Gambel’s Tales

The Newsletter of the Sonoran Audubon Society

Volume 11 Issue 2 October, 2009

At our next meeting…. Wednesday, October 14, 2009 at 7 p.m.

Dr. Gerald Rosenthal: Sonoran Desert Life
Dr. Gerald A. Rosenthal, a retired Professor of Biological
Sciences and Toxicology, earned his doctoral degree in Bot-
any from Duke University. Dr. Rosenthal spent his career
engaged in distinguished research and teaching in Botany and
Plant as well as Insect Biochemistry: topics on which he has
authored several highly regarded technical treatises and nu-
merous research articles in scientific journals.

He has traveled the world for nearly four decades observing

and photographing its major plant communities. A resident
of Scottsdale, Arizona, he has lived in, hiked, and studied the
Sonoran Desert for more than 11 years.

He wrote a book entitled “Sonoran Desert Life” which was

highlighted in the Arizona Republic not long ago. The book
has more than 400 photographs showing the complexity of
the Sonoran Desert and its plants, insects, birds and other
wildlife.

If you are interested in desert life, this program should be a

must.

HAVE YOU MISSED OUT? What’s Happening in our Chapter?

By George Wall By Your Editor, George Wall

I send out several e-mails during the month for the Again, our chapter has had a busy month. See all the
Sonoran Audubon Society with updated information “Retreat” information in this issue.
on bird walks, our programs, trip reports and informa-
tion that is related to birds and conservation. Final preparations for our annual picnic are under way,
but we need you to sign up for this event.
We have over 600 people in our chapter, but I only
have 175 e-mail addresses. If you have missed out, The annual reports were submitted to the National Audu-
it’s because I don’t have your e-mail address. bon Society thanks to Karen LaFrance. This in turn gen-
erated $1997.75 to be deposited in our chapter’s account
To get in on the “know”, send your e-mail address to based on our membership.
[email protected] or call me at 623-875-7057. I don’t
want you to miss out. If I counted right, we had 41 show up at our last meeting.

Gambel’s Tales
Page 1
2009 Field Trips Why are birds important?
REQUIREMENT: On all trips, YOU MUST make res- John Arnett, Secretary, Sonoran
ervations by calling the leader. Audubon Society
Friday-Monday, October 2-5, 2009
San Diego Pelagic & Land Birding I need your input for the monthly program at our
Leader: Rich Schooler 623-930-8904 Sonoran Audubon meeting in December. I’ll give a
[email protected] talk called “Why are birds important?” and I want
you to tell me why you think birds are important.
This trip is booked full. Your input will help me build the program, but
your response will remain completely anonymous.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Please keep your answer to 60 words or less, and e-
Robbins Butte Birding & Annual Picnic
Contact: George Wall 623-875-7057 [email protected] mail it to me at [email protected] by Octo-
ber 15, 2009 (sooner is better). IMPORTANT –
This will be our Annual SAS Picnic and at the same time write “Why are birds important” in the Subject line
for those who want to, a birding trip. The birding trip will so I do not discard your e-mail as spam. All of our
start at 7 a.m. at Robbins Butte. The picnic will start at 11 monthly programs are ‘for the birds’, but this one is
a.m. and go until 1 p.m. also for (and by) you! Thank you, and see you in
Robbins Butte is a Wildlife Area administered by the Ari- December.
zona Game & Fish Department. We’ve had trips here
twice before and the last time we saw a Bald Eagle soaring
above us. We should see about 35-45 species.
Difficulty: 1 Owl Pellet Education
By Dean Luehrs
Sign up at the meetings or let contact know.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009 Pat McConnell, a 6th grade teacher at Thompson
Tres Rios Wetlands Ranch School in the Dysart District, wanted to have
Leader: Eleanor Campbell 623-977-7639 a unit on owl pellets, but her budget did not permit
[email protected] purchasing the pellets ( they can run $2 and up each).

The Tres Rios Wetlands Project located at the 91st Ave. Joan and Dean Luehrs heard of her project and since
Wastewater Treatment Plant and the Salt River is a haven one of the objectives of the Audubon Society is edu-
for many bird species. Habitats there include open water, cation, they started collecting the pellets at the old
running stream, marsh, desert and woodland which pro- Arlington School site (the site is no longer available).
vide a good environment for ducks, shorebirds, and passer-
Pat McConnell and her husband Bob helped on one
ines. Highlights on previous trips were sightings of Black-
bellied Whistling Duck, Least Bittern, Sora, Osprey, Pere- trip where there were a number of pellets nestled in
grine Falcon and White-faced Ibis. needles under a large pine tree waiting to be gathered
like an Easter egg hunt. The great horned owl re-
Difficulty: 1 Morning only. sponsible for the pellets even flushed out of the tree
while we were gathering them.
Call the leader to arrange the meeting place and
time. The students had a great time dissecting the pellets
and identifying various bones of small rodents and
beaks and feet of birds. Pat reports that this and
FAMILY BIRD WALKS similar projects in previous years were the most in-
By Rich Schooler teresting and memorable of the activities of the year
for the students.
The Sonoran Audubon Society Family Bird Walks will
start on October 10, 2009. The Family Bird Walks will be
held the second Saturday of each month starting in Octo- Owl Pellets
ber and continuing through April at the Estrella Mountain Photo from Internet
Park located at Bullard Avenue and Vineyard Road. The
bird walk will begin at 8:00 a.m. and last about 1 1/2 to 2
hours. Meet at the Visitors Center parking lot. There is a
$6.00 per vehicle charge for entering the park; however,
the bird walks are otherwise free of charge.

Page 2 Gambel's Tales

SAS Planning Retreat 2009
By Karen LaFrance

Sonoran Audubon’s Board Planning Retreat took place on Saturday, September 5, 2009, at Hassayampa Preserve. The AM
BIRDWALK yielded 39 species. The Morning Session was from 9:00 a.m. – 12 Noon; we broke for a non-working lunch and
then reconvened in the afternoon from 12:15 p.m. to 2 p.m..
Attending were George Wall, Tim Cullison, Eleanor Campbell, Bob McCormick, Donna Smith, John Arnett, Rich Schooler,
Carol Schooler, Darnell Kirksey, Chuck Richards, Loretta Richards, Jerry Theis, Andrée Tarby, Karen LaFrance (facilitator) and
first time attendees: Rosemary Zanter, Haylie Hewitt and Joe Ford.
George memorialized the occasion with a group picture and a picture of himself, as President, with Haylie, Rosemary, and Joe.
What SAS did this past year that the group really liked included improved
numbers of participants at monthly membership meetings and family bird
walks at Estrella Mountain Park, the conservation message in publications
and photo contest with the 10 birds of conservation concern, the store meet-
ing its expenses—great work Education Committee…and four grants re-
ceived in the past year.
The four grants are: two Together Green grants in national competitions
(Toyota with National Audubon Society) for a total of $15,000; one Ari-
zona Bird Conservation Initiative (ABCI) grant of $2,525 from AZ Game
and Fish Department for IBA monitoring and UAFWP travel and $600
from National Audubon Society’s Chapter Collaborative Grants toward
purchase of equipment for education. Karen LaFrance, SAS VP, is SAS’
lead grant writer & contract monitor.
The Together Green Grants: Putting Sonoran Audubon on the national map of Audubon Chapters are:
“Together Green Innovation Grant” of $5,000 for Community Planning in the Upper Agua Fria Watershed, Yavapai County.
This awarded grant is one of only four in the country through the TG Innovation Grant application process. The grant will fund
a community outreach worker and facilitator in rural Yavapai County, public meetings around water issues and the development
of special projects to improve the Agua Fria River. The need was developed through SAS’ participation in the Upper Agua Fria
Watershed Partnership which meets monthly at Arcosanti. Karen LaFrance with Rich Schooler are coordinators.
Karen LaFrance received the “Together Green Fellowship Grant” for $10,000. There are 40 National Fellows out of 130 appli-
cants; half of the Fellows are Auduboners and half are non-Auduboners in this second year of the Fellowship. The SAS project,
over 18 months, is to create a training/education venue for Audubon chapter leaders in the Intermountain West. The idea for the
project came from Karen’s attendance in summer 2008 at NAS’ Hog Island Leadership Camp (now suspended due to funding
issues) and from the desire of the Arizona Audubon Council (all the AZ chapters and Audubon Arizona) to have a training event
in Arizona (from their retreat in October 2008). Karen will be coordinating with other chapters, NAS state offices and NAS
staff to implement the project. At least one half of the grant is a stipend for the Fellow plus project expenses.
The group went into three Break Out Sessions to discuss Issues and “Who Does What by When”. The subjects were: Horse-
shoe Ranch, a potential acquisition in the Agua Fria National Monument by Arizona Game and Fish; Important Bird Areas, a
long term conservation project of the chapter, and what’s next in the Education area.
You can find the details of discussion and verbatim notes on the SAS website and by clicking for the
notes.http://www.sonoranaudubon.org/AboutUs.html and click on PDF or Word version.

The group completed its planning for the day by “Putting Conservation into SAS Programs and Initiatives for 2009-2010”.
Subjects discussed were: How do we know we are making a difference? What are the “metrics” of success? Criteria for SAS
volunteering for other Audubon chapters/centers/events; the need for Advocacy and liaison with the Arizona Game & Fish De-
partment staff and commission; and “Getting more people committed to volunteer tasks for SAS”—SAS always needs more
“heavy lifters”. On this last issue, the Board appointed Darnell, Haylie and Jerry as an ad hoc committee which will report back
to the Board on a plan to address this need which is “chronic” and, at the same time, at the heart of the chapter’s success.

Gambel’s Tales
Page 3
Annual Retreat Pictures—Photos by George Wall

L-R: Joe Ford, Eleanor Campbell, Darnell Kirksey, Bob McCormick, John Arnett, Karen
LaFrance, Andrée Tarby and Tim Cullison

L-R: Donna Smith, Chuck Richards, Loretta Richards, Haylie Hewitt, Rosemary Zanter, Rich
Schooler, Carol Schooler and Jerry Theiss

Page 4 Gambel's Tales

Neighborhoods Bulldozed—Some Lucky Residents Moved to Custom Homes
By Bettina Bickel

Across the Valley, residents are losing their homes to the bulldozer. Thanks to Wild at Heart, some of these residents are
being moved to custom-made underground homes. Of course, we are talking about burrowing owls, which are unique
among owls in making their homes underground.

Burrowing owls occupy open plains, grassland, and desert scrub habitats throughout most of the western and prairie states
of the United States. They establish small colonies in the deserted burrows of prairie dogs, tortoises, or other burrowing
animals. Burrows are often lined with grass, weeds, and dung. Often seen perched on a fence post or the top of a mound,
they hunt small rodents, insects, and occasionally snakes and birds. They are active day and night, but are less active dur-
ing the peak of the day.

Nesting begins in mid-March. The altricial nestlings fledge after about 28 days. Since nestlings spend their time under-
ground, they are particularly susceptible to being buried alive when development takes over their home.

Loss of habitat to agriculture and urban development is a major threat to burrowing owl populations. Persecution of rodent
populations has also taken a toll on burrowing owls. Prairie dogs in particular are a keystone species in grassland habitats;
fortunately AZGFD is restoring this ecosystem engineer to suitable habitats from which it was previously extirpated.

When impending development threatens a burrowing owl colony, Wild at Heart begins their rescue and relocation process.
Owls are trapped at burrow entrances or by being lured into traps containing mice. Nestlings may be brought out of the
burrow by hand, a daring move since their distress call is indistinguishable from a rattlesnake’s warning buzz! The owls
are then relocated to burrows built by Wild at Heart volunteers using PVC pipe. A temporary mesh enclosure and food
deliveries encourage the owls to settle in to their new home.

Protecting grassland and desert scrub habitats from development and restoring native rodent populations are priorities for
burrowing owl conservation. When relentless development overtakes their homes, the efforts of Wild at Heart and volun-
teers help to ensure that these fascinating owls continue to be our neighbors in the Phoenix area

Burrowing Owl—Photo by Shirley Ramaley

Gambel’s Tales
Page 5
 Gray-headed Chickadee
By Dr. Jerry Theis

Switching gears this month, I will focus on a North American bird, widely considered the most difficult breeding bird to
see in North America, the Gray-headed Chickadee (formerly called Siberian Tit).

Chickadees are small, contrastingly-patterned birds with strong legs (allowing upside-down foraging), and short, strong
bills. Found in small flocks, they are social and inquisitive. They feed on insects and seeds gleaned from bark and
twigs. Flight is undulating. They nest in birdhouses or tree cavities.

The Gray-headed Chickadee is a fluffy-brownish bird of the far north, found in North America only at the tree line in
riverside alder and spruce thickets in northern Alaska and Canada. It is North America's largest and longest-tailed
chickadee.

In June, 1998, I joined Bob Dittrick of Wilderness Birding Adventures. We departed Fairbanks, Alaska, in a three-
seater bush plane, landing on a tundra "airfield", high in the Brooks range in northeastern Alaska. After several days of
hiking through hilly tundra and fording deep, ice-cold rivers from our tent-camp in grizzly country, we found a Gray-
headed Chickadee at an active nest cavity in a small willow tree. What a thrill! Seeing such a rare breeding bird, and
cognizant of the effort required, made this one of my most treasured birding adventures.

Years ago, this bird was most reliably found by staying at a hunters’ cabin, waiting for the chickadees to feed on the
insects attracted to animal hides hung out to dry and cure. Bob currently guides boat trips into the areas with willow
thickets to search for the chickadee.

Picture is from the Mangoverde World Bird Guide

Photo was taken by Giuliano Gerra & Silvio Sommazzi

Treasurer's Report—Trial Balance as of August 31, 2009

Submitted by Carol Schooler
Debit Credit
Meridian Bank 2,941.97
Meridian Savings 8,515.27
Unrestricted Net Assets 11,564.40
DIRECT PUBLIC SUPPORT:Friends of SAS 20.00
DIRECT PUBLIC SUPPORT:NAS Dues Share 55.00
INDIRECT PUBLIC SUPPORT:Environmental Fund of AZ 528.27
INVESTMENTS: Interest Income 16.07
Calendar Exp 298.50
CHAPTER OPERATIONS:Chapter Expenses 80.00
Mileage Reimb-IBA (.44) 114.40
Mileage Reimb-SAS 28.60
Speakers 100.00
Website:Web Master 105.00

Totals 12,183.74 12,183.74

Page 6 Gambel's Tales

 THIRD ANNUAL PICNIC FOR THE SONORAN AUDUBON

Will be held Sunday, November 15, 2009, from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Robbins Butte Wildlife Area which is located approxi-
mately 7 miles SW of Buckeye just off of Highway 85.

The early birds will be birding the area which has lots of birds. The picnic will start at 11 a.m. for those who don’t want to
bird.

This is a free event and open to all Sonoran Audubon Society members/friends and their guests.

The Sonoran Audubon Society will furnish the main items - hot dogs, hamburgers, buns, condiments, drinks, plates, etc.

It would be nice if families brought a side dish like baked beans, salad or a dessert.

To facilitate how much food is needed, you need to register for this event by using the sign-up sheet at the front table at the
General Membership meeting. You can also call George Wall at 623-875-7057 or e-mail him at [email protected] and let him
know how many will be attending.

GIFTS FROM NATURE

By George Wall

Each year Audubon Arizona hosts a “Gifts From Nature” fund raiser. This will be the second year of this event. Audubon Ari-
zona gets a percentage of the sales. Last year Desert Rivers Audubon Society helped with this event. We are handling it this
year.
The event is scheduled for Friday and Saturday December 11-12 at the Cattle Arts Compound. That’s at the corned of McDon-
ald And Miller Roads that immediately turns into Cattle Track Road I’ve been to this event the past two years and it was a treat
to look at all the art for sale.
On Friday it will be a VIP event and help will be needed from 4-10 pm. On Saturday it will be a public event and help will be
needed from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The Friday VIP event has a $25 entrance fee for the advanced sale and artist reception. The Saturday public sale will have mu-
sic, food vendors and 30 artists and has a suggested donation of $4 each. Naturally, volunteers do not pay.
This event will require some set-up, manning of attendance tables, parking lot assistance, runners for the artists, food and bever-
age service and the main job is check-out. Based on this, we need about 12-15 people both days.
For doing this, along with some financial work, which we already have a volunteer for, our chapter will receive $1,000 and
money is something we could use in order to do the things we want to do.
We have accepted Audubon Arizona’s request to do this work. Now we just need people to volunteer. We had a sign-up sheet at
the September meeting and it will again be passed around at the October meeting. However, you may want to just send in your
name, phone number and e-mail address to me, George Wall at [email protected], and volunteer for one or both dates. For those
who volunteer, I’ll send you a map and address of where the Cattle Track Arts Compound is located. I’ve put the address below
for your information.

Cattle Creek Arts Compound

6105 N. Cattle Track Road, Scottsdale, AZ, 85250-4605

Gambel’s Tales
Page 7
 EVENTS IN AND AROUND THE VALLEY Community Grand Opening of the Nina
Birders’ Anonymous Mason Pulliam Rio Salado Audubon Center
on Saturday, October 10th, 10am - 2pm!
Birders’ Anonymous, a group of bird-watchers, has their
next meeting on Friday, October 16, 2009, starting at 10 The center is located at 3131 S. Central Avenue in Phoe-
a.m. at the Church of the Palms on the corner of Boswell nix (Immediately south of the Salt River).
and 103rd Ave. in Sun City. Kathy Wise, Education Di-
rector for Audubon Arizona ,will be giving the program. 10 a.m.—Welcoming remarks and refreshments.
11 a.m.—2 p.m.—Nature activities for all ages.
On Thursday, October 22, 2009, Eleanor Campbell will This is free of charge, but please help them in planning by
lead a bird walk to Tres Rios. letting them know if you will attend. Call 620-468-6470 or
e-mail [email protected].
For further information on Birders’ Anonymous contact
Marshall Esty at 623-977-1637 or at [email protected].
Come on out and join in the
Desert Botanical Garden
Celebration!
Every Monday and the second Saturday of each month,
there is a bird walk starting at 8:00 a.m.
Pitch-in for Pollinators!
Desert Botanical Garden entrance fees of $15.00 ($13.50 By John Arnett
seniors) apply unless you’re a DBG member. Member-
ship is $55 a year. When special events are held, this The Department of Defense (DoD) Legacy program has
could be higher. teamed with National Public Lands Day to sponsor habitat
enhancement projects on DoD lands around the country.
See their website at www.dbg.org for further informa- This year’s project theme is Pollinators, and I’m inviting
tion. you to pitch-in for pollinators at the Gila Bend Air Force
Auxiliary Field (AFAF) on Saturday, November 7, 2009.
Hassayampa River Preserve
The Gila Bend AFAF has a small nature trail and we want
Bird Banding: Saturdays, October 10th at 6:30 a.m. and to make it a valuable resource for resident and migratory
31st starting at 7 a.m. However, you must contact Anne birds, bats, and insects. We’ll install irrigation and electri-
Leight at [email protected] at least two days be- cal lines, plant shrubs and trees, pull a few invasive weeds,
forehand. improve our interpretive trail signs, and learn about the
importance of providing habitat for resident and migratory
Entry Fees: $5, TNC members $3, kids 12 and under are pollinators in the Sonoran desert.
admitted free.
For more details and to sign up, e-mail me at
Boyce Thompson Arboretum
[email protected] or call 623-856-8491.
This arboretum always has some nice walks. Check out
the website listed below. Starting this month, the hours
are 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. Arizona Field Ornithologists (AZFO)
Admission is $7.50 for adults, $3 ages 5-12. For driving AZFO will hold their annual meeting in Tucson, AZ, Fri-
directions or other details, call 520-689-2811 or visit their day-Sunday, October 23-25, 2009. There will be lectures
internet website at http://arboretum.ag.arizona.edu/. by noted ornithologists. A Saturday evening’s dinner at El
Parador features guest speaker, Rick Taylor, Director of
Maricopa Audubon Field Trips Borderland Tours.

Sunday, October 4, Sabino Canyon. Leader: Richard Saturday’s meeting will be held at the Du Val Auditorium
Kaiser (602) 276-3312 or [email protected] (room 206), University of Arizona Health Sciences Center,
1501 N. Campbell Ave. in Tucson.
Saturday, October 24, Sunflower and Bushnell Tanks. There will be field trips on Friday afternoon and Sunday
Leader: Scott Burge, 480.968.5141, morning.
[email protected] for reservations
There is a $10 fee for non-AZFO members. The dinner is
See all of their trips at www.maricopaaudubon.org $25. To register, go to:
http://azfo.org/annual_meetings/2009/meeting_2009.
html.

Page 8 Gambel's Tales

Join the Sonoran Audubon Society
Sonoran Audubon Society Officers, Board Members
This can be done in two ways: become a friend of the and Committee Contacts:
Sonoran Audubon Society or join the National Audu-
bon Society. The difference is as a “friend” all the Officers
money goes to our chapter. As a National member, you
still become a member of our chapter, but only a per- President: George Wall 623-875-7057 [email protected]
centage of the money goes to our chapter; however, you Vice President: Karen LaFrance 602-788-9646
get the National Audubon Society Magazine. Some [email protected]
people choose to do both. See our website for the appli- Treasurer: Carol Schooler 623-930-8904
cable forms. [email protected]
Secretary: John Arnett 623-695-0953
New adult or family membership: $20.00 [email protected]
Seniors and students: $15.00
Renewal fee for seniors and students: $15.00 Board Members— Directors at Large
Tim Cullison, 602-863-9744 [email protected]
Dick Fogle: 623-584-3922 [email protected]
All monthly issues of Gambel’s Tales may be obtained
Eleanor Campbell 623-977-7639 [email protected]
free from the chapter website
Darnell Kirksey, 602-938-6174 [email protected]
<www.sonoranaudubon.org> or by mail for $10.00 per
Chuck Richards 623-594-6554 [email protected]
year. If you wish to get the newsletter by mail or to be
Rich Schooler 623-930-8904 [email protected]
notified when a new issue is placed on the website,
Andrée Tarby 480-948-1074 [email protected]
please contact [email protected] or by mail
Jerry Theis, 623-878-6528 [email protected]
to: Sonoran Audubon Society, P O Box 8068, Glen-
dale, AZ 85312-8068. Committees
Programs: Eleanor Campbell and George Wall—See
phone numbers and e-mail addresses above.
SAS Web Site: www.sonoranaudubon.org
Arizona Audubon Web Site: www.az.audubon.org Education: Rich Schooler 623-930-8904
Desert Rivers Audubon Web Site:
[email protected]
www.desertriversaudubon.org
Maricopa Audubon Web Site:
www.maricopaaudubon.org Field Trips: Donna Smith 623-556-9535
Arizona Field Ornithologists: www.azfo.org [email protected]
National Audubon: http://audubon.org/
Hospitality:

Publicity: Tim Cullison: 602-863-9744

[email protected]

Membership: Charles Kangas 623-931-6677

[email protected]

Newsletter: George Wall 623-875-7057 [email protected]

Gambel’s Tales
Page 9
Calendar of Monthly Meetings…

Location: Auditorium, Glendale Public Library, 5959 West Brown Street

(one block south of Peoria Ave. & 59th Ave. intersection). Time: 6:30 p.m. for socializing and
7 p.m. for the start of the meeting and program.
All meetings are on Wednesday night except the November 9th meeting.

October 14, 2009: Dr. Gerald Rosenthal—Sonoran Desert Life

MONDAY—November 9, 2009: Kenneth "Tuk" Jacobson—Bald Eagles
December 9, 2009: John Arnett—Why are Birds Important?
January 13, 2010: Doug Alexander—Birding in New Zealand
February 10, 2010: Dominic Sherony—Color in Birds
March 10, 2010: Amanda Moors—Spotted Owl
April 14, 2010: Tice Supplee—Adventures in Africa
May 12, 2010: George Wall—Birding in Galapagos Islands/Ecuador

Other Dates of Interest: October 7, 2009 7 p.m. Board Meeting at Glendale Library in small meeting room – all SAS
members welcome.

Sonoran Audubon Society

P.O. Box 8068
Glendale, AZ 85312-8068

Page 10 Gambel's Tales