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Build a Western Bluebird Nest Box
Saturday,
February 16, from 1
p.m. to 3 p.m. at the Solvang Library (patio).
1745 Mission Drive
Call 688-4214 or register online at:
http://ca.evanced.info/sbpl/lib/eventcalendar.asp
Build your own bluebird
nest box at this hands-on workshop. All necessary materials and hand
tools will be supplied. This workshop is open to ages 10 and up. If it
is raining on the 16th, the class will be held on Feb. 23.
While out walking near ranchlands on a warm fall afternoon, you may spot
a beautiful blue and russet bird as it sallies forth from a fence rail
to catch an insect. That bird is likely to be the male western bluebird.
Year-round residents in our area, western bluebirds often congregate
near open habitats, such as valley oak savannas. These handsome, social
birds (a type of thrush) nest in holes in trees, especially in older
trees that contain rotting limbs or trunks. Old trees have become less
common, and ornithologists believe this has contributed to the decline
in western bluebird populations in recent decades. But you can help
reverse this trend by building a nest box that is tailor-made for
western bluebirds and placing it in a location that is favored by these
birds!
Dennis Beebe (retired, US Air Force) is a woodworker and long-time
volunteer for Arts Outreach. He is also a docent at UC Sedgwick Reserve
and past President of the SYV Natural History Society.
Annual Members Meeting
Thursday, March 7, 6:45 p.m.
Solvang Library, 1745 Mission Drive
Come meet and elect the 2013 candidates for Society’s Board of
Directors, just prior to the evening’s lecture (see below).
Bears of the Chaparral
Free Lecture with Kate McCurdy
Thursday,
March 7, 7:00 p.m
Solvang Library
1745 Mission Drive
Join UC Sedgwick Reserve
Director Kate McCurdy for a lecture that will chronicle the lives of
wild black bears in the Santa Ynez region. She will draw on her years of
field work with bears, and share her observations about these mystical
creatures at the Reserve, including fascinating recent images from
remote cameras, known as “critter cams.” Her program is suitable for
ages 10 and up.
Kate McCurdy attended UC Davis and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo before
completing her M.S. in Natural Resource Management at California State
University-Humboldt in 2006. Prior to coming to the University of
California she was a wildlife biologist with the National Park Service
and oversaw the bear study program at Yosemite, tracked coyotes and
mountain lions in the Santa Monica Mountains, and worked with the
endangered Channel Island Fox recovery program on Santa Rosa and San
Miguel Islands.
Ducks at a Distance - Waterfowl at Oso
Flaco Lake
Field Trip with Tim Matthews
Saturday, March 16, 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m
Advance registration required at
synature@west.net or call
693-5683
Members free/ non-members $20
Join Tim Matthews for a
day of wildlife viewing at Oso Flaco (Skinny Bear) Lake. Water-oriented
mammals such as raccoons and muskrats might be seen, along with a rich
array of avifauna. Our emphasis will be on identifying waterfowl
patterns from afar, and how field markings, flight patterns, and calls
can help ID the birds.
Tim Matthews has been an avid birder and waterfowler for 50+ years. He
has led field trips for various organizations, including the U.S. Forest
Service, Audubon, and SYVNHS.
Wildflowers and Birds of Figueroa
Mountain
Field Trip with Sally Isaacson
Saturday, March 30, 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m
Advance registration required at
synature@west.net or call
693-5683
Members free/ non-members $20
On this "drive and
stroll" field trip, we will explore the wildflower flora and bird life
of Figueroa Mountain, from Birabent Canyon at the bottom to Pino Alto at
the top. We will take short forays into various locations along the way,
with the expectation of seeing the many species of wildflowers that this
mountain is known for. The spring bird migration will also be underway,
so a good variety should be seen.
Sally is the former Director of Education at the Santa Barbara Botanic
Botanic Garden and current Coordinator of Volunteers at Arroyo Hondo
Preserve. She has been sharing her knowledge of Santa Barbara County
wildflowers with students for more than 30 years.
Slender Salamanders of the Central Coast
Free Lecture with Samuel Sweet
Thursday,
April 4, 7:00 p.m
Solvang Library
1745 Mission Drive
California has 23 named
species of slender salamanders, and 7 of these species live along the
central coast. Yet, many people are unaware of these small, worm-like
lungless amphibians that are found beneath rocks, rotting bark, leaf
litter, or other organic debris. Slender salamanders often live out
their lives in an area measuring a few square yards and catch
invertebrate prey using their projectile tongues. Understanding the
evolution and distribution of these sedentary animals involves
reconstructing the tectonic history of coastal California over the last
25 million years. Just as scientists are beginning to unravel this
story, concern is growing that some species are disappearing, possibly
from the fungal disease that is decimating amphibian populations
worldwide. In his lecture, Professor Sweet will discuss new research
findings on the diversity and decline of these classically Californian
endemic species.
Samuel Sweet, Ph.D. is a professor in the Ecology, Evolution, and Marine
Biology Department at UCSB. His research focuses on western North
American and Australian amphibians and reptiles, including the
endangered arroyo toad in California and monitor lizards in Papua New
Guinea and Australia
California Slender Salamander (Batrachoseps attenuatus?) on San Marcos
Pass. This native amphibian is just a few inches long and thinner than a
pencil - almost a worm with those tiny legs. Photo by Marc Kummel
(3/9/2006).
Zaca Ridge Flora and Geology
Field Trip with Larry Ballard
and Susy Bartz
Saturday, May 11, 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m
Advance registration required at
synature@west.net or call
693-5683
Members free/ non-members $20
This driving trip will
feature stops with short walks along Zaca Ridge, via Catway Road. We
will pass through coniferous forest and chaparral, and visit some small
stands of California Black Oak (Quercus kelloggii), a tree that is
widespread in California but uncommon in Santa Barbara County. It is
just one of seven species of oaks found along the road. One of the
special geologic features is the hardened volcanic ash of the Obispo
Formation. We'll enjoy dramatic geologic views throughout, including the
spectacular overthrust of the Little Pine Fault and the huge folds that
comprise the backbone of Zaca Ridge. At the end of the eight mile road,
past the Zaca Lake overlook, we'll scramble a short distance to the
Jurassic summit of Wildhorse Peak.
Larry Ballard has an interest in all aspects of the region's natural
history, and has led many trips for our organization as well as for UC
Sedgwick Reserve, Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary, and Western
Field Ornithologists.
Susie Bartz worked at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History to
publish the maps of legendary geologist Tom Dibblee. Currently she
assists community organizations to help bring an awareness of earth
science to children, teachers, and the general public.
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