Education:

Monthly Educational Meetings:

Our monthly educational meetings include guest speakers, unusual bird sightings, refreshments, and conversation. Visitors are always welcomed!

Our meetings are held at 7-9 p.m. on the first Thursday of every month (except July and August when we take a summer break) in the Camellia Room at The Gardens of Heather Farn’s, 1540 Marchbanks Drive, Walnut Creek.

6:30 p.m. Doors open
7:00 p.m. Birding Information
7:25 p.m. Business meeting
7:40 p.m. Social time, refreshments and door prize drawing
8:05 p.m. Program

Map of 1540 Marchbanks Dr
Walnut Creek, CA 94598-2158

Directions to 1540 Marchbanks Dr
Walnut Creek, CA 94598-2158

Classes:

DENISE WIGHT CLASSES / FIELD TRIPS

Visit Denise's Website for more information and dates.

Trivia: Do birds live in the arctic and antarctic regions?

Not many birds have learned to live near the Poles, and the ones who do face small competition. King Eider ducks arrive in North Greenland in May and are the commonest water birds in some parts.

The Arctic Tern flies thousands of miles from the South Pole (Antarctic) to the Arctic (20,000 miles or 32,000 km.) The tern flies to the Arctic to nest and raise its young. As the tern flies, it is able to catch insects. It also dives to the surface of water to catch small fish in its beak. An Arctic tern is white with a grayish back, and a black cap on the head. The legs and beak are red. It has a forked tail and long wings. The nest is built on the tundra (a dent on the ground) or on a stony beach near water. The mother tern lays two or three eggs. The chicks are well camouflaged (hard to see) in their nests. If anyone comes near the nest the tern gives out warning calls and attacks with claws and beak. In October terns leaves the Arctic to fly back to the Antarctic.

Large colonies of Snow Geese nest by the tundra pools. The nests are built of moss and other tundra plants. In the fall they fly as far south as Mexico to spend the winter.

The Ptarmigan is a bird about the size of a small chicken. It feeds mainly on leaves and shoots of plants, but also eats berries, seeds and insects. The ptarmigan stays in the Arctic all year. It has adapted to the cold Arctic weather. This bird molts several times a year. Each new set of feathers matches the tundra. This makes it hard for the enemies (foxes, owls) to see it. In the late spring the ptarmigan lays up to ten eggs on the ground. The eggs are hard to see. Two kinds of ptarmigans live in the Arctic - the rock ptarmigan and the willow ptarmigan. The rock ptarmingan lives on the Arctic islands in rocky areas. The willow ptarmigan is in the south Arctic area where there is more shelter. It is larger than the rock ptarmigan and has a heavier bill.

The Snowy Owl lives in the Arctic all year long. The female is larger and is not pure white like the male. She has darker bars and spots. This owl is covered with feathers from head to toe to protect it from the winter cold. Snowy owls have excellent eyesight Lemming is their main source of food. They feed on other small animals (ground squirrels, hares, birds ). When there is little food to be found, the owl leaves and flies further south, but returns to the tundra in the spring to nest. It is a winter visitor in southern parts of Canada.

Ravens are the largest members of the crow family. They are almost twice as big as crows and have wedge-shaped tails (crows have rounded tails). Ravens are able to survive the cold because their black feathers absorb heat. The raven steals food from other animals and hides food. Ravens will eat almost everything (small mammals, birds, eggs, insects, worms and berries.) Because ravens eat the remains of dead animals, some people think they are spooky and a sign of death. The Inuit have legends about this big black bird. Stories and songs tell about Raven the Thief or the Trickster. Ravens build large nests of sticks on cliffs or in trees. The nest is lined with animal hair, moss and lichens. The female lays 4 to 7 green eggs with brown dots. The Raven is a smart bird.

Penguins are non-flying birds living in the Antarctic region. There are altogether 17 species of them, out of which, 5 species are exhibited in the Jurong Birk Park. Penguins do not in habit the South Pole, as the pole is more than 2700m from the nearest water source. Penguins do not survive in the Artic due to the presence of predators such as the polar bear and artic foxes. On the other hand, no large land carnivores inhabit the Antarctic so the penguins can live peacefully in the South. Penguins, unlike flying birds, do not have hollow bones. Their wings are flipper-like, enabling them to swim faster than any other birds.

Submit an Article or Idea:
If you have an interesting bit of bird trivia or a bird fact please drop us an e-mail. Include several paragraphs of text, references to where someone might find additional information about your topic, digital pictures (if you have any) and don't forget to including your full name so we can give you credit.