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The Yakima Valley Audubon Society meets on the fourth Thursday of January, February, March, April, May, August, September, and October at 7 pm at the Yakima Area Arboretum, located at 1401 Arboretum Drive, Yakima, WA.

Upcoming 2012 Field Trips

Weekly Thursday Morning Bird Walks – Meet the group at the new parking lot at the east end of Valley Mall Blvd. north of the roundabout at 8:30 am. The meeting place may change occasionally. See The Crier for more details.

January 28 White Swan Raptor Tour - Toppenish to Fort Simcoe – We will tour west from US-97 south of Toppenish along Marion Drain Road. Winter sees a large number of raptors in the Lower Yakima Valley. This is a great tour to sample these birds. Expect upwards of 10 species. Study up on the common species: Bald Eagle, Northern Harrier, Sharp-shinned and Cooper's Hawks, Red-tailed Hawk, American Kestrel, and Prairie Falcon. We'll keep an eye out for scarcer types such as Northern Goshawk, Rough-legged Hawk, Merlin and Golden Eagle. A walk around Fort Simcoe will be good for stretching our legs. On our return we'll take a look at the water towers in Toppenish for Peregrine Falcon. Also, we won't ignore owls if we encounter one! Back by 4 pm. Bring lunch and dress for the weather. Contact leader Andy Stepniewski to say you are going and to get the location and time to meet the group.

Please call the leader before the trip to let him/her know you are interested in going. That way, if plans need to be changed, he/she can call you. Also, if no one calls, the leader will know to cancel the field trip and won't be sitting around at the meeting place all alone! Be sure to wear clothing appropriate for the weather and take lunch, snacks and beverages. With high gas prices it is important for all participants to contribute for gas. Based on four people in a car, here are the totals per person: 100 miles driven on the trip — $5.00 each; 150 miles — $8.00 each, 200 miles — $10.00 each; 250 miles — $13.00 each; 300 miles — $16.00each. Please pay your share; if drivers have to pay most of the gas bill, they may quit driving.

Due to the increase in numbers of field trip participants, it is very important to contact the trip leader a few days before the trip to let him or her know you will be attending. The driving route of some trips may not have suitable parking for a long line of cars, so the leader may decide to limit the number of participants. So please phone early to assure your spot on the field trip.