by Lottie Bushmann

Greetings all!

Finally the cooler fall temps have arrived. Let’s hope they stick around for just a little while. I hope you were able to enjoy a bit of migration this fall. The last of the sparrows have trickled in and my walk this week at 3M was sprinkled with White-crowned, Song, Swamp, Fox and White-throated as well as a few juncos. I did not see any indigo buntings, so it feels like the last of those have left.  The eagles are back hanging in the nest area. Fall/winter is a great time to get out and practice those bird identification skills either by yourself or in a group. We have quite a few field trips lined up thanks to Ben West, our new field trip coordinator. Thank you Ben!

Also a big shout out to Bill Mees for his involvement in protecting the Gans Creek Recreation Area. He is representing Audubon at these meetings and has agreed to serve on the board as our Conservation Chair. Thank you, Bill! Be sure to check back to our website to find out updates to this important conservation issue.

Come join us this month as we learn about Duck Decoys from Greg Renner. It’s sure to be a fascinating journey through history as he tells us about his collections and decoy history locally.

We look forward to seeing you at a meeting, a field trip, or a social event. If you’re interested in participating in the Christmas Bird Count on Dec. 20^th, email me and I’ll be sure to get you onto a team (lottie.bushmann@gmail.com).  If you know someone already participating, feel free to reach out to them. Come one, come all. The more eyes the better and the more fun to share results (and chili!) following the count. Can’t really get out to bird that day? Consider doing a feeder count to add to our results.

However you’re having to spend your time, I hope some of it can be with the birds!