THE FISH HAWK
HERALD
Coeur d’Alene Chapter of the National Audubon Society
December
2004 Volume
14 Issue 4
bluebird trails
(Editors note: This is the second in a series of articles on bluebird
conservation and bluebird trails)
Photo by Wayne Tree
Dr. Lawrence Zeleny
An Odyssey of Love
Condensed
by Bob Niebuhr
Larry Zeleny was the founder of the
North American Bluebird Society. The hundreds of articles he wrote on the
subject of bluebirds, culminated in his book, The Bluebird: How You
Can Help Its Fight For Survival. The articles and book have motivated and
counseled thousands of people across the continent. He lectured hundreds of
times on his favorite subject, giving informed answers with patient enthusiasm.
However, although he was indeed a forerunner, a leader in the field of bluebird
preservation, his fondest wish was to have others become leaders. His book’s
subtitle gives him away. He wanted us to start our own trails, to monitor those
trails, to experiment with prudence and, he hoped, to appreciate the beauty of
the bluebird and its struggle to endure in our own way.
Larry was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota
on April 30, 1904. He was second of two sons born to Anthony and Mattie Zeleny.
Minnesota’s moderate summers compensate for the very long, very cold winters.
At that time Minneapolis was not a large industrial center and there were open
spaces and fields aplenty along the Mississippi River and Larry enjoyed the
out-of-doors as much as possible.
Like many other bluebird
conservationists, he didn’t know what sparked his love for the species. During
his youth, bluebirds were “always there,” nourished by the Mississippi. Other
people had bluebird boxes in the neighborhood, with bluebird tenants. By the
time he entered high school, Larry, using a Department of Agriculture bulletin,
was building his own bluebird houses and in 1921 he entered the University of
Minnesota and graduated in 1925 with a degree in Chemistry. While at the
University he took a course in ornithology from Professor Thomas S. Roberts,
author of the magnificent two-volume Birds of Minnesota. He felt right
at home. He enjoyed the field trips, but he especially enjoyed the long hours
of consultation with Dr. Roberts.
There was a girl enrolled in that class,
a science education major named Olive Lowen, and pretty Olive had an eye on
Larry. She finally made the shy Zeleny kid notice her, and Olive and Larry
became a team. They relaxed in each other’s company, having many common
interests in wildlife conservation. Olive said she endured some of those long
field trips more because of her interest in Larry than for the birds she might
have seen.
Both Larry and Olive received their bachelors degrees the same
year. Olive began her career as a teacher and Larry started graduate school at
the University. He earned his M.S. in 1927 and his Ph.D. in biochemistry in
1930. As soon as Larry completed his final degree, they married on June 19,
1930, six days after their engagement.
In 1935, the Zeleny’s moved to Washington,
D.C. and Larry started work for the Department of Agriculture. Larry held
various scientific and administrative positions with the Department of
Agriculture, culminating in the position of Branch Chief of the Grain Division
from 1943 until his retirement in 1966. During that time he authored or
co-authored 62 technical papers in the general field of agricultural
biochemistry. He helped develop internationally recognized procedures for
evaluating the quality of cereal grains and oil-bearing seeds. He received
numerous professional awards. He led a most distinguished professional career.
When visitors came to the Zeleny home in
University Park, MD they would expect to find numerous birds around his large
backyard, and of course, many reminders of bluebird activity throughout, from
his basement workshop where he continually tinkered with building a better
nesting box, to the Richard Sloan autographed print, “Eastern Bluebird,” he
received from the Griggsville Nature Society. To a bluebirder, Larry’s home was
the North Pole on Christmas Eve.
How did it all start? With the
Department of agriculture, Larry occupied an office for nearly 25 years on the
grounds of the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center. There were quite a few
bluebirds at the Center until 1950. But then came an invasion of starlings and
the bluebirds disappeared. Larry was concerned, but the press of business
precluded his personal intervention. In 1955 he did place a nesting box on a
pole outside his office window and monitored it constantly. Bluebirds became
permanent tenants. But they were exceedingly scarce elsewhere on the spacious
grounds of the Center, graced with habitat, which, should have been full of
bluebirds. With his retirement, he inherited that most-precious of all
commodities. Time. He asked the Center’s director for permission to place 13
nesting boxes around the area for the 1967 nesting season. At the same time he
placed 144 nesting boxes around the state’s parks. From his correspondence with
Dr. T. E. Musselman, among others, he developed what he thought was a good
nesting box design, with attention given to cavity size, insulation,
ventilation, and drainage. That design, with little modification, endures to
this day.
In 1968, Larry learned about a newly
formed group, The National Association for the Protection and Propagation of
the Purple Martins and Bluebirds of America. He joined the organization, then
journeyed to Illinois for a meeting with the group. The folks there put him in
charge of bluebird protection, whereupon Larry proposed to write a booklet
about the subject. Again, he secured approval and the result was a beautifully
rendered handbook, which Olive entitled Bluebirds for Posterity. It sold
thousands of copies and is now out of print.
In 1969, Larry took over Dr. Musselman’s
popular column in the Purple Martin News (now the Nature Society News).
He was elected president of the Maryland Ornithological Society, a member of
the board of directors of the Audubon Naturalist Society and served as a consultant
for Camp Fire Girls, Inc. All these positions gave him a forum to reach larger
numbers of people. He became convinced that bluebirds could be helped only by
many people, tens of thousands, working in small groups or as individuals, each
informed as to the nature of the bluebirds’ problems, and armed with a general
plan for coping with them. When he wrote or talked about bluebirds, he did so
in the simplest language possible, making sure that everyone understood his
message.
People received his message on local
radio and television programs. They picked it up in newspaper articles, in
magazines ranging from Living Wilderness to Exxon, U.S.A. They
got it from his book, published in 1976. Then in June 1977, National
Geographic featured his article, “Song of Hope for the Bluebird,”
punctuating it with the stunning bluebird photographs taken by his good friend
Michael L. Smith. The volume of mail he received because of that article was
overwhelming (over 80,000 pieces), even for Larry. He called in a few friends
to discuss the situation and—the North American Bluebird Society (NABS) came
about.
There is much to say about this
remarkable man, and not nearly enough space. He received awards for his
conservation work from numerous organizations, most notably from the Patuxent
Group of the Sierra Club and the Audubon Naturalist Society. He took no money
for his conservation work and donated receipts from the sale of his book to
NABS.
Those of us who have personal knowledge
of Little Brother and Little Sister—even those who have read his account of
these hand-raised bluebirds—know that his love for bluebirds is real. He uses
the word love a lot. It is not a word that comes easily from men in this
culture. When asked about his courtship with Olive, he would respond with a
simple explanation: “We fell in love.” He dedicated his book to Olive,
hearkening back to their ornithology class in Minnesota, “where we fell in love
with birds and with each other.”
When Larry and the writer discussed the
text for the NABS color brochure, “Where Have All the Bluebirds Gone? Larry
wished the first sentence to read, “We celebrate the beautiful bluebird as a
symbol of love, hope and happiness.” Because the writer thought the sentiment a
bit maudlin, he deleted the word “love.” It was a mistake. From the beginning,
it was the reason this decent and learned man was involved. Condensed from a story
in NAB’s quarterly journal Sialia.
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Audubon Members make a
difference
What to Do
When You See a Rare Bird:
Reporting Your
Observations to the IBRC Idaho Birds Records Committee
Harry Krueger, Secretary
We all enjoy watching birds for the
aesthetic pleasure they give us. For
many in the birding community there is also an exciting level of sport involved
in the mere simple pleasures of finding, identifying, and listing. But whether it be glancing at a backyard
feeder, packing binoculars during a favorite stroll through our local park or
“green area,” or a more well-planned and targeted birding excursion, somewhere,
sometime, we will all see that out-of-place, “What is it doing here?” bird that
makes us look twice and wonder, “This is great, but now what do I
do?”……..Article continues on the Idaho Birds Website.
Go to the new Idaho Birds
Website to find out what to do
Reception
scholarship Program
NOv. 19, 2004
Lynn Sheridan
I represented our Audubon chapter, and
met the recipient of the Susan Weller Memorial Scholarship. She is Wanetta Gail Bolin, who likes to be
called Gail. She was born in 1951 in Urbana, Missouri, of parents
who were dairy farmers. She
attended high school and business school in Bolivar, Missouri. Gail
worked in travel agencies, had 2 children, and moved around a lot following her
husband's work as an engineer.
Eventually, a few years ago, they came to
live in Sagle and Gail continued to work in Sandpoint. After 9/11, as
Americans traveled less, she was out of work. Also, her Vietnam vet
husband had become disabled.
A life-long
interest in gardens, native plants, and sensible farming encouraged her to
study environmental
science. Now in her third year at NIC, she'll have an a Associate Science
Degree, and will transfer to the University of Idaho in September.
In Sandpoint, she teaches a class in herbology: its culture, preservation and
uses (salves, ointments, tinctures). She and her family have found a Bald
Eagle's nest with chicks near their home!
A bright,
energetic woman, very concerned with the environment and the need to use our
land wisely, Gail seems a worthy recipient of the Susan Weller Memorial
Scholarship.
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ANNUAL
CHRISTMAS POTLUCK
DEC.18TH
After counting birds either all or part of the day, come to
the Severtson's for good cheer and lots of good food. A sign-up sheet
will be available at the Dec. meeting. Anything that goes with a lasagna
dinner will be appreciated. Please bring your own beverage. Table
service is provided. Happy Counting!! RSVP 667-6209.
Idaho Birding Trivia
The honor of having
the oldest Christmas Bird Count in Idaho goes to Moscow, ID.
On Christmas day 1914, three participants
counted 8 species of birds.
Northern (Red-shafted) Flicker
Merrill's Song Sparrow
Hepburn's Leucosticte (Rosy-Finch ?)
Gray-crowned Leucosticte (Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch)
crossbill sp.
Short-eared Owl
Western Meadowlark
Pale Goldfinch
(American Goldfinch)
The next Moscow CBC was in 1937
again 3 participants but this time 18 species were counted
Mourning Dove
European Partridge (Gray)
Northern Shrike
Horned Lark
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Dotted Canyon Wren
Cassin's Finch
Dark-eyed (Oregon) Junco
Gambel's Sparrow (White-crowned Sparrow)
chickadee sp.
American Merganser (Common Merganser)
Pale Goldfinch (American Goldfinch
Ring-necked Pheasant
Great Blue Heron (Blue form)
Northern (Red-shafted) Flicker
magpie sp.
Bobwhite
Song Sparrow
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2004-YARD
LIST CHALLENGE
How is your yard-list coming along
this year? You have one more month to whip it into shape. On January 1, tally
up your species and submit to:
Lisa Hardy
2153B Old River Road
Kingston, Idaho
83839
email:
basalt@earthlink.net
You will need to submit a list of species
and information about your location. Note whether you are in city limits,
urban, suburban or rural, whether you have a water view, type of vegetation and
cover available, feeders provided etc.
Remember, your list should include all birds seen or heard from your yard, so you can include, for
example, the geese that flew over at 3000’, or the owl you heard one night in
the neighbor’s yard. What was your
favorite bird? Share any interesting
bird behavior you noted while observing birds in your yard.
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
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CACKLING GEESE
HAVE THE LAST LAUGH
CACKLING GOOSE VS. CANADA GOOSE
Lisa Hardy
Photo by Harry Krueger
We have a new identification problem in our area - thanks to the recent split
of Canada Goose into Canada Goose and Cackling Goose. The Canada Goose has
historically been divided into numerous, and periodically shifting, subspecies.
Until this year, the haggling over these subdivisions could be safely left to
the professional ornithologists, but with the formation of a new species from a
group of former Canada Goose subspecies, the issue has been thrown into the
lister's lap.
When I sat
down to write this note, I planned to draw up a little table with handy
identification points for distinguishing the two species. Instead, as I read
through the notes of David Allen Sibley, and experienced "local"
birders, J. Harry Krueger (Idaho) and Michael Schwitters (Montana), I realized
that even the most expert birders are not able to resolve the two species in
many cases. So, in the following paragraphs, I will try to convey a sense of
how complex the issue is, and then offer a few identification possibilities.
First, the
basics. The eleven Canada Goose subspecies were split into a group of seven
larger-bodied, interior-breeding subspecies that remain as Canada Goose (Branta
canadensis), while the four smaller, tundra-breeding subspecies form the
new Cackling Goose species (Branta hutchinsii). One immediate point of
confusion is that the subspecies formerly known as the "cackling
goose", B. h. mininma, is only one of the four subspecies that now
make up the Cackling Goose species. Apparently, the correct way to refer to
this subspecies is as the Cackling Cackling Goose.
OK, now that we have that cleared up, let's
move on to the problems of identification. Branta geese that breed in our area
are most likely the moffitti subspecies of Canada Goose (B.
canadensis moffitti). In migration, we additionally see the Lesser Canada
Goose (B. canadensis parvipes).
Cackling Goose
breed on tundra far to the north, and probably pass through our area in small
numbers in fall and spring migration. The subspecies most likely to come
through our area are the Taverner's and Richardson's subspecies of Cackling
Goose (B. hutchinsii taverneri and B. hutchinsii hutchinsii).
Overall
coloration, and presence or absence of white neck bands and black chin stripes
are not reliable guides to distinguishing the two species. Instead, relative
size is the best guide. Any large goose is clearly a Canada Goose, in our area
probably a moffitti. But the smaller geese could be either Canadas or
Cacklings, that is, either Lesser Canadas or Taverner's or Richardson's
Cacklings. The difference in size between the smallest of the Lesser Canadas,
and the larger of the Taverner's or Richardson's is too small to be reliably
distinguished in the field. Or at least, this is what the experts are telling
us.
Subspecies
(and now species) identification is problematic even for experienced workers
who examine the birds in hand. David Allen Sibley relates that up to half of
all Dusky Canada Geese (B.c. occidentalis) processed at hunter check
stations in Washington were misidentified. How do we know that they were
misidentified? A study was conducted using genetic testing to assess the
reliability of in the hand measurements.
Short of
genetic testing, the possibility of accurately identifying a Cackling Goose in
our area appears to be much more remote than the possibility of seeing one. Our
best chance for identifying a Cackling Goose is finding an individual of the
very smallest subspecies, B.h. minima. Minimas, or Cackling
Cackling Geese, breed in Alaska, and winter on the Pacific coast. Their migration
corridor is presumably well to the west of Idaho, and individuals would be
quite rare here. Yet their diminuitive size makes them the only subspecies of
Cackling Goose we are likely to be able to identify in the field. We should
look out for any Canada-type geese that are only a little bit bigger than a
Mallard, especially those that occur with Snow or Ross' Geese, or those having
a noticeably higher-pitched vocalization. One such bird was found by J. Harry
Krueger in Boise in October (see photo).
Perhaps the
best way to view this split is as a chance to exercise our observational
skills. The goose question could also serve as a cautionary tale, and encourage
us to spend more time identifying subspecies of other birds - before they are
split. For more details, see David
Allen Sibley's notes at http://www.sibleyguides.com/canada_cackling.htm
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BOOK CORNER
CARLA DOVE
FORENSIC ORNITHOLOGIST
Tina Wynecoop,
Colbert, WA
In the newly published Arts of
Diplomacy: Lewis & Clark’s Indian Collection, by Castle Mclaughlin,
there is an article about a forensic ornithologist named Carla Dove, of the
National Museum of Natural History at the Smithsonian Institution. The author
states she holds the nation’s only full-time position and that she “is often
called upon to identify a species of bird on the basis of a single
feather. She has identified the
feathers on the pipes and other objects in the Peabody Museum’s Lewis and Clark
collection by comparing them with bird specimens in the collection of Harvard’s
Museum of Natural History, both visually and through microscopic analysis. She identified nineteen species of birds
used by the Indians, including the head of a male Ivory-billed Woodpecker.”
(The Harvard museum also holds what is believed to be the only remaining bird
specimen from the Lewis and Clark expedition, a Melanerpes lewis, commonly
known as Lewis’s woodpecker.)
Although the focus of the book encompasses
much more than the use of birds in Indian regalia and art, the chapter on bird
identification was unexpected and engrossing. Having helped with the
Plateau Indian collection at the Museum of Arts and Cultures in Spokane, and
being aware of plant and animal materials used, it didn’t cross my mind to
wonder if the quills were from something other than porcupine. I was surprised
to learn from the book that the quilling method used to decorate clothing,
etc., included the use of bird quills.as well as porcupine quills.
Recently there have been many books
published about the Lewis and Clark expedition. The Arts of Diplomacy presents
the diplomatic aspect of the journey, balancing beautiful photographs of the
collection with fine writing, detailing the objects of exchange between the
indigenous cultures and the explorers.
Arts of Diplomacy: Lewis & Clark’s Indian Collection, by Castle
Mclaughlin. Published: October 2003 by The University of Washington Press.
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Chain
of Lakes Bike Ride:
October 30, 2004
Dick Cripe
It was a dark
and stormy morning when the five intrepid birders set out for a day along the
Chain-of-Lakes, happy that they had left their bikes safely in their
garages. Although the rain never arrived, the wind was incessant and, at
45 degrees, it felt more like late November than late October. We were
all dressed suitably and no one suffered, but we were happy to be able to take
periodic refuge in Lisa's truck. Participants were: Brian Taylor,
Lisa Hardy, Roland Craft, Dick Cripe, and Janet Callen.
We saw lots of birds, 37 species, and some
interesting individuals. Specifically, we watched a lone Bonaparte's Gull
in beautiful winter plummage for several minutes as it battled the wind over
Killarney Lake. We were able to watch it leisurely at all angles, refer
to our field guide picture, look back and forth to the bird and the
picture several times, consider all of the possible alternatives, and agree by
acclaimation that it was, if fact, a winter Bonaparte's Gull.
Similarly, we had a lengthy, close-up view of a Northern Shrike near Rainy
Hill, referred to our field guide, and discussed why this was a Northern
rather than a Loggerhead (yes, I know that we don't see Loggerheads up here
except occasionally in the summer) all of the time watching the bird flit
around in the nearby bush.
We saw two Common Loonson Killarney Lake as well as
numerous other waterfowl. We had an involved discussion about the possibility
of the chapter buying a piece of property on the north end of Killarney, at a
vantage point that overlooks the length of the lake, and building a lodge or
perhaps a retirement home for senior birders. The matter will be referred
to the board for further discussion. Beyond Killarney, we took extended
and leisurely looks at Porter's Slough, Lane Marsh, Medicine and Cave
Lakes, and numerous points in between. There were beaucoup swans
on the west end of Cave Lake, but we were too far away to be able to determine
if there were any Trumpeters in the group. Similarly, we looked through
the Canada Geese to see if any belonged to the Cackling subgroup, but they all
had their heads tucked in so we couldn't tell. We saw all three
nuthatches that are seen in our area within the space of a few minutes near the
boat launch on Killarney.
Our count for the
day:
Common Loon-2
Western Grebe-11
Horned Grebe-3
Pied-billed Grebe-53
Great Blue Heron-1
Tundra Swan-158
Canada Goose-108
Mallard-84
Gadwall-3
American Wigeon-32
Redhead-4
Ring-necked Duck-278
Lesser Scaup-7
Bufflehead-33
Hooded Merganser-5
Ruddy Duck-3
Bald Eagle-2
Northern Harrier-1
Red-tailed Hawk-1
American Coot-250
Bonaparte's Gull-1
Ring-billed Gull-2
Belted Kingfisher-5
Northern Flicker-2
Black-billed Magpie-1
American Crow-10
Common Raven-2
Black-capped Chickadee-13
Red-breasted Nuthatch-5
White-breasted Nuthatch-1
Pygmy Nuthatch-20
Winter Wren-1
Marsh Wren-1
Golden-crowned Kinglet-1
Northern Shrike-1
European Starling-99
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Trail of the
Coeur D' Alenes Bird Walk
Roland Craft
The field trip
was a walk along the Trail of the Coeur d' Alenes (bike trail) from Cataldo to
Enaville, a distance of about 5 miles. Since the trail is paved and
level, and we walked slowly looking at birds, nobody was very tired at the
end. The weather was damp and cold with patches of fog. A typical
early to mid-winter group of species was sighted. Highlighting the bird list
were 80 Bohemian Waxwing, a winter visitor in Idaho. When we think of going south for the winter (people and birds),
Arizona, Texas, Mexico and points south come to mind. For the Bohemian Waxwing, however, southern Canada and the
northern part of the United States provide a snug winter home with plenty of
berries to keep them warm.
Participants on
the hike were Dick Cripe, Lisa Hardy, Janet Callen, Kris Buchler and Roland
Craft. Afterwards, we stopped at the Snakepit for a delicious
chicken-breast sandwich.
Most
sightings were in Shoshone County except for the Bohemian Waxwing, House Finch,
Red Crossbill, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Song Sparrow and several of the
Black-capped Chickadee, which were in Kootenai County.
Our count for the
day:
Common
Merganser-1
Bald Eagle-1
Wild Turkey-19
Downy Woodpecker-1
Northern Flicker-3
Steller's Jay-1
Black-billed Magpie-3
Common Raven-3
Black-capped Chickadee-29
Mountain Chickadee-2
Chestnut-backed Chickadee-7
Red-breasted Nuthatch-8
Winter Wren-4
Golden-crowned Kinglet-11
Bohemian Waxwing-80
Song Sparrow-5
House Finch-8
Red Crossbill-2
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Birding with a Brown
Bag
11/16/04
Lynn Sheridan
It was a cool
damp day as we met at Independence Point: Roland Craft, Dick Cripe, Nels and
Steve Johnson, and myself. There were not many birds at first, but more
were seen as we got closer to the river. We identified only 5 Double
-crested Cormorant, but as many as 32 had been seen by the Johnson boys, a few
days ago.
Others species
seen were 1 Common Merganser female, 1 Red-necked Grebe, 1 Mew Gull, and 10
California Gull among the many Ring-billed. Dozens of Bufflehead kept to
themselves as the Mallard and Canada Geese milled about.
Twittery Pygmy
Nuthatch were easily seen, but Black-capped Chickadee, California Quail,
Northern Flicker and House Finch were only heard. Back at the parking lot I was surprised to see a Cormorant on a
pole at the foot of Tubbs Hill.
Thanks for the company, fellows.
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Observaton Post
2004 Kootenai County Big Year - Total to date 200 as of Nov. 20th.
OUR GOAL OF 200 IS REACHED!
Bonaparte's
Gull 1 Killarney Lake, Oct. 29 ,Chapter Field
Trip
Harris's
Sparrow
1 Lockhaven Hills, Hayden lake , Nov. 20. Doug Ward
OTHER SIGHTINGS
Costa's
Hummingbird 1 imm
First Confirmed Sighting for Idaho.
Meridan, Ada Co., Nov. 8, photographed and banded by Stacy Jon Peterson-go to www.idahobirds.net to see photo and vidio. (a sighting at the
feeder of Barbara Durrell in May of 1996 is being reconsidered by the Idaho
Birds Record Committee is pending)
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