June 2009: Wingbeat

Special Events

A Bird in the Hand: Banding Demo Sat. July 25th from 7:30am-9:30am at the Coyote Creek Field Station

Western Bird Banding Association Conference
WHEN: Fri.-Sun. Aug. 28-30th
WHERE: Sobrato Center for Non-Profits, 600 Valley Way Milpitas, CA 95035
Registration is now open for the 2009 Western Bird Banding Association (WBBA) Meeting, hosted by the San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory.  The WBBA registration fee covers all of the field trips; including: a field trip with Alvaro Jaramillo along the San Mateo Coast and a field trip with Acting Executive Director / Science Programs Director Jill Demers to South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project sites; a hummingbird banding workshop lead by Rita Colwell; banding demonstrations and workshops at Coyote Creek Field Station; and scientific paper presentations.  Separate registration is also available for the Friday night BBQ at Palo Alto Baylands and the Saturday Banquet and Keynote Address.  The Keynote Speaker will be Dr. John Y. Takekawa of the USGS Western Ecological Research Center, San Francisco Estuary Field Station, presenting “Adventures in Capturing and Tracking Waterbirds across the Globe: Advancing our Understanding of Migration through Satellite Telemetry.” To register for the event or for more details please see the WBBA Flyer, or contact outreach@sfbbo.org.

The Bird Observatory in Your Neck of the Woods...

Over the next several months, SFBBO staff will be providing presentations to other local conservation organizations about avian biology, current SFBBO research projects and more. If you are in the area please stop by and say hello. Click on the highlighted links below or contact outreach@sfbbo.org for more details.

• "Western Snowy Plovers in the San Francisco Bay"
  Presented by Caitlin Robinson (SFBBO Waterbird Programs Supervisor) for the
  Golden Gate Audubon Society
  June 18: 7:30 p.m.

California Fall Challenge 2009

We are getting geared up for our 13th annual California Fall Challenge.
What is it? The California Fall Challenge is the San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory's only fundraiser. This is the most important fundraising event for the Bird Observatory, as funds raised help us to continue our efforts to apply science to the problems of saving birds and their habitats.

It is a classic "bird-a-thon" event, much like a walk-a-thon. Participants gather pledges from friends, family and co-workers and then count the number of bird species they hear or see in a 24-hour period. Our goal this year is to raise $25,000. In this belt-tightening economy, your support is vital to help the Bird Observatory reach this goal and keep our science programs running!

Helping out is easy!
We are in the initial planning phases of the event, and we need help obtaining donatee prizes to be awarded to those who raise the most money, or become the most successful first time fundraiser, or see the most species, etcetera. Prizes from previous years have included gift certificates to various businesses, birding paraphernalia, outings, artwork, wine, outdoor gear, or pretty much anything you can think of. If you would like to support the Bird Observatory by donating an item or requesting a donation from a business you love, please let us know. If you aren’t sure how to help, feel free to contact Lindy at outreach@sfbbo.org or by phone at 408-946-6548.

Introducing the 1st Annual SFBBO Fall Challenge:

"CLICK OFF!"

The San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory is delighted to announce the Fall Challenge Click Off, a photo contest highlighting the bird and habitat diversity found in the Bay Area. The Click Off is a great way for you to:
- Invigorate your birding skills!
- Share your best photos!
- Win valuable prizes!
- Help raise money for SFBBO!
Winners will be selected from seven categories including: Habitat, Bird Portraits, Bird Behavior, Endangered Species, Human Interaction, Birds of the World, and a special award for the best image taken during the Fall Challenge. The winners will be announced at the Annual Meeting at the conclusion of the Fall Challenge. Stay turned for more information on how to participate!

Request for Volunteers

Avian Disease Prevention Program
We are currently signing up volunteers for the Avian Disease Prevention Program. Every year, from June – November, we monitor two local sloughs by boat for signs of botulism and other diseases. By removing sick/injured birds and carcasses, we can reduce the risk of a major outbreak, or at the very least, catch an outbreak early and to help reduce the impact. To that end, we’re looking for volunteers who can commit to at least one 4-6 hour survey per month. Volunteer duties include helping to prep, launch, and clean the boat; surveying the slough and shoreline for dead/sick/injured birds; and helping to capture dead/sick/injured birds with a net. Volunteers are NOT required to drive the boat, but should be prepared to get wet and be willing to handle birds (with gloves).

A copy of the volunteer manual is available on our website http://www.sfbbo.org/science/water_projects.php?proj=adp

Streamside Songbird Capstone Event and KaBoom! Playground Project
WHEN: Thu. July 23rd, 8:00am-1:00pm
WHERE: Smythe Boys & Girls Clubs of Silicon Valley, 2195 Cunningham Avenue, San Jose, CA 95122
Are you a Nature Artist?  Do you want to use your art to help empower young people?  Then donate some of your talent to help the Boys and Girls Club and the San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory celebrate the completion of their joint program “Streamside Songbirds.”  During this program, youth ages 6 – 15 learned about the importance of riparian habitats, restoration, and water conservation for songbirds in both the classroom and during visits to the Coyote Creek Field Station.  This special group of kids are capping off this program with a celebration on July 23rd, which will include building a playground, garden center, installing a water conservation system, and painting a mural. The artist would need to be present on July 23rd to help the children paint the mural or murals.  If you are an artist that would like to contribute to this celebration, please contact Teresa at 408-890-2908 or Teresa@bgclub.org