Apr 2010 Corvid Crier Newsletter Eastside Audubon Society

8/8/2019 Apr 2010 Corvid Crier Newsletter Eastside Audubon Society

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The Corvid Crier ~ April 2010 1

Earth Day Issue Vol 29, No 3 April 2010

The Mission of the Eastside

Audubon Society is to protect,

preserve and enhance natural

ecosystems and our communi-

ties for the benefit of birds,

other wildlife and people.

HIGHLIGHTS INSIDE:

Birdathon 3

New Members 4

Earth Day Outreach 4

Field Trips 6

Remembering Sunny 7, 11

Light Rail at Mercer Slough 8

Bird of the Month 9Audubon BirdLoop 10

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.

The Corvid Crier

Penguins as Sentinels Thursday, April 22, 7:00 p.m.Northlake Unitarian Universalist Church

Join Dr. Dee Boersma, penguin researcher atthe University of Washington in Seattle, as shefollows Magellanic penguins along the temper-ate southeastern coast of Argentina.

Dr. Boersma holds the Wadsworth EndowedChair in Conservation Studies. and is a 2009winner of the prestigious Heinz Award.

The online version of Conservation Magazine(http://www.conservationmagazine.org) de-scribes Dr. Boersmas work as follows: DeeBoersma has spent over 20 years studying Ma-gellanic penguins in Punta Tombo, Argentina

long enough to suspect that their dramatic de-cline signals a more ominous truth: oceans arein trouble.

From Africa to Antarctica, penguin populationsare declining due to a conspiracy of human-induced environmental problemsincludingclimate change, overfishing, and pollutionthat have degraded penguin habitat, disruptedbreeding grounds, and made it harder for theflightless birds to find food.

Boersma argues that penguins problems are a

key bellwether indicating that the marine envi-ronment is changing in ways that could threatena vast number of todays species. Thats badnews not only for penguins, but also for peo-ple.

This presentation is FREEand open to the pub-lic. Please invite a friend.

Photo: http://mesh.biology.washington.edu/

penguinProject/Center

Birds Staying North During Warmer Winters Andrew McCormickThe National Audubon Society has analyzed 40years of Christmas Bird Count data and foundthat as average winter temperatures in NorthAmerica have warmed many bird species arespending their winter much farther north thanthey have in the past. Some species are winter-ing over 400 miles farther north. This change isattributed to warming temperatures which aremost likely the result of general global warm-

ing trends. Once again birds are sending usinformation about our environment much as didthe canaries miners once carried into coalmines to warn them of gas leaks. It is an ironicimage, since coal is one of the largest pollutersand source of carbon dioxide, a potent green-house gas.

For about 7,000 years prior to 1800 our planetEarth was a pretty stable place. Sea levels had

been about the same. Average global tempera-ture had been about the same at 150C (590F).Human population was less than one billion.Sustainable living was practiced.

The rise of industrialization and the burning offossil fuels began to change all this. Averageglobal temperature has risen 0.80C (1.40F) inthe past century, but 0.60C (10F ) in the past 30years. Temperature is now increasing more

rapidly and greater increases are measured atthe poles than at the equator. Whole ecosys-tems are changing.

Ecosystems are integrated areas in which spe-cies of plants and animals live interdepen-dently. Ecosystems that are temperature-basedare called isotherms. As global warming hasproceeded isotherms have been moving in two

(Continued on page 5)


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President Cindy Balbuena [email protected] President OpenSecretary Carmen Almodovar [email protected] Jim Kenney (425) 746-9862Executive Director Jan McGruder (425) 822-8580

[email protected]

At large board member Helen LaBouy [email protected] large board member Margaret Lie [email protected] large board member Tricia Kishel [email protected] OpenBird Photography Tim Boyer [email protected] Trips Hugh Jennings (425) 746-6351

[email protected] Plant Walks OpenNature Walks Christopher Chapman (425) 941-3501

[email protected] Questions? MaryFrances Mathis (425) 803-3026

Conservation Andrew McCormick [email protected]

Education Mary Britton-Simmons (360) 794-7163

[email protected] OpenNewsletter Tom Grismer (206) 851-7322

[email protected] OpenFinancial Development Tim McGruder [email protected] Open [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

Open PositionsThe following positions are open and waiting for volunteers. Pleasecall the office if you have questions or are interested: Vice President,Adult Education chair, Advocacy, Communication chair, Membership

chair, Programs chair, Gift Wrap, Birding, Birdathon, and Merchan-dising.

2010 CENSUS JOBS Good pay

Temporary, part-time jobs

Flexible hours

Mileage reimbursement for field jobs

Work in your home community

APPLY NOW to be a census taker!

Call toll-free jobs line at 1-866-861-2010www.2010censusjobs.gov

Kids Learn About Bats at EAS

Bats were the topic of Februarys membership meetingplanned especially for children. Our presenter, MichelleNoe of Bats Northwest mixed her comments with manyquestions from her audience. Did you know we have 15species of bats in Washington and 8 of those live in KingCounty? The most common are the Big Brown Bat and Lit-tle Brown Bat. They are all insectivores and we can begrateful for their interest in mosquitoes. A single bat hasbeen known to eat 600 of the pesky insects in an hour! Mul-tiply that by a colony size of 20 to 100 and you can putaway your mosquito repellant!

Our local bats range in size from 2 to 4 inches long withwingspans of about 9 to 16 inches. Bats in other parts of theworld can be the size of a bumblebee to those with a 6-footwingspan. Bats are NOT blind but because they usuallyfeed at night they use echolocation to navigate and findtheir prey.

A great place to observe bats is Green Lake in Seattle,which provides bats with a needed water source. Check outthe Bats Northwest website for more information about

summer "Bat Walks:" www.batsnorthwest.org.Competing with the winter Olympics this year our youthattendance was down but the three young people who camehad good questions for Michelle and enjoyed making ori-gami bats, bat headbands, and bat information books afterthe program. They gained valuable information about theimportance of bats and will hopefully become stewards,helping to preserve our natural environment for bats and allthe other creatures of our world.

Olympic Birdfest, Apr 9-11, Sequim, WA

Join the Olympic BirdFest 2010 celebration at the Dunge-ness River Audubon Center in Sequim, WA on April 9-11,2010.

Marbled Murrelets, Rhinoceros Auklets, Harlequin Ducks,Black Oystercatchers, Peregrine Falcons, and Pygmy owlswill be sporting their finest spring plumage for this celebra-tion. Enjoy guided birding trips, boat tours; and a traditionalsalmon bake at the Jamestown SKlallam Tribal Center.

Check out the offerings by going online (http://www.olympicbirdfest.org),or calling for a brochure.

Grays Harbor Shorebird Festival,April 30 - May 2, Hoquiam, WACelebrate the spring migration of shorebirds in Grays Har-bor County. Features include shorebird viewing, field tripsto local areas, exhibits, vendor fair, workshops, kids activi-ties, nature fun fair, and much more. Come see the thou-sands of shorebirds that migrate to Grays Harbor each year.

For more information: www.shorebirdfestival.com


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The Corvid Crier, Vol 29, NO 3Publication Date: April 1, 2010.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). Go

west on Central Way to the light on 3rdSt. 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 9:00 a.m. 1:00 p.m.

April Meetings

Apr 1 Thurs) 10:30 a.m.Web CommitteeMeets first Thursday each month in EASOffice. All interested parties are invited.Questions? [email protected]

Apr 8 (Thurs) 7:00 p.m.

Photo GroupMeets in large room upstairs from EASOffice. Questions? Email Tim Boyer [email protected]

Apr 13 (Tues) 7:00 p.m.Youth Education CommitteeMeets in the EAS Office.All interestedparties are invited. Questions?Email [email protected]

Apr 14 (Weds) 7:00 p.m.Conservation CommitteeMeets second Wednesday each month in

EAS Office. Questions? Email AndrewMcCormick [email protected]

Flowers are blooming and birds aresinging. It reminds us that Spring-time is coming soon, and that meansBIRDATHON.

Birdathon is our largest fundraiser ofthe year and brings in about 25-30%

of EASs annual budget. While theevent is held annually in May, itsfunds our activities throughout theyear.

How does it work?

You can be a Birdathoner, whichmeans you set a date in May to countas many bird species as you can iden-tify within a 24-hour period. Doesnthave to be the full 24 hours; it couldbe 2 hours, or 5 or 10. Your choice.

You then get as many sponsors asyou are able to pledge you money foreach species seen, say $1.00/species,or $0.50/, or $5.00/! After you havecounted, you collect the money andget it to EAS, which will supply youwith all supplies you need, advice andtips on how-to, and more.

You could form a Birdathon Team,and get others to join you - making theevent even more fun for all.

You can sponsor a Birdathoner.This of course is a critical role. Youcould Sponsor a Birdathoner - or team- by making a pledge per species orjust giving a financial gift to the Bir-dathoner of your choice.

You can take a Special Field Tripfor Birdathon. Several EAS volun-teers will lead field trips to variouslocations in the Puget Sound area, orsponsor a themed event. Participantswill be asked to give a minimumamount for these special trips. This isa chance to go birding and make an

important contribution at the sametime!

For more information, check the EASwebsite or call Director JanMcGruder, President Cindy Balbuena,or Jim Rettig.

Birdathon: Birding for a Good Cause


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Welcome to Our New Members

Welcome to the following new membersof Eastside Audubon. We hope to see yousoon at a Membership Meeting or FieldTrip. Call or visit our office if you haveany questions. Our friendly volunteersare more than happy to help you.

Bernadette Allred, Doyne Alward, JimAnderson, Mrs. J. S. Baker, Jenny and PatBarton, Dotty Bates, Marilyn Bazan,Chris and Bill Bentley, Frederick Bere-swill, Marianne Bergstrom, Mr. & Mrs.Blau, Evie Boone-Parks, Mike Borth, F.W. Bovard, Elinor Bowen, Robert Box,George Boyko, Marion Boyle, David K.Bradley, Susan Brengle, Julia Bricker,Elmore Brolin, Colette Brotherton, Eliza-beth Brown, Joanne A. Buehler, CharlesD. Cerar, Virginia Chambers, Mary Char-bonneau, Brenda K. Chervenak, LouiseClark, Pennie Clark-Ianniciello, M. Clos-

terman, Richard Connis, Michelle Cro-well, Theresa A. Dalton, The RichardDaly Family, Karen Dalziel, L. M. Daniel,Brad David, James and Becky Davie, Ly-nelle Davis, Denis J. de Silvis, Lee Des-jarlais, Allan J. Dietemann, Debra Dill,Angel Dodeward, Mike Dykeman, Janetand Bruce Eder, Shirley Ellingson, JackErlandson, John Faley, Barbara S. Fetter,Richard Filley, Ann Fleming, Jackie

Floan, Harriet C. Flynn, Catherine For-syth, Claire Gajary, Shirley Ganse, Jenni-fer Garat, Mary Gathers, Marianne R.Gaul, John Gette, Doreen Gillespie, AmyC. Gulick, Pamela Gunther, Ramona Hall,Jane Halsey, Margaret Harter, Jeff Hawk,Carl B. Haynie, Allyn and Patricia Heb-

ner, Akshay Heda, Sandy Helgerson,Joyce Hill, Bill and Samantha Holmes,Sean Horita, Donald Howe, Mary Hsu,Dr. Ann Hungar, Lois M. Janecky,Rodger Jessen, Sandra Johnson, MadelineKelly, John Kemnitzer, George Kness,James L. Knight, Mary E. Kolar, RobertLamb, John Lambert, Dona Lander,Christine Larkin, Nancy Lechner, MartinD. Leeds, David Leisy, Kathy and Tho-mas Leitch, Greg Levandowsky, KirstieLewis, Susan Liew, Robert Lindemeyer,J. Lissner, Melinda Livingstone, TimothyLovell-Smith, Gaylin Luce, Nancy Luster,

J. MacKay, Margaret M. Martinez, GayleMateer, Gary and Denae McGregor, SaraMcMillon, The Meeks Family, RichMieras, Teruyuki Mihashi, Barbara K.Miller, Carole Mills, Robert Mitchell,Richard and Dora Moxon, Marcia Muel-ler, Helen Murphy-Robinson, DianaNeely, Mary J. Nelson, Amy Ng, SteveNichols, Sharron O'Donnell, ElisabethOlsen, Charles L. Pace, Bonnie Paris,

Susan M. Parker, Roland Pender, WillisK. Peterson, Patti Pitcher, Teresa Pletcher,Sarah Plumer, Barbara A. Premo, Rose-mary K. Reid, Rosemary Richardson, Ju-dith Riddell, Donna Rockwood, HarriettRosenblatt, Jenny Russell, CharlesSampson, Jennie Sanford-Arnold, Wynn

Sasaki, Carolyn Saxegaard, John P. Shaw,Anita Shen, Susan Slyver, Robert andMarcia Smith, John Solyts, Anita Soren-sen, Erica Spellman, Dan Spuckler, SylviaStarr, Saul and Liz Stephens, Rise A. Ste-vens, Emily Stoll, Mary L. Stone, KarenStorrs, Ronda L. Strauch, Gary Swanson,Karl Swenson, Kathryn Taylor, ThomasG. Terranova, Annie Thoe, Mick Thomp-son, David L. Thornton, Annette Tierney,Patricia D. Tobis, Kathy Trani, ConstanceUlrich, Carol Vanoy, Marilyn K. Vaughn,James Ventenbergs, Liz Vermillion,Marian M. Vimont, Gretel Von Bargen,

Curtis Von Trapp, Connie Walsh, DaveWalter, Richard Walters, Adam Wanaski,Marianne Webster, Dennis A. Weyrauch,Tom Wilkenson, Betty and WillardWillard, Ann Williams, Robyn Wilson,Linda Wolfe, David Wong, Phillip Wor-thington, Jimmy Wu, Zoe Yeager.

Eastside Audubon Earth Day/ Spring Outreach Events

Eastside Audubon will be participating inthe following outreach events in April.Youre welcome to come see us or helpout.

Earth Day at Stilly Wildlife Area

When: Sat Apr17t 10:00 2:00 p.m.

Where:Just north of Carnation signup for directions

Make a difference for people and forsalmon (and other wildlife)! Join the StillySnohomish Fisheries Enhancement TaskForce and the Department of Fish andWildlife to celebrate the 40th anniversaryof Earth Day on Saturday, April 17th atthe Stillwater Wildlife Area, where volun-teers will plant trees along the SnoqualmieRiver. This family friendly event is a greatway to have both a fun and educationalexperience! Your efforts will improvewater quality, flood control, and habitat

for fish and wildlife. Tools and lots ofsnacks provided. If you'd like to partici-pate in the enhancement project, pleaseRSVP to [email protected]. EastsideAudubon will host a booth with a chil-dren's activity and lead a bird walk.

Little Lake-to Lake Earth Day Walk

When: Weds, Apr 21 2:00 6:00 p.m.

Where: Lake Hills Greenbelt Park,156th and SE 16th St., Bellevue

Join us for the Little Lake to Lake Walk at

Lake Hills Greenbelt. Or volunteer to helpat our EAS outreach booth. This family-friendly walk is part of the well-attendedBellevue Park Walking Series. Free EarthEducation booths will be located along thetrail.To volunteer to help, contact [email protected] or 425-576-8805.

City of Bothell Spring Garden Fair

When: Sat, Apr 24 - 9:00 am - 3:30 pm

Where: University of Washington Both-ell, 18115 Campus Way NE

Spring Garden Fair is a FREE water wisegardening and sustainability event thatoffers seminars, information, kids activi-ties, plant sales and more. More info at:www.springgardenfair.com


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directions-toward the poles and up themountains. Data collected since 1950show that there has been a march to-ward the poles of about four miles perdecade, and movement up the moun-tains of 20 feet per decade.

For every 100 feet we go up a moun-tain there is about a 10F drop in tem-perature. Plants and animals cannotadapt quickly enough to survive risingtemperatures, so they migrate to fol-low the isotherms toward the poles orup the mountains. For example, Road-runners are now being seen at higheraltitudes in mountains in Arizona thanever before. Species that cannot mi-grate or cannot find similar habitatwill literally be pushed off the planetonce the area is unable to supportthem. Mountaintop species that arelikely to become extinct this centuryare many parrots, honeyeaters andbirds of paradise.

As warmer isotherms move northwardscientists are predicting increased dry-ness at lower latitudes. This will leadto drying of the Great Plains water-fowl and grassland birds breedingarea. We will also see increased rain-

fall and warmer temperatures at higherlatitudes causing glacial and ArcticSea ice melting and resultant rise insea level will threaten shorebird habi-tat. Warmer oceans will increase inacidification as they absorb more car-bon dioxide. This will lead to thedeath of plankton and shelled seacreatures, reducing food supplies forfish and birds. Falling Krill popula-tions in the southern Atlantic Oceanhave contributed to declines of 50% of

Emperor Penguins and 70% of AdeliePenguins in the past 30 years.

There is now overwhelming evidencethat the science supporting globalwarming indicates that the amount ofcarbon dioxide already in the atmos-

phere will continue to warm the planetand assure us of at least a rise of 20C(3.60F) in average global temperatureabove preindustrial levels. Despitethis fact, people in many countries areexpanding the amount of coal beingburned to generate power.

Remedies suggested by climate scien-tists are focused on reducing carbondioxide emissions and converting theU.S. to clean power sources such aswind, solar, and geothermal. Thesesolutions will present challenges toAudubon members to balance theneed for generating power and protec-tion of declining bird species. Weneed to stop burning coal as soon aspossible. The Trans Alta coal-firedpower plant in Centralia produces

20% of Washingtons electricity, butis the source of 10% of all the statesair pollution including emissions ofCO2. It is also the largest employer inLewis County and conversion to gasmay jeopardize some workers em-

ployment.

Audubon supports the generation ofelectricity using wind turbines, butbirds have died after flying into thetowers. Because of this Audubon isworking on guidelines for site selec-tion to reduce bird strikes. Some sci-

entists are advocating development offourth stage nuclear power plants touse in a 40-60 year transition period toall clean energy. These plants do notemit greenhouse gases and they canburn the nuclear waste of the olderplants. Reconsidering nuclear powerplants will be a major challenge forAudubon members.

Bird migration data are informing usof the changes on our planet, but it is

up to human beings to respond if wewant to keep our planet the way it is.We are now in charge of the climateon our planet and scientists say wehave one opportunity to get it backinto balance.

(Continued from page 1)

Birds Staying North During Warmer Winters


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there is some riparian habitat. Several plant and bird species canbe seen in the park. Bus stop nearby on 108 th, near 45th. Limitedstreet parking. Jan Johnson 425-814-5923April 20 (Tues) 9:00 to noon

Juanita Bay Park Bird WalkA relaxed walk in the Park, seeing what birds are in the area.Meets the 3rd Tuesday of each month at 9:00. Bringbinoculars and meet in parking lot. No registration required.MaryFrances Mathis 425-803-3026

April 24th (Sat) 8:00 a.m. to early afternoonLord Hill Regional County ParkLord Hill encompasses 1,307 acres in a beautiful semi-wilderness setting S.E. of Snohomish. The park provides primewildlife habitat of second and third growth timber on top of600' high hill. There are nine small ponds, wetlands and 6-1/2miles of trails. Be prepared to walk. Meet before 8:00 a.m. atsouth end of Kingsgate P&R: (I-405, exit 20B northbound or 20

southbound at NE 124th St., go west to light at 116th Ave. NE,then right (north) a few blocks to P&R lot). Passenger cost/person $5.00. Bring a lunch.Tricia Kishel, Leader, 206-948-3922 [email protected] Stan Wood, co-leader.

April 26 (Mon) 9:00 to noonBirding the Hot Spots of King CountyMonthly field trip on fourthMonday of each month towherever the birds are. Meet before 9:00 a.m. at north end ofthe Newport Hills Park-N-Ride (I-405, exit 9) and plan to beback by noon. Passenger cost/person $2.00.Hugh Jennings 425-746-6351

**Birdathon Trip**May 1 (Sat) 7:30 a.m. (to catch ferry) Vashon Island Wine on the WingsVashon Island contains a wealth of birding opportunities inMay, from shorebirds at Point Robinson to Purple Martins andBrant at Tramp Harbor to Harlequin Ducks at the Tahlequahdock. Our birding route could also take us to Fern Cove, FisherPond, KVI Beach, Judd Creek, Spring Beach, andQuartermaster Harbor. After lunch we will visit the PalouseWinery and Vashon Winery to taste and learn about someaward wining local wines. Be aware that there could be acharge for the tastings. We will then bird our way back to theferry. The goal is to have fun, fun, fun! Meet before 7:30 a.m. at

the Wilburton Park-N-Ride to carpool. Bring a lunch. Ferry costwill be shared; carpool cost/passenger is $7; Birdathondonation is $25.00.Tricia Kishel 206-948-3922 and Tim McGruder

April 2 (Fri) 8:00 to noonLake Sammamish State ParkThis urban park offers a wide assortment of birds and habitatsdue to its varied ecosystems. The trip will involvewalking approximately 2-3 miles. Dress appropriately(rainproof in layers; some of the trails can be muddy ifwet). Just inside the main entrance, take the first left into thelarge parking lot and meet at the northeast end. Co-lead bySharon Aagaard and Stan Wood. NO PRE-REGISTRATION NECESSARY.Call Sharon with anyquestions, 425-891-3460.

Apr 3 (Sat) 9:00 to noonMarymoor Park Habitat RestorationJoin us in restoring native habitat at the Marymoor Parkinterpretive area. Dress for the weather and bring clippers,gloves, snacks and water. Meet at SE corner of Parking Lot G.Questions? Call office at 425-576-8805

April 10 (Sat) 7:00 a.m.Theler Wetlands via SouthworthWe will take the Fauntleroy ferry to Southworth and bird ourway to the Theler Wetlands. These include fresh and salt watermarshes, forested uplands, and estuarine habitats. Prepare towalk about 2-1/2 miles. We will return by way of Tacoma. Itcan be cool and wet so dress accordingly. 150 bird species have

been seen in this area. Bring a lunch. Meet before 7:00 a.m. atnorth end of the Wilburton Park-N-Ride (I-405, exit 12) tocarpool. Passenger cost/person is $12.00 + share in ferry cost.Hugh Jennings 425-746-6351

April 18 (Sun) 1:00 p.m. Watershed ParkA 2-hour nature walk in this Kirkland park takes place the 3rdSunday of each month at 1:00 p.m. Nature walks enter thepark off NE 45th Street, north of the railroad tracks on 108thAvenue NE, east of 108th Avenue NE. Watershed park hasmore than 70 acres of mostly upland second growth forest;

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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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

BusinessName

TM Construction

Residential ConstructionRemodel, Repair, Carpentry

10% discount for Audubon members

425-457-0465 [email protected]

Tim McGruder General Contractor tmcon**1480t

IN MEMORIAM: SUNNY WALTER

IIIIthink we are all in shock and mourn-

ing the loss of a most wonderful per-son and member of EAS (Eastside Audu-bon). Sunny Walter passed away on Feb-ruary 25th, 2010.

We will miss her presence. You walk intothe monthly meeting and the president is

announcing the program chair. We seeSunny stand up, look at everyone with afunny smile, say a few words, and themembers are laughing. That is the lookand humor of Sunny.

Born in Oak Park, Illinois, her early lifewas spent moving around the Midwestwith her father's teaching career until hewas hired as Chief Editor by BritannicaJunior Encyclopedia. Due to her parentslove of hiking and camping and theircabin at Crystal Lake, Michigan, she de-veloped a strong outdoor ethic.

Sunny graduated from high school in La-Grange, Illinois, and then received aBachelor of Science degree in Mathemat-ics from Iowa State University in 1960. Atthe time, Boeing was recruiting from IowaState. Sunny had already decided beforethis that she wanted to live in the PacificNorthwest - "It seemed so fresh and envi-ronmentally inviting." So, she moved toSeattle and started at Boeing as a com-puter programmer, then advancing to alead engineer and researcher of business

modeling techniques. She married in the60s and had a daughter, Samantha. Sunnyretired from Boeing in 1995.

After retirement, she operated her own"low key" photography business, whichspecialized in wildlife and environmentalphotography. Sunny also volunteered for12 years as photographer for the Washing-ton Wildlife and Recreation Coalition.

She took a three-year assignment photo-graphing people for Washington Tourism,having a good time in nature.

Sunny joined EAS in 1995, while still anactive member of The Mountaineers. Shejoined Audubon because of her desire todo more toward preserving the environ-

ment. She said she was not a good birder,but wanted to be more helpful, so shejoined our Marymoor Park project. Then,when the chapters Program Chairman-ship opened up, she took it on "as a wayto contribute without needing to be a goodbirder."

In 2001, she co-authored (along withJanet OMara), the book "WashingtonNature Weekends - 52 Adventures in Na-ture." It takes people to a different placeeach weekend for a peak seasonal natureexperience. The book has been very popu-

lar. It was published by Falcon Press/Globe Pequot Press, and is currently outof print, but available on Amazon.

During the last several years, Sunnyadded to her Program Chair responsibili-ties, by joining the Board of Directors.She served as an At-Large Board Mem-ber, Membership Chair and just this yeartook on the role of Birding Chair. She wasalso responsible for organizing the crea-tive EAS Photography Club presentationsat our annual meetings, leading wildlife

field trips, including Mount Rainier whereshe took some amazing photos of wild-flowers and birds. She developed the na-tive plant walks and was instrumental inthe creation of the new website. She alsovolunteered at the Christmas gift wrap-ping and almost everything needed byEAS. She was truly an amazing person.

Sunny leaves behind her daughter,

Samantha of Issaquah, and two brothers inthe Midwest.

Well, Sunny, I think you exceeded yourgoal of being more helpful to the envi-ronment. We will miss you, but you willalways be near whenever we see a hawksoar or a flower bloom, or a magnificentphoto of nature.

Thank you, Sunny, from every one of usin EAS for all you gave to the group andto individuals. A Douglas Fir was plantedat Marymoor Park Birdloop in yourname. Marlene Meyer

Sunny receiving PCC Scrip card forher many volunteer hours.


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The Bellevue City Council has droppedthe proposed B7-Modified light rail linethat would have crossed the MercerSlough Nature Park from the South Belle-vue Park and Ride to just south of theEnvironmental Education Center on 118thStreet, SE. However, they have decided torecommend the B7 route which will cross

the slough parallel and next to I-90 andthen north along the Burlington NorthernSanta Fe right of way. This line wouldrequire cutting many of the trees that bor-der the slough along 118th Ave, SE tomake way for the light rail line (See map).This decision overturns a decision madeby the council one year ago to support theB3 route.

Andy McCormick, EAS ConservationChair, testified at the Bellevue City Coun-cil meeting on March1 representing EAS.EAS opposes the B7 route and supportsthe B3 route. Here are excerpts from histestimony:

First of all, it appears that the city councilhas abandoned the B7-Modifed route forthe East Link Light Rail and we applaudthe council for this decision. Preservationof the Mercer Slough Nature Park in itscurrent condition is vital for this wetlandand mixed woodland habitat which is usedby wildlife and birds in particular in allseasons of the year for summer breeding,rest and refueling during spring and fall

migrations, and as winter habitat for wa-terfowl. We urge the council to make asimilar decision regarding the B7 route.

In February 2009 the council was able tofind a compromise between the B3 andB7 routes and voted to recommend theB3-Modified route. We ask the presentcouncil to support that decision. Opinionsregarding a change in this decision appearunsubstantiated by evidence of increasedbenefit and the analysis seems insufficientin rigor and predicted outcomes. Theseopinions are not sufficient to support

overturning the previous councils recom-mendation.

Eastside Audubon is aware that the B3route will impact the wetlands during con-struction and in an ongoing way, but theseimpacts will occur along the edge of thewetland and be mitigated in part by otheradvantages of the B3 route. There will beless total wetland and woodland acreageaffected by the B3 route. A primary bene-

fit of the B3 route is increased ridershipresulting from shorter walking distancesto three better-located stations in down-town Bellevue.

The B7 route would also result in the lossof a stretch of the woodlands in the east-ern portion of the park. Pileated Wood-

pecker, Olive-sided Flycatcher and Wil-low Flycatcher are three federal bird spe-cies of concern which are seen in thesetrees during summer. Although not listed,the Rufous Hummingbird and Green

Heron, both of which are found in thepark are considered Birds in Trouble inthe 2009 Audubon State of the Birds Re-port.

We support the goals of maximizing rider-ship and minimizing the impact on theenvironment. The B7 and B7-Modified

routes fail to meet either standard. Wesupport the B3 route as previously sup-ported by the City Council.

Andrew McCormick

EAS Speaks Out Against Light Rail Crossing Mercer Slough

MERCER

SLOUGH

NATURE

PARK


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This boldly patterned warbler is aPacific Northwest specialty that in-habits our coniferous forests. Town-sends Warblers are a bright spot inthe northwests gray winters and wel-come visitors to the lowlands. Theycan occasionally be seen at suet feed-ers to the delight of backyard birders.This bird is part of a super-speciesknown as the virens (green) groupwhich is also comprised of Black-throated Green, Black-Throated

Gray, Golden-cheeked, and HermitWarblers. All have a distinctiveblack throat and all but the Golden-cheeked have a green back for whichthe group is named. TownsendsWarbler is characterized by a blackcheek patch at the auriculars sur-rounded by yellow, yellow on thechest with black streaks on the sides,and white wing bars. Its closest rela-tive, the Hermit WarblerDendroicaoccidentalis, with which it often hy-

bridizes near the Oregon-Washingtonborder, has no black on the face anda white chest.

Dendroica, tree dwelling, is the larg-est of the warbler genera and is fromthe Greek, dendron, tree, and oikos,house or dwelling. The speciestownsendi is for John Kirk Townsend(1809-1851), an ornithologist fromPhiladelphia who studied birds in thewest. Warbler is for the trills andquavers of the song (Holloway).

In the breeding season TownsendsWarbler prefers denser forests ofgrand fir, Douglas fir and Engelmannspruce. It forages at the tops of coni-fers for caterpillars, beetles and leaf-hoppers and will also sally out forflying insects. Its nest is a shallowcup made of grass stems, mosses and

cedar bark and is constructed on theend of a high branch. Because of theheight of the nests the breeding hab-its of Townsends Warbler have beendifficult to study. Typically 4-5 eggsare deposited in the nest by earlyJune. It is estimated that incubationlasts about 12 days and the birdsleave the nest in another 10 days(Kaufman).

In spring Townsends Warblers be-gin arriving at higher altitudes in thenorthwest during April and settle onthe breeding grounds in May. In fallTownsends Warblers migrate tolower altitudes and many winter inmixed woodlands close to PugetSound and along the Pacific coastfrom British Columbia through Cali-fornia. The majority migrate to Mex-ico and Central America. In the northit appears that the birds are expand-ing their breeding range northward

into Alaska, which may be similar toother bird species as a result of gen-eralized warming trends. Because oftheir preference for dense forestsTownsends Warblers are vulnerableto forest fragmentation. Internationalconservation efforts are needed toprotect dense old-growth forests in

the north and higher altitude forestsin the wintering range (Wright).

Many warblers are identified bysound and Townsends Warbler is noexception. Its song is a buzzy weazyweazy weazy dzeee or alternatively abuzzyzi-zi-zi-zi-zi-zi, zwee, zwee. Arecording with both of its songs canbe heard at the Macauley Library ofthe Cornell Lab of Ornithology athttp://macaulaylibrary.org/audio/flashPlayer.do?id=47707

(Photo credit: Robert Howson. Ref-erences available upon request [email protected] )

BIRDOFTHE MONTH Andrew McCormick

Townsends WarblerDendroica townsendi

Length 5 inWingspan 8 inWeight .31 oz (8.8 g)AOU Band code TOWA


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BirdLoop Work Parties

On a sunny and warm March 6, 24volunteers showed up to put timein on the Audubon BirdLoop andhonor Sunny Walter. While somecleared garbage from the MainTrail and others cut back vegeta-

tion on the Forest Trail, most vol-unteers detailed a previouslycleared area of blackberry plants,then covered it all with cardboardand wood chips. The 24 set a newrecord for volunteers I believe.

Sunny died suddenly the previousweek and we all took a few min-utes to remember her life andwork, then planted a tall DouglasFir in her honor as a few peoplespoke. Sunnys death has left a

large hole in EAS. Perhaps thebest way to honor her is for each ofus to step forward and help fill thathole.

The next work party is set forApril 3, 9:00 to noon. We need a

lot of people lets have 25 ormore! - who can help spread card-board and wood chips over thelarge planted area down by theSammamish River.

EAS Volunteers Plant the Sunny Walter Memorial Tree at Marymoor Park


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OOOOn Thursday, February 25th, when Iarrived early to help get ready for

our monthly program night and SunnyWalter was not there, I knew there mustbe something wrong. Sunny not onlynever missed a program meeting, but inher position as program chair, she was

always there early chatting with thespeakers and helping them to get theirpresentation ready. Sunny would neverbe a no-show. At the break, TimMcGruder gave her a call to check on her,but instead of reaching Sunny, receivedsome horrible news from her daughter.Sunny had passed away that day in herhome.

Im sure it would be fair to estimate thatalmost anyone who has been involvedwith Eastside Audubon, even if theyveonly been to one meeting or event, no

doubt knew Sunny. She was involved inalmost every facet of the chapter Mary-moor work parties, conservation commit-tee, web committee, lobbying in Olym-pia, photography group, birding chair which overseas fieldtrips and adult educa-tion classes, Birdathon chair, and servingon the board! She also, just earlier thatsame week began working in the EASoffice as an assistant to Jan.

Sunnys influence on the board was re-markable. You may think that it would benearly impossible to take on so many

roles and tasks and do them all well. Formost people that would probably be true,but that just wasnt the case with Sunny.If she was passionate about something,she was going to give it her all. She ledby example and was absolutely amazingin her energy and enthusiasm. When shehad a good idea, she would run with it andbring others along. Although she was ona fixed income, last year when I encour-aged the board to give a stretch financialdonation to the chapter, Sunny was thefirst to pledge a significant amount right

there in the meeting and challenge othersto do the same.

For me personally, Sunny was a wonder-ful influence. She challenged me to stepout of my introverted comfort zone atprogram nights to spend my time socializ-ing less with people I already knew welland instead spend more time making sureI was reaching out to and getting to knowthe visitors and new members so they felt

welcome. I always also appreciatedSunny for her decisiveness. Althoughshe could sometimes come across as a bitabrupt when she felt strongly about some-thing, I always knew that, when I askedfor her opinion, she would give it to meand give it to me straight. That was al-ways very refreshing and reassuring forsomeone like me who tends to waffle onthings too long.

Just days before she passed, Sunny and Iwere meeting to plan themes for the Cor-vid Crier. Before we started on that topic,Sunny basically told me, in the nicest pos-sible way, that I needed to step up myBirdathon fundraising this year and not letmy team down. After listening patientlyto my excuses about why it was hard forme to fundraise, she asked me to committo reviewing my contacts and letting her

know how many people I thought I couldask for a donation this year. Sunny, Imdedicating my 2010 Birdathon to you andwill do my best to do you proud!

I feel very privileged to have been able towork with Sunny and get to know herover the last few years. She was a rolemodel. Its not fair that she was taken sosuddenly. At our board retreat at the endof January, Sunny mentioned how she

planned to live until she was 120 and wehad no reason to doubt her. She was apowerhouse. It will take many peopletaking on many jobs just to carry on whatshe was working on, but she will never bereplaced. I am just thankful at as wewalked together out to our cars after ourmeeting last week that I told her that shewas amazing and that I appreciated her.We miss you, Sunny!

In Memory of Sunny by Cindy Balbuena, EAS President

Documents

Apr 2010 Corvid Crier Newsletter Eastside Audubon Society