Published by the Tahoma Audubon Society On the web @ tahomaaudubon.org July/August 2007 Vol. 38 No.

End of the road

By Krystal Kyer
Anyone who drives in the metro-
politan Puget Sound region knows
that getting from point A to point B is
an exhausting chore that gets worse
every year. Our nation’s love of cars
has influenced our transportation sys-
tems to such an extent that roads have
been built at the cost of all other
viable options. Ninety-two per cent
of all trips are made using an auto-
Cross-Base Highway a relic of the past
mobile. Sure, we have ferries, taxis,
public buses and trains. Yet the serv-
ices are limited in both routes and
frequency that make the option an
unrealistic one for many. By con-
trast, roads are available 24/7. Gas
was once cheap (or so I hear). Buy a
car and you can go anywhere you
want. Complete freedom. That’s
what its all about, right?
Sometime after our local road net-
works and interstate highways were
built, we settled down and focused on
other important issues. We had our
roads, now we just needed to use
them. And use them we have.
Washingtonians drove 27.6 billion
highway miles in 1995, and that
number is expected to increase to
48.5 billion miles by the year 2020 –
a 79% growth in travel.
Unwilling to invest in our trans-
portation system, we effectively
ignored them for the past 20 years.
Unfortunately, several factors have
contributed to making that a costly
mistake. The factors creating stress
on Washington’s roadways include:
1) State population growth rate of
54% between 1980 and 2006.
see “Highway” on page 5

Results of the 2007 TAS Bird Drawing Contest

So many wonderful drawings were work in the gallery at Tacoma Nature
entered in this year’s contest, it was hard Center over the summer months.
to choose the winners.
But here on the cover of The Towhee, IN THIS ISSUE:
in glorious black and white, are the first
25 years ago page 2
place winners in each category; inside
TAS Bylaw changes page 2
on pages 6 and 7, you will find the 2nd
and 3rd place and Honorable Mention Bryan Flint column page 3
winners. New Owl species? page 4
We sure wish we could print in color BirdSongs page 4
to give you the full impact of beautiful New members page 5
compositions, but fortunately, the News Education page 8
Tribune has put the full gallery of win- Field trips page 9
ners on their website. Go check it out at Conservation page 10
Top left: An boldly drawn Osprey by Kendyl Born, a homeschooled first
grader; Top right: A beautifully composed illustration of a chickadee by Emily
http://www.thenewstribune.com/adven-
Birdathon pages 9, 11 & 12
Sands, a sixth-grader from All Saints School; Above: A wonderful painting of ture/story/86922.html.
Paul Webster page 12
a chickadee by Lauren Sullivan, a fourth-grader from St. Nicholas School. You can also view the original art-
 HELP NEEDED! Come water and weed at the Tahoma Audubon Society
Adriana Hess Wetland Park/Audubon Center
Monday, July 16--9:30 to 11:30 a.m.
proposes bylaw changes
Monday, August 20--9:30 to 11:30 a.m. During the past few months, the
Bring your favorite tools for weeding of small plants and trimming Tahoma Audubon board has been study-
ing the bylaws of our organization with
back grass. Bring a lunch and stay for the 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. plant
the idea of updating them to reflect the
walk. changes we have gone through in the past
University Place parks depend on help from volunteers and we two years.
like to be helpful here at the park where we are located. We Anytime changes are proposed,
appreciate any amount of time that you can come and help. those changes must be published
THANK-YOU so much to weeders and waterers who helped from in two consecutive issues of the
May 16 to June 16. Janet Bent, Margie Griffin, Earline C Luco Towhee. This gives you, the
McQueen, Connie Decker, Karen Harris, Tom Gergen, Jennie Hall, membership, a chance to view the
and Berta Thompson. proposed changes. The changes are
then voted on at the membership meeting
following the publication of the second
provisions of the Washington State Non-
profit Corporations Act, RCW 24.03.
Tahoma Audubon was chartered by
National Audubon on March 17, 1969.
The following proposed change
reflects our adoption of a chapter-
only membership.
ARTICLE III: MEMBERSHIP
Section 2: Classes of member-
ship and dues shall be the same
as those maintained by the
National Audubon Society. Tahoma
Audubon Society may institute a
chapter membership separate from

Just the other day ...
Here’s what TAS was doing back in 1982
By Helen Engle
Our field trips continued through
the summer, but regular meetings
were put off till fall.
Freshwater biologist
Ray Herbig led a trip
to study pond crea-
tures at the Snake
Lake Nature Center;
We studied what
will be the future of
Ruston Way Park
System on site with
Tacoma Planning Department’s
“waterfront” person; and Bob
Ramsey led an all day field trip from
“Snowline to Shoreline” starting with
the wildflowers of the mountain
meadows. There was a “Gray Whale
Potluck Picnic” at Stan & Helen
Engle’s backyard with a new film by
the American Cetacean Society, “The
Whales That Wouldn’t Die.”
We went to Anderson Island with
Peter Andrews for birding and the
local museum; to Wright Park with
Mary McKeever; and another all day
trip to Riechel Creek at Vale, with
Dan Sokolowski on his 160
acres near the
Skookumchuck
River. On an
evening walk with
Darlene and Ric
Zarwell we saw
where the
Audubon Nature
Center will be at the
mouth Of McAllister Creek,
Nisqually Delta. President Art
Peterson, Friends of Chambers
Creek, took us along the wilderness
trail in the Chambers Creek canyon.
It would be easy to check out
some of these same places and see
how they’ve come along in the 25
years since the 1982 summer.
Feedback, comments and reminis-
cences welcome, 253-564-3112,
Hengle@iinet.com.
issue which in this case would be on
September 14th.
The following articles are those in
which we have proposed changes. The
changes are in bold, underlined type. We
invite comments on these changes by
emailing Molly Hukari at
president@tahomaaudubon.org .
You may view the bylaws in their
entirety at www.tahomaaudubon.org or
call 253-565-9278 or come into the office
at Adriana Hess to request or view a copy.
The address at Adriana Hess is 2917
Morrison Road West in University Place.
The following proposed change was
made to provide a reference for
chapter creation as opposed to the
date of incorporation.
ARTICLE I: STATUS
The Tahoma Audubon Society was reg-
istered on 12 August 1974 under the
National Audubon.
When the bylaws were written in
1974, committee chairs were
required to be on the board. This cre-
ated a more cohesive, communica-
tive board. As the chapter has
changed and people’s lives have
become busier, this requirement has
sometimes been an impediment to
filling chair positions. In the following
article, the word “shall” has been
changed to “may”, giving chairs the
option of not being on the board.
ARTICLE V: BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Section 2: The Board shall consist of at
least twelve members who are members
of the Society, with four elected each
year to serve for three years. The chair-
persons of the standing committees, if
see “bylaws” on page 3

Staff
Sign up to staff booth at Western Washington Fair
SEPTEMBER 7 THROUGH 23. Flint, Bryan Executive Director
It's time to get Tahoma Audubon schedule ready for the Fair. bryanflint@tahomaaudubon.org 253-565-9129
Call Thelma Gilmur, 253-564-8210 and say you will volunteer for a 4-hour Kyer, Krystal Conservation Coordinator
shift. You'll receive a free ticket to the Fair for every day you volunteer.
kkyer@tahomaaudubon.org 253-232-9978
TAS has been at the Fair for 37 years telling the story of conservation. We
are there this year, in the Northwest Outdoors Tent. We will need nearly Newton, Gabriel Education Coordinator
200 volunteer slots filled to adequately staff our booth, make presentations gnewton@tahomaaudubon.org 253-565-5479
in the "Hands-on Arena”, and be the building guides on our given days.
Please pull out your calendar and let me hear from you. Please call 253- Tahoma Audubon Board of Directors
564-8210. We'll need people to put up and take down the booth, too, so if
you have time on September 5,6, or 24 let me know. Brosius, Jane Membership 253-759-9852
Carkner, Dick 253-922-1604
Garner, John 253-756-9057
The Towhee is a publication of the Tahoma Audubon Society. The Gilmur, Thelma Membership 253-564-8210
Tahoma Audubon Society was chartered in 1969. TAS advocates for the Hukari, Molly Past President
protection of wildlife and promotes conservation through education and Jordon, Al 253-588-7191
activities that enrich its member’s experiences in and with the natural Larson, Sally 253-588-9839
world.
The Towhee is published monthly, nine times a year, with a combined
Larson, Wayne 253-588-9839
Jul/Aug and Dec/Jan issue. Submissions of articles and photographs of LeGreid, Kathleen Publication 360-458-1483
birds, bird lore, natural history, conservation, and environmental educa- kaleditor@mindspring.com
tion are reviewed and considered for inclusion by the editor. Copy is due Matthaei, Fred 253-564-6947
by the 15th of the month and may be sent by e-mail, disk, or typed.
McNair-Huff, Rob Conservation 253-752-3628
Editor: Kathleen Ann LeGreid: phone 360-458-1483 Roening, Marcus 253-756-0215
E-mail:kaleditor@ mindspring.com Sloat, Sally Administration (contact) 253-564-0655
Mailing: Vera & John Cragin and Winfield Giddings Shea, Margie Education 253-591-6439
Design & Layout: Robert Kelton: E-mail: robert_kelton@mac.com Sullivan,Brian Volunteer 253-278-1026
Printing: Consolidated Press
Printed on recycled newsprint bwsullivan@mindspring.com

Page 2 On the web @ tahomaaudubon.org July/August 2007

 EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S CORNER
Fighting to protect wildlife habitat in Pierce County
The phone woke me out of a dead sleep at two ty and other allies in the environmental community
thirty in the morning. Three Pierce County Council like Conservation NW.
members, staff from the Regional Transportation The Audubon way is to work constructively to
Improvement District (RTID) and representatives ensure that our interests are at the table when the
from Piece County Executive’s Office had been up decisions are being made. Being at the table
all night trying to work out a compromise on the involves the willingness and ability to compromise
Cross-Base Highway. They were looking for some- without giving up your core values.
thing the environmental community could accept. The Audubon way is to never believe that a cause
The next morning the RTID would vote on a roads is lost, just because the power structure tells you that
package to put before the voters in November. it is. Three months ago the Cross-Base was consid-
How did this come to be? How could it be that the ered fait accompli. No one thought that it would
fate of a three-county roads and transit plan hinged
on the opinion of Tahoma Audubon and its allies? What we got from the Cross-
After so many years of being ignored on the Cross- Base Highway compromise:
Base Highway, how could it be that elected officials
stayed up all night trying to find a way to meet our • $10 million for mitiga- • Mediation does not
tion and environmental start until January 2009,
approval?
enhancements. This when County Executive
It is the most recent example of the Audubon way: includes money for will be term limited out
fighting for its mission to preserve and protect impacts to the equestri- of office.
wildlife habitat in Pierce County. an community. • The mediation will start
The Audubon way is to be tenacious and unyield- • $60 million that is with a fresh look at the
dependant on success- traffic problem in South
ing in speaking truth to power about the need to pro-
ful mediation. Could be Pierce County and how
tect habitat. That means never giving up, even when used on Cross-Base or to solve it, leaving the
it takes years to get the message across. 176th depending on the opportunity for some-
The Audubon way is to build coalitions and work results of the mediation. thing other then Cross-
with allies to get the message out. Nothing Audubon • $30 million for Cross- Base. It will have priori-
Base. Money cannot be ty consideration of pre-
has succeeded in has been done on its own. In the
spent until after the venting impacts to Oak
fight against Cross-Base, we united with the mediation. Prairie habitat.
Woodbrook Hunt Club and the equestrian communi-
actually get
removed from the
regional road proj-
ect list.
Only because of
the hard work of
Audubon leaders
and our allies in the
Cross-Base
Coalition, it was.
We were able to
highlight the envi-
ronmental issues of the project in the media, with
elected leaders, and key community stakeholders.
The final compromise reached gives us certainty that
our issues will be addressed and alternatives actually
considered before money is appropriated for the
Cross-Base Highway. There is still $200 million left
to be found before the project could be completed.
The recent success against the Cross-Base
Highway would not have been achieved without the
hard work of key people who put in endless hours.
Thank you to Melody Fleckenstein, Tonia Oliver,
Jen Hansen, and every one in the equestrian commu-
nity. Thank you to Dave Werntz, Jen Watkins and
Hudson Dodd with Conservation NW and the mem-
ber groups of the Cross-Base Coalition. And thank
you to all the Audubon members who made their
voices heard.

... Bylaws changes own committee members with the rec-

continued from page 2
not appointed from the Board, may
become members of the Board. The
immediate past president shall also be a
member for one year after the new presi-
dent is elected.
ommendations and suggestions from the
Board. Terms of office shall be for one
year. They may be re-appointed.
Standing committees shall be composed
of not less than three members. Each
committee will present no fewer than
quarterly reports to the Board.

We hired our first executive director in d. Publications: The role of the

2004. We have added language to
clarify that role. With the addition of
this article, the numbers of subse-
Tahoma Audubon is the Pierce County chapter of National Audubon.
quent articles increased by one. I
As an Introductory member of Tahoma Audubon you also receive a
have not included all of those
National Audubon membership and Audubon Magazine for one year.
changes for the sake of conservation
Renewing your Chapter Membership ensures that we can continue to of space.
do our work in Pierce County. Chapter membership includes: Towhee
newsletter subscription, free family events, birding trip invitations, ARTICLE VIII: EXECUTIVE DIREC-
class & book discounts, conservation activities, annual celebrations TOR
and more. Joint TAS/National Audubon membership includes: Section 1: The Board may choose to
Chapter membership, National membership, annual Audubon hire an Executive Director. The
Magazine subscription, and support of Important Bird Areas (IBA) Executive Director’s job will consist of
and state and national conservation agendas. those responsibilities in the job descrip-
tion and will include working with vol-
Membership Fee: unteers and coordinating committee
and staff communication with the
___ Introductory (first year) $20 Board. The Executive Director will
___ Joint National/Tahoma Audubon $50 follow the policies of the organization.
___ Chapter member renewal $30
The next change creates an avenue
___ Other Contributions _____________
of communication between the board
and committees which could have
Member(s) Name: _______________________________________ been lost by the change to Article V.
Board of Directors.
Address: _______________________________________________
There was also the desire by some
City______________________________ Zip__________________ committee chairs to update the
Phone: home ___________________business _________________ description of the role of their com-
e-mail: ________________________________________________ mittees. Those changes also follow.
Member #: _______________________________ (office use only) ARTICLE IX: COMMITTEES
Section 1: The President, with the
Checks payable to: Tahoma Audubon approval of the Board of Directors, shall
2917 Morrison Rd. W. University Place, 98466 appoint chairpersons of standing com-
mittees. The chairpersons shall be mem-
Tahoma Audubon Society, established in 1969, is a 501(c)(3) non-
bers of the Society. They may select their
profit organization. Donations are tax deductible.
Publication Committee is to establish
and maintain guidelines to present
Tahoma Audubon to its membership
and to the public through publications
and media using a professional, uni-
form, and consistent message. The
Publication Committee publishes, at
least six times a year, a bulletin (The
Towhee) for the members of Tahoma
Audubon.
e. Education: The Education
Committee shall generate environmen-
tal education and natural history pro-
grams for youth and adults utilizing
sites operated by Tahoma Audubon
and natural areas of Pierce County.
The committee shall work with
schools, agencies, businesses, organiza-
tions and individuals in the communi-
ty to pursue its goals of environmental
education. The education committee
program should be developed as a
part of the annual planning process.
The education committee shall serve
in a collaborative and supportive role
for the Education staff.
This final change clarifies which edi-
tion of Robert’s Rules of Order will be
used.
ARTICLE XIII: PARLIAMENTARY
AUTHORITY
In matters not covered by these bylaws
the most current edition of Robert's
Rules of Order shall govern.

July/August 2007 On the web @ tahomaaudubon.org Page 3

Photographing a possible
new owl species in Ecuador
By Nate Chappell of an owl but not
enough to even say
what species. Two

L
ast September, my wife Angie and I were plan-
ning a trip to Ecuador to visit her family and see nights done and no
more of the country. I planned to go off on my mystery owl, I was
own for a few days and do some birdwatching and pho- starting to get worried.
tography. I was researching lodges and some informa- The next day I saw
tion on the San Isidro lodge caught my eye. According more nice species but I
to the site, for the last several years the managers and had really chosen this
guests there had been observing a pair of owls that were spot to see and record
a mystery, potentially a new species of owl. There was the mystery owl and I
even a close range photo of the bird. I spoke with the was not having any
managers and came to find out that the bird in question luck. As I was having
was very similar to the Black Banded Owl but lived at a dinner the 3rd night, the
much higher elevation than the Black Banded was sup- Galo burst in and said
posed to occur. I checked my “Birds of Ecuador” and the owl was in its usual
sure enough the Black Banded Owl was not supposed to perch atop a secropia photo/Nate Chappell
occur over 3,000 feet and the elevation at San Isidro was tree near the road. A possible new owl species gobbles up a big bug
7,000 feet! My interest piqued, I made a reservation to Dessert could wait. We
stay at the lodge. headed out with spotlight and camera in hand. Sure the owl in the same area, near to my cabin that I had pho-
The driver picked me up in Quito, the capital city of enough the owl was atop its favorite tree. The tree was tographed it the previous evening. I heard a strange call,
Ecuador. We had a day of birding on the way from San quite high and far away, but with my big lens and flash I it sounded a bit like a dog and a bit like an owl. I locat-
Isidro to Quito. Our first main stop was high in the could reach it and make some fairly good images. It's a ed the bird near a large floodlight, this was lucky as I was
paramo at Papallacta Pass. We searched for the elusive striking black and white strix owl. The owl then flew by myself and needed the light to help me focus on the
Rufous Bellied Seedsnipe at 14,000 feet but did not find around from the perch nearer to us but we only caught bird. I took many nice photos with different poses, the
it. However, we had a beautiful view of the lake dotted glimpses of the flight in the darkness. It landed back in bird yawning, stretching and looking at me. I heard
open country from atop the the secropia tree with a very another owl calling from nearby and the owl I was pho-
peak we were on. There large insect in its beak. I tographing returned its call. I was thrilled, listening to a
were many consolation snapped off a rapid succes- possible new owl species communicating with one of its
prizes including a singing sion of photos and to my own kind high in the Ecuadorian cloud forest.

O
Tawny Antpitta and several delight I had some fairly n this trip I learned that they had been seeing
Stout Billed Cinclodes. good ones of it feeding on these owls for about 7 years and had seen
Upon arriving at San this big bug. The guide young with the adult owls at least 2 years but
Isidro, beautiful Inca Jays explained that was why it had never found a nest. I observed these owls at very
greeted us in the parking lot. was attracted to this spot. close range and they looked quite a bit larger than the 15-
Soon after that the manager The large lights that illumi- 17 inches listed for the Black Banded Owl, about the size
showed me the rather tame nated the road into the lodge of our Barred Owl, which is listed at 21 inches. Other
Chestnut Crowned attracted large numbers of people I talked to regarding this owl think they are larger
Antpittas that came to feed very big moths and other than the typical Black Banded Owl as well. Reportedly
on worms put out by the insects. The owl would the voice is very different too. This high altitude owl has
lodge staff. What a great catch its prey in the air like a not been seen anywhere else in the world, but at the same
start! However, soon after very large flycatcher. The altitude in both Peru and Colombia people have heard and
that the rains started and guide told me he had even recorded the same voice in the night. Galo told me that
continued most of the rest of seen the owl feeding on a bat they need to collect a bird to verify if its actually a new
the afternoon. I decided to once. The owl disappeared species. The lodge is certainly not going to let anyone
take a rest, have dinner and and we went to look in an do that as these birds are a big draw for tourists. If I were
then try for the mystery owl. area where it sometimes a professional ornithologist I would certainly be trying to
The manager, Galo, tried to perched at night, very close find this bird in other parts of the Andean cloud forest and
locate the owl but we nei- to my cabin. The guide try to determine if it were a new species (hopefully they
ther saw nor heard it that summoned me that he had can figure this out without collecting one). I am not an
first evening. The next day found it very close to the expert on the topic of new bird species, but it seems to me
I saw many beautiful trail. I followed and there it a larger bird with a different voice, living at a very dif-
species of hummingbirds photo/Nate Chappell was at very close range. So ferent altitude and habitat is probably a different species.
and tanagers. The most This species is a striking black and white strix owl. close that I couldn't fit the But for now it remains the San Isidro Mystery Owl.
memorable experience of whole bird into the picture. Viewing and photographing it at close range was one of
the day was a Masked Trogon feeding on a large moth on I took some closeups. In the darkness there was not easy the highlights of my birdwatching and photography expe-
the ground just outside my hotel room. I had left my way to back up off the trail. I decided to head to my room riences.
large lens down at the lookout a few buildings away. I and grab my smaller lens. I did so and surprisingly the Nate Chappell is a longtime Tahoma Audubon member. He is the
rushed into my room, grabbed my 70-200 zoom and man- bird was still there. I snapped off a few good photos and avian gallery moderator of a top rated nature website, www.naturepho-
aged to get some nice closeups as the trogon tried to sub- then the bird departed. tographers.net . He and his wife Angie, who is Ecuadorian, are lead-
ing nature photography tours to Ecuador and Thailand this winter.
due the moth. That evening 3 Dutch graduate students The next day I enjoyed the good weather and beauti- There is more about these tours in this months Towhee. You can con-
and I tried for the owl again. We caught brief glimpses ful hummingbirds. That evening I decided to look for tact him at 253-512-1060.

BIRDSONGS by Phil Buly Technology and birdwatching

Birdwatchers have long headed into the woods with little more
equipment than binoculars and a notebook. But when Laura
Erickson sets out on a birding trip, she now brings along two digital
cameras, a Palm device with a bird-species database and an iPod
loaded with bird songs.
Indeed, many traditionalists who think that the whole point of bird-
ing is to commune with nature bristle at the technology now avail-
able to the modern birdwatcher, from laser pointers used to identify
birds perched on high branches to devices that play birdcalls.
Professional alerting services, already popular in the United
Kingdom and springing up in the U.S., allow hardcore hobbyists to
receive notices of local sightings on their cellphones or
BlackBerrys.
"I have seen good friends in the field that looked like electronics
stores when they came down the trail," says Richard Payne, presi-
dent of the American Birding Association, a Colorado Springs, Colo.,
nonprofit that counts about 18,000 members. "It's not my style."
- By ANDREW LAVALLEE from the Wall Street Journal

Page 4 On the web @ tahomaaudubon.org July/August 2007

Welcome greetings to new and returning members, May 16 to June 15, 2007
New and Returning: Theresa And
& Terri Duf, M Baker, Nicole
Bateman, Ana Bennett, Mary Blyton,
Troy & Nita Born, Jane Davison,
Jack Dempsey, Sara Derr, Sandra
Elliott, Thomas Gergen, Dolores
Barrett, Dorie Golding, Yvonne
Herth, Ed Hume, Jerry Johannes,
Rebecca Johnson, Howard & Shirley
Johnson, J Kitchens, Marceille
Kobel, Mark Kuhlmann, Peter &
Annie Laney, William Leneweaver,
Eric Lick, Lin Livingston, Diane
Martin, Monika Mc Faddeen, Denise
McCluskey, Brad McPhee, Bonnie &
Peter Meyer, Nicole Okada, David
and Chris Parent, Joe & Nancy
Peters, Dolores Sarandos, Tom Sims,
Ralff Somoff, Robert Sotak, Eileen
Stubblefield, Janda Volkmer, Louis
Walton, Nancy Jean White, Christine
Wood.
Introductory: (Joining through TAS
as new and will appear in New and
Returning at a later date.) Parker
Briggs, Lanny Walker.
Special Support, Chapter New and
Renewing: (Joining through TAS.)
Susan Dawson, Worth & Marian
Gurley, Judy Krill, Thomas
Mansfield, Jim & Carolyn Nelson,
Edna Vandenheuvel, Donna & Alan
Zimmerschied.
Special Support, Joint TAS and
NAS: (Renewing done through
TAS.) Ronald
Coleman, John
Cragin, Harold Gray,
Sherrie Kilborn,
Dian Lord, Earline
C Luco McQueen.
Renewal: (List is from National,
including earlier listings under Joint
TAS and NAS in our monthly
reports.) Ruth Amos, Greg
Anglemeyer, Nora Arnold, Beverly
Ball, Juanita Bjork, Jerry Broadus,
Mary L Bryan, Anita Dorman,
Charlotte Duggan, Janis Elliott, Paul
Field, Linda & Scott Green, Mary
Baker Hairston, Shannon Heinrick,
Mr & Mrs John Herzog, Kent
Howard, Johnny Hughes, Howard &
Doreen Johnson, James Julich,
Katherine Loveless, Suzanne Mader,
Patricia McGill, Lynette Miller, Nora
Miller, Michael Mitchell, Helen
Neighbor, Dale Pedersen, Warren
Picha, Tanja Scott, Rick Semple,
Jessica Troy & Steve Sissel, Dr
Ronald Taylor, David Taylor, Paul
Thompson, Joan Torfin, Laurissa
Wallace, Annette Wanwig, Monica
Weidman, Nancy Wittenberg, Mary
Zimmer.

Pierce Counties), they knew that they were facing an designated an Important Bird Area (IBA). Ongoing

Highway ... enormous challenge. The old school of thought pre-

-continued from page 1
2) A 72% increase in the number of registered vehi-
cles from 1980-2003.
3) Urban sprawl and increase in average trip length
(miles).
4) Congestion leading to increases in travel time.
5) Safety issues and failing roads due to lack of
maintenance.
6) Subsidized oil prices that mask the true cost of
driving and owning a car.
The real problem is that the current way of thinking
about transportation planning is to build more roads to
handle more capacity for more cars on those roads.
The trouble with that train of thought (no pun intend-
ed) is that the solution feeds the problem, creating a
bigger problem requiring a bigger solution. In this
case, more cars need more roads, and adding capacity
adds demand for even more roads, and so on. Call it
the Flintstones method, if you like.
Adding more lanes to existing roads feeds that self-
reinforcing mechanism. Although, its not as bad, one
could argue, as constructing entirely new roads. New
roads have the nasty habit of traversing new territory –
land previously undeveloped by people or at least in a
more natural state then say existing roads or shopping
centers or residential neighborhoods. Laying new con-
crete often means filling unbuildable lands – wetlands,
in particular. Washington Department of
Transportation is the single largest contributor to wet-
land mitigation. New roads also contribute to urban
sprawl and poor land use regulations.
Case in point, the proposed Cross-Base Highway or
SR 704 (I’ll get to that later).
After decades of ignoring our regional road prob-
lems, policymakers are proposing a solution: build
more capacity to handle the number of cars on today’s
roads, thereby cutting congestion and commuting time.
Sound familiar? It should, because it’s the old
Flintstones method. That, coupled with a modest tran-
sit package, constituted the policymaker’s solution six
years ago.
A lot has happened since then to force a change in
the direction and thinking on what constitutes good
transportation planning. Worldwide acknowledgement
and awareness of the scientific consensus on global
warming and climate change is forcing governments,
especially at the local level, to take steps to cut green-
house gas emissions. In Washington, 55% of our
greenhouse gas emissions come from the transporta-
tion sector. At the same time, our country is at war
(again) in the Middle East, where over two-thirds of
the world’s proven oil reserves lay. Gasoline prices are
high and steady. And at home we constantly fight to
keep oil exploration out of national wildlife preserves.
So when Sound Transit and the Regional
Transportation Investment District (RTID) moved for-
ward simultaneously to develop a new transportation
plan for the region (meaning King, Snohomish, and
dominated discussion in the early days. As the outside
factors, coupled with the involvement of numerous
local environmental groups putting pressure on both
bodies for new solutions grew, they had to listen.
Maybe they didn’t want to. But in the end, they did.
The result is a regional transportation package that
emphasizes public transit options and ‘fix it first’ prior-
ities over simply building new capacity to move cars.
The Flintstones solution of just moving cars is out-
dated and a proven failure – like rock wheels. The
new solution is to emphasize moving people and
goods, not cars. How do we get people to and from
work? How do we transport goods? The answers
aren’t to be found in miles paved. The answers consist
of a package of creative solutions like rail, light rail,
sidewalks, bike lanes, HOV lanes, tolling (a.k.a. con-
Cross base highway, as currently proposed, would
cross Fort Lewis military base and Fort Lewis IBA
gestion pricing), carpooling, telecommuting, smart
urban planning, etc.
The fact that the final version of the $17 billion joint
transportation package set to go before voters this
November consists of 61% Sound Transit funding, and
more RTID money going to fixing existing roads, con-
gestion pricing and non-motorized options points to a
real change in transportation planning. And that
change is one for the better: better for the environment
AND better for people and commerce.
The proposed Cross-Base Highway is evidence that
real change is underway in transportation planning.
The road represents the last bastion of old school trans-
portation planning. Up until May 2007, the RTID
executive board clung to the thought of this new road
as an answer to traffic problems in South Pierce
County. It was the only new road slated to be in the
roads package. A six-mile long, two lane road (maxi-
mum speed 45 mph), with stop lights on both ends,
running east-west from SR 7 near Roy to I-5 at Thorne
Lane in Lakewood. The road would bisect Fort Lewis
and McChord, cutting across a wetlands system that
includes Audubon Springs and Spanaway Marsh, and
also across rare Oak Woodland Prairie Habitat, home
to numerous endangered and/or threatened species of
birds, wildlife, and plants. The path of the road is also
projects in the area include bluebird nest box place-
ment and monitoring, and numerous field trips over the
years by Auduboner’s to the wetlands.
Falling squarely within our mission to protect birds,
wildlife and their habitats, Tahoma Audubon pursued
this issue with great tenacity over the years. We joined
a coalition of groups that included environmental
organizations, equestrians, local business owners, and
neighbors who were willing to fight for a solution that
did not including paving another natural area. A previ-
ous lawsuit over the endangered Gray Squirrel was
lost, appealed, and lost again at the state Supreme
Court of Appeals. Another lawsuit lays in waiting, and
is focused on the project’s environmental documents
that fail to adequately address NEPA requirements.
The coalition’s parties to the lawsuit didn’t want to
go this direction, unless forced to. Instead, we worked
to put political, media, and public pressure on RTID
board members to remove the Cross-Base Highway
from the list of roads projects. In 2003-4 we meet with
Pierce County Executive John Ladenburg, the project’s
key supporter, to negotiate alternative options and
routes for the highway, as well as for better environ-
mental mitigation. After two years, the talks were
stalled. In 2007, Mr. Ladenburg again worked hard to
kill any opposition to his project.
After numerous meetings with RTID executive
board chair Shawn Bunney in the spring of 2007, we
were able to come to agreement on an alternate plan
that did not include funding for the Cross-Base
Highway per se. At the May 31st RTID executive
board meeting, the board voted in favor of a roads
package free of any Cross-Base Highway money. This
was a huge symbolic victory for our coalition, and we
celebrated, if only tentatively.
By the following week’s vote of the full RTID
board, consisting of members of all three county coun-
cils, the political will had changed. We lost our votes
needed. We faced the very real possibility that 1) a
package fully funding Cross-Base would move for-
ward or 2) we would burn all our bridges with local
officials if we continued to oppose the package and be
blamed for its failure, as well. Either way, it was clear
we weren’t going to get what we wanted that day. And
after hours of all night negotiations over the phone,
brokering a deal en route to the meeting, and stalling
the meeting for two hours to get to a mediation agree-
ment, we had a decision to make.
Most of us took the deal. We took a deal that was
hard to swallow, but in the end it is more than what we
had the week before. Its more than a symbolic victory:
it is a real opportunity for us to prevent an ill-con-
ceived environmentally destructive new road from ever
being built.
In the bigger picture, the would-be Cross-Base
Highway signals a paradigm shift in regional trans-
portation planning away from the Flintstones method
toward real solutions that move people and goods.
Now it is up to the Sound Transit and RTID boards
to sell it to the public, and its up to the region’s voters
to buy it, both literally and figuratively!

July/August 2007 On the web @ tahomaaudubon.org Page 5

 Tahoma Audubon Bird Drawing Contest – 2007 Second place winners:
Grades 1-3: Cambrie
Williams, a 3rd grader from
Evergreen Primary, right.
Here are the drawings that made honorable mention. Remember, all the winning entries can be
viewed in full color on the web at http://www.thenewstribune.com/adventure/story/86922.html Grades 4-5: Julia Harper, a
4th grader from All Saints
School, below.

Grades 6-7: Adam Nelson,

a 7th grader from Harbor

Jeremy Keister, homeschool.

Montessori School, below

Blake Williams, 1st grade.

right.

Kate Farnham, 3rd grade.

Andrew Krylator, 3rd grade.

Kaitlin Miller, 5th grade.

Riley Clarke, 4th grade.

Carissa Vreugdenhil, 3rd grade.

Alyssa Slyter, 5th grade.

Third place winners:
Grades 1-3: Nora Loney, a 3rd
Brian Lee, 6th grade.

grader with the Busy Bees 4H

Club, right.

Angela Ramous, 5th grade.

Joshua Alfaro, 4th grade.

Grades 4-5: Chloe Sabo, a 5th

grader from Harbor Montessori
School, below.

Grades 6-7: Parker Olive, a

7th grader fromHarbor
Montessori School, below right.
Kristine Kingsbury, 7th grade.
Emily Reponte, 5th grade.
Hannah Pena, 5th grade.

Page 6 July/August 2007 Page 7

 EDUCATION
2917 Morrison Road W., University Pl. WA 98466 1919 South Tyler Street, Tacoma WA 98338
253-565-9278 www.TahomaAudubon.org 253-591-6439 www.metroparkstacoma.org
Open Monday – Saturday Open Tuesday – Friday 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
10:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. & Saturday 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.

Tahoma Audubon Family Programs Tacoma Nature Center Summer Day Camps
Discovery Walks Day Camps for kids age 5-15
All ages welcome, $5.00/person, free to Audubon members Visit the MetroParks website for details: www.metroparkstacoma.org.
These walks are designed for families, and friends of all ages, with a special
invitation to grandparents. Discover a new location each month as you explore Tiptoe through Tidepools at Titlow Beach
the site with an experienced nature guide. Call 253-591-6439 for directions. Saturday, July 14, 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m., Free
Pre-registration is required. Bring your family and join us on one of the lowest tides of the year to explore
July 21 Snake Lake Watershed 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. the beach, learn about tidepool life and have lots of fun! The low tide of -3.2’
August 18 Nelson Nature Park 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. will be at11:43 a.m.. There will be self-guided tide pool exploration with natu-
ralists available for questions, a guided bird walk of Titlow park, crafts and
Morse Wildlife Preserve Programs other activities for families. For more information, call 253-591-6439.
Best for ages 2 and up, free to Audubon members
Explore this natural treasure located in Graham during the following special
Nature Discovery Wednesdays
open days. Call Gabriel for more information and directions at 253-565-5479. 4:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m., Free
Community Programs Animals are awesome! Join Tacoma Nature Center and Point Defiance Zoo &
Enjoy a guided hike and activities with a different theme each month. Aquarium staff to explore some amazing animal adaptations for survival.
Programs run 10:00 a.m. – noon. You’ll get a chance to handle real animal skulls and pelts and meet a small live
July 28 Habitats of Morse: Wetland animal ambassador from the Zoo!
August 25 Habitats of Morse: Coniferous Forest July 11 Franklin Park
Open Trails: Walk the trails and discover the beauty of the five habitat zones July 18 Jane Clark Park
in the preserve. Programs run noon – 4:00 p.m.. July 8 August 12 July 25 Manitou Park
August 1 South Park
August 8 Jefferson Park
Tahoma Audubon Just for Kids August 15 Portland Avenue Park
Nature Story Time August 22 McKinley Playfield
Best for ages 2 – 6, $5.00/child, free to Audubon members and U.P. residents
Join us as we explore the park at the Adriana Hess Audubon Center in Carnival in the Park Fridays
University Place with nature stories based on the current theme. Adults are 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m., Free
welcome with the children. This is a wonderful grandparent/grandchild activi- Summer Carnivals are back! Bring family, neighbors and friends. Come see
ty! Space is limited. Call 253-591-6439 to register. clowns and performing pigs, do hands-on science and experience some cool
July 27 On the Beach 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. critters, play carnival games and enjoy carnival food available for purchase.
August 24 In the Deep 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. July 6 Jefferson Park
July 13 Manitou Park
Day Camps for kids age 4-6 & 8-10 July 20 McKinley Playfield
Visit the Tacoma Nature Center page on the MetroParks website for details: August 17 Wright Park
www.metroparkstacoma.org. Special Events
Park Party Fridays
5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m., Free
Enjoy a fun, family-oriented evening at one of Tacoma’s great parks.
Activities for all ages. Challenge your family to a friendly relay race and play
other fun games. Slip your way down the inflatable water slide. Relax in the
park. Bring a picnic. And explore, with staff from Tacoma Nature Center and
Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, animals’ amazing lives.
July 27 Jane Clark Park
Tahoma Audubon Book Club August 3
August 10
Franklin Park
South Park
It’s time to clean those reading glasses and position your reading lamps.
The Tahoma Audubon Book Club is gearing up for another year of reading Tacoma Nature Center Art Exhibits
and discussion. We are sorry to say that Dana and Amy Garrigan will not be
our leaders this year as they are moving to Wisconsin where they will be
As part of the changing art gallery at the Center, please join us for:
closer to family. Tahoma Audubon Bird Drawing Contest Winners, June 5 – August 25
In May at the Garrigan’s last meeting of the book club, we recounted the The winning contest entries of the 8th annual contest will be on dis-
years and books that we had read together. It was inspiring to discover that play for the summer at the Tacoma Nature Center. Participants
we had covered over two dozen books together. I want to take this opportu- range from grade 2 to 7. Gallery available most open hours, call
nity to thank Dana and Amy for their guidance and let’s not forget the treats! ahead to ensure availability.
I am a richer person for having met them both. When conversation rolls
around to environmental issues, I have a much fuller background due to the
books and discussions we have all shared. Best wishes and happy birding. Baby birds on San Juan Island
For our next book I have chosen “Condor: To the Brink and Back - The San Juan Islands Audubon announces with great joy, the birth of three
Life and Times of One Giant Bird” by John Nielsen. This book will link nicely Western Bluebirds in the Bailer Hill area of San Juan Island. These are the
with Diane Yorgason-Quinn’s article in the June Towhee “The Condors of first juvenile bluebirds seen in the San Juans since about 1965. The par-
Arizona.” For those of you who read that article and had your interest ents are one of eight pair of Western Bluebirds translocated from Ft. Lewis,
piqued this is a great opportunity. Mr. Nielsen will Pierce County, Washington, in March of this year. Both parents have sur-
reveal the story of the capture of the last wild birds vived and were seen feeding the fledglings insects caught in the short
and the breeding program that led to the reintroduc- grasses of Garry Oak habitat. Many volunteers spent the early winter
tion of Condors in California. months building and placing nest boxes throughout San Juan County in
Please join us at our new day and time, Monday, classic bluebird feeding and breeding habitat. Please let us know if you
September 10th at 7:00 pm at Adrianna Hess. If see any groups of bluebirds in the San Juans or adjacent counties. Call
you have any questions, contact Alan Ferguson at San Juan Islands Audubon, Barbara Jensen, 360-378-308 or San Juan
253-460-5569 or n7oms@msn.com. Preservation Trust, Kathleen Foley, 360-378-2461.

Page 8 On the web @ tahomaaudubon.org July/August 2007


Adriana Hess Audubon
Center Bird Walk
Monday, July 9--noon to 1:00
p.m.
Monday, August 13--noon to
1:00 p.m.
Leaders: Ruth and Patrick
Sullivan
Adriana Hess Audubon
Center Plant Walk
Monday, July 16--noon to 1:00
p.m. Monday, August 20--
noon to 1:00 p.m.
There has been extensive
planting of natives at Hess,
this trip will look at the trees
and shrubs of the park. Come
get ideas for your yard.
Leader: Richard Van Deman.
FIELD TRIPS
Morse Wildlife Preserve
Bird Walk
Friday, July 27--9:00 to 11:00
a.m.
Friday, August 24--9:00 to
11:00 a.m.
Leader: Betty Jones. Call
TAS office to register, 253-
565-9278.
Photo/Diane Yorgason-Quinn
Where’s your favorite place?
Where do you like to go to look for birds,
hunt for butterflies, and photograph the
wildflowers? Perhaps you like to visit a for-
gotten state park or forest service road.
Maybe you like to haunt the nearby sewer
ponds to check out wintering ducks and
migrants. Is there a place you’d like to visit
a place that you’ve wondered about? Do
you want help identify-
ing the flora and fauna
of a place? We might
know the person who
can lend a hand.
Share your special
place with other nature
lovers and birdwatch-
ers by leading a field
Birders' Picnic at Titlow, June 14, 2007, com-
plete with tablecloths and floral arrangements.
TAS director Bryan Flint on far right whips up
the birders to volunteer for field trips.
trip. Do you know someone else who would
like to lead a trip? Trip leaders don’t have to
be birders or naturalists. The people who
join the trip can tell you what you see and
hear. You just need to be willing to share
your time showing people your special
place.
Join the Field Trip Committee at the
Snake Lake Nature Center on Thursday,
July 19, at 6:00 p.m. for a potluck planning
session. Bring your ideas for field trips and
a dish to share (If your last name starts
with A-M bring main dish; N-Z bring salad
or dessert). No matter what kind of idea
you have, (birds by bike? shrubs in winter?)
we want to hear about it. We’re looking for
everything: short trips to look at lichens,
mid-week trips to find dragonflies, day-long
trips to hunt for butterflies, and three-day
expeditions to see all there is to see. We
want them all.

44th Annual Washington
State Audubon Campout:
The Hazel Wolf Bird Sanctuary Campground in
the middle of the Wenas-Clemans Mountain IBA
The 2007 Wenas Campout was great.
About 200 people, including families with kids,
enjoyed the nice weather and good program.
The Field Trips went up the canyons, on the
ridges, to the Lake, and all around Wenas
Creek and the Important Bird Area (IBA).
Besides day trips there were night-time owl
prowls, bat-watching, and bug-watching with
the “black light.”
At our Campfire programs Wildlife Biologist
WDF&W Ken Bevis gave us good hope that
the Wenas Important Bird Area will be protect-
ed by the DNR Land Swaps.
Inspiring Nature Teacher Rob Sandelin did a
"Tribal Values” program. He reminded us of
the uniqueness of our Audubon Campout and
the impressive 3-generation run the event has
enjoyed.
The cumulative bird sightings list was read
each evening by Wilson Cady and we hit a
high county of 127 species.
Native Plant Society’s Don Knoke talked
about the flora of the Wenas Creek drainage,
and what a good year this has been for wild-
flowers.
Michelle Noe, Bats Northwest, talked about
the Bats we see in our state and showed her
high-tech instrument that translates bat sounds
to frequencies the human ear can hear.
Richard Repp of Yakima Valley Audubon
talked about the Bluebird Trail, and how we
might help monitor the numbered boxes.
A Birdathon trip with Heather and Marcus Roening
Saturday, May 12, we began at 5:30 a.m. in front of
Art Wang’s house in Tacoma looking for Band-tailed
Pigeons. We had to wait later in the day to find the
pigeons at Snoqualmie Pass, but the singing Bewick’s
Wren and the view of Commencement Bay with the ris-
ing sun pinking the clouds were spectacular. This year
we were joined by Annie Meyer, a twelve-year-old bud-
ding birder, and her parents Nancy Hausauer and
Dane Meyer. Also on the trip were Wayne
Sladek, Patti Coolsen and Ed Sakai.
West Hylebos Park was alive with the
songs of the Black-throated Gray Warbler,
Warbling Vireo, Wilson’s Warbler, Yellow
Warbler and Black-headed Grosbeak. A
Rufous Hummingbird whizzed by singing “zeee chup-
pity-chup.” A Red-breasted Sapsucker followed us
around the pond to visit his favorite trees.
In the muddy fields next to Emerald Downs we
found a flock of Long-billed Dowitchers, a Pectoral
Sandpiper, and Blue-winged Teal. Wayne spotted a
Sora walking along the far edge of the field in full view
of the group. The trees by the creek were filled with
Common Yellowthroats singing their “witchety-witch-
ety-witchety” song.
We headed for the mountains, stopping at Asahael
Curtis for the Townsend’s Warbler, Pacific Slope
Flycatcher and Varied Thrush. The Hyak sewage
treatment ponds had the usual pair of Barrow’s
Goldeneye.
A Turkey Vulture flew overhead as we exited for
Stampede Pass. The Hairy Woodpecker was working
the dead trees. Everyone had a great look at the noto-
riously difficult to see Hammond’s Flycatcher singing
its identifying “bean diiip” song.
At the Northern Pacific ponds in Cle Elum, we
found the Nashville Warbler, a colorful male Western
Tanager, and a Barrow’s Goldeneye with ducklings.
A Hooded Merganser was tending her young in the
marsh at the Teanaway Bridge. We pulled out an
American Dipper from the bridge on Masterson Road,
and a Calliope Hummingbird at a feeder.
Hidden Valley Road was hiding a number of
surprises. White-breasted and Pygmy
Nuthatches were both nesting near the road.
A pair of Red Crossbills flew in and landed
on the feeder below us. The Say’s Phoebe
was flycatching from her perch on the fence.
We experienced a common occurrence in
Eastern Washington. The further East we went the
stronger the wind Annie spotted a Long-billed Curlew
flying along Lower Green Valley Road. But along the
Old Vantage Highway, Sage Thrashers and Sage
Sparrows were not to be seen or heard in the sage brush.
We heard one Brewer’s Sparrow.
The wind was calmer when we arrived at the
Caliche Ponds for Black-necked Stilts, Blue-winged
Teal, Cinnamon Teal, Ruddy Duck, and Yellow-head-
ed Blackbird. A Great Egret flew over Dodson Road.
We found our Canvasback and a Ring-necked Duck at
the end of Frenchman’s Hill Road. We headed for our
hotel in Moses Lake having seen or heard 119 birds.
Thank you for your support of the Audubon cause.
Your money is well spent; approximately 99% of
Birdathon funds go directly to Audubon education and
conservation programs. Our Birdathon includes
almost no expenses as it is completely organized and
run by chapter volunteers, with Thelma Gilmur lead-
ing the effort.

Trogon Tours trips to Ecuador and Thailand

Don Norman, Consultant on all things natu-
ral, and his crew of bird-banders were set up
along the Creek in camp and at Hardy Canyon.
Start thinking now about the 45th Annual
Audubon Campout at Wenas the weekend of
May 24-26, 2008. For more information and
lots of wonderful photos, see our website:
wenasaudubon.org
Trogon Tours Trip To Thailand January 13-27, 2008
Nate Chappell and his wife, Angie will lead a 2 week trip
to Central and Northern Thailand next January.We will
also have 1 to 2 Thai nature guides with us the entire trip.
The trip is focused on seeing and photographing the
birds and mammals of Thailand. We will travel from
Bangkok to Unesco World Heritage site Khao Yai
National Park, Phu Khieo Wildlife Sanctuary and Doi
Inthanon National Park in Northern Thailand. You will
have a chance to see and photograph many beautiful
species of birds and animals. Thailand is rich in many
bird families including giant hornbills, beautiful trogons
and colorful kingfishers. Cost: 3,400 includes all hotels,
meals, transportation, park fees and guiding. Does not
include the cost of airfare to/from the US to Thailand.
Call Nate Chappell at 512-1060 for more information.
Trogon Tours, Inc's website is www.trogontours.net.
Trogon Tours Trip To Ecuador December 8-16, 2007
Nate Chappell and his Ecuadorian wife, Angie, will lead
a trip to the mountains and western slope of the Andes.
These are some of the best birding areas in the world.
Elevations will range from 2,000 to 14,000 feet. We will
stay at hotels in Quito, the Tandaypa Valley and Mindo on
this trip. Quality viewing and photography of Ecuador's
birds will be the focus of the trip. Spectacular species
which participants have an excellent chance of seeing
include Andean Cock of the Rock, 3 species of Antpittas,
Andean Condor and many species of beautiful hum-
mingbird and tanager. Cost: $1,700 includes all hotels,
meals, transportation, park fees and guiding. Does not
include cost of airfare between the US and Ecuador.
Call Nate Chappell at 512-1060 for more information.
Trogon Tours, Inc's website is www.trogontours.net.

July/August 2007 On the web @ tahomaaudubon.org Page 9

 CONSERVATION
Working Together: Restoring Tacoma’s Natural Areas
Imagine people working together, communicating,
and learning from one another – all for the common
good of restoring degraded urban natural areas. Now
stop imagining. It’s happening right now, right here in
Tacoma. A collaborative effort is underway to protect
and restore publicly owned open-spaces and parks in
Tacoma. Citizens, neighborhood groups, local non-prof-
its, City of Tacoma agencies, and Metro Parks Tacoma
are working together to coordinate efforts aimed at com-
bating invasive species like English ivy, holly, and
Himalayan blackberries from out-competing our native
vegetation. Without a comprehensive plan and volunteer
efforts to get a handle on these problems, our urban
canopy cover will continue to decline, and so will the
quality of habitat available for birds, wildlife, fish, and,
yes, people.
The Green Tacoma Partnership (GTP) is a collective
effort to address the pressing problem of declining habi-
tat and urban forests, along with associated decline in
ecosystem services, and quality of life in the city.
Through quarterly meetings, the partnership connects
diverse groups with each other, offering opportunities to
network, learn about other’s projects, and create opportu-
nities to work together.
Based on participant’s requests, a series of collabora-
tive restoration trainings and hands-on work parties are
underway. Free trainings are conducted at a different
site already adopted by a local group for restoration meeting on Wednesday,
work, and offers a chance for participants to connect to July 11, 2007 from
one another, lend a hand, and learn a new environmental 6:30-8:00 p.m. at the
restoration skill. Summer work parties have occurred at University of Puget
Blueberry Park, Oak Tree Park, Puget Creek Gulch, and Sound – Wyatt Hall.
Point Defiance. The trainings included tool usage and A large portion of
safety, Scot’s broom removal techniques, planning and the meeting will be
managing large work parties, and safe and effective dedicated to a mini-
English ivy removal techniques. Over 200 people have design charrette. What
participated in these free events. do you think should be
It’s not too late to get out there, meet your neighbors, included in the Open The Conservation Committe
and get your hands dirty doing restoration work in Space Plan? What meets on a regular basis,
Tacoma. The next GTP training and work party will be doesn’t belong there? contact Krystal for details.
253-232-9978 or e-mail @
held on Saturday, July 28, 2007 from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. at What does an ‘open kkyer@tahomaaudubon.org
China Lake Natural Area, in collaboration with Sierra space plan’ look like to
Club Tatoosh Group “Ivy League.” Focus will be o you? What is most
removing Scot’s broom and other invasive species. important? What kind of policy tools will help you do
Along with building communication and group capac- your work? These are the kinds of questions we will be
ity, the partnership serves as a conduit for the City of discussing. The results will be available to the consult-
Tacoma to share its work on the Open Space Plan as it is ant, to help inform the process as it is happening. So
being developed by the consultant, Parametrix. This is bring your ideas!
an excellent opportunity for neighbors, groups and citi- Learn more about the Green Tacoma Partnership on
zens directly involved with restoration efforts, to provide the web at: www.greentacoma.org Or Call Krystal at
direct input into the planning process as its being devel- 253-232-9978 for more information about GTP trainings
oped. and quarterly meetings
If you are interested in learning about the City’s Open More about the Open Space Plan can be found online
Space Plan, you may want to attend the next quarterly at: http://cityoftacoma.org/Page.aspx?hid=4784

Disappearing birds send environmental wake-up call

Audubon analyses reveals dramat-
ic declines for some of Washington’s
most familiar birds. This decline for
some of the most common and
beloved birds in Washington State
echoes the disturbing findings from
the National Audubon Society. A new
scientific analysis reveals how local
and national threats are combining to
take a toll on birds, habitat and their
habitats across the country.
The dramatic national declines are
attributed to a variety of factors,
including the loss of shrub steppe,
grasslands, mature forests and wet-
lands, and other critical habitats from
multiple environmental threats such
as sprawl, energy development,
intense management for single
resources, and the spread of clean
farming techniques. The national
study notes that these threats are now
compounded by new problems
including the escalating effects of
global warming and demand for corn-
based ethanol.

photo/Ruth Sullivan
Monthly birdwalk at the Adriana Hess Audubon Center in May 2007
QUARTERLY MEETING

QUARTERLY MEETING
Wednesday, July 11th, 6:30-8:00 PM
University of Puget Sound in Wyatt Hall,
1500 N. Warner, Tacoma WA
Join a growing community of volunteers dedicated to protecting
and restoring Tacoma’s natural areas and public open spaces.
Network, Collaborate, and Create!
Share your restoration activities, find a helping hand, seek and offer advice.
Learn about the Open-Space Plan and participate in a design-charette.
Last but not least, enjoy free hot beverages and cookies.

Page 10 On the web @ tahomaaudubon.org July/August 2007

A Birdathon trip to
n order to have a suc-
cessful Birdathon, first
one must choose a great
birding trip, such as May
19th’s Birdathon trip to
North Kitsap with Rolan Nelson.
Secondly, one must make those
birders work! Just giving a flat
amount doesn’t work the birders
hard enough! Make ‘em sweat
for those extra species. I pledged
to Faye McAdams Hands, and
she really has her system down.
Not only does she have to come
up with as many species as pos-
sible to get the most revenue for
Tahoma Audubon, but she
charges double for life birds,
state birds, or birds seen out of
their usual flight path. For next
year, she’s already come up with
a new device to charge double
for any species seen which has
ever been on the Endangered or
Threatened lists. This was after
we realized we had several of
them this time, counting Bald
Eagle, Osprey, and a bunch of
Marbled Murrelets!
Cleverly timed to coincide
with the end of International
Migratory Bird Week (see
IMBD’s website at
http://www.birdday.org), Rolan Nelson scheduled his
Birdathon field trip to the most northerly reaches of the
Kitsap peninsula. Attended by a full flock of birdathon-
ers including the alpha male, new Tahoma Audubon
director Bryan Flint, we set out to find as many species
as possible and charge our sponsors dearly for them.
While getting ready to roll out of the Purdy Park &
Ride, birds were already appearing and demanding to be
counted. Not one, not two, but three Bald Eagles
zoomed in and then were gone! It was an omen for the
day! Band-tailed and Rock Pigeons joined the crows
overhead.
Alighting first at Hansville, we scanned the bumpy
waters along with the Hansville mascot, a Bald Eagle
sitting on a piling just out of our reach, self consciously
ignoring us. grebes, Rhinoceros Auklets, guillemots,
sea ducks, gulls, and Marbled Murrelets were out there
for the gleaning, just waiting for someone to count them
between swells. Just around the corner, we came to
Point No Point, site of the oldest lighthouse in
Washington, which was given that strange name by
Birdathoners at Buck Lake, Kitsap County.
A dragonfly at Hansville Greenbelt.
July/August 2007
Osprey and mountains seen from Foulweather Bluff, May 19, 2007
Captain Wilkes in 1841. Surrounded on three sides by
water, this jut of land has been the site of treaty signings
more than once, and being the first landfall, it continues
to draw odd passersby of the bird and fish sorts, so one
arrives with hopes for rarities. The murrelets and auk-
lets were close at hand here as we walked past the light-
house and into the rosebush tangles, where we found
three Western Kingbirds, blown way off course (mean-
ing double dollars for TAS)! Then just off the point, we
visited a local with whom Rolan had made arrange-
ments and got some more amazing surprises. Two
female Yellow-Headed Blackbirds at the feeders (more
double dollars)! These were even more off course than
the kingbirds! As we enjoyed the many birds there, a
Western Tanager was spotted as well. A great day for
sunshine-yellow birds with more to come.
Next stop was Foulweather Bluff, a Nature
Conservancy reserve, where a walk through woods
brings you out to a fabulous beach with snow-capped
mountains on the other side of the salt water and still
tidal ponds behind us. The woods were so completely
On the web @ tahomaaudubon.org
Story and photos by Diane Yorgason-Quinn
insulated from the weather that it was like being indoors.
Stepping over a few downed logs on the path showed
that the name, “Foulweather” was given for good rea-
sons. Just-arrived Flycatchers were calling within the
sanctuary as well as the year-round Wrens, Bewick’s
and Winter. A creeper crept out to check out this bunch
of humanity. Once we exited the “door” from the forest,
we stepped out onto this stunning beach where eagles
and Osprey ruled the skies along
with the gulls and Caspian
Terns. Herons were on the
beach and goldeneyes on the
pond. One of the most unusu-
al Osprey nests anywhere
dominated the inland side. It
wasn’t in the top of a tree, but
on a lower sideways branch, and the tree wasn’t even
dead! But there was definitely an Osprey sitting in it,
and then she flew off and circled several times when her
mate came back, giving us one of those “Wow”
moments that birders live for.
After lunch we walked part of the long and scenic
Hansville Greenway Wildlife Corridor starting at Buck
Lake Park where four species of swallows cavorted over
the lake and the playground equipment. Common
Yellowthroats, avens, and a rare close-up look at a male
Wilson’s Warbler were some of the many highlights.
This fascinating trail loops through multiple habitats
including ponds, woods, and meadows, part of the way
following an ancient rail bed. It is still undiscovered to
most people in the greater Puget Sound area, but not
around these parts. Wildlife checklists are maintained
on Hansville’s website (http://hansville.org), and much
effort continues to be expended in keeping this area pris-
tine.
After this great day of birding and company, we final-
ly counted the birds and broke up the party. We were
pushing 70 species, but not quite there.
Unfortunately for my pocketbook,
Faye refused to quit birding, but kept
looking for more birds on the way
home and indeed until the end of the
24-hour period that started when we
met up with Rolan. She managed to
add several more species, so I had to
pay more! However, unlike most bills
I pay, when writing out this check, I
smiled in the realization that I had had
a GREAT day of birding and cama-
raderie, and it was all so worth it.
Page 11
Published by the Tahoma Audubon Society
Tahoma Audubon Birdathon update
Look for final results in
the September Towhee.
We are getting close to having
realized one-half of our goal of
$40,000 or more. Keep the
checks rolling in and in
September we will be able to
say, "Goal accomplished."
Thanks to all sponsors, birders,
trip leaders. In September, we
will try to list all your names. We
will also have some excerpts from
several reports, and we'll give you
the total list of bird species identi-
fied. We will tell you who found the
most birds, who brought in the most
dollars, and who was the rookie of
the year. Jim Ullrich from Wild
Birds Unlimited is donating the
awards for these winners. THANK
YOU JIM!
We have two Birdathon trip
Tahoma Audubon Society YO2
2917 Morrison Road West
University Place, WA 98466
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
On the web @ tahomaaudubon.org
reports in this Towhee and we have
also given you the list of birds found
right here at Adriana Hess Audubon
Center in a 50 minute Birdathon led
by Patrick and Ruth Sullivan. An
amazing number and variety, don't
you think?
Here they are in the order identi-
fied: Western Tanager, Black-capped
Nonprofit Org
U.S. Postage
PAID
Tacoma, WA
Permit No. 177
July/August 2007 Vol. 38 No. 6
Chickadee, Yellow-rumped Warbler,
Downy Woodpecker (nesting),
American Goldfinch, Orange-
crowned Warbler, House Finch,
Wilson's Warbler, House
Sparrow, American Robin,
American Crow, European
Starling, Steller's Jay, Anna's
Hummingbird, Barn Swallow,
Violet-green Swallow, Brown-
headed Cowbird, Glaucous-winged
Gull, Sora, Great Blue Heron,
Dark-eyed Junco, Spotted Towhee,
Red-breasted Nuthatch, Song
Sparrow, Olive-sided Flycatcher,
Western-wood Pewee, Bewick's
Wren, Vaux's Swift, Red-tailed
Hawk, Rock Pigeon, Band-tailed
Pigeon, Pine Siskin, Bushtit,
Bullock's Oriole, Northern Flicker,
Common Raven, Yellow Warbler,
Turkey Vulture, Mallard.
Tahoma Audubon
Programs
Tahoma Audubon Society programs
will return in September. Watch the
next Towhee for a full description of
the first program of a new season.
Local birders will share their experi-
ences and photography birding in
Papua, New Guinea. Join us
September 14th at 7:30 p.m. at the
Tacoma Nature Center to meet new
and old friends and share in great
refreshments.
Published by the Tahoma Audubon Society
Gambell: Birding at the Edge
By Paul Webster
230 miles west of Nome and 30
miles from the Siberian coast,
Gambell lies at the edge of North
America. The International
Dateline runs between Gambell
and Siberia, so in clear weather you
can “look into tomorrow,” as a
local saying goes. St. Lawrence
Island is about 90 miles long, and
up to 20 miles wide. Home to about
1200 Yupik Eskimos divided
between the villages of Gambell
and Savoonga, 28 miles to the
southeast, the island is the last rem-
nant of the land bridge that once
connected Asia and North
America.
Gambell’s reputation for unusu-
al migrants and Asian strays draws
birders, but getting there can be
difficult, as the weather changes
quickly: two separate times in one
day our plane flew over the
fogged-in Gambell airstrip and
returned to Nome. As our group of
five scrambled for overnight
accommodations, a Gambell vet-
eran remarked that weather once
delayed her for three days; fortu-
nately, our first try the next morn-
ing succeeded. Getting around the
roadless island is by four-wheel
ATVs: a ride in town is five dol-
lars; a ride outside town costs ten.
You can walk instead, but the town
On the web @ tahomaaudubon.org
stands on smooth, round beach
gravel, so it’s tiring exercise.
The island’s northwest point is a
fine birding spot: here migrants
heading for mainland Alaska cross
paths with 2.5 million local nest-
ing alcids and gulls on their way to
nearby feeding grounds. Birding
at the Point is cold business, the
temperature hovers around 40º F
with continual wind; what seem to
be gulls on the water are softball-
sized pieces of ice, and larger ice-
bergs up to the size of trucks drift
past, some topped with Glaucous
Gulls. Flying into that wind
seemed difficult, and we thought
the alcids tagging along behind
the Horned Puffins were letting
them do the work of leading. The
more streamlined gulls and ful-
mars flew solo. One rainy after-
noon at the Point we watched over
300 Pacific Loons stream past,
accompanied by a few Red-throat-
ed and Arctic Loons.
Jon Dunn, editor of the National
July/August 2007 Vol. 38 No. 6
Geographic Field Guide to the
Birds of North America, has been
coming to Gambell since 1974. He
gave us a quick review of alcids in
flight: “The Common Murres look
brownish, and the Thick-billed
Murres are black,” he said. “The
Cresteds are the chocolate auklets,
the Parakeets are black above and
white below, and the Least are so
small they’re obvious.” We prac-
ticed separating the common
Pigeon Guillemots from the rarer
Black Guillemots at the Point, and
saw eight tiny Dovekies on the
cliffs east of town. We walked
below the cliffs – on solid ground
– watching raptors above and
longspurs, pipits, Snow Buntings,
and Western Sandpipers around us.
Two miles south of town we found
a Common Ringed-Plover from
Asia. In three days we saw 50
species, including Common, King,
and Steller’s Eiders, and an Ivory
Gull, but missed five Spectacled
Eiders that flew by the Point when
we were birding elsewhere.
With its changing weather
Gambell is hard to reach, and it’s
challenging to get around there.
For us, its birds and dramatic
scenery made it worth the effort.
After three days we were glad our
plane could land to take us back to
Nome, but we’ll remember
Gambell, and the extraordinary
birding at the edge of North
America.