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Tucson Audubon Society
April 18, 2024
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 Dear Jo,
I know you will join me in thanking David Sibley for “stopping by” our Mason Center on Monday. More than 100 people came to speak with David and to have their books signed by him. David flew into Tucson especially for the event before attending another signing in Tempe later in the day, and then on to Santa Fe, Chicago, Dallas, and beyond!
And Tucson Audubon is part of Arizona Gives Day today. Celebrate and give thanks to the birds that bring so much joy to your life by giving today.
The weather is warming. Make the most of cooler mornings and enjoy some birding. Make a note of the birds you see. Then ask your friends to make a donation to Tucson Audubon to celebrate that fact. That's the essence of BIRDATHON which continues throughout April!
Last year we raised $30,000 through YOUR EFFORTS rather than your cash. Kara encourages you do be a part of BIRDATHON this year. Read more below.
Read your new 2013 Tucson Audubon Annual Report to understand why you would do this. See all the great conservation work that your spring donation makes possible. And if you don't have the time to do a BIRDATHON , then support of the teams that does. It's so simple!
If you have an interest in the proposed new high speed rail link between Tucson and Phoenix, please complete the ADOT survey which we link to below.
Tucson Audubon is still seeking to hire two new staffers in our Membership and Development Department.We are looking for a Membership and Development Assistant, and an Events and Volunteer Coordinator. More details below.
And Tucson Audubon is still seeking your unwanted silverware and crockery. Please contact us.
Did you think this is the only email update Tucson Audubon sends out? Sign up for one or all of our updates for in-depth coverage of Patons', volunteer, sustainability, IBA, conservation news and more. Choose your news here.
Thank you for sharing your passion for birds through Tucson Audubon.
TODAY is Arizona Gives Day
Will you choose to support Tucson Audubon, your advocate for Arizona's special birds & places?
Arizona Gives Day is a day for Arizonans to come together to show support for the state’s nonprofits during a 24-hour period, today. Take action on Arizona Gives Day, on behalf of your passion for protecting our natural environment through your love and enjoyment of birds. Together, we will keep our special places special for birds and for people.
Click here to visit Tucson Audubon's AZ Gives Day page and to make your tax-deductible donation.
Happy National Volunteer Week and Thank You!
 On this National Volunteer Week, on behalf of all of the Tucson Audubon staff, a big Thank You to all the volunteers who make conservation, education, and recreation at Tucson Audubon possible.
Current volunteers, have you filled out the volunteer feedback survey? Please click here to take a few minutes to inform the volunteer program at Tucson Audubon.
For National Volunteer Week, share your story about a great volunteer experience. Was someone especially helpful when you stopped into the Nature Shops? Did a field trip leader share their expertise and knowledge in the field? Click here to share your experience.
Check www.tucsonaudubon.org/volunteer#calendar for upcoming volunteer opportunities, like:
- River Pathways (4/16, 4/17)
- Watering at Atturbury Wash (weekly, preferably Fridays)
- Outreach & membership table at EarthFest Patagonia (4/26)
- Nature Shop booth at Santa Cruz Nature & Heritage Festival (5/2-3).
- Downtown Nature Shop attendant (second Saturday afternoons)
Living With Nature | A Story of the Past, Present, and Future
 April 14 at 7:00pm in TUCSON
Martha's Flight into the Future: The Story — and Surprising Lessons — of the Last Passenger Pigeon
with Christopher Cokinos
2014 is the centennial of the death of Martha, the world's last Passenger Pigeon. In this talk, Chris will tell the story of the species, its last confirmed wild individual (a bird named Buttons) and, of course, the story of Martha.
This meeting will be preceded by a brief Annual Members' Meeting at which we will vote for the slate of new and continuing Tucson Audubon Directors.
See tucsonaudubon.org/lwn for program details.
Announcing the 14th Annual Tucson Bird Count
 We need your help! Between April 15 and May 15 volunteers will conduct 5 minute point counts (on the morning of your choice) all over greater Tucson area and in Saguaro National Park.
Over the last 14 years volunteers have tabulated over half a million individual birds from 248 different species! This data helps towards the goal of making Tucson a more friendly place for birds through improved urban habitat.
For more information on how you can join the fun and adopt a route please visit the TBC info page here to see what routes are available.
It's April and Birdathon is here!
April is BIRDATHON, where bird lovers combine the fun of bird watching during spring migration with raising money to make sure that these birds are protected.
Besides being lots of fun, BIRDATHON raises critical funds for Tucson Audubon. The money raised through BIRDATHON will directly support habitat conservation efforts, because only through your support can Tucson Audubon work collaboratively to ensure that migration stopover sites are protected, degraded habitats are restored, and people can be wise stewards of the land.
Read through our 2013 Annual Report, and the kind of accomplishments that are made possible by your support, and make a commitment to support BIRDATHON this month. Will you help Birdathoners to reach our $25,000 goal? Donate here.
Birdathon is on a roll! The Birds of Fray spotted over 100 species last Sunday, and next up in the expert-led teams is IBA All the Way on April 22nd.
This will be an "easy" day of birding with a
sunrise start at Sweetwater Wetlands and then the visiting of Important Bird Areas such as Madera Canyon, the Santa Cruz River at Tubac and others!
Finish by 5pm at the latest back at Sweetwater.
Leader: Jennie MacFarland, IBA Conservation Biologist
This April, go birding for the birds. Details at www.tucsonaudubon.org/birdathon
Birding Tools For the Field
This month we have two special offerings:
A Paton Snapshot
Keith Ashley, Tucson Audubon's staff lead on the Paton Hummingbird Center sent us this: "When I stopped by the Paton house Saturday afternoon to retire the Sugar Fund box with the emergen cy replacement Joe put together for us, I was reminded of what a jewel we've been entrusted with."
"I was only there for 30 minutes and saw at least 22 species including those amazing Lazuli Buntings, a dapper Green-tailed Towhee, and a cheeky Black-throated Sparrow eating his fill of sunflower seeds from the stump. Larry was there enthusiastically guiding the backyard tours. Homer Hanson's class just happened to stop by and Bryon Lichtenhan somehow managed to spot a Lark Sparrow perched in the trees behind the jungle gym -- great viewing through Homer's scope."
"Then we were granted a Gray Hawk fly-by, to everyone's delight. And all of this right smack in the middle of the afternoon. Wow!"
We still welcome your donations for the restoration and development of the property. Just go here.
Gray Hawk by James Prudente
Tucson Audubon Is Hiring Now!
Tucson Audubon is hiring two new staffers in our Membership and Development Department. We are looking for:
- Membership and Development Assistant. Posted 19 March 2014
Be the wizard to manage our NEON database, and be the live connection with our members.
See the job description
- Events and Volunteer Coordinator. Posted 19 March, 2014.
Become the brains behind our successful events program and our thriving community of active volunteers See the job description
Free Field Trips | Migration Has Begun!
April 23–Wednesday 8:00AM
Benson and Willcox Ponds
Let's see what shorebirds, gulls and swallows are headed north. Meet at 8 a.m. on west side of Houghton Road north of I-10 or at 8:45 a.m. at the Benson Treatment Ponds. Back by 1 p.m. Will be warm. Carpooling recommended (200 mile round trip.) No limit but PLEASE SIGN UP BY PHONE OR EMAIL.
Leader: John Higgins, 520-578-1830 520-578-1830, jghiggins@comcast.net
NOTE: You are required to sign up ONLINE for all new trips.
April 26–Saturday 9:00AM
Silver Creek in the Chiricahuas NEW TRIP
This seldom birded riparian area in the Chiricahuas always promises to be interesting. A new area for most birders. We will park near Silver Creek Spring and explore the canyon in both directions. Meet in front of bathrooms at the Sunny Flats Campground in Cave Creek at 9am. I am camping at that campground Friday night for those who also want to camp. You must register online HERE.Call leader for directions and information.
Leader: Betty Jones blueabies@aol.com or 520-405-0551520-405-0551
See all the field trips being offered, including weekly walks
Announcing Another
Easy Way to Chip in for Birds While You Shop (And Smile)
AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to support Tucson
Audubon, at no cost to you. When you shop at smile.amazon.com, Amazon will
donate a portion of the purchase price to Tucson Audubon! Now through March 31,
there’s a bonus donation of $5 coming our way for each customer making an
eligible purchase.
Click here for more details and to get started, and thanks for shopping our Nature Shops,
too!
Birdathon is Fun For Everyone and is Happening Now
 The Nature Shops are your
2014 Birdathon headquarters! We have
everything you need and are happy to help you dress the part, find the
equipment and literature needed to see and identify the birds and the checklist
to mark off your progress. Get ready for this year’s Birdathon with the below
checklist of items!!
- Sunday
Afternoons Adventure Hat, $38.00
- Eagle
Optics Ranger 8x42 Member $299.69 Regular Price $332.99
- NEW Southeast Arizona Checklist $0.75
- Bird
Songs of Southeastern Arizona and Sonoran Mexico CD $29.95
- Arizona
Gazeteer, $19.95
- National
Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America $19.95
- Finding
Birds in Southeast Arizona, $24.95
- Sunday
Afternoons Voyager Shirt $72.00
The Nature Shop will be closed on Wednesday, April 30th, but will reopen on Thursday May 1st with normal business hours.
OPTICS
Zeiss Rebate now through May 4
Purchase a pair of Zeiss Terra ED 8x42 or 1042 and register for a $50.00 rebate. Purchase a pair of Zeiss Conquest HD 8x42 and register for a $75.00 rebate or purchase a pair of Zeiss Victory HT 8x42 and register for $125.00 rebate.
 Zeiss Victory HT 8x42
Up to 95% and more light transmission - this revolutionary brightness allows you to experience nature in a whole new dimension. The new VICTORY HT 8x42 binoculars feature an innovative optical concept: SCHOTT HT high transmission glass, Carl Zeiss T* multi-layer coating, and Abbe-König-prism systems result in a set of binoculars with unrivalled brightness, making it possible for you to observe both earlier and later in the day. The unique, elegant design, features particularly innovative ergonomics. The new Comfort-Focus-Concept, for one, makes the brightest premium binoculars in the world extremely easy to use.
Member Price $2196/ Non
Member $2440
Tucson Audubon's Nature Shops are the best place in our region to try and buy binoculars. Check out our prices and you can see why. Come in and see us for the top brands.
Need
directions to our Nature
Shops? Find all the info here.
Conservation News
 Rosemont: What's at stake?
This Lens on the Land video shows the beauty that is at stake of disappearing from the proposed Rosemont Mine. In case you have not yet had a chance to see the photo exhibit, Rosemont: What's at Stake?, here is a slideshow of the breathtaking exhibit. The exhibit is going on the road and might be coming to your area.
See the video here, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJAXP--yjw4
Public comment period continues in April for ADOT’s passenger rail study
The Arizona Department of Transportation has scheduled a lineup of public outreach events during April for its Passenger Rail Corridor Study as the department continues to examine the feasibility of a passenger rail line between Phoenix and Tucson. ADOT is calling on the public to provide input on the three alternatives that have been selected for further study. The department has already received a tremendous response from participants — the month of March drew more than 2,000 comments both online and during public outreach events. The public comment period began on March 7 and runs until May 31.
The survey, maps of the three alternatives, participation booklet, and the complete list of outreach events can be found at azdot.gov/passengerrail.
Dates For Your Calendar
Wednesdays
Sweetwater Wetlands Bird Walk. Join Mike S. for an easy walk through the wetlands to see waterfowl in the hundreds, regular and visiting warblers, and several exciting species hiding in the reeds. Birders of all experience levels welcome! Contact leader for start time and to sign up, mike.sadat@gmail.com .
Every Thursday!
Wake Up With the Birds at Agua Caliente Park. Explore the ponds and Molino Basin occasionally. FREE. Call 615-7855 for meeting time or see tucsonaudubon.org/fieldtrips.html.
Saturdays
Mason Center Beginner Bird Walks. Saturdays at 8am. RSVP to volunteer@tucsonaudubon.org or 520-209-1811520-209-1811. 3835 W. Hardy Rd
April
Birdathon. Choose a day in April to be your Big Day, and bird for the birds! Details and events at www.tucsonaudubon.org/birdathon Join an expert-led Big Day to to spot up to 100 or more species, guided by the pros. Choose from Birds of Fray (4/6), Scott's Orioles (4/26), or the Wrenegades (4/27).
May 1–4, 2014
Santa Cruz Nature and
Heritage Festival. Birding and History Along the Santa Cruz. Esplendor Resort, Rio Rico, Arizona. See website www.santacruznatureheritage.org
August 13–17, 2014
Registration now open for the Tucson Bird & Wildlife Festival. Featuring Steve N.G. Howell. Visit www.tucsonaudubon.org/festival to peruse the offerings for the fourth annual Tucson Bird & Wildlife Festival, and register today!
Thank you, Jo, for joining with us in 2014 to protect birds, other wildlife, and the places they live in southern Arizona, for future generations.
Sincerely,
 
Dr. Paul Green
Executive Director | Tucson Audubon
Connecting
people with birds & the places they live
  
Montezuma Quail banner by John Hoffman
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