Early Birds: April Picnic, Bird Watch & Centennial Challenge
By Joy Dingley
Early Birds Club
Desert Rivers Audubon
We seem to make a habit of choosing a date for our picnic that gives us extreme weather. One year it was torrential rain at Boyce Thompson Arboretum and this year it was extremely hot on our trip to some of the Salt River birding spots.
We made a good start by seeing a Harris Hawk at our meeting place of the junction of Power Road and McKellips and we continued to get some of our target birds, including Western Tanager, Lucy’s Warbler, Vermillion Flycatcher and, of course, Bald Eagle.
Birding the Salt River with Desert Rivers Audubon’s Early Birds children’s club.
We had time for a picnic at Coon Bluff but even by 10.30 am it was getting very, very hot and that’s as far as we got before we decided to call it a day. We have, however, added a lot of birds to our list which now stands at 77 species. That only leaves us 23 to get before the end of January 2013 and since we will be meeting mostly at Gilbert that’s a very challenging number.
The children now have a Summer Challenge to work on until we meet again in October.
We’re always happy to have new members join, aged between 7 and 14. So if you know of any families who might be interested you’ll find Jamie’s contact information on our website. We also enjoy having experienced birders go out with the older children at Gilbert on the third Saturday of the month so If you have some time and would like to help us get those last few birds please contact me, Joy Dingley, joy.dingley@cox.net.
Join Desert Rivers Audubon for the Great Backyard Bird Count February 17-20, 2012
Kick-off Saturday, February 18th @ Gilbert Riparian Preserve
Join Desert Rivers Audubon at the Gilbert Riparian Preserve at Water Ranch, 2757 E. Guadalupe Road Gilbert, to kick-off the Great Backyard Bird Count, Saturday, February 18, 2012, 8am-12 noon.
Watch birds for at least 15 minutes…
The goal of The Great Backyard Bird Count is to watch birds for at least 15 minutes on one or more days of the count then enter tallies. Anyone can participate, it’s free, and no registration is required. Participants can count anywhere they wish, not just in backyards, but in neighborhoods, parks, nature centers, or anywhere they see birds.
Wild peach-faced lovebirds
Submit your list…
“This count is so fun because anyone can take part — we all learn and watch birds together — whether you are an expert, novice, or feeder watcher,” said Gary Langham, Audubon’s Chief Scientist. “I like to invite new birders to join me and share the experience. Get involved, invite your friends, and see how your favorite spot stacks up.”
Get some local coaching…
Black-crowned Night Heron
“We’ll be able to coach East Valley residents in their bird identification skills Saturday during our free Family Birdwalk at Gilbert Riparian Preserve, Saturday, February 18, 2012, 8am-noon,” added Eileen Kane, Communications Director, Desert Rivers Audubon Society.
More than 92,000 checklists were submitted during the last GBBC, with more than 11 million individual bird observations. The data help scientists get the big picture about how bird populations may be changing across the continent over time.
…become a Citizen Scientist!
“This is a very detailed snapshot of continental bird-distribution,” said John Fitzpatrick, director of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. “Imagine scientists 250 years from now being able to compare these data with their own. Already, with more than a decade of data in hand, the GBBC has documented changes in late-winter bird distributions.”
Earn prizes, too!
The count also includes a photo contest and a prize drawing for participants who enter at least one bird checklist online. The GBBC is hosted each year by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Audubon. The Great Backyard Bird Count is made possible in part by sponsor Wild Birds Unlimited.
Bring your Great Backyard Bird Count count sheets into Wild Birds Unlimited of Mesa, AZ & receive 2 lbs. of birdseed!
Tropical Kingbird Attends Desert Rivers Audubon’s Board Retreat
by Mike Evans
Conservation Director
Desert Rivers Audubon Society
Desert Rivers Audubon Board of Directors Retreat Saturday, July 30, 2011 at the Nina Mason Pulliam Rio Salado Audubon Center, Phoenix, AZ.
Tropical Kingbird
Having not seen one in a couple of decades, and only having seen Couch’s Kingbird once before (when one spent the winter outside Tacna, AZ), and not hearing it’s call, we can’t definitively say it is a Tropical and not a Couch’s. We had a very good view of the tail and back in the scope. There was no white on the tail, and the tail had a distinctive notch. The tail color was brown, not black. Yesterday and today, multiple books were used for reference. I hope someone with more experience with Tropical Kingbirds can substantiate the find.
AZGFD Wildlife Viewing Action Plan-Birders Be Heard
Join Desert Rivers Audubon members and Conservation Director Mike Evans in listening to and commenting about the AZGFD Wildlife Viewing Action Plan, Wednesday, June 29, 2011, 6:00pm - 8:00pm at the Arizona Game and Fish Department Mesa Regional Office, 7200 E. University Drive, Mesa, AZ. Mike notes, “I like attending this kind of meeting. It gives you a chance to have your voice heard and you leave with a feeling of having actually accomplished something.”
The Arizona Game and Fish Department is seeking public review and input on an action plan for wildlife viewing recreation in Arizona.
The Wildlife Viewing Action Plan outlines objectives and strategies to help guide and implement a statewide watchable wildlife project. It identifies programs, products, and services the department is currently providing in wildlife viewing recreation, discusses opportunities and challenges for the future, and identifies new approaches that, if implemented, will help take advantage of opportunities and overcome challenges.
Game and Fish is seeking input from the public on the general topics and strategies that have been developed in the plan.
“This is a step to include users and stakeholders in evaluating the plan,” says Watchable Wildlife Coordinator Joe Yarchin. “We’re looking for input on any broad objectives or strategies we might have missed, including alternatives. We want feedback on whether this is hitting the mark or has some gaps that need to be addressed.”
The Arizona Game and Fish Department recognizes the need to manage for positive wildlife 
opportunities for all outdoor recreationists. There is strong public interest in watching wildlife. According to the 2006 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation, 1.3 million wildlife viewing participants spend $838 million in Arizona annually.
Despite this comparatively large demographic, there appears to be a significant gap between the current conditions, as they relate to wildlife viewing recreation, and the desired future conditions. The action plan outlines objectives, goals and actions to narrow the gap.
Comments can be submitted at the meetings, or you can submit comments by e-mail to wwreview@azgfd.gov or by U.S. mail to: Wildlife Viewing Action Plan Comment, c/o Arizona Game and Fish Department, 5000 W. Carefree Highway, Phoenix, AZ 85086. The deadline to submit comment is July 6, 2011.
Gilbert, AZ Gilbert Water Ranch: Feral Cat Update — No Cat Sightings!
by Mike Evans
Conservation Director
Desert Rivers Audubon Society
The most recent survey in mid-March reported only 13 cats left in the preserve. The staff trapped eight of those cats. Coyotes or natural causes are believed to have accounted for the other five. (Coyotes have been photographed this spring with one adult and two kittens in coyote mouths.) Last October’s survey had 82 cats and two litters of hidden kittens living in the preserve.Late this afternoon I spoke with Scott Cleaves, the Park Ranger, @ GWR . In the last two weeks he has only seen one cat in the Riparian Preserve at Gilbert Water Ranch. He has repeatedly tried to catch it over the last two weeks, and today he was successful. To the best knowledge of GWR and Riparian Preserve staff, there are
Signs have been installed at the GWR prohibiting the dumping of any type of animal at the facility. An ordinance prohibiting the dumping of animals has been drafted and circulated for comments. It will come before the town council this summer for adoption. Town employees will continue to trap for cats should any more appear at GWR.
If you run into Scott Anderson, Riparian Preserve Executive Director, Education Director Lisa Hermann, Ranger Scott Cleaves, or Naturalist Jennie Rambo during a future visit to GWR, please thank them for their efforts to make the Riparian Preserve at Gilbert Water Ranch at feral cat-free facility. Thanks goes out as well to the members of Save the Cats Arizona for their cooperation in the removal of the cats.
Thank you to all those on this list serve that contacted Gilbert town staff and elected officials regarding this issue. The hard work of the birding community has been rewarded with a cat-free Important Birding Area here in Gilbert, AZ.
Good Birding,
Mike
The Riparian Preserve at Gilbert’s Water Ranch Park still has a feral cat problem
by Mike Evans
Conservation Director
Desert Rivers Audubon Society
The Riparian Preserve at Gilbert’s Water Ranch Park still has a feral cat problem. Save the Cats Arizona (STCA) had asked forone more chance to trap and remove the cats by themselves. They had been give nuntil January 18th to remove all of the cats. On January 18th, trapping was to resume by the town and the team of Audubon volunteers. All food found in the preserve was to have been removed and the feeding of the feral cats was to have ceased.
What has actually transpired would make a great case study on how politics and publicpolicy decision-making and implementation can be influenced by interest groups. When you throw into the mix the usual aversion to controversy by elected officials and municipal leaders, and add in the flavoring from an upcoming town council election, good public policy decisions become very difficult to make. Since I’m sure you aren’t ready for a grad school seminar, I’ll just hit the highlights.
We knew that the feral cat lobby had begun to contact town officials as a result of our trapping of cats. So, we sent a note out on the Birdwing05 listserve that the Universityof Arizona administers. We asked for people to contact the Town of Gilbert officials to support the complete removal of cats from the Riparian Preserve. During this time,we learned that the feral cat advocates were planning on attending the January 13thTown Council meeting. We made plans to attend with a small group of board members to monitor what transpired. On the afternoon of the council meeting, we learned that the town had struck a deal with the feral cat advocates to give them one more monthto remove the cats and allow the feeding of the cats to continue during that time. But STCA was told that the colony would be ended. A new deadline of Feb. 18th was set for ending STCA feeding and caring of the Water Ranch Park cats.
The town has set up a mediation process headed by former Town Presiding Judge David Phares. The town staff was represented by Jim Norman, Community Services Director for the town. The Riparian Preserve is part of this department. All of the meetings between the town, the feral cat advocates and DRAS have been lead by these two men.
A meeting was held on Jan. 26th to discuss the feral cat management plan for the preserve. At that meeting STCA agreed to our long desired goal of not having a feral cat colony at the Riparian Preserve. The meeting was amicable and a spirit of cooperation was evident. STCA agreed to cooperate with Riparian Preserve staff members to trap the remaining cats. Another meeting was scheduled for Feb. 16th.
Several different trapping strategies are being tried, but none are proving very successful. Between the Jan. 26th and Feb. 16th meetings, STCA only trapped four cats. Town employees trapped twelve.
At the Feb. 16th meeting, Save the Cats Arizona again asked for more time to remove the cats. The population of cats had been cut to twenty three. Of these, STCA said that twelve of the cats were “their” cats that and that they had a relationship with them. They asked that feeding continue until all of their cats are trapped. We are not supportive of this, because we believe, as do town staff, that these remaining cats will only be trapped when they become really hungry. And with shore bird nesting season right around the corner, we want all of the cats gone by early March, especially any hungry ones!
Since the Feb. 16th meeting, town staff has managed to trap two more cats. STCA have not trapped any. We have written to town staff to express our concern with how long this process is dragging on and that no definite end is in sight. We want feeding to end now and trapping to accelerate so that all of the cats are gone by the time the shorebirds nest, which is in March. There is more to come on this issue.
Editor’s Note: Mike Evans is the Conservation Director for Desert Rivers Audubon Society and a formermember of the Gilbert Town Council.
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