Audubon Society of Portland5151 NW Cornell RoadPortland, Oregon 97210

Page 2 ......................From the Director ...................................... Free TripsPage 3 ......................Calendar of Events Page 4 & 5 ............................... ConservationPage 6 & 7 ..............Trips & Tours & CampsPage 8 ......Nature Store & SanctuariesPage 9 ................................... Field Notes .....................................VolunteersPage 10 ........................Birding WeekendsPage 11 ....................... Bird of the MonthPage 12 ................. Map/Hours/Sponsors

Inside this issue

WarblerAUDUBON SOCIETY of PORTLAND

JANUARY 2008Volume 72 Number 1

Volunteering: Fun for the Whole Family! See page 9

In this issue...Join Our Master Birder Program

See page 7

Urban Ecology and Conservation Symposium

See page 5

Sauvie Island Raptor Road Trip!

See page 3

In the past six months, the National Audubon Society has released two important reports that tell us that many bird species in Oregon and across the United

States are in trouble. These reports speak to the urgency of many of the Audubon efforts already underway in Oregon and will help us define new priorities in the coming years. In June 2007, National Audubon released a report entitled Common Birds in Decline. It analyzed 40 years of Bird Survey data and discovered that many of Oregon’s most common bird species are experiencing steep long-term declines. Species experiencing greater than 50% population declines over the past 40 years include the American Goldfinch, Barn Swallow, Killdeer, Mourning Dove, Rufous Hummingbird, and even our own state bird, the Western Meadowlark. While these species are not currently at risk of extinction, we cannot afford to let these downward trends continue unchecked — or within our lifetimes these species will rapidly move toward the imperiled list.

In November 2007, National Audubon and the American Bird Conservancy released the National Bird WatchList. Described as the most scientifically rigorous WatchList ever produced, this report identifies bird species that are either critically imperiled or at immediate risk of becoming critically imperiled. Unlike the species listed in Common Birds in Decline, birds on the WatchList are at imminent risk of extinction if action is not taken. The WatchList includes one out of every four species in the United States and includes 54 of the 487 species (11%) of birds found in Oregon.

Some Oregon species included in the WatchList, such as the Northern Spotted Owl, Marbled Murrelet, Snowy Plover, and Sage Grouse, are already well-known “at-risk” species. Others such as the Tricolored Blackbird (listed as one of the 20 most imperiled species in the United States), Willow Flycatcher, Olive-sided Flycatcher, Short-eared Owl, and Varied Thrush can still be found at various times of the year in and around Portland, but are at risk of disappearing from the face of the earth forever. One species on the list, the Lewis’s Woodpecker, should be a very familiar species to residents of the Portland area — in the 1940s it was described as “abundant” in the Willamette Valley. A combination of loss of oak woodlands and competition for nest cavities by invasive European Starlings, however, has reduced its statewide population by 75% and eliminated breeding populations entirely from the Willamette Valley.

The two reports tell us that there are species at risk and identifiable threats across all of Oregon’s different habitat types, ranging from our oceans to our mountains to our deserts and to our own backyards. The reports serve as a reminder that when we think about protecting migratory birds, we need to think at multiple scales: we need to protect the most important bird areas across our state and our nation, but we also need to protect birds in our own backyards and neighborhoods. The Rufous Hummingbird buzzing about your feeder may very well be on a journey of thousands of miles from her wintering ground in central Mexico to her nesting ground in southern Alaska.

Her survival may entirely depend on whether she can find a safe place to feed and rest in your neighborhood. With a little extra effort, you may even be able to create a place for her to stop and nest.

Audubon’s Bird Agenda: Protecting Birds in the Backyard and Beyond

The Audubon Society of Portland’s efforts to protect native birds span the entire Oregon landscape. During 2008 our bird conservation priorities include the following:• Protecting nature close to home: Portland Audubon is working to ensure that every resident in the Portland Metropolitan region has a natural area within a quarter mile of their home.

• Protecting Important Bird Areas statewide: Portland Audubon and a team of bird experts have identified 104 areas across Oregon that are critical for bird migration and nesting. We are working to ensure that all of these “IBAs” are adequately protected and managed to promote bird conservation.

• Promoting a system of Marine Protected Areas: Many of our most imperiled species are found along the Oregon Coast. Audubon is working to ensure that the State establishes permanent protections for our fragile marine environment.

• Recovering endangered bird species: Portland Audubon will continue working to protect and recover our most imperiled species and the ecosystems on which they depend, including the Northern Spotted Owl, Marbled Murrelet, Snowy Plover, and Sage Grouse.

• Increasing penalties at both the State and Federal levels for illegal killing of birds: Portland Audubon is working to update decades-old bird protection laws to make it a felony to intentionally harm a protected bird species.

Thank You, Audubon Volunteers!by Deanna Sawtelle, Volunteer CoordinatorThe Audubon Society of Portland would like to thank all the volunteers who have contributed their valuable time and talent during 2007 so we could fulfill our mission to inspire people to love and protect nature. We are deeply indebted to the individuals who have given graciously of their energy in order to ensure that people and native wildlife flourish together. We would not be able to accomplish the work we do without their help.

New National Audubon Society WatchList Identifies 11% of the Birds Found in Oregon as At Risk or Critically Imperiled by Bob Sallinger, Conservation Director

continued on page 10 continued on page 4

Varied Thrush © Jim Cruce Short-eared Owl © Jim Cruce Willow Flycatcher © Michael McDowell

I don’t know about you, but when I saw that the new National Audubon 2007 Avian WatchList

was color coded in a similar manner as our government’s Homeland Security threat levels, I took notice. National Audubon is calling attention

to threats we have in front of us, and it’s more than just the decline of birds in our backyards. It’s unfortunate that it takes something this dramatic to wake us up to the hard truth of how vulnerable our common birds have become, and how what we do impacts the survival of entire species. What is fortunate is that there is still time to make changes so that our kids and grandkids can see a Varied Thrush in its woodland habitat or an Evening Grosbeak in their backyards.

Audubon members have been standing together for over a century and calling attention to the plight of birds regardless of whether they are listed or not. Our members around the country have participated in citizen monitoring programs such as the Christmas Bird Count for just this reason, as a call to action. Opportunities abound for each one of us to take important steps toward making our communities more hospitable to birds and native wildlife, for all to thrive together.

Meryl Redisch

From the Executive Director

The Audubon Society of Portland is a member of Earth Share of Oregon. For more information, contact Earth Share of Oregon at 503-223-9015 or on the web at www.earthshare-oregon.org.

January 12 (Saturday), 9am–1pmRidgefield NWR Walk and Auto TourJoin leaders Bob Lockett and Adrienne Wolf-Lockett (503-775-5303) at the Carty Unit of the refuge for a morning of exploring the Oaks to Wetlands Trail. Meet leaders at 9am at the parking lot. Take I-5 North to the Ridgefield, WA exit and turn left (west). Continue through the town and turn right at the stop sign at the T intersection. Follow this road to the parking lot on the left. A $3 entrance fee admits occupants of one vehicle or up to four adults. If time and weather allow, a trip to the River S unit auto tour will be included.

January 19 (Saturday), 8am–11amSmith & Bybee LakesJoin us on our third Saturday walk co-sponsored by Audubon Society of Portland and Backyard Bird Shop. This North Portland wetland is home to many species of waterfowl, raptors, and songbirds, and can be a very productive winter birding spot. Call Backyard Bird Shop (503-620-7454) for information and to reserve a spot. Beginners welcome!

January 20 (Sunday), 8am–11amCrystal Springs Rhododendron GardenJoin leader Ron Escano to view the local wintering waterfowl at Crystal Springs. Here is a chance to learn your waterfowl, with close views of most of our Portland-area ducks. Meet at 8am at the Crystal Springs parking lot across the street from Reed College on SE 28th St, which can be reached from SE Holgate (turn south on 28th) or SE Woodstock (turn north on 28th). Dress for the weather; beginners welcome!

Field Trips Carpooling is encouraged for conservation and sociability. For information, call us at

503-292-6855 ext.119.

Fernhill WetlandsJanuary 4 (Friday), 9am–11:30amWintering waterfowl, raptors, and sparrows should abound around this favorite Magpies walk. Join leader Norine Dietrich at the Fernhill parking lot, 200 yards south of the railroad tracks. If you want to stay beyond 11:30, bring a lunch and Norine will stay. For information and directions, contact her at nordiet@comcast.net or 503-643-2502.

Summer LakeJanuary 10 (Thursday), 9am–11amJoin us as leader Sue Carr takes us for a look at the wintering waterfowl in this wonderful SW suburban park! Dress for weather, and meet in the parking lot. For information and directions, call Sue at 503-649-3360.

Nisqually NWRJanuary 21 (Monday), 8am–4pmWaterfowl, raptors, and bitterns are winter highlights at Nisqually NWR near Olympia. Meet leader Sarah McCarty at the NE corner of the Safeway parking lot in Jantzen Beach (Exit 308 off I-5). We will carpool from there at 8am. To meet the group at Nisqually NWR (10–10:30am), take I-5 north past Olympia to Exit 114 and follow the signs. There is a $3 fee per car. Bring a lunch and dress for the weather. Call Sarah with questions at 503-636-1288.

Smith & Bybee LakesJanuary 28 (Monday), 9am–11:30amDudley Thomas will take us through Smith & Bybee Lakes, a great spot for waterfowl and the raptors that are always present. We can usually count on passerines in the forest as well. We will meet at 9am in the Smith & Bybee parking area, which is just after the overpass, on the left. For information and directions, call Dudley at 503-244-6496.

Cycle, Paddle, and Walk the region’s parks, trails, and natural areas. Connecting Green is all about access to nature in the city. Connecting Green field trips will introduce you to some of the region’s most scenic and wildlife-rich natural areas and parks and the ever-growing regional trails network. Registration for all trips is limited, so sign up early at www.audubonportland.org/trips_classes_camps/adult_programs/wildcity. If you don’t have internet access, call 503-292-6855 ext.116 to register. Directions and other details will be emailed to registrants.

Connecting Green Wild in the City Field Trips

JanuarySaturday, January 5th, 9am–NoonWinter Waterfowl, Oaks Bottom RefugeJoin Mike Houck to scope out waterfowl that winter over at Oaks Bottom and other urban wetlands. You’ll get great views of waterfowl and other birds that use the bottoms as their winter refuge. This trip is appropriate for families. The walk is a two-mile loop on both paved and uneven dirt paths, with two moderate hills.

Saturday, January 19th, 9:30am–NoonExploring East County’s Urban Green by BikeJim Labbe, Portland Audubon’s Urban Conservationist, and Steve Fancher, Gresham Environmental Services, will lead this morning bike tour of new, innovative greenstreets, raingardens, and recently enhanced natural areas in Troutdale, North Gresham, and Fairview. We’ll visit sites that exemplify recent and expanded efforts to improve water quality, enhance wildlife habitat, and create space for nature in the urban landscape in East County. We’ll also ride the completed section of the Gresham-Fairview Trail and learn about Phases 2 and 3, scheduled to open Fall 2008. You need to bring and maintain your own bicycle, and helmets are absolutely required.

Wednesday, January 30th, 3pm–6pmExplore the 40-Mile Loop from South Waterfront to OHSUMike Houck will lead a walking tour along the Willamette River Greenway to Willamette Park, and up through George Himes Park and Terwilliger Parkway to OHSU. From there it’s all downhill via the Portland Aerial Tram (it’s free going downhill!) back to South Waterfront. This is a great opportunity for new residents of South Waterfront to explore the green connections to “pill hill.” The pace will be leisurely, but the walk includes an uphill stretch from the Willamette to Terwilliger Blvd.

FebruarySaturday, February 2nd, 9am–1pmRide with the Groundhogs: Willamette Greenway Bicycle RideCycle with Mike Houck on a flat 15- to 20-mile ride along the Willamette River Greenway to Oaks Bottom

Wildlife Refuge and Sellwood Riverfront Park. From there we’ll ride to the Springwater Corridor via the new Three Bridges over SE McLoughlin to Tideman-Johnson Park. From there we’ll head back to Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge and the Springwater on the Willamette Trail to downtown Portland, and back to Willamette Park via South Waterfront. The ride is appropriate for families who have their bikes in tune and maintained and are used to riding 15–20 miles. We take our time on the rides, with many stops for birding and natural history viewing. Helmets are absolutely required.

Saturday, February 9th, 8am–11amRoss Island PaddleJoin Mike Houck on a three-hour, leisurely paddle around Ross, Hardtack, East, and Toe Islands. We will take a close look at the City of Portland’s newest natural area park, a 45-acre portion of Ross Island that was donated by Ross Island Sand and Gravel in October 2007. We invite the Friends of Ross Island (www.friendsofrossisland.org) and the general public to learn more about the islands’ future and participate in this paddle. The Great Blue Herons and Bald Eagles should have begun this year’s nesting preparations, and

you will get a great opportunity to view the herons’ courtship behavior up close from your kayak or canoe. Life jackets are absolutely required.

Sunday, February 10th, 2pm–5pmEastbank Esplanade to Oaks Bottom RefugeJoin Mike Houck on a four-mile stroll from the Vera Katz Esplanade along the Springwater on the Willamette Trail to Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge, taking TriMet back downtown at the end of the trip. We will stop along the way to view Great Blue Herons as they go through their annual

courtship and nest-building activities. We’ll also peer into the Ross Island lagoon to see if we can observe the Bald Eagles on their nest, which is located on the recently donated 45 acres of Ross Island.

We have proof of how that can work. Two months ago we passed Measure 49, just one year after winning a bond measure worth over 200 million dollars for land acquisition, watershed health, and access to nature. We captured a portion of Ross Island as natural parkland for herons, osprey, and eagles; moved forward legislation to increase penalties for harming migratory birds; and are building the case for establishing wildlife and habitat reserves in Oregon’s territorial waters.

I don’t know about you, but I find it troubling that the Department of Homeland Security’s budget runs more than 20 pages long with line items in the billions of dollars, while in Oregon and around the country, funding for conservation programs remains flat or loses ground. Healthy watersheds, biodiversity, and ecosystem resiliency should be in our national interest and funded adequately to reflect its impact on people. I don’t know if the office of Homeland Security will ever move their color-coded threat down to green, but as a nation that cares about birds and what they need to thrive, we must do what is necessary to get bird species removed from the red and yellow classifications on the WatchList.

...love to go birding during the weekdays. We start a little later, go a little slower,

and try to keep a restroom in sight.

MAGPIES

From Red to Green

Young naturalist birding Oaks Bottom © Mike Houck

2 JANUARY 2008 www.audubonportland.org

Sauvie Island Raptor Road Trip!Breakfast with Birds of PreySaturday, February 2nd, 9am–2pm

Explore Sauvie Island in search of magnificent eagles, hawks, and falcons that spend the winter here. On this special day devoted to raptors, experienced naturalists and hawk experts will host activities at four locations around the island. We’ll provide a map, then you choose where to go to

enjoy guided bird viewing, meet live raptors up close, and see hawk identification displays. Hot drinks and donuts will be available in the morning so we can stay warm and have breakfast with the birds.

How does the “road trip” work?The trip begins at Kruger’s Farm Market, where you will need to stop first to get your event map and guide. To reach Kruger’s, go over the Sauvie Island bridge, and continue straight 1.5 miles (passing by Howell Territorial Park) to the farm entrance on your right. The event fee is $5 per vehicle (please bring cash only), which includes a Sauvie Island Wildlife Area parking permit and lots of helpful materials.

We’ll provide spotting scopes, a crash course in raptor identification, and naturalists to point out the birds. Bring binoculars and field guides if you have them. Dress for the weather with gloves and a hat; this event takes place rain or shine. It is suitable for birders of all skill levels, and families are welcome.

Unlike traditional birdwatching, you don’t have to be an “early bird” and get up at the crack of dawn to see these birds of prey, but we recommend that you allow about three hours if you wish to visit all four locations.

What will you see?It all depends on what nature has in store, but frequently sighted raptors include Bald Eagles, Red-tailed Hawks, American Kestrels, and Northern Harriers. With a little luck, you also might spot a Rough-legged Hawk, Cooper’s Hawk, Merlin, or Peregrine Falcon. Beautiful Snow Geese, Sandhill Cranes, and Great Blue Herons often are seen at this time of year as well.

No registration is required. For more information, see www.audubonportland.org or call 503-292-6855 ext.116.

Sponsored by Audubon Society of Portland, Metro Regional Parks and Greenspaces Department, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, and HawkWatch International.

From the Executive DirectorJANUARY Calendar of Events

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NOTE: An electronic version of this issue and past Warblers is available on our website, www.audubonportland.org.

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Ridgefield NWR Walk and Auto Tour, 9am–1pm (p.2)

Nature Night: The Arboreal World of Red Tree Voles, 7pm (p.3)

Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden Field Trip, 8am (p.2)

Board Meeting, 7pm Heron Hall

Smith & Bybee Lakes Field Trip, 8am (p.2)

Gulls in Winter Field Trip, 9am (p.7)

Exploring East County’s Urban Green by Bike, 9:30am (p.2)

Birding Weekend (p.10)

Magpies visit Nisqually NWR, 8am (p.2)

Explore the 40-Mile Loop from South Waterfront to OHSU, 3pm (p.2)

Sauvie Island Raptor Road Trip, 9am–2pm (p.3)

Willamette Greenway Bicycle Ride, 9am (p.2)

Beginning Field Birding & Sauvie Island Exploration, 8am (p.7)

Christmas Bird Count: Hood River (see Dec. Warbler)

Second Tuesday of the month from September to May. Free and open to the

public. If you have a suggestion for a Nature Night presentation, contact Catherine at

chalpin@audubonportland.org or 503-292-6855 ext.129.

Please join us for a presentation by Eric Forsman on one of the diminutive denizens of our Northwest forests, the tree

vole. Eric is a Research Wildlife Biologist with the U.S. Forest Service at the Pacific Northwest Research Station in Corvallis, Oregon.

The next time you walk through the woods, watch for nests high up in the trees. You just might spot the home of the elusive red tree vole, which lives nowhere else in the world except

western Oregon and northern California. Tree voles are unique in that they are the only arboreal microtine rodent and feed exclusively on conifer needles. There is concern that they may be declining as the dense forests in which they live are clearcut or thinned.

During the last three years, Eric and his graduate students have used video cameras to observe tree voles, watching the adult males and females as they run about in the treetops at night and the young voles taking their first tentative steps out of the nest. Eric will use video footage from their study to introduce you to the treetop world of this unique little mammal.

The Arboreal World of Red Tree Voles

Tuesday, January 8 7pm • Heron Hall

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Magpies visit Summer Lake, 9am (p.2)

Gulls in Winter Class, 7pm (p.7)

Trees in Winter Field Class, 10am (p.7)

Conservation Lecture at Oregon Zoo, 7pm (p.4)

Holiday Closure of Nature Store and Admin Offices

Winter Break Camps (see Dec. Warbler)

Winter Break Camps (see Dec. Warbler)

Winter Break Camps (see Dec. Warbler)

Winter Waterfowl of Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge, 9am (p.2)

Magpies visit Smith & Bybee Lakes, 9am (p.2)

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Join Audubon’s Kestrel ProjectBe sure to stop by Audubon’s Kestrel Project information table while you are on the Sauvie Island Raptor Road Trip and learn how you can become directly involved in Audubon’s Kestrel Monitoring and Restoration Project. American Kestrels are the smallest North American falcon, and researchers in many parts of the United States have noticed unexplained declines in kestrel populations.

Starting in 2008, Audubon will begin conducting kestrel surveys in the Portland Metro area. We will also be distributing kestrel nest boxes to citizens with appropriate kestrel habitat on their property. Enjoy an inspirational day of hawk watching and then get directly involved in raptor monitoring and restoration efforts.

Urban Ecology and Conservation Symposium at PSU, 9am (p.5)

Christmas Bird Count: Cowlitz/Columbia (see Dec. Warbler)

Magpies visit Fernhill Wetlands, 9am (p.2)

Christmas Bird Count: Portland (see Dec. Warbler)

New Volunteer Orientation, 6pm Heron Hall (p.9)

Living with Urban Coyotes Presentation, 7pm (p.5)

Birders’ Night 7:30pm Heron Hall

Magpies visit Sauvie Island, 9am (503-244-6496)

Ross Island Paddle, 8am (p.2)

Bluebird Monitoring Meeting, Champoeg Park, 9am (p.4)

Tree planting at Ridgefield, 9am (360-887-3883x18)

Birding Weekend (p.10)

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NATURE NIGHT

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Rough-legged and Red-tail Hawks © Jim Cruce

Raptor identification display. © Portland Audubon

Birding Weekend (p.10) Birding Weekend (p.10)

Photo © Burt Gildart

3JANUARY 2008www.audubonportland.org

Conservation

Listed below are some of the Oregon birds that are included in the 2007 National Audubon–American Bird Conservancy WatchList. “Red” species are declining rapidly or have very small populations or limited ranges, and face major conservation threats. They typically are species of global conservation concern. “Yellow” species are declining or are rare, and typically are species of national conservation concern.

Northern Spotted Owl (WatchList Red): It comes as no surprise that the Northern Spotted Owl has made the 2007 WatchList. The Northern Spotted Owl was listed as “Threatened” under the Federal Endangered Species Act in 1990 due to “loss and adverse modification” of the old-growth habitat on which it depends. Despite habitat protections in place since the Northwest Forest Plan was adopted in 1994, the spotted owl has continued to see population declines across its range. Despite this situation, the current administration has attempted to roll back protections for the old-growth habitat on which spotted owls and hundreds of other species depend. Audubon is actively opposing reductions in existing old-growth protections that are currently proposed in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Draft Spotted Owl Recovery Plan and the Bureau of Land Management’s Western Oregon Plan Revisions.

Marbled Murrelet (WatchList Yellow): Currently listed as “Threatened” under the Federal Endangered Species Act, the Marbled Murrelet is a small seabird that nests in natural mossy depressions of coastal old-growth trees. Murrelet declines are directly connected to loss of old-growth nesting habitat. However, the murrelet also faces significant threats in its marine environment including oil spills, declines in prey base, and gillnetting. Audubon is working to restore Marbled Murrelet populations through its efforts to protect old-growth habitat and establish permanent Marine Protected Areas, and by working to prevent rollbacks of existing protections afforded under the Endangered Species Act.

Lewis’s Woodpecker (WatchList Red): Once considered “abundant” across Oregon, this woodpecker has seen dramatic population declines and has been nearly extirpated from portions of its historic range, including the Willamette Valley. Breeding Bird Surveys indicate a 75% reduction in populations over the past 40 years. Causes for its decline include loss of lowland oak habitat and competition for nest holes from introduced European Starlings.

Greater Sage Grouse (WatchList Yellow): Known for its elaborate courtship displays, the Greater Sage Grouse is found in shrub-steppe habitat across much of Eastern Oregon. The species depends on large expanses of its habitat for breeding, and declines are associated with loss of shrub-steppe habitat, habitat fragmentation, and human disturbance.

Snowy Plover (WatchList Yellow): The Snowy Plover is a shorebird that has been listed as “Threatened” under the Federal Endangered Species Act since 1993. Historically found along the entire Oregon Coast, this species is now limited to just a handful of nesting sites. The main threats to the ground-nesting Snowy Plover include habitat loss due to encroachment of invasive European beach grass, predation by wild and domestic animals, and disturbance from human activity.

Olive-sided Flycatcher (WatchList Yellow): The Olive-sided Flycatcher breeds in the coniferous forests of Oregon. Breeding Bird Survey data shows a population decline of more than 80% in Oregon over the past 40 years. Population declines are believed to be associated with habitat alteration due to clearcutting, fire suppression, and loss of wintering grounds. Olive-sided Flycatchers can still be found breeding in the conifer forests around Portland.

Willow Flycatcher (WatchList Yellow): The Willow Flycatcher breeds across Oregon and is most commonly associated with willow thickets bordering riparian areas, but can be found breeding at elevations up to 5,000 feet. Once considered “common” in Oregon, the Willow Flycatcher is in decline due to loss of riparian habitat, disturbance from grazing and human development, and cowbird parasitism. Oregon Breeding Bird Survey data shows an 88% population decline over the past 40 years. Some nesting populations can still be found around

Portland at Smith & Bybee Lakes and at the Sandy River Delta, but Willow Flycatchers have completely disappeared in other locations.

Short-eared Owl (WatchList Yellow): The Short-eared Owl is a ground-nesting owl that is found in open country across Oregon. Christmas Bird Counts indicate a 40% population decline in Oregon over the past 40 years. Causes of decline include

loss of native prairie habitat and wetlands. It has largely disappeared from significant portions of its historic breeding range, including the Klamath Basin and Willamette Valley.

Varied Thrush (WatchList Yellow): The Varied Thrush was a surprise addition to the 2007 WatchList. This familiar relative of the Robin breeds in conifer forests of the Coast Range and Cascade Mountains, winters in low-elevation woodlands and forests, and is a common winter visitor to forested backyards in and around Portland. Breeding Bird Surveys indicate a 24% decline in breeding populations in Oregon during the past 40 years, believed to be associated with forest fragmentation. More significant declines are associated with habitat loss and fragmentation in the Northern Boreal Forests of Canada.

How you can help protect birdsBird conservation begins in the backyard. Many of our species are declining because of habitat loss and hazards associated with urbanization. There are many things that each one of us can do to help birds.

Go to Audubon’s website to see our new brochure, “For the Birds: Protecting Birds in the Backyard and Beyond.”

Help monitor bird populations: Much of the data used to develop the Common Birds in Decline and WatchList reports came from backyard birders. Audubon’s annual Christmas Bird Count (see December Warbler) is one of the most important bird surveys, and we need your help! There are also online bird reporting programs that want to hear about what you are seeing and provide really cool benefits to participants. Two of the best are eBird, http://ebird.org/content/ebird/, and Project

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FeederWatch, www.birds.cornell.edu/pfw/. During the coming year, Portland Audubon will be providing opportunities to become directly involved in local surveys for American Kestrels, Peregrine Falcons, Vaux’s Swifts, and Great Blue Herons.

Join Audubon’s Activist Networks to become directly involved in legislative efforts to protect birds and bird habitat at the local, regional, and national levels.

For those primarily interested in Portland Metro area conservation efforts, join FAUNA (Friends and Advocates for Urban Natural Areas): www.audubonportland.org/conservation_advocacy/fauna;

For those primarily interest in Statewide and Federal conservation efforts, join ACT (Audubon Conservation Team): www.audubonportland.org/conservation_advocacy/act.

Read more about the problems facing songbird populations and what you can do to help. We recommend two titles, available in the Nature Store: Silence of the Songbirds, by Bridget Stutchbury, and 101 Ways to Help Birds, by Laura Erickson.

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Oregon Birds on the National WatchList

Sage Grouse © Don Baccus

Lewis’s Woodpecker © Paul Buescher

Snowy Plover © Portland Audubon

Western Bluebird Monitors Needed

Interested? Please attend the informational meeting:

February 9 (Saturday), 9am–NoonChampoeg State Heritage Area’s

Visitor Center

Visit www.prescottbluebird.com or call 503-246-7920.

Planning the Persistence of Large CarnivoresTuesday, January 29, 7pmOregon Zoo’s Banquet Center

Lance Craighead of the Craighead Environmental Research Institute will reveal how grizzly bears, wolves, wolverines, and Canada lynxes need large landscapes to maintain stable populations. He will also highlight how cutting-edge technology, combined with grassroots community connections, has helped protect the last remaining habitats of these powerful predators.

Lectures are held in the Oregon Zoo’s Banquet Center at 7pm.Cost: $8 to members of host organizations, students, and seniors; $10 to non-members.

For more information, go to www.oregonzoo.org and click on Conservation.

Future Conservation Lectures

February 26 Dr. Marc P. Hays, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife“Climate Change, Disease, Exotics, and Humans: The Unique Case of the Oregon Spotted Frog”

March 25Bob Sallinger, Audubon Society of Portland“Peregrines of Portland: Birds, Bridges, and Urban Biodiversity”

April 29Scott Black, Xerces Society “What Good Are Bugs? The Case for Invertebrate Conservation”

Wildlife Conservation Lectures Series sponsors:

Wildlife Conservation Lecture Series

at theOregon Zoo

Cougar call © VIC

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The Wildlife Conservation Lecture Series, hosted by the Oregon Zoo, Audubon Society of Portland, and World Forestry Center,

endeavors to strengthen our community knowledge base on ecological systems and environmental issues. It is the hope of all partners that this series will motivate our community to make a difference in the environmental future of our region.

4 JANUARY 2008 www.audubonportland.org

Wildlife Care Center

The December 11th release of Red-tailed Hawk #1988 was thrilling for several reasons. He survived being caught in a NW Portland chicken coop and

the several baths it took to clean off the mud and chicken droppings. He survived shock and the medical treatment for it. Most gratifying, though, is that Red-tailed Hawk #1988 survived being gunshot and lives with five embedded pellets.

Red-tailed Hawks #1905, #1975, and #2038, all delivered to the Wildlife Care Center in the last five weeks, were not so lucky. All three were illegally shot and suffered injuries so severe they had to be euthanized. The four Red-tailed Hawks were found in four different locations — NW Portland, Hillsboro, Vancouver, Ridgefield — and were shot by different types of guns. In the past two months we’ve had nine birds presented with gunshot wounds. Irene McIntosh, Wildlife Care Center Assistant, can’t think of any reasonable excuses for shooting these birds. She notes, “Red-tails can’t be mistaken for ducks or geese. They don’t damage property or destroy crops. My only conclusion is folks are shooting them out of plain cruelty and/or ignorance.”

A Red-tail with such severe gunshot wounds it had to be euthanized © Portland Audubon

Killing of protected birds is a Federal crime and the Red-tailed Hawk shootings are under investigation. Current law makes these crimes simply a misdemeanor, however, and convicted bird killers tend to escape with little more than a slap on the wrist. Portland Audubon supports legislation introduced by Representative Peter DeFazio to amend legislation and make it a felony to intentionally kill protected birds. For more information on this bill or to see how you can help, go to www.audubonportland.org/conservation_advocacy/mbta.

Gunshot Victims in the Wildlife Care CenterBy Deb Sheaffer, Wildlife Care Center Operations Manager

Veterinarian to Join Wildlife Care Center Staffby Deb Sheaffer, WCC Operations Manager

We are excited to welcome Molly McAllister as our new Wildlife Care

Center Assistant Manager. It’s especially exciting because Molly is a veterinarian. We now have a veterinarian on staff 7 days a week, 365 days a year! Molly is no stranger to Portland Audubon — many of you will recognize her from her two years of volunteer work in the Wildlife Care Center and as an environmental educator for our education program.

As a child growing up on a Central Oregon ranch, Molly was always interested in wild things. She says she was “fascinated by how the natural world works, interested in understanding the complexities of animal and habitat interactions, and passionate about minimizing the detrimental effects that humans have on those systems.” Her interest in ecology and conservation led her to a degree in biology with a focus on environmental and organismal biology. She worked as a field biologist for the USGS studying goose biology, where her responsibilities included banding and using radiotelemetry in remote areas of western Alaska. In veterinary school and then as a practicing veterinarian, Molly learned the medical skills necessary to treat the large variety of animals we see in the Wildlife Care Center.

With Molly’s background in conservation, education, research, and veterinary medicine, we know she’ll be a great addition to the Wildlife Care Center.

© Portland Audubon

This intensive all-day workshop will provide a comprehensive overview of Peregrine Falcon biology, ecology, identification, recovery, management, and

monitoring. Dr. Joel (“Jeep”) Pagel is one of the foremost experts on Peregrine Falcons in North America and has studied Oregon’s peregrines for more than two decades. His career has included service as the Northwest Peregrine Falcon Specialist for the U.S. Forest Service, Endangered Species work for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and employment as a Research Associate with the Santa Cruz Predatory Bird Group.

The goal of this workshop is to prepare participants to take part in Peregrine Falcon nest site surveys and education outreach programs during the 2008 and 2009 nesting seasons. Additional field training sessions at known peregrine nest sites will be offered later in the spring.

During 2008, Portland Audubon will conduct an intensive survey of known and potential peregrine nest sites in the Portland Metro region. During 2009, Portland Audubon will participate in statewide peregrine surveys that are required every three years under the Endangered Species Act to ensure that the species continues its long-term recovery. While participation in monitoring or educational outreach activities is not required, priority will be given to those willing to commit to participating in three 4-hour monitoring sessions between March and July of 2008. No prior experience is required.

Sponsored by the Audubon Society of Portland with support from a Future for Wildlife Grant.

Pacific Northwest Peregrine Falcon Monitoring Workshop with Dr. Joel (Jeep) PagelSaturday, February 16th, 10am–4pmLocation: Audubon Society of Portland • Cost: $50To register, go to www.audubonportland.org.

The Urban Ecology and Conservation Symposium provides a unique opportunity for people to share information about environmentally focused

research, projects, and programs in the Portland-Vancouver Metropolitan region. The day is packed with presentations, posters, and keynote speakers. There is also plenty of time to network. Join us to learn, share, and be inspired.

Portland Skyline from Oaks Bottom © Mike Houck

Few wildlife sightings evoke stronger responses among urban residents than that of a coyote roaming about a greenspace, hunting mice at the edge of a yard,

or loping down a city street. There are many areas in the region where residents are serenaded to sleep by the howls and yips of the animal that Navajo sheep and goat herders once referred to as “God’s Dog.” For many it is a reminder of why they choose to live in Oregon. For some it simply evokes fear. Local jurisdictions have struggled to determine what, if any, response should be undertaken.

Dr. Stanley Gehrt recently completed a study of urban coyotes in Chicago that has been described as “The most ambitious work of its kind in the country.” Dr. Gehrt tracked 220 radio-collared coyotes in Chicago over the course of his six-year study. His work is fascinating and will provide valuable insights for wildlife lovers, wildlife professionals, and neighborhoods struggling to coexist with urban coyotes.

Join us for a Living with Urban Coyotes Workshop to develop a better understanding of the biology and ecology of this adaptive wild dog. Help us develop effective strategies to better coexist with our wild neighbors.

Sponsored by Portland Audubon and the Urban Ecology Research Consortium.

Living with Urban Coyotes Presentation

National Expert on Urban Coyotes to Speak at AudubonSunday, February 3rd, 7pm at Audubon Society of Portland

Coyote © Jim Cruce

Peregrine Falcon © Jim Cruce

Gunshot Red-tailed Hawk being released © Portland Audubon

Sixth Annual

Urban Ecology and Conservation Symposium:Science in the CityMonday, February 4, 20089am – 4:30pm, Evening Social until 6:30pmPortland State University — Smith Center Ballroom1825 SW Broadway, Portland

The Urban Ecology Research Consortium (UERC) is a consortium of nonprofit organizations, agencies, universities, businesses, and environmental professionals interested in urban ecological research. The Audubon Society of Portland is a founding member of UERC and sits on its steering committee.

Cost: $30 standard fee; $15 for students. To register, go to www.uercportland.org

Keynote Speakers• Roy Ellicker, Director of Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife• Dr. Stan Gerht, Urban Coyote and Raccoon Expert from Chicago

FREE!

5JANUARY 2008www.audubonportland.org

CALIFORNIA CONDORS Big Sur, Pinnacles, and Point ReyesApril 7–13, 2008

Join us as we again head south to view the largest bird in North America, the California Condor! We’ll travel by van from San Francisco Bay to Condor strongholds such as the Pinnacles National Monument and Big Sur, south of Monterey. At Pinnacles we will

hike the rugged volcanic landscape with excellent chances of seeing Condors in flight or at roost and perhaps Prairie Falcon and Golden Eagle as well. The wildflowers will also be spectacular! Our two nights in Monterey will give us plenty of time to explore the Big Sur coast with its redwood forests, dramatic sea cliffs, and numerous parklands. Over two dozen Condors are known to frequent this stretch of coastline. We’ll also have time to visit the world-famous Monterey Bay Aquarium before we head north to Ano Nuevo State Park, where Elephant Seals lounge on the beaches. Our final two days will be spent exploring the wild and open spaces stretching from the Golden Gate to Point Reyes. We’ll use hostel-style lodging inside national park lands for our last two nights. Spring wildflowers will be blooming and migration time under way with songbirds, shorebirds, and raptors filling our binoculars at many stops. Trip leader Steve Engel loves to visit old haunts along this stretch of coast and delights in sharing all aspects of its natural history with others.

Cost: $795 members / $835 non-members Group Size: 8–9 participants Deposit: $400 required to secure your place Leader: Steve Engel

What is included: Ground transportation from Oakland, CA, 4 nights double-occupancy lodging, 2 nights hostel-style lodging, all entry fees, breakfasts, lunches, and the services of your leaders. A portion of your fee is a tax-deductible contribution to the Audubon Society of Portland.

Contact: Steve Engel at sengel@audubonportland.org or 971-222-6119.

Educational Trips & ToursThese trips are popular. We recommend that you book early.

Snow Geese © Don Baccus

Klamath Basin

March 13–16, 2008

Enjoy some of the best birding in the west on this fantastic voyage with Bob Fields and the Audubon Society of Portland. Widely hailed as the most important wetland system in the west, the Klamath Basin is a haven for migratory birds and is one of

Oregon’s 105 Important Bird Areas. We’ll search for large flocks of ducks and geese that stop in the basin and the Bald Eagles that feed on them. The spectacular spring migration of Snow, Ross’s, and Greater White-fronted Geese should be in full swing. Last year we enjoyed excellent looks at Barrow’s Goldeneye, Lewis’s Woodpecker, and Rough-legged Hawk, among many other species. Golden Eagle and Prairie Falcon are very likely, with good chances of other raptor species and a variety of shorebirds and songbirds as well. This is a good time of year to be out in one of Oregon’s premier birding areas observing the transition from winter to spring. Bob Fields is a former manager of the Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuge system and an active member of Portland Audubon. Bob has led this popular trip for many years, and his intimate knowledge of the wildlife and the complex issues faced by the refuges makes this a trip not to be missed!

Cost: $470 members / $510 non-members Group Size: 14 participantsDeposit: $250 required to secure your place Leader: Bob Fields

What is included: Transportation by van from Portland, 3 nights double-occupancy lodging in Klamath Falls, all entry fees, breakfasts, lunches, and the services of your leaders.

Contact: Steve Engel at sengel@audubonportland.org or 971-222-6119.

Big Sur Coast © David Moen

Birding Expedition

B i r d s o f P a n a m aMarch 10–22, 2008

Join Portland Audubon trip leader Dan van den Broek along with Scott Lukens,

owner of Backyard Bird Shops, on a trip to central Panama. We will visit the Canal region and eastern foothills, exploring a variety of tropical habitats. We’ll look for flocks of birds that are attracted to army ant swarms such as the Bicolored Antbird, Ocellated Antbird, and Black-striped Woodcreeper. The Panama forests are full of spectacular birds including such unusual species as the Black-throated Mango and Blue-headed Parrot. We’ll visit an indigenous village and Sierra Llorona, which is near the Caribbean and prime birding locations. We’ll end at the Canopy Tower, a rainforest lodge where you can immerse yourself in the sounds of the tropical forest as you sip your morning coffee high up in the trees. Nearby birding locations such as Pipeline Road offer the opportunity to see five species of Trogon. Space is still available but don’t wait — this will be a trip to remember!

Cost:* $2,975 members / $3,175 non-members Group Size: 12 participants Deposit: $1,500 required Leaders: Dan van den Broek and Scott Lukens

*Trip begins at an airport hotel near Panama City. Airfare to Panama City is not included.

What is included: All ground transportation within Panama, 12 nights double-occupancy lodging, breakfasts, lunches, some dinners, local guide fees, entrance fees, excursions, and services of your skilled leaders. A portion of your fee is a tax-deductible contribution to the Audubon Society of Portland.

Contact: Steve Engel at sengel@audubonportland.org or 971-222-6119.

Harpy Eagle © Dan van den Broek

Alaska!June 7–14, 2008

Join the Audubon Society of Portland on a journey to the Great Land this summer! Alaska is a land of superlatives when it comes to wildlife and a must-visit destination for anyone keen on the natural history of North America. This trip is designed to

introduce you to some of the best of Alaska at a fun and relaxed pace. On our boat trip in Kenai Fjords National Park we will experience the rich marine ecosystem of south-central Alaska. The Chiswell Islands are home to nesting seabirds such as Red-faced Cormorant, Thick-billed Murre, and Tufted and Horned Puffin. The air will be alive with calls of Black-legged Kittiwakes and there’s a chance to see Parakeet and Ancient Auklet. We’ll also get close to tidewater glaciers where, with luck, we’ll spot the rare Kittlitz’s Murrelet. Humpback Whale, Orca, and Dall’s Porpoise are likely to be seen from the boat and Sea Otters are all but guaranteed. Our next stop is Denali National Park, the crown jewel of our National Park System. We’ll explore deep into the park via shuttle bus, experiencing many of its habitats that are home to Gray Wolf, Grizzly Bear, Caribou, Dall Sheep, and Moose. The birdwatching can include Rock Ptarmigan, Gyrfalcon, Merlin, Long-tailed Jaeger, and Northern Wheatear, to name a few. Next we’ll spend two days traversing the Denali Highway between Cantwell and Paxson, taking our time as we search for wildlife-viewing opportunities among the many wetlands, forests, tundras, and mountain passes. Trip leader is Audubon’s Adult Education Coordinator, Steve Engel. He has spent many summers traveling in Alaska and is eager to share with you the many wonderful sights that await us.

Cost: $1,795 members / $1,835 non-members Group Size: 9 participantsDeposit: $1,000 required to secure your place Leader: Steve Engel

What is included: Ground transportation from Anchorage, 7 nights double-occupancy lodging, all park entry fees, boat and bus tour fees, breakfasts, lunches, and the services of your leader. A portion of your fee is a tax-deductible contribution to the Audubon Society of Portland.

Contact: Steve Engel at sengel@audubonportland.org or 971-222-6119.

Grizzly Bear, Denali National Park © Adrian Jones

6 JANUARY 2008 www.audubonportland.org

Sparrows and Other “LBJs” in WinterFebruary 14 (Thursday), 7pm–9pm: Class February 16 (Saturday), 9am–Noon: Field Trip

“LBJs” are those Little Brown Jobbers that abound in the brush and fields during our Willamette Valley winter. Many of them are sparrows of one kind or another, some of them are wrens, and some just can’t be identified! Or can they? John Rakestraw will help you tackle how to identify the birds in that flitting flock in the field with a Thursday evening class and a Saturday field trip. John is the author of Birding Oregon (Falcon Guide) and numerous articles on birdwatching.

Fee: $25 members / $35 non-membersEnrollment Limited: 12 participantsClass-only option available; contact Steve Engel for details.

Trips & ClassesHOW TO REGISTER

JANUARYGulls in WinterJanuary 16 (Wednesday), 7pm–9pm: ClassJanuary 19 (Saturday), 9am–Noon: Field Trip

Do you typically take a “pass” on identifying gulls when you are out birding? They can be difficult, and for good reasons! For one, each species goes through several plumages before they reach adulthood. Also, the Willamette Valley is the winter home of half a dozen or so different gulls. If you feel it is time to take the plunge and learn some tricks for figuring out what kind of gull that is, then join John Rakestraw, author of Birding Oregon (Falcon Guide), for a Wednesday evening class on gull identification and natural history. On Saturday, join John and Steve Engel on a field trip to a local gull hangout, where we will put our new-found knowledge to the test.

Fee: $25 members / $35 non-membersEnrollment Limited: 15 participantsClass-only option available; contact Steve Engel for details.

Contact: Steve Engel, Adult Education CoordinatorEmail: sengel@audubonportland.orgPhone: 971-222-6119

Credit Card Payment: We accept VISA, MasterCard, and Discover. A 3% processing fee is added to each transaction. Include card number, expiration date, and billing zip code, or call Steve Engel and pay over the phone.

White-crowned Sparrow © Don Baccus

FEBRUARY

Adult Classes1. Phone or email with your contact information and the classes in which you wish to reserve one or more spaces. 2. Mail in your payment right away. Make checks payable to Audubon Society of Portland.3. We’ll contact you with confirmation of payment and class details.

Educational Trips & Tours1. Phone or email to request a registration packet for the trips of interest.2. Complete and sign the Registration / Waiver Form and return it with the required deposit. 3. We’ll contact you with confirmation of payment and further details.

Mail: Audubon Society of Portland 5151 NW Cornell Rd. Portland, OR 97210

Skagit Flats and Falcons!February 15–17, 2008

The Skagit and Samish River floodplain has an abundance of wintering waterfowl, shorebirds, sea ducks, and raptors. We have a chance of

seeing all five species of North American falcons: American Kestrel, Merlin, Prairie Falcon, Peregrine Falcon, and Gyrfalcon! After visiting Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge, our two nights in Mt. Vernon will give easy access to great birding spots. Saturday and Sunday we’ll explore sites such as Padilla Bay Interpretive Center, Samish Island, and La Conner. Join Steve Engel on this relaxed trip that will provide ample opportunity for viewing and instruction on the area’s birds and natural history. Group size is limited so most rows in the van will have just two people.

Cost: $265 members / $290 non-membersGroup Size: 8 participants

What is included: Transportation by 15-passenger van, 2 breakfasts, 1 lunch, 2 nights double-occupancy lodging, and leader’s services. A portion of fee is a tax-deductible contribution to Portland Audubon.

Contact: Steve Engel at sengel@audubonportland.org or 971-222-6119.

Trees in WinterJanuary 26 (Saturday), 10am–3pm

Are you feeling like a stranger amongst the many tree species that make up the Pacific Northwest’s world-renowned forests? Then maybe it’s time for you to be introduced! Spend a day learning fun facts about many of the common and not-so-common native Northwest trees. We’ll learn ways to identify tree species using many different clues, from their bark to their berries and where they are growing. This class will focus on those species we can easily study in the field right here in our own Audubon Sanctuaries and the surrounding Forest Park. Knowing your trees is a great way to feel connected to where you live and, for birdwatchers, a very useful tool for describing where a bird is to your companions. Imagine yourself saying: “There! It just landed halfway up that Pacific Dogwood tree!” Instructor is Steve Engel, Adult Education Coordinator.

Cost: $20 members / $25 non-members Enrollment Limited: 12 participantsPre-registration is required.

Participation is limited to 12 people. The program will run 14 months, beginning Spring 2008 and ending Summer 2009. Most months there will be two classes and two field trips as we follow Oregon birds through the seasons. Our primary instructor will be Dan van den Broek, with additional guest presenters scheduled. For more information and to learn how to register, contact Steve Engel, Adult Education Coordinator.

Master Birder ProgramIntroducing the Audubon Society of Portland’s new

Beginning Field Birding and Sauvie Island Exploration February 2, March 1, April 5(Saturdays), 8am–Noon

Join Greg Baker, expert birder and fiddler, and get to know one of Oregon’s most accessible Important Bird Areas — Sauvie Island Wildlife Area — managed by Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. Just 10 miles from downtown Portland, Sauvie Island is rich with wildlife. Greg has offered this class in the fall and spring for going on 16 years and it always fills up! It’s perfect for those interested in developing and sharpening their birding skills, meeting new birding buddies, and exploring the different habitats on the island. Learn bird calls, and search for waterfowl, songbirds, and raptors. This workshop is limited to 15 people and signups are for all three days.

Fee: $50 members / $60 non-membersEnrollment Limited: 15 participantsPre-registration required — participants register for all three days.

Beginning BirdwatchingFebruary 11 (Monday), 7pm– 9pm: ClassFebruary 17 and 24 (Sundays), 8am–11am: Field Trips

If you’ve always wanted to give birding a try and would like to learn some basics, this class is for you. Designed especially for beginners, topics include finding birds, tips for looking at birds, recognizing behavior and habitats, and identifying bird sounds. Take concepts from the evening program and apply them on two Portland-area field trips. Your instructor will be Laura Whittemore. She has introduced scores of people to birding through this class over the years. Here are some comments from her students: “Laura is an excellent teacher.” “She gave a great deal of information in a very accessible way.” No wonder her classes fill up quickly!

Fee: $35 members / $45 non-membersEnrollment Limited: 12 participants

Class-only option available; contact Steve Engel for details.

Deciduous trees © Mike Calvin

Laughing Gull, winter plumage © Don Baccus

American Wigeon (female and male) © Paul Buescher

Northern Flicker © Paul Buescher

Photo © Mike Houck

7JANUARY 2008www.audubonportland.org

Sanctuaries

For Education: Powerpoint projector • Flat screen monitor

Laptop computer • Floorlamps

For Sanctuary: Loppers • Hand saws • Work gloves

Long-necked staplerWatering wand hose attachment

For Wildlife Care Center: Chicken baby food

Science Diet kitten food Bleach • Camper/trailer

If you can donate these items, please first contact Audubon Society of Portland at

503-292-6855 ext.102, Mon–Fri, to arrange a time for delivery/pick-up.

Thank you to:Wish List & Thank you’s

Our Wish List:

• Peter S. Armstrong for a selection of tools and equipment for our workshop.• Maushan Design, Inc. for 3 office chairs donated to the Sanctuaries and Education Departments.• Michael Taylor for a natural history library, including bird and mammal reference books and monographs. • Ann P. Littlewood for a 12-inch electric chainsaw and a toolbox.• Nancy P. Fraser for a digital scale for the Wildlife Care Center.• Ginnie Ross for 2 bags Science Diet kitten food.• NatureBake for 20 packages of cookies.

Audubon Society of Portland gratefully acknowledges these

thoughtful gifts:

You can honor a special person with a gift to Audubon Society of Portland. Your gift will help fund a future

of inspiring people to love and protect nature. You can make an Honor or Memorial gift online

at www.audubonportland.org or by calling 971-222-6129. A songbird card acknowledging your thoughtful gift will be sent to the honoree or family.

In MemoryBruce Dobney

Loren and Susan Lutzenhiser

John King Janice and Richard Conklin

Yvonne Taylor Dana Walker

Elizabeth Chiles Kathryn E. Piorkowski

Lyle Gross Michael Shinn and Ellen Lairson

In HonorJonah Harris

Karen and Matthew Bissonette Jim and Sandra Shimomaeda

David O’Donovan

Ginnie Ross Sue Wetzel

Nature Store Highlightsby Sally Loomis & Nancy Mattson, Nature Store Staff

Hot off the Press!On your next visit, please pick up a free copy of the latest brochure in Portland Audubon’s Living with Urban Wildlife series: “For the Birds: Protecting Birds

in Your Backyard and Beyond.” This proactive guide for protecting birds in your own backyard features a helpful checklist of information, including:

Feed Birds ResponsiblyThe best way to help birds is to provide them with natural habitat and food sources. However, birdfeeders can add additional nutrition to their diets and provide you with better opportunities to view the birds in your yard. Always

feed natural, fresh seeds, feed small amounts daily, and clean feeders once a week with a 10% bleach solution.

In addition to top-quality seed, the Nature Store sells a variety of cleaning brushes, as well as feeders like the Squirrel-Buster Plus, that can be disassembled and sterilized in a dishwasher. Aspects has just introduced a new Quick-CleanTM tube feeder, which has a removable base for easy access. These attractive feeders are available in either a brass or brushed nickel finish. While cleaning feeders isn’t a fun job, it is an important responsibility for backyard birding enthusiasts. Winter Book RoundupJanuary’s short days and long winter nights are a great time

for birders to catch up on the many fine recently published books devoted to birding and wildlife ecology.

Well-respected nature writer Scott Weidensaul’s newest work, Of a Feather: A Brief History of American Birding, offers his personal and historical exploration of the quirky characters and

events that have shaped one of America’s favorite activities. The Great Naturalists, edited by Robert Huxley, is a beautifully illustrated sweeping view of the men and women who helped create the field of natural history.

Beginning birders can enjoy two great titles: National Geographic’s Birding Essentials, and The Birder’s Companion, by Stephen Moss. Both provide lots of hints and tips on bird physiology and behavior, as well as an overview of optics, birding etiquette, and more.

Gulls and owls, two of our most charismatic bird groups, each contain two Oregon species that appear in the recently released National Bird WatchList 2007 (see cover article). This is an opportune time to learn more about these important birds. Gulls of the Americas by Howell and Dunn

exhaustively covers the myriad of gull ID issues at various maturities and plumages. Owls of the United States and Canada: A Complete Guide to Their Biology and Behavior by Wayne Lynch is just that, and with wonderful photographs, too!

Winners of our November reader’s poll for the ultimate Birding Field Guide were the National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America and participant Grace De Lap, who takes home a $35 gift certificate.

See the Nature Store ad on page 11 for more great book ideas.

Recently I was contacted by a professor in the Environmental Science and Management Department at Portland State University who is

interested in doing field research in our sanctuaries with one of her classes. Specifically the class wants to look at the role of Bigleaf Maple in the succession of our coniferous forests. This professor thought that as the Forest Manager for Portland Audubon, I might have some insight into why these maples appear to self-propagate and resist competition from our resident conifer populations of Douglas Fir, Western Redcedar, and Western Hemlock.

An interesting question, and I can certainly have my own theories to explain the ‘mystery of the maples.’ What really struck me from this inquiry, however, was being referred to as the Forest Manager for Audubon’s sanctuaries. I suppose it is an accurate label, but for some reason I found myself resisting the idea that a forest could be, or should be, managed.

As Sanctuaries Director I am far more comfortable thinking of myself as a steward of the forest, rather than a manager. I see it as my job to protect the forest while providing safe access to those who want to visit and take a walk through the woods. I try to keep the trails clear and the bridges in good repair; at the same time, I put significant effort into keeping the sanctuaries free of invasive plant species that threaten native vegetation. The rest is up to the forest itself.

And it all comes back to the mystery of the maples. I believe that the maples have such a strong presence in the Forest Park ecosystem because of previous management strategies that looked to develop the land for timber and housing development. As areas were logged, the maples re-sprouted

from the stumps, thrived in the clearings provided by the logging cuts, and easily outcompeted the conifer saplings.

Efforts to manage the regeneration of coniferous forest by selectively cutting these clonal maple colonies have been considered in this park, and are actually written into the Forest Park Natural Resource Management Plan. But such management practices are costly and labor intensive, and cause continued disruption to wildlife habitat. Fortunately, Forest Park’s maples have been spared the chainsaw and the forest has been left to develop at its own pace.

Managing Nature – A Case for Stewardshipby Tom Costello, Sanctuaries Director

Second-growth forest emerging along Balch Creek. © Portland Audubon

Woodcrafters Wanted

Last month we received a very generous donation of tools and supplies for our workshop. This month Boy Scout Troop 606 will help us install new

shelving in the shop, set up our new tools, and organize all of the nuts and bolts, so that we will be ready for any and all maintenance and woodworking projects.

I am looking for experienced woodcrafters who are interested in volunteering some time in the newly outfitted shop. We have an immediate need to design and build new tables for Heron Hall, and many of our benches in the sanctuaries need to be repaired or replaced. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact me at tcostello@audubonportland.org or 503-292-6855 ext.106.

2008 Nature Calendars on

Sale Now!

8 JANUARY 2008 www.audubonportland.org

by Harry NehlsField Notes

Sightings

While birding on Sauvie Island October 5, Chris Warren spotted a Blue-phased Snow Goose (Blue Goose). Shawneen Finnegan and Jeff

Gilligan found it again November 8. Perhaps it will spend the winter allowing others to see this rare visitor to the Portland area.

The Blue Goose has a very interesting history. Originally it was considered a full species that wintered in large numbers along the Louisiana Coast, then migrated along the Mississippi Flyway to disappear in northern Canada. Very few were reported away from this narrow flyway. It was 1929 when the nesting grounds were first located on Baffin Island, which lies between mainland Canada and Greenland.

The next year another colony was found on Southampton Island 600 miles farther west and overlapping a Snow Goose colony. In this colony there were a number of obvious hybrids. Not long after, the numbers of Snow and Blue Geese began to increase and their nesting ranges expanded with considerable overlapping.

On November 11 Pamela Johnston saw a Black Phoebe near McMinnville. Jan Cornelius and Jerry Martin found one on Sauvie Island November 4. Al Ahlgrim reported a Say’s Phoebe at Champoeg State Park November 5, and Greg Gillson saw one at Roy November 22. On November 5 Lars Norgren saw two Black-crowned Night-Herons on the small marsh across from the Fernhill Wetlands parking lot. They apparently did not stay; hunting is taking place there this year and the birds may have been driven off.

Quite a few Great Egrets were scattered around through November, but the large flocks appeared to be gone by the end of October. The Sandhill Crane survey in the Sauvie Island–Ridgefield NWR area October 9

counted 4,046 birds. About 900 were still in the area into December. Bill Clemons spotted a late White Pelican at Ridgefield NWR November 11.

By mid-November close to 1,000 Snow Geese were in the Portland area. Em Scattaregia reported a Goldeneye November 14 on one of the Mt. Tabor reservoirs. Erik Knight saw a Common Goldeneye in Oaks Bottom November 19, and Leslie Meserve saw one at Fernhill Wetlands November 23. Chris Warren spotted a flock of 20 Surf Scoters flying past Kelley Point Park at the mouth of the Willamette River November 20.

Soon Blue Geese and hybrids began showing up among the East Coast flocks of Snow Geese and more and more were seen along the Central Flyway. By 1950 Blue and Snow Geese along the Mississippi and Mid-continent Flyways were evenly split. About the only Snow Goose breeding colonies not containing Blue Geese were the small Alaskan colonies and the large colony on Wrangle Island, the birds that winter west of the Cascades in Oregon and Washington.

A few years ago a few Blue Geese began showing up on Wrangle Island and among the wintering flocks. Though they are still very scarce, there appears to be a consistent presence that may increase in coming years.

In 1960 the Blue and Snow Geese were combined into one species with the Blue considered a color phase of the Snow. The Blue gene is dominant and eventually could swamp

Range of Blue Goose Expanding

Portland Audubon welcomes members into the society through many different portals. People can enjoy our sanctuaries, expand their understanding

about birds through classes and field trips, and advocate for greater species and habitat protection via activism at the local, state, and federal levels.

Volunteers enter the organization in a similar manner. They can participate in a one-time event such as the Wild Arts Festival, commit to a weekly shift as a receptionist, or serve on a long-term special events committee. Portland Audubon is fortunate to have many volunteers do a combination of things, contributing their talents for the betterment of the organization’s mission. Katy Erhlich is one of those people.

Katy arrived at Audubon about three years ago and proceeded straight to the Wildlife Care Center. She was strongly attracted to this volunteer opportunity, regarding it a privilege to be part of a recovery team that can give back to a bird its ability to fly. Katy acquired the skills necessary to become an important asset to the Care Center, and serves as a dependable and capable handler of injured and orphaned animals.

What she gives to the entire organization are her natural abilities and professional experience in the areas of marketing, communications, and creative thinking. I don’t recall my first conversation with Katy about the organizational “big picture,” but her deep

Volunteer of the Month: Katy Erhlichby Meryl Redisch, Executive Director

Common Goldeneye. Credit: M. Fenner/USFWS

out the white geese. However, for some reason there is some control and the expansion is considerably slower than would be expected. The white Snow Geese greatly outnumber the Blue Geese at this time, but it will interesting to watch what happens over the coming years.

One theory proposes that Blue Geese are much more successful on the nesting grounds during years of little snow, and that Snow Geese do better when there is lots of snow around. If that is true, the Blue Goose is going to have an edge during this warming period.

The closely related Ross’s Goose originally did not carry the Blue gene, with the population entirely white. When the Snow and Blue Geese began expanding their ranges, so did the Ross’s, and the breeding ranges began to merge. Many hybrids began to be seen, many pairing with Blue Geese. Now the Ross’s Goose has the gene and Blue Ross’s Geese are often seen. If the populations of these birds continue to expand, the white Ross’s Goose may disappear.

Blue-phased Snow Goose © Angus Wilson/OceanWanderers.com

appreciation and admiration for all we do were immediately evident. She offered (and I jumped at the chance) to help us market ourselves better by sharing our stories in a more inclusive, focused, and action-oriented way. Katy’s marketing and communications expertise had been centered in the corporate world with huge clients like Microsoft and Nike and in places like China and California. How fortunate for the Audubon Society of Portland and our membership to have someone with that level of talent and dedication assist us with the production of our annual reports, major grant applications, and special event branding. Katy was instrumental in helping me put together the program for our first Sustenance and Sustainability Event held at Elk Cove Vineyards last September. We spent considerable time together working on the right stories to tell an audience of 150 people.

Katy has devoted additional time to attend organizational retreats and community workshops to become better informed about the communications challenges we face and the opportunities we have not yet realized. With her assistance, Portland Audubon’s stories will be more widely heard and shared in the future. Thank you, Katy!

Bill Clemons saw a Northern Shrike at Ridgefield NWR November 8. Ron Escano and a birding crew from Portland Audubon found one at Powell Butte Park November 3. George Neavoll watched an adult Golden Eagle soaring over downtown Portland November 5. On November 21 Dave Helzer watched an adult gray-phased Gyrfalcon fly over the Portland Airport and cross the Columbia to Government Island. It appeared to be carrying a pigeon.

Adrian Hinckle noted a female White-winged Crossbill November 22 at Still Creek Campground south of Mt. Hood. Considering reports from farther north, White-winged might become regular this winter. Already good numbers of Mountain Chickadees are being reported from the Willamette Valley and Bohemian Waxwings are being seen in far eastern Oregon.

Families Can Volunteer Together!by Deanna Sawtelle, Volunteer Coordinator

We get many requests for youth volunteer opportunities, so we’re expanding our current Audubon Docent volunteer program to include

youth and teens, ages 10–17, who are accompanied by an adult. Audubon Docents are the “welcome wagon” for Audubon. They welcome visitors to the Interpretive Center on weekends during spring and summer, make sure visitors know where the trails are, help them identify the common birds at the feeders, answer their questions about becoming a member and Audubon in general, and just present a smiling face for our guests. The commitment is a 3-hour weekend shift once a month, though you can certainly do more if you like. A volunteer name badge and t-shirt are required since you are representing Audubon. If you are interested in becoming an Audubon Docent or volunteering in other capacities, please plan on coming to the next New Volunteer Orientation on Wednesday, January 23, 6:00–7:30 p.m. in Heron Hall to learn more. If you’re 18 or older, you can become an Audubon Docent by yourself. If you’d like to get one of your children (ages 10–17) involved, both you and your child will need to come to orientation and an evening training before participating on your shifts together. Our children are our future! Think of terrific environmental messages our young people can offer youthful visitors in this volunteer position. If you would like to attend the orientation on January 23, please email Deanna at volunteercoordinator@audubonportland.org so we can make sure we have enough materials for you.

9JANUARY 2008www.audubonportland.org

This popular program will continue for another year. As before, it intends to bring

birders together from around the state to enjoy birds, see new locations, and maybe add to their lists. We aim to help everyone see most of the birds. The pace is moderate, and corny jokes may happen from time to time.

I will again be organizing and leading these trips. It continues to be a joy to share birding in Oregon with others. — Paul T. Sullivan

Paul Sullivan

Audubon Birding Weekends 2008 — a portal to birding Oregon

Diane AaronsonDiane AdkinHarriet AndersonLucia AppellGuy ArmitageSkye ArmitageGinnie AstrueCharles AubinKatherine AverillCori BacherEloise BacherJoel BaderJean Baecher BrownSarah BahanElizabeth BaileyMatthew BairdEmily Baldauf-WagnerJeff BaxterLani BennettSusan BextonJanet BlackCamille BlakelyAnya BlasserRobyn BluemmelLois BodeElisabeth BowersLiz BrownSheena BrowningPatrick BuntenCharlotte BurkeLuanne ByePat CampbellSue CarrJan CarrierLouise CarrollLaura CarsonClaire CarterAlice CascorbiJune CassellTanya CeckaNicholas ChewCourtney ChunMyk ClarkKelly ClineKrish ClineBea CloseDon Coggswell

Sharon CoggswellDaleesa ColeSherry ConnollyCorinne ConwayArielle CookeWilliam CoxJocelyn CoxLinda CraigPat CraneJose CruzNancy Jane CushingBen CutlerFran DaggettDalin D’AlessandroBrian DarbyZoe DashGary DavisPeggy DayAbby DeatsApril DeBoltRichard DemarestJohn DeshlerJennifer DevlinMeg DevoeJP DeVriesKatharine DiackJerry DickasonMary DickersonLaura DickinsonMichele DicksonAnn DoddsTim DonnerDanni DugganChristopher DuranMichael DuttonKaty DwyerAnne EakinKirk EbensteinerJohn EdwardsKaty EhrlichKatherine EitingDana EldredEthan EquallCarol EvansGregg EverhartKaye ExoPam Eyde

Diane FieldShawneen FinneganSusan Flett-PomeroyScott FlorNancy FraserAlice FroehlichTricia FryerJoe FultzSara GanasMartha GannettHugh GemmellMary GemmellKristina GiffordJenny GoetzCarol GoldbergCaitlin GoldiePeg GoldieRobbie GoldieRobert GoldieEartha GoodmanJennnifer GreyerbiehlEnid GriffinGary GrossCarol GrossWink GrossKelly HagenRosie HamiltonJohn HammerstadJoyce HamreusDawn HandyAlex HansenBeth HardingJane HartlineJames HartmannEric HelmyDave HelzerRoxanna HemmerlinSara HendersonBarb HillJenny HullSandra HirotsuPhil HubertSusan HudsonLaila HungerfordMarlene HuntsingerJill InnskeepDawn Jansen

Kari JonesRobin KadzKathryn KarasLori KeeshTerry KemLeanne KernerTim KimenerLinda KirkpatrickRoy KitzmannKristen KleverElizabeth KnakeDavid KoskampLei KotynskiGala KroossMariha KuechmannMichele LafranchiseSusette LaneRebecca LavelleGeorge LeavittCarol LedfordWilliam LelerTara LilleyAnn LittlewoodBob LockettAlan LocklearJanet LoughreyGlenn LuftRie LuftKatherine LuxDiane LynchBarbara MacomberJerome MagillBecky MagnusonMark MagnusonMolly MarksDawn MartinezMarcia MarvinMonte MattssonRachel MaxeyWhitney MaxwellMolly McAllisterCarol McAllisterSarah McCartyMaryann McCormickAlison MillerBetsy MinthornJB Mire

Paula MishagaCarol MitchellTyrus MonsonHuntley MorrisonAmiee MoyersStacey MullinsKerma MurphyJulie MynhierLinda NeedhamMarianne NelsonJill Nelson-DebordSarah NolteSimone NormanAda NorrisJordan NuccioRobert OswaldPeter PaquetJennifer ParksSheryl PeilMike PeroniWanda PetersCandy PlantSue PoffJoanna PonceMarie Elena PotterTom PottsDonna ProckClaire PuchyAnny RadicSharon RalstonKristina RaunAbby ReynoldsJosie ReznikLloyd RhoadesDebi RhoadesReuben RichNoel RineyKarly RitterSuzie RoaneJulia RoetherKathleen Root-BuntenGinnie RossMark SavageDeanna SawtelleBarbara SchaffnerCathy Schar

Teresa SchechtelJean SchoonoverMarisa ScottTricia SearsJan SecundaJohn ShawEsther ShepsmanBonnie ShoffnerMandy SimsTyler SimsZac SimsGail SittserDiana SizemoreDavid SmithMax SmithJane SmithCarolyn SnegoskiDebbie SparksJackie SparksKelsie SparksRon SpencerAnn SpencerKyle SpinksDorothy SpringerPaula SquireMicki StaufferBetty StevensLeisl StientjesMarilyn StinnettTrudi StoneCasey StoreyRenee StoreyMisty StrommeBarbara StuartKathy SuitorCynthia SulaskiLynn Sweeney

Jennifer TaylorBob ThompsonJenni ThurmanJulie TillmanSarah TsalbinsDanielle TypinskiTess UrtonCecile ValastroTracey VanNeveleCeleste VaughtersLinda VickAlayna VincentSam VogtCindy von OfenheimJennifer VourlasKelli WalkerZach WallaceSally WaltonRoss WeinsteinAngela WheelerDebi WhitcombCurtis WhiteDebby WhiteHannah WhiteLaura WhittemoreGay WillardRebecca WilliamsBob WilsonDean Wilson Melissa WolfNick WolfePhyllis WolfeAdrienne Wolf-LockettTom WoodNaomi WorcesterBridget Yost

Thank You, Volunteers! continued from cover

This list includes Portland Audubon’s key volunteers who dedicate a substantial amount of time, weekly or monthly, and was compiled from their Contact Information Forms. We also appreciate the hundreds of volunteers who help out with annual events and one-time projects, though space limitations prohibit us from listing them here.

We would also like to thank the following veterinary hospitals that volunteer their time and services: Avian Medical CenterDove Lewis Emergency Animal HospitalGladstone Veterinary ClinicRock Creek Veterinary HospitalSusan Kirschner, The Animal Eye Doctor

January 19–21 — Union CountyWe will look for the winter specialties of this beautiful corner of Oregon: Bohemian Waxwings, Rosy Finches, Redpolls, Snow Buntings, as well as the Gray Partridge, raptors, and waterfowl. The Grande Ronde valley is beautiful at this time of year. Base: LaGrande.

February 9–10 — Interior Valley Refuges We will look for raptors, waterfowl, and wintering passerines from the Tualatin River NWR to Baskett Slough, Ankeny, and Finley NWRs, with E.E. Wilson Wildlife Area thrown in. Base: Salem.

March 8–9 — Summer LakeWe will visit this staging area for large numbers of Snow Geese and other waterfowl on their northward migration. Base: Summer Lake.

April 26–27 — Jackson CountyAs spring comes to southern Oregon, we will visit this area to catch the early migrants. Specialties of the area include Oak Titmouse, Mockingbird, California Towhee, and Black Phoebe. Base: Ashland.

Registration Registration for Audubon Birding Weekends is $35 per person for each weekend. Separate checks are preferred. Please make your check payable to the Audubon Society of Portland.

You must register by the Tuesday before the weekend you plan to attend. The following registration information is needed for each weekend you wish to attend: • name • address • phone • email • trip you wish to join • number of attendees • amount enclosed.

May 24–26 — Grant County We will look for spring migrants, especially the Upland Sandpiper, and enjoy the beauty of the Strawberry Mountains. Base: John Day.

June 14–15 — Klamath County We will visit this county to look for Yellow Rails, White Pelicans, Red-necked and Clark’s Grebes, Forster’s and Black Terns, plus shorebirds, raptors, and waterfowl on Upper Klamath and Agency Lakes, as well as forest species. Base: Klamath Falls.

July 4–6 — Wallowa County We will look for nesting songbirds, migrant shorebirds, and the raptors of the Zumwalt prairie while we enjoy the beauty of the Wallowas. Base: Enterprise.

August 9–10 — Lake CountyWe will visit southern Lake County: Lake Abert, Hart Mountain NWR, and the Warner Valley, to see the diverse array of migrant shorebirds, as well as waterfowl and forest birds. We may find the Juniper Titmouse. Base: Lakeview.

Audubon Birding Weekends 2008

What you can expectAbout 10 days before each trip, I will provide a letter to registered participants that will give motel options, schedule, possible birds, and the meeting place. I will also help with arranging carpooling. We meet for Saturday breakfast and carpool from there. Participants are responsible for their own transportation, food, and lodging. Participants are also responsible for their own comfort: snacks, warm clothing, rain gear, insect repellant, sunscreen, etc. Participants should get gas and lunches ahead of time.

September (no trip)This month is already full with the Oregon Shorebird Festival, the North American Migration Count, and the Oregon Field Ornithologists annual meeting.

October 11–12 — Crook CountyWe will visit the reservoirs and woods of this central Oregon county to find migrant waterfowl and shorebirds. Base: Prineville

November 8–9 — Central CascadesWe will spend our days at Haystack Reservoir, Hatfield Lake, Wickiup Reservoir, and other high lakes of the Cascades, looking for fall waterfowl. We will also look for Black-backed and Three-toed Woodpeckers in burns near Bend. Base: Bend.

December (no trip)

Questions? Contact Paul at ptsulliv@spiritone.com or 503-646-7889.

Please send the registration to:Paul T. Sullivan

4470 SW Murray Blvd. #26Beaverton OR 97005

10 JANUARY 2008 www.audubonportland.org

Bird of the Month

Golden-crowned Sparrow Zonotrichia atricapilla

References• Birds of Oregon: A General Reference (edited by Marshall, Hunter, Contreras)• Field Guide to Birds of North America (National Audubon Society)• National Audubon Society website, www.audubon.org

by Steve Engel, Adult Education Coordinator

Sometime in mid to late fall you can expect to hear the plaintive voice of the Golden-crowned Sparrow in your backyard or coming from a nearby hedgerow

or field. You may or may not hear its full song of three descending notes, but certainly you’ll hear something that will make you gaze in that direction and think to yourself, “The golden-crowns have arrived — winter is just around the corner.” This clear-breasted sparrow breeds just to the north of Oregon, in British Columbia and farther north to the Alaskan tundra. It is a regular member of our winter sparrow flocks and one worth watching for.

The mild winter climate of the Willamette Valley is encouraging to sparrows of all stripes — the locals and the migrants — and they band together in flocks for the season’s duration. They spend their days spreading out from some form of dense cover near open space to forage on the ground, and whirl back to safety at the first sign of danger. Winter is a lean time, a time when territoriality among individuals is relinquished for safety in numbers, and the many eyes of the flock help to keep watch out for predators and locate good food sources.

The Golden-crowned Sparrow is a large (seven inches in length) brown sparrow with twin white wing bars. Its tan-brown breast is unstreaked. In breeding plumage it sports a mustard-yellow crown bordered by gray in the back and broad black stripes on either side of the head that

reach from the bill to the nape. The cheeks and throat are gray and the overall effect of this head decoration is very distinguishing. Many birds achieve this plumage in spring before departing our area for their northern breeding grounds. The winter plumage is a much diminished version, with the yellow of the crown the one consistent feature. The black stripes have faded to a dark scaly brown and the gray on the head is gone altogether, replaced by tan cheeks and a dusky white throat.

Golden-crowns range in winter from Vancouver Island to northern Baja California, primarily west of the crest of the Cascade–Sierra Mountains. They are not common east of the mountains. Their winter habitat requirements are a suitable combination of cover and open space to forage in. This makes them fairly easy to locate in or near rural, suburban, and even urban areas. As far as is known, seeds and tender greens — such as buds, blossoms, and fresh shoots — make up most of their diet.

The numbers of Golden-crowned Sparrows wintering in Oregon may fluctuate widely from year to year and location to location. Overall, however, Christmas Bird Count data for a 30-year period shows little or no change in their abundance. This positive news stands out in contrast to the dozen sparrow species on the recently released National Audubon WatchList (see this issue’s cover article). The breeding range of this species covers vast areas of undeveloped countryside in Canada and Alaska, and its favored wintering habitat requirements are still fairly easily met.

Birdathon 2008 is Open for Business

A wonderful opportunity for companies to show their support for conservation, to protect our native wildlife, and to have a good time doing it, Birdathon

2008 offers great visibility and employee engagement opportunities!

Conservation is common vocabulary these days, and everybody is rising to the “green” challenge! Portland Audubon has held conservation at its core for over 100 years, promoting understanding, enjoyment, and protection of our native birds and other wildlife and their habitats, locally and regionally. Our most precious treasure is this place we call home, Oregon.

Birdathon is the uniquely Audubon way to bring awareness to and help protect Oregon’s natural resources. Our signature fundraiser works like a walkathon: we invite participants to build teams, but instead of counting miles, they count birds! Bird enthusiasts and naturalists join the fray — a competitive and educational event for anyone.

During Birdathon month, Birdathoners first gather pledges, and then scout out as many species as possible during periods from a half day up to 48 consecutive hours. In 2007, nearly 400 Birdathoners participated and over 2,000 pledged and cheered from the sidelines, making the Audubon Society of Portland’s Birdathon the most successful of any Audubon chapter nationwide, and raising over $115,000 for our conservation and education programs!

Audubon Society of Portland has been protecting Oregon’s wildlife and wild places for more than a century. We invite businesses to partner with us in our 28th Annual Birdathon and help Bird a Better Tomorrow!

Birdathon Month:Saturday, April 19 – Monday, May 19, 2008

For more information about sponsoring Birdathon 2008, contact:

Leave a legacy that will last for generations to come. A planned gift to the Audubon Society of Portland will carry forward your compassion for birds and our natural spaces.

Gifts of stock or property, bequests in your will, gift annuities, or charitable remainder trusts may help you achieve certain financial goals while providing substantial support for Portland Audubon’s mission. We would be glad to discuss your giving options with you in confidence and with no obligation.

Contact Ann Takamoto, Development Director, at 503-292-6855 ext.117

Winter Golden-crowned Sparrow © Jim Cruce

Members Receive a Discount at the Nature Store!Audubon Society of Portland’s Nature Store is the headquarters for naturalists in the Portland-Vancouver metro area. We feature nature books and CDs for adults and children, binoculars and spotting scopes, birdfeeders and seed, and nature gifts and toys. Portland Audubon members receive a discount on all purchases.

Thanks for a Great Year!The staff of the Nature Store wants to start off the year with a big thank you to all our shoppers who supported Portland Audubon’s Wildlife Care Center, sanctuaries, and programs throughout 2007 with purchases at the Nature Store. And we send a special thanks to the many volunteers who generously gave their time helping those supporters find the perfect books, binoculars, fresh-roasted shade-grown coffee, and myriad other products that enrich and promote connections to and protection of nature. We hope to see you all again and again in 2008.

The Well-Traveled BirderWe know that many of the friendly faces we often see will disappear with the chilly weather as folks head off on winter vacations. Are you planning an international birding trip? Consider making a little pre-trip research with Fifty Places to Go Birding Before You Die, by Chris Santella, or listen to Bird Songs from Around the World, by Les Beletsky. The well-traveled birder will enjoy poring over The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World, newly available in a sixth edition, a definitive reference for bird taxonomy. Another definitive work of note is Birds of Peru, by Thomas

Schulenberg et al. Over 30 years in the making, this long-anticipated title is finally available.

So whether you travel by plane, by train, or merely in a home armchair, the Nature Store has the perfect selection of books to guide your voyage. Stop by often in 2008!

Western Screech-Owlets at the Wildlife Care Center. © Portland Audubon

Ann TakamotoDevelopment Director atakamoto@ audubonportland.org 971-219-6117

Gary SloneBirdathon Coordinatorgary.audubon@gmail.com503-235-2316

Join the Portland Audubon Legacy Club

Teaming with Birdathon is fun: 2007 Metrolarks team. © Portland Audubon

11JANUARY 2008www.audubonportland.org

Inspiring people to love and protect nature since 1902Audubon Society of Portland promotes the enjoyment, understanding,

and protection of native birds and other wildlife and their habitats. We focus on our local community and the Pacific Northwest.

Audubon Society of Portland

AUDUBON

ADMINISTRATION OFFICES5151 NW Cornell Rd • Portland, OR 97210

503-292-6855 • Fax: 503-292-10219am to 5pm, Mon. - Fri.

SANCTUARIES Dawn to dusk every day

NATURE STORE 503-292-9453

10am to 6pm, Mon. - Sat. • 10am to 5pm on Sunday

INTERPRETIVE CENTER & LIBRARY Same hours as store

WILDLIFE CARE CENTER503-292-0304

9am to 5pm every day

RARE BIRD ALERT503-292-6855 • www.audubonportland.org

Pat CampbellNancy Jane CushingMartha Gannett

Peg GoldieWink GrossJohn HammerstadBarb Hill

Terry KemKristina Gifford Claire Puchy

President ............................................................................ Peter PaquetVice President ....................................................Adrienne Wolf-LockettSecretary ........................................................................... Jane HartlineInterim Treasurer ............................................................... Ron SpencerPast President ......................................................................Linda Craig

Executive Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Meryl RedischOffice Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tammi MillerDevelopment Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ann TakamotoBirdathon Coordinator. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gary SloneMembership Development Assistant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Catherine HalpinBookkeeper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pamela AldrichEducation Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Steve RobertsonAdult Education Coordinator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Steve Engel Camp Director/Onsite Programs Specialist . . . . . . . . . . . . Sarah SwansonEnvironmental Educator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ian AbrahamEnvironmental Educator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Michael KinUrban Naturalist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mike HouckConservation Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bob SallingerUrban Conservationist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jim LabbeUrban Wildlife Specialist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Karen MundayVolunteer Coordinator. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Deanna SawtelleWildlife Care Center Operations Manager. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Deb SheafferWildlife Care Center Assistant Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Molly McAllisterNature Store Manager. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nancy MattsonNature Store Assistant. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Marilyn O’GradyNature Store Clerk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sally LoomisSanctuaries Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tom CostelloSanctuaries Assistant. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Greg Kurtz

Committee Chairs

Board Member Emeritus - Dave Marshall

Staff

Conservation .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lynn HerringEducation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Terry KemExecutive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Peter PaquetFinance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ron SpencerMembership & Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nancy Jane Cushing Sanctuaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ann LittlewoodWildlife Care Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Vacant

Board Members

Board Officers Through their business practices and financial contributions, the following business members help Audubon Society of Portland fulfill its mission. If you would like to become a business member, please contact our Development Department at 971-222-6117.

BUSINESS MEMBERS

Business Benefactor Northwest Natural

Business Guarantors Backyard Bird ShopPortland General Electric

Business PartnersDavid Evans & AssociatesForest Park Federal Credit UnionNike

Business SupportersLeupold & Stevens, Inc.Portland Audubon Nature StoreThe Standard

Business FriendsAurora LandscapeCarton ServicePaloma ClothingShoreBank PacificVernier Software and TechnologyWinter’s Hill Vineyard

Everything for the Wild Bird Enthusiast

Seven locations in Portland and Vancouver

503-635-2044

www.backyardbirdshop.com

These are just a few of the comments about Wild Arts Festival 2007 held at Montgomery Park on November 17th and 18th. A rich array of artists

and authors, a wonderful silent auction, the 6x6 Wild Art Project, Sabin School Art, and of course great volunteers — all made the Festival exciting and enjoyable. In terms of the number of admissions, memberships, sales, and auction bids, we exceeded all of our projections.

Thank you to all of our partners, artists, authors, donors, sponsors, volunteers, Portland Audubon staff and board members, and the Wild Arts Festival Planning Committee for making this collaboration work so successfully. Our event producer, Bob Gandolfi, was a new and invaluable addition to WAF this year.

The Wild Arts Festival depends on the help of over 200 Portland Audubon volunteers, and we want to give them our sincere thanks. We particularly want to acknowledge the contributions of several key WAF volunteers: Sue Allen, Robyn Blummel, Anne Eakin, Bob and June Fields, Martha Gannett, Peg Goldie, Ann Littlewood, Barb Macomber, Tom Potts, Emily Sullivan, Larry Whitson, Bob Wilson, and Gary Wilson.

Delightful, Fun, Successful, A wonderful mix, Love the birds, Cool display!

Portland Audubon staff members we would like to recognize for their help with WAF are Deanna Sawtelle, Tammi Miller, Pamela Aldrich, Catherine Halpin, Tom Costello, and Ann Takamoto.

Lastly, we want to acknowledge our event sponsors for their support: Kingfisher Level: Backyard Bird Shop; Bill Naito Company

Swift Level: Paloma Clothing; Aurora Landscape

Community Supporter Level: Auctions Director; Bob Gandolfi Event Production; Linda S. Craig, LLC; Marsha Henry, Broker, Remax Equity Group, Inc.; Frame Central; Studio Concepts, Inc.

The Wild Art Project sponsored by: Art Media; ReFind Furniture, a service of the ReBuilding Center; Urban Grind Coffee

Thank you all for a great Wild Arts Festival 2007!

Martha Gannett, Wild Arts Festival Committee Chair, provided this article.

Two days of author signings was a special treat for book lovers. © Rusty Whitney

Photographer Vernon DiPietro impressed visitors with his images. © Rusty Whitney

Art by students from Sabin Elementary School, inspired by our educational birds, was quickly sold out. © Rusty Whitney

The 6x6 canvases were cleverly displayed on a series of recycled doors. © Susan Bexton A bird’s-eye view from the atrium sky bridge overlooking some of the artists’ booths.

© Susan Bexton

WILD ARTS FESTIVAL

NATURE STOREVisit the Audubon Society of Portland

Shady TrailsNature BooksHiking GuidesBirding OpticsToys and Gifts

5151 NW Cornell Rd, Portland OR503-292-9453 www.audubonportland.org

Minutes from downtown in Forest Park

A world-class car rental company with homegrown roots.www.enterprise.com