February 2010 Inside this issue:
COUNTING CORMORANTS: President’s 2
CITIZEN SCIENCE HELPS UNDERSTAND OCEAN Corner
CHANGES Pelican Rescue 3
Owl Walk and 3
RON LEVALLEY Birds of
7 pm February 15th MacKerricher
State Park
Fort Bragg Town Hall
Ron LeValley, well known local biologist and photographer will talk Bird Walks 3
about the monitoring project being conducted by volunteers on the
SOS Pectoral 4
Sonoma and Mendocino coasts and how this information can be used to
Sandpiper
record changes in ocean conditions and assist scientists in better
understanding how global climate change is affecting our coastal waters. Point Reyes 5
Birding and
Nature Festival
Savannah 6
Sparrow
Christmas Bird 8
Count
MCAS Board 10
Mission 10
Cormorant photos
Ron LeValley
LeValleyphoto.com
Top row Pelagic,
Double-crested, Brandt’s
Cormorants.
Bottom row Pelagic,
Brandt’s Cormorants.
Page 2 The Whistling Swan February 2010
PRESIDENT’S CORNER David Jensen
First of all, thank you to all who came to the
birthday celebration in Point Arena for the Coastal
National Monument. A special note of thanks
must go out to Grace Steurer. Grace not only
helped with the bird walk that attracted over 30
people, but she steadfastly represented your
chapter in regular meetings with BLM and the
other collaborative partners. Thank you, Grace,
from all of us.
Also, a quick note of thanks to all who
joined in the annual Christmas Bird Count.
Although the day was dreary and gray, I heard no complaints and saw only smiling (but tired)
faces at the compilation dinner that night. Thanks to all of you. Well done.
I know many of you feed birds in your yard and some of you have started feeding this
year. Personally, I feed Niger thistle for goldfinches and a personal blend of seed for sparrows,
and other ground feeding birds. Although some folks love to debate the merits of various diets
and the ethics of feeding wild birds, I would like to focus on sanitation.
If you have a bird feeder, you eventually will do more harm than good unless you keep it
clean. This is especially true in late winter when the rain and cold foster the growth of mold and
lower the birds’ resistance to disease. Here are a few basic principles to follow.
Clean regularly. How often is enough? The answer depends on several factors.
Hummingbird feeders, which quickly become fermentation vats, should be cleaned about every
4 days (which is one reason why I don’t have one). The schedule for sock, tube and platform
feeders will depend on variable factors such as weather, the number of birds, and the amount of
uneaten seed. Don’t overfeed, keep the seed dry, and don’t let it accumulate. Not anywhere.
Inspect in and around your feeders and act accordingly.
Have some tools. A bucket for water, a towel to dry, a bottle brush for tube feeders, a
spatula or putty knife for platform feeders, a broom and dust pan for sock feeders, rubber gloves
and eye protection for you. The right tools make the job much easier.
Clean and disinfect. I have used Dawn detergent to clean my emptied feeders since I
watched it used to clean oiled birds. To disinfect, I use one part household bleach to 9 parts
water. You may soak the feeders in white distilled vinegar if you prefer. Be sure to thoroughly
dry feeders before refilling.
Clean around feeders. Uneaten seed and other waste will sicken ground-feeding birds
such as juncos. My thistle feeders that hang above vegetation can attract unwanted mice.
Sanitation begins at the feeder and continues to the rest of the environment.
I feed birds because I love to watch them and genuinely care about their well being. That
is also why I regularly clean my feeders and baths. It takes extra money and time, but the return
on my investment is fantastic.
Page 3 The Whistling Swan February 2010
PELICAN RESCUE Tanya Smart
Recently, folks have been finding pelicans wandering about town near gas stations, parking lots
and campuses. Some suffer from injuries, some suffer from weakness and cold. Wanting to help
these birds is a very good thing. Knowing what to do is even better.
No local rescue facility exists for pelicans so helping usually means a drive over the hill,
but not always. If you feel the need to help an injured or disoriented pelican, the people at both
Sonoma Wildlife Rescue and International Bird Rescue and Research Center (IBRRC) are trained
to walk you through whatever situation may present itself. If you can find a large closeable
cardboard box (big enough to hold the bird) and a couple of
towels, you will probably have all you need.
The numbers to call:
INTERNATIONAL BIRD RESCUE AND RESEARCH
CENTER (IBRRC) (707) 207-0380
SONOMA WILDLIFE CENTER (707) 526-9453 (WILD)
At times, one will refer you to the other. Sonoma Wildlife Center
Injured Brown Pelican,
will meet you in Ukiah (or Cloverdale) when they can.
photo Donald Shephard
OWL WALK AND BIRDS OF MACKERRICHER STATE PARK
On Saturday, February 13, the Mendocino Coast Audubon Society will host a field trip to view
the birds of MacKerricher State Park. Due to its many habitats, MacKerricher State Park hosts
more species of birds than any other park along our coast. Participants are invited to meet at
9 A.M at the Lake Cleone parking lot. This field trip should end around noon.
On February 13 we will also offer an evening field trip to look for owls along our coast.
This inaugural owling trip will be limited to 16 persons and carpooling will be mandatory. To
register, please call 964-8163 or send an email to [email protected].
Birders with all levels of experience are invited to attend these field trips. Binoculars will
be available for those who need them. For more information on these and other activities, please
call 964-8163 visit our website mendocinocoastaudubon.org
BIRD WALKS
The Mendocino Coast Audubon Society will host two walks at the Mendocino Coast Botanical
Gardens during the month of February. Our monthly beginners’ bird walk will be held on the
first Saturday of the month, February 6, at 9:00 A.M. Our early birders’ walk will be held on the
third Wednesday of the month, February 17, at 8:00 A.M. Admission is free for Botanical Garden
members.
The Whistling Swan February 2010 Page 4
AN SOS TALE: THE CURIOUS CASE OF THE PECTORAL SANDPIPER
Becky Bowen
I never met a Pectoral Sandpiper I didn’t like.
They are scarce here, but not rare, and they mystify us.
Since males leave the Arctic tundra breeding grounds before
chicks hatch and females leave shortly after males, how do
juveniles know the way to the wintering destinations in
Argentina, Chile, Australia and New Zealand? That’s 9,000
miles one way as the Sandpiper flies.
The Pectoral Sandpipers we see on SOS surveys
(usually in late summer) appear to be young and hungry.
We see them feeding in beach sand away from their grassy
wet habitat, and they are off the migration flight path that
typically takes them south through the Midwest and East .
Save Our Shorebirds surveyors
Barbara Auerbach and Kathy We never see the courtship flight (3 to 6 feet off the
Carl found two Pectoral Sand- Arctic ground surface) when males inflate air sacs in the
pipers at Virgin Creek Beach throat and breast to produce a throaty low hoot and an
September 24, 2009. The birds enhanced appearance. What female could resist? By the time
were too busy eating to notice we see them, Pectoral
humans near them. Sandpipers are well
on their migratory
way. Ten Mile and Virgin Creek Beaches are only
places to rest and refuel.
Fuel here means a lot of spiders, aquatic
invertebrates, and tiny crustaceans, even though insects
and larvae are the food of choice in the marshes and
grasslands where they usually forage.
You will know one when you see one: Pectoral
Sandpipers are large (up to 9 inches long), legs are
yellowish, a well-defined line separates the brown
breast streaks from the white belly, there’s a white
stripe over the eyes and the dark bill curves down very
slightly.
The first time we saw a Pectoral Sandpiper on Ten Mile Beach, he ran toward us and
came so close we thought he would step on our toes. We think he was too young and curious
to be afraid of humans. We immediately assumed the shorebird-watching stance: be still, don’t
wave arms, don’t talk—and, for goodness sake, enjoy the moment.
Save Our Shorebirds is an on-going Mendocino Coast Audubon Society citizen science
project in partnership with California State Parks, College of the Redwoods and
FLOCKworks. To help, contact Becky Bowen at
[email protected] or (707) 962-1602.
The Whistling Swan February 2010 Page 5
POINT REYES BIRDING AND NATURE FESTIVAL
Will Wilson, Corte Madera
The first Point Reyes Birding and
Nature Festival (April 23-26, 2010) is
now open for registration. Some of
California's preeminent birders will
be leading trips, including Rich
Stallcup, Steve Howell, Keith
Hansen, Jules Evens, David
Wimpfheimer, and Lisa Hug. There
will be walks, boat trips, classes,
demonstrations, and a pelagic trip to
Cordell Bank.
To register online, go to:
www.pointreyesbirdingfestival.org
and sign-up for the walks, events,
lectures, and classes that you find
most exciting. Some of these trips
will be fully subscribed very quickly
and registering early is advised.
Enrollment will be limited.
The Festival is sponsored by the
Environmental Action Committee of
West Marin, in cooperation with
PRBO Conservation Science, Marin Audubon Society, Madrone Audubon Society, American
Birding Association, Point Reyes National Seashore, and many other groups.
If you have any questions about the Festival, send an email to [email protected] or call
the Festival Headquarters at 415-663-9312.
You can help make the Festival successful by forwarding this message to your birding and other
friends with an interest in nature and the outdoors -- and you can help publicize the Festival by
putting a link to it on your website or Facebook page. If there are websites you think the Festival
should contact to establish a link, please send an email to [email protected]
Hope to see you at the Festival.
Page 6 The Whistling Swan February 2010
SAVANNAH SPARROW Donald Shephard
From meadows to marshland, and from
temperate coastlines to tundra, the
Savannah Sparrow forages throughout
much of North America, preferring
open habitats ranging from grassy
coastal dunes, to farmland, to sub-
alpine meadows. They inhabit
relatively small patches of grassland,
and will even use disturbed and weedy
areas in the open. You may spot them
in grassy areas around towns and at the
edges of irrigated fields, especially
alfalfa.
You will find them in grassland
locally at MacKerricher State Park,
Point Cabrillo, Mendocino Headlands
and Point Arena Lighthouse among
many other areas. This songbird varies
widely across its range, with sixteen or
more recognized subspecies.
Savannah Sparrow Photo Ron LeValley The name does not derive from
www.LeValleyphoto.com its grassland habitat, but from
Savannah, Georgia, where collectors
first described this bird. You will most likely see this small, grayish-brown passerine running into
grassy cover. Savannah Sparrows are able runners; once discovered, they drop into the grass and
dart away. If one perches to sing, you will notice streaking on its back, breast and flanks; a
yellowish eyebrow stripe (supercilium) ; brown cheeks and white throat. The flight feathers are
blackish-brown. Pink legs and feet help identify this bird. The lower part of the bill shows horn
color and the upper part dark grey.
In its open country habitat, Vesper (rare) and Song Sparrows most resemble the Savannah
Sparrow but the latter is paler and more slender. You will distinguish it by its yellowish
supercilium, white central crown stripe and short forked tail. When flushed, the Savannah
Sparrow tends to fly fairly high to its next perch whereas Song Sparrows fly low and pump their
tails, Vesper Sparrows often show considerable white in the tail.
The male sings to defend his territory and attract a mate. Polygyny is common in some
populations, but many are monogamous. If both members of a pair survive, they are likely to re-
pair in the following year. The female builds the nest on the ground, usually in a depression and
well hidden in thick grass or under matted-down plants. Overhanging vegetation may act as a
tunnel, giving a side entrance to the open cup nest made of coarse grass and lined with finer
grass. The female incubates the 4 to 5 eggs for 10 to 13 days. Both parents help brood and feed the
The Whistling Swan February 2010 Page 7
SAVANNAH SPARROW continued
young, which leave the nest at 10 to 12 days of age. The fledglings can run short distances, but
can't fly well for another week or so. The parents continue to feed and tend the young until they
are about three weeks old. Second broods occur in the south, but not the north, of the range.
The parents subsist most of the time on seeds, but eat insects in the breeding season and
feed them to the young. Coastal populations also eat some small crustaceans and mollusks.
The Savannah Sparrow breeds in Alaska, Canada, northern, two-thirds of the United
States. The Pacific breeders are resident, but other populations are migratory, wintering from the
southern United States across Central America and the Caribbean to northern South America.
We receive an influx of non-breeding birds in winter. It is a very rare vagrant to western Europe.
Small winter flocks forage on the ground. Savannah Sparrows walk when foraging, and
often run or hop. They are less shy than many other open-country sparrows, singing from weeds
and fence-wires in full view, and also singing from the ground. The male performs a flight
display during the breeding season, flying slowly over the tips of the grass with his tail raised
and his feet dangling down. The commonly heard, distinctive song consists of a trill preceded by
a series of short notes.
Birds return each spring to the area where they were hatched, and this philopatry results
in great regional variation within the population. It is possible that the many recognized
subspecies will be grouped into three species in the future.
The adaptable Savannah Sparrow is abundant and widespread and has probably
benefited from early 20th Century human activity. However, urban sprawl and reversion of
small farms to forests in the northeastern United States may account for population declines seen
in that area. In the western United States, increased intensity of agriculture and continued forest
clearing have probably contributed to the increases that continue to be seen. Breeding Bird
Survey results show a small, not statistically significant increase in numbers of Savannah
Sparrows.
Recent DNA work indicates the
Ipswich Sparrow is a subspecies of
Savannah Sparrow whereas the
Savannah
southwestern subspecies should be
Sparrow recognized as distinct species, the
nest Large-billed Sparrow. Should you
need a formal introduction as you sit
Photo
in the hopeful sunshine eating your
Linda Pivicek. sandwich lunch, ornithologists call
the Savannah Sparrow, Passerculus
sandwichensis. Whatever its name
and genealogy, the Savannah
Sparrow’s cheery song will brighten
your day.
The Whistling Swan February 2010 Page 8
CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT Karen Havlena
MENDOCINO COAST CBC #110 -- 2 January, 2010
Total Species: 137 Total Observers: 44 Weather: Fog with some sun C W= Count Week
1 Grt White-fronted Goose 4 Western Grebe 6 Virginia Rail
1 Snow Goose 153 Brown Pelican 9 American Coot
6 Brant - CW 40 Brandt’s Cormorant 6 Black-bellied Plover
1 Cackling Goose 3 Pacific Golden-Plover
3 Dbl-crested Cormorant 5 Snowy Plover
92 Canada Goose
43 Tundra Swan 67 Pelagic Cormorant 28 Killdeer
1 Eurasian Wigeon – CW 13 Great Blue Heron 12 Black Oystercatcher
138 Great Egret 110 Black Turnstone
72 American Wigeon 1 Cattle Egret 34 Surfbird
124 Mallard 117 Turkey Vulture
1 Cinnamon Teal 152 Sanderling
1 Osprey 79 Least Sandpiper
10 White-tailed Kite 5 Dunlin
11 Northern Harrier 4 Wilson’s Snipe
4 Sharp-shinned Hawk 1 Heermann’s Gull
3 Cooper’s Hawk 25 Mew Gull
19 Red-shouldered Hawk 273 California Gull
73 Red-tailed Hawk 3 Herring Gull
11 Ferruginous Hawk 2 Thayer’s Gull
244 Western Gull
4 Northern Pintail 16 Glaucous-winged Gull
3 Am Green-winged Teal 5 Common Murre
1 Redhead 4 Marbled Murrelet
23 Ring-necked Duck
6 Greater Scaup 5 Ancient Murrelet
3 Lesser Scaup 1 Cassin’s Auklet
6 Surf Scoter 1 Rhinoceros Auklet
87 Bufflehead
11 Common Merganser
76 Wild Turkey
287 California Quail
3 Red-throated Loon 1 Rough-legged Hawk
5 Pacific Loon 53 American Kestrel
17 Pied-billed Grebe 1 Merlin
1 Horned Grebe 3 Peregrine Falcon
Page 9 The Whistling Swan February 2010
CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT Karen Havlena
Photos Ron LeValley, Levalleyphoto.com Cinnamon Teal, Ferruginous Hawk,
Rhinoceros Auklet, Barn Swallow, Common Yellowthroat, and Western Meadowlark
6 Rock Pigeon 104 Chstnt-bk’d Chickadee 32 Fox Sparrow
8 Band-tailed Pigeon 112 Bushtit 145 Song Sparrow
169 Eurasian Collared-Dove 1 Red-breasted Nuthatch 3 Lincoln’s Sparrow
27 Mourning Dove 58 Pygmy Nuthatch 1 Wht-throated Sparrow
10 Barn Owl 17 Brown Creeper 581 Wht-crowned Sparrow
4 Western Screech Owl 2 Bewick’s Wren 148 Gldn-crowned Sparrow
12 Great Horned Owl 22 Winter Wren
163 Dark-eyed Junco
1 Northern Pygmy Owl 14 Marsh Wren
2 (Slate-colored Junco)
1 Burrowing Owl 76 Gldn-crowned Kinglet
1 Northern Saw-whet Owl 88 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 955 Red-winged Blackbird
21 Western Bluebird 8 Tricolored Blackbird
23 Anna’s Hummingbird 99 Western Meadowlark
10 Belted Kingfisher 36 Hermit Thrush
1107 American Robin
5 Acorn Woodpecker
4 Red-breasted Sapsucker 93 Varied Thrush
52 Wrentit
4 Downy Woodpecker 1 Northern Mockingbird
10 Hairy Woodpecker 4222 European Starling
57 Northern Flicker 43 American Pipit
2 Pileated Woodpecker 12 Cedar Waxwing
78 Black Phoebe 4 Orange-crn’d Warbler
123 Yellow-rmp’d Warbler
3 Say’s Phoebe 9 Townsend’s Warbler
5 Hutton’s Vireo 1080 Brewer’s Blackbird
6 Gray Jay 1 Com Yellowthroat
8 Brown-hd’d Cowbird
77 Steller’s Jay 24 Purple Finch
47 Western Scrub-Jay 98 House Finch
204 Common Raven 79 Pine Siskin
1 Barn Swallow – CW 6 American Goldfinch
48 House Sparrow
137 Species - Count Day
9 Spotted Towhee 3 Species – Count Week
4 California Towhee
57 Savannah Sparrow
The Whistling Swan February 2010 Page 10
MCAS BOARD MEMBERS 2009-2010
President David Jensen 964-8163
[email protected]Vice President Tony Eppstein 937-1715
[email protected]Secretary Tanya Smart 964-4235
[email protected]Treasurer Judy Steele 937-2216
[email protected]SOS Program Becky Bowen 962-1602
[email protected]Programs Charlene McAllister 937-4463
[email protected]Education Jeanne Coleman 937-1838
[email protected]Conservation Warren Wade 964-6362
[email protected]Newsletter Donald Shephard 962-0223 [email protected]
Emeritus Art Morley 964-2541
[email protected] MISSION STATEMENT
The mission of the Mendocino Coast Audubon Society is to help people appreciate and
enjoy native birds, and to conserve and restore local ecosystems for the benefit of native
birds and other wildlife.
MENDOCINO COAST AUDUBON SOCIETY
P.O. BOX 2297
FORT BRAGG, CA, 95437
