2011 Summer Term Reading List

From Dan's email....

Please choose one book from this suggested list. Some of this stuff can get pretty heady and out there. I really want to focus on the benefits and importance of nature, being in nature, understanding nature and how it applies to our experiences in birds and birding, if and where it is applicable. Being therapeutic, a basic human need etc. and what happens if we are deprived of it. Be very pragmatic in your descriptions of whatever title you choose, when presenting to class, backed up with facts and examples.

You may choose to work in small groups if you would like. By next class please choose a book and so we may find out who else is reading it. You can still change your mind on Wednesday :) I will check in periodically to see how progress is going.

The Voice of the Earth: An Exploration of Ecopsychology - Theodore Roszak

Nature and the Human Soul: Cultivating Wholeness and Community in a Fragmented World - Bill Plotkin

Soulcraft: Crossing into the Mysteries of Nature and Psyche - Bill Plotkin

Ecotherapy: Healing with Nature in Mind - Linda Buzzel

Ecopsychology: Restoring the Earth Healing the Mind - Theodore Roszak

Reconnecting with Nature - Michael J. Cohen

Partnering with Nature - Catriona MacGregor


I recommend the following to be read as complimentary to one of the above. Most of the books about animals have a strong focus on domesticated pets.

Beyond Words: Talking with Animals and Nature - Marta Williams

Learning their Language: Intuitive Communication with Animals and Nature - Marta Williams

2011 July 9 - Clackamas County

What a lovely day for our first School of Birding Summer Term field trip! We missed the Black-backed Woodpecker but ended with a Spotted Sandpiper, and we found some wonderful birds and locations. I listed 54 species.
Elizabeth

Canada Goose. Branta canadensis.
Ring-necked Duck. Aythya collaris.
Barrow's Goldeneye. Bucephala islandica.
Hooded Merganser. Lophodytes cucullatus.
Turkey Vulture. Cathartes aura.
Osprey. Pandion haliaetus.
Bald Eagle. Haliaeetus leucocephalus.
Red-tailed Hawk. Buteo jamaicensis.
American Kestrel. Falco sparverius.
Spotted Sandpiper. Actitis macularius.
Vaux's Swift. Chaetura vauxi.
Anna's Hummingbird. Calypte anna.
Rufous Hummingbird. Selasphorus rufus.
Belted Kingfisher. Megaceryle alcyon.
Red-naped Sapsucker. Sphyrapicus nuchalis.
Red-breasted Sapsucker. Sphyrapicus ruber.
Hairy Woodpecker. Picoides villosus.
Northern Flicker. Colaptes auratus.
Pileated Woodpecker. Dryocopus pileatus.
Hammond's Flycatcher. Empidonax hammondii.
Warbling Vireo. Vireo gilvus.
Steller's Jay. Cyanocitta stelleri.
American Crow. Corvus brachyrhynchos.
Common Raven. Corvus corax.
Tree Swallow. Tachycineta bicolor.
Violet-green Swallow. Tachycineta thalassina.
Northern Rough-winged Swallow. Stelgidopteryx serripennis.
Cliff Swallow. Petrochelidon pyrrhonota.
Barn Swallow. Hirundo rustica.
Chestnut-backed Chickadee. Poecile rufescens.
Red-breasted Nuthatch. Sitta canadensis.
Golden-crowned Kinglet. Regulus satrapa.
Swainson's Thrush. Catharus ustulatus.
Hermit Thrush. Catharus guttatus.
American Robin. Turdus migratorius.
Varied Thrush. Ixoreus naevius.
European Starling. Sturnus vulgaris.
Cedar Waxwing. Bombycilla cedrorum.
Orange-crowned Warbler. Oreothlypis celata.
Yellow Warbler. Dendroica petechia.
Yellow-rumped Warbler. Dendroica coronata.
Hermit Warbler. Dendroica occidentalis.
MacGillivray's Warbler. Oporornis tolmiei.
Common Yellowthroat. Geothlypis trichas.
Spotted Towhee. Pipilo maculatus.
Chipping Sparrow. Spizella passerina.
Song Sparrow. Melospiza melodia.
Lincoln's Sparrow. Melospiza lincolnii.
White-crowned Sparrow. Zonotrichia leucophrys.
Western Tanager. Piranga ludoviciana.
Red-winged Blackbird. Agelaius phoeniceus.
Cassin's Finch. Carpodacus cassinii.
Red Crossbill. Loxia curvirostra.
Pine Siskin. Spinus pinus.

Red Kites in Slow Motion

A beautiful slow motion video of Red Kites.

Spy Crows

The United States military funded research into using networks of 'spy crows' to locate soldiers who are missing in action, and extended the work to see if the birds might be useful in helping them to find Osama bin Laden. The idea may seem far-fetched, but unlike some military research programs (such as the Stargate remote-viewing program) it is actually based on sound science.

Read more

The Epic Lakeview Region Spring Trip!!

Hey all! What a fantastic trip that was! Thanks to Dan, Patti, and Scott for driving us all around. Here's my list for the weekend; 124 in total! Several of them were sighted on I-84 on the way down there Friday morning, such as the Bald Eagle, Hooded Merganser, Osprey, and Glaucous-Winged Gull, as well as on I-5 headed back to town, such as the Great Blue Heron, Western Scrub Jay, and American Crow.

Waterfowl
GWFG Greater White-Fronted Goose Anser albifrons
SNGO Snow Goose Chen caerulescens
TRUS Trumpeter Swan Cygnus buccinator
GADW Gadwall Anas strepera
AMWI American Wigeon Anas americana
MALL Mallard Anas platyrhynchos
CITE Cinnamon Teal Anas cyanoptera
GWTE Green-Wing Teal Anas crecca
NOSH Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata
NOPI Northern Pintail Anas acuta
CANV Canvasback Aythya valisineria
REDH Redhead Aythya americana
RNDU Ring-Necked Duck Aythya collaris
LESC Lesser Scaup Aythya affinis
BUFF Bufflehead Bucephala albeola
COGO Common Goldeneye Bucephala clangula
RUDU Ruddy Duck Oxyura jamaicensis
Grebes
PBGR Pied-Billed Grebe Podilymbus podiceps
HOGR Horned Grebe Podiceps auritus
EAGR Eared Grebe Podiceps nigricollis
Cormorants
DCCO Doubled-Crested Cormorant Phalacrocorax auritus
Pelicans
AWPE American White Pelican Pelecanus erythrorhychos
Herons
GBHE Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias
GREG Great Egret Ardea alba
BCNH Black-Crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax
Vultures
TUVU Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura
Eagles, Hawks, Falcons
OSPR Osprey Pandion haliaetus
BAEA Bald Eagle Haliaetus leucocephalus
NOHA Northern Harrier Circus cyaneus
SWHA Swainson's Hawk Buteo swainsoni
RTHA Red-Tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis
FEHA Ferruginous Hawk Bueto regalis
GOEA Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos
AMKE American Kestrel Falco sparverius
PRFA Prairie Falcon Falco mexicanus
Grouse & Allies
RNPH Ring-Necked Pheasant Phasianus colchicus
GSGR Greater Sage Grouse Centrocercus urophasianus
CAQU California Quail Callipepla californica
SORA Sora (heard) Porzana carolina
Cranes
SHCR Sandhill Crane Grus canadensis
Plovers
SEPL Semipalmated Plover Charadrius semipalmatus
KILL Killdeer Charadrius vociferus
Stilts & Avocets
BNST Black-Necked Stilt Himantopus mexicanus
AMAV American Avocet Recurvirostra americana
Sandpipers & Allies
GRYL Greater Yellowlegs Tringa melanoleuca
WILL Willet Catoptrophorus semipalmatus
LBCU Long-Billed Curlew Numenius americanus
WISN Wilson's Snipe Gallinago delicata
SPSA Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularia
WESA Western Sandpiper Calidris mauri
DUNL Dunlin Calidris alpina
LBDO Long-Billed Dowitcher Limnodromus scolopaceus
WIPH Wilson's Phalarope Phalaropus tricolor
Gulls & Terns
BOGU Bonaparte's Gull Larus philadelphia
GWGU Glaucous-Winged Gull Larus glaucescens
CAGU California Gull Larus californicus
RBGU Ring-Billed Gull Larus delawarensis
CATE Caspian Tern Sterna caspia
FOTE Forster's Tern Sterna forsteri
Doves
RODO Rock Dove Columba livia
BTPI Band-Tailed Pigeon Columba fasciata
MODO Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura
ECDO Eurasian Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto
Owls
GHOW Great-Horned Owl Bubo virginianus
SEOW Short-Eared Owl Asio flammeus
Kingfishers
BEKI Belted Kingfisher Ceryle alcyon
Woodpeckers
RBSA Red-Breasted Sapsucker Sphyrapicus ruber
DOWA Downy Woodpecker Picoides pubescens
HAWO Hairy Woodpecker Picoides villosus
NOFL Northern Flicker Colaptes auratus
Flycatchers
HAFL Hammond's Flycatcher Empidonax hammondii
WEKI Western Kingbird Tyrannus verticalis
Shrikes
LOSH Loggerhead Shrike Lanius ludovicianus
Jays & Crows
STJA Steller's Jay Cyanocitta stelleri
WESJ Western Scrub Jay Aphelocoma californica
PIJA Pinyon Jay Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus
BBMA Black-Billed Magpie Pica hudsonia
AMCR American Crow Corvus brachyrynchos
CORA Common Raven Corvus corax
Larks
HOLA Horned Lark Eremophila alpestris
Swallows
TRSW Tree Swallow Tachycineta bicolor
VGSW Violet-Green Swallow Tachycineta thalassina
BANS Bank Swallow Riparia riparia
BARS Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica
CLSW Cliff Swallow Petrochelidon pyrrhonota
Chickadees & Titmice
BCCH Black-Capped Chickadee Poecile atricapilla
MOCH Mountain Chickadee Poecile gambelli
Nuthatches
RBNH Red-Breasted Nuthatch Sitta canadensis
PYNH Pygmy Nuthatch Sitta pygmaea
Creepers
BRCR Brown Creeper Certhia americana
Wrens
HOWR House Wren Troglodytes aedon
PAWR Pacific Wren Troglodytes troglodytes
MAWR Marsh Wren Cistothorus palustris
Dippers
AMDI American Dipper Cinclus mexicanus
Kinglets
GCKI Golden-Crowned Kinglet Regulus satrapa
RCKI Ruby-Crowned Kinglet Regulus calendula
Bluebirds & Thrushes
WEBL Western Bluebird Sialia mexicana
MOBL Mountain Bluebird Sialia currucoides
TOSO Townsend's Solitaire Myadestes townsendi
HETH Hermit Thrush Catharus guttatus
AMRO American Robin Turdus migratorius
Mimic Thrushes
SATH Sage Thrasher Oreoscoptes montanus
Starlings
EUST European Starling Sturnus vulgaris
Wood Warblers
OCWA Orange-Crowned Warbler Vermivora celata
YEWA Yellow Warbler Dendroica petechia
YRWA Yellow-Rumped Warbler (A&M) Dendroica coronata
WIWA Wilson's Warbler Wilsonia pusilla
Sparrows & Allies
VESP Vesper Sparrow Pooecetes gramineus
SAVS Savannah Sparrow Passerculus sandwichensis
FOSP Fox Sparrow Passerella iliaca
SOSP Song Sparrow Melospiza melodia
WCSP White-Crowned Sparrow Zonotrichia leucophrys
DEJU Dark-Eyed Junco Junco hyemalis
Blackbirds & Allies
RWBB Red-Wing Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus
WEME Western Meadowlark Sturnella neglecta
YHBB Yellow-Headed Blackbird Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus
BRBB Brewer's Blackbird Euphagus cyanocephalus
BHCO Brown-Headed Cowbird Molothrus ater
Finches & Allies
CAFI Cassin's Finch Carpodacus cassinii
HOFI House Finch Carpodacus mexicanus
AMGO American Goldfinch Carduelis tristis
EVGR Evening Grosbeak Coccothraustes vespertinus
HOSP House Sparrow Passer domesticus

NEXRAD Migration Tracking

Greg Haworth posted this to PortlandAreaBirds and it's just too cool not to share. Check out his Picassa images of bird migration! The image to the left is from Greg's album.

[quote]
New Jersey birder David La Puma, author of the website woodcreeper.com, has been using his local NEXRAD radar access to track migration for a few years. He has a video tutorial on how he does this at the following website: http://vimeo.com/2020985?pg=embed&sec=2020985. So i gave it a go using our local radar.

Here is the image at 7PM last night:
https://picasaweb.google.com/117379188188746532188/2011Migration#5594768261085150866
Nothing much going on except a few scattered clouds over the Cascades.

By 8PM things look a whole lot differently. (Green/blue images are coming towards the radar, yellow/orange going away).
https://picasaweb.google.com/117379188188746532188/2011Migration#5594768261128486018
Activity is picking up and moving north.

At midnight the birds are in full swing:
https://picasaweb.google.com/117379188188746532188/2011Migration#5594768263198914658

At 5AM the birds are still moving but not as densely:
https://picasaweb.google.com/117379188188746532188/2011Migration#5594768267042305778

And by 6AM they've all taken up shelter ready to forage for the day:
https://picasaweb.google.com/117379188188746532188/2011Migration#5594768268983272130

The following two images are not of velocity but of reflectance -- the darker the blue the higher the density. Here is an image of the regional scene at midnight last night:
https://picasaweb.google.com/117379188188746532188/2011Migration#5594772948293364850
Scattered movement throughout the region, heaviest in the I5 Corridor and Oregon coast and coast range

Here is the activity to the south of us using the Medford radar:
https://picasaweb.google.com/117379188188746532188/2011Migration#5594774893769556722

Anyway, i thought i'd share this pretty cool tool. If you're interested in generating these maps yourself take a look a the tutorial video linked to above.

greg haworth
[end quote]

2011 April 9 - Powell Butte Nature Park (Reunion)

Some 1st and 2nd year students of the School of Birding met at Powell Butte this morning for the monthly 1st year Reunion Field Trip. It was so wonderful to see the graduates again! Our timing coincided with a Ron Escano trip and there was a big crowd so we split off on our own. Highlights included Orange-crowned Warblers, Mountain Bluebirds (!) and seeing an American Kestrel chase a Sharp-Shinned Hawk out of his territory. Other highlights were the Western Meadowlarks, a bedraggled Lincoln's Sparrow, Savannah Sparrows and Hermit Thrushes.

Our total count: 33. I felt pretty smug about that until later in the afternoon when Michael and I ran into two men at Sandy River Delta who were part of Ron's trip and they saw/heard 46 species, including Osprey, Lesser Yellowlegs, Wilson's Snipe, and the elusive Say's Phoebe. However, I think we did great on our own! :)

Cackling Goose. Branta hutchinsii

Turkey Vulture. Cathartes aura.

Sharp-shinned Hawk. Accipiter striatus.

Cooper's Hawk. Accipiter cooperii. (seen after most people left)

Red-tailed Hawk. Buteo jamaicensis.

American Kestrel. Falco sparverius.

Killdeer. Charadrius vociferus.

Anna's Hummingbird. Calypte anna.

Northern Flicker. Colaptes auratus.

Steller's Jay. Cyanocitta stelleri.

Western Scrub-Jay. Aphelocoma californica.

American Crow. Corvus brachyrhynchos.

Violet-green Swallow. Tachycineta thalassina.

Black-capped Chickadee. Poecile atricapillus.

Bushtit. Psaltriparus minimus.

Bewick's Wren. Thryomanes bewickii.

Golden-crowned Kinglet. Regulus satrapa.

Ruby-crowned Kinglet. Regulus calendula.

Mountain Bluebird. Sialia currucoides.

Hermit Thrush. Catharus guttatus.

American Robin. Turdus migratorius.

European Starling. Sturnus vulgaris.

Orange-crowned Warbler. Oreothlypis celata.

Yellow-rumped Warbler. Dendroica coronata.

Common Yellowthroat. Geothlypis trichas.

Spotted Towhee. Pipilo maculatus.

Savannah Sparrow. Passerculus sandwichensis.

Fox Sparrow. Passerella iliaca.

Song Sparrow. Melospiza melodia.

Lincoln's Sparrow. Melospiza lincolnii.

Golden-crowned Sparrow. Zonotrichia atricapilla.

Dark-eyed Junco. Junco hyemalis.

Western Meadowlark. Sturnella neglecta.

2011 April 2 - Cooper Mountain

While we didn't see a lot of species, we did count 39 and had an abundance of Hutton's Vireos and Brown Creepers to enjoy, and got to see a displaying Cooper's Hawk and a Townsend's Chipmunk.

Cackling Goose. Branta hutchinsii

Cooper's Hawk. Accipiter cooperii.

Red-tailed Hawk. Buteo jamaicensis.

Mourning Dove. Zenaida macroura.

Anna's Hummingbird. Calypte anna.

Rufous Hummingbird. Selasphorus rufus.

Red-breasted Sapsucker. Sphyrapicus ruber.

Downy Woodpecker. Picoides pubescens.

Northern Flicker. Colaptes auratus.

Pileated Woodpecker. Dryocopus pileatus.

Hutton's Vireo. Vireo huttoni.

Steller's Jay. Cyanocitta stelleri.

Western Scrub-Jay. Aphelocoma californica.

American Crow. Corvus brachyrhynchos.

Tree Swallow. Tachycineta bicolor.

Violet-green Swallow. Tachycineta thalassina.

Black-capped Chickadee. Poecile atricapillus.

Chestnut-backed Chickadee. Poecile rufescens.

White-breasted Nuthatch. Sitta carolinensis.

Brown Creeper. Certhia americana.

Bewick's Wren. Thryomanes bewickii.

Pacific Wren. Troglodytes pacificus.

Golden-crowned Kinglet. Regulus satrapa.

Ruby-crowned Kinglet. Regulus calendula.

Western Bluebird. Sialia mexicana.

Hermit Thrush. Catharus guttatus.

American Robin. Turdus migratorius.

Varied Thrush. Ixoreus naevius.

European Starling. Sturnus vulgaris.

Yellow-rumped Warbler. Dendroica coronata.

Spotted Towhee. Pipilo maculatus.

Savannah Sparrow. Passerculus sandwichensis.

Song Sparrow. Melospiza melodia.

White-crowned Sparrow. Zonotrichia leucophrys.

Golden-crowned Sparrow. Zonotrichia atricapilla.

Dark-eyed Junco. Junco hyemalis.

Red-winged Blackbird. Agelaius phoeniceus.

Purple Finch. Carpodacus purpureus.

Pine Siskin. Spinus pinus.

Marbled Murrelet video

A quick but informative video on the endangered Marbled Murrelet.

CafeGive

Do you do any online shopping? If you shop via the CafeGive website, the Audubon Society of Portland earns a portion! The list of stores is impressive! These are just a few of them. I'm changing my portal for all of my online shopping. Sweet!

REI
Best Buy
Newegg
Dell Small Business & Home
Sephora
iTunes
Eddie Bauer
Borders
Fossil
Gap
Keen
Columbia
Macy's
Overstock
Powell's
Office Depot
Home Depot
Travelocity
Priceline
Nordstrom
The Walking Company