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Red Tails November/December 2024

Click below to download a PDF of the newsletter!



ACOW Report

by Margaret Heming, Field Trip Chair


I was proud to represent CBAS at the Audubon Council of Washington meeting hosted by Black Hills Audubon Society at South Puget Sound Community College in Lacey, Washington, on October 4-6. The event included field trips to KGY Point and Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge, as well as speakers, panel discussions, and the business of discussing and voting on resolutions. Additionally, yummy meals were provided! One highlight was the keynote presentation by Rena Priest, a 2021 Washington State Poet Laureate and a member of Lhaq’temish (Lummi) Nation. She shared poems and reflections around the question, “What if, instead of bird sanctuaries, we had beliefs that cherished birds themselves as spiritual sanctuaries?” Another highlight was listening to and talking with several young people who presented creative ideas for getting youth interested in birds and nature. I was excited to share info about our ARK program, which targets 4th graders. Our chapter does school presentations including a slide show and display tables, bus tours of the Columbia National Wildlife Refuge, and field study stations at Soda Lake.

ACOW attendees 2024. Photo by Margaret Heming.

ACOW keynote speaker Rena Priest. Photo by Margaret Heming.


Bird Walks

by Margaret Heming, Field Trip Chair


Potholes State Park

On August 24th, Gayle Joy Talbot, Paula Zanter-Stout, Lisa Hansen, Jackie Chase, and I enjoyed a cool start to a morning of birding at Potholes State Park! The highlights included the pair of little Semipalmated Plovers on the shore, the 50+ Forster's Terns squawking and fishing near us, the dozens of Bank Swallows buzzing around, and the 250+ Western Sandpipers! Also, a Black-crowned Night Heron flew by. “Semipalmated” is a term used in the names of wading birds that have toes webbed for part of their length. Such a pleasure to be out birding during the start of fall migration. 233,800 birds crossed Grant County on the night of August 24th, according to Bird Cast’s Migration Dashboard.

Margaret Heming, Paula Zanter-Stout, Jackie Chase (front), Lisa

Hansen(back), Gayle Joy Talbot. Photo by Margaret Heming.


Western Sandpipers. Photo by Margaret Heming.


Canada Geese. Photo by Margaret Heming.


Sun Lakes State Park

On September 21st, eight of us met at Sun Lakes State Park for the last bird walk of the season. Shiraz Vira brought donuts! Tracey Cummings, Sherry and Vic Rasmussen, Ray and Kristi Kramer, my sister Theresa Elliot-Cheslek, and I joined him. Not a lot of birds were seen, but we really enjoyed being out in nature and getting to know each other. We saw a lot of Golden-crowned Kinglets, California Quail, Northern Flickers, Rock Pigeons, a Pine Siskin, Canada Geese, a Loggerhead Shrike, and the empty Golden Eagle nest. We plan to start the next season with a bird walk on April 26, 2025, at Sun Lakes State Park. Shiraz knows the area and suggested that April would be a great time to see the Golden Eagles in their nest, plus lots of other species along the Caribou Trail.

 California Quail. Photo by Margaret Heming.

Shiraz Vira, Margaret Heming, Tracey Cummings, Sherry Rasmussen,

Kristi Kramer, Ray Kramer, Vic Rasmussen. Photo by Theresa Elliot-Cheslek.


Thank You So Much!

by Margaret Schiffner, Treasurer


Many thanks to the following for their generous support by renewing memberships and donating to the Ron Van Nurden Memorial Scholarship fund. Because of these dedicated people, CBAS is able to present our conservation programs to Basin elementary students, and award college scholarships to high school seniors and returning college scholars, whose goals are a career in conservation science or environmental preservation.


Membership renewals are: Rodney & Januari Thompson, Yakima; Kevin & Jennifer Goetz,, Coulee City; Randy & Elaine Hill, Ridgeville; Margaret Heming, Emma Lou Bishop; Don & Cynthia Calbick, Mary Davis, Victoria Dawson, Jeff & Jennifer Powell, Gary & Karlene Utter, Twila Herrin, Michael & Marilyn Molitor and M. Schiffner, Moses Lake; and Tracey Cummings, Soap Lake.


Scholarship fund donors are: Krista Swanson, Cortez, CO; Mary Anne Kershner, Coulee City; Kurt & Chris Braunwart, Othello; GFWC Moses Lake Woman’s Club, Mary Davis, Gayle Talbot, Gary & Karlene Utter, Pioneer Veterninary Clinic, Moses Lake. We are also grateful for all those who have asked to remain anonymous!


A big thank you to Margaret Heming, who, on behalf of CBAS attended the 2024 Audubon Conference of Washington (ACOW) held at the South Puget Sound Community College in Lacey, WA. Margaret donated her time and covered her own expenses to be our chapter’s representative, where she shared CBAS achievements and activities with the other Washington chapters in attendance.


Finally, thanks to Naomi Hanvey and A&H Printers for their work on this newsletter.


In Memoriam

by Gayle Talbot, President


Sincere condolences to the Schonewald family in the recent passing of Barb Schonewald, Doug’s wife. Doug had served as our CBAS Chapter President and Barb was Secretary years ago. They were active members, yearly hosting the Christmas Bird Count, which Doug had hoped to revitalize this winter until Barb’s health problems worsened. Please keep Doug and his family in your thoughts and prayers.


Bird Watching!

Great Egrets. Photo by Margaret Heming.


Yellow-headed Blackbirds. Photo by Margaret Heming.


Merlin. Photo by Margaret Heming.


American Goldfinch. Photo by Margaret Heming.

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