A Thought-Proving Birds & Brews!

We had a sunny, autumn day for our Birds & Brews event! Garret Johnson, Executive Director of Michigan Nature Association gave a thought-provoking presentation on Land Protection and the Challenges of Conserving Migratory Birds. 

Garret Johnson & Paul Messing, Board Member

We had our usual brews and good conversation afterwards. Our raffle was especially fun as the Birds & Brews crew always comes up with nice items to help raise money for the Michigan Audubon. One of the prizes was a framed photograph of a Cedar Waxwing taken by Paul Messing. This beautiful photo was featured in an insert in the New York Times.  Congrats to Paul!

I'm looking forward to our next gathering in November. Until then, cheers!

Presentation Reminder - Land Protection and the Challenges of Conserving Migratory Birds

For some reason, the Birds & Brews event flyer on the previous post isn't showing up correctly for some.  Here are the details for our Birds & Brews event on October 9th.  RSVP's are appreciated!

Land Protection and the Challenges of  Conserving Migratory Birds

Presented by Garret M. Johnson, Executive Director Michigan Nature Association

 

Wednesday, October 9 at Bailey’s Pub in Dearborn

Reserved lounge area

Social hour 6:00—7:00 p.m.

Presentation will begin at 7:00 p.m.

RSVP required: shelleyupnorth@gmail.com

 

About Garret M. Johnson: - Prior to joining MNA as  its executive director, Garret worked in Washington D.C. as director of federal affairs for Pacific Forest Trust, a San Francisco-based land trust/think tank focusing on the nexus between large –scale forest conservation and climate and energy policy.

 

 

Special Presentation on Oct. 9th - Land Protection and the Challenges of Conserving Migratory Birds

So much to talk about at Birds & Brews!

A great gathering of old friends and new friends tonight at Birds & Brews! Bailey's Pub was kind enough to let us use their private lounge which provided for a more intimate gathering. We had some new friends join us from Friends of the Rouge River and the Farmington Hills Nature Center.

First on deck was Michigan Audubon's Executive Director, Jonathan Lutz. Jonathan provided an update on Audubon Chapters and how Birds & Brews is a contemporary take for advocating for birds. He also spoke about their beautiful bird sanctuary, Lake Bluff located on Lake Michigan. We gave away a 1 night stay as a prize tonight. Lastly, a reminder on the upcoming Crane Fest http://cranefest.org/ which is always one of my personal favorites!

Our main speaker, Huron Pines Project Manager Patrick Ertel spoke on Restoring Stream Habitats through Priority Project Implementation. He brought a water tube prop to demonstrate the effects of warm water on sand and related it to our rivers. He next gave a slide show which covered some of their Dam projects. It was a very engaging presentation and many questions were asked.

Our last speaker of the night was Abby Ertel, Kirtland's Warbler Coordinator at Huron Pines. Abby gave an update on the Kirtland's Warbler Initiative which is building the support network necessary to delist the species from the Endangered Species List and ensuring the warbler continues to thrive into the future. - See more at: http://www.huronpines.org/program.asp?pjt=gv&gid=6 

Please mark your calendar for our next Birds & Brews on Wednesday, October 9th. Details soon to follow!

Birds & Brews September 11 Event!

Birds & Brews Special Presentation:

Restoring Stream Habitats through Priority Project Implementation

·         Date: Wednesday, September 11

·         Time: 6:00 pm – 6:45 pm Social Hour / 6:45 pm. Presentation

·         Place: Bailey’s Pub, 22091 Michigan Ave, Dearborn

·         RSVPs are required for this event: shelleyupnorth@gmail.com

This presentation will be given by Patrick Ertel, Project Manager at Huron Pines, a non-profit conservation organization located in northern Michigan.  Now in his 8^th year with Huron Pines, Patrick has taken on more of a technical advisor and project development role. This is a good fit for him as he gets the opportunity to teach numerous audiences and blend in his cross section of experience.

Patrick’s Background: After earning his Master’s Degree from Ohio University, Patrick spent time in New Brunswick, Canada, while banding migratory songbirds. From the Bay of Fundy, Patrick moved to North Carolina, where is worked restoring oyster reefs for The Nature Conservancy. Since joining Huron Pines, Patrick has continued to hone his expertise by completing numerous fluvial geomorphology courses and presenting at Great Lakes-wide conferences and workshops.

Photos from our June 12th Birds & Brews event

 

Where has the time gone? This has been a busy summer and pretty soon fall migration will be here. I wanted to share photos from our June 12th event at Wild Birds Unlimited in Canton.  I am looking forward to seeing all of you for our special September 11th event at Bailey's Pub in Dearborn.  Happy Birding!

June 12 - Birds & Brews in Canton!

We are going off-site for our next Birds & Brews!  Brian & Michele Hintz of Wild Birds Unlimited in Canton have offered to host our next meeting at their store.  We will be offering light snacks & refreshments.  Additionally, they will be providing a special discount on any bird purchases you may want to make. They will announce the details at our gathering.

In addition, Janet Hug of the Oakland Audubon Society & the Young Birders Club http://www.oaklandaudubon.org/YoungBirders.html will be speaking about how to get young ones interested in birding as well as their upcoming events. 

RSVP's are kindly requested for this event.

Date: Wednesday, June 12th
Place: Wild Birds Unlimited in Canton, 41816 Ford Road, Canton. Tel: 734-983-9130
Time: 6:00 - 8:30 (Janet will begin speaking at 6:45 / 7:00 p.m.)
RSVP: shelleyupnorth@gmail.com

A quick reminder that Michigan Audubon's Cerulean Warbler Weekend is May 31 - June 2 in Barry County, MI. http://ceruleanwarbler.org/
See Henslow’s and Grasshopper Sparrow, Red-headed and Pileated Woodpecker, Northern and Louisiana Waterthrush, Hooded and, of course, Cerulean Warbler.

Happy Birding!

Shelley Martinez

April 10 Birds & Brews Recap

April 10 was a fun night for Birds & Brews! We were fortunate to have Michigan Audubon's Conservation Director Tom Funke speak about Audubon's many sanctuaries. Michigan Audubon protects over 5000 acres with their 19 sanctuaries throughout the state. Tom had a wonderful slide show showcasing the habitat and beauty of these important sanctuaries. An added bonus, a drawing was held for a 2-night stay at the log cabin at Otis Farm Bird Sanctuary. Rita Montague was the lucky winner of this prize!

Our next Birds & Brews will be held at Wild Birds Unlimited in Canton. Stay tuned for upcoming details.

April 10 - Presentation on Michigan Audubon's Bird Sanctuaries

On April 10, we are featuring Michigan Audubon's Conservation Director, Tom Funke.  Tom will be presenting on MAS bird sanctuaries. These 19 sanctuaries protect more than 5,000 acres of important wildlife habitat. Rivers, lakes, marshes, bogs, fens, grasslands, hardwoods and northern conifer communities are found in these habitats, many protecting endangered species of animals and plants. Come join us!

Event Details:

• Wednesday, April 10th
• 6:00 - 6:45 p.m. - Social hour
• 6:45 p.m. - Presentation by Tom Funke
• Place - Bailey's Pub, 22091 Michigan Ave, Dearborn
• RSVP's are required for this event / shelleyupnorth@gmail.com

Cold night, cold brews!

It was a chilly night outside tonight but that didn't stop the Birds & Brews group from having "cold" drinks at Bailey's Pub.  We are all looking forward to warmer weather and spring migration!

Highlights of the night:

• Diane shared some wonderful bird photos with the group. 
• Rita told us about getting 12 life birds on her recent trip to Sault Ste. Marie including the Hawk Owl
• Bob donated his beautiful photograph of the Cardinal for our raffle tonight.
• Raffle proceedings benefiting Michigan Audubon's  habitat restoration
• Reviewing upcoming events including the Tawas Bird Festival http://tawasbirdfest.com/
• Having some cupcakes to celebrate Danette's birthday
• Talking about birds of course!

At the next Birds & Brews we'll be featuring Michigan Audubon's Conservation Director, Tom Funke who will be presenting a slide show on MAS's nature sanctuaries.  RSVP's will be required for this event.  Any questions, please contact shelleyupnorth at gmail.com

Birds & Brews Calendar

 Spring migration will be here before you know it!  What bird are you looking most forward to seeing?  For those of you who know me well, you won't be surprised that I am looking forward to the Common Loon's return.

Now, onto our Birds & Brews event calendar
**Please note all events begin at 6:00 pm and are held at Bailey's Pub in Dearborn unless otherwise specified.

• Wednesday, March 13th  - Bring your recent bird photos to share! I know some members of our group recently attended Michigan Audubon's birding trip to Sault Ste. Marie, so I cannot wait to hear that update!  RSVP's are appreciated as to allow for proper room set-up.
  

• Wednesday, April 10th - Michigan Audubon's conservation director Tom Funke will be giving a presentation on MAS's bird sanctuaries. Did you know that MAS has a sanctuary system of over 5,000 acres that extends from southern Michigan to the Upper Peninsula wilderness?  RSVP's are required for this event!

• May - I highly encourage our group to join me at the Tawas Birding Festival May 16 - 19th in Iosco county. The festival will feature guided birding walks at the area’s best hot spots, programs and talks by some of Michigan’s leading wildlife experts. Besides all the great birding to be done, I'm sure we can find a pub to have an impromptu Birds & Brews.  Please let me know if you plan on attending.  Here is the festival website: http://tawasbirdfest.com/ - Register early!
  

• June 12 - to be announced.

I look forward to seeing many of you next week at Birds & Brews. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me with any questions or ideas for future Birds & Brews.  We have such a wonderful and fun group.

February 13th Recap

Another fun night at Birds & Brews on February 13th! Author William Rapai updated us on Huron Pine's conservation plans for the Kirtland's Warbler. We also gave away some fun raffle items. Thank you to Susan and Danette for their kind donations toward this!

Please mark your calendars for our next Birds & Brews on March 13th and April 10th. On April 10th we will feature Michigan Audubon's conservation director Tom Funke.  Tom will be giving a presentation on Audubon's sanctuaries. Stay tuned for more upcoming event details.  Have any questions? Please contact shelleyupnorth @ gmail.com.

February 13 Birds & Brews featuring author William Rapai

Come join us for our next Birds & Brews! William Rapai, award winning author of "The Kirtland's Warbler: The Story of a Bird's Fight Against Extinction and the People Who Saved It" will be speaking about current conservation planning for the Kirtland's Warbler.

RSVP's are required for this gathering.

• Date: 2/13/13 

• Place: Bailey's Pub in Dearborn, MI 

• Time: 6:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

• RSVP: shelleyupnorth@gmail.com

*About Michigan Birds & Brews: We are a social group for birders of all abilities. We enjoy birding and a good brew!

Birds & Brews Recap

Happy New Year from Birds & Brews!  A group of  16 people gathered tonight at Bailey's Pub. We had 5 raffle drawing winners and talked about birds of course! Thank you again to Pat & Wayne for providing some of the prize donations.

Please keep in mind Michigan Audubon's fun winter birding trips for January and February to Sault Ste Marie. Last year we saw a Snowy Owl, Northern Shrike, Bohemian Waxwings and Pine Grosbeaks just to name a few.  https://michiganaudubonorg.presencehost.net/education/eventcalendar/event/2013/01/20/winter-birding-in-the-eastern-upper-peninsula

Birds & Brews is typically held the 2nd Wednesday of every month at Bailey's Pub in Dearborn. We are a social group for birders. If you're interested in birds, then you're invited! Our next Birds & Brews will be held February 13, March 13 and April 10th.  Until then, happy birding!

Birds & Brews on January 9th, 2013

Happy New Year birders!  Please join us on Wednesday, January 9th at Bailey's Pub in Dearborn to talk about birds and have a brew! Our gathering begins at 6:00 p.m. 

Did you participate in the Christmas Bird Count? Please bring your stories and photos to share.

We will also have a few giveaway items at this event. Thank you to one of our contributors - Pat Brandon!

RSVP's are required for this event: shelleyupnorth@gmail.com

Happy Birding!