Other Lane County CBCs
Posted on Thursday, November 30th, 2017
Three this year! Feel free to join any or all of them. Florence, Oakridge, Cottage Grove
Florence CBC
Saturday, December 16
The Florence Christmas Bird Count has had a long history as a significant count area. The count circle includes both inland and coastal areas, covering very diverse habitats which attract and support a correspondingly wide-ranging species of birds. Since each area is covered by teams, participants at every level of birding experience can all be valuable contributors. Many eyes see more birds!
Morning Meeting: None. Packets will be sent out a couple weeks before the count, so people can head straight to their areas on count day.
To 
Talking with a longtime friend on a warm evening in early September, I discovered he had never seen the Vaux’s Swifts entering the chimney at the Old Condon School near Hayward Field on the University of Oregon campus. The building with the chimney is now called Agate Hall. If you haven’t yet seen the swifts descending into the chimney to roost each evening for a couple of weeks in September and again in April as they migrate through, be sure to put it on your bucket list of birding events. See next April’s Quail for details on Lane County Audubon’s “gatherings” celebrating their spring migration.
We want to welcome Rachael Friese to the Lane Audubon Board! Rachael has been involved with our organization as the Audubon Adventures coordinator since spring of 2016. She is excited about birding and cares deeply about the value of environmental education for her children and all children.
Audubon Adventures is back with a brand new learning kit for the 2017-18 school year, entitled “Birds, Bees, Flowers and Trees.” Some teachers have started placing their orders and are eager to share the new material with students! 
We want to thank Caryn Stoess for her service on the Lane Audubon Board since January of 2015. She took on the Audubon in the Schools program, one of our important educational activities. Caryn has been a great asset as well as a fun companion on our bird walks and other events. Her enthusiasm for birding and learning will be missed. Caryn has moved to Corvallis for a new job and will continue her birding adventures up the valley. Best of luck and thank you Caryn—we will miss you!
One corner of our land, on the far northeast slope, is tucked under the overhanging branches of the big firs. It is a peaceful hill where we have buried our pets, and where the previous owner had buried his old dog. My husband has made grave markers for each of them. I have many memories here. In the spring, this corner has the first Red Currant blossoms and a spreading patch of fragrant Lady-slipper Orchids. A patch of Pacific Hounds-tongue blue flowers lights up the area when they bloom. It is the spot where one of our dogs cornered a porcupine against the fence, giving us a chance to see the little animal at close range, before we helped it find an opening to get away. Here we have seen bobcat and coyote scat along a deer trail that continues over the old fence into the woods to the north.