Newsletter of the Northern Arizona Audubon Society
/ Winter 2009
January Meeting
Guest Speaker - Dr. Stefan Sommer
Biodiversity of
Colorado Plateau
Stefan Sommer, Ph.D., Director of the recently
dedicated Colorado Plateau Biodiversity Center (CPBC)
at Northern Arizona University, will speak to us about
the role the Center is playing in the mind-boggling task
of documentation and conservation of all species native
to the Colorado Plateau. Included in his talk will be
biological diversity in the context of habitat restoration,
such as that taking place at Fossil Creek.
The Center’s research and teaching collections
include over 400,000 fossils, fungi, plants, insects, fish,
amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals as well as
DNA and tissue-based genetic libraries. These collections
support the research of many faculty, graduate students,
and undergraduates at NAU and partner institutions.
Sixteen faculty curators oversee the Center’s seven
divisions, which include quaternary paleoecology;
botany; marine invertebrates and mollusks; insects
and arachnids; vertebrates; fungi; and environmental
genomics and genetics.
The Center is currently working to fill a couple of key
curatorial positions. Since the retirement of Dr. Russ
Balda, NAU has not had a dedicated ornithologist and
our avian collections are managed by our Curator of
Vertebrates, Dr. Tad Theimer. Also, the Center is in need
of a dedicated insect systematist. Given the state of the
state’s budget, they will be seeking to raise an endowment
for these two curatorial positions.
The CPBC strives to maintain its collections by all
modern museum standards in order to keep them in
the public trust for all future generations. In addition to
maintaining these collections for teaching and research,
the CPBC also runs a number of education outreach
programs. One of these, The Traveling Arthropod Show,
regularly visits classrooms and the summer bug camps
are now booked as much as a year in advance.
Dr. Sommer has a Ph.D. in Biology from the University
of New Mexico and an M.S. in Zoology from the University
of Maryland. He “has broad interest in how the world works
and how to effectively communicate that understanding
to people of different cultures. [His] “recent focus has
been on communicating effectively about biological
diversity to people of different subcultures within the
United States. While we all speak basically the same
language, people of distinct subcultures define and use
words differently and construct different value systems
Volume XXXVIII • Number 1 • Jan.-Feb.
that lead to alternate chains of reasoning. Much of this
work has been focused on museum outreach programs
such as traveling exhibits and it has also included science
kits for children, educational video documentaries for
public broadcast, and multimedia science games for
families.”
February Meeting
Guest Speaker - Sarah Reif
Reclaiming Water for Wildlife
in Arizona:
Restoration or Folly?
As Arizona’s water resources dwindle, we find ourselves
in a world of priorities. Where does wildlife fit into those
priorities and how do we ensure we maintain our rivers
and wetlands in the face of ever-depleting groundwater and
surface water resources? At some point, do man’s water
needs take priority over wildlife habitat needs? Recently, the
use of reclaimed water from urban wastewater treatment
facilities has become a popular river and wetland restoration
tool. But is this the silver bullet? What about urban wildlife
conflict issues when you attract wildlife to water in cities
and towns? What about the hormones and nano-pollutants
that remain in that reclaimed water? Join Sarah Reif, Urban
Wildlife Planner with the Arizona Game and Fish Department
in a discussion of the benefits and the unknowns in using
reclaimed water to restore wetlands and rivers in Arizona.
As Arizona Game and Fish Department Urban Wildlife
Planner, Sarah helps Coconino County plan for wildlife
around growing cities and towns. A native Arizonan, Sarah
has seen the landscapes of the southwest change in ways she
never imagined. Her passion in life is helping communities
find balance between their lifestyle and the natural world.
She lives south of Flagstaff with her husband Brian and their
Wander-Dog, Gila.
Townsend/Winona Rd. Photo by Jim Logan
Logan’s Crossing of the Rio de Flag near
 Page 2 Working Together ...
President’s Corner – Zackery Zdinak
Happy New Year,
Northern Arizona Audubon!
As we slide into January, I find the pulse of life slows.
This is winter in the high country. The snow is finally building
up above the rim. Overcast days feel so timeless. Like many
birds and mammals, long winter nights are times to curl up
and stay warm by the fire. Ironically, I’m not one to avoid the
outdoors and my active connection to Nature. I still go out
cross-country skiing in the pines, or for a brisk walk around
the neighborhood. I empathize with juncos mobbing a well-
stocked feeder, I feel as comfortable in the cold starkness as a
lone, coal-black raven rowing over the snowy white roofs.
New Years – a time for reflection. I reflect on this past
autumn, the bustling activities with the Northern Arizona
Audubon Society and personal birding jaunts. I recall some
dynamic September mornings, reveling in coppery sunrises
and the diversity of migrating waterfowl and songbirds at
my usual northern Arizona birding hot spots. Some subtler
October memories included my partner and me harvesting
carrots and kale in our backyard garden, only to pause to
appreciate a lingering, glimmering hummingbird sipping from
the porch feeder. While November’s relative warmth raised
my awareness and concern, regional bird activity continued
to bring enjoyable sightings, as well as connections to NAAS
members.
I know many of you added to our local Field Trips with
your enthusiasm, assisted with needed surveys, pulled
invasive weeds or trash at our IBA’s (Important Bird Areas),
or contributed to a Christmas Bird Count. I hope you received
as much from these activities as the projects and events did
from your contribution.
Now chasing down unusual migrants is largely over for the
mid-winter (let’s see if the Northern Shrike persists this winter
Join Today! National Audubon Society is working…
tirelessly with the environmental community and the Obama
transition team to ensure a smooth transition with the Obama
administration that reclaims the environment and clean energy as top
national priorities.
Audubon and our colleagues from the major national environmental
organizations met in late November with Carol Browner and the
Obama transition representatives to address issues relevant to the
Departments of Interior, Energy, and Agriculture; the Council on
Environmental Quality; the Environmental Protection Agency; and
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in a productive
wide-ranging 90 minute exchange.
On November 25, thirty leading conservation groups, including
Audubon, issued a 380+ page environment and energy transition
plan to the Obama transition team. The plan is already garnering
significant media attention and represents a bold departure from the
policies of the last eight years. Go to http://www.saveourenvironment.
org/assets/transition-to-green-full-report.pdf to get a copy of the full
Green Report.
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at Mormon Lake). The Holiday bustle is past. Time to curl up
inside on inclement days like tired Abert Squirrels or well fed
Rock Squirrels. Time to start planting the seeds of ideas you’d
like to grow in the coming months.
Time to join the warmth of the New Year with a cup of
hot cocoa and conversation at the next Audubon members
meeting. Our 2009 calendar starts off with guest speaker,
Stefan Sommer, in January, first in a monthly line up of
intriguing biologists, birders, and naturalists.
Check the schedule for the next work day on IBA projects at
Page Springs and Logan’s Crossing (East Rio de Flag). Consider
how these projects are accomplishing important habitat
restoration and how they contribute to building community.
Then call the coordinators and commit to joining in the fun.
In the coming months, we will be asking for new members
to lead our local Field Trips. Past trips have been lead by local
birders who, perhaps like yourselves, enjoy sharing their
birding areas, skills and observations with others. Do you have
a favorite neighborhood you take bird walks in? A favorite
public trail or park? Why not invite some of your Audubon
friends over and take us on your bird walk! An article in this
issue tells you how.
Are you a window birder, thrilled to see those little rosy
House Finches at your feeder? After receiving a rare bird alert,
will you drive two hours to see a new species personally and
add it to your life list? Do you thrill at the sight of a falcon or
condor over the Grand Canyon, or glimpses of brilliant tanagers
and hummingbirds in the cool green light under sycamores
on a hot summer day? Are you seeking worthwhile, hands-on
environmental projects that address water issues or wildlife
concerns in our northern Arizona community?
All of us actively involved with Northern Arizona Audubon
Society could say “yes” to one or more of these descriptions,
too. Please read on. Join us at the monthly meetings. As this
New Year progresses and the sun gradually rises earlier and set
a little later each week, let us provide the fertile soil for those
seeds of your personal connections to Nature.
on Global Warming & Energy - We view this as the single biggest
threat to biodiversity. Cap and trade, energy efficiency, electricity
from clean renewable energy, plug-in hybrids, more mass transit,
breaking our oil addiction, cleaner air, green jobs. It’s all out there,
and the push is on for 2009 as President-Elect Obama and the new
Congress continues to make this issue one of their top priorities.
to protect the Endangered Species Act - Even as legislative
threats diminished, the Bush White House waged war on ESA
regulations. It moved to delist species that did not warrant such
action, claimed the lowest record of listing new species of any
administration, and rammed through 11th hour regulations to weaken
key aspects of the Act. We’ll be working with both Congress and the
Obama White House to bring science back to ESA and reverse many
of the damaging actions taken to date.
And that’s just a few of the environmental issues that NAS is actively
involved in. Just go to their website to see more. And please, if you
haven’t already, Join National Audubon Society.
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News ...
NEWS RELEASE: SOUTHWEST CONDOR WORKING GROUP
For Release: December 4, 2008
Shannan Marcak, Grand Canyon National Park
Two More California Condor Chicks Flying Free at Grand Canyon
Grand Canyon, AZ. - The Grand Canyon-a vast region of gorges and
craggy spires so immense that it far exceeds the boundaries of any human
definition of a park-is not just a spectacular landscape, but an ecosystem
filled with prime wildlife habitat. As such, it is an important geographic
focal point for the recovery of the endangered California condor. This
year, two wild chicks hatched and fledged in Grand Canyon National
Park, bringing the Arizona population close to 70 and the word’s total
population (captive and free-flying) to well over 320.
While 70 and 320 may seem like dishearteningly small numbers,
as recently as 1982, the world population was down to just 22 birds;
and by 1987, all of the world’s remaining California condors were in
captivity. Today, about half of the world’s condors are free-flying; and
since recovery efforts began, nine chicks, including 2008’s two Grand
Canyon chicks, have been hatched and fledged in the wild in Arizona.
California condors are North America’s largest flying land birds
with a wing span of over nine feet. They are primarily soarers, sometimes
going for miles without a single flap of their wings. As a result, they
prefer to live in areas with mountains, gorges, and hillsides, which create
updrafts and provide favorable soaring conditions. Condors also require
caves, ledges or large tree cavities for nesting. The Grand Canyon area
would seem to be perfect condor habitat, and evidence indicates that
the birds did nest in the canyon for thousands of years. However, as
climates changed after the last ice age and, more recently, as human
impacts increased, the condor’s range shifted and numbers dwindled.
The last wild condor in Arizona was sighted just south of the Grand
Canyon in 1924.
It was not until reintroduction in northern Arizona began in 1996
that condors were once again seen flying over the Grand Canyon; and in
2003, Arizona’s first “wild-hatched” chick in over 100 years hatched in
Grand Canyon National Park. The parents of that historic chick, condors
127F and 123M, were one of only two condor pairs to successfully
hatch and fledge a chick in Arizona this year. Their chick, 472, was seen
taking short flights at the canyon on October 16.
The second chick, 476, belongs to first time parents 133F and
187M. Its mother, condor 133F, has her own place in condor history.
She is the last remaining bird from the initial Arizona condor release in
1996. Her chick was seen taking its first short flights in September.
Though it is further from the brink of extinction than it was a
quarter century ago, the California condor’s long-term survival is
far from assured. The birds are normally long-lived, and don’t reach
maturity until they are about six years of age. As a result, they are not
prolific reproducers, usually only tending one egg every other year. Yet,
they are regularly faced with threats such as lead poisoning from spent
ammunition, predation, and accidental and intentional shooting.
Page 3
The recovery plan for the California condor calls for the
maintenance of three distinct condor populations-two in the wild and
one in captivity-each having at least 150 members and including at least
15 breeding pairs of birds. There is a long way to go to reach that goal;
but recovery efforts by committed organizations continue. The Peregrine
Fund, Arizona Game and Fish Department, Utah Division of Wildlife
Resources, Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service and U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service are only a few of the many organizations that
have banded together to work on condor recovery.
Each year, more and more people from around the world come to
Grand Canyon National Park hoping, while they are here, to observe the
majestic flight of the California condor. Here, rangers, wildlife biologists
and volunteers have an opportunity to not only learn about condors,
but to share what they are learning about the birds’ unique qualities,
their needs and what each of us can do to help protect them. Here,
the spectacular landscape has become more than just ecosystem and
habitat, it has become home to one of the world’s rarest birds, classroom
to those who wish to learn about them, and a place where we can all
learn to hope when two more California condor chicks hatch and fledge
in the wild.
To learn more about California condors, the on-going recovery effort
and what you can do, please visit the Arizona Game and Fish Department
on line at www.azgfd.gov/condor or the Peregrine Fund at www.
peregrinefund.org/conserve_category.asp?category=California%20
Condor%20Restoration. To learn more about California condors in
Grand Canyon National Park, please visit the park’s web site at www.
nps.gov/grca/naturescience/california-condors.htm.
SHANNAN D. MARCAK
Public Affairs Specialist, Grand Canyon National Park
(928)638-7958 Shannan_Marcak@nps.gov
Petition to the
New President
Audubon, in collaboration with other major
environmental groups like the National
Wildlife Federation, Sierra Club, and Natural
Resources Defense Council, hopes to collect
hundreds of thousands of signatures on our
petition to President-elect Obama to repower
America. We need a new energy policy that
will revive our economy, end our dependence
on fossil fuels, and solve the climate crisis.
Over 100,000 people have already added their
names. Please go to http://audubonaction.
org/campaign/repower and add your name.
 Page 4 Information ...
The Cornell Lab of Ornithology has just
released its newly revised,
FREE Homeschooler’s Guide to
Project FeederWatch
by David Bonter
For more than 20 years, Project FeederWatch has been an easy,
fun way for children to learn about birds and strengthen their
skills in observation, identification, research, computation,
writing, creativity, and more. FeederWatchers keep track of the
numbers and kinds of birds at their feeders through the winter
and report what they see to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
The Homeschooler’s Guide to Project FeederWatch will
guide you through bird-related activities that promote learning
across many disciplines, including science, math, history, and
the arts. Examples of these activities include:
* Natural history: Observe and research a bird’s behavior
and life cycle
* Math: Calculate average seed consumption rate and
graph data
* Writing: Keep a nature journal to write stories and poetry
* Geography: Research the geographic ranges of birds
* Art: Keep a feeder-bird sketch book or create a papier
mache mask
To download the Homeschooler’s Guide to Project
FeederWatch, visit www.FeederWatch.org and click on the
“Education/Home School” button. You’ll be able to download
the PDF in low (2.2MB) or high (6.7MB) resolutions.
You may choose to use the free guide as a stand-alone resource,
or sign up for Project FeederWatch to submit the data you
gather. If you would like to be a project participant, the signup
fee is $12 for members of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, $15 for
non-members. There are discounts for group participation.
If you have any questions, please let us know how we can help by
emailing feederwatch@cornell.edu.
Sincerely,
David Bonter, Project Leader, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Volunteer Corner
NAAS could use your help with the following:
• Education, both above and below the rim.
• Organizing field trips
• Digging thistle and trash pick up at Logan’s Crossing
• Helping with book sales & distribution in the
Sedona/Cottonwood area
For more information contact Kathie Satterfield
928-522-0375 or k.satterfield@yahoo.com
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Photo Contest Winners Announced
Reminder:
Great Backyard Bird Count is Feb. 13-16
127,781 birds were counted in Arizona in last year’s
Great Backyard Bird Count. The species with the largest
number counted was the Sandhill Crane with 14,900.
It is obvious that wasn’t in someone’s backyard. That’s
right, one can count birds anywhere, but the Count does
focus on the backyard.
The next largest number species was the Mourning
Dove (9,453) which hasn’t been run out of the state
by the Eurasian Collared-Dove (639) yet although we
all know that the latter’s numbers are increasing. The
American Wigeon, American Coot and House Finch
were reported in numbers over 5,000. In all, 256 species
were reported.
Winners of last year’s Bird Count Photo Contest
have been selected in six categories. You can view the
winning photos by going to http://www.birdsource.org/
gbbc/2008-photo-contest-winners. Categories were:
Overall, Bird in its habitat, Behavior, Group shot (2 or
more birds), Composition, and People enjoying birds.
Go to the BirdSource website to learn how to submit
photos for the 2009 Count.
To participate in the Count, all you have to do is
count birds for at least 15 minutes on one or more days
of the count. The submission form is on the website.
Chapter Membership Dues Increased
The NAAS Board has voted to increase
Chapter Membership dues to
$15 per year,   $25 for two years, and $35 for three years
beginning in November of this year.
This is the first increase since Chapter Memberships were created
in July, 2003, to help pay for the printing of The BlackHawk
Watch. This increase will help defray the cost of increased
postage and printing.
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Field Trips...
Winter Flagstaff Birding:
Willow Bend and Down the Rio
Saturday, January 17
Zack Zdinak, leader
Snow or no snow, let’s see what chirping and flying
around Sawmill Park, the FUTS trail along the Rio de
Flag, and at the reclaimed wetland here in Flagstaff!
Plenty of resident birds don’t take winter off. Juncos,
Steller’s jays, woodpeckers and chickadees are fine by
me. Any excuse for a winter nature walk! Let’s meet at
Willow Bend Environmental Education Center at 9 am
(turn in off Butler Ave. at New Frontiers onto Sawmill
Road, follow to WB past the police station; the Lone Tree
intersection may still be closed due to construction). I’ll
have extra binoculars for new birders, and children are
always welcome. Dress for the weather: you may need
boots, good layers and gloves. By all means, bring your
snow shoes or cross country skis if you want; I will!
We’ll make are way down the trail to the wetlands and
return to the cars by 10 am. Then, who wants stop by New
Frontiers for coffee and muffins? Zack, (928) 774-4229,
wildlife@lifedraw.com.
Montezuma Well
Saturday, January 24
Barbara Hirt, leader
January 24, Saturday, meet Barbara Hirt in the
picnic area at the Well at 9:00 AM for birding. There
will be lots of American Wigeons and a sprinkling of
other ducks in the Well. Come see what other species
are calling the Well their wintering grounds. Bring
water and lunch for a picnic, if it is a warm day. Please
call Barbara at (928) 284-3367 to let her know you will
be there or for further information.
Float the Colorado for Wintering Waterfowl
Saturday, February 21
Barbara Hirt, leader
Many NAAS members fondly remember one-day winter
float trips from Glen Canyon Dam to Lee’s Ferry in Grand
Canyon National Recreation Area. Why there and then?
This is a fabulous area to see otherwise rare waterfowl such
as Greater and Lesser scaups, scoters, Goldeneyes, many
duck species, a number of songbirds, shorebirds, waders
and raptors (condors are a possibility), which winter in this
16-mile stretch of the Colorado River. One year we even
had a Long-tailed duck (formerly Oldsquaw.) After 9/11
river access at Glen Canyon dam was closed. Now it is open
again. A trip is scheduled for Saturday, February 21st, with
a raincheck date of February 28th. You must be available
both dates.
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The trip is memorable for the magnificent scenery
alone. The motorized inflatable rafts hold 22 people each.
Twelve-passenger vans will pick up birders early in Sedona
and in Flagstaff. If we have 20 people, we’ll charter one
raft. If we have 36 - 44 people, we’ll charter two. We’ll be
at the base of Glen Canyon Dam about 9:30 a.m. The rafts
alternately motor and float down the Colorado until about
2 p.m. We’ll bird both the river and Lonely Dells historic
ranch at Lee’s Ferry. The vans will pick us up, stopping at
Cameron Trading Post for dinner. ETA for Sedona is about
8 p.m.
The trip costs $200 per person. This includes
transportation to and from Page/Lee’s Ferry and the float
trip itself. Meals are not included. Bring lunch, snacks,
hot drinks, binoculars and scopes. The rafts have drinking
water and soda.
Deposits of $100 per person are due by Friday,
January 16th. Final payment is due Friday, February 6th.
As in the past, to make the trip feasible, members of the
White Mountains and Prescott Audubon chapters will also
be invited. If you can host them the night before, great!
Reservations will be on a first-come, first-served basis.
Make checks payable to NAAS, but send them to trip leader
Sue Clemenz. For questions, mailing address, etc., call
(928) 300-2422 or write to Suzy@esedona.net.
Page Springs Fish Hatchery
Saturday, March 28
Dottie Hook, leader
Saturday, March 28, 8 am-12 pm. Meet at the
Sedona Wastewater treatment ponds at 8 am. Bring
water, a hat, and binoculars. Call Dottie Hook for more
details (928) 204-1894.
Beaver Creek/Red Tank Draw
Saturday, April 11
Dena Greenwood, leader
Saturday, April 11, meet on the southeast side of I-17
and the Sedona/Hwy 179 exit. 8 am - 12 pm. From there
we will car pool to Beaver Creek exploring high desert
breeding birds and riparian migrants. Bring good walking
shoes, water, a hat, and snacks/lunch. Please call Dena
Greenwood to confirm you will be meeting to carpool or
if you have any questions (928) 567-3007.
Don’t forget
The 109th Christmas Bird Count
Sunday, December 14, 2008 to
Monday, January 5, 2009
See schedule for dates and contacts at
www.nazaudubon.com
 Page 6 Announcements ...
“Audubon Arizona 2009”
Color Bird Calendars
for Sale!
Did you forget to purchase a new
2009 Calendar during your last relaxing
shopping trip at the Mall? Never fear –
Northern Arizona Audubon Society to the
rescue! Audubon Arizona has once again
published a beautiful 12 month calendar
highlighting some of our state’s diverse
birds. The theme this year is bird couples.
Each month showcases a beautiful
color photo – by avian photographer
exraordinairre, Jim Burns – of a pair of
Arizona birds: Hepatic Tanagers, Great
Egrets, Peach-faced Lovebirds, Common
Ravens, Gilded Flickers, American
Avocets, Black-tailed Gnatcatchers,
Cordilleran Flycatchers, Crested
Caracaras, Cactus Wrens, Whiskered
Screech Owls, Sandhill Cranes, Wilson’s
Snipe, Black-bellied Whistling Ducks,
and Clapper Rails.
Along with the usual Holiday dates,
each month also includes meeting
dates and times of all Audubon chapter
meetings, seasonal notes on bird activity,
and many of Arizona’s birding festivals.
Yes, for those who counted, you get 15 full
size bird couple photos in this 12 month
calendar. How did they do it? Order your
calendar and find out! Only $10 each.
Call Zack at 928-774-4229, or purchase
one at your January members meetings
in Sedona and Flagstaff.
Beginning Birding
Beginning Birding will be taught by
Jim Logan and Bea Cooley, beginning
on March 24. Registration for the class
is open at Coconino Community College.
Just check under the Non-credit classes.
The class includes four classroom sessions
and three field trips. www.coconino.edu/
Migratory Bird Day
Coconino Community College will
hold its second Migratory Bird Day on
May 2 on the Lone Tree campus.
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National Audubon Society Board of Directors Meetings
Annual Meeting of Members and
National Board Meeting 2009
The Annual Meeting of Members of the National Audubon Society is
scheduled to take place on Friday, January 30, 2009 at 3 pm at the Fiesta Resort
and Conference Center. The meeting is open to all Audubon members and an
agenda is included below.
It is helpful to know in advance who will be attending, in order to assure
that adequate seating is available. For that reason, anyone planning to attend
the annual meeting is asked to contact Lynn Tennefoss in the Chapter Services
Office at ltennefoss@audubon.org or 800-542-2748. The Chapter Services
Office will also be happy to answer any questions about the meeting.
The National Board Meeting will take place at 8:30 am on Sunday, February
1, 2009, at the Fiesta Resort and Conference Center. The Board Meeting is open
to Members, though the meeting may go into Executive Session at some point.
Members are asked to inform the Chapter Services Office if they plan to attend.
DRAFT AGENDA, ANNUAL MEETING OF MEMBERS
January 30, 2009
1. Call to order by the Meeting Chair (3:00 p.m.)
2. Certification by the Secretary regarding notice of meeting and presence of a quorum
3. Action on minutes of the meeting of Members held January 25, 2008
4. Treasurer’s Report
5. Board of Directors Report
6. Audit Committee Report
7. Nominating Committee Report and the Election of Directors (Biographies of the
official slate of nominees are available at www.audubon.org/nas/board/bios.html)
8. Other business (Floor open)
9. Adjournment
DETAILS
Annual Meeting of Members
Friday, January 30, 2009, 3 pm
Fiesta Resort and Conference Center – room TBD
2100 South Priest Drive, Tempe, AZ 85282
480.967.1441 http://www.fiestainnresort.com
National Audubon Board Meeting
Sunday, February 1, 2009
8:30 am – 10:30 a.m.
Fiesta Resort and Conference Center – room TBD
HOTELS
There are a number of hotel options in the area. Online travel and
hotel sites like Expedia or Travelocity may also offer inexpensive
hotel and flight packages.
Fiesta Resort and Conference Center
2100 South Priest Drive, Tempe, AZ 85282
480.967.1441 http://www.fiestainnresort.com
$139 – call Sue Mackey at National Audubon Society 212.979.3152
or email at smackey@audubon.org for this rate
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Help Wanted ... Page 7

Seeking “Letter-to-the-Editor” Captains

Are you interested in stepping up your efforts
Northern Arizona Audubon Society WEB CHANGE!!!
to protect birds and other wildlife? We are
Our old website was www.nazas.org
looking for people willing to submit letters to it has now changed to
the editors of their local papers about www.nazaudubon.com
conservation issues, particularly in our Please make note and tell your friends
campaign to address global warming.
We will provide everything you need to get
started: sample letters, talking points,
and contacts for your newspapers. If you Officers
NAAS Directory
are interested, email us at President Zack Zdinak 928-774-4229 naas@lifedraw.com
audubonaction@audubon.org Previous Pres. Phyllis Kegley kegleyphyllis@hotmail.com
Vice President Karin Slavey 928-282-9688
to receive special, periodic alerts just for our Captains! Secretary Bea Cooley 928-526-5069
Treasurer Kathie Satterfield 928-522-0375
K.Satterfield@yahoo.com
Education Chair Nominees Wanted Directors at Large
Anita MacFarlane David Smith Lisa Spear
Northern Arizona Audubon Society is seeking a NAAS member Standing Committee Chairs and Co-chairs
volunteer to fill the vacancy of our Education Chair position on the Programs Above Rim Phyllis Kegley
Board of Directors. Responsibilities include informing local schools Field Trips
about Audubon education resources, processing teacher requests Below Rim Dena Greenwood naturalists@sedona.net
for education kits, and soliciting member support at meetings. The Above Rim Open
Education Chair would also attend the five regularly scheduled Publications
annual Board meetings and some public events. Adults of all ages Above Rim Bryan Cooperrider bryan@coopsmaps.com
are welcome to nominate her or himself, or you can nominate a Below Rim Open
friend. Nominees should enjoy teamwork, be able to meet deadlines, Conservation
and have an interest conservation and wildlife. This would be Above Rim Jim Logan
great experience for a student majoring in Biology, Education, Below Rim Roger Radd webmaster@nazaudubon.com
Communications or Recreation, a retired person, or anyone with Education
outdoor interests. Please contact Zack Zdinak, NAAS President, at Above Rim Open
928-774-4229 or wildlife@lifedraw.com for details and how to apply. Below Rim Open
Membership
Above Rim Open
Below Rim Barbara Hirt
Share Your Love of Birding by Development Open
Leading Local Field Trips Hospitality
from Zackery Zdinak Above Rim Linda Hall, Winney Tanny
Below Rim Wilma Morrison
Like many of you, I have honed my birding skills socially, Publicity
picking up conscious pointers or unconscious knacks from others. Above Rim Phyllis Kegley
A subtle eye stripe, a trilling phrase there, comparison of feather Below Rim Open
patterns, that nuance in behavior, an awareness of habitat: each clue- Special Project Team Leaders
upon-clue has contributed to my method of locating and identifying Web Site Roger Radd webmaster@nazaudubon.com
birds, and to my thrill. Thanks to all of you who have shared tips Newsletter Editor Debbie Compton weehawks@hotmail.com
by leading Northern Arizona Audubon Society field trips. Keep Books Sales Below Rim Open
abreast of planned trips with the NAAS Schedule of Activities insert. Books Sales Above Rim Bryan Cooperrider bryan@coopsmaps.com
Also, periodically check out the online Local Field Trips listing and
Historical Records Stephen Hall
updates on our web site at www.nazaudubon.com/sightings.
I’d love to have more songs pointed out, be taken down a new VVBNF Kathleen Satterfield 928-522-0375
path, or be lead on a wild goose chase (sorry, I just had to!). And I’m K.Satterfield@yahoo.com
sure others would, too. Does anyone else have some birding insights Volunteer Coordinator / Outreach
for the rest of us? Not that I’m bored with past field trips; I’m simply Kathleen Satterfield 928-522-0375 K.Satterfield@yahoo.com
insatiable! Tuzigoot IBA Celia Holm
Whether it’s a casual neighborhood stroll by a hummingbird - Lower Oak Creek IBA Roger Radd webmaster@nazaudubon.com
guaranteed garden in Clarkdale or strenuous hike up the Kendrick Anderson Mesa IBA Elaine Morrall
Mt. where Clark’s nutcrackers dance over golden aspens, if you have Rio de Flag IBA Bea Cooley Jodi Griffith Jim Logan
a favorite birding place, consider inviting some of us along. How? In
the Verde Valley, contact Dena Greenwood. Above the Rim, contact
me, Zack Zdinak. Check the NAAS Directory in this newsletter for our contact information.
We are also seeking a volunteer to fill the Above the Rim Field Trip Coordinator vacancy on the Board of Directors! Basically, you’d
help out by calling and/or emailing local birders for trip descriptions, scheduling the field trips, and submitting details to our editor for each
newsletter issue. Make new friends (with fellow birders)! Travel (down local paths)! Make Millions (if you ever win the lottery)! To discuss
details and nominate yourself, or a friend, contact me. See the NAAS directory for contact information.
 Non-profit
BLACKHAWK WATCH U.S. Postage
Northern Arizona Audubon Society PAID
Flagstaff, AZ
PO Box 1496, Sedona, AZ 86339
Permit No. 163

Have you visited our web site? www.nazaudubon.com

✁
january-feburary Meetings
Join Us! Guest Speaker - Dr. Stefan Sommer
Northern Arizona Audubon Society “Biodiversity of the Colorado Plateau”
Flagstaff - January 15 (Thurs)
Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church
Please enroll me/our household as a Chapter 1601 N San Francisco St.
Member of Northern Arizona Audubon Society Sedona - January 21 (Wed)
(NAAS). Jewish Community Center of Sedona
100 Meadowlark Drive (off Hwy 179)
Name: Guest Speaker - Sarah Reif
Address: “Water for Wildlife”
✁

City, State, Zip Sedona - February 18 (Wed)

Phone: Jewish Community Center of Sedona
100 Meadowlark Drive (off Hwy 179)
Email:
(If you wish to be a part of the NAAS email list)
Flagstaff - February 19 (Thurs)
Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church
1601 N San Francisco St.
Enclosed:
Check here if this is a Meetings start at 7:00 pm with social time.
$15 for 1 year
change of address Formal meeting begins at 7:15 pm.
$25 for 2 years
$35 for 3 years Check here if this is a
renewal • The BlackHawk Watch is published bi-monthly September
through May , and is sent to members of the Northern
Please make checks payable to NAAS and mail to: Arizona Audubon Society as a membership benefit.
Membership Chair, NAAS • Articles are welcome from members and non-members. Send
PO Box 1496, Sedona, AZ 86339 proposed articles by email to Debbie at weehawks@hotmail.com
Deadline for copy is the 10th of the month.