President's Perch

Greetings everyone and Welcome to a new season of programs with Boulder County Audubon!

Reaching out to different populations to advocate for birds and their habitats is part of our mission and I am excited to let you know about two new initiatives for this year.

First is the launch of the first seminar in our Habitat Heroes program: Plant it and They Will Come. This seminar was aimed at creating habitats for wildlife whether you own a yard or a balcony. Over 60 participants learned how even small spaces can be significant and important for insects and birds. 

Second is our new and official participation in the Boulder County E Movement to support the Boulder Valley and St. Vrain school districts with more hands-on nature education for K-12 students. Our board intern, Sarah Newman, who has a great background in nature education for kids, developed four bird-themed programs for different age groups, from basic birding to bird migration. This fall we are looking for volunteers interested in delivering these 1-hour programs to kids! We have all the supplies and will train you.

As you will see below, we also have an exciting lineup of free Field Trips and Monthly Programs we hope that you and your friends will enjoy and our Teen Naturalist Program, thanks to Steve Jones and other volunteers, is thriving! Please let your teen friends know about this opportunity.  

Finally, there is no shortage of local and national environmental issues that need your voice. See below for two issues close to home that need us to speak up for recognizing and protecting the fragility of many wildlife habitats: the Eldorado State Park Visitor Use Management Plan and the Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks Master Plan.

Happy Birding!

Patricia Billig, President ( [email protected] )

BCAS 4th Tuesday Program Series

Wild Bee Conservation in Boulder County and Beyond!

All program meetings are held at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Boulder,

5001 Pennsylvania Ave (west off 55th St. between Arapahoe and Baseline).

Socializing starts at 7:00, program starts at 7:15, and we are done by 9:00 pm.

Conservation Corner

All articles in this section by Raymond Bridge, Conservation Committee

National Issues have dominated in the last month, particularly assault on the Endangered Species Act, a very successful and critical law, which the administration is proposing to violate under the pretense of new rulemaking, and assaults on the National Forest system. There are also a number of local issues, however.

Open Space and Mountain Parks Master Plan. This plan will direct the management of the City of Boulder’s ~46,000 Acres of open space for the next decade. Those lands, which we all treasure, include critical habitat for many species, as well as unique, globally threatened ecosystems. The department has many challenges, including a 30% cut in revenues next year, if a new tax is not approved by City Council and the voters.

A draft of the Master Plan was approved by the Open Space Board of Trustees with a number of specified changes. The revised version was considered by City Council on September 6 and updates will be provided at the next program.

CU South, South Boulder Creek Flood Mitigation, and the South Boulder Creek State Natural Area. There has been extensive debate over a period of several months on these complicated and interconnected issues. BCAS has been involved. Our priorities are preservation of the critical wet meadows and protected grassland areas in the city open space in the South Boulder Creek State Natural Area, along with a flood mitigation design that actually works, but that does not destroy the wetlands and that follows the principles laid out in the Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan. The city’s engineers and consultants have produced a series of bad designs and shown a lot of incompetence, and the University has been primarily concerned with developing ill-advised housing in the area. We can expect this controversy to continue for years.

Proposed bike trail from Eldorado State Park to Walker Ranch. This connection could most logically be routed along the existing (private) road up the canyon, but the unfortunate route that was most recently proposed by the three agencies involved (Colorado Parks & Wildlife, Boulder County Parks & Open Space, and City of Boulder Open Space & Mountain Parks) was a disastrous proposal that would severely disrupt the state park and destroy a significant segment in the Boulder Mountain Park Habitat Conservation Area. 

This project is currently on hold while the state park works on a management plan, but it needs ongoing attention.

Seasonal Songs

Reflections on a First Season of Bluebird Box Monitoring

This summer was a first for me; my family and I volunteered as Wildlife Monitors for the Boulder County Parks and Open Space Bluebird Nest Box Monitoring Program! Once every week or so, after breakfast, we would head out to the beautiful Bald Mountain and set off through the trees to check on the bird boxes and record observations.

On our first visit to Bald Mountain, Bob, an experienced bird box monitor, showed us where our boxes were located, explained the safety rules, and demonstrated how to open the boxes and take pictures. We also discussed repairs, and the very next day, my family and I drove out with wood, screw drivers, lots of sandpaper, and set to work. I found repairing the boxes very satisfying, especially looking at the finished product. A little house all spruced up with new wood and shiny screws.

During our repairs, we encountered a surprise. A pair of Mountain Chickadees were already beginning to build a nest! The Chickadees were very curious about our repairs, and they did not stop nest building even though we were there. They would watch us quizzically for a few minutes, and then whenever we stepped back, they would dive into the box with a wad of nesting material.  

Not too long after we finished the repairs, our boxes started filling up with Mountain Chickadee, Western Bluebird, and Violet Green Swallow nests. The variety in the shapes and materials of the nests was amazing! My favorite was a Violet Green Swallow’s; the egg cup was tucked in one corner, lined with iridescent black feathers, and one larger black feather was stuck into the nest so it hung over the eggs like a canopy.

I loved watching the nests being built, but the eggs were still more exciting. Our minds were blown when, on our fifth visit (5/18/2019), we found our first eggs; three Western Bluebird and seven Mountain Chickadee. Over the following weeks, we observed 19 Western Bluebird, 9 Violet Green Swallow, and 14 Mountain Chickadee eggs. The Bluebird eggs were the same shade of blue as the Colorado sky….

After eggs were confirmed in a nest box, we would calculate an approximate hatch date. Waiting for the babies to hatch was very exciting and I would approach the box with great anticipation as the hatch date got closer. I always took photos of the nestlings so I could count them without staying at the box too long, and it is amazing to look at the development over time. They grow so fast! Turning from eggs to fluffy versions of their parents in under thirty days.  

After the twelfth day, we did not open the boxes. We did not want the nestlings getting frightened and fledging before they were ready. Instead, we would observe the boxes from a distance to watch for signs of adult feeding behavior and listen for begging calls from the nestlings. The boxes were always silent until the parents brought food, and when they did, we would hear an explosion of tiny voices peeping inside. 

I was always a little nervous opening a box after the fledging date. I was scared we might find a dead nestling or something to indicate that they hadn’t survived to fledge. This year we were lucky, we didn’t find anything like that. Although, we did find poop. Lots of poop. Seriously, I did not expect to find so much poop. One box had so much poop plastered to the sides that the door got stuck when I tried to open it! This is definitely the grossest part of monitoring.  

In total this year, we had 9 nest attempts in our 7 boxes. Of the 42 eggs laid, 4 did not hatch. We were never present to witness the fledging firsthand, but because there were no additional signs of threats to the nestlings, we believe that 14 Mountain Chickadee, 15 Western Bluebird, and 9 Violet Green Swallow nestlings successfully fledged!

Being a bird box monitor has been a very enjoyable and educational experience. Not only has it allowed me to learn more about bird behaviors and feel more at home in the avian world, but it has brought me to a beautiful place every week and let me experience many amazing things. Strolling through the sweet-scented pines, I was serenaded by a million cicadas. Sitting by a bird box, a beautiful hummingbird caught my eye as she sipped nectar from the firework-like blossoms of a thistle. When I reached the crest of the mountain, I found myself gazing out across a great range of peaks cloaked in evergreen trees and at my feet Ball Cactus blossoms bloomed. Participating in this project brought me closer to the birds and the natural world as whole, and I hope my participation contributed to Bluebird, and songbird, conservation.

Want to see some of the action? I have two videos of adults bringing food to the nestlings that you can view on YouTube (I recommend slowing down the playback speed in the video settings) or view my slideshow on Flickr to see the nests progress from visit to visit.

Contributed by Eva Getman. This article is dedicated to the 38 fledglings who spent the first days of their lives in a nest box at Bald Mountain.

Encounters with Nature

The Western Spotted Skunk

The uncommon, diminutive, and spotted skunk inhabits rocky canyons, foothills, and montane riparian habitats below 8,000 feet in elevation. It uses rocky outcrops and logs for dens and can be found near where people live. Western spotted skunks occur through much of Mexico and the western United States. They are never common and therefore are not often seen, although Boulder County provides suitable habitat. 

We have four species of skunks in Colorado: The striped skunk (the common one); the white-backed hog-nosed skunk, which is rare and occurs in southeastern Colorado; the eastern spotted skunk, which occurs along the South Platte and Arkansas rivers in far eastern Colorado; and the western spotted skunk, scientific name Spilogale gracilis .

Western spotted skunks are black and white, with broad white stripes broken up into spots, and they sport a white-tipped tail. The tail is conspicuously large and long-haired. They have white spots below their ears and in the middle of their forehead. This species weighs about a pound, with males weighing slightly more and females weighing slightly less. 

They are omnivorous and eat arthropods, including grasshoppers and caterpillars; small mammals such as mice and voles; birds and their eggs; lizards; and roots, fruits, and berries. As with other skunks, spotted skunks are nocturnal. They stay within a half mile of their den. They can climb and are excellent diggers, with relatively long claws on their front feet.

When threatened, they will stomp their forefeet and raise their back end into a hand stand posture, which, with their bushy tail, makes them appear larger than they are. I have uploaded a video from Jim Knopf; about halfway through the skunk postures in response to a raccoon not visible off to the side (video link: https://youtu.be/imgQ1EsyUCA ). Spotted skunks have anal glands, and can spray at predators with surprisingly good aim, but need to have their front feet on the ground to do so. One of the anal gland ingredients is mercaptan, which is used in gas lines so that people can quickly detect a leak. 

They mate in the fall, when females come into estrus. They have delayed implantation, such that the fertilized egg does not implant in the uterus until April. Four young are born in May or early June, blind and almost hairless. While the young are with their mother, they typically follow her in a single file. They do not hibernate, but may den up in groups during cold periods. They have been known to live for 10 years in captivity. Their predators are humans, dogs, cats, bobcats, foxes, coyotes, owls, and other raptors.

A number of years ago I was living on Sugarloaf and my cousin Andy came to stay. He decided to sleep out for a couple of nights. One morning he woke up with a spotted skunk sleeping on his chest! Although not advised and requiring a permit, spotted skunks can be a fun pet/companion once their anal glands are removed. They are quite friendly and can be litter trained.

Very little is known about this elusive and infrequently-seen species. I am always interested if you see one!

Contributed by Carron Meaney , Ph.D., co-author of The Mammals of Colorado .

Boulder County Audubon recognizes outstanding contributions to conservation, education, and leadership through annual awards given during the May program. In 2019, BCAS recognized the enduring contributions of three individuals.

This year’s well deserved award for Environmental Conservation Champion will honor Scott Rashid, by acknowledging his many long-term contributions to avian conservation science and education.  He has also been a stalwart supporter of Boulder County Audubon by giving presentations and leading multiple field trips.  

Scott wears many hats; In 2011, he established the Colorado Avian Research and Rehabilitation Institute; or CARRI, for which he serves as Director. He is a bander, a rehabilitator, monitors dozens of raptor nests and in his spare time is an author who writes books and has published articles in the American Birding Association and Colorado Field Ornithologist Journals, Bird Watchers Digest, amongst numerous others. 

  

Scott has a degree in fine arts which is evident in his publications. While in college he developed a one-of-a-kind style that combines Cubism and Realism.  The portraits are realistic and contain multiple images of each species in unique presentations. Over the last 30 years, he has written, illustrated and published three books; Small Mountain Owls, The Great Horned Owl and the latest entitled, Northern Goshawk, The Gray Ghost. All showcase his very distinctive art.  

The books are in depth natural histories that represent thousands of field hours by Scott, often in Rocky Mountain National Park. There, he has located 18 Pygmy Owl Nests, 12 Goshawk nests as well as those of Saw-whet Owls Flammulated and there documented the first known Boreal Owl nest. His countless hours of monitoring have shed light on vocalizations, incubation and hatching dates, food deliveries and fledging and post fledging activities.

In 1992, he received his state and federal banding permits, and two years later was asked to create a bird banding program at the YMCA of the Rockies where, in 2014, Scott and his volunteers banded their 10,000th bird. That banding station is still in operation today and it has grown into the most popular program the Y offers, having thousands of delighted guests visit each year. 

For the last 5 years, Boulder County Audubon has partnered with Scott to underwrite the placement of nest boxes for Kestrels (144 banded), and Barn Owls. The Barn Owl boxes have been very productive with a total of 140 females and young banded. For the last three years, we sponsored field trips to witness Scott banding the owls. This year, we will join Scott again, but to see young American Kestrels get their ankle bracelets before they fledge. I’m sorry, but that field trip sold out the first evening that we offered it during our Holiday Sale.  

Thank you Scott, for sharing your passions, knowledge and expertise in so unselfishly in so many ways.

Pam and Boulder County Audubon go back a long time! BCAS would not be where we are as an organization without Pam, from her early days conceiving and leading field trips in the ‘80s and 90s to the diverse and substantial field trip program we now enjoy. She created the Interludes with Nature Program which has enabled us to sponsor Teen Naturalists to attend Audubon summer camps and supports their program during the year.

Her current development of our Habitat Heroes program along with Connie Holsinger has gotten off to a great start with about 60 participants attending the first seminar, and she recently developed and lead our new Bug Safari for Children! We can’t thank Pam enough for her enthusiasm, passion and creativity for nature, birds, and bugs and for Boulder County Audubon! 

Boulder County Audubon honored Ann Tagawa with a Leadership Award for both her service as a Board of Directors member and, especially, for her dedication to Boulder County Audubon’s wildly successful Birds and Brews program.

Ann retired in 2006 from a career in corporate international education and cross cultural training during which she lived and worked in Japan, Indonesia and Mexico. Ann’s notable career also included teaching English as a Second Language at the Economics Institute in Boulder and Language Arts at Fairview High School.

Her introduction to birds and bird watching started when she took an introduction to birding class offered by the Boulder Bird Club and taught by the inimitable team of Suzy Plooster and Wes Sears, which in her words, “got me hooked”!

Her passion for birds has taken her to almost 20 countries in North and South America and Africa. Although traveling globally, she has dedicated a tremendous amount of time locally as Vice President and then President of the Boulder Bird Club, as a bluebird nest monitor, and for a three year term on Boulder County Audubon’s Board Of Directors.

In her words, “As a result of the travel and learning I've been so fortunate to experience, I've become a dedicated advocate and supporter of many local, national and international wildlife conservation organizations, as well as of animal welfare nonprofits”.

Since 2016, she along with Mary Balzer, have enthusiastically organized Birds and Brews through Meetup, a social online platform that organizes groups that host in-person events for people with similar interests. It is popular medium for bringing like-minded folks together throughout the United States. Our 6 yearly Birds and Brews events begin with a birding outing in late afternoon and end with socializing at a local brewpub. BCAS provides appetizers and it is not unusual to have up to 50 people join a trip.  Ann offers other monikers as well "Loons and Lager", "Ales and Eagles", Stouts and Swans" or "Bocks and Buntings." It is all about having fun and Ann’s leadership has introduced literally hundreds of new people to our rich local avifauna and their concomitant conservation issues.  

Become a BCAS Volunteer & Find An Opportunity for You to Connect

You can register to be on the volunteer list with BCAS anytime. Sign up today.

Boulder Audubon Teen Naturalists

Thank you, from Hog Island

I'd like to say THANK YOU to everyone who supports Boulder County Audubon for providing me the wonderful opportunity to attend the Hog Island Coastal Maine Bird Studies for teens camp. It was truly the experience of a lifetime. My experience on Hog Island included explorations in Bird Banding, aiding researchers with conservation efforts on Eastern Egg Rock, learning what a Leach's Storm-Petrel smells like, and so much more.

 

While at camp I made many new friends and unexpectedly ran into an older friend I hadn't seen in years. And while the bugs were terrible, the birds were amazing and more than worth it. This camp also opened my eyes to the fascinating, yet threatened, world of seabirds and the conservation efforts put forth to preserve them. The visit to Eastern Egg Rock, one of the southernmost Atlantic Puffin Colonies in the world, was spectacular. I now have a small hole in my hat from a tern attack. Nightly lectures were fascinating and interesting enough to keep me awake late at night, and new friendships led to conversations that went on well into the night. Being around other teens that have similar interests was amazing and something I wish I could experience more often. Finally, this camp has made me more seriously consider a career in ornithology or something similar.

 

Thank you, Santiago Tabares Erices

 

 

Editor's Note: Santiago will be presenting more on the experience of attending Hog Island Audubon Camp at the start of the September 24th program . Join us to hear more about this experience. The BCAS Teen Bird Camp Scholarships are funded through the Interludes with Nature field trips .

Clockwise from top left:

Upcoming Events & Field Trips

Additional Boulder County Audubon field trips are likely to be added - check the BCAS Field Trip page for updates.

Other Trips?

Are you interested in a trip to another local area? Would you like to lead a field trip for fellow members? Contact BCAS Field Trip coordinator, Steve Jones , with your ideas.

No BCAS Field Trip on a day you want to get out? Check out other local bird-focused organizations, like Front Range Birding Company–Boulder (regular 2nd Sunday trips) or the Boulder Bird Club , to see if they have an outing.

Boulder County Audubon Society

Officers

President: Patricia Billig

Vice President: Emil Yappert

Secretary: Georgia Briscoe

Treasurer: Curtis Williams

Additional Members of the Board

Ray Bridge

Kathleen Sullivan

Carol McCasland

Nominations for Board Members are open. Consider nominating yourself today!

Interested in one or more of the standing committees? Want to be more active in your society? Contact  BCAS .

Become a Supporting Member of BCAS

We get very little return from National Audubon dues and primarily rely on local funding to support Boulder County Audubon Society activities. Join your local society today.

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