To all fellow HSV Audubon Members,

Welcome to the Summer of 2017. The years are flying by. Many of us are on the road during the Arkansas summer months, visiting friends and relatives, in order to escape the hot and humid weather in the Village. Birding, being our hobby, isn’t much fun here in the heat, plus the chiggers. Yuck.

So pack up your birding I.D. books and your binoculars and take them with you on your journey. See how many birds you can find that aren’t in our area currently. Those Juncos and Red -breasted Nuthatches are smart, you will find them up North building their nests. There are so many spots to find birds, the local parks, the wildlife refuges, and the seashore, each offering a variety of species.

I have a little job for you to do while out there birding. See if you can find an IBA sign. What is that? IBA stands for Important Bird Area. Audubon, along with other organizations, began this program in the 1990’s. It is a global effort that identifies and protects habitat that will protect sustainable populations of birds. The groups work together to implement conservation solutions. Arkansas initiated a program in 2001. There are currently 33 IBA located in all regions of the state. If you would like more information, google Audubon, IBA.

I first saw an IBA sign when our son took us to Montrose Harbor on Lake Michigan in Chicago. He pointed the sign out to us and thought it was funny, wondering what that important bird was! He even took a picture of us standing by the sign. Being the Google person I am, I had to find out what that sign was all about. I found it very interesting.

Should you come across any of the signs over the summer, take a picture, tell the location, and send it on to me at dscondon@juno.comI will share with our members. Enjoy your summer and have safe journeys, wherever they may take you.

Good Birding,