White-tailed Kite

June/July, 2009

Mission: To promote the awareness, appreciation and protection of native birds and their
habitats through education, research and environmental activities.

Program Meetings for the general community are normally held on the third Monday of each month at 6:30 p.m.,
at the Chico Creek Nature Center, 1968 E. 8th St. In December the meeting is held on the second Monday and in
July and August there are no Program Meetings.

June Members’ Potluck - Monday, June 29, 6 p.m., Chico Creek Nature Center
Well it's that time again! - time for our annual potluck dinner. Come join us and
celebrate friendships and our common love for birds and the natural world. We will
have a chance to do all the things we seem never to have enough time for at our
regular programs; visit with old friends and get to better know our new ones; talk
about birds and birding; and share stories of recent and future adventures and travels.
We will play some games and maybe even win some prizes. It has been another
remarkable year for Altacal Audubon and this will be our last chance to get together as a group until our
next program in September. Remember, there are no programs during July and August so you don’t
want to miss this one. Bring a dish to share, a beverage for yourself or to share, a plate and fork, and a
chair if you like. See you there!

Upcoming Bird Walks and Birding Trips

All of our field trips are open to beginning birders. Anyone with a sense of wonder is welcome to participate.

June 5, Friday - Search for Yellow-billed Cuckoo and Lesser Nighthawk

Trip Leader: Phil Johnson

View of the Bidwell - Sacramento River State Park

A bird walk co-sponsored by Altacal and the Sacramento River Preservation Trust. Meet at the Park
‘n Ride (lot nearest the freeway) at 6 p.m. and carpool to the Bidwell - Sacramento River State Park
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parking lot at Indian Fisheries. If you choose, just meet at the Indian Fisheries parking area at 6:30 p.m.
We will walk through the riparian forest and out to the river, listening for Yellow-billed Cuckoo. At the
river, we will watch for Lesser Nighthawks flying above their gravel-bar nesting area. Yellow-billed
Cuckoos are always a long-shot bird to find. No promises of finding one, though we did have luck last
time we tried. Of course, there will be lots of other great birds there. One hour of walking on trails and
gravel bar. Bring binoculars, sturdy shoes, and bug repellent. We will bird until dusk, then return to the
Park ‘n Ride area. Call Phil Johnson at 570-7139 for more information.
June 8-17 - Nome, Denali, Anchorage and Fairbanks Alaska Altacal Charter Trip (FULL)
Trip Leaders: Scott Huber (Altacal Director - Owner, BigBirders Birding Tours) and ace birder, Liam
Huber
Altacal Audubon Society has developed a reputation for great field trips such as last spring’s trip to
Panama. This summer we head to the “Great White North” to bird Nome and Denali as well as
Anchorage and Fairbanks. For more information on this exciting trip (and others) check out the
itinerary http://bigbirders.com/tour_calendars.htm

Bluethroat
Photo by Scott Huber
June 6, Saturday – Upper Bidwell Park – Neotropicals for Beginners
Trip Leader: Steve King
Take a casual walk along the creekside and adjacent woodlands in search of birds
that breed in Upper Park. No experience necessary. Just bring your binoculars,
a field guide if you have one, hiking shoes, water and snacks. Meet at the newly
constructed parking lot by Horseshoe Lake at 8 a.m. and walk until about 11:30
a.m. (2-3 miles). For more information, contact Steve at 342-6715.

Seasonal Creek near the Shooting Range

June 19, 20 and 21, Friday-Sunday- Willow Lake

Trip Leader: Gaylord Grams
Come and enjoy Willow Lake, situated just outside Lassen
Volcanic National Park. It’s a natural lake (kayaks are
welcome) that features a floating bog (a fen) in a narrow
valley-like setting. Piliated Woodpeckers nest in, and are
common to the area; other birds include White-headed and
Black-backed Woodpeckers, Sandhill Cranes, Western
Tanagers, Evening Grosbeaks and a variety of warblers.
A View of Willow Lake

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We will camp on the edge of the lake - only a pit toilet is provided - and hike to the Terminal Geyser,
Boiling Lake, and perhaps up to Little Willow Lake and bird the area along Willow Creek. Come for
part of or the entire weekend. Contact Gaylord at 530-872-0739 for more information, directions and
meeting places.
June 27-28, Lassen Volcanic National Park
Trip Leader: Bill Oliver, Wintu Audubon
We enjoyed the birding and camping at the Lost Creek Group Campground last year so much that we
are planning a repeat. This time we have invited the Altacal Audubon Society as well as the Redwood
Region Audubon Society to join us. Folks can either camp at Lost Creek or drive up for either or both
days. Campers and day trippers will meet at the Redding Convention Center at 7:30 Saturday morning.
We will bird Manzanita Lake and vicinity, meeting the Altacal and Redwood Region folks at noon at the
Lost Creek Group Camp. Last year a Pileated Woodpecker shared our campsite and Black-backed
Woodpeckers were close by. Lost Creek has primitive facilities—pit toilets and no electricity, but
potable water is available. Day trippers for Sunday, June 28, will meet at the campground at 8:30 a.m.

Lassen Peak Reflected in Manzanita Lake, Morning

Photo by Q.T. Luong
July 9-14, Thursday-Tuesday - Yosemite National Park
Trip Leaders: Gaylord Grams and Mike Fisher
Join us for all or part of this six-day trip to
one of our most beloved national parks,
Yosemite. We will car pool to the park on
Thursday and spend the first three nights at
Yosemite Creek Campground. Located
about 20 miles NE of Crane Flat off Tioga
Half Dome – Yosemite National Park
Road, Yosemite Creek Campground is in a spectacular part of the park. Friday we will take the 10.5
mile round-trip hike to the edge of Yosemite Falls for the top-of-the-world views looking down on
wondrous Yosemite Valley. Saturday we will hike in the other direction up the creek amid Lodgepole
Pines, with Red Firs and White Pines along the shaded slopes. Birds and bears should be plentiful.
Early Sunday morning we will move approximately 20 miles further east to Tuolumne Meadows. We
will camp here for two nights birding and hiking some of the trails along the Tuolumne River. As there
are no reservation campgrounds some adjustments might have to be made. Anyone planning to go must
contact Gaylord or Mike to get details and final plans. Spaces are limited. Participants do not have to
stay the whole six days but could join us for just a part of the trip if they choose. Contact Gaylord at
gg2canoe@yahoo.com, 530-872-0739 or Mike at fisherml@pacbell.net, 530-624-4777.

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July 25, Saturday - Rio Vista Yellow-Billed Cuckoo Search
Trip Leader: Scott Huber

A bird walk co-sponsored by Altacal and the Sacramento River

Preservation Trust. Recent research by Chico State grad student,
Jessi Hammond, indicated that the Rio Vista Unit of the
Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge held eight Yellow-Billed
Cuckoos in 2007 and 2008 – including a breeding pair. Join us
for an early morning search for these hard-to-find birds. We'll beat
the mid-summer heat and hope to hear Cuckoos vocalizing early
by departing the Chico Park ‘n Ride (lot closest to Hwy 99) at 6
a.m. Bring bug juice and light clothing. For more information
contact Scott at (530) 321-5579 or ScottH@bigbirders.com
August 2, Sunday - Butte Meadows
Trip Leader: Skip Augur
Meet at the Park ‘n Ride at 8:00 a.m. (the lot closest to Hwy. 99) and caravan to the Butte
Meadows/Jonesville areas to look for warblers and other montaine species. Light hiking and
carpooling. Bring a sack lunch. We will bird until about 3:00 p.m. and then return to Chico. For more
information, contact Skip Augur at 530-519-4724.
August 8, Saturday - Brokeoff Mountain Hike in Lassen National Park
Trip Leader: Steve King
Are you ready to spend all day in the
splendor of the Cascade Mountains and
one of the least-visited National Parks in
the country? That is what the Brokeoff
mountain trail located in the Lassen
National Forest offers you. Starting at
about 6,000 thousand feet you begin your
hike through moist forest, wetlands and
open-water ponds where you will
hear/see Mountain Chickadees,
Chestnut-backed Chickadees, Red-
breasted Nuthatches, and other
mountain species like Clark’s
Nutcracker. Wonder where the Dark-
eyed Juncos and MacGillivray’s
Warblers go?

Raina King, Dawn Garcia and Steve King Last Summer at the Summit
of Brokeoff Mountain with Mt. Lassen in the Background

They should be visible as should American Dipper at the lower lake. Sooty (formerly Blue) Grouse
are also often seen along the trail as well as Olive-sided Flycatchers. We will break out into subalpine
habitat full of shrubs and stunted trees until we climb to the treeless summit. A lot of habitat change for
not much altitude. But, you must be prepared for a strenuous all-day hike with a gradual elevation
change from 6,600 to 9,200 feet (approx. 3,000 foot climb). The journey and lunch at the summit are
worth the effort! Wear sturdy hiking boots and layers; bring lots of water, lunch, sunscreen, bug juice, a
camera and, of course binoculars. For more info on this great hike see:

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http://www.nps.gov/lavo/planyourvisit/hiking_brokeoff_mountain.htm
We will meet at the Park ‘n Ride off highway 32 closest to highway 99 at 6:45 a.m. and be on the road
to Lassen park by 7:00 and at the trail head by 8:30. The trailhead is just outside the park but a $10 fee
per car is still required. Season passes to the park are available a half-mile beyond at the park entrance
for $25. As always, bad weather cancels.
Contact Steve King (sking.chico@gmail.com 342-6715)for more details.

Conservation Corner
Dawn Garcia, Conservation Chairperson
Keeping Cats Indoors - Helping Birds, Wildlife and Cats
As birders we love to celebrate spring with the birdsongs and courtship behavior of our migratory and
resident friends and the fledglings that will come from this year’s
effort. However, adult birds face many challenges trying to get the
kids out of the nest. The nestling phase is the most vulnerable time for
a bird, dealing with potential competition from Brown-headed
Cowbirds, ecto-parasites like mites and lice, their own siblings in times
of food shortage, native predatory snakes, birds and mammals and non-
native predators such as introduced rats and cats. Cats are considered
“super-predators;” there are many more cats then natural native
predators (such as bobcats) and they have a high reproductive rate,
birthing up to several litters per year.
California Quail Family
Millions of free-roaming domestic cats and feral cats kill hundreds of millions
of birds and other wildlife a year. Cats are excellent hunters and even a well-fed
friend often kills wildlife due to its predatory instincts. Naïve fledgling birds are
particularly vulnerable.
So what is the solution? Keep cats indoors, under supervision or on a leash while
you enjoy the yard together, or build an outdoor enclosure for your pet to enjoy the
out-of-doors. I’ve seen many of these enclosures adorned with dangling kitty toys,
carpeted platforms, hammocks, and views of bird feeders. Some are connected to
windows or kitty-doors so cats have indoor and outdoor access whenever they
please. Clever! Google “cat enclosures” and you will find many images of many
happy cats and resources to buy an enclosure or build your own! Also, check out
the Humane Societies enclosures at: http://hsus.petfulfillment.com/index.php?shop=cat The American
Bird Conservancy has a well-developed Cats Indoors! Campaign
(http://www.abcbirds.org/abcprograms/policy/cats/) complete with tips on helping you keep your cat
inside and links to how or where to buy outdoor enclosures. The National Audubon Society supports
this program and advocates responsible ownership of all pets (http://www.audubon.org/bird/cat/).
Other supporters include the American Ornithologists' Union, American Association of Wildlife
Veterinarians, International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, National Association of State
Public Health Veterinarians, Inc., and the Cooper Ornithological Society. The American Veterinary
Medical Association recommends that cats remain indoors for the health and safety of the cat. Indoor
cats typically have a much longer lifespan then their free-roaming friends. Outdoor cats are exposed to
cars, dogs, mean people, other cats, parasites, and disease. Although it is not an issue here yet, domestic
cats in Germany and Austria have contracted the H5N1 avian influenza virus, presumably from feeding
on infected birds. Keeping an indoor cat will help protect all of our wildlife, furred, scaled and
feathered, and your keep your cat healthier too.
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 Our California State Bird
The Audubon Society selected the Valley Quail as an appropriate symbol of California
and recommended its official adoption to the California Legislature. The act went into
effect on August 14, 1931. The species is, of course, what today we commonly refer
to as California Quail. It has also been called Crested Quail, Topknot Quail and, as
John James Audubon named it, Californian Partridge.
Here’s some of what Audubon had to say about it, and how he depicted it, in the 1840
“First Octavo Edition” of his Birds of America.

“Family CALIFORNIAN PARTRIDGE.

Genus ORTIX CALIFORNICA, Lath.

This beautiful species was discovered in the course of the voyage of LA PEROUSE, and figured in the
atlas accompanying the account of that unfortunate expedition, but without any other notice respecting
its habits or distribution, than an intimation of its having been found abundant in the plains and thickets
of California, where it formed large flocks. MR. TOWNSEND has lately sent me a beautiful specimen
of the male, which he procured on the 6th of March, 1837, near Santa Barbara in California. I have to
regret, however, that he has not furnished me with any account of its habits. MR. NUTTALL, in
speaking to me of this bird, informed me that it is very gentle or confident, so as to be in a great measure
regardless of the approach of man, that its manners resemble those of our Common or Virginian
Partridge, and that the males in spring are seen perched on low bushes, where they utter their love-notes
in the same emphatic manner as the species just mentioned…”

Did You Know?

The topknot looks like a single feather, but it is actually a cluster of six overlapping plumes - and,
More Than You Wanted to Know
The California Quail digests vegetation with the help of protozoans in its intestine. Chicks acquire the
protozoans by pecking at the feces of adults - and finally,
It Takes a Village?
Several California Quail broods may mix after hatching and are attended by all of the parents of those
broods. Adults that engage in communal brooding live longer than adults that do not.
One question, though - Why couldn’t we have chosen a good, California-type interpretation of the
California Quail assembly or rally call – such as Los-GA-tos, Los-GA-tos or “Ar-CA-ta, Ar-CA-ta
instead of “Chi-CA-go, Chi-CA-go”?
[See the following web sites for the source of some of the above information - Editor]
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/California_Quail.html
http://audubon.org/bird/BoA/BOA_index.html

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 Altacal Contributions to the Community

“Bird Banding as a Science and Conservation Tool” Captures Young Audiences

Dawn Garcia - Conservation Chair

The outreach team, Mike Fisher, Steve King, Michelle

Ocken, Julie Nelson and I, conducted classroom and field
trip visits to four different classrooms at three schools.
The program was funded by Audubon California and
includes elements of a standards-based math and science
curriculum for 4th graders. Putting our heads together and
using existing educational bird activities, Mela Garcia, an
Altacal Audubon Society (AAS) member and 4th grade
teacher, and I developed a fun-filled and informative
curriculum to turn kids into avian scientists - or at least
bird fans!
Dawn and Students Looking at a Wren
Many of our materials, including photos and overhead materials, were put together by AAS member
Steve King. Our partners are Kids and Creeks who coordinates the schools, schedules, transportation
and runs two of the field stations, and Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve (BCCER) staff who fund
Kids and Creeks and help with all field activities. AAS also donated funds to get two additional schools
up to the reserve that would not have been able to attend due to lack of transportation. The schools
selected for our fledgling program were Four Winds, Forest Ranch, Chico Country Day and Park View.
In class we discuss how banding and point counts (a standardized monitoring protocol using auditory
and visual detections) are used as monitoring tools, how to turn banding data into graphs, show field
marks and beak adaptations of 3-4 backyard birds (i.e., Spotted Towhee, Western Scrub-Jay, Anna’s
Hummingbird), and end with the “bird song game” that we developed where the kids learn the songs of
species we’ve just introduced them to. We ask the students to describe the songs and tell them to
remember their descriptions. Responses include “someone is being choked” for the Scrub-Jay, while the
Anna’s hummer sounds like a “bug flying into a bug zapper.” Finally, we take them out so they can flap
their wings and work off some energy. We spread ourselves out, hold up the bird photos, play their
songs and have the kids run to the bird photo that is related to the song being played.
In the field, our collaborators, Kids and Creeks and the BCCER reserve staff, conduct and escort
students through three field stations 1) food webs and how to use binoculars 2) a nature hike with
teachings about wildlife habitat, food sources, niches, etc, and 3) the bird-banding-site station where
students go on a net run and watch us process birds. Based on smiles, stories and rapt attention to a bird
in the hand as shown in the photos, we know we are making an impression on the students. Teacher
feedback will strengthen our program and we hope to retain more funding to continue our outreach
efforts.

Michelle Ocken Watches Student Releasing Bird

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 Audubon Magazine Photography Awards

Got the Shutter Bug? Want to try for some national recognition and prizes as you photograph birds in
your back yard, in Bidwell Park or on the trail? Well, Audubon magazine is launching the 2009
Audubon Magazine Photography Awards: Birds in Focus, created to celebrate the beauty and diversity
of birdlife through the art of photography, and to honor the exceptional work of talented professional,
amateur and youth photographers from all over the U.S. Send them some of your photos. Why not? It
could be lots of fun!
Audubon will be accepting submissions online until July 15 in three categories: Professional, Amateur,
and Youth. Photographers are encouraged to reveal a new angle or perspective in their work. “Think
creatively,” advises Audubon’s design director Kevin Fisher, one of the judges. “Originality and drama
rank high at Audubon. Include tight shots, such as close-ups of eyes, feathers. We welcome uncommon
perspectives.”
Prizes include:
• Journey to Peru’s Tambopata National Reserve (Inkaterra Amazonica Lodge)
• An ultimate birding safari to Australia’s “Top End,” the Northern Territory
• 14-day Tropical Rivers and Rainforest cruise through South America (Travel Dynamics
International)
• Opportunity to travel to Honduras with Audubon wildlife photographer Roy Toft as your
photographer/guide (Roy Toft Photo Safaris and Pico Bonito Lodge)
• A Nikon D80 digital SLR camera, 18-55mm NIKKOR VR lens, and a set of Nikon EDG 8x32
binoculars
Submissions: Accepted May 15 - July 15, 2009. Up to 10 images per entrant. For details, visit
www.AudubonMagazinePhotoAwards.com

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 Photographic Musings
Rex Burress
I trust all you photographing camera enthusiasts have had your cameras out
taking some more irresistible new season wildflowers and blossom-blessed
landscapes. It seems each new year the flower photographer is at it again, taking
what you’ve taken before, but it seems we never enough and never get it quite
completely right. We hope for a different light condition, or a better position, that
will contribute to the perfect picture.
In the process, one tends to learn a little more nature lore and maybe add a few
new names. Most importantly, the pursuit gets you out there looking, enjoying the
beauty side of earth, and challenging your compositional eye. To walk with a
photographic purpose enhances any excursion whether it be in flower fields or
amid city structures. You can walk through a community watching for light and
shadow arrangements, or splashes of color, or contrast of large and small; old and new.
The Oakland Camera Club once had delightful field trips in junk yards, with a prize for top judged junk
picture. Some people think it rather quaint to see a group of grown, presumably sane citizens, laden with
gadget bags and tripods, aiming the camera at twisted metal, rusty machines, or cluttered gears in the
quest of pictures. The trick was, as it is for many things, including insects and flowers, to put on macro
lenses and pick out a portion of a subject. The same goes for fairs, parades, and crowds - put on a 70-200
zoom and select segments of color and form. Otherwise, you’ll be lost in the clutter.
I have a successful photographer friend in Quincy, Joe Willis, who seeks out the angle of pictures to get
good ones. He said his clothes show the dirt of wiggling around grass-root jungles in search of
craneflies, Calochortus, and creepy crawlers. Not everyone is so inclined, but a good lens and tripod will
help to snoop on nature and junkyards. Angle is nearly everything.
In the same sense, you may go back to choice spots you have known, and find them completely
changed. Vegetation shifts around and may reappear in an even better location, and in this
industrial/construction/agricultural age, many old landmarks are simply bulldozed to obscurity.
Old buildings, old orchards, old farmhouses, and windmills may no longer be there, making your
previous photos potentially of historic value. Be alert to things you can depict or record for future
reference. Just like we would never have known what dinosaurs were if their remnants hadn’t been
preserved in stone books of petrification. Some landmarks and crafted creations would be unknown if
not for artists, writers, and photographers. Creative photography is good, but equally commendable is
preservative photography! Even family snapshots have a value in history.
I imagine many of you will be selecting your best images and sizing them up with other possibilities.
Juggling your pictures for competition is part of the fun of participating, but even your best-laid schemes
may fall short when stacked against other entries. That’s the way it is. We may try, but we never attain
perfection. It is a rare picture that will garner the approval of a battery of judges. Personal whims come
in the way, so know you’re in the same crowd as the rest of us, but the ideal is to enjoy the game of
discovery anyway...anyway you can. "Yes! We can!" Constant effort will reap constant benefits!

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 Sister Society (Cape Cod Bird Club) News

Just as we enjoyed our Pacific Flyway migratory birds in April and May, our Sister Society members
enjoyed their Atlantic Flyway counterparts. Some of the birds seen at the Beech Forest and Foss Woods
in Provincetown included an Eastern Kingbird, a Fish Crow, 6 Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, 2 Brown
Thrashers, a Warbling Vireo, 5 Blue-headed Vireos, a Blackburnian Warbler, a Nashville
Warbler, 45 Yellow-rumped Warblers, a Black-throated Green Warbler, and 2 Pine Siskins.
These migrant land birds were complemented by some nice seabirds at nearby Herring Cove, such as
one Caspian Tern, 2 Common Terns, 40 Iceland Gulls, 12 Lesser Black-backed gulls, 2 Glaucous
Gulls, a "Nelson's" Gull, 225 Laughing Gulls, and 2000 Herring Gulls.
A birder out on Stellwagen Bank noted a Parasitic Jaeger, 2 Razorbills, and 4 Black-legged
Kittiwakes. For landlubbers, an impressive whale and dolphin show was to be had from Provincetown
beaches with dozens of Humpback, Fin, Minke, and Right Whales noted, along with hundreds of
dolphins.
Miscellaneous sightings included flocks of 30 White-winged Crossbills at Crane Wildlife Management
Area in Falmouth plus 4 more in Mashpee, a Little Blue Heron also in Mashpee, a White-crowned
Sparrow and an Indigo Bunting in Wellfleet, and a Nashville Warbler, a Northern Parula, a Yellow
Warbler, a Black-and-white Warbler, and several Orchard Orioles at Wellfleet Bay Wildlife
Sanctuary.
Some early Northern Water Snakes, Pickerel Frogs, and at least one Diamondback Terrapin were
reported along with the more typical early spring herptiles, such as Spring Peepers and Wood Frogs.

Take Your Birding to the Next Level with “Inside Birding”

Chris Wood and Jessie Barry from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology are inviting you to go out with
them—in a new free series of web videos, “Inside Birding.”
Jessie and Chris share their tips, tools, and techniques for identifying birds with confidence—whether
you’re new to birding or seeking to hone your skills. In the first four episodes, learn the secrets of the
“four keys” to bird identification. Join Chris and Jessie in the field as they practice using size and shape
to identify common birds. Learn how to use color pattern and behavior for critical clues about a bird’s
identity. And travel with Chris and Jessie to the swamps of Florida as they explain the importance of
habitat when you’re looking for birds.
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After watching the videos, explore the rest of the newly redesigned All About Birds website. It’s packed
with stunning images and information about every aspect of birding. Enhance your bird knowledge by
visiting Cornell Lab’s popular Bird Guide, with more than 500 species profiles, new photo ID tools, cool
facts, sounds, and video. Peruse the Living Bird section for articles about travel, science, and
conservation. Practice using the four keys to identification or sharpen your knowledge about Songs and
Calls in the Building Skills section. Check out the Multimedia Theater to watch videos about birds from
the Arctic, coasts, and grasslands—or learn more about attracting birds right to your own yard.

Bird Walk and Birding Trip Reports

April 4, Saturday – Table Mountain
Team Leader: Gaylord Grams
The Table Mountain trip started off with a bang when a
Hooded Oriole showed himself to the entire group at the
Spring Valley School. Later, up the Cherokee Road, a
Green Heron was content to stay out in the open for all to
see. Once we got to Table Mountain, Lark Sparrows
dominated with song and abundance. The wildflowers were
rich, especially the full heads of Owl Clover, the red Canyon
Delphinium at Fern Falls, and the lupine and poppies on our
way to Coal Canyon. Newts and the Pacific Chorus Frog
were observed in the small creeks. There was an Osprey
flyover and hundreds of Cliff Swallows entertained us at our

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lunch stop at Coal Canyon Falls. By the end of the day we had seen 45 species of birds, as well as a nice
variety of herpetofauna and flowers.
April 25, Saturday – Butte Creek Ecological Preserve
Trip leader Dawn Garcia
Eleven new and regular Altacal field-trippers had a musical day at the Butte Creek Ecological
Preserve (BCEP). Migrants and residents were singing loud and clear - many showing themselves to all
who wanted to see. We had several excellent looks at the relatively newly arrived Yellow-breasted
Chats, Warbling Vireos and Black-headed Grosbeaks. We watched cavity explorers - the House
Wrens, Oak Titmice, Nuttall’s Woodpeckers and Violet-green Swallows in the snags and a large
number of Cliff Swallows nesting across the river on the cliff face.
One member, Hal, pointed out a nesting Acorn Woodpecker, seemingly
having as much interest in us as we had in viewing a pair of Tree Swallows
only 10-15 feet away and at eye-level. She calmly watched us, almost like she
welcomed the odd distraction while she incubated. The normally elusive
Bewick’s Wren sang in full view and high atop a snag. Lesser and American
Goldfinches were singing and performing flight displays and chases. We had
glimpses of Wilson’s and Orange-crowned Warblers and a last-minute
Pacific-slope Flycatcher. A lovely day! Visit the BCEP online:
http://www.csuchico.edu/bcep/
Mama Acorn Woodpecker
Eyeballing the Group

May 10, Sunday – Pine Creek Unit, Sacramento River National Wildlife Refuge Complex
Trip Leader: Jennifer Patten
The bird walk out to the Pine Creek Unit honoring
International Migratory Bird Day and Mother’s Day
was awesome! Twenty people showed up on a
beautiful spring morning to hike the paths, roads, and
levees in search of the spring migrants that show up
this time of year to find a mate, nest, and raise their
young. These migrants find all they need in food,
shelter and water among the cottonwoods, willows,
sycamores, restored native grasses, and native scrubs
in this ten-plus year restoration site on the
Sacramento River. Our target birds were aplenty, like
Black-headed Grosbeaks, Bullock’s Orioles,
Western Kingbirds, and Ash-throated Flycatchers. In the warbler column we saw Yellow, Wilson’s,
Black-throated Gray, and heard Common Yellowthroat and Yellow-breasted Chat.
We also had quick looks at two birds that have colors hard to describe, the Lazuli Bunting and Western
Tanager. For raptors, we saw Osprey, Red-tailed Hawk and Northern Harrier and of course, Turkey
Vultures.
Also sighted were Western Bluebirds, Nuttall’s and Downy Woodpeckers, a Warbling Vireo,
Western Wood-Pewee, Killdeer, Bewick’s and House Wrens, Lesser and American Goldfinches and
the always present Wild Turkey on the gravel road. Some of us stayed to hike out to the rivers edge to
see the Bank Swallows, and coming back toward our car, we saw a Lawrence’s Goldfinch among
Lesser Goldfinches feeding on the fiddleneck. In all, 49 bird species were seen or heard on this glorious
day!

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 April Program - Monday, April 20, 6:30 p.m. Chico Creek Nature Center
Central Valley Winter Raptor Survey – Zach Smith
Last year Zach Smith and Ed Pandolfino approached Altacal to ask for
our support for an independent research project involving a multi-year
Central Valley Winter Raptor Survey. Among the reasons given for such
a project were: High raptor abundance and diversity indicate that the
Central Valley of California is an important wintering area for many
raptor species; From 1999-2006 six of twelve highest Christmas Bird
Count open country raptor totals came from the California Central Valley;
Increasing urbanization, conversion of grasslands and agriculture as well
as human population growth all mean less habitat for raptors; Presently
there is little quantitative information on habitat association of wintering
raptors in the Central Valley. Altacal agreed to support this research with
both a monetary donation and member participation in the surveys. At
our April program meeting Zach Smith returned to Chico to give a report
on the findings to date.
Swainson’s Hawk Mother and Chick
Photo by George Robertson
Zach began by describing the study objectives. The main objective was to assess species richness,
diversity, abundance, and habitat associations of open-country raptors in the Central Valley during
winter. To associate each raptor seen with a habitat type a detailed assessment of each route had to be
done. Each half mile of habitat was described as one of 17 habitat types. When a bird was counted its
position was noted which could then be associated with a specific habitat type. Zach then detailed the
survey protocol including driving routes, times, frequency, limits and the like. He explained that in the
winters of 2007 and 2008 volunteers drove nineteen survey routes in the Central Valley from Shasta
County in the north to Kings County in the south. In year one; 65 surveys were undertaken involving
563 hours of observations and 6630 raptors were counted. In year two; 63 surveys were undertaken
involving 533 hours of operations and 6483 raptors were counted. The five most plentiful species
sighted were Red-tailed Hawk, American Kestrel, Loggerhead Shrike (not a raptor but included in
the survey), Northern Harrier, and Turkey Vulture. Other not as commonly seen raptors included
Merlin, Rough-legged Hawk, Ferruginous Hawk, White-tailed Kite, Red-shouldered Hawk,
Prairie Falcon and Bald Eagle. Less common but still seen were Cooper’s Hawk, Swainson’s Hawk,
Burrowing Owl and Golden Eagle.

Even though it is early in the survey and only a limited amount of data has be analyzed there are some
things that are becoming clear. Certain habitats are important to wintering raptors in the Central Valley.
These include Wetland, Grassland, Pasture, Alfalfa and Rice. Continued monitoring will hopefully
strengthen the associations found thus far. Zach is hopeful that the survey will continue for at least
another year and then be repeated every 5 to 10 years. This would provide an ongoing data base that
would become more meaningful as time goes on. It is possible raptors may be used as an umbrella
species to promote conservation of threatened habitats to the benefit of multiple species.

Opportunities and Events

June 19-21, Friday-Sunday - Eighth Annual Mono
Basin Bird Chautauqua, Lee Vining, CA
Three days of evening presentations, seminars, field trips,
music, and great birding! All proceeds support continuing
research in the Mono Basin. The Bird Chatauqua’s
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mission: “To enhance appreciation and understanding of the Mono Basin's diverse and abundant bird
life and to educate the public about this area's value to birds and people”.
“The Mono Basin Bird Chautauqua - not your ordinary bird festival!”
For more information, check the web site at: http://www.birdchautauqua.org/ or contact Mono Lake
Committee, P.O. Box 29, Lee Vining, CA 93541 – (760) 647-6595.

Sightings
(If you have any interesting sightings in your yard, on the way to work, or in the Butte, Glenn or Tehama counties area in general in June or
July you can send them to the Newsletter Editor at Editor@altacal.org by July 1st for possible inclusion in the next newsletter.)

April 10 – Liam and Scott Huber showed Tim Ruckle a Townsend’s Solitaire in their Forest Ranch
neighborhood. It was a life bird for Tim.

April 19 – Steve King had a White-throated Sparrow in his back yard in Chico – a lifer! Here’s a
photo he took:

May 8 – While kayaking, Warren Patten saw a female Wood Duck and nine ducklings. It was on Big
Chico creek at Big Chico Creek access off River Road. He also saw an Osprey flying low over the
creek to a tree to eat a fish it had caught.

Peregrinations
Late April/Early May – Mike Fisher, Randall Peterson and
Tim Ruckle birded Southeast Arizona and saw a Blue
Mockingbird at the Slaughter Ranch near Douglas. This was just
the fifth accepted record for this species in North America. They
also heard (many times) the call of the Sinaloa Wren at the
Patagonia-Sonoita Creek Preserve. This is a potential first record
of the appearance of this species in the American Birding
Association area (North America).
Blue Mockingbird – Photo by Ken Kertell

The wren was Mike’s 500th ABA-area bird! Randall, upon leaving Arizona, had
a Big Year count somewhere in the 400s – very respectable for this time of year.
Tim had nine lifers on the trip. The last Tim saw of his birding buddies they
were heading to Big Bend National Park in Texas to hike (11 miles round-trip)
to see Colima Warblers.

Sinaloa Wren
Photo by Brad Carlson

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Whoa! Hold the Presses! Mike reports that after Tim left, he and Randall saw a Gray Vireo, a Black-
chinned Sparrow and Colima Warblers in the Chisos Mountains in Texas. The next day they went to
the Rio Grand Village area and found a Common Black-Hawk on a nest. On the way home Mike
detoured to the Salton Sea and found a Yellow-footed Gull. The next day he stopped in Kern County
and found a LeConte's Thrasher. A very special trip!
May 11 - Levi Bateman (Chico State Birding Club) who was near Ventura for Santa Barbara fire
purposes, drove into the mountains north of Fillmore, and saw his first California Condors, two adults
and one juvenile, circling above the hills.

Submission of Articles
(Notices or articles submitted for publication consideration should be sent by e-mail message to the newsletter editor as
Microsoft Word (if possible) attachments by the 1st of the month prior to the next issue of the newsletter (i.e., Jan, Mar, May,
Jul, Sep and Nov 1st) - Editor@altacal.org – Thanks, Editor)

Newsletter Contributors
Thanks to all of you who contribute regularly by sending in items, articles and photos, and special
thanks to Denise Devine who does the widely appreciated layout design of the paper version of the
White-tailed Kite – Tim Ruckle, Editor

Altacal Board of Directors

President Phil Johnson 570-7139/ptjptj@gmail.com
Co-Vice-Presidents Jennifer Patten 345-9356/jpchico@sbcglobal.net
Mike Fisher 624-4777/fisherml@pacbell.net
Secretary Kathryn Hood 342-9112/kathrynhood@sbcglobal.net
Treasurer John Oswald 342-1651/amoent@aol.com
Membership Carolyn Short 345-4224/carolynshort@mac.com
Finance Mike Fisher 624-4777/fisherml@pacbell.net
Publications/ Tim Ruckle 566-9693/Editor@altacal.org
Newsletter
Publicity/Web Site Wayland Augur 530-519-4724/wba@acm.org
Field Trips Nancy Nelson 345-0580/concownancy@earthlink.net
Sanctuary, Lands Ruth Kennedy 899-9631/rken1733@sunset.net
and Refuge
Conservation Dawn Garcia 872-2165/mel.dawn@sbcglobal.net
Education Scott Huber 321-5579/Scott@birdtours@altacal.org
Directors-at-Large John Merz 345-4050/jbmerz@sbcglobal.net
Jackson Shedd 342-5144/jackson_shedd@sbcglobal.net
Marilyn Gamette 343-3154/gamettec@aol.com
Dave Tinker 824-0253/dtinker@cuhsd.tehama.k12.ca.us

Board meetings are held at 5:15 p.m. on the 2nd Wednesday of each month. The usual meeting place is
the Altacal Audubon Society/Snow Goose Festival office at 635 Flume St., Chico. The public is
welcome to attend.

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 Local Chapter Membership Application

Please join us! Your membership will help Altacal Audubon Society (AAS) continue its important work.
Altacal is a chapter of the National Audubon Society. In addition, it is a separately incorporated non-
profit organization. With a local chapter membership, 100% of your membership dues goes to support
local projects and activities. AAS is an all-volunteer organization that conducts all of its programs with
no paid staff. We offer regularly scheduled field trips focused on birds and bird habitats, our own
website, www.altacal.org/, a bi-monthly newsletter (White-tailed Kite), monthly membership meetings
which include lectures and media presentations on birds and other natural history-related topics, and
advocacy to protect and conserve local habitats as well as special projects and programs. Other AAS
activities include:
• sponsoring and participating in the annual Snow Goose Festival
• sponsoring and participating in the annual Endangered Species Faire
• founding and providing continued support to the Chico Creek Nature Center
• owning and managing the Arneberg Sanctuary as a wildlife habitat and research area
• helping to monitor the bird populations at the Del Rio Wildland Preserve near the Sacramento
River
• paying to maintain public access and a wildlife viewing blind at the Chico Oxidation Ponds
• leading annual Christmas Bird Counts in Chico and Oroville for the past 51 years

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Welcome to the Altacal Audubon Society! Please indicate your choice of membership options:

‰ $20 Basic Membership ‰ $10 Low Income/Student/Retired ‰ $35 Family

‰$50 Sponsor ‰ $100 Sustaining ‰ $500 Patron ‰ $1000 Benefactor

Payment method: ‰ Cash ‰ Check Date: ______________

Important: Membership in Altacal Audubon does not include membership in the National Audubon
Society. We encourage you to also support National Audubon in their important education and lobbying
efforts. To join the National Audubon Society contact them at their website www.audubon.org/

Name: Phone: (_____) _______________

Address: _________________________________ E-mail Address: ____________________________

City: ________________State: ____ Zip Code: _______

‰ Save paper! Send me an e-mail version only

‰ E-mail me Altacal Action Alerts
‰ I would be interested in volunteering to help

Please make checks payable to Altacal Audubon Society, and mail to: AAS, P.O. Box 3671, Chico,
CA 95927

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 Dates to Remember
June 5, Friday - Search for Yellow-billed Cuckoo and Lesser Nighthawk – Indian Fishery
June 6, Saturday – Field Trip - Upper Bidwell Park – Neotropicals for Beginners
June 8-17 - Nome, Denali, Anchorage and Fairbanks Alaska Altacal Charter Trip (FULL)
June 19, 20 and 21, Friday-Sunday- Field Trip - Willow Lake
June 19-21, Friday-Sunday - Eighth Annual Mono Basin Bird Chautauqua, Lee Vining, CA
June 27-28, Lassen Volcanic National Park
June 29, Monday - Members’ Potluck - 6 p.m., Chico Creek Nature Center
July 25, Saturday - Rio Vista Yellow-Billed Cuckoo Search
August 2, Sunday - Butte Meadows
August 8, Saturday - Brokeoff Mountain Hike in Lassen National Park

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