BIRDING CLUB 2020 PROGRAM SCHEDULE

January 21 • Movie Night: Watching Waders

Come out to watch amazing footage of the large, glamorous, gregarious, long-legged birds that we call waders. Watching Waders is filled with intimate footage of events in the lives of some of North America’s most fascinating birds—the herons, egrets, spoonbills, ibis, bitterns, and cranes, as well as spectacular views of the many  and varied wetland habitats where they live. We’ll provide the beverages and popcorn!

 

February 18 • Seven Ponds' Outstanding Collections

Tonight, Seven Ponds Naturalist, Nancy Kautz, will give a tour of Seven Ponds’ outstanding collections of live mounts, study skins, and works in progress.  Although you may be familiar with animals on display in the exhibit area, there are many specimens in our back room that are rarely seen by the public.  Come get a closer look at these, as well as the preparation, storage, and permitting, necessary for maintaining one of the best collections in Michigan.

 

March 17 • Antarctica: The Final Frontier (POSTPONED)

Birding the world means covering a lot of territory.  Reaching all the continents is another huge task.  Come along as Oakland Audubon president, Don Burlett, reaches his final continent (Congrats Don!) and enjoys the wonders of “another world”, unlike anything we see here at home.  Through photos and stories, Birds, Bergs, and other sights merge into a mystical experience for all to enjoy!

This program has been postponed, and will be presented at a future date.

 

April 21 • Birding the Caribbean

Tonight Seven Ponds board member, and worldly fellow-birder, Nancy Buck, will share photos and stories from her recent birding trip to the Caribbean.  Together we will explore the beautiful tropical islands of Trinidad, Tobago, and Jamaica for island endemics, hummingbirds, and more!

 

May 19 • Warbler Wander - A May Favorite

Tonight we will take a walk along the nature center’s trails in search of warblers and more. Yellow warbler, common yellowthroat, pine warbler, and blue-winged warbler should be on territory, and we have an excellent chance to see some migrating warblers as well. It is a great time of year to be outdoors with binoculars in hand. At the end of our walk, we’ll enjoy a sunset over the Seven Ponds from the A-Frame Bridge and listen for rails.

June 16 • Spring on the Yukon Delta

Each spring, millions of waterfowl and shorebirds return to Alaska's Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge to nest and raise their young. The refuge encompasses over 20 million acres in southwestern Alaska and is one of the densest breeding areas for waterfowl and shorebirds in the world. Emperor Geese and Spectacled Eiders return from the Aleutians and nearby offshore waters. Black Brant arrive from Baja, Mexico. Longer distance migrants like Bar-tailed Godwits come back from wintering areas in the southern hemisphere. Join birder and photographer David Stimac as he recounts the two months he spent with researchers at a remote camp on a Black Brant colony at the edge of the Bering Sea. From Willow Ptarmigan on a wintery landscape to a green tundra landscape filled with nesting waterbirds, Dave will share his experiences through his images made during the short subarctic spring.

 

September 15 • Nests: Avian Architecture

Although nesting season will be wrapping up by now, tonight we will take a look at how and why birds build nests.  Not only amazing feats of engineering by beak and belly, each bird creates just the right shape and size from a terrific variety of materials. Building on a program that Seven Ponds founder, Bee Naish put together, Nancy Kautz will share some cool stuff about avian architecture, as well as up-close looks at nests and eggs from Seven Ponds’ collections.

 

October 20 • Apartment for Rent

Purple martins and humans share a long and interesting history. Unfortunately, purple martins have declined in recent years. During this program, Seven Ponds Chief Naturalist and Director of Environmental Education, Carrie Spencer, will provide information about the natural history of these large swallows, management techniques, and how to get started as a purple martin “landlord.”

 

November 17 • Amazing Migration

Every year, many birds fly thousands of miles to winter food and shelter, then return to the exact wetland, field, or forest that they nested in the previous year. Tonight, Seven Ponds’ Executive Director, Daryl Bernard, will tell us how birds accomplish this expensive, semi-annual journey. Among other things, he will share amazing graphics of the timing and movements of North American species, and scientific discoveries that have helped unravel the mysteries of how birds find their way.

 

December 15 • Birding Club Christmas Party

Bring a dish to share, and a jolly birding tale or two, and join us for a celebration of another great year of bird appreciation.  Brush up on your birding trivia knowledge—or your best guesses—for another spirited Birding Trivia challenge!