Dec 27, 2012 – 6:45 PM – University Place Library Alex Wang will do a presentation on his research on native Hawaiian birds.
Meeting Dec 27, 2012
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Category Archives: Field Trips
November 2012 Meeting Report
The ABC (Advanced Birders Club) meeting last night (November 29) was lively with member slides from various people. First Laurel Parshall reported on last weekend’s pilgrimage to Vancouver Island to see the Citrine Warbler, which was a great success, even if there were bumps along the road or strait to get home again. That group included Laurel, Ed Pullen, Faye McAdams Hands, and Diane Yorgason-Quinn. Then Jerry Broadus gave a great survey of volunteering at various bird and wildlife venues with his own and Clarice’s experiences a great guide including photos from their many years of doing this work at Midway Island, Malheur, Nisqually, and many others. Heather Roskelley then gave a slide show of some of her best professional-level photographs from various recent field trips to our oohs and aahs. After stumbling through some annoying mystery slides from various members and the ABA site, the evening was topped off when Laurel passed out Christmas presents to the group — miniature feathered Snowy Owls!
Citrine Wagtail Expedition
Saturday Nov. 24th Laura Parshall did the legwork to plan a trip to chase the “mega-rarity” Citrine Wagtail that has been seen at Comox, BC on Vancouver Island for the last week. I learned today that the only prior sighting was not on the Alaskan islands, but in Starksville, Mississippi Jan 31-Feb1992. Thankfully this Comox bird has hung around much longer. Laura, Diane Yorgensen-Quinn, Faye McAdams-Hand and I set out early to catch the 8:20 ferry from Port Angeles to Victoria. We made the sailing nicely and enjoyed watching the couple of hundred Common Murres along with lots of common loons, two Long-tailed ducks at the Port Angeles side.
Citrine Wagtail 11-24-2012 Comox, BC
After getting to the island we raced for the Comox site and the many cars along side the road and then seeing about 20 birders, scopes set up, all looking out on the flooded field at the well described on Tweeters from sightings over the last week had us jumping out of the car to get on site. Transient anxiety ruled while we waited, scanned and heard all about the many prior sightings of the day, all on the far end of the field, maybe 150 yards or more away. After about a half hour wait, at about 1:25 PM the Citrine Wagtail was seen flying across the far side of the field. From then for about the next 1 3/4 hours we watched this energetic bird hop, pump its tail energetically and work its way all around the field to end up about 35 yards in front of us and hop around giving us great close-in looks. We got to study all the field-marks and enjoy the bird with the afternoon light to our backs keeping us warm and comfortable.
While we studied the Citrine wagtail we had a flock of bushtits come in behind us, 22 Trumpeter swans and a bald eagle oversaw the specticle, a peregrine falcon flew through to keep the afternoon interesting, and we all just could not quite grasp that this long day trip had worked out so perfectly.
The trip home turned out to be a bit more convoluted. We left plenty of time to catch the 5 PM ferry from Nainamo to Tsawassen that was promised online, but on arrival at the ferry found a sign hung from a chain on the road saying that today’s last ferry was at 3:15, next ferry tomorrow AM. Disappointed we headed for Victoria, planning to stay overnight and reserve a morning 10:30 AM ferry to Port Angeles. The morning ferry reservations were all booked, so we went to be hoping that by getting to the terminal early we can still catch the ferry, which thankfully happened uneventfully. No luck at 3-Crabs for Tropical Kingbird but a sunny, glorious weekend. We’ll look on this trip home as the minor hardship to pay for adding a great bird to all of our life lists. We passed on the Sushi Eh!
Local Gull Identification Workshop Trip Fall 2012 #1
Ken Brown led some members of ABC birding and some of his class members, totaling 10 of us in all on a gull ID trip to Gog-li-hi-ti, the nearby port area, and the Marine View log booms today. We enjoyed great looks at 7 gull species, unfortunately not including Slaty-backed and Franklin’s gulls. Highlights were excellent views of Thayer’s, Herring, Mew, California, Boneparte’s, Glaucous-winged and Western Gulls. As always the company was delightful, as is not always the weather cooperated with overcast but dry skies until the very end of the afternoon.
Photos thanks to Kathleen Miller:
Be ready for the next ABC class with your assessment of species, age and plumage. Have fun.
Ed
October 2012 meeting report
ABC met on October 25, 2012, and we were regaled with tales of Cape May, New Jersey, by Ed and Kay Pullen including many interesting tips on identifying hawks in flight that they picked up from Pete Dunne and witnessing an amazing falcon migration that Kay called the most exciting birding of her life!
Then Marcus Roening reported on his recent Ecuador trip with Heather and his original birding buddy with whom he first did this trip 20 years earlier. It was fascinating to hear about the changes in the intervening years, both good and bad.
We also heard from Bruce Hoeft on attending an event about Crow Roosts at the UW-Bothell, including watching that particular stream of Crows come in, something we can all relate to. Then we saw ABC field trip photos from Pat Damron, and we’ll have lots more of those at the November meeting on November 29!
You are needed for the Grays Harbor Winter Shorebird Survey
> From: jbroadus@seanet.com > > Subject: (Fwd) more info GH Winter Shorebird Survey INFO > > It is a project to count shorebirds all along the Pac. seaboard over a number of years, beginning this year. Our area is > Grays Harbor. Shep and I have signed up through the refuge. As you can see from the email, they need > more volunteers than we can provide. All need to be at least a little skookum on counting shorebirds. The > ABC club members would be ideal. Have them contact Cyndie directly, CYNDIE SUNDSTRUM (snowplover@comcast.net). > Jerry Broadus > > > > ——- Forwarded message follows ——- > Subject: more info GH Winter Shorebird Survey INFO > From:
ABC meets Rolan’s Woodpeckers Sept 27!
Our ABC meeting Sept 27 at Round Table Pizza featured Rolan Nelson and his 22 Woodpeckers! We met every ABA-area Woodpecker through Rolan’s eyes as his quest took him throughout the country and 10 years to complete. Trip reports and pizza completed the program, and we all left well satisfied and satiated.
Pot Holes Pelagic trip tomorrow opening
Potholes Pelagic Sunday Sept 16 Anyone want to go on the Pot Holes Pelagic trip described in the WOS newsletter (also on their website)?
It’s tomorrow (Sunday) leaving Mardon resort at 6:30am finishing around 1:30pm. Cost $60/person. Asta and I signed up but don’t think we can make it. Email me if interested. Thanks, Cara cmborre1@gmail.com
E WA field trip PHOTOS
Photos by Pam Damron from the Sept 8-10 field trip to E. Washington.
September 2012 Meeting Announcement
ABC (Advanced Birding Class graduates Club) will be meeting September 27 (4th Thursday) at the Round Table Pizza in University Place at 6:45 PM. Our presentation will be Rolan Nelson telling how he got all the Woodpeckers in North America! We’ll also have trip reports and maybe some more photos that we didn’t get finished with earlier.
If you want to eat, try to arrive earlier to get your food before it starts. We’ll probably be in the meeting room to the far far left after you enter the restaurant. We need to be out of there by 8:30 to 8:45 or so.