June 2009 Corvid Crier Newsletter Eastside Audubon Society

8/8/2019 June 2009 Corvid Crier Newsletter Eastside Audubon Society

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The Corvid Crier ~ June 2009 1

Eastside Audubon Society Vol 28, No 5 June 2009

The Mission of the Eastside

Audubon Society is to protect,

preserve and enhance natural

ecosystems and our communities

for the benefit of birds, other

wildlife and people.

HIGHLIGHTS INSIDE:

Focus on the Board 2

Volunteer Spotlight 3

Plant Sale 4

Gershon Scholarship 4

Marymoor Park Birdloop 4

Summer Birding Class 5

Field Trips 6

Bird of the Month 7

Directions to Eastside AudubonNorthlake Unitarian Universalist Church,308 4th Ave. S. (corner of 4th Ave. S. andState). Take I-405 exit 18 (NE 85th, Kirk-land). Drive west on Central Way to 3rd St.(stoplight). Turn left (south) on 3 rd St. andfollow it as it bears left and changes nameto State St. Turn left on 4 th Ave S.

TAKE THE BUS! Routes 540, 230 and255 serve State Street in Kirkland.

Cascadia Butterflies: Their Intriguing Life HistoryThursday, June 25 at 7:00 p.m.Northlake Unitarian Universalist Church (EAS Headquarters)

JJJJoin us for our last programnight before summer break,

featuring a unique presentation bybutterfly and dragonfly expert,Dave Nunnallee. His talk will

emphasize a variety of butterflyfamilies and will include photo-graphs of butterflies, larvae, hostplants and habitats.

Mr. Nunnallee and Dr. DavidJames are currently writing "LifeHistories of Cascadia Butterflies,"a book on the immature stages ofWashington butterflies. Dave willshare some of the more challeng-ing species of butterflies they have foundand reared. He will describe how they

find wild larvae and collect gravid femalebutterflies to obtain eggs, how they over-winter those species which require over-wintering, and how they select and pro-vide food plants.

Dave has long had an intense interest innatural history, studying marine fossilsfor some 25 years and gifting many fos-sils to the Burke Museum at the Univer-sity of Washington. His interests includebirds, butterflies, dragonflies, nativeplants, and natural history in general.

Dave has actively studied butterflies inthe Pacific Northwest for 15 years andhas been rearing and photographing but-terfly larvae for the past 9 years. He is anaccomplished photographer with morethan 200 published photographs of butter-flies and several of dragonflies. Davidhas also been active in butterfly groups,

has led numerous butterfly field trips

within the PNW, and is a co-founder ofthe Washington Butterfly Association.

At 7:30 p.m. we will have our highly-anticipated 2009 Birdathon report andbrief chapter announcements and thenbreak for refreshments and socializing.Treat yourselves to pictures of our funand rewarding activities at our ActivityFair - enroll in a Birding Class join aConservation Task Force renew yourMembership. At 8:15 we rejoin DaveNunallee to hear the rest of his fascinat-

ing butterfly presentation.

Please join us Thursday, June 25 forDave Nunnallees fascinating and infor-mative butterfly presentation. The eve-ning is free and open to the public. Invitea friend or anyone who is interested inbutterflies and butterfly larvae.

(Photo by Dave Nunnallee)

The Corvid Crier


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Focus on the Board: Beyond the Backyardby Helen LaBouy, At Large Board Member

President Cindy Balbuena (425) [email protected]

Vice President OpenSecretary Carmen Almodovar (425) 643-5922

[email protected] Ellen Homan (425) 836-5838

[email protected] Director Jan McGruder (425) 822-8580

[email protected]

At large board member Helen LaBouy (425) [email protected]

At large board member Margaret Lie (425) [email protected]

At large board member Tricia Kishel (206) [email protected]

Birding Brian Bell (425) [email protected]

Adult Education Open

Bird Photography Tim Boyer (425) [email protected]

Field Trips Hugh Jennings (425) [email protected]

Native Plant Walks Sunny Walter (425) [email protected]

Nature Walks Christopher Chapman (425) [email protected]

Special Events OpenBird Questions? MaryFrances Mathis (425) 803-3026

Conservation Andrew McCormick (425) [email protected]

Advocacy OpenCitizen Science Tim McGruder (425) 822-8580Conservation Andrew McCormick (425) 637-0892

[email protected]

Marymoor Park Jim Rettig (425) [email protected]

Education Mary Britton-Simmons (360) [email protected]

Programs Sunny Walter (425) [email protected]

Youth Education Mary Britton-Simmons (360) [email protected]

Library Betsy Law (206) [email protected]

Communication Patrick Kelley (206) [email protected]

Historian Bob Gershmel (425) [email protected]

Newsletter Tom Grismer (206) 720-9892newsletter@eastsideaudubon

Publicity Tracey Cummings (425)[email protected]

Webmaster Liz Copeland (425) [email protected]

Financial Development OpenBirdathon OpenGift Wrap OpenMerchandising OpenMembership Sunny Walter (425) 271-1346

[email protected] Claudia Welch (425) 827/2548Volunteer Coordinator Rahul Gupta [email protected]

308 4th Avenue S. (Corner 4th Ave. S. and State)

Committee Chairs/Board (board positions underlined)

Executive Officers

Eastside Audubon Society(425) 576-8805 www.eastsideaudubon.org

Over this last year Ihave tended to bemore of a back yardbirder, enjoying thevariety of birds thatcome to our feeder.After a time, I couldrecognize most ofthem and that wasvery satisfying.However, I was notgoing out on field trips and so missed the opportu-nity to see different birds and to enhance my bird-

ing identification skills.

Recently we got back from a three-week trip to theSouthwest and I had been challenged by being in a

different part of the country and seeing differentbirds and having to figure them out on my own. Itwas especially difficult if they rapidly flew awaywith my just having had glance at them. I neededto remind myself what to look for, looking at thebeaks, eyes, legs, markings, etc. I would then grabmy book and hope that I could get an idea of whattype of bird it was. At one place in the GrandCanyon, a Western Bluebird stayed in the treeright in front of our car, giving me a good viewand a good chance to identify him. That was very

kind of him.Our organization, Eastside Audubon, offers fieldtrips, bird walks and classes to help us develop andenhance our birding skills. Field trips are greatfun, especially because there is usually an expertbirder leading the trip who can help you identifythat bird. And you are with people that are inter-ested in the outdoors, birds and are like-minded. Itis a great opportunity to make new friends.

In June, there will be Summer Birds of Washing-

ton class with long-time birding instructor, MikeWest. This is a chance for beginning birders andthose who want a refresher to learn the basics ofbird identification, birding etiquette and ethics anda great deal more. There will be two class sessionsand then a field trip to Eastern Washington. Itsounds like an opportunity I should not miss.


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The Corvid Crier, Vol 28, NO 5Publication Date: June 1, 2009.Published by: Eastside Audubon SocietyP.O. Box 3115, Kirkland, WA 98083-3115

The Corvid Crier is published monthly by the EastsideAudubon Society except that there are no issues inJanuary or August.

Deadline for material submission is the first Wednesdayof the month preceding publication. Send material byemail to:

[email protected]: EAS Newsletter

or by mail to:Eastside Audubon Society

Attn: Tom GrismerP. O. Box 3115, Kirkland, WA 98083-3115

Eastside Audubon Office/Audubon CenterThe office is downstairs at NorthlakeUnitarian Universalist Church inKirkland, 308 4th Avenue S. (Corner4th Ave. S. and State). Directions: I-405 exit 18 (N. E. 85th-Kirkland). Gowest on Central Way to the light on 3rd

St. Go left on 3rd St. Follow this street(it bears left and changes name to StateSt.) Then turn left on 4th Ave. S.

(425) [email protected]

Hours: Mon, Tues, Fri 9:00am - 1:00pm

June Meetings

June 3 (Weds) 4:006:00 pmWeb CommitteeMeets first Wednesday each monthin EAS Office. All interested partiesare invited. Questions? Email [email protected]

June 9 (Tues) 7:00 pmYouth Education CommitteeMeets in the EAS Office.All inter-ested parties are invited. Questions?Email [email protected]

June 11 (Thurs) 7:00 pmPhoto GroupMeets in large room upstairs fromEAS Office. Questions? Email TimBoyer at [email protected]

June 25 (Thurs) 7:00 pm

Monthly Membership MeetingSee page 1.

Volunteer Spotlight on:Margaret Snell

MMMMargaret Snell, a newer EastsideAudubon member, has quicklynestled into helping the education com-mittee and also in our office.

Born on an Iowa farm, she moved toMinnesota for graduate school, studyingEnglish and music. She lived there for 40years with her husband and raised theirson and daughter. She also taught Eng-lish in middle school. Following theirdaughter, they recently moved to Kirk-land.

Margaret explained that she took birdsfor granted, until eighth grade, when shecounted over 100 species for a class pro-ject. She did not start birding seriouslyuntil just before she moved to Kirkland.After arriving in Kirkland, she looked upthe Audubon Society. Her first field tripwas in February, 2007 when she went toOcean Shores (near Grays Harbor).

As a retired teacher, Margaret uses herskills to help the education committee.She has gone into the classroom twice. Inone class, she taught about the digestivesystem of owls. She says she is stilllearning how the education committeeworks.

In addition, she helps in the office enter-

ing financial postings into the computer.She has to make sure they all balance!She also posts the volunteer hours formembers who have helped Jim Rettig onthe Marymoor Bird Loop project.

Margaret and her husband are lifecoaches for Congregations for the Home-less. They meet weekly to help onehomeless person to build life skills that

will hopefully help him get back into thejob market and into housing.

As for birding experiences, Margaretreflected on camping by the northernMinnesota lakes and hearing the loons atnight; she could hear their song echoover the northern Minnesota lakes. InWashington, Margaret happily stated thatshe will go birding anywhere becauseits still all so new to her in this state.She said she is amazed that one can birdin the winter. The Minnesota birds mi-grate in the winter. She saw a Common

Loon for the first time in its winter plum-age. Margaret added, Im extremelyappreciative of all volunteer leaders forall the trips. People are so helpful. And,she commented, Audubon is a greatplace to meet interesting people.

We are very glad you have joined, andthank you for all you have already done.

Marlene Meyer

Dr. Kerri W. Scarbrough, Optometrist

17320 135th Ave. N.E. ? Woodinville

(425) 398-1862

See the birds better!

Dr. Kerri W. Scarbrough, Optometrist17320 135th Ave. N.E. Woodinville

(425) 398-1862www.eevisioncare.com


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May 2 was our annual Spring Plant Sale,and it was another great success! Thisyear we set up at the Kirkland ChildrensSchool in Houghton. The Houghtonneighborhood is working on becomingdesignated a Neighborhood WildlifeHabitat by the National Wildlife Federa-tion, and one of the requirements is a na-

tive plant sale in their neighborhood. Theschoolyard is a wildlife habitat and wild-life and habitat are integrated into thechildrens school lives.

It was a perfect fit and despite the heavy,

cold rain we were busy all day and soldmore plants than ever. Our gross saleswere $2,350.

We also held a bake sale in conjunctionwith the plant sale, and thanks to all ourtalented bakers, they raised about $275themselves. One customer said Its nice

to have real home-baked goods and notrepackaged Costco products.

So many people helped this year and wecouldnt have done it without them! Vol-unteers came to my house in the fall andpotted up plants and throughout the winter

and spring volunteers trimmed the plantsso theyd look good on sale day. Anothervolunteer researched each plant and cre-ated the descriptive signs, and other vol-unteers created the plant tags and stuckthem in the pots for sale day. Then wetransported everything to the school andspent a day getting ready for the sale.

Many hands and many hours went intothis years sale.

Planning for the 2010 sale has alreadybegun. Watch the Crier for updates.

2009 Plant Sale Another Success!

Hailey Hargraves, a senior at RedmondHigh School, received the Brian GershonCollege Scholarship Award. An ardentenvironmentalist, Hailey plans to attendSmith College where she will major in

environmental science and policy making.No matter where her degree leads her,Hailey is committed to making a differ-ence and to convincing others that green

should be their favorite color.

At Redmond High School, Hailey ex-celled academically, maintaining a 3.6G.P.A. while taking Advanced Placement

classes and serving as a leader among herpeers. Her list of accomplishments is longand includes: participant in the JohnsHopkins University Summer Program in

Bioethics; SEAFAIR ambassador andscholarship recipient; president of theEnvironmental Club; Honor Society mem-ber; treasurer of the Key Club; delegate toEvergreen Girls State; Follow the Leader

grand prize winner. And these are just afew of her numerous accomplishments!

Mary Britton-Simmons

Eastside Audubon Awards College Scholarship

Inching Along the BirdLoop BoardwalkThe BirdLoop work party in May madesome headway with the boardwalk exten-sion, adding more inches; actually 16 feet!Thanks to the crew that did this, despitethe cool and rainy weather. Further, EllenHoman led a group of new volunteers in

habitat restoration. Thanks Ellen!

Our next work party is scheduled for June6, 9:00 to noon. Well meet at the SEcorner of parking Lot G. Parking passesare available. We will continue work onthe boardwalk, adding at least 16 morefeet and perhaps 32. Come and join us.

And there is always habitat restoration tobe done: clearing areas of roots, vinesand Scotch Broom.

Please join us for fun and fellowship inthe out-of-doors. See you June 6. Contact

Jim Rettig with questions: 425-402-1833.


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Key Numbers: 110 people attended ourlast program meeting; 325 volunteersfrom Microsoft worked during Earth Dayon the Audubon BirdLoop at Marymoor

Park; the board met Cindy Balbuenasboard challenge to do a stretch donationand donated $5850.

Education Committee: Mary Britton-Simmons reported that the committee has20 programs set for this spring.

Conservation Committee: The Conser-vation Committee will be writing a specialconservation issue of the newsletter thatwill be mailed to all members.

Facebook: Sunny Walter reported thatour Facebook page is up and that we havetwo causes: Birdathon and scholarships.

Enatai Elementary School: With a grant

from Eastside Audubon, Karen Greytakssecond grade class and six parent chaper-ones planted a small garden of nativeplants in a park near the school. Enataisent a letter with special thanks to Jim andShirlee Hall, Mary Britton-Simmons, theEducation Committee, and EastsideAudubon. The Bellevue Reporter pub-lished a story and pictures of the planting.

Audubon BirdLoop at Marymoor

Park: The boardwalk extension is on itsway, but water kept us from working on itduring the most recent work party. Thesignage arrived and will be installed. The

work on the bike racks continues.Strategic Planning and Visioning:Cindy Balbuena asked the board to thinklong term and also to think about whatthey want the chapter to be like, what wecan be proud of, and what influence wewant to have in the community. Strategicplanning and visioning will be the maintopics of the boards summer retreat.

Board Notes for April 2009

The past couple of months were ladenwith festivities, goodies and of courseplenty of EAS events. Naturally, none ofthese would have been possible withoutthe indispensable support of our dedicatedvolunteers, so we would like to take thisopportunity to express our heartfelt grati-tude to JimRoberts, Nancy Roberts, Jill

Keeney, Marlene Meyer, Stephen John-son and Bryn Lieberman for promotingEAS at theIssaquah Earth Day event atthe Pickering Barn. We would also like tothankJim Rettig, Jan McGruder,Sunny Walter and Patricia Clarke forleading an energetic group of 325-something volunteers from Microsoftthrough a day of spirited team work, funand frolic (oh, and did I mention invasiveweed removal?) at theEarth Day event atthe Marymoor Parkon a rather damp,chilly Wednesday morning.

Thank you Cyndi Smith, PatriciaClarke, Phil Sandifer, Krista Rave-Perkins,Jan McGruder, MargaretSnell, Leslie Walters, Ella Elman,Margie Huff, Jane Paige, HughJennings, Bev Jennings and Leah Kligerfor helping out with theEAS Plant Salesetup and at the actual day of the sale atthe Kirkland Childrens School earlier last

month. A warm round of applause forMary Britton-Simmons and TimMcGruder for making sure that the chil-dren truly enjoyed the event activities andbird walk organized at theInternationalMigratory Bird Dayat Marymoor Park. Aspecial word of thanks to Margaret Lie,Jill Keeney, Mary Holt, Shirlee Hall and

Tora Roksvog for organizing and makingsure theBake Sale that was held in con-junction with the plant sale was a big hit.We also acknowledge the contributions ofTom Matthews for his generous donationoftrilliums for the plant sale as well asthe efforts ofCarmen Almodovar, Mar-garet Lie, Jean Wallace, Phil Sandiferand Leah Kliger for their splendid workat the greenhouse.

Sunny Walter, Jim Rettig, Jerry Rettig,Andy McCormick, Robert Lake, HughJennings and Bev Jennings we really

appreciate and value your countless hoursof dedication to theMarymoor bird loop,planting and boardwalk.Congratulationsto Margaret Lie, Margie Huff, LizFried, Jan McGruder, Tim McGruderand Robert Lake for helping make theSpring Garden Fair at the Redmond Town

Halla memorable event. Finally, withoutthe efforts ofKarin Hargrove, Claudia

Welch, Margaret Lie, Brian Bell, SunnyWalter, Paula Flores, Carmen Almo-dovar, Hugh Jennings, RobertGershmel, Cindy Balbuena and RahulGupta, the monthly program meetingwouldnt be nearly as interesting, rich incontent or well-executed, so thank you,thank you, thank you for your time!

If weve missed anyone thank you! Youknow who you are and by your own gen-erous commitment, you set a wonderfulexample and demonstrate the power ofindividuals to effect significant changeinto our communities. We greatly appreci-ate your time, generosity and leadershipand we know that you are our most pas-sionate promoters. We do request that youplease continue to submit your volunteerhours by emailing the same to [email protected] wheneveryou get a chance.

We cannot thank you enough for yourinvaluable contributions as a volun-teer. Our goals require sincere and com-mitted volunteers and we are grateful forthe energy, enthusiasm, and dedicationyou bring to your role as an EastsideAudubon volunteer. Would you like tovolunteer for Eastside Audubon Society?Check out the website for current needs.

Thank You to our Volunteers

Summer Birding Class: For Beginners or (perhaps) Intermediate Review

TTTTwo classes in a relaxed, informal

setting, and one field trip can getyou started. Breeding birds of Washing-ton will be emphasized. The basics of birdidentification, birding etiquette and ethics,equipment selection, field guides and lo-cal birding areas will also be covered.

When: Tues, June 9 & Thurs, June

11, 6:309:00 pm (classes)Sat, June 13 or Sun, June 14 (all day fieldtrip to Eastern Washington

Where: Eastside Audubon office: 308 4th Ave S. Kirkland

Cost: $80 for EAS members. $85 for

nonmembers.Register: Call 425-576-8805 or registeronline

Field guide used for class is 5th edition ofNational Geographic Birds of North

America


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Meets the 3rd Tuesday of each month at 8:00. Bringbinoculars and meet in parking lot. No registration required.MaryFrances Mathis 425-803-3026

June 22 (Mon) 9:00 am to noon

Birding the Hot Spots of King CountyMonthly field trip on fourthMonday of each month towherever the birds are. Meet before 9:00 am at north end of theNewport Hills Park-N-Ride (I-405, exit 9) and plan to be backby noon. Cost/person $2. Hugh Jennings 425-746-6351

June 28 (Sun) 7:00 amReecer Canyon Wildflowers and ButterfliesJoin us for a trip up Reecer Canyon north of Ellensburg to seeone of the most prolific areas for butterflies inWashington. Although the record for this area is 70 butterflyspecies, we expect to see 35 to 40 species. We will also seemore than 50 species of shrub-steppe wildflowers as we driveup Reecer Creek Road and about 30 more wildflower species in

the vicinity of the springs and meadow near Lion Rock. Bringa native plant book, close-up binoculars (if you have them),camera, lunch, snacks, sun protection, and lots of water. Leaderwill bring a butterfly book.

Meet before 7:00 am at Tibbetts P&R in Issaquah to carpool.Plan to be back by early evening. This is a car trip with veryshort walks. The road to Lion Rock is potholed - high clearancerecommended. Contact Sunny Walter if you plan to join us,425-271-1346 or [email protected]. Cost/person $20.

July 3 (Fri) 8:00 am to noonMarymoor Park Bird WalkJoin us for a morning walk along the nature trail, seeing whatbirds are in the area. Meets the 1st Friday of each month at8:00. Bring binoculars and meet at the SW corner of the DogArea parking lot (Parking Lot D). No registration is required.To reach Marymoor Park, take SR 520 east from Seattle to theWest Lake Sammamish Parkway exit and follow the signs. Theentrance to the park is one block south of the exit. Turn right atthird stop sign, to Dog Area parking lot. Parking is $1.

July 11-12 (Sat-Sun) 11:00 amHurricane Ridge/Dungeness SpitOur annual Olympic Peninsula wildflower trip featuring views,birds, and varied wildlife. On Saturday, at 11:00 a.m. we willmeet at the picnic table across the street from the HurricaneRidge Visitor Center for a snack lunch. (This is the center at thebase of the foothills, the one before you actually enter the park.)

Look for the picnic tables in front of the center. After lunch, wewill head for the main visitor center at the top of HurricaneRidge, making one stop to check out wildflowers along theway. If you miss the lunch, look for us at the trailhead ofHurricane Hill, about a mile further on. Motels and campsitesare available if you plan to stay overnight. The next day we willgo birding in the Ediz Hook, Dungeness Spit and the Sequimareas. Bill Schmidt 425-881-6037

June 3 (Weds) 6:00 am to early eveningWhidbey Island Field TripWhidbey is always good. We will likely start at the north endof the island for passerines, also scanning for waterbirds. Wewill then work our way south stopping at such spots as the OakHarbor Marina, Swantown/Bos Lake, Hastie Lake Rd, LibbyBeach, Penn Cove, Fort Casey/Crockett Lake, Double Bluff,Deer Lagoon and Ewing Road. We should see lots of songbirds(including warblers), waterfowl, seabirds and raptors. Theremay be shorebirds around. Bring a lunch and ferry money andmeet at 6 am at the south end of the Kingsgate P&R to carpool.Passenger cost/person $20. Brian Bell 425-485-8058

June 5 (Fri) 8:00 am to noonMarymoor Park Bird WalkJoin us for a morning walk along the nature trail, seeing whatbirds are in the area. Meets the 1st Friday of each month at8:00. Bring binoculars and meet at the SW corner of the DogArea parking lot (Parking Lot D). No registration is required.To reach Marymoor Park, take SR 520 east from Seattle to theWest Lake Sammamish Parkway exit and follow the signs. Theentrance to the park is one block south of the exit. Turn right atthird stop sign, to Dog Area parking lot. Parking is $1.

June 15 (Mon) 9:00 am to noonLake Sammamish State Park Nature WalkEnjoy a morning walk at the park. The park offers plenty ofhabitats for aquatic and boreal species. Enjoy a nature andbirding walk at Lake Sammamish State Park.

We'll meet at the main parking area at 9:00 am and the tripshould last about three hours. Bring binoculars, drinks andsnacks, and dress for the weather. Direct questions to our tripleader, Sharon at 425-271-0143

June 16 (Tues) 8:00 am to noonJuanita Bay Park Bird WalkA relaxed walk in the Park, seeing what birds are in the area.

FIELD TRIPSParents and children over 8 are welcome on all trips. **FRS Radio owners, please consider bringing them on trips.**See www.eastsideaudubon.org/events/ for the latest information and for reports of last months field trips.

Meeting Places for Field Trips:

Kingsgate Park and Ride: I-405 exit 20B northbound or20 southbound, N. E. 124th St. Go west to light at 116thAve. N. E., then right (north) a few blocks to P&R lot (on

the left). Meet in the S.E. corner. 1300 116th Way NE,Kingsgate.

Newport Hills Park and Ride: I-405, exit 9. 5115 113thPL NE, Newport Hills.

South Kirkland Park and Ride:108th Ave. NE justnorth of hwy 520 and Northup Way. 10610 NE 38th Pl.

Tibbetts Park and Ride:Take exit 15 from I-90, turnright (south) and go past the new multistoryIssaquah Park & Ride to the 3rd traffic light. Turnleft (east) on Newport Way NW, go one block andturn right (south) into the Park & Ride. Meet at thewest end of the parking lot (away from the entrance)to carpool. 1675 Newport Way NW, Issaquah


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Coopers Hawk is our mid-sized wood-land raptor which uses stealth and pow-erful flight thrusts to attack other birdsand small mammals. It will sometimesattack from behind shrubbery, but oftenhunts from a perch, remaining still untilit strikes. Its size puts it between theSharp-shinned Hawk and the NorthernGoshawk, two other members of thegenusAccipiter, the Latin name for abird of prey, derived from accipere, totake (Clark & Wheeler). Cooper refersto William C. Cooper (1798-1864), an

American zoologist for whom the bird isnamed (Holloway).

Despite that fact that it is common in ourarea, the Coopers Hawk can be difficultto see. It is often seen from a distance,in flight or very briefly, and because itclosely resembles the Sharp-shinnedHawk identification can be very difficult.Further complicating identification thereis great variation in the size of CoopersHawks (See the statistics above). Fe-males are about one-third larger than themales and this species exhibits among

the greatest reversed size dimorphism ofany of the worlds hawks (Curtis, et al).Some small males are the same size assome female Sharpies.

There are two plumages: adult and juve-nile. The adult Coopers Hawk is bluegray on the back and has a dark capwhich contrasts against the lighter col-ored nape. This cap distinguishes theCoopers from the Sharpie. The headcan look quite flat when the hackles on

the crown are raised. The undersideshave rufous barring (horizontal) and theundertail coverts are white. Adult Coo-pers have an orange or red eye. Thejuvenile is brown with brown streaking(vertical) on the undersides. YoungCoopers have a yellow eye. When inflight the Coopers head looks large andprotrudes beyond the elbows of thewings. The Sharpies head is smallerand usually extends only slightly past thewing.

Coopers Hawks breed in the northernUnited States and southern Canada inconifer and deciduous forests and wood-lands. Both sexes build the nest withsticks and line it with pieces of outerbark. Generally 3-5 eggs are deposited 2-

3 days apart and incubation lasts aboutfive weeks. The eggs hatch in the orderin which they were laid, so the first bornhas an advantage for survival. Firstflights begin after 3-4 weeks, but parentscontinue feeding up to 7 weeks. Thebirds are very tolerant of human changesto the environment and are now foundnesting in urban areas and introducedtrees. Overall, the population has grownin the past 20 years.

Coopers Hawks employ the typical ac-cipiter flight pattern of flap-flap-flap and

glide but in short bursts they can gainspeed very quickly. Their long tail helpsthem maneuver among trees while flyingat high speeds. You can see this flight ina video at the Macauley Library: http://macaulaylibrary.org/video/flashPlayer.do?id=7536

(Photo credit: Adult-Mike Hamilton,juvenile-Robert Howson. Referencesavailable upon request at [email protected] )

BIRDOFTHE MONTH Andrew McCormick

Coopers Hawk Accipiter cooperii

Length Female 42-47 in, Male 37-41 inWingspan Female 79-87 in, Male 70-77 inWeight Female 17-24 oz (479-678 g)

Male 10-14 oz (302-402 g)AOU Band code COHA

Adult Coopers Hawk

Juvenile Coopers Hawk

Join the effort to restore native habitat atWatershed Park in Kirkland by participat-ing in this event on Saturday, June 20.Watershed Park is located at 4530 112thAvenue NE, Kirkland.

Wear work clothes and gloves and dressfor the weather. Also bring water bottle,and if you have them, pruning shears/clippers, lopping shears and shovels.

To volunteer, contact Sharon Rodman at

425-587-3305 or email

[email protected]

Green Kirkland Habitat Restoration Event: Watershed Park

June 2009 Corvid Crier Newsletter Eastside Audubon Society

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