Rainier Audubon Society November 2009

Monday, November 16, at 7:00 PM Notes from the Fall ACOW

Rainier Audubon Presents
by Jim Tooley
Dr. Dennis Paulson
Dragonflies and Damselflies of Washington
Eighty species of dragonflies and education courses in natural history
damselflies are recorded in Washington, for over 40 years. He recently retired
distributed among nine families, from his position as the Director of
resulting in plenty of diversity in body the Slater Museum of Natural History
form, coloration, and habits. They can at the University of Puget Sound. One
be abundant, especially the damselflies of
his primary goals as a biologist has What follows are a few notes about
that fly by the been to blend the the Fall ACOW (Audubon Council of
thousands at science of biology Washington) meeting in Everett the
many interior with the study weekend of October 9 - 11.
lakes. They and
appreciation I attended the Conservation
are usually of nature. His Committee meeting. Several resolutions
associated with special research were put forward by individual chapters,
water, but the big subjects have and eight “priorities” were presented for
blue darners can long been consideration by coalition partners at
be seen almost dragonflies, and the 2010 legislative session. Top priority
anywhere, he has studied was given to the Invest in Clean Water
hawking for Western Forktail them all over the proposal because petroleum byproducts
insects over lawns and parking lots in world, resulting in the largest collections are the number one contributor to water
the city. Nearly a dozen species live in of Odonata specimens and photos in pollution in this state and in Puget
city lakes and ponds in Puget Sound western
North America. He has written Sound. The proposal calls for a per-
urban areas, but just as in birds, you have over 40 scientific papers on the Odonata, barrel fee on gasoline, diesel, lubricants,
to travel around the state to appreciate also a booklet, Dragonflies of 
Washington, industrial fuels, and asphalt and road
the real diversity of the group.
 and is presently working on field guides oils. Home heating oil, agricultural
After receiving his Ph.D. in to North American dragonflies and diesel, and aviation fuels are exempted.
zoology from the University of 
Miami, damselflies. This fee will be imposed at the refinery,
Dennis Paulson taught college and adult Please join us for
this entertaining not at the gas pump. The money will
and information-packed presentation. be distributed to local governments
R ainier Audubon programs are held at Refreshments and conversation available through a competitive grant process,
Federal Way United M ethodist Church before, during, and following the with local governments providing
29645 - 51st Ave. So. 98001 program. matching funds.
(in unincorporated Auburn) Several other resolutions are ready
Directions:
to go forward, and the sponsoring
In Federal Way, take 320th St. EAST chapters are asking for Board votes
past The Commons, crossing over I-5 Holiday Brown Bag R affle from other chapters for support. Briefly,
before the program these are:
and Military Rd. At 321st St, turn left.
5:30 - 7:00 PM
Stay on 321st as it becomes 51st Ave.
See details on page 5 √ Request that the Dept. of
So. Follow 51st Ave. to 296th. Church Energy transfer land to the Dept. of
will be on your left.
(continued on page 7)
 President’s Message
by Nancy Streiffert
September and early October gave us a lovely cheaper and with smaller carbon footprints than
“Indian” summer. Warm, sunny days and cool asparagus from Chile in December!
nights have the trees and bushes turning At the same time, the wild
color and our gardens producing their creatures prepare for less abundance.
last summer goodies. As a “foodie,” Some store nuts and seeds, others
I find it intriguing that humans harvest native and non-native
survived the pre-electrified eons berries and seeds. Swallows,
by “co-evolving” with plants flycatchers, and warblers,
they could preserve in dry dependent on flying
storage — without modern insects, migrate. Insect
processing — apples, fresh or gleaners — chickadees,
as fermented cider, grapes as bushtits, nuthatches
wine, cabbage as sauerkraut, — scour branch and
and all the winter squashes. bark for hidden insects,
The last two are good sources helped out by our suet
of vitamins C and A as other and seed feeders. Anna’s
fresh sources dwindled before Hummingbirds defy
global marketing, refrigeration, (my) logic and overwinter,
and freezing. Then there are the seemingly thanks to our nectar
high protein dry beans available in feeders. I wonder what other
all their shapes and colors! Perhaps sources they use in winter. Any
we should emulate our ancestors and ideas? Join us to share all your bird
use more of these seasonal foods, often and outdoor ideas and adventures!

OFFICERS
President----------Nancy Streiffert------------ ----(253) 796-2203
Vice President----------Steve Feldman*-------------- ----(360) 802-5211
Treasurer----------Jim Tooley *------------------ ----(253) 854-3070
Program Chair----------Dale Meland*--------------- ----(253) 946-1637
Field Trip Chair----------Carol Schulz----------------- ----(206) 824-7618
Backyard H abitat Chair----------Carol Stoner*--------------- ----(253) 854-3207
M embership Chair----------Pat Toth----------------------- ----(206) 767-4944
Conservation Chair----------Dan Streiffert--------------- ----(253) 796-2203
M ailing Chair----------Debra Russell---------------- ----(425) 271-0682
Hospitality----------Jane Gardner ---------------- ----(253) 631-3105
Newsletter Editor----------Nancy Hertzel-------------- ----(253) 255-1808
Ivy Eradication Coordinator----------Bernedine Lund------------- ----(253) 839-3729
Education Chair----------Annette Tabor*------------- ----(253) 927-3208
Christmas Bird Count Coordinator----------Nancy Streiffert------------ ----(253) 796-2203
Board M ember----------Max Prinsen------------------ ----(425) 432-9965
Board M ember----------Erin Wojewodski-Prinsen ----(425) 432-9965
*Also serves as Board member

Rainier Audubon Society

PO Box 778. Auburn WA 98071. (253) 796-2203
website: www.RainierAudubon.org
email: info@RainierAudubon.org

November 2009 - PAGE 2

 2009 / 2010 Christmas Bird Count
by Nancy Streiffert, CBC Coordinator
The Kent/Auburn Christmas Bird lead a small group in one of our 10 in your own yard
Count (CBC) will be held this year on areas, all within a 15-mile radius or at your feeders. 
Sunday, December 27. The Christmas circle that stretches from Renton to Rainier appreciates
Bird Count is a nationwide the Pierce County border the many feeder
citizen science project in which and from Puget Sound to watchers who
amateur and expert birders Maple Valley.  Beginners contribute their
spend the day counting all the and novices can keep records findings to our count.
birds they see in an assigned and learn from the experts As darkness ends the birding
area.  The data collected are as well as explore potentially adventure, we join together for a
sent to National Audubon, new birding areas for future potluck dinner to warm up, share
where it is analyzed and used in trips.  The day starts early, sightings and compile our sightings —
many ways; for example, data usually at dawn — winter always lots of surprises, oohs and aahs. 
from the past more-than-100- days are so short that birds Our CBC area map will be at our
years shows avian population have to get moving to be able November and December meetings, as
trends and the effects of habitat to get their calories in before the next well as knowledgeable people to answer
changes, disease, predation, and other cold night.  You can start with the your questions.  Please join us on this
information vital to resource managers, group and leave early or join up later, if year’s CBC and get some fresh air and
environmental stewards, and others that works better for you.  help our feathered friends!  Contact
who strive to ensure a healthy future Another option that doesn’t Nancy at (252) 796-2203 or by email at
for birds and the planet.  involve driving or exposing yourself nancy_streiffert@hotmail.com
Anyone can help!  Expert birders to cold weather is to count birds

Recent Changes in Audubon Washington

The following
are excerpts from
an email sent by the
Audubon Board
of Stewards on
October 15, 2009,
relating to the
closing of Audubon
Washington’s
Olympia Office.
State staff and board members
have worked with senior staff of
National Audubon to examine all
options available, and have concluded
that it is necessary to re-focus
Audubon’s activities in Washington on
core activities and plan to rebuild the
program from those areas of strength.
We reached this decision because of
the growing staff and leadership at
Seward Park, and the economy of
scale achievable with consolidation.
Structurally, this has meant closing
the office in Olympia, cancelling a
Seward Park Audubon and Environmental Center in Seattle
planned search for a new Executive
Director, and bringing staff together
around the Seward Park Audubon and
Environmental Center. As a result, the
Interim Executive Director position
currently held by Charlie Kahle will
end on October 23, and as of that date,
state staff will report to Gail Gatton,
the Director of the Seward Park
Audubon Center.
Audubon Washington’s focus
on policy, science, education and
birding trails will continue on a strong
footing with coordination from this
base in Seattle.
Christi Norman,
the Washington
State Birding Trail
Program Director,
has relocated to
the Center and will
run the Birding
Trail program from
there, while Don McIvor, Science
Coordinator, will continue to work out
of his home in Twisp and our public
policy consultant Miguel Perez-Gibson
will provide a presence for Audubon
out of his office in Olympia.
In order to provide Audubon
chapters and conservation
constituents in Washington with
the support they need, we have
assembled a network of resources.
Taylor Felt at Seward Park will be
available to answer administrative
questions; Christi Norman and
(continued on page 7)

November 2009 - PAGE 3

 Field Trips — by Carol Schulz
White-tailed Kites in the Fall
Sunday, November 15
7:30 AM to Late Afternoon
Leader: Roger Orness
White-tailed Kites are not known
to migrate, but the young disperse
in the fall and there is always the
possibility of finding late nesting
pairs, too.  This year has been a
down year for kites, but we will
find them. Our trip will take us
through several valleys where
kites have nested in the past, and
we will also seek them
in new areas.  Our
main target birds
will be any hatch-
year juveniles. We
also should see good
numbers of other
raptors — one year
we had 41 American
Kestrels.
This trip is limited to
seven people and two vehicles, so
sign up early to secure a spot.
Bring:  Scopes, binoculars,
lunch, and snacks.  Be prepared
for a long drive and a long day,
returning to Tacoma in late
afternoon.
Meet:  At McDonalds at the
Hwy. 512 Park & Ride at 7:30
AM.  Depart promptly.
Directions:  Take I-5 to
Hwy. 512 south of Tacoma.  Turn
right and take an immediate left
on South Tacoma Way.  Travel
south one block, and turn left
into the Park & Ride.  Meet near
McDonalds.
Sign Up:  Call or email Roger
at (253) 922-7516 or r.orness@
comcast.net
November 2009 - PAGE 4
Kent to East Lake Washington
Saturday, November 28
8:30 AM to Mid-afternoon
Leader:  Carol Schulz
After Thanksgiving
“Walk-Off-the-Calories” trip
The Saturday after Thanksgiving
will be a great time to visit areas
in and near the Kent Valley
(depending on where the birds
are being seen).  Then we’ll
travel north to two parks on East
Lake Washington:
Juanita Beach
Park, and Juanita
Bay Park.  Some
folks call this our
“Diet Trip.”  We
will walk about
two miles on both
paved and unpaved
trails.  These areas
near Kent, as well
as the parks in north Kirkland,
should have excellent birding this
time of year.  We will be looking
for eagles and hawks, dabbling
and diving ducks, Cackling
Geese, woodpeckers, songbirds,
and more.
Bring:  Warm clothes, lunch
(turkey sandwiches?), hot drinks,
snacks, and water. Scopes are
welcome.
Meet:  8:30 AM at the Kent-Des
Moines Park & Ride.  (People
who wish to leave early may bring
their own cars.)
Directions:  Take I-5 to
exit 149.  Go east on Kent-Des
Moines Rd. approximately one
block. Turn left (north) 1/2 block
on Military Rd.  The Park & Ride
is on the left.
Sign Up:  Call or email Carol at
(206) 824-7618, linusq@att.net.
Kittitas County Birding in Winter
Sunday, December 6
6:30 AM to Evening
Co-Leaders:
Charlie Wright
and Roger Orness
Come enjoy a day of winter-season
birding in central Washington.
We will venture over Snoqualmie
Pass and visit areas including
Swauk Prairie and South Cle Elum
along our route. Large numbers
of raptors including Rough-
legged Hawks and Prairie Falcons
are seen wintering in the open
snow-covered fields of Kittitas.
Proceeding east, we will reach the
Columbia River at Vantage, where
waterfowl are sometimes present
in vast numbers. Some target
species will include unusual loons,
ducks, American White Pelicans,
and possibly rare gulls. Chukar
are occasionally seen in the basalt
outcroppings here.
BRING: Many layers of clothing
for cold weather conditions, a
lunch, and snacks. Scopes are
welcome. Space is limited.
Meet:  At 6:30 AM at the Auburn
Safeway store at Auburn Way and
Main St.
DIRECTIONS:  Take Hwy. 18 to
Auburn and exit at Auburn Way
(Hwy 164).  Turn north (right)
on Auburn Way and drive three
blocks.  Safeway sign and gas
station will be on the left.  Park in
the Safeway lot just beyond the gas
station and straight out from the
Safeway door.  We will meet and
carpool (promptly) from there.
Sign up:  Contact Roger at
r.orness@comcast.net or by
phone at (253) 922-7516.  Email is
preferred.

Back by Popular Demand!
Holiday
Brown Bag Raffle
at Our November Meeting
Monday, November 16
Doors open at 5:30 PM!
Browse the raffle items
from 5:30 till 7:00
How it Works
Purchase as many tickets as you
like for $1 each, then browse the
items on the tables around the
room and drop a ticket into the
bag beside any item you want
to win. The raffle will be open
for browsing from 5:30 till 7:00
PM, at which time the program
will begin (Dr. Dennis Paulson,
Dragonflies and Damselflies of
Washington; see page 1).
After the program (about 8:00
PM), we will draw a ticket out of
each bag. If your ticket is drawn,
you get to take the item home!
Great gifts we remember from
last year included a basket
filled with chocolates, original
watercolor paintings, birdhouses,
and so much more! Don’t miss
this opportunity to help out your
Audubon chapter and shop for
the holidays at the same time.
A September e-Bird Field Trip
A Different Kind of Field Trip
by Charlie Wright
We weren’t the only ones out
there.
By accident, our eBird field trip
to Foothills Trail coincided with South
Prairie’s centennial celebration and a
10k race called the Salmon Run. The
usually quiet trail was bustling with
activity.
The twelve of us birders
encountered runners huffing and
puffing in the opposite direction as we
meandered slowly along, checking the
bushes. Not surprisingly, birds were
hard to come by, as
person after person
filed past us back to
the starting point.
As soon as the
last runner passed, we
hit a big flock of birds.
American Robins and
Cedar Waxwings flew
this way and that, and
Swainson’s Thrushes
“whitted” from deep in
the dogwood thickets.
In the treetops were
Yellow-rumped and
Black-throated Gray
warblers. Suddenly,
we were invaded by
woodpeckers, with five
Downy and two Hairy, as well as two
Red-breasted Sapsuckers in the same
group of trees. One of the sapsuckers
showed very well, working its columns
and rows of sap wells on the side of a
cherry tree only ten feet from us. With
a heard-only Pileated and a number of
Northern Flickers, we recorded all the
expected woodpeckers along the trail.
At two places on South Prairie
Creek, we witnessed hundreds of Pink
Salmon fighting and spawning with
literally all their remaining vital force.
The males’ outrageously humped backs
were exposed from the gravel shallows
only feet from us as the females listed
to the side and dug nests to hold their
eggs. Several spawned-out salmon were
strewn on the shoreline and you could
smell that strong yet healthy smell of
rot in the air. While salmon-watching,
we were delighted to see a total of
seven American Dippers chasing each
other sprightly up and down the creek.
These unusual relatives of wrens are
fond of salmon eggs this time of year,
but one that we saw had found a large
caddisfly larva and was dispatching it
on a pebble, dipping all the while.
Participants on this trip were
encouraged to join
eBird (www.eBird.org),
a citizen-science project
run jointly by Cornell
and Audubon. I printed
and handed out reports
showing bar graphs
from eBird, with
seasonal information
on all 169 birds that
have been seen on the
Foothills Trail since
2001. These graphs are
accessible to all, with a
little exploring, on the
eBird website.
After the trip,
I created a checklist
with all the species and
numbers we observed, and added it to
the eBird database, which automatically
updates the charts. I also sent the
checklist out to trip participants to add
to their own eBird accounts. We ended
up with 58 species and a very rewarding
outing. Several participants commented
that they would be using eBird more
from now on.
To learn more and start using
eBird, just visit www.eBird.org and
sign up today! It’s free, easy, and adds
meaning and gratification to your
birding experience.
November 2009 - PAGE 5
 Mewsings from Millie
Note: Millie is the big, beautiful cat who hangs out at the
Wild Birds Unlimited store in Burien. Millie is very
observant and has decided to write this monthly
column to pass on to us what she sees and
overhears while supposedly sleeping.
Hello, again — and welcome
to the second installment of my
“mewsings!”
The Autumn Equinox has
come and gone. Can you feel the
change in the air? The morning of the
equinox, I learned on KPLU’s “Birdnote”
that many ancient cultures closely watched the changes
in the sun’s daily patterns. Many cultural legends
regarding this involve birds. One legend from South
America is that only the giant Andean Condor with its
10-11 foot wingspan had the strength to lift the sun
each morning and drag it back down each evening. The
Andean Condor is the national symbol of Argentina,
Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.
The most frequently asked question in the store
these last few weeks has been, “Where have all my
goldfinches gone?” The American Goldfinch is a
common resident in our region year-round, although
it may be a little more difficult to find them during the
winter as they are rather nomadic and like to move from
place to place. After they finish nesting in late August/
early September, goldfinches molt their feathers and the
ones they grow back are a somewhat drab olive-green
color. The male may have a small patch of yellow on its
throat. Look for the distinctive white and black wing
bars and you’ll know that your goldfinches are still
around.
Speaking of birds that stay here all year, you may
know that our Anna’s Hummingbird does just that. But
do you know who “Anna” was? Some sources refer to
her as “Princess,” others as the “Duchess of Rivoli,”
but Anna de Belle Messena was married to Victor
Messena who had quite an extensive collection of
bird specimens. John James Audubon went to Paris to
November 2009 - PAGE 6
visit the couple and was smitten by Anna’s charm and
beauty. He later honored Anna by having Rene
Primevere Lesson name the beautiful little
bird after her, thus immortalizing her
beauty forever in the name of our only
over-wintering hummer.
After learning about the “Martin
Box Regiment” (which I wrote about in
last month’s Mewsings), I was curious
to find out if any other birds had “made
history.” I found out about the 77th
Infantry Division, also known as the
Lost Battalion. During World War I, they
found themselves trapped for six days in a hollow in
the Argonne Forest. The commander, Major Charles
Whittlesey, released three homing pigeons requesting
aid, none of which made it through enemy lines. He
had one homing pigeon left named Cher Ami. Despite
heavy enemy fire, Cher Ami succeeded in flying a
distance of twenty-five miles in twenty-five minutes.
Cher Ami lost an eye and a leg, yet completed the flight
and delivered the message he had been entrusted with.
The soldiers were saved! Cher Ami was considered a
war hero and received the French Medal, the Croix de
Guerre, a gold medal and a silver medal. He died June
13, 1919, was preserved and can still be seen today
at the Smithsonian National Museum of American
History.
You’ve probably heard of a “gaggle of geese” or
a “murder of crows.” But have you heard of a “charm
of finches” or a “stare of owls”? I’ve heard there are
over 140 collective nouns used with birds. I’ll try
to introduce you to a few each month. Since Varied
Thrush is the Bird of the Month, a group of thrushes is
called a “mutation” or a “hermitage.”
Until next time, keep on watching and feeding
our little feathered friends and do not for a second
believe that hummingbirds migrate on the backs of
geese!
— Millie, the Muse of Mews
 Notes from ACOW
(continued from page 1)
Interior to preserve one of the last
three tracts of shrub-steppe habitat
left in the state.
√ Request designation of areas
in the Hanford Reach as a National
Monument; this would provide a
steady source of funding to manage
the area.
√ A resolution to oppose the
Radar Ridge Wind
Energy Project to
protect Marbled
Murrelets. While
there is support for
properly located
wind power projects,
Radar Ridge is
opposed because
its siting fragments Marbled Murrelet
habitat.
√ Request for a ban on the use
of lead fishing tackle in fresh water.
Marine water and commercial fishing
are exempted.
There was much discussion in
both the Conservation Committee
and at the conference in general about
how to proceed in the future, as
state funding and support have been
slashed, and ACOW attendance has
been falling over the last year. The
economy may be affecting attendance
as well. This was a serious problem
for Pilchuck Audubon as it made plans
for the meeting this fall. Rainier
Audubon faces similar problems in
Spring 2010 as we make plans to host
ACOW. How many to plan for? How
many rooms to reserve? What size
banquet and meeting rooms?
On Saturday, there were several
short presentations on activities over
the past year by individual chapters.
Breakout sessions included Low
Impact Development, Puget Sound
Starts Here, and Fun with Pet Waste,
to name a few.
Sunday, several birding trips
were led by members of Pilchuck
Audubon. Trips covered local hot
spots and lasted until noon.
Recent Changes in Audubon Washington
(continued from page 3)
Don McIvor will respond to Birding Trail, science, and Important Bird Area
questions, while Miguel Perez-Gibson will work with Chapters on targeted
forest-related, legislative, state budget and related issues (with more details to be
sent soon). Please contact Lynn Tennefoss or Rebecca Richter in the Audubon
Chapter Services Office with any questions about the annual reports, baseline
funding, membership related issues, outreach materials or on other chapter
business related topics.  You should also feel free to contact Gary Blevins with
any questions, concerns or suggestions.  Contact information is below.
At the ACOW meeting, attendees initiated a discussion about how
Chapters could continue to support each other and the state program in order
to pursue collective Audubon action on state-level conservation issues. We
welcome and support this dialogue and look forward to continuing to take part
in it.
Contacts:
Taylor Felt:  (206) 652-2444 x100, tfelt@audubon.org
Christi Norman: (206) 652-2444, ext 104, cnorman@audubon.org
Don McIvor: (509) 977-9456, mcivor@audubon.org
Gary Blevins: (509) 326-2399, GaryB@spokanefalls.edu
Audubon Chapter Services:  (800) 542-2748, chapter_services@audubon.org
Help Salvage Native Plants!
King County Native Plant Salvage Program
Dig in with other volunteers digging up trees and shrubs from this site
scheduled for development. In the afternoon, we’ll be potting up the
salvaged plants so they can recuperate before going to King County
habitat restoration sites. Once replanted, these native plants will help
reduce erosion, shade streams, and provide habitat.
When: Saturday, November 7, 2009, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Where: Black Diamond
Directions to Salvage Site:
From I-405 in Renton, take Hwy. 169 to Black Diamond. Turn right on
Roberts Drive. Go approximately 1.5 miles and watch for sign on left.
Turn left into site on gravel road.
Contact:
Cindy Young by email at cindy.young@kingcounty.gov or (206) 296-8065
November 2009 - PAGE 7
 CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED

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Auburn, WA 98071

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