Plan to participate in the first annual Earth Day Birding Challenge on April 24, 2010
Please spread the word to your local birding community. Visit www.desertmountains.org to sign up
1st Annual EARTH DAY BIRDING CHALLENGE
Save the Date: Saturday April 24, 2010
Midnight to Midnight
What is it?
- A friendly 24-hour birding competition/fundraiser to support the Friends of the Desert Mountains, various Audubon Societies and Bird Clubs, Preserves, Parks, Conservancies and other conservation organizations throughout southern California
- Teams compete to identify as many bird species as they can in a 24-hour period by sight or by sound in the four counties included in the Palms to Pines Birding and Nature Trail: Riverside, San Bernardino, Imperial, and San Diego. ABA “Big Day” rules apply.
- All competing teams report to the finish line at the Monument Visitor Center in Palm Desert between 6pm and midnight.
- Different competitive and non-competitive categories will be available such as: “sand to sea” (multiple counties – trophy category), “single county,” “single site,” “big sit” (one spot), “on foot”, “golf courses only”, and youth. Fun for all ages!
- All participants will pay a nominal entry fee and accept pledges to raise monies for their selected causes - ultimately benefitting wild birds and the habitats they live in! Youth are free.
Sponsored by the Friends of the Desert Mountains (www.desertmountains.org or call Tammy to sign up @(760) 568-9918)
and the Desert Cities Bird Club (www.dcbc.blogspot.com)
Wednesday, September 02, 2009
Create your own Backyard Wildlife Habitat!
To create a haven for wildlife in your own backyard you'll need to provide food (native plants preferable), water (a dripper is a must!) and shelter (birdhouses, shrubbery, brushpiles, etc). For lots of neat ideas contact the National Wildlife Federation who has certified thousands of backyard habitats throughout the United States.
go to: www.nwf.org and click on "Certify Your Backyard"
or call 800-822-9919 for more information
Other organizations that certify backyard habitats, campuses, golf courses, or corporate properties include:
Audubon International http://acsp.auduboninternational.org/
The United State Department of Agriculture www.nrcs.usda.gov/feature/backyard/
The Humane Society of the United States www.hsus.org/wildlife/wildlife_and_habitat_protection_programs/
go to: www.nwf.org and click on "Certify Your Backyard"
or call 800-822-9919 for more information
Other organizations that certify backyard habitats, campuses, golf courses, or corporate properties include:
Audubon International http://acsp.auduboninternational.org/
The United State Department of Agriculture www.nrcs.usda.gov/feature/backyard/
The Humane Society of the United States www.hsus.org/wildlife/wildlife_and_habitat_protection_programs/
Monday, January 19, 2009
spring 2009 newsletter is available
January 19, 2009
The Spring 2009 Desert Cities Bird Club "I'd Rather Be Birding" newsletter is hot off the press - watch for it in your mailbox or through email. It will also be posted on this blogspot: www.dcbc.blogspot.com
happy birding!
Condor
The Spring 2009 Desert Cities Bird Club "I'd Rather Be Birding" newsletter is hot off the press - watch for it in your mailbox or through email. It will also be posted on this blogspot: www.dcbc.blogspot.com
happy birding!
Condor
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Contact Information for various events
The Living Desert 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 Morning birding start time is usually 8:00, changing to 7:00 beginning in April.
Coachella Valley Wild Bird Center has a bird walk on the first Saturday of each month from 8-10:00 a.m. www.coachellavalleywildbirdcenter.org
46500 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 sometimes 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) offers a full schedule of activities spanning the calendar from now through July fo 2009. Many of their field trips are held close to our area. Check out their website(s) http://www.sbvas.org/ and www.inlandplanet.org to find the event of interest to you. (909) 875-5358.
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 Morning birding start time is usually 8:00, changing to 7:00 beginning in April.
Coachella Valley Wild Bird Center has a bird walk on the first Saturday of each month from 8-10:00 a.m. www.coachellavalleywildbirdcenter.org
46500 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 sometimes 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) offers a full schedule of activities spanning the calendar from now through July fo 2009. Many of their field trips are held close to our area. Check out their website(s) http://www.sbvas.org/ and www.inlandplanet.org to find the event of interest to you. (909) 875-5358.
Ethiopia Study Tour November 2007 by Kurt Leuschner
Since 1996 I have been involved with Audubon's Population and Habitat Campaign - an international effort to call attention to disappearing habitats for birds and other wildlife due to human expansion. And so it was that in November 2007 a group of 10 grass-roots advocates (including myself) from the National Audubon Society and the Sierra Club were selected to participate in a 10 day study tour of Ethiopia – one of the poorest and most over-populated countries in Africa and the world. During the tour we attended a three day conference on Population, Health, and the Environment (PHE) held at the United Nations Conference Center in Addis Ababa. A journalist and photographer from Sierra magazine also accompanied us to document the trip (see the July-Aug 2008 issue of Sierra magazine).
Study tour participants represented at least 8 different states and for many it was their first time in Africa. For me it was my 12th visit to Africa – but first to Ethiopia – a country that has always fascinated me. I had heard about the PHE issues facing Ethiopia, but now I had the opportunity to see things for myself.
After settling into our hotel, we spent the first week visiting a variety of community projects in and around Addis Ababa. All of the projects we visited provided some sort of family planning services (education, counseling, contraceptives, etc.) and some included basic health care and hygiene (one even had a public health clinic). Special emphasis was put on AIDS, which is prevalent in East Africa although declining somewhat in Ethiopia.
We also heard stories of female empowerment and testimonies from young women who no longer practice female circumcision. Opportunities for young girls to attend school were being provided through scholarships, and micro-credit schemes combined with basic computer skills were helping women supplement their income. In one particular project women were weaving used plastic bags into colorful earrings, purses, trivets, etc. to sell in a shop in town. Traditional pottery was being made from recycled clay. These women are literally turning trash into treasure! We bought as much as we could carry.
Still other women we met were being taught basic gardening skills including the use of drip irrigation to water an urban farm, composting, bee-keeping, and diversified gardening to provide a healthier, balanced diet for their families. Tree planting (desperately needed in Ethiopia – where over 90% of the country is deforested) was also being encouraged with seeds and seedlings that were provided to get things started.
Most of the projects we visited were funded by USAID (your tax dollars at work) or by other non-governmental organizations (NGO’s) working with USAID such as the Woodrow Wilson Foundation and the David and Lucille Packard Foundation. As we learned at the PHE conference there are countless other NGO’s hard at work in Ethiopia and in East Africa in general. The scientists, researchers, staff and volunteers working for these NGO’s are involved in a variety of projects that are benefiting communities of people and the surrounding environment – including habitat for declining wildlife. The idea of PHE brings all the interested parties together in a synergistic way that individual projects (addressing only one issue at a time), cannot.
Ultimately the goal of each PHE project is to become self-sustaining (= “capacity building”) an/or have the Ethiopian government take over any necessary funding and management in order to free up donor funds for other, much-needed endeavors in the region. Unfortunately, funding for foreign aid programs such as these that support family planning, reproductive health, and PHE is being severely reduced (or cut altogether in the case of President Bush’s annual blockage of UNFPA funds). This is occurring at a time when even more help is desperately needed. Through awareness of the issues of overpopulation and its effects on people’s health and the environment, we can reverse this trend and help the PHE message spread to other parts of the world. Action is needed and your efforts can make a difference.
Study tour participants represented at least 8 different states and for many it was their first time in Africa. For me it was my 12th visit to Africa – but first to Ethiopia – a country that has always fascinated me. I had heard about the PHE issues facing Ethiopia, but now I had the opportunity to see things for myself.
After settling into our hotel, we spent the first week visiting a variety of community projects in and around Addis Ababa. All of the projects we visited provided some sort of family planning services (education, counseling, contraceptives, etc.) and some included basic health care and hygiene (one even had a public health clinic). Special emphasis was put on AIDS, which is prevalent in East Africa although declining somewhat in Ethiopia.
We also heard stories of female empowerment and testimonies from young women who no longer practice female circumcision. Opportunities for young girls to attend school were being provided through scholarships, and micro-credit schemes combined with basic computer skills were helping women supplement their income. In one particular project women were weaving used plastic bags into colorful earrings, purses, trivets, etc. to sell in a shop in town. Traditional pottery was being made from recycled clay. These women are literally turning trash into treasure! We bought as much as we could carry.
Still other women we met were being taught basic gardening skills including the use of drip irrigation to water an urban farm, composting, bee-keeping, and diversified gardening to provide a healthier, balanced diet for their families. Tree planting (desperately needed in Ethiopia – where over 90% of the country is deforested) was also being encouraged with seeds and seedlings that were provided to get things started.
Most of the projects we visited were funded by USAID (your tax dollars at work) or by other non-governmental organizations (NGO’s) working with USAID such as the Woodrow Wilson Foundation and the David and Lucille Packard Foundation. As we learned at the PHE conference there are countless other NGO’s hard at work in Ethiopia and in East Africa in general. The scientists, researchers, staff and volunteers working for these NGO’s are involved in a variety of projects that are benefiting communities of people and the surrounding environment – including habitat for declining wildlife. The idea of PHE brings all the interested parties together in a synergistic way that individual projects (addressing only one issue at a time), cannot.
Ultimately the goal of each PHE project is to become self-sustaining (= “capacity building”) an/or have the Ethiopian government take over any necessary funding and management in order to free up donor funds for other, much-needed endeavors in the region. Unfortunately, funding for foreign aid programs such as these that support family planning, reproductive health, and PHE is being severely reduced (or cut altogether in the case of President Bush’s annual blockage of UNFPA funds). This is occurring at a time when even more help is desperately needed. Through awareness of the issues of overpopulation and its effects on people’s health and the environment, we can reverse this trend and help the PHE message spread to other parts of the world. Action is needed and your efforts can make a difference.
Thursday, October 04, 2007
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
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
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.
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.
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
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
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
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