Wichita Audubon

Volume 42 No. 1 July /August 2007

JULY PICNIC
Everyone is invited, including family and friends, for our annual picnic. This is
an indoor, air conditioned picnic so everyone can stay comfortable. We’ll meet on COMING EVENTS
Tuesday, July 17, at 6:00 p.m. at the Great Plains Nature Center. Bring a covered
dish or dessert to share and your own service. We will provide iced tea, or you can July 14
bring your own beverage. 2nd Annual Butterfly Count at
Chaplin Nature Center. Meet
After dinner we will watch the one episode of the “Planet Earth” series in the at 8 a.m. at the CNC Visitor’s
auditorium. This groundbreaking series has some spectacular nature photography. Center.
Bring the whole family for good food and a good time.
July 17
Annual picnic, 6 p.m. at the
LAURA GROENEWEG HONORED Great Plains Nature Center.
Our Meritorious Service Award for 2007 was presented to Laura Groeneweg at the
September 22
May meeting. Laura has been our Hospitality Chair since 1997, making sure we Fall Nature Day and Butterfly
have refreshments at each meeting (often making cookies herself), and planning Tagging at chaplin Nature
the summer picnic. She provides the desserts for the Chaplin Nature Center Fall Center, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Watch
for more details in the next
Nature Day, and has prepared food for the Twilight Dinner for the last three newsletter.
years. She is an excellent cook and brings treats to many field trips. Her skills and
attention to detail make each event a success. Congratulations, Laura! And thanks!

CNC UPCOMING PROGRAMS

Butterfly Count
Saturday, July 14, 8 a.m.
July isn’t a great month for watching birds, but it is great for watching butterflies.
We’re going to hold a Butterfly Count at Chaplin Nature Center that will be
conducted just like a Christmas Bird Count, identifying species and counting the
number of individuals seen in a circle fifteen miles across. We will use the same
circle that we use for the Arkansas City Christmas Bird Count. Results will be
reported to the North American Butterfly Association.
Meet on July 14, 8 a.m. at the Chaplin Nature Center Visitor’s Center. People
living in Arkansas City can also help by counting the butterflies they see in their
gardens. For instructions on garden counting, or more information about the
butterfly count, call Shawn Silliman, 620-442-4133 or cnc@wichitaudubon.org.
You are welcome to participate even if you can only spend part of the day with us,
so please join us and enjoy other kinds of flying creatures.

For more information about any Chaplin Nature Center programs call
Shawn Silliman at 620-442-4133, or e-mail cnc@wichitaaudubon.org.
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.
THANKS! BIRDATHON COLORADO FIELD TRIP
The silent auction held at the Both Birdathon teams - the Painted The Wichita Audubon Society
May meeting raised $610. A big Buntings and the Chaplin Nature extended field trip to southwestern
thank you to all who participated. Center team - experienced some Colorado from June 11-13 was
Donors included Walker Butin, difficulties due to high water and a rewarding experience. Those
Rosa McHenry, Meg Mathewson, rain, but still managed respectable attending were Sharon Bolin,
Carol Cumberland, John and Louise lists. The Painted Buntings (Patty Sandra Tholen, Carol and Hal
Wherry, Don and Fran Vannoy, Marlett and Marsha Ebaugh) Cumberland, Kevin and Laura
Eddie Stegall, Patty Marlett, Laura ended up with 108 species, which Groeneweg, Deb and Pete Janzen,
Groeneweg, Marsha Ebaugh, Sandra was not too bad considering that Billie and Tom McDavitt, Sam
Tholen, Dale Roark, and Dan Kilby. Cheyenne Bottoms and Quivira and Terry Mannell, Jim and Patty
And also thanks to all those who were closed due to high water. The Marlett, Cliff and Nadine Miller,
bought items. CNC team (Shawn Silliman, Kevin Dale Randall, Eddie and Savilla
All the money raised goes to support Groeneweg, Rex Herndon, Dwight Stegall.
the chapter and Chaplin Nature Schoup and Gene Young) found
Center. 133 species. They also had to battle
mud and too much water. The two
teams raised over $3,200. Thanks
to all who contributed!

2006-2007 WAS Officers The first day of the trip we visited

President Kevin Groeneweg 687-4268 kgroeneweg@sbcglobal.net
Vice-president Jay Newton 773-2486 jmnewtonus@yahoo.com desert areas west of Cortez,
Secretary Marsha Ebaugh 683-4782 43042@prodigy.net Colorado. We followed McElmo
Treasurer Carol Cumberland 685-4867 carol.cumberland@swbell.net Creek west to Hovenweep National
Directors Ben Rogers 630-0190 brogers7@cox.net
Dan Kilby 943-5136 ddkilby@prodigy.net Monument, stopping along the
Curt VanBoening 776-0993 curtvb@earthlink.net way at the Ismay Trading Post near
Catherine Lewis 681-3302 thexchange@cox.net the Utah border. Along McElmo
Duane DeLong 684-7456 dwdelong@earthlink.net
Patty Marlett 942-2164 pmarlett@mac.com
Creek we found singing Yellow-
Committee Chairs breated Chats and a variety of other
Newsletter Patty Marlett 942-2164 pmarlett@mac.com riparian species. At Ismay we found
CNC Kevin Groeneweg 687-4268 kgroeneweg@sbcglobal.net
a flock of Black-throated Sparrows,
Programs Jay Newton 773-2486 jmnewtonus@yahoo.com
Conservation Ben Rogers 630-0190 brogers7@cox.net Ash-throated Flycatcher, Gambel’s
Development Patty Marlett 942-2164 pmarlett@mac.com Quail, and other interesting
Membership Sister Patricia Stanley pstanley@csjwichita.org species. We took two long hikes at
Hospitality Laura Groeneweg 687-4268 lgroeneweg@sbcglobal.net
Field Trips Pete Janzen 832-0182 pete.janzen@sbcglobal.net Hovenweep, which protects some
Finance Duane DeLong 684-7456 dwdelong@earthlink.net of the most intriguing Ancestral
Naturalist Shawn Silliman 620-442-4133 cnc@wichitaaudubon.org Pueblan archaeological sites.
WWW.WICHITAAUDUBON.ORG Highlights at this site were several
email any officer: was@wichitaaudubon.org singing Gray Vireos, Juniper
Send address changes to Sister Patricia Stanley, 6739 Perryton, Wichita, KS 67226 Titmouse, Sage Sparrow, Brewer’s
pstanley@csjwichita.org
Sparrow and Gray Flycatcher.
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In the afternoon we wandered into rain and hiked through spruce-
Utah, with some good birding at fir habitat along the Calico Trail.
the Devil’s Creek Campground Good finds on this hike included
located near Blanding. Good birds Hammond’s Flycatcher, Gray Jay,
there included Juniper Titmouse, Red-breasted Nuthatch, “Rocky
Bushtit, Pygmy Nuthatch, Grace’s Mountain” White-crowned Sparrow
and Black-throated Gray Warblers, and Pine Grosbeak.
Cassin’s Finch, and a Black-chinned
Hummingbird on the nest. A brief On the final day of the trip we
The mountains still had snow
stop at the Blanding water treatment began at Escalante Canyon
northwest of Delta. This beautiful dark on the last day of the trip. A
canyon produced numerous Northern Pygmy-Owl responded
Chukars, including several with once to a taped call. We tried for
broods of chicks. A Black Phoebe them at several other stops, with
was found along the creek. Common Nighthawks swooping
Other birds seen or heard in this past the car in between stops. When
impressive canyon were Golden we got into mixed aspen/spruce
Eagle, Canyon Wren, Western habitat, we played Flammulated
Scrub-Jay, and several Lazuli Owl calls. At the third stop, a
Cold and wet at 10,00 feet Buntings. The remainder of the Flammulated answered from
day was spent traversing the huge nearby. Once it got started, it didn’t
lagoons added some waterbirds to Uncompaghre Plateau from north stop, flying all around us in the
our list, including Redheads and darkness. It always stayed in thick
Ruddy Ducks with broods of downy cover, and we never got more than a
young. glimpse as it flew between perches.
A pack of coyotes nearby started to
On Day Two we began at McPhee bay as the owl hooted at us. It was
Reservoir north of Cortez, visiting an exciting end to a great trip.
excellent ponderosa pine forests as
well as sagebrush meadows. Grace’s Thanks to all who attended. I think
and Virginia’s Warblers were a Escalante Canyon everyone on the trip got at least one
highlight for many. An especially addition to their life-list of birds,
cooperative Virginia’s Warbler to south. Highlights of this portion and at least two people got over
allowed all to see it through a of the trip were Black-throated thirty lifers!
spotting scope as it sang from an Gray, Virginia’s and MacGillivray’s
exposed perch. Other birds seen Warblers (although the by Pete Janzen, trip leader
included Plumbeous Vireo, Western MacGillivrays was frustratingly un-
Tanager, Green-tailed Towhee, cooperative in coming into view),
Red Crossbill, and a number of Northern Goshawk, Williamson’s
other species. From here we began Sapsucker, Steller’s Jay, Western
working our way northward into Bluebird and Mountain Bluebird.
higher elevation habitats. After
lunch it began to rain and the After this daunting three-day trip,
temperature dropped as we climbed only one carload of birders ended
in altitude. At about 10,500’ we up returning to the plateau near
took advantage of a break in the Columbine Pass to try for owls after Lazuli Bunting
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 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

COMPLETE LIST OF SPECIES, Wichita Audubon Field Trip, June 11-13, 2007
Eared Grebe Common Poorwill Ruby-crowned Kinglet American Crow Lincoln’s Sparrow
Great Blue Heron White-throated Swift American Dipper Common Raven White-crowned Sparrow
Gadwall Black-chinned Rock Wren European Starling Dark-eyed Junco
Mallard Hummingbird Canyon Wren Gray Vireo Black-headed Grosbeak
Redhead Broad-tailed Bewick’s Wren Plumbeous Vireo Blue Grosbeak
Ruddy Duck Hummingbird House Wren Warbling Vireo Lazuli Bunting
Turkey Vulture Williamson’s Sapsucker Gray Catbird Orange-crowned Red-winged Blackbird
Cooper’s Hawk Red-naped Sapsucker Northern Mockingbird Warbler Western Meadowlark
Northern Goshawk Downy Woodpecker Western Bluebird Virginia’s Warbler Yellow-headed Blackbird
Swainson’s Hawk Hairy Woodpecker Mountain Bluebird Yellow Warbler Brewer’s Blackbird
Red-tailed Hawk Northern Flicker Townsend’s Solitaire Yellow-rumped Warbler Common Grackle
Golden Eagle Olive-sided Flycatcher Hermit Thrush Black-throated Gray Great-tailed Grackle
American Kestrel Western Wood-Pewee American Robin Warbler Brown-headed Cowbird
Wild Turkey Hammond’s Flycatcher Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Grace’s Warbler Bullock’s Oriole
Gambel’s Quail Gray Flycatcher Bushtit MacGillivray’s Warbler Pine Grosbeak
Chukar Dusky Flycatcher Black-capped Chickadee Wilson’s Warbler Cassin’s Finch
Ring-necked Pheasant Black Phoebe Mountain Chickadee Yellow-breasted Chat House Finch
American Coot Say’s Phoebe Juniper Titmouse Western Tanager Red Crossbill
Killdeer Ash-throated Flycatcher Pygmy Nuthatch Green-tailed Towhee Pine Siskin
Spotted Sandpiper Cassin’s Kingbird Red-breasted Nuthatch Spotted Towhee Lesser Goldfinch
Ring-billed Gull Western Kingbird White-breasted Nuthatch Chipping Sparrow American Goldfinch
Rock Pigeon Horned Lark Loggerhead Shrike Brewer’s Sparrow House Sparrow
Eurasian Collared-Dove Violet-green Swallow Gray Jay Vesper Sparrow
Mourning Dove Northern Rough-winged Steller’s Jay Lark Sparrow
Flammulated Owl Swallow Western Scrub-Jay Black-throated Sparrow
Northern Pygmy-Owl Cliff Swallow Black-billed Magpie Sage Sparrow
Common Nighthawk Barn Swallow Clark’s Nutcracker Song Sparrow

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