Volume 48, Issue 3 March 2017

General Membership Meeting with Friends of Semiahmoo Bay Society

Stewardship North of the 49th Parallel

The Friends of Semiahmoo Bay Society (FOSBS) is a 100% volunteer-based stewardship group working to restore and raise knowledge of the watersheds and habitats associated with Boundary Bay. Boundary Bay is just across the US/Canada border and is located between White Rock and Point Roberts. This presentation will show you why this area has international recognition for the significance of this habitat and its wildlife- expect some stunning pictures! FOSBS has three core com-ponents that make up the society: Environmental Education Programs, Citizen Science Projects and Habitat Enhancement Projects. Matt Christensen, Vice President/Restoration Projects Coordinator and Sarah Brookes, Secretary/Education Programs Coordinator are proud to share a little bit about this special area in which they work, and about the accomplishments of FOSBS’s dedicated support-ers and volunteers.

Always on the 4th Tuesday of the month:March 28th, 7pmWhatcom Museum Rotunda Room free & open to the public!

www.northcascadesaudubon.org

Mark your calendar:Wings Over Water Birding FestivalMarch 10, 11, and 12 (Fri-Sun)www.wingsoverwaterbirdingfestival.com

Hawk Watching Around the WorldMarch 18, 7pm at Bellingham Public Libraryspecial presentation by Sergio Seipke

In this issue... Topic Page Hawk Watching Around the World 2 Wings Over Water Birding Festival 3 50th Christmas Bird Count: A Thank You 3 Yakima River Canyon Bird Fest in May 3 February Field Trips 4 WCC Bird Classes 5 Wildlife Viewing Area in Samish Flats 5 50th Christmas Bird Count: Results 6 WDFW News Release: Dead Gulls 7

Our next board meeting is on March 6.Email president@northcascadesaudubon.org if you would like to join us.

American goldfinch, photo by Andrew Reding

page 2 The Avalanche March 2017

Mission StatementThe purpose of this society is to promote the study and conservation of birds and other wildlife, their habitat, and the environment; to increase public appreciation of the values of wildlife, plants, and the natural environment; and to stimulate action to protect and preserve them for the future.

Avalanche StaffDesigner/editor: Kelley Palmer-McGeeWriter/editor: Lynne Givler

If you are interested in contributing, thedeadline for the April 2017 issue is...

March 15.

Send materials to Kelley Palmer-McGee at:

content@northcascadesaudubon.org

NCAS Board Members

Officers President Pam Borso 319-9004 Vice Pres. Paul Woodcock 966-6549 Secretary Steven Harper 650-9065 Treasurer Sue Parrott 650-9065

Board Members Education Chris Brewer 336-207-7505 Field Trips Ken Salzman 756-0347 Membership Owen Bamford 393-3481 Publicity Twink Coffman Newsletter Kelley Palmer-McGee 466-8601 Conservation Steve Irving 384-1618 Archives Judy Krieger Programs Steven Harper 650-9065 Scholarship Nicole Huson Member at Large Carol Roberts 305-0899 Member at Large Jamie Huson Member at Large Rae Edwards

Associated Persons Scholarship Don Burgess Hospitality Anne Ziomkowski

If you are interested in volunteering with our Audubon chapter, please contact the President at

president@northcascadesaudubon.org

Hawk Watching Around the World: Raptor Highlights of Six ContinentsSaturday, March 18, 7 PMBellingham Central Library, Lecture Room Join raptor expert and author Sergio Seipke as he showcases selected raptor species observed in recent years while traveling in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Chile, Mex-ico, Nepal, Thailand, South Africa, Spain and the USA. His presentation will include photographs and descrip-tions of some of the most spectacular hawk watching sites around the world. Sergio has been studying raptors since 1993 and has authored and co-authored 16 articles dealing with raptor biology, migration, taxonomy, and field iden-tification of neotropical raptors. He is currently writing Raptors of South America, a Princeton University Press field guide dealing exclusively with the identification of the 96 species of raptors occurring in South America.

This special presentation is hosted by the Bellingham Public Library, Whatcom Land Trust, Falcon Research Group and

North Cascades Audubon Society.

Rough-legged hawk, photo by Andrew Reding

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page 3 The Avalanche March 2017

Open Mondays at Our New Location

108 Ohio St.corner of Cornwall

Bellingham360-734-0969

WildBirdChalet.com

Mon-Fri. 10-5:30Sat. 10-4

15th Annual Wings Over Water Northwest Birding FestivalFriday, March 10 - Sunday, March 12

Blaine, Birch Bay, and Semiahmoo

The whole family will enjoy the Wings Over Water Northwest Birding Festival! Located amidst the premiere birding areas of Blaine, Birch Bay and Semiahmoo, the festival provides indoor and outdoor birding opportunities for all ages. Explore birds via viewing stations, guided field trips, a 2-hour open water birding cruise, and hourly Plover Ferry nature cruises. Friday features an all-day field trip by bus to Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta BC and an entertain-ing evening reception at Semiahmoo Resort. Saturday’s all day free Expo at Blaine Middle School (10am to 5pm) of-fers engaging workshops, wildlife exhibits, speakers, and arts and crafts vendors. Kids will have fun at the Birdtastic! Kids’ Art Station, interactive activities and games, birdhouse-building, and live raptor shows. There will be a full day of activities on Sunday at Birch Bay, beginning with a birding breakfast buffet and speakers at the BP Heron Center in Birch Bay State Park.

Seating is limited for some activities, field trips and cruises, so register ahead online to guarantee your spot. Registration is also available on Saturday at the festival starting at 8:30 am. Visit www.wingsoverwaterbirdingfestival.com for more information.

Viewing StationsSaturday, 10AM – 4PM Come be amazed at the variety and number of birds that can be viewed from two locations at Marine Park in Blaine and two on Semiahmoo Spit. NCAS volunteers will be on hand with spotting scopes and fields guides to help partici-pants focus in on this avian spectacle.

VOLUNTEER BIRDERS NEEDED TO STAFF VIEWING STATIONS: If you are comfortable identifying the marine birds of Drayton Harbor and Semiahmoo Bay please consider volun-teering for a 2.5-hour shift. Contact Paul Woodcock at: 360-966-6549 or vp@northcascadesaudubon.org.

Yakima River Canyon Bird FestFriday, May 12 – Sunday, May 14Near Ellensburg

Kittitas Environmental Education Network (KEEN) is hosting a new birding festival this year- the Yakima Riv-er Canyon Bird Fest. Events include guided field trips, workshops (photography, birding by ear, bird illustra-tion), family-oriented activities, a kids’ day camp, key-note speaker Paul Bannick (on owls), a banquet at Red’s Yakima River Canyon Resort, an owl prowl, self-guided field trips (maps provided), and more! You can get all the information on the website:

50th Christmas Bird Count - Thank You! (see page 6 for results) North Cascades Audubon Society has just completed its 50th Christmas Bird Count with the 2016 count. It was started by local ornithologist and author Terry Wahl. We would like to thank him and the many volunteers (some who have participated in all of the counts) for their efforts in making these numbers available. Scientists, ornitholo-gists and bird enthusiasts rely on this kind of long-term data to study trends in bird populations. From these studies we can learn and plan for the birds we love.

http://www.ycic.org/yakima-river-canyon-bird-fest

March 2017The Avalanchepage 4

March Field Trips Ken Salzman, Field Trip Chair

As winter comes to a close and spring begins, birding in the Northwest can be exciting. For all those who prefer good weather and the beginning of migration, March is the time to grab your binoculars. We’ll be birding in a few different habitats this month, so join us for some great birding and camaraderie.

Our field trips are open to everyone regardless of membership in NCAS. Our goal is to provide quality field trips that provide enjoyment and education for all levels of birders. Our field trip leaders, and many of the participants, are enthusiastic about answering questions and helping everyone to focus in on the birds we encounter. So join us for the fun!

Saturday, March 4, Semiahmoo SpitTime: 9 AM at Semiahmoo Park - ~3 hoursTrip Leader: Paul WoodcockNo registration required

As winter ends and spring nears, the regular winter species are still around and there is the possibility of early spring migrants. The trip covers all of Semiahmoo Spit and is co-sponsored by NCAS and Whatcom Coun-ty Parks & Recreation. This is a great trip for beginning birders as well as experts.

Friday, March 10 - Sunday March 12Wings Over Water - Northwest Birding FestivalBlaine, WAFor detailed information about events and scheduling go to: http://www.wingsoverwaterbirdingfestival.com/

Tuesday, March 21, Hovander Park, Tennant Lake and Lake Terrell

Time: 8:30 at Hovander Park - ~4 hoursTrip Leader: Bob MyhrTo register contact Bob Myhr: romyhr@comcast.net

or 360-933-4352

Celebrate the first full day of spring! We will meet at Hovander Park to bird the Hovander Park/Tennant Lake area and then carpool to Lake Terrell. Please bring a Discover Pass if you have one as this is required at Lake Terrell. We will look for raptors, waterfowl, and arriving migratory species.

Saturday, April 1, Semiahmoo SpitTime: 9 AM at Semiahmoo Park - ~3 hoursTrip Leader: Paul WoodcockNo registration required

Spring is here and Semiahmoo Spit is a wonderful place to be birding. Co-sponsored by NCAS and What-com County Parks & Recreation, this trip covers all of the spit and is great for novice as well as advanced birders.

Spotted towhee, photo by Andrew Reding

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Birding in the Pacific Northwest (Beginning Birding)Thursdays, March 23 - April 6; 6-9 PM at Whatcom Community College (WCC)Field Trip: Saturday, April 8; 8:30AM– 12:30PM

North Cascades Audubon Society Board member Ken Salzman will be teaching a class for beginning birders and individuals who want to learn about birding equipment and basic bird identification.

The Art of Photographing BirdsTuesday, April 11; Thursday, April 13; and Tuesday, April 18; 6-9PM at WCCField Trip: Saturday, April 15; 9AM-2PM

Ken will also be teaching a class on bird photography that includes a photo field trip. The final class will be a critique session.

For more information contact Ken at kpsalzman@comcast.net. Register online at www.whatcom.edu

New Wildlife Viewing Area in the Samish Flats The Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife (WDFW) Private Lands Access Program invites bird enthusi-asts to an area recently opened for wildlife viewing in the heart of the Samish Flats. The site is west of Bayview Edison Road and a little over a half-mile south of the “T” to Samish Island Road. The site is adjacent to WDFW property, so visitors are encouraged to take a short trip to these areas also. Look for signs indicating “Wildlife Viewing” (See map below). A parking area is located just off the road and includes a map showcasing the 100 acres available for nature lovers, including two waterfowl blinds for the patient bird watcher/photographer.

Several birds of prey frequent the area, notably, short-eared owls, bald eagles, and all five wintering falcon species. Many waterfowl species should be in abundance with the end of the recent hunting season. Please note, hunt-ing will resume again next season. This area serves both hunters and wildlife watchers, and the many people who engage in both activities. It is open exclusively for hunting during the waterfowl season.

From the intersection of Bow Hill Road and Chuckanut Drive (WA 11): Proceed west on Bow Hill Rd. towards the town of Edison. Bow Hill Rd. turns slightly left and becomes Main St. Turn right onto Mactaggart Ave. Turn left on Cains Ct. Continue onto Farm to Market Rd. Turn right onto Bayview Edison Rd. Turn left to stay on Bayview Edison Rd. Continue approximately ½ mile. Private Lands Wildlife Viewing parking area will be on your right.

From the intersection of HWY 20 and La Conner Whitney Road (Farmhouse Restaurant): Proceed north on La Conner Whitney Rd. towards Bayview State Park. Continue 7.7 miles. The Private Lands Wildlife Viewing parking area will be on the left.

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2016 Bellingham CBC SUMMARY

Snow Goose * 3 Brant 1394 Canada Goose 810 Cackling Goose 230 Mute Swan cp Trumpeter Swan 1004 Tundra Swan * 2 Wood Duck 105 Gadwall 30 Eurasian Wigeon 6 American Wigeon 8325 Mallard 4447 Northern Shoveler 20 Northern Pintail 5338 Green-winged Teal 1282 Canvasback + 27 Ring-necked duck 212 Greater Scaup 1468 Lesser Scaup 59 Harlequin Duck 7 Surf Scoter 518 White-winged Scoter 242 Black Scoter * 4 Long-tailed Duck 52 Bufflehead 537 Common Goldeneye 275 Barrow’s Goldeneye 28 Hooded Merganser 181 Common Merganser 84 Red-breasted Merganser 52 Ruddy Duck 217 Red-throated Loon 3 Common Loon 37 Pied-billed Grebe 13 Horned Grebe 90 Red-necked Grebe 13 Western Grebe 21 Double-cr Cormorant 228 Pelagic Cormorant 52

Great Blue Heron 93 Bald Eagle 131 Northern Harrier 37 Sharp-shinned Hawk 3 Cooper's Hawk 9 Red-tailed Hawk 80 "Harlan's Hawk” 2 Rough-legged Hawk 11 Golden Eagle * 1 American Kestrel 8 Merlin 2 Gyrfalcon * 1 Peregrine Falcon 4 Virginia Rail * 1

American Coot 1065 Black-b. Plover * 23 Killdeer 27 Black Oystercatcher 5 Black Turnstone 18 Dunlin 4270 Wilson's Snipe 16 Mew Gull 207 Ring-billed Gull 31 Herring Gull * 1 Sanderling * 6 Least Sandpiper * 1 Thayer's Gull 4 Western Gull 4 Glaucous-winged Gull 1447 Pigeon Guillemot * 2 Marbled Murrelet * 5 Rock Pigeon 1283 Mourning Dove 137 Eurasian Coll Dove 136 Barn Owl 6 Great Horned Owl 7 Barred Owl * 1 Short-eared Owl * 3 Anna's Hummingbird 64 Belted Kingfisher 13 Red-br Sapsucker + 65 Downy Woodpecker 84 Hairy Woodpecker 21 Northern Flicker 270 Pileated Woodpcker 9 Steller's Jay 191 W. Scrub Jay 3 AM./NW Crow 1792 Common Raven 44 Blk-Capped Chickadee 808 Chestnut-B Chickadee 332 Bushtit 162 Red-br. Nuthatch 45 Brown Creeper 9 Bewick's Wren 32 Pacific Wren 72 Marsh Wren * 1 American Dipper * 2 Golden-cr Kinglet 262 Ruby-cr. Kinglet 74 Hermit Thrush 3 American Robin 778 Varied Thrush 635 American Pipit + 18 Cedar Waxwing 10 Northern Shrike 3 European Starling 3384 Hutton’s Vireo * 2 Orange Cr Warbler * 1 Spotted Towhee 369 Savannah Sparrow * 2

Fox Sparrow 108 Song Sparrow 484 Lincoln's Sparrow 4 White-throated Sparrow 2 White-cr Sparrow 128 Golden-cr Sparrow 177 Dark-eyed Junco 4320 Snow Bunting 20 Red-winged Blackbird 1421 Western Meadowlark 55 Brewer's Blackbird 141 Purple Finch 36 House Finch 240 Pine Siskin 126 American Goldfinch 15 Evening Grosbeak * 2 House Sparrow 284

TOTAL BIRDS 53627 SPECIES 125

hours/foot 90 hours/car 107

TOTAL HOURS 197 miles/foot 70 miles/car 670

TOTAL MILES 740 TOTAL BIRDS 53627

Birds with an asterisk (*) were seen by only one party. Birds with a plus (+) were seen in unusually high numbers. Birds seen in all areas: Crow, Spotted Towhee, Song Sparrow, Junco Birds missed by one party: Mallard, N. Flicker, Blk-Capped Chickadee, European Starling, Thank you, Ronna Loerch, Paul Woodcock, Pam Borso and Doug Brown for all your work. Paul DeBruyn - compiler

page 7 The Avalanche March 2017

WDFW News ReleaseWashington Department of Fish and Wildlife600 Capitol Way North, Olympia, WA 98501-1091http://wdfw.wa.gov/

February 9, 2017Contacts: Dr. Katie Haman, 360-870-2135Emily Butler, 253-306-2929

Investigation of gull deaths near Port of Tacoma continuesTACOMA – The cause of gull deaths near the Port of Tacoma last month likely poses no risk to human health accord-ing to preliminary lab results, but more tests are underway to determine the source of the die-off.

“Based on what we know so far, water pollution or contamination is highly unlikely and there is little or no risk to human health,” said Dr. Katie Haman, a veterinarian for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), which is investigating the incident.

Port of Tacoma workers first reported Jan. 22 that at least 30 gulls were found dead or dying in and around Com-mencement Bay. The birds were all glaucous-winged gulls or glaucous-winged/western gull hybrids, some of the most common gulls on the West Coast.

At least a dozen more dead gulls were reported by the public through Feb. 5, and 31 sick gulls showing signs of weak-ness and/or paralysis were taken to state-licensed wildlife rehabilitation centers.

No additional sick or dead birds have been reported in the area since then.

WDFW biologists collected six of the dead gulls and sent them to the Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Labo-ratory (WADDL) at Washington State University in Pullman for testing. Another nine gull carcasses were sent to the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Wildlife Health Center (NWHC) in Madison, Wisconsin.

Haman reported initial lab results showed inflammation of the intestine and liver, but bacteria could not be cultured from those lesions, making it difficult to determine the cause. Initial lab work ruled out avian influenza virus and avian cholera, and standard screening at wildlife rehabilitation centers ruled out lead poisoning.

WDFW wildlife biologist Emily Butler noted that crows, waterfowl and other birds in the area were not affected – only the two species of gulls initially identified in the die-off – so water pollution or contamination is highly unlikely. Marine algal toxins are also an unlikely cause because no other affected animals were found, but testing for them is underway at a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) lab.

Haman said additional lab tests are also looking for botulism toxin, even though the gulls’ symptoms don’t perfectly match what would be expected from such toxicity. Given the scavenging nature of gulls, they may have been exposed to the bacterial toxin from contaminated food sources.

Testing is also underway for heavy metals and viruses. All final lab results are expected later this month.

Twenty-five of the 31 sick gulls were taken to the Progressive Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) in Lynnwood. Other gulls went to Puget Sound WildCare, Fair Isle Animal Clinic, and West Sound Wildlife Shelter. At last report, 20 of the gulls were still alive and showing signs of moderate improvement with supportive care.

North Cascades Audubon SocietyPO Box 5805Bellingham, WA 98227-5805

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

The Avalanche is the newsletter of the North Cascades Audubon Society, PO Box 5805, Bellingham, WA 98227. It is published 8 times a year; subscriptions start at $20 per year. The editors welcome articles, artwork, photographs, and letters. Opinions expressed in this newsletter are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of this organization. Original material may be reprinted if appropriate credit is given. The North Cascades Audubon Society is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

North Cascades Audubon Society Membership

We hope you will support North Cascades Audubon by joining the chapter locally. Your commitment to Audu-bon is important to us. We will continue to provide you with information regarding local chapter activities through our website and all activities will remain FREE and open to the public. If you are interested in receiv-ing a paper copy of the newsletter, you can join the local chapter for one year at any of the levels to your right. The newsletter is published monthly between Septem-ber and May, including a double issue for November/December. All issues are also available online. If you do not wish to receive a paper copy, email membership@northcascadesaudubon.org.

Please check your mailing labels for accuracy, including the expiration date. To make any necessary changes, please send an email to membership@northcascadesaudubon.org.

Join or Renew (circle one)Please make checks payable to North Cascades Audubon.

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