BMB06/07 Louis Robidoux Nature Centre/Rancho Jurupa Park 3rd March 2006

Eleven Big Morongo Birders arrived at Riverside in threatening weather but had a good walk before rain stopped play and we returned to the Centre. We were most fortunate to meet Park Interpreter Sherrie Chandler who welcomed us to the Museum and gave us a very interesting, impromptu, discourse on the Regional Park and guided us to Rancho Jurupa Park. Four of our party went there and found, the rain having miraculously stopped, interesting birding around the campground and lakes, adding some 15 species to bring our day's total to 47. Most definitely a day to repeat when we can more easily rely on the weather - we missed our picnic! Thanks, Margaret, for the specie list.

Kath has left us for the frozen North (or is it East?) but promises to return, and Cam was fortunate to have a good day during a too brief visit to the Desert. Pam & John are back for theirannual dose of high quality birding with weather to match. Doris has now completed Birding 101

Louis Robidoux Nature Center
Cooper's Hawk	Starlings	Northern Flicker*
Mourning Dove*	Red-winged Blackbird*	Black Phoebe*
House Wren	Turkey Vulture	Red-tailed Hawk
Violet-green Swallow	Red-shouldered Hawk	Rock Pigeon
Ruby-crowned Kinglet*	White-crowned Sparrow	House Finch
Anna's Hummingbird	Common Yellowthroat*	Mallard
Downy Woodpecker	Blue-gray Gnatcatcher*	Song Sparrow
Nuttall's Woodpecker	Yellow-rumped Warbler*	Bushtit*
Brown Creeper	Orange-crowned Warbler	Cattle Egret
Oregon Junco	Kestrel	Grackle*
American Crow	Western Bluebird*
* Also seen at Jurupa County Park
Total number of species in Rubidoux at L. Robidoux Nature Ctr. , 32
Jurupa County Park
(Additional species not seen in Rubidoux)
Coot	Great Blue Heron	Great Egret
Pied-billed Grebe	Ring-necked Duck	Barn Swallow
Rough-winged Swallow	Sharp-shinned Hawk	Ruddy Duck
Phainopepla	Scrub Jay	White-tailed Kite
Marsh Wren	Ring-billed Gull	Chipping Sparrow
Total number of Species at Jurupa County Park, 27
Total number of species at both locations, 47

Banding is in the news and Hummingbird banding on the Preserve resumes on Saturday 11th March. Turkey Vulture banding is already under weigh on the Preserve, lead by Pete Bloom, and in addition to banding, numeric markers are being attached to the wings and solar powered radio transmitters to the tail. Last week we had a return visit from Lauri who is involved in Bluebird banding in Northern Oregon.

Big Morongo Canyon Preserve Monday 13th March 2006. We will meet at 7.30am in the parking lot and cover the West Fork loop as a bird walk. By that time all the trails should be open - Dee tells me that all the trails are now complete, although some finishing work remains.......bb.