“Climate Change: Controversy/Consensus, Denialism/Despair, Birds/Backyards, and the Contributions of Citizen Science”

~ presenters: Barry Brunson & Jim Briggs

Membership Meeting - Thursday, May 21st @ 7:00 PM ~ Hal Holmes Center

Climate change is controversial! Global warming is just a hoax!

Scientists will say anything to get research funds!

The Earth’s climate has always been changing!

Maybe the Earth is warming, but humans didn’t cause it!

The climate is changing, but there’s nothing we can do about it!

Have you faced any (or all?!) of these state-ments, in headlines, magazine articles, radio programs, fundraising appeals, or one-to-one conversations? Did they come from pundits, politicians, neighbors or friends?

Context matters. Depending on the context,

the reply to the first statement can be “You bet!” or “Not a bit!” We will provide some con-text for these and other assertions, and for their particular relevance to what unites eve-ryone in Audubon: birds ~ the ones we can see in our backyards, and those we have to go way out of our way to see.

The National Audubon Society spent six years studying the issues, utilizing over a hundred years of citizen science data, along with many other sources of information.

We will examine some of the conclusions they reached, and some of the implications for all of us. We also will discuss some of the things we can do as individuals, as well as part of a larger community.

Barry is a retired math professor and Chair of the KAS Climate Change Committee. He promises to restrain his inclination to solve equations and give quizzes. Jim is a long time member of Audubon who says he never met an equation that didn't terrify him, but not as much as the problems we, and the birds we love, face with climate change. Come join us!

The Hooter Kittitas Audubon May 2015

All Audubon meetings, held on the 3rd Thursday of each month at the Hal Holmes Center next to the Library, September through May (except December), are open to the public. Please come and meet with us. A brief business session precedes the program. Stay afterwards for juice, treats,

and conversation.

Many thanks to the Ellensburg Public Library for sponsoring our meetings here!

Page 2 The Hooter

KAS BOARD MEMBERS

President – Tom Gauron 968-3175

Vice President – Judy Hallisey 674-6858

Secretary – Jim Briggs 933-2231

Treasurer – Sharon Lumsden 968-3889

Conservation – shared by all board members

Education – Judy Hallisey 674-6858

Field Trips – Steve Moore 933-1179

*Newsletter – Jan Demorest 933-1179

Historian – Gloria Lindstrom 925-1807

Programs – Jeb Baldi 933-1558

Publicity – Gerry Sorenson 968-4857

Wildlife Habitat – Joe Meuchel 933-3011

*Bluebird boxes – Jan Demorest 933-1179

Past President — Jim Briggs 933-2231

Membership – Tuck Forsythe 925-2356

*Christmas Bird Count – Phil Mattocks 962-2191

*Social/Greeter – Kay Forsythe 925-2356

*NON-VOTING POSITIONS

KAS Board Meetings are held at 4:30

PM on the 1st Thursday of each

month in the PUD meeting room,

1400 Vantage Highway. These meet-

ings are open to the public and all

Audubon members; please come and

join in the discussions. Meetings ad-

journ by 6:00 or 6:30, after which we

all go out for a sociable dinner ~ NO

business discussion allowed!

Send in your stories & photos!

The Hooter is the newsletter

of Kittitas Audubon, pub-

lished monthly except for

July.

~~~~~~~

Remember, this is YOUR

newsletter! Do you enjoy read-

ing about other people’s travels and bird adventures? Is there a

topic that you’d like to research and then submit an article? Do

you have a photo of a bird that visited your feeder? Send them!!

The editor reserves the right to edit for space, grammar, and/or

suitability. Email text and/or photos to bobcat@kvalley.com or

snail mail to Jan Demorest, Hooter Editor, 712 E 2nd Ave, Ellens-

burg, WA 98926. Submissions need to be in by the 20th of the

preceding month.

OFFICERS FOR OUR NEXT YEAR!

Our organization has a dedicated and active Board of Di-rectors. Four of the Board are elected officers: President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer. Each May, Kit-titas Audubon elects these officers for the following year. All four of our present officers have agreed to serve an-other year (THANK YOU!), but we will also be asking for nominations from the floor at the May meeting.

It would be sooo….. appreciated if more individuals

would help make KAS decisions!! Any member is invited to attend Board meetings on the first Thursday of every month from 4:30 to 6:30 PM to learn of our activities, voice an opinion, present a proposal, or even complain. You would be most welcome! Please join us!

Gloria Baldi

The mission of

Kittitas

Audubon is to

develop an

appreciation

of nature

through

education and

conservation, with a

focus on birds.

First Saturday Birdwalk, April 4th ~ Cooler weather in the 40’s greeted 6 birders out to spot some spring arrivals. But what we found was mainly local residents. In the category of possi-bles we had a Townsend’s Solitaire barely seen sneaking across the pathway, and a Yellow-rumped Warbler whose migrant companions should be more in evidence next month. Not counting those two, our robust list of 31 species was nevertheless entertaining. We began with 17 Turkey Vultures roosting south of the parking lot.

The eagles have gone on and the ponds held just one American Wigeon but also rafts of female Common Mergansers. The river floated many, mostly male, shiny-white mergansers into view. Belted Kingfishers, a couple of Bewick’s Wrens, noisy groups of Black-capped Chickadees throughout the woods, small groups of Canada Geese flying, and Great Blue Herons were all pre-sent, as well as a Red-tailed Hawk and a harrier cruising for breakfast. Tree Swallows perched in trees to soak up early sunshine but later they were massing in big flocks over the ponds. An American Dipper was sitting on a droopy moss

nest under the parking lot bridge – watch for her chicks in June. Bonus sightings were River Otters in the entry road ditch and lower pond, and a real Easter bunny. ~ Steve Moore

Northern Pintails and Washington

Washington and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge:

Linked by One Tremendous Bird

Every spring the Northern Pintail migrates from its wintering grounds in Washington and other portions of the United States north to wetlands and small ponds they find in the northern continental United States, Canada, and Alaska’s Arctic. In years when the prairie potholes of the northern Great Plains dry up, the northern Arctic and Arctic National Wild-life Refuge become particularly key to pintails’ breeding success and sur-vival.

With its long neck and tail, the Northern Pintail is one of the sleekest and most graceful of Arctic-breeding ducks. Pintails are also one of the earliest nesters among ducks. They can be seen braving the sometimes

harsh weather of early spring as they head north.

Of course, not many people see the pintails when they reach the Arctic Refuge. Located in the North-east corner of Alaska, the Arctic Refuge is one of America’s last wildest places. The coastal plain of the refuge hosts nearly 125 species of birds, as well as polar bears, musk oxen, wolves, and the 197,000-animal Porcupine caribou herd during the calving season. About 10,000 pintails breed in the coastal plain of the Refuge, coming from as far away as Mexico.

The Refuge is threatened by oil and gas develop-ment, and the National Audubon Society supports a Wilderness designation for the coastal plain as a way to permanently protect Northern Pintails and a host of other birds and wildlife.

What You Can Do

If you want to help protect the Refuge, please con-sider sending a letter to the editor of your local newspaper or to your Congressional representatives telling them the Refuge is important to all Ameri-cans, and that you want to see it protected. Points to include:

The Arctic Refuge is important to and belongs to all Americans.

The Refuge is crucial to populations of birds such as Northern Pintails that you see and value in Washington.

Designating the Refuge as Wilder-ness will protect Northern Pintails and a host of other important wildlife species from oil and gas development.

Field Trip Report & Northern Pintail Profile Page 3 The Hooter

Web photos

Steve & I ferried across Puget Sound a few weeks

ago to attend the Olympic BirdFest and join a 3-

day boat tour of the San Juan Islands, in search

of birds and whales. The festival offered field trips

everyday, morning and afternoon, taking in the

shorelines, bays, and wetlands of the area. We

went along on a cold and damp “owl prowl” on

Friday night, rewarded with a wild raucous

“conversation” amongst at least 3 Barred Owls

that brought smiles to everyone’s faces!

Early Sunday morning , 23 adventurers boarded

the “Glacier Spirit”, a 75-foot boat with comfort-

able booth seating inside the cabin and ample

standing space at the rail outside. We stayed two

nights at the Roche Harbor Inn, having 3 full

days sailing

the Salish Sea

around Orcas

Island, San

Juan Island,

and through

the channel in

the Skagit

Delta near La

Page 4 Hooter Sailing the Salish Sea*...

Conner. *An intricate network of coastal wa-

terways, the Salish (SAY-lish) Sea includes the

Strait of Georgia, the Strait of Juan de Fuca, the

Puget Sound, and all of their connecting chan-

nels and adjoining waters. This name was only

recently made official (2009), in an effort to

raise consciousness about the interconnectedness

of the region's waters and ecosystems , in rec-

ognition of the indigenous Coast Salish peo-

ples that have inhabited its shores and sailed

its waters for millennia. Coast Salish peoples

and their closely related languages are coex-

tensive with the Salish Sea watershed. ~ Jan

Demorest

There is a wonderful video available: Beneath The Salish Sea by Florian Graner at Sealife Productions.

(all photos by Steve Moore)

Sweethearts...

Rhinoceros Auklets

Harlequin Duck male in breeding plumage

Rufous Hummingbird

Places to go, things to see! Page 5 The Hooter

KITTITAS AUDUBON SCHOLARSHIPS

A couple of years ago the Board decided to give a scholarship to a CWU student whose studies represented KAS’ mission. In-vesting in the future for the

benefit of birds is a goal we believe is of utmost importance, especially with the factors of in-creased population and climate change. How-ever, we had no volunteer to establish the crite-ria and details of the scholarship, and so, after two years I became the Scholarship Chairman.

Martha Duskin-Smith and Denee Scribner joined me to establish the criteria and compile the initial application form. Help from the CWU Biology De-partment has been terrific in offering ideas, final-izing the application, and sending the word to students. One major change occurred because of discussions with CWU, and that was to divide the money and offer two scholarships instead of one. Many people spent hours to arrange for Kittitas

Audubon to give money to deserving students.

The applications are now returned and final se-lections are being made. Next month we will fol-low with a report on the recipients. Gloria Baldi

May 14 - 17, 2015

Birding for Beginners to Experts

Birding by Boot, Boat, & Bike

Fledgling Frolics for Families

Live Music and Art Shows

Wildflower Walks ~ Live Raptors

Vendors, Food, Exhibits

LeavenworthSpringBirdFest.com

Registration: 509-548-7584

Lodging & area info: 509-548-5807

Editor’s note: check out this website! Looks like a fabulous festival with river field trips, several excellent speakers, including our own Jim Briggs, presenting “Grouse of Washington”, and much, much more!!! Register early online now!

Wenas Audubon Campout! Memorial Day Weekend (May 22-25 2015)

Wenas Creek Campground (SW of Ellensburg)

You’re invited to a celebration of birds, botany, and the beauty of spring in eastern Washington.

This annual event invites campers to participate in a variety of activities, including birding field trips, flower walks, field sketching, and bat and owl prowls. You do not need to be an Audubon member to attend. All are welcome.

Visit the Wenas Audubon website (www.wenasaudubon.org) for directions, an outline of field trips and programming, and more informa-tion. Pre-registration is not required. The campout is free and open to all ages; however, donations are encouraged (to help pay for Port-a-Potties). Every vehicle must display a Washington State Discover Pass (http://www.discoverpass.wa.gov/).

Contact: Doris Johnson, dellenj@comcast.net

Get Intimate with the Shrub

Steppe

May 30th is the

annual family

KEEN (Kittitas

Environmental

Education Net-

work) Get Inti-

mate with the

Shrub-Steppe

(GISS) event. This

single-day event includes fun, education, and

nature walks at the Umtanum Creek Canyon

Recreation Area. Snakes, birds, flowers, plants,

geology, oh my! You are invited! Bring kids and

family and friends. Find info at 509-962-

1520 and online at: www.kittasee.net

Page 6 Hooter A New Project! “PROJECT KESTREL”

The following is a proposal that has been funded by Invenergy, the manager of the Vantage Wind

Project east of Ellensburg, north of highway I-90 and south of the Old Vantage highway.

According to data collected by USGS Breeding Bird Survey between 1966 and 2010 in North America, the American Kestrel population de-clined 63%. Invenergy has recorded some tur-

bine-related kills at their Vantage Wind Project, and therefore, offered Kittitas Audubon an op-portunity to see if, working together, the two organizations can help stop the decline of Ameri-can Kestrels in Kittitas Valley.

Kittitas Audubon members Diane & Tom Gauron,

Sharon Lumsden, Gerry Sorenson, Steve Hall with grandson, Logan, Jason Scribner, Brent Renfrow, Jan Demorest, Steve Moore, Jim Briggs and I gathered to work on a plan to help the lo-cal kestrels.

The main objective is to increase the kestrel

population in the Kittitas Valley by providing more nesting sites for this species. Research has shown that if kestrels do not have a nest site they will not breed. Furthermore, scientists at Boise State University in Idaho have found in peer-review papers “that kestrels nesting in close proximity to roads or developed areas had

elevated stress hormones and high rates of nest abandonment”.

Our plan is to construct 30 Kestrel nest boxes and place them predominantly on public property managed by Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), Washington Department of

Natural Resources (DNR) and the U.S. Forest Service. (USFS). If placement is on private land, KAS obtains written permission from the land owner before nest box placement.

The 30 nest boxes will be placed in appropriate habitat in areas of low human activity. The

boxes will be monitored by members of KAS dur-ing the months of April, May, June, July and Au-gust for a three-year period, to collect data on

the usage, number of eggs, and number of young fledged. The results will be reported to Invenergy in October of each year, with a com-prehensive report to Invenergy at the end of the

three-year period in October 2017.

The following kestrel data is being used by the Project Kestrel committee:

Incubation period--29 days

4 to 6 eggs--buffy in color, sprinkled, spotted

or blotched, in endless variety with reddish brown

Chicks eat about 2 times as much as adults

(2 to 5 mice/day)

Fledge in 28 to 31 days

Hunt as a family group increasing the

chances to practice hunting skills

If you have an interest in this project, please let me know. We can always use help. It is our goal to help North America’s smallest falcon, the American Kestrel.

Jeb Baldi

THANKS TO KITTITAS COUNTY BUSINESSES SUPPORTING KAS!

Inland Internet, Roslyn ~ donates Internet service for our Website: http://www.kittitasaudubon.org

Old Mill Country Store, Ellensburg ~ Provides a discount on bird seed to KAS members. Get your bird seed here!

Thanks to Joe Meuchel for contributing this photo taken by Dave Hancock near Ellensburg.

Page 7 Hooter

Membership & other news! GET “THE

HOOTER” ONLINE

Save paper, printing,

postage. If you would

prefer to receive the

electronic version,

send your name, mailing address, &

email address to:

info@kittitasaudubon.org

At the beginning of each month,

we’ll send you an email with a quick

link to the new Hooter.

Darling Bird Studios, ©2007 UNA

BECOME A KITTITAS AUDUBON MEMBER!! (Or renew your membership)

Receive The Hooter ~ help support education and conservation activities and projects!

Two options are available:

OPTION 1: Membership in National Audubon includes a subscription to the magazine, Audubon, membership in the local chapter (KAS), and KAS monthly newsletter, THE HOOTER

____ Join as a new National Audubon member $20 (includes KAS membership)

____ Renew a National Audubon membership $35

Make check payable to: National Audubon Society Include this form and mail to: Membership Data Center, P.O. Box 420235, Palm Coast, FL 32142-0235

Name ___________________________ Address __________________________________________

City _____________________________ State, ZIP _________________________________________

Chapter Code COZY220Z

OPTION 2: Membership in only the local chapter, KAS, includes the monthly newsletter, THE HOOTER

____ Join the local Kittitas Audubon Society (KAS) chapter $20

____ Renew your KAS membership $20

____ Make a donation to KAS $______ (amount)

Make check payable to KAS and mail to: KAS, P.O. Box 1443, Ellensburg, WA 98926

Name ____________________________________ Phone __________________________________

Address __________________________________ Cell _____________________________________

City _____________________________________ Email ____________________________________

State, ZIP _________________________________ Would you like to receive The Hooter electronically?

May we print your name in The Hooter as a new, Yes ____ No, prefer paper edition ____

renewing, or donating member? Yes ___ No ____

Kittitas Audubon is a 501(c)(3) non-profit educational organization. All memberships and donations are tax-deductible.

Membership forms are also available on our Web site: Kittitasaudubon.org.

For membership information contact Membership Chair, Tuck Forsythe ~ forsythe@fairpoint.net

See The Hooter in COLOR on our website ~ http://www.kittitasaudubon.org

Thanks for Renewing! Jeri Prater

Kathy Allen & Todd Schaefer

Diane Driscoll

Lee & Karen Bates (welcome back!)

Upcoming KAS Field Trips

May

2nd, Saturday ~ First Saturday Bird Walk, Irene Rinehart Park. We can hope to find Yel-low-rumped and Nashville Warblers passing through; White-crowned Sparrows are migrating in huge numbers; other arrivals could be vireos

& tanagers. 3-hour walk. Meet 8 AM at Irene Rinehart parking lot off Umptanum Rd. Jeb and Gloria Baldi lead; call 933-1558 for info.

22nd-25th, Memorial Day Weekend ~ Wenas Audubon Campout. Best bet in May for great birding with expert leaders. Camp out or drive

up for half-day and all-day field trips. See Page 5 for details and link to schedule.

June

6th, Saturday ~ First Saturday Bird Walk, Irene Rinehart Park. Nesting season for wax-wings, warblers, woodpeckers, pewees, orioles,

swallows and cowbirds! Meet at 8 AM at Irene Rinehart parking lot by the river for a 3 hour walk. Leader TBA.

Kittitas Audubon

P.O. Box 1443

Ellensburg WA 98926

The Hooter ~ May 2015 The Newsletter of Kittitas Audubon

http://www.kittitasaudubon.org