10-2007 Towhee Newsletter Tahoma Audubon Society

8/9/2019 10-2007 Towhee Newsletter Tahoma Audubon Society

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Tahoma Audubon: Connecting people with nature since 1969. www.tahomaaudubon.org October 2007 Vol. 38 No.8

By Diane Yorgason-Quinn

O

ctober kicks off another sea-

son of great birding! Thoseenrolled in the Adult

Intermediate Birding Class have someparticularly exciting field trips and class

sessions ahead of us. Name your most

wanted birds and put your order in with

instructor Ken Brown, and that will

become part of the driving force for this

years class. Still time to sign up even if

youve missed the first class. Field trips

are all over the state including an over-

nighter to the coast and a 3-day trip to

eastern Washington in January (or

February if the passes are closed!). See

By Kathleen LeGreid

Just the title Word on Birds brings instant recognition to long-time Tahoma Audubon mem-

bers of a long running column skillfully constructed by Thais Bock. Paul Webster has reminded

me that Thais has approached a milestone, her ninetieth birthday. Google the name Thais Bock

and a lot of different organizations websites appear. However, long before computers became

part of our daily existence, Thais was fielding phone calls and meticulously recording birdsightings. In those days, it was index cards, pens, and a typewriter. Embarking on a tedious but

valuable undertaking, she documented our feathered friends and their journeys in, around, and

through Washington state. Citizen science has made an impact on our environmental choices

and decisions and Thais made her mark, she is recognized throughout the state. Helen Engle

reminisces, Thais was a charter member of TAS, did our bird watching page in The Towhee

for DECADES, and kept the best notes and lists I ever saw for the chapter. We had agreed at

founding that we would keep excellent field trip records -- more than just the bird list. And

those reports would give us standing

in issues down over the years.

Reporting what places looked like and

were used for and the condition of

those places, recording all that was

necessary to chronicle the state of

Washington .The Google list yielded a 2004 trib-

ute fromRainier Audubon, Thais

Bock is a very special person!! She is

one of our areas best birders and is

always sharing herself, her skills and

her knowledge with others! Thais

credits her mentor Zella Schultz, noted

local ornithologist, teacher, writer and

artist, as the key influence that opened

Thaiss life to the knowledge that she

has so generously shared with us

Word on Birds

Photo/Diane Yorgason-Quinn

Class work with the Intermediate Birding Class, studying TAS collection of mounted birds, June 2007. InstructorKen Brown is standing left of center.

bird

Go birding in

classes!

We are very saddened to report the

death of Patrick Sullivan on September

19th, 2007. It is a great loss to his mother,

his friends, and the birding

community. Patrick fought

a lifelong battle against bi-

polar disease, and it finally

defeated him. He took his

own life two days after he

had returned from the WOS

convention at Ocean Shores.

He was 35 years old.

Patrick began his birding with Bob Ramsey

when he was only eight. Bob had a junior

naturalist program at Snake Lake Nature

Center, and Patrick was his star student.

As Patricks knowledge of birds grew, he

became an outstanding birder. He was indemand as a leader of field trips for Audu-

bon and WOS. He was in his element when

he was birding. In recent years he shared

his love of birds through his photography,

which he posted on his website. Patrick

will be sorely missed by the birding com-

munity.

Remembrances in Patricks name may be

made to Nisqually National Wildlife Ref-

uge, 100 Brown Farm Road, Olympia, WA

98516. Nisqually was always one of Pat-

ricks and Ruths favorite birding spots.

Patrick Sullivan1972 - 2007

Patrick Sullivan

Photo/Diane Yorgason-Quinn

Thais Bock at a banquet in February.

See "Bird classes" on page 6

See "Thais" on page 6


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What hap-

pened to sum-

mer? Where

did it go? How

did autumn

sneak up sofast?

Was I spoiled

by last years

incredible late

fall sunshine

when the warm

summer air

seemed to hang around like an old friend reluctant

to says goodbye? Or is it just that I didnt take any

vacation this summer, still sipping from the

6-months of travel I had done last year?

Auduboners are in touch with the seasons. How

could you not be if you keep a list of birds that

appear in your back yard with the date they stoppedby? As the wings of migration take to the air and

head south, we once again get in touch with the

changing of the seasons.

As Puget Sound becomes more and more urban-

ized it is easy to lose connection with the cycles of

our natural world. As our days progress from

behind computer screen to windshield to television,

and, for the young, computer game console, we

may have more information about Mother Natures

mood in the moment, but no real knowledge of the

larger forces around us.

Birds are a great way to get reintroduced to

nature. When you begin to observe birds youbegin to pay attention to the details. ...because the

details matter.

Take for instance, red. At our September mem-

ber meeting Carole Breedlove showed some very

striking photos of her trip to Papua, New Guinea.

About the 4th slide into the show she started to

audibly complain about the colors on the screen.

From the back of the room the colors looked a

little green, but not too bad.

Our intrepid AV wizard Winfield Giddings

stepped into the fray to troubleshoot. While the

audience sat in the dark, he worked like a surgeon

to come up with a solution. None seemed to satisfy

the presenter. I began to wonder if all the troublewas worth it; cant we deal with a little extra green

and move on?

After finding another projector and plugging it in,

we still did not have a working solution. It was not

until Winfield switched to a new cord between the

computer and projector that a big red crown popped

out on the head of the bird. The crowd oohd and

aahd. It seems the cord no longer sent the color

red to the projector.

Join us in getting reconnected with nature and all

the wonders she has to offer. Our classes for young

people and adults, our field trips, and our programs

are more than just about birds, they are about some-

thing more fundamental. They are about takingtime for ourselves to push back the rush of the days

chores to connect with nature, to connect with our-

selves, and to connect with each other.

As the weather gets colder and the days shorter, I

am going to step back from my busy day and pay

attention to colors and the details and get to know

nature a little bit better.

Featuring Rod Zeeb, The Heritage Institute, co-author ofBeating the Midas Curse.Date: Thursday, October 11, 2007. Time: 4:00 p.m.- 6:30 p.m.Location: Fircrest Golf Club, 1500 Regents Boulevard, Fircrest WAA free information seminar for nancial and legal advisors and their clients to

learn:That your estate and nancial plans are tools in transforming your real wealth:

your values, and that those values will ultimately carve out your legacy;That you can avoid the all too common family collapse that accompanies transfer

of family wealth.

Rods dynamic, enlightening presentation explores the causes of traditional plan-ning failure, and details his proven antidote to the world where families are brokenand fortunes lost. At the core is the understanding that planning must begin with afamily before fortune perspective. For the future of families, and the people who

advise them, this is a truly important presentation.For more information:[email protected]

www.gtcf.org

EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS Corner

Tahoma Audubon Staff

Flint, Bryan Executive Director

[email protected] 253-565-9129

Kyer, Krystal Conservation Coordinator

[email protected] 253-232-9978

Newton, Gabriel Education [email protected] 253-565-5479

Kerrigan, Julie Volunteer Coordinator

[email protected]

Tahoma Audubon Board of Directors

Brosius, Jane Membership

Carkner, Dick

Garner, John

Gilmur, Thelma Membership

Hukari, Molly Past President

Jordon, AlLarson, Sally

Larson, Wayne

LeGreid, Kathleen Publication [email protected]

Matthaei, Fred

McNair-Huff, Rob Conservation

Roening, Marcus

Sloat, Sally Administration(contact)

Shea, Margie Education

Sullivan,Brian Volunteer [email protected]

Page 2 www.tahomaaudubon.org October 2007

The Pierce County Chapter of The National Audubon SocietyLocated in University Place's Adriana Hess Wetland Park

2917 Morrison Rd W University Place, WA 98466

Office hours 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. Front desk 253-565-9278

e-mail: [email protected]

The Towhee is a publication of the Tahoma Audubon Society.

The Tahoma Audubon Society was chartered in 1969. TASadvo-

cates for the protection of wildlife and promotes conservation through

education and activities that enrich its members experiences in and

with the natural world.

The Towhee is published monthly, nine times a year, with a com-

bined Jul/Aug and Dec/Jan issue. Submissions of articles and photo-

graphs of birds, bird lore, natural history, conservation, and environ-mental education are reviewed and considered for inclusion by the

editor. Copy is due by the 15th of the month and may be sent by

e-mail, disk, or typed.

Editor: Kathleen Ann LeGreid: phone 360-458-1483

E-mail:kaleditor@ mindspring.com

Mailing: Vera & John Cragin and Winfield Giddings

Design & Layout: Robert Kelton: E-mail: [email protected]

Printing: Consolidated PressPrinted on recycled newsprint

Transferring family valueswith the family wealthFinancial planning that puts family before fortune

Its all in the red ... Birds are a great wayto get reintroduced to

nature. When you begin

to observe birds you

begin to pay attention tothe details. ... because

the details matter.


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EDUCATION Page


2917 Morrison Road W.,

University Pl. WA 98466

253-565-9278

www.TahomaAudubon.org

Open Mon Sat. 10a.m.-1p.m.

1919 South Tyler Street,

Tacoma WA 98338

253-591-6439 www.metroparkstacoma.org

Open Tues. Fri. 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

& Sat. 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Intermediate Birding classAge: 18+ Want to sharpen your bird identifi-

cation skills? Want to enjoy the company of oth-

ers while doing it? Want to learn from someone

who has been identifying birds for decades?

Then the Intermediate birding class is for you.

This class is for those who have a good back-

ground in bird identification. The fall class has an

emphasis on shorebirds, winter ducks and hawks.In addition to the Tuesday evening classes, there

are four fields from the coast to Eastern

Washington. Participants are responsible for their

own gas, food, and lodging during field trips.

Adriana Hess Audubon Center

Fee: $55 for members, $75 for non-members

Oct. 9, 16, 23, 30 and Nov.. 6, 13, 20, & 27

Tue 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Field trips: Oct. 13 & 14, Nov. 10, Dec. 1, and a

3 day trip in Jan.

Led by Kenneth Brown

Locating your house and backyard on a roadmap places it in the context of other homesand the streets that connect them. Thisunique, political location allows you to sendand receive mail and other deliveries, guideguests to your home, and live with thesecurity that emergency services can findyou. While this place is a part of yourpersonal identity today, it may have beenhome to someone else in the past and willundoubtedly be the address of another in thefuture. But your backyard is much more thana named spot on a political map. It is also aplace where many elements of the natural worldoverlap today as they have been intersecting formillions of years and will continue to meet into thefuture. In order to understand this place on the Earth, tolearn its secrets from the past, and to act as its steward intothe future, you will want to learn your Ecological Address. EcologicalAddress is a term currently used to define the elements of the environmentthat characterize a specific locale at a certain time. One way to understandthis address is to envision your spot on the road map with a variety ofoverlays one showing water systems, one showing geological regionsand forms, another showing climate zones, still another showing biological

communities, and finally one showing landuse. While all of these components arefundamental and integral to the identity ofyour backyard, the most complex are themany biological communities interactthere. Understanding that there aremultitudes of organisms that may spendtheir entire lives in your yard or stop torest for just a few moments will add toyour appreciation for the value of thisplace and your enjoyment of it. After

identifying these components of your homeand backyard today, explore how this ecological

address has changed over time. What elementswere different 25100.500 and even 1,000

years ago? Why did these changes take place? Andwhat elements will change in the future? Do you have

any control over these changes? Go to the Audubon websiteat www.audubon.org/bird/at_home/Explore.html to find links to

explore and a worksheet you can download to find your ecological address.While an exploration at a local, backyard level will teach you much aboutyour specific residence, looking at regional and even global systems willshow you how your backyard is connected with many other sites in yourcommunity, region of the country and even around the globe.

Photo from Tahoma archives

The archives are slowly going digital. KarlKing volunteered to scan some of our slidesto create an important asset for TAS. Thankyou Karl for your expertise!

For class times and dates, please check the Calendar listing on the back page of the Towhee or on our website, www.tahomaaudubon.com

What is your ecological address?

No Paul WebsterPaul is taking a much needed break. Lookfor his column to return next month, whenhe will comtemplate the Marbled Godwit.

HEY KIDS!ITS TIME FOR A

QUICK QUIZ!1. The average gram of soil (enough to cover aquarter) contains how many organisms:

a) One

b) 100c) 10,000d) 1 billion

2. The main diet of an animal that is called aninsectivore is:

a) Fruits

b) Seedsc) Insectsd) Cheeseburgers

EWWW!

4. Which of the following organisms make theirown food?

a) Birdsb) Plantsc) Salamandersd) Fish

5. A sapsucker is a type of:a) Bird

b) Garden toolc) Bugd) Lizard

6. Which of the following begins its life underthe water of a pond?

a) Snakeb) Spiderc) Dragonflyd) Box turtle

3. You can tell what a birdeats by looking at its:

a) Beakb) Feathersc) Eyesd) Refrigerator

Gabriel NewtonEducation Coordinator

? Answers on next page.


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FIELD TRIPS and Events

October 2007 www.tahomaaudubon.org Page 5

Weekly Bird Walks at Nisqually

Thursdays 8:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Leader: Phil Kelley. Join Phil on his weekly birdwalk as he counts the birds at Nisqually NWR. On

the first Thursday of the month, the group walks

fairly quickly around the full loop, a distance of

over five miles. Other weeks, the trip is shorter;

walking out to McAllister Creek, back to the visitorcenter, then out to the Twin Barns and the Ring

Dike Trail, totaling about four miles. (Shorter hunt-

ing season version starts in Nov.)

Bring: Good walking shoes or boots, raingear,

water, snacks, and $3. entry fee unless you have a

pass. Scopes are welcome.

Meet: At the Visitors Center.

Directions: Take I-5 south from Tacoma and exit

to Nisqually NWR at exit 114. Turn right at light.

Sign-up: Call or e-mail Phil Kelley to confirm

details. Phil Kelley, Lacey, (360) 459-1499, scrub-

[email protected].

Field Trips at Adriana Hess2917 Morrison Rd W in University Place

Second Monday, October 8, 12:00 to 1:00

Bird Walk with knowledgeable birders

Third Monday, October 15, 12:00 to 1:00

Plant Walk with guest leaders

Nature Walk at Point Defiance

Third Sundays, 21 Oct. 8:00 a.m.

Leader: Rob McNair-Huff ([email protected]).

The 4.5-mile walk starts at 8 a.m. in the back of the

zoo parking lot and takes about three hours,

depending on what we find to look at along theway.

Renton Parks & The Cedar River

Sunday, Oct. 21 8:30 a.m. to mid-afternoon

Leader: Amy SchillingerThe beaches near Coulon Park in Renton, and the

habitats at Cavanaugh Ponds up river on the Cedar

River should provide good birdwatching during

fall when the salmon are spawning. Bring your

cameras for views of Lake Washington and for the

fall colors. We will walk up to 1 mile on paths at

the ponds.

Bring: Good walking shoes or boots, warm clothes,

lunch and drinks. Scopes are welcome.

Meet: 8:30 a.m. at Coulon Park near Ivars and

Kidd Valley Restaurants.

Directions: Coulon Park is in Renton, at the southend of Lake Washington. Travel north on I-405 to

exit 5. Turn down the hill two blocks, and right

(north) at the bottom of the hill onto Lake

Washington Blvd. Travel two blocks, and turn left

into Coulon Park. Turn right, and drive about three

blocks north inside the park. The Ivars and Kidd

Valley parking lot will be on the left.

Sign-Up: Call or e-mail Amy Schillinger, (425)

443-6931, [email protected].

E-mail is preferred.

Beaches and Parks -Des Moines to Tacoma

Sunday, Oct. 28. 8:00 a.m. to mid-Afternoon

Leader: Steve Johnson.Visit picturesque beaches, woods, and parks in

King County and Pierce County during a great time

of year to look for returning fall birds. Our first

stop will be at Redondo. Then well work our way

north to parks and beaches along Puget Sound,

searching for Harlequin Ducks, all three scoters,

and various waterfowl and forest birds.

After viewing at the Des Moines Pier, well travel

south to Browns Point Light house and to viewing

spots near the Hylebos Waterway. Expect to walk

short distances from the cars.

Bring: Lunch, a thermos and drinks, and warmclothes. A scope is very welcome.

Meet: 8:00 a.m. at the 272nd P&R north of Federal

Way.

Directions: Take I-5 to exit 147 north of Federal

Way. Exit onto S. 272nd St, and go west one block

to the light. Turn right and go one block into the

P&R on the right.

Sign-Up: Call or e-mail Steve Johnson, (253) 941-

9852, [email protected].

White-tailed Kites in the FallSunday, Nov. 11

7:30 a.m. to late afternoon

Leader: Roger OrnessWhite-tailed Kites are not known to migrate, but

the dispersal of the young and the possibility of late

nesting pairs can be found in fall. Our trip will take

us through several valleys where kites nested in the

past. Our main target bird will be a fresh plumaged

juvenile. We also should see good numbers of

other raptors. This trip is limited to seven people

and two vehicles, so sign up early to secure a spot.

Bring: Scopes, binos, lunch, and snacks. Be pre-

pared for a long drive, and a long day returning toTacoma in the late afternoon.

Meet: At the McDonalds Restaurant at the Hwy

512 P&R at 7:30. Depart promptly.

Directions: Take I-5 to Hwy 512 south of Tacoma.

Turn right and take an immediate left on South

Tacoma Way. Travel south one block, and turn left

into the P&R. Meet near McDonalds.

Sign-Up: Call or email Roger Orness, (253) 922-

7516, [email protected]

Call TAS to register (253-565-9278).1.

Some trips are people limited out of

necessity.

Notify TAS 24 hours in advance if you2.

cannot come. Field trip leaders put in a

lot of time and planning and no shows

disrupt field trips. More than three noshows a year can result in revoking the

opportunity to participate.

Arrive at the meeting place early.3.

No pets are allowed.4.

Be prepared for seasonal weather.5.

Bring lunch, drinks and snacks if the field6.

trip is scheduled past mid-day.

All passengers divide total carpooling7.

expenses. Current guidelines are 20

cents a mile per car, not including driver.

Beginners are always welcome.8.

Have fun.9.

RULES

Trogon ToursTrip to Thailand

January 13-27, 2008Nate Chappell and his wife, Angiewill lead a 2 week trip to Central andNorthern Thailand next January.

Trogon ToursTrip To Ecuador

December 8-16, 2007Nate Chappell and his Ecuadorianwife, Angie, will lead a trip to themountains and western slope of the

Andes.Call Nate Chappell at 512-1060 formore information. Trogon Tours, Incswebsite is www.trogontours.net.

1. d) A gram of soil contains about a bil-lion microscopic organisms, mostly bacteria,which help the soil in many ways.

2. c) Insectivores eat insects! Herbivoreseat seeds, berries and other plant material.

Animals that are omnivorous eat insects (orother animals) AND plant products.

3.a) The shape of a birds beak has evolvedover thousands of years and is shaped per-fectly for the birds main diet. Finches, for ex-ample, have short, stout beaks for crackingseeds, while hummingbirds have a long slen-der beak for accessing the nectar in flowers.

4. b) The leaves of plants contain microscop-ic factories that transform carbon dioxideand solar energy into food through a com-

plex process known as photosynthesis.

5. a) A sapsucker is a kind of woodpecker,which is a type of bird. It gets its name fromits habit of tapping small holes in trees andthen drinking the sap that flows into theholes, or eating the insects that are attractedto the sap.

6. c) Adult dragonflies lay their eggs in apond and the nymph that emerges lives atthe bottom of the pond, sometimes over thewinter. It then climbs out of the water on aplant and transforms through metamorpho-sis into an adult.

A Blue Gray Tananger in Ecuador.Photo/Nate Chappell

Answers to Quick Quiz:

TroganTours


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Page 6 www.tahomaaudubon.org October 2007 www.tahomaaudubon.org Page 7

details elsewhere in this issue.

This past year included two class terms, the Fall/Winter class which started a year ago

and ran into February, then going from April to July with the Spring/Summer class. The

highlights for the past year were extraordinary, as they always are. We filled our wood-

pecker scorecard completely (at last, Black-backed Woodpeckers ventured over the

state line and allowed the class to find them in two different locations!!). We may

have missed a couple of owl species, but we have never had so many individual

owls! Almost filled our shorebird and raptor cards. We did well on flycatchers,

vireos, and gulls!! Imagine seeing a Sabines Gull pattering over the water in

central Washington near Wells Dam (a seabird quite lost!). Other interesting birds

included a mockingbird at the coast. It might just still be around when we look

for it again this month.

One of our magical moments occurred when we were walking into Northrup

Canyon at dusk last winter to look for owls. The snowpack was keeping things

pretty well lit, when over a dozen Bald Eagles drifted by in single file to their

communal evening roost, calling repeatedly in unison, their calls echoing off the

canyon walls sounding most musical! I never thought Id say that about Bald

Eagles, but you have to hear the Song of The Eagles to believe it! After they went to

bed, we have several saw-whet owls in there, too.

Then this summer, how about a cave filled with a family of FIVE Prairie Falcons!!! One

day later, they would have fledged, and we would have missed this extraordinary sight.

Watching a new bird pioneer our state has been interesting as we have observed the Eurasian

Collared Dove several times, first in Mansfield in eastern

Washington and then this spring in Grays Harbor County.

Will they soon be everywhere, and what impact will they

have on our native birds? Well be keeping track as we gad

about. Check your own yard! Luckily for the fall/winter

class, we wont be faced with the ever-exciting decision of

whether to camp or motel until June. Itll be just the oppo-

site when we head across the mountains this time. We may

even add new members to the exclusive club formed last

year near Havillah The Zero Club. Initiation involves

using an outhouse in the dark with an outside temperature

below zero degrees! Six of us are charter members... (At

least that ladys room wasnt closed for cleaning, which has

become one of the themes of Kens trips this past season.

Is he getting radio messages from them or what?)

As we head into winter, remember the extraordinary

winter birding we had last year The junk birds of the

season were Hungarian Partridges, Bohemian Waxwings,

and Redpolls!! What will it be this year? Cross your fin-

gers for White-winged Crossbills and Great Gray Owls!

And on the waters of Puget Sound, how about herds of

Rhinos, Ancient Murrelets, and Eurasian Wigeon, maybe

with a few Eurasian and Baikal Teal mixed in? Get ready!

The birds are coming!

...bird

classes!through the years. The articledescribes her efforts to save theGreat Blue Heron Marsh after a trip

to Peasley Canyon and her dedica-

tion to Rainier Audubons annual

Christmas Bird Count. (Source:

http://www.zoominfo.com/people/

level2page3796.aspx www.rainier-

audubon.org)

Thaiss home is near Saltwater

State Park and

my Google

search led to

the Sound to

Sage website

for the States

breeding bird

atlas. Thass1987 to 1994

census of

S a l t w a t e r

State Park was part of a statewide

project. The atlas is a result of over

10,000 hours of field surveying by

more than 300 citizen science

volunteers, Sound to Sage presents

maps and accounts of the nesting

occurrence of 213 species of birds

in a four-county, 5,000-square-mile

swath of Washington extending

from the shores of Puget Sound

across the Cascade Range to the

sagebrush lands adjoining the

Columbia River.

(Source http://www.soundtosage.

org/soundtosage/block_detail.

aspx?id=KG31)

Tahoma Audubons official Pierce

County bird species list was updat-

ed and posted on the Web in PDF

format in 2006. It is compiled and

maintained by Tahoma Audubon

members Marcus Roening and

Thais Bock. (Contact Tahoma

Audubon for the list at www.taho-

maaudubon.org) The Friends of

Hyleboss web blog hosted by Chris

Carrellists as number 60 in a list of

Federal Way favorites, from restau-

rants to attractions,Thais Bock.

This former piano teacher has for-

gotten more about birds than I will

ever know. Thais has been a long-

time Rainier Audubon Society vol-

unteer (and Friends activist) who

has been very active in teaching

countless residents about local bird

species and working to protect

important bird habitat like Dumas

Bay and the West Hylebos

Wetlands.

(Source http://hylebos.typepad.

com/hyleblog/2007/04/index.html)

As for me, Thais will always be

number one on my list. I had the

privilege of printing her column

Word on Birds when I began my

journey as editor of The Towhee.

I learned about editing, organiza-

tion, and attention to detail from

her. She taught me so much.

Happy Birthday Thais.

Thais

Bock ...

continued from page 1

continued from page 1

Story and photos by

Diane Yorgason-Quinn

Right: Cliff nest of Prairie Falcons in central WA, June 10, 2007.

Below: The Spring/Summer Birding Class, June 10, 2007, near the Columbia River. From left: Vera,

Jack, Dorothy, Mike, Kathy, Ryan, Carolyn, Ken, Faye, Wayne, Diane, Jack P.

Right: Redpoll on Snow, January

14, 2007.

Below: Long-Eared Owl in windbreaktrees near Tri-Cities, February 07.

Above: A tree with Owls in the crown and lots of legs at Wapato Cemetery, February 24, 2007.

Left: American Avocet near Othello, June 10, 2007.

Above in circle: Tree foliage was 100% Bohemian Waxwings inBrewster in January 15, 2007.

Above: Yellow-Headed Blackbird near Othello, June 10, 2007.

Thais Bock


7/11


BIRDSONGS by Phil Buly The World Series of BirdingCompetitors jostle for position at the start-

ing point, equipment is adjusted and watchesare checked. At the stroke of midnight, the racebegins. Its not a late-night track meet, but theWorld Series of Birding, where teams compete

ercely, but wildlife is the biggest winner.It all began decades ago in May 1984, when a

few teams set out on a 24-hour treasure hunt.Their objective was to tally as many birds aspossible in NJ, raise money for their favorite en-vironmental cause, and increase awareness ofthe habitat needs of migrating birds. They suc-ceeded beyond their wildest dreams, as theirlove of birding spawned the World Series of Bird-ing, now attracting over a thousand participantsannually, and focusing national media attentionon the need to protect birds and their habitats.In the past 20 years, the WSB has raised over $8million for conservation.

By Helen Engle

Active TAS birder Art Wang was

a 27th District State Representative

in 1982. The TOWHEE ran his

report on how the legislature was

handling environmental concerns.

Roughly summed up as, things

could have been a lot worse.

The biggest environmental controversy was

the attempt to amend the Shorelines Manage-

ment Act by Chicago Bridge & Iron to create a

shoreline of statewide economic signicance

allowing them to construct offshore oilrigs in

Whatcom County. The bill passed both houses,

but Governor Spellman vetoed it.

Art had worked for and successfully obtained

state funds to help clean up Commencement Bay.

He was disappointed that the Legislature failed

to restrict Metros sewage outfall at Seahurst. It

seemed totally inconsistent for the state to spend

millions more to allow King County to dump its

waste in Puget Sound at a location where efuentincreased pollution in Commencement Bay.

Rep. Wang told of bills that were

introduced to gut the vehicle emis-

sions inspection program, which

had just recently been estab-

lished to help reduce air pollu-

tion problems. Luckily these

bills failed.

On Thais Bocks Word on Birds

page she reported that the Bluebird

Trail in the Yelm area was especially effective.

She said ranchers were commenting on the num-

ber of Western Bluebirds seen and how insect-

free their yards and gardens were this year. The

new boxes were occupied and there are plans to

add more in time for next season. Thais reported

on sightings of a Golden Eagle and 30+ Moun-

tain Goats on MRNPs Van Trump eld trip.

Cindy McIntyres summed up TAS major sum-

mer project -- the Summer Arts Fair at Villa Pla-

za in Lakewood. It was successful beyond their

dreams with over seventy artists exhibiting. The

tremendous effort by over two dozen hard-work-

ing Auduboners made it happen. Major commit-tee members besides Chairman Cindy, were Nan-

cy Millard, Kay

Samuels, Carla

Hansmann, Kar-

en Parks, Bob

Wareld, Can-

dy Stewart and

Paul Porter. The

opening ceremo-

ny was presided

over by County

Executive Booth

Gardner. Chan-

nel 11 featuredthe show with

a full minute

of lm and the

News Tribune

ran a favorable

review by Cheryl

Tucker.

TAS October

calendar includ-

ed great eld

trips with knowl-

edgeable lead-

ers: Bearhead

Mountain, Jan

Verduin; Sno-

qualmie River

Valley near Car-

nation, Karl Lun-

dberg; McAl-

lister Creek

Canoe Trip, Ken

Brown; Bus trip

over Stevens

Pass, Elmer

Price; South Hill

County Park bird

census, Lu Foxford; Wapato Park, Thelma Gil-

mur; weekend trip to Fort Columbia, Fort Canby,

North Head and Cape Disappointment Light-

house, Clara Strode; Sunrise Beach County Park,

Rudy Moller; Halloween night hike at Snake

Lake, Bob Ramsey; and south Puget Sound boattrip, Walt Adams.

Plus TAS scheduled workshops on our spe-

cial things: Helping Backyard Birds was all

about taking care of wintering birds needs. And

Landscaping with Native Plants was a one-day

workshop about what top plant to attract birds,

butteries, and other desirable creatures. Both

workshops were led by Bob Ramsey, landscape

architect, biology teacher, and current director of

Snake Lake Nature Center.

The everlasting battle with Weyerhaeuser over

the Nisqually Delta has come to the initiation of

lawsuits. The most important suit challenges the

legality of the development permits issued by theCity of DuPont and approved by the state. The

environmental organizations have the law on their

side and are prepared to go as far as this appeal will

take them. The lawsuits are the last hope for pre-

venting the company from building its fth private

port on Washingtons diminishing shorelines.

Thanks to additional sponsors whohelped Birdathon this year. We

appreciate receiving contributions

from Sara Blakeslee, Joy Brewer,

Walt Burdsall, Ed Chaffee, Marie

Churney, Teresa and Joe Clabots, Ron

Corn, Darolyn Crandall and Randy

Briery, Corinne Cruver, Ben Evans, FrankGarratt, Krystal and Michael Kyer, David

Lane, Peter and Bonnie Meyer, Sharon

Ross, Carolyn Much, Naomi Natiello,

Suzanne Olt, Virginia Rawlings, Henry

and Pam Raynor, Ruth Stevick, Mar-Le

Wendt.

Just the other day... Heres what TAS was doing back in 1982

Feedback, comments and reminiscences wel-

come, 253-564-3112, [email protected].


A picture of Commencement Bay from our archives. Karl King volunteered to scan someof our slides to create an important asset for TAS. Thank you Karl for your expertise!


Helen Engle from days of yore.

More Birdathon sponsors Donation soughtTahoma Audubon is in need of a desk-

top computer with a graphic card.

Please contact Bryan Flint, Executive Di-

rector, of Tahoma Audubon at 253-565-

9129 or BryanFlint@TahomaAudubon.

orgif you have one to donate.Thank you in advance.


8/11


Excerpts from http://www.audubon.org/globalWarming/ImpactsBirdsWildlife.php

How does global warming affect birds, otherwildlife, and their habitats?

All organisms depend on

their habitats for food, water,

shelter, and opportunities tobreed and raise young. Climate

changes can affect organisms

and their habitats in a myriad

of ways. In fact, global warm-

ing impacts all life on earth,

from individual organisms to

populations, species, commu-

nities, and ecosystems.

It can alter behaviors, population sizes, species

distributions, plant and animal communities, and

ecosystem functions and stability. How strongly

different species will be affected varies, depending

on differences in their ecology and life history. Spe-

cies with small population sizes, restricted ranges,and limited ability to move to different habitat will

be most at risk. Similarly, different habitats and

ecosystems will be impacted differently, with those

in coastal, high-latitude, and high-altitude regions

most vulnerable.

Is wildlife already being affected by global

warming?

There is mounting scientic evidence that glob-

al warming is already having profound effects on

birds, broader biodiversity, wildlife habitat, and

ecosystems. Here are some of the ways that global

warming is affecting wildlife:

Geographic range

The ranges of many plants and animals ar e mov-

ing toward the poles and toward higher elevations.

For example, the ranges of many British breeding

birds were, on average, more than 11 miles farthernorth in the period from 1988-91 than they were in

the period from 1968-72, according to comparisons

derived from breeding bird atlases. (British butter-

ies are also being found farther north.)

Reproduction timing

Egg-laying, owering, and spawning are occur-

ring earlier for many species, in some cases disrupt-

ing delicate cycles that ensure that insects and other

food are available for young animals. For example,

Tree Swallows across North America have ad-

vanced egg-laying by as

many as nine days from

1959 to 1991. Migration timing and

patterns

Spring migration is oc-

curring earlier and fall

migration later in many

species. For example, 25

migratory bird species are

arriving in Manitoba, Canada, earlier than they did

63 years ago; only two are arriving later.

Frequency and intensity of pest outbreaks

Global warming increases droughts in some areas;

and spruce budworm outbreaks frequently follow

droughts, perhaps because dry weather increases

the stress on host trees or allows more spruce bud-worm eggs to be laid. Spruce budworms can be le-

thal to spruce trees, and spruce-r forests are a very

important habitat type in the northern hemisphere

for a wide variety of plants and animals.

Impacts of global warming on birds and wildlife

T

he day awakens with dew

hanging heavy on a blade ofgrass.The Horned Lark forages for break-fast. Search-

ing the prai-

ries of Fort

Lewis, the

birds effort

is not in vain

as it plucks a

worm from

the soil. A

native to Washington, the Horned Lark is one

of many common bird species in decline due

to a loss of habitat.

One organization has been ghting fornearly 40 years in Pierce County to pro-tect wildlife habitat for these common bird

species. Weve had a fantastic year!

So far this year we have:

Helped pass State legislation to protect shore-

lines from unregulated Geoduck farming.

Worked with County government to develop

rst ever controls on Geoduck farming, a new

aquaculture.

Protected over 800 acres of pristine oak prai-

rie and wetlands from the proposed Cross-

Base Highway.

Doubled the number of youth and adults we

are serving through our educational programs.

Helped get the Green Tacoma Partnership

off the ground to protect and restore our urban

green spaces.

We have more work to do. We invite youto get up early and catch the worm.Help us protect habitat for wildlife and join

us at out Early Bird Gets the Worm Breakfast

Event, Tuesday, October 30th, at 7:30 am.

You may RSVP with Jennie Sheridan at (253)

565-9278 or [email protected].

Thank you to our corporate table sponsorswho have helped underwrite this event at

the $1,000 level.

McMurry & Swift Inc.

The Port of Tacoma

HomeStreet Bank

Puget Sound Energy

Thank you to our Individual and Table

sponsors who have helped underwrite this

event at the $500 level.

Al Jordon

Anonymous two table

Pierce Conservation District

University of Puget Sound

Thank you to our table captains who will

ensure that our Breakfast Event is a Tre-mendous success.Ken Batker

Terry Conner

Dick Dorsett

Helen Engle

Gary Geddes

Thelma Gilmur

Molly Hukari

Al Jordon

Wayne Larson

Robert Mack

Fred Matthaei

Rob McNair-Huff

Natalie McNair-Huff

Ryan Mello

Mahan Monty

Tonya Oliver

John Olsen

Nancy Pearson

Leslie Ann Rose

Dave Seabrook

Dave Senner

Margie Shea

Dan Sherman

Tom Stenger

Anna Thurston


9/11

This article appeared in last months Towhee, but as you will

see, some very important information was left out ...

On September 17, 2007 Julie Kerrigan began as our volun-teer coordinator. This is an AmeriCorps position and will befull time for 10 -1/2 months.

Julie will be working to recruit new volunteers and to work

with our current crew to get the important work of Tahoma

Audubon accomplished. A big part of that will be working with

everyone on the front desk. Julie will be working closely with

Sally and everyone on improving the front desk experience.

An introduction and greeting from Julie:

Hello, everyone! Im so happy to be here and meet all of you. I

look forward to working with you to create an even better Audu-

bon. I recently graduated from Pacific Lutheran University with

a Bachelors Degree in Sociology and a minor in Spanish. I grew

up in New Mexico and moved to Oregon during high school. I

love to travel and so far Ive been to Costa Rica, Mexico, Peru

and Bolivia. My other interests include cooking, pottery, scrap

booking, photography, hanging out with kids, speaking Spanish

and experiencing different cultures. My family consists of me, my

sister, my dad, my mom and my 3 birds (2 cockatiels and an Af-

rican Grey). A sincere apology goes out to my mother for my

forgetfulness in mentioning her in the last Towhee.

So, Welcome Julie. The AmeriCorps position only pays a

stipend to participants, so Julie will be living off of nothing. A

great way to get to know her and keep her going is to invite her

over for a home cooked meal.

Julies e-mail address is [email protected].


VOLUNTEER Recognition

Thanks to our faithful helpers, our na-tive plantings continue to prosper andlook lovely. We appreciate Tom Gergen,Earline C Luco McQueen, Dixie Harris.

October 13, Saturday, is Make a Differ-

ence Day from 9:00 to noon at AdrianaHess Wetland Park. Well be plantingsome understory plants and would loveto have you help. There may be somewatering and weeding, too.

Many helped at the TAS booth at the fair, severalwere guides in the building or worked in the Hands-

on-Arena

t u r n i n g

kids on to

many fac-

ets of the

environ-

ment and

conservation; several hauled, polished, set up, took

down, built the bird house kits, painted faces, made

the button pieces,etc.

Thanks go to: Joyce and Dave Bramsche, Win-

eld Giddings, Chuck Schilling, Walter Lachnit,

Joe McGuire, Joann Sims, Gabrield Newton, SallySloat, Sue Goering, Katie Kelly, Robin Little, Al

Gray, Connie Decker, Lew Wallon, June Coloff,

Kathryn Johansen, Krystal Kyer, Gabriel Newton,

Jana Henderson, Phyllis Knopp, Mary Siegentha-

ler, Stephan and Kay Reed, Jen Recco, Al Jordan,

Michael Brown, Wendy Evans, Loyd and Sha-

ron Miller, Molly Hukari, Dave Chase and Bev,

Earl Van Perdue, Victoria Ray, Ruby Harr, Janet

Mailard, Joann Sims, Rosanne Becker, Thelma Gil-

mur, Karen Fischer, Shirley Graves, Kristi Ceder,

David Lane, Pat and Don Clifford, Dorothy and

Fred Tobiason, Walt and Marlene Arthur, Carolyn

Orwiler, Byrna Klavano, Priscilla Huber, Roxy and

Bill Giddings, Kris Quinn, Betty Beal, DorothySkovholt, Karen Whitmore, Susan Stewart, Gerry

and Joan Rapp, Doug and Pat White, Sylvia Rus-

sell, Jim Julich, Annette Pinkerton, Carol Breed-

love, Hannah Bellefontaine, Nell and Ken Batker,

Dee Margeson, Joanna and Dale Chesnut, Wayne,

Sally and Chad Larson, Laurie Nesselrode, Susan

Boynton, Bob and Barbara Kvamme, Joe Quain-

tance, Jennifer Trueman, Valerie Edwards, Shelley

Parker,Vera and John Cragin, Monica Weidman,

Jerry Broadus and Clarice Clark, Linda Guerrero,

Danielle Harrington, Katrina Weihs, Ginny Mur-

phy, Bonne Holbrook, Mary Henry, Gael Gann, Bri-

anna Charbonnel, Margery Shea and Bill Richards,

Diane Malone and Norm Butka, Dolly Monaghan,

Becky and Millard Hixson, Mary Manning, Margy

Grifn, Diana Dodd, Renee and Steve Copeland,

Walt Burdsall, Anna Thurston, Debbie Pederson,

Marilyn Reynolds, Nancy Brown, John and Caro-

line Garner, Marcelle Kovel, Pam McGee and Dale

Leggett, Ken and Judy Austin, Kathleen LeGreid,

Beth, Brandon and Zachary Hawn.

Photo/Bryan Flint

As part of freshman orientation at the University of Puget Sound, students dropped by to do a days worthof volunteering. Coming from all over the western states only the weekend before, these students dug rightinto their work. The Adrianna Hess Audubon Center has been visited by a new crop of freshman studentsfor the past five years.

Up with UPS Thanks to all the

Audubon helpers

at the Puyallup fair

Continuing work on the grounds at Adriana HessWetlands Park August 16 through September 15

Meet your new Volunteer Coordinator


10/11


Tahoma Audubon is the Pierce County chapter of National Audubon. As anIntroductory member of Tahoma Audubon you also receive a National

Audubon membership and Audubon Magazine for one year. Renewing yourChapter Membership ensures that we can continue to do our work in PierceCounty. Chapter membership includes: Towhee newsletter subscription, free

family events, birding trip invitations, class & book discounts, conservationactivities, annual celebrations and more. Joint TAS/National Audubon mem-bership includes: Chapter membership, National membership, annual

Audubon Magazine subscription, and support of Important Bird Areas (IBA)and state and national conservation agendas. C

heckspayableto:TahomaAudubon

2917

MorrisonRd.

W.

UniversityPlace,

98466

TahomaAudubonSociety,establishedin

1969,

isa501(c)(3)nonprofitorganization.Don

ations

aretaxdeductible.

Membership Fee:

___ Introductory (first year) $20

___ Joint National/Tahoma Audubon $50

___ Chapter member renewal $30

___ Other Contributions _____________

Member(s) Name: _______________________________________

Address: _______________________________________________

City______________________________ Zip__________________

Phone: home ___________________business _________________

e-mail: ________________________________________________

Member #: _______________________________ (office use only)

Membership

New: Ruth Ann Mikels, Jamie Bellamy, Marlys

Daniel, Joyce Erath, Mary Henry, Roger Lay-

bourn, Michael Moline, Emma & Alex Petty,

Diana Sanford, David Sprague, Sally Zitzer

Renewal: Jill Baum, Leo Bellarts, Sandy Brett,Marilyn Broyles, Vonda Cartwright, Gene Casey,

Kate Comis, Rachel Dawson, Jo A Beulah Fit-

zhugh, Mary Fuhrmeister, Donald Gibson, NancyHall, Mary Hamilton, Kathy Herbstler, P Kelley,

Bonnie Latham, Mariam Lauren, Lawrence Ok

S Horry, Claudia Lengenfelder, Beverly Marson,

Darrel Martin, Pamela & John Oligher,

John OLoughlin, Mr & Mrs Nelson

Omero, Mary Opgenorth, Luverne

Petersen, Jacqueline Plattner, Bob

Potter, Peter Ramins, Neva Ras-

mussen, Victoria Ray, Melinda

Redman, Al Ruff, David Sandfer,

Judith Stephens, Fern Svendsen, J and D Swan-berg, Steven Urback, Christine Wood, Robert

York, Richard Rhine.

Introductory: Jeffrey Lamberg.

Special Support, Chapter New: Aaron

Meghantoso.Special Support, Joint TAS and NAS: Mr andMrs Jack Brown, Curtis Hebron, David and Pa-

tricia Senner.

WELCOME to New and Returning Members

August 16 to September 15, 2007

Reaction to the new look of the TowheeThe reviews are in, and people like the new Towhee. Thank you to Editor Kathleen LeGreid and desk

top publisher Robert Kelton for such great work.

The new look of the Towhee is wonderful. The changeshave been needed for decades. More than any other change

this paper reaches all our members and out to the community. Ilike the organization of the interior pages, the brighter pictures,the clear index on the last page. I enjoy Krystals writing. Its

complete and takes the time to explain the issue in detail.

GREAT job with thenewsletter. It arrived in yesterdaysmail. It was relevant, interesting,

and professionally done.

Whathappened to the

Towhee?! It is likethis professionalpublication now!

I like it.

Arrival at our event start times and registration is

required for participation. All participants are requested

to dig on behalf of a recipient organization, and then

dig for themselves. Bring a sack lunch if you see your-

self helping out or digging more. We provide tools,

gloves and plant guidance. Community is in creation at

all of our events - we know how to have fun whileworking hard!

Saturday, October 6; 9:00 - 2:00; Bonney LakeThis is a forested property subject to sale in the near

future. It includesnumerous smaller understory plants,

such as trillium (Trillium parviflorus),false solomons

seal (Mianthemum woodland strawberry (Fragaria

vesca),vanilla leaf (Achlys triphylla), and lots of

decaying stumps useful forsoil preparation and wild-

life friendly snags (bring your trucks!). Inaddition,

youll be able to dig the usual ferns and shrubs typical

to ourlocal forests including Indian Plum (Oemleria),

Sword Fern (Polystichum),Red & Black Huckleberry

(Vaccinium spp.), Serviceberry(Amelanchier),Snowberry (Symphoricarpos), Cascara

(Rhamnus), Hemlock (Tsuga), Western RedCedar

(Thuja), and much more... A wetland on this property

also offers interesting places to picnic as well, so bring

a sack lunch!

Saturday, October 22; 9:00 - 2:00; Graham

This forested property will soon be developed for a

church, and is rich with Douglas fir understory peren-

nials like star-flowered false solomons seal (Smilacena

stellata), Trout lily (Erythronium), columbia lily(Lilium),rattlesnake plantain (Goodyera), chocolate

flower (Frittilaria), fairy bells(Disporum), woodland

strawberries (Fragaria), coralroot (Coralorhiza), yerb-

abuena (Satureja) and trillium. Theres a wide array of

shrubs too,including mock orange (Philadelphus),

Indian Plum (Oemleria), and more...

If you are interested in participating in any of these

events, please RSVP Anna Thurston at annathurston@

ssstewardship.org or by phone at 253-566-3342, with

your name, mailing address and phone number(s).

Well provide driving directions and details about how

to dress and what to bring to make the most of your

salvaging efforts. Children under the age of 14require

adult supervision, but are definitely welcome to join inthe fun! For more information about the Native Plant

Salvage Alliance visit our website at www.sssteward-

ship.org.

Native plant societys fall salvage events

--Audubon Member

--Local elected official

--Longtime Audubon member

Olympic Peninsula Audubon Society (OPAS)has selected Restoration and Protection ofWashingtons Natural Areas as the theme forthe upcoming Audubon Council of Washing-tons (ACOW) semi-annual conference. This

three-day event will be held at the. More than100 leaders from the 26 Audubon chaptersin our state, along with National AudubonsWashington State office staff, will sharewhats being protected and restored in theirregion. And global warming is, of course, veryhigh on Audubons agenda both nationallyand locally.

During the conference, participants willhave the chance to visit one of three specialJamestown SKlallam Tribal Center in Blyn onOctober 19, 20, and 21places to see outstand-ing examples: the restored JimmycomelatelyEstuary; the Dungeness River engineeredlogjam installation; or the future Elwha River

double-dam removal project.Please visit www.olympicpeninsulaaudu-bon.org for more conference information.

Restore and ProtectACOWs Conference Theme


11/11

Tahoma Audubon Society YO22917 Morrison Road West

University Place, WA 98466

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

Nonprofit Org

U.S. Postage

Tacoma, WAPermit No. 177

PAID 25 years ago page 8Birdathon page 8

BirdSongs page 8

Bryan Flint column page 2

Education page 4

Environment matters page 3

Field trips page 5

New members page 11

TAS programs page 12

Volunteer recognition page 10

CALENDAR

IN THIS ISSUE:

c_Fri Oct 5-6 Chambers-Clover Water Shed

Conference at PLU.

f_Tue 7 to 9 pm Intermediate Birding class(Oct. 9, 16, 23, 30 and Nov.. 6, 13, 20, & 27

Field trips: Oct. 13 & 14, Nov. 10, Dec. 1, and a

3 day trip in Jan) Fee: $55 for members.

Ec_Sat Oct 6, 10 am to 4 pm Native PlantSale at the Tacoma Nature Center

Ec_Sat Oct 13, 10 am to 11:30 am DiscoveryWalk along Chambers Creek Trail

Ec_Sat Oct 13, 9 am to 12 pm Make A

Difference Day at Adriana Hess Audubon

Center

Ec_Sun Oct 14, 12 pm to 4 pmOpen Trails at

Morse Wildlife Preservef _Mon Oct 15, 12 pm to 1 pm Plant Walk atAdriana Hess Audubon Center

c_Tue Oct 16, 3 pm to Tue Oct 16, 5 pm

Interim Geoduck Regs vote in the Council

Chambers, 930 Tacoma Ave S, Room 1045,

Tacoma WA 98402

ac_Oct 19,20,21 ACOW Conference at

Jamestown SKlallam Tribal Center in Blyn,

visit www.olympicpeninsulaaudubon.org for

more conference information.

E_Sat Oct 20, 5 pm to 9 pm Bump in theNight Tahoma Audubon Society at the Tacoma

Nature Center

f_Sun Oct 21, 8 am to 11 am Point DefianceNature Walk, Point Defiance Park, zoo parking

lot

f_Sun Oct 21 8:30 am Renton Parks & TheCedar River.

f_Sun Oct 28 Beaches & Parks-Des Moines

to Tacoma.

a_Tue Oct 30, 7:30 am to 9 am Early Bird

Gets the Worm Breakfast Event at the SheratonTacoma Hotel

Ec_Sat Nov 10, 10 am to 11:30 am DiscoveryWalk through the Lincoln Tree Farm

f_Sun Nov 11 White-tailed Kites in the Fall

Sat Nov 17, 10 am to Sat Nov 17, 4 pm Flying

Wild Workshop for Educators at the Adriana

Hess Audubon Center in University Place.

Ec_Mon Nov 19, 12 pm to 1 pm Plant Walk

at Adriana Hess Audubon Center

ec_Sat Dec 1, Tacoma Nature Mapping,

Nature Mapping for Educators sponsored by

Tahoma Audubon Society

ec_Sat Dec 8, Tacoma Nature Mapping,

Nature Mapping for Educators sponsored by

Tahoma Audubon Society

ec_Sat Dec 15, 10 am to 11:30 amDiscoveryWalk touring Commencement Bay

Mon Dec 17, 12 pm to 1 pm Plant Walk atAdriana Hess Audubon Center

ec_Sat Dec 22, 10 am to 1 pmFamily WinterFest at the Morse Wildlife Preserve

f_Thur Weekly bird walks at Nisqually.

Feb 6-11 San Diego Bird Festival-Last year224 bird species were reported including Blue-

footed Booby and Crested Caracara! This year

there will be trips to the desert, mountains, coast,

and chaparral, pelagic and overnight to Baja CA

Mexico. For a festival brochure and registration

information, contact us at: sandiegoaudubon.org

or 619-682-7200.

OCTOBER '07

Experience MalheurWhen: Friday, October 12Where: Tacoma Nature Center, 1919 S.Tyler St.Who: Experience Malheur with

The WillettesTime: Doors open at 6:30 pm

Refreshments at 7:00 pmMeeting & program 7:30 p.m.

The Willettes include Diane Kerlin, Me-

lissa Sherwood, Carol Smith, Dianne Yorgason-Quinn, and Faye Hands. Theirbirding adventures have been chronicledin The Towhee for years. Towhee read-ers have enjoyed photos of their travels inblack and white, only imagining what theywould look like in color. Now is your op-portunity to travel to Malheur with them.Malheur County is located in the southeast

corner of Oregon. It is bordered by BakerCounty on the north, the State of Idaho onthe east, and the State of Nevada on thesouth. Please join them as they share theirMalheur trip through pictures. . MalheurRefuge is in a geographic region knownas the Northern Great Basin. The refugeis shaped like a lopsided T and spans anarea 40 miles long and 39 miles wide cov-ering over 187,000 acres of habitat whichincludes wetlands, riparian areas, mead-ows, and uplands.Non-members welcome.

NOV. & DEC. '07

E Education (if this notation is there,more information in this section, addi-

tional information can be views on theMetro Parks Website http://www.metroparkstacoma.org/page.php?id=20)

f Field trip (if this notation is there,more information in this section)

v Volunteer (if this notation is there,

more information in this section)

a Related article or flyer in The Towhee

m Environmental Matters page (if thisnotation is there, more information inthis section)

c Calendar (if this notation is combinedwith another notation, no other informa-tion is listed in the newsletter)

Key to letter symbols

TAHOMA AUDUBON October Program FEBRUARY '08

Check for calendar updates anytime at www.tahomaaudubon.org

See all of Diane Yorgason-Quinns photos in a beautiful, full-color slideshow.

Not applicable on the internets

10-2007 Towhee Newsletter Tahoma Audubon Society

Documents