Vermilion

Tucson Audubon Society | tucsonaudubon.org

f l y c a t c h e r
November–December 2009 | Volume 54, Number 6
5

Sustaining Wildlife in
Our Community
14 Create Sustainable Urban Wildlife Habitat
in Your Neighborhood
16 Thorny Issues for Birds

What’s in a Name? Bald Eagle 12

Monsoon Fizzle, Summer Sizzle 13
Recognizing our Donors and Volunteers 23
PLUS a special four-page holiday gift ideas pull-out

T ucson A udubon ’ s bi - monthly N ews M a g a z ine


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 common interest in birding and natural
history. Tucson Audubon maintains offices, a library,
and nature shops in Tucson, the proceeds of which
benefit all of its programs.
Tucson Audubon Society
300 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 & Directors
Messages 622-5622
President Herb Trossman
Vice President Mich Coker
Secretary Robert Merideth
Treasurer Vacant
Directors at Large Mary Kay Eiermann, Richard Fray,
Sandy Elers, Julie Gordon, Linda Greene, Craig Marken, Neil
Markowitz, Liz Payne, Cynthia Pruett, Adrian Quijada, Bill
Roe, Jessie Shinn, Linda Stitzer
Board Committees Conservation Chris McVie,
Development Sandy Elers, Education Cynthia Pruett,
Membership Jessie Shinn, Finance Vacant, Nominating
Robert Merideth
Programs & Activities
Field Trips Darlene Smyth 297-2315
Library David West
Membership Meetings Jean Barchman
629-0510
622-5622
Rare Bird Alert John Yerger | Report Rare Birds 798-1005
Staff
Executive Director Paul Green 777-9525
Finance and Operations Brad Paxton 629-0757
Accountant Michelle Bourgeois 629-0757
Education & Outreach Specialist Matt Brooks 622-2230
Membership Coordinator Jean Barchman 622-5622
IBA Conservation Biologist Scott Wilbor 628-1730
IBA Program Assistant Samantha Barnett 628-1730
Restoration Program Manager Kendall Kroesen 206-9900
Field Supervisor Rodd Lancaster 256-6909
Restoration/Communications Specialist
Matthew Griffiths 206-9900
Mason Outreach Coordinator Lia Sansom 971-6238
University Shop Manager Sara Pike 622-2230
Volunteer Coordinator/Agua Caliente
Shop Manager Becky Aparicio 760-7881
Tucson Audubon Nature Shops
300 E University Blvd #120 629-0510
623-3476 fax / 622-2230 Shop Manager
Hours: Mon–Sat 10 am–4  pm (5 pm Mon & Thu)
Agua Caliente Park, 12325 E Roger Rd 760-7881
Hours: 9 am–3:30 pm Thu, Fri, Sat (Oct–Feb)
Vermilion Flycatcher is published bi-monthly. For address
changes or subscription problems call 622-5622, or write
to Membership Coordinator, Tucson Audubon, 300 E.
University Blvd, #120, Tucson, AZ 85705. Submissions are
due the 1st of the month, two months before the date of the
issue. Please send submissions as Microsoft Word or RTF
documents, or plain text files, to Matt Griffiths at mgriffiths@
tucsonaudubon.org.
Coordinator Matt Griffiths 206-9900
Proofreaders Jane & Warren Tisdale 749-2139 and
Tucson Audubon staff and board members
Layout Eng-Li Green
2 Tucson Audubon Vermilion Flycatcher November–December 2009
Features
12 What’s in a Name? Bald Eagle
13 Monsoon Fizzle, Summer Sizzle
14 Create Sustainable Urban Wildlife
Habitat in Your Neighborhood
16 Thorny Issues for Birds
22 Governing for Sucess—A
Volunteer Achievement
23 Not-for-profit. For Birds, For Wildlife,
and For Your Quality of Life
Departments
3 Commentary
4 News Roundup
8 Events and Classes
11 Events Calendar
18 Conservation and Education News
19 Field Trips
27 Birding Travel from Our
Business Partners
28 Birds & Business Alliance
29 Classified Ads
30 Nature Shops
31 Bookends
Sustainability Trickles Up in Tucson
A guest opinion by David Schaller, Sustainable Development Administrator, Office
of Conservation and Sustainable Development, City of Tucson. Prior to joining
the City of Tucson, David served as Sustainable Development Coordinator in the
Denver Regional Office of the US EPA from 1995–2007 and in other management
and staff positions at EPA, beginning in Washington DC in 1974.
The concept of sustainable development came
alive more than 20 years ago in the world of
international development.
Almost ten years passed before change
occurred where it was most needed—in the cities,
villages, and townships where people live. It is here
that transportation strategies are designed, where
building and land use codes are written, water and
wastewater plans are implemented. It is where
sustainability is won or lost.
“All sustainability is local,” is how I like to
phrase it these days. Sustainability is about how
communities live and co-exist within the natural
world. As we aggregate local sustainability
strategies, we begin to achieve transformation on a
larger scale. Sustainability trickles up.
Here in Tucson, the City’s Office of
Conservation and Sustainable Development
(OCSD) is barely three years old. At the time
of its creation in 2006, it was only the fifth such
office to be formed in the country. OCSD enjoys a
strong mandate from our Mayor and Council and
we are working hard to grow our presence in the
community.
VERMILION
Tucson Audubon Society | tucsonaudubon.org
F L Y C A T C H E R
November–December 2009 | Volume 54, Number 6
5
Sustaining Wildlife in
Our Community
14 Create Sustainable Urban Wildlife Habitat
in Your Neighborhood
16 Thorny Issues for Birds
What’s in a Name? Bald Eagle 12
Monsoon Fizzle, Summer Sizzle 13
Recognizing our Donors and Volunteers 23
PLUS a special four-page holiday gift ideas pull-out
TUCSON AUDUBON’S BI-MONTHLY NEWS MAGAZINE
Front cover: Cactus Wren by Richard
Ditch. See more of his photos at www.richditch.
com and www.richditch.wordpress.com.
To have your photographs considered for use
in the Vermilion Flycatcher, please contact Matt
Griffiths at mgriffiths@tucsonaudubon.org.
A huge part of sustainability now is addressing
climate change. The City has assembled a
talented citizen’s advisory committee to develop
a greenhouse gas mitigation plan as well as a
climate adaptation strategy for Tucson. We need
new adaptive strategies for ensuring that our eco-
and socio-economic systems can avoid worse case
impacts. If we don’t get climate change right, then
we are not going to have success with the other
multiple dimensions of sustainability.
Tucson is fortunate to have a wealth of
successful advocacy groups working to protect
our southwestern surroundings, and maintain the
biodiversity that make our region such a special
place. OCSD intends to strengthen our working
relationships with these groups and forge new
alliances where none now exist.
Sustainability requires everyone having a seat at
the table. Sustainability is not a private club of some
kind for those who know the secret passwords or
handshakes. If we get it right, sustainability will
have us working to meet the basic needs of all
species, not just human, as we co-evolve together
in a precious and threatened landscape. VF
 Commentary
Paul Green | Executive Director
You, Me, and Climate Change
Changing people’s behavior towards
sustainable resource use in our
community is one of Tucson Audubon’s
three education goals.
Simply stated, living in a sustainable
manner requires us to use natural
resources no faster than our planet can
replenish them, and depositing wastes
no faster than our planet can absorb
them. Overconsumption leads to the
degradation of biodiversity and ultimately
reduces our quality of life in many ways.
With just five percent of the world’s
population, we in the United States
consume around 25 percent of the earth’s
resources. Making changes that can have
a large effect and are within our control
is a logical and urgent step for us and for
our governments.
We produce around 22 percent of
the world’s greenhouse gases, and we
account for significant amounts of China’s
emissions too through our consumption
of their production.
A Yale University study found that two-
thirds of Americans believe the United
States should reduce its emissions of
greenhouse gases regardless of what
other countries do, and more than nine
out of ten Americans said that the United
States should act to reduce global
warming (http://environment.yale.edu/
news/5868). In addition, a majority of
Americans even supports a wide range
of actions that will hit their pockets while
benefitting our environment, such as
passing local regulations that require
electric utilities to produce at least 20%
of their electricity from wind, solar, or
other renewable energy sources (http://
I
environment.yale.edu/news/5323/).
“ . . . politics, economics, and
technology on their own are not
enough. We must also tackle the
roots of consumerism, consumption
in excess of sufficiency . . .”
Because the circumstances that
produce climate are complex, the
science of climate change is based in
probabilities: it is impossible to predict
outcomes with the kind of certainty that
politicians are calling for. However,
assuming no changes in our behavior,
science-based models show likely
significant shifts in climate over the
next 50 years that have the capacity
to disrupt systems, such as those that
produce our food. So while humanity may
survive, civilization will likely be greatly
challenged. See http://stephenschneider.
stanford.edu/Climate/ClimateFrameset.
html for a good overview.
Reducing our impact on the natural
world is something that Tucson Audubon
has been promoting for some time. Using
the original concept
from the Audubon
at Home program,
in partnership
with other Arizona
chapters, we
produced a poster-
brochure (left,
available free from
our Nature Shop) that
covers everything
November–December 2009 Vermilion Flycatcher Tucson Audubon 3
from reducing our
use of fossil fuel to
reconciling our needs with
those of wildlife. Kendall Kroesen writes
about the latter on p 14. Prof Michael
Rosenzweig, who originated the field of
reconciliation ecology, is the speaker at
our Living with Nature Lecture Series on
Monday November 9. We can now offer
you the chance to offset your production
of greenhouse gases through local tree
planting by Tucson Audubon, working
in partnership with The Local Trust
(see p 15).
There are direct links between the
daily choices we make and both the
Climate Change Bill before the Senate
and CP015, the United Nations Climate
Change Conference in Copenhagen this
December. Each approaches the problem
of climate change with different solutions.
The White House stated in early October
that it does not expect to see the Senate
pass a climate change bill in 2009 to
cut US emissions by 20 percent based
on 2005 levels by 2020. This makes
unlikely that international agreement
can be reached at CP015 on action to
avoid catastrophic global warming. In
the meantime, you can usefully educate
yourself and let your Senators know
what you want to see in the Climate
Change Bill.
Alastair McIntosh, a Quaker, and
author of Hell and High Water: Climate
Change, Hope, and the Human Condition
has said “ . . . politics, economics,
and technology on their own are not
enough. We must also tackle the roots of
consumerism, consumption in excess of
sufficiency—the idolatrous addiction that
masks our inner emptiness and poisons
deeper transformation. And so we must
rekindle community, and rescue hope
from the caverns of despair.”
Just as we make changes in our own
lives to adapt and to mitigate for our
consumption of energy and materials, so
we must also pressure our government
through our representatives. We must be
responsible so that our children might live.
For a handy Living Sustainably pocket
card, go to www.tucsonaudubon.org. VF
 Tucson Audubon Youth birding takes wing
News Roundup Cynthia Pruett and Paul Green

People with an expressed interest

Jean Barchman
“Days of Caring” a success in developing youth birding met
on September 29 and officially
Kendall Kroesen, Restoration Program Manager
established the Tucson Young Birders
Club (TYBC), sponsored by Tucson
Both photos Kendall Kroesen

Audubon. We developed a set of

Every year the United Way holds two
“days of caring” in September during
which they match volunteers with jobs
that need to be done.
This year Tucson Audubon
proposed improvements to the
landscaping outside our offices at the
Historic YWCA along 5th Avenue. We
want to harvest rainwater and put in
native plants that would look good and
provide habitat for birds.
On September 12 eleven
volunteers from Davis Monthan AFB
came and moved a lot of dirt and rock,
creating armored rainwater-harvesting
basins in the area by the fountain just
south of the off-street parking. They
did a fabulous job!
IBM team
(above) and
landscaping by
the fountain
On September
16 IBM sent us eleven
volunteers to plant more than a dozen
species of native plants and put on
some finishing touches. When they
were done it looked great!
The Historic YWCA management
provided materials and plants. We
had valuable help from Joe Schwanz,
Building Manager at the “Y.” A big
THANK YOU to Joe, IBM, Davis
Monthan AFB, the United Way, and
Desert Survivors Nursery (for donating
a tree and a cholla)!
goals for the TYBC and set the date
for the first birding trip (January 30).
If you are a young birder between
the ages of 9 and 18, or know such
a person, please contact Jean
Barchman to express your interest
by calling 622-5622 or jbarchman@
4. Create a community for young
tucsonaudubon.org.
birders throughout southern
Once the group has gathered
Arizona and beyond
we’ll talk more about the
name and the goals of the 5. Promote volunteering and
club, since it is our intent contributing through service
projects
that young birders play the
key role in developing the 6. Introduce young people to career
group. We borrowed from the opportunities in the wildlife and
Ohio Young Birders Club to conservation fields
set the mission as “Encouraging, Other decisions made by the group
Educating, and Empowering include the following:
Tomorrow’s Conservation Leaders.” 1. The TYBC will have a planning
We set the goals as follows: committee which will be assisted
1. Have fun by a six-member youth advisory
panel.
2. Connect young birders with adult
mentors willing to share their time, 2. We’ll build a really cool website.
knowledge, and transportation 3. We’ll actively partner with other
3. Foster an interest in natural history organizations who will sponsor our
and encourage young people to activities.
spend more time outside

Jean Hengesbaugh
Volunteer to improve habitat!
Upcoming TogetherGreen volunteer days

Sunday, November 1, Saturday, November 21, 7:45–noon

Sunday, December 6, and
Sunday, January 3 • 7:45–noon
Tucson Audubon is part of a coalition
removing giant reed (Arundo donax)
at Sabino Canyon on the 1st Sunday
of each month through March. We
will cut, bundle, bag and in some
cases dig out giant reeds. Wear long
pants, sturdy shoes, and a hat. Bring
water—and gloves if you have them.
Tools provided. For more information
call Kendall at 971-2385 or write to
tucson.arundo@gmail.com.
Giant reed removal efforts are
expanding out of Sabino Canyon
Recreation Area into other areas. For
this event, special access has been
provided to private land along Sabino
Creek, a mile downstream from the
recreation area. We will cut, bundle,
bag and dig out giant reeds at Dr.
Madden’s property and the adjacent
homeowners association property.
Wear long pants, sturdy shoes, and
a hat. Bring water, and gloves if you
have them. Tools provided. For more
information call Kendall at 971-2385.
L–R: Scenic Esperero Canyon; volunteers help remove giant reed in Sabino Canyon.
Saturday, December 12, 7:45–noon
Join us for this unique opportunity
to remove invasive fountain grass in
Esperero Canyon. Tucson Audubon
owns 15 acres in this remote and
scenic canyon in the front range of
the Santa Catalina Mountains, east
of Ventana Canyon. Access is limited
due to private property in the area,
so Tucson Audubon rarely takes
trips to the property. The hike in is
not long, but is somewhat rough, as
will be the removal of fountain grass
in the rocky canyon. However, you
will be amply rewarded with dramatic
scenery. Contact Kendall at 971–2385
or kkroesen@tucsonaudubon.org for
more information and to sign up.

4 Tucson Audubon Vermilion Flycatcher November–December 2009

 Monitoring desert nesting birds for the Important Bird Areas Program in southern
Arizona: Cabeza Prieta NWR, Organ Pipe Cactus NM, and Tanque Verde Wash
Scott Wilbor, Important Bird Areas Program Conservation Biologist
Have you ever seen the “bush-dive”
display of the Le Conte’s Thrasher?
Or spent time trying to count ground-
scurrying Sage Thrashers and Sage
Sparrows as they dart in and out of
low shrubs on their winter range? Our
early 2010 IBA bird surveys may allow
you this chance, all while traversing
incredibly wild, beautiful, stark desert
landscapes. The 2010 season begins
early this January with an IBA Bird
Monitoring Workshop scheduled
for Jan. 15 and 16 (classroom & field
sessions). We are interested getting
new volunteers for some of our IBAs
or potential IBA monitoring efforts in
2010. This includes some exciting
bird monitoring opportunities through
our “backcountry IBA team surveys”
in Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife
Refuge Jan. 27–30 (focussed on the
“thrashers” mentioned above) and
then Organ Pipe Cactus National
Monument Feb. 18–20 (for premier
desert habitat).
The Le Conte’s and Sage
thrashers are highly restricted in
their distribution in Cabeza Prieta
NWR, and overall very limited in
their total range in Arizona; therefore
both are vulnerable to habitat loss
and disturbance from Border Patrol
activities and/or new unplanned
roads, and thus are of conservation
concern. These bird species and
others of conservation status may
thus qualify this area, or specific
habitats within it, as an Arizona
IBA. In Organ Pipe Cactus National
Monument we will have as our goal
Scott Wilbor
Alamo Canyon, Organ Pipe Cactus
National Monument
documentation of the desert bird
community, especially populations of
Costa’s Hummingbird, Gilded Flicker,
Elf Owl, and Cactus Ferruginous
Pygmy-Owl, plus the overall desert
bird species diversity. We will also
of course be on the lookout for other
nesting raptors such as Peregrine
Falcon, Golden Eagle, and Crested
Caracara. Although threats are few
here (possible human disturbance
being one), this area has high
potential for qualifying for IBA status
in Arizona, which may give it special
recognition for the exceptional desert
bird populations it supports. This will
be our second year of surveys in both
these wild and beautiful southwestern
desert habitats.
We also hope to establish new
teams and have special survey
efforts for owls and other species
of conservation concern in the
Tanque Verde and other Santa Cruz
drainages. Key birds of concern we
will document along the Tanque
Verde include Bell’s Vireo, Lucy’s
Warbler, Gilded Flicker, Elf Owl,
Abert’s Towhee, and Gray Hawk.
Additionally, we will soon announce
a few IBA resource identification
field trips for Tanque Verde and
Sabino in 2010. We will map key
habitat features and areas where
“stressors” (i.e., dumping, ATV entry,
invasive plants) are occurring in these
drainages (check our aziba.org web-
site for updates). Lastly, look for news
on the Riparian Habitat Conservation
Workshops for the Sabino/Tanque
Verde watershed in the year ahead
(open to the public). For our January
IBA bird monitoring workshop (and
IBA Teams) we request intermediate
and experienced birders (striving to
learn bird songs/calls) who are eager
to collect science-based bird data for
IBA conservation. So we hope to see
you out with us there soon. It should
be a great time for us and a great
opportunity to advance bird habitat
conservation/protection for these
special areas! Contact: Scott Wilbor,
TAS-IBA office 628-1730.
Clockwise from
top: O’Neil Hills
Valley, Cabeza
Prieta NWR; Le
Conte’s Thrasher;
Sage Sparrow
Robert Schantz
Important bird people in migration
Scott Wilbor
The IBA Program at
Tucson Audubon
announces some
new changes in
staff this fall. Ruth
Wilderman, our
IBA program assistant
who has worked for the program for
3½ years, has taken a position with
the Tucson Unified School District
as an Elementary School Counselor
intern for the school year. Ruth will
also continue her graduate school
studies in School Counseling through
Northern Arizona University. Ruth had
become an expert with our on-line
Arizona IBA bird survey database
and burgeoning IBA geodatabase.
She was the friendly voice on the
phone or e-mail who helped our
volunteer survey teams with their
questions and helped with their data
entry or retrieval. Ruth learned GIS
mapping and enlisted her husband,
Carlos, a GIS specialist, to link and
streamline the data transfer of our
two databases. She also helped the
program in innumerable other ways,
November–December 2009 Vermilion Flycatcher Tucson Audubon 5
Scott Wilbor
.com
, www.jimburnsphotos
Jim & Deva Burns
from office organization, to research,
to helping in the preparation and
assistance of our IBA workshops
and multi-team survey efforts. We
will definitely miss Ruth.
We welcome the arrival of
University of Arizona work-study
student Samantha Barnett to the
IBA program. Sam is a senior in
Wildlife Management and brings to
the program a background in biology,
ecology, a wide range of computer
program skills, and field survey
experience with both wildlife and plant
species. She will be working closely
with me in managing and presenting
our bird survey data for new IBA
nominations and conservation
use, mapping our survey projects,
advancing our community
conservation outreach for
IBAs, participating in field
surveys, and assisting
our IBA team efforts. Sam
enjoys bird watching and is
committed to a career in wildlife and
habitat conservation. We are excited
she has found us!
 Tucson Audubon
News Roundup
Mason Center restroom update
Lia Sansom, Mason Center Outreach Coordinator
Construction on the Mason Center
composting restroom began with a
small shovel-full of dirt on Monday,
September 28! In no time at all
(thanks to heavy machinery) the hole
for the composting bins was dug. At
the submission of this article, we are
pouring concrete and getting ready for
the strawbale wall-raising workshop
on Saturday October 24. The
estimated completion time is quickly
upon us as you hold this newsletter
in your hands! With the years-long
hullabaloo surrounding this project
we would be remiss to not hold some
sort of grand opening ceremony.
Furthermore, we know a fundraising
opportunity when we see one and this
may provide our best fundraiser yet.
This is certainly an event worth
celebrating—this restroom contains
the first commercial-sized composting
toilet in a developed area in Pima
County and demonstrates the
progress Pima County has made in
accepting sustainable technologies
beyond the residential scale. Another
angle of accomplishment is that
the completion of this restroom
symbolizes the readiness of the
Mason Center to fully launch itself as
Be on the Lookout
Coming this spring
A workshop on the Sight
and Sounds of the Birds
of Mt. Lemmon
When: April. Watch for an
announcement in the January/
February Vermilion Flycatcher
A class on Raptors
in Arizona,
5 sessions,
one field trip
When: late April into
May. Watch for the
announcement in the
Phil Pritchard
January/February
Vermilion Flycatcher
6 Tucson Audubon Vermilion Flycatcher November–December 2009
Tucson Audubon’s conservation-and-
environmental-education resource
Matt Griffiths
for Tucson and the northwest
communities of Tortolita, Oro Valley
and Marana.
So please join us in our excitement
at the Mason Center Toilet Grand
Opening Ceremony on December 5 at
10 am. For more information, updates,
and how to place your bid, visit www.
tucsonaudubon.org or call Lia at 971-
6238.
Be the first to use
a Mason Center
Lia Sansom
composting toilet!
Bidding starts at $50 each
(there are 2 toilets so
there will be 2 winners)
Bidding begins Monday, Lia Sansom (top) led off the construction
of the Mason Center composting restroom
November 2 and will by digging a small hole with a shovel.
culminate at the Heavy machinery (above) then made short
Grand Opening work of carving out the trench
(far right) for the composting
Ceremony on bins. A strawbale wall-raising
December 5 at 10 am. workshop is scheduled
for Saturday October 24,
You must be present to and the grand opening
ceremony, with first use of
win and claim your prize!
Lia Sansom
the toilet (right), will take
place on December 5.
et
nn
Be
Andy
Saturday mornings at Gifts In honor / In Memory...
the Mason Center
We thank the following people In Memory of Della Ruth Ribbentrop
Tucson Audubon has initiated a series that made heartfelt donations in from Patrick Egan and from IBM
of talks and discussions at our Mason honor / memory of loved ones: International Foundation
Center for Ironwood Preservation
In Honor of John Farmer from In Memory of Dr. Robert J. McNeill
and Environmental Education. The Matt Slakey from Evelyn McNeill
first event on September 26 featured
In Honor of Julia Gordon from In Memory of Louis Benson from
Carolyn Campbell on the Sonoran
Margy Harris, Ralph Weeks, and Jamie Brown, Nicole Kredick, Barbara
Desert Conservation Plan, and Ted
Windibrow Foundation Carroll, Kevin Dahl, Doug and Chris
Fleming on citizen scientists collecting
In Honor of Karen Hochgraf from McVie, Cynthia and Gifford Hoyer
data on nectar-eating bats.
Helen Baldwin In Memory of Ronald C. Haaseth from
The second event will be on
In Honor of Matt and Nikole Lewis Debra Finch and Donald Finch
Saturday morning, January 30.
Watch for details in the January from Nikki Peters In Memory of Virginia Salomon from
issue of the Vermilion Flycatcher. We In Memory of Alec Piplani from Arnold and Carol Hollander
will email members when we have Marcia Polley In Memory of Karen Lutz from Kent
finalized speakers and subjects. To In Memory of Claudia Quesinberry and Colleen Prescott, David Prescott,
sign up for email updates, visit www. from Michael and Jan Dowling Melinda Prescott, Chris Totura, Steve
tucsonaudubon.org. Totura, Patricia and Donald Little

Volunteer news roundup
Becky Aparicio, Volunteer Coordinator
Welcome New Volunteers
Erin Brandt, administration publicity;
Scott Olmstead, community outreach;
Beth Showalter, community outreach,
clerical; Arin Bestin, community
outreach; Janet Cohn, catering
Mil Gracias, Danke,
Thank you!
The dog days of summer are gone
Orientation Booklet designed to clarify
important and timely issues.
Don’t Miss This
Giant Reed Removal in Sabino
Canyon—every Sunday thru
March 7, 2010. A continuing supply
of volunteers is needed to make
a real difference in controlling this
invasive. Please see page 4 or check
VOLUNTEER OF THE M
­ ONTH
Carlos Ochoa is an employee of
Pima County Natural Resources,
Parks and Recreation, a tireless
community advocate, and Tucson
Audubon’s principal volunteer for
our project in Barrio Kroeger Lane.
Carlos grew up in the neighborhood
and has fond memories of a greener
time along the Santa Cruz River.
As president of the neighborhood
association, Carlos introduced
Tucson Audubon into the community

Kendall Kroesen
our website for details. Bring friends,
and with them a flurry of activities and almost single-handedly made
neighbors and family!
for our volunteers, from preparing it possible for us to be successful

scrumptious goodies for programs, to
answering questions at a number of
tabling events and sharing binocular
and scope skills with Tucson families.
Once again Tucson Audubon
participated in United Way Days of
Caring; and two days of digging,
moving rocks and planting native
species were completed on the Fifth
Avenue side of the Old Y, our home.
Davis Monthan AFB personnel and
IBM staff volunteered their time
and brawn as their commitment to
community service.
Our first volunteer orientation was
a great kick-off to what looks like a
very busy season. For any volunteer
who was unable to attend please
stop in to the Tucson Audubon nature
shop to receive the new Volunteer
Becky Aparicio
Volunteer Orientation—February
24, 2010. Our first volunteer
orientation was a great success,
and Tucson Audubon will have
another opportunity for our volunteer
candidates to meet staff, the board
president, and our executive director
Dr. Paul Green, and to clarify
our objectives as well as answer
questions. Coffee and snacks will be
served. 9:30–11:30 am. Please RSVP:
Becky 622-2230.
Tucson Audubon Society Gala—
February 2, 2010. If you like parties,
planning and dressing up, please get
on board the winter social whirl! All
manner of worker bees are needed to
make this event even more successful
than last year’s. Anyone interested
can contact: Becky 622-2230.
Education Department Needs.
Exciting programs are planned for
the fall and winter, and a number of
volunteers are needed for one-day
help and longer-term consistent
there. He attended every volunteer
day and recruited most of the
residents in whose yards we worked.
Nobody worked harder to construct
the rainwater harvesting “rain
gardens” we built there.
Tucson Audubon looks forward
to continuing to work with Carlos
and the Barrio Kroeger Lane
neighborhood.
SIX QUESTIONS
First time you went birding? It
must have been at the Santa Cruz
River with my father when I was
young; and recently this summer with
Kendall Kroesen and Dr. Paul Green.
It is such a joy to wake up to the
sights and sounds of our desert birds
at the base of “A” Mountain.
Level of birding? I consider myself
a beginner birder. I have some
books from the library and rummage
sales. It gives me a great feeling
of accomplishment in learning and
knowing.
6
Unusual event that happened
while birding? At our annual Easter
vacation up to Gila River we decided
to go birding after setting up camp.
We must have been about a mile
away when we came about this huge
dead collapsed mesquite tree. On
display with wings outstretched were
about 20 Black Vultures that could
have made a wonderful postcard.
We were fortunate to witness, but
unfortunate to forget the camera.
Favorite bird and where did you
see it? I have an affection for hawks
and their aerial feats, but I am
recently admiring a desert cardinal
that has taken a liking to a cane stick
cholla. His yellow beak, red chest
with gray is beautiful on the ground. I
have been able to get visuals a
couple of times a week on the west
side of Desert Survivors along the
Santa Cruz River trail.

commitment to keep these programs

Volunteer Scott Olmstead (left) helps with
Tucson Audubon’s community outreach
efforts.
Favorite place to go birding? Other hobbies? Spending time with
going and growing. Immediate
Sabino Canyon, Madera Canyon and the family—camping, hiking, sports,
assistance is needed for folks with
the Santa Cruz River Valley--oops I cooking, reading and community
good phone and organizational skills
forgot Agua Caliente. Many favorite awareness. Oh, and my kids’
to keep reservations organized. Call
sites, we dearly love. birthdays.
Matt Brooks: 622-2230.

Welcome new members!

Rick Applegate, Eris Armstrong,
Joshua Barnes, Myrna Beards,
Vanessa Bechtol, Kim Blumenfeld,
Andrea Cohen, Wayne and Susan
Colony, Janet Cooley, Jim Dawson
and Kim McClain, Catie DeLucca,
Madeline Hartley and Larry Dresher,
Edrice Ivory, Ben Johnson, Susannah
Johnson, Deborah Langeloh, Anna
LePere, Faulene Main, David
McKenzie, Debbie Mecom, Margaret
Norem, Kent and Colleen Prescott,
Birds & Business Alliance
Casa de San Pedro Bed & Breakfast
El Conquistador Resort Patio Homes
Assoc., Inc.
Financial Architects/KMS Financial
Services, Inc.
Paul & Eng-Li Green

John Doerr, Betty Eppler and Jim Nancy Rivera, Micky Schap, Maria The Lodge at Ventana Canyon VF

Gooch, Debra Finch, Richard Friend, Schuchardt, Andree Tarby, Linda

Bob Hadden, Jeannette Hanby, Vaught, Ann Weinrich

November–December 2009 Vermilion Flycatcher Tucson Audubon 7


Tucson Audubon
Events and Classes
Sign Up Now for Backyard Birding and Beyond
 Classes for Beginning Birders
February–March 2010 • Tucson and Green Valley
Enjoy watching birds and eager to learn more?
These classes are for you.
Learn why southeastern Arizona is such a great
place for birds and why birdwatching is so darn
much fun. The course is designed for beginners.
We’ll address how to separate birds by habitat,
seasonal occurrence, and behavior. Learn about
field marks and vocalizations. Get the lowdown on
binoculars and field guides, birding vocabulary, and
etiquette in the field.
Participants will learn how to identify local
birds and discover some of their interesting
characteristics and charms. Also covered will be
some of the adaptations birds have developed in
order to survive in our challenging environment.
The course is guaranteed to improve your
appreciation of local bird life. There will be
Ann Audrey
Birdday Party
Saturday, November 7, 11 am–3 pm
Agua Linda Farm
Come and enjoy children’s activities, adult
bird walks, good food, the best water in the
valley, birds, reptiles, and birdday cake, and
Tucson Audubon’s Nature Shop. Learn about
the Esperanza Conservation Easement project,
see what’s in the trees along the Santa Cruz,
watch the little ones run through the maze and
visit the petting zoo.
Entry is by donation: $10 for adults, children
12 and under are free. Prepaid tickets will
receive a souvenir bookmark.
Lunch of burgers and garden burgers (hot
dogs for the kids) will be available with chips,
beans, salad, and soft drinks from 11:30 to 1
(cost $12 for adults and $10 for kids). Tables
and chairs will be set up under a tent, and
blankets for picnicking will be available.
Bring a cup or flask for a taste of good, cool
well water; binoculars to keep an eye on the
birds; a chair for resting if you like; and your
check book for a good cause.
Call Jean Barchman at 622–5622 for more
information or to make a reservation. We hope
to see you there!
8 Tucson Audubon Vermilion Flycatcher November–December 2009
Paul & Eng-Li Green
homework, but it will be enjoyable. The course
includes three 2-hour classroom sessions and two
field trips, approximately 2½–3 hours in length.
One series will be taught in Tucson, the other in
Green Valley.
The course series will be taught by Lynn
GREEN VALLEY COURSE
Hassler, birder for over 35 years, author of
Wednesdays, February 10, 17, and 24;
numerous books including Birds of the American
10 am–12 noon, location to be announced
Southwest; Hummingbirds of the American West;
Field Trips: Wednesdays, March 3 and 10;
Roadrunners; and Gambel’s Quail; and educator
locations/times to be announced
on plants, birds and desert ecology.
Cost for each five-session course: $135 for
TUCSON COURSE members, $170 for nonmembers which includes a
Thursdays: February 4, 11, and 18; Friends of Tucson Audubon membership.
6–8 pm at Tucson Audubon To sign up, contact the Nature Shop at 629-0510.
Field Trips: Saturdays, February 6 and 20; Questions regarding the class, call Education at
locations/ times to be announced 622-2230 or e-mail education@tucsonaudubon.
Kendall Kroesen
Zeiss Optics
Tucson Audubon in Spend a day with Zeiss Optics!
Birder’s World Magazine Saturday, December 19,
7:30 am–2:30 pm
Be sure to check out the December 2009
Agua Caliente Park in the Rose Cottage
issue of Birder’s World magazine. Sweetwater
Zeiss digiscoping and optics
Wetlands (pictured above) is a featured “Birding
representatives will be hosting digiscoping
Hotspot” and was written by Tucson Audubon
workshops and demonstrations.
staff member Matt Brooks. As a reminder,
when visiting this birding hotspot, be sure to Bring your digiscoping outfit if you have one. If
document your sightings at www.aviatlas.com you don’t, Zeiss will have some for you to try.
and contribute to a growing body of knowledge Learn how to digiscope, learn more about Zeiss
about your local birding areas. optics, and try out their new Photoscope!
Also featured in the same Birder’s
Contact the Nature Shop for sign-up.
World issue is our very own Tucson
RSVP by Thursday, December 10 • 629-0510.
Audubon Society logo stainless
Limited to 20 participants
steel water bottle. If you haven’t
yet purchased your refillable steel Morning refreshments will be provided.
bottle, stop by the nature shop or Please bring your own lunch.
the online store today! Kick the This program is offered in partnership
plastic bottle habit and reduce with Pima County Natural Resources,
waste while showing your support Parks and Recreation.
for Tucson Audubon.
We’ll see you there!!
 Tucson A udubon ’s Livin g with Nature L ecture S eries
Tucson Living with Nature
Lecture Series / Member Meetings
DuVal Auditorium, NE section of the University
Medical Center Bldg. 501 N Campbell Ave.
Program begins at 7 pm, second Monday of each
month September through May.
Green Valley Living with Nature
Lecture Series
Joyner-Green Valley Library, 601 N La Canada
Dr. 594-5295. Program begins at 10 am, third
Saturday of each month October through May.
Contact Jean Barchman, 622-5622 or
jbarchman@tucsonaudubon.org for more
information or visit tucsonaudubon.org.
November 9 • Tucson
The Careful Foot: Reconciling the Needs
of People and Wildlife with Prof. Michael
Rosenzweig
We need not accept the sterility of today’s human
environments. Nature need not be restricted to
our great system of national parks and preserves.
Instead, we can build our world so that it is full of
healthy populations of many wild species -- birds
and butterflies and wildflowers and whatever else
we choose. Not only will that enrich our everyday
existence, it will be a crucial element of our
campaign to save life’s wonderful diversity.
Falco naumanni, the Lesser Kestrel, although declining
substantially over much of its former range in Europe,
is well supported in Jerusalem. There, roof tiles form
cavities of just the right size for its nests. From a painting
by Tuvia Kurz. Thanks to him, to The International Center
for the Study of Bird Migration, Latrun, Israel and to The
Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel.
November 21 • Green Valley
Tidewalking with Betty Hupp and
Marilyn Malone
The authors of The Edge of the Sea of Cortez, A
Tidewalker’s Guide to the Upper Gulf of California,
whose first tidepool adventure was courtesy of
Tucson Audubon’s Tidepool Institute, will take you
tide-walking on rocky, sandy and muddy shores
in search of seaside critters. They will show
you some of the habits and habitats of beach
creatures in general, with up-close-and-personal
peeks into their their intertidal homes.
Paraphrasing Peggy Turk MEMBER’S ANNUAL
Boyer, Executive Director, HOLIDAY POTLUCK
CEDO, Intercultural Center
for the Study of Deserts & Monday, December 14, 6 pm
Oceans: “It is a rare beach Dunbar Springs Neighborhood Center
walker on the edge of the We invite all members to Tucson Audubon’s
Sea of Cortez who has Available Annual Holiday Potluck, which this year will be
not been captivated and held in a new location. The Dunbar Springs
in our Nature
mystified by the strange creatures Shops Neighborhood Center, at 325 W Second Street,
$27.95
slipping under rocks or burrowing into the is close to the Tucson Audubon offices. There is
sand and mud underfoot. Marilyn and Betty plenty of parking at this location. The size of the
combine art and science [in this presentation] for room limits attendance to 150 people, so please
the curious naturalist in each of us.” call the Nature Shop at 629-0510 to reserve your
place as soon as possible.
December 14 • Tucson
This year’s presentation is Attracting birds to
Annual Holiday Potluck presentation at Dunbar
your yard and neighborhood: how habitat features
Springs Neighborhood Center (see right).
and scale influence Tucson’s native birds by
Attracting birds to your yard and
Rachel McCaffery (see left for a summary).
neighborhood with Rachel McCaffery
Designate the potluck item you’d like to
Urban development can affect birds in many bring—casserole/main dish, salad or dessert,
ways. While some species thrive in response to ready to serve—enough for yourself and five
urbanization, many native species decline as we others. To minimize our environmental impact,
degrade and reduce their habitats. How these we prefer to avoid adding paper plates and
habitat changes impact bird species depends disposable cutlery to our already overburdened
on both the specific habitat features and the landfills. So please bring plates, cutlery and
amount of space each species needs. Learn how appropriate serving utensils, and plan on taking
homeowners can have a significant impact on them home with you to wash. We’ll provide the
sustaining populations of some native species, punch, tea and coffee served in special compost-
and how other species will require broader friendly cups that you can use for your garden
intervention involving neighborhood groups and at home or leave with us to compost for you.
maybe even city managers. Refreshing adult beverages will be available for
December 19 • Green Valley a small cash donation (served in the same super
Ecuador: Andean Adventure— cool cups!).
Hummingbirds, Orchids, Butterflies, People with In addition to a wonderful presentation and
Sally Johnsen and Doug Moore awesome food, we will also be holding a silent
auction of unique one-of-a-kind items and other
Join Sally Johnsen and Doug
collectables. This is not the “White Elephant”
Moore for a presentation
raffle from years past but an opportunity to
of birds and nature in
purchase fantastic items while supporting Tucson
the Andes mountains
Audubon Society (bring your checkbook!). Items
of northern Ecuador.
up for bid include birding related products and
About the size of Arizona,
much more!
Ecuador has one of the
If you would like to help with planning,
greatest biodiversities on
decorating or assisting during the party, we’d
earth, including 25,000
love to hear from you. Please call membership at
plants species and 1,600
622-5622. We look forward to seeing you there!
bird species. The country
RSVP: Space is limited, so call the main Audubon
boasts 130 species
Nature Shop at 629-0510 to reserve your spot!
of hummingbirds and
more orchid species than
anywhere else! The program
explores habitats and life in the
west and east cordilleras of the Andes flanking
the capitol of Quito, from tropical cloud forest to
Páramo Alpine tundra. The audience will also see
local people working to conserve their lands and
Joan Gellatly
live sustainably with nature to provide a heritage
for their children.
November–December 2009 Vermilion Flycatcher Tucson Audubon 9
 Tucson Audubon
Events & Classes Landscaping for Wildlife and Sustainability
February 6–17, 2010, two Saturdays and two Wednesday nights
Alan D. Wilson / Naturepicsonline.com

Tucson Audubon HQ and various field locations

Both photos Kendall Kroesen

Participants in Ja
nuary’s class sa
id:
“This course wa
s excellent. Wen
enough depth to t into
allow me to trans
concepts into de late
sign.”
“Speakers who we
re passionate ab
their subject—in out
fectious!”
“I work better kn
owing what you
showedme.”

Course topics include:

Parry penstemon (right) in a
rain garden (above) in Barrio • Problems of current Tucson landscapes and
Kroeger Lane. solutions
• Local bird diversity and what birds need
What ecological issues can we
• Principles of sustainable design
address through landscaping?
Which birds are in Tucson and what • The role of insects/arthropods
are their habitat needs? How do we go beyond • Rainwater harvesting and other hardscape
Spectacular Birds and just using native plants to provide habitat for issues
Gourmet Food birds? Tucson Audubon’s landscaping course will • Native plant diversity, structure and density for
consider these questions and many others. wildlife
Saturday, January 23, 2010 Landscaping for Wildlife and Sustainability
Whitewater Draw • Native plant availability in the nursery trade
participants will meet two Saturdays and two
• Irrigation strategies for plant establishment
As you sink into your seat in a comfortable coach, Wednesday evenings from February 6 to February
we’ll serve you coffee or tea with a scone before 17. Saturday classes are from 7 am to 1 pm and • Desert garden aesthetics
we glide down to Whitewater Draw. You’ll be Wednesday evening classes are from 7 to 9 pm. • Tucson Audubon’s landscape recognition
entertained and educated by biologists and birders The classes are taught by Greg Corman of program
as the southern Arizona landscape passes by your Gardening Insights and Paul Green and Kendall
window. A gourmet lunch will greet you, maybe Kroesen of Tucson Audubon. Other great guest
under the gaze of a Great Horned Owl or two, as speakers will participate as well. Available
you learn about the management of the area and The course fee is $250. Please register in our
the conservation of the region. Experts will lead by contacting Jean Barchman at 622-5622 Nature ­Shops
small groups to view the spectacle of the Sandhill or jbarchman@tucsonaudubon.org. If you Native Plants for
Cranes as they return from feeding together with a have questions about the course, contact Southwestern
host of water birds. You’ll have the chance to view Kendall Kroesen at 971-2385 or kkroesen@ Landscapes
the mixed species owl roost before returning to the tucsonaudubon.org. by Judy Mielke.
bus for other gourmet delights and a glass of wine See the Urban Program story on page 14 for $24.95
as we wend our way back to Tucson. more on urban landscaping for wildlife.
Sounds like quite a trip, doesn’t it? Tucson
Audubon is organizing this event in conjunction
with the Arizona Open Land Trust and the Arizona
Game and Fish Department. This event will
Another Spectacle: Raptors in the
neatly weave together recreation, education, and Sulphur Springs Valley
conservation into a friendly social event. You’ll
February 13, 2010 • Sulphur Springs Valley
Richard Fray / RPF-Wildlife-photos.com

experience the birds, learn about their biology,

Following on from our Whitewater Draw Sandhill Crane trip, we are launching a trip to view the wintering
how the site is managed, and how Arizona Open
birds of prey in the Sulphur Springs Valley. The emphasis will again be on comfort, food, and expert
Land Trust works to conserve the landscape. The
discussion of the conservation of the region, as well as identifying the raptors under the guidance of the
date? Saturday, January 23. The cost? $75 all
Southern Arizona Bird Observatory and Tom Wood. Because of the need for a number of stops, and for
inclusive. Seats are limited, so call Jean Barchman
getting in and out of the bus, we’ll be taking smaller buses on this trip, with a leader on each bus. Leaders
on 622-5622 to reserve your place. Chuck George,
will explain the behavior of the birds, why they are there, and help with identification. The date? February
meteorologist and weather newscaster for Channel
13. The cost? $90 (to cover the additional cost of the small buses). Seats are limited, so call Jean
13-KOLD, joins us as our special guest.
Barchman on 622-5622 to reserve your place.

10 Tucson Audubon Vermilion Flycatcher November–December 2009

 Events Calendar
40th Annual Institute of Desert Ecology Nov–Mar 2010. Giant reed removal at Sabino
April 15–18, 2010 • Catalina State Park Canyon Recreation Area 1st Sunday each
month (details p 4)
Both photos Sara Pike

Nov 7. Birdday Party at Agua Linda Farm

(details p 8)
Nov 9. Living With Nature lecture (Tucson):
The Careful Foot: Reconciling the Needs of
People and Wildlife. Prof Michael Rosenzweig
(details p 9)
Nov 21. Living With Nature lecture (Green
Valley): Tidewalking. Betty Hupp & Marilyn
Malone (details p 9)
Nov 21. Giant reed removal along Sabino
Creek (details p 4)
Dec 12. Invasive fountain grass removal in
Esperero Canyon (details p 4)
Dec 14. Living With Nature lecture and
Tucson Audubon Holiday Potluck (Tucson):
Attracting birds to your yard and neighborhood.
Rachel McCaffery (details p 9)
Dec 19. Zeiss digiscoping class (details p 8)
Above: Carl Tomoff brings it all together at the closing talk
Left: Spectacular Pusch Ridge of the Catalina Mountains
Jan 13–16, 2010. Wings Over Wilcox birding
festival (details p 27)

1. Give IDE as a gift—Know a friend or loved one Jan 15 & 16, 2010. IBA Bird Monitoring
who would love to attend IDE? This program workshop (details p 5)
makes an excellent gift! Keep in mind the Jan 18–20, 2010. IBA survey, Organ Pipe
holidays are coming up. . . . Cactus National Monument (details p 5)
2. Graduation Dinner—If you would like to Jan 23, 2010. Sandhill Cranes and gourmet
attend again but aren’t able to come for the full food education trip (details p 10)
program, you are welcome to join us for the
Jan 27–30, 2010. IBA survey, Cabeza Prieta
evening graduation meal on Saturday, April
NWR (details p 5)
17. This is a good way to reconnect with the
faculty and relive some of the fun moments of Jan 30, 2010. Saturday morning at the Mason
The Institute of Desert Ecology (IDE) is just around Center (details p 6)
past Institutes. The cost for the Saturday meal
the corner. In just a few months, the days will be
is $30.00. Feb 2, 2010. Tucson Audubon Gala (details
getting longer again, the daytime temperatures
3. T-shirt contest—See the boxed text below for p 32)
will again be rising, and lowland desert camping or
more information. Feb 4–Mar 10, 2010. Backyard Birding and
hiking will be on your mind. Why not combine these
To register or for more information, contact Beyond classes for beginners (details p 8)
with the chance to learn all about the Sonoran
Matt Brooks, Institute Director, at 622–2230 or
Desert in an inviting setting? Feb 6–17, 2010. Landscaping for Wildlife and
mbrooks@tucsonaudubon.org.
The 2010 Institute will be a siginificant Sustainability course (details p 10)
milestone for Tucson Audubon’s longest-running
Feb 13, 2010. Raptors in the Sulphur Springs
education program. For 40 years, our amazing
Valley education trip (details p 10)
faculty of local experts has been teaching Sonoran
have a good
artists! If you Feb 24, 2010. Tucson Audubon volunteer
Desert ecology to people from around the Calling all of Desert
annual Institute orientation (details p 7)
continent. We are proud to have more than 2000 idea for the 40th e it. At the
we’d love to se
graduates from the program from over the years, Ecology T-shirt, issions Apr 15–18, 2010. Institute of Desert Ecology
’ll review the bm
su
many of whom have gone on to careers in a similar end of Januar y we nn er . Th at (details left)
decide on a wi
VF

field or used the knowledge gained in teaching we receive and st ID E

grace our newe
others. If you have attended in the past, seriously design will then n should be
ly, the submissio
consider a refresher. If you’ve heard of the event T-shirt. Obvious or e details,
themed. For m
but haven’t yet attended, this is the year to do it. Sonoran Desert br oo ks@
t Brooks at m
In the spirit of celebration of this milestone year, please email Mat
org.  
we’re offering some fun ideas for past or future tucsonaudubon.
attendees:

November–December 2009 Vermilion Flycatcher Tucson Audubon 11


What’s in a Name?
Interesting stories about birds with interesting ­names
Bald Eagle
Larry Liese
Bald Eagle—our national symbol of
pride, majesty, power and grace. It breeds
only in North America, and is the largest
of all our raptors except for the California
Condor. It’s a surprise to some people
that this bird likes to eat carrion, and was
once called a “bird of low moral character”
by Benjamin Franklin (for its tendency to
steal fish from Ospreys). But that aside,
most people do think the Bald Eagle is a
great symbol for our country.
There’s nothing like seeing your
first adult Bald Eagle. Mine was while
canoeing down the Colorado River. We
rounded a bend and came upon one
eating a fish on a gravel bar far ahead.
We immediately went silent and slowly
drifted closer. As we approached, the
eagle picked the fish up in its talons
and slowly flew upstream—passing our
canoe a mere pebble’s throw away. I’ll
never forget the majestically slow beats
of wings, as large, seemingly, as a fully
opened newspaper—a magical moment
for sure.
Bald Eagle is listed as
being casual to rare in
southeastern Arizona
from December through
mid-March.
The calls of this bird are a little less
majestic however, and when you see
one on TV on anything other than a
documentary, there’s usually a Red-tailed
Hawk-sounding call given instead. To me
the Bald Eagle’s call sounds like a series
of rapid squeaky notes, almost rail-like.
I’ll bet ol’ Ben would make a “harrumpf”
sound here—he wanted the Wild Turkey
chosen as our nation’s bird instead!
The word eagle comes from the Latin
aquila, originally “black eagle,” which
comes from the Latin words aquilus
“dark,” and aquilo “north wind” (which
darkened the sky), and was used as a
military standard in Imperial Rome. The
adjective “aquiline” usually describes
a large and somewhat hooked nose
12 Tucson Audubon Vermilion Flycatcher November–December 2009
George
suggesting the
West
beak of a large
bird. Although “bald”
would nowadays call
to mind hairless or
featherless, in Middle
English (c.1200-c.1500)
balled meant “shining
white.” The scientific
name Haliaeetus
leucocephalus
derives from the Greek
haliaetos “sea eagle”
(halos “the sea” and aetos
“eagle”), with the species
name coming from the
Greek leukos, “white,” and
kephalos, “head.”
Bald Eagle populations
have changed dramatically
over the last century. Early
on, they were so numerous
in Alaska that a bounty
was offered for killing them. Later,
the effects of DDT caused a nesting-
success rate drop from 75 percent to 14
percent in one study, with subsequent
listing on the Endangered Species List.
The banning of DDT helped lead to
eventual delisting, and since then Bald
Eagle nesting has been documented in
all continental U.S. states except Rhode
Island and Vermont. It helps that they are
long-lived birds, and longevity records
include individuals living 28 (wild) and 36
(captive) years. Habitat loss, as usual,
is considered the biggest conservation
threat today.
Bald Eagles are not closely related to
the Golden Eagle. The latter is the sole
North American member of a worldwide
group sometimes called “booted” or true
eagles, closely related to buteos. The
Bald Eagle is a member of a group known
as fish-eagles and thought to be more
closely related to kites. Steller’s Sea-
Eagle and White-tailed Eagle are also
members of this group.
Adult Bald Eagles are one of the
easier raptors to identify with their all-
white heads and tails, massive size, and
huge heads and bills. Shape and size
differences help to identify high-soaring
eagles. Look for very large, rectangular
wings (for both Bald & Golden Eagles)
and a large head and neck for Balds.
Goldens have a narrower head and neck
and a longer, slightly fanned tail that I find
distinctive in shape. If you get close/scope
views of perched birds, note the massive
bill on the Bald Eagle—quite impressive!
Juvenile Bald Eagles are less easy
to identify, and adult plumage
is attained only after birds
are 4½ to 5½ years of age.
Juvenile birds have a blotchy
appearance, less defined
than young Goldens. Like
many raptors, juveniles have
longer tails and broader wings
than adults. Like learning to
surf on a big surfboard, I’ve heard
this makes it easier for young birds
to learn flying, while adult birds can
maneuver more quickly after prey with
shorter feathering.
Here in Arizona, we generally can
count on having a few Bald Eagles
around each winter, though I believe
recent years have seen fewer. The
bird is listed as being casual to rare in
southeastern Arizona from December
through mid-March. Places to look
include larger lakes, agricultural areas
and grasslands. Examples of each that
at least used to be productive are Parker
Canyon Lake, the Sulphur Springs Valley,
and the San Rafael grasslands. To pick a
best site to try for one I’d suggest driving
east on Rucker Canyon Road towards the
west flank of the Chiricahua Mountains,
checking out all high-flying raptors. One
can find a dozen different raptors on
a day’s birding in the Sulphur Springs
Valley, and Tucson Audubon field trips
regularly visit there in winter (see p 10 for
an upcoming trip). Try going on one for a
look at this striking bird. Good luck! VF
Available in our
Nature S ­ hops
Raptors of Western
North America by
Brian K. Wheeler. The
most thorough guide to
the American West’s
raptors, fully illustrated
with hundreds of full-
color photographs and
detailed species maps. $29.95
Where to Go, Birds to See
Monsoon Fizzle—Summer Sizzle
Cliff Cathers | Volunteer Field Trip Leader
The monsoon season that normally
brings welcome rains and cooler
temperatures to the desert Southwest
fizzled and was anything but normal this
year, timidly sprinkling below average
amounts of rain here and there and
ending earlier than usual.
As birders weathered the steamy end
to a hot and dry summer, the birding
itself continued its torrid pace in August
and September. The Ramsey Canyon
Brown-backed Solitaire and Aztec Thrush
extended their stays. The Patagonia
Sinaloa Wren continued to play hide-and-
seek through the period. Rufous-capped
Warblers were regularly reported from
their early summer haunts, and Black-
capped Gnatcatchers were observed on
multiple locations in the foothills of the
Santa Rita Mountains.
Two Plain-capped Starthroats showed
up, one just south of Patagonia and the
other at the Patagonia-Sonoita Creek
Preserve; and a Green Kingfisher
returned to the San Pedro’s Kingfisher
Pond. Short-tailed Hawks were again
noted atop the Chiricahua Mountains, and
a successful breeding of Flame-colored
Tanagers occurred in the lower part of the
range.
In late August and early September the
shorebird conditions at Willcox were the
best in years, with extensive mudflats to
attract a wide range of species including
Ruddy Turnstone and Red Knot. In
Tucson, Sweetwater Wetlands
was regularly coughing up
80 to over 100 species
to keen-eyed birders.
Above: Thunderstorm over Rincon Mountains;
Inset: Rufous-capped Warbler
Dickcissel and Vaux’s Swift sightings
seemed above average.
This bounty of these rarities and
their associated locations are scattered
throughout many national forests,
preserves and private residences all
over southeast Arizona. Birders here are
blessed with an amazing array of birding
habitats to choose from including mature
Sonoran Desert, densely vegetated
riparian areas, sky islands with conifer-
covered summits, oak-shaded rocky
hillsides, grasslands, lakes, ponds, and
washes. Despite such a wealth of habitats
available each time afield, have you ever
considered in-town Tucson for birding?
Tucson is a sprawling urban area much
like other cities across our country, an
interesting mash of roads, businesses,
residential neighborhoods, vacant lots, dry
washes, and the occasional park. These
dry washes and parks are sometimes
thickly vegetated with native and
sometimes exotic non-native shrubs and
trees. To our avian friends, these green
oases mean food, water and shelter (see
pp 16–17). Fall, winter and spring tend
to be the best times for checking local
habitat patches in search of migrants,
stray visitors from the east and our year-
round residents.
A birding journey to your neighborhood
open space can definitely be classified
as “eco-friendly.” To the environmentally
conscious birder, the primary benefit
these urban birding sites and parks
provide is their proximity to where
we work, live and play. A few
examples of Tucson’s city
parks include Reid, Fort
Lowell, Lakeside, and
McCormick, all easily
accessible by bike, bus,
carpool or walking.
Reid Park (S. Country
Club and 22nd Street) is a
large enclave with mature trees,
ball fields, artificial lakes, grassy
picnic areas, and playground facilities.
Despite being surrounded by cityscape,
it attracts a wide variety of migrants,
breeders and vagrants. Past highlights
include Chestnut-sided Yellow-throated,
November–December 2009 Vermilion Flycatcher Tucson Audubon 13
Cliff Cathers
All photos by
A well-birded row of cottonwoods in Fort Lowell Park (left)
has harbored Northern Parula (right)
Pine and Hooded Warblers; various
raptors; Red Phalarope; and more.
Fort Lowell Park (Craycroft Road
between Fort Lowell and Glenn) is a
smaller historic park with a tiny lake,
riparian corridor, typical park facilities and
lots of open areas. A well-birded row of
cottonwoods running from the parking
area to Craycroft Road has harbored
Northern Parula, and Lewis’s Woodpecker
is sometimes found in the pecan grove.
In fall and winter, Hooded Mergansers
occasionally favor the small lake.
Lakeside Park (Stella Road between
E. Camino Seco and S. Pantano Road) is
different from the other example parks, a
bit more manicured, but with large native
and exotic trees and the typical park
amenities. The park features a rather
large lake which has attracted an amazing
array of water birds over the years
including Black Skimmer, Brown Pelican,
Black Tern, Pacific Loon and others.
McCormick Park (Columbus Road
between Fort Lowell and Glenn) is a
compact park with lots of open area,
park facilities, a playground and large
trees. This park was birded heavily this
past winter, thanks to a lowland wintering
set of Williamson’s and Red-naped
Sapsuckers favoring the mature pines
scattered about. Vermilion Flycatchers
may be found here all year.
These are but a few examples of
Tucson’s many urban habitats. Pick your
nearest city park, weed patch, wash or
arroyo, and your eco-friendly explorations
may spark some late summer birding
sizzle! And don’t forget to enter site
details and birds seen to www.aviatlas.
com (see p 14 of the September/October
Vermilion Flycatcher). VF
Cliff Cathers runs Economy Birding
Services, Inc. www.economybirding.com
 Special Feature | Sustainable Living

Create Sustainable Urban Wildlife Habitat

in Your Neighborhood
Kendall Kroesen | Restoration Program Manager
All photos by Kendall Kroesen

Are you making your yard or
neighborhood into a home for birds and
other wildlife?
Tucson Audubon will recognize your
efforts! Contact us for more information
about how to get your property
recognized (kkroesen@tucsonaudubon.
org, or 971-2385). There’s no charge to
you for recognition, but there is a charge
to purchase a sign announcing your
property’s status (see photo).
Are you just starting to transform
your yard into habitat? Want some
pointers? Tucson Audubon teaches a
course called Landscaping for Wildlife
and Sustainability. The next 16-hour
course will be taught February 6, 10, 13
and 17 (two Saturday mornings and two
Wednesday evenings). Whether you
are a gardening enthusiast, a landscape
designer, or just want more birds in your
yard, you’ll enjoy learning about a new
model for landscaping (see p 10).
Our new model for landscaping isn’t
just getting rid of lawns. In the new
model, basins and swales, alone or
in combination with cisterns, hold and
infiltrate water into the ground. We plant
landscapes densely and with a wide
variety of native plant species, creating
a complex vegetative structure. Plants
survive mostly on rainwater.
In the new model many trees are
thorny, providing cover from predators
and protected places to nest (see p 15).
Plants host insects, and produce fruits
and seeds that are eaten by birds and
reptiles. Trees and shrubs are rarely
trimmed, allowing low branches to cover

Besides the habitat recognition program • promoting advancement of the

and the landscaping course, here’s what
Tucson Audubon is doing in the urban
Tucson area:
• getting volunteers into streams and
washes to remove invasive plants
(see page 4)
• improving habitat around our offices
at the Historic YWCA (see page 4)
• working with entire neighborhoods
to improve habitat, such as Barrio
Kroeger Lane
• working with AviAtlas (www.aviatlas.
com) to establish and publicize “urban
birding trails” in the Tucson area (see
page 14 of the September/October
issue of the Vermilion Flycatcher)
science of urban birds and working
to translate it into improvements in
habitat (see page 16)
• studying the possible expansion of the
Sabino and Bear Creek Important Bird
Area to encompass Tanque Verde
Wash
• gearing up to send our restoration
crew into private backyards to
improve habitat
• forming a youth birding program so
that young birders can meet and have
a structured way to develop birding
and conservation skills (see page 4)
• working with county and municipal
officials on several fronts to help
address the needs of wildlife

14 Tucson Audubon Vermilion Flycatcher November–December 2009

the ground, increasing the total biomass
on which birds and other animals forage.
Landscapes can grow food for people
too! Eat some of the same plants that
provide food for birds (mesquite meal,
native fruits, native salad greens). Grow
heritage fruit trees and share their
produce with migrating tanagers and
grosbeaks. Plant a vegetable garden and
water it from the cistern.
New discoveries await us as we
research how to make our cities friendlier
to birds. We will learn more about helping
some of the species most sensitive to
human encroachment. We will explore
how to provide nests for cavity-nesting
birds that have declined in our cities. Nest
box programs have worked for Eastern
Bluebirds; we need to find out how to
make them work for birds like Bewick’s
Wren and Lucy’s Warbler.
Finally, we need to continue to explore
ways to take less water from our natural
environment, and make sure that most
of what we use is recycled to support a
diverse urban population of plants and
animals. VF
Another big “thanks” to Desert Survivors
Plant Nursery for providing native plants
at wholesale for our project in Barrio
Kroeger Lane, and for other contributions!
See www.desertsurvivors.org.
From top left: Native landscapes increasingly adorn
neighborhoods. A “rain garden” in Barrio Kroeger
Lane. Tucson Audubon’s Landscaping for Wildlife
and Sustainability course. Firewheel (Gaillardia
pulchella), a popular wildflower native to Arizona
and other states. Sign marking properties that
are recognized as habitat by Tucson Audubon.
Yellow trumpetbush (Tecoma stans) and Hooker’s
evening primrose (Oenothera hookeri). Lower left:
Screwbean (Prosopis pubescens), an increasingly
common landscaping plant (inset: screwbean pods).
Here’s the back story. As we build residential,
commercial, and industrial areas for humans,
most other creatures die. Some can’t adapt
to development and others die because we
take their water. Most of the laws that regulate
the water in our environment allocate it to
humans—virtually none is reserved for flora
and fauna. Beware of those that say we have
an assured water supply for the foreseeable
future—humans might; birds do not.
Can we change the city? There are
precedents. A couple of decades ago most
lawns disappeared and were replaced by low-
water-use landscapes. In the last ten years
rainwater harvesting has gone from something
done by fringe permaculturists—known for
eating cactus fruits and showering outdoors
with their chickens—to something that the
City of Tucson mandates for new commercial
developments.
My next article will be about eating cactus
fruit and showering outdoors!
November–December 2009 Vermilion Flycatcher Tucson Audubon 15
Sustainability Corner
For this month’s sustainability tip, check out the
rebates available from Tucson Water for toilet
and other water conservation upgrades. See
www.tucsonaz.gov/water/rebate.htm for details.
Currently new Tucson toilets are mandated to
use no more than 1.6 GPF (gallons per flush).
Rebates are now available for upgrading to
high efficiency toilets that use 1.3 gallons
per flush.
Rebates are also available for irrigation
upgrades on commercial buildings and
multifamily residences, and new pre-rinse
nozzles for commercial kitchens that use less
water. Businesses can also receive recognition
through the WaterSmart Business Program.
These rebates represent the implementation
of some of the 22 strategies recommended
recommendations of a Community
Conservation Task Force—learn more about
the task force and their recommendations at
www.ci.tucson.az.us/water/cons-townhalls.htm.
Come in and see
Tucson Audubon’s
new “sustainability
corner” in the main
Nature Shop! And
Nicole Koehler / Wikimedia.org
remember, you soon
will be able to use the
composting toilet being
installed at our Mason
Center, operating at
zero GPF!
 Special Feature | Sustaining Bird Populations in Tucson

Thorny Issues for Bird

Rachel McCaffrey

Tucson’s

Kendall Kroesen
natural
setting and
sprawling
growth make
it an ideal
place to
study the
complex
relationships
between
wildlife

and urban Above: Blue palo verde. Right: Ironwood flowers.
development.
Many kinds of wildlife can be found in urban
areas, but birds are often among the most
visible, diverse, and desirable—and Tucson is an
incredible place to live if you appreciate birds.
Tucson has been the focus for some of the
most important research on birds in urban
environments. When I began my graduate work
at the University of Arizona, I was fortunate to
take over the coordination of the Tucson Bird
Count (TBC), which was established by Will
Turner in 2001. The TBC is a citizen science
Robert Shantz
Doris Evans
Native Vegetation and Native
Birds—Don’t Forget the
Thorn Trees!
Vegetation is one of the most important
factors in determining which birds are found in a
particular area. While cities tend to have fewer
species of birds than nearby natural areas,
residential areas could support higher numbers
of many types of native birds with the right mix of
plants. I studied ten bird species: Ash-throated

project that is designed to assess the distribution
and abundance of birds throughout the Tucson
area.
In addition to the broad, citywide information
we can get from the TBC, I was also interested
in examining how things like the plants used in
landscapes at smaller scales (such as individual
yards and neighborhoods) impact birds. To do
Robert Shantz
Flycatcher, Cactus Wren, Curve-billed Thrasher,
Gambel’s Quail, Gila Woodpecker, Lesser
Goldfinch, Northern Cardinal, Phainopepla,
Pyrrhuloxia, and Verdin. The amount and type of
native plants present in an area were the most
important factors in determining whether or not a
species occurred there. Some species, such as
Pyrrhuloxia, Verdin, and Gambel’s Quail, simply

Ash-throated Flycatcher (top) and
Northern Cardinal
16 Tucson Audubon Vermilion Flycatcher November–December 2009
this, I looked at the relationships between 10 bird
species and a variety of habitat features at these
smaller scales and, as it turns out, there are a
lot of relatively simple things that people can do
in their yards and neighborhoods to help sustain
populations of native birds in Tucson.
The following is the first in a series of articles
that looks at the results of this research and
outlines some of the practical steps homeowners
can take to encourage native birds.
preferred native plants to non-native plants
whereas other species preferred specific types of
native plants.
Native plants are important to many native
bird species because they provide food and
cover, a relationship that has developed over
millions of years. On the other hand, many non-
native birds, such as House Sparrows, are often
highly adaptable to different environments and
can utilize a wide variety of plants—hence their
ds
.com
Alan Murphy, www.alanmurphyphotography
Number of thorn trees Percent of sites with
or bushes within a Verdins
yard (0.5 ha in size)
0 7.7
1–2 41.3
3–4 45.6
4+ 51.3
Kendall Kroesen
The Nature Conservancy yard in Tucson.
widespread global distribution. In residential
areas, the types of vegetation people plant will
largely influence the birds present in their yards,
and many Tucson yards contain few native plants
or lack the diversity of plants necessary to attract
a variety of native birds.
One type of native plant that is often missing
from residential landscapes, even those filled
with native plants, is thorn trees or bushes. In
the Tucson area, native thorn trees and bushes
favored by birds include acacias (such as the
whitethorn and catclaw), ironwood, desert
hackberry, velvet mesquite, and palo verde
(blue or foothills). In my study, the number of
thorn trees in a yard correlated strongly with the
presence of Ash-throated Flycatchers, Gambel’s
Kendall Kroesen
Above left to right: Cactus Wren; Tucson Botanical Gardens
Quail, Northern Cardinals, and Verdins. In arid
Available in our
environments like Tucson, thorn trees and
Nature ­Shops
bushes can act as the mid-story shrub layer that
is often missing from residential landscapes Cactus of Arizona
dominated by heavily pruned trees, flowering by Nora & Rick
plants and ground cover. This mid-story shrub Bowers and Stan
layer provides cover, nesting sites and foraging Tekiela. $14.95
opportunities (insectivores like Verdins search for Trees of Arizona
insects among the leaves and flowers), and its by Stan Tekiela.
presence is a good indicator of a quality habitat $13.95
for native birds.
Cacti and
Yet, many homeowners either remove thorn Succulents.
trees or avoid planting them due to concerns A Simon &
about the difficulty of trimming such plants or the
Schuster’s Guide
danger thorns may pose to children and pets. edited by Stanley
However, the presence of only one or two thorn Schuler. $16.00
trees can significantly increase the likelihood of
Desert Bird
attracting the types of birds that use them. For
Gardening
example, in my study, Verdins were only found and Native
in about eight percent of yards that didn’t have Trees: Guide to
any thorn trees or bushes (regardless of the Landscaping
surrounding habitat), whereas they were found in both published
41 percent of yards with one or two thorn trees or by Arizona Plant
bushes. So, a single thorn tree or bush, placed Society and
in an out-of-the-way location where it can be Tucson Audubon
avoided by people and pets and left untrimmed, Society. $3.50
each
could have a considerable impact on the variety
and number of native birds visiting your yard.
In my next article, I’ll address the important
relationship between the Phainopepla and
mistletoe. VF
Rachel McCaffrey is the speaker for our
Christmas potuck on Monday, December 14 at
the Dunbar Springs Community Center (see p 9
for details).
November–December 2009 Vermilion Flycatcher Tucson Audubon 17
 Conservation and Education News
Chris McVie, Paul Green, Kendall Kroesen, and Scott Wilbor
Carbon Credits through Tucson Audubon
What if your plane ride could become
a park? What if your car emissions
could support green jobs? Now you
can lend a hand to your community
and shrink your carbon footprint at
the same time. You can buy carbon
credits through the The Local Trust, a
Tucson-based non-profit, and choose
to direct them to Tucson Audubon
Habitat Creation. That way all of
your money will stay close to home
and create new habitat. The money
you pay to offset your carbon use
will support the local economy in the
Tucson region, create green jobs, and
build productive xeriscapes you can
see and use yourself. In partnership
with The Local Trust, Tucson
Audubon will receive your funds
and plant trees and other vegetation
that will capture carbon from the
atmosphere. The Local Trust offers
2010 Open Space Bond Funding Needs Your Help!
By Carolyn Campbell, Executive Director, Coalition for Sonoran Desert Protection
The 2004 Open Space Bond was a
big step toward initial implementation
of the Sonoran Desert Conservation
Plan, and especially for mitigating
impacts to habitat for important desert
species. With over 66 percent of
voters supporting the open space
question, it was a huge success and
the most highly supported of all the
General Obligation bond measures on
the ballot that year.
Pima County has acquired many
important biological properties with
the 1997 and 2004 Open Space
Bond funds. Properties include the
A-7 Ranch near the San Pedro
River; 290 acres in Cochie Canyon
in the Tortolita Mountains; the Bar V
Ranch in Davidson Canyon; Madera
Highlands, a 366-acre parcel adjacent
to the Buenos Aires NWR; the Rancho
Seco, Sopori Ranch, and portions
of the Marley Ranch in Altar Valley;
and over 1300 acres in the Tucson
Mountains, including the 700-acre
Sweetwater Preserve. In all, Pima
18 Tucson Audubon Vermilion Flycatcher November–December 2009
neutralizing credits to offset your
travel and regeneration credits that
go beyond your footprint, so you don’t
just keep a zero balance; you help
rebuild a healthy world. How do you
do it? Just go to www.thelocaltrust.
County has purchased over 51,000
acres of fee lands and also manages
over 127,000 acres of State Trust
Land grazing leases.
However, there is a great need
to continue to purchase and protect
desert uplands, grasslands and
riparian areas in Pima County, the
most important of which are identified
as “Habitat Protection Priorities.”
Key habitat areas identified as
needing permanent protection by the
County-appointed team of biologists
are valued at $2.6 billion or more.
Additionally, more urban parcels of
open space have been identified
for purchase totaling $200 million or
more. When this “Habitat Protection
Priorities” map was developed in 2003
for the Sonoran Desert Conservation
Plan, it was meant to guide future
open space purchases that would
off-set, or mitigate for, the impacts of
urban and suburban growth in Pima
County. And while it will take multiple
bonds and other funding sources to
org, calculate your impact, purchase
your credits, and choose Tucson
Audubon as the recipient. When
Tucson Audubon is ready to plant,
we’ll let you know where your habitat
is so you can watch it grow.
Doris Evans
complete a functional natural preserve
system, the sooner we purchase open
space, the more economical it is and
the more certainty our community has
as to where growth may occur and
what will be protected.
And very importantly, we have
the opportunity NOW to purchase
State Trust Land at reasonable
prices while land prices are low
and the state deficit is high. This
can be done with select parcels by
purchasing them at auction as Pima
County did with Tumamoc Hill. As
well, the conservation community
continues to work on State Trust Land
reform, which will be accomplished
in the timeframe of the next bond
expenditures—10–13 years.
The citizen-based Conservation
Acquisition Commission has
recommended to the County Bond
Advisory Committee that the 2010
bond election include $285 million
for habitat and community open
space. Unfortunately, the County
Rosemont Mine Update
The Coronado National Forest was
due to release its draft Environmental
Impact Statement on the proposed
Rosemont Copper Mine, south of
Tucson, in November. Its release
has been postponed, and no date
has been set for its public release.
The National Environmental Policy
Act (NEPA) requires an EIS; and in
June Tucson Audubon had emailed
members asking them to thank U.S.
Reps. Gabrielle Giffords and Raúl
Grijalva (D-Ariz.) for asking USDA
Secretary Tom Vilsack to have the
Coronado NF consider a “no action”
alternative for the mine in the EIS, that
could lead to a decision to deny the
mine. The announcement on October
14 by Coronado NF supervisor
Jeanine Derby comes shortly before
an October 24 visit by Jay Jensen,
deputy secretary for the Department
of Agriculture. Jensen, who oversees
U.S. Forest Service policy, was invited
by Giffords and Grijalva to tour the
mine site and meet with the public.
For more information please visit
www.scenicsantaritas.org
Administrator has indicated to the
bond committee that open space
is not his priority in 2010 and is
recommending enough funding ONLY
to buy the lands already committed
to the purchase of Marley Ranch,
and an additional $10 million toward
community open space, which has a
price tag of over $200 million.
Please attend future bond meetings
and let the bond committee members
know that you want to fully fund
open space! The next meeting will
be held Friday, November 20, 8 am,
at Manning House, 450 W. Paseo
Redondo (downtown Tucson).
Or call, write, or email the
bond committee: Pima County
Bond Advisory Committee, 130 W.
Congress, 10th Floor, Tucson, Arizona
85701 Attn: Mr. Larry Hecker, Chair.
Address email comments to: diana.
durazo@pima.gov
For talking points go to the
Coalition’s website at www.
sonorandesert.org. VF
 Tucson Audubon Field Trips
Darlene Smyth | Field Trip Coordinator
Kendall Kroesen
Avra Valley
November
November 3—Tuesday 8:30 am–10:30 am
Return to Avra Valley
We will explore the shallow ponds and mesquite
thickets of this venerable bird and birder magnet;
we can hope for a selection of shorebirds, perhaps
some waterfowl, and good numbers of sparrows
and raptors. Bring water, a hat, notebook and
pencil, and a spotting scope if you have one. We’ll
be walking almost a mile on wide dirt or gravel
paths. Meet at the Mission Library parking lot on
the northwest corner of Mission Rd. and Ajo at
8:30 am. Leaders: Rick Wright and Alison Beringer;
birdaz@gmail.com
November 8—Sunday 7:30 am
Bugs and Birds of Arivaca Cienega
John Rhodes of Sonoran Arthropod
Studies Institute will give us insight into
the world of bugs as we enjoy this dual-
purpose trip. A scope will be available to view
birds, and with advance notification, loaner optics
can be arranged. You may wish to have close-
focusing optics or reading glasses available to
better see the bugs. Meet at the Fry’s parking lot at
Irvington and I-19 at 7:30 am or at the McDonald’s
in Green Valley at 8 am. 80 miles roundtrip. Co-
leaders: John Rhodes Jrbutterflymagic@aol.com
and Darlene Smyth dsmyth3@comcast.net
November 10—Tuesday 5 am
San Rafael Grasslands
This trip provides an opportunity to see raptors and
grassland sparrows. The number of bird species
we will see is not large, but we hope to see some
birds not easily seen elsewhere. Mostly birding
from cars, but some walking through tall grass
and over rocky slopes. If you don’t have a high-
clearance vehicle, plan to carpool with someone
who does. Bring lunch. Scope may be useful.
Meet at Houghton Road north of I-10 in time for a
5 am departure. 150 miles roundtrip. Leader: Jim
Hays 895-3299 or (email preferred) jhays@iname.
com
November 14—Saturday
No field trip
This is the day for current leaders to attend
a workshop to improve their skills under the
generous leadership of Chris Benesh and Dave
Stejskal.
November 17—Tuesday 7 am
Photo Workshop— Pond at
Elephant Head
Make your bird images “jump off” the page! Join
Andy Rogers, Washington-based photographer
and Oro Valley winter resident, at this location
which is a photographer’s dream as he leads
this workshop. Andy photographs birds across
the nation 200 days per year and will share tips
and his camera lenses with you. Any camera is
appropriate. Limit of 8. No Fees. Sign up and
ask questions beginning October 30. 80 miles
roundtrip. Leader: Andy Rogers barandy@
comcast.net 425-417-4648
November 21—Saturday 7 am
Northeast Tucson’s Incredible Birds
We will explore Woodland Road, the ponds and
fields, Tanque Verde Loop, and finish at Agua
Caliente. This low carbon trip can produce about
60 species including some great looks at raptors.
Bring scopes and your enthusiasm! Great trip for
beginners. Trip ends at 1 pm but we will break at
11:30 (lunch) for those who need to leave early.
Meet at the McDonald’s at Tanque Verde and
Catalina Hwy at 7 am. Leader: Brian Nicholas
weehawker2@yahoo.com
November 24 —Tuesday 7 am
Sunrise Birding at Tucson’s
Sam Lena Park
Great location for beginning birders! Wake up with
the birds at this urban park, where we’ll leisurely
walk the 2.2-mile loop path overlooking several
ponds and restored Tucson Basin habitat, including
riparian, marsh, mesquite bosque, upland, and
grassland. Expect urban, desert-scrub and wetland
birds. Done by 10 am. Please RSVP to leader
starting November 10. (Local) Leader: Cynthia
Barstad 237-2331 cynthiabarstad@gmail.com
Kendall Kroesen
Bog Hole, San Rafael Valley
November–December 2009 Vermilion Flycatcher Tucson Audubon 19
For the latest or expanded
field trip information
visit www.tucsonaudubon.org
or call us at 520-629-0510
General Information
Tucson Audubon field trips are free. For general
information call field trip coordinator Darlene
Smyth 297-2315. For specific information about
a trip, contact the leader of that trip.
Please dress appropriately for your field trip.
Always wear sturdy shoes, a hat, and use sun
protection. Bring plenty of snacks and water
for yourself. Always bring your binoculars,
field guide, and for most trips a scope can be
useful. Bring money to cover your share of the
carpooling and any required entry fees (eg for
state parks).
Arrival Times
Please arrive before listed departure times.
Trips will leave promptly at the time given.
Carpooling Sites
u NW Tucson: Ina and Via Ponte—commuter
parking lot one block west of Oracle and
Ina, south side of Ina.
v SW Tucson: I-19 and Irvington—Fry’s
parking lot.
w Green Valley: I-19 and Continental Rd exit
63—McDonald’s parking lot.
x NE Tucson: Tanque Verde Rd/ Catalina
Hwy—McDonald’s parking lot.
Tucson Audubon strongly encourages
carpooling and for some trips it may be
required. Check the trip listings for meeting/
carpooling sites. You are expected to reimburse
the driver for the actual cost of fuel. Drivers and
trip leaders are not expected to contribute.
Rare Bird Alert
Listen to the latest rare bird alert at
798-1005. Report rare birds to the RBA
compiler at 798-1005 or rarebirdalert@
tucsonaudubon.org
After Your Field Trip
Don’t forget to stop in the Tucson Audubon
Nature Shop to check out new books,
see wonderful nature items, and chat with
volunteers.
Sara Pike

Tucson Audubon
Field Trips
Kendall Kroesen
Sam Lena Park
November 28—Saturday 6:30 am
Patagonia-Sonoita Creek Preserve
Join Tucson Audubon for a post-Turkey Day strut
through The Nature Conservancy’s Patagonia-
Sonoita Creek Preserve. We’ll be looking for
migrants, holdover rarities and little yellow-green
jobs. Entrance fee required. Meet at Houghton Rd.
just north of I-10 at 6:30 am (leader not present) or
at the preserve parking area at 7:30 am. Remember
water, sunscreen and a hat. 120 miles roundtrip.
Leader: Clifford A. Cathers AZCliffy@q.com 520-
762-3201
December & January
December 1—Tuesday 6:30 am
Sonoita Creek Natural Area
at Patagonia Lake
We will start from the trailhead just below Lake
Patagonia and hike along the riparian area
below the dam for a 3.5-mile loop, making it
essential that you bring good hiking shoes, plenty
of water, hat and sun screen and a snack or
small lunch. For more location information see
the website: azstateparks.com/Parks/SOCR/
Limited participation, so call the leader to register
beginning November 20. State park fee area. 150
miles roundtrip. Leader: Norma Miller n8urnut@q.
com 578-1399
December 5—Saturday 6:30 am
Santa Cruz River-Tubac
Fire and good rains have produced great
habitat for birds in this flat-mile-stretch. Recent
rarities have included a Prothonotary Warbler and
a Red-eyed Vireo, and we can expect a morning
of mixed flocks of wintering birds, especially
sparrows. Limited to 10 people. Register with
20 Tucson Audubon Vermilion Flycatcher November–December 2009
Kendall Kroesen
Santa Cruz River
the leader beginning December 2. Leader: Sally
Johnsen 399-4050 empidonax@netzero.net
December 8—Tuesday 9:15 am–11 am
Sweetwater Wetlands
The euphemistically named Sweetwater
Wetlands are Tucson’s own migrant
trap, full of wintering passerines, shorebirds, and
waterfowl. We can expect to see large numbers of
sparrows, warblers, and ducks. Bring water, a hat,
notebook and pencil, and a spotting scope if you
have one. Plan on walking about a mile on paved
sidewalks, with plenty of opportunities to pause on
a bench and enjoy the show. Meet at Sweetwater
Wetlands parking lot at 9:15 am. Leaders: Rick
Wright and Alison Beringer; birdaz@gmail.com.
December 12—Saturday 5:30 am–3 pm
Tres Rios Wetlands (Phoenix)
Tres Rios is where the Salt, Gila, and
Agua Fria Rivers unite to provide a home
for a rich variety of birds. Tom Hildebrandt
of Arizona Game & Fish will join us to share his
expertise on the birds, wildlife, and history of this
lush greenbelt in metro Phoenix that features year-
round running water. Meet at 5:30 am for carpooling
at the commuter parking lot at Ina and Via Ponte,
one block west of Oracle and Ina, on the south side
of Ina. 3 pm return. 260 miles round-trip. Leader:
Richard Filley rdfilley@yahoo.com or 480-277-0834
December 15—Tuesday 7 am
Santa Cruz Flats
Winter in the Flats can mean raptors and perhaps,
with very good luck, Mountain Plovers, as a small
number of these declining birds sometimes winter
here. Powder fine dust permeates the Flats making
it necessary to strictly limit the number of cars on
this trip. Contact the leader for details and to sign
up starting December 1. Leader: Darlene Smyth
dsmyth3@comcast.net 297-2315
December 19—Saturday
Nogales Christmas Bird Count
Help other birders as they conduct this interesting
count. This is a holiday tradition that is 110 years
old this year! Contact Michael Bissontz for details
seetrogon@comcast.net
December 19—Saturday
Santa Catalina Christmas
Bird Count
Join in this 110-year-old tradition. Ask to be
assigned to help an experienced counter. Contact:
Bob Bates batesr@u.arizona.edu
December 20—Sunday
Tucson Valley Christmas
Bird Count
Have fun and join one of the many teams
conducting Christmas Counts throughout the
Tucson area. We are celebrating the 110th
anniversary of this count! No experience
necessary. Contact Larry early to grab the most
exciting count areas! Larry Liese larryliese@
prodigy.net 743-3520
December 22—Tuesday 8:30 am
Whitewater Draw
Meet at Houghton Rd. north of I-10 at
8:30 am. We will carpool from there and should
arrive at our destination late in the morning.
Fortunately the birds we are looking for are not
the early-morning types. We should see lots of
the wonderful cranes, plus ducks, some raptors,
and various other water-loving species including,
occasionally, gulls. Bring a scope if you have
one. We will start back by mid-afternoon. About
250 miles roundtrip. Leader: Brian McKnight
mcknight@u.arizona.edu
December 27—Sunday
Tanque Verde Wash/NE Tucson
Walk off those holiday meals with a post Christmas
stroll along Tanque Verde Wash, both east and
west of Wentworth Road in northeast Tucson. We’ll
see if any Lawrence’s Goldfinches are visiting
from California. Meet at the McDonald’s at Tanque
Verde and Catalina Highway at 7:30 am. Leader:
Clifford A. Cathers, AZCliffy@q.com 762-3201
December 29—Tuesday 6:30–8:30 pm
Star Party for the Whole
Family—Galileo Style!
The leader will have a telescope for you
to view the moon, Jupiter and its Galilean moons,
double stars, and more! Or, if you have a Galileo-
type telescope, bring it and have fun learning
to use it. Binoculars useful but not required.
Meet at top of Campbell Ave.—north of Skyline
Drive. Significant cloudiness cancels the event.
If in doubt, call leader. Leader: Michael S. Smith
mssq@comcast.net 299-0122
January 1—Friday 7:30–10:30 am
Sweetwater Wetlands for New
Birders or Visitors to Tucson
Start a new year of birding as we stroll along
paved/dirt paths chatting about binoculars,
field guides, primary habitats, behaviors, and
identification of common birds of this reclaimed
water site. We’ll likely share our walk with warblers,
hawks, woodpeckers, flycatchers, sparrows,
grebes, ducks, rails, shorebirds, and others amidst
the cattail marsh, open-water ponds, shallow
basins, cottonwoods and willows, and desert scrub
along the adjacent Santa Cruz River bed. Meet at
Sweetwater Wetlands parking lot. Leader: Cynthia
Barstad 237-2331 cynthiabarstad@gmail.com
January 2—Saturday
Dudleyville Christmas
Bird Count
For 110 years now, people have been getting up
early to count every bird in their assigned area.
Ask to help an experienced counter! Contact: Doug
SPECIAL FIELD TRIPs
FOUR CENTURIES OF TELESCOPES
(Now it’s your time!) January 18-21, 2010—Monday–
Need an idea for a youngster’s holiday gift? Thursday
What about a Galileo-type telescope—for $15?
Southern California
These have better optics than the one Galileo We will do a loop with stops that include,
Galilei used; they are certainly inexpensive, and but are not limited to, the Salton Sea, upper
easily put together. Obviously, the telescopes Newport Bay, Bolsa Chica, the San Elijo
were designed with astronomy in mind. But we lagoon, La Jolla and Mission Bay, Mission
astronomers—who are also birders—know that Dam Park, and Cuyamaca State Park with a
they will help identify that little somebody sitting late return to Tucson. We will particularly look
way over there on a distant telephone pole! for Allen’s Hummingbird, Belding’s Savannah
https://www.galileoscope.org/gs/ Sparrow, Clark’s and Horned Grebes, Brant,
Surf Scoters, Black-vented Shearwaters,
gulls, terns, shorebirds, Nuttall’s Woodpecker,

Jim & Deva Burns, www.jimburnsphotos.com

Jenness d_jenness@hotmail.com Wrentits, California Gnatcatchers, Towhees,
January 8—Friday 6:30–8:30 pm Thrashers, and Quail—and with good weather
Star Party for the Whole in the mountains, possibly White-headed
Family—Galileo Style! Woodpeckers and Purple Finch. Participants
The leader will have a telescope for you will be expected to share the leader’s fuel costs.
to view the moon, Jupiter and its Galilean moons, A maximum of 7 people may register for this
double stars, and more! Or, if you have a Galileo- trip starting on December 7. Contact the leader
type telescope, bring that and have fun learning for details. About 1,000 miles roundtrip. Leader:
to use it. Binoculars useful but not required. Diane Touret dctouret@comcast.net
Meet at top of Campbell Ave.—north of Skyline May 4–11, 2010
Drive. Significant cloudiness cancels the event. Migration in Southwest Ohio
If in doubt, call leader. Leader: Michael S. Smith Blackburnian Warbler? Cerulean Warbler?
mssq@comcast.net 299-0122 California Thrasher Pileated Woodpecker? Scarlet Tanager?
Acadian Flycatcher? Henslow’s Sparrow?
Philadelphia Vireo? More? Join Clifford Cathers
ARIZONA CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNTS 2009/2010 of Economy Birding Services, Inc. for this
The National Audubon Society has conducted Christmas bird counts since 1900. Volunteers from across exciting field trip to southwestern Ohio during
North America and beyond will take to the field during one calendar day between December 14 and January the peak of the spring migration. This little-
5 to record every bird species and individual bird encountered within a designated 15-mile diameter circle. birded section of our country offers a wealth
These records now comprise an extensive ornithological database that enables monitoring of winter bird of birds, lush deciduous forests, comfortable
populations and the overall health of the environment. Participants are typically assigned to teams based and inexpensive accommodations, interesting
on their bird identification skill level and endurance. Many counts hold a compilation dinner at the end of the weather and memorable food. Clifford will
day where results are tabulated and stories shared. A $5.00 participation fee defrays a portion of the cost of reveal his favorite boyhood birding spots
tabulating and publishing the overall count results. Help is needed on most of these counts, so find one that in search of 150 or more eastern species,
interests you and contact the compiler for more information. —Walter Thurber including up to 35 varieties of warblers.
Southeast Arizona Counts (For complete list of Arizona counts, please visit www.tucsonaudubon.org) Interested? Contact Clifford at AZCliffy@q.com
or 520-762-3201; or Darlene Smyth, Tucson
Date Day Count Name Compiler Phone E-Mail Audubon Field Trip Coordinator at DSmyth3@
12/18 Fr Buenos Aires NWR Bonnie Swarbrick 823-4251 x108 bonnie_swarbrick@fws.gov comcast.net or 297-2315 for a detailed trip
12/18 Fr Saint David Tom Wood 432-1388 tom@sabo.org description, bird checklist and registration form.
12/19 Sa Avra Valley Mary Lou Cole 578-0114 birdingnana@msn.com Tucson Audubon is testing a new concept for
12/19 Sa Nogales Michael Bissontz 577-8778 seetrogon@comcast.net overnight field trips where participants share in
12/19 Sa Ramsey Canyon Ted Mouras 803-0221 tedmouras@mindspring.com
the leader’s basic expenses. Registration for
this trip is $100.00 which is your total share of
12/19 Sa Santa Catalina Mountains Bob Bates 296-5629 batesd@cox.net
the leader’s expenses. Only six spots left so
12/20 Su Tucson Valley Larry Liese 743-3520 larryliese@prodigy.net
Jim & Deva Burns, www.jimburnsphotos.com

register soon! VF

12/21 Mo Elfrida Tom Wood 432-1388 tom@sabo.org

12/27 Su Patagonia Abbie Zeltzer 604-6320 amindajar@gmail.com
12/28 Mo Gila River Troy Corman 602-482-6187 aplomado@cox.net
12/28 Mo Green Valley-Madera Canyon Michael Marsden 269-6240 birdanza@cox.net
1/2 Sa Appleton-Whittell Robert Weissler 803-0794 weissler@aves.org
1/2 Sa Dudleyville Doug Jenness 909-1529 d_jenness@hotmail.com
1/2 Sa Portal Jackie Lewis 558-2287 winjac12@vtc.net
1/3 Su Atascosa Highlands Rich Hoyer 325-5310 birdernaturalist@me.com
Cerulean Warbler

November–December 2009 Vermilion Flycatcher Tucson Audubon 21

 Partnering with Tucson Audubon for a Sustainable Future
Governing for Success—A Volunteer Achievement
Herb Trossman | President of the Board of Directors
Do you know how Tucson Audubon is
governed, and would you like to be a part
of the process? Here is a short review of
how our Society works.
The Board of Directors is responsible
for the overall direction of the Society
and to make sure that it is fulfilling its
mission. The duties of the Board include
ensuring that the Society is run in a stable
and professional manner, conducting
annual reviews to determine whether it is
achieving its goals, approving the annual
budget and other financial oversight,
taking a leadership role in fundraising
and hiring and evaluating the Executive
Director. Much of the work of the Board is
done through committees and these are
Conservation, Development, Education,
Finance, Membership, Nomination,
and Personnel. A description of each
committee follows.
Conservation: This important
committee is responsible for advising
and recommending to the Board which
conservation policies Tucson Audubon
should support or adopt. This includes
informing on local, state, and national
conservation issues. The committee’s
subcommittee on Land Management
supervises the various restoration
sites that the Society is developing.
The subcommittee also oversees the
management and care of the various
parcels owned by the Society and
reviews properties under consideration
for acquisition. Chris McVie presides over
this committee.
Development: Raising funds for
the Society so that it can carry out
its mission is the purpose of this
committee, and its fundraising
success is essential to the
Society’s future. Among the
events it organizes are the
Osprey / Doris Evans
annual birdathon, the
annual and special
22 Tucson Audubon Vermilion Flycatcher November–December 2009
fundraising appeals, donor recognition
events, the annual gala, the annual
holiday potluck, and other fundraising
functions. Sandy Elers is chair of this
committee.
Education: The members of this
committee help develop and provide
environmental information and
educational services to teachers, adults,
young people, and families. Included
within this mandate is the developing
and implementing of programs to meet
the strategic plan, conducting classes,
managing the Riparian Family Institute
and the Institute of Desert Ecology,
and other educational programs. The
committee has recently adopted an
education strategic plan and Cynthia
Pruett, as chair, is guiding the committee
through the implementation of the plan.
Finance: As you would imagine this
committee oversees and assists the
Executive Director in managing the
Society’s finances, including its assets and
accounting. It also assists the Executive
Director in preparing the annual budget
for the Society, and otherwise assists the
treasurer (the chair of this committee) in
carrying out his or her responsibilities. A
long-time member of Tucson Audubon,
Lindsey Quesinberry, has recently filled
the treasurer’s position. Another important
addition to the Society’s financial team
is the appointment of Brad Paxton to
the new staff position of Financial and
Operations Manager.
Membership: This committee is
responsible for planning and conducting
membership campaigns, seeking ways
to increase membership retention,
recommending membership fee amounts
and categories to the Board, and to
see that the Society is responsive to its
members. The chair of the committee is
Jessie Shinn.
Nominating: Robert Merideth,
the Soceity’s Secretary, manages
the committee that has the duty of
finding candidates to fill the 21 board
positions, as well as candidates for the
four executive officers (president, vice
president, treasurer, and secretary) of the
Society.
Personnel: While the Executive
Director has the direct responsibility
of hiring and supervising the staff, this
committee assists him in reviewing and
revising the personnel policies manual
and other personnel-related matters.
In addition, it conducts annual reviews
of the ED’s performance and makes
recommendations to the Board regarding
salary and other benefits. Mich Coker, the
Society’s Vice President, heads up this
committee.
Now you should be able to understand
how the Society is governed, at least
in broad terms. If you have any interest
in becoming a part of this management
process or are just curious to see it
function, you are always welcome to
attend Board or committee meetings. Just
let me know your interest and I will send
you in the right direction.
You can contact me at herb@
tucsonaudubon.org.
The Vermilion Society
When you include Tucson Audubon Society
in your estate planning, you will join many
others as a member of our Vermilion
Society. Vermilion Society members are
acknowledged in Tucson Audubon’s
Vermilion Flycatcher news magazine and
in our annual reports. Vermilion Society
members also receive a handsome
certificate, special invitations to Tucson
Audubon events, and an invitation to an
annual lunch to meet our staff and see your
thoughtful contributions at work.
We sometimes receive bequests from
people whom we have never had the
opportunity to thank. If you include Tucson
Audubon Society in your estate plans, we
hope you will let us know. We value the
opportunity to express our gratitude to
people who are committed to the future of
wildlife conservation and environmental
education. Your gift inspires others to
consider Tucson Audubon Society in their
estate planning.
If you prefer to keep your intentions
private, please know that your gift will be
greatly appreciated by future generations of
both people and wildlife.
 Partnering with Tucson Audubon for a Sustainable Future

Not-for-profit. For Birds, For Wildlife, and For Your Quality of Life
You, as a member of Tucson Audubon,
represent our lifeblood. Without your involvement,
we would have no standing in our community. As a
testament to your support, we list here a statement
of your giving to Tucson Audubon for the fiscal
year that ended on August 30, 2009, and we thank
you for the dollars that you have sent us.
We also include here a statement of the hours
that you have given to this organization. While
nearly 1000 cash gifts for the year add up to around
$350,000, just as significant is your gift of time. We
recognize nearly 350 gifts of time during the year,
totaling more than 11,000 hours. This translates into
an equivalent of nearly $207,000 based on a value
of $18.73 that The Independent Sector places on
each hour of volunteer time in Arizona.
We have other things to thank you for. Some
members have told us that we are included in
their wills, and as such, they are members of the
Vermilion Society. Some members give each
month through automatic credit card payments,
and they are part of our Frequent Flyer program.
The past year has been a great challenge to the
non-profit community. Tucson Audubon shed staff
members and reduced costs to help balance our
budget. You responded generously when we sent
out a summer plea for funds. Our board and staff
thank you for your belief in our mission, and ask
that you continue to support us as you are able in
the months ahead. Paul Green

Tucson Audubon thanks and honors our donors for their generous gifts.

$10000 and above Snell & Wilmer L.L.P. Cox Communications Marcee Sherrill
Southern Arizona Paving & Coyote Wore Sideburns Marilyn Snyder
Nancy Bower and
Lindsey Quesinberry Construction IBM International Tice Supplee
Tucson Electric Power Foundation William Taylor
Harvey Lance Estate
Martha and Abbott Taylor
Chris and Doug McVie Pfizer Foundation
$500 to $999 Matching Gifts Dr. Judith Ulreich and
Alice and William Roe Kate Beale and Bob Boehm Dr. John Ulreich
Met Foundation Shawn P. Burke $250 to $499 Rosemary and Elliott Valentine
Pat and Briggs Ackert Nan Stockholm Walden and
$5000 to $9999 Lorene Calder
William Adler
Richard Walden
Linda and Will DeBoer

Costa’s Hummingbird / VIREO

Cynthia Pruett Patricia and Richard
Carlson
Connie and Jeff Woodman
Joan Kaye Cauthorn
Evelyn Y. McNeill
Eng-Cheong Chong
$1000 to $4999 Eng-Min Chong
Ann Beeghly Susan B Clark
Barbara and William Bickel Kevin Dahl
Marilyn and John Bicking Alison Dean
Melanie Builder and Joan E. Donnelly and
Richard  Fray David Taylor
Ruth Canada David Dunford
Mich Coker Mary and David Dunham
Carol and Don Eagle Mary Kay and Robert
Eiermann
Sandy and Karl Elers
Kay and Mike Fagan
Debra A Finch
Marcia Grand
Julia and Mark Gordon
Eng-Li and Paul Green Linda H. Greene
Michele C. Hacherl
Margy Gale Harris and
Ralph Weeks Richard H. Hill
Julie and Larry Hecker Cynthia Lindquist
Ellen and William Kurtz Cheryl A Lockhart and
Jan and David Labiner Roger C. Wolf
Dick McCarver Robert Merideth and
Liz Payne
Shari and Edward
Montgomery Polly G. Miller
Neil Multack Barbara and Jeffrey Minker
Jan and John Mueller
Katharine Olmstead
Hal Myers
Dr. Thomas Rehm
Martha Pille
Dr. Cathryn Rose
Linda and J.D. Stitzer Patricia and Wayne
Scheible
Pat and Herb Trossman
Mary Beth Tyndall and
Joan and Dr. Robert Tweit Kendall Kroesen
Mary and Skip Walker
J David West
Wanda Wynne and
Martha Wiewel
Craig Marken
Dr. James M. Woolfenden
David Yetman
Mrs. Elizabeth Zukoski
George E Watson
Melanie and Harris Amhowitz Joseph DeRouen
Peggy and Bob Wenrick
Jean and Rich Barchman Cynthia Donald
John Wise
Betty and Peter Bengtson Bernard J. Dougherty
Environmental Fund for Arizona
Patty and Clark Blake Mehina Drees and
Jean Boris
Windibrow Foundation Dr. Barney Burns
Jacqueline L. Caird $100 to $249 Karen L. Dryden
Sam Kathryn Campana Diane Dube
Doris and Larry Abrams
Bonnie and Leslie N Corey, Jr. Dorsey Dunn
Mary and Greg Andrews
Dr. Jeffrey Dean Aeyn Edwards
Holly Arvanites
Kimberlyn Drew and Kendall Elmer
Ann Audrey
Andrew Moore Sharon Emley and Don I. Arkin
Elizabeth Augello
Virginia and John Edgerton Doris and Douglas Evans
Karen and Donald Bahnick
Judy and Richard Edison Cristina Feeley
Nicky Baker
Dorothy H. Finley
Paul Banko
Dr. Susan Fleming and
Diana and David Freshwater Susan Benson
Donna Baremore
Dr. Edward Hacskaylo Mary Ellen Flynn
Jean Bassett Judith Fortney
Diana Hadley and Peter
Warshall Barbara Bennett Linda Friedman
Janine and Bob Hernbrode Alexia Bivings Pauline Fuus
Katharine Jacobs and Kerstin and Spencer Block Judith Gans and Joseph Kalt
David Plane Lois and Timothy Blowers William H. Gardner
Sarah and John Kennedy Nancy Bower Joan and Daniel Gilb and
Chi and Rodd Lancaster Gail L. Brandt Joel Gilb
Jim Buizer
Richard Lasky Patricia Gillis
Gloria and James Lawrence Michael Byers Danny G. Gin
Barbara and Stuart Calder
Cherie and David Lazaroff Cheryl and Bob Goodberg
Laura LePere and Brad Paxton Margaret Jean Clark Nancy and Ellery Green
Sally Conyne
Marcia and Ries Lindley Kathleen and Charles Grier
Laura López-Hoffman and Connie and Kenneth Cookson Diane Griffiths
Adrian Quijada Edward Corwin Dorothy Gyurko
Helen MacLeod Laura Cotter Dr. Melissa Halpern and
Ilina and Neil Markowitz Charles MacCabe
Colleen Crombie
Judy and Robert Miller Elise Harrison
John Crow
Patricia Morgan and Liz Harrison and Rick Edwards
Donald E. Crowell
Peter F. Salomon Charles Hassen
Jack Culver
Pam Negri and Ted Forsberg George Hawthorne
Kathy and Edward Curley, Jr
Darlene and Doug Newton Diane and James Hays
Christine L. Curtis
Sandra and Ted Notz Donna and Christopher Helms
David Danell
Melissa Owen and Jean and Mark Hengesbaugh
Troy McDaniel Abigail Darrah
Shirley S. Davis Jenifer Hochstrasser
Jayne Raffety
Dr. Patricia Dean Dianne Huston

November–December 2009 Vermilion Flycatcher Tucson Audubon 23

Partnering with Tucson Audubon for a Sustainable Future

Melinda F. Irvin Margaret Rendl George A Binney Dorothy Fitch and Bobbie Lambert Ray Sayre
Gary M. Israel Judith Rhymer Conservation John Munier John Lamey Dr. Helen and Dr. John
Foundation Sylvia Foster Diane and Stewart Schaefer
Gayle and Fritz Jandrey Ginny and Dr. Melvin
Roberts Kimberlyn Drew Realtor Maureen Fray Lancaster Michele Schicht
Lenice Johnson Marian and Austin Furman Cynthia and Howard Ginny Seabrook
Carol Rose Excel Printing
Sally H. Johnson Communications Glenn L. Gabanski Lawrence Christina Rabe Seger
Karen and Charles Peter Rosenberg Catherine M. Gale Sherry Lewis and Charles Seniawski
SEABA Jim Logan
Jonaitis Amy and Michael Rule Merrill F. Garretet Bob Shank, Jr.
Howard Lilley
Mary Jo Jones Alpha Alice Russell $50 to $99 Heather and Dustin Garrick
Carolyn and Robert Long
Virginia Shapiro
Ramona L. Jones Jean Russell Donna B. Allen James A Gessaman Herbert H. Sheathelm
Tornie MacKay
Carol and Timothy Keefer Barrie Ryan Linda (Chloe) Alley- Leroy Giles Carol and Randy Shinn
Vivian and Aleck
Patricia Kennedy Joan-Marie Schaefer Sarnack Aaron Golub MacKinnon Dr. Ronnie Sidner
Jim Alrutz Robin L. Gomez Bonnie Macys Todd Silver
Keitha Kinne Elise Schepeler and
William Harrison Becky Aparicio Mary A. Goodman Sonja Macys and Melinda and Irv Simon
Miriam and Ed Kisten Elizabeth A. Goodwin Patricia and Dan Sims
Barbara O. Schneidau Carolyn S Arbiter Charles Willard
Dana Klein Margaret Armbruster Clive Green Sharon Megdal Miriam Smead
Susan Kozacek Dr. Cecil R. Schwalbe Karen and William Griffiths Curtis Smith
Carol and Richard Aronoff Nina and R.W. Merideth
Anne and Edwin Russell Scott Catherine Aspinwall and Denise Griffiths Beth Mitchneck and Lynda Smith
Kreutzmann Mary and John Sedwick Catherine Gioannetti Karin Grillo Paul Carter Dr. Mark M. Stevenson
Carolyn and Paul Farrish and Mark Sharon Eva Baird and Aaron Floyd Theresa Grzyb-Wysocki Diane P. Monnier Daniel Stolte
Kroesen Nathan Shinn Helen Baldwin Elizabeth Guldseth Dorothy and Earl Carol Tepper and
Ilene and Calvin Kunin Jane A Bardin Steve Hagan Montgomery Linda Tepper
Anne and Samuel Janet Moore Edward Tobin, IV
Elizabeth Lawrence and Shivers Laura Barton Barbara Hall and
Matt Griffiths Dee and Bob Bates Richard H. Barber Wendy Moore and Donna Tolbert-Anderson
Nancy Silvis and Dorothee Harmon Rick Brusca Colonia Solana Nancy
Patricia and Wade John Gray Timothy J. Bates
Joan and Richard Becker Betty and Norwood Hazard Lawrence Morgan Tuhey
Leitner Hyatt Simpson and Daryl
Kathy Ben Linda and Tom Headlee Emily and Ted Morrison Jeanne and Raymond M.
Elizabeth and Gene Herman Krista and John Neis Turner
Lightner Rosalie Bennett Susan and Greg Hess
Ellen and Terje Skotheim Joan and Dr. Gary Catherine and David Carl Tuttle
Mariana Livingston Bill Boris
Peggy and John Smith Heymann Newell William M. Tyndall
Elizabeth Bouwens Koehler
Robert C. Martin Janet and Linwood Smith Nathalie and Clint Hinman Hella Nordberg and Margarita Valenzuela
Anne Bowden Alicia Tonnies
Ceil Matson and Ron Holland Linda Vidal
Jana and Joseph W. Beverly and Fred Brink Iris and James Notestine
John Armitage Smith Jim Homewood Lucile Von Sprecken
Larry Brooks Margaret and C.A. Nugent
Dr. Sandra L. Mattson Stella and Phillip Hotchkiss Mary Wallace
Michael Smith Michelle and Nelson Mary-Lou and Stewart
Felicio and Warren May James Brown Jackie and Oscar Joan F. Weaver and
Shirley and Joe Spitler Hunsaker
Palmer Beverly Ginn
Linda Mayro and Mary Lou Splain Ben Builder Sarah and Dr. John D.
Sue Hunt Ellen and Dr. George C.
William Doelle Nicola Builder Palmer West
Toni Chase Stovall Brian Hurd
Rachel McCaffrey Colin Builder Lindsey Panton Judith Whitcomb
Barbara Straub Harvey Burgess Stanley Jacobs Lois Pawlak
Lynn J. McLaughlin Michael Jacobson Jarrell Wicker
Gerry and Jim Sullivan Patty and David Burks Margaret Pearson Karen Wiley and Bill Astle
Barbara and John Therese M. Jezioro and
McLean Gayle and John Rich Burtell Bruce Pheneger Lori Woods
Swarbrick Thomas Hestwood
Linda and Michael Donna and James M. Lorel Picciurro Anita and James
Byers, III Cathleen Johnson
McNulty Diane and Glen Szollosi Robert A. Plane Woodward
Brenda Campanis Freda Johnson
Robert Mesta John F. Tanner Ronald Prasek Ann Youberg Czaja and
Eliza and Kent Campbell Larry L. Johnson
Sarah Prasek and Bob Czaja
Barbara and Pete Miller Joan and John Tedford David Jordan
Lynn Carey and Matt! Brooks Loraine Zagula
Susan and George Roger Tess Harry Peck Marianne and Paul Kaestle Terri and M. Zafar Qureshi Steve Zimmerman
Mitchell Margaret B. Thomas Barbara Carroll Mandy Katz Audrey and Robert Ray Homeowners Assoc.
Robert I. Modica Cynthia Thomssen and Helen and Donald Carson Katherine and Paul Katz Cynthia Reiners Economy Birding
Narca Moore-Craig and Joe Hyde Karen and James Carson Barbara and David Kelly Diana Rhoades Services,Inc.
Alan Craig Carolyn and H. Anton Nancy R. Cary Rita S. Kester Mrs. Glenn S. Richards MasterCard
Lynette Newton and Tucher Katharine W. Cohen Suzette and Edgar King Paul Robbins Tucson Cactus &
Linda Newton Ann and John Leslie Cohen and Scott Knight Dr. William J. Robinson
Succelent Society
Tundermann K. Bharathan Patricia Koch
Carlos Ochoa
Genevieve Tvrdik Louise and Charles Conrad Debra Kornmiller and
Joan Robles
Michael Rosenzweig
Up to $49
Blain Olbert George Campbll
Rita L. Cox Leif Abrell
Anne Olson-Scribner Sylvia Van Gundy Karen Krebbs
Laura and Tom Rubbo
Lynn Crew and Rex Adams
Deborah Vath Jean Rudd
Sarah Otterstrom Aaron Miller Nicole Kredich and Dan Aiken
Joanne W. Von Blon Joanne and Charles Curtis Jamie Brown Dorothy and Stan Russell
Lori Pascarella Dr. Edward H. Alexander
Dan Davis Jinny Kyle Ruth Ogden Russell
Nikki Peters Douglas Vought Barbara Allen
Laura Davis Norma and Abe Lackow Robert D. Sandine
Margaret Petersen Dr. Frances Ann Walker James E. Ambrose, Jr.
Hal Ware Glenda and Tom DeMoss
Charles Pettis Carol des Cognets
Sara and Vincent Pike Carole and L.F. “Swede”
Warneke Susan and Steve Dolan
Laura Pinnas Cynthia Douglas
Richard Warren
Marcia Polley Ann Dursch
White-winged Dove / Paul & Eng-Li Green

Audrey and Ron Watkins Anne and Richard Edwards

Molly Pollock
Wesley Weathers Cynthia and John Edwards
Sarah and Clark Porter
Arlene and Dr. Thomas Rosemary and John Elias
Jewel and Harvey Webster
Prendeville Dianne Engleke
Vernon G. Wells Marion Erickson
Sandra Qureshi
Daniel Wenny Susan Fahringer and
Stephanie and David Keith Worman
Rainie Joyce and Russell
Widner Don T. Fallis
Susan Randolph Nancy Farina
Dr. Laurel Wilkening
Edward F. Ratajczak Alice and Thomas Farley
Bashas’ Inc. Donald Finch
Edgar Rawl
Adelaide T. Reeves

24 Tucson Audubon Vermilion Flycatcher November–December 2009

 Partnering with Tucson Audubon for a Sustainable Future

Greta Anderson Valerie Cwik Mary E. Hansen Colleen Kyler and Carl W. Paletti
William Anderson Virginia and Daniel Nina Hansen James Hrica Sally and Everett Parker
Ronald A Anderson, Jr. Danieu Sally Hanson Kelly Lacroix Toby Parks
Anne and Ronald Augusta Davis Anne and Alan Harman Renee LaRoi Kathryn and Mike
Anderson, Sr Michael D Dawson Kay Harrell Garvin Larson Pensinger
Valari Andres David J. Day Paula Hartgraves Renetta Larson Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd J.
Robert Andrews Linda De Nomme Patti Hartmann and Diane M Laush Perper
Dr. S.E. Apitz Carol J. de Waard Bruce Plenk Ruth Lawrence Cele Peterson
Tamara Arboit Carrie Dean Patricia Hartshorne Dana Lawson Linda Pfister
Sharon and Max Atwell Eve and Earl Denton Doreen Hedger Jayne Lawson Linda Phelan and
Mort Womack
Diane E. Austin Pat and Michael DeVito Kathleen Heitzmann Graham Lenton
Pam O Phillips
Mary Lee Austin Judith and Fred Dippold Norma and Timothy Sharon and Larry
Helentjaris Levinson Wilma Pinedo
Barbara Baird Linda Dobbyn
Imogene B. Helm Betty Levinson Ellen Plane
Joseph Baker Marilyn Doherty
Carol and Jim Jo Ann E. Lewis Emily Plane
Barbara Baker David Donsker
Hemingway Jean Lewis Bruce M. Plenk
Ardie Baker Dan Dorsey
Elaine Herman Yue Li Mary Ann and Karl
Kerry Baldwin Joan and Donald Dowler, Pogany
Gwen Baluss MD Patricia Higginbotham Rebecca Limas
Susan and W. Richard Cathryn and Martin
Mary Jan Bancroft Kari Driscoll Debra and Lawrence Pokorny
Hildreth Linett
Cynthia Barstad Janet Duberry Jenise and Leslie Porter
Vicki and George Hill Paula W Lipsitz
Dr. Roger A Barthelson William Dupont Carol and Dr. Sholem
Anne and Dr. Schuyler Diana Liverman
Pamela Baum Antonio Durando Hilts Postel
Tim Durnell Kathryn and Bill Lloyd Brian F. Powell
Jennifer L. Becker Jeffry Hipp
Patrick Egan Katherine Locke Virginia Prasek
Manley Begay Harriet and Robert Jane and James Helen Snyder Cynthia L Wicker

Gilded Flicker / VIREO

Kathy Ben and Scott L. Diane and Preston Hirsch Ron Pulliam
Everett Lombardo Virginia and Frank Soltys Ruth Wilderman
Wilbor Joanne and Andrew Jimmie and Bob Putman
James B Fadim Jane B. Lucal Sonoran Joint Venture Winifred Williams and
Alison Beringer Hogan Rowena Quantrill
Sarah Lykens Amanda Sorrell Kenneth Hinkle
Vera Berkman Linda Fagan Carol and Dr. Arnold Elaine and Raymond
Stephanie MacFarland Becky Spencer Karen Williams and
Christine Berry Susan Fallon Hollander Quick William T. Denny
Virginia Farwell Dick Homan Deanna MacPhail Bill Rash June Stack
Angela Best Melissa Wilson
Philip Felleman Fred Hood Heath Maddox Judith Raymond James R. Standen
Jessie Bhangoo Judith and Bayard M.
Rob Fergus E Marguerite Howard John C. Mallinson Sandy and Christopher Harriet Standring
Henry S. Bieniecki Wilson
Betty Finley and Eric Hubbell Lesley T Mansur Reith Vickie Stauffer and
Betty Blackstock Lori Wilson
Charlie Speer Ana M Mantilla Janet Reue Robert L. Frasher
Dorothy Boone Genaviene Hueftle Amy and Blair Windley
David Fisher Harriet M. Marble Jean and David Rios Barry D. Stevenson
Elizabeth Both Thomas Huels Florence F. Winslow
Rhonda Fleming Teri and Philip Marsh Arlene and Doug Ripley Miriam Joanne Stockwell
Dr. Georgiana Boyer Rosemary and Dr. Ann M Wolf
James Fleullan Douglas Huestis S. A. Marston Dr. Andrew Robertson Betty B. Stone
Amanda Boyle Joyce Wong
Arnold Fogel Marajean and Jack Anne L. Martin Andrew A Robinson Pat and Dennis Struck
Olga Bracamonte Laura L. Woods
Gloria Fors Huling Patricia and D.J. Martin Patricia Roediger Terri Strunck
Catherine Bradley Alan Wright
Rob Fray Anne and Ron Hummel Sherry and James Anne L. Rogers Sean Sullivan
James Bragg Susan and Bob Wyman
Kathy Fullin Sally and J.A. Innes Massie John Rosegrant Sandy Summers
Dr. Clait Braun Gus Yates
Bruce Fulton M James Jacobson Joanne and Harry Mayo Julia and Philip Rosen Sandra and Dean Taylor
Anne Britt Tiffany Yee
Carianne Funicelli Lynn and Max Jarrett Janine McCabe Elizabeth Rosethal Patsy Teiken
Priscilla and Henry John Yerger
Roger l. Funk Marjorie Javet Megan McCarthy Barbara Roth Judy Temple
Brodkin Carmen York
Amy Gaiennie and Alan Jenkins Karol McClellan Cathy Rowlette and Kristin Terpening and
Barbara and Carl Barbara and Frank
Bronder Ken Kingsley Doug Jenness Stephen McCotter Kathy Zampier Shannon Breslin
Yusup
Debbie Brooks James Gano Sue Jensen Emily McGovern Jonathan Ruland Geri and Don Thayer
William Zadina
Anne Browning P.J. Garcia Donna L. Jester Patrick McGowan Rob Sabata Joan Timeche
Nancy Zierenberg
William L. Bruni Gregg Garfin Mary Johnson Connie McIntee Steven Saffier Audrey Toepper
Adrian Ziolkowski
Lori Bryant Rochelle Gerratt and Tracey N. Johnson and Rebecca McKee David Safier Joanne C. Triplett
Roger Applegate Claire Zucker
Michael R. Burks Karl L. Kosciuch Elaine S. Meye Meyer David Salisbury Diana Turner
Patricia Gerrodette Bed and Bagels of
Wendy Burroughs Mary Jondrow Vista and John Michael Shelia and Terry Sansom Karen and Drew Vactor Tucson
Benita J Gettel Cecilia and Randall Mascha Miedaner Susan K. Valdivia
Barbara M. Cain Jeanne Savard Haiti Arts/Galeria La
Sharon Gilbert Jones Alice Miller Debra Valov Sirena
Mary and Edmund Josh Schachter
Caldwell Gay Gilbert John P. Jones, III Sheila and S.R. Miller Jerry Van Cleve Pendulum Studios, LLC
Warren Schellhase
Karen Campasano Barbara V. Gilkerson Bruce Joseph Tiffany Stone Miller Gus Van Vliet
Maureen Schertzer
Mary Jane Carling Kevin Gillooly Gerald B. Juliani Greg Miller Evie and Robert Varady
Rae Jean Schlimgen
Nancy Carlson Rodney Glassman Martha Kamp Lenore M. Monroe and Diana Videtti and
Amy Schlossberg Tom Aldrich
Mary Ann and Thomas Kelly Goldsmith Martin Z. Karson Alan Frolich Paula Schlusberg Hutton Wade
Carlson Bonnie and John Renee Keilman Megan Mosby
Gonzales Nan Schmidt and Barbara and Jim Wagner A special thank
Frances C. Carter Dr. Arlene Kellman Ray Moucha Joseph O. Connell
Constance Gottlund- Karolyn Kendrick Nancy and Richard you to the
Drew Carter Jacqueline Moxley Candace Schoyck
Stevens Linda J. Kennedy Walbert following Frequent
Janice Catt Susan Mullen Joe Schwanz Flyer donors for
Mary Gracia Lois and Ronald Kercado Barbara Walker and
John N. Chaney Dawn Myers Joan Scott and Phil Feigin their monthly
Charles Graf Susan Ketterlinus Bill Broyles
Malcolm S. Chesworth Carolyn L. Nash Margaret Ward contributions:
Lisa Graumlich Margaret Kidwell June Scroggin
Eng-Wei Chong Susan Naumann Patricia Waterfall
Roberta Clark
Yajaira and Floyd Gray Susan Kilgore Edward H. Nelson Laura and Ryan Seelau Mich Coker
Lila Greisman Richard L. Watts
Sara and David Clement Robert King Lova Njuguna Goldie and Isidore Christine Curtis
Beth Grindell Shapiro Jim Watts
Lee and Andrew Comrie Sandra Kite Doug Noffsinger and Karl & Sandy Elers
Donald H. Gunther Becky Sharp Duncan Betty Watts and
Dr. Sandra Cook Dennis Kizerian Roger Funk Fred J. Watts
Dwight Hahn Jeryl Ogden Janice Shaughnessy
Cristina Feeley
Maura and Stephen Jaun Klein Christopher Wendel
Cornell Sarah J. Hahn Brooks Barbara Ann Klensin Kristen Olbrys Max O Shemwell Linda H. Greene
Trish Haines Nancy Wendt
Tressa Coss Dr. Kristine M Klewin Sharon and Dr. Thomas Jessie Shinn and Robert King
Sheila aand Donald Randy Grohman Wes Wesenberg
Peter Cowan Carolyn M. Kobe P. Onak
Hamann Katherine Westengard Susan Kozacek
Fran Cox Mary Blaine Korff Helen and Joseph Keely Sinclair
Louise and Dick Orenstein Matt Slakey Ellen Wheeler Herb & Pat
Lisa Coyner Hammond James Kroesen Inez Whipple and
Kerri J. Ormerod Marilyn and Gerard Trossman
Janice Crebbs Clark Haney Anna Krull David Cheng
Patricia Orosz-Coghlan Smith Deborah Vath
M Carol Crew Homer Hansen Susan M White
Elizabeth Pagano Kathy Smith
November–December 2009 Vermilion Flycatcher Tucson Audubon 25
Partnering with Tucson Audubon for a Sustainable Future

Tucson Audubon thanks and honors our volunteers for the gift of their time and skills.
500 hr or more Carol Eagle Sara Pike Irene Kondor Up to 10 hr Sarah Lantz(Reif)
Ries Lindley
Sandy Elers Mary Kay Eiremann Bonnie Pranter Kendall Kroesen Marlys Ackerman Jim Logan
Mary Ellen Flynn Alfred Romero David Labiner Nick Astrauskas
Eng-Li Green Diane Austin
Jesse Lopez
Fabian Mada
Chris McVie Richard Fray Erik Shapiro Sonja Ladouceur Alona Bachi Ed Malais
Julie Gordon Peggy Smith Karen LaFrance Carol Beardmore Martha Martin
250 to 499 hr Andy Hogan Phil Smith Larry Liese
Andy Bennett Paul M. Martin
Charlie Bent
Robert Merideth Linda Berg
Bob McCormick
Joanne Hogan Warren Tisdale Jane Lombardo Karen McWhirter
Liz Payne Diane Berney Elizabeth Meyer
Carolyn Lewis Jane Tisdale Juan Lopez Ray Berney
Cynthia Pruett Sue Minger
David Moll Diane Touret David Louie Alan Blixt Adrian Monquez
Jean Rios Troy Blodgett Elaine Moore
Carlos Ochoa Peggy Wenrick Carol Madeheim Paula Blumer
Herb Trossman Conrad Moore
Erlinda Ochoa John Yerger Neil Markowicz Diego Borquez Anore Newman
David West Molly Bradshaw
Joe Orenstein Nancy McMahon Michael Nicosia
10 to 24 hr Cliff Braun Michelle Ochoa
125 to 249 hr William Roe
Bill Adler
Pat McNiven Matt Brown Estevan Ochotorena
Stephen Buck
Doris Evans Andree Tarby Pinau Merlin Scott Olmstead
Lori Aldecoa Josh Burr Sue Ordway
Jim Hays Martha Wiewel Ed Moll Johnny Casillas Jeremy Papuga
Peggy Alexander Rosie Catalan
Craig Marken Kathy Wingert Shari Montgomery Krya Perry
Kathe Anderson Claire Cayla Alice Peteraulcki
Jeri Ogden Eric Moore Ann Chanecka
25 to 49 hr Walt Anderson Audrey Clark
Wendy Phelps
Kathy Olmstead Brian Nicholas Valerie Phipps
Kati Anderson Mary Andrews Peter Collins Bev Postmus
Karen O’Neil Juan Carlos Ochoa Bea Cooley
Keith Archibald Julie Appletree Clair Postmus
Martha Pille Joanne Oellers John Coons Carol Jean Pry
Sharon Arnold Barbara Bickel Kim Creagan Art Quijada
Tom Rehm Sally Ohanseian Meghan Dennison
Debbie Bartolazzi Daniel Borquez Roger Radd
Barbara Schneidau Michael Pensinger Joy Dingley Ravi Ram
Harvey Beatty Meg Buchanan Steve Dingley
Jessie Shinn Kathryn Pensinger Judy Reed
Matt Brooks Elizabeth Burke Nancy Docherty Mark Riegner
Darlene Smyth Lindsey Quesinberry Russell Duerksen Jean Rigden
Kathie Brown Judy Calvert Johann Duerksen
Adrian Quijada Molly Robison
75 to 124 hr Steve Burk Richard Carlson Ann Durning George Rodriguez
Micah Riegner Kendall Elmer Rick Romea
Larry Abrams Sue Burk Pat Carlson Sandra Engoron-
Andy Robertson March
Brittney Rorex
Lexie Bivings Beth Clark Jean Clark Mike Rosenfeld
Jean Scheibe Abraham Estopellan
Laura Cotter Bill Clark Jeff Corcoran Valentine Royzuco
Aaron Evans
Joe Schwanz Julie Fabre
Suzzette Russi
Fran Cox Jerry Cole Ted Cordery Lia Sansom
Ginny Seabrook Mike Fagan
Shirley Davis Jennifer Cordova Carrie Dean Kay Fagan
Dick Sauer
Leslie Sell Carol Schooler
Cheryl Goodberg Nigel Crook Tara Deck Carlos Figueroa
Rich Schooler
Sharon Sell Gayle Forsythe
Linda Green Cynthia Dominguez Patty Denison Cassie Frantz
Jonathan Seely
Kevin Smith Susan Sferra
Liz Harrison Sue Drown Jim Douthit Charles Freeman
Sandy Shepard
Janine Spencer Santiago Galvis
Tim Helentjaris Dave Dunford Ginny Dunn Birgitta Gaud
Hyatt Simpson
Ann Steffler Priya Singh
Jean Hengesbaugh Marjorie Eckman Michael Evans Bob Gessner
Carol Tepper Mike Smith
Susan Gilbert
Mark Hengesbaugh Lainie Epstein Stacy Fischer Deborah Green
Pete Sockness
Audrey Toepper Andy Sorensen
Karen Hochgraf Craig Gordon Kelly Fleming Randy Grohman
Carl Tomoff Martin Sperry
Felipe Guerrero
Jan Labiner Bill Grossi Sylvia Foster Patricia Sperry
Octavio Ulloa Mary Hanley
Vivian Mackinnon Ned Harris John Higgins Mea Stees
Michael Hanley
Rebeca Valenzuela Karen Stucke
Maggie Pearson Elizabeth Harding
Norma Jenkins Jutta Holzhaus Christine Sylvester
Deborah Vath David Harwood
Lorel Picciuro Philip Kline Mac Hudson Claire Turner
Cat Hayden
Tim Wernette Daryl Herman
Jose Valenzuela
Linda Stitzer Cathy Koehler Rob Hunt
Pyrrhuloxia / Richard Fray

Jim Higgs Ivett Valenzuela

Bill Wieboldt
Walter Thurber Sue Kozacek Brian Ison Shirley Holland Carolyn Vemulapalli
Erika Wilson Danny Holley Margaret Ward
Wanda Wynne Bobbie Lambert Doug Jenness Bob Wenrick
Rick Wright Celia Holm
Cherie Lazaroff Therese Jezioro Scott Wilbor
50 to 74 hr Dick Homan
Natalie Houghton Cathy Wise
Ronda Lustman Dan Wolgast
Rosie Bennett Barb Houser
Doug McVie Holl-lee Huffman Connie Woodman
Susan Birky Jeff Woodman
Anthony Molina Dennis Jex
Clark Blake Natasha Kline Sam Woodrich
Pam Negri Gisela Kluwin, Daniela Yellan
Stacy Burleigh Sundee Zeller
Caroline Patrick Betsy Kunzer
Cliff Cathers Sandy Kunzer VF

Robert Payne
Mich Coker

26 Tucson Audubon Vermilion Flycatcher November–December 2009


Birding Travel
from our Business Partners
Adventure Birding C
­ ompany
www.adventurebirding.com
info@adventurebirding.com • 495-0229
San Blas: Mangrove Estuaries, Coffee Fincas,
Palm Forests and More. Dec 12–20, 2009, $1990.
Leader: Keith Kamper. The coastal fishing village of
San Blas is one of the premier birding destinations
in Mexico. We’ll visit mangrove estuaries, coffee
fincas, beaches and coastal lagoons. 25 Mexican
endemics possible including San Blas Jays,
Rufous-necked ­Wood-rail, Cinnamon Hummingbird
and Golden Vireo. Jungle boat tour with oddities
like ­Boat-­billed Heron and Northern Potoo, even
iguanas and crocodiles! We will be based at one
motel throughout; so we can unpack, unwind and
enjoy the region’s natural and cultural history,
fresh mariscos and green-flash ­sunsets.
South Texas: Specialties and Migrants in
the Lower Rio Grande Valley. April 3–11,
2010, $1890. Leaders: John Yerger and/or
Jake Mohlmann. Join us in “the other” premier
U.S. birding destination, with guides who have
lived and birded there. With specialties like
Great Kiskadee, Green Jay and Altamira Oriole,
how can you miss? We’ll sample all habitats
from tidal mudflats to subtropical thornscrub
to prime Chihuahuan Desert. Visit both classic
hotspots and lesser-known local secrets for rarer
residents like Clay-colored Robin and Hook-billed
Starting in the historic city center of Mazatlan, we
bird the tropical deciduous forest before heading
up to find the target species of the Durango
Highway. We’ll bird the key spots including
Singayta Road, the coffee plantations in La Bajada,
and Cerro de San Juan, and go on two boat trips
up the San Cristobal River and the mangrove
labyrinths of the estuary. There are a possible
35 endemics on this trip, including Tufted Jay,
Eared Quetzal, Rufous-necked Wood-rail, Military
Macaw, Collared Forest Falcon, and San Blas
Jay. Join us for one of our most popular trips.
Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. January 10–19,
2010, $3100 per person. Leader: David MacKay
Our ten day itinerary goes to all of the best birding
habitats, including mangrove estuaries, beautiful
beaches, dry tropical forest and dense jungle. We
also visit some magnificent archeological ruins,
enjoy regional cuisine and explore the world of the
Mayan culture. We start on the island of Cozumel,
looking for island endemics at the San Gervasio
ruins and beyond. Once on the mainland, we begin
a large “U” of the Peninsula, visiting Tulum, the
environs of Felipe Carrillo Puerto, Laguna Bacalar,
the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve, Uxmal, the
Celestun Biosphere Reserve and Merida. As on
all our trips, we stay at great and unique hotels,
enjoy really good food, and have lots of fun!.
Tropical B
­ irding
VICTOR EMANUEL NATURE TOURS, INC.
www.ventbird.com
(512) 328-5221 • info@ventbird.com
Panama’s Canopy Tower, January 30–February
6, 2010 with Kevin Zimmer and a local leader;
$2,975 in double occupancy from Panama City.
Kevin Zimmer leads this exciting weeklong trip to
central Panama and the always popular Canopy
Tower. A stay at one of the most unique lodges
that we know of promises 300+ species of birds
(toucans, trogons, tanagers, motmots, cotingas,
and more), mammals, and history. Highlights
include birding the forest canopy from the top of the
tower, walking in pristine jungle on Pipeline Road,
and a visit to the engineering marvel that is the
Panama Canal. This trip may be combined with our
Chiriqui Highlands trip that visits the cloud forests
of western Panama as well as our short post-trip
to the remarkable Canopy Lodge at El Valle.
Kauai & Hawaii: The Garden Isle & the Big
Island. February 27–March 6, 2010 with Bob
Sundstrom and a second leader; $3,295 in double
occupancy from Lihue to Hilo. Renowned as a
tropical paradise, the Hawaiian Islands are also a
place of exceptional biological significance. Join
us for this late winter tour in search of our 50th
state’s most endangered endemic birds. This tour
promises visits to many of Hawaii’s beautiful sites
as well as some of its most important refuges. Big
Island highlights include Hawaii Volcanoes National
Park, the slopes of Mauna Kea, and the Hakalau
forest; at Kauai we’ll visit the famed Alakai Plateau,
stunning Waimea Canyon, and extraordinary
Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge.
VF

Kite. This trip is timed to catch loads of spring

migrants, and probably a few Mexican rarities!
Nature Treks and P
­ assages
www.naturetreks.net.
­info@naturetreks.net • 781-789-8127
Copper Canyon, Mexico. Unique 9-Day
Birding Tour. Oct. 17–25 and Nov. 28–Dec. 6.
See breathtaking vistas of the Sierra Madre
Mountains. Enjoy the Copper Canyon Train
ride from sea level to canyon rim. Relax on the
tranquil float down the Rio Fuerte. The Copper
Canyon adventure combines the best of natural
history with diverse, cultural habitats. But the
emphasis on this trip’s itinerary is birding—for
the beginner, to the obsessed. $­2749 pp.
Alamos, Mexico. Guided Cultural and Historical
Tour. Nov. 13–18 and Dec. 11–16. Journey to
colonial Alamos in southern Sonora, Mexico,
known for its charming colonial architecture
and elegant ambience. Search for neotropical
birds in the Sinaloa thorn forest and tropical
deciduous forest, and regional birds on the Rio
Mayo and at mangrove estuaries on the Sea of
Cortez. Charming local restaurants! $1599 pp
Rancho ­Esmeralda
www.ranchoesmeraldanogales.com
326-9686 ext. 19
Solipaso ­Tours
www.solipaso.com • info@solipaso.com
San Blas and the Durango Highway. February
21–March 2, 2010, $2570 Leader: David MacKay.
www.tropicalbirding.com
info@tropicalbirding.com • 1-800-348-­5941
Wings Over Willcox
Eastern Ecuador: High Andes to Vast A ­ mazon.
Truly an Annual Spectacle!
December 5–19, 2009. $3390 from Quito; March
5–19, 2010. $3690 from ­Quito. Starting from the
magnificent high Andes dotted with ­snow-­capped
volcanoes towering over 18,000 ft, we head
all the way down to the ­ultra-­diverse Amazon
lowlands. Well over 1,000 bird species occur in
this region, but we can see them in comfort as
we stay in some of the best lodges in Ecuador,
including San Isidro, Wild Sumaco, and Sacha
Lodge which has the only canopy walkway in the
country. Tropical Birding’s main office is in Quito,
so we know this wonderful country like no one The five-day 17th annual Wings Over Willcox
else, and our tour leaders are second to ­none. Birding & Nature Festival begins Wednesday,
Southern Ecuador: Tumbesian Rarities and January 13, 2010 and includes a weekend
Highland Endemics. January 21–February packed with outdoor adventures, indoor activities
4, 2010. $3140 from ­Guayaquil. Pacific coast and banquet speaker Rich Glinski, editor and
extension: February 4–7, 2010. $890 from contributing author for the book The Raptors of
­Guayaquil. Birding in southern Ecuador has
Arizona. Visit www.wingsoverwillcox.com or call
experienced a remarkable renaissance in the last
few years. A series of brand-new ­eco-­lodges and 1-800-200-2272 to reserve your seat!
bird reserves make this trip an absolute delight
and accessible to anyone. There is a magnificent in our Nature
variety of habitats and birds on this trip including
­Shops
the ­endemic-­packed dry Tumbesian region, rich
Andean cloudforests, 13,000 ft. Paramo, and even Hawaii’s Birds
coastal estuaries. This is one of THE best trips for $10.99
­hummers: ­some of our tours have seen over 60
The Birds of Hawaii
species! These are only two of our Ecuador ­tours: and the Tropical
­our complete lineup can be found on our ­website.
Pacific $45.00
November–December 2009 Vermilion Flycatcher Tucson Audubon 27
 Tucson Audubon thanks
our Birds & Business
Alliance Members, who have
shown their support for bird
conservation through annual
contributions and in-kind
donations. Please show them
you appreciate their support
for us by supporting them. Please choose these
progressive companies when you need a service.
Sterling
*New member
Adventure Birding Company
• 520-495-0229 • www.adventurebirding.com
Nature Treks & Passages
• 781-789-8127 • naturetreks.net
Rancho Esmeralda • 326-9686
• www.ranchoesmeraldanogales.com
Solipaso Tours • www.solipaso.com
Tropical Birding • 800-348-5941
• www.tropicalbirding.com
Victor Emanuel Nature Tours
• 800-328-VENT • www.ventbirds.com
Silver
The Oasis at Way Out West
• 520-825-4590 • www.wowarizona.com
Snell & Wilmer • www.swlaw.com
Tucson Electric Power • www.tep.com
Copper
Bed & Bagels of Tucson • 520-760-5595
Lou Benson Construction
Borderland Tours • 800-525-7753
Brooklyn Pizza Company • 520-622-6868
Buffalo Exchange • 520-795-0508
*Casa Adobe B&B in Rodeo, NM • 877-577-2275
Casa de San Pedro B&B • www.bedandbirds.com
Coyote Wore Sideburns • 520-623-7341
Desert Toyota of Tucson • 520-296-8535
Down By the River B&B • 520-720-9441
Economy Birding Services • 520-762-3201
*El Conquistador Resort Patio Homes Association
*Financial Architects • www.financial-architects.com
Fiore Tile Works • 520-971-0677
Greenfire Ecological Landscaping • 520-429-7306
Heartstone Mountain Ranch • 877-562-2955
Hughes Federal Credit Union • 520-794-8341
Kimberlyn Drew, Realtor • 520-237-1408
Lori Pascarella, Financial Consultant • 520-747-6167
Naturalist Journeys • 866-900-1146
P2 Preparedness • 520-971-5971
Rancho De La Osa • 800-872-6240
Ravens-Way Wild Journeys • 520-425-6425
RockJumper Birding Tours • www.rockjumper.co.za
Riverpark Inn • 800-551-1466
Spirit Tree Inn B&B • 520-394-0121
Sundance Press • 800-528-4827
TyrannoTours • 520-577-6546
*The Lodge at Ventana Canyon
Veterinary Specialty Center of Tucson • 520-795-9955
Wild Birds Unlimited • 520-878-9585
Visit www.tucsonaudubon.org for more
information about our Birds & Business Alliance
members, including links to their websites.
28 Tucson Audubon Vermilion Flycatcher November–December 2009
Tucson Audubon’s
Birds & Business alliance
Please welcome our newest Birds & Business Alliance Members
Casa de San Pedro bed and breakfast
is located next to the San Pedro Riparian National
Conservation Area (SPRNCA) on ten acres with
easy access to the San Pedro River, which offers
excellent birding. The property also has a number
of feeders on it to make birding easy and enjoyable
year-round. § The bed and breakfast has 10 guest
rooms, all with private entrance and private bath
and individual thermostats for your comfort. A full
breakfast is served each day and early breakfasts
are available to accommodate birders. Fresh
pies and cookies are available in the afternoon.
Dinners are available certain times of the year,
or for groups of 6 or more with advance notice.
The common areas offer plenty of room to visit
with other birders or spend quiet time updating
your birdlist. § Our Barn Owl box has had a family
in it the last three years. A bat house, made to
house up to 6,000 bats, can be quite a sight in
the early spring when over 400 bats have flown
out searching for bugs. It is not unusual to see
Lesser Night Hawks circling our fields, bats leaving
their box, and Barn Owls taking flight during the
mid-evening starting in early May. § The grounds
are constantly being improved with drought-
tolerant plants that attract birds and butterflies. We
welcome birders to visit us and experience birding
at our bed and breakfast, and if you would like to
stay a night or two, we would be most happy to
host you. www.bedandbirds.com.
El Conquistador Resort Patio Homes
Association, Inc. El Conquistador Resort
Patio Homes consists of 192 residences which
border the golf course of the Hilton El Conquistador
Resort in Oro Valley. § Beginning in mid 2007,
the Association embarked on a three-year capital
improvement /infrastructure renewal program.
By the end of this program, over $480,000 will
have been invested in this program including the
planting of 250 new trees and over 1,000 new
plants/shrubs. § Following the guidance of our
consulting Landscape Designer, Greg Corman,
all of the new tree and plant species are native
to the Sonoran Desert and follow the principles
of xeriscape landscaping. Three of the larger
common areas were designated as “The Bird
Garden,” “The Butterfly Garden” and the “Lizards
Lair,” with the installation of appropriate new
plantings and benches. § Other major components
of the capital program were a totally new irrigation
system, a major physical upgrade to the roads, and
a complete new installation of decorative rock for
the entire community. § One of the most gratifying
results from these investments and management
efforts is the reduction of three million gallons of
irrigation water consumed in a two-year period as
compared to the prior two years. § The reduction
in the consumption of potable irrigation water was
recognized by the town of Oro Valley in the town’s
Monthly Magazine, Vista. The community was also
recognized in a feature article on Station KVOA
C opper
News 4 by the “Green Team” reporter for our
water conservation efforts and our tree- and shrub-
planting program. § With all of these continuing
efforts, we felt that a next logical step would be
to join the Audubon Society whose overall goals
and vision so closely complement those of our
community. § We are proud to be a member of the
Tucson Audubon Society. Board of Directors, El
Conquistador Resort Patio Homes Association, Inc.
FINANCIAL ARCHITECTS Are you on a path
to financial independence? When planning for
your financial future you want to enlist the help of
professionals you can trust. At Financial Architects,
Certified Financial Planners™ James P. Walker
and Brienne L. Dylewski are committed to helping
individuals and businesses build financial futures
that meet their personal and professional goals. As
independent planners, they are truly able to work
in the best interest of their clients on everything
from retirement planning to wealth management
to college savings. In business for more than 35
years, Financial Architects enjoys a solid reputation
for providing expert financial advice and investment
and insurance services to help clients reduce
taxes and achieve financial independence. §
If you would like to schedule a complimentary
appointment please call 884-7550. Partial list
of Services & Products: Business Retirement
Plans, Business Insurance Planning, Employee
Benefit Planning, Estate Planning, Private
Portfolio Management, Mutual Funds, Annuities,
529 College Savings Plans and Long-Term
Care Insurance. Ph: 884-7550. Website: www.
financial-architects.com. § Securities and advisory
services through KMS Financial Services, Inc.
The Lodge at Ventana Canyon Against
the dramatic backdrop of the Santa Catalina
Mountains, nestled in the foothills of this pristine
setting is the perfect vacation destination, the
Lodge at Ventana Canyon. With just 50 spacious
guest suites located within the gates of a private
club, The Lodge offers a unique and intimate
vacation experience. Be a member for a day
or lifetime. § The Lodge offers every leisure
activity you could possibly want. Heading the list
of attractions are the two world-renowned Tom
Fazio-designed golf courses, which will captivate
your imagination as they wend their way through
the scenic foothills at the base of the Santa
Catalinas. Couple this with a world-class tennis
program managed by Peter Burwash International,
a spacious swimming facility, fitness center, a
spa with room service, and dining facilities with
eclectic menus designed to meet every taste. §
The Lodge at Ventana Canyon is a four-diamond
golf and tennis resort destination, voted #35 by
Conde Nast Travelers Readers Poll of the top 100
golf resorts. Come and visit this Tucson classic. VF
 The TAS-ifieds
Classified ADs
Classified and display ads are accepted from
individual members and members of our Birds
& Business Alliance. Visit www.tucsonaudubon.
org/verfly for rates or contact Matt Griffiths
mgriffiths@tucsonaudubon.org to book an ad.
Birding Buddy wanted Kelly Fleming
520/394-0017 kafleming@theriver.com.
Intermediate Looking to sharpen all skills
especially birding by ear in the Patagonia (I live
here and know the back country), Santa Cruz Co.
area. Once a week or more.
Birds & Business Alliance Join TODAY
and connect with the Tucson Audubon community.
For more information and to join, contact Paul
Green at pgreen@tucsonaudubon.org or 777-
9525.
EL PEDREGAL Nature Lodge—Alamos, Sonora,
Mexico—Five luxurious guest casitas and central
lodge set on 20 acres of intact tropical deciduous
forest. Delicious regional cuisine, unrivaled local
knowledge and warm hospitality. Birding tours,
river trips, yoga classes and more available.
Special Tucson Audubon package available. For
more information: www.solipaso.com
Like to entertain? Enjoy birding? The
education department is planning two programs,
Sandhill Cranes and a Raptor Watch this winter. A
volunteer will be treated to a free trip in exchange
for helping host, simple food prep and packing. A
great way to help. Call Becky: 622-2230
The Oasis at Way Out West B&B/Private
Nature Preserve. A secluded trail side location
offers close-up wildlife observation and colorful
mountain sunsets. Bird our trails (135+ House List)
or the Catalinas. 20+ feeding stations, Naturalist/
Photographer on-site, Wi-Fi, Hydrotherapy spas,
Bike rentals, Eco-Excursions. WOWArizona.com.
520.825.4590.
Support Tucson Audubon...
Become a Friend Today!
Annual Membership subscription
‰‰$35 ­Individual Contributor $100 q
‰‰$50 Family Supporter $25­0 q
‰‰$35­Senior Supporter* Guardian $500 q
‰‰$25­Senior Discount* Steward $1000 q
‰‰$25 ­Student* Leadership Circle $2500 q
*Individual
Name
Address
City / State / ­Zip
Email
Phone
‰‰ New ­membership q Renewing ­membership
‰‰ Please email me about Tucson Audubon
events ­and conservation ­issues.
‰‰ Please do not share my contact ­information.
‰‰ Please do not mail me Vermilion Flycatcher.
I’ll read it online.
Donation
‰‰I would like to support Tucson Audubon
Volunteer Needed Are you interested in Society with ­an additional contribution of
helping the database side of our AZ Important Bird q $25 q $50 q $100 q $­250.
Area (IBA) Avian Science Initiative? Would you ‰‰ Tucson Audubon Frequent ­Flyer Monthly
like to learn about what birds were seen where Donor ­Program: I authorize the charge of
across our IBA survey network? Then the AZ IBA $____ per month for ____ months to my
Program could use your help with bird survey data credit card ($10/month minimum).
entry at the TAS-IBA office possibly one morning a Tucson Audubon Society will ­use the full amount of your ­tax-­deductible
gift for its environmental, educational and recreational ­programs.
week (3 hours, Wednesday ideal). You must have
a willingness to delve into the technical language Method of ­payment
of ornithological surveys and be open to learning ‰‰ Check (payable to Tucson Audubon Society)
our database structure and codes supporting ‰‰ MasterCard q Visa q AMEX
our on-line data entry. Call Scott Wilbor, AZ IBA
Program Conservation Biologist, at (520) 628-
1730 to help.VF Credit Card No.
Expiration Date Amount $
Signature
Please send your application with payment ­to
Tucson Audubon ­Society,
300 E. University Blvd, #120,
Tucson, AZ ­85705
(Attn: Jean Barchman,
Membership Coordinator)
OR join, renew or ­donate online at
www.tucsonaudubon.org
November–December 2009 Vermilion Flycatcher Tucson Audubon 29
 Good
Other
Feeding
Ways Practices
to Give! Tucson Audubon
Tucson Audubon
In addition Societywild
to enjoying is abirds
registered
in your
Nature Shops
501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
backyard, Tucson Audubon promotes 100% of
responsible
your financial and in-kind donations
bird-feeding practices that include, but are not and Tucson Audubon’s Nature Shops provide for your needs in natural
membership
limited to: dues are tax deductible. history books and guides, birding optics and accessories, and gifts right
• THE Storing your birdSOCIETY
VERMILION seed in a dry, rodent-proof here in Tucson. We offer a great selection, the best prices, and member
container
Create a legacy that will benefit others for
discounts. Remember to shop locally.
• generations by including
Cleaning debris from underTucson Audubon
feeders regularly
Enhance your wild bird habitat by making the
• Society in your
Monitoring theestate
numberplanning.
of birdsYour gift feeder
at your will
Nature Shop your stop for premium bird seed
express, in a lasting way,
(large concentrations areyour
not commitment
recommended) to
preserving the diversity of southern Arizona’s and feeders
• Cleaning your feeders regularly The Tucson Audubon Nature Shop now offers
rich avifauna and the habitats they call home.
• If you
Marking
haveany windows
already nearTucson
included your feeders
Audubon to a selection of premium wild bird seed and seed
in eliminate
your estate potential
plans we window
hope collisions (It is
that you will feeders, along with our selection of hummingbird
bestthis
share to keep your feeder
information with us.within
We3would
feet oflike
your feeders, to enhance your backyard habitat and
to window
expressso ourbirds are flying
gratitude and slowly
welcome or not
youattoall enjoyment of bird-watching.
thewhen near or
Vermilion on yourAsfeeder)
Society. always, your wishes We’ve chosen a premium quality seed brand
• forGround
anonymity will be
feeding respected.
is not encouraged, If youaswould
this mixed to provide the best seed for our backyard And don’t forget the hummingbirds! Feeding
likecan
to know more about how to
draw other wildlife to your yard anddesignate birds here in urban and suburban Tucson. Wild hummingbirds is easy and enjoyable. And, a few
Tucson Audubon
encourages as concentrations
large a recipient in your will, such
of birds Delight brand seed is mixed by a family-owned other bird species such as orioles, tanagers and
please contact Executive Director Paul Green
as pigeons, doves and other ground feeders. and operated company in Minnesota and their woodpeckers also may enjoy your hummingbird
at 622-5622 or pgreen@tucsonaudubon.org.
These ground feeders are also food for ingredients come from growers in the United feeder. The Nature Shop offers a wide selection
DONOR WALL and become easy targets when
larger wildlife States. Wild Delight seed does not have any added of hummingbird feeders, and includes feeders that
concentrated
Whenever in one
you visit ourarea.
offices and Nature Shop chemical preservatives in its seed formulations and are very easy to keep clean.
onOther
University
tips toBlvd
enjoyyou’ll
more notice
wild our
birdsdonor
in yourwall the company studies nutritional needs of wild birds Our staff and volunteers are looking forward to
honoring significant giving with brightly colored
backyard: in order to provide needed nutrients in their seed helping you enhance your backyard habitat with
bird and plant tiles. For information on making a mixes. Wild Delight brand does not use seed mix feeders and seed. Support Tucson Audubon when
• Landscape your yard with native plants,
memorial gift or honoring a loved one with a tile
as these provide food, shelter and nesting fillers such as milo or millet that are less desirable considering your bird seed and feeders purchase.
on our donor wall please contact Jean Barchman
to feeder birds in our area, and provides one of the Don’t forget—all Friends of Tucson Audubon
at opportunities
jbarchman@tucsonaudubon.org or 629-0757.
• Provide water for birds—fresh, running water cleanest and most dust-free products available in members receive 10% off seed, plus no sales tax
WORKPLACE
is most appealing GIVING the industry. for all of our customers!
Donations can be
For more information madeon to responsible
Tucson Audubon bird Just a few of the variety of seed mixes you will We’ll see you in the shop soon! VF

through payroll deduction for employees who see in our store from Wild Delight brand:
feeding and creating a better habitat for birds,
work for the City of Tucson and Pima County
please stop by our store and pick up an Enjoying Black Oil Sunflower Seed—Just about every
through the Employees Combined Appeal
Wild Birds (ECAP).
Program Designatebrochure.
in Your Backyard our number, seed-eating bird enjoys black oil sunflower, Tucson Audubon
#1434, as your recipient and your gifts will especially Northern Cardinal, Pyrrhuloxia, and
Nature Shops
go to Tucson Audubon; it’s just that easy! House Finch. 7# bag—$15.99
Annual BlackeFriday and
Many other companies offer an employee Woodpecker, Nuthatch and Chickadee Food—
When you support your local Tucson
Saturday Sal
matching gift program where they match (some This is a hearty blend of seed including sunflower,
Audubon Society you are supporting birds
and bird habitat conservation. Thank you!
even triple!) employee 15% off
charitable contributions.
Frid ay, November 27th and  coffee peanuts, pistachios, and pumpkin, as well as dried
Many will do so even 28t if you are retired.ics,
opt Check
Sat urd ay,  November h and seed* cranberries, apples and papaya. Gila Woodpeckers SHOP HOURS
with your employer for more information.
20% off all will enjoy this mix, and quite
Plus a T-shirt
BASHAS’
blowout and
“SHOP &s!GIVE”
Main Shop
bin oth er items* possibly a Cactus Wren, too! Monday–Saturday 10 am–4  pm,
price sale
singletime
Next you’re in Bashas’ simply link 5# bag—$14.99 except Monday & Thursday until 5  pm
your business,
t local“Thank
Bashas’ You” portto Tucson
supcard
Suppor Phone: 629-0510
We ’ll see there!and
you27286, Deck, Porch N’ Patio ®
Audubon
Tucson Aud ubon! ID number,
Society’s On the southeast corner of University Blvd and 5th Avenue.
from September 1, 2008, through March 31, mix—This is a zero-waste bird
d on in-stock items only
goopercent
*Saleone seed mix. All of the nuts and Agua Caliente Park Shop
2009, of what you spend will be
seeds are hulled, allowing the October–February: Thursday, Friday & Saturday,
donated by Bashas’ to Tucson Audubon.
9  am–3:30  pm
birds to easily eat the seed and
THE IRA CHARITABLE ROLLOVER Phone: 760-7881
keeping you free from cleaning From Tanque Verde Rd and Houghton, continue east on
Legislation has been extended retroactive to up opened shells. All songbirds go for this blend. Tanque Verde 2 miles. Turn left (north) onto Soldier Trail,
2008 and 2009. During 2008 and 2009, holders Expect to see Northern Cardinal, quails, grosbeaks continue north for 2 miles. Turn right (east) onto Roger Rd,
of traditional IRAs who are at least 70½ years and finches among others. 5# bag—$15.99
continue ¼ mile to the park entrance on the left (north).
old can transfer up to $100,000 per year
Wake up with the Birds Thursday 8:00 am:
directly to charity — bypassing income tax. The Also available in our Nature Shop are various
Loaner binoculars available, meet in front of the ranch
extension comes as part of the Emergency bird-seed feeder types, including feeders made house. For more information call Pima County Parks
Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, and enables from recycled plastic. You can take your pick and Rec. 615-7855 or email eeducation@pima.gov.
Sara Pike

Americans to give to the causes they care about. from a tube-style feeder, hopper or wire mesh, or For permit requests and general information about
park rules and regulations call 749-3718
window feeder.
30 Tucson Audubon Vermilion Flycatcher November–December 2009

ID Your Tree
The Sibley Guide to Trees
David Allen Sibley. 2009. New York: Knopf
ISBN: 978-0-375-41519-7-4261
David Sibley’s new guide to trees is a bit large and
expensive for a field guide (9.5 inches tall, an inch
thick, 2.25 lbs., $39.95). On the other hand, there
are a lot of trees out there. Sibley describes 668
of them.
One of the first things you will notice is the
handsome map of USDA hardiness zones just
inside the front cover. Sibley is attempting to
Crow Planet: Essential Wisdom from the Urban
Wilderness
Lyanda Lynn Haupt. 2009
Little, Brown and Company
ISBN 0316019100
240 pages. Hardcover
Haupt has written a much-needed book for today’s
busy lifestyle. We all hear about nature and how
we need to respect it, but often we don’t know how,
or even where, to begin. Haupt tackles this problem
by simply focusing on one animal, the crow. It’s
a bird familiar to most people and easy to spot,
unlike most songbirds that stay in the trees and
are hard to study. Crows are out in the open and,
being members of the corvid family, are intelligent
and lively. Crows and other corvids are problem-
solvers; they enjoy manipulating items and seem to
think about what they are doing.
 Haupt uses the crow as a communication
tool to open the reader to the world of nature and
observation. The book is filled with interesting
stories about crows, and is solid with information
on crow behavior, ecology, and general biology.
Haupt has done her homework, not just on crow
When you need a book, think of Tucson Audubon Nature Shops first! Support your local book store. 520-623-3476
BOOKENDS
interest not only nature lovers with field guides
in their backpacks, but also horticulturists and
backyard gardeners. Each species description
gives zones in which the tree can survive—in case
you are wondering if there is a niche for a Joshua
tree in your back yard.
Along with native trees, the guide covers lots of
introduced species. Range maps for each species
seem to be comprehensive, showing both the
natural range of a native tree and areas where they
have been introduced.
With a field guide I usually skip right to the
species descriptions, but it’s worth reading the
introductory material in this case. Sibley discusses
what counts as a tree (Joshua tree apparently
does) and how to make field observations.
For those who are interested, there’s a good
introduction to descriptive botany and taxonomy.
Now to the critical question: Can you actually
identify trees using the system in this book?
Sibley makes the point that no single “field mark”
(leaf shape, bark texture, etc.) alone is enough
to identify a tree—at least in most cases. So the
guide describes, and often illustrates, several key
diagnostic characteristics for each species. Be
aware that it may be difficult to identify a tree that
has no fruits or flowers, or that has lost its leaves.
ecology, but also how to relate this ecology to
philosophy and everyday thinking about global
issues. In the book we see the journey crows take
between life and death, and how we should relate
to these concepts in our own lives.
Haupt brings up a topic about which I have
strong feelings. There seems to be a void in the
lives of our children regarding nature. It seems that
young folk would rather stay indoors and fiddle
with electronic devices than venture outside and
poke around in shrubbery and trees or lift rocks to
discover the small worlds underneath. My daughter
is two years old and is allowed, under supervision
of course, to freely explore nature. As we pull
weeds in the back yard, or work in the garden, she
observes insects and toads, and I teach her that
these things are alive and interesting. With this sort
of exposure at a young age, I hope she will grow
up to be an optimistic steward of the planet, doing
her part to give nature the respect it deserves.
Haupt concludes with a meaningful thought.
Instead of being wholeheartedly melancholy over
the ecological state of the earth, she chose to dwell
in possibility, as Emily Dickinson suggested: “…
we cannot predict what will happen but we make
November–December 2009 Vermilion Flycatcher Tucson Audubon 31
Disconcerting to some users will be the fact that
for most species there is no illustration of the entire
tree, just the individual diagnostic parts (leaves,
fruit, bark, etc.).
How does it hold up for trees in southeast
Arizona? The guide seems to have good
coverage—virtually all the local native trees are
in here, from Apache pine to Arizona madrone to
screwbean mesquite. There are some exceptions.
Not surprisingly, extremely rare natives like
Bursera are excluded. A short description of the
genus Sambucus isn’t enough for you to identify
Mexican elderberry to species, though it should
get you to “elderberry.” A very common, introduced
species—African sumac (Rhus lancea)—is
nowhere to be seen. As in any guide, there are
questionable details—the illustration of velvet
mesquite pods looks far too purplish.
This seems like a good addition to the growing
array of field guides. Compare this guide to other
tree guides available in our nature shop and make
your own decision. If you already have a backpack
full of heavy guides, you might want to leave this
one at home and learn to make notes and sketches
in the field. I think Sibley would be okay with that.
Kendall Kroesen
space for it … and realize that our participation
has value.” Haupt explains that this is grown-up
optimism, “where our bondedness with the rest of
creation, a sense of profound interaction, and a
belief in our shared ingenuity, [all] give meaning to
our lives and actions on behalf of the more-than-
human world.” VF
Howard Clark Editor, Fresno Audubon
 NON-PROFIT ORG
US POSTAGE PAID
TUCSON, AZ
300 E University Blvd, #120 PERMIT #1345
Tucson, AZ 85705

Change Service Requested

Vermilion Flycatcher
Volume 54, Number 6 November–December 2009
The Vermilion Flycatcher is the newsletter of the
Tucson Audubon Society, a chapter of the National
Audubon Society. National Audubon Society members
and members of other chapters may receive the
Flycatcher by joining the Friends of Tucson Audubon.
See membership at www.tucsonaudubon.org.

T ucson A udubon Gala — S ave the date !

The Second Annual Tucson Audubon

Gala, Making a Splash for Wildlife, will
be held on Tuesday, February 2, 2010,
at the Arizona Inn, starting at 6 pm.

richard fray
A no-host cocktail hour and silent auction
will precede dinner. Robert Glennon, author
of Unquenchable, will be the guest speaker.
Chuck George, weather newscaster and
meteorologist for Channel 13-KOLD, will MC.

For underwriting information or to

make a reservation, please call
Jean Barchman at 622-5622.

Visit tucsonaudubon.org for event updates • See page 9 for Living with Nature / Membership Meeting details
32 Tucson Audubon Vermilion Flycatcher November–December 2009