December 2003-January 2004 Vermilionlycatcher Tucson Audubon Society F www.tucsonaudubon.org Leaders in Conservation & Education since 1949 Volume 48, Number 4 ISSN 1094-9909 Annual Holiday Potluck with David Yetman Date: Friday, December 12, 2003 Time: 6 p.m. David Yetman Place: St. Phillips in the Hills, NE corner of River & Campbell Sign up: Audubon Nature Shop, 629-0510 Next Regular Meeting Program on January 12 You are cordially invited to the Tucson Au- casserole or main dish, salad, or dessert. This The Holiday Potluck dubon Society’s Annual Holiday Potluck Party, way we’ll be sure to have enough desserts! We’ll takes the place of the De- held at St. Phillip’s in the Hills Church. We are provide the bread, tea and coffee, and St Phillip’s cember membership pleased to announce that our speaker for this will supply utensils, cups and plates. Beer, wine meeting. See back cover program will be David Yetman, who will take and cold drinks will be available for a small for details on the January us behind the scenes of The Desert Speaks. The donation. For parking, take Campbell north meeting. Desert Speaks has been filmed in some unusual past River Road, just past the church, and turn and difficult places. What the viewer sees al- into the parking lot on the right. We will post ways lies on the other side of the videographer’s signs directing you from there. lens. Often the view of the programs in the Our party would not be complete without Inside making gives a different perspective. David will the entertaining white elephant sale. Like last describe how the programs are put together, year, this will be held raffle-style. We invite you from Colorado to Argentina. In addition to this to contribute any assorted interesting items that Calendar .................. 10 interesting program we’ll enjoy each other’s you are no longer using and yet can’t bear to Conservation News ..... 4 company, good food and good cheer. throw away. Camping gear, birding or nature- Dastardly Duos ........ 22 This will be our fourth year at St. Phillip’s , oriented items, or anything else you’d like to Director’s Perch ......... 2 on the corner of River and Campbell. The size donate can be brought to the Nature Shop ahead Education News ....... 13 of the room limits us to 120 people, so please call of time. We’ll bring it to the party. Field Trips .................. 6 the Nature Shop at 629-0510 to reserve your place If you’d like to help with planning, decorat- Field Trip Reports ...... 8 as soon as possible. When you call, you will also ing and assisting during the party, we’d love to Mason Audubon Center have the opportunity to sign up for the pot- hear from you. Please call Jessie at 628-1730. News ...................... 14 luck item you’d like to bring in the category of It’ll be lots of fun. J Meeting program ...... 28 Membership Info. ..... 26 Nature Shop ............. 20 End-of-Year Appeal: A big “thank you” to all who have responded to our end-of-year RBA Highlights ........ 23 appeal. If you have not responded, remember that all donations are tax deductible. It’s Thanks & Wishes ..... 27 either TAS or the Tax Man! And remember, only donations made out to “Tucson Audubon International Birding Society” stay local, working on behalf of the environment in southeastern Arizona. Trips ......................... 18 Volunteer Opps. ......... 9 Victor Emanuel Visits Tucson and Green Valley: The famed birding tour leader will speak Web Corner .............. 27 about “The Ten Best Birding Trips in the World.” See page 11 for details. 2 Vermilion Flycatcher Tucson Audubon Society December 2003-January 2004 Tucson Audubon Society Officers Directors Perch Sonja Macys President, Robert Merideth .................. 884-4393 Vice President, Bill Mannan ................. 621-7283 Secretary, Linda Stitzer ......................... 297-3173 As the holiday season approaches, Our meeting was very productive. Treasurer, Walter Kavanagh ................. 621-1750 Directors at Large many of us look forward to reconnect- Much valuable information was gained Wendy Burroughs Lawrence Liese ing with family and friends, rekindling and shared (thanks to Atlanta for the 578-3650 743-3520 those relationships that provide us com- Master Birder’s curriculum) and the Don Eagle Chris McVie 628-1730 628-1730 fort and support. Just as these personal communication and collaboration will Floyd Gray Robert Mesta networks can lead to a healthy and continue via a listserve and annual meet- 670-5582 628-1730 happy personal life, professional net- Lisa Harris Joaquin Murrieta ings. We will continue to identify ways 628-1730 628-1730 works lend the same type of support in in which we can support strong chap- Jim Hays Susan Randolph the workplace. ters and sustain the Audubon chapter 628-1730 628-1730 Steven Hopp Peggy Wenrick Between the many activities that fall model. For now, we have named our- 628-1730 628-1730 fundraising presents, I attended a week- selves the Audubon Urban Chapter Kristi Keller Roger Wolf 628-1730 882-9633 end meeting in Berkeley, CA with lead- Network (AUCN), and have explicitly Board Committees ers of eight of Audubon’s large urban stated that AUCN is not meant to be Conservation, Bill Mannan .................... 621-7283 chapters. Representatives from Golden exclusionary. It is a vehicle for Audu- Education, Floyd Gray ........................... 670-5582 Gate, Santa Clara (CA), Tucson, At- bon chapters that have large member- Development, Peggy Wenrick ............... 628-1730 Nominating, Susan Randolph .............. 628-1730 lanta, Houston, Seattle and Portland ships in an urban area to share com- Community Presence, Linda Stitzer ......... 297-3173 (OR) included six executive directors mon concerns and work toward shared Programs and Activities and five chapter presidents. We esti- goals. It is our hope that the group will Bird Census, Susan Birky ...................... 743-9390 mated that we represented over 80,000 soon broaden and this network can be Field Trips, John Higgins ...................... 578-1830 Audubon members, which could of benefit to other chapters as well. Library, Bill Scott .................................... 975-8709 Mailing, Gerald Sweeney ..................... 326-3701 amount to more than 20% of the en- Tucson Audubon’s participation in Program, Tom DeMoss .......................... 296-2963 tire National Audubon membership. the AUCN will benefit our Chapter and Rare Bird Alert, Bill Scott ...................... 798-1005 Report Rare Birds ..................................... 696-4461 Our primary purpose for meeting Arizona’s seven other Audubon Chapters. was to share best practices in Our leadership has decided that work- Audubon Nature Shop & Offices fundraising, financial management, ing to support the chapter model and 300 E. University Blvd. #120, Tucson, AZ 85705 Nature Shop Hours: M & Th 105; Tu, W, F, & Sa 104 board governance, volunteer support, sustain the grassroots efforts that chap- Shop Manager, Judy Edison urban conservation issues, and diversi- ters promote is a worthy endeavor. I am Asst. Shop Manager, Susan Birky fying membership and leadership. We (520) 629-0510 Fax: (520) 623-3476 very proud to represent you, one of the www.tucsonaudubon.org also spent time sharing our experiences largest and most effective chapters in this [email protected] with our state offices, State Audubon endeavor, and in the greater Audubon Executive Director, Sonja Macys .......... 622-5622 Councils, and National Audubon movement. Thanks for your continued Asst. to ED, Jessie Shinn ....................... 628-1730 J Accountant, Tina Eggert ........................ 629-0757 Society’s leadership. support of Tucson Audubon! MAC Outreach Coord., Jamie Brown ..... 744-0004 Education Prog. Mgr., Carrie Dean ...... 622-2230 Education Specialist, Dan Wolgast ......... 744-0004 Development Director, Holly Foster ...... 629-0757 Restoration Projects, Ann Phillips ........ 206-9900 AZ IBA Coordinator, Scott Wilbor ....... 622-2230 Permaculture/Com., Kendall Kroesen .. 206-9900 Proofreaders, Jane & Warren Tisdale ... 749-2139 Mission Statement Tucson Audubon Society is dedicated to im- proving the quality of the environment by pro- viding education, conservation, & recreation pro- grams, & environmental leadership & information. Tucson Audubon is a non-profit volunteer or- ganization of people with a common interest in birding & natural history. Tucson Audubon maintains offices in Tucson, an extensive library, & a Nature Shop where nature-related items are Doris Evans sold for the benefit of our programs, (520) 629-0510. The Vermilion Flycatcher is published monthly except for combined May-Jun., Jul.- Aug., and Dec.-Jan. issues. For address changes or subscription problems call (520) 628-1730, or write to us (see page 26). Submissions for the A cooperative tarantula at a Mason Audubon Center Naturalist February Flycatcher are due by January 7. training session. For more about MAC Naturalists, see page 13. December 2003-January 2004 Tucson Audubon Society Vermilion Flycatcher 3 Library Book Sale As you may be aware, we offer used books for sale at the Audubon Nature Shop. These are located in a small bookcase, just to your right as you enter the front door. In addition we now have for sale another group of used books, which includes some rare and out-of-print volumes. These books are not on dis-play, but there is a list of what’s available, located on the small bookcase. To purchase or look at any of these books, ask the Nature Shop Staff. Currently available are: Handbook of the Birds of Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa Vols. 1-4, Stanley Cramp editor ($400 set only); Birds in Japan by Yamashina ($65); The Birds of China by Meyer de Schauensee (2 copies $25 ea.); A Field Guide to the Birds East of the Rockies by Peterson ($30 signed by Peterson); A Field Guide to Mexican Birds & Adjacent Central America by Peterson & Chalif ($20 signed by Chalif ); A Field Guide to the Birds’ Nests in the US East of the Mississippi by Harrison ($20).