PeninsulaNorthwest
Peninsula Daily News
C3
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Late-summer calls have family ties ONE OF THE joys of spring is the myriad of bird songs that greet us every morning and continue throughout the day. They become a part of our life. Then, the middle of summer arrives, and a familiar question is heard. “Where have all the birds gone?” They’re still around but are less vocal. They are no longer guarding nesting territory or singing to attract a mate. They’re raising families. The approach of late summer changes things once more. Once again, the birds can be heard most of the day. Mornings and evenings are best when the temperature reaches into the high 70s and 80s. During the hot afternoon, the birds are still around but have retreated to their favorite shady hangout. When a day is cloudy and cool, vocal activity continues. At this time of the year, however, it has “changed its tune.” Rival males are no longer challenging one another and competing for nesting territories. The songs they now sing are mostly calls, and other sounds come from the younger generation. They’re out and about traveling with their parents. They are seeing the world and they are excited. Young birds chatter with one another. They call after their parents. I’m also convinced they just call with excitement and sometimes with a little fear. Flying may come naturally, but it doesn’t come easily. There is a lot of trepidation among young birds when they
BIRD WATCH make that first leap into the Carson air for their first flying lesson. It’s impossible to ignore flight training among the purple martins near our home. They call nonstop as they fly over the house, over the trees and over the neighborhood in general. You can pick out the “urging call” of the parents and the more frenetic cries of the young birds. One family group focused their flying near the top of our neighbor’s tall fir instead of swooping over the whole area. The reason was one youngster. It preferred to sit at the top of the tree instead of flying with the rest of the family. The young bird’s parents and even the occasional sibling kept urging it to “fly!” This went on for the better part of the day and the next day and the next. Red-breasted nuthatches have been compared to tiny toy tin horns when they call. That description of their calling is most evident when the young are out of the nest. The trees and bushes erupt with these high-pitched “enk, enk, enk” calls. They are keeping in touch with one another, and when one voice becomes louder and more insistent, it’s difficult to say whether it is a scolding parent or a “lost” youngster. Black-headed grosbeaks have a varied repertoire when it comes
Joan
Paul Carson
A red-breasted nuthatch takes a quick dip in a bird bath. to singing or calling. Right now, there is little singing to be heard, but the calls range from “pik!” to “whee-ooo.” The goldfinches have also started bringing their young to the feeders, and their calling can only be described as “excited.” Like the grosbeaks, they have several calls. Cedar waxwings, robins, flickers, bushtits, juncos and song
Some of it involves migrants that are slowly moving southward. Enjoy the sounds of the birds and the warm and wonderful days of late summer.
sparrows — it seems like the raising of families goes on and on. August is one of the best times of the year for birdwatching. The bird population is at its peak because the young birds have left the nest. Along with other summer activities, don’t miss this bird action.
________ Joan Carson’s column appears every Sunday. Contact her at P.O. Box 532, Poulsbo, WA 98370, with a selfaddressed, stamped envelope for a reply. Email: joanpcarson@comcast.net.
Clubs and Organizations Port Angeles
Parkinson’s group
The Port Angeles Parkinson’s Support Group Sons of Italy meets the fourth WednesSons of Italy invites par- day of each month at ticipants to join with others 10:30 a.m. at the Port of Italian descent to share Angeles Senior Center, 328 an afternoon of companion- E. Seventh St. ship and potluck the third All are welcome. Sunday of each month at For more information, phone Darlene Jones at 1:30 p.m. in the St. Anne 360-457-5352. Room of the Queen of Angels Church, 209 W. TOPS meets 11th St. Social members of nonTaking Off Pounds SenItalian descent with an sibly (TOPS) 1163 met interest in the Italian culrecently to honor their best ture are welcome to attend. losers for July. The best loser was For more information, phone Pat Restaino at 360- Leroy Hahn; award winners were Linda Gentry, 452-1222. Marcia Logan and Danielle Traudt and Keeping Off Horsemen gather Pounds Sensibly (KOPS) The Peninsula chapter were Phil Kitts, Julie Hall, of the Back Country Horse- Pat Dorst and Janice men of Washington will Harsh. have its regular monthly Kitts was honored for reaching COPS status in meeting Monday at 6 p.m. July. at the Clallam County Ten-pound challenge Courthouse, 223 E. Fourth losers with a total loss of St. 47.75 pounds were Traudt, The group will be conLeroy Hahn and Jim Black. tinuing its series on trail They won $130 each. maintenance. The group meets every Guests and visitors are Wednesday at St. Andrew’s welcome. Episcopal Church, 501 E. For more information, Park Ave. Weigh-in runs phone 360-928-3824, phone from 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., Curtis Beus, president, at and the meeting runs from 360-683-3306, or visit 9:45 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. www.bchw.org and click on For more information, “Chapter Links.” phone 360-452-3429.
Now Showing n The Rose Theatre, Port Townsend (360385-1089)
“Captain America: The First Avenger” (PG-13) “Cowboys and Aliens” (PG-13) “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2” (PG-13) “The Help” (PG-13) “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” (PG-13) “Spy Kids: All the Time in the World” (PG)
“Another Earth” (PG-13) “The Help” (PG-13)
n Lincoln Theater, Port Angeles (360-457-7997) “Cars 2” (G) “Conan the Barbarian” (R) “Final Destination 5” (R) “Fright Night” (R)
Submit your club news The weekly Clubs and Organizations listing focuses on groups across the North Olympic Peninsula. There is no cost to have your club included. Submissions must be received at least two weeks in advance of the event and contain the club’s name, location and address, times, cost if any, contact phone number and a brief description. To submit your club’s news: ■ EMAIL: Send items to news@peninsuladailynews. com. ■ U.S. MAIL: PDN News, P.O. Box 1330, Port Angeles, WA 98362. ■ FAX: 360-417-3521 ■ IN PERSON: At any of the PDN’s three news offices. Please see Page A2 for the address of the one nearest you in Port Angeles, Port Townsend and Sequim.
PA Lions
CrabHouse Restaurant, 221 N. Lincoln St. The Port Angeles Lions There will be a business Club will meet Thursday at noon at the Port Angeles meeting and discussion on
Peninsula Births Olympic Medical Center Bendi Barnes and Christopher McBride, Sequim, a son, Devin Michael McBride, 7 pounds 8 ounces, 1:05 p.m. Aug. 8. Alicia Monique and Shane Patrick Neal, Sequim, a daughter, Taylor Joy Neal, 7 pounds 4 ounces, 9:40 p.m. July 30. Rachel and Brandon Duncan, Forks, twin daughters, Emma Grace, 8 pounds 1 ounce, and Madison June, 7 pounds
Freethinkers meet The Juan de Fuca Freethinkers will meet at the Sequim Library, 630 N. Sequim Ave., on Wednesday. Refreshments and socializing will begin at 6:30 p.m., with a meeting following at 7 p.m. This meeting will be a summer gathering without a scheduled speaker. For more information, and to arrange carpooling, phone Clover Gowing at 360-683-5648.
Strait Wheelers Square Dance Club meets the second and fourth Saturday of every month from 7:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Mount Pleas- American Legion ant Community Hall, 2432 American Legion AuxilMount Pleasant Road. iary Unit 62 meets the The cost is $5. fourth Thursday of the For more information, month at 11 a.m. at the phone 360-452-6974. American Legion Hall, 107 E. Prairie St. Sequim and the Female relatives of vetDungeness Valley erans are invited to attend. For more information, phone 360-683-5915 to Federal workers leave a message. The National Active and Turn to Clubs/C4 Retired Federal Employees Sponsored by KeyBank, Peninsula Daily News, Elwha River Casino. Series Partner: Sunset Do It Best Hardware
Concerts Pier Port Angeles
Phone information about athome or out-of-town births to 360417-3527 or 800-826-7714.
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Alpine Electric LLC
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Buy One Breakfast Entrée and get second entrée
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Sequimarimba is a high-energy dance band that plays African music based on the Shona culture of Zimbabwe. Most of the songs they play are traditional pieces of music they learned from visiting African musicians. Many of the songs were originally written to express tribal culture and tradition. The band often shares the origins of the songs with the audience. The performance is very visual and band members change instruments after every song.
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Shannon Schimetz, Forks, a son, Rylan Paul Haugh, 5 pounds 12 ounces, 10:14 a.m. Aug. 12.
Chapter 1006 will meet Tuesday at 11:30 a.m. at Paradise Restaurant, 703 N. Sequim Ave.
Repair, Service, Installation Equipment & System Sales Computer Network Wiring
“Captain America: The First Avenger” (PG-13) “Horrible Bosses” (R)
1/2 OFF
Forks Community Hospital
TELEPHONE & COMPUTER WIRING
Hey, it’s the “phone” guy!
Movie, Port Townsend (360-385-0859)
3 ounces, 10:44 a.m. June 30. Angie Ball and Preston Onkst, a daughter, Vesta Clementine, 9 pounds 8 ounces, 7:14 a.m. Aug. 7.
RESIDENTIAL & BUSINESS ELECTRICAL SERVICES
Townsend (360-3853883)
n Wheel-In Motor
The Clallam County Pilots Association Safety Breakfast will be Friday at 7:30 a.m. at the Fairmount Restaurant, 1127 W. U.S. Highway 101.
Square dance club
n Uptown Theatre, Port
“Cowboys and Aliens” (PG-13)
Pilots breakfast
175128849
n Deer Park Cinema, Port Angeles (360-4527176)
the Lions’ free health screening event Sept. 10 at the Lincoln Street Safeway, 312 S. Lincoln St. For information on either the free health screening or on the eyeglass recycling program, phone 360-417-6862.
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