Future Programs (mark your calendar!)

No Membership Meeting in December ~ see page 8 for Christmas Bird Count info!!!

Membership Meeting - Thursday, November 21st @ 7:00 PM

“Mackenzie River Adventure” presented by Tom & Renee Cottrell

at Hal Holmes Center ~ 201 N Ruby St. ~ Ellensburg, WA

On June 21st of this year, Tom and Renee left

for a 6-week trip alone down the Mackenzie

River in the Northwest Territories in northern

Canada. It was a trip of extremes; the

Mackenzie River begins at the western edge of

Great Slave Lake, the deepest lake in North

America and the 10th largest in the world. Af-

ter more than a thousand miles, the Mackenzie

finally flows into the Arctic Ocean through the

huge delta where some 215 bird species have

been catalogued. Beginning on the southern

shore of Great Slave Lake, they traveled north

down the Mackenzie River which is the 2nd

longest river system in N. America and the

13th longest river in the world (the Columbia is

the 51st longest). The weather was also extreme; during one 39-hour period, the rain never stopped

and the winds gusted over 40 miles per hour. The river flows almost entirely through wilderness, with

the few towns and villages receiving supplies largely by a river barge that travels the river on an in-

termittent basis. Many animals were encountered, from caribou to hungry bears, beaver to lynx,

along with vast numbers of birds. Their presentation will describe their trip, the logistics and difficul-

ties, as well as the beauty of the land and river. Their trip ended when they paddled into Inuvik at

1:30 AM with the sun dipping to its lowest point for the day.

Renee is a 4th grade teacher at Mount Stuart Elementary where she has taught since 2001. Tom

works at CWU as a plant ecologist and is currently the Chair of the Department of Biological Sciences.

Both Renee and Tom are avid backpackers, hikers, and now canoeists. In the summer of 2012, they

paddled a 450-mile section of the Yukon River in Canada.

The Hooter Kittitas Audubon November 2013

All Audubon meetings, held on the 3rd Thursday of each month at the Hal Holmes Center next to the Library, September through May (except December), are open to the public. Please come and meet with us. A brief business session precedes the program. Stay afterwards for juice, treats, and conversation.

Many thanks to the Ellensburg Public Library for sponsoring our meetings here!

Page 2 The Hooter

I missed the board meeting

because I was on a trip to

India but I’m really glad I

made it back for the mem-

bership meeting. What a ter-

rific program, Jeb! Maria Mudd Ruth helped us solve the

mystery of where the Marbled Murrelets nest.

Birding in India was a huge surprise. I wasn’t on a birding

trip so I had to see what I could see where and when I

could see it. And I am happy to report there were birds

everywhere. And colorful ones. And noisy ones. If only I

had had a guide, I could have identified a lot more of

them.

My first clue to the rich avifauna came from the introduc-

tion in Birds of India, my field guide. It said: “The enlight-

ened and benevolent attitudes towards wildlife of Hindu-

ism and Buddhism have undoubtedly helped to conserve

the rich natural heritage of the Indian Subcontinent that

still remains today.”

I won’t bore you with my bird list but here are a few high-

lights. First I was able to see some of our common birds

in their native habitat. The most abundant bird I saw was

the good ol’ Rock Pigeon. They were in all the cities and

those kindly people feed them in public parks. There were

also House Sparrows in the cities but not in the numbers

we have them. The niche of our Mourning Dove was occu-

pied by the Eurasian Collared Dove, which seems to be in

the process of taking over in North America. And if you

have been to Hawaii, you would recognize the introduced

Common Mynah Birds, which are native to India.

The most common crow is the House Crow which resem-

bles ours except it has a handsome grey vest. It is joined

in the work of scavenging by a host of Black Kites. These

beautiful raptors have adapted to city life and soar in ket-

tles everywhere and eat anything, dead or alive. My best

picture of the Taj Mahal (it’s impossible to take a bad one

there) has a kite in it.

We did go on a safari in Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve (a

National Park). We didn’t see any tigers but the bird life

was spectacular. Lots of greens, blues, and other brilliant

colors. If any of you plan a trip to India, contact me. You

can borrow my field guide!

I look forward to the November program. I heard the

Cottrell’s program at the Science Week event at CWU a

year ago. It is very entertaining and informative. Since

Tom is a plant ecologist, we should get some insight into

the habitat that is so important for birds and other wildlife.

Jim Briggs, President

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Send in your stories & photos!

The Hooter is the newsletter of

Kittitas Audubon, published

monthly except for July.

~~~~~~~

Submissions from members &

other readers are most wel-

come and encouraged! The editor reserves the right to edit

for space, grammar, and/or suit-

ability. Email text and/or photos to

bobcat@kvalley.com or snail mail

to Jan Demorest, Hooter Editor,

712 E 2nd Ave, Ellensburg, WA

98926. Submissions need to be in

by the 20th of the preceding month.

KAS BOARD MEMBERS President – Jim Briggs 933-2231 Vice President – VACANT Secretary – Diane Bullock 968-3175 Treasurer – Sharon Lumsden 968-3889 Conservation – Beau Fairchild 435-602-2767 Education – Judy Hallisey 674-6858 Field Trips – Steve Moore 933-1179 *Newsletter – Jan Demorest 933-1179 *Historian – Gloria Lindstrom 925-1807 Programs – Jeb Baldi 933-1558 Publicity – Gerry Sorenson 968-4857 Wildlife Habitat – Joe Meuchel 933-3011 *Bluebird boxes – Jan Demorest 933-1179 Past President — Gloria Baldi 933-1158

Membership – Tuck Forsythe 925-2356

*Christmas Bird Count – Phil Mattocks 962-2191 Social/Greeter – Kay Forsythe 925-2356 *NON-VOTING POSITIONS

KAS Board Meetings are held at 4:30

PM on the 1st Thursday of each

month on the third floor of the CWU

Science Bldg, Room 301 (above the

elephant desk). These meetings are

open to the public and all Audubon

members; please come and join in the

discussions. Meetings adjourn by 6:00

or 6:30, after which we all go out for a

sociable dinner ~ NO business discus-

sion allowed!

First Saturday BirdWalk on October 5th was attended by five members: Tom, Diane, Tuck, Norm,

and Gerry. We had 3 guests present. The temperature was just into the 40’s, the skies clear, and no

wind. A beautiful fall day.

The road into the park

was closed to car traf-

fic because of the Ma-

nastash Metric bike

tour (they came

through the highway

underpass, down the

park access road, and

turned west to the

Umptanum). We

probably saw 60-70

cyclists.

The only raptor we

saw was a Northern

Harrier. At the Reecer

Creek project overlook

we saw: Spotted

Sandpipers, a Wilson’s

Snipe, and Killdeers. The last 4 bikers we saw stopped to see what we had found (Re: the picture). A

total of only 16 species were counted. (low species count might have been due to all the bicycle traffic

especially along the road…)

~ Gerry S.

Field Trip Reports Page 3 The Hooter

photo by Diane Bullock

A perfect October First Saturday at

Rinehart Park

October Hummer!

From Sharon &

Scott Lumsden

on October

22nd: “Sorry I

don't have any

photos, but

had a lone

hummingbird

fly through yesterday at mid-

day. Fortunately we still have

some red salvia flowers in

pots. The nectar feeders came in

a couple of weeks ago, as I

normally don't have any hummers

after mid-September.”

“In contemplating the exceeding beauty of the earth . . . [we] have found calmness and

courage. For there is symbolic as well as actual beauty in the migration of the birds; in the

ebb and flow of the tides; in the folded buds ready for spring. There is something infinitely

healing in these repeated refrains of nature . . .”

~ Rachel Carson

***BOOK SALE***BOOK SALE ***

****BOOK SALE****

AT THE NOVEMBER 21st MEETING

DO WE HAVE BOOKS!! FIVE BOXES OF NEW AND

GENTLY-USED BOOKS: GENERAL BIRD BOOKS,

NATURAL HISTORY, EXPLORATION OF THE

NORTHWEST, THE COLUMBIA RIVER, BIOGRAPHIES

OF BIRD RELATED-INDIVIDUALS, NATURAL

RESOURCE CONCERNS….A WIDE VARIETY OF

FASCINATING TOPICS.

***SALE IS BY DONATION***NO LIMIT***

Think: CHRISTMAS GIFTS or WINTER READING!

A huge thank you to MARIANNE GORDON and CRAIG

JOHNSON for their generous gift of these books!!

Share the View - An International Photo Con-

test

October 15 to December 1, 2013

Grand Prize: $1,000

How often can you turn $10 into $1,000 with just

one beautiful image? Enter "Share the View", the

Audubon Society of Greater Denver's international

nature photography contest, for a chance to do so.

$1,000 is the top cash prize among ten that will be

awarded, in addition to recognition for the top 250

images selected by our experienced panel of judges.

Enter as many images as you'd like for an entry fee

of $10 per image, or 6 for $50. Not only is there a

chance to win some big bucks, but images placing in

the top 250 will appear on the contest website during

2014 and receive a Certificate of Merit. One of the

top 250 will be featured per day on the home page

and all will be accompanied by the photographer's

name, contact information and website link (if requested).

FOR MORE INFO: See last year's winners and register now on the Share the View website or on the

Share the View Facebook page to receive email updates and contest tips. You will also find contest

rules, answers to frequently asked questions, and short biographies about contest judges.

Page 4 Hooter News and weather

Northern Cardinal in flight © 2012 Sharon Draker

Thanksgiving Day Bird Count ~ Get the turkey

in the oven, then sit down and count the birds in

your backyard!

November 22nd, Thursday, for one hour—any hour of

your choosing! You may sit in the comfort of your house,

or a special spot outdoors. Choose a center spot and expand

it to a 15-foot circle which extends upward to form a

cylinder. Count all birds that enter that area, but count the

same bird only once. If a group enters several times, use

the highest count for that species. To record your results,

use the form enclosed in this month’s Hooter, then send to

the address printed on the form.

The Thanksgiving Bird Count was begun in the east in

1966 but did not have a western coordinator until 1992---so

this is the West’s 21st anniversary. Last year 418 count

reports from eleven western states were received. The Dark

-eyed Junco rated tops for the fourth year out of five in several respects; it was most numerous

(2,045), seen by the more than 50% of counters (59.1%), and was the only species seen in ten

states (missed only in Nevada). The other species in the top ten in descending numbers were

House Sparrow, House Finch, California Quail, Black-capped Chickadee, Mourning Dove,

American Goldfinch, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, White-crowned Sparrow, and Pine Siskin.

Conservation & more Page 5 The Hooter

CONSERVATION ISSUE:

Naneum Ridge to the Columbia River

Two Washington State Public Agencies, The Department of Natural

Resources (DNR) and Washington State Department of Fish and

Wildlife (WDFW), manage most of the land to the north and east of

Ellensburg, all in Kittitas County. Presently they are working on a

recreation management plan hoping to achieve sustainable recreation

opportunities for the next 10 to 15 years. Currently public input is

being received on two preliminary recreation management options.

Some information can be found at naneumridgerecplan@dnr.wa.gov .

If you have a special feeling about activities in any of the Naneum-

Colockum areas, take a minute to send your comment to the email

addresses below. This is your public land.

Is the green dot road system working for access? Should there be

more roads? Less roads? Connecting roads? Which roads need

improvement? More hiking trails? Horse trails? Camping areas? All

terrain vehicle (ATV) access to more areas, or in more seasons?

What about the elk and wildlife in winter? Are there hill-sides or

streams affected by water run-off at certain times of year? Should a

shooting range be constructed? Where should hunting areas be

diversified? Should there be no improvement in some areas with

only access by foot or horse, or less human impact completely? More

roads closed? More restrictions on ATV’s? What effect will roads,

snow machines, motor-cross racing, trails, campgrounds have on

birds, elk, and other wildlife? Who will enforce all the activities?

Dana Leavitt and a copy to: Mike Livingston

dana.leavitt@dnr.wa.gov michael.livingston@dfw.wa.gov

Recreation Planner

360-902-1606

Report from Marianne’s backyard ~ October

One of the very first things I did after the big move

was to put up bird feeders. I have my 3-ft thistle

feeder and an assortment of others that hold black oil

sunflower.

It didn't take long. Within a day a chickadee found

the sunflower seed. Grab quick, dash away. One more

day for the goldfinches. Regulars now are these two,

plus House Finches, House Sparrows, and Dark-eyed

Juncos. My feeder count won' t be as great as in the

Taneum but it’s a much smaller space. Yard birds (a

different list from feeder count) also include

crows. Well, if I were doing it now,

I'd have them on the feeder count

because they have raided my walnut

tree. Nothing at all like the depredations of a family of

Steller Jays and a very industrious Douglas Squirrel.

I have received offers of plants but decided to let

those wait until spring. In the meantime, we have

gotten as far as the first layer (cardboard) of mulch

on the new flowerbed with some grass clippings. Lots

of leaves will follow. We'll wet it down then let it all

stew until spring. ~ Marianne Gordon

A Fungi-kind of Day in Woods ~ 10-27-13

Pete Lake Trail near Cooper Lake Campground - beautiful woods, and no rain! ~ Jan & Steve

Page 6 Hooter This & That…

KEEN is turning "Sweet 16"

It has been 15 years since KEEN was incorpo-

rated. The organization has gone through some

ups and downs over the years and, like any

teenager, has had its share of disappointments.

But moving into the Sweet 16th Year, KEEN is on

the edge of a huge upswing.

How incredible it has been to see this organiza-

tion go from dreaming about having a nature

center from which to share the love and knowl-

edge of our region to the reality of an Interpre-

tive Center now within sight. It is really going to

happen! “I’m still having a hard time believing

it…” says Jill Scheffer, KEEN Chairperson, “but

every day the needed steps are taken, in close

partnership with Kittitas County and the Kittitas

County Chamber of Commerce, to move closer

to construction and completion.”

The Center Core Team will start meeting next

week on a regular basis to discuss design, func-

tionality, legal agreements, grant funding, furni-

ture, paint, styles, etc and to choose the archi-

tect/engineer team that will construct the build-

ing. If you are interested in engaging with the

Core Team, please contact Jill Scheffer right

away at jscheffer@forterra.org and join in the

fun.

There are many other committees that are now

ramping up – many ways for you to engage with

KEEN in work on the Interpretive Center, the

Scenic Byway project, and running the flagship

events GISS and e3 Winter Fair. Take a look at

the volunteer opportunities listed on the website!

Volunteer and help KEEN celebrate turning

Sweet 16! www.kittitasee.net

Adapted from KEEN email update by Jill Scheffer, KEEN Chairperson

The mission of

Kittitas Audubon is to develop an

appreciation of nature through

education and conservation, with

a focus on birds.

TWO MORE BLUE RIBBONS ~ Blue Ribbons were

presented at the October meeting to volunteers

who have spent many hours doing tasks that

have enhanced KAS, and therefore, have helped

birds. Kittitas Audubon says “Thank You” to:

Jan Demorest and Steve Moore………..We all

know that Jan is the Hooter editor and Steve

arranges all field trips for KAS, both of which involve

many hours. However, Jan and Steve each received a

Blue Ribbon for their dedication as Citizen Scientists. They

erected, repaired, and for several years have monitored

numerous Bluebird Trails totaling more than 150 bird

nestboxes throughout Kittitas County. Visiting the trails to

collect data from each box, i.e., numbers of eggs, hatched

nestlings, fledglings, predation, species of bird using each

box year to year, whether there is a second clutch, plus

noting boxes never used………all is data collected 3-5 times

each year during the nesting season. An enormous

commitment of time! (To give you an idea of time, Jeb and I

monitor a trail of 21 boxes which Steve originally set out. It

takes us 5 hours from the time we leave home until we

return, which we do four times each spring/summer.

Multiply our 20 hours by the number of boxes Jan and Steve

monitor and you can better understand the time dedicated.)

~ Gloria Baldi

Note from Jan: Steve and I really appreciate the Baldis

taking on this trail. Anyone else interested in volunteering?

Contact Steve or me please!

Thanks to renewing members!

Addie Graaff, Alice Yee, Don Wooldridge, Janet Fulton Perkins & Dr. Raymond ”Dave” Perkins

Page 7 Hooter

Darling Bird Studios, ©2007 UNA

Membership & other news!

BECOME A KITTITAS AUDUBON MEMBER!! (Or renew your membership)

Receive The Hooter ~ help support education and conservation activities and projects!

Two options are available:

OPTION 1: Membership in National Audubon includes a subscription to the magazine, Audubon, membership in the local chapter (KAS), and KAS monthly newsletter, THE HOOTER

____ Join as a new National Audubon member $20 (includes KAS membership)

____ Renew a National Audubon membership $35

Make check payable to: National Audubon Society Include this form and mail to: Membership Data Center, P.O. Box 420235, Palm Coast, FL 32142-0235

Name ___________________________ Address __________________________________________

City _____________________________ State, ZIP _________________________________________

Chapter Code COZY220Z

OPTION 2: Membership in only the local chapter, KAS, includes the monthly newsletter, THE HOOTER

____ Join the local Kittitas Audubon Society (KAS) chapter $20

____ Renew your KAS membership $20

____ Make a donation to KAS $______ (amount)

Make check payable to KAS and mail to: KAS, P.O. Box 1443, Ellensburg, WA 98926

Name ____________________________________ Phone __________________________________

Address __________________________________ Cell _____________________________________

City _____________________________________ Email ____________________________________

State, ZIP _________________________________ Would you like to receive The Hooter electronically?

May we print your name in The Hooter as a new, Yes ____ No, prefer paper edition ____

renewing, or donating member? Yes ___ No ____

Kittitas Audubon is a 501(c)(3) non-profit educational society.

All memberships and donations are tax-deductible to the full extent of the law.

Membership forms are also available on our Web site: Kittitasaudubon.org.

For membership information contact Membership Chair, Tuck Forsythe ~ forsythe@fairpoint.net

Check out BirdKitt!! Get the latest news on bird sightings in Kittitas County from our very own regional “BirdKitt”, an online “listserve” for all persons inter-ested in bird sightings in Kittitas County. You can post your own sightings and sign on to have new postings sent directly to your email address.

If you are not already signed up, here’s how to do it: send an email

to subscribe@yahoogroups.com . Reply to the first email about Bird-kitt that you receive from “yahoogroups”. To unsubscribe: send email to birdkitt- unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com . If you have difficulty, contact Chris Caviezel chris.caviezel@gmail.com

This is a great resource for finding places

to look for birds in the valley.

GET “THE

HOOTER” ONLINE

Save paper, printing,

postage. If you would

prefer to receive the

electronic version,

send your name, mailing address, &

email address to:

info@kittitasaudubon.org

At the beginning of each month,

we’ll send you an email with a quick

link to the new Hooter.

Upcoming KAS Field Trips

THANKS TO KITTITAS COUNTY BUSINESSES SUPPORTING KAS!

Inland Internet, Roslyn, donates Internet service for our Website: http://www.kittitasaudubon.org

Old Mill Country Store, Ellensburg ~ Provides a discount on bird seed to KAS members

and prints our county bird lists. Get your bird seed here!

Kittitas Audubon

P.O. Box 1443

Ellensburg WA 98926

November

2nd, Saturday ~ First Saturday BirdWalk,

Rinehart Park. Leaves have turned, and the

first Bald Eagles are arriving. Juncos are back in

the woods after a summer absence, and creepers

and wrens could be active. 2-3 hour walk (before

you have to go home and rake leaves.) Meet at

the Irene Rinehart riverside parking lot off of Um-

tanum Rd at 8 AM. Jeb and Gloria Baldi lead;

933-1558 for info.

28th ~ Thursday ~ Thanksgiving Day Bird

Count. Count for one hour anytime during the

day. See Page 4 for details.

December

7th, Saturday ~ First Saturday BirdWalk ~

Rinehart Park. Waterfowl are settling in on the

ponds. Bring scopes, and we’ll look for Hooded

Mergansers and Wilson’s Snipes trying to stay

warm and fed. Meet at the Irene Rinehart river-

side parking lot off of Umptanum Rd at 8 AM.

Gloria and Jeb Baldi lead; 933-1558 for info.

16th ~ Monday ~ 2013 Cle Elum Christmas

Bird Count: Michael Hobbs facilitates this

count; call 425-301-1032 or email

mailto:BirdMarymoor@frontier.com to partici-

pate. The count is described at site http://

www.marymoor.org/CECBC/

CleElumCBCCircle.htm .

December 14th, Saturday ~ Ellensburg’s 35th

Christmas Bird Count and potluck. Help count

every bird in our 15-mile circle. More details will

appear in the December Hooter, but if you have

never before participated and would like to—

or if you have participated and cannot do it

this year, please call Gloria Baldi at 933-

1558 or Phil Mattocks at 962-2191.

The Hooter - November 2013 The Newsletter of Kittitas Audubon - http://www.kittitasaudubon.org

Thanksgiving (window watch) Bird Count.

Counter's name and mailing address:

____________________________________________

____________________________________________

__________________________, Zip _____________

Location of Count ____________________________

____________________________________________

Date: ______________, Temp. __________

Time: Begin _________, End ___________

Weather ____________________________________

Habitat type _________________________________

Feeders / baths (Types) ________________________

___________________________________________

Feeders / baths (Number) _______________________

Procedures for Count: Select a circular area on the ground (may

include water area), 15 feet in diameter, to include feeders, bird baths,

shrubs, etc., as you wish. Imagine the circle extending upward as a

cylinder. Count the numbers of individual birds of each species which

come into this circle (or cylinder) during exactly ONE HOUR. Try to

judge as best you can the actual number of individuals which are

making visits to the Circle, or which fly through the imaginary

cylinder. Try NOT to count the same individual bird over and over

again. Please print clearly the number for each species in the In Circle

column. If you wish to report any, seen outside the Circle, list them in

the "Outside" column.

Pick any ONE-HOUR period during the day --and make the count

on Thanksgiving Day! Please send your count results (even if you see

no birds at all) to:

Dr. John G. Hewston

Natural Resources Building

Humboldt State University

Arcata, CA 95521

Record your observations on the field form below.

Species Seen

In Circle

Outside

California Quail

Rock Dove (Domestic Pigeon)

Mourning Dove

Anna's Hummingbird

Northern Flicker

Woodpecker, (list)

Steller's Jay

Blue Jay

Scrub Jay

Black-billed Magpie

Common Raven

American Crow

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Black-capped Chickadee

Mountain Chickadee

Red-breasted Nuthatch

White-breasted Nuthatch

Northern Mockingbird

American Robin

Golden-crowned Kinglet

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Cedar Waxwing

European Starling

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Spotted (Rufous-S) Towhee

White-crowned Sparrow

Golden-crowned Sparrow

Fox Sparrow

Song Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

Red-winged Blackbird

Purple Finch

House Finch

Lesser Goldfinch

American Goldfinch

Pine Siskin

Evening Grosbeak

House Sparrow

Other species: