Living With Nature Lecture Series
April 4--Saturday 10:00 AM IN GREEN VALLEY
What's in a Nest Box? with Jennie MacFarland, IBA Conservation Biologist
Nest boxes can be a conservation tool for supporting bird populations in southeast Arizona. Over the last year, Tucson Audubon has been experimenting with nest boxes. In an interactive presentation, you will learn an experimental approach to determining the nest box preferences of cavity nesting species. Discussions will include temperature concerns, nest box placement and nest box design. Jennie will describe results of recent experiments regarding temperatures inside nest boxes. She will also introduce Tucson Audubon's vision for the "Win-Win for Azure Bluebirds and Arizona Vineyards" nest box project.
April 13--Monday 6:00 PM IN TUCSON
Same talk presented by Jonathan Horst, Tucson Audubon Restoration Ecologist
Find all the details
Where's the Best Place To Live?
Lucy’s Warbler Nest Box Experiment Takes Flight
With last week’s return of Lucy’s Warblers to the area, we’ve initiated a new experiment near Sabino Creek to attempt to determine what type of nest box may be most preferred by Lucy’s Warblers. Learn more at the April Living with Nature series presentations and look for an upcoming blog giving more details on the experiment. It will include information about the decidedly odd shapes and materials for the box types!
If you want to get involved this spring, contact Jonathan (520) 971-6238.
Two Great Field Trip Choices April 4 | Birding at its Best!
April 4—Saturday 7:00 am
Fort Lowell Park
This is one of the best suburban parks for birding in Tucson. Come celebrate birds on a trip where Tucson Audubon birders mix with people from the park’s neighborhood. We check for rarities and look for waterfowl on the pond. Then we peruse the mesquite thicket in the northeast corner of the park for warblers, verdins and gnatcatchers. By 8:30 we overlook the Pantano and Tanque Verde washes where hundreds of Turkey Vultures take wing and circle to gain altitude for migration. Finished well before noon. No limit. Leader: Kendall Kroesen, (520) 209-1806. Sign up online!
April 4—Saturday 8:00 AM
Sabino Canyon
Bird Sabino Canyon Recreation Area walking a loop that includes both Sonoran desert uplands and Sabino Creek riparian areas. The 4-mile walk includes rocky uneven trails. Meet at the ramada by the Visitor's Center at 5700 N Sabino Canyon Road. $5 parking fee. Return before noon. Leaders are Sabino Canyon Volunteer Naturalists. Limit 15 participants. Sign up starting March 27. Leaders: Jean & Mark Hengesbaugh. Sign up starting March 27 here.
See additional upcoming birding field trips.
Birdathon 2015 is Here!
Registration Opens March 26, Launch Party on April 9
Birdathon is when you go birding for the birds. Ask friends and family to support you by making a per-species pledge or by giving a flat donation. It is like a walkathon except pledges are per species, not per mile!
Join an expert-led team or do your own Birdathon in any consecutive 24-hour period between April 10 and May 10. Either way, come join us on April 9 for our Birdathon Launch Party from 5 – 7 p.m. in the courtyard by the Nature Shop at the Historic Y (300 E. University Blvd.). We'll talk about strategies for doing a Birdathon "Big Day." Get tips and size up fellow competitors! This launch party will double as April’s Birds & Beer happy hour. See you there!
Register starting Thursday March 26: tucsonaudubon.org/birdathon