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Every year many people think Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are in serious decline and not nearly as many are at their feeders as the previous year.  That’s probably because they are remembering last September when all the adults and the young of the year were eating them out of house and home.  From that peak of population … Read more

This announcement from MLIve/Kalamazoo Gazette. Not only is the name very appropriate but the winning entry came from Audubon Society of Kalamazoo members. On Friday July 25th, Fifth Third Bank’s naming committee selected “Promise” as the official name of the falcon that was released to the wild Thursday, July 3, after it fell from its … Read more

This past Thursday (July 17) I recaptured a Ruby-throated Hummingbird at a home near Waterloo, Jackson County, that I had banded there on June 8, 2006. She was an adult when banded, so was hatched in summer 2005 or earlier, making her at least 9 years 1 month old (using the Bird Banding Lab’s standard … Read more

Peregrine Falcon, female (AKA Rebecca). Kalamazoo, MI Spring 2014. This female has just started to hunt again after successfully incubating and rearing four chicks. The chicks were about two weeks old when she started to hunt again. Until then the male was providing all the meals. He is about 40% smaller and could not bring … Read more

Here is the latest update on the Kalamazoo Peregrine Falcon family from Dave Chmielewski with two of his great photos. Getting there at 7 AM on a Sunday morning is dedication. Fair light this morning for photography. Roof top was empty. I guess everyone else was still in bed. I wanted to be BUT. When … Read more

Check out these articles on the release of the Peregrine Falcon chick that was returned to downtown Kalamazoo after spending a week in rehab. Please copy an paste these links into your browser if the links are not live. http://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2014/07/hold_young_falcon_rejoins_kala.html#cmpid=nwsltrhead http://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2014/07/kalamazoo_name_your_falcon_ban.html#incart_related_stories   Karen Tindall, who works downtown and has been very helpful in keeping the … Read more

Here is another update and photo of the Kalamazoo Peregrine Falcon family by Audubon Society of Kalamazoo member Dave Chmielewski. What a difference a day makes. Yesterday, Sunday 6-29-2014, the light for photography was terrible but the birds were super active. All kinds of action shots (mostly throw-always because of the poor light). Today, Monday … Read more

This update was provided by Audubon Society of Kalamazoo member Dave Chmielewski who also provided the photos. We thank Dave for the updates and allowing us to post his photos. I arrived at Gilmore parking ramp roof about 7AM. Lighting was poor at best for photography but I gave it a go. Quiet at first. … Read more

We have flight! Rebecca is giving flying lessons to the chicks. Yesterday and this morning two of the three chicks were flying. One chick is strong enough to fly around the 5th/3rd bank and back to the Gilmore tower roost. The male is still there but not as interactive as Rebecca. Rebecca brings the chicks … Read more

Read the latest news of Kalamazoo’s Peregrine Falcons.

This report and photo from Audubon Society of Kalamazoo member Dave Chmielewski about his observations on June 22, 2014. This morning I was able to verify (from one vantage point) 2 adult and 3 juvenile Peregrines. The male was perched on the metal rail one floor down from the roof on the SW corner of … Read more

For stories on Kalamazoo’s Peregrine Falcons nesting and hatching young see the links: http://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2014/06/kalamazoos_peregrine_falcons_h.html http://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2014/06/kalamazoos_peregrine_falcon_ch.html#cmpid=nwsltrhead Below a couple of reports from observers of the first fledgings on June 20th: 1. Bill Heyd: Carolyn and I visited the Kazoo peregrines this morning, and one young was already on the floor of the sixth level upon our … Read more

Purple Martin landlords in Michigan are in the beginning stages of forming a state-wide organization dedicated to the welfare and management of this native swallow with very specialized needs. Anyone interested in becoming involved in the founding of this new group should contact Jackson Audubon President and Purple Martin landlord Connie Spotts at 517-529-9031 (bflylady27@netzero.net) … Read more

By Penny Briscoe The passenger pigeon officially became extinct on September 1, 1914.  A lonely pigeon named Martha at the Cincinnati Zoo died on that day and was the last of her kind. She now stands mounted in the Smithsonian Natural History Museum in Washington, D.C., a symbol for humankind that it is possible for … Read more

http://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2014/03/take_a_rare_look_at_ducks_that.html Photos in the article by Audubon Society of Kalamazoo members Kent Martin and Timon Tesar.

View the NEWSCHANNEL 3 report on the latest of the downtown Kalamazoo Peregrine Falcons. http://www.wwmt.com/shared/news/features/top-stories/stories/wwmt_rare-peregrine-falcons-nesting-kalamazoo-highrise-19080.shtml#.UyGB9V6ppIu      

Andy Bacon, the Stewardship Coordinator for MNA spoke to the Kalamazoo Area Wild Ones on Wednesday, February 26 to talk about MNA’s Conservation Priorities for Southwest Michigan.  One of MNA’s largest projects is at Dowagiac Woods which has been enlarged to the north.  Some of the new property contains farm fields which are now being … Read more

Snowy Owls live in the treeless tundra of the Arctic. This winter they are turning up in seemingly unprecedented numbers in Michigan, the Great Lakes region and the East. This movement is driven because their food supply in the Arctic is very low and when they can’t find enough food they are forced to move … Read more

If you missed the September 2013 Audubon Society of Kalamazoo monthly meeting with the presentation by Dr. David Karowe on how climate change will affect birds, he has graciously made available a file of his PowerPoint presentation for viewing.   Dr. Karowe is an environmental activist who is attempting to make a difference through education.  … Read more

ASK has been slowly but surely moving into the electronic communications world. But don’t worry, we won’t do away with the hard copy of the newsletter. So where have we been and where are we going? Our first attempt at a web page was about 15 years ago, but it was not until seven years … Read more