March-April 2010 Echo Black Hills Audubon Society

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Black HillsAudubon Society

Olympia, Washington

Volume 41,

Number 2

March/April 2010

BHAS AnnualDinner/AuctionThe BHAS Annual Dinner/Auction Potluck Dinner will

take place on Saturday, March 6, starting at 5 pm at

the Olympia Center. Several weeks ago, you should

have received your invitation to attend the event

eaturing a talk by David Jennings on The Underwater

Wildlife of Puget Sound. We hope that you are plan-

ning to attend and have returned your RSVP card.

We also hope that some o you will be willing to help

with setting up the venue. Set-up begins at 1:30 pm.

And we also hope that some o

you attending will be willing to lag

behind or cleanup ater the event.

The more who help, the easier andshorter the eort.

I by any chance you

ailed to respond to

the invitation

in a timely

manner,

please call Margery Beeler (360-352-5437) or Meagan

Thorn (360-754-5557) to see i space is available.

Please call Margery or Meagan i you have any ques-

tions about what to bring.

This years Auction will be Silent-only and i you have

an item or inclusion you need to contact Margery or

Meagan beore March 4. I you bring an unannounced

item to the event, we will be happy to hold it or the

2011 Auction.

W ook forwr to sig you o Mrch 6!

The Annual Dinner takes the place o the March program.

Contents:BHAS Annual Dinner & Auction ........................1

Aoot with High Schoolers ................................2

Greys Harbor keynote with Lee Craig ...............2

Birding in Earnest .............................................3

Donate through Amazon ..................................3

May is Birdathon Month ...................................4Swallows and Feathers .....................................4

Rerigerator page ..............................................5

Field Trips & Events ..........................................6

Meet a Volunteer: Patt Brady ............................8

Bird Banding Scholarship .................................8

Book Review: Crow Planet ................................9

BHAS contacts ................................................ 10

Membership orm ............................11

Thursday, April 15

Feathers are orthe Bird(er)sFeathers are the most complex covering o any

creature with a backbone. But all Audubon mem-

bers know that the primary purpose o eathers is

to assist birders to identiy birds. This months talk

will cover other aspects o eathers. Chris May-

nard will discuss eather structure, unction, and

above all, beauty while showing photographs that

capture orm, color, and patterns in single eathersdivorced rom the bird.

(See the article by Chris about Fun with Swallows andFeathers on the back page o this issue oThe Echo.)

General membership meetings are usually held at 7 p.m.on the third Thursday evening of each month, Septemberthrough June, at the Capitol Museum Coach House, 211

West 21stStreet, in Olympia.


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Black Hills Audubon Society

Debbie Nickerson, BHAS Education Chair

Thanks to the donations and energy o many

people, BHAS was able to oer a eld trip to the

Skagit River and Flats on Saturday, January 30th. Patt

Brady and Fred Fiedler were the successul bid-

ders o a Day with Bill Tweit at a recent auctionbut decided to include in their win a group o high

school students rom Black Hills High School and

other adult volunteers or Audubon. So altogether

about 40 people went on a grand trip to see birds

up on the Skagit.

The generosity o the chapters board made it pos-

sible to charter a comortable bus or the day and

several stores donated healthy ood or students.

Patt, a tireless event organizer was responsible or

soliciting donations, contracting with the bus com-

pany, managing our trip guides and gathering two

boxes o extra clothing in case some teens cameunprepared.

Our own Whittier Johnson and Bill Tweit led the trip

educating participants about the birds wintering

behaviors, annual salmon runs, and little known

Aoot and Afeld with High Schoolersacts o the area and its wildlie. The inormation,

coupled with their humorous anecdotes, kept us

listening attentively.

All the students were impressed with the trip. One

told us she thought it would be rather boring look-

ing at birds but really had a great time. Anothersaid how impressed she was with all she saw and

will not look at birds the same way again. Observ-

ing snow geese fock together or protection rom

birds o prey and human hunters was ascinating

and brought out expressions o awe and excitement

rom the group.

Thank you to all who organized and saw thisproject through to ruition; it had a huge impact on

twentysome young people. Thanks to the ollow-

ing stores or giving us ood or nutritious snacks

the entire day: Albertsons o Tumwater; Costco o

Tumwater; Fred Meyer o Tumwater; Grocery Outlet Westside o Olympia; Mega Foods o Tumwater;

Ralphs Thritway; Tumwater Saeway; and Top

Foods o Olympia Westside.

We all know that shorebirds migrate and that

our conservation eorts in Grays Harbor seek

to secure an essential stopping point along the

route. But without comparable eorts all along

the Pacic Coast o the continent,

these avian travelers could easily

be lostpermanently. Luckily or

those o us who appreciate the

seasonal shorebird spectacle in

Washington State, and value the

survival o each species, National

Audubon Society has an interna-

tional program that helps unite

conservation eorts throughout

the Hemisphere. This presentation will illuminatethe challenges that migrating shorebirds ace, the

places they goas they have or millenniaand

the dedicated conservationists who are working to

ensure that the journey remains sae.

Some Inormation about Craig LeeCraig is the ounder and director o National

Audubon Societys International Alliances Program

010 Grays Harbor Shorebird FestivalFriday, April 30th, 7pm: Dessert ReceptionKeynote Speaker: Craig Lee, Bir Cosrvtio Without Borrs

(IAP) and a national Vice President. His program

builds the eectiveness o organizations workingon the conservation o birds and biodiversity in

Latin America and the Caribbean. IAP is currently

active at Important Bird Areas in seven countries.

Beore joining Audubon, Craig served or two

decades as Vice President and Northwest (U.S.)

Regional Director or the Trust or Public Land.

Craig has advised the start-up and organizational

development o over 40 land trusts and conserva-

tion organizations in Canada, the U.S., and Latin

America. He currently serves on the Executive

o the Americas Council o BirdLie International

and on the boards o Bahamas National Trust and

American Friends o Canadian Land Trusts.

This event will be held at Central Elementary School

in Hoquiam, Washington starting at 7pm. For reser-

vations, contact 1-800-303-8498. Cost is $15.


3/123Black Hills Audubon Society

BHAS 009 AnnualAppealA Hearty

Thank You!The BHAS Board o Directors thanks the many

members who responded to our annual und-

raising appeal in late 2009. Due to your gener-

osity, the chapter received almost $5500. This

represented 100 separate donations, ranging

rom $5 to $300. Monies raised will go to-

wards the chapters eorts in protecting habitat

through sensible land use regulations and land

conservation, educating the public about wild-

lie science, and creating eld opportunities or

youth.

Donate to BHASthrough AmazonPurchasesRmir: I you buy something through Amazon.

com, you could be donating to Black Hills AudubonSociety at the same time.

BHAS receives 4% o every purchase made through

our Book Store Web page (http://www.blackhills-

audubon.org/bookstore/index.html). These unds areused to support our conservation program, educa-

tion eorts, and other goals. Our prices are exactly

the same as Amazon.com! All purchases are man-

aged by Amazon.com.

Birding in Earnest;December 009 January 010By Bill ShelmerdineTo reports sightings call 866-9106 or email at

gor1 hotmi.com

So ar its been a pretty quiet winter, birdwise, and

Januarys calm weather has not really stirred things

up. The Christmas Bird Count on December 20 was

a good indicator o the period; most o the regu-

lars were seen, but nothing particularly unusual

showed up. Probably more remarkable was the

near absence o several species or groups. From my

perspective numbers were down or several species

o waterowl, and sparrows, and where the heck

were/are the gulls this year?

Perry Creek (Mud Bay area) oten hosts hundreds

o gulls, with a good mix o species. Their presence

there is timed to the chum salmon run. Numbers

this year were dismal, and to my knowledge were

nothing to shout about throughout the region. The

situation makes one wonder whether this is a gull

story, a salmon story, or just a bad year or gulls in

our area. Visits in late December and early January

revealed only small numbers o Glaucous-wingedGulls and hybrids. I thought Keith Brady summed itup nicely when he reported a single gull rom Perry

Creek in early January. I did not think to ask which

species.

On the brighter side, some waterowl numbersseemed really good. Cackling Geese numbers on

the Christmas Bird Count (CBC) were good (2750

recorded at Nisqually), continuing the increasing

trend o birds wintering in our area. Green-wingTeal numbers on CBC day were nothing short oimpressive. Scott Pearson and I tallied almost 3800

at Nisqually that day; the estuary restoration at the

Reuge really seems to have beneted that species in

particular. Gadwall on the other hand were notable

by their absence; we counted only one on count-day. Reports o waterowl on Capitol Lake noted re-

duced numbers throughout the period. Keith Brady

and Bill Tweit both commented on low numbers at

the lake, though most or all o the regulars have

been present.

To round out reports or the period, Bill Tweit re-

ported 6 Trumpeter Swans at Capitol Lake on 1/3.This seems to be a typical pattern o occurrence in

our area. While they dont seem to winter regularly

in the South Sound, they are regular to the north,

south, and west. Oten missed on the CBC, small

groups wander through the area and in the past ewyears have been reported regularly right around the

rst o the year. And nally, on 1/3, Bill also report-

ed an Orange-crowned Warbler rom the CapitolLake area. This is a species that winters rarely in

our area.

Looking ahead: or those that dont leave a hum-mingbird eeder out in the winter, its time to dust

them o, ll them up, and hang them out. Ruous

Hummingbirds are among the earliest migrants or

spring arrivals to our area and oten show up around

the end o February or the rst o March. Early ar-

rival dates, or rst arrivals are always o interest.Other early migrants to look or include Tree and

Violet-green Swallows and are oten rst reported

rom Nisqually or the Chehalis River area.


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The 3rd Annual Birdathon is coming in Maymake new riends and connect with other bird lov-

ers. Guided trips range rom intensive all day trips

to more relaxing

walks in our local

birding hot spots.

You must pre-reg-ister or eld trips

by calling (360)

357-9170.

You can pledge

yoursel or have your riends and amily pledge

you. Its a unique and highly eective way to sup-

port Black Hills Audubon Society. Look or more

inormation on Guided Birdathon Trips in the next

ECHO. For more inormation contact the Birdathon

Coordinator Sheila McCartan at [email protected] call (360) 357-9170.

by Chris Maynard

By providing the right kind o eathers in the right

way, you can easily attract swallows. Every spring,

swallows search or the best sot

materials to improve the comort

and warmth o their nests. Sot and

downy eathers are perect and

swallows get excited when theynd a good source.

These birds possess remarkable

fying skills. Watching them collect

eathers or their nests oers hours

o entertainment.

What eathers are best? Birds like

the soter downy curved eathers to

line their nests. They will not use large-

shated straight tail and wing eathers. Natural

colors work well though the swallows can get used

to brightly-colored dyed eathers too. Swallows willpick up one-inch eathers but they preer larger ones.

They get quite animated nding a ve to seven-inch

goose or turkey fank eather. Their nests are about 6

inches wide so one large curved eather goes a long

way to cover the bottom, kind o like a wall-to-wall

carpet. A big perect large eather is a rare nd so the

little birds must experiment to learn how to grab and

fy with them.

Swallows will sometimes land to pick up a eather

though they usually grab them o the ground while

fying since these birds are not ecient hoppers

or walkers. When providing nest materials on the

ground, just make sure that the area is even, ree

rom obstructions, and has plenty o space or the

birds to make their approach and exit fights Swal-

lows are very cautious when they pick eathers

o the ground in fight. Several practice ap-

proaches serve to help the bird to know i aeather grab is sae. This makes sense as

they are zooming down beak-rst at 20

miles an hour to pick up a eather on

the ground. They are saer grabbing

eathers in the air.

A eather foating in the instantly

attracts swallows looking or nest

materials. Provide this and become

quickly popular with the local swal-

lows in the spring. With the right wind,

launching eathers by hand works well, but usu-

ally the plumes drit quickly and disappointingly to

the ground. A un trick is to launch eathers rom a

ten-oot, one-inch wide plastic pipe. Place a eather

at one end and blow into the air rom the other end

like a dart gun. Ater a ew days, the swallows catch

on that airborne eathers are being oered when

they see the pipe raised.

For the larger eathers, the birds have to learn how

Swallows and Feathers

Why should you participate in BHASs annual

Birdathon? Because Washingtons native birds

and their habitat need your protection. One o

the most eective ways you can help is by join-

ing together with your ellow Audubon members,

celebrate Washingtons birds and raise unds orBlack Hills Audubon Society.

Anyone can participateas a sponsor, a birder or

both!

You do not need to be an expert birder. I youre

entirely new to Birdathon, it works like a walk-a-

thon. Birdathoners will collect pledges or nding

and counting bird species. Its a competitive and

educational event or any level o birdwatcher, as

well as or the amily and riends who cheer them

on. You can join our guided trips, organize your

own trip, or count independently. All guided trips

are led by birding experts and are a great way to

Continued on page 12



Refrigerator pagesCheck the BHAS Website or more trips that may have been added since the Echo went

to print (http://www.blackhills-audubon.org)

MarchMarch 6th, Saturday, 7:30 am, Birding by Ear, McLane Nature Trail

March 6th, Saturday, 5:00 pm, Black Hills Audubon Society AnnualDinner/Auction, Olympia Center

March 7th, Saturday, 8:30 am - 4 pm, Field Trip to Hood Canal

March 13th, Saturday, 8:00 pm, Field Trip: Experimental OwlProwl, Capital Forest

March 19-21, FriSun., Spring ACOW (Audubon Chapters o Wash-ington), Kent, WACanCelled

AprilApril 3rd, Saturday, 7:30 am, Birding by Ear, McLane Nature Trail

April 3rd, Saturday, 9 am 2 pm Field Trip: Skokomish Delta

April 15th, Thursday, 7-9pm, Monthly Program Meeting, presen-tation by Chris Maynard, Feathers are or the Bird(er)s.

April 18

th

, Sunday,8 a.m. Field Trip to Black Lake Meadows

April 30th May 2nd, Grays Harbor Shorebird Festivalhttp://www.shorebirdfestival.com/

April 30th, Friday, 7pm, 2010 Grays Harbor Shorebird FestivalDessert Reception, Keynote Speaker: Craig Lee, Bird ConservationWithout Borders

MayMay 8th, Saturday, 3 hour Birdathon Walk on Olympias

Waterront


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March th, Saturday, 7:30 amBirding by Ear

Leader: Jean MacGregorLocation: McLane Nature Trail

The group will meet at McLane Nature Trailparking lot at 7:30 a.m. or a two-hour stroll on

the McLane Trails, practicing birding by ear, and

watching or both the migrants and residents o

early spring. Beginners, as well as more expe-

rienced birders, are welcome. Please sign up by

calling the BHAS message phone at 360-352-7299.

Limit 12.

March th, SaturdayBlack Hills Audubon Society Annual Dinner/

Auction5:00 pm: Social Time/Auction Perusal

5:5 pm: Dinner BeginsLocation: Olympia Center, Olympia

Our eatured speaker is David Jennings. David

has a long history with BHAS. Back in the 90s he

serviced in a variety o positions on our board. In

2006 we honored him as our Conservationist o the

Year or his eorts on behal o our native orests.

David is currently a member o the Pacic North-

west Advanced Assessment Team o REEF

(Ree Environmental Education Foundation,

a non-prot organization o recreational

divers who regularly conduct biodiver-

sity and abundance surveys during their

dives). His photographic presentation,

UNDERWATER WILDLIFE OF PUGET

SOUND: the amazing sh and inverte-

brates in our back yard, will give us

a special opportunity to glimpse our

amazing neighboring undersea world

and to learn about current marine

conservation issues. For additional

background on Davids talk, please

see his article Tigrs a Chis

Cris, Oh My! in the November/December 2009 issue o The Echo.

Another important component o the eveningwill be the presentation o our two major awards:

the Jack Davis Environmentalist o the Year award

and the recently established Dave McNett Environ-

mental Educator o the Year award.

The Auction, once again silent only, succeeds

when we have wonderul items to oer. The best

items, rom past experience, are eld trips or

unique experience items involving birding, wildlie,

botany, gardening, or boating. We also love to oer

art, crat, book, and jewelry items with bird/wild-

lie/plant themes. A word o warning: art/photo-

graphic items valued above $200 rarely produce

bids worthy o the item. Less expensive items are

better, especially in these dicult economic times.

I you have something to donate, please call or

e-mail Margery Beeler (360-352-5437; mswamp-

[email protected]) or Meagan Thorn (360-754-5557;

[email protected]). We must have advance

notice o anything you plan to donate.

Also i you can help with setting up or the dinner

(about 2 pm), helping at the dinner itsel or with

cleanup, we would be deeply grateul. Please con-

tact Margery or Meagan.

We plan an evening o good company, good inor-

mation, good opportunities to socialize and goodood. Most o these rely on you or your contribu-

tions. We hope you will bring a wonderul dish to

share at the potluck and cash or checks (sorry: we

cant handle credit/debit cards) to pay or the auc-

tion items on which you bid generously. We look

orward to sharing this special evening with you.

March 7th, Sunday, 8:30 am - pm

Field Trip: Hood CanalLeader: Andrew Belik

Well do the traditional sweep o promising estuar-

ies along the west shore o the Canal. Well check

Purdy Creek or Dippers and the SkokomishValley or swans. Wintering

waterowl will still be

around and they at-

tract raptors. Passer-

ines will be incidental

along the shoreline. We

might see up to 15 species

o ducks, among them, with luck,

such uncommon ones as Black Scoter,

Harlequin, and Hooded Merganser.

Well meet at 8:30 am in Shelton at

the Chevron Station at Arcadia and

Olympic Hwy S. Limit three vehicles,

12 persons. Sign up with Andrew

at (360) 426-6262. You may also join us at the

picnic area o Potlatch State Park, provided you

had signed up. The trip continues rom the Park at

9:30. At the end o the day, well touch on the Park

on the way to Shelton. Bring lunch, walking will

not exceed one mile.

Field Trip/Event Details



Saturday, March 13, 8 pm to midnight-ishField Trip: Experimental

Owl Prowl, Capital ForestLeader: Gary Wiles

This is a new experimentaltrip to Capital Forest in an attempt to

listen or and hopeully see some owls.

We expect that Saw-whet, Northern

Pygmy, Barred, and Great Horned

Owls are all present in the orest, but

have no idea i we will be successul

in locating any o them.

Participants should dress in their

most quiet, least rustley cloth-

ing, bring a fashlight, and

not be too araid o the dark, or

too nervous about wandering around in CapitalForest in the dark. Be prepared to be very quiet.

We will most likely be in Grays Harbor County as

well as Thurston County.

This trip will be limited to 8 people, in no more than

two cars. We will meet at the Labor and Industries

parking lot in Tumwater. Please call Gary Wiles at

360-943-8786 or reservations to reserve a spot.

March 19-1, Fri., Sat., Sun.,

Event: Spring ACOW (Audubon Chapters oWashington

ACOW (Audubon Chapters o Washington) is held

twice a year, hosted by a dierent chapter in adierent location in Washington each time. There

are numerous opportunities or workshops, eld

trips, and camaraderie. Its also a chance to get

together with other chapters in this state to share

what we are doing and to provide coordination o

eorts on certain issues. These specically include

conservation and education. It is also a chance

to have some un by visiting other birding areas

around the state. Birding eld trips include Kent

Ponds and Boeing Ponds!

April 3rd , Saturday, 7:30 am

Field Trip: Birding by EarLeader: Jean MacGregor

Location: McLane Nature Trail

The group will meet at McLane Nature Trail

parking lot at 7:30 a.m. or a two-hour stroll on

the McLane Trails, practicing birding by ear, and

watching or both the migrants and residents o

early spring. Beginners, as well

as more experienced birders, are

welcome. Please sign up by calling

the BHAS message phone at 360-

352-7299 Limit 12.

April 3rd

, Saturday, 9 am pm Field Trip:

Skokomish DeltaLeader: Andrew Belik

Joining members o the

Skokomish Tribe, well walk

the boardwalk across the re-emerging salt

marsh that once was the Nalley Farm. Ater that

well scan the waterront along the spit looking

or shorebirds and raptors (with luck a Peregrine)

along the boardwalk, and waterowl on the Canal.

Meet at 9:00 am in the parking lot o the Lucky

Dog Casino along US Hwy 101. Well walk about3 miles and return to the casino by 2 pm. Limit 12

BHAS members. Sign up With Andrew, 360-426-

6262, or Bethany Tropp, 360-877-5213.

April 18th, Sunday, , 8 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.Field Trip: Black Lake Meadows

Leader: Gary Wiles

Join Gary or birding at Black Lake Meadows in

southwestern Olympia to look or early spring

migrants, including Ruous Hummingbirds, Orange-

crowned Warblers, various swallows, and others.

While the typical birding is not astoundingly di-

verse, there is a steady stream o migrants and res-ident birds. Occasionally an unusual species shows

up here, such as Yellow-breasted Chat. Meet at the

sites entrance on Mottman Road at 8 a.m.

There is a limit o 12 or this trip. Call Gary at

360-943-8786 or reservations, and directions i

needed. Dress or the weather.

April 30th May ndEvent: Grays Harbor Shorebird Festival

http://www.shorebirdfestival.com/

April 30th, Friday, 7pm010 Grays Harbor Shorebird Festival

Dessert Reception. Keynote Speaker: Craig Lee,

Bird Conservation Without Borders, Central

Elementary School, Hoquiam

Field Trip/Event DetailsFrom previuos page


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Over the past 6 years, Puget Sound Bird Observa-

tory has partnered with Seattle Audubon to oer a

our-day our-night bird-banding camp or teens

ages 15-18 years old. The location is in a primitive

campground within Wenatchee National Forest.

Teens learn the basics o net placement, extrac-

tion and handling, ageing, and sexing. A specialemphasis is placed on the use o molt to age birds.

The camp will be held August 2010 with exact

dates still to be determined.

Black Hills Audubon is oering a partial scholar-

ship in the amount o $400 to help pay or the

cost o attending the camp. The remainder o the

Deb Jaqua

Many Black Hills Audubon olks know her as The

Plant Lady rom the BHAS Annual Dinner/Auc-

tionthe one who brings highly sought-ater

healthy plants to sell at the Dinner such as red

raspberries, hardy cyclamen, rhubarb, daylilies,red fowering currants, kiwis, fowering quince, and

campanula to name just a ew.

What you may not know is that or more than a

decade, Patt has been collecting, propagating, and

growing over 200 dierent types o plants that she

donates to several charitable organizations or

und-raising; BHAS is just one o six! Among the

others are the Nisqually Land Trust, American Can-

cer Society, and a cancer support group at Group

Health Cooperativelong beore she was diagnosed

with cancer, hersel. Now, as a cancer survivor, she

knows in a very personal way how important und-raising eorts are. In 2006, her plants raised nearly

$5000 at the various sales and auctions.

Meet a Volunteer: Patt BradyHer two-acre arm on the edge o an oak woodland

is a highly organized nursery operation o which

any gardener would be envious. Patts organiza-

tional skills once again show themselves; even in

winter, beore new sprouts start to poke through

the soil looking or the warm sun, she knows whereeach group o plants is located and which ones will

be oered at the next event. What a lovely concept:

growing plants, not to make money or yoursel, but

as a way to bring in unds or non-prot organiza-

tions that you believe in.

Prior to Patts retirement (the quotes are used

because her many volunteer outlets would equal

more than a ull time job or many o us), she

worked as an auditor or DSHS. Beore that, she

taught in schools in New York, Hawaii, and Georgia.

Patt said, Fourth grade was my big love. Patt is

still teaching those around her about living lie with

passion and a generous heart as big as all outdoors.

Thk you, Ptt!!

BHAS oers partial scholarship or a teento attend bird-banding camp

cost, $150, would need to be paid by the appli-

cant. The scholarship is open to any teen, ages

15-18, rom Lewis, Mason, or Thurston County.

No prior birding or banding experience is neces-

sary. To apply, send a letter o interest, including

two reerences, to: Black Hills Audubon Society c/o

Banding Scholarship, PO Box 2524 Olympia, WA98507. The application deadline is June 30,2010.

For more inormation on the camp, please see

Seattle Audubons website at: www.seattleaudubon.

org. Click on Environmental Education and HighSchool Programs. For all other questions, please

contact Tracey Scalici at [email protected].

LM



Crow Planet:Essential Wisdom FromThe Urban WildernessLie on Earth is complicated,

interconnected, and always

changingenvironmental

and philosophical truths that

Lyanda Lynn Haupt, as a

naturalist, author, wie, and

mother, knows all too well.

Her new book, Crow Planet:

Essential Wisdom rom the

Urban Wilderness (July 27,

2009; Little, Brown and Com-

pany; $23.99), documents

Haupts journey to becoming

an urban naturalist through

the study o crowsthe big,

gutsy, boisterous, intelligent, andsometimes unsettling birds that

have managed to adapt and thrive

in expanding urban and subur-

ban areas, where so many other

species o native wildlie have been

pushed back.

Haupts book is a study o crows in

both a natural and social sense: she examines

their habits, physiology, and skills alongside their

cultural reputation (in America and elsewhere) and

describes the ways in which human and crow popu-

lations directly and indirectly interact. Crows recog-

nize our aces, dive-bomb amiliar antagonists, and

nurse their sick and injured kin. They drop hard-

shelled nuts on the street to be cracked by passing

carsthen wait at a crosswalk to retrieve the goods.

Smart, playul, and always on the lookout or new

opportunities, crows have had a special place in the

human consciousness or centuries.

Haupt is the author o Pilgrim on the Great Bird

Continent, which was praised by the Los Angeles

Times or its provocative originality. Crow Planet

is a resh, intrepid mix o science writing and mem-

oir, highlighting the personal impact o the world

we encounter every day. Despite having a husbandshe adores and a precocious young daughter, Haupt

ound city lie stifing and barren and was deter-

mined to nd nature in a concrete-covered urban

landscape. Haupts process o observing crows drew

her rst out o bed, then out o her house, and -

nally into the wilds o Seattle, where she became

increasingly aware o the broad natural connections

and ti ny ecosystems surrounding her lie.

Haupts personal goal at the

outset o this bookto become

an urban naturalist, attuned to

the natural world as it maniestsitsel in cities and suburbs, roads

and homesis part o her own

environmental call to arms.

She encourages readers to realize

that nature is ound not only in

the pristine wilderness but all

around us, and to understand

that what aects the natural

world comes directly back into

our lives. Crowsas they hunt,

play, grow, and learn right

in the midst o the human

worldare intriguing avatarsor the urban ecosystems and

natural cycles that surround

us every day: complex,

overlooked, and immensely

important.

Crow Pt: essti Wis-om From th Urb Wirssby Lyanda Lynn

Haupt, July 27, 2009.Hardcover, $23.99,240 pages

Lyanda Lynn Haupt is an author and naturalist

based in Seattle. Her rst book, Rr ecoutrswith Oriry Birs (Sasquatch, 2001), was a

winner o the 2002 Washington State Book Award.Her second book, Pigrim o

th Grt Bir Cotit: ThImportc of evrythig

Othr lssos from drwislost notbooks, received posi-tive reviews nationwide.

Haupt has created and di-

rected educational programs or

Seattle Audubon, worked in raptor rehabilitation in

Vermont, and been a seabird researcher or the Fish

and Wildlie Service in the remote tropical Pacic.

Her writing has appeared in Img, Op Spcs,Wi erth, Cosrvtio Bioogy Jour, Bir-wtchrs digst, and Th Priri nturist.


10/1210


President:*Sam Merrill [email protected]

Co-Vice President:*Whittier Johnson ..................360-866-8156co-vicepresw blackhills-audubon.org

Co-Vice President:*Kris Schoyen ........................ 360-754-1710co-vicepresk blackhills-audubon.org

Secretary: Currently vacant

Treasurer:*Susan Markey .......360-438-9048treasurer blackhills-audubon.org

*Tracey Scalici ....................trscalici .com

*Mike OMalIey ..........................360-943-2369

Michael.omalley comcast.net

*Meagan Thorn ...............mithorn net

Committee ChairsConservation: Donna Nickerson ... 360-352-7299

conservationchair blackhills-audubon.orgField Trips: *Kristin Stewart .....360-456-5098

kristinstewartO1 comcast.net

Membership: *Margery Beeler ..360-352-5437mswampcat aol.com

Programs: Kris Schoyen ........... 360-754-1710kschoyen hotmail.com

Publications(Echo Editor/Webmaster)

*Debra Jaqua .........................360-491-3325

webdeb1 gmail.comEducation and Birdfeeder Cleaning

Coordinator*Debbie Nickerson .................360-754-5397

[email protected]

Member VolunteersBird-a-thon Coordinator:Sheila McCartan .........................360-357-9170

schooleymccartan omcast.net

Bird ID: Bill Shelmerdine ...........360- [email protected]

Echo Designer: Lee Miller .........360-753-0942

aleemiller igc.orgPhone Team: Carolyn Harmon and Bonnie Wood

Committee Chairs may also serve as Board Members.

Black Hills Audubon Society Contacts

* BHAS Board Member


Mailing address: PO Box 2524, Olympia WA, 98507.

Phone: 360-352-7299 (Messages)

Website: www.blackhills-audubon

E-mail: 4ino blackhills-audubon.org

Black Hills Audubon Societyis a non-protorganization. A member chapter o the National

Audubon Society, it represents Audubon members in

Lewis, Mason and Thurston Counties.

Our goals are to maintain, restore and protect ourecosystems or uture generations, and to promote

environmental education and nature-based

recreation.

Monthly program meetings are usually held at 7

p.m. on the third Thursday evening o each month,

September through June, at the Capitol Museum

Coach House, 211 West 21st Street, in Olympia.

Board meetings are usually at 5:30 p.m. on the sec-

ond Wednesday o each month. The site varies rom

month to month; please call the message phone

number to inquire as to the location. Phone and

e-mail messages are welcome, but please remember

that we are a volunteer-based organization, and it

may take us a ew days to get back to you.

The Echo is published bi-monthly. Editor: DebJaqua. Layout and design by Lee Miller. Graphics by

Nature Icons/Ultimate Symbol unless initialed.Material or The Echo should be sent to PO Box 2524,Olympia, WA 98507, or e-mailed to Deb Jaqua at

webdeb1 gmail.com. The deadline or the May/June

2010 issue o The Echo is March 29.



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Type o Membershipcheck appropriate box

Member o Black Hills Audubon Society Chapter (BHAS) onlySingles or household

$20, regular member

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Please make check payable to Black Hills Audubon Society.

Member o Black Hills Audubon Society Chapter and National Audubon (both)

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Please make check payable to National Audubon Society.

Rws:please renew your National Audubon Membership byflling out the orms sent to you by National and sending directlyto National Audubon. Thanks!

Subscription onlyreceive the chapter newsletter, The Echo(does not include membership)

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Please make check payable to Black Hills Audubon Society.

I would like to help Black Hills Audubons programs o education and conservation.

Enclosed is my additional donation o $_________

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Please fll out this orm and mail it with your check to the appropriate address:Membership MembershipBlack Hills Audubon Society National Audubon SocietyPO Box 2524 225 Varick Street, 7th foorOlympia WA 98507 New York, NY 10014

Thk you for supportig th Bck His auubo Socity!

Black Hills AudubonSociety is a 501(C)3

organization.

Contributions aredeductible to theextent allowed

by law.

All dues go to support localBlack Hills Audubon chapter eorts.

Receive the chapter newsletter,The Echo, which describes local

chapter conservation action, events,and feld trips.

Most o the dues go to support national eorts.

Receive the award-winning national magazine,Audubon, and the chapter newsletter, The Echo.

Chapter: C 9 Z Y12 0 Z

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Black Hills Audubon SocietyPO Box 2524Olympia WA 985072524

Nonprot Org.US Postage

PAIDOlympia WAPermit #87

to catch and fy with them. Earlyin the season, they make hesitant

attempts to catch the bigger ve

to six-inch eathers. Once they

learn how, the birds become adept

at mid-air grabs. Both the male and

emale swallows collect eathers, oten

working in pairs. Their mouths make a

small snap sound when closing or attempting

to close on a eather. The swallows also must

learn that the best way to fy with a big eather

is to carry it curved under the body, shat-rst.

So eathers are oten dropped mid-air to change

to the best position. When this happens the

eather may get seized by another swallow and a

chase is on.

Migratory bird eathers are illegal to possess; swal-

lows use them but birders cannot. Barnyard owl are

a good source. However, chickens, turkeys and geese

may have parasites like mites. Place uture swallow

nest eathers in a 0 F. reezer or 48 hours, remove

or 48 hours and reeze again or a 48 hours. This kills

adult parasites the rst reeze, lets any remaining eggs

hatch when the eathers are out o the reezer, and

kills them during the second reeze.Once the swallows discover a source

or eathers, they will return

rom nests miles away.

Eventually, the birds will

recognize you as a consis-

tent eather provider and

circle when you come out

your door. Once your yard

is known as a source, they

will return again and again, year

ater year.

Chris Maynard

Chris Maynard is a member o Black Hills Audubon.A biologist by training, his talk, Feathers are or the

Bird(er)s, will be the eatured presentation or the April15th Monthly Program Meeting. Chris also has a website,

Featherolio.com , devoted to photographs o eathers

rom around the world.

FeathersFrom page 4

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March-April 2010 Echo Black Hills Audubon Society