Boletin Audubon

April / May 2007
Newsletter Archives

The Newsletter of Sociedad Audubon de México, A.C.

Tuesday, May 15--Winged Migration, film, 4 p.m., Villa Jacaranda, read more

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Audubon's Picachos Hike

As promised, Audubon's Los Picachos Hike wended its way up the mountainside on April 28th. About 32 people hiked up the trail with (or behind or ahead of) Al Lerner, Audubon's expert guide. They were joined by Mario Mendoza of El Charco del Ingenio, a naturalist who is very familiar with the area, having visited it many times.

As a result of the hike, which cost 100 pesos for members and 200 pesos for nonmembers, Audubon programs were richer by about 1500 pesos, and seven new members joined up. One of the hikers, Linda Ericksen, who is also an Audubon board members, snapped these photos of happy hikers and happy vegetation on the trip.

		Clearly, the hike is a spectacular experience and not to be missed (especially if you think you're ready for some truly rugged terrain). Los Picachos, with peaks over 8,000 feet high,. is an extinct volcano that looms over San Miguel. It is rarely explored area and therefore a well preserved one. Audubon will be scheduling more hikes to Los Picachos, so watch this space for more news.

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Audubon Presents Winged Migration Tuesday, May 15th

Audubon Mexico will present "Winged Migration," the spectacular film of birds on the wing, at Villa Jacaranda on Tuesday, May 15th, at 4 pm. The film is, according to Amazon.com, "as close as any of us will get to sharing the sky" with the birds. 

French director Jacques Perrin and his crew of dedicated film-makers and birdwatchers, using planes, gliders, helicopters and balloons, have given us an astonishing look at the lives of birds as they fly through 40 countries and every continent. 

This awe-inspiring film uses no special effects whatsoever--just soaring, seemingly miraculous camera work that makes the viewer feel as if he or she is flying along with the birds. There are a few titles and very limited narration--otherwise just the birds, flying tirelessly across the skies of the world, seemingly taking us along with them. "Winged Migration" is a film that inevitably has the audience wondering, "How in the name of movie-making did they ever pull this off?"

Tickets for the film are 50 pesos (Audubon members free) and can be purchased at the door the afternoon of the presentation. Proceeds go to the Sociedad Audubon de México A.C. The Sociedad would like to thank the Villa Jacaranda for the use of their Cine/bar theatre. 

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AT LAST! A BIRD BOOK WILL SOON TAKE FLIGHT

As a bird watcher, an environmentalist or just an appreciator of nature, you wouldn’t be the first person to wish there were a field guide to the birds of San Miguel—and to be disappointed when you found it didn’t exist. Your time is coming! Audubon is at work right now on a field guide to our abundant, beautiful local birds. The guide will follow the style of Flores Silvestres de San Miguel de Allende, the wonderfully successful and useful field guide to our local wildflowers that appeared in 2006—sized to fit in a pocket, with full-color pictures and brief descriptions of each bird (and a ruler on the back). We’re hoping to have it available some time this year.