OUR CALENDAR

Emperors of the Ice: Ecology and physiology of an iconic Antarctic predator, the emperor penguin

Emperor penguins are the largest species of marine bird, and perhaps because of its size, it is able to fast longer, dive deeper, and endure harsher conditions than any other avian species. As a top predator in the Antarctic ecosystem, they have a significant top-down effect on prey. Additionally, as top predators, their survival and reproduction depends on the functioning of the entire food web.

Join Gitte McDonald as she talks about her research expeditions to the Ross Sea to study the ecology and physiology of emperor penguins. She will start off with an introduction on basic biology and ecology of emperor penguins before talking about current research on the behavioral and physiological adaptations that allow them to thrive in the Antarctic ecosystem. The talk will conclude with a discussion of current and future challenges.

Birgitte (Gitte) I. McDonald

Associate Professor, Moss Landing Marine Laboratories @ San Jose State University

https://mlml.sjsu.edu/birdmam/

As a physiological and behavioral ecologist, Dr. Gitte McDonald investigates adaptations that allow animals to survive in extreme environments. Marine mammals and birds provide an ideal study system to investigate how animals deal with extreme conditions because of their large size variation, geographic distribution, and physiological challenges they face daily, including hypoxia, extreme temperatures, and fasting. Understanding the mechanisms that allow an organism to interact and survive in its environment is crucial for predicting, and potentially mitigating, their response to climate change. She uses state-of-the-art biologgers that measure fine-scale diving behavior and physiological variables (heart rate and oxygen), in addition to providing information about the environment.  Her research has provided opportunities to work with a broad range of species in diverse habitats from the Antarctic to the Galapagos.

This will be an in person talk held at the Medford Congregational Church in Lidgate Hall (Lidgate Hall is located behind the Medford Congregational United Church of Christ, 1801 East Jackson Street, Medford). If a Zoom option is available for the meeting, the link will be posted on the Rogue Valley Audubon webpage the day of the meeting.

First Wednesday Bird Walk

Join RVAS for our monthly outing to Denman Wildlife Area. Walks begin at 8:30 am and end before noon, and are led by Jim Hostick. The gate will be open from 8:00 – 8:20 am. Participants need to purchase an ODFW Area Parking Permit at the ODFW Office, Sportsman’s Warehouse on Delta Waters and Highway 62 in Medford, or at Bi-Mart. We request that all participants be vaccinated for COVID-19.

Directions to meeting spot: We will meet at the entrance off Agate Rd. between 1/4 and 1/2 mile past the fire station on the left side of the road. Coming out Table Rock Rd., turn right on Antelope Rd. and go to the light on Agate Rd. and turn left. The fire station will be on your left at the corner of Ave. G and Agate Rd. Go 1/4 to /12 mile past the fire station and the gate will be on your left. Coming out on Highway 62 to Antelope Rd., turn left and go to the next light. Turn right and continue to the gate on Agate Rd.

First Wednesday Bird Walk

Join RVAS for our monthly outing to Denman Wildlife Area. Walks begin at 8:30 am and end before noon, and are led by Jim Hostick. The gate will be open from 8:00 – 8:20 am. Participants need to purchase an ODFW Area Parking Permit at the ODFW Office, Sportsman’s Warehouse on Delta Waters and Highway 62 in Medford, or at Bi-Mart. We request that all participants be vaccinated for COVID-19.

Directions to meeting spot: We will meet at the entrance off Agate Rd. between 1/4 and 1/2 mile past the fire station on the left side of the road. Coming out Table Rock Rd., turn right on Antelope Rd. and go to the light on Agate Rd. and turn left. The fire station will be on your left at the corner of Ave. G and Agate Rd. Go 1/4 to /12 mile past the fire station and the gate will be on your left. Coming out on Highway 62 to Antelope Rd., turn left and go to the next light. Turn right and continue to the gate on Agate Rd.

Bear Divide Birding Trip

KBO is going back to Bear Divide in southern California! Last April we took 10 people for the first time to Bear Divide to experience bird migration in a new way. This trip is led by Dr. Ryan Terrill, KBO’s Science Director, who helped establish bird monitoring there while a postdoc at Occidental College. This is one of the only places in the western United States where you can see bird migration during daylight hours, and calling Bear Divide a migratory hot spot would be an under-statement. Every year thousands of birds funnel through the narrow pass, with as many as 13,000 tanagers, orioles, buntings, grosbeaks, and warblers on a single day during peak migration. Volunteers come from all over to contribute to the science and experience the wonder that is Bear Divide. KBO donates a portion of the proceeds from this fundraising trip to support the banding station. Learn more and register at https://klamathbird.org/callnote/experience-bear-divide/.

DATES: Apr 23 – Apr 26, 2025
COST: $1500 per person

First Wednesday Bird Walk

Join RVAS for our monthly outing to Denman Wildlife Area. Walks begin at 8:30 am and end before noon, and are led by Jim Hostick. The gate will be open from 8:00 – 8:20 am. Participants need to purchase an ODFW Area Parking Permit at the ODFW Office, Sportsman’s Warehouse on Delta Waters and Highway 62 in Medford, or at Bi-Mart. We request that all participants be vaccinated for COVID-19.

Directions to meeting spot: We will meet at the entrance off Agate Rd. between 1/4 and 1/2 mile past the fire station on the left side of the road. Coming out Table Rock Rd., turn right on Antelope Rd. and go to the light on Agate Rd. and turn left. The fire station will be on your left at the corner of Ave. G and Agate Rd. Go 1/4 to /12 mile past the fire station and the gate will be on your left. Coming out on Highway 62 to Antelope Rd., turn left and go to the next light. Turn right and continue to the gate on Agate Rd.

Enjoy a local celebration of World Bird Migratory Day on Saturday, May 11th, 8 am – Noon at North Mountain Park Nature Center in Ashland.

Rogue Valley Bird Day will include educational exhibits from the Klamath Bird Observatory, Wild Birds Unlimited, and more, as well as fun all-ages activities.
Adult and children’s binoculars will be available for checkout, with bird walks leaving every 15-30 minutes. These easy walks travel along the park’s bark-chipped trails, or along the accessible, paved bike path. Visitors may also sit down and enjoy the bird watching from the covered pavilion.
This year’s theme “Protect Insects, Protect Birds”, highlights the importance of insects throughout a bird’s life cycle, especially during migration. Pollinator Project Rogue Valley will share pollinator information and offer activities for kids and adults, to learn more about the vital insects to be found in your own backyard.
Crafts, games, and a self-guided activity booklet will be on hand for kids to learn about birds and earn prizes. At 11am all ages are invited to compete in the annual Bird Calling Contest and “Name that Bird” contest, with prizes provided by the Rogue Valley Audubon Society. Join us for a day of birding fun!

To learn more, visit RogueValleyBirdDay.net

First Wednesday Bird Walk

Join RVAS for our monthly outing to Denman Wildlife Area. Walks begin at 8:30 am and end before noon, and are led by Jim Hostick. The gate will be open from 8:00 – 8:20 am. Participants need to purchase an ODFW Area Parking Permit at the ODFW Office, Sportsman’s Warehouse on Delta Waters and Highway 62 in Medford, or at Bi-Mart. We request that all participants be vaccinated for COVID-19.

Directions to meeting spot: We will meet at the entrance off Agate Rd. between 1/4 and 1/2 mile past the fire station on the left side of the road. Coming out Table Rock Rd., turn right on Antelope Rd. and go to the light on Agate Rd. and turn left. The fire station will be on your left at the corner of Ave. G and Agate Rd. Go 1/4 to /12 mile past the fire station and the gate will be on your left. Coming out on Highway 62 to Antelope Rd., turn left and go to the next light. Turn right and continue to the gate on Agate Rd.

First Wednesday Bird Walk

Join RVAS for our monthly outing to Denman Wildlife Area. Walks begin at 8:30 am and end before noon, and are led by Jim Hostick. The gate will be open from 8:00 – 8:20 am. Participants need to purchase an ODFW Area Parking Permit at the ODFW Office, Sportsman’s Warehouse on Delta Waters and Highway 62 in Medford, or at Bi-Mart. We request that all participants be vaccinated for COVID-19.

Directions to meeting spot: We will meet at the entrance off Agate Rd. between 1/4 and 1/2 mile past the fire station on the left side of the road. Coming out Table Rock Rd., turn right on Antelope Rd. and go to the light on Agate Rd. and turn left. The fire station will be on your left at the corner of Ave. G and Agate Rd. Go 1/4 to /12 mile past the fire station and the gate will be on your left. Coming out on Highway 62 to Antelope Rd., turn left and go to the next light. Turn right and continue to the gate on Agate Rd.

First Wednesday Bird Walk

Join RVAS for our monthly outing to Denman Wildlife Area. Walks begin at 8:30 am and end before noon, and are led by Jim Hostick. The gate will be open from 8:00 – 8:20 am. Participants need to purchase an ODFW Area Parking Permit at the ODFW Office, Sportsman’s Warehouse on Delta Waters and Highway 62 in Medford, or at Bi-Mart. We request that all participants be vaccinated for COVID-19.

Directions to meeting spot: We will meet at the entrance off Agate Rd. between 1/4 and 1/2 mile past the fire station on the left side of the road. Coming out Table Rock Rd., turn right on Antelope Rd. and go to the light on Agate Rd. and turn left. The fire station will be on your left at the corner of Ave. G and Agate Rd. Go 1/4 to /12 mile past the fire station and the gate will be on your left. Coming out on Highway 62 to Antelope Rd., turn left and go to the next light. Turn right and continue to the gate on Agate Rd.

Join us on an adventure to support bird science conservation beyond borders! If you love tropical birds and hiking in the mountains, listen closely. Over the course of ten days, you will be exploring wildlife and the natural landscape, birding with local ornithologists, visiting national and state parks, and getting involved with local conservation efforts to protect birds and habitats in the Atlantic Forest. If that wasn’t enough, the cost of this special trip will help fund the intern ex-change program between KBO and Mantiqueira Bird Observatory (OAMa) and support the continuation of the bird moni-toring program on the Mantiqueira Highlands in Southeast Brazil! Find more information and register here: https://klamathbird.org/about-kbo/kbo_travel/brazil-trip-registration-open/.
DATES: Aug 13 – 22, 2025
COST: $5,750 per person