Annual Picnic June 25

Join us on June 25 for our annual dinner in Montrose. This year we'll
get together for an outdoor potluck at the home of Alan and Susan Reed,
2705 Stellar Court. (Take Vega Drive west from 6700 Road to reach
Stellar Court.) Bring a dish to share and your own service. The chapter
will provide a beverage. fIn addition to dinner we'll have officer
elections, a silent auction, and program by Doug Oren of the U.S.
Geological Survey.
Doug Oren is studying how elk movement in the Crawford area is
affected by human traffic. In the same area, the BLM has begun to
monitor potential traffic impacts on Gunnison Sage-grouse. Funds are
being sought to expand the study to include GPS/radio transmitters for
Sage-grouse, in order to get a better understanding of the interaction
between humans, elk and Sage-grouse.

Bluff Birds

I can't put out state stuff on COBIRDS but I think I can post it
here. I just returned from three and a half days in rainy Bluff, Utah
birding the San Juan River tams, olives and cottonwoods, and it is
highly recommended. Right now it is fairly easy to find Lucy's Warbler
and I think there could be cuckoos in a couple of weeks. Lucy's can be
heard from patches of dead cottonwoods-for instance where the channel
has moved, leaving them suddenly too dry. Good river birding spots
include the southeast edge of town and the BLM land, south of the
airport. A Summer Tanager pair is reportedly nesting in town as we
speak, although I didn't see them. Of course the area also has
Moab-like scenery, but with surprisingly few tourists, and doesn't seem
to have grown that much over the last twenty years.

BD

Riparian Restoration - Volunteers needed!

Volunteers Needed to help with Riparian Restoration efforts along the
Gunnison River .  The BLM will be planting cottonwoods along the Gunnison
River on May 19, 20 and 21 to improve the riparian habitat.  Help is needed
to complete this project and can be anywhere from half-day to all three
days.  This would be a great opportunity for Black Canyon Audubon members
to improve important habitat for birds.  If interested, please contact
Amanda Clements (970-240-5306; amanda_clements@blm.gov).

Cheryl Day

International Migratory Bird Day

Just a reminder that International Migratory Bird Day is coming up.  Typically celebrated the second Saturday in May, the single date has been emphasized less in recent years to accommodate a wide variety of projects and activities that were difficult to fit into a single weekend day.

This year's theme is "Celebrating Birds in Culture".

Information on IMBD can be found at the official IMBD website at www.birdday.org or at the US Fish and Wildlife Service website at http://www.fws.gov/birds/imbd.html

To see what migratory birds are passing through these days, keep an eye on the slideshow to the right.  Photos get added regularly, often daily.  Click on any thumbnail to access the full sized image.  Many of the photos are also available in slightly larger formats as well. If you can't click in time, buttons appear over the thumbnail which allow you to scroll back into the slide show, or forward if you are searching for a particular photo.  If you have need of bird or other photos for non-commercial purposes, contact dennisgarrison@hotmail.com

 

---

Windows Live™: Keep your life in sync. Check it out.

River Ecology Day in Hotchkiss

Today all the third graders from Hotchkiss Elementary School spent the
afternoon by the North Fork River, the final project for the ecology
unit the third grade has been studying. Among other things the kids
learned about birds from Black Canyon Auduboners Dennis Garrison and me.
We had a ton of fun with these bright children. Dennis shared pictures
and posters about Bird Migration Day (coming up), and taught the kids
how to look at birds' bills to learn what kinds of food they eat. We
brought along BCAS's wonderful bird skins collection, and the kids loved
touching the feathers, beaks, and feet of preserved birds like the great
horned owl, black billed magpie, and red crossbill. We talked about
common birds in the area and watched swallows and Say's Phoebes. Dennis
designed a great game that had kids hunting for food cards to match bird
cards. He set up his scope and we all got a good look at fuzzy yellow
goslings swimming behind the big Canada geese.
Maybe your school needs a river ecology day? Maybe you'd like to
borrow the bird skins to share with children? We would be happy to share.
Jane McGarry