VOL 65 No. 1 SEPTEMBER 2019 THE QUAIL Mt. Diablo Audubon Society | www.mtdiabloaudubon.org 8 pm: Albatrosses on Midway Atoll Next Meeting: Home to the world’s largest albatross nesting colony, Midway Atoll also SEPTEMBER 5 hosts a team of volunteer “bird counters” each winter who determine just how many birds are nesting. This past winter, JD Bergeron joined the census team. The Mt. Diablo Audubon Bergeron, the executive director of International Bird Rescue, will share Society will meet Thursday, his experiences on the remote site, more than 1,300 miles northwest of September 5, in the Camellia Honolulu. He will explain how he spent his holidays helping to methodically Room of The Gardens at cover the island, which is also known for its population of endangered Hawaiian monk seals, Laysan ducks and Wisdom, the oldest known wild bird Heather Farm in Walnut Creek. in the Bird Banding Lab’s database. 6:30 pm Doors Open Scientists and volunteers have been conducting the annual albatross 7:00 pm Birding Info census on Midway since 1991, providing an unusually thorough record of this distinctive seabird colony. (Photos, 7:25 pm News courtesy of JD Bergeron). 7:40 pm Snacks & Raffle 8:00 pm Main Program “Albatrosses” Inside Co-Presidents’ Corner Final Print Edition 2 Bird Wide Web of THE QUAIL 3 Trip Reports 4-5 This is the last printed copy of The Quail you will receive. We Facebook 6 will transition to an eQuail In Memoriam 7 newsletter and use our new Wild Birds website and email alerts to 7 communicate with members. Q and A Puzzler 8 Please be sure we have your New Classes 9 current email address. Use the “Email Sign-Up” button at the top 7 pm: Live Birds Observations 10 of the website, or write to Join Jenny Papka to No Child Left Inside 11 Membership Chair Bill Chilson at meet a mystery [email protected]. pair of Native Bird 2019-20 Field Trip Schedule For more information, see the Connections' new Co-Presidents' Corner, page 2. birds. You do not With September Field Trips want to miss this! June - August 2019 !2 MT. DIABLO AUDUBON SOCIETY BOARD Big Changes at MDAS Co-Presidents Ariana Rickard, [email protected], Though we are already 9 months into the calendar year, traditionally 347-754-0143 Maren Smith, [email protected], September is the start of Mt. Diablo Audubon's year. Maybe this is the 925-322-9477 year you will add new birds to your Life List, join the Outreach Vice President Committee at a tabling event, or sign up for a field trip, class, or bird Jerry Britten, [email protected] survey. You know, change it up a little. Secretary Probably the biggest change for our chapter is the brand new Carol Pachl, [email protected], 925-253-0675 website. This upgrade will help our chapter communicate more Treasurer effectively in a timely fashion. It Steve Buffi, [email protected], 925-938-0929 features field trip listings that link to Programs & Legislative Action the calendar, the MDAS Facebook Ariana Rickard, [email protected], 347- feed, EBB Sightings, and a modern 754-0143 space for all of our chapter activities and Field Trips events. Check it out: Hugh Harvey, [email protected], 925-935-2979 www.mtdiabloaudubon.org. CO-PRESIDENTS’ CORNER Conservation This year’s MDAS Board is a mix of Nancy Wenninger, [email protected], seasoned and newer members, with some assuming new roles of 925-938-7987 responsibility. Bill Chilson has moved to Membership Chair (with huge Education thanks to Virginia Hamrick for her meticulous record-keeping), while Maren Smith, [email protected], 925-322-9477 Past-President Paul Schorr will move into Bill's previous role as a Sales Member-at-Large. Cathy Castillo, [email protected], 925-209-6665 MDAS has one big position to fill, that of Quail Newsletter Editor. Membership Lori Patel is leaving this position to pursue a Masters program and Bill Chilson, [email protected], 510-619-6692 return to work. We thank her for her vision, time, and creativity, and Publicity & Social Media wish her well. Without an editor, we are unable to continue providing Rosalie Howarth, [email protected] the newsletter in its current print format. This opportunity may just Young Birders be the change you are looking for: a chance to share your editorial Juan Pablo Galván, [email protected] skills in a modified eQuail format while communicating important Members-at-Large chapter news, a position that might be less daunting if shared by a Paul Schorr, [email protected], 925-757-5107 team. Interested? Let's talk. Michael Eliot, [email protected], 925-798-0303 In the interim, Mailchimp will be used to send out email reminders about the monthly programs. If you are already receiving The Quail Editor Lori Patel, [email protected] the eQuail or email reminders, you are set. If not, sign up to receive the newsletter/notices on the website using the "Email Sign-Up" ADVISORY Observations Editor button at the top of the homepage. Maury Stern, [email protected], Lastly, you elected co-presidents, another big change--two people 925-284-5980 sharing the responsibilities of one job, making the workload more Hospitality manageable (and more fun!). We come to you, not as expert birders--in Kathy Kellogg, [email protected], 925- 228-2690 fact, Advanced Beginner may be padding our resumes a tad—but with Community Science & CBC other collective Audubon experience, including the newsletter, Elizabeth Leite, [email protected] monthly programs, educational offerings, and legislative action East Bay Birding Email Groups committee. Bill Chilson, [email protected] We will continue the strong tradition of MDAS activities while Outreach Coordinator Susana de Trapaga, [email protected] sharing new ideas. Our chapter is chock full of talented individuals with varying birding skills, talents, and interests; we look forward to Email Meeting Reminder Barbara Vaughan, 925-376-8732 getting better acquainted and getting more members involved. As Margaret Mead said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, MDAS general meetings take place on the first Thursday of the month except July and August in the Camellia Room of committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing the Gardens at Heather Farm, 1540 Marchbanks Dr., Walnut that ever has.” Maren and Ariana Creek. !2 September 2019 THE QUAIL Bird Friendly Products The “feel good” terms earth friendly and bird friendly have become used somewhat loosely for commercial purposes. However, there are truly bird friendly products, and they are not limited to feeders, nest boxes, or observation blinds. Many of these products are most easily found or STAMPS ON SALE researched online. Don Lewis has graciously The Smithsonian Institution has created a certification program for coffee stepped forward to supply grown in a way that not only protects but enhances habitat for tropical duck stamps at our birds. Birds and Beans, co-founded by Scott Weidensaul, the September meeting. This author of Living on the Wind, offers only shade-grown, fair trade, year’s stamp features a Wo o d D u c k a n d d e c o y organic coffee on its website. This coffee is as bird-and-earth- painted by Minnesota’s Scot friendly as it gets, and it's hard to find in stores. Storm, who also designed Part of habitat protection for birds can involve reducing BIRD WIDE WEB the 2004-2005 stamp. The predator pressure, and BirdsBeSafe (a Bird Wide Web Favorite) has price remains $25, with developed a patented solution for one such problem that might make you nearly all proceeds going to laugh. This innovative, scientifically informed approach to making outdoor protect wetland habitat. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife cats less effective hunters simply has to be seen to be appreciated. The online Service raises up to $40 store offers a broader selection than is possible in retail outlets. million each year through Another way to protect birds is to avoid the usually fatal result of collisions sales of the duck stamp, with window glass. There are many approaches to this issue, all admirably which also works as a free described on the FLAP Canada website. Originally designed to reduce bird pass into any national “strikes” caused by light pollution from tall buildings, the site now covers wildlife refuge. To purchase, reflection reduction for ordinary windows, as well. Which solution to choose see Sales Manager Cathy Castillo. depends on many factors, but this comprehensive site is the place to start. For example, a home might benefit from films or decals, strategically CONGRATULATIONS to the Grayson Creek applied. A traditional decal approach might involve images of predators such Birders, whose as owls or hawks, to scare birds away. Of course, this plan has obvious Oak Park drawbacks: It requires the homeowner to look past intrusive decals, and the survey site designs might scare birds away entirely from a home garden. just nabbed a The more modern method is a film with a subtle pattern that breaks up the hotspot designation window reflections of plants, so birds will not think they are flying through from eBird. Leader Alan Bade says the open air into trees or shrubbery. One supplier, DecorativeFilms, provides a group is hoping for similar variety of window treatment styles, including “Trellis," and “Frost,” with recognition for its second patterns carefully designed to appear too narrow for birds to consider trying survey site. The Grayson to fly through them. Creek community science The most ingenious solution, best considered for new construction, is the team, a partnership with patterned glass from Ornilux by ArnoldGlas, a German firm specializing in Friends of Pleasant Hill using biomimicry to keep birds safe.