Good Birding Today!

My backyard became a feast for no less than 20 - 30 Juncos, 3 Towhees, and 3 Varied Thrush this afternoon. It was a treat to watch the Junco's flit back and forth among themselves pecking at whatever they thought was good to eat on the ground about 2:30pm. Grey clouds were moving in by 3PM and it seemed so much later in the evening. I hope it doesn't snow, but it just might.

Yesterday evening there was a small flock of geese that flew over quite low and were heading East. I wonder where they were headed. I'll have to check my pond and lake maps for the nearest water body. I imagine a few have iced over in the past few days.

The Varied Thrush are uncommon visitors here and as soon as I attempted to snap a photo... I was spotted and they flew off!

[AND Thank you, C. Southwick for the wonderful idea. Wrapping a hummingbird feeder in Christmas lights just might be the trick to keeping the ice away! ]

Cross Posted to TWEETERS

Yelm's New Record in the Yard Bird Race

Yelm participated in the 6th annual Yard Bird Race.  Yard Bird Race put Yelm on the birding map this year for the first time ever and created a new record.  :)
 

"Hi, just wanted to thank you for YardBirdRacing this year.  (Check out the tweeters report of today that includes as highlights the new Yelm record, btw).

 

Hope you have a great holiday season and another great next year!

 

 

Cheers,

 

Ed Newbold"

Thanks, Mr. Newbold, for sponsoring the race ~ that was alot of fun. :)

Sunny Day Wednesday

Two very large flocks of geese flew East on Wednesday, December 23, 2009.  There were three "V" formations and one small line. Each "V" consisted of about 30 geese and they flew side by side in two V patterns, the smallest line flew in the middle.

Does this mean that these two flocks have different "leaders"?

The Merlin/Hawk was spotted today sitting atop an electric line, in an open area, 1/8 of mile from where he/she was spotted several weeks ago.  Still pale grey breast (fluffy today), flat tucked head, long thin tail, very small in stature.

Flying just two blocks North of where I live there were also two Bald Eagles circling less than 1/4 mile away from the Merlin/Hawk.

A robin visited my yard Wednesday, too along with the usual Junco's, Towhee's, Black capped chickadees, and Jays.

There was also a visit from a woodpecker, but he was too high into the trees for me to identify his profile/shadow.

It was great to see the Merlin/Hawk back, especially with the Bald Eagles flying within a very short distance from his perch. 

Burien, WA had an episode on the news last night where two Bald Eagles were fighting in someone's residential backyard.  I have never heard of Bald Eagles fighting before - so I found that interesting to say the least.  The poor homeowner heard the ruckus from inside his home and definitely said that that THUMP wasn't a squirrel!  The Bald Eagles were actually duking it out within 2 feet of the homeowners house in his backyard and may have rolled off of the roof fighting!

Silo Birds

Yesterday, in the late afternoon about 30 minutes before dark, I noticed 2 pigeons or doves flying into a Silo on Ordway. Grey with black wing markings.

Yelm Yard Bird Race winding down

December 31st will be here before I know it and with the end of the year comes the end of the first Thurston County Yelm Yard Bird Race. This year has certainly passed quickly for me.

Yard Bird Race Counties 2009


Whatcom
Thurston
San Juan
Snohomish
Skagit
Pierce
Mason
King
Jefferson
Island
Gray's Harbor
Clark

Sunning predators

Unidentified bird with a black head, clinging to a tree drumming for
sap or bugs, drumming pattern of 5 or 6 stopping momentarily looking
around, back to drumming with 5 or 6 beats, black wings with a solid
white bar down its wing edges, long pointy beak, black tail - wasn't
able to see underside tail area or breast. Very small bird, but not
as small as a brown tree creeper. The only drummer this week!

A black capped chickadee does frequent a side yard feeder, while the
Junco's prefer to ground feed and flit among the evergreen branches.
Some hover. The Towhee's enjoy the bath when the ice is replaced with
water and will feed at a plate placed in the bath of millet seed.
Once it appeared that the Towhee's AND the Junco's were at the bath
togather. These Towhee's have more brown across their breast than the
illustrations in Peterson's. Usually the Towhee's will come after the
Junco's. There is one small bird, smaller than a Warbler, that has
three yellow stripes across its crown sided by black stripes who is
friendly. He hopped right up to a branch within a foot or less of me
as I replaced the bath water. There were so many birds enjoying this
bath I couldn't count them all this week! Most were a flock of
Junco's.

There were several predatory birds flying around yesterday afternoon
in the sun at an altitude of 1,500 ft. and 500 ft. and less. One Bald
Eagle flying with two other Bald Eagles. They circled for several
minutes high over the tree tops. There was a commotion of Crows that
distracted my viewing and harrassing what appeared to be the light
grey Merlin who frequented two or three weeks ago. The Merlin appears
to be in the same general location as he was the first time I spotted
him. He must be nesting nearby. It's flight pattern, much different
from that of a hawk and its wings taking a more angular shape. The
crow was able to get within two feet or less of the Merlin and was
flying in a straight line towards him when the Merlin changed
direction. It (The Merlin) darted sharply up and swiftly turned as
the Crow attempted to chase the Merlin away just above the tree tops.
After this commotion the juvenille Bald Eagle flew North just above
the tree tops and one Bald Eagle flew East. The Bald Eagles appear to
be circling over the nearby man-made lake. Looking hungry perhaps and
sunning. There were no clouds yesterday afternoon.

Repost TWET

Yelm TWEETS near and far

In an attempt to find other Yelm birders or  posts from TWEETERS that relate to the Yelm area, I  searched the TWEETERS Archive from 1999 to 2009.  There were  55 posts or articles on six pages. The recent posts from Yelm (yours truely).

[Tweeters] At the feeders on a cool afternoon


[Tweeters] Female Northern red shafted Flicker


[Tweeters] Cool morning made feeder a hit with added water


[Tweeters] Are there variations in Pileated woodpecker?


[Tweeters] A pair of unknown woodpeckers taking a drink


[Tweeters] What have the swallows disappeared to in Thurston County?


[Tweeters] What have the swallows disappeared to in Thurston County?


[Tweeters] Crows, windows, and puppy chow Thurston County


[Tweeters] Oregon Junco Thurston County


[Tweeters] Six Stellar Jay's 19June Thurston County


[Tweeters] Red-breasted Sapsuckers, Yelm, Thurston County

[Tweeters] Flock of geese heard, Oct. 22, Yelm, Thurston County

[Tweeters] A Mourning Dove Yelm, Thurston County

[Tweeters] 25 Geese, Yelm, Thurston County

[Tweeters] Townsend's Warbler, Dark Eyed Junco, and Chickadees, Yelm, Thurston County

[Tweeters] Bald Eagle, Nisqually River, Yelm, Thurston County

[Tweeters] Flock of 20 geese, Thurston County, Yelm, October 18

[Tweeters] Identified and unidentified birds and bills or beaks?

[Tweeters] Thursday, September 24th 5PM - Large flock in a straight line heads south of Yelm

[Tweeters] Help with bird ID please

The majority made references to areas near Yelm and NOT the specific location of Yelm.  Here are the links in no particular order.

[Tweeters] Whidbey birding?

[Tweeters] RACING NEWS: will any records fall?

[Tweeters] Cooper's Hawks in Olympia

[Tweeters] What have the swallows disappeared to in Thurston County?

[Tweeters] What have the swallows disappeared to in Thurston County?

[Tweeters] Thurston County, Yelm Backyard , 7/9/09

[Tweeters] Crows, windows, and puppy chow Thurston County

[Tweeters] Pileated photo op

[Tweeters] Reprise: Pileated photo op (hopefully not ooops)

[Tweeters] RE: hybrid? - Robin feeding mother or baby or ?

[Tweeters] Re: Hummers gone

[Tweeters] RACING NEWS, cougar shot

[Tweeters] Hummingbird and shrike, Thurston County

[Tweeters] Lightpole birdnest tangle

[Tweeters] Bald Eagle Thurston County Yelm

[Tweeters] Bohemian Waxwing Thurston County Yelm

[Tweeters] Can you identify this Thurston County bird?

[Tweeters] Notes from Roy -- 3-12-2008 -- Shrike, Bluebirds, RTHA early incubation, and more

[Tweeters] My lost Peregrine

[Tweeters] "red" Fox Sparrow returns to Tenino 12/1

[Tweeters] Re: Mountain Bluebird records in Thurston Co.

[Tweeters] hooded mergansers

[Tweeters] grtr white fronted geese/eagles tri-cities

[Tweeters] update on Tenino redpoll

[Tweeters] Dec 4: Redpoll in Tenino

Yellow-br Chat makes for 9-warbler morning

Townsend's Solitaire, Olympia

RFI: Northern Bobwhite and White-tailed Kite

July 2003 turkey vulture report

Cascadia Hummingbird Report - 04/07/2003

Spring is here...or so it seems

Birding by bicycle

Collared Cackler, White Fronts, Mtn Blubrd

October 2001 turkey vulture report

Fishin' Crows

Mandarin/Wood Duck differentiation

South Sound Signs of Spring

Wood Ducks, swans, shrike

N. shrike & S. goose

Scrub Jay in SE Lacey

Washington Birdbox June 18 to June 26, 1999

Washington Birdbox June 18 to June 26, 1999

Fw: LACEY CLEAR--CUT direction:

LACEY CLEAR-CUT DIRECTION:

A few grassland birds, pied robin

Tweeters] Red-breasted Sapsuckers, Yelm, Thurston County

[Tweeters] Flock of geese heard, Oct. 22, Yelm, Thurston County

[Tweeters] A Mourning Dove Yelm, Thurston County

[Tweeters] 25 Geese, Yelm, Thurston County

[Tweeters] Townsend's Warbler, Dark Eyed Junco, and Chickadees, Yelm, Thurston County

[Tweeters] Bald Eagle, Nisqually River, Yelm, Thurston County

[Tweeters] Flock of 20 geese, Thurston County, Yelm, October 18

[Tweeters] Identified and unidentified birds and bills or beaks?

[Tweeters] Thursday, September 24th 5PM - Large flock in a straight line heads south of Yelm

[Tweeters] 2 Marbled Murrelets

Red breasted Nuthatch

The bird feeders here are strangely quiet as the Junco's prefer to ground feed now back in the area where the Merlin or Hawk flew in last week or so.  A change of position from last week under brushy cover.

A Red-breasted Nuthatch visited a little known feeder here.  One of this feeders first visitors since summer.

The Stellar Jays will hit the feeder near the bath so that he can eat the seed that falls - they have gobbled up 3 feeders full of seed in just a couple of days.  I've since stopped using the feeder and broadcast some seed, instead. The order of the "bath":  Junco's bathe, Stellar Jays (mainly to feed and do not bathe) and then the Towhee's.

There are a few different colored Junco's within the flock.  Some have dark eyes and slate colored heads, others have dark black heads.

A flock of European Starlings were feeding in a field down the road and a flock of Crows feed less than a 1/4 mile from them.

I noticed one day while visiting Puyallup that there are flocks and flocks of birds roosting between the commercial signage on the roadside.  I suppose that makes a good wind break and roosting between the opposing signs keeps them warmer at night.

Red-breasted Nuthatch - Left

Black capped Chickadee - Right

The Nutchatch that visited the feeder, had a more prominant black stripe across his eyes.  Did I mis-identify him?

Possibilities or Not ? of a Juv. Ivory Billed Woodpecker

Unfortunately, these birds will remain unidentified.

Posted today on TWET

Date: Sat, 21 Nov 2009 09:25:14 -0800

This drawing of a Ivory billed woodpecker...
http://www.birdlife.org/images/sized/200/ivory-billed_woodpecker.jpg.jpg


is the same overall shape of my unidentified woodpeckers that flew in this
summer in July.  The colors are off and I cannot gauge a size comparison to
my birds from the drawing. It would be exciting to see one or two - but I
cannot determine.

Previous post on un-identified woodpeckers:
A pair of unknown woodpeckers taking a drink
*Tue Jul 28 15:56:25 PDT 2009*
https://mailman2.u.washington.edu/mailman/htdig/tweeters/2009-July/072131.html

Not a pair of Kingfishers.
Not a pair of Green Herons.

The overall shape=matches, shape and size of beak or bill=matches, head
crest=matches, neck size and shape=matches, and tail feathers size and
shape=matches.

*The colors are totally wrong.*

I'm going to keep exploring until I can find a match.  This one is the
closest I've come so far and it is just too incredible, but exciting to see
a close match. Learning all the while..... :)

Cornell has listed these "Cool Facts"

Cool Facts

• The Cuban form of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker was considered a separate species at one time. It closely resembled the bird from the United States, but it had a slightly smaller bill and the white neck stripes extended farther onto the face. It suffered the same fate as the mainland form, disappearing as the mature forests were destroyed. The last confirmed sighting was made in 1986. Some may still persist in southeastern Cuba, but it may be extinct.
• The Ivory-billed Woodpecker is very similar to the larger and very closely related Imperial Woodpecker of Mexico. The Imperial Woodpecker, the largest woodpecker in the world, lacked the white neck stripes and had a longer, thinner crest. It was a bird of mature pine forests, and also is likely extinct.
• Bills of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker were used as decorations by native Americans and a thriving trade in them existed across much of North America. The presence of Ivory-billed Woodpecker skulls in excavations of archaeological sites outside of the known range of the woodpecker show the extent of the trade and not an ancient range for the species.
• The Cornell Lab of Ornithology was involved in an attempt to relocate the Ivory-billed Woodpecker in Louisiana in 2002. Go here for details of that search and more information on Ivory-billed Woodpeckers. No ivory-bills were found, and a potential double-knock was determined to be gunshots. Read a report of the expedition published in BirdScope The story of the successful hunt for the species in Arkansas in 2004 and 2005 can be found here.

Measurements

Both Sexes

Length

18.1–20.1 in 46–51 cm

Wingspan

29.9–31.5 in 76–80 cm

Weight

15.9–20.1 oz 450–570 g

Other Names

• Le pic noir a bec blanc (French)
• El carpintero real (Spanish) 

Still reading further at Cornell I have found that the juvenille Ivory billed Woodpecker:

Immature Description

Juvenile similar to adult, but has shorter crest, browner plumage, and brown eyes. [THAT FITS !]

Cornell even indicates that the Pileated closely matches the description of the Ivory Billed. I am dumbfounded at the possibility. And will certainly have to investigate further....knowing that the Ivory billed is out of range, of course.

Previous post  - Are there variations in Pileated woodpecker? Tue Jul 28 18:49:16 PDT 2009

Cornell also states that the historical range of the Ivory billed woodpecker DOES NOT include Washington.

• Approximate boundary of the early historical range of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker in the United States and Cuba. Adapted from Tanner 1942 and Jackson 2004. Source: The Birds of North America Online.

If your sighting is not within one of these states, you probably saw a Pileated Woodpecker. For more information about the Pileated Woodpecker, please visit the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's Online Bird Guide

• Alabama
• Arkansas
• Florida
• Georgia
• Illinois     
• Kentucky
• Louisiana
• Mississippi
• Missouri
• North Carolina
• Oklahoma
• South Carolina
• Tennessee
• Texas

I have a question about the historical range of a bird that was once labeled as "extinct" and "endangered"? I'm missing much information here on what the Ivory billed woodpeckers historical range entails, how this birds historical range was determined, and what methods or thought processes are formed in maintaining this "historical range" from 1942 and 2004 or throughout (1942 to 2004?) for an extinct or rarely sighted bird?. The USFW and Cornell website does not have enough information for me. The idea that there was an Ivory billed woodpecker seen in Arkansas has been viewed as "sketchy", "incredulous", etc.

What I witnessed did not fit a color description of an adult Pileated Woodpecker or a juvenile. The dark red/orange breast coloring (all the way up the neck front), does not fit a Pileated Woodpecker's description juvenile or adult. Their neck was longer, their crest not as pointed, their crest were grey/black,  and the birds were LARGER than that of a Pileated. Unfortunately, these birds will remain unidentified.

USFW descriptions

 See also Cormorants! Double Crested and Pelagic!

And "Cormarants are not woodpeckers". 

Fox Sparrow

A Fox Sparrow hopped into the bird bath this week.  He didn't mind that I stood 6' away while he was bathing, and wrestling about in the water.  [Sooty]

The Merlin or Hawk has not re-appeared in the past few days.  There are at least two squirrel nests that I should watch, too, just in case squirrels are not living in them!

The Junco's have taken to feeding in a thicker brush cover, than earlier this week.

I did happen to notice a lone gull flying north and east over the canal, which I thought odd. I have never noticed a gull in the City of Yelm and to see a gull flying over small tree tops and a  field North of Yelm, just felt out of place.

There are several water bodies within 10 miles or more of Yelm:

YELM OUTSKIRT AREA LAKES

N=LEWIS LAKE
NNE=MUCK LAKE CHAMBERS LAKE DOLLMAN LAKE SHAVER LAKE 

S=GOODWIN LAKE LAWRENCE LAKE
SE=HARTS LAKE  LITTLE LAKE TULE LAKE
SW=GERHKE LAKE INMAN LAKE McINTOSH LAKE

E=(IN ROY=LAKE S. or C.)STIDHAM LAKE TANWAX LAKE CLEAR LAKE KAPOWSIN LAKE TWIN LAKE BYRON LAKE 


W=FAGAN LAKE FT LEWIS FIANDER LAKE

More info on Fox Sparrow:

Kingdom Animalia  -- Animal, animals, animaux   
     Phylum Chordata  -- chordates, cordado, cordés   
        Subphylum Vertebrata  -- vertebrado, vertebrates, vertébrés   
           Class Aves  -- Birds, oiseaux   
              Order Passeriformes  -- passereaux, Perching Birds   
                 Family Emberizidae  -- American Sparrows, Buntings, Emberizid Finches, New World Sparrows, Towhees   
                    Genus Passerella Swainson, 1837 -- Fox Sparrows   
                       Species Passerella iliaca (Merrem, 1786) -- bruant fauve, Fox Sparrow, Gorrión rascador



http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/id/framlst/i5850id.html

http://thebirdguide.com/fox/fox.htm 

Merlin or Hawk and migration

BirdWeb's classification system for abundance when left BLANK - "Has occurred less than annually (if at all) in very small numbers or at great intervals."  Determinations of abundance or frequency are not solely reflected by a singular birding guide and, in fact, abundance and frequency in general may not be addressed for each of the subspecies of Merlin excepting migration and breeding.




Merlins are commonly found throughout western Washington, including urban areas, in winter and during migration. -BirdWeb

Upon searching the Archives,  a post from December 13, 2007, [URL ref: FRG] indicated that Richardson's Merlin in Western Washington is "pretty rare".  The Richardson's Merlin was also referenced as the "Prairie Parkland" in this post. [ Boreal ref. Tiaga URL.]

Most posts searched in the Archives reference the Taiga Merlin, a brown colored Merlin, which is decidedly the most common, as is the black in Western Washington. A post from British Columbia ref. "Merlin Prairie Falcon"?  I believed the Prairie Falcon to be different from that of a Merlin of three varieties: [ typonymic, subspecific, color description] Prairie - richardsonii, a very light grey; Pacific or Black- suckleyii, and  Taiga - columbaris, brown. The Archives and have found 27 references to the Richardson's variety, 76 references to the Taiga variety.  The only Archive post for term Merlin suckleyii URL. Merlin Pacific 517 or Merlin Black 1242.

At 12 feet from the bird, my visualization of its wing shape and flight pattern indicated strongly that this bird was not a hawk. But, I could be wrong. I did not get to see his head, eyes or full breast, as his head was tucked and facing away from me and he was quick! He swooped in from either the top of a nearby tree or from  above the tree.  I did not see him until he was 1/2 of the way down the side of the trunk, 10 feet above the ground. He flew nearly parallel and vertically to the tree trunk where he flew forward 6ft and likely scooped up a Junco 2 ft off of the ground. A small group of 15-20 Junco's were feeding in this lightly treed area. Another group of 10 or so Juncos were feeding 30ft away in another lightly treed, brushy spot. An alert was called that sounded like a Steller's Jay.  I thought the alert was due to the squirrel that had wandered inside the group's feeding area.  I saw a flash of his underside after he gained my attention, which was fluffy and white on his undertail as he picked up a Junco or ? tip toed and stretched out his legs mid-air for nothing? He then flew sharply to his right 6ft. which was directly in front of me by much less than 12 feet and was 3ft off of the ground.  He had smooth feathers on his backside which were a very very light shade of grey.  He sharply turned left again for 8ft or so where he finally turned again right picking up altitude all the while from 3ft off of the ground to 5'  to 8ft where he flew outside of my vision.  I will have to study Sharp-shinned hawks much further, obviously.

 "To get a positive ID, you'd need to see all five tails bands (all five bordered by dark), the presence of anterior barring on the outermost primary and complete barring on the second most distal spot on the posterior vane of the outermost primary."

     "Wheeler and Clark's Photographic Guide lists male sharp-shinned's as being 9-11 inches long, and weighing 3-4 ounces.  They show a nice picture of the back view on page 34, photo SS05."

    "Kate Davis, Falcons of North America (2008) lists a male Merlin as 9 to 11 inches long as well, and weighs 5.6 to 6 ounces.  So if one were looking for the smaller of the two, the sharp-shinned actually weighs a good bit less."

There was this recent post from the Archives which held a link for photographs of Merlin's. There are others that were sent to me in emails that I will have to dig out and place links to here, as well as book references for hawks and raptors.

• "Hawks in Flight" URL
• Raptors of western North America by Brian K Wheeler, Princeton University Press
• Kate Davis, Falcons of North America (2008) 

The mapped area presented as a guide on BirdWeb suggest that the migration of (Tiaga) Merlin more closely matches the central area of Washington along the western most portion of the mountain range and does not include a migratory range of Thurston County for the Richardson's variety, but the brown Tiaga migration into "the US, Central America, and northern South America." [Prairie Merlins occur in the state, passing through in migration. -BirdWeb] The Patuxent Center indicates that the Prairie Merlin, "Breeder and resident in prairies of south-central Canada and the upper Midwest of the United States with some moving south to New Mexico." What is 50 miles to a bird that travels from Canada to Central America or Mexico during migration?

Given the little guide information that I have absorbed through 5 birding guides and BirdWeb I can say that the migratory pattern's of the Tiaga Merlin have been studied, somewhat?, whereas the Prairie Richardson's variety has not much information on migration in the birding guides. I will have to keep studying to determine. It it also good to note that the varieties interbreed in Canada. [ref. Canada, Merlin, TWET].


[*Contrary to BirdWeb, the Merlin is not Uncommon West of the Cascades per Tweeters Alerts Admin. Nov. 14, 2009 http://www.birdweb.org/birdweb/bird_details.aspx?value=search&id=112 
UNCOMMON meaning=" Found in small numbers, and usually—but not always—found with some effort in appropriate habitat at the right time of year".]

Merlin

As I was watching an assortment of Junco's feed, a Merlin swooped in flying low to the ground with arched wings. He was grey with four white stripes on his very long square tail. - November 12, 2009 near dusk.


It was quite exciting to see a Merlin considering the number of Junco's that were around just before dark.  One Junco had just chirped out in alarm that was somewhat ignored.  A resident squirrel, who also frequents that particular feeding area, had just wandered in looking for food and may have been used as part of a distraction so that the Merlin could feed on a tasty Junco.  I am not aware if Merlin's hunt using distractions? The Merlin was quite low to the ground at less than two feet - so the likelihood is great that he snatched a Junco. Not much else around that he would enjoy - I imagine that it appeared a feast with the number of Junco's available at over 15 Junco's with in 3ft-10ft of his "swoop" and another 10 Junco's 20ft-30ft  away opposite.




I don't believe that it was a Sharp-shinned Hawk due to the overall grey coloring of the back of the bird, the smoothness of its wing feather tips/shape,  the four white stripes across its tail feathers and its tail feather shape, its overall size was quite small - considering most predators. I was within 30 feet and quite shocked that something other than a crow would swoop around me and a few 4ft trees/bushes so agilely and with much speed!




This Merlin was very light grey, unlike most of the examples in two different book titles.  I have issue with both titles in their descriptions of the light grey form of Merlin (F. c. suckleyi) - as described by : 1) Birds of Washington State by Bell and Kennedy and 2) Western Birds by Roger Peterson. 


Unfortunately, I did not view the underside of this bird or its tucked head.


Peterson describes the prairie form as "paler, lacking mustaches." and the Coastal NW form as "dusky, lacking light eyebrow stripe." However, the identification photos list a brown "columbarius", a dark grey/black "richordsonii" and two forms of "suckleyi" one grey the other very light grey.




Bell and Kennedy in the title, Birds of Washington State, has a coloring description that confuses me further by indicating that the [quote] "Black Merlin" (F. C. suckleyi) is most often seen along the coast and inland in western regions.  The less dark "Taiga Merlin" (F. C. columbarius) is seen mostly east of the Cascades. The paler "Prairie Merlin" (F. C. richardsonii) may occur rarely in eastern Washington." [endquote].




Birds of Washington State indiciates "columbarius" as the "Tiaga Merlin" which is less dark than that of the "suckleyi" or "Black Merlin".  Peterson's title, Western Birds, offers a clearer example of "suckleyi" as being the lightest grey of all Merlin's.




The two descriptions of "richardsonii" and "suckleyii" rival one another.


 I had ruled out an accipitor due to this birds tightly formed, smoothly lying wing tip feathers that formed a sharp angle.  The bird was witnessed  while swooping and tightly turning with its wings held in a very specific arch whereby its wing tip feathers formed a tight downward angle leaving no spaces between its wing tip or wing edge feathers. Am I wrong to say that it wasn't an accipitor due to its wing feather tips forming a tight mass, but not held to its breast?  I believed accipitors to have spaces between their wing tip feathers and have a more rounded appearance.


The Junco's were not at a bird feeder, but in a patch of lightly treed ground (ie "feeding area")  There is a field a short distance from
this feeding area, where I have also found predated dead birds, and have seen falcons flying overhead (wing tips in flight differ from an
accipitor) .  This is in close proximity to a densely wooded area with many felled and cavity filled deadwood trees.  All with a modest range of the Nisqually River and Walden Creek.


Merlin Photo - how beautiful!  The bird I witnessed was a much lighter shade of grey and had a very very long square tail with four bars of white, where the end of its tail feathers was also barred white.  This photo depicts a short tail in comparison, but its feather composition seems to match (very fine - compact feathers).


http://www.tubbsphoto.com/-/tubbsphoto/detail.asp?photoID=6949450&cat=38975


Sharp Shinned Hawk - the tail does match the length of my bird, but its feather composition appears too large and not as finely composed as my bird.


http://www.tubbsphoto.com/-/tubbsphoto/detail.asp?photoID=5731172&cat=38975


Contrary to BirdWeb, the Merlin is not Uncommon West of the Cascades per Tweeters Alerts Admin. Nov. 14, 2009
http://www.birdweb.org/birdweb/bird_details.aspx?value=search&id=112

New watercolours after 21yrs, 1st 2 hour bird study

Orange Crowned Warbler, Black Capped Chickadee, Townsend's Warbler, Juv. Brown Creeper, Stellar's Jay

This is a quick 2hr watercolour that was painted this weekend. The last time I used this medium was 21 years ago.  lol

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SUCCESS STORIES
Local Education Campaigns
The Humane Society for Seattle/King Co., Progressive Animal Welfare Society, Seattle Audubon Society, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Seattle Animal Control, King County Wildlife Program, and ABC formed the Puget Sound Cats Indoors Coalition. A new brochure was produced using local information and resources. The brochures are being distributed to the public through festivals, veterinarians, and animal shelters.

Local media has covered the issue. Action: Find local partners and conduct an education campaign in your area.

State-wide Campaigns
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FFWCC) and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Nongame Wildlife Program (MNDNR) are conducting state-wide Cats Indoors! Campaigns. Part-time coordinators have distributed
thousands of brochures and posters to veterinarians, humane societies, animal control agencies, wildlife rehabilitators, and nature centers throughout their state. The FFWCC also produced their own brochure, Impacts of Feral and Free-Ranging Domestic Cats on Wildlife in Florida. The MNDNR issued a state-wide press
release and distributed the TV PSA to major TV stations. Both agencies have Web pages on cats and a link to ABC's Cats Indoors! Web page.

Action: Encourage your state wildlife agency to adopt the
campaign, distribute materials, publish articles in their
publications, and create Web pages on the issue.


Page 3
SUCCESS STORIES
Media Campaigns
Each year, ABC and Wild Bird Centers of America co-sponsor National Keep Your Cat Indoors Day on the second Saturday in May in conjunction with International Migratory Bird Day. A children's poster competition is held to help publicize the event, and to teach kids that it is better for cats and wildlife when cats are kept indoors. ABC issues national press releases announcing the event and the winners. The releases and posters can be viewed and downloaded from our Web site. To celebrate the day in Los Alamos, NM, campaign supporters produced a display for their local library, and got their county commissioners to pass a resolution
endorsing the day.

Action: Use these press releases to advertise the event and the issue in your area. Ask your county commissioners to pass a resolution endorsing Cats Indoors!
County Park Campaigns Populations of stray and feral cats can be a problem in parks and other natural areas because people abandon their pets there. If park managers
do not remove the cats immediately, the cat population can quickly explode, as happened in some Miami-Dade County parks in Florida. To deal with a growing problem, the Board of Commissioners strengthened the laws against abandoning and feeding animals, and authorized staff to humanely remove nuisance animals. Cat advocates, who fed cats in the parks for years, strongly objected. ABC, Tropical Audubon Society and others formed the Natural Areas Coalition of South Florida to support the new legislation. Cats from the park have been humanely trapped and are being kept in an outdoor cat sanctuary pending adoption. Cats are no longer fed in the parks.

Action: If stray and feral cats are a problem in your local parks, ask park staff and commissioners to pass and enforce ordinances that prohibit feeding and abandoning animals, and to enforce anti-litter laws. Volunteer to trap the cats and take them to a shelter. Educate the public on the cruelty of abandoning pets and the need to remove the cats from the park. Support the park's efforts in the media.

Page 4
SUCCESS STORIES
National Park Campaigns
Stray and feral cats were killing endangered Piping Plover, Least Tern, Black Skimmer, American Oystercatcher and other shorebirds that nest on the beaches of Cape Hatteras National Seashore. The National Park Service (NPS) hired a biologist to humanely trap the cats and take them to a local shelter. In partnership with The Nature Conservancy, they also hired a coordinator to conduct a Cats Indoors! Campaign for residents and tourists. Education materials were developed highlighting
local information on cats and birds, and were distributed with campaign brochures and posters to veterinarians, animal shelters, and public officials in communities along the shoreline. Staff visited area schools, and published articles on
the issue.

Action: If cats are a problem in a national park near you, encourage the park to conduct a similar campaign, and publicly support their efforts.
Local Ordinance Campaigns Complaints about cats getting into garbage, and spraying
prompted a campaign supporter in Viroqua, WI to bring up the need for a cat leash law at a city council meeting. The activist made copies of Cats Indoors! materials from ABC's Web site and gave them to every council member. She also circulated a
petition for signature. The public safety committee drafted the legislation, which was approved by the council.

Action: If there is a cat overpopulation problem in your community, ask your city or county commissioners to pass cat control ordinances. For more information, please see the fact sheets: Cat Licensing; Get the Facts About Cat Law; and The Importance of Local Cat Ordinances.


Page 5
Coalitions: The Sum is Greater Than the Parts
As you can see, whether you are working at the local or state level, establishing a Cats Indoors! coalition may be your first and most important step. Partnerships enable sharing the work, and help give your campaign more clout. Give your coalition a name to show backing, stability, and continuity.

Identify, inform, and ask for the involvement of groups and individuals with a natural interest in the campaign, such as conservation groups, bird and garden clubs, veterinarians, humane societies, animal control agencies, wildlife rehabilitators, nature centers, and state or local wildlife agencies. College students and faculty members, especially those in wildlife resources or environmental studies, may provide an excellent source for leaders and volunteers.
Humane societies may join your coalition because free-roaming cats are at greater risk of suffering and premature death. If your objective includes animal control legislation, the active involvement of humane societies is essential. However, if you are addressing the problem of people feeding stray cats, these groups may or may not help, or may be your primary opposition. However, you may be able to agree to
disagree on the issue of feral cats, but work together on the issue of cat owners
keeping their cats indoors, spayed or neutered, and never abandoned.

Coalition Ground Rules
Once your coalition is formed:
Establish and articulate goals, objectives, strategies, time lines, and budgets.
Agree on procedures for clearing public statements and communicating among partners.

Define and assign tasks.
Meet regularly and communicate through other means such as e-mail.
Acknowledge and thank coalition partners for their efforts during and after the
campaign.

Communicate with ABC to find out what’s going on elsewhere, but also to share your
good ideas with others.


Page 6
Develop Your Case - The Very First Step
Presenting solid and compelling data is the first step in altering entrenched beliefs and behaviors. ABC's Cats Indoors! education materials will support your effort. However, addressing this issue at local and state levels also requires
information specific to your situation. The following are some suggestions:
Identify the natural attributes of your community or state, such as species of resident and migratory birds, or threatened or endangered animals vulnerable to cat predation. Define specific problems in parks or beach areas; and document incidents of cat predation on wildlife. Many parks have an inventory of wildlife occurring there. Factor the economics of birding in your community or state into your local case for support.

Analyze cat overpopulation and related problems in your area. Become familiar with existing laws and regulations affecting cats and wildlife and how well they are working. Find out how many cats: enter local shelter(s) each year; are stray; are
reclaimed by owners; are adopted or euthanized; and how many nuisance calls are generated about cats. Build a catalogue of local stories, problems and case studies
that support your position.


Page 7
Campaign Components
Issue campaigns usually have four components:
Campaign Agenda: with education, policy, research, and action goals Communications: getting the word out Mobilizing the grassroots: letter writing, telephone calls, rallies.

Fundraising: covering the costs
Campaign Agenda
Campaign plans have to be realistic and reflect the resources activists can muster and their capacities overall to conduct local campaigns. Objectives may include elements of any of the previously mentioned campaigns. Keep in mind that you may need to respond to an initiative from another source, e.g. an animal control agency proposal to regulate free-roaming cats.

Whether appearing before a local parks authority or testifying before the state legislature, knowledge of how the public authority operates and the advocacy skills needed are vital. Coalition partners and grassroots manuals such as those listed here can be very helpful. Information from organizations who have experience in working with the decision making body also can be very useful.

Communications
The capacity to do public relations and media work to create public support is crucial. If a coalition partner cannot supply this essential expertise, grassroots organizing manuals including those referenced in this fact sheet provide good guidance. Media can include major news stories, opinion pieces, radio or television interviews, articles in group newsletters, or letters to the editor of local papers. Make use of the campaign print, radio, and TV PSAs available from ABC, and please share your press.

A word of caution: media coverage on this issue can be problematic. This issue can be emotional, and reporters may use it to pit cats vs. birds or else incorrectly reflect the conservation or cruelty issue. This is why it’s important to have compelling documentation about cat predation, hazards to cats who roam free (see Cats Indoors! materials), and to seek out reporters interested in conservation.

Page 8
Mobilizing the Grassroots
Decision makers can be swayed by the number of people they hear from and who
these people are. In addition to core support from coalition members, visits to
individual decision makers, and testifying at hearings, it may be useful to
organize letter-writing campaigns, phone call blitzes, and even rallies. The
bibliography includes guides for grassroots organizing techniques.

Fundraising
Many effective grassroots campaigns are run on very small budgets. Costs may
be incidental, e.g., postage. Fundraising can be labor-intensive. Seek out in-kind
and cash contributions and fundraising help from organizational partners. Many
grassroots organizing manuals offer excellent suggestions for small fundraising
activities, and fundraising events can also help build awareness of the issue.

Sources of Information for Organizing:
Following are resources on how to organize for change in your community which
can be found in libraries, book stores, the INTERNET, or from the organizations
listed.

Alinsky, S.D. 1971. Rules for Radicals: A Pragmatic Primer for Realistic Radicals.
Vintage Books. New York. 196 pp.
Bobo, K., J. Kendall, S. Max. 1991. Organizing for Social Change: A Manual for
Activists in the 1990s. Seven Locks Press, Cabin John, MD. 271 pp.
Also, please see the following web sites:
“The Virtual Activist”: www.netaction.org/training/
“The Foundation Center”: www.foundationcenter.org
“The National Database of Non-profit Organizations." www.guidestar.org

For more information, contact:
AMERICAN BIRD CONSERVANCY
CATS INDOORS! THE CAMPAIGN FOR SAFER BIRDS AND CATS
1731 Connecticut Ave, NW
Washington, DC 20009
Phone: 202/234-7181; Fax: 202/234-7182; E-mail: abc@abcbirds.org; Web si

Cats indoors and feral cats

Felines fatales
Cats indoors!

Christmas Bird Count

2009 / 2010 Washington State Christmas Bird Counts
Monday, December 14, 2009, through Tuesday, January 5, 2010
information@wos.org

Spotted Towhee and Steller's Jay

My suet, and bird feeders are taking a beating from the local Steller Jays. I did manage to sneak a peek at a Towhee yesterday. The Jays, I believe are chasing away other birds at my feeders. They have really dominated my feeders in the past few days.
I noticed a few ducks at the pond that looked like Canadian Geese.

Red-breasted Sapsucker

This bird flew in and landed right beside me on this tree trunk. He then flew to the backside of the tree line and was followed by another sapsucker. I was really lucky to get a photo.

Bird Books

The New York Times Book of Birds, Edited by Nicolas Wade, The Lyons
Press, c. 2001- Originally published title: The Science Times Book of
Birds.

Birding Washington, by Rob and Natalie McNair-Huff, A FalconGuide, The
Globe Pequot Press, c. 2005.

Backyard Birds of Washington, How to Identify and Attract the Top 25
Birds, by Bill Fenimore, Gibbs Smith, c. 2009.

A Birder’s Guide to Washington, by Hall Opperman with contributions
from WOS, American Birding Association, c. 2003.

Field Guide to the Birds of Western North America, National
Geographic, Ed. by Jon L. Dunn and Jonathan Alderfer, c. 2008.

Birds of Washington State, by Brian Bell, Lone Pine Publishing, c. 2006.

The Photographic Guide to Birds of the World, Ed. Dr. Andrew Gosler,
Mallard Press, c. 1991.

Sibley Field Guide to the Birds of western North America, by David
Allen Sibley, Alfred A. Knopf, c. 2003.

Smithsonian Field Guide to the Birds of North America, by Ted Floyd,
Scott & Nix - Harper Collins Publishers, c. 2008.

Western Birds, by Roger Tory Peterson, The Peterson Field Guide
Series, Houghton Mifflin, Co., c. 1990.

Birds of the Puget Sound, by Bob Morse Tom Aversa Hall Opperman, R. W.
Morse Co., c. 2003.

Thistle Feeder

I put out a thistle feeder, which was snubbed by my chickadees. I am hoping to see a finch or two but it seems rather late The chickadees have ravaged the back feeder twice in one weeks time and infrequently enjoy the side feeders.

Yelm’s Tree Board, Tree Program and Greenhouse

Why wasn’t the OAK planted in Yelm? The Yelm City Plan should NOW include Thurston County’s Conservation Ordinance.

YELM TREE ADVISORY BOARD
The City of Yelm is dedicated to protecting and enhancing its urban forest. In 1996 the City of Yelm created the Yelm Tree Advisory Board (YTAB). The Board performed a street tree inventory and evaluation, and created an ordinance for the protection of trees and vegetation in the City, and conservation during development. The City of Yelm has been a Tree City USA since 1996, and has been awarded the Arbor Day Growth Award for the years 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004 and 2005. The Tree Board also created the City of Yelm 5-Year Urban Forestry Strategic Plan, for 1998 – 2002. The plan was updated for another 5 years, resulting in the 5-Year Urban Forestry Strategic Plan for 2004-2008. The plan has been an invaluable tool for the City and the YTAB, insuring the care and maintenance of City trees, keeping the Tree Board active in the community, raising awareness of the importance of an urban forest, and seeking monetary support.
The Yelm Tree Advisory Board meets the last monday of every other month at 4:00 P.M. at the Yelm City Hall.

City of Yelm Tree Advisory Board Mission Statement

The Yelm Tree Board is empowered to:

Contribute to and maintain a comprehensive community tree management program for the care and establishment of trees on public property;
Promote proper tree maintenance;
Advocate no net loss of the community’s urban forestry canopy;
Make recommendations to the City Council concerning ordinances, rules, and regulations that pertain to trees on public and private property that best serve the interest of the community;
Obtain public testimony and/or input as deemed necessary;
Promote public education about trees;
Develop innovative and joint funding for an urban forestry program from a variety of sources.
Current Yelm Tree Advisory Board members are:
Shawn Batstone
Kristin Blalack
Glen Cunningham
John Graver
Ashley Hetzel
Tim Peterson
Rick Roberts

Kevin McFarland, City Forester
Nisha Box, Assistant Planner
TREE PROGRAM
ADOPT-A-TREE
Adopt-A-Tree is the Yelm Tree Advisory Board’s (YTAB) fund raising campaign. The YTAB is working closely with the City of Yelm to raise funds to help maintain and improve Yelm’s urban forest.

What is an Urban Forest?

The land in and around a community, occupied or potentially occupied by trees, is an urban forest. This land includes parks, public planting strips, and trees on private property. In general, the urban forest is made up of all the trees in a community.

A Separate Fund

All the money raised through the Adopt-A-Tree program goes into a special fund, dedicated solely to urban forestry programs in Yelm. 100% of all donations will go to such activities as the purchase of trees, plantings, corrective pruning, and public education on the proper care and maintenance of trees.

Recognizing Your Contribution

The City of Yelm and the YTAB know the importance of Citizen and Business Community support in making Yelm a livable community. To thank you for your support, Adopt-A-Tree donors will be invited to the annual Arbor Day Celebration, hosted by the City and the YTAB, where donors will be recognized with a Certificate of Appreciation.

A list of donors will also be published in the Nisqually Valley News (approx. 4,000 circulation.)

How to Donate

For more information on donating to the Yelm Adopt-A-Tree / Memorial Tree program, contact Yelm City Hall, 105 Yelm Avenue West/PO Box 479, Yelm WA 98597, 360-458-3835. Your donation is tax deductible and you will be given a receipt.

Note: Checks and money orders can be mailed or submitted at City Hall. Cash donations may only be accepted at City Hall.

MEMORIAL TREE PROGRAM
Trees provide community benefits, and are a source of beauty as we go about our daily lives. They also provide a living link to our past.

Special People or Occasions

The Memorial Tree Program encourages tree donations to honor, memorialize, or celebrate a special person, place, or event. Examples include:

Births
Celebrate a special day
Weddings
Anniversaries
Memorials
New Buildings
Congratulations
Thank You
Graduations
Just Because
Reunions
Arbor Day
Special Achievements
For the Beauty of…
Location

Memorial Trees will be planted on City of Yelm property, including available spaces in parks, rights-of-way, or near City buildings. The City Forester will consult with City departments, to determine the best site for posterity.

Maintenance and Guarantee

Your donation covers all costs for planting and aftercare. Your tree will come under the regular care of the city staff. The City will provide mulching, watering, staking, pruning and other maintenance as needed. Trees which fail to thrive for any reason within five years of planting will be replaced.

Recognizing Your Contribution

All donations will be entered in Yelm’s Memorial Tree Register, kept at City Hall. This will record, for future generations, the person or event being celebrated, the date of the donation, and the donor. All donors will also receive a Memorial Tree Recognition Certificate.

Memorial Tree donations are accepted any time of the year, and a tree will be planted during the appropriate planting season. Your contribution of $50 or more, will cover the cost to plant and care for a tree normally at least 1.50 inches in diameter. In addition, donations of any amount may be earmarked for future tree projects. Donations are tax-deductible; please consult your tax advisor.

Your Memorial Tree will serve as a long term living memory to the past, growing in stature and beauty with each passing year, and improving our quality of life. There is no better investment in our surroundings.

NEIGHBORHOOD TREE GRANT PROGRAM
Imagine the City of Yelm as a city where every street is lined with trees. Since 2001, the Yelm Tree Advisory Board has offered free trees to citizens and neighborhoods within the City Limits of Yelm, who would like to beautify their streets with trees. Trees soften the hard edges of a city landscape, beautify neighborhoods, and clean the air of pollutants. Planting trees now ensures our children a greener city in the future. In its short lifespan, the Neighborhood Tree Grant Program has already provided 63 trees in 3 neighborhoods, at no cost to the recipients.

General Application Requirements:

Area for planting must be in City of Yelm, City-owned right-of-way, in the planting strips along the street, or the entrance into a development.
Streets must have a lack of trees, or a need for more.
Recipients are to sign a pledge and maintenance agreement to ensure proper care. A spring maintenance training may be required.
Applications must be submitted to the City of Yelm, Community Development Department.
Yes, it’s that easy!

As trees need to be planted in the Fall, newspaper articles and requests to submit applications for trees begin to appear in the Nisqually Valley News, and the Hawthorn Herald, around September and/or October. Once you see the notices and/or ads to apply, you should talk to your neighbors, distribute flyers, or make phone calls to find out how many people would like to beautify their streets with trees. Then submit an application.

Once applications are submitted, the Tree Board will schedule an inspection of all potential sites. They will then identify those neighborhoods that are to receive trees. Planting locations must be approved by the City of Yelm, and the Yelm Tree Board. The City will notify you of any changes to your request. You will receive an award letter from the Yelm Tree Advisory Board if you qualify to receive trees. Trees will be delivered to your site and City staff and Tree Board Members will be there to help plant the tree(s)! Neighborhood volunteers, or property owners are responsible for watering and maintaining the trees. This contribution is your “match” to the project.

YELM AVENUE HAWTHORNS
The YTAB and the City of Yelm have identified the Hawthorn Trees gracing Yelm Avenue as the first area to benefit from funds raised by the Adopt-A-Tree program. Originally planted in 1936, these trees have long been an important part of the City. Unfortunately, many of the Yelm Avenue Hawthorns are in poor health, suffering from the ill effects of improper pruning and/or disease. The Hawthorns will need special care over the next few years to bring them back to health. In addition, some trees will need to be removed and replaced with more resilient strains of Hawthorns.

Greenhouse
YELM TREE NURSERY & GREENHOUSE
The City of Yelm’s Tree Nursery and Greenhouse is a 4500 square foot area, located on the southwest corner of the Public Works Facility site. The construction of the nursery was a one-year special project, funded by a grant from the Department of Natural Resources under the Urban & Community Forestry Program, and contributions from the City of Yelm in 1999-2000. Horticulture and agriculture students from Yelm High School worked with City staff and other community members to install a watering system and then set young trees in the nursery to gain size and strength before being set out in plantings. Since that time, the nursery has been the home of many of the trees used in our Neighborhood Tree Grant Program, as well as many trees planted in our City parks and public rights-of-way.

Most certainly not a Kestral, but a Bohemian Waxwing

This wasn’t the Kestral I thought it to be, but a Bohemian Waxwing that landed in my rose bramble! He may have been looking for left over hips. The cardinal like plume and red/white spotted wings gives him away, even though he wears a mask.

According to the Seattle Audobon, this Bohemian Waxwing has not been recorded in the West Cascades. Well, he showed up in Thurston County today, folks!

“In some years they extend farther west into the Columbia Basin (Cle Elum and Ellensburg), and can rarely be seen west of the Cascades.”

I dunno? Did I see a rare bird in the West Cascades?

My bird had an orange head with orange breast and red and white spots towards the edge of his wing tips.

Many tweeters have been so helpful in identifying the four European Starlings today.

Yelm Community Wildlife Habitat

Yelm Backyard and Community Wildlife Habitat

Quail, Flicker, Grey Squirrels

A large number of quail are living in the briars and were seen in the field.

A flicker has visited on several days in the backyard and was heard in a tree towards the Southern most side. Usually, flickers are noticed on the Northeastern side only.

Squirrels are attacking my bird feeding station and the suet feeder. I moved the suet feeder so that it would be more of a challenge for them. There are three grey squirrels and a two large nests here.

I found a chestnut buried in the dirt. It was a rather large chestnut, too. I wonder when it was buried as the chestnut was still tender on the inside. I can’t imagine a squirrell packing that chestnut all the way over here to bury it. I have not noticed any nearby chestnut trees. I will have to investigate.

A flock of unidentified birds were visiting this week. Medium sized grey wings, black spotted/orange-red spotted breast, and usually are seen in the trees undercover. About 20 of them were feeding on the lawn after the dog and I took a walk. I’ve noticed this type bird in the bushes/trees earlier, but it has never come out of the tree line.

There have been flocks of European Starlings that are flying noisily from tree to tree.

Cats, cats and more cats

In the past week there were five wandering stray cats…..Nothing says bad birding day like a stray cat. arrrrghhhh

Prairie and Oak Habitat

Thurston County Continues Efforts to Protect Native Prairie and Oak Habitat. Read more http://ow.ly/pSC0

Beneath the Garry Oak

Surfing for more information or updated information about Garry Oaks in WA I came across this blog post dated in February of this year. I missed this and was really pleased to read about this effort underway by the WA State Senators Jacobsen and Kline.

What surprised me was this really neat poem that was written:

Beneath the Garry Oak
D. R. Thysell, January 21, 2004

From the Fraser through the Puget Trough and down Columbia way,
Up the Willamette, across the Rogue, around San Francisco Bay.
In seas of green were islands, of camas and crimson and gold.
This was the land of the Garry Oak, its story here is told.

Once, it wasn’t long ago, a very few hundred years.
Yes, once, up and down the coast, before the hungry pioneers.
In seas of green were islands, where salmon and oak did abound,
And meadows and savannahs and the baffling Mima mounds.

But we live our lives the best we can beneath the Garry Oak.
Day after swiftly changing day of questioning and hope.
The woodlands, once so plentiful, now fading into memory,
Living our lives the best we can beneath the Garry Oak.

From Victoria and the San Juan Isles to near Los Angeles.
Up and over the Cascade crest far from the ocean breeze.
In seas of green were islands, where kinsmen gathered, it seems.
Beneath and because of the Garry Oak, and salmon-filled emerald streams.

Not so very long ago the woodlands transformed.
Prairies to pasture, changes now faster than evolutionary norm.
In seas of green are islands invaded, engulfed, and ignored.
Beneath the oaks lies a challenging question: “Can they be restored?”

But we’ll live our lives the best we can beneath the Garry Oak.
Year after rapidly changing year of struggle and of hope.
The meadows hemmed with ancient oaks now vanishing beneath the sea
Of green, yet what of the acorn cache beneath the Garry Oak?

When western shores were settled, about ten thousand years ago.
The Garry Oak abided, where, exactly, we’ll probably never know.
In seas of green were islands that fire certainly spawned.
Flames on the prairies combating Doug-fir, oak’s long indispensable bond.

The oaks have stood the test of time till not so long ago.
Canopies that for centuries held wonders we’ll now never know.
If just one ancient oak could talk, what would it have to say?
Or should, instead, we question who would listen, here, today?
The oaks would surely ask us who would listen here, today.

But we’re living our lives the best we can beneath the Garry Oak.
Centuries and centuries of agonizing hope.
Barely free from ice’s grip, on gravelly plain and precipice.
Living its life the best it can: the stately Garry Oak.

From the Fraser through the Puget Trough and down Columbia Way.
And if just one ancient oak could talk, what would it have to say?
This is the land of the Garry Oak, its story now is told.

SB 5064

It has been said that the Garry Oak was so named after a man by the name of Nicolas Garry of the Hudson Bay Company around or between 1822-1835.

35 more acorns to oaks

35 - 39 more acorns were potted and planted this week. These seeds may or may not produce actual Garry Oak trees. The acorns that were potted last year formed a better root system, had greener leaves, and appeared stronger overall than the acorns that were planted in their intended growing spot. Four more acorns were taken from town and planted in pots to sit in what is left of this summer. Summer it seems has been extended to include this week. The temps here will be in the high 70’s to 80’s.

3 out of 9 = 33%

Found! Another acorn finally sprouted!

That makes three out of nine acorns and 33% of the plantings took root. Seed collection has begun with two handfuls of acorns passing the float test.

This is where the acorns are soaked for 24 hours and the weak float and are fed to the squirrels.

• A review - GOERT: Gardening & Restoration: Planting & Caring for Garry Oak Trees

• garryoak.txt

This is the ONLY sample listed from Yelm, WA taken in 1891 of a Garry Oak:

Ex Herbarium Young Naturalists’ Society

14.

Quercus garryana Dougl. (Fagaceae)

Det. #1 by G. N. Jones. USA, Washington,

Thurston County: Yelm.

46.94222° N, -122.60472° W, WGS 84, Gref. program

Origin: Native;

Specimen Fertility: Cones C.V.P., 1119. 1 Sep, 1891.

WTU-5872

See file

And the University of Washington Herbarium

Seed collection was from midway mark on Canal Road S. E. Some seeds were green some appeared older. Acorns are forming now, and are not quite ready to drop. Most acorns are still attached, and only dropped after this past weeks rain and wind. There are several oaks on this roadside and many are too young to form acorns, yet. Someone in the past month or so has wrecked at this location. Several large pieces of glass were found at this location along with much trash and debris either from blown garbage, wreckless littering, or construction.

California Quail

Three quail were spotted just around the corner yesterday.

August 6th sighting

I am still trying to identify a very small grey bird with large white splotches on its back. It had a very slim tail and a long beak, too. I sent a request to Tweeters today in hopes that this visitor could be identified. I’m sure that I’ve seen a photograph of this one before, but I cannot place it - especially since the graphics card went out on this puter this week.

Downey Woodpecker

A Downy Woodpecker just flew in along with three Northern Flickers.

Regular bath

There are two shy birds that have been frequenting my bath, lately. They have a brown and black spotted breast with a long tail and black head, back and wings. They hop from branch to branch and have been seen attempting to feed at the feeder. Yesterday one of these birds smacked the feeder and then flew down to enjoy the reward. It seems that the bird is too large to sit at the feeder. Both of these birds will take a bath in the evening after or about 5PM or later. The chickadees that regularly feed during the day did seem a bit put out that these brown/black birds were taking baths and feeding too. One chickadee shared the bath for less than a minute then flew off.

Female Northern Flicker

From eNature
description 12″ (30 cm). A large brownish woodpecker. Brown back with dark bars and spots; whitish or buff below with black spots; black crescent on breast; white rump, visible in flight. Eastern birds (”Yellow-shafted Flickers”) have red patch on nape and yellow wing linings; male has black mustache. Western birds (”Red-shafted Flickers”) lack nape patch and have salmon-pink wing linings; males have red “mustache.”

See Also BirdWeb

No mustache on my flicker makes it female. Hopped into my feeder this week! This bird is crow sized, quite large

A few Oak Facts

Oaks are known to be resistant to fire.

Oaks are known to house and sustain a wide variety of birds and wildlife. A wider variety of species of wildlife than an evergreen or other deciduous trees.

Oaks in Yelm

From Yelm Online
http://www.yelmonline.com/articles/2009/07/31/first_report/doc4a71d26a5fe88088452750.txt

Prairie Conservation Ordinance Enacted

On Tuesday, July 28, the Thurston Board of County Commissioners enacted an interim regulation that helps conserve south Puget Sound’s last remaining oak woodland habitats and native prairies. Approximately three percent of south Puget Sound’s original native prairies (estimated to be about 150,000 acres) now remain.

The interim ordinance makes the county’s definition of prairies consistent with state and federal guidelines, requires that persons seeking to develop areas that may contain prairies identify the location of prairies, and, as necessary, develop Prairie Habitat Conservation plans to reduce development impacts to prairies.

Commissioners feel prompt action is necessary to prevent further degradation to this increasingly scarce resource. Prairies used to extend throughout Thurston County from Rochester up to an area just south of Tacoma. Some of the south Puget Sound’s most valuable remaining prairies are located in Thurston County.

Prairie and oak habitats are home to endangered plants such as the golden paintbrush as well as threatened and endangered wildlife and insect species such as the Mazama pocket gopher, streaked horned lark and Taylor’s checkerspot butterfly.

These species as well as other prairie dependent species are found in only a small number of places in the world. In recent years, south Puget Sound prairies have become threatened due to development and the invasion of non-native plant species. A few of the larger prairies can be easily seen, such as the Mima Mounds and the Glacial Heritage Preserve, while others are scattered among forests, farms and houses.

For more information on the ordinance and on Thurston County prairies, contact Senior Planner Cynthia Wilson at 786-5475.

Woodpeckers

A pair of woodpeckers flew in to drink. They both took turns at the
watering hole. Both took long drinks dipping his head into the water
and throwing it back to swallow . The woodpeckers have been flying
in about the same time 3:30-4:00pm for the past two days.

ID MARKS: overall grey/black with red/orange breast.
They have grey/black crown peaks like a Pileated woodpecker and each
have white undertail coverts.

Swallows

TWEET from Bellingham indicated that they may be at staging areas and not yet headed for a buggier climate. A TWEET canoeing down Black River in Thurston County indicated that the swallows were missing in his count for that trip. Olympia area TWEETs are also indicating swallow numbers are down.

Swallows

Have not seen any swallows for the past few days. Normally, they are flying all over above or at the level of the tree tops here. Posted to Tweeters. Typo: What? should be Where have all of the swallows gone in Thurston County

From Tweet:
http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/TWET.html#1248149704
Black River, Thurston County - did not see any swallows. Previously noted in the area of Black River (canoeing) in 2002.

Woodpecker and Junco’s and Loitering

Woodpecker flew up into a tree yesterday. I’m not sure what kind he was, but did appear to have a red tinged triangle at his head and black and white wing tips on…

The Junco’s are back after a brief haitus and are just tearing up the feeder and playing in the trees, lately.

The hummingbird feeders have been refilled and washed. One more feeder was added to the backyard, in addition to one vertical regular feeder.

The bird bath was empty two days ago, washed and refilled in time for the Junco’s to play. Last night near the bath, a bird was chirping an alert - sure enough there is a stray cat. He exited as soon as he saw me, and then another cat appeared… he soon exited but no quite fast enough for me. He was loitering around me newly planted rose bush. Likely, looking for a fresh place to squat.

eBird

Observation type: Casual Observation
Observation date: 7/9/09 Distance covered: N/A
Start time: 5:55 PM Area covered: 1.0 acre(s)
Duration: 1 hour(s) 0 minute(s) Elevation: N/A
Number of people in party: 1
Comments: This is the second day in a row that the Pileated woodpecker showed up and my first Anna’s hummbingbird for the summer.
Species

Are you submitting a complete checklist of the birds you saw/heard? No

1 Anna’s Hummingbird
1 Pileated Woodpecker
2 Steller’s Jay
4 American/Northwestern Crow
1 Black-capped Chickadee
1 Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon)

South Sound Prairies

South Sound Prairies hosts a number of documents about wildlife, native plants, and endangered/threatened species.