January-February 2007 Sandpiper Newsletter Grays Harbor Audubon Society

8/8/2019 January-February 2007 Sandpiper Newsletter Grays Harbor Audubon Society

1/9

embership MeetingSunday, February 4 , 2007

1:30 PM 3 PMardening for the Birds,

Master Gardener, Dianna MoorePearsall Building

2109 Sumner Avenue, Aberdeen

Ruby-crowned Kinglet, one ofthe smallest of our native birds,up close, foraging in the thicketsright next to the path, was greatfun. Males and females are simi-lar in size and color: dull olivegreen, grayish white undersides,black eyes , dark legs with yellowfeet, yellow on the flight and tailfeathers, double white wing-bars,

edged in black, and a distinctivewhite eye-ring. They are about 4inches long, have short tails andweigh only a third of an ounce.

They are sometimes mistakenfor Huttons Vireo, who has simi-lar markings and also do a similarbut slower flitting of their wings.Good luck finding the rubycrown! Only the male has this jewel and he rarely displays itto the likes of ussaving it for

when he is agitated or excited.Ruby-crowned Kinglets breedin Canada and Northwest Alaskaand spend their winters through-out the west northward to Canadaand from the southern states toCentral America.

In the West some are becom-ing permanent residents. Ruby-crowned Kinglets are found amidspruce-fir, lodge-pole pine andDouglas fir forests.

In winter they can be found in

deciduous forests and thickets.They dont do as well in verycold climates, preferring areasthat seldom reach freezing tem-pera ures.

Their populations seem to be onthe rise since theyre discover-ing less populated and disturbedhabitat as they move north.

The

Sandpiper

Januar/February 2007

Gardening for the birds Dianna Moore, former secretaryand current board member andprogram chair for Grays HarborAudubon will present Garden-ing for the Birds at the MembersMeeting, Sunday, February 4,2007 at 1:30 p.m. at the PearsallBuilding, 2109 Sumner Avenuein Aberdeen. Dianna is an avidbirder and recently completed theMaster Gardener course. She is avolunteer for the Coastal Obser-vation and Seabird Survey Team(COASST), which finds and docu-ments dead sea birds that wash upon our beaches in order to increaseour knowledge of the health ofour coastal and ocean ecosystems.

She is also a member of the GraysHarbor Shorebird Festival Plan-ning Committee, and serves asFestival Registrar. Her passion isthe study and observation of rap-tors and she has participated in thebanding and tracking of severalraptor species. You wont want tomiss this program!

Continued on page 6

by Jan McMillanFor me, one of the thrills of par-

ticipating in the annual ChristmasBird Count is the opportunity todiscover or become more famil-iar with birds that had previouslyeluded me. A couple of years ago

it was the Crossbills, seen in largeflocks along Burrows Road andat Sea Horse Ranch. This year itwas the Ruby-crowned Kingletand I saw it at Sea Horse Ranchalso.

Im partial to little birds...nut-hatches and siskins are two of myfavorites from my garden. Butgetting to see the tiny, active little

BirdStarRuby-crowned KingletRegulus calendula

photo courtesy of Donna Dewhurst Collection

New meeting place forGrays Harbor Audubon

This year we will be meeting atthe Pearsall Building, 2109 Sum-ner Avenue in Aberdeen, NOT atthe PUD Building. Please makenote of the change! We are look-ing forward to seeing you there.


2/9

The Presidents Perch

Thanks to a champion

By Jan McMillanIm using my perch this issue

to say Thank You to a veryimportant chapter member andlong time supporter of GraysHarbor Audubon, Bob Morse.Bob is in the process of retir-ing (Ill bet if you asked him hewould say it is a long process!)and has resigned his positionwith the Grays Harbor Shore-bird Festival Planning Commit-tee and as Compiler of the GraysHarbor Christmas Bird Count.

It was at Bobs urging that theShorebird Festival came to be.After attending a birding fes-tival in another state, Bob re-turned with a vision of a Shore-bird Festival right here in GraysHarbor and with the help of Di-ane Schwickerath, then chapterpresident, the idea became a re-ality. Bob has also played an im-portant role in helping to shape

the Shorebird Festival, pushingmany of us past our personaland organizational safety zonesto expand support for the festi-val by reaching out to the widercommunity of business, civic,labor and government leaders.He has urged us to bring in newideas and try new things. Hisdepth of knowledge of birds andbirding enriched the festival ashe led workshops and organizedfield trips.

Bob has been a generous finan-cial contributor to our chapterdirectly, including support to ourHabitat Program. In addition hehas helped facilitate much finan-cial support for projects like theSouthwest and Olympic LoopBirding Trail Maps, making presentations to city councilsand the county commissioners

age 2

with great success. When I needhelp with anything related to ourchapter, Bob is often my go toguy with connections and in-formation on the folks who canhelp with just about anythingFor those of you who have par-

ticipated in the Christmas BirdCount, you know how much or-ganization it takes to put togeth-er 10 teams of birders to coverthe county, gather and compilethe data and distribute it to themany interested parties. Bobsgenerous and friendly spirit al-ways made the gathering at theend of the day a welcome one,no matter how long, dark, coldor wet the count day had been.Bob will still be around to help

us but in a less active role. Wethank him for all he has donefor Grays Harbor Audubon andwish him success as he contin-ues to write, travel and expandand enjoy his personal life!

Jan McMillan has been selectedto attend Audubons Budget andAppropriations Advocacy Train-ing in Washington, D.C., Janu-ary 28-31. Highlight of the threeday training will be a receptionto meet National Audubon Staffand other participants fromacross the country and Congres-

sional meetings with Represen-tative Norm Dicks and Sena-tors Patty Murray and MariaCantwell.

Jan brings years of legislativeadvocacy experience to the na-tional training, including 10years on the California ChildCare Resource and ReferralNetworks Public Policy Team.

he was co-founder of Parentoices, a statewide grass-roots

advocacy group that workedith low-income parents and

city, state and federal legislatorso increase childcare funds for

low-income working families.

he also worked with the Coali-ion on Homeless Women and

Children to increase city shel-er services in San Francisco.an is pleased to be bringinger advocacy experience to the

conservation and environmen-al arena. Since becoming ac-ive in Audubon in 2002, Janas worked with other Audubon

chapters and Audubon Wash-ington staff to advocate for stateand county watchable wildlife

funding.Jan will give a brief report on

he training at the February 4thembers Meeting.

GHASChapterpresidentselected for

nationalAudubontraining

Chapter Elects New OfficersAt the December 3rd meeting

of Grays Harbor Audubon thefollowing officers and boardmembers were elected for2007:

OfficersPresident, Jan McMillanVice President, Arnie MartinSecretary, Theressa JuliusTreasurer, Diane SchwickerathBoard of DirectorsRose DuBoisAnn HaarerSteve HallstromDianna MooreLinda OrgelRenee Prine

Dean SchwickerathJanet StrongGary Utter

We appreciate everyonesdedication to the success of ourGHAS chapter.


3/9page 3

06 Christmas Bird CountResults

By Bob MorseThis year, 42 observers tallied

48,104 birds (131 species) onSaturday, December 23rd dur-ing the Grays Harbor ChristmasBird Count. The weather wasunusual it was quite pleasant

with temperatures to 48 degreesand little wind. It was a greatday for our coastal CBC.

The highlights of the day in-cluded: 5,777 American Wigeon, fourtimes what we normally get onour CBC.Mallard counts were also up this years 1840 is a new countrecord. Surf Scoters also hit a new

count high (632) as well asCommon Goldeneye (355).An immature White-tailed Kitespotted by Alex and Brien Meil-leur along Johns River is thefirst record in almost 20 years.Amazingly, Dianna Moore hadan adult kite in Ocean Shoresjust a few days later. Patrick and Ruth Sullivan hada Red-shouldered Hawk for thesecond consecutive year. Where did all the gulls go?

Our full counts were way downthis year. We only had one alcid, aCommon Murre, continuing adisturbing trend of very few al-cids along our coast. 19 Annas Hummingbirds points to a continuing rangeexpansion of this species alongthe coast. A Harriss Sparrow discov-

ered by Bill Shelmerdines teamat the end of Elizabeth Street in

estport was a great find andnew species for our count.

Large flocks of Pine Siskinsincluded up to 18 Common

edpolls this year.

We only had two owls dur-ing count day (Short-eared andGreat Horned) but a Snowy and

arred Owl were seen in OceanShores during count week.This will be the last time I will

serve as the compiler for theGrays Harbor CBC. I am lookingfor someone (or two co-compil-ers) to take over for me after 16years as compiler for this count.

appreciate your support in our past CBCs. It has been your

talents and energies that havemade our count so successful. Ifyou are interested in helping outas the compiler or co-compilerfor the Grays Harbor Christmas

ird Count, please give me acall.

appy birding!

Grays Harbor National Wild-life Refuge needs YOU- yourenergy, talents and a bit of yourtime. If you enjoy working withpeople and are concerned aboutyour local environment, this

program may interest you. Weare currently recruiting trail rov-ers, fieldtrip guides, and Shore- bird Festival volunteers. Du-ties can include monitoring ourfully accessible two-mile longboardwalk trail, interacting withvisitors, observing wildlife andhelping guide elementary schoolfield trips. A Volunteer Trainingtake place on Thursday, January

Arnie Martin, GHAS vice-president and volun-

teer, helps a student look at shorebirds during

a field trip to Grays Harbor National Wildlife

Refuge.

Volunteers needed, readyo raise your hand?

25 from 6-9 PM at the HoquiamTimberland Library.

Please call (360) 753-9467 oremail [email protected] for more information and toregister.

Keeping an eye onBowerman Basin

By Jan McMillanIn my Presidents Perch Col-

umn in December, I encouragedeveryone to keep up to date onwhats happening at Bower-man Basin. The Port of GraysHarbor is requesting to the Fed-eral Aviation Administration to be released from operating theairport facility and relocate theairport in another location so

that they can explore develop-ment opportunities at Terminal3, the former Rayonier propertyon Moon island, and other landsurrounding and including theairport. While the FAA turneddown their request, the idea isstill alive and CongressmanNorm Dicks says he will workto secure congressional approv-al if the Port decides they wantto pursue the shut down plan.While nothing is imminent and

any process would take severalyears, it is not too early to let theCongressman know how youfeel about the future of Bower-man Basin and to request that

Continued on page 5


4/9

page 4

Grays Harbor Audubon aartner in New Bottle Beach

Development PlanA couple of years ago our chap-

ter was approached by Washing-ton State Parks about partneringwith them to develop BottleBeach. The park has long beena favorite birding location anda popular stop on the Westport/Grayland Shorebird Festivalfield trip. As the board weighedthis decision we had several con-cerns. We didnt want the parkoverdeveloped so that it inter-fered with the migrating shore-

birds that stop and feed there inthe spring and fall; we wantedto preserve the wetlands andhabitat of the other birds of thepark; and we wanted safe park-ing for the additional people thata developed park would attract.We felt the way we could bestinfluence these concerns wasto become a partner and assureourselves a place at the table asthe plan was designed.So after much discussion (there

was disagreement even amongthe board about the design of the park!) Grays Harbor Audubonmade the decision to sign on asa partner with State Parks. This partnership meant participat-ing in the actual planning of theproject and serving as volunteersand stewards for the park afterits completion. We have been atrue partner in the development

of this plan. At our board meet-ing on January 7, 2007, MichaelHankinson, parks planner andlandscape architect presented

the plans for the park designand listened to input from theboard.

Bottle Beach will be the firststate park developed expresslyfor birding and the Parks De-partment is hoping it will be amodel for other birding parksin the state. The plan is nearingcompletion and will be present-ed to the public sometime thisspring or summer.

So far, the design calls for aparking lot that will hold about15 cars and have a bus turn-a-round and toilet facility. Thetrail will be 5 ft. wide to allowfor wheelchair access, and willrun from the parking lot to a fewfeet from the beach. This sec-tion will be asphalt. The trailwill then run behind the tree lineto the third blind. The trail to theend of the property to the easthas not been planned yet. The

trail will be made from packedearth and/or earth and include benches for resting and bird-ing by ear. The bridge will re-main in its current location butwill have small viewing apronson each side so that birders canview the birds in the wetlandsand along the creek. There willbe two beach access points andthree blinds. The blinds will be

andicapped accessible, andill be designed with a balance

of maximizing viewing andinimizing the visual distur-

bance for the birds. The first andhird blinds will face the bay, foriewing shore birds at blind #1

and ducks and geese from blind3. Blind #2 will give birders aiew of an abundance of birds inhe wetlands and creek.Some wetlands will have to belled and the staff is still work-

ing on mitigation plans. Thereill be vegetation enhance-ent along the trail and around

he blinds and parking lot. In-asive plants will be removed

and replaced with native plants,including natives that will pro-

ide thorny protection. Parks isopeful of additional funds foretland restoration work.As the park is completed, weill be recruiting volunteers

from Audubon and other orga-izations to help with planting,

invasive plant eradication andcontrol and other hands on proj-ects. Hopefully we will be ableo do shorebird monitoring and

provide docents for peak migra-

ion times.Bottle Beach is designated asan Important Bird Area (IBA)and second in importance onlyo Bowerman Basin as a habitat

and feeding ground for migrat-ing shorebirds.

HAS Mission

The mission of the GraysHarbor Audubon Societyis to seek a sustainable bal-ance between human activ-ity and the needs of the en-vironment; and to promoteenjoyment of birds and thenatural world


5/9

page 5

The Sandpiperslegislative notebook

Its that time of year again.advocates are sharpening uptheir pencils to set their priori-ties and legislators are headedback to Olympia and Washing-

ton D.C. to work on legislationfor 2007.Conservation Committees inAudubon Chapters around thestate focus on two sets of priori-ties: Audubons 2007 Legisla-tive Priorities and Priorities forA Health Washington, devel-oped by Audubon Washingtonand over 20 other WashingtonState conservation and commu-nity organizations.

Priorities for a Healthy Wash-ington1. $100 Million for Parks andWildlife: Preserve 133 placesfor parks and wildlife across thestate by increasing our two-yearinvestment to $100 million. Asour states population grows, sotoo does the need for recreation-al opportunities, wildlife habi-tat and farmland. We have anopportunity in 2007 to protectthose places that make Wash-

ington special and enhance ourmuch-envied quality of life.2. Save our Sound: PugetSounds water and wildlife arein trouble. We want to leave ourchildren the legacy of a cleanand healthy Puget Sound, butthat takes money and clout. Weneed increased funding and anew Puget Sound agency cre-

ated in 2007 that will take lead-ership, maintain oversight andhold accountable those respon-sible for results over the longterm. And we need bold actionthis year to prevent and clean up

water pollution and protect andrestore habitat.3. Support Clean Air - Clean

uels: Washington can becomea dynamic, competitive leader ingrowing the clean fuel industry.

he 2007 Clean Air/Clean Fuels package encourages energy in-dependence by providing incen-tives for Washington farmersto produce the most promisingnew biofuel feedstocks; reducesfuel consumption and costs for

state fleets; protects our kids bycleaning up dirty diesel school buses; promotes advanced ve-hicle technology; and helps thestate guard against health threatsfrom global warming.

. Eliminate Toxic Flame Retar-dants: Serious health concerns-for children and wildlife-arelinked to industrial chemicalsused as flame retardants knownas PBDEs. High levels of these

chemicals have been found inashington residents, PugetSound orcas and salmon, andthe Spokane River. These chem-icals should be banned in favorof safer effective alternatives al-ready in use so we can have fireprotection without poisons. Audubon Washington 2007Priorities1. Conserve Washingtons For-es s2. Keep Our Working Lands and

aintain Growth Managementhese priorities include:working for a revised Forestealth billworking with a group to find

ways to relax the Forest Con-version Moratorium while stillmaintaining the protections thatdeter developers and large tim-ber companies from permanent

conversion of forests supporting DNRs request forincreased administrative over-head (from 5% to 25%) so thatthey can better improve protec-tions for owl and riparian habi-

a focusing on voluntary optionsto counter the economic pres-sure on farmers and foresters No rollbacks to the GrowthManagement Act (GMA) andother land use protectionsAudubon Washington, through

their budget priorities, also ad-vocates for sustained fundingand revenue streams to supportregulations and programs thatprotect birds, wildlife and their

habitat. This benefits birds andour economy by investing inour natural assets so residentsand nature tourists can enjoythe birds and wildlife and spendtheir money here in Washing-ton!

For more information on all ofthese legislative priorities, youcan read Audubon Washing-tons legislative digest BirdsEye View on line. Go to the

Audubon Washington websiteand click on Birds Eye View.

Bowerman Basin continuedfrom page 3he work equally hard to protectthe Grays Harbor National Wild-life Refuge from any develop-ment that would be harmful tothe Refuge. The Annual GraysHarbor Shorebird Festival, cen-tered at the Refuge, brings over

2000 tourists to Grays HarborCounty each year and has be-come a major player in the eco-nomic health of the Harbor.

You can write toRepresentative Norm Dicks

2467 RayburnHouse Office Building,

Washington D.C., 20515


6/9

page 6

Are you interested in re-ceiving The Sandpiperon-line? Send us your emailaddress and we can forwardhe latest issue the moment

it is ready to publish or visithttp://ghas.org to view theewsletter as a color pdfle.

BirdStar continued from page 1They build their deep, cup

shaped nests on or hangingfrom tree branches high in theconifers. The nests have smallopenings to conceal the adult bird as she broods. The nests

are made from moss, feathers,spider webs, lichen, bark andtwigs, grasses and conifer nee-dles. Their eggs are white with brownish spots on the largerend. They lay from 5 to 10 eggsthat hatch in about 2 weeks andthe young birds leave the nestsin a little over two weeks afterthey are hatched.

Ruby-crowned Kinglets feedon insects and spiders and theireggs, some fruits and berries

and on the seeds of weeds. Theyglean their food from the tipsof branches and bark and otherfoliage and often hover as theyfeed. They are constantly in mo-tion, flicking their wings as theyforage for food. They also eatree sap.hey are songbirds. The males

sing their clear, strong songsduring spring migration andfrom high in the spruce trees as

they guard their territories.

Wild childBy Janet Strong

Born of ocean currents and thespinning globe,

A wild child flies oer the seaAnd sweeps across the land.

All of nature bows before herblows.

Creatures too rigid for theproper cur syMay be broken or knocked

asunder,Victims of the battle betweenterra firma

And a shrieking spirit.

Violent shaking infects all,An epidemic of lost partsHurtling off in every direction,To appease the angry force.

For some, the ferocious windReminds us of the awesomepower

Of the natural world.

For some, the frightening windBrings loss and sorrow,Stemming from an instant gustOf an aerial steamroller.

For all, it is a remembrance,A punctuation point in history,Both human and natural.

or the membershipBy Ann Haarer

Thanks to all of you who re-sponded to our recent postcardcampaign for membership re-ewals. We received over 20 re-

ewals as a result.In case youre wondering how

you can know when its timeo renew, your membership re-ewal date is to the right of yourame on the address label on

your Sandpiper. Check it occa-sionally to see if its time to sendin your membership renewal.

Since National Audubon hasad to decrease their financial

assistance to local chapters, yourNational Audubon Membership

o longer includes your chapterembership. To join Grays Har-

bor Audubon or to renew yourchapter membership, fill out the

embership form near the backof the Sandpiper and send it,

ith your check to the addressindicated on the form.

Olympic Loop Greatashington Birding Trailap is Almost Here!

The last dollar has been raised,he last site description writtenand edited, the last artists ren-dering of the trails many birds painted. All thats left is the printing and distribution! Con-gratulations to Christi Normanand her chapter teams along theloop for all the hard work andime committed to this project.he map should be ready soon

and will be available at upcom-ing chapter meetings. They will

also be distributed to manyourist locations and Chambersof Commerce around the state.

or Grays Harbor County, it joins the companion Southwest

ashington map which wascompleted last year.

Great Backyard BirdCount Feb 16- 19, 2007

This is the 10th annual count.To learn more please visitwww.birdsource.org/gbbc


7/9page 7

GHAS Board of Directors

Rose DuBois 532-4067 [email protected]

Ann Haarer 268-1004 [email protected]

Steve Hallstrom 273-9280 [email protected]

Theressa Julius 537-4386 [email protected]

Arnie Martin 612-0437 [email protected] McMillan 268-1004 [email protected]

Dianna Moore 289-5048 [email protected]

Linda Orgel 648-2476 [email protected]

Renee Prine 268-0485

Dean Schwickerath 495-3101 [email protected]

Diane Schwickerath 495-3101 [email protected]

Janet Strong 495-3950 [email protected]

Gary Utter 269-0157 [email protected]

Chapter Officers

President Jan McMillan, 268-1004

[email protected] President Arnie Martin 612-0437

[email protected]

Treasurer Diane Schwickerath 495-3101

[email protected]

Secretary Theressa Julius, 537-4386

[email protected]

Committee Chairs

Newsletter R.D. Grunbaum, 648-2476

[email protected]

Membership Ann Haarer, 268-1004

[email protected]

Conservation/Habitat Dean Schwickerath, 495-3101

[email protected]

Education Janet Strong, 495-3950

[email protected]

Field Trips vacant

Program Chair Diana Moore 289-5048

[email protected]

Hospitality Rene Prine, 268-0485

Publicity Jan McMillan, 268-1004

[email protected] Audubon Contacts

GHAS voice mail (800) 303-8498

State Audubon (360) 786-8020

National Audubon (212) 979-3000

GHAS Website http://www.ghas.org

Save the Datefor the

2007Grays Harbor Shorebirdestival

Friday through Sunday,pril 27th through 29th

Highlights includeA Friday Night Key

Note SpeakerField Trips to Westport,

okeland, Bottle Beach,Ocean Shores and more!

Trips to the Refuge

Boardwalk to see BirdsSaturday Night Banquetand Auction

Workshops, LecturesVendors

We will need lots of vol-unteers. Contact Jan Mc-Millan at (360) 258-1004if you would like to help atnext years festival.

Valentines DayGrab your sweetheart and join

us for Environmental LobbyDay in Olympia on February14th. The day kicks off with agathering to review the environ-mental priorities, then we hit thehalls of the Capitol campus tomeet with our legislators and at-tend any relevant hearings thatmay be scheduled for that day.

You dont need to be an expe-rienced advocate to participate.There are usually at least 4 - 5people in each team to lend sup-port. Its a great way to get yourfeet wet, so come join otherAuduboners, learn as you goand enjoy the day! Interested?Call Jan at (360) 268-1004.


8/9

Please Fill Out and Mail Back

ANNUAL GRAYS HARBOR AUDUBON

CHAPTER MEMBERSHIP CATEGORIES

If you would like to join Grays Harbor Audubon Society (GHAS), please fill out the form below,make check payable to Grays Harbor Audubon Society and return it with your check to:

Grays Harbor Audubon SocietyP.O. Box 470

Montesano, WA 98563

Chapter Memberships include a subscription to The Sandpipernewsletter. All Chapter Member-ships above the Sandpiper category provide financial support to our Chapter. The Grays HarborAudubon Society is totally self-supporting.

Name _________________________________________________ Date ____________

Address _________________________________________________________________

City _____________________________________ State/Zip

Phone Number _____________________ E-Mail ______________________________

Heron $25.00

Pelican $50.00

Falcon $75.00

agle $100.00

he Sandpipersubscription only $15(Fixed or limited income membership orSandpipernewsletter only)

am renewing my membership am a new member

To join National Audubon or renew your National Audubon Membership, call 1-800-274-4201.

If your newsletter is stamped withLast Issue-Please Renew, be sure to fill out the MembershipForm above and send it in to keep your membership active and keep receiving the newsletter!Thanks!

page 8


9/9

Membership Meetingardening for the Birds

Pearsall Building

2109 Sumner Avenue

Sunday, February 4, 2007

1:30 - 3:00 PM

Note this is a new locationfor the meeting

News & Editorialsend materials toP.O. Box 1044

estport, -or email to

[email protected] deadline March 5th

Inside this Issue

Gardening for Birds 1Birdstar 1Presidents Perch 2GHAS Training 2GHAS new officers 2Christmas Bird Count 3Volunteers needed 3Eye on Bowerman 3Park partnership 4Legislative notebook 5Bowerman continued 5Bird Star continued 6Wild Child 6

Membership info 6Birding Trail Map 6Lobby Day 7Board & Officers 7Member Application 8

TheSandpiperP.O.Box470

Montesano,WA98563

NonProfitOr.U.S.PostagePAIDAberdeen,WAPermit#5

Date post:	29-May-2018
Category:	Documents
Upload:	grays-harbor-audubon-society
View:	218 times
Download:	0 times

January-February 2007 Sandpiper Newsletter Grays Harbor Audubon Society

Documents