Meals on your own (you may want to acquire
breakfast items Thursday evening)
5:00am: Field trips
depart from Moscow
10:00am: On-the-way
field trips depart from specified meeting locations
3:00pm: Field trips
arrive or return to Moscow
3:00 - 7:30pm:
Registration desk open
6:30 - 7:30pm: Social
with no-host cash bar 7:30pm Conference Welcome, Brian Bell
7:45pm: Speaker: Dr.
Kas Dumroese, "Natural Histories of the Palouse and Clearwater Drainage"
Saturday, June 5
4:30 - 5:00am
Registration desk open
4:30 - 5:00am Pick up
box breakfasts and lunches
5:00am Field trips
depart
3:00pm Field trips
return
3:00 - 6:00pm
Registration desk open
4:30pm WOS Annual
Meeting and Board Open Forum
5:00 Social with
no-host cash bar
6:00pm Banquet
7:15pm Bar closes
7:15pm Conference
Welcome, Brian Bell
7:30pm Keynote
Speaker: Dr. Erik Stauber, "Regional Raptors and Raptor Rehabilitation"
Sunday, June 6
4:30 – 5:00am Pick up
box breakfasts and lunches
5:00am Field trips
depart
Noon Check out
deadline at motel
3:00pm Field trips
return
The 16th
Annual Conference of the Washington Ornithological Society will be
held at the University Inn and Conference Center in Moscow, Idaho, from
Friday, June 4 through Sunday, June 6. Field trips, led by local and
experienced birders, will be conducted on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
The conference also features interesting local speakers who will address
topics relevant to the Pullman/Moscow/Palouse area on Friday and
Saturday evenings.
The
University Inn and Conference Center is located in Moscow, Idaho, 10
minutes driving time east of Pullman. It is 288 miles east of Seattle,
193 miles east of Yakima, and 76 miles south of Spokane. The Conference
Committee hopes you enjoy your visit to the Pullman/Moscow area. We are
offering a number of excellent field trips - space is limited, so
register early! Be sure to indicate alternate choices for field trips
and designate the menu items you prefer.
REGISTRATION DEADLINE IS MAY 20
Registrations postmarked after May 20 will be assessed a $10 late fee.
Registration begins April 15. Registration materials received as of
April 15 will be processed in random order. Materials received after
April 15 will be processed on a first come, first serve basis. Space on
field trips is limited.
Registration at door - Applications for registration at the door of the
Annual Meeting will have no guarantee of participation in the field
trips or of breakfast or lunch meals. In addition, there will be a
$10.00 late fee.
Cancellations received prior to May 20 will receive a refund, less a $10
processing fee. Additionally, cancellations received after June 1 will
not receive a refund for any meals.
Lodging is
not included in Conference fees. Please refer to the information
provided and make your own arrangement.
FIELD TRIPS
In order
to optimize the birding experience for participants, there will be
car-pooling for all field trips except three "on the way" to the
conference (OF-1, 2 and 3) or "on-the-way home" (OS-1, 2 and 3). WOS
will reimburse field trip drivers who carry at least three people
in addition to themselves at the current federal government
mileage rate. Unless noted in the description, all field trips will
depart from the University Inn at 5:00 am.
On the
Way: PALOUSE FALLS, LYONS FERRY AND CENTRAL FERRY - The Palouse
River that once flowed through Washtucna was re-routed over Palouse
Falls by the great Lake Missoula floods. The river joins the Snake River
at Lyons Ferry where, for 108 years, a ferry crossed the river. It was
an important link for the Palouse country and the Old Mullan Military
Road. The road was built by Lt. John Mullan to move military troops
between Fort Benton on the Missouri River and Fort Walla Walla on the
Columbia River. Central Ferry, located upstream from Lyon's Ferry, is
named for the ferry that linked Whitman and Garfield counties. Palouse
Falls is the summer home of white-throated swifts and peregrine falcons.
Lyons Ferry, and to a lesser degree Central Ferry, have produced some
unexpected species during the past few years. These two areas serve as
an oasis in the expanse of dry channels and agricultural land of eastern
Washington and are a magnet for birds during migration. Friday's
in-bound trip will begin in Washtucna at 10:00 a.m. Participants are to
meet at Java Bloom. Sunday's out-bound trip will end in Washtucna. Bob
Flores, leader (Friday); Charlie Wright, leader (Sunday) OF-1
Friday, OS-1 Sunday
On the
Way: TURNBULL – Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge is located on the
eastern edge of the Columbia Basin, in Spokane County. The refuge is
situated within the “Channeled Scabland”, an area formed by glacial
floods at the end of the last ice age. Turnbull NWR was established in
1937 to provide productive breeding and nesting grounds for migratory
birds and other wildlife. The refuge encompasses approximately 16,000
acres of the scabland. The ecosystem that predominates the refuge is
unique within the National Wildlife Refuge System and has
characteristics that distinguish it from natural reserves worldwide. The
combination of basalt outcrops, channeled canyons and ponderosa pine
forests infused in a diverse landscape of over 130 marshes, wetlands and
lakes, create an environment of aesthetic beauty as well as high quality
wildlife habitat. The 3,036 acres of wetlands on Turnbull NWR represent
some of the last high-quality breeding habitat available in eastern
Washington. This is a "no carpool" trip. Friday's in-bound trip will
begin in Cheney at 10:00 a.m. Participants are to meet at Gatto's Pizza.
Sunday's out-bound trip will end in Cheney. Gina Sheridan, leader
(Friday)
NW
WHITMAN COUNTY – This field trip takes us into the heart of Whitman
County’s channeled scabland. Fifteen thousand years ago, during the last
Ice Age, a glacial dam collapsed in what is now northern Idaho,
releasing the waters of a giant inland sea known as Lake Missoula. Five
hundred cubic miles of water rampaged westward at 60 miles an hour in a
torrent flowing with ten times the volume of all the rivers on earth.
The flood carved canyons, gouged out enormous plunge pools, made rivers
like the Snake and the Willamette run backward and scoured the earth of
eastern Washington right down to bare basalt rock. Today the landscape
still bears the signs of these cataclysms: the flood-scoured scabland of
eastern Washington, giant rocks near Portland transported all the way
from Idaho by the flood, potholes and plunge pools dug by waterfalls
that would have dwarfed Niagara many times over. The field trip will
visit the shallow lakes near Sprague, where nesting populations of
American white pelican, eared grebe, black-necked stilt and American
avocet have been observed. The scabland in the Rock Creek drainage is
also the home of grasshopper, Brewer’s, lark, vesper and savannah
sparrows. The Palouse River area contains nesting populations of
burrowing owl, long-billed curlew and ferruginous hawk. This trip will
be offered on Saturday as well as in-bound and out-bound trips on Friday
and Sunday. Friday's in-bound trip will begin in Sprague at 10:00 a.m.
Participants are to meet at the Chevron station. Sunday's out-bound trip
will end in Sprague. Tom Weber, leader (Friday and Saturday); Scott
Downes, leader (Sunday) OF-3 Friday FULL,
SA-3 Saturday, OS-3 Sunday FULL
FIELD
SPRINGS STATE PARK – Fields Spring State Park is a 792-acre forested
camping park remotely located in the Blue Mountains of southeastern
Washington. A portion of the park sits at a height of 4,500 feet,
offering a spectacular view of three states and the Grande Ronde River.
This volcanically originated park was named after Mr. Fields, an early
settler who developed a spring used by himself and neighboring settlers.
The park is set along one of the Nez Perce Indian seasonal migration
routes. Puffer Buttewas named for Mr. and Mrs. Puffer, homesteaders who
moved their livestock to the top of the butte whenever Indians were
observed. In 1974, 70 percent of the park’s Douglas fir and white fir
were damaged by a Tussock Moth infestation and were removed. This area
is home to a wide variety of species including: northern goshawk;
western screech owl; ruffed and blue grouse; pileated - white-headed -
northern three-toed and Lewis’s woodpecker; red-naped and Williamson’s
sapsucker; Clark’s nutcracker; 3 species each of chickadee and nuthatch;
varied - hermit and Swainson’s thrush; mountain and western bluebird;
Townsend’s solitaire; 7 species of warblers; Cassin’s finch; red
crossbill; and lazuli bunting. Possibilities include: flammulated owl, m
ountain
quail and green-tailed towhee. Ken Knittle, leader
FR-2 Friday, SA-2 Saturday - FULL BOTH DAYS
CRAIG
MOUNTAIN (ID, 160M) – Craig Mountain, located 20 miles southeast of
Lewiston, is a rolling forested plateau perched between the steep
break-lands of the Snake and Salmon Rivers. The 40- mile long route will
take you along graveled and dirt roads, some of which require a
high-clearance vehicle. A 4-wheel drive vehicle is needed to see the
entire area. The route is usually snow-covered from November into April.
Expect some great views into Hells Canyon and the Salmon River. Dry
coniferous forest, mixed conifer forest and grassland are the major
habitats of the region. Highlights include: chukar, Williamson's
sapsucker, western bluebird, red-naped sapsucker, Lewis’s woodpecker,
olive-sided flycatcher, northern goshawk, Lincoln sparrow and Clark’s
nutcracker. Possible species include: great gray owl. Charles Swift,
leader SA-1 Saturday FULL
HELLS
CANYON - This field trip will board a jet boat in Lewiston for a
birding trip into Hells Canyon, the deepest river gorge in the U.S. Our
destination is Garden Creek Ranch, a part of the Craig Mountain Wildlife
Management Area, which supports Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, elk,
mountain lion, wolverine, black bear, ruffed grouse, partridge and
quail. To date, nine rare plant species have been identified in the
vicinity, including Spalding’s silene, western ladies tress and
stalk-leaved monkey flower. The Conservancy and its partners have
protected over 90,000 acres here. Access is available to boaters from
the Snake River. We will also travel on to the mouth of the Salmon River
and return with a stop at the mouth of the Grande Ronde River. TBA,
leader (Friday); Bart Whelton, leader (Saturday); Charles Swift, Leader
(Sunday) A MINIMUM OF 10 REGISTRANTS IS REQUIRED FOR EACH TRIP.
FR-4 Friday FULL, SA-4
Saturday, SU-4 Sunday CANCELLED
CHAIN
LAKES – Benewah Lake, St. Maries, and Chain Lakes: This day long
route begins in earnest at Heyburn State Park with views of dabbling
ducks and close encounters with common yellowthroats. In the forested
areas bordering the lake, red-naped sapsucker are likely and pileated
woodpecker are frequent. From here we travel east towards St. Maries,
stopping along the way to look for veery and red-eyed vireo. In St.
Maries we'll check for something besides ring-billed gulls and visit the
sewage ponds for ducks, phalaropes, sandpipers and snipe. North from St.
Maries, wild turkeys are almost guaranteed, and we'll check a feeder
that has yielded purple finch on the last two trips. The quiet
backwater ponds have hooded mergansers, common and possibly red-breasted
mergansers, and Clark's grebes may be seen at some of the deep water
locations. The Chain Lakes route is one of the only reliable sites in
north Idaho for least flycatcher. Other passerines include American
redstart, MacGillivray's and a multitude of other warblers, gray
catbird, and cordilleran flycatcher. Our final stop will be near Cataldo
- one of Idaho's most reliable bobolink sites. Also in this area are
flooded grain fields, which may yield a variety of shorebirds. This
route has the potential for well over 150 bird species, 80-100 are
expected for the day. Jane Westervelt, leader SA-5 Saturday, SU-5
Sunday
PRAIRIE
BUTTES AND MOUNTAINS – This field trip will visit 4 different
habitats in the Palouse formation: Rose Creek, Kamiak Butte, Steptoe
Butte and Mary Minerva McCroskey Memorial State Park. The Nature
Conservancy’s Rose Creek Preserve is recognized as containing one of the
best black hawthorn/cow parsnip riparian areas left in the entire
Palouse. This habitat type, which even prior to grazing and farming,
covered less than five percent of Whitman County. On the preserve, black
hawthorn grows to a height of 15 feet or more. The understory of cow
parsnip grows to a height of six feet, creating a cool sanctuary for
wildlife during hot summer months. The preserve is also home to more
than 250 species of vascular plants. Rose Creek bisects the preserve,
offering life-sustaining water to more than 100 species of birds. In
winter, long-eared owls roost in the dense hawthorn thickets. Some of
the less common eastern Washington birds, such as gray catbirds and
black-chinned hummingbirds, are also attracted to Rose Creek. Kamiak
Butte, recognized as a National Natural Landmark, reaches an elevation
of 3,641 feet (second highest point in Whitman County) and offers
visitors a panoramic view of the Palouse region. The park plays host to
over 150 bird, mammal and vegetation species. Steptoe Butte State Park
is a 150-acre, 3,612-foot-tall natural monument. Thimble-shaped, the
quartzite butte looms in bald grandeur over the prevailing flat lands.
Native Americans called the butte “the power mountain.” It was believed
that a journey to the butte bestowed a gift of power from the mountain’s
guardian spirit. The butte’s present name honors Colonel Edward Steptoe.
The picnic area at the entrance to the park has always yielded a wide
variety of species, among them warblers, catbirds, wrens, sparrows,
orioles and grosbeaks. The butte itself has also produced sage sparrow
and black-throated sparrow along with a multitude of raptors, rock wren,
Brewer’s sparrow and lazuli bunting. Mary Minerva McCroskey Memorial
State Park is a gift to the State of Idaho from Virgil McCroskey, a
local pharmacist and rancher, in memory of his pioneer mother. The
park's road follows the mountain top ridge through old growth timber and
is the home of northern goshawk, ruffed grouse, pileated woodpecker,
wild turkey and others. Cindy McCormack, leader (Saturday); Tom Weber
(Sunday) SA-6 Saturday, SU-6 Sunday
FULL BOTH DAYS
LEWIS
and CLARK TRAIL – This field trip will explore some of the same
regions seen by Lewis and Clark during the Corps of Discovery's extended
stay in the area. From Spalding, home of the Nez Perce National Monument
Visitors Center, we will explore the upper Clearwater River to Orofino
and Dworshak Reservoir. We will then travel up on to the Camas Prairie
to visit regions around Winchester. Probable species include wild
turkey, ruffed grouse, osprey, bald eagle, nuthatches, warblers, western
tanager, spotted towhee, chipping sparrow, savannah sparrow, song
sparrow, black-headed grosbeak, lazuli bunting, Cassin’s finch, red
crossbill, pine siskin and American goldfinch. Jerry Cebula, leader
SA-7 Saturday CANCELLED,
SU-7 Sunday
MICA
MOUNTAIN – This field trip through low elevation mountain meadows
will travel east of Moscow visiting habitat on Spence Road, Lenville
Road, Spring Valley Reservoir, Mica Mountain, Vassar Meadows and the
East Fork of the Potlatch River. Stops may involve some easy walking. If
time permits, we will travel North from Bovill to the meadows near
Clarkia. Probable species include: great blue heron, turkey vulture,
wood duck, ruddy duck, osprey, northern harrier, red-tailed hawk,
American kestrel, wild turkey, spotted sandpiper, calliope hummingbird,
rufous hummingbird, belted kingfisher, western wood-pewee, willow
flycatcher, eastern kingbird, 5 species of swallow, 3 species of
chickadee, gray catbird, cedar waxwing, orange-crowned warbler, yellow
warbler, American redstart, northern waterthrush, western tanager,
black-headed grosbeak and lazuli bunting. This trip also offers many
possibilities including northern goshawk, ruffed grouse, blue grouse,
great gray owl, Clark’s nutcracker and bobolink. Terry Gray, leader
SA-8 Saturday FULL,
SU-8 Sunday
CANYONS
AND PARKS - This field trip will take us into the Snake River Canyon
west of Pullman in search of local nesting species. The grade down
Wawawai Canyon offers prime habitat for yellow-breasted chat, gray
catbird, chukar, wild turkey, warbling vireo, red-eyed vireo and
Bewick's wren. Wawawai County Park located in the Snake River Canyon
approximately three miles upstream from Lower Granite Dam, is 49 acres
in size and is the home for Virginia rail, sora, rock wren, poorwill,
and common night hawk. Traveling up-river to Clarkston (canyon and rock
wren) we will visit the nature area near Chief Timothy State Park and at
Hell’s Gate State Park (saw-whet owl, warblers). If time permits the
trip will return via Mann Lake, Lapwai, Spalding and Coyote Grade.
Harold Ward, leader FR-9 Friday
FULL
SPEAKERS
Friday
night: Kas Dumrose, "Natural Histories of the Palouse and Clearwater
Drainage" The Palouse area of eastern Washington and the nearby areas of
Idaho contain a wide variety of habitats from the channeled scablands,
to the rolling wheat fields of the Palouse, to the canyons of the Snake
and Grande Ronde rivers and the Blue Mountains. Kas Dumrose is a
Research Plant Physiologist with the USDA Forest Service at the
University of Idaho. He has a degree in Forest Management from Michigan
Technological University and a doctorate in Forest Resources from the
University of Idaho. Kas is extremely knowledgeable of the habitats in
Idaho and the Palouse region, teaches courses in landscaping for
wildlife and with native plants, and is the co-editor of the ABA A
Birder’s Guide to Idaho.
Saturday
night: Erik Stauber, "Regional Raptors and Raptor Rehabilitation" Our
Saturday night keynote speaker will be Erik Stauber. He is a professor
in the College of Veterinary Medicine at Washington State University in
Pullman, and is the Director of the Raptor Rehabilitation Program. The
program aims to: provide humane medical care to injured wild birds with
the primary goal of release back into the wild, and to further
conservation efforts through raising public awareness about wild animals
and the environment via presentations using live raptors and visual
aids. Erik holds a DVM from Purdue University and a PhD from Washington
State University, and has shepherded the Raptor Rehabilitation Program
for twenty years presenting a wide variety of talks to a wide range of
professional and lay audiences.
MEALS
Meals
include box breakfasts and lunches on Saturday and Sunday and a served
banquet dinner on Saturday evening. If you order both breakfast and
lunch, we recommend you bring a back-pack or bag to carry your boxes.
Prices include tax and gratuity. Breakfast - $8.50 each, Saturday and
Sunday morning: box breakfast includes hard-boiled egg, fruit cup,
breakfast bread or pastry, box of raisins, bottled juice, and coffee and
tea. Lunch - $8.00 each, Saturday and Sunday: box lunch includes
sandwich (choose turkey, ham, roast beef, or vegetarian), carrot and
celery sticks, potato chips, cookie, and fresh fruit. WOS will provide
bottled water for the field trips. Dinner - $18 each, Saturday evening:
dinner includes entrée (choose lemon herb chicken, roast sirloin of
beef, or pasta primavera), salad, vegetable, potatoes, rolls and butter,
coffee and tea, and dessert.
ACCOMMODATIONS
Rooms have
been set aside for conference attendees at the University Inn and
Conference Center, 1516 Pullman Road, Moscow, Idaho 83843, phone
208/882-0550, toll-free 800/325-8765.
http://www.uinnmoscow.com
Conference
attendees must make their own reservations by contacting the University
Inn. You must mention the WOS conference room block to obtain the
special rates. The conference rate is $59.50 plus tax for a room with a
queen bed (1 to 2 persons per room) and $69.50 plus tax for a room with
two double beds (2 to 4 persons per room). These special rates are
guaranteed until May 3; after this date, neither the special rate nor
rooms may be available, so your make your reservations soon!
