Virtual General Meeting Pamela Flick “Wolves in California” Register for Fresno Audubon General Meeting April 12th, 7:00pm This meeting will be broadcast online via Zoom Register to receive login information. New to Zoom? Check out all you need to know here before the meeting. The...
Yellow-Billed Magpie Population Status in Urban Sacramento
Register for Fresno Audubon General Meeting May 10th, 7:00pm
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Program Description
Dan’s talk covers his studies of the Yellow-billed Magpie population that occupies parks and other open space areas within the urban Sacramento area. Dan documents the previously unstudied ecology of Central Valley magpie populations. He also describes new information that explains the occurrence and abundance of magpies in this area. He also solves the mystery of how magpies appear to have maintained stable and healthy populations in this urban area, while populations in more rural areas have been decimated by West Nile virus.
Speaker Bio:
Dan Airola is a Wildlife Biologist and Ornithologist, who has lived in the Central Valley since 1985. Dan conducts research and conservation efforts for birds of concern in northern California, often with a community science component. He began studies of Yellow-billed Magpies during 2020 after discovering that almost no ecological study of the species had occurred in the Central Valley. His other research and conservation program species include the Tricolored Blackbird, Purple Martin, Swainson’s Hawk, Osprey, and migratory and wintering songbirds. He is a Board member and Conservation Chair of the Central Valley Bird Club, and Editor of the journal Central Valley Birds. His recent book on 30 years of Purple Martin research and management is available at cvbirds.org.
Register for Fresno Audubon General Meeting June 14th, 7:00pm
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Lily Douglas with Tricolored Blackbird
Program Description:
The Central Valley is a critically important part of the Pacific Flyway, which extends from the Arctic to South America, and is used by over 100 million birds of 400 species every year. Approximately 95% of natural habitat in the Central Valley has been transformed for human uses, and unpredictable water supplies and other climate change impacts threaten the future of farms, wetlands, and other bird habitats.
The Central Valley Joint Venture (CVJV) partners with private landowners, local governments, non-profit organizations, and others to conserve Central Valley birds and their habitats for current and future generations. In 2021, the CVJV released its updated Implementation Plan, laying out objectives to support healthy bird populations and benefit people and communities in the Central Valley. Lily Douglas, the CVJV’s Assistant Coordinator, will discuss the formation of the migratory bird joint ventures, the history and structure of the CVJV, the updated Implementation Plan, and how you can help.
Speaker Bio:
Lily Douglas is the Assistant Coordinator of the Central Valley Joint Venture for migratory bird habitat conservation. She has worked for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for nine years, previously in roles implementing the Endangered Species Act for species in the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys. Prior to that she worked with Greater Sage-Grouse for the Bureau of Land Management and as a GIS Analyst with an environmental consulting firm. Lily also sits on the Board of Directors for the Central Valley Bird Club and co-authored the book Sacramento County Breeding Birds: A Tale of Two Atlases and Three Decades of Change, released last year.
Register for Fresno Audubon General Meeting July 12th, 7:00pm
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Program Description:
The Hawaiian Archipelago is the most isolated chain of islands in the world, over twenty-five hundred miles from the nearest continent. Very few plants and animals have ever reached these remote islands on their own, but those that did, evolved over time and became unique to the Islands. About five and a half million years ago, a small flock of finch like birds from Asia, likely blown off course, arrived in the Hawaiian islands. Unrestricted food supplies and adaptations through competition for these food resources created evolutionary opportunities for speciation through specialization of bill forms and body size. From this one colonization the Hawaiian Honeycreepers evolved into over fifty different bird species found nowhere else on earth. Some Honeycreepers, like the scarlet I’iwi, evolved long curved bills to feed on nectar in the curved flowers of native plants, like those of the Bell flower family or Lobelias and provide for their pollination. Other bird species adapted to feed on insects in different ways. For example, the tiny Hawaii Akepa, with its short straight bill, crossed at the tip, gleans micro insects from leaf buds. The Akialoa’s long thin bill, almost as long as its body, was used to poke deep into tree crevices to find insects that no other bird could reach. The Akiapola’au has one of the most unusual bills in the bird world. Its upper bill is long, thin and down curved, and lower bill short straight and stout feeds like a woodpecker, but with its mouth open. It pecks into the tree wood with its lower short-stout bill, then uses the upper long curved bill to reach into the hole to wrench out wood-boring beetle larvae. Today, only 17 Hawaiian Honeycreepers species remain in the Islands, but with continued habitat protection and restoration as is happening at Hakalau Forest NWR on Hawaii Island and other areas in the State, as well as captive breeding and release, and active research on control of mosquitoes and avian diseases, the remaining Hawaiian Honeycreepers will hopefully survive far into the future.
Speaker Bio:
Jack Jeffrey, a longtime resident of Hawaii Island, is a professional wildlife and nature photographer, birding guide, and wildlife biologist. He is intimately familiar with Hawaii’s remote rainforests, hidden valleys, and rare endemic birds. He brings to his images the knowledge from over 50 years of observation and study of Hawaii’s native forest birds, as well as those in other places from his travels around the world. He combines a naturalist’s curiosity with a photographer’s patience and technical skill to produce beautiful images.
Jack is recipient of the prestigious “Ansel Adams Award for Nature Photography”, and is a USFWS “Endangered Species Recovery Champion”. He has also received the coveted Nature Conservancy of Hawaii Kako’o Aina Award, Hawaii Sierra Club Conservationist of the Year Award, and the Hawaii Audubon Society Conservationist of the Year Award. Now retired from the US Fish and Wildlife Service, he is enjoying more time traveling with his wife Gretchen, leading tours and photographing wildlife and nature around the world.
Register for Fresno Audubon General Meeting August 9th, 7:00pm
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Title: Audubon Conservation Ranching: Incentivizing Regenerative Grassland Management by Connecting Certified Ranches to Consumer Markets
Program Description:
California has roughly 40 million acres of rangelands that provide food production, carbon sequestration, water infiltration, and habitat for a wide range of species. However, this historic land use is under threat with an average of 20,000 acres a year being lost to development or crop conversion. Climate change, invasive species, aquifer depletion, and outdated grazing practices also degrade large portions of grasslands, increasing economic and ecological vulnerability. This in turn has contributed to steep declines in grassland bird species across California and the United States.
Audubon launched its Conservation Ranching program (ACR) here in California in 2019. This program is designed to stem the conversion of grassland ecosystems and improve the ecological functions of rangelands by partnering with ranchers to transition to more regenerative grazing approaches via a ranch certification program. This presentation will highlight the ACR program components which includes the development of ranch-specific Habitat Management Plans and a third-party certified set of regenerative grazing practices to increase climate-driven drought resiliency, rebuild soil organic matter, enhance plant diversity and cover, increase water infiltration and carbon sequestration, and increase overall biodiversity. This ecological resilience can translate to economic resilience, as participating producers are able to use the Audubon certification logo on their product – providing a market incentive to landowners to enroll in this program through increased sales or revenue. This presentation will highlight program practices, early results and opportunities for enrollment.
Matt Allshouse came to Audubon California from Wyoming and has been the Conservation Ranching Program Manager for the state since September 2019. As a rangeland ecologist, he has 15 years of experience associated with land policy, management, and science. Previously, Matt served as Ranch Manager for Antelope Springs Land and Cattle in Wyoming, as a Biologist for the Peregrine Fund in Belize and Guatemala directing conservation field research, and as Ecologist with the consulting firm Trihydro Corporation focusing on restoration ecology. Matt holds a dual Bachelor’s degree in Environment and Natural Resources, and Rangeland Ecology and Watershed Management from University of Wyoming.
Pelayo Alvarez works as the Director of the Conservation Ranching Program in California. Before joining Audubon Pelayo worked for the Carbon Cycle Institute where he helped establish carbon farming programs across California. Pelayo has experience working with the ranching community, government agencies, academia and other stakeholders on rangeland conservation initiatives including the development of programs to incentivize good stewardship practices on rangelands. Pelayo also worked for Defenders of Wildlife as the Conservation Program Director for the California Rangeland Conservation Coalition where he coordinated research and outreach activities. Pelayo also teaches Rangeland Ecology and Management at American River College in Sacramento. His previous work experience includes positions at UC Davis, The World Bank and The Nature Conservancy. He has a bachelor’s degree in Veterinary Medicine from Universidad de Leon (Spain), a MS degree in Animal Science from Oklahoma State University and a PhD in Ecology from UC Davis.
Register for Fresno Audubon General Meeting September 13th, 7:00pm
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Title: John Sterling: Birding Adventures in Morocco
Program Description:
John will share highlights from his tours’ adventures in Morocco. With its high mountains, high desert, low Sahara desert, agricultural plains, coastal lagoons, cork oak woodland, and coniferous forest, Morocco has much to offer to birds and birders. Home to several endemic bird species as well as North Africa species not readily seen elsewhere, it is also along the major migratory pathway for European migrants including shorebirds, raptors, songbirds and others. Join us for a virtual tour of the country’s birds, landscapes and culture.
John Sterling has been a hard core birder in California since he was shown a Pileated Woodpecker in 5th grade camp in 1971. He is a professional ornithologist and has worked for the Smithsonian Institution, US Forest Service research stations, HT Harvey & Associates, Arizona and Oregon state universities among other organizations since 1981. John has traveled extensively throughout California learning about local bird distribution and is an authority on that state’s avifauna. In 2015 he set the California’s new big year record with 501 species and has many big day records as well. He has traveled internationally as a guide and ornithologist for many institutions including projects as a Smithsonian ornithologist to Mexico, Ecuador, Peru, The Philippines, Sumatra, Canada and Russia. John currently has his own company, Sterling Wildlife Biology (www.sterlingbirds.com), specializing in tours, birding classes, research and environmental consulting for The Nature Conservancy, the Kern Water Bank, the California Rice Commission, the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center, National Audubon’s International Alliance Program, CA Dept. of Water Resources among other organizations.
Status, Ecology, and Conservation of the Declining Purple Martin in the Northern California
Register for Fresno Audubon General Meeting October 11th, 7:00pm
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Title: Dan Airola, Status, Ecology, and Conservation of the Declining Purple Martin in the Northern California
Description: Purple martins have been in long-term decline in California. Since the 1990s, Dan Airola has been studying and working to conserve the last Central Valley population, which nests in elevated freeways and overpasses in Sacramento. He also has conducted status surveys throughout Northern California. His talk presents these study results and describes conservation measures that have been implemented and are needed to protect and recover the species.
Biography: Dan Airola is a Wildlife Biologist and Ornithologist who has worked for over 40 years on bird conservation issues in Northern California. His recent research has addressed status, ecology, migration, and conservation of at-risk species, including the Tricolored Blackbird, Swainson’s Hawk, Yellow-billed Magpie, fire-adapted forest species, and migrant songbirds. Dan also serves the Central Valley Bird Club as a Director, Conservation Chair, and editor of the journal Central Valley Birds.
It’s been far too long since we were able to socialize together. So, bring your favorite dish and join FAS for lunch at noon and birding at the beautiful Sumner Peck Ranch. There is no entry fee and parking is free. FAS will provide drinks and table service. Take the drive from the gates to the parking area at the end of the drive. The picnic area is just below the parking lot, next to the river. Let’s celebrate Fresno Fall birding together! Registration is required so that we have a head count.
Register for Fresno Audubon General Meeting November 8th, 7:00pm
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Title: Homer Hansen, “Fall Raptors of Fresno County”
Description:
“Fall Raptors of Fresno County”
As winter settles in our neck of the woods, various species of raptors migrate into our locality, both increasing the numbers of common summer residents and adding a few overwintering species as well. This presentation will provide comparisons of the natural history, behavior, structure, and field marks for several species, including Golden and Bald Eagles, Turkey Vulture, Red-tailed, Red-shouldered, Ferruginous, and Rough-legged Hawk, and Cooper’s and Sharp-shinned Hawk, and American Kestrel, Merlin, and Peregrine and Prairie Falcons.
Homer Hansen
BIO:
Homer Hansen grew up in Willcox, Arizona surrounded by Sandhill Cranes in winter and Cassin’s Sparrows in summer. Homer has a passion for sharing bird watching with others and is a regular field trip leader for several festivals and has served as chairman of the Wings Over Willcox Birding & Nature Festival for nearly 20 years. Homer loves working with youths and co-founded the Sulphur Springs Valley Young Birders Club and the associated Arizona Young Birder’s Camp, non-profits dedicated to educating youths about birds. He also instructs workshops on sparrows, raptors, flycatchers, warblers, birding by ear, and bird ecology, including: the Lifelong Learning courses for the Tucson Audubon Society, the Southwestern Sparrows IFO for the American Birding Association, and educational workshops for the Western Field Ornithologists (WFO) conferences. Homer is a life member of the WFO, Cooper Ornithological Society (COS), and Wilson Ornithological Society (WOS), and just completed two terms with the WFO board as chairman of the Student Programs Committee.
Register for Fresno Audubon General Meeting December 13th, 7:00pm
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Title: Robert Groos, Wild Turkeys, up close and personal
Description: Wild Turkeys, up close and personal
Wild Turkeys roam the foothills of Coarsegold. In early spring, an annual pageant unfolds: traveling leks of hopeful males seeking to mate with willing females. It is a wondrous exposition of biological desire, and much more. I’ve had the good fortune to observe and capture it all with photos and video. In this presentation, you will witness the phenomena of Wild Turkey leks, courtship displays, male to male combat, copulation, predation upon nests, and more.
Don’t be a turkey and miss out on this opportunity to experience the thrill of seeing these magnificent birds at their wild best.
Biography:
Robert received a PhD in French from the University of Wisconsin, became a university professor, but eventually left academia to pursue a career in computer technology consulting.
He began photographing birds in preparation for a safari in Botswana. What better way to learn how to use a camera than photographing birds, he reasoned. Birds eventually became his favorite photographic subject. “I’ve never met a bird I didn’t want to photograph,” he admits.
His photograph of a Cedar Waxwing was selected to appear in a special Audubon Photography Awards gallery of “our favorite female bird shots 2021.”
Choosing to be a bird photographer necessitated becoming an avid birder, and that pursuit led to storytelling about his experiences observing birds.
Register for Fresno Audubon General Meeting January 10th, 7:00pm
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Julie Brown
Monitoring migratory raptors in the Americas
Description:
I will be speaking about the Hawk Migration Association of North America, our current programs and the work we do to support the raptor migration monitoring network. I’ll talk about HawkCount.org, the largest citizen science database in the world and how these data are being used to determine raptor population trends across the continent.
Biography:
Julie Brown is the Raptor Migration and Programs Director at HMANA since 2008. Prior to her work at HMANA, she migrated throughout the US and tropics working as field biologist primarily with raptors, focusing on human impact studies, migration research and behavioral studies. Julie received her BS in Wildlife Ecology at the University of Maine and received her MS in Conservation Biology from Antioch University New England where she studied Peregrine Falcon migration in Costa Rica. She lives in New Hampshire with her husband who she met hawkwatching and her two bird loving children.
