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Author: Elva Manquera

Explore the Hawks in the Basin

Written by Elva Manquera on . Posted in Klamath Call Note.

December can be a great time of year to enjoy raptor viewing in the picturesque Klamath Basin! Wintering birds have been arriving, and the weather is still (sorta) mild. Please join KBO board members Amanda Alford and Dick Ashford, who will share their enthusiasm and knowledge during an informative (and fun!) Hawk ID workshop.

On Dec 5th, we’ll enjoy a 6-8:30 PM lecture in the KBO “Spa” at 2425 Siskiyou Blvd, Ashland. To afford everyone the best possible experience, attendance is strictly limited to 22 attendees. This will allow half the class to enjoy a day-long outing to the Klamath Basin on Dec 7th, while the other half will be in the field on Dec 15th. In each case, we’ll depart Ashland at 8 AM and return around 5-ish. We will carpool (a must!) in 4 vehicles of 4 people each.

Please be sure to dress comfortably and bring lunch and liquids. Much of our birding will be from the roadside, and walking will be minimal.

Because this outing is so popular (hawks have charisma!), early signup is recommended. Your seat will be confirmed upon receipt of your non-refundable, tax-deductible contribution of $65 per person. We’re looking forward to seeing you in the Field Of Wonder!

We ask that you attend the classroom session and one field trip. No “outing-only” signups, please. We’ll be looking forward to seeing you in the Field Of Wonder!

Get to know your instructors

Amanda Alford left and Dick Ashford right

Amanda Alford fell in love with birds for the first time at the Klamath Bird Observatory’s Mountain Bird Festival in 2016. She has been hooked on all things birds ever since! Her birding is often interrupted by her day job as a physician anesthesiologist with Southern Oregon Anesthesia. She was drawn to the science-driven mission of the Klamath Bird Observatory, believing in the power of good science to change the world in all the right ways. She hopes her involvement will help protect KBO’s important work for generations to come.

Dick Ashford has served on the KBO Board since 2005, with two terms as Board President (2007-2009, 2010-2013). He also served on the board of the American Birding Association from 2007-2013 (Chair 2009-2010). A continuing student of birds and birding, Dick especially enjoys leading hawk-watching trips to Oregon’s Klamath Basin. He taught the Hawk ID Workshop at the annual Winter Wings Festival in Klamath Falls for over 10 years.

 

Tracking Post-Fledging Survival

Written by Elva Manquera on . Posted in Klamath Call Note, KBO Science.

Oregon Vesper Sparrow fledgling.

A new research paper published in the journal Avian Conservation and Ecology by partners Bob Altman and Joel Geier and KBO scientist Sarah Rockwell presents the first estimates of post-fledging survival and site persistence of the Oregon Vesper Sparrow. The authors used mark-resight methodology, a method involving color-banding birds and observing them in the wild, to track the survival of fledglings in the weeks after they left their nests in the Willamette Valley of Oregon. The authors found that their survival estimates, derived from mark-resighting, were substantially higher than those found in previous studies using radio-tracking in other grassland songbirds. Post-fledging survival of Oregon Vesper Sparrows in the Willamette Valley was the highest ever reported for similarly sized grassland birds – 62.9% for the first nine weeks out of the nest, typically the most vulnerable time in a bird’s life. These differences may be due to either the naturally high survival of this subspecies in this region or a negative impact of radio-tracking on birds, particularly on fledglings, including entanglement and increased predation risk.

The paper concludes by acknowledging the greater effort needed for mark-resight methodology, but recommending it when possible as a less invasive and potentially more accurate alternative to radio-tracking for studying post-fledging survival in grassland birds, especially species of conservation concern. Post-fledging and juvenile survival are important pieces of information to estimate the population growth rate and extinction risk for this subspecies. The Oregon Vesper Sparrow is currently under review for listing as federally threatened or endangered, and the results presented in this paper will help the USFWS make this decision.

Oregon Vesper Sparrow habitat in the Willamette Valley. Photo taken by Bob Altman.

This study is a part of range-wide research on the imperiled Oregon Vesper Sparrow that KBO is conducting with the above-mentioned partners in the Willamette Valley, OR, and Ecostudies Institute in the Puget Lowlands, WA. Juvenile return rates at KBO’s field site on Howard Prairie are nowhere near as high as in the Willamette Valley – but this doesn’t necessarily mean that mortality is higher. It could mean that our young birds are more likely to disperse to other meadows than return to our study site. This is an important question in understanding the demography and possible causes of population decline in this subspecies and is an active area of research.

The study was funded primarily by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, with additional support from the American Bird Conservancy, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Multi-State State Wildlife Grant Program, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Migratory Birds Program, Oregon Wildlife Foundation, Wildlife Forever Fund, and Greenbelt Land Trust.

Citation:
Altman, B., J. Geier, and S. M. Rockwell. 2024. High post-fledging survival and site persistence using mark-resight methodology for Oregon Vesper Sparrows in the Willamette Valley, Oregon. Avian Conservation and Ecology 19(2):8. https://doi.org/10.5751/ACE-02706-190208

You can read the full article here: https://ace-eco.org/vol19/iss2/art8/

Howloween with Frank Lospalluto

Written by Elva Manquera on . Posted in Klamath Call Note, Birds & Birding, Trips & Events.

Join Frank Lospalluto for a haunting good time on the 25th at 5 pm. We will be traveling the Keno Access Rd. looking for Great Grey Owls and other silent predators of the night. The night will start at Rite Aid in Ashland to organize the carpool. Register below.

A great companion for this outing is the Great Grey Owl book written by Peter J. Thiemann and Harry Fuller. You can purchase it here from KBO. 

 

 

Bear Creek Salmon Festival

Written by Elva Manquera on . Posted in Klamath Call Note, Trips & Events.

Join KBO in celebrating fall at the Bear Creek Salmon Festival on Saturday, October 12, 11 am-4 pm at North Mountain Park in Ashland. This FREE, family event honors the return of fall salmon with kids’ games and activities, Native American cultural demonstrations, and live music all day. Enjoy the folksy sounds of McAlvage & Fretwell in the morning or boogie to hot, prohibition-era jazz with the Bathtub Gin Serenaders in the afternoon.

Rogue Food Unites will offer healthy snacks at the Nature Play Area, while Fatso’s Cheketos offers gluten-free lunch options at the Nature Center. Exhibitors will share education about our local watersheds, native salmon, and how we can help support a healthy ecosystem in our own communities. 

Join our Zero-Waste efforts by bringing your own water bottle. Parking is limited, bikes are encouraged. For more information visit BearCreekSalmonFestival.net or contact the North Mountain Park Nature Center at 541-488-6606.

KBO is Hiring!

Written by Elva Manquera on . Posted in Klamath Call Note.

Biologist—Informatics and Data Science Program

The biologist will contribute to KBO’s growing Informatics and Avian Data Science Program. Biologists support the Avian Knowledge Network, work with partners to scope and develop data-driven decision support tools, and are involved in data analysis, reporting, and publications. The Avian Knowledge Network is a partnership-supported cloud-based data repository that provides data management and analytical tools. The primary responsibilities of the biologist will be to manage databases and associated metadata to support KBO research and monitoring, advise program partners on avian survey methodologies and study design, and provide support and training for data management in the AKN. The biologist will work closely with other members of a team. Depending on qualifications, the biologist may also contribute to study design, statistical analysis, report and manuscript writing, and development of interactive decision support tools.

You can read the full job description here. 

Cover photo orange-crowned warbler by Frank Lospalluto

Join us in learning about water birds of the Klamath Refuge and the Federal Duck Stamp

Written by Elva Manquera on . Posted in Klamath Call Note, Birds & Birding, Trips & Events.

Introduction to the common water birds of the Klamath Refuge and how the Conservation Science Stamp Set supports their conservation

This presentation is to acquaint you with how to go to the refuge and what you might see when you get there. Maps of the refuge will be provided. A book will be featured that invites you to take some young person (or any age person) to the refuge to learn about the wonders of the waterfowl refuge. Klamath Refuge was designated the first waterfowl refuge in 1908.
Common Waterbirds of the Klamath Basin is a book of photos with light-hearted script. It will be for sale for $25 and it is meant to be a guide to both identify and learn about the unique waterfowl that visit this magical refuge.

We will also be introducing you to one of the most successful conservation programs ever created, the Federal Duck Stamp. The purchase of the Duck Stamp provides funds for the Migratory Bird Conservation fund that supports the National Wildlife Refuge System. To support all birds the Klamath Bird Observatory has been producing a Conservation Science Stamp that is sold with the Duck Stamp to raise funds to conserve all species. The stamps are for sale online here or you can purchase one during the event.

The presenters will be Shannon Rio and Elva Manquera-DeShields. This is a hybrid presentation at the Klamath Bird Observatory office in Ashland on September 30th at 6 pm.  This is a free presentation and registration is below.

Patty Buettner Memorial Hawk Watch

Written by Elva Manquera on . Posted in Klamath Call Note, Birds & Birding.

The Patty Buettner Memorial Hawk Watch will be on Saturday, September 28, from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm, at the Modoc Rim stationary viewing area, above nearby Hagelstein Park, north of Klamath Falls.

Northern Harrier by Frank Lospalluto

This event has been a tradition for many years, observing the migrating raptors moving southward using the updraft caused by daily eastward blowing wind currents along the escarpment seen adjacent to Hwy 97 and Upper Klamath Lake. Among the more common raptors are: Red-tailed Hawk, Cooper’s and Sharp-shinned Hawks, Bald Eagles, Northern Harriers, falcons such as Prairie, Peregrine, American Kestrel, Golden Eagle, Turkey Vultures, and others. Passerines and songbirds move through also. There have been large groups of Lewis’s Woodpeckers, Northern Flickers, California Scrub Jays, Mountain Chickadees, smaller groups of Band-tailed Pigeons, and even some wayward Acorn Woodpeckers. As for raptors, occasionally, a Broad-winged Hawk will move through, but that is quite rare and very exciting! And Northern Goshawk sometimes too! The chance to see an unusual bird requires constant scanning and identifying each and every bird going through. With several observers, the chance of getting by the group is low.

The location is at the edge of the rim overlooking Upper Klamath Lake. It requires a short hike through the brush, from the parking area, which is accessed via a steeper grade of wash-boarded gravel road starting near Hagelstein Park. While standing most of the time constantly scanning, the reward is seeing birds in the distance and attempting to ID, and although closer views are fleeting as they fly overhead or off to the side, on good days it can be rather busy, and there is constant discussion of raptor characteristics, overall shapes, and plumages. Since there are numerous observers scanning, taking a break, and scanning from a campchair is welcome, then standing when a bird of interest approaches can help. There are times when it’s not so busy, so time for drinking water, eating, sitting for a bit, or talking about raptors. Or, you can just continue to scan and maybe be the first to spot another approaching bird of prey!

Details

Due to the primitive location, there are no restrooms. A hat, sunscreen, and plenty of water are musts. Lunch and snacks are necessary, and a chair is recommended. There are plenty of people there to assist if one can’t carry everything. Be aware that it is a primitive site, this is a stationary event, in an open area exposed to the elements. A scope is necessary to see raptors from a distance initially, but with closer views, binoculars are good. It is possible to meet at Hagelstein Park and carpool from that location.
If interested in participating, please contact: Kevin Spencer for more details: rriparia@charter.net

Patty Buettner Upper Klamath Lake

Support Klamath Bird Observatory’s Avian Internship Memorial Fund

Since this is an event named in Patty Buettner’s honor, there is an ask to donate in her honor, to the Klamath Bird Observatory. KBO was a part of her early career as a biologist here in the Klamath Basin. Building on her passion for monitoring and habitat restoration and protection of wildlife. She was involved in the initial groundwork with the Klamath Bird Observatory in the Klamath Basin.

If you are interested in donating any amount in her honor you can donate to the Avian Internship Memorial Fund. The Avian Internship Memorial Fund (AIM Fund), was started by the friends and family of Patricia Buettner (Patty). The AIM Fund helps support KBO’s long-running internship programs. Klamath Bird Observatory’s internship program offers a positive learning experience for students. Our interns also make considerable contributions that help the international bird conservation community advance bird and habitat conservation.

Project Phoenix Webinar

Written by Elva Manquera on . Posted in Klamath Call Note, Community Science.

Join Klamath Bird Observatory and the eBird NW Steering Committee to learn more about a new community science project, Project Phoenix on August 23rd at noon PCT. In the age of mega-fires, people and wildlife are increasingly exposed to hazardous smoke. Although birds are highly sensitive to air pollution, we know very little about how smoke affects birds. Learning more is critical to inform bird conservation in a rapidly warming world and you can help us.

Project Phoenix is open to all birders and bird enthusiasts – regardless of previous birding experience. They welcome and encourage beginner birders to participate. If you’re a beginner, welcome!

Register in advance for this online meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYpfu2urz8pHtMprWpiAhWqJ7vh6srHQQOi