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2022 Sep October 2023 Nov 2024
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CANCELED General Meeting – Oct. 2023 Bruce Lyon, The Breeding Biology of Coots 7:00 pm
CANCELED General Meeting – Oct. 2023 Bruce Lyon, The Breeding Biology of Coots @ Zoom
Oct 10 @ 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
CANCELED General Meeting - Oct. 2023 Bruce Lyon, The Breeding Biology of Coots @ Zoom
Tickets
 Virtual General Meeting Bruce Lyon The Breeding Biology of Coots: The meeting for tonight is canceled. Register for Fresno Audubon General Meeting Oct. 10th, 7:00pm This meeting will be broadcast online via Zoom  Register to receive login information. New to Zoom? Check out all you...
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Introduction to Birding October 21, 2023 9:00 am
Introduction to Birding October 21, 2023 @ River Center
Oct 21 @ 9:00 am – 12:00 pm
Tickets
Introduction to Birding at the River Center 11605 Old Friant Rd Fresno, CA 93730 Please register for the October 21 event here.   The Parkway Trust and Fresno Audubon Society have joined forces to offer a birding class that combines instruction, exploration, and fun! Beginning...
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FAS Board Meeting 11:00 am
FAS Board Meeting @ Zoom meeting
Oct 29 @ 11:00 am – 1:00 pm
Tickets
Contact admin@fresnoaudubon.org for login credentials
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2022 Sep October 2023 Nov 2024
Agenda
Agenda
October – December 2023 Oct – Dec 2023
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Oct
10
Tue
2023
CANCELED General Meeting – Oct. 2023 Bruce Lyon, The Breeding Biology of Coots @ Zoom
Tickets
Oct 10 @ 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm

 Virtual General Meeting

Bruce Lyon

The Breeding Biology of Coots:

The meeting for tonight is canceled.
Register for Fresno Audubon General Meeting Oct. 10th, 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.

Bruce Lyon, The Breeding Biology of Coots

Description:

Reconsider the coot: the crazy reproductive antics of a common marsh denizen.

Coots are often overlooked by birders because they are so common. I have been studying the reproductive antics of American coots for the past two decades and have discovered that there is far more to this bird than meets the eye. In the talk I highlight some of our discoveries about the parental and reproductive strategies of coots, from both a natural history and scientific perspective. We all are familiar with the story of the cuckoo female that lays eggs in the nests of other species rather than raising chicks herself.  Some coot females do this sort of thing, but they lay their eggs in the nests of other coot females. Why would they do this — why lay eggs elsewhere when you have your own nest? What do the birds that receive these unwanted foster eggs do? Coots are just as bizarre when it comes to raising their own kids, and there are many puzzling features of coot parental care behavior. For example, why do coots lay far more eggs than they can normally raise and why do they beat up their kids so much? And, finally, why are baby coots born with such a ridiculously fluorescent orange plumage? I will answer these questions in my talk. In addition, because our coot research was done in a wild part of central British Columbia, I will also briefly highlight a few of the special birds we encounter at our study site. Finally, the research program is expanding to ask similar questions in a mysterious coot in the High Andes of Argentina.

Bio: 

 

Bruce Lyon is a professor of Evolutionary Ecology at the University of California, Santa Cruz. His research focuses on the evolution of reproductive strategies and mating behavior of birds. His long-term research on the adaptive basis of brood parasitism in American coots has sought to understand why parasitism within species evolves and how the behavior influences other aspects of social behavior. Dr. Lyon has also investigated the evolution of ornamental plumage signals in a variety of species, including lark buntings, lazuli buntings and the evolution of ornamental offspring plumage in the newly hatched chicks of American coots. Most recently, he has conducted a decade-long investigation into the winter social lives of migrant golden-crowned sparrows that spent their winters on the Arboretum of the University of California, Santa Cruz. He has also begun work on the horned coot, a rare and giant South American coot species with boring drab chicks.

Fresno Audubon Society
Thank you for your continued involvement in and support of Fresno Audubon Society.
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Categories: General Meeting
Oct
21
Sat
2023
Introduction to Birding October 21, 2023 @ River Center
Tickets
Oct 21 @ 9:00 am – 12:00 pm

Introduction to Birding at the River Center

11605 Old Friant Rd
Fresno, CA 93730

Please register for the October 21 event here.

 

The Parkway Trust and Fresno Audubon Society have joined forces to offer a birding class that combines instruction, exploration, and fun! Beginning birders will see and learn about local and migratory birds that might be visiting the River Center. New birders will discover easy ways to identify migrating and year-round, local birds. The class will include a walk looking for birds in the various habitats found at the River Center. We will meet at the new picnic shelter on the north side of the center. After learning about using binoculars and various aids in bird identification like guide books and phone apps, we will bird around the property. Bring binoculars, lunch, water and sun protection.  Fresno Audubon will have binoculars to loan if you do not have your own. Children are welcome!
Rain cancels this event.
Class is held from 9 AM -12 PM on the third Saturday of each month from October through May.

Please register for the October 21 event here.

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Categories: Birding Classes
Oct
29
Sun
2023
FAS Board Meeting @ Zoom meeting
Tickets
Oct 29 @ 11:00 am – 1:00 pm

Contact admin@fresnoaudubon.org for login credentials

Read more
Categories: Board Meetings
Nov
14
Tue
2023
General Meeting – Nov. 2023 Gail Patricelli, Robots, Telemetry, & the Sex Lives of Wild Birds @ Zoom
Tickets
Nov 14 @ 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm

 Virtual General Meeting

Gail Patricelli

Robots, Telemetry, & the Sex Lives of Wild Birds:

Using technology to study courtship and conservation
Register for Fresno Audubon General Meeting Nov. 14th, 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.

Female greater sage-grouse soliciting copulation

Description: 

Animals use a dizzying array of sounds, smells, colors, dances, electrical fields and seismic vibrations to convince each other to mate. These elaborate courtship signals were a mystery until Darwin’s theory of sexual selection, which proposed that the courting sex (often, but not always the males) must be elaborate because the courted sex (often, but not always the females) demands it. But how do scientists study the conversations males and females in non-human animals have about mating? One way to do this is to participate, controlling one side of the conversation with a robot. Gail Patricelli will talk about using robotic females to study courtship behaviors in two spectacular species of birds, the satin bowerbird and the greater sage-grouse.

Bio:

Gail Patricelli is a professor in the Department of Evolution and Ecology and Chair of the Animal Behavior Graduate Group at the University of California, Davis. Members of the Patricelli Lab study the evolution of courtship and other forms of communication in birds and the impact of human activities, like urban development and noise pollution, on communication, breeding ecology, and reproductive success. This research uses technology such as biomimetic robotics, microphone arrays, acoustic monitoring, and remote telemetry to study populations in the wild, from local songbirds to species of conservation concern, such as greater sage-grouse.

Fresno Audubon Society
Thank you for your continued involvement in and support of Fresno Audubon Society.
Read more
Categories: General Meeting
Nov
18
Sat
2023
Introduction to Birding November 18, 2023 @ River Center
Tickets
Nov 18 @ 9:00 am – 12:00 pm

Introduction to Birding at the River Center

11605 Old Friant Rd
Fresno, CA 93730

 

Please register for the November 18 event here.

The Parkway Trust and Fresno Audubon Society have joined forces to offer a birding class that combines instruction, exploration, and fun! Beginning birders will see and learn about local and migratory birds that might be visiting the River Center. New birders will discover easy ways to identify migrating and year-round, local birds. The class will include a walk looking for birds in the various habitats found at the River Center. We will meet at the new picnic shelter on the north side of the center. After learning about using binoculars and various aids in bird identification like guide books and phone apps, we will bird around the property. Bring binoculars, lunch, water and sun protection.  Fresno Audubon will have binoculars to loan if you do not have your own. Children are welcome!
Rain cancels this event.
Class is held from 9 AM -12 PM on the third Saturday of each month from October through May.

Please register for the November 18 event here.

 

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Categories: Birding Classes
Nov
19
Sun
2023
Introduction to Birding at Intermountain Nursery @ Intermountain Nursery
Tickets
Nov 19 @ 9:00 am – 12:00 pm

Register Here

 

Intermountain Nursery will host a birding class given by Fresno Audubon Society on the beautiful nursery grounds.  Beginning birders will see and learn about fall migratory and resident birds in the foothills. Birders will discover easy ways to identify migrating and year-round, local birds. The class will include a walk around the nursery looking for birds.  Bring binoculars, lunch, water and dress in layers.  Fresno Audubon will have binoculars to loan if you do not have your own. Children are welcome. Rain cancels this event.

Here is a map of the location of Intermountain Nursery.

 

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Categories: Birding Classes
Nov
26
Sun
2023
FAS Board Meeting @ Zoom meeting
Tickets
Nov 26 @ 11:00 am – 1:00 pm

Contact admin@fresnoaudubon.org for login credentials

Read more
Categories: Board Meetings
Dec
12
Tue
2023
General Meeting – Dec 2023 Rich Cimino, Birds of the Sierra Nevada @ Zoom
Tickets
Dec 12 @ 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm

 Virtual General Meeting

Rich Cimino

Favorite Birds of the Sierra Nevada
Register for Fresno Audubon General Meeting Dec 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.

Rich Cimino, Favorite Birds of the Sierra Nevada

 

Bio:

Rich lives in Larkspur and is an active member of the Marin Audubon Society, where he participates in three Marin CBC’s and the Marin County Breeding Bird Atlas.

 

He has been birding Northern California for 55 years, leading Bay Area Audubon field trips for 43 years, and Marin Audubon field trips for 10 years.

 

Having volunteered for GGRO Hawk Watch for 12 years and Audubon Canyon Ranch Heron and Egret counts, he now surveys for the Vaux’s Swift migration through Marin County.

 

Habitat preservation is always on his mind, and he is currently active in different capacities with conservation groups in Northern California, emphasizing preserving habitat. 

 

He has led the Eastern Alameda Breeding Bird Atlas, The Altamont Pass Wind Turbine Area Golden Eagle & Raptor stakeholder group, and the Eastern Alameda County CBC as its compiler. 

 

He is the field guide for Yellowbilled Tours (www.yellowbilledtours.com), which offers annual birding tours to Alaska, Arizona, New Mexico, Wisconsin, Belize, Guatemala, Panama, and France. 

Fresno Audubon Society
Thank you for your continued involvement in and support of Fresno Audubon Society.
Read more
Categories: General Meeting
Dec
13
Wed
2023
Wednesday Bird Walk at Jensen River Ranch @ Jensen River Ranch
Tickets
Dec 13 @ 8:00 am – 12:00 pm

Wednesday Bird Walk at Jensen River Ranch

Registration is required for this event.

 

Register Here

 

Join trip leader Wes Beal to explore Jensen River Ranch. We will meet at 8:00 a.m. the Art of Life Healing Garden next to the north east parking lot in Woodward Park.

 

 

From there we will walk down the Tom MacMichael Senior Trail to the San Joaquin River and along its bank upstream until we meet the Flood Control District’s ditch. We will continue along the MacMichael Trail following the ditch back toward the bluff, and circle back to the parking area. We hope to see many of our usual suspects including scrub jays, black phoebes, house finches, lesser goldfinches, red-tailed hawks, red-shouldered hawks, turkey vultures, American kestrel, great blue herons, double-crested cormorants and great egrets. Some of the fall returnees may show up as well, including cedar waxwing, northern flickers, various and sundry sparrows as well as migrating waterfowl.

 

Depending on time and interest, we may walk over to the large pond near the Park entrance, which should be populated with Canada geese, mallards, American coots, and pied-billed grebes, among others.

 

The $5.00 City entrance fee applies if you park in Woodward Park. Alternative parking may be available in the Fort Washington Shopping Center.

 

Registration is required for this event. If you have any questions, please reach out to trip leader Wes Beal at (559) 250-2988 or beal4farms@gmail.com

Register Here

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Categories: Field Trips General Meeting
Dec
17
Sun
2023
Introduction to Birding Sunday December 17, 2023 @ River Center
Tickets
Dec 17 @ 9:00 am – 12:00 pm

Introduction to Birding at the River Center

11605 Old Friant Rd
Fresno, CA 93730

 

Moved to Sunday because of conflict with Christmas Bird Count.

 

Please register for the December 17 event here.

 

The Parkway Trust and Fresno Audubon Society have joined forces to offer a birding class that combines instruction, exploration, and fun! Beginning birders will see and learn about local and migratory birds that might be visiting the River Center. New birders will discover easy ways to identify migrating and year-round, local birds. The class will include a walk looking for birds in the various habitats found at the River Center. We will meet at the new picnic shelter on the north side of the center. After learning about using binoculars and various aids in bird identification like guide books and phone apps, we will bird around the property. Bring binoculars, lunch, water and sun protection.  Fresno Audubon will have binoculars to loan if you do not have your own. Children are welcome!
BegBirdHO
QR Code for Beginning Birding Handout.
Rain cancels this event.
Class is held from 9 AM -12 PM on the third Saturday of each month from October through May.

Please register for the December 17 event here.

 

Read more
Categories: Birding Classes
October – December 2023 Oct – Dec 2023