February 2018 Field Notes
From our President: Birding Pleasures and Treasures of Belize and Guatemala
Posted on Saturday, March 31st, 2018
Travel for birding is a great way to learn about the global interdependence of our ecosystems. Central America hosts some of our Neotropical migratory birds during the winter months. After the previous year’s breeding season, the birds fly south for the winter and recover their strength by eating insects in the tropical jungle’s abundance of living things. Warm temperatures, water, and a wide variety of foods are available to the birds. The northern hemisphere is inhospitable to insectivorous birds during this time, but closer to the equator they can eat and prepare for their northern migration in the spring.
Conservation Column: Updated Rocky Shores Protection Urgently Needed
Posted on Saturday, March 31st, 2018
Oregon’s rocky coastal shores are not currently receiving sufficient analysis or protection. Oregon Shores and Audubon chapters, along with the other organizations that cooperated to institute Oregon’s marine reserves, share this concern. These groups believe that more up-to-date information is needed to make strategic plans. Specifically, we need well-defined objectives, based on scientific data about marine resources and uses.
Vaux’s Swift Watch– Friday, April 20
Posted on Saturday, March 31st, 2018
We can expect the Vaux’s Swifts to arrive with a warm wind from the south sometime between early April and early May. The timing of the migration has varied recently, with the birds coming through earlier. This makes it hard for humans to know when to celebrate their arrival!
Date:
Friday, April 20, 2018 - 7:30pm
Location:
Agate Hall, 17th & Agate Street, UO Campus, Eugene
Third Saturday Bird Walk -- April 21, 8 a.m.
Posted on Saturday, March 31st, 2018Our walk leader is TBA. The location of the walk will be determined by interesting bird sightings posted to OBOL, along with other pertinent information available before the walk date. Details will be posted on the LCAS Facebook page: facebook.com/pages/Lane-County-Audubon-Society/330177413824, and on our website: laneaudubon.org.
Date:
Saturday, April 21, 2018 - 8:00am
Program Meeting: Tuesday, April 24, 7:30pm--Poetry of the Natural World
Posted on Saturday, March 31st, 2018“The work of poetry is to direct our attention, with words, to the place without them, so understanding can occur."
—Anita Sullivan
This month we focus on words instead of images, but what image-words! We’ve invited Alan Contreras, Ce Rosenow, and Anita Sullivan to give us a tour through the vivid world of nature poetry as they see it. Reading from their own work and the work of their favorite poets, they will also talk about different forms of poetry and how they and other poets have tried to convey particular images or themes through their poems.
Date:
Tuesday, April 24, 2018 - 7:30pm
Location:
Eugene Garden Club, 1645 High St, Eugene
Observation by John Polo
Posted on Saturday, March 31st, 2018On Friday, March 2, there was a Hermit Thrush in our yard apparently foraging. It was the first time I saw “our” thrush move to the ground of all its visits (I’m assuming it was the same bird I was seeing a couple of months ago). While it was searching, I noticed its legs shivering. I was close, I was just on the other side of a glass door to the yard, and could see the bird quite well. The shaking was unmistakable.
Program Committee Chair Volunteer Needed!
Posted on Saturday, March 31st, 2018The Program Committee is responsible for engaging speakers and organizing publicity announcements for the Quail, along with handling other logistics well in advance of each meeting. But the chair doesn’t have to do it all alone.