Message from Lynn sheridan
Farewell to the job
of chapter President, but not to a position on the board --you guys can't get
rid of me that easily! I'll keep on scribbling.
Seriously, I want to
thank all of you for helping and supporting me. It has been a good learning experience. For those of you not at our annual picnic in June, I want to tell
you of the awards given to three hardworking Coeur d'Alene Chapter members:
Shirley Sturts received the Great Egret Award, Jan Severtson and Roland Craft
received Meritorious Service Awards.
But what a surprise for me, to be given 3 beautiful gifts: a
squirrel-proof tube feeder, a nectar
feeder, and a large potted plant! My love of birds and gardens
is clear to all. Thank you very much.
I want to welcome Ed
Buchler to the position of president. He's retiring from a
life-time of work to toil for us, and we are very lucky to have him!
Sincerely, Lynn Sheridan
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NOON TIME BIRDING
May 20, 2008
Lynn Sheridan
At noon, at the 10th
street entrance to Tubbs Hill, it was raining lightly, but I came prepared with
a slicker and umbrella! No one turned up, so I walked up the trail anyway. It
was a very pretty walk as always. I
recognized 15 flowering species including: arrowleaf balsam, shooting star,
chocolate lily, calypso orchid, and forget-me-not. The birds were harder! My
best find was a Pileated
Woodpecker. I heard several American
Robin and chickadees but a few other calls were hard to identify, or to see in
the steady rain. I listened in vain for the familiar California Quail and
the newly introduced Mountain Quail. On the way home, an Osprey flew
overhead, one of a pair nesting again on Mceuen field.
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California Condor Recovery Effort is at a
Crossroads
From: AUDUBON NEWSWIRE Volume 6, Number 15 Friday, August 8, 2008
A concerted effort from government
and non-profit agencies begun in the early 1980s to bring the California Condor
back from the brink of extinction has been more successful than many in the field
ever thought it would be, according to a report released today from a blue
ribbon panel of the American Ornithologists' Union. However, unless the primary
threat to the condor - lead in its food chain - is removed, the endangered bird
will continue to rely upon substantial support from humans if it is to survive.
"The California Condor is in many ways the
state's signature bird for conservation," said Graham Chisholm, Audubon
California's director of bird conservation. "Now that we've moved beyond
our original goal, which was simply to keep the bird from disappearing, we want
to make sure that we're doing what's necessary to get the bird thriving in the
wild without human assistance."
The report, requested by Audubon California and
supported by funds from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the Morgan
Family Foundation and others, can be read in full at www.ca.audubon.org
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ADOPT-A-HIGHWAY
This September marks the
fifth year that our Audubon chapter has participated in the state
Adopt-a-Highway program. Over that period of time we have picked up 131 bags of
litter! I wonder what that stretch of highway would look like if we hadn’t been
there?
On Saturday, September
27, we will tackle it again, meeting at 8:00 a.m. at the Mica Flats Grange Hall
for the traditional donuts and juice. If you have never spent a couple of hours
doing this, please join us. It is a satisfying experience, not to mention the
hair-raising hope of finding some treasure hidden in the weeds. For more
information, call Judy Waring at 765-5378.
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International
Migratory Bird Day
field trip
May 10, 2008
Janet Callen
As a change of pace
from our usual Migratory Bird Day events, Coeur d' Alene Audubon went
birding. We traveled south along the
White Pine Scenic Highway, through Emida, Harvard, Troy and to Moscow. We stopped at White Pine Campground and
marveled at the tall straight trees, and Kris identified Townsend's and Yellow-rumped Warbler and we heard a Varied
Thrush. As we traveled toward Harvard,
we spotted a Lewis’s Woodpecker. It was
sitting on the top of a fence post at the edge of the highway and stayed there
for us to view as we drove slowly by three times. A life bird for me.
We traveled on to
Spring Valley Reservoir for lunch. It
was busy with fishermen and women, but we spotted a lone Western Grebe and many
Ruddy Ducks close by the shore.
After a brief visit with Charles Swift,
his wife and daughter, Iris, we headed to the University of Idaho
Arboretum. Unfortunately for us May 10
was college graduation and the campus was busy. The arboretum is wonderful, well worth a visit on its own. The highlight was hummingbirds busy
everywhere in the flowering cherry trees.
We spotted Black-chinned and Calliope.
The day was beginning
to wane as we headed north and stopped at Phillips Farm. Despite an end-of-the-school-year party
taking place in the gazebo, we saw a House Wren and an Orange-crowned Warbler. In total we identified 54 species and decided a return visit would
be fun next spring.
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BIRDS
OF PREY NORTHWEST NEWS
Pat Smith
Download the original attachment
Birds of Prey Northwest (BOPNW) is a non-profit
organization located in the Coeur d’Alene area. We have a three-fold
mission to promote stewardship and conservation of raptors. Our efforts
are achieved through educational programs with live birds of prey that serve to
educate the public about the inherent value of raptors in our landscape.
Secondly, we provide rescue, medical treatment and rehabilitation to injured
birds of prey with the ultimate goal of returning them to the wild. BOPNW
works under special permits through U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service with
specially trained raptor biologist, Jane Fink-Cantwell, who established the
organization in 2003. Lastly, our organization participates with others
in collaborative raptor research
projects. We are currently cooperating with South Dakota Department of Game,
Fish & Parks and the University of Idaho in an ongoing research project
seeking to establish a population of Ospreys in southeast South
Dakota.
Plans are underway to develop an educational
raptor center above Lake Coeur d’Alene in
the Wolf Lodge Bay area. “We moved here in the spring of 2003 with the dream
for a future raptor center….it would be my gift to the Coeur d’Alene
community.” says founder, Jane Fink-Cantwell, who has spent over twenty years
working with raptors and carrying the vision of a world class raptor center.
On-going efforts on behalf of the organization are volunteer and
membership-based. For more information about BOPNW and how to become a member,
please contact us at 208-245-1367 or visit our website at www.birdsofpreynorthwest.org.
Upcoming Events
BIKE
TRIP (for members and supporters)
September 13, Saturday
Join BOPNW and participate in a bicycle trip on the Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes.
A guide will lead the trip which will focus on identifying local raptors and
their nesting sites.
"OWL
HOOT" September 27. Saturday
This family program on local owls will be held
at 7:00 p.m. at the Blackwell Island
BLM Park. Bring lawn chairs or blanketgs for seating.
WINGS
OVER WOLF LODGE.
December
7, Sunday - Time: 9:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.
January 4, Sunday
- Time: 9:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.
These popular Lake Coeur d'Alene cruises leave
from the 3rd St. boat dock and travel
to Wolf Lodge Bay to view Bald Eagles in the wild. Live birds of prey
will be onboard for this scenic and educational event.
If you are interested in becoming a member or
volunteer, making a donation, or are interested in upcoming events, visit us at
www.birdsofpreynorthwest.org.
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WHAT'S YOUR ECO-PERSONALITY ?
(Reprint from "Together
Green")
Is your image of an
environ-mentalist someone with shaggy hair selling tofu burgers to raise money
to save the whales? Think again.
Today people of every
description are taking action to green their neighborhoods, schools, workplaces
and com-munities. What kind of environ-mentalist are you? Take the quiz to find
out which personal action profile fits you best. Remember, these are just
preferences and there aren’t any right or wrong answers. Just give your gut
response and move on to the next question.
This is a fun quiz you can
take by going to the "Together Green" Website. At the same time you
can find out more about how to "Be Green"
http://www.togethergreen.org/ActionCenter/
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BIRD PHOTO QUIZ
If you want to challenge yourself in bird identification, you can participate in
the American Birding Association photo quiz.
They have one photo a month. You
can also get some good
identification practice by looking at past
photos with the answers.
Go to:
www.americanbirding.org/photoquiz/
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e-Bulletin of
the American Birding Association
August 22, 2008
JABIRU COMES TO
TEXAS! If you want to find out more, then you need to visit PEEPS
ONLINE! www.birding.typepad.com/peeps
PEEPS Online brings you
more up-to-date rare bird sightings than what has been showing up in your
inbox! Make sure you bookmark the page and check back regularly for
updated information and new postings…or just subscribe to the RSS feed!
Celebrate ABA’s 40th
Anniversary in Corpus Christi, TX! The 2009 ABA Convention promises not
to disappoint as we head to "America's Birdiest City" the week of 27
April – 3 May 2009, at the height of migration on the Texas Coast.
Happy Birthday, Roger
Tory Peterson (RTP)! As part of the centennial celebration, the Roger
Tory Peterson Institute www.rtpi.org has assembled
a variety of scheduled events. Join them as they celebrate the legacy of
this amazing artist, naturalist, writer, photographer, and inventor of the
modern day field guide.
Let them know what
you think. An independent firm is currently seeking the advice of birders
like you. If you take the time to fill out the survey linked to the ad at
the bottom of the ABA website homepage www.aba.org
,you will
automatically be entered for your chance to win one of ten $50 AMEX gift cards!
The American Birding Association
brings North America's birders together, with information, events, and
fellowship. If you're not already a member, join us www.aba.org
—and help the ABA Build the Birding
Community!
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"In a world that seems so very puzzling is it any wonder birds
have such an appeal? Birds are, perhaps, the most eloquent expression of
reality."
Roger
Tory Peterson
American
Ornithologist
