JOIN PROJECT FEEDER WATCH
from
the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology Website
Project FeederWatch
is a winter-long survey of birds that visit feeders at backyards, nature
centers, community areas, and other locales in North America. FeederWatchers
periodically count the highest numbers of each species they see at their
feeders from November through early April. FeederWatch helps scientists track
broadscale movements of winter bird populations and long-term trends in bird
distribution and abundance.
Project FeederWatch
is operated by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Bird Studies Canada.
Anyone can
participate that has an interest in birds! FeederWatch is conducted by people
of all skill levels and backgrounds, including children, families, individuals,
classrooms, retired persons, youth groups, nature centers, and bird clubs.
This season's Project
Feeder Watch starts November 10 and runs for 21 weeks. One can join anytime during the season up
to February 28th.
For more information
and to sign up go to
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/pfw/Overview/over_index.html
Pygmy Nuthatch --
Photographed by Wayne Tree
Top 25 feeder
watch bird lists
New charts showing
the Top 25 species seen during the 2006-2007 season have been added to the
Explore Data section of the FeederWatch
Website. See the
birds most frequently reported in your area:
http://wwwbirds.cornell.edu/PFW/DataRetrieval/Top25/2006-2007/Top25.htm
The Martha Stewart Show
FeederWatch was on The
Martha Stewart Show last week. You
can now see the show online. Go to http://www.birds.cornell.edu/pfw to see videos of Project Leader David
Bonter's two segments on the show
Top of Page
Summary of Board
Meeting: October 15, 2007
Lynn Sheridan
1)Idaho has a National Audubon Collaborative Fund of $952 for which
chapters can apply. Last year we were awarded $200 for Idaho Bird Trail
signs, but had to return it as we couldn't get a plan goingfor a state-wide
design. This year, our request,written up by Carrie Hugo and Ed
Buchler, is to fund Raptor
Rehabilitation.
2)National Audubon informed us that our annual dues sharing amount will
be $850.00. We have 307 members in our chapter.
3)We donated $250.00 to Birds of Prey Northwest to help sponsor an Eagle
Watching Cruise on December 2, 2007. The boat has been donated. For
our sponsorship, we received 4 tickets worth $15.00 each. We will raffle these tickets at our November
meeting for $2.00 each.
4)We voted to
continue funding the Susan Weller Memorial Fund of $500.00, but not through
NIC. The money will go to Birds of
Prey Northwest. When the center is
built, a plaque or sign willcommemorate Susan's memory. Her love of
all creatures will be honored.
Top of Page
NOON TIME BIRDING
October 16, 2007
Lynn Sheridan
(This popular one hour event led by Lynn
Sheridan is a good way to get to know what
our chapter is all about.
It was dry and sunny after a night of rain, but no one was
able to join me at the 10th St. entrance to Tubbs Hill. Walking up the path, I heard Pygmy and Red-breasted Nuthatch, but
couldn't spot them until I left the trail, retreated into the woods and sat
quietly for awhile. California Quail
and chickadees were more elusive.
Overhead gulls and crows flew, and I spotted a large nest in a tall
snag, probably Osprey. Nearby,
McKuen Field has 4 nesting platforms, one of which is used every year by
an Osprey pair, and one year I saw Canada Geese using one. Down at the parking lot I saw an American
Robin and several House Finch.
Top of Page
What to do
if you see a dead bird?
Notice from Idaho Fish and Game
State and federal wildlife biologists and public health officials
are asking for help to watch for sick or dead ducks, geese, swans and
shorebirds. In late 2003, the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza virus re-emerged in Asia. It has infected
birds in more than 55 countries in Europe, the Middle East and Africa and is
now endemic in parts of Southeast Asia. It is present in migratory birds and is
unlikely to be eradicated in the short term. In 2006, U.S. federal and state
agencies sampled about 150,000 water birds nationwide and did not detect highly
pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza virus. Despite this, scientists believe that it
is possible for this virus to be carried to North America by migratory
waterfowl and shorebirds. Although these birds are affected by many diseases,
it is important that biologists investigate reports of dead waterfowl and
shorebirds. If highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza is introduced to the
United States, this approach gives us the best chance of early detection.
Wildlife biologists with the Idaho Department of Fish and Game
(IDFG) are asking for your help observing and reporting sick or dead water
birds. Use the following guidelines to decide when it is necessary to contact
IDFG about a dead bird. To report sick or dead ducks, geese, swans or other
water birds, call the Idaho Dead Bird Reporting Line (toll free) 1-877-550-BIRD
Please call the Dead Bird Reporting Line when:
•
You find several ducks, geese or other water birds that are sick
or dead. We are especially interested in investigating dead water birds that appear
to have died in the last 48 hours.
•
If you find any dead swans.
Do not call the Dead Bird Reporting Line if:
•
The dead birds are not water birds. Collect these birds using a glove
or an inverted plastic bag and bury them or deposit them in your trash.
Top of Page
ADVICE
FROM BIRDS OF PREY NORTHWEST
If you find
an injured or starving raptor, there is local help available from Birds of
Prey Northwest.
The following advice is from their website:
www.birdsofpreynorthwest.org
Northern Harrier
photographed by Bill Linn
Safe Capture
Birds of prey often literally collide with our modern world
when they are struck by vehicles, collide with power lines, shot, or fly into
glass windows. And starvation can be a problem when inexperienced juveniles are
unable to successfully catch prey. Human intervention is often required to get
grounded birds the needed medical attention.
What should I do if I find an injured
raptor?
- Place
a shirt or a jacket over the bird’s head. This calms it.
- Be
careful to avoid the powerful feet of the raptor. Use of leather gloves is
advised, when possible.
- Gather
the raptor up, controlling the legs at all times.
- Place
the bird into a cardboard box, preferably with a piece of carpet on the
floor. This gives the bird a non-slippery surface to stand on.
- Never
feed a raptor-especially young that are prematurely grounded. Feeding can
lead to an irreversible condition of human imprinting.
- Call a
Fish and Game Officer, a local veterinarian, or preferably a wildlife
rehabilitator who has expertise and housing for these specialized avian
patients. Special federal permits are required of those who care for and
medically manage these aerial predators.
We are available at 208-245-1367 at Birds of Prey Northwest
or through the Idaho Department
of Fish and Game office at 208-769-1414.
Top of Page
COUNTY BIG
YEARS
Shirley Sturts
Dr. Stephen
Lindsay, DVM, did a Kootenai County Big Year in 2001. He attempted to see 200
bird species in Kootenai County during the year 2001. He tallied up only 199
and on January 1, 2002 he found a Snowy Owl out on Rathdrum Prairie which would
have made 200 if he had seen it the day
before.
Inspired
by Dr. Lindsay, I started a Kootenai
County Big Year in 2002, asking all those interested to join in a combined
effort to reach the magic number of 200 bird species. With the effort of some twenty-five local birders plus
observations of birders from Eastern Washington, Moscow and a visitor from
Virginia, we came up with a total of 197 species on December 31, 2002; three
short of our goal. The Kootenai County
Big Year is now an annual event. Our
lowest count was 192 in 2003 and our highest 207 in 2004.
As of November 1, we have 198 bird species reported
for our 2007 list. Help us reach
200. Go to www.cdaaudubon.net to see
what species are still needed. Some
recent additions are as follows:
*
Review List bird = a rare bird report is requested by the Idaho Bird Records
Committee - visit their website at: http://www.idahobirds.net/ibrc/ibrc.html
182
*Rose-breasted Grosbeak - July 7 - Fairmont Loop Road - Jan
Severston
183
*Short-billed
Dowitcher - August 11 - Cataldo area - Lisa Hardy
184
Common Tern (3) - September 8 - mouth of the CDA River - Dan
Audet
185
Red-necked Phalarope - August 21 - Cataldo area - Lisa Hardy
186
Black-necked Stilt - August 20 - Cataldo area - Lisa Hardy
187
Greater Yellowlegs - August 20 - Cataldo area - Lisa Hardy
188
Semipalmated Sandpiper - August 18 - Lane Marsh - Lisa Hardy
189
Stilt Sandpiper - August 18 - Lane Marsh - Lisa Hardy
190
Sandhill Crane - July 21 - Cataldo area - Lisa Hardy, but
seen earlier by other observers
191
Baird's Sandpiper - August 27 - Cataldo area - Lisa Hardy
192
*Red Phalarope - September 15 - CDA River near the Cataldo Mission - Jonathan Brennecke
193
Lincoln Sparrow - September 30 - Loch Haven, Hayden Lake -
Doug Ward
194
Common Nighthawk - late July or early August - south 10th
CDA - Judy and Phil Waring
195
- 196 - 197
Long-eared, Barred, and Northern
Saw-whet Owl - October - found in poor condition (injured and/or starving) - brought
in for rehab Birds of Prey
Northwest
198
Northern Waterthrush - June sometime - Springston, near Harrison - Lisa Hardy
Other
County Big Year Lists
I was reporting the observations for Kootenai County on the two Idaho birding
listserves: Inland-nw-birders and IBLE.
In 2005, someone from Southern Idaho, I don't remember who, picked up on
the idea and challenged other counties to follow Kootenai County's lead. Today 35 of the 44 Idaho Counties are doing
Big Years. County Compilers report
observations to Lew Ulrey, who manages
a spread sheet for all the counties.
You can view the list on the Idaho Birding Website. Go to: http://www.idahobirds.net/reports/reports.html
As of November 1, 2007, 319 species have been
reported throughout Idaho. Ada County
is ahead with 215 species, Kootenai
County is 2nd with 198 and Twin Falls and Jefferson County are tied
for 3rd with 193. The only
species reported in all 35 counties is the American Kestrel. Red-tailed Hawk, Black-billed Magpie and
European starling have all been reported in 97% of the counties and the
Red-winged Blackbird and American Robin in 94 % of the counties.
How are
other Northern Counties doing?
Boundary 159
(Mike Haldeman and Lisa Hardy)
Bonner 189 and Shoshone 142 (Lisa Hardy)
Benewah 115 (Shirley Sturts)
Check
our website for dates, observers and locations. Let the compilers know if you can add to the list or have earlier
dates that are currently listed. County Big
Years 2007
Benewah Bonner Boundary Shoshone Kootenai
This county
listing is catching on. Washington
State has started doing "County Big Years".
Top of Page
Governor
Schwarzenegger
Signs
Historic Condor Protection Bill
From BirdWire News
Bulletin: American Bird Conservancy
On Saturday October 13, California Governor, Arnold
Schwarzenegger, signed a bill banning lead bullets for hunting in eight
California counties. American Bird Conservancy had campaigned with other
national and state groups to have the ban enacted to protect the state's
free-flying population of the endangered California Condor.
In 1987, the last remaining wild condors were taken into
captivity due to fears of the species' imminent extinction. A captive breeding
program was started, and reintroduction of captive-bred birds began in 1996.
Now, 127 of these enigmatic birds once more fly free in the wild, 70 of them in
California, the remainder in Arizona.
Photographed by Wayne
Tree
However, since the
reintroductions began, there have been hundreds of cases of lead poisoning in
condors, accounting for more deaths than any other single cause. Lead bullet
fragments are inadvertently eaten by condors scavenging on unclaimed deer and
pig carcasses or gut piles left behind by hunters. The lead enters the condor's
bloodstream with frequently fatal consequences. Many hunters had already
voluntarily switched to copper ammunition, which does not fragment on impact
and so is less likely to be consumed by the birds. However, without 100%
compliance by hunters, the rate of condor poisoning has remained high.
"Despite the Governor's pro gun-rights stance, and
tremendous pressure from the gun lobby to veto this bill, Schwarzenegger
understood that this was clearly a condor protection act, not anti-gun legislation,
and would not infringe on the rights of hunters," said ABC's Dr. Michael
Fry, who testified recently at a hearing in California in favor of the ban.
"Non-toxic lead ammunition is widely available to hunters, is effective,
and will not poison condors. This is a victory for conservation and for the
condors."
The bill will become effective on January 1, 2008 on all
"center fired" rifles and pistols for hunting game in eight
California counties.
Top of Page
Mineral Ridge
and Lost Lake Hikes
October 27, 2007
Janet Callen
The best laid plans sometimes go astray,
especially when they don’t take into consideration a forest service road being
closed. Judy and I really thought we’d
done our homework for this trip, but we never imagined a road closure that
would prevent driving to the starting point for the Mineral Ridge trail. However, ten hiker/birders showed their
resource-fulness as we headed to Gamlin Lake instead and walked the trails
around and above that lake. After noon,
some of the group headed home, but five traveled south to Round Lake, where we
hiked that very nice trail.
We didn’t see many birds as the hunters on Gamlin Lake had cleared that body of
water of everything but one American Coot and a couple of Pied-billed Grebes. At Round Lake we saw some Mallards and
what (from a distance) appeared to be Common Mergansers. We talked a lot as we walked, which could have something
to do with not hearing many birds.
Judy Waring
Our Audubon chapter is
renowned for flexibility and it was yet again demonstrated on this field trip.
Since the birding was clearly not going to amount to much, we instead had a
tree identification day. Roland Craft, our in-house tree expert, taught us many
ways to identify the trees that we commonly see in North Idaho. As in beginning
birding, this is not an easy process. All bark looks the same, the leaves are
similar, shapes alike. But Roland showed great patience and we had a lot of fun
when, at last, we could point to one and name it. Our
reward came when we came down to the lake level and found an enormous Western
Red Cedar that had miraculously escaped the loggers. Roland estimated that it
was several hundred years old. It took five of us gathering around the trunk,
holding hands, to give it a big hug. I hope that he will continue classes next
spring, moving on to Tree Identification II.
THE FISH HAWK 
