january-february 2009 echo black hills audubon society

8/8/2019 January-February 2009 Echo Black Hills Audubon Society

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Black HillsAudubon Society

Olympia, Washington

Volume 40,

Number 1

January/February 2009

Participate inEnvironmental Lobby

Day, February 19Black Hills Audubon is a co-sponsor o the eighteenthannual Environmental Priorities Lobby Day, Thurs-

day, February 19, 2009, in Olympia. We have joined

other leading conservation groups and hundreds o

citizen lobbyists across Washington State to push or

the passage o the Environmental Priorities legislative

package. These our priorities are legislation or:

Cap greenhouse gas emissions by setting real limits

on global warming pollution

Promote super-ecient, low-energy-use buildings

To create and support transit-oriented communities

Invest in Clean Water through targeted ees to bepaid by polluters

Thursday, January 15

The Macaws ofTambopataJoe and Kathy LaTourrette spent more than 3 weeks

in Peru in October 2009, including a week in the Tam-

bopata National Reserve (TNR). At 3.7 million acres,

TNR is one of the largest tracts of protected tropical

rainforest in South America. They stayed at the Tam-

bopata Research Center (TRC), a seven-hour trip up

the Tambopata River from the nearest town. They will

show snapshots and video clips of macaws and parrots

at the largest know mineral claylick in the world, as

well as 100+ other species of birds, monkeys, reptiles

and amphibians in the upper Amazon basin.

Thursday, February 19

WashingtonsNot-So-Common LoonDaniel Poleschook, Jr. and Virginia R. Gumm will

eature common loon description, behavior, ecol-

ogy and the necessary conservation required to

maintain or increase its low breeding population

o less than 15 territorial pairs in Washington. The

team has been doing common loon research proj-

ects and observations on Washingtons common

loons since 1996. They use high-magnication

digital images to record and make determinations

or their eldwork. Their conservation work or

In this issue of The EchoEnvironmental Lobby Day .............................. 1

Thurston Co Mineral Lands, Asphalt Plants .... 2

Dave McNettIn Memoriam ........................... 3

Dave McNett Education Award ....................... 3Spring Birding Class ....................................... 4

BHAS Annual Dinner ...................................... 4

Field Trips and Events .................................... 5

Summit or Planning Field Trips ...................... 5

New WDFW Wildlie Website ........................ 6

Observations rom the Window ...................... 7

BHAS Calendar ............................................... 8

Birding in Earnest ........................................... 9

Conservation Updates ...................................10

Bird Book Review........................................... 11

BHAS Roster ................................................. 12

Membership Form ........................................ 13

Nominations or Conservationand Education Awards ............................ 14

Continued on page 2

Continued on page 7


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Black Hills Audubon Society

During Lobby Day last year, members o Black HillsAudubon and others rom the Olympia area par-

ticipated in strategic briengs led by environmental

organizers, had questions answered, and practiced

our powers o persuasion.

Then we had good meetingswith Senator Karen Fraser and

Representatives Sam Hunt and

Brendan Williams.

In the 2008 legislative ses-

sion, ALL our o the environ-

mental priorities o Priorities

or a Healthy Washington

were successully passed and

signed by the Governor (with

some modications in SB6580

and HB2844):

Climate action and green jobs (HB2815)

Providing local governments local solutions to

global warming (SB6580)

Evergreen Communities Act, protecting and pro-

moting urban trees (HB2844)

Bringing more locally grown produce into our

schools and ood banks (SB6483)

On February 19, during the 2009 legislative session,

Environmental Priorities Lobby Day again brings

citizen activists rom all over the state to Olympia to

meet with their elected representatives.

Make a Difference. Sign Up Today!

Register today so we can schedule meetings with

all your legislators. To register,go to pugetsound.org/policy/

lobbyday09 or contact Rein

Attemann, People For Puget

Sound, rattemann pugetsound.org, (206) 382-7005 x213(People or Puget Sound is

handling registration or Lobby

Day).

Environmental Priorities Lobby

Day will begin at 8:30 am at

the United Churches, 110 East

11th Ave., in Olympia, opposite the Capitol Campus.There will be a reception in the evening.

To learn more about the our priorities go to ww

environmentalpriorities rg

Submitted by Sam Merrill, BHAS President

On February 19, during the2009 legislative session,Environmental PrioritiesLobby Day again bringscitizen activists from all

over the state to Olympiato meet with their elected

representative.

Lobby day, Feb 19From page 1

Washington States Growth Management Act

requires counties to identiy lands where gravel,

sand, and rock mining may occur. These are called

mineral lands o long-term commercial signicance.

In 2003, Thurston County adopted a moratorium on

the designation o these lands and on the siting o

new asphalt plants. The moratorium was adopted

due to concerns about insucient environmental

and public-saety protections in the permitting

process. This was a six-month moratorium that has

been renewed eight times.

During the moratorium, a Mineral Lands Task Force

and an Asphalt Advisory Task Force (both made upo industry, government, and citizen representa-

tives) have met and have provided some guidelines

or making changes to the designation and permit-

ting processes. Now, Thurston County will move

orward on these issues. In March o 2009, the

Planning Commission will begin review o the work

o the Task Forces and will make recommendations

to the Board o County Commissioners (BOCC). Ten-

Thurston County Moves Forward onMineral Lands and Asphalt Plants

tatively, the BOCC will hold hearings on this in the

Fall o 2009.

In addition, county sta will be making recommen-

dations directly to the BOCC, perhaps as early as

January, 2009, or the adoption o interim regula-

tions on permitting new gravel mines and asphalt

plants. This more immediate process is being done

so that an additional renewal o the moratorium,

unpopular with the gravel mine and asphalt indus-

tries, will be avoided.

BHAS will be monitoring this process and comment-

ing on the recommendations. Immediate concernsare that the thoughtul mineral lands designation

process, as envisioned by the Task Force, will be

circumvented in a hasty regulations adoption pro-

cess. This could result in reverting back to mineral

lands designation based on individual gravel mine

proposals rather than designation based upon a

more comprehensive approach. Appropriate sites

Continued on page 8


3/14Black Hills Audubon Society

It is with sadness that we note the passing this

all o one o Black Hills Audubons most steadast

and enduring volunteers, David McNett. Dave was

a charter member o BHAS and he served on the

board or three decades in the 1970s, 80s, and 90s.

In this decade, he continued to serve as one o ourbest bird identication volunteers, helping beginners

and experts alike sort out their bird sightingen-

tirely through discussions o characteristics over the

telephone.

Dave served in many leadership roles or BHAS;

some o his best contributions were in the orm o

letters to the editor and letters to ocials in which

he took inormed and principled stands on conser-

vation issues.

Daves modesty and shyness belied a razor-sharp

mind and ready sense o humor. He mastered not

only birds but multiple oreign languages. The tele-vision quiz-showJeopardywas a nightly tradition or

Dave; he used to take quiet pleasure in outperorm-

ing the contestants, especially in science catego-

ries. Besides natural history and oreign languages,

Daves major passion was young people and their

learning. In his retirement years, he volunteered at

several Olympia public schools, tutoring in a variety

o classes.

Because o Daves deep commitments to environ-

mental care and lielong learning, the Black Hills

Audubon board has renamed the annual Education

award the David McNett Environmental Educatoro the Year Award. It will be presented at the BHAS

Annual Dinner, March 7th, 2009. In addition, i Echo

readers would like to remember Dave through a

donation to Black Hills Audubon, know that we will

invest those unds in educational programming.

Here are some excerpts rom a piece on Dave, writ-

ten by his riend Bette Chambers or the newsletter

o The Humanist Society:

On October 23, we lost a national treasure. We

called him Old Dave and he was that: 86 on his

passing.

Dave was a renaissance man, i that is a tting

description or someone so in tune with the pres-

ent world. He was conversant in 17 languages and

spoke ve fuently. While he was never paid much

or his work (which was mostly volunteer), he

helped kids with numerous subjects as well as lan-

guages, including math, English and history. Just a

ew days ater his death, kids he had tutored at the

local Lincoln School requested a special assembly in

his memory and the principal readily agreed.

David lived on a shockingly paltry retirement in a

subsidized apartment downtown. He had been un-

able to drive a car or years, due to ailing health.

And he remained a prime motivator o environmen-

tal concerns, having played a role in Audubons

programs or well over thirty years. Proessors o

biology at the nearby Evergreen State College oten

consulted Dave about the numerous species o the

areas gulls, which even skilled ornithologists nd

dicult to identiy in the wild. I Dave didnt know

the answer, the question was hardly worth asking.

At his memorial on November 8, over two hun-

dred people came. No clergymen, just riends, and

students and teachers rom the schools where he

tutored and taught, and enthralled and inspired.

The service was a true celebration o lie. Not a

sad word. Dave was no admirer o religious dogma-tism. He deplored the divisiveness that keeps the

world suused with hatred. He lived as a Humanist,

whether he joined any organization or not.

Old Dave is already deeply missed.

The Dave McNettEnvironmental

Educator AwardBHAS has named the Education Award in honor o

Dave McNett, who, we are very sad to say, passed

away this past Fall (See more about Dave on this

page). The rst Dave McNett Environmental Edu-

cator Award or outstanding educational achieve-

ments went to Tom Schooley and Tim Sweeney in

2008 or their initiative and creativity in teaming

up to produce the TCTV program series, Birdwise

Magazine. This program educated viewers or two

years on local birds and birding places. The locally

produced TV program on area birds and the people

who watch them was hosted by Tom Schooley

and produced and directed by Tim Sweeney, and

eatured birding news, a calendar o events, birding

tips, backyard birding, educational eatures, and

reports o research work.

We are now proud to continue recognizing educa-

tional eorts by area residents through this newly

In Memoriam BHAS Volunteer Dave McNett

Continued on page 4


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established award. Carrying on Dave McNetts

tradition o educational excellence, we would like

to receive nominations o individuals or teams who

have made a positive dierence through their lives

as educators.

The criteria or nominations or this award are:

Work has generally been within the BHAS

geographical base (Thurston, Mason, and Lewis

Counties).

Nominees may be members o BHAS, but dont

have to be. Results o their work made a signicant dier-

ence in the understanding o certain acets o our

natural world through study in our region.

Their work has been inspirational to those with

whom they have worked or taught.

Work need not have been done on a volunteer

basis but did involve volunteers or ones own

volunteer time. One can be a proessional in the

eld o environmental education but need not be.

Nominees worked collaboratively with others to

attain educational goals o inorming the public

about an aspect o our natural world pertaining

to bird habitat or conservation.

Nominees have worked in the eld or at least

two years.

Please email your completed nominations, along

with a description o why you are nominating the

person, by January 15th, 2009, to theMcNettEnv-EducatorAaward-nom blackhills-audubon , or

mail it to Black Hills Audubon Society, PO Box 2524,

Olympia WA 98507.

Black Hills Audubon Society Annual Dinner/AuctionMarch 7, 2009, Olympia Center

The current BHAS Board o Directors is very excited

about our upcoming Annual Dinner/Auction. Your

invitation should reach you in early February.

We continue to try to make this annual event

one which you want to attend. We have triedto incorporate your comments and your

concerns in providing an experience that

addresses your desire to participate in

an enjoyable social experience

while meeting our und-rais-

ing needs.

While the addition o the

Voice Auction to our previous Silent Auction in the

past ew years increased auction revenues, we are

aware that these higher priced items were not what

most o you were interested in. The amount o time

devoted to the Voice Auction

took away rom time to so-

cialize, time to maximize ully

the unds raised or Silent

Auction items and our ability

to keep to the promised sched-

ule. Thereore, this year we will

be eliminating the Voice Auction. This

makes it more important than ever that we

have a wide variety o high-quality, attractive items

or the silent auction. I you have something to do-

nate (e.g. an item or a git certicate rom a avorite

restaurant or service provider), please call or e-mail

Margery Beeler at 360-352-5437 or mswampcat@

aol . We must have advance notice o anythingyou plan to donate.

Each year at the annual dinner we bestow the Jack

L. Davis Conservationist o the Year award. Last

year we gave a special education award to Tom

Schooley and Tim Sweeney or their innovative

television program, BirdWise, which was devoted

to area birds and birding. At the November BHAS

Board meeting, the directors voted to make this

education award an annual event and to name it in

honor o our beloved Dave McNett.

Members are encouraged to nominate candidates

or either o these awards by January 15, 2009.Please see directions or making these nominations

beginning on page 3.

We look orward to sharing this special evening

with you.

Dave McNett EnvironmentalEducator AwardFrom previous page

Spring BirdingClassesSpring 2009 Beginning Birding Class will beheld on Mondays in March and April begin-

ning March 9th and running through April6th. Please check the BHAS Website,

blackhills-audubon /, orupdated inormation on classes.

We thank Matt Pike and Burt Guttman or

teaching the Fall 2008 Birding 101 class. Twenty

participants learned the basics o birding and

had two gorgeous days or their eld trips.



January rd, 009, Sunday,9 am to about noon

Field Trip: Downtown Ducks: Part 1Leader: Burt Guttman

Olympia has an abundance o waterront birdingopportunities. Join Burt to look at the ducks and

other waterowl along Capital Lake, Tumwater His-

torical Park, Percival Cove, and perhaps the saltier

southern-most tip o Puget Sound. Usually there is

at least one example o all the wintering ducks at

Capital Lake, and the numbers and close distance

aord excellent chances to really study them. Burt

is a master teacher o the basics o birding. Oten

there are passerines in the trees and shrubs along

the way, as well. This trip and the ollow-up trip

in February are geared to beginning birders,

but all are welcome to attend.

Meet at Marathon Park

at 9:00am. Bring binocu-

lars, a spotting scope i

you have one, and be

prepared or any weather

possibility.

January 1st, Saturday. 7 am to

evening.Field Trip: Samish Flats Raptors

Leader: Scott Morrison

Scott will lead his annual raptor search trip to the

Samish Flats. There will be Red-tailed Hawks andRough-legged Hawks aplenty in many morphs,

thus providing opportunity to study them and learn

more about their incredible diversity. There should

be many Bald Eagles, some Northern Harriers, and

usually it is possible to see Short-eared Owls. The

hope o course, or this trip, is to have a 5 alcon

day. While that does not happen oten, it is a pos-

sibility in some years, and i not 5 alcons, there

are usually 3 or 4 alcon species to see. Addition-

ally, there are waterowl, including both Tundra and

Trumpeter Swans, and Snow Geese, as well as some

shorebirds, and passerines.

Scott will leave the Martin Way Park and Ride lot at

7:00am, so arrive a bit earlier than that. There will

be one opportunity to connect with the trip at the

Smokey Point Rest Area north o Marysville. This

is a long trip so bring plenty o snacks, and real

ood, as well as drinks. Please be prepared or any

weather condition. There is a limit o 3 cars on this

trip. Call Scott to register at 360-412-1260.

February 7th , Saturday,

7:0 am to afternoon.Field Trip: Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge

Leader: Phil Kelley

This annual celebration o the end o hunting sea-son walks the entire 5 mile outer dike trail, or

whatever portion you might choose to walk. There

is no bad time to be at Nisqually, but winter is a

wonderul time to be a birder there. There are large

numbers o wintering waterowl, and sparrows o

various persuasions, as well as raptors, woodpeck-

ers, and owls.

Bring snacks and lunch, be prepared

or any weather condition, and wear

sturdy shoes or boots. Meet at the

overlook at the Visitor Center at 7:30

am. Call Phil at 459-1499 to sign up ori you have questions.

February 8th , Sunday, 9:00-noon,Field Trip: Downtown Ducks Part

Leader: Burt Guttman

Olympia has an abundance o waterront

birding opportunities. Join Burt to look at the

ducks and other waterowl along Capital Lake,

2009 Field Trips and Events

Summit to Plan FieldTripsThe 2nd annual eld trip planning potluck,

which has now been dubbed the Field Trip Sum-

mit, will be held Jan 3rd, 2009, beginning at 5:30

pm and ending when we have the whole years

eld trips planned!

Please bring a dish to share, your eld trip ideas,

and your calendar. It would be really wonderul

i you had your ideas written up and an approxi-

mate date in mind, but we will consult our cal-

endars to avoid conficts. We will meet at KristinStewarts house again, even though it was cozy

or so many o us.

Anyone interested in leading a eld trip is in-

vited. And anyone with eld trip suggestions or

requests is welcome to call Kristin. Her home

phone number is 360-456-5098, and her cell

number is 360-402-1526.

Next page


6/14


Tumwater Historical Park, Percival Cove, and per-

haps the saltier southern-most tip o Puget Sound.

Usually there is at least one example o all the

wintering ducks at Capital Lake, and the numbers

and close distance aord excellent chances to really

study them. Burt is a master teacher o the basics obirding. Oten there are passerines in the trees and

shrubs along the way, as well. This trip is geared to

beginning birders, but all are welcome to attend.

Meet at Marathon Park at 9:00am.

Bring binoculars, a spotting scope i

you have one, and be prepared or

any weather possibility.

February 19th, Thursday, startingat 8:0 am.

Environmental Lobby Day

Capitol Campus, OlympiaBlack Hills Audubon is a co-sponsor o theeighteenth annual Environmental Priorities

Lobby Day. We have joined the states lead-

ing conservation groups and hundreds o citizen

lobbyists across Washington State to push or the

passage o the Environmental Priorities legislative

package. To learn more about the our priorities or

2009, go to www.environmentalpriorities.org.

During the coming legislative session, the Environ-

mental Lobby Day (sponsored by the Coalition or

Environmental Priorities and organized by People

or Puget Sound) again brings citizen activists romall over the state to Olympia to meet with their

elected representatives.

Make a Dierence. Sign Up Today!Register today so we can schedule meetings with

all o your legislators. To register, go to www.

pugetsound.org/policy/lobbyday09 or contact Rein

Attemann, People For Puget Sound, rattemann@

pugetsound.org, (206) 382-7005 x213.

Environmental Lobby Day will begin at 8:30 am at the

United Churches, 110 East 11th Ave., Olympia, op-posite the Capitol Campus. There will be a reception

in the evening.

March 7th, Saturday, 8:0 am to mid-

afternoonField Trip: Hood Canal

Leader: Andrew Belik

Well meet at Potlatch State Park at 8:30 am,

bird there till 9:00, then well visit the most

promising estuaries revealed by scouting

rom Belair to the Duckabush. This span

encompasses the Great Bend IBA, one o

the important wintering areas or water-owl on inland salt waters. We will see 15

or more species o ducks, starring Har-

lequin and Black Scoter. we hope. Other

possibles are Trumpeter Swans, Brant, and

Dippers. Raptors and passerines will be a

bonus.

Walking will not exceed one mile. Bring lunch. We

will be back to Potlatch by 3:30. Limit: 12 persons,

three vehicles. Call Andrew with reservations at

(360) 426-6262.

Results o the work made a signicant dierence

either in real environmental benets or improved

awareness by the public or governmental agen-

cies on an environmental issue.

Please mail your completed nominations by Janu-

ary 15th to the Black Hills Audubon Society, PO Box

2524, Olympia WA 98507. The Conservation Com-mittee will review the nominations received and will

make a recommendation as they do each year to the

BHAS board members or nal selection and ap-

proval. The award will be given at the BHAS Annual

Dinner in March 2009.

Please visit the BHAS Web site athttp://www.blackhills-audubon.org to see the previous winnerso the Jack Davis Conservation Award .

NominationsFrom page 12 OLYMPIA A new Washington Department o Fish

and Wildlie (WDFW) website oers viewers quick

and easy access to a wealth o inormation about

Washingtons public wildlie lands.

The website, which can be viewed at wdfw

/lands/wildlife_areas/,includes descriptions o WD-FWs wildlie areas, maps, directions, water access

sites and amenities. Each wildlie areas manage-

ment plan is also posted on the site.

With its ease o use and up-to-date inormation, the

new website is a resource or Washington citizens

and visitors to the state who want to learn more

about WDFWs wildlie areas and recreational op-

portunities, said Jennier Quan, WDFW lands divi-

sion manager.

State wildlife areas

featured on new

WDFW website

Next column

Field Trips and Events-contd rom previous page


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$BHAS Calendar for 2009January 3rd, 2009, Sunday, 9:00am to about noon

Field Trip: Downtown Ducks: Part 1Leader: Burt Guttman

January 3rd , Sunday, 5:30 pmPlanning Summit or 2009 Field Trips (Potluck)Location: Home o Kristin Stewart: 360-456-5098, or cell number is 360-402-1526.

January 31st, Saturday, 7:00 am to evening.Field Trip: Samish Flats RaptorsLeader: Scott Morrison

February 7th, Saturday, 7:30 am to aternoon

Field Trip: Nisqually National Wildlie ReugeLeader: Phil Kelley

February 8th, Sunday, 9:00 amnoon,Field Trip: Downtown Ducks Part 2Leader: Burt Guttman

February 19th, Thursday, starting at 8:30 am.Environmental Lobby DayCapitol Campus, Olympia

March 7th, Saturday, 8:30 am to mid-aternoonField Trip: Hood Canal,Leader: Andrew Belik

March 7th, Saturday eveningBHAS Annual Dinner and Auction

or gravel mining in the county should be based

upon gravel availability and quality, eects on the

natural environment, and human saety concerns.

This identication process should precede mining

proposals.

I you are interested in this regulation adoption

process, more inormation will be available on the

countys website:

www.co.thurston /permitting/Mineral_Lands_Task_Force/Mineral_Lands_Home.htm .

You may also contact BHAS member Susan Markey

via email:slmarke comcast.net

Submitted by Susan Markey

Thurston County issuesFrom page 2



Birding in Earnest:October November008By Bill ShelmerdineTo reports sightings call 866-9106 or email at

georn1@hotmail

Reports or the period included a mix o the later

Fall migrants and wintering species. Sometimes it

can be dicult to separate the two; perhaps time

and careul observation will tell.

On 10/4, 300+ American Pipits were in the armelds south o Nisqually Reuge. They continued in

numbers there at least through the middle o the

month. The week o October 6th saw a notable infux

o geese; they were widely reported especially rom

Nisqually Reuge and the elds to the south. Reports

included rst-o-season (FOS) Snow, Greater White-ronted, and Cackling Geese. Thanks to DennisDeSilvis and Phil Kelly or passing along their sight-

ings. A 10/11 Seattle Audubon Trip to Nisqually Re-

uge, lead by Dennis Desilvis, noted numbers o geese

and FOS Northern Shrikes (2). It was also a good dayor alcons with Peregrine, Merlin, and AmericanKestrel sighted. (Is it just me, or did alcons seem justa bit more numerous this Fall?).

The week o 10/13 brought a noticeable increase in

Golden-crowned Kinglet focks to our neighbor-hood and, overhead, Evening Grosbeaks were a dailyoccurrence. Both species are regular, but in case you

did not know, the Olympia Christmas Bird Count isoten in the running or the high count in the nation

or Golden-crowned Kinglet; one to keep an eye, and

perhaps more importantly, an ear out or.

Keith Brady reported a notable increase in Wa-

terowl at Capitol Lake on 10/27. On 11/1 Kelly

Mcallister reported that waterowl concentrations

on Capitol Lake contained at least one Redheadand several Canvasbacks. By mid-November rap-tor reports were on the rise, with a nice sighting o

a Dark Rough-legged Hawk at Nisqually aroundthe middle o the month. Merlins and Peregrines

were recorded on many outings, especially but notexclusively on the Nisqually Reuge.

Accounts o individual species produce a nice mix o

sightings as noted below:

On 11/9 Bill Tweit noted a pair o Eurasian Wid-geon joining the waterowl at Capitol Lake. Withthem was an intergrade (hybrid) American x Eur-asian Widgeon.

At Violet Prairie on 11/11, at least one adult White-tailed Kite was present attending to two hatch-year birds suggesting breeding nearby this year

(Paul Hicks, Roger Orness).

Sandhill Cranes were noted in a couple o loca-tions: over Olympia on 10/8 (Robin Baird) and south

o Tenino through 10/24 (Paul Hicks).

On 11/15 Joe Buchanan located a Rock Sandpiperat Kennedy Creek in Mason County. It was ound

among numbers o Black-bellied Plover and Dun-lin during shorebird censuses there. He notes, Thisis my rst observation o a Rock Sandpiper at KC

estuary in over 30 years visiting the site. This is a

great nd or this location and only the second or

the county that I am aware o.

On 10/18, Paul Hicks located 2 Heermans Gullsat KGY Point at the Port o Olympia. They included

an adult and a 2nd-year bird. A second winter

Heermans Gull was seen at Kennedy Creek Estuary

by Joe Buchanan on 11/2 and again on 11/7. Giventheir relative scarcity and proximity, one wonders i

the latter is the same bird ound at Kennedy Creek

earlier in the month.

A calling Barred Owl was an early morning sur-prise at our house on 10/8. This is one o a handul

o newcomers that are now regular in the area.

Short-eared Owl is a species that was once con-sidered regular in our area but has been declining

in the past ew decades and has become dicult to

nd in recent years. Paul Hicks reported two at Vio-

let Prairie (Tenino) on 11/10. The evening o 11/29,

Grace and Ollie Oliver reported a Short-earedOwl at Thaler Wetlands, one o a very ew MasonCounty reports. It would be interesting to know

i they are ound to be wintering, or i these are sim-

ply migrants passing through.

Annas Hummingbirds were reported rom Sheltonby Andrew Beelik between 11/21 and 11/24. Few

reports o Annas come rom Mason County, but

although there has been a distinct increase in sight-

ings rom the Olympia area over the past couple o

years. From 1997 to about 2001, they had been re-

ported about every other year. Since 2001 they have

been reported annually with a big increase in 2007.The 2007 and 2008 Olympia Christmas Bird Counts

both recorded 11 individuals. At our place, what I

have assumed is a amily group has been resident

since Fall 2007. At least 3 birds have been present

o and on since that time.

Bob Sundstrom reported a Mountain Chickadee

Continued on page 9


10/1410


Conservation UpdatesKeeneland Park BrieAs noted in the last conservation news, BHAS has

been working since 2004 to ensure that the Keene-

land Park proposed cluster-development which

had been vested under the land use regulations at

that time would be designed in the most environ-mentally responsible manner possible.

Our main concern has been to protect

the high quality wetlands rom degrada-

tion.

Through the project review process,

which included a revised Hearings Ex-

aminer decision and an appeal o that

decision, BHAS has consistently argued

or wetland buer sizes based upon best

available science. Thurston County sta

has supported this argument. Recently, BHAS

and the development applicant came to anagreement that will largely satisy those wetland

protection concerns. We thank Sue Danver or her

insight, perseverance, and skills in the legal arena

throughout these past 4 years as lead on this im-

portant issue.

Some early lessons from this experience include:

Washington States vesting laws must be amend-

ed i we want to meet even the basic goals o

the Growth Management Act. During last years

legislative session, BHAS issued a strong letter

o support or a vesting reorm bill that moved

arther in the process than previous years when

similar legislation was introduced. The drat

bill was not ultimately successul; however, the

public has shown an increasing openness to

understanding issues in depth and supporting

solutions that achieve public benet rather than

special interest benets. With more unied sup-

port rom constituents and environmental public

interest groups, vesting reorm can become a

reality in the near uture.

Citizens and public interest NGOs are impor-

tant cogs in the land use review system because

they help counties and states enorce their ownenvironmental standards. At the local level, the

Hearing Examiners are key decision makers in

the confict when those standards are applied

and questioned. Kitsap Countys new Hearing

Examiner, Kimberly Allen, who denied a building

permit because it did not meet the wetland buer

standard under the countys ordinance, received

praise rom both government and community

leaders. Such examples should encourage ruling

in the public interest.

Olympia Isthmus Park ProposalBHAS recommended to the Olympia City Council on

November 26, 2008, that they continue to review

and consider the potential or turning the Isthmus

into a park beore making any intermediate decision

that would aect development on the Isthmus.

The development proposal would require a signi-cant change in the citys comprehensive plan, while

the park proposal is consistent with the compre-

hensive plan.

We urged that the citys review be comprehen-

sive, and include all relevant inormation,

including in particular the Park easibility

study results, scheduled to be released in

2009.

The citys review should also assess any

potential public benets that an Isthmus park

might have on encouraging demand or hous-

ing in roughly 90% o Olympias downtown

that is already zoned to accommodate up to 8

stories o residential structures, but is as yet,

either under- or not developed. The review could

investigate whether building on the isthmus rather

than choosing the park alternative might nega-

tively aect the market value o current and uture

residences in the other parts o Olympia by creat-

ing a surplus o housing rather than a demand, as

well as its aect on the citys aesthetic appeal and

livability index. This would aect the Countys plan

to direct growth to the cities. Growth management

tools must be harmonized between the County andits cities.

Finally, we would think that an Isthmus park pro-

posal would be consistent with Olympias strong

support o the Evergreen Communities Act, which

will be implemented this year.

Some early lessons from this experience include:

Three public interest groups have ormed because

o the signicant change proposed to the Com-

prehensive Plan, asking the City Council or more

review and consideration o a number o issues that

are important in this public choice. There is no or-

mal mechanism that requires City Council members

to conduct an objective analysis that observes net

public benets and the subsequent distributional

eects that are the key actors in making a pub-

lic choice. It is essential that citizens and public

interest NGOs work with government to help instill

comprehensive public benet assessment into pub-

lic decision making.

Submitted by Donna Nickerson, Conservation Chair



on 11/17. It was ound along the bike path between

Rainier and Tenino. A great nd locally, and one o

a number o reports rom Western Washington this

season. This is one to keep an eye out or.

Keith Brady ound a Clay-colored Sparrow at his

eeder on 10/9. The bird was present at least through

10/12 and cooperated or a number o nice photos.

Rounding out sparrow reports, Phil Kelly reported a

White-throated Sparrow at Nisqually on 11/12.

And fnally, an exciting maybe: Scanning the web(tweeters), I noted a 10/10 report o a possible

Brown Thrasher at Nisqually Reuge (with nodetails!) Certainly detailed notes and i possible aphoto or two should accompany a sighting such as

this. It will be up to the Washington OrnithologicalSociety Records Committee to try to veriy this ac-

count assuming a report is submitted. It is interest-ing to note that there is a May 1994 record (possibly

a frst and only state record) rom the same location.

And right around the corner Gulls should be

stacking up, particularly around local estuaries with

signicant chum salmon runs. Skokomish, Kennedy

Creek, and Mud Bay/ Perry Creek are all great plac-

es to look, and or more than just gulls, as these are

very productive places at this time. Also, Christmas

Bird Counts will be in ull swing rom mid-Decem-

ber into the rst days o the new year. Good luck

and good birding.

Birding in EarnestFrom page 7

Clear a space on the coee table! A new bird book

should be landing on it soon. Birds in Flight: The Artand Science of How Birds Fly, by Carrol L. Hender-son, looks like many a coee-table booklarge

ormat, glossy photos, minimal textbut its not.This book is a hybridan elegant combination o

gorgeous color photographs and well-presented

technical inormation on the aerodynamics o birds

taking o, fying, and landing.

Such a winning combination is the work o a man

with a background perectly suited to the task. Author

Carrol Henderson is a wildlie biologist with the Min-

nesota Department o Natural Resources, a nature

photographer, writer, and leader o international bird-

watching trips. Henderson also served as an ocer in

the U.S. Air Force, an experience that inorms his writ-

ing, especially in passages dealing with the physics

Bird Book Review:

Birds in Flight: The Art and Science of How Birds Flyo fight. Add to this his early childhood appreciation

o migrating Canada geese and his acquiring his rst

Golden Guides to birdsand you have a man almost

predestined to create Birds in Flight.

The 150 photographs in the book represent the best

o what Henderson has taken during the past 20

years, 45 birding trips, and 250,000 miles o travel

in search o birds. While his sharply ocused pho-

tographs o the albatross, great egrets, pelicans and

other large white-winged birds are stunning against

a backdrop o blue sky, the most dynamic and

compelling photographs or me are Hendersons

blurry ones. Henderson uses a variety o photo-

graphic techniquesreeze action, slow-exposure,

and panning among themto capture the blurred

motion and implied wing movement that is lost in

sharp photos. Some o these techniques were inten-tional, but in many cases Henderson was shooting

in less-than-idea lighting conditions (low light) and

had no choice. His blurred birds include the Tuted

Titmouse, Goldnch, Black Vulture, and even an

upside-down hummingbirdbut my avorite is the

photograph o the pheasant-sized Hoatzin in the

Venezuelan rain orest. You can almost eel the

woosh o the bird.

Once I had admired all the photographs in the rst

part o the book, I took a deep breath or what I antici-

pated to be the hard-going technical section on avian

aerodynamics in the second part. Thanks to the clarity

o Hendersons writing style and excellent diagrams by

illustrator Steve Adams, however, I am now condent

that I could explain Bernouillis principle, thrust, drag,

wing loading, and the secrets o the alula to most any-

one. The third part o the book is dedicated to dierent

styles o take-os, landings, and fight. Youll under-

stand what kind o eort is involved in the seemingly

simple acts o fapping, soaring, hovering, gliding, and

other techniques birds use to move between land,

water, and air.

Thanks to Hendersons beautiul and satisying

book, I know my walks around Capital Lake will be

measurably more enjoyable as I watch (and actuallyunderstand) how the mallards, golden eyes, king-

shers, and coots manipulate the invisible winds

and air currents to create the magic o fight.

Birds in Flight: The Art and Science of How Birds Fly,by Carrol L. Henderson. Voyager Press, October

2008. $25.00. 160 pages, 150 photos, 15 diagrams.

Reviewed by Maria Ruth


12/141


Black Hills Audubon Society1063 Capitol Way So., Rm 208, Olympia, WA 98501

Phone: 360-352-7299

Website: www.blackhills-audubon.orgE-mail: ino blackhills-audubon.org

Black Hills Audubon Societyis a non-protorganization. A member chapter o the National

Audubon Society, it represents Audubon members in

Lewis, Mason and Thurston Counties.

Our goals are to maintain, restore and protect our

ecosystems or uture generations, and to promote

environmental education and nature-based

recreation.

General membership meetings are held at 7 p.m.

on the third Thursday evening o each month,

September through June, at the Capitol Museum

Coach House, 211 West 21st Street, in Olympia.

Board meetings are at 5:30 p.m. on the second

Wednesday o each month. The site varies rom

month to month, so please call us at the oce i

you would like to sit in.

Phone and e-mail messages are welcome, but please

remember that we are a volunteer-based organization,

and it may take us a ew days to get back to you.

The Echo is published bi-monthly. Editor: Deb

Jaqua. Layout and design by Lee Miller. Graphics by

Nature Icons/Ultimate Symbol unless initialed.

Material or The Echo should be sent toPO Box 2524, Olympia, WA 98507, or e-mailed to

Deb Jaqua at webdeb1 gmail.com.

Deadline or the March/April 2009 issue is

February 5, 2009.

Board of Directors 008-009

Ofcers

President: Sam Merrill [email protected]

Vice President: Kris Schoyen ..... [email protected]

Secretary: Debbie Nickerson ......360-754-5397debranick gmail.com

Treasurer: Susan Markey ..........360-438-9048slmarkey comcast.net

Board Members At Large

Debra Jaqua................................360-491-3325

webdeb1 mail.com

Whittier Johnson ........................360-866-8156

whittierwj comcast.net

Mike OMalIey ............................360-943-2369

Committee Chairs

Conservation: Donna NickersonD.J.Nick comcast.net

Field Trips: Kristin Stewart .......360-456-5098kristinstewartO1 comcast.net

Membership: Margery Beeler ....360-352-5437mswampcat aol.com

Programs: Kris Schoyen ........... [email protected]

Member Volunteers

Bird-a-thon Coordinator:Sheila McCartan ......................... 360-357-9170

schooleymccartan omcast.net

Bird ID: Bill Shelmerdine .......... (360) [email protected]

Bird Feeder CleaningDebbie Nickerson ......................360-754-5397

debranick gmail.com

Conservation: Sue Danver .........360-705-9247sdanver7 aol.com

Echo Designer: Lee Miller ........360-753-0942aleemiller igc.org

Echo Editor: Debra Jaqua .........360-491-3325webdeb1 gmail.com

Forest Issues: David Jennings .... 360-866-7551nativeorest gamil.com

Healthy Olympia Task Force, E3 Washington:

Jean MacGregor...........................360-866-0166Ofce Support: Carolyn Harmon, Bonnie Wood

Webmaster: Debra Jaqua .........360-491-3325

webdeb1 gmail.com



Black Hills Audubon Society (BHAS) Membership form

Type o Membershipcheck appropriate box Yearly benefts:

Member of Black Hills Audubon Society Chapter (BHAS) onlySingles or household

$20, regular member$35, regular member or 2 yearsNEW!

$50, regular member or 3 years,NEW!

$15, senior or ull-time student

$25, senior or ull-time student or 2 yearsNEW!

$35, senior or ull-time student or 3 yearsNEW!

Please make check payable to Black Hills Audubon Society.

Member of Black Hills Audubon Society Chapter and National Audubon (both)

$20, rst-time member price

$15, Senior or ull-time student

Please make check payable to National Audubon Society.Renewals:please renew your National Audubon Membership by

flling out the orms sent to you by National and sending directlyto National Audubon. Thanks!

Subscription onlyreceive the chapter newsletter, The Echo(does not include membership)

$10 chapter newsletter only

Please make check payable to Black Hills Audubon Society.

I would like to help Black Hills Audubons programs o education and conservation.

Enclosed is my additional donation o $_________

Renewals: please renew your National Audubon Membership by flling out the orms sent to you by National and send-

ing directly to National Audubon. Thanks!

Name: ________________________________________________________________________

Address: __________________________________City/State/zip _______________________

Phone/Email __________________________________________________________________

My check or $__________ is enclosed.

Please fll out this orm and mail it with your check to the appropriate address:

Membership MembershipBlack Hills Audubon Society National Audubon SocietyPO Box 2524 225 Varick Street, 7th foorOlympia WA 98507 New York, NY 10014

Thank you for supporting the Black Hills Audubon Society!

Black Hills AudubonSociety is a 501(C)3

organization.Contributions aredeductible to theextent allowed

by law.

All dues go to support localBlack Hills Audubon chapter eorts.

Receive the chapter newsletter,The Echo, which describes local

chapter conservation action, events,and feld trips.

Most o the dues go to support national eorts.

Receive the award-winning national magazine,Audubon, and the chapter newsletter, The Echo.

Receive the chapter newsletter,The Echo


14/14

Black Hills Audubon SocietyPO Box 2524Olympia WA 985072524

Nonprot Org.US Postage

PAID

Olympia WAPermit #87

Conservation and education are key goals o the Black

Hills Audubon Society (BHAS). The Jack Davis Conser-

vation Award and the newly established Dave McNett

Environmental Educator Award give us the opportuni-

ty to recognize the eorts o individuals or teams whohave made important contributions to the progress on

these goals.

This year, we invite our BHAS members to help nomi-

nate candidates or these two awards. Please see the

criteria or the Jack Davis Conservation Award, ollow-

ing this section, and the criteria or the Dave McNett

Environmental Educator Award on page 3 o this Echo.

Process and criteria or the Jack DavisConservation Award NominationsSubmit the name(s), and a brie description o the

eort made by the individual(s) or teams and theirprogress and successes in regards to the criteria be-

low. I you are nominating a team, please list the key

individuals who have led the team and their contact

inormation. Keep in mind this award is primarily or

citizens who have volunteered their time and skills

rather than those who are employed in the eld o

conservation and is intended or persons who have

not previously received the award. (See the list o

previous awardees below, or on the BHAS Web site

at blackhills-audubon /conservation-

istoftheyear #previous .) Please be guided by theollowing set o criteria:

Work has generally been within the BHAS geo-

graphical base (Thurston, Mason, and Lewis Coun-

ties).

Nominees may be members o BHAS but are re-

quired to be.

Work was a volunteer initiative relying heavily on

volunteer time.

Nominees worked collaboratively with others,

including governmental and non-governmental or-

ganizations to help resolve an environmental issue.

Nominees used objective sources o inormationand reliable data and demonstrated proessional-

ism throughout.

Nominees worked consistently on the issue and

persevered, proving resourceul under dicult chal-

lenges.

Participate in Nomination for Conservationand Education Awards

Continued on page 6

january-february 2009 echo black hills audubon society

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