Mark Your Calendar
Saturday, Sept. 10, Public Bird Banding, Ridgway State Park.
This event will be held at the Dallas Creek entrance to Ridgway State Park from 7:30 to 11a.m. Observe the work of skilled bird banders from Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory who
will be in the area for the chapter’s bird-banding education program. It’s a chance for a close look at birds you may only have seen moving from branch to branch. You may even get a
chance to hold a banded bird before it is released into the wild. Visitors to the park will need a day or annual pass.
Saturday, Sept. 10, and Sunday, Sept. 11, Ouray County Bird Count Game
Once again, Coen Dexter is organizing a weekend bird-count competition. Rules call for birders to earn points based on predicting which birds they will see. Birders can join a group or bird independently. The reporting station for the event will be
the visitor center at Ridgway State Park. Coen will be at the visitor center at 8 a.m. each day. The game may expand to San Juan County on Sept. 11, to look for fall migrants in higher and cooler country,. For more information, contact Coen Dexter at 970-864-7195 or by e-mail at coenbrenda@yahoo.com. Information also will be e-mailed via the Western Slope Bird Network.
(For those not familiar with how to receive e-mails from the network, see item on Page 2.)
Saturday, Oct. 22, Putting Up Owl Nest Boxes
Meet at 9 a.m. at the U.S. Forest Service office in Paonia, 403 North Rio Grande Avenue, to assist with putting up owl nest boxes in Gunnison National Forest near Paonia. Some birding can be done at the same time. Future field trips will be scheduled to band owl nestlings in the boxes, if possible. Dress for the weather, bring water, lunch, insect repellent and sun screen. Work until about 2 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 29, Delta County Lakes and Reservoirs Field Trip
Meet at Confluence Park at 9 a.m. in the big parking lot on the east side of the lake. Look at birds on the lake and on trails in the park. From there, travel to Sweitzer Lake State Park (day pass or annual pass required for all vehicles) and then to Fruitgrowers Reservoir. Dress for the weather, bring lunch and something to drink. Bird as long as you want. Car-pooling encouraged.
Trip leaders to be announced. More info: 970-252-0918.
Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2012, to Sunday, Jan. 15, 2012, Wings Over Willcox Birding and Nature Festival Online registration begins Sept. 1. Go to www.wingsoverwillcox.com. For a brochure, call 1-800-200-2272.
Kids Pasta Project Fund-Raising Dinner
Monday, Nov. 14, 6 p.m., Scenic Mesa Ranch Near Hotchkiss.
Make reservations at www.kidspastaproject.org, or by e-mail: kidspastaproject@gmail.com, or call 970-985-9220
