Boletin Audubon
December 2007
Newsletter Archives

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

Events for December

December 18--David Attenborough's "Life of the Birds" at Villa Jacaranda
December 23--Christmas Bird Walk, Charco del Ingenio
By Carol Wheeler

"Attenborough's Insatiable Appetite" For its monthly presentation, on Tuesday, December 18, Audubon will show one segment of David Attenborough's astonishing "Life of Birds--The Insatiable Appetite." The event is at 4 p.m. at the Villa Jacaranda on Calle Aldama.

"The Insatiable Appetite" highlights the intense feeding birds need to fuel their flight. It shows in absorbing, unbelievable detail how this need forces birds to use a variety of strategies to get their food. The focus is on the nectar feeders, seed eaters, and insect eaters that seem to be on an endless quest for food.

Bill structure is important in determining what different species of birds are able to eat, so natural selection has played an important role in the evolution of bird feeding habits. It's a privilege to watch birds using the amazing range of bill shapes and sizes they have developed--some designed to hammer out grubs from trees, others to pry tiny seeds from fruits and sip nectar from flowers. If their bills and tongues can't reach what they're seeking, some birds even use tools to help them get a meal.

To see all this avian splendor and ingenuity at work in the wild, come to Audubon's presentation on Tuesday, December 18th at 4 p.m. at the Villa Jacaranda. The admission is 50 pesos, but it is free to Audubon de Mexico members.

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Christmas Bird Walk This month, the Audubon Bird Walk will take place on December 23rd, the Saturday closest to Christmas. And it will be led by Bob Graham, on of our most experienced, knowledgeable and intrepid Audubon guides. As we have not been to the Charco del Ingenio for the past couple of hikes we will be going there on that day to see what native species we can find and what winter migrants have arrived.

In the past Audubon has used this period to join in the worldwide Christmas Bird Count. Unfortunately, in the past few years, we have not had enough people to cover all the areas we need to participate in the count. That being the case, this year we will revert to our normal Birdwalk. However, it will be at the same time as the worldwide count so that we can, at least, compare our findings in one area to those seen in other years.

The Audubon Birdwalk is a monthly event open to members and non-members alike. Members of Audubon de México are welcome gratis. Non-members are also welcome, but asked to contribute 100 pesos, or US $10 to the ecological projects in which Audubon is involved.

Participants will meet in front of the Instituto Allende at 8am, as the trip will leave promptly at 8:15am. Please bring a hat and drinking water. Binoculars and bird books make bird sightings more interesting, but they are not necessary since others will have books and our guide will be equipped with a scope. Anyone willing to contribute transportation will be greeted extra warmly. The hike is usually over by noon.

People with questions may call Bob at 154 9856.

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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.