Bird Migration Vagrancy in Washington – Matt Bartels Annual Dinner
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Bird Migration Vagrancy in Washington – Matt Bartels Come join us for an evening of enjoyment with Matt Bartels. Matt Bartels is the current secretary of the Washington Bird Records Committee, Washington Ornithological Society. Where do Washington vagrants come from and are there patterns that can be uncovered in the strategies that bring them here? Matt Bartels will discuss the processes that lead to vagrancy, and how that applies to Washington rarities. What are the main methods that bring these unusual birds to our state? WOS uses bird records data to look for patterns in arrivals of the rarest birds in the state and Matt will discuss what might be next. Birders everywhere are keenly interested in vagrants, as they provide exciting opportunities to view unfamiliar species. It will be fascinating to hear a broad perspective on this phenomenon in Washington State. (Photo, Ruby-throated hummingbird – JM Schneid Wikimedia Commons) Arrive at 7 p.m. to socialize; programs begin promptly at 7:30 p.m. Annual Dinner March 7, 2020 The Annual Dinner is on March 7th. Reserve your place at our tables. Our theme this year is Feed the Flock- Bring a Friend, so think about who you know who might like to attend. First- time attendees will each receive a gift. Sign up here or print out the registration form and send it in. We’ll also take registrations at the February 13th Speaker Series- we will have forms or assist you electronically. The night will be memorable. Steven Hawley, producer of the film, Damned to Extinction, will be our featured speaker on the topic of Dams, Orcas and Salmon. Price is $45 per person. Below are some highlights of events for which you may sign-up; raffle items and lovely crafts for sale at the dinner. A Sample of Featured Events available for Sign-Up at the Dinner Black Hills Audubon offers this exciting list of experiences for your birding pleasure and related interests. Funds raised by your donations will support our education and advocacy programs, while you enjoy these outdoor adventures and opportunities and get to know fellow birders while dining, crafting, and exploring nearby places of natural beauty. Suggested donations and more information will be available at the Dinner. See you there! GOURMET DINNER FOR 17 – Prepared by Deb Nickerson and Alice Burman Relax and enjoy a delicious summer dinner in August prepared by Deb Nickerson, Alice Burman and crew. On the menu so far: barbecued salmon, chicken and veggies with an array of side salads and roasted potatoes. Dessert will be fresh fruit crisp where the fruit is gathered from our trees. Beer, wine, drinks and appetizers included. 17 seats available for $50 each. Bon Appetit! FEATHER FLURRY WITH CHRIS MAYNARD Here is an event guaranteed to be new to you. Chris Maynard, renowned feather artist, will host a gathering on his property when the swallows are back. He will ―shoot‖ a batch of feathers into the air and you will watch as these aerial acrobats chase and catch the feathers. Refreshments and a tour of Chris’ studio round out the occasion. Priceless! WOODARD BAY BOAT TRIP WITH HANK AND HELEN HENRY Picture yourself on the deck of the Henry’s boat enjoying dessert and wine before casting off for a tour of Henderson Inlet and Woodard Bay. The trip is timed to enjoy watching the bats emerge from their nursery on the Bay as well as seeing a vast colony of nesting cormorants. National Geographic quality experience. GARDEN BRUNCH WITH BOB AND SALLY SUNDSTROM The Sundstrom’s property is on the edge of a South Sound prairie and has been nurtured for birds and native plants. Take a tour with gardening expert Sally and ask Bob of BirdNote fame about its avian visitors. Then relax on the porch with a delicious brunch and, if lucky, a view of California Quail rummaging on the garden paths. BAT WALK WITH GREG FALXA Our local bat guru will lead a group out to the viewing point at Woodard Bay at dusk to view the emerging bats from their nursery under the old trestle. Watch this spectacle as Greg uses his equipment to identify the two bat species which reside here. Dessert and beverage included. PEREGRINE HORS D’OEUVRES WITH JOE BUCHANEN How do juvenile Peregrine Falcons learn to hunt? Some learn by going after the bats emerging from the trestle at Woodard Bay. This is something to be seen! Joe, a US Fish and Wildlife biologist, will lead this group to the trestle area before dusk; then let the show begin. Dessert and beverage included. FUSED GLASS CLASS WITH LESLIE GOLDSTEIN Enjoy an afternoon of relaxing and creative glass work. Leslie has taught this class to many groups and has graciously offered it to us. Participants will make small glass ornamental objects which she will fire in her home kiln and then return to everyone. Good company, good fun, and good dessert as well. FOREST BATHING WITH SALLY NOLE Experience the Japanese art of Shinri-yoku, the practice of ―forest bathing‖. Focus your senses on the forest surrounding you as you walk through Sally’s Shelshire Farm near Millersylvania State Park with Kathy Jacobson, environmental educator. Let the birds come to you. Appetizers and beverages will be served. Ahhhhhhh! Some Raffle Items: May Yours Be the Winning Ticket! The Annual Dinner committee has rounded up some incredible items for our fundraising effort this year! Below are just some of the offerings to spark your interest. The more tickets you purchase, the more likely you are to win one of these bird-loving prizes. And if you’ve brought a friend you want to encourage to join Black Hills Audubon, these prizes will delight both longtime and novice birders. An all-day pelagic bird-watching adventure with Westport Seabirds to a deep underwater canyon that supports rich marine life. This canyon, which lies about 30 nautical miles from Grays Harbor, attracts Albatross, Storm-Petrels, Shearwaters and Skua. If you take bird photos with your phone and wish you had more power to zoom into a better view, this gadget will get you closer to the birds. It is a digiscoping adapter designed to fit any phone. Think of the details you’ll capture that have always been just out of reach. We’ve already had some snow and cold this winter. If you are feeding local hummingbirds you know how important it is to keep your feeder functioning no matter the temperature. This easy- to-install hummingbird feeder heater will assure your birds of much needed nourishment through the season. And if it’s just too cold and rainy for good bird-watching, gather your birding friends—and friends you wish were birders—for an evening of Wingspan, a beautifully designed board game featuring birds. Highly recommended. Black Hills Audubon Crafters Create Wonders For Sale “For the Birds” A group of Audubon members led by Sally Nole are putting their talents to good use by creating bird-related objects that are both useful and beautiful, made for sale at the upcoming Annual Dinner in March. The items listed here are just a taste of what will be offered; please come and peruse—and purchase—for your own use or as gifts for others. Help support Black Hills education and advocacy programs. Bird-themed etched glass vases of various sizes (no image available) Eco-friendly handmade cloth napkin with pocket/pouch for flatware (included). Ready to take to your next potluck or picnic without using throw-away plastic and paper. Machine washable and reusable for years of enjoyment. Choose a design featuring the BHAS logo or artful bird images Marbled decoy duck planters Size ranging from 15‖ x 6″ to 22″ x 13‖ Feb 19 – The Dinosaurs Amongst Us – Kim Dolgin, PhD Virtually all paleontologists agree that birds evolved from dinosaurs, and most even go so far as to claim that birds are, in fact, living dinosaurs. Learn about the remarkable similarities between birds and the creatures they evolved from with Dr. Kim Adelson, PhD. SEA OTTER RECOVERY AND RESTORATION; ECOLOGICAL CASCADES IN ACTION, ECOLOGICAL RISKS By Hal Michael – The Sea Otter is a charismatic animal that ―everybody‖ wants to take home and cuddle. Luxurious coat, dexterous paws, living close to shore, and easily observed all add to the mystique. Couple this with many positive benefits to an ecosystem and who could not like them? Originally, the Sea Otter ranged from northern Japan, across the Aleutian Islands and now the eastern Pacific Coast to mid Baja California. They may have ranged further south along the Asian coast, but their pelts were highly valued, and those areas were settled long before the more northern and eastern parts of the range. During the late 1700s through the 1800s otters were heavily hunted for their pelts. So much so that by the beginning of the 20th Century, they occurred only in small scattered locations from central California around to Japan. At that time, full protection was offered in the North Pacific and numbers slowly increased. This was also accompanied by attempts to transplant otters from areas of abundance to sites where they had been extirpated. Some worked, some didn’t. The current range in central California is from just north of Monterey Bay south to the Channel Islands. There are a few in Oregon and a few off of Baja. In Washington they range from about Kalaloch to Neah Bay, and then in northern BC through SE Alaska and the Aleutians. Finally, there are herds in northern Japan and Kamchatka/Siberia. They are now relatively easy to find within the centers of their range as they are generally close to shore and easily observed.