JUNE 25, 2015: ABC is pleased to welcome Wendy Connally, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife “Diversity Citizen Science Coordinator,” recently moved to the Pacific Northwest from Austin, Texas. Focused mostly on rare species (including BCVI (Black-capped Vireo) and GCWA (Golden-crowned Warbler). She has worked in eastern Washington, coastal Oregon, central and west Texas with broad experience in natural resources conservation, stewardship and restoration planning and implementation, data collection/evaluation, and environmental permitting. Conservation does not happen without people – so, she’s shifted her career in a way to more actively contribute to that conversation. She loves working with people to find common ground and has contributed to several national working groups: Endangered Species Act Landowner Incentives Improvement (2013), State Wildlife Action Plan Best Practices (2012), and Effectiveness Measures for Conservation Actions (2009 – 2011).

Wendy is currently working on the eBird NW portal (http://ebird.org/content/nw/) and will address:

WDFW’s specific bird-related priorities (which species are in need, why, and what data would be most helpful from the eBird NW participant).

Citizen Science projects we’re actively promoting and those in development.

Our collaboration with eBird NW regional reviewers and Klamath Bird Observatory.

From Wendy: “Of course, if you have specific interest areas, you can let me know and I can work out some specific targeted info for your group in my area of expertise or potentially refer you to the right person who could fill that need.” Contact her at: Wendy.Connally@dfw.wa.gov

Our May 6, 2015, meeting was a great success in spite on meeting in a new venue. It seems you all found it easily, though. We will keep that in mind next time we can’t get the dates we want at the University Place library, which will be the site for the next couple of meetings in June and July. Our program director, Kay Pullen, gave us some ideas of what is coming up soon at ABC and then introduced our guides for the evening.

Jerry Broadus and Clarice Clark recapped their recent visit to Cuba which was directly after the loosening of travel restrictions by the President earlier this year. They will post to this site a summary of current logistics on travel to Cuba, some of which are the same and some which have changed since our last Cuba report from Carole Breedlove and Bill Hagens a couple of years ago. The evening started out with a revolving slide show put together by Clarice of beautiful old American cars still in use in Cuba to the accompaniment of Cuban music played by a group that Jerry & Clarice actually met while there. Later we heard the Frankensteinian stories of how they keep those old cars running. Bicycles and horses seem like the more reliable forms of transportation, and a slide of a 4-lane freeway with just one horse-cart on it showed the reality of transportation on the island.

The good part of the island was certainly the birds. Lack of transportation has served to accidentally preserve some excellent habitat which should become more accessible as travel restrictions for tourists become easier. 26 (soon to be 30) endemics and the majority of Caribbean specialties reward the birder, many of them quite showy, including Cuban Trogon, Cuban Tody, several woodpeckers, and Bee Hummingbird.

Jerry also gave us a report on his recent work in Mexico on the now critically endangered Military Macaw, a stunningly beautiful cavity dweller, dwindling not only because of habitat loss, but also because of the pet bird trade, now being entered by the cartels because it is so lucrative. He opined that perhaps one factor in this was listing a bird as endangered automatically makes it more attractive to this faction, thus endangering it more. His slides and stories about the huge pit where they have their burrows in the sandstone were riveting. These 70 birds have a stable population, perhaps the carrying capacity of the pit, and it never seems to grow no matter how successful they are in breeding. They lay up to 3 eggs, but only raise a single chick.

Clarice then proceeded to give us a diabolical quiz to see what we retained from the Cuban bird slides. I think the group did pretty well on that! The last quiz was not a bird, but a car, complete with field marks! (1951 Cadillac?)

Clarice also passed around some warbler cheat sheets, which are available free to all at this website: http://blog.press.princeton.edu/2013/07/25/downloadable-warbler-guide-quick-finders/

As usual, we all had a good time discussing and learning about our favorite topics.

Click on photos below to enlarge:

Andy Stepniewski, author of Birds of Yakima County, drove over from Yakima to educate us on bird habitats, geography, and the native and non-native plants of Yakima County and nearby areas of central Washington, specifically the shrub-steppe habitats. Ellen Stepniewski was a valuable addition to the presentation and put out specimens of the grasses, sagebrushes (very aromatic!), and rabbitbrush so we will know them next time we cross the mountains. Who knew there were that many varieties of sagebrush in the shrub-steppe or that Washington has a state grass (Bluebunch wheatgrass)?

Andy introduced the index bird species for each sage/grass combination, along with each bird’s song, global distribution, and threats. Often the threats were to the plant life, which of course are passed on to the birds, squirrels, etc. Along with the several highly desirable LBJ’s such as the newly split Sagebrush Sparrow and the declining Grasshopper Sparrow, as well as Burrowing Owl and Sage Grouse, we were also educated on the prolific nasty cheatgrass, introduced inadvertantly, as well as the introduced Chukar, one of only a few birds who benefit from it.

Andy encouraged us all to visit the White Cliffs area of the Hanford Reach National Monument for its scenic beauty as well as habitat areas that have been preserved somewhat. The Yakima Firing Range was also singled out as a preserved area.

In case you didn’t know, Andy tells us that the local Meadowlarks sing, “I’m such a pretty blackbird.”

The question/answer period brought up Russian Olive, and Andy tells us there is a movement to pull it up, which he and we lament somewhat. Even though it’s introduced, it is providing habitat to a few desirable species that might not stay without it.

A very interesting topic was the destruction of habitat by feral horses, which have increased exponentially just in the past 10 years on the Yakama Nation’s lands to about 11,000, with a carrying capacity of just 10% of that. This is going to be news for some time to come, and some of the horses have started to starve already. The horse lovers’ lobby are fighting hard against preserving habitat and therefore birds.

Thanks, Andy and Ellen!

Click photos below to enlarge.

Join us on Wednesday, May 6th, for a special presentation by Jerry Broadus and Clarice Clark about their recent trip to CUBA. As we know from our previous Cuba meeting and recent diplomatic changes, interest in birding in Cuba is skyrocketing. Find out the latest!

NEW DATE: May 6 – A Wednesday – 6:45 PM.

NEW VENUE: For this particular event, we will be meeting at the Pierce County Administrative Center meeting room at 3005-112th St E, Tacoma 98446, just off Highway 512. We’d like to know how you like this venue, as we have trouble always getting the usual meeting room at the UPlace library.

You all know Jerry and Clarice, retired from their surveying business now, but still doing consulting. Jerry also consults on legal aspects of the profession, being also an attorney. They are expert birders, with Clarice being called one of the best bird banders in the northwest by the banding team at Morse. They have been to many banding conferences throughout the western hemisphere. They volunteer their expertise and time at National Wildlife Refuges, especially Malheur and Nisqually. They are past recipients of Tahoma Audubon’s volunteerism award, and Jerry is currently on the Board of Directors of Tahoma Audubon.

So CUBA!! Join us May 6th at the library administrative building!!

ABC’s April 2015 meeting will feature a name we all recognize, and we’re anxious to see what he’s been up to lately. Andy Stepniewski of Yakima is the author of Birds of Yakima County, Washington, first published in 1999, recently in its 2nd printing, telling everything about the 300 species which have been found in that county. He is an all-round naturalist, connecting the birds with the plants/vegetation zones, geology, weather, and everything else. Yakima Magazine recently profiled Andy, from his youth in southern California, to his orchards in Yakima. See: http://www.yakimamagazine.com/2012/11/16/for-the-birds/

Please join us in inviting our friend, Andy Stepniewski of Yakima, to ABC on April 20, 2015, at the University Place Library at 6:45.

Contributions will be accepted for his travel expenses with any excess going to the Slater Museum of Natural History at the University of Puget Sound.

March 28, 2015 – MOUNTAIN QUAIL PERFORM!

On March 28, 2015, a small group met at 6 AM (pre-dawn) at the Theler Wetlands parking lot in Belfair to motor over to Mountain Quail sites on the Tahuya peninsula. By invitation, we started at the home of Mary Hrudkaj, going up the switchbacks of Canyon Drive to gain altitude to the heights of the Tahuya peninsula. Mary had her living room set up like a theater for the 9 of us, and we were given strict instructions that when the Mountain Quail were sited (IF they were) to hold perfectly still, as any little perceived movement would send them off rapidly. As dawn started to show itself, we were treated to views of the Olympic Mountains and Tubby and Stubby the raccoons.

Mourning Doves showed up and copulated in front of us, and then the Bandtails showed up, looking like Mourning Doves on steroids. The background of the yard was soon stuffed with Steller’s Jays, Juncos, Robins, and other expected species, and then the two regular Mountain Quail (a pair) ran in. Yes, they ran. No sense walking if you can run!

These rotund birds kept us frozen as we gawked at them, noticing the subtle differences between the genders and the fact that there were TWO feathers making that crest, not just one. Every so often, one would run off, then run back, like wind-up toys. The sun then poked above the trees enough to light them up for great photographs! Thanks for keeping your window glass so clean, Mary!

Finally the Quail finished their breakfast and ran out to the road, and we were released from our frozen stances. We then piled into the cars, and Mary took us to a couple of other spots to highlight the glories of the Tahuya peninsula including the wonderful Dewatto Bay with its soon-to-be-busy Pigeon Guillemot holes right on the road, then to the very reliable Dipper bridge just northeast of there, where Donna LaCasse ducked under the bridge and saw an unoccupied-as-yet nest. Both Dippers dipped for us! Every target bird was seen and in good light!

Many photographs were taken by the group, some of which can be seen here: 76552838@N03/sets/72157651161797007/” >https://www.flickr.com/photos/76552838@N03/sets/72157651161797007/

Photos below by Diane Y-Q and Heather Roskelley. Click to enlarge.

March 23, 2015: The Paul Bannick Woodpecker event was a big hit!

Paul brought his woodpecker slide show to ABC and tantalized us with glimpses of his upcoming works on Owls as well. He had his new book, Woodpeckers of North America, written with David Benson, as well as his famous book, The Owl and the Woodpecker, for sale to the enthusiastic ABC crowd.

Paul started off the evening by showing us some slides he just took yesterday far east of here of Short-Eared Owls’ courtship behaviors. Stunning stuff, and new info to some of us, such as their different vocalizations during courtship, as well as their stunning aerial displays.

Only a person who has stalked so many woodpeckers with his camera on hands and knees asl well as lift mechanisms could have such personal insights into these woodpeckers. Paul knows every kind of hole every woodpecker employs, every kind of tree, every behavior, even pounds per square inch of drilling power.

A woodpecker hole can later house up to 30 different types of birds needing cavities (including many of the small owls), but are unable to drill their own holes. Other critters use the holes as well, and Paul showed reintroduced Fishers who will use the bigger holes.

It was interesting to have a dialog between ABC’ers and Paul about this winter’s interesting incursion of Acorn Woodpeckers into the state, especially into the Lakewood area of Pierce County. We’ll all be watching what happens with this species in the state.

Visit Paul’s website at: http://www.paulbannick.com/

Below: Paul talks about Flickers and then signs books for us. (Click to enlarge)

March 23, Monday – 6:45 PM – University Place Library. Paul Bannick, co-author and photographer for the new book, Woodpeckers of North America, A Naturalist’s Guide, will examine each of the North American woodpecker species through award winning images, intimate sounds and stories and observations from the field. Paul’s presentation will help you distinguish between species by behavior, habitat and field markings. He will also touch upon races of woodpeckers, adaptations to specific habitats, morphology and cultural ties.

Check out Paul’s website! It has lots of video interviews and looks at his owl photos as well. http://www.paulbannick.com/

We were fortunate to get Paul to speak to our club and are suggesting an honorarium of around $10 each to offset his usual speaking fee.

Paul is a celebrity to non-birders as well, having chosen two “iconic” families of birds, woodpeckers and owls, as his targets, so be sure to invite your friends and family to this presentation.

Chris Maynard shared many facets of his feather mania with the group on February 26, 2015, at a well-attended meeting. He is an internationally known artist with feathers, and as we learned also an expert on the biology of feathers. His family background enabled him early on to pursue both birds and art. What he does is precise cutting of feathers with surgical scalpels, etc., to form bird images from actual bird feathers, but no description could match seeing it. This is his own invention, and no one else does anything like it. His larger-than-life slides were informative and entertaining. It was interesting that he found that complex patterns in feathers are found in neutral colored feathers, but rarely in brightly colored feathers. He passed around a crowned crane feather asking us to test its strength, and we were amazed.

Some Great Bustard feathers from Britain that the Pullens had brought to the last meeting for their presentation were passed around again, which added to the feathery delights of the evening.

Chris brought his new book, “Feathers – Form and Function,” and many copies were sold and autographed. A stunning volume, already in its second printing!

For more information about Chris and to order more copies of his book, see his website: http://www.featherfolio.com/

Click on photo to enlarge:

The ABC meeting on February 26, 2015, will be quite an event, featuring Chris Maynard, feather expert and noted feather artist.

His book has just been published, “Feathers – Form and Function,” which he will have for sale and signing. This book was a #1 recommendation from Ian “Birdbooker” Paulsen: http://www.scilogs.com/maniraptora/birdbooker-report-353-9/

Read more at Chris’ website: http://www.featherfolio.com/feathers-form-function/

Chris is an engaging and enthusiastic speaker. His art is truly unique, carving up feathers with surgical scalpels, a form he invented that just has to be seen to be believed.

Please join us at the University Place library at 6:45 on Thursday, February 26, 2015, for this special event.