David Rice presents “Why We Bird” 
What makes birders get up early to walk through the woods or tromp through wet fields? Why do we drive a hundred miles to catch a glimpse of a rare species? Why do we keep the feeder full?
Our January speaker David Rice answers these questions with his book Why We Bird. Published in 2013 by Golden Gate Audubon, the book organizes a lifetime of birding experiences into insightful short essays on the allure and attraction of birding.
There are as many reasons to bird as there are bird lovers. David Rice discusses seven reasons why we bird: Flight, Song, Color; Identifications; Games; Surprises; Conservation; Stories; and Solace.
Rice’s book is a collection of stories: birding with a friend after he gets dementia; telling a grandson about owls; analyzing a great misidentification; listening to cranes; chasing rare birds, pelagic birds, and life birds; canoeing on Christmas Counts; and more.
Why We Bird includes the reasons other bird lovers have watched, chased, or protected birds, and has an extensive reference list of birding — as opposed to bird — books. Why We Bird differs from these other birding books because it focuses directly on why we bird. Why We Bird is also a tour of many of the top birding spots in California, from Tule Lake to the Salton Sea.
Author David Rice did not buy a pair of binoculars and start birding until his mid-twenties. When he wanted to know more, he took Joe Morlan’s bird identification classes in San Francisco and joined the local Golden Gate Audubon Society. He is a knowledgeable birder, not an expert.
Rice’s birding resume includes conducting censuses for two breeding bird atlases, co-leading a Golden Gate Audubon Society (GGAS) birding backpack trip to Lassen Volcanic National Park for thirty-plus years, and finding at least 150 birds in each of California’s 58 counties. He was on the board of directors of GGAS in the 1980s, and is a co-author of the Alameda County Breeding Bird Atlas. He works as a psychologist in private practice and lives in Berkeley, California.
At the January chapter meeting, David Rice will share selections from his book and engage with the audience to answer questions and share birding experiences. Please join us for a very enjoyable evening!
Please note meeting place change
Starting in January Redbud Audubon will be meeting at the Methodist Church Social Hall, 16255 Second St. in Lower Lake as we did last year. The hall is across the parking lot from the Methodist Church. If you are coming through Lower Lake, turn left on Lake Street and then right on Second St. The church is on the right. We feel that moving our meetings to the south end of the county for half of our year is a way to accommodate all of our Redbud Audubon members county wide.
Annual field trip to the NWRs will be January 23
The January 23, field trip hosted by the Redbud Audubon Society will be to the Colusa National Wildlife Refuge and the Sacramento Wildlife Refuge in the Sacramento Valley.
Carpooling is available. Participants leave Lower Lake around 8 a.m. and meet on the east end of the Main Street to park in a place that won’t interfere with merchants in town. Don’t miss this great opportunity to view a wide variety of migrating wildfowl with expert Audubon birders.
For more information and to make reservations, contact Pat Harmon at 263-4977.
Please note the field trip is the Saturday after the regular Audubon meeting. The listing in the calendar has been incorrect; it is Jan. 23, not Jan. 16. We regret the error!!!!
