8/9/2019 November-December 2009 Vermilion Flycatcher Tucson Audubon Society
1/32
Vermilionf l y c a t c h e r
NovemberDecember 2009 | Volume 54, Number 5
Tucson Audubon Society | tucsonaudubon.org
Sustainin Wildlife inOur Community
Whats in a Name? Bald Eale 12
Monsoon File, Summer Sile 13
Reconiin our Donors and Volunteers 23
PLUS a special four-pae holiday ift ideas pull-out
14 Create Sustainable Urban Wildlife Habitat
in Your Neihborhood16 Thorny Issues for Birds
Vermilionf l y c a t c h e r
NovemberDecember 2009 | Volume 54, Number 6
Tucson Audubon Society | tucsonaudubon.org
T U C S O N A U D U B O N S B I - M O N T H L Y N E W S M A g A z I N E
8/9/2019 November-December 2009 Vermilion Flycatcher Tucson Audubon Society
2/32
2 Tucson AudubonVermilion FlycatcherNovemberDecember 2009
The concept of sustainable development came
alive more than 20 years ago in the world of
international development.
Almost ten years passed before change
occurred where it was most neededin the cities,
villages, and townships where people live. It is here
that transportation strategies are designed, where
building and land use codes are written, water and
wastewater plans are implemented. It is where
sustainability is won or lost.
All sustainability is local, is how I like to
phrase it these days. Sustainability is about howcommunities live and co-exist within the natural
world. As we aggregate local sustainability
strategies, we begin to achieve transformation on a
larger scale. Sustainability trickles up.
Here in Tucson, the Citys Ofce of
Conservation and Sustainable Development
(OCSD) is barely three years old. At the time
of its creation in 2006, it was only the fth such
ofce to be formed in the country. OCSD enjoys a
strong mandate from our Mayor and Council and
we are working hard to grow our presence in the
community.
A huge part of sustainability now is addressing
climate change. The City has assembled a
talented citizens advisory committee to develop
a greenhouse gas mitigation plan as well as a
climate adaptation strategy for Tucson. We need
new adaptive strategies for ensuring that our eco-
and socio-economic systems can avoid worse case
impacts. If we dont get climate change right, then
we are not going to have success with the other
multiple dimensions of sustainability.
Tucson is fortunate to have a wealth of
successful advocacy groups working to protectour southwestern surroundings, and maintain the
biodiversity that make our region such a special
place. OCSD intends to strengthen our working
relationships with these groups and forge new
alliances where none now exist.
Sustainability requires everyone having a seat a
the table. Sustainability is not a private club of some
kind for those who know the secret passwords or
handshakes. If we get it right, sustainability will
have us working to meet the basic needs of all
species, not just human, as we co-evolve together
in a precious and threatened landscape. VF
Vermilion Flycacheris published bi-monthly. For address
changes or subscription problems call 622-5622, or write
to Membership Coordinator, Tucson Audubon, 300 E.
University Blvd, #120, Tucson, AZ 85705. Submissions are
due the 1st of the month, two months before the date of the
issue. Please send submissions as Microsoft Word or RTF
documents, or plain tet les, to Matt Grifths at mgrifths@
tucsonaudubon.org.
CdnatMatt Grifths 206-9900
PfadsJane & Warren Tisdale 749-2139andTucson Audubon staff and board members
LayutEng-Li Green
Tucson Audubon Society is dedicated to improvingthe quality of the environment by providingeducation, conservation, and recreation programs,environmental leadership, and information. Tucson
Audubon is a non-prot volunteer organiation ofpeople with a common interest in birding and naturalhistory. Tucson Audubon maintains ofces, a library,and nature shops in Tucson, the proceeds of whichbenet all of its programs.
Tucson Audubon Society300 E. University Blvd. #120, Tucson, AZ 85705
629-0510 (voice) or 623-3476 (fax)All phone numbers are area code 520 unless otherwise stated.
www.tucsonaudubon.org
Board Ofcrs & DirctorsMessages 622-5622President Herb TrossmanVice President Mich CokerSecreary Robert MeridethTreasurer Vacant
Dirctors at Larg Mary Kay Eiermann, Richard Fray,Sandy Elers, Julie Gordon, Linda Greene, Craig Marken, NeilMarkowit, Li Payne, Cynthia Pruett, Adrian Quijada, BillRoe, Jessie Shinn, Linda StiterBad CmmttsConservation Chris McVie,DevelopmentSandy Elers, Education Cynthia Pruett,Membership Jessie Shinn, Finance Vacant, NominaingRobert Merideth
Programs & ActivitisField Trips Darlene Smyh 297-2315Library David West 629-0510Membership MeetingsJean Barchman 622-5622Rare Bird Alert John Yerger| Report Rare Birds 798-1005
StaffExecutive DirectorPaul Green 777-9525
Finance and Operations Brad Paxton 629-0757
AccountantMichelle Bourgeois 629-0757
Education & Outreach Specialist Matt Brooks 622-2230
Membership CoordinatorJean Barchman 622-5622IBA Conservation Biologist Scott Wilbor 628-1730
IBA Program Assistant Samanha Barne 628-1730
Restoration Program ManagerKendall Kroesen 206-9900
Field SupervisorRodd Lancaster 256-6909
Restoration/Communications SpecialistMatthew Grifths 206-9900
Mason Outreach CoordinatorLia Sansom 971-6238
University Shop ManagerSara Pike 622-2230
Volunteer Coordinator/Agua CalienteShop ManagerBecky Aparicio 760-7881
Tcson Adbon Natr Sops300 E University Blvd #120 629-0510623-3476 fax / 622-2230 Shop Manager
Hours: MonSat 10am4pm (5pm Mon & Thu)
Agua Caliente Park, 12325 E Roger Rd 760-7881
Hours: 9am3:30pmThu, Fri, Sat (OctFeb)
VERMILIONF L Y C A T C H E R
NovemberDecember 2009 | Volume 54, Number 5
Tucson Audubon Society | tucsonaudubon.org
Sustaining Wildlife inOur Community
Whats in a Name? Bald Eagle 12
Monsoon Fizzle, Summer Sizzle 13
Recognizing our Donors and Volunteers 23
PLUS a special four-page holiday gift ideas pull -out
14 Create Sustainable Urban Wildlife Habitatin Your Neighborhood
16 Thorny Issues for Birds
VERMILIONF L Y C A T C H E R
NovemberDecember 2009 | Volume 54, Number 6
Tucson Audubon Society | tucsonaudubon.org
T U C S O N A U D U B O N S B I - M O N T H L Y N E W S M A G A Z I N E
FRONT COVER: Cactus Wren by Richard
Ditch. See more of his photos at www.richditch
com and www.richditch.wordpress.com.
To have your photographs considered for usein the Vermilion Flycatcher, please contact Mat
Grifths at [email protected].
Features12 Whats in a Name? Bald Eagle
13 Monsoon Fizzle, Summer Sizzle
14 Create Sustainable Urban Wildlife
Habitat in Your Neighborhood
16 Thorny Issues for Birds
22 Governing for SucessA
Volunteer Achievement
23 Not-for-profit. For Birds, For Wildlife,and For Your Quality of Life
Departments3 Commentary
4 News Roundup
8 Events and Classes
11 Events Calendar
18 Conservation and Education News
19 Field Trips
27 Birding Travel from Our
Business Partners28 Birds & Business Alliance
29 Classified Ads
30 Nature Shops
31 Bookends
Sustainability Trickles Up in TucsonA guest opinion by David Schaller, Sustainable Development Administrator, Ofceof Conservation and Sustainable Development, City of Tucson. Prior to joiningthe City of Tucson, David served as Sustainable Development Coordinator in theDenver Regional Ofce of the US EPA from 19952007 and in other managementand staff positions at EPA, beginning in Washington DC in 1974.
8/9/2019 November-December 2009 Vermilion Flycatcher Tucson Audubon Society
3/32
NovemberDecember 2009Vermilion Flycatcher Tucson Audubon 3
Changing peoples behavior towards
sustainable resource use in our
community is one of Tucson Audubons
three education goals.
Simply stated, living in a sustainable
manner requires us to use natural
resources no faster than our planet can
replenish them, and depositing wastes
no faster than our planet can absorb
them. Overconsumption leads to the
degradation of biodiversity and ultimately
reduces our quality of life in many ways.
With just ve percent of the worlds
population, we in the United States
consume around 25 percent of the earths
resources. Making changes that can havea large effect and are within our control
is a logical and urgent step for us and for
our governments.
We produce around 22 percent of
the worlds greenhouse gases, and we
account for signicant amounts of Chinas
emissions too through ourconsumption
of theirproduction.
A Yale University study found that two-
thirds of Americans believe the United
States should reduce its emissions of
greenhouse gases regardless of what
other countries do, and more than nine
out of ten Americans said that the United
States should act to reduce global
warming (http://environment.yale.edu/
news/5868). In addition, a majority of
Americans even supports a wide range
of actions that will hit their pockets while
benetting our environment, such as
passing local regulations that require
electric utilities to produce at least 20%
of their electricity from wind, solar, or
other renewable energy sources (http://
environment.yale.edu/news/5323/).
Because the circumstances that
produce climate are complex, the
science of climate change is based in
probabilities: it is impossible to predict
outcomes with the kind of certainty that
politicians are calling for. However,assuming no changes in our behavior,
science-based models show likely
signicant shifts in climate over the
next 50 years that have the capacity
to disrupt systems, such as those that
produce our food. So while humanity may
survive, civilization will likely be greatly
challenged. See http://stephenschneider.
stanford.edu/Climate/ClimateFrameset.
html for a good overview.
Reducing our impact on the natural
world is something that Tucson Audubon
has been promoting for some time. Usingthe original concept
from the Audubon
at Home program,
in partnership
with other Arizona
chapters, we
produced a poster-
brochure (left,
available free from
our Nature Shop) that
covers everything
from reducing our
use of fossil fuel to
reconciling our needs with
those of wildlife. Kendall Kroesen writes
about the latter on p 14. Prof Michael
Rosenzweig, who originated the eld of
reconciliation ecology, is the speaker at
our Living with Nature Lecture Series on
Monday November 9. We can now offer
you the chance to offset your production
of greenhouse gases through local tree
planting by Tucson Audubon, working
in partnership with The Local Trust
(see p 15).
There are direct links between the
daily choices we make and both theClimate Change Bill before the Senate
and CP015, the United Nations Climate
Change Conference in Copenhagen this
December. Each approaches the problem
of climate change with different solutions.
The White House stated in early October
that it does not expect to see the Senate
pass a climate change bill in 2009 to
cut US emissions by 20 percent based
on 2005 levels by 2020. This makes
unlikely that international agreement
can be reached at CP015 on action to
avoid catastrophic global warming. Inthe meantime, you can usefully educate
yourself and let your Senators know
what you want to see in the Climate
Change Bill.
Alastair McIntosh, a Quaker, and
author of Hell and High Water: Climate
Change, Hope, and the Human Condition
has said . . . politics, economics,
and technology on their own are not
enough. We must also tackle the roots of
consumerism, consumption in excess of
sufciencythe idolatrous addiction that
masks our inner emptiness and poisonsdeeper transformation. And so we must
rekindle community, and rescue hope
from the caverns of despair.
Just as we make changes in our own
lives to adapt and to mitigate for our
consumption of energy and materials, so
we must also pressure our government
through our representatives. We must be
responsible so that our children might live
For a handy Living Sustainablypocket
card, go to www.tucsonaudubon.org. VF
COMMENTARYPAUL GREEN | ExECUTIVE DIRECTOR
I . . . politics, economics, andtechnology on their own are notenough. We must also tackle theroots of consumerism, consumptionin ecess of sufciency . . .
You, Me, and Climate Chane
8/9/2019 November-December 2009 Vermilion Flycatcher Tucson Audubon Society
4/32
4 Tucson AudubonVermilion FlycatcherNovemberDecember 2009
Every year the United Way holds twodays of caring in September during
which they match volunteers with jobs
that need to be done.
This year Tucson Audubon
proposed improvements to the
landscaping outside our ofces at the
Historic YWCA along 5th Avenue. We
want to harvest rainwater and put in
native plants that would look good and
provide habitat for birds.
On September 12 eleven
volunteers from Davis Monthan AFB
came and moved a lot of dirt and rock,
creating armored rainwater-harvesting
basins in the area by the fountain just
south of the off-street parking. They
did a fabulous job!
On September
16 IBM sent us eleven
volunteers to plant more than a dozen
species of native plants and put on
some nishing touches. When they
were done it looked great!
The Historic YWCA management
provided materials and plants. We
had valuable help from Joe Schwanz,
Building Manager at the Y. A big
THANK YOU to Joe, IBM, Davis
Monthan AFB, the United Way, and
Desert Survivors Nursery (for donating
a tree and a cholla)!
TUCSON AUDUBONNEWS ROUNDUP
Days of Carin a successKendall Kroesen, Restoration Program Manager
BOTHPHOTOSKENDALLKROE
SEN
Volunteer to improve habitat!Upcoming TogetherGreen volunteer days
Snda, Novmbr 1,
Snda, Dcmbr 6, and
Snda, Janar 3 7:45noon
Tucson Audubon is part of a coalition
removing giant reed (Arundo donax)
at Sabino Canyon on the 1st Sunday
of each month through March. We
will cut, bundle, bag and in some
cases dig out giant reeds. Wear long
pants, sturdy shoes, and a hat. Bring
waterand gloves if you have them.
Tools provided. For more information
call Kendall at 971-2385 or write to
Satrda, Novmbr 21, 7:45noon
Giant reed removal efforts are
expanding out of Sabino Canyon
Recreation Area into other areas. For
this event, special access has been
provided to private land along Sabino
Creek, a mile downstream from the
recreation area. We will cut, bundle,
bag and dig out giant reeds at Dr.
Maddens property and the adjacent
homeowners association property.
Wear long pants, sturdy shoes, and
a hat. Bring water, and gloves if you
have them. Tools provided. For more
information call Kendall at 971-2385.
Satrda, Dcmbr 12, 7:45noon
Join us for this unique opportunity
to remove invasive fountain grass in
Esperero Canyon. Tucson Audubon
owns 15 acres in this remote and
scenic canyon in the front range of
the Santa Catalina Mountains, east
of Ventana Canyon. Access is limited
due to private property in the area,
so Tucson Audubon rarely takes
trips to the property. The hike in is
not long, but is somewhat rough, as
will be the removal of fountain grass
in the rocky canyon. However, you
will be amply rewarded with dramatic
scenery. Contact Kendall at 9712385
more information and to sign up.
IBM team(above) andlandscaping by
the fountain
LR: Scenic Esperero Canyon; volunteers help remove giant reed in Sabino Canyon.
People with an expressed interest
in developing youth birding met
on September 29 and ofcially
established the Tucson Young Birders
Club (TYBC), sponsored by Tucson
Audubon. We developed a set ofgoals for the TYBC and set the date
for the rst birding trip (January 30).
If you are a young birder between
the ages of 9 and 18, or know such
a person, please contact Jean
Barchman to express your interest
by calling 622-5622 or jbarchman@
tucsonaudubon.org.
Once the group has gathered
well talk more about the
name and the goals of the
club, since it is our intent
that young birders play thekey role in developing the
group. We borrowed from the
Ohio Young Birders Club to
set the mission as Encouraging,
Educating, and Empowering
Tomorrows Conservation Leaders.
We set the goals as follows:
Have fun1.
Connect young birders with adult2.
mentors willing to share their time,
knowledge, and transportation
Foster an interest in natural history3.and encourage young people to
spend more time outside
Create a community for young4.
birders throughout southern
Arizona and beyond
Promote volunteering and5.
contributing through service
projectsIntroduce young people to career6.
opportunities in the wildlife and
conservation elds
Other decisions made by the group
include the following:
The TYBC will have a planning1.
committee which will be assisted
by a six-member youth advisory
panel.
Well build a really cool website.2.
Well actively partner with other3.
organizations who will sponsor ouractivities.
Youth birdin takes winCynthia Pruett and Paul Green
8/9/2019 November-December 2009 Vermilion Flycatcher Tucson Audubon Society
5/32
NovemberDecember 2009Vermilion Flycatcher Tucson Audubon 5
Monitorin desert nestin birds for the Important Bird Areas Proram in southernAriona: Cabea Prieta NWR, Oran Pipe Cactus NM, and Tanque Verde Wash
Scott Wilbor, Important Bird Areas Program Conservation Biologist
Have you ever seen the bush-dive
display of the Le Contes Thrasher?
Or spent time trying to count ground-
scurrying Sage Thrashers and Sage
Sparrows as they dart in and out oflow shrubs on their winter range? Our
early 2010 IBA bird surveys may allow
you this chance, all while traversing
incredibly wild, beautiful, stark desert
landscapes. The 2010 season begins
early this January with an IBA Bird
Monitoring Worsop scdld
for Jan. 15 and 16 (classroom & eld
sessions). We are interested getting
new volunteers for some of our IBAs
or potential IBA monitoring efforts in
2010. This includes some exciting
bird monitoring opportunities through
our backcountry IBA team surveys
inCabza Prita National Wildlif
Rfg Jan. 2730 (focussed on the
thrashers mentioned above) and
then Organ Pip Cacts National
Monmnt Fb. 1820 (for premier
desert habitat).
The Le Contes and Sage
thrashers are highly restricted in
their distribution in Cabeza Prieta
NWR, and overall very limited in
their total range in Ariona; thereforeboth are vulnerable to habitat loss
and disturbance from Border Patrol
activities and/or new unplanned
roads, and thus are of conservation
concern. These bird species and
others of conservation status may
thus qualify this area, or specic
habitats within it, as an Arizona
IBA. In Organ Pipe Cactus National
Monument we will have as our goal
documentation of the desert bird
community, especially populations of
Costas Hummingbird, Gilded Flicker,
Elf Owl, and Cactus Ferruginous
Pygmy-Owl, plus the overall desertbird species diversity. We will also
of course be on the lookout for other
nesting raptors such as Peregrine
Falcon, Golden Eagle, and Crested
Caracara. Although threats are few
here (possible human disturbance
being one), this area has high
potential for qualifying for IBA status
in Arizona, which may give it special
recognition for the exceptional desert
bird populations it supports. This will
be our second year of surveys in both
these wild and beautiful southwestern
desert habitats.
We also hope to establish new
teams and have special survey
efforts for owls and other species
of conservation concern in the
Tanque Verde and other Santa Cruz
drainages. Key birds of concern we
will document along the Tanque
Verde include Bells Vireo, Lucys
Warbler, Gilded Flicker, Elf Owl,
Aberts Towhee, and Gray Hawk.
Additionally, we will soon announcea few IBA resource identication
eld trips for Tanque Verde and
Sabino in 2010. We will map key
habitat features and areas where
stressors (i.e., dumping, ATV entry,
invasive plants) are occurring in these
drainages (check our aziba.org web-
site for updates). Lastly, look for news
on the Riparian Habitat Conservation
Workshops for the Sabino/Tanque
Verde watershed in the year ahead
(open to the public). For our January
IBA bird monitoring workshop (andIBA Teams) we request intermediate
and experienced birders (striving to
learn bird songs/calls) who are eager
to collect science-based bird data for
IBA conservation. So we hope to see
you out with us there soon. It should
be a great time for us and a great
opportunity to advance bird habitat
conservation/protection for these
special areas! Contact: Scott Wilbor,
TAS-IBA ofce 628-1730.
SCOTTWILBOR
Clockwise fromtop: ONeil HillsValley, CabezaPrieta NWR; LeContes Thrasher;Sage Sparrow
The IBA Program at
Tucson Audubon
announces some
new changes instaff this fall. Rt
Wildrman, our
IBA program assistant
who has worked for the program for
3 years, has taken a position with
the Tucson Unied School District
as an Elementary School Counselor
intern for the school year. Ruth will
also continue her graduate school
studies in School Counseling through
Northern Ariona University. Ruth had
become an expert with our on-line
Arizona IBA bird survey databaseand burgeoning IBA geodatabase.
She was the friendly voice on the
phone or e-mail who helped our
volunteer survey teams with their
questions and helped with their data
entry or retrieval. Ruth learned GIS
mapping and enlisted her husband,
Carlos, a GIS specialist, to link and
streamline the data transfer of our
two databases. She also helped the
program in innumerable other ways,
from ofce organiation, to research,
to helping in the preparation and
assistance of our IBA workshops
and multi-team survey efforts. Wewill denitely miss Ruth.
We welcome the arrival of
University of Arizona work-study
student Samanta Barntt to the
IBA program. Sam is a senior in
Wildlife Management and brings to
the program a background in biology,
ecology, a wide range of computer
program skills, and eld survey
experience with both wildlife and plan
species. She will be working closely
with me in managing and presenting
our bird survey data for new IBAnominations and conservation
use, mapping our survey projects,
advancing our community
conservation outreach for
IBAs, participating in eld
surveys, and assisting
our IBA team efforts. Sam
enjoys bird watching and is
committed to a career in wildlife and
habitat conservation. We are excited
she has found us!
Important bird people in miration
Scott Wilbor
Alamo Canyon, Organ Pipe CactusNational Monument
ROBERTSCHANTz
8/9/2019 November-December 2009 Vermilion Flycatcher Tucson Audubon Society
6/32
6 Tucson AudubonVermilion FlycatcherNovemberDecember 2009
TUCSON AUDUBONNEWS ROUNDUP
Construction on the Mason Center
composting restroom began with a
small shovel-full of dirt on Monday,
September 28! In no time at all
(thanks to heavy machinery) the hole
for the composting bins was dug. At
the submission of this article, we are
pouring concrete and getting ready for
the strawbale wall-raising workshop
on Saturday October 24. The
estimated completion time is quickly
upon us as you hold this newsletter
in your hands! With the years-long
hullabaloo surrounding this project
we would be remiss to not hold somesort of grand opening ceremony.
Furthermore, we know a fundraising
opportunity when we see one and this
may provide our best fundraiser yet.
This is certainly an event worth
celebratingthis restroom contains
the rst commercial-sied composting
toilet in a developed area in Pima
County and demonstrates the
progress Pima County has made in
accepting sustainable technologies
beyond the residential scale. Another
angle of accomplishment is thatthe completion of this restroom
symbolizes the readiness of the
Mason Center to fully launch itself as
Tucson Audubons conservation-and-
environmental-education resource
for Tucson and the northwest
communities of Tortolita, Oro Valley
and Marana.
So please join us in our ecitement
at the Mason Center Toilet Grand
Opening Ceremony on December 5 at
10am. For more information, updates,
and how to place your bid, visit www.
tucsonaudubon.org or call Lia at 971-
6238.
Lia Sansom (top) led off the constructionof the Mason Center composting restroomby digging a small hole with a shovel.Heavy machinery (above) then made shortwork of carving out the trench(far right) for the compostingbins. A strawbale wall-raisingworkshop is scheduled
for Saturday October 24,and the grand openingceremony, with rst use ofthe toilet (right), will takeplace on December 5.
Mason Center restroom updateLia Sansom, Mason Center Outreach Coordinator
Be the rst to usea Mason Centercompostin toilet!
Bidding starts at $50 each(there are 2 toilets so
there will be 2 winners)
Bidding bgins Monda,Novmbr 2 and will
clminat at tGrand OpningCmny n
Dcmbr 5 at 10am.
You must be present towin and claim your prie!
W tan t following popltat mad artflt donations inonor /mmor of lovd ons:
In Honor of John Farmer fromMatt Slakey
In Honor of Julia Gordon fromMargy Harris, Ralph Weeks, andWindibrow Foundation
In Honor of Karen Hochgraf fromHelen Baldwin
In Honor of Matt and Nikole Lewisfrom Nikki Peters
In Memory of Alec Piplani fromMarcia Polley
In Memory of Claudia Quesinberryfrom Michael and Jan Dowling
In Memory of Della Ruth Ribbentropfrom Patrick Egan and from IBMInternational Foundation
In Memory of Dr. Robert J. McNeillfrom Evelyn McNeill
In Memory of Louis Benson fromJamie Brown, Nicole Kredick, BarbaraCarroll, Kevin Dahl, Doug and ChrisMcVie, Cynthia and Gifford Hoyer
In Memory of Ronald C. Haaseth fromDebra Finch and Donald Finch
In Memory of Virginia Salomon fromArnold and Carol Hollander
In Memory of Karen Lut from Kentand Colleen Prescott, David Prescott,Melinda Prescott, Chris Totura, SteveTotura, Patricia and Donald Little
gIFTS IN HONOR / IN MEMORY...
A workshop on the Sight
and Sounds of the Birds
of Mt. Lemmon
When: April. Watch for an
announcement in the January/February Vermilion Flycacher
A class on Raptors
in Arizona,
5 sessions,
one eld trip
When: late April into
May. Watch for the
announcement in the
January/February
Vermilion Flycacher
Be ON The LOOkOuTComin this sprin
Saturday mornins atthe Mason Center
Tucson Audubon has initiated a series
of talks and discussions at our Mason
Center for Ironwood Preservation
and Environmental Education. The
rst event on September 26 featured
Carolyn Campbell on the Sonoran
Desert Conservation Plan, and Ted
Fleming on citizen scientists collecting
data on nectar-eating bats.
The second event will be on
Satrda morning, Janar 30.
Watch for details in the January
issue of theVermilion Flycacher. We
will email members when we have
nalied speakers and subjects. To
sign up for email updates, visit www.
tucsonaudubon.org.PHILPRITCHARD
ANDYBENN
ET
8/9/2019 November-December 2009 Vermilion Flycatcher Tucson Audubon Society
7/32
NovemberDecember 2009Vermilion Flycatcher Tucson Audubon 7
Welcome New Volunteers
Erin Brandt, administration publicity;
Scott Olmstead, community outreach;
Beth Showalter, community outreach,
clerical; Arin Bestin, community
outreach; Janet Cohn, catering
Mil gracias, Danke,Thank you!
The dog days of summer are gone
and with them a urry of activities
for our volunteers, from preparing
scrumptious goodies for programs, to
answering questions at a number of
tabling events and sharing binocular
and scope skills with Tucson families.
Once again Tucson Audubon
participated in United Way Days of
Caring; and two days of digging,
moving rocks and planting native
species were completed on the Fifth
Avenue side of the Old Y, our home.
Davis Monthan AFB personnel and
IBM staff volunteered their time
and brawn as their commitment to
community service.
Our rst volunteer orientation was
a great kick-off to what looks like a
very busy season. For any volunteer
who was unable to attend please
stop in to the Tucson Audubon natureshop to receive the new Volunteer
Orientation Booklet designed to clarify
important and timely issues.
Dont Miss ThisGiant Rd Rmoval in Sabino
Canonvr Snda tr
Marc 7, 2010. A continuing supply
of volunteers is needed to make
a real difference in controlling this
invasive. Please see page 4 or check
our website for details. Bring friends,
neighbors and family!
Volntr OrintationFbrar
24, 2010. Our rst volunteer
orientation was a great success,
and Tucson Audubon will have
another opportunity for our volunteer
candidates to meet staff, the board
president, and our executive directorDr. Paul Green, and to clarify
our objectives as well as answer
questions. Coffee and snacks will be
served. 9:3011:30am. Please RSVP:
Becky 622-2230.
Tcson Adbon Socit Gala
Fbrar 2, 2010. If you like parties,
planning and dressing up, please get
on board the winter social whirl! All
manner of worker bees are needed to
make this event even more successful
than last years. Anyone interestedcan contact: Becky 622-2230.
edcation Dpartmnt Nds.
Exciting programs are planned for
the fall and winter, and a number of
volunteers are needed for one-day
help and longer-term consistent
commitment to keep these programs
going and growing. Immediate
assistance is needed for folks with
good phone and organizational skills
to keep reservations organized. Call
Matt Brooks: 622-2230.
VOLUNTEER OF THE MONTH
Volunteer Scott Olmstead (left) helps withTucson Audubons community outreachefforts.
BECKYAPARICIO
6
Volunteer news roundupBecky Aparicio, Volunteer Coordinator Carlos Ocoa is an employee of
Pima County Natural Resources,
Parks and Recreation, a tireless
community advocate, and Tucson
Audubons principal volunteer for
our project in Barrio Kroeger Lane.
Carlos grew up in the neighborhood
and has fond memories of a greenertime along the Santa Cruz River.
As president of the neighborhood
association, Carlos introduced
Tucson Audubon into the community
and almost single-handedly made
it possible for us to be successful
there. He attended every volunteer
day and recruited most of the
residents in whose yards we worked.
Nobody worked harder to construct
the rainwater harvesting rain
gardens we built there.
Tucson Audubon looks forwardto continuing to work with Carlos
and the Barrio Kroeger Lane
neighborhood.
SIX QUESTIONS
First tim o wnt birding? It
must have been at the Santa Cruz
River with my father when I was
young; and recently this summer with
Kendall Kroesen and Dr. Paul Green.
It is such a joy to wake up to the
sights and sounds of our desert birds
at the base of A Mountain.Lvl of birding? I consider myself
a beginner birder. I have some
books from the library and rummage
sales. It gives me a great feeling
of accomplishment in learning and
knowing.
Favorit plac to go birding?
Sabino Canyon, Madera Canyon and
the Santa Cruz River Valley--oops I
forgot Agua Caliente. Many favorite
sites, we dearly love.
unsal vnt tat appnd
wil birding? At our annual Easter
vacation up to Gila River we decided
to go birding after setting up camp.We must have been about a mile
away when we came about this huge
dead collapsed mesquite tree. On
display with wings outstretched were
about 20 Black Vultures that could
have made a wonderful postcard.
We were fortunate to witness, but
unfortunate to forget the camera.
Favorit bird and wr did o
s it? I have an affection for hawks
and their aerial feats, but I am
recently admiring a desert cardinal
that has taken a liking to a cane stickcholla. His yellow beak, red chest
with gray is beautiful on the ground. I
have been able to get visuals a
couple of times a week on the west
side of Desert Survivors along the
Santa Cruz River trail.
Otr obbis? Spending time with
the familycamping, hiking, sports,
cooking, reading and community
awareness. Oh, and my kids
birthdays.
Rick Applegate, Eris Armstrong,
Joshua Barnes, Myrna Beards,
Vanessa Bechtol, Kim Blumenfeld,
Andrea Cohen, Wayne and Susan
Colony, Janet Cooley, Jim Dawson
and Kim McClain, Catie DeLucca,
John Doerr, Betty Eppler and Jim
Gooch, Debra Finch, Richard Friend,
Bob Hadden, Jeannette Hanby,
Madeline Hartley and Larry Dresher,
Edrice Ivory, Ben Johnson, Susannah
Johnson, Deborah Langeloh, Anna
LePere, Faulene Main, David
McKenzie, Debbie Mecom, Margaret
Norem, Kent and Colleen Prescott,
Nancy Rivera, Micky Schap, Maria
Schuchardt, Andree Tarby, Linda
Vaught, Ann Weinrich
Birds & Bsinss Allianc
Casa de San Pedro Bed & Breakfast
El Conquistador Resort Patio Homes
Assoc., Inc.
Financial Architects/KMS Financial
Services, Inc.
The Lodge at Ventana Canyon VF
WELCOME NEW MEMBERS!
8/9/2019 November-December 2009 Vermilion Flycatcher Tucson Audubon Society
8/32
8 Tucson AudubonVermilion FlycatcherNovemberDecember 2009
Enjoy watching birds and eager to learn more?These classes are for you.
Learn why southeastern Ariona is such a great
place for birds and why birdwatching is so darn
much fun. The course is designed for beginners.
Well address how to separate birds by habitat,
seasonal occurrence, and behavior. Learn about
eld marks and vocaliations. Get the lowdown on
binoculars and eld guides, birding vocabulary, and
etiquette in the eld.
Participants will learn how to identify local
birds and discover some of their interesting
characteristics and charms. Also covered will be
some of the adaptations birds have developed inorder to survive in our challenging environment.
The course is guaranteed to improve your
appreciation of local bird life. There will be
homework, but it will be enjoyable. The courseincludes three 2-hour classroom sessions and two
eld trips, approimately 23 hours in length.
One series will be taught in Tucson, the other in
Green Valley.
The course series will be taught by Lynn
Hassler, birder for over 35 years, author of
numerous books including Birds of the American
Southwest; Hummingbirds of the American West;
Roadrunners; and Gambels Quail; and educator
on plants, birds and desert ecology.
TUCSON COURSE
Thursdays: February 4, 11, and 18;68pmat Tucson Audubon
Field Trips: Saturdays, February 6 and 20;
locations/ times to be announced
gREEN VALLEY COURSE
Wednesdays, February 10, 17, and 24;
10am12noon, location to be announced
Field Trips: Wednesdays, March 3 and 10;
locations/times to be announced
Cost for each ve-session course: $135 for
members, $170 for nonmembers which includes a
Friends of Tucson Audubon membership.To sign up, contact the Nature Shop at 629-0510.
Questions regarding the class, call Education at
622-2230 or e-mail education@tucsonaudubon.
TUCSON AUDUBONEVENTS AND CLASSES
Sin Up Now for Backyard Birdin and BeyondClasses for Beinnin BirdersFebruaryMarch 2010 Tucson and Green Valley
Spend a day with zeiss Optics!
Saturday, December 19,7:30am2:30pm
Agua Caliente Park in the Rose Cottage
Zeiss digiscoping and optics
representatives will be hosting digiscoping
workshops and demonstrations.
Bring your digiscoping outt if you have one. If
you dont, Zeiss will have some for you to try.
Learn how to digiscope, learn more about zeissoptics, and try out their new Photoscope!
Contact the Nature Shop for sign-up.
RSVP by Thursday, December 10 629-0510.
Limited to 20 participants
Morning refreshments will be provided.
Please bring your own lunch.
This program is offered in partnership
with Pima County Natural Resources,
Parks and Recreation.
Well see you there!!
Tucson Audubon inBirders WorldMaaine
Be sure to check out the December 2009
issue ofBirders Worldmagazine. Sweetwater
Wetlands (pictured above) is a featured Birding
Hotspot and was written by Tucson Audubon
staff member Matt Brooks. As a reminder,
when visiting this birding hotspot, be sure to
document your sightings at www.aviatlas.com
and contribute to a growing body of knowledgeabout your local birding areas.
Also featured in the same Birders
Worldissue is our very own Tucson
Audubon Society logo stainless
steel water bottle. If you havent
yet purchased your rellable steel
bottle, stop by the nature shop or
the online store today! Kick the
plastic bottle habit and reduce
waste while showing your support
for Tucson Audubon.
KENDALLKROESEN
ANNAUDREY
Come and enjoy childrens activities, adult
bird walks, good food, the best water in the
valley, birds, reptiles, and birdday cake, and
Tucson Audubons Nature Shop. Learn about
the Esperana Conservation Easement project,
see whats in the trees along the Santa Cruz,
watch the little ones run through the maze and
visit the petting zoo.
Entry is by donation: $10 for adults, children
12 and under are free. Prepaid tickets will
receive a souvenir bookmark.
Lunch of burgers and garden burgers (hot
dogs for the kids) will be available with chips,beans, salad, and soft drinks from 11:30 to 1
(cost $12 for adults and $10 for kids). Tables
and chairs will be set up under a tent, and
blankets for picnicking will be available.
Bring a cup or ask for a taste of good, cool
well water; binoculars to keep an eye on the
birds; a chair for resting if you like; and your
check book for a good cause.
Call Jean Barchman at 6225622 for more
information or to make a reservation. We hope
to see you there!
Birdday PartySaturday, November 7, 11am3pm
Agua Linda Farm
8/9/2019 November-December 2009 Vermilion Flycatcher Tucson Audubon Society
9/32
NovemberDecember 2009Vermilion Flycatcher Tucson Audubon 9
TUCSON Livin with NatureLecture Series / Member MeetinsDuVal Auditorium, NE section of the University
Medical Center Bldg. 501 N Campbell Ave.
Program begins at 7 pm, second Monday of each
month September through May.
gREEN VALLEY Livin with NatureLecture SeriesJoyner-Green Valley Library, 601 N La Canada
Dr. 594-5295. Program begins at 10 am, third
Saturday of each month October through May.
Contact Jean Barchman, 622-5622 or
[email protected] for more
information or visit tucsonaudubon.org.
November 9 Tucson
THE CAREFUL FOOT: Reconciling the Needs
of People and Wildlife with Prof. Michael
Rosenzweig
We need not accept the sterility of todays humanenvironments. Nature need not be restricted to
our great system of national parks and preserves.
Instead, we can build our world so that it is full of
healthy populations of many wild species -- birds
and butteries and wildowers and whatever else
we choose. Not only will that enrich our everyday
existence, it will be a crucial element of our
campaign to save lifes wonderful diversity.
November 21 Green ValleyTIDEWALKINGwith Betty Hupp and
Marilyn Malone
The authors ofThe Edge of the Sea of Cortez, A
Tidewalkers Guide to the Upper Gulf of California,
whose rst tidepool adventure was courtesy of
Tucson Audubons Tidepool Institute, will take you
tide-walking on rocky, sandy and muddy shores
in search of seaside critters. They will show
you some of the habits and habitats of beach
creatures in general, with up-close-and-personal
peeks into their their intertidal homes.
Paraphrasing Peggy Turk
Boyer, Executive Director,
CEDO, Intercultural Center
for the Study of Deserts &
Oceans: It is a rare beach
walker on the edge of the
Sea of Cortez who has
not been captivated andmystied by the strange creatures
slipping under rocks or burrowing into the
sand and mud underfoot. Marilyn and Betty
combine art and science [in this presentation] for
the curious naturalist in each of us.
December 14 Tucson
Annual Holiday Potluck presentation at Dunbar
Springs Neighborhood Center (see right).
ATTRACTING BIRDS TO YOUR YARD AND
NEIGHBORHOODwih Rachel McCaffery
Urban development can affect birds in many
ways. While some species thrive in response tourbanization, many native species decline as we
degrade and reduce their habitats. How these
habitat changes impact bird species depends
on both the specic habitat features and the
amount of space each species needs. Learn how
homeowners can have a signicant impact on
sustaining populations of some native species,
and how other species will require broader
intervention involving neighborhood groups and
maybe even city managers.
December 19 Green Valley
ECUADOR: ANDEAN ADVENTURE
Hummingbirds, Orchids, Butteries, People wih
Sally Johnsen and Doug Moore
Join Sally Johnsen and Doug
Moore for a presentation
of birds and nature in
the Andes mountains
of northern Ecuador.
About the size of Arizona,
Ecuador has one of the
greatest biodiversities on
earth, including 25,000
plants species and 1,600
bird species. The countryboasts 130 species
of hummingbirds and
more orchid species than
anywhere else! The program
explores habitats and life in the
west and east cordilleras of the Andes anking
the capitol of Quito, from tropical cloud forest to
Pramo Alpine tundra. The audience will also see
local people working to conserve their lands and
live sustainably with nature to provide a heritage
for their children.
Falco naumanni, the Lesser Kestrel, although decliningsubstantially over much of its former range in Europe,is well supported in Jerusalem. There, roof tiles formcavities of just the right sie for its nests. From a paintingby Tuvia Kurz. Thanks to him, to The International Centerfor the Study of Bird Migration, Latrun, Israel and to TheSociety for the Protection of Nature in Israel.
MEMBERS ANNUALHOLIDAY POTLUCK
Monday, December 14, 6pm
Dunbar Springs Neighborhood Center
We invite all members to Tucson Audubons
Annual Holiday Potluck, which this year will be
held in a new location. The Dunbar SpringsNeighborhood Center, at 325 W Scond Strt,
is close to the Tucson Audubon ofces. There is
plenty of parking at this location. The size of the
room limits attendance to 150 people, so please
call the Nature Shop at 629-0510 to reserve your
place as soon as possible.
This years presentation isAttracting birds to
your yard and neighborhood: how habitat features
and scale inuence Tucsons native birds by
Rachel McCaffery (see left for a summary).
Designate the potluck item youd like to
bringcasserole/main dish, salad or dessert,
ready to serveenough for yourself and veothers. To minimize our environmental impact,
we prefer to avoid adding paper plates and
disposable cutlery to our already overburdened
landlls. So please bring plates, cutlery and
appropriate serving utensils, and plan on taking
them home with you to wash. Well provide the
punch, tea and coffee served in special compost-
friendly cups that you can use for your garden
at home or leave with us to compost for you.
Refreshing adult beverages will be available for
a small cash donation (served in the same super
cool cups!).
In addition to a wonderful presentation and
awesome food, we will also be holding a silent
auction of unique one-of-a-kind items and other
collectables. This is not the White Elephant
rafe from years past but an opportunity to
purchase fantastic items while supporting Tucson
Audubon Society (bring your checkbook!). Items
up for bid include birding related products and
much more!
If you would like to help with planning,
decorating or assisting during the party, wed
love to hear from you. Please call membership at
622-5622. We look forward to seeing you there!
RSVP: Space is limited, so call the main Audubon
Nature Shop at 629-0510 to reserve your spot!
TUCSON AUDUBONS LIVINg WITH NATURE LECTURE SERIES
Available
in our NatureShops$27.95
8/9/2019 November-December 2009 Vermilion Flycatcher Tucson Audubon Society
10/32
10 Tucson AudubonVermilion FlycatcherNovemberDecember 2009
What ecological issues can we
address through landscaping?Which birds are in Tucson and what
are their habitat needs? How do we go beyond
just using native plants to provide habitat for
birds? Tucson Audubons landscaping course will
consider these questions and many others.
Landscaping for Wildlife and Sustainability
participants will meet two Saturdays and two
Wednesday evenings from February 6 to February
17. Saturday classes are from 7am to 1pm and
Wednesday evening classes are from 7 to 9pm.
The classes are taught by Greg Corman of
Gardening Insights and Paul Green and Kendall
Kroesen of Tucson Audubon. Other great guest
speakers will participate as well.
The course fee is $250. Please register
by contacting Jean Barchman at 622-5622
[email protected]. If you
have questions about the course, contact
Kendall Kroesen at 971-2385 orkkroesen@
tucsonaudubon.org.
See the Urban Program story on page 14 for
more on urban landscaping for wildlife.
Course topics include:
Problems of current Tucson landscapes and
solutions
Local bird diversity and what birds need
Principles of sustainable designThe role of insects/arthropods
Rainwater harvesting and other hardscape
issues
Native plant diversity, structure and density for
wildlife
Native plant availability in the nursery trade
Irrigation strategies for plant establishment
Desert garden aesthetics
Tucson Audubons landscape recognition
program
Landscapin for Wildlife and SustainabilityFebruary 617, 2010, two Saturdays and two Wednesday nightsTucson Audubon HQ and various eld locations
TUCSON AUDUBONEVENTS & CLASSES
AVAILABLe
IN OuR
NATuRe ShOPS
Nativ Plants for
Sotwstrn
Landscaps
by Judy Mielke.
$24.95
ParticipantsinJanuarysclasssaid:Thiscoursewasexcellent.Wentintoenoughdepthtoallowmeto
translateconceptsintodesign.Speakerswhowerepassionateabouttheirsubjectinfectious!Iworkbetterknowingwhatyoushowedme.
Parry penstemon (right) in arain garden (above) in BarrioKroeger Lane.
Spectacular Birds andgourmet FoodSaturday, January 23, 2010Whiewaer Draw
As you sink into your seat in a comfortable coach,
well serve you coffee or tea with a scone before
we glide down to Whitewater Draw. Youll be
entertained and educated by biologists and birders
as the southern Arizona landscape passes by your
window. A gourmet lunch will greet you, maybe
under the gae of a Great Horned Owl or two, as
you learn about the management of the area and
the conservation of the region. Experts will lead
small groups to view the spectacle of the Sandhill
Cranes as they return from feeding together with a
host of water birds. Youll have the chance to view
the mixed species owl roost before returning to the
bus for other gourmet delights and a glass of wine
as we wend our way back to Tucson.
Sounds like quite a trip, doesnt it? Tucson
Audubon is organiing this event in conjunction
with the Ariona Open Land Trust and the Ariona
Game and Fish Department. This event will
neatly weave together recreation, education, and
conservation into a friendly social event. Youll
experience the birds, learn about their biology,
how the site is managed, and how Arizona Open
Land Trust works to conserve the landscape. The
date? Saturday, January 23. The cost? $75 all
inclusive. Seats are limited, so call Jean Barchman
on 622-5622 to reserve your place. Chuck George,
meteorologist and weather newscaster for Channel
13-KOLD, joins us as our special guest.
BOTHPHOTOSKENDALLKROESEN
ALAND
.WIL
SON/NATUREPICSONLINE
.COM
Another Spectacle: Raptors in theSulphur Sprins ValleyFebruary 13, 2010 Sulphur Springs Valley
Following on from our Whitewater Draw Sandhill Crane trip, we are launching a trip to view the wintering
birds of prey in the Sulphur Springs Valley. The emphasis will again be on comfort, food, and expert
discussion of the conservation of the region, as well as identifying the raptors under the guidance of the
Southern Arizona Bird Observatory and Tom Wood. Because of the need for a number of stops, and for
getting in and out of the bus, well be taking smaller buses on this trip, with a leader on each bus. Leaders
will eplain the behavior of the birds, why they are there, and help with identication. The date? February
13. The cost? $90 (to cover the additional cost of the small buses). Seats are limited, so call Jean
Barchman on 622-5622 to reserve your place.
8/9/2019 November-December 2009 Vermilion Flycatcher Tucson Audubon Society
11/32
NovemberDecember 2009Vermilion Flycatcher Tucson Audubon 11
EVENTS CALENDAR
NovMar 2010. Giant reed removal at Sabino
Canyon Recreation Area 1st Sunday each
month (details p 4)
Nov 7. Birdday Party at Agua Linda Farm
(details p 8)
Nov 9.Living With Nature lecture (Tucson):
The Careful Foot: Reconciling the Needs of
People and Wildlife. Prof Michael Rosenzweig(details p 9)
Nov 21.Living With Nature lecture (Green
Valley): Tidewalking. Betty Hupp & Marilyn
Malone (details p 9)
Nov 21. Giant reed removal along Sabino
Creek (details p 4)
Dc 12. Invasive fountain grass removal in
Esperero Canyon (details p 4)
Dc 14.Living With Nature lecture and
Tucson Audubon Holiday Potluck (Tucson):
Attracting birds to your yard and neighborhood.Rachel McCaffery (details p 9)
Dc 19. Zeiss digiscoping class (details p 8)
Jan 1316, 2010. Wings Over Wilcox birding
festival (details p 27)
Jan 15 & 16, 2010. IBA Bird Monitoring
workshop (details p 5)
Jan 1820, 2010. IBA survey, Organ Pipe
Cactus National Monument (details p 5)
Jan 23, 2010. Sandhill Cranes and gourmet
food education trip (details p 10)
Jan 2730, 2010. IBA survey, Cabeza PrietaNWR (details p 5)
Jan 30, 2010. Saturday morning at the Mason
Center (details p 6)
Fb 2, 2010. Tucson Audubon Gala (details
p 32)
Fb 4Mar 10, 2010. Backyard Birding and
Beyond classes for beginners (details p 8)
Fb 617, 2010. Landscaping for Wildlife and
Sustainability course (details p 10)
Fb 13, 2010. Raptors in the Sulphur Springs
Valley education trip (details p 10)Fb 24, 2010. Tucson Audubon volunteer
orientation (details p 7)
Apr 1518, 2010. Institute of Desert Ecology
(details left)VF
The Institute of Desert Ecology (IDE) is just around
the corner. In just a few months, the days will be
getting longer again, the daytime temperatures
will again be rising, and lowland desert camping or
hiking will be on your mind. Why not combine these
with the chance to learn all about the Sonoran
Desert in an inviting setting?
The 2010 Institute will be a siginicant
milestone for Tucson Audubons longest-running
education program. For 40 years, our amazing
faculty of local experts has been teaching Sonoran
Desert ecology to people from around the
continent. We are proud to have more than 2000
graduates from the program from over the years,
many of whom have gone on to careers in a similar
eld or used the knowledge gained in teaching
others. If you have attended in the past, seriously
consider a refresher. If youve heard of the event
but havent yet attended, this is the year to do it.
In the spirit of celebration of this milestone year,
were offering some fun ideas for past or future
attendees:
Giv IDe as a gift1. Know a friend or loved one
who would love to attend IDE? This program
makes an ecellent gift! Keep in mind the
holidays are coming up. . . .
Gradation Dinnr2. If you would like to
attend again but arent able to come for the full
program, you are welcome to join us for the
evening graduation meal on Saturday, April
17. This is a good way to reconnect with the
faculty and relive some of the fun moments of
past Institutes. The cost for the Saturday meal
is $30.00.
T-sirt contst3. See the boxed text below for
more information.
To register or for more information, contact
Matt Brooks, Institute Director, at 6222230 or
Above: Carl Tomoff brings it all together at the closing talk
Left: Spectacular Pusch Ridge of the Catalina Mountains
B
OTHPHOTOSSARAPIKE
40th Annual Institute of Desert EcoloyApril 1518, 2010 Caalina Sae Park
CALLINGALLARTISTS
!Ifyouhaveagood
ideaforthe40thannualInstitut
eofDesert
EcologyT-shirt,wedlovetose
eit.Atthe
endofJanuarywellreviewthe
submissions
wereceiveanddecideonawin
ner.That
designwillthengraceournewe
stIDE
T-shirt.Obviously,thesubmissi
onshouldbe
SonoranDesertthemed.Form
oredetails,
pleaseemailMattBrooksatmb
rooks@
tucsonaudubon.org.
8/9/2019 November-December 2009 Vermilion Flycatcher Tucson Audubon Society
12/32
12 Tucson AudubonVermilion FlycatcherNovemberDecember 2009
Bald Eagleour national symbol ofpride, majesty, power and grace. It breeds
only in North America, and is the largest
of all our raptors except for the California
Condor. Its a surprise to some people
that this bird likes to eat carrion, and was
once called a bird of low moral character
by Benjamin Franklin (for its tendency to
steal sh from Ospreys). But that aside,
most people do think the Bald Eagle is a
great symbol for our country.
Theres nothing like seeing your
rst adult Bald Eagle. Mine was while
canoeing down the Colorado River. Werounded a bend and came upon one
eating a sh on a gravel bar far ahead.
We immediately went silent and slowly
drifted closer. As we approached, the
eagle picked the sh up in its talons
and slowly ew upstreampassing our
canoe a mere pebbles throw away. Ill
never forget the majestically slow beats
of wings, as large, seemingly, as a fully
opened newspapera magical moment
for sure.
The calls of this bird are a little less
majestic however, and when you see
one on TV on anything other than a
documentary, theres usually a Red-tailed
Hawk-sounding call given instead. To me
the Bald Eagles call sounds like a seriesof rapid squeaky notes, almost rail-like.
Ill bet ol Ben would make a harrumpf
sound herehe wanted the Wild Turkey
chosen as our nations bird instead!
The word eagle comes from the Latin
aquila, originally black eagle, which
comes from the Latin words aquilus
dark, and aquilonorth wind (which
darkened the sky), and was used as a
military standard in Imperial Rome. The
adjective aquiline usually describes
a large and somewhat hooked nose
suggesting thebeak of a large
bird. Although bald
would nowadays call
to mind hairless or
featherless, in Middle
English (c.1200-c.1500)
balledmeant shining
white. The scientic
name Haliaeetus
leucocephalus
derives from the Greek
haliaetossea eagle
(halosthe sea and aetoseagle), with the species
name coming from the
Greek leukos, white, and
kephalos, head.
Bald Eagle populations
have changed dramatically
over the last century. Early
on, they were so numerous
in Alaska that a bounty
was offered for killing them. Later,
the effects of DDT caused a nesting-
success rate drop from 75 percent to 14
percent in one study, with subsequent
listing on the Endangered Species List.
The banning of DDT helped lead to
eventual delisting, and since then Bald
Eagle nesting has been documented in
all continental U.S. states except Rhode
Island and Vermont. It helps that they are
long-lived birds, and longevity records
include individuals living 28 (wild) and 36
(captive) years. Habitat loss, as usual,
is considered the biggest conservation
threat today.
Bald Eagles are not closely related tothe Golden Eagle. The latter is the sole
North American member of a worldwide
group sometimes called booted or true
eagles, closely related to buteos. The
Bald Eagle is a member of a group known
as sh-eagles and thought to be more
closely related to kites. Stellers Sea-
Eagle and White-tailed Eagle are also
members of this group.
Adult Bald Eagles are one of the
easier raptors to identify with their all-
white heads and tails, massive size, and
huge heads and bills. Shape and size
differences help to identify high-soaring
eagles. Look for very large, rectangular
wings (for both Bald & Golden Eagles)
and a large head and neck for Balds.
Goldens have a narrower head and neck
and a longer, slightly fanned tail that I nd
distinctive in shape. If you get close/scope
views of perched birds, note the massive
bill on the Bald Eaglequite impressive!
Juvenile Bald Eagles are less easy
to identify, and adult plumage
is attained only after birds
are 4 to 5 years of age.
Juvenile birds have a blotchy
appearance, less dened
than young Goldens. Like
many raptors, juveniles have
longer tails and broader wings
than adults. Like learning to
surf on a big surfboard, Ive heard
this makes it easier for young birds
to learn ying, while adult birds canmaneuver more quickly after prey with
shorter feathering.
Here in Arizona, we generally can
count on having a few Bald Eagles
around each winter, though I believe
recent years have seen fewer. The
bird is listed as being casual to rare in
southeastern Arizona from December
through mid-March. Places to look
include larger lakes, agricultural areas
and grasslands. Examples of each that
at least used to be productive are Parker
Canyon Lake, the Sulphur Springs Valley,and the San Rafael grasslands. To pick a
best site to try for one Id suggest driving
east on Rucker Canyon Road towards the
west ank of the Chiricahua Mountains,
checking out all high-ying raptors. One
can nd a dozen different raptors on
a days birding in the Sulphur Springs
Valley, and Tucson Audubon eld trips
regularly visit there in winter (see p 10 for
an upcoming trip). Try going on one for a
look at this striking bird. Good luck! VF
Bald Eale is listed asbein casual to rare insoutheastern Arionafrom December throuhmid-March.
GEORG
EWEST
AVAILABLe IN OuR
NATuRe ShOPS
Raptors of Western
North Americaby
Brian K. Wheeler. The
most thorough guide to
the American Wests
raptors, fully illustrated
with hundreds of full-
color photographs and
detailed species maps. $29.95
WHATS IN A NAME?
Interesting stories about birds with interesting names
Bald EaleLARRY LIESE
8/9/2019 November-December 2009 Vermilion Flycatcher Tucson Audubon Society
13/32
NovemberDecember 2009Vermilion Flycatcher Tucson Audubon 13
The monsoon season that normally
brings welcome rains and cooler
temperatures to the desert Southwestzzled and was anything but normal this
year, timidly sprinkling below average
amounts of rain here and there and
ending earlier than usual.
As birders weathered the steamy end
to a hot and dry summer, the birding
itself continued its torrid pace in August
and September. The Ramsey Canyon
Brown-backed Solitaire and Aztec Thrush
extended their stays. The Patagonia
Sinaloa Wren continued to play hide-and-
seek through the period. Rufous-capped
Warblers were regularly reported from
their early summer haunts, and Black-
capped Gnatcatchers were observed on
multiple locations in the foothills of the
Santa Rita Mountains.
Two Plain-capped Starthroats showed
up, one just south of Patagonia and the
other at the Patagonia-Sonoita Creek
Preserve; and a Green Kingsher
returned to the San Pedros Kingsher
Pond. Short-tailed Hawks were again
noted atop the Chiricahua Mountains, and
a successful breeding of Flame-colored
Tanagers occurred in the lower part of the
range.
In late August and early September the
shorebird conditions at Willcox were the
best in years, with extensive mudats to
attract a wide range of species including
Ruddy Turnstone and Red Knot. In
Tucson, Sweetwater Wetlands
was regularly coughing up
80 to over 100 species
to keen-eyed birders.
Dickcissel and Vauxs Swift sightings
seemed above average.
This bounty of these rarities andtheir associated locations are scattered
throughout many national forests,
preserves and private residences all
over southeast Arizona. Birders here are
blessed with an amazing array of birding
habitats to choose from including mature
Sonoran Desert, densely vegetated
riparian areas, sky islands with conifer-
covered summits, oak-shaded rocky
hillsides, grasslands, lakes, ponds, and
washes. Despite such a wealth of habitats
available each time aeld, have you ever
considered in-town Tucson for birding?
Tucson is a sprawling urban area much
like other cities across our country, an
interesting mash of roads, businesses,
residential neighborhoods, vacant lots, dry
washes, and the occasional park. These
dry washes and parks are sometimes
thickly vegetated with native and
sometimes exotic non-native shrubs and
trees. To our avian friends, these green
oases mean food, water and shelter (see
pp 1617). Fall, winter and spring tend
to be the best times for checking local
habitat patches in search of migrants,
stray visitors from the east and our year-
round residents.
A birding journey to your neighborhood
open space can denitely be classied
as eco-friendly. To the environmentally
conscious birder, the primary benet
these urban birding sites and parks
provide is their proximity to where
we work, live and play. A few
examples of Tucsons city
parks include Reid, Fort
Lowell, Lakeside, andMcCormick, all easily
accessible by bike, bus,
carpool or walking.
Reid Park (S. Country
Club and 22nd Street) is a
large enclave with mature trees,
ball elds, articial lakes, grassy
picnic areas, and playground facilities.
Despite being surrounded by cityscape,
it attracts a wide variety of migrants,
breeders and vagrants. Past highlights
include Chestnut-sided Yellow-throated,
Pine and Hooded Warblers; various
raptors; Red Phalarope; and more.
Fort Lowell Park (Craycroft Road
between Fort Lowell and Glenn) is a
smaller historic park with a tiny lake,
riparian corridor, typical park facilities and
lots of open areas. A well-birded row of
cottonwoods running from the parking
area to Craycroft Road has harbored
Northern Parula, and Lewiss Woodpecker
is sometimes found in the pecan grove.
In fall and winter, Hooded Mergansers
occasionally favor the small lake.
Lakeside Park (Stella Road between
E. Camino Seco and S. Pantano Road) is
different from the other example parks, a
bit more manicured, but with large native
and exotic trees and the typical park
amenities. The park features a rather
large lake which has attracted an amazingarray of water birds over the years
including Black Skimmer, Brown Pelican,
Black Tern, Pacic Loon and others.
McCormick Park (Columbus Road
between Fort Lowell and Glenn) is a
compact park with lots of open area,
park facilities, a playground and large
trees. This park was birded heavily this
past winter, thanks to a lowland wintering
set of Williamsons and Red-naped
Sapsuckers favoring the mature pines
scattered about. Vermilion Flycatchers
may be found here all year.These are but a few examples of
Tucsons many urban habitats. Pick your
nearest city park, weed patch, wash or
arroyo, and your eco-friendly explorations
may spark some late summer birding
sizzle! And dont forget to enter site
details and birds seen to www.aviatlas.
com (see p 14 of the September/October
Vermilion Flycatcher). VF
Cliff Cathers runs Economy Birding
Services, Inc. www.economybirding.com
A well-birded row of cottonwoods in Fort Lowell Park (lefthas harbored Northern Parula (right
Above: Thunderstorm over Rincon Mountains;Inset: Rufous-capped Warbler
WHERE TO GO, BIRDS TO SEE
Monsoon FileSummer SileCLIFF CATHERS | VOLUNTEER FIELD TRIP LEADER
8/9/2019 November-December 2009 Vermilion Flycatcher Tucson Audubon Society
14/32
14 Tucson AudubonVermilion FlycatcherNovemberDecember 2009
Are you making your yard or
neighborhood into a home for birds and
other wildlife?
Tucson Audubon will recognize your
efforts! Contact us for more information
about how to get your property
recognized (kkroesen@tucsonaudubon.
org, or 971-2385). Theres no charge to
you for recognition, but there is a charge
to purchase a sign announcing your
propertys status (see photo).
Are you just starting to transform
your yard into habitat? Want some
pointers? Tucson Audubon teaches a
course called Landscaping for Wildlife
and Sustainability. The next 16-hour
course will be taught February 6, 10, 13
and 17 (two Saturday mornings and two
Wednesday evenings). Whether you
are a gardening enthusiast, a landscape
designer, or just want more birds in your
yard, youll enjoy learning about a new
model for landscaping (see p 10).
Our new model for landscaping isnt
just getting rid of lawns. In the new
model, basins and swales, alone or
in combination with cisterns, hold and
inltrate water into the ground. We plant
landscapes densely and with a wide
variety of native plant species, creating
a complex vegetative structure. Plants
survive mostly on rainwater.
In the new model many trees are
thorny, providing cover from predators
and protected places to nest (see p 15).
Plants host insects, and produce fruits
and seeds that are eaten by birds and
reptiles. Trees and shrubs are rarely
trimmed, allowing low branches to cover
SPECIAL FEATURE | SUSTAINABLE LIVING
Create SustainableUrban Wildlife Habitain Your NeihborhoodKENDALL KROESEN | RESTORATION PROGRAM MANAGER
Besides the habitat recognition program
and the landscaping course, heres what
Tucson Audubon is doing in the urban
Tucson area:
getting volunteers into streams and
washes to remove invasive plants
(see page 4)
improving habitat around our ofces
at the Historic YWCA (see page 4)
working with entire neighborhoods
to improve habitat, such as Barrio
Kroeger Lane
working with AviAtlas ( www.aviatlas.
com) to establish and publicize urban
birding trails in the Tucson area (see
page 14 of the September/October
issue of the Vermilion Flycatcher)
promoting advancement of the
science of urban birds and working
to translate it into improvements in
habitat (see page 16)
studying the possible expansion of the
Sabino and Bear Creek Important Bird
Area to encompass Tanque Verde
Wash
gearing up to send our restoration
crew into private backyards to
improve habitat
forming a youth birding program so
that young birders can meet and have
a structured way to develop birding
and conservation skills (see page 4)
working with county and municipal
ofcials on several fronts to help
address the needs of wildlife
ALLPH
OTOSBYKENDALLKROESEN
8/9/2019 November-December 2009 Vermilion Flycatcher Tucson Audubon Society
15/32
NovemberDecember 2009Vermilion Flycatcher Tucson Audubon 15
the ground, increasing the total biomass
on which birds and other animals forage.
Landscapes can grow food for people
too! Eat some of the same plants that
provide food for birds (mesquite meal,
native fruits, native salad greens). Grow
heritage fruit trees and share their
produce with migrating tanagers and
grosbeaks. Plant a vegetable garden and
water it from the cistern.
New discoveries await us as we
research how to make our cities friendlier
to birds. We will learn more about helping
some of the species most sensitive to
human encroachment. We will explore
how to provide nests for cavity-nesting
birds that have declined in our cities. Nest
box programs have worked for Eastern
Bluebirds; we need to nd out how to
make them work for birds like Bewicks
Wren and Lucys Warbler.
Finally, we need to continue to explore
ways to take less water from our natural
environment, and make sure that most
of what we use is recycled to support a
diverse urban population of plants and
animals. VF
Another big thanks to Desert Survivors
Plant Nursery for providing native plants
at wholesale for our project in Barrio
Kroeger Lane, and for other contributions!
See www.desertsurvivors.org.
hrs t bac stor. As we build residential,
commercial, and industrial areas for humans,
most other creatures die. Some cant adapt
to development and others die because we
take their water. Most of the laws that regulate
the water in our environment allocate it to
humansvirtually none is reserved for ora
and fauna. Beware of those that say we have
an assured water supply for the foreseeable
futurehumans might; birds do not.
Can we change the city? There areprecedents. A couple of decades ago most
lawns disappeared and were replaced by low-
water-use landscapes. In the last ten years
rainwater harvesting has gone from something
done by fringe permaculturistsknown for
eating cactus fruits and showering outdoors
with their chickensto something that the
City of Tucson mandates for new commercial
developments.
My next article will be about eating cactus
fruit and showering outdoors!
SuSTAINABILITy CORNeRFor this months sustainability tip, check out the
rebates available from Tucson Water for toilet
and other water conservation upgrades. See
www.tucsonaz.gov/water/rebate.htm for details.
Currently new Tucson toilets are mandated to
use no more than 1.6 GPF (gallons per ush).
Rebates are now available for upgrading to
high efciency toilets that use 1.3 gallons
per ush.
Rebates are also available for irrigation
upgrades on commercial buildings and
multifamily residences, and new pre-rinse
nozzles for commercial kitchens that use less
water. Businesses can also receive recognition
through the WaterSmart Business Program.
These rebates represent the implementation
of some of the 22 strategies recommended
recommendations of a Community
Conservation Task Forcelearn more about
the task force and their recommendations at
www.ci.tucson.az.us/water/cons-townhalls.htm.Come in and see
Tucson Audubons
new sustainability
corner in the main
Nature Shop! And
remember, you soon
will be able to use the
composting toilet being
installed at our Mason
Center, operating at
ero GPF!
From top left: Native landscapes increasingly adorn
neighborhoods. A rain garden in Barrio Kroeger
Lane. Tucson Audubons Landscaping for Wildlife
and Sustainabilitycourse. Firewheel (Gaillardia
pulchella), a popular wildower native to Ariona
and other states. Sign marking properties that
are recognized as habitat by Tucson Audubon.
Yellow trumpetbush (Tecoma stans) and Hookers
evening primrose (Oenothera hookeri).Lower left:
Screwbean (Prosopis pubescens), an increasingly
common landscaping plant (inset: screwbean pods).
8/9/2019 November-December 2009 Vermilion Flycatcher Tucson Audubon Society
16/32
16 Tucson AudubonVermilion FlycatcherNovemberDecember 2009
Many kinds of wildlife can be found in urban
areas, but birds are often among the most
visible, diverse, and desirableand Tucson is an
incredible place to live if you appreciate birds.
Tucson has been the focus for some of the
most important research on birds in urban
environments. When I began my graduate work
at the University of Arizona, I was fortunate to
take over the coordination of the Tucson Bird
Count (TBC), which was established by Will
Turner in 2001. The TBC is a citizen science
project that is designed to assess the distribution
and abundance of birds throughout the Tucson
area.
In addition to the broad, citywide information
we can get from the TBC, I was also interested
in examining how things like the plants used inlandscapes at smaller scales (such as individual
yards and neighborhoods) impact birds. To do
this, I looked at the relationships between 10 bird
species and a variety of habitat features at these
smaller scales and, as it turns out, there are a
lot of relatively simple things that people can do
in their yards and neighborhoods to help sustain
populations of native birds in Tucson.
The following is the rst in a series of articles
that looks at the results of this research and
outlines some of the practical steps homeowners
can take to encourage native birds.
Native Veetation and NativeBirdsDont Foret theThorn Trees!
Vegetation is one of the most important
factors in determining which birds are found in a
particular area. While cities tend to have fewer
species of birds than nearby natural areas,
residential areas could support higher numbers
of many types of native birds with the right mix of
plants. I studied ten bird species: Ash-throated
Flycatcher, Cactus Wren, Curve-billed Thrasher,
Gambels Quail, Gila Woodpecker, Lesser
Goldnch, Northern Cardinal, Phainopepla,
Pyrrhuloxia, and Verdin. The amount and type of
native plants present in an area were the most
important factors in determining whether or not aspecies occurred there. Some species, such as
Pyrrhuloxia, Verdin, and Gambels Quail, simply
preferred native plants to non-native plants
whereas other species preferred specic types of
native plants.
Native plants are important to many native
bird species because they provide food and
cover, a relationship that has developed over
millions of years. On the other hand, many non-
native birds, such as House Sparrows, are often
highly adaptable to different environments and
can utilize a wide variety of plantshence their
Tucsonsnaturalsetting and
sprawlinggrowth make
it an idealplace to
study the
complexrelationshipsbetween
wildlifeand urban
development.Above: Blue palo verde. Right: Ironwood owers.
SPECIAL FEATURE | SUSTAINING BIRD POPULATIONS IN TUCSON
Thorny Issues for BirRACHEL MCCAFFREY
Ash-throated Flycatcher (top) andNorthern Cardinal
8/9/2019 November-December 2009 Vermilion Flycatcher Tucson Audubon Society
17/32
NovemberDecember 2009Vermilion Flycatcher Tucson Audubon 17
widespread global distribution. In residential
areas, the types of vegetation people plant will
largely inuence the birds present in their yards,
and many Tucson yards contain few native plants
or lack the diversity of plants necessary to attracta variety of native birds.
One type of native plant that is often missing
from residential landscapes, even those lled
with native plants, is thorn trees or bushes. In
the Tucson area, native thorn trees and bushes
favored by birds include acacias (such as the
whitethorn and catclaw), ironwood, desert
hackberry, velvet mesquite, and palo verde
(blue or foothills). In my study, the number of
thorn trees in a yard correlated strongly with the
presence of Ash-throated Flycatchers, Gambels
Quail, Northern Cardinals, and Verdins. In aridenvironments like Tucson, thorn trees and
bushes can act as the mid-story shrub layer that
is often missing from residential landscapes
dominated by heavily pruned trees, owering
plants and ground cover. This mid-story shrub
layer provides cover, nesting sites and foraging
opportunities (insectivores like Verdins search for
insects among the leaves and owers), and its
presence is a good indicator of a quality habitat
for native birds.
Yet, many homeowners either remove thorn
trees or avoid planting them due to concerns
about the difculty of trimming such plants or the
danger thorns may pose to children and pets.
However, the presence of only one or two thorn
trees can signicantly increase the likelihood of
attracting the types of birds that use them. For
example, in my study, Verdins were only found
in about eight percent of yards that didnt have
any thorn trees or bushes (regardless of the
surrounding habitat), whereas they were found in
41 percent of yards with one or two thorn trees or
bushes. So, a single thorn tree or bush, placed
in an out-of-the-way location where it can be
avoided by people and pets and left untrimmed,could have a considerable impact on the variety
and number of native birds visiting your yard.
In my next article, Ill address the important
relationship between the Phainopepla and
mistletoe. VF
Rachel McCaffrey is the speaker for our
Christmas potuck on Monday, December 14 at
the Dunbar Springs Community Center (see p 9
for details).
Above left to right: Cactus Wren; Tucson Botanical GardensNumber of thorn treesor bushes within a
yard (0.5 ha in size)
Percent of sites withVerdins
0 7.7
12 41.3
34 45.6
4+ 51.3
The Nature Conservancy yard in Tucson.
AVAILABLe IN OuR
NATuRe ShOPS
Cactus of Arizonaby Nora & RickBowers and StanTekiela. $14.95
Trs of Arizonaby Stan Tekiela.$13.95
Cacti andScclnts.
A Simon &Schusters Guideedited by StanleySchuler. $16.00
Dsrt BirdGardningandNativTrs: Gid toLandscapingboth publishedby Arizona PlantSociety andTucson AudubonSociety. $3.50
each
s
A L A N
M U R P H Y
, W W W
. A L A N M U R P H Y P H
O T O G R
A P H Y
. C O M
KENDALLKROESEN
8/9/2019 November-December 2009 Vermilion Flycatcher Tucson Audubon Society
18/32
18 Tucson AudubonVermilion FlycatcherNovemberDecember 2009
The 2004 Open Space Bond was a
big step toward initial implementation
of the Sonoran Desert Conservation
Plan, and especially for mitigating
impacts to habitat for important desert
species. With over 66 percent of
voters supporting the open space
question, it was a huge success and
the most highly supported of all the
General Obligation bond measures on
the ballot that year.
Pima County has acquired many
important biological properties with
the 1997 and 2004 Open SpaceBond funds. Properties include the
A-7 Ranch near the San Pedro
River; 290 acres in Cochie Canyon
in the Tortolita Mountains; the Bar V
Ranch in Davidson Canyon; Madera
Highlands, a 366-acre parcel adjacent
to the Buenos Aires NWR; the Rancho
Seco, Sopori Ranch, and portions
of the Marley Ranch in Altar Valley;
and over 1300 acres in the Tucson
Mountains, including the 700-acre
Sweetwater Preserve. In all, Pima
County has purchased over 51,000
acres of fee lands and also manages
over 127,000 acres of State Trust
Land graing leases.
However, there is a great need
to continue to purchase and protect
desert uplands, grasslands and
riparian areas in Pima County, the
most important of which are identied
as Habitat Protection Priorities.
Key habi