Author: John Alexander

A Call for Citizen Scientists!

Written by John Alexander on March 23, 2017. Posted in Klamath Call Note, Birds & Birding, Conservation, KBO Science.

Klamath Bird Observatory and The Selberg Institute are launching a new citizen science project on the beautiful Sampson Creek Preserve just outside of Ashland. This project offers something for all birders and outdoor enthusiasts. Participants will have the choice to bird on fairly flat terrain walking less than two miles through meadows and oak woodland, or for the more adventurous there are little-explored areas off-trail along a gradient of different habitats. The project will take place on a large parcel of private property along Sampson Creek. The Preserve is in the foothills of the Cascades and holds a variety of oak habitats as well as coniferous forests and riparian woodlands. This is a terrific spot for birding and will give the public a unique opportunity to visit and bird in a diversity of habitats managed for conservation.

Sampson Creek Preserve late winter. Photo by Ellie Armstrong

Citizen Scientists will participate in a training event on April 15th to learn how to collect data, and the opportunity for monthly surveys will continue throughout the year. If you enjoy looking for owls, you are in luck as well. This project will also include guided night surveys to inventory the local owl population. Participation will include some walking and/or hiking, recording all birds observed by sight and/or sound, and entering and submitting your findings into eBird Northwest. Klamath Bird Observatory has completed baseline breeding surveys on this property in the past, but with this project we aim to add to the existing knowledge by harnessing the power of Citizen Scientists to collect robust data throughout the breeding, migratory, and winter seasons.

If you are interested in participating or would like more information please contact KBO biologist Ellie Armstrong at eea@klamathbird.org. Ellie will give a short presentation on the project at the next Rogue Valley Audubon Society monthly meeting on March 28th – come learn about this special place and what we can do to help keep it special.

NABC banding curriculum cover page (72ppi 4x)

Bird Banding Curriculum

Written by John Alexander on March 13, 2017. Posted in Professional Education.

The Bird Banding curriculum is based on the North American Banding Council’s collection of training manuals plus supplemental study materials and original content. It consists of Theory and Practical segments derived from the NABC Trainee Report Card.

The Bird Banding curriculum was designed for a variety of training situations including multiple-day workshops, individual instruction, and self-study. It includes a User Guide, Topic Outline, tutorials, quizzes, worksheets, and a trove of study materials.

NABC Banding Curriculum v1.2

Copy and paste link into a new window to begin download.

Please be aware that several of the files are large.

Online Banding Course

Written by John Alexander on March 13, 2017. Posted in Professional Education.

The Fundamentals of Bird Banding (Passerine) course is based on the North American Banding Council Passerine Banding Curriculum. The “classroom” style course provides instruction in fundamental aspects of small bird capture and handling, banding, and ageing-sexing techniques. It is intended to be combined with experiential learning and practice during subsequent banding operations. The is available online at the US Fish and Wildlife Service National Conservation Training Center website.

THIS SATURDAY – A KBO SPECIAL EVENT: WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY, AUTHOR, OWL SPECIALIST PAUL BANNICK

Written by John Alexander on February 21, 2017. Posted in Klamath Call Note.

February 25th Saturday 7-8:30pm at Ashland Public Library: Gresham Room 410 Siskiyou Blvd.

Your $25 ticket to this event is tax-deductible.

Registration link – https://squareup.com/store/klamath-bird-observatory/item/kbo-special-event-wildlife-photography-author-owl-specialist-paul-bannick

Award winning photographer Paul Bannick is presenting a new program featuring video, sound, stories from the field and several dozen new images from his brand-new book: Owl: A Year in the Lives of North American Owls

in which he uses intimate yet dramatic images to follow owls through the course of one year and in their distinct habitats.

Audiences will witness the four seasons on territory, as each stage in an owl’s life is chronicled through rare images: courtship, mating, and nesting in spring; fledging and feeding of young in summer; dispersal and gaining independence in fall; and, finally, winter’s migrations and competitions for food.

His program shows how owls use the unique resources available to them in each habitat to face those challenges. All 19 species found in Canada and the United States are featured in photos, video, and narrative with a special focus on the Northern Pygmy-Owl, Great Gray Owl, Burrowing Owl, and Snowy Owl.

Owl is a stunning follow-up to Bannick’s bestselling title, The Owl and the Woodpecker, giving bird lovers yet another gorgeous photographic tribute, engaging natural history, and a compelling call to preserve the habitats that sustain these most iconic of birds.

Nearly ten years of working in some of the most remote parts of the continent, at the darkest hours of the day, tracking owls as they move through their lives has rewarded Paul with striking images that he uses in his book and presentations. His program can broadly focus on North America or they can be customized for states, geographic regions or habitats such as the Arctic Tundra, Boreal Forests, Western Mountains, Dry Forests, Temperate Forests, Mountain Meadows, Oak Habitats, Deserts, Shrub-steppe, Grasslands, and Eastern Forests.

Event - Paul Bannick - Poster Image

TALK AND WALK: BIRDING THE KLAMATH BASIN with Mel Clements and Frank Lospalluto

Written by John Alexander on January 8, 2017. Posted in Klamath Call Note.

The talk will feature 4 short DVD’s (photography and music) that each highlight the birds and landscape of the Klamath Wildlife Basin Refuges through the four seasons of the year. A fifth DVD will be added to show the powerful beauty of the Great Gray Owl. Guidelines for photographing birds and other wildlife will be presented along with the ethics of bird photography. Mel Clements will discuss how to get the best photos and disturb the birds the least.

Talk on February 16th Thursday 6:30-8pm
Walk on February 18th Saturday 7:30am – dark

Contact Shannon Rio at shannonrio@aol.com to sign up. Class size is limited. $30 for class and outing. $15 to come to the talk only.

Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge (c) Jim Livaudais 2017

Still a few spots open for our “Talk and Tapas” Holiday Fundraiser …

Written by John Alexander on November 30, 2016. Posted in Klamath Call Note.

As a December holiday alternative to the talk and walk program, KBO is hosting a special program in a local home. Sip a glass of wine or bubbly water, dine on light fare, receive a copy of Harry Fuller’s book on the Great Gray Owl and listen to this presentation. December 8th Thursday 5:30-8:00PM … Cost is $100. Contact Shannon Rio – ShannonRio@aol.com to hold your spot.

RAPTOR ID IN KLAMATH BASIN PROGRAM SOLD OUT

Written by John Alexander on November 29, 2016. Posted in Klamath Call Note, Trips & Events.

The upcoming Raptor ID in the Klamath Basin Talk and Walk Program is sold out. Please check our Community Events Calendar for other scheduled programs … and here at the Klamath Call Note for upcoming event announcements. Many thanks for all your support!

TALK and WALK PROGRAMS THIS WINTER

Written by John Alexander on November 10, 2016. Posted in Klamath Call Note, Birds & Birding, Trips & Events.

No cabin fever or winter blues around here – not with our upcoming Talk and Walk programs! There are birds to find in our great outdoors and no more informing and fun way to find them than with the inimitable Dick Ashford. Two Talk and Walk programs have just been added to our calendar: Raptor ID in the Klamath Basin and Waterfowl ID in the Klamath Basin – details below.

RAPTOR ID IN THE KLAMATH BASIN

Dick Ashford (c) KBO 2016

TALK: Dick Ashford, local raptor expert and longtime KBO board member, will share his enthusiasm and knowledge about raptor ID during this informative class session.

January 5th Thursday 6:30-8:00PM

WALK: Start the brand new year off right with an all-day raptor viewing outing to the picturesque Klamath Basin!

January 7th Saturday 8:00AM-6:00PM

WATERFOWL ID IN THE KLAMATH BASIN

TALK: March is that time of year when things are just “ducky”. Want to learn how to ID them? Join longtime KBO board member Dick Ashford for a fun talk on ducks, geese, and other waterfowl!

March 2nd Thursday 6:30-8:00PM

Ducks in a row ... Mallards foraging (c) Jim Livaudais 2016

WALK: We will get a chance to test our classroom knowledge in the field. Dick will plan a route that will give us our best chance of seeing the varied birdlife for which the Klamath Basin is famous – and we’ll have lots of fun doing it! Depending on water levels and weather conditions, there may be excellent opportunities for viewing thousands of migratory waterfowl.

March 4th Saturday 8:00AM 6:00PM

Cost: $25 for each talk and outing (or $50 makes you a member of KBO). Space is limited. Will schedule an extra outing day if needed. Contact – ShannonRio@aol.com with questions or to hold your spot.

TALK AND TAPAS – KBO HOLIDAY FUNDRAISER

Written by John Alexander on November 3, 2016. Posted in Klamath Call Note, Trips & Events.