THE FISH HAWK
HERALD
Coeur d’Alene Chapter of the National Audubon Society
April 2005 Volume
14 Issue 8
Discovered by Roland Craft along
the North Idaho College Beach.
bluebird trails
(Editors note:
This is the sixth in a series of articles on bluebird conservation and
bluebird trails)
Clarence
H. Hagerman 1916
- 2002
by
Donna Hagerman
Clarence Hagerman moved to Kellogg,
Idaho in 1941 with his wife, Rose, and their infant daughter, Bonnie. The
young family soon was increased by three more children, Patty, Jess, and
Donna. Clarence worked at the Bunker Hill Smelter from 1941 until his
retirement in 1981. The Hagerman family struggled to keep food on the
table in those early years. To supplement the food supply, Clarence and
his wife became avid hunters. Bear, deer and elk meat was a staple at the
Hagerman house. As the children grew old enough to follow along, hunting
became a family adventure along with picking huckleberries and camping in the
beautiful mountains of northern Idaho. Clarence had a profound sense of
respect and wonder in all of nature, and he instilled this love in his family.
In the spring of 1979, only a year before
retirement, Clarence’s interest was sparked when he read an article in the
Spokesman Review about how bluebirds were once a common sight, and how they
were becoming increasingly endangered. The article went on to explain
that bluebirds are cavity nesters. Housing developments were destroying
much prime habitat, dead trees (with possible holes for nesting) were being cut
down, and the introduction of the more aggressive House Sparrows and European Starlings was having an enormous
impact on our native songbirds, especially cavity nesters like the
bluebirds. It also said that people all over the country were helping by
putting up nesting boxes for the bluebirds. Studies were showing that
wherever “bluebird trails” were established, bluebirds were increasing in
numbers.
It was shortly
after reading this article that Clarence and his wife were on a weekend
motorcycle trip into Montana. They noticed many nesting boxes attached to
wooden fence posts along the road and wondered if they were part of a bluebird
trail. Sure enough, at one of the boxes they noticed a man looking
inside. Being curious, Clarence pulled off the road and went to talk with
the man, who happened to be the legendary Bluebird Man of Montana, Art
Aylesworth. Art showed them the newly hatched bluebird nestlings inside
that box. Between Art’s enthusiasm for helping bluebirds and Clarence’s
compassion for all of God’s creatures, it was a winning combination!
Clarence immediately began building bluebird boxes to the strict
specifications which Art had provided. He set up 29 boxes the first
year. Over the next few years, he had built well over four hundred boxes and
was landlord to dozens of bluebird families in and around his home in
Pinehurst, Idaho. He learned that the rusty-breasted Western Bluebirds
preferred the lower elevations, and the all-blue (male) Idaho state bird, the
Mountain Bluebirds, used boxes in the higher mountains.
Sketch from Mountain Bluebird Trails
A close
friendship developed between Art and Clarence through numerous letters and
phone calls. Their wives, Vivian and Rose, joined the two bluebirders for
trips together, and endless stories and ideas were exchanged about their common
love, helping the bluebirds. In 1980 the four traveled to Canada to
attend a Mountain Bluebird Trails convention. There Clarence met Duncan
MacIntosh, Art’s bluebird conservation counter-part in Alberta, Canada.
When the three men got together, it was a non-stop lively discussion about
their bluebirds until wee hours in the morning. Duncan was instrumental
in helping Clarence obtain a banding permit. He banded thousands of baby
bluebirds during the next 15 years. Although bluebirds are migratory,
Clarence found that the young usually returned to within a mile or so of their
hatching box the following spring, and adults often used the same nesting box
year after year.
In many parts
of the country, the most successful bluebird trails are established along
country roads by attaching nesting boxes to fence posts. Bluebirds prefer
to nest in open or semi-open land with only scattered trees, as is the habitat
around Coeur d’Alene and west into Washington. The terrain around
Kellogg, however, is mountainous with heavy brush and timber, making it a much
bigger challenge to find suitable sites. Most of Clarence’s nesting boxes
were placed in the mountains, in clear-cut timbered areas where he would put
out 8 to 10 boxes at a time in “pods”. Some of these widely scattered
areas were more than an hour’s drive and another several hours of hiking
distance away. He also had success putting up many boxes on golf courses,
being careful to stay clear of the sprinklers. Clarence was always
thinking about his newly hatched babies and how he could help them stay warm,
dry, and safe from predators. On some of his boxes, he even devised wind
guards!
Clarence knew
that there is more to helping the bluebirds than just building boxes and
setting them up in strategic spots. Monitoring boxes every week or so is
encouraged. He enjoyed keeping close tabs on his feathered
families. During the nesting season, from March through July, Clarence spent
several hours every day on his bluebird hobby. He kept meticulous notes
on nesting data such as numbers and dates of eggs laid, hatching dates, and
banding details.
In spite of
vigilant care, natural disasters sometimes befall the parent bluebirds.
Occasionally during monitoring of boxes, Clarence would come upon a box of
hungry and cold young with no apparent parents. He knew that bluebirds
will accept young from broods other than their own, and orphaned babies usually
will survive if placed in another box with young of approximately the same
age. On one occasion, Clarence had a call from Art Aylesworth saying that
he was looking for a foster box in which to place five abandoned baby Western
Bluebirds. A quick review of Clarence’s records showed that he had a box
which was a good match for Art’s orphans. So Art packed up his babies and
met Clarence at a halfway point between their homes. Each drove about 150
miles round trip for those little bluebirds. All of the nestlings fledged
success-fully, thanks to the determination of two great bluebirders.
Besides the 350
plus nesting boxes he maintained on his own, Clarence built and gave away
scores of boxes to friends in and around the Idaho Panhandle. He built
and delivered nearly a hundred boxes to his four children living in Arkansas,
Colorado, Washington, and Nevada. He enjoyed giving spirited bluebird
talks to community groups, Scouting troops, schools, etc. In the mid
1980s, Clarence proudly received an Outstanding Achievement Award from the
Mountain Bluebird Trails organization for his tireless work in helping the
bluebirds of Idaho.
Along with his
passion for helping bluebirds, Clarence found therapeutic value as well.
In 1986 he was quoted as saying: “I lost my wife to cancer four months
ago, and if I didn’t have these bluebirds…”
Top of Page
Audubon Members Make a Difference
FRIENDS
OF THE KOOTENAI NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE
Do
you love wildlife, the outdoors, and National Wildlife Refuges? Would you
like to be involved in refuge projects? Then please attend an
informational meeting on developing a Refuge Support Group at the Kootenai
National Wildlife Refuge. Refuge Support Groups or Friends Groups, as
they
are commonly called, consist of private citizens who form grassroots nonprofit
organizations which provide volunteer and financial support to their local
National Wildlife Refuge on many worthwhile projects.
“Friends” often
get the opportunity to work behind the scenes on projects ranging from trail development to wildlife
habitat improvements. Today, there are more than 240 such groups
nationwide.
Join us at the
Refuge’s Environmental Education Center on Friday evening, April 15th at 7:00
p.m. for coffee and dessert when we will hear presentations by Kathy Woodward,
a Volunteer and Friend of Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge in New Jersey
and Mike Blenden of the Alamosa National Wildlife Refuge in Colorado.
Both Kathy and Mike will provide back-ground information on the National
Wildlife Refuge System and the Friends initiative. On Saturday, April 16th, there will be a follow-up meeting,
beginning at 9:00 a.m. that will outline the next steps to be taken to form the
Friends of Kootenai National Wildlife Refuge.
If you are
interested in attending or would like further information, please contact Dianna
M. Ellis, Refuge Manager, at Kootenai National Wildlife Refuge at (208)
267-3888.
CELEBRATE EARTH DAY: A VARIETY OF EVENTS SLATED FOR EARTH DAY
What do wolves, religion and jugglers
have in common? They will all be part of this year’s thirty-fifth anniversary
Earth Day celebration on Tuesday, April 19 through Saturday, April 23 at North
Idaho College (main campus) and the Harding Family Center in Coeur d’Alene.
Earth Day activities include a speaker,
panel discussion about religion and the environment, wolf program, awards
luncheon, tree planting ceremony, and fair.
The week of programs begins with leading
bio-terrorism expert Laurie Garrett speaking in a program that will focus on
the response of health care professionals to bioterrorism. Ms. Garrett is an
authority on public health, a Pulitzer prize-winning journalist, and author of
the best-selling books, The Coming Plague and Betrayal of Trust. The program,
to be held in NIC’s Schuler Auditorium on Tuesday, April 19 at 7:00 p.m., is
tailored for health care professionals, but is open to the public. Earth Day
Coeur d’Alene is simply helping to promote this Kootenai Medical Center
program. For information call (208) 666-2030 or go to www.kmc.org.
The next evening brings the program,
“Environmental Crisis?: A Panel Discussion of Various Religious Perspectives of
the Environment.” In this program local religious leaders from diverse
religious backgrounds will share their faiths’ views of environmental issues.
The panel will be Wednesday, April 20 at 7:00 p.m. in the Schuler Auditorium on
NIC’s main campus. Earth Day Coeur d’Alene, the Interfaith Alliance and NIC’s
Diversity Events Committee are working jointly to bring you this program.
Have you ever met a wolf nose-to-nose?
You can on the following evening at “An Evening With Wolves.” A live wolf will
be the guest of honor in this program about wolves and wolf conservation on
Thursday evening, April 21 at 6:00 p.m. in the Christianson Gym on NIC’s main
campus. This program is sponsored by NIC’s Mathematics and Natural Sciences
Division and hosted by The Wolf Education and Research Center, Mission: Wolf,
and Earth Day Coeur d’Alene.
Two programs will be held on Earth Day,
Friday, April 22. The first will be a luncheon and awards ceremony at noon in
the Driftwood Bay Room of the Student Union Building on NIC’s main campus. The
program will include a brief keynote address and the Kootenai County Solid
Waste District’s presentation of recycling awards. The luncheon is a joint
function between the Kootenai Solid Waste District and Earth Day Coeur d’Alene.
Luncheon tickets are $12 for non-student adults and $10 for students. For
tickets call 661-2031. No ticket sales at the door.
At
1:30 on Friday will be a tree planting ceremony. To find it just follow the
sound of an Intertribal Native American drum circle by the Rose Creek Singers!
They will guide you to NIC’s small museum on College Drive between the dorms
and Winton Hall. Following the ceremony a tree donated by Northland Nursery
will be raffled off, and Lodgepole Pine seedlings donated by Kootenai County Soil and Water Conservation
District will be given away. Raffle tickets are $2 each or three or $5. To
purchase raffle tickets call (208) 661-2031.
The Harding Family Center will be the
site of this year’s Earth Day Fair on Saturday, April 23 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The fair will include activities for people of all ages and interests. There
will be activities for children, such as games, face painting, art activities
and juggling. The fair will also include informational exhibits and
demonstrations on various topics including alternative energy, home building,
public lands, noxious weeds and wolves. And, yes, there will be a visit by a
live wolf in the afternoon! Costumed students from Mountain View Elementary
School will present a first person panel by ecological pioneers such as John
Muir and Aldo Leopold.
Lunch will be available to buy during the
fair in the Earth Day Café, located for the day in the Harding Center and
hosted by Pilgrims Natural Foods Market and Pasty Depot. The Harding Center is
located at 411 N. 15th Street in Coeur d’Alene.
Earth Day Coeur d’Alene is a
not-for-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness about the Earth and
its environment. The Earth Day Coeur d’Alene Committee welcomes donations and
volunteers to assist in planning and carrying out its annual activities.
Come join us! All programs are open to
the public, and all activities except the luncheon free. Information: Karen
Lamb, (208) 661-2031
SUBSCRIPTION FEE FOR "THE
FISH HAWK HERALD"
Starting in September, 2005, an annual
subscription fee of $15 will be charged for The Fish Hawk Herald. In the
past, the cost of the newsletter has been covered by dues-sharing funds
received from National Audubon, but as those
funds have been reduced, the board has decided to make newsletter self-
supporting. All local Audubon members will receive the September issue
containing meeting and field trip schedules as well as the annual summary, but
the remaining 8 issues will be sent only to subscribers. See subscription
information in next month's issue.
The Fish
Hawk Herald is provided free of charge on our website www.cdaaudubon.org
"If I were to make a study of the
tracks of animals and represent them by plates, I should conclude with the
tracks of man"
Henry David
Thoreau
Top of Page
PEND
OREILLE RIVER BIRDING
Dick Cripe
The group that participated
in the field trip March 5 to Pend Oreille River not only saw lots of birds, but
acquired a rosy glow and lost their winter
pallor in the warm sun. Jan Severtson, Kris Buchler, Lisa Hardy,
Roland Craft, and Dick Cripe hit the spots on the Pend Oreille River -Mud Hole,
Riley Creek, and Morton Slough, in addition to
Blanchard Lake. Highlights were a Sora heard at Blanchard Lake and
at least two male Eurasian Wigeon at Morton Slough. The slough hosted over
a thousand ducks which was very unusual
for the first week of March, mostly
American Wigeon, Lesser Scaup, and Redhead. We lingered over our first
picnic lunch of the year at Riley Creek campground where Dick lost half of his
lunch to two crows through inattention.
Birds
observed on the trip:
Tundra Swan 53
Canada Goose 324
Green-winged Teal 3
Mallard 140
Northern Pintail 145
Gadwall 4
Eurasian Wigeon 2
American Wigeon 454
Canvasback 12
Redhead 370
Ring-necked Duck 9
Lesser Scaup 290
Common Goldeneye 52
Bufflehead 33
Hooded Merganser 1
Common Merganser 83
Wild Turkey 6
California Quail 1
Great Blue Heron 1
Bald Eagle 1
Red-tailed Hawk 2
Sora 1
American Coot 40
Killdeer 9
Ring-billed Gull 4
Rock Pigeon 1
Belted Kingfisher 1
Northern Flicker 2
Black-billed Magpie 4
American Crow 15
Common Raven 1
Black-capped Chickadee 7
Chestnut-backed Chickadee 4
Red-breasted Nuthatch 5
Golden-crowned Kinglet 4
American Robin 9
European Starling 8
Song Sparrow 7
Dark-eyed Junco
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THE WOLF EDUCATION AND RESEARCH
CENTER
Kris Buchler
“THE FUTURE DEPENDS ON ALL OF US."
"Wolves’
existence depends upon 'social carrying capacity'. In other words, wolves depend upon human acceptance. If humans
decide wolves are a negative part of their eco-system, as Euro-American
settlers did, wolves cease to exist in those areas.
It takes a great deal
of understanding to accept eco-systems with large predators. Education is key to achieving such
acceptance. The Wolf Education and Research Center is doing everything we can
to provide a better understanding of wolves.”
- WERC -
Motomo, Ayet,
Motoki, Piyip and Amani. “He who goes
first”, “Little Sister”, “Shadow”, “Little Brother” and “To Speak the
Truth”. These are the Blackfoot and
Nez Perce names and English meanings of the five remaining wolves in the famous
Sawtooth Pack that are living out their lives at the Wolf Education and
Research Center in Winchester, Idaho. Sixteen Audubon members immersed
themselves in wolf society and behavior, leading to a greater understanding of
these beautiful and often maligned predators. Randy Stewart, the Educational
Director, invited us to visit WERC when he was here last fall giving a popular
presentation to my Elderhostel class.
The wolves are
housed in a 20 acre fenced compound and a smaller 2 acre enclosure for special
purposes. The center welcomes visitors
and gives guided tours and special tours by appointment. There are several well-informed intern/
interpreters that serve as guides. We
learned about wolf behavior, ecology and biology from Andrew and Josh who each
led a group on a gentle hike and viewing experience with the pack.
The trails lead
to viewing platforms and we were rewarded with scenes of Motomo, Piyip and
Motoki lounging in their favorite plush meadow. Fall and spring after mating season are the best times to view the wolves because it is cool. Warmer temperatures find them lost in the
cool woods where they are less visible.
Interactions spurred a howling fest for several minutes and we heard
some dominance/submittance vocalizations from the two females. At this time, Motomo is the alpha male and
Ayet is the alpha female, making up the dominate pair. Motoki and Piyip, siblings of Ayet, are
submissive.
The outdoor
classroom is a small amphitheater located between the two fences. It is here that Josh explained the greeting
ritual that occurs if the wolves choose to visit. As Josh waited next to the inner fence he knelt, placing himself
at eye-level, put his hand on the fence and watched for the wolves to approach. We were awarded with a visit from Motoki and
Ayet. Motoki was very nervous with the
dominant Ayet present and failed to greet Josh with a usual sniff and
lick. Seeing the wolves in action made
us so much more aware of the subtle behaviors and how the wolves react to the
smallest gestures and postures made by humans.
There is a whole history behind the eight original wolves in the pack
and the remaining five that include three offspring, Motoki, Ayet and Piyip, as
well as two of the originals, Motomo and Amani. Amani is alone in the small enclosure after sharing it with Matsi,
his brother who died over a year ago. This is for his protection as he became
the omega wolf (lowest ranking) and suffered several injuries. It is impossible to visit these animals
without making an emotional connection with them.
A visit to WERC
is well worth your time and will be a memorable experience. You can learn more about the Sawtooth Pack
by watching the DVD, “Wolves at Our Door”, filmed by Jim Dutcher for the
Discovery Channel. He and his wife
Jamie raised the original pack and studied the wolves’ behavior. As they matured, the wolves were transferred
to Nez Perce lands in Winchester where WERC was created. Histories, pictures, updates and other
information are available on the WERC website:
www.wolfcenter.org.
Top of Page
BIRDING IN
LEWISTON
Dick Cripe
Ten members of
our chapter arose early Sunday and met with Terry and Christine Gray from the
Palouse Audubon Chapter along with three others from the area. It was a
very pleasant day - cool with high clouds and a slight breeze. First we
stopped at the Lewiston Sewage Treatment ponds nearby, then several places on both
sides of the Clearwater and Snake Rivers. A quick trip to cliffs on
Hwy 12 west of Clarkston netted a view of a Peregrine Falcon as well as a
Chukar, Ring-necked Pheasant, and
Double-crested Cormorant. Going back to the Lewiston side and Hell's Gate
State Park, we found a Barn Owl high up in a spruce tree, just where Terry said
that it might be. We also spotted one Black-crowned Night Heron in its
expected spot. The CDA contingent made a detour to get gas and latte's,
then rejoined the group at Mann Lake where we spotted several Say's Phoebe as
well as a number of other species. Next we were down the canyon and back
to Spalding Park where Joan Gundlach found a Great Horned Owl hidden in a
spruce tree and a Northern Saw-whet Owl
nearby in another tree. We checked out the goldfinch seen the previous
day and the experts debated whether it was a Lesser Goldfinch or a more common
female American Goldfinch in winter plumage. They decided that we had
seen individuals from both species. From there most of the group followed
Terry and Christine up Coyote Gulch towards their home in Genesee where the day
ended. Everyone was back in CDA by 6:30 p.m. Chapter
participants Saturday and/or Sunday were: Roland and Pat Craft, Bill and
Joan Gundlach, Lisa Hardy, Kris Buchler, Janet Callen, Jan Severtson,
Russ Hersrud, Theresa and Saba
Potts and Dick Cripe.
The group saw a total of 66 species, far more than we would
expect to see in the CDA area at this time of year. Some of us saw
first-time life list species as well as a number of species seen the
first time this year. Thanks to Terry and Christine and the folks from
Lewiston and the Palouse Chapter for a great day.
Species seen
on Sunday and Saturday afternoon:
Double-Breasted
Cormorant
Great Blue
Heron
Black Crowned
Night Heron, Canada Goose
Tundra Swan
Wood Duck
Gadwall
Eurasian
Widgeon
American
Widgeon
Mallard
Green-winged
Teal
Canvasback
Ring-necked
Duck
Lesser Scaup
Bufflehead
Common
Goldeneye
Barron's
Goldeneye
Common
Merganser,
Northern
Harrier
Red-tailed
Hawk
American
Kestrel
Peregrine
Falcon
Chukar
Ring-necked
pheasant
California
Quail
American Coot
Killdeer
Ring-billed
Gull
Herring Gull
Rock Pidgeon
Mourning Dove
Barn Owl
Great Horned
Owl
Northern
Saw-whet Owl
Nothern
Flicker
Say's Phoebe
Black Billed
Magpie
American Crow
Common Raven
Horned Lark
Tree Swallow
Violet-green
Swallow
Black-capped
Chickadee
Mountain
Chickadee
Red-breasted
Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
Canyon Wren
Bewick's Wren
Marsh Wren
Golden-crowned
Kinglet
Ruby-crowned
Kinglet
American Robin
European
Starling
Yellow-rumped
Warbler
Song Sparrow
White -crowned
Sparrow
Dark-eyed
Junco
Red-winged
Blackbird
Western
Meadowlark
Brewer's
Blackbird
House Finch
Lesser
Goldfinch
American
Goldfinch
House Sparrow
Golden Eagle
Bald Eagle
Top of Page
BIRDING WITH A BROWN BAG
Tubbs Hill March 22nd
Lynn Sheridan
Our group of seven started up Tubbs Hill a
little after noon. We decided to walk the path adjacent to McEuen Field even though it was a bit
muddy. A patch of shiny buttercups caught our eye and a few spring
beauties, glacier lilies, and grass widows were dotted here and there.
Birds were mostly heard, but a Winter Wren sang and posed giving all of us a
good look. Other birds, mostly heard were Black-capped Chickadee, Dark-eyed Junco, American Robin,
Red-breasted Nuthatch, House Finch, American Crow and Ring-billed
Gull. There were no Osprey back
yet at the McEuen Field light poles. Thank you: Pat Benson, Karen
Linnane, Cindy Flower. Judy Edwards, Roland Craft, Kris Buchler and big fluffy
Blizzard!
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Observaton
Post
Shirley Sturts
2005
Kootenai County Big Year - as of March 25 -- go to our website for a complete
list
#91
Gray Jay : 2 Fernan Road on way to Saddle, March 3,
Kris Buchler
#92 Cassin's Finch:
1 Armstrong Hill, Jan. 1, Kris
Buchler
#93 Green-winged Teal:
Blue Creek Bay, CDA Lake, Jan. 21,
Lisa Hardy and Kris Buchler
#94 Trumpeter Swan: 1
Wolf Lodge Bay, CDA Lake, March 3, Lisa Hardy and Kris Buchler
#95
Eurasian Wigeon: 1 Flooded fields - Cataldo, March 6,
Charles Swift
#96
Spotted Towhee: 1 Fernan Lake, March 8, Shirley Sturts
#97 Western Bluebird
1pr Medimont area, March 9 , Herb and Jan Severtson
#98 Violet-Green Swallow: 1+ Higgen's Point,
Jan. 11, Kris Buchler
#99 Tree Swallow:
2 Cataldo Mission Slough, March
11, Lisa Hardy
#100
Yellow