Programming Note
NO GENERAL MEETINGS IN JANUARY OR FEBRUARY
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Spring General Meetings will be held in March/April/May, with our Annual Dinner also in April.
Fall General Meetings will be held in September/October/November.
Due to venue availability in March, we'll meet on the FOURTH Tuesday of the month at The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation Conference Center. We'll meet on the THIRD Tuesday of April and May at either the Anita B. Gorman Conservation Discovery Center or The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation Conference Center in Kansas City, MO (click on active link for directions). Free and open to the public.
* Special events and times may be scheduled, including our Annual Dinner on FRIDAY, April 24.
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Conservation News
BIRD STRIKE MONITOR TRAINING
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Saturday, February 8 - 3:00 p.m.
BURROUGHS NATURE CENTER & BIRD SANCTUARY. Help make Kansas City bird-safe! Missouri River Bird Observatory(MRBO), along with Burroughs Audubon Society and Johnson County Community College have launched a new program to reduce bird collisions with buildings in the Kansas City metropolitan area. Our BirdSafeKC project is in its second season of identifying buildings with high avian collision rates and trying to engage the owners and managers in implementing collision-reduction measures. Building collisions are one of the primary causes of bird mortality, and every bit of mitigation that can be accomplished helps save birds.
We're are looking for volunteers to conduct regular surveys for bird carcasses around KC area buildings. To begin with, we simply ask volunteers to pick one or more buildings that are convenient to survey, then walk around the building two or more times per week from 15 April to 30 May and document any carcasses found by use of the mobile device app iNaturalist.
Volunteer training will be held on Saturday, February 8th, from 3:00 - 5:00 p.m. at the Burroughs Nature Center and Bird Sanctuary in Fleming Park, Blue Springs, MO. If you would like to participate in BirdSafeKC, please attend this training. Interested bird-lovers are welcome to attend this training session even if unable to commit to performing surveys this spring!
For more information, please contact Dana Ripper, MRBO Director, at birdsafekc@burroughs.org.
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Nature Programs at the Burroughs Library
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BIRD BANDING ON SECOND SATURDAYS OF THE MONTH ~ 11:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m.
November through March - January 11, February 8, March 14
Banding is a wonderful opportunity for people of all ages to witness the beauty of wild birds. Staff from the Missouri River Bird Observatory (MRBO) will gently net, identify and record the vital statistics of birds before giving visitors the opportunity to release them! Each bird receives colored and numbered bands aiding in identification and the assessment of territory fidelity when re-sighted or re-captured. Burroughs supports MRBO’s important work, and we offer the public several opportunities to see wild birds up close.
Come and go as you like during this three-hour event. Safety of the birds always comes first. If wind and weather prevent opening the nets, MRBO staff will present an alternate program and help visitors identify previously banded birds coming to our feeders. If the weather outlook is poor, please call 816-795-8177 to ask if bird banding is happening as scheduled. Directions to the Burroughs Nature Center and Bird Sanctuary.
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Missouri Young Birders Club News
KANSAS CITY CHAPTER EVENTS
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The Kansas City chapter is one of several Missouri Young Birders Clubs (MYBC) around the state, an effort spearheaded and directed by the Missouri River Bird Observatory, with the purpose of bringing young people together to learn about birds and conservation in an atmosphere of fun and friendship. The club meets monthly for birding field trips and other bird-related activities. In addition to birding, youth members will be given valuable opportunities to take on leadership roles within the club. Contact Sara Scheil at 816-830-1628.
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January Field Trips
TO VARIOUS KANSAS AND MISSOURI LOCATIONS
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Burroughs field trips are free to Audubon members and the public, and people of any age or level of experience are welcome to participate! Any trip may involve walking on a variety of terrain and surfaces, but some trips will be more strenuous than others. Trip leaders can advise you of the physical activity involved. Since we visit a number of wild areas and habitats, we respectfully ask that your pets not accompany us on the trail. If they're not given to vocal excitement, crated pets in vehicles are fine.
Wednesday, January 8 - 8:00 a.m.
Rocky Point Glades & Swope Park Winter Bird Census - Join us on a restored limestone glade and oak savanna to conduct a winter bird census. We'll walk the trails in search of winter residents that might include both species of Kinglets, the diverse family of Sparrows, Brown Creepers, Hermit Thrushes and Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers.
Wednesday, January 15 - 8:30 a.m.
Jerry Smith Park Winter Bird Census - We'll walk the trail around this restored prairie and city park to conduct a winter bird census. This census assists KC WildLands and their ongoing mission of land stewardship around the Kansas City Metro.
Saturday, January 18 - 8:00 a.m.
Blue River Parkway Winter Bird Census - Join us as we visit Blue River Parkway and Minor Park on a winter bird census. Assisting in this and our other winter bird censuses counts as volunteer hours for Master Naturalists.
Sunday, January 19 - 8:00 a.m.
Wyandotte County Lake - We'll scan Wyandotte County Lake for waterfowl and check locations around the lake for sparrows, finches, and whatever else is around. Stick around after the field trip to participate in the scheduled Mr. & Mrs. F. L. Schlagle Library Eagle Day events.
Saturday, January 25 - 8:15 a.m.
Overland Park Arboretum - Join us as we walk the trails of Overland Park Arboretum in search of Winter Wren, sparrows, kinglets, woodpeckers, and other winter residents. Trails are wide with gradual inclines. We may walk a couple of miles on this trip. The admission fee is $3 per person unless you are already a member of the Arboretum.
Visit our Field Trips web page for trip description, meeting place, and leader contact info. Audubon Christmas Bird Count info can be found here, as well.
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