We will have a potluck get together on August 18 around 4pm.
Where:
South shelter area at Oscoda Beach Park.

Meeting at 4 eat at 5.
Bring chair, own service & beverage.
Masks & folding chair needed.
Making decisions on AVA role during COVID-19 situation.

.

A bunch of members installed some birdhouse at Blue Horizon the other day.

Unfortunately due to the Corona Virus, we canceled our Migration 2020 and 2021 Events.

There Will Be No Migration 2021!!

All early registrants have been refunded and notified with a Thank You letter!

The April Meeting has been canceled!

Our April speaker.Adam Beckta, has agreed to present the “Beyond Moreals” talk at our May 5th meeting at 7 pm. Meeting will be held at Trinity Lutheran Church in Oscoda starting at 5 pm as this is our annual pot-luck.

23d Great Backyard Bird Count

February 14-17,2020

Tuesday, February 4, 2020, Public Information Meeting

August 27th, 2019

Our trip to Tawas Point was on a cold, intermittent rainy day, May 13. However, many birds were seen and enjoyed and good learning was going on because of our wonderful guide, Sam Burckhardt. Sam is a professional guide, who is truly a great asset to us! Many Thanks to Sam and all that attended.

Dear AVA Members,

To all those who braved the cold wind during this morning’s field trip lead by Sam Burckhardt and all those who stayed home in their warm beds at 7 am, here is a list of the different species that were observed.

This eBird list was compiled by Larry VanWagoner.

My thanks to all who braved the cold weather.

Sam

Tawas Point State Park, East Tawas US-MI (44.2538,-83.4483), Iosco, Michigan, US

May 13, 2019 7:02 AM – 9:35 AM

Protocol: Traveling

1.459 mile(s)

Comments:     AVA field trip, cloudy and drizzle at times, winds out of North, 42 F

51 species

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)  5

Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)  1

Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator)  1

Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)  2

Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris)  1

Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis)  4

Herring Gull (Larus argentatus)  9

Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne caspia)  2

Common Loon (Gavia immer)  1

Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus)  12

Green Heron (Butorides virescens)  1

Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)  2

Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)  1

Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon)  1

Red-headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus)  2

Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus)  1

Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) (Colaptes auratus auratus/luteus)  4

Merlin (Falco columbarius)  2

Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata)  12

Purple Martin (Progne subis)  1

Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor)  20

Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)  20

Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus)  3

Red-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis)  8

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea)  1

American Robin (Turdus migratorius)  5

Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis)  3

Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum)  1

European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)  12

Purple Finch (Haemorhous purpureus)  2

American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis)  1

Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina)  1

Clay-colored Sparrow (Spizella pallida)  2

American Tree Sparrow (Spizelloides arborea)  1

White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis)  6

Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia)  4

Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula)  9

Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)  40

Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater)  6

Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula)  20

Black-and-white Warbler (Mniotilta varia)  3

Tennessee Warbler (Oreothlypis peregrina)  1

American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla)  6

Cape May Warbler (Setophaga tigrina)  9

Northern Parula (Setophaga americana)  2

Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia)  1

Black-throated Blue Warbler (Setophaga caerulescens)  1

Palm Warbler (Setophaga palmarum)  20

Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata)  30

Scarlet Tanager (Piranga olivacea)  3

Rose-breasted Grosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus)  5

A small but efficient and hardworking team of 9 met for the spring clean up on M-55 west of Tawas on Saturday, May 4, 2019. Their task was to address two miles of highway which had missed a fall 2018 cleaning. It took two hours of sunshine and walking to complete the two miles under AVA care. Eighteen bags of trash, some lumber, a full and complete car bumper and a number of ‘roadies” (ten cent refundable cans) were collected. Thanks to folks like this, AVA has 227 bags of trash removed to their credit. These efforts give us all a healthier habitat, a more attractive landscape and a fine sense of accomplishment.
Thanks to ALL our Road Clean Up Teams Present and Past!