From Our President: Fall Brings Migrations and a New Season of LCAS Programs

September is the month for Vaux’s Swift migration! These small birds will be gathering in large flocks to roost for the night at the Agate Hall chimney on the UO campus, along with other locations. We will have our “Bon Voyage to the Swifts” gathering on Friday, September 13th, this year. Please come out to join us in watching and marveling at these interesting little birds. Their migration dates begin with sightings as early as late August and continue on into October. You can look for them any evening throughout this time span. Migration depends on the wind and the weather, food availability for the insect-eating swifts, and whether drought or fires are occurring. We never can predict exactly when they will arrive or when they will all move on to the south. These cigar-shaped birds rest at night in chimneys throughout their migratory route along and near the West Coast. They travel as far north as British Columbia and return south to San Diego and on into Central America. The Vaux’s Happening project maintains a database tracking the various count results for the birds as they move along their migration route. To see the results, go to: vauxhappening.org/index.html

Lane Audubon’s program meetings start up again this month too, and we have a variety of topics to inform, entertain, and educate, all presented by speakers with interesting backgrounds. Program meetings are held on the fourth Tuesday of each month, from September through November, and January through May. Scroll down for details about our September presentation or look under Events/Program Meetings.

Lane Audubon educational programs will also resume after the summer break. This year’s Audubon Adventures topic is the National-Audubon-produced “Sharing Our World with Birds,” exploring seabirds, shorebirds, and birds of prey. The learning kit for grades three and up comes with printed and online guides for students and teachers. LCAS’ own Audubon in the Schools will be offered to local schools from grades second through fifth. This hands-on program combines science and art in lessons using bird specimens and drawing supplies. It gives students a chance to learn about birds through discussion, observation, and drawing.

We are an all-volunteer organization. We depend on the energy and commitment of our wonderful members and volunteers to make our activities a success and to have an impact on environmental and educational issues in our community. Please join in! Become a volunteer and help us advocate for the birds and for habitats we all need to thrive.