Events

OAS PROGRAM Meetings

Mastering the Web: A Fascinating Journey through the Natural History of Spiders

Speaker: Dr. Aimée K. Thomas
Tuesday, April 16
6:30 p.m. social, 7:00 p.m. program
Community Church Unitarian Universalist, 6690 Fleur de Lis (Lakeview)

Dr. Aimée K. Thomas is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences and the interdisciplinary Environment Program at Loyola University New Orleans.  She has an interest in promoting environmental awareness by 1) researching the natural history of invertebrate species, particularly local and tropical spider communities, and 2) effective communication of science through community-engaged learning research, teaching, and outreach.  Her recent projects have focused on spider communities in Belize, New Orleans City Park, and Jean Lafitte National Park, insect pollinators in urban landscapes, using urban landscapes as a learning lab, and STEM education in informal learning environments. She currently serves as PI on the funded project “Transforming a public work into a learning laboratory” where they are studying ways to empower New Orleanians to sustainably live with water. Aimée will discuss her passion for and fascination with spiders.

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Galah

Spring Banquet:

Western Australia and the Northern Territory, August 2022

Presenters: Ken Harris and Joelle Finley

Tuesday, May 21

6:30 p.m. cash bar, 7:00 p.m. dinner, 8:00 p.m. program

Location: Porter & Luke’s Restaurant, 1517 Metairie Rd, Metairie, LA 70005

Cost: $45.00 per person. Reservations required by May 7th.

The states of Western Australia and the Northern Territory contain vast tracts of uninhabited desert wilderness and thousands of miles of unspoiled and stunning coastlines, all filled with birds. Travel along with Ken and Joelle as they make their way from Perth in the southwest to the outback and the MacDonnell range in Alice Springs, and finally to tropical and humid Darwin in the far north, discovering along the way the fun-loving Aussie lifestyle including very strange boat races. We finished the trip with around 300 bird species birding from the Southern Ocean shores to deserts to tropical forests.

Cost: $45.00 per person if received by May 7th; $50.00 per person if received between May 8-10. No reservations accepted after May 10th.

Mail check payable to Orleans Audubon Society to Mary Joe Krieger, 3623 Nashville Ave., New Orleans, LA 70125, maryjkrieger at gmail.com. For each person attending, please include: Name, email address and choice of one appetizer and one entrée: Appetizer choices: House Salad,    Gumbo, or  Turtle Soup. Entrée: Veal Parmesan,  Pecan Catfish, Vegan or Panne Chicken with Pasta Alfredo. Dessert: Bread Pudding.

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Birding Field Trips

Bring binoculars, field guides, bug spray, rain gear, sunscreen and refreshments. Boots and cell phones may be useful. Snacks and drinks are recommended. Contact the trip leader if you have questions. Any last minute changes will be posted here, so check here for updates.

At the discretion of the leader(s) trips will be divided into groups if the number of attendees becomes too large.

eBird users: Please share your eBird account email address with the trip leader and the trip leader or designee will keep the trip list to share with participants.

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Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge – half-day trip

Saturday, March 30, 8:00 a.m.

Meet at the Bayou Ridge Trail entrance located on the left side of U.S. 90 (Chef Menteur Highway). Take the I-510 Exit off of I-10, turn left on Chef Hwy and proceed about 4 miles. Address: 20876 Chef Menteur Hwy, New Orleans, LA 70129

Leader: Peter Yaukey, (504) 400-3286, pyaukey at uhcno.edu

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Grand Isle – all-day trip

Saturday, April 13, 8:00 a.m.

Meet at Moran’s grocery/gas station (It is now open!) on the corner of Hwy. 1 and Hwy 3090 (Fourchon Rd.) right where you come off of the new bridge. Note: The new bridge across the Intracoastal Waterway is a toll bridge.

Leaders: Ken Harris and Joelle Finley, 504-715-2647, jjf1946@gmail.com

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Birding the Sankofa Wetlands – half-day trip

Saturday, April 13, 9:00 a.m.

Meet at Sankofa Wetland Park, 6401 Florida Ave, New Orleans, LA 70117.

Leader: Peter Yaukey, (504) 400-3286, pyaukey at uhcno.edu

Note: This is not an OAS birding trip. It is hosted by Sankofa and Speaking of Science.

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Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge – half-day trip

Saturday, April 20, 8:00 a.m.
Meet at the Bayou Ridge Trail entrance located on the left side of U.S. 90 (Chef Menteur Highway). Take the I-510 Exit off of I-10, turn left on Chef Hwy and proceed about 4 miles. Address: 20876 Chef Menteur Hwy, New Orleans, LA 70129

Leader: Peter Yaukey, (504) 400-3286, pyaukey at uhcno.edu

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Jean Lafitte National Historical Park, Barataria Unit – half-day trip

Saturday, May 25, 8:00 a.m.
Meet in the Bayou Coquille Parking Lot. Take the Crescent City Connection, about 5 miles after reaching the West Bank, take Exit 4B, the Barataria Boulevard Exit. Follow the signs for the National Historic Park

Leader: Peter Yaukey (504) 400-3286, pyaukey at uhcno.edu

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RECORDED PROGRAMS – WATCH THEM ANYTIME!

Picathartes (White-necked Rockfowl)

Birding Ghana: Hot, Hotter, Hottest

Presenters Joelle Finley and Ken Harris

Join Ken and Joelle on a trip from the humid and hot tropical south to the arid and hotter north of Ghana  experiencing a wide range of habitats, birds and people.

Click HERE to watch Birding Ghana

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California Birding

Presented by Joan Garvey, OAS Membership Chair

This presentation features birds photographed in different habitats near South San Francisco, California. Also included are birds encountered on a deep water pelagic out of Half Moon Bay. Big surprises were a Polar Skua and a Hawaiian Petrel!

Click HERE to watch California Birding

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Alaskan cruise with an extension to Victoria

Presenter Joan Garvey, OAS Membership Chair

This presentation highlights birds seen in the Pacific Northwest. This was not a birding trip, but with a little effort and planning one can work birding in to any vacation. Bring your optics!

Click HERE to watch Alaskan cruise with an extension to Victoria, BC

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Celebrating the Swallow-tailed Kite

Presenter Dr. Jennifer Coulson, OAS President

The Swallow-tailed Kite might just be the most charismatic bird on the planet. Learn about this kite’s captivating life history and habits from ornithologist Dr. Jennifer Coulson, who has devoted most of her life to studying this bird.

Click HERE to watch Celebrating the Swallow-tailed Kite

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Least Sandpipers – Photo by Larry Pace

Science and conservation for birds and humans on working lands in the Mississippi Delta

Presenter Dr. Jason Hoeksema, University of Mississippi

Delta Wind Birds (DWB) promotes creation and protection of wetland habitat for migratory water birds in the Mississippi Delta region, especially by working with private landowners. Dr. Hoeksema will highlight all of these projects in which DWB is currently engaged, including creation of temporary wetlands on corn and soybean fields after harvest, which may benefit birds, reduce pollution, and improve crop yields.

Click HERE to watch Science and conservation for birds and humans on working lands in the Mississippi Delta

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Greater Ani

Cooperation and Conflict: The Bizarre Lives of Tropical Cuckoos

Presented by Dr. Christie Riehl, Princeton University

The anis — including the Groove-billed and Smooth-billed Anis of Texas and Florida, and the Greater Ani of South America — share an unusual nesting strategy known as communal nesting. Several pairs cooperatively build a single nest in which all the females lay their eggs, and the entire group shares incubation, nest defense, and parental care of the mixed clutch. In this talk, Christie Riehl will discuss the results of her long-term field study of Greater Anis in Panama.

Click HERE to watch Cooperation and Conflict: The Bizarre Lives of Tropical Cuckoo

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Birding Colombia

Birding Colombia’s Southern Frontier—Putumayo

Presenters Joelle Finley and Ken Harris

The small Department of Putumayo lies along the southern border of Colombia, adjacent to the northern border of Ecuador. Within Putumayo lies the main Andean massif, the eastern slope, the Andean foothills and the beginnings of the Amazonian basin. This wide array of habitats leads to a huge variety of birds. In addition, just to the north lies the Department of Huila which is home to the UNESCO Archeological Site San Augustin, a collection of ancient ceremonial and burial sites dating back to 3300 BC. Join Ken and Joelle as they bird from 10,000 ft in the paramo of the high Andes down to 800 ft on the edge of the Amazon Basin.

Click HERE to watch Birding Colombia’s Southern Frontier—Putumayo

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Black Rail

Erik Johnson holds a Black Rail.

Searching for Black Rails in Louisiana – a Race against Extinction

Presented by Dr. Erik Johnson, Director of Conservation Science, Audubon Delta

The Black Rail is one of the hardest birds to find in North America, and Louisiana had only 13 documented records prior to 2017. Meanwhile, the species has been disappearing from its Atlantic Coast range, by up to 90% over the last 25 years, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service began a process to consider adding the Black Rail to the Endangered Species Act. Audubon researchers with support from the USFWS and LA Department of Wildlife and Fisheries in 2017-2019 conducted the first focused search for Black Rails in Louisiana, which resulted in 83 detections, and a first glimpse of the species’ habitat preferences. In a new research collaborative across the Gulf of Mexico, research and conservation organizations are working to understand how to preserve and restore Black Rail habitat before the threats of coastal development and sea level rise drive the species to extinction, which has been predicted to occur by 2068 without immediate action. Join Dr. Erik Johnson, Director of Conservation Science with Audubon Delta, to learn about these secretive and amazing birds, and how you can help ensure their survival.

Click HERE to watch Searching for Black Rails in Louisiana – a Race against Extinction

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Dr. Nicholas Mason

Dr. Nicholas Mason

LSU Museum of Natural Science Ornithology Program

Presented by Dr. Nick Mason, Curator of Birds, LSU Museum of Natural Science

The LSU Museum of Natural Science ornithology program is world renowned for their collections and contributions to science. Dr. Nicholas Mason joined the museum in 2020 as the Curator of Birds. Dr. Mason provides a brief history of the ornithology programs at the LSU Museum of Natural Science and talks about current and future research.

Click HERE to watch LSU Museum of Natural Science Ornithology Program

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Offshore Wind

National Audubon Society’s Approach to Offshore Wind

Presenter Dr. Shilo Felton

Thanks to advances in technology and a growing bipartisan consensus that a transition to clean energy is needed to address climate change, there are a growing number of clean energy projects on the horizon, especially in offshore wind energy. National Audubon Society’s science shows that climate change is the number one threat to birds, putting up to two-thirds of North American bird species at risk of extinction. We support getting to net-zero carbon emissions and transitioning to clean energy. We want to ensure that we build new solar and wind projects in a way that protects birds and mitigates the risk to migratory species. That’s why Audubon strongly supports properly sited and operated clean energy projects.

Click HERE to watch National Audubon Society’s Approach to Offshore Wind

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Adelie Penguins

Antarctica and Adelie Penguins

Presenter Dr. Peter Kappes

Perhaps no animal is more synonymous with the Antarctic than the Adelie Penguin. We all probably have an image of one of these tuxedoed ambassadors waddling across the ice, but there is a lot more to these birds than cute internet memes. Come learn more about these fascinating birds and the other seabirds that frequent Antarctica, and what it is like to live and work among these birds at one of the world’s most remote and pristine field sites. Dr. Peter Kappes is an applied conservation biologist and a member of Mississippi State University’s research staff at the Coastal Research and Extension Center in Biloxi.

Click HERE to watch Antarctica and Adelie Penguins

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Whooping Crane

Reestablishing Louisiana’s Whooping Cranes

Presenter Irvin Louque, Whooping Crane Outreach Coordinator, International Crane Foundation

Through the dedication and teamwork of many conservation organizations, Whooping Cranes are returning to Louisiana wetland ecosystems. Louisiana once hosted resident and wintering populations of both Sandhill Cranes and Whooping Cranes, but both species were once extirpated due to habitat loss and unregulated hunting. Thanks to laws protecting wetlands and reducing hunting pressure, wintering Sandhill Cranes returned decades ago, but multi-agency reintroduction efforts were needed to bring back the nonmigratory Whooping Cranes. Today, around 70 Whooping Cranes are establishing territories and raising their young in Louisiana’s coastal marshes and prairie agricultural areas. The population is not without challenges and birders can help by spreading awareness, reporting sightings and harassment of the cranes, and promoting a conservation ethic.

Click HERE to watch Reestablishing Louisiana’s Whooping Cranes

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California Condor

Saving the California Condor: The Importance of Zoos in Conservation of Endangered Species

Presenter Mike Houlihan, Assistant Curator of Birds, Audubon Zoo

Mike Houlihan assisted with the reintroduction of California Condors. He will discuss how zoos have played an active role in the reintroduction of California Condors and tell us about his experiences working with fish and wildlife in the field. In the case of the condor, zoos became a life preserver for the species in the wild. Mike will discuss the struggles still facing condors and the importance of zoos in wildlife conservation of endangered animals.

Click HERE to watch Saving the California Condor: The Importance of Zoos in Conservation of Endangered Species

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Dr. Erik Johnson

Migratory Birds and the Mississippi River

Presenter Dr. Erik Johnson, Director of Conservation Science, Audubon Delta

One of the longest rivers in the world, the Mississippi River has shaped much of North America, including its bird life. But humans have substantially modified the river for navigation and to protect communities from flooding, which has resulted in important and sometimes dire consequences for the region’s wildlife. Join Audubon’s Erik Johnson on a journey into the connections between the Mississippi River and birds and learn about the opportunities and actions underway to recover bird habitat in the region.

Click HERE to watch Migratory Birds and the Mississippi River

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Egret gliding over Lake Pontchartrain

An Unexpected Passion for Birds

Presenter John Snell, Anchor, Fox 8 News

FOX 8 Anchor John Snell shares how photography inspired an unexpected passion for birding in South Louisiana. He also details the state’s efforts to restore its rapidly eroding wetlands.

Click HERE to watch An Unexpected Passion for Birds

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ECUADOR: Straddling the Equator in Search of Condors to Hummingbirds

Presenters Jennifer Coulson and David Muth

Roughly the size of the U.K., Ecuador offers more bird diversity in less space than any other country. This center of avian mega-diversity is home to over 1,650 species of birds! In 2018, Tom and Jennifer Coulson, David Muth, and Princeton ornithologist, Christie Riehl made a birding trip to Ecuador. They found Ecuador to be a user-friendly country for birding and ecotourism. Join Jennifer and David as they take us on a journey exploring the eastern slope of the Andes in search of the gigantic Andean Condor, the exquisite Tourmaline Sunangel, and everything in between. Learn why Ecuador is a special place for birds and birders.

Click HERE to watch Ecuador: Straddling the equator in search of condors to hummingbirds

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The Future Delta and Birds

Presenter David Muth

David will focus on Louisiana’s land loss: 2,000 square miles of coastal wetlands over the last century. The state is poised to lose more as the delta sinks and seas rise—in fact, all of the remaining 4,000 square miles are threatened. We will review an aggressive plan to build sediment diversions to restart the natural delta-building process. The Environmental Impact Statement for the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion is expected this spring. The implications for the health of bird populations could not be more profound. David Muth is Director of Gulf Restoration for the National Wildlife Federation.

Click HERE to watch The Future Delta and Birds

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40 Years in Borneo: Hacking Through the Jungle in Search of Birds

Presenter Dr. Fred Sheldon

Fred has two fundamental areas of research interest: the evolution and systematics of birds, and the natural history of the birds of the Malay Archipelago. His work in S.E. Asia is concentrated mainly in Borneo, where he is conducting a variety of studies with students and collaborators. Borneo, a giant, rugged island in Southeast Asia’s Malay Archipelago, is shared by the Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak, Indonesian Kalimantan and the tiny nation of Brunei. It’s known for its beaches and ancient, biodiverse rainforest, home to wildlife including orangutans and clouded leopards. In Sabah is 4,095 meter-tall Mount Kinabalu, the island’s highest peak, and, offshore, the famed dive site Sipadan Island.

Click HERE to watch 40 Years in Borneo: Hacking through the Jungle in Search of Birds

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My Big Year – Birding for a Cause

Presenter Dr. Joe Blanda

Joe Blanda is an orthopedic surgeon from Akron, Ohio who did a “big year” of birding in 2016 to raise money for cancer research after the death of his son to brain cancer. A big year is either a personal challenge or a friendly competition among birders who strive to observe as many bird species as possible within a calendar year and within a particular geographic area. Joe is a long-time nature photographer who will share some of his exciting bird sightings both with photographs and some captivating stories. You will learn how he used his passion for nature and birding not only to heal from his loss but also to discover a new desire to help others.

Click HERE to watch My Big Year – Birding for a Cause

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Madagascar: A Place Like No Other

Presenters: Ken Harris and Joelle Finley

The fourth largest island on Earth hosts 6 endemic families of birds with over 110 endemic bird species. Ninety percent of its forest species and all of its native land mammals are unique, among them the many species of lemurs, a primate group now largely confined to Madagascar. Two-thirds of all chameleons occur on Madagascar along with 7 species of Baobab trees (Africa has only 1 species). 80% of the forest is gone from Madagascar due to a huge over-population problem and is sadly being replaced by Eucalyptus.

Click HERE to watch Madagascar: A Place Like No Other

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Bird Louisiana!

Presenter: Joan Garvey
Louisiana currently boasts a count upwards of 470 species of birds. Of that number about 25% comprise rare migratory birds from the far north, west and tropical Americas. It is a state full of refuges, pinewoods, barrier islands and wetlands, all in the path of breeding, migratory and wintering birds. With our mild climate it is possible to bird here year-round. In our current situation of dealing with a pandemic, birding locally can still be very fulfilling. Travel may also be limited due to other factors, family obligations, work constraints or monetary limits. Most of the birds depicted in this presentation were seen on day trips.
Click HERE to watch Bird Louisiana!

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Carolina Dormon, Louisiana Pioneer Woman

Presenter: Linda Auld

Linda Auld “BugLady”

Join Linda Auld in celebrating the life of Caroline Dormon, an intriguing and powerful woman born in the little town of Acadia back in 1888. She is famous for being an artist, teacher, conservationist, and the first woman spokesperson in the U.S. Forestry Service. Learn about her fascinating life, her phenomenal accomplishments, her beautiful Briarwood Nature Retreat, and her fantastic, inspiring books.

Click HERE to watch Caroline Dormon, Louisiana Pioneer Woman

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Backyard Birds and More

Black-crowned Night Heron

Presenter Joelle Finley

We’ll take a quick trip through the seasons looking at the common birds found in our New Orleans area, listening to their calls and discussing some of their migratory patterns. We’ll learn who is here, when they are here and a little something about enhancing our yards to attract them.

Click HERE to watch Backyard Birds and More

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Bay-breasted Warbler by Joan Garvey

Confusing Fall Warblers

Presenter Wendy Rihner

Ask even the best of birders, and they will admit that warblers in the fall can be a real test of their identification skills. While many birders prefer spring migration because many warblers are decked out in their colorful breeding plumage, identifying those once-brightly colored warblers in the fall presents a real challenge for beginning birders.

Click HERE to watch Confusing Fall Warblers

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The Monarch’s Egg and Everyday Wonders of Louisiana’s Butterflies

Presenter Dr. Donata Henry

This presentation showcases the unique wildlife photography of Walter Clifton, an avid outdoorsman dedicated to documenting the natural history of birds and butterflies of Louisiana. He hand reared and photographed over a dozen different species of butterflies, allowing us to marvel at and appreciate life stages we rarely, if ever, get to see. Notably, he did not use a digital camera. He and Dr. Donata Henry, a Senior Professor of Practice in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Tulane University, explored the Honey Island Swamp together nest searching and waiting in hot, buggy blinds for warblers to reveal their secrets. Join us for a glimpse into the weird and wonderful biodiversity in your own backyard.”

Click HERE to watch The Monarch’s Egg and Other Everyday Wonders of Louisiana’s Butterflies

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Raptor Identification

Presenters Jennifer and Tom Coulson

Raptor biologists Jennifer and Tom Coulson share their basic approach to raptor identification, a strategy which differs from that of most field guides. They will provide a number of novel tips for identifying our native diurnal birds of prey. The Coulsons are true “raptorophiles” who have spent much of their lives studying and working with birds of prey.

Click HERE to watch the Raptor Identification Workshop

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Native Plants for Birds

Presenter Wendy Rihner

Rihner discusses the great potential for gardeners in the Greater New Orleans area to build bird-friendly communities. She will highlight WHAT native plants are, WHERE native plants can be purchased locally, WHY native plants are more important for birds and pollinators than tropicals/exotics, HOW we can help create bird-friendly communities one yard at a time. Wendy Rihner, recently retired from teaching English at Delgado Community College, now has even more time to learn about the relationship native plants play in the lives of birds. Rihner serves on the Board of Directors for the Native Plant Initiative of Greater New Orleans, as well as the executive boards of both the Orleans Audubon Society and Audubon Louisiana.

Click HERE to watch Native Plants for Birds

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