Hello,
Welcome to our May, 2008 newsletter. 



Kitsap Audubon Society Potluck Dinner & Auction – May 8, 2008
Kitsap Audubon Society (KAS) will end its year with their traditional Potluck Dinner and Silent Auction.  The auction is KAS’s major fund raising event so please make some time to come out on the 8th and give them your support.  The auction begins at 5:00pm with the potluck starting at 6:00pm.  If you can stay until 7:30pm you will be rewarded with a timely presentation showcasing many of Alaska’s birds, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and other important natural areas.  Taldi Walter is the Alaska Field Coordinator for National Audubon and has extension experience in the state.




Springtime Birding
It has been an interesting couple of weeks for birding in north Kitsap County.  Local birders have reported Yellow-rumped Warblers, Nashville Warbler, Orange-crowned Warbler, Townsend’s Warbler, Chipping Sparrows, Savannah Sparrows, Western Kingbird, Hutton’s Vireo and a Yellow-headed Blackbird.  I also believe I saw notice of a bluebird out near Hansville but I now can not find any reference to the sighting.  It is an exciting time to watch birds so keep your binoculars nearby and let me know if you see anything unusual. 




 


The Wild Bird Donates a Bat House to Poulsbo’s Fish Park
A month or two ago Nancy and I joined one of the volunteer parties at Fish Park and helped to set the foundation for our bat box.  Earlier this month I joined one of the park committee members to finish assembling the pole and complete the installation.  The bat house we donated is of the “rocket box” style.  It is tall and narrow and will shelter a lot of bats.  We raised the house over one of the ponds in the hopes that the bats will find many insects there to dine upon.

I was at the park a couple of times this last week and noticed another new project that is underway.  A group I am not familiar with has started construction on the boardwalk trail.  The boardwalk starts near the parking lot and will meander through the trees towards the back of the park.  I am not exactly sure where the path will go and am very excited to see it all come together. 








Q: How Often Should I Clean My Feeders?  What Should I use?
A: You should clean and sterilize your feeders once or twice each month.  You can start the process by simply washing your feeders in hot soapy water.  You can use a rag to clean plastic feeders or a soft-bristled brush if your feeder is made of wood.  Once your feeder is clean you should give it a thorough rinse in plenty of fresh water.   The final step is to sterilize your feeder.  Mix one capful of liquid bleach to every gallon of warm water.  Mix enough of the solution to fill a container large enough to allow you to completely submerge the feeder for a full minute.  Let it air dry before filling with seed.


 

Birding by Ear When YouCan’t Identify a Bird’s Call
I’m just happy to be able to identify a few birds by sight, much less by sound.  Sure, I can recognize a few birds when I hear them but seasonal changes to a bird’s call or song can get me easily confused.  Even so, I have learned to listen carefully when I am out birding.  Let me give you an example of how knowing what you don’t know can be a valuable tool when out in the field.

I often swing by Fish Park to get in a little birding before opening the shop.  I have spent enough time there that I have a pretty good idea of what I might see and where it will be.  I hear these “usual suspects” all the time when I’m in the park.  I may not always be able to identify the call or song right away but I know that it is normal for the area.  The other morning I was making my loop through the park and was surrounded by bird calls and songs.  All of a sudden I came to a quick stop and focused all of my attention on listening to the birds.  I had heard something among the chorus that was unusual.  A few seconds of listening allowed me to single out the song and confirm that I did not recognize it.  I took a few steps and slowly moved my head side-to-side in order to determine where the song was coming from.  I spotted what could be a bird perched in a bush not too far away.  I was able to get a good long look through my binoculars and determined that I was seeing a Savannah Sparrow.  So you see, I would probably never spotted this bird if I hadn’t been actively listening to the birds around me.  Even though I would not have identified the bird from its song I was able to notice that it was something different and worth investigating. 

I do have a great CD in stock for those of you who would like to study our local bird songs.  It is titled Birdsongs of the Pacific Northwest ($21.95) and was recorded by Martyn Stewart.  You may recognize Martyn’s name from his several interviews on KUOW.   The CD contains 165 birdsongs and also includes an illustrated field guide.




Nancy, Lili and I hope you are all doing well.   See you soon!

 

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