The frightening face of Sudden Oak Death (SOD) is crossing Sonoma County.

That face--a full crown of brown foliage--signals the death of more than 20,000 tanoaks, coast live oaks, and black oaks in the county, as estimated early in October by State Department of Forestry spokesman Bruce Hagen.

"It's in spots all over the county, from the coast to western Napa County."
These signature trees of mixed evergreen forests and oak woodlands are a major source of food (acorns, leaves, twigs, sap, pollen), nesting areas (canopy or trunk cavities), cover, and travel corridors for a galaxy of wildlife--from microbes on up the food chain to birds and mammals.

One or another of these three oaks is prominent along 1,500 miles of Oregon and California coast and across to the northern and central Sierras. SOD, first spotted in Marin in 1995, now has been reported from Humboldt to Monterey counties.

Are we on the brink of ecological disaster?
There is wide disagreement--fueled by the many unknowns of SOD.
Scientists have identified one causal agent--a previously unknown Phytophthora fungus that is related to causes of the Irish potato famine of 1846-51 and the current dieback of Port Orford cedars in the Pacific Northwest. Oak bark beetles and deep-boring ambrosia beetles are another factor. They move in after the fungus has weakened the tree.
But scientists say there still are many unknowns. Because of this, there is wide disagreement on what can or should be done. The views of Win Smith, Greg deNevers, and Bruce Hagen give some idea of the spectrum.
Smith, an arborist and retired Glen Ellen fire chief, sounded the SOD alarm at Madrone's September membership meeting. He reported hundreds of dead and dying trees in Jack London State Park and the adjoining Sonoma Development Center.

Smith is concerned about the fire hazard created by the clusters of dead trees. He also feels strongly that areas affected by SOD should be quarantined to keep Phytophthora-bearing soil from being spread by vehicle tires, livestock hooves, wild turkeys, humans' shoes or tools, or in firewood taken from the area. He said Dutch elm disease was spread this way.
(Parks officials have refused to close the trails, saying there is no evidence that the fungus is spread in soil.)

At the other extreme, deNevers, chief naturalist at Audubon Canyon Ranch, warns against hysteria over SOD and fire danger. He said nothing should be done unless research shows SOD is caused by an imported organism. The Phytophthora fungus may well be a native organism, the dieback a cyclical natural event that occurs every 300 or 500 years, he noted.
"Dead trees standing are one of the better habitats that we have. They are an important resource for bluebirds, woodpeckers, owls, creepers, and many mammals," he said. They should be cut down only if they overhang a building or activity area, he added.

Hagen, the forestry spokesman, agrees too little is known, but he is concerned over the serious wildfire risk in areas with significant stands of dead trees. North of Cazadero, there is a 300-plus acre block of dead tanoaks, he said.
Hagen said surveys of the SOD affected areas show little evidence that the fungus is transported along trails or downhill. It may be carried in the air in "sawdust" that spills from beetle bores, he added. The fungus seems to spread during the wet season, with SOD symptoms appearing in the spring.
A task force of University of California scientists and federal, state, and county forestry and wildlife officials is conducting studies of separate tanoak and coast live oak communities in Marin. They are trying to learn all the factors in the SOD syndrome, how it is spread, whether it will be affected by a severe freeze, what other natural or chemical means might stop it, particularly in coast live oak and black oak, where beetle infestation seems the actual killer in most cases.

The taskforce also is conducting roadside and aerial surveys to better understand the extent of the spread. It is developing an electronic sensing device to spot trees that have been infected but not yet died. It also has set up a mapping/monitoring program using its own surveys and reports from agents, hikers, and other interested individuals in all counties where SOD has been reported. Hagen is the agent for Sonoma County.
SOD has been reported at Mayacamas Mountain Sanctuary, Bouverie Preserve, and Fairfield Osborn Preserve.

We want to learn all we can about SOD, which affects one of the defining features of our landscape, both aesthetically and ecologically. Please observe and report on your local areas.

SOD Symptoms

Tanoak: new growth droops or turns yellow to brown in most of the crown. The tree is dead, but symptoms continue as below.

Coast live oak / black oak: "bleeding" of thick dark red to black sap on bark surface; then small black domes on the trunk, the fruiting bodies of Hypoxylon fungus; piles of reddish-brown, tan, or white dust on lower trunk, a sign of beetle attack; finally, all leaves turn brown but remain on tree.

Reporting SOD

Phone: Bruce Hagen, CDF/Sonoma County, (707) 576-2936
Internet: camfer.cnr.berkeley.edu/oaks/tree-database.htm

Information wanted about location and species of tree(s), environmental setting, SOD symptoms

Further Information on SOD

Internet: cemarin.ucdavis.edu/index2.html
camfer.cnr.berkeley.edu/oaks

Oaks Project, UC Cooperative Extension, 1682 Novato Blvd., Suite 150-B, Novato, CA 94947; (415) 499-4205

I'm often asked about what native California plants can be used as a hedge in place of privet, photinia, oleanders, pyracantha or other non-native ornamentals. Hedges serve as living fences, dividers between areas or to distinguish one area's function from another, as a background, or as a windbreak or sunbreak. There are lots of native California shrubs that require little maintenance on your part, and that also offer berries, nectar, nesting habitat and cover for birds.

First, I'd like to briefly address the question, why use natives? What's wrong with using non-natives? The quickest answer is that natives provide wildlife with food and shelter. Insects, butterflies, birds and other animals, fungi and micro-organisms have evolved right along with the plants. They are adapted to use these plants for all the phases in their life cycles. Non-natives have no natural enemies to keep them in check. They over-reproduce and out-compete the natives.

Salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis) might be a good choice if you need an impenetrable, vigorous, and fast growing hedge, especially for a shady, cool area. Expect flowers of a deep rose color (it's a member of the rose family) and bright orange-red berries that birds and mammals (including humans) will relish. Give it some room, a bit of summer water, and watch it take off! Note that this is a deciduous shrub, not an evergreen.

You could use coffeeberry (Rhamnus californica) if you need a shrubby evergreen for a sunny area. There are forms, such as 'Eve Case', that stay low and fairly compact, and other forms that grow up to 10 or 15 feet. Depending on the variety, you'll find shiny leaves or grayish, hairy leaves. The birds will love the dark purple berries. I've seen hummingbirds working for nectar from the little greenish blossoms that appear rather inconspicuously in thick clusters.

Densely planted toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia) can be a very effective hedge, which, in addition to fueling both nectar- and berry- loving birds, gives humans wonderful Christmas greens to be used in place of holly. Toyon is easy to grow, requires no summer water, is evergreen, and loves lots of sun.

Another shrub, the silk-tassel oak (Garrya elliptica), thickly planted, is a recommended hedge. However, if you prune it into a true hedge, you will lose one of the reasons for growing it-beautiful tassels on the male plants. (The females provide berries.) If you plant a row and let the branches overlap, a hedge effect will be gained without the loss of the tassels. Give it full sun and a deep watering in the summer.

Our shrubby wild lilacs (Ceanothus spp.) can be planted for an informal-looking hedge. Ceanothus velutinus, or tobacco brush, blooms with white flowers, as compared to the usual blues of ceanothus, and because of its dense branching pattern, is a good hedge. All the ceanothuses are loved by birds, insects and butterflies. You can't go wrong unless you overwater them!

If you've got a shady area in need of hedging, try Western spice bush (Calycanthus occidentalis). It has wonderful fragrant leaves, intriguing-looking maroon flowers, and good-smelling brown bark that shreds. I love to brush up against them in the shady woods near the creek behind my house. The spice bush can be trimmed into a hedge, as the many branches sprout up from its base in a thick pattern. It needs some summer watering.

A very large area that needs a windbreak or a formidable and thorny barrier could be planted with wild roses. Rosa californica does well in full sun, or even light shade, will spread rapidly via underground roots, and is easy to grow. The seed pods of the sweet- scented pink roses will turn red and these hips, sources of vitamin C, will be appreciated by the birds. Give your roses a bit of summer water to keep them fresh looking.

You can provide birds with their survival needs in the smallest of backyards. They need food in the form of nectar, berry, nut, fruit, or seed producing plants; a safe haven from predators; nesting habitat; and water. You and your family, by planting for wildlife, can actually contribute to the restoration of lost habitat. Birds also need migratory stopovers, both for rest and refueling. Your backyard could be the oasis for which they are searching.

Madrone Audubon's 34th annual Christmas Bird Count will take place this year on Saturday, December 30. National Audubon has been conducting this annual count since 1900. We would love to have all interested birders join us on this fun day. Those who have counted before will receive an invitation to count in the mail. Please return the forms as soon as possible. If you have not counted before but would like to participate this year, please call Russ Agnew at 823-7555 or Ken Wilson at 795-7547.

After a great day of birding shared with friends and teammates, we will gather for a potluck in Sebastopol. If you cannot count this year and would like to help set up the potluck, please call Peter Leveque at 542-8946 or Virginia Mc Donagh at 527-9115.

Work Day at At Bolinas Lagoon Preserve. Saturday, November 4, 9:30 AM. We'll have lunch for you, but please call (415) 868-9244 to register.

Guided Nature Walks at the Bouverie Preserve. November 11, December 9, January 13, January 27, February 24, March 24, April 7, April 21, May, 5, May 12. 9:30 AM - 1:30 PM. This is your chance to experience the beauty and rich natural history of this 500-acre preserve. Call (707) 938-4554 for a lottery form, which must be returned one month prior to the walk. Occasionally there are last-minute openings due to cancellations. There is no charge, but donations are appreciated.

Restoration Project in the Works
The Mayacamas Mountain Sanctuary Committee has selected a site within the Sanctuary for habitat restoration and enhanced wildlife observation. The site, chosen for its particularly rich habitat, is an area along Pine Flat Road known as Horse Trough Spring, one of the few spots on the preserve where there is year-round water.

Initial preparation of the site is to begin in late November or early December of this year, according to MMS Committee Chair Bill Payne. The restoration work will be done in cooperation with Circuit Rider Productions, a local environmental consulting firm.

Volunteers are needed to help with this preliminary cleanup and construction of trails. Anyone interested in being involved with the project should call Bill Payne at 546-3331 or Carl Hanson at 568-3524.

Also on the Sanctuary…
PG&E is sending its contractors up to the Sanctuary to do tree-trimming maintenance under the power lines in early November. If you are planning to visit the preserve, you can expect to see them cutting back vegetation for the purpose of fire prevention.

Point Reyes, Wednesday, September 20
On the third day of a heat wave, 16 birders met Lew Edmondson at the Bear Valley Visitor Center at Point Reyes. Between Olema Marsh and Nunez Ranch, the weather went from hot and sunny to foggy, breezy and cold, with at least a 20-degree drop in temperature. Sixty-four species were seen. Highlights were three Pectoral Sandpipers and three Snipe found in the marshy area behind the Nunez Ranch house.

Bodega Bay, Thursday, September 28
Seventeen birders joined Laurence and Barbara Taylor on a pleasant overcast day at Bodega Bay. A total of 57 species were found, among them both Fox and Lincoln's Sparrows at the Hole-in-the-Head. The highlights of the day were finding Barn Owl feathers and spotting a nearby Great Horned Owl near the entrance to the Marine Lab residences. The Great Horned Owl had not been spotted by the Walkabout birders at Bodega Bay for five months.

Point Reyes, Saturday, September 30
On a warm Indian summer day, five birders joined Lew Edmondson at Bear Valley Visitor Center to bird Point Reyes, finding 58 species. Highlights included a Black-throated Gray Warbler and a Red-breasted Nuthatch on the same branch of a pine tree at the Fish Dock, and a Great Horned Owl in a crevice in the cliff below the lighthouse observation platform.

Must I take in my hummingbird feeder? No, you need not. The Anna's Hummingbird, our most common hummer, over-winters in the Bay Area and will appreciate your supplementation of its winter food supply. However, keep a few rules in mind:

Regardless of how cool it is, the feeder must be washed and refilled every two or three days. If left longer than that the food will spoil and sicken the birds. So if you have fewer birds, don't fill the feeder full.
Be consistent! If you go away, be sure that someone will maintain your feeder.
The birds may depend on it, especially if there is a freeze while you are away.
Be sure that your nectar is of optimum quality: one part sugar to four parts water. Use only bottled water or tap water which has been allowed to "out-gas" by standing over night. Never use softened water, honey, artificial or fruit sweeteners, or dye. Boil for five minutes, cool and keep refrigerated until ready to use.

And be sure to enjoy the activity!

Sonoma State University professor Matt James will present
"Birds and Conservation" at Madrone Audubon's General Meeting on Monday, November 19. Dr. James, who has just recently been made a fellow of the California Academy of Sciences, is a geologist and paleontologist and has done extensive research in the Galapagos Islands. One of his particular interests is in documenting the extensive work that members of the Academy of Sciences did in these fascinating islands at the turn of the last century. He will show slides and talk about his work on conservation issues in the Galapagos. Born in Hawaii, he is familiar with island living.

Bird nesting boxes and copies of the Sonoma County Breeding Bird Atlas, edited by Betty Burridge, will be available for purchase at our November meeting. Both items sell for $15, and both make excellent gifts. Our thanks to Bob Harriman and Peter Leveque for the bird box construction.

The program begins at 7:30 PM at our new location, the First United Methodist Church, 1551 Montgomery Drive, Santa Rosa. As always, the public is invited to these programs.

Join us for the "California Harvest" program at Spring Lake Visitor's Center on Saturday, November 18, from 10 AM to Noon. We will make manzanita "lemonade" and prepare acorn meal as Tamara Wilder demonstrates her superb knowledge of wilderness skills and Native American ways. Please RSVP to Amy Kelsey at 473-9785, and she will give you directions to the Center.

Coming next month: "Storytelling and Art" with Ane Rovetta. Saturday,
December 2, 10 AM -Noon, at the Santa Rosa Central Library.

A new leader for Pee Wee Audubon
Welcome to Amy Kelsey, who has now officially taken over the leadership of Pee Wee Audubon from Janice Sinclaire. Madrone Audubon would like to thank Janice for her enthusiasm and hard work during the past year. We hope that the demands of her new job will not prevent her and her family from continuing to enjoy Pee Wee activities.

After last months' excitement, with the Buff-breasted Sandpiper and Canada Warbler topping the list, most fall migrants put in a very meager showing during September. Normal passerine numbers for Western migrants were low, with almost no vagrants of Eastern origin. Point Reyes produced a few of our "rare but regular" warblers, but Bodega Bay was very quiet, even when favorable weather fronts moved through. The Bodega Bay bird posse searched as usual, but as September ended it became clear that the most "unusual" was that there was nothing unusual. The best birds for Sonoma County this month were the Broad-winged Hawk seen from Roberts Road and the Vesper Sparrow seen at Campbell Cove. Here are the others:

Shy Albatross 9/17 Only 6 mi. from Bodega Bay RS, BDP, et al
Manx Shearwater (2) 9/17 Cordell Bank RS
Greater White-fronted Goose (6) 9/19 Doran Park DN
Greater White-fronted Goose (2) 9/26 Owl Canyon, Bodega Harbor KG, DN, JB, RM
Blue-winged Teal (6) 9/16 Shollenberger Park AW, BDP, RL, DN
Black Scoter (6) 10/6 Duncan's Landing DK
Wood Duck (2) 10/6 Bridgehaven DK
Northern Shoveler (albino) 9/16 Lakeville Ponds DN, RL, AW, BDP Common Moorhen 10/6 Bridgehaven DK
Rhinoceros Auklet (juv.) 9/19 Doran jetty area DN, PL, et al
Common Tern 9/16 Porto Bodega AW, BDP, RL, DN
Common Tern (2) 9/24 Spud Point DS
Broad-winged Hawk 9/21 Roberts Rd. near Crane Cr. Park KF
Golden Eagle (2 imm.) 9/21 Roberts Road KF
Golden Eagle (4; 2 ad., 2 imm.) 9/27-28 Bay Hill Road DN
Golden Eagle (2; 1 ad., 1 imm.) 10/3 Hwy 80 at American Canyon KM Ferruginous Hawk 9/18 Sonoma Mountain KF
Ferruginous Hawk 10/6 Bridgehaven DK
Merlin (2) 10/6-7 Bodega Head DN
Short-eared Owl 9/30 Tubbs' Island MF
Least Flycatcher (1 ad.) 10/6-10 Owl Canyon to Marine Lab. Ent. DN, TCN, NC, et al
Eurasian Starling (albino) 10/7 1.5 mi. E. of Valley Ford DN
Hermit Thrush 9/18 Bodega Bay DN
American Redstart 9/16 Jenner AW, BDP, RL, DN
American Redstart 9/29 Sea Ranch; Gualala Redwoods E.RH, EW
Blackpoll Warbler 9/28? Marine Lab. residences SH
Yellow-rumped Warbler 9/18 Bodega Bay DN
Hermit Warbler 9/16 King Ridge Road AW, BDP, RL, DN
Vesper Sparrow 9/19 Campbell Cove BDP, DE
Hooded Oriole 10/4 Santa Rosa feeder J&JT
Orchard Oriole 9/20 Campbell Cove AW

Contributors: Julie Blumenthal, Nancy Conzett, Doug Ellis, Mike Feighner, Kathy Francone, Kevin Guse, Steve Hampton, E.Rae Hudspeth, Dan Kahane, Rick Lebadour, Peter Leveque, Roger Marlowe, Kathy Mugele, Dan Nelson, Tyler Cannon-Nelson, Benjamin D. Parmeter, Doug Shaw, Rich Stallcup, Jim & Jean Tonascia, Ev Wadsworth, and Alan Wight.

An air of excitement animated a recent Beginners Bird Walk at Crane Creek Regional Park. An unusual sighting, a rare avian visitor to our area? Well, not really, though it was a very good day for raptors. A rust-colored, juvenile Northern Harrier entertained the group by enjoying a lengthy meal on a nearby hillside, and a bold Red-tailed Hawk harassed a Golden Eagle over Sonoma Mountain. The real news, however, was "the book".

The publication in question appeared in bookstores early in October. It's the National Audubon Society's Sibley Guide to Birds, written and illustrated by David Allen Sibley. Sibley is one of the foremost bird painters and authorities in the United States, and this long-awaited volume has been over 10 years in the making.

With over 6,600 watercolor illustrations of 810 species of North American birds, this text is more comprehensive and detailed than most other guidebooks. The drawings for each species point out plumage variations by age, sex and geography. For example, the Yellow Warbler has a page of its own, with a total of 17 illustrations, eight of them showing the bird in flight. Very useful aids to identification skills are placed throughout the book, and well-designed descriptions of bird families, placed at the beginning of each section, show all the species in a family on one page.

The strengths of the Sibley guide are described in a selection of the Internet bookseller Amazon.com's reviews with recurring superlatives: it is "the definitive guide", "the best field guide for identifying birds", "very close to perfect". Other comments describe the descriptive passages as more detailed, the range maps and voice details of better quality than in one popular standard, the National Geographic's Field Guide to the Birds of North America.

Will all the detail overwhelm beginning birdwatchers? Possibly, say the reviewers. This guide addresses the "converted", the experienced birders. Another cautionary note suggests that the book is not field worthy. While sturdily constructed, it is significantly larger in size and weight than most guides. This could discourage many birders from actually using it in the field; they might prefer to keep it at home or in the car for reference.

The few proud new owners of "Sibley" who were at Crane Creek Park kept their copies in the car. In fact, they were almost afraid to unwrap such a treasure. The National Audubon Society is to be commended for editing this fine work with David Sibley.

To Our Readers
We would be interested in your opinions on bird guides, whether it's a newly-released book or an old favorite. Send your "reviews" to Madrone Leaves, PO Box 1911, Santa Rosa, 95402, or Dwarsm@aol.com. Or perhaps you would like to respond to this challenge:

"What bird species would you want to be?" David Allen Sibley has thought a lot about it.

"If I could handle being called a Brown Booby, it would be a pretty good life," Sibley told an interviewer for The New Yorker (June 12, 2000), who asked which bird he would like to be.

"They live in the Caribbean. They're great flyers-they look like they have a good time flying. And they eat fish. There's plenty of food, it's always warm, not much to worry about, and they live for 20 to 25 years.

"Warblers live only 5 years or so-they have to migrate thousands of miles twice a year, and they eat worms."

How about you? Tell us which bird you'd rather be, and why.

The Madrone Audubon Society wishes to thank the following persons for their donations to the Chapter:

Peter Leveque Natural History Lecture. Friday, November 3, at 7 PM in Newman Auditorium at Santa Rosa Junior College. Dr. Jeffrey Graham will present a lecture entitled "Mr. Eiseley's Snout and Dr. Seuss' Hummers: Musings about Fish, Water, Land and Air". Dr. Graham is a research physiologist from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and director of the Birch Aquarium at Scripps.

"Early Birding" with Becky Olsen. Saturday, November 4, from 8:00 AM to 11:00 AM at the Fairfield Osborn Preserve in Penngrove. Call 795-5069 for information and registration.

Sandhill Crane Festival. November 3-5 in Lodi, California. Field trips, workshops, family programs and more. For information, call (209) 367-7840 or consult the website: www.lodichamber.com.

Central Valley Birding Symposium. November 16-18 in Stockton. For information, contact Frances Oliver at (209) 369-2010 or send an e-mail to: hummer52@lodinet.com.

Thinking ahead
Bald Eagle Conference. February 16-18, 2001, in Klamath Falls, Oregon. Details in next issue of Leaves.

Madrone Audubon is launching a campaign to recruit new members at the local level through gift memberships. A special offer from National Audubon will reward these efforts by returning the entire cost of one yearly membership to our treasury for each new membership received in November and December. We invite our members to think ahead and consider offering a $20 introductory membership in the Audubon Society as a holiday gift to a friend or family member--or both!

These gifts could be very important to our chapter. Faced with an economic shortfall at the national level due in part to lack of membership growth over the last decade, the Audubon Society has passed some proposals that will reduce the dues share that returns to the individual chapters.

Madrone Audubon has a better record of recruiting and retaining new members at the local level than many other chapters. However, the portion of each member's dues that is returned to us from National supports many aspects of our program: the Madrone Leaves newsletter, the Audubon Adventures subscriptions and education resource kits for classrooms, the Pee Wee monthly activities, the public programs and nature walks.

A good response to this gift membership offer could help us maintain our program and broaden our local support at the same time. The form (at the right, left, on the next page--wherever Mary puts it) tells you exactly how to participate!

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