Leah Turner and Mick Thompson were named co-winners of the Eastside Audubon Photo of the Month award for September. Leah won for her shots of elusive Common Loons at Semiahmoo Spit, south of Vancouver, B.C., while Mick earned recognition for his photos of long-eared owls taken at Boundary Bay in British Columbia.
As we head into winter, consider leaving your leaves and twigs in the yard. My pollinator garden might look tired, but every time I step outside, I see birds nibbling on seeds or resting in the brush. There’s so much life hidden in there that we often overlook!
Nutrient-Rich Mulch: As leaves and twigs break down, they enrich the soil, preparing it for a healthier spring.
Wildlife Shelter: These natural materials provide shelter for bugs and critters, supporting biodiversity in your yard.
Compost Your Pumpkins! Break down your old pumpkins (remove any candles or paint) and compost them. Birds and critters will love the treat, but keep an eye out for unwanted guests like rats.
Add Wood Chips to Your Yard: Wood chips help retain moisture in the soil, which is crucial during dry spells. They also act as a natural barrier against weeds, as well as mitigating soil erosion and helping to keep your garden intact.
You can get free wood chips from local tree removal services or arborists. I’ve already put in a request and am eagerly awaiting my delivery. There are also websites where you can request wood chips, but be prepared to accept a large load whenever it’s available.
Happy thanksgiving!
Each year, the Western Field Ornithologists (WFO) holds a conference in the western United States, bringing together birders and scientists from all over western North America. The WFO, started fifty years ago, has grown to become a major hub for bird science, publishing peer-reviewed journals and promoting the conservation of important species. The organization also has a robust student program, aimed at inspiring young birders to pursue their passions in ornithology. As a scholarship recipient, I was excited to travel down to San Diego to attend the 48th annual WFO conference.
Snowy Egret by Song Han Ngu
As part of the conference, birders are offered the opportunity to attend birding field trips around the local area. This included a variety of habitats, such as sloughs, the pelagic zone, forests, and we even got exclusive entry into a salt works area where thousands of birds migrate through each year. I spent Thursday morning birding along the Tijuana River Estuary, and had a wonderful close encounter with a Ridgway’s rail, the theme bird of the conference. We also saw many other amazing birds such as the Vermillion Flycatcher, a White Tailed Kite, and a Pacific Golden Plover. A huge part of this experience was thanks to our field trip guide, Mel, who had been birding in the area for years and knew all of the best spots.
An integral part of the conference are the science sessions, where researchers from across North America come to share their findings. The highlight for me was hearing about the Ridgway Rail conservation work being done in the area, and how the population has been slowly but steadily growing thanks to the conservation. There were also plenty of other interesting research studies, including ones analyzing the phylogeography of Wrentits, sucrose perceptions in pigeons, and the differences between house and pacific wrens in California. It was my first time listening to such high level research projects, and I was really impressed by the work that so many ornithologists are doing studying birds.
Science Sessions at the Western Field Ornithologist Conference.
In addition to the science sessions, there were also ornithology workshops where birders could learn how research is being done in the field. I was able to attend the Ridgway Rail Conservation workshop and the Specimen-preparation one, both of which were wonderful experiences! At the Ridgway Rail workshop, we were given a tour of the Living Coast Discovery Center to see the breeding area and proving pens where Ridgway rails are cared for. We then helped to build and implement a rail raft to help improve the birds’ habitat. The specimen preparation workshop was fascinating as well. We listened to Philip Unnit explain the importance and applications of taxidermies, before getting to watch a live demo on two birds.
Taxidermy Demo.
My favorite part of the conference was getting to meet the other student scholars. We had the opportunity to meet and talk with each other at the reception, banquet, and at a special event called the Next Generation Birders Reception. It was really cool to hear about how they’re involved with their own local audubon societies, including habitat restoration work and banding birds. It was also really inspiring to meet previous student scholars who are now researchers and college graduates in the field of ornithology.
Overall, being at the conference was a really special experience, and I had a wonderful time. I got to meet ornithologists and scientists from all over the region and their research, see many of the local birds around the San Diego area, and attend workshops where I learned more about how bird science is being done. I truly thank the WFO for everything that they’ve done for birds and ornithology, and will continue to follow the organization for many years to come.
Registration for the 2024 Eastside Audubon Christmas Bird Count will be open on November 4! The CBC is the world’s largest and longest-running community science data collection project. The 2024-2025 count period from December 14 to January 5 marks the 125th CBC sponsored by the National Audubon Society. It will be Eastside Audubon’s 41st CBC.
We are recruiting volunteers to join CBC teams or for feeder-watching at home. Go to the CBC page become a feeder watcher, join a field team, and attend the CBC dinner. We will have 15 field teams this year.
Eastside Audubon’s CBC Count Circle. 25-mile diameter centered on Beaver Lake in Sammamish.
The EAS CBC is an all-volunteer project, and we have three ways for you to participate.
Our chapter has 15 teams being led by experienced birders who are accepting 3-5 volunteer participants.
We also support at-home feeder watchers who count birds at their home feeder or other location within the 25-mile diameter circle centered on Beaver Lake in Sammamish.
View our CBC Count Circle here and see if your address falls inside the circle (top left for search field).
Everyone, whether birding or not, is invited to join the CBC dinner after the count.
Whether you participate by joining a field team, watching your feeder at home, or sharing in the experience of the day at the dinner, you can register for the event you want to join at the CBC page. Registration closes on December 10th. If you are interested after that date, please email Andy McCormick at amccormick@eastsideaudubon.org as we may still be able to get you on a team.
A stiff breeze was blowing the already high sea water up onto the boardwalk at Redondo Beach when we arrived. My colleagues and I are a survey team for the monthly Puget Sound Seabird Survey. With the wind blowing we wasted no time setting up our spotting scope for the 30-minute survey period. We were there to count wintering seabirds.
Attending the walk were councilmember Angie Nuevacamina, council vice president Jessica Forsythe, councilmember Osman Salahuddin, councilmember Melissa Stuart, Eastside Audubon Christmas Bird Count chair Andy McCormick, council president Vanessa Kritzer, and Lights Out Program leader Sayna Parsi.
The birding event was led by Andy McCormick, the Eastside Audubon Christmas Bird Count chair and past president, Lights Out Program Leader Sayna Parsi and EAS vice president John Spilker. The walk along the Sammamish River Trail, behind Redmond City Hall, focused on local bird species, bird migrations, the importance of conservation efforts and habitat restoration, as well as reducing light pollution.
Redmond City Council was represented by Council President Vanessa Kritzer, Vice President Jessica Forsythe, and Councilmembers Angie Nuevacamina, Osman Salahuddin, and Melissa Stuart.
Christmas Bird Count chair Andy McCormick lead the birding walk with Redmond city council.
“They gained an awareness of the chapter's goals and our interest not only in birds but also in climate change, and they said they look forward to our input on their climate plan,” McCormick said afterward.
Among the birds the participants saw were an Osprey perched behind City Hall, Mallards in the river, and some Black-capped Chickadees.
“They loved the Osprey, and they remembered that a Bald Eagle has nested in the same area. I think they appreciated our dedication to the birds and the environment,” McCormick said. “They also enjoyed seeing salmon jump in the river and made a point to go up onto the trestle to get a better look at them.”
The event was organized by Parsi. “I wanted to kick-start discussions about strengthening Redmond's existing light pollution ordinance that will impact migratory birds,” she said.
“I want our policy makers to love and care for our avian friends so their love will shape all the little decisions that they make in the future,” she added.
For more information about light pollution, see Wonders of Bird Migrations, City Lights, and How We Can Help.
Each summer the American Ornithological Society (AOS) reviews proposals for changes in the taxonomic order of birds. Many of these changes are made in response to field research and genetic testing of birds. The reviews can result in lumping of existing species into one species, splitting an existing species into two or more species, name changes, and revisions to the taxonomic order based on new understanding about how birds have evolved. This year’s changes include some of all of these possibilities.
The 2024 report contains many changes regarding birds in North, Middle, and South America. The decisions were made by the AOS North American Checklist and South American Checklist Committees. There are more changes than can be covered in a short article so we will focus on those that directly impact birders in the Pacific Northwest.
For several years the separation of Common, Hoary, and Arctic (Eurasia) Redpolls has been questioned and recent evidence has shown that the color differences are due only to a flipped gene sequence, and not to any other difference which would qualify these three redpolls as separate species. Now all redpolls will be known simply as Redpoll (Acanthis flammea).
Many birders are aware that Brown Boobies seen off the west coast of North America have white heads and bluish bare parts, and those in other places have brown heads and yellow bare parts. The split results in a new name for the North American bird and it is now known at the Cocos Booby (Sula Brewsteri) named after the Cocos tectonic plate on which sits Costa Rica’s Cocos Island.
The American Pipit is regularly seen all over North America. The newly split off Siberian Pipit (Anthus japonicus), labled as “Asian” in the Sibley Guide to Birds, has records as a subspecies in western states and in Mexico and El Salvador. Those records will now be renamed as Siberian Pipit and will be considered a new life bird for those who have seen it. West coast birders now will have opportunities to see this new species, but identification can be challenging and referring to Sibley will be helpful.
There are many other changes which will affect Northwest birders who travel. Changes were made to many Middle and South American birds, and also to birds in Asia. The full review article by Michael Retter of the American Birding Association (ABA) can be read at https://www.aba.org/aos-supplement-2024/ . I am grateful for his work each year to publish a summary of the AOS decisions.
Photo Credit: Brown Booby by Mark Yokoyama
Hugh Jennings, 1926 - 2024
Eastside Audubon lost a great member this summer. Hugh Jennings died in July following a stroke. Hugh and his wife Bev Jennings joined our chapter following Hugh’s retirement from the Boeing Company. Church, birding, and fly fishing became a three-point focus of his life.
Hugh and his wife, Bev, met Jim Rettig, another new member at the time and together became volunteers with Eastside Audubon’s adopt-a-road program and later joined the work parties at Marymoor Park. They joined birding field trips and they were learning more about birds and in the early 1990s he began leading his own field trips, including the monthly Hotspots bird walk. Later Hugh began writing the popular Bird of the Month column for The Corvid Crier, the chapter’s newsletter. Between September 1995 through March 2008, he wrote over 100 articles before turning the column over to a new writer. Hugh became a mentor for many of the field trip leaders developed by the chapter during the 1990s and 2000s.
In the mid-1980s Hugh and chapter member Len Steiner created a new Christmas Bird Count circle centered in Sammamish and Hugh volunteered to serve as compiler, a position he held for about 30 years. He also began the annual week-long field trip to Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in SE Oregon, an event that was sold-out each year for 12 years.
Hugh and Bev also staffed the chapter office every Monday morning for many years. Eastside Audubon recognized Hugh’s volunteer contributions by presenting him with the Environmentalist of the Year Award in 1995. This award is given following a recommendation from the Eastside Audubon Conservation Committee. The chapter, in cooperation with the National Audubon Society, recognized Hugh and Bev for their long-term volunteer work with the Great Egret Award in 2020.
As an angler, Hugh spent many hours in rivers and streams. Among other water birds he enjoyed the American Dipper, a black thrush commonly known as the water ouzel. Hugh’s Subaru with his “Ouzel” license plate was a common sight in many Northwest fishing and birding hotspots. Another of Hugh’s long-term volunteer efforts was monitoring Kelsey Creek as a member of Bellevue’s Stream Team.
Hugh birded wherever he went: Canada, Alaska, the West Indies including the Virgin Islands and Trinidad, and East and South Africa where his son Todd is working. He was fortunate to view the rare Shoebill on a trip in Zambia.
Hugh remained enthusiastic about birds even after ending his volunteer activities with Eastside Audubon. He continued birding his favorite patch with son Alan along the Lake Hills Greenbelt between Phantom and Larsen lakes into June of this year. In January 2005 he had the good fortune to see a Tufted Duck on Phantom Lake. This is a rare sighting in Washington state and at the time it was only the sixth on record in the state, and second King County record accepted by the Washington Bird Records Committee.
We will miss Hugh. The chapter is grateful for the years of time and accumulated bird knowledge Hugh shared with our members and will remember him as an important contributor to the growth of our chapter.
When it comes to epic journeys, migratory birds are the ultimate world-travelers. Forget road trips and cross-country flights—these feathered friends are all about globe-trotting, and they do it without Google Maps! Every year, millions of birds embark on mind-blowing migrations, traveling thousands of miles to reach their seasonal homes. But as amazing as their journeys are, modern-day obstacles like light pollution are throwing a wrench in the works. Let’s dive into some fascinating facts about bird migration, the impact of city lights on our avian travelers, and what we can all do to help them on their way.
Migration is more than just a long-distance road trip; it’s a survival strategy. Birds migrate to find food, breed, and escape harsh climates. As seasons change, they move to regions where food is plentiful, the climate is favorable, and breeding conditions are ideal. This incredible journey ensures they have everything they need to thrive, whether it's food, a safe place to raise their young, or a milder winter.
Record-Breaking Flyers: The bar-tailed godwit holds the world record for the longest nonstop migration. This superstar flies from Alaska to New Zealand—a whopping 7,000 miles—without taking a single break for food, water, or rest. They even sleep during their flight. If only they had phones, they’d definitely top the leaderboards on Strava!
Super Navigators: Birds use a combination of the sun, stars, Earth’s magnetic field, and even smell to find their way during migration. It’s like they have built-in GPS, but way cooler.
High-Flyers: Some birds, like the bar-headed goose, are extreme altitude enthusiasts. They fly over the Himalayas at heights of up to 29,000 feet—higher than Mount Everest!
Unexpected Migrants: Think migration is only for exotic birds? Think again! Some of our backyard regulars are seasoned travelers too. The American Robin, often associated with the start of spring, actually migrates. While some stay put if they find enough food, many robins head south for the winter, traveling in large flocks. Another surprise? The tiny Ruby-throated Hummingbird. These little dynamos might be a common sight at your summer feeders, but come fall, they make a solo journey to Central America, flying non-stop across the Gulf of Mexico!
Birds have a remarkable sense of direction, but bright city lights can confuse even the most seasoned travelers. Light pollution is a big deal for migrating birds, and here’s why:
Disorientation: Birds often navigate by the moon and stars. Bright artificial lights from cities can disorient them, causing them to circle endlessly, exhaust themselves, or even crash into buildings.
Timing is Everything: Light pollution can also mess with a bird’s internal clock, leading them to migrate too early or too late, missing crucial windows for food and rest.
Dangerous Pit Stops: Confused by city lights, birds might land in urban areas where food and safe resting spots are scarce. This can lead to increased stress and lower survival rates.
Cities around the world are waking up to the fact that light pollution is a serious problem for migratory birds. Here are some brilliant (but not too bright!) solutions:
Lights Out Campaigns: Cities like Chicago, New York, and Phoenix have embraced “Lights Out” programs, encouraging businesses and residents to dim or turn off unnecessary lights during peak migration seasons. Not only does this save energy, but it also gives birds a clearer path to follow—and as a bonus, it makes it possible to see stars that otherwise would be invisible due to light pollution.
Bird-Friendly Building Designs: Some cities are getting creative with architecture. Buildings with bird-friendly glass, bird-tape on windows, or using shades and curtains help minimize the risk of collisions. In fact, cities like San Francisco have guidelines for bird-safe building design.
Sky Glow Awareness: Raising awareness about “sky glow”—the brightening of the night sky by artificial light—has prompted communities to reduce unnecessary lighting. This means more stars for us to gaze at and safer journeys for our feathered friends!
You don’t need to be an architect or city planner to help birds on their migration journeys. Here’s how you can pitch in:
Dim Indoor Lights: Use curtains or blinds to keep indoor light from spilling outside, especially during migration seasons (spring and fall). If you work, you can also connect with your office building's facilities department to ensure that your office uses timer-based lights that turn off at night.
Reduce Outdoor Lights: Use motion sensors so lights only activate when needed, add light caps to direct light toward the ground, and dim lights wherever possible.
Spread the Word: The more people know about the impact of light pollution, the better. Share this post, talk to your HOA, neighbors, and facilities team at work, and support local initiatives to reduce light pollution.
Bird migrations are one of nature’s most incredible spectacles, and by making a few simple changes, we can help ensure these journeys remain safe and successful for generations to come. So let’s flip the switch, plant some greenery, and be the wingmen (and women | people) our feathered friends need!
