November 6, 2008: General Meeting, 7 p.m.

Bird Density and Mortality at Windows, presented by Heidi Trudell

Please come to our November meeting and hear Heidi Trudell discuss her two-year study on birds flying into windows. Heidi studied bird/window strikes while attending Principia College in Illinois from 2003 to 2005. We are all aware that birds hit windows, but there have been few scientific studies done on this subject.

Above: actual imprint of a bird-strike on a glass window pane. (c) Heidi Trudell, 2008

Heidi’s list of accomplishments besides Birder Extraordinaire has been as an intern at Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge in spring 2006, counting hawks for Hawk Watch International at Smith Point in fall 2006, bird/bat mortality study during the preconstruction phase of the Lone Star Wind Farm 2006-2007; and she currently works part-time as an avian response team member for the wind farm while attending Cisco Jr. College. In her spare time she enjoys birding, herping, everything remotely connected to solar cars, and volunteering for the Abilene Zoo working with Attwater’s Prairie Chickens and rehabbing birds.

Please join us November 6, 2008, at 7 p.m. at Rose Park Activity Center, Room A, South 7th and Barrow Streets. Our meetings are free and open to the public.

November 8, 2008: Field Trip to Lake O.H. Ivie

Above: Mountain Bluebirds drink from a roadside puddle around Lake O.H. Ivie, 2007.

Please join us for our November 8, 2008 field trip to Lake O.H. Ivie. We’ll leave from the Burger King on Antilley Drive at 7:00am. Please come about 30 minutes early if you plan to order breakfast. We’ll carpool to the lake. Pack snacks or a lunch; although Lake Ivie has two cafes that are highly recommended! We’ll look for returning waterfowl and the Bald Eagles that frequently winter on the lake. Past years’ highlights include Pacific Loon, Eurasian Wigeon, Common Loon, Sage Thrasher, Mountain Bluebirds, Hooded Mergansers, and Porcupine. If you don’t go, you’ll never know what you will miss! For more information, check out the Lake Ivie section under Birding Locations.