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THE FISH HAWK
HERALD
Coeur
d’Alene Chapter of the National Audubon Society
March 2006 Volume 15 Issue 7
The annual subscription fee for a hard copy of The Fish
Hawk Herald is $15 for one year, or
$25 for two years. To subscribe to a mailed copy send a check payable to:
COEUR
D'ALENE AUDUBON CHAPTER,
c/o
Membership
P.O.
Box 361
Coeur
d'Alene, ID 83816
ARTICLES: Majestic Feathers - Bird Tracks - Huge Garage Sale - Green Tips - Chocolate - Rathdrum Prairie Project - Education
Committee Activities - House Building for Birds - Conservation
Committee - The Beautiful Lawn
- Book Review:
"Collapse" - Coots Win and Eagle Went Without Lunch - Brown Bag Birding - What is a Life List - Observation
Post
majestic feathers
Newsletter and
Website
Shirley
Sturts
In an email conversation with
Kathleen Cameron from Bellevue, Idaho, I discovered that Kathleen is author and
editor of Majestic Feathers, a
wonderful, informative newsletter about Idaho's birds. In addition to the newsletter, she now has a
website by the same name that includes articles, facts, and exquisite
photographs of birds. Although her
emphasis is on birds of Idaho and the western United States, she has traveled
widely across the continent and to other countries, recording by photo and word
what she has learned and what she has
experienced.
I can't say enough about her fun-to-read,
educational, and interesting articles.
Whether you are a novice birder or have years of birding experience and
knowledge, you will enjoy not only her articles, but also the photographs found
both on the website and in the newsletter.
While other birding journals often go unread by me, I will never set aside a copy of Majestic Feathers.
On the Majestic Feathers website you can
explore two sample newsletters. Anyone
who has done a Christmas Bird Count will be able appreciate her account of the
Wood River CBC in 2004, in which 3 feet of snow had fallen in a period of 48
hours prior to count day, and temperatures ranged in the single digits the day
of the count. Besides the snow and cold
temperatures, the participants experienced both tragic and joyous events. Their day started with their futile effort
to save a yearling deer that had been chased into icy water by a coyote. It was a long while before their spirits
lifted and they could enjoy their day of birding. And what a grand day of birding they had! At the end of the day they came up with a
total of 40 species and 1012
individuals. Heading the list
was a female Rusty Blackbird, a winter resident of the eastern United States
and rarely seen in Idaho any time of the year.
In another newsletter she has included a
short essay titled "What is a Life List?" Kathleen defines a life list as: "…a list of all the species
of birds that you have identified with absolute certainty over a
lifetime". She warns birders not
to become so focused on checking off a species that they lose sight of the
beauty of the birds and their habitat. (see page 7 for entire essay)
Kathleen has a deep understanding and love of
birds and their habitat, and an enthusiasm for birding. She expresses this love and enthusiasm in
her writing and photographs. I
encourage you to explore her website and read her sample newsletters at www.majesticfeathers.com.
Bird Tracks
Audubon Members Make a Difference
HUGE GARAGE
SALE!
Time to start planning for this important annual fund raiser. June 3rd,
Saturday is garage sale day! Please
save items for this fun event. We need everything, with clothing the
exception.
If you need space to store items, please call Jan Severtson, 667-6209 -
Theresa Potts, 765-0229 or Janet Callen 664-1085.
GREEN TIPS
Green tips will
be a monthly feature in our newsletter.
It is designed to give you ideas for
taking personal conservation action to improve the environmental health
and habitat quality of our yards and neighborhoods. (Members are encouraged
to send tips to the editor for inclusion in future newsletters.)
Lisa Hardy
You may be surprised to learn that your
favorite food originates against a background of poverty and exploitive child
labor. The cocoa beans from which chocolate is derived are grown in tropical
areas of Africa, and Central and South America. 43% of cocoa comes from the
Ivory Coast, where child labor is the norm on cocoa farms. A small number of
the children have actually been sold by their destitute parents, and are in
fact slave labor. The large chocolate producers in this country, such as
M&M/Mars and Hershey's, have expressed dismay over these labor practices
that were first brought to the public's attention in 2000 by investigative
reporting. However, the big producers appear unwilling to force a change in the
current state of affairs.
But
don't despair. There is a way you can have your chocolate and eat it with a
clear conscience, too. As a consumer, you can make a difference by buying
chocolate with the "Fair Trade Certified" and "Fair Trade
Federation" labels. Fair Trade is an international monitoring and
certification system that guarantees a minimum price under direct contracts,
prohibits abusive child labor, and promotes environmental sustainability.
Fair Trade brands available in our area
are Dagoba, Endangered Species, and Equal Exchange. In supporting smaller farm
co-operatives, for example, The Endangered Species Chocolate Company says
"we encourage the indigenous people to harvest what is naturally grown in
the area rather than clear-cutting the rainforest to make way for more destructive
uses of land." Other good choices are organic chocolates in general, and
specifically Green and Black's, and Newman's Own Organics. These brands are
available at the Flour Mill in Hayden, Pilgrim's Natural Foods and Fred Meyer.
Let me know if there are any other stores in the area that carry these
products. At a recent meeting, your chapter board members sampled a
"Chimpanzee Bar" made by The Endangered Species Chocolate Company,
and pronounced it quite good.
Additional
information can be found at:
http://www.globalexchange.org/campaigns/fairtrade/cocoa/index.html
In-depth
information on cocoa farming practices, and the role that small, sustainable
farms can play in sustaining biodiversity can be found on the Smithsonian site:
http://nationalzoo.si.edu/ConservationAndScience/MigratoryBirds/Research/Cacao/
RATHDRUM PRAIRIE PROJECT
Stephen Johnson
Hi,
everyone. For 2006, I am compiling a
list of all the bird sightings on the Rathdrum Prairie. I will keep track of when and what time of
the year certain species of birds are found on the prairie and the first
arrival and last seen dates for migrants.
Also, I would like to find out if some birds, such as the Lewis'
Woodpecker, use the prairie as a migration route. At the end of this year, I
will compile all of the graphs I have into one, and make a checklist of birds
for the Rathdrum Prairie.
I really think the prairie is a place
that people have to keep an eye on. There are a lot of housing developments
going in. I would like to find out what effect this will have on the birds.
If
you would like to be a part of this project, please send me all of your
Rathdrum Prairie bird sightings for 2006. Email me at shorthair12003@yahoo.com or call me at
765-6516.
Education Committee Activities
February
13, 2006. Kris Buchler, Janet Callen
and Stephen Johnson traveled to Sunnyside Elementary School in Kellogg to
present the “Bird Adaptations” program to two 3rd grade
classes. The program created and
presented by Kris Buchler includes a number of slides of birds and recorded
calls of raptors. Kris asks the students many questions and always gets great
participation. Stephen helped carry and
handle two live owls which belong to Beth Paragamian and Idaho Fish & Game. Both owls have been injured and rehabilitated,
but neither can fly. The Short-eared Owl and the Northern Saw-whet Owl were a
big hit.
House Building for the Birds
Roger
Young, our master carpenter, prepared 30 nest boxes in organized pieces
and pre-drilled holes, and two teams
went up to assemble them on Feb. 16 and Feb 18. It was fun and enjoyed by
all: Roland Craft, Judy and Phil Waring, Lynn Sheridan, Dick Cripe, Janet
Callen and Jan and Herb Severtson.
Some will be used at the Resort Golf Course, some at the 2 bluebird trails that
Shirley Sturts and Theresa Potts manage, and some will be mounted up at Higgens
Point by Kris and Ed Buchler.
It's
spring and the birds are coming soon!!
Conservation Committee
At
the February meeting of the Coeur d'Alene Audubon Conservation Committee the
following issues were discussed: 1. The proposed sale of Federal land to
private interests. 2. The rapid development of open land on the Rathdrum
Prairie and other undeveloped land with little or no thought about parks,
recreation areas, trails and wild or semi-wild areas. 3.The Bureau of Land
Management plan-revision, where various alternatives to the use of their land
are being proposed.
We
also made plans for the placement of new bird boxes.
The
committee is always open for new members. Just call Mike Mehelich, 664-4741 or Roland Craft, 457-8894.
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"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
7th in a series of articles about lawn care
The Beautiful Lawn,
Part VII
This month’s article is a summary of organic garden
techniques and sources of products and information. On January 26, 2006, Pat Munts wrote an article for the
Spokes-man Review titled “Organic gardening a must.” In it she wrote:“ Using environmentally sound gardening and lawn
care practices is quickly becoming a matter of necessity instead of a lifestyle
choice. The recent debate about
reducing the use of phosphorus, a key ingredient in fertilizers, to improve
local water quality is just the beginning of a long-needed conversation about our environment in the
Inland North-west. Moving to environ-mentally
sound gardening practices isn’t just about pulling out your wallet to buy
environ-mentally friendly products. It
is about how we plant, water, mow, weed and trim.”
RECOMMENDATIONS
FOR LAWNS
1) A healthy lawn is more resistant to weeds, insects and
disease problems.
2) An Idaho lawn needs between 1 inch to 1½ inches of water
a week.
3) Mow at a height of 2 ½ to 3 inches.
4) Do not pick up grass clippings.
5) Minimize fertilization, and use an organic when you
do.
6) Never use a combination fertilizer and weed killer.
7) Core aeration is recommended for heavy soils.
FOR Organic Fertilizers
1) Steer manure, chicken manure, peat moss, bone meal and
fish meal.
2) Ringer All Natural Lawn Restore at Home Depot
3) Worry Free
Lilly-Miller Spring and Summer Lawn Food at Lowes.
4) Nitro Cal at Greenacres Plant Food Center in Post
Falls.
5) Lawn clippings can provide up to 25% of a lawn’s
fertilizer needs.
Unfortunately,
even some organic fertilizers contain phosphates. It is found in poultry manure, rock phosphate and bone meal. Ringer’s product contains 2% phosphate in a
25# bag. Phosphate does not move
through the soil readily and is therefore more suscep-tible to erosion. Nitro Cal is not an entirely organic
fertilizer, but is contains no phosphate.
FOR WeedS
1)
Hand pull where possible
2) Fill
in holes with a mix of compost and grass seed.
2)
Spot spray with white vinegar and water.
4)
If a chemical is used, spot spray only.
5)
Try the following Corn Gluten Meal products as pre-emergent weed control:
a.
Orland’s Safe-T-Weed Corn Gluten Herbicide at Cenex-Coop Supply, 5831 N
Govt. Way. This product is also a
fertilizer
b. Uncle Malcolm’s Weed Whompin’ Mulch at
Northland Nursery, 8092 W. Prairie Ave. for use on flower and shrub beds.
c.
Concern Weed Prevention Plus at Petal Pushers Nursery, 1842 N. Govt.
Way.
Moss:
Eliminate the cause: excessive shade; excessive water; soil acidity or
compaction.
Lawn Insects: Let the birds have them
Fairy Rings: Will grow out of the lawn
and eventually disappear.
Sources of information:
Rodale
Books: www.rodale.com
Organic
Gardening Magazine: www.organicgardening.com
Organic
lawn care for the cheap and lazy:www.richsoil.com
Organic
Fertilizer Guide: www.extremelygreen.com
Audubon
at Home: www.audubon.org
Northwest
Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides:
www.pesticide.org
National
Pesticide Information Center: www.npic.orst.edu
Grassroots
Environmental Education: www.grassrootsinfo.org
University
of Idaho Extension: 100 W. Hubbard,
Ste. 140 CdA, (208) 664-1085.
A Spokane County Commis-sioner, Todd Mielke is working to
remove phosphate-containing dishwasher detergent and fertilizers from the
market in order to reduce phosphorus inputs into the sewage treatment plants
and outputs into the Spokane
River.
Phosphate-free dishwasher detergent is sold by Fred
Meyer. Seventh Generation dish-washing
detergent, which has no phosphates, costs $2.00 more per 45 oz box than a
similar box of Cascade. It will be
given a test run.
Our final article, which will identify local area lawn
services that provide organic lawn-care, will appear in either the April, or
May newsletter.
Book Review
How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed
A review of geographer Jared Diamond's
latest book.
"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat
it." - George Santayana
In Collapse, Jared Diamond first tells
the stories of six failed societies, and derives a set of common threads that
explain their downfalls. These threads can be summarized as: (1) using up
natural resources (2) climate change (3) hostile neighboring societies (4) loss
of trade on which the society was dependent (5) societal culture unable to make
changes required for continued survival.
Diamond's first example of a failed society is Easter Island,
first settled by Polynesians around A.D. 900. Agricultural methods adapted to
the island's climate were devised, the population grew, and the development of
elaborate religious rituals found expression in the huge monolithic statues for
which Easter Island is famous. But by the 1600's, the island was deforested,
the population had crashed to less than half its previous level, and signs of
starvation and cannibalism appear in the archaeological record.
Easter Island is an isolated point in the southern Pacific Ocean,
1300 miles from the nearest islands. It did not have hostile neighbors, nor any
trade economy. Climate change does not appear to have any affect. Instead, the
collapse of Easter Island society is explained as a culture that used up all
its natural resources, because it was unable to make the changes necessary for
sustainability.
All is not
gloom-and-doom, though. While Diamond outlines problems today that are
analogous to those that brought historical societies to their knees, he also
tells an equal number of success stories. His description of the corporate
culture of Chevron, illustrated by his visit to their clean oil-producing
operation in Papua New Guinea, convinced me to switch to buying Chevron gas.
I recommend this book to anyone who wonders about the state of
our planet. Diamond's highly readable narrative builds a broad framework into
which we can place fragments of information from the news or our own local
experience. He notes, "Polynesian Easter Island was as isolated in the
Pacific Ocean as the Earth is today in space." But our global culture does
not have to play out the Easter Island story - we have choices, as the author
makes clear.
coots win and the eagle went without lunch!
Sunday February 14
It was a bright and brisk day with excellent
light for seeing birds. There was open water on both sides of the lake at
the south end of the bridge at Sandpoint. We were able to see several
Bald Eagle, about a dozen Double-crested Cormorant, and a wide variety of
waterfowl - Redhead, Bufflehead, American Wigeon, Common Merganser, Common
Goldeneye, Ring-necked Duck, Lesser Scaup,
American Coot, and Canada Goose.
We
proceeded to the City Beach where we hoped to see some unusual gulls, but
nothing unusual was to be seen. At the Third Street Dock, the water was
frozen and the river to the west appeared to be frozen all the way across.
The
trip around to Bottle Bay revealed Red-necked, Pied-billed, and Horned Grebe,
in addition to the above mentioned birds. But, no unusual gulls, nor
Long-tailed Duck, Greater Scaup, or loons, all of which we thought might be
there.
There
were several large rafts of American Coot along the road to Bottle Bay.
When we stopped and looked to see what other species might be out there, we
were attracted to a commotion among one of the rafts of coots. A Bald
Eagle was making repeated passes very low over the raft and the coots were
scurrying to get as close together as possible. Apparently, closing
together is their defense against predatory birds. As the eagle
approached each time there was a big
commotion of splashing as the coots frantically moved closer together. We
watched for several minutes as the eagle made repeated passes, but did not see
him get any of the coots. So, on this afternoon on the road to Bottle Bay
the coots won and the eagle went without lunch.
Participating
were Connie Haskins, Lisa Hardy, Janet Callen, Roland Craft, and Dick Cripe.
