FCAS Presents
JJ Audubon
"The gay bunting erects his white crest, and gives utterance to the joy he feels in the presence of his brooding mate; the willow grouse on the rock crows his challenge aloud; each floweret, chilled by the night air, expands its pure petals; the gentle breeze shakes from the blades of grass the heavy dewdrops."
J. J. Audubon, engraved by H. B. Hall, based on a painting by Henry Inman. Engraving from The Life of John James Audubon, the Naturalist, edited by his widow. New York: G. P. Putnams' Sons, 1894.
2017 Fort Collins Audubon Society Fundraiser: A Silent Auction
Thursday, October 12, 2017
Fort Collins Senior Center, 1200 Raintree Dr.
Social Time: 6:30 p.m.; Program 7:20 p.m.
Including original art and sculptures, classic out-of-print books, field guids, photographic equipment, matted photos, wildlife memorabilia, and many more items.
Special Guest Speaker: Kevin Cook
Refreshments, coffee, tea and punch
FCAS is looking forward to everyone coming early to join us for the silent auction on Oct. 12. Please know that we can accept only cash or checks for the auction. Small bills are appreciated.
Life as a Naturalist
In addition to the auction, Kevin J. Cook will present, “Life as a Naturalist.” He is the longest running columnist for the Fort Collins Coloradoan (since 1981), and has been doing monthly nature programs at the Fort Collins library since 1991. He teaches natural history courses for the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at CSU, and he teaches more than a dozen seminars for the Rocky Mountain Conservancy at Rocky Mountain National Park.
From his program, we will learn that to know what Horned Larks do on windy days, one must go afield on windy days and look for Horned Larks. To know what Flammulated Owls do on rainy nights, one must go into the mountain forests on rainy nights. To know how much blizzard a White-tailed Ptarmigan will tolerate before it takes shelter, one must explore the high willow carrs in a blizzard or two. To know what polli-nates a tiny twayblade flower, one must lie on wet ground where mosquitoes outnumber stars in the sky. Some details about life and living can be gleaned from books and journals and websites, but the life of a naturalist requires more than just reading a lot. Being a naturalist is about engaging life as richly and fully as possible, then sharing the experiences with others.
Silent Auction is Worth Shouting About
Shhh…quiet please! The FCAS “Silent Auction” is about to begin and you don’t want to miss out. As you may know, this year the primary fund raiser for FCAS is a silent auction held during our October 12 meeting, starting at 6:30 p.m. Successful bidders will go home with some real treasures, including a camera and accessories, nature oriented artwork and books and, a real highlight, a day spent with one of Colorado’s finest birders, Nick Komar.
Colorado is a state of tremendous birding opportunities. If you are new to Colorado, you may be surprised to learn that the official state list of the Colorado Birds Records Committee (a standing committee of the Colorado Field Ornithologists) is now at 502 species. Colorado is a land of contrasts, blessed with a variety of habitats each with its own set of birds. In one summer day we can drive through hot shortgrass prairie to the east, chill out with a picnic surrounded by tundra atop the Rocky Mountains, and then spend the night among the canyons and plateaus of our western red rock country. Our drive also takes us by countless rivers, lakes, and reservoirs home to dippers and waterfowl. Colorado’s geographic location also makes it a fantastic spot for viewing an exciting array of spring and fall migrants. There are only a handful of states whose species lists exceed Colorado’s.
What a great opportunity for the winner (or winners, as up to five people can bid together as one group): a field day with Nick Komar to get out for some excellent Colorado birding. In addition, the winner also receives a copy of the book, “Wild Birding Colorado: The Big Year of 2010,” in which Cole Wild (co-authored by Nick) recorded his experiences observing over 400 species in one year. Reading about Cole’s Big Year yields excellent ideas as to how one might spend the day. The winner could actually do their own “Big Day” during the birdy month of May, seeing as many as 150 species or, instead, focus on a specific target bird or group of birds such as gulls, waterfowl, or shorebirds, and glean expert advice on field ID. Another option is to make a day trip to a specific hot spot, such as Pawnee Grasslands. Nick will give the winner(s) a custom birding adventure not to be forgotten.
Bid for Nick on your own or gather up to four friends and bid as a group. He is donating his expertise; winner( s) to provide transportation. Please bid generously on this, or any auction item. You’ll be supporting FCAS and have a great time doing so. See you there and good luck!
Hildy Morgan
(970) 223-3493
hildy.morgan@gmail.com
Download a PDF of the accompanying flyer 