Birding Class: Acorn Woodpecker Lifestyle
By Ruth Troetschler
Thursday, September 9, 2010, 7:00pm

The presentation details the appearance, calls, diet and lifestyle of these cooperatively breeding woodpeckers, and how they differ from other woodpeckers. It includes indication of their habitat requirements, and why she thinks this seemingly abundant species might still be threatened.

Ruth has a masters degree in biological science, and spent 7 years studying this species. She recently gave a keynote presentation at a SCVAS general meeting on this subject. She also has followed Burrowing Owls in recent years and chaired the local effort to census the owls. 

Accompanying Field Trip:
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve, Stanford
Follow-up field trip to study Acorn Woodpecker colonies at Jasper Ridge. The field trip is open to everyone with a $5.00 fee paid to the instructor. Check our website over the summer and/or the September Needles for time and directions.

Social and Survival Behavior in African Birds and Mammals
By Doug Cheeseman
Thursday, October 14, 7:00pm

Doug will have an energetic program using his personal images from his annual trips to East Africa. He and his family own Cheeseman’s Ecology Safaris. Doug and Gail Cheeseman have been leading African wildlife safaris since 1978. In 1998 Doug retired from many years of teaching zoology and ecology at De Anza College to photograph and lead wildlife safaris around the world full time. They have led over 50 safaris to Africa with the majority to Tanzania and Kenya and Doug has been doing slide shows for Sequoia Audubon for many years.

Doug’s images can be seen on the following web site: www.peterarnold.com. Doug will present about 120 images focusing on wildlife behavior that he has observed, including mating and feeding strategies. He will have many action photos from his safaris this year in February and August. Doug will emphasize bird families, as well as a few exciting mammals, as he illustrates competition and breeding success including, in some cases, cooperation in raising young.

Birding Class: Guidelines for Drawing Birds
By Edward Rooks
Thursday, November 11, 2010, 7:00pm

Did you know that anyone can be taught to draw? Join naturalist and wildlife artist Edward Rooks to uncover the budding artist within you! Bring a pencil and some paper and we will draw a crow, an owl, a duck, an egret and a hummingbird from projected photographs using guidelines and some basic understanding of bird anatomy. Recommend bringing a 5MM, HB mechanical pencil, eraser and paper. (Any pencil will do, but you will need a sharpener if you bring a regular wood barrel pencil.)

Edward grew up on the Caribbean island nation of Trinidad and Tobago where he worked at the Asa Wright Nature Centre.

Some of Edward’s artworks have won awards and honors. His painting of Trinidad's Oilbirds won a 1st place award in a juried art show at the Los Gatos Art Gallery in 1994. His painting of a California Tiger Salamander won the 1st place award in the California Department of Fish and Game's Native Species Stamp Contest in 1994. His Golden Trout appeared on the California Sport Fishing License in 1993. He designed a wine label for Johnston's Vineyard of Napa Valley that won a Gold Medal in the label contest of the New World International Wine Competition in 1996. Edward’s illustrations appear in biological journals, nature magazines, booklets, newsletters and on a brochure depicting 37 birds of the Asa Wright Nature Centre. In 2009 Edward illustrated a bilingual children's book. Three calendars based on some of his illustrations have been sold in Trinidad and Tobago. 

Edward teaches nature drawing in Antarctica for Cheesemans’ Ecology Safaris, and he teaches drawing part time for Santa Clara University. He has also given workshops on drawing at Villa Montalvo in Saratoga, at the Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society, at the annual Central Valley Birding Symposium in Stockton California and at the California Fish and Wildlife's Wild on Wetlands Weekend in Los Banos,California. 

Edward has led several natural history/bird watching tours to Trinidad and Tobago for the Cheesemans' Ecology Safaris since 1990. His next tour to Trinidad and Tobago will be in May 2011. Website: http://www.rooksart.com/

Accompanying Field Trip:
Saturday, November 13, 2010, 9am to noon
Palo Alto Duck Pond, 2775 Embarcdero Rd.
The duck pond is an ideal place to draw tame, large, wild birds at close range. 
Fall and winter is a great time to see the ducks, geese, gulls and shorebirds that make their way to this popular pond.
The field trip is open to everyone with a $5.00 fee paid to the instructor.
Recommended: a 5MM, HB mechanical pencil, eraser and paper. (Any pencil will do, but you will need a sharpener if you bring a regular wood barrel pencil.)
Directions: Drive east on Embarcadero Road, Palo Alto toward the Lucy Evans Baylands Nature Interpretive Center. Before you reach the center you’ll see the duck pond on the left. It has an east and west parking lot. We’ll meet in the east lot. There’s also a small picnic area nearby.