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Keeping you informed about cool bird stuff in & near central Kentucky.

HITNES'  The Image Hunter Mural Project
As I type this, the Italian muralist Hitnes is painting his way across the south, loosely following the path of John James Audubon. He's birdwatching, and painting the birds he sees along the way in huge mural formats for a project called The Image Hunter. National Audubon is a proud sponsor of the tour and they have encouraged local chapters along the way to get involved. So CKAS has arranged for Hitnes to give a talk called "When Art and Science Collide" at the UK Ecological Research and Education Center on October 13th at 7:00pm. We are also working on arranging for Hitnes to hold a Master Mural Class on October 14th & 15th, and we will be sending out an official Call for Artists soon. If you know any local (or non-local) artists who might want to participate in Hitnes' Master Class and maybe even help him paint an actual Lexington mural, please have them send an email to MuralClass@CKAS.org.

We have also teamed up as a large-scale mural co-sponsor with the PRHBTN group (who have already had a lot of local mural success) to have Hitnes paint a large Audubon-themed work which will be clearly visible from Triangle Park and Rupp Arena. It will take Hitnes several days to finish this work, and we encourage you to stop by Triangle Park between October 9th through 12th to view his progress. You will not be able to miss it: just renting the scaffolding for this mural will run over $5,000, so it'll be a pretty big deal. There's a Kickstarter campaign running right now to raise the funds for this mural and for three other murals which PRHBTN hopes to produce. In all, the campaign needs to raise $13,000 to cover mural expenses; at the moment, they're just over the 70% mark. If you're unfamiliar with Kickstarter -- if the campaign doesn't raise the full amount, then PRHBTN gets nothing -- no money at all! -- so I encourage you to give whatever you can. there's only one week left of the campaign; if everyone who gets this newsletter would give just $5.00, we could put them over the top. Need more convincing?  Watch this short video.

 
Hitnes putting finishing touches on a red-wiinged blackbird at Pickering Creek Audubon Sanctuary in Maryland.

UK FUSION 2015
At the start of every school year, University of Kentucky students celebrate a day of volunteerism.  FUSION -- For Unity and Service in our Neighborhoods -- is a K-Week day of service that pairs up UK students with local non-profits. This year, CKAS requested students to help build Peterson bluebird houses for Raven Run Sanctuary. We came prepared with pre-cut cedar house pieces which still needed sanding, filing, drilling, and assembly; we had nine student volunteers who assembled ten boxes. Luckily, the weather cooperated! Thanks to everyone who pitched in to make this such a great success. Watch for the new bluebird boxes along the trails next time you're hiking at Raven Run.
 
FUSION 2015 volunteers and the ten bluebird boxes built & donated to Raven Run.
Upcoming CKAS (& Other) Events    
Sept. 9th (Wed.) 7:30pm-8:45pm: Swift Chimney Stake-Out #2 Old Courthouse 215 W. Main St., Lexington. Care to drive aimlessly around downtown looking for a good swift roost for the weekend's count? We'll meet at the old courthouse, split up to stake out likely roosts, then meet back at the courthouse to pick the best chimney for A Swift Night Out. NOTE:In case of rain, Stake-Out may be postponed. Call Tony at 859-229-9421 to check or with questions.
Sept. 12th (Sat.) 11:00am-12:30pm: Live Birds of Prey from RROKI Wild Birds Unlimited 152 N. Locust Hill, Lexington KY. Raptor Rehab of Kentucky presents and educational program and brings four of their live education birds of prey.
Sept. 12th (Sat.) 5:00pm-9:30pm: Swift Night Out + Dinner #2  Kentucky Native Cafe, 417 E. Maxwell St., Lexington (parking at 446 East High Street next to Poage Engineers). Join us for dinner followed by the first of two A Swift Night Out Chimney Swift counts. Chimney TBD. Please RSVP to president@CKAS.org so we can let the restaurant know our head count.
Sept. 19th (Sat.) 8:00am-11:30am+/-: Bird Walk (w/ASK) Lexington Cemetery 833 W. Main St., Lexington. Meet/park around the first right turn after coming in the gate. Do NOT park in the gatehouse spaces!
Sept. 20th (Sun.) 9:30am-3:30pm: Kentucky Audubon Council Meeting & Pot Luck Lunch Nolan Rural Electric Co-Op 411 Ring Road, Elizabethtown. Twice a year, all National Audubon Societies in Kentucky meet to discuss recent and future events. Interested in carpooling? Send an e-mail to president@CKAS.org. We can arrange a place to meet to cut our carbon footprint in half by sharing the ride. Or meet at the Co-Op at 11:00. Bring a dish to share. 
Sept. 20th (Sun.) 1:00pm-3:00pm: Bird Walk (w/ASK) Jacobson Park 4001 Athens-Boonesboro Rd., Lexington. Meet in the parking area by the boat dock. Bring a chair.
Sept. 25th (Fri.) 7:00pm-9:30pm: Owl Prowl (w/Shaker Village) Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill 3501 Lexington Road, Harrodsburg KY. Learn about owls, then take a walk as the naturalist guides try to call them in. $5 After Hours Admission; meet at the Trustees Office.
Sept. 26th (Sat.) 7:30am-1:00pm: Bird Walk (w/ASK) Berea Woods Big Hill Rd, Hwy 21E, Berea. Carpools leaving from the outside parking lot of Lakeside Golf Course 3725 Richmond Road (Coys Drive) at 7:30 prompt. DO NOT BE LATE! Bring lunch. Or meet at the old Indian Fort Theater (2047 Big Hill, Berea) at 8:15am.
Sept. 26th (Sat.) 7:00pm-9:30pm: Glow Hike (w/Shaker Village) Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill 3501 Lexington Road, Harrodsburg KY. Join the naturalist guides at Shaker Village to explore The Preserve just before the sun sets. $5 After Hours Admission; meet at the Trustees Office.
Sept. 30th (Wed.) 7:00pm-9:00pm: Urban Forestry Seminar Series (w/UK Forestry) Fayette County Extension Office 1140 Red Mile Place, Lexington. UK Forestry presents Professor Doug Tallamy, author of Bringing Home Nature: How You Can Sustain Wildlife with Native Plants.
Oct. 2nd to 4th (Fri-Sun.): American Birding Expo Grange Audubon Center 505 W. Whittier Street, Columbus OH. Hosted by Bird Watcher's Digest, this biggest and best showcase of products for bird watchers is well worth the weekend trip.
Oct. 3rd (Sat.) 8:00am-2:00pm: Fall Bird Seed Sale Day #1 (w/ASK) Southern States Co-Op 2570 Palumbo, Lexington. Do you have enough bird seed to make it through the Fall migration? Now's the time to stock up. You can take your seed with you or leave it at Southern States to pick up as you need. NOTE: All stored seed must be picked up within twelve months! A portion of the proceeds goes to supporting CKAS. Volunteers needed from 8-11 & 11-2: e-mail seedsale@ckas.org.
Oct. 10th (Sat.) 8:00am-2:00pm: Fall Bird Seed Sale Day #2 (w/ASK) Southern States Co-Op 2570 Palumbo, Lexington. Missed us last week? Here's your second chance to stock up. You can take your seed with you or leave it at Southern States to pick up as you need. NOTE: All stored seed must be picked up within twelve months! A portion of the proceeds goes to supporting CKAS. Volunteers needed from 8-11 & 11-2: e-mail seedsale@ckas.org.
Oct. 11th (Sun.) 3:00pm-?: Hitnes Mural Painting (w/PRHBTN) Triangle Park 400 W Main St, Lexington. Care to see history in action? Join us in Triangle Park to watch Italian muralist Hitnes painting a HUGE Audubon-inspired mural as part of The Image Hunter. NOTE: PRHBTN is funding this mural and several others downtown with a Kickstarter donation campaign that needs your help!
Oct. 13th (Tue.) 7:00pm-9:30: "When Science and Art Collide" Lecture UK/Lexmark Center for Innovation 1737 Russell Cave Road, Lexington. Join us for a free lecture by Italian muralist Hitnes covering the relationship between art and science with special on his large-scale mural work, which has taken him to over four continents. Part of The Image Hunter project.
Oct. 14th & 15th (Wed. & Thur.) 10:00am-4:00pm: Hitnes Master Mural Class UK/Lexmark Center for Innovation 1737 Russell Cave Road, Lexington. Participants in this two-day workshop will receive Hitnes' instruction on basic mural-making techniques, then have the chance to practice what they've learned as they (hopefully--still working on permission) help Hitnes paint a large-scale mural. Fee: $75 plus materials. Scholarships available, preregistration required. E-mail MuralClass@CKAS.org for more information. Part of The Image Hunter project.
Oct. 16th (Fri.) 6:30pm-9:00pm: Owl Prowl (w/Shaker Village) Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill 3501 Lexington Road, Harrodsburg KY. Learn about owls, then take a walk as the naturalist guides try to call them in. $5 After Hours Admission; meet at the Trustees Office.
Oct. 17th (Sat.) 8:00am-11:30am: Bird Walk (w/ASK) Maine Chance Farm (Spindletop) 2099 Newtown Pike, Lexington. Meet at 8:00am at the McDonald's on Newton Pike & I-64 in the overflow parking area on the far side of the building. BE PROMPT!!
Oct. 17th (Sat.) 10:00am-4:00pm: Forest Foray Workshop Life Adventure Center 1305 Germany Road, Frankfort. Join KDFW biologist Joe Lacefield and other experts in a hands-on workshop covering edible mushrooms and native plants. Broaden your knowledge of local trees and wildlife along the way. Fee: $25. Preregistration required. Call 859-873-3271.
Oct. 19th (Mon.) 7:00pm-9:00pm: Birds & Climate Change (w/Sierra Club) 2nd Presbyterian Church 460 E. Main Street, Lexington. Join the Bluegrass Sierra Club monthly meeting where  Tony Brusate presents the "Audubon Climate Report: The Future for North American Birds."
Oct. 24th (Sat.) 8:00am-1:00pm: Bird Walk (w/ASK) Griffin Woods WMA 2001-3499 Leesburg Pike, Cynthiana. To carpool/caravan: 8:00am DEPARTURE from the McDonald’s on Newtown Pike & I-64 in the overflow parking area on the far side of the McDonald’s building. BE PROMPT!

 
Swift Night(s) Out

This year's first A Swift Night Out seems to have generated more mosquito bites than swifts, but fear not -- the September count is always better. Maybe August is a bit too soon to expect our local swifts to gather in very large numbers. But, CKAS has already located a few better communal roosts for this upcoming weekend (a big thanks to eveyone who's reported better chimneys!). This next Saturday, we will gather for dinner at 5:00pm at the Kentucky Native Cafe (parking in the lot at 446 East High Street next to Poage Engineers) then head to nearby chimneys about half an hour before sunset. RSVP to president@CKAS.org so we can let the Cafe know how many diners to expect.
You can help support CKAS by simply shopping like you normally do!  Each year, Kroger gives millions of dollars to Kentucky non-profits through its free Community Rewards® Program. If you shop at Kroger and have a Kroger Rewards® card, you can help us qualify for these funds by logging on at Kroger.com and linking your Kroger Rewards® card to the Central Kentucky Audubon Society in the Community Rewards section of your Account Settings. Doing this will not affect the way you accrue fuel points in any way; you still keep all your rewards and gas savings. But your points will also count as our points, helping us to a bigger share of Kroger's charitable donations. To make sure you have activated or renewed your Community Rewards® sponsorship, check the bottom of your Kroger receipt  for: "At your request we are donating to Central Kentucky Audubon Society."



 
WALK ETIQUETTE

Timing may be everything, but sometimes the birds just don't agree. Your group leader has made an educated guess as to where and when the birds will be most active, but that's the best a leader can do -- make a guess! Unfortunately, a leader can's ask the birds where they will be when planning group events weeks in advance. So try not to get frustrated if a bird walk fails to generate a very large count or a rare and exciting species list. Sometimes you get lucky and a Swainson's Warbler perches right above you on the trail and sings its heart out; sometimes you walk for miles of shoreline and don't even see a single Canada goose. Birds are fickle that way.

On our recent Swift Night Out, the group leaders scoured downtown for several nights, walking and driving around with binoculars, looking for swifts and answering all sorts of odd questions from curious onlookers. The end result: two promising chimneys which yielded only 9 and 19 roosting birds. Sigh. A quick check of chinmeyswifts.org lists August swift reports ranging up to 800 birds. Who knows why our birds didn't agree. But we had great food, a nice walk, and wonderful company -- a great low-swift count was had by all! If join us for the next Chimney Swift count on September 12th, hopefully the birds will cooperate! [Hint: the birds have now found at least one better chimney--and we know where it is!]

Looking to volunteer? We can always use a few more hands for our projects. Whether we're building birdhouses, planning talks or walks, holding movies or fundraisers -- we can use you! Not everything will be listed as "volunteer opportunity," but if you are looking to log community service hours, just show up to our any of our service events and let us know that you would like a note saying you helped out. If you would like to get even  more involved, we are still planning projects to convert some areas in local parks back to native grass prairie, to build and set more barn owl boxes at local wineries, and to maybe even help establish a Kestrel nest box trail across Kentucky. Anyone wanting to assist or even step up to take a lead on these is welcome!
www.centralkentuckyaudubon.org
524 Rosemont Garden | Lexington KY 40503
You have received this e-mail because you are a member of the National Audubon Society (and its local chapter, the Central Kentucky Audubon Society, formerly the Buckley Hills Audubon Society) or because at some point in the past you have expressed interest in keeping informed about the goings-on of our chapter. If you have received this post in error and/or no longer wish to receive information about the Central Kentucky Audubon Society, please let us know and we'll strike you from the list; conversely, if you know anyone who would appreciate getting these updates, feel free to forward this to them and have them let us know as we'd be glad to add them!  
 
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