From Our President: The Mystery of Birding

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on November 30, 2013 - 11:33pm

Each fall, I anticipate the arrival of the first White-throated Sparrow at our feeder. We usually see only one or two individuals that stay from November to March or April. Then they leave, presumably to fly north to find breeding territory along the west coast or interior of Canada—or as the biologists say, to achieve their biological potential.

2013 Eugene Christmas Bird Count Approaches

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on November 30, 2013 - 11:32pm

by Dick Lamster
This year marks the 72nd Eugene Christmas Bird Count (ECBC) and the 114th National Audubon Society (NAS) Christmas Bird Count. Our count this year will be on Sunday, December 29. Our 15-mile diameter count circle is centered in the Danebo area of Eugene and is divided into 27 areas, each with a Team Leader. The Team Leaders organize the teams, lead the groups through the area during the count day, and then submit the results to the ECBC Steering Committee.

Conservation Column Dec 2013–Jan 2014: LCAS Works with Others to Make a Difference

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on November 30, 2013 - 11:31pm

Debbie Schlenoff
“Birds of a feather flock together.” This old saying applies to both birds and humans. The benefits of flocking for birds are many: They use mobbing to chase off potential predators, even when the predator is larger than they are. They flock together when eating, roosting, and nesting. Who among us does not wish to be able to understand their communications when they gather for “information exchange?” Flycatcher pairs communally defend their nests from predators and issue alarm calls to rouse their neighbors for help. In one study, researchers prevented a flycatcher pair from aiding their neighbors when an artificial predator was placed in the area. When that pair alarm-called in the next round, the neighbors did not respond. Apparently, birds take note when others don’t pull their weight in a group. It pays to cooperate.

Tags: 
Conservation Column

Celebrating The 40th Anniversary Of The Endangered Species Act: Northern Spotted Owl Continues To Decline

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on November 30, 2013 - 11:30pm

At one time, the Northern Spotted Owl was found in old-growth forests throughout the Pacific Northwest. Heavy logging and other developments over the last 190 years have reduced spotted owl habitat by 60%. As a result, owl numbers have declined by 40%–60% in the last 10 years, leaving an estimated 2,000 pairs in existence today.

Tags: 
Endangered Species Act

Audubon Adventures Celebrates 30 Years!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on November 30, 2013 - 11:29pm

Joyce Trawle
Audubon Adventures, our award-winning educational program, returns to our community classrooms with new, dynamic online capabilities sure to delight and educate our young students. With captivating hands-on activities, students learn that we all have a personal stake in the health of the environment, and we all play an important role in its preservation and improvement.

Program Meeting: Spotted Owl Research in the Willamette National Forest: Population Trends and Current Status

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on November 30, 2013 - 11:27pm

Tuesday, January 28, 2014, 7:30 p.m.
Eugene Garden Club, 1645 High St.
Steve Ackers is the field crew leader of the Northern Spotted Owl project in the upper McKenzie watershed. He is an expert in wildlife population monitoring and mathematical modeling of demographic parameters. Steve has been studying the spotted owl in the H. J. Andrews Experimental Forest in the Blue River/McKenzie Bridge area for about 14 years. He will talk about spotted owl ecology, his research objectives, and the relationship between Barred Owls and Northern Spotted Owls, among other topics.

Pages