Heads up, Auduboners! If you want to stay abreast of what’s coming down the pike, herein is some information of note. The Winter Bird Count for Kids, a NEW format for the Santa Barbara CBC Dinner, 2015 Birdathon planning and our sister city’s CBC opportunity.
WINTER BIRD COUNT 4 KIDS
NEW AUDUBON EVENT !
ages 8 and up
Saturday, Jan 24, 2015
9:00 a.m.-noon
Guided Bird Walks
FREE
Watch for details
CBC DINNER IMPROVEMENT
Our Christmas Bird Count is wonderful but the dinner following at the Natural History Museum, with ever growing numbers, presents a challenge.
A committee discussed improvements and decided: Catering will be an option this year. Register for a prepared meal or bring your own food. This new format replaces the potluck buffet.
Register and pay via Eventbrite, and your dinner will await you at 6:00 on January 3.
Watch for details in the next El Tecolote, on the CBC website, and on SantaBarbaraAudubon.org
2015 Birdathon
The Birdathon Committee is now forming and planning for the 2015 Birdathon. Keep your calendars open and your binoculars handy–there will be many events to choose from during the month of April. If you would like to help with the event or have some ideas to share, please let us know. email hidden; JavaScript is required
Christmas Bird Count Comes to Puerto Vallarta
by Jared Dawson
Our sister city in Mexico, Puerto Vallarta, had its inaugural Christmas Bird Count last December 15. Thirty-two birders found 202 species within this circle. Physically there are interesting parallels with our circle. It covers ocean waters, urban areas, and mountains much like ours. Many of the same birds are found in both circles. Our feral Lilac-crowned Parrots are endemic to western Mexico’s Pacific Coast and are found in Puerto Vallarta.
This year the count circle, a 15-mile diameter area, has been shifted slightly to include their Botanic Gardens, famed for their orchid collection and emphasis on native habitats, especially the plants endemic to tropical western Mexico.
As one of the compilers of our local Santa Barbara count, I am particularly excited to have the opportunity to travel there and assist counting in the Gardens with 4 other birders from our area.
If you are traveling to “PV”, consider planning to visit the Botanic Gardens (Jardín Botánico). More information is available at https://www.vbgardens.org/. Or better still, join us on their count day, December 15, 2014!
