Seattle's Adaptable Cooper's Hawks - Ed Deal

Seattle’s Adaptable Cooper’s Hawks – Ed
Deal
Come join us for an evening of enjoyment with Ed Deal. Twenty-five years ago Cooper’s Hawks
began colonizing urban and suburban landscapes throughout the US, developing a tolerance for
living in proximity to humans. Ed Deal, from Seattle’s Urban Raptor Conservancy, will provide
insights into these common but elusive raptors. The Seattle Cooper’s Hawk Project is one of
several studies in large US cities (e.g., Tucson, Milwaukee, Albuquerque) and the only all-
volunteer, citizen science project. Since 2012 the group has monitored the local Cooper’s Hawk
population nesting density and annual nest productivity. A color-ID banding program helps us
track fledgling dispersal, longevity, and adult breeding site and winter site fidelity. Study results
show annual increases in nesting pairs, high nest success rates, high fledgling productivity, little
evidence of migration, strong site fidelity and mostly short natal dispersal distances. In 2012 we
documented 26 nesting attempts, with 22 successful nests producing 70 fledglings. In 2018
volunteers monitored 46 nesting attempts within the Seattle city limits. Forty nests succeeded,
producing a record high 145 fledglings for our seven-year study. Successful nest productivity is
consistently high, averaging 3.63 fledglings per successful nest in 2018, with 3 nests fledging 5
young. Preliminary data on nest-building and incubating pairs for the 2019 season will also be
presented.

Arrive at 7 p.m. to socialize; programs begin promptly at 7:30 p.m.

Backyard Birds: A Two-Hour Course
Designed for Beginners
Kim Adelson, a BHAS board member and retired college professor, who frequently lectures on
backyard birds, climate change, and other topics involving bird life, returns with her popular
Backyard Birds course. Class participants will learn to recognize and identify about 25 bird
species commonly found in yards throughout our area. The birds’ behavior, preferred habitats,

and idiosyncrasies will also be discussed, along with their feeding preferences and the best ways
to attract them to yards.

There is no fee or registration required for this class though donations are graciously accepted.

If you have questions, please contact Deb Nickerson at debranick@nullgmail.com.

Survival by Degrees: The New Audubon
Report on the Effects of Climate Change on
Birds
By Kim Adelson – Five years ago, in 2014, the National Audubon Society released the results of
its first research study on the effects of the climate crisis on birds. The grim news then was that
roughly 50% of American birds – 314 of the 588 species examined – were at risk of losing at
least half of either their summer or winter ranges by 2080 due to changes in temperature and
precipitation. The authors noted that this was a conservative estimate of projected loss, since
climate effects on factors such as habitat availability and sea level rise were not considered.

National Audubon scientists, in their updated report just released, find that 64% of studied
North American species are at risk of extinction if global temperature increases by 3.0o C.

Fast forward, and it is now 2019. In the intervening half decade, Audubon Society scientists have
refined their analyses by adding more data (they used more than 140 million data points drawn
from 70 sources) and incorporating a wider range of climate effects (e.g. more frequent false
springs, sea level rise, and increased forest fire devastation) into their models. They examined
and compared the outcomes for birds under both a 1.5oC and 3.0oC increase in global mean
annual temperature. These temperatures were selected because, according to the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, if we take little or no action temperatures will rise
by 1.5 o C by 2050 and by 3 o C by 2080.

What Audubon scientists determined in this more refined study is that 64%, or 389 of 604
studied North American species, are at risk of extinction if we allow global temperature to
increase by 3.0oC. The birds that surround us — western forest-dwelling birds and arboreal forest
birds — are among the most vulnerable. The silver lining in Audubon’s report – and a clarion
call to action for us all – is that birds will fare much better if we can limit carbon release and
hold temperature rise to 1.5oC. Seventy percent of species imperiled by a 3oC increase are spared
under this mitigated scenario.

The new report also addresses the effects of warmer climate at both the state and county level.
Under the higher-emissions scenario (3oC rise globally), we in Washington will see our warmest
month increase by 6.2oC/11 o F and our coldest month by3.9oC/7 o F — in other words, our
temperatures are projected to increase more than the global average in both summer and winter.

And although we will experience several inches of additional rain each year, the increased
temperature will result in a net loss of available moisture due to increased evaporation and
uptake by plants. Climate change will result in habitat turnover across 30% of our state.As a
result of changes here and in other locals, 141 of our 248 avian summer residents (56%) will lose
more habitat than they gain, as will 56 of our 208 winter species (27%). If we can hold global
temperature rise to 1.5oC, the number of climate threatened species drops to 96 (39%) and 29
(14%) in the summer and winter, respectively. A large portion of the climate stress experienced
by Washington’s birds will be due to more extreme spring heat events and more heavy rains.
Spring heat waves stress hatchlings, and heavy rains can flood nests and burrows and make it
difficult for birds to forage and feed their young. In addition, sea level rise, increased numbers
and intensity of forest fires, habitat loss due to expansion of cropland caused by changing
microbiomes, and increased urbanization due to population displacement will cause further
habitat loss.

A large portion of the climate stress experienced by Washington’s birds will be due to more
extreme spring heat events and more heavy rains.

The birds in the tri-county region served by BHAS will not find themselves immune to climate
stress. Birds in our local area are more likely to find their summer ranges affected than their
winter ranges; as with the state as a whole, this is because many birds seen here have historically
already lived in northern Canada or Alaska during the summer and they simply cannot go further
north to avoid higher temperatures. If global annual temperatures climb by 3oC, changes in the
availability of summer range will mean that our Black Hills region will risk losing 42 species of
birds in one or more counties; 13 additional species may disappear due to loss of winter range.
Nine of the species are at risk of losing large parts of both their summer and winter ranges.

Seventy percent of species imperiled by a 3o C increase are spared if we can limit carbon
release and hold temperature rise to 1.5oC.

For those of you who want to get into the weeds, the following table details the effected birds.
Tri-County Region Birds Threatened by a 3 Degrees Celsius Global Temperature Increase.

Fortunately, the situation is much mitigated if we act to hold global warming to 1.5 degrees
Celsius. If we can do this, then the number of species whose summer ranges are threatened drops
from 42 to 3 (Red-Breasted Sapsucker, Cassin’s Finch, and Barrow’s Goldeneye); the number of
species whose winter ranges are threatened drops from 13 to 3 (Rock Sandpiper, Clark’s
Nutcracker, and Grey-Crowned Rosy Finch). While the loss of any species is a tragedy, we
clearly can make a tremendous difference by reducing our carbon footprint now.

Our marching orders are clear: in order to protect the birds we love, the environment as a
whole, and ourselves we simply must substantially reduce carbon emissions. In order to hold to
a 1.5oC temperature increase we cannot continue with ―business as usual‖; doing so puts us on
track for the larger 3.0oC gain. Instead, it is imperative that we significantly reduce greenhouse
gas emissions: we need to cut these emissions to 45% below 2010 levels by 2030 and we must
reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Net-zero emission levels does not require us to entirely
stop releasing carbon into the air, but it does require us to offset our emissions by reforestation

and other sequestration techniques and by using technology to pull greenhouse gases from the
atmosphere.

Birds in our local area are more likely to find their summer ranges affected than their winter
ranges.

These goals are attainable, but we must begin working towards them immediately. How? By
reducing our reliance on coal and petroleum products and shifting to renewable energy sources.
By instituting a tax on carbon usage or establishing a carbon cap and trade policy. By adopting
energy-efficient machines and practices in our homes, offices, and factories. By ensuring that
vehicles become more energy efficient, relying less on fossil fuels, and by expanding public
transit. By reducing food waste and our heavy consumption of red meat. Surely each one of us
can find numerous ways to personally contribute to the effort to mitigate climate change. Since
there is an election coming up, we can start by voting for officials who intend to act on reducing
climate change. I urge you to do all that you can to prevent the looming climate crisis while there
is still time to do so. The birds around us – not to mention your children and grandchildren – will
thank you.

The full report, ―Survival by Degrees: 389 Bird Species on the Brink‖ can be found at
https://nationalaudubon.app.box.com/s/ufr4lrt43s3przcmxghlm036n2tbteo4/file/536784078341.

2019 Christmas Bird Count
by Kathleen Snyder – It is time once again to enjoy one of the holiday season’s best experiences
for us birders – Christmas Bird Count (CBC). This year’s count will be Audubon’s 120th – the
nation’s longest running community science project. The data collected by observers over the
past century allow Audubon researchers, conservation biologists, wildlife agencies and other
interested individuals to study the long-term health and status of bird populations across North
America. When combined with other surveys such as the Breeding Bird Survey, it provides a
picture of how the continent’s bird populations have changed in time and space. For more on the
history of this event and the research it has informed, visit the CBC page on Audubon’s website,
https://www.audubon.org/conservation/science/christmas-bird-count.

All CBCs will take place between December 14 and January 5 inclusive. This year Black Hills
Audubon will once again sponsor two circles – in Olympia on Sunday, Dec 15th and in Lewis
County on Friday, Dec 20th. A circle is 15 miles across and the boundaries remain the same year
after year. Each circle is divided into sub-areas and teams are sent out to count as many birds as
are seen and heard. Teams can cover this area on foot, by car, and even by boat.

The end of the day is celebrated with a dinner get-together where participants share their
sightings and stories. This year the Olympia dinner will be at Olympia Yacht Club, 201
Simmons St., Olympia. This is a new location – one that should be more centrally located for
attendees. The Lewis County dinner will be at Lewis County Fire District #6 at 2123 Jackson
Hwy, Chehalis. People can start arriving at 4 pm for warm beverages; dinner will begin around
5 pm onward. BHAS is very thankful to both venues for offering their spaces to us at no charge.

To join in this fun day, you have options. Most participants contact the count coordinator for
assignment to one of the teams. Other options include feeder watching or recording birds on
your own property or in your neighborhood. Feeder watchers are very much needed in the Lewis
circle. The count coordinator will need to confirm that your home or neighborhood is within the
count circle and to arrange for the data to be submitted. Here are the folks to contact:

       Olympia circle         Bill Shelmerdine             georn1@nullhotmail.com

       Lewis circle          Dave Hayden                   dtvhm@nullnwrain.com

There is no limit to how many CBCs one can join so please consider helping out with both
circles. There is room for beginner and experienced birders and everyone in
between. Remember –birding in December is way better than being at the mall in December!!!!

Field Trip Report: Big Birds of Clark County
Paul Hicks and Kathleen Snyder once again took an enthusiastic group of birders down to
southwestern Washington in October. With cheerful, generous help from local experts Randy
Hill and Bob Flores, the group spotted or heard 88 species at 11 sites.

Their top five sightings:

American White Pelican: Frank Schulenburg, Wikimedia Commons

      Sandhill Crane: It’s a thrill just to hear their loud, resonant bugling as they glide
       effortlessly like a jumbo jet seemingly suspended in midair. Along Old Lower River
       Road we got close views of adults with juveniles.
      American White Pelican: We watched several of these huge, more-graceful-than-
       expected birds float by over Ridgefield NWR. A single bird returned for a curtain call.
      Wood Duck: Several gorgeous males posed nicely at Salmon Creek pond.
      Lesser Goldfinch: Everyone got prolonged views of these diminutive beauties at a Fruit
       Valley residence’s birdfeeders. This is one of the area’s sought-after specialty species.
      Northern Harrier: Perhaps up to 20 of these agile raptors were hunting the open expanses
       of the Woodland Bottoms — some quartering on the wing, others standing on the ground.
       Most were richly colored young birds.

Other highlights included:

1. Carty Unit of Ridgefield NWR

      Cranes and geese: Our first of many views of these flyover flocks.
      Varied Thrush: A surprising concentration of these handsome birds among the grand oak
       trees.
      White-breasted Nuthatch: Several of this specialty species were seen and heard among
       the oaks.

   Woodpeckers: All five woodpecker species were seen or heard.
      Red-shouldered Hawk: A brief glimpse of another of the area’s specialty species. Note:
       Red-shouldered Hawks are more typically found in California and may be expanding
       their range northward. They often have the distinct profile of bowed wings (rather than
       flat or up-tilted) when gliding. They like to hunt from a somewhat hidden perch in a tree,
       often near water.

2. Industrial water treatment pond

      Puddle & diving ducks: Including a large number of Ruddy Ducks and a few
       Canvasbacks.
      Peregrine Falcon: Randy spotted one flying overhead.

3. Vancouver Lake boat launch

We accessed the lakeshore from the south via a ―back route‖ beyond Fruit Valley Park and the
industrial water treatment facility.

      Yellow-rumped Warbler: Many at close range foraging in the willows along the shore;
       seen here and elsewhere.

4. Vancouver Lake Regional Park

      A variety of species coming to the birdseed scattered on the ground: sparrows, towhees,
       juncos, chickadees, both nuthatches; unfortunately no White-throated Sparrows. Also
       Brown Creeper, Yellow-rumped Warblers and Townsend’s Warbler in the trees.
      Ken sighted a possible ―slate-colored‖ Junco, a scarce subspecies.

5. Erwin O. Rieger Memorial Highway / SR-501 Spur & pedestrian bridge

      Vaux’s Swift: One late-migrating bird overhead. (How in the world did Randy spot this
       guy?!?!)
      Missed: Black Phoebe: A no-show at the pedestrian bridge.

6. Old Lower River Road

      American Pipit: Large numbers feeding in the plowed field.

7. Vancouver’s Columbia River waterfront, including Marine Park

      Red-necked Grebe: Great find! A pair of rare ―code 4‖ birds for Clark County.
       (see http://wabirder.com/county_map_pages.html, click on Clark County and checklist)
      Several Western & Horned Grebes and Ruddy Ducks
      Assorted gulls: Among the gulls was a likely Western x Glaucous-winged hybrid with
       darker mantle and blackish wingtips.

8. Woodland Bottoms and Columbia River (Cowlitz County)

      Raptors galore!: Lots of N. Harriers and Red-tailed Hawks (most young birds), plus a
       Cooper’s Hawk.
      Egrets and herons: Several standing in the fields
      Misses: Ferruginous Hawk (super-rare ―code 5‖ for Cowlitz County, recently reported),
       Rough-legged Hawk (a few will overwinter here), Black Phoebe (a scarce ―code 4‖
       flycatcher-type sometimes found near the pumphouses, bridges and farm structures along
       the slough and ditches; often detected by its incessant calling).

Recovery and Restoration of California
Condors; The Future for the Pacific
Northwest
By Hal Michael – The California Condor has been a rather well publicized conservation success
story that continues to be written. When people first arrived in North America the range probably
extended well east of the Rockies. By the time of European arrival to North America, condors
ranged from Baja California north to British Columbia and then over towards the Rockies. By
the late 19th Century the range had contracted primarily to central California and Baja California,
but the decline continued.

There were a variety of reasons for the decline that included shooting, poisoning, collisions with
powerlines, loss of carrion (extinction of Pleistocene Megafauna) and so on. But the one that
appears to be most important, at least in the recent past, was lead poisoning with the lead
acquired from carrion.

As the population declined, many different, but generally traditional, conservation measures
were applied. These included legal protection from killing and rather absolute protection of
nesting areas. Protect the animal, protect the habitat. None of these worked. Following much
very contentious debate, and the continuing decline, the last few birds were captured and taken
into captivity for a captive breeding program.

The captive breeding program was successful in producing young birds which were then released
in specific areas. In the early releases, birds got into a lot of problems and seemed too ―attached‖
to people. New methods were developed, more birds released, and the program flourished. Over
time, the released birds matured, mated, nested, and brought off young. They also dispersed and
have taken up new nesting areas. They now range rather widely looking for food, showing up in
areas distant from their release areas, and establishing new breeding sites.

But all was not well. Lead continues to be a problem. Birds are trapped regularly with the intent
of capturing each individual at least once a year. The blood is tested for lead levels and then

chelated to remove lead, as necessary. Still, some birds are lost annually. The primary solution
to the lead problem would be the banning of lead in ammunition. In some particular situations,
such as lead poisoning in loons and waterfowl, bans on lead shot and small lead fishing gear has
been implemented with good success within those narrow bounds. The banning of lead in
hunting and fishing gear can be accomplished but the political battles are intense.

I brought up lead issues as there are future plans or talk for try releases in Northern California,
Oregon, and probably the Columbia Gorge, which brings birds regularly to Washington. If and
when condors establish a presence here, lead will need to be dealt with. If the experience with
previous controls for waterfowl and loons are any guide, at least education needs to begin well in
advance of the first releases and perhaps even a consideration as to where release sites should be
located.

There is also the whole need for food. Carrion. Prior to human arrival in North America they fed
on the carcasses of the North American megafauna. With the disappearance of those animals, it
is perhaps not surprising that the last bastion of abundance was the Pacific Coast with its
abundant salmon and marine mammal carcasses. Currently, we have a shortage of salmon
carcasses along our streams, at least within the BC-Baja coast. At the other end of the scale, for
example, there were a lot of dead Grey Whales and pinnipeds along Pacific beaches. There was a
great amount of effort to haul them away because who wants a big smelly carcass around? The
condors. How do we accommodate the condors and human beach users?

Currently, California Condors are reasonably easy to observe considering their low numbers.
Last spring, we found them in both the Big Sur area and Pinnacles National Park. Grand Canyon
and Zion are two more National Parks with condors quite visible. E-bird has rather up to date
sightings and many of the locations are easily accessible by car. For example, the bird we saw in
Big Sur was soaring near the restaurant where we had lunch, with outdoor seating to aid in
birding. When you see them soaring it is a sight to behold.

Hal Michael spent 34 years with WDG/WDF/WDFW working with salmonids doing research,
management, hatcheries, and restoration. Following retirement, Hal has worked as a salmonid
ecosystem ecologist with the Sustainable Fisheries Foundation, Ecologists Without Borders, and
Marine Sustainability Commission.

Volunteer Opportunities November 2019
All chapter work is done by volunteers for whom we are very grateful. There are many
opportunities to become involved at a level that is comfortable for you. Please contact Kathleen
Snyder (ksnyder75@nullgmail.com) if you are interested in any of the following:

Christmas Bird Count Participant: Please see ―2019 Christmas Bird Count‖ article in this
month’s Echo.

Program Meeting Help:

1) We need substitute greeters for program evenings, the second Thursday of the month. The
greeter opens the door (which stays locked) to let people in for the program and says hello. Short
15 minute shift between 7 and 7:30 pm.

2) We need more snack providers and Welcome Table hosts also.

Thurston County CBC Chili Feed: Come help prepare the chili on Saturday morning from 10-
noon at Deb Nickerson’s house or assist at the dinner on Sunday by serving, cleaning, or
bringing a dessert or cornbread.

Lewis County CBC Chili Feed: After the Lewis County Christmas Bird Count on December
20, the participants will be treated to a chili dinner where they can warm up and share the day’s
sightings. A couple of more cooks are needed in this effort. Have a culinary knack? Let
Kathleen (email above) know.

Creative Types: Our Annual Dinner committee has revved up in anticipation of the big event in
March. If you love to craft or can sew, the committee is looking for you. This is a short term
project revolving around decorating the dinner tables – lots of fun with a great group of
volunteers.

Armchair Birding: Birds of the West: An
Artist’s Guide, by Molly Hashimoto
by Anne Kilgannon – The brown pelicans arched, glided and exploded in steep dives slicing into
the waves off the Westport jetty. The geometry of their wings and spear-like beaks appeared as
strong brushstrokes against the blue sky, a zig and zag in the moment before their plunge into the
water. The image stayed with me. A photo, even if I had been quick enough to capture their
actions, would not have expressed their agility and strength; some other medium was needed to
evoke their power and speed. Perhaps a heavily loaded sumi-e brush applied in deft strokes? I
could only wonder.

I am not a painter but wished then that I had that skill to convey my feelings of awe, of the
majesty of the pelicans. I thought of how drawing or painting them would help me understand
and remember how their bodies fit together, the shape of their wings, the curve of neck and
capacious reach of those tremendous bills. I wanted to recall the color of their eyes and mottled
appearance of their feathers. If I could witness these birds as an artist might, what new things
would I see, what truths would I learn?

Serendipitously, a friend brought me a book I must see: Birds of the West, by Molly Hashimoto.
Here was a way into my yearning for another way of seeing birds.

I was captivated by the engaging text about birds she had seen but even more so by the art
Hashimoto had made, inspired by these encounters. Page after page is filled with striking images

of her portraits of birds captured in watercolor, block prints, etchings, and quick pencil sketches.
She is foremost a working artist, responding with delight to the line, color and form of birds as
experienced in different settings, but generously also, she is a teacher eager to share her
techniques and insights. This book is a gift of both impulses.

Hashimoto is explicit in describing how to dip a brush in paint or work her gouge to create the
bold lines of a relief print. She offers painterly tips about tricks of the trade for creating different
thicknesses of line, blocks of color, space and form. All these methods and materials are used in
the service of expressing the nature of a particular bird and the moment of its discovery. Reading
her instructions and studying each example of her art is a mini course, a kick-off in finding
expression in art forms.

Hashimoto pairs each of her created images with an anecdote of where she saw the bird, how it
entered her imagination, and what it meant to her. In her art, she takes care to place each bird in
its natural habitat, emphasizing how inseparable any creature is from where it lives. The bird
images are sorted by the various types of environment that shelter them, from ponds and
wetlands, woodland and meadows, beaches and deserts, to tundra and mountain terrains, and—
not forgetting where most of us see birds daily—our urban backyards. The groupings emphasize
Hashimoto’s habit of seeing birds in place, of a place.

Anything that serves to wake us up to the wonders around us is uplifting and even magical.
Hashimoto makes us see birds in new ways. We study them with freshened eyes. The writing
style and show-and-tell format is like a long conversation with an inspired teacher who is gently
but firmly encouraging us to pick up a brush or pencil and study birds through making art.
Pelicans might just be the beginning of something!

An Invitation to Join Our Echo Newsletter
Volunteer Writers’ Group
by Sharon Moore – Do you have an intriguing story or report you’d be interested in sharing with
our BHAS community through our monthly Echo online publication? For example, how about a
narrative describing your involvement in a past Christmas Bird Count somewhere in the
U.S.? That would be timely for our December 2019 Echo issue.

Have you had an unusual, even amusing encounter with birds you’d like to share? Perhaps you
have participated in a scientific study documenting important research affecting birds or other
wildlife. Might you report your findings to us? Entertaining comments and perspectives you
overhear when out birding with others is always welcome in the Echo pages. Then, too, if
writing poetry about the natural world were your forte, sharing your creative writing in the
newsletter would be much appreciated.

More seriously, with the recently published Audubon study projecting the future extinction of
many avian species due to climate change, could you offer your personal reflections? That

would help we bird and nature lovers cope mentally, emotionally and spiritually with this
impending catastrophic loss.

These are only a few of the types of articles we plan to include in the monthly BHAS
newsletter. If you would like to volunteer your writing skills, please contact Deb Nickerson,
BHAS Communications Coordinator, at debranick@nullgmail.com. Our editors will offer any
assistance you might need, and your contribution will help keep our local birding community
entertained and informed.

Summary of BHAS Board Meeting on Oct 3,
2019
  blackhills-audubon.org/summary-of-bhas-board-meeting-on-oct-3-2019

   1. Four Black Hills members attended the recent Audubon Council of Washington
      conference, and they gave a report on both the conservation and the general
      meetings. Maria Ruth gave a well-received presentation on how BHAS met with the
      management of RES America’s wind energy project near Chehalis to implement changes
      to benefit birds. Although not everything that BHAS wanted was adopted, some of our
      recommendations were taken and will make a positive difference.
   2. The biggest news from the conference was that National Audubon would soon be
      releasing a new, expanded and more comprehensive report on the effects of climate
      change on North American birds. Four board members volunteered to work on a
      committee to publicize the findings of this report.
   3. BHAS hosted an informational table at the Nisqually Watershed Festival in August, and
      we realized it would be beneficial to have a more attractive presence to appeal to
      children. We will explore the possibility of acquiring bird mounts.
   4. The National Audubon convention will take place in July of 2021 in Tacoma. We expect
      that BHAS will assist in planning and helping at this prestigious event.
   5. The Education Committee is purchasing the contents of the last four library
      backpacks. After these are distributed, every library in the Timberland Library system
      will have at least one birding backpack available for check out.
   6. The Conservation Committee continues to work with the Friends of Rocky Prairie to
      prevent a mammoth warehouse being built next to Millersylvania State Park. Current
      efforts center on pressuring the County Commissioners to reject the developer’s rezone
      request.