oct 2008 corvid crier newsletter eastside audubon society

8/8/2019 Oct 2008 Corvid Crier Newsletter Eastside Audubon Society

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The Corvid Crier ~ October 2008 1

Eastside Audubon Society Vol 27, No 8 October 2008

The Mission of the Eastside

Audubon Society is to protect,

preserve and enhance natural

ecosystems and our communities

for the benefit of birds, other

wildlife and people.

HIGHLIGHTS INSIDE:

Presidents Message:

The Strength of Community 2

EAS Office Hours

and Directions 3

Program Night Membership

Campaign 4

Field Trips 6

Bird of the Month 7

Tribute: Parky Forrester 8

Audubon BirdLoop 9

Fall Birding Course: Birds of the

Puget Sound Area 10

Summer Camp Report 11

Directions to EAS HQ

Northlake Unitarian Universalist Church,308 4th Ave. S. (corner of 4th Ave. S. andState). Take I-405 exit 18 (NE 85th, Kirk-land). Drive west on Central Way to 3rdSt. (stoplight). Turn left (south) on 3 rd St.and follow it as it bears left and changesname to State St. Turn left on 4th Ave S.

TAKE THE BUS! Routes 540, 230 and255 serve State Street in Kirkland.

As Close As You Dare AfricaThursday, October 23 at 7:00 pm (after the social hour)Northlake Unitarian Universalist Church(EAS Headquarters)IIII

mmerse yourself in the danger,beauty and humor of being in wild

and remote Africa. Becci Crowe - art-ist, documentary filmmaker and worldtraveler - engages and entertains as she

takes you on an extraordinary journeyinto the African bush. Specializing inwildlife and tribal portrait art, Becci'sdesire to study her subjects in theirnatural world has lead to many excitingmoments and the creation of a docu-mentary now broadcasting on PBS sta-tions nationwide. Join Becci as shetakes you on a remarkable African busadventure through her video, photos,stories, and art!

A strong advocate for educational pro-grams that explore and strive to pre-serve wildlife and world cultures, Beccidedicates time to present programs onher travel, art, and wildlife experiencesin Alaska, Antarctica, The Amazon,Argentina, Costa Rica, China, Tanza-nia, Botswana, Kenya, Zimbabwe, andNamibia. Her artwork hangs in privateand corporate collections and has beenexhibited at juried shows nationwide.Wanting to live and work as close to

nature as possible, Beccis home studioin Washington State has been desig-nated by the National Wildlife Federa-tion as a Certified Backyard WildlifeHabitat.

Please join us Thursday, October 23for Beccis stimulating talk and videochronicling her extraordinary return to

the African bush. Come at 6:30 for thesocial hour. Enjoy a brief monthlymeeting and refreshments from 7:00 to7:45, followed by her presentation.

The social hour, meeting, and presenta-tion are free and open to the public.Invite a friend or anyone who is inter-

ested in seeing wildlife and tribal art orAfrican bush adventures.

Directions to EAS HQ, the locationof this program, are on the lower leftcorner of this page.


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President Christy Anderson (425) [email protected]

Vice President Cindy Balbuena (425) [email protected]

Secretary Carmen Almodovar (425) [email protected]

Treasurer Ellen Homan (425) [email protected]

Executive Director Jan McGruder (425) [email protected]

At large board member Helen LaBouy (425) [email protected]

At large board member Margaret Lie (425) [email protected]

At large board member Tricia Kishel (206) [email protected]

Birding Brian Bell (425) [email protected]

Adult Education Open

Bird Photography Tim Boyer (425) [email protected]

Field Trips Hugh Jennings (425) [email protected]

Native Plant Walks Sunny Walter (425) [email protected]

Nature Walks Christopher Chapman (425) [email protected]

Special Events OpenBird Questions? MaryFrances Mathis (425) 803-3026

Conservation Tim McGruder (425) [email protected]

Advocacy OpenCitizen Science Tim McGruder (425) 822-8580Conservation Tim McGruder (425) 822-8580

[email protected]

Marymoor Park Jim Rettig (425) [email protected]

Education Mary Britton-Simmons (360) [email protected]

Programs Sunny Walter (425) [email protected]

Youth Education Mary Britton-Simmons (360) [email protected]

Library Carolyn Kishel (425) 746-1817

Communication Patrick Kelley (206) [email protected]

Historian Bob Gershmel (425) [email protected]

Newsletter Tom Grismer (206) [email protected]

Publicity Tracey Cummings (425)788-4663

[email protected] OpenFinancial Development OpenBirdathon Christy Anderson (425) 747-4196Gift Wrap OpenMerchandising Cindy Balbuena (425) 643-4074

[email protected] Sunny Walter (425) 271-1346

[email protected] Claudia Welch (425) 827/2548Volunteer Coordinator Tricia Kishel (206) 948-3922

[email protected]

308 4th Avenue S. (Corner 4th Ave. S. and State)P.O. Box 3115, Kirkland, WA 98083-3115

Committee Chairs/Board (board positions underlined)

Executive Officers

Eastside Audubon Society(425) 576-8805 www.eastsideaudubon.org

Banding together for a common causeis a principle long championed byAudubon. A September event illus-trated for me the truth and power ofthis notion. On Swift Night Out inMonroe, people came together to viewthe Vauxs Swifts making their nightlyentrance into the chimney at Frank

Wagner Elementary School.

Swifts evolved to roost in huge hollow snags. They crowdtogether inside at night to preserve bodily warmth, clingingto the sides. As those snags have disappeared, they haveadapted, utilizing old chimneys as substitutes. Now, thechimneys are disappearing as old buildings come down andnew heating systems eliminate the need for them.

Three local Audubon chapters, Pilchuck, Seattle and East-side collaborated to organize a showcase for the swifts. Itall began last year when members of the three chapters at-tended field trips to see the swifts and heard that the school

district was considering taking the chimney down becauseof concerns for the students safety, especially during anearthquake. The old chimney presented a potential hazard.Representatives of the chapters met with district officialsand began discussions of what could be done. They foundcommon ground in wishing to save the chimney and use theseasonal presence of the birds as a teaching opportunity forthe children and the community.

The project mushroomed from there as the parties workedtogether to gather data, research other chimney saving pro-jects and look for funds. They knew that if the communitywas made aware of the special story of the swifts, theywould want to save their home. So the idea of a public gath-ering was born. Eventually, the Audubon chapters, the dis-trict and several community groups and businesses workedtogether to put on Swift Night Out.

Over 800 people turned out, spreading blankets and chairson the lawn at the school, adults and kids eating picnic sup-pers, visiting the booths, and listening to Larry Schwittersentertaining talk. Nearly 12,000 swifts entered the chimneyto the oohs and aahs and applause of the crowd.

Work continues on the project with docents and counterspresent every night the swifts remain. The community con-nections formed are also strengthening in finding a cost-effective solution for both birds and kids. Money needs to

be raised and questions answered.

The swifts come together as a matter of survival. And so dopeople, for the survival of the swifts, and for ourselves.Connection with nature in its many forms is necessary forus and working together to maintain that connection alsomaintains our community. Audubon is that connection.

Heres a link showing swifts entering and leaving the chim-ney. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOFo_RiG2k0See photos on page 5.

The Strength of CommunityBy Christy Anderson, EAS President


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The Corvid Crier, Vol 27, NO 8Publication Date: October 1, 2008.Published by: EastsideAudubon SocietyP.O. Box 3115, Kirkland, WA 98083-3115

The Corvid Crier is published monthly by the EastsideAudubon Society except that there are no issues inJanuary or August.

Deadline for material submission is the first Wednesdayof the month preceding publication. Send material byemail to:

[email protected]: EAS Newsletter

or by mail to:Eastside Audubon Society

Attn: Tom GrismerP. O. Box 3115, Kirkland, WA 98083-3115

Eastside Audubon Office/Audubon CenterThe office is downstairs at NorthlakeUnitarian Universalist Church inKirkland, 308 4th Avenue S. (Corner4th Ave. S. and State). Directions: I-405 exit 18 (N. E. 85th-Kirkland). Gowest on Central Way to the light on 3rdSt. Go left on 3rd St. Follow this street(it bears left and changes name to StateSt.) Then turn left on 4th Ave. S.

(425) 576-8805 [email protected]: Mon, Tues, Fri 9:00am -

1:00pm

October Meetings

Oct 9 (Thurs) 7:00 pmPhoto GroupMeets in large room upstairs from EASOffice. Questions? Email Tim Boyer [email protected]

Oct 14 (Tues) 7:00 pmYouth Education Committee

Meets in the EAS Office.All interestedparties are invited. Questions?Email [email protected]

Oct 23 (Thurs) 7:00 pmMonthly Membership MeetingSee page 1.

Our Volunteers Have Sure Been Busy!Summer is a busy time for the Chapter.Things were hopping at the office, andthe local fairs and festivals give us lots ofopportunities to reach out to our Eastsidecommunities and let them know about allthe activities we have to offer.

On August 21 we had an EcoCommuting

and Sustainability Fair at RedmondTowne Center. Thanks to ChristyAnderson, Margie Huffand GillianBrightwater and Jim and Nancy Rob-erts for staffing our booth. On September6 we had a booth at the Monroe SwiftDay event (we counted approximately18,000 swifts flying into the chimneythat night), and thanks to Mary Holt,Gregg Wilson and Mary Britton-Simmons for making the buttons, andMary and Peter Holt, Jill Keeney andTora Roksvog for holding down the fort.

We also had a lot of help in the officethis summer, with various mailings andthanks goes out to Judy Hystad, LeaKnapp, and Linda Pearson - and BrynLieberman, Marlene Meyer, Jim andNancy Roberts came in for two mail-ings! Newsletter labelers, hosted by LeaKnapp, included Peggy Jorgensen,Patty Olejko, Caren Park, Jim andNancy Roberts.

Some members of the Education Com-mittee (Mary Britton-Simmons, JeaniGoodrich, Jim and Shirlee Hall, Jill

Keeney and Gregg Wilson) also metduring the summer and is busy planningfor the new school year.

The work parties at the Audubon Bird-

Loop have also been going full steamahead, and we can thank the progress onPatrick Allain, Carmen Almodovar,Ivan and Cindy Balbuena, Jane Boies,Shawn Bongard, Michael and PatriciaClarke, Glenn Eades, Therese Eby,Ella Elman, Marlee Elston, Kim Gali-manis, Bob Gershmel, Karen Greytak,

Peter and Mary Holt, Ellen Homan,Hugh and Bev Jennings, Andy McCor-mick, Tim McGruder, Glenis Nielsen,Caren Park, Jerry Rettig, Jim Rettig,Stephen and Karen Ridlon, Phil San-difer, Marina Silverstone, Sunny Wal-ter, Claudia Welch and Gregg Wilson.

And finally, thank you to Lea Knapp forall the hours she puts in on beach cleanup at Kirklands Marina Park.

If weve missed anyone Thank You!You know who you are and by your own

generous commitment, you set a wonder-ful example and demonstrate the powerof individuals to effect significantchange. We greatly appreciates yourgenerosity and your leadership and weknow that you are our most passionatepromoters.

We cannot thank you enough for yourinvaluable contributions as a volun-teer. Our goals require sincere and com-mitted volunteers and we are grateful forthe energy, enthusiasm, and dedicationyou bring to your role as an integral

member of Eastside Audubon.

Thank you Nancy!Nancy Nicklas, our Webmaster, is mov-ing on though we hope she wont begoing far. Since January, 2003, Nancyhas managed our website, trained manyvolunteers in web editing, and generally

kept us looking good.Nancy has managed all aspects of thewebsite - including keeping it up to date,training volunteers to edit the content,and fixing all the mistakes we novicesmade - with great aplomb and patience.

We now have a new, updated websiteand are in need of a new Webmaster.Were using Plone (plone.org) an open

source, content management program.The new site is much easier for volun-teers to add and edit content, leaving theWebmaster to handle the more technicalissues.

Patrick Kelley, our CommunicationsChair is available to train you, and an-swer any questions you may have. Youmay contact him at [email protected] thank you. We cant expressenough how much we appreciate allyouve done for Eastside Audubon!


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Eastside Audubon Society (EAS) volunteers perform ex-ceptional and beneficial volunteer work on the Eastside(see below). This is great news, but as with all goodthings, we want to do more and more good work meansmore funding and more people.

The EAS Board of Directors is launching a 6-monthMembership Campaign to introduce ourselves and ourorganization to other Eastside people who are interested ingetting outdoors to see birds and nature people who per-haps want to do something about the environment or edu-cating our kids about the environment.

Our goal is to increase our local chapter membership to

1200 this year.

Thats 35 new people each month and we needYOUto

help us grow!

Our Program Night Campaign is the easiest and most ef-fective place for you to help.

And even better - you can have fun and win prizes in the

process!

Win yourself a special Button!

And then win yourself a new T-shirt or Hat with our newEAS logo!

Two ways to help us grow our membership:

Bring a guest (or two or three) to Program Night - andyou get your Button!

Register today to help welcome people at ProgramNight. Contact Sunny Walter at 425-271-1346 [email protected]. Be at the church at 6:30 andwhen a guest arrives, the greeter will introduce you.

Then you can make them feel welcome and special byhelping them meet other people, showing them all ourfun and rewarding EAS activities, and answering anyquestions they might have. Voila! Get your Button!

When two people you have invited or welcomed joinEAS, you win a T-shirt or Hat!

Its just that easy and fun!

We have invited Becci Crowe, Wildlife Artist, to be ourspeaker at the October Program Night. Go to her websiteat http://www.becci.com/ to see her exciting story, andthen invite someone who is interested in wildlife art orAfrican bush adventures to join you on October 23. Pat-

rick Kelley has our PR machine in high gear, so we expectlots of guests for Becci. Register with Sunny now to helpwelcome these guests.

Look what Eastside Audubon Society (EAS) volunteersare doing on the Eastside.

Youth education volunteers give presentations andclasses at schools, camps, science fairs and foryouth groups. We also give teacher grants, schol-arships for low-income middle-school students toattend environmental camps, and a college schol-arship to high school seniors.

Adult education classes are starting up again. Conservation volunteers hold activist workshops

on climate change and travel to Olympia forLobby Day in support of Priorities for a HealthyWashington. We perform letter writing cam-paigns in support of local conservation issues suchas the Juanita Beach Master Plan and national is-sues such as preventing drilling in the Arctic Ref-uge. We were awarded a $100,000 grant from thecounty for building the Audubon BirdLoop NatureTrial at Marymoor and will be receiving more.

We do bird monitoring projects and sponsor theSwift Night Out in Monroe.

Our popular Get Outside activities include 35+birding field trips each year, nature walks in localparks, native plant walks, bird photography trips,and Marymoor work parties.

We hold monthly Program Nights and Conserva-tion Movie Nights, as well as an annual VolunteerAppreciation Dinner, Christmas Bird Count ChiliFeed, and Marymoor Bird Festival.

We staff booths at Eastside community events toadvertise EAS and increase community interest in

birding and conservation.

We give money to other worthwhile environ-mental organizations and projects.

We need YOU to help us grow. Call a friend and bringthem with you on Thursday, October 23.

Win a T-Shirt or Hat with our New EAS Logo!Program Night Membership Campaign


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Swift Night Out Draws Hundreds to Monroe School(Photos by Jim Rettig See article on Page 2)

Peter and Mary Holt share Swifts story with visitors.

EAS members join 800 others in Monroe to watch Vaux's Swifts


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Oct 19 (Sun) 8:30 amNative Plant Walk: Asahel Curtis TrailJoin us for this leisurely 1-mile walk as we wander amongsome of the last remaining stands of old-growth forest in theSnoqualmie Valley. Douglas fir, western hemlock and westernred cedar dominate the glade. Downed trees provide nurse logsthat promote the growth of young trees and shrubs. In thedepressions and drainages are skunk cabbage, devils club,salmonberry and other species of the wetlands; in dryer areasSolomons seal, twinflower, thimbleberry, etc. Mosses andferns abound. For a native plant list, go to: http://www.wnps.org/plant_lists/counties/king/king_county.html.

We will follow the trail down to the banks of the South ForkSnoqualmie River and walk the loop trail past some fineexamples of forested wetlands. After our walk, we will eat oursack lunches at the Asahel Curtis picnic area. Those who are

interested can then drive up to Snoqualmie Pass beforereturning home to admire the red, yellow, and burnt orangecolors provided by vine maple, huckleberry and other speciesgrowing on the mountain slopes.

Bring good walking shoes, native plant guides, lunch, snacks,beverages, and raingear. Meet before 8:30 am at the north endof Tibbetts P&R in Issaquah. Take I-90 exit 15, turn right anddrive several blocks past the new Issaquah P&R structure, turnleft at Newport Way and then right into TibbettsP&R. Passenger cost $8/person. If you have any questions,please contact Jan Johnson, 425-814-5923 [email protected].

October 21 (Tues) 7 am Whidbey IslandWhidbey Island is a great birding location any time of the year.We will take the ferry from Mukilteo and work the passage, andthen look at forest, wetland, marsh, salt water, grasslands, androcky edges. We'll be searching out loons, grebes, alcids,waterfowl, raptors, shorebirds, and passerines as we work ourway the length of the island. If we have time we will stop at theStanwood sewer ponds on the way home. Come prepared forany type of weather, bring lunch and fluids. Spotting scopehelpful. Passenger cost/per person $17 plus share ferry cost.Return early evening. Brian H. Bell 425-485-8058

Oct 21 (Tues) 9:00 to noonJuanita Bay Park Bird Walk

A relaxed walk in the Park, seeing what birds are in the area.Meets the 3rd Tuesday of each month at 9:00. Bringbinoculars and meet in parking lot. No registration required.MaryFrances Mathis 425-803-3026

October 27 (Mon) 9:00 to noonBirding the Hot Spots of King CountyMonthly field trip on fourthMonday of each month towherever the birds are. Meet before 9:00 am at north end of theNewport Hills Park-N-Ride (I-405, exit 9) and plan to be backby noon. Cost/person $2.00. Stan Wood 425-392-4557

Oct 3 (Fri) 9:00 to noon Marymoor ParkJoin us for a morning walk along the nature trail, seeing whatbirds are in the area. Meets the 1st Friday of each month at

9:00. Bring binoculars and meet at the SW corner of the DogArea parking lot (Parking Lot D). No registration is required.To reach Marymoor Park, take SR 520 east from Seattle to theWest Lake Sammamish Parkway exit and follow the signs.The entrance to the park is one block south of the exit. Turnright at third stop sign, to Dog Area parking lot. Parking is $1.

Oct 4 (Sat) 9:00 to noonMarymoor Park Habitat RestorationJoin us in restoring native habitat at the Marymoor Parkinterpretive area on the 1st Saturday of every month. Dress forthe weather and bring clippers, gloves, snacks and water.Meet at Meadow Kiosk in Parking Lot G. Free parking passesare provided. Jim Rettig 425-402-1833

October 4 (Sat) 7:30 amCamano Island/StanwoodPrepare for a full day of birding and explore Camano Islandsshoreline, salt-water marshes, grasslands, and forest habitatsfor seabirds, raptors, and songbirds. Areas may includeLivingston Bay, English Boom, Utsalady, and Iverson Spit, a100-acre preserve. The Stanwood Sewage Treatment Pondsoffer a variety of waterfowl and the occasional avian surprise.Bring a lunch and meet before 7:30 am at south end ofKingsgate Park & Ride. Passenger cost/person $14.00.Return early evening.Mike West and Joyce Meyer 425-868-7986Oct 18 (Sat) 9:00 am Watershed ParkA 2-hour nature walk in this Kirkland park takes place the 3rdSaturday of each month at 9:00 am. Nature walks enter thepark off NE 45th Street, north of the railroad tracks on 108thAvenue NE, east of 108th Avenue NE. Watershed park hasmore than 70 acres of mostly upland second growth forest;there is some riparian habitat. Several plant and bird speciescan be seen in the park. Bus stop nearby on 108th, near 45th.Limited street parking. Jan Johnson 425-814-5923

FIELD TRIPSParents and children over 8 are welcome on all trips. **FRS Radio owners, please consider bringing them on trips.**See www.eastsideaudubon.org/events/ for the latest information and for reports of last months field trips.Non-members of Eastside Audubon will be charged an additional $5.00.

Meeting Places for Field Trips:

Kingsgate Park and Ride: I-405 exit 20B northbound or20 southbound, N. E. 124th St. Go west to light at 116th

Ave. N. E., then right (north) a few blocks to P&R lot (onthe left). Meet in the S.E. corner. 1300 116th Way NE,Kingsgate.

Newport Hills Park and Ride: I-405, exit 9. 5115 113thPL NE, Newport Hills.

South Kirkland Park and Ride:108th Ave. NE justnorth of hwy 520 and Northup Way. 10610 NE 38th Pl.

Wilburton Park and Ride: I-405, exit 12. 720 114thAve, Bellevue.


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One of eight species of sea eagles in theworld from the genusHaliaeetus fromthe Greekaliaetos, the sea eagle. It isnamed for its white head; again from theGreek - leukos, of the color white, andkephale, head. Its common name refersto a Middle English interpretation ofballedmeaning shining or white(Holloway, 2003). The adult Bald Eagleis unmistakable with its large white headand tail contrasting with its dark brown,bulky body. The bill and eyes are yel-low. It soars on wide flat wings and fliesusing slow, heavy and powerful wing-

beats. Its call is surprisingly weak forsuch a large bird. Various authors de-scribe it as thin and hollow (Alderfer),flat (Sibley) and a mixture of squawksand shrieks ( Bell & Kennedy). Imma-ture birds lack the white head and tailand develop through four stages reachingfull maturity in their fifth year. The ju-venile through fourth-year birds havevarying amounts of white in the bellyand underwing coverts and axillaries.

Coastal Bald Eagle migration will followthe salmon runs. Some Pacific North-west birds will fly north in late summerto catch early salmon migrations andthen joined by Alaska birds will followthe salmon south and winter in the Pa-cific Northwest beginning in November.Fish are their preferred food especiallywhile nesting, but they are opportunistichunters and will snag an array of fish,waterfowl, and mammals with their tal-ons while in flight. They are quite adeptat kleptoparasitism and will steal killsfrom other raptors particularly osprey.Carrion also makes up a portion of their

diet.

Bald Eagles nest in an aerie, a large nestnear the crown of very large trees or onrocky pinnacles. Built with sticks thenest will be reused for several yearsgrowing larger each year. An old eaglenest can be huge; weigh hundreds ofpounds and measure 8-10 feet in diame-ter. They are sometimes used by GreatHorned Owls. The nest of sticks is lined

with grasses, moss and sod. The clutchis usually two dull white eggs, which areincubated by both adults for about 35days. Juvenile birds make their firstflight in 10-12 weeks.

Human beings have been the greatestsource of mortality for Bald Eagles.They have been killed as perceived

threats to livestock and for their feathersfor ceremonial purposes. Pesticidescaused egg shell thinning and eaglepopulations plummeted from the 1960sto 1980s. Diligent conservation effortshave been very successful and Bald Ea-gles are now nesting in every state andthe bird has been removed from the En-dangered Species list. The species hasdeveloped more tolerance to human ac-

tivity and birds are now seen in inlandwaterways near cities.

A variety of audio and video recordingsof Bald Eagles can be found at the Cor-nell Lab of Ornithology Web site at thefollowing address. Cat# 4334 has a goodvariety of calls.

http://animalbehaviorarchive.org/assetSearchInterim.do

(Photo credit: Marc Hoffman . Refer-ences are available upon request.)

BIRDOFTHE MONTH Andrew McCormick

Bald EagleHaliaeetus leucocephalus

Length 31 inWingspan 80 inWeight 9.5 lbAOU Band code BAEA


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A Tribute To Parky ForresterRuby Partington Parky Forrester wasborn in 1905 in a small town in southernSaskatchewan. When she began school, afirst grader, she told of how the teacherintroduced the class to an awareness ofbirds: each Friday afternoon before thefinal bell, the teacher handed each child apaper with the outline drawing of a bird.The teacher would talk with them aboutthe color, the song, the name of the bird.They would color it, take it home, and allweek search for that bird in the wild, lis-tening for its song. As she was growingup, this little girl became an acute ob-server of birds.

This person lived for nearly 103 years!Parky died in late June, two weeks beforeher birthday. Her husband, Jim, had diedseveral years ago. Jim had been thegreeter at our monthly meetings for along time, making sure everyone had a

raffle ticket for the end-of-the-meetingdrawing. Parky graduated from highschool at 16, and began teaching all gradelevels in a one room schoolhouse. Someof the students were bigger than she was.She eventually earned a college degree inManitoba, and continued to teach. InWW II, she enlisted in the army trainedas a radar specialist, and served Canada ata base on Vancouver Island. After thewar she met Jim in Vancouver, B.C. they married and several years later Jim

began working for Boeing. They movedto Bellevue, and Parky continued to teach.Very soon they were involved with theSister Cities program, and with our Audu-bon chapter, and also enjoyed many ac-tivities with the rockhound club. Afterretirement she tutored endlessly, workingl:l with any child many of them ESLstudents - needing help with studies.

Their work with Bellevues Sister Citiesprogram brought them many life-longfriends. In the park area just north ofBellevues City Hall are two large statuesgiven by a city in Taiwan to Bellevue.The Forresters played a prominent role inSister City work done in Taiwan, andParky taught English in a high schoolthere for a year. They also worked in Ja-pan, and in eastern Europe.

In her early eighties, Parky and Jim tookpart in a rafting trip in the Queen Char-lotte Islands; another trip they wildlyenjoyed was an ice-camping trip by dogsled on Baffin Island ! Parkys love ofchildren and spirit for adventure resultedin a very full life for this remarkablewoman.

Bev Jennings


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Earlier this summer chapter volunteersinstalled the cabinets to the MeadowKiosk, weeded planted areas, and wa-tered plants. Sunny Walter added allthe information and photos to the Ki-osk, then in early August we cele-brated the official Grand Opening ofthe BirdLoop. Also in August, a hard

working team transported boardwalkextension material across the Sam-mamish River to the constructionsite. In early September skillful teams

installed concrete footings for the in-stallation of the interpretive signs andthe cabinets to the River Kiosk. Inmid-September, 45 employees of theMicrosoft Company gathered at theBirdLoop for a Day of Caring andmulched all the plants along the fenceand removed much of the the black-

berry/Scots Broom infestation behindthe River Kiosk.

The next work party is set for October4, 9 to noon. Meet at the Meadow

Kiosk, parking Lot G. Greet oldfriends. Meet new friends. Workhard and do your part to help us re-store this terrific habitat. Help uskeep the birds singing!

Audubon BirdLoop Work Continues

Dr. Kerri W. Scarbrough, Optometrist

17320 135th Ave. N.E. ? Woodinville

(425) 398-1862

See the birds better!

Buy your holiday cards and 2009 calendars through

Eastside Audubon.

Once again we'll be taking pre-orders for holidaycards and 2009. Get ready for the holidays and

new year, and support the Chapter too!

Watch the website and newsletter for further

information.

Holiday Cards and 2009 Calendars


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Well be helping to restore the forestby planting native plants.

Where: Kiwanis Park, 1405 10th StW, Kirkland.

When: 9 am to noon.

What to bring: work clothes, gloves,sturdy shoes/boots, rain gear (if neces-sary), water bottle. Also useful: prun-ing shears or clippers, shovel. Re-freshments provided

For more information, contact:Sharon Rodman at 425-587-3305,[email protected], or visitwww.greenkirkland.org..

Green Kirkland Event

BIRDS OF THE PUGET SOUND AREA-- a 4-week field course for birders.

Learn by doing! In this four-partcourse you will learn about basic prin-ciples, etiquette, field guides, equip-ment, and identification techniques forsuccessful birding and practice themin the field. Good for beginning andexperienced birders, and people new

to the area.

Fall is a great time to bird in Seattleand Puget Sound with the return ofour wintering birds. Come join us forall four sessions of this class, and havefun. Each session will introduce a dif-ferent topic.

Instructor:Brian Bell, MasterBirder, Author, Guide

Class Dates, Times and Locations:

Session 1: Saturday, Oct. 25. Meet at8:00 am at Juanita Bay Park(Kirkland) parking lot. Presentation:Basic Principles and how to choosebinoculars and scopes.

Field trip: Juanita Bay, over by noon.

Session 2: Saturday, Nov. 1. Meet at8:00 am at Discovery Park Interpre-tive Center. Presentation: Fieldguides, bird publications and CDs.

Field trip: Discovery Park, over bynoon.

Session 3: Saturday, Nov. 8. Meet at7:30 am at Marymoor Park, Off-LeashDog Area parking lot. Presentation:Identification techniques.

Field trip: Marymoor Park, over by

noon.

Session 4: Saturday, Nov. 15. Meetat 8:00 am at Kingsgate Park andRide. Presentation: Birding ethics andetiquette.

Field trip: Location to be determined

based on availability of species ofinterest.

Series Cost: $75 EAS members, $90non-members.

Limit: 15 participants

Plan a getaway on the scenic Wash-ington Coast and join us for fallACOW 2008 October 10th, 11th and12th. The conference will be held atthe Chautauqua Lodge located on thebeautiful shoreline of Long BeachWashington. Enjoy relaxing accom-modations, beach access and an entic-ing array of educational activities,meetings and speeches outlining theheart of Audubons mission in Wash-

ington State.

The three-day conference will beginwith a light day Friday, allowing youtime to absorb the surroundings, ex-plore the sand dunes and bike or walkfor miles on the Discovery Trail fol-lowing the beach. Friday evening will

include an Education Meeting fol-lowed by a reception and evening offestivities.

On Saturday, your choice of field out-ings will bring you onto the beach andinto the sand to witness the local ecol-ogy and habitat of shore birds. In theafternoon, a Conservation Meetingwill be held at the lodge incorporatingregional discussions of habitat preser-vation and restoration. Saturday eve-ning, join your colleagues in an indul-gent Surf and Turf dinner and ban-quet, followed by presentations fromvarious individuals representing local,state and federal state agencies.

Audubon Washington board members

will meet Sunday morning before dis-persing to their separate corners of thestate.

Discovery Coast Audubon invites youto their region of the Pacific Coast tofind that Birding at the Beach is Bet-ter! for more information and todownload a registration form go tohttp://www.discoverycoastaudubon.com.

Fall Aububon Council of Washington (ACOW): Birding at the Beach is Better!


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The Great Backyard Bird Count(GBBC) is an annual four-day eventsponsored by Audubon and the Cor-nell Lab of Ornithology that engagesbird watchers of all ages in countingbirds to create a real-time snapshot ofwhere the birds are across the conti-

nent. Anyone can participate, frombeginning bird watchers to experts. Ittakes as little as 15 minutes on oneday, or you can count for as long asyou like each day of the event. Itsfree, fun, and easyand it helps thebirds.

In 2008, the GBBC reached new

heights. For the fourth year in a row,participants sent record numbers ofchecklists. Bird watchers submitted85,725 checklists with observations of635 species, representing 9,805,216individual bird sightings during thefour-day count.

The GBBC provides an invaluablereal-time snapshot of bird distributionacross North America. Each year wesee changes in where the birds arelocated, based on factors that includeclimate change, weather patterns, foodsupplies, diseases, and breeding suc-cess. With all of the data online, any-

one with an interest in birds may ex-plore what could be the first indicatorsof real trends and changes in birdnumbers and distribution. In-depthstudies are necessary to confirm theGBBC trends and to further test thereasons for the changes we see.

To register, go to http://www.birdsource.org/gbbc/

Next Great Backyard Bird Count: Feb. 13-16, 2009

Everyday I would get up and gooutside to take a breath of fresh air.Never once have I given a momentto be aware of the life outside orour civilization. However, afterspending nearly a week campingoutdoors at Wilderness AwarenessSchool I realized I could bond withthe Earth. Moreover, each time Itake a stroll outdoors I discover

new life and notice things that oth-erwise would not have been per-ceptible by the eye.

One highlight I experienced atWilderness Awareness was one ofthe many challenges the instructorssurprised us with. In this particularactivity, called drum stock, all thescouts are blindfolded and put indifferent places throughout the for-est. When they hear the drum go

off, everyone uses their senses andintuition to find their way to thedrum.

Furthermore, I was overwhelmedwith fear, because I have never

done this before and I was reluc-tant at the thought of getting lost inan unfamiliar place. Nevertheless,as I tried my best to use my in-sights, I kept bumping into trees,bushes, and branches and trippingover roots. Sooner or later I hadthe sensation to stop and take abreath. Gradually, I slowed mypace and used the fox walk

method to avoid stumbling. Asideform using my feet to feel my way,I also used deer ears to help myincrease my ability to perceive thedrum. No sooner did I realize theboom of the drum was becomingstrongly audible when I knew Iwas making progress. Above all,after I successfully completed thetask, I felt like I could do this exer-cise once more and this time, really

expose my awareness to my sur-roundings.

All in all, I learned many tech-niques at camp to help me commu-nicate with nature. Not only that,but I am more cautious of my ac-

tions. Therefore, I would sincerelylike to thank the Scout AwarenessOvernight- Wilderness AwarenessSchool, due to the fact that it hadtaught me to open my senses andpay attention to the environmentthat was once invisible to me.More importantly, the time andcontribution from Eastside Audu-bon members made this experience

unforgettable. Thank you for yourgenerosity.

-- Bindu Anam

My Experience at Wilderness Awareness School

oct 2008 corvid crier newsletter eastside audubon society

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