The Great Gray Owl, named for its size and plumage color, is an owl that breeds around the world in the northern boreal forests.
Micro-volunteering at Eastside Audubon
Save Coal Creek
The Coal Creek land is owned by Isola Homes, which wants to obtain permits for developing 35 clustered homes on approximately six acres of the property. Save Coal Creek, the non-profit organization, was formed with the goal of finding a way to intervene in the permitting process so that the land could be purchased and preserved as a connecting link between the two public park areas described below.
2022 College Scholarship Award Winner
2022 College Scholarship Award Winner
Written by Mary Britton-Simmons
Thanks to the generous donations of Eastside Audubon members, the Youth Education Committee awarded Connie Huang a $5000.00 college scholarship. A senior from Skyline High School in the Issaquah School District, she is passionate about the environment, specifically about climate justice. “I work to advocate for equitable solutions to intersectional issues that are caused by the warming climate. I find myself drawn to creating paths to alleviate the stressors of environmental racism, climate disasters, and global warming that marginalized communities are especially vulnerable to.”
From protesting as a toddler against pruning and mowing her backyard “plant friends” to planning Earth Day protests in Seattle, Connie has always been an activist. As the co-president of her school’s Green Team, she works in the school garden, is involved in upcycling projects, and competed in the first Envirothon chapter at Skyline where they won second place. Her activism does not stop at Skyline’s front door. Connie is a council member of the Future Blue Youth Council which focuses on youth-led environmental projects. In addition, she is a community organizer for Washington Youth for Climate Justice where she plans and leads education circles, develops webinars about climate justice, organizes protests, and helps to establish fund raisers for unhoused people.
In spite of all her activism, she maintains an A average while taking advanced courses at Skyline High School. And her plans for university? “I plan to major in sustainable development and seek to strengthen my ability to ground environmental science in problems of human society by minoring in sociology.”
All applicants must respond to eight questions. When asked, “What is the most interesting thing you have learned in high school,” Connie responded, “In the soil beneath our feet, the trees are talking.” She described their subterrestrial network of communication. “Trees have taught me the importance of mutual love and care in building healthy and sustainable communities where every member feels that their role is central to the community.”
In the future, the world will definitely hear more from Connie Huang. She represents the best of youth and hope for the environment.
Photo Credit: Green Tree by Alexander Kovalyov.
Who Uses eBird for Science and Why?
Veery
Oh The Birds We'll See!
Oh The Birds We'll See!
By Lori Danielson
In addition to the Birdathon events in May that anyone can participate in, Eastside Audubon also has two teams dedicated to raising money by seeing as many birds as possible and having fun while they’re doing it!
The Karismatic Kestrels, led by captain Andy McCormick, with team members Carol Carlson-Ray, Maureen Sunn, Nancy Hubly, Margaret Snell, and Jeremy Lucas are dynamic birders who have won Most Money Raised and Most Bird Species categories in the past. They are literally driven to succeed in 2022 because they will be driving a new route through Whidbey Island and the Skagit Valley to find as many bird species as they can. The team began in 2009 as the Mountains to the Lake Team and in 2014 they took on the mascot of the American Kestrel and changed their name to the Karismatic Kestrels. This will be their 14th Birdathon raising funds for Eastside Audubon. They have been flying high ever since. The Kestrels have the determination and speed of their namesake falcon and love finding birds for the Eastside Audubon Birdathon. You can support their efforts by pledging an amount of money per bird species they find or make a donation in any amount. They are working to protect this small falcon and all the other wonderful birds we all love. All sponsors of the Karismatic Kestrels who provide an email address will receive a list of the birds they find on their Big Day, May 10, 2022.
The second team is a relative newcomer, Team Pelican Dive Bar, with captain Jeremy Lucas and team member Andy McCormick. Pelican Dive Bar is a small group of birders dedicated to raising awareness for bird conservation. This team focuses on sea and shore birds, and the healthy habitat these amazing avian species rely upon. They do so with a smile and a great sense of humor. Their Big Day event will actually be a “Big weekend”. On Day 1, they will explore the coast along Grays Harbor County, looking for shore birds scavenging for whatever bounty the ocean brings. On Day 2, they will set sail on a day cruise and head out to the open Pacific, looking for a variety of pelagic sea birds.
Please support our teams by donating to Eastside Audubon. Your contribution helps our organization protect birds and their habitat. You can support these teams by pledging money towards their effort at the Eastside Audubon Birdathon page here.
Birdathon is Here!
Birdathon is Here! Join One of Our Special Events
By Lori Danielson
We’re kicking off Birdathon events this year on April 30th and they’ll continue through May 21st. Birdathon is the biggest annual fundraiser for Eastside Audubon and we have scheduled several special birding trips, a “Big Sit” and a bird photography workshop designed especially for beginners. We even have a Big Day competition with prizes! See the event descriptions below.
These seven April and May events with their registration links (for some events) are also on our website calendar here. Please look there for any updates. Your donations, paid online or provided to the trip leader at the start of the trip, will support the chapter’s conservation, education, and advocacy work. We look forward to having you join us to view our spring birds and support the chapter!
*** POINT NO POINT, HANSVILLE WALK ***
DATE: SATURDAY, APRIL 30
TIME: 6:15 AM departure from Kirkland Park & Ride to be on 7:10 AM ferry from Edmonds to Kingston.
DONATION: $25 suggested donation to Eastside Audubon for Birdathon.
MEETING PLACE: Meet at north end of the Kingsgate Park & Ride, 13001 116th Ave NE, Kirkland, WA 98034 at 6:15 AM for carpooling.
REGISTRATION: REQUIRED. Registration link here.
DESCRIPTION: Hansville, Point No Point, and Foulweather Bluff are excellent spots for seeing seabirds including Marbled Murrelet, Rhinocerous Auklet and other alcids, Bonaparte’s Gull, and Long-tailed Duck is possible, Loons, grebes, and Black Brant should be around. The area is on a migrant flyway, and we will also bird the marsh, and walk the wooded Point No Point trail, and look skyward for a variety of flight migrants including warblers, vireos, and other birds heading north. We will also walk the wooded trail at Foulweather Bluff and visit two other parks in Hansville. Bring binoculars, camera, (scope is optional), lunch, fluids, and a snack. Dress for the weather. We will walk from the cars up to a mile on two different forest trails, but some may want to continue a sea watch instead. Restrooms are available on the ferry, at the lighthouse, and in Hansville. Back by early evening depending on ferry service. Discover Pass is needed by drivers. Carpool cost: $10.00 per non-driver, plus cost of ferry, shared equally by riders. Contact trip leader Andy McCormick at 425-518-0892 with any questions.
ALTERNATIVE MEETING PLACE: Those who wish to meet in Hansville should take the 7:10 AM ferry from Edmonds, then WA-104 from the Kingston ferry terminal for two miles, turn right on Hansville Road NE for eight miles. In Hansville turn right on NE Point No Point Road for one mile and park in the lighthouse parking lot.
*** NISQUALLY NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE PHOTOGRAPHY WALK ***
100 Brown Farm Road, Olympia, WA 98516
DATE: SATURDAY, MAY 7
TIME: 7:30 AM – 10 AM
DONATION: $25 suggested donation to Eastside Audubon for Birdathon.
MEETING PLACE: Meet before 7:30 AM in front of the Nisqually Refuge’s visitor center entrance.
REGISTRATION: NOT REQUIRED. Contact Raghav at raghuvmehta@gmail.com with any questions.
DESCRIPTION: Any experienced bird photographer will tell you that bird photography is hard but extremely rewarding. Birds can be elusive and only present for momentary opportunities for the photographer. This field trip is designed help new photographers learn how to find and photograph birds. It will be led by Raghav Mehta, a veteran bird photographer and winner of two Eastside Audubon photography awards. Access to a DLSR or mirrorless camera and telephoto lens is recommended but not required.
The Nisqually Wildlife Refuge is home for some 20,000 migratory waterfowl. The grasslands teem with mice and voles that are meals for hawks, owls, and eagles. Thick cattails and sedges provide homes to marsh wrens, soras, bitterns, and swallows. The refuge has a daily fee of $3.00 per four adults. This can be paid at the kiosk outside the visitor center. If you have a pass for the refuge, please keep it with you and don't leave it in your vehicle. Read more details about the refuge here. There are well-maintained restrooms available at the visitor center.
This is a meet-you-there trip. Please meet before 7:30 AM in front of the visitor center entrance. We will not be carpooling and the walk is limited to those vaccinated against COVID-19. The trip leader is fully vaccinated. Please bring a bottle of water, a snack if you like, and wear comfortable shoes & appropriate clothing as per the weather. This trip is a leisurely walk, with a mostly flat grass/gravel/pavement/boardwalk for 2 to 4 miles.
*** IDYLWOOD PARK "BIG SIT" STATIONARY BIRD WATCHING ***
3650 West Lake Sammamish Pkwy NE, Redmond, WA 98052
DATE: SATURDAY, MAY 14
TIME: 6 AM – 12 PM, choose a 1 to 2 hour time period.
DONATION: $25 suggested donation to Eastside Audubon for Birdathon.
MEETING PLACE: Idylwood Park’s northern beach area, directly downhill from the parking area.
REGISTRATION: REQUIRED. Contact Anne Wehrly by email at annewehrly@gmail.com to pre-register for a time slot or with any questions.
DESCRIPTION: We will try out a different way to bird, sitting in camp chairs near the Lake Sammamish shoreline, with our binoculars and a spotting scope. Both waterfowl and songbirds will be present in good variety, and bald eagles are commonly seen here as well. This event could be great for people with mobility or energy limitations, and also for beginning birders.
The Big Sit will run from 6 AM until noon, and participants will be asked to pre-register for a 1-2 hour time slot so we don't get overcrowded. Bring your own camp chair, protection from cold, sun or rain as appropriate, and snacks if desired. This park has accessible parking and restrooms. Meet in the northern beach area, directly downhill from the parking area.
*** BIRDING COMPETITION FOR GLOBAL BIG DAY ***
DATE: SATURDAY, MAY 14
TIME: Between 12 AM (midnight) to 11:59 PM
DONATION: $10 registration fee per participant to Eastside Audubon for Birdathon.
MEETING PLACE: None.
REGISTRATION: REQUIRED. Registration link here.
DESCRIPTION: Global Big Day is an annual celebration of the birds around us. To celebrate this day, Eastside Audubon is conducting a fun birding competition! This competition will give birders opportunities to:
Contribute important data through eBird checklists to help scientists better understand birds.
Donate to Eastside Audubon to support its work to preserve and enhance ecosystems for the benefit of birds.
Compete with other birders, have fun and win some cool prizes!
How to participate?
Register as an individual or team. Registration fee is $10 per participant. Last date to register is May 13, 2022.
Create a trip report (Named GBD_Team/Individual Name) on eBird and share it with eastsideAS on eBird. Learn how to create a trip report here. Don’t have an eBird account? Get started here.
Go birding on May 14th and add all checklists into the trip report for review by the judges.
Results to be announced through mail and social media on May 22nd!
Competition Guidelines
Checklists should be created while birding in Washington State.
Checklists should record birds seen/heard only between midnight May 14 to midnight May 15.
Birds can be identified by sight or sound.
Playback of recorded bird songs should not be used to lure birds in.
All participants should follow the ABA Code of Ethics.
Additional Guidelines for teams
At least two of the team members should identify each species recorded.
Team members should bird together (within shouting distance) and should not split up to cover more area.
Prizes
There will be prizes for two individuals who record the greatest number of species; a prize for the team which most number of species recorded; a prize for individual who spots the rarest bird, and a lucky draw participant prize!
Winners can choose one of these three cool birding accessories as their prize:
We look forward to your participation! If you have any questions, please feel free to write to shrutijayaprakash@gmail.com.
*** NISQUALLY NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE WALK ***
100 Brown Farm Road, Olympia, WA 98516
DATE: SUNDAY, MAY 15
TIME: 7 AM
DONATION: $25 suggested donation to Eastside Audubon for Birdathon.
MEETING PLACE: Meet at 7 AM in front of the Nisqually Refuge’s visitor center.
REGISTRATION: NOT REQUIRED. Contact Shruti by email at shrutijayaprkash@gmail.com with any questions.
DESCRIPTION: Join Raghav and Shruti for a bird walk at the Nisqually Wildlife Refuge. The refuge has various types of habitats and hence a wide variety of birds. We expect to see spring migrants and a variety of waterfowl and raptors.
We will be meeting at 7:00 AM in front of the refuge’s visitor center. The four-mile round-trip walk will be at a leisurely pace on flat terrain and will take approximately 4 hours. Please bring your binoculars, a bottle of water and a snack if you like; and wear comfortable shoes and weather appropriate clothing. The refuge has a daily fee of $3.00 per four adults. This can be paid at the kiosk outside the visitor center. If you have a pass for the refuge, please keep it with you and don't leave it in your vehicle. Read more details about the refuge here. There are well-maintained restrooms available at the visitor center.
*** RATTLESNAKE AND CHRISTMAS LAKES WALK ***
DATE: TUESDAY, MAY 17
TIME: Meet at 7 AM to carpool.
DONATION: $25 suggested donation to Eastside Audubon for Birdathon.
MEETING PLACE: At the uncovered Tibbetts Lot at 1675 Newport Way NW, Issaquah.
REGISTRATION: REQUIRED. Registration link here. Contact trip leader Andy McCormick at 425-518-0892 with any questions.
DESCRIPTION: Rattlesnake and Christmas Lakes offer a variety of habitats for spring birding in the Cascade foothills near North Bend. We will walk on a paved trail with some slight inclines along the shore of Rattlesnake Lake looking for MacGillivray’s Warbler, Rufous Hummingbird, Warbling Vireo, Spotted Sandpiper, and Osprey. Then we’ll follow the Christmas Lake gravel and dirt foot trail looking for Pacific-slope flycatchers, hoping for an Olive-sided Flycatcher (uncommon), Hairy and Pileated Woodpeckers, various swallows, Yellow and Black-throated Gray Warblers, and Common Yellowthroat. The old red alders, second-growth conifers, black cottonwoods, wetlands and lake provide a variety of habitats and possibly some unexpected species. Total walking distance is about three miles over paved, gravel, and dirt paths. Bring binoculars, camera, (scope is optional), lunch, water and a snack. Dress for the weather. We will return by early afternoon. Carpool cost is $9.00.
ALTERNATIVE MEETING PLACE: Those who prefer to meet at Rattlesnake Lake take I-90 east and Exit 32 to turn right onto 436th Ave SE. Drive 5 miles to the Rattlesnake Lake parking area. Please arrive by 7:45 AM.
*** LAKE SAMMAMISH STATE PARK WALK ***
2000 NW Sammamish Road, Issaquah, WA 98027
DATE: SATURDAY, MAY 21
TIME: 8 AM – 10:30 AM
DONATION: $25 suggested donation to Eastside Audubon for Birdathon.
MEETING PLACE: Lake Sammamish State Park’s rotunda picnic shelter.
REGISTRATION: NOT REQUIRED. Contact Lori by email at lddanielson@gmail.com with any questions.
DESCRIPTION: Join Lori for a birding tour at Issaquah’s Lake Sammamish State Park. Meet at 8:00 AM at the park’s rotunda picnic shelter, visible near the park entrance. The walk will be at a leisurely pace on flat terrain and will take approximately 2.5 hours. Please bring your binoculars, water and a snack if you like. Wear comfortable shoes and weather appropriate clothing. A Washington State Park Discover Pass is required.
Photo credit: Silverbill Birds by Sajis Rashan De Silva.
Tree Snags: When Decay and Death Mean Habitat and Life
Tree Snags: When Decay and Death Mean Habitat and Life
Written by Mary Johnson of the Sammamish Stewards
Several years ago, during a routine visual inspection of the trees in our yard, the arborist noticed a crack in the bark near the base of one of our Douglas-fir trees. A subsequent resistograph test, which looks at the condition of a tree’s internal structure, revealed significant decay. This structural defect meant potential trouble, given that the tree was growing close to our house. Even worse, it stood between our house and the direction of the prevailing winds, which often blow fiercely from the southwest during the fall and winter months.
Northern Flicker looking out from atop the snag.
We made the difficult decision to remove the tree. But instead of having the 125-foot tree cut down to its base—the usual approach to solving the problem of a hazardous tree—our arborist encouraged us to snag it. Snagging involved reducing the tree in size to about 30 feet, a height where it was unlikely to fall over or break under a windload as it slowly decayed over time.
We further learned that creating a snag, or a standing dead tree, would provide essential habitat for birds, small mammals, and other wildlife. In comparison, cutting the tree to the ground meant destroying habitat and losing all the vital ecosystem services the tree had been providing over its lifetime. Snagging made sense. Especially when so much habitat is being lost in our urban areas due to building construction.
The top of our snag was made to look like it had been broken in a storm. It’s since become a frequent perch for northern flickers, who have a 360-degree view of their territory.
Pileated Woodpecker working on the bark of the snag.
As the wood began to decay and the early decomposers set up shop, it wasn’t long before we began to see pileated woodpeckers dropping by on insect-hunting expeditions, making their characteristic rectangular-shaped holes in the bark as they excavated.
Smaller and rounder excavation holes started to appear up and down the trunk, evidence of the northern flickers and other woodpeckers at work. Eventually, some of these holes will deepen and become cavities—in short supply in the urban landscape—providing needed nesting sites for chickadees, nuthatches, and other cavity nesters.*
Just the other day, we witnessed an avian drama play out as a pair of chestnut-backed chickadees arrived and began to peck away at a starter hole, working diligently through the morning to enlarge it wood chip by wood chip. Suddenly a northern flicker appeared on the scene, driving the chickadees away, and taking over the hole. In the end, the hole was abandoned—for now anyway.
And then there’s the occasional brown creeper that drops by and spirals up the trunk as it probes the bark crevices for insects using its long, downward-curving bill. As the bark continues to loosen, will this tiny bird one day find a suitable nesting spot under it?
As the decay progresses, the fungi are thriving too. Recently, an impressive clump of mushrooms sprouted near the base of the trunk.
Fungi sprouting from the decaying snag.
For now, the snag in our yard is a vertical habitat. Eventually though it will fall to the ground, and an entirely new ecosystem will begin. The downed log will provide food and shelter to plants and animals as it rots and recycles nutrients back into the soil.
Snagging a tree might not be a viable option in all circumstances. But when it is, a standing dead tree is a wise investment in habitat creation and helping to maintain biodiversity.
*According to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, west of the Cascade Mountains 39 species of birds and 14 species of mammals depend on tree cavities for their survival. “Living with Wildlife. Snags – The Wildlife Tree. The Importance of Snags in Your Neighborhood.” Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, 2011.
Photo Credit: Red-breasted Nuthatch by Jerry McFarland.
Marymoor Park Restoration Achievements
Marymoor Park Restoration Achievements
Graphic provided by Eliza Kronenberger, an at-large board member with a focus in conservation at Eastside Audubon
Birdathon is Next Month!
Birdathon is Next Month!
by Lori Danielson
Get ready to join Eastside Audubon in May 2022 for our most rewarding fundraiser: Birdathon! You can participate in any of several birding trips, count birds as a family, or make a donation to support our chapter’s conservation, education, and advocacy work. Birdathon is like a walkathon, a bike-a-thon, or dance-a-thon. It’s a way to put the fun in fundraising by getting lots of people excited about conservation. Like a walkathon, participants gather pledges from friends, family, work colleagues, and others who want to help Eastside Audubon keep providing the great programs we offer the community. Instead of getting a pledge of $1.00 per mile walked, bird enthusiasts ask for a pledge for each bird seen by a person or team. Audubon chapters all over the country hold this entertaining and creative event during the month of May.
The pandemic forced a halt to this traditional chapter fundraiser over the past two years, but we’re working to revive it. We’ll soon post the list of birding trips and related activities, so please watch our Birdathon page and our calendar for updates. Flock with us this May to support the chapter!
Photo Credit: Mick Thompson.
Bird Photos for Slide Projector
Bird Photos for Slide Projector
As EAS prepares to move their location to another office, The Youth Education Committee has been reorganizing their materials and found a large box of bird projector slides that are no longer needed. They are old-fashioned slides used in slide projectors. If you are interested in taking the slides, anywho who can pick them up at the current EAS office is welcome to!
Please contact Mary Britton-Simmons for more information:
(425) 894-0100
marybs98272@gmail.com
President’s Letter: Springtime Events are Coming!
Photo of the Month
Wilson's Snipe
How to Look at Birds
Birding skills can be improved by looking at the whole bird before focusing on a single field mark. This theme is prominent in National Geographic Birding Essentials (Alderfer and Dunn, 2005). In the chapter on Identifying Birds the authors discuss the process of looking at birds using four attributes: size, structure, plumage, and behavior, which I summarize below.
Eastside Audubon Office to Move
Eastside Audubon Office to Move
At the end of June 2022, Eastside Audubon’s lease with the Northlake Unitarian Universalist Church for office space will end. The church had asked us to reduce our office space by half by July 2022, down to approximately 210 square feet, in order to renew our lease. The board felt that such a significant reduction wasn’t feasible due to the amount of educational material, bird mounts and equipment we have, plus the need to have working space for our Executive Director, volunteers and interns. So we’re embarking on the search for a new office location.
We want to thank the church for providing our organization space for many years (decades!) and being a good partner and accommodating landlord.
We plan to continue using the church’s sanctuary for our monthly membership meetings when they resume in person, but we’re looking for new office and storage space on the eastside. We need your help in that search.
Do you have commercial real estate experience or knowledge of potential nonprofit space that could be leased or shared? If so, the board wants your assistance. Please contact Jeremy Lucas at jeremy.lucas79@gmail.com to learn more.