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.
The cover article of Wednesday May 27th’s edition of the Ashland Daily Tidings featured the 2015 Mountain Bird Festival.
The article by John Darling highlights the economic benefits of birding. Bird enthusiasts generate billions of dollars of economic activity each year — The 2014 Mountain Bird Festival generated an estimated $70,000 of economic activity, benefiting local businesses in our region.
The article covers additional details about the Festival and Klamath Bird Observatory and also includes beautiful photographs by Jim Livaudais. Click here to read the article.
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
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
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: This presentation will prepare you for the Hawk Watch outing where we will sit at the top of Modoc Rim which borders Upper Klamath Lake and watch hawks fly overhead in their fall migration.
September 28th Wednesday 6:30pm-8:00pm
Walk: Hawk Watch Outing – experience viewing and identifying hawks and other raptors on their migratory journey south from a key flyway observation point.
October 1st Saturday 8:00am-4:00pm
Leader: Karl Schneck
Cost: $25 (or $50 makes you a member of Klamath Bird Observatory). To sign up or if you have questions, contact shannonrio@aol.com.
Talk: Learn about this fascinating bird that lives in our bioregional backyard – what they eat, their nests, the challenges of being a baby owl, and the places they like to live and hunt. The program concludes with a stunning video of the owls taken by a local photographer.
October 5th Wednesday 6:30PM – 8:00PM
GREAT GRAY OWL OUTING
Walk: This expedition will focus on where and how to look for the largest-sized owl of North America. Early departure time gives us a chance to perhaps see this great beast and grand phantom of the forest.
October 8th Saturday 6:30AM – NOON
Leaders: Lee French, Mel Clements, and Shannon Rio
WINTERING BIRDS OF THE ROGUE VALLEY
Talk: Because of our rich biodiversity, we have many birds that love the Rogue Valley at least for some part of the year … and for some all the year round. In this program, you’ll get to know these local birds and where best to find them through their life histories, stories, poems, photos, and bird sounds.
November 2nd Wednesday 6:30PM – 8:00PM
BIRDING THE ROGUE VALLEY
Walk: We follow up with an excursion visiting a variety of local hot spots to see the birds talked about in the presentation.
November 5th Saturday 8:30AM – 1PM
Leaders: Lee French and Shannon Rio
Cost: $25 for each talk and walk (or $50 makes you a member of KBO). To sign up or if you have questions, contact shannonrio@aol.com.
Carpooling (taking the fewest cars) is requested for the safety of the outing and ensures everyone sees the most birds.
The trip costs $600.00 and includes lodging, a bird presentation, three dinners, three breakfasts, and a $300 tax-deductible donation to the Klamath Bird Observatory. Transportation will be a carpool with the participants sharing the cost of gas. To register for your spot on this special outing please fill out the information requested on the registration sheet provided.
If you wish to register at a later date please email or call admin@klamathbird.org or (541) 201-0866 ext. 4#.
This is truly a trip of a lifetime, register today to secure your spot!
Interested in learning more about the diverse birds of the Klamath-Siskiyou region this fall? Klamath Bird Observatory Board Members and friends are offering lectures and classes on topics ranging from birds and climate change to attracting and feeding birds in your yard.
Don’t forget to mark your calendars for a lecture or sign up for a class.
CANARY IN THE COAL MINE, BIRDS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Thursday October 15th from 5:30-6:30 at the SOU, Hannon Library
Free lecture given by Harry Fuller
The following classes are taught at North Mountain Park in Ashland and sign ups are through www.AshlandParksandRec.org:
EXPLORING MINDFUL BIRDING
Wednesday September 16th 6:30-8pm with Saturday 19th 8:30-10am field trip
Klamath Bird Observatory’s Talks and Walks program is growing in popularity! This Board directed program invites community members to visit our headquarters in Ashland where you will learn about birds in the Klamath-Siskiyou Bioregion. Then, participants venture into the field to experience firsthand the birds that are the focus of Klamath Bird Observatory’s science-based conservation efforts.
The program is getting lots of attention. A recent article in the Medford Mail Tribune’s Outdoor Journal section featured the program – click here to read that article. The program was also discussed during an interview with Board President Harry Fuller on Jefferson Public Radio’s Jefferson Exchange – click here to listen.
And don’t forget to sign up for this spring’s last Talk and Walk program!
MAY TALK AND “WALK”: ATTRACTING HUMMINGBIRDS TO YOUR GARDEN – presented by Laura Fleming, KBO Board Member
Talk: Wednesday, May 6th 6:30-8pm
Laura Fleming is opening Wild Birds Unlimited in Medford this spring. The “Walk” for this event will be an invitation to visit Wild Birds Unlimited at its new location plus a gift certificate offering a discount on purchases.
$25 fee is for both Talk and Walk. Contact shannonrio@aol.com to sign up.
This is a preview of the Spring Birds of Malheur trip written by KBO Board President Harry Fuller. Trip #2 (June 11th-15th) is selling out fast!
The Malheur National Wildlife Refuge was created by President Theodore Roosevelt over a century ago. Malheur has long had a reputation as a great birding hotspot in the high sagebrush steppe of eastern Oregon. Nearly 200,000 acres of lake, marsh and riparian habitat surrounded by steep mountains make the Malheur Basin a rich and diverse birding location. Oregon largest breeding colonies of White Pelicans and Sandhill Cranes are found here. Many other species are at the western edge of their breeding range, including Bobolink, Eastern Kingbird, and Franklin’s Gull. Raptors we will see include Bald and Golden Eagle, Swainson’s and Ferruginous Hawk, Prairie Falcon, Kestrel and many Northern Harrier. Short-eared, Barn, Great Horned, and Burrowing Owls all nest in the area. We may see a dozen species of waterfowl including Blue-winged and Cinnamon Teal. The land birds we will see include daylight hunting Common Nighthawks, flocks of White-faced Ibis, Loggerhead Shrike, Sage Thrasher, with the largest song repertoire of any bird on Earth, Say’s Phoebe, nesting Willet and Long-billed Curlew, Wilson’s Snipe, Brewer’s and Sagebrush Sparrow, Rock Wren, and late migrants which may include vagrants from the east. Mammals we can expect include pronghorn, coyote, yellow-bellied marmot, Townsend’s cottontail, Belding’s ground squirrel, and perhaps long-tailed weasel. The Malheur National Wildlife Refuge is an incredible birding hotspot, with over 280 species recorded. It is a must-see destination for birders and nature lovers.
If you are interested in signing up, please contact Assistant Director Marcella Rose Sciotto at admin@klamathbird.org. Your $300 conservation donation reserves your space.
2015 Mountain Bird Festival: Citizens and Science Elevating Bird Conservation
The 2014 Mountain Bird Festival was a huge success. All attendees served as bird conservationists by helping raise over $10,000 in support of local and national conservation efforts and the science that drives that conservation. Participants flocked from all over the U.S. to bird the Klamath-Siskiyou Bioregion of southern Oregon and northern California. 171 bird species were seen by festival participants, including mountain and pacific northwest specialties such as White-headed Woodpecker, Spotted Owl, Calliope Hummingbird, Mountain Bluebird, and of course, the Great Gray Owl. Additionally, over 90 species of wildflowers were seen in bloom, as well as 21 species of dragonflies and damselflies seen zipping through the region’s diverse habitats. All data from field trips were entered into eBird Northwest, which contributes to our understanding of bird distribution and habitat use. All festival attendees purchased a Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp (a.k.a. the Duck Stamp) with their registration, contributing to wetland restoration and conservation throughout the United States; attendees also purchased a Conservation Science Stamp, supporting Klamath Bird Observatory‘s worldwide efforts to advance bird and habitat conservation through science, education, and partnerships.
The 2015 Mountain Bird Festival will offer guided bird walks, fine art galleries, local wine, microbrew, and food vendors, and a feel-good community atmosphere. This year’s keynote speaker will be Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology’s International eBird project leader, Brian Sullivan. Brian will show us how eBird and its state of the art technologies are revolutionizing birding, making this popular recreation a powerful conservation science activity.
Festival registration includes half-day or full-day field trips offered on both Saturday and Sunday.
Festival goers will have the opportunity to enjoy all that is offered by the town of Ashland, Oregon. See a play at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, stroll through town to visit a variety of shops and galleries, get a massage, or enjoy a meal at one of Ashland’s many restaurants that feature local foods. We look forward to seeing you at the 2015 Mountain Bird Festival.
The Klamath Bird Observatory is grateful for your support and dedication. Don’t forget to tell your friends about this great opportunity to see wonderful birds and contribute to their conservation while at it!