FEBRUARY, 2020 Kitsap Audubon Society – Since 1972 KingfisherTHE

February 13, 2020, 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. - Poulsbo Library PSE’s Avian Protection Program For 40 years, Puget Sound Energy has worked to preserve bird habitats and prevent eagles, osprey, hawks, trumpeter swans and other birds from coming into contact with power lines and utility equipment. Puget Sound Energy’s Avian Protection Program promotes a consistent avian-safe system across our eight-county electric service area. While it is not possible to prevent all injurious contact between birds and electric equipment, PSE makes significant investments to reduce the number of incidents. For over 45 years Mel Walters has helped keep birds safe from man-made structures and electrical facilities. As an environmental biologist and consultant he provides expertise in wildlife and wetland The Kingfisher is printed on recycled mitigation, endangered species, paper by Blue Sky Printing and osprey habitat, erosion control mailed by Olympic Presort, both and avian protection. family-owned local businesses. Special thanks . . . to our Bainbridge Island members and friends for generously designating Kitsap Audubon for a portion of their ONE CALL FOR ALL contributions. Is it okay to feed birds? - Gene Bullock The January snows were of bird seed every year; and a reminder that when we more people watch birds than encourage birds to depend on watch football, baseball and all us for food, we have a special other public sporting events responsibility to them when combined. Some 18 million of snow, ice and sub-freezing us travel to watch birds. Bird temperatures make food harder Watching and related businesses to find. When I dumped the add $107 billion in annual snow from my feeders and made revenues, pumping billions sure seeds and nectar were into local businesses. It also flowing, the hummingbirds, helps create a powerful army of finches, juncos, jays, flickers advocates devoted to protecting and mourning doves suddenly wildlife and their habitat. appeared. They had been But besides keeping bird waiting for me. This winter we’ve feeders filled and accessible had up to 30 mourning doves at during the winter, responsible other chapters and regions. a time perched along our fence, feeding means keeping seed and Several Audubon chapters are waiting for a turn at the feeder. nectar fresh and uncontaminated, now partnering with Whidbey We feed birds mostly for our and feeders safe. It means Islalnd Society in sponsoring own enjoyment, and that raises regular cleaning to prevent the related Pigeon Guillemot the question: “Is it okay to feed build-up of salmonella and other Projects, including Vashon birds?” disease-causing pathogens. It Island, Pilchuck, and now Kitsap There are compelling means placing feeders close to Audubon. The Kitsap Audubon arguments on both sides. protective cover – but not so Board recently allocated an Encouraging birds to congregate close birds can be ambushed by initial $350 for a related project at backyard feeders makes them stealthy ground-based predators. on Bainbridge Island, led by more vulnerable to predators It also means keeping cats Cyndy Holtz. Cyndy is recruiting and increases the likelihood that indoors, and putting streamers or volunteers to help her monitor they will be exposed to sick birds UV reflecting decals on windows Pigeon Guillemot nesting with transmissible diseases. It to minimize collisions. activity on Bainbridge Island. If also increases their risk of fatal There are, of course, many interested, contact Cyndy at collisions with reflective windows. other things you can do to [email protected]. On the other hand, backyard make your yard safer and more bird feeding can be a wonderful welcoming to birds and wildlife, New friends for Bainbridge way to engage families and such as eliminating the use of Purple Martins children with wildlife and nature. toxic chemicals and planting Joy Tappen has volunteered And we know people want to wildlife friendly plants and shrubs to install and maintain our Purple save what they know and love. that provide food and protective Martin colony in Eagle Harbor. What’s more, many species are cover. Kitsap Audubon is providing thriving because so many people Pigeon Guillemot| additional gourds to replace and now feed them. Research Project augment this colony. She will be Bird feeding is also a huge Whidbey Audubon Society aided by BI Parks & Recration’s boon to the economy. According sailing coordinator, Haley Llamon. to surveys by the U.S. Fish & has been awarded an Audubon In Action Grant of $5,000 for The birds usually return from Wildlife Service, bird watching is their wintering grounds in Central second only to gardening as our their Pigeon Guillemot Research Program. The chapter hopes and South America in early May. favorite outdoor pastime. It even Thanks to Joy and Haley, our outranks hunting and fishing. 47 ultimately to hire a regional coordinator to oversee the Bainbridge Purple Martins will million of us are birdwatchers. return to new homes this spring. We buy a hundred million tons expansion of this research into

Kitsap Audubon Society meets the 2nd Thursday of each month, September through May, 7:00 to 9:00 p.m., on the lower level of the Poulsbo Library, 700 NE Lincoln Rd. Programs free, open to the public. Field Trips & Festivals - Al and Andrew Westphal Birding Festivals: A complete creeksideplc.com; 870-404-8481), he narrates a fascinating wildlife summary of events statewide may and Joe Jack Davis. We’ll meet tour around Bainbridge Island. be found at the Washington State at 9:00 a.m. inside the main Expect to see three species Audubon site: http://wa.audubon. entrance to Lion’s Park in East of cormorants, an array of sea org/bird-festivals-0 Bremerton. The park offers ducks, rocky-shore sandpipers, front-lighted views of the great bald eagles, marine mammals, Skagit/Samish Flats Area: variety of waterfowl and marine and fabulous views of the Saturday, February 8. Al birds that winter in the Narrows. Bainbridge Island shoreline. This Westphal, leader, westphalac@ Afterward, we’ll stop at Larry trip fills quickly, so sign up early. aol.com, 206-780-7844 (e-mail & Kristi’s Bakery for coffee and Snacks and soft drinks provided. preferred). We will look for the donuts (above the Boatshed Bring binoculars and cameras. great flocks of over-wintering Restaurant at the eastern end Check in at 9:45. Boat leaves Snow Geese plus Trumpeter of the Manette Bridge. Later, promptly at 10:00 am. Cost Swans and a terrific array of other we’ll visit Evergreen Park, as well is $95 per person (plus $5 for waterfowl, shorebirds, raptors, as the Peregrine Falcon/Pelagic non-BI residents). Mention your and others. This will be a long Cormorant viewing area in Rota KAS membership and George full-day event. Group size is Vista Park. will donate 20 percent of the limited. Contact Al Westphal to proceeds back to our chapter. register and for details. Circumnavigate Bainbridge Register with BI Parks via website Island: Saturday, March 28 (BI Port Washington Narrows or phone 206-842-2306. Refer to Parks & Rec. event). Ages 10- morning trip, Saturday, course #131850-01. 99. Join naturalist George Gerdts Feburary 15th; co-led by John aboard the “Admiral Pete” as and Karla Bouck (contact john@ Christmas Bird Count Results Nearly a hundred Kitsap Gamble CBC on December Compiler for the North Kitsap- Audubon volunteers took part in 21. The counts were highly Port Gamble CBC Their final Kitsap Audubon’s two Christmas successfully in spite of heavy results are summarized in the Bird Counts: our tradiitonal morning rains. Janine Schutt is next two pages. The two 15-mile- Kitsap County CBC on December Compiler for the Kitsap County diameter count circles slightly 14, and our North Kitsap/Port CBC, and Jennifer Standish is overlap.

Seabeck CBC team, led by Lisa Petersen, from Travis Bouck holds umbrella for Joe left: Lisa Pedersen, John Andrews, Donna Jack Davis at Foulweather Bluff, during LaCasse, Barbara Hager, Peggy Mentele, and “rainiest” CBC. Photo by Karla Bouck. John Manley. Not shown, Lynn Whipple. Christmas Bird Count Results: December 14, 2019 (Kitsap County)

Species Name # Spotted Sandpiper 6 Steller's Jay 103 Greater White-fronted Greater Yellowlegs 38 California Scrub-Jay 30 1 Goose Common Murre 2 American Crow 507 Cackling Goose 15 Pigeon Guillemot 78 American/Northwestern 182 Canada Goose 614 Marbled Murrelet 4 Crow Wood Duck 21 Rhinoceros Auklet 5 Common Raven 25 Gadwall 15 Black-capped Bonaparte's Gull 18 353 Chickadee Eurasian Wigeon 21 Mew Gull 155 Chestnut-backed American Wigeon 3,429 Ring-billed Gull 5 220 Chickadee Eurasian x American 1 Western Gull 1 Wigeon (hybrid) Bushtit 266 California Gull 3 Golden-crowned Mallard 539 353 Herring Gull 1 Kinglet Northern Pintail 59 Glaucous-winged Gull 427 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 89 Green-winged Teal 180 Western x Glaucous- 526 Red-breasted Nuthatch 114 Ring-necked Duck 48 winged Gull (hybrid) Brown Creeper 16 Greater Scaup 276 Herring x Glaucous- 1 Pacific Wren 118 Lesser Scaup 46 winged Gull (hybrid) Marsh Wren 2 Harlequin Duck 21 Western/Glaucous- 13 Bewick's Wren 34 Surf Scoter 935 winged Gull American Dipper 3 White-winged Scoter 125 Larus sp. 45 European Starling 757 scoter sp. 45 gull sp. 280 Varied Thrush 24 Long-tailed Duck 29 Red-throated Loon 31 Hermit Thrush 4 Bufflehead 705 Pacific Loon 81 American Robin 612 Common Goldeneye 613 Common Loon 41 Cedar Waxwing 14 Barrow's Goldeneye 373 Brandt's Cormorant 164 House Sparrow 108 Hooded Merganser 156 Pelagic Cormorant 389 Double-crested Evening Grosbeak 1 Common Merganser 654 835 Cormorant House Finch 204 Red-breasted 167 Merganser cormorant sp. 20 Purple Finch 11 Ruddy Duck 4 Great Blue Heron 91 Pine Siskin 380 California Quail 25 Sharp-shinned Hawk 5 American Goldfinch 60 Ring-necked Pheasant 4 Cooper's Hawk 9 Fox Sparrow 62 Ruffed Grouse 2 Bald Eagle 70 Dark-eyed Junco 1,306 Red-tailed Hawk 9 White-crowned Pied-billed Grebe 28 81 Sparrow Horned Grebe 638 Great Horned Owl 4 Golden-crowned Red-necked Grebe 109 Northern Pygmy-Owl 2 165 Sparrow Eared Grebe 1 Barred Owl 7 Song Sparrow 325 Northern Saw-whet Western Grebe 299 10 Owl Lincoln's Sparrow 1 Rock Pigeon 459 Belted Kingfisher 46 Spotted Towhee 234 Eurasian Collared-Dove 29 Red-breasted Red-winged Blackbird 52 Mourning Dove 60 12 Sapsucker Yellow-rumped Warbler 7 Anna's Hummingbird 133 Downy Woodpecker 26 Townsend's Warbler 3 hummingbird sp. 1 Hairy Woodpecker 14 Virginia Rail 4 Pileated Woodpecker 21 American Coot 75 Species Total: 116 Northern Flicker 114 Killdeer 55 Individual Birds: 21,557 American Kestrel 1 Volunteers: 72 Black Turnstone 41 Merlin 2 eBird Checklists: 122 Dunlin 36 Peregrine Falcon 9 peep sp. 2 Hutton's Vireo 12 Wilson's Snipe 5 Christmas Bird Count final result North Kitsap - Port Gamble- Hansville Saturday, December 21, 2019 Brant 31 Eared Grebe 1 Common Loon 66 Golden-crowned Kinglet 138

Cackling Goose 387 Western Grebe 202 Brandt's Cormorant 13 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 57

Canada Goose 2 Rock Pigeon 85 Pelagic Cormorant 11 kinglet sp. 2

Wood Duck 7 Band-tailed Pigeon 2 Double-crested Cormorant 230 Red-breasted Nuthatch 20

Northern Shoveler 5 Eurasian Collared-Dove 40 cormorant sp. 3 Brown Creeper 12

Gadwall 12 Mourning Dove 107 Great Blue Heron 39 Pacific Wren 41

Eurasian Wigeon ### Anna's Hummingbird 61 Sharp-shinned Hawk 1 Marsh Wren 3

American Wigeon 442 Virginia Rail 1 Cooper's Hawk 4 Bewick's Wren 10

Mallard 44 Black-bellied Plover 7 Sharp-shinned/Cooper's Hawk 1 European Starling 523 Northern Pintail 97 Killdeer 23 Bald Eagle 24 Varied Thrush 29

Green-winged Teal 2 Black Turnstone 9 Red-tailed Hawk 6 Hermit Thrush 2 dabbling duck sp. 18 Sanderling 9 Great Horned Owl 2 American Robin 289

Ring-necked Duck 112 Dunlin 3 Barred Owl 2 House Sparrow 21

Greater Scaup 580 Least Sandpiper 15 Belted Kingfisher 20 House Finch 129

Surf Scoter 82 Wilson's Snipe 5 Red-breasted Sapsucker 5 Purple Finch 7

White-winged Scoter 13 Spotted Sandpiper 2 Downy Woodpecker 11 Pine Siskin 471

Black Scoter 2 Greater Yellowlegs 1 Hairy Woodpecker 4 American Goldfinch 34

Long-tailed Duck 460 Common Murre 74 Pileated Woodpecker 7 Fox Sparrow 62

Bufflehead 372 Pigeon Guillemot 57 Northern Flicker 44 Dark-eyed Junco 748

Common Goldeneye 28 Marbled Murrelet 11 American Kestrel 1 White-crowned Sparrow 85

Barrow's Goldeneye 4 Rhinoceros Auklet 7 Merlin 2 Golden-crowned Sparrow 109

Common/Barrow’s Gold. 52 alcid sp. 2 Hutton's Vireo 5 White-throated Sparrow 2

Hooded Merganser 31 Bonaparte's Gull 605 Northern Shrike 1 Song Sparrow 189

Common Merganser 401 Mew Gull 198 Steller's Jay 71 Lincoln's Sparrow 4

Red-breasted Merganser 2 Western Gull 2 California Scrub-Jay 3 Spotted Towhee 132

Merganser sp. 10 California Gull 2 American Crow 194 sparrow sp. 1

California Quail 2 Glaucous-winged Gull 168 American/Northwestern Crow 87 Red-winged Blackbird 146

Ruffed Grouse 2 WEGU x GWGU hybrid 213 Common Raven 71 Brewer's Blackbird 50

Pied-billed Grebe 589 gull sp. 25 Black-capped Chickadee 107 blackbird sp. 15

Horned Grebe 89 Red-throated Loon 134 Chestnut-backed Chickadee 119 Orange-crowned Warbler 1

Red-necked Grebe Pacific Loon 39 Bushtit 99 Yellow-rumped Warbler 4

Total Species: 116 Townsend's Warbler 4

Total Individuals: 12,593

Count Week Species: Iceland Gull 1 Greater White-fronted Goose 1

1 Bird of Month: Varied Thrush - Janine Schutt A Northwest icon that is a early spring and following favorite among birders is the a rain shower. varied thrush. A Kitsap resident • Its trademark song from late fall to early spring, it is created by whistling spends the breeding season in two simultaneous and montane coniferous forests. With harmonious notes, striking colors and a haunting whose direction can be song, it is sure to grab anyone’s challenging to pinpoint. attention. Here are some • Known to be secretive fascinating facts about the varied but will visit backyards to thrush: feed on scattered millet • Also called an “Alaska robin”. seed. • A resident of the West Coast, • Nests in the understory but individuals sometimes venture of high-elevation forests. to the Northeast U.S. and Canada • Pairs often raise two in winter. broods per year. • Males are slate-gray and orange • When a predator is and females are a duller brown near, all of the varied and orange. thrushes in the area will • Prefers old-growth moist, surround the perceived coniferous forests but can also be threat while making found in mixed forests. clicking sounds to show • Mostly feeds on the ground the unwanted visitor that foraging for invertebrates, it is not welcome. berries, and seeds. Top photo: male varied • Males sing to defend their thrush. Bottom photo: territory, particularly at dawn in female. Photos by Janine

Wildlife Sightings - Janine Schutt Notable Kitsap Bird Sightings of Long Lake): 2 red from www.eBird.org: crossbills Jan. 7 at Point No Point: Dec. 14 near Illahee (East 1 northern shrike Bremerton): 1 evening grosbeak Jan. 8 at Foulweather Dec. 21 in Port Gamble Forest Bluff (Hansville): 1 eared Heritage Park: 10 California grebe quails, 2 ruffed grouse Jan. 9 on northern Dec. 29 in Poulsbo: 1 lesser Bainbridge Island: 5 goldfinch long-tailed ducks Jan. 2 near Kingston: 3 cackling Jan. 9 offshore at Point geese, 1 brown-headed cowbird No Point: 1 fork-tailed Jan. 3 near Fort Ward Park storm-petrel Iceland gulls, 1 merlin, 2 great (Bainbridge Island): 30 black Jan. 10 at Kitsap Lake horned owls, 1 northern saw- scoters, 1 hermit thrush (Bremerton): 6 ruddy ducks whet owl Jan. 4 at Point No Point Jan. 11 at Grand Forest Jan. 11 at Kitsap Lake: 1 (Hansville): 1 black oystercatcher (Bainbridge Island): 1 northern canvasback Jan. 5 near Burley: 1 white- pygmy-owl Jan. 11 at Dickerson Creek throated sparrow Jan. 11 at Restoration Point (Bremerton): 1 American dipper Jan. 5 at Long Lake (South (Bainbridge Island): 17 Harlequin Kitsap): 1 peregrine falcon American Dipper ducks, 42 red-necked grebes, 1 Jan. 5 at Banner Forest (east by Janine Schutt. surfbird, 7 ancient murrelets, 3 Great Backyard Bird Count Kitsap Audubon Society Feb. 14 - 17, 2020 President: Gene Bullock, 360-394- 5635; [email protected] https://GBBC.birdcount.org Vice President: Lynn Willmott, The Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) is a free, fun, and easy 360-613-0044 event that engages bird watchers of all ages in counting birds to Treasurer: Jennifer Standish create a real-time snapshot of bird populations. Participants are asked 206-293-9320; to count birds for as little as 15 minutes (or as long as they wish) on Secretary: Vacant one or more days of the four-day event and report their sightings Immed. Past Pres: Diane Bachen 360-649-6903 online at birdcount.org. Anyone can take part in the Great Backyard Bird Count, from beginning bird watchers to experts, and you can Board Member Emeritus participate from your backyard, or anywhere in the world. Ray Coleburg, 360-535-4105 Each checklist submitted during the GBBC helps researchers at At-Large Board of Directors: the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society learn Sandy Bullock, 360-394-5635 more about how birds are doing, and how to protect them and the Mike Maddox, 360-689-9366 environment we share. Last year, more than 160,000 participants Janine Schutt; 360-830-4446 submitted their bird observations online, creating the largest Judy Willott; 206-842-6939 instantaneous snapshot of global bird populations ever recorded. The 23rd annual GBBC will be held Friday, February 14, Standing Committee Chairs: through Monday, February 17, 2020. Please visit the official website Field Trips: Alan Westphal, 206-780-7844 at birdcount.org for more information and be sure to check out the latest educational and promotional resources. Conservation Chair: Don Willott 206-842-6939 Education Chair: Gene Bullock, eBird Digital Revolution 360-394-5635

According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, some 500,000 birders Greeters: Milly Bellemere & Bob across every nation in the world now use eBird to record and share Schumacher. 360-830-4231 their bird sightings. It has become an invaluable source of data for Membership Administrator: scientists and wildlife managment specialists for tracking the health Sara Kane, 360-297-2716 Programs: Vic Ulsh of bird populations, shifting winter ranges and the effects of climate 360-479-6900 change. Publicity: Gene Bullock Many of these birders combine eBird with other birding apps on 360-394-5635; their smartphones. Some have added Merlin software that is capable of identifying many birds from a photograph alone. Refreshment Chair: Lynn Willmott, 360-613-0044 Cornell Lab experts say it won’t be long until we have smart binoculars, and maybe even smart bird feeders, with all these Purple Martins: Sandy Pavey, identification, recording and sharing capabilities and more, built into 360-930-0807 their design. Wildlife Sightings: Janine Schutt Visionaries like John James Audubon and Alexander Wilson 360-830-4446; couldn’t have imagined today’s birding techology in their wildest [email protected] dreams. Scholarship Chair: Sandy Bullock 360-394-5635, roadrunner1957@ comcast.net Ray Schreiber photographed this Social Media Chair: Vacant comical juxtaposition Webmaster: Mike Szerlog, of a California sea 360-881-0470, [email protected], lion and the whale www.kitsapaudubon.org sign during a Kitsap Kingfisher Editor: Audubon field trip Gene Bullock, 360-394-5635, to Point No Point [email protected] 1968 NE Lind Ct., Poulsbo WA 98370 County Park. NONPROFIT ORG US POSTAGE PAID Kitsap Audubon Society SILVERDALE WA PERMIT NO. 111 P.O. Box 961, Poulsbo, WA 98370 Address Service Requested

The Kingfisher is the newsletter of the Kitsap Audubon Society, P.O. Box 961, Poulsbo, WA 98370. It is published ten times a year, September to June. Submissions from readers are welcome. We reserve the right to edit for space, grammar or legal reasons. Email text or photographs to genebullock@comcast. net or mail to Gene Bullock, 1968 NE Lind Ct., Poulsbo WA 98370. Our deadline is the 15th of the preceding month.

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Kitsap Audubon Society - Membership Renewal Join/Renew online at http:/www.kitsapaudubon.org/membership or make check payable to KAS and mail to KAS, PO Box 961, Poulsbo, WA 98370 Name______Phone______Address______City______State______Zip______Email Address:______Check here to receive your Kingfisher via Email and save us the expense of printing and mailing. Members receive ten issues of the Kingfisher newsletter each year. Select Category Of Membership: Individual Annual Membership $20 Individual LIFE Membership $300 Family Annual Membership $30 Family LIFE Membership $500 Contributing Annual Membership $50 Supporting Annual Membership $100 Sustaining Annual Membership $75 (Contact KAS Treasurer for LIFE Membership payment options) Additional donation: Scholarships $______Audubon Adventures $ ______Other $______The Kitsap Audubon Society is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. Donations are tax deductible. Your contact information is not sold, disclosed or shared with any entity outside KAS. The mission of the Kitsap Audubon Society is to preserve the natural world through education, environmental study and habitat protection, and to promote awareness and enjoyment of local and regional natural areas. Visit our website at www.kitsapaudubon.org