Suddenly the mudflat explodes and shorebirds rocket into flight going every which way. Huge flocks of sandpipers are wheeling and winding, flashing white then dark. Willets, godwits, and curlews are screaming; terns lose their graceful composure; and herons and egrets cock an eye to the sky, close their necks, and freeze. A Scrub Jay in the border thicket goes still as stone. An attack is in the works, and the target is known only to Merlin.

From somewhere a 150-mile-per-hour bullet with claws is on the way, focused on a single soul amongst the chaos. The victim will be a sandpiper. Merlin easily catches the flock and cuts a wake through it, emerging, this time, with a meal. The crease in the flock rounds out.

A couple of feathers drift and rock slowly back to earth and before they land, Merlin is feasting two miles away, perched with its kill on an open Douglas fir branch. Waders settle back to nervous feeding and quiet roost. Merlin will be back on the next low tide.

Merlins don't hover. There isn't time. Unlike kestrels, it isn't part of their style. The world of Merlin is quick and intense. In flight, kestrels often hover and flow around like overgrown swallows, but Merlins beat at the air like they are always late and trying to catch up.

Series '74 Harley Davidson motorcycles had an option called the suicide clutch that did not engage gradually. You were either at idle, or ripping along: nothing in between. That, too, is the way of the Merlin…they do not engage gradually. In the Scilly Isles where hundreds of British birders go in October to look for rarities, this standard dialogue has evolved. If the question is, "Was that a Merlin?", the answer is "Yes, because if it were a kestrel, it would still be here."

Here in California, Merlin is a winter bird (though a pair or two may nest in Siskiyou or Modoc counties), but it will be a good day if you see even one. On the winter range Merlin needs a lot of space: other species of raptors, and especially other Merlins, are physically excluded.

Merlins aren't much for following rules or staying within the cage of definition. From mid-September through mid-April, one of them might be found anywhere, in any habitat. Although some individuals maintain distinct foraging territories at coastal, valley, or Great Basin localities, others are nomads and follow food sources---crossbills moving with the cone-nut crop, thrushes at berry outbreaks, or waxwings and solitaires ranging through juniper forests. Merlins have been seen chasing Red Phalaropes ten miles offshore, warblers at Furnace Creek in Death Valley, and Rosy Finches at 12,000 feet along the Sierra crest. Merlins are small-bird-harvesters and may occur wherever there are any ripe to pick.

Compared to the American Kestrel, Merlins (12 inches in length) are bigger-headed with relatively shorter wings that are broader at the base; the tail of Merlin is shorter and clearly squared at the tip. Compared to Peregrine and Prairie Falcons, Merlin is smaller and has shorter wings and a shorter tail. Peregrines have a dramatic facial pattern which is easily seen, and all Prairies have blackish "wing-pits" which contrast with the otherwise white underparts.

Merlins are special. Their scarcity, unpredictability, and mystique make them one of the most striking players in the wilderness of wonder. Be like the sandpiper and, while in the winter field, watch constantly for the imminent, flashing presence of this feathered prince.

Fred Euphrat is a Healdsburg forester, the Board President of Russian Riverkeeper, a local author, and is known for his long-running radio series, Native Sonoma. With a slide presentation, readings, narrative, and discussion, Fred will discuss his present projects in sustainable forestry and conservation, community forestry, and the public trust. What will, or should, happen to the redwood, fir, oak, and riparian forests of California's North Coast? What is their role in habitat, and how may we design a strategy of cooperation and abundance?

Fred promises to bring his humor, archival photos, and visions of future forests for your consideration and enjoyment.

No General Meeting in December. Nevertheless, we'll have a day of counting and fun at the Christmas Bird Count on Saturday December 30.

Outer Point Reyes and Drakes Bay, Friday September 15
On a clear, blustery day, 15 stalwart folks joined Don McCarthy at Outer Point Reyes, but they saw only a few vagrants due to the north wind. Onward to Drakes Bay: about 600 elegant terns were gathered together on the sand and 67 other species were identified, including a Barn and Great Horned Owl.

A New Bird in Town
The Eurasian Collared-Dove (Streptopelia decaocto) is spreading rapidly in North America-so rapidly that it's outrunning the traditional methods of recording avian populations. In a field guide copyrighted 2001, the range map for the dove shows the species confined to the Gulf Coast, east of Texas. This past summer, Eurasian Collared-Doves were seen regularly near Lobos Dunes and Lake Merced in San Francisco.

A century ago, the species was found primarily on the Indian subcontinent. It then began moving westward. Doves first bred in Britain in 1955 and are now found all over that country and Ireland. One reason is the apparent innate tendency of young doves to disperse westward. In the 1970s, the species was released accidentally in the Bahamas. In the 1980s, the birds reached Florida. After a little more than two decades, the doves arrived in California.

One of the best methods of following this fast-moving species is the Internet. I urge fellow birders to join informal dove-watchers by signing up for eBird (www.ebird.org). Developed by the National Audubon Society and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, this interactive site enables birders to track any species they see in North America. After you register on eBird, you can record your observations and also compare your records with those from other birders. Many Bay Area birders already post their sightings, and familiar local destinations have been registered on eBird as hot spots, from Hawk Hill and Corte Madera Marsh in Marin County to Lake Merritt and Arrowhead Marsh in Oakland. Numerous San Francisco locales are listed, including Lobos Dunes, Lake Merced, and Golden Gate Park. You can even add your own backyard.

What can eBird tell us already about the Collared-Dove? In California it is most often seen around Ventura County and Santa Barbara. It has also been observed along the north coast in the Eureka area and occasionally in the Central Valley. As eBirders share their sightings, it will be possible to follow not only the dove's spread but its habits. Do the doves breed here? Given the bird's diet of grain, fruits, seeds, and some insects, will Mourning Doves or other suburban or farmland birds be affected? Currently, there is no clear evidence from the bird's invasion of Europe that it has harmed other species. As of this writing, the Collared-Dove has not been seen in the East Bay, but has been seen in the North Bay at Lawson's Landing (building a nest?) and Bodega Avenue, west of Petaluma. Already one birder e-mailed me that the doves are breeding on her street in Half Moon Bay, located on the San Mateo coast. That's less than twenty-five miles from San Francisco, as the dove flies.

Northern Mockingbirds, Hooded Orioles, European Starlings, Brown-headed Cowbirds, and Common Ravens are among the dramatic avian population explosions in the Bay Area. This time birders have a chance to contribute detailed observations as the Eurasian Collared-Dove spreads faster than field guides can reach bookstore shelves.

On 26 September 2006, National Audubon Society joined other conservationists around the globe in hoping that evidence compiled in the Florida panhandle will lead to the confirmation of an Ivory-billed Woodpecker population. The sightings have been reported by an Auburn University research team, led by Professor Geoff Hill, Ph.D.

"It would be wonderful to confirm that a viable population of Ivory-billed Woodpeckers exists, and we hope the search by the Auburn research team will lead to that," says Greg Butcher, Director of Bird Conservation for the National Audubon Society. "This announcement is a reminder of why it is so essential that we protect bottomland forests, wetlands, and coastal habitats across the Southeast; these new sightings should reinvigorate efforts to find the bird in other portions of its historic range."

In 1953 Roger Tory Peterson and his close friend British naturalist James Fisher undertook a 30,000 mile, 100-day trip during which Peterson endeavored to show his friend wild America. The journey began in Newfoundland and continued down the east coast to Florida, around the Gulf of Mexico to south Texas, and into Mexico. They then turned back: up through the Southwest to the Pacific Northwest, across Alaska, and on to the Pribilof Islands where the journey ended. Two years later they published an account of their travels, Wild America, which became a classic.
In celebration of the 50th anniversary of that journey Scott Weidensaul retraced much of the same route to assess the changes which have occurred in the past 50 years. Return to Wild America is the story of his travels. Weidensaul is superb in his telling. The stench becomes real when he describes "the fish-gut smell of guano" at a vast colony of seabirds in Newfoundland. His "low, eternal light, and the cottongrass bowing in agreement with the wind, a longspur hanging in the air like arrested time while its song spills out" puts the reader right beside him on the tundra of western Alaska. It is depressing as Weidensaul chronicles the losses since the original journey of Peterson/Fisher. With accounts of wildlife habitat destruction, over development and the pollution of lakes and streams, the reader is time and again led to the brink of despair only to be pulled back with accounts of progress made and a hope for the future.
Weidensaul concludes by saying, "We will never have a pre-Columbian America, complete in all its too-much splendor, but such is the resiliency of wild America that mostly what we need is the courage to dream big and to set goals that are equal to this majestic land. The key is hope, because hope, when paired with the ferocious love Americans feel for their land, becomes action." Kenn Kaufman called Return to Wild America one of the most important books of the decade. Kaufman admits to a close friendship with Weidensaul and may be forgiven a small amount of hyperbole; nevertheless, this book should be read by anyone who avows a love of wildlife and a concern for the environment, as well as an alarm over recent governmental trends to dismantle decades of progress in conservation laws and practices.

The Bird Rescue Center in Santa Rosa. Help rehabilitate sick or injured native birds prior to their release back into the wild. There's plenty to do, especially during baby bird season. Sign up for the one-hour orientation session and facility tour on Saturday at 3:00 PM: November 4 or December 2. Call 523-2473 for a reservation. Be sure to visit their new Web site which has lots of great new features: http://www.birdrescuecenter.org.

Bouverie Preserve's Resource Management Days. November 13 and December 2, 8:15 AM - 12:30 PM. Help clear trails and pull nonnative plants. Limited to 15 participants for each day. Call 938-4554 for reservations/registration.

Keegin Creek Restoration Workday with the LagunaKeepers. Saturday December 2, 9:00 AM - Noon. This area has been newly excluded from grazing, and dozens of young Valley Oaks will be planted alongside the creek. Carpooling is strongly encouraged. Bring tools and water; enter at Grab n' Grow, 2759 Llano Road. Snacks will be provided. For more information, call Catherine at 527-9277 x 109 or e-mail catherine@lagunafoundation.org.

Tenth Annual Sandhill Crane Festival. November 3-5 at Hutchins Street Square in Lodi, CA. View the state's largest concentration of greater Sandhill Cranes. The festival features workshops, exhibits, family activities, wildlife demos, and fine art. For information/registration, call 209-367-7840, e-mail info@lodichamber.com, or visit www.LodiChamber.com/cranefestival.html.

Bouverie Preserve. Guided nature walks on November 18 and December 2, 9:30 AM - 1:30 PM. Call 938-4554 for reservations which are on a first-come, first-serve basis. No charge, but donations appreciated.

Monarch Butterfly Grove. Natural Bridges State Park, 2531 West Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz, CA. Join a docent naturalist to see thousands of monarch butterflies wintering in Santa Cruz, 11:00 AM and 2:00 PM weekends through Feb 12. Call 831-423-4609 or visit www.santacruzstateparks.org/parks/natbridges/.

Fairfield Osborn Preserve. Naturalist-led hikes are offered at 10:00 AM every Saturday through December 9 (no hike offered November 25). Sturdy shoes, long pants, drinking water, and a snack are highly recommended. Reservations not required. Meet in the Preserve parking lot. Ages 13 and older pay $3, and minors must be accompanied by their parent or guardian. For more information: www.sonoma.edu/org/preserve, e-mail fairfield.osborn@sonoma.edu, or call 795-5069.

Beginners Bird Walks needs leaders. With all you birders in Madrone, surely some of you will step forward and help. This is fun-no kidding--and a great way to meet fellow-birders. For information, call Ken Wilson, 775-2558.

Madrone Audubon Society is seeking members to serve on the Audit and Finance Committee. The committee is charged to review, recommend, advise, and oversee money matters of the Society. This will include a review of the annual financial report, preparation of a proposed budget for board approval, oversight of fund raising, and general oversight of the cost of chapter activities. If you have expertise or interest in these areas and would be willing to devote a few hours each year, please contact Janeann Erickson at 795-2498 (erickson@ap.net).

John & Marlene Arnold, Jack & Betty Groce, Bryant & Diane Hichwa, Sandra Martensen, Beverly Mager & Ken Pors, Frank & Marilyn Rathman, Teresita Salter-Haag, and Jean Tonascia.

Owls of Sonoma County. Saturday November 18, 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM at the Santa Rosa Bird Rescue Center. Join us for a fascinating evening to learn about the owls of Sonoma County. Please bring a flashlight for a brief outdoor excursion in search of owls. Meet at 3430 Chanate Road, Santa Rosa. For reservations, call Veronica at 829-2955.

On 13 October eight applicants finished the six-week course for new wetlands docents. I think they will be an outstanding addition to our educational program. These new people will increase our docent staff to twenty-four.

Yes on Prop 84 - $5.4 billion conservation and water quality bond.
Proposition 84, the Clean Water, Parks and Coastal Protection Bond, is critical to renew funding for the Wildlife Conservation Board, the Coastal Conservancy, numerous regional conservancies, and other important restoration and acquisition programs. Without Prop 84, many of the State's conservation dollars will dry up within the next one to two years, a risk we cannot afford to take.

Yes on Prop 87 - $4 billion program to reduce oil and gasoline usage by 25%.
Proposition 87 taxes the oil companies for California oil extraction (other states have an oil extraction tax, but not California), and it's illegal to pass cost onto consumers. Prop 87 provides for research and production incentives for alternative energy, alternative energy vehicles, energy efficient technologies, and for education and training.

No on Prop 90 - a taxpayer trap.
Proposition 90 is an assault on environmental protection in California. Hidden behind language to stop abuses of eminent domain, Prop 90 aims to choke off governments' ability to pass land-use regulations by requiring the government to make huge payments to landowners unless the regulations are to protect narrowly-defined public health or safety. This would make it prohibitively expensive for public agencies to acquire property for wildlife, public works projects, new schools, fire protection measures, and utilities.

For more information on these propositions, contact Julia Levin, State Policy Director, at jlevin@audubon.org or 510-601-1866 x 2.

It is well known that Congress often tucks unrelated provisions into a major piece of legislation. The Pension Protection Act of 2006, which the President signed into law on 17 August 2006, is no exception. Included in the bill were several new rules affecting deductions taken for charitable donations, among them a gem.

For the remainder of 2006 and all of 2007, taxpayers over 70 1/2 years of age may make contributions directly from their IRA of up to $100,000 per year to their favorite qualified charities. These contributions will count toward required distributions from the IRA and will be excluded from gross income. Example: if a required distribution is $50,000 and a $5,000 contribution is paid directly from the IRA to a qualified charity, then the remaining taxable distribution would be $45,000. The net effect is the same as a deduction for the contribution for those who use the standard deduction and do not otherwise itemize (and many of us over 70 1/2 no longer pay high mortgage interest on a home and do not itemize deductions).

The rule applies to everyone, i.e. charitable contributions paid directly from IRA accounts are part of the required annual distribution, and only the remaining net required distribution is included in gross income. However, this is generally a tax benefit only to those people who do not otherwise itemize. Without the rule they would include the full required distribution in gross income and would get no tax benefit for the charitable contribution. Those who itemize would, if the rule were not in effect, be able to deduct their contribution. With the new rule the offset is automatic and those contributions may not be deducted as a contribution on Schedule B. Contact your tax and financial advisors to determine if this provision would be of benefit to you.

Madrone Audubon is a qualified charity, and we hope it is one of your favorites.

Thanksgiving Bird Count. Counters are needed for the annual Thanksgiving Bird Count: one hour on Thanksgiving Day. The counter chooses the time that best fits his/her schedule. The count is made in a circle which measures only 15 feet in diameter. The circle's location is determined by the counter who usually chooses a favorite area frequented by the birds, such as feeders, baths, covers, and/or wetlands. Individual birds are counted only once during the hour, even if the birds continue to pay visits. Flocks should be estimated or counted and only the highest number at any one time used.

Thanksgiving Bird Counts were begun in 1966 by Dr. Ernest Edwards and the Lynchburg Bird Club in Virginia. Counts slowly spread to the west, but there are still many areas in the west in need of more counters and a better distribution of counts. Because counters drop out each year, there is a constant need for new recruitments, and this bird count can be done in comfort, indoors near a window, and be a welcome respite from the Thanksgiving dinner. Count results (even if you see no birds at all) should be sent to Dr. John G. Hewston, Count Compiler, Natural Resources Building, Humboldt State University, Arcata, California 95521. Contacts for an instruction form and/or more information: www.utahbirds.org/cbc/ThanksgivingBCform.pdf or call Diane Hichwa at 579-1182.

Santa Rosa Christmas Bird Count. The Santa Rosa Christmas Bird Count, conducted by the Redwood Regional Ornithological Society, will take place on Sunday December 17. The day ends with a group dinner in Santa Rosa. If you are interested, please contact Ken Ackerman, the compiler, at 538-2038 or e-mail markandack@gmail.com.

Sonoma Valley Christmas Bird Count. On Friday December 29, from dawn to dusk, Sonoma Valley will celebrate the 107th annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count. This is a non-hunting day. Dozens of Sonoma birding teams, with a full range of experience, rain or shine, will once again hike, bike, and boat the mountains/marshes of the Valley of the Moon and the Petaluma & Sonoma/Napa wetlands, searching for the 180 plus species of winter and migrating birds known to this area. The day will culminate with a very special covered-dish dinner and celebration at the Sonoma Community Center on 276 East Napa Street off the Plaza. The SV- CBC is sponsored by Sonomabirding.org and our host is the Sonoma Ecology Center. Everyone is welcome. Watch the area papers for public meetings about the event. Sign up on a team by contacting Tom Rusert and Darren Peterie, compilers, at www.sonomabirding.org or call 939-8007. Cost $5.00 per person.

Madrone Christmas Bird Count. This is an open invitation to all Friends of Madrone Audubon to help celebrate our 40th annual Christmas Bird Count on Saturday December 30. Our count usually records enough species to be placed within the top ten counts for North America. Madrone would once again like to have your help to continue this tradition, a tradition that gathers vital data that contributes to the conservation of our county.

Our count center is in the Salmon Creek watershed and ranges from west of Sebastopol to the coast and from just north of the Russian River to the Estero Americana. We expect to divide about 140 counters among 20 groups. Previous experience, though appreciated, is not necessary. This great day of birding with old and new friends will be capped by a special celebration; details will be in the December Leaves.

As a conservation organization, Madrone Audubon Society would also appreciate your help in reducing the amount of wastepaper generated by this event. Those who are online, please e-mail me their count area preferences. Those who abhor all things electronic will receive their invitations by mail in November. If you have changed your address since the last count or have not counted with us and would like to, please call Joy Mander, count compiler, at 778-7865 or e-mail wscbc@aol.com.

Lesser Scaup (3) 9/28 Bodega Harbor DN
Greater White-fronted Goose (19 north-bound flyovers) 9/28 Bodega Harbor DN
Common Tern (up to 3) 9/25 Spud Point, Doran, etc. BDP et al.
Merlin (2) 9/29 Bodega Head DN, BDP
Burrowing Owl 9/20 Bodega Head DN
Burrowing Owl 10/3 West of Westside Park, Bodega Bay BM, RSch
Short-eared Owl 9/23 Bay Hill Road DH
White-faced Ibis 9/30-10/1 West of Westside Park BM, RSch
Cattle Egret (120+) 9/3 Pepper Road DN
Pacific Golden-Plover (6) 9/10 Shollenberger Park RS et al.
Ruff 9/10 Shollenberger Park RS et al.
Baird's Sandpiper (2) 9/25 Salmon Creek Beach BM, RSch
Stilt Sandpiper (1) 9/30 Lake Merced at stone bridge, San Francisco SK
Tropical Kingbird 10/4 Bodega Bay Marine Laboratory residence BM, DN
Say's Phoebe 9/12 Bay Hill Road, early arrival date DH, DN
Willow Flycatcher 10/4 Bodega Dunes Campground, late date DN, RM
Varied Thrush 10/4 Owl Canyon, arrival date DN
Townsend's Solitaire 9/23 King Ridge Road BDP, AW, RL, RM
Yellow-green Vireo 9/29-10/1 Road Forks pond, Point Reyes RS et al.
Yellow-throated Vireo 10/1 Mendoza Ranch, Point Reyes M. Ob.
Magnolia Warbler 9/14 Owl Canyon DN
Magnolia Warbler 9/23-9/27 Campbell Cove DH, DN
Magnolia Warbler 10/2-10/3 Owl Canyon DN, BDP
Tennessee Warbler 9/6 Owl Canyon DN et al.
Tennessee Warbler 9/6, 9/27 Cheney Gulch DN
Yellow-rumped Warbler 9/27 Campbell Cove, first arriving flocks DN, BDP
Black-and-white Warbler 9/8 Owl Canyon DN
Black-and-white Warbler 9/29-10/4 Marine Laboratory entrance DN, BDP, DH
Blackpoll Warbler 9/5 Marine Laboratory residences DN
Blackpoll Warbler 9/8 Owl Canyon, in scrub at entrance DN
Blackpoll Warbler 9/27 Campbell Cove DN, BDP, DH
Blackpoll Warbler 9/28 Marine Laboratory entrance DN
Black-throated Gray Warbler 9/29 Bodega Bay day total: 10+ (record) DN, BDP
Chestnut-sided Warbler 9/8 Owl Canyon, willows at entrance DN
Chestnut-sided Warbler 9/19 Cheney Creek near Doran Park Road DN
Chestnut-sided Warbler 9/29 Campbell Cove BDP, DH, DN
Prairie Warbler 9/29 Bodega Marine Laboratory entrance DN, BDP, DH
Ovenbird (third county record) 9/5 Campbell Cove, northwest corner behind pond DN
Northern Waterthrush 9/8 Owl Canyon DN
American Redstart 9/3-9/6 Owl Canyon M. Ob.
American Redstart 9/11 Bodega Marine Laboratory entrance trees DN, BDP
American Redstart 10/4 Campbell Cove DN, RM
Lincoln's Sparrow 9/7 (arrival date) Campbell Cove (visual) DN
Clay-colored Sparrow 9/8-9/9 Campbell Cove DN, BDP
Fox Sparrow 9/7 (arrival date) Campbell Cove (heard only) DN
White-throated Sparrow 9/27 Campbell Cove DN
White-throated Sparrow (2 adults together) 9/29 Campbell Cove DN, BDP

CONTRIBUTORS: David Hofmann, Steve Katz, Rick Lebadour, Roger Marlowe, Billie Mayer, Richard Merriss, Dan Nelson, Benjamin D. Parmeter, Reed Schneider, Rich Stallcup, and Alan Wight.

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