Wichita Audubon

Volume 41 No. 2 September 2006

SEPTEMBER MEETING
Join us September 17 for our first program of the season: “Growth of the Winter
Population of Canada Geese in Wichita, Kansas.” Dr. Alan Maccarone, a biology
professor at Friends University, and Charles Cope, a wildlife biologist for the
Kansas Department of Wildlife & Parks, will co-present the results of an ongoing COMING EVENTS
study that has followed the growth of the winter population of Canada geese in
September 16
Wichita since 1983. Their long-term study attempts to address the question of how
Quivira NWR/Cheyenne
high the Canada goose population might actually reach. They will address both Bottoms field trip. Meet at
the “biological” and “social” carrying capacities of urban wildlife populations. Quivira NWR Headquarters at
The meeting will be on Tuesday, Sept. 17, 7:30 p.m. at the Great Plains Nature Center, 8 a.m. and bring lunch. Leader:
Kevin Groeneweg, 687-4268,
29th and Woodlawn. You can also join the speakers for dinner at Jason’s Deli, in kgroeneweg@[Link]
Bradley Fair at 21st and Rock Rd, at 5:45 p.m.

September 19
IN MEMORY OF NATHAN MCDONALD Regular program. “Growth
NATHAN H. McDONALD, a patriarch of the Wichita Audubon Society , passed of the Winter Population of
Canada Geese in Wichita,” by
away August 10, 2006. He had been an active member of the Wichita chapter Alan Maccarone & Charles
since the early 1950’s as well as a generous contributor of financial support for the Cope. 7:30 p.m. at the Great
Chaplin Nature Center and the Wichita Audubon Society. Plains Nature Center
Nathan was a man of vision who recognized the potential of the Chaplin farm September 23
for use as a nature center. Through his prior acquaintance with Hazel and Stedman Fall Nature Day & Butterfly
Chaplin, he was influential in reaching an agreement with the Chaplin family to sell tagging at Chaplin Nature
their farm to the Wichita Audubon Society for conversion to a nature center to be Center, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.

named “The Chaplin Nature Center.” October 7

During the early stages of this transformation Nathan contributed countless Chisholm Creek Park field trip.
continued on page 2 Meet in the parking lot of the
Great Plains Nature Center at
8 a.m. Leader: Rosa McHenry,
CNC UPCOMING PROGRAMS 263-4042,
September 23, Saturday, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. rmchenryphoto@[Link]
Join us for a day long celebration of nature at the Chaplin Nature Center. There
October 14
are bird walks, a herp walk, a live herp demonstration and crafts for kids. We will Chisholm Creek Park cleanup.
also be tagging Monarch butterflies. Monarchs are our only migratory butterfly, Meet at the Great Plains
traveling each fall to wintering grounds in the mountains of Mexico. Nature Center parking lot at 9
a.m. Bring gloves - trash bags
continued on page 3
provided. Leader: Patty Marlett,
942-2164, pmarlett@[Link]
For more information about any Chaplin Nature Center programs call
Shawn Silliman at 620-442-4133, or e-mail cnc@[Link].
CNC is located 3 miles west of Arkansas City on Hwy 166, north 2
miles on 21st Rd, east 0.6 miles on 272nd Rd.
NATHAN MCDONALD, CONTINUED CALENDARS
house of volunteer labor and the loan The 2007 bird calendars are here.
of his tools and equipment during They will sell for $5 apiece. You
trail development, construction of can purchase them at meetings, or
foot bridges, and clearing of timber contact Rosa McHenry, 263-4042,
from the area that is now Kingfisher rmchenryphoto@[Link]
Pond. He helped convert the garage
into a laundry room and replumbed CHISHOLM CREEK PARK
the Naturalist’s residence with copper CLEANUP
pipe. He helped with the construction Chisholm Creek is one of two
Kevin Groeneweg, Don Vannoy,
of a two bedroom addition to the parks we have adopted. Each fall
Nathan & Geula McDonald at the
house and building of the spillway for we pick up trash to make the park
first Twilight Dinner. in 2000.
the dam at Kingfisher Pond. Nathan a better environment for birds
also contributed his expertise in and birders. Meet in the park-
plumbing and understanding of HVAC systems during design and ing lot of the Great Plains Nature
construction of the Visitor’ Center. Center, 29th and Woodlawn, on
Nathan was an avid birder and faithfully participated in field trips and Saturday, October 14, 9 a.m. Bring
other activities of the Wichita Audubon Society until limited by health gloves - trash bags and tools will
be provided. If you can’t come
problems. The Meritorious Service Award of the Wichita Audubon
on Saturday morning, feel free to
Society was presented to Nathan in 1996.
clean up on your own schedule.
A memorial fund has been established with the Wichita Audubon Just let Patty know so we can re-
Society, P.O. Box 47607, Wichita, KS. 67201 cord the volunteer hours. For more
info call Patty Marlett, 942-2164,
pmarlett@[Link]
2006-2007 WAS Officers
President Patty Marlett
Vice-president Open
942-2164 pmarlett@[Link] 2007 EXTENDED FIELD TRIP
Secretary Marsha Ebaugh 683-4782 43042@[Link] The extended field trip for 2007
Treasurer Sandra Tholen 634-0049 stholen@[Link] will be a three day excursion of
Directors Kevin Groeneweg 687-4268 kgroeneweg@[Link] southwest Colorado in June. We’ll
Ben Rogers 630-0190 brogers7@[Link]
Rosa McHenry 263-4042 rmchenryphoto@[Link]
be looking for area specialties like
Dan Kilby 943-5136 ddkilby@[Link] Black Swift, Chukar, Flammulated
Jay Newton 322-9090 jmnewtonus@[Link] Owl, Gray Vireo, Virginia’s
Duane DeLong 684-7456 dwdelong@[Link]
Warbler, and many others.
Committee Chairs
Newsletter Patty Marlett 942-2164 pmarlett@[Link] Plan now on joining us June 11-13
CNC Kevin Groeneweg 687-4268 kgroeneweg@[Link] in the beautiful Rocky Mountains.
Programs Carol Cumberland 685-4867 [Link]@[Link] Pete Janzen will be planning the
Conservation Ben Rogers 630-0190 brogers7@[Link]
Development Rosa McHenry 263-4042 rmchenryphoto@[Link] birding itinerary, and Patty Marlett
Membership Sister Patricia Stanley pstanley@[Link] will handle reservations. Call or
Hospitality Laura Groeneweg 687-4268 lgroeneweg@[Link] E-mail Patty or sign up at the
Field Trips Cheryl Miller 978-6659 (wk) avian67226@[Link]
Finance Duane DeLong 684-7456 dwdelong@[Link]
meetings to be a part of what is sure
Naturalist Shawn Silliman 620-442-4133 cnc@[Link] to be an excellent trip.
Leaders: Patty Marlett, 942-2164,
[Link]
E-mail any officer: was@[Link] pmarlett@[Link]
Send address changes to Sister Patricia Stanley, 6739 Perryton, Wichita, KS 67226 & Pete Janzen, 832-0182,
pstanley@[Link] [Link]@[Link]
Page 2
FALL NATURE DAY, CONTINUED ARIZONA TRIP REPORT
By attaching a tiny tag to their wing, we can help scientists track them Seventeen people traveled to
and learn more about this unique phenomenon. In the past, two butterflies Arizona for a fantastic marathon of
were recovered in Mexico that had been tagged at Chaplin Nature Center. birding, resulting in a list of
They had traveled 1218 miles in 120 days. 157 species
As always there Sunday, July 30
will be a country Our Arizona adventure began
store featuring with everyone arriving at the
homemade baked Portal Lodge on Sunday afternoon.
goods, homegrown Before dinner we went to the home
produce, and of a nearby resident and watched
similar goodies. hummingbirds from her patio.
Lunch will be Several members of the group had
available to already spent two days birding
purchase, and will around Silver City, NM, so they
feature homemade had a head start on southwestern
desserts. Or you are welcome to bring your own picnic lunch. species.
Fall Nature Day is free and open to the public. If you haven’t been to
Chaplin Nature Center, this is the time to get acquainted. Please come!

I-35
Wichita

US 400 Augusta

Watching Hummers in Portal

Rosehill Monday, July 31
I-35
Monday morning we awoke
to rain. The plan was to drive
Wellington Oxford along State Line Road to look for
US 160 Winfield
thrashers. We did see a Peregrine
Falcon, along with a lot of flooded
Geuda US 77 desert. Spadefoot and Great Plains
Springs
South toads were singing everywhere,
Haven Arkansas City
US 166
and we found a big puddle full of
mating toads. Eddie Stegall and
Jim Marlett were delighted. After
breakfast the rain continued, so we
Chaplin Nature
napped until about 10:30. It was
Center
272nd Rd
still raining lightly, but we decided
US 77
to ignore it. We went up Cave Creek
282nd Rd
Canyon and chased Elegant Trogans
US 166 Arkansas
21st Rd 31st Rd
City around for half an hour before
finally getting good looks.
Continued on page 4
Page 3
 for lunch. We only hiked about one-
ARIZONA, CONTINUED Tuesday, August 1
Before breakfast we went to the half mile when Carol spotted a pair
We also found a pair of Arizona
feeders of Dave Jasper in Portal. of Spotted Owls sitting on a branch
woodpeckers. After lunch in the
The biggest treat there was a rather right over the trail. We got good
picnic ground, we drove up the
ratty looking Crissal Thrasher. We looks and some decent pictures, too.
road to the Research Station. We
then drove up to Rustler’s Park. Later in the afternoon we went to
watched hummingbirds at their
We had good luck with a number the Nature Conservancy’s Ramsey
feeders, with Broad-tailed, Rufous,
of species: Mexican Chickadee, Canyon Preserve. We watched
Blue-throated, Magnificent, Black-
Painted Redstart, Grace’s Warbler, hummingbird feeders again - this
Greater Pewee and Olive Warbler. time there were many Magnificent
A Zone-tailed Hawk put in an and Anna’s. The real target was
appearance near the Chiricahua a Berylline that was being seen
National Monument. We took a regularly. We were there maybe
truly brutal washboard back road ten minutes when he appeared
into Tombstone, then to Sierra for about 15 seconds. We waited
Vista, where we stayed the next two another forty minutes until he
nights. reappeared, again for a brief stay.
Who knew Arizona would be so wet? Wednesday, August 2 He was a lifer for all of us. Then we
The next morning we started went to the Beatty’s Guest Ranch
chinned and Calliope all putting in early to head for Fort Huachuca, in Miller Canyon to watch their
appearances. but the hassle of paperwork created feeders. This time we added White-
We drove Paradise Road to some delays. We finally got our eared Hummingbird to our list.
return to Portal, but almost couldn’t permits and headed out, led by Thursday, August 3
make the low water crossings. The Kerry Kirkpatrick, a former Kansan Thursday morning we started
rain had raised the water level in and WAS member who has moved early at the Ballator B & B in Ash
the creek substantially. Later we to the Sierra Vista area. Right away Canyon, where we were treated to
heard that the road was supposed we found a Botteri’s Sparrow in a Lucifer and Costa’s Hummingbirds.
to be closed, and people were being grassy field and everyone got good Then we headed toward Patagonia
urged not to drive it. We watched looks. Then we drove up Garden where we stopped at the Paton’s
more hummers at the George Canyon and found a noisy flock of house to watch their feeders. This
Walker House in Paradise, with Sulphur-bellied Flycatchers. At the time we added Violet-crowned
our best looks yet at Magnificent end of the canyon we hiked up to Hummingbird and Abert’s Towhee.
Hummingbird, and also got Juniper find the Buff-breasted Flycatcher, Then it was on to the famous
Titmouse. On the way back to Olive Warbler and Red-faced Patagonia rest stop, where Thick-
Portal we stopped for a picture of Warbler. Seven of us decided to billed Kingbirds nest and N.
the scenery and were rewarded with hike up Scheelite Canyon while the Beardless Tyrannulet can be found.
a cooperative Bendire’s Thrasher, rest of the group returned to town We lunched at the Patagonia State
who sat on an agave stalk so Lake and took a very muddy
everyone could see him. hike looking for Black-capped
After dinner we went owling. At Gnatcatcher, with no success. Then
Idlewild campground we played it was on to Kino Springs where the
owl tapes. We got two Whiskered group saw a Gilded Flicker with
Screech Owls to talk to us, but Rick Taylor and the Borderland
never saw them. It started raining Tours group. They also found a
again, so we gave up and went back Tropical Kingbird.
to our beds. Continued on page 5
Spotted Owls in Scheelite Canyon
Page 4
 property and invited us in. As we humanly possible, included many
ARIZONA, CONTINUED contemplated this, a Black-capped enormous semi’s. We survived
The next morning the group split.
Gnatcatcher made an appearance. and started down Sonora route 89.
Patty, Jim and Carol went to
We decided to go to the usual spot The road has numerous “vados”
Mexico, while the rest remained in
and hiked down the hill where or low water crossings. There has
Arizona.
we found our sparrow. After the been a great deal of rain in the
Friday, August 4
arduous journey back out, we southwest lately, with considerable
We started out the morning
visited Sycamore Canyon where a flooding in some spots. The first
birding the grassland at the
Rufous-capped Warbler has been few vados were wet, but OK. We
entrance to Madera Canyon. It
hanging out. We were unable to find came to one that was really muddy,
didn’t take long to see one of our
this skulker. With sunny skies, the but the locals waved us through,
target birds, the Varied Bunting.
temperature was heating up so we and it was no problem. But after
Getting the Rufous-winged Sparrow
decided to head back to Green Valley. about 30 miles we came to one
turned out to be more challenging.
Some of us visited the local sewage that was a roaring river, completely
We had many Botteri’s and Cassin’s
lagoons and added a few shorebirds impassable. We turned around to
singing. Finally we had one near
go back and had gone only about
the road and got a scope on it. We
five miles when we were stopped
went to pursue the Aztec Thrushes
by the police. A small concrete
seen along one of the trails. We
bridge was failing and they weren’t
hiked 0.6 miles up a fairly steep
allowing any traffic across it. So
trail to the spot where it had been
we were trapped between two
seen and waited with several other
impasses. It was about 3 p.m. by
birders. Finally, after over an
then. The police promised it would
hour, two thrushes showed up and
be fixed that night, but they didn’t
delighted the crowd.
know when. So we had resigned
We celebrated with lunch in Green
ourselves to sleeping in the van
Valley, then went back into Madera
when a bulldozer showed up. He
Canyon. We spent some time looking
plowed a bypass around the bridge
for the tanager as well as a Black-
and in a few minutes we were on
capped Gnatcatcher that had been seen
our way. It took until 9 p.m. to get
recently, but dipped on both. However,
to our hotel in Hermosillo, but we
it was a very good day.
Saguaro cactus were delighted to be there and had
Saturday, August 5
an excellent dinner to celebrate.
On our last day of the tour we to the list. We celebrated with a
Saturday, August 5
headed to California Gulch a little nice supper, and afterward observed
Our troubles were behind us as
after 5 am. We had heard that the Lesser Nighthawk and called it a trip.
we headed out across the desert
road into the gulch had deteriorated Everyone managed to come away with
toward Yecora. The rains may have
in the last couple of years, and at least one life bird. The species
cut us off from some prime birding
from the recent heavy rains. High total for SE Arizona was 157.
areas, but it also made the desert
clearance vehicles were a necessity, Friday, August 4
blooming and lush. The flowers
and we all declared that road to We began our Mexico adventure
and butterflies were beautiful. We
be the worst we had ever been on. with an hour and a half of
saw many desert species, including
We got all the way in, but drove paperwork at the border, then drove
Verdin, Black-capped and Black-
past the parking area and ended a winding road to Cananea - a
tailed Gnatcatchers, Rufous-winged
up on the property of a colorful rather harrowing drive because the
Sparrows. As we got
character living there. He told us road was narrow, had no shoulder,
Continued on page 6
of the Five-striped Sparrows on his and everyone drove as fast as
Page 5
 Non-Profit
Wichita Audubon Society Organization
U.S. Postage
P.O. Box 47607 PAID
Wichita, KS 67201 Wichita, Kansas
Permit No. 921
RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

Printed on recycled paper

ARIZONA, CONTINUED but we only caught glimpses as Monday, August 7

into the foothills of the Sierra it flitted through dense shrubs. A We headed for the USA. After
Madre mountains we found a female Berylline hummingbird returning the rental van, we had
Sinaloan Wren. With the twisting, perched on a twig a few feet in front time to run back to Madera Canyon
narrow road, it took all day to get to of us for a couple of minutes, then to try for the Aztec Thrushes. At
Yecora. darted away to feed on the beautiful the canyon, helpful people pointed
Sunday, August 6 the way, and we only had to wait
Sunday morning was our only about five minutes until the male
time for real birding. We walked and female showed up. They fed
up a logging road that had been on berries, preened and just sat for
recommended, but unfortunately about twenty minutes, then flew up
it was a popular recreation site the slope. It was a perfect end to a
with many cars and bicycles. We great trip.
did manage to see a pair of Short-
red salvias blooming all around.
tailed Hawks along with several The birders were Doris Burnett,
Too soon we had to head back
common species. Next we went to Carol Cumberland, Duane &
toward Hermosilla. On the way
a valley called the Barranca where Maxine DeLong, Kevin & Laura
we added Lesser Roadrunner and
we had our greatest success, with Groeneweg, Julia Hoppes, Dan
Elegant Quail to our list. Varied
good looks at the Blue Mockingbird Kilby, Jim & Patty Marlett, Jim
Buntings were everywhere, and we
and Rufous-capped Warblers. An Mayhew, Cliff & Nadine Miller,
saw and heard numerous Elegant
Orange-billed Nightingale Thrush Dale Randall, Eddie & Savilla
Trogans. We made it to Hermosillo
sang loudly right under our noses, Stegall, and Sandra Tholen.
by sunset.
Page 6