SPEAKER SERIES Newsletter of the Marin Audubon Society. Vol. 63, No. 7 March 2021 Free and Open to the public THURSDAY, MARCH 11 7:30 PM Virtual Birding-by-Kayak on the Russian River By Miles and Teresa Tuffli !e RailMARIN AUDUBON SOCIETY i ! Teresa and Miles Tu Monarchs in Serious Trouble Green Heron regulators to list the monarch as endangered. The March Speaker Series program will be a Zoom meeting. Visit the Despite these legal and regulatory setbacks Speaker Series page on the MAS there are things we urgently need to do to save website for information on joining the this magni#cent butter"y. It will be important Zoom meeting electronically. to establish monarch “waystations” of nectar Join Teresa and Miles Tuffli as they plants and milkweed. If you have a garden take you on a virtual birding-by-kayak please consider planting native nectar plants trip along the lower Russian River in Sonoma County. A leisurely paddle is and if you live away from the immediate coast an ideal way to experience the wildlife also plant native milkweed, which is the host the Russian River has to offer on a plant for the monarch larvae. A list of native gorgeous summer day. Herons, swal- Joyce Waterman Joyce nectar plants and milkweed can be found on lows, raptors, ducks, and songbirds galore are easily observed while Monarch Butterfly the Marin Audubon Society website under !e quietly moving along the tranquil Monarch Rescue Project. Over the last two river. They'll share some of their his year’s 2020 !anksgiving and New years Marin Audubon volunteers have been favorite photos and audio recordings Year’s annual count observed fewer establishing stands of nectar plants and milk- captured while kayaking and map out their preferred launch spot and route. than 2,000 overwintering monarchs weed on two of its properties. Miles and Teresa Tuffli are avid inT coastal California. !is is a 99.9% decline birders from Guerneville who since the 1980s. !ese count results follow especially love helping “bird-curious” two years with fewer than 30,000 butter"ies – folks take the next step of getting Western Monarch into the field to enjoy the bird world! record lows – indicating the western monarch Mystery Challenge They lead guided bird walks and population is nearing collapse. Paci#c Grove, give educational presentations for which goes by the name “Butter"y Town USA” In light of the more than 99% decline of the population of western monarchs, you are local organizations including the because of the many monarchs overwintering Point Reyes National Seashore invited to participate in the Western Monarch Association Field Institute, Redwood in cypress the city’s trees, had no monarchs at Mystery Challenge. The challenge’s purpose Region Ornithological Society, all this year. is to use community science to try to !gure Laguna Foundation, and Sonoma Interestingly, with the unseasonably warm out where and how the monarchs migrate Land Trust. Residents of West weather well into January monarchs have been from their overwintering sites in coastal Sonoma County for 11 years, Miles California to inland sites in the Central Valley, and Teresa also enjoy writing about observed around the bay and did not make it to the Sierra foothills and beyond. and documenting our local birds at their traditional overwintering sites on the coast The challenge was started by a group their website: I’m Birding Right Now where it is warmer. Hopefully these butter"ies of researchers from Washington State (https://imbirdingrightnow.com). will survive the winter and join the spring migra- University, Tufts University, University of California at Santa Cruz and the Xerces NEXT MONTH’S SPEAKER: tion inland. However, if we get some cold storms Society to help !ll a critical gap in knowledge THURSDAY, APRIL 8 7:30 PM these lingering monarchs could be wiped out. about habitat needs of migrating monarchs Discovering Wood Warblers in !is sad news comes on top of the in the spring. The challenge runs from Marin County announcement by the US Fish and Wildlife February 14 (Valentine’s Day) to April 22 By Daniel Edelstein Service that monarch butter"ies are “warranted (Earth Day) and is a call to action to report a monarch if you see one. To make a report, but precluded” from listing under the search for Monarch Mystery Challenge and IN THIS ISSUE Endangered Species Act. !is Federal decision follow the instructions on the Conservation Biology or Western Monarch Count web- President’s Message 2 comes on the heels of a court decision in California that terrestrial invertebrates including sites. Once you report a sighting, you will Online Programs 3 monarchs and bees cannot be o$ered protection be entered to win prizes. Solving the mystery of where wild, Conservation Report 4 under the California Endangered Species Act. migratory western monarchs are at this time Habitat Stewardship 6 Endangered species designation would usher of year is a way for Californians to make in resources and funding to help the species a contribution to conserving and restoring Birdlog 7 to recover. Marin Audubon and others will the monarch migration in the West. be contacting legislators to encourage the LIKE US ON WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/MARINAUDUBON MARCH 2021 1 BOARD OF DIRECTORS Phone numbers are in the 415 area code unless P%&'()&*+’' L&++&% otherwise noted. Questions? Please contact the appropriate Board member. By Barbara Salzman President Barbara Salzman 924-6057 Vice President Lowell Sykes 388-2821 Tired of staying at home? We are, too. With Loggerhead Shrike and Kestrel populations Secretary Ann Thomas 924-9559 the vaccines now becoming available, hopefully have reduced greatly, possibly the victim of Treasurer Ann Thomas 924-9559 we’ll be able to get outside with our activities the clearing of snags for fire prevention, which Conservation Phil Peterson 828-4780 soon. We’re beginning to think of opening up, removes nest cavities. Wildlife must go where Barbara Salzman 924-6057 having some field trips outdoors. But it won’t habitats exist that they have evolved to use. Field Trips Jane Medley 559/760-1551 be the coming month. We’re not out of the Habitats change over time due to man–caused Membership Chair Bob Hinz 383-8688 woods yet. activities, climate change and natural processes. Contact Bob for membership problems or questions. With so much negative and pessimism What’s happening to the species that are declin- Outreach, Website Elyse Omernick 694-2320 today, it was a pleasure to hear some positive ing in Marin? Have they moved to another Speaker Series Doug Waterman 506-4675 messages from Roger Harris in his February place or died off? Are they declining every- Special Projects Jude Stalker 680-6291 Speaker Series program. Nationwide statistics where? What can we do to maximize habitat? Nominating Doug Waterman 506-4675 show that we have lost three billion birds. These are all questions generated by his talk. If Editor, The Rail Doug Waterman 506-4675 However, Roger’s investigations revealed that you missed Roger’s presentation you can find it Property Management Ed Nute 669-7710 many bird species are doing well, and even on our website. Perhaps we should have Roger Volunteer Coordinator thriving, here in Marin County. Some have return to do a follow up program to answer Meghan Kehoe 209-769-8862 expanded their range taking advantage of new these questions and discuss the status of the BAAC Reps Lowell Sykes 388-2821 Barbara Salzman 924-6057 habitat. Man-made ponds are attracting spe- species he did not mention. cies. Shorebird Marsh in Corte Madera hosts Our Nominating Committee is working DIRECTORS MEETINGS Meetings open to members. If you wish to the only known nest of site of Forster’s tern in busily to fill spots on our Board. Contact attend please call 924-6057. Marin, and Gadwall, once a rare species, out- Committee members Doug Waterman, Jude 6:30 PM, First Tuesday of the month number mallards at Shorebird Marsh. Nuttall’s Stalker or Ann Thomas, to find out about our Richardson Bay Audubon Center 376 Greenwood Beach Road woodpecker, Red Shouldered Hawk, and Board and how you can help with our activi- Tiburon, California 94920 Osprey populations have expanded in recent ties. We are currently looking for members to MAS telephone: 721-4271 (for messages only) years. Hooded oriole were first observed in help with Field Trips and Secretary. 1941 nesting in the palms in Larkspur, Black- Another huge thank you to our generous Marin Audubon Society is a nonpro!t 501(c)(3) organization. All memberships and contributions necked Stilt first arrived in 1978 and American donors who have contributed to our end of year are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. Avocet in 1984. Now they are common birds. appeal. A very special thank-you to Mary Love However, some the new species are not wel- who made a most generous donation. It, along The Rail is published ten times a year by the Marin Audubon Society on 100% recycled paper; come news. Barred owls are expanding their with the contributions of the other donors, will edited by Doug Waterman, [email protected], range from the east coast and now pose a major be a great help getting us through the year. 506-4675; assisted by other members of MAS; threat to our native Northern Spotted Owl I hope all eligible members are getting their and designed by Studio NaCl (www.studionacl. com). Deadline is the !rst of each month. populations. And some species have declined; vaccine shots. ©2021 Marin Audubon Society Website: www.marinaudubon.org Members can receive The Rail electronically Spring Awakening instead of a hard copy by emailing By Juan García, Atlas Coordinator [email protected].