either by becoming a member of National Audubon Society or by joining our group locally. We have approximately 345 members.

The Palouse Audubon Board still needs a few m o r e w i l l i n g

EVENT CALENDAR

JANUARY

2—Board Meeting, 7:30pm, 890 Stefany Ln, Moscow

17—Program; Goshawk Ecology in Northern Idaho; Brian Moser

27—Field Trip; Snake River (upstream)

FEBRUARY

6—Board Meeting, 7:30pm, 230 SE South, Pullman

21—Program; The Call of the Loon; Dan & Ginger

24—Field Trip; Snake River (downstream)

The annual meeting of the Palouse Audubon So-ciety will be held on March 21 prior to the pro-gram The order of busi-ness includes the election of officers.

The chapter welcomes individuals to serve as an officer. Contact Terry for more information.

melting snow, looking for food. They are typically quite unafraid of humans. During the winter they sometimes roost in old Cliff Swallow nests at night.

Diet—In summer, Gray-crowned Rosy-Finches eat insects, especially cutworms and other insects that get caught in updrafts and then are deposited on snow, where they freeze. During winter, these finches eat seeds, especially Russian thistle, wild grass, mustard, and sunflower seeds. In the

The Prairie Owl Palouse Audubon Society

PALOUSE AUDUBON

President: Terry Gray, (208) 882-1585, clgtlg@moscow.com

Vice-President: VACANT

Secretary: VACANT

Treasurer: Henry Willmes (208)882-2649, hwillmes@verizon.net

Board Members: Laura Bloomfield, laurabloomfield22@yahoo.com, (206) 388-7938; and Donal Wilkinson, donalwilkinson@yahoo, (208) 310-3010

Conservation: VACANT

Education: Donal Wilkinson

Field Trips: Terry Gray

Membership: James Storms, (509) 635-1272, nbutte@pullman.com

Newsletter/Program/Website: Tom Weber, tweber@wsu.edu, (509) 334-3817

Publicity: Diane Weber, (509) 334-3817, catbirdz@adelphia.net

(cont on page 3)

(cont on page 3)

Volume 35 Issue 2

Gray - c rown ed Rosy -Finches are medium-to-large finches with long wings and tails. In the Cas-cades subspecies most com-monly found in Washing-ton, heads are almost en-tirely gray with black fore-crowns, and bodies are dark brown with a rose-colored wash, especially on the wings. Flight feathers appear pale from below, and this 'frosted' appear-ance of the underwings helps identify Rosy-Finches as they fly about mountain cliffs. Juveniles look quite different from adults, with light gray to gray brown bodies, no black fore-crowns, and no rosy wash. Juveniles also have creamy-buff wing-bars and patches.

Habitat—Gray-crowned Rosy-Finches may breed at the highest altitude of any breeding bird in North

Amer ica . Their typi-cal breed-ing habi-tat i s rocky ta-lus and snowfields near sedge and grassy a r e a s . They often breed near moist seeps, and are always associated with rocks. In winter they inhabit open lowland ar-eas, including canyons, wheat fields, and grass-lands.

Behavior—Outside of the breeding season, Gray-crowned Rosy-Finches form large flocks, sometimes with with Snow Buntings, Lapland Longspurs, and/or Horned Larks. They are ground-feeders that walk along the ground or snow, especially the edges of

Gray-crowned Rosy Finch

January-February 2007

FROM THE PREZ: Best wishes to everyone for a happy and safe holi-day season and a happy new year! I hope you are all looking forward to a great year of bird watch-ing in 2007.

Thanks to all of you who have become members of Palouse Audubon Society

ANNUAL MEETING

Gart's Sports at 8:15am. The trip will explore river parks and wildlife areas starting with Chief Timothy and ending at Lyon’s Ferry. Past field trips have seen many eagles, falcons, waterfowl and wintering passerines. A sure stop will be at the Gray-crowned Rosy Finch roost below Monumental Dam. This will be an all day trip so bring a lunch.

pants included: George Ball, Laura Bloomfield, Kelly Cassidy, Peggy Chevalier, Doug Flansburg, Alex Hammond, John Kramer, Grant Norton, Chris Lupke, Kelly Van Ness, Joe Vaughan, Tom Weber,

Claire Wiser and Sharon Wiser. Feeder watchers included: Karen Haugen and Lynn Pollock. Idaho par-

After two days of heavy winds the weather settled into a sunny calm for the 36th annual Pullman-Moscow Christmas Bird Count. The count, whose count circle is centered on the Idaho-Washington border, was coordinated by Tom Weber (WA) and Dave Holick (ID). Dave also serves as the overall count coordinator.

Washington partici-

January 15—Goshawk Ecology in Northern Idaho; Brian Moser - Biologist, Potlatch Corporation. Brian has worked as a biologist for Potlatch Corporation for 10 years concentrating on Northern Gos-hawk ecology in Northern Idaho. Brian will address two subjects dur-ing the evening, the first on the "Effects of Timber Harvest and Weather on Goshawk Reproduc-tion", and the second on "Goshawk Space Use , Res idency Status, and Territory Fidelity". Brian has a Bachelors and Mas-ters degree from Washington State University in Wild-life Biology. He is

currently finishing his PhD with the University of Idaho, working on goshawk ecology. February 21—The Call of the Loon; Dan Poleschook Jr & Ginger Gumm. Dan and Ginger have been researching the common loon in WA for eleven years and have a grant with the USFS. Their pro-gram includes many professional images of the common loon and depicts their behavior, calls, territo-rial breeding areas, nesting, chick rearing, color-marking and banding

along with lab sampling for con-taminants, fledg-lings, mortalities, and migration routes to the win-ter territories. Included is toxins and contaminant research, such as

lead and mercury. Dan and Ginger have initiated the "GET THE LEAD OUT OF FISHING" in Washington. Common Loon conservation recom-mendations will also be presented.

Dan and Ginger provided the im-

ages for a new book called "CALL OF THE LOON" that was published this spring by Willow Creek Press. It was authored by Dr. Dave Evers and his wife Kate—the premier loon researchers in the US.

seph Creek. Past field trips have encountered eagles, Pygmy Owls and wintering passerines along with abundant wildlife. This will be an all day trip so bring a lunch.

February 24—Snake River (downstream), Terry Gray leader. Meet at 7:30am, N Main Rosauers in Moscow to car pool to Lewiston. We will meet Canyon Birders at

January 27—Snake River (upstream), Terry Gray leader. Meet at 7:30am, N Main Rosauers in Moscow to car pool to Lewiston. We will meet Canyon Birders at Gart's Sports at 8:15am. The trip will explore the river banks from Asotin to the mouth of the Grande Ronde River and then on to the Chief Joseph Wildlife Area on Jo-

107th Annual Christmas Bird Count

Programs

Field Trips

PAGE 2 THE PRAIRIE OWL VOLUME 35 ISSUE 2

This was Palouse Audubon

Society’s 36th year of

participation in the

Pullman-Moscow count.

Treasurer’s Report— 12/4/06 Savings $3,292.96 Checking Balance 10/23/06 $4,561.61

Income: Local Dues $150.00 Donations $65.00 Raffle $5.00

Expenses: Printing (Nov newsletter) ($83.00) Donation (Raptor Club) ($100.00) Checking Balance 12/4/06 $4,598.61 Total Assets: $7,891.57

Membership Report—12/4/06 National & Palouse Audubon 343 Palouse Audubon (paid members) 203

(cont on page 5)

ROSY FINCH

This is a wonderful, exciting opportu-nity, of which you will be notified of and invited to participate in.

CAUTION: All native birds are pro-tected in the United States under the Migratory Bird Act of 1918 - even those species that have a designated hunting season. It is ILLEGAL to harass, catch, possess, or house rap-tors without special permits. Viola-tions of this law, including the shoot-ing of a bird or even owning a feather from a bird, are ex- (cont on page 5)

proper care. Keep its head covered and maintain a secure hold of its feet. DO NOT attempt to offer food as if the bird is dehydrated it may not be able to digest it. Attempting to feed the bird may kill it! Water may be offered and is often readily ac-cepted by dehydrated birds.

CALL LOCAL FISH & GAME DE-PARTMENT Alert them that you have found an injured raptor and get

approval to transport it to a veteri-narian for further care.

BE PROUD OF YOURSELF Help-ing injured birds of prey is not an easy thing, but many times it pro-vides these birds with a second chance. Also, when bringing in an injured raptor, we ask if you would like to be present in the case that release of the animal is possible.

FROM THE PREZ

If You Find an Injured Raptor...

with in format ive speakers (speakers cover a broad range of wildlife and conservation topics), bluebird trail nest box monitoring, and being involved with bird band-ing and population studies (Christmas Bird Counts and Winter Waterfowl Counts.)

Please join us in an activity during the year. You’ll see some great birds and meet some wonderful peo-ple. Happy New Year from Chris-tine and I.

Terry Gray, President

found east of the Cascades, especially at Grand Coulee and Moses Coulee. They are sometimes seen on gravel along roadsides. Their numbers can vary considerably from year to year, but they are always considered un-common or rare. During migration they may be found along the barren ridges of the shrub-steppe zone, or gathering into pre-migration flocks in mountainous areas. Look for them during this time at Sunrise on Mount Rainier. They are also occasionally found in the lowlands of western Washington during migration and in winter.

people to step forward and fill va-cancies. Being a member of the board only requires a few hours each month.

Palouse Audubon's goal is to raise the level of public awareness for: wild birds of all types, birds and wildlife of special concern, and habi-tat needs for wild birds and ani-mals. We strive to do the above by sponsoring various activities throughout the year—such as bird-ing field trips and tours, programs

PAGE 3 THE PRAIRIE OWL VOLUME 35 ISSUE 2

breeding season, Gray-crowned Rosy-Finches develop throat pouches that allow them to carry food back to their young at the nest.

Nesting—Gray-crowned Rosy-Finches are monogamous. They nest in rock crevices, along cliff ledges, and under overhanging rocks. Typically, the nest is totally hidden from view. Although both sexes collect nesting material, only the female builds the nest, a bulky cup of grass, rootlets, lichen, moss, and sedge, lined with fine grass, hair, and feathers. The female typically incubates 3 to 5 eggs for about 14 days. Both par-ents feed the young, which leave the nest after 15 to 22 days and follow their parents to forage. The young are fed by their parents for two to three weeks after fledging.

Migration Status—In autumn, when the snow cover gets deep, Gray-crowned Rosy-Finches migrate in flocks to the

lowlands. In early spring, even when their breeding grounds are still deeply covered with snow, they leave the low-lands and return to their alpine breed-ing grounds.

Conservation Status—Two subspe-cies of Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch are found in Washington. One both breeds and winters in Washington, and the other, which has less gray on its head, breeds in Alaska and probably the Canadian Rockies, then moves into Washington in winter. Although Gray-crowned Rosy-Finches are not often seen, they are widespread. The population appears relatively stable, and much of their breeding range is very remote and thus protected from human disturbance.

When and Where to Find in the NW—Because their habitat is largely inaccessible, Gray-crowned Rosy-Finches are hard to find in the breeding season. They occur from mid-April to mid-October above 6,500 feet in the

Olympics and above 6,000 feet in the Cascades. In the Olympics they are limited to the highest peaks, including Mount Olympus, Mount Carrie, The Needles, Mount Deception, and Mount Anderson. In the Cascades, they are most common north of Snoqualmie Pass, although they also breed on Mount Rainier, Mount Adams, and in the Goat Rocks Wilderness Area. Be-fore the 1980 eruption they also bred on Mount St. Helens. From late Octo-ber to mid-May, they are most often

(from page 6)

(from page 1)

(from page 1)

↓

Nocturnal migrants are at the high-est risk of being killed by these monstrous turbines. Towering hun-dreds of feet into the air, the newer turbines have blades 100 meters long which cover a diameter of al-most 2.5 football fields. The tur-bines stand in staggered rows and stretch for tens of miles. They pro-duce a constant noise of 45-55 deci-bels. Denny explained that the placement of these turbines is the most important way to reduce the resulting mortality

(cont on page 5)

Laura Bloomfield

November—Raptor Rehabilita-tion. Paco, the Great Horned Owl, curiously stared at his reflection in the window as a WSU Raptor club member carried him around the room. Paco was just one of four raptors brought to the November 15th program by members of the WSU Raptor Club. Accompanying Paco were Taro, an American Kes-trel, Gwendolyn, a Western Screech Owl, and Dakota, a Red-Tailed Hawk. These four raptors are just some of the permanent

December—Birds, Bats and Blades: Wind Turbines and Pro-tected Wildlife. Mike Denny a birder, naturalist, and a member of Audubon gave an interesting pres-entation on his experiences with wind farms constucted in our area over the past several years. Cleaner energy does not come without its problems, Denny explained. He compared the problem to the salmon and dam issue. The wind farms popping up around the area are hazardous to birds and bats.

over 18 years can be a member. Members undergo training and then help by feeding, changing water, collecting feathers and pellets, and handling birds for presentations. The club puts on programs for schools, clubs, and other organiza-tions. Their mission is to inform people about the program; inform people about ways of being involved in the club; and ultimately, to reha-bilitate raptors for release or to care for those who cannot be returned to the wild.

PAGE 4 THE PRAIRIE OWL VOLUME 35 ISSUE 2

FROM THE DUCKS UNLIMITED DECEMBER MAGAZINE MEMBERSHIP

Palouse Audubon Society, PO Box 3606 University Station, Moscow ID 83844, is a chapter of the National Audubon Society.

Our mission is to conserve and restore natural ecosystems, focusing on birds,

other wildlife, and their habitats for the benefit of humanity and the earth’s bio-

logical diversity.

General membership meetings are held at the 1912 Building, 3rd and Adams St, Moscow ID, at 7:30 p.m. on the third

Wednesday of each month, September through May. The board of directors meet at member homes at 7:30 p.m. on the first

Tuesday of each month.

The Prairie Owl is published every other month, September through May. Material for the Owl should be sent to the editor, Tom Weber, 230 SE South St, Pullman

WA 99163, or email tweber@wsu.edu by the 20th of the month. Subscription prob-lems should be addressed to the member-

ship chair, James Storms, PO Box 235, Garfield WA 99130, (509) 635-1272 or

email nbutte@pullman.com. Visit the Pa-louse Audubon Society website at http://www.palouseaudubon.org/

residents cared for by the WSU Raptor club and used as spokesmen for their program. Like the other permanent residents these four rap-tors have sustained injuries that made it impossible for them to safely return to the wild. For exam-ple, the Red-Tailed Hawk had prob-lems seeing out of one eye, and Paco, well let’s just say that the car he was struck by has left him a lit-tle slow.

Raptor club members discussed

some of the common injuries sus-tained by birds coming into their care. They also talked about the dilapidated and cramped enclosures that cur-rently house their permanent resi-dents. Currently they are raising money to remodel a larger facility—one where eagles can do more then just spread their wings. The project will soon be in the stage of construc-tion. Audience members made a few bird jokes, and some of the younger audience asked questions about owls turning their heads around. The club members explained what they do and who may join the club— anyone

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

↵

is also a great deal unknown about the effects of wind farms on wildlife. Currently there is no penalty or fine against a power company whose turbines kill large numbers of birds.

Denny warned, that when we first hear of a wind farm being proposed in our counties, we must immedi-ately work to influence their pres-ence or placement. Once the tur-bines are standing, power compa-nies will ignore any and all wildlife concerns and complaints .

positioned their outdoor lights 12 inches away from the feeder to keep it from freezing. The temperatures hit -4 degrees on 11/28/06.

Hummingbird author-ity, Stacy Jon Peterson writes about the photo, “The bird is a classic female Anna's Hum-mingbird. The green-ish-splotchy sides ap-proaching the belly and

breast are classic field marks, as is the "bulky" appearance … and the splotch of color right around the center of the throat…”.

treme and involve high monetary penalties or even imprisonment. Do not risk it!! Do not attempt to care for an injured raptor! Raptors require a well balanced diet and many die because people take them in and try to care for them. Please turn any raptor over to a licensed rehabilitator IMMEDI-ATELY for proper care.

birds. Mortality rates have been much lower when turbines are not placed in migration corridors.

The Pacific Northwest is not the best place for wind farms in the first place, Denny stated, the best efficiency rates are only 18%-20%. In areas east of the Rockies, effi-ciency rates are oftentimes greater than 30%. Denny reported that the degree to which companies are will-ing to work with Audubon and wild-life personnel varies greatly. There

rates. Birds cannot see well at night and fly into the blades. Bats have also been documented chasing migrations of moths through the middle of a wind farm. Commonly killed animals are Horned Larks kinglets, Red-tailed Hawks, Gray Partridges, Brown Bats, and Silver Haired Bats. Denny also said that wind farms show a continuous de-cline in clutch size of ground laying

ANNA’S HUMMINGBIRD -

HIGHLIGHTS

PAGE 5 THE PRAIRIE OWL VOLUME 35 ISSUE 2

When should you remove your hummingbird feeders?

A female Anna's Hummingbird was observed daily for a week beginning on Thanksgiving day (11/23/06) at the home of Karen Haugen in Pull-man. As Karen re-ported, “We couldn't quite believe it! And to think I was going to bring in the feeder before my guest ar-rived. Just never got around to it”. Karen and her husband had

AND TO THINK I WAS

GOING TO BRING IN

THE FEEDER BEFORE

MY GUEST

ARRIVED. JUST NEVER

GOT AROUND TO IT....

Injured Raptor... (from page 3)

(from page 4)

ticipants included: Jerry Cebula, Kas Dumroese, Christine Gray, Terry Gray, Dave Holick, Deb-orah Stenkamp, and Charles Swift. Feeder watchers included: Tom Besser, Al & Marjory Stage, and Judy Tackett. Sixty-eight species and 16,669 individuals were counted by 21 participants in 10 parties. Results of the count may be found on the website.

Christmas Count (from page 2)

Finding an injured raptor can be over-whelming. Before attempting any-thing, it is critical that you make sure the bird is clearly injured. Young birds when learning to fly, get away from their nest and sit on the ground to rest. They may return to their nest or be taken care of by their parents on the ground. Please make sure some-thing is VISIBLY wrong, such as the bird is having trouble walking or can-not fly, before capturing a bird be-cause it may be completely healthy.

Do not attempt to cap-ture an injured raptor unless you feel comfort-able! Contact the WSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital at 509-335-0711 if you have any ques-tions or concerns. And please, use extreme cau-tion!!

Palouse Audubon Society PO Box 3606 University Station Moscow ID 83844-3606

PALOUSE AUDUBON SOCIETY

Horizon Air generously donates round trip air transportation at NO COST for raptors to the WSU Vet-erinary Teaching Hospital for treat-ment, rehabilitation, and release back to native habitats. Injured rap-tors anywhere within the Horizon Air service area can be quickly and conveniently flown to us so we can provide the proper care. If you have a bird you would like to transport via Horizon Air, please contact Dr. N i c k o l F i n c h nfinch@vetmed.wsu.edu at the Vet-

erinary Teaching Hospi-tal to make arrange-ments.

FIND A BLANKET OR THICK JACKET An adult should grasp the raptor with both hands using the blanket or thick jacket, making

sure to keep the wings folded in. Wearing thick, leather gloves will provide the most protection if at all possible. Use caution because the raptor will try to defend itself by using its talons and is capable of injuring you in the process.

PLACE IN A CARDBOARD BOX Place the raptor in a cardboard box or a hard plastic animal kennel (not wire!) large enough for the bird to stand up in. If placing in a card-board box, please make sure to pro-vide the bird with small holes cut near the bottom. NEVER place a raptor in a wire cage because the wire damages their feathers. Keep the box in a quiet, warm, dark place, away from other animals or danger. If a box is not available, hold the raptor firmly in the blan-ket or jacket until turning it over to a veterinarian for

If You Find an Injured Raptor...

The mission of the National Audubon Society is to conserve and restore natural ecosystems

- focusing on birds, other wildlife, and their habitats -

for the benefit of humanity and the earth's biological diversity.

We’re on the Web at: palouseaudubon.org

(cont on page 3)

Information from the WSU Raptor Club web-site: http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/clubsRaptor/