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Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge

By on January 20, 2024 in

THIS OUTING HAS BEEN MOVED TO SUNDAY THE 28TH DUE TO WEATHER CONDITIONS

Northern Shoveler Pair

On Sunday January 28th we will tour the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge. Caravan leaves the parking lot at Kutras next to the park at 6:00 am or meet at the parking lot at the refuge at 7:30 am. We will have walkie talkies to hand out to each vehicle. If we are lucky, the new visitor center will be open by then, if not, portable restrooms are located in the parking lot and at the half-way point on the auto tour at the viewing platform. Bring a lunch and snacks to eat during the tour and at our pause at the platform. There is an entrance fee, dependent on your age and situation, see the link below for information. Most of the drivers have a permit already.
https://www.fws.gov/refuge/sacramento/sacramento-nwr-complex-passes-and-permits

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Barred Owls: Threat to Survival of the Spotted Owls in the Northwest

By on January 10, 2023 in

Barred Owls have been increasing in forests from Northern California to British Columbia for several decades and are now imperiling Northern Spotted Owls throughout their range. The newcomers outcompete the smaller owls for both territory and prey.

To address this problem, several Barred Owl removal studies have been initiated. In Northern California, these studies have included are- as of local long-term demographic studies on Green Diamond timber company property, the Hoopa Indian Reservation, and the Six Rivers and Shasta-Trinity National Forests.

Peter Carlson, currently working for Colorado State University as a long-time member of the research team for the studies on national forest lands, will discuss some of the impacts of Barred Owls, the species’ recent trends, and status of the removal studies. While the impacts of Barred Owls are of real concern, that is only one of several ongoing threats to the Spotted Owl. Carlson will place the Barred Owl issue in the context of multiple stressors on Spotted Owls. These include catastrophic wildfires, historical forest management practices, and climate change.

Carlson began studying Spotted Owls in the San Bernardino mountains in 1992 and has worked on the NW California demography study since 1994. He worked briefly with Barred Owls and other raptors in their native habitat in Illinois in 1986, prior to beginning his MS work in Wildlife Ecology at the University of Florida.

He previously worked for Humboldt State University as the field coordinator for the demography study, and since 2005 has worked through Colorado State University as a Research Associate for the study. He lives in Arcata CA.

To register for the program, click on the registration link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf3JyPKU5RJgHU09qEGYzqXAXDIobWDPs5sbxpj5GLOERCntg/viewform

The Zoom link for the program will be sent on the day of the presentation.

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Cultural Attitudes Toward Owls Around the World Through History

By on October 13, 2021 in

“The Oct. 21 program for the Redbud Audubon Society will once again feature Karla Bloem, Executive Director of the International Owl Center in Houston, Minnesota. Bloem’s presentation to Redbud last February was met with such enthusiasm that it was decided to ask her to return with a new topic. The program will be a Zoom presentation. Register by clicking on the link either in your emailed newsletter or on the home page of Audubon’s website: www.redbudaudubon.org.
The title of Bloem’s presentation is: “Cultural attitudes towards owls around the world through
history,” and she will discuss how attitudes about owls in different cultures around the world affect efforts to conserve this species. As before, Alice the Great Horned Owl will make a live appearance in this one-of-a-kind enter- taining and educational program.
Owls are found all around the world, and cultures throughout time have had very strong opinions about them. In this program, learn how owls were and are viewed, travel back in time to the very first owl cave carving, and find out how people are changing negative stereo- types about owls around the world today.
Owls are creator beings. Owls are omens of death. Owls are creator beings. Owl eggs can cure serious diseases. These are all views that are currently held in different cultures on different continents.
Why is it important to understand these different cultural beliefs? Because conservation efforts depend heavily on cultural attitudes. Where people have positive attitudes towards owls, it is much easier to pro- mote actions that are beneficial to owls. If people fear them, they will be more likely to want to kill owls than conserve them.
Education and personal gain have both been successfully used by several innovative individuals to make the world a better place for owls. This presentation will take you on a tour around the world through- out history to see how owls have been viewed, and hear inspiring stories of people who are creatively changing negative views.
Karla Bloem is the Founder and Executive Director of the International Owl Center. She acquired Alice the Great Horned Owl to use in educational programs in 1998 and began studying Great Horned Owl vocalizations in 2004.
Karla is now the world authority on their vocalizations and has given presentations in The Netherlands, Germany, Argentina, Italy, Portugal, and South Africa.
Alice’s popularity led Karla to create the International Festival of Owls, the first full-weekend, all-owl event in North America that has served as the inspiration for similar festivals in Italy, Nepal, and India.
Karla and Alice testified before the Minnesota House and Senate environment committees to successfully gain protection for Great Horned Owls in 2005.
She has assisted several authors and filmmakers and has appeared on Animal Planet and the CBC Network’s “The Secret Life of Owls.”

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Northern Saw-whet Owls

By on May 4, 2021 in

Northern Saw-whet Owl courtesy Ken Sobon

What do you know about Saw-whet Owls? If you’re like most of us, probably not much. But these little birds are all around us, year-round, fighting out their fierce lives in our forests and woodlands. Come learn about these neighbors from Ken Sobon, director of the Northern Saw-whet Owl Research and Education Project in Northern California. Ken Sobon is an avid birder, field trip leader, Vice President of Altacal Audubon Society, and is now the Northern California representative on the California Audubon board of directors. For the past five seasons he has been the director of the Northern Saw-whet Owl fall migration monitoring project. In addition, Ken has been a science teacher to middle school students in Oroville since 1995. He has shared his love of science and birding with his students both in the classroom and in the field. View rras.org for the link to view this program.

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Great Horned Owls

By on February 14, 2021 in
Great Horned Owl

Great Horned Owl

The February 18th monthly Zoom program meeting for the Redbud Audubon Society will feature Karla Bloem, Founder and Executive Director of the International Owl Center. Karla will also feature a live Great Horned Owl in her program.

A real-life soap opera has played itself out over the past 15 years with over 25 captive and wild Great Horned Owls that have formed the basis of an in-depth vocal study on the species. You’ll experience owl dating, divorce, territorial defense, and more as you learn about their wide variety of vocalizations, and what they mean. Ruby the Great Horned Owl will make a live appearance in this one-of-a-kind entertaining and educational program.

Karla Bloem acquired Alice the Great Horned Owl to use in educational programs in 1998 and began studying Great Horned Owl vocalizations in 2004. Karla is now the world authority on their vocalizations and has given presentations in The Netherlands, Germany, Argentina, Italy, Portugal, and South Africa. Alice’s popularity led Karla to create the International Festival of Owls, the first full weekend, all-owl event in North America that has served as the inspiration for similar festivals in Italy, Nepal, and India. Karla and Alice testified before the Minnesota House and Senate environment committees to successfully gain protection for Great Horned Owls in 2005. She has assisted several authors and filmmakers and has appeared on Animal Planet and the CBC Network’s “The Secret Life of Owls.”

As with last month’s Zoom program, we are asking participants to register so the host can send you the link for the meeting. To register for the program, go to the link on page one of this newsletter, or, go to www.redbudaudubon.org, click on this current newsletter and use the link in the newsletter to connect to the registration form.

After the form is submitted, our meeting host will send you the link to the meeting two days beforehand. This is a very simple and easy process, so please join us!

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