Klamath Basin Audubon Society
The Grebe
February/March 2007
KBAS General Meetings
Thursday, February 8, 2007: 7:00 p.m.
Arctic Dance: The Mardy Murie Story which examines the life and times of a woman, affectionately known as the mother of the American conservation movement will be shown as our program, at the February 8 General meeting.
Arctic Dance recounts the exceptional life of a woman who grew up in frontier Alaska, married a pioneer arctic biologist in 1924, and dedicated her life to the protection of the magnificent wild lands she so passionately loved.
Mardy met Olaus Murie in Fairbanks in 1921. As a naturalist for the Biological Survey, (the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) he worked for months at a time in the arctic wilderness.
Recalling over 75 years of devoted conservation work, the film which is narrated by Harrison Ford, features interviews, archival photographs and video clips, as well as footage of Mardy's later years and an intimate musical performance by long-time friend John Denver.
Writing books and letters, testifying at hearings, and speaking publicly about her experiences in the Arctic, she played a central role in establishing the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Act in 1960 and the Alaska Lands Act in 1980.
Mardy's efforts have been widely recognized, rewarded with every major American conservation award. She was honored three times at the White House, including when President Clinton presented her the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
This movie is an intimate portrait of a well-loved national figure and as a poignant historical document; Arctic Dance reveals the woman behind the conservationist and shows that one person can make a difference. Do come and enjoy this exceptional program!
Thursday, March 8: 7:00 p.m.
HAWKS
Hawks have captured our imaginations in ways that few other bird groups do. Easily seen, they push our primal poetic buttons. In this program, Dick Ashford will help us examine the natural history of these fascinating creatures, including behavior, habitat and adaptations for survival. Although this will NOT be an ID class, we will learn basic identification of some of our local hawks. We'll be well prepared (and motivated) to join KBAS trips to the local refuges. Dick, Board President of Klamath Bird Observatory and Rogue Valley Audubon Society board member, has spent hundreds of hours in the field watching hawks and an equal amount of time researching their natural history. He leads hawk-watching outings several times a year and originated the popular "Hawk Heaven" trips at the San Francisco Bay Flyway Festival.
Thursday, April 12: 7:00 p.m.
Oregon's Wolf Management Plan presented by Russ Morgan of ODFW.
See the Herald & News for more details on these exciting programs. Both are unusual and should not be missed! All General Meetings in the lower level of the County Courthouse, 316 Main Street.
Field Trip Reports . . .
Rare Bird? You Betcha!! December 9, 2006By Julie Van Moorhem
December--BRRRR. The field trip this month was a rare bird chase. Unfortunately I hadn't heard about any rare birds in the area, and I hadn't had time to scout for this field trip so the night before the trip I got on the KBAS birder's message board for a quick look hoping that someone would have not only spotted something rare but posted it. Thanks goodness, Dave Menke did both.
Eight of us met at the USFWS parking lot on California Avenue to begin the quest. While we were chatting and waiting for folks to arrive, we spotted not one but two California Towhees in the parking lot. Although these birds are resident here in the Basin, they are very difficult to find sometimes because of their skulky behavior in heavy brush. To get to see them well in the parking lot was a real treat. It was a good bird for a rare bird chase. But the best was yet to be.
We headed off to Putnam Point and the Link River Trail first. The Link River Trail is one of the best spots to bird in the winter, in my opinion. There are always lots of ducks on the river, and they are pretty close so viewing is really good. We saw the usual assortment: Barrow's and Common Goldeneye, Northern Shoveler, Lesser Scaup, Bufflehead, Hooded Merganser, Ruddy Duck, and American Coot. Three Greater Yellowlegs stood sentinel on the rocks. On the other side of the river, a Northern Harrier coursed along near the ground in its distinctive flight pattern. An adult Bald Eagle perched high on a power pole.
Having pretty much seen all that the area offered, we walked over to Putnam Point and looked around for a bit. Black-crowned Night Herons were in the trees and the same species of ducks were on the water so we went on to Moore Park. We just walked a short way on the main road looking for the small birds of winter. We found Winter Wren, Bewick's Wren, both kinglets, a single Varied Thrush - hiding under the bushes, and a Spotted Towhee. We heard a flock of crossbills fly over that Kevin Spencer thought sounded a little different than Red Crossbills. We were unable to see them, so they just made the list as crossbills.
Our next stop was the Link River at Main Street, and this is where the rare bird appeared. Dave Menke had spotted a female Long-tailed Duck (formerly called Oldsquaw) on the river just above the falls a day or so before our trip. We set up a couple of scopes on the bridge and started hunting. Kevin spotted the bird after a little while just above the falls where the river bends to the right. The duck was actively diving and therefore pretty hard to stay on, but eventually everyone got a look at the bird. For six of the eight birders present it was a lifer. Other birds seen here included over a hundred Black-crowned Night Herons, a Belted Kingfisher, Eared and Pied-billed Grebe, Common Merganser, and most of the same species of ducks seen on the north end of the river earlier.
We walked over to Veteran's Park for a quick look-see but didn't stay long--the wind coming off Lake Ewauna into our faces drove us away pretty quickly! At this point it was getting close to time for lunch, and people needed to leave. After saying goodbye to some of the group, four of us walked up the Link River trail a short way and tried for better looks at the Long-tailed Duck. We succeeded in getting somewhat better views but were still hampered by trees and other vegetation by the trail.
All in all, despite the cold, I think most people were warmed by the sight of beautiful birds and a couple of birds you don't see everyday! If you missed this trip, be sure to come for another one and bring a friend--we really have a good time.
Participants: Tom Wallenburn, Bill Deutschman, Elaine Deutschman, Jerry Sloss, Joe Sloss, Kevin Spencer, Marilyn Christian, Julie Van Moorhem
Feeder Hop, January 13, 2007
By Julie Van Moorhem
Our feeder hop trip started off looking a little slim on feeder destinations. For a variety of reasons, some of the places usually open to us were unavailable. While talking about this on one of the raptor survey routes with Marilyn Christian, I mentioned calling Stefan Savides to see if he would let us visit his home and maybe give us a tour of his studio. Lo and behold, in what has to have been a "Twilight Zone" moment, when I got home I had a message from Stefan asking if he could be included on the feeder hop trip!
In a call to Stefan, he said he would be glad be a destination and show us around his studio. In the next moment of serendipity, the night before the feeder hop I received an e-mail message from Jim Carpenter saying that he'd seen the article in the H&N about the feeder hop and would like to be included. I called him and made the arrangements.
Rick Hardy had everyone organized in car pools at the USFWS on California Avenue and after a few brief remarks we were on our way. It was a little too early to go to the Carpenters' home so we drove through Moore Park in the hopes of finding Mountain Quail. Alas, it was not to be--hardly anything was stirring except Scrub Jays.
Stephanie and Jim Carpenter live along the Link River, across from Putnam's Point and have a marvelous view of the channel and out to the lake from gigantic windows. Their sailboat was moored at the dock; through their business, Birding & Boating, they offer sailboat tours of the Upper Klamath Lake for those who would like to go out on the water to see the birds of the area. They had hot cider simmering on the stove--a welcome warm treat on a very cold morning. We stayed there talking and viewing birds for about a half hour. Barrow's and Common Goldeneye, some beautiful Hooded Mergansers, both drakes and hens, Lesser Goldfinch, a Song Sparrow, Pied-billed Grebe, Canada Geese and the other common residents of this area gave us a good showing. A few Black-crowned Night Herons were perched in the trees as usual. It was quite interesting to see the area from a different perspective. Soon it was time to move on.
Stefan Savides is a world-renowned taxidermist and sculptor. His home features ceiling to floor windows looking out onto a pond that has a pump that keeps some of the water open even when most of it is frozen. After introductions, we gravitated to the windows. Ruddy Duck, Canvasback, Wood Duck, Gadwall, Hooded Merganser, Canada, Snow and Ross' Geese entertained us while Stefan talked to us about the origin of the pond, the Wood Ducks that breed there (nest boxes decorated several trees), and the fact that the pond and its inhabitants are more entertaining than anything on TV! After watching the birds for a while, Stefan provided coffee and fruit and took us on a tour of his studio. You can tell by the way Stefan talks about his work that he really loves taxidermy and sculpting, his newest artistic venture.
We next headed to Miller Island hoping to see the Red-shouldered Hawk that Dave Potter and Julie Van Moorhem spotted the Thursday before the trip. A beautiful Rough-legged Hawk perched on a pole and we got great looks at it. We parked in the area where the Red-shouldered had been seen and retrieved scopes. In a classic "Oh, No" moment Julie discovered that she'd brought her tripod but the scope wasn't attached!! DUH! Fortunately, others had scopes and we were able to scan for the hawk. We saw Red-tailed Hawks, more Rough-legged Hawks, and later a Prairie Falcon. Leaving the area, we saw a hawk perched on the same post the Red-shouldered had been perched on earlier in the week. As some of us began setting up a scope, the bird flew showing us the characteristic white rump of a Northern Harrier!
Our thanks are extended to Jim and Stephanie Carpenter and Stefan Savides for generously and graciously opening their homes to us for this trip. Thanks to Rick Hardy for leading the trip and to everyone who participated. If you missed it, we hope we'll see you on a trip sometime in the future.
Participants: Tamara Walker, Bill Deutschman, Elaine Deutschman, Suzanne Abram, Rick Hardy, Gene Rogers. Nancy Rogers, Cy Phillips, Beth Phillips, Marshal Moser, Julie Van Moorhem.
Field Trips Schedule
Saturday, February 24: Winter Wings Unusual Bird Sightings Follow-up
Meet at 8:30 a.m. at the Fish & Wildlife Office, 1936 California Ave. off the on-ramp to Hwy 97 South from Nevada/Oregon Ave. Dress for the weather, bring lunch or snacks. The trip will probably last until mid-afternoon.
Saturday/Sunday, April 14-15, 2007
Tentative Sage Grouse trip to Bend. Contact Ken Johnston for more information ().
Saturday, April 28: Klamath River Canyon
Meet at 8:00 at Fish & Wildlife Office (see above). This special trip, to J.C. Boyle, Copco and Irongate dams will last into the afternoon. Car-pooling is a must! Be prepared for insects, sunburn, poison oak, and rattlesnakes! (Just a warning!) Also bring snacks/lunch.
Questions regarding any trips: Call or e-mail Julie Van Moorhem, 882-4488 or
Klamath Falls CBC Tallies 111 Species!!!
By Kevin Spencer
A "nice" winter day in the Klamath Basin, finally came along on December 16th, and with 16 dedicated counters covering 6 areas, 111 species and about 25,000 individuals were observed, for a terrific Christmas Bird Count (CBC) east of the Cascades. With temperature in the twenties and very little wind, counting went on all day long. The lack of snow pack also aided in covering the areas, although birds seemed more dispersed.
Among the most interesting of finds was a Long-tailed Duck. Dave Menke had found it along the Link River about a week earlier. This duck species shows up irregularly in the Klamath Basin during the winter months. This particular bird stayed around in the same location and was found along the same section of river where it was first seen. Waterfowl numbers were somewhat low, although all the regular species were recorded, except for Green-winged Teal, which are sometimes missed in this winter count. Cackling Goose, 21 in all, was added to the count's list of species, mostly because of the recent split of the Canada Goose. Cackling Goose, sometimes called a "Cackler", is now a distinctly separate species and was formerly considered a very small form of Canada Goose.
One California Towhee was seen near the gates of the A Canal. Mountain Quail, 11, still made it on the count list despite its absence from the count's traditional observer, Lois Phillips, who has been seeing them at her winter feeder along Lakeshore Drive for over 20 years. The ones this year were seen near Moore Park. Egrets and herons were plentiful, probably due to all the open water. Great Blue Herons numbered 60, a new count high, and Northern Harrier topped its former high with a count of 47; likely due to lack of snow cover.
Other interesting species seen during the day included: Red-shouldered Hawk-2, Black Phoebe-4, Ferruginous Hawk-1, Virginia's Rail-1, Bonaparte's Gull-3, Glaucous-winged Gull-2, White-headed Woodpecker-1, Northern Shrike-2, American Crow-2, Black-billed Magpie- 279, Rock Wren-2, American Pipet-1, Northern Yellow-rumped Warbler-4, Fox Sparrow-4, White-throated Sparrow-3, Red Crossbill-62, and a big year for Pine Siskin, with 236. Interesting, was the low number for Red-winged Blackbirds-2, gulls, and starlings. The reduced numbers for gulls and starlings is likely a result of the near closure of the landfill on Old Fort Road. Gull numbers are not even 10% of those seen in former years, while starling numbers are about half.
The 111 species observed is comparable to high counts done in the 1980's. Few counts have topped 110 for Klamath Falls; done so on only 4 other occasions. The highest total still stands at 113 in 1981 and 1984.
A big thank you to all the participants and observers: Wes Stone, Rick Hardy, Lois Phillips, Marilyn Christian, Julie Van Moorhem, Dave Haupt, Dave Menke, BJ Matzen, Greg Williams, Dave Larson, Daniel George, Woody Morf, Janet Paxon, Glenn Smith, Kathy Larson, and Kevin Spencer.
"Count Birds for the Record!" a.k.a. GBBC
By Marilyn Christian
What is a GBBC, you ask? Read on for the answer...
Who? You! All ages and skill levels welcome.
What? The Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) is part of Cornell Lab of Ornithology Citizen Science program and is designed to be not only a fun and rich educational experience but also contributing to our over-all understanding of what the birds are up to in our entire country and Canada, as well.
When? President's Day Weekend: February 16 - 19, 2007
Where? Your backyard and neighborhood; your favorite park or hiking trail; a wildlife refuge, etc.
Why? Trended data over time tell the story of changing patterns in distribution, in the decline of species, of migratory changes, etc. and helps to better inform conservation efforts. For example, last year's data helped chronicle early spring migratory routes of Sandhill Cranes; revealed the ongoing range expansion of Eurasian Collared-Doves; recorded declining numbers of American Crows; and showed record counts of Snowy Owls south of the U.S.-Canada border.
As an educational tool, it helps you become aware of the richness and diversity of your corner of the world and by reviewing results online, you can compare your county or state with others. It is a very engaging activity to do with children and who knows, such an experience may fuel a life-long commitment to our environment. Do you know a child you might invite...and their parents as well?
How? It's easy! No fees or pre-registration required.- Go to www.birdsource.org/gbbc for easy instructions and a local checklist
- Count the birds in the location(s) you have chosen. For each species, record the highest number of individuals you see at any one time.
- Take part on one, two, three or four days. Observe for a minimum of 15 minutes or much, much longer, if possible each day.
- Complete an online checklist with your results at the website above.
- View results: It's interesting to watch the data grow throughout the weekend as lists and maps are continually updated. Do be sure to check back later after the data are refined and verified to compare data throughout our county and state with that posted for other areas of the country and Canada.
This year marks the tenth anniversary of the GBBC and Audubon and Cornell Lab of Ornithology (co-sponsors) are challenging people everywhere to "Count for the Record," by participating in greater numbers than ever before. Do consider joining this nation-wide effort and give yourself the gift of a wondrous outdoor experience at the same time!
NOTE: Should you not have internet access, please contact the Grebe Editor at 850-0084 if you would like to participate.
Oregon Coast Birding Trail is Online!
By Marilyn Christian
www.oregoncoastbirding.com
You are invited to check out this relatively new website detailing the four sections of the trail with 173 sites, which promises to be a potentially spectacular birding experience along the Oregon and N. California Coast. The four sections include North Coast, Central Coast, South Coast and California Redwoods. These areas, coupled with: 1) introduction - tips for using the trail guide and maps, safety, important birding ethics and resource phone numbers and websites (2) sponsor section, and (3) birding trail checklist, complete the seven PDF files available for easy downloading and printing. A printed version in brochure form may also be ordered although the online order form does not seem to be working at this time.
On the checklist, you will find a listing of 250 species that are most likely to be seen by visitors. Over 450 species have been recorded. The checklist is designed as an aid in detecting particular species during each season. There are five symbols indicating a range from "very rarely detected" to "very regularly detected," as well as the type of habitat usually associated with each species. Remember, the five symbols do not indicate relative abundance, but rather the ease in finding a species.
Additional information on the likelihood of encountering pelagic species on offshore tours may be found at: www.thebirdguide.com/pelagics/bar_chart.htm.
A wealth of other information exists on the www.oregoncoastbirding.com website. Included also are links to the Cascades and Klamath Basin Birding Trails, the latter with spectacular bird photos, most by Dave Menke. They are quite stunning. Under construction are the Willamette Valley Trail and proposed Statewide Trail map. This is a very user friendly, well designed site; consider taking a good look...and then plan your trip! See you at the Coast!
Local birders, wildlife professionals and...tourism specialists produced this comprehensive guide. Organizers and sponsors hope the guide will produce a flock of bird-watchers who will migrate to the Coast, bringing binoculars, cameras, hiking boots and wallets with them.
Bird-watching is widely known to be the fastest growing outdoor hobby in America. According to Dawn Grafe, public use specialist with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, "Oregon is fifth in the lower 48 and seventh among all North American states and provinces in the number of bird species."
As usual, data can get somewhat moldy by the time it is released; however, we do know from a recent Fish and Wildlife study, more than 18 million people watched birds away from home in 2001. Of those, more than 5.8 million traveled out of state.
Oregon hosted nearly 1.7 wildlife enthusiasts who spent $300 million on trip-related expenses, ranking Oregon fifth in the Nation. Communities need to understand that protection of natural resources = good bird habitat = good birding = flocks of birders = good sustainable tourism = tourism $$. We also have those opportunities in abundance here in the Klamath Basin!
America's Songbirds At-Risk: Communication Towers
Every year, millions of migratory birds are killed when they collide with one of the thousands of communication towers scattered across the United States. Thankfully, simple improvements to the structure, location, lighting, and other details of new communication towers can significantly reduce the numbers of birds killed each year. The Federal Communications Commission can require these improvements -- but it needs to hear from you first.
Send a letter urging the FCC to require strong protections against bird kills for new communication towers. Go to this link for a sample letter available to customize: action.earthjustice.org/campaign/FCC_towers/
Field Notes . . .
By Julie Van MoorhemPlease report your sightings to me directly if you do not put them on the website: or 882-44488. Please include your name, phone number (in case we need to contact you), location and date of sighting, bird/s and numbers if notable.
LONG-TAILED DUCK--female, Link River at Main St. above the falls, Dec. 7-8 (DM); Dec. 9 (KS and KBAS group)
BALD EAGLE-- about 100 in field south of Cross Rd., Jan 16, (CK)
RED-SHOULDERED HAWK--Miller Island WMA, Jan. 11, (DP, JVM); Jan 5, Lower Klamath Tour Route in willows near exit (CK) and also Jan 13, (DA)
MERLIN--seen many times on Pinegrove Rd., Dec 16-Jan. 19, (JVM)
HERMIT THRUSH--Klamath Falls residence, DEC. 25, (KL, RL)
VARIED THRUSH--2 at Klamath Falls residence, Dec. 25, (KL, RL)
BLACK PHOEBE--Reeder Rd/Hill Rd jct at Lost River Canal, Dec. 16 on CBC (MC); 3 others were seen on the CBC
CALIFORNIA TOWHEE--2, USFWS parking lot, California Ave., Dec. 9, (KS and KBAS group); 1 at a Klamath Falls residence, mid-Jan., (JS)
WHITE-THROATED SPARROW--single birds: Moore Park, Nov. 5 and Link River trail, Nov. 25 (DM); 1 at Klamath Falls residence, Dec. 25, (RL, KL)
LAPLAND LONGSPUR--25+, Straits Drain, Dec. 3 (JVM); 12 on Straits Drain, Jan. 13, (DA)
Contributors: Dick Ashford (DA), Marilyn Christian (MC), Charlotte Kisling (CK), Kathy Larson (KL), Ron Larson (RL), Dave Menke (DM), Dave Potter (DP), Jerry Sloss (JS), Kevin Spencer (KS), Julie Van Moorhem (JVM)
Silent Auction a Big Success!!
By Julie Van Moorhem
It started with some board members standing outside the courthouse meeting room looking in the windows at nicely decorated tables and a few people bustling around putting the final touches on a scene set for festivities. The only problem was that it wasn't the Klamath Basin Audubon Society that was setting things up for a party. Instead, another group had the room and we were out in the cold--literally.
After a bit of discussion about what to do, why the double-booked room occurred, and so on, board members jumped into action: Eve Oldenkamp and Ralph Opp called the Klamath County Museum about using their room and Bill Van Moorhem checked on The Ledge availability.
Although readily available by co-owner, Mike Angeli of The Ledge, there was concern about enough seating. Museum was a go and after Darrel Samuels and Al Van Hulzen confirmed seating and tables, we began to work our magic on getting set up. Before you knew it, we were in party mode!
People brought numerous items for the auction--baskets filled with goodies, prints, photographs, stained glass, books, a scope pack, birdhouses, a guided raptor trip for two, a dinner and bird trip at the Skillet Handle at the Running Y--a cornucopia of goodies. Jean Van Hulzen, the originator of the silent auction idea, placed bid sheets for folks to fill out, and she even created some great table decorations with fresh greens, ribbon and miniature cardinals; they were so pretty that someone suggested adding them to the silent auction, too. They all sold easily.
Bird/nature photos ran continuously courtesy of Phil Carr, Jack Noller and Cy Phillips. Cy's book of his photographs intrigued everyone. While looking at auction items for our choice bid, we played a game in which bird names were attached to participants' backs and they were to ask questions in order to guess the bird - a good ice-breaker. Jean Van Hulzen had suggested doing a real potluck dinner, not just desserts - and people really took that to heart. Boy, did we have good food! Eating - it's everyone's favorite activity, I think - besides birding, of course!
How much did we make on this first ever KBAS Silent Auction? To say it was a success is putting it mildly. We raised $513 --not a paltry sum. Boy, that Jean has good ideas! If you missed this activity, plan for next year--it's a winner! We hope to make it even bigger and better and achieve even better attendance. Approximately 30 people attended in 2006.
President's Message
By Ralph Opp, KBAS President 2006/07
As some old southern preachers oft said, 'it is time for jubilation'. I hasten to add, 'but with guarded caution.' About seven years ago the U.S. government proposed to take the bald eagle off the Endangered Species Act (ESA) list after a return to recovery population levels. The bald eagle was listed in the early 1970s after having witnessing a rock bottom low of just over 400 nesting pairs in the lower 48 United States. Oregon's share of that drastically low number was only about 20 nesting pairs. Nesting pairs of bald eagles in the 48 states upon European man's arrival here is estimated to have been about 500,000 (one half million) pairs. Habitat loss, environmental contaminants and shooting were the major causes of the losses.
The recovered population today is considered back up to around 7000 nesting pairs over its range in the lower U.S. and well over 600 nesting pairs back in Oregon. Biologists and others rightfully believe that it is truly a successful recovery story and that being due largely to having been listed and treated under the endangered species act and similar laws. The Bush administration is rushing to have it de-listed as a soon as February 15th, 2007.
So, with the eagle's delisting now facing us let's hope our bald eagle resource agencies and/or law makers are allowed the ability to develop the necessary habitat protections not found in the 'old' 20th century eagle protection laws under which it will fall. It is still very obvious to many that those old 'bare bones' laws fell well short of protecting all crucial habitats the species needed to survive. It was strong expression of those habitat concerns, by biologists and others, which kept the eagle from getting a speedy delisting. Oddly enough the bird met most or all of the delisting criteria well over seven 7 years ago but many biologists were very concerned about 'life after delisting,' that is to say protection of all its habitat and protection against other more direct mortality factors like shooting and environmental contaminants.
Speaking of harvest (shooting) consider that population numbers will be adopted with delisting and something above those numbers could, by some, be determined a surplus making them possibly considered available for some form of utilization or harvest. WOW! To me that immediately begs the questions who do you suppose will set any limits, taking methods and 'which specific birds' will be 'targeted' for legal taking. Please be reminded that our Native Americans have age old legal rights to bird parts and feathers, eagles included, and could be rightly in line for fresher bird parts. (They now apply to a federal feather bank especially for rarer species parts for religious and other needs.)
Consider too that we now will certainly dedicate money for law enforcement, population monitoring and of course re-listing if populations fall below recovery goals. A long time concern of many of us old eagle biologists is that many of the lesser laws brought in under the 'umbrella' of the ESA may rightfully fall away, some immediately, with delisting, such as state, county, city laws that are tiered into the ESA.
Having paid a very dear and intimate price all through the bald eagle recovery process I feel obligated to say I hope we have learned enough to treat our national symbol better than we seem to be doing many of our other natural resources. I too am very proud to say that in a very special way Klamath Basin Audubon and Klamath Basin folks did more than their share in that recovery effort.
DID YOU KNOW?
By Ralph Opp, KBAS historian
That a group of owls is called a Parliament or you can see a murder of crows, ostentation of peacocks, a husk of hares, a charm of hummingbirds, a tiding of magpies, a scold of jays, or a romp of otters?
The following article is a favorite of mine helping me to remember that everything is connected to everything else. It was printed in the Nov. /Dec. 1992 Issue of Northwest Energy News.
HOW NOT TO PARACHUTE MORE CATS
The environmental consciousness of the 1970s taught us many things, but one of the lesions we have yet to take to heart is that everything on this planet is connected. Most of us live our lives as though this were not true. Governments and corporations, in particular, often manage their resources as if the interconnections didn't exist. A parable from Borneo illustrates why it is important to understand these connections.
In the early 1950s, the Dayak people in Borneo suffered from malaria. The World Health Organization had a solution: they sprayed large amounts of DDT to kill the mosquitoes that carried the malaria. The mosquitoes died, the malaria declined; so far, so good. But there were side-effects. Among the first was that the roofs of people's houses began to fall down on their heads.
It seemed that the DDT was also killing a parasitic wasp that had previously controlled thatch-eating caterpillars. Worse, the DDT poisoned insects were eaten by geckoes, which were eaten by cats. The cats started to die, the rats flourished, and the people were threatened by outbreaks of Sylva tic plague and typhus. To cope with these problems, which it had itself created, the World Health Organization was obliged to parachute live cats into Borneo.
This illustrates how, if we do not understand interconnections, often the cause of problems is solutions. However, understanding subtle connections can enable us to leverage one solution into many so that the cause of solutions becomes solutions. This is especially true in the management of global resources-both such "common resources" as sea, air, climate and the gene pool, and much more localized resources such as soil, food, minerals, groundwater and energy.
Board Member Profiles
Tom Essex, KBAS Treasurer
Tom retired after spending 34 years in public education as a teacher and school administrator and many summers as an environmental research consultant in Southern California. He now spends most of his time woodworking, fishing, fly tying, travelling, volunteering and serving as treasurer for the local Audubon chapter of Klamath Falls. His educational background began with undergraduate work in physical geography and geology. He earned a Masters in education and did post graduate work in environmental studies. Tom is also a graduate of the California School Leadership Academy. Tom now lives in Klamath Falls, Oregon.
Rick Hardy, Vice President
Rick Hardy was born and raised in western North Dakota on a family grain farm. He gained an appreciation for the outdoors at an early age when his grandfather took him on many trips in the field to look at wildlife. He majored in wildlife management and received an AS degree at a junior college in Bottineau, ND and a BS from Washington State University.
Rick worked summers for the Washington State Department of Game; Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks; and the Forest Service in Montana, Washington, and Oregon before getting a permanent job with the Forest Service on the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest in 1979. He moved to Klamath Falls to become the District Wildlife Biologist on the Klamath Ranger District of the Winema National Forest in 1987. His biggest challenge in that position was evaluating the effects of a ski hill proposal on Pelican Butte. He took the same position in Chemult in 2000 and switched to the US Fish and Wildlife Service in Klamath Falls in 2001 and still holds that position.
Rick has been a member of National Audubon since the early 1980's and joined Klamath Basin Audubon shortly after moving to Klamath Falls. He has held various positions in the local chapter including multiple times as a board member, conservation chair, field trip chair, programs chair, transportation chair for the Bald Eagle Conference, and, currently Vice President.
Rick likes to travel and has visited much of the western US, many Canadian provinces, Alaska, Hawaii, Mexico, Costa Rica, Belize, Venezuela, and multiple Caribbean Islands. He has Africa, Australia, and New Zealand on his list of must see places. He is looking forward to the day he can retire and see more of this fantastic planet we share.
KBAS Finance Report
Current financial worth is $8,407.
Tom Essex, KBAS Treasurer
Board Schedule/Location
Please call the host for directions (see the Contact Us page). All members are welcomed at Board meetings
| DATE | LOCATION/HOME |
| February 7, 2007 | Marilyn Christian |
| March 7, 2007 | Tom Essex |
| April 4, 2007 | To be determined |
| May 2, 2007 | Charlotte Kisling |
Welcome New Members
Our current membership breakdown is: National - 153 and local only - 41; New members in 2006: National - 41 and local only - 7
A very warm welcome to the following new members. Please join us at the next meeting!
| Alice Bowman | Peggy Staples |
| Carol Damberg | George Staten |
| Verna Jensen | D. C. Woodall |
| Susan Peach | Peg and Tim |
Winter Wings Festival
Thursday, February 15 - Sunday, February 18, 2007
Visit newly designed website now:
www.winterwingsfest.org
- First Raffle: A 3 bedroom 2 1/2 bath oceanfront home on the south shore of Roatan, which is one of the Bay Islands in Honduras. A week is being generously offered by the owner, valued at $1100, not including transportation to or on the island. The house comes equipped with a two person kayak and an inflatable dinghy and is 30 yards from one of the best diving sites on the island. Other activities on the island include zipline canopy tours, Arch's iguana farm, butterfly and botanical gardens, bird-watching, snorkeling, fishing and lots of relaxing. A maximum of 200 tickets at $10 apiece will be sold for this fabulous grand prize.
- Second Raffle: An unlimited number of raffle tickets at $1 for one or $5 for six for other exciting prizes such as a private birding overnight trip including with Klamath Bird Observatory staff, a pair of Eagle Optics binoculars, a behind the scenes tour of nesting pelicans with Klamath Refuge staff, and lifetime oil change for one vehicle. If you cannot attend the February meeting but would like to purchase raffle tickets, please contact Diana Samuels at 850-5832 or e-mail her at . The drawing will be held February 17th at the WWF. All of the monies will go to fund operating costs of the WWF.
KBAS Membership & Support
Why do we all belong to KBAS? There are many different reasons, but mostly these reasons relate to bird watching and increasing our skills, education, and environmental concerns. Audubon means birds, wildlife, endangered species, habitat, and people who care about our disappearing natural world.
For 25 years, our Chapter has contributed to education, activities and policies important to our community's environmental and wildlife health, helping to ensure a heritage for future generations.
The Grebe is published a minimum of 6 times per year. Its publication and mailing costs continue to increase. National Audubon returns very little of national dues to local chapters; in fact, the amount we receive does not even come close to covering the costs of the Grebe. Your membership in our local chapter also helps us fund our local programs and to increase the number of programs and projects we undertake.
Therefore we urge you to become a local member of KBAS and support our local publications, meetings, field trips, educational activities and advocacy on conservation issues. We also encourage you to consider a tax deductible contribution in addition to local dues. The continued success of these fine programs is assured by your support and generous donations. Thank you in advance for your membership and/or contribution.
