kittitas audubon • www.kittitasaudubon.orgThe Hooter • Kittitas Audubon’s Newsletter

JUNE/JULY 2020 The mission of Kittitas Audubon is to develop an appreciation of nature through education and conservation, with a focus on birds.

All Audubon meetings, held on the 3rd Thursday of each month, 7:00pm, September through May (except December), at the Hal Holmes Center next to the Ellensburg Public Library, are open to the public. Please come and meet with us, and stay afterwards for juice, treats, and conversation. Many thanks to the Ellensburg Public Library for sponsoring our meetings!

Summertime at Olmstead Place Story and photo by Laura Busby, Interpretive Specialist 2

Summer is family season at Olmstead Place Historical State Park. While visitors picnic and stroll through heirloom gardens, birds work hard to feed and raise their families. Nests are built, territories are defended, eggs are warmed and hungry chick mouths gape for nourishment. Many birds nest at Olmstead, including the usual Barn Swallows and robins. Other nesters include Great Horned Owls, Swainson’s hawks, Red-tailed Hawks and, of course, fluffy California Quail. I’m sure other species have nests hidden in the foliage – come out and see what bird nests you can find! Please let us know your results. You can even contribute to bird science through NestWatch, a citizen science effort at The Cornell Lab of Ornithology: https://tinyurl.com/yblavuwp. Thanks to Kittitas Audubon members Tom and Diane Gauron, for the donation of bird boxes for the park! Olmstead Place State Park is located at: 921 N Ferguson Rd., Ellensburg, WA 98926 Baby Robin nest in the pink honeysuckle.

Our KAS community was saddened to learn of Jeb Baldi’s passing Tuesday, May 19th. Jeb was an original founder of KAS

and wore numerous hats over the years while giving his time and talents for birds and the environment. Look for a more complete tribute to Jeb in a future Hooter. In the meantime,

please keep Gloria and the Baldi family in your thoughts.

GENERAL MEETINGS RESUME IN SEPTEMBER. STAY HEALTHY AND ENJOY YOUR SUMMER.

PRESIDENT Judy Hallisey ................. 270.792.9188

VICE PRESIDENT Jan Demorest ................ 509.933.1179

SECRETARY Jim Briggs ...................... 509.933.2231

TREASURER Sharon Lumsden ........... 509.968.3889

CLIMATE CHANGE Barry Brunson ................ 270.792.9186

CONSERVATION Norm Peck ..................... 509.933.4233

EDUCATION Open Position ............ contact us!

FIELD TRIPS Steve Moore ................... 509.933.1179

HISTORIAN Open Position ............ contact us!

MEMBERSHIP Kris Kaylor ...................... 509.304.4103

PAST PRESIDENT Tom Gauron ................... 509.968.3175

PROGRAMS Lesley McGalliard .......... 509.933.2812

PUBLICITY Open Position ............ contact us!

SCHOLARSHIPS Gloria Baldi ..................... 509.933.1558

NEWSLETTER Kris Kaylor ...................... 509.304.4103

* BLUEBIRD BOXES Jan Demorest .............. 509.933.1179

* SOCIAL GREETER Kay Forsythe ................ 509.925.2356

* CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT Phil Mattocks

KAS Board Meetings are held at 4:30pm on the 1st Thursday of each month at the Methodist Church across from The Ellensburg Library. These meetings are open to the public and all Audubon members—please come and join in the discussions. Meetings adjourn by 6:00 or 6:30pm, then we all go out for a sociable dinner—NO business discussion allowed! *Non-voting members

BOARD MEMBERS

The Hooter • June/July 2020 • Kittitas Audubon’s Newsletter2

by Gloria Baldi • May Minutes

COVID-19 once again required the KAS Board members to avoid a virtual meeting. Little business is being accomplished during this period, but a few items are conducted via email.

Thankfully, Jim Briggs continues to be on the mend from his surgery.

A variety of beautiful spring migrants have been spotted by Board members, and we hope you all have your binoculars handy at the window!

Several membership meeting program presenters who have had to be cancelled, have agreed to meet with KAS next year.

Norm Peck reported that the rule changes to the recently passed Hydraulic Code Implementation will become effective this year. One rule change will require individual permits for any mechanized dredging in state waters. The second rule change to Seawall construction will improve aquatic habitat by encouraging natural shore and channel dynamics.

Two 2020-2021 CWU scholarships from KAS have been awarded. Details will be in future Hooters.

As part of the Earth Day/week, CWU hosted a ZOOM webinar on April 21st “Celebrating Community Sustainability Initiatives”. The panel discussion of four included Judy Halisey from KAS and Barry Brunson for Our Environment. If anyone would like to view the recording of the discussion, please contact Barry.

Items for the 2020-2021 KAS budget are being considered. Final discussion will occur in July.

Election of officers historically occurs at the May KAS membership meeting. With that being cancelled, it was suggested that the current slate of officers continue in their current positions until the August picnic. All officers were willing and the vote by the Board was unanimous.

Until August……enjoy the fledglings!

NEEDED: PUBLICITY CHAIR, EDUCATION CHAIR and HISTORIAN

Email Judy Hallisey: hydrojude@gmail.com if you are willing.

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A Spring Stroll around Reecer Creek WetlandReport and photos by Steve Moore

Our local wetland adjacent to West Ellensburg city park is coming into its own — in terms of habitat — with a lot to offer birdwatchers. Remember this wide, level space was scoured down to bare earth just a few years ago to restore a natural channel for the creek, for decades confined to dikes and useless to spawning fish. In 2010-2011, the stream was freed from its levees and encouraged to follow a meandering path through its floodplain. A considerable effort of planting trees, shrubs, and grasses followed, peppering the area with greenery.It’s been only ten years, but a wetland ecosystem has grown up. Willows have sprung up by the thousand, lining the stream corridor with dense 15-foot high barriers of shrubbery. Cattails are growing in patches along the stream, cottonwoods are approaching 30 feet tall, rosebushes, dogwood, and alder have flourished beyond the willows, and ponderosa pines are now taller than a person. We are looking at a future two-story woodland sheltering a stream with about a mile of potential fish-spawning habitat.There are opportunities here for birds too. In the last year or so—did the restoration designers arrange for this? — an industrious beaver has built a dam blocking the stream under the freeway so that flat, shallow water now floods the lower part of the new channel, making a marsh-like environment. No cattails there yet, but the standing is becoming a magnet for some wading birds – ones we don’t see around here very often.The most apparent bird presence is the dozens of Red-winged Blackbirds that have taken to nesting in the willow jungle. Right now, both males and females are noisily visible, some mating activity is apparent, and there must be nests hidden within. Bushwhacking through the greenery to get to the stream, which flows pretty fast this time of year, you’ll see mainly these redwings, plus a few Mallards, Song Sparrows and Robins. Around the still water, there are Killdeers, a Heron, and with some poking around, you hear the whinny of a Sora back in the bushes.

September 2011 Overview

May 2017 Overview

Early morning on May 2, Susan Kaspari reported a Black-necked Stilt in the wetland and recorded its vocalization for eBird; she also listed Sora, Herons, and Kingfisher. On May 10, Terry and Dick Carkner observed a pair of Wilson’s Phalaropes “busy eating, a courtship dance, bath and grooming” in the pond — eBird lists this as a Rare Bird for Kittitas County. On May 13, Deb Essman reported Cinnamon Teal and Wilson’s Snipe in the wetland and heard the Sora.

Continued on next page

The Hooter • June/July 2020 • Kittitas Audubon’s Newsletter4

Breath of Fresh Air First Saturday Birdwalk: June 6Saturday bird walks at Irene Rinehart Park are continuing monthly with social spacing. The weather is perfect; the birds have populated the park and have begun nest-building and raising chicks. 8am at the riverside parking lot, for a 3-hour walk.

Has anyone SEEN a Sora here yet? Don’t know, but I did hear their loud whinnies myself on May 15, both at the margin of the beaver pond and in one of the cattail ponds encircled by the walking dike to the east. Yellow-headed Blackbirds have returned to that pond. Thanks to relatively high spring groundwater levels and a busy beaver, there is a chance this year to see a Sora — maybe even a Virginia Rail — by a patient looker (take your binocs and camera!).

Reecer Creek Wetland continued

Hummingbird’ Feeder Keeper’Article and photos by Meghan Anderson

I’ve had hummingbird feeders before, but with the wind we get, it wasn’t practical to have a ‘hanging’ feeder.My husband, Andy, built this nifty feeder ‘keeper.’ This feeder from the local Fred Meyer store has an indentation on the base just large enough for the ‘nut’ Andy used (shown in the photo). He then carefully measured and built the glass cylinder’s restraint system, and the result is a beautiful ‘feeder keeper’ that works well!The material he used was a solid vinyl or PVC board, a left-over from a cupola installation project. I believe any board or plywood product would work.I hope this inspires your ‘handy’ person to build a hummingbird’ feeder keeper’ for your birds!

The nut on the base of the structure seen here fits into an indentation in the bottom of the feeder.

The ‘Feeder Keeper’ installed!

kittitas audubon • www.kittitasaudubon.org 5

from the lens of Doug Kuehn

from the lens of Kris KaylorIrene R. Park—5/20

The Hooter • June/July 2020 • Kittitas Audubon’s Newsletter6

Blue Mountain Wildlife Fund RaiserSubmitted by Meghan Anderson

As all of you know, Blue Mountain Wildlife (BMW) Rehabilitation provides medical care and Rehabilitation to injured birds, predominantly raptors. Many Audubon volunteers have helped rescue and transport injured birds to their Tri-Cities, WA, and Pendleton, OR, facilities.Blue Mountain Wildlife is raising monies to help provide funding for the first scientific study regarding how wildlife rehabilitation impacts populations. Lynn Tompkins, the founder of BMW, was told recently by a wildlife policymaker, “Rehabilitation produces no benefit to the populations of raptors in the wild. Rehabilitation merely exists to give the American public another reason to feel good about helping injured wildlife.” Lynn believes that contrary to this opinion, raptor rehabilitation provides a valuable conservation service and that by returning raptors who have been negatively impacted by human activity to the wild, they can again fulfill their role in the natural world. Lynn believes that people get involved out of a heartfelt commitment to help protect and heal the wildlife that we humans impact. Blue Mountain Wildlife provides the decades of data they have accumulated, and the data from other rehabilitation centers, to help support this new study—and you can help! Three BMW members have pooled their resources to offer a challenge. These donors will match every dollar donated—up to $15,000—for a total of $30,000, a third of the study’s expected budget. This amount will allow the analysis to begin.Today, your donation to support this study—no matter how small or big—will be an investment in BMW’s future and the future of raptor populations around the country.Find out how to donate by going to www.bluemountainwildlife.org, or contacting Lynn directly at lynn@bluemountainwildlife.org.

A Fierce Feathered DinosaurIf you could travel about 68 million years back in time to what is now New Mexico, you might find yourself face to face with a fierce and feathered dinosaur about the size of a wolf. Paleontologists studied 20 or so fossilized remains of Dineobellator notohesperus, a distant relative of T. rex, and concluded that it probably could use both its hands and its feet to grip prey even more strongly than Velociraptor. See the short article by Carolyn Gramling in the 25 Apr 2020 issue of Science News, which refers to the original peer-reviewed research in the 26 Mar Scientific Reports. Go to https://tinyurl.com/yb45o6b3.

kittitas audubon • www.kittitasaudubon.org 7

While we have all been sheltering at home during this pandemic, birds have been going about their usual business. I hope you all

have been watching the natural world, and especially birds, during

this quiet lull. Whether it is birding in your back yard, feeder watching, or going on local walks, being able to see and hear

birds can bring joy and color into our lives during this trying time. And birding is a safe, fun activity where we heal our mental anxieties while maintaining social distancing.

Some bird business to which I have been attending involves virtual meetings with Audubon Washington. On May 14, Audubon WA held its kickoff for Regional Climate Action Teams, hosted by our new Field Organizer Susan Paulsen. There were 50 attendees! I was honored to be a featured presenter for a short presentation on advocacy. This new campaign urges us to continue climate change advocacy during Covid-19 by coming together in mind to boost Audubon’s power, talk to decision makers, and join climate action teams. One intriguing tool that was presented is Power Mapping, an analysis to understand who are the decision makers and how to influence decisions. National Audubon has hosted a series of webinars that you can access through audubon.org/campaigns to gain more information. One webinar is hosted each month, and you can register for future presentations. Here in Washington State, climate action teams will be formed around critical legislative districts, and our 13th District is one of those. If interested, please contact Barry Brunson, our climate chair. I urge you to do so for the best interest of birds and our future!

On May 18th, a “Zoom” Eastern Washington Audubon Chapter Meeting was held in lieu of a physical meeting previously scheduled at Wild Horse Wind Farm. Audubon WA’s new Executive Director Dr. Deborah Jensen was introduced. Chapters included KAS, North Central, Tri-Cities, Blue Mountain, and Spokane. Jan Demorest, Barry Brunson, and I represented KAS. Each chapter presented information about their activities,

strengths, and needs for a regional exchange of information and to update Dr. Jensen. Sagebrush Songbird Survey data discussion was a highlight. The analysis and range maps are expected this summer from this 5 year effort. We, as Audubon, need to work with state and local agencies to use this data: WDFW for area planning; DNR for managing trust lands; locally for energy siting and critical area ordinances. A steering committee will be forming under the leadership of Art Campbell from North Central Audubon. KAS needs chapter representatives on this committee. It is recommended that chapter presidents and conservation chairs NOT be those reps. Volunteers anyone? It was announced that ACOW will be online this year due to Covid-19. A schedule of events and registration are TBD. Also, National Audubon is moving ahead with plans to hold its July, 2021 Convention in Tacoma. Stay tuned!

National Audubon has been busy providing us with many avenues to enjoy birds from our computers. Visit audubon.org for these offerings. Some I advocate are “The Joy of Birds”, a bundle of wonderful information packages for lifting your spirits or just offering a distraction. These packages include art, photography, BirdNote recordings, tips, and science. Every Wednesday at 4:00 pm PT “I saw a bird: Spring Migration” webinars are broadcast. Register for the current broadcast or view past presentations at audubon.org/news/audubon-action. I participated in a Creating Bird Friendly Communities webinar recently and was astonished at the number of bird collisions and what we can do about it. Mass Audubon formed an Avian Collision Team (one of the sponsors of the webinar) and you can access information about preventing collisions at their website https://tinyurl.com/y7pdedwo. Also, “like” Bird Safe Homes page on Facebook to see what other chapters and working groups are doing to make our neighborhoods and communities bird safe.

Many of our friends and neighbors have discovered the joy of birding during our stay at home time. If you know of or hear someone’s interest, refer them to Audubon’s resources and better yet, invite them to Kittitas Audubon! We will resume monthly meetings as soon as it is safe.

Bird Brain President’s Report

The Hooter • June/July 2020 • Kittitas Audubon’s Newsletter8

Barry Brunson, Chair, Climate Change Committee June/July 2020

Coping with Climate ChangeNancy Shute, Editor-in-chief of Science News, has a note in the combined 9 + 23 May 2020 issue, which she begins by saying “The coronavirus pandemic is challenging human resiliency like nothing else in our lifetimes. And when we come out on the other side of this crisis, we’ll have to address another existential challenge: adapting to climate change.” She introduces a trio of worthy articles. “Where will climate migrants go?” by Carolyn Gramling is relevant to all of us, but especially to (i) people who are at risk of becoming climate refugees (e.g., coastal residents faced with rising sea levels, those facing extended droughts or catastrophic wildfires), and (ii) people who live in places where refugees from elsewhere might be inclined or forced to resettle. “How to stay” by Mary Capterton Morton addresses possible preparations that one might take if flooding or fire becomes increasingly likely. “Reducing your emissions” by Christie Aschwanden provides guidance about the relative benefits of various steps we can take as individuals to reduce our carbon footprints—with accompanying images illustrating the tons of CO2 saved per year. It may be surprising how large an impact even small actions can have.Nancy Shute’s note is at https://tinyurl.com/y9j7wbyh. She includes links to all three of the other articles.

Solar: a Subtle Attack on Net MeteringUnder net metering, households or communities with solar arrays get credited when they produce more energy than they consume. The rates vary from place to place, ranging from pretty small to close to what the utility itself charges customers. Here’s a brief tale of two little-known acronyms.FERC = Federal Energy Regulatory Commission; it doesn’t have a high profile, but its decisions can have wide impacts. NERA = New England Ratepayers Association; curiously, NERA has the same lawyers as some major utilities, whose interests just might conflict with those of actual ratepayers. NERA petitioned FERC—in mid April—to supersede all state-level net metering programs, which could threaten the growth of rooftop and community solar. Consumer groups have filed freedom-of-information requests to see if collusion has been afoot.See the 1 May article by Tim Sylvia in PV Magazine at https://tinyurl.com/ybfbzbp5.Thanks to my brother-in-law (a Nebraska farmer who built his own solar array) for alerting me to this article.

Megadroughts Past and FutureSerious, sustained droughts have a long history in southwestern North America. But the one that lasted from 2000 to 2018 was the worst in over a thousand years. “The recent drought, researchers say, was made 47 percent more severe by human-caused climate change.” So says Carolyn Gramling in her article in the 9+23 May 2020 issue of Science News. For details, including a neat description of how tree ring data from over 1,500 sites provided evidence, go to https://tinyurl.com/yalrsozx; she includes a link to the original peer-reviewed research in the AAAS journal Science.

Climate Action TeamsOur Audubon Washington folks are leading the way in encouraging and helping us all to advocate for climate action priorities, even in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis. The vision is to set up a network of Climate Action Teams. Among the objectives are to help move decision-makers to do something they otherwise wouldn’t have done. See Judy Hallisey’s “President’s report” for more background.

9 kittitas audubon • www.kittitasaudubon.org 9

Kittitas Audubon Society MEMBERSHIP FORM

Name

Address

City

State Zip

Email (please print)

Phone

NEW Membership RENEWING Membership

Membership Options: KAS Individual $20 Family $30

Premium Memberships: Bluebird $50 Kestrel $75 Hawk $100 Lifetime Individual $300 Lifetime Family $500

Make a Charitable Donation: (Please enter dollar amount)

Scholarship Fund $________ Nest Boxes $________Education $________ General $________Your generous donation to a specific project is symbolic. Kittitas Audubon is a chapter of

Nation Audubon Society serving the communities of Kittitas County, Washington. Go to kittitasaudubon.org for more information. KAS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation.

Please indicate membership preferences below:

YES I want to “Go Green” by receiving the Hooter newsletter online only

YES I wish to receive occasional emails related to Audubon activities

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GIVE THE GIFT OF KITTITAS AUDUBON! Please send gift recipient’s name, address, email, and phone to address below.

THANK YOU!

Please make checks payable to: Kittitas Audubon Society PO Box 1443 Ellensburg WA 98926

GET “THE HOOTER” ONLINESave paper, printing, postage. If you would prefer to

receive the electronic version, send your name, mailing address, and email address to:

kittitasaudubon@hotmail.comEach month, we’ll send you an email with a

link to the new Hooter.

Hand-crafted Bluebird, Kestrel, and Barn Owl Boxes by Tom Gauron

Please contact Tom at 509.968.3175 for more information.

INTERESTED IN BIRD BOXES?

Thank You in Advance for

Your Membership!

SEE YOU IN SEPTEMBER FOR GENERAL MEETINGS!

ENJOY YOUR SUMMER.

June/July 2020 Kittitas Audubon Hooter

PO Box 1443Ellensburg, WA 98926

THANK YOU! KITTITAS COUNTY BUSINESS

SUPPORTING KAS!

Inland Internet • Roslyn Donates Internet service

for our website: www.kittitasaudubon.org

Old Mill Country Store Ellensburg

Provides a discount on bird seed to KAS

members.

Mark Your Calendars!Board Meetings:4:30pm • United Methodist Church June 4th: meeting will be conducted via email, due to reasons of public health and safety.

July 2nd: meeting will be conducted via email, due to reasons of public health and safety.

First Saturday BirdWalk:June 6th & July 4th • 8:00am • Irene Rinehart ParkGuided by Steve and Jan