Alaska Bird Observatory

 

The Arctic Warbler - On-Line Edition News from the Alaska Bird Observatory ©1999 Alaska Bird Observatory, Inc. All rights reserved Limited permission is granted to educators to reproduce these materials for use by their students Fall 1999 Volume 5, Number 3 Table of Contents "Off-season" Education Programs - Leonard Peyton: The Man Behind the Microphone - Staff News & Notes - Persistence Pays Off - Reflections on Autumn 1999 - Volunteer Profile - Joyce Potter - Volunteers Make a Difference - Continental Banding Standards - 100th Christmas Bird Count - Breeding Bird Survey Report - Thistle-Eating Chirpers - Holiday Gift Ideas - Mark Your Calendars! - Thanks from ABO - ABO's Holiday Wishlist - A Ptarmigan in a (Fake) Fir Tree - Upcoming Events Why Aren't There Any Pictures?
"Off-season" Education Programs by Andrea Swingley "So are things slowing down for you at ABO?" a friend asked. It's now winter, the banding station is closed, there are no more banding demonstrations, so the education program should be done for the year, right? WRONG! Although the education program at ABO began primarily with bird-banding demonstrations for school groups, in the past two years it has evolved into much more. This year, there have been 5,038 participants in more than 135 ABO education programs. In addition to the ever-popular banding demonstrations, ABO offers a variety of workshops, walks, seminars, and special events throughout the year relating to Alaska birds and bird conservation. One special program offered this fall stands out as being particularly successful. With the support of Alaska Feed Company, ABO offered a bird-feeding workshop on October 16 and attracted over 60 people who wanted to learn more about feeding birds in winter. Many of the workshop participants already put out some kind of food for the birds, but came to the program to learn more about how to attract a greater variety of species and how to deal with unwanted feeder visitors. Not only did this workshop attract a large number of participants, but we also raised nearly $500 for ABO and recruited 11 new members. Planning and ideas are already in the works for next year's programs. The 1999-2000 winter seminar series kicks off on December 6 with David Willey, Visiting Assistant Professor in the University of Alaska Fairbanks' Department of Biology and Wildlife. We will be offering another winter bird feeding workshop at Alaska Feed Company on January 29. ABO Board of Directors president Lori Quakenbush will give a seminar on February 7 before the ABO staff head to the Alaska Bird Conference in Sitka. We will have our annual meeting on March 30 at the Noel Wien Library and celebrate International Migratory Bird Day on Saturday, May 13. Look for workshops on choosing optics for birding, identifying warblers and sparrows in fall plumage, and learning to birdwatch again next summer. Have an idea or request for a new workshop? Tell us about it by calling (907) 451-7059 or send an e-mail to birds@alaskabird.org. Staff News & Notes Recent Conferences Attended: * Anna-Marie Benson &endash; Western Bird Banding Association Meeting, September 24-26, Reno, NV * Nancy DeWitt &endash; Nonprofit Leadership Conference, November 4-5, Anchorage Internship Openings: We are now accepting applications for summer interns for the 2000 field season. One censusing intern is needed to assist with bird censuses in Denali National Park between June 1 and July 15. A stipend of $400/month plus some per diem and housing will be provided. Two banding interns are needed at the Creamer's Field Migration Station in Fairbanks between July 15 and September 30 (four-week minimum commitment). Interns will receive training in passerine identification, mist-netting, banding, and aging techniques. An avian education intern is needed to help with banding demonstrations, the Alaska Bird Camp, and other education programs from May 15 to September 15 (ten-week minimum commitment). This intern will receive training in wildlife interpretation and mist netting techniques. A stipend of $500/month is provided for the above internships. For more information about qualifications and applying, please check our web site at www.alaskabird.org Additional job openings for the 2000 field season will be posted on ABO's web site as they become available.	Leonard Peyton: The Man Behind the Microphone by John Wright Leonard Peyton has studied birds in Alaska for more than 40 years. In 1957 he assisted Laurence Irving on studies in the Brooks Range, written up in "Birds of Anaktuvuk Pass, Kobuk, and Old Crow: a study in Arctic adaptation." I first met Leonard in 1971 when he gave a guest lecture to Bob Weeden's ornithology class at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Dan Gibson was also a student in that class. Leonard discussed geographic variation in songs of Fox Sparrows, played us several of his recordings, and showed us his Nagra reel-to-reel recorder and 3 m diameter aluminum parabolic reflector/microphone. That was the equipment he used for nearly 30 years (beginning in 1967) to record Fox Sparrows and 71 other Alaskan species. Cornell's Library of Natural Sounds always praised Leonard for the high quality of his recordings. That quality was a result of Leonard's skill, patience, and the best recording equipment available. But he paid a price for that, the Nagra and large parabolic microphone weighed over 40 lbs., not the easiest setup to pack through the woods and across the tundra. In the 1980's, I asked Leonard if he had some tapes of local owls that I could use in a field project. It turned out he had the best recordings available. One Northern Hawk Owl recording was collected in the Goldstream Valley near Fairbanks in the early 1970's. It includes songs and defensive calls, and in the background is the voice of longtime ABO board member Bob Ritchie, who was assisting Leonard that day and occasionally needed to be reminded that they were recording owls and not Bob's chatter. The Great Gray Owl recordings he lent me were made without the aid of his parabolic reflector. It wasn't necessary because Leonard was able to record within inches of a Great Gray he had hand-reared as an orphan. The resonating base that Leonard captured in that Great Gray's booming hoots is soul shaking. In the early days of the Alaska Bird Observatory, we used to daydream about ways to raise money and keep the banding station alive. Having borrowed the owl tapes and others from Leonard, we thought of asking Leonard to compile his Alaska recordings for sale to the public. Leonard jumped at the idea and in 1992 personally produced a tape containing 65 species. "Alaska Bird Songs" &endash; the first commercial recording of Alaskan birds -- was sold through ABO and a few other outlets in Alaska, and later through a couple of outlets in the lower 48. Over the years, ABO has grossed $20,500 in tape sales. The "Bird Songs of Alaska" CD set includes more than 40 of Leonard's recordings among its total of 267 species. It was produced first as a training CD for Boreal Partners In Flight in 1996, and now is available through ABO in an improved commercial version. In less than a year, ABO's gross sales of the CDs total more than $8,000. In addition to making his wonderful recordings available to the public, Leonard has made a huge financial contribution to the Alaska Bird Observatory. Next time you play your cassette or CDs, take time to listen to the Fox Sparrows -- all four geographic types included. They were the birds that inspired Leonard to begin recording. Partners in Bird Conservation We would like to extend our appreciation to the Northern Alaska Ecological Services Office of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) for obtaining a $12,500 challenge cost-share grant to help ABO build upon and expand our education program. The grant funded the ABO Education Coordinator position this summer, as well as supporting the Alaska Bird Camp. These funds also allowed ABO to bring Peter Pyle to Fairbanks for a workshop in advanced bird aging and sexing techniques. We are grateful to USFWS for their continued, generous support!
Persistence Pays Off From the Director by Nancy DeWitt Another field season has come and gone. The fact that Alaska's "non-winter" seasons fly by at an astonishing rate doesn't speed up the arduous task of compiling a long-term data set in order to document population trends among landbirds. Although we now have eight years of monitoring data from our Creamer's Field Migration Station, we need many more years of data before we can draw any conclusions about population trends in interior Alaska. ABO's core monitoring program was not implemented as a result of a local environmental disaster or looming habitat loss; rather, it was inspired by concern over songbird population declines documented elsewhere in the U.S. and a lack of information about Alaska's Neotropical migrants. One of our primary goals is to obtain baseline information on birds that breed in a relatively pristine geographical area. As the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill taught us, it is difficult to accurately evaluate the impacts of environmental change on a species if we don't know the status of that species before the change occurred. More importantly, consistent monitoring allows us to detect any population declines and take action before a species becomes threatened or endangered. The downside to this proactive, common-sense approach to conservation is that it typically doesn't appeal to funders as much as reactive efforts to immediate environmental crises or pending legislation. The upside is that, thanks to our persistence and the support of our members and benefactors, we are well on our way to amassing an important data set. In addition to documenting annual population numbers, we have learned new life-history information about the birds we monitor. For example, Anna-Marie Benson, Terry Doyle, and Tom Pogson will soon have a manuscript published that describes new passerine distribution information based on interior Alaska mist-netting operations. Anna-Marie Benson, ABO's Senior Biologist and a graduate student at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, has conducted an extensive examination of breeding-season duration, patterns of fat deposition, timing of migration, and energetic constraints of molting among high-latitude passerine migrants. Perhaps the most immediate impact of our research efforts has been upon the thousands of people who observe and participate in our research. This year, we had 2,929 children and adults visit our banding station to learn about our work and the ecological, economic, and aesthetic importance of birds. As the following words from A.C. Fisher illustrate, a close encounter with a small bird can have tremendous impact on a person: In my hand I held the most remarkable of all living things, a creature of astounding abilities that elude our understanding, of extraordinary, even bizarre senses, of stamina and endurance far surpassing anything else in the animal world. Yet my captive measured a mere five inches in length and weighed less than half an ounce, about the weight of a 50-cent piece. I held that truly awesome enigma, a bird. Volunteer Profile - Joyce Potter Joyce Potter, our 1999 Volunteer of the Year, grew up in the midwest and obtained a B.S. in Nursing from St. Louis University. She came to Alaska in 1970 with the U.S. Public Health Service and worked in Tanana and Bethel as a public health nurse. Later, she spent 20 years working for the Catholic Diocese of Fairbanks and then operated her own dog grooming business for four years. Judy Williams, an ABO volunteer and Joyce's neighbor, invited her out to the banding station in 1994 because of Joyce's interest in watching and feeding birds. We're grateful to Judy, because Joyce has turned out to be one of our most dedicated and consistent volunteers. Joyce's favorite story about her volunteer experience involves a busy day during spring of 1998. "I still have vivid memories of the day when I came up to nets 18 and 19 on our last run of the day and both nets were loaded with redpolls--and more jumping in by the minute! Steve was at net 25 with a tangled chickadee. I was a lot faster at taking birds out of nets by the end of that day." After that, we were nervous whenever Joyce volunteered, because she seemed to attract redpolls to the station in large quantities. ABO ended up rewarding her with a red cap for her efforts, making her an honorary redpoll. Thanks for your help, Joyce!	Reflections on Autumn 1999 by David Shaw Another autumn banding season has passed and the last of the interior's migrants have trickled south. The migration ends with snow falling on the fields and forests of the Creamer's Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge. I'm contemplating my first fall banding season at Creamer's Field, sitting in front of the computer at the farmhouse while the snow outside settles deeper. While preparing for my first Fairbanks winter, and pining away for the return of the birds, I'm given the chance to analyze the year's data to find out how the season went. This was my first season at CFMS; last fall I worked at the Denali Institute Migration Station at Camp Denali. There I got my first taste of bird banding in Alaska: inconsistent and unpredictable weather, loads of birds, muddy trails and also stunning vistas, sunshine, and fall colors so bright they almost hurt my eyes. When I got the call that ABO needed a fall bander for 1999, I leapt at the chance to come back. Creamer's Field is a world apart from the Denali station. What Creamer's lacks in vistas it makes up for in people. The many people that volunteer their time to help out at the banding station reiterated to me just why I decided to move to Fairbanks: "you don't move to Fairbanks for the town, you move here for the people." So to those of you who volunteer your time or money to help us research and protect Alaska's Birds…thanks, you do good work. Compared to the bonanza, record-breaking fall season of 1998, the numbers of birds captured in 1999 were normal. Approximately four thousand new birds of 32 species were banded this season, compared to 5,700 in 1998. That is not to say that we did not have touches of excitement, as any of our volunteers and interns who were with me at the station on September 4 can attest. That Saturday was the biggest day of the season, with 421 birds processed and released in only six hours. The nets stuffed with migrants kept our small crew of able-bodied volunteers on their toes with adrenaline levels high. My personal thanks to all of you who helped out on that incredible day. Aside from a few of these busy days, the rest of season kept on at a steady pace. Six Sharp-shinned Hawks and four Northern Shrikes livened things up and bloodied our hands. Two Three-Toed Woodpeckers were caught this year-- the first since 1994. Looking back….not a bad season! David has quickly settled in to the Alaska lifestyle. After moving into a rustic cabin with no running water, he acquired his first husky and is looking forward to lots of skijoring this winter. Table 1. Total number of individuals captured at Creamer's Field Migration Station: 15 July - 30 September 1999. Species Total Sharp-shinned Hawk 6 Northern Flicker 1 Downy Woodpecker 2 Hairy Woodpecker 2 Three-toed Woodpecker 2 Alder Flycatcher 45 Hammond's Flycatcher 30 Northern Shrike 4 Black-capped Chickadee 42 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 62 Arctic Warbler 4 Gray-cheeked Thrush 49 Swainson's Thrush 128 Hermit Thrush 19 Varied Thrush 3 American Robin 33 Orange-crowned Warbler 672 Yellow-rumped Warbler 687 Townsend's Warbler 3 Blackpoll Warbler 170 Yellow Warbler 194 Wilson's Warbler 127 Northern Waterthrush 49 American Tree Sparrow 727 Fox Sparrow 70 Savannah Sparrow 201 Lincoln's Sparrow 134 White-crowned Sparrow 32 Golden-crowned Sparrow 4 Dark-eyed Junco 414 Rusty Blackbird 1 Common Redpoll 28 Grand Total 3971 This data is copyrighted 1992-1999 Alaska Bird Observatory, Inc. All rights are reserved. Posting of these data on the World Wide Web is not a waiver of that copyright or any other intellectual property rights associated with the data. No part of these data may be used except for viewing as displayed here by any persons without the prior written consent of Alaska Bird Observatory, Inc. For information regarding the use of this data please contact Alaska Bird Observatory at birds@alaskabird.org.
Volunteers Make a Difference ABO relies on the help of many dedicated volunteers to operate the Creamer's Field Migration Station. During 1999, more than 80 people helped us check mist nets, untangle and carry birds to the banding station, record data, and repair nets. Migration fallouts are unpredictable, and we appreciate the patience of our volunteers when it seemed like we scheduled more people than the number of birds caught, or when a fallout surprised us and we were short handed. Our highly adaptable crew responded to slow days with lawn chairs and great conversation, and to busy days by racing from net to net without a break. Although we are extremely grateful for the help of every volunteer who helped make this a fun and successful season, a few people deserve special recognition. Joyce Potter (profiled on this page) showed up twice weekly throughout the entire season, accumulating an amazing 241 hours of service and earning our 1999 Volunteer of the Year award. Without fail, dedicated "supermoms" Lorrie Hawkins, Kay Hackney, and Janlee Irving frequently brought their children to the station to experience environmental volunteerism at its finest. Special thanks go to junior volunteers Abby Hawkins, Luke DiCicco, Britta Irving, and Juliann Schamel for their enthusiasm and hard work. Finally, we thank those folks who earned their "five-year mug" for volunteering at least 40 hours/year for at least five years: Laurel Devaney, Gail Mayo, Ken Russell, Kristine Sowl, Judy Williams, and John Wright. Volunteers rule! Grace Abromaitis Kris Adamczak Nathan Adams Michelle Ambrose Cyndie Beale Clinton Bergman Leslie Brandt Carol Brice Libby Burgess Jim Campbell Kyle Campbell Scott Cashen Ed Clark Judy Dearborn Luke DeCicco Fred Deines Nick Deines Carrie Dershin Laurel Devaney Adia DeWitt Jim DeWitt Cathy Donaldson Amy Eberhart Catherine Egan Ruth Games Rebecca Gilbert Nikki Guldager Kay Hackney Joanne Haller Ray Hander Rebecca Harvey Chris Harwood Abby Hawkins Lorrie Hawkins Adrienna Holden Billy Hynson Laurie Hynson Brita Irving Janlee Irving David Junkin Sandy Junkin Carol Kasza Dan Kennedy Allison Lancaster Keith Larson Don Leistikow Ernie Lewis Sherry Lewis Mary Liston Jim Logan Dawn Magness Jill Marshall Joel Martin Philip Martin Greg McClellan Duff McInteer Carol McIntyre Renee Melegari Rachel Pachter Amy Palmer Miriam Paquin Lisa Patrick Tony Payne Elizabeth Porter Joshua Porter Steve Porter Joyce Potter Steve Reidsma Todd Rinaldi Amy Rioux Loni Rossow Ken Russell Juliann Schamel Kristine Sowl Corey Stalker Shelli Swanson Chris Swingley Kathy Taylor Yokel Mary Kay Teel Ronald Teel Marilou Thomas Amy Turner Kim Wacker Pat Wagner Tim Walker Judy Williams Nancy Winford John Wright Don Youkey Continental Banding Standards Established Bird banding is an important tool used to answer questions about birds. Recently, there has been an increase in the number of people using this valuable tool, however, skills and techniques have varied among bird banders. The North American Banding Council (NABC) was recently established to develop and promote a standard of sound and ethical bird-banding principles and techniques. The NABC consists of representatives from the most prominent North American ornithological societies and banding organizations. The NABC has developed a bander- and trainer-certification program to evaluate knowledge, experience, and skills through a written test and hands-on demonstration. The first-ever certification process in the western United States was held in Reno, September 24, 1999. Anna-Marie Benson, ABO's Senior Biologist, passed the standards set by the NABC for the permittee and trainer levels after being evaluated by some of the most prominent people in the field (C.J. Ralph, Geoff Geupel, Kathy Klimkiewicz, Ken Burton, and Barbara Carlson, to name a few). Anna-Marie stated, "I wasn't expecting the process to be quite so intensive, although it is great to know that such high standards are being set." The certification process is a great opportunity for people who are concerned that their banding skills meet North American standards. People can be certified at three different levels: assistant, permittee, and trainer. These designations will help people hiring field crews that require certain skills. The process is also an asset for anyone training bird banders. The Alaska Bird Observatory will be offering passerine bander certification courses during 2000; contact Anna-Marie Benson for more information.	Join the 100th Christmas Bird Count The 100th annual Christmas Bird Count (CBC) sponsored by the National Audubon Society represents the oldest and largest wildlife survey in the world. Ornithologist Frank Chapman started the CBC in 1900 as an alternative to the annual "Side Hunt," a holiday tradition where the team that shot the most birds won the event. Chapman, an officer in the then budding Audubon Society, suggested that rather than slaughter birds, people count them instead. Today, more than 45,000 people participate in this annual, all-day census of early-winter bird populations. The sample area for a CBC is a 15-mile diameter circle, and varying numbers of volunteers count all birds they see in the circle during a designated day within two weeks of 25 December. Although observers differ greatly in ability, effort is not standardized among years, and count circles are not randomly located, the CBC is viewed as a valuable supplement to the North American Breeding Bird Survey. To learn more about analyses of CBC data by the Biological Resources Division of the U.S. Geological Survey, visit the following web site: www.mbr.nbs.gov/bbs/int1cbc.html Christmas Bird Counts are also great recreational and social events (many conclude with a potluck dinner to share results) during the cold, dark days of Alaska's winter. We encourage folks to get involved, whether it's to count birds visiting your feeder or to cover a pre-assigned area. Last year, 33 counts took place in Alaska, including ones in Cordova, Unalaska, Prudhoe Bay, King Salmon, and Kenny Lake. If you are interested in participating, contact your local CBC coordinator. A list of some contact numbers follows; others can be obtained by visiting http://www.birdsource.org/cbc/. Area Date Coordinator Telephone Anchorage December 18 Dave Delap 561-0223 Denali Park December 28 Nan Eagleson 683-2822 Fairbanks January 2 Gail Mayo 479-2954 Juneau December 18 Mark Schwan 789-9851 Breeding Bird Survey Report During the 1960's, Chandler Robbins of the Migratory Bird Population Station (now the Patuxent Environmental Science Center) in Laurel, Maryland, developed the concept of a continent-wide monitoring program for breeding birds. After testing the roadside survey methodology in 1965, the North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) was launched in 1966. By 1968, approximately 2,000 routes were established across the contiguous 48 states and southern Canada; during the 1980's, the BBS expanded into Alaska and the Yukon. Today there are approximately 3,700 active BBS routes in the continental U.S. and Canada. The BBS was designed to provide a continental perspective of population change and it has been the primary tool used to detect declines in Neotropical migrant bird populations. Surveys are conducted along a 24.5-mile route during the peak of the nesting season. Fifty stops are made at 0.5-mile intervals, during which the observer records all birds seen or heard during a three-minute point count. Data are sent to the BBS office at Patuxent where it is computerized and analyzed. The survey produces an index of relative abundance, rather than a complete count of breeding bird populations, for those species well sampled by the BBS. You can view trend analyses and maps on the web at http://www.mbr.nbs.gov/bbs/ After completing routes in 1992 and 1994, the Alaska Bird Observatory re-entered the BBS scene this year. During June, we surveyed two routes along the Denali Highway and one route along Chena Hot Springs Road near Fairbanks. Although rising at 3 a.m. to start the counts was challenging, substantial bird activity and breath-taking scenery made it worthwhile. The Chena Hot Springs route passes through a corridor of riverine white spruce interspersed with ponds and patches of birch forest. We counted 39 species along this route, including 83 Swainson's Thrushes, 32 Alder Flycatchers, 51 Townsend's Warblers, and a Three-toed Woodpecker. The Denali Highway between Paxson and Cantwell hosts some wonderful but little-known birding opportunities as it meanders through rolling taiga and tundra and past rivers and countless ponds. We counted 55 species on two routes, including 26 Arctic Warblers, 55 Gray-cheeked Thrushes, 124 Wilson's Warblers, 152 White-crowned Sparrows, 24 White-winged Crossbills, and a smattering of Tundra Swans, Oldsquaw, scoters, Willow Ptarmigan, Arctic Terns, Lapland Longspurs, and redpolls. If you have good bird identification skills (by sight and sound) and would like to participate in an Alaskan BBS, contact Brad Andres, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, at (907) 786-3378 or Brad_Andres@fws.gov
Thistle-eating Chirpers by Andrea Swingley Beginning in late August of this year, many Fairbanks-area birdwatchers were treated to unusually frequent appearances by a less-than-common visitor. Despite being listed as common in both the Checklist of Alaska Birds (Gibson 1999) and Field Checklist of Birds of Interior Alaska (Kessel 1986), Pine Siskins (Carduelis pinus) are rarely reported at Fairbanks-area bird feeders. The majority of the siskins have disappeared, but this seemed like a good time to take a closer look at these surprise visitors. The "pine" in Pine Siskin refers to the trees in which these birds prefer to nest, but the origin of the name "siskin" is less clearly understood. The most likely derivation of "siskin" is from the Danish word sisgen or sidsken, or the Swedish word siska, both meaning "a chirper" (Choate 1985). Pine Siskins are usually observed in large flocks, with flocks of 50 - 200 birds common, and flocks up to 1,000 birds occasionally seen. Often loud choruses of tit-ih-tit and buzzy shreeees can be heard from these flocks (Terres 1980). The scientific name, Carduelis pinus, again reflects this species' preference to nest in conifers, as well as its relationship to a similar-looking, more common interior Alaska bird feeder visitor. Other members of the genus Carduelis include Common Redpolls, Hoary Redpolls, and the American Goldfinch. The name Carduelis is Latin for "goldfinch" and is derived from the Latin word Carduus, referring to thistle - the birds' favorite food (Choate 1985). Pine Siskins are an irruptive species, yet are one of the top 10 most commonly found birds in Cornell's Project FeederWatch (see http://www.birdsource.org/pfw/). Irruptions are periodic movements of numbers of birds into unusual ranges for a season (Cox 1996). There are several irruptive, northern, seed-eating bird species, including Pine Grosbeaks, Common Redpolls, Red and White-winged Crossbills, and Red-breasted Nuthatches. It is believed that irruptions are triggered by food shortages (especially poor seed crops) on wintering grounds. For more information about winter bird irruptions, visit the BirdSource Irruptive Bird Survey web site at http://www.birdsource.org/ibs/. Pine Siskins are generally found foraging in flocks during winter and are often associated with goldfinches and redpolls (Ehrlich et al. 1988; Kaufman 1996). Siskins tend to feed on seeds of alder, birch, and spruce, both in trees and on the ground. When foraging in flocks, these birds tend to start at the top of a tree and work their way downward in a group before flying to another tree to repeat this process. Individuals will sometimes hang upside down to reach seeds. Pine Siskins also tend to be attracted to salt and clay. Their attraction to road salts may exacerbate siskin deaths caused by automobiles (Ehrlich et al. 1988). If you are lucky enough to have them in your area during winter, one of the best places to see Pine Siskins is at your bird feeder. These birds tend to prefer hanging or tube feeders with thistle or niger seed, but can also be attracted to black oil sunflower seeds and sunflower hearts. Water and birdbaths are also a possibility for attracting these chirping thistle-eaters. Literature cited Choate, E.A. 1985. The dictionary of American bird names. The Harvard Common Press, Boston. Cox, R.T. 1996. Birder's dictionary. Falcon Press Publishing Co., Inc. Helena, Montana. Ehrlich, P.R., D.S. Dobkin, and D. Wheye. 1988. The birder's handbook: a field guide to the natural history of North American birds. Simon & Schuster Inc., New York, pp. 634. Gibson, D.G. 1999. Checklist of Alaska birds, 9th edition. University of Alaska Museum, Fairbanks, Alaska. Kaufman, K. 1996. Lives of North American birds. Houghton Mifflin Company, New York. Kessel, B. 1986. Birds of interior Alaska field checklist. University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, Alaska. Terres, J.K. 1980. The Audubon Society encyclopedia of North American birds. Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., New York, pp. 338. Pine Siskins sound much like redpolls. Learn to distinguish these similar species with a Bird Songs of Alaska CD. Holiday Gift Ideas Need a gift for someone who likes birds? Consider a gift membership to the Alaska Bird Observatory. We also have a selection of merchandise to choose from, as well as catalogs for companies that sell books and equipment for birders. Your purchase of the following items from ABO or the Creamer's Refuge Visitor Center (open Saturdays 12-4) supports our conservation work: Bird Songs of Alaska CD (2-disc set featuring over 260 species) - $25 plus $2 shipping & handling National Geographic's Field Guide to the Birds of North America, 3rd Edition - $22 Birdwatching in East Central Alaska book by Martha Springer - $10 Songs & Calls of Alaska Birds, cassette tape featuring 65 species - $15 Great Gray Owl limited-edition print by Randall Compton - $50 Cranes of Gustavus print by Gene Harrison - $30 ABO shirts (short-sleeve, long-sleeve, tank tops, and sweatshirts) - $15 to $25 Plus patches, checklists, Birdathon t-shirts, and posters Remember, ABO members receive a 10% discount on most items purchased through our office. We also handle mail orders. Simply call, write or e-mail us with your order. Shipping charges will be added.	Mark Your Calendars! ABO will host the 75th Annual meeting of the Western Bird Banding Association in Fairbanks from September 8 - 10, 2000. Thank You! We'd like to thank the following for their recent contributions to ABO: Fairbanks Curling Lions Club for a $1,000 grant toward our youth education program. Mike Joyce for a Bushnell spotting scope. Ed & Laurel McLaughlin for a Kodak slide projector and several slide carousels. Wilderness Birding Adventures and their clients for supporting ABO through the Alaska Wilderness Recreation and Tourism Association (AWRTA) "Dollar-A-Day" program. WBA also made a direct contribution to ABO this year. Larry Mayo for consultation on our solar power system and for donating a battery maintenance system. Wilderness Alaska and their clients for their AWRTA "Dollar-A-Day" contributions. Steve MacLean, Randy Meyers, Jim Dau, James Levison, John Wright, Ken Russell, and Ed Clark for donating their older edition field guides for use in our education programs. ABO Holiday Wish List Portable slide projection screen Old bird field guides 100 MB Iomega Zip Drive 4-wheeler Portable CD player TalkAbout Plus Radios Camp Stove Sleeping bags Ergonomically-correct computer desks Cooking utensils, pots and pans Plastic plates Two-bedroom cabin or apartment for summer 2000 Alaska Airlines miles to get our staff to Sitka for the Alaska Bird Conference A Ptarmigan in a (Fake) Fir Tree Fairbanks is hosting the annual "Trees from the Heart" fundraising event December 5 at the Carlson Center. Local businesses and nonprofits decorate Christmas trees, which are then sold through a silent auction after a day of public viewing. ARCO Alaska, Inc. is again sponsoring the ABO tree, which looks to be as creative as last year's. Our tree's theme is "Things with Wings," so plan to see plenty of airplanes, butterflies, angels, dragonflies, and birds among the branches. Some of our favorite artists, including Betsy Chronic, Randall Compton, Janlee Irving, Sandy Jamieson, Dan Kennedy, Sara McDaniel, and Dave Totten are donating ornaments, and rumor has it there will be a limited-edition print tucked under the tree. We encourage ABO members to support our efforts by donating an ornament, coming to the event and voting for the "people's choice" award, and/or bidding on the tree. Call our office for more details. Upcoming Events with ABO Monday, December 6 at 7:00 p.m. Owl Conservation and the Ecology of Mexican Spotted Owls on the Colorado Plateau. A free public lecture by Dr. David Willey, Visiting Assistant Professor, Department of Biology & Wildlife, UAF. Location: Elvey Auditorium, Geophysical Building, UAF campus. Saturday, December 4 from 9:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. Trees from the Heart fundraiser at the Carlson Center. Tuesday, December 28 Denali Christmas Bird Count. Sunday, January 2, 2000 39th Annual Fairbanks Christmas Bird Count. See Join the 100th Christmas Bird Count for more information. Saturday, January 29, 2000 from 11 a.m. &endash; 1 p.m. Winter Bird Feeding workshop at Alaska Feed Company. $5 for ABO members and $10 for non-members. Proceeds benefit ABO. Monday, February 7, 2000 at 7:00 p.m. Lori Quakenbush, Research Associate, School of Fisheries & Ocean Sciences, UAF, will present a free public lecture about her research on Steller's Eiders. Location: TBA. February 28 to March 2, 2000 8th Alaska Bird Conference and Boreal Partners in Flight meeting in Sitka, AK. Thursday, March 30, 2000 at 7:00 p.m. ABO Annual Meeting at the Noel Wien Public Library.   Did You Know? Nationwide, cats probably kill over a billion small mammals and hundreds of millions of birds each year. From Coleman, J.S., S.A. Temple, and S.R. Craven. 1997. Cats and wildlife: A conservation dilemma. University of Wisconsin Cooperative Extension, Madison, WI.
You can get the printed version of The Arctic Warbler, which gives you more information and photos, by joining ABO. It's easy to do. Visit the Join ABO page to see how to join.