Contact Information for Fall 2007 Events

Attracting Birds to Your Desert Backyard Habitat The Living Desert University, 47900 Portola Ave., Palm Desert (760) 346-5694

Big Morongo Canyon Preserve has bird & nature walks on Wednesdays and Saturdays except the first Sat. of the Month 11055 East Drive, Morongo Valley for info call Dee Zeller at (760) 363-7190

The Central Valley Birding Symposium Nov. 15-18 in Stockton http://cvbs.org

Coachella Valley Wild Bird Center has a bird walk on the first Saturday of each month from 8-10:00 a.m. www.coachellavalleywildbirdcenter.org46500 Van Buren St., Indio (760) 347-2647
College of the Desert birding and desert naturalist classes. Contact Kurt Leuschner at (760) 776-7285

The Desert Cities Bird Club 70065 Sonora Road #267, Mountain Center, CA 92561 (760) 349-3515 dcbc.blogspot.com

The Desert Institute at Joshua Tree National Park (760) 367-5535 www.joshuatree.org

Joshua Tree National Park usually has bird walks at Cottonwood Springs from Nov-May. For information call JTNP (760) 367-5500

The Living Desert members only bird walks on the second Thursday of each month. October- May. Meet at the admissions gate at 7:30 a.m. for early admission. 47900 Portola Ave., Palm Desert call (760) 346-5694 ext. 82506

San Bernardino Valley Audubon Society (SBVAS)(909) 875-5358. http://www.sbvas.org/calendar.htm

SBVAS Salton Sea Goose & Crane Trip January 12, 2008 - 7:00 am Chet McGaugh (951) 781-3699 & John Green (951) 686-2956

Salton Sea International Bird Festival President's Day Weekend (760) 344-5359 www.newriverwetlands.com

DCBC Library

Thanks to a hot tip from Dee, the DCBC now has a complete set of Bent’s Life Histories of North American Birds. Anyone needing to access our bird library please contact Kurt Leuschner at COD. 760-776-7285

Renew your membership

Do you ever wonder where your Desert Cities Bird Club dues are going? Part of the money goes to our membership in The Bird Conservation Alliance and for other birding causes. We recently donated bird seed and supplies to the Big Morongo Canyon Preserve and to the C V Wild Bird Center. Also, donated optics are often forwarded to help conservation efforts. So help support the club by purchasing a patch or pin for $5.00 each or a bumper sticker for $1.50. Send your money with your membership or purchase at the CVWBC or BMCP.


Membership Form
Name________________________________________________

Address______________________________________________

City, State, Zip_________________________________________

Email Address (optional) __________________________________

____Sign me up! Enclosed is my $5.00 donation.

____I want to renew my membership, enclosed is $5.00.
____I am enclosing an additional $5.00 for a club pin
____I am enclosing an additional $5.00 for a patch
____I am enclosing $1.50 for a bumper sticker

Newsletter Format _____Print ____Electronic


Mail to:
Desert Cities Bird Club70065 Sonora Road #267Mountain Center, CA 92561

Birds of the Mojave Desert: Natural History and Conservation.

Oases in the Mojave Desert are used by a wide number and variety of bird species every fall as stopping points during southward migration. A class, taught by Kurt Leuschner is a great opportunity to spend a weekend observing both migrant and resident birds in their natural habitats. Over 175 bird species have been recorded at the Desert Studies Center. Course fee ($210.00) includes two night’s lodging and five meals beginning with a snack on Friday and breakfast on Saturday. As a bonus, an additional fee allows students to earn a couple of units at CSUSB. ZZYZX-Desert Studies Center October 19-21. Contact Cal State at 909-880-5975 for information and to register.

Birds of Anza Borrego.

Join the fun. Car-caravan to various sites in and around Anza-Borrego Desert State Park – the largest state park in California. The park offers a wide variety of habitats where both Fall migrants and year-round resident species can be observed. Learn about the ecology, conservation, and taxonomy of the many different species encountered. The class will begin promptly at 7:00 P.M. Friday evening, October 12 and run through the weekend. There is a course fee which includes 1.5 quarter units from U.C. Riverside Extension. To sign up call U.C.R. Extension @ (909) 787-4105 or (800) 442-4990. For more information: www.UCRExtension.net and to register email:
register@ucx.ucr.edu. Instructor is Kurt Leuschner (760) 776-7285.

Not so trivial trivia

Did you know? 54% of Important Bird Areas (IBAs) are National Wildlife Refuges. One way to support these important areas is to purchase a $15.00 Duck Stamp at your local post office.

Attracting Birds to Your Desert Backyard Habitat

The Living Desert University offers “Attracting Birds to Your Desert Backyard Habitat,” on Sat. Dec. 8th. Kurt is teaching the class. Also of special interest to birders are Salton Sea Birding trips in January (see calendar). For more call: 760-346-5694 ext. 2501 or email: education@livingdesert.org. Fee$$

The San Bernardino Valley Audubon Society

The San Bernardino Valley Audubon Society usually meets at 7:30 P.M. on the 3rd Wednesday of the month at the San Bernardino County Museum in Redlands. In November they are meeting on the 14th (a change) Visit their web site http://www.sbvas.org for news and announcements including a wide variety of activities such as classes, trips and bird walks. Their mailing address is: P.O. Box 10973, San Bernardino, CA 92423-0973 (909) 875-5358. Some upcoming Audubon activities include: Christmas bird counts planned for nine areas including Morongo Valley, Idyllwild and the Salton Sea. December 16 – Jan 2, $5 fee; and a Salton Sea Goose & Crane Trip, Saturday, January 12, 2007 - 7:00 am See our calendar for contact information.

Books for Birders

LA Audubon Bookstore is a great resource. They are especially helpful when planning a foreign excursion. They always know just the book, checklist, bird finding guide or binoculars you need. Call 888-522-7428.

Vote for Linda

Linda York of The Coachella Valley Wild Bird Center in Indio is up for the Animal Planets "Hero of the Year Award". Please vote at http://animal.discovery.com/convergence/hero_of_the_year/poll/poll.html
Do you have time to spare? Phone for information about volunteering or visiting. They are open every day. (760) 347-2647.

Thanksgiving Bird Count

The annual Thanksgiving Bird Count is almost upon us! To participate, write to Dr. John G. Hewston at the Natural Resources Building, Humboldt State University, Arcata, CA 95521. The count takes only one hour. Drop him a line, he’ll be happy to send you a form and a copy of his wonderful newsletter.

Locate Birding Hotspots Before Traveling

Traveling? Before you hit the road check the web. Try http://www.mapmuse.com/ for information on birding hotspots and birding clubs. Also, the American Birding Association will provide you with just about everything you need for a memorable birding vacation. http://www.americanbirding.org/

Rare Bird Alert

The Inland Counties Rare Bird Alert, moderated by Kirk and Linda Stitt, is a great way to find out about rare birds in our area. Email secalrba@earthlink.net. Also,
Inland Counties Birds is a great resource. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/inlandcountybirds

Thanks

Special thanks to these special people:Anne and Bernard Schmitt, Carin Berglars, Robert O’Neill, Bill and Gail Beardsley, Phyllis Schwartz and Marguerite Shwe

Web Links

www.audubon.org/educate offers a variety of bird related leaning products Audubon Adventures classroom resource kits for teachers and nature educators.

Avian Knowledge Network aggregates bird data from a number of sources www.avianknowledge.net

Birders United is a political site dedicated to building a new American political force dedicated to preserving birds and their habitats. www.birdersunited.com
Ebird is a great place to report bird sightings www.ebird.com

Shade Grown Coffee

Shade coffee plantations provide important habitats for migratory song birds. Many of these plantations are threatened by declining coffee prices. To buy Cerulean Warbler Conservation Coffee and help promote the continued existence of shade plantations call 800-648-6491. For more info about saving the cerulean warbler see www.abcbirds.org/international/cerw.htm

FOREST FRIENDLY LUMBER

Now that the weather is cooling down, you might be feeling the urge to do a little work around the house. Remember that not all 2x4’s are alike! Your next lumber purchase can:
-Protect old growth forests
-Save important wildlife habitat
-Keep our air and water clean
-Provide important jobs to logging communities
So buy lumber that has been certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. Find it at www.ForestFriendlyLumber.com

Help Save the Birds of Mount San Jacinto

The Palm Springs Aerial Tram has a serious problem with bird strikes on the huge windows that surround the main building. Over the years countless birds have died at the base of these windows or in a nearby bush after attempting to fly through the glass. Many are scavenged by ravens before they can be noticed or counted by researchers studying this issue. We need your help to give us a better understanding of the problem. When you ride the tram, take a moment to walk around the building (especially the outdoor eating area and stairwell) and look for evidence of dead birds. Please report any findings directly to Kurt with as many details as you gather: Anything you can contribute will be helpful. Thanks for your time and efforts! Report findings to: Kurt Leuschner 760-776-7285

In the interest of science

If you find any dead birds in good condition, Kurt Leuschner at College of the Desert would like to have them. No, he hasn’t suddenly gone Dracula on us; he is producing a collection of museum quality skins for the College of the Desert. When you find birds, note the date and location and freeze in a Ziploc bag. Call 776-7285 to arrange pickup.

The College of the Desert Classes

The College of the Desert has a variety of natural science courses beginning in January. Learn about birds, native plants or insects for fun and earn your desert naturalist certificate. Look for the schedule in late December or call Kurt Leuschner at (760) 776-7285

If you want to find birds, it helps to know about their food. College of the Desert offers a class in Entomology in Spring Semester 2008. For more info. contact Kurt at 760-776-7285 or kleuschner@collegeofthe desert.edu