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The
Raven's
Nest
February
2023
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Birding Events
Join Blue Ridge Audubon for birding three Saturdays each month.
Free and open to all.
for leading our outings.
February 18, 9 a.m.
March 4, 9 a.m.
March 11, 9 a.m.
March 18, 9 a.m.
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Programs/Events
Bird Photography Roundtable
Blue Ridge Audubon Program
Tuesday, March 21, 7 p.m., UNCA
Advocacy Day
Wednesday, March 22 on zoom
Board of Directors Meeting
Tuesday, March 7 at 6:30 p.m.
Open to members, contact us to attend
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Dear friend,
We are already into February! How are your New Year's resolutions doing? If your list included volunteering or doing more to help birds, look no further. Blue Ridge Audubon has always been an organization built on volunteers and we are planning to offer many opportunities for you to participate in your chapter this year.
We have a new opportunity for your help at our Beaver Lake Bird Sanctuary thanks to long-time volunteer Florrie Funk. Florrie will be hosting Beaver Lake Workdays every Tuesday at 10 a.m. Her focus is continuing the battle against invasive exotic weeds like stilt grass and honeysuckle, but she will also teach volunteers about the Sanctuary's native plants.
We also have Audubon Advocacy Day coming up on March 22! This annual event lets us interact directly (via Zoom this year) with our elected representatives in Raleigh to advocate for legislative works that will benefit birds and protect the places they need.
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If you are yearning to help with the nuts and bolts of this fine organization, we are always looking for new committee members. You can read all about committee positions on our website Volunteer Page. If you are interested in serving in one of these positions, please fill out our volunteer survey and we will be in touch.
As always, we cherish your contributions, be it through volunteering time or with fiscal gifts. Please visit our Donation webpage to contribute online or send a check to: BRAC, PO Box 18711, Asheville, NC 28814. We thank you!
I am looking forward to making it a great year for the birds. I hope to see you out with us soon.
John Koon
President, Blue Ridge Audubon
Song sparrow by Vicky Burke / Tufted titmouse by Alan Lenk
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Coalition for a Bird-Friendly Asheville
Thursday, March 9
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Urban Design with Birds in Mind
March 9, 1-5 p.m.
1 Haywood St
Asheville
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The Coalition for a Bird-Friendly Asheville, in partnership with the Blue Ridge Audubon Chapter and Case Consultants, invites the public to an afternoon program at The Collider on March 9th from 1-5 p.m., reception from 5-6 p.m. The program will be devoted to the concept of using bird-friendly community practices to advance Asheville’s climate resilience. The Coalition works towards the concept of implementing bird-friendly community practices at a broad, multifaceted scale so that Asheville can lead the way in building a climate resilient, bird-friendly city.
The line-up for the afternoon includes:
- National Audubon Society and Audubon North Carolina: Climate Resilience and Bird-Friendly Community Policy with Connie Sanchez & Ben Graham
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
- Coalition for a Bird-Friendly Asheville: Lights Out! Asheville and Bird-Friendly Communities
- Asheville Chamber of Commerce: Zach Wallace, Vice President of Public Policy
The Collider is a collaborative non-profit network focused on solutions for climate change. Parking is available in nearby city garages.
This event is free and open to the public.
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Blue Ridge Audubon
Chapter News
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2022 Audubon Photography Awards Exhibit
Blue Ridge Audubon Chapter will host a traveling art exhibit featuring the 2022 Audubon Photography Awards Winners. The exhibit will be on display from March 22 to April 12 at the Pack Memorial Library, 67 Haywood St, Asheville. The winners were selected from 2,416 entrants from across the U.S. and Canada. The aim of the photo contest is to further appreciation of the wonder of birds and the places they inhabit.
We are grateful to the library for hosting this exhibit so that we will be able to share these photos with the public. The exhibit is on the main floor of the library, please check the library’s website for open hours. Thanks to the work of Susan Richardson, there will be bird crafts for children to do in the kids section of the library.
Western Grebe by Peter Shen
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Volunteer Mornings at BLBS
Do you want to help remove invasive plants from Beaver Lake Bird Sanctuary and learn more about native plants? Longtime BLBS volunteer Florrie Funk has begun hosting weekly volunteer workdays on Tuesdays from 10 to noon. Florrie is a knowledgeable plant person, a member of the Blue Ridge Naturalist Network, the Wild Ones of Western NC, and the Asheville Botanical Garden. She has volunteered at the Sanctuary for many years and, prior to moving to Asheville, was a volunteer in habitat restoration at the Chicago Botanic Garden. Florrie also worked two seasons as a “Rover” for the National Park Service on the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Meet at the gazebo at 10:00 on Tuesday mornings (weather permitting). Dress for the weather and wear gardening gloves. Bring a pruner and weeding tool if you have them.
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Claxton Elementary School Student Birders Update
Susan Richardson
Back in March of 2021, Blue Ridge Audubon purchased birding kits for ten underserved students at Claxton Elementary based on a request from Kathleen Turner who is a 4th grade teacher at the school. The kits consist of birding guides, kid's binoculars and nature journals. To date, Kathleen has distributed kits to six children who expressed a strong interest in the natural world. Kathleen recently visited Beaver Lake Bird Sanctuary with one of the students who was thrilled to see mallards, cardinals and other wildlife. I would like to thank everyone for their donations to our Audubon chapter. Your contributions help make initiatives like this one possible.
Photo: Kathleen Turner
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Speak up on Advocacy Day!
Wednesday, March 22
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Join the Audubon North Carolina flock on March 22 for our seventh annual Advocacy Day with the NC General Assembly! Audubon members from across the state will meet with lawmakers (via Zoom) to advocate for important issues that impact birds and people—from native plants to conservation funding. Register today! All advocates are welcome, regardless of experience level.
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The Great Backyard Bird Count
February 17 - 20
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It’s time for the Great Backyard Bird Count! The GBBC is a fun event that anyone can do. Just go to your favorite birding place or backyard to count birds, then submit your checklist online. Each checklist submitted during the GBBC helps researchers learn more about how birds are doing, and how to protect them and the environment we share.
Participants count birds for as little as 15 minutes any day from Friday, February 17, through Monday, February 20. Then just log your results online. If you are new to the count, try the Merlin Bird ID app. If you have tallied on GBBC before, use eBird Mobile app. On the program website participants can explore real-time maps and charts that show what birds other folks are reporting. In 2020, over 268,674 people from 194 countries counted an incredible 27,270,156 birds and identified 6,942 bird species! Join in the fun and count birds this year!
Locally, Blue Ridge Audubon will dedicate our Saturday, February 18 outing at Owen Park to the GBBC. We will also offer a special GBBC birding event at Beaver Lake at 9 a.m. on Sunday the 19th. Both birding events are free and open to the public.
The NC Arboretum will celebrate the Great Backyard Bird Count on Saturday, February 18 with bird walks, bird crafts and live bird demonstrations. Blue Ridge Audubon will have a table there and Ventures Birding Tours will be on hand to assist in the bird walks. Free and open to the public (there is a parking fee). For more details and times, please go to GBBC at the NCArboretum.
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Beaver Bits
Text and Photos by Jay Wherley
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It may be hard to believe, but February brings our first returning migratory birds back to the Beaver Lake Bird Sanctuary where they’ll begin their breeding season. The most easily seen early migrants are Tree Swallows, which have adapted to use nest boxes. You can look for them at the many nest boxes scattered along the walking trails of Beaver Lake. Look for this iridescent blue swallow starting in the third week of February. |
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Other returning species that may show up late in February include Blue-headed Vireo, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, and hopefully, Purple Martins who, with any luck, will finally find our gourd array which was purpose-built for their use.
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Notable recent sightings at Beaver Lake include Common Raven and Gadwall.
Images:
Tree Swallow, Beaver Lake, April 2022
Purple Martin nestlings, Biltmore Estate, August 2022
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About the Blue Ridge Audubon Chapter |
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Blue Ridge Audubon is a chapter of the National Audubon Society, serving Buncombe, Henderson, and surrounding counties in western North Carolina.
We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Donations are
tax-deductible to the extent
allowed by law.
Raven's Nest Editor:
Marianne Mooney
mooney.marianne@gmail.com
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Blue Ridge Audubon Chapter
PO Box 18711
Asheville, NC 28814
Blue Ridge Audubon's mission is to protect birds and the places they depend on. We believe that a world in which birds thrive is a world that benefits all living things.
Our vision is a vibrant and just community where the protection of birds and our natural world is valued by everyone.
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For the latest information and schedule changes,
check our Website or Facebook/Instagram page.
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