by Lottie Bushmann, President

Hi all

I hope this newsletter finds you well and enjoying this very winter weather we’ve been experiencing. I don’t know about your yard, but mine was quite busy with all the snow and cold, and the birds kept my feeders emptied. I’ve had a lone Common Grackle that has been hanging around the last few weeks. He came to the heated bird bath on one of the coldest days last week, and I saw what I thought was berry residue around his mouth. I momentarily wondered what berries he had found, before my camera was able to focus and get some snaps of him. Quite a handsome devil…he had obviously found a smaller bird to prey upon because the red “stuff” I thought was berries had some feather material mixed in. Nature is harsh. The birds do what they have to do. This will certainly merit some reading and a dive into what grackles eat. I continually find myself learning something new just about every time I take the time to watch the birds.  I hope you do too.

Join us this month as we celebrate owls! Mark Glenshaw will travel here from St Louis to do a program for us. You may have been to one of his other presentations. Rest assured, he always has a new topic to teach us about. I predict this one will not disappoint. Join us at the Boone Electric Building on Thursday, Feb. 26 at 7 p.m.

We’ve got some excellent field trips coming up as well. Hope you can join us for the Great Back Yard Bird Count on eBird, either by birding your yard, or by joining in on our field trip to see several backyards that day.  See the dates and details on our website. Birding with others has so many benefits…the list is longer, you might learn something you didn’t already know, and you might make a new friend. Join us!

Hope to see you soon!

Lottie Bushmann