the valley habitat - sierra club home page: explore, enjoy
TRANSCRIPT
The Valley Habitat
January/February 2019
Environmental
Scholarship
Available!
Pass it on!
The Yokut’s Group is
offering a $1000 schol-
arship for the Donna
Durham Memorial for
the 2019/2020 academ-
ic school year.
Applicants must
demonstrate a com-
mitment to an envi-
ronmental or conser-
vation project, and or
course of study
through a degree pro-
gram. Possible envi-
ronmental projects or
degree programs could
include, but are not
limited to, organic
farming, solar studies,
green building practic-
es, recycling, water
conservation, reducing
fossil fuel use, green
and/or sustainable
business practices, or
(continued on page 6)
A joint publication of the Stanislaus Audubon Society and the Yokuts Group of the
Sierra Club
Attention Please! 2
Recent Sightings 3
Audubon Field Trips 4
Nature Walk! 5
Inside this issue:
Sierra Club Monthly Programs January/February 2019
College Avenue United Church of Christ, 1341 College Ave. Modesto 95350
Members Slide Show Friday, January 18, 2019, 7:00pm
Share the secrets of your nature and birding adventures and expeditions at
the annual Member’s Slide Show. All Yokuts and Audubon are invited to
share pictures and videos of recent trips. Bring your files on a flash drive
and limit presentations to about ten minutes. Community members are wel-
come to come and take a look to discover more about the Sierra Club’s
Yokuts Group and the Stanislaus Audubon Society.
Banding Cavity Nesting Birds in the San Joaquin Valley
Steve Simmons
Friday Feb. 15, 2019, 7:00pm
This presentation will showcase Steve’s adventures over the last 45 years
banding wood ducks, screech owls, barn owls, burrowing owls, kestrels,
Western bluebirds and other small birds. He will also bring a variety of nest
boxes and "equipment" that he uses in banding so he can demonstrate tech-
niques that he has developed over the years. During the past 45 years of
working with the birds, Steve has developed many tools to catch the birds,
and he has banded over 30,000 birds and reached having his 100,000th bird
hatch out one of the boxes two years ago. He does all of the work as a hobby,
helping the birds have a safe place to nest and raise their young. In his oth-
er life, Steve taught wood shop for 38 years at Merced High School.
Harder Elected!
Congratulations to Josh Harder for his election victory over incumbent Jeff
Denham to serve as congressional representative in California District 10. It was an
uphill battle for Mr. Harder and an extremely close race, not decided until over a
week after election day.
The victory can be attributed in large part to Mr. Harder’s non-stop energy,
connecting with voters and getting out his message of health care reform, immigra-
tion reform, tackling water issues, and implementing clean energy alternatives. He
ran a well-organized campaign, relying on a skilled staff and volunteers. Many of
the Yokuts management committee and other Sierra Club members canvassed,
phone banked, wrote letters to the editor, and worked to receive the national Sierra
Club endorsement for Mr. Harder. The Yokuts Group of the Sierra Club looks for-
ward to working with Harder on environmental issues.
~Kent Mitchell, Political
Years ago, I was one of
a group of birders who had
spent hours aboard a pelagic
trip out of Monterey Bay. The
boat was speeding back to
shore, and virtually all of the
birders were either huddled in
the cabin or on the benches.
If their thoughts ran like mine
did just then, they would have
been thinking about the next
meal or the drive home. Todd
Easterla, however, was
perched at the stern of the
boat, intently scanning the
horizon. Suddenly, he straight-
ened up and shouted,
“Streaked Shearwater!” We all
scrambled to the stern. Roger
Wolfe and Todd tried to get
others to see the rarity, but I
was not one of them. Once
again, Todd had found a rare
bird; once more, a story was
added to his legend.
Last year, I was one of a
group of birders in Oregon
who had just started hiking on
the trail of a wilderness area.
At the outset, fourteen birders
stopped and stared, stalked
and listened, with little conver-
sation between them, except
to point out the birds they saw
and heard. After an hour or
so, seven of the fourteen con-
tinued birding, while the others
talked of birds they had seen,
of places they had been, of
cabbages and kings. After
two hours, three of the four-
teen birders were stalking and
stopping, looking and listening,
while the other eleven either
became chattier or walked
directly ahead, perhaps think-
ing of returning to their car.
Finally I asked, “Are we still bird-
ing?” A woman behind me re-
plied, “Well, we all have our
attention spans.”
The common ingredient
in those two examples is the
focused attention of birders
who continually perform the
skill for as long as they are in
the field. As sensory creatures,
we have an innate resource
available to us—our ability to
pay engaged attention to our
surroundings. Fortunately, this
resource can be nurtured over
time, with practice and a di-
rected effort of will.
An attention span is a
curious thing. We apparently
have the power to expand it if
we are really motivated to do
so. Unfortunately, we also al-
low ourselves to be readily dis-
tracted, thereby fragmenting
the attention that we give to
our object. On a birding field
trip, it takes a special quality of
concentration to be able to
focus on every sound and sight
that is not human, and that is
not easy to cultivate.
If you’ve been birding
on enough field trips, you know
that clusters of birds are ran-
domly distributed in the field.
This means that you must un-
cover as many of them as possi-
ble to identify and study them.
Also, it means that the more un-
common birds, or even that one
rare bird, will be mixed in among
the more common ones. The
“best bird” of the day, a county
record or new life bird, the bird
that “makes the headline,” may
be perched at the parking lot
when you return, perhaps ex-
hausted, from a hike of several
hours. Will you be the one who
still has your Attention light on at
the very last moment?
As I round the bend of this
reflection, I pass a mirror and see
that I am not flawless. I realize
that my own behavior in the field
does not always rise to the high
standard that I am proposing. I
can spin a line of gab too, and I
can also lose my concentration
on a slow day. I too have spent
an inordinate amount of time
talking or listening to other birders
instead of birding. It is human
nature to be interested in other
humans, and I always find some-
thing intriguing about the folks
with whom I share the trail. But I
do try, however, to cast the
beam of my attention for as long
as possible. I can only practice
what I recommend, within the
limits of my imperfection.
To paraphrase the saying,
any journey worth taking always
begins with a new step. The next
time you go birding, whether in
the field or in your backyard,
open your attention and let it
grow. The less you say, the more
you can see and hear. What is
that bird, just at the end of the
focused light of your attention?
MAY THEY HAVE YOUR ATTENTION, PLEASE? by Salvatore Salerno
PAGE 2 THE VALLEY HABITAT
Jim Gain found an AMERICAN
GOLDEN-PLOVER* at Modesto
Wastewater Treatment Facility
on October 28, also seen by
three other birders. Dale Swan-
berg and Rich Brown had a
ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK on
Dunton Road on November 6.
Jim Gain had two SHORT-EARED
OWLS at the same location on
the same day. Eric Hopson had
a SHORT-EARED OWL at the San
Joaquin River N.W.R. on No-
vember 18. Harold Reeve had
two HORNED GREBES at Turlock
Lake S.R.A. on November 19.
John Harris and three other
birders had a GREATER SCAUP
at the Modesto Wastewater
Treatment Facility on Novem-
ber 25. Harold and Sherrie
Reeve had a male BARROW’S
GOLDEYE at Knight’s Ferry on
December 1. This is presumably
the same bird that was with the
Common Goldeneyes there
last winter.
Stanislaus Audubon Society Recent Sightings of Rare or Uncommon Birds
PAGE 3 THE VALLEY HABITAT
STANISLAUS COUNTY
(*committee review)
Jim Gain had a RED PHALA-
ROPE* at the Modesto
Wastewater Treatment Facility
on October 14, also seen by
three other birders. If the bird is
accepted by the committee, it
would be the most recent
sighting since 1997. Joe Devine
had a CASSIN’S KINGBIRD on
Beckwith Road on October 16.
Harold and Sherrie Reeve
found a COMMON LOON on
October 20 at Dawson Lake.
Garry Hayes saw a CASSIN’S
KINGBIRD at the west campus
of Modesto Junior College on
October 25, possibly the same
kingbird he had found there in
November of 2017. Dale Swan-
berg had a CASSIN’S KINGBIRD
on Orestimba Road on Octo-
ber 25. That location is a prob-
able nesting site for that spe-
cies.
Red Phalarope © Jim Gain
American Golden-Plover
© Harold Reeve
Rough-legged Hawk© Rich Brown
MERCED COUNTY
Dale Swanberg had a
WHITE-THROATED SPAR-
ROW at McConnell State
Park on October 29. Dale
also saw a RED-NECKED
GREBE at O’Neill Forebay
on November 13. Kent
Van Vuren saw a BLACK
SCOTER (second county
record)
along with ten RED-
BREASTED MERGANSERS
at O’Neill Forebay on No-
vember 20. Andrew Rush
had a VERMILION FLY-
CATCHER on November
26 at Santa Fe Grade
Road, which has been
the site of that species in
previous winters.
Black Scoter© Kent van Vuren
Short-eared Owl© Calvin Lou Cassin's Kingbird© Garry Hayes
PAGE 4 THE VALLEY HABITAT
Audubon Field Trips
Sunday, January 20 & Saturday,
February 16 - San Joaquin River
National Wildlife Refuge.
This refuge near Modesto offers
diverse habitats, including
mixed species transitional are-
as, riparian forest, oak wood-
lands, grassland, and seasonal
wetlands. Meet at the Stani-
slaus County Library parking lot
(1500 I Street, Modesto) at 7:00
a.m. We will return to Modesto
early-to-mid-afternoon. Trip
leader: Ralph Baker
Sunday, January 13 - Con-
sumes River Preserve.
This exquisite area lies on the
lower reaches of the only river
in the Central Valley that flows
free and undammed out of the
Sierra. This creates many pre-
served natural habitats which
we will visit. Also, some areas
are being managed back to
their natural condition, and
we’ll visit them too. At this time
of year it should be packed
with wintering waterfowl,
cranes, etc. Trails are numerous
and made with birders in mind;
it’s a birder's paradise! Trip
leader TBD, contact Ralph
Baker
([email protected]) if
you have any questions. Meet
at the Stanislaus County Library
parking lot, 1500 I Street, Mod-
esto, at 7:00 a.m. Bring lunch or
snacks as we will return to Mod-
esto mid-to-late-afternoon.
Saturday, Feb 2 – Copperopolis
and Salt Springs Valley
On this field trip we’ll explore the
Salt Springs Valley, looking for
birds of open grasslands includ-
ing raptors such as eagles, Ferru-
ginous and Rough-legged
Hawks, and others, as well as
water birds on the Salt Springs
Valley Reservoir and Copperop-
olis Pond, and riparian and oak
woodland birds on our way
home. We’ll return to Oakdale
by mid-afternoon, returning via
scenic Rock Creek Road. Meet
at the Cost Less Market, 888 N.
Yosemite, Oakdale, at 7:00 a.m.
Bring lunch or snacks. Trip Lead-
er: John Harris at (510) 504-2427
STANISLAUS AUDUBON SOCIETY REQUESTS DONATIONS
The Board of Directors is requesting donations from the mem-
bers of our local Audubon chapter. One targeted need is for
the A.J. Grayson Scholarship, given yearly to a promising stu-
dent in Environmental Sciences at C.S.U. Stanislaus. The last of
the $600 scholarships will be awarded in the spring of 2019. We
hope to continue this scholarship for the next five years, at a
cost of $3,000.
The second targeted need is to cover printing and postage
costs of The Valley Habitat. Although membership dues to Na-
tional Audubon cover part of those expenses, we still mail 400+
copies every two months, at a cost of $2,500 per year. In addi-
tion, we also pay stipends to program presenters, and have
other outgoing costs.
If you wish to make a tax-deductible donation, please send a
check to Stanislaus Audubon Society, P.O. Box 4012, Modesto,
CA 95352. You will receive a receipt of acknowledgment .
“Birds are a miracle because they prove to us there is a finer, simpler state of
being which we may strive to attain.”
~Douglas Coupland
The new representative for Califor-
nia’s 10th district, Josh Harder,
with supporters Elaine Gorman
and Kent Mitchell.
Stay involved with efforts to bring
more environmental awareness to
Central Valley residents by engag-
ing often with Harder. You will be
able to find his contact infor-
mation once he is seated, here:
h t t p s : / / w w w . h o u s e . g o v /
representatives#state-california
PAGE 5 THE VALLEY HABITAT
Community Nature Walk
Saturday January 19
9 AM - 11 AM
River Bluff Regional Park, Ceres
Join Audubon and Sierra Club members on a
3-mile walk along the Tuolumne River at River
Bluff Regional Park in Ceres. We will explore
and learn about the natural history of this ri-
parian habitat. Audubon members will
share their knowledge of local birds. Sierra
Club members will discuss natural and cultur-
al history. There is a small pond that we can
explore, which usually provides us with good
views of many types of water birds. This
walk will be geared to families and begin-
ners.
All members of the community are invited to
participate. Wear comfortable walking
shoes, sun hat, jackets, and bring water. Bin-
oculars will be helpful. We will depart
promptly at 9 AM, from the parking lot near
the concession stand/restrooms.
The park is located on Hatch Road, east of
Mitchell Rd. (about 1/2 mile past the
Walmart, turn left into parking lot). See the
link below for more information.
https://www.ci.ceres.ca.us/250/River-Bluff-
Regional-Park
Rain will cancel this event
For more information, contact :
Elaine, 209-300-4253 or
Ralph at:
Please join Yokuts members and the neigh-
borhood group for the monthly clean-up
along the Helen White Memorial Trail
Wednesday, January 23
Wednesday, February 20
The group starts the cleanup at 8:00 AM.
Meet us at the King Kennedy Center, 601
Martin Luther King Dr., Modesto. We finish
by 9:00 AM. For more information about
this activity, contact Elaine Gorman at 209-
300-4253. You can also sign up on S-M-S
Sierra Club Meetup. Rain will cancel this
activity.
Bring gloves and a trash bag!
Helen White Memorial Trail
Clean Up
Recycle at the Yokuts
Monthly program!
Yokuts member Ray Nichols will accept
these materials for recycling at our monthly
programs:
Magazines and books
Household batteries
Button batteries
Burned out light bulbs, CFLs
Eye-glasses
Old cell phones
Please tape over the contacts on 9 volt bat-
teries.
THE VALLEY HABITAT PAGE 6
Stanislaus Audubon Society Board of Directors, 2018-2019
President: Salvatore Salerno [email protected]
Vice President, Website: Jim Gain
Treasurer: David Froba [email protected]
Secretary: John Harris [email protected]
Conservation: Jody Hallstrom [email protected]
Field Trips: Ralph Baker [email protected]
Christmas Bird Counts: Harold Reeve [email protected]
Online Newsletter: Jodi Smith; Events: Chris Magaña, Ralph Baker, Kathy Rasmussen;
Education: Daniel Gilman, Jim Gain, Harold Reeve, John Harris, Xavier Sandoval.
Visit our website: www.stanislausbirds.org
Join our Meetup Group and/or Like us on Facebook.
New or renewing members $20 From National Audubon Society: www.audubon.org/renew
Chapter Code C 36 Membership expiration date is printed on newsletter labels.
(Scholarship, continued from page one)
or mitigating solutions for greenhouse gasses. Interested students must complete an application
form and submit an essay of 200 words but no
more than 500 words supporting their environmen-
tal work or study and how this scholarship will
help further their goals.
A panel of the Sierra Club’s Yokuts Group mem-
bers will choose the winner. Preference will be giv-
en to students living, working, or attending school
in Stanislaus County.
Applications can be found on our website:
https://www.sierraclub.org/mother-lode/yokuts
Application deadline is April 1, 2019. Contact Rick
Delvin with any questions 209-743-9252
This Scholarship is named in honor
of Donna Durham, an avid hiker,
camper, birdwatcher & fisherwoman
and Modesto native. She was a
member of various organizations in-
cluding the Sierra Club, the Audu-
bon Society, the Mono Lake Commit-
tee & the National Association of Education for
Young Children. If there you know any college students with an interest in
conservation, please encourage them to apply.
2018 Holiday Party
Thanks to everyone who came to the 2018
Holiday Party. This party was smaller than
most due to the many members who were
traveling this year, but those who were here
had a wonderful evening with food, friends
and caroling.
I love sharing my holiday decorations and it
is always a game to find the "new" one!
Special thanks to those members who sup-
plied raffle baskets this year…seven total!
Congratulations to the winners of the bas-
kets. It was a fun time and one we are sure
to repeat next year!
Best wishes for an outstanding 2019 and
hope to see you all at our January meeting
at the College Avenue Church of Christ in
Modesto for the Members Slide Show.
~Kathy Weise
Happy New Year!
Yokuts Group of the Sierra Club
Management Committee
Chair: Rick Delvin: [email protected]
Vice Chair: Elaine Gorman
Political Chair: Kent Mitchell
Secretary: Sandra Wilson
Treasurer: Steve Tomlinson
Hospitality: Candy Klaschus
Program Chair: Elaine Gorman
Membership: Anita Young
Mailing: Kathy Weise
Publicity: Dorothy Griggs
Conservation Chair and
Population Chair: Milt Trieweiler
Calendar Sales: Doug Hardie
Outings Chair: Randall Brown
Outings Leaders:
Sandy Wilson
Randall Brown
Elaine Gorman; , [email protected]
Newsletter: Maryann Hight
To send stories to the Habitat, email
Website:
http://www.sierraclub.org/mother-lode/yokuts
For hikes and other outings
http://www.meetup.com/S-M-S-
SierraClub
PAGE 7 THE VALLEY HABITAT
Yokuts Election Results for 2019
Elections for members of the Yokuts Executive
board just took place, and I am happy to an-
nounce our new Vice-Chair: Elaine Gorman, our
returning Treasurer: Steve Tomilinson, and returning
Membership Chain: Anita Young.
Thanks to all those members who took the time to
vote!
Yokuts Group Non-Profit Organization
Mother Lode Chapter U.S. Postage PAID
Sierra Club Permit Number 139
P.O. Box 855 Modesto, CA
Modesto, CA 95353
CURRENT RESIDENT OR