| MURIE AUDUBON SOCIETY CASPER, WYOMING |
| VOLUME 41 - ISSUE 2 MONTHLY PUBLICATION MARCH 2007 |
CALENDAR
- (Click
HERE to return to Index page)
March 9 - Gen. Mtg. - 7:00 pm, OGCC Bldg.
March 13 - Bd. Mtg. - 7:00 pm, ACGC - 101 Garden Creek Rd.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
(Click on title to go directly to article. Click on Sage-Grouse at end of article to come back
HERE)
A WINTER FIELD TRIP TO JACKSON CANYON - AN AFTERNOON WITH RALPH
In September 2006, my parents and I traveled to South Africa for a two-week
journey. We had been discussing travels to The Dark Continent for a couple of
years, but it was an impromptu purchase at a fundraising banquet that was the
conduit to this adventure. We spent a few days eco-touring around Cape Town.
Here we explored the amazing diversity of the fynbos* habitat around Table
Mountain, the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve, as well as at Kirstenbosch
Botanical Gardens. After being briefly grounded by a tumbleweed, the family
next flew to Durban, along the Indian Ocean coast. From here we traveled up
into Hluhluwe-Umfolozi National Park and on to a game lodge near the village of
Hluhluwe where we were treated to numerous close sightings of African wildlife,
including an encounter with one elephant that was too close for comfort for at
least one of the travelers. On the final day of travel, the Greater St. Lucia
Wetland Park (a world heritage site) was explored.
Join us on Friday, March 9, 2007 at 7 pm at the Oil & Gas Conservation Commission Building at 2211 King Blvd. for tales and pictures of this epic African Adventure. The program is free and open to the public.
* Fynbos is a small region in the southernmost part of Africa with a high
plant diversity, especially of endemic species.
Ken Keffer
Note: Ken serves as AW’s Community Naturalist at the ACGC in Casper. Ken was
born and raised in Wyoming, and he has been a traveling researcher since
graduating from the UW with a BS degree in Wildlife Biology and Management.
Prairie dogs, flying squirrels, camels, and black-footed ferrets were the
subjects of some of the research that took Ken from Wyoming to Alaska, Mongolia,
and New Mexico. He is very happy to be back in Wyoming with his dog Willow, the
Wonder Mutt.
Another banquet is history and I would remiss if I didn’t take time to thank
those who worked many hours to put the banquet together for all of us to enjoy.
Rose-Mary King was chair person again this year and I won’t even guess how many
hours she worked on this project – thanks! Marci Andre, Jim Brown, Ann Hines,
Merlyn & Lynn Herold, Chris Michelson, Stacey Scott, Ed Strube, Donna Walgren
(and me!) and Bob Yonts all contributed their efforts to the successful
execution of the banquet.
Diane VonGunten once again played piano, contributing to a pleasant background
as we socialized. Don Harris offered the Invocation before our meal. Terri
Narotzky introduced this year’s Master of Ceremonies, Erich Frankland. Erich
then guided us through the evening’s program, raffle and silent auction. Dr.
Charles Preston gave our featured presentation on Golden Eagles and answered
many questions after his talk. Thanks to all who were involved and to all who
contributed items for the raffle and silent auction. I offer my apologies if I
forgot anyone.
The Great Backyard Bird Count is also history. Observers in Casper led Wyoming
in the number of checklists and species submitted for the four day event. As of
this writing, 75,699 checklists, 621 species, and 10,521,803 individuals have
been reported for Canada and the United States. In Wyoming, 78 species have been
reported; House Sparrows were reported on the most checklists, but the
Gray-Crowned Rosy Finches led with 2,419 individual birds reported. To check out
all the results go to http://www.birdsource.org/gbbc/.
Murie Audubon’s Board of Directors have authorized a $500 scholarship for a
teacher interested in attending a conservation or ecology workshop or school of
their choice.
Spring is nearer, or at least that’s what the calendar indicates. Early sightings of Mountain Bluebirds, the increased activity of American Robins, and more daylight are promises of things to come. President - Bruce Walgren
(The following excerpts are from ABA’s Bird Calls newsletter October 2006)
Captive Condors Die from West Nile - Three California Condor chicks, hatched in
captivity at the World Center for Birds of Prey in Boise, Idaho, died of West
Nile virus in the summer of 2006. The chicks are the first to die from the
mosquito-borne disease at the Center. Heavy spring rains brought the virus to
the region earlier than usual, meaning the young birds were still a few days shy
of the 90-days at which chicks have traditionally been vaccinated. Biologists
have stated that the deaths will not have a long-term affect on the program,
which has been extremely successful in recovering the endangered condor from the
brink of extinction, In future years, birds will be vaccinated earlier, and
pools of standing water close to the center will be treated to kill mosquito
larvae. To date, no condors that have been vaccinated against WNV have died from
the disease or side effects of the vaccine, which lasts for the entire life of
the bird.
Lead Fishing Sinkers: A Weighty Threat to America’s Waterfowl - Numerous studies
have linked discarded lead fishing sinkers in lakes and rivers to mortality in
water birds. In Common Loons, for example, the U.S. Geological Survey found
17-50% of deaths were the direct result of lead poisoning from the ingestion of
lead fishing sinkers. Lead tackle poisoning has also been recorded in raptors
such as Bald Eagles. (Fisherman, be kind to the water fowl - find an
alternative. Ed’s note)
BIRD DELIGHT
2 c. lard (use only lard – no Crisco, margarine, etc.)
2 c. peanut butter
Melt lard and peanut butter together.
Add 4 c. oatmeal, 4 c. cornmeal, ½ c. flour. Mix well. Pour into 9 x 13 pan.
Cool. Cut into 6 squares to fit suet feeders.
Opt. – may add shelled sunflower seeds or in late winter and early spring add
oyster shell.
This recipe can be used year-round. Will not get rancid. (Lois Burgess used this
recipe in the 6 feeders she donated to the raffle at MAS Banquet/Fundraiser.)
NESTING BOX PROJECT
Attention kids and parents: I am inviting you to be involved in a fun and
worthwhile project this summer – making and decorating nesting boxes. These
boxes will be used as prizes for the bird box raffle and general raffle at next
year’s banquet. I will be getting the lumber, screws, and paints donated once I
know how much is needed per/box. I’m asking for volunteers to cut the wood and
drill the holes so the boxes are ready to be put together by the kids and then
they can decorate them however they wish.
I’ve seen the involvement of kids at some of our recent functions and it was
great to see their interest, knowledge and thirst for more. Kids are the future
of MAS, so let’s get them involved!!!
Rose-Mary King
(577-0568)
PARAKEETS FOR ADOPTION
Liz Ott has 10 parakeets that we are trying to find homes for; her son has
gone off to college (and not able to take his birds with him), so Liz is hoping
to find homes for the little birds. Anyone interested in adopting a parakeet
(or two!) can contact Liz at Casper College in the Thorson Bldg. at 268-2493, or
contact me and I can help you get in touch with Liz. The Casper College
Greenhouse has already adopted four!! (The CC Greenhouse also has a few extra
Ringed Turtle Doves up for adoption - you can contact me at 234-7455 or email
Timperley_Walgren@bresnan.net.)
MURIE VOLUNTEER HOURS
Many of you have put in a lot of volunteer hours in the many aspects
of Murie Audubon's activities - education, conservation, the Banquet, the Picnic
last fall at EKW, committee and board meetings, birdathon, Christmas bird
counts, etc., etc., etc. Hopefully you have been keeping track of all
those hours (if not, make an estimate). If you don't have a form to do this,
contact me or any Murie board member; we want to recognize everyone who has
volunteered their time helping our chapter before the summer hiatus. Please
send your hours to me at 4311 S. Center St., Casper, WY 82601, or email me by
April 20th. If you have any questions, give me a call or email. We appreciate
all the work you have done!! Thank you!!!!
MEMBERSHIP MEETING EXCHANGE TABLE
At the March Membership Meeting (which I hope you all will
try to attend and hear Ken's presentation about his South African Adventures),
we will have an Exchange Table - an area for items that you would like to pass
on to others - a book, magazine, or anything else that you no longer use and
you think someone else might be interested in. Meals-on-Wheels has a
similar thing which seems to be quite popular, so we thought we might try it.
So if you have something you would like to share, bring it to the meeting. (The
previous 3 articles were submitted by
Donna Walgren)
Thanks to Joanne and Frank Odasz, Jim Brown, Sara Garden, Jean and Elmer Parson,
100% of our classrooms have been sponsored for the second year in a row. Elaine
O'Sullivan, from National Audubon, thinks (as do I) that this is an outstanding
achievement. All of you deserve a huge round of applause for your continued
support of this program.
I will be assigning teachers their sponsor in the next week,so hopefully, you
will be hearing from the children.
THANK YOU! THANK YOU!
Education Chair - Ann Hines
After postponement of this field trip to the Jackson Canyon Eagle Roost due to
bad weather a week earlier, a handful of intrepid hikers gathered to walk up to
the Roost on the afternoon of February 22. Stacey Scott and his faithful dog
Ralph (who is actually a female dog, but I digress) led us,
Rose-Mary King, Jim
Brown, and myself, up an old road that had been scratched into the side hill
decades ago during the days of the WPA and CCC. Snowfall from the night before
had filled the old road bed with about 6 inches of new snow, deeper where the
wind had drifted it. As a whole, the walking wasn’t too difficult, except where
the new snow hid the older drifts that weren’t quite crusty enough to hold our
weight. The windy conditions that were making conditions miserable in Casper
were practically non-existent out here on the west end of Casper Mountain. The
clear dark blue skies on this winter afternoon and conversation among friends
made the walk more pleasant.
For some of us “older” participants, walking uphill can quickly have you huffing
and puffing to catch your breath, even after a short distance. Fortunately, we
had birding as an excuse to stop periodically to check out a sound, an actual
sighting or a branch or pine cone that was disguising itself as a bird. And if
there wasn’t something to check out, we would stop and pretend that there was!
As we walked, Stacey pointed out eagles of various ages (plumages) and species.
We also identified a Red-tailed Hawk, Clark’s Nutcrackers, Black-billed Magpies,
at least one American Robin, a Prairie Falcon, and several Townsend’s Solitaires
that were singing various versions of their songs.
Our small band continued on, stopping occasionally as an eagle was seen passing
overhead on its way to the night roost. Stacey was surprised to see a small
puddle of water that had collected in an old reservoir beside the road. The
extremely dry conditions have made water a rare commodity in this area for the
past several years and exacerbated the wildfire that roared through the area in
August, 2006. The narrow rutted road did serve as a fire break and helped
prevent the fire from spreading further. The fire did consume quite a few trees,
but a few did survive.
Our friendly banter continued as we approached our destination, we teased each other about whatever came to mind. Jim Brown theorized about the origin of a large boulder next to the road when we ran out of birds to talk about. We veered off the road and headed up the hill to the overlook into Jackson Canyon with Ralph leading the way. Ralph’s easy gait and playful antics made us all feel just that much older and slower.
Almost immediately as we paused at the edge of Jackson Canyon, we saw eagles in
the air as they approached the roosting area. Some birds were already roosting,
and as other birds approached we could here them “talking” to each other. Half
of the moon was visible as we maneuvered to better viewing areas. The blue sky
took on a violet hue as the sun disappeared behind us. The temperature began to
drop also and we zipped up our layers of coats and adjusted our hats and scarves
to compensate. We watched a few more eagles come up the valley, but we didn’t
linger long after taking a
few pictures and deciding to start back to make use
of the fading light.
The walk back to our vehicles was easier, i.e. downhill, and we were treated to more sightings of eagles as they flew up the canyon. Our tracks from the trip up the hill were sometimes hard to see on the way down, even though the half moon was creating shadows. Additional light from flashlights helped to eerily illuminate our way.
Some of us decided to finish the evening by treating ourselves to supper at the
Goose Egg Inn where Fred Eiserman and Jim Herold joined us from their eagle
viewing posts. We continued our conversation as we ate our meal and capped off
our evening with a toast to the eagles.
Bruce Walgren
Each year Verna and I would take a trip to the Big Horn Basin, with special
attention to Wind River Canyon. Birds seen between Casper and Wind River Canyon
were usually seen while we were on the fly. Although we might take time to drive
into Goldeneye Recreation Area, if there was any open water to be seen, for bald
eagles from nearby Pine Mountain and whatever waterfowl we might see. Or we
might try the open area at the western end of the reservoir for possible horned
larks and Lapland longspurs. However, for the most part, birds seen between
Casper and Wind River Canyon were only noted. True to Dr. Oliver Scott's
tradition we tried not to stop for them, but to get to the area we were going to
bird as fast as possible. As long as we had power poles we had the chance of
seeing golden eagles and there usually were quite a few during the Casper to
Shoshoni stretch. We did on occasion make a fast trip into Bonneville, just to
make sure we didn't miss anything. We rarely ever stopped in Shoshoni. Our main
reason was so we could get to the area we wanted to bird in the shortest period
of time where we could spend the most time there and still get to Worland before
midnight. We had learned our lesson in the past when we stopped for every bird
we saw and made only 125 miles in one day toward our primary goal of a 150
miles. In our case we didn't see very many new birds we could tick off on that
long day of birding. We did get our fill of chestnut-sided warblers though.
It would seem back then, especially in the latter 1980s, that our winters in
Wyoming were very mild in late Januarys. The roads always seemed dry and the
temperatures were in the high 30s or low 40s. Driving was always good, not to
mention the sun shone most days. The sun caused pleasant dispositions as days
were warm, cooling a bit at night after birding was completed. Even when the
mornings started out cold, we could always look forward to the day warming.
Besides, we had the car heater to add cheer.
Birds we did see between Casper and Wind River Canyon were Northern harriers,
golden and bald eagles, and ravens (which was a target bird). We also noted a
lot of black-billed magpies along the road north of Shoshoni. When we stopped at
Goldeneye Reservoir and there was open water, we were sure to find bald eagles.
At Natrona, we saw rough-legged hawks, although they could usually be seen
between 10 Mile Road & Goldeneye Reservoir also. On our last trip to the Big
Horn Basin, January 23, 2001, we noted a number of ravens around Natrona. Could
these have been the advance birds that seem so common around the Casper area
these days???
From Shoshoni to Thermopolis, the distance is 32 miles. I would suspect that at
least half this distance is driven in the Wind River Canyon. At the dam head for
the Boysen Reservoir we started our birding of the Wind River Canyon. One can
drive onto the dam and use its high point to observe some of the river. There
was also a turnout before going onto the dam that made a good bird observation
point. There seemed to always be common goldeneye and some bufflehead when one
looked on the river. We then went down to the park, Upper Wind River Campground,
to view the river for other waterfowl. Besides common goldeneye & bufflehead, we
saw mallards, gadwalls, a dipper, and a number of black-billed magpies. This is
the only park between the dam and the Wedding of the Waters where the Wind River
becomes the Big Horn River, although there are quite a few turnouts. Towards the
northern limits of the canyon there is a group of houses. A short distance past
the houses there is the remnants of an old foundation with a trail road. We
found gray partridge here a few times. There are restroom facilities at both the
park & the Wedding of the Waters. Going through the Wind River Canyon can afford
one a lesson in geology. There are signs along the way denoting the rock units
and their ages.
Immediately after the park and once back on the highway, we would pass through 3
tunnels. This can be an icy area early in the morning before the sun is able to
clear the mountains so caution should be used while driving. Once the sun is
up, the glare off the water can be annoying when viewing up river. After leaving
the tunnels, there is a turnout which also includes a road going down to a house
along the river. There is also a cultivated field and on the riverside of the
field was an old wagon. Around this wagon, Verna & I saw chukars. It was the 1st
& only time that we did see them, although we stopped here each time we drove
through the canyon.
In continuing our journey down the river, we would stop at about every turnout.
These could be short or long stops depending on the birds seen. Since the
majority of species on the river was common goldeneye, with good numbers of
gadwall, bufflehead and mallards, many of our stops were short. Every once in a
while we were surprised with sightings of hooded mergansers, green-winged teal,
ring-necked duck, northern pintails, lesser scaup and common mergansers with a
dipper, Townsend's solitaire, and more magpies, thus our stop would be somewhat
longer. We would then proceed to the Wedding of the Waters and our lunch stop.
At the Wedding of the Waters we found mostly the same waterfowl we'd seen coming
down the river.
If one isn't amazed by the tunnels and the road through the canyon, one might
well be amazed by the railroad on the western bank of the river. All the
hard work that has gone into the construction and the advancement of
civilization is evident here. It really is a beautiful, scenic drive with little
loss of beauty during the winter time. The canyon also supports some downy
woodpeckers and probably some birds I'm unaware of during the winter months.
We'll meet here on the outskirts of Thermopolis next month. See ya.
The
Hummer (aka Jim Herold)
In the last few weeks there have been scattered reports of bluebirds – prompting
thoughts of Spring; maybe – but its still February and we know that winter isn’t
likely to give up just yet. Still, seeing a bluebird can’t help but give one the
feeling that Spring is coming; and about this time birders are starting to look
forward to spring migration.
Call it cabin fever, “migrationitis” or just plain spring fever – but many of us
are starting to get an itch, an itch that won’t go away 'til those neotropicals
start making their way north.
January Yard Birds – For the month of January, Wayne and I received 186 yard
bird selections from 19 states plus the Yukon and Thailand with 79 different
species reported. Most of the usual winter-reported species were represented.
Sharp-shinned Hawk was again the #1 bird (these guys have figured out where the
easy food is!!). Second place was a tie between woodpeckers – Downy and
Pileated. Third place was a 4-way tie between Dark-eyed Junco, Merlin, American
Goldfinch, and American Robin. Also of note: fourth place was a 6-way tie
between Great Horned Owl, Common Redpoll, Bohemian Waxwing, Blue Jay, Bald
Eagle, and Black-capped Chickadee.
Casper: Ed Reish – Downy Woodpecker, Jim Herold – Black-capped Chickadee, Chris
Michelson – Sharp-shinned Hawk, Rose-Mary King – American Robin, Bob Yonts –
Sharp-shinned Hawk, Stacey Scott – Bushtit, Casper College Greenhouse –
Townsend’s Solitaire, Garden Creek Audubon Center – American Robin, Bruce
Walgren – Prairie Falcon, Donna Walgren – Sharp-shinned Hawk; Cheyenne: Barb
Gorges – Sharp-shinned Hawk; Douglas: Billie Snell – American Goldfinch; Dubois:
Anna Moscicki – Steller’s Jay; Riverton: Suzanne Hargis – Northern Goshawk;
Sundance: Jean Adams – Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch.
Thanks to all who helped with the Yard Bird Project in January!! February has had a variety of weather conditions, from quite cold to unseasonably warm; send your yard bird selection to Donna Walgren (ph. 234-7455), 4311 S. Center St., Casper, WY 82601, or email to Piranga_AT_bresnanDOTnet. Donna Walgren
President’s Day Weekend 2007 was definitely “for the birds” as Carol Crump of
the Casper Journal put it. The Wyoming premier of John James Audubon: Drawn
From Nature was well received. At the end of the documentary, one of the
youngest viewers exclaimed “I am going home to draw birds until I pass out from
exhaustion.” Saturday night at Murie’s Banquet was crowded with now familiar
faces, and everyone I talked to had a marvelous time. Though I am lighter in my
checking account now, I am happy to report that Thursday’s Brownbag Birding
events will have a new touch of class provided by those wonderful placemats I
won in the raffle. The Murie banquet committee is to be applauded for a grand
event. I certainly hope everyone took 15 minutes to participate in the 10th
annual Great Backyard Bird Count that weekend as well. The bird activity was a
bit slow at the Audubon Center at Garden Creek, but it was a record breaking
year for participation nationwide.
Throughout the entire weekend I was inspired by the enthusiasm of up-and-coming
Auduboners as well as longtime friends. As springtime fast approaches, I hope
you are inspired too. Make this the year you get more involved with Audubon
events and activities. Perhaps you haven’t been out to a grouse lek in a few
years. Or maybe you are ready to get more involved with citizen science
opportunities. Consider helping monitor Pathfinder National Wildlife Refuge and
Important Bird Area. Help us gear up for the upcoming MAPS bird banding
season. Join us for Brownbag Birding, or best yet, take a kid outside. Point
out a bird sitting in the shrub. Flip over a rock and watch the bugs crawl. It
is important to know about nature. It is even more important to experience
nature. It is most important to share your love of nature with others.
For information on events or ways to get more involved, please contact Audubon Wyoming’s Community Naturalist Ken Keffer at 307-473-1987 or kkeffer_AT_audubonDOTorg. Ken Keffer
June 7-10, 2007 Carrington, North Dakota
$175 for festival registration (regularly $250) for 4 days of birding. Bring 4-6
birders and save 20% (pay only $200). Register as a group postmarked by March 8,
2007. (A group registration must be mailed together in the same envelope.)
Join Birding Drives Dakota and nationally known birding experts Bill Thompson,
III, and Julie Zickefoose of Bird Watcher’s Digest as we explore the prairie
pothole region of central North Dakota for the Baird’s Sparrow, LeConte’s
Sparrow, Nelson’s Sharp-tailed Sparrow, Sprague’s Pipit, Piping Plover,
Ferruginous Hawk, Clark’s Grebe, Red-necked Grebe and many, many more, during
our 5th Annual Potholes & Prairie Birding Festival!
For a festival overview, fee schedule and complete, detailed festival agenda,
check out the festival registration form at
www.birdingdrives.com
Contact: Gail Gallagher, Coordinator, Birding Drives Dakota, P.O. Box 26,
Jamestown, ND 58402-0026, (701) 952-5871, 888-921-2473,
info_AT_birdingdrivesDOTcom, www.birdingdrives.com.
(From the National Wildlife Federation on-line newsletter)
In the 1960s, there were fewer than 500 breeding pairs of bald eagles in the
lower 48 states. That’s why this symbolic bird was placed under the protection
of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) in 1978. Today, eagle numbers are estimated
at 7,066 pairs. What a comeback! In fact, this is one of the greatest wildlife
success stories of the last 25 years! It means the Act is working the way it was
intended.
Because of these encouraging results, the Department of the Interior (DOI) is
expected to remove the bald eagle from the endangered species list this June.
National Wildlife Federation supports the delisting of the bald eagle…..but we
have one major concern.
The Act requires that before the bald eagle is de-listed, the DOI must ensure a
plan is in place to prevent the bald eagle population from backsliding. But
incredibly, just the reverse is true. Biologists say the government’s plans for
protecting more than 14,000 bald eagles after they leave the list are inadequate.
After years of successful work by so many dedicated scientists and volunteers to save the bald eagle, critical safeguards would now be forgotten and trashed. And developers would ride rough-shod over the bald eagles’ essential nesting sites…and the downward trend would start all over again. What a tragedy this would be! We must make sure this doesn't happen. From Dave Strauss - Vice President, NWF Membership Programs
(From the Audubon Newswire - Volume 5, Number 4, Thursday, February 15, 2007)
Administration Ignores Its Biologists on Eagle Protection
Washington, DC, February 15, 2007 - Earlier this month, a federal appeals court
extended the deadline to June 29 for the Fish and Wildlife Service to develop
its plan for delisting the bald eagle, as the agency's proposal for protecting
the bird comes under fire for going against the recommendations of wildlife
biologists. Audubon scientist Greg Butcher recently briefed the Associated Press
on the issue, saying the bald eagle is one of the Endangered Species Act's great
successes. The bird has rebounded from around 400 breeding pairs in the lower 48
states in the early 1960s to more than 7,000 breeding pairs today. Audubon has
long supported the delisting.
FWS has, however, been facing critics in developing protections for the eagle
once it is no longer under the wing of ESA, and particularly what it means to
"disturb" a bird. The deadline extension does permit some extra time to resolve
the issue in line with Audubon's view that the eagle should receive maximum
protection under the existing federal law once it is delisted.
The eagle is also protected under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act,
which prohibits taking or disturbing eagles. FWS proposed regulations last
December to define "disturb" as actions that would cause injury or death to an
eagle. Many conservation groups, including Audubon, say that definition of
"disturb" is far too limited, and FWS biologists seem to confirm that view in a
secret memo that was leaked to National Public Radio.
Everyone is aware of the thousands of birds who die each year as a result of
landing on oil pits/ponds they mistake for fresh water ponds, coating their
feathers with oil making them unable to lift off. Many oil companies have
responded covering their oil pits, some have not. AND they pay fines under the
Migratory Bird Treaty Act when birds die from being stuck in their pits.
Studies have been done on the impact of power producing wind turbine towers on
night migrating birds. Most companies have changed the size and speed of the
blades resulting in less impact on the birds. From The North American Wind Power
- Sept. 2005 issue - “To date, no federal court has addressed the question of
whether a wind energy development is criminally liable under the MBTA for the
unpermitted, incidental take of listed migratory birds.”
On February 5, 2007, an owl tripped a high voltage line causing power loss to
23,000 people at 10:20 pm. John Morgan, CST staff writer, wrote in his article
“Nearly 23,000 customers lost electricity Sunday night for about an hour after
an owl somehow climbed into an electrical transmission substation, officials
said.” Another quote from John’s article "The system has a lot of protective
devices," said Margaret Oler, spokesperson for Rocky Mountain Power.”
If there are a lot of protective devices in RMP’s system, how could an owl (I remember hearing it was a Great-horned owl, but the article did not name a species) “crawl” in? If it was a G-H Owl which is not a small owl, that must have been a good-sized hole. I commend RMP for their quick response in restoring power and the CPD for controlling traffic. However, was there any fine paid by RMP for the “incidental taking” of a migratory bird under the MBTA? Margaret Oler was also quoted in John’s article saying “Anytime an animal comes in contact with electrical facilities, it's nearly always fatal. How true, how true! Editor - Rose-Mary King
I would personally like to thank my committee for organizing another great
Banquet. Chris M.’s preliminary totals indicate we netted $2,500. WOW!!!! That’s
terrific. Many thanks go to those who worked the day before- and the day of-the
banquet setting up, and working the evening of the banquet . If you won a raffle
prize or was the successful bidder of the silent auction, please thank the donor
yourself. Our committee sends thank yous to each and every one, but it never
hurts to say “Thank You” more than once. I want to also thank the Board Members
who began selling tickets last November - I think that really boosted our ticket
sales to have a lot of you selling.
Banquet Chair - Rose-Mary King