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Valley Habitat 1
The Valley Habitat March 2015
A Joint Publ icat ion of the Stan islaus Audubon Soc iety
and the Yokuts Group of the S ierra Club
Why Can’t We Be Friends? By Anita Young, Yokuts Group Co-Chair
We always appreciate responses from our readers to our Valley Habitat articles. Last Fall I received the fol-
lowing email from one of our long-time Sierra Club members, Dr. Roger Clark.
In the Valley Habitat you were wondering how people view the Sierra Club.
About a month ago the question came up in a meeting with the writing group I
belong to [name removed at Dr. Clark’s request]. The consensus was that it didn't
have much to do about saving Bambi or hugging trees. It is a Left Wing
Political Action Group. Are you surprised? A couple years ago Elaine Gorman
led a hike out here in Calaveras County (Campo Seco). Someone vandalized
her bumper stickers! (Continued on page 6)
Yokuts Group of the Sierra Club Program 7p.m. Friday, March 27, 2015
CHANGE to 4th Friday for THIS month only!
Annual Membership Meeting: Members Present the Show
The annual meeting is one of our favorites because YOU get to bring your cd’s and thumb drives with
your pictures of your favorite vacations, hiking trips, birds or flowers, community environmental event etc.
Please let Linda know what you are planning to present and how long it will take. Try to limit your presenta-
tion to 10 – 15 minutes so we all have a chance to share what interests us the most.
“We are always open to suggestions about what other programs you would like to see in the future as well as comments
about what you liked in the past and what changes you would like to see. Contact Linda at [email protected] or 209
863 9137 and give her your ideas.”
Location: College Avenue Congregational Church • 1341 College Avenue - Refreshments and socializ-
ing begin at 6:45 p.m. and the meeting starts at 7:00 p.m. Non-members are always welcome! The pro-
gram is free and open to the public.
”Wings Over Our Two Counties”
Stanislaus Audubon has produced and will show a local nature documentary at the
State Theater in Modesto on April 12 at 3 pm. See page 5 for details.
Valley Habitat 2
Stan islaus Audubon Soc iety RECENT SIGHTINGS OF RARE OR UNCOMMON BIRDS
MERCED COUNTY
Gary Gerstenberg had a male VERMILION FLYCATCHER at the Grasslands Wildlife Area on January 8. A SOLI-
TARY SANDPIPER was seen by Kent Johnson at Santa Fe Grade Road on January 8. Kent van Vuren had a RED-
THROATED LOON, RED-BREASTED MERGANSER, and a WESTERN GULL at O’Neill Forebay on January
14. On that same day, Bob Dunn had an EASTERN PHOEBE at the Merced National Wildlife Refuge. On January
16, Alford McNew had a SWAMP SPARROW at Grasslands Wildlife Area. Kent van Vuren had a WILLET at
Gustine Water Treatment Plant on January 26. Pete Dunten found a female YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER on
January 29 at the San Luis Creek State Recreation Area. He returned to that area on February 5 and found a RED-
NAPED SAPSUCKER there, in addition to re-finding the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. A Red-breasted Sapsucker that
he also saw there made a rare occurrence of three sapsucker species in one location.
STANISLAUS COUNTY
BAND-TAILED PIGEONS ON THE RUN! There have been more sightings of BAND-TAILED PIGEONS during
this winter irruption than in all of the previous combined records in this county. The birds continue, with sightings by
John Harris, 12/30, 1/7, 1/10, 1/14, 1/20, 1/25, 2/1, 2/4; Jon Dunn et al. 1/8; Jim Gain, 1/10; Daniel Gilman, 1/11; Xavi-
er Sandoval, 1/13; Dale Swanberg, 1/18; Gena Zolatar, 1/19; Ralph Baker, 1/21; Harold and Sherrie Reeve, 2/1; Sal
Salerno, 2/3; Jim Lomax, 2/5. Most of these sightings have occurred in the Knights Ferry / Orange Blossom or Joe
Domecq / Basso Bridge areas.
Eric Caine, Harold Reeve and two other birders had a MEW GULL and HORNED GREBE during the January 11th sur-
vey at the Modesto Water Quality Treatment Facilities. Ralph Baker had another HORNED GREBE at Woodward Res-
ervoir on January 12. Jim Gain had a MEW GULL on January 16 at Ceres Water Quality Facility. On January 25, Eric
and Harold had a first-cycle GLAUCOUS GULL at the Modesto Water Quality Treatment Facilities. That same day,
Ralph Baker and several participants of an Audubon trip saw six TUNDRA SWANS in a pond southwest of the view-
ing platform on Beckwith Road on January 25. Harold and Sherrie Reeve had two male EURASIAN WIGEONS in a
farm pond on Sonora Road on February 1.
Glaucous Gull
© Harold Reeve
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
© Jim Gain
Stan islaus Audubon Soc iety
Valley Habitat 3
The facts of this story are
true; only the names of the actors
have been changed to protect the
humiliated. BACK STORY A
Yellow-billed Loon didn’t know it
was rare, though it may have been
aware enough to know it was lost.
Since the loon couldn’t land on
Big Water, it did so in the Big
Enough Water known as San Luis
Reservoir. That is where, on one
September day, John Fowler saw
the errant loon. Knowing what the
bird did not, he called others to
come and relish the rarity.
So the birders came, and
most of them saw, but a few did
not conquer by seeing that loon.
One of the unluckiest of these was
Moe, from a city called Far Away.
Moe had driven too many miles to
see this bird and a Long-tailed Jae-
ger, only to pass right by the
Romero Visitor Center, below
which the birds had been all along.
On the following Friday, fueled by
the uncertain hope of a second try,
Moe drove there again. To see, or
not to see the bird? That is the
question.
FRONT STORY There
was also a birder called Curly,
who met Moe at Romero Visitor
Center, where they were of one
mind, to find that Yellow-billed
Loon. With half a mind apiece,
they devised a plan: swap cell
phone numbers, and then split up
the waters. Moe went on to Dino-
saur Point, while Curly stayed at
Romero. Oh, excellent plan!
Whatever could ever go wrong?
Curly chewed some sand-
wich, drank some water, and
stared down at some open water.
He sat there, wordlessly and bird-
lessly. Moe called Curly to say he
had run into a birder named Larry,
from a town called Not as Far
Away, and they were staring at
open water, too. Curly hung up
and sighed. Except for one gull,
time was the only thing flying.
Moe drove back to Curly
and popped from his car with his
arms flapping. “Larry spotted a
loon coming in!” Curly hopped
into Moe’s car, which climbed the
hill, then bounced down the dirt
road. The open windows allowed
the birders to be lightly basted
with dust, ready for a sun baking.
Larry was a shoreline
speck. Moe called Larry, and then
turned to Curly. “Larry says he’s
on the loon, still trying to figure
out if it’s The Loon.” Moe, being
younger than Curly, broke into a
trot across the mud. Curly noted
that the dark mud seemed wetter
than the dusty mud, but he dutiful-
ly followed behind. When Larry
became a larger speck, Moe called
him again, with Curly nervously
eyeing the mud. “Larry has The
Bird!” Moe shifted to a gear that
Curly hasn’t had for years, but he
followed gamely behind.
Then went a curious thing.
The earth accepted their feet, then
their ankles, and then greeted them
halfway up to their calves. Moe
managed to pluck his legs up and
out, but Curly slowly yielded the
point to gravity, fell backwards on
his bum, and could not rise to the
occasion. “A little help here?” is
what Curly managed to plead.
Moe slogged back and of-
fered both hands to Curly, who
squeezed one so hard that Moe
shouted words not often shared
among birders. Then Moe and
Curly angled towards drier
ground. Then another curious
thing happened. Curly sucked up
his right foot, which decided to
stay in place, so Curly slowly
keeled forward, down upon his
right knee. Curly was now an ac-
tual stick-in-the-mud. “Just a little
more help again!” he shouted to
the more distant Moe.
Moe returned and pulled
Curly upright again, muttering,
“This is a nightmare.” Reaching
into the mud hole, Curly extracted
his right shoe, which resisted with
some slurping. Moe skittered
back to higher ground, while
Curly walked upon his right sock,
until finding ground dry enough to
re-boot.
Moe and Curly clumped up
to Larry on four clay feet. Curly
quipped, “Dr. Livingstone, I pre-
sume!” He raised a brown paw
and added, “I would shake your
hand, except..” Nobody laughed or
even smiled. Larry turned from his
scope to Moe and Curly, shrugged
and mildly stated, “Sorry, guys—
it’s only a Common Loon.”
Curly felt this was the part of the
movie where Moe would grab
Larry’s spotting scope and apply it
with prejudice to Larry’s brainpan,
(Continued on page 6)
LOONISH by Salvatore Salerno
Stanislaus Audubon Society
Board of Directors: Bill Amundsen, Ralph
Baker, Eric Caine, Lori Franzman, Jody Hall-
strom, David Froba, Jim Gain, Daniel Gilman,
John Harris, Harold Reeve, Salvatore Salerno.
Officers & Committee Chairs
President: Sal Salerno 985-1232
Vice President: Eric Caine 968-1302
Treasurer: David Froba 521-7265
Secretary: John Harris 848-1518
Membership: Revolving
San Joaquin River NWR Trips:
Ralph Baker 681-3313
Other Field Trips: David Froba 521-7265
Christmas Bird Counts Coordinator; Secre-
tary, Stanislaus Birds Records Committee:
Harold Reeve 538-0885
How to Join Audubon
To become a member of the National
Audubon Society, which entitles you
to receive Valley Habitat and Audu-
bon Magazine, send your check for
$20.00 to:
National Audubon Society
Membership Data Center
P.O. Box 422246
Palm Coast, FL 32142-6714
To keep current, check the member-
ship expiration date printed on your
newsletter label, or call Member
Services at 800-274-4201.
Visit our web site:
Go to Google and enter
Google Stanislaus Audubon
LIKE S.A.S. ON FACEBOOK!
Valley Habitat 4
Stan islaus Audubon Soc iety
AUDUBON FIELD TRIPS
March 15 and April 19. The San Joaquin River National Wildlife
Refuge near Modesto is huge and offers the most diverse habitats in
the area, including mixed species transitional savannas, riparian
forest, oak woodlands, grassland, and seasonal wetlands. Trip leader,
Ralph Baker ([email protected]) chooses the partic-
ular habitats to visit each month based on conditions and season. Meet
at the Stanislaus County Library parking lot (1500 I Street, Modesto) at
7:15 a.m. We will return to Modesto mid afternoon.
March 21, Knights Ferry area.
This village is surrounded by a number of habitats: riparian forest, blue
oak savannah, grasslands, and rocky hillsides, increasing the chances
of seeing a number of different kinds of birds. Also, spring will have
sprung the day before and migrating populations will be restless, mak-
ing the chances of some unusual sighting more likely. Trip leader, John
Harris, 848-1518, [email protected]. Meet at the Army Corp of E. park-
ing lot in Knights Ferry just to the north east of the road as it crosses
the Stanislaus River at 8:00 a.m. We'll be back mid afternoon.
April 11, Consumnes River Preserve. This spectacular area with
multiple and diverse habitats just north of Lodi has excellent birding all
year long. This date straddles the seasons and we’ll see both some lin-
gering winter birds as well as some newly arriving spring migrants.
Trip leader, Sal Salerno, 526-9832, [email protected]. Meet at the
Stanislaus Library parking lot at 1500 I Street at 7:15 a.m. We'll be
back early afternoon.
Audubon Field Trip Email List If you would like to be on a group email to advise you of all Audubon
field trips, please email: Dave Froba at [email protected].
EARLY BIRDERS CLASS, SPRING 2015
For the seventh consecutive year, Salvatore Salerno is offering yet
another Early Birders class through the M.J.C. Community Education
Department. This course is designed for the beginning or intermedi-
ate bird watcher in the identification and enjoyment of birds. The
classroom session is on Thursday, April 30, 2015. The first field
trip is on Saturday, May 2 to Knights Ferry. The second field trip
is on Saturday, May 9 to La Grange. Look for the Early Birders
class informationin the mailed class catalog or online at
www.mjc4life.org. For further information, call 575-6063.
Valley Habitat 5
Yokuts Group of the Sierra Club 21st Annual Yokuts Backpack
Trip: July 31 – August 5
Emigrant Wilderness, Lakes
Extravangza
Depart from Kennedy Meadows
Trailhead early on the 31st, on a cir-
cuit (clockwise) through the spectac-
ular northeastern quadrant of Emi-
grant Wilderness. First leg is up to
Kennedy Lake. Day 2 is through
some of the high, volcanic country
along the divide, past Emigrant
Meadow Lake and down to Mosquito
Lake. On day 3, we’ll head to Emi-
grant and Blackbird Lakes, before
heading off-trail to Fraser Lake, by
way of W lake and Shallow Lakes.
The third night will be at Fraser
Lake, after which we’ll pick up a
trail heading west to Buck Lakes
passing Cow Meadow Lake, then off
-trail to an area of small lakes and
ponds above Buck Lakes. Day 5:
continue north off-trail to Granite
Dome, camping the last night at a
lake on the north side of the dome –
Ridge or Iceland. Then by trail to
Kennedy meadows. Participants
should be able to hike 8-9 miles a
day, including off-trail segments and
elevation gains of up to 2,000 ft.
Limited to 10 persons. For details
and sign up (with $50 deposit) con-
tact Sierra Club trip leaders Randall
Brown (209 632-5994) or
Jerry Jackman (209 577-5616).
Tuolumne Group Of the Sierra Club Presents A Program With Katherine Joye Thursday March 26, 7 PM
Katherine Joye will discuss hikes that
are included in her book, Day Hikes
Along the Highway 108 Corridor
These 76 hikes are all located near
highway features such as waterfalls
and peaks, and historical or geologic
points of interest. Her book describes
difficulty levels, distance, elevations,
directions, trailhead info. and other
useful information for all hikers.
Many members of the Tuolumne
Group of the Sierra Club use her
book as we explore the trails in our
"backyard".
Katherine has been an avid hiker
since high school, and has hiked and
backpacked in this area since 1985.
She has a BS in physiology, MS in
exercise physiology, and Life Science
and Physical Science teaching creden-
tials. She has taught science courses
to students from 4th grade up through
college. She is also a Master Gardener
and a certified California Naturalist.
We are lucky to have Katherine in
our community, and to have her share
her love of hiking and the natural
world. Katherine will have copies of
her book available for sale.
All members of the community are
welcome to join us on Thursday
March 26, 7 PM at the TUD Board
Room, 18885
Nugget Rd.,
Sonora,
95370 Re-
freshments
will be
served.
”Wings Over Our Two Counties”
State Theatre on April 12 at 3:00 p.m.
Stanislaus Audubon has produced and will show at the State Theatre on April
12 at 3:00 p.m. a one-hour movie depicting local birds and wildlife. Filmed all
in Stanislaus and Merced counties, ”Wings Over Our Two Counties” follows
the seasons through the calendar and leads you on a treasure hunt of nature
through Del Puerto Canyon, Modesto’s Thousand Oaks Park, the National
Wildlife Refuges near Vernalis and Merced, and the foothills of the Sierra
Nevada. There are lots of stunning close-ups and engaging action. Bald Eagles
at Woodward Reservoir dive bomb ducks. An Anna’s Hummingbird aggres-
sively feeds its young in a tiny nest in a Modesto backyard. A flock of hun-
dreds of White Pelicans with their nine-foot wingspans soar over the San
Joaquin River NWR on Beckwith Road, alternately seeming to appear and dis-
appear as they circle in perfect unison. Several species do mating dances and a
number lustily sing for the camera, while grey foxes and coyotes lurk in the
understory. You will be so entertained that you will not realize that you have in
the process also learned the basic skills of birding. You will never walk your
neighborhood or drive your roads the same way again.
This film will be a double feature with another one-hour documentary,
“Birders: The Central Park Effect”. It too focuses on birding one area, New
York’s Central Park. But it also highlights the birders themselves, a diverse
group with whom you may find you have something in common.
Register for Paddle to the Sea by
April 15 for $20 entrance fee: info:
http://www.paddletothesea.org/
paddle/about.asp
Valley Habitat 6
Stan islaus Audubon Soc iety & Yokuts Group of the Sierra Club
LOONISH
(Continued from page 3)
with him standing there as the audience. Instead,
Moe turned to the open water and muttered, “I never
thought I could hate a body of water so…worst day
of my fifteen years of birding!” After a senseless
twenty minutes of standing, Moe and Curly trudged
back to the car, lightly baking.
On the way back to Romero, Curly asked
Moe, “If we find the bird as you head home, should
we call you?” He watched Moe’s jaw clenching be-
fore emitting its reply, “I’m going to say NO.” Back
at the Romero Visitor Center, Curly peeled off his
mud gloves in the restroom, and then peeled off his
shoes and socks for the barefoot drive. Larry pulled
up just then, looked at Curly and mildly stated, “Hey,
I recognize that mud!” Nobody laughed or even
smiled, and all that remains of that day is this story.
Why Can’t We Be Friends? (Continued from page 1)
A few email messages were ex-
changed, with me thanking him for his
response and saying,
Roger, you make a point
that I come up against all
the time - how to reach
out to those who only
think of the Sierra Club as
a left wing political action
group (which, admittedly,
it is - but for such good
causes!). We all breathe
the same air, all drink the
same water, all want good
health for our loved ones.
That means we have to
work for a healthy planet.
Which led to this View from the
Chair, “Why Can’t We Be Friends?”
the song by the rock group War.
Well, most likely, we can’t be friends,
but do we need to be enemies? The
Sierra Club was founded on a plat-
form of enjoying and protecting na-
ture, for the good of all. It is when our
efforts to protect the natural world,
including air and water and wilder-
ness, come up against someone else’s
desire to make a profit that things get
nasty.
Like Dr. Clark, who agrees with some
of the Sierra Club’s positions and not
others, we have members who belong
to other political action groups (either
directly or through membership in an
issue-based organization). Often there
is a degree of agreement that makes
dual memberships possible. Some
members are happy about the Sierra
Club’s work to end our dependence on
carbon-based fuels, believing this will
make us free from foreign oil sources
and the bad politics of the Middle
East. The schism occurs when we lob-
by against the Keystone XL pipeline
and hydraulic fracturing (fracking)
because of their potential for irrepara-
ble damage to the environment and
our health.
Other members applaud our efforts to
preserve wildlife and wilderness (i.e.,
Bambi and tree-hugging), but cry foul
when this action limits access to sensi-
tive natural habitats or bans hunting of
certain threatened species. We could
talk for hours about preserving Yo-
semite’s natural beauty vs. accommo-
dating the throngs of people who visit
the park every year expecting (and in
some cases, receiving) a Disneyland-
like experience.
So, ultimately, how do we continue
with lobbying and other activism to
protect the elements we believe to be
essential to our, and the planet’s, good
health while enlisting the support from
disparate groups? I’d like to say we
have an answer to this question, but
being a skeptical optimist, I keep
working with no hope of ever
“winning” a fight and being able to
move on to another issue. The big
money will never give up. Still, we
Sierra Club folk look for common
causes and common language to work
with others on the issues that trans-
cend profits and short-term gain – the
survival of this living organism we
call home, planet Earth.
EARTH DAY in the PARK Saturday April 18, 10 to 4
Graceada Park, Modesto CA.
Our Yokuts Group will need Volun-
teers to help at this Earth Day
event.We will have our Sierra Club
booth setup and will be engaging
youth and adults in different educa-
tional activities. This is a very nice
Family Friendly event with thou-
sands of people attending. It will of-
fer you an opportunity to inform oth-
er people why you are a Sierra Club
member and the reasons you believe
it is important to protect fram-
land, conserve and recycle in our
valley. Please see Milt at the month-
ly meeting to reserve a time you can
help out to protect our planet, or call
him at Ph. num. 209-535-1274.
Valley Habitat 7
Yokuts Group of the Sierra Club
Yokuts Group of the Sierra Club
Management Committee
Co-Chairs Anita Young & Candy Klaschus
Treasurer Steve Tomlinson 544-1617
(stomlinson015@gmail,com)
Secretary Sandra Wilson 577-5616
Programs Linda Lagace 863-9137
Conservation Brad Barker 526-5281
Membership Anita Young 529-2300
Hospitality Candy Klaschus 632-5473
Publicity Dorothy Griggs 549-9155
Outings Randall Brown 632-5994
Newsletter Nancy Jewett 664-9422
Mailing Kathy Weise 545-5948
Population Milt Trieweiler 535-1274
Fundraising Leonard Choate 524-3659
Website Jason Tyree
Check out our Website:
http://motherlode.sierraclub.org/yokuts
To send stories to the Habitat, e-mail:
Sierra Club Membership
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Link to
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Web-
Yokuts Sierra Club Joins Meetup
The Yokuts Sierra Club group, along with the Delta
Sierra and Tuolumne groups have formed a Stockton-
Modesto-Sonora Meetup group that includes Sierra Club
outings and events. It’s easy and free to join this Meetup,
just go to the link below and sign up. It’s not necessary
to be a Sierra Club member to join. Once you sign up,
you will automatically be sent announcements of new and
upcoming Meetup events. http://www.meetup.com/
Stockton-Modesto-Sonora-Sierra-Club/
The Valley Habitat March 2015
http://motherlode.sierraclub.org/yokuts
Yokuts Group
Mother Lode Chapter
Sierra Club
P.O. Box 855
Modesto, CA 95353
Non-Profit
Organization
U.S. Postage
PAID
Modesto, CA
Permit No. 139
CURRENT RESIDENT OR
https://google.com/site/stanislausaudubonsociety/
Investing in Energy Savings and Health
by Steve Tomlinson, Yokuts Treasurer
The connection between environment and health is long established and known. Factors of change are inherent
in any improvement for us. I'd like to share a few of my recent ones. Several months ago I became involved in a pro-
gram in an effort to treat a medical issue (neuropathy) that has kept me off the hiking trails. This has involved changing
my diet considerably. This includes lots more vegetables (as much organic as possible) and a reduction in animal prod-
ucts. Such changes we know to be earth-friendly and healthy. Recently the focus has been on replacing household and
woodshop lighting with LED lights. Fluorescents have been eliminated due to the mercury they contain. An accompa-
nying focus has been to reduce exposure to electromagnetic fields emitted by electronics. A few other facets and strate-
gies make up what is called "FCT" or field control therapy. Results? My energy level is much better, much less body
fat, saving electrical energy and a reduction in neuropathy symptoms. Expensive? Yes but I don't care. Today the trail
looks as bright and pleasant as the LED bulbs. So the health/environment connection seems clearer than ever.
It is evident and troubling that many are unwilling to make significant changes to enhance their life and help
save the planet. For me it's a no-brainer. Health and more intimate experiences with wilderness? Caring for my soul?
No problem.
How do we inspire others to change? Along the course of sharing and demonstrating the aforementioned en-
deavors, some have told me that I have inspired them. This is quite humbling and appreciated. Sources of inspiration
would make a long list. I hope others find theirs. Hope to see you on the trail.
