Rainier Audubon Society November 2012

RAS Mission Statement

To conserve and restore natural ecosystems and protect birds

and other wildlife for the benefit of humanity and biological

diversity in South King County and the world we live in.

November General Membership Meeting

Monday November 19, 2012 7:00 p.m.

Federal Way United Methodist Church

Aaron Baggenstos

Wildlife Photographer

A aron Baggenstos is an Award-winning bestselling profes-

sional nature and wildlife photographer from Seattle,

Washington. Aaron has captured images across Washington

State, the US, Canada, Europe, and South America. His photo-

graphs have been featured on both King and KOMO newscasts,

magazines, newspapers and web articles. He has also written

and published two books Wildlife of Juanita Bay (an instant sell-

out) and Wildlife of Lake Washington (still available for a limited

time).

Aaron's Gallery can be viewed at www.aaronbaggenstos.com.

Along with guiding tours and instructing photography work-

shops, Aaron teaches live online Adobe Photoshop Classes. He

also enjoys working with kids and speaking to large and small

audiences alike.

Through his work Aaron hopes to inspire others to photograph,

enjoy, and take action to protect local and worldwide ecosys-

tems. Aaron is currently working on starting a non-profit organi-

zation that is dedicated to preserving undeveloped land in

Washington State and furthermore the world.

Join us at 6:30 for refreshments and conversation.

Rainier Audubon programs are held at

Federal Way United Methodist Church, 29645 - 51st Ave.

So. 98001 (in unincorporated Auburn)

Directions: In Federal Way, take 320th St. EAST past The

Commons, crossing over I-5 and Military Rd.

At 321st St, turn left. Stay on 321st as it becomes 51st Ave.

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

November 2012

Rainier Audubon Society Page 2

President’s Message by Dan Streiffert

RAINIER AUDUBON OFFICERS

President Dan Streiffert* 253-796-2203

Vice President Steve Feldman* 360-802-5211

Treasurer Jim Tooley* 253-854-3070

Secretary Heather Gibson* 253-856-9812

Program Chair Dale Meland* 253-946-1637

Field Trip Chair Carol Schulz 206-824-7618

Membership Chair Pat Toth* 206-767-4944

Backyard Habitat Chair Open 253-854-3207

Conservation Chair Dan Streiffert* 253-796-2203

Mailing Chair Debra Russel 425-271-0682

Hospitality Sandra Embry

Newsletter Editor Dan Streiffert 253-796-2203

Webmaster Treesa Hertzel 253-255-1808

Ivy Eradication Coordinator Bernedine Lund 253-839-3729

Education Chair Annette Tabor* 253-927-3208

Christmas Bird Count Coordinator Nancy Streiffert 253-796-2203

Board Member Max Prinsen 425-432-9965

Board Member Erin Wojewodski-Prinsen 425-432-9965

Board Member Alex Juchems 253-529-8996

Board Member Lisa Mesplay

Board Member Ed Stanton 206-870-3107

Board Member Terry Thurber 206-450-5446

Publicity Tom Sernka 253-529-8970

*Also serves as Board Member.

Board meetings are held the 2nd Wednesday of each month at 6:30 PM in the church conference room and are open to all members.

Volunteers Needed! Please contact a Board Member

Assistant Treasurer—need some-

one familiar with Quick Books to

work with Jim Tooley.

Door Greeters for Membership

Meetings

Articles for Heron Herald—send to

dan_streiffert#hotmail.com

So I was all set to make a trip to the Grand Tetons

for some colorful fall wildlife photography when our

septic drain field failed. So I’ve spent the past week

digging up our front yard.

In-between the digging, I would take time out to

enjoy some of the intermittent sunshine in our

backyard. I noticed that the leaves of our Vine

Maple were changing to a wonderful combination

of reds and yellows. Unfortunately, I could not get

any birds to land in the tree. So I quickly set up a

new snag in front of the tree and sat back and

waited.

Of course I missed the best shot, which was when

our male Anna’s stopped for a second and flashed

his gorget at me. In the end, I had to settle for some Juncos and Nuthatches. Still, not a bad way to spend the day.

Dan Streiffert

Upcoming Programs

12/17/2012—Dan Streiffert - Photo

Show

1/21/2013—Jay Galvin - World of Small

Creatures

2/18/2013—Woody Wheeler - Conserva-

tion Catalyst Program ?

3/18/2013—Dennis Paulson - Butterflies

and Birds of Costa Rica

5/20/2013—Elena Fox - Crows (West

Sound Wildlife Center)

November 2012

Web: www.RainierAudubon.org Page 3 email: info@RainierAudubon.org

Feathers The Evolution of a Natural Miracle

by Thor Hanson

I have always been intrigued by dinosaurs and stories about how

they became extinct some 65 million years ago due to an

"extinction event" (asteroid collision) or alternatively because

they failed to adapt to changing climatic conditions. Yet

dinosaurs were one of the most adaptive species to ever exist,

dominating the earth for nearly 200 million years. Did they really

become extinct? Or did they evolve into birds?

Thor Hanson's Feathers, presents a new vision of dinosaur adaptation,

based on a radical new model of feather evolution.

Until recently, common wisdom held that feathers evolved directly

from elongated scales that had frayed and divided in response to

selection for flight. The emphasis was on what the feathers were used

for (e.g. flight), rather than how they might have evolved. Dr. Richard

Prum decided that learning how a feather grows, might provide more

insight to this. Scales grow like plates, flat ridges protruding outward.

Feathers are inherently tubular, and they only become flat through a

complex opening up. The outer surface becomes the top, and the

inside is revealed to become the bottom. So while a mature feather

and a scale may both appear to be flat, their surfaces don't correspond.

Plum ultimately derived a Developmental Model of Feather Evolution,

consisting of five distinct stages ranging from an unbranched quill

(Stage I) to asymmetrical flight feathers (Stage V). This theory allows

for many functional

benefits of feathers

(e.g. down for

warmth, water and

wind proofing for

comfort) to evolve

long before flight.

Starting about 1996,

numerous dinosaur

fossils were

discovered in the

Yixian Formation in

the Liaoning Province

of China. These

included numerous

theropod dinosaurs

with feathers. Since

that time, Dr. Xing Xu

and others have

documented

examples of all the

feather stages Dr.

Plum predicted.

-Dan Streiffert

RAS Christmas Bird Count

R ainier Audubon’s Christmas Bird Count will be

December 30, 2012. Come celebrate the end of

a busy and eventful year with other birders and

the birds who tough out the winter with us in the

Puget Sound area. This event has been going on for over 100

years in some parts of our country and over 30 with our own

RAS! If you’ve never done a CBC, it’s basically getting up at

dawn, joining an expert birder and some hardy helpers and

spending the day (very short at this time of year!) in a specific

area of our 15-mile diameter circle counting and recording all

the birds you see and/or hear. The data has been compiled ever

since the beginning of the counts in the eastern U.S. and is a

wealth of knowledge available for scientists, policy makers, envi-

ronmental and other decision-making organizations. Come be a

part of this great citizen science project. Call Nancy 253-796-

2203 or emailnancy_streiffert@hotmail.com .

Incidentally, the CBC used to charge participants $5 each (RAS

paid for our members) but has dropped the charge this year. To

make up for the loss of this fee, the printed edition of the sum-

mary of the count will no longer be made but the information

will be available online. It is also hoped that groups will donate

to the CBC to help make up this loss of revenue.

Thanksgiving Bird Count

D r. Ernest Edwards of Virginia stated the Thanks-

giving Bird Count in 1966. Dr. John Hewston

began the count in the west in 1992. It is less

intense than the CBC so you might like to try

it. It is done individually on Thanksgiving Day for one hour only

– a good way to stretch your legs

after a big meal in a (usually)

overheated house – an alterna-

tive to football! You pick the

hour and the space which is a 15

foot diameter circle – more like a

cylinder as you count all the birds

within the cylinder – on the

ground, on feeders, in trees, fly-

ing through – but not way up

high in the clouds! I’ve done it for several years and make my

circle include several feeders and the bird bath for maximum

numbers. Forms to fill out will be available at the November

meeting if you let me know you want one. It’s another way to

contribute to the knowledge base we have on birds in our area.

Nancy Streiffert

November 2012

Rainier Audubon Society Page 4

Field Trips by Carol Schulz

Weekly Birdwalks at Nisqually

Wednesdays 8:00 am to Noon

Leader: Phil Kelley

Join Phil Kelley on his weekly bird walks as he

counts the birds at Nisqually NWR. The group

walks over to an area near the visitor's center

to view the entry road estuary, and then takes

the boardwalk/trail loop out to the Twin

Barns, and the Nisqually overlook area. From

there, the group walks the dike, and back to

the Riparian Forest. Some may choose to

continue on the new estuary boardwalk

extension which goes out toward the mouth

of McAlister Creek. It has benches and

covered viewing areas. The walk totals 2.0

miles roundtrip to the estuary boardwalk

extension. In winter the estuary boardwalk

will add an additional 1 3/4 miles total, so the

whole walk including the boardwalk extension

is up to 3 3/4 miles.

Bring: Good walking shoes or boots, raingear,

water, snacks, and $3 for entry fee unless you

have a pass. Scopes are welcome.

Meet: At the Visitor's Center Pond Overlook.

Directions: Take I-5 south from Tacoma and

exit to Nisqually NWR at exit 114. Take a right

at the light.

Sign-up is not necessary. Call or email Phil

Kelley if you have questions. Phil Kelley, Lacey,

(360) 459-1499, scrubjay323@aol.com.

West Seattle Parks and Beaches (After Thanksgiving "Walk-Off-

The-Calories" trip) Saturday, November 24, 2012

8:30 AM to Mid Afternoon

Leader: Carol Schulz

The Saturday after Thanksgiving is a nice time

to go to West Seattle and Alki Point to see

birds and wonderful scenery. In addition to

Alki, we will visit at least 2 parks in West

Seattle to see views of the water and Seattle

waterfront, and might visit the old-growth

woods and trails of Schmitz Park. We hope to

see sea ducks, shorebirds, grebes, Brant

geese, song birds, and resident Bald Eagles.

Some folks call this our "Diet Trip". We will

walk up to 2 miles on paved and unpaved

trails. Some who don't want to walk far should

see plenty of birds right by the cars!

Bring: Warm clothes, lunch (turkey

sandwiches?), hot drinks, snacks and water.

Scopes are very welcome. Bring some coffee

money too, in case we stop at the Alki Bakery.

Meet: 8:30 AM at the Kent-Des Moines P&R.

(People who wish to leave early may bring

their own cars.)

Directions: Take I-5 to exit 149 and turn east

toward Kent. Travel about 1 1/2 blocks on

Kent-Des Moines Rd. Turn left onto Military

Rd. Drive 1/2 block. The park and ride is to the

left.

Sign-Up: E-mail or call Carol Schulz,

carol.schulz50@gmail.com, 206-824-7618. E-

mail is preferred.

Kittitas County Birding in Winter Sunday, December 2, 2012

6:30am to evening

Co-Leaders - Charlie Wright and Roger

Orness

Come enjoy a day of winter-season birding in

central Washington. We will venture over

Snoqualmie Pass and visit areas including

Swauk Prairie and South Cle Elum along our

route. Large numbers of raptors including

Rough-legged Hawks and Prairie Falcons are

seen wintering in the open, snow-covered

fields of Kittitas. Proceeding east we will reach

the Columbia River at Vantage, where

waterfowl are sometimes present in vast

numbers. Some target species will include

unusual loons, ducks, American White

Pelicans, and possibly rare gulls. Chukar are

occasionally seen in the basalt outcroppings

here.

Bring: Bring many layers of clothing for cold

weather conditions, a lunch, and snacks.

Scopes are welcome. Space is limited.

Meet: At 6:30am at Auburn Safeway at

Auburn Way and Main St. Take Hwy. 18 to

Auburn and exit at Auburn Way. (Hwy 164).

Turn north (right) on Auburn Way and drive

three blocks north. Safeway sign and gas

station will be on the left. Park in the Safeway

lot just beyond the gas station and straight

out from the Safeway door. We will meet and

carpool (promptly) from there.

Sign-up: Contact Roger Orness,

r.orness@comcast.net, 253-922-7516. E-mail

is preferred.

FREE DISCOVER PASSES FOR MEMBERS OF RAINIER AUDUBON SOCIETY To support our state parks – and to boost membership - the local chapter of the Audubon Society, called the Rainier Audubon Society, is giving away free Discover Passes to any new member who joins Rainier Audubon during 2012.

All you have to do is come to a meeting, join up and get your free Discover Pass. The cost of joining is $20.00/individual and $25/family. The cost of a Discover Pass is normally $35.00 dollars so you’ve just saved $15.00 and you have a year’s member-ship in the Audubon Society and a year’s free access to all of the state parks in Washington.

Each Discover Pass can be used for any two vehicles you own. Just fill out two license plate numbers on the Pass, hang it from the rear view mirror of whichever car you’re taking, and you’re good to go for a full year of state park recreation.

The Rainier Audubon Society meets monthly at the United Methodist Church in Federal Way, and presents programs on all aspects of nature, birding, conservation, outdoor photography, and many other topics that adults and children who love the outdoors enjoy. For more information go to www.RainierAudubon.org.

November 2012

Web: www.RainierAudubon.org Page 5 email: info@RainierAudubon.org

Seen and Heard by Calen Randall

Bio: Calen is a 13 year old birder. He enjoys birding around Lake Fenwick and Boeing Ponds—especially with Charlie Wright. Calen

is thrilled to revive Charlie’s ‘Seen and Heard’. When not birding, Calen can be seen flying up and down the ice at Kent Valley Ice

Center

“Where are they hiding?” I wonder, as I

peer through the bushes. “Could anything

be hidden in there?” I scan through the

cattails. The longest game of hide and

seek continues. I’ve been playing it since

early spring. Only now, the game is tilting

in my favor, thanks to my new ally—fall.

Fall has whisked off the blanket of leaves,

exposing many hiding spots. What am I

looking for in these hiding spots? Birds’

nests.

In October, while my family was

harvesting grapes from our

grapevine, we rediscovered a

robin’s nest. Holding the

mother robin’s carpentry in

my hands felt like holding a

priceless artifact. Studying

the puzzle of interlocked

twigs, grass and lichen

weaved into it, reminded me

of all of the memories of the

mother robin working

tirelessly to create her nest:

piecing together twigs,

tearing out little grass blades

from the day lilies, dipping

the grass in mud to stick her

nest together, and decorating it with

lichen siding. I marveled at how one bird

could ‘single-beakedly’ design and build

such an intricate structure. What made

her choose the location? How did she

know which twigs or which grasses to

use? It is amazing to think that most of

her building prowess is genetically wired.

However, watching this robin build a

couple of nests in our yard I realize that

experience helps to build better nests—

her first was easily accessed by predators.

I revisited several other nesting spots like

the heronry behind the animal shelter in

Kent and the Bald Eagle’s nest near River

Bend Golf Course. It is ironic that the

heronry that was abuzz with over fifty

herons now lies vacant. I am reminded of

all of the buzzing activity that went on

during the spring, including the ritual of

the male ripping branches off the trees

and presenting them to the female. I find

it ironic that the birds spend so much

energy building nests that they stay in for

such a short time. What will happen to

these heron nests? Will they return and

rebuild in the spring?

My quest for the ultimate nest continues.

Trying to find a hummingbird’s nest is like

trying to find a needle in a haystack—its

nest is only about 1 ½ inches in diameter.

I’m convinced that we have a

hummingbirds nest in or around my yard.

So I continue to search. Send me reports

of some interesting nests that you’ve

found. Where are they hiding in your

yard?

Recent Bird Sightings:

Thanks to birders Ralph and Sandra

Embrey (SE),

Barbra Peterson

(BP) and Ross and

Annette Tabor

(AT) for sending

in reports. NOTE: Calen Randall (CR)

Most winter birds have returned.

Chickadees, Juncos, Towhees, Sparrows,

and Finches are back in full force. I’m still

waiting for Pine Siskins and Varied Thrush

to knock on my door. Sapsuckers are back

tapping at trees, ducks are molting into

breeding plumage, and

too many clouds of

Starlings swarm above

our heads.

A Sharp-Shinned Hawk

(SE 10/2/12) was

recently seeking

squirrels in the Embrey’s

backyard. It even landed

on the ground and hung

out for a while, but left

empty taloned. As a

parting gift it left three

feathers. Also, Ralph and

Sandra had an Osprey

(9/21/12) fly over their house. They think

that it will be staying the winter.

Ross and Annette Tabor saw a Coopers

Hawk fly into their front yard. Upon its

arrival, a frenzy of squirrels and little birds

took off! Another raptor remains hungry.

A few American Goldfinches have been

clinging to the last rays of summer.

Several people have reported the finches

stocking up at their feeders before they

depart. (CR,SE 10/9/12)

Barbra Peterson had a White-Throated

(Continued on page 9)

November 2012

Rainier Audubon Society Page 6

Fun Facts about Native Sparrows

Reprint Courtesy of Wild Birds Unlimited, Burien

The American Tree Sparrow’s name is somewhat misleading due

to the fact that the breeding grounds for most of these birds are

found in the treeless tundra habitats of the far north. Early

settlers, seeing the birds on their southern wintering grounds,

named them for their similar appearance to the Eurasian Tree

Sparrows they left behind in Europe.

American Tree Sparrows are known to eat large amounts of com-

mon weed seeds. Each year they are estimated to eat 875 tons of

the weed seeds in the state Iowa alone.

American Tree Sparrow eats almost 100% animal matter (mostly

insects) during the summer. In the winter it switches entirely to

seeds and other plant foods.

When the ground is snow covered, American Tree Sparrows have

been observed to fly around a weed plant, using their wings to

dislodge its seeds onto the snow below for easy retrieval.

Studies have proven that increasing day length is what triggers

reproductive activities in American Tree Sparrows. However, vi-

sion apparently plays no role in this phenomenon. Blind tree spar-

rows demonstrate the same reactions to increased day length as

do birds with sight.

An American Tree Sparrow eats about 30% of its own body weight

in food every day during the summer. They also drink about 30%

of their own body weight of water each day.

No one knows for sure, but some estimates project that there may

be as many as 10 to 20 million pairs of American Tree Sparrows

nesting across a vast expanse of northern Canada and Alaska.

Which is your dominant eye? A recent study found that American

Tree Sparrows seems to prefer to look for predators out of their

left eye, while Dark-eyed Juncos prefer their right.

American Tree Sparrows migrate in flocks at night.

Bird banding records show that the longevity record for the Ameri-

can Tree Sparrow is 10 years and 9 months.

Individual White-throated Sparrows have either white stripes on

their head or tan stripes. These distinct color forms are genetic in

origin. White-striped birds are more aggressive than tan-striped

ones, and each bird almost always mates with a bird whose stripe

color is opposite from their own.

White-throated Sparrows with white striped heads are known to

sing and contribute to the defense of their breeding. Tan striped

females do not exhibit the same behavior.

White-throated Sparrows are known to migrate at night and begin

their flights around sunset. Some research studies suggest they

use star patterns as one means of navigation.

Watch for White-throated Sparrows feeding on the ground while

flipping aside leaves with their bill or by scratching away the leaf

litter with a series of quick kicks with their feet.

White-throated Sparrows and the Dark-eyed Juncos have been

known to occasionally mate and produce hybrids.

Both White-throated and White-crowned Sparrows show loyalty

to their winter territories and are likely to return to the same are-

as each year.

Male White-crowned Sparrows can actually be bilingual, learning

and using distinct song dialects from their home territory and a

bordering one.

White-crowned Spar-

rows have been known

to migrate over 2600

miles from Alaska to

California. While mi-

grating north in the

spring, their average

travel distance is about

70 miles per day.

During the winter, a White-crowned Sparrow’s body contains

about 3 grams of fat of which ½ is used up at night and must be

replaced everyday.

Through the analysis of bird banding records, the average life span

of a White-crowned Sparrow is thought to be around 16 months

while the longest known lifespan was just over 13 years.

Song Sparrows are found in every state of the Union and Canadian

province. They are the most common and widespread sparrow

native to North America. (Continued on page 7)

Dan Streiffert

November 2012

Web: www.RainierAudubon.org Page 7 email: info@RainierAudubon.org

There are 31 recognized subspecies of the Song Sparrow, more

than any other bird species found in North America.

The Song Sparrow in different parts of the country can look amaz-

ingly different. Some are lightly marked and pale while others are

dark and heavily streaked.

Song Sparrows on the Aleutian Islands of Alaska are one-third long-

er and weigh twice as much as the ones in the eastern U.S.

In the northern part of their range, Song Sparrows are partially or

completely migratory depending on snow cover and winter tem-

peratures. This is due to their ground feeding habits and their al-

most total dependence on weed seeds for food in the winter.

When migrating, female Song Sparrows travel farther south than

do their male counterparts.

Over 750,000 Song Sparrows have been banded since 1955. Of

these, 16,675 have been recovered, a recovery rate of 2.2%.

The oldest known banded Song Sparrow to be recaptured in the

wild was over 11 years old.

Adult male Song Sparrows perform about six to twenty different

melodies; each one is a slight variation on the basic Song-Sparrow

song.

Some Song Sparrow songs may be very short, consisting of only

four notes and lasting less than two seconds, while others may

consist of twenty or more notes, lasting over five seconds.

Studies have shown that female Song Sparrows are attracted to

males that learn and sing a larger repertoire of songs and that

these males are much more successful in holding their territories

and reproducing.

During the dawn twilight on a spring morning, male Song Sparrows

will sing a song every eight seconds and may average over 2,300

songs during an entire day.

Song Sparrows sing throughout the year and hearing them at dawn

on a cold January or February morning is not uncommon.

The nest of the song sparrow is usually found under grassy tufts on

the ground or low in a bush or shrubbery.

The female Song Sparrow does most of the nest construction

alone, while the male devotes himself to defending his territory,

mostly through song.

A pair of Song Sparrows will live and nest in 1-1/2 acres or fewer

and may raise up to four broods a year.

Like most birds, Song Sparrows depend on the increasing day

length as their major signal to initiate breeding behavior, but stud-

ies have shown that warmer temperatures and an abundant food

supply can trigger breeding to start many weeks earlier than nor-

mal.

A research study showed that Song Sparrows with access to millet

feeders started nesting and produced eggs up to 14 days earlier

than those without access to feeders.

A Song Sparrow's natural diet consists of weed and grass seeds, a

few berries, and insects.

Song Sparrows prefer to forage on the ground and readily visit

backyard feeders where seeds, especially millet, are offered.

Song Sparrow’s forage for food on the ground by using a double-

scratch technique of kicking away debris by hopping forward while

sweeping both feet quickly back along the ground. This “Song Spar-

row Samba” is typically performed in, or near, dense undergrowth.

Song Sparrows select their seeds based on what is the most abun-

dant and easiest (fastest) to open – such as millet. Harder to open

seeds, even those with a higher fat and protein content – such as

oil sunflower - are much less likely to be eaten.

It takes a Song Sparrow an average of three seconds to husk a

millet seed and 4.5 seconds to husk a Nyjer® (thistle) seed.

On average, Song Sparrows digest and absorb between 80 - 90% of

the food they eat. Their highly efficient digestive system takes

about two hours to process the food from start to finish.

The average weight of a Song Sparrow is around 24 grams (.85

ounces), but studies have shown that their weight can fluctuate up

to 20 percent in 24 hours, and that birds with access to high-

quality food from birdfeeders have been shown to weigh signifi-

cantly more than those without it.

Plant seeds accounted for 86% of a Song Sparrow’s normal diet in

winter. Some of the most utilized seeds come from common lawn

and garden weeds such as smartweed, ragweed, foxtail, pigweed

and knotweed.

Song Sparrows are very aggressive around feeders and can even

dominate over larger sparrows and other birds. They have been

known to challenge and drive away as many as five House Spar-

rows at one time.

Song Sparrows rarely feed in flocks and usually search for their

food alone in the company of one or two other birds. This behavior

makes them vulnerable to hawks and other predators, thus the

presence of nearby shrubbery and cover is very important to them.

The Song Sparrow usually has a walking gait, but it hops on rough

or uneven surfaces.

The flight speed of Song Sparrows has been measured at 16 to 21

miles per hour.

The average heart rate for a Song Sparrow is 450 beats per minute.

Song Sparrows often seem secretive in their behavior, but birds

living close to people can become very tame. One scientist was

able to condition the Song Sparrows at his feeders to come when

called and to associate the sound of a bell with the filling of bird-

feeders.

The Song Sparrow is probably parasitized by the Brown-headed

Cowbird more often and over a greater area of North America than

any other bird. Urban and rural habitat studies have shown that

44% of the Song Sparrow nests in Ohio and 85% of the nests in

Ontario were victims of cowbirds.

Fun Facts about Native Sparrows (Continued from page 6)

November 2012

Rainier Audubon Society Page 8

Mewsings from Millie

Hello and welcome back to my musings!

Every day my people and I rely on our senses to guide us through our daily routines. We all constantly use our eyes, ears, noses and our senses of touch and taste to inform ourselves of our immediate surroundings and for exploring new territory.

Of course, I got to wondering about birds and their senses. Are they the same as mine or my people? Or are they very different? Here's what I found out at About.com.......

Birds have the same senses as humans (and cats) but they are specialized to help birds survive. In addition, one species of bird may have one sense more specialized than another species.

A bird's eyesight is its most critical sense. It relies on sight for flight, evading predators and finding food. The retina of a bird is thicker than a human's and birds eyes are larger in proportion to their heads. The rods and cones packed on the retina are denser which gives them superior vision in both black-and-white and color. The range of colors that birds see is not much greater than what humans see but research is showing that some birds can see ultraviolet colors.

Birds' eyesight is exceptional in the perception of motion and detail. Birds see two to three times better than humans in that respect. Birds' eyes are generally further apart on the head giving them a wider field of view. Most songbirds' eyes are on the sides of their head allowing them to almost see directly behind themselves which can be very useful if there are predators around.

Birds have an inner eyelid (a nictitating membrane) that helps protect their eyes and cleans them frequently. During a fight, birds use their wings to protect their eyes and when attacking, birds know instinctively to go for the eyes of the

intruder.

Hearing is a bird's second most important sense. Their ears are funnel-shaped to focus sound. The ears of a bird are covered with soft feathers, called auriculars, for protection.

Birds hear a smaller range of frequencies than humans, but they have much more acute sound recognition skills. Birds are especially sensitive to pitch, tone and rhythm changes and use those variations to recognize other individual birds. Birds also use different sounds, songs and calls in different situations. Recognizing the different noises is critical to determine if it is a warning, a territorial claim or the finding of food.

Birds do not use the sense of touch as much as humans do but it is still vital, particularly for flight. Birds are extremely sensitive to changes in air temperature, pressure and wind speed. Those variations are transferred down the feathers to extensive nerves in the skin.

Some birds have rectal bristles around the bill that may serve a purpose for touch when feeding on insects or drumming into wood. Other birds, particularly shorebirds and wading birds, have sensitive touch receptors in their bills which allows them to feed when probing through mud, water or other materials.

Birds do have a sense of taste but it is not well refined. Depending on the species, birds may have fewer than 50 or up to around 500 taste buds compared to a human's 9,000 - 10,000 taste buds. Birds can taste sweet, sour and bitter flavors and they learn which of those tastes is the most suitable food source. (That explains why most birds will eat safflower seed but

squirrels and crows won't!)

Most birds use sight and hearing to locate the best food. A bird may choose one food over another not because of taste but because it is easier to acquire, there is less competition, their bills are better equipped for eating it or it has better nutrition for their dietary needs.

Smell is the least developed sense in most birds. Most bird species have very small olfactory centers in their brains. This debunks the myth that nesting birds will reject a fledgling that has been handled by humans because songbirds cannot detect the human scent.

Of course, there is always an exception to the rule. Vultures, kiwis, honeyguides, albatrosses, petrels and shearwaters have much better developed senses of smell. These birds can often smell food from great distances even when the odor may not be noticeable to humans.

Well, this all makes "sense" to me! Next time I'm oh so slyly observing some of my feathered friends out on the sidewalk I'll be keenly aware of the fact that they most likely see and hear me! Who would have thought?

Until next time,

Millie

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November 2012

Web: www.RainierAudubon.org Page 9 email: info@RainierAudubon.org

Sparrow use her water feature! Barbra

wrote that this was the second time that

a White-Throated Sparrow has used it. I

hope it sticks around! (BP, 10/03/12)

When driving along West Valley Highway,

I noticed that the neighborhood Belted

Kingfisher wasn’t at his normal spot on

the snag in the pond at Oak Harbour

Freight Lines. Instead, he was about a

half a mile north, gripping the power line

and looking quite perturbed. As I passed

the Kingfisher’s snag, I discovered the

reason why he was so miffed- a Green

Heron had moved onto his perch! I

watched the heron for twenty minutes. I

was hoping that I would get to see some

of his prey flushing tricks, like dropping

little stick, or pebbles in the water to

entice any fish. Unfortunately no luck, he

simply let out a skeow and headed south.

(CR, 09/22/12)

November Challenge

This month I have come up with a

challenge. I’m wondering who will be the

first to report sightings of the following

birds:

1.) Trumpeter Swans

2.) Surf Scoters

3.) Yellow-Rumped Warblers:

“Audubon’s” or “Myrtle”

Send in your reports about where and

when you saw them.

Mystery Bird of the Month

This bird is probably the cheeriest winter

resident. Chances are that this bird is

hanging upside-down right outside your

window. It sings a little ditty that

everyone knows. Here are the clues:

I have a black bib.

A group of me is called a “banditry,

or a “dissimulation”.

I am the state bird of Massachusetts

and Maine, and the provincial

bird of New Brunswick.

I have a good memory, I can

rediscover caches of food I hid a

month ago.

Like the hummingbird, I can go into

torpor.

I’m not from Carolina, the

mountains, or the Boreal Forest.

I have a black cap.

Who am I?

Send your sightings/hearings to

calenbirds@hotmail.com I love

reading your reports!

Seen and Heard (Continued from page 5)

Answer: Black-Capped Chickadee

Birds of Spring Lake and

Echo Mountain

You meet the nicest people at environ-

mental events! When I was tending the

RAS table at SHADOW’s Frog Frolic I met

an avid birder who has put together a nice

trail map and bird list (with seasons usually

seen) for the Spring Lake (Lake Desire)/

Echo Mountain area.. He says the best

birding is from the lake by non-motorized

boat – there is a boat launch at the Echo

Mountain trailhead. The pamphlet is

available at

http://your.kingcounty.gov/ftp/gis/Web/

VMC/recreation/

BCT_SpringLkMcGarvey_brochure.pdf .

Echo Mountain is an unusual geologic fea-

ture for this part of the country – a bald

where bare rock is sparsely covered with

soil. Some unusual native wildflowers

were found there several years ago before

a fireworks-caused fire burned the top of

the mountain! Hopefully they will recover

soon.

Nancy Streiffert

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To join or renew, mail this application with your payment to: Rainier Audubon Society - Membership

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Or go to http://www.rainieraudubon.org/ to enroll online.

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Just living is not enough... one must have sunshine, free-

dom, and a little flower - Hans Christian Anderson