On Friday, 1 May 2009, I was officially elected to serve on the Board of Directors for the American Birding Association (ABA) at the general membership meeting of the ABA in Corpus Christi, Texas. It was a great honor for me to have been nominated for this important position and I plan to use my 30+ years of experience as a birder to help the ABA become the best organization that it can in terms of the service it provides to fellow birders.
After the membership meeting, I signed copies of my book, Birding for Everyone -- during which time I shared the author's booth with Kenn Kaufman, who wrote the foreword to my book.
Tomorrow, I leave to return to Ohio, but only after having seen Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks, and thousands of Laughing Gulls.
If you've never been a member of the American Birding Association, I encourage you to consider reading more about the organization and what we do. Over the next several years, I intend to let as many people know about the organization and how it serves the interests of those people who love birds. If you have any suggestions about how we can improve that quality of service at the ABA, please don't hesitate to contact me.
/s/ John C. Robinson
Friday, May 1, 2009
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Birding at Grizzly Island Wildlife Management Area
On 7 February 2009, I led a group of about a dozen birders from Walnut Creek's East Bay Nature store on a tour of the beautiful Grizzly Island Wildlife Area in California. Part of Suisun Marsh, the Grizzly Island Wildlife Area comprises more than 10,000 acres of coastal wetland habitat. The California Department of Fish and Game manages the wildlife area to provide habitat for wintering and breeding populations of waterfowl, and to support other recreation such as fishing and hunting.
On our trip there on 7 February 2009, we were treated to sightings of river otters, raccoons, Tule elk (a few of which approached to within 75 yards of our group!), and many species of birds. We had glimpses of Common Yellowthroats and Tree Swallows, and got to study in detail several species of raptors such as White-tailed Kites and Red-shouldered Hawks.
One highlight for everyone was the pair of Great Horned Owls in a eucalyptus tree. This same tree has hosted one or two Great Horned Owls on every trip I have led to Grizzly Island for the last 10 years, making this arguably the most reliable spot I know of to find this species in the United States.
We scanned the hundreds of American Wigeon but were not able to locate a Eurasian Wigeon. We did, however, find Bonaparte's Gulls and American White Pelicans flying overhead, and many Northern Harriers flying over the marshland habitats. I told everyone to consider coming back right at dusk, as this is one of the best places in the San Francisco Bay Area to find Short-eared Owls -- however, you have to be there just before dusk to have a good chance of seeing them.
If you have never visited the Grizzly Island Wildlife Area, I encourage you to check it out soon before all the waterfowl depart for their breeding areas further north. If you can't get here this spring, then a visit next October, November, or December will be well worth it.
/s/ John C. Robinson
President, On My Mountain, Inc.
"Your World of Birding and Nature"
Author of "Birding for Everyone, Encouraging People of Color to Become Birdwatchers" http://www.onmymountain.com
On our trip there on 7 February 2009, we were treated to sightings of river otters, raccoons, Tule elk (a few of which approached to within 75 yards of our group!), and many species of birds. We had glimpses of Common Yellowthroats and Tree Swallows, and got to study in detail several species of raptors such as White-tailed Kites and Red-shouldered Hawks.
One highlight for everyone was the pair of Great Horned Owls in a eucalyptus tree. This same tree has hosted one or two Great Horned Owls on every trip I have led to Grizzly Island for the last 10 years, making this arguably the most reliable spot I know of to find this species in the United States.
We scanned the hundreds of American Wigeon but were not able to locate a Eurasian Wigeon. We did, however, find Bonaparte's Gulls and American White Pelicans flying overhead, and many Northern Harriers flying over the marshland habitats. I told everyone to consider coming back right at dusk, as this is one of the best places in the San Francisco Bay Area to find Short-eared Owls -- however, you have to be there just before dusk to have a good chance of seeing them.
If you have never visited the Grizzly Island Wildlife Area, I encourage you to check it out soon before all the waterfowl depart for their breeding areas further north. If you can't get here this spring, then a visit next October, November, or December will be well worth it.
/s/ John C. Robinson
President, On My Mountain, Inc.
"Your World of Birding and Nature"
Author of "Birding for Everyone, Encouraging People of Color to Become Birdwatchers" http://www.onmymountain.com
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