Bird Identification Techniques Workshop 2021—Part 2
OnlineThere are many challenges to becoming a birder, particularly if you want to know what everything you are looking at is! In other words, you want to put a name to a face. The problem is that it does take a lot of practice; the good thing is that practice is birding, and that is […]
The Nature of Oaks with Douglas Tallamy
OnlineJoin the Marin Art and Garden Center for an event celebrating one of the most important species of the plant kingdom—the mighty oak tree. In this virtual presentation, Author Doug Tallamy will introduce his new book, The Nature of Oaks. Oaks sustain a complex and fascinating web of wildlife. The Nature of Oaks reveals what is going […]
Queer Birds: Community Inclusion, Community Building, and Community Science
OnlineIn the early 2000s, LBGT rights were under attack; there was no marriage equality, and LGBTQ people often felt unsafe in the field. To build a veritable, ongoing community, a group of LGBTQ birders banded together to start what is now called QBNA—Queer Birders of North America. Local Bay Area birder Jennifer Rycenga spearheaded the […]
Life in a Salty Desert: How Song Sparrows Have Adapted to Life in the San Francisco Bay
OnlineSparrows are one of the most widespread bird species across North America—but the Song Sparrows of the San Francisco Bay aren’t just any ordinary backyard bird. These birds are the only Song Sparrows equipped to survive in the harsh, inhospitable environment of the salt marsh. Each arm of the Bay is home to a different […]
Monthly Program: June 2021
Zoom CA, United StatesPhoto by Lauren Schmaltz Birding Info: Krista Vossekuil and Rosalie Howarth will show us the winning photos from the Second Annual MDAS Photo Contest. See the top five finalists in each of eight categories, and learn what the judges had to say about the top pictures. Admire the work of some of our chapter's finest […]
Songs from the Ashes: Wildfire and Bird Communities
OnlineOur Sonoma County birds are real-life phoenixes, with many of them enduring one wildfire after another and adapting to a changed landscape each year. How does smoke and flame affect bird populations? What happens in a bird rescue center after a wildfire? Which species thrive after a burn? Join us to hear behind-the-scenes stories of […]
For the Love of Hummingbirds
OnlineHummingbirds amaze and intrigue us. Their high-speed enigmatic lifestyles are a blur; their startling colors and exotic behaviors are delights. Hummingbirds also inspire us—they are like tiny ambassadors with the power to usher people into a deeper interest in and appreciation for the natural world. Author John Shewey taps into the intrigue in this program […]
Madagascar’s Fragile Magic
OnlinePresented by Eric Schroeder Eric Schroeder will take you on a tour of this amazing island, home to 308 species of birds, 108 of which are endemic. Endemism isn’t limited to individual species but, remarkably, extends to the family level; Madagascar has six endemic avian families: the mesites, the asities, the vangas, the tetras, the […]
Bird Photography 101
OnlineJoin San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory as wildlife and conservation photographer Sebastian Kennerknecht discusses the basics of bird photography, including settings, composition, equipment, how to get close to your subject, ethics, and his mental approach when photographing birds. Sebastian Kennerknecht is a wildlife and conservation photographer with over fourteen years of experience visually covering wildlife and […]
Listen to Her Sing
OnlineOnly male birds sing, right? Wrong! In fact, this widespread notion has a lot more to do with human cultural and geographic biases than it has to do with nature. In this talk, Nathan Pieplow explores the often-overlooked songs of female birds. You’ll hear the pair duets of meadowlarks and blackbirds, the musical songs of […]
Raptors of Wavecrest Open Space
OnlineAlvaro Jaramillo of Alvaro’s Adventures returns to share more about our local raptor population, living at the Wavecrest Open Space. Wavecrest is the single most important site on the San Mateo Coast for wintering raptors, which can be seen hunting in the property’s broad fields. Raptors and other species rely on its expansive grasslands, wetland […]
Bird City (San Francisco) 7 sessions on Mondays and Sundays
Online and Field TripInstructors: Whitney Grover And Keith Maley 7 sessions on: Mondays and Sundays Birds are living their fascinating lives all around us even in this second most densely populated city in the U.S. Join Golden Gate Audubon Society to learn about bird identification, behavior, migration, habitat, song and more, and increase your appreciation for nature here […]
California Shorebirds – 3 sessions on Wednesdays and Sundays
Online and Field TripInstructor: Eddie Bartley Fall shorebirding in the San Francisco Bay Area is world class. By mid-August, hundreds of thousands of “wind birds” have winged their way from their northern breeding grounds to the globally significant San Francisco Bay – a key portion of the WESTERN HEMISPHERE SHOREBIRD RESERVE NETWORK . Shorebirds by Bob Lewis In three two-hour Zoom […]
Islands And Avian Evolution
OnlineFeaturing Bob Lewis Thursday, August 19 – 7 p.m. Eastern Crested Berrypecker, a New Guinea endemic, by Bob Lewis Islands play a key role in both the evolution of new avian species and the extinction of others. Because of their isolation, birds that arrive on islands evolve separately from their parent group and eventually become […]
Seasons of the Southern Coast Range and Birds!
Rancho Cañada del Oro Open Space Preserve 4289 Casa Loma Road, Morgan Hill, United StatesJoin Saved By Nature along with their community partners Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society (SCVAS) among the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains on a gentle 2.2-mile adventure! Stroll around a meadow along the Llagas Loop Trail where encounters of wild turkey, deer and seasonal wildflowers are common. We’ll take in views along the Longwall Canyon […]
“Every Bird has a Story” with Judy Kramer
OnlineLearn about local birds and their stories through a presentation and accompanying photography all provided by guest speaker Judy Kramer. Join Judy Kramer and the Environmental Volunteers to learn about the stories of local birds, told through their photographs in “Every Bird Has a Story”. Explore their fascinating lives and behaviors; with a focus on […]
Sleuthing Into The Secret Lives Of Wood Ducks
OnlineSleuthing into the secret lives of wood ducks – new research reveals a complex underworld of a unique California bird. Please join Dr. John Eadie, Dennis G. Raveling Professor in Waterfowl Biology at UC Davis to hear about the natural history, ecology, and conservation of this interesting and beautiful local bird! This lecture will be […]
Memorial Service for Jimm Edgar
First Presbyterian Church of Berkeley 2407 Dana St, Berkeley, CA, United StatesA memorial service for Jimm Edgar, who passed away on July 14, 2021, will be held on Monday, August 30, at 1 pm, at First Pres. Click here to RSVP. Click here to go to the livestream service. In-person attendance is limited to 150 people. Jimm Edgar, longtime MDAS leader, passed away peacefully on July 14th in Alabama […]
MDAS Field Trip—Jewel Lake
Jewel Lake, Tilden Nature Area, California 600 Canon Dr, Berkeley, CA 94708, Berkeley, CA, United StatesTilden Regional Park. Birds are migrating already and will be walking near the Nature Center and Jewel Lake in Tilden Regional Park. A short morning visit may allow us to see Wilson's, Black-throated Gray and Yellow Warblers, Red-breasted Nuthatches and more. This hike is limited to 15 participants. All Field Trips are first-registered, first-served. Participants […]
Monthly Program: September 2021
Zoom CA, United StatesMain Program: Birds (and Other Wildlife) of Zambia Jerry Britten, MDAS President Zambia may not be one of the first countries in Africa one thinks of as a safari destination, but perhaps this lends to its appeal. Zambia in fact is a politically stable country about the size of Texas, with many parks and safari areas […]