"Blue" Jays and "Cheeseburger" Birds: Common Birds of the Sierra Nevada - May 22
Lecture with Sarah Pitzer, UC Davis
Published on May 9, 2008 - 7:00:21 AM

By: UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center

May 8 2008 - Have you ever seen a bird and wondered what kind it was? Or wanted to know more about it? You aren't alone. Birds' bright colors, sweet songs, and ability to fly have fascinated humans for thousands of years. They are found on every continent, in every habitat. Birds are some of the most easily observed animals on the planet, making them a familiar sight for all of us. However, though we may see birds every day, we may not know much about them.

About 320 species of birds live all or part of their lives in the Sierra Nevada. Join us as ornithologist Sarah Pitzer provides a glimpse into the fascinating world of the birds in our own backyards.

Bird Walk on Saturday, May 24: The best way to learn how to identify birds is to practice. With that in mind, join Sarah on a beginner bird walk at Spooner Lake on May 24. Meet in the TCES parking lot at 9 a.m. and carpool to Spooner Lake. Please note that Spooner charges a $6 entry fee per car. The trail around Spooner Lake is an easy, 2.25 mile hike. We will be done around 12 noon. Bring binoculars and a bird guide if you have them.

Sarah Pitzer is a self-confessed bird nerd, and has been birding since she was eight years old, when she studied the birds in her yard for a science fair project. She received her Masters in Avian Science from UC Davis in 2006 by studying the relationship between gender and size in three species of hawks in collaboration with the Golden Gate Raptor Observatory. She has educated the public about birds and other animals as a naturalist for the World Bird Sanctuary and as a docent for the Davis Wetlands. Currently, Sarah is serving her second year as an AmeriCorps member with the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center, and she volunteers with California State Parks for various birds surveys.

Date: Thursday, May 22, 2008

Time: 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.

Meet the speaker 5:30 - 6:00 p.m.

Lecture begins promptly at 6:00 p.m.

Cost: $5 donation requested. No-Host Bar.

Location: Assembly Rooms 139 & 141, Tahoe Center for Environmental Sciences, 291 Country Club Drive, Incline Village, Nevada (on the campus of Sierra Nevada College)

Website: Website: http://terc.ucdavis.edu

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