Bird Walks

Friday, September 7, Sunset 

LCAS will have its annual Fall Swift Event outside Agate Hall on Friday, 9/7/18, at sunset. The Vaux’s Swifts use the chimney to roost for the night, as they gather prior to migration. We may see thousands of birds entering the chimney, but there is no guarantee! It is fun to observe the swifts before they fly off to Central and South America for the winter.

Lane Audubon will have handouts with information about the Vaux’s Swifts. Look for the LCAS banner at 17th and Agate Street. Stop by and enjoy this annual natural phenomenon. It is free, and Prince Puckler’s is just around the corner. Call 541.343.8664 for more information.

Another good location to check out is the Smith Family Bookstore chimney (5th and Willamette, downtown Eugene) where several thousand birds have also been observed.

FMI: see the Vaux’s Swift page on the LCAS website, listed under resources. (laneaudubon.org/docs/vauxs-swift)

September's 3rd Saturday Bird Walk (9/15/18) will be led by Stephan Nance! They will be leading us around Skinner's Butte, which is an excellent place to bird during Fall Migration. In addition to being a birder, they are a singer/songwriter. Throughout their songs, you can find references to at least 30 birds. Here is a favorite of their work on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBojRGIcPVY FMI: Rebecca Waterman at 541.653.3354 or Rebecca.waterman@gmail.com

John Sullivan will be leading this month's walk at the Royal Ave entrance to Fern Ridge. John has been seeing great shorebirds such as Baird's and Pectoral Sandpipers! All ages and skill levels are welcome. Bring binoculars, if you have them.

Join the 13th annual Marbled Murrelet Community Science Survey on a spectacular stretch of Oregon’s coast near Yachats, Oregon. Training will be provided, so no prior experience is needed. This year, we are offering two separate training sessions; join us for one or both, if you’d like.

Canoe/ kayak trip to Fern Ridge Lake, led by Dick Lamster and Maeve Sowles.

NOTE: Meet at 7:30 am
Land-based Bird Walk

Cape Perpetua Marine Reserve/Protected Area

Session 1 - July 19/20, 2018

Our June walk leader is John DeLuca. 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.

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!

Birds
Dan Gleason is retiring as the Species Coordinator, and Vjera Thompson will be taking over those tasks. She will accept the bird checklists from the Team Leaders at the end of the count, hopefully at the chili feed. She will review rare and unusual bird sightings and then submit all the results to NAS. Vjera will also work with Dick to prepare the post-count narrative.

Home Counters
If you cannot participate on a count team but would like to count the birds that visit your yard, please call Herb Wisner at 541-344-3634. Herb is in charge of the Home Counters and will assist you in recording the birds you see and including them in the official count.