may-june 2005 island wings newsletter vashon-maury island audubon

8/9/2019 May-June 2005 Island Wings Newsletter Vashon-Maury Island Audubon

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Island WingsIsland WingsIsland WingsIsland Wings- to enjoy, learn about, & preserve the diverse natural habitats of these islands & beyondVolume 15 Number 6 May / June 2005Come Hear the Latest onMarbled Murrelets of the West Coast

In 1992 the Marbled Murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus)was listed under the Endangered Species Act as threatened inCalifornia, Oregon, and Washington. Two years ago, in 2003,

the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service contracted with a panel ofexperts to conduct a review of the status of the Marbled Murreletin these three-states over the eleven years since listing. ColleenMcShane led the panel that reviewed over 500 documents and

prepared an Evaluation Report. At our May 12th Audubon

program, at 7 pm at the Land Trust Building , Colleen willpresent some of the more significant findings of the status reviewand the implications for the Marbled Murrelet population inWashington, Oregon, and California.

The Marbled Murrelet is a small diving seabird that nestsmainly in coniferous forests within 30 miles of the coast andforages in near-shore marine habitats. Its range extends from

southern Alaska through California. The 2003 reportsummarized and interpreted the available biological, ecological,and population information on the Marbled Murrelet andprovided an evaluation of current threats to the species and howthese threats may have changed since the listing. Data onMarbled Murrelet breeding biology, population size, andterrestrial/marine habitat use were found to be comprehensive,while less is known about the amount of occupied habitat,reproductive success, genetics, diet, and variation in preyresources.

The team estimated the world population of MarbledMurrelets to be 947,500 birds, with two percent in the listed

portion of the range. There appear to be aleast three primary populations that aregenetically and ecologically differentDemographic modeling suggests that thepopulation within the listed range will declineover the next 40 years, particularly inCalifornia. Population declines appear relatedto the effects of historic and ongoing loss of

breeding habitat in old-growth forescombined with poor reproductive success fromrelatively high levels of nest predation inremaining forest patches. From the availableinformation, long-term survival of the MarbledMurrelet in the listed range is not certainBased on the results of the 2003 report, theU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service decided that theMarbled Murrelet should continue to be listedas threatened under the Endangered SpeciesAct.

Colleen is presently a senior ecologist with

EDAW, Inc., an environmental consultingcompany with an office in Seattle. Shereceived a bachelors degree in biology fromthe University of Colorado and a mastersdegree in ecology from Washington StateUniversity. She considers herself "almost aWashington native", having lived and workedhere for almost 30 years. Colleen started hercareer as an ecologist at Battelle's Pacific Northwest Laboratory on the HanfoReservation in eastern Washington andcontinues to be involved in conservation plansfor this area. She has worked for EDAW forthe last 10 years and has been involved in projects throughout the Pacific Northwest, awell as other western states. Her primaryresponsibilities include designing andimplementing wildlife and botanicainventories and research studies for contractswith federal and state agencies and electricutilities. She also develops wildlife andnatural resource management plans.


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Bats in Your Belfry?If there are, and youd like them to move to a more

appropriate nook, maybe you would be interested in trying oneof Rich Siegrists handmade bat homes. He has two nursery boxes available that he built several years ago. They haveseveral layers of hanging space for young bats, and measure 18 x24 x 5 thick. Rich plans to donate proceeds from the sale of the

boxes to Vashon Audubon. The price is $15 per box. Pleasecontact Rayna at 463-3153 if you would like to purchase one.

Bats can bewonderful wildlifeneighbors. EllenKritzman says thatwe have threeconfirmed specieson Vashon-Maury,the Little BrownBat Myotislucifugus), the Big

photographby Morgan HoltzBrown Bat

(Eptesicus fuscus), and the California Myotis (Myotiscalifornicus). The role played by bats that is so muchappreciated by us is their effective hunting and consumption ofinsects, several hundred each night and hundreds of thousands ofnight-flying pests in the course of a summer. Some of theseinsects might otherwise nibble on our garden plants or, evenmore irritating, on US. Its also fun to watch them on a summerevening, soaring and darting through the twilight sky or nabbinginsects that flutter at porch lights.

Rich reports that he has a bat box on the south side of hishouse that has been occupied by one bat each summer for thepast several years. TheIsland Wings editors would like to knowabout other islanders bat experiences. Have you found batsnesting in your house or in a bat box? If you have a bat box,which side of the house have you mounted it on? Email us at

[email protected] and well assemble some bat informationto share with the membership.

Looking for a Good Opportunity to Volunteer?

Time for OurSPRING ROAD CLEANUPIts time to spruce up Vashon Highway again. On Sunday,

May 1, well head out top the road south of town with our brightorange vests and our back-saving grabbers and gather noxiousgarbage. We gather just south of town on the main highway inthe vicinity of the Methodist Church/Island Funeral Home. Thecotton gloves, vests, and "grabbers" will be provided. Usuallythe project takes about two hours. Recruit extra hands and we'llget our two miles done even earlier. - EllenKritzman

Gearing up forSTRAWBERRY

FESTIVALJust after you get the burnt out fireworks

pulled out of your grass and shrubs it will beFestival time, July 9 and 10. Each yearVashon-Maury Audubon has a booth at theStrawberry Festival where we sell our

merchandise and help create interest in locabirds and nature. Soon Pam and Rayna will beordering books and t-shirts.

As in past years, we will help the Chamberof Commerce office in lieu of paying a boothfee. This year, the Chamber has asked us toconduct a survey for them as our contributionWe will ask questions of people who stop aour booth. To handle this added responsibilityand ensure that we have enough personnel, wewould like at least three people staffing thebooth at all times. The booth is open from 10

6 on Saturday and 10 4 on Sunday and wewould like people to commit to two hoursThis means that we need 21 people.

If you are interested in helping, please calPam at 463-3980. You do not have to decideyet when you would work. When it is closeto Festival time we will call people to set upspecific times. It will be a big help if we canstart with a list of willing helpers.

Please think about this opportunity. Tomake the Festival a success we need staff forthe booth. It is easy to do and is usually fun

While raising money for our Audubon chapteryou greet old friends, make new ones, andshare your enthusiasm for birds and wildlife.

- Pam DawdyEllisport Creek News

Where Ellisport Creek flows into TrampHarbor just south of KVI Beach, birders oftenenjoy stopping to see waterfowl. This outflowmarks a favorite wintering site for hundreds ofAmerican Wigeon, together with a sampling ofgoldeneyes, Bufflehead, grebes, scoters, and

gulls. Brant often stop at the site for a fewweeks during their migrations. It is a siteworth protecting for its habitat value, andVashon Audubon has been involved in effortsto accomplish this for about seven years now.

We have been cooperating since 1998 in acoalition of island groups interested in buyingthe eight acres at Ellisport Creeks mouth to protect as open space. The willing owneTom Pattillo, is offering to sell the property foronly $30,000. In 1998, partnering with the


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Vashon Park District, we won a federal Coastal ZoneManagement grant to cover the purchase price. Vashon ParkDistrict would have assumed ownership. But when traces of oldbunker C oil spills were found, the process came to a halt. TheCZM grant deadline passed as we worked through stages ofhiring consultants to determine the extent of the contaminationand sought ways to pursue cleanup that would meet the standardsset by the Model Toxics Control Act. Audubon funds helped toleverage a King County Waterworks grant for this work. The

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service also awarded a grant.Recently, through the leadership of our basin steward Ray

Heller and Audubon member Ann Spiers, this project hasrevived. The King County Brownfields program, managed by

Lucy Auster withinKing County SolidWaste, will pursuefurther assessmentusing grant fundsavailable from EPA.Several pertinentstandards have relaxed

recently, and we hopeto develop a viablecleanup plan aftercompleting this phaseof study. Meanwhilevolunteer geologist

Bufflehead photo by Jack Dawdy Emory Bayley hasoffered to help. He works with the nonprofit organizationECOSS, the Environmental Coalition of South Seattle, whichprovides free technical assistance on contaminated sites whoseowners want to clean them up.

Concurrently, the King County Roads Division is planning to

improve the culvert for Ellisport Creek mouth. As part of theDockton Road Seawall project, a crew will install a larger boxculvert that will significantly improve the connection from theupper stream to the shore so debris can pass through and searuncutthroat trout and foraging young salmonids can easily swim in.

- Rayna HoltzWatch Wildlife from Home, Too

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has been placing cameras in key areas used by wildlife. TheirWildWatchCam program currently features cameras focused on

Redtail Hawk photographed at Agren by

Jack Dawdy the nests of Great BlueHerons, Purple Martins, Burrowing OwlsBarn Owls, and Bald Eagles. Other camerasreveal activities (or lack thereof) at a salmonhatchery, a cabin with a nesting colony ofTownsends big-eared bats, and a haulout sitefor harbor seals. The cameras show still shotsthat refresh at intervals of 20 seconds or so

and each of the featured species has additionavideo clips, archived photographs, and naturahistory information. Heres the URL to enjoythe action:

http://wdfw.wa.gov/wildwatch/index.htmlNow its possible to watch herons preeningand tending their babies between reading andanswering your email!

-Our VMIAS Website Has Moved!

For several years, the Vashon-Maury Island

Audubon Society has had a modest websitewith a complicated URL, connected to the webvia aol.com. This spring, we are moving to amore memorable sitename

vashonaudubon.org thanks to the assistanceof Dan Schueler, longtime member and long-time board member of our club. It is a work inprogress, but check it out in a few months. We plan to post our species lists, results of thChristmas Bird Counts and 4th of JulyButterfly Counts, board contact informtionmembership materials, information abou

current projects and classes, photographs bymembers, and more.

www.vashonaudubon.orgVMIAS Board

Officers

President Ed Swan 463-7976Vice Presidents

Dana & Lindsay Hofman 463-5356Secretary Ellen Kritzman 567-4837Treasurer Steve Caldwell 463-5778

Chairs

Conservation George Steffen 463-2603Education Sue Trevathan 463-1484Field Trips Dan Willsie 567-4406Hospitality Marie Blichfeldt 463-5350Island Wings Jay & Rayna Holtz 463-3153Memberships Ron Simons 463-3627Programs Brenda Sestrap 463-3510Publicity Judith Pearce 463-2215

Jean Aspinall 463-3178Basha Brownstein 463-4135

Welcome Joy Nelsen 463-2593


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The State of the World, VashonIncluded

- George Steffan Any progress achieved in addressing the goals of

poverty and hunger eradication, improved health, and

environmental protection is unlikely to be sustained if

most of the ecosystem services on which humanityrelies continue to be degraded.

This is the conclusion of a major report, MillenniumEcosystem Assessment Synthesis Report, issued by aconsortium of private and public institutions includingthe U.N. Environmental Project, the World Bank and theWorld Resources Institute among others.This is a mammoth project and this article can onlytouch on highlights. (For those who wish to consult it in

greater detail, the website is: www.maweb.org.) At themost general level, the report offers the followingfindings:

Human usage of the planets ecosystem has grownat such a rate that it is currently threatening theextinction of 10 to 30 percent of the mammal, bird andamphibian species of the planet.

The impact of human development has improvedonly four of the services of the ecosystem: crop,livestock, aquaculture, and carbon usage. Ecosystemservices are the benefits people obtain fromecosystems. This does not imply that these benefitshave left the ecosystem better off. It simply is statingthe expansion of these services (benefits) from theecosystem. In fact, 60% of the services of the ecosystem

are degraded or being used unsustainably including freshwater, air and water pollution, fisheries and arable land(erosion).

In assessing the planet, particular areas of changehave taken on new emphases such as nonlinear (abrupt)change (disease irruption, dead zones, climate change);excessive nutrients (as in runoff fertilizer); anddesertification.

Degradation of ecosystem services could well growworse unless major changes in policy take place. Anexample given is the impact of deforestation, which maylead to a significant rise in diseases both old (malaria)

and new (AIDS, current reports from Angola). Thesechanges in policy and action are not currently beingproposed or implemented in any significant manner.

While many have said that this or that area of anecosystem is in danger, the Millennium EcosystemAssessment (MA) is a global assessment. Thirty-threeassessments have been made, covering every continentand a huge variety of subsystems. The basic conclusionis that human development has put such a strain on theenvironment that the ability of the planets ecosystems tosustain future generations can no longer be taken forgranted. However, the MA is designed to offer tool for

the future. One of the goals of the MA is to providepriorities for action as well as planning and managemenregarding decisions affecting ecosystems. Moreover, theaudience for this report is not only theacademic/scientific world, but, political, business and popular decision-makers. In the end, the MA holds warning of global scope, a sense that the warning is

immediate and a belief that human beings still have theability to change the apparent course of these trends.

Planning to Protect Our Groundwater- Rayna Holtz

Inevitably, the subject of water is, again, the cause ofmuch controversy on Vashon-Maury Island. In the early80s the first big water study by J.R.Carr and Associatesdemonstrated that our island water supplies were derivedsolely from island rainfall, which in turn led to the firsround of discussions and arguments about how to protecgroundwater recharge. Islanders held neighborhoodmeetings, and then voted to downzone lot sizes in thehigh recharge areas. Now, in 2005, as required by thestates Watershed Management Act, islanders are writingtheir own groundwater management plan rather thanaccept the plan being written by Kitsap planners, withinwhose Watershed Resource Inventory Area (WRIA 15)Vashon happens to fall.

We are ahead of the game a bit because we alreadyhave a Vashon Groundwater Management Plan, adoptedby the King County Council in 1998 after ten years ostudy and revisions by consultants and citizens on theVashon Groundwater Management Team. That plandesignates issues that need to be addressed to ensure thesafety of our water supply and water quality. It alsomandates that a Vashon Maury Island GroundwaterProtection Committee oversee ongoing data collectionand implement the plans recommendations.

One of the members of this Groundwater ProtectionCommittee, Jeremy Pratt, offered to lead a subcommitteeto write a WRIA 15 plan for Vashon.. He and otherinterested members of the community met five times in2004. The guts of the plan they crafted are in section 4of the report, where they address Water Rights, WaterUse and Conservation, Public Water Service, ExemptWells, Instream Flows, Underground Storage TanksSeptic Systems, Stormwater Management, Pesticides andFertilizers, and most recently Governance.

It is impossible to evaluate the plan objectivelywithout learning about the history of island water useand the current data that give us a sense of how muchrainwater replenishes our aquifer, how much water iswithdrawn from it, how the aquifer interacts with pondsand streams, and what threats endanger water quality andquantity. Jeremy Pratt assembled all the most up-to-datepertinent data in existence to define this context for the


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planning effort. He summarized it in a Power Pointpresentation that is available both on paper and on CD inthe Vashon Library.

In a nutshell, the plan outlines threats to water qualityand quantity based on the increasing population withattendant increased withdrawals and reduced recharge.At public meetings in March and April the plan was presented and comments were taken. Much of thenegative response to the plan stemmed from one

recommendation that, If new information indicates aninability to meet water demand on a sustainable basis,the County should apply a complete moratorium onconstruction of new dwelling units while it finds ways

to provide an adequate and sustainable water supplyThis wording has been amended to say, the Countyshall take immediate steps to ensure new developmendoes not impair the groundwater supply, illustrating the process of absorbing comments and revising the planwhich will continue through much of May. If you wantto experience community democracy stumbling andstruggling and maybe finally soaring, this issue is a goodone, and will be with us for a long time to come. Jus

watch the papers for postings about other water relatedmeetings.

May-June 2005

Sunday, May 1, 9:30am near Island Funeral Home/Methodist Church

SPRING ROAD CLEANUPEllen Kritzman Vashon Audubon Service ProjectWe gather just south of town on the main highway in the vicinity of the Methodist Church/Island Funeral Home. Cottongloves, vests, and some "grabbers" will be provided. Recruit extra hands and we'll get our two miles done even earlier.

Saturday, May 7th, 8am Center Parkn Ride Lot, across from Sound FoodBIRDING BY EAR BACK YARD SURVEY Steve Caldwell Vashon Audubon ClassThis class is for registered participants and repeat students. To come, call Steve at 463-5778.

Saturday, May 7th, 9:30am to 1pm -- Vashon Theatre Parking Lot

SPRING PLANT SALE Land Trusts 14th annual plant sale!

Tuesday, May 10, 7pm Land Trust Building

BIRDING BY EAR Steve Caldwell Vashon Audubon Class

Thursday, May 12, 7pm Land Trust Building

MARBLED MURRELETS: THE LATEST Colleen McShane Vashon Audubon ProgramColleen McShane, senior ecologist with EDAW, Inc., led the 2003 U.S. Fish and Wildlife review of the MarbledMurrelets status since 1992, when it was listed as a threatened species in Washington.

Saturday, May 14, 8-10 am Ober ParknRide

VASHON ISLAND FIELD TRIP - Monthly Second Saturday Audubon Field TripBring binoculars and scope if you have them!

Saturday, May 14, 8-10 am 6:20AM AT north End Parking Lot for 6:30am ferry to Southworth

BIRDING BY EAR FIELD TRIP to THELER WETLAND Steve Caldwell Vashon Audubon ClassThis class is for registered participants and repeat students. To come, call Steve at 463-5778.

Saturday-Sunday, May 14-15

BASIC BIRDING CLASS PASSERINES FIELD TRIP Dan Willsie Vashon Audubon Class

This class is for registered participants only, and will cover resident passerines. Contact Dan at 567-4406.

Thursday, June 2, 7 pm

VMIAS BOARD MEETING

Saturday, June 11, 8-10 am Ober ParknRide

VASHON ISLAND FIELD TRIP - Monthly Second Saturday Audubon Field TripBring binoculars and scope if you have them!


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Wonderful May Possibilities

May 6-8 Grays Harbor Shorebird Festival. The Saturday night banquet speaker will be Dr. Dennis PaulsonField trips and lectures are offered throughout the three-day weekend. Best times to view shorebirds at Grays Harbor aretwo hours before to two hours after high tide including Friday 10:55am-2:55pm, Saturday 11:45am-3:45pm, and Sunday

12:30pm-4:30pm.:

For details see www.shorebirdfestival.com.

May 7 Prairie Appreciation Day. On Saturday,10am-4pm, The Nature Conservancy will sponsor activitiesall day on the South Puget Sound Prairies near Olympia, including walks to enjoy birds, butterflies, and wildflowers.

Details are at www.nature.org/Washington.May 7 Get Intimate With the Shrub-Steppe. A 7am bird-watching event will start the annual celebrationof arid ecosystems. Other field trips will feature photography, snakes, geology, beavers, homesteads, prehistory, andnative plants. CWU Professor Dan Beck will once again lead a snake-sneaking field trip up Umptanum Canyon to find

rattlesnakes and other reptiles. Details are available at: www.KittitasEE.net.

May 28-30 Wenas Campout. For over 30 years Audubon families have been camping out at theWenas CreekCampground officially named the Hazel Wolf Wenas Creek Bird Sanctuary. The location, SW of Ellensburg, is now inan Important Bird Area which Aduboners are working to secure in protective status. The free, primitive campgroundalong the north fork of Wenas Creek has exceptional opportunities for birding, botanizing and enjoying spring in theeastern foothills of the Cascades.

The campground is about 2,500' elevation, we bring our own water for cooking & drinking (the creek is beautiful and

bountiful but not potable). There are organized field trips, natural history workshops, some of the state's top birders, andWNPS botanists, plus old-fashioned campfires in the evening with singing, story telling and recapping the sightings of theday.

For details visit the Wenas Website, http://www.nwlink.com/~cyrus/wenas.html. There's a bird checklist, directionsto the campground, and more

Vashon-Maury Island Audubon Society

P.O. Box 838Vashon Island, WA, 98070

NONPROFIT ORGU. S. POSTAGE

PAIDVASHON, WA

PERMIT NO.140


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may-june 2005 island wings newsletter vashon-maury island audubon

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