Linda has been keeping bees since the early 1970’s. Her husband Ken Fowkes has also been infected with the same passion. They have enjoyed a long tenure as President and Vice President of Sierra Foothill Beekeepers Association. Linda’s joy and enthusiasm about these fascinating organisms continues, and information that continues to be discovered delights her.
Photo by Dave Douglass“The Wow of Bird Colors”
In part two of a four-part series of talks on bird biology, naturalist David Lukas will introduce us to the marvelous world of bird colors and patterns. Do you know how many types of colors there are on birds, and how these colors are produced? Did you know that humans and birds see colors in different ways and that birds use colors and patterns in a wide range of ecological and behavioral contexts? This will be a fun and “colorful” talk that leaves you never seeing birds the same way again.
David Lukas is well-known naturalist and author who has studied and written extensively about the natural history and birds of the Sierra Nevada. He has written seven books, including a field guide companion called Sierra Nevada Birds. He has also led thousands of natural history tours, classes, workshops, and presentations.
“Under the Surface with Bird Bones and Skeletons”
Birds are exquisitely designed creatures of the air, but have you ever thought about how the underlying structure of a bird’s bones and skeletons help birds move and fly? Flight is not just a matter of flapping your wings harder, it actually requires many special adaptations and compromises that impact all aspects of a bird’s life.
In this fascinating presentation we will learn about some of the adaptations we can observe when we look at a bird’s skull, beak, eyes, wings, legs, and feet. Many of these features are hidden by feathers, yet they uniquely shape every aspect of what we see when we watch birds. Expect to come away with a new understanding and appreciation for the hidden mechanics of how birds eat, sleep, and move, along with an understanding of how feathers interact with a bird’s skeletal structure.
David Lukas is well-known naturalist and author based in the Methow Valley. He has written seven books and contributed chapters to another forty books on a tremendous range of nature topics. He has also led thousands of natural history tours, classes, workshops, and presentations. David’s most recent project is producing a weekly nature newsletter at www.lukasguides.com