vermilion - tucson audubon society · vermilion f l y c a tc h er january–february 2010 | volume...

Vermilionf l y c a t c h e r

January–February 2010 | Volume 54, Number 5

Tucson Audubon Society | tucsonaudubon.org

Vermilionf l y c a t c h e r



T u c s o n A u d u b o n ’ s b i - m o n T h l y n e w s m A g A z i n e

The Value of mistletoe

conservation Priorities for 2010 3 new global ibAs in Arizona 5 wildlife linkage success 19

wasted water? not in my Patch! 14

what’s in a name? Phainopepla 15

Raw deal for u.s. Taxpayers 20

2 Tucson Audubon Vermilion Flycatcher January–february 2010

The Central Arizona Project (CAP), which currently delivers nearly 60 percent of Tucson’s water, is Arizona’s largest single user of electricity. Ninety-five percent of that electricity comes from a coal-burning plant near Lake Powell.

This means that our water consumption contributes to pollution and global warming, as well as to degrading the significant water-dependent wildlife habitats of the Colorado River Delta—formerly one of the world’s largest fresh-water estuaries—and other riparian habitats of the Colorado River.

In addition to its ruling that carbon dioxide is a pollutant, the EPA may require coal-burning plants to install very expensive technology to reduce nitrogen oxide pollution—making it prohibitively expensive to operate (the Lake Powell plant is already installing a much less expensive and slightly less effective system). The more expensive system could cause the price of CAP water to double or triple (see www.cap-az.com/public-information/ngs/).

The price we pay for our water does not reflect its true costs because many are externalities: the effects on the Colorado River, the effects of pollution from the power plant. We can reduce some degradation, but it will increase our water bills substantially.

It is a positive sign that Tucson and Pima County are cooperating on the “Water and Wastewater Infrastructure, Supply and Planning Study.” Phases I and II (an inventory, and a study of values and policy) were overseen by a citizen committee. Their report, plus several technical papers, is available at www.tucsonpimawaterstudy.com.

The ultimate goal of this 5-phase study is to develop a “sustainable water future and a livable region.” We must follow its progress closely to make sure the result is a plan for true sustainability, and that the “respect for the environment” espoused by the study is not superficial.

For many, “sustainable water” means the perpetual availability of water for people. They do not take into account the needs of any other species.

We need to widen the angle of our lens and see that water sustainability must mean sustainability for song sparrows, beavers, ash trees and all of us who breathe the air. VF

Vermilion Flycatcher is published bi-monthly. For address changes or subscription problems call 622-5622, or write to Membership Coordinator, Tucson Audubon, 300 E. University Blvd, #120, Tucson, AZ 85705. Submissions are due the 1st of the month, two months before the date of the issue. Please send submissions as Microsoft Word or RTF documents, or plain text files, to Matt Griffiths at [email protected]. Coordinator Matt Griffiths 206-9900Proofreaders Jane & Warren Tisdale 749-2139 and Tucson Audubon staff and board membersDesign/Layout Eng-Li Green

Tucson Audubon Society is dedicated to improving the quality of the environment by providing education, conservation, and recreation programs, environmental leadership, and information. Tucson Audubon is a non-profit volunteer organization of people with a common interest in birding and natural history. Tucson Audubon maintains offices, a library, and nature shops in Tucson, the proceeds of which benefit all of its programs.

Tucson Audubon Society 300 E. University Blvd. #120, Tucson, AZ 85705

629-0510 (voice) or 623-3476 (fax) All phone numbers are area code 520 unless otherwise stated.

www.tucsonaudubon.org Board Officers & Directors Messages 622-5622 President Herb TrossmanVice President Mich Coker Secretary Robert Merideth Treasurer Lindsey Quisenberry Directors at Large Mary Kay Eiermann, Richard Fray, Sandy Elers, Julie Gordon, Linda Greene, Craig Marken, Neil Markowitz, Liz Payne, Cynthia Pruett, Adrian Quijada, Bill Roe, Jessie Shinn, Linda StitzerBoard Committees Conservation Chris McVie, Development Sandy Elers, Education Cynthia Pruett, Membership Jessie Shinn, Finance Lindsey Quisenberry, Personnel Mich Coker, Nominating Robert MeridethPrograms & Activities Field Trips Darlene Smyth 297-2315 Library David West 629-0510 Membership Meetings Jean Barchman 622-5622 Rare Bird Alert John Yerger | Report Rare Birds 798-1005 Staff Executive Director Paul Green 777-9525Finance and Operations Brad Paxton 629-0757Accountant Michelle Bourgeois 629-0757Membership Coordinator Jean Barchman 622-5622 Special Projects Erin Olmstead 622-5622 Education & Outreach Specialist Matt Brooks 622-2230IBA Conservation Biologist Scott Wilbor 628-1730IBA Program Assistant Samantha Barnett 628-1730Restoration Program Manager Kendall Kroesen 206-9900 Field Supervisor Rodd Lancaster 256-6909 Restoration/Communications Specialist

Matthew Griffiths 206-9900Restoration Specialist Chris Harrison 206-9900Restoration Specialist Andy Bennett 206-9900Mason Outreach Coordinator Lia Sansom 971-6238 University Shop Manager Sara Pike 622-2230 Volunteer Coordinator/Agua Caliente

Shop Manager Becky Aparicio 760-7881 Tucson Audubon Nature Shops 300 E University Blvd #120 629-0510623-3476 fax / 622-2230 Shop Manager Hours: Mon–Sat 10 am–4 pm (5 pm Mon & Thu) Agua Caliente Park, 12325 E Roger Rd 760-7881 Hours: 9 am–3:30 pm Thu, Fri, Sat (Oct–Feb)

VERMILIONF L Y C A T C H E R



VERMILIONF L Y C A T C H E R



T U C S O N A U D U B O N ’ S B I - M O N T H L Y N E W S M A G A Z I N E

The Value of Mistletoe

Conservation Priorities for 2010 3 New Global IBAs in Arizona 5 Wildlife Linkage Success 19

Wasted Water? Not in My Patch! 14

What’s in a Name? Phainopepla 15

Raw Deal for U.S. Taxpayers 20

FRonT coVeR: Sandhill Crane by Donna Tolbert-Anderson. You can see more of her nature photography at www.capturingnaturesimages.com.

To have your photographs considered for use in the Vermilion Flycatcher, please contact Matt Griffiths at [email protected].

Features13 Water and Wildlife

14 Wasted Water? Not in My Patch!

15 What’s in a Name? Phainopepla

16 Discovering the Value of Mistletoe

departments3 Commentary

4 News Roundup

8 Events Calendar

8 Events and Classes

12 Living With Nature

18 Conservation and Education News

21 Field Trips

24 Birding Travel from Our Business Partners

25 Classified Ads

26 Nature Shops

27 Bookends

wild Time for waterKendall Kroesen, Restoration Program Manager

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January–february 2010 Vermilion Flycatcher Tucson Audubon 3

As we look to serving our community during 2010, we will continue to expand our offerings of free birding trips, expand the range and number of our education activities, and bring greater clarity to our conservation work. While some of our conservation activities focus on restoring degraded riparian habitats, and identifying and monitoring the most important habitats for birds and other wildlife, and maintaining their viability, advocacy is also an important part of our work. The coming year brings significant opportunities and challenges ahead. Here are some of the highlights:

On a nATionAl level, we look forward to the enactment of the clean water Restoration Act (www.opencongress.org/bill/111-s787/show) . For residents of the western United States, this act should clarify the importance of conserving ephemeral waters and their watersheds, such as the Santa Cruz and San Pedro Rivers and their tributaries. Locally, this may provide an increased level of guidance for the Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE) and increased certainty for developers, water and flood control managers, and conservationists regarding potential impacts to such important areas as Davidson Canyon, an area identified by Pima County’s Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan (SDCP) as a Critical Landscape Linkage (CLL) and Important Riparian Area (IRA).

The passage of the senate climate change bill (www.opencongress.org/bill/111-s1933/show) could be a step forward in reducing our nation’s contribution to increasing levels of C02 in the atmosphere, currently at 386 parts per million, up from 313 parts per million in 1958. It may also provide the impetus to invest in cleaner, greener technologies and move us forward towards a more sustainable economy, while avoiding the dire consequences of inaction

that would include the disruption of the ecological systems that maintain our life on earth.

Reform of the 1872 mining law would update the mining law to reflect the best available scientific information protecting our nation’s clean air and water, institute higher reclamation standards, and ensure royalties in exchange for the resources that are extracted. The proposed Rosemont Copper Mine, the proposed Resolution Copper Mine, and the proposed uranium mining projects in the vicinity of the Grand Canyon could be vastly improved or averted through passage of this bill (www.earthworksaction.org/1872.cfm).

On a sTATewide level, Arizona state Trust land reform (www.land.state.az.us/news/2009/062609_reform.htm) continues to be high priority. Unfortunately, as the process has unfolded through 2009, the current effort, led by the Governor and the State Land Department, has been reluctant to fully integrate the important conservation work done by a number of agencies and organizations such as the Western Governors Association (www.westgov.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=123&Itemid=68), the Arizona Wildlife Linkages Working

Group (www.azdot.gov/Highways/OES/AZ_WildLife_Linkages/workgroup.asp), the Arizona Game and Fish Department (www.azgfd.gov/w_c/index.shtml), the Arizona Department of Transportation (www.azdot.gov/Highways/NResources/index.asp), the Coalition for Sonoran Desert Protection (www.sonorandesert.org/), and local jurisdictions (www.pima.gov/CMO/SDCP/, www.marana.com/index.aspx?NID=193, and www.tucsonaz.gov/ocsd/HCP.php). Integration of the best available conservation science could enable our state to better meet the needs of our human and wildlife populations in adapting to climate change and the demands of rapid growth.

locAlly, the planning for the next Pima county open space bond is moving forward. We support the recommendation of the Conservation Acquisition Commission for $285 million and recommend that the funding be used not only to complete the acquisition of previously Board of Supervisors-approved purchases, but to acquire identified private and State Trust Land parcels within and adjacent to identified important wildlife corridors (CLLs) and to expand protected areas, such as the Tortolita Mountain Park. The bond election is currently scheduled for the November 2010 election, but has been a moving target due to the state of the economy.

habitat conservation Plans (hcPs) are underway in Pima County, the Town of Marana, and the City of Tucson: see www.pima.gov/CMO/SDCP/reports/d52/MSCP.pdf, www.marana.com/index.aspx?NID=193, and www.tucsonaz.gov/ocsd/HCP.php. After the profound loss of Dr. Maeveen Behan, guiding light of the SDCP, the county continues to move forward with its final application to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) for a Section 10 permit under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The City of Tucson is preparing an HCP for their Avra Valley Water lands and a proposed solar installation. Marana’s proposed HCP is slated to intensively develop the majority of the Tortolita Fan’s old growth ironwood and saguaro forest.

We will be asking for your help in bringing pressure to bear on these issues throughout the year. We do much of this by email. If you are not on our email list you can register by going to www.tucsonaudubon.org and click on the Sign up for email newsletter link. VF

commenTARy ChRiS MCViE | CONSERVATiON ChAiR

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when it comes to conservation, it’s about the water, the habitat and wildlife linkages

While some of our conservation activities focus on restoring degraded riparian habitats, and identifying and monitoring the most important habitats for birds and other wildlife, and maintaining their viability, advocacy is also an important part of our work.

San Pedro River Tortolita Fan from Arthur Pack Park

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Tucson Audubonnews RounduP

The first field trip of Tucson Audubon’s Young Birders Club is scheduled for Saturday January 30. The club is designed for children ages 8 to 18. All kids in this age group with an interest in birds are invited to join in the trip.

The club’s adult field trip leaders are Robert Payne ([email protected], 867-0490) and Scott Olmstead ([email protected], 840-9567). They are young men that share a passion for birding and a desire to help open up the world of birding to kids. At least one member of the Tucson Audubon staff will accompany the first trip. Contact the trip leaders to sign up.

As noted in the field trip description (see page 22), the January 30 trip will be a half-day of birding in local

Tucson parks and birding hotspots. We’ll look for wintering species both common and rare, with emphasis on finding rarities that have been reported recently.

We will end the trip at Reid Park with a lunch meeting in one of the ramadas. We hope the young birders themselves will play an important role in determining the focus and direction of the club. It is our hope that, beyond gaining and sharing birding skills, club members will gain an interest in natural history and take on citizen science projects that “give back” to the birding community and to wildlife.

Thereafter, club field trips will be on the fourth Saturday of each month. We will look at expanding field trip opportunities as the program grows and diversifies.

Youth birding off to a flying startKendall Kroesen, Restoration Program Manager

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You still have the opportunity to join with hundreds of others in our community to make a year-end tax-deductible gift to Tucson Audubon. You will have received a letter in the mail, and an email also, telling you how you can be a part of our year-end appeal. The easiest way to give is to call Jean Barchman at (520) 622-5622, or go online to www.tucsonaudubon.org and click on the End of Year Appeal link. Paul Green, Executive Director.

With your holiday gift you can be part of a brighter future!

gearing up for birdathonErin Olmstead, Special Projects

Do you plan to get out birding more this year, and perhaps involve your friends in your favorite hobby? Having a firm plan may make your dreams become real, so we offer our 2010 Birdathon as a great opportunity to get out birding, and the money you raise will help us teach people about birds and save habitat!

A Birdathon is like a walkathon, except instead of raising money per mile walked, we raise money per species seen. Here’s how it works: This year’s Birdathon will run from APRil 9 ThRough mAy 9. You bird when, where, and however you like during that time. In addition to your commitment of one day’s birding, you will need to ask a couple of your friends, relatives, neighbors, or colleagues to sponsor your effort, either on a per-species-seen basis or with a fixed amount. It’s a simple way to connect birding and habitat protection, and to share the fun of birding with your community!

We are making a few exciting changes for this year’s Birdathon. We’re developing a cool and easy-to-use online pledge tool that will simplify the registration and sponsorship process. You’ll be able to customize your own personal fundraising

webpage to conveniently get the word out among family and friends, who will then be able to sponsor your team’s birding securely online. You’ll even be able to track your progress toward individual and team fundraising goals. Remember—great prizes will be awarded to the top performers in several categories including: Most Pledges Collected, Most Money Raised, Most Money Raised per species, Most Species Seen per Gallon of Gas, and perhaps Most Species Seen. The focus is on birding, fun, and fundraising that does not cost the earth.

So make a date with yourself to go birding in April and May, and mark that date in your calendar today. Get a few friends together for your Big Day of Birding (or Big Sit). Then start thinking about who you can get to sponsor you. new to birding or a first-time Birdathoner? Check out www.tucsonaudubon.org/what-we-do/birding/birdathon.html to learn more about fun and successful past birdathons and consider joining one of Tucson Audubon’s expert-guided teams. I’ll be giving you much more information in the next issue—stay tuned!

Birdathoning in Madera Canyon, April 2009

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Two Arizona important bird Areas gain global status!coming up: January and February “backcountry” surveys in premier sonoran desert habitats in southwest Arizona, and southern Az ibA bird monitoring workshop in early march.Scott Wilbor Important Bird Areas Program Conservation Biologist

This past November, the National Audubon IBA Technical Committee reviewed two of our Arizona Important Bird Areas, and based on data we provided, elevated both to Global IBA status. Our program, which uses trained volunteer IBA bird surveyors, often provides the essential bird data for these state and national reviews. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer IBA bird surveyor, please join us at the training workshop to be held in Tucson on March 5th and 6th (new date).

Anderson Mesa, southeast of Flagstaff in the Coconino national Forest, was recognized as a Global IBA for the essential habitat this forested and lake complex provides for Pinyon Jay (IUCn Red List Vulnerable). Flocks of these jays numbering in the hundreds nest and feed throughout this pinyon and ponderosa pine covered mesa. One of our northern IBA Team efforts

collected extensive bird data for this area in 2005.

The Chiricahua Mountains, in southeastern Arizona, within the Coronado national Forest, was accepted as the other new Global IBA. This area was recognized for the abundant Mexican Spotted Owl population (IUCn Red List Near Threatened). Biologist Helen Snyder documented that this owl and ten other owl species are nesting within the exceptionally high quality habitats of sycamore/oak/juniper riparian, pine/oak, and mixed conifer vegetation, within the many canyons of this 9600 foot range. The overall owl density (and for raptors overall) is extremely high.

Two other Arizona IBAs have already received Global IBA designation; Marble Canyon for California Condor and the lower San Pedro River for Bell’s Vireo. The recent recognition of Anderson

Mesa and the Chiricahua Mountains brings the total number of Global IBAs in the United States to 378. This status gives further recognition to these areas for the exceptional bird populations of global concern that they support.

Last year we had 26 IBA Teams monitoring birds in Arizona, and 13 were in southern Arizona (plus four “backcountry” survey efforts). In 2010 we will continue IBA Teams at Sabino canyon & creek (3 teams), Tanque Verde Wash, Santa Catalina Mountains, and southern Santa Rita Mountains; and multi-team “backcountry” surveys in the Patagonia Mountains, Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge, and Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. We hope to train and assemble new teams for Tanque Verde Wash (to expand coverage), Cienega Creek, Patagonia area, Amado area, and a new site along the lower San Pedro River.

Our IBA Bird Monitoring Workshop is moving to March 5th and 6th. The first day will be in a classroom, 8 a.m. (breakfast provided) to noon, with optional afternoon training and birding. The second day will be field techniques training from 8 to noon in Avra Valley. We are looking for intermediate to advanced birds with a bent towards science-based data collection. Our first “backcountry” multiple team effort will be at Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge, now Jan. 28–30 (with possible exploration extension through that Saturday, then return Sunday). “Backcountry” surveys to Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument follow on Feb. 18–20. All our IBA inventory and monitoring efforts are designed to help further our site-based knowledge of bird populations of concern in Arizona, and promote good land management and stewardship for their long-term conservation. Please visit our website, www.aziba.org for IBA bird survey, resource fieldwork, and other workshop announcements, as well as to access all our bird survey results and to see photos & videos of the sites. You too can be part of Audubon’s Important Bird Areas conservation program; we hope to see you at our Southern AZ IBA Bird Monitoring Workshop in March or sooner!

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Top L to R: Anderson Mesa (Long Lake), a new GLobal IBA in Arizona; recognized specifically for Pinyon Jay, a species listed as “Vulnerable”. Bottom L to R: Chiricahua Mountains (Cave Creek Canyon), another new Global IBA in Arizona; recognized specifically for Mexican Spotted Owl listed as “near Threatened”.

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Cabeza Prieta NWR (Cholla Pass), site of our first “backcountry” multi-team IBA survey in 2010.

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Tucson Audubon news RounduP Volunteer news roundup

Becky Aparicio, Volunteer Coordinator

new volunteersMike Byers—community outreach Eileen Sykora—membership & community outreach

Volunteers of the yearAs we honor our first Volunteers of the Year (see p 7) I find myself considering more and more what makes a GREAT volunteer. Certainly giving lots of time to an organization is a plus, and quality of work is paramount. But not to be forgotten is the enthusiasm and attitude that a volunteer brings, the impact he or she makes on the organization and to the fulfillment of its mission. The high quality of nominees this year made our decision difficult, for Tucson Audubon is blessed with a number of volunteer staff that fit these criteria. I’d like to tell about some of our newer volunteers who are in the process of becoming GREAT! They have been volunteers less than six months.

Lynn Kelley-Piper is a yoga therapist and teacher who is new to Tucson. Her love of birds and the outdoors brought her to Tucson Audubon. She has become a great tabling volunteer for different events. She can get the most skeptical listener to leave her/his name and e-mail on one of our sign-in forms, and she is able to get fifty people to sign that all-important liability form before they head out to cut Arundo donax.

Eileen Sykora lives in Green Valley and jumped in to volunteer with us when we needed someone to help at the Green Valley lecture series. She’s

always there half-an-hour before any one else arrives, and sets up chairs and membership materials, making sure everyone signs the all-important sign-in sheet. That’s how I got her name in the first place.

Caroline Patrick juggles lots of activities that a back-to-school mother of a teenage son would. She began as a shop sales volunteer and now keeps the classes organized for the Education Outreach programs as well. Keep an eye out for her on her motor scooter and helmet!

don’t miss ThisGiant Reed Removal in Sabino Canyon—every Sunday thru March 7, 2010. Bring friends, neighbors and family to help control this invasive plant. Check out the details in the Restoration news and web pages.Tucson Audubon Society Gala—February 2, 2010. This very fun and elegant event was knock-out wonderful last year and we’re looking for a team of party people to help with many tasks. Interested? Call Becky at 622-2230 or 760-7881.

Volunteer Orientation—February 24, 2010. The staff and board members will describe their work, clarify objectives, and answer questions about volunteering for Tucson Audubon. Darlene Smyth will share her volunteer experiences as our Field Trip Leader organizer and give tips on “comfortable birding” for the physically challenged. Coffee and snacks will be served 9:30–11:30 am. RSVP: Becky 622-2230 or 760-7881.

Members of Tucson Audubon’s staff and board honored the volunteers Tuesday, December 8 with a fondue buffet, pizza, relish and fruit plate, coffee and punch in the Library Room. The volunteers’ help is essential to the success of Tucson Audubon nature Shops, in assisting the office as a mailing crew, as field trip leaders, and as Board members. Eighteen volunteers received a door prize. We thank these local businesses for providing gift certificates to be used

as door prizes: Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, Chili’s Restaurant, Chuy’s Mesquite Broiler, International Wildlife Museum, Mane Street Salon, Mini-Time Machine Museum of Miniatures, Pima Air & Space Museum/Titan Missile Museum, Time Market, Tohono Chul Park, Tucson Children’s Museum, and Wild Birds Unlimited. Pizza was provided by Brooklyn Pizza. There was a cookie exchange afterwards.

Kudos and cookiesJean Barchman, Membership Coordinator

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Lidia Artiola, Peter Berry, Cynthia Bethard, Robert Billups, Roger Boerner, nina and Dave Bossert, William and Mary Bush, Judith Carlson, Herb Carpenter, Tom Carr, Marsha Colbert, Duane and Pat Cote, Laurel Dambrosio, Dino DeConcini, Joe Duchene, James Kevin Erwin, Virginia Fairchild, Lillian Fox, Ed and Linda Golding, Barry Greenhow, Bob Hadden, Pamela Heiman, Judith Henderson, Karen and John Hewitt, Audrey Hill and Kathryn Hill, Sher Horosko, Robert Huntoon, nina Isaac, DeeAnn Jackson, Jeff Jordan, Richard Kidwell, Ruth

Lucius, Judi Maikoff, Betty McElhill, Karen McFadden, Ellen McMahon, Ed and Tatia Morrison, Jeanne Oehler, Thomas Oliver, Jeffrey and Gwen Olmstead, Dayaljibhai Patel, Wally Paton, Scot Pipkin, Jim Quirk, Elizabeth Reed, Virginia Rich, Kenneth and Judy Riskind, Starr Rounds, Alissa Sadalla, Doug and Kathi Sanders, Delia Schmedding, Richard Schooler, Maria Schuchardt, Arlene Stigen, Marceline VandeWater, Liz Vermillion, Candice Weber, Robert Wedemeyer, Susan Williams, Sharon Young, Jennifer Zehr

welcome new membeRs!

in memoRyWe thank the following people that made a heartfelt donation in memory of a loved one. Regretfully, it was omitted from the last Flycatcher issue.In memory of Bill Massey from Molly Pollock and Mark Stevenson.

Jean Barchman, Membership Coordinator

Volunteers (left to right) Joe Orenstein, Wanda Wynne, David West, Kathy Olmstead, and Craig Marken joined with others in Tucson Audubon’s library to celebrate voluteerism.

BIRDS Of NORTh AMERICA ONLINE— Subscription Discount for TAS Members!Fascinated by birds? Indulge your ornithological curiosity with a subscription to Birds of North America Online. In addition to comprehensive and frequently-updated species accounts, this fantastic resource offers image and video galleries illustrating plumages, behaviors, habitat, nests and eggs, and more, plus a selection of recordings of bird songs and calls from Cornell’s Macaulay Library of natural Sounds. In cooperation with Cornell Lab of Ornithology, we are pleased to offer our members the opportunity to subscribe to BNA Online (or renew your subscription) at the discounted price of $32 per year. Check it out at bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna and contact Jean Barchman at 622-5622 to get the discount code. Makes a great gift!


Not one but TWO Volunteers of the Year! John Yerger received his certificate at the Potluck and said a few words of thanks and gave the guests a plug to become volunteers. no, he didn’t bring Fruit Cake, but admits he likes it! He currently serves as the Field Expedition Chair for the Arizona Field Ornithologists, is the silent but powerful force behind our Tucson Rare Bird Alert, and is a Senior Guide for the Adventure Birding Company.

As a volunteer Field Trip Leader for the Tucson Audubon Society,

John has thoroughly enjoyed leading trips to the Chiricahua Mountains (where he has studied Painted Redstarts), the Sulphur Springs Valley, and the lower Santa Cruz River. Since becoming a member just three years ago, John has made a profound difference in our ability to keep abreast of all the bird sightings that our local Tucsonans and visitors make.

John says that all birds are his favorites...but one that stands out in his mind is Chestnut-sided Shrike-Vireo viewed on Volcan de Fuego in the state of Colima, Mexico. Locally, Sycamore Canyon in the Pajarito Mountains (west of nogales, east of Ruby) is a favorite place of his to bird: “You just never know what’s going to turn up there! There’s always a few memorable birds, and I almost always see Montezuma Quail”. Because John is a well-rounded naturalist he keeps his eyes open to other events, such as his viewing a Brown Vine Snake eat an Ornate Tree Lizard.

His experiencing a Ruby-crowned Kinglet landing on him while on a deep sea pelagic trip 150 miles from land, rates as one of his most unusual bird occurrences. We’re hoping that he’ll bring some of his own home brewed beer to our next party and perhaps strum on his guitar for us.

Tucson Audubon Society is proud to declare DArlene SMYth “Volunteer of the Year 2009”, so says the certificate presented at December’s Member Potluck. Darlene Smyth is our Field Trip Coordinator who averages over 100 hours a month organizing the 30+ volunteer trip leaders as well as leading several trips a month herself. She and her husband Mike have been members for twenty years and Darlene became a volunteer nearly five years ago. As Sara Pike says, “Darlene oversees every one of our free field trips and makes sure they’re covered. By doing this she puts a valuable sales tool in our hands for customers, visitors and prospective new members”. She radiates enthusiasm and her passion for birding shines through. Darlene

is also on the new Youth Birding committee and brings her signature hard working ethic to this program.

Darlene’s favorite birding site is Madera Canyon for its variety of bird species and natural beauty. She has birded extensively over North America and several countries in Central and South America and declares, through a number of interesting experiences, that “birding is not for sissies”. A Border Patrol agent once drew his gun when he mistook her statement that she and a friend were birders, for “my friend and I are murderers”.

When pressed to pick her favorite bird she thinks the Rose-breasted Grosbeak she saw for the first time in High Island, Texas is top of her list.

Darlene admits that she loves her cats even more than birding, but keeps her pets on a leash while outside. She’s a mineral and gem fan, collects antique porcelain, is a wine enthusiast and loves travel in general. She’s an eclectic reader, consuming great literature to “jelly-bean” books one after the other.

She also has a particular interest in organizing information about birding locations which are friendly to birders with physical limitations. Check her developing web site: www.comfortablebirdingforall.com.

VolunTeeRs oF The yeAR

Almost all readers have probably visited the garden of Marion Paton in Patagonia, known throughout the birding community as the most reliable place to see the Violet-crowned Hummingbird in the United States. Marion and her late husband Wally kept the feeders topped up, and made visiting birders welcome.

Members are likely aware that Marion Paton died on August 29, 2009, leaving some uncertainty about the future of this important birding site. Tucson Audubon is working with the Paton family members to facilitate their ability to keep the house open to the public, to welcome birders,

and to maintain the feeders. An ideal outcome would be for the property to be purchased from the family, with a management agreement in place with the new owners that would allow birders access, and for the feeders to be maintained. Tucson Audubon is currently working with the family to help identify potential buyers and, in the meantime, the family has entered an agreement with Tucson Audubon member and field trip leader, Michael Marsden, to manage the property. The Paton property is now, and hopefully will remain indefinitely, open to birders just as it has been during the past several years.

Tucson Audubon and the Patons share the goal of identifying a buyer who will keep the property open to birders while honoring the legacy of Marion and Wally Paton. In that regard, we invite our readers to please contact Jean Barchman 622-5622 should they have information that might lead toward identifying potential buyers.

The Paton property is important in many ways. For birders, it is the best place to find Violet-crowned Hummingbird during their trip to Arizona. For the town of Patagonia, it is a vital part of the economy, bringing many thousands of people into town

where they spend money on various goods and services in addition to the sugar fund at the Paton property. As part of our region’s birding heritage, it is priceless. We invite your assistance in helping provide information that might secure the preservation of this unique location. VF

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The late Marion Paton in her backyard


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Jan 11. Living With Nature lecture (Tucson): Ferruginous Pygmy-Owls in the Sonoran Desert with Aaron D. Flesch (details p 12) Jan 13–16. Wings Over Wilcox birding festival (details p 27)Jan 15 & 16. IBA Bird Monitoring workshop (details p 5)Jan 16. Living With Nature lecture (Green Valley): Land of Black Volcanoes and White Sands with Dr. Larry Marshall and Dr. Clark Blake (details p 12)Jan 18–20. IBA survey, Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument (details p 5)Jan 23. Sandhill Cranes and gourmet food education trip (details below and p 22)Jan 27–30. IBA survey, Cabeza Prieta NWR (details p 5)Jan 30. Saturday morning at the Mason Center (details left). Jan 30. Young Birder event (details p 4)feb 2. Tucson Audubon Gala (details p 28)feb 3 & 6. Raptors, Their Habits and Morphology class (details p 11)feb 4–Mar 10. Backyard Birding and Beyond classes for beginners (details p 11)feb 8. Living With Nature lecture (Tucson): Tucson Birding Hotspots with Aaron Floyd and Eva Baird, and Conserving for Birds with Carolyn Campbell (details p 12) feb 6–17. Landscaping for Wildlife and Sustainability course (details p 9)feb 13. Raptors in the Sulphur Springs Valley education trip (details below and p 23)feb 20. Living With Nature lecture (Green Valley): Spotted Owls with Amanda Moors (details p 12)feb 20. Gull Identification workshop in Puerto Peñasco, Mexico, with Dave Stejskal and Chris Benesh (details p 9)feb 24. Tucson Audubon volunteer orientation (details p 6)March 20 & 21. Riparian Family Institute (details p 10)Apr 15–18. Institute of Desert Ecology (details p 10)Apr 21–May 22. Knowing and Understanding Raptors course (details p 11)Apr 22 & 24. Birding by Habitat: Birds of Mt Lemmon workshop (details p 11)

The Sandhill Crane and Gourmet food bus excursion for Saturday January 23, 2010, is almost full. In addition to the birds and food, you will learn about the cranes and their conservation in Arizona. Experts from the Arizona Land and Water Trust, Arizona Game and Fish Department and Tucson Audubon will be along to make this a memorable event. Along, too, will be our special guest, Chuck George, meteorologist and weather newscaster for Channel 13-KOLD. Cost is $75 and the destination is Whitewater Draw.

The Viewing Raptors in the Sulphur Springs Valley excursion on February 13, 2010, is also close to full. This is a wonderful opportunity to view wintering birds, including many raptors, with expert Tom Wood of the Southern Arizona Bird Observatory. The emphasis is on comfort, food and expert discussion of the conservation of the region. Travel is by smal bus. Cost is $90 (to cover the cost of using small buses).

For more details, consult the articles on page 10 of the November/December Vermillion Flycatcher. Call Jean Barchman on 622-5622 to reserve your place or to be put on a wait list.

Our first successful event with excellent speakers and enthusiastic participants kicked off in September with what we hope will be a series of relaxed Saturday mornings at the Mason Center. It’s a time to meet and greet over light refreshments with music, followed by two speakers on topics of interest to northwestern Tucsonans.

If you missed the first gathering, be sure to mark your calendar for Saturday, January 30, and join us for an informative program. Another highlight is the Center’s composting toilet that is fast becoming a reality. You don’t want to miss seeing and possibly utilizing the first commercial composting toilet in Pima County—another incentive to join the fun on January 30.

9:00 am: Gates open with light refreshments, music, information on sustainable design practices (tabling booths), and meet and greet.

9:30 am: Ribbon cutting for the composting toilet (crown the auction winners), continuation of 9 am activities.

At some time after 10:00 am, the Sky Island Alliance will present a program with two talks.

Janice Przybyl, the Wild Linkages Program Director, will speak first. The title of her presentation is getting from here to there: the who, what, where and why of wildlife linkages.

Jessica Lamberton, Wildlife Biologist and Outreach Specialist will follow after a short break. Her presentation will address Studies of bobcats in urban environments.

saturday mornings at the mason centerJanuary 30 from 9:30 am to noon

The spectacular excursions Filling Fast

AVAILABLE IN OuR NATuRE ShOPS raptors of Western north America by Brian K. Wheeler, with hundreds of color photos and maps. $29.95

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Red-shouldered Hawk in Sulphur Springs Valley area

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Which birds are in Tucson and what are their habitat needs? How do we go beyond just using native plants to provide habitat for birds? What other ecological issues can good landscaping address?

Course participants will meet two Saturdays and two Wednesday evenings from February 6 to February 17. Saturday classes are from 7 am to 1 pm and Wednesday evening classes are from 7

to 9 pm. The classes are taught by Greg Corman of Gardening Insights and Paul Green and Kendall Kroesen of Tucson Audubon. Other great guest speakers will participate as well.

This is a great introduction to the topic for backyard enthusiasts, real estate agents, landscape designers and installers, and others interested in helping Tucson support declining wildlife populations.

The course fee is $250. Please register by contacting Jean Barchman at 622-5622 or [email protected]. If you have questions about the course, contact Kendall Kroesen at 971-2385 or [email protected].

OVERVIEW: Birdwatchers in Arizona enjoy one of the richest and most diverse avifaunas in the country, but if you have birded here for more than a few months, you’ve learned that there’s a definite lack of gulls to view and study in this state. That’s why we’re announcing our first-ever Gull Workshop to be held in conjunction with the Arizona field Ornithologists (AZfO) in Puerto Peñasco, Sonora, Mexico on february 20–21, 2010. Chris Benesh and Dave Stejskal of Field Guides, Inc. have generously offered to lead this workshop!

Puerto Peñasco is the winter home to some impressive numbers of gulls, exhibiting a wide variety of plumages, with as many as a dozen species present in late February. We can expect to see large numbers of Ring-billed, California, Herring, Yellow-footed, and Heermann’s Gulls, with smaller numbers of Bonaparte’s, Thayer’s, Glaucous-winged, Western, and perhaps other scarcer species. The vast majority of our time will be spent studying and discussing the identification and molt of as many species as possible over Saturday and Sunday, hoping to come away with

a better understanding of the identification of the gulls back home in Arizona.

While this shouldn’t be viewed as a general field trip to sample Puerto Peñasco’s rich birdlife, we’ll undoubtedly see a number of other enticing waterbirds while there.

LEVEL Of DIffICuLTY / WhAT TO EXPECT IN ThE fIELD: Climate in Puerto Peñasco at this season is much like that of Phoenix or Tucson in late February (chilly mornings warming to the 60s or low 70s during the daytime). We’ll be doing our birding from the roadside or along the beach, with no significant climbing involved. We encourage each participant to bring along their own spotting scope for this workshop.

fEES AND REGISTRATION: We are limiting the participation for this special event to ten Tucson Audubon members and ten AZFO members only, and ask that participants contribute $10 each to cover the leaders’ expenses. Registration will open on January 6. Email Darlene Smyth: [email protected] to sign up. Passport now required for land border crossings.

CARPOOLING, MEETING TIMES/PLACES: Car pools will leave from both the Phoenix and Tucson areas early on Saturday morning (4 hour drive to Puerto Peñasco from either location); returning Sunday evening. Carpooling to be coordinated with registered participants. Please send your phone number and general location (city/town) when registering!

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Left: Making our backyards more like this landscape at Tucson Audubon’s Mason Center would help birds and other wildlife.Above: Western pygmy blues and many other pollinators visit desert broom.

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landscaping for wildlife and diversityFebruary 6–17

learn to identify gulls with Arizona expertsFebruary 20–21 • Puerto Peñasco, Sonora, Mexico


Have you ever wanted to peer into a Gila monster’s mouth or set out on a lizard wrangling expedition? Ever wondered why mesquite girdlers “girdle” mesquite branches? Does the diversity of life in the Sonoran Desert simply leave you in awe? If you answered “yes” to any of the above, you definitely need to check out our upcoming Institute of Desert Ecology. Our local expert faculty have been helping desert enthusiasts satisfy their curiosity

for four decades now in a hands-on, interactive environment during four days of field workshops, group classes, and gourmet food. This is an opportunity you shouldn’t miss. Location: Catalina State Park. To sign up, call the nature Shop at 629-0510 or email [email protected] or visit www.tucsonaudubon.org/what-we-do/education/ide.html.

If you consider yourself an intermediate birder or will complete our Backyard Birding and Beyond class this spring, you should consider the next step in developing your skills as a birder. Take identification beyond guess work and provide a framework in which to hone your skills by moving beyond the basics with our Moving to Mastery course. Or, if you have a special interest in a particular bird family, check out our Specialty Workshops. For more information call 622-2230. To sign up, call the Nature Shop at 629-0510 or email [email protected].

Moving to MasteryClassroom sessions: Wednesdays, October 13, 20,

27 and November 3 & 10, 2010Field trips: October 16, 23, 30, and February 6

Specialty WorkshopsSparrows: February 10 & 20, 2010Warblers: September 1 & 4, 2010Flycatchers: September 8 & 11, 2010Sparrows: January 26 & 29, 2011Raptors: February 2 & 5, 2011

Bring Your family to Learn about Riparian habitats Riparian family Institute • March 20–21

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sparrows! schist!Institute of Desert Ecology • April 15–18

Join us for the spring edition of Riparian Family Institute. We’ll be exploring the riverside ecosystems of the San Pedro River and camping under the stars. Activities include river walks, a bird walk, insect identification, blacklighting for nighttime invertebrates, habitat restoration, a campfire, and plenty of fun, fun, fun! Space is limited, so contact Nature Shop at 629-0510 or email [email protected] soon to reserve spaces for your family. SA

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Take bird id beyond guess workMoving to Mastery and Specialty Workshops • fall 2010–Spring 2011


February will be here before you know it and what better way to expand your bird IQ than with this class, which is designed for beginners and will be taught by Lynn Hassler. You will learn why southeastern Arizona is such a great place for birds and why birdwatching is so much darn fun! We’ll address how to separate birds by habitat, seasonal occurrence, and behavior. We’ll learn about field marks and vocalizations. Get the lowdown on binoculars and field guides, birding vocabulary, and etiquette in the field.

As a participant you will learn how to identify local birds and discover some of their interesting characteristics and charms. We will also cover some of the adaptations birds have developed in order to survive in our challenging environment.

The course is guaranteed to improve your appreciation of local bird life. There will be homework, and it will be enjoyable! The course includes three two-hour classroom sessions and two field trips, up to about three hours in length.

We will run the course two times, once in Tucson, and once in Green Valley.

Course leader is Lynn Hassler, birder for more than 35 years, author of numerous books (including Birds of the American Southwest; Hummingbirds

of the American West; Roadrunners; and Gambel’s Quail) and educator on plants, birds, and desert ecology.

Tucson CourseClassroom sessions: Thursdays: February 4, 11,

and 18, 6–8 pm at Tucson AudubonField trips: Saturdays, February 6 and 20;

locations/times to be announced

Green Valley CourseClassroom sessions: Mondays February 8, 15, and

22, 10 am–12 noon, location to be announcedField trips: Mondays March 1 and 8; locations/

times to be announced

Cost for each five-session course: $135 for members, $170 for nonmembers which includes a Friends of Tucson Audubon membership.

To sign up, please contact our main Nature Shop at 629-0510 or you can sign up in person at the store located at 300 E University Blvd in Tucson. If you have questions regarding classes and workshops, please call Education at 622-2230 or email [email protected].

backyard birding and beyond for Beginnersfebruary and March

We still have a few openings for this February class, taught by Homer Hansen. The class takes the form of a three-hour classroom lecture and a one-day field trip. See p 10 for more details of this Specialty Workshop.Classroom session: Tucson Audubon, Wednesday,

February 10, 6–9 pm

Field trip: Saturday, February 20, time to be announced

Cost of the workshop: $110 for members, $145 for non-members which includes a membership in Tucson Audubon

To sign up, please contact our main Nature Shop at 629-0510 or you can sign up in person at the store located at 300 E. University Blvd in Tucson. If you have questions regarding classes and workshops, please call Education at 622-2230 or email [email protected].

Lifelong Birding Series Specialty Workshopsparrows, Their habits and morphologyfebruary 10 & 20

During 2010 Tucson Audubon will offer a range of new and continuing ways of learning about birds and birding (listed on pages 8–12), taught by leading birders and educators in our community. Since we will offer most of these courses just once a year, we recommend that you secure your place at the earliest opportunity to avoid disappointment. Once courses are fully subscribed, we will add names to a wait list. If you have questions about any of the classes and workshops, please call 622-2230 or email education@tucsonaudubon. To sign up, please call our main Nature Shop at 629-0510 or drop by the store at 300 E University Blvd.

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Birding By habitat for All Birders: A Workshop for the Birds of Mt LemmonApril 22 & 24Our Sky Islands provide elevation contrasts that result in a great diversity of animals and plants. Educator Lynn Hassler will teach a one-hour classroom session on the habitats of the Santa Catalina Mountains, describing the varied cast of avian characters. We will bird our way up the Mt. Lemmon Highway on our Saturday field trip, stopping to experience the birds associated with assorted habitats.Classroom session: Tucson Audubon, Thursday,

April 22 , 6 pm (1 hour)Field trip: Saturday, April 24, 7 am–3 pm. Cost of the workshop: $90 for members and $125

for non-members which includes a membership in Tucson Audubon.

Knowing and understanding Raptors for All Birdersmay 22Raptor biologist Jim Dawson, an authority on Harris’s Hawk and Raptor Conservation Biologist with the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, will teach this class. You will learn to cut through the many ambiguities of raptor identification and broaden your knowledge of the habitats and foods each species use. We will study both resident and migrant species moving through from the south. This interactive class will give you increased knowledge, ID skills, and will include an element of fun through some neat quizzes.

The course will consist of five two-hour classroom sessions and one eight-hour field trip. Classroom session: Tucson Audubon,

Wednesdays, April 21 through May 19, 6:30–8:30 pm.

Field trip: Saturday, May 22. Start time and location to be announced.

Cost of the workshop: $185 for members and $220 for nonmembers which includes a membership in Tucson Audubon.

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Tucson living with nature lecture series / member meetingsDuVal Auditorium, NE section of the University Medical Center Bldg. 501 N Campbell Ave. Program begins at 7 pm, second Monday of each month September through May.

gReen VAlley living with nature lecture seriesJoyner-Green Valley Library, 601 N La Canada Dr. 594-5295. Program begins at 10 am, third Saturday of each month October through May.

Contact Jean Barchman, 622-5622 or [email protected] for more information or visit tucsonaudubon.org.

January 11 • Tucson STATUS, nATURAL HISTORY, AnD RECOVERY OF FERRUGINOUS PYGMY-OWLS IN THE SONORAN DESERT with Aaron D. Flesch, University of Arizona, School of Natural Resources and the EnvironmentIn the Tucson region, controversy over needs for urban growth versus preservation enveloped a small owl about which little was known for much of the last decade. The Cactus Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl is the northernmost subspecies of the Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl and occurs from lowland Arizona south to Sinaloa, Mexico. Although once described as common in riparian areas and adjacent desert scrub in central and southern Arizona, these small yet fierce diurnal owls were extirpated from much of their former range in Arizona in the mid 1900s, and listed as endangered in 1997. Despite continued declines, Pygmy-Owls were removed from

the endangered species list in 2006 for reasons unrelated to recovery, and are now being reconsidered for relisting due to steep declines in distribution and abundance.

On January 11, 2010, Aaron will discuss the status, natural history, and recovery prospects for Pygmy-Owls in the Sonoran Desert and summarize what we have learned about the species since it was first listed as endangered. Information on Pygmy-Owls in Arizona is challenging to obtain due in part to their rarity and the absence of systematic efforts to monitor populations. The last Pygmy-Owl known in the Tucson area was captured in 2006 for use in a captive breeding effort that is still being attempted by the Arizona Game and Fish Department. Despite recent extirpation from the Tucson area, Pygmy-Owls have occurred in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge, in and around the Altar Valley, and on the Tohono O’odham Nation since 2001. Results from surveys of recently occupied sites in Arizona suggest that Pygmy-Owls have declined in Arizona over the last decade, that individuals in some sites are not paired, and that occupied sites are fragmented across southern Arizona and surrounded by large areas of non-habitat.

Since 2000, I Aaron has studied the natural history and ecology of Pygmy-Owls in northern Sonora where they are more common and where he has monitored abundance, reproductive performance, survival, and movements in a 25,000 km2 study area just south of the international border. These data, combined with movement of Pygmy-Owls from Sonora, may prove critical for recovery in Arizona and for long-term persistence of populations in the Sonoran Desert. This is because when combined with strategies to manage and enhance habitat, natural or facilitated dispersal of owls from Sonora may augment populations in Arizona. Despite good prospects for recovery, numerous threats to Pygmy-Owl habitat—and landscapes

linkages that foster connectivity among patches of habitat—exist in the region. Please join Aaron for a fun and informative presentation of the latest data on Pygmy-Owls in the Sonoran Desert and stories and pictures about his adventures in Sonora.

January 16 • Green Valley LAnD OF BLACK VOLCAnOES AND WHITE SANDS with Dr. Larry Marshall and Dr. Clark BlakeJoin the authors of Land of Black Volcanoes and White Sands—The Pinacate and Gran Desierto de Altar Biosphere Reserve for an illustrated journey highlighting this remote and starkly beautiful area. Together you will explore the geology, plants, animals, and human history of the Gran Desierto, considered by many to be “the heart and soul of the Sonoran Desert.” Dr. Marshall is a “semi-retired” geologist and paleontologist who works on historical, environmental and conservation issues in southern Arizona and Sonora, Mexico. Dr. Blake is a retired geologist who is also an avid birder and former board member of Tucson Audubon. Both will be on hand to sign copies of their new book, which will be available for sale after the presentation.

february 8 • Tucson TUCSON BIRDING HOTSPOTS with Aaron Floyd and Eva Baird and CONSERVING FOR BIRDS with Carolyn Campbell

The Co-founders of Project AviAtlas, Aaron Floyd and Eva Baird, will be presenting the Tucson Birding Hotspots partnership between Tucson Audubon and AviAtlas aimed at creating a resource of community-described local birding locations. During the talk they will be highlighting your efforts to date, while also taking you across the world to show the different scales of project AviAtlas. Carolyn Campbell will explain how the Multi-Species Habitat Conservation Plan and the Maeveen Behan Conservation Lands System of the Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan benefits birds and birders, and will tell you what you can do to support it.

february 20 • Green Valley SPOTTED OWLS with Amanda MoorsEver wonder how biologists study nighttime animals such as owls? Come learn some of the techniques used to locate, capture, and monitor Mexican Spotted Owls as biologist Amanda Moors shares her experience researching the owls in the Catalina Mountains and the San Carlos Apache Reservation. She will show video and photos of these beautiful raptors as well as discuss the impact of the wildfires that occurred in the Catalinas during her study.

Amanda Moors, a contract wildlife biologist and resident of Globe, AZ has studied everything from black bears in New Hampshire to spotted owls, elk, mountain lions, bighorn sheep and western box turtles all around the Grand Canyon State. VF

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The most productive and diverse settings for wildlife in our area are along short stream segments that provide year-round water. Summer and winter floods fill these channels and then recede, replenishing the aquifer and leaving behind detritus caught in the branches of dense stream-side vegetation.

Unfortunately, these areas have been the hardest hit. Lowering of the water table has eliminated the most productive parts of the ecosystem: the year-round running water and the rich diversity of plant life that was rooted in the moist soil. Loss of shallow water tables has robbed our region of the persistently wet settings where plants and animal populations could best weather multi-year or even multi-decadal droughts.

The diversity of riparian vegetation is hard to replicate, in part because the characteristic vegetation requires more water than is currently available. Even with sufficient water, planting dense groves of mesquite or cottonwood trees alone would not replace the wildlife value of the periodic flushes of flooding that stimulate new growth, create woody debris piles, and open up new areas of moist soil.

Even if the water and seeds are available for riparian vegetation, the floodplains are largely developed or channelized. Putting the vegetation in a too-narrow channel means it will just be eroded or scoured away. Planting vegetation outside the floodplain means that there will be no flood disturbance, which is ecologically important to many seed-eating birds as well to the regeneration process.

This is why protection of the remaining riparian habitat is so important. Diverse vegetation and persistently moist soils together in a place wide enough to allow a flood to pass is what creates riparian magic! Planting vegetation is not enough.

Fortunately, in Pima County we still have undammed streams, and in some places, there are still wide floodplains. An example of such a place is the Santa Cruz River downstream of the treatment plants. Another is at the end of Columbus Boulevard at the Rillito. In this area, artifi-cial tributary channels were removed and a combination of reclaimed water, tributary runoff, and occasional flood disturbance from the Rillito now maintains riparian habitat. In today’s changed environment, effluent or reclaimed water is the bridge needed to establish new riparian vegetation and buffer riparian habitat from drought-induced desiccation. VF

Julia Fonseca is Environmental Planning Manager, Pima County Office of Conserv-ation Science and Environmental Policy.

AVAILABLE IN OuR NATuRE ShOPS

the lessening Stream, Michael F. Logan, $24.95. An environmental history of the Santa Cruz River.Vernal Pools, natural History and Conservation, Elizabeth A. Colburn, $29.95. For readers who want to recognize, understand, protect and manage seasonally wet pools wherever they occur.Water in the West, a High Country news Reader, edited by Char Miller, $29.95. A collection of the best reporting on the subject of water in the West, drawn from the pages of High Country News.eye Know Water, a DK book for kids, Penelope Arlon, $8.99. Where does rain come from? Why does the sea taste salty? How do you make ice? Which animals live in water? A book for kids to find out all about water!

SPECIAL FEATURE | WATER AND WILDLIFE

Riparian magicJULIA FoNSECA

Illustration showing baseline conditions for wildlife within the Santa Cruz sub-basin before water was mined for intensive human consumptive use (from Environmental Restoration in Pima County in Cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; www.pima.gov/cmo/sdcp/reports/d12/028ENV.pdf)

Outflow from the Ina Road wastewater treatment plant

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I get nostalgic about wastewater treatment plants. As a youngster in England I spent hours working the open beds for that elusive shorebird from Siberia or North America among the masses of Dunlins and Common Redshanks. Sadly many of those beds disappeared with modernization. Imagine my pleasure, therefore, on coming to Arizona and finding treatment plants not dissimilar to those I remember from years ago. only the absence of lowering skies and daylong drizzle conspires against my feeling entirely at home.

The most productive of our plants are described in detail in Tucson Audubon’s Finding Birds in Southeast Arizona (updated at www.tucsonaudubon.org). They are (in descending order of numbers of species recorded on eBird) Sweetwater, Willcox, Avra Valley, Roger Road, Sierra Vista, Green Valley, Benson, Amado, Mammoth, Casa Grande, Thatcher, Sunsites and Corona de Tucson. A missing hotspot is the federal facility at Nogales, but that has been closed to casual birders since renovations started in 2003.

The plants have been ideal for witnessing some of the extraordinary birding patterns of the last few weeks in our region: the unprecedented numbers of southward-moving Vaux’s Swifts in September and early october, the remarkable variety of canyon birds descending to the lowlands, the

astounding influx of eastern neotropical migrants and the invasions of Western Bluebirds and Lawrence’s Goldfinches, a promising augury for Christmas Bird Counts.

The place to have been is Sweetwater Wetlands. The array of birds was phenomenal: Jerry Bock and others amassed over a hundred species there several times in october and November. All the regulars were present—and at Sweetwater these include such gems as Cinnamon Teal, Harris’s Hawk, Black-necked Stilt and Yellow-headed Blackbird—but so were Steller’s Jays, Western Scrub-Jays, Mexican Jays and other oddities, rarities such as Horned Grebe, Wood Thrush and Golden-crowned Sparrow and even an exotic orange Bishop and Nutmeg Mannikin. Best of all were the eastern warblers: Tennessee, Chestnut-sided, Blackpoll, Black-and-white and Prothonotary Warblers were all eagerly added to birders’ state and life lists.

Inevitably other plants were overshadowed as birders gravitated towards Sweetwater. But there were highlights elsewhere: Ruddy Ground-Doves at neighboring Roger Road, Bonaparte’s Gulls at Benson, Dunlins at Avra Valley, Greater Scaup at Sierra Vista and Green Valley and a high of ten Wood Ducks at Amado. only Lake Willcox, with Red-necked Phalarope, Semipalmated Plover and Heerman’s Gull, though, could

compete, at least in the shorebird and larid stakes, with Sweetwater.

January and February are great months for birding our local plants. Wildfowl and sparrow numbers are at their peak and there’s always a chance of something unusual: Long-tailed Duck, White-winged Scoter, Tundra Swan, Herring Gull and Red Phalarope are just some of the species worth looking for. It’s difficult to resist the allure of Sweetwater and Willcox, but do try to visit other plants as well. one I would recommend is the recently re-opened Avra Valley with its long string of rarities over the years. And do join one of Huachuca Audubon’s Sunday morning walks at Sierra Vista Environmental operations Park—the only time the plant is normally open (birding from the elaborate, but curiously situated, viewing platform there is often unproductive).

I would particularly urge you to consider some of the less birded plants. However unpromising they may appear, they are going to attract good birds at some time. Everyone likes to see rarities at Sweetwater but they’ve so often been found and identified for you already. There really is a special pleasure in adopting your own birding area (in England we call it a “patch”) where others tend not to go, working it regularly and becoming the expert on it and its birds. You’ll soon find that coming across a new species there can be as exciting as any vagrant you chase. And a wastewater treatment plant makes a great patch. VF

Michael Marsden is a full-time birder and an occasional tour leader with Anza Birders.

Black-and-white Warbler

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WHERE To Go, BIRDS To SEE

wasted water? not in my Patch!MICHAEL MARSDEN

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Taking a walk through a stretch of Sonoran desert the other day I noticed how prevalent mistletoe berries were in most of the mesquite and palo verde trees there. Hearing the distinctive, low rising whistle of a nearby Phainopepla, I suddenly realized that nearly half of the trees had one of these interesting birds perched at their tops. At the same location in the hotter months of the year there won’t be a single one there, though the rest of the resident desert birds would all be around.

This seasonality of Phainopepla habits highlights one of their most interesting traits. They are one of only a handful of birds worldwide that breed in two distinct habitats at different times of year. Between February and April they will breed in the Sonoran Desert lowlands. When temperatures get hotter and mistletoe berry supplies dwindle they will retreat to higher elevations, beginning a May through July breeding season in oak and sycamore canyons, sometimes quite close to their winter ranges.

Interestingly, it is not known whether the same birds successfully fledging young in the desert are the same ones breeding again later. The other two main possibilities are that it is a separate population that breeds higher up or that pairs suffering failed nesting attempts earlier are the ones, or perhaps it is a mixture. This fact illustrates one of my favorite aspects of nature—there’s always more for us to learn!

Central to the desert half of their lifestyle is the Phainopepla’s strong tie to berries of desert mistletoe. Believe it or not, these birds can eat over a thousand mistletoe berries in a day. Their digestive

tracts being specially adapted to rapidly process the berries, they will pass the undigested inner seed in twelve minutes! If it lands in a favorable location, the sticky seed may end up parasitizing a new host tree. Phainopeplas are one of the most important links

in that chain. This specialization

comes at a cost though, as freezing weather can destroy mistletoe berries and reduce populations over large areas for several years.

Another interesting trait that relates to the first is the bird’s behavior

on territory. In the desert in early winter, single Phainopeplas will vigorously defend their berry patches from intruders, repelling others of their species, larger birds or other animals. As the spring breeding season ensues and pairs form, they then defend a territory together. After migrating to the highlands for the hotter months birds often form communal feeding flocks, foraging for food sources in a larger area together. A suspected force behind this difference is that besides providing food, desert mistletoe is used by the birds for roosting and nesting sites, and the long-lasting berry source makes defense worthwhile. Woodland berry sources are found in open areas away from the nesting sites, and are an ephemeral food source with flying insects making up a much larger portion of the birds’ diet in summer.

Phainopepla was first described by William Swainson in 1838 and is a member of the Silky-flycatcher family Ptilogonatidae, a small Middle-American family including the Gray Silky-flycatcher, whose range begins not too far south of us in Mexico, plus the Long-tailed and Black-and-yellow Silky-flycatchers found in Costa Rica and Panama. “Silkies” are slender, long-tailed birds with small bills closely related to waxwings. Plumages are soft and sleek and all but the Black-and-Yellow are crested. Most birders have heard that Phainopepla (Phainopepla nitens) translates to “shining robe.” This is from the Greek phainos “shining,” and peplos “robe.” The species name, nitens, is Latin and also means shining, all of course relating to their glossy plumage.

So if you have a favorite patch of Sonoran Desert nearby, watch for the seasonal change in this beautiful bird’s behavior, hopefully observing these and other interesting facets of their lives. Good luck! VF

Phainopepla are one of only a handful of birds worldwide that breed in two distinct habitats at different times of year.

WHAT’S IN A NAME?

Interesting stories about birds with interesting names

PhainopeplaLARRY LIESE

GEORGE WEST

AVAILABLE IN OuR NATuRE ShOPS100 Birds and how they got their names by Diana Wells. Interested in why other birds have the names they do? This fun little book is full of myths, legends and true stories about how birds got their names. Great trivia for those drives between birding hotspots. $18.95


While the distribution of any species depends on complex interactions between the bird’s needs for food, water and shelter (and during breeding season, mates), in the case of the Phainopepla all of those needs are met by one plant. During their time in Tucson (generally the fall through the spring, as they head to higher elevations and cooler temperatures during the summer) Phainopeplas are almost completely dependent on desert mistletoe, a parasitic plant that colonizes many of our desert trees such as acacias, mesquites, palo verdes, smoke trees, and ironwoods.

Desert mistletoe provides Phainopeplas with food, water, shelter and nesting sites, and in return, Phainopeplas spread desert mistletoe to other trees through their droppings. While many other birds eat desert mistletoe berries (see box), Phainopeplas have developed specialized digestive systems that allow them to process many mistletoe berries while leaving the seeds intact for dispersal. In fact, a single Phainopepla can eat more than 1,100 desert mistletoe berries per day! When a remnant seed is deposited onto the branch of a suitable host tree, it germinates, penetrates the bark, and taps into the tree’s

tissues to absorb water, minerals, and nutrients. Because Phainopeplas disproportionately visit larger trees (so they can perch high enough to view the surrounding area) and generally stay close to existing mistletoe, desert mistletoe tends to be found in clusters of mature trees.

Given the importance of desert mistletoe to Phainopeplas, it is not surprising that they will vigorously defend infected trees against other Phainopeplas and fruit-eating birds. In fact, since clumps of desert mistletoe also act as nesting sites for Phainopeplas (the dense vegetation can result in a micro-climate that shelters young from the wind and is significantly cooler than the surrounding air), Phainopeplas can defend their fruiting and nesting sites simultaneously. As a result, in areas with aggregations of desert mistletoe, you can often see Phainopeplas advertising their territories by perching on top of a large tree or shrub and calling. In my surveys, Phainopeplas were found in 78% of yards that had three or more trees with desert mistletoe clumps, and of all of the potential habitat features I studied, desert mistletoe was the only significant factor in predicting whether or not a Phainopepla would be present at a site.

Female (left) and male (right) Phainopepla

SPECIAL FEATURE | SUSTAINING BIRD PoPULATIoNS IN TUCSoN

discovering the Value of mistletoe RACHEL MCCAFFREY

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AVAILABLE IN OuR NATuRE ShOPS Do you want to make your yard into an inviting habitat for wildlife, but don’t know where to start? In our shops we have a wide selection of books on landscaping with native habitat and wildlife in mind.

When I was doing my bird

surveys in neighborhoods across Tucson, I could usually guess whether

or not I would see a Phainopepla

at a site before I even got out

of the car.


SPECIAL FEATURE | SUSTAINING BIRD PoPULATIoNS IN TUCSoN

discovering the Value of mistletoe RACHEL MCCAFFREY

Desert mistletoe (Phoradendron californicum), specific to trees in the legume family, is well adapted to arid environments with leaves reduced to tiny scales (although it is frost sensitive, winter freezes reducing or eliminating its fruit crop). It is a hemi-parasite—it has chlorophyll, so can make some of its own food. Mistletoe has separate male and female plants, which bloom in the spring. The male flowers are tiny and inconspicuous, but they exude a fragrance similar to orange blossoms, permeating the desert with a delicious scent. Female plants produce translucent pink berries in winter. After feasting on the berries, birds wipe the sticky seeds from their beaks, or leave their droppings on a live branch, enabling a new mistletoe plant to germinate there. The sticky seed sends root-like growths (haustoria) into the branch to begin a new plant. A seed that lands on a dead branch, a cactus or non-leguminous tree will not germinate.

Mistletoe is a natural and valuable part of the ecosystem, providing highly nutritious food and shelter for a variety of wildlife species, including birds, bighorn sheep, white-tailed and mule deer, livestock, butterflies, bees, beetles, weevils, spider mites, moths and other insects (food for birds). The Pima, Tohono O’Odham, Seri and Mayo Indians all used the plant medicinally and also ate the berries of desert mistletoe.

The presence of desert mistletoe in a habitat provides for greater biodiversity, increasing variety of species as well as increased numbers of individuals. The next time you see a clump of desert mistletoe, take a closer look. You might find concealed nests of birds, roosting Screech or Elf Owls, great blue hairstreak caterpillars or any number of other creatures in this hub of life.

Pinau Merlin

mistletoe—The give-and-Take Plant

So, from a biological perspective, we have a pretty good idea of what Phainopeplas in Tucson need—desert mistletoe (and the trees that host it). Yet, as with many wildlife conservation issues that involve species living in close proximity to people, the social aspects are more complicated. Desert mistletoe parasitizes the same trees that many Tucson residents appreciate (and that many other species of wildlife rely on), and there has been much debate over whether or not desert mistletoe causes the premature death of its host trees. Most local landscaping companies advocate for the active removal of any desert mistletoe, and some homeowners associations enforce rules requiring residents to destroy the plant. (Given its spreading pattern, one neighbor’s desert mistletoe can easily become the entire neighborhood’s!). However, recent scientific evidence suggests that desert mistletoe’s impacts on Tucson’s trees may be far less damaging than many believe, with growth taking decades to cause significant damage and mistletoe-related tree deaths only occurring during sustained periods of drought. In fact, given how valuable mistletoe is to many wildlife species, some scientists have suggested that we actively cultivate it and include it in areas undergoing restoration efforts.

While these differing viewpoints may leave bird-loving homeowners conflicted about how to best manage desert mistletoe in their yards and neighborhoods, the real conservation issue may be better considered at a broader level. Certainly, Phainopeplas will be more attracted to your yard if you have desert mistletoe—yet, ensuring that populations of Phainopeplas continue to persist in the Tucson area will depend mostly on protecting the dwindling areas of desert riparian woodlands around the city. The high densities of

native trees in these areas support large amounts of desert mistletoe, and are therefore invaluable to Phainopeplas and countless other types of wildlife. VF

Rachel McCaffrey has served as coordinator of the Tucson Bird Count since 2003, and recently completed her doctorate at The University of Arizona. Her research has focused on issues related to urban birds, particularly how to maintain healthy populations of native birds in developed areas.

Desert mistletoe

In addition to its benefit to Phainopeplas, many other types of wildlife around Tucson benefit from desert mistletoe:

Gila Woodpeckers, • House Finches, northern Mockingbirds, Mourning Doves, and Gambel’s Quail feed on desert mistletoe berries.

Desert mistletoe berries • can serve as an important water source for many birds and mammals.

Deer, squirrels, and mice • all feed on desert mistletoe berries, and deer and cattle will consume the leaves.

Many birds, including • Cactus Wrens and Abert’s Towhees, nest in clumps of desert mistletoe, while others use its branches as nesting material.

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I Mistletoe means “dung-on-a-twig”. In Europe people used to think that mistletoe plants burst forth—as if by magic—from the excrement of the “mistel” (or “missel”) thrush (Turdus viscivorus). ‘Mistel’ is the Anglo-Saxon word for ‘dung,’ and ‘tan’ is the word for ‘twig’. The scientific name for the bird means the “thrush that eats sticky things”.


Arizona Land and Water Trust (ALWT) has protected over 30,000 acres in southern Arizona since 1978. It provides a bridge between preservation-minded landowners (often farmers and ranchers) and conservation buyers. In 2004, ALWT began to recognize an opportunity to better connect land and water conservation mechanisms to benefit rural areas by addressing both natural resources and working farms and ranches. Land and water are often inextricably linked components in land conservation projects—especially in the arid Southwest. Historically, however, water rights have not been central to land protection projects. To address this issue in the face of the twin stressors of drought and growth, ALWT launched its Desert Rivers and Riparian Heritage Initiative in 2007. The Initiative highlights the connections between water for people, the environment, and rural agriculture. The focus is on strengthening these

connections by working with willing landowners to identify conservation tools and implementation strategies that can balance the health of desert rivers with sustainable agriculture. As a first step in this process, ALWT recently released Benefitting Landowners and Desert Rivers: A Water Rights Handbook for Conservation Agreements in Arizona.

Connected, protected landscapes such as working ranches and farms often allow for effective groundwater recharge which protects regional water supplies while providing local food and wildlife habitat. With the Water Rights Handbook, ALWT aims to offer landowners information about options and best practices for water management that will benefit their operations. At the same time, these management options are intended to help firm up Arizona’s water supplies and enhance environmental flows for future generations.

To provide the most valuable and useful information possible, early in 2010 ALWT will embark on a listening tour to better understand the needs of Arizona’s landowners and its regulatory community. By working to provide information to all interests, ALWT hopes to open a dialogue that will promote healthy watersheds sustained by working desert rivers—rivers that support healthy floodplains and riparian habitat—flowing beside working landscapes. Through diverse partnerships we can ensure that the future of Arizona’s water is planned for and managed to protect our rich agricultural and riparian heritage.

We invite you to contact Arizona Land and Water Trust if you would like to be included in our water rights for conservation listening tour: Aaron Citron, Project Manager, Arizona Land and Water Trust, 577–8564, [email protected]

This participatory Water Festival celebrates, educates, and facilitates creative problem-solving for our most precious and endangered resource—water. This fun event includes a performance, art happenings, film festival, information tables, interactive panel discussion, water ritual, and other activities. The event is developed through cross-sector collaborations, combining the many voices of artists, cultural workers, educators, scientists, engineers, architects, climatologists, water harvesters, city planners, investors, politicians, and other community members interested in addressing water issues from various angles. Through brainstorm sessions and hands-on project development, the festival intends to build a model for collaborative problem-solving and creative expression.

Planned to be a yearly event, this upcoming festival initiates Tucson’s World Water Week, a series of events to coincide with the international observance of World Water Day, an initiative that grew out of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED). For more information, to sign up for participation, and check out vending and sponsorship opportunities, visit the website: www.WaterProjectFestival.org; email: [email protected]; or call (520) 791-9359.

conseRVATion And educATion newsChRiS MCViE, PAuL GREEN, KENDALL KROESEN, AND SCOTT WiLBOR

The Water ProjectMarch 26–28, 2010

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Protecting Arizona’s Rivers, wildlife habitat, and Agricultural heritageAaron Citron, Project Manager, Arizona Land and Water Trust

Clockwise from top left: Cattle at lake on the Babacomari Ranch (Frank McChesney); Cienega on the Babacomari River (Frank McChesney); Edgar Canyon (Josh Schachter); Windmill on the Babacomari Ranch (Frank McChesney); Babacomari Ranch roundup (Frank McChesney); Stock tank on the Sopori Ranch (Arizona Land and Water Trust)


Exciting news! On December 10, Pima County’s Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) approved the first wildlife overpass structure in southern Arizona, and largest in Arizona, utilizing over $8 million of RTA funding for a bridge and two underpasses designed to move wildlife safely between the Santa Catalina and Tortolita mountain ranges! The funding comes from a 20-year $2.1 billion transportation package that county voters approved in 2006 that included $45 million for wildlife-related infrastructure.

This latest step in helping to ensure wildlife connectivity follows years of efforts by the Coalition for Sonoran Desert Protection and all its member groups in working with local jurisdictions and state and federal

agencies on regional conservation planning.

The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) proposal was developed jointly by ADOT, the Arizona Game and Fish Department, the Coalition for Sonoran Desert Protection, and Coalition member groups Sky Island Alliance and Tucson Audubon Society. The wildlife infrastructure will be included in the design of the next phase of an on-going highway widening project of Arizona State Route 77 (Oracle Road), an urban street in the Tucson metropolitan area that becomes a rural highway as it moves north out of Pima County and into the adjacent, more rural Pinal County.

This is an exciting step in our efforts to protect the incredible

biodiversity that still exists at the urban edges of Tucson. Over the last decade, conservation groups have focused a coordinated effort on the Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan, and through that effort have been able to accomplish acquisition of habitat to expand mountain parks, take steps with multiple local jurisdictions to assure open space through land use planning, and obtain assured funding sources for wildlife infrastructure.

The wildlife crossings will be built on a road that bisects the protected open space between the Coronado national Forest and Catalina State Park in the Santa Catalina Mountain range and Pima County’s Tortolita Mountain Park. Located between the two protected areas lie 9000 acres of state land, which recently went through a cooperative, multijurisdictional land use planning process that designated over 5000

acres as an open space Wildlife Corridor. The design was developed by northern Arizona University’s Dr. Paul Beier, a pioneer in science-based approaches to wildlife corridor designs.

Much thanks goes to the hard work of Tucson Audubon’s Conservation Chair Christina McVie, Janice Przybyl of Sky Island Alliance’s Wildlife Linkages Program, and Siobhan Nordhaugen, Wildlife Connectivity Special Projects Manager for ADOT. The final design phase begins in March 2010, with construction scheduled for 2013. Stay tuned for more successes in this area, as Coalition representatives are now working with ADOT and the Town of Marana on design of wildlife crossing infrastructure in the Tucson Mountain—Tortolita Mountain linkage area!

The illustrations above are photographs and artist renditions of the locations for the 150-foot-wide land bridge across Oracle Road, State Route 77, and an underpass beneath the same road. Each will be incorporated as part of the widening planned for 2013. The top two illustrations show the sites as they currently exist: on the left looking west, on the right looking east. The lower two illustrations are artist renditions of how the wildlife bridge (left), and the underpass (right) will look. Combined with fencing along the road, the bridge will funnel wildlife across the road in a manner safe for the animals, and for people driving on the road. The rendition on the left shows what the bridge might look like for motorists driving on the widened Route 77.

wildlife bridge and underpasses will link The Tortolitas and catalinas for wildlifeby Carolyn Campbell, Executive Director, Coalition for Sonoran Desert Protection


Senator John McCain has successfully struck a deal with Senator Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico, Chair of the Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee, to pass, by a voice vote and without debate, the Resolution Copper (Rio Tinto) land exchange bill, S. 409, as amended, along with a bundle of 31 other bills. Passage of the bill brings us closer to making the Oak Flat Land Exchange a foregone conclusion. After holding up Senate confirmation hearings, and advocating for a quick resolution favoring the wealthy foreign owned mining company, McCain also disregarded the commitments made to Native American tribes to consult prior to moving the bill forward. Conservation groups who have followed this issue closely, and submitted testimony to Congress, were excluded.

This action comes on the heels of the news that Rio Tinto has been charged with war crimes and will soon be defending itself in federal court. The Los Angeles District Court has ruled that, due to the “universal” nature of Rio Tinto’s crimes, Bougainville islanders do not need to exhaust legal options in Papua new Guinea and, under the US Alien Tort Claims Act, can seek legal remedy for crimes against humanity, war crimes and racial discrimination committed by the mining giant in the 1980s and 1990s. The plaintiffs allege that Rio Tinto created extensive environmental damage at its Bougainville mine, paid Black workers less than white counterparts and instigated a violent civil war, leading to the deaths of roughly 10% of the island’s population.

The “compromise” benefiting the $300 billion dollar mining consortium appears to circumvent NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act) requirements to consider reasonable alternatives and impacts in advance of an action and contains a number of other

clauses that are tremendous setbacks for Native American communities, climbers, naturalists, and citizens. This “compromise”:

Allows Resolution Copper to • immediately commence and continue directional drilling to explore under Oak Flat for three years and install a drilling pad within it, prior to NEPA compliance or tribal consultation. Oak Flat was determined to be a native sacred cultural site and withdrawn from mining by President Eisenhower’s Executive Order. This sets a precedent undoing and making vulnerable all lands previously withdrawn from mineral exploration nationally.

Removes previously agreed to • commitments to the recreational climbing community, including finding a replacement site that would provide an equally world class climbing site.

Removes the mandate to provide • an alternative camp site for citizen recreational use and ignores the need to provide another traditional acorn gathering location for tribal cultural activities.

Leaves unchanged the provision • that allows the Town of Superior the chance to buy (at full market value) land that, without the interference of Rio Tinto, the Town would have received free of charge from the US Forest Service.

Leaves tremendous wiggle room • for the appraisal process to cheat the US taxpayer out of full payment for the tremendous natural and mineral resources we would lose.

Allows Rio Tinto’s subsidiary, BHP, • to develop up to 35,000 residences on land it owns along the lower San Pedro River, potentially dewatering and devaluing lands included in this land exchange and imperiling other conservation lands mitigating for impacts to

endangered species downstream of the proposed development. These mitigation lands are for impacts resulting from the construction of the Roosevelt dam, and subsequent lake, which provides water to the city of Phoenix via the Salt River Project.Tucson Audubon has long

advocated for the creation of a National Wildlife Refuge along the lower San Pedro River precisely because it is home to threatened and endangered species and would benefit from management by the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the agency mandated by federal law to specifically address threatened and endangered species issues. The new version of the bill only mentions the possibility of a national Conservation Area, which would be managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the same agency that did not initially defend their own conservation easement on the lower San Pedro, at the Schwennesen’s road crossing near Dudleyville (see below).

It would appear, by virtue of the “compromise” negotiated by Senator McCain and Senator Bingaman, that, though the Secretary of Agriculture could still find the bill not in the public interest, the Senate is sending a strong message that it wants the predetermined outcome of the bill to benefit a foreign mining company and not their constituents —the US taxpayers who own the land.

In further news regarding the lower San Pedro River, we may be

near a settlement regarding our lawsuit against Pinal County for their violation of the conservation easement held by the BLM on the Schwennesen’s road crossing at the San Pedro River near Dudleyville. The BLM has decided to defend the conservation easement they hold, fulfilling their legal obligation, and the Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE) has cited the county for violation of Section 404 of the Clean Water Act, because the county dredged and filled the river and did not consult nor get an appropriate permit prior to taking actions which adversely impacted a designated Water of the US and, possibly, an endangered species, the Southwest Willow Flycatcher. If the county is actually held accountable for its illegal actions, this will be a great victory for us and our partners, without whose efforts the BLM and the ACOE might not have fulfilled their legal responsibility to pursue this issue in a timely fashion – it could have languished for years or worse yet, been ignored. VF

conseRVATion & educATion news

conservation updates

Oak Flat region (above); lower San Pedro River (right)

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JanuaryJanuary 1—Friday 7:30 to 10:30 am

sweetwater wetlands for new birders or Visitors to TucsonStart a new year of birding as we stroll along paved/dirt paths chatting about binoculars, field guides, primary habitats, behaviors and identification of common birds of this reclaimed water site. We’ll likely share our walk with warblers, hawks, woodpeckers, flycatchers, sparrows, grebes, ducks, rails, shorebirds and others amidst the cattail marsh, open-water ponds, shallow basins, cottonwoods, willows and desert scrub along the adjacent Santa Cruz River bed. Meet at Sweetwater Wetlands parking lot. Leader: Cynthia Barstad 237-2331 [email protected]

January 2—Saturdaydudleyville christmas bird countFor 110 years now, people have been getting up early to count every bird in their assigned area. Ask to help an experienced counter! Contact: Doug Jenness [email protected]

January 5—Tuesday 6 am to 1 pm

san Rafael grasslandsJoin us in the San Rafael Valley in search of grassland specialties. We’ll sort out difficult sparrows, longspurs and pipits, and watch for unique raptors. A spotting scope can be useful. Dress in layers for a cold morning start, and maybe wind. High-top hiking boots can keep out annoying grass seeds. Moderate walking on uneven ground. Space limited; contact leader for details and to sign up starting December 15. 120 miles roundtrip. Leader: John Yerger [email protected] or 814-308-4078

January 8—Friday 6:30 to 8:30 pm

star Party for the whole Family—galileo style!The leader will have a telescope for you to view the moon, Jupiter and its Galilean moons, double stars, and more! Or, if you have a Galileo-type telescope, bring that and have fun learning to use it. Binoculars can be useful, but not required. Meet at the top of Campbell Ave.—north of Skyline Drive. Leader: Michael S. Smith [email protected] 299-0122

January 9—Saturday 7:30 am

sulphur springs Valley wintering RaptorsWe will drive 250 miles in search of wintering raptors in the Sulphur Springs Valley. We will likely see buteos, accipiters, harriers, falcons, owls and possibly eagles on this trip. Bring drinks, lunch, binoculars, raptor field guides and a scope if you have one. Drivers are requested to arrive with a full tank of gasoline. Meet on the west side of Houghton Road, just north of I-10 at 7:30 am. Back by 5 pm. Leaders: Ned and Linda Harris (751-2105), [email protected]

January 12—Tuesday 6 am

going north to: boyce-Thompson ArboretumExpect to spend the morning at this state park which often shelters a good mix of birds in the winter. Bring lunch and be prepared to pay the entrance fee to the park or bring your pass. A stop at Oak Flats is possible. Meet at the commuter lot at Ina and Via Ponte (one block west of Oracle and Ina on the south side of Ina) at 6 am or in the Bashas’ parking lot in Catalina at the northeast corner of the intersection of Oracle Rd. and Golder Ranch Rd. before 6:30 am. 200 miles roundtrip. Leader: Diane Touret [email protected]

Tucson Audubon Field TRiPsDARLENE SMyTh | FiELD TRiP COORDiNATOR

For the latest or expanded field trip information visit www.tucsonaudubon.org or call us at 520-629-0510

general information Tucson Audubon field trips are free. For general information call field trip coordinator Darlene Smyth 297-2315. For specific information about a trip, contact the leader of that trip.Please dress appropriately for your field trip. Always wear sturdy shoes, a hat, and use sun protection. Bring plenty of snacks and water for yourself. Always bring your binoculars, field guide, and for most trips a scope can be useful. Bring money to cover your share of the carpooling and any required entry fees (eg for state parks).

Arrival Times Please arrive before listed departure times. Trips will leave promptly at the time given.

carpooling sites uNW Tucson: Ina and Via Ponte—commuter

parking lot one block west of Oracle and Ina, south side of Ina.

v SW Tucson: I-19 and Irvington—Fry’s parking lot.

wGreen Valley: I-19 and Continental Rd exit 63—McDonald’s parking lot.

xNE Tucson: Tanque Verde Rd/ Catalina Hwy—McDonald’s parking lot.

Tucson Audubon strongly encourages carpooling and for some trips it may be required. Check the trip listings for meeting/carpooling sites. You are expected to reimburse the driver for the actual cost of fuel. Drivers and trip leaders are not expected to contribute.

Rare bird Alert Listen to the latest rare bird alert at 798-1005. Report rare birds to the RBA compiler at 798-1005 or [email protected]

After your Field Trip Don’t forget to stop in the Tucson Audubon nature Shop to check out new books, see wonderful nature items, and chat with volunteers.

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GOING NORTh TO:Do you live way north of Tucson, want to bird with Tucson Audubon, but find it to be frustrating because trips seem to always head south, making it difficult for you to meet for early carpooling? The Field Trip Leaders are making a real effort to include our valued northern members at least once per month as we offer “going north to:” trips. Please look for these trips to be listed each month and, if you like the idea, please encourage the leaders by dropping them a note.

Sulphur Springs Valley

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DON’T fORGET TO STOP IN OuR NATuRE ShOP fOR YOuR fIELD AND ID GuIDES, AND OThER BIRDING SuPPLIES.


January 16—Saturday 8 am

hawks for beginners: Avra ValleyAnyone who is new to birding or who just wants to enjoy a morning of driving around looking at raptors perched on power poles is especially invited. Some walking but mostly standing on the side of the road. Relaxed pace with time for you to take long looks and get answers to your questions. At 8 am we will carpool from the Mission Library parking lot on the NW corner of Mission and Ajo. Done by noon. Driving on paved and graded dirt (muddy?) roads. Roundtrip of 30 miles. Contact leader if you have questions. Leader: John Higgins 578-1830, [email protected]

January 18–21—Monday–Thursdaysouthern californiaWe will do a loop with stops that include, but are not limited to, the Salton Sea, upper Newport Bay, Bolsa Chica, the San Elijo Lagoon, La Jolla and Mission Bay, Mission Dam Park, and Cuyamaca State Park with a late return to Tucson. We will particularly look for Allen’s Hummingbird, Belding’s Savannah Sparrow, Clark’s and Horned Grebes, Brant, Surf Scoters, Black-vented Shearwater, gulls, terns, shorebirds, nuttall’s Woodpecker, Wrentit, California Gnatcatcher, Towhee, Thrasher, and Quail; and with good weather in the mountains, possibly White-headed Woodpecker and Purple Finch. Participants will be expected to share the leader’s fuel costs. A maximum of 7 people may register for this trip starting on December 7. Contact the leader for details. About 1000 miles roundtrip. Leader: Diane Touret [email protected]

January 23—Saturday 8 am to 4 pm

sandhill crane special excursionThe trip to see the Sandhill Cranes at Whitewater Draw will be organized jointly with the Arizona Land and Water Trust. Experts from Tucson Audubon and the

Arizona Game and Fish Department will be on hand to talk about the biology of the cranes, and representatives from the Arizona Open Land and Water Trust will talk about planned conservation of the lands that will ensure that the birds continue to thrive here in the winter. Our goal is to show how the complex world of conservation works while at the same time marveling at the spectacle of the Sandhill Cranes. We will be traveling in buses from Tucson, and we appreciate your early indication of interest. Please contact Jean Barchman at 622-5622 or [email protected]. There will be a charge for this trip to cover the costs of the buses and leaders.

January 24—Sunday 6 am

Parker canyon lakeWe will check this beautiful canyon lake for wintering waterfowl. In addition the area is reliable for Bald Eagle, bluebirds, sapsuckers, and possibly Montezuma Quail. We will walk part of the 5-mile lake trail which is mostly flat, but be prepared for uneven ground and mud in some sections. Bring your lunch and scopes. Back in Tucson by early afternoon. Meet at Houghton Road just north of I-10 for carpooling. 150 miles roundtrip. Leaders: Mark and Farrish Sharon [email protected]

January 26—Tuesday 7 am

going north to: gilbert water RanchSpend the morning birding the riparian preserve at Gilbert Water Ranch. Easy level walking for 2 or so miles. Limited to 10 participants so contact the leader for carpooling info and directions. 190 miles roundtrip. Leader: M.E. Flynn 797-1743 or [email protected]


young birders club Field TripAll kids between the ages of 8 and 18 with an interest in birds are invited to join the first field trip for the Tucson Audubon Young Birders Club. We will spend a half-day birding in local Tucson parks looking for wintering species both common and rare. Emphasis will be on finding recently reported rarities. We will end at Reid Park for lunch, during which youth will help plan the next field trip. Great chance to meet other young birders and to bird with expert leaders. Parents will be required to sign a waiver. Please bring lunch and water. Contact one of the leaders listed below for details or to sign up. Leaders: Robert Payne [email protected] 867-0490 and Scott Olmstead [email protected] 840-9567


Patagonia-sonoita creek PreserveIt’s back to the sparrow-filled preserve along Sonoita Creek in Patagonia, where wintering species will be on the menu. The historical parade of rarities which have found this habitat

makes a hike here always worth the while. Meet at Houghton Rd. just north of I-10 at 6:30 (leader not present) or meet at the preserve parking area at 7:30 am. Fee: $3 for Nature Conservancy Members, $5 for non-members. 120 miles roundtrip. Leader: Cliff Cathers [email protected] 762-3201

FebruaryFebruary 2—Tuesday 5:30 am

going north to: buckeye-salome Thrasher siteno groundhogs for us today, but we will be searching for another critter to throw a shadow . . . the LeConte’s Thrasher. Meet at the parking lot just west of the Orange Grove Circle K (the one near the corner of River/Thornydale), or from the Gila Bend Shell Station at Exit 119 off I-8 at 7 am. Bring lunch. Return via Arlington and Santa Cruz Flats, time permitting. Roundtrip about 350 mi. Leader: Diane Touret [email protected]

February 6—Saturday 8 to 10:30 am

sweetwater wetlands Family outing series (First saturday every month)Do you enjoy sharing the joy of outdoor activities with your children or grandchildren? A new series of monthly field trips will connect children (ages 4–14) and their families with ecology, nature, conservation and BIRDS! Join Tucson Audubon and Sunnyside School District’s newest partnership as 7th-grade Student Urban Naturalists help guide children through engaging hands-on activities designed for specific age groups. A parent or grandparent must accompany each child present. Bring warm clothing, hat and gloves. Leader: Deborah Vath at [email protected] or 490-4835. (See p 25 for more about this program.)

February 6—Saturday 6 am

chino canyon, santa Rita mtns.Hike about 5 miles roundtrip to look for desert residents, sparrows and raptors. This scenic, open canyon is best hiked in the winter. Bring the usual, plus lunch and sturdy hiking boots as we will be on uneven, rocky road with some elevation gain.

Tucson Audubon Field TRiPs

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Return to Tucson by 3 pm. Meet at the Fry’s parking lot at Irvington and I-10 at 6 am or in Green Valley at the McDonald’s at I-19 and Continental Rd. exit at 6:30 am. 80 miles roundtrip. Leader: Michael Bissontz 577-8778 [email protected]

February 9—Tuesday 8 am

catalina state Park—canyon loop This park is one of the best places to see wintering and resident birds which include Crissal Thrasher and Rufous-winged Sparrows. Both should be up and singing at this time. We will cross the wash several times, so you may get your feet wet. The park can be chilly early in the morning so dress warmly. Meet at the northwest carpooling site (Ina Rd. and Via Ponte) at 8 am (leader not present) or at the trailhead in the park at 8:30 am. State Park Pass/entry fee required. Leader: Denis Wright [email protected]

February 13—Saturday Time TBAbirds of Prey in the sulphur springs Valley excursionOur Birds of Prey trip will be organized jointly with the Southern Arizona Bird Observatory (SABO). Raptor experts from Tucson Audubon and SABO will be on hand to help with identification of the birds, to tell us why they are there, and to explain the behavior of the birds. We will be traveling in buses from Tucson, and we appreciate your early indication of interest. Please contact Jean

Barchman on at 622-5622 or [email protected]. There will be a charge for this trip to cover the costs of the buses and leaders.

February 14—Sunday 6:30 am

Arivaca lake & cienegaWe’ll be visiting two contrasting aquatic habitats: Arivaca Cienega, one of the last remaining natural marshes in the region, and the under-birded Arivaca Lake, a man-made reservoir with productive wooded edges. Bring lunch. Meet at Fry’s on Irvington at 6:30 am, the Green Valley McDonald’s at 7 am, or the Longhorn Grill at Amado at 7:15 am. 110 miles roundtrip. Leader: Michael Marsden 269-6240 [email protected]“

February 16—Tuesday 5:45 am

Patagonia lake state ParkWinter is trying to turn to spring and it’s the clash of the seasons at this popular birding spot. We’ll look for the early season migrants and any goodies left over from the winter fare on a mostly flat 2–3 mile hike through open scrub, lake edge and creek-side forest. Meet at Houghton Rd. just north of I-10 at 5:45 am (leader not present), or at the visitors center in the park at 7 am. Per vehicle entrance fee: $8. 140 miles roundtrip. Leader: Cliff Cathers [email protected] 762-3201

February 20–21—Saturday and Sundaygull workshop—Puerto Peñasco, mexicoWe’re announcing our first-ever joint Tucson Audubon–Arizona Field Ornithologists Gull Workshop, generously led by Chris Benesh & Dave Stejskal of Field Guides, Inc. Puerto Peñasco is the winter home to some impressive numbers of gulls, exhibiting a wide variety of plumages, with as many as a dozen species present in late February. The vast majority of our time will be spent studying and discussing the identification and molt of as many species as we can. We’ll also undoubtedly see a number of other enticing waterbirds while there. Expect to spend the night at a local hotel. Carpooling is essential and scopes are encouraged. Passport required. Limited to 10 Tucson Audubon members and 10 AZFO

members. $10 covers your share of the leader’s expenses. (See p 9 for more details.) Registration will open on January 6 by email to: [email protected]

February 23—Tuesday 7 am

going north to: boyce Thompson Arboretum state ParkWalk the beautiful and usually birdy grounds of the Arboretum for a couple of miles. Slight elevation gain on the paths. Bring a State Park pass if you have one. Limited to 10 participants, so contact the leader for carpooling info and directions. 160 miles roundtrip. Leader: M.E. Flynn 797-1743 or [email protected]

February 27—Saturday TBAyoung birders club Field Trip destination: TbdThe destination of this trip will be decided by the Tucson Audubon Young Birders Club members during the first trip. Please contact one of the leaders listed below for more information. Subsequent trips are planned for the fourth Saturday of each month. Leaders: Robert Payne [email protected] 867-0490; Scott Olmstead [email protected] 840-9567

February 27—Saturday 6:30 am

going north to: oracle state ParkThis scenic park has been closed but the trails are still available for hiking and birding. The trails meander through live oaks, mesquites and yucca on hilly and rocky terrain. Western Scrub-Jay, woodpeckers, wrens, Bushtits, towhees and wintering sparrows are expected species. Bring snacks and water. We will meet at the usual NW carpooling site (commuter parking lot at Ina and Via Ponet), or at the park entrance at 7 am. Back in Tucson by noon. 70 miles roundtrip. Leaders: Mark and Farrish Sharon [email protected]

March 2—Tuesday 6 am

Patagonia lake state ParkWe’ll look for waterbirds, flycatchers, gnatcatchers and whatever else we can find. We’ll walk a couple of miles on mostly level but not always clearly delineated trails. Expect mud so wear appropriate footgear. Bring lunch and park fee or pass. We may visit other sites in Patagonia and/or Nogales as well. Meet at the Fry’s at Irvington and I-19 at 6 am. or at the Green Valley McDonald’s (Continental Rd. exit) before 6:30 am. 140 miles roundtrip. Leader: Dave Dunford (571-0535) or [email protected].

May 4–11migration in southwest ohioThis trip, to be led by Clifford Cathers of Economy Birding Services, is now fully subscribed. VF

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ADVENTuRE BIRDING [email protected] • 495-0229Big Bend National Park: West Texas Birds and Scenery. April 28–May 2, 2010, $1065. Leaders: John Yerger and/or Keith Kamper. Big Bend is perhaps the most remote birding hotspot in the United States, and hosts spectacular scenery. This is the only place in the U.S. to find Colima Warbler, our main target. Ideal for those desiring lots of birds on limited vacation time. Painted Buntings and Golden-fronted Woodpeckers are among the other goodies we’ll seek on this fun-filled adventure!South Texas: Specialties and Migrants in the Lower Rio Grande Valley. April 3–11, 2010, $1890. Leaders: John Yerger and/or Keith Kamper. Join us in “the other” premier U.S. birding destination, with guides who have lived and birded there. With specialties like Great Kiskadee, Green Jay and Altamira Oriole, how can you miss? We’ll sample all habitats from tidal mudflats to subtropical thornscrub to prime Chihuahuan Desert. Visit both classic hotspots and lesser-known local secrets for rarer residents like Clay-colored Robin and Hook-billed Kite. This trip is timed to catch loads of spring migrants, and probably a few Mexican rarities!

NATuRE TREKS AND PASSAGESwww.naturetreks.net. [email protected] • 781-789-8127Rancho Esmeralda Birding and Nature Weekend. April 2–5, 2010, Join Pinau Merlin and Larry Liese for 4 pleasurable days of exploring the beauty and diversity of Rancho Esmeralda in Sonora, Mexico. During the bountiful spring season, we’ll enjoy birds, plants, butterflies, reptiles, amphibians, and other wildlife on our daily hikes and night walks. Includes transportation, 3 nights at the Rancho Esmeralda Lodge, all meals and guides. $1049.00 pp.Alaska: Birding from Denali to the Sea. June 7–17, 2010. Tour several of Alaska’s prime birding spots: Anchorage, Denali National Park, Denali Highway, and the Kenai Peninsula including Seward. Anticipate seeing a number of bird species and hopefully all of the “Big 5” large mammals - grizzlies, caribou, Dall sheep, moose, and wolves. June is a spectacular month to view Alaska’s returning and breeding birds, along with the early vibrant blooming summer flowers. $4399.00 pp.

RANChO ESMERALDAwww.ranchoesmeraldanogales.com326-9686 ext. 19

SOLIPASO TOuRSwww.solipaso.com • [email protected] Blas and the Durango highway. February 21–March 2, 2010, $2570 Leader: David MacKay. Starting in Mazatlan, we bird the tropical deciduous forest before heading up to find the target species

of the Durango Highway. We’ll bird the key spots including Singayta Road, La Bajada, and Cerro de San Juan, and go on two boat trips up the San Cristobal River and the mangrove estuary. There are a possible 35 endemics on this trip (one of our most popular), including Tufted Jay, Eared Quetzal, Military Macaw, and Collared Forest Falcon. Alamos. April 8–13, 2009, $1500. Leader: David Mackay. We spend four nights in Alamos at our El Pedregal nature Lodge and bird for Black-throated Magpie Jay, Mexican Parrotlet, Elegant Quail and many others. We’ll also do some coastal birding at Isla Huivilai and spend our last night by the ocean in San Carlos. Enjoy delicious regional cuisine, the warm hospitality of the Mackays and a relaxed trip full of birding, botanizing and exploring the area they call home. Tour limited to 10 participants with one guide.

TROPICAL BIRDINGwww.tropicalbirding.com [email protected] • 1-800-348- 5941Eastern Ecuador: high Andes to Vast Amazon. March 5–19, 2010. $3690 from Quito. Starting from the magnificent high Andes dotted with snow- capped volcanoes towering over 18,000 ft, we head all the way down to the ultra- diverse Amazon lowlands. Well over 1,000 bird species occur in this region, but we can see them in comfort as we stay in some of the best lodges in Ecuador, including San Isidro, Wild Sumaco, and Sacha Lodge which has the only canopy walkway in the country. Tropical Birding’s main office is in Quito, so we know this wonderful country like no one else, and our tour leaders are second to none.Southern Ecuador: Tumbesian Rarities and highland Endemics. January 21–February

4, 2010. $3140 from Guayaquil. Pacific coast extension: February 4–7, 2010. $890 from Guayaquil. Birding in southern Ecuador has experienced a remarkable renaissance in the last few years. A series of brand-new eco- lodges and bird reserves make this trip an absolute delight and accessible to anyone. There is a magnificent variety of habitats and birds on this trip including the endemic- packed dry Tumbesian region, rich Andean cloudforests, 13,000 ft. Paramo, and even coastal estuaries. This is one of THE best trips for hummers: some of our tours have seen over 60 species! These are only two of our Ecuador tours: our complete lineup can be found on our website.

VICTOR EMANuEL NATuRE TOuRS, INC.www.ventbird.com(512) 328-5221 • [email protected]. March 31–April 7, 2010; $2,975 in double occupancy from Montego Bay. This week-long trip works well as an introduction to tropical birding or as a specialty trip for those interested in seeking island and regional specialty birds. Marshall’s Pen, Rocklands Sanctuary, and Cockpit Country are among the places you’ll travel with Brennan Mulrooney in search of nearly 30 endemic species, including such prizes as streamertail hummingbirds and the hulking Chestnut-bellied Cuckoo! Colorado Grouse. April 9–18, 2010; $2,575 in double occupancy from Gunnison. Join Brian Gibbons and Michael O’Brien in pursuit of 7 species of grouse, prairie-chicken, and ptarmigan. Our targets include Greater and Lesser prairie-chickens, Sharp-tailed Grouse, Greater and Gunnison sage-grouse, Dusky Grouse, and White-tailed Ptarmigan. Visit lekking grounds and learn the natural history of one of North America’s most interesting bird families. Other attractions include good mammal viewing and plenty of amazing scenery. VF

biRding TRAVel FRom ouR business PARTneRs

2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1

joinBirds & Business Alliance

TodAy! and connect with theTucson Audubon community

For more information and to join, contact Erin olmstead at [email protected] or 777-9525.US

FWS

sweeTwATeR weTlAnds FAmily ouTing seRies

(First Saturday of every month)Sunnyside Unified School District and Tucson Audubon have teamed up to provide an ongoing series of monthly outings for children and their families at Sweetwater Wetlands. Seventh grade students at Lauffer Middle School have developed the Sunnyside-Audubon Student Urban naturalists (SASUn) student club. This service-learning project provides an opportunity for students to participate in volunteer service and social responsibility to the Tucson community as well as develop leadership skills and a deeper understanding of our local environment. Trained student leaders have developed age-appropriate nature, conservation and birding activities for children ages 4–14. All activities, materials, and resources will be available to each child and their accompanying adult in a backpack on loan for the outing. Certificates of completion will be awarded to each child. For more information contact Deborah Vath at 490-4835 or online at [email protected]. VF

EL PEDREGAL Nature Lodge—Alamos, Sonora, Mexico—Five luxurious guest casitas and central lodge set on 20 acres of intact tropical deciduous forest. Delicious regional cuisine, unrivaled local knowledge and warm hospitality. Birding tours, river trips, yoga classes and more available. Special Tucson Audubon package available. For more information: www.solipaso.com

ThE OASIS AT WAY OuT WEST B&B/Private nature Preserve. A secluded trail side location offers close-up wildlife observation and colorful mountain sunsets. Bird our trails (135+ House List) or the Catalinas. 20+ feeding stations, Naturalist/Photographer on-site, Wi-Fi, Hydrotherapy spas, Bike rentals, Eco-Excursions. WOWArizona.com. 520.825.4590.

WANTED: LIBRARIAN/VOLuNTEER who has the skills, aptitude and inspiration to organize Tucson Audubon’s outstanding book selection. We are ready to introduce a professional computer system to make our lending library a model of efficiency, and need a volunteer who would enjoy the challenge of researching software systems and integrating this system for our staff and members’ needs. That very special “Bookophile” can download the volunteer application from our web site, or call Becky at 622-2230, 760-7881 or e-mail [email protected].

The TAs-iFiedsclAssiFied Ads

Classified and display ads are accepted from individual members and members of our Birds & Business Alliance. Visit tucsonaudubon.org/vfly for rates or contact Matt Griffiths [email protected] to book an ad.

wings oVeR willcox Truly an Annual spectacle!

The five-day 17th annual Wings Over Willcox Birding & Nature Festival begins Wednesday, January 13, 2010 and includes a weekend packed with outdoor adventures, indoor activities and banquet speaker Rich Glinski, editor and contributing author for the book The Raptors of Arizona. Visit www.wingsoverwillcox.com or call 1-800-200-2272 to reserve your seat!

Tucson Audubon thanks our Birds & Business Alliance Members, who have shown their support for bird conservation through annual contributions and in-kind donations. Please show them you appreciate their support for us by supporting them. Please choose these progressive companies when you need a service.

STERLING Adventure Birding Company • 520-495-0229 • www.adventurebirding.comnature Treks & Passages • 781-789-8127 • naturetreks.netRancho Esmeralda • 326-9686 • www.ranchoesmeraldanogales.comSolipaso Tours • www.solipaso.comTropical Birding • 800-348-5941 • www.tropicalbirding.com Victor Emanuel Nature Tours • 800-328-VENT • www.ventbirds.com

SILVERThe Oasis at Way Out West • 520-825-4590 • www.wowarizona.comSnell & Wilmer • www.swlaw.comTucson Electric Power • www.tep.com

COPPERBed & Bagels of Tucson • 520-760-5595Lou Benson ConstructionBorderland Tours • 800-525-7753Brooklyn Pizza Company • 520-622-6868Buffalo Exchange • 520-795-0508Casa Adobe B&B in Rodeo, NM • 877-577-2275Casa de San Pedro B&B • www.bedandbirds.comCoyote Wore Sideburns • 520-623-7341Desert Toyota of Tucson • 520-296-8535Down By the River B&B • 520-720-9441Economy Birding Services • 520-762-3201El Conquistador Resort Patio Homes AssociationFinancial Architects • www.financial-architects.comFiore Tile Works • 520-971-0677Greenfire Ecological Landscaping • 520-429-7306 Heartstone Mountain Ranch • 877-562-2955 Hughes Federal Credit Union • 520-794-8341Kimberlyn Drew, Realtor • 520-237-1408Lori Pascarella, Financial Consultant • 520-747-6167Naturalist Journeys • 866-900-1146 P2 Preparedness • 520-971-5971 Rancho De La Osa • 800-872-6240Ravens-Way Wild Journeys • 520-425-6425RockJumper Birding Tours • www.rockjumper.co.zaRiverpark Inn • 800-551-1466Spirit Tree Inn B&B • 520-394-0121Sundance Press • 800-528-4827TyrannoTours • 520-577-6546The Lodge at Ventana CanyonVeterinary Specialty Center of Tucson • 520-795-9955Wild Birds Unlimited • 520-878-9585Visit www.tucsonaudubon.org for more information about our Birds & Business Alliance members, including links to their websites. VF

VOLuNTEER WITh ThE TuCSON BIRD COuNT —BIRDERS NEEDED! The Tucson Bird Count (TBC) is looking for new volunteers to join our project and monitor birds around the Tucson area. Since its start in 2001, volunteers have surveyed birds at thousands of sites, gathering high-quality data on birds in urban areas. Volunteers are needed for both TBC programs, the annual citywide Route Program and the quarterly Park Monitoring Program. Route Program: This annual count is held each spring (April 15-May 15) and tracks how birds are distributed across the city and how populations change from year to year. The count covers the entire Tucson area, with one survey point per square kilometer. Volunteers adopt a route (a series of survey points) and then perform point-counts along their route on the morning of their choice. Routes are available all over the city from urban neighborhoods to natural areas, and new volunteers are always needed! Park Program: This program is designed to monitor bird communities in parks, washes, and other areas of birding interest around Tucson, and we currently have more than 30 active sites. Sites are monitored 4 times a year, allowing us to track spring and fall migrations as well as wintering and summering populations. We are looking for new volunteers to take over the monitoring duties at a few of our established sites (Tanque Verde Wash, Tucson Botanical Gardens, Case Natural Resources) or to adopt a new location! To learn more about the TBC or volunteering, please visit www.tucsonbirds.org or contact Rachel McCaffrey at [email protected] or 730-3218.


Name

Address

City / State / Zip

Email

Phone

New membership � � Renewing membership Please email me about Tucson Audubon �events and conservation issues. Please do not share my contact information. � Please do not mail me � Vermilion Flycatcher. I’ll read it online.

DONATIONI would like to support Tucson Audubon �Society with an additional contribution of � $25 � $50 � $100 � $ 250. Tucson Audubon Frequent Flyer Monthly �Donor Program: I authorize the charge of $____ per month for ____ months to my credit card ($10/month minimum).

Tucson Audubon Society will use the full amount of your tax- deductible gift for its environmental, educational and recreational programs.

METhOD Of PAYMENT Check (payable to Tucson Audubon Society) � MasterCard � � Visa � AMEX

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Please send your application with payment to Tucson Audubon Society,

300 E. University Blvd, #120, Tucson, AZ 85705

(Attn: Jean Barchman, Membership Coordinator)

OR join, renew or donate online at www.tucsonaudubon.org

Support Tucson Audubon... Become a friend Today!

ANNuAL MEMBERShIP SuBSCRIPTION$35 � Individual$50 � Family$35 � Senior Supporter*$25 � Senior Discount*$25 � Student*

Contributor $100 �Supporter $25 0 �Guardian $500 �Steward $1000 �

Leadership Circle $2500 �*Individual


Tucson AudubonnATuRe shoPs

Tucson Audubon’s Nature Shops provide for your needs in natural history books and guides, birding optics and accessories, and gifts right here in Tucson. We offer a great selection, the best prices, and member discounts. Remember to shop locally.

The sun Always shines in Arizona – even in winter!It’s never too early or too late to gear up for sun protection, especially if you’re out and about bird watching or hiking in southeast Arizona.

If you’re not sure where to get started, let us help you! The nature Shops provide gear for sun protection that is both practical and stylish. Consider a sun protection hat that shades both your face and neck with a UPF 50, or how about a sun protection shirt with a UPF 40!

Look for these great items the next time you’re visiting the Nature Shop. We are the only shop in town to carry the most popular sun protection clothing brand: Sunday Afternoons.

Field hat by sunday Afternoons$40, various colors • UPF 50This is a conventional sun hat with high-tech features. This hat provides a circular 4” brim in front and back (3.5” sides.) The ventilating mesh side panels keep your head cool and the elasticized wicking sweatband provides internal adjustable sizing. The chinstrap keeps your hat on your head in the breeze, but if it happens to blow off and land in the pond at Agua Caliente or Reid Park, or wherever you happen to be birding, the brim has a floatable foam core!

Adventure hat by sunday Afternoons$38, various colors • UPF 50This is our best selling hat. It offers unsurpassed full UV coverage with a 4” front brim and a 7.5” veil with lift-up tab to cover your neck on those hot and sunny Arizona afternoons.

The ventilating mesh side panels and wicking brow sweatband keep your head cool and allow you to focus instead on those feathered friends in the trees! This hat also provides a floatable foam core.

Passport shirt for women, by sunday Afternoons$56, sea mist green • UPF 40This shirt is great for local day trips or international adventures. The featherweight micro-grid fabric provides a UPF 40. The cut is flattering and slightly fitted. The back, underarm and side provide venting with privacy panels and there are 2 zippered chest pockets. The sleeve tabs allow for short sleeve convenience and the rapid dry micro fiber, moisture wicking and anti microbial material is sure to keep you comfortable no matter the weather. It’s also wrinkle free. Your binoculars are sure to be the perfect accessory!

sundial shirt for men, by sunday Afternoons$59, eucalyptus green • UPF 40This practical shirt is the all-around comfort shirt during any day or international trip. This shirt offers featherweight micro-grid fabric with a UPF 40. The back, underarm and sides provide venting with privacy panels and the 2 chest pockets hide secondary hidden zipper pockets. The sleeve tabs allow for short sleeve convenience and the rapid dry micro fiber, moisture wicking and anti microbial material keeps you comfortable in all situations. It’s wrinkle free! VF

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Art in Wilderness: Tumacacori highlandsSky Island Alliance. 2007.2 audio CDs. 100 pages. Softcover. $40.00.

It was cold. We were sitting around a campfire. We’d hiked all day; we were tired. We were well fed. We were sharing stories, and songs and tequila. We were photographers, writers, poets, songwriters, environmentalists, scientists and naturalists. We were in the Tumacacori highlands of southern Arizona. The firewood crackled, the air shimmered….

Art in Wilderness began with an idea and culminated one spring weekend, when 19 artists, poets and writers came together to hike, camp, and experience the rolling hills, rugged canyons, and rare species habitat of the Tumacacori highlands,

located only an hour’s drive from Tucson. The faces around the campfire belonged to such locally-known favorites as Pulitzer Prize-nominated author and poet Richard Shelton, John Burroughs Award for Nature Writing recipient Ken Lamberton, award winning singer and songwriter Kevin Pakulis, and award winning artist and sculptor Sharon Holnback.

Created with the hope that the art will move people to support Wilderness designation for the Tumacacori highlands, the project features original essays, poetry, paintings, photographs, songs and spoken-word performances by some of Arizona’s best artists, writers, singers and photographers, each work inspired by a stay in the Tumacacori highlands of southern Arizona. For those who have not had the opportunity to visit the Tumacacori highlands, Art in Wilderness takes the Tumacacori highlands to them.

Each piece gives the reader a sense of place—from the sepia-toned photographs of rugged oak woodland canyons by Michael Berman, to the brilliant watercolor landscapes of Diana Madaras and the memorable work of Alison Hawthorne Deming, a Walt Whitman Award-winning poet.

“‘Who can withstand the recondite wisdom and sonorous silence of wilderness?’ asks Terry Tempest Williams. This is the question,” writes author Ken Lamberton. “It’s like asking, Who

can withstand the wolf or jaguar? Or the teeming masses of invertebrates that plough though the soil and sky and skin? Or maybe the real question is, Who can stand it? Can we stand wilderness for the sake of wilderness?”

Tim Hull wrote that “the American West, especially its wild areas, would be nothing but a vast, unknowable abstraction without the familiar dispatches of writers, singers and painters,” and calls Art in Wilderness “a multimedia creative gasp of wonder…a beautifully put-together paperback coffee-table book with two CDs tucked in pockets inside the covers…the best result of which is a song by the bluesy [Cantrell] Maryott, with lyrics by Shelton and music by Pakulis.”

This nostalgic and conservation-inspired collection was coordinated and produced by Sky Island Alliance, a grassroots organization dedicated to the protection and restoration of the rich natural heritage of native species and habitats in the Sky Island region of the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. Sky Island Alliance’s Art in Wilderness is a voice for the Tumacacori highlands—a hopeful and moving experience—that evokes both a smile and a call to action. VF

Jessica LambertonWilderness Outreach Associate

Sky Island Alliance

BOOKENDSSA

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Tucson Audubon nATuRe shoPs

When you support your local Tucson Audubon Society you are supporting birds and bird habitat conservation. Thank you!

SHOP HOURSMAIN ShOP

Monday–Saturday 10 am–4 pm, except Monday & Thursday until 5 pm

Phone: 629-0510On the southeast corner of University Blvd and 5th Avenue.

AGuA CALIENTE PARK ShOP October–February: Thursday, Friday &

Saturday, 9 am–3:30 pm Phone: 760-7881

From Tanque Verde Rd and Houghton, continue east on Tanque Verde 2 miles. Turn left (north) onto Soldier Trail,

continue north for 2 miles. Turn right (east) onto Roger Rd, continue ¼ mile to the park entrance on the left (north).

WAKE uP WITh ThE BIRDS Thursday 8:30 am: Loaner binoculars available, meet in front of the ranch house. For more information call Pima County Parks and Rec. 615-7855 or email [email protected] permit requests and general information about

park rules and regulations call 749-3718

Remember!There is no such thing as bad

weather—just inappropriate

clothing. Don’t enjoy our

southwest sun without being

protected.

And, don’t forget to carry water

with you at all times in our

stainless steel water bottle! ($22)

When you need a book, think of Tucson Audubon Nature Shops first! Support your local book store. 520-623-3476

you’Re inViTed!What: Make it a family day to Willcox to visit the 17th annual Wings Over Willcox festival!When: any day, January 13–17Each year, the town of Willcox holds the annual Wings Over Willcox festival in honor of the wintering Sandhill Cranes, raptors and sparrows. You can sign up for daily field trips (fee) or check out the number of other events for adults and children to learn about wildlife. Plus, visit booths with many local vendors. Tucson Audubon will have a booth at the festival, too. Stop by and see us when you’re in town!

To learn more about the Wings Over Willcox festival, visit: www.wingsoverwillcox.com

RICH

ARD

FRAY

NoN-PRoFIT oRG US PoSTAGE PAID

TUCSoN, AZ PERMIT #1345300 E University Blvd, #120

Tucson, AZ 85705

Vermilion Flycatcher Volume 55, Number 1 January–February 2010The Vermilion Flycatcher is the newsletter of the Tucson Audubon Society, a chapter of the national Audubon Society. National Audubon Society members and members of other chapters may receive the Flycatcher by joining the Friends of Tucson Audubon. See membership at www.tucsonaudubon.org.


Change Service Requested

The Second Annual Tucson Audubon Gala, Making a Splash for Wildlife, will be held on Tuesday, February 2, 2010, at the Arizona Inn, starting at 6 pm.

A no-host cocktail hour and silent auction will precede dinner. Robert Glennon, author of Unquenchable, will be the guest speaker. Chuck George, weather newscaster and meteorologist for Channel 13-KOLD, will MC.

For underwriting information or to make a reservation, please call Jean Barchman at 622-5622.

T u c s o n A u d u b o n g A l A — s A V e T h e d A T e !

Visit tucsonaudubon.org for event updates • See page 12 for Living with Nature / Membership Meeting details.

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vermilion - tucson audubon society · vermilion f l y c a tc h er january–february 2010 | volume...

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