Madrone Audubon filed an appeal on January 27 to the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors, contending that the County Planning Commission may have violated the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) process by adopting a mitigated negative declaration for the Saddle Mountain Ranch development.

Madrone maintains that the County has not submitted this major subdivision project in its current form to the State Clearinghouse, which has the authority to disseminate the project to the appropriate trust agencies.

According to Allan Buckmann of the California Department of Fish and Game, the 1240-acre Saddle Mountain Ranch property east of Calistoga Road is rich in natural resources with a wide variety of habitat types supporting a diverse wildlife community. It contains three tributaries of Mark West Creek, a rich spawning ground for the federally listed steelhead trout. Twenty-nine estate homes are proposed for the property as well as new roads and a creek crossing at Alpine Creek.

The appeal also states that the environmental impact report and other environmental documents are inadequate to address potentially significant impacts to the resources because the documents are old and outdated. The original EIR was adopted in 1978, and the county submitted an earlier version of the project to State Clearinghouse in 1982. Subsequent environmental reports, necessitated by changes in the project during the 1990's, have not been reviewed by trust agencies, whose comments must be incorporated into the current mitigated negative declaration before county approval.

Under CEQA, the county as lead agency is required to solicit comment from public agencies, such as Fish and Game and the California Regional Water Quality Control Board, which exercise authority over resources that may be affected by the project. According to the California Supreme Court, CEQA should be "scrupulously followed" in order for the public to understand "the basis on which its responsible government officials either approve or reject environmentally significant action" ("Community Guide to CEQA," 2002, PCL Foundation, p. 20).

The Board of Supervisors will hold a hearing on the appeal at the Supervisors Chambers, 575 Administration Drive, Santa Rosa. Madrone encourages the public to attend. If you would like to receive notice from the county about the date and time of the hearing, please call Joanne Dranginis at 523-4373 or joanhd@sonic.net.

At less than 150 miles east of the International Dateline, Midway Atoll is truly "midway" around the world from the Greenwich meridian. Made famous by its role in one of the most important battles of World War II, the atoll is now the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge. The total population of nesting seabirds is nearly two million, of which about half are albatrosses. Ron LeValley's stunning photos will highlight the biology of these seabirds as well as the management and conservation of this remarkable place.

Ron LeValley is the founder and owner of Mad River Biologists, an ecological consulting firm in Humboldt County. He has an M.A in biology from Humboldt State University, and over the past 35 years he has traveled widely to learn about seabirds and other wildlife. Much of his early knowledge and inspiration stems from a long involvement with Point Reyes Bird Observatory, including a two-year stint as a biologist at the Farallon Island research station.

Madrone Audubon and Audubon California are most pleased to announce that the "Bird Check List for Mayacamas Mountains Audubon Sanctuary and Pine Flat Road" is now in print. This has been a wonderful effort by many dedicated Madrone members: Bill Payne and Ian Morrison spearheaded the census-taking and lengthy compiling of data, Mary Haller shaped it all into an attractive brochure, and patient local birders combed the Sanctuary area with their leaders over a period of several years to make the project a reality.

Ask for the check list at Madrone meetings and bird walks-it's free!-or contact Diane Hichway (579-1182) or Joanne Dranginis (523-4373) of the MMAS Committee.

Bolinas Lagoon Preserve
Please join us on any weekend day during our public season, March 15 to July 13. There's always something new, from eggs to sibling rivalry, going on in our heronry atop Picher Canyon's redwoods and Douglas firs. There are trails to hike, ponds to explore, picnic tables to munch over, a book store to browse through, and much, much more. To preview some of the wonderful spring feasts that await you, visit our new website at <www.egret.org>.

ACR Hosts Needed from Madrone
Madrone Audubon is asked to provide hosts at Audubon Canyon Ranch for one weekend a month, four volunteers each day. Hosts greet and register visitors to the ranch. No special skills required, just a friendly smile, and you'll have some time to visit the heronry yourself! The weekend days still open are: Saturday and Sunday, March 29-30, Saturday, April 26, Sunday and Monday (Memorial Day), May 25-26, Saturday and Sunday June 21-22, Sunday July 6 and Saturday, July 12. Can you help on one of these days? Please contact Janet Bosshard at 526-5883.

Bouverie Preserve
Every spring at our Bouverie Preserve in Sonoma County, we schedule a special guided nature walk for Audubon members only. This year it is Saturday, May 3, 9:30 AM-1:30 PM. Call the Bouverie office at 938-4554 and request a special Audubon lottery form. Or you can apply for the lottery for any of our regular Saturday guided nature walks, scheduled for March 22, April 5 and 19, May 10 and 17.

If you'd like to visit Bouverie without winning the lottery, please join us for our public work day, Saturday, March 8, 9:15 AM-1:30 PM. Help spruce up the Preserve-maybe by pruning, weeding, or cleaning-and celebrate your good work with a free lunch. Again, call ahead so we can prepare enough food.

Martha Bentley took the first baby birds for 2003 under her wing at the Bird Rescue Center in February-two tiny Anna's Hummingbirds. They had been found as a tree was cut down, then taken to a school, then finally to Bird Rescue. This means the nesting season is upon us-time to clean out bird houses AND to volunteer at BRC!

Training at the Center will take place on the first Saturday of the month at 9:30 AM and the third Wednesday at 7 PM from March 1 to April 16. Help is needed to feed and care for the orphaned and injured birds and also for telephones, transport and education. In 2002 the Bird Rescue Center logged 10,507 telephone calls requesting help or information. You can call this same number about becoming a volunteer: 523-BIRD, or 523-2473.

Bodega Bay, Thursday, January 16
Out of the fog and into a beautiful sunny sky at Bodega, 24 birders and leader George Batchelder were invigorated by the identification of 74 species! Visitors from Yosemite Area Audubon shared our delight in sighting a White-winged Scoter in the bay, as well as a Peregrine Falcon, Red-necked Grebe and Wild Turkeys along the way, for a nice mix of January birds. Let's just say…birding is a good thing!

Conn Dam/Lake Henessey, Wednesday, January 22
The fog made it difficult to scope out birds far off yet our intrepid little group of 10 birders led by Richard Hurley saw 43 species. After lunch we found our bird of the day, a Hooded Merganser, at a farmer's pond on Pope Valley Road, and it was our last bird of the day due to rain.

Shollenberger Park, Saturday, January 25
On a calm, sunny day 13 birders led by Lew Edmondson hiked the two-mile trail around Shollenberger Park in Petaluma, finding 53 species. We were followed by a group from the San Francisco Bay Flyway Festival which sponsored Shollenberger bird walks on Friday and Sunday as well. No unusual birds were seen.

Stafford Lake, Thursday, January 30
On a foggy day 24 Madrone Audubon members led by Lew Edmondson met at Stafford Lake in Novato. As usual, the resident Spotted Sandpiper was seen along the cove next to the parking lot. The Red-breasted Sapsucker was again seen in the Monterey pines on the south side of the parking lot next to the new restroom. A Ring-necked Duck and Cinnamon Teal were seen in the pond at the west end of the lake. Male and female Purple Finches were found in the willows along the Terwilliger Trail. From Stafford Lake we proceeded to McInnis Park and Las Gallinas oxidation ponds in San Rafael where our total species count swelled to 72, including a Peregrine Falcon.

Bodega Bay, Saturday, February 1
Bird Behavior from the Beginners Bird Walk, from co-leader Ken Wilson

A cold, windy day in Bodega Harbor with a mid-morning, six-foot-plus high tide created some unusual conditions for this walk. So what do birds do in Bodega Harbor in strong winds and high tides? On this particular day they rested. Shorebirds were driven high into shoreline vegetation with not much else to do until the mudflats again became available to them starting about 1:30 PM. At the far north end of the harbor large rafts of waterfowl took advantage of whatever shelter was available and offered good viewing in their inactivity. A short distance south of the ducks, hundreds of floating gulls rested for most of the day. In Porta Bodega American Avocets drifted alongside resting Mew Gulls, and Black-crowned Night-Herons slept on the dock. Other interesting sightings were a Red Knot, a very yellow Northern Flicker, a marauding Merlin and forty-five huddled birders.

Grizzly Island and Rush Ranch, Wednesday, February 5
On a clear but very windy cool day, 36 birders joined Jack Troutfetter for what turned out to be a good birding day, with 68 bird species seen. We got a very good look at a Great Horned Owl at Rush Ranch. A Barn Owl was seen in a nest box, at the headquarters. Don and Lavern Richart were able to pick out a Burrowing Owl, which we had missed earlier, on their way home.

Urban Birding in Sebastopol, Thursday, February 13
Fifteen birders joined leader Gay Bishop for the urban outing in Sebastopol. Highlights of the very wet day were moorhens and a gathering of 35 cattle egrets feeding in pastures next to 45 Great Egrets; the latter adorned in graceful nuptial plumes (or aigrettes). With a total of 32 species seen, the outing was cancelled mid-morning due to heavy rain.

Madrone Audubon has contributed $1000 from the Breeding Bird Atlas Fund to the Dr. John R. Arnold Memorial Fund at Sonoma State University, where it will be used to endow a scholarship for biology students.

This gift will be acknowledged along with other major gifts on a plaque attached to a memorial, a handsome bronze bust of Dr. Arnold, mounted above a finely crafted walnut display case. It stands in the southeast corner of the lobby of Darwin Hall at SSU. Thomas Marsh, figure sculptor, and Michael Cullen of Michael Cullen Designs were the local artists who created this beautiful memorial.

Dr. Arnold was one of the first professors on the staff at SSU, and was the chair of the Biology Department for many years. He continued to work and teach there and at the California Academy of Sciences long after his retirement in 1975. An avid field ornithologist, he was also a gracious and helpful friend to Madrone Audubon and to all birders.

Betty Groce found a pair of nice gloves in the parking lot of the Sebastopol Community Center just after the West County Christmas Bird Count dinner on December 29. Anyone who can describe them accurately to Betty can claim them by contacting her at 539-8664 or at blgroce@prodigy.net.

75 Red-throated Loon 72 Red-shouldered Hawk
90 Pacific Loon 263 Red-tailed Hawk
71 Common Loon 7 Ferruginous Hawk
16 loon, sp 4 Rough-legged Hawk
45 Pied-billed Grebe 5 Buteo, sp
46 Horned Grebe 6 Golden Eagle
7 Red-necked Grebe 2 adult(s)
107 Eared Grebe 4 immature(s)
262 Western Grebe 172 American Kestrel
14 Clark's Grebe 8 Merlin
176 Aechmophorus, sp 11 Peregrine Falcon
44 Northern Fulmar 3 Prairie Falcon
1 shearwater, sp 1 falcon, sp
223 Brown Pelican 279 Wild Turkey
375 Brandt's Cormorant 1458 California Quail
36 Double-crested Cormorant 1 Black Rail
384 Pelagic Cormorant 5 Virginia Rail
15 cormorant, sp 4 Sora
50 Great Blue Heron (blue morph) 889 American Coot
22 Great Egret 44 Black-bellied Plover
24 Snowy Egret 1 Pacific Golden-Plover
14 Black-crowned Night-Heron 2 Snowy Plover
497 Turkey Vulture 43 Semipalmated Plover
2 Greater White-fronted Goose 90 Killdeer
137 Canada Goose 88 Black Oystercatcher
1 Canada Goose (small forms) 21 American Avocet
1735 (Black) Brant 3 Greater Yellowlegs
17 Wood Duck 423 Willet
13 Gadwall 2 Spotted Sandpiper
1 Eurasian Wigeon 12 Whimbrel
201 American Wigeon 1886 Marbled Godwit
174 Mallard 41 Ruddy Turnstone
7 Cinnamon Teal 249 Black Turnstone
39 Northern Pintail 97 Surfbird
4 Green-winged Teal (American) 304 Sanderling
19 Canvasback 575 Western Sandpiper
6 Ring-necked Duck 254 Least Sandpiper
182 Greater Scaup 969 Dunlin
499 Lesser Scaup 300 peep, sp
600 scaup, sp 2 dowitcher, sp
994 Surf Scoter 4 Common Snipe
4 White-winged Scoter 2 Red Phalarope
42 Black Scoter 2 Heermann's Gull
41 scoter, sp 227 Mew Gull
1359 Bufflehead 164 Ring-billed Gull
66 Common Goldeneye 594 California Gull
3 Hooded Merganser 125 Herring Gull
48 Common Merganser 1 Thayer's Gull
34 Red-breasted Merganser 848 Western Gull
215 Ruddy Duck 20 Western X Glaucous-winged Gull
11 Osprey 270 Glaucous-winged Gull
14 White-tailed Kite 1 Black-legged Kittiwake
51 Northern Harrier 1827 gull, sp
14 Sharp-shinned Hawk 156 Forster's Tern
10 Cooper's Hawk 113 Common Murre
9 Accipiter, sp 3 Pigeon Guillemot

10-Jan-2003 1
2002 WESTERN SONOMA COUNTY CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT

5 Marbled Murrelet 132 Varied Thrush
3 Ancient Murrelet 101 Wrentit
5 murrelet, sp 19 Northern Mockingbird
2 alcid, sp 1554 European Starling
210 Rock Dove 91 American Pipit
4 Band-tailed Pigeon 30 Cedar Waxwing
215 Mourning Dove 1 Orange-crowned Warbler
1 Western Screech-Owl 58 Yellow-rumped (Myrtle) Warbler
8 Great Horned Owl 123 Yellow-rumped (Audubon's) Warbler
3 Northern Pygmy-Owl 236 Yellow-rumped Warbler
1 Short-eared Owl 68 Townsend's Warbler
141 Anna's Hummingbird 2 Hermit Warbler
24 Belted Kingfisher 2 Common Yellowthroat
120 Acorn Woodpecker 147 Spotted Towhee
14 Red-breasted Sapsucker 403 California Towhee
55 Nuttall's Woodpecker 62 Savannah Sparrow
24 Downy Woodpecker 153 Fox Sparrow
8 Hairy Woodpecker 373 Song Sparrow
3 Northern (Red-shafted) Flicker 9 Lincoln's Sparrow
183 Northern Flicker 3 White-throated Sparrow
3 Northern (Yel-sh. X Red-sh.) 1510 White-crowned Sparrow
11 Pileated Woodpecker 1129 Golden-crowned Sparrow
161 Black Phoebe 142 sparrow, sp
13 Say's Phoebe 1004 Dark-eyed (Oregon) Junco
10 Hutton's Vireo 1 Rose-breasted Grosbeak
301 Steller's Jay 804 Red-winged Blackbird
585 Western Scrub-Jay 1 Tricolored Blackbird
504 American Crow 830 Western Meadowlark
308 Common Raven 1804 Brewer's Blackbird
550 Chestnut-backed Chickadee 6 Brown-headed Cowbird
77 Oak Titmouse 477 blackbird, sp
372 Bushtit 48 Purple Finch
34 Red-breasted Nuthatch 288 House Finch
8 White-breasted Nuthatch 312 Pine Siskin
62 Pygmy Nuthatch 37 Lesser Goldfinch
23 Brown Creeper 20 American Goldfinch
31 Bewick's Wren 8 Evening Grosbeak
2 House Wren 156 House Sparrow
34 Winter Wren
37 Marsh Wren 42724 Individuals
203 Golden-crowned Kinglet 171 Species
376 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 2 Additional Forms
569 Western Bluebird 1 Hybrids
53 Hermit Thrush 1 Intergrades
3127 American Robin 171 Cumulative Species

Bird entries not counted as species are indented.

The 2002 Christmas Bird Count on December 29 benefited from a one-day gap in the storm systems that were then sweeping through the county. With a minimum of wind and cloud cover and no rain, it seemed a good possibility that the opportunity to forage would bring large numbers of species into our view. However, this was just not the case-many species appear to have avoided the count circle.

Our unofficial total for the day is 173 species, a good count but by no means as high as we have had in the past. We had 20 teams in the field with a record number of 144 counters spread out throughout the circle. This year we had a boat out as well, searching for the elusive pelagics in very high seas.

Waterfowl in general were present in low numbers, with the exception of Brown Pelicans, Pelagic Cormorants, Canada Geese (highest ever), Black Brant and Bufflehead. Missing were Barrow's Goldeneye, White Pelican and Green Heron. Pelagic species, such as Northern Fulmar, Common Murre, Ancient and Marbled Murrelet, Pigeon Guillemot and Black-legged Kittiwake were counted in low numbers while Auklets failed to show at all and a lone shearwater was identified to species only.

Shore birds and waders were present in low numbers with the exception of Black Oystercatcher and Forster's Tern, both registering a record count number. Wandering Tattler and Red Knot were not found. Raptors, on the other hand, made a great showing. Osprey, Red-shouldered Hawk, Ferruginous Hawk and Prairie Falcon were seen in their highest numbers yet. Northern Harrier, Red-tailed Hawk and Peregrine Falcon produced their second highest recordings.

California Quail were back with record count numbers while Common Moorhen were absent. Diligence evoked the presence of a single calling Black Rail; however, the lack of diligence allowed Barn, Spotted, Northern Saw-whet and perhaps Long-eared Owls to go uncounted. We have a need for more "owlers" since we lost the skills of Doug Ellis.

Passerines, in general, were present in lower than expected numbers with the exception of ravens, crows and woodpeckers, which showed strongly. High counts were registered for Western Scrub-Jay, Oak Titmouse and Western Bluebird, Pygmy Nuthatch and Western Meadowlark. Numerous passerines that failed to show include California Thrasher, American Dipper, Loggerhead Shrike, Horned Lark, Rufous-crowned, Swamp and Lark Sparrows and swallows.

Many thanks to all who made this count possible-leaders, counters and the potluck support team. And thanks to our donors-the cost of the fishing boat that we used was paid for by Birdathon and other donations. We wish you all a good year of birding ahead and hope you will participate in the next count on December 28, 2003.

New CBC Compiler(s) Needed
On another note, Russ Agnew and I are retiring as the count compilers due other pressing commitments. We wish to thank all those who have stepped up to the plate over the past nine years and helped make our tenure as easy and pleasant as it has been. At this point we are in need of a new compiler, or compilers, to take our place. Russ and I are prepared to offer all help necessary to ensure an easy transition and a successful 2003 count.

If you are interested or know someone who is, please call Russ at 823-7775 or myself at 795-7547.

The Mayacamas Mountains Audubon Sanctuary is looking very nice these days. Geysers Recharge Project construction activities on the property are limited to the Mayacamas Pump Station site and occasional erosion control maintenance along the pipeline alignment. We expect that spring will be relatively quiet on the Sanctuary from a construction perspective, and plan to schedule a few field trips for Audubon members and the public.

Mitigation restoration by Hanford Applied Restoration and Conservation has begun in a few locations. However, the majority of this work will begin next fall after all of the construction is finished. We can look forward to a very large-scale native plant restoration effort over the next several years.

Keep in mind that Geysers Recharge Project construction will continue throughout the spring below the Sanctuary, and as a result public access will remain somewhat restricted. Good access can still be expected over weekends, so Saturdays and Sundays are great days to drive up Pine Flat Road and take a look.

And Diane Hichwa has been to the Sanctuary for just such a look… She reports:
Spring is on its way to the Mayacamas Sanctuary, with five bluebirds around the birdhouses by the Modini driveway and Ferguson Spring. A good supply of early wildflowers are in bloom: white milkmaids, pink shooting stars, blue hound's tongue, yellow sanicle, a few early lupines and one clump of Indian paintbrush.

New Local Members:
CALISTOGA: Roselee Nichols. SANTA ROSA: Andrea Bond, Maurine Caplinger, Mike Center. SONOMA: Roberta Simons.

New National Audubon Members:
BODEGA BAY: Alice Pickton. COTATI: Jon Wobber. FORESTVILLE: Mary Aff. HEALDSBURG: Jeff Nimo, Gordon Potter, Barbara Toschi. KENWOOD: Jim & Noreen Gunning. OCCIDENTAL: Judy Elliott, Heather Howitt. PETALUMA: Linda Lipps, Beth Mason, Sue Worley, the Thomases. ROHNERT PARK: Victoria Alexander, Sid & Corisa Aaronson, Christine Olivas & Family. SANTA ROSA: Kathryn Baker, Amy Breckenridge, Sierra & Samuel Hinkle, Brae Parker, John Clinta Pietela, Maria Rapalyea, Celia Talbot, Robert Tancreto, Harriette Akin Thompson, Connie Weber, Tim Williams. SEBASTOPOL: David Abramson, Luann & Dan Dehlinger, Tiffany Rose Franklin, Eric Frich. SONOMA: Wendy Losee, Kim Norred & Family, Byron Nottingham.

This is a chance to try orienteering, a sport of navigation where participants use maps and compasses to help them find markers set out by the organizers. It is rather like a treasure hunt. There will be a beginner's clinic at 9:30 AM, followed by the chance to try out your skills as a team.

We will meet at 9:00 AM in the North Spring Lake parking lot off Channel Drive (parking fee of $3). The beginner's clinic is free, but there is a small charge for entering an event. You can bring a compass or rent one for $1. The BAOC recommends that children who participate be over the age of 6 and able to walk at least 1 mile.

Please call Claire at 527-6118 for details, or check out the BAOC website at <www.baoc.org>, or the hotline at (408) 255-8018. If you decide to attend, please call Shona at 869-1577 so that we know to expect you!

Calling all Pee Wee artists! Madrone Audubon would like to see your work. There will be prizes for the top three entrants in each of three age groups: 5 years and under, 6-8 years, and 9-12 years. Selected artwork will be displayed at the Madrone Audubon Society Annual General Meeting on May 19, and on the Madrone Audubon Society website, Madrone Online (www.audubon.sonoma.net).

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO:
1) Draw, paint, color or make a collage on 81/2 x 11 paper of a bird that is found in Sonoma County. You can use pictures or photos from magazines or books to help you with the shape and color of the bird, or just watch the birds in your yard. Examples include: California Quail, American Robin, American Goldfinch, Red-tailed Hawk, Western Bluebird, Brown Pelican, Acorn Woodpecker.

2) Artwork must be original. No computer-generated entries or photographs will be considered for prizes.

3) Write both your name and the type of bird you drew on your picture.

4) Write your name, age, address and phone number on a piece of paper and include a short explanation of why you chose that particular bird. Attach that piece of paper securely to the back of your picture.

5) Mail your picture to Madrone Audubon Society Bird Art Competition, c/o Claire Shurvinton, 1436 Lawrence Way, Santa Rosa, CA 95401.

6) Pictures must be received by April 22 in order to be considered for prizes.

7) If you wish your artwork to be returned, please include a stamped, addressed envelope. Madrone Audubon is not responsible for damage or loss during transit.

For more information or questions please contact Claire at 527-6118, or cshurvin@earthlink.net

On February 7 a group from National Audubon, led by California Audubon Executive Director Jerry Secundy, visited Petaluma on a tour of potential sites for a Northern California Audubon Center. Others from National Audubon included Tamar Chotzen, Senior Vice-President for Centers and Education, and Brooke Langston, Project Manager, Centers and Education.

The tour included a drive through Shollenberger Park led by docents Gerald Moore and Bob Dyer. Binoculars came out immediately to view the park's resident and wintering waterfowl. The group was shown the new Alman Marsh Trail and the site of the proposed Wetlands Park adjacent to Shollenberger.

The group then convened at the Sheraton Hotel where local officials described the benefits of selecting Petaluma as a site for an Audubon Education Center. Speakers included Master of Ceremonies David Yearsley, former Petaluma Councilwoman Janice Cader-Thompson, Madrone Audubon Vice-President Sylvan Eidelman, Petaluma Mayor David Glass, Dr. Greta Viguie, Superintendent of Petaluma Schools, and Jessica Van Gardner, Director of the Petaluma Visitors Center. Their show of enthusiasm and support appeared to impress National Audubon' s representatives. A decision on site selection is expected by the beginning of March.

Madrone Audubon would like to thank David Yearsley for his excellent efforts in coordinating this event. As chairman of the Petaluma Wetlands Park Alliance, David has been a tireless advocate for this park. The city is still negotiating for the land acquisition, and expects to announce a completed deal soon.

Programs…

Environmental Awards Dinner. Saturday, March 15, at 5:30 PM at the Sebastopol Veterans Building. Co-sponsored by the Sonoma County Conservation Council and the Sonoma Group of the Sierra Club. Proceeds benefit the Environmental Center of Sonoma County. Reservations paid in advance are $30. Mail checks to SCCC, P.O. Box 4346, Santa Rosa CA 95402. For more information go to <www.envirocentersoco.org/dinner03.htm>.

Continuing series, Sonoma County Tomorrow: Then and Now:
Saturday, March 22, 2-4 PM at the Environmental Center, 404A Mendocino Avenue in Santa Rosa. Madrone Audubon's own Martha Bentley will be talking about the Bird Rescue Center and her work there. For more information please contact Linda Curry at 526-7865.

Going outdoors…

LagunaKeeper Workdays. Two Saturdays, March 1 and April 5, from 9 AM to Noon next to the Community Center in Sebastopol. Help remove non-native plants and spruce up the trail. Free LagunaKeeper tee shirts to new volunteers. Bring tools, gloves and water. Rain cancels. Questions? Call Mary Abbott, 823-5331 X310.

Fairfield Osborn Preserve: Two naturalist-led hikes every Saturday, March 1 through May 17, at 10:00 AM and 1:00 PM. No reservations required-meet at the Preserve parking lot. For directions, go to <sonoma.edu/org/preserve> or call 795-5069.

Orienteering. Sunday, March 30, from 9:00 AM to Noon in Annadel State Park. See Pee Wee Audubon, p. .

Viansa Wetlands. Guided tours every other Sunday, March 9 through May 18. View this 90-acre, man-made waterfowl preserve south of Sonoma that is the seasonal home to geese, ducks, shorebirds and golden eagles. Tours from $15 and up. To sign up, call (800) 995-4740.

Godwit Days. April 18-21 in Arcata. Spring migration bird festival, world class bird-watching and nature experiences in and around Arcata Marsh. Ornithologist and author Kenn Kaufman will be the keynote speaker. Information: (800) 908-WING (9464) or <www.godwitdays.com>.

Stocking up on feeders and birdseed? Remember that a 10% discount is available to Madrone Audubon members at Wild Birds Unlimited in Santa Rosa and if requested, the owners will donate the amount of the discount to Madrone Audubon.

Laysan Albatross Jan. Point Arena Cove- seen on some days M.Ob.
Sandhill Crane Jan. Garcia River "bottoms" at Highway 1 DS et al
Blue-winged Teal (1) 1/25 Sebastopol Community Center DN
Blue-winged Teal (8+) Jan. Shollenberger Park M.Ob.
Eurasian Wigeon (1) 1/25 Bodega Harbor DN
Tufted Duck (fem) 2/5 Lake Merritt, Oakland JM
Tufted Duck (fem) 2/8 Las Amigas Road pond, Napa County M.Ob.
Tufted Duck 2/3 Lake Chabot, Vallejo C&LL
Tufted Duck Feb. Bolinas Lagoon (S. end) AL
Harlequin Duck (2) 2/5 Sea Ranch LS
Oldsquaw (1) Feb. First Streer pier, Benicia, Solano County M.Ob.
Hooded Merganser (2) Feb. Hicks Valley Road AL
Black Scoter (imm. male) Jan.-Feb. Doran Jetty area DN
Ross' Goose (3) 2/3 Shiloh Road, near golf course DN Gr.
White-fronted Goose (1) 2/3 Shiloh Road DN
Marbled Murrelet (2) 1/24 Off Bodega Head RL, DN
Northern Fulmar (40-50) 2/8 Off Bodega Head DN
Ruff Jan.-Feb. Vic Fazio wetlands, Yolo County M.Ob.
Long-billed Curlew (220) Jan.-Feb. Port Sonoma, Sonoma County DN
Pacific Golden Plover (1) 1/28 Shollenberger Park DN Spotted Sandpiper 2/9 Marin Cheese Factory DN, CN, TCN
Short-eared Owl 1/28 South of Shollenberger Park DN
Burrowing Owl Dec. Walker Road dairy, Two Rock J & KT
Nutting's Flycatcher Feb. Continuing over-winterer at Santa Cruz M.Ob.
Eastern Phoebe Feb. Continuing over-winterer at Olema M.(Fox Rd), RS
Rufous Hummingbird (male) 2/7 Oakmont BG
Sedge Wren Feb. Continuing over-winterer at Half Moon Bay M.Ob.
Dipper Feb. Santa Rosa Creek at Hood Mtn. trail MN
Canada Warbler Feb. Continuing over-winterer at S.F. Zoo M.Ob.
Rusty Blackbird (fem) Feb. Continuing over-winterer at Sunnyvale M.Ob.
Sage Thrasher Jan.-Feb. U.C. Davis Raptor Center JH et al
Harris' Sparrow 2/15 W. of Lincoln, Placer County. C&LL et al

CONTRIBUTORS: Larry Broderick, Betty Groce, Jack Hayden, Rick Lebadour, Andy LeCass, Cindy & Les Lieurance, Joe Morlan, Mike Nelligan, Clyde Nelson, Dan Nelson, Tyler Cannon-Nelson, Dianne Sierra, Lang Stevenson, Rich Stallcup, and Joe & Kathy Tresch.

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