September 14, 2022 – Ford’s Pond and “The Chinstrap Penguins of Elephant Island” with Noah Strycker

On the morning of September 14, Noah Strycker led a group of 35 to observe and learn about wildlife at Ford’s Pond.

In the course of several stops around the Pond, a whopping total of 54 bird species were observed, including a rare sighting of a Red-necked Grebe.

In addition to pointing out the different species on, around and above Ford’s Pond, Noah educated us on various aspects of behavior, flight patterns, nesting and changes in seasonal plumage.  For more details on what we saw, check Abraham Finlay’s e-Bird list.

That evening, at the Roseburg Public Library, Noah took participants to the Antarctic Peninsula with an engaging program on the Chinstrap Penguins of Elephant Island.  The survey group of which he was a part, the first in 50 years, led to the realization that active Chinstrap Penguin nests had declined by 50%.  Noah talked about factors influencing the penguin populations, including global warming and increasing whale populations.

You can keep up with Noah’s future adventures on his website.

These events were made possible by a donation in memory of Anna Slemmer, who was an environmentalist and ardent supporter of Umpqua Valley Audubon Society.