april 2009 sandpiper newsletter - redwood region audubon society

8/8/2019 April 2009 Sandpiper Newsletter - Redwood Region Audubon Society

1/7

www.rras.org

FIELD TRIPS

andpiperSAPRIL 2009

Redwood Region Audubon Society

The

Laysan & Black-footed Albatross Kerry Ross

Carpooling to and on RRAS field trips is stronglyencouraged. Its economical, its fun, and its theright thing to do! Impromptu carpools to trips meetin the following parking lots at the times indicated

in the trip announcements: Trinidad (Park & Ride,Main Street exit, west side of Hwy 101), HSU(northwest corner of Harpst and Rossow streets,opposite Student Services), Eureka (Park & Ride,Herrick Avenue exit), and Fortuna (Park & Ride,Kenmar Road exit). Be there a few minutes earlyand see if anyone else is there for ridesharing. Ifyou would like to prearrange a carpool, try usingthe RRAS listserv. Please offer your driver somegas money.

Every Saturday: Arcata Marsh and WildlifeSanctuary. These are our famous rain-or-shine fieldtrips at the marsh; take your binocular(s) and havea great morning birding! Meet in the Klopp Lakeparking lot, south end of I Street, at 8:30 a.m. CallKerry Ross ([707] 839-4365) for more information.Carpools: Trinidad 8:10 a.m., Eureka 8:05 a.m.,Fortuna 7:45 a.m.

Saturday, April 11: Blue Lake Fish Hatcheryand Cotton Wood Patch. This is a great locationfor birding in Humboldt County. The trip will start

at the parking lot of the fish Hatchery at 8:30 a.m.Join Moe Morrissette for a walk through riparianhabitats along the Mad River. For more information,contact Moe at (707) 822-8150.

Sunday, April 12: Humboldt Bay NationalWildlife Refuge. This is a wonderful 2- to 3-hourtrip for people wanting to learn the birds of theHumboldt Bay area. It takes a leisurely pace withemphasis on enjoying the birds! Beginners aremore than welcome. Meet at the Refuge VisitorCenter at 9:00 a.m. Call Jude Power or David Fix([707] 822-3613) for more information. Carpools:Trinidad 8:10 a.m., HSU 8:25 a.m., Eureka 8:45a.m., Fortuna 8:45 a.m.

Sunday, April 19: Arcata Marsh and WildlifeSanctuary. This is a free walk offered by RRASduring the Godwit Days Spring Birding Festival.It will meet at the same time and location as theregularly offered Saturday morning walks.

Sunday, April 26: Blue Lake Cottonwoods. If youmissed the earlier Blue Lake Fish Hatchery trip, joinKen Burton ([707] 825-1124) for this one. Enjoy awide variety of resident and migrant birds singing,courting, and nesting on this half-day outing. Meetat 7 a.m. in front of Espresso 101 on Valley WestBlvd. in Arcata; please park on the street, not in theparking lot.

Saturday, July 11. Waterdog Lake/North TrinityMountain: Butterfly, Bird and Plant Day Hike. This is an RRAS-California Native Plant Society

joint event. Hike to this high point in the westernedge of the Trinity Alps Wilderness. Well passthrough diverse mountain habitats, including

forest regenerating from the 1999 Megram Fire.Waterdog Lake, a meadow-rimmed pond, is one ofthe few breeding locations for Lincolns sparrowsin Humboldt County, not to mention waterdogs(rough-skinned newts). We can scramble to thetop of nearby North Trinity Mountain (6,342-ft elevation) for the view and to look for greatspangled fritillaries and other montane butterflies.The trail starts at 5,300 ft and gains about 1,000-ftelevation, but is not too steep. Bring lunch, snack,at least 2 quarts of water per person, sturdy shoesor boots, and many layers of clothing. Meet at 7:30a.m. sharp at Pacific Union School (3001 Janes Rd,Arcata), or arrange another place. Carpool for 2-hrdrive to trailhead northeast of Hoopa. Return 6 p.m.or earlier. For more information, call Gary Falxa(707) 476-9238.

Sunday, May 17, 2009: Mendocino AudubonSocietys Pelagic Boat Trip. Join leaders RonLeValley and Kerry Ross for MCASs annualpelagic birding trip. These leaders have excellentknowledge of both seabirds and sea mammals, andthey will enthusiastically call out what species we

will be seeing and help beginners learn field marks.The meeting time is 7:30 a.m. for an 8:00 a.m.departure. The charter boat Trek II will depart fromNoyo Harbor, Fort Bragg, for this 7-hour cruiseabove either Navarro or Noyo canyons or Tolo Bank.Sea canyons and banks can help create upwellingsof nutrient-rich water that ocean birds can detect.We should see albatrosses, shearwaters, jaegers,auklets, and murres. Sea mammals could includewhales, dolphins, seals, and sea lions. Cost is $95per person.Note: Payment by check: Make check payableto MCAS. We must have full names and contactinformation of everyone in your party: e-mailaddresses, phone numbers, and a mailing address.Address your envelope as follows: K. Havlena

Pelagic Trip, PO Box 40, Fort Bragg, CA 95437-0040. Payment by credit card: Please e-mail me([email protected]) your telephone numberand a good time to call you to take your credit cardinformation. Credit card approval must be made atleast2 days before the trip (May 15). Confirmationswill be sent to you with helpful suggestions regarding

directions, food to bring (there is no galley on board),attire, and preventive measures for seasickness.

X

XKeep Up-to-Date

Through RRAS ListserveBe reminded about field trips and programs andlearn about upcoming meetings, public hearings,and symposia of interest to RRAS members andother concerned nature lovers. Subscribe in 1 of2 ways: through a Web page link at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/rras or by e-mail to [email protected]. Postings should havecomplete information. This listserv is not for posting

bird sightings.Violet-green Swallow Ron LeValley

Violet-green Swallow Ron LeValley


2/7

Thinking of Joining theNational Audubon Society?

If so, please use the coupon below. By sending in yourmembership on this form, rather than replying to solicita-tions from National Audubon, $20 is sent directly to RRAS.This is how NAS rewards local chapters for recruitingnational members. (Otherwise, the RRAS dues share pernew member is only a couple of dollars.) Thank you.

Chapter Membership ApplicationYes, Id like to join.Please enroll me as a member of the National AudubonSociety and of my local chapter. Please sendAUDUBON magazine and my membership card to theaddress below.

My check for $20 is enclosed. (Introductory offer)

NAME_______________________________ADDRESS___________________________CITY ______________________________STATE____________ZIP______________email ______________________________Local Chapter Code: C9ZC240ZPlease make checks to the National Audubon Society.

Send this application and your check to:

National Audubon SocietyP.O. Box 422250Palm Coast, FL 32142-2250

--------------LOCAL CHAPTER-------------REDWOOD REGION AUDUBON SOCIETY

P.O. BOX 1054EUREKA, CA 95502

CHAPTER LEADERSOFFICERS

President Ken Burton.................................825-1124

President-Elect

SecretaryAdam [email protected]

TreasurerSusan Calla.................................465-6191

DIRECTORS

Sean McAllister ..............................................268-0592

Lew & Judie Norton.......................................445-1791

Kerry Ross ..........................................839-4365

C.J. Ralph ..........................................822-2015

COMMITTEE CHAIRS

ConservationChet Ogan ..........................442-9353

Education -- David Tompkins........................443-6959

Field TripsKerry Ross ........ ........ ......... .839-4365

HistorianJohn Hewston ..........................822-5288

MembershipLew & Judie Norton.............445-1791

NEC RepresentativeC.J. Ralph.................822-2015

Field NotesSean McAllister ...... ........ ........268-0592ProgramsC.J. Ralph...................................822-2015

PublicitySue Leskiw....................................442-5444

SandpiperJan Andersen ..........................444-3501

Gary Bloomfield........................822-0210

Volunteer Coordinator

Jennifer Tompkins......443-6959

Lake Earl BranchSue Calla.......................465-6191

RRAS Web Page......................................www.rras.org

Arcata Bird Alert .....................822-LOON (822-5666)

The Sandpiper is published ten times each year byRedwood Region Audubon Society

P.O. Box 1054, Eureka, CA 95502.

Redwood Region Audubon Society welcomes thefollowing new members and subscribers:

Arcata Sara Giannandrea, Iain Macdonald,

Moe Morrissette, Jeff TodoroffBayside Bryon Cariss, Joanie Weiser & Frank GratzCrescent City Jim Gordon, Jovenita Meisenbach,

Ross SchaeferEureka Naomi Klass, Karen Parlette, Sanford Pyron,

Robert Marrs, Patricia Reimonenq,Jenni Simpson

Garberville Brian Ormond, David ReillyMcKinleyville Ruth De Coux, Catherine ValentinePetrolia Richard Gillespie, Ellen TaylorRedway Wes & Linda Edwards

We look forward to seeing you on field trips andat our monthly programs.

Conservation CommitteeNOTES FOR MARCH 19, 2009

By Chet OganAttendees: Chet Ogan, chair; Jim Clark, John Hunter,Barbara Kelly, Sue Leskiw, and Mel McKinney.

Chet reported on the California AudubonAssembly held on March 16 and 17 at Asilomar. We

continue to have a dialogue on California Departmentof Fish and Games wildlife area management, Chetpresented our problems with this at the Assembly.RRAS is not the only chapter asking managementquestions about state-owned lands.

Sue reported on continuing efforts on thePalco Marsh. California Coastal Conservancysmeeting March 13 had Palco Marsh on its agenda. Suewrote a letter supporting the Coastal Commissionsamendments to Eurekas permit and continuing oursupport of the wetland-enhancement project. RRASdid not support additional contaminant testing. After

almost 20 years of waiting, we would like to see thisproject completed.

Jim continues to work with CaliforniaCoastal Conservancy on our pending conservationeasement on Parcel 4 behind Bayshore Mall. Eurekawants to build a boat launch ramp there, but Melpointed out that at low tide the area has a wideexposed mudflat.

Sue will write a letter supporting fundingsheriffs patrols at Clam Beach and CentervilleBeach in snowy plover nesting areas. Only two nests

at Clam Beach were successful last year. Two adult

Help is needed hanging GodwitDays student art work at the ArcataCommunity Center at 10 a.m.on Friday,April 17. If you can help, please callJennifer Tompkins, RRAS VolunteerCoordinator, at (707) 443-6959.

This is the 6th year that Friendsof the Arcata Marsh and RRAS havesponsored the Kids Bird Art Contestas part of the Godwit Days SpringMigration Bird Festival. Winners will

be announced in the next issue ofThe

Sandpiper.

This was the second winter of the Humboldt WinterRaptor Count. This 27-mile survey route samples HooktonSlough, the Loleta and Ferndale Bottoms, and SingleyHill and is conducted as a monthly RRAS field trip. Thecount follows protocol developed by the Hawk MigrationAssociation of North America as part of its winter raptormonitoring program.

This winters counts were conducted on

December 6, January 3, and February 4. Winter weatherconditions arrived late this year, and that was reflected inour results, with numbers peaking in January rather thanDecember. Numbers of most species were higher than lastwinter in all months.

Numbers by species, month, and year arepresented in the table below.

DEC. JAN. FEB.

SPECIES 07 08 08 09 08 09

Turkey Vulture 30 44 15 51 39 42White-tailed Kite 6 20 11 20 5 4

Bald Eagle 1Northern Harrier 11 15 5 16 7 6

Sharp-shinned Hawk 1 2 1

Coopers Hawk 2 2

Red-shouldered Hawk 5 7 6 9 4 5

Red-tailed Hawk 32 29 23 47 14 26

Ferruginous Hawk 3 2 4 3 1 1

Rough-legged Hawk 2 1

American Kestrel 8 15 13 16 11 19

Merlin 2 1 1 1

Peregrine Falcon 1 2 2 1 3Prairie Falcon 2 1

TOTAL 104 137 82 169 84 107

Western Snowy Plovers were run over last year onClam Beach, evidenced by photographs, despitevehicle restrictions.

Chet contacted Marian Perry and NeilPalmer, RRAS members who fought Fortunasefforts to locate a water tank in a Rohner Parkredwood forest. It was only when U.S. Fish andWildlife Service pointed out that Marbled Murrelet

surveys would need to be conducted over severalyears before trees could be cleared for a water tankthat the plan was scrapped. Marian and Neil will begiven the RRAS Conservation Award at our banqueton April 4.

Last year, female kestrels significantlyoutnumbered males in all months. This year, malesoutnumbered females 6:5 in December, but femalesoutnumbered males 12:3 in January and 17:2 in February.Thus, there seems to be a consistent female bias in ourwinter kestrel population, with males perhaps movingthrough early in the season.

Last year, adult red-tails strongly outnumberedjuveniles in all months (23:4 in December, 16:5 in January,

and 9:3 in February). Adults consistently outnumbered juveniles this year, too, but the numbers were lessdisparate (16:6 in December, 24:20 in January, and 16:10in February), suggesting higher breeding productivity in2008 than in 2007.

I extend thanks to all participants and lookforward to year 3!

Winter Raptor Survey

New Members

Hanging Help Needed

By Ken Burton


3/7

The 14th Annual Godwit Days Spring Migration BirdFestival (April 17-19) is proud to have Pete Dunne as itsSaturday, 7:30 p.m., keynote speaker. For the uninitiated,Pete, who serves as vice president of New Jersey Audubonand executive director of the Cape May Bird Observatory,has authored several field guides and how-to bird booksand published numerous essays in many outlets (includinga column in the New York Times). Festival registrantsreceive a keynote ticket; others may purchase one for$10 at the registration desk in the Arcata CommunityCenter. Petes wit and humor are sure to make for a livelytalk. I contacted Pete and, generously, he consented to beinterviewed (3/13/09). Note: Pete Dunnes Art of PishingWorkshop (offering #91) runs from 10:00-10:50 a.m. onSunday. Cost is $15.

TL: What are your current writing projects?

PD: I just had a book published entitled Prairie Spring,which Im delighted with. Not only because Im happy withwhat I wrote, but the product itself is so visually appealing,I look at this book, and I dont find anything to grumbleaboutpublisher Houghton Mifflin did such a wonderful

job. Of course, Im delighted that my wife Lindasphotographs accompany the book. And theyre darned finephotographs, too. Theres probably a few folks who aregoing to take umbrage at the prairie dog on the cover, butoh, well you cant please everybody.

The book is the first in a series that will use seasons asa vehicle to try to get people who are environmentallyestranged into the natural world. Even the most estrangedurban dweller still gets the concept of seasonality. Spring

is the season most evocative; the other seasons take us bythe hand, spring grabs us by the throat. One of the things Iwanted to do was find places that people dont necessarilythink of when I ascribed biomes to a season. Peopleoverlook the prairie. Its so easy to overlook, I know ourancestors did. They rushed right across the prairies to get tothe West. Then they had to backtrack.

The funny thing is, I always knew that I was going towrite a book called Prairie Spring, from the first time Iwent there. The second book in the series is CumberlandSummer, which is where I live in Cumberland County, NewJersey. I always knew I was going to write a book calledCumberland Summer. So, yes, they fit together. The thirdwill be Arctic Autumn. Im not sure about number four; Ihavent decided where winter will be focused. But I hada lot of fun writing it, and my wife and I enjoy travelingaround, getting to know people and places.

TL: Will you be doing a book signing at Godwit Days?

PD: I understand that Strictly for the Birds wi ll be bringingmy books for folks to purchase and me to sign during theFriday night reception.

TL: In Kids & Model Airplanes, you reflect on thedearth of young birders, but caution that adult-engineeredor mandated time for birds may, in fact, drive kids awayfrom the natural world. Have you found a middle ground?

What kind of projects has NJ Audubon undertaken toencourage a childs interest in the natural world?

PD: We have a homegrown initiative called Take a KidBirding. Its really no more or less complicated thanplanting in the minds of adults to take a kid out, putbinoculars and a field guide in their hands, and say, Tryit; youll like it. Many organizations are doing much thesame thing. The big question is how much of this adultinitiative is necessary or welcomed, because young peopletoday have their own parallel universe, the whole electronicage, that as adults were sort of cut out of. In the sameway that birding clubs once served as the social nucleusfor birders of my generation, the Internet is now the socialand informational nucleus for young birders. So while older

people in bird clubs bemoan that there are no young birders,my answer is, Oh, yeah, there are. Theyre just not here.

Feed the BirdersHelp is needed to feed the birders at this years GodwitCafe, the only food venue at the Godwit Days SpringMigration Bird Festival, taking place this year April1719, 2009 (http://www.godwitdays.com). Chet Ogan,dedicated RRAS Conservation Chair, will be serving upsome delicious soup and chili, along with beverages andsnacks. Proceeds from the Cafe raise funds for RRAS.Please contact Jennifer Tompkins, RRAS VolunteerCoordinator, at (707) 443-6959 or [email protected]

if you can help out any time on Saturday, April 18, orSunday, April 19.

Forgot to get tickets for the RRAS AnnualBanquet and Art Auction being held April 4,2009? Dont despair. You still have time to registerfor Godwit Days Spring Birding Festival, April 16through 22, 2009. Events are starting to sell out

through the registration website, www.godwitdays.com. Dont miss this once-a-year opportunity to visitbird habitats throughout Humboldt County in smallgroups with experienced guides. The 14th annualfestival offers trips ranging from predawn MarbledMurrelet flyouts to a night-time owl search, withmany boat tours and some lectures and workshopsto boot.

Fees are low or even free for some trips, halfprice for students or one day, and all paid registrantsget a free ticket to the keynote lecture by Pete Dunne

from New Jerseys Cape May Bird Observatory(see interview in this issue by Tom Leskiw). Dontmiss the Friday night opening reception, Bird Fairwith vendor displays, live birds of prey, Wildlife &Landscapes Art Show, and family nature crafts onSaturday afternoon. And its always fun to see thehundreds of bird drawings, paintings, and collagescreated by Humboldt County schoolchildren asentries in the Student Bird Art Contest cosponsoredby RRAS.

Visit www.godwitdays.com to get details onthe over 100 individual events, or call (707)-826-

7050.

Interview with Pete Dunne

TL: You began systematichawk counts at Cape May,New Jersey, in the late1970s. Was there a pivotalmoment when you realized

that standardized surveysand concrete data wouldbe required to benefit raptorconservation? Do you helpanalyze the data? Has theanalysis spawned any majorfindings or surprises?

PD: The first count in 1976 was initiated by Bill Clark, thefirst director of the Cape May Observatory. Although I wouldbe lying if I didnt say that I realized that these raptor countswould someday serve conservation, I did it because someonewas going to pay me to watch hawks. The rest of it really

just went along for the ride. I couldnt imagine that someone

would pay me to watch hawks, which is what I wanted todo more than anything in the world. It wasnt much: maybe$500 for three months time. I ate a lot of canned ravioli; Ithink you could get it for 39 cents a can back then. Two cansof ravioli a day: thats all you needed to hold body and soultogether.

As for findings, that depends on if you want to take the long-or short-term view. Have the counts documented change?Certainly. Were any of these changes predictable? Possibly.Some species are going up, some are going down. Someevidence shows that migrations now occur later in the yearor are more protracted. In 1976, if anyone had told me thatsomeday Sharp-shinned Hawk numbers would be fewerthan Northern Harrier or that Sharpie numbers would be

less than Red-tailed Hawks, I would have laughed. Sharp-shinned Hawks were everywhere, and American Kestrelwas the second most common raptor. American Kestrel isalmost a joke on the hawk watch now, as it can rightly bereferred to as The rarest bird seen today. Kestrel numbershave plummeted. Bald Eagles, on the other hand around1979, wed see a total of six all year. You can see that manyin a single scan now.

There has been tremendous change, and the change isreflected in the numbers. Black Vultures are increasing.Coopers Hawks have increased almost exponentially; at onetime, it was endangered in New Jersey. Now, its the secondor first most common breeding raptor in the state. There isnta suburban woodlot that doesnt have a nesting Coopers

Hawk. The best thing that ever happened to Coopers Hawksis bird feeding and Mourning Doves.

TL: It was your idea to initiate, in 1984, a World Series ofBirding (WSB) to be held each May in New Jersey. RogerTory Peterson was a member of your team on severaloccasions. For those of us who never had the pleasure,could you share a memory of birding wi th RTP, an anecdotethat gives us insight into the man forever linked with ourappreciation for birds?

PD: Roger did the WSB in 1984 and again in 1994. Thelatter was his last Big Day, and we only did Cape MayCounty. Roger was a born truant; he delighted in it, he

reveled in it. Revolutions are made by people who breakrules, and Roger was a born rule-breaker. However, he wasalso incredibly determined; he had a vision, and the thingthat is often overlooked is that Roger had a work ethic thatwould humble a monk. The guy just worked all the time. Youcant have the body of accomplishment that he did withoutdoing that. And if you want to see it emulated today, all youhave to do is look at David Sibley or Kenn Kaufman. Theseguys are behind the easel or computer all the time. I kindof have to work things into the edges here because I havea daytime job with New Jersey Audubon. But I know thatboth of them put in long, long hours on their projects, andthe results are in the quality of what they do and the fact thatpeople like us recognize them.

Tom LeskiwMarch 13, 2009

Share-the-BeachOutreach TrainingSunday, April 5, 2009, 11 a.m. 3 p,m.

Friends of the Dunes and RRAS are sponsoring a Share-the-Beach Outreach training for those interested inbeach ecology and recreation, particularly with regard toshorebirds such as the Western Snowy Plover. Volunteersand interns will outreach to beachgoers, lead guided

walks, assist with educational programs, survey beachuse, and provide educational materials to the public atClam Beach and Little River State Beach this spring andsummer.

Friends of the Dunes and RRAS secured fundingfrom the National Audubon Society to fund this seasonsprogram, and we would love to have you join us! Volunteerand paid internship positions are available.

The training takes place at the U.S. Fish andWildlife Service building on 1655 Heindon Road inArcata. Meet there at 11 a.m. for an indoor presentation,and then we will carpool to Clam Beach for a field session.Light refreshments will be provided.

For more information and to register, pleasecontact Denise Seeger, Coastal Naturalist Coordinator, [email protected] or (707) 444-1397.

Register Now forGODWIT DAYS

Complete interview follows onnext 3 pages

Complete interview follows onnext 3 pages


4/7

Interview with

Pete Dunne

The 14th Annual Godwit Days Spring Migration

Bird Festival (April 17-19) is proud to have Pete

Dunne as its Saturday 7:30 p.m. keynote speaker.

For the uninitiated, Pete, who serves as VicePresident of New Jersey Audubon and Executive

Director of the Cape May Bird Observatory, has

authored several field guides and how-to bird

books and published numerous essays in many

outlets (including a column in the New York

Times). Festival registrants receive a keynote

ticket; others may purchase one for$10 at theregistration desk in the Arcata CommunityCenter. Petes wit and humor are sure to make

for a lively talk. Local birder-writer Tom Leskiwcontacted Pete and, generously, he consented to

be interviewed (3/13/09). Note: Pete Dunnes Art

of Pishing Workshop (offering #91) runs from

10:00-10: 50 a.m. on Sunday. Cost is $15.

TL: A childs attachment to placefields, vacantlots, the neighborhood swimming holecan put

him or her on a trajectory to become a naturalist,

birder, or conservationist. Your essay GoldenWings includes a map of your old stomping

grounds: Kordocks Field, Big Swamp, Dry

Swamp. You remark that Kordocks Field now

contains several homes. Have other sites in your

old neighborhood that you frequented as a boy

been preserved? Do they foster a new generation

of outdoor enthusiasts?

PD: The area behind my parents house is owned

by the township. It is several hundred acresand is protected. However, its been altered

by overgrazing from white- tailed deer. So its

certainly not the same woodlands I grew up in.

There was a rich understory, and the birds were

accommodated by it. Unfortunately, there hasnt

been a Wood Thrush breeding in those woods

for 20 years. But the habitat itself is intact, as

are the ponds. The sad thing isits severely

underutilized by kids. I occasionally walk there

and dont see a soul. In days gone by, you wouldalways see children: fishing right after school

in the spring or engaging in other activities.

Nowadays, you see nothing like that. Its tragic.

TL: Do you think parents now perceive thewoods as an unsafe place for their kids to play?

PD: As far as I can see, its no more or less

dangerous than when I was a kid. I think everyoneis just a good deal more conscious of potential

problems and reacts to that.

TL: What are your current writing projects?

PD: I just had a book published entitled PrairieSpring, which Im delighted with. Not only

because Im happy with what I wrote, but the

product itself is so visually appealing, I look at

this book, and I dont find anything to grumbleaboutpublisher Houghton Mifflin did such

a wonderful job. Of course, Im delighted that

my wife Lindas photographs accompany the

book. And theyre darned fine photographs, too.

Theres probably a few folks who are going to

take umbrage at the prairie dog on the cover, but

oh, well you cant please everybody.

The book is the first in a series that will use

seasons as a vehicle to try to get people who

are environmentally estranged into the natural

world. Even the most estranged urban dweller

still gets the concept of seasonality. Spring is the

season most evocative; the other seasons take us

by the hand, spring grabs us by the throat. One

of the things I wanted to do was find places that

people dont necessarily think of when I ascribed

biomes to a season. People overlook the prairie.

Its so easy to overlook, I know our ancestorsdid. They rushed right across the prairies to get

to the West. Then they had to backtrack.

The funny thing is, I always knew that I was

going to write a book called Prairie Spring,

from the first time I went there. The second book

in the series is Cumberland Summer, which is

where I live in Cumberland County, New Jersey.

I always knew I was going to write a book

called Cumberland Summer. So, yes, they fittogether. The third will be Arctic Autumn. Im

not sure about number four; I havent decided

where winter will be focused. But I had a lot of

fun writing it, and my wife and I enjoy traveling

around, getting to know people and places.

TL: Will you be doing a book signing at GodwitDays?

PD: I understand that Strictly for the Birds willbe bringing my books for folks to purchase and

me to sign during the Friday night reception.

TL: In Kids & Model Airplanes, you reflecton the dearth of young birders, but caution that

adult-engineered or mandated time for birds

may, in fact, drive kids away from the natural

world. Have you found a middle ground? What

kind of projects has NJ Audubon undertakento encourage a childs interest in the natural

world?

PD: We have a homegrown initiative calledTake a Kid Birding. Its really no more or

less complicated than planting in the minds of

adults to take a kid out, put binoculars and a

field guide in their hands, and say, Try it; youll

like it. Many organizations are doing muchthe same thing. The big question is how much

of this adult initiative is necessary or welcomed,

because young people today have their own

parallel universe, the whole electronic age, that,

as adults, were sort of cut out of. In the same

way that birding clubs once served as the social

nucleus for birders of my generation, the Internet

is now the social and informational nucleus for

young birders. So, while older people in bird

clubs bemoan that there are no young birders,

my answer is, Oh, yeah, there are. Theyre just

not here.

TL: In The Feather Quest, you chronicle ayears vacation taken by you and Linda in

pursuit of birds within the ABA area [North

America, excluding Mexico]. Have you ever

taken a similar block of time off for world-wide

bird chasing?

PD: Not worldwide. On one extended trip, wedid a bit of birding in South America, bracketed

by a trip we led for Victor Emanuel Nature

Tours: first the Galapagos, then Antarctica.

Heres a challenge for you: six months on the

road, keeping your bags down to under 45

pounds because youre going to be doing both

the Galapagos and Antarctica in the same trip.

Yeah, good luck.

TL: Is there a single moment that stands outabove the rest from your time in Antarctica?

PD: No. I think that that teasing out one singularmoment would be a great disservice. The whole

spectacle of Antarctica is so humbling, so

overwhelming. I think after my first trip down

there, I simply came back and told people Just

cut to the chase. Go right to Antarctica, never

mind anything else. This is what you really

wanted to do. This is what the world used to look

like. Antarctica is totally populatedoverrun

with living things. This is what it all used to look

like. And right now, elsewhere, wildlifes been

pushed into the corner. This is the last place

where you can really see it.

TL: You began systematic hawk counts at CapeMay, NJ, in the late 1970s. Was there a pivotal


5/7

moment when you realized that standardized

surveys and concrete data would be required

to benefit raptor conservation? Do you help

analyze the data? Has the analysis spawned any

major findings or surprises?

PD: The first count in 1976 was initiated by Bill

Clark, the first director of the Cape May BirdObservatory. Although I would be lying if I didnt

say that I realized that these raptor counts would

someday serve conservation, I did it because

someone was going to pay me to watch hawks.

The rest of it really just went along for the ride.

I couldnt imagine that someone would pay me

to watch hawks, which is what I wanted to do

more than anything in the world. It wasnt much:

maybe 500 bucks for three months time. I ate a

lot of canned ravioli; I think you could get it for

39 cents a can back then. Two cans of ravioli a

day: thats all you needed to hold body and soul

together.

As for findings, that depends on if you want to

take the long-or short-term view. Have the counts

documented change? Certainly. Were any of these

changes predictable? Possibly. Some species are

going up, some are going down. Some evidenceshows that migrations now occur later in the

year, or are more protracted. In 1976, if anyone

had told me that someday Sharp-shinned Hawk

numbers would be fewer than Northern Harrier

or that Sharpie numbers would be less than

Red-tailed Hawks, I would have laughed. Sharp-

shinned Hawks were everywhere and American

Kestrel was the second most common raptor.

American Kestrel is almost a joke on the hawk

watch now; as it can rightly be referred to as Therarest bird seen today. Kestrel numbers have

plummeted. Bald Eagles, on the other hand

around 1979, wed see a total of six all year. You

can see that many in a single scan now.

There has been tremendous change and the

change is reflected in the numbers. Black

Vultures are increasing. Coopers Hawks have

increased almost exponentially; at one time, it

was endangered in New Jersey. Now, its the

second or first most common breeding raptor

in the state. There isnt a suburban woodlot that

doesnt have a nesting Coopers Hawk. The best

thing that ever happened to Coopers Hawks is

bird feeding and Mourning Doves.

TL: It was your idea to initiate, in 1984, a WorldSeries of Birding (WSB) to be held each May in

New Jersey. Roger Tory Peterson was a memberof your team on several occasions. For those of

us who never had the pleasure, could you share

a memory of birding with RTP, an anecdote that

gives us insight into the man forever linked with

our appreciation for birds?

PD: Roger did the WSB in 1984 and again in1994. The latter was his last Big Day and we only

did Cape May County. Roger was a born truant;he delighted in it, he reveled in it. Revolutions

are made by people who break rules and Roger

was a born rule-breaker. However, he was also

incredibly determined; he had a vision, and the

thing that is often overlooked is that Roger had

a work ethic that would humble a monk. The

guy just worked all the time. You cant have

the body of accomplishment that he did without

doing that. And if you want to see it emulated

today, all you have to do is look at David Sibley

or Kenn Kaufman. These guys are behind the

easel or computer all the time. I kind of have to

work things into the edges here, because I have

a daytime job with New Jersey Audubon. But I

know that both of them put in long, long hours

on their projects, and the results are in the quality

of what they do and the fact that people like us

recognize them.

TL: Getting back to your latest book, PrairieSpringis there a single location in the prairie

that serves as the geographic focus?

PD: We love the prairies: the openness and thesubtle beauty. The book focuses on the high

plains, the short grass prairie. We went from

the staked plains of New Mexico all the way

to Montanas Little Bighorn. We spent most of

our time in Colorado, but started the book inNebraska with the Sandhill Cranes. Ill be going

out to the Crane Festival, along Nebraskas Platte

River next week.

TL: Will you be seeing [author and biologist]Paul Johnsgard at the Platte River crane festival?

In January, Sue and I attended the Wings Over

Willcox festival in Arizona. Pauls keynote talk

was about cranes and the Platte River. I cant

believe I forgot to bring his North American

Owls book for him to sign.

PD: Thats unfortunate. I spent a wonderfulevening with him at an Ornithological Society

meeting when he was at our table. I enjoyed

immensely the time I spent with him. Actually, I

have a copy ofPrairie Spring in front of me right

now. Im reading from the acknowledgment:

The amazing and prolific professor emeritus ofbiological sciences at the University of Nebraska

Paul H. Johnsgard, whose book Prairie Dog

Empire isgraduate studies and a postdoc in pure

prairie ecology.

I learned a great deal from him. The thing I

love about doing projects like this is how much

I learn. I was just a duffer when it came to the

prairie when I started the book. Im kind ofprairie conversant now.

TL: Ive got a pile of your books ready for yoursignature. I hope your arms in shape.

PD: [Laughter]. Actually, its not the hand, itsthe arm. Roger Tory Peterson tipped me off

many years ago that you sign with your arm, so

you dont wear your wrist off. His wife Ginny

advised me to Always include the date. People

like it when you put the date down.

TL: While gathering material for Prairie Spring,did you make it to Wichita Mountains National

Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma?

PD: No, thats tall grass prairie, which is mostlyoccupied by another dominant grass species

called corn. Many cranes would argue that cornis the best thing to happen to the prairies.

TL: Humboldt County is not a terribly easy placeto visit. Have you birded here before? Are there

any species in particular that youre looking for,

or aspects of their behavior that you hope to

experience?

PD: No, no species in particular. Unfortunately,

spring is a very busy time for me, so the time I canallocate is brief. I will have to come back again to

savor Humboldt. I come with no expectations and

expect to see neat birds. I dont particularly care

which ones. Im more interested in just watching

birds rather than finding birds. Im going to be

out there with a lot of knowledgeable people

and Ill just be playing off of them. Whenever in

a new area, you always team up with the locals:

they know what theyre doing. Ill probably be a

bit travel worn, but I expect to participate in one

of the Big Days. [Note: the Saturday Big Day

with Pete is sold out].

TL: Well, we look forward to you joining us inArcata. Do you know where youre staying?

PD: Im not quite sure if thats been worked out,but Im looking forward to it. I dont worry about

it. Im going to get off the plane. Somebody willtake care of me. They always do.


6/7

TL: When do you leave to return home?

PD: Sunday afternoon. Ive got two speakingengagements the following week. One in Newark

and then I fly to South Carolina. Springtime is

so busy; Ill just have to have to come back to

Arcata again.

Tom Leskiw

March 13, 2009


7/7

Field Notes By Sean McAllisterLast Days of Winter (20 Feb-20 Mar, 2009)

Field Notes is a compilation of bird-sighting reportsfor Humboldt, Del Norte, western Trinity, andnorthern Mendocino counties. Sources include theRRAS bird alert and birders information phone line(707-822-LOON), the online northwestern Californiabird-watching and information exchange ([email protected]), the MendocinoCounty birders listserv ([email protected]), and reports submitted directly to the compiler.Future reports may be submitted to any of the sourcesmentioned above, by e-mail to [email protected], by mail to Sean McAllister, 417 2nd St., Suite201, Eureka, CA 95501, or telephone me at (707)268-0592. Abbreviations: HBNWR - HumboldtBay National Wildlife Refuge, Salmon Creek Unit;

MSP MacKerricher State Park.

Greater White-fronted Goose: 2, Arcata Bottoms, 4Mar (BZ) Snow Goose: 8,HBNWR, 8 Feb (DF, et al.);1-2,Arcata Bottoms, 17-18 Feb (RF, MW, KBu) RosssGoose: 1-11(!),HBNWR, 22 Feb-8 Mar (SMcA, LT, TK,SS, SC); 1, Arcata Bottoms, 28 Feb-2 Mar (RF, SC); 4-7,Eel River Bottoms, 5-14 Mar (RF, ST) Brant: Peaknumbers are typically reached during this period; most areon South Humboldt Bay, but 1,000-1,300 were observedon North Humboldt Bay on 12 Mar (DF); a possibleEastern (light-bellied) Brant was described near King

Salmon on 17 Mar (MW) Tundra Swan: 6-18 wereobserved flying overMcKinleyville, 2&9 Mar (KR); 80-150 heard flying over Humboldt Hill, late at night 10&12Mar (MW) Eurasian Wigeon: 3,HBNWR, 14 Mar (RF,ST); 1,Arcata Bottoms, 14 Mar (DF) Blue-winged Teal:2,Arcata Bottoms, 28 Feb (RF); 1-2,Arcata Marsh, 9-14Mar (GZ, RF, ST) Canvasback: 1,Mad River Estuary,28 Feb (RF); 2, Eel River Bottoms, 5 Mar (RF, MW) Tufted Duck: 1 female, continues from last period, StoneLagoon, 23-25 Feb (LM, KR, RS) Harlequin Duck: 2-6, Glass Beach, MSP, 21 Feb-9 Mar(DT) Black Scoter:1, King Salmon, 28 Feb & 12 Mar (MW) Long-tailedDuck: 2-3, off Ward Ave., MSP, 28 Feb-7 Mar (DT); 1,

King Salmon, 28 Feb (MW); 1, Crescent City Harbor, 1Mar (MH) Hooded Merganser: 2,Eel River Bottoms, 5Mar (RF, MW) Red-necked Grebe: 2, Trinidad Bay, 3Mar (MH); 11, King Salmon, 10 Mar (MW).

Rock Sandpiper: 3,North Jetty, 27 Feb (TK) ThayersGull: 1 adult, Eureka, 6 Mar (RH); flock, Smith River Bottoms, 12 Mar (LB) Iceland Gull (probableKumliens race): 1, Smith River Bottoms, 12 Mar (LB)

Slaty-backed Gull: 1 adult, Fernbridge, 21-22 Feb(TE, JP, KR, GL, LL, SC) Glaucous Gull: 1, ToddsPoint, 21 Feb & 8 Mar (DT); 3, Smith River Bottoms,23 Feb (LM); 2,Eel River Bottoms, 5 Mar (RF, MW); 2,Fernbridge, 14-19 Mar (RF, ST, DF, MF, CF) NelsonsGull (Glaucous X Herring hybrid): 1, Fernbridge, 5Mar (RF, MW) Forsters Tern (late wintering birds,or early spring arrivals?): 4, n. Humboldt Bay, 12 Mar(DF) Caspian Tern: 1, King Salmon, 2 Mar (MW) Burrowing Owl: 3 (up 2 from last period!), near MadRiver mouth, 9 Feb-18 Mar (GL, LL, TS, FL, AT) Short-eared Owl: 1,HBNWR, 27 Feb (DF); 2, V St. Loop, 3 Mar(GZ); 1, South Spit, 18 Mar (KR, RS) Says Phoebe: 2,

Ferndale Bottoms, 5 Mar (RF, MW); 1, Klamath, 17 Mar(LB); 1, Crescent City Airport, 20 Mar (LB)

Return of the swallows: A few overwintered, but thisperiod captured the earliest returning breeders, includingan apparent record-early Purple Martin. Purple Martin:1, Alexandre Dairy, 16 Mar (LB) Tree Swallow: 1,Fernbridge, 28 Feb (LT, TK, SS); 24, Arcata Marsh,28 Feb (LM); 25, HBNWR, 8 Mar (SC) Violet-green

Swallow: 1,Arcata Marsh, 28 Feb (LM); 1, Garberville,2 Mar (JS); 2 returning breeders, Old Towne Eureka, 2Mar (GL); No.?, Freshwater, 7 Mar (RH); 4, HBNWR,8 Mar (SC) Northern Rough-winged Swallow: 9,Garberville, 2 Mar (JS); 5,Blue Lake Fish Hatchery, 20Mar (LM) Mountain Chickadee: 3, Trinidad, 3 Mar(MH). Where are all the Bewicks Wrens? Concern hasbeen raised recently about an apparent local decline in thisresident species. Please help document their distribution bysubmitting your observations. Bewicks Wren: 1, CockRobin Island, 5 Mar (RF, MW) Northern Mockingbird:1, Crescent City,20 Mar (LB).Still thrashing in SunnyBrae: Another celebrity bird thrashed its way from

one Sunny Brae yard back on 26 Dec (AB) to anotheron 29 Dec, where it has continued through this period,delighting spectators from Stan (Doc) Harriss livingroom. Brown Thrasher: 1, Sunny Brae, 29 Dec-20Mar (SH, GSL) Orange-crowned Warbler: 1 each, atFernbridge and HBNWR, 28 Feb (LT, TK, SS); 1, ArcataMarsh, 4 Mar (GZ); 1, Eureka, 8 Mar (SC); 1, ArcataMarsh, 9 Mar (SC) Palm Warbler: 1,Arcata Marsh, 19Mar (L&RP) Nashville Warbler: 1,HBNWR, 28 Feb(LT, TK, SS); 1, Crescent City, 1 Mar (MH) ChippingSparrow: 1, HBNWR, 8 Mar (SC) Lark Sparrow: 1,Arcata, 20 Feb-20 Mar (GB) White-throated Sparrow:3, Arcata, 2 Mar (GB); 11, Bayside feeder, 11 Feb-15

Mar (DF); 15, Trinidad, 3 Mar (MH); 1, Cock RobinIsland, 5 Mar (RF, MW); 8, Benbow Trail, 8 Mar (JS);1, Fort Bragg, 15 Mar (DT) Slate-colored Junco:7, Trinidad, 3 Mar (MH); 1,Eureka, 8 Mar (SC); 1, FortBragg, 15 Mar (DT) Lapland Longspur: 3-6, SouthSpit, 14-18 Mar (KR, RS, RF, ST, JC)

Red Crossbill Sean McAllister

Rock Sandpiper Tony Kurz

(probable) Black X Says Phoebe Rob FowlerBlack X Says Phoebe (probable): 1, present in theFerndale Bottoms since the Centerville Christmas BirdCount. This bird was safely captured and released on 10Mar. A DNA sample was collected and sent for analysis,so we may know soon if it is in fact the first-ever knownof this cross-breed! (RF, JW, BC, KR, RS) Northern

Shrike: 1,Redwood Creek mo., 23 Feb (LT, DS, TK); 1,HBNWR, 28 Feb (LT, TK, SS); 1, Pacific Shores, 20 Mar(LB).

American White Pelicans Alan Barron

Special thanks to Jan Andersen, Ken Burton, Rob

Fowler, and Gary Lester for their scrutiny of andcontributions to this report.Many thanks to all of theobservers: Gary Bloomfield, Kevin Brindock, AdamBrown, Lucas Brug, Barbara Burek, Ken Burton, BrentCampos, Scott Carey, Joe Ceriani, Todd Easterla, ChadFisher, Mark Fisher, David Fix, Rob Fowler, MelanieHamilton, Stan Harris, Rob Hewitt, Kenneth Irwin,Tony Kurz, Frank Lake, Tom Leskiw, Gary Lester,Lauren Lester, Larry Maurin, Sean McAllister, ChetOgan, Larry & Rory Pitts, Jude Power, Kerry Ross,Kristin Schmidt, Stephanie Schneider, Terry Schultz,Jay Sooter, Dave Spangenberg, Rachel Smith, ScottTerrill, Audi Thoele, Dorothy Tobkin, Leslie Tucci,Dan van Zyle, Matt Wachs, Jared Wolfe, Ben Zyla,George Zyminski.

(MW); 1 adult, Ferndale Bottoms, 12 Mar (TL); 3 (1st-yr,2nd-yr, adult in same scope view!),HBNWR, 12 Mar (RF,ST); 1 adult,McKinleyville, 19 Mar (KS) FerruginousHawk: 1, n. of Fernbridge, 5 Mar (RF, MW) Rough-legged Hawk: 1, V St. Loop, 2 Mar (SC) Golden Eagle:1, Kneeland, 2 Feb (BB, DvZ); 1, Benbow Trail, 8 Mar

(JS) Snowy Plover: 2-10, South Spit, 28 Feb-12 Mar(MW, KR, RS) Mountain Plover: 1, South Spit, 21 Feb(KBr) Black-necked Stilt: 1,HBNWR, 28 Feb-19 Mar(LT, TK, SS, RF, ST, DF, MF, CF) Wandering Tattler:1, Glass Beach, MSP, 25 Feb (DT) Lesser Yellowlegs:1,Eel River Bottoms, 5 Mar (RF, MW)

Great White Birds: The two celebrity pelicans, firstdiscovered 2 January, continue their tour of the northcoast, crossing county lines, and making it onto at least twolocal yard lists! American White Pelican: 2,HBNWR,13 Mar (KBu); 14 Mar, 10:30 a.m. (RF, ST);HumboldtHill(flyby), 14 Mar, 2:30 p.m. (MW); Crescent City, 20Mar (LB) Bald Eagle: 1 adult, near King Salmon, 2-4

Mar (MW); 3 adults, Trinidad Head, 3 Mar (MH); 6(!),in a dawn flyout, HBNWR, 7 Mar (DF); 1 adult, e. of

Eureka, 8 Mar (TL); 1 imm., near King Salmon, 9 Mar

Red Crossbill: 22 type 10, Wilson Creek overlook, 9Mar (SMcA, KI).

april 2009 sandpiper newsletter - redwood region audubon society

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