Well-known locally for his outstanding photography, Gerald Moore will highlight the beauty and uniqueness of the Yellowstone area with photos selected from several trips to Yellowstone over the past ten years. He has also done extensive reading about the area, and he will provide an overview of some of the ecological issues challenging the Park Service in the Yellowstone ecosystem.

Gerald has a Ph.D. in biochemistry and spent nearly thirty years in biomedical research, but has always been a biologist at heart. He has also been a recreational naturalist and nature photographer for many years. After retiring from medical research he started a part-time nature photography business. He also became a docent at the California Academy of Sciences, a wetlands advocate, a founding member of the Petaluma Wetlands Alliance, and a Shollenberger Park docent. He resides in Petaluma and currently represents the Wetlands Alliance on the Madrone Audubon Board of Directors.

MAY PROGRAM: Annual Meeting and Pot luck dinner, plus
Daniel Edelstein on "The Ecology of Birds' Songs"

Your mother was wrong…

At least she was if she taught you that a momma bird will not accept a youngster back into the nest if she smells human scent on it. Actually, aside from vultures, most bird species have little sense of smell and willingly receive returned babies.

The Santa Rosa Bird Rescue Center (BRC) usually receives about 500 baby birds in each of the spring months, April, May and June. This year, through an intensive public education campaign about birds and their habitats, we hope that many fewer babies will arrive on BRC's doorstep. Healthy baby birds don't belong at a rescue center, they belong with their parents. Their parents can teach them the dangers of cats and other predators, which humans can't do. A baby bird "rescued" unnecessarily loses the essential training and awareness it needs for safety and success once it is released.

If you find a nestling on the ground DO pick it up and try very hard to return it to its own nest. Baby birds can't travel very far so look for the nest in the immediate area. During your search remember that birds nest everywhere, way up in tall trees, head-high off the ground, knee-high, and even directly on the ground. Clues to locate a well-camouflaged nest may be a parent coming in with food or the excited cheeping of nestlings as food arrives. Be sure your baby looks the same as the other babies in the nest to which you return it. Once the baby is replaced, watch to confirm that the parent returns to the nest. This could take several hours; be patient. The parents can take care of it much better than you or the Center can, no matter how hard we try.

If the bird is injured or has been picked up by a cat, then it should come to the Center for treatment. Pick that bird up gently in a towel, keep it warm and in a quiet dark area while you transport it to Bird Rescue (3430 Chanate Road in Santa Rosa). Do not attempt to feed it.

A pre-fledgling found on the ground can be put into a large box in a tree or bush. (A fledgling is a young bird that has feathers, hops and jumps but does not fly well, if at all.) Make sure the box is large enough for the parent bird to willingly fly into it to feed and the sides high enough so the young bird won't hop right out.

For a young fledgling bird to spend a day or two on the ground is a normal and necessary part of learning to fly. Talk to your neighbors about keeping pets indoors, especially mornings and evenings when birds feed heavily. The fledgling will be fed and watched over by its parents. If you have to offer extra protection you can place it in a shrubby area of your yard. WE NEED YOU TO HELP KEEP BIRD FAMILIES TOGETHER.

Spring yard clean-up and tree trimming should be finished as soon as possible. With nesting underway, be very careful if you have clean-up still to do. It is inappropriate as well as illegal to disturb an established nest of native birds. You can help out by observing these few basic guidelines around your home and yard.

Volunteers are needed 2 - 4 hours a week to:
¨ care for and feed baby birds
¨ provide home care for birds with special needs
¨ transport and transfer birds to other centers
¨ staff the Admissions Desk and assist the public

Volunteer orientations are the first Saturday of each month (April 3, May 1, and June 5) from 9:30 to 11:30 AM and the third Wednesday (April 21 and May 19) from 7 to 9 PM. Programs for youth now include a Nest Box Program for 8- to 11-year-olds, and 12- to 17-year-olds can join our Junior Volunteers supporting the rehabilitation area. There is an opportunity for parent, grandparent, aunt or uncle and child to work the admissions desk as a team. For questions, call 523-BIRD.

Shollenberger Park, Thursday, February 19
On a sunny break from recent rains, 13 Madrone members were hosted by Bob Dyer at Shollenberger Park. Fifteen species of grebes and ducks were seen. Ducks seen in significant numbers were: Northern Shoveler, Northern Pintail, Canvasback, Greater Scaup, Ruddy Duck and Blue-winged Teal. We are beginning to believe that Shollenberger Park is the Sonoma County venue for this lovely teal. Larger shorebirds were also seen, including the Long-billed Curlew, Marbled Godwit and Willet. A total of 65 species were observed.

Point Reyes National Seashore, Saturday, February 22
Our group of eight, including leader Tom McCuller, began the Point Reyes field trip in light rain. The rain stopped within an hour, and we had excellent weather for the remainder of the day. We birded the Earthquake Trail, Olema Marsh, Chimney Rock, and the lighthouse area. Highlights included Snow Goose, Black Scoter, six Peregrine Falcons, Virginia Rail, Common Murre, Great Horned Owl, Varied Thrush, and Tricolored Blackbird. We found a total of 96 bird species.

Rush Creek and Las Gallinas Ponds, Wednesday, March 10
On an unusually warm-to-hot day, Neal Conner led 13 birders on a bird walk to Rush Creek Preserve and Las Gallinas oxidation ponds in Marin County. They sighted 61 bird species, with stunning looks at Green-winged Teal and Eurasion Wigeons. A spring display by a well-plumaged Allen's Hummingbird generated the most ooh's and ah's from the group.

The first results are in-and it appears a good time was had by all! Despite the rainy, cold weather we experienced in February, all the teams have posted fine results for the annual forage into Sonoma County's hinterlands in search of the biggest species list. And, these teams worked long hours on their chosen Birdathon days…there were reports of hearty pre-dawn breakfasts and of stunning sunsets.

With all but one team reporting as of this writing, it appears the number to beat is 140 species. Yes, the Gray-headed Searsuckers have yet again posted a list of extraordinary results for the day. The Feather Questers were close with 125 and the Roadrunners reported 121. Nearing that magic 100 mark was Team Nuthatch with a total of 93. Coming in under the triple digit mark were the Surf Scooters with 78 (they said they had too much fun!), the Healdsburg Herons with 58, the Pee Wee Team with 41 and the Taylors of Sonoma with 30-in just their backyard. To date, we have the "usual suspects" on most everyone's species list; however, we did have two teams seeing a Bald Eagle, two spying a Pileated Woodpecker and three teams spotting a Ring-necked Duck, plus two teams tallying several interesting owls-a Western Screech Owl and a Northern Pygmy Owl. In the "only seen by one team" category were: Sora, Pine Siskin, Allen's Hummingbird, Golden-crowned Kinglet and Western Tanager.

The sponsor's pledges are continuing to come in…as of early March we have surpassed the $3000 mark with only about one half the teams reporting final sponsor returns. A future issue of the Leaves will publish sponsor donation totals and a complete listing of all our generous supporters. The donations from our annual Birdathon make the Madrone Chapter's education and conservation programs possible. Our appreciation to all our hard-working teams and our generous supporters-without all your efforts we couldn't have this most important and successful event. Bravo birders!

ELECTIONS!
The nominating committee of Claire Shurvinton, Sylvan Eidelman, and Diane Hichwa has announced the following slate of officers for Madrone Audubon Society for the 2004-2005 year:

President Sylvan Eidelman
Vice-president Veronica Bowers
Treasurer Elizabeth Desmond
Assisstant Treasurer Rebecca Olsen
Recording Secretary Joyce MacLaury

We are pleased to have four of our present officers continuing, with Sylvan Eidelman moving up into the office of president, and we are especially glad to welcome Veronica Bowers to the Board as vice-president. This slate of officers will be officially voted upon at the April 19 General Meeting.

As always, Madrone Audubon's officers can use volunteer help, particularly in the areas of outreach and membership. This covers a variety of activities, something for those who want to "travel" and enjoy local outdoor events and festivals while representing Madrone, to "detail work" for those who would rather volunteer a few hours at a time sorting out membership data, with or without a computer. Our chapter needs you!

Mark your calendars for the May 17 meeting. This is our annual potluck dinner with installation of new officers, awards, and a special program on bird songs presented by biologist Daniel Edelstein.

NAS Extends Dues "Safety Net" to Chapters
We were notified at the end of January that National has instigated an Ad Hoc Committee on Chapters to further investigate the needs and the role of Audubon Chapters and to make recommendations to the National Board of Directors. While these recommendations are being completed and implemented National has offered to extend the 50% dues safety net for this year.

Resignation of Gerald Secundy
After a an active 18-month tenure as Executive Director of Audubon California, Gerald Secundy is leaving his post. Glenn Olson, National Audubon Society Vice-President and Director of Field Programs, will serve as interim director and lead the Audubon California board and staff during
the transition period and recruitment process for a new executive.

Plan to come and visit our preserve this spring! As Pine Flat Road emerges from the lengthy Geysers pipeline construction work, Madrone Audubon has scheduled four field trips at Mayacamas Mountains Audubon Sanctuary: a state-of-the-Sanctuary hike with manager Curtis Kendall; a Pee Wee hike with Peter Leveque; a plant walk with Pete Warner and a birder's special with five of Madrone's regular bird walk leaders. May and June issues of the Leaves will list these events on the regular calendar, but make your reservations, if needed, early, since some group sizes are limited.

Saturday, May 1, 9:00 AM to 2:30 PM
MMAS Manager Curtis Kendall will lead a 5-mile hike focusing on the status and future of the Sanctuary. The hike is moderate-to-strenuous with some uneven and unstable footing. NOTE: Heavy rain cancels. The group size is limited to 20 adults. To make your reservation, please call Madrone Audubon at 546-7492 and leave a message.

Saturday, May 15, 9:30 AM to Noon
Pee Wee Hike with Peter Leveque.
(See Pee Wee article in this month's Leaves..)

Saturday, May 22, 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Wildflowers and Plant Walk with Pete Warner, Resource Ecologist with the California Department of Parks and Recreation and Past President of the Milo Baker Chapter of the California Native Plant Society. Suitable for all levels of interest. A plant list will be available to participants. The group size is limited to 25 (children OK with supervision). Call Madrone Audubon at 546-7492 to reserve.

Saturday, June 5, 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Long-time Madrone Audubon members and bird walk leaders Tom Cashman, Neal Conner, John Ferrari, Ian Morrison and Ken Wilson will be your guides. Some easy off-road hiking-beginning birders are encouraged to participate. No reservations are required for this trip.

General information: The field trips are free and open to the public. Bring your lunch and refreshments for the day, wear layered clothing and be prepared for showers. Sturdy walking shoes or hiking boots are recommended. Also be aware that spring is the season for the emergence of poison oak, ticks and rattlesnakes. The meeting place for these hikes is the Alexander Valley Community Church, 6650 Highway 128 in Healdsburg (2 doors south of the Jimtown Store).

APRIL AND MAY EVENTS

Sunday, April 25, from 1:00 to 3:00 PM
Bullfrog Pond Scavenger Hunt and Pond Exploration at Armstrong Woods State Park. Leaders: Doug and Debbie Eakins of the Santa Rosa Junior College Life Sciences Department. Doug is an expert on aquatic critters and Debbie's specialty is native wildflowers and other plants.

Bullfrog Pond, in the upper reaches of Armstrong Woods State Park, is surrounded in spring by blooming wildflowers and native shrubs and full of wiggling pollywogs, small crustaceans and insect larvae. Bring a net or container to scoop up the water; there will be a microscope and magnifying glasses to look at your catch. There will also be a scavenger hunt to help you learn to identify the plants and animals we will find there. Be aware that there may be poison oak and ticks as part of the flora and fauna! Also, the pond edges can be slippery, so dress accordingly! Come early to picnic beforehand.

Saturday, May 15, 9:30 AM to Noon
Peter Leveque, Past President of Madrone Audubon and retired Santa Rosa Junior College biology professor, will lead a hike for kids at the Mayacamas Mountains Audubon Sanctuary, located just west of Healdsburg. Bring lunch and refreshments. Wear layered clothing, and do remember that there is poison oak along parts of the road.

NOTE: Pee Wee group sizes are limited. For reservations and directions to the meeting places for either of the above events, please call Lana at 887-0571.

What you need to do:
¨ Draw, paint, color or make a collage on 8 1/2 x 11 paper of a bird that is found in Sonoma County. Artwork must be original. 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.
¨ Write your name, age, address, phone number and the name of the bird on a piece of paper. Attach that piece of paper securely to the back of your picture
¨ Mail your picture to MAS Bird Art Competition, c/o Claire Shurvinton, 1436 Lawrence Way, Santa Rosa, CA 95401. Pictures must be received by May 1 in order to be considered for prizes.

Prizes will be awarded in three age groups: 7 and under, 8-9, and 10-12. Selected artwork will be displayed at the Madrone Audubon General Meeting on May 17, and on the website, <www.audubon.sonoma.net>. If you wish your artwork to be returned to you, please include a stamped, addressed envelope. For more information or questions please contact Claire at 527-6118, or at cshurvin@earthlink.net.

Steller's Jay, this noisy and colorful denizen of California's forested hills and mountains, is named for one of the most intrepid and tragic of the 18th Century naturalists. How he came to find this jay of western North America is a story of operatic drama.

George Wilhelm Steller (1709-1746) was born in Windsheim, Germany, and given a strong education for the time. After finishing his university work he went to Russia where he found work as a naturalist for the Academy of Sciences in Saint Petersburg. It was from there that he went as naturalist on Vitus Bering's last expedition into the ocean east of Siberia. Steller became the first white man known to have stepped upon land that eventually became known as Alaska. On that Bering expedition in 1741 Steller first saw his namesake jay on Kayak Island near present-day Valdez. Steller immediately recognized it as a North American jay because of its similarity to the Blue Jay described just a few years earlier by Mark Catesby in his Natural History of Carolina.

Steller only spent three days in North America but from that visit he made the first descriptions of plants and animals in this land that was new to Europe. In addition to the new jay there was the Steller sea cow (now long extinct). Although skeletal pieces turned up for the next 100 years, no other naturalist ever saw this 4-ton mammal alive. Another species Steller found was the Spectacled Cormorant, flightless and fearless, thus doomed to extinction as well.

The final four years of his life the hot-tempered Steller spent exploring and collecting plants and animals in Siberia. He ran afoul of the czarist bureaucracy when he angrily released 17 Siberian natives he thought had been unfairly arrested by some petty official. For this Steller was eventually arrested, imprisoned, tried and finally released. But paperwork moved slowly. As Steller himself headed back toward St. Petersburg to write and publish his findings, he was again arrested on the original charges because local officials had not yet gotten word that he was no longer wanted but had been released. By the time he was freed a second time, his health was broken and he became fatally ill as he tried to reach St. Petersburg. He was only 37 years old.

Few of the plants and animals he collected in Siberia actually got back to St. Petersburg. Steller himself never had the chance to publish a single paper. His own journals did reach the Academy and were published after his death. It was on the strength of his detailed and painstakingly accurate journals that the Steller's Jay was first described by English naturalist, John Latham, in 1781. By that time the British had an actual bird skin taken from Vancouver Island by Cook's expedition. Also a sea-eagle and eider were named for Steller, who discovered them in the north Pacific.

At first glance, producing power through capturing the energy of the wind sounds like an ideal means of conserving our natural resources, limiting greenhouse gasses, and protecting our wild and scenic rivers. But as we all have learned since childhood, nothing that good is ever that straightforward and simple. Scientific studies have shown that the blades of giant windmills forming the 'wind farms' on the Altamont Pass in the East Bay and elsewhere in California have, instead, proven to be a deadly ambush for hundreds of migrating and resident birds: eagles, hawks, owls, and many others.

Scientific research, conducted with painstaking deliberation and accuracy over many years has recorded the toll that the wicked whirling blades have extracted from these bird populations. Researchers have surveyed for the carcasses under the turbines in all types of weather, at all times of the year. Each bird was carefully counted and identified as to species and evaluated as to cause of death.

Clearly, significant modifications need to be made or new approaches need to be developed in order to both protect the avian wildlife migrating through windswept areas and use the wind as the valuable resource it could be.

Interestingly enough, an unfortunate misunderstanding regarding the deadly nature of the turbines surfaced in the 'Letters to the Editor' sent to The Press Democrat some weeks ago. The reader/letter writer, who first off wisely proclaimed himself as a non-expert on birds, assumed that the numbers of bird fatalities had to be incorrect because of the barren and relatively treeless nature of the Altamont Pass, which could not logically support that large a bird population. There followed two countering letters from the more informed public, explaining that these were not resident birds, but rather almost all were migrants moving through the pass.

Both answering letters gently warned that it behooves us all to always carefully inform ourselves about the facts, and to respect the scientific community's expertise in studying a situation and then clarifying and explaining the results of its studies.

New Local Members
MONTE RIO: Dennis O'Rorke. SANTA ROSA: Jeff & Janet Chamberlain, Virginia McDonagh, Charlotte Reiter, Cheryl Traendly. SONOMA: Helen L. Marsh, Kathleen Mugele. VALLEY FORD: Janeann Erickson. WINDSOR: Jean McMullen.

New National Audubon Members
COTATI: Virginia Yearwood. GUERNEVILLE: Joan L Taylor. OCCIDENTAL: Carole Lane. PENNGROVE: Barbara Veronda. PETALUMA: Ed Cook, Godfrey Lehman. SANTA ROSA: Electra Depeyster, Pamell Gallagher, Danielle Goldberg, Michael Healy, John Heredia, Erin M Howseman, Chad Hunt, Dean Jackson, Eunice Marion, Nancy May, Josh Motchar, Joseph E Payne, Baz Samii, Robert L Sells, Robert G Silvey, Jeff Tobes, David B Whittet. SEBASTOPOL: Mary Anthony, Tura Ball, Wanda Critchfield-Guide, Chris Frazier, Miriam Gage, Kathleen Harris, Victoria H Hill, Albert F Kerss, Audrianna C Kitterman, Robert T Poole, Theodore Sattler. SONOMA: Betty Gibb, Barbara Jacobsen, Ann Richardson, James Scharnikow.

Sudden Oak Death Lecture at Sonoma State University. Wednesday, April 14, Noon to 1:00 PM, Schulz Information Center, Room 3001. "Sudden Oak Death: Research and Management of Disease Spread in Sonoma County" presented by Ross Meentemeyer, Geography; Hall Cushman, Nathan Rank, and Richard Whitkus, Biology; and David Rizzo, UC Davis. For more information, contact Karen Brodsky, 664-4240.

Earth Day at Shollenberger Park and Alman Marsh. Sunday, April 18, 9:00 AM. There will be an information table with handouts as well as a park cleanup. For more information, contact Norris (Bob) Dyer, 763-2934.

Early Birding with Becky. Saturday, April 24, 8:00 to 11:00 AM. Looking for spring migrants at Fairfield Osborn Preserve on Sonoma Mountain with Madrone Audubon's own Rebecca Olsen. For a full schedule of workshops and naturalist-led hikes call 795-5069 or consult the website: <www.sonoma.edu/org/preserve>.

Native Plant Society Festival. The Milo Baker chapter of the California Native Plant Society will hold its 2nd annual Spring Wildflower festival on Saturday, May 8, at the Luther Burbank Center for the Arts from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. The day consists of a huge native plant sale by local nurseries, free seminars, wildflower art show and auction, booths, exhibits, marketplace, and kid-friendly activities. See <http://www.cnpsmb.org>, e-mail festival@cnpsmb.org, or call Pauline Haro at 525-8941.

And farther afield:

Walter Lake Loon Festival. Saturday, April 17, at Hawthorne, Nevada. Annual festival includes free boat rides between 9:00 AM and 3:00 PM to see the loons. There will also be Native American storytellers and Nevada Division of Wildlife presentations. For further information, see <http://www.walkerlake.org>.

Redbud Audubon Heron Festival. April 24 and 25 at Clear Lake, celebrating the heron nesting season. Bird walks, nature hikes, and noted speakers at Clear Lake State Park Visitor Center in Kelseyville, as well as pontoon boat and kayak trips to view the large Great Blue Heron rookery at Rodman Slough. Information and registration at (800) 525-3743, or at <www.redbudaudubon.org>.

10th Annual Kern River Valley Festival of the Bioregions. Friday, April 30, to Sunday, May 2 at Kernville, Weldon, and Wofford Heights in Kern County. Field trips, workshops, art show, children's activities, and much more. Each year the field trips average over 200 species of birds. More information is available at <http://valleywild.org/bioregion.htm> or from Valley Wild at krpfriends@lightspeed.net or (760) 378-3044.

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