Tag Archives | birds

Great Backyard Bird Count

By Larry Jordan on January 26, 2021 in

Each February, for four days, the world comes together for the love of birds. Over these four days we invite people to spend time in their favorite places watching and counting as many birds as they can find and reporting them to us. These observations help scientists better understand global bird populations before one of their annual migrations.

Launched in 1998 by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and National Audubon Society, the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) was the first online citizen science project, also referred to as community science, to collect data on wild birds and to display results in near real time. Birds Canada joined the project in 2009 to provide an expanded capacity to support participation in Canada. In 2013, we became a global project when we began entering data into eBird, the world’s largest biodiversity-related citizen science project.

New to the Great Backyard Bird Count or using eBird? Explore our How to Participate on options for entering your bird lists.

Supporting Beneficial Birds and Managing Pests

By Larry Jordan on January 19, 2021 in

Western Bluebird Female

Jo Ann Baumgartner will address the vital importance of promoting biodiversity, the significant role that birds play in controlling pests, and provide suggestions of ways that we can encourage beneficial birds and insects on our farms and in our gardens year-round. If pest birds are a problem, they can be discouraged with specific practices during the shorter periods when they cause damage.
Jo Ann is the Executive Director of Wild Farm Alliance. She is the author of many publications on the intersection between biodiversity conservation and agriculture, including beneficial birds.

Wild Farm Alliance (WFA) works to promote a healthy, viable agriculture that protects and restores wild nature. WFA has spent the last 20 years addressing the current biodiversity crisis by helping farmers incorporate habitat to support wildlife and take advantage of the myriad of benefits nature can provide. More information at Wild Farm Alliance.

Join the Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81336239381?pwd=YzBSZDBCSkRsQ0E4L3ZwQ0xoM3JZUT09

Meeting ID: 813 3623 9381
Passcode: 775191
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+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
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+1 301 715 8592 US (Washington D.C)

Meeting ID: 813 3623 9381
Passcode: 775191
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kd2FNa5IP6

Bird Identification

By Larry Jordan on December 10, 2020 in

Northern Flicker Male

Doug and Lisa Prather will host a Bird Identification program on Zoom that anyone with the use of a computer and access to the internet can attend. This will be an extensive slide show featuring birds that are often seen on the annual count and birds that are common to Lake County. The program emphasizes the field characteristics of the common and some not-so-common birds here.

Join Zoom Meeting at:
https://zoom.us/j/96492303986

Ryan Kieffer: Get to Know Your Local Birds!

By Larry Jordan on December 9, 2020 in

Peregrine Audubon’s Christmas Bird Count (CBC) has those experts who can help bring us a step closer to our goal to bird identification. Join us on Tuesday, December 15 at 7:00 p.m. on Zoom when Ryan Keiffer will point out distinguishing field marks of our Ukiah area birds. He will discuss and illustrate the sparrows and finches, jays and blackbirds, ducks and waders, as well as the raptors, the hawks and owls, all in living color.

Zoom in with your tough questions for the experts. What birds can I expect in my back yard this winter? How do sparrows and finches differ? Is it really possible to see eagles in the Ukiah Valley? What are the ducks and gulls at Lake Mendocino? Anyone interested in bird calls? Our speaker can help with that too.
Peregrine Audubon offers help in the field. Beginners and experienced birders will benefit at the Zoom Meeting on December 15 meeting at 7PM and the sign up for the CBCount which takes place on Saturday, December 19. Ryan will explain how the Christmas Bird Count is going to work in this age of a pandemic.
Yard-birding has become much more popular this year and we are hoping this will be a way for many of you to safely participate in the Christmas Bird Count. A Tally Sheet showing expected species and those requiring further documentation will be available to those birding from home. We ask that you get your tally sheets to your area leader within 24 hours after the count! Certain area leaders might be willing to delegate birding regions to individuals if you reach out to the area leaders themselves, or contact Ryan Keiffer. Above all, you must follow all local Health Orders, maintain social distancing, and proper masking.

Ryan will also give a presentation that he, Bob Kieffer and Matthew Matthiessen have put together over the last few years.

Many of us will be counting at home this year if we live within the 15-mile diameter count circle (which includes Ukiah). By all means, contact Ryan Keiffer (707-671-5834) or Bob Keiffer (707-744-1160) for details.

Join Zoom Meeting Info.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81804643206?pwd=WWk1UVlZQjFVNmRobmpWZDRZRVpTQT09

Meeting ID: 818 0464 3206
Passcode: 167994
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+13017158592,,81804643206#,,,,,,0#,,167994# US (Washington D.C)
+13126266799,,81804643206#,,,,,,0#,,167994# US (Chicago)

Dial by your location
+1 301 715 8592 US (Washington D.C)
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 929 205 6099 US (New York)
+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
Meeting ID: 818 0464 3206
Passcode: 167994
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kcpEtPWzuh

This Peregrine Audubon sponsored presentation is free to the public, though donations will be welcome. To join Peregrine Audubon Society please send $20 to PAS, P.O. Box 311, Ukiah, CA 95482. For more information, news letter and programs on a wide variety of topics related to birding in Mendocino County please go to www.peregrineaudubon.org.

Dave Jensen & Tim Bray Present: Winter Birding the Mendocino Coast

By Larry Jordan on December 6, 2020 in

Pine Siskin

Our mild winters and varied habitats mean we get to enjoy a wide variety of birds all winter long. Some are familiar and obvious; others are furtive and tricky to identify. David and Tim will present a visual and audio guide to some of the birds that winter here, focusing on those that can be difficult to distinguish or are easily missed, and emphasizing the connection to habitat.

Learn to identify those mysterious sounds in the treetops, how to quickly distinguish which “little brown job” is hopping through the bushes, and what to look for when a raptor flies past you. This is always a fun and informative presentation that helps us all get ready for the Christmas Bird Count season. Even if you don’t take part in the Counts, you are sure to learn something that will help you enjoy the birds around us.

David and Tim are the compilers of the Manchester and Fort Bragg Christmas Bird Counts, and also past and current Presidents of the Mendocino Coast Audubon Society.

At 6:45 PM click this zoom link or enter: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81913453120?pwd=ZHFIVkpOZVFDbzJZVFZoQVFkbVk5QT09

We are requesting that you to click on the link 15 minutes prior to the start of the event, so that you can make sure that your audio and video are working properly. If you have never used Zoom before, you might need to download and install the Zoom app. If there are still problems, check which release of Zoom you have installed. You may need to upgrade to the latest version.

If you cannot join by computer, tablet, or smart phone, you can dial the number below from any telephone and listen to the presentation:

1 669 900 9128 US (San Jose) or

1 253-215-8782 US (Tacoma)

Meeting ID: 819 1345 3120

Passcode: 349761