Klamath Call Note

You are not going to want to miss this month’s events. We have Harry Fuller joining us in the KBO office for a hybrid presentation on Great Grey Owls. His elusive Great Grey Owl book and newly published Birding Harney County will be available for purchase. This talk is happening September 22nd at 6 pm. Haven’t made it out to the banding station this year? We have one more outing to KBO’s Upper Klamath banding station on September 28th. Fall migration is in full swing giving us the opportunity to catch some fascinating migrants like golden crown and white crown sparrows, Wilson warblers, and Nashville warblers. The Klamath Siskiyou Oak Network quarterly meeting is on September 21st from 1 – 2:30 p.m. (virtual). It will feature a presentation by Wyatt Williams, Invasive Species Specialist with the Forest Health Unit of Oregon Department of Forestry. Wyatt will be presenting on the Mediterranean oak borer, a pest of oaks, and its arrival to Oregon.

From 2020-2023, a small team of researchers from KBO, USFS, USGS, and Cape Arago Audubon Society captured adult Western Purple Martins and outfitted them with lightweight archival GPS tags that fit like a backpack with two leg loops to track their movements. Our goal is to track martins that nest in Oregon to discover their migratory pathways and winter roost locations and assess whether conservation actions are needed at these non-breeding sites. This is the first study of its kind with the western subspecies and the first to track them with GPS technology throughout the year! Check out where one female Purple Martin named Roxa journeyed.

Although maybe not as exciting as having an actual “time machine,” KBO Board member Jeff LaLande (archaeologist and historian) will again offer a “Walk Into Ashland’s Past.” It was over a year ago that Jeff first offered this event. It proved to be very popular. You will walk through the site of the Shasta Indians’ village, where the Plaza is now, and through the town’s changes — from initial settlement by White Americans in the 1850s to the present time. This history walk is meant to enrich your own experience of the town. (Plus, all of your $$$ go to KBO!) Choose to join one of the two “history walks”: October 7th and October 14th. Both walks will follow the same route, each lasting about three hours. The walk will be followed by the enjoyment of your choice of a “cheerful beverage” and snack at a downtown eatery — Jeff is picking up the tab.

Join us for this extraordinary final family-friendly bird banding outing of the year! This fundraiser for our renowned banding program includes an opportunity to meet and chat with KBO’s new Banding Program Manager, Lucinda Zawadski, PhD., Martín López Aguilar from Mexico, and the KBO interns. You will learn about the importance and unique contribution of bird banding to science and see some of Oregon’s birds up close. You will also get to experience one of our field stations on beautiful Upper Klamath Lake and observe science in action, including mist netting and data collection, AND interact with the biologists. After the field station visit, we have a unique opportunity to bird from the deck of Rocky Point Resort with Lucinda and Martín, with light refreshments provided by Rocky Point. WHEN: Thursday, September 28th, 6:30 a.m. to approximately 1 p.m. (inclusive of drive time to and from Ashland).

Join Shannon Rio for three weeks of classes, chatting about our local birds and ending with a field trip. Powerpoint presentations will include, for example, a deep dive into a specific group of birds like woodpeckers and learning fun bird factoids. We will explore the use of a variety of bird guides and info books. This class is collaborative and interactive and meant to be fun. We will meet at noon for 1 1/2 hours, so bring a sack lunch along with your curiosity. Please bring your favorite guidebook for referencing the species we are learning about and sharing with the group. The class will be capped off with an all-day outing to use what you have learned. The dates are September 11th, 18th, and 25th and the fee is $0-$100 donation.

Meet banding intern Giselle Lares Ragoonanan. She is an indigenous naturalist, assistant field researcher, nature soundscape recorder, and wildlife conservationist. Her home is the twin island of Trinidad and Tobago at the end of the Caribbean archipelago. KBO is very excited to have her as an intern this year and are grateful for partnerships like BirdCaribbean for helping to make it happen. Follow the link below to learn more about Giselle and learn about the next banding station outing on September 28th.

Since 2011, KSON partners have accomplished thousands of acres of strategic ecological restoration to enhance oak habitat, build climate resilience, bolster cultural resources, and reduce wildfire risk to the ecosystem and communities. The handout A Decade of Collaborative Oak Restoration demonstrates the power of collaboration and a decade-plus of successful oak habitat restoration from 2011-2023 with highlights from Table Rock and Colestin Valley projects.

We invite you to join the directors of Klamath Bird Observatory and Mantiqueira Bird Observatory for a 10-day adventure exploring the Atlantic Forest of southeastern Brazil. The trip will be held August 20-29, 2024. Registration for the Brazil trip will open on September 20th. 

Join past board member Harry Fuller on September 22nd at the Klamath Bird Observatory office at 6 pm to learn about Great Grey Owls. He will be discussing why they are here in Southern Oregon, where you might find them, how they are going to be impacted by climate change and much much more. This event is free and copies of his books will be available for sale. 

 The Klamath Bird Observatory board members are excited to introduce our fall outreach and FUNdraising events. Open for registration now is Shannon’s Let’s Talk Birds series. These inperson presentation will be held in the KBO office Monday September 11th, 18th, and 25th wrapping up with a field trip on Saturday September 30th or Oct 1st. We are also announcing Save the Dates for a Great Grey Owl presentation by Harry Fuller, Ashland History walk’s with Jeff LaLande and several trips with Dick Ashford.