SPECIAL PROGRAM: Raptor Quest, Chasing America’s Raptors by Scott Harris.  Tuesday, Sept. 17th. (Date change due to debate).

Zoom meeting at 6:00pm.

Scott: "I chased and found—all 53 of the Raptors that can be found in the Lower 48 states—my version of a Raptor Big Year. RaptorQuest - Chasing America's Raptors, is about my adventures, misadventures, successes and failures. From minus 36 degree days, to ones over 100 degrees, to just getting on the bird just in time, to the frustrations of missing one by minutes. It’s about the birds—of course—but it’s also about the people I met and the things I learned." See Scott's amazing photos and purchase his book here: https://www.naturallyscott.com/book

Join Zoom Meeting link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86081885395?pwd=d2Tc0ZJSvnjYjTeqhlyA0nfmRmxlew.1

Scott's passion is photographing birds and wildlife around the world.

"You may notice that many of my shots are closely cropped, especially the Raptors and Mammals. This is because of my fascination with their eyes. Something about staring into the eyes of a Bald Eagle or an Elephant Seal has a spiritual effect on me. I've tried to share that feeling through my photos. I hope they speak to you the same way they do to me."

https://www.naturallyscott.com/gallery

Butterflies of the Verde Valley by Becky Hardy. May 22, 2024, Sedona Public Library 6:00pm. 5:30 social time.

Arizona is home to 334 butterfly species, second only to Texas.  In the Verde Valley, we now have the possibility to see half of those species, due to our varied habitats throughout the region.  That number continues to grow; in 2023 alone, two new species were added to the list!  Becky will share the Verde Valley butterfly families you can expect to observe, including their distinguishing characteristics; as well as some of the best locations to find their species.  She will also share the difference between butterfly host and nectar plants and how you can attract butterflies to your garden.

Becky Hardy Bio 

Becky Hardy is a lifelong butterfly enthusiast.  She has had a lifelong passion, interaction and observation of butterflies. Over the years, Becky has observed, researched and reared thousands of butterflies across multiple species. She has presented to multiple organizations about butterflies.  She shares her enthusiasm and passion for butterflies by facilitating butterfly field trips and events, as Northern Arizona Audubon Society’s education chair.  She has participated in several North American Butterfly Association (NABA) butterfly counts over the years; most recently as sector leader for the Dead Horse Ranch State Park sector. In 2023, she observed a butterfly species that had not been seen in the Verde Valley before.

Monthly Program "Birds and the Weather" with Michael Erb - January 27, Saturday**,** 2:00-4:00pm Camp Verde Library.

Note the time and venue change!

We are listening to those who want to spread the Monthly meeting places around the Verde Valley. Camp Verde Library has a lot to offer! Social time 2:00. Meeting starts at 2:30. “Birds and the Weather” by Michael Erb. He’s been fascinated by birds-- tiny feathered dinosaurs, for a long time. “They’re interesting, colorful, and wonderfully diverse.” He has authored a book Birds of the Southwest Coloring Book. See it here: https://colorbird.org/book/

Michael Erb is an assistant research professor at Northern Arizona University, where he conducts research about the climate of Earth's past. As a scientist and author, he confronts mysteries both in his research and in fascinating books. He also maintains the website WeatherDetectives.org, which has free weather activities and other fun stuff. As a birder, he also enjoys exploring the world of birds! His website ColorBird.org has a variety of bird illustrations that you can download and color.

On Top of Mistletoes Down Under: Mistletoes and their Relationships with Birds in Australia with Robert Mathiasen. Oct 25th at Sedona Library 6:00 - 7:15 pm (social and cookie time at 5:30)

Mistletoes are hemi-parasitic, shrubby flowering plants that grow on a wide variety of trees and shrubs (their hosts). There are over 90 species of mistletoes in Australia and almost all of them are pollinated and/or dispersed by birds. A few Australian birds eat nothing but mistletoe fruits. In addition to using mistletoes as an important food resource, many birds nest and roost in mistletoe plants.

Another interesting aspect of mistletoe biology in Australia is that many mistletoes mimic their host trees to avoid predation by a wide range of Australian herbivores. We’ll examine a few of these interactions between birds and mistletoes in Australia as well as a few examples of mistletoes parasitizing other mistletoes.

Photo: Mistletoe Bird harvesting a mistletoe fruit in Australia.

Thursday, September 28^th 6:00 to 7:15 Sedona Public Library

Title: Birds are on the move; so is NAAS!

Join Kay Hawklee, President, to learn about the fascinating new tools that track migrating birds. How many birds crossed Yavapai County on the night of September 27th? We will show and tell you using the BirdCast live data feed. Learn how even specific species can be predicted to be on the move.

It’s the era of cutting-edge tools in tracking bird migration. And Northern Arizona Audubon Society (NAAS) is getting into the game in a big way. Our future Motus stations will be the first in Northern Arizona. Become informed at this, our annual meeting, about how our members and volunteers have stepped up to help migrating birds. As we help to change the world of bird research, we can say that our Audubon Chapter is one to be proud of – let’s keep it going!

(Social and cookie time at 5:30)

Peruvian Safari: Photographing Winged Wonders of the Highlands. Sedona Public Library. May 24, 2023. 6:00 pm.

Alice Madar is a NAAS Board Member. She has developed a love of bird photography, and is especially drawn to hummingbird photography.  In 2022 she spent three weeks in Peru photographing more than 180 different species of birds, including nearly 50 hummingbird species.  Come see her photographs and hear her stories about Peru’s spectacular birds, some of their surprising habits, and efforts being made to protect them.

Social time with snacks begins at 5:30 pm. Last program before September.

A Texas blitz: 2 weeks, 300 birds. Wed. April 26, Sedona Public Library. Come at 4:00 for cookies & conversation. Program starts at 4:30. Texas-themed snacks will be served! All invited. 

A birding trip starting at the upper Texas coast to the Rio Grande Valley and back would get you more species than any other trip in North America. High Island is the #1 migrant trap in North America, and the Rio Grande Valley has more 'must go there' birds than any other place in North America. In 45 minutes, Rich will take you on a whirlwind trip including over 120 birds you do not see in Arizona! Come hear this fast paced presentation and you'll learn why Rich is known as the 'big mouth of the valley.' 

Rich Armstrong is a retired PhD nuclear chemist, and a retired Army Major nuclear and chemical  weapons officer. He has been birding for almost 35 years in Texas, Oregon, and now Arizona. Rich has led many field trips for Audubon Societies in all 3 states, is the coordinator of the Sedona CBC, is a birding pal for the Verde Valley area, and coordinates the North American Migratory Bird Count for the Verde Valley. He is the local Audubon Chapter Steward for the Sedona Wetlands Preserve and has led many birding field trips there.

The Perfect Storm: The Making of a Big Birding Year in Yavapai County by Janie Ward-Langley.

'As a birder I always entertained the thoughts of somehow doing a "Big Year" but I never planned on it actually happening, but through a series of events it started to happen right before me and through my binoculars.'

Come hear Janie’s tales of her whirlwind birding year, right here in Yavapai County. Wed. March 22, 2023. 6:00pm Sedona Public Library 3250 White Bear Road, Sedona, AZ. 

Social time 5:30. Yummy themed snacks will be served. All invited to this free event sponsored by Northern Arizona Audubon Society.  

The Birds Who Watch You Back; Some Corvid Abilities - by Dr. Emily Faun Cory. 

Come see Dr. Cory with "Shade" the Raven Wednesday, February 22. Come at 5:30 for ‘cookies & conversation’. The program begins at 6:00pm. Sedona Public Library, 3250 White Bear Road, Sedona, AZ.

Free to all ages. All invited! An overview of the abilities of Family Corvidae and the research, with Shade the African Raven and her wild kin. Dr. Cory will delight us with her photos and research, with her inquisitive raven, Shade, in attendance. Shade is an African White-necked Raven, Corbus Alibicollis.