Audubon Chapter of Minneapolis

The September/October issue of the Kingfisher is now available. The newsletter is now bimonthly, to allow more in-depth information and occasional longer articles. Plus, we have added color photographs! Please click here to see the latest issue, and contact the editor at kingfishereditor@gmail.com if you have anything you would like to have published.

Visitors Shelter at Roberts Bird Sanctuary

Our chapter has partnered with two neighborhood organizations to work with the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board on revitalizing Roberts Bird Sanctuary. Right now, we’re asking for public input on the project. Click here to take a brief survey about Roberts. The survey allows comments. The survey deadline is September 15, 2010.

Or, come to the ACM program meeting and give us your input; the meeting is free and everyone is welcome.

Tuesday, September 7 from 7 – 8 pm (public input) and 8 – 9 pm (program on Roberts) at Mayflower Congregational Church at 106 East Diamond Lake Road, Minneapolis 

Go to the Roberts page to read the press release and find out more about the project.

Click here for a pdf of the Roberts Revitalization Project brochure.

There will be a joint meeting with the Breckenridge Chapter of the Izaak Walton League on Tuesday, August 24, at 7:30 pm. Brad Walker, who is from the Midwest Office of the National Izaak Walton League and an expert on the Mississippi River, will speak on problems and issues regarding the river. The meeting location is 8816 West River Road, Brooklyn Park.

For more information about the Ikes, go to: http://www.breckenridgeikes.org/index.html

Celebrate the state’s official butterfly, the lovely Monarch, at the Minneapolis Monarch Festival on Saturday, September 11 from 9 am to 2 pm at Lake Nokomis. Monarchs migrate 2,300 miles from Minnesota to the mountains of Michoacan, Mexico. Come learn how they make this amazing journey and what we can do to help them with habitat preservation and enhancement.

The festival’s family-friendly events include musical and dance performances, art displays, Mexican and American food venders, native plant information and sales, Naturescape Garden tours, canoe rides, and much more.

Go to the Minneapolis Monarch Festival website for more information: www.monarchfestival.org

Of course, all birders are concerned on the impact of the oil spill. Here are some places to look for further information.

From Audubon National: how you can help.

Chimney swift tower, St. Louis Park, photo by Robert Papke

The tower at the J.D. Rivers’ Children’s Garden at Theodore Wirth Park in Minneapolis has been built. It’s the first Chimney Swift tower in Minneapolis parks. The tower was funded, in part, by the Audubon Chapter of Minneapolis.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony is Tuesday, August 17 from 6:30 – 7:30 pm at the J.D. Rivers Garden. There will be bird walks, a garden tour, and samples of garden produce as well as plenty of information about Chimney Swifts. Bring the family and bring a picnic! The event is free and open to all.

For more information and directions to the garden, go to the Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board website:

http://minneapolisparks.org/default.asp?PageID=52&prid=1322

Read more about the efforts of Bob Papke and the Audubon Chapter of Minneapolis to help the Chimney Swifts:

The ACM is sponsoring chimney swift towers to provide nesting and roosting space for this species, which has lost habitat as more chimneys are capped or otherwise not available for nesting.

The above photograph shows a tower in Westwood Nature Center in St. Louis Park constructed by Eagle Scouts in May 2010, and paid for by an attorney who just likes birds. Visit the tower to learn more about it. It’s free and always open!

Chimney swifts have suffered a serious and critical decline in the past 10 years. Much of this is due, in part, to the continuing removal of hollow trees, old unused chimneys and other common nesting sites.

To counter these losses, efforts are being made to publicize and obtain funds for the construction of chimney swift towers. In the metro area, over 40 towers have been been or will be constructed. Sites include a middle school in Orono, the Aveda company’s property, the Minnesota Zoo ( 2 towers), a nature area in Golden Valley, and numerous other sites.

For additional information contact: Bob Papke at 763.545.9072

Go the Audubon Minnesota website for more information as well:

http://mn.audubon.org/birds-science-education/audubon-at-home/chimney-swift-conservation-project

Join us on Saturday, August 21, for one last chance to see the summer birds at Roberts. 

Then, join us again this fall for more walks. All walks start at 8 am at the visitors shelter on the east end of the sanctuary (next to the Rose Gardens and the Peace Garden). The walks last an hour. They will not take place during heavy rain or snow or if there is thunder and/or lightning in the area. All walks are free and everyone is welcome.

Saturday, September 4 and 11: Steve Greenfield will lead walks focusing on listening and looking for migratory birds. Steve has been leading walks at Roberts this past spring and summer and is a wonderful source of local birding knowledge.

Saturday, November 6: Paul Fusco will lead a novice walk focusing on the winter birds at Roberts. Paul is well known for his work with osprey. If there is interest, Paul is willing to extend the walk over to Lake Harriet to check out the bird activity around the water.

We hope to add more walks to the schedule. Check back for updates.

For more information about events at Roberts click on Roberts.

The “Red-headed Woodpecker Recovery” presented by Jerry Bahls will be the next joint program of the Audubon Chapter of Minneapolis and the Breckenridge Chapter of the Isaac Walton League.  The program will be at the Chapter House of the Breckenridge Chapter, 8816 West River Road in Brooklyn Park, and will start at 7:30 on July 27th.

Please watch for a future announcement about the August 24th joint meeting.

See a licensed bird bander band wild song birds.  Find out why we put bands on birds and what we learn.  The program is FREE!  It is at the Eastman Nature Center in the Northwest Metro Area.  Call (763)-694-7700 for directions or more information.

The programs are continuous from 9:00 a.m. to noon on the following dates:

Saturday, July 10

Saturday, September 4

Saturday, November 13