White-tailed Kite

December/January, 2007/2008

Mission: To promote the awareness, appreciation and protection of native birds and their habitats
through education, research and environmental activities.

Program Meetings for the general community are normally held on the third Monday of each
month at 6:30 p.m., at the Chico Creek Nature Center, 1968 E. 8th St. In December the meeting is
held on the second Monday and in July and August there are no Program Meetings.

From the President

Welcome to fall in the North Valley. Summer warblers have been replaced by winter
waterfowl. The short pants and tee shirts have been put away for another year. Heavy
coats, gloves and hats now hang by the door. This annual change of season is a primal
force that invigorates and motivates all the creatures on earth. Here at Altacal, fall
signals both a time for reflection as well as a call to action.
On behalf of the Altacal Audubon Society I would like to thank all of our Supporting
Members and friends for helping make 2007 such a productive year. Many of you will
remember that at this time last year we faced one of the greatest challenges in our over
50-year history. We had declining financial support from National Audubon and no
system in place to make up the difference. But out of necessity comes invention and our
Local Chapter Supporting Membership was born. I can now happily report that we have
over 230 Supporting Members whose yearly membership dues ensure the viability of our
organization. Much appreciation and gratitude go to all of you who have stepped up and
made this idea become reality. A classic example of how a relatively few dedicated
people can make a very big difference. Let’s make 2008 even better!

Sincerely,

Phil Johnson
President, Altacal Audubon Society
For: The Altacal Audubon Society Board of Directors
 December Program - The Amazing Avian Abundance of the Lone Star
State, Monday, December 10, 6:30 p.m. at the Chico Creek Nature
Center
In the spring of 2007 a group of Altacal members made an all-out assault on the State of
Texas in an attempt to wring every possible species of bird from the 'Great State' in 12
days. From the Piney Woods of eastern Texas to the 'gator-choked marshes of the Gulf
Coast, to the legendary border area of the Lower Rio Grande Valley and up to the
verdant Texas Hill Country you'll see
more warblers, vireos, herons,
kingfishers and exotic border species
than you can imagine. Once you've
experienced the sheer numbers and
diversity of birds presented in this
program, you too will have to agree
that EVERYTHING IS BIG IN
TEXAS!

Scott Huber is the Field Trip Director

for Altacal Audubon and owner of
BIGBIRDERS.com, a newly formed
Birding Tour Company offering trips
beginning in March of 2008

Roseate Spoonbill - Photo by Scott Huber

January Program – Designing Native Plant Landscapes for Wildlife

Monday, January 21, 6:30 p.m. at the Chico Creek Nature Center
Brian Williams presented his program, Designing Native Plant Landscapes for Wildlife,
at the October 2007 meeting of the Mt. Lassen Chapter of the California Native Plant
Society. He has graciously agreed to present it to us as well.
Brian’s presentation will focus on concepts of designing native plant landscapes for
wildlife including important lessons about landscape context, structure, and the realities
of attracting wildlife to space-limited settings. These concepts are supported by many
years of first-person observations of wildlife-plant interactions and couched in a
philosophy of ecological sustainability,
beauty, and respect for life. Brian has no
formal training in landscape design, but the
backyard landscape of his one-and-only client
has been given rave reviews by a group of
Master Gardeners, native plant enthusiasts,
birders, and even the neighbors.
Inspired by the striking dependence of birds
on distinct plant communities, Brian began
tinkering with native plants around 1989. He
has subsequently become a
Native Shrubs and Grasses in the Williams Backyard
Photo by Brian Williams.
wildlife/plant/conservation ecologist (Williams Wildland Consulting), part-time teacher,
and will soon be receiving a landscape contractor’s license. His plantings persist in
Lincoln, Granite Bay, and Natomas, but they are still in the conceptual stage at his
residence on the Yuba/Butte county line where the Williams family lives in their self-
constructed straw-bale, adobe-plastered home.

Upcoming Bird Walks and Birding Trips

All of our field trips are open to beginning birders. Anyone with a sense of wonder is welcome to
participate.
December 1, Saturday – Raptor Run – Trip Leader: Jackson Shedd - Meet at the Chico
Park ‘n Ride on Rt. 32 (the lot nearest the freeway) at 8 a.m.
We'll look for raptors in the Cottonwood Rd. and Nelson Ave.
areas. Targets are Bald Eagle, Ferruginous Hawk, Rough-
legged Hawk, Prairie Falcon, Merlin, and Burrowing Owl as
well as more commonly seen species. Bring binoculars (and
scope if you have one) water, and a lunch. We should be back
around 1 p.m. For questions, contact Jackson Shedd at:
jackson_shedd@sbcglobal.net. Rain cancels.
Ferruginous Hawk

December 8, Saturday - Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge – Trip Leader: Anne-

Lise Feenstra - Meet at the refuge south of Willows at 8:45 a.m. Bring a picnic lunch.
This is a great time to see wintering waterfowl and many other birds. Dress warm and
wear shoes for walking on
the nature trails. After the
nature walk, we’ll drive
the auto-tour route, with a
stop for lunch at the
viewing platform. The
birding trip will be over
about 2 p.m. There is a $3
entrance fee per car.
Heavy rain cancels. For
more information call
Anne-Lise at 865-5254.
Viewing Platform and Geese at SNWR, Willows

January 5, Saturday - Birds and Wildlife in the Area of the

Proposed M&T Gravel Mining Project – Trip Leaders: Dawn
Garcia and Scott Huber - Much has been debated about the proposed
gravel mining operation on the M&T ranch just off of Chico River
Road that the Butte County Board of Supervisors has scheduled for a
vote on January 8, 2008. Altacal Audubon opposes this project based
on its impacts on native birds and wildlife, specifically a number of
special status birds that have been identified as occurring at or near the
site. Please join Altacal field trip leaders Dawn Garcia and Scott
Sandhill Crane

Huber for a glimpse of the birds and wildlife in the area of this project as well as of the
incredible abundance of species at the nearby Llano Seco unit of the Sacramento National
Wildlife Refuge and come to your own conclusions about the potential impacts of this
project. Meet at the Chico Park ‘n Ride (lot nearest the freeway) at 8 a.m. on Saturday
January 5th to car-pool. The first portion of the trip will primarily be by car
with roadside stops along Chico River Road and Ord Ferry Road. The balance of the
morning will be spent at the two viewing platforms at Llano Seco. A plethora of duck,
goose, swan, shorebird and raptor species is anticipated, including Sandhill Cranes
and the rare Eurasian Wigeon. Bring binoculars and scopes if you have them. Scopes
will be set up for shared use. Dress warmly in layers, it can be very chilly on the
platforms. Rain will cancel this trip.
January 13, Sunday – Upper Bidwell Park – Trip Leader: Phil
Johnson - We will start our walk along Big Chico Creek and circle
back on one of the side hill trails in search of the wintering birds
of Bidwell Park. As always, beginners are most welcome. Bring
binoculars, hiking boots, a snack, and layers of clothing. Meet at
the Gun Club parking lot (across from the golf course) at 8:00
a.m. The walk will go until 11:30 a.m. Call Phil at 570-7139 for
details.
Yahi Trail
th
January 25-27, Friday-Sunday – 9 Annual Snow Goose Festival of the Pacific
Flyway – Many bird walks will be available over the weekend. Check the
Snow Goose Festival web site.

You won’t want to miss these trips!

February 16, Saturday - Black Butte Lake – Trip Leader: Anne-Lise Feenstra - Meet
at Burger King in Orland (I 5 and Hwy. 32) at 8:30 a.m. We will bird-watch in the
vicinity of the lake, along the lakeshore, and at
the dam overlook. Bring a picnic lunch and your
binoculars. Dress warm, in layers, and wear
sturdy shoes as there will be some hiking. We
hope to see Mountain Bluebirds, Lewis’s
Woodpeckers, Bald Eagles, Phainopeplas,
American White Pelicans and other winter
birds. The trip will end about 2 p.m. Rain
cancels. Call Anne-Lise at 865-5254 for more
information.
Black Butte Dam and Lake

The Audubon Christmas Bird Count

This year the Altacal Audubon Society will participate for the 52nd time in the annual
Audubon Christmas Bird Count (CBC) in Chico and in Oroville. More than 50,000
observers nation-wide participate each year in this all-day census of early-winter bird
populations. The results of their efforts are compiled into the longest-running database in
ornithology, representing over a century of unbroken data on trends of early-winter bird
populations across the Americas. Simply put, it is citizen science in action.
December 16, Sunday - Chico Christmas Bird Count – All levels of birders are
welcome to join us on the Chico Christmas bird count. Beginners will be paired up with
experienced birders. Bring warm clothes, hiking shoes, lunch, bird books and
binoculars. You will be assigned an area and spend the day counting all of the birds in
this area. If anyone is interested in doing just a half day, please let the compiler, Phil
Johnson, (530-570-7139) know ahead of time so arrangements can be made for the day’s
assignments. We will meet at 7:30 a.m. at the Chico Creek Nature Center. At 5:00 p.m.
we meet at Scott and Nina Campbell's place to compile our results. Scott and Nina will,
as usual, be cooking us a great meal. For possibly updated information, check the Altacal
web site at www.altacal.org

December 29, Saturday - Oroville Christmas Bird Count - All levels of birders are
welcome to join us on the Oroville Christmas bird count. Beginners will be paired up
with experienced birders. Bring warm clothes, hiking shoes, lunch, bird books and
binoculars. You will be assigned an area and spend the day counting all of the birds in
this area. If anyone is interested in doing just a half day, please let the compiler, Phil
Johnson, (530-570-7139) know ahead of time so arrangements can be made for the day’s
assignments. We will meet at 7:30 a.m. at the Agricultural Commissioner's Office on
Nelson Rd. just east of Highway 70. At 5:00 p.m. there will be an optional dinner and
compilation at a local restaurant. For possibly updated information, check the Altacal
web site at www.altacal.org

What Do The Count Data Tell Us?

The primary objective of the Christmas Bird Count is to monitor the status and
distribution of bird populations across the Western Hemisphere. The count period, which
is from December 14th to January 5th in North America, is referred to as "early winter,"
because many birds at this time are still in the late stages of their southward migration, so
it is not "true" winter. When we combine these data with other surveys such as the
Breeding Bird Survey, we begin to see a clearer picture of how the continent's bird
populations have changed in time and space over the past hundred years.
The information is also vital for conservation. For example, local trends in bird
populations can indicate habitat fragmentation or signal an immediate environmental
threat, such as groundwater contamination or poisoning from improper use of pesticides.
From feeder-watchers and field observers to count compilers and regional editors,
everyone who takes part in the Christmas Bird Count does it for love of birds and the
excitement of friendly competition and with the knowledge that their efforts are making a
difference for science and bird conservation. As long as there are birds to be counted, the
Christmas Bird Count will go on being the most popular and rewarding bird census the
world over.

[Note: The 20 Chico CBC counters identified 106 species last year and the 16 Oroville
counters identified 117 species]

Choose “California”, then “Chico” or “Oroville” for the full species list.
 Weather & Effort

Count Date: Dec 17, 2006

Number of Participants: 20
Number of Party Hours: 56.0
Species Reported: 106
Low Temperature: 30
High Temperature: 51
AM Weather: Local fog
Rain: None
Snow: None
PM Weather: Partly cloudy
Rain: None
Snow: None

Sponsor:
Participants:
Compiler: Phil Johnson
Secondary
Compiler(s):
Participants: Skip Augur
Phil Johnson
Scott Campbell
Steve King
Mike Fisher
Jennifer Patten
Pam Hansen
Andy Tomaselli
Scott Huber

Conservation Corner
Dawn Garcia, Conservation Chair
M&T Chico Ranch Gravel Mine Project – Good for Wildlife? – We
Don’t Think So
The Altacal Audubon Society Board of Directors is formally opposing this proposed
project that is located adjacent to Little Chico Creek along River Road in Butte County,
five miles southwest of Chico. If you are familiar with the Llano Seco Unit of the
Sacramento River National Wildlife Refuge on 7-mile lane, and the incredible abundance
of wintering waterfowl, cranes, sparrows, raptors, waders, etc., in this area, you will
understand the negative impact that this project will have on wildlife. This 30-year
project proposes to mine gravel from 193-acres of property that has been alternately
farmed and left fallow. It includes documented Wetlands, Great Valley Oak Riparian
vegetation along Little Chico Creek and mature Valley Oak Woodland habitats, all
special habitats identified by the California Natural Diversity Database (CNDDB).
These features make it prime habitat for a variety of wildlife.
 Bird species protected by the State that were observed on or
likely to use the proposed project site and proximate habitats
(Little Chico Creek, Angel Slough) include, State Threatened
Sandhill Crane (Grus Canadensis), Swainson’s Hawk (Buteo
swainsoni), and Black Rail (Laterallus jamaicensis). State
Species of Concern include Northern Harrier (Circus
cyaneus), Merlin (Falco columbaris), Burrowing Owl (Athene
cunicularia), Cooper’s Hawk (Accipiter cooperi), Ferruginous
Hawk (Buteo regalis), Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) and
Yellow Warbler (Dendroica petechia).
Swainson’s Hawk Momma and Chick
Photo by George Robertson

Wildlife talking points:

• Wildlife surveys were conducted over 10 years ago, and no report was submitted
(4.7-3). Mitigation measures only call for spring “pre-construction.” If we allow
this project, surveys should be extended at least into summer and fall to evaluate
the full suite of fauna impacted by the project
• California Natural Diversity Database (CNDBB) and California Department of
Fish and Game (CDFG) lists were reviewed in 2002. These lists are not
comprehensive and CNDDB states, “that the CNDDB should not be used “as an
exhaustive and comprehensive inventory of all rare species and natural
communities statewide.” (CNDDB website 2007).
• The project will displace listed wildlife due to gravel mining and likely greatly
increase wildlife mortalities due to truck traffic, as gravel is hauled to the Skyway
plant (routes from origin to destination will affect local traffic with 85% of the
gravel trucks running through the City of Chico, 11 hours of operation, 5 days per
week and possibly on Saturdays).
• The project will remove riparian vegetation (a diminished habitat type), grassland,
cropland, and oak woodland that provide valuable resources for an abundance of
wildlife.
This is not a done deal and you can express your views to the Butte County Board of
Supervisors. A vote for this project is slated for January 8h, 2008, in Oroville. We will
keep you posted. In the meantime please:
Contact the Butte County Board of Supervisors:
Let them know that you are interested in wildlife and habitat impacts.
Bill Connelly <BConnelly@buttecounty.net> 538-6834
Jane Dolan <JDolan@buttecounty.net> 891-2830
Maureen Kirk <MKirk@buttecounty.net> 891-2800
Curt Josiassen <CJosiassen@buttecounty.net> 882-4447
Kim Yamaguchi <KYamaguchi@buttecounty.net 872-6303
Review the Final Environmental Impact Report:
http://www.buttecounty.net/dds/Planning/Environmental%20Impact%20Report/EIR.htm
and navigate to the sections in which you are interested. It is a huge document but
segmented into smaller chapters, (e.g. Biological Resources Chapter 4).
Write an opinion to one of these papers:
CN&R <chicoletters@newsreview.com
Chico Enterprise Record letters@chicoer.com
Chico Beat <letters@chicobeat.com.>.
 AAS Supports River Partners Efforts to Restore the Del Rio Wildland
Preserve
Our letter of support helped River Partners ( http://www.riverpartners.org/) continued
riparian vegetation restoration on the Del Rio Wildland Preserve, which is contiguous
with mature riparian forest on the Sacramento River. The Reclamation Board has
recently made a decision to allow River Partners to continue the restoration process
without onerous taxation. The AAS Board and other letters from like-minded
organizations and individuals contributed to this important decision. Thank you members
for your support, we will continue to work for you in areas consistent with our mission.
Members of Altacal Audubon have actively documented
the Del Rio restoration process by surveying birds
annually on the property since 2004. The site is important
for providing new habitat for a variety of bird species. We
have documented 41 species during our summer two-day
surveys, which only include detectable breeding birds. A
variety of raptors and songbirds will also use the site in
fall through spring. The change from a monoculture
orchard to a multi-structured, multi-species plant
community will continue to provide valuable habitat for
wildlife, particularly with its proximity to mature riparian
vegetation. Eventually these sites may provide habitat for
the State Endangered Yellow-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus
americanus occidentalis), and other sensitive species that
have declined due to loss of riparian habitat.
Susan Efseaff, teacher at Chico Country Day
School, and student plant a tree at Del Rio
Wildland Preserve/Dan Efseaff photo

No Lead Bullets in California Condor Country!

Big kudos to our members! If you are on our Altacal-in-Action
team and/or read the newsletter regularly, you may have
composed a letter or called Governor Schwarzenegger asking
him to sign AB 821 to ban lead bullets in the habitat of the
California Condor. He did it! The new law, authored by
Assemblyman Pedro Nava, will require the use of non-lead
center-fire ammunition within the Department of Fish and
Game’s deer hunting zones within current and potential Condor
range in California and will help the continued recovery of the
California Condor.
California Condor
California Audubon’s Director of Bird Conservation, Gary Langham, wanted us to know
of this “amazing news - lead is banned in historic condor country with the stroke of a
pen. Thanks for all your help in making this happen.”
Altacal Members, your persistence is truly what is needed to keep politicians mindful of
how we want them to represent us.
Dawn Garcia
Altacal Audubon Society
Conservation Chair

November Program Meeting- Rex Burress Slide Show on Lake Merritt

Monday November 19, Chico Creek Nature Center
At the November Program Meeting members and friends of Altacal were treated to a tour
of the history of Lake Merritt by long-time naturalist, wildlife artist, outdoor
photographer and nature writer, Rex Burress. Having been a member of the staff at Lake
Merritt for 32 years, Rex was able to give us an intimate look not only at the birds but
also his connections with visitors and staff at the refuge through those years as well as an
inside story of how this wonderful wildlife refuge was founded and has operated and
evolved.
Lake Merritt was originally a wide, tidal estuary or salt marsh and as such its nature
meant that at low tide it turned into a mud flat. It lies on the Pacific Flyway so has
always been a stopping place for thousands of migratory birds. Because of this it was also
a favorite destination for duck
hunters. It is located in an urban
environment, right in the heart of
Oakland, California. This conflict
between hunting and urban living
endangered the public and
motivated Dr. Merritt, then mayor
of Oakland, to declare it a National
Wildlife Refuge in 1869, the first
in North America.

Lake Merritt Island at Dawn – Photo by Rex Burress

Using some of the many photographic slides that he took over the years, Rex gave the
audience an appreciation for the abundant bird life which still uses the refuge today.
Stories of a dedicated staff of four full-time naturalists interacting with the public in
addition to participating in scientific research, made one long for a time of fewer
budgetary restrictions. Today only one full-time naturalist works at the refuge. What has
not changed is the draw this lake has on birds. The combination of both salt and fresh
water available at the lake is attractive to a variety of species. The numbers of birds
remain high even if the mix has changed. Pelicans, cormorants, terns, gulls, ducks,
geese and herons are there in abundance. Next time you find yourself in the Bay Area,
consider a visit to Lake Merritt. Probably the best time to visit is during the fall and
winter months, from September to February, as the waterfowl population swells with
seasonal visitors. While enjoying the birds, consider the contributions that our familiar
White-tailed Kite columnist Rex Burress made to the refuge and its denizens over the
years.
 Sister Society (Cape Cod Bird Club) News

From late October through late November the members of our Sister Society,
the Cape Cod Bird Club, experienced sightings and events on Cape Cod that
undoubtedly seem exotic to many of us Northern California birders.
• A pair of western vagrants turned up on the Cape - a Western
Kingbird at Crane Wildlife Management Area in Falmouth and a
Rufous Hummingbird. The hummer was banded at a home in
Eastham and determined to be an adult female. These hummers are
native to the Pacific Northwest but are very prone to vagrancy. The
Cape tends to attract more than its share of lost hummers in late
fall. Earlier in the month a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher appeared in
Truro on the exact same date that one was found last year in the same
location
• The hoped-for Common Redpolls began to invade from the north, the
vanguard represented by a flock of 50 at Coast Guard Beach in
Eastham.
• An alarming number of owls, mainly Barred Owls, are being found
road-killed in mainland Massachusetts right now and owl experts note
this has been an exceptional fall for owl migration, so Cape residents
are on the lookout for them on Cape as well.
• Other sightings include 350 Bonaparte's Gulls on Great Pond in
Eastham, plus 200 more flying by nearby First Encounter Beach and a
few lingering White-rumped Sandpipers still being seen hiding out
among flocks of Dunlin in Eastham.
• Whales could still be seen passing by off Nauset Light and Coast
Guard Beach along with dozens of Red-throated Loons and up to 60
Greater Shearwaters. Meanwhile, folks aboard Mass Audubon's
Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary seal and seabird cruise in Wellfleet
Harbor on Saturday had great views of about 200 Gray and Harbor
Seals hauled out at Jeremy Point, not to mention Thick-billed Murres
on the water and some fly-by Razorbills.
• In herpetological news, Spotted Salamanders, Green Frogs, and
Spring Peepers were found crossing roads during some rainy night
road-cruising in Eastham, and the number of sea turtles ( mostly
 Kemp’s Ridleys) found cold-stunned on bay side beaches stands at 10
for the season to date. These are the most endangered of the world's
sea turtles. Dropping water temperatures and strong winds are the
recipe for turtle strandings. If Cape residents find a sea turtle they are
urged to move it above the high tide line, cover the turtle with seaweed
so it is no longer exposed to the cold wind, mark the spot with a piece
of obvious beach debris, and then call the Wellfleet Bay Wildlife
Sanctuary.
• In late October many of the Cape’s winter seabirds returned en masse
including over 1300 Northern Gannets and 2400 Black-legged
Kittiwakes enumerated off the outer beaches from Truro to Eastham.
Thousands of Common Eiders, all three Scoter species, Red-
breasted Mergansers, and the first Long-tailed Ducks of the fall
showed up.
• Brant, the winter sea goose characteristic of the Cape’s bayside
beaches, are back in numbers, with over 450 seen at Wellfleet Bay
Wildlife Sanctuary. These sea grazers feed mainly on eelgrass and the
green algae known as sea lettuce. Other good birds visiting the
sanctuary included a Black-headed Gull seen feeding among boiling
stripers, Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, a White-eyed Vireo, a Clay-
colored Sparrow, Rusty Blackbirds, an Eastern Meadowlark,
Lapland Longspurs, Purple Finches, and a Snow Bunting.
• Highlights from an all-day two-person sweep of the outer Cape
included Greater, Sooty and Manx Shearwaters, an American
Golden Plover in Provincetown, 28 White-rumped Sandpipers in
Eastham, 28 Rusty Blackbirds in the Beech Forest in Provincetown,
and a Baltimore Oriole in Truro.

Bird Man Bewick

Rex Burress
I’m sure most Altacal Audubon members have seen Bewick’s Wren (Thryomanes
bewickii) somewhere in Butte County as they are permanent residents of this area and
common. Although many of the ten North American species of wrens migrate southward
where they can find more insects, quite a few hang around the milder climate of
California during the winter, gleaning insects and spiders from the nooks and crannies.
Interestingly, there are 59 species of wrens in the world – all exclusively in the Western
Hemisphere except one species – the Winter Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes), also found
in Europe where it is known as simply "wren."
Bewick’s Wren was discovered by our own John James Audubon, and he named it after
his friend and famous wood-cut illustrator Thomas Bewick of England. As detailed in the
book, "Nature’s Engraver," by Jenny Uglow, Audubon, who met Bewick in his last years,
stressed his ‘natural’, untutored talent. He said, ‘My opinion of this remarkable man is,
that he was purely a son of nature, to whom alone he owned nearly all that characterized
him as an artist and a man. Warm in his affection, of deep feeling, and possessed of a
vigorous imagination, with correct and penetrating observation, he needed little
extraneous aid to make him what he became, the first engraver on wood that England has
produced. Look at his tail-pieces [tiny images at the end of stories], reader, and say if you
ever saw so much life represented before...’
A small set of impressions of birds made by Bewick’s boxwood engraving art was seen
by Audubon. These small, delicate birds were the opposite of the glowing, life-sized
plates of Birds of America by John James Audubon, who was in Britain searching for a
printer in April, 1827. He hunted down Bewick in Newcastle, finding him in his
workshop at home. Like all who saw him, Audubon was struck by his appearance: ‘a tall,
stout man, with a large head, and with eyes placed farther apart than those of any man I
have ever seen: a perfect old Englishman, full of life, although 74 years of age, active
and prompt in his labors.’
Bewick’s art is universal, but foremost, he was a naturalist, finely attuned to the nature of
the Tyne River valley, in a mid 1700's time when the very foundations of modern
ecology were being laid by a sudden popular trend for men to collect shells, plants, and
study birds and wildlife. All of Bewick’s life he walked the banks of the river and he
knew it in all of its moods. The great river flowed through his art, and at the end it was
waiting for him still. As a boy, he was down by the river from spring until autumn frost
and often in winter snow, and he began to look at nature’s shape, form, and color with the
detached, enquiring gaze common to both artist and scientist.
He always kept to the habit of making tiny sketches on odd scraps of paper, laying them
up sometimes for years, to use later as the basis for tailpieces. Hundreds of his little
drawings still survive, full of movement, swift outlines and hazy horizons. Converted to
wood blocks later, the marks of Bewick’s graver are so delicate they might almost be
drawn with a needle, yet a whole life is there, framed in the curling foliage, with a skein
of birds soaring over the parish church beyond, all contained in a two-inch image.
The boxwood blocks were astonishingly hard and durable. One had printed over 900,000
copies. He worked on his woodcuts of birds in the evening with two double-wicked
candles, and made all the tools himself. Bewick’s skill came from the constant habit of
drawing as a child and long discipline in workshops learning engraving. His first book of
"Land Birds," a volume of woodcuts and text by Beilby, was published in 1797, and 1874
copies were quickly sold.
Walking was Bewick’s great escape, his own way of absorbing the history and life of his
region (He never went out of England), watching the birds and noting the succession of
wild flowers, ignorant still, he said, of the ‘great and good Linnaeus,’ whose works were
even then laying down our modern Latin names. Bewick knew the flowers by their old
English names–daisies, cowslips, primroses, etc.
Bewick was a conservationist before that word was known, condemning the habit of no
protection for songbirds as thousands were being eaten by villagers. Even in 1790,
thousands of larks were still sold in the London markets, an idea Bewick deplored. He
was feeding backyard birds when people thought him eccentric, and he carried a 1794
pocket telescope to study bird’s behavior.
 AviFact
Following up on Rex Burress’ interesting article on
Thomas Bewick, we thought it might be useful to comment
on how Bewick’s name most likely should be pronounced.
American birders will hear two variations used, BEE-wick
or BYU-ick. A Director of The Bewick Society in
Bewick’s home territory of Northumberland, England told
us that “the correct pronunciation is definitely BYU-ik.”
So, you’re in good company if you pronounce it like the
name of the car (Buick). If you come up with a better
source for pronunciation of his name, please let us know.
[Thanks – Ed].
Image of Thomas Bewick courtesy of
PicturesofEngland.com

Bird Walk and Birding Trip Reports

September 28-30, Friday-Sunday - Point Reyes National Seashore – Trip Leader:
Jennifer Patten - Seven enthusiastic birders met at Olema Resort RV Campground Friday
afternoon ready for a full weekend of birding the Point Reyes National Seashore area.
Mike Fisher and Gaylord Grams were early birders as they arrived on Thursday and
enjoyed a day of birding at the Limantour Beach area where they reported seeing
Peregrine Falcon, Osprey, Belted Kingfisher, lots of assorted ducks and great up-close
looks at several Wrentits.
The weather Friday evening was
cool, windy, and cloudy. With a
campfire and our down sleeping
bags to keep us warm we were
treated to the calls of
Great Horned Owls and
Coyotes throughout the night.
We were a little worried about
the weather and if it would
continue this way but to our
delight Saturday and Sunday
turned out to be perfect, warm
and sunny with little wind.
Mike Fisher, Nancy Nelson, Jennifer Patten, Mike Simms and Gaylord Grams
Not in photo: Phil Johnson and Tim Ruckle
Photo by Tim Ruckle

The Earthquake Trail at the Bear Valley Visitor Center is a favorite birding area for us.
We ended up there Saturday and Sunday mornings as our first stops of the day. This
paved trail takes you through open woodlands, and along a small creek lined with
willows and alders. Here are a few birds we saw; Spotted Towhee, Winter and
Bewick’s Wren, Acorn and Nuttall’s Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Tree Swallow,
Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Pine Siskin, House Finch and Hermit and Swainson’s
Thrush. Sunday morning a covey of California Quail were feeding along the parking
lot area. As we watched a Cooper’s Hawk perched up in a tall pine tree he suddenly
took off and dove straight towards the quail with lightning speed, but missed and
scattered the quail in every direction. Disappointed in his missed opportunity he perched
on a railing post for quite a while which gave us some good looks.
With the perfect weather continuing as we drove towards the coast we were treated to the
absolutely beautiful sight of northern California’s coastline and the Farallon Islands. As
we proceeded taking the long walk from the parking lot to the Lighthouse, we saw many
birds: White-crowned and Golden-crowned Sparrows, Song Sparrows, Northern
Harriers, four White-tailed Kites and a Peregrine Falcon. In the famous warbler
Cypress trees near the employees housing we saw a Townsend’s and Black-throated
Gray Warbler and a Pacific-slope Flycatcher. We also found an Anna’s
Hummingbird and a Rock Wren near by. At the Lighthouse, we scoped birds out to
sea and along the rocky shoreline. Among them were Brown Pelicans, Double-crested,
Brandt’s and Pelagic Cormorants, Black Turnstone, Heermann’s, Ring-billed and
Western Gulls. Whales were also present with many sighted by their blows.
We continued on to the historic ranches, A Ranch also called Nunes Ranch, and B Ranch
which is called Mendoza Ranch. Each ranch has cypress trees that are magnets for
vagrants. Here is where you will find rarities. We did not have much luck with any
rarities but did find a Great Horned Owl and a Barn Owl roosting in the trees.
Drakes Beach, Fish Docks, and the F Ranch (abandoned), are popular with birders and
here we spent the rest of Saturday birding the willows and conifers along the parking lot
of Drakes Beach and hiking the Chimney Rock Trailhead at Fish Docks where
noteworthy seabirds are generally found around the docks and rocks. Birds that we
added to our list were Yellow and Orange-crowned Warbler, Western Grebes, Surf
Scoters, Common Loon, Common Murre, Western Tanager, Say’s Phoebe, Western
Bluebirds, and Killdeer.
On Sunday, we headed out to Abbott’s Lagoon. A trail of about 1.5 miles leads from the
parking lot to the lagoon and the great beach. You also pass a fresh water pond where we
spotted several different ducks: Northern Pintail, Gadwall, American Wigeon, Ring-
necked Duck, Ruddy Duck and Bufflehead. At the lagoon and beach we saw Sooty
Shearwater, Great Blue Heron, Sanderlings, Western Sandpiper, Least Sandpiper,
and Western Scrub-Jay. But the most notable birds actually were seen in the parking lot
at Abbott’s Lagoon. When we first arrived, a beautiful Ferruginous Hawk was hunting
the coastal hills and at the same time was being harassed by several ravens. Then just as
we were about to leave for home, two Palm Warblers were spotted right in front of one
of our vehicles - one of those nice rarities we all look forward to seeing when we go
birding at Pt. Reyes National Seashore. In all, 116 avian species were seen.
October 13, Saturday - Oxidation Ponds/Indian Fishery – Trip Leader: Mike Fisher -
Sometimes you hit the weather just right as did the seven Altacal members who
assembled for this field trip. A warm, sunny morning greeted us and we drove straight to
the Chico Wastewater Treatment Plant (Oxidation Ponds). Waiting in the parking lot for
late arrivals gave us a chance to pick up some common birds including White-crowned
and Golden-crowned Sparrows, Brewer’s and Red-winged Blackbirds, Northern
Flicker, Northern Mockingbird, and Killdeer. On the walk that takes you around the
solar panel complex and to the ponds, we added Turkey Vulture, Savannah and
Lincoln’s Sparrow and a Red-tailed Hawk. The largest oxidation pond, on the east
side, contained mostly Mallard and Northern Shoveler. However, mixed in with them
were a few other ducks including Ring-necked, American Wigeon, Ruddy Duck and
also a few Greater White-fronted Geese. Raptors, including Sharp-shinned Hawk,
American Kestrel and Northern Harrier, landed nearby to give us great looks. A large
number of mostly Violet-green but also a few Barn Swallows circled overhead. A
Marsh Wren called from the reeds and a small flock of Western Bluebirds perched in a
tree. Great and Snowy Egrets made comparisons easy and the ever present Great Blue
Herons were out.
Then it was back to the cars for the 10-minute drive to Indian Fishery, part of the
Bidwell-Sacramento River State Park located where Sacramento Avenue meets River
Road. Right by the car we were treated to four species of woodpeckers; Nuttall’s,
Downy, Acorn and Northern Flicker and a small flock of Cedar Waxwings flew by.
Along the trail we heard and saw White-breasted Nuthatch, Oak Titmouse, and Ruby-
crowned Kinglets by the bushels. Other new birds for the day included Spotted and
California Towhee, Bewick’s and House Wren, Lesser Goldfinch, Hermit Thrush,
Anna’s Hummingbird, Red-shouldered Hawk and Belted Kingfisher. In addition to
the expected Yellow-rumped Warblers everyone was delighted to see an Orange-
crowned and two Black-throated Gray Warblers. But the best bird of the day came
near the end of the trail with great looks at a number of Golden-crowned Kinglets. A
total of 59 species were seen.
October 21, Sunday – Butte Basin Field Trip – Trip Leader: Phil Johnson - Highlights
of the trip were two Merlins seen foraging
in the rice field to the east of the parking lot
at the Llano Seco Unit of the Sacramento
River National Wildlife Refuge. The north
ponds were still dry so we walked back to
the back platform. To the south the ponds
were full of Northern Pintails, with some
American Wigeon, Ruddy Ducks, and
American Coots present. We spotted one
Green-winged Teal. White-faced Ibis
were working the north end of the ponds. At
Butte Basin Habitat

the platform a small group of Cattle Egrets flew over us and we saw a variety of ducks,
including Ring-necked Duck, Mallard, and Northern Shoveler. Northern Harriers
were a constant presence over the marshes and dry uplands. White-tailed Kites were
hovering above the dried-up marshes to the north. Surprisingly few sparrows were about,
but we did see a few White-crowned Sparrows, Golden-crowned Sparrows, and Song
Sparrows.
Along Road Z we got good looks at Wood Ducks in the lily pond and saw maybe a
hundred Black-Crowned Night-Herons in the willows behind the pond. Out in the rice
fields we had a huge flock of White-Fronted Geese with a few Snow Geese mixed in.
On Nelson Rd. some in the party saw a Peregrine Falcon perched in a dry field. The
clear, windy weather gave us great views of Mt. Lassen, Mt. Shasta, the Sutter Buttes,
Sierra Buttes, and the coast range.
October 26, Friday – Owl Prowl – Sixteen people, including banders Dawn Garcia,
Mike Fisher and Julie Nelson had a grand time on Altacal Audubon Society’s Owl Prowl
birding trip. Mike Fisher led the trip to the Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve
(BCCER) and was able to detect Northern Pygmy Owl and Western Screech-Owl.
Then he brought the group up to the Northern Saw-whet Owl (NSWO) banding station
where Julie and Dawn had set up nets. They were a bit concerned because their previous
seven attempts at the site resulted in no detections of NSWO at this site. But, the time had
come and the little birds graced the group with their presence. While Dawn talked about
the project Julie checked the
nets with Site Director Jeff Mott
and family Patty and Grace and
they brought back our first of
the season NSWO - and a
Pallid Bat! What a perfect start
to the Owl Prowl, under a full
moon too! We captured another
NSWO before the group
departed. Julie and Dawn
stayed around another hour and
captured one additional NSWO
and a Western Screech Owl.

Grace Mott with a Northern Saw-whet Owl

Photo by Dawn Garcia

October 28, Sunday – Pine Creek Unit of the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge
Complex - On a gorgeous fall day eleven birders from Chico, Paradise, and Orland hiked
the trails of the Pine Creek Unit of the Sacramento River National Wildlife Refuge. Just
two miles east of Hamilton City off Hwy. 32, this wildlife viewing area is a gem.
Towering Cottonwoods, Sycamores and Valley Oaks, large areas planted with Willows,
Coyote Bush, Wild Rose, Box Elder, and Wild Grape, create an incredible natural habitat
for all wildlife. Not only did we see 39 different species of birds in three hours, along the
way we saw a Coyote, Garter Snake, Praying Mantis, and a very small bird’s nest with
four eggs. This nest was abandoned at some point as we noticed the eggs were all
discolored.
We had evidence of Wild Turkey, finding several of their feathers, and noticing fresh
scat and tracks, but we did not see them. Birds that we seen were lots of Western
Bluebirds, Lesser Goldfinches,
Ruby-crowned Kinglets, White-
crowned and Golden-crowned
Sparrows and Northern Flickers.
Also nice sightings of a Song and
Lincoln’s Sparrow, Cooper’s Hawk,
White-tailed Kite, American
Kestrel, and several Red-Tailed
Hawks. Birds that were very vocal
were the Downy and Nuttall’s
Woodpecker, House and Bewick’s
Pine Creek Unit, Sacramento River National Wildlife Refuge
 Wrens, Yellow-rumped Warblers, Bushtits and the Oak Titmouse. At the Sacramento
River’s edge we saw an Osprey, Greater Yellowlegs, Killdeer, Mallards, Great Blue
Heron, and Great Egret. We decided to take a short drive over to the Indian Fishery off
River Road where we added Wood Ducks, Pied-billed Grebe, Double-crested
Cormorant, Hermit Thrush, Mourning Dove and American Crow.
November 10, Saturday - Butte Creek Ecological Preserve – Trip Leaders: Scott and
Liam Huber - With just a few drops of pre-rain mist falling it was ideal conditions for a
fall bird walk in Butte Creek Canyon. Nineteen bird enthusiasts split into two groups, one
led by Liam Huber and the other by his dad, Scott. Many of our favorite winter birds
made an appearance with Hermit Thrush, Ruby-crowned and Golden-crowned
Kinglet, Brown Creeper, Dark-eyed Junco, Cedar Waxwing, American Robin,
White-crowned and Golden-crowned Sparrow in abundance. Woodpeckers were out in
good numbers including Downy, Nuttall’s, Acorn and Northern Flicker. Raptors were
well-represented by Red-tailed Hawk,
Red-shouldered Hawk, American
Kestrel and Sharp-shinned Hawk. A
trip to the pond at the far southern end
of the preserve provided Canada
Goose, Mallard, Wood Duck, Green-
winged Teal, Common Moorhen and
Pied-billed Grebe. Best birds of the day
were Steller’s Jay (low elevation for
this species), Green Heron (on the
creek - late in the year) and Sharp-
shinned Hawk (always a nice surprise).
Butte Creek Ecological Preserve

Fifty-one species in all were tallied by a ‘crack crew’ of fine birders – not bad for a
leisurely three-hour walk! Special thanks to Mike Fisher for assisting Liam and to
Mauricio for his outstanding ‘birding-by-ear’ skills.

Opportunities and Events

January 18-21 – Morro Bay Winter Birding Festival

- The Morro Bay Winter Bird Festival makes it a point
to offer a variety of events for all levels of birders. Both
local and state-wide birding experts will lead over 35
land, ocean-going, and bay field trips, plus discussions
and presentations, social events and workshops
focusing on everything from warblers to elephant seals.
Field trips will include pelagic trips, birding by kayak,
trips to see Sandhill Cranes and Bald Eagles, shorebird field trips, and the popular "Big Day"
marathon field trip to see as many species as possible. Contact: Morro Bay Winter Bird Festival, c/o
Chamber of Commerce, PO Box 1175, Morro Bay, CA 93442: Call: (805) 275-4143 or (866) 464-
5105 toll free Email
January 25-27 – 9th Annual Snow Goose Festival of the Pacific Flyway – Chico, CA

Keynote Speaker Kenn Kaufman

Join us for winter birding in the Northern Sacramento Valley at
its best!
Chico’s 9th Annual Snow Goose Festival of the Pacific
Flyway, January 25-27, 2008, is the premier birding and nature
festival of the Northern Sacramento Valley. It draws attention
to the multitudes of migrating and resident waterfowl that can
be found wintering among unique habitats of the Valley through
a series of exhilarating tours and informative workshops.
The Gathering of Wings Banquet & Silent Auction on Saturday
night will feature keynote speaker Kenn Kaufman, a world
authority on birds and the author of several birding books and
guides. Kenn is currently the field editor for Audubon magazine. He has dedicated his life's work to
sharing his knowledge as a writer, public speaker, artist, and photographer.
The festival’s Uptown-Downtown Wildlife Art Exhibit will take place at Avenue 9 Gallery and All Fired
Up! Gallery and Ceramic Art Center during the weeks of January 16 – February 3. A Welcome
Reception at these galleries will kick off the festival’s weekend events on Friday, January 25 from 5:30
– 8:30 pm. Reception attendees can enjoy free trolley service between the venues while being treated to
a splendid array of locally produced foods, as well as beautiful wildlife art and landscape images from
many talented artists of our region.
With over 40 field trips, participants can enjoy guided tours into lush riparian forests, local foothills,
grassland habitats, protected wetlands, lakes, rivers, and creeks along the Altacal Audubon’s Birding
Trail. Enjoy small groups and individual attention while viewing resident and migratory birds such as
the Belted Kingfisher, Red-breasted Sapsucker, Mountain and Western Bluebird, Yellow-billed Magpie
and Northern Flicker. Participants will also have a chance to see wintering waterfowl and birds of
prey including Snow and Ross’s Goose, Bufflehead, Snowy, Great and Cattle Egret, Ferruginous
and Rough-legged Hawk as well as Bald and Golden Eagles. Along with many free events
participants can attend over a dozen workshops covering beginning birding, photography, bats and birds.
Prices for field trips and workshops typically range from $2 to $20, with the exception of special rare
tours of the Sutter Buttes. The festival weekend will also feature exhibits, vendors and several FREE
events, including live animals and Junior Naturalist Activities. Our main headquarters during the
festival weekend is at the Chico Masonic Family Center, 1110 W. East Avenue. For more information
visit our website at www.snowgoosefestival.org or call us at (530) 345-1865.

Sightings
(If you have any interesting sightings in your yard, on the way to work, or in the Butte, Glenn or Tehama counties area in
general in December, January and early February you can send them to the Newsletter Editor at tim.ruckle@sbcglobal.net by
September 7 for possible inclusion in the next newsletter.)
October - Scott and Kathleen Huber witnessed the fourth-ever occurrence of Great Crested Flycatcher
in Monterey County, California during a field trip to the Carmel River Mouth during the Audubon
California Conference in Monterey.

18
Late October – Jackson Shedd had a couple of Brown Creepers at One Mile on Oct 26 while
observing Acorn Woodpeckers for a lab class. It was a cool morning, but the day did get warm.
Early November - Scott Huber observed a flock of about 50+ Gray-crowned Rosy-Finches foraging
in a high mountain meadow in Montana's Beaverhead National Forest.
Mid-November - Pam Hansen and Skip Augur saw a Brown Creeper and heard a Red-breasted
Nuthatch at the Tree Improvement Center and figured it was a bit odd to be seeing / hearing them there
in tee-shirt weather.
November 18 – Mike Fisher spotted five drake Eurasian Wigeons at Gray Lodge Wildlife Area.
Late November – Jay Bogiatto saw three Peregrine Falcons at the Sacramento National Wildlife
Refuge (Willows) on the 18th; one blue-phase Ross’s Goose at Gray Lodge on the 17th; one hybrid
Eurasian Wigeon X American Wigeon and a Merlin at the Llano Seco Unit of the SRNWR on the
17th; and 13 Great-tailed Grackles near Llano Seco on the 16th.

Peregrinations
[Perigrinations reports on birds seen on trips outside the Butte/Glenn/Tehama counties area except for those sponsored by
the Altacal Audubon Society or other local birding groups - Ed]

Mid-November - While visiting New Jersey, J.T. Lewis viewed his first Nelson's Sharp-tailed
Sparrow, Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow, American Black Duck, and the Atlantic (or pale-
bellied) Brant.
Late November – On a get-away to the coast, Jackson Shedd and Mela Garcia went to Crescent City
and Arcata for salamandering (Pacific Giant, Northwestern, Del Norte, Painted Ensatina, Oregon
Ensatina, and California Slender) and coastal birding. They saw some good salamanders and also got
some bird lifers....But sadly, no Harlequins!! Mela got her lifer Red-breasted Merganser in the harbor
at Crescent City, where Surf Scoters, Buffleheads, Western Grebes, Red-necked Grebes, and
Horned Grebes ignored the bellowing California Sea Lions and Harbor Seals.
At Point St. George where Kemper recommends going for Harlequins, we found only loads of Scoters
(Surf and Black), but on the shore a lifer anatid consorted with the gulls on the beach; finally, our first
Brant!
The best lifer for us was a flock of Gray Jays. They moved through the redwoods overhead along the
road in to Fern Canyon at Redwood National Park, checking us out making a ruckus....they sound like
parakeets! My new favorite jay!
Late November – J.T. Lewis and Mike Skram found a Williamson's Sapsucker at the Chilcott
Campground in Madera County last Saturday. Mike also reported a Budgerigar at Nimbus Dam last
Friday, the 16th.
Late November – Shelly Kirn and Jay Bogiatto observed a light-morph Northern Fulmar at the Santa
Cruz Beach wharf on November 22nd. They were subsequently told that several fulmars turned up dead
on various local Santa Cruz beaches over the prior past couple of weeks or so. The bird seemed to be in
pretty good shape, but its proximity to shore coupled with the fact that the Central Coast region has
experienced two oil spills over the past several weeks is suggestive of a toxicological issue.

19
 Submission of Articles

(Notices or articles submitted for publication consideration should be sent by e-mail message to the
newsletter editor as Microsoft Word (if possible) attachments by the 7th of the month prior to the next
issue of the newsletter (i.e., Jan, Mar, May, Jul, Sep and Nov 7th) - tim.ruckle@sbcglobal.net – Thanks,
Ed.)

Altacal Board of Directors

President Phil Johnson 570-7139/ptj64@sbcglobal.net
Co-Vice-Presidents Jennifer Patten 345-9356/jpchico@sbcglobal.net
Mike Fisher 624-4777/fisherml@pacbell.net
Secretary Kathryn Hood 342-9112/kathrynhood@sbcglobal.net
Treasurer John Oswald 342-1651/amoent@aol.com
Membership Carolyn Short 345-4224/carolynshort@mac.com
Finance Vacant
Publications (including
Newsletter) Tim Ruckle 566-9693/tim.ruckle@sbcglobal.net
Publicity/Web Site Wayland Augur 893-9222/wba@acm.org
Field Trips Scott Huber 321-5579/Scott@ChicoHomesAndLand.com
Sanctuary, Lands
and Refuge Ruth Kennedy 899-9631/rken1733@sunset.net
Conservation Dawn Garcia 872-2165/mel.dawn@sbcglobal.net
Education Vacant
Directors-at-Large John Merz 345-4050/jbmerz@sbcglobal.net
Jackson Shedd 342-5144/jackson_shedd@sbcglobal.net
Marilyn Gamette 343-3154/gamettec@aol.com
Dave Tinker 824-0253/dtinker@cuhsd.tehama.k12.ca.us
Board meetings are held at 5:15 p.m. on the 2nd Wednesday of each month. The usual meeting place is the Altacal Audubon
Society/Snow Goose Festival office at 635 Flume St., Chico. The public is welcome to attend.

Local Chapter Membership Application

Please join us! Your membership will help Altacal Audubon Society (AAS) continue its important work.
Altacal is a chapter of the National Audubon Society. In addition, it is a separately incorporated non-
profit organization. With a local chapter membership, 100% of your membership dues goes to support
local projects and activities. AAS is an all-volunteer organization that conducts all of its programs with
no paid staff. We offer regularly scheduled field trips focused on birds and bird habitats, our own
website, www.altacal.org , a bi-monthly newsletter (White-tailed Kite), monthly membership meetings
which include lectures and media presentations on birds and other natural history-related topics, and
advocacy to protect and conserve local habitats as well as special projects and programs. Other AAS
activities include:

20
 • sponsoring and participating in the annual Snow Goose Festival
• sponsoring and participating in the annual Endangered Species Faire
• founding and providing continued support to the Chico Creek Nature Center
• owning and managing the Arneberg Sanctuary as a wildlife habitat and research area
• helping to monitor the bird populations at the Del Rio Wildland Preserve near the Sacramento
River
• paying to maintain public access and a wildlife viewing blind at the Chico Oxidation Ponds
• leading annual Christmas Bird Counts in Chico and Oroville for the past 51 years

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Welcome to the Altacal Audubon Society! Please indicate your choice of membership options:

‰ $20 Basic Membership ‰ $10 Low Income/Student ‰ $35 Family

‰$50 Sponsor ‰ $100 Sustaining ‰ $500 Patron ‰ $1000 Benefactor

Payment method: ‰ Cash ‰ Check Date: ______________

Important: Membership in Altacal Audubon does not include membership in the National Audubon
Society. We encourage you to also support National Audubon in their important education and lobbying
efforts. To join the National Audubon Society contact them at their website www.audubon.org/

Name: Phone: (_____) _______________

Address: _________________________________ E-mail Address: ____________________________

City: ________________State: ____ Zip Code: _______

‰ Save paper! Send me an e-mail version only

‰ Notify me by E-mail about upcoming programs and events
‰ I would be interested in volunteering to help

Please make checks payable to Altacal Audubon Society, and mail to: AAS, P.O. Box 3671, Chico,
CA 95927

Dates to Remember
Dec 1, Saturday – Raptor Run, Jackson Shedd, Park ‘n Ride, 8 a.m.
Dec 8, Saturday – SNWR, Anne-Lise Feenstra, Willows, 8:45 a.m.
Dec 10, Monday – AAS Program, CCNC, 6:30, Texas Birds, Scott Huber
Dec 16, Sunday – Chico Christmas Bird Count, CCNC, 7:30
Dec 29, Saturday – Oroville Christmas Bird Count, Ag. Com. Off., 7:30 a.m.
Jan 5, Saturday – Proposed M&T Gravel Mine Area, Dawn Garcia & Scott Huber, Park ‘n Ride, 8 a.m.
Jan 13, Sunday – Upper Bidwell, Phil Johnson, Gun Club parking lot, 8 a.m
Jan 18-21, Friday-Monday – Morro Bay Winter Birding Festival
Jan 21, Monday – AAS Program, CCNC, 6:30, Native Plant Landscapes, Brian Williams
Jan 25-27, Friday-Sunday, Snow Goose Festival, Chico
Feb 16, Saturday – Black Butte Lake, Anne-Lise Feenstra, Burger King, Orland, 8:45 a.m.
21