John Schmitt is a internationally known naturalist, widely published bird artist and renowned bird feather specialist. He has agreed to give us his presentation on Feathers—their intricate structure and artistic beauty. He'll explain how their construction benefits the birds that use them. He has a spectacular collection of feathers from all over the world which he's willing to enthusiastically share with all of us. So please join us for this memorable evening.

APRIL FIELD TRIPS

Tues. Apr. 10, 8am – Kern River at the Rancheria Rd. Bridge
Join us for birding in a true riparian habitat where the Kern River emerges from the Sierras. 15 minutes from downtown. Look for spring migrants as well as residents like Great Blue Heron, Double-crested cormorants, Mergansers, Eagles, Hawks, Warblers, and Phoebes. The terrain forms a quiet, secluded dell where one hears mostly birds and flowing water. Take Hwy 178 east from Bakersfield. Rancheria Rd. meets Hwy 178 at 1.5 miles past the traffic light at Alfred Harrell Hwy (Comanche Dr.). Sign for Rancheria Rd. is near the bottom of the long hill. Rancheria Rd is on the left in the gap between two citrus orchards. Turn left and drive ½ mile to our meeting point at the large parking lot before the bridge. Rough trails along the river bank are narrow, uneven footpaths between granite boulders and patches of high, thick brush. So wear long pants, sturdy shoes, a hat and layered clothing. Bring water and sunscreen. Contact Mac McCarthy (661) 589-7768 for more information.

Sat. Apr. 21, 7am – Kern River Valley Bioregions Festival and 9am - Bird Walks at Kern River Preserve
Celebrate Earth Day at the Kern River Preserve on Hwy 78 in Weldon, 75 minutes east of Bakersfield. The Bioregions Festival celebrates the unique biological diversity of the Kern River Valley where 5 of California’s 6 bioregions converge to make a habitat for 350 bird species. Audubon’s 3000 acre Kern River Preserve sits along California’s largest remaining contiguous riparian forest in a Globally Significant Important Bird Area. For 7:00 and 9:00 Bird walks, meet at Kern River Preserve’s headquarters on north side of Hwy 178. 9:00 walk be led by Lee Sutton, past president of Kerncrest Audubon (Ridgecrest). Daylong, valley wide celebration includes activities and booths at Kernville’s Circle Park. For a complete list of Festival activities go to kern.audubon.org and scroll down to the Festival’s 2 page flyer.

Sat.-Sun. Apr. 21-22 – Desert Birding and the Amazing Spring Bird Migration at Butterbredt Spring
This year our Butterbredt Springs/Desert Birding adventure will begin midday, Saturday, piggy-backing onto another field trip that day at the Audubon Kern River Preserve in Weldon, (for those who want to combine the two trips.) Birders can join us at various times and places. At 12:30pm, after lunch at the Preserve, the first group will head East on Hwy 178 toward Walker Pass. We will be birding along the way (Pinyon Jays at pass?), and will be at the Jawbone Canyon Rec Visitor Center/Store, off Hwy 14, at 2:30pm. This is a good place to join us. At 3pm we will head to Red Rock Canyon State Park for birding, and then some other unique birding spots. Food is available at the Jawbone Canyon Store/Deli for dinner or you can bring your own food. Some of us will camp in Butterbredt's primitive offside parking area where we will arise early 5:45am the next morning to watch the thousands of migrating birds, then before noon we'll drive back towards California City to hit some more special birding spots before ending our birding outing. Bill Moffat and Deb See will be leading the trip this year, and call Deb at 809-6135 for itinerary, directions, questions, or to optionally RSVP.

Fri.-Sun. Apr. 27-29, (Fri. 6pm, Sat-Sun 6am) – Owens Lake Bird Festival in Lone Pine
Experience thousands of migratory birds at the environmental success story that is Owens Lake. Outing topics include birding, geology, and natural and human histories, so there's sure to be something for everyone. Headquarters for the Festival is Stratham Hall, 138 N Jackson St., Lone Pine. For more information, go to friendsoftheinyo.org. For specific questions, email Alex Ertaud at alex@friendsoftheinyo.org.

Sat. Apr. 28, 8am – Golden Hills Nature Park
This former golf course has been turned into a nature park that has 2 ponds and a stream with riparian vegetation. We hope to see many different bird species due to the diversity of habitats and time of year. Meet at the Burger King Parking lot at 8 am, or meet at the Nature park at around 8:15 am. Any questions? Call Greg Hargleroad: (818) 645-3664.