November-December 2008 Echo Black Hills Audubon Society

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Black HillsAudubon Society

Olympia, Washington

Volume 39,

Number 6November/December 2008

BHAS membership meetings are held on the third Thursday o the month at the Capitol Museum Coach House, 211 W. 21st Street, in Olympia. Social hour is at 7pm, with programs beginning promptly at 7:30. Driving directions: From I-5 in Olympia, take Exit 105 ollowing the State Capital/City Center route. A ter the tunnel, turn le t (south) onto Capital Way. A ter 7 blocks, turn right on 21st Avenue. The museum is two blocks down on thele t. The Coach House meeting room and adjacent parking are behind the Museum building o Olympia).

Thursday, November 20 th

Midway Atoll50 Years LaterCome join Elizabeth Rodrick as she shares her 2-week working vacation on Midway Island, andhow the island has changed since she lived thereas a child 50 years ago. Her vacation was spentcounting albatross. She will give an overview o allspecies on the island with special emphasis on al-

batross species biology and techniques used to takethe census. Elizabeth will also talk about currentnational wildli e re uge issues a ecting the atoll.

Elizabeth is the Conservation Lands Manager or theWashington State Department o Fish and Wildli e.

Thursday, December 18

Holiday PartyCome join us in a holiday party celebrating thesuccesses o BHAS in 2008! Sometimes we donthave enough time set aside to share stories, gab, orjust hang out with like-minded olk! Board mem-bers will be on hand to welcome new members andre-connect with staunch supporters over the years.Bring a avorite recipe or sample o bird- riendlysnacks, and or us bipeds there will be hot ciderand yummy cookies on hand!

In this Issue of The Echo: Northwest Trek Frog Release ....................... p 12008 Birdathon Wrap-up ............................. p 2Fall Feeder Cleaning a Success ..................... p 4Missed the Fall Feeder Cleaning? ................. p 4Christmas Bird Count Dec. 14th ................... p 4Birding in Earnest ........................................ p 5Conservation Update ................................... p 6Echo Paper vs. Electronic Results ................. p 6BHAS Calendar ............................................ p 7BHAS Roster ................................................ p 8Field Trip Descriptions ................................. p 9Alternative Gi t Fair ..................................... p 9Bird Book Reviews ......................................p 10Annual Auction/Dinner Reminder ...............p 10Membership Form ...................................... p 11Marbled Murrelet Delisting ........................ p 12

Northwest Trek RaisesState-endangered Frogsfor ReintroductionThe tiny one-ounce dye-marked amphibians leap en-thusiastically out o their plastic containers and intothe lush grass, water and thick mud at the edge o thelake. These juvenile Oregon spotted rogsare taking o into the big world a terbeing care ully monitored and pro-tected or six months at the Conserva-tion Center at Northwest Trek Wildli ePark. The animal care team has rettedover water quality, chopped and cooked kaleand romaine, wrangled crickets and consulted with

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partner agencies which has generally kept themhopping.

This is the rst-ever cap-

tive rearing and releaseprogram or the Oregonspotted rog in Washingtonand represents a signi cant

rst step in our joint e ortto help recover this ragilespecies, said Harriet Allen,Washington Department oFish and Wildli e (WDFW)endangered species pro-gram manager.

Were excited to be parto this project because it

ts so per ectly with ourconservation mission, saidDave Ellis, deputy director atNorthwest Trek. Not only that, but our specialty atthe park is North American species, so this dove-tails beauti ully with our work.

The zookeepers joined biologists rom the WDFWand the U.S. Army released the rogs into Dailman

Lake on the Fort Lewis Military Reservation in PierceCounty in a collaborative e ort to return the state-endangered rog to a portion o its historic habitat.

Frogs are ound in all parts

o the world and are knownas sentinel animals by alert-ing us to serious environ-mental and climate changesthat can a ect all species,said Jim Lynch, biologist

or the Fort Lewis Fish andWildli e Program. They alsoplay an important role inbalancing ecosystems andwhen they disappear romtheir habitat, that ecosystemis disrupted.

The captive-rearing strat-egy, called head startingis based on the premise that

juvenile rogs are thought to be less vulnerable andbetter able to survive when released back into na-ture. The goal o the this pilot program is to estab-lish a sel -sustaining population o Oregon spotted

rogs at Fort Lewis and set the stage or a structured

NW Trek Frog Release First of its Kind in WashingtonFrom page 1

The 2008 Birdathon (in May) was a huge success.With the help o eld trip leaders and many indi-viduals, $2483 was raised or our Chapter. Forty-three people participated in Birdathon eld trips ledby eld trip leaders Woody Franzen,Jim Pruske, Phil Kelley, Jean MacGregor,Tom Schooley, and Lonnie Sommer.Several people led their own eld tripsor birded on their own and ound cre-ative ways to include others in this unand important undraising event.

In ormation about the 2009 Birdathonwill come your way at the Annual Din-ner in March. Remember May is Birdathon month!

Thanks to all the ollowing 2008 Birdathon partici-pants and supporters:JL and JD Anderson, Marian Bailey, Andrew and

Shirely Beelik, Patty Brock, Linda Carter, Pat Brady,Rob Cole, Michele Collins, David and Peggy Ed-wards, Eve Failor, Fred Fiedler, Woody Franzen,Karen Fraser, Bill Frymire, Mark Grey, Burt Gutt-

man, Sheila Harper, Lee Hoemann, Liz Hoenig, ScottJarvis, Whittier Johnson, Nancy Judge, John andDonna Keith, Phil Kelley, Erika Krupp, Jean Mac-Gregor, Clarice McCartan, Sheila McCartan, Cathy

McGuire, Michael McGuire, Sam andSusan Merrill, Melody Mier, Greg Miller,Anne Mills, Paul and Bobbie Moody,Deb Nickerson, Tom Oliva, Steve Parrett,Starleen Parsons, Matt and Lisa Pike,Michael Pike, Ralph Pike, Jane Poole,Sam Powell, Jim Pruske, Dave Richard-son, Doug Roster, Michael and MariaRuth, Bob Saunders, Tom Schooley,

Jan Sharkey, Eric Slagle, Jean Smith, Lonnie Somer,Mary Ann Steele, Kristin Stewart, Alexis Sulek-Dom-mes, Bob Sundstrom, Tim Sweeney, Jean Takekawa,Nancy Wells, Merlin Wiese, Cathy and Ross Wig-gins, Gary Wiles, Deborah Wilhelmi, Sharon Willis-Green, and Sharon Wilson.

Sheila McCartan

2008 Birdathon Wrap-up

Continued on page 4

Tiny radio transmitters are attached to six rogs toenable biologists to track the movements o theanimals or at least a month.


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Black Hills Audubon Society

Fall Bird FeederCleaning a Success!Satis action, pride, problem-solving, pizza, andcamaraderie. I experienced all that on October 4 th at the annual Fall Bird Feeder Cleaning held at WildBirds Unlimited on Olympias west side.

The satis action came when I learned that 124 birdeeders had been cleaned and sanitized, and that

birds who ate rom them would not be exposed todisease rom moldy and contaminated eeders (atleast or a couple o months). I experienced pride inknowing how hard we volunteers worked to trans-

orm moldy dirty eeders into clean healthy eeders.

The problem-solving opportunities were numer-ous, since it seemed each eeder had its own uniqueway o being taken apart. Thepuzzle didnt always endwith disassembly, either;sometimes it was a chal-lenge to put them backtogether, too! But that parto the un

We had 4 di erent kindso pizzas to choose rom

or lunch, plus cider andassorted donuts. We didnot lack or ood!

Last, but not least, Ivalued working alongside

others who care about our

environment and the health o our bird riends. Weeven got to socialize and learn more about eachother while our hands were busy scrubbing eedersin dish pans lled with warm soapy water. Whatcould be better?? Well, maybe a little less rain andwind, but heck, thats the Paci c Northwest we livein and love!!

We thank everyone who brought in eeders to becleaned. Huge thanks to Ruth Pagel and her riendlyand knowledgeable sta at Wild Birds Unlimited

or hosting this, the 13 th year o twice-yearly eedercleanings. Thanks also to Top Foods or the hotwater, without which the actual cleaning would bemuch less e ective and de nitely less pleasant orour volunteers.

And speaking o volunteers, we cant thank the ol-lowing olks enough or working the eeder cleaning,

whether it was pressure wash-ing, scrubbing, errying eeders,

taking in the eeders, or stayinguntil the eeders were picked

up: Jane Poole, Susan Markey,Bob Markey, Gary Wiles, Jan

Sharkey, Sue Danver, Whit-tier Johnson, Vicki Aden,

Noah Aden, Nolan God-rey, John God rey, Bev

Gorman, Debra Jaqua,and the Coordinatoro this event, DebbieNickerson.

Deb Jaqua

5. Wash the eeder6. Then immerse it in a solution o ten partswater to one part bleach or two to three min-utes to disin ect them be ore rinsing i reshwater and air drying.

As word o dirty- eeder dangers spreads, sales oquick-clean eeders are growing. Tube eedersand nch eeders with snap-o bases and severaleasy-to-clean styles o hopper and tray eed-ers are available locally. Ruth Pagel o Wild BirdsUnlimited recommends Feeder Fresh, a non-toxicabsorbent sand that helps reduce clumping andmolding o seed in tube eeders. The birds willthank you!

Maria Ruth

Missed the Fall Bird Feeder Cleaning?Dont wait until next April or us to clean your

eeders! BHAS volunteers do an unusually thor-ough cleaning job, but some eeders should becleaned every month during the damp Paci cNorthwest winters to help avoid spread o in ec-tious diseases o our backyard birds.

You can give your eeders a maintenance cleaningin about ten minutes:

1. Wash the eeder in warm, soapy water,2. Rinse in resh water,3. Air-dry be ore re lling.

However, i moldy seed has accumulated in theeeder or youve noticed sick birds at your eeder:

4. Use a bottle brush to remove the seed(dont dump it on the ground)


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recovery e ort that will continue or several years.Northwest Trek is using space at its ConservationCenter located on land purchased through the Cas-cade Land Conservancy and Pierce County Futures.

The Dailman Lake area was chosen or reintroduc-tion because it contains diverse wetlands connectedto a stream system capable o supporting and sus-taining a rog population.

The Oregon spotted rog historically ranged romsouthwestern British Columbia to northeastern Cali-

ornia. The rog is now believed to have disappearedrom Cali ornia and Oregons Willamette Valley and

has su ered signifcant declines elsewhere in its his-toric range. Loss o habitat, predation by non-nativespecies such as the American bull rog, and diseasehave decimated its numbers, which prompted listing itas a Washington state-endangered species in 1997.

The reintroduction program was rst developed in2007 through a collaborative e ort by WDFW, FortLewis, Northwest Trek Wildli e Park, Point De anceZoo & Aquarium, Oregon Zoo, Washington StateDepartment o Transportation, U.S. Fish and Wild-li e Service, Woodland Park Zoo, Port Blakely TreeFarms, Washington Department o Natural Resourc-es, NW Zoo & Aquarium Alliance, U.S GeologicalSurvey, Mountain View Conservation & BreedingCentre and The Nature Conservancy.

The projects start-up coincides with e orts by theAssociation o Zoos & Aquariums, which is high-lighting 2008 as the Year o the Frog to mark amajor conservation e ort to address global amphib-ian extinction.

Activities related to the reintroduction program arebeing unded through grants rom the Point De anceZoo & Aquarium, the Northwest Zoo & AquariumAlliance and the Association o Zoo & AquariumsAmphibian Fund.

Cherilyn Williams

Frog ReleaseFrom previous page

This years Christmas Bird Count (CBC) willbe held on Sunday, December 14th. Thisevent, sponsored by BHAS, needs volunteersto spend the day (or as much time as pos-

sible) in the eld countingbirds in their groupsassigned count area.Folks new to birdingor those who pre erwill be partneredwith experiencedgroup leaders. Thisis a serious commit-ment and a wholelot o un, and itsalso a great way or

amateurs to becomeamiliar with our local

birds.

The day will conclude withthe traditional post-countchili dinner shortly a ter dark atthe Gull Harbor Lutheran Churchin Olympia, 4610 Boston Harbor Rd.What a wonder ul way to end the day a terbeing outside or so long!

Our count is part o the National AudubonSocietys 109th CBC. These events are moreimportant than ever because the results areused as tools to monitor the status and distri-

bution o bird populations across the west-ern hemisphere. Incidentally, almost everyyear Olympia has the

nationalhigh count

or Golden-crownedKinglet and,in someyears, Win-ter Wren.This work is

very im-portant andvery ap-

preciated. Tojoin in, contact

George Walter at360-459-8220 or email

gwalter@nwi c.org.

Christmas Bird Count, Sunday, Dec. 1 th


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Birding in EarnestSightings from August andSeptember 2008By Bill ShelmerdineTo report sightings, call 360-866-9106 or email at

georn1 hotmail.com.

Thanks go to Phil Kelly (PK), Paul Hicks (PH), LonnieSommer (LS), Jim Pruski (JP), Trudy Cadman (TC),Dennis Ellison (DE), and Dave Hayden (DH) orreporting or recording their nds.

Anything can happen in migration, and or mymoney, all is the most exciting season in the Pa-ci c Northwest. In our area, Im usually thinkingshorebirds, but we really see the ull spectrum romo shore waters to the mountains; recent reportsrefect this. Surprisingly there were ew reports oshorebirds locally, although,as usual, there was plenty oactivity along the coast.

August and September are busytimes in o shore waters and thisis where I spent more o mybirding time, sadly to thedetriment o wanderingthe shorelines, mudfatsand ponds in search o shorebirds. So witha general lack o reports, you get my takeon seabirds when you might expect a

ocus on shorebirds

Offshore in GraysHarbor County:My rst trip o -shore this August was on 8/23; itwas just one o those truly great days on the waterwith big numbers o birds and marine mammals.Seeing two hundred to three hundred Paci c White-sided Dolphins slashing the water around the boatwith thousands o birds overhead was dizzying. Thereturn trip encountered a amily o Orca (includinga young cal ) and more thousands o birds (domi-nated by Sooty and Pink- ooted Shearwaters ).Flesh- ooted Shearwater probably topped thelist o exciting birds seen; rst o season BullersShearwaters , a sweep within the Jeager clan,South Polar Skua , and Arctic Tern were just a ewo the highlights rom an impressive day list. Sep-tember 5th brought the rst Short-tailed Shear-waters ; a 5-shearwater day is a good day any wayyou slice it and a Manx Shearwater close to shorestarted the trip out right.

Westport Seabirds runs trips out o you guessed

it, Westport, running more trips in August and Sep-tember and nishing at the end o the month. Sep-tember 27th ended the o shore season with lowerthan expected seabird numbers (though CassinsAuklet numbers were good or those who ollow theplights o the northern alcids). However, the sight-ing o Hawaiian Petrel on the 27th, a rst or WA,was nothing short o spectacular. I interested in thecomplete list or speci c trips, check out the website

or Westport Seabirds ( westports-eabirds.com/ ). A schedule or 2009 trips will likelybe posted in mid-winter or spring.

Coastal birding Along theouter coast:I received no speci c reports rom the coast. Fromwhat I gather, shorebird movements were typicalwith all o the regulars present and accounted or.Unusual or this part o the coast were very spo-

radic reports o Elegant Terns alongthe Oregon, Washington, and BC

coasts. A species that makesregular all visits rom the

south into central Cali or-nia, they are rarely en-countered this ar northand it has been manyyears since the last inva-sion. They proved very

rustrating to nd alongthe Washington Coast however,

and only a hand ul o lucky observersreported birds along our coast (though not

or lack o searching).

Puget lowlands and inlandmarine watersPersonally, I did not do much birding here over thesummer period, and with a general lack o reportsI am likely under representing the situation. An im-mature Sabines Gull was present on the waters oEld Inlet on 8/31.

On 9/23, three Sandhill Cranes were observed onthe outer delta at Nisqually (DE, PK), and on 9/30,

nine Brown Pelicans were observed in the samegeneral area (DE). Passerine migration was quitenoticeable in early and mid September; reports romNisqually on 9/3 included Nashville and MacGilli-vreys Warblers along with 6 other warbler speciesseen that day (PK). On 9/9 a busy day near Teninoincluded 6 warbler species, 3 Hammonds Fly-catchers , and sightings o Northern Pygmy Owl and a roving band o Gray Jays (PH).

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The most unusual report came on 8/28: a Com-mon Ground Dove was reported rom the Roches-ter area in South Thurston County (TC). Where theheck did this guy come rom? Interestingly, therewas an uncon rmed report rom North Portland,OR, earlier in the month. Escapee? Perhaps, as thisparticular individual was reported to be unusuallytame, but this species is also a con rmed wanderer.To my knowledge it is as yet un-reported in WA.

Fall in the Skokomish Valley, what does that makeyou think o probably not birds. This is a timemany o us think o produce, speci cally Skok Valleycorn. However, i you make a trip to this area in the

all, dont orget your binoculars. In early August,swallows began staging here in very large numbers;on 8/3, huge numbers (thousands) o swallows,dominated by violet-greens , crowded the wiresaround the valley. On 8/4 a Eurasian Collared

Dove was present (perhaps a rst or Mason Co.) just another example o this introduced spe-cies continuing its rapid expansion through NorthAmerica.

The orests and hills in our area usually receive littlebirding attention at this time. However, time spenthere paid o or some. August in the upper Skokom-ish River Basin seemed to have some good birdingpossibilities. On 8/13, a pair o Golden Eagles werelocated and sightings over the next couple o weekssuggest that they may have been residents ratherthan migrants. A Northern Goshawk was ound inthe same area on 8/26, Blue and Ru ed Grouse were seen on every visit, and Northern PygmyOwl and Olive-sided Flycatchers rounded out alist o interesting sightings. Five Common Night-hawks were noted overhead near Shelton on 8/13,probably migrants on the move. A BHAS eld trip on9/28 produced 2 Townsends Solitaires in Capi-tol Forest (DH, LS, JP,), a species di cult to nd inThurston County and rarely reported in the all.

Birding in Earnest From previous page

Results of The Echo inPaper vs. Web SurveyThanks to the twenty olks who took time to com-municate with BHAS about their pre erence owhether to continue to receive The Echo in paper orget it electronically. The majority stated their pre er-ence to keep publishing and sending out The Echo inpaper. Among the several reasons given or keepingpaper was the convenience and ease o reading pa-per over reading rom a screen, some members donot have computers, and also that the paper versiono The Echo is more portable.

As or the requency o publishing The Echo, theresponses ranged rom pre erring to receive TheEcho twice a year to monthly, with most saying thatthey liked the current rate o every other month butcould live with it coming out less requently.

The BHAS Board agreed to continue publishing TheEcho in paper, every other month, or the time be-ing, but we may revisit the requency in the uture.Also, we may ask who would be willing to have anelectronic version emailed to them instead o gettinga paper version as a way to save resources. Staytuned!!

Please dont hesitate to let us know o any sug-gestions you may have to improve The Echo, or theWeb site. Thanks!

Debra Jaqua, Echo Editor

ConservationUpdateMembers o the BHAS Conservation Committeehave been so busy working on continuing localissues, some with late-breaking legal decisions,

that we havent been able to write up whatshappening in time to get it into this edition oThe Echo. We apologize or this, but that issometimes the nature o these issues. O ten,these are not stories with identi able endings.they are in process. It takes dedication to ollowthese issues, sometimes or several years!

Among the many issues we are ollowing arehousing or industrial/commercial developmentsthat could have a negative e ect on wildli e ornatural habitat, clean up and protection o PugetSound, preserving unique prairie ecosystems,

the county task orce on cluster housing, countycritical areas ordinances, and more.

For current updates on conservation issues,please go to Black Hills Audubon Societys Con-servation Web page at //blackhillsaudu-bon /conservation-local.html .

I there is a conservation issue you are con-cerned about, eel ree to contact us at in oblackhills-audubon .


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$

BHAS CalendarNovemberNovember 20th, (Thurs.): 7pm - pm.

General Membership Meeting.Presentation: Midway Atoll50 Years Later ,by Elizabeth Rodrick.

DecemberDecember 6th (Saturday), Field Trip: Point Wilson,

Fort Flagler, and Port Townsend environs.Leave at 7:00 am rom Mud Bay Park & Ride.Leader: Lonnie Somer

December 13th (Saturday), 10am3pm:Alternate Gi t Fair , at theOlympia Center, 222 Columbia St. NW, Olympia.

December 14th (Sun.), 109th Audubon ChristmasBird Count and Chili Feed

December 18th (Thurs.), General Membership Meetingwill be the Holiday Party! 7pm9pm.

Birdi ng ClassesThe all Birding 101 class f lled up q

uickly this year, w ith a waiting list

o at least ten people. We were thrilled with the eager interest rom the

community!

Debbie Nickerson, chair o the Education Committee that created this

class, said there may be a Specialty Birding class this coming winter,

and there will be a spring Birding 101 class coming, as you might ex-

pect, in the spring. We dont ha ve frm dates yet, but the classes will be

announced in upcoming issues o the Echo and also on the BHAS Web

site a t http:/ / w ww. b la ckhills-a udu b on.org. Please contact Debbie at

3 60 -754 -5397 i you ha ve any questions.



Black Hills Audubon Society 1063 Capitol Way So., Rm 208, Olympia, WA 98501Phone: 360-352-7299Website: www.blackhills-audubon.org E-mail: in o blackhills-audubon.org

Black Hills Audubon Society is a non-pro torganization. A member chapter o the NationalAudubon Society, it represents Audubon members inLewis, Mason and Thurston Counties.

Our goals are to maintain, restore and protect ourecosystems or uture generations, and to promoteenvironmental education and nature-basedrecreation.

General membership meetings are held at 7 p.m.on the third Thursday evening o each month,September through June, at the Capitol MuseumCoach House, 211 West 21 st Street, in Olympia.

Board meetings are at 5:30 p.m. on the secondWednesday o each month. The site varies rommonth to month, so please call us at the o ce iyou would like to sit in.

Phone and e-mail messages are welcome, but pleaseremember 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: DebJaqua. Layout and design by Lee Miller. Graphics byNature Icons/Ultimate Symbol unless initialed.

Material or The Echo should be sent toPO Box 2524, Olympia, WA 98507, or e-mailed toDeb Jaqua at webdeb1 gmail.com.

Deadline or the January/February 2009 issue isDecember 5, 2008.

Board of Directors 2008-2009O fcers President: Sam Merrill ...............360-866-8839

[email protected] President: Kris Schoyen ..... 360-754-1710

[email protected]: Debbie Nickerson ......360-754-5397

debranick gmail.comTreasurer: Susan Markey ..........360-438-9048

slmarkey comcast.net

Board Members At LargeDebra Jaqua ................................360-491-3325

webdeb1 mail.comWhittier Johnson ........................360-866-8156

whittierwj comcast.netMike OMalIey ............................360-943-2369

Committee Chairs

Conservation: Donna NickersonD.J.Nick comcast.netField Trips: Kristin Stewart .......360-456-5098

kristinstewartO1 comcast.netMembership: Margery Beeler ....360-352-5437

mswampcat aol.comPrograms: Kris Schoyen ........... 360-754-1710

[email protected]

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

schooleymccartan omcast.netBird ID: Dave McNett. ...............360-357-3695

Bird Feeder Cleaning

Debbie Nickerson ......................360-754-5397debranick 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 ....360-866-7551native orest gamil.com

Healthy Olympia Task Force, E3 Washington:Jean MacGregor...........................360-866-0166

O fce Support: Carolyn Harmon, Bonnie WoodWebmaster: Debra Jaqua .........360-491-3325

webdeb1 gmail.com



December (Saturday), Leave at :00am from Mud Bay Park & Ride. FieldTrip: Point Wilson, Fort Flagler, and PortTownsend environs.

Leader: Lonnie SomerThe primary targets or this eld trip are winter wa-ter owl in the Strait o Juan de Fuca and the north-ern Puget Sound. Hoped or species include Marbledand Ancient Murrelet, Pigeon Guillemot, RhinocerosAuklet, Common Murre, Harlequin Duck, Long-tailed Duck, Brants, 3 species o loon, and severalother species as well.Dress or cold, wind, and the ever-present possibil-ity o rain. Bring lunch, snack, and liquids. We willreturn by early evening.Trip limited to 12 people (3 cars). Call the BHAS o -

ce at 360-352-7299 or registration.

December 1 th (Sun.), From as early asyoud like until dusk.109th Audubon Christmas Bird Count andChili Feed.

This event, sponsored by BHAS, needs volunteersto spend the entire day (or as much time as youcan contribute) in the eld counting birds in yourgroups assigned count area. This is a serious com-mitment and a whole lot o un!! For more in orma-tion, go to Christmas Bird Count page.

The day will conclude with the traditional post-count chili dinner shortly a ter dark at the GullHarbor Lutheran church in Olympia, 4610 BostonHarbor Rd.... This is always a welcome event a terspending many hours in the (possible) cold and wetNorthwest. To join in the Christmas Bird County,

contact George Walter at 360-459-8220 or emailgwalter nwi c.org .

Field Trip Descriptions

Alternative Gift FairWhen: Saturday, Dec. 13 th, rom 10am 3pmWhere: 222 Columbia St. NW, OlympiaWebsite: www.theunitedchurches.org

What: Tired o the commercialized gi t giving dur-ing the holidays? There are alternatives to the usualholiday gi ts.

On Saturday, December 13th

, rom 10am to 3pmat The Olympia Center, you can purchase a gi t insomeones name rom organizations which helptrain the homeless, build homes or amilies, helpprotect our environment, and eed the hungry. Thisyear, let your gi t to someone be a weeks worth ocare or patients at The Neighborhood Free MedicalClinic; purchase a pig or a hungry amily throughHei er International; help conserve wild spacesin Thurston and Mason Counties with Black HillsAudubon Society and People or Puget Sound; sup-port a kitchen garden project with GRuB; buy tools

or homebuilding with Habitat or Humanity and

learn about the many organizations doing goodworks around our community and country.

Eighteen organizations, to which you can donateany amount, will be participating. Gi t cards will begiven to donors which, in turn, are presented to therecipient. You can make a di erence in our com-munity and world with your gi t to a local charity ina loved ones name. Come to The Olympia Center

rom 10am to 3pm and eel good about your holiday

shopping. For additional in ormation, please callDebbie Nickerson at 754-5397 or visit us at www.theunitedchurches.org.

Alternative Gift FairsSome Questions and AnswersQ. What is an Alternative Gi t Fair?A. An Alternative Gi t Fair o ers the opportunity

or a di erent kind o shopping. It is shoppingwhich avoids the o ten-encountered holidaystress in searching the malls and deciding amongthe material gi ts or stu one might give toanother. Instead, the shopper at the Fair canchoose to give a gi t in honor, and in the name,o a loved one or riend by making a donation toone o a number o worthy non-pro t organiza-tions which participate in the Fair, organizationswhose purposes best t the values o your gi trecipient.

Q. Are donations to charitable organizations theonly kind o gi ts o ered at the Fair?

A. No. A lso available or purchase are unusualcra t products and artwork ashioned by per-sons in developing countries around the worldand even in some areas in our own country. Theproceeds rom such purchases go directly to theartisans themselves and or those causes such ascommunity sel -help projects which bene t romtheir talents.

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Annual Dinner &AuctionMarch , 2009The 2009 BHAS Annual Dinner and Auc-tion on March 7, 2009 may seem a longway o , but the end o 2008 may be a goodtime to approach local merchants or dona-tions to the Auction, as they may wish toreduce their inventories be ore the start o

the new year.So i you have a avorite local shop, con-sider stopping by to ask or a contribution.

I you have any questions or need a let-ter o introduction, call or e-mail MargeryBeeler (360-352-5437 or mswampcat aol.com).

Bird Book ReviewsWe all have our avorite eld guides to thebirdsthose dog-eared, water-stained, well-worn Petersons, Audubons, Sibleys,National Geographics, or even GoldenGuides. But what about the

other bird books--theones that youre morelikely to read by the rethan in the eld? Hereare a ew o my avor-itesmostly quirky,o ten unny, always poi-gnant stories to read when itsjust too dern cold and wet to gooutside.

Providence o Sparrow: Lessons rom a Li e Gone

to the Birds, by Chris Chester (Anchor Books,2004). A very entertaining story o one mansriendship with a house sparrow. Chester is an

electronics technician and writer rom Portland.Some parts were so unny that I was unable toread them out loud without weeping and snort-ing.

How to Be a (Bad) Birdwatcher , by SimonBarnes (Short Books, 2006). An irreverent in-troduction to birdwatching by a world-class

birder and conservationist. Looking atbirds, he writes, is a key: it opens

doors, and i you choose to gothrough them you nd youenjoy li e more and understandli e better.

Diary o a Le t-Handed Bird Watcher , Leonard Nathan (Harvest

Books, 2006). Birds, philosophy, andmeditation rom an award-winning poet pur-

suing the elusive snow bunting.

The Li e o the Skies: Birding at the End o Nature,by Jonathan Rosen (Farrar, Straus, Giroux,2008due out in paperback in December). A

ascinating exploration o birding as our realnational pastime. Nearly every page o mycopy is dog-eared.

Maria RuthQ. Is the Alternative Gi t Fair an event unique toOlympia?

A. No. From a modest beginning in Cali orniaaround 1980 the idea o the Alternative Gi t Fairwas picked up around the country by aith com-munities, colleges and other organizations whichhave acted as sponsors or this kind o event. Bythe year 2000, Alternative Gi t Fairs had beenconducted in 43 states, including Washington,and in England, The Netherlands, South Koreaand Japan.

Q. Is this the frst year in which an Alternative Gi tFair has been presented in Olympia?

A. No. In recent years, a ew aith communities and perhaps some other organizations haveo ered this kind o opportunity or giving, pri-marily to their own members. However, in recentyears there has been a more concerted e ort byseveral sponsors to invite the participation o theentire Olympia community.

Q. Will all o the proceeds o the gi ts made todaygo to the participating charities?

A. Yes. The costs associated with this AlternativeGi t Fair are borne by its sponsors.

Q. Are donations (other than the purchase o cra tproducts and artwork) tax-deductible?

A. YES, to the extent allowed by law.

Alternative Gift FairFrom page 9



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 years NEW!$50, regular member or 3 years, NEW!$15, senior or ull-time student$25, senior or ull-time student or 2 years NEW!$35, senior or ull-time student or 3 years NEW!

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 directly to 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. Contri-butions are deductibleto the extent allowed

by law.

All dues go to support localBlack Hills Audubon chapter e orts.

Receive the chapter newsletter,The Echo , which describes local

chapter conservation action, events,and feld trips.

Most o the dues go to support national e orts.

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

Receive the chapter newsletter,The Echo


12/12

Black Hills Audubon SocietyPO Box 2524Olympia WA 985072524

Nonpro t Org.US Postage

PAIDOlympia WAPermit #87

Marbled Murrelet tobe Delisted?Under pressure rom timber industry groups,the U.S. Fish and Wildli e Service announcedon October 2 that it will consider delisting the

Marbled Murrelet, a small seabird thatnests in old-growth orests along thePaci c Coast. Since 1993, the mur-relet has been listed under theEndangered Species Act asa ederally threatened spe-cies in Washington, Oregon,and Cali ornia. Scientists esti-mate that at its current populationdecline o 4 to 7% a year, the murreletcould be extinct rom Washington, Oregon,and Cali ornia within the next 100 years.

Delisting this bird would open up thousand oacres o orest to loggingan activity that hasdestroyed most o the murrelets breeding habi-tat. The timber industry claims there is no needto protect murrelets because there are enoughbirds in British Columbia and Alaska; they

dispute scienti c claims that the Canadian andAlaskan murrelets are distinct rom those liv-ing in the Paci c Northwest and require specialprotection.

Murrelets also ace threats rom oil spills, chronicoil pollution, gill-netting, loss o prey species,

predation by other bird species, and now anewly documented threat in Alas-

kawhales. Researchers re-cently watched a humpbackwhale accidentally ingest10 murrelets as they werecompeting or the samesmall sh.

I youd like to voiceyour opinion againstdelisting and in supporto listing the species as

threatened in Alaska(where it currently is not listed), please send inyour comments by December 1, 2008, via

//www.regulations (type marbledmurrelet in the search eld).

LM

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November-December 2008 Echo Black Hills Audubon Society

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