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The OBSERVER Sacramento Audubon Society General Meeting Thursday, January 18 Education Committee Shepard Garden and Art Center PHOTOS FOR EDUCATION 7pm General Meeting The Education Committee extends a big “Thank You” to Chris Conard for his more than generous contribution to our The Ivory-billed Woodpecker digital photo gallery. Chris provided over 100 images of birds, John Trochet 5 mammal images, 1 kingsnake, and 1 Tiger-swallowtail. On 28 April, 2005, simultaneously in Washington, D.C. and in Little Thanks to Chris and previously recognized contributors, we Rock, Arkansas, officials of The Nature Conservancy-Arkansas, Arkansas are well on our way to having a photo collection representa- Game and Fish Commission, Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission, tive of the flora and fauna of the Sacramento region. These photos will be put to good use very soon, as our new educa- Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, tion program is set to begin in earnest this month. Department of Interior, and Department of Agriculture confirmed the internet rumors that began the night of Please read the article on page 6 concerning the Education April 26th and circulated explosively 24 hours later: A Committee’s efforts to get kids involved in the Great Backyard living Ivory-billed Woodpecker had been discovered in Bird Count which takes place nationally the weekend of eastern Arkansas. February 16-19. John Trochet’s own explorations of swamps in the historical range of Ivory-billed Woodpecker goes back BIRDING FOR FUN WORKSHOP to 1974 and a visit to the Big Cypress area of south- Spring is a long way off, but we need to get word out now ern Florida. Between now and then he has looked for for a very special class. The Sacramento Audubon Society’s the woodpecker elsewhere in Florida, Georgia, South Education Committee and the Rancho Cordova Recreation Carolina (most recently in March, 2006), Mississippi, and Park District have teamed up to bring the joy of birding Louisiana, and in eastern Texas. “These were all great to children! Birding for Fun is an inter-generational hands-on trips to wonderful country. But I didn’t find the bird I sought workshop for children ages 6-16, accompanied by a parent, most. But eight days before that public announcement, my canoe mates grandparent or other special adult. Sheila Green will be teaching the class which explores birding in the Sacramento and I saw a living Ivory-billed Woodpecker fly by us on Bayou de View. Area with special emphasis on audio and visual bird iden- It was a 30+ year-old dream come true.” tification; where to go exploring; backyard and wild habitat Having lived in Sacramento since 1981, and married to Glennah conservation; and, of course, fun! Sheila is a volunteer Trochet, well known in Sacramento as the County Health Officer, with SAS and has over 7 years experience teaching the John has been a birder for nearly 40 years. He is a retired physician love of birds and nature to kids and adults. Classes will be who returned to school in ornithology after leaving medicine. “I am a Wednesdays, 6:30-8pm, March 14 and 21, with a field trip long-time volunteer at the Cosumnes River Preserve, where I lead the date of Saturday, 9-11am, March 17. Register by calling the monthly Tall Forest bird surveys. I work part time now for the Museum Park district’s number, 362-1841. The class size is limited, of Wildlife and Fish Biology at U.C. Davis. My home away from home so sign up soon. Cost is $15. is Zuni, New Mexico, where I have a long term interest in the avifauna of the southeastern Colorado Plateau.” FEELING LUCKY? Sacramento Audubon meetings are held the third Thursday of the month Don’t forget that starting with the January meeting every at the Shepard Garden and Arts Center in McKinley Park, located at person who enters our doors will receive a free raffle ticket. 3330 McKinley Blvd. in Sacramento. The public is always welcome. A At the end of the meeting we’ll draw three winning num- map with directions can be found at our website bers and the first number chosen will have the first choice of www.sacramentoaudubon.org under the General Meetings heading. the prizes available that night. January’s top prize will be an Sally Riggs, Program Chair Entertainment book valued at $40. VOLUME 59 • NO. 1 JANUARY 2007 Field Trip Findings Sand Creek Road/Arbuckle Area (12/9) Nimbus Fish Hatchery/American River check them all, but what we saw were Tim Fitzer, co-leader with Sheila Deaner, (12/4) — White-throated Swift, Osprey, Common). Sparrows were out including reported the group observed three Glaucous-winged Gull, Barrow’s crowned, Lincoln’s and Song, and there Golden Eagles and Rock Wrens here. Goldeneye and Green Heron were the were lots of magpies. So even though Moving on to the Sacramento Wildlife better birds, leader Jack Hiehle said. we weren’t enjoying the Central Valley Area, the group found Bald Eagle, Prairie Caswell Memorial State Park (12-3) Birding Symposium in Stockton, we had Falcon, Peregrine Falcon, Rough-legged Leader Gary Fregien reported: “Twelve a nice bird outing.” Hawk and Ferruginous Hawk, along with hardy birders braved a clear and crisp Old Fair Oaks Bridge (11/17) — Best birds thousands of Snow Geese, including a early December morning for a trip that were Osprey, Bufflehead and Cooper’s number of blue-form snows. could be characterized as much by what Hawk, leader Jack Hiehle reported. Wetlands and Waterfowl Tour (12/9) wasn’t seen as by what was, although Lake Solano/Putah Creek (11/14) Staff wildlife biologist Roger Jones led there was a strong group consensus that Leader Sami LaRocca reported: After this tour of the Sacramento Regional what we did see was ‘way better.’ Trip an overnight rain the day was sunny County Sanitation District Bufferlands highlights were both Hairy and Downy and clear. Sightings included: Wood in Elk Grove. He reported: “The tour was Woodpeckers in the same tree, Varied Duck pairs trying to get around with- planned for two miles of walking. But it Thrush, Townsend’s Warbler, Golden- out being seen too frequently, Common was raining and the trails were muddy, so crowned Kinglet, Winter Wren, a surprise Goldeneyes, both male and females; we opted for more driving and less walk- male Western Tanager calling and seen, Buffleheads were like a miniature regatta ing. We toured Fishhead Lake, a 100- and a stationary Merlin.” sailing on the lake; Hooded Merganser; acre man-made wetland complex, and a Effie Yeaw Nature Center (11/30) Osprey, aerial display included one with 22-acre constructed wetlands facility. At Leader Jack Hiehle reported that a fish, possibly feeding an adult-sized the lake, we observed all of the typical Phainopepla, Osprey, American Kestrel, young; Belted Kingfisher seen often fly- waterfowl and shorebirds seen in our and Downy Woodpecker were highlights. ing up and down the lake; Brown Creeper area this time of the year. The design Effie Yeaw Nature Center (11/26) in tree adjacent to picnic parking lot; of the cells at the constructed wetlands ”A pleasant morning birding the Effie American Dipper under bridge just below facility allows close observation of birds. Yeaw Nature Center turned up a calling Monticello Dam; Bald Eagle trio were jet- During the short walk we got nice looks Varied Thrush and a Hermit Thrush giving ting south over the top of the Blue Ridge. at some rails and waterbirds, including its towhee-like call,” leader Cathie LaZier Total species: 60. Virginia and Sora Rails, American Bittern, reported. “There were good looks at Bodega Bay (11/4) — ”The weather Green Heron, and a host of passerines. Downy Woodpeckers and a distant view turned out great considering the rain we We also had an opportunity to watch and of an Osprey. A Merlin gave us a brief had off and on for several days before photograph a Burrowing Owl that uses a look as it shot past. There were, surpris- the trip, with comfortable temperatures, winter burrow on the edge of one of the ingly, no Yellow-rumped Warblers.” sunny to partly cloudy skies and just a access roads. Nimbus Fish Hatchery/American River light breeze,” leader Scott Hoppe report- Davis Wetlands and Small Pond on (11/25) — Eight birders joined Frank ed. “I tallied 73 species of birds including County Road 103 (12/4) — Leader Sami Gray on a morning walk, viewing four 16 species of shorebirds. Among them LaRocca reported it was a sunny day but species of gull, a Spotted Sandpiper, were several Snowy Plovers picked out cool at the start. “Tundra Swans greeted several Common Mergansers, large at some distance on the mud flats in us on arrival at the parking lot, sticking flocks of Common Goldeneye, an Osprey, the harbor at low tide. They were in the out their long necks and sparkling in the Anna’s Hummingbird, and other species. company of many Semipalmated Plovers. sun,” she said. “White-fronted Geese so Weather was excellent and the trip pro- Also of interest were both species of turn- close overhead we could see their speck- vided a great opportunity to explore the stone and a small flock of Surfbirds.” led bellies; Snow Geese in both ‘birds of finer points of gull ID, Frank said. “A few of us were lucky in finding an adult a feather’ flocks and mixed in with White- male White-winged Scoter. We observed fronted; Sandhill Cranes flying nearby Discovery Park (11/19) — ”Three of us him swallowing a large clam whole (we just across the levee on Conway Ranch; traipsed about in the heavy fog but still wondered how he would digest it).