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Clapper Rail at Triangle Marsh! Richardson Bay Audubon Center 376 Greenwood Beach Road Tiburon, California 94920 Information: 415/789-0703

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Clapper Rail at Triangle Marsh! Richardson Bay Audubon Center 376 Greenwood Beach Road Tiburon, California 94920 Information: 415/789-0703 Newsletter of the Marin Audubon Society. Volume 54, No. 2 October 2011 THE ClapperMARIN AUDUBON Rail SOCIETY SPEAKER SERIES Free and Open to the public Clapper Rail at Triangle Marsh! Richardson Bay Audubon Center 376 Greenwood Beach Road Tiburon, California 94920 Information: 415/789-0703 This year the Speaker Series will be on the SECOND THURSDAY of the month at 7:30 pm. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13 7:30 PM My Carbon-free BIG YEAR of Birding With Keith Hansen Photo courtesy of Richard Pavek Richard of courtesy Photo American robin Join Keith for a “wild ride” as he lays out for you his carbon-free Big Year in 2010 in Marin County. From January Stalker courtesyPhoto of Jude 1st to December 31st Keith saw 237 species of birds without the use of he sharp-eyed Jude Stalker spied the under gumplant (Grindelia) or other native fossil fuels! On foot or on bike, Keith first Clapper Rail observed at our shrubs to protect themselves from raptors traveled West Marin filming video of nearly all the bird species that he Triangle Marsh property, a spectacular hunting overhead. Rails forage for crustaceans Tevent given that the site was restored to tidal among marsh plants and probe in the mud discovered in this wild adventure of a Birding Big Year. The “rule” was marsh just seven years ago. For many years for invertebrates. They build their nests in simple: anything you can see without before that it was upland, created by debris higher areas of the marsh, affixed to cordgrass, using a car! dumped into the historic tidal marsh. gumplant and sometimes other plants. The Keith Hansen began drawing birds It’s likely this Clapper Rail just stopped nests can move up and down with the tides—a in 12th grade. Producing images by—perhaps a young bird moving out from fascinating adaptation. for various groups, including Marin its nesting ground elsewhere in the Bay, but it We invite you enjoy Triangle Marsh from the Audubon, and creating the artwork would seem to show that the restored marsh overlook that is directly across from the entrance for 12 books, Keith has kept busy. is beginning to be suitable habitat for Rails. to the County’s Ring Currently he is illustrating a Guide to It looks good enough to the birds for them to Mountain Preserve. IN THIS ISSUE the Sierra Nevada, written by Edward stop and survey for food and cover. Please stay on the Beedy and Ed Pandolfino. Keith’s President’s Message 2 workspace, the Wildlife Gallery is Clapper Rails are often described as secretive overlook, to ensure birds and are commonly seen sneaking between protection of the located in Bolinas and is open to the Field Trips 3 public. blades of cordgrass that form their typical marsh and the native habitat. Clapper Rails spend their entire lives upland transition Come at 7:15 PM to socialize and Conservation Report 4 have refreshments before this “visual in tidal marshes, except during extreme high plants that provide the feast” presentation! tides when they retreat to high ground to hide critical Rail habitat. Birdlog 7 OCTOBER 2011 1 BOARD OF DIRECTORS President’s Message All phone numbers are in the 415 area code unless otherwise noted. Questions? Please By Barbara Salzman contact the Board member. President Barbara Salzman 924-6057 We are saddened by the death of Ken Howard has been dormant for years. Many of our Vice President Lowell Sykes 388-2821 in early September. Ken was a long-time members have bemoaned the fact there was a Secretary Mariah Baird 456-3355 friend of Marin Audubon. He was an excellent large area along the Bay in North Marin that Treasurer Josephine Kreider 381-1910 birder and naturalist. His love for birds came was not in any count. This is your chance to Finance Chair Greg Block 479-8254 from the days of his youth in England when count those areas. See their article on page 7. Conservation Phil Peterson 898-8400 he observed and even collected a few eggs he A few business items: the Board decided Barbara Salzman 924-6057 admitted. Ken was a MAS Board member to move the date of the programs again in an Earthshare Jude Stalker 668-1242 from 1977 to 1988, and he was a regular attempt to avoid mishaps that occurred several Field Trips Vicky Van Meter 299-2514 attendee on our field trips during those years. times last year when the newsletter didn’t Membership Ruth Pratt 453-2989 His cheery personality, winning smile, sense get out in time. This year, the Speaker Series Fundraising Flinn Moore Rauck 892-7554 of humor and bird identification skills made programs will be on the second Thursday. Programs Helen Lindqvist 789-0703 him a popular participant. After leaving the And, in case you missed it in last month’s Special Projects Jude Stalker 668-1242 Board, he continued to volunteer as the leader The Clapper Rail, we are not having a bird seed Nominating Phil Peterson 898-8400 Volunteers Bob Hinz 383-8688 of the Sausalito territory for our Christmas sale this year. The company we purchased from Property Management Ed Nute 457-9241 Bird Count. He got special joy during the years went out of business and we cannot meet the Publicity Martha Jarocki 461-3592 when the count coincided with the herring run requirements of the firm that bought them out. BAAC Reps Lowell Sykes 388-2821 and the Sausalito waterfront was covered with Hopefully we can find another company next Barbara Salzman 924-6057 thousands of gulls and diving birds. He loved year. DIRECTORS MEETINGS plants, too, and joined the Native Plant Society October is a magical month in the Bay Meetings open to members. board after leaving ours. Some people you are Area—it is the month when the Bay changes 7:30 PM, First Tuesday of the month just glad to know because they do good things most, when we welcome back migratory Richardson Bay Audubon Center and they are good to be with. Ken was such a waterfowl returning to their Bay wintering 376 Greenwood Beach Road Tiburon, California 94920 special person. We will miss him. grounds or stopping off on their journeys Congratulations to former Board member further south. And all of the shorebirds will MAS telephone: 721-4271 (for messages only) Sharon Barnett for being chosen for this year’s have returned. There will again be large rafts Marin Audubon Society is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) Terwilliger Nature Education Award. Sharon of waterfowl in the Bay waters and shorebirds organization. All memberships and contributions are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. loves working with kids and was an excellent along the shoreline and mudflats at low tide. It choice for this honor. is the beginning of a special time for birding. The Clapper Rail is published ten times a year by the Marin Audubon Society on 100% recycled We are very pleased to be having two The EPA has designated October 27 as King paper. Edited by Bob Hinz [email protected], Christmas Bird Counts this year, thanks Tide day—a 6.7 foot tide is predicted. Mark 383-8688; and assisted by other members of to Susan Kelly and Mark Forney who are your calendars. Marvel at how the Bay changes MAS. Deadline is the first of each month. reconstituting the “Cheap Thrills” count that with such events. ©2011 Marin Audubon Society Web site: www.marinaudubon.org Northern Calif. Bird Box: 681-7422 september 11 field trip (Provided by Golden Gate AS) DONATIONS APPRECIATED! Farallon Islands Marin Audubon Society welcomes gifts of funds, stock, or property, and bequests in general, By Juliet Grable or in honor or memory of someone. Gifts may be directed to any MAS project. Unspecified Early Sunday morning on September 11, some gifts of more than $100 will be placed in the 30 stalwart birders, armed with binoculars Endowment Fund for conservation, the protec- tion of wildlife species and the preservation and wrapped in layers, turned out for the and enhancement of wildlife habitats. Since ever-popular annual Pelagic Trip, led this year MAS is an all-volunteer organization, 100% of by David Wimpfheimer on Captain Mick your donation goes to its projects. All gifts are Menigoz’s boat Superfish. tax-deductible and will be acknowledged in The Clapper Rail, as well as personally on behalf of We cast off from Sausalito’s Clipper Harbor Pavek Richard of courtesy Photo the Society. Checks should be made out and under heavy clouds and mist. Fortunately, it Black-footed Albatross mailed to: Marin Audubon Society, P.O. Box wasn’t too cold or windy. The first birds of note 599, Mill Valley, CA 94942. we spied were Elegant Terns plunge-diving one of the coves. The barren rocks may not be in the Central Bay. We also spotted Harbor very hospitable for humans, but they’re a refuge Porpoises near the North Tower of the Golden for resident seabirds as well as transient visitors. MISSION STATEMENT Gate Bridge. We were hardly out the Gate when Some thirteen species nest on the islands, To conserve and restore natural we started seeing Common Murres floating comprising the largest seabird colonies in the ecosystems, focusing on birds on the water; at this point a modest flock of United States outside of Alaska and Hawaii. and other wildlife and their habitats Heerman’s Gulls began following Superfish. Over 400 species have been documented, some for the benefit of humanity and We made a beeline for the Southeast Farallon weary and/or disoriented migrants looking for the earth’s biological diversity.
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