“Exploring how we perceive rattlesnakes and other venomous reptiles” will be presented by Dr. Dan Beck, a

herpetologist and Biology professor at CWU. Dan will base his talk on an ancient proverb: “Change the way

you look at things and the things you look at will change.” He will illustrate that

principle with true stories about rattlesnakes and Gila monsters, two of his favorite

study organisms. Adding a few other “cool scaly critters” to the mix promises to

make this program even more exciting!

Dan grew up in Utah, studied at Utah

State University, and worked at Hogle

Zoo in Salt Lake. He earned his PhD from

the University of Arizona in Tucson, and

has traveled all over southwestern US and

Mexico working with reptiles, mostly liz-

ards and snakes. For over thirty years his

studies have involved a group of venomous

lizards, the Monstersaurs, which includes

Gila monsters and Beaded lizards, and

about which he has published a book. In

teaching biology he has involved students in research pro-

jects on rattlesnakes, and conducted field studies with them

in Mexico, studying lizards in the tropical dry forest.

Dan has lived in Ellensburg for almost twenty years with his

wife, Kris Ernest (also a Biology professor at Central), and his

two children, Abby and Langdon.

PS: He thinks we invited him to speak because “birds are reptiles”...

The Hooter “Rattlesnakes & Other Venomous Reptiles”

presented by Dr. Dan Beck

Membership Meeting - Thursday, April 18th @ 7:00 PM ~ Hal Holmes Center

Kittitas Audubon April 2013

All Audubon meetings are held on the 3rd Thursday of each month at the Hal Holmes Center next to the Library, September through May (except December), and are

open to the public, so feel free to come and meet with us. A brief business session pre-cedes the program. Stay afterwards for juice,

treats, and conversation. Many thanks to the Ellensburg Public Library for co-sponsoring our meetings here!

Kittitas Audubon on display at the Ellensburg Public Library!!

Beginning April 4th and through the month of April, check out the large display windows on the left as you go into the foyer between the library and Hal Holmes. Displays are next to the Washington Native Plant Society window. Enjoy!

c. 1882

WDFW photo

Page 2 The Hooter

KAS BOARD MEMBERS President – Jim Briggs 933-2231 Vice President – Bud Rechterman 962-4508 Secretary – Diane Bullock 968-3175 Treasurer – Sharon Lumsden 968-3889 Conservation – Vacant Education – Judy Hallisey 674-6858 Field Trips – Steve Moore 933-1179 *Newsletter – Jan Demorest 933-1179 *Historian – Vacant Programs – Jeb Baldi 933-1558 Publicity – Gerry Sorenson 968-4857 Wildlife Habitat – Joe Meuchel 933-3011 *Bluebird boxes – Jan Demorest 933-1179 Past President — Gloria Baldi 933-1558

Membership – Tuck Forsythe 925-2356

*Christmas Bird Count – Phil Mattocks 962-2191 *Librarian - Ginger Jensen 925-5816 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 on the third floor of the CWU

Science Bldg, Room 301 (above the

elephant desk). These meetings are

open to the public and all Audubon

members; please come and join in the

discussions. Meetings adjourn by 6:00

or 6:30, after which we all go out for a

sociable dinner ~ NO business discus-

sion allowed!

CONSERVATION CHAIR

Lately, there have been notices in The Hooter about the need

for a Conservation Chair. So far

we haven’t been able to fill the position be-cause (and I’m hesitant to mention it) it is difficult to keep up with all the assaults on our environment. They come from every direction, often from the very agencies charged with protection.

And they are complicated. For example, most environmentalists/conservationists are concerned about the impact of the proposed Wymer dam on Lmuma Creek, just up from the Yakima Canyon. This was discussed at the last KAS board meeting where one

member said, “Looking at the big picture, is the dam really that bad?” This is because the long-term projection is for less snow-

melt due to climate change. Therefore if we want to have enough water storage for agriculture and other uses, we are go-ing to need dams to make up the difference. I was reminded (yes, it was me that brought it up) that the dam will destroy shrub steppe, compromise farmland on the Eaton ranch and re-

lease warm water into the Yakima River which would not be salmon-friendly. Duly chastened, I shut up. I’ll just say I was playing devil’s advocate.

This wasn’t necessarily the most important issue but it illustrates the difficulty for Audubon in addressing conservation issues. Right now club members serve as temporary conservation chairs on an issue-by-issue basis. Former chair, Janet Nelson, is still working on the swift chimney situation (with other members)

and Hal Lindstrom, another former chair, is monitoring the pro-posed National Recreation Areas for the upper Yakima, Manas-tash, Taneum and Teanaway Basins. This one is less controver-

sial—for us—because it provides for much increased off-road use. This is usually anathema to conservationists so we have no problem there. But it is still very complicated and I applaud Hal for keeping up with it. I hope to work with Hal on a summary for

a future issue of The Hooter.

There are other issues that should be monitored and possibly acted upon. There was the proposal by PacifiClean Environ-mental to put a garbage/sewage sludge/yard waste composting facility at Elk Heights. Fortunately they withdrew it before we had to weigh in. I wonder if the “Elk” in Elk Heights had anything to do with it?

Another issue is the impact of the two big fires we had last sum-mer. We got a report from Hawkwatch International about the

2012 Chelan Ridge migration. The observers were handicapped

by limited visibility due to smoke. I hope to report the findings later.

There are lots of other issues out there. Windmills and coal

trains anyone? We really need somebody to prioritize them and

bring them to our attention so we can do the right thing. So if

you have an active concern for our natural world, especially Kitti-

tas County and environs, please think about exploring this op-

portunity to be of service.

Jim Briggs, President KAS

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Send in your stories & photos!

The Hooter is the newsletter of

Kittitas Audubon, published

monthly except for July.

~~~~~~~

Submissions from members &

other readers are most wel-

come and encouraged! The editor reserves the right to edit

for space, grammar, and/or suit-

ability. Email text and/or photos to

bobcat@kvalley.com or snail mail

to Jan Demorest, Hooter Editor,

712 E 2nd Ave, Ellensburg, WA

98926. Submissions need to be in

by the 20th of the preceding month.

First Saturday BirdWalk on March 2nd ~

Eight birders gathered under overcast skies in

mild temperature weather (40-50 degrees) to

tally species of birds. It was noticeable that

the winter of rain and wind had taken down a

number of trees, as the shallow root systems

failed to hold. Beavers have also been busy in

areas.

A slow day for birds, but there were many

Downy Woodpeckers, with a close view of a

Hairy Woodpecker. Most birds appear to be

pairing up, like the many American Robins,

Killdeer, and Red-tailed Hawks. A total of 20

species were seen, not a large number, but it

was nice to be out walking and assessing the

‘world by the river’. Come with us April 6th,

and we will discover more birds before the

trees leaf out, which always makes it more of

a chore to spot the birds. We meet at 8:00 at

the riverfront bridge parking lot. Gloria and

Jeb will be leaders for the morning outing.

Field Trip Reports & more... Page 3 The Hooter

SEEKING ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS!!!

James Watson, with the WA Department of Fish

and Wildlife is researching Rough-legged Hawks.

He is asking anyone seeing one to please inform

him of the location at either (360) 853-8031 or

James.Watson@dfw.wa.gov . Rough-legged

Hawks are normally in

Kittitas County only in

winter as they nest in

the Arctic tundra and

taiga regions, so there

may not be many

reports immediately.

A reminder will appear

in the October Hooter.

Web photos

The mission of Kittitas Audubon

is to develop an appreciation of

nature through

education and conservation,

with a focus on

birds.

March 28th ~ Yakima Audubon weekly BirdWalk

at Poppoff Trail on Yakima River Greenway ~

Four Kittitas Audubon members joined 6 or 8 Yakima

birders for a 2-hour stroll through the wilds along the

Yakima River just NE of Union Gap. It was a beautiful

calm, slightly overcast morning, temperature about

40 degrees when we started at 8:30, and up to about

50 by the time we got back to our cars. Highlights

were Hermit Thrush, Fox Sparrow, lots of Wood Duck

pairs (they are common down there, but we got

pretty excited!), and an Osprey that took several

turns over one of the northerly ponds near the

freeway. We saw fish jump, but apparently they

were hiding when the Osprey circled overhead. There

were nice views of White-crowned Sparrows, and a

great scope-view of several Common Mergansers

downriver. Amidst the chorus of various birdsongs,

there was the most persistent repeated spring solo of

the Bewick’s Wren. We didn’t get a species count at

the end, but with 26 after just an hour, it must have

been good! Join YAS any Thursday morning at 8:30

at the Poppoff Trail parking lot. ~ Jan Demorest

WANTED: KAS STILL IN NEED OF SOMEONE TO HELP US GIVE

AWAY MONEY!

Kittitas Audubon has substantial funds that the KAS Board would like to offer as

educational scholarships, or possibly camp fees for students to attend camps with a

focus on nature awareness. BUT.............we need a LEADER for the project. This person

would lead a tiny committee to develop criteria, research opportunities, meet with

teachers or instructors to discover recipients, as well as any other associated

tasks. Attending Board meetings is not necessary, but reporting to the Board on occasion would be

required. Are you that person????

The Xerces Society is a nonprofit organization that protects wildlife through the conserva-

tion of invertebrates and their habitat. Established in 1971, the Society is at the forefront of

invertebrate protection worldwide, harnessing the knowledge of scientists and the enthusi-

asm of citizens to implement conservation programs.

Butterflies, dragonflies, beetles, worms, starfish, mussels, and crabs are but a few of the millions of

invertebrates at the heart of a healthy environment. Invertebrates build the stunning coral reefs of our

oceans; they are essential to the reproduction of most flowering plants, including many fruits, vegeta-

bles, and nuts; and they are food for birds, fish, and other animals. Yet invertebrate populations are

often imperiled by human activities and rarely accounted for in mainstream conservation.

The Society uses advocacy, education, and applied research to defend invertebrates.

“Over the past three decades, we have protected endangered species and

their habitats, produced ground-breaking publications on insect conservation,

trained thousands of farmers and land managers to protect and manage habi-

tat, and raised awareness about the invertebrates of forests, prairies, deserts,

and oceans.”

http://www.xerces.org

The March KAS program was a fine presentation by local beekeeper, Justin

Vincett, who taught us a lot about honeybees and his pollinating business,

“renting out” honeybees for pollination of almond orchards in California. The

honeybee is an imported European species. The Xerces Society focuses on

native species of pollinators, including many kinds of Bumble bees and other

bees. Here are a few tidbits to whet your appetite for more information from

this organization’s website:

“Bumble bees are important pollinators of wild flowering plants and crops.

Bumble bees are able to fly in cooler temperatures and lower light levels than many other bees, which

makes them excellent crop pollinators. They also perform a behavior called “buzz pollination,” in which

the bee grabs the pollen producing structure of the flower in her jaws and vibrates her wing muscles.

This causes vibrations that dislodge pollen from the flower. Some plants, including tomatoes, peppers,

and cranberries, benefit from buzz pollination.”

Page 4 Hooter Xerces Society

Welcome New Member! Nancy Jewett

Thanks to Renewing Members! Diane Driscoll

Keith & Karen Johnson Ken & Candy Allen

Eva Tyler Verne Wood

Donations in memory of Charles Hawkins from:

Robert and Kay Hawkins ~ Cary, NC

Published by the Xerces Society

Bird Houses for Spring!!!

These beautiful birdhouses , made by a local

older gentleman, were donated by his son after

his father passed away. They have been

upgraded with entry guards so that the holes are

now too small for Starlings and House Sparrows.

We are offering them for a donation of $5 or $10

dollars (or more!) and free to new joining

members! So get your “cute” birdhouses while the

supply lasts! They make great gifts! Call Jan or

Steve at 509-933-1179.

Page 5 The Hooter Conservation Issue

The following article is very timely as it refers to

an issue on world climate change, as well as

having a large environmental impact on the state

of Washington. Madeleine Brown from Lower

Columbia Basin Audubon in the Tri-Cities has

allowed KAS to repeat her writings in an article

in the Hooter, and I have added some Ellensburg

comments . Therefore, Hooter readers, meet

King Coal:

“Coal, the fossil fuel that powered the Industrial

Revolution, is still burned in 21st century power

plants and in some new ones cropping up in our

energy-thirsty world. Coal’s mining, transport,

and ultimate burning run completely counter to

Audubon’s mission to conserve and restore

ecosystems. Coal harms the environment where

it’s mined, where it travels, and where it’s

stored. And when it burns it puts carbon dioxide

in the air and warms the planet.

King Coal is also harmful in other ways:

It puts other toxic chemicals in the air, such

as mercury, lead, and arsenic, which poison

our rivers and streams and the living things

that use them.

Coal dust is directly associated with increases

in respiratory illnesses.

Mining coal, through strip mining in the

Powder River Basin in the West, or

mountaintop removal in Appalachia, destroys

local environments.

Our region is threatened by

the proposed transport of coal

from the Powder River Basin

in Montana and Wyoming to

ports on the Pacific coast for

export to Asia. Coal trains

more than a mile-long may

clog Washington’s already

stressed rail and river traffic

systems. The routes for coal

trains bring these uncovered

loads through our towns from Spokane through

Kennewick, Pasco, and south along the Gorge.

The coal would be barged from a proposed

terminal in Boardman, or all the way down the

Gorge and north in Washington State to either

Longview (another proposed export terminal), or

up the I-5 corridor to Bellingham (the largest

proposed export terminal). Approximately

thirty miles of trains daily will be traveling

Washington’s

railways, which are

already stressed

with usage and

crossings.”

Although Ellensburg

is not directly

affected with full

trains because Stampede Pass is too steep for

the weighted loads, all the trains will pass

through Ellensburg on their return trip to Powder

River Basin. Besides environmental effects from

coal, including noise, there is the inconvenience

of waiting at crossings.

This was a reality when on February 21st Jeb was

headed to the Audubon meeting at 6:30 pm,

only to be stopped by a halted empty coal train

on Umptanum Road. After waiting five minutes

he retraced his route to go north to the 5th

Avenue crossing into town. The train was long

enough that it also blocked that entrance to

town, so he waited……….and was late by twenty

minutes to his meeting. The entire west side of

Ellensburg was cut off from the town, unless one

drove out to the west interchange to enter on

University Way. What would an emergency

vehicle do? What would be the consequences to

a person in dire need? (The western part of the

State is far more populated along its many

crossings, creating long traffic tie-ups and

emergency vehicle problems.)

What can you do?

Become informed. Try www.sightline.org, a

northwest sustainability think tank that does

credible research on coal—and other NW

sustainability topics. Or

www.coaltrainfacts.org, for specifics on the

proposal for Washington State. And a link to

an article in Audubon Magazine - “Kicking the

Coal Habit”: http://

www.audubonmagazine.org/articles/climate/

kicking-coal-habit)

Take action via petitions by visiting

PowerPastCoal.org, and other environmental

groups.

Try to reduce your electricity usage by two to

ten percent.

Coal is a commodity that should no longer be

used for energy.

~ additions by Gloria Baldi

Page 6 Hooter This & That… WENAS AUDUBON CAMPOUT

~ 50TH ANNIVERSARY

Memorial Day Weekend (May 24-27, 2013)

Wenas Creek Campground (SW of Ellensburg)

You’re invited to attend a celebration of birds, botany,

and the beauty of spring in eastern Washington.

This three-day 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.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Wenas Audubon Campout. In the spring of 1963, three women

wandered into the Wenas Creek area while on a bird walk. Struck by the abundance of wildlife, the women

rallied to protect the area and reserve the site for bird-lovers to gather on Memorial Day Weekend for years

to come. In 2013, the tradition continues. Additional programming is planned to celebrate the last half-

century of Wenas Audubon Campouts, including a photo gallery and fireside presentation of the natural and

homesteading history of the Wenas Valley. Commemorative t-shirts will also be available for purchase.

Visit the Wenas Audubon website (www.wenasaudubon.org) for more information. Pre-registration is not

required. The campout is free and open to all ages; however, donations are encouraged. Every vehicle must

display a Washington State Discover Pass (http://www.discoverpass.wa.gov/).

~ from: St. Nicholas: An Illustrated Magazine. Vol. 27 No. 12 (October 1900) Illus. by Bruce Horsfall

Othello Sandhill Crane Festival April 5th, 6th & 7th, 2013 http://www.othellosandhillcranefestival.org/

Page 7 Hooter

Darling Bird Studios, ©2007 UNA

Membership & other news!

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 society.

All memberships and donations are tax-deductible to the full extent of the law.

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

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

Check out BirdKitt!! Get the latest news on bird sightings in Kittitas County from our very own regional “BirdKitt”, an online “listserve” for all persons inter-ested in bird sightings in Kittitas County. You can post your own sightings and sign on to have new postings sent directly to your email address.

If you are not already signed up, here’s how to do it: send an email

to subscribe@yahoogroups.com . Reply to the first email about Bird-kitt that you receive from “yahoogroups”. To unsubscribe: send email to birdkitt- unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com . If you have difficulty, contact Chris Caviezel chris.caviezel@gmail.com

This is a great resource for finding places

to look for birds in the valley.

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.

Upcoming KAS Field Trips

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

and prints our county bird lists. Get your bird seed here!

April

6th , Saturday ~ First Saturday Bird Walk,

Irene Rinehart Park: Migrants are arriving - a

good time to see birds before the trees leaf out.

Come find swallows, kinglets, Osprey, blackbirds,

and maybe a Yellow-rumped Warbler. 3 hour

walk; Gloria & Jeb Baldi lead; 933-1558 for info.

April 19-21 Friday to Sunday ~ Grays Har-

bor: One of WA's most important migrant stop-

overs: shorebirds by the thousands come through

in late April. We'll visit Bowerman Basin, Ocean

Shores, Bottle Beach, and Johns River areas. To

allow time to visit several areas with the right

tides, we need a 2-night stay in Aberdeen. Last

time we found a great fish restaurant here. Call

Steve for info, 509-933-1179.

27th ~ Saturday ~ Columbia Basin Birds.

Marianne Gordon says late April is the best time

to see 50+ species of birds. Waterfowl & a few

cranes are still around; migrants are moving

through; burrowing owls are a possibility. Car

circuit of Columbia River, Columbia NWR and

Othello areas. Contact Jo Ellen Richards, 509-884-

4444, for details.

May

4th ~ Saturday ~ First Saturday Birdwalk,

Rinehart Park: Warblers, vireos, tanagers, Tur-

key Vultures, and maybe Wood Ducks. 3-hour

walk; Tom Gauron leader, 968-3175 for info.

11th ~ Saturday ~ Observatory Road Blue-

birds: Jeb and Gloria Baldi will show us Western

Bluebirds nesting in 20+ nestboxes that were

placed along the road in 2010. This seems to be

very favorable habitat – clusters of pines alter-

nating with open steppe. Half-day trip; driving

with short walks. 933-1558 for details.

Kittitas Audubon

P.O. Box 1443

Ellensburg WA 98926

The Hooter - March 2013 The Newsletter of Kittitas Audubon - http://www.kittitasaudubon.org