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THE FISH HAWK
HERALD
Coeur d’Alene Chapter of the National Audubon Society
September 2005 Volume 15
Issue 1
ARTICLES: The Old Snag - Bird Tracks: - - Adopt-a- Highway - Earth
Day - International
Migratory Bird Day - Do You
Have Questions? We Have Answers - -The Beautiful Lawn - Book Review - Bird Quote Corner - Brown Bag Birding - Westmond
and Round Lake - Bonner County Century Count - Field Trip to Fishtrap Recreational Area - Observation
Post
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HERALD"
Starting in September, 2005, an annual
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$25 for two years, 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 the 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
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COEUR
D'ALENE AUDUBON CHAPTER,
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d'Alene, ID 83816
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THE OLD SNAG
“I
think it’s time to take out that old snag”, I stated firmly. “It’s leaning and likely to fall one of
these days and the birds no longer pay any attention to it”.
“What do you
mean-the birds no longer pay any attention to it-they’re on it all of the
time”, replied Antje.
“Yeah, they
perch there as they come and go, but there are no bugs in it and they no longer
nest there. It’s too rotten. It’s dead,
dead, dead."
The snag under
discussion is about 30 feet of the bottom half of a sizable ponderosa pine that
broke off many years ago. All of the
bark is peeled off and it is full of holes of various sizes. The woodpeckers and nuthatches have been
busy on it over the years. When we
bought the house eight years ago it was an old snag. Although it is against our back fence, our yard is shallow and
the snag looms over our back deck.
Birds have nested there from time to time since we bought the
place. The last time was two summers
ago when a pair of flickers raised a nest of three. We watched them develop from unseen cheeps, to hungry demanding
mouths, to frightened fledglings. Our
sister-in-law actually saw the third and final flicker chick take its maiden
leap from the safety of the nest out into space - an exciting moment. Last year, however, the snag was vacant and
unused all summer.
“I think you
should leave it there” said Ken Roberge of Specialty Tree Service and an
Audubon member. “It doesn’t look like
it’s going to fall down anytime soon and it adds a lot of character to your
yard”. So, I was out-voted. The snag was spared for another year.
“I think
somebody‘s pecking in the snag. Maybe
they are making a nest!”,exclaimed Antje, sometime later.
Sure enough, a pair of Pygmy Nuthatches could be seen
working on one of the existing small holes, chipping it out to meet their
specifications. We heard their
tap-tap-tap regularly over the course of a week. We thought a couple of times that they had abandoned it, but they
soon returned and resumed their work.
Now they are clearly nesting. We
can see one nuthatch looking out the hole while the other adult comes back and
forth bringing something to eat. We
don’t know if one is nesting and the other is collecting food, or if they are
taking turns. But, they are well into their
parenting adventure now.
There was a
flurry of noise and activity around the snag a few days ago. I looked out and watched a flicker checking
out a larger hole just below the nuthatches, who were taking exception to his
presence and raising a ruckus. Shortly
the flicker flew off, presumably to find another nest site and everything
quieted down again. I was surprised,
then, yesterday, while watching the nuthatches, to see the head of a flicker
peering out of the other hole. The
flicker couple have, indeed, taken up residence. Now we have flickers and nuthatches both nesting in the snag a
couple of feet from each other - a multi-cultural community. We believe in diversity!.
Over the next
month we will watch these two families with interest and see how much of the
chicks’ activity we will be able to observe.
This should keep us busy. And
the snag will stay until it falls down.
THE OLD SNAG:CHAPTER TWO
Two weeks
later: Both nests are abandoned. The
pygmy nuthatches and the flickers are both gone. A few mornings ago I stepped out on the deck with a cup of coffee
and looked to see how the expectant parents were doing. I immediately noticed that the nuthatch nest
hole was about three times bigger than before.
Something had ripped the hole open.
I watched for some time and saw no sign of the nuthatches. Since then a pygmy nuthatch has lit on the
snag from time to time, but has never paid any attention to the nest hole. At first I thought the flickers were still
in business. I saw flickers around the
snag for a couple of days, and, at one point, a flicker was in the nest looking
out; but, no longer. Whatever they were
doing that day has ceased and the nest is vacant.
When I started
this little article I thought that I would be able to describe at leisure the
development of the two nests of chicks and give an account of their
fledging. I expected to have the camera
on tripod with telephoto lens, hooded with plastic, with cable release, right
next to my chair on the deck. I could
drink coffee and click away - my little step into nature photojournalism. But, the old snag has no activity now except
for an occasional bird alighting to look around before going on about its
business.
So, what
happened? There is a broken branch
about 18 inches below the nuthatch nest.
I thought that a predator bird probably couldn’t use that branch at that
distance to get into the nest. The
branch is just above the flicker nest, so the predator would have had to hang
upside down to access their nest hole.
Certainly a pair of flickers can fight off most any predator bird? As I said above we have not had any
squirrels around this spring or last year.
There are starlings around, and crows, and a Hairy Woodpecker visits the
suet feeder every day. But, we don’t
know.
Do birds
grieve? I think that they must, but I
like to think that the next day both pair were out together looking for another
nest prepared to start all over again.
As for the old snag, we’ll still leave it up and see what further
adventures in nature come our way.
Epilogue to The Old Snag
June
22. I came out on the deck this morning and the old snag had fallen down
over- night. We have had a lot of rain and last night some strong
winds. It didn't damage anything when it fell except for a couple of
plants. I think a pair of Pygmy Nuthatches were starting to set up house
in a hole in the back of the snag. When I checked the hole I found fresh
nesting material, but no eggs. So, the snag is gone. The backyard
has lost a landmark and its character and the birds have lost their potential
nests.
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Bird Tracks
Audubon
Members Make a Difference
ADOPT-A-
HIGHWAY PROJECT
Saturday, October 22
The results are in. Our Audubon
chapter has picked up trash from our adopted two mile stretch of Highway 95
four times, and with each cleaning the yield is less and the time to
gather it shorter. The statistics are thus:
Round 1: 19 people, 34 bags full, 2 hours and 20
minutes
Round 2: 16 people, 17 bags full, 2 hours and 15 minutes
Round 3: 13 people, 16 bags full, 2 hours and 10
minutes
Round 4: 10 people, 11 bags full, 1 hour and 45
minutes We are making a difference
out there!
Our next shot
at it will be Saturday, October 22. This time we are going to meet at the
Mica Flats Grange Hall on the east side of Highway 95 just short of
our starting point. Let's make it 8:30 a.m.,
allowing a little time for our necessary pre-cleanup
donuts. Long pants and sleeves are the order of the day. If you
haven't tried an Adopt-a-Highway cleanup day I can only give you a measure of
the satisfaction involved with a quote from Ronn Rich who said that "this
project gives meaning to my whole life"! (Too much sun,
perhaps?).
For more infocall
Judy Waring, 765-5378.
EARTH DAY FAIR
On Saturday,
April 23, Audubon was present at the Earth Day Fair. The event was held at the Harding Center with a great variety of
displays, both indoors and out. There
were events for children, live wolves and a nice cafe sponsored by the Pasty
Depot and Pilgrims Market.
Our display,
this year, was a venture into the world of pesticides. Starting with information from Audubon at
Home, our goal was to make people aware of the dangers of some commonly used
pesticides and of the alternatives.
Since we are not experts in this field, and a big field it is, we did
not attempt to answer questions. Instead
we provided information about expert sources, and places where questions can be
answered.
Contacts at
various local nurseries identified locations where alternatives to chemicals
are available and where native plants can be purchased. A small TV with "Bluebirds in the
Nest Box" video playing attracted
people. We also had drawings for two
containers of ladybugs and one with praying mantis’ eggs. These were a big hit with children. Northwest Nursery donated a native plant to
our drawings and Petal Pushers donated seeds.
Our thanks to them.
This experience
has occasioned a decision to continue the exploration of the use of pesticides,
but focus will be on lawns. According
to "Audubon at Home", about 7 million birds are killed each year by
lawn pesticides/herbicides.
Lynn Sheridan,
Kris Buchler and I represented the chapter.
International Migratory Bird Day
We were ready for a great IMBD celebration on
May 14, 2005. Flyers had been posted,
good articles appeared in the papers and the newsletter. Then it rained. As we had spent IMBD a year ago standing in the rain, when no one
showed up and the cookies got wet, the May 14 event was canceled.
But, the prime
movers and organizers of this year’s event were not to be denied. So, the event was held the following
Saturday, May 22, in City Park at the southwest corner.
Attendance at
our display was sporadic, but some children stopped by to make greeting cards
with Lynn Sheridan and Kayla Leitzke, a
freshman from Lake City High. Lisa
Hardy and Stephen Johnson were ready to take bird watchers on a walk around
Tubbs Hill. Because of some missed communications, Kris Buchler ended up taking
a very interested group of eight people on a nature walk around the hill. The attendees were delighted with her
expertise. Meanwhile, back at our site
in City Park we handed out posters, dressed one family in lime-green Migratory
Bird
Day T-shirts and gave out coloring books.
The prime
movers and organizers were Kris Buchler and Jennifer Soules. Thanks to Lisa and Stephen for their help
talking to interested birders and assistance with spotting scopes. Thanks
to Lynn for providing the materials and expertise helping young people
glue and paste and produce a “nature” greeting card. And a big thank you to Kayla Leitzke, who spent the day with
us.
DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS?
WE HAVE ANSWERS
Call or email us with your questions
about birds, bats and other wildlife. If we don't know the answer, we know where
to go to get an answer. We'd also like to hear your suggestions and comments.
See below for the best person to contact regarding your specific questions.
Did you see a
rare bird? Do you have a question about bird identification? Shirley Sturts maintains
a state-wide database of bird sightings, and is the North Idaho member of the
Idaho Bird Records Committee: 664-5318
For questions about orphaned baby birds, problem birds or injured
birds, contact local wildlife rehabilitator Kris Buchler: 664-4739
Do you have bats?
Questions about bats? Ed Buchler is the man to call. He is a professional
biologist currently working on bat research in North Idaho: 664-4739
For questions about
diseased or sick birds, or any questions concerning wildlife or chapter
activities, contact the chapter President, Lisa Hardy: 682-4808
Do you have
questions about logging or development disturbing nesting birds or other
wildlife? Is there ongoing habitat destruction that Audubon should be made
aware of? Give Roland Craft (457-8895) or Mike Mihelich (664-4741) a call with
your questions about conservation issues.
BIRD TRACKS
"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
The Beautiful Lawn
In conjunction with the "Audubon at Home" program
our chapter decided to explore ways of reducing the use of pesticides in our
residential yards. However, based on
the overwhelming amount of information available and the fact that Earth Day
participants were primarily interested in pesticide-free ways to maintain a
good looking lawn, we decided to focus on lawns. National Audubon recommends
“Reduce the use of all pesticides but ELIMINATE THOSE USED ON
LAWNS"
So we have decided to explore why and how.
The
information presented in the upcoming articles has been compiled from various
sources noted at the end of this article and also from some good old-fashioned
leg-work prowling the aisles of garden stores and inhaling the fumes of various
lawn-product chemicals.
As new houses
spring up on every vacant space in our county, newly hydro-seeded lawns appear. Ironically, Rathdrum Prairie blue-grass fields disappear only to
give way to blue-grass lawns amid the houses and asphalt. Lawns are a symbol of status, a holdover
from the great estates of colonial Europe.
Pat Munts wrote in The
Spokesman Review; “Lawns have been an emblem of pride since the times of
the great estates of colonial Europe.
When the Industrial Revolution created a middle class, the newly rich
people wanted the same manicured lawns for their own cottages as royalty had
adopted around their castles. And when
they moved to North America……they planted lawns. Lawns became the symbol of paradise in the suburbs after World
War II. Even in desert settings…lawns
sprouted on the cheap and abundant water sources found by settlers.”
Not only is
there a cultural precedent for valuing lawns, we also appear to be influenced
by our biology.
The open,
park-like landscape created by lawns is instinctively preferred by humans, and some have theorized that this
preference harks back to our prehistoric origins on the savanna. (1)
Though
neat expanses of green turf have undeniable eye appeal, numerous are the
advocates of eliminating lawns as an element of the landscape. A lawn can consume time, money and a lot of
water. In drought areas, or where
water resources are stretched thin, much can be said in favor of lawn
reduction, and/or elimination. However,
of greatest concern is the over-use of chemicals and fertilizers. American homeowners use approximately 70
million pounds of pesticides (includes herbicides & insecticides) a year.
Much of this
residential application is unnecessary or excessive and is a growing source of
contamination to ground-water. Heavy
rainfall and melting snow can carry pollution from your backyard to the
Rathdrum aquifer and our lakes and rivers, but over watering is a significant
factor. The resultant runoff can carry a trace of every chemical you put on
your yard. On a positive note, the
inclusion of grassy drainage swales in new subdivisions and new commercial
properties lessens the amount of runoff going into storm sewers.
"Audubon at Home" states that an estimated 7 million birds are
killed each year due to the aesthetic use of pesticides by homeowners.(2)
Birds often mistake the granules for seed.
A lawn,
however, has a number of positive aspects.
It is
a place to play and relax, it prevents soil erosion and
enhances the value of a home. A lawn
can provide an excellent contrast to shrubs and flowers and has a cooling
effect. One big plus is its value as a
fire break for a home in a wooded area.
Grass also works as a filter system removing pollutants as water seeps into
the soil. (3)
So how does one
balance the positives and the negatives and be a good neighbor to our
environment? Our research to date
indicates that the best defense to lawn problems is good offense. A healthy lawn is more resistant to weeds,
insects and disease problems. In the
next segment we will discuss ways to maintain a healthy and chemical-free lawn.
Stay tuned for
the next exciting episode.
1)
The Natural History of Art, Discover, November 1999
(2))
Source of this information for Audubon was Dr. David Pimentel, Professor of
Entomology at Cornell. The seven
million does not include the numbers (possibly 72 million) killed by
agricultural pesticides.
(3) Grassy Drainage
Swales in Residential Developments SW-2; Spokane County Division of Utilities
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Book
Review
PHEW!
The
“call” of a worn-out reader who has followed (in print) the peregrinations of a
couple of Big Listers
Kenn Kaufman’s
Kingbird Highway: The Story
of a Natural Obsession That Got a Little Out of Hand (1997) is a
birder’s memoir of his goal to spot the most
North American bird species in one year. The author’s writing
style, stamina, perseverance and single-minded focus make for a fine
story. He is Lance Armstrong on every one else’s wheels as he hitch-hikes
around the North American continent in his quest.
Kaufman’s generous contri-butions to the field of
ornithology continue and one hopes the sacrifices haven’t been too great.
In comparison,
I found Richard Koeppel’s compulsion to see and list all the bird species of
the world, described by his son, Dan, in To
See Every Bird on Earth: A Father, a Son, And a Lifelong Obsession
(2005) a little sad because his goal of such Olympic proportions was achieved
at the expense of family, career and health. Never maudlin, always
searchingly honest, Dan details the cost of his father’s compulsion, even
accompanying him on whirl-wind trips as he adds to his list - which eventually
peaks at over 7,000 species.
This reader
enjoyed both books immensely, having learned much about birds, listers, and the
human/avifauna connection. Meanwhile my own little species lists are jotted down
on scratch paper and tucked here and there in my field guides. I never plan to be a Big
Lister…but now I know one or two, thanks to Kaufman and Koeppel. I can’t wait
to read Mark Obmascik’s The Big Year:
A Tale Of Man, Nature, And Fowl Obsession.
(2004).
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BIRD QUOTE
CORNER
" I once had a sparrow alight
upon my shoulder for a moment, while I was hoeing in a village garden, and I
felt that I was more distinguished by that circumstance that I should have been
by any epaulet I could have worn.
n Henry David Thoreau, Walden
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BROWN
BAG BIRDING
(This popular
one hour event led by Lynn Sheridan is a good way to get to know what our chapter is all about. Below is her account of the May trip on
Tubbs Hill. (See
Field Trips for Brown Bag trips
scheduled for the coming year)
On May 17, at 12 noon, Karen
Linnane, Anne and Jessica Wilson, Judy Waring, Lee and Jonathan Brennecken and
Judy Edwards joined me for a walk up Tubbs Hill. It felt like imminent rain and
it was windy on the south side. There was not much bird life but a Winter
Wren was heard, chipmunks played, and an Osprey flew overhead. On
the north side it was better: saw Red-breasted Nuthatch, Chestnut-backed
and Black-capped Chickadees, Yellow
Warbler, American Robin and swallows. At McKuen Field two
platforms were occupied by Osprey. Also heard, were Spotted Towhee,
California Quail, Northern Flicker, Common Raven, Song Sparrow, and Pygmy
Nuthatch.
After the wildflower program the evening
before, we were anxious to test our skills. Judy Waring was disappointed
not to find a Prairie Smoke, but we found
Lupine, Larkspur, Sego Lily, Camas, Wild Hyacinth, False Solomon Seal, Chocolate Lily,
Honeysuckle, Lomatium, Yarrow andMitrewort.
Thank you, nature lovers.
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Westmond Lake
and Round Lake
A
beautful morning greeted six birders on May 8 as we headed first to Westmond
Lake and then on to Round Lake. We were
greeted at Westmond Lake with a chorus of bird calls and songs and a sky alive
with five species of swallows and Black Terns.
Add to this the winnow of the Snipe and the wonderful call of the
Sora. Red-winged and Brewer’s
Blackbirds worked the swampy area and the call of a Yellow-headed blackbird was
heard across the small lake. Canada
Geese glided through the wetlands area.
We then drove on to Round Lake and walked the trail around the
lake. Some highlights there were many
Cassin’s Vireos singing, a Red-naped Sapsucker, an Osprey and the call of a
Pileated Woodpecker. A female Wood Duck
surprised us as she flew out of a hole in a Ponderosa Pine snag by the trail,
and on to the water. And we had a close
look at an American Dipper as we crossed a bridge over Cocallala Creek. Dick Cripe, Roland Craft, Judy Waring, Jeff
Sherwood, Lisa Hardy enjoyed the beautiful day.
Trip List
Canada Goose 13
Wood Duck 1
Mallard 5
Cinnamon Teal 4
Bufflehead 1
Ruffed Grouse
1
Red-necked Grebe 3
Pied-billed Grebe 1
Great Blue Heron 4
Turkey Vulture 12
Osprey 2
Red-tailed Hawk 1
American Kestrel 1
Sora 2
American Coot 2
Killdeer 1
Wilson's Snipe
2
Black Tern 20
Rock Pigeon 6
Mourning Dove 1
Calliope Hummingbird 2
Red-naped Sapsucker 3
Pileated Woodpecker 1
Hammond's Flycatcher 1
Cassin's Vireo 5
Steller's Jay 1
Common Raven 4
Tree Swallow 12
Violet-green Swallow 5
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 1
Bank Swallow 2
Cliff Swallow 1
Black-capped Chickadee 2
Chestnut-backed Chickadee 5
Red-breasted Nuthatch 4
American Dipper 1
American Robin 12
Orange-crowned Warbler 7
Nashville Warbler 2
Yellow Warbler 4
Yellow-rumped Warbler 5
Townsend's Warbler 3
Chipping Sparrow 2
Song Sparrow 5
Red-winged Blackbird 24
Yellow-headed Blackbird 1
Brewer's Blackbird 14
48 species, all Bonner County
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BONNER COUNTY CENTURY COUNT
May 31, 2005
A team of eight Coeur d'Alene Auduboners
eked out 104 species in the face of uncooperative weather during the 2005
Bonner County Century Count. Highlights included Bobolink, Caspian Tern,
Solitary Sandpiper and American Bittern.
We stayed Monday night at Schweitzer ski
area, and emerged from the lodge in the dawn's early light to what was to be
our nemesis for much of the day - high winds. In spite of a few lightning
flashes from dark clouds massing above the high ridge of the basin, we set off
up the trail, but had to retreat after a half hour when the rain began. We did
locate White-crowned and Fox Sparrow, and Wilson's Warbler which as it turned
out, we would not encounter anywhere else this day. As we made our hasty
retreat back down the mountain, the rain begat a rainbow over the ski bowl that
held promise that the day would improve. Giving up on most of our hoped-for
high-altitude species, we drove down out of the rain, and around the northeast
end of Pend Oreille Lake to Johnson Creek, then birded our way back to
Sandpoint via Denton Slough and Sunnyside Road.
At Johnson Creek, we found American
Redstart and Northern Waterthrush in
addition to Bullock's Oriole and 2 singing Least Flycatcher. The Westgern
Greber at Denton Slough treated us to their choreographed courtship rituals.
Bobolink were conspicuous along Sunnyside, Shingle Mill and Selle roads. We had
checked off 87 species by the time we reached Sandpoint in mid-afternoon,
including all the expected warblers and vireos, but we were still short on
marsh birds and waterfowl.
At Sandpoint City Beach, a Caspian
Tern appeared in a nearby group of Ring-billed and California Gull that we had
already scoped through, and then turned our backs on. From Sandpoint, we headed
to Morton Slough to try to fill in some of the gaps on our waterfowl list, and
were surprised to find a pair of Solitary Sandpiper foraging along the shore.
This is fairly late for this species, and we wonder if evidence of breeding in
north Idaho will turn up eventually because we certainly have suitable habitat.
We wrapped up the day in the productive
Hoodoo Valley, finding Vesper Sparrows as well as the marsh birds that had
eluded us earlier in the day, such as Marsh Wren and Yellow-headed Blackbird. At one stop we had American Bittern,
Virginia Rail and Sora all vocalizing. The bittern was a big hit, and brought
many attempts at imitation. Our final species of the day was Common Goldeneye
on Kelso Lake.
Notable misses were Downy and Hairy
Woodpeckers, and Belted Kingfisher. Other expected species that did not make an
appearance were Northern Shoveler, Vaux's Swift, Northern Harrier and Mountain
Chickadee. We were short on raptors and finches.
This completes our first circuit of the 5
northern counties. We won't be doing a Century Count in Bonner County again
until 2010. Maybe the weather will have improved by then...
Century Count Team: Kris Buchler, Janet
Callen, Roland Craft, Dick Cripe, Lisa Hardy, Stephen Johnson, Jan Severtson
and Judy Waring
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field
trip to Fishtrap Recreational Area
The highlight
of the Coeur d'Alene Audubon field trip to Fishtrap Recreational Area (Lincoln and Spokane Counties, WA) on Saturday
was the White-throated Swifts. The swifts were nesting in the cliffs around Hog
Lake. Other highlights were a family of Western Bluebird, Vesper Sparrow and Western
Kingbird. It was great to see some different habitat, and we plan to devote more time to exploring eastern
Washington birding spots.
Trip list:
Canada Goose
Green-winged Teal
Mallard
Blue-winged Teal
Gadwall
Redhead
Ruddy Duck
Double-crested Cormorant
Turkey Vulture
Bald Eagle
Red-tailed Hawk
American Kestrel
American Coot
Killdeer
Spotted Sandpiper
Black Tern
Mourning Dove
Whit