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MURIE AUDUBON SOCIETY CASPER, WYOMING |
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VOLUME 44 - ISSUE 2 MONTHLY PUBLICATION MARCH 2010 |
CALENDAR
March 2—Board Meeting—7:00—ACGC
March 10—Nature Fund at ACGC
March 12—General Meeting—7:00—Oil & Gas Conservation Bldg., 2211 King Blvd.
March 13—Field Trip
March 13—Photography Class
March 18-20—40th Annual Rivers & Wildlife Celebration—Kearney, NE
March 22—Deadline for April Newsletter
March 27—Field Guide Basics Class
April 10—Field Trip
Brown bag birding every Thursday at Noon at ACGC
Click HERE to return to Index page
TABLE OF CONTENTS
(Click on title to go directly to article. Click on "jelly fish" at end of article to come back HERE)
THE KELP FORESTS AND SEA
LIFE OF MONTEREY
Sarah Bucklin will be our guest speaker for the March monthly meeting. A public servant with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in Casper for 8 years, Sarah supports the sustainable management and stewardship of Wyoming’s diverse resources. As a Bureau Wildlife Biologist, she was promoted to the position of Environmental Specialist to manage federal coal leasing projects.
Sarah earned a Master of Science degree in Zoology from the University of Wyoming studying the utilization of insect species in the diet of Greater sage-grouse chicks in Wyoming. She is a charter member of the Bates Hole/Shirley Basin Sage-grouse Local Working Group and is a nationally registered Associate Wildlife Biologist with The Wildlife Society, a formal organization for wildlife professionals.
In 2009, Sarah graduated from The Wildlife Society’s Leadership Institute, completing a 5-month program designed to prepare early-career wildlife professionals to move into leadership positions. She was one of 15 wildlife biologists selected from across the country to participate in the distinguished program. It was the first year that Wyoming was represented at the Institute.
The leadership program concluded in
Monterey Bay, California. An advocate of life-long learning
, Sarah’s
presentation will explore the kelp forest communities of Monterey, sea life in
the area, and her experiences at the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
The program will be on March 12 at 7 pm at the Oil & Gas Conservation Commission Building at 2211 King Blvd. The program is free and open to the public!
Program Chair – BRUCE WALGREN
What a wonderful time we had at Murie's
Annual Banquet on February 13th! Once again, the banquet committee under the
guidance of Rose-Mary King orchestrated a fun evening.
Master of Ceremonies Ron
Akin skillfully navigated the program, keeping things on track and occasionally
knocking us off our perches with a bird joke. If we haven't already, many of us
will want to dash off to Big Bend Country in response to Dr. Scott Burt's
colorful description of its treasures.
One of the Presidential Pleasures is presenting awards to people who have contributed their talents to the Murie Audubon Society and to individuals who have protected and enhanced the well being of the natural world through action and education.
At our January membership meeting it was my pleasure to honor past-Treasurer Chris Michelson for keeping Murie afloat for six years; to acknowledge the countless days, weeks, and months of volunteer effort contributed by Larry Keffer to the Audubon Center at Garden Creek; to thank Jan Whitney for her dedication in maintaining the membership and circulation lists essential for putting "Plains & Peaks" in our hands or on our computer screens; and to Betty Krause for ensuring that Murie members are adequately fueled with treats at our monthly membership meetings.
Concerning awards conferred at the Annual Banquet, all I can say is move over Oscars and Golden Globes! This year, the Murie Audubon Society presented two Education Awards—Dr. Evert and Tammy Brown and Jay Butler. (See Murie Audubon Society Awards)
This year's banquet ushered in a brand new honor, the "Murie Audubon Wildlife Stewardship Award" presented to Dominic Domenici. (See Murie Audubon Society Awards)
Bruce & Donna Walgren were co-recipients of Murie's Conservation Award, an award well-deserved! (See Murie Audubon Society Awards)
One of many exciting moments of our banquet was the privilege of honoring Lois Layton with the Great Egret Award, a National Audubon recognition signed by President John Flicker. (See Murie Audubon Society Awards)
A hearty "well done" to all. PRESIDENT – JIM BROWN
Winter still seems to be moving in “fits and starts” – it gets cold and puts down some snow, then warms back up (with the ever-present winds!!), melts the snow, and starts the cycle over again. We are still not seeing the usual numbers of winter species; here in Casper, Cassin’s Finches, Crossbills, and Redpolls are scarce, as are Pine Siskins. However, raptors are being seen frequently, especially Sharpies and Merlins visiting the “feeder buffets.” We will see what March brings.
January yard birds – For the month of January, Wayne and I received 234 yard bird selections from 18 states plus the Yukon and Belize, with 80 different species reported. Good numbers of raptors are still being seen (12 species) plus 4 species of owls. Woodpeckers are usually seen in winter months – we had 8 species in January; and as typical – lots of chickadees, Steller’s Jays, and nuthatches. However, reports of Pine Siskins, Red Crossbills, and Redpolls are still low. The number one bird was Downy Woodpecker. Second place was a 3-way tie between Black-capped Chickadee, Sharp-shinned Hawk, and Northern Flicker. Pileated Woodpecker came in third, and fourth place was a 3-way tie between American Robin, Great Horned Owl, and Bald Eagle.
Wyoming Yard Birds
Casper: Bob Yonts – Sharp-shinned Hawk, Barb Yonts – Blue Jay, Sandy/Miguel Leotta – Evening Grosbeak, Brigid Herold – Black-capped Chickadee, Pat Classen – American Robin, Cecil Foote – Blue Jay, Ed Reish – European Starling, Barb Reish – House Finch, Chris Michelson – Townsend’s Solitaire, Rose-Mary King – Northern Flicker, Garden Creek Audubon Center – Evening Grosbeak, Ann Hines – American Robin, Casper College Greenhouse – Ferruginous Hawk, Bruce Walgren – Merlin, Donna Walgren – Sharp-shinned Hawk
Cheyenne: Barb Gorges – Mountain Chickadee
Buffalo: Deane Bjerke – Brown Creepe
Dubois: Anna Moscicki – Pine Siskin, Michael Kenney – Pine Grosbeak
Evanston: Patti Gorman – Great Horned Owl, Tim Gorman – House Sparrow
Lander: Andrea Orabona – Northern Goshawk
Riverton: Wanda Major – Northern Harrier
Sundance: Jean Adams – Bald Eagle
Togwotee Pass: Anna Moscicki – Golden Eagle.
Thanks to all who helped with the Yard Bird Project in January!! Send your bird notes and yard bird reports to Donna Walgren, 4311 S. Center St., Casper, WY 82601, or email to Piranga@bresnan.net, or phone 234-7455. Good Birding!!! DONNA WALGREN
Murie Audubon helps count the sage-grouse at leks in this area. The more people counting, the more leks we can cover and improve the Game and Fish data base. It is also lots of fun to do. You get to watch one of the best natural shows on this earth, and tell people that you are doing scientific research. We start around April 10, and the last count should be in early May. Call Stacey Scott at 262-0055 for more information. STACEY SCOTT
Saturday, March 13 at 1:30 PM. We will meet at the Audubon Center at Garden Creek, and go to Gray Reef. The original plan was to visit the Dave Johnson Power Plant in January, and Gray Reef in March. However, Homeland Security doesn't approve of people looking toward the power plant with bird glasses, so we went to Gray Reef in January. We had such a good time in January, we are going back. There should be a few new migrating ducks, and with luck we ought to find Mountain Bluebirds. I expect to take about 4 hours for this trip. Call Stacey Scott at 262-0055 for details.
Saturday, April 10 at 5:30 AM. We will meet at the east side Safeway parking lot at 5:30 AM to go view the Hat 6 sage-grouse strutting. People will tell you that you can see them strut in the evening. After you watch them in the morning, you will agree that the evening effort is so poor that it really doesn't compare with the morning. We have to meet about an hour before sunrise so that we can be at the strutting ground half an hour before sunrise. Call Stacey Scott at 262-0055 for more information.
May—This is a wonderful month for birding. Every day you wake wondering what new birds for the year you will find that day. I think that we ought to have one trip in early May, and another near Memorial Day. Also, if you haven't been to Cheyenne for their Big Day, it is really worth the drive. The details for these trips will be in the next newsletter. FIELD TRIP CHAIR – STACEY SCOTT
HOW DO BIRDS KEEP WARM?
Birds’ body temperatures vary between 100° and 112°F, but they have to find dependable food sources in order to maintain such high temperatures – and this becomes especially difficult in winter. For this reason many birds opt for migration. Consequently, staying warm becomes the biggest problem they have in the northern latitudes and at high elevations during winter.
Those birds that remain in cold wintry habitats undergo some physical and physiological changes. The most obvious is the increased feather mass (anywhere from 30 to 70% compared to summer plumage). Birds can then increase the insulation value of their feathers by fluffing, which makes the plumage thicker and also increases the depth of the heat-trapping layer of air next to the skin.
Another method of heat conservation consists of just huddling together. If a bird can press 30% of its body surface tightly against one or more neighbors, then heat loss can be reduced by 30%. Birds as diverse as kinglets, bluebirds, grouse, and penguins are known to do this.
Some birds roost in cavities, or amid dense vegetation, or under snow – reducing heat loss by warming the air around them.
Small birds have a higher ratio of surface area to volume (their body mass) than large birds, therefore they lose more heat through the skin. These little guys may also have to increase their metabolism to generate more heat. Generating heat means burning calories. This gets back to the necessity of finding sufficient food. And the “fuel” from the digested food they eat must be stored as fat (more specifically, lipid triglycerides). The fat these birds put on in winter is important – the high caloric content of the triglycerides is a key to survival.
All muscular activity generates heat, especially flying!! But birds also generate heat defined as “rapid, out-of-phase muscular contractions” – shivering!! It is now believed that most, and probably all, northern winter birds shiver on a regular basis.
However, sometimes physical adaptations aren’t enough to prevent heat loss, and heat production may not be sufficient to keep the bird warm enough for normal winter activity. Under such circumstances, some birds enter torpor – body temperature, heart rate, and breathing all drop – basically the bird goes into hypothermia.
Susan M. Smith has studied black-capped chickadee biology and behavior for over 25 years at Cornell University and Mount Holyoke College. She found that the chickadee’s ability to go into nightly hypothermia enables it to lower it body temperature 12° to 15°F. below its normal daytime temperature of 108°, allowing the bird to conserve almost 25% of its hourly metabolic expenditure.
Biologists studying chickadees have noted their impressive metabolism. Wildlife ecologist Margaret Clark Brittingham at the University of Wisconsin found that birds weighed early in the morning had virtually no body fat. Yet the same birds weighed in the afternoon of the same day were bulging with fat. One study found that black-capped chickadees consume 60% of their body weight each day.
Ducks, gulls, and other birds that spend so much time on ice are faced with the additional problem of losing heat through their legs and feet. These species literally emerge from the egg with a “counter-current heat-exchange system that would make an engineer proud” – to quote biologist Eldon Greij at Hope College in Holland, Michigan. Blood enters their legs at body temperature and becomes cooler as it proceeds down the main artery to the toes. On the return trip to the body, the outer peripheral veins constrict, shunting the blood to larger central veins close to the artery. Heat is transferred from the warm arterial blood to the cool venous blood, so the venous blood then enters the body at almost body temperature.
Birds continue to amaze us as studies reveal more and more about their biology and behavior!!!
(Thanks to Pete Arnold for the photo above!!) DONNA WALGREN
The Wyoming Game and Fish Department's bird checklist that contains 426 species of birds that have been known to occur in Wyoming is available at any Game and Fish regional office or by calling 307-777-4600. This checklist is designed to enhance opportunity of wildlife enthusiasts to view and understand Wyoming’s wildlife and wildlands, and provides the Game and Fish with valuable information about species distribution statewide.
Compiled into a booklet format, the checklist divides the state into six regions and lists distribution information for various species within each region. Information on each species' abundance, status, seasonal information, and preferred habitats is also included.
There is also a similar checklist for birds in the Jackson area, which is available at the Jackson Game and Fish office, the Interagency Visitor’s Center, and Grand Teton National Park Visitor’s Center. Both checklists were revised in 2008 with updates to species distribution and status information.
ANDREA ORABONA, NONGAME BIRD BIOLOGIST, LANDER
As I write this month’s article, I am high in the Sierra Nevada’s, participating in a conference of fellow outdoor educators who are in the business of connecting children with Nature. It is always energizing to be with others who share the passion, the joys and trials of funding and implementing the programs we believe in so much. The disconnect between youth and their environment seems sadly universal, and crosses geographic regions as well as rural and urban areas. It is invigorating to know that the programs here at the Audubon Center at Garden Creek play a part in helping to remedy that lack of interaction with Nature.
Even though I am regrettably missing your gala banquet, I want to commend and thank you all for your dedication and work on behalf of birds and their habitats. I am inspired to know of so many who support and believe in the work of Audubon here in Casper.
The beginning bird class in February had 14 people interested with 11 enthusiastic participants. Bruce and Donna Walgren and Will Waterbury and myself helped instruct and answer questions and hopefully recruited at least 2 new members.
The popular MAPS (Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship) banding station here at Garden Creek will be taking a break this summer while we look for funding for the required training. The banding occurs 1 morning/week from June-July. The training would most likely occur in April or May of next year. In order to operate the banding station next year we need to have several people go through the training. For grant purposes I will need to know how many are interested in participating. Please call or email me here at the center so I can put your name on a list. (wpeters@audubon.org, 307 473-1987)
Come and check out the assortment of books such as Bird Brains The Intelligence of Crows, Ravens, Magpies and Jays by Candace Savage. This is an entertaining and quick read about those Corvids we see so often. There’s also CD’s and videos and birds to watch!
March Happenings at the Center:
Wednesday, March 10—Explore and Create: Nature Fun at Audubon— Reserve a spot for your favorite youngster(s) for a fun-filled nature experience during their spring break! The morning session from 9:30 -11:00 will be for the 5-8 year olds and 1:00-3:00 in the afternoon for those 9-12 years of age. Each session will include outdoor activities and an indoor art project. Look for details
Saturday, March 13 9:00 -12:00 Beginning bird and wildlife photography class taught by Bruce Nichols of Mountain Sun Photo. Cost is $25.00, all of which goes to support the Audubon Center at Garden Creek.
Saturday, March 27—The Field Guide Basics Class will be from 9:30-11:30a.m. at ACGC
Watch birds and volunteer! If you have even 1-2 hours/week - the ACGC has the following needs for help: computer work, entering numbers and/or working in publisher making some educational signs and flyers, also entering bird data; recycling/water pick-up (this would not be every week); Historical Notebook - I would like to put all the things I'm finding into some sort of chronological order so there's a clear record and history of the Center all in one place.
WANDA PETERS - AUDUBON CENTER AT GARDEN CREEK
(EDITOR’S NOTE: DON’T FORGET BROWN BAG BIRDING EVERY THURSDAY FROM NOON TO WHENEVER THE BIRDS LEAVE, YOU RUN OUT OF LUNCH OR (GROAN) HAVE TO GO BACK TO WORK!!!)
Dr. Evert and Tammy Brown – Recipients of the Education Award
Evert and Tammy have taught at Casper College since 1992 and have been continually involved in various aspects of conservation and outdoor education. Evert teaches courses in Biology, Ecology, Life Science in Elementary School, and Outdoor Education. Tammy teaches Life Science for Teachers. Both have been very involved in teaching science in the outdoors – their respective classes always include a lot of outdoor activities and projects.
A couple years ago Evert integrated several of his Ecology labs with Murie’s Bird Hospital; he developed lab exercises where students cut up beef hearts, weighing out appropriate quantities for hawks, eagles, and owls. The students then had a lab session going out to Murie’s Layton Flight Barn to feed and water the birds. Some of the students then volunteered (after the semester’s end) to help catch hawks and owls for transfer and catch eagles for release back into the wild.
Tammy and Evert are Wyoming state coordinators for Project Wet (and have been since the program’s beginning in Wyoming in 1995). Project Wet workshops are conducted together with the Project Wild and Project Learning Tree programs; they are responsible for setting up these combined workshops around the state. In addition, Tammy has recently become state coordinator for Project Learning Tree.
In 2003 they were honored by the Wyoming Game & Fish Dept. with the “Outdoor Skills and Wildlife Conservation Educator of the Year” award.
Evert has been active with the Environmental Education Team – a consortium of educators throughout the United States involved in teaching in outdoor settings. He has also served on the board of the Wyoming Association for Environmental Education.
Tammy and Evert have a passion for teaching in the outdoors and they look for opportunities to share this passion with others. Both have worked at the Audubon Ecology Camp of the West at Whiskey Mountain near Dubois. Evert has also worked with the National Outdoor Leadership School.
In the last few years, Evert and Carolyn Jacobs at Dean Morgan Junior High have developed a pilot project in which four-day residential camps are held on Casper Mountain in May, giving selected 8th grade students the opportunity to learn about the outdoors, increase their knowledge of science, and develop a sense of their place in the world. Casper College and UW/CC students are trained to serve as the instructors. The goal for these college students and future educators is to gain experience in outdoor, multi-disciplinary, inquiry-based teaching, and at the same time, educate our young people about their surrounding communities and ecosystems in the Casper area.
The success of these Casper Mountain Science School pilot programs (in spite of some cold, snowy weather!!) has everyone excited about the possibilities for the program.
Jay Butler – 8th grade science teacher at Douglas Middle School
Recipient of the Education Award
Jay has taught 8th grade science plus an elective Field Science class at Douglas Middle School since 1999. He consistently works with his students on Conservation issues and teaches a unit on Wyoming birds. Students in Jay’s class have studied in Yellowstone National Park, spent a week horse-packing north of Dubois, and also studied in Torrey Valley in the Wind River Mountains near Dubois.
His Field Science students have collected grassland data on his ranch for a long term study of a sagebrush ecosystem. His 8th grade science classes have bird feeders and have monitored population numbers and have reported data to National Audubon and Cornell since 2002.
Each autumn, Jay teaches an outdoor place-based unit on the riparian habitat and water quality of the Platte River ecosystem.
He has also worked at the Audubon Ecology Camp of the West at the Trail Lake Ranch in Torrey Valley.
Bruce & Donna Walgren – Recipient of Murie Audubon’s Conservation Award
"Bricks, mortar, glue, stimulators, nurturers, educators, guides, providers, administrators, mentors:" all terms insufficient to capture the immeasurable contributions to Murie and the larger community by Bruce and Donna Walgren, joint recipients of Murie's Conservation Award. They combine backgrounds in zoology, biology, math, accounting, and earth science not only to enhance our understanding of the natural world, but also to carry on the practical work of keeping things on track in the organizations to which they lend their talents. The breadth of their interest is manifest in the programs they line up for Murie, the curation of bird lists, the teaching of classes, assisting with treatment and handling of injured birds and the blooming of gardens. They are truly Renaissance People, no antiquity implied!
Lois Layton – Recipient of National Audubon Society’s Great Egret Award
The Great Egret Award is awarded to individuals who have made significant long-term contributions to Audubon and conservation in pursuit of the Audubon mission. To be eligible, individuals have to have been in the “trenches” for 20 years or more, working for the Audubon mission, either as a volunteer or staff member. These individuals have to have made significant contributions at one or more levels within the local Chapter, center, state, regional and/or national level. To be nominated Chapters send the name and a biographical sketch of the nominee to their state office or the Chapter Services office. The award is a print of a Great Egret and certificate signed by National Audubon Society President and Chair of Audubon Board of Directors.
Lois joined Murie Audubon Society soon after the Chapter was formed in 1954 and helped lay the foundation of conservation ethic that is emulated today. Lois held Chapter roles as Recording Secretary, Corresponding Secretary, and Newsletter Editor and served on multiple committees. She was also a key player in the formation and activities of the Wyoming Audubon Council—the precursor to Audubon Wyoming.
In the early 1970s—when there was very little information available about the care and feeding of orphaned and injured birds—Lois and her husband, Frank, took in these birds and learned how to care for them. Through their bird hospital, the Laytons helped educate their local community about the birds as well as their place in the environment. Lois continues to serve as a knowledge resource for other bird rehabilitators in Wyoming. (Regrettably, Lois was unable to attend the banquet to receive her award.)
Dominic Domenici – Recipient of Murie Audubon’s First Wildlife Stewardship Award
Dominic graduated from New Mexico State University with a Bachelors Degree in Criminal Justice, and then went to work as a State Game Warden in New Mexico. In 1987, he was hired as a Special Agent by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, working in Louisiana, Utah and Colorado, doing undercover work for three years.
In 1988, he began assisting with education about the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and waterfowl identification at the Special Agent Basic School, later becoming the primary instructor there. Because of this expertise, he was often called upon by fellow agents for advice. In fact, Dominic was often asked to teach classes in waterfowl identification; some people may remember when he taught the waterfowl section of Murie’s bird class.
Dominic came to Casper in 1992, becoming the supervisory agent in Wyoming and Montana in 1995. Here in Wyoming, he developed a backcountry horse program and trained horses and riders to conduct Law Enforcement activities to protect wolves and grizzly bears in Wyoming and Montana. Also, Dominic and Wyoming Special Agents Roy Brown and Tim Eicher put together and taught a course in wilderness and bear safety, for which they received special recognition from the U.S. Department of the Interior.
He spearheaded efforts to reduce the number of eagles and migratory birds killed by industry, including oil and power companies. Dominic promoted the idea that restitution dollars from Federal District Court cases here in Wyoming should be distributed to the bird rehabilitators working in Wyoming; and as a result of that, over $66,000 in restitution has been distributed to rehab programs around the state since 2005.
He has now retired and will spend time with his wife Shellie and traveling to visit his daughter Rici, and his son Jasper.
CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE RECIPIENTS!!!!!!!
COOKIE
AND/OR BAR BAKERS SCHEDULE
March – Arlene Carr & Ann Hines
April – Debb Tarr & Dan Van Burgh
May – Kathy Keffer & Jackie Odaz
Thank you to all of you who have volunteered. If you can fill in for someone who can’t bring refreshments, please call me, 237-2392. Those who have signed up to fill in are Kathy Davis, Hallie Harris, Arlene Carr & Kathy Keffer. Hospitality Chair - Betty Krause