Calendar: Beginning Birding, Advanced Lampreys (March 23-26)

It caught our eye that there are two events listed as beginning birding on our calendar this week.

One is at Fort CF Smith Park in Arlington from 6 to 8 pm on Wednesday night (March 23). It will be a walk to "teach the basics of using binoculars, looking at birds, identifying field marks and using guides," followed by a discussion of how to pick binoculars & other optics. $5.

The other is a two-part class sponsored by the Audubon Naturalist Society on Thursday evening and Sunday morning (March 24/27). "At our evening lecture, we’ll focus on the selection of field guides, binoculars, and other resources, and we’ll discuss the basic techniques of birding finding and identification. The goal of our field trip, which visits Black Hill and Little Bennett Regional Parks in upper Montgomery County, is to develop the ability to find, study, and identify birds in their natural environment." $24 for lecture, $52.50 with field trip (discounts for members).

If we weren't going to be at the Lahr Native Plant Symposium (registration sold out) on Saturday, we'd totally head down to Jug Bay for a hike they're calling Lovesong of the Lampreys. "Lampreys living in our streams don’t really sing, but their courtship behavior at this time every year makes these animals, which are rarely seen at other times, clearly visible. We’ll hike to several streams to see and marvel at these slender animals in their reproductive rituals."

What kind of rituals, you ask? For one thing, they can move rocks around with their mouths. Check this out:


There's always lots more on our calendar. Enjoy!