On Monday, October 17 at 7:30 p.m. at the Chico Creek Nature Center, Sanford R. "Sandy" Wilbur will present "Condor Tales: What I Learned in Twelve Years with the Big Birds".  Sandy has 34 years of experience and service with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service including being in charge of their California Condor research program from 1969 to 1980, and was leader of the condor recovery effort. His research has also included studies of endangered Clapper Rails, Least Terns, and Least Vireos.  Using color slides and readings from his new book, he will trace the history of the species from the Pleistocene to the present day and talk about the efforts to save it from extinction.  Information on his book can be found on his web site at: http://home.netcom.com/~symbios/condortales.html

The planned slide shows by J.T Lewis and Steve Emmons had to be postponed because no digital projector equipment was currently available to Altacal.  However, Marylou Martin expressed interest in providing the funds for a digital projector and requested that Altacal send her a proposal – a generous and welcome suggestion!  Steve did a mini-show from his lap-top after various folks told about recent local bird sightings and birds seen on trips outside of our area.

Mike Fisher spoke about a birding trip to Costa Rica and others in the group who had been there participated in the discussion.  Jackson Shedd talked about a trip that he and his wife, (and outgoing Education Chairperson) Mela Garcia-Shedd, took to Baja California where they saw Yellow-footed Gull, Crested Caracara, Xantus’s Hummingbird, Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, Magnificent Frigatebird, and others.  Tim Ruckle mentioned some of the birds he and Altacal members Kathryn Hood and Ruth Kennedy saw in the Anchorage and Kenai Peninsula areas on trips to Alaska in July.  Among them were Harlequin Duck, Red-necked Grebe, Horned Grebe, Arctic Tern, Red-necked Phalarope, Tufted and Horned Puffin, Rhinocerous Auklet, Kittlitz’s Murrelet, Marbled Murrelet, Pigeon Guillemot, Northwestern Crow and Boreal Chickadee.  Michelle Ocken spoke of the highlights of the recent trip to a Sacramento River National Wildlife Refuge that the Chico State Birding Club sponsored (see “Trip Reports” below).