Madrone Audubon's annual Birdathon fund-raising event is quickly approaching and WE WANT YOU! We are looking forward to having a large group participate this year so that the Madrone Chapter can continue to be an active voice for conservation and education in the county.

First, what is the Birdathon? It is birding for a cause. This is Madrone's largest fund-raising event of the year. The goal is to get friends and family to sponsor your day of birding by pledging money, whether it's 20 cents or $2.00, for each species you or your team see on one day in February. Then you go out and find as many species as you can that day. The more pledges you get, the more each bird you record will be worth.

In the past several years, the money collected has steadily increased. Last year we raised a record of almost $6,000 dollars. However, as a result of changes to how the National Audubon Society provides operating funds to local chapters, the Birdathon is now critical as a primary source of funds. So, we need to make the Birdathon even more successful, and WE NEED YOUR HELP to do that.

All of the Birdathon money goes directly to support Madrone Audubon programs such as Pee Wee Audubon outings, classroom materials (including the science newsletter Audubon Adventures and detailed nature education kits for teachers to borrow), bird walks, monthly programs, and conservation projects.

Why, you ask, should you take time out of your busy schedule to seek out sponsors and spend a day birding? That's easy! This is your one chance for the year to support the Chapter's great programs by spending a day outside enjoying the beauty of Sonoma County and watching birds.

The bonus is that while you are collecting pledges from people outside of the birding community, you can inform them about the ecological richness of our county and encourage them to get involved with their local Audubon chapter. You'll be surprised how generous your friends, family, and co-workers will be when you demonstrate your enthusiasm and describe the kinds of programs that will benefit.

Perhaps you feel like you're not very good at identifying birds. The Birdathon is for everyone. We want to see expert birders, beginners, and kids all out there having fun, learning, and benefiting a good cause. We can arrange to have you go out with a local expert birder. You might see over 100 species in single day! There are several ways to participate no matter what your abilities, so please help with this year's Birdathon and let's make it the most successful ever! Here is how to participate:

1. Contact Rodd Kelsey at 473-9785 or roddkelsey@yahoo.com, and he will send you a sponsor sign-up sheet. 2. Start signing up sponsors (DON'T BE SHY). Remember, no amount is too small! 3. Choose any day in February and have a great day birding. 4. Tell your sponsors how many species you saw and how much they owe you. Have them make checks out to Madrone Audubon Society and send to MAS, P.O. Box 1911, Santa Rosa, CA 95402.

There's another way to help. That is to be a sponsor. You can do this by signing up to support one of the Birdathon teams at the January membership meeting or, if you can't make the meeting, by checking the Birdathon box on the return envelope enclosed with this issue of Leaves.

Can vineyards and wildlife be friends?

Vineyard development inevitably gobbles up habitat that wildlife needs for food and shelter and degrades the area's biodiversity. But there are ways to limit the damage. Here are some talking points to raise when vineyard proposals are under review.

Minimizing disruption. Vineyards should be designed to minimize the removal of native vegetation and soil erosion. They should not be developed on land with highly erodible, shallow, or serpentine soils or on oak woodlands, unless tests have shown the land is free of oak root fungus. Oaks have a relative immunity to this fungus, but grapevines are highly vulnerable to it--more so if they are irrigated. Vernal pools should be preserved as is. These seasonal wetlands are oases for waterfowl, frogs, salamanders, dragonflies, aquatic insects, highly specialized plants and macroinvertebrates. Rare or endangered plants and animals may be involved. Roads should be built far enough from rock outcrops so they won't disrupt these natural features' value as habitat for birds, bats, and reptiles. They should be built and used in ways that minimize the production of sediment that pollutes streams and their fisheries.

Fragments/corridors. Woodlands should not be isolated in fragments inside the vineyard. Wildlife is more vulnerable to predators, wildfires, and epidemics in these habitat islands. The greatest risk is in fragments of 25 acres or less. Corridors of relatively intact habitat 100 feet or more wide should link distinct wooded areas. These provide cover for animals moving about for food or shelter or in seasonal migrations. Riparian areas are the most common natural corridors. However, some wildlife prefers non-riparian or upland corridors. Even if an existing strip is narrow, it should be maintained.
Setbacks. A 300-foot buffer zone should be maintained between grapevines and riparian habitat, whose understory can harbor the insects (sharpshooters) that carry the deadly Pierce's disease. If the host plants (wild grape, Himalayan blackberry, French broom, periwinkle) are removed, they should be replaced with native vegetation to improve wildlife habitat and stabilize stream banks.

Dead wood. Mature vegetation and dead woody debris should be left in and around the vineyard. Snags, dead branches, and brush piles provide perching, roosting, nesting, or burrowing sites; cover; and food storage sites for a wide variety of birds and mammals. Dead wood on the ground is consumed by invertebrates and fungi, and is one of the major sources of nutrients and energy under oak canopies. In turn, the invertebrates are food for birds, salamanders, and rodents.

Fencing. Fencing should be eliminated except where it is absolutely necessary to protect vines from deer and other pest mammals.
Restoration. In mitigation, oaks should be planted elsewhere on farms where they have been cleared for vineyards, and riparian habitat should be restored where it has been destroyed in past vineyard making. These are our most critical wildlife habitats.

Organic. Agrochemicals--pesticides, fungicides, and fertizilers--are harmful to wildlife, and their use should be limited as much as possible by the use of "organic" farming techniques.

Only a small fraction of the county's 52,000 acres of vineyards meet the strict standards for designation as "organic", but many growers use one or more chemical-free practices. For example, they plant California native grasses and legumes as a cover crop between the rows to increase the vineyard's biodiversity. Even better, they mow the cover crop instead of disking it--a damaging practice. Some plant native flowering shrubs at spots in the vineyard to attract beneficial insect-eating birds.

Bird nesting boxes are installed in vineyards and nearby woods to attract insect-eating swallows and bluebirds and rodent-eating owls and kestrels. Mylar streamers, fake owls, or recordings of bird distress calls are used to scare off grape-eating birds.

Most of these points were developed from "Vineyards in an Oak Landscape", a University of California pamphlet that is available from the Sonoma County Public Library.

If you feed hummingbirds and other birds all winter, please note that bacteria, fungi, and viruses can be a disease or death-inducing issue at birdfeeders. Feeding birds brings with it a responsibility.

Experts recommend using several small feeders rather than one large one. Why? Because competition and crowding cause the spread of diseases. Competition for food increases stress on the birds, which further compromises their immune systems.

For the same reasons, segregate the type of seeds you put out into the appropriate feeders. Fill large feeders with sunflower seeds, which will be visited by finches, jays, grosbeaks, titmice and chickadees. Use thistle seed feeders separately, rather than combining the thistle with other seed. This will keep the thistle seed lovers away from the big birds. Millet and other grains should be in another feeder.

Platform feeders in our rainy season have no protection from the water and the seed will quickly swell and rot. Put out small amounts daily to make sure the grain is fresh and fungus-free.

Diseases contracted by birds are carried in their feces, by contact with infected birds and infected feeders and from eating or inhaling mold spores. Most of these problems can be avoided by keeping your feeders scrupulously clean. Once a week, use a stiff brush to remove debris, then dunk the feeder in a mixture of one part chlorine to nine parts water. Leave in the mixture for a few minutes, rinse, and air dry. The area beneath the feeders should be swept periodically to remove feces.

Hummingbird feeders can easily become infected with mold and mildew, thus the sugar water needs to be changed every few days in the winter. Buy a little brush that goes up inside the bottle to clean out the mildew. Keep feeding those Anna's Hummingbirds all winter long, as they stay in Northern California year round. It's the rust-colored Allen's Hummingbirds that have migrated away from here to Central America. They'll be back in the early spring.

Here's a great recipe that comes from Santa Rosa's Bird Rescue Center. You and your kids will enjoy making and serving it to hungry birds in the dark of winter.

Melt 16-oz lard and 1 cup crunchy peanut butter over low heat. Stir in 2 cups oatmeal, 2 cups yellow cornmeal, 1 cup whole wheat flour, dried raisins, currants and cranberries and assorted chopped nuts. Add more lard if mixture is too thin. It should be like a cookie dough. Line a cake pan with waxed paper and pour in the mixture. Refrigerate until solid, and then cut in squares. Store leftovers in the refrigerator or freezer.

Put out only small amounts at a time so it won't go rancid. Keep it out of the sun to prevent melting or dripping. I stuff a small block of it into a regular suet feeder and hang it alongside a tree trunk. Once the birds catch on to how good it is, it's quickly gone.

Bodega Bay, Wednesday, October 11

Fifteen birders joined Jack Troutfetter on a cloudy day at Bodega Bay, finding 83 species. The highlight of the day occurred at the rail pond, where we had a very good look at a Prothonotary Warbler, a MacGillivray's Warbler and a Tropical Kingbird. Each of these birds was a life bird for at least some members of the group. Also, an interesting gull was observed-its feet had no web, and looked just like those of a chicken. All in all, a great day.

Point Reyes, Wednesday, October 25

Nine birders, led by Lew Edmondson, found 46 species between showers at Point Reyes. The showers turned into a steady downpour, which terminated the walkabout after the lunch break. The highlight was finding Pacific Golden Plovers in the freshly plowed fields between the Drake's Beach and North Beach turnoffs.

Bodega Bay, Sunday, October 29

Eight birders joined Lew Edmondson at Bodega Bay on a warm, crystal clear day, finding 63 species. Highlights included a Cooper's Hawk chasing a small covey of California Quail over Campbell's Cove. The Great Horned Owl obliged us by blinking down at us from the eucalyptus tree next to Owl Canyon.

Bodega Bay, Thursday, November 2

Twenty-two birders joined Jean Tonascia for this Bodega Bay walkabout. A side trip to Diekman's store revealed a Tennessee Warbler and a Townsend's Warbler. An Auklet (undetermined species) was sighted by a few of the group. In all, 96 species were seen.

Point Reyes, Thursday, November 9

Nineteen birders joined the Taylors on a pleasant but windy day at Point Reyes and the Bolinas Lagoon. We were treated to close up looks at several Townsend's Warblers. A Brown Creeper at Five Brooks and a Eurasian Wigeon at Bolinas Lagoon were among the 73 total species seen. Wood Ducks and teals were once again at Olema Marsh.

Our 34th annual count will take place on Saturday, December 30. The count will happen within the circle on the map shown. This year again, over 100 counters will go out in teams to search the 20 territories which make up our chosen area. If you have not counted before, then join up to see why past counters look forward to this wonderful event. The count begins at approximately 7:30 AM and concludes at about 4:30 PM, whereupon we will move on to the Sebastopol Community Center at 390 Morris Street for a potluck supper and the sharing of team tallies.

If you wish to help out with setting up for the potluck, please call Peter Leveque, 542-8946, or Virginia McDonagh, 527-9115. Coffee, tea, cocoa and beverage cups will be provided, but please bring your own plates, utensils and a supper dish to serve six. Participants are asked to pay $5 toward processing and publication of the count results in American Birds. The fee will be collected by your team leader. For information, or to sign up, call Russ Agnew, 823-7555 or Ken Wilson, 795-7547.

Reminder: there is no General Meeting in December.

January General Meeting, "How unusual are Acorn Woodpeckers?"

John Petersen, currently Associate Director of Audubon Canyon Ranch, has observed Acorn Woodpeckers for years. While Resident Biologist at ACR's Bouverie Preserve in Glen Ellen, he became intrigued by their natural history. He will share some of that history with us at the January General Meeting on Monday, January 15. He also will give us an update on Audubon Canyon Ranch and its preserves at Bolinas Lagoon and Cypress Grove, as well as the Bouverie Preserve.

Acorn Woodpeckers are common for us to see and hear in Sonoma County. However, their range is limited to a narrow West Coast band and area reaching from Arizona-New Mexico into Mexico. More unusual yet are their cooperative breeding and colonial living arrangements.

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.

ACR's four biologists often engage our volunteers in a search for spring during the darkest days of winter. They point out hills greening after the long half-year drought. They urge us to poke through forest duff and marvel at the progress of decomposition, hurried on by the wet and relative warmth of our coastal California climate. Greg DeNevers, our Resident Biologist at Bolinas Lagoon Preserve, revels at mushrooms popping up, bay trees in bloom in November, and new leaves on the gooseberry.

At our three Preserves, we watch moisture-loving critters emerge from the dry estivating months. If we're lucky, we glimpse Great Pacific Salamanders wandering through the damp redwood forest. Docents in training have to sidestep around newts, which are emerging from their underground homes to travel through the wetness of their own "spring."

It's a wonderful time for all of us to poke around for signs of spring, and ACR invites you to join us on one of these occasions:

Bird Count at Cypress Grove Preserve. If you can help with our winter bird count (or become an ACR field observer or habitat restoration volunteer), please call the CGP office at (415) 663-8203.

Trail Days at Bouverie Preserve. January 8, February 5, April 9, May 7, 8:15 AM to 12:30 PM. Spend a morning with friends of this beautiful Preserve, working with our Land Steward and learning about land management. Bring a pair of work gloves and a lunch. We'll provide drinks and lots of pats on the back. RSVP to 938-4554.

Guided Nature Walks at the Bouverie Preserve. Saturday mornings, January 13, 27; February 24; March 24; April 7, 21; May 5, 12. Experience the beauty and rich history of this 500-acre Preserve, only open to the public on these Saturdays. Please call 938-4554 for a lottery form.

Red-necked Grebe 11/4 Bodega Harbor entrance BDP, et al
Black-footed Albatross (6-8) 10/14 Offshore Sonoma County M.O.A. Laysan Albatross (10 or so) 11/11 75 mi. W. of San Mateo Co. TE, DN,GMcC et al
Sooty Shearwater (15) 10/14 Offshore Sonoma County M.O.A.
Pink-footed Shearwater (35) 10/14 Offshore Sonoma County M.O.A.
Buller's Shearwater (115) 10/14 Offshore Sonoma County M.O.A.
Northern Fulmar (55) 10/14 Offshore Sonoma County M.O.A.
Black Storm-Petrel (10) 10/14 Offshore Sonoma County M.O.A.
Ashy Storm-Petrel (10-12) 10/14 Offshore Sonoma County M.O.A.
Wilson's Storm-Petrel (1) 11/11 75 mi. W. of San Mateo Co. TE, DN, GMcC et al
Pomarine Jaeger (16) 10/14 Offshore Sonoma County M.O.A.
Parasitic Jaeger (5) 10/14 Offshore Sonoma County M.O.A.
South Polar Skua (2) 10/14 Offshore Sonoma County M.O.A.
Tufted Puffin (1) 10/14 Offshore Sonoma County M.O.A.
Rhinoceros Auklet (65) 10/14 Offshore Sonoma County M.O.A.
Cassin's Auklet (150) 10/14 Offshore Sonoma County M.O.A.
Elegant Tern (2) 10/5 Gaffney Point, Bodega Harbor NB
Red Knot (2) 11/2 Spud Point Marina BG, et al
White-faced Ibis (4) 11/10 W. end of Yolo causeway, Hwy 80 DN, TCN White-fronted Goose (1) 10/19 Doran Pond NC
White-fronted Goose (1) 11/4 Pond at Hwy 116 & Stage Gulch RL
Wood Duck (6 pairs) 10/5 Russian River SK
Oldsquaw (female) 11/2 Bodega Harbor, E. of Owl Canyon WS
Hooded Merganser (4) 11/4 Carmody Road pond BDP, et al
Rough-legged Hawk 11/9 Two Rock DN
Ferruginous Hawk 11/1 Bodega Farm pond IM
Golden Eagle (2 ad.) 11/3 Adobe Canyon Road IM
Common Black-Hawk (origin?) 10/14 Willowside Road LH
White-throated Swift (8-10) 11/7 Top of Mt. St. Helena DN
Pileated Woodpecker (1 sick ind.) 10/7 Scott's R/W, Sebastopol AC
Tropical Kingbird 10/12 Bodega Bay Rail Ponds BG, et al
Tennessee Warbler 11/1 Below Diekmann's store CC, LH
Wilson's Warbler 11/8 Below Diekmann's store RS, et al
Prothonotary Warbler (1 male) 10/12 Bodega Bay Rail Ponds BG, DB, KW Canyon Wren 11/7 N.W. face of Mt. St. Helena DN
Chestnut-backed Chickadee (4) 11/7 Top of Mt. St. Helena DN
Townsend's Solitaire (30-35) 11/7 Top of Mt. St. Helena DN
Fox Sparrow ( 5 "megaryncha") 11/7 Top of Mt. St. Helena DN
Fox Sparrow (5 "fuliginosa") 11/7 Top of Mt. St. Helena DN
White-throated Sparrow Oct-Nov. Furlong Road NB
Clark's Nutcracker (3-5) 11/4 Top of Mt. St. Helena AW
Clark's Nutcracker (10-15) 11/7 Top of Mt. St. Helena DN
Cassin's Finch (1) 11/5 Top of Mt. St. Helena AW, BDP
Baltimore Oriole (imm. male) 11/5 Below Diekmann's store RM, et al Bullock's Oriole (imm. male) 11/5-11 Below Diekmann's store M.Ob

CONTRIBUTORS: Dennis Beall, Nikka Bingel, Alma Cavallo, Nancy Conzett, Chris Corben, Todd Easterla, Betty Groce, Lisa Hug, Sean Kalloway, Rick Lebadour, Guy McCaskie, Richard Merriss, Ian Morrison, Mollymawk Offshore Adventures, Dan Nelson, Tyler Cannon-Nelson, Benjamin D. Parmeter, Werner Schumann, Rich Stallcup, Alan Wight and Ken Wilson.

January Program: "All About Bats!" Saturday, January 13, 2001, 10 AM

Our annual bat program, at the Central Library in downtown Santa Rosa, is one of our most popular events of the year. Pat Winters will again join us, and she'll be bringing some of her furry friends so we can get a rare look at these adorable creatures. Pat will entertain us with a wonderful slide show and stories about bats, as well as important information about these intelligent and beneficial animals. We will also make bat masks, learn how to build bat houses, and find out about many other bat crafts. Space is limited, so call Amy now to reserve your family's spot! Amy Kelsey, 473-9785.

Your computer comes alive on the Pee Wee Page of Madrone Audubon's website (www.audubon.sonoma.net). Even if you have no young birders at home, this page is quite a show. Check out the Pee Wee monthly magazine and "Bird of the Month" for more activity and superb bird photos. Our congratulations to talented WebMaster Jeff Holtzman.

Morro Bay Winter Bird Festival. January 12-15, 2001. Consult the website at www.morro-bay.net/birds.

Northern San Francisco Bay Flyway Festival. January 19-21, at Mare Island in Vallejo. Activities include numerous guided birding and specialty tours led by experienced naturalists and members of local Audubon Society chapters. Also exhibits, a film festival and art show in Building 505, the historic Navy radio communications facility on Mare Island. The festival is hosted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge, along with local Bay Area environmental groups. Contact Myrna Hayes, Festival Coordinator, at 557-9816 or 562-BIRD(2473). Send email to myrnahay@pacbell.net for additional information.

And farther afield…

California Duck Days 2001. February 16-18 in the Sacramento Valley region (headquartered in Davis). This festival celebrates the Central Valley's peak migration period, with field trips offering outstanding birding opportunities, as well as workshops and demonstrations about wetlands and wildlife. Website: www.duckdays.org.

22nd Annual Bald Eagle Conference. February 16-18, in Klamath Falls, Oregon. Up to 1,000 eagles winter in the Klamath Basin. Field trips give participants an opportunity to learn more about eagle behavior and habitat, while workshops and lectures emphasize broader environmental themes. Pre-registration discount offered before February 10. Call Anne Wenner at (541) 882-1219-- or send e-mail to karlw12733@aol.com. Online information at www.eaglecon.org.

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