May 2000            Volume 30            Number 8

Birding in Australia
Some Rare Sights from Downunder Presented by Bill Turner

Bill Turner worked at the Denver Zoo for 21 years, primarily in the Education Department. During those years he also traveled extensively in Australia, leading natural history tours. Now that he is retired, Bill has lots more time for exciting bird trips. Last fall he led a 3 week birding adventure to Australia, including the Atherton Tablelands/Daintree area and Lamington National Park in Queensland and Bruny Island in Tasmania. His presentation will include all of these areas, plus a discussion on the bird life of Kakadu National Park, the home of over a third of Australia's birds, and Kangaroo Island. Aboriginal rock art, mammals, and reptiles as well as birds are a part of this slide- illustrated program.  This is your opportunity to learn about the birds that decorate their bridal chambers (bowerbirds), kangaroos that climb trees and trees that shed bark rather than leaves.

WHEN: Thursday, May 11,2000 at 7:30 PM. Please join us at 7 PM to network with other people who share your conservation interests, chat with board members and enjoy refreshments before the program.

WHERE: Ludlow Room, Fort Collins Lincoln Center 417 West Magnolia Street

Fort Collins Audubon Society programs and field trips are free and open to the public

President's Message

Each summer FCAS takes a hiatus. This is the last newsletter until September. However, we have several exciting field trips planned so check our web site often for details about the upcoming trips.  Have a great summer.

Another Clean Up Day!

Fort Collins Audubon Society adopted Fossil Creek Wetlands Natural Area last year. Two past clean up events have resulted in a much improved site, but there is still a lot of work to be done. Please plan to join us as we move our efforts to the north end of the , natural area.  Meet on Sunday, May 21, 3-5 PM. Park on Trilby Road between Lemay and Timberline, near the railroad tracks. Bring heavy gloves and water, and wear long pants and boots. You might want to bring binoculars to view the wetlands after the clean up.  As the natural area gets cleaner, we get dirtier! Call me at 482-4425 for more information.

Sue Kenney

THE VULTURES ARE CIRCLING

Back when I lived downtown in a neighborhood with lots of big trees, I saw a pair of turkey vultures perching near my home almost every spring for several years running.  After the second year of seeing the birds I decided it really wasn't my imagination--they really did visit our fair city on a regular basis. After I moved to the southeast side of town which has virtually no trees over 15 feet tall, I forgot all about the yearly vulture visits.  But when Sue Kenney and I were discussing the newsletter the other evening on the phone, she changed the subject abruptly to tell me about the turkey vultures she saw in her backyard (near downtown, with big trees) that afternoon. You can imagine how excited I was to know they were still making the trip to the Fort. Honestly I have no idea if it's the same pair, but you never know.

So if you are in the downtown area or west of campus, look for a couple of huge black birds with little red heads and red legs. If you see them soaring, their wings are distinctively two-toned with black towards the body and grey flight feathers.  Turkey vultures often hold their wings in a shallow "V" and rock from side to side when soaring.

Kathleen Tracy

HAVE YOU SIGNED UP FOR THE BIRDATHON??

The Birdathon is coming up soon -Saturday, May 13. If you haven't yet had the chance fu pledge to our only annual fundraiser, please take the time to do so now. The funds we raise from this are becoming more essential than ever to keep our chapter strong and to support the Audubon lobbyist in the Colorado legislature. Send in your pledge of support using the form below.

Birdathon 2000 Pledge

JOIN US ON A FIELD TRIP!

Saturday. Mav 6. Fort Collins morning bird walk. 7:30 AM -Noon. Expected birds are late ducks, other waterbirds and migrant landbirds, especially sparrows and perhaps a few warblers. Prepare for about 2 miles of walking. Bring water, etc. Meet at the first parking lot on the west side of Sharp Point Drive on the south side of E. Prospect. , Leader: Dave Leatherman, 970-416-0193, delather@lamar.colostate.edu

Sunday. Mav 7. Bellvue and RistCanvon. 6 AM -11 AM. Spring migrants and residents of the foothills will be the specialty birds for this morning's outing. Learn the May bird songs in preparation for the Birdathon the following weekend. Due to concern about the number of cars traveling in the Rist Canyon area, participation on this trip will be limited. Persons planning to attend must call Cynthia no later than 6 PM on Friday, May 5, to make arrangements. Leader: Cynthia Melcher, 970- 484-8373, birdswords@yahoo.com

Sunday. Mav 14. Spring Migrants at Dixon Reservoir. 7 AM -11 AM. Dixon Reservoir and the neighboring riparian habitat is one of Fort Collins' premier migrant traps in spring, located at the junction of the Great Plains and the foothills of the Rocky Mountains.--southwest corner of Fort Collins just below the south end of Horsetooth Reservoir.  Be prepared for muddy trails and no services! Meet at the main parking lot of Pine Ridge Natural Area. Leader: Joel Hurmence, 970- 407-1927, jhurmence@hotmail.com

Sunday. May 21. Northeast Colorado. All day. Spring migration in the northeast corner of Colorado can be very exciting for eastern warblers. This trip will also target several eastern breeding birds not usually found in Fort Collins. Meeting time and place to be arranged, somewhere east of Fort Morgan, CO. For more details, please contact leader Nick Komar, 970-416- 7527, nick.komar@juno.com

Saturday. June 17. Pawnee National Grasslands and vicinity. All day. Meet at 7 AM at the Riverbend Ponds parking lot--north side of East Prospect Road, east of the Poudre River bridge. Bring lunch and water! Be prepared to car pool. This trip will feature bur- rowing owls and mountain plover in the morning, and grassland birds in the afternoon.  Leader: Bill Miller, 970-493-7693, 5mcorp@verinet.com

Sunday. August 20. Frolicking in the Foothills. All day. Destinations include Redfeather, Prairie Divide, Rabbit Creek.  Meet at 9 AM at the Forks Restaurant at Livermore on US 287 north of Fort Collins. This trip may include owling at dusk. Leader: Chuck Bell, 970-498-9888, bellbird@jymis.com

The Fort Collins Audubon Society meets at 7:30 PM on the second Thursday of each month, September through May, excluding December, in the Ludlow Room at the Fort Collins Lincoln Center, 417 West Magnolia Street. Members and non-members are welcome at all meetings, field trips and special events.

DATES TO REMEMBER

PROGRAMS

Thursday, May 11,2000: Birding in Australia with Bill Turner. For info on all programs call Jackie Boss, 472-4353.

FIELD TRIPS

Saturday, May 6: Fort Collins morning bird walk.

Sunday, May 7: Bellvue and Kist Canyon.

Sunday, May 14: Spring Migrants at Dixon Reservoir. Sunday, May 21: Northeast Colorado.

Saturday, June 17: Pawnee National Grasslands and vicinity.

Sunday, August 20: Frolicking in the Foothills.