Most birders have at least one "bummer bird", a sought-after species that always eludes them. It is a special bird that somehow avoids being seen, remains silent, and leaves no trace. Of course these ordinary "bummer birds" exist; others see them; their calls can be heard. They are real birds.

Now, since the incredible re-discovery of the legendary Ivory-billed Woodpecker in the bottomland forests of Arkansas in Feb. 2004, the whole world has an ultimate "bummer bird"--- a ghost from the past that had thought to be extinct for over 50 years.

As soon as the first reports were in, Cornell University immediately joined Nature Conservancy and many other educational and conservational organizations and agencies. The goal was to gather a convincing and incontrovertible body of evidence regarding the bird's existence. World scholars and experts were sworn to extraordinary secrecy as extensive and meticulous surveys were carried out, attempting to eliminate any doubts about the accuracy of the sightings. In April 2005, when scientists were satisfied that the Ivory-billed Woodpecker had been positively identified, the world was finally told the wondrous news of the bird's miraculous return from extinction. The announcement stunned the biological and conservation communities of the world and changed the lives of the discoverers and many others.

It appears that all sightings have been of a single adult male bird. Thus, some speculate that there may be only one Ivory-bill Woodpecker. If there were no potential partner for this bird, consider the irony of this find. However, in light of its shy mannerisms, quiet demeanor, and wide-ranging habits, as well as the immensely positive changes in the bird's former habitats, Cornell Lab of Ornithology director John Fitzpatrick said, "Statistically, the chance that we encountered the very last individual of its kind is pretty slim. ... the habitat is only getting better".

Since the 1980s, intensive ongoing forest preservation and restoration of 120,000 acres has been undertaken on previously logged prime habitat, including habitat corridors between large tracts of remaining suitable habitat. The extensive preservation and conservation has not been done just on the chance that Ivory-bills might have survived, even though credible leads had been followed up several times without success. The restoration efforts were undertaken in order to support all wildlife (black bears, declining song bird populations, and others) that share the unique bottomland forest habitat.

And look what happened: the impossible, the unimaginable, a near miracle that has shaken the scientific world to its core. A critical restoration plan has succeeded far beyond dedicated conservationists' wildest dreams. Let this be a lesson to us all.

So, will any of us ever see an Ivory-billed Woodpecker in the wild? How many, if any, among the hordes of ardent birders who are flocking to Arkansas at this very moment will ever see this bird? Maybe none. Think about it. Does one really need to add the rarest bird in the world to one's Life List? What's wrong with having a mythical embodiment of extinction as the ultimate in "bummer birds"?

There can be comfort and a personal challenge in having a "bummer bird". You have a new bird to possibly see. Or maybe you've always been in the right place, but at the wrong time. Because the bird could be unnecessarily stressed and therefore harmed, it is best not to chase the bird. Perhaps it is better just to stay home and simply know that the bird exists. Any way you look at it, as "bummer birds" go, this one is certainly the ultimate.

A wide swath of forest dominates northern Alberta, where aspen, balsam poplar, and white birch from the south are joined by jack pine, black spruce, and white spruce. An abundant water supply feeds this blend of deciduous and coniferous forests, with high-volume, slow-moving rivers, large lakes, and thousands of swamps, bogs, and fens. This is Alberta's Boreal Forest.

The region's habitat diversity attracts a boggling array of nesting bird species. Each species occupies a niche at varying levels of the canopy or different densities in the understory. Some birds prefer open aspen stands and others breed in black spruce bogs, while still others nest on lakeshores or open waters.

Join Steve Shunk, an Oregon naturalist, for this slide presentation across Alberta's boreal forest. Steve will share encounters with Canada Warblers and stories of Boreal Chickadees. He will show you the floating nest of the Red-necked Grebe and the tightly woven cup of the Red-eyed Vireo.

And last, but not least, share Steve's passion for the Ivory-billed Woodpecker. Steve accompanied the media on their trek into the Arkansas swamp to search for this elusive bird. The adventures of this search will be recounted with much enthusiasm and delight.

COMING IN APRIL: John Dell'Osso, Chief of Interpretation and Resource Education at Point Reyes National Seashore, will present a PowerPoint on the Point Reyes Peninsula with its notably rich biological diversity of birds and mammals.

CAZADERO: Catherine Heater
HEALDSBURG: Terri Loveland, and Randall & Marietta Betts
PETALUMA: Helaine B. Dorenfeld, and David A. Oliver
ROCHESTER: Robert & Jean Taylor Fund
SANTA ROSA: Martin Bauman, E.W. Beasley, Michael Carney, Joe Hasler, Sabrina Hearst, Shirley Leaphart, Joan Lounsbery, Marianne C. Sackman, Albert R. Van Horn, Jerome Wagner, Mary E. West, and Daniel Wright
SAUSALITO: Ryan Phelan
SEBASTOPOL: Thomas Abrams, and Shelly Hughes
SONOMA: Hanford Applied Restoration Conservation

As I write this, it's the first week of February, and it feels like spring has sprung already. Love is in the air, or should I say hormones? The titmice have been calling and singing at their favorite nest box for at least two weeks. They and the White-breasted Nuthatch are always the first to nest at our house. The Bewick's Wren is singing and inspecting potential nest sites. The male wren will build a few nests before his mate decides which is most suitable for raising their brood. I spotted one of our towhee pairs on the fence doing a little courtship display---there's nothing discrete about their activities. The mockingbird next door caught the attention of our resident mocker as our mocker was brushing up on his rendition of the Swainson's Thrush song.

Growing up, I would watch the Cliff Swallows gather mud to build their earthen gourd-shaped nests under the eaves of our barn. They hobbled along on their short delicate legs with wings fluttering back and mouths wide open, scooping up mud with the lower portion of their bill. When the nest was about a ¼ of the way built, one swallow would remain perched in the nest to stand guard while the other continued to gather and apply mud. Hundreds of mud pellets were used to build a single nest. Once the nest was complete, the Cliffs lined it with plant fiber and feathers.

Now, I enjoy watching the Cliff Swallow colony build their nests on the Youth Annex building, adjacent to the Laguna Preserve in Sebastopol. I've been watching this colony for a few years. They usually arrive around the middle of March, but they don't begin building their nests until the end of March or early April. For the Cliffs, nesting depends upon the weather, the availability of mud to build their nests, and food to feed their young. During the peak of the breeding season, there will be a minimum of 50 active nests in this colony with a few of these nests occupied by House Sparrows. A bad turn in the weather, such as heavy rain or severe cold, can result in nest failures.

Barn Swallow nests are constructed in a similar fashion to the Cliff's, but the Barn's nest is cup-shaped rather than gourd-shaped. The Barns tend to nest in pairs or small colonies. We maintain a steady supply of mud in our duck yard during the spring. Each year I hope that the Barn Swallows (my favorite swallow) will nest somewhere around our house. So far, they only gather building supplies and enjoy an occasional sip and dip at the pond. I've had the joy of watching their newly fledged youngsters line up on our fence to beg food from their parents, as the parents gracefully swoop and dive through the air around them. The adults are gorgeous with their glossy blue-black plumage, terra cotta underparts, and long, deeply forked tail. The juveniles have pale underparts and a shorter forked tail.

The Tree Swallows arrive in late February and early March, followed by the Violet Greens in the first week of April. Both species are cavity nesters and build their nests with plant fibers and feathers - dozens of feathers inside the nest! The Trees prefer nest boxes in the middle of the open field, while the Violet Greens use the boxes at the edge of the oaks. Unless you catch the glimmer of an iridescent violet rump and white sides of the adult Violet Green or the iridescent blue of the adult Tree, these swallows are difficult to differentiate in the field. When they are perched, you can see the white around the Violet Green's eye and the white below the Tree's eye.

The Northern Rough Wing Swallow is seen in this area during breeding season and is typically observed singly or in pairs. I often see them nesting under certain overpasses along Highway 101. On the edge of the outer wing feather is a row of small hooks, hence their name. The function of this rough wing is unknown.

All of our swallows are migratory, although it is not uncommon to see Trees here throughout the year. The migratory swallows, dependent on the species, spend the winter in Central and/or South America. When it is time to head south, the swallows gather in large flocks and migrate together. The adults usually leave earlier than the juveniles. As the flocks begin to mass, it can be a truly impressive spectacle.

Lance and I witnessed one of these mass migrations at the Laguna Preserve. There was a light breeze blowing, the sun was setting, and the air was thick with swallows. Literally hundreds of swallows - Barn, Violet Green, Rough Wing, and Tree. They glided by within inches of us as we sat on a bench and watched. We could hear them snapping up insects as they flew low over the dry grass. It was one of those magical moments when nature gives you the gift of a glimpse into the lives of one of earth's most remarkable creatures - birds. And even better, these birds were swallows.

This book is about the Marbled Murrelet and its 200-year challenge to the imagination and curiosity of humans of western extraction. What first drew me to the book was the exceptional quality of the writing---a blend of vivid detail and an easy, well-designed prose. Little did I realize when I picked up the book, I would not be able to put it down after reading the first two chapters. This is the best birding read I have had since The Mind of the Raven.

Maria Mudd Ruth compiled the story of how naturalists and scientists studied this small ten-inch sea bird in an effort to reveal the secrets of its lifestyle. The one amazing story that occupies over half of the book is the mystery of where this bird nests. The bird was first observed by Captain Cook in 1778, but its nesting areas in the tops of old-growth redwood and pine forests were not confirmed until the 1970s. Because the Marbled Murrelet is very shy of people, the journey of discovering its lifestyle was a challenge and is a good mix of natural history, investigative reporting, personal involvement, and detective story.

These birds are distributed along the Pacific Coast from central California to Alaska and spend all of their time on the ocean, except during nesting when they fly off to the forests. Native Americans claimed the Marbled Murrelets "nested somewhere in the trees". The big break-through came when the winter snow storm in January 1974 caused major tree damage in Big Basin State Park near Santa Cruz. The following August, when tree surgeons were repairing the tree damage, a tree trimmer with an interest in birds almost stepped on a chick in a nest 150 feet above the ground in a redwood tree. The chick was captured, but unfortunately fatally injured in the process. The chick was delivered to a park ranger, and then to the California Academy of Sciences where Laurence Binford, assistant curator of birds and mammals, took charge of the dead chick, identified it, and prepared it for a museum specimen.

This book reveals, in sufficient detail to make us appreciate the challenges, additional stories of concern in this species' fate, all of which are human related. Obviously, as we cut the old-growth redwood forests, this species' nesting sites are reduced or eliminated. However, the other major issues for this bird are corvid nest predation, exacerbated by human stimulation of corvid populations, and drowning in gill nets while fishing in the ocean. We also get a good overview of how this species (or any other) is taken through the process of being listed as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act, and what in fact that means for us and the bird after the species is listed. We revisit the Pacific Lumber Company's response to the Marbled Murrelet, review the Exxon Valdez oil spill, and examine why this oil spill and all oil spills are particularly bad for murrelets.

Maria Mudd Ruth fell in love with this chubby little bird and devoted five years of her life to the study of its secrets. She even moved her family from Virginia to central California to be near her work---researching, reporting, and participating in the studies of this creature. This is indeed a well-written story from the heart, destined to be a classic in birding literature

Saturday March 25th 5:30 - 7:30 pm at the Bird Rescue Center
Leader Diane Hichwa is the education director at the Bird Rescue Center, 3430 Chanate Road, Santa Rosa. Diane will tell us all about our local owls, and then we will meet some of the Bird Rescue Center's educational birds. This part of the program is inside the building and will take place, even if it rains. Afterwards, if the weather permits, we will go for a short walk around the neighborhood to look for the wild Barn Owls that live nearby, or you can stay inside and make an owl mask. Please dress warmly and wear shoes that can get muddy. Bring a flashlight for the walk. This event is not suitable for toddlers, as we must sit quietly when the owls are present to avoid startling them.

Because the room is small, we must limit our numbers. Therefore, it is imperative that you call Claire at 527-6118 to make a reservation. Please call early to avoid disappointment - we usually have more people call than we can accommodate.

GENERAL INFORMATION FOR ALL EVENTS: The field trips are free, open to the public, and suitable for all levels of interest. Bring your lunch and refreshments for the day; wear layered clothing, hats, and sun protection. Sturdy walking shoes or hiking boots are recommended. Be prepared for rain showers, but heavy rain cancels the hikes unless otherwise indicated. No dogs, no smoking--and the preserve is not wheelchair accessible. Also be aware that spring is the season for the emergence of poison oak, ticks, and rattlesnakes. Meet on Pine Flat Road between Red Winery Road and the Sausal Creek Bridge. Pine Flat Road begins ¼ mile past the Jimtown Store on Highway 128 East at the first sharp right hand turn.

IMPORTANT: Reservations for the field trips are NOT required this year.

Sunday, March 26, 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Terry Wright, retired professor emeritus of geology at Sonoma State University and president of Terry Wright Geology, an educational consulting company, will help us become more familiar with the dynamic geological history of the sanctuary and the Mayacamas Mountains. We will travel by car and make stops along the road, with short moderate hikes to geologic features. Bring pocket magnifiers and binoculars. Limited to adults.

Saturday, April 1, 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Join naturalist and retired biology professor Peter Leveque in his annual search for the Fawn Lily, Erythronium helenae. A moderately strenuous hike on Clark Foss Road; you'll need to get out your hiking sticks and boots. Limited to adults.

Saturday, April 15, 9:00 to 3:00 PM
Join Lynn Houser, an active board member of the California Native Plant Society, to see spring flowers and plant growth two years after the fire. Plant identification, ecology, and natural history of the Mayacamas area will be featured. This is a moderately strenuous three-to-four-mile hike. Bring binoculars, field guides, and camera. Plant lists will be available. Older children OK with supervision.

Sunday, April 30, 9:30 AM to 3:00 PM
Wildflowers and plant walk with Peter Warner, Resource Ecologist with the California Department of Parks, botanical enthusiast and past president of and frequent field trip leader for the California Native Plant Society. A moderate hike--bring plant guides, hand lenses, cameras, and notebooks. A plant list will be available to participants. Children OK with supervision.

The Petaluma Wetlands Alliance is planning a fall training class for new docents. We need Madrone members to help us locate possible candidates. We want people who are free to help out on weekdays with our third-grade, hands-on program which takes place both in the classroom and at the wetlands. The training course will start on Friday, 8 September 2006, and run for six consecutive Friday mornings from 8:30 AM until noon at Lucchesi Community Center and Shollenberger Park. In addition to teaching children about nature, docents also give adult tours, participate in various wetland projects, continue learning in our on-going enrichment program, and build new friendships with fellow naturalists. For information call Gerald at 763-3577 or Sharon at 778-6558. If you know of anyone who might be interested in contributing a few hours a month to this rewarding, fun-filled, teaching experience please ask them to contact us.

Point Reyes, January 18
Between showers, optimistic folks birded at Bear Valley, Point Reyes, and Bolinas Lagoon with Don McCarthy. We located 78 species, most notable being the Mandarin Duck in a flooded field near the Bear Valley entrance.

Bodega Bay, January 26
Seventeen birders helped Richard Hurley identify 62 species at Bodega Bay. Highlights were spotting all three species of cormorants, all six species of grebes, and a Peregrine Falcon.

Sebastopol Area, February 1
Four hardy birders joined Gay Bishop in Sebastopol to bird the Laguna de Santa Rosa. Despite the rain, 30 species were seen. Large numbers of foraging Great, Snowy, and Cattle Egrets took flight with several hundred American Crows, creating a noisy, black-and-white spectacle. Weather cancelled plans to visit Ragle Ranch Park

Liberty Island Road, Solano County (E. of Dixon and S. of Davis, CA), Jan. 14
Thirty birders were led by John Klobas and daughter Sarah on a Point Reyes Field Seminar, a 475-mile excursion through the northern Sacramento Valley. Thanks to cell phones and the Internet, the juvenile Snowy Owl was spotted, sitting on a white farm fence, right off the road. We remained with the bird for about 45 minutes as the weather continued to improve and sunlight shone on the owl. The bird remained stoically perched for the entire time we watched, giving great scope looks from about 200 yards. Our group was, as you would expect, very excited to be looking at a species that had not been seen in California for 27 years.

Cotati Creek Critters. March 11, 9:00 AM-noon. Help the Cotati Critters plant 2,000 native trees over the next two years along Cotati's reach of the Laguna de Santa Rosa. Call Jenny at 792-4422, e-mail jenny@creeks.cotati.info or visit www.CotatiCreekCritters.info.

Eighth Annual Aleutian Goose Festival. A Celebration of Wildness, March 31-April 3, Crescent City, CA. The festivities include over 75 different field trips, workshops, boat excursions, and the "best birding on the wild Redwood Coast of extreme Northern California". The Keynote Speaker is Dr. David Ainley who will speak on Antarctic penguins, ice, and global warming. For more information: www.aleutiangoosefestival.org or call 465-0888.

Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation (For more information on these three events, call Mary Abbott at 527-9277 x 2 or mary@lagunafoundation.org)

· Cleanup at the Laguna. Saturday, March 11, 9 AM-noon. Meet at the Laguna Uplands in Sebastopol, at the end of Palm Avenue (near Palm Drive Hospital). Bring your tools and water. Snacks will be provided. Heavy rain cancels the workday, light rain does not.

· Docent Training. Monday, March 13, first of ten weeks of docent training. Learn all about the science and lore of the Laguna. Become a volunteer docent! Must be available during some school hours in fall and spring. Applications are available online at www.lagunafoundation.org.

· Docent-led Walk. Saturday, March 18, 9:15 AM. The water is high and spring has sprung in the Laguna. Meet BEHIND the Sebastopol Youth Annex, 425 Morris St. A donation of $5 is requested. Heavy rain cancels, light rain does not cancel.

Thirtieth Annual Environmental Awards Dinner and Fundraiser honoring environmental education in Sonoma County, sponsored by the Sonoma County Conservation Council and the Sierra Club Sonoma Group. Saturday, March 4, 5:30-9:00 PM, Sebastopol Veteran's Auditorium, 282 South High Street. The featured speaker is Dr. Carl Wong, Sonoma County's Superintendent of Schools. Dr. Wong will give a short talk on Sonoma County environmental education initiatives (K-12) and present the awards with Ray Peterson, President of the Sonoma County Board of Education. For more information, visit www.envirocentersoco.org or call 544-7651 or 578-0595 and be prepared to leave a message.

Volunteers Needed at the Bird Rescue Center in Santa Rosa. Sign up for the one-hour facility tour and orientation session: Saturday March 4 at 3:30 PM, Sunday March 19 at 3:30 PM, Saturday April 1 at 10:00 AM, Wednesday April 5 at 6:30 PM, and Sunday April 9 at noon. Call 523-2473 for more information and/or to reserve your place.

Those members who attended our January general meeting were not only entertained by our presenter Bernie Krause and his soundscape program, but were educated about a powerful research tool to measure the health of an ecosystem. Mr. Krause demonstrated that the scientific measurement and recording of the soundscape can in many ways be a more effective tool than visual observation.

He mentioned that he would like to lead an expedition to ANWR to collect data. This has never been done before, and baseline data will undoubtedly be useful in the future, considering the threats to ANWR from both global warming and possible oil drilling. National Audubon has a policy of opposing drilling in any wildlife sanctuary, and the ecology of ANWR is especially sensitive.

Mr. Krause needs to raise about $100,000 to finance the expedition. Recognizing the importance of such an expedition, Madrone has pledged $1000 to support it. I believe this is Madrone's largest contribution ever to scientific research. More help is needed. Those individuals seeking more information or wanting to contribute may either visit www.wildsanctuary.com, or e-mail Bernie Krause at chirp@wildsanctuary.com. Thanks to our membership for making our participation in such research possible.

Tom Rusert's new Web site: www.sonomabirding.org for weekly updates of birding hikes offered in Sonoma and Napa by various area birding organizations.

Population migrations due to Katrina's and Rita's devastation might not be over yet. Southeast Texas bird lovers are watching to see how the changed coastal landscape will affect feathered residents and frequent guests.

The largest brown pelican colony on the Gulf Coast, about 10,000 to 15,000 pair of nesting birds, made its home in the Chandeleur Islands off the eastern coast of Louisiana. Also, the islands were home to 10,000 to 20,000 pair of terns. Winnie Burkett, sanctuaries manager for the Houston Audubon Society, said that three-fourths of these islands were swallowed in the storms.

If some of the pelicans decide to settle on the northern Texas coast, they would find a few thousand peers on North Deer Island. Each spring, the Houston Audubon Society Sanctuary in Galveston Bay hosts the region's largest population of nesting brown pelicans. That property, like the Bolivar Flats Sanctuary on western Bolivar Peninsula, was outside the Hurricane Rita strike zone.

However, sanctuaries in High Island did not fare as well. Numerous trees were downed which means a little less room for the Roseate Spoonbills, egrets, cormorants, and herons that settle each spring at the rookery in the Smith Oaks Sanctuary. Burkett said, "We're busy planting trees, and we're going to build some nesting platforms. We probably won't have quite as many birds nesting there, but we'll have the same variety". With trees trimmed and trails cleared, the sanctuaries are open and ready for the influx of thousands of visitors who typically come for the mid-March spring migration.

Curtis Hoagland, Chief of Resource Management at the Big Thicket National Preserve, said the loss of trees might hurt some bird species, but others such as wrens thrive in the brushy environment left behind. He expects to have a better feel for the preserve's bird population this summer when a study will resume of birds that breed in the Big Thicket, such as warblers, cardinals, vireo, and wrens. Preserve workers began netting and banding the birds for study last summer.

Hoagland summed up the situation by saying, "Certainly our trails aren't as aesthetically pleasing, but how it's going to ultimately affect visitation by birders probably remains to be seen". Eighty to 90 percent of the trails are expected to be open by spring.

I would like to thank everyone who responded to our recent fund drive. Your contributions to Madrone Audubon will make it possible for us to continue with our valuable local programs and conservation work.

Madrone Audubon is a respected voice of the environmental community. We are able to influence environmental decisions both locally and regionally. Also, we sponsor many regular events and outings, plus special events, such as our Migratory Bird Day celebration coming in May. PeeWee Audubon gets young people interested and involved in nature, and our general meetings are entertaining and educational.

Your generous financial support makes these and our other activities possible. I would like to say a special thank you to Joyce Maclaury who chaired our fundraising committee and composed our fundraising letter.

Thank you.

Sylvan Eidelman, MAS President

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