Salt Lake Birding Weekend: It's happening and registration is open
The 2025 Salt Lake Birding Weekend, now in its 48th year, will be held May 2-4, starting at Lac qui Parle Wildlife Area Headquarters, near Watson, MN. This year, the birders will be shuttled to several locations, including Salt Lake, to view migrating birds. There will be three coach buses with bathrooms for birders to have comfortable access to the remote locations to see the birds. This event has some exciting new opportunities this year, along with new partnerships. The Minnesota Ornithologists' Union, the Minnesota River Valley Audubon Chapter, University of MN Extension Minnesota Master Naturalist, and the Montevideo Area Convention and Visitors Bureau have all come together to make this a great outdoor experience for all participants.
In a typical year, about 150 people come together to count birds, enjoy fellowship and learn from each other. What will you see? Several species of grebes, Wilson's and Red-necked Phalaropes, Trumpeter and Tundra Swans, Ross's and Cackling geese, all things duck, Short-eared Owl, harriers and American Kestrels, to name a few from past years.
In 2024, 130 species were identified; in 2023, 139 species were identified, so it is an excellent place to get some of those birds on your life list checked off.
There will be three buses taking participants to various locations, possibilities will include: Marsh Lake Dam, nearby Wildlife Management areas, and Waterfowl Productions Areas that will have been scouted earlier in the week for birds.
Visit the following link and register to join us: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0F48A9AC2FA5FFCE9-49529567-salt#/
Please only register yourself and those in your group you know are coming. You will be required to make a comment in a text field, asking for the name of any other attendees you’re registering for on their behalf, and whether you want to be assigned the same bus as them or any other attendees.
We also have a website created for the event, including great info about Salt Lake itself and historic information, about lodging/camping list, as well as the registration link and event schedule. Please visit the site here: https://sites.google.com/umn.edu/salt-lake-birding-weekend/home
Link to March 27 Program: Travis Longcore on birds and light pollution
The Minnesota River Valley Audubon Chapter (MRVAC) hosted Travis Longcore's presentation on light pollution and bird conservation Thursday, March 27 at 7:30 p.m. Light pollution is an additional stress on bird populations, exacerbating other threats. Urban ecologist Dr. Travis Longcore presented wide-ranging research in this important area and how it intersects with other important threats to birds such as glass collisions. He showed how artificial light at night can disrupt the orientation of birds during night flights and how it affects critical behaviors linked to light cues, including the timing of migration, timing of the dawn chorus and even the production of stress hormones and susceptibility to disease.
Here's a link to the recording:
https://1drv.ms/v/c/65ee1eed89b37a8b/EU_G2vwAHEJInSfPJRP1IPwByVmL6c2tb3hzLtT9kO9Ysw?e=crIAdm
[Tested and confirmed working on March 30, 2025]
Link to Feb. 27 program recording: Linda Macaulay -- A Life Lived with Birds
Linda Macaulay: Chairman of the Board
Cornell Lab of Ornithology
"A Life Lived with Birds"
Thursday, February 27, Zoom Program (only) - 7:30 p.m.
From an eagle to a blue jay, birds surround us whether we live in a city or a suburb. While feathers and bright colors are what most people know about birds, bird sounds—calls and songs—are in fact some of the most distinguishing characteristics of birds. "Over the last fifty years I have researched birds and their sounds. In this talk, I will discuss my life lived with birds—from hiking in Borneo to driving through Africa—and how you can make birds a part of your life and contribute to conservation."
Here's the program recording link:
https://us06web.zoom.us/rec/share/s-BX6Cd2OQF9ouNMQTp32sAU-sIja-Ii5XtF99pGuF7fxo9tdOUeV9ykOb_JKKz-.PcqEQzYm3IWYQa-4
Passcode: B!*@B5zd
Bird and nature photographer? This is for you!
One of MRVAC's volunteers is organizing a special interest group around birding and nature photography. The first meeting of the Minnesota River Valley Audubon Chapter's photography special interest group will meet indoors at the entrance to the Bloomington Visitor's Center (3815 American Blvd. East in Bloomington) at 2:30 p.m. Feb, 22 with photo equipment. Cell phone photographers are welcome, too! Shanda Fisher will meet and lead the group on a nearby trail seeking photos of Bald Eagles and Trumpeter Swans by the river. Plan to hike for about 90 minutes. If it's too cold, the group will decide alternatives there. Check the events calendar tab for more information.
Jan. 23 Program Recording: Prelinguistic Babbling: Insights From Neotropical Parrots
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Recording Summary
Steve introduced Carl Berg, an associate professor at the University of Texas, Rio Grande Valley who is conducting research on parrots and language. Karl discussed his research on the complex behaviors of songbirds and parrots, highlighting their unique life history differences and the importance of vocalizations in their communication. He also discussed the fascinating world of parrots, particularly their ability to mimic human speech and bond with their owners, and the potential for parrots to manipulate other pets in the house for entertainment.
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General Meeting
The Minnesota River Valley Audubon Chapter (MRVAC) invites you to join us for "Prelinguistic Babbling: Insights From Neotropical Parrots" with Associate Professor Karl Berg of the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Thursday, Jan. 23 at 7:30 p.m. This will be a Zoom-only program.
Parrots are famous for imitating human speech, but little is known about how their vocal prowess is advantageous. Karl Berg has been studying communication in a wild population of Green-rumped Parrotlets in Venezuela. His crew has filmed inside nest cavities, revealing several cryptic behaviors previously unreported in parrots, including a complex vocal babbling stage. Current work seeks to understand how babbling prepares for complex communication in adulthood.
The meeting will be available only on Zoom beginning at 7:30 p.m. To join the Zoom meeting click on this link:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85625706373?pwd=z4utkZAUa1mwwm1CTdEHhlcDcXQI8o.1
Meeting ID: 856 2570 6373
Passcode: 112650
One tap mobile http://+16469313860,,85625706373#,,,,*112650#
Links to Oct. 24 program recordings: Your yard as a bird-friendly habitat
Maintaining Your Yard as a Bird-friendly Habitat
Angie Hong: Author and coordinator for Minnesota’s East Metro Water Education Program
Angie Hong shared advice for creating bird-friendly native landscapes and how to prep your yard for the winter without taking away food and habitat for birds and the insects they eat. She had hints about trees and shrubs are good for songbirds, how to enhance existing gardens with native plants, and where to find resources to get started.
The meeting was in-person at the refuge and simulcast via Zoom. The refuge visitor center is located at 3815 American Boulevard East in Bloomington and is accessible after a short walk from the METRO blue line. All MRVAC meetings are free and open to the public.
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It's almost time for the MRVAC Holiday Auction: Save Nov. 14
The Minnesota River Valley Audubon Chapter’s holiday auction returns this year Thursday, Nov. 14 at Richardson Nature Center in Bloomington!
The auction begins at 7 p.m. Come any time after 6 p.m. to drop off your items to be auctioned, get first pick on low-priced books, get your bidding strategies down, and socialize a bit. There will be snacks and drinks and of course lots of really nifty things up for grabs. Doors open at 6 p.m. The auction ends at 9 p.m. Cash and checks accepted.
Books? Yep, dozens including many different nature topics and some field guides. Art? You bet. There will be bird houses, feeders, and birdseed. Vortex, the optics folks, have donated a nice set of birding binoculars, too.
You can bring your items to be auctioned, too. Or just show up early and volunteer to be a runner or general helper. You also can give one of the board members a shout at MRVAC.ORG. All the proceeds will go toward MRVAC’s grant program, which helps fund local conservation education and birding projects. For more information, check out mrvac.org/news. MRVAC is a 501 (c)(3) organization.
Link to Sept. 26 program: The Birdchick returns to MRVAC from Alaska!
The Birdchick -- AKA Sharon Stiteler -- has returned from a stint in the shadow of Denali in Alaska and she told about it in our MRVAC program Thursday, Sept. 26.
MRVAC welcomed renown writer, raconteuse, and birding guide who told about the difference between "our" shorebirds and Alaska's and much more. (The editors like the moose licking and wine for moose meat trade stories the best.) Here's the link to her presentation:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/16sIIRLr0OBSqdcTroluPiOBTJM-YLECa/view?usp=drive_web
Link to June 27 program recording: Are There Any True Prairie Birds?
Here's the link to the recording of the Minnesota River Valley Audubon Chapter's program on "Are There Any True Prairie Birds And What Are The Current Dilemmas For Them?"
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources' Prairie Wildlife Team Leader Greg Hoch says prairies and prairie birds create a puzzling situation for ecologists and ornithologists. The Midwestern prairies are a combination of plants and animals from different parts of the continent with few being unique to this region. This presentation looked at how to define prairie birds and also talked about modern day conservation dilemmas, strategies, and opportunities for grassland bird conservation.
The program was in person Thursday, June 27 with a reception at 7 p.m. and the program at 7:30 p.m. at the Minnesota River Valley National Wildlife Refuge's visitor center at 3815 American Boulevard East in Bloomington. This meeting was held in-person and simulcast via Zoom beginning at 7:30 p.m. although there were a number of technical difficulties. Access the audio and video links:
