VOLUME 48 • NUMBER 1

September 2010
Newsletter of Fresno Audubon Society
A chapter of National Audubon Society
Published monthly, September through May

September 14th Program: more touristed Latin American des-

Inside This Issue
Fresno-Madera Birds............. 2
FAS Field Trips.......................... 3
Birding Events.......................... 4
Mono Lake................................ 5
Foothill Artists......................... 6
Birder Profile............................. 7
Board of Directors.................. 9
tinations, Panama’s rainforests, misty
Birding Panama! highlands and pristine beaches re-
Panama, the nation connecting main largely unspoiled while provid-
North and South America, is best ing lovely lodges and excellent food.
known for its Panama Canal. It is, Join Helen Gigliotti on September
however, the country’s dense lowland 14th for this presentation featuring
rainforests and highlands that are the birdlife of Panama.
special, providing refuge for a stag-
gering array of unique wildlife par- Programs held at the
alleled by few places on earth. With University of Califor-
928 species of birds, 1,500 known nia Center, 550 East
species of trees, and over 10,000 spe- Shaw Avenue, Fresno,
cies of plants, it is a tropical paradise at 7:30 PM.
for nature travelers. Unlike other Blue-chested Hummingbird by Helen Gigliotti

Prop 21: A Legacy for hicle license fee, a considerable sav-

California State Parks ings if you go to more than two State FAS has Hired Staff!
parks in a year.
by Garry George, Audubon California The Fresno Audubon So-
The funding will provide a sta-
Did you know that 52 Audubon ble, reliable and adequate source of ciety is excited to introduce
California Important Bird Areas are funding for the state park system, Matt Wilkes as the organiza-
at least partially owned by California for wildlife conservation and for in- tion’s first Executive Director.
State Parks, totaling 156,000 acres?
Matt graduated from San
creased and equitable access to those
Francisco State University
Audubon California, The Nature resources for all Californians.
with a Bachelor of Arts de-
Conservancy, Save the Redwood The parks budget will no longer
gree in Liberal Studies and a
League and California State Parks be subject to cuts by the legislature
Bachelors of Science degree
Foundation are sponsors of The or the Governor, the Trust Fund can-
in Biology. He has worked
State Parks & Wildlife Conservation not be borrowed from or raided, and as a university educator
Trust Fund Act (“State Parks Initia- our state parks can begin work on ac- at SFSU and served as an
tive”) appearing on the Nov. 2, 2010, quisitions and deferred maintenance AmeriCorps VISTA with envi-
statewide ballot as Proposition 21. once the funds become available. ronmental non-profit GRID
Prop 21 works like this: The passage of this proposition is Alternatives in Fresno. Matt
Vehicles registered in California a conservation legacy that all of us brings valuable non-profit,
will get a free, year round day use ad- Audubon members in California can community building, educa-
mission to all California state parks leave to future generations!
in exchange for a new annual $18 ve- Continued on Page 8... Continued on page 5...

Visit us on the Web! www.FresnoAudubon.org

 Fresno-Madera Birds
April 16 to August 15, 2010 If you make an interest-
by Jeff Davis ing observation, we would
love to hear about it. We
Highlighting the period were several ing above Sycamore Island April 25 (JD)
are especially interested
new records for the summer season. For was noteworthy. A Ferruginous Hawk in birds listed as casual
starters, two Greater White-fronted at FWTP April 20 (ph. CH) and April or rare on the Fresno-Made-
Geese near Mendota July 12 (GW) estab- 23 (ph. GW) provided our latest spring ra County Bird Checklist and
lished our first summer record. A Brant record. A pair of Common Moorhens those found out of season
along the Main Canal near Firebaugh with three chicks at a ponding basin at or out of normal habitat.
June 28–July 4 (JS, ST, ph. GW, ph. JR, Fowler and Bullard avenues April 24 Submit reports to:
m.ob.) also established our first sum- (HC) furnished an unusual urban breed- Jeff Davis
mer record and was just the third record ing record. 559-246-3272
ever for Fresno. A Blue-winged Teal at Continuing the first summer record jndavis@ucsc.edu
MWTP July 1 (LH, PF), while far from thread, a Pacific Golden-Plover at
OR
our first, was a good find for summer. A MWTP July 13 (ph. GW) was a first. Nine
Fresno County Birders
hen Northern Pintail with 10 ducklings Snowy Plovers were at FWTP April 23
Email Group (See Page 9)
at FWTP July 4 (ph. JR, ED) provided the (GW), reflecting a trend toward increas-
first modern breeding record for Fresno. ing occurrence records in our area. A Cited Observers:
Scarce in summer, two Lesser Scaup Lesser Yellowlegs at MWTP July 20
were at the FWTP July 4 (ph. JR, ED). A (GW) was among few ever reported Margaret Beatie
Common Loon sporting alternate plum- for summer in our area. Two Marbled Bev Brock
age delighted an observer at Bass Lake Godwits at FWTP July 22 (GW) estab- Helen Button
April 20 (HB). lished our first summer record; another Howard Clark
Many hawks, eagles, and other raptors at MWTP August 14 (LH) and two there Peter Colasanti
are known to lock talons mid-flight and August 15 (ph. GW), while still rare, were Ellen Davies
tumble earthward, a behavior sometimes in the expected migration window. Other Jeff Davis
called cartwheeling. This behavior has ap- rare shorebirds included a Ruddy Turn- Doug Drynan
parently not been documented to occur stone at FWTP May 6 (ph. GW); a Sand- Kevin Enns-Rempel
among Swainson’s Hawks. Therefore, a Continued on Page 8... Pete Fahey
pair of Swainson’s Hawks cartwheel- Lynn Hemink
Chris Hiatt
Rodney Olsen
Chuck Peck
Jill Rucker
Jeff Seay
Scott Terrill
Jim Tietz
Gary Woods

FWTP = Fresno Wastewater

Treatment Plant
SJER = San Joaquin
Experimental Range
m.ob. = many observers
MWTP = Madera Wastewater
Treatment Plant
ph. = photographed by
Ellen Davies took this photo of a Red-shouldered Hawk just after a rain shower next to Reedley Airport on 4-28-10

Page 2 The Yellowbill 48 (1) 2010

 Fresno Audubon’s Field Trip Schedule
Wednesday Walks
Beginning Birding Classes
September 29: Courtright and November 6 & 13, 2010 Contact:
McKinley Grove with Frank Gibson,
April 9 & 16, 2011 Kay Barnes, 559-787-2985
299-8452/593-2217
Lost Lake County Park Bring field guide, binoculars,
October 13: Grant Grove with Jim (Park entrance fee required) and a friend! Classes are on
Warner, 905-9563 Starts 9:00 AM each day Saturdays.
October 27: Lost Lake with Ed Case,
299-1836
life Reserve with the Cornelisens, with Frank Gibson, 299-8452/593-
November 10: Yokohl Valley with 439-2267 2217
Frank Gibson, 299-8452/593-2217
February 9: Kern & Pixley Wildlife April 27: Bravo Lake/Drumm Valley
November 23: Urban Birding (you’d Reserves with Darby & Vicki Smith, with the Smiths, 787-2969
be surprised how good it can be!), 787-2969
May 11: Wonder Valley & Reed Ave
Kay Barnes, 787-2985
February 23: Mendota Nation- Rookery with Kay Barnes, 787-2985
December 8: Parkfield with Ken & al Wildlife Reserve with Margaret
May 25: Shaver Lake area with the
Betty Cornelisen, 439-2267 Houck, 252-8548, and Frank Gibson,
Smiths, 787-2969
299-8452/593-2217
December 29: Waste Water Plant
June 8: Indian Basin & Princess
with Frank Gibson, 299-8452/593 March 9: Wellbarn Road with Tom
Campground with Tom Zimoski,
-2217 Zimoski, 432-7441/978-2987
432-7441/978-2987
January 12: Madera Grasslands with March 23: Watts Valley with Nina
June 22: Yosemite & Glacier Point
Irene Moon, 664-1237 Williams, 229-4529
Road with Frank Gibson, 299-
January 26: Merced National Wild- April 13: Mariposa County Foothills 8452/593-2217

Out of Town Trips January 18-20: Morro Bay and the Central Coast with
Kay Barnes, 787-2985
November 2-4: Hawk Hill, San Francisco Area with
the Cornelisens, 439-2267 Lodging: La Serena Inn (the best deal on the coast)
800-248-1511, 805-772-5665
We will hope to catch the hawk migration over the www.laserenainn.com
Marin Headlands as well as visit other birding sites in
the bay area. May 3-5: Morongo Valley Desert birding at its best!
Kay Barnes, 787-2985
Lodging options:
Hotel Mill Valley, 415-332-5700 Lodging: Best Western Gardens Inn & Suites
160 Shoreline Hwy, Mill Valley 800-528-1234/760-367-9141
www.larkspurhotelmillvalley.com 71487 29 Palms Highway, Twentynine Palms
www.bestwestwestern.com
America Best Value Inn, 888-315-2378
or 415-332-1732; 155 Shoreline Hwy, Mill Valley 29 Palms Inn,760-367-3505
73950 Inn Ave, Twentynine Palms
Acqua Hotel, 415-380-0400 29palmsinn@eee.org
555 Redwood Hwy, Mill Valley
www.jdvhotels.com Super 8 Yucca Valley, 760-228-1773
57096 29 Palms Hwy, Yucca Valley
All above lodging serve breakfast and have room specials online. www.super8.com/yuccavalley
www.FresnoAudubon.org Page 3

Shaver Lake and Dinkey Creek
September 25, 2010
by Larry Parmeter
The first FAS Saturday field trip of the year will be to
Shaver Lake and Dinkey Creek Meadows on September
25th. Camp Edison at Shaver Lake is always a favorite with
Fresno birders, with its easily accessible mountain forests.
A number of mountain and lake birds, including Osprey,
Mountain Quail, White-headed Woodpecker, White-
breasted and Red-breasted Nuthatch, and Brown Creeper
can be seen. With luck, a Pileated Woodpecker might be
around as well.
The second part of the trip will be to the Dinkey Creek
Meadows. Sometimes called Chawankee Meadows or
Swanson Meadows, they are about five miles east of the
town of Shaver Lake off of Dinkey Creek Road. Here, a
number of mountain meadow birds can be seen, including
flycatchers, woodpeckers, warblers, and towhees. A good
time is guaranteed for all.
Meet at the old Mervyn’s store parking lot at Blackstone
and Ashlan at 7 a.m. on the 25th. Any questions, contact
Larry Parmeter at 276-8753.
Weekend Fieldtrip Schedule
September 25, 2010: Shaver Lake area with Larry Parmeter
October 2, 2010: Grant Grove area with Jim Warner
November 20, 2010: Yokohl Valley with Gary Lindquist
December 11, 2010: Madera County foothills & Merced National
Wildlife Refuge with Jeff Seay
January 22, 2011: Le Grand raptor run with Lowell Young
February 12, 2011: Fresno Wastewater Treatment Plant with Gary
Woods
March 12, 2011: Merced area with Larry Parmeter
April 23, 2011: White Rock Road with Yosemite Area Audubon
April 30 & May 1, 2011: Galileo Hill & Butterbredt Spring
May 7, 2011: Sycamore Island with Penny Stewart
June 18 & 19, 2011: Kern River Valley
July 9, 2011: Courtright Lake area
August 27, 2011: Mystery Tour with Tulare County Audubon
Page 4
Monterey Bay Birding Festival
September 23-26, 2010
www.montereybaybirding.org
Welcome to the sixth annual Monterey Bay Birding
Festival, home of one of the most spectacular birding and
wildlife venues in North America.
This year’s festival is September 23-26, 2010 at the Wat-
sonville Civic Plaza in downtown Watsonville.
Where else in the country could you look for Wrentits,
Lawrence’s Goldfinch, Clark’s Grebes, White-tailed Kites,
Nuttall’s Woodpeckers, Yellow-billed Magpies, Snowy
Plovers, California Thrashers, California Towhees, and
Black-footed Albatrosses, just to name a few?
Our festival theme this year: “The California Coast –
From Condors to Snowy Plovers” celebrates this diversity
of bird life.
Designed for birders of all levels, as well as outdoor
lovers, the festival offers a unique opportunity to explore,
learn and appreciate world-class habitats such as the Mon-
terey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, Elkhorn Slough Na-
tional Estuarine Research Reserve, and Pinnacles National
Monument. You’ll be able to go to outings in the moun-
tains, shoreline, chaparral, sloughs and grasslands.
Most half and full-day trips depart from the festival
headquarters at the Watsonville Civic Plaza and you’ll
travel to the region’s best birding hotspots, including Big
Sur and the Ventana Wildlife Society to witness the return
of the California Condors; take a pelagic trip to one of
the world’s most productive regions for albatrosses, shear-
waters, storm-petrels and more; and explored in a kayak
to get closer to nature. All of our field trips are led by top
quality, local, friendly leaders.
Other workshops and outings will focus on photogra-
phy, Raptor identification, and seeing the world through
an artist’s eyes. You won’t want to miss the work of An-
drea Rich on display, the award-winning, internationally
recognized woodcut printmaker renowned for her singu-
lar depictions of wild animals in their natural habitats. The
latest in optics and other birding-related exhibitors will be
available at the Vendor’s Faire.
Registration for each birding event is offered a la carte,
so you can mix and match outings according to personal
interests. Online registration and section of activities is
now available on the festival’s website at:
www.montereybaybirding.org
For more information, call 831-600-8893, 831-566-
4293, or send email to montereybaybirding@hotmail.com.
The Yellowbill 48 (1) 2010
 What If ? Mono Lake Then and Now
by Chuck Peck
Over thirty years ago, Fresno Audubon was the second
Audubon chapter in California to invite David Gaines to
speak about the importance of Mono Lake to millions
of birds and the dire and imminent threat to Mono Lake
posed by continued diversion of water from the creeks
that fed it. The diverted water was, of course, going to
southern California.
Eared Grebes, Wilson’s Phalaropes, and Red-necked
Phalaropes numbering in the millions use Mono Lake
as a resting and refueling stop on their migrations north
and south. The second largest California Gull rookery is
at Mono Lake. What appears to a casual visitor to be a
sterile saline lake reveals itself on closer inspection to be
an incredibly productive ecosystem. The trillions of brine
shrimp and alkali flies and their larva provide high quality
protein for the migrants and fuel their journeys. They pro-
vide the gulls food to sustain themselves and their chicks.
Gaines explained that Owens Lake south of Lone Pine
was another such migrant refueling station in the eastern
Sierra, but it had been lost decades before to the same
forces that were killing Mono Lake. No one who heard
Gaines speak on that long ago evening doubted the great
loss to birds if Mono Lake continued to decline. Because
of the diversions and the resulting lower level of the lake,
a land bridge had formed, allowing coyotes to prey on gull
chicks in the rockery on Negit Island. Increased salinity of
the lake’s waters was causing a decline in productivity of
both the alkali flies and the brine shrimp the gulls and the
migrating birds depended on.
But could any group counter the political power of
southern California and the Los Angeles Department of
Water and Power? That was a very real question in the
minds of most in attendance that night; I know it was in
mine. FAS had invited members of the Tehipiti Chapter
of the Sierra Club to hear Gaines speak. Soon, members
of both organizations met and began to discuss what
could be done to help the newly formed Mono Lake Com-
mittee save the lake. Fortunately, environmentalists across
the state came together under the leadership of the Mono
Lake Committee.
Fresno Audubon and the Tehipite Chapter agreed to
jointly raise $20,000 dollars for the Mono Lake effort over
the next two years. We surprised ourselves by raising over
$30,000. We held wine and cheese tastings, birdathons, and
other fundraising events I can’t even remember. The chap-
www.FresnoAudubon.org
ters gave $10,000 to the National Audubon Society to help
fund one of the early Mono Lake lawsuits.
A series of lawsuits led to a 1994 decision ordering
LADWP to begin releasing significant flows of water back
into Rush and Lee Vining creeks. The lake began to rise,
and decades of downward spiral were reversed.
Peg and I try to visit Mono Lake at least once every year.
This year we were fortunate to be joined by Peg’s daughter,
Libby, for a four day visit. We visited the usual places like
South Tufa, the boardwalk at County Park, the Forest Ser-
vice visitor’s center and, of course, the Mono Lake Com-
mittee store and office in Lee Vining. This year we also
walked along Rush Creek and Mill Creek. What had been
dry creeks lined with dead cottonwoods are now lined
with emerging stream-side vegetation. We saw three Yel-
low Warblers in a willow thicket along Rush Creek. Young,
black cottonwoods, 25 feet tall, could be seen here and
there. I noticed an old cottonwood snag with woodpecker
holes in it. Given water, cottonwoods grow fast. In a few
more years the young cottonwoods will be big enough for
the woodpeckers to return, and then the rest of the cavity
nesters can find homes again along Rush Creek.
A visit to Mill Creek showed a similar return of riparian
vegetation. It is not just the lake that is returning to health
but the whole ecosystem of the Mono basin. The Mono
Lake Committee is now over 30 years old and is still there
advocating for the lake and the streams.
Continued on Page 6...
FAS has Hired Staff!
continued...
tional, and scientific expertise to Fresno
Audubon Society, which he plans to use
in leading the organization in develop-
ing programs, growing the membership,
and creating new and meaningful op-
portunities for community stakeholders
to engage and learn about the environ-
ment. Matt is passionate about empow-
erment through education, environmen-
tal sustainability, and community action.
Page 5
 See the Foothills
Mono Lake Then and Now Through the Eyes of Artists
Continued...
by Chuck Peck
During our entire stay I kept coming back to thoughts For the past year 23 artists have been painting land-
of what would have happened if David Gaines hadn’t cre- scapes on foothill lands protected by the Sierra Foothill
ated the Mono Lake Committee. What would have hap- Conservancy. You can now see some of the results of that
pened if thousands of environmentalists from across Cali- year of artistic work at the Leon S. Peters Ellipse Gallery
fornia hadn’t rallied to the cause and provided the money in the Madden Library at CSUF. In this stunning show of
that funded and continues to fund the Committee’s ef- 93 paintings, you will see the foothills through the eyes of
forts. By now, the gull colonies would be a thing of the the artists. You can see these paintings at the Madden Li-
past. Millions of the birds that depend on the lake and brary through August 26th. On August 29th a gala recep-
its brine shrimp and alkali flies during migration would tion and art sale featuring 145 paintings will be held at the
have perished because of the loss of this vital resource. California Arts Academy at 1401 North Wishon Avenue in
Large areas of alkali lakeshore would be exposed to the the Tower District. The paintings will be offered for sale
wind making life for the people in Lee Vining miserable at this event and a portion of the proceeds will go to sup-
for much of the year. port Sierra Foothill Conservancy’s continued protection
Before his untimely death in a tragic traffic accident of important foothill lands. The Madden Library showing
Gaines said, “As Rush Creek and I rambled to Mono Lake, is free. Tickets to the California Arts Academy reception
I was struck with how quickly Mother Nature, given the and sale can be purchased by calling SFC at 559-855-3473
chance, heals the wounds we inflict upon her….If nature or on SFC’s website at www. sierrafoothill.org.
can heal an injured land, it can heal our blight-
ed souls as well. That’s why saving Mono Lake
is a matter of saving and healing ourselves.”
There are a lot of Mono Lakes out there
and many of them are right here in our valley
and in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. Fres-
no Audubon’s hiring of our first staff person
can help us become a leading advocate for en-
vironmental causes in our area. We can make
a difference as FAS members did with Mono
Lake, Mineral King, the California Condor re-
covery effort, and a host of past causes. If we
all pitch in, having staff at Fresno Audubon
Society can make a difference for generations
to come for our valley and foothills.

Red-necked Phalarope by Gary Woods

Stay tuned: Fresno Audubon has registered for the Home and Garden Show, March 4, 5, & 6, 2011.
Look for additional information and details in upcoming issues of The Yellowbill. Contact Marian Orvis,
226-0145 or mforvet@earthlink.net, if interested in volunteering.

Page 6 The Yellowbill 48 (1) 2010

 Fresno Audubon’s
Birder Profile
Featuring Gary Woods
Gary Woods has been an integrat-
ed pest management consultant in
the valley for 30 years now. He has
dabbled in international table grape
consulting and handled many other
crops in the past but has become
more of a specialist locally the last 10
years in almonds and grapes in Fres-
no and Madera counties. Thanks to
his job, he’s able to go where nobody
birds traditionally and is frequently
discovering new information on
bird distribution out in farm coun-
try. He was brought up in a family
where hunting was a
way of life and his ob-
session with pursuing
birds started when he
was 7 years old and has
evolved over the years
to the point where the
camera has replaced the
shotgun and his pursuit
of birds now occupies
far more time and ef-
fort than it ever did.
His photographic skills
continue to improve,
and his goal is to start
marketing his work in
the next couple of years as well as re-
build his website. He hopes to retire
in 10 years and take up full-time bird
photography. Because bird photogra-
phy is a solitary activity, you’re most
likely to run into Gary at the Fresno
Wastewater percolation ponds when
he leads a field trip there, on a birding
trip to Black Mountain for the Sierra
Foothill Conservancy, or the count-
down dinner after the Lost Lake
Christmas Bird Count every year.
How long have you been a birder,
and did a specific bird, event or
www.FresnoAudubon.org
person get you started birding? What’s your favorite local birding
I did a little birding in high-school spot?
starting in 1972 with my mom, out The Fresno Wastewater Treat-
in Ridgecrest where I grew up, but I ment Plant ponds for shorebirds, the
dropped it when I went away to col- San Joaquin Experimental Range for
lege. If I could have gone out with foothill species, and Courtright Lake
an experienced birder back then I for the montane birds.
would have pursued a career in orni- How long have you been a bird
thology without a doubt. My interest photographer and how did you get
was rekindled in 1998 in the Supersti- started?
tion Mountains on a family vacation
by a Black-throated Sparrow I saw When Kowa first came out with
with my then-12 year old son, and we their TD-1 digiscope, I got one be-
looked it up together in my old Peter-cause I wanted some way to both
document what I saw and try to iden-
son’s. I really got serious on my first
Fresno Audubon field trip led by Bev tify birds later that I couldn’t ID in
Brock to Panoche Valley in 2001. the field. I wanted something simple
to use without having
to take a course in pho-
tography. I used that
for a year and upgraded
to a Canon 20-D and
100-400 mm lens in
2005 so I could shoot
flying birds. I started to
get really serious then
and spent a day down
in my hometown with
Bob Steele who gave
me a big boost in both
knowledge and inspira-
tion. He’s still one of
the standards I com-
Peregrine Falcon by Gary Woods
pare myself to, along with Robert
Royce in Ohio. I bought Mr. Royce’s
What’s the best place in the world old Canon Mark II N and used it for
you’ve birded, and where’s the the past two years. I currently shoot
next place you’d most like to visit a Canon Mark III that I bought from
in the future? Bob Steele and I use a Canon 600
I’d say south Texas was the most mm f4/L IS lens that I got in early
amazing birding I’ve had, followed 2007. I’d estimate that I’ve taken
closely by southeastern Arizona. In about 75,000 photos in the past 2
the U.S., I’d like to visit Alaska or years, while averaging 150 days a year
Florida someday. I haven’t birded in in the field for 8 hours a day. Thank
another country yet, but I’d put Chi- goodness for digital! I don’t know
na at the top of my wish list despite how people like Chuck Peck and Jim
all the great things I hear and read
Continued on Page 8...
about South America.
Page 7
 Fresno-Madera Birds
Continued...
erling at MWTP August 14 (LH) and August 15 (GW);
a Semipalmated Sandpiper near Mendota May 24 (ph.
GW) and five at MWTP August 14 (LH)—our highest
one-day count; two Baird’s Sandpipers at FWTP Au-
gust 5 (GW) and one at MWTP August 15 (GW); two
Pectoral Sandpipers at MWTP August 2 and August 14
(LH); and Madera’s first Stilt Sandpiper at MWTP Au-
gust 14 (LH) and August 15 (ph. GW).
A Northern Saw-whet Owl, just the second for Black
Mountain, hooted in plain view during daylight April 18-
19, thrilling many observers (ph. GW, RO, CP, m.ob.).
Common Poorwills, while possibly common, are rarely
reported in our area. Therefore, one on the east side of
Eastman Lake May 1 (CH) was noteworthy. Two Black
Swifts at SJER Apr 30 (JT) and two others at Lost Lake
Park May 11 (JT) added to the short list of records of this
species in migration in our area. For the third consecutive
year, an Olive-sided Flycatcher visited Fresno Pacific
University, this time on May 25 (KER). Gray Flycatch-
ers were widely reported, with a high count of 29 from
SJER April 23 (fide DD). The high count of Dusky Fly-
catchers occurred April 12, when 12 were detected at
SJER (fide JT). A Say’s Phoebe singing out of place near
Cedar and Copper avenues May 24 (JD) was presumably
the same bird that sang at this location May 24-27, 2009.
Purple Martins made a good showing, with one at
Black Mountain May 2 (ph. GW), three above Bass Lake
May 19 (LH), and a male and female at a pond in Jose Ba-
sin June 6 (PC). Rarely reported in our area, a Swainson’s
Thrush appeared at Wildwood Island May 9 (BB). Two
Yellow-breasted Chats along the Kings River upstream
of Avocado Lake May 18 (BB) were in potential breed-
ing habitat. This species has been detected here during
spring migration over the past several years, but it has not
yet been reported from this location outside of migra-
tion. In contrast, one singing at Fresno Crossing along
Road 415 between Coarsegold and Raymond June 9 (PC)
established a new breeding-season record—one of few
for the Sierra foothills. A Black-throated Sparrow and
Golden-crowned Sparrow at the toe of Jesse Morrow
Mountain off Piedra Road during the week of April 26
(MB) were remarkable; the former is a casual transient in
our area, and the latter established our latest spring re-
cord. Typically associated with agriculture and freshwater
marshes on the west side of the Valley, a Yellow-headed
Blackbird at a gravel pond along Old Friant Road April
25 (JR) was a surprise.
Page 8
Birder Profile
Continued...
Lomax did their bird photography back in the film era!
Do you have a favorite bird above all others?
I’m partial to all the hummingbirds as a family, but the
Peregrine Falcon has a profound affect on me whenever I
see one. To me they are like the Ferrari of the bird world.
Do you have a nemesis bird right now—one that
keeps giving you the slip or that is at the top of your
want-to-see list?
For years it was Northern Waterthrush, then for the past
year it was Common Nighthawk. Since I just got that bird
near Patagonia, AZ, this August my new nemesis bird will
emerge over time and the top of the list includes Sharp-
tailed Sandpiper, Mississippi Kite, and Common Black-
hawk.
What’s your favorite bird-related reading book and
what field guide do you rely on the most?
I really enjoyed Kingbird Highway by Kenn Kaufman and
The Big Year by Mark Obmascik. The Ardent Birder by Todd
Newberry and A Supremely Bad Idea by Luke Dempsey
were great, too. I don’t think there’s any birding refer-
ence book in the same league with the large edition of
the Sibley Guide to Birds. It’s like the bible of bird ID books
for me. I won’t even look at a National Geographic or Peter-
son’s anymore. For shorebirds, I do rely somewhat on The
Shorebirds of North America by Dennis Paulson.
Yes on Proposition 21
Continued...
But the proposition faces opposition. YES ON
21 needs volunteers to organize campaigns in cities,
towns, neighborhoods and communities.
If you can give any volunteer time to the campaign
please go to http://yesforstateparks.com and GET IN-
VOLVED.
Save our State Parks and help pass Proposition 21
in November!
The Yellowbill 48 (1) 2010
 President
Brandon Hill, 978-2369, bhill968@gmail.com Society Activities
Secretary
The Fresno
Marian Orvis, 226-0145, mforvet@earthlink.net
Treasurer
Audubon Society, Member and Board of Directors Meetings
All programs are held at the University of California
Margaret Beatie, 787-2104, mgb20@me.com founded in 1966, Center, located at 550 E. Shaw Avenue in Fresno, on
the second Tuesday of September, November, January,
Executive Director
Matt Wilkes, 905-7998, mwilkes512@gmail.com is a chapter of the March, and May at 7:30 p.m. Programs usually end no
later than 9:00 p.m. BOD meetings start at 6:00 p.m.
San Joaquin River Trail Representative
Beth Richardson, 435-0618, National Audubon Fresno Audubon Science Committee
Madhusudan Katti, leafwarbler@gmail.com
bethbarnett@comcast.net
Membership
Society. Its mission Kaberi Kar Gupta, lorises@gmail.com
Howard Clark, editor.yellowbill@gmail.com
Sue Hagen, fasmembership@gmail.com is to promote Rodney Olsen, riggo01@sbcglobal.net
Field Trips
Frank Gibson, 299-8452, frankg@csufresno.edu the enjoyment, Fresno Audubon Society
559-222-2473
Wednesday Walks
Darby & Vicki Smith, 787-2969, vicdarb@inreach.com understanding,
Fresno Wildlife Rehabilitation
Betty & Ken Cornelisen, 439-2267,
kcornelisen@comcast.com and preservation 559-298-3276

Directors
H. L. Shivaprasad, hlshivaprasad@ucdavis.edu
of birds and other Audubon Legislative Actionline
800-659-2622
Madhusudan Katti, leafwarbler@gmail.com
Kaberi Kar Gupta, lorises@gmail.com
wildlife in Fresno To report banded birds
Chuck Peck, chuck.peck@sierrafoothill.org
Editor
and Madera 800-327-BAND or BBL@nbs.gov

Howard Clark, editor.yellowbill@gmail.com counties through Publications:

The Yellowbill
Associate Editor
Sue Hagen, editor.yellowbill@gmail.com birding, education, Fresno-Madera County Bird Checklist
http://www.fresnoaudubon.org/checklist.pdf
Book Review Editor
Howard Clark, editor.yellowbill@gmail.com science, advocacy, FAS on the Internet:
Hospitality
Diane DuBois, dpeanut743@yahoo.com
and fellowship. www.fresnoaudubon.org
Kevin Enns-Rempel, Webmaster, kennsrem@fresno.edu

Information for Contributors The Fresno Audubon Society FAS email:

Authors should submit original articles, notes, and
book reviews to the Editor, either by email as an
is a registered non-profit FresnoAudubon@gmail.com

attached microsoft word manuscript or by mail to the
Society’s address, P. O. Box 9324, Fresno, 93791-9324.
For further information, please contact the editor.
organization Fresno County Birders email group:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/fresno_county_birders
National Audubon Society: www.audubon.org
California Audubon: www.ca.audubon.org

For more information about the birds of the Fresno-Madera area visit
Deadline for Yellowbill submissions:
The 15th of August through April fresnoaudubon.org
The Yellowbill 48 (1) 2010 Page 9
Use this form if you want to join National Audubon Society and Fres-
no Audubon Society. One fee gives you membership in both:
NATIONAL AUDUBON SOCIETY membership application
[ ] Please enroll me as a member of the National Audubon Society and my
local chapter as the special rate of only $20.
[ ] Electronic copy of the Yellowbill? [ ] Mailed paper copy?
Name ____________________________________________________
Address __________________________________________________
City _____________________ State ______________ Zip __________
[ ] My check for $20 is enclosed. [ ] Bill me, please.
Please make check out to National Audubon Society and mail to:
Fresno Audubon Society, P. O. Box 9324, Fresno, CA 93791-9324.
C19
C0ZC190Z
Use this form if you want to join Fresno Audubon Society only, but not
National Audubon:
FRESNO AUDUBON SOCIETY membership application. You might prefer
to belong to Fresno Audubon only, without joining the National. Your dues
will stay in the community. You will receive The Yellowbill, but not Audubon
magazine. Yellowbill preference: [ ] electronic [ ] mailed copy
Name _____________________________________________________
Address ___________________________________________________
City _____________________ State ______________ Zip __________
email ____________________________________ date _____________
[ ] $15 individual [ ] $50 Contributing [ ] $500 Patron
[ ] $25 Family [ ] $100 Sustaining [ ] $1000 Life
Please check one: [ ] Renewing Member [ ] New Member
Please make check out to Fresno Audubon Society and mail to:
Fresno Audubon Society, P. O. Box 9324, Fresno, CA 93791-9324.