International Migratory Bird Day around Tucson on May 10! by Paul ...

Early morning: North American Migratory BirdCount Join birders across the continent tocount birds either on your own orwith one of the May 10 field tripslisted on page 5. To count on yourown or with your own group,contact Scott Wilbor at 628-1730 [email protected].

12–2p.m.: Conservation Lecture Series See page 3 for details!

Volume 52, Number 8 May–June 2008

Tucson Audubon Society www.tucsonaudubon.org Leaders in Conservation & Education since 1949

I S S N 1 0 9 4 - 9 9 0 9

Inside this issue

VermilionFlycatcher

The Vermilion Flycatcher is published monthlyexcept for combined May–June, July–August, andDecember–January issues. For address changes orsubscription problems call 629.0757, or write toMembership Coordinator, Tucson Audubon, 300 E.University Blvd., #120, Tucson, AZ 85705.Submissions for the July–August issue are dueJune. 1. Please send submissions as Microsoft Wordor RTF documents, or plain text files, to MattGriffiths at [email protected].

Coordinator, Matt Griffiths 206-9900Proofreaders, Jane & Warren Tisdale 749-2139Layout Editor, Julie St. John

9 Audubon Afield14 Audubon Nature Shops 11 Birdathon23 Business Members18 Conservation Update

2 Director’s Perch12 Education News

4 Events & Classes5 Field Trips & Carpooling

16 Habitat Restoration22 Important Bird Areas10 International Migratory

Bird Day3 President’s Perspective

26 Thanks! 24 Travel Opportunities

4 Tucson Area Birding17 Urban Birds27 Wishes

Night Life onMt. Lemmon:

WHOOOOOwill go?

See page 4 for details!

Ninth Annual Ironwood Festival at the Mason Center2–5:30p.m.: Education Fair FREE!Live Raptors, Bobcat, Arthropods and more!Guided Trail WalksIronwood Tree RaffleAvian Photography DisplayHands-on fun with Arizona Game & Fish Department; Pima

County Natural Resources, Parks & Recreation; SonoranArthropod Studies Institute; Friends of Ironwood Forest;Tucson Herpetological Society; Arizona Native Plant Society;Ironwood Forest National Monument; and more!

5:30–9pm: Celebration! $10/ADULT

($7 IF YOU ATTEND THE EDUCATION FAIR)Live music and dancing with: A Ray of Hope Band, The

Ironwood Allstars (Kevin Schramm, Tim O’Connor, DonnyRussell, Brian Davies), and Eb’s Kamp Kookin’ (TimO’Connor, Tim Weidenkeller & Eb)

The Ironwood Festival featuring InternationalMigratory Bird Day brings together conservation,education and recreation! Courtesy Carrie Dean,Doris Evans, Kendall Kroesen, USFWS.

CelebrateInternational Migratory Bird Dayaround Tucson on May 10! by Paul Green

2 Tucson Audubon Society Vermilion Flycatcher � MAY–JUNE 2008

Director’s Perch Paul Green, Executive Director

Ironwood as SymbolMay 10 is an important date for yourcalendar. It’s Tucson Audubon’s IronwoodFestival, a time for all of us in southernArizona to pay homage to our old-growthforests and their continued survival. Join usat our Mason Center for IronwoodPreservation and Environmental Educationin northwest Tucson, in the heart of theTortolita Fan, for a day of fun andcelebration. Enjoy the ironwood forest that ispart of Orpha Mason’s legacy and a key partof the award-winning Sonoran DesertConservation Plan (SDCP), a symbol of whatcan be achieved by a group of people with avision to conserve our valuable natural areas.See the cover for details of our IronwoodFestival and page 10 for more information onour International Migratory Bird Daycelebrations.

A symbol of diversity and adaptation:The desert ironwood tree (Olneya tesota) is akeystone species, an anchor that makes otherlife possible, and a symbol of the diversitythat develops around it. More than 600species of plants and animals rely upon thisdesert “tree of life” that influences thedistribution and abundance of other species.The tree captures nitrogen from the air usingbacteria in special root packets, and otherspecies benefit as a result. For a brief periodduring May, some branches on the ironwoodtrees drop their leaves and become festoonedwith lilac-colored flowers.

At the Mason Center you can see youngsaguaros and other species becomingestablished beneath their nurse ironwoodtrees. Wood rats, a natural part of this uplandSonoran Desert scrub, build their middensamong tumbling prickly pears. Tarantulaspatrol the paths, Black-tailed Gnatcatchers flitfrom branch to branch gleaning insects,bobcats seek refuge under the canopy fromthe summer sun, and western diamondbackrattlesnakes await, coiled in the shade.

A symbol of our vision:The ironwood forest in and around TucsonAudubon’s Mason Center is symbolic of theneed to strategically save remaining forests inour region. Pima County’s SDCP aims toprotect biological diversity and “ensure thelong-term survival of the full spectrum ofplants and animals that are indigenous toPima County.” The county recognizes that

protecting indigenousspecies involvessustaining the widerange of plantcommunities in orderto assemble a robustpreserve system. TheSDCP has identifiedand mapped ironwoodvegetative communitiesas a “special element”that needs protection. This includes the area inand around the Mason Center. The SDCP hasalso provided a structure for critical wildlifelinkages (or movement corridors) throughoutour region, pathways for animals to movebetween habitat patches.

In general, habitat patches increase in value towildlife with increasing size. As a securehabitat patch in a region of rapiddevelopment, Tucson Audubon’s MasonCenter provides a core from whichopportunities can be seized. An example is theestablishment of Arthur Pack Parkimmediately to the north. During the dawn ofthe SDCP, loss of habitat from constructionwas narrowly avoided by the willingness ofPima County, the YMCA and Pima College torelocate their new facilities from thesouthwestern corner of the park to the currentShannon-Magee location. To the south of theMason Center is a property where 60 acres ofsimilar habitat could still be saved andrestored. It is currently owned by developerPacific International, also known as Redpoint.Other opportunities exist around the park,such as the parcel of state trust land at thenorthwest corner of Arthur Pack Park, withadjoining parcels to the south and the northwhich Pima County has purchased formitigation and conservation.

Learning opportunities courtesy of TucsonAudubon and our friends.May 10 is an opportunity for you to educateyourself about some of the issues in our regionin general, and northwest Tucson in particular.Why not take a drive (or even better a bicycleride) to see the development and remaininghabitat, have lunch, attend our talks, enjoy theeducation activities, and then celebrate at theend of the day with local musicians. In theevening we’ll have food; and Thunder CanyonBrewery, one of our Birds & Business Alliancemembers, will provide locally-made beverages.What better way to enjoy your springSaturday?

VF

Tucson Audubon Society is dedicated to improving the quality of

the environment by providing education,conservation, and recreation programs,

environmental leadership, and information.Tucson Audubon is a non-profit volunteer

organization of people with a commoninterest in birding and natural history.

Tucson Audubon maintains offices, a libraryand nature shops in Tucson, the proceeds of

which benefit all of its programs.

Tucson Audubon Society300 E. University Blvd. #120, Tucson, AZ 85705

629-0510 (voice) or 623-3476 (fax)All phone numbers are area code 520 unless otherwise stated

www.tucsonaudubon.org

Board Officers & CommitteesMessages 622-5622

President Herb TrossmanVice President Mich CokerSecretary Robert MeridethTreasurer Tom Rehm

Conservation Chris McVie, Development Sandy Elers, Education Doris Evans, Finance Tom Rehm, Nominating Robert MeridethVacant: Community Presence

Additional Directors at Large: Clark Blake, Mary Kay Eiermann, Sandy Elers, Julie Gordon, Linda Greene, Barbara Heineman, Craig Marken, Robert Mesta, Liz Payne, Susan Randolph, Bill Roe, Jessie Shin, Linda Stitzer, Bob Wenrick

Programs & ActivitiesField Trips Darlene Smyth 297-2315Library David West 629-0510Membership Meetings Vivian MacKinnon 629-0757Rare Bird Alert John Yerger 798-1005Report Rare Birds 798-1005

StaffExecutive Director Paul Green 235-1796Operations Manager Michael Monyak 629-0757Bookkeeper Jeff Burrows 629-0757Education Program Manager Carrie Dean 622-2230Membership Development ManagerVivian MacKinnon 629-0757

Membership Coordinator Jean Barchman 622-5622IBA Conservation Biologist Scott Wilbor 628-1730Restoration Program Mgr. Kendall Kroesen 206-9900Field Supervisor Rodd Lancaster 256-6909Restoration Specialist Matthew Griffiths 206-9900Mason Outreach Coordinator Lia Sansom 971-6238Environmental Educ. Specialist Matt Brooks 622-2230University Shop Manager Sara Pike 622-2230Assistant Shop Manager Heather Hatch 622-2230Agua Caliente Shop Mgr. Becky Aparicio 760-7881

Nature ShopsTucson Audubon Nature Shop

300 E. University Blvd. #120 629-0510Hours: Monday–Saturday, 10a.m.–4p.m.

(10a.m.–5p.m. Monday & Thursday); closed Sunday

623-3476 fax / 622-2230 Shop Manager

Tucson Audubon at Agua Caliente Roy P. Drachman Agua Caliente Park12325 E. Roger Rd. 760-7881

Hours: Tuesday, Friday, Saturday, 9a.m.–3:30p.m.;

An anniversary, somedepartures, and some ideas onhow to reduce bird collisions

It has been more than a year since PaulGreen became Tucson Audubon’sExecutive Director and his performanceduring that period only reinforced theBoard’s belief that it made anoutstanding choice in selecting him tosucceed Sonja Macys. Paul quicklyestablished a rapport with the Board,staff and volunteers and lost no time inmeeting with major donors. He alsorapidly developed a keen understandingof the major issues facing ourcommunity and established lines ofcommunication with the major playersin Tucson. He met with the leaders ofother conservation organizations tocoordinate efforts. His background withNational Audubon helped him establishlinks with the Audubon Arizona office inPhoenix. The monthly membershipmeetings were reorganized shortly afterhe arrived into the Lecture Series,included calls to action, and enhancedannouncements of forthcoming events.The Board has also greatly benefited byhis wise counsel as well as his charm andwit. All in all, an excellent first year and aharbinger of future accomplishments.

There have been some major changes tothe Board and Committee chairs thispast month. Barbara Heinemen, who haschaired the Finance Committee for thepast 3 years is relinquishing the positionto Tom Rehm. Barbara guided TucsonAudubon in initiating majorimprovements to its financial reportingand planning. She has aided Board andFinance Committee members tounderstand better financial statementsand accounting procedures. Under herguidance, the staff has implementedrevenue and expense forecasting so thatwe can better plan our activities. Hercontribution is immense in bringingTucson Audubon’s financial reporting tothe high standards that an organizationof our size and reputation requires.

Also retiring from her position asSecretary of the Board is Julie Gordon.She has performed her duties diligently

and with good cheer. Though she will bemissed as Secretary, the good news isthat she will remain on the Board andbegin a new 3-year term. The Bylaws ofthe Society provide that directors canonly serve two consecutive 3-year terms.As a result, we are losing Don Eagle as aBoard member. Don serves on theEducation and the Finance Committeesand we hope that he continues hisparticipation on those committees. Donhas also been the Board’s unofficialgrammarian and has tried to make surethat Board members adhere to propergrammar and spelling.

My columns on bird collisions withwindows have resulted in somesuggestions from members on how toreduce impacts. A friend has installedmobiles made of colorful plastic trinketsin front of her picture windows andreports that collisions have been greatlyreduced. Another member suggests thatribbons hung in front of windows can

help reduce birdstrikes. Take a ribbonabout twice theheight of the window,double it, and thenattach it near the topof the window at itsmidpoint with ducttape. If the window iswide, you may haveto use more than oneribbon. The wind willkeep the ribbon moving and helps breakup the reflection. You can also try usingreflective Mylar tape instead of ribbon.Yet another member has pointed out thatbird collisions with large buildings are asignificant problem, and there are groupsin Chicago, Toronto and New York thatare working to reduce such collisions.Perhaps we should see if this is aproblem in Tucson.

VF

The President’s Perspective Herb Trossman, Board President

MAY–JUNE 2008 � Vermilion Flycatcher Tucson Audubon Society 3

Presentations kick offTucson Audubon’sIronwood Festival.This year’s Ironwood Festival begins at noon on May 10 atthe Tortolita Middle School on Hardy Road (just west ofthe Mason Center, where Hardy dead ends), with a series offour short talks that put our festival and the Mason Centerinto the context of the conservation and habitat landscapeof our region.

At noon, Shiloh Walkosak from Friends of Ironwood Forestwill introduce us to the key features of the ironwood forestand some fascinating facts about the ecology of theironwood tree. Rachel McCaffrey, who runs the TucsonBird Count, will talk about what results from this citizenscience program tell us about the value to birds of ournorthwest Tucson ironwood forest. Sean Sullivan, AssociateDirector of the Coalition for Sonoran Desert Protection,will talk about the importance of the ironwood forest in thecontext of habitat conservation of the region, and the roleof the Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan in structuringland use in the region. Finally, Paul Green of TucsonAudubon will talk about some of the migrant bird speciesthat are arriving in the ironwood forest at this time.

After the talks at the school, you can simply walk along thestreet to the festival. More details from Paul [email protected].

Ironwood Festival

SponsorsCopper Level:

Wild BirdsUnlimitedNature Shop

Acacia Growers

Ironwood Level:

Hughes FederalCredit Union

Thunder CanyonBrewing

Merrill Lynch

CelebrationBandssponsored bythe Tortolistas


tucson area birding:

Bird Walk in the Foothills First Thursday of the month, 7a.m. Beginningbirders meet at La Encantada parking lot, offCampbell, north of Skyline. For information,contact Michael Smith at [email protected] or299-0122.

Wake up with the Birds at Roy P.Drachman Agua Caliente Park Every Tuesday. Pima County guided bird walks forbeginners and families. Binoculars available. Meetat the Ranch House. For information and times,call 749-3718.

Catalina State Park Bird walks led by Denis Wright on Fridays,7:30–10a.m. at the first picnic area — time willchange in 30-minute increments as weather/lightconditions require. Open daily 5a.m.–10p.m.; fee.Call 628-5798 for information about walks.

Sabino Canyon Birding and nature hikes. Parking fee. Call 749-8700.

Saguaro National Park Call 733-5153 (East) or 733-5158 (West) forscheduled bird walks.

Tohono Chul Park Birding walks at 8:30a.m. Monday, Wednesday &Saturday. Open 8a.m.–5p.m. daily; entrance fee.Call 575-8468.

Tucson Botanical Gardens Open 8:30a.m.–4:30p.m. Entrance fee. Call 326-9686.

OTHER AREAS

Arizona State Parks: Birding and other walks;www.pr.state.az.us. Fee. Call (602)542-4174.

Buenos Aires NWR: The refuge is open 24 hours aday, and visitor center open 7:30a.m. to 4p.m.seven days a week. Call 823-4251.

Boyce Thompson Arboretum: Open 8a.m.– 5p.m.daily (last admissions 1 hour before closing). Call689-2811. Visit ag.arizona.edu/BTA/events/birdwalks.html for bird sightings.

Ramsey Canyon: Open every day 8a.m.–5p.m. Fee.Call 378-2785.

Southern Arizona Bird ObservatoryTours of birding sites available; fee. Call 432-1388or visit www.sabo.org.

Nightlife on Mt. Lemmon! Owl Prowl Fundraiser on July 1You’re invited to join Tucson Audubon and Birds & Business Alliance member RickTaylor for a magical evening of night-spotting in the Santa Catalina Mountains. Thisunique event is fully guided and includes transportation, food and refreshing adultbeverages. The outing is limited to 14 participants.

First, you’ll be transferred to a select spot mid-mountain, to gather for nibbles andwelcomes. At sunset we begin birding! We’ll then travel up the mountain, searchingfor owls and nightjars while continuing delicious refreshments and fun at comfortablecabins along the way. Mt. Lemmon takes in nearly every owl that nests or migratesthrough Arizona and is the place to learn about the special attributes of these amazingcreatures.

Please note, we may use recordings and other technologies to locate the birds, since itis outside breeding season. But we will, as always, put the birds’ needs ahead of ourdesire to see them. We ask a minimum donation of $500 for this special trip. Due tothe unpredictability of the monsoon storms we have scheduled a makeup date of July15th. Please contact Vivian at [email protected] or 629-0757 for moreinformation.

Audubon Arizona and Scottsdale Artists’ School arejoining forces this fall to teach beginners how torecord birds the way John James Audubon did…

by drawing.Three weekend classes in sketching, watercolor, and

scientific illustration are offered at $150 each.

For details, go to az.audubon.org orwww.ScottsdaleArtSchool.org or

call Scottsdale Artists’ School at (480) 990-1422.

Ironwood Festival at the Mason Center. Seewww.tucsonaudubon.org/masoncenterfor more information about the festival.

Trip #1MAY 10—Saturday 6a.m.Marana-area Birding forInternational Migratory Bird DayParticipants will help the trip leader countbirds for International Migratory Bird Day.We’ll make several stops in the Marana areaincluding a new site: the High PlainsEffluent Recharge Project. This Pima Countyfacility is normally off-limits, but we havearranged to have access on May 10. It is anexperimental site, testing effluent rechargerates in several ponds that have differentamounts of vegetation. We’ll also visit theSimpson Farm habitat restoration projectand perhaps other sites, depending on theresults of a reconnaissance in the precedingweek. We should see adults and juveniles ofresident species and potentially a whole lotof migrants. Bring water, snack, goodwalking shoes, and dress in layers. Scopeuseful. Meet for a 6a.m. departure from theJack-in-the-Box on Ina Road just east of I-10. Done by late morning. 50 milesroundtrip. Leader: Kendall Kroesen 971-2385 cell, [email protected]

Trip #2MAY 10—Saturday 6a.m.Catalina State Park—InternationalMigratory Bird DayBirding on International Migratory Bird Daygives us a chance to enjoy the birds whilecounting the species and individuals we see.Come help me find and count the birds atthis beautiful state park. (State park pass orfee required) This will be a morning ofleisurely birding with ample time for longlooks at species we encounter. The leaderwill have a scope, but bring yours if you’dlike. Walking shoes, sun protection andwater are necessities; you may need a lightjacket early in the morning, and a snack isoptional. Meet at the first picnic area (thefirst road on the left just past the road to theEquestrian Center) at 6a.m. Done by latemorning.Leader: Darlene Smyth 297-2315 [email protected]

MAY 3—Saturday 5:30a.m.Kitt Peak Area: Birdathon FriendlyThis ‘Sky Island’ trip will focus on findingCrested Caracara, Bendire’s Thrasher, Ash-throated Flycatcher and Rufous-wingedSparrows as well as the expected species athigher elevations such as Band-tailed Pigeon,Mexican Jays, Acorn Woodpecker and White-throated Swift. Some late-blooming desertflowers may still be found (a bonus!). We willwalk locally along roads and trails. Pleasebring a broad-brimmed hat, water and lunchas well as your binoculars and a scope if youhave one. Meet at 5:30a.m. at the Fry’sparking lot at I-19 and Irvington to carpoolto the Kitt Peak area. Roundtrip distance isapproximately 90 miles with a mid-afternoonreturn.Leader: Clait Braun [email protected] or529-4614

MAY 6—Tuesday 5a.m.Pinal Mountains: Birdathon FriendlyThis trip will visit the under-explored PinalMountains southwest of Globe. We will passthrough several habitats from Sonoran Desertscrub to fir forest on our way up themountain. We should see many of our skyisland specialties including Olive and Red-faced Warblers, Hepatic Tanager, CordilleranFlycatcher, the northernmost population ofYellow-eyed Juncos and many more. We willstop on the way there to look for Gray Vireosand Black-chinned Sparrows at Pioneer Pass.On our way home, we may stop atDudleyville to look for Mississippi Kites, timepermitting. There will be a few short hikes onfairly steep terrain at high altitude (7000‘+).Wear sturdy footwear; bring a hat andsunscreen, lots of water, lunch, and snacks.We will arrive back in Tucson by mid-to-lateafternoon. Meet at the northwest Tucsoncarpooling site before 5a.m. for a promptdeparture. Limit of 11 birders, so please signup with the leader beginning April 21. (250miles roundtrip).Leader: Philip Kline [email protected] 419-5086.

International Migratory Bird DaySpecial: Three trips to choose from—andparticipants on these field trips receive a two-for-one pass to the evening portion of the

Upcoming Field Trips Darlene Smyth, Field Trip Coordinator

continued next page


For the latest information on field trips, visit us online atwww.tucsonaudubon.org

or call us at 629-0757

General InformationTucson Audubon field trips are free.The field trip coordinator is DarleneSmyth (297-2315).

Carpooling SiteTucson Audubon stronglyencourages carpooling. Unless notedotherwise, the “carpooling site” isthe parking lot behind the FirstBaptist Church, on the west side of5th Ave., 1.5 blocks south ofUniversity Blvd and the AudubonNature Shop. Be aware that if thereare two or more meeting sites for afield trip, you may be the only personto use one of them. Every personarriving for a trip should be preparedto drive, or make other arrangementsprior to meeting time. Visitwww.tucsonaudubon.org/birding/carpool.htm for more informationabout carpool locations.

Driver ReimbursementsWe recommend that each passengerreimburse the driver 10¢ per mile.Each trip description includesestimated trip mileage.

Arrival TimesPlease arrive before the departuretime listed in the trip description.Trips will leave promptly at the timegiven.

After your Field TripDon’t forget to stop in the AudubonNature Shop after your trip to checkout new books, see wonderfulnature items, and chat withvolunteers.

Rare Bird AlertListen to the latest rare bird alert at 798-1005. Report rare birds to theRBA compiler at 798-1005 [email protected].

field trips:


nesting, and we will make an effort to findas many as possible. Bring plenty of waterand a snack, use sun protection and a hat.A scope may be useful. Meet at HoughtonRoad north of I-10 for a 5:30a.m. departure(leader not present). Meet the leader at theSan Pedro House off Arizona Route 90 eastof Sierra Vista at 7a.m. Due to the heat, wewill be finished by 10:30, giving you theopportunity to visit some of Sierra Vista’shummer hotspots on your own. (160 milesroundtrip)Leader: Erika Wilson 225-0393 (Tucson),234-4359 (Sierra Vista), [email protected]

MAY 24—Saturday 6a.m.Catalina MountainsLook for birds at several spots, from thedesert at the bottom up to the forest on Mt.Lemmon. Bring water and lunch. Meet atthe parking lot on the northeast corner ofCatalina Highway and Tanque Verde Road.Back by 3p.m. Leader: Bob Bates (296-5629)

MAY 27—Tuesday 5a.m.Madera CanyonWe’ll stop at the wash on the way to thecanyon, the Proctor parking area, the feederarea near the lodge, and check the MaderaKubo area if the Flame-colored Tanager isin residence. We’ll end with a walk of a mileor so up from the upper parking lot,hoping the trogons will be there. Meet atFry’s parking lot on Irvington just east of I-19 at 5a.m. We’ll swing by theMcDonald’s in Green Valley (5:30a.m.) topick up any additional people. It will begetting hot so we will end early, around11a.m. with a snack or bag lunch. Bringwater, eats, sunscreen, and $5 for the forestservice fee (or a Golden Eagle, Golden Age,or annual pass). (About 80 miles roundtripfrom Tucson). Limit: 15 people. Leader: Brian McKnight 881-4481 [email protected]

MAY 31—Saturday 6:30a.m.Peppersauce Canyon On the north side of the Catalinas, near thetown of Oracle, is a seldom-birded canyon.This little canyon has a nice riparian stretchsurrounded by mesquite, oak and juniperhillsides. We will look for such denizens asBridled Titmouse, Brown-crested

It is a relatively under-birded area but, witha mix of habitats including some old-growth cottonwoods, a remnant Cienega,and part of the most extensive mesquitebosque along the Santa Cruz, it has lots ofpotential. After lunch at the trailhead inRio Rico, we will visit a couple of thewetlands in the area for Black-belliedWhistling Duck and other water birds ofthe wetlands in the area. Bring lunch andplenty of water. Dress for the weather andwear sturdy shoes for walking this trail.Meet at the Fry’s parking lot at Irvingtonand I-19 at 6a.m. (leader not present) or atthe McDonald’s in Green Valley at 6:30a.m.(leader present). (Approximately 90 milesroundtrip from Tucson)Leader: Michael Marsden [email protected] 269-6240

MAY 17—Saturday 7:30a.m.Patagonia: Summer RiparianBirds for BeginnersThose who are new to birding are especiallyinvited to join us looking for the specialhawks, flycatchers, hummingbirds andother birds that live along desert riversduring the hot seasons. After checking outthe Patons’ backyard feeders and theRoadside Rest along Sonoita Creek, we willgo back to the Patagonia city park forlunch. Restrooms at the park. The pacewill be easy with time to ask questions andhave good looks at the birds. The walkingwill be on flat dirt trails except for oneshort steep section near the Roadside Rest.Be ready for a hot and sunny day. Bring sunprotection, lots of water, lunch, and moneyfor the “hummer sugar fund” and optionalend-of-trip ice cream. Carpooling isencouraged. Round trip mileage is 150miles. Meet at Houghton Road just northof I-10 at 7:30a.m. Back by 2p.m.LIMIT OF TEN BIRDERS: Sign up withleader only by phone starting on Sunday,May 4 at noon. Contact leader before thenif you have any questions.Leader: John Higgins 578-1830 [email protected]

MAY 20—Tuesday 5:30a.m.San Pedro Riparian NationalConservation AreaThis is one of the country’s best birdingareas. Our resident southern Arizonaspecialty birds will be very involved in

Trip #3MAY 10—Saturday 7a.m.Lincoln Park and AtturburyWash—International MigratoryBird DayCome celebrate our migratory birds. LincolnPark and Atturbury Wash is a little-knownarea in SE Tucson with established trails in abird sanctuary. The riparian forest may haveflycatchers, warblers, and finches.Roadrunners are possible sightings, as well.Bring binoculars, water, and good walkingshoes. Meet at Lincoln Park at 7a.m.Directions: from Broadway, drive south onKolb Rd, turn left (east) on Escalante. Thepark is about 1.5 miles on the right (south).Leader: Karen Hochgraf [email protected]

MAY 10 & 11—Saturday & SundayGila Box RNCA (near Safford AZ)Most similar to a hike in Aravaipa Canyon,the main birding outing of this trip will be awalk up through the streambed of BonitaCreek from its confluence with the GilaRiver. We’ll be walking in the water a lot ofthe time, which should feel nice and cool!Since it’s a long way from Tucson, thetrip consists of arriving (when you’d like) onSaturday, informal birding along the GilaRiver on Saturday afternoon, camping out inthe River View Campground on Saturdaynight (fee area), walking up Bonita Creekearly on Sunday morning for maybe fourmiles round trip max, followed by the drivehome Sunday afternoon. Anyone wishing todrive up (very) early Sunday morning wouldbe welcome to do that. Birds I’ve seen hereinclude Common Black-Hawk, Yellow-billedCuckoo and Tropical Kingbird. It’s a verypretty area. See entry in Finding Birds inSoutheast Arizona, 7th edition, p. 110–113.Not a limited signup trip, but please let meknow if you plan on attending. I’ll try tohelp manage carpooling between us.Leader: Larry Liese 743-3520 [email protected]

MAY 13—Tuesday 6a.m.Anza TrailThis 1200-mile trail was first used in 1775-76 by the Spanish colonial expedition as theytraveled from Sonora to what is now SanFrancisco. We will use a less ambitiousportion of the trail as we look for TropicalKingbirds, Gray Hawks, Northern Beardless-Tyrannulets, warblers, tanagers and orioles.

Field Trips continued


Flycatcher, Acorn Woodpecker, Lucy’sWarbler, and Western Scrub Jay. If there istime we will swing by Oracle State Park.Bring your Santa Catalina pass for parking atPeppersauce and your state park pass forparking at Oracle State Park. Meet forcarpooling at 6:30a.m. in the Ina and ViaPonte commuter parking lot one block westof Oracle and Ina, on the south side of Ina.Bring a hat, sunscreen, lunch and plenty ofwater. Back by 1p.m. (Approximately 80miles roundtrip)Leader: Robert Payne 867-0490

JUNE 3—Tuesday, 9a.m. Time-travel birding at the ArizonaMuseum of Natural History!Summer is here and it’s too hot to playoutside. Professor Peabody has his timemachine all revved up and ready to take usback to the origins of our feathered friends.We just have to get to Mesa, pay our $8 atthe door and step into the Arizona Museumof Natural History. Feathered Dinosaurs andthe Origin of Flight, an exhibition at themuseum presents exciting evidence fromremarkable fossils discovered in China, thatare bringing new answers to the on-goingdebate about the relationship betweendinosaurs and birds, as well as how theyevolved the ability to fly. The exhibit is a rareopportunity to see firsthand a collection of35 fossils that are national treasures on loanfrom the People’s Republic of China. Thesefossils reveal a new understanding of howbirds are related to dinosaurs. Also ondisplay are many life-size recreations thatdemonstrate startling changes in howdinosaurs have been portrayed over theyears. And there are several other ongoingexhibits worth browsing too. Let’s meet atthe civilized (but ungodly hot) hour of9a.m. at the central carpooling spot near theUniversity Blvd Audubon Nature Shop.Please bring $8 admission fee (they acceptmajor credit cards) and whatever lunch orsnacks you’ll want. You can either offer todrive some folks or bring money toreimburse your driver (1 hour, 45 min. / 230miles roundtrip) and we’ll carpool togetherto Mesa for an indoor day of birding at themuseum. If we’re not careful, we might evenlearn something! No limit but if you arewilling to drive please contact the leader.Plan to be back in Tucson by late afternoon.

Leader: Vivian MacKinnon 629-0757 [email protected]

JUNE 7—Saturday 5:15a.m.Scotia Canyon, HuachucaMountainsYes it will be hot, but we’ll compensate bystarting and ending early. Join TucsonAudubon for a trip to the less-visited sideof the Huachuca Mountains where ElegantTrogons croak, Painted Redstarts flit,Eastern Bluebirds warble and Buff-breastedFlycatchers do, well, whatever it is they do.We’ll stroll in along level ground about 1mile and then casually stroll back; no bigphysical acts—just one minor up-and-down-grade required on this hot day. Meetat the Houghton and I-10 meeting spot at5:15a.m. (leader not present) and then takeI-10 east to the Highway 83 (Sonoita) exitwhere the leader will be present at theparking area on the west side of the roadafter the entrance ramp (in a white DodgeDurango) at 5:30a.m. The road past theCanelo Hills is winding and dirt, butusually in good shape and passable bypassenger cars to Parker Canyon Lake.Carpooling is always recommended. Theleader can carry the first four who sign upat [email protected]. Bring lots of water, wearlots of sunscreen and be prepared for heateven as early as 9a.m. (when I hope we’ll bewrapping it up and wandering back).Because it is fire season and the nationalforests can and do close during this time ofyear, the alternate trip will be the Patagonia

Roadside Rest, the Patons’ feeders inPatagonia and Kino Springs near Nogales.The meeting place and times would remainunchanged.Leader: Clifford A. Cathers [email protected],762-3201 or 586-5339

JUNE 8—Sunday Time TBALiz’s GroveThe magic of water in the desert! Liz’sGrove is a lovely new-to-us locale and avery special spot near Dudleyville. Thispretty riparian ribbon along the DoubleCheck Ranch is part of Tucson Audubons’Lower San Pedro IBA and significant fordense nesting populations of WillowFlycatchers, Bell’s Vireo, Lucy’s and YellowWarbler (sonoriensis). Gray, Zone-tailedand Common Black-Hawks are notuncommon; Mississippi Kites have beenknown to nest close by. We’ll depart early(just before sunrise) and may make a fewstops along the way to Dudleyville to searchfor orioles, wrens, sparrows and warblers.Depending on heat, time and interest, wemight have a go at Winkleman Flats Park,for kingbirds on the return. Come enjoysome relaxed birding—we may even tally aYellow-billed Cuckoo. It will be hot, so besure to bring extra water, snacks/lunch, andsun protection. Wear sturdy shoes as it maybe muddy and uneven along the river.Limited to 10 birders and 3 cars (4x4 wouldbe very beneficial if you have one). Emailthe leaders beginning May 18 to reserve aspace and learn the meeting time and

The Forest Service has scheduled additionalmeetings on the Rosemont Mine. Please mark your

calendars and attend these meetings!

Forest Service Public Hearings (opportunities for public comment)

May 12—Elgin Elementary School Cafeteria, 292 Upper Elgin Rd. in Elgin, 6–9p.m.

June 7—Sahuarita High School, 350 W. Sahuarita Rd., 9a.m.–12p.m. June 30—Rincon High School, 421 N. Arcadia in Tucson, 6–9p.m.

For more information on the NEPA process, how to comment,potential impacts from the mine, and other important information

to help you make informed comments, please seewww.scenicsantaritas.org


experiences, and an Elegant Trogon ispossible! There may be some uphill hikingon rocky trails involved. To reduce thepressure on area birds the trip will be limitedto 10 birders. Bring water and a snack andwear sun protection. Meet at Fry’s parkinglot on Irvington just east of I-19 at 6a.m. orat the Green Valley McDonald’s onContinental Road and I-19 (exit 63) at6:30a.m. There is a $5 fee for parking or useyour USFS pass. (80 miles roundtrip)Contact the leader to sign up.Leader: Denis Wright [email protected]

JUNE 28—Saturday 6a.m.Madera CanyonThis trip will allow birders who could notjoin the Tuesday group a chance to bird thisfamous canyon. We’ll take advantage of thegreat scouting done on Tuesday and visit themost productive areas; so be prepared forpossible uphill hiking on rocky trails. Again,to reduce the pressure on the birds in thisheavily birded area, this trip will be limitedto 10 birders. Bring water and a snack andwear sun protection. Meet at Fry’s parkinglot on Irvington just east of I-19 at 6a.m. orat the Green Valley McDonald’s onContinental Road and I-19 (exit 63) at6:30a.m. There is a $5 fee for parking or useyour USFS pass. (80 miles roundtrip)Contact the leader to sign up.Leader: Nigel Crook [email protected]

JULY 1—Tuesday 5a.m. Scotia Canyon, HuachucaMountainsThis pretty canyon on the western side ofthe Huachuca Mountains has most of thesame birds for which the eastern canyons arefamous, but is much less heavily birded.High-clearance vehicles desirable; othersshould plan to carpool. Mostly walking on arocky road with some possibly wet streamcrossings. Bring water and lunch. Meet at theCentral Tucson carpooling site for a 5a.m.departure or at Houghton Road north of I-10 before 5:30a.m. We will drive throughSonoita and follow the road toward ParkerCanyon Dam before turning off onto roughroads to reach Scotia Canyon. (180 milesroundtrip)Leader: Jim Hays [email protected] or203-3489

VF

JUNE 17—Tuesday 5:30a.m.San Pedro Riparian NationalConservation AreaThis is one of the country’s best birdingareas. Our resident southern Arizonaspecialty birds will be very involved innesting, and we will make an effort to findas many as possible. Bring plenty of waterand a snack, use sun protection and a hat.A scope may be useful. Meet at HoughtonRoad north of I-10 for a 5:30a.m. departure(leader not present). Meet the leader at theSan Pedro House off Arizona Route 90 eastof Sierra Vista at 7a.m. Due to the heat, wewill be finished by 10:30, giving you theopportunity to visit some of Sierra Vista’shummer hot-spots on your own. (160miles roundtrip)Leader: Erika Wilson 225-0393 (Tucson),234-4359 (Sierra Vista), [email protected]

JUNE 22—Sunday 6:30a.m.Santa Catalina MountainsThe low desert heat means it’s time to headfor the sky islands of southeast Arizona andour own Santa Catalina Mountains provideample birding opportunities on ourback doorstep. Join me for a field trip upthe Catalina Highway in search of Red-faced, Grace’s, Olive, and Black-throatedGray Warblers, Greater Pewee, Black-chinned Sparrow, Mountain Chickadee,Golden-crowned Kinglet, Western Tanager,Steller’s Jay, Western Bluebird, and a wholelot more. It’ll be hot, so we’ll start early.Bring water, snacks and sunscreen. Meet atthe McDonald’s at the corner of TanqueVerde Road and the Catalina Highway at6:30a.m. (leader present in white DodgeDurango). We’ll try to be down by noon orshortly thereafter, birding densitypermitting. Carpooling is encouraged, andremember your National Forest Pass. We’llalso likely bird Rose Canyon which requiresan additional daily fee of $6 per vehicle.Leader: Cliff Cathers 762-3201, 586-5339or [email protected]

JUNE 24—Tuesday 6a.m.Madera CanyonSummer brings some snazzy birds to thiscanyon and they often concentrate aroundthe few water sources available before therains start. Checking a few of these areasshould give us some great birding

place. (120 miles roundtrip)Leaders: Sara Pike,[email protected] and Liz Payne, [email protected]

JUNE 10—Tuesday 8a.m.Sweet Time at SweetwaterThis field trip for families and beginnerswill meet at Sweetwater Wetlands parkinglot—expect to spend a couple of hours. Toget there go west on Prince from centralTucson (or take the Prince Rd exit offwestbound I-10). From the I-10 underpass,go west on Prince to where it ends, andturn right on Business Center Dr. Thenturn left on River Park Road which loopsaround the business park and becomesCommerce Drive. Take the first left, whichhas no street sign, follow it to the dead endat Sweetwater Drive and turn left. After avery short distance you will see theSweetwater Wetland parking on the left.This is one of the most user-friendlybirding sites in the area, with wide, flattrails (some paved) that wind among theponds, marsh, riparian and desertvegetation. With this many distinct habitatswe’re sure to see a wide variety of birds.Although most of the birds will be close athand, bring binoculars and a bird book ifyou have them. The leader will bring abirding scope for closer views. Don’t forgetwater, sunscreen, and a hat.Leader: Peggy Wenrick 577-0029 [email protected]

JUNE 14—Saturday 6a.m.West Turkey CreekLet’s go afield and visit roads less traveledon the southwest side of the Chiricahuasalong West Turkey Creek. We will look forgrassland birds such as Scaled Quail,Cassin’s Sparrow, and Bendire’s Thrasheron the way in and spend some timewalking and looking for Montezuma Quail,Mexican Chickadees, and Buff-breastedFlycatchers in the woodlands. Pack a lunch,hat, sunscreen, and water. Meet at theparking area on the north side of I-10 andHoughton Road before 6a.m. Please planon carpooling. Questions about the tripmay be sent to the leader. (Approximately240 miles roundtrip) Leader: Homer [email protected]

Field Trips continued


The desert in full bloom, is there anything better? The magic of waterin the desert…nature is now on parade, and what a display it is!Carpets of annuals, lupines, poppies, mallow, cover the desert floor.Perennial penstemon and brittlebush as far as the eye can see. Dawnchorus is on and it seems everyone is present and accounted for, onterritory, displaying, gathering nesting materials.

Of all North America’s arid lands, I think our beloved Sonoran Desertis perhaps the most interesting. It is the continent’s warmest, wettestdesert with more plant and animal variety than any other in theworld. No wonder our field trips entice so many out-of-town visitorsto enjoy our endless open spaces and free skies. Gratefully, huge areasof the Sonoran remain intact due to vigilant planning, preservationand conservation. Regrettably one trip, at once bird-y andilluminating, showcased the fact that urbanization, and the needs ofour precious wildlife are too often conflicting. But there is a positivespin to all this—Tucson Audubon field trips are growing!

Cynthia Taylor started off the month March 1 with 39 species on aBeginning Birdwatching jaunt to Sweetwater Wetlands.

On March 4, Dave Dunford led a well-attended trip to Patagonia LakeState Park. Twenty-eight avid birders, some from as far away asMaine, had good looks at Ash-throated Flycatcher; VermilionFlycatchers were cooperative all morning; Double-crested andNeotropic Cormorants entertained all over lunch; and a Black-cappedGnatcatcher had the good grace to appear just as the trip ended. AtPatagonia Roadside Rest, Peregrine Falcons were spotted both soaringand perched. A stop at Kino Springs yielded a Green Heron and twoor three Wilson’s Snipe. The trip total came in at 70 species withmany lifers recorded!

Melody Kehl’s bunch of 11 awoke well before dawn for an excitingtrip to Buckeye on March 8. They were well rewarded with 79 speciesfor the day including decent looks of a LeConte’s Thrasher perchedon a bush. Sadly this superb thrasher area is now limited with thesprawl of new development. Unfortunately widespread trash, brokenbottles scattered about from target practice, ATVs and multiple dogswere noted. The thrashers were difficult as they were likely nesting.Will this be their last season at this location? An Anna’s Hummer wasseen feeding two young. Better birding the rest of the day though, andon the return to Tucson. Some highlights—about 250 Long-billedCurlews, lots of White-faced Ibis, a White-tailed Kite, lingeringSandhill Cranes, and Casa Grande’s continuing Northern Jacana.Santa Cruz Flats gave up a Crested Caracara, 25 Mountain Plovers,Ferruginous Hawk, Bendire’s Thrasher and a Ruddy Ground-Dove.

On March 11, 9 participants joined Janine McCabe at DesertSurvivors, a local nursery that specializes in native plants for DesertGardening for the Birds. The emphasis was on foliage but the residentCurve-billed Thrasher nesting in the staghorn cholla a mere 3' aboveour heads made a discussion of nesting structures a natural. Theweather was a perfect 78 degrees with plants waking up from lastwinter, some even in bloom. The demonstration gardens sported aHouse Wren ducking in and out of the brush. Participants went awaywith some newfound knowledge on an especially pleasant Tucsonmorning.

Fifteen folks on March 15 toured Catalina State Park with leaders Sara

Pike and Carrie Dean. They picked up 24 species including an extrawelcome surprise. A beautiful little Saw-whet Owl was a life bird foreveryone in the group! Even better, a scope was on hand and on thebird for great looks as it cooperated quietly, despite the many eyestrained on it. Other superb birds seen and heard: Black-chinnedHummingbird, Vermilion Flycatcher, White-crowned Sparrow, Ash-throated Flycatcher, Gray Flycatcher, Black-tailed Gnatcatcher,Cooper’s Hawk, White-throated Swift, Chipping Sparrow andLadder-backed Woodpecker. Kudos to Barbara Schneidau whoassisted a blind Pima College student named Kent. As Barbara lenther elbow, Kent followed and listened. Not surprisingly, he heardnumerous birds that otherwise might have been missed, and he knewmany calls. This proficiency offered the crowd a special opportunityto hear more birds than they might have without him. Thanks to youboth!

Gavin Beiber and a throng of birders enjoyed the Santa Cruz Riverfrom Tubac to Tumacacori on March 18. The early morning waschilly though temps and sightings soon rose. The day’s highlightswere an amazing 9 Common Black-Hawks (at one point a kettle of 6overhead), 6 Gray Hawks, multiple Cooper’s Hawks, several Red-tails,a Zone-tailed roosting near the bridge, a huge Peregrine Falcon and afew Kestrels! Not to be outdone, passerines weighed in with 4 speciesof Vireos (Cassin’s, Plumbeous, Hutton’s and Warbling), 7 differentwarblers (Nashville, Orange-crowned, Lucy’s, Yellowthroat, Wilson’s,Yellow-rumped and Black-throated Gray), 5 flycatchers (Gray andVermilion, Black and Say’s Phoebe and Cassin’s Kingbird) and 3hummingbirds (Anna’s, Black-chinned and Broad-billed). Add to themix, a few Green-tailed Towhees, singing Rufous-winged Sparrowsfor a respectable 72 species!

March 22 found Larry Liese and Pinau Merlin in Dragoon at theAmerind Museum for a birding and nature walk with 10 friends. Agang of Turkey Vultures was stretching in a large cottonwood, shared

Tucson Audubon Afield Liz Payne, Field Trip Leader

This Northern Saw-whet Owl was discovered on a Tucson AudubonSociety field trip to Catalina State Park. Courtesy Ed Kirsten.

continued page 10


by nesting Chihuahuan Ravens. BusyStarlings brought nesting material to acavity in the same tree. 28 avian species wereseen or heard; Northern BeardlessTyrannulet and Sora were highlights. Scatand tracks were abundant; deer, javelina,roadrunner, jackrabbit, cottontail. Lizardtracks, no snake trails. One of the javelinatracks showed foot drag, indicating perhapsan injury. Many stayed and enjoyed themuseum after the walk. Another beautifulday!

March 25 Miller Canyon—Stan and JoanDeOrsey stood in for leader Lainie Epsteinand 15 friends walked Miller Canyon as faras the second stream crossing. The humangroup consisted of locals, winter residents,new residents and new birders fromSaskatchewan, Ohio and Seattle. The aviangroup consisted of near 35 species, with 4individual Brown Creepers, 4 kinds ofwoodpeckers, a Bushtit at a nest and thehighlight, many lovely Painted Redstarts. Infact, “they were everywhere!” The groupthen adjourned to the Beattys’hummingbird feeders for lunch to enjoythat show. Rufous obliged at Mary Jo’s inAsh Canyon for a sum of 6 hummingbirdspecies.

Sabino Canyon was the March 29 tripdestination for Bill Wieboldt and 24 birders,several who were visiting from out of town.A nice cool, clear day with Gray, and Ash-throated Flycatchers, Verdin, Yellow andLucy’s Warblers, a very cooperative Rufous-winged Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrows.Lots of Broad-billed Hummingbirds. Plentyof water was still running over the dam,with Bell’s Vireo and Song Sparrow near thewater. Brittlebush bloomed everywhere,other wildflowers were firing, too, and a 4'-long Sonoran whip snake also made anappearance. Special thanks to Bill for takingmy place at the last minute!

May already? Rising temps and fallinghumidity? Ahhh, the foresummer drought isupon us. Despite less overall action untilmonsoon, we’ve wonderful trips coming up.Oh, and I can’t not mention it… Makehaste, the time is now to get your TucsonAudubon Birdathon on! Have a look at ourwebsite and support a team. Better yet, starta new team. Best of all, pledge, pledge,pledge. Ready. Set. Bird!

VF

Afield continued from page 9 Make the IMBD Circuit onMay 10 and learn aboutmigratory birds in southernArizona by Paul Green

International Migratory Bird Day is an annual event thatcelebrates the incredible journeys of migratory birdsbetween their breeding grounds in North America and theirwintering grounds in Mexico, Central, and South America.The 2008 IMBD theme is “Tundra to Tropics: ConnectingBirds, Habitats, and People,” which explores the differentways in which people and habitats are connected throughmigratory birds. Birds need different types of habitat atdifferent points in their life cycle, including breeding,wintering, and migration.

IMBD gains traction at local events, and in southern Arizona there are 3 events on May 10. Tomake a day of it, you could begin at Tumacacori, head on over to the San Pedro River, andthen complete your day at Tucson Audubon’s Ironwood Festival.

Tumacácori National Historical Park, Santa Cruz River. You could begin your day at 7a.m.in the parking lot in front of Tumacácori NHP. You’ll head slowly down to the river whilebirding the mission area, the field borders, and the riparian area along the river. The UpperSanta Cruz River Important Bird Area (IBA) is special, supporting diverse riparian birds.Around 105 species occurring in the park (February-May), including Yellow-breasted Chats,Lucy’s Warblers, Yellow Warblers, Cassin’s, Western and Tropical Kingbirds are possible, andAsh-throated and Brown-crested flycatchers, Northern Beardless Tyrannulets are here too.Phainopepla and Black Phoebe should be an easy spot, and other highlights may includeGreat Blue and Green herons and nesting Gray Hawks.

You’ll return by 10a.m. to the mission area and have a breakfast under the mesquite canopy,compliments of Friends of the Santa Cruz River. Shortly after 10a.m. there will be apresentation about bird-related projects and research in Tumacácori and the nearby area.Friends of the Santa Cruz River will also give a short update about current river-related issues.By 11a.m. you’ll be ready to head east to the San Pedro River. For more information callTumacácori National Historical Park 398-2341, extension 72.

San Pedro River. The San Pedro River was the first Globally Important Bird Area in NorthAmerica. The river provides critical habitat for approximately 375 species and millions ofindividuals of migratory and resident birds each year. This year’s IMBD Spring Festival beginsat San Pedro House at 7a.m. and continues until 6p.m, and includes a special ceremony at11a.m. commemorating the 20th anniversary of the declaration of the San Pedro RiparianNational Conservation Area. At 1p.m. the Friends of the San Pedro River will dedicate theirnew xeriscape garden and water catchment system at the San Pedro House. This tour willshow participants how they can create a beautiful, low-water use garden of native plants.Other special activities include a reading and book signing by SJV Coordinator Robert Mesta,author of the new children’s book Condor: Spirit of the Canyon, and a book signing by BettyFoster Escapule, author of The Five Fosters. Betty and her family lived in the 1930s ranchhouse that is now known as the San Pedro House.

The Festival is free to the public and will include hands-on activities and workshops forchildren and adults, guided nature walks, hummingbird banding, a live reptile display,informational displays and booths, live music, food, carriage rides, and much more. TheFestival is jointly hosted by The Friends of the San Pedro River, the Sonoran Joint Venture(SJV), the Bureau of Land Management, and the Coronado National Forest. Informationabout the event, including a detailed schedule of activities and directions to the site, isavailable at www.sonoranjv.org. For more details about the event contact the Friends of theSan Pedro River at 508-4445. Then it’s time to move on to Tucson!

continued page 11


Birdathon is in full swing. Teams are out scouring the deserts,mountains, and especially the local wastewater treatment facilities inhopes of finding just one more species to add to the total. You may beasking yourself, “In a land of such beautiful scenery why would anybodyspend time at a wastewater treatment plant?” The answer is simple; theyare working hard to raise much-needed funds for Tucson Audubon’sImportant Bird Areas and environmental education programs!

We are two weeks into our annual spring fundraiser, but there are stilltwo weeks left for you to get in on the fun and make a difference for yourorganization. You can still form a team; just contact Vivian [email protected] or 629-0757 and she’ll get you started.Help is available, from suggested routes to signing up for one of ourBirdathon-friendly field trips, to getting advice on birding your favoritecity park with your grandchildren. It all counts and it all helps!

And…if you needed any MORE incentives to get out for a good cause,just check out the list at the end of this article, of prizes that will go toparticipants this year! We’ve got everything from a condo-stay in Mexico,to private instruction with a personal trainer, to a relaxing dinner for two and a stellarshow at Kitt Peak National Observatory. But the best part is—everyone thatparticipates on a fundraising team has an equal chance to win cool prizes at the“Birdie Brunch Celebration” on May 31!

If you can’t get out and bird yourself silly, you can still enjoy the excitement of thisevent from the comfort of your own home! Just visit us online atwww.tucsonaudubon.org and click on “Birdathon”—you’ll see pictures of the teams,find out their plans, and see results from the teams already back from theiradventures. One of them is bound to tickle your fancy.

Armchair birding is a fun way to while away a few hours. But what we really need isfor every member to make a contribution to this event. You can pledge online, viaphone, or use the remittance envelope from the Birdathon letter you received in thisissue of the Vermilion Flycatcher. We couldn’t make it any easier. If we all chip in alittle, Tucson Audubon’s entire membership and the surrounding community willbenefit!

If you’re reading this article, then we already know you care about birds and thehabitats they call home. So don’t delay. Pledge a team or form a team, bird in yourown fashion and raise funds from family and friends. (Hey, you bought all those sillycandy bars and coupon books from them over the years’ didn’t you?) And make surethat the birds that call our area home today still have a viable home here tomorrow.

VF

As of press time the following folks havedonated wonderful prizes, and there aremore coming in every day (if yourbusiness has something to donate contactVivian). Please be sure to thank themwhen you visit their stores!

Adventure Birding Company, guided day tripsAntigone Bookstore gift certificateArizona Sonoran Desert Museum free passesBashas’ gift certificateBookman’s gift certificateBuffalo Exchange gift certificateC.I. Chu’s Mongolian BBQ gift certificatesChili’s Restaurant gift certificateEclectic Cafe dinner for twoInternational Wildlife Museum free passesLas Margaritas gift certificateThe Lodge at Ventana Canyon golfing passes and

two-night stayMostly Books, fun assortment of merchandiseOn the Border gift certificateMichael Rosenwald, ACE certified personal trainer

at Evlogia, 3 free sessionsRuby Tuesdays gift certificateSummit Hut, fun assortment of merchandiseThe B-line gift certificatesThe Wild Bird Store, handmade feeder and bird

foodZona 78 on River Road, gift certificate

Along with wonderful and unusual prizesdonated by Tucson Audubon’s Board ofDirectors, including a condo stay inMexico, fine art, birding vests, and more!

Tucson Audubon’s Birdathon Update by Vivian MacKinnon

IMBD Circuit on May 10 continued

Tucson. Tucson Audubon’s Ironwood Festival and IMBD event begins with aseries of four 20-minute presentations at noon at Tortolita Middle School, HardyRoad (just east of Thornydale) at noon. Presenters include Sean Sullivan of theCoalition for Sonoran Desert Protection, Rachel McCaffrey of the Tucson BirdCount, Shiloh Walkosak of Friends of Ironwood Forest, and Paul Green,Executive Director of Tucson Audubon. It’s just a short walk down the streetfrom the school to our Mason Center where at 2p.m. our family educationalprograms begin, moving on into our live music celebration party at 5:30p.m.Read about that on pages 1 and 3.

The “Fledgling Four” Birdathon Team. Courtesy Doris Evans.


At Liberty Wildlife there are many things to be thankful for. The animalreleases, of course, reign high on the list. But as a retired teacher with myheart always at the doorstep of education, the following article by LibertyWildlife Volunteer Coordinator, Gail Cochrane, is the other kind ofsuccess that makes my heart sing. I beam at the thought of a read-a-thon. I soar at the notion of youth taking action on behalf of wildlife andthe environment. I am elated when they come together. The followingaccount is an example of what I am referring to. Stewardship—real, notvirtual—does happen in our own backyards.

Tesseract School’s third grade class and teachers Renee Ballard andLynn Ellerson were looking for a cause they could contribute to,something to do with animals. They went to the web, where theyfound Liberty Wildlife. Parent Sharon Hunger contacted Liberty, andasked how the kids could help.

Food for the animals is always a primary concern and, due to a newanimal sponsorship program called AWE (Assisting WildlifeEducators), Tesseract School was able take on the feeding costs forHedwig, the Great Horned Owl who stars in many educationoutreach programs. By sponsoring Heddy, they were able to schedulean educational program about owls for their class, and receive anexclusive four-color hardbound book about Hedwig and her species.

Halloween was the date set for the program, and the third graderswent to work raising money. They held a Read-A-Thon, whereparents and family donated an amount for every 20 minutes eachchild read. They raised quite a lot of money, more than was requiredto sponsor Hedwig. It was decided that Tesseract’s third graderswould sponsor all of the orphaned Great Horned Owls raised byLiberty Wildlife in the 2007 season, supplying mice for 53 baby owlsfor their entire stay at the facility, about three months each.

On Halloween day the group from Liberty Wildlife arrived, towing ametal cart loaded with white carriers inscribed with the red logo.More owls than just Hedwig had come to Tesseract! Once theprogram was set to go, the children were all in their seats, and parents

and teachers lined the walls, teacher Ms. Ballard had anannouncement. She showed the Liberty Wildlife volunteers a largeyellow sticky tape that covered a spot on the blackboard. When thesticky tape was torn away, the dollar amount raised by the class wasrevealed: $725! What an excellent job these kids did, reading!

The class was first introduced to Twilight, the Western Screech-Owl,all tiny and grey. Then came Frodo, the Burrowing Owl, with his longlegs and diurnal habits. Henry the Barn Owl was brought out next,with his gorgeous tawny feathers and his animated curiosity about theclassroom and everything inside. When he was put back in thiscarrier, the children chanted softly together…Hedwig, Hedwig! Theycould hardly wait for the star of the show.

But first they got to meet Juan, the king snake, and learn about hishabits. Juan is a beautiful black-and-cream-striped snake. Hedwig,Hedwig! Finally the large grey and white owl was brought into thelight. There were gasps and whispers at her beauty and her size.Hedwig! The children sat listening closely as they learned aboutHedwig’s journey to Liberty Wildlife, and how her species lives in thewild.

Then the children told the Liberty Wildlife volunteers about theirfundraising experience and how they all spent lots of time reading athome for two weeks to benefit the non-profit organization andHedwig. Lastly, the group played the habitat game, and the kids hadto go on to their next class.

The following week, the Tesseract third graders made hand-written,hand-illustrated thank you cards for Liberty Wildlife. Large andlaminated they will be an excellent display at the new Liberty Wildlifefacility at Papago Park in the future. And already these children have aspecial place in their hearts for a certain Great Horned Owl namedHedwig.

See what I mean?VF

Citizen Stewardship in Our Own Backyardby Gail Cochrane, Volunteer Coordinator, and Megan Mosby, Executive Director, Liberty Wildlife

Education News by Carrie Dean, Education Program Manager

Peggy Cole, Liberty Wildlife Education Volunteer with Hedwig, theGreat Horned Owl. Courtesy Lesley Guenther.

Gail Cochrane, Liberty Wildlife Education Volunteer and VolunteerCoordinator with Juan, the Kingsnake. Courtesy Lesley Guenther.

Cottonwoods, Rivers, and Coyotes—Oh My!by Matt! Brooks

The wildflowers and weather couldn’t have been better for this spring’sRiparian Family Institute. Thirty-two participants from six families gatheredat The Nature Conservancy’s Lower San Pedro River Preserve nearDudleyville, AZ to enjoy the arrival of spring. With warm days and coolnights, conditions were perfect for a weekend along the river. Activities wereinteresting and varied and included a bird walk, a campfire, and plenty ofrelaxation time. Axhel Munoz (of Pima County Natural Resources, Parks andRecreation) led a riparian walk in search of aquatic life, while Rob Burton andKristy Uschyk, caretakers of the The Nature Conservancy property, taughtabout the various projects that take place there, such as the rearing ofendangered native fish and the restoration of native habitat along the rivercorridor. The scrumptious meals were made in-house by Tucson Audubon’svery own Lia Sansom and Ruth Wilderman. Wildlife highlights includedbeing serenaded by coyotes, hearing 4 species of owl, and seeing a nativespecies of mouse up-close with Kathy Lloyd. An unexpected treat was some“cowboy music” by Dan Wolgast (of TNC) during the evening campfire.There were so many fun events crammed into the weekend that the familiesleft on Sunday with tired children and an itch to get back out for anotherFamily Institute. For information on Tucson Audubon’s next Riparian FamilyInstitute (and other Family Institutes), keep reading your Tucson Audubonpublications or contact Matt Brooks or Carrie Dean at 622-2230.


Farewell, and seeyou shortly…We say farewell to two staff members, JeffBurrows, and Matt Brooks, over the next coupleof months.

Jeff Burrows, our bookkeeper since 2006, hasbeen accepted as a volunteer for the PeaceCorps in South Africa. We all join in Jeff ’sexcitement as he ventures boldly forward into achallenging situation. Jeff comments that he haslearned a ton during his time with TucsonAudubon, as well as making great friends withhis fellow employees. We all are very grateful forJeff ’s skill and expertise, and for having abookkeeper on staff that has been so much fun.This has been especially true for the bird-headson staff who feel that if they could have just hadJeff for a year more we might have turned himinto a fully-fledged birder. We look forward tohearing Jeff ’s reports from Africa.

After almost two years with Tucson AudubonMatt Brooks feels it’s time to take a little roadtrip. He’s trading his desk for a backpack, andheading out on a grand adventure for awhile.Matt comments “It hardly seems like much timehas gone by since I joined the Tucson Audubonfamily. What great people! I’ve gotten a chanceto work a varied and interesting schedule, fromdirecting the Institute of Desert Ecology andRiparian Family Institute, to planting trees withthe restoration crew, to mapping out data anddoing bird surveys for the Important Bird Areasprogram. Along the way I’ve gotten to knowmany incredible people through programs,guided walks, and in the office.”

In June, with his girlfriend (and fellow TucsonAudubon employee) Sarah Prasek, he plans tofly to China, where he will begin an overlandjourney through China and into Laos,Cambodia, and Thailand. From there, Matt andSarah take a short flight to Nepal and spendsome time in the Himalayas before movingdown into northern India. Then it’s on toTurkey (by way of Dubai), traveling overlandthrough eastern Europe. Along the way theyhope to see a few birds (to say the least). Theyare taking one carry-on bag each and usingpublic transportation the whole way. Matt andSarah will be back sometime in December andwe hope we’ll be able to welcome them back asTucson Audubon staff. We’ll carry stories oftheir travels in these pages, and, of course, theywill have a blog wherearesarahandmatt.blogspot.com. Que te vaya bien! — Paul Green

Father and son learn about the San Pedro River. Courtesy Axhel Muñoz.

Duck Stamps Are Coming to Tucson Audubon!The Federal Duck Stamp program is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year. We thought thiswould be a great time to further support the Duck Stamp program and the National WildlifeRefuge System by selling stamps through the Tucson Audubon Nature Shops.

Stamps will be delivered to the Nature Shops this June and will be available for sale on June 27.

Call either Nature Shop at 629-0510 or 760-7881 to reserve yourDuck Stamp. We will then contact you when they arrive. Or, youcan come in and purchase a stamp onsite.

What is the Duck Stamp?Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamps,commonly known as “Duck Stamps,” are pictorial stamps producedby the U.S. Postal Service for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Theyare not valid for postage. Originally created in 1934 as the federal licenses required for huntingmigratory waterfowl, Federal Duck Stamps have a much larger purpose today.

Federal Duck Stamps are a vital tool for wetland conservation. Ninety-eight cents out of everydollar generated by the sales of Federal Duck Stamps goes directly to purchase or lease wetlandhabitat for protection in the National Wildlife Refuge System. Understandably, the FederalDuck Stamp program has been called one of the most successful conservation programs everinitiated and is a highly effective way to conserve America’s natural resources.

Besides serving as a hunting license and a conservation tool, a current year’s Federal DuckStamp also serves as an entrance pass for National Wildlife Refuges where admission isnormally charged. Duck Stamps and the products that bear duck stamp images are also popularcollector items. We suggest you proudly display your duck stamp on your binoculars using aspecial holder we’ll be selling.

How do Duck Stamps benefit wildlife?Since 1934, the sales of Federal Duck Stamps have generated more than $670 million, which hasbeen used to help purchase or lease over 5.2 million acres of waterfowl habitat in the U.S. Theselands are now protected in the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s National Wildlife Refuge System.

Waterfowl are not the only wildlife to benefit from the sale of Federal Duck Stamps. Numerousother bird, mammal, fish, reptile and amphibian species that rely on wetland habitats haveprospered. Further, an estimated one-third of the nation’s endangered and threatened speciesfind food or shelter in refuges established using Federal Duck Stamp funds.

Why should I buy duck stamps?There are many reasons to buy Duck Stamps. Birders and other frequenters of National WildlifeRefuges purchase a $15 Federal Duck Stamp each year in order to gain free admission torefuges. Conservationists buy Federal Duck Stamps because they know that the stamps are,dollar for dollar, one of the best investments one can make in the future of America’s wetlands.Collectors buy both the Federal and Junior Duck Stamps because the beautiful stamps can gainvalue over the years and are an important part of America’s outdoor culture. The informationabove was taken directly from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Services website: www.fws.gov/duckstamps

Duck Stamp Contest for Artists!For our friends/members who are also artists, the Federal Duck Stamp office is holding acontest for artists to submit their paintings for the 2009/2010 Duck Stamp design. Thesubmission(s) should be paintings of one of the following: Brant, Northern Shoveler, RuddyDuck, Canada Goose, or Long-tailed Duck. Visit: www.fws.gov/duckstamps/ for more detailsand to download the contest rules.

Main ShopMonday–Saturday

10a.m.–4p.m., except Monday& Thursday until 5p.m.

Located on the southeast corner ofUniversity Blvd. and 5th Avenue.

Agua CalientePark Shop In May & June:

Tuesday, Friday & Saturday9a.m.–3:30p.m.

Phone: 760-7881

Directions: From Tanque Verde Rd.and Houghton, continue east onTanque Verde 2 miles. Turn left

(north) onto Soldier Trail, continuenorth for 2 miles. Turn right (east)onto Roger Rd., continue ¼ mile to

the park entrance on the left(north) side of the road.

Tuesday Bird Walk atAgua Caliente Park,

7:30a.m.Loaner binoculars available, meetin front of the ranch house. For

more information call PimaCounty Natural Resources, Parks

& Recreation at 615-7855 [email protected]


At the Tucson Audubon Nature Shops

Binocular Sale!see page 16…


Binocular FAQsCan I use my birding binoculars to view the moon?

In 1609, Galileo built a telescope much better than the first one invented inHolland a year earlier. The first thing Galileo looked at was the moon. Imagine hisamazement when he saw the rugged surface of the moon for the first time.

Modern optics are so good that your binoculars, even a fairly humble pair, areprobably better than his telescope. Yes! You CAN use your pair of binoculars toview the moon! Here are just three reasons to look at the moon.

1) The view of the moon changes every night. With a full moon you will see theentire face of the moon; but on the other nights, because of shadows, you will seedeep features of the lunar landscape.

2) See Earthshine. Earthshine is light reflected from the earth to the moon andback. With earthshine, you will see a bright crescent moon plus the entire surfaceof the rest of the moon in more subdued reddish or copper-colored light.

3) Find the first crescent. Serious moon-watchers enjoy trying to find the firstcrescent of the new moon. It is not easy. Care and careful planning are required tobe a great crescent moon spotter. The Southwest is a great place to be for moon-viewing because it is a region of low humidity for clear viewing, wide westernhorizons and low latitudes. Chances of seeing the new crescent moon areimproved with binoculars.

Observing the moon is free, easy, and a constantly changing show. And you mightjust see some birds (think migrating birds flying across the full moon) while youare enjoying the night sky.

Bring your binoculars out at night for a whole different show of nature.

Agua Caliente ParkUpdate by Becky Aparicio

We are all in the Birdathon mode. And thoughwe’ve completed our Birdathon for Agua CalientePark we’re still all ‘atwitter’ with the results comingin from various teams. I’m also planning mypersonal bike/birding Birdathon with friends tocruise for urban birds. On this quest I decided tofind the safest and shortest route from my home inmid-town Tucson to Sweetwater Wetlands, apremier birding area. This was no easy task,especially with construction and re-routing oftraffic on I-10. In my quest I came across BarrioAnita, nestled between I-10 and the train tracksnorth of Sixth Avenue and south of Speedway.There are two wonderful murals painted on twosections of the I-10 wall depicting Tucson’sMexican heritage and cultural expression. I wasparticularly struck with the prominent placementof a Cactus Wren, Arizona’s state bird and Red-tailed Hawks on one of the murals. If I hadtraveled by car I wouldn’t have used this route andnever would have found this artistic gem. Fossilfuel-free adventuring is a great way to connectwith urban habitats you might otherwise miss.Keep your binoculars handy—wear them withyour Tucson Audubon Harness!—for handy andcomfortable access. Incidentally, there is still timeto support the Agua Caliente “Bird Brains.” Justcheck out the tucsonaudubon.org site and makeyour pledge. Mil Gracias to all the Agua Calientevolunteers and staff of Tucson Audubon and PimaCounty who participated in this year’s Birdathon.

Product Reviews by Heather Hatch

The Moon Book: Fascinating facts about themagnificent, mysterious moon by Kim LongThis concise book will teach you all about the moon withoutintimidating you. The author clearly explains the science of themoon. For example, he addresses these questions: What are thephases of the moon? What causes the Earth’s tides? Why does themoon look bigger some days and smaller other days? What are the major featuresof the moon? He discusses the history of moon research. He writes about how themoon is perceived and labeled in different cultures. He discusses modern spaceexploration and lunar landings. The book includes an excellent glossary and anextensive section on resources. If you are interested in learning about our moon,you will appreciate this book. The author has done an exceptional job presentingchallenging material with very clear writing and genuine enthusiasm. $12.50

2008 Moon Calendar by Kim LongThe shop has a limited supply of this unusualcalendar. It tells you the phase of the moon forevery day of the year as well as dates and definitionsfor every eclipse, every day of perigee (day of thelunar orbit when the moon is closet to the earth)and apogee (day of the lunar orbit when the moon is farthest from the earth). It isan inexpensive and useful tool for your lunar observations. Retail price, $2.25… BUT, the 2008 calendar is on sale now in the shop for just $1.13!

Book review!see page 17…


A Call for Volunteers

Tucson Audubon works on many fronts to improve thediversity and resilience of our natural habitats. In boardrooms, classrooms and municipal offices we promotenew visions of sustainable development. On our fieldtrips and institutes we teach people about the naturalworld, and help them learn how to become effectiveadvocates for our natural environment. At our habitatrestoration sites, Important Bird Areas, and in urbanenvironments we work to counteract the forces thatdestroy the delicate balance of the natural world, such asimproper off-road vehicle use, overgrazing, erosion, andinvasive plants and animals.

One thing I have learned is that the more restorationwork I do, the more likely I am to notice places in needof restoration. While birding recently, I’ve noticed manyareas that deserve attention. They include bladed lots—growingweeds—that could be planted with better habitat, and mesquitebosques that need removal of invasive herbs and grasses. I’ve removedtamarisks at a property along Sabino Creek, only to notice there aremany other invaders such as arundo and buffelgrass. And I’ve walkedalong rivers where there should be more native trees. Sometimes itcan be quite demoralizing.

Repairing the damage to our natural environment is more than anyone organization can handle alone. To help Tucson Audubon fulfill itspart, we really need your help. We invite you to join our dedicatedcorps of volunteers to work together regularly on these issues.

You may have volunteered already. In the past we have held volunteerwork days on Saturdays in the cool months to help with restorationwork at our project sites. You may have asked us to find more waysyou can help and this is our attempt to fulfill that request.

We are looking for ideas from you on how best to structure ourvolunteer restoration corps. We need to know such things as how

often, and when, you would like to help. Are you available only onweekends, or are you available on weekdays too? What kinds of workwould you like to do?

We can go on holding Saturday work days in the cool months. Inwarmer months we may shift to a model more like the SonoranDesert Weedwackers. They spend two early-morning hours on oneSaturday per month removing invasive buffelgrass. The short workperiod doesn’t exhaust anybody, volunteers don’t get burned out, andthe work done is significant.

As noted above, one of the biggest threats to confront us is invasiveplants. They challenge the ability of our habitats to remain healthy,especially in the face of the many other threats. Whether at the siteswhere we have already worked, or at other locations, much of ourwork must address this threat.

Please contact me with your suggestions and your level of availability.I can be reached at 206-9900 (office), 971-2385 (cell) [email protected].

VF

Habitat Restoration by Kendall Kroesen, Restoration Program Manager

Binoculars on SALE!Are you looking to upgrade your current pair of binoculars, or are you new tobirding and hoping for a good pair of binoculars but don’t want to pay the price?Now is your chance!

Take advantage of this great opportunity to own a pair of superb binoculars.We are moving out a few binocular styles to make room for new styles coming in.(Of course, binoculars never really go out of “style.”)

Here’s what you can take home — while supplies last!

Style Magnification Suggested Retail Price SALE Price!Nikon Premier LXl 8 x 42 $1,898.95 $965.00Vortex Stokes DLS 8 x 42 $879.00 $570.00Leupold Pinnacles 8 x 42 $539.99 $350.00Leupold Pinnacles 10 x 42 $594.99 $390.00Vortex Stokes Broadwing 10 x 42 $419.95 $250.00

*No additional discounts apply; sale good on items in stock only.

Tucson Audubon restoration volunteers. Courtesy Kendall Kroesen.

Urban Birds


by Jessie Byrd, MLA, ASLA, Desert Green Design,and Kendall Kroesen, Restoration Program Manager

Beebrush, or whitebrush (Aloysia gratissima) is native to parts ofArizona, New Mexico and Texas. This is a wonderful plant forbird gardens. A member of the verbena family, beebrushmatures quickly and can reach a little over head-height. It hasbunches of delicate, white flowers that emit a clean and sweetfragrance that attracts bees.

Before you recoil at the thought of an insect-attracting flower,remember there are lots of native bees as well as our importedvarieties. It’s great to support native pollinators, many of whichhave declined precipitously. The greater the variety of insectsyou have around your yard the healthier the ecosystem will be.Generally speaking, hosting insects in your landscape helpssupport populations of some of the insectivorous birds such asflycatchers.

But beebrush does not just attract bees. It is very attractive togoldfinches and house finches. It is like planting a self-fillingthistleseed feeder! Whole flocks will perch among the branches,having a snack.

Planting species like beebrush is a step toward sustainable urbanhabitat. Hanging a bird feeder, though it can be very entertaining, islike hanging a unit of blood for a critically ill patient. It cantemporarily keep the patient alive, but having plants in your gardenthat sustain wildlife is a step toward healing the patient!

Beebrush has a very long blooming period. It will start to bloom assoon as the weather is warm, and bloom through the summer wellinto the fall!

The leaves are tiny, so when they drop during cold weather, the leaflitter can stay under the shrub without looking messy. The branchingstructure is delicate, with lots of small branches that provide greatcover for birds. It’s not dense enough to provide much of a screen,but it would be a great background plant. Beebrush is a prolific self-seeder, so it’s great for gardens with wild patterns, but not formalspaces.

Beebrush needs very little water and loves full sun! Once established,it should not need frequent watering. If your landscape harvests andinfiltrates rainwater, this and other drought-tolerant plants will thrive.

Another closely related member of this genus is Wright’s beebush(Aloysia wrightii). This species is native to the foothills of localTucson-area mountains. It does not seem to attract birds soprolifically, but it hosts bees and some other insects. Though a bitsmaller, it is somewhat similar in appearance to Aloysia gratissimawith small leaves and flowers, and a delicate appearance. Also goingby the name oreganillo, it has the advantage that its leaves cansubstitute for oregano as a cooking herb.

Plant for the birds!VF

LEFT Beebrush, Aloysia gratissima. RIGHT Closeup of A. gratissima in JessieByrd's yard. Photos courtesy Kendall Kroesen.

Book Review by Bobbie Lambert, Tucson Audubon Shopvolunteer and Arizona Sonora Desert Museum docent.

First Flight: A Mother Hummingbird’s Story by Noriko and Don Carroll

This is a delightful non-scientific story and photo journal of a mother hummingbird’snest on the authors’ patio clothesline at their home near Las Vegas, Nevada. They wereinspired to set up a camera and create a photographic record of her nest repairs, egglaying, hatchlings, nestlings and, finally, to her two fully fledged, young Black-chinnedHummingbirds.

The Carrolls have done a bit of anthropomorphizing, but the information about thenatural history of hummingbirds is accurate and thorough. This would be an excellentbook to introduce children or non-birding adults to the life of a hummingbird.

Retail Price: $14.95


Conservation Update by Chris McVie, Paul Green, Kendall Kroesen and Scott Wilbor

Dudleyville Double Check Ranch Conservation EasementUpdate: As we go to press, Tucson Audubon joins MaricopaAudubon Society and the Center for Biological Diversity as plaintiffsin a suit against Pinal County based on violations of the EndangeredSpecies Act and the Clean Water Act. These violations occurred whenPinal County graded and widened the federal conservation easementat the Double Check Ranch road crossing the Lower San Pedro River,in designated Critical Habitat for the Southwestern Willow Flycatcher,without obtaining necessary permits from the Army Corps ofEngineers. Our standing is based, in part, on our ongoing worksurveying the Lower San Pedro, a designated Important Bird Area(IBA), of potential global importance due to its population of Bell’sVireo, and our twice-yearly Riparian Family Institute, held adjacent tothe Double Check Ranch at The Nature Conservancy’s Preserve.

Many parcels along the Lower San Pedro River are managed, withtheir easements, for mitigation for the water supply of the City ofPhoenix. The broader significance of this case is the potential adverseeffect to ALL conservation easements. To our knowledge, a federalconservation easement has not previously been challenged andsuccessfully violated. The BLM, currently responsible for easementenforcement, has posted signs barring non-emergency traffic andthese signs continue to be ignored. To date, BLM has yet to takeaction to compel Pinal County to honor the easement, so thirdparties must intervene.

Our goal remains to have the case moved to a Federal District courtwhere the supremacy of the federal government’s easement will, wehope, overrule Pinal County’s “public good” argument. This isanother good example of why Tucson Audubon has long advocated aNational Wildlife Refuge along the Lower San Pedro River, managedby the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS): the National WildlifeRefuge System is an invaluable national network of lands and watersmanaged for conservation. For endangered species management, theUSFWS is responsible for eliminating threats to species and theirhabitats by restoring and maintaining secure, self-sustaining wildpopulations. For background information, seewww.tucsonaudubon.org and the April 2008 Flycatcher, page 16.

Resolution Copper/BHP Mine Update: As we go to press, changesare afoot in the development of a bill in the United States Congressregarding reopening the mine at Superior. Resolution Copper is ajoint project of Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton and their formerpresident and chief negotiator John Rickus, who has been replaced byDavid Salisbury. We hope this signals willingness on the part of RCCto: abide by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA); negotiatein good faith to mitigate for any potential adverse impacts of itsmining operations, environmental and cultural; and to payappropriate royalties for the enormous anticipated profits of itsoperations. Resolution Copper owns the 7 B Bosque along the LowerSan Pedro River just north of their reclaimed tailings at San Manual,where they have obtained permits to build up to 35,000 dwellingunits from the Pinal County Board of Supervisors. The 7 B Bosque ispart of the Lower San Pedro IBA. Development of urban housing onthe scale anticipated would dewater the Lower San Pedro river.Tucson Audubon supports consideration of establishing a solar farmat the reclamation site. See www.tucsonaudubon.org for background

info and Audubon Arizona’s website at www.az.audubon.org for thelocal perspective of the National Audubon Society.

Rosemont Mine Update: Recent “public meetings” regarding theproposed Rosemont mine, where there has been no public commentor questioning allowed, have created much negative attention for theForest Service. Thanks to the intervention of CongresswomanGabrielle Giffords, the Forest Service has now agreed to continue itspublic comment period through July 11, 2008 and to schedule threeadditional public meetings where comments (three minutes each) willbe allowed. The meetings are scheduled for: May 12 at ElginElementary School Cafeteria, 292 Upper Elgin Rd. in Elgin, 6–9p.m.;June 7 at Sahuarita High School, 350 W. Sahuarita Road,9a.m.–12p.m.; and June 30 at Rincon High School, 421 N. Arcadia inTucson, 6–9p.m. Tucson Audubon asks that you contact Senator JohnKyl and Senate majority leader Harry Reid (NV), as well asCongressional Representatives Giffords and Grijalva to advocate formineral withdrawal legislation and funding for a buyout of miningclaims within the Coronado National Forest. We ask that you supportCongressman Grijalva’s attempt to reform the 1872 Mining Act (HR4228—the Southern Arizona Public Lands Protection Act of 2007).Rosemont, and other potential mining operations, threaten theintegrity of Pima County’s award-winning Sonoran DesertConservation Plan (SDCP) and its Critical Landscape Linkages,which serve as wildlife movement corridors. These, and otherlinkages, have been identified by the Arizona Wildlife LinkagesWorking Group: see the statewide effort at www.azdot.gov/Highways/OES/AZ_WildLife_Linkages/assessment.asp. See Savethe Scenic Santa Rita’s website, www.scenicsantaritas.org, and ourwebsite for the latest information and talking points.

State Trust Land Development—Oro Valley: Though a statewideinitiative to reform State Trust Lands has been filed, to makeconservation a legitimate constitutional priority and to legalize theArizona Preserve Initiative (API) previously passed by voters, OroValley’s Town Council is moving forward to enter into a pre-annexation agreement with the State Land Department regarding9,100 acres of state land north of Oro Valley, to the Pinal County line.Councilmember Paula Abbott asked all the right questions andsuggested it might be better to get the answers first, as opposed tolater. Mayor and Council decided that the answers could wait, andmoved forward to establish its negotiating team of staff and attorneysto work with the land department on the pre-annexation agreement.The Arroyo Grande conceptual plan, viewable at www.ci.oro-valley.az.us, would provide 15,900+ dwelling units, over 160,000additional auto trips per day on Oracle Road, as well as industrial andcommercial development. Though the Council has adopted acommitment to adhere to the Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan andConservation Lands System, it has not yet adopted measuresimplementing them. Citizens continue to voice concerns regardingthe protection of open space and wildlife corridors in perpetuity;water issues; transportation and other infrastructure; and schools andpublic parks. The Coalition for Sonoran Desert Protection,www.sonorandesert.org, spoke at a council study session, toacquaint members with the 10-year, community-wide process thatdeveloped the Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan, and held a publicforum on Wildlife Linkages with the Arizona Game & Fish


Department’s Research Branch and the Natural Resources Branch of the Arizona Departmentof Transportation. See: www.azdot.gov/Highways/OES/AZ_WildLife_Linkages/assessment.asp

Conservation Outreach for Santa Cruz County: We are pleased to report that Santa CruzCounty has agreed to invite a presentation by the Research Branch of the Arizona Game &Fish Department and the Natural Resources Branch of the Arizona Department ofTransportation to learn about the Arizona Wildlife Linkages project. We hope all departmentsof Santa Cruz County government take advantage of this opportunity and that future publicforums will be scheduled to enlist public involvement and education in this critical aspect ofplanning for our region’s collective future. See: www.azdot.gov/Highways/OES/AZ_WildLife_Linkages/ assessment.asp

Birding on County-owned Lands: Tucson Audubon is meeting with Pima CountyDepartments of Wastewater and Natural Resources, Parks and Recreation to discuss potentialimprovements to habitat and increased birding opportunities on county-owned lands. We areexcited at the prospect of working with Pima County again! Our last collaboration of thissort, at the Kino Environmental Restoration Project (KERP), has been a huge success. Postconstruction studies have shown increasing numbers and density of species utilizing theKERP site, including birds. We look forward to helping to create and enhance wildlife habitatat other county sites, to improve the health of our ecosystem and provide the community withmore wonderful birding opportunities.

Water Conservation: Tucson Audubon is participating in a series of meetings sponsored bythe City of Tucson which has established a technical workgroup exploring the strategies thatmight be employed to develop an approach to harvesting rainwater and greywater and tosecure a dedicated funding source.

I-10 Bypass Update: Though two of the proposed routes through the Lower San PedroRiver have been abandoned, at this time, there is still cause for concern. The two remainingproposals are both in environmentally sensitive areas. One proposal heads south fromPhoenix between the Sonoran Desert Monument and a designated wilderness area, throughthe culturally sensitive Avra Valley west of Tucson, adjacent to the Ironwood Forest NationalMonument and the Saguaro National Park West. The other proposal leaves I-10 at Willcoxand heads north through the Sulphur Springs Valley and into the Aravaipa watershed. Itwould then turn west to cross the rugged Galiuro Mountains and would continue west acrossthe Lower San Pedro valley and the Tortilla Mountains, proceeding west to join I-8. ALLproposals being considered in southern Arizona have potential adverse environmentalimpacts. Just say “NO!” We urge the Transportation Board to explore building up, stackingfunctions, and to invest in light rail between Phoenix and Tucson, to minimize adverseimpacts and provide for the necessary infrastructure to safely accommodate our state’s needs.

Once again, we refer all planners and citizens to:www.azdot.gov/Highways/OES/AZ_WildLife_Linkages/assessment.asp

VF

Tucson Audubon Society is a registered501(c)(3) non-profit organization. 100% ofyour financial and in-kind donations andmembership dues are tax deductible.

Other Ways to GiveThe Vermilion Society Create a legacy that will benefit others forgenerations by including TucsonAudubon Society in your estate planning.Your gift will express, in a lasting way,your commitment to preserving thediversity of southern Arizona’s richavifauna and the habitats they call home.

If you have already included TucsonAudubon in your estate plans we hopethat you will share this information withus. We would like to express our gratitudeand welcome you to the VermilionSociety. As always, your wishes foranonymity will be respected. If you wouldlike to know more about how todesignate Tucson Audubon as a recipientin your will, please contact our ExecutiveDirector, Paul Green, at 622-5622 [email protected].

Donor Wall Whenever you visit our main offices andNature Shop on University Blvd you’llnotice our donor wall honoringsignificant giving with brightly coloredbird and plant tiles. For information onmaking a memorial gift or honoring aloved one with a tile on our donor wallplease contact Vivian MacKinnon, [email protected] or629-0757.

Workplace GivingDonations can be made to TucsonAudubon through payroll deduction foremployees who work for the City ofTucson and Pima County through theEmployees Combined Appeal Program(ECAP). Designate our number, #1434, asyour recipient and your gifts will go toTucson Audubon; it’s just that easy!

Many other companies offer an EmployeeMatching Gift Program where they match(some even triple!) employee charitablecontributions. Many will do so even ifyou are retired. Check with youremployer for more information.

Disputed easement across San Pedro River north of Dudleyville at Double CheckRanch. Courtesy John Hoffman, LightHawk.


More than 600 leaders and ordinary citizens from the public andprivate sectors attended the Tucson Growth Forum “Decision at theCrossroads” on March 14 at the University of Arizona. TheCommunications Institute conducted, and the Arizona Daily Starsponsored, the forum on the future of growth in the Tucson regionwhich was preceded by a survey of area citizens seeking thecommunity’s viewpoint on the future of growth in the Tucsonregion conducted by the Star news staff.

For those of us interested in the degree and the form of growth inour region, especially as it affects our quality of life and the abilityof our wildlife to live and thrive with loss of natural habitats, herewas an opportunity to bring together national experts with localleaders and the citizens of the region for a discussion.

Given the large number of people in the audience and size of theexpert group, the discussion between the two was tightly managed.However, some exchange of ideas did take place.

The day began with presentations by Christopher Thornberg, anexpert in the study of regional economies, real estate dynamics,labor markets and business forecasting, who teaches in the MBAprogram in the Rady School of Business at UCSD. Perhaps themost relevant to our interests, Professor John Landis has studiedthe impact of planning decisions on communities throughout thewestern United States, and is now the Crossways Professor of Cityand Regional Planning at the University of Pennsylvania. Finally,William Fulton, president of Solimar Research, has coordinatedvarious research studies on land use in Arizona. Fulton is also anoted author on land-use planning, a journalist writing for the LosAngeles Times, and president of the California Planning andDevelopment Report. None of the presenters had local knowledge,although Professor Landis incorporated some data on Tucsonthroughout his presentation.

Following the presentations, the speakers joined a local panel thatincluded Tucson Audubon board member Bill Roe, who is alsochair of the Pima County Conservation Acquisition Commission;Sharon Megdal, Ph.D., director of the Water Resources ResearchCenter, University of Arizona; John Wesley Miller, senior lifedirector of the National Association of Home Builders and of theSouthern Arizona Home Builders Association; Nan StockholmWalden, vice president and counsel, Farmers Investment Company;Sam Wercinski, commissioner, Arizona Department of Real Estate,member of Governor Napolitano’s Growth Cabinet; and MarkWinkleman, land commissioner, Arizona State Land Department.

Members of the audience submitted written questions, a few ofwhich were put to the panel though moderator, Dennis Hoffman,Ph.D., director and associate dean of W. P. Carey School ofBusiness, and director of the Center for Competitiveness andProsperity Research at Arizona State University. More of thequestions submitted by the audience will be considered by thepanel over the next few weeks and will be published in the DailyStar.

Can we control our population size?It is not clear what the expected outcomes of the event might be, exceptfor more airing of the issues. The process in itself, however, revealed anorthodox flavor. While the audience was clearly looking for somediscussion from the experts about limits to growth in extraordinarycircumstances, that did not take place. Instead, each speaker was clearthat we could have no control over growth.

Peter Likens addressed this from experience around the country. In hissummary he said that “efforts to control population growth in Americanpolitical jurisdictions have either failed to control growth or sufferedfrom unintended consequences more serious than the initial problem.”

“In a free society, attempts to control growth rely upon somecombination of government regulation and economic pressure.

“For example, if by political actions a community denies new housingstarts and any renovations that produce more apartments orcondominiums, growth can be slowed. Unmet demand will increase theprice of housing in the community with undesirable consequences.Families of limited means will share housing or move to the outskirts ofthe community, driving into the restricted area for work, increasingurban sprawl, traffic congestion and localized population density. Thesons and daughters of original residents will be unable to afford to livein their own hometowns.

“The speakers had different perspectives and the regional panelists werediverse in their backgrounds and political orientations, but all came tothe same conclusion: Population growth cannot be effectivelyproscribed.

“The challenge is to manage the growth to achieve the greatesteconomic prosperity and the highest quality of life.

“The hard truth is this: We must find regionally acceptable ways tomanage growth and not waste time and energy in divisive insistence thatgrowth can be effectively halted.”

How do we square the view that Peter Likens espouses with biologicalprinciples that we may understand: the principles of carrying capacityor limiting natural resources (water, land). The assumption is thattechnology will enable us to deliver ever increasing amounts of water tosupply this increasing population. What would happen if our CAPsupply should be cut dramatically, or disappear, through a combinationof reduced flow in the Colorado River from a changing climate andsenior states demanding a greater proportion of the water? What woulda return to reliance on ground water mean to our natural environment?Sharon Megdal addressed the question of water: her reply was that wewere banking our unused allocation of CAP water to tide us overperiods of shortfall.

We’d like to see a serious assessment of human carrying capacity in aworst-case water supply scenario. We would have liked to see a speakerwho supports an alternative view. Peter Likens says that unless we putthe false choice behind us (between growth and no growth) and cometogether to plan for managed growth, we will be stuck in the presentmoment and unable to shape our future together wisely. We think that

Inching forward toward a true communityconversation by Paul Green and Kendall Kroesen


our community would at least like to see that debate between experts.We also think we should be examining both the limits and the formof growth since it is our view that, up to this time, we have not donewell at either.

Readers may like to review the editorials that have been writtenrecently by visiting www.sustainabletucson.org and following theArticles and Voices link. The general drift of those editorials is thateconomic development in the Tucson region has relied uponpopulation growth. We should be concerning ourselves with changesin the conditions that underpin that growth change. A drying,warming Southwest with looming water shortages; the end of cheapoil, natural gas, and coal; unprecedented price rises for food imports;people refusing to subsidize urban sprawl; increasing limitations onjurisdictions to maintain and expand infrastructure and services; asuper-competitive global economy driven by advances in science andtechnology; new accounting and costing requirements includingmeasuring and limiting carbon impacts and—in the face of thesegrowing uncertainties—questions about the declining health of theAmerican economy and its financial systems. What does sustainabilitymean for us here as we confront these major, converging challenges ofthe 21st century?

Some say our region should grow to 2 million, some say we cansustain another half million people, but others ask: How will wesustain even the current million people without fundamentaleconomic innovation and investment in our public infrastructure andservices to support a new economy? How do we transition to aneconomy which sustains our quality of life into the future but doesn’trequire unsustainable growth to keep it thriving?

What does growth look like?Most of the subsequent discussion was about the form of the growth.We’ve probably all seen the growth maps for southern Arizona. Youcan view them at www.mag.maricopa.gov/detail.cms?item=7908.Professor Landis explained how we can have some influence over theextent, density and form of growth, and how we can have greatinfluence over the adverse impacts of growth through planning.

For example we can influence congestion through regional mobilityplanning; open space, through regional open space/habitat planning;water, through linking development and water supply planning andpricing; infrastructure, through charging appropriate developmentimpact fees; and placelessness, through regional funding for localplace-making, specific plans.

Of course, it all comes down to planning, which has been defined as“the scientific, aesthetic, and orderly disposition of land, resources,facilities and services with a view to securing the physical, economicand social efficiency, health, and well-being of urban and rural

communities.” By definition, planning involves restrictions on whatcan and cannot be done, and there are several obstacles to that inArizona, including the use of state lands, and proposition 207, thePrivate Property Rights Protection Act.

This is not the place to explore in detail examples of planning thatmight work to turn the City of Tucson into an efficient and effectiveurban area that is pleasant to live in. But these solutions do includeprescribing urban growth boundaries and changing zoning so that itis consistent with a clear comprehensive plan.

At the beginning of the event, John Cox, CEO of theCommunications Institute, quoted an English novelist who railed atthe destruction of the English countryside. The reaction by theBritish people to the sprawl they saw developing during the middle ofthe last century was a series of planning laws that now restrictdevelopment. If you own land in the UK, you have no fundamentalright to develop your land, unless if falls within a development planthat is developed by a local authority (a city or county council).Coupled with laws that protect the rural character of the land, andprevent development along main routes out of towns, growth isstrictly controlled, while incorporating extensive public input at allstages of the process. We wonder if such a revolution will ever occurin Arizona, or will we continue to assume that collective individualinterests will lead to greater good for all? We think that’s a keyquestion for us to ponder.

The futureAt a regular meeting of non-profit and agency groups this month,there was a strong feeling that a different kind of dialogue needs totake place within our community. Bob Cook of Sustainable Tucsonreiterated that there is a strong sense that we need to be proactive toanticipate the changes ahead in a way that protects our quality of life.Will we build a new economy based on the opportunities ofsustainability? Or will we watch as these converging challengesbecome the first steps of long-term economic decline?

Mayor Bob Walkup urged the business and environmentalcommunities to engage on the profound confluence of economic,ecological and social issues that now face our community. It’s clearthat we need clarity about where we are and where we’re headed. Andwe need a way to find common ground, common vision and fullcommunity participation.

Several groups in Tucson are talking about the need for a broaderdialogue to guide the future of the planning process and TucsonAudubon will be part of that conversation.

Read much more at www.communicationsinstitute.com, a site thatincludes the PowerPoint presentations used during some of thepresentations.

VF


The evidence from our survey results from southern Arizona IBAsand potential IBAs, points us to the affirmative! The NorthAmerican Migration Count (NAMC), which will be held on thesame day as International Migratory Bird Day, Saturday May 10, isan upcoming opportunity to further add to the our understandingof migrant bird use of many IBAs in Arizona. I hope you canparticipate in this exciting count!

I will be helping to assist the Pima County effort for NAMC andoffering to direct interested birders in fanning out to our countysurvey locations to add existing data to these areas, and directingparticipants in how they should submit their data to the regionalcoordinator (call me at 628-1730). I can also offer three seats in myown vehicle as I visit sites during the morning of May 10 (call me tograb a spot!). Many of us, including myself, will want to plan to beback to Tucson by 12 noon for the Tucson Audubon-hostedInternational Bird Migration Day lectures at Tortolita Middle Schoolon Hardy Road. Later we’ll move over to the big Ironwood Festivalat the Tucson Audubon Mason Center. What a day for celebratingmigratory birds and their important habitats!!

So what areas might we want to see covered during the NorthAmerican Migration Count in Pima County? Going through ourIBAs and potential IBAs leads to the following list (south to north):Buenos Aries National Wildlife Refuge, Arivaca Cienega (an IBA),Madera Canyon (part of Santa Rita Mountains IBA), Las CienegasNCA (a potential IBA), Cienega Creek Preserve (potential), KinoEcosystem Restoration Project (KERP) wetlands (potential), AguaCaliente Park (potential), Sabino & Bear Creeks (an IBA),Sweetwater Wetlands, Christopher Columbus Park & Silverbellriparian, Ina Wetlands, Cortaro Wetlands (all are part of the middleSanta Cruz River potential IBA), Santa Catalina Mountains(potential), Catalina State Park (potential), and the TortolitaIronwood Fan (potential). Other key areas for resident birdpopulations are the desert parks of Saguaro National Park (East &West), and the Ironwood Forest National Monument.

Our own IBA Teams surveys provide us with some insight into areaswith high species richness during the peak migration period (lateApril through mid-May). Our results from spring 2007 on the dateclosest to May 10 are following: Las Cienegas NCA (riparian): 77species; Sabino Creek-Woodin: 59 species; Sabino Creek-Madden:72 species; Simpson Habitat Restoration Project (riparian): 90species. Results from outside Pima County include: EsperanzaRanch Conservation Easement (riparian); Upper Santa Cruz River:90 species; Algerita Canyon, Huachuca Mountains: 37 species; andVerde River Greenway (Cottonwood, AZ): 74 species.

A more accurate assessment of the true value of specific areas tomigrant bird populations would separate out resident species anddiffering migrant types by species. Such a study was completed insoutheast Arizona in the early 1990s (Skagen et al. 1998). Theseresearchers found that small oasis sites actually hosted slightly morebird species in the spring than the larger contiguous habitat corridorsites. Migration radar studies have shown that passerine migration,which occurs at night, typically occurs in broad fronts rather than

along north-south corridors. As such, all riparian habitats (regardlessof size/connectivity) are used by refueling migrants during theirforaging stopover periods. Therefore, oases sites (e.g., Arivaca Cienega,Sweetwater Wetlands, West Branch of the Santa Cruz River, Silverbellriparian, Isabella Lee Preserve/Tanque Verde Creek, Agua CalientePark, Sabino Creek, Catalina State Park, Simpson HRP—a functionaloasis, and formerly the famous Trico Road Pecan Grove), which areessentially abundantly vegetated “islands” in a sea of desert (or human-dominated landscapes), provide valuable foraging and resting habitatfor long and medium distance migrants, along with notably valuableVerde, San Pedro, and Santa Cruz River riparian corridors. All theseriparian habitats thus need to be conserved. Through citizen-scienceefforts like the North American Migration Count we hope to betterour understanding of migration patterns and trends across thecontinent. What better day than International Migratory Bird Day tohelp provide the data to conserve our trans-continental wingedmessengers of ecosystem health. So… come on out and give us a handand enjoy some fine birding too!

Skagen, S.K., C.P. Melcher, W.H. Howe, and F.L. Knopf. 1998. Comparative use of ripariancorridors and oases by migrating birds in Southeast Arizona. Conservation Biology Vol.12(4):896-909.

Important Bird Areas Program by Scott Wilbor, IBA Conservation Biologist

Are Arizona IBAs Also Important Bird Migration Habitats?

Wilson’s Warbler, a long-distance migrant that passes throughSoutheast Arizona IBAs and riparian habitats. Courtesy rshantz.com.

Sabino and Bear Creeks IBA. Courtesy Darlene Smyth.


This season’s revamped lecture series was a smashing success, duein no small part to all of the hard work done by membershipmeeting chairpersons Peggy Wenrick in Tucson and Clark Blake inGreen Valley.

Peggy’s idea for renaming the series, and her scheduling of a widevariety of speakers in three basic themes—conservation,education and recreation—allowed us to try new formats andexperiments this year. In addition, by calling the event a lecture wewere able to take advantage of additional publicity outlets that inthe past had refused to post announcements of anything called a“membership meeting.” With what we learned we plan tocontinue to offer exciting speakers that will draw both existingmembers and potential members.

Tucson Audubon cannot thank Peggy enough for all of her workas the chairperson for this event over the past 2 seasons. If all ofthis sounds like hard work, it is! So it is little wonder that Peggyhas opted to take the next season off as chairperson, but promisesto be one of our speakers. And if you went to the “Crazy aboutCranes” lecture you know it’s a win-win situation for everyone.Thanks, Peggy!

Clark Blake continues to keep the lecture hall in Green Valleyfilled with wonderful speakers and lively conversation. The hall isa little cozier in Green Valley, and members help with setting upthe room, supplying fresh-baked cookies, and have even steppedin to help with the audio/visual equipment. We tried a fewexperiments there too, but in the end found that our past formatcontinues to be the best one for that venue. Tucson Audubonsends out a big thank you to Clark!

We also wish to thank all of the wonderful speakers that gavegenerously of their time and energy. In Tucson, in order of theirappearance, thanks go out to:

Dr. Stephen Buchmann for “Pollinators in Peril”

Dutch Salmon of the Gila Conservation Coalition and AmyMcCoy of Sonoran Institute gave us “Desert Rivers ConservationEvening”

Rick Taylor of Borderlands Tours for “A Birder in Bhutan”

Dr. Paul Green, at the annual Holiday Potluck lecture gave us“Compact Fluorescent Bird: On Being Thoughtful During theHolidays”

Dr. Clait Braun, on “White-tailed Ptarmigan”

Bob Scarborough, with “Big Little Geology Tales from theSouthwest”

Brad Lancaster, and several like-minded organizations andbusinesses, presented “A Sustainability Evening”

Rick Wright, of Wings Birding Tours, educated us with “Birds,Birders and a New Bulgaria”

Karen Krebbs about “Those Amazing Hummers”

In Green Valley:

Dutch Salmon of the Gila Conservation Coalition presented “GilaRiver Conservation Efforts”

Robert Mesta lectured on “The California Condor and NativeAmerican Cultures”

Michael Wilson, gave us “Desert Chemical Defenses: How‘Defenseless’ Creatures Defend Themselves”

Peg Abbott of Naturalist Journeys, for “Colors of the Andes:Birding and Natural history in a Vibrant Land”

Next season promises to be equally exciting with several speakersalready booked, including Rich Hoyer of Wings Birding Tours;Australian author, birder, and anthropologist Denise Goodfellowon “Birding the Top End” (of Australia); and our own PeggyWenrick. If you’ve got ideas and/or contacts for potential speakersor would like to help out at either venue, please share them withus by contacting Vivian at [email protected] or629-0757 . We’ll see you there!

Natural History Service Award to Darlene SmythThe Linnaean Society of New York, one of the world’s oldest and mostprestigious ornithological organizations, has bestowed its Natural HistoryService Award on Tucson Audubon’s own Darlene Smyth. The award will beformally presented at the Linnaean’s annual dinner at the American Museumin March 2009, in recognition of Darlene’s work to open the natural world toeasier access for birders with mobility and endurance limitations. Darlene’sefforts have been conducted on both a local scale, in programs and field trips,and an international scale, in the construction of a website,comfortablebirdingforall.com, providing the disabled with information aboutsites, guides, and birds worldwide. Please join Tucson Audubon in celebrationof this honor and congratulations for one of our fine volunteers!

It’s a Wrap! Tucson Audubon’s Lecture Series,Living with Nature finishes the season by Vivian MacKinnon


Andean AdventuresSally Johnsen 399-4050; [email protected]

Birding America www.birding-america.comToll-free: (800)774-6150; [email protected]

“Cape May: Fall Migration,” October 4–10, 2008, $1,490. Leader: JenBrumfeld, Michael Retter, or Moez Ali. Cape May is the stuff of legends,with a place on almost everyone’s list of top North American hotspots.The sheer numbers of birds that pass the point, moving south along thecoast, must be seen to be believed. From the tiniest kinglets to thebiggest raptors, we hope to take in an astonishing array of species, all ofwhich have gathered within a relatively small patch of land. This trip istimed to catch the tail end of the neotropical songbird passage and theprojected peak of raptor movement.

“South Texas: Birds & Butterflies,” November 11–28, 2008, $1,780.Leader: Michael Retter. In addition to nearly 30 bird species foundnowhere else in the US, the Lower Rio Grande Valley is home to anastounding 300 species of butterflies. Our tour will explore diverseecosystems, from Tamaulipan thornscrub and coastal prairies toChihuahuan Desert, sabal palm groves, and subtropical oak forests.Come with us and experience why the Rio Grande is one of the nation’spremier bird and butterfly destinations.

Naturalist Journeys www.naturalistjourneys.comToll-free: (866)900-1146 or 558-1146; [email protected]

“Trinidad & Tobago Ecology Workshop: Sea Turtles, Birding &More!” June 21–July 1, 2008, $3,390 from Port of Spain (singlesupplement, $450) Leaders: Dr Carol Simon and Dr. Howard Topoff.Join us for a tour in which knowledge augments the beauty of tropicalforests on the two very different islands of Trinidad and Tobago. Dr.Topoff and Dr. Simon know how to make learning interactive and funand will share their expertise in animal behavior, ecology, andevolutionary biology. From the porch of famed Asa Wright NatureCentre you will marvel at the parade of jewel-toned birds right beforeyour eyes! Trinidad hosts approximately 430 species of birds, 108mammals, 2,300 flowering plants, and over 600 species of butterflies.Tobago, with more Caribbean characteristics, hosts approximately 200species of birds, including 12 not found on Trinidad. June marks thestart of cooling summer rains and is a delightful time of year to explorethe islands.

“Glacier National Park: Hiking and Nature,” July 11–19, 2008, $2,995from Kalispell (single supplement, $795) with 3 night pre-trip extensionto Montana’s key wildlife refuges July 8-11 available. Glacier and WatertonLakes National Parks span spectacular scenery in the Northern Rockies— join us to explore the scenic highlights of “the Crown of theContinent.” July is peak flowering season, when meadows stand awashwith myriad wildflowers. We’ve carefully chosen hikes of varied pace tohighlight the wonderful wildflowers and abundant wildlife of the area.In the high country we scan for elk, mountain goat and bighorn sheep,while in lush forests we look and listen for a variety of northern birdssuch as American Dipper, Gray Jay, Clark’s Nutcracker, Townsend’sWarbler, Lazuli Bunting, Boreal Chickadee and other species. We alsolearn about the region’s fascinating geology and its rich cultural past.

Nature Treks and Passageswww.naturetreks.net696-2002; [email protected]

“Copper Canyon Birding,” October 18–26 and November 29–December7, 2008, $2,749. A trip for all birders—from beginners to the “obsessed”advanced! See the best of Copper Canyon, from a roundtrip ride on theworld-famous Copper Canyon train to birding in the high forest of theSierra Madre, to the scenic van ride down to the town of Batopilas in oneof the deepest canyons. See neo-tropical species such as Black-throatedMagpie Jays, Eared Quetzal, and Russet-crowned Motmot. Sample thediverse habitats of coastal river plain, tropical thorn forest, tropical riverbottom and high conifer forest, and observe the indigenous Tarahumaraculture. Stay at comfortable lodges that reflect the best of the localambience. View the itinerary and bird list at www.naturetreks.net.

“Birding in Belize and Tikal” February 7–17, 2009, $3,499. Sample themany diverse habitats of Belize, from savannah to rainforest, to an islandinside the barrier reef. Plus two outstanding Mayan ruins—Lamanai andTikal! Belize is one of the most exciting countries a birder can visit, withover 550 bird species, 350 in Tikal and Guatemala alone. Tinamous, Hawk-Eagles, Forest Falcons, Crakes, Parrots and Parakeets, four kinds ofTrogons, Puffbirds, Woodcreepers, Potoos, and Becards; all of these andothers await you there. Belize teems with other wildlife as well, includingjaguars, pumas, tapirs, iguanas and monkeys. We’ll be staying atcomfortable inns and “jungle lodges” throughout the trip. See the itineraryand species list at www.naturetreks.net.

Rancho Esmeralda Eco-Tourswww.ranchoesmeraldanogales.com548-7278; [email protected]

RockJumpers Birding Tours [email protected]

“Southern Peru: Amazonia, Andes, and Machu Picchu,” July 26–August13, 2008, $5,350 (single supplement, $790). Hosting one of the mostdiverse regions in the world, this portion of South America takes in thebest of the Andes and Amazon. We begin descending the eastern slope ofthe Andes, birding through temperate zones into montane cloud forest andto the foothills, while optically peeling apart layer by layer of these complexecosystems. Afterwards we continue into the depths of the Amazon wherewe will thoroughly explore the Manu Biosphere Reserve, one of the mostimportant and diverse conservation units in the world. Our tour concludesin the spectacular Andes, looking over the magical and mysterious ruins ofMachu Picchu.

“South Africa: Cape Wildflowers & Birding” August 20–September 2,$3,650 (single supplement, $360). This comprehensive tour covers themost exciting regions in the Western Cape in order to experience theearth’s most breathtaking displays of wildflowers and to track down someof the continent’s most exciting birds. We explore the unique flora andfantastic birds of the Cape Peninsula area and the rolling sandy plains ofthe west coast before heading to the flat, sparsely vegetated plains ofNamaqualand that offer further floral extravagances and showcase theglobe’s greatest diversity of succulent plants and a host of exciting drycountry birds. Leaving wildflower country behind us, we make for thedramatic lunar-like landscapes of Augrabies Falls National Park and thefossilized riverbeds of Kgalagadi National Park teeming with wildlife andbirds. We invite you to experience this celebration of the very best of SouthAfrica’s Cape.

Birding Travel from our Business Members

continued next page


Birding Travel continued

Tropical Birding www.tropicalbirding.comToll free: (800)348-5941; [email protected]

“Eastern Ecuador: Andes to Amazon” August 9–23, 2008, $3,300.Leader: Jose Illánes. Enjoy the highest bird diversity on the planet whilebased in some of the most comfortable lodges in Ecuador. Thespectacular mountain scenery of Antisana, the hummers at Guango andSan Isidro Lodges, and the canopy walkway at Sacha Lodge will be someof the many highlights. This tour can also be combined with a week-longtrip down the west slope of the Andes, based in Tandayapa Lodge, ahummingbird paradise. Contact us for details.

“Galapagos Endemics Cruise,” November 20–29, 2008, $3,700. Leaders:Scott Olmstead, Iain Campbell, or Nick Athanas. We have speciallychartered a comfortable 16 passenger yacht to visit all the key islands forbirds and other unique wildlife, and we have a chance to see nearly everyendemic species of the archipelago. This is a great tour for both birdersand naturalists alike, and offers outstanding opportunities forphotography. There are still a few spaces left on the November tour.

VF

Please join us in saying “Welcome andThank You” to our newest Birds &

Business Alliance member:

Wild Birds Unlimited We would like all members of Tucson Audubon to join us insaying “Welcome and Thank You” to our newest Birds andBusiness Alliance member Wild Birds Unlimited at Oracleand Ina Rd. in the Safeway plaza. Not only did they joinTucson Audubon under our business membership programbut they also immediately decided to sponsor our upcomingIronwood Festival. THANK YOU!

When you walk into their shop on the southeast corner of Inaand Oracle you’ll know you’ve walked into a little slice ofbirder heaven! New owners Eric and Sara Dalrymple andDanny Clifford have gone the extra distance to make suretheir shop is also a resource for the community: witness theprime retail space being used for posting information aboutbird outings, local events, and conservation nonprofits likeTucson Audubon just inside the door.

Growing up in the Midwest, Danny Clifford gained anappreciation of nature and bird feeding from his mother, whoreligiously fed “her” cardinals and robins and, duringChicago’s harsh winters, made sure squirrel families neverwent without the nuts they had grown accustomed to findingon her front porch. As a Wild Birds Unlimited employee forthree years, he educated himself on Arizona wildlife and thedelicate balance needed for a healthy desert scheme.

Moving from Ohio nine years ago to the Sonoran Desert, Ericand Sara Dalrymple were amazed by how intimate the desertand its wildlife became to their everyday lifestyle, and wantedto share that experience by helping people understand theimportance of bringing the backyard birdfeeding hobby up-close-and-personal.

Since purchasing the store in November 2007, they havelearned as much as they’ve taught customers who share theirpassion for enjoying Arizona’s amazing array of birds andappreciating the role we play as stewards of this incredibleenvironment. So, if you’re looking for that perfect bird feederor gift for the nature nut in your family, be sure to drop inand give Eric, Sara and Danny a big birders’ welcome and tellthem Tucson Audubon sent you!

Wild Birds Unlimited tucsonaz.wbu.com/875-9585

Pima County Natural Resource, Parks and Recreation Environmental EducationFor more information: 615-7855 or [email protected]

Bird-Watching Basics Agua Caliente Park offers bird-watching at its best withspring-fed ponds for water birds, flanked by lush riparianand desert habitats that attract diverse birdlife. Enjoy anaturalist-guided bird walk designed especially forbeginning birders of all ages, including families. Binoculars are available for use during the program, orbring your own.

Saturday, May 17, 9–10:30a.m. and Saturday, May 31, 8–9:30a.m.

Pima County Agua Caliente Park, 12325 E. Roger RoadFree, all ages welcomeReservations not required

Wake Up with the BirdsThis casual stroll through Agua Caliente Park is gearedmore toward beginning and intermediate birders. Spotcardinals, thrashers, hummingbirds, songbirds and raptorsnestled among the mesquites and palms. Binoculars areavailable for use during the walk, or bring your own.

Every Tuesday in May, 8–9:30a.m. andevery Tuesday in June, 7:30–9a.m.

Pima County Agua Caliente Park, 12325 E. Roger Road;meet in front of the Ranch House

Free, all ages welcomeReservations not required


Thanks ! Jean Barchman, Membership Coordinator

We thank the followingfor their financialsupport:AnonymousKaren and Donald

BahnickJean BarchmanRichard CalabroJoseph ConourSandra CookWilliam Doelle and

Linda MayroMary Kay and Robert

EiermannSandy and Karl ElersJay FowlerElaine HalbedelNancy and David HallRoger HaugheyAnne and Schuyler HiltsJuniata HirschGrace HouGayle and Fritz JandreyMary Beth and Kendall

KroesenCynthia and Howard

LawrenceCraig Marken and

Wanda Wynne

Rachel McCaffreyAlice McDonnellDiane and George

Montgomery, in honorof Saralaine Millet

Hal Myers Patricia Orosz-CoghlanElizabeth PayneAmy and Michael RuleIrene and Walter SivekCynthia SoudersDiane and Glen SzollosiPat and Herbert TrossmanChristi Valley, in honor of

her sister, Sara PikeHal WarePeggy and Bob Wenrick

We thank our FrequentFlyers for their monthly(and almost painless)donations:Christine FeeleyMich CokerVernita and Joseph

deRouenEverett KnappDeborah VathChristine CurtisSandy and Karl Elers

Pat and Herb Trossman

We thank the followingpeople that haveresponded withdonations for specificprogram needs:Supplying prizes forBirdathon:Adventure Birding Bashas’Bookman’s on SpeedwayBuffalo ExchangeC.I. Chu’s Mongolian

RestaurantChili’s RestaurantEclectic CaféInternational Wildlife

MuseumLas MargaritasThe Lodge at Ventana

CanyonMostly BooksOn The BorderMichael Rosenwald, ACE

certified personaltrainer at Evlogia

Ruby TuesdaySummit HutThe B Line

The Wild Bird StoreWild Birds UnlimitedZona 78 on River Road

Donations for specificprogram needs:

Jeanette Calderwooddonated three framed,matted 8x10 waterfowlprints by J. F. Parks forthe Audubon NatureShop at Agua Caliente.

Ruth Wilderman donatedtwo wooden cabinetsand six snap-togetherwire cubes for theAudubon Nature Shop atAgua Caliente.

Alex Badyaev donatedfour full-color birdphotographs.

Ned Harris donated fourboxes of birdingmagazines and threeboxes of birding andnatural history books.

Robert Merideth donatedmatting and framing fortwo photographs by AlexBadyaev.

Steve Russell donatedEco-travelers’ Guide toBrazil and three NASDate and Note books.

Jeff Rill donated 21 issuesof National AudubonSociety magazine.

Peter Salomon donatedsix VHS tapes ofAudubon Society VideoGuide Volumes I-V andHummingbirds UpClose.

Cyntha Pruett donatedone 15-gallon ironwoodtree to be raffled at theIronwood Festival

Thomas Rehm donatedlabor and expertise tobuild the shop anupgraded bookshelf.

Please join us inwelcoming our newestmembers:Harris AmhowitzSharon and Bruce BellamyPatricia CaineRichard CalabroStacy CogswellSteve CohenPosie and Doug CowanDick DelayJan and Mickey DowlingJune FieldChris FoltzDianne GorsDr. and Mrs. John HughesKatrina ManginMaryann MaushardtLily MeijerPatricia and Fred MillerDaniel O’HearnSandra and Robert RohenJean RuddRoger StrandKimberly Sultze and Jon

HydeJennifer Vamvakias

We wish to thank the generosity of the following people for their financial support, both for specificprograms and in general support, and through in-kind donations in response to specific needs.

Volunteer!Birdathon help: We need several folks to help us get ready forBirdathon’s “Birdie Brunch Celebration.” Thisincludes transporting tables and chairs fromthe Mason Center to our main offices andback. On the day of the event we need helpwith set-up and tear-down of tables andchairs, etc. in the courtyard area at our mainoffices on University Blvd. We also need twoor three folks willing to help with children’sactivities at the event. All volunteers will getto enjoy the event and will be issued ticketsfor the drawing of prizes! Contact Vivian:[email protected] or 629-0757.

Agua Caliente Nature Shop: Volunteer to help out at the Nature Shop atAgua Caliente Park. Call Becky Aparicio: 760-7881.

Special Events and More:We need folks willing to help outat special events including but notlimited to tabling at area events,delivery of our newsletters/brochures to area businesses, andother odds and ends as they arise.These are opportunities to help atone-time events and will notrequire a continuing obligation(unless we can talk you into that!).For more information, contactVivian: 629-0757.

Education Program: Assist with environmentaleducation programs for childrenand adults! Become a trainedVolunteer Naturalist! Enjoy givingPowerPoint presentations?… Trainto become part of our SpeakersBureau Series! Call Carrie Dean at622-2230.

University Nature Shop: Volunteers interested in working inthe Main Shop. Contact HeatherHatch: [email protected] 622-2230.

Birding Field Trips: Volunteer to lead birding field trips.Instructions and help are available.Yes, YOU CAN DO IT! Call DarleneSmyth: 297-2315.

Mason Center: Volunteers needed for a variety ofprojects: re-thatching a couple oframada roofs (some thatch materialneeded); grafting aging citrus treesplanted by Mr. Mason in 1950; andrefinishing floors (materials andequipment needed). Call LiaSansom: 971-6238.


Tucson Audubon Society wants to extend a bigbirders’ THANK YOU to all of our Birds andBusiness Alliance members for their continuedsupport. Please remember to thank them inperson when you visit or use their services.Don’t forget to refer your friends! Remember,“Life is simple. Eat. Sleep. Bird.” We all knowthere is a little more to life thanthat, and so we offer them toyou in the following order:

EAT: Brooklyn Pizza(Your business here!)

SLEEP:Adobe Desert Vacation RentalsAlta Vista B&BArivaca Country B&BBeatty’s Miller Canyon B&BBeds and Bagels of TucsonBest Western Inn Suites at OracleDe Anza Trails RV ResortDown by the River B&BJeremiah Inn B&BMi Gatita B&BRancho EsmeraldaSunflower Suites in BisbeeTangled Web PropertiesThe Lodge at Ventana Canyon(Your business here!)

BIRD:Andean AdventuresBirding AmericaBorderland ToursNaturalist JourneysNature Treks and PassagesRockjumper Birding ToursSan Carlos Aquatic AdventuresVictor Emanuel Nature Tours (VENT)Wild Birds Unlimited at Oracle & Ina(Your business here!)

LIFE’S OTHER NEEDS:Comcast CableKimberlyn Drew, RealtorExcel PrintingGaleria La SirenaHughes Federal Credit UnionLou Benson Construction(Your business here!)

P.S. Don’t forget to tell them we sent you! For moreinformation on how your company can become aBirds & Business Alliance Member or to suggestpotential new members contact Vivian at 629-0757or [email protected].

Wishes:Main Nature Shop:�Gift Certificate or credit at Tucson Store Fixtures (500 W. Grant Rd., 623-0064) to help the shop with keeping up merchandise display materials.�Gift Certificate for Michael’s craft stores, to help the shop with keepingup merchandise display materials. �Casio electric calculator, Model HR-150TM Plus. �Red coffeemaker.

Library:We would welcome any donations of birding DVDs so we can replacevideos in our library; especially National Audubon Society’s Guide to Birdsof North America.

Mason Center: �Large rugs for the house. �Heavy, insulating curtains of appropriatecolor for 3 medium-sized windows. �Six nice, large rectangular foldingtables

Field Trips Program:Binoculars in good condition for leaders to loan to participants.

Nature Shop at Agua Caliente Park:Laminating machine.

Habitat Restoration Program:Locking metal storage cabinet. Map drawer cabinet to store large maps.

Education Program:�Gift card for Michael’s Arts and Crafts store to purchase materials forkids’ programs. �New or in good condition Wesco Maxi Mover FoldingHand Truck, 250lb. capacity. �New or gently used, good condition LeupoldYosemite 6 x 30 or 8 x 30 or Bushnell Birder 8 x 40 binoculars for youngbirders (available for sale in the Main Tucson Audubon Nature Shop).

Benefits of membership:All dues used locally to support Tucson Audubon programsOne-year subscription to the Vermilion Flycatcher10% discount at our Nature ShopsDiscounted fees select events and classesDiscounted subscription to Birds of North America OnlineFree use of the Birders’ Resource Library Email bulletins about conservation issues and upcoming events

To join use the remittance envelope in this issue, visit us online atwww.tucsonaudubon.org, visit us in person at either AudubonNature Shops, or call our Membership Coordinator at 622-5622.

Support TucsonAudubon…

Become a Friend today!

Tucson Audubon Society300 E. University Blvd., #120Tucson, AZ 85705

NON-PROFIT ORGUS POSTAGE

PAIDTUCSON, AZ

PERMIT #1345

The Vermilion Flycatcher is the newsletter of the Tucson AudubonSociety, a chapter of the National Audubon Society. NationalAudubon Society members and members of other chapters mayreceive the Flycatcher by joining the Friends of Tucson Audubon.See membership at www.tucsonaudubon.org.

Economic Stimulus PackageStarting in May, the United States Treasury will beginsending economic stimulus payments to more than 130million households. Tucson Audubon, however, will not bereceiving such a payment. Would you share all or some ofyours to ensure a better natural environment for southernArizona?

We feel sure that you want more people to value thenatural wonders of the Sonoran Desert. So please send usyour generous tax-deductible donation using the envelopeyou’ll find in this copy of the Vermilion Flycatcher. Or goonline to tucsonaudubon.org/chapter/donation.htm.We will use your gift to educate people of all ages abouttheir natural world, and to work with partners to ensurethe future conservation of our natural habitats.

Thank you

Paul Green, Executive Director Herb Trossman, President

Female Vermilion Flycatcher. Courtesy Richard Fray.

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