Jun 2011 Stanislaus Audubon

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Stanislaus Audubon Society

Valley Habitat 2

Recent Sightings of Rare or Uncommon Birds

Calliope Hummingbird Tom Grey Black-chinned Sparrow Tom Grey

SANISLAUS COUNY: On April2, John Harris had a male HOODEDORIOLE on his hummingbird feeder at

his house east of Oakdale. On April 17,Jody Hallstrom found a pair of BLUE-WINGED EALS in the seasonal

wetlands area of the San Joaquin RiverN.W.R. Sal Salerno had a NASHVILLEWARBLER at Valley Oak Recreation

Area on April 22. On the following day,Harold Reeve had a GRASSHOPPERSPARROW at the base of Del Puerto

Canyon. Dave Quady found a maleBLACK-CHINNED SPARROWfarther up the canyon on April 29.

Harold had a HERMI WARBLER onApril 30, also in Del Puerto Canyon.

MERCED COUNY: PeterMetropolous found a male CALLIOPEHUMMINGBIRD at BasaltCampground on April 25. He alsofound a SIL SANDPIPER onSandy Mush Road on May 2. Backat the Basalt Campground on May 3,Peter came across a HAMMONDSFLYCACHER. Kent van Vuren had

ten SWAINSONS HRUSHES at thesame campground on May 7.

Stanislaus/Merced Counties

Big Year: May updateTe 2011 collaborative Big Year forStanislaus and Merced counties brokethrough the 200 species barrier thismonth. Te grand total of speciesreported for the two counties nowstands at 221. Tat still leaves us

with 30 species to go to match the2009 Big Year total of 251 species.More spring migrants remain to befound, so lets go birding! Look forrare bird highlights elsewhere inthis newsletter. For those who postsightings to the Stanislaus or CentralValley list servers, you need do nomore, as well check these regularly.Sightings can also be sent to JohnHarris at [email protected].

WANT TO KNOW MORE? Te Stanislaus Wildlife Care Center is located at 1220 GeerRoad; its phone number is 883-9414. From September to April,

the centers operating hours are 10:00 a.m. 3:00 p.m. FromMay to August, the operating hours are 10:00 4:00 p.m. Ifyou would like to bring an injured or sick wild animal to the

center, you may want to visit their website to learn about propertransportation and other handling details.

Salvatore Salerno will be leading an all-day trip to HalfMoon Bay on Sunday, July 10. We will meet at theStanislaus County Library parking lot at 15th and HStreets at 7:00 a.m. We should see a wide variety offorest birds, shorebirds, and seabirds in several habitats.Participants should bring their lunch with them. Wewill be eating dinner at a local restaurant and return toModesto sometime after 9:00 p.m. Car-pooling will beencouraged. Prior confirmation is highly [email protected] (985-1232).

AUDUBON FIELD TRIP TO CRANE FLAT MEADOW,

TIOGA PASS AND MONO LAKE - 6/25 - 6/26

LEADER: Jim Gain 209-602-4596 [email protected] (Please email or call toconfirm)I will be placing a little more emphasis on photography this trip as there should bepretty good flower displays all around.

SAURDAYLeave Stanislaus County Library Parking Lot at 5:45Arrive at Park entrance (RR) (via Coulterville) roughly 7:45 and head to Crane Flatgas station (15 minutes) at 8:00.LUNCH Olmstead PointLEE VINING - Check in (Yosemite Gateway Hotel - book room asap) eat dinnermeet back for evening drive 6:30 to look for Poorwill and Nighthawk.SUNDAYMeet at Lee Vining gas station (Hwy 120 x 395) at 6:30 then head to BodieLUNCH Lundy Canyon (RR) - birds and blooms until ready to leave for home at 2:30.

Birding at Half Moon Bay


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Valley Habitat 3

SHELTER FROM THE STORMS by Salvatore SalernoAs much as we may admire thebeauty and majesty of the greenworld, were often reminded thatnature is not Paradise. Survival forwild birds can be a harsh enterprise,more so for nestlings and fledglings.Te hazards that threaten wildlife arelegion: bacteria, viruses, and parasites;predators, freezing cold or parchingheat, storms and floodstruly a jungleout there! Add human causes to themix--dog or cat attacks, car and windowcollisions, illegal shooting, poisoning,cutting down of nesting trees, someagricultural practicesand the dangers

are compounded. If it cant feeditself, an injured or sick bird usuallybecomes a dead bird. Its first aid is itsimmune system, but often that naturalprotection is insufficient.Tis is where human compassion andskill combine to make a differencein such suffering. Te StanislausWildlife Care Center has successfullyrehabilitated and released thousandsof birds and other wildlife over manyyears. Like other grassroots operations,

the phrase from humble beginnings iswell applied. In 1984, six people with$300 in seed money began the laboriousprocess of obtaining rehabilitationpermits from the California Fish &Game Department. After a year, theybegan receiving animals into theirhomes for medical care.Realizing the need for a permanentstructure, the founders eventuallydiscovered two acres of land at the

entrance of Fox Grove Fishing Accesson Geer Road for their purposes. Teyleased the land from the state andcounty, which respectively owns andmanages the property. Te goodwill ofcitizens often follows the good worksof others, so eventually a fifty-year-old house was donated and movedonto the acreage. After eight years ofremodeling, which included plumbing,

electric, septic, and telephoneinstallation, the permanent home oftheir dream opened in 1992. Recently,a Boy Scout Eagle Project expanded

into an adjoining acre for a deer yard.Te personnel are comprised of anexecutive director, two part-timeanimal care coordinators, and a cadre ofvolunteers who work four to six-hourshifts at the center. Naturally, theycouldnt operate without the willingnessof members of the community whobring in birds, reptiles, amphibians,and mammals on virtually a daily basis.In 2010 alone, the center received

1,881 animals, and 1,561 of those werebirds ranging in species from urkeyVulture to Rufous Hummingbird, andin number from one Poorwill to 112Northern Mockingbirds.Te fates of these birds vary from thosethat cant survive, those that can besuccessfully released or placed in otherfacilities, and those that remain at theshelter for their own safety or becausetheyre not native species. Last year,the Wildlife Care Centers success rate

(released, placed or held over) was 72%,a strong number for rehabilitation.A few permanent resident birds willoften be brought to schools by docents

for a wildlife presentation. Teseinclude Hopper the Raven, which hasbeen at the center since 1997, and Beauthe Crow, which recognizes individualsand is quite socialized. Other birds thatmay be seen in a travelling show areCurley, the Barn Owl that has bondedto humans; Oscar, the Burrowing Owlrescued from a barbed-wire fence; Jetthe Kestrel, itus the one-eyed GreatHorned Owl, and Carson the Red-

tailed Hawk.Tose birds may be the stars of a schoolshow, but the bulk of the work involvesacts of triumph that the public neversees, such as when a healed bird isreturned to the wild and flies out of itscage, into the life cycle of nature again.When we consider that someone caredenough to bring that bird to those whocontinued to care, we may feel there ishope for us hazardous humans after all.


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Valley Habitat 4


Board of Directors:Bill Amundsen, Eric

Caine, Joe Devine, Lori Franzman, David

Froba, Daniel Gilman, John Harris, HaroldReeve, Sal Salerno, Dale Swanberg, Wally

ordoff.

Officers & Committee Chairs

President: Sal Salerno 985-1232

([email protected])

Vice President: Eric Caine 968-1302

([email protected])

reasurer: David Froba 521-7265

([email protected])

Secretary: John Harris 848-1518

([email protected])

Membership: Revolving

San Joaquin River Refuge Field rips:

Bill Amundsen 521-8256

([email protected])

Other Field rips: BA

Christmas Bird Counts:

Harold Reeve 538-0885

How to Join Audubon

o become a member of the national

Audubon Society, which entitles you

to receive Valley Habitat and Audubon

Magazine, send your check for $20.00 to:

National Audubon Society

Membership Data Center

P.O. Box 51003 - Boulder, CO 80323-1003

Visit our web site at www.stanislausbirds.org

Monthly Birdwatching trips to the San Joaquin River National Wildlife RefugeStanislaus Audubon Society organizes a birdwatching fieldtrip each month to San Joaquin River National Wildlife Refuge.It is located a few miles west of Modesto. Te next trip will be Sunday, June 19. We will meet in the parking lot behind theStanislaus County Library, 15th and H Streets, Modesto at 7:00 A.M. Starting this year we will be doing these trips on the

third Sunday of each month, except November and December. In November we will go on the fourth Sunday. Tere will beno fieldtrip in December. It is suggested that you participate in at least one of the three Christmas Bird Counts that StanislausAudubon Society sponsors. Te dates for this fieldtrip during the rest of the year are as follows: June 19, July 17, August 21,September 18, October 16, November 27. Te U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, in the near future, will be opening a portion ofthe refuge to the public. However, the permit that has been issued to Stanislaus Audubon Society allows us to visit most of theclosed portions of the refuge on our fieldtrips. Hope to see you there.

Earth Day at MJC in April

Del Puerto Canyon on May 7th

Windy Wildflower Day

San Joaquin River N.W. Refuge

Early Birders at Knights Ferry


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Yokuts Group of the Sierra Club

Valley Habitat 5

Tuolumne GroupWeekly ThursdayHikes from GrovelandEach Tursday meet at Mary Laveroni

Park, Groveland at 8:00 am for anapproximate 6 mile hike. Bring ajacket, water, sunscreen and a snack ina daypack. Wear hiking boots. In fairweather, the hike is generally followedby a picnic lunch near the trailhead.Leader: Frank Oyung 209.962.7585 or

[email protected]

Yokuts Hike to Bergson Lake

June 18th - 19th

Backpack (1B)Backpack to beautiful Bergson Lake

June 18th-19th. Tis is the perfectwarmup for the season. It is just 3.5

miles to this jewel in Carson-Iceberg

Wilderness. Tere is some elevation

gain to 6500 elevation.(2b). We

are ready to advise new or rusty

backpackers. rail limit is 10. Call

Outing Leader Jerry Jackman at 577-

5616. July 29-31, SundaySierra ClubBackpack (1A)

to Burgson LakeTis beginner to intermediate backpacktrip in the Carson-Iceberg WildernessArea of Stanislaus National Forestinvolves a moderate hike of six miles,round-trip, and 500-600 feet gain atan elevation of approximately 6100feet. Most mosquitos will be goneby late July and wildflowers in themeadows shall be lush with blooms.Spend Saturday resting and swimmingat the campsite or take a five-mile easyday hike to nearby Wheats Meadow.Individual commissary required on thistrip. Meet at the East Sonora Burger Kingrestaurant on Mono Way, 8 a.m., to carpool to the Wheats Meadow trailheadnear the Clark Fork/Middle ForkStanislaus River. Reservation required.Contact leader, Frank Oyung, (209)962 -7585, or email, [email protected]

August 3-Aug. 8,

Wednesday - Monday

Backpack (2B)

Yokuts Annual

Summer BackpackOur 17th annual backpack will be

a six-day trip in the central Sierra.

We will leave early wed from the

Lake Eleanor trailhead in Yosemite

park, and hike up into the Jack Main

and ilden Canyon region of the

park. Te hike will largely consist

of a counter-clockwise loop, via Lake

Vernon and Branigan Lake, then over

to ilden canyon, and then north

and west via Wilmer, Little Otter,and Miwok lakes. Some sections of

the trip will be cross-country. For

further details, please contact Yokuts

leaders Jerry Jackman (209.577.5616)

or Randy Brown (209.632.5994). A

$50 reservation fee is required to hold

a spot. Limited to 10 experienced

backpackers.

Wed. July 20 - Sunday July 24

Backpack 2B

Grand Canyon of the

Tuolumne, Yosemite (Yokuts)Tis classic hike begins at uolumne

Meadows and follows the uolumne

River downstream to Pate Valley,

and ends with a 3700 foot ascent

(wahoo!) to White Wolf. Our 32-

mile moderate/strenuous adventure

begins with a stop at Soda Springs

in uolumne Meadow, passes by amini-devils postpile, magnificent

cascades (including Waterwheel Falls),

swimming holes, and ancient rock

art. Bears and rattlesnakes likely.

Joint dinner commissary. Limited to

9 experienced backpackers. Contact

Elaine Gorman at 209.524.7630 or

[email protected].

Saturday, June 11

Day hike (1A)Pinecrest Lake,

Highway 108 (Yokuts)Tis easy 4-mile loop around Pinecrest

Lake will help to get us ready for some

serious hiking later on in the summer.

We will take an additional 1.5 mile

detour to check out Cleos Baths, to

watch the Stanislaus River tumble and

race down the canyon. Bring water,

lunch, hiking shoes/boots, $$ for

carpool, rain gear and other essentials.

Meet at Dennys in east Oakdale at 8

am, McDonalds in east Sonora at 9

am. Contact leaders Elaine Gorman

(209.524.7630 or vevado@yahoo.

com) or Alan Bernikoff (209.768-

5881 or [email protected]) to

sign up.

Outing Leadership Training 201California June 3-5Come to Clair appaan Lodge to attend a weekend of interactive learning,networking with leaders from all Sierra Club outing programs, and of course, lotsof fun. Te purpose of this training is to provide new and veteran leaders the skillsto plan safe, happy and inspiring outings that promote the conservation missionof the Sierra Club. Tis workshop also provides the opportunity to share new andengaging trip ideas and learn about other leadership opportunities within the SierraClub. Please contact Elaine Gorman at [email protected], 524-7630, if you areinterested in becoming a Yokuts Sierra Club outings leader.


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Valley Habitat 6

Our Russian Olive eradication project in Utah began earlyon April 10. Way too early. Delta-Sierra Outings Leader PaulPlathe rang the doorbell at 2:30 am, and shortly afterward, Russarrived. We managed to cram 6 days worth of backpacking gearinto the Prius and headed south. And although it was dark andslightly spooky outside, I breathed a huge sigh of relief.......ourtrip was delayed and almost cancelled due to snow in westernUtah, and the possible shutdown of the federal government.

In Barstow, we began to maintain cell phone contact withom, our volunteer from Apple Valley. After driving throughthe Mojave Desert and approaching St. George, Utah, with itssurrounding tilted multi-colored layer cakes of rock strata, I felt

I had made the final transition into the southwest. We picked upGlen Canyon National Recreation Area ranger Bill Wolvertonat his home in Escalante, then we headed to our favorite localrestaurant and met om. As we were finishing dinner, Don,

Andy, and John S. arrived to join us. Back at Bills house, weadmired the kitties then headed to Bills basement where we weregiven the deluxe tour of his model train collection.

At breakfast the following morning, we were joined by JohnV., a resident of Salt Lake City and arch enemy of Russian Olive(RO). Paul and Bill quickly finished up the Sierra Club and ParkService paperwork, and we headed toward Egypt trailhead. Afterdividing up the gear and food amongst our group of 9, we took

a few beginning photos, then headed down the steep sandstonerock on the cairn-marked trail. It was cool and overcast, andwe had our trail lunch near the Escalante River. Bill took us onan overland ledge route, which saved us many river crossings.

We had fabulous views of the river, side canyons, and soaringsandstone cliffs, alcoves, and formations. After crossing agigantic sand dune, we splashed through the Escalante, and soonentered our base camp for the next 6 days.

Te following days were spent battling invasive, non-nativeRussian Olive. Armed with a chainsaw and a crew of swampers

Kathy Weise, our hardworking newsletter mailing coordinator, was presented with the Yokuts Group award for exemplaryvolunteer service at the May 7th annual Motherlode Chapter Awards dinner. Besides taking charge of our newsletter mailing,Kathy also actively participates in management meetings, annual yard sale and other fundraising activities, public educationevents, and hosts our annual Holiday Party. Kathy has also served 2 terms as Yokuts chair. Many thanks to Kathy for over 20

years of volunteerism with the Sierra Club.Helping Kathy to celebrate in Sacramento were Jim and Kathy Clarke, ElaineGorman, and Jon Sturtevant. Former California State reasurer Phil Angelideswas the keynote speaker, who spoke of the importance of changing our state andnational economies from oil-dependent to green technologies, the failures ofWall Street, and the importance of environmental organizations to help informlegislators. Besides enjoying a delicious dinner and meeting other Sierra Clubvolunteers, we came back with some auction and raffle prizes. And special thanksto Anita Young and Elaine Gorman for providing auction items that brought in over$150 to the Motherlode Chapter.

Kathy Weise Honored at Motherlode Chapter Awards Banquet

with Pulaskis, Bill cut down the large RO shrubs which lined

the Escalante. Standing knee-deep in the cold water, theswampers would pull the cut material into the river. Te restof us hand-sawed through smaller stands of RO, and sprayedthe stumps with an herbicide -- ironically named Habitat.

We cleared around the larger diameter RO, preparing the areafor future chainsaw crews. Our efforts were further challengedby the vast amount of flood debris which had piled up on theupstream side of the vegetation. Expletives were often heard as

we were repeatedly stabbed and slashed by the 2to 4 thorns. Awe tiredly gathered our tools at the end of the day and headedback to camp, we felt a sense of accomplishment as we walkedthrough the RO-free riparian zone.

Our group swelled to 10 as Michael M. joined us on the2nd day of work. Obtaining drinking and cooking water,preparing dinners, and washing pots for a group this large

were monumental tasks. We crossed the river to get springwater, hauling a dozen 1.5-gallon containers back-and-forth.Someone was often at the industrial-strength Katadyne waterfilter, purifying drinking water. John S. and I were the dinnercooks, and kept everyone fortified with ortilla Soup, Mac ncheese with smoked ham, mashed potatoes with chicken/vegies/gravy, and Rice Krispy treats. One consequence of our invasionof our camp spot, which saddened me a bit, was that we soonhad numerous trails from kitchen to tent to the Escalante. Inthe evenings, we usually stayed up a while to catch the first stars,

enjoy the light of the waxing moon, tell jokes, eat popcorn,and when Bill wasnt repairing equipment, listening to his talesof canyoneering in the desert. Our camp activities were oftenaccompanied by the gobbling of wild turkeys. One afternoon, Bill took us on a field trip to a couple ofnearby side canyons. We had the privilege of seeing ancient,undisturbed Anasazi granaries, which contained centuries-oldcorncobs, with the mud cement showing fingerprints that wereleft behind during construction. We also saw a beautiful pot,

Escalante Adventure, by Elaine Gorman

continued on page 7 ......


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Valley Habitat 7

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broken into a couple of large pieces. Walking severalhundred feet above the Escalante, we were treated tomagnificent views of the river and the stunning red andorange sandstone.

On our last day, after an early visit to our camp bythe Easter Bunny, we hiked out along the eastern sideof the river. We hiked by large patches of purple vetchand ready-to-bloom cacti. Our friction walking skills

were tested on the steep Wingate sandstone ledge. Teweather had warmed up during the week, plus we werenow climbing over 1000 feet, so we gladly took a break atFence Canyon where we checked out some petroglyphsof bighorn sheep and turkeys. After lunch, we made ourfinal ascent to the trailhead.

Back in Escalante, om took off to make it back homeby midnight. Te rest of us showered and enjoyed dinnertogether before we left for California. Abrazos y besosto Paul Plathe for organizing this fun and worthwhileouting. His leadership is admirable. Ranger Bill

Wolverton inspired us all with his dedication to re-wildthe Escalante by removing Russian Olive. o mis hombreson the outing......Tanks a bunch, I had a blast, and Ilook forward to next years trip.

o learn more of Bills project, and how you canvolunteer, go to http://www.math.utah.edu/%7Esfolias/canyontales/wolverton/articles.php. If you are interestedin joining Paul next year, you can contact him [email protected].

continued from page 6.....

Yokuts Group of the Sierra ClubManagement Committee

Chair Brad Barker 526-5281

reasurer Sylvan Bupp 524-0074

Secretary Anita Young 529-2300

Programs Alexandra Hoffman 985-1575

Conservation Sandy Wilson 577-5616

Membership Kathy Clarke 575-2174

Hospitality Candy Klaschus 632-5473

Publicity Dorothy Griggs 549-9155

Outings Elaine Gorman 524-7630

Newsletter Nancy Knoll 579-1990

Mailing Kathy Weise 545-5948

Politics Jerry Jackman 577-5616

Population Milt rieweiler 664-1181

Fundraising Leonard Choate 524-3659

Website Jason yree [email protected]

Check out our Website:

http://motherlode.sierraclub.org/yokuts

o send stories to the Habitat, e-mail: [email protected]


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TheValley Habitat JUNE 2011


John Cardoza, Hughson High School Senior, is the 2011

recipient of the Bob Corey/Paul Illick Memorial Scholarship.His environmental conservation project involved constructing3 owl boxes and placing them on local farms. Owls will beattracted to the boxes and help with rodent control. Johnplans to attend Modesto Junior College in the Fall. Ana Gonzalez, an architecture student at CaliforniaCollege of the Arts, is the recipient of the Donna DurhamMemorial Scholarship. Te goal of her project was to designan environmentally-conscious public space in San Francisco.

Te inaugural exhibit at the new Carnegie Arts Center inurlock will be Ansel Adams CALIFORNIA. Tis will be thefirst show dedicated to the California works of Adams andwill include many images of central California not previouslyexhibited. Curated by Jeanne Falk Adams, Ansel Adamsdaughter-in-law, the exhibit opens on Saturday, September10, 2011 and runs until January 8, 2012.

Gallery lectures will be given duringthe day on Saturday September 11th, and

She included native plants, natural lighting, and water

conservation. Ana will continue her studies at CCA in theFall.Our local Sierra Club and Audubon groups are pleased

to recognize these students for the work they have donein support of the environment. As they continue theireducation we hope that they will stay involved in conservationand environmental efforts. Join us in congratulating thesestudents at our June 10 potluck.

Audubon and Sierra Club Scholarship Recipients

Ansel Adams Exhibit at Turlocks Carnegie Arts

Center September 10, 2011 - January 8, 2012at 2 p.m. that afternoon Michael Adams, Ansel Adams son,will deliver the lecture. Te Carnegie will also be offeringadditional lectures, tours, art classes, and workshops relateddirectly and indirectly to the exhibit throughout the fall.More specific times for the lectures will be in the SeptemberHabitat and in other local papers.

Jun 2011 Stanislaus Audubon

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