Second Saturday Ahead

Wondering what the plans are for Second Saturday this month at Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge?  Dr. Wayne Meyer, Associate Professor of Biology at Austin College, will speak on “Birding by Ear” for the Second Saturday program, at 10 am on Saturday, April 12.

According to Cornell Lab of Ornithology, “When a bird sings, it is telling you what it is and where it is.”  Learning bird calls adds a new dimension to birding and helps identify birds that may not be seen or seen clearly.

On the website, About.com/Birding/Wild Birds we read

Many birders focus primarily on learning to identify birds by sight based on plumage, colors and field markings. Learning to identify birds by sound, however, can help birders identify many birds whose songs and calls are more distinctive than their coloration. Tuning your ear to a bird’s song can also help you locate birds more easily instead of relying on brief flickers of moment through dense trees and brush, and birders who recognize birds’ songs can also enjoy birding when low light levels and poor visibility may restrict visual birding. Most important, however, is the fact that a bird’s song is yet one more clear field mark for its positive identification, and combining a knowledge of bird sounds with visual sightings can help you better appreciate the diversity of avian life you see.

Meyer will also lead a birding walk that morning at 8 am, weather permitting; participants will meet at the Visitor Center at the Refuge.  Second Saturday nature programs at the Refuge are free and open to the public.