There are many reasons to bird in February. Maybe one of the best is that the weather can be warmer and the days are longer than in December and January. Our heroes are the hardy Christmas bird counters-we admire them and we even feed them on special occasions (see Joy Mander's write-up and data on the 40th CBC in this issue).

The GBBC
Without being a birding "hero," you can still provide valuable information about bird population trends that will better inform conservation efforts. The Great Backyard Bird Count is led by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and National Audubon Society, with partial sponsorship from Wild Birds Unlimited. This year the tenth annual GBBC will take place from February 16 to 19.

This is the easy bird count. You can take part alone or with a group and wherever you like: at home, in schoolyards, at local parks or wildlife refuges. Observers simply count the highest number of each species they see during an outing or a sitting of at least 15 minutes in length, and enter their tally on the Great Backyard Bird Count web site at <www.birdsource.org/gbbc>.

The web site provides exact instructions and printable tally sheets specific to our area. Visitors to the web site can also compare their sightings with results from other participants, as checklists pour in from throughout the U.S. and Canada. Together, these counts offer a real-time snapshot of the numbers and kinds of birds that people are finding, from Boreal Chickadees in Alaska to Anhingas in Florida. Last year, a record-breaking 623 species and more than 7.5 million birds were counted.

Madrone Audubon's Birdathon
February is also Birdathon month for Madrone Audubon-birding for fun and profit.

Betty Groce will lead a team again this year; Diane Hichwa and Karen Nagel (the FeatherQuesters) will be spending a day in the field; and so will the Gray-headed Seersuckers, led by Betty Burridge and other well-known Madrone birders. Others will also be covering some of the best local birding spots for a day, with the encouragement of a list of sponsors who are willing to support their efforts and make a contribution to Madrone's yearly programs. Watch for sponsor information to come soon from your birding friends, or plan your own outing with one or two other birders and gather a few supporters.

ebird, for any time of the year
Finally, a new online database project has recently been created by Audubon and Cornell. Birders from all over the country can use the site to keep their own lists and also enter data at any time of the year. The data is used in a variety of ways, including scientific purposes. Get more information at <http://ebird.org/content/about/whatisebird.html>.

Wildlife specialist Grant Reed comes from southern Africa to lead us on a photographic journey through the wilderness areas of Botswana. It begins in the arid Kalahari, famed for its harsh environment and Bushmen people. Moving north and east through the country we arrive at the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans where hundreds of thousands of flamingos flock to breed. We follow the ancient river channels that historically fed the pans to the world famous Okavango Delta, known for sensational wildlife and birding. The journey concludes on the lush Chobe River, which has the highest density of elephant anywhere in the world and a diversity of birds unlike anywhere else in the country.

Grant Reed is a qualified guide trainer and assessor and has been a guide for the past 15 years in southern Africa. He has a post-graduate degree in Nature Conservation, and has level III ranking with the Field Guide Association of Southern Africa with recognition of special skills in the fields of dangerous animals, birding and botany. Grant is presently director of both Letaka Safaris as well as Okavango Guiding School in Botswana.

Coming in March:
"Birding the Length of Chile," presented by Rich Kuehn.

A zone of ecological convergence exists in Sonoma County that connects California's North Coast and Central Coast ecoregions. In the middle of this zone sit the Mayacamas Mountains of northern Sonoma County, along the borders of Napa and Lake counties where an unusually high number of oak species exist. The Mayacamas are teaming with birds and other wildlife, and home to a number of rare plant and aquatic animal species such as northern steelhead trout and yellow-legged frog. This region encompasses a significant stretch of relatively intact habitat, including 14,000 acres of land protected by the Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District, where the Audubon California Mayacamas Sanctuary is located.

Audubon California, the Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District, The Nature Conservancy, Sonoma Land Trust, The Land Trust of Napa County, and the University of California Hardwood Range Management Program are teaming up to complete a conservation plan in the Mayacamas Mountains. The plan will guide conservation activities in the northern Sonoma County Mayacamas Mountains, including the defining of habitat goals and key parcels for preservation that provide critical linkages to surrounding natural areas.

This plan will first of all outline the species and natural communities of the area, including how they are threatened and what strategies can be put in place to protect them. Another priority is conserving important linkages across Knight's Valley and into the Napa County portions of the Mayacamas Mountains in order to help maintain biological connectivity over the long-term. Finally, the plan will make the case for conservation investment in the north county Mayacamas Mountains and serve as the basis for public education and awareness about this important area.

The desired outcome of the development and implementation of the plan is: 1) a common conservation strategy for the Northern Mayacamas Mountains, 2) increased landowner awareness of conservation alternatives, 3) increased public awareness of the area's rich and unique habitat values, 4) better positioning for public conservation dollars for acquisition projects in the region, and 5) setting long-term goals for conservation in the Northern Mayacamas Mountains.

Planning began just after the first of the year thanks to a grant from the Sonoma Community Foundation; however, we need additional financial support to make the effort a success. For more information, or to make a tax-deductible donation, please contact Curtis Kendall, Mayacamas Mountains Sanctuary Manager at 473-0601.

Get to know your Sanctuary! Owned by National Audubon and managed by Audubon California under a memorandum of understanding between Audubon California and Madrone, this special place is ours to nurture and explore. See related article about conservation planning for the Sanctuary.

IMPORTANT: RESERVATIONS FOR THE FIELD TRIPS ARE NOT REQUIRED THIS YEAR.

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.

Sunday, March 11, 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Terry Wright, retired professor emeritus of geology at SSU 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 7, 9:00 AM 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 14, 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Join naturalist and retired biology professor Peter Leveque in a general nature hike. We might find 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.

Sunday, May 5
Bob Evans has recently published "Pine Flat," a history of the community, now being prepared for a second printing. He will lead an easy-to-moderate walking trip, about five miles total, through "metropolitan" Pine Flat and Pine Flat Cemetery, down Foss Stage Road to Whiskey Springs and back. Limited to adults.

Saturday, May 12, 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.

Saturday, June 15, 9:30 AM to 3:00 PM
Kathy and Dave Biggs will help us find and identify the dragonflies found along Pine Flat Road and on the Mayacamas Sanctuary. Behavior and biology will be explained. We'll visit seeps, springs, ponds, creeks and end at the Russian River. Each habitat should present us with a different Odonata (Dragonflies and Damselflies) fauna. Close focus binoculars are best; 10-power or higher hand lenses would be helpful. Please wear shoes and clothes that can get wet. Children 12+ OK. NOTE: Any rain cancels this easy hike.

Saturday, June 23, 9:00 to 3:00 PM
A second hike with Lynn Houser to see later spring flowers and plant growth in the Sanctuary. 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.

Howarth Park and Spring Lake, Thursday, December 7
Only five birders joined leader Betty Groce on a cold, frosty morning at Lake Ralphine, where we spotted our frequently seen Spotted Sandpiper. We saw a total of 54 species including three thrushes (Robin, Hermit and Varied) and three herons (Great Blue, Black-crowned Night and Green), plus one American Bittern. The most unusual sighting was that of eight White Pelicans circling in the sky to the east of Spring Lake.

Lake Sonoma, Thursday, January 4
Five adults and one young man joined Betty Groce at Lake Sonoma on a cold, showery morning. Dodging rain drops, we tallied 42 species including one Golden Eagle, more Wood Ducks than we'd seen at this site before, one Common Goldeneye, (possibly a first for this site), and Robins, Robins, everywhere. Serendipity-we were lucky to be at the hatchery when they harvested eggs from the female salmon and milked the males for sperm. Only one of us had observed this process before so it was an unexpected educational experience for the rest of us. Awesome.

Take a field trip with John Klobas-
SRJC Community Education
Saturday, February 10: Eagles. A one-day trip to Yolo and Colusa Counties in search of Bald and Golden Eagles. Call 527-4371 for information and registration.

Point Reyes Field Seminars
Saturday, March 10: Whales and Seals
Saturday, March 31: Owls
Call (415) 663-1200 for information and registration.

Get close to more eagles-
Klamath Basin Bald Eagle Conference, February 15-18
This event has spread its wings to become the Klamath Basin Winter Wings Festival to spotlight an area with large numbers of wintering Bald Eagles, hawks and waterfowl. The festival opens Thursday evening in downtown Klamath Falls with arts, food, music, vendors, and store specials. On Friday, Saturday and Sunday, the Festival will offer workshops, tours, vendors, displays, and activities at Oregon Institute of Technology. The website for this year's festival is at: www.winterwingsfest.org. Phone contact: (800) 445-6728.

Train to be a docent-
WildCare Docents
WildCare Nature Guide training at Spring Lake Park in Santa Rosa begins Saturday, February 10, and continues on Saturdays: March 3, 17, 31 and ends April 21. Learn how to guide small groups of primary grade children using the outdoor teaching approach of naturalist Elizabeth Terwilliger. Help children discover which animals live in the meadows, lake and forest areas of Spring Lake. Nature walks take place Wednesday mornings during the school year. For information and to register for training, call Alison at (415) 453-1000, Ext. 21. Or, visit www.wildcarebayarea.org.

Laguna Docents
Have you been considering becoming a Laguna Docent? Please come to the orientation evening on Monday, February 12, from 7 - 9 PM at the Santa Rosa Library Downtown Branch, at the corner of 3rd and E Streets. We are offering a lively evening of activities from the program, open to the public. The training begins Monday, March 12. Applications, available by mail or on the Laguna Foundation website, www.lagunafoundation.org, are due by March 1. For further information, please contact Mary Abbott, 527-9277 x2 or mary@lagunafoundation.org.

To do right now!
Visit the 11th Annual San Francisco Bay Flyway Festival, February 2-4, at Mare Island, near Vallejo. Many exhibits, workshops and birding tours-a great event for families. Madrone Audubon will be participating. Go to http://www.sfbayflywayfestival.com.

FORESTVILLE: Mary Wade Aff. HEALDSBURG: Melia Brasset, Warren & Janis Watkins. PETALUMA: Kathy Rodrigues, H. D. Denton, Linda Robertson, Lisa Krieshok, Clover Stornetta Farms, Inc. PIEDMONT: Heather Smith.

SANTA ROSA: Cheryl Nielson, Marilyn Milligan, Dr. M. A. Weber, Rachel Hart, Beverly Coke, Lawrence Boutte, Thomas Monahan, Louisa Leavitt, Dr. Tim Pile, Gladys & Bruce Sawyer, Shirley Spencer, Michael Repko & Gail Kramer, Larry Zech, Terrence & Lorraine Vail, John Brigham, Bruce & Mary Alice Stephen. SEBASTOPOL: Linda Hanes, Lucia Milburn, Paul Pera, Daniel & Lu Carol O'Neill, Marcia Johnson. SONOMA: Frederick Tedsen.

The amazing bat lady will be with us again! Pat will talk about the lives and times of bats and show us some of her furry friends. Both she and they are very entertaining, and before and after the presentation there will be time for bat snacks and other batty activities.

We like to keep the numbers for each show relatively low to allow everyone to easily see the bats. Please call Veronica Bowers at 829-2955 to make a reservation for this program.

Have you been up to see "Al" in Point Arena?

For those of you who are not aware, there is a Laysan Albatross, nicknamed "Al" by locals, which has arrived every winter for the last 13 years in Point Arena. This tradition makes Al a bit of an oddball because he or she should be spending the winter with the rest of the species on the breeding grounds carrying out elaborate courtship dances and raising a chick. Although Al may be a little mixed up, he/she is consistent and certainly affords us a very nice opportunity to observe a magnificent seabird close to land.

The Laysan Albatross occurs in the Northern Hemisphere and is commonly seen during local pelagic trips feeding off shore from California to Alaska. It breeds in large colonies on offshore islands in the north Pacific from November through June. Well-studied populations are the birds on Midway, an atoll that is part of the Hawaiian archipelago. July through October is spent out on the open sea until it is time to come back to land to begin the breeding season. Young birds do not migrate back to their natal grounds until they are approximately three years old and begin to breed only after they are seven or eight years old.

The courtship display for the albatross is legendary. It is made up of approximately 25 different movements and a variety of vocalizations, performed entirely on the breeding grounds. One of the classic moves of the dance is "skypointing." This is when both birds simultaneously point their large salmon pink bills straight up to the sky. They are monogamous birds and a pair bond is established through this elaborate courtship display. The bond will remain intact until the death or disappearance of a mate.

The pair lays a single egg each season. The male and female take turns incubating the egg for 65 days before it hatches, then both parents care for the chick. Some adult birds will fly as far as California and Alaska to find food during the breeding season. The albatross is able to store large amounts of food while it is out at sea. It has a digestive process which sorts out the fat from the other components of their prey, typically squid, leaving a mixture of energy-rich nutrients efficiently stored for delivery back to the breeding site. Once back at the nest, the adult will regurgitate the oily mixture and other partially digested stomach contents to the chick.

Albatrosses use a technique called "dynamic soaring" which allows them to glide endlessly over the open sea without flapping their wings. The Laysan Albatross has a wingspan of almost nine feet. Keeping their long slender wings perfectly still by locking their shoulders into place, they rise and fall over the sea as they cut through the wind taking advantage of different wind speeds at varying heights. They must have wind in order to take off from land or the surface of the water and to maintain flight. Take off involves a running start into the wind, and landing requires the use of their large webbed feet as skis when landing on water. On land they use their feet and tails to slow their speed and touch down to the ground.

Over the years, human activities have had a dramatic impact on the Laysan Albatross. In the early 1900's hundreds of thousands of albatross were killed for their feathers. This horrible slaughter eventually led to the protection of the species as well as its breeding grounds in the Hawaiian Islands. Military activity during the first half of the 20th century also had a devastating impact on the population of birds on Midway.

Unfortunately, the Laysan Albatross is still under siege today. The species is vulnerable to longline and illegal driftnet fisheries, domestic dogs and feral cats at certain breeding colonies, ingestion of plastic found in the ocean and lead poisoning from ingesting lead paint that is peeling off old military buildings on Midway. As the population has experienced steady declines, BirdLife International has listed the Laysan Albatross as "vulnerable" and launched a campaign to create awareness about longline fisheries.

(Editor's note) "Al" was profiled in a January 7, 2007, Press Democrat column by Chris Smith. He (or it may be she) apparently has a leg injury this year, which was judged not too serious by Jay Holcomb of the International Bird Rescue Research Center in Fairfield, since the albatross spends almost all its life in the water. Al seems to like interacting with people, but Holcomb cautioned that observers keep their distance and especially not offer food, even if it's squid.

Under a bluebird sky, over 130 birders hit the road to participate in Madrone's 40th annual Christmas Bird Count. Though early morning temperatures were in the low 30's, afternoon temps were in the high 50's. What a treat, even without comparing it to last year's count day storm! My thanks to all of those eagle-eyed counters!

Though there were no rarities for us this year, we had plenty of the usual suspects. Species counted totaled 180 on the day of the count, our highest number recorded since the year 2000. Though most leaders reported average birding, one or two reported area numbers that topped previous records. Each area usually had a bird that was not seen elsewhere in the circle, so Estero Lane had all 50 Red Crossbills, Richard Merriss (hitchhiking on a crab boat) had the only Black-legged Kittiwake, and Freestone to Monte Rio had the only American Dipper. One of the great things about our circle's diversity!

After such a pleasant day of birding, many of the participants ended it by coming to the post count dinner at the Sebastopol Community Center. To add a bit of a celebratory air to the day, a simple catered meal was provided by Madrone to say "thank you" to the folks who really make this count happen. Peter Leveque, who did an outstanding job as master of ceremonies, provided the entertainment-I probably don't have to say more than that!

I will mention that Pete had few minutes before the dinner to look over the numbers posted after that first count. He noted that on that day in 1967, twenty counters in seven areas found at total of 136 White-winged Scoters. Today's count, with our 100+ people in 20 areas, managed to find only two. It's sad to see that decline in numbers, but we've had a notable increase in others. In 1967, the counters recorded only 75 Brown Pelicans and zero Peregrine Falcons. Forty years later, thanks to improved conservation methods, we can frequently view these birds in our area and on the count day, we had 704 and 9 respectively.

I am truly grateful for each counter who participated-whether it was the first time or the 40th. I know that we are so very lucky to have such a great count area and doubly lucky to have dedicated leaders who know their areas inside and out. My special heartfelt thanks to Richard Merriss, Carolyn Johnson and Rick Theis, Dennis Beall and Pam Conley, Claire Shurvinton, Peter Leveque, Mike Heffernon, Chris Wood, Ken Wilson, Lisa Hug, Sylvan Eidelman, Janeann Erickson, Glo Wellman, Bill and Paget Lenarz, Mike Parmeter, Ian Morrison, Ruth Rudesill, Karen and Jerry Wagner, Bill Payne, John Ferrari, Gerry Mugle, Veronica Bowers, Jean Tonascia, David Berman and Sean Jean. Thanks also to Andrea Bond, Mary Wheeler and all who helped with setting up the hall and cleaning up at the end of the night.

There isn't room to list everyone who has counted or led a team for Madrone, but I hope that you'll settle for my sincere thanks for all your help-past, present and future.

(Editor's Note: Madrone Audubon would like to thank Joy for her hard work compiling the count results and also for planning the special 40th anniversary dinner.)

1 Greater White-fronted Goose
843 Black Brant
208 Canada Goose
18 Wood Duck
16 Gadwall
17 Eurasian Wigeon
72 American Wigeon
168 Mallard
9 Cinnamon Teal
13 Pintail
173 Green-winged Teal
44 Canvasback
4 Ring-necked Duck
709 Greater Scaup
104 Lesser Scaup
1530 Scaup, sp
843 Surf Scoter
2 White-winged Scoter
4 Scoter, sp
605 Bufflehead
27 Common Goldeneye
4 Goldeneye, sp
7 Hooded Merganser
39 Common Merganser
59 Red-Breasted Merganser
414 Ruddy Duck
92 Wild Turkey
552 California Quail
176 Red-throated Loon
29 Pacific Loon
67 Common Loon
91 Pied-billed Grebe
99 Horned Grebe
5 Red-necked Grebe
195 Eared Grebe
277 Western Grebe
607 Clark's Grebe
423 Aechmophorus, sp

3 Northern Fulmar
1 Shearwater, sp
704 Brown Pelican
288 Brandt's Cormorant
49 Double-crested Cormorant
177 Pelagic Cormorant
10 Cormorant, sp
44 Great Blue Heron
30 Great Egret
67 Snowy Egret
4 Green Heron
12 Black-crowned Night-Heron
282 Turkey Vulture
6 Osprey
28 White-tailed Kite
37 Northern Harrier
7 Sharp-shinned Hawk
15 Cooper's Hawk
10 Accipiter, sp
32 Red-shouldered Hawk
165 Red-tailed Hawk
4 Ferruginous Hawk
5 Buteo, sp
3 Golden Eagle
1 Adult
2 Immature
109 American Kestrel
5 Merlin
9 Peregrine Falcon
2 Black Rail
7 Virginia Rail
1 Rail, sp
1 Sora
592 American Coot
39 Black-bellied Plover
32 Snowy Plover
209 Semipalmated Plover
85 Killdeer
44 Black Oystercatcher
31 American Avocet
2 Spotted Sandpiper
17 Greater Yellowlegs
360 Willet
1 Whimbrel
5 Long-billed Curlew
995 Marbled Godwit
9 Ruddy Turnstone
218 Black Turnstone
26 Surfbird
2 Red Knot
366 Sanderling
590 Western Sandpiper
354 Least Sandpiper
2886 Dunlin
150 Peep, sp
1 Dowitcher, sp
43 Wilson's Snipe
3 Red Phalarope
1 Parasitic Jaeger
27 Heermann's Gull
461 Mew Gull
203 Ring-billed Gull
1274 California Gull
32 Herring Gull
4 Thayer's Gull
640 Western Gull
84 Glaucous-winged Gull
13 Glaucous X Western Gull
1 Black-legged Kittiwake
1311 Gull, sp
14 Forster's Tern
62 Common Murre
4 Pigeon Guillemot
21 Marbled Murrelet
15 Ancient Murrelet
16 Murrelet, sp
2 Alcid, sp
133 Rock Pigeon
59 Band-tailed Pigeon
83 Mourning Dove
1 Barn Owl
1 Western Screech-Owl
7 Great Horned Owl
4 Northern Pygmy-Owl
2 Spotted Owl
1 Short-eared Owl
132 Anna's Hummingbird
17 Belted Kingfisher
48 Acorn Woodpecker
9 Red-breasted Sapsucker
26 Nuttall's Woodpecker
7 Downy Woodpecker
18 Hairy Woodpecker
61 Northern Flicker
13 Red-shafted Flicker
5 Pileated Woodpecker
177 Black Phoebe
14 Say's Phoebe
21 Hutton's Vireo
209 Steller's Jay
315 Western Scrub-Jay
433 American Crow
297 Common Raven
327 Chestnut-backed Chickadee
19 Oak Titmouse
165 Bushtit
5 Red-breasted Nuthatch
12 White-breasted Nuthatch
93 Pygmy Nuthatch
36 Brown Creeper
36 Bewick's Wren
1 House Wren
13 Winter Wren
19 Marsh Wren
3 Wren, sp
1 American Dipper
90 Golden-crowned Kinglet
312 Ruby-crowned Kinglet
303 Western Bluebird
126 Hermit Thrush
1625 American Robin
277 Varied Thrush
30 Wrentit
13 Northern Mockingbird
1632 European Starling
90 American Pipit
21 Cedar Waxwing
1 Orange-crowned Warbler
755 Yellow-rumped Warbler
136 Myrtle Warbler
65 Audubon's Warbler
85 Townsend's Warbler
4 Common Yellowthroat
126 Spotted Towhee
203 California Towhee
32 Savannah Sparrow
144 Fox Sparrow
246 Song Sparrow
14 Lincoln's Sparrow
1 Swamp Sparrow
2 White-throated Sparrow
931 White-crowned Sparrow
1098 Golden-crowned Sparrow
176 Sparrow, sp
1370 Dark-eyed Junco
1 Slate-colored Junco
841 Red-winged Blackbird
455 Western Meadowlark
1417 Brewer's Blackbird
6 Brown-headed Cowbird
274 Blackbird, sp
27 Purple Finch
162 House Finch
50 Red Crossbill
32 Pine Siskin
59 Lesser Goldfinch
36 American Goldfinch
30 Goldfinch, sp
83 House Sparrow

180 Total species reported
37,814 Total individuals counted

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