The February 2021 Issue of the |
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Our Mission: To conserve and restore natural ecosystems and protect birds and other wildlife for the benefit of humanity and biological diversity in south King County and the world we live in. |
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Monthly Membership Meeting
High Politics and Bird Conservation
A View to International Cooperation in the Asia-Pacific and the Americas
By Eduardo Gallo-Cajiao
Monday February15, 2021 at 7 pm
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Ed is an environmental scientist with an interest in biodiversity conservation research from an interdisciplinary perspective drawing on ecology and political science.
He grew up in Colombia and spent the last 12 years of his life in Australia before moving to Seattle, where he is about to start a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Washington. He has worked on biodiversity conservation for government agencies and various NGOs, including the Broome Bird Observatory in northwestern Australia, where he fell in love with migratory shorebirds. Living in Broome, he became aware of how the fascinating migrations of shorebirds were in peril due to various threats across a vast region of 22 countries. Importantly, he understood firsthand how conserving these globetrotters requires international cooperation. It was that realization that took him back to university to conduct research as a graduate student.
As part of his PhD, he researched the international policy dimensions of migratory bird conservation in the Asia-Pacific, the South Pacific, and the Americas. He has a general passion for understanding the intersection of migration ecology and politics for advancing conservation. Ed loves sharing this passion with bird fanciers from the PNW and is looking forward to delivering his talk!
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Covid 19 virus
Jay Galvin
Due to the continuing outbreak of the Covid 19 virus, the RAS Board is suspending all in person activities until further notice. We would like to thank those members who responded to our online and mail in survey on this matter. Your input did help the Board in making this decision.
Online monthly meetings are on the 3rd Monday each month. A link to the meetings is available in our eNewsletters and on our website.
Look for more virtual upcoming events coming soon!
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Upcoming Programs
- Dale Meland
- March 15th - Robert Howson - Gallinaceous Birds
- April 19th - Marcy Summers & Ellen Kirtzman.- AlTo (Alliance for Tompotika Conservation)
- May 17th - The Dinosaurs Amongst Us - Part 2, The birds who co-existed with dinos;- Kim Dolgin
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Seen and Heard
by Calen Randall
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Rainier Audubon Christmas Bird Count
In many ways, the 40th annual Kent Auburn Christmas Bird Count was anomalous. The format was different. The count tally was virtual. Jay enjoyed his “world famous” chicken chili all by himself. However, just like the previous 39 counts, many birds were seen, surprising rarities were spotted, and great fun was had on another superb CBC.
Though the weather was rainy, we still hit 120 species total, including some notable surprises. The Black Phoebe turned up in Roger Orness’s Area 6N this year, while the Cinnamon Teals were back at 212th Pond. Tom Bowden spotted the vagrant Harris’s Sparrow that has wintered at Whistling Train Farms, with some assistance from the Area 6C team of Calen Randall and Katerina Grishina. Garrett Haynes in Area 6S had the find of the day at the Auburn Mountainview Cemetery when he glimpsed a female MacGillivray’s Warbler! According to eBird, there have been only seven other records of wintering MacGillivrays in the entire Pacific Northwest! About a week later, a female MacGillivrays was sighted and photographed at Kent Ponds by several birders. Could it be the same bird? Great find, Garrett!
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The 2021 National Audubon Convention will be held virtually this July 15th-19th.
We were originally going to host the convention in Tacoma, but in order to protect everyone’s safety this year, it will be virtual. However, the convention will be coming to Tacoma in 2022!
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Free Webinar:
How to Participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count
When: February 9, 12:00–1:00 p.m. Eastern
Description: Winter is a great time for watching birds close to home—there’s even an event built around it. Every February, people from around the world spend time watching and counting birds for the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC). Join the count running from February 12–15 to celebrate the birds near you while contributing to science! To learn more about the wonders of our backyard birds and how to participate in the GBBC, tune into our conversation with project coordinators from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Audubon, and Birds Canada on February 9 at 12 p.m. EST.
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Greater Sage-Grouse: Time for Hope and Courage
Andy McCormick
In May 2019 as a volunteer for the Sagebrush Songbird Survey in the China Creek Road area of Douglas County, I was looking for sagebrush obligates Brewer’s and Sagebrush Sparrows and Sage Thrasher. The Greater Sage-Grouse was not on our list of expected birds. As we walked through waist- and chest-high sagebrush, we were startled by a sudden rush of feathers. We had flushed two Greater Sage-Grouse. They flew over several sage plants showing us their black bellies and then dropped safely back into cover.
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Field Trips
by Heather Gibson
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Lewis County Raptor Run
Self-guided field trip
by Roger Orness
Roger is an expert guide to raptors and their environs. One of the trips he has guided for us goes through Lewis County. He has been kind enough to share the route he takes for this trip.
Roger says: “This self-guided trip was gleaned from my White-tailed Kite map, where I documented more than 1,350 kite records from 1998 thru 2009. The route is designed to do the west half first and return using the east half. I have made this trip with slight variations, documenting each trip more than 200 times. Not many pull outs along the route and rest stops are few and far between with a few Sani cans next to stores and gas stations."
Continued
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2-Day Basic Birding Class at Seahurst Park
with South Sound Nature School
Sat April 24th & Sun April 25th, 2021
Kevin O'Malley and Barbara Petersen will team up and teach a Basic Birding Class this April. Beginner and intermediate birders will have an opportunity to expand the scope of their knowledge about birds and birding. Class will focus on bird language, behavior, habitats, nests and bird tracks. Participants will learn to talk more in depth about the birds they see and hear, and may be inspired to consider birding from new angles.
Burien's lovely Seahurst Park has both forest and saltwater habitats offering a great diversity of bird species. Binoculars are recommended but not required. Kevin is lead naturalist and founder of South South Nature School. Barbara has led bird walks and field trips for Wild Birds Unlimited and Rainier Audubon.
Class fee of $50.00 covers Sat and Sun. Maximum 8 participants. Still a few spots left. Wearing of masks and social distancing will occur at this outdoor class. Classes will be held rain or shine.
For more information and to register go to:
"More birding is good. I kinda think I am always birding in one way or another. Looking for mysteries, trying to identify something, listen for small sounds, paying attention to behavior, noticing my surroundings...life is birding ha!"
- Kevin O'Malley, South Sound Nature School
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Emerald Downs Nest Box Project Update
Breaking news! The swallows of Emerald Downs now have refurbished homes ready for the Spring 2021 nesting season. Your nest box committee members removed the old, broken boxes last summer for cleaning and restoration. These leaky and broken boxes were over twenty-five years old and in very poor condition. With some woodworking surgery and salvaged materials, we rebuilt sixteen nest boxes.
The boxes were installed on metal fence posts along the full quarter mile length fence line bordered by wetland habitat. The team will continue to monitor use of the boxes this spring and summer.
These nest boxes should be cleaned out each fall at the end of nesting season. If you would like to volunteer to help with the Fall 2021 cleanout, please contact a team member.
Thanks to all our Rainier Audubon members who helped with this important project.
Dolly Owen, Barbara Petersen, Ken Schroeder, Jay Galvin, Linda Carlson
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Van Doren's Landing Park - Jan 10, 2020 |
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Awesome Bird Quiz
Madrone Audubon Society in Sonoma County, CA, has given Rainier Audubon permission to post the link below to Jim Gray's awesome Bird Quizzes. Try your hand at ID-ing bird species, even in other countries! This was sent to me by Ken Schroeder, who knew I enjoy bird quizzes. Well done, Jim Gray!
Barbara Petersen
From Madrone Audubon:
Welcome to Birding Quiz, created by Madrone Audubon Society member Jim Gray. On this site, you will find many photo quiz options that will help you learn to recognize birds in an area you select. The bird photos are selected randomly, so for any particular bird species you will see pictures of females, males, juveniles, breeding plumages, winter plumages, etc. You can take the same quiz multiple times and you will get different bird photos each time.
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From Bird Note
From Ken Schroeder
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A Life On Our Planet
David Attenborough
Why Climate Change Matters
In this unique feature documentary, titled David Attenborough: A Life On Our Planet, the celebrated naturalist reflects upon both the defining moments of his lifetime and the devastating changes he has seen. The film addresses some of the biggest challenges facing life on our planet, providing a snapshot of global nature loss in a single lifetime. With it comes a powerful message of hope for future generations as Attenborough reveals the solutions to help save our planet from disaster.
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Dancing with the Birds
From ruffling their majestic feathers to nailing im-peck-able courtship routines, birds in paradise flaunt their best moves in hopes of landing a mate.
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CONSERVATION
The first step is to redefine our concept of what a garden should be
By Daniel Rubinoff
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Amazon Smile
Shop at smile.amazon.com and we’ll donate 0.5% of eligible purchases to your favorite charitable organization—no fees, no extra cost.
Be sure to specify your favorite charity as Rainier Audubon Society.
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Prevent birds from flying into windows?
UPDATE - We had birds flying into our west-facing picture windows. Even after reducing the spacing to 3 inches, we had a Cooper's Hawk crash into a window. These are dark tinted windows. I took down the Paracords and put up bird netting. We have used this for years and never even had a bird hit the netting.
Dan Streiffert
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