"BIRDWATCHER: THE LIFE
OF ROGER TORY PETERSON"
by Elizabeth Rosenthal
A book Review by Shirley Sturts
Roger Tory Peterson
has always been a hero of mine. I
started learning to identify birds
using a Peterson field guide. My copy of
Peterson's Field Guide to Western Birds, 2nd edition
became so worn with use that my husband sent it out to be rebound.
Rosenthal's
book, Birdwatcher: The Life of Roger
Tory Peterson, is more than a
biography of Roger Tory Peterson's life.
It covers the embryonic beginnings
of the Audubon Society and bird conservation worldwide, to the time of Peterson's death in
1996. I was fascinated by how involved
and influential Peterson was in bird conservation and in the lives of so many,
including birding celebrities such as Kenn Kaufman and David
Sibley. Just how much impact
Peterson had in the world of birds and
bird watching is brought out by Rosenthal in her extensive interviews of family, friends and people from all over
the world. Rosenthal states under her
sources, " To give the reader a true flavor of Roger's worldwide impact, I
have made the interviews the foundation of this biography".
At age 11,
Peterson's teacher, Miss Hornbeck, encouraged an interest he had already acquired in birds by having her class form a Junior Audubon Club. Although Miss Hornbeck encouraged his
interest in birds, Peterson describes an event that sealed his lifelong passion for birds this way: "I can remember the day early in April,
1920, even the hour, when I became
hooked. On Saturday morning during one
of my youthful explorations, I spotted a bundle of brown feathers clinging to a
tree. It was a flicker, tired from
migration. The bird was sleeping with
its bill tucked under the loose feathers of its back, but I thought it was
dead. I poked it with my finger;
instantly, this inert thing jerked its head around, looked at me wildly, then
took off in a flash of gold. It was
like resurrection. What had seemed dead
was very much alive. Ever since then,
birds have seemed to be the most vivid expression of life."
From this beginning,
Rosenthal takes us on a "Peterson
life adventure" as family and
friends share their memories of this almost legendary man that influenced generations
in identifying birds and in conserving their habitat. We follow Peterson's
life from working for the Union
Furniture Company in Jamestown, decorating lacquered Chinese cabinets, to camp
naturalist, to heading the education department of the National Audubon
Society, to
publishing the Peterson
Field Guide Series, to his love of painting and photography, to worldwide
travel, and finally to his passing on at age 88 with "a half-finished
plate of accidental flycatchers on his drawing board".
Along with all his
achievements, we also learn about two important and influential women in his
life; Barbara, the mother of his 2 sons, Tory and Lee, and Virginia, his companion in the latter part of his life.
Birdwatcher:
The Life Of Roger Tory Peterson is well worth reading. I would put it on my top 10 birding books to
read, if I had a list which I don't,
but maybe I will someday J.
Birdwatcher:
The Life of Roger Tory Peterson
by Elizabeth J.
Rosenthal
Published by The Lyon
Press, Guilford, Connecticut, 2008.
Price $29.95, hardback
To read more about
the book and about the author go to: http://www.petersonbird.com:80/
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april presentation
"Creating a Garden Attractive to
Birds"
Phyllis Stephens, the
premier voice of Inland Northwest gardening, will be speaking at Lutheran
Church of the Master (Kathleen and Ramsey) in Coeur d’Alene on April 4th. The program begins at 6:30 p.m. and will
include a question and answer time as well as refreshments to enjoy.
Phyllis, a Spokane
native, is a professional horticulture consultant and landscape designer. She will bring a great program on this
subject.
Birders and gardeners
are encouraged to attend. It will be an
enjoyable evening for all. For
information or to help with treats and publicity, contact Eula Hickam 661-3228
or ehickam@roadrunner.com.
A $5.00 per adult is
requested.
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lincoln county field trip
Roland Craft
The field trip over to
Lincoln County, WA, was quite successful because of the variety of birds we
observed. The temperature in the morning was right around freezing and
cloudy with several snow flurries but the sun came out in the afternoon.
We birded between Reardan and Davenport, both north and south of Highway
2.
The highlight was
spotting (Ed and Bill saw it first) an immature Snowy Owl perched on a post
about 100 feet from Highway 2 between
Davenport and Reardan. We all got good looks before it flew away.
Other birds too numerous to count were Snow Bunting, Horned Lark and of course
European Starling. We also saw 1 Bald Eagle, 7 Red-tailed Hawk, 2 Rough-legged
Hawk, 1 Prairie Falcon
and 1 Northern Shrike. Near the grain elevators in Davenport we saw 3
Eurasian Collared-Dove. This species was introduced from Europe and is
rapidly colonizing in North America (according to Sibley). Rounding
out what we saw were Downy Woodpecker, House Sparrow, American Robin, Rock Pigeon, Gray Partridge, House Finch,
Mountain Chickadee, Red-Breasted
Nuthatch, Brown Creeper, Black-billed Magpie, Common Raven, Northern
Flicker, and Red-Winged Blackbird.
Participants were Ed
and Kris Buchler, Janet Callen, Bill Gundlach, Jan Severtson, Judy Waring,
Karen Williams and Roland Craft
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2008 YARDLIST
CHALLENGE
Lisa Hardy
We had an interesting tie in 2008 for
total number of species seen from a single yard - 69 - between the Buchler,
Hanson and Ward yards. The first two have water views, and the third is near
the water; generally it is the species associated with water that can really
beef up the species count. The Hansons observed two new species never before
tallied on the yardlist challenge - Northern Pintail and Sandhill Crane.
A total of 110 species were reported
from 11 yards, with 6 species reported from all yards - Northern Flicker,
Steller's Jay, Black-capped Chickadee, American Robin, Dark-eyed Junco and Pine
Siskin. Seventy-five species were reported from between 2 and 10 yards, while
29 species were reported from only a single yard each, for example, the Common
Loon spotted by Shirley. I was surprised that we had no reports of Northern
Pygmy-Owl, though the other feeder predators were in evidence - Sharp-shinned
and Cooper's Hawks, and Merlin.
Bob Hanson reported an unusual flyover
of at least 26 Common Nighthawk. Nesting activity was noted in many yards,
including House Wrens and Tree Swallows in Donni Moen's yard, House Wrens at
the Severtson's, Western Flycatcher and Northern Rough-winged Swallow at the
Hanson's.
A big thank you to all participants! Click here for complete lists.
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See the article in our October/November
issue about the Idaho Birding Trail Signs by Kris Buchler. In the October/November issue, we featured
the Red-naped Sapsucker sign that is now up in Mica Bay. The Mountain Bluebird
sign has been placed in Farragut State Park
Mountain Bluebird photo is by Tom
Munson
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Pick A Plant
Carrie Hugo
Duck Potato-
Sagittaria latifolia
Unless
you are an avid waterfowl hunter, or a really observant wetland enthusiast, you
may not even know of such a plant as duck potato. Also known as wapato and broadleaf arrowhead, this plant is a
deeper water perennial found in our local wetlands in great abundance. As its name suggests, the duck potato has a
large tuberous base. The “potato” is a
prized food source for waterfowl, muskrats, and beaver. The seeds of the plant are also a valuable
food source for waterfowl, songbirds, and wading birds as well. Its broad, lance-shaped leaves are 4 to 12
inches long and the plant can attain a height of up to 4 feet. So, in addition to being a great food source
for all kinds of wetland wildlife, dense stands of duck potato also provide great
cover for waterfowl that need to hide themselves or their broods from
predators.
The tubers can
reproduce very well vegetatively, and the seeds are viable as well. The tubers store lots of nutrients and
metals from the water and sediments in wetlands. This can be a good thing and a bad thing for our local wetland
wildlife. In the lower Coeur d’Alene
River, the water potato helps to remove toxic heavy metals like lead and
arsenic from our contaminated floodplain.
However, the tubers from this plant are a source of toxic metals for
waterfowl and other wetland wildlife that use the lower Coeur d’Alene
River. In other areas of the Panhandle,
like the lower end of Lake Coeur d’Alene, duck potato helps to filter and clean
wetlands with lesser levels of contamination and still provides a safe food
source for wetlands wildlife.
Duck potato was, and
continues to be, a plant of great cultural significance to Native Americans in
our Region. Both the Nez Perce and the
Coeur d’Alene Tribes historically harvested duck potato from our local wetlands.
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Bird's Movements Reveal
Global Warming Threat
Species Wintering Farther North Show
Need for Policy Change
News
release from Audubon
WASHINGTON, DC, February 10, 2009-The northward
and inland movement of North American birds, confirmed by thousands of
citizen-observations, provides new and powerful evidence that global warming is
having a serious impact on natural systems, according to new analyses by
Audubon scientists. The findings signal the need for dramatic policy changes to
combat pervasive ecological disruption.
Analyses of citizen-gathered data from the past
40 years of Audubon's Christmas Bird Count (CBC) reveal that 58 percent of the
305 widespread species that winter on the continent shifted significantly north
since 1968, some by hundreds of miles.
Movement was detected among species of every type, including more than
70 percent of highly adaptable forest and feeder birds. Only 38 percent of
grassland species mirrored the trend, reflecting the constraints of their
severely-depleted habitat and suggesting that they now face a double threat
from the combined stresses of habitat loss and climate adaptation.
Population shifts among individual species are
common, fluctuate, and can have many causes.
However, Audubon scientists say the ongoing trend of movement by some
177 species - closely correlated to long-term winter temperature increases -
reveals an undeniable link to the changing climate.
"Birds are showing us how the heavy hand
of humanity is tipping the balance of nature and causing ecological disruption
in ways we are just beginning to predict and comprehend," said report
co-author and Audubon Director of Bird Conservation, Greg Butcher, Ph.D.
"Common sense dictates that we act now to curb the causes and impacts of
global warming to the extent we can, and shape our policies to better cope with
the disruptions we cannot avoid."
Movements across all species - including those
not reflecting the 40 year trend-averaged
approximately 35 miles during the period. However, it is the complete
picture of widespread movement and the failure of some species to move at all
that illustrates the potential for problems.
- Purple
Finch, Pine Siskin, and Boreal Chickadee have retreated dramatically north
into the Canadian Boreal, their ranges moving an estimated 313, 246, and
211 miles respectively over 40 years. Continuing warming and development
are predicted to have adverse impacts on the Boreal forest and the species
that depend on it.
- Red-breasted
Merganser, Ring-necked Duck, and American Black Duck, normally found in
southern-tier states, have all taken advantage of warmer winter waters and
have shifted their ranges north by an estimated 244, 169, and 141 miles.
Still, they are likely to be negatively impacted by the increased drought
expected in many parts of North America as global warming worsens.
- Only
10 of 26 grassland species moved north significantly, while nine moved
south. Species such as Eastern Meadowlark, Vesper Sparrow, and Burrowing Owl
were likely unable to move despite more moderate northern temperatures
because essential grassland
habitat areas have disappeared, having been converted to intensive human
uses such as row crops, pastures, and hayfields. In combination, global warming and ongoing overuse of
grasslands by humans will doom grassland birds to continued population
declines.
"Experts predict that global warming will
mean dire consequences, even extinction, for many bird species, and this
analysis suggests that the process leading down that path is already well
underway," warned Audubon President John Flicker. "We're witnessing
an uncontrolled experiment on the birds and the world we share with them."
Butcher explains that many birds move great
distances to find suitable food and habitat, but questions how far they will be
able to move in the face of climate change before they run out of habitat, food
or even luck. "The long term
picture is not good for many species, and even in the short term, a single
harsh winter could have a devastating impact on birds that have moved too
far," he adds.
New forward-looking research from Audubon
California reinforces the national findings, predicting that about 80 of that
state's native bird species will experience significant climate-driven
reductions in their geographic range over coming decades.
Scientific models indicate that the magnitude
of losses in California depends largely on steps taken now to reduce greenhouse
gas emissions. The California Gnatcatcher could lose as much as 56 percent of
its range, or as little as 7 percent, depending on how climate change is
addressed. Projected range losses for
the Bay Area's popular Chestnut-backed Chickadee vary from 49 percent to as
little as 16 percent.
Detailed GIS maps were produced using the
California research project predicting where the birds are likely to be in 50
to 100 years. Findings will help
policymakers and land managers augment efforts to mitigate the severity of
global warming impacts with better habitat conservation investments to address
changes that can't be avoided.
"The birds are giving us yet another
warning that it's time for urgent action," added Flicker. "People hear about melting glaciers and
changing weather, but now they can witness the impact global warming is having
with the birds they see or don't see right outside their doors. These birds are our 'canaries in the coal
mine' and they're telling us that we'd better do something fast to curb global
warming and to protect habitat."
Scientists say bold action is needed to
overcome threats from global warming. Audubon calls on Congress and the
administration to advance policies that will drastically reduce global warming,
pollution, cut oil dependence in half, and invest in a clean energy future and
the economic benefits it offers.
Americans can sign a petition at http://www.birdsandclimate.org/ to demand
aggressive federal policy action.
Habitats already under siege from development, energy
production, agricultural expansion and other human uses will require enhanced
protection and restoration to sustain bird populations and provide ecological
benefits essential to human health, economic prosperity and quality of life. Conservation efforts based on forward
looking projections such as those from Audubon California are essential.
Audubon anticipates that the new avian evidence
will help attract attention and spark action among more than 40 million U.S.
bird-watchers, including tens of thousands who contributed to the Christmas
Bird Count data on which the studies are based. The 109-year-old census provides the world's longest
uninterrupted record of bird population trends. "Citizen Science is allowing us to better recognize the
impacts that global warming is having here and now. Only citizen action can help us reduce them," said Butcher.
Coming in the April issue: WAYS TO COMBAT
GLOBAL WARMING AND ITS IMPACT ON BIRDS
