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October 12-13 and October 19-20

The Kern River Valley Heritage Foundation will be hosting 2 volunteer service weekends October 12-13 and October 19-20 (8:00am – 2:00pm) at Hanning Flat. We will be constructing 10 new artificial burrows for burrowing owls.

Over the past few years, volunteers have helped construct 15 burrows, some of which were used by the owls within days of their completion! This year we were rewarded with a mating pair of burrowing owls that stayed at Hanning Flat all winter and produced a family of seven owlets in May!

We are hoping that you will join us in October to help with this very successful project. Please bring a hat, gloves, water, lunch, a chair, and a shovel. Primitive camping will be available at Hanning Flat for those who may want to join us all weekend. There will be lunchtime presentations discussing the life cycle and habits of borrowing owls.

For more information, please contact Kathy Dwyer (todwyergm@gmail.com) or Reed Tollerfson (Reed.Tollefson@audubon.org)

Kern River Valley Heritage Foundation’s Hanning Flat Preserve is located on Sierra Way Highway, 9.7 miles east of Kernville and 3.5 miles west of the intersection with Hwy 178. Note: Sierra Way is currently closed at South Fork Kern River bridge. You must go through Lake Isabella around to Kernville.

From gate at Sierra Way, go north on dirt track 1.7 miles to water tank and spring where we will meet.

Data from the China Lake, Lake Isabella, and South Fork Valley CBCs are now posted on our Christmas Bird Count page. Enjoy!

https://www.audubon.org/news/take-virtual-gallery-tour-2020-audubon-photography-awards-winners

Dr. Gray, a scientist and ornithologist will be the first woman to hold the CEO title in the organization’s 116 year history… Read More

This November 2020, a record 218 species in Kern County were accepted into eBird. The prior November record was 195 species during Kerncrest Audubon member Susan Steele’s record-setting, Kern 2011 Big Year. This November was the last month of the year to reach 200+ species eBirded in a single month in a single year.  How did this November reach the 200 club?

Noting the Kern County November 2020 eBird list was off to strong start, on November 12th Bob Barnes and Susan Steele invited birders via email to join in on the effort to reach 200 species eBirded by the end of the month.  The response was terrific; including birders from Kerncrest Audubon, Kern Audubon (Bakersfield), Tulare County Audubon, and elsewhere. 

Among Kerncrest Audubon Society member and friends who entered lists into eBird or provided information to bird locations were: Bob Barnes, Dan Burnett, Mickey Dyke, Bruce Garlinger, Denise LaBerteaux, Ara Marderosian,Jane McEwan-Hewer, Susan Moore, Nancy Robinson, Sean Rowe, John Schmitt, Joyce Seibold, Alison Sheehey, Bob Steele, Susan Steele, Lee Sutton, Lynn Barry Thompson, Rachel Woodard, and Peter Woodman. Thanks to all!

EBIRD (ebird.org) is a free to review and contribute to database used by tens of thousands of birders and many researchers. Data for EVERY country in the world has been entered.  

Now is the time you will find tricolored blackbirds in large concentrations, especially near dairies. If on your travels or birding trips, you find some birds, let Bob Barnes know. All he needs to know is the location and approximate numbers. He will report this to the agency that conducts the survey. This is part of the statewide survey done annually to find out the current status of this important bird.