________________________________

_________________________________________

____________________________ Zip _______

Location o Count __________________________

_________________________________________

Date: ________________ emp. _____________

ime: Begin ____________ End _____________

Weather __________________________________

Habitat type ______________________________

Feeders/baths (types) ________________________

_________________________________________

Feeders/baths (number) ______________________

Procedures or Count: Select a circular area on theground (may include water area), 15 eet in diameter,to include eeders, bird baths, shrubs, etc., as you wish.

Imagine the circle extending upward as a cylinder. Countthe numbers o individual birds o each species that comeinto this circle (or cylinder) during exactly one hour. ryto judge as best you can the actual number o individualsthat are making visits to the Circle or that y throughthe imaginary cylinder. ry NO to count the sameindividual bird over and over again! Please print clearlythe number or each species in the “In Circle” column. I

you wish to report any seen outside the Circle, list themin the “Outside” column.

Pick any ONE-HOUR period during the day—and

make the count on Tanksgiving Day! Please send yourcount results (even i you see no birds at all) to:

Dr. John G. HewstonNatural Resources Building Humboldt State UniversityArcata, CA 95521

Record your observations on the eld orm below.

Species Seen In Circle Outside

Caliornia Quail ___________________Rock Pigeon ___________________Mourning Dove ___________________Anna’s Hummingbird ___________________Northern Flicker ___________________

Woodpecker: __________ ___________________Steller’s Jay ___________________Blue Jay ___________________

Western Scrub Jay __________________Black-billed Magpie ___________________Common Raven ___________________American Crow ___________________Chestnut-backed Chickadee ___________________Black-capped Chickadee ___________________Mountain Chickadee ___________________Red-breasted Nuthatch ___________________

White-breasted Nuthatch ___________________Northern Mockingbird ___________________American Robin ___________________Golden-crowned Kinglet ___________________Ruby-crowned Kinglet ___________________Cedar Waxwing ___________________European Starling ___________________Yellow-rumped Warbler ___________________Spotted (Ruous-S) owhee ___________________

White-crowned Sparrow ___________________Golden-crowned Sparrow ___________________Fox Sparrow ___________________Song Sparrow ___________________Dark-eyed Junco ___________________Red-winged Blackbird ___________________Purple Finch ___________________House Finch ___________________Lesser Goldnch ___________________

American Goldnch ___________________Pine Siskin ___________________Evening Grosbeak ___________________House Sparrow ___________________

Other species:_____________________ ________________________________________ ________________________________________ ________________________________________ ________________________________________ ________________________________________ ___________________

2007 Thanksgiving Bird Count Form



Arctic Audubon SocietyPO Box 82098Fairbanks, AK 99708www.arcticaudubon.org

Nonproft Org. US Postage

PAIDPermit No. 181Fairbanks AK

Upcoming Events—Mark Your Calendar Important Bird Areas in Alaska, uesday, Oct. 9th,

7 pm, Noel Wien Library.

Presentation by Iain Stenhouse, Audubon Alaska. Bioneers in Alaska Conerence, October 19-21,

Alaska Pacifc University. Details on page 3. Winter Bird Feeding Workshop, Saturday,

Oct. 13th, 10 am–Noon, Alaska Feed Company.

Arctic Audubon Board Meeting, uesday, October

30th, 5:30 pm, Rm 300 Reichardt Building at UAF.

All members are welcome at this business meeting.

Far North Conservation Film Festival, Sunday,November 4th, 3–9:00 pm, Pioneer Park

Arctic Audubon Program, Monday, Nov. 5th, 7 pm,

Noel Wien Library. opic to be announced.

Arctic Audubon Board of Directorsemail address: [email protected]

President: Gail Mayo (479-2954)Vice President: Open

Secretary: Kristi McLean (479-4874)reasurer: Janet Daley (457-1583)

Education: OpenConservation: Kristi McLean (479-4874)

Hospitality: Brook Gamble (456-3775)Programs: Lauren Attanas (474-9736)

Newsletter: Mary Zalar (479-4547)Membership: Mary Zalar (479-4547)

Field rips: om Green (452-6370)Birdathon: Sherry Lewis (479-0848)

Web Site: Jim Logan Alaska Audubon Board: Frank Keim (451-9308)

Birding Hotline(907) 451-9213

Updated by Laurel Devaney & Ken Russell

Report interesting bird sightings;learn what others have spotted.

also at

www.virtualbirder.com/vbirder/realbirds/index.

National Audubon Society

New Member Form q Introductory rate, $20 q wo Year Membership, $30 q Student or Senior rate, $15

Membership includes both National Audubon and thelocal chapter, Arctic Audubon. You will receive NationalAudubon’s magazine, Audubon, and Arctic Audubon’snewsletter, Te Redpoll.

Name: _________________________________

Address: _______________________________

_______________________________________City State Zip

Amount enclosed: $______ (make check payable toNational Audubon Society)

Send to: Arctic Audubon Society A52PO Box 82098 7XCH Fairbanks, AK 99708

q Chapter Only Membership, $10

For membership in Arctic Audubon only, check the boxand make check payable to Arctic Audubon Society.

october 2007 redpoll newsletter arctic audubon society

Documents