SPEAKER SERIES Newsletter of the Marin Audubon Society. Vol. 63, No. 6 February 2021 Free and Open to the public THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11 7:30 PM Marin’s Booming Bird Populations By Roger Harris The MARIN AUDUBONRail SOCIETY U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Fails to List Two Qualified Species Roger Harris Roger are also contributing. The most recent NSO Red-shouldered Hawk demographic study (Dugger et al 2016) found The February Speaker Series program that currently non-native Barred Owl are will be a Zoom meeting. Visit the having the largest negative impact on NSO Speaker Series page on the MAS through competition for resources. Originally website for information on joining the an east coast species, Barred Owl has expanded Zoom meeting electronically. its range, is a more aggressive species, and now Many of our common Marin County is competition with NSO for prey resources. birds, whose abundance we now take for granted, were rare or absent only Studies have found a significant rate of three-quarters of a century ago. Since decline in the NSO population. Since 2011, the the beginning of the Southern Marin rate of decline has noticeably increased. Several Christmas Bird Count in the 1970s, Elyse Omernick Elyse long-term monitoring studies have revealed for instance, Red-shouldered Hawk detections have increased tenfold. Northern Spotted Owl Denied Reclassification that NSOs have declined more than 70 percent Habitat restoration and maturation, since 1990, increasing the risk of extinction conservation efforts, and cultural he U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service risk, particularly in Washington and Oregon. changes in the behavior of individual (Service) has announced that reclas- Regulatory mechanisms on non-federal bird species have all contributed to sification of the Northern Spotted Owl lands, and habitat protection and restoration shifting — and, for Marin, generally T(NSO) from threatened to endangered species on federal lands, have not prevented the increasing — bird populations. Our speaker, Roger Harris, will is warranted but precluded by higher priority continued decline of NSO nesting, roosting unpack the evolving dynamics of proposals to determine status of other species. and foraging habitat. Cumulative effects avifaunal population change using NSO was listed as a threatened species in 1990. of climate change, severe wildfire, pest data from Christmas Bird Counts, The Environmental Protection Information the Marin County Breeding Bird management and past management practices Atlas, and a variety of other sources. Center petitioned for the NSO to be listed as are changing forest ecosystems, and the Roger is a Certified Wildlife Biologist endangered in 2012. Habitat conditions have expansion of the Barred Owl is further and a longtime member of the Marin worsened for the NSO and the population has reducing the capacity of suitable habitat to Audubon Society. Once the pandemic continued to decline in the last almost 10 years support NSO. resolves, he hopes to return to lead- NSO has been waiting for reclassification. After assessing the scientific and commercial ing international eco-tours for the The largest of the three subspecies of spot- Oceanic Society and field trips for us. continued on page 5 ted owl, NSO inhabits structurally complex NEXT MONTH’S SPEAKER: forests originally from southwestern British THURSDAY, MARCH 11 7:30 PM Columbia into Northern California. Relative to POINT REYES MANAGEMENT Birding by Kayak Along the other owl species, NSO is long-lived, has a long PLAN HEARING DELAYED Russian River reproductive life span, and invests significantly By Miles and Teresa Tuffli One week prior to the date of the scheduled in parental care. NSO are now extirpated or Consistency Determination hearing before uncommon through most of its historic range, the California Coastal Commission, the IN THIS ISSUE including southwestern Washington and British Commission and Seashore staff have President’s Message 2 Colombia. Marin County is their southernmost notified interested parties that the hearing boundary. will not occur on January 14th. A new Online Programs 3 Habitat loss from timber harvesting was hearing date will be announced once it is Conservation Report 4 the primary cause of the listing of NSO as scheduled. No additional information was provided. Commission staff requests that Habitat Stewardship 6 threatened. While habitat loss continues to be a major factor, now climate change and correspondence continue to be addressed Birdlog 7 wildfire are recognized as stressors and, to to the pointreyesmanagementplan@ a minor amount, insect and forest disease coastal.ca.gov. LIKE US ON WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/MARINAUDUBON FEBRUARY 2021 1 BOARD OF DIRECTORS Phone numbers are in the 415 area code unless President’s Letter otherwise noted. Questions? Please contact the appropriate Board member. By Barbara Salzman President Barbara Salzman 924-6057 Happy New Year! It is with great relief and a Board position, contact Committee Chair Vice President Lowell Sykes 388-2821 hope that we can now move forward with the Doug Waterman, or Committee Members Jude Secretary Ann Thomas 924-9559 new administration and the new vaccines. I Stalker and Elyse Omernick. Specific needs we Treasurer Ann Thomas 924-9559 have great expectation that things will improve have include Secretary, and Field Trip Chairs. Conservation Phil Peterson 828-4780 Barbara Salzman 924-6057 in 2021. But we’re not out of the woods See page 3 for more information. Field Trips Jane Medley 559/760-1551 yet. There are still challenges to be met and A huge thank you to all of the generous Membership Chair Bob Hinz 383-8688 obstacles to be overcome before we get back contributors to our winter appeal. Donations Contact Bob for membership problems to our normal activities and lives. For Marin to this appeal are critical to our work as it is or questions. Audubon, we still need to be cautious and wait the major fund raiser to support our operations Outreach, Website Elyse Omernick 694-2320 for a time before we can return to having out- and basic programs, such as this newsletter, our Speaker Series Doug Waterman 506-4675 door field trips and indoor programs together. programs and Field Trips. If you haven’t given Special Projects Jude Stalker 680-6291 Nominating Doug Waterman 506-4675 In addition to a new year, we have new book- yet, it is not too late. Editor, The Rail Doug Waterman 506-4675 keeper. Sabra Drohan, the bookkeeper who has I’m looking forward to the return of a sane Property Management Ed Nute 669-7710 assisted our Treasurer for the last year, has taken and stable government, to the restoration of Volunteer Coordinator a permanent job. Our new treasurer is Laura our environmental regulations and laws to pro- Meghan Kehoe 209-769-8862 Peters. Our best to Sabra. Welcome to Laura. tect our environment, eliminate or significantly BAAC Reps Lowell Sykes 388-2821 Our Nominating Committee is beginning reduce further loss of habitats and begin to deal Barbara Salzman 924-6057 its work. If you’d like to know more about with climate change. And, I’m looking forward DIRECTORS MEETINGS our Board and supporting our work by taking to getting back to our outdoor activities. Meetings open to members. If you wish to attend please call 924-6057. 6:30 PM, First Tuesday of the month Richardson Bay Audubon Center THANK YOU, DONORS THANK YOU, DONORS 376 Greenwood Beach Road Tom Anderson, Joyce & David Applen, Holly Katherine Merriman, Regina and John Milavec, Tiburon, California 94920 Bacuzzi, Suzanne Badenhoop, Katherine Ballinger, Anne and Richard Miller, Gerard Mitchell, The MAS telephone: 721-4271 (for messages only) Timothy Behr, Robert Belichick, Charles Bennett, Monson Family, Lois and Bruce Moody, Marnie Rhonda Bennon, Mark & Beverly Birnbaum, Donald Moore, Emiko Moore, Kate Morgan, Marcia Marin Audubon Society is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) Bixby, Kimberly Blue, Andrew Bollen, Madeleine Morrissey, Eileen Murray, Patrick Murray, Michael organization. All memberships and contributions Boshart, DeWitt Bowman, Juliane Brand, James Muschell, Bonnie Nackley, Barbara Nathan, Myra are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. Brogan, Amy and Mark Brokering, Deborah Brown, Natter, Benjamin Natter, Sharon Navaratil, Sonya The Rail is published ten times a year by the Geraldine Brown, Priscilla Bull, Steve Capper, Nelson, Linda Nicoletto, Ed and Marcia Nute, Marin Audubon Society on 100% recycled paper; Becky Carlucci, Paul and Christine Chasnoff, Barbara O’Toole, Anne Owen, Melville Owen, edited by Doug Waterman, [email protected], Beverly Cherner, William Clarke, Jill & Collin Wendy Palfrey, Eugene Palmer, Lois Patton, Carol 506-4675; assisted by other members of MAS; Cochrane, Glena Coleman, Dayton Coles, Richard Paz, Robert Peacock, Thomas Peacock, Phil and designed by Studio NaCl (www.studionacl. Colsky, Michael Concannon, Glenda Corning, Mary Peterson, Michael Phelps, Roderic & Jane Phibbs, com). Deadline is the first of each month. Anne Cowperthwaite, Frank Cox, Suzannah Robert Phillips, Patricia Pigman, Catherine Plevin, ©2021 Marin Audubon Society Dameron, Carol and Donald Davis, Gwen Davis, Melissa and Jeffrey Polick, Robert Portnoy, Allen Paula Dawson, Nona Dennis, Laura Disterhoft, Preger, Jeannette Price, Douglas H Pringle, Paul Website: www.marinaudubon.org David & Kristine Donadio, Deborah Dorosin, Carl and Christine Prusiner, Jeannene Przyblyski, Members can receive The Rail electronically Duisberg and Donna Lindskog, Jane Evans, Laurel Deborah Quinn, James Raives, Flinn Rauck, Patsy instead of a hard copy by emailing Feigenbaum, Deirdre Fessessy, Zachary Finley, Raven, Donald Reinberg, Walter Rentsch, Juanita [email protected]. James Foley, Mark & Beverly Forney, James Forsell, Reynolds, Jordan Rinker, Marianna Riser, Susan DONATIONS APPRECIATED! Dr. Gretchen Frantz, Richard Gale, Roberta and John Ristow, Richard Robbins, Lawrence Marin Audubon Society welcomes gifts of Geering, Nina Geneson, James Gibbons, Doreen Robbins, Mary Rodel, Judy and Dennis Rodoni, funds, stock, or property, and bequests in Gluckin, Fred Goff, Carl and Donna Gowan, Martin Robert Rosenberg, Georg Roth, Anne Roughton, general, or in honor or memory of someone.