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| Summer 2010 ECAS Newsletter - August1, 2010
ECAS - 16 Kansas St, Bend, OR. 97701 http://ecAudubon.org |
| Well the summer took its time getting here and now birds are returning south! This is always our busiest time with field trips, projects and events. The BirdingOregon web site has proven to be a smash hit and we are getting between 70 and 80 visitors a day using this service. We all thank Chuck Gates for all his work on this! Both the Kestrel and Lewis’s Woodpecker projects have had great success, and the LEWOs will be featured on an upcoming OPB Oregon Field Guide edition. New this spring, Mary Yanalcanlin started a birding group for preschoolers in Bend (see an article later on in this issue). The bird-a-fun continues to be a fun way to have a day out birding and raise some money. The money is still coming in and will be directed to education programs for conservation and birds in Central Oregon. Kevin Smith (board member) has given three slide show presentations in Redmond and Madras and we had a small piece in the Bulletin featuring a nest box booklet / brochure that Jim Anderson has been working on for us…. As always a lot going on. We also received two grants; One from the Harriett Dennison Foundation and the other from Oregon Wild. A very big thank you goes out to both sponsors. We are working with the USFWS to establish a bird information display at French Glen in the Malheur Wildlife Refuge. More News ... The Beginning Birding class through the Central Oregon Community College's Continuing Learning program was attended by 7 birders from Bend, Redmond and Sisters. The class focused on learning field marks of birds and where to bird in Central Oregon. Taught by Damian Fagan of ECAS, the participants enjoyed viewing and learning about birds in the area over the four week course. Jim Anderson has created a fantastic bird nesting guide with all you need to know about nest boxes. Send a 5x7 SASE to P.O. Box 1513, Sisters, OR 97759 - Jim Anderson will ship this 32-page ECAS publication out to you. Thanks Jim. Annual ECAS Picnic Potluck held on July 15h at Shevlin Park, Bend .... Over 30 of us happily visited, shared good food and enjoyed hearing WBU’s Kevin Lair talk with us about optics. People came from Sisters, CRR, Redmond, Powell Butte and Bend. One of the greatest things about these picnics is to match a face to people you only “know” from the newsletter or from COBOL postings. Another great thing is when new people arrive and we all get to meet them and get excited about going out again to share our favorite patch with them or help get them connected with regular ECAS trips. Five future birders, helmeted and on bikes, gleefully whizzed around us while Lewis’s Woodpeckers on the distant ridge gave us a target to find in scopes and compare views. Kevin and Jen brought an assortment of binoculars from their store and people tried them out, putting to practice the points brought up by Kevin in comparing, adjusting, and analyzing bins for exactly what the individual wants. Three board members were there, Liz, Mary, and Kevin and conveniently answered questions about ECAS or had membership information available for the new folks. A hearty welcome to all the new people and we hope to see you often at meetings and on the birding trips! And we all appreciated seeing the “old” favorite birders too, many of whom extended offers to go out birding together to those new to the area. Thanks to all for a very fun evening.
Annual Event
Come join us for a fun night of friends, food and fundraising for the East Cascades Audubon Society. Then Annual Event will take place November 13, 2010 at the Bend Senior Center, in the early evening. A review of the year's projects and other chapter information will be highlighted by a presentation from Chuck Cross and Jim Taylor, co-owners of Polar Crusies.com. This dynamic duo will present a program on polar travel with a focus on birds - you may want to brush up on those bird guides for a Avian Polar Quiz and a chance to win prizes! There will also be a silent auction, raffle and opportunity to renew your chapter membership. Music will be provided by the Prairie Rockets and beer donated by one of Oregon's finest breweries. So bring a friend and support the efforts of ECAS with your participation
Volunteer - we need you! We are always looking for help. Dean Hale took over from Diane kook as the volunteer coordinator, so please contact him is you want to get involved. Over the next couple of months I will be contacting a few people about the possibilities of serving on the board. If you have an interest in that please contact Steve Dougill. We are also looking for people who can help with a finance committee.
Bird-a-fun - Steve Dougill This was our second year of the bird-a-fun … which is where teams of local birders go out and get pledges of support, either as a lump sum or a donation per bird species seen with all proceeds going towards initiating an education program for ECAS. In the next few months we will gather educators and interested people together to evolve an education strategy … we should be able to leverage ECAS money with Audubon grant funds to highlight birds in the local schools! The money is still coming in but it looks like we will have raised about $2,000 for this program. Thank you for all those of you who gave generously and for those birders who had a team. The Redmond Roadrunners, The Wise ol’ Willets, The Fledglings, The Great Grays and the Irruptives all counted birds for us in a variety of different locations. The most number of species in a single day was found by the Redmond Roadrunners – 176! This involved racing from the Cascade Crest before first light (first bird was Sooty Grouse) to Summer Lake in the evening (last bird was Yellow Rail). The challenge is out for next year.
Birding Opportunities for Preschoolers - by Mary Yanalcanlin yanalcanlin@yahoo.com Monday mornings from May 3 through June 21 for one hour something fun and exciting was taking place in Drake Park. Armed with binoculars, magnifying glasses, and natural curiosity several 3-8 year olds were taking a new look at the many wonders that so many of us take for granted. During that time period (in small groups averaging 3-4 at a time) a total of 12 different young naturalists took a focused look at the birds, insects, arachnids, plants, and environment that caught their attention. They asked questions, made observations, learned new information, sang songs, drew pictures, and had a great time. They played "hide and seek" with the birds even though the birds were always the ones hiding. They became quite adept at walking like a Brewer's blackbird but could never manage to "preen" their back feathers with their beak (although not from lack of trying) like the mallards. They were exposed to the concept of respect for any animal they were observing..."if the animal changes what it is doing because of you, you're too close" and "we're so big that we are scary to the birds sitting on nests". The regulars were quick to point out to the new kids where the house sparrows took dirt baths in their special bathtubs, where the spider webs were, and the difference between lichen and moss. None of the kids wanted to stick their heads under water and eat what the ducks and geese were eating because "it might make them sick" and "it was yucky and gross" thereby reaching the conclusion that perhaps human food would be like that for the ducks and geese. With only the posting on the ECAS website and through word of mouth attendance and interest was good. I look forward to once more offering this activity later in the summer (after my vacation).
Spring field Notes - by Chuck Gates Ahh Spring!!! With its ever increasing day lengths and fresh, warm rain showers it's hard not to fall in love with everything during this season. This is especially true in Central Oregon. It always seems as if the birding batteries get recharged at this time of year and the urge to bird every day can become obsessive to some. This energy gets people into the field and boots on the ground convert to bird sightings galore. Here are the birding highlights for spring 2010 (If you are interested in visiting some of the sites mentioned in this article, visit the Online Birding Guide For Oregon at http://birdingoregon.info/.) Much of the waterfowl migration in our area occurs early in spring. Thus, we can get some good waterfowl rarities during this season. SNOW GEESE were a little more common than normal this year with over 25 birds being seen at several locations. The only ROSS'S GEESE reported were a small flock that stayed at Houston Lake for a week or so in late March. Several reports of TRUMPETER SWANS came from Hatfield Lake and Paulina Valley. Seven EURASIAN WIGEON reports was well above the seasonal average and 130 GREATER SCAUP at Wickiup Reservoir was a large number for that species. Joining the scaup at Wickiup were 8 HORNED GREBES. This species was also seen at Hatfield Lake. A RED-NECKED GREBE was found by Kim Owen at Hay Creek Reservoir. CLARK'S GREBES were found in their traditional haunts in Crook County as were AMERICAN BITTERNS. An unusually large number of AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS invaded the ponds and lakes of Crook County with more than 80 at Houston Lake representing this unusual bounty. A BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON was seen briefly for an unusual Deschutes County record. Though a decent number of shorebirds were reported this season, rarities did not materialize. The only exception to this were two seperate reports of BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS; one from Hatfield Lake and one from eastern Crook County. Though nice to see in the spring, LESSER YELLOWLEGS and RED-NECKED PHALAROPES don't quite make the "rarity" list though both were present. A smattering of BONAPARTE'S GULLS were seen along with a handful of CASPIAN, FORSTER'S, AND BLACK TERNS. SANDHILL CRANE reports came in from Houston Lake, Ryan's Meadow, and the Paulina area. Game bird reports were few this season. RUFFED GROUSE reports came in from the Metolius Preserve and the GW Burn. SOOTY GROUSE were seen or heard at Trout Creek, the GW Burn, Metolius Preserve, and Swampy Sno Park. WILD TURKEYS were again reported from around the Camp Polk area and MOUNTAIN QUAIL could be heard calling north of Sisters on Wychus Creek. Birds of Prey move around quite a bit in the spring and can provide entertaining birding. Calliope Crossing continues to be a decent place to spot a NORTHERN GOSHAWK. FERRUGINOUS HAWK reports were abundant this year and a very late ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK was seen on May 8 near Prineville. MERLINS hung around until late April and a single PEREGRINE FALCON report came in from the Sisters area. BARN OWLS were located near Prineville and NORTHERN PYGMY-OWLS were found at Metolius Preserve, Calliope Crossing, Whispering Pines, Camp Polk, and the Ochoco Mountains. LONG-EARED OWLS were at Haystack Reservoir early in the spring but abandoned their historic nesting sites this year (maybe we should all agree to leave these guys alone for a while). NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL reports came in from several Sno Parks along the Cascade Highway and also from the GW Burn. |  |
 | Few sounds portend the arrival of spring like the two-note, mournful whistle of the COMMON POORWILL or the staccato "Burrrrrr" of the COMMON NIGHTHAWK'S wings. The first poorwill reports came in from Sisters (Sue Tank is the "bird dog" for this species in that area.) on April 11th and the first nighthawk s arrived (all the way from as far as Brazil) as usual, right at the end of May. We all love our hummingbirds and we are blessed with a mix of species that make all too brief stop-overs at our spring hummingbird feeders. ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRDS seem to be approaching the RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD in spring abundance in the Bend area. Anna's Hummers were seen at 7 different locations this spring (the same as the number of Rufous Hummers reported). COSTA'S HUMMINGBIRD is a rare bird anywhere in the state but Bend continues to be the best place to find one in Oregon. Costa reports came in from both Shevlin and Sawyer Parks. CALLIOPE HUMMINGBIRDS began arriving in mid April and a few BLACK-CHINNED HUMMINGBIRDS were located in Deschutes and Crook Counties. |
The GW Burn west of Sisters is the current premiere woodpecker location in the state. A total of 15 different THREE-TOED WOODPECKERS were found there this spring and there were times when the ease of finding this species made one forget that it is one of the most sought after woodpecker species on the continent. BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKERS were even more ridiculously easy to find. As many as 15 could be found foraging in the GW Burn this spring. PILEATED WOODPECKERS were reported on 4 occasions from this same location as were WHITE-HEADED WOODPECKER, WILLIAMSON'S SAPSUCKER, RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER, and RED-NAPED SAPSUCKER. Spring passerine migration is one of the highlights of the year for local birders. This year's annual movement produced some gems. An EASTERN PHOEBE was located near Hampton for a second Deschutes County record. A BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER was seen at Calliope Crossing on May 31 and AMERICAN PIPITS were reported from around the region. HERMIT WARBLERS began arriving on May 8th and YELLOW-BREASTED CHATS seemed to be easier than normal to find in Deschutes County. One of the best migrant finds was a HOODED WARBLER found by Peter Low at Blue Lake. ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAKS were seen at two different locations in Sisters. Not all of the passerine excitement involved birds that were just passing through. Some interesting nesters were also reported. CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEES were seen at Suttle Lake and the BEWICK'S WREN continues to occupy Lower Bridge. SWAINSON'S THRUSHES were found in the Suttle Lake area while breeding TRICOLORED BLACKBIRDS returned to their usual spots in Crook County. Central Oregon VEERY reports are always a welcome rarity and at least one bird is on station at Wildcat Campground in Crook County. PURPLE FINCHES continue to be seen in small numbers throughout Deschutes and Jefferson Counties.
Summer lake Bird Survey - Steve Dougill In early June, 11 volunteers from ECAS stayed down at Summer Lake WMA and had a fantastic time counting breeding shorebirds. We had free reign to walk almost anywhere in the wildlife management area; some people wading through mud and reeds, others keeping to dry ground. What a great opportunity to get close to breeding Avocets and Stilts, Bitterns and rails. Marty St Lois, the warden, hosted a fun pot luck in the evening. Later he took us on a night time prowl for secretive marsh species and we heard the ticking of Yellow Rails. Apart from the common species we were treated to 2 Great tailed Grackles, Marbled godwits and Franklin’s Gulls. I hope to see you next year. Save a date in your calendar for early June.
Alpha Bob, aka Bob Cooper, a Mystery Member of ECAS... intro written by Judy Meredith  | Wondering why you have not met this Bob Cooper? With his lung disease, it is too risky for him to be around anyone with contagious diseases. So he avoids crowds, especially indoors, in close quarters. You may have met Bob though on a field trip, a spontaneous birding outing, or when he invited everyone to visit his home a few years ago when he had a Gray Catbird in the yard, or if you went with Wednesday birders to see the outstanding landscaping for habitat that he and his lovely wife Bev have done on their property. We who have met him, know Bob to be delightful, so positive, generous with his time and ideas, and he has such wonderful birding enthusiasm. It takes a lot more planning for Bob to go on a trip. He went to Alaska again this spring and saw more lifers. This man should be greeted with a high five next time you see him! For many years, Bob has been a steady supporter of our ECBC and now our ECAS with good words, donations, doing bird counts from their yard, and he is such a nice man with such good energy! Read on to meet the real Bob! |
Avid birder Bob Cooper hasn’t given up on his favorite hobby; he has just learned to adjust. He is pictured here on St. Lawrence Island, Alaska. Three miles behind him is the town of Gambell, population 650 (96% Eskimo), and forty miles west of Gambell are the volcanic mountains of the Russian Far East. “This is something I love doing,” Bob says, “and I’m just not willing to become a couch potato. ‘No guts no glory’ I’ve always said and I mean it.” Bob is outfitted for the trip with four layers of clothes, an oxygen tank on the ATV and the cannula under his nose. Notice the binoculars around his neck and the spotting scope tied to the front of the ATV. The medical clinic in Gambell gave Bob free oxygen, which he paid to have flown in from Nome. According to Bob, “Life is good…We saw 20 species of birds that were LIFERS (we’ve never seen before). Plus we saw whales, walruses, Arctic foxes and seals. It’s a real adventure.” Bob’s career and hobbies have always kept him outdoors. He spent 26 years teaching Forest Resources Technology at the community college level. In the 1980s, he worked summers as a Ranger Naturalist at Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, where he led nature walks and
natural history canoe trips and gave evening programs. The valley in the Tetons is 7,000 ft. above sea level and each summer Bob came down with a respiratory infection when moving from his home in Oregon. In 1987, Bob climbed Mt. Whitney at 14,496 ft., the tallest mountain in the lower 48 states, with his wife Beverly and their daughters. Five days into the week-long backpacking trip, Bob came down with what he assumed to be altitude sickness. As a lifelong nonsmoker, it never occurred to him that he had emphysema. Bob and his family reached the top, although Beverly and their daughters had to carry his gear the rest of the way. Finally 10 years later, with over 25 years of seeing doctors for respiratory problems, he was accurately diagnosed with Alpha-1. Bob retired in 1997 when his Alpha-1 began interfering with his job, but Bob and his wife continue to plan trips designed to bird watch and enjoy the plants, animals, history and geology of natural locations. “ “I’m not cavalier,” Bob says. “I’m a real planner. I take all my medicine on my trips. I am on oxygen almost 24/7, and I have a portable oxygen concentrator that I take with me wherever I go. I am very fortunate to have a wife who is such a tremendous caregiver. She is always ready for a new adventure in the natural world.” In 1997, when he was diagnosed, Bob and Beverly had already seen about 200 species of birds in the United States. Over the last 13 years, their list of birds seen has grown to 625 species. “We’re going back to Alaska in 2010, this time to Adak Island and the Pribilof ’s,” Bob says. “We’re going to keep on doing this until I can’t anymore. ‘No guts no glory’. That’s how we’re living and it is quite a ride.” Reprinted from The AlphaNetter © 2010 with permission from AlphaNet, Inc.
Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency is a genetic predisposition that can lead to liver and or lung disease.
Bob had emphysema from exposure to agent orange and other combat related toxins from the Vietnam War.
Calendar of events - Aug 17 - 6pm Getting into Birding in Central Oregon REI Event - Join Larry Berrin for an indepth look at our local feathered friends. Learn the basics of bird watching from what binoculars work best to field identification of common species. Also learn about some of the best birding sites in the area.
- Aug 19 - Birders Night - Nicole Nielsen-Pincus, ECAS board member, wildlife biologist and coordinator of Oregon's Vaux's Swift surveys spring and fall, will present the program on everything you ever wanted to know about Vaux's Swifts.
- Aug 22 - Field trip - Summer Lake & Fort Rock
- Sept 11 - Field trip - Sisters Area
- Sept 16 -Birders Night - Tim Bodeen, Refuge manager at Malheur National Wildlife Refuge will be our program. He has been busy for the past year gathering input from people for the comprehensive long term plan for Malheur. Come hear what is in the works for this great refuge, convenient to Central Oregonians and a favorite spot for most of us.
- Sept 18 & 19 - NAMC
- Sept 18 – Green Ridege Raptor Counts start – For one month
- Sept 26 - Field trip - High Lakes
- Oct 3 - Field trip - Green Ridge Raptor Counts
- Oct. 10 - Field trip - Redmond Area
- Oct 21 - Birders Night - Terry Steele is back! Terry is the fantastic story-telling photographer we all enjoyed last October and he is back with us again, this time with photos and tales of Birds of Africa. We will ask them to bring their photographic note cards which were a hit last time, good to buy for Christmas gifts and sending notes to birding friends. For more about Terry and his work, see the website www.terrysteelenaturephotography.com
- Oct. 31 - Field Trip - High Lakes
- Nov 1 – Winter raptor Surveys start
- Nov 13 – ECAS Annual Event. A thank you to all the members. Save this date. More details coming
Also ... The third Thursday of selected months is Birder's Night at the Environmental Center in Bend. For a schedule of talks and slide shows [see] for more info. Wednesday Morning birders ... details
Water, Parks & Wildlife - By Brad Chalfant For anyone who’s had the opportunity to bird the forests of the Metolius Preserve, the riparian meadows and rimrock canyon of Rimrock Ranch or planted willows as part of the remarkable floodplain and wetlands restoration at Camp Polk Meadow, you’ve seen the handiwork of not just the Deschutes Land Trust, but also of their funding partner, the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (OWEB). OWEB funding provided the largest component of the Land Trust’s purchase of 3 miles of Lake Creek and 1,240 acres of forestland that now make up the Metolius Preserve. Similarly, a grant from OWEB anchored the Land Trust’s purchase of a unique conservation easement on 1,123 acres of Rimrock Ranch on Whychus Creek, protecting the canyon, multiple active eagle nests and an important migration corridor for wildlife moving between large blocks of public land. At Camp Polk Meadow Preserve, OWEB’s funding is allowing the Land Trust and the Upper Deschutes Watershed Council to realize a 13 year old dream of “re-meandering” nearly 2 miles of Whychus Creek, restoring the meadow’s hydrology and wetland complex. While fisheries restoration often steals the spotlight, each of these local projects aptly illustrates that birds are frequently the biggest beneficiaries of these conservation investments. Back in 1998, Oregonians voted to make a visionary commitment of 15% of Oregon’s Lottery revenue to protect and restore wildlife habitat and our system of state parks. Today, OWEB is the primary state agency providing funding to protect and restore fish and wildlife habitat in Oregon. Since 1998, OWEB has provided essential funding to allow land trusts and watershed councils to protect and restore thousands of acres of essential bird habitat across Oregon, as well as here in Central Oregon. However, unless reauthorized by the voters, this critically important funding source will automatically disappear in 2014. To assure that a portion of the lottery continues to be invested in protecting and restoring important habitat, a coalition of Oregon conservation and park user groups are working to place a measure entitled Water, Parks & Wildlife on the November ballot that would continue this essential funding source and make it permanent. To qualify the measure for the November ballot, Oregonians for Water, Parks & Wildlife are working now to collect signatures across Oregon, including here in Central Oregon. With new projects like the 450 acre Whychus Canyon Preserve and the 33,000 acre Skyline Community Forest in process, this unique state funding source takes on ever greater significance and it’s important that Central Oregon’s birding community understand the stakes. Central Oregon birders looking more information or wanting to get involved can start by visiting the Oregonians for Water, Parks & Wildlife website at www.waterparkswildlife.org . And if you haven’t had a chance to visit and bird these protected natural areas, please be sure to check out the Land Trust’s docent-guided tour schedule at http://www.deschuteslandtrust.org/news-reports/current-events . Greenprint of Deschutes County In a parallel effort, the Deschutes Land Trust, the Trust for Public Land and Bend Parks & Recreation District are leading a coalition of local and state agencies to develop a “greenprint” of Deschutes County. The Greenprint is a process developed by TPL and used around the country to create a community vision or plan that helps prioritize the investment in “green infrastructure, such as important wildlife habitat, scenic view protection and trail opportunities. Having a community-based Greenprint will help public agencies, local conservation groups, park providers and recreation groups coordinate their efforts to conserve natural areas and complete trail connections. The partner organizations also expect that the Greenprint will make Central Oregon’s conservation priorities much more competitive for state and national funding sources, which are always in high demand and in short supply. While the initial rounds of public input and data collection have already taken place, the Greenprint partners expect to unveil maps and seek additional public input later this spring. In the meantime, if you’d like more information on the Greenprint of Deschutes County, you can visit http://www.deschuteslandtrust.org/protected-lands/current-projects/greenprint or join the http://www.facebook.com/centraloregonoutdoors facebook site for the latest Greenprint news.
Green Ridge Raptor Migration Survey The 2010 Green Ridge Raptor Migration Survey will be held again this fall on the last 2 weekends of September and the first 2 weekends of October. This ECAS Project involves sitting and or standing on the top of Green Ridge to count fall migrating Raptors. Green Ridge is a long north - south ridge that runs above the east side of the Metolius River. Observers should bring a lunch, appropriate clothing for the day, a chair, and eyes with binoculars would be helpful. It is not required to be able to identify the Raptors as they go by, but very helpful to initially spot them so others can ID them. Some days it gets hectic counting and others it gets pretty slow. No matter what the Raptor activity is, you will be awed by the scenery and the other wildlife present. We will meet at the entrance to Indian Ford Campground at 0900 AM each observation day to carpool and or drive the 20 miles to the site. For those driving, ½ the distance is paved and the other ½ is gravel road. It can get dusty, but the roads are suitable for most cars. I don’t take my Lamborghini, but I have taken my wife’s car. Kim Boddie, the project leader is going to be gone for the first three weekends so we are looking for people to be in charge for the day to make sure the forms are filled out and the counts recorded. Kim will be signing up observers for the 4 weekends and sending out more information through COBOL/OBOL in the next few weeks. If you have any questions, contact Kim at 541 389 3613 of kcboddie@bendbroadband.com .
Lewis's Woodpecker Project Update - Diane Kook Lewis’s Woodpeckers ( LEWO ) are once again successfully raising their young in nest boxes at the Entrada project site along Century Drive. Out of 26 nest boxes in place 16-17 of those have been occupied by LEWO’s during the breeding season. As of June 27th, eight of those boxes have young calling out loudly for their parents to return with food to feed their starving bellies. Young in the nest boxes are hatching later than previous years, probably influenced by our cool, wet spring, so we are hopeful that more of the earlier occupied boxes will soon have screaming babies in them as well! Also, nest boxes located on private property, in close proximity to the Entrada project site, have seen successful occupation in them as well. At Tetherow Golf Course, LEWO’s have been seen using natural cavities, both in existing snags and in at least one snag ‘replanted’ by the golf course owner! Tetherow Golf Course lies just east and north of the Entrada Lodge. Over the years, the general area around the Entrada Lodge has seen continued use by the LEWO’s with their arrival in the spring. Great for all of us that enjoys seeing, hearing and watching these wonderful birds! In the fall, date yet unknown, OPB will be airing a segment on the LEWO nest box project on their program, Oregon Field Guides. It is very exciting to me to share with others the beauty of the Lewis’s Woodpecker, while also sharing the excitement of the success of our nest box project. Look for more news in the future concerning the airing of this show on our website. As always, this project could not be a success without all of the time, and dedication from the many volunteers who participate by; building nest boxes, monitoring the activity at the boxes, data collection, and cleaning out the boxes in the spring! I thank you all!
Kestrel Nest box Project - Don McCartney 6/24, I confirmed our 56th active Kestrel box of the season, tying the former record for breeding pairs in a season. This also marked our sixth consecutive year in which we have had 50 or more active boxes.
 | For ten years the Kestrels were nesting at the same time of the year, with the latest clutch initiated by May 15. Last year was the first deviation from the former schedule when they started nesting later by a few days. This year, I checked the 56th box on June 1 and there were no eggs nor any of the birds in the area of the box. I assumed that box would go unoccupied this year. However, the landowners were paying attention. They contacted me with an excited "We've got Kestrels!" It was their first year with a Kestrel box, as I had installed it in March, 2010. The majority of the other boxes were also late by former standards. Now comes the challenge of banding a bumper crop of nestling Kestrels. I would like to thank the very dedicated team of volunteers that made this possible. I have been fortunate to have such a diligent group of men and women |
Conservation Committee - A big thank you to the 15 volunteers who helped to pull Knapweed (and especially Mike Golden who organized this) from the fantastic birding area at Lower Bridge along the Deschutes River. It seems that now that it is a manageable task to keep on top of this weed. Kevin Tanski has been helping to navigate the delicate water rights situation at lake Abert to ensure that there will be adequate water for the hundreds of thousands of shorebirds that use this location in the fall.
News from other Oregon Audubon chapters: As we become more involved with the local Audubon chapters we will feature some of their projects and ways to get involved. PO Box 381, North Bend, OR 97459; 541-266-7382 PO Box 148, Corvallis, OR 97339 PO Box 1265, Port Orford, OR 97465; 541-332-0261 PO Box 354, Klamath Falls, OR 97601 PO Box 5086, Eugene, OR 97405; 541-485-2473
PO Box 38, Lincoln City, OR 97367; 541-921-4009 // 541-992-0440
189 Liberty St NE – Suite 210, Salem, OR 97301 – 503-588-7340
Siskiyou Audubon Society (no website)
PO Box 2223, Grants Pass, OR 97528
Other local Organizations - No group works alone and we would like to introduce you to a range of other conservation / wildlife groups in Central Oregon that are active and support out mission. If you are active in a group not represented here and would like to contribute a regular piece, please contact us. Deschutes Land Trust – Snags for Wildlife - By Amanda Egertson The East Cascades have witnessed many decades of fire suppression in ponderosa pine forests that have resulted in unusually high stand densities and unusually low densities of standing dead trees, or snags. That’s an unfortunate circumstance for both primary and secondary cavity nesters and the loss of suitable nesting habitat has lead to declines in numerous bird species. In 2005, after receiving funding from the American Bird Conservancy, the Deschutes Land Trust partnered with Steve Shunk and East Cascade Audubon Society to conduct a snag survey of Camp Polk Meadow Preserve. The results of the survey indicated we needed more snags, so we created 7 new ones by cutting the tops off of live ponderosa pine trees. Now, several years later, we're very excited to report that those trees have become home to many birds, including white-headed woodpeckers, flickers, and pygmy nuthatches (see attached photo taken by volunteer Karen Parker). The Land Trust also created numerous snags at the Metolius Preserve and similar activity has been documented there as well. If you’re interested in helping the Land Trust monitor snags on their properties, please contact Amanda at amanda@deschuteslandtrust.org for more information. Oregon Natural Desert Association (ONDA) - Bill to Protect Horse Heaven, Cathedral Rock Advances in U.S. Senate- By Aaron Killgore, John Day Coordinator The Cathedral Rock and Horse Heaven Act of 2010 has reached another important milestone in the US Senate after receiving favorable testimony from the Obama administration. In April, the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands heard testimony from agencies and stakeholders involved in the bill. The U.S. Interior Department commented positively on the consolidation of a checkerboard of public and private lands in northeast Jefferson and southern Wasco counties, and offered a few minor changes to the bill.
Chairman of the subcommittee and co-sponsor of the bill, Senator Ron Wyden, spoke of its divers and widespread support in Central Oregon, which includes county governments, hunting groups and a long list of conservation interests, including the Oregon Natural Desert Association. “We put the proposal together the Oregon way, lots of folks at the local level developing the proposal from the ground up,” Wyden said. Forrest Reinhardt, a consultant for Young Life, spoke on behalf of ONDA and the adjacent landowners in the testimony hearing. He also presented a proposal to increase the Horse Heaven proposed wilderness area by over 1,500 acres, while consolidating additional fragmented BLM lands in the nearby Antone Ranch. BLM Assistant Director Ed Roberson said his agency is examining the proposed changes, and would be happy to work with the delegation to facilitate the additions. The bill is now waiting for a markup and full committee hearing prior to being ready for a Senate floor vote. Please help move this effort along by contacting your Congressional Representatives today. For more information please visit our website and check out the John Day section or contact me at akillgore@onda.org.
Board Members
Steve Dougill - President
Larry Berrin - VP
Mary Oppenheimer - Secretary
Nicole Nielsen-Pincus
Liz O'Connell
Tom Crabtree
Damien Fagen
Kevin Smith | The ECAS is a 501c3 non-profit organization dedicated to helping birds and their habitats. Although we are based in Central Oregon, we organize several Sate-wide projects and are strong advocates for conservation. We encourage you to visit us at http://ecAudubon.org and become a member of this growing and energetic organization. As always, enjoy the birds! |
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| Summer 2010 ECAS Newsletter - August1, 2010
ECAS - 16 Kansas St, Bend, OR. 97701 http://ecAudubon.org |
| Well the summer took its time getting here and now birds are returning south! This is always our busiest time with field trips, projects and events. The BirdingOregon web site has proven to be a smash hit and we are getting between 70 and 80 visitors a day using this service. We all thank Chuck Gates for all his work on this! Both the Kestrel and Lewis’s Woodpecker projects have had great success, and the LEWOs will be featured on an upcoming OPB Oregon Field Guide edition. New this spring, Mary Yanalcanlin started a birding group for preschoolers in Bend (see an article later on in this issue). The bird-a-fun continues to be a fun way to have a day out birding and raise some money. The money is still coming in and will be directed to education programs for conservation and birds in Central Oregon. Kevin Smith (board member) has given three slide show presentations in Redmond and Madras and we had a small piece in the Bulletin featuring a nest box booklet / brochure that Jim Anderson has been working on for us…. As always a lot going on. We also received two grants; One from the Harriett Dennison Foundation and the other from Oregon Wild. A very big thank you goes out to both sponsors. We are working with the USFWS to establish a bird information display at French Glen in the Malheur Wildlife Refuge. More News ... The Beginning Birding class through the Central Oregon Community College's Continuing Learning program was attended by 7 birders from Bend, Redmond and Sisters. The class focused on learning field marks of birds and where to bird in Central Oregon. Taught by Damian Fagan of ECAS, the participants enjoyed viewing and learning about birds in the area over the four week course. Jim Anderson has created a fantastic bird nesting guide with all you need to know about nest boxes. Send a 5x7 SASE to P.O. Box 1513, Sisters, OR 97759 - Jim Anderson will ship this 32-page ECAS publication out to you. Thanks Jim. Annual ECAS Picnic Potluck held on July 15h at Shevlin Park, Bend .... Over 30 of us happily visited, shared good food and enjoyed hearing WBU’s Kevin Lair talk with us about optics. People came from Sisters, CRR, Redmond, Powell Butte and Bend. One of the greatest things about these picnics is to match a face to people you only “know” from the newsletter or from COBOL postings. Another great thing is when new people arrive and we all get to meet them and get excited about going out again to share our favorite patch with them or help get them connected with regular ECAS trips. Five future birders, helmeted and on bikes, gleefully whizzed around us while Lewis’s Woodpeckers on the distant ridge gave us a target to find in scopes and compare views. Kevin and Jen brought an assortment of binoculars from their store and people tried them out, putting to practice the points brought up by Kevin in comparing, adjusting, and analyzing bins for exactly what the individual wants. Three board members were there, Liz, Mary, and Kevin and conveniently answered questions about ECAS or had membership information available for the new folks. A hearty welcome to all the new people and we hope to see you often at meetings and on the birding trips! And we all appreciated seeing the “old” favorite birders too, many of whom extended offers to go out birding together to those new to the area. Thanks to all for a very fun evening.
Annual Event
Come join us for a fun night of friends, food and fundraising for the East Cascades Audubon Society. Then Annual Event will take place November 13, 2010 at the Bend Senior Center, in the early evening. A review of the year's projects and other chapter information will be highlighted by a presentation from Chuck Cross and Jim Taylor, co-owners of Polar Crusies.com. This dynamic duo will present a program on polar travel with a focus on birds - you may want to brush up on those bird guides for a Avian Polar Quiz and a chance to win prizes! There will also be a silent auction, raffle and opportunity to renew your chapter membership. Music will be provided by the Prairie Rockets and beer donated by one of Oregon's finest breweries. So bring a friend and support the efforts of ECAS with your participation
Volunteer - we need you! We are always looking for help. Dean Hale took over from Diane kook as the volunteer coordinator, so please contact him is you want to get involved. Over the next couple of months I will be contacting a few people about the possibilities of serving on the board. If you have an interest in that please contact Steve Dougill. We are also looking for people who can help with a finance committee.
Bird-a-fun - Steve Dougill This was our second year of the bird-a-fun … which is where teams of local birders go out and get pledges of support, either as a lump sum or a donation per bird species seen with all proceeds going towards initiating an education program for ECAS. In the next few months we will gather educators and interested people together to evolve an education strategy … we should be able to leverage ECAS money with Audubon grant funds to highlight birds in the local schools! The money is still coming in but it looks like we will have raised about $2,000 for this program. Thank you for all those of you who gave generously and for those birders who had a team. The Redmond Roadrunners, The Wise ol’ Willets, The Fledglings, The Great Grays and the Irruptives all counted birds for us in a variety of different locations. The most number of species in a single day was found by the Redmond Roadrunners – 176! This involved racing from the Cascade Crest before first light (first bird was Sooty Grouse) to Summer Lake in the evening (last bird was Yellow Rail). The challenge is out for next year.
Birding Opportunities for Preschoolers - by Mary Yanalcanlin yanalcanlin@yahoo.com Monday mornings from May 3 through June 21 for one hour something fun and exciting was taking place in Drake Park. Armed with binoculars, magnifying glasses, and natural curiosity several 3-8 year olds were taking a new look at the many wonders that so many of us take for granted. During that time period (in small groups averaging 3-4 at a time) a total of 12 different young naturalists took a focused look at the birds, insects, arachnids, plants, and environment that caught their attention. They asked questions, made observations, learned new information, sang songs, drew pictures, and had a great time. They played "hide and seek" with the birds even though the birds were always the ones hiding. They became quite adept at walking like a Brewer's blackbird but could never manage to "preen" their back feathers with their beak (although not from lack of trying) like the mallards. They were exposed to the concept of respect for any animal they were observing..."if the animal changes what it is doing because of you, you're too close" and "we're so big that we are scary to the birds sitting on nests". The regulars were quick to point out to the new kids where the house sparrows took dirt baths in their special bathtubs, where the spider webs were, and the difference between lichen and moss. None of the kids wanted to stick their heads under water and eat what the ducks and geese were eating because "it might make them sick" and "it was yucky and gross" thereby reaching the conclusion that perhaps human food would be like that for the ducks and geese. With only the posting on the ECAS website and through word of mouth attendance and interest was good. I look forward to once more offering this activity later in the summer (after my vacation).
Spring field Notes - by Chuck Gates Ahh Spring!!! With its ever increasing day lengths and fresh, warm rain showers it's hard not to fall in love with everything during this season. This is especially true in Central Oregon. It always seems as if the birding batteries get recharged at this time of year and the urge to bird every day can become obsessive to some. This energy gets people into the field and boots on the ground convert to bird sightings galore. Here are the birding highlights for spring 2010 (If you are interested in visiting some of the sites mentioned in this article, visit the Online Birding Guide For Oregon at http://birdingoregon.info/.) Much of the waterfowl migration in our area occurs early in spring. Thus, we can get some good waterfowl rarities during this season. SNOW GEESE were a little more common than normal this year with over 25 birds being seen at several locations. The only ROSS'S GEESE reported were a small flock that stayed at Houston Lake for a week or so in late March. Several reports of TRUMPETER SWANS came from Hatfield Lake and Paulina Valley. Seven EURASIAN WIGEON reports was well above the seasonal average and 130 GREATER SCAUP at Wickiup Reservoir was a large number for that species. Joining the scaup at Wickiup were 8 HORNED GREBES. This species was also seen at Hatfield Lake. A RED-NECKED GREBE was found by Kim Owen at Hay Creek Reservoir. CLARK'S GREBES were found in their traditional haunts in Crook County as were AMERICAN BITTERNS. An unusually large number of AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS invaded the ponds and lakes of Crook County with more than 80 at Houston Lake representing this unusual bounty. A BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON was seen briefly for an unusual Deschutes County record. Though a decent number of shorebirds were reported this season, rarities did not materialize. The only exception to this were two seperate reports of BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS; one from Hatfield Lake and one from eastern Crook County. Though nice to see in the spring, LESSER YELLOWLEGS and RED-NECKED PHALAROPES don't quite make the "rarity" list though both were present. A smattering of BONAPARTE'S GULLS were seen along with a handful of CASPIAN, FORSTER'S, AND BLACK TERNS. SANDHILL CRANE reports came in from Houston Lake, Ryan's Meadow, and the Paulina area. Game bird reports were few this season. RUFFED GROUSE reports came in from the Metolius Preserve and the GW Burn. SOOTY GROUSE were seen or heard at Trout Creek, the GW Burn, Metolius Preserve, and Swampy Sno Park. WILD TURKEYS were again reported from around the Camp Polk area and MOUNTAIN QUAIL could be heard calling north of Sisters on Wychus Creek. Birds of Prey move around quite a bit in the spring and can provide entertaining birding. Calliope Crossing continues to be a decent place to spot a NORTHERN GOSHAWK. FERRUGINOUS HAWK reports were abundant this year and a very late ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK was seen on May 8 near Prineville. MERLINS hung around until late April and a single PEREGRINE FALCON report came in from the Sisters area. BARN OWLS were located near Prineville and NORTHERN PYGMY-OWLS were found at Metolius Preserve, Calliope Crossing, Whispering Pines, Camp Polk, and the Ochoco Mountains. LONG-EARED OWLS were at Haystack Reservoir early in the spring but abandoned their historic nesting sites this year (maybe we should all agree to leave these guys alone for a while). NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL reports came in from several Sno Parks along the Cascade Highway and also from the GW Burn. | |
| Few sounds portend the arrival of spring like the two-note, mournful whistle of the COMMON POORWILL or the staccato "Burrrrrr" of the COMMON NIGHTHAWK'S wings. The first poorwill reports came in from Sisters (Sue Tank is the "bird dog" for this species in that area.) on April 11th and the first nighthawk s arrived (all the way from as far as Brazil) as usual, right at the end of May. We all love our hummingbirds and we are blessed with a mix of species that make all too brief stop-overs at our spring hummingbird feeders. ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRDS seem to be approaching the RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD in spring abundance in the Bend area. Anna's Hummers were seen at 7 different locations this spring (the same as the number of Rufous Hummers reported). COSTA'S HUMMINGBIRD is a rare bird anywhere in the state but Bend continues to be the best place to find one in Oregon. Costa reports came in from both Shevlin and Sawyer Parks. CALLIOPE HUMMINGBIRDS began arriving in mid April and a few BLACK-CHINNED HUMMINGBIRDS were located in Deschutes and Crook Counties. |
The GW Burn west of Sisters is the current premiere woodpecker location in the state. A total of 15 different THREE-TOED WOODPECKERS were found there this spring and there were times when the ease of finding this species made one forget that it is one of the most sought after woodpecker species on the continent. BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKERS were even more ridiculously easy to find. As many as 15 could be found foraging in the GW Burn this spring. PILEATED WOODPECKERS were reported on 4 occasions from this same location as were WHITE-HEADED WOODPECKER, WILLIAMSON'S SAPSUCKER, RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER, and RED-NAPED SAPSUCKER. Spring passerine migration is one of the highlights of the year for local birders. This year's annual movement produced some gems. An EASTERN PHOEBE was located near Hampton for a second Deschutes County record. A BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER was seen at Calliope Crossing on May 31 and AMERICAN PIPITS were reported from around the region. HERMIT WARBLERS began arriving on May 8th and YELLOW-BREASTED CHATS seemed to be easier than normal to find in Deschutes County. One of the best migrant finds was a HOODED WARBLER found by Peter Low at Blue Lake. ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAKS were seen at two different locations in Sisters. Not all of the passerine excitement involved birds that were just passing through. Some interesting nesters were also reported. CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEES were seen at Suttle Lake and the BEWICK'S WREN continues to occupy Lower Bridge. SWAINSON'S THRUSHES were found in the Suttle Lake area while breeding TRICOLORED BLACKBIRDS returned to their usual spots in Crook County. Central Oregon VEERY reports are always a welcome rarity and at least one bird is on station at Wildcat Campground in Crook County. PURPLE FINCHES continue to be seen in small numbers throughout Deschutes and Jefferson Counties.
Summer lake Bird Survey - Steve Dougill In early June, 11 volunteers from ECAS stayed down at Summer Lake WMA and had a fantastic time counting breeding shorebirds. We had free reign to walk almost anywhere in the wildlife management area; some people wading through mud and reeds, others keeping to dry ground. What a great opportunity to get close to breeding Avocets and Stilts, Bitterns and rails. Marty St Lois, the warden, hosted a fun pot luck in the evening. Later he took us on a night time prowl for secretive marsh species and we heard the ticking of Yellow Rails. Apart from the common species we were treated to 2 Great tailed Grackles, Marbled godwits and Franklin’s Gulls. I hope to see you next year. Save a date in your calendar for early June.
Alpha Bob, aka Bob Cooper, a Mystery Member of ECAS... intro written by Judy Meredith | Wondering why you have not met this Bob Cooper? With his lung disease, it is too risky for him to be around anyone with contagious diseases. So he avoids crowds, especially indoors, in close quarters. You may have met Bob though on a field trip, a spontaneous birding outing, or when he invited everyone to visit his home a few years ago when he had a Gray Catbird in the yard, or if you went with Wednesday birders to see the outstanding landscaping for habitat that he and his lovely wife Bev have done on their property. We who have met him, know Bob to be delightful, so positive, generous with his time and ideas, and he has such wonderful birding enthusiasm. It takes a lot more planning for Bob to go on a trip. He went to Alaska again this spring and saw more lifers. This man should be greeted with a high five next time you see him! For many years, Bob has been a steady supporter of our ECBC and now our ECAS with good words, donations, doing bird counts from their yard, and he is such a nice man with such good energy! Read on to meet the real Bob! |
Avid birder Bob Cooper hasn’t given up on his favorite hobby; he has just learned to adjust. He is pictured here on St. Lawrence Island, Alaska. Three miles behind him is the town of Gambell, population 650 (96% Eskimo), and forty miles west of Gambell are the volcanic mountains of the Russian Far East. “This is something I love doing,” Bob says, “and I’m just not willing to become a couch potato. ‘No guts no glory’ I’ve always said and I mean it.” Bob is outfitted for the trip with four layers of clothes, an oxygen tank on the ATV and the cannula under his nose. Notice the binoculars around his neck and the spotting scope tied to the front of the ATV. The medical clinic in Gambell gave Bob free oxygen, which he paid to have flown in from Nome. According to Bob, “Life is good…We saw 20 species of birds that were LIFERS (we’ve never seen before). Plus we saw whales, walruses, Arctic foxes and seals. It’s a real adventure.” Bob’s career and hobbies have always kept him outdoors. He spent 26 years teaching Forest Resources Technology at the community college level. In the 1980s, he worked summers as a Ranger Naturalist at Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, where he led nature walks and
natural history canoe trips and gave evening programs. The valley in the Tetons is 7,000 ft. above sea level and each summer Bob came down with a respiratory infection when moving from his home in Oregon. In 1987, Bob climbed Mt. Whitney at 14,496 ft., the tallest mountain in the lower 48 states, with his wife Beverly and their daughters. Five days into the week-long backpacking trip, Bob came down with what he assumed to be altitude sickness. As a lifelong nonsmoker, it never occurred to him that he had emphysema. Bob and his family reached the top, although Beverly and their daughters had to carry his gear the rest of the way. Finally 10 years later, with over 25 years of seeing doctors for respiratory problems, he was accurately diagnosed with Alpha-1. Bob retired in 1997 when his Alpha-1 began interfering with his job, but Bob and his wife continue to plan trips designed to bird watch and enjoy the plants, animals, history and geology of natural locations. “ “I’m not cavalier,” Bob says. “I’m a real planner. I take all my medicine on my trips. I am on oxygen almost 24/7, and I have a portable oxygen concentrator that I take with me wherever I go. I am very fortunate to have a wife who is such a tremendous caregiver. She is always ready for a new adventure in the natural world.” In 1997, when he was diagnosed, Bob and Beverly had already seen about 200 species of birds in the United States. Over the last 13 years, their list of birds seen has grown to 625 species. “We’re going back to Alaska in 2010, this time to Adak Island and the Pribilof ’s,” Bob says. “We’re going to keep on doing this until I can’t anymore. ‘No guts no glory’. That’s how we’re living and it is quite a ride.” Reprinted from The AlphaNetter © 2010 with permission from AlphaNet, Inc.
Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency is a genetic predisposition that can lead to liver and or lung disease.
Bob had emphysema from exposure to agent orange and other combat related toxins from the Vietnam War.
Calendar of events - Aug 17 - 6pm Getting into Birding in Central Oregon REI Event - Join Larry Berrin for an indepth look at our local feathered friends. Learn the basics of bird watching from what binoculars work best to field identification of common species. Also learn about some of the best birding sites in the area.
- Aug 19 - Birders Night - Nicole Nielsen-Pincus, ECAS board member, wildlife biologist and coordinator of Oregon's Vaux's Swift surveys spring and fall, will present the program on everything you ever wanted to know about Vaux's Swifts.
- Aug 22 - Field trip - Summer Lake & Fort Rock
- Sept 11 - Field trip - Sisters Area
- Sept 16 -Birders Night - Tim Bodeen, Refuge manager at Malheur National Wildlife Refuge will be our program. He has been busy for the past year gathering input from people for the comprehensive long term plan for Malheur. Come hear what is in the works for this great refuge, convenient to Central Oregonians and a favorite spot for most of us.
- Sept 18 & 19 - NAMC
- Sept 18 – Green Ridege Raptor Counts start – For one month
- Sept 26 - Field trip - High Lakes
- Oct 3 - Field trip - Green Ridge Raptor Counts
- Oct. 10 - Field trip - Redmond Area
- Oct 21 - Birders Night - Terry Steele is back! Terry is the fantastic story-telling photographer we all enjoyed last October and he is back with us again, this time with photos and tales of Birds of Africa. We will ask them to bring their photographic note cards which were a hit last time, good to buy for Christmas gifts and sending notes to birding friends. For more about Terry and his work, see the website www.terrysteelenaturephotography.com
- Oct. 31 - Field Trip - High Lakes
- Nov 1 – Winter raptor Surveys start
- Nov 13 – ECAS Annual Event. A thank you to all the members. Save this date. More details coming
Also ... The third Thursday of selected months is Birder's Night at the Environmental Center in Bend. For a schedule of talks and slide shows [see] for more info. Wednesday Morning birders ... details
Water, Parks & Wildlife - By Brad Chalfant For anyone who’s had the opportunity to bird the forests of the Metolius Preserve, the riparian meadows and rimrock canyon of Rimrock Ranch or planted willows as part of the remarkable floodplain and wetlands restoration at Camp Polk Meadow, you’ve seen the handiwork of not just the Deschutes Land Trust, but also of their funding partner, the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (OWEB). OWEB funding provided the largest component of the Land Trust’s purchase of 3 miles of Lake Creek and 1,240 acres of forestland that now make up the Metolius Preserve. Similarly, a grant from OWEB anchored the Land Trust’s purchase of a unique conservation easement on 1,123 acres of Rimrock Ranch on Whychus Creek, protecting the canyon, multiple active eagle nests and an important migration corridor for wildlife moving between large blocks of public land. At Camp Polk Meadow Preserve, OWEB’s funding is allowing the Land Trust and the Upper Deschutes Watershed Council to realize a 13 year old dream of “re-meandering” nearly 2 miles of Whychus Creek, restoring the meadow’s hydrology and wetland complex. While fisheries restoration often steals the spotlight, each of these local projects aptly illustrates that birds are frequently the biggest beneficiaries of these conservation investments. Back in 1998, Oregonians voted to make a visionary commitment of 15% of Oregon’s Lottery revenue to protect and restore wildlife habitat and our system of state parks. Today, OWEB is the primary state agency providing funding to protect and restore fish and wildlife habitat in Oregon. Since 1998, OWEB has provided essential funding to allow land trusts and watershed councils to protect and restore thousands of acres of essential bird habitat across Oregon, as well as here in Central Oregon. However, unless reauthorized by the voters, this critically important funding source will automatically disappear in 2014. To assure that a portion of the lottery continues to be invested in protecting and restoring important habitat, a coalition of Oregon conservation and park user groups are working to place a measure entitled Water, Parks & Wildlife on the November ballot that would continue this essential funding source and make it permanent. To qualify the measure for the November ballot, Oregonians for Water, Parks & Wildlife are working now to collect signatures across Oregon, including here in Central Oregon. With new projects like the 450 acre Whychus Canyon Preserve and the 33,000 acre Skyline Community Forest in process, this unique state funding source takes on ever greater significance and it’s important that Central Oregon’s birding community understand the stakes. Central Oregon birders looking more information or wanting to get involved can start by visiting the Oregonians for Water, Parks & Wildlife website at www.waterparkswildlife.org . And if you haven’t had a chance to visit and bird these protected natural areas, please be sure to check out the Land Trust’s docent-guided tour schedule at http://www.deschuteslandtrust.org/news-reports/current-events . Greenprint of Deschutes County In a parallel effort, the Deschutes Land Trust, the Trust for Public Land and Bend Parks & Recreation District are leading a coalition of local and state agencies to develop a “greenprint” of Deschutes County. The Greenprint is a process developed by TPL and used around the country to create a community vision or plan that helps prioritize the investment in “green infrastructure, such as important wildlife habitat, scenic view protection and trail opportunities. Having a community-based Greenprint will help public agencies, local conservation groups, park providers and recreation groups coordinate their efforts to conserve natural areas and complete trail connections. The partner organizations also expect that the Greenprint will make Central Oregon’s conservation priorities much more competitive for state and national funding sources, which are always in high demand and in short supply. While the initial rounds of public input and data collection have already taken place, the Greenprint partners expect to unveil maps and seek additional public input later this spring. In the meantime, if you’d like more information on the Greenprint of Deschutes County, you can visit http://www.deschuteslandtrust.org/protected-lands/current-projects/greenprint or join the http://www.facebook.com/centraloregonoutdoors facebook site for the latest Greenprint news.
Green Ridge Raptor Migration Survey The 2010 Green Ridge Raptor Migration Survey will be held again this fall on the last 2 weekends of September and the first 2 weekends of October. This ECAS Project involves sitting and or standing on the top of Green Ridge to count fall migrating Raptors. Green Ridge is a long north - south ridge that runs above the east side of the Metolius River. Observers should bring a lunch, appropriate clothing for the day, a chair, and eyes with binoculars would be helpful. It is not required to be able to identify the Raptors as they go by, but very helpful to initially spot them so others can ID them. Some days it gets hectic counting and others it gets pretty slow. No matter what the Raptor activity is, you will be awed by the scenery and the other wildlife present. We will meet at the entrance to Indian Ford Campground at 0900 AM each observation day to carpool and or drive the 20 miles to the site. For those driving, ½ the distance is paved and the other ½ is gravel road. It can get dusty, but the roads are suitable for most cars. I don’t take my Lamborghini, but I have taken my wife’s car. Kim Boddie, the project leader is going to be gone for the first three weekends so we are looking for people to be in charge for the day to make sure the forms are filled out and the counts recorded. Kim will be signing up observers for the 4 weekends and sending out more information through COBOL/OBOL in the next few weeks. If you have any questions, contact Kim at 541 389 3613 of kcboddie@bendbroadband.com .
Lewis's Woodpecker Project Update - Diane Kook Lewis’s Woodpeckers ( LEWO ) are once again successfully raising their young in nest boxes at the Entrada project site along Century Drive. Out of 26 nest boxes in place 16-17 of those have been occupied by LEWO’s during the breeding season. As of June 27th, eight of those boxes have young calling out loudly for their parents to return with food to feed their starving bellies. Young in the nest boxes are hatching later than previous years, probably influenced by our cool, wet spring, so we are hopeful that more of the earlier occupied boxes will soon have screaming babies in them as well! Also, nest boxes located on private property, in close proximity to the Entrada project site, have seen successful occupation in them as well. At Tetherow Golf Course, LEWO’s have been seen using natural cavities, both in existing snags and in at least one snag ‘replanted’ by the golf course owner! Tetherow Golf Course lies just east and north of the Entrada Lodge. Over the years, the general area around the Entrada Lodge has seen continued use by the LEWO’s with their arrival in the spring. Great for all of us that enjoys seeing, hearing and watching these wonderful birds! In the fall, date yet unknown, OPB will be airing a segment on the LEWO nest box project on their program, Oregon Field Guides. It is very exciting to me to share with others the beauty of the Lewis’s Woodpecker, while also sharing the excitement of the success of our nest box project. Look for more news in the future concerning the airing of this show on our website. As always, this project could not be a success without all of the time, and dedication from the many volunteers who participate by; building nest boxes, monitoring the activity at the boxes, data collection, and cleaning out the boxes in the spring! I thank you all!
Kestrel Nest box Project - Don McCartney 6/24, I confirmed our 56th active Kestrel box of the season, tying the former record for breeding pairs in a season. This also marked our sixth consecutive year in which we have had 50 or more active boxes.
| For ten years the Kestrels were nesting at the same time of the year, with the latest clutch initiated by May 15. Last year was the first deviation from the former schedule when they started nesting later by a few days. This year, I checked the 56th box on June 1 and there were no eggs nor any of the birds in the area of the box. I assumed that box would go unoccupied this year. However, the landowners were paying attention. They contacted me with an excited "We've got Kestrels!" It was their first year with a Kestrel box, as I had installed it in March, 2010. The majority of the other boxes were also late by former standards. Now comes the challenge of banding a bumper crop of nestling Kestrels. I would like to thank the very dedicated team of volunteers that made this possible. I have been fortunate to have such a diligent group of men and women |
Conservation Committee - A big thank you to the 15 volunteers who helped to pull Knapweed (and especially Mike Golden who organized this) from the fantastic birding area at Lower Bridge along the Deschutes River. It seems that now that it is a manageable task to keep on top of this weed. Kevin Tanski has been helping to navigate the delicate water rights situation at lake Abert to ensure that there will be adequate water for the hundreds of thousands of shorebirds that use this location in the fall.
News from other Oregon Audubon chapters: As we become more involved with the local Audubon chapters we will feature some of their projects and ways to get involved. PO Box 381, North Bend, OR 97459; 541-266-7382 PO Box 148, Corvallis, OR 97339 PO Box 1265, Port Orford, OR 97465; 541-332-0261 PO Box 354, Klamath Falls, OR 97601 PO Box 5086, Eugene, OR 97405; 541-485-2473
PO Box 38, Lincoln City, OR 97367; 541-921-4009 // 541-992-0440
189 Liberty St NE – Suite 210, Salem, OR 97301 – 503-588-7340
Siskiyou Audubon Society (no website)
PO Box 2223, Grants Pass, OR 97528
Other local Organizations - No group works alone and we would like to introduce you to a range of other conservation / wildlife groups in Central Oregon that are active and support out mission. If you are active in a group not represented here and would like to contribute a regular piece, please contact us. Deschutes Land Trust – Snags for Wildlife - By Amanda Egertson The East Cascades have witnessed many decades of fire suppression in ponderosa pine forests that have resulted in unusually high stand densities and unusually low densities of standing dead trees, or snags. That’s an unfortunate circumstance for both primary and secondary cavity nesters and the loss of suitable nesting habitat has lead to declines in numerous bird species. In 2005, after receiving funding from the American Bird Conservancy, the Deschutes Land Trust partnered with Steve Shunk and East Cascade Audubon Society to conduct a snag survey of Camp Polk Meadow Preserve. The results of the survey indicated we needed more snags, so we created 7 new ones by cutting the tops off of live ponderosa pine trees. Now, several years later, we're very excited to report that those trees have become home to many birds, including white-headed woodpeckers, flickers, and pygmy nuthatches (see attached photo taken by volunteer Karen Parker). The Land Trust also created numerous snags at the Metolius Preserve and similar activity has been documented there as well. If you’re interested in helping the Land Trust monitor snags on their properties, please contact Amanda at amanda@deschuteslandtrust.org for more information. Oregon Natural Desert Association (ONDA) - Bill to Protect Horse Heaven, Cathedral Rock Advances in U.S. Senate- By Aaron Killgore, John Day Coordinator The Cathedral Rock and Horse Heaven Act of 2010 has reached another important milestone in the US Senate after receiving favorable testimony from the Obama administration. In April, the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands heard testimony from agencies and stakeholders involved in the bill. The U.S. Interior Department commented positively on the consolidation of a checkerboard of public and private lands in northeast Jefferson and southern Wasco counties, and offered a few minor changes to the bill.
Chairman of the subcommittee and co-sponsor of the bill, Senator Ron Wyden, spoke of its divers and widespread support in Central Oregon, which includes county governments, hunting groups and a long list of conservation interests, including the Oregon Natural Desert Association. “We put the proposal together the Oregon way, lots of folks at the local level developing the proposal from the ground up,” Wyden said. Forrest Reinhardt, a consultant for Young Life, spoke on behalf of ONDA and the adjacent landowners in the testimony hearing. He also presented a proposal to increase the Horse Heaven proposed wilderness area by over 1,500 acres, while consolidating additional fragmented BLM lands in the nearby Antone Ranch. BLM Assistant Director Ed Roberson said his agency is examining the proposed changes, and would be happy to work with the delegation to facilitate the additions. The bill is now waiting for a markup and full committee hearing prior to being ready for a Senate floor vote. Please help move this effort along by contacting your Congressional Representatives today. For more information please visit our website and check out the John Day section or contact me at akillgore@onda.org.
Board Members
Steve Dougill - President
Larry Berrin - VP
Mary Oppenheimer - Secretary
Nicole Nielsen-Pincus
Liz O'Connell
Tom Crabtree
Damien Fagen
Kevin Smith | The ECAS is a 501c3 non-profit organization dedicated to helping birds and their habitats. Although we are based in Central Oregon, we organize several Sate-wide projects and are strong advocates for conservation. We encourage you to visit us at http://ecAudubon.org and become a member of this growing and energetic organization. As always, enjoy the birds! |
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