Events in February 2025
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January 26, 2025
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January 27, 2025
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January 28, 2025
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January 29, 2025
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January 30, 2025
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January 31, 2025
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February 1, 2025(1 event) – Please join us the first Saturday of each month at 9 AM (barring special events or bad weather which will be announced on our Facebook page), for "Beginning Birding Walks," led by experienced birders from the Audubon Society of Kalamazoo. This event is free and open to the public. Meet at the second parking lot at Wolf Lake State Fish Hatchery in Mattawan, just off SR 43. All skill levels are welcome. We will enjoy nature while typically identifying 20-40 species of birds, plus butterflies, frogs, etc. Over 200 bird species have been sighted at Wolf Lake, which offers a variety of habitats and easy walking trails. Annual highlights include colorful songbirds like orioles, warblers, tanagers, hawks and eagles, kingfishers, Great Blue and Green Herons, and over 20 species of waterfowl. Eastern Bluebirds can be found year-round! Children accompanying adults are welcome. The focus is on birding fundamentals, and extra binoculars are always available. The walk typically takes about 2 hours (but feel free to arrive late or leave early). Wolf Lake State Fish Hatchery |
February 2, 2025
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February 3, 2025
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February 4, 2025
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February 5, 2025
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February 6, 2025
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February 7, 2025
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February 8, 2025
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February 9, 2025(1 event) – This winter is bringing some uncommon bird species to our area, including Tundra Swan; Snow, Ross’s, and Cackling Geese; ducks; loons; gulls; Snow Buntings; and Lapland Longspurs. Weather permitting, we will try to locate some nearby birds that have been reported on various birding hotlines in this impromptu event. Meet us at the Oakland Drive/I-94 Park & Ride (2500 Vincent Avenue, Portage, MI 49024) at 9:00 AM. From there, we will caravan to visit several locations around the area, birding by roadside, and possibly walking several hundred yards on grass, gravel, or dirt roads at several locations. Dress warmly and don’t forget snow boots. We will have a spotting scope available, and binoculars for anyone needing them. Additional scopes are welcome! Leaders: Susan Creager (269) 716-7988 and Kent Martin (256) 751-3358 Kalamazoo County |
February 10, 2025
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February 11, 2025
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February 12, 2025
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February 13, 2025
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February 14, 2025
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February 15, 2025(2 events) – ![]() Celebrate Winter Birds & Blooms with activities for the whole family! Open to all ages. Dress warm for the walk; the trails can be windy! If extreme weather or other factors cause a cancellation, this will be communicated at Facebook.com/wolflakehatchery.
This event is presented in partnership with Michigan DNR, the Friends of Wolf Lake, Kalamazoo in Bloom, Kalamazoo Area Wild Ones, Southwest Michgan Land Conservancy, and VanBuren County Conservation District.
Wolf Lake State Fish Hatchery – The Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) is an annual worldwide effort to connect people with birds – see https://www.birdcount.org for additional information. (This year’s event spans February 14-17.) This field trip is part of the Birds and Blooms event taking place at the hatchery from 1:00-4:00 PM. We will meet for birding at the Visitor Center (34270 County Rd 652, Mattawan, MI 49071) at 2:00 PM. It can get quite cold and windy ─ dress appropriately! Leaders: Susan Creager (269) 716-7988 and Donna Keller. Wolf Lake State Fish Hatchery |
February 16, 2025
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February 17, 2025
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February 18, 2025
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February 19, 2025
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February 20, 2025
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February 21, 2025
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February 22, 2025
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February 23, 2025
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February 24, 2025(1 event) – Michigan is home to many raptor species. Some, like Short-eared Owls, Snowy Owls, or Golden Eagles, grace us with their presence only occasionally and attract forays of excited birders to see them while they are visiting. Other species are abundant year-round residents that we see frequently and that don’t garner the excitement of the more “exotic” species. They may seem rather, hmmm...boring: “Oh, just another Red-tailed Hawk.” Well, that’s only because you haven’t yet heard Nick Alioto’s presentation! Nick’s program on this well-known but little-studied species has fascinating active graphics of their travels around the area and highlights new information about this species. You may no longer think of them as boring! Nick will provide background on the Red-tailed Hawk project and shine light on all the various aspects of research this group is focused on. He will then discuss how he became interested and involved in studying Red-tailed Hawks and why the Straits of Mackinac serve as an ideal location to study this species. Nick will also talk about what we have learned from tracking these birds over the last four years. Specifically, he will focus on the migratory ecology of the Great Lakes population with emphasis on migratory routes, breeding and wintering locations, and dark morph individuals. Nick Alioto is originally from Ontario, Canada. He obtained his BS in 2016 from Bishops’ University in Quebec, Canada. Currently he is a PhD student at Michigan State University where he studies the migration of Red-tailed Hawks in Michigan. This project is in collaboration with the Red-tailed Hawk project and the Mackinac Straits Raptor Watch. Nick has been working on migration related projects since 2016 and specifically with Red-tailed Hawks since 2019. We hope you'll join us on Monday, February 24, at People's Church, 1758 North 10th Street, Kalamazoo. Come at 7:00 PM for some refreshments and socializing. Snacks and beverages will be provided. It’s helpful if you bring your own coffee cup. The one-hour program will start at 7:30. Masks are recommended but not required in the church. Handicap parking and access is at either the front or the rear entrance. We will have a simultaneous Zoom link to the meeting for those who can’t make it or feel uncomfortable as yet to attend in person. This link will be available shortly before the meeting in the March newsletter that is emailed to you and in this event description below. We will also be recording the meeting for later viewing. Join Zoom Meeting - https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82164628462. |
February 25, 2025
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February 26, 2025
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February 27, 2025
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February 28, 2025
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March 1, 2025(1 event) – Please join us the first Saturday of each month at 9 AM (barring special events or bad weather which will be announced on our Facebook page), for "Beginning Birding Walks," led by experienced birders from the Audubon Society of Kalamazoo. This event is free and open to the public. Meet at the second parking lot at Wolf Lake State Fish Hatchery in Mattawan, just off SR 43. All skill levels are welcome. We will enjoy nature while typically identifying 20-40 species of birds, plus butterflies, frogs, etc. Over 200 bird species have been sighted at Wolf Lake, which offers a variety of habitats and easy walking trails. Annual highlights include colorful songbirds like orioles, warblers, tanagers, hawks and eagles, kingfishers, Great Blue and Green Herons, and over 20 species of waterfowl. Eastern Bluebirds can be found year-round! Children accompanying adults are welcome. The focus is on birding fundamentals, and extra binoculars are always available. The walk typically takes about 2 hours (but feel free to arrive late or leave early). Wolf Lake State Fish Hatchery |