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The Prairie Owl Palouse Audubon Society PALOUSE AUDUBON President: Terry Gray, (208) 882- 1585, [email protected] Vice-President: Sarah de la Rue, [email protected] Secretary: Diana Jones, [email protected] Treasurer: Henry Willmes (208) 882-2649, [email protected] Board Members: Laura Bloomfield, [email protected], (206) 388-7938; and Donal Wilkinson Conservation: VACANT Education: Donal Wilkinson, donal- [email protected], (208) 310- 3010 Field Trips: Terry Gray, (208) 882- 1585, [email protected] Membership: James Storms, (509) 635-1272, [email protected] Newsletter/Programs: Tom Weber, [email protected], (509) 334-3817 Publicity: Diane Weber, (509) 334- 3817, [email protected] FROM THE PREZ I would like to take this opportunity to thank every- one for supporting the Pa- louse Audubon Society. We have had a very productive year—sponsoring many field trips and successful monthly program meetings. Our present financial cof- fers are such as to now al- low us to offer grants in support of students working toward our chapter's goals of conserving and restoring our natural ecosystems, focusing on birds, other wildlife, and their habitats for the benefit of humanity and the earth’s biological diversity. I wish everyone a won- derful and happy holiday season and hope that you will find time to join us on one or both of the annual Christmas Bird Counts this December and January. The Palouse Audubon Soci- ety wishes everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, Terry Gray President Volume 37 Issue 3 EVENT CALENDAR DECEMBER 2—Board Meeting, 7:30 pm, 1912 Center, Moscow 6—Field Trip; L-C Valley Pre- Christmas Count 17—Program; Fire Effects on Cavity Nester Communi- ties 20—Pullman-Moscow Christ- mas Bird Count JANUARY 3—Lewiston-Clarkston Christmas Bird Count 6—Board Meeting, 7:30 pm, 1912 Center, Moscow 21—Program; Grouse of the Lewis and Clark Expedi- tion Cedar waxwings are one of three waxwing species in the family Bombycillidae. A unique character of the family is the “wax” on the tips of secondary wing feathers (see pic- ture). When originally described, the tips were thought to be similar to “drops of sealing wax” that were exuded or secreted from the feather. A careful examination shows that they are actually flattened ex- tensions of the feather shaft (quill) and are made of the same ma- terial as the shaft. Feathers grow out- ward from a follicle in the skin, (similar to a hair or fingernail), thus, the unique “wax” tip would be the first feature to form on a wax- wing secondary. Although the tips appear to be a glob of wax from above, they ap- pear as flattened scales from the side. The vibrant red color is from a common carotenoid pigment (astaxanthin) derived from fruit in the waxwings’ diet and the pigment is depos- ited in the feather as the tip forms. The function of the red tips is speculative. It has been suggested that they protected or preserved the tips of secondary feathers although it was not clear why secondary tips would need such protection. Quantitative studies have documented that birds less than a year old had fewer and smaller tips than older birds. Males tended to- ward more and longer tips than females but differ- ence was not sig- nificant. The tips might be another example of plum- age elaboration or ornamentation that is common in birds and is thought by most researchers to provide vis- ual cues of status. In the waxwing, the number and size of the tips could pro- vide reliable signals of an individual's age, but not sex. Waxwings appear to dis- CEDAR WAXWING TIPS by Dr. Gary Shugart December 2008-January 2009 (see page 4)

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Page 1: Palouse Audubon Society The Prairie Owl as flattened scales ... The vibrant red color is from a common carotenoid pigment (astaxanthin) derived from ... Palouse Audubon Society and

The Prairie Owl Palouse Audubon Society

PALOUSE AUDUBON

President: Terry Gray, (208) 882-1585, [email protected]

Vice-President: Sarah de la Rue, [email protected]

Secretary: Diana Jones, [email protected]

Treasurer: Henry Willmes (208) 882-2649, [email protected]

Board Members: Laura Bloomfield, [email protected], (206) 388-7938; and Donal Wilkinson

Conservation: VACANT

Education: Donal Wilkinson, [email protected], (208) 310-3010

Field Trips: Terry Gray, (208) 882-1585, [email protected]

Membership: James Storms, (509) 635-1272, [email protected]

Newsletter/Programs: Tom Weber, [email protected], (509) 334-3817

Publicity: Diane Weber, (509) 334-3817, [email protected]

FROM THE PREZ I would like to take this

opportunity to thank every-one for supporting the Pa-louse Audubon Society. We have had a very productive year—sponsoring many field trips and successful monthly program meetings. Our present financial cof-fers are such as to now al-low us to offer grants in support of students working

toward our chapter's goals of conserving and restoring our natural ecosystems, focusing on birds, other wildlife, and their habitats for the benefit of humanity and the earth’s biological diversity.

I wish everyone a won-derful and happy holiday season and hope that you will find time to join us on

one or both of the annual Christmas Bird Counts this December and January. The Palouse Audubon Soci-ety wishes everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year,

Terry Gray President

Volume 37 Issue 3

EVENT CALENDAR

DECEMBER

2—Board Meeting, 7:30 pm, 1912 Center, Moscow

6—Field Trip; L-C Valley Pre-Christmas Count

17—Program; Fire Effects on Cavity Nester Communi-ties

20—Pullman-Moscow Christ-mas Bird Count

JANUARY

3—Lewiston-Clarkston Christmas Bird Count

6—Board Meeting, 7:30 pm, 1912 Center, Moscow

21—Program; Grouse of the Lewis and Clark Expedi-tion

Cedar waxwings are one of three waxwing species in the family Bombycillidae. A unique character of the family is the “wax” on the tips of secondary wing feathers (see pic-ture). When originally described, the tips were thought to be similar to “drops of sealing wax” that were exuded or secreted from the feather. A careful examination shows that they are actually flattened ex-tensions of the feather shaft (quill) and are made of the same ma-terial as the shaft. Feathers grow out-ward from a follicle in the skin, (similar to a hair or fingernail), thus, the unique “wax” tip would be the first feature to form on a wax-wing secondary. Although the tips appear to be a glob of wax from above, they ap-pear as flattened scales

from the side. The vibrant red color is from a common c a r o t e n o i d p i g m e n t (astaxanthin) derived from

fruit in the waxwings’ diet and the pigment is depos-ited in the feather as the tip forms.

The function of the red tips is speculative. It has been suggested that they protected or preserved the tips of secondary feathers

although it was not clear why secondary tips would need such protection. Quantitative studies have

documented that birds less than a year old had fewer and smaller tips than older birds. Males tended to-ward more and longer tips than females but differ-ence was not sig-nificant. The tips might be another example of plum-age elaboration or o r n a m e n t a t i o n that is common in birds and is thought by most

researchers to provide vis-ual cues of status. In the waxwing, the number and size of the tips could pro-vide reliable signals of an individual's age, but not sex.

W a x w i n g s appear to dis-

CEDAR WAXWING TIPS by Dr. Gary Shugart

December 2008-January 2009

(see page 4)

Page 2: Palouse Audubon Society The Prairie Owl as flattened scales ... The vibrant red color is from a common carotenoid pigment (astaxanthin) derived from ... Palouse Audubon Society and

sensing in wildlife habitat assess-ment. She is currently advising three masters candidates and two Ph.D. candidates in the department.

January 21—Grouse of the Lewis and Clark Expedition; Michael A Schroeder, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. Mike has been em-ployed as the Upland Bird Research Biologist with the Washington De-partment of Fish and Wildlife for the last 17 years. He received his B.S. degree from Texas A&M University, M.S. from the University of Alberta, and Ph.D. from Colorado State Uni-

December 17—Fire Effects on Cav-ity Nester Communities; Dr. Kerri Vierling, Fish and Wildlife Re-sources Faculty, University of Idaho. Prior to joining the faculty of the University of Idaho during 2004, Dr. Vierling received a Bachelors degree in Biology from Colorado College

and a Mas-ters and Doc-torate from the Univer-sity of Colo-rado. Her professional interests in-clude: avian ecology, popu-lation ecology, fire ecology

and the effects of landscape changes on ecological interactions. Current research includes: fire and cavity nester population dynamics, habitat selection, and the use of remote

Programs

PAGE 2 VOLUME 37 ISSUE 3

Field Trips

December 6—L-C Valley Pre-Christmas Count; Terry Gray. Meet at the north parking lot of Sports Au-thority in Lewiston at 8:00 am. We will visit the hot spots in the count circle for the Lewiston-Clarkston Christmas Count. This can be an all day trip or a half day if you wish.

December 20—Pullman-Moscow Christmas Bird Count. The Christ-mas Bird Count is a fun day for both the birding enthusiast and the novice alike. Held between December 14 and January 5 each year, the CBC is an opportunity to see wintering birds rarely seen by most people. All count data is incorporated into a national database. This will be the 109th an-nual Christmas Bird Count and the Palouse Audubon Chapter's 38th year of participation. The count is being coordinated by Dave Holick and Tom Weber. Everyone is welcome to par-ticipate. Please contact Dave <[email protected]> or Tom <[email protected]> for details.

MEMBERSHIP

Palouse Audubon Society, PO Box 3606, Moscow ID 83843-1914, is a chapter of the National Audubon Society. Our mission is

to conserve and restore natural ecosys-tems, focusing on birds, other wildlife, and their habitats for the benefit of humanity

and the earth’s biological diversity.

General membership meetings are held at the 1912 Building, 3rd and Adams St, Moscow ID, at 7:30 p.m. on the third

Wednesday of each month, September through May. The board of directors meet at the 1912 Center at 7:30 p.m. on the first

Tuesday of each month.

The Prairie Owl is published every other month, August through April. Material for the Owl should be sent to the editor, Tom

Weber, 230 SE South St, Pullman WA 99163, or email [email protected] by the

20th of the month. Subscription problems should be addressed to the membership

chair, James Storms, PO Box 235, Garfield WA 99130, (509) 635-1272 or email

[email protected]. Visit the Palouse Audubon Society website at

http://www.palouseaudubon.org/

WINTER SUET MIX It’s getting to be bird feeding

time again. Here’s a recipe for making your own suet mix.

Mix together: 1/3 cup bacon fat 1/4 cup peanut butter Add: 2 cups cornmeal 1 cup breadcrumbs 1/2 cup peanuts 1/2 cup birdseed Pack mixture into a 16 ounce

margarine tub or small can.

Treasurer’s Report— 11/20/08 Checking Balance 9/28/08 $8,019.52 Dues and Donations $695.00 National Audubon $909.25 Prairie Owl Newsletter ($508.39) Ferry Lake Donation ($150.00) Latah County Grant ($2,995.37) 1912 Center rental ($318.00) Chapter Picnic ($25.20) Checking Balance 11/19/08 $5,626.81 Certificate of Deposit $5,129.71 Liabilities (Grants) ($1,476.37) (Insurance) ($307.00) Total Assets: $8,973.15

Membership Report—11/12/08 National & Palouse Audubon 185 Palouse Audubon (only) 86 National Audubon (only) 90 Total Membership 361 PAS Membership Year—Sep 1 to Aug 31

versity. He has authored or co-authored more than 60 papers di-rectly and indirectly related to grouse in both scientific and general publications. Mike is a certified Wildlife Biologist and has worked on grouse research and manage-ment issues at state, national, and international levels for over 27 years. Don't miss this exciting pro-gram and a chance to meet "Mr. Grouse of Washington".

(see page 4)

Page 3: Palouse Audubon Society The Prairie Owl as flattened scales ... The vibrant red color is from a common carotenoid pigment (astaxanthin) derived from ... Palouse Audubon Society and

Audubon Washington staff are often asked what the State office is working on in regards to Global Warming. Right now, we are focusing on a national campaign, the C-Change Global Warming Campaign. The purpose of this campaign is two-fold: to generate pressure on targeted swing congressional members and to create climate change champions among our senators to ensure stronger conservation legislation from the next Administration.

There are three primary components to this cam-paign. The first is pre-election tasks. We have been seeking opportunities to discuss climate change at public forums, local candidate debates, and other public meetings. On October 15th, the “Feeling the Heat Report” was also released. Audubon Washing-ton collaborated on this report focusing on rising global temperatures and what implications tempera-ture trends might have for our state.

Another component of the campaign is ongoing tasks. Our office has been sending letters to three target audiences: grassroots leaders within our state, state university presidents, and local businesses. Through these letters, we are urging participation in this campaign to encourage Congress to reduce car-

PAGE 3 THE PRAIRIE OWL VOLUME 37 ISSUE 3

MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION Y05-7XCH

NAME ____________________________________________ ADDRESS _________________________________________

CITY ____________________________________ State ____________________ Zip _________________________

PHONE _________________________________ EMAIL ___________________________________________________

Return this form with your check to: Palouse Audubon Society, PO Box 3606, Moscow, ID 83843-1914

Concerned about Global Warming?

NATIONAL AUDUBON SOCIETY (New only) Palouse Audubon Society

Includes National Audubon Society and Palouse Audu-bon Society membership and subscriptions to AUDU-BON MAGAZINE and THE PRAIRIE OWL newsletter. Send check payable to National Audubon Society

Financially supports the programs and activities of the Palouse Audubon Society and includes an annual sub-scription to THE PRAIRIE OWL newsletter. Send your check payable to Palouse Audubon Society

Introductory Membership $20.00 Annual Membership $15.00

Student & Senior Citizen (62+) $15.00 For additional information call: (509) 635-1272

bon emissions, invest in clean energy, and protect commu-nities from the impact of global warming.

The third component of this campaign will occur post-election. We are working to coordinate meetings between legislative members, local business leaders, university fac-ulty, and other interest groups. The C-Change group will also focus on a “100 Days Campaign” urging swift federal action for the environment in the first 100 days of the new administration.

This is what the State office is working on, but we still need some help from chapters. We can’t make an impact unless you do. Audubon’s unique strengths are its chapters and volunteers. Here are some examples of how you can get involved: Write an editorial to your local paper

Write a letter to the editor to your local paper

Attend meetings with local congressional leaders Make sure you are signed up to receive Audubon’s action

alerts, go to: http://audubonaction.org/audubon/home.html If you would like to get involved, have questions, or would like more information, please contact Sara Kath at [email protected] or call 360-786-8020 ext. 205.

THANK YOU FIRST STEP INTERNET

Since 2002, First Step Internet has hosted the chapter’s website. We wish to recognize Bill Moore, Director of Technology, for his efforts in making this possible. We are extremely grateful for

their service to Palouse Audubon.

Page 4: Palouse Audubon Society The Prairie Owl as flattened scales ... The vibrant red color is from a common carotenoid pigment (astaxanthin) derived from ... Palouse Audubon Society and

play their tips to potential mates in “side hopping” display. In this display, a bird hops along a perch toward, then away, from another bird. Typically, a fruit is presented to a potential mate who recip-rocates the display or swallows the fruit. The secondary tips would be clearly evi-dent as a bird displays, however as yet, there are no experiments that prove the tips serve a signaling function. One study with waxwings has shown that older waxwings have higher reproduc-tive success which might provide the adaptive rationale for the evolution of such a status signal.

Another interesting aspect of waxwing coloration is a link to an increase in the incidence of orange tail bands to the spread of invasive Morrow honeysuckle. Typically, cedar waxwings have a bright yellow band on the tips of their tail. However, in the last 35 years birds with orange tail bands have appeared in east-ern North America. Experiments have shown that orange pigment is derived from non-native Morrow honeysuckle berries eaten by waxwings. Orange tails were found initially in juveniles because of the coincidence of honeysuckle berry ripening and the growth of juveniles’ tails. The adult molt cycle, when the tail is entirely replaced, occurred after ber-ries were available. As the honeysuckle has become more wide spread, it appears that berries now are available to molting adults in some part of the waxwings’ range during the normal molt cycle re-sulting in orange tails in both age groups. Orange-tailed cedar waxwings have not been reported in Washington yet, but when they appear it will likely be confused with the Japanese waxwing which typically has an orange tail band. Enlargement of a single secondary tip from above (left) and from the side

(right). The side picture shows the flattened scale-like structure.

January 3—Lewiston-Clarkston Christmas Bird Count. The 11th annual Lewiston-Clarkston count is being coordinated by Terry Gray. Everyone is welcome to participate. P l e a s e c o n t a c t T e r r y <[email protected]> for informa-tion.

CEDAR WAXWING TIPS (continued from page 1)

PAGE 4 THE PRAIRIE OWL VOLUME 1 , ISSUE 1

Extended wing of a cedar waxwing. The tips on seven of nine seconda-ries are visible. The first and last secondary lost or did not have a red tip

VOLUME 37 ISSUE 3

Field Trips (continued from page 2)

WOULD YOU PREFER RECEIVING THE NEWS-LETTER ELECTRONICALLY?

If so, send an email to [email protected] requesting email notification. Current and past issues of the Prairie Owl

are available at:

http://www.palouseaudubon.org/newsletter.html

Page 5: Palouse Audubon Society The Prairie Owl as flattened scales ... The vibrant red color is from a common carotenoid pigment (astaxanthin) derived from ... Palouse Audubon Society and

PAGE 5

If Black-capped Chickadees consulted with real estate agents about their housing needs, they'd be easy to please with regard to neighborhoods, accept-ing a variety of habitats from pristine forests to suburban backyards and urban parks. But chickadees are fussy about house design and prefer to excavate their own cavities. They'd be drawn to a listing for a “fixer-upper for the do-it-yourself homeowner”. Scientists have learned a great deal about social interactions, bird personalities, brain neuron regeneration, how ultraviolet plumage color influences mate choice, and other issues by studying Black-capped Chickadees, but there are gaps in our understanding of their basic nesting habits. Chickadee nest cavities have such tiny entrance holes that it's difficult for re-searchers to get the inside story except by studying them in nest boxes.

Chickadees prefer birdhouses filled with wood shavings, giving them something to excavate. Standard nest boxes have long been available in Sap-sucker Woods but were rarely used by chickadees. Even boxes filled with shavings aren't as readily accepted as researchers, and bird watchers, would like. So we (Caren and David) set out to learn whether chickadees would more readily accept an “artificial tree snag” made from a PVC tube. We based our design on a model devel-oped by Thomas Grubb and C.L. Bronson in Ohio in the 1990s.

Starting in 2005, we gave chickadees a choice of nest-ing options near the Lab of Ornithology in Sapsucker Woods. With a team of helpers, we grouped one artificial snag and one standard nest box at 20 sites in Sapsucker Woods. At each site, the nest box and the snag were filled with wood shavings. We located eight of the sites next to existing unfilled nest boxes. Entrance holes for the structures at each site were oriented in the same direction.

Each year of the study, chickadees excavated 60-70 percent of the artificial snags, but only 40-50 percent of the filled nest boxes. They built nests in 25-30 percent of the snags but in only 15 percent of the filled nest boxes, and seldom nested in empty boxes. Their selec-tion of artificial snags may have been influenced by the higher entrance holes in the snags and/or because the snags were less accessible to mice, but the preference was clear.

House Wrens and mice compete with chickadees for nest sites. Neither wrens nor mice excavate their own

THE PRAIRIE OWL VOLUME 37 ISSUE 3

LOOKING FOR THE PERFECT FIXER-UPPER By Caren Cooper, David Bonter, and Laura Erickso

cavities, but they often take over one after chickadees have excavated it. We found that artificial snags were no more

likely than boxes to attract wrens, and none were taken by mice, sug-gesting that the snags may be less susceptible to other climbing predators as well. Not everyone wants a camouflage-painted PVC pipe rather than a standard birdhouse in their back-yard. But if you're trying to inter-est a pair of chickadees in relocat-ing near you, these artificial snags may be an excellent choice. Plans a r e a v a i l a b l e a t www.birdscope.org. Results of our study are published in the Sum-mer 2008 issue of the Journal of Field Ornithology.

Caren Cooper is a research associate in Bird Population Studies. David Bonter is the leader of Project FeederWatch

3” diameter, thin-walled, PVC

Chickadees prefer nest tubes filled with wood shavings more

than nest boxes

Page 6: Palouse Audubon Society The Prairie Owl as flattened scales ... The vibrant red color is from a common carotenoid pigment (astaxanthin) derived from ... Palouse Audubon Society and

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology has just released its newly revised, FREE Homeschooler’s Guide to Project FeederWatch.

For more than 20 years, Project FeederWatch has been an easy, fun way for children to learn about birds and strengthen their skills in observa-tion, identification, research, compu-tation, writing, creativity, and more. FeederWatchers keep track of the numbers and kinds of birds at their feeders through the winter and report what they see to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

The Homeschooler’s Guide to Project FeederWatch will guide you through bird-related activities that promote learning across many disci-plines, including science, math, his-tory, and the arts. Examples of these activities include: Natural history: Observe and

research a bird’s behavior and life cy-cle Math: Calculate average seed con-

Palouse Audubon Society PO Box 3606 Moscow ID 83843-1914

WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY

sumption rate and graph data Writing: Keep a nature journal

to write stories and poetry Geography: Research the geo-

graphic ranges of birds Art: Keep a feeder-bird sketch

book or create a papier mache mask To download the Homeschooler’s

Guide, visit www.FeederWatch.org and click on the “Education/Home-School” button. You’ll be able to

download the PDF in low (2.2MB) or high (6.7MB) resolutions.

You may choose to use the free guide as a stand-alone resource, or sign up for Project FeederWatch to submit the data you gather. If you would like to be a project participant, the signup fee is $12 for members of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, $15 for non-members. There are discounts for group participation.

Homeschooler’s Guide to Project Feeder Watch

Your business tag line here.

We’re on the Web (and in COLOR) at:

palouseaudubon.org

MERRY CHRISTMAS

PALOUSE AUDUBON SOCIETY

Palouse Audubon Society PO Box 3606 Moscow ID 83843-1914

The mission of the National Audubon Society is to conserve and restore natural ecosystems

- focusing on birds, other wildlife, and their habitats -

for the benefit of humanity and the earth's biological diversity.