DESERT RIVERS AUDUBON

Early Birds Summer Challenge

The Existing Early Birds Club have already got their summer challenge but if you haven't joined our club yet you might like to try this.

First of all remember you must always keep yourself safe when you are out in nature. So be sensible, don't put your hands in holes in the ground or trees where you can't see what else is down there. Be careful where you tread, try not to put your feet where you can't see and don't impale yourself on any of our cactus. Remember to wear a hat and take water with you when you got out in the Phoenix sun.

So, making sure you keep yourself safe here's your summer challenge.

Find a small area that you can go to on a very regular basis. Your back yard would be ideal as you can see it every day but a small part of a local park or garden would do if you can go there at least once a week.

First of all describe all the plants and vegetation you can see there. Perhaps make a drawing of it. Watch carefully and note any changes. What happens as the weather warms up? What happens after rain in the monsoon?

Start to note which birds you see. They don't have to be exotic, you can make good observations watching Mourning Doves or House Sparrows. How many do you see? Do they come at different times of day as the weather changes? Do you ever see the baby birds with them? Keep a list of them; estimate the numbers you see with dates and times. If you don't know what they are do what you've been taught, make notes and drawings and get a field guide out of the library to see if you can find out for yourself.

What other evidence of wildlife can you see? What insects? Are there butterflies? Have a look down at the grass, are there ants scuttling about? If you can't identify what you see, draw it. Do you ever see any animals or tracks? Do you have fence lizards or geckos? Do you ever see snakes?

What about the soil under your feet? Is it sandy, or rocky or is it a dark garden soil with lots of compost? Is there any water present?

After you've been doing this for a while you will know this area very well. Keep a record, do some art work or write some poetry about "your patch".

If you would like to do so send your work at the end of the summer vacation to Joy Dingley, 4813 E Milton Drive, Cave Creek, AZ 85331.

If you vacation out of Phoenix

you may notice differences in the landscape. Is the place you are visiting wetter, greener, dryer (that's hard to imagine), lower, higher or maybe next to the sea.

What do you see in the plants that is different? Are there different sorts of birds? Tell us all about what you see. Could you draw a postcard showing all the main differences?

Have a good summer and don't let the heat stop you practicing your birding skills!

Early Birds Kids Club

Are you a budding bird watcher? Do you notice the birds in your back yard and wish you could name them? Do you hear birds singing and wonder who is making that sound? Do you enjoy being outside and finding things that other people don't even notice? Then the Early Birds Club is definitely for you.

The club meets once a month from October to April at the Gilbert Riparian Preserve (next to the library on Guadalupe and Greenfield) usually on the third Saturday of the month. As our name implies we start before the bird walks begin, as soon as the sun comes up and we can see the birds.

Each month we try to concentrate on a different aspect of birding skills that children can use in the future. Each member is given a notebook and we explore ways of using them. All levels of expertise are welcome, we hope to help each other. We didn't originally mean to include parents but a lot of them are getting just as interested as the children and enjoying the time as well so parents are welcome.

Each month a small home project can be undertaken to keep the focus going at home.

There is no cost for this and if you need to borrow binoculars for the walks we can arrange this.

If you need more information or would like your child to take part contact Joy Dingley at joy.dingley@cox.net or phone 480 419 9804,

 

The Bird on Our Badge

The bird on our badge is an expert fisherman. He wades through the water on his long, long legs spearing fish and other small animals with his long sharp beak. He's a big bird as well, if he stretches out his neck he can be nearly four foot long and when he spreads his wings he's about six foot from wing tip to wing tip. You can't miss him as he flies above you beating those wings in a slow steady beat.

He's called the Great Blue Heron but most people would call him a grey bird. You have to look carefully to see the bluish tinge to his wonderful feathers.

So why is a water bird the logo for a bird group in the Valley of the Sun? Well our rivers and creeks have always been important, they have always made life possible in a very dry hot place. Wherever there are rivers and creeks you will find the herons making a very good living. The herons are very adaptable birds though; they've learnt a few new tricks. I often see herons on roof tops near golf courses, waiting to investigate the ponds there. You will find them at water treatment areas and near those shopping centers with the artificial landscaped lakes. So they teach us a lesson, water is very precious wherever it comes from, don't waste a drop.