CAAS EVENTS

Monthly meetings are held the first Thursday of the month September - June All meetings are open to the public.

Meetings will begin at 7pm in Room 213 at Foster Community Center, 200 N. Foster Ave. Lansing, MI (unless otherwise listed)

WEBSITE UPDATE - Our website was recently updated to a new server. Online dues payments may not be available. We will be collecting dues in person at the monthly meetings, or you can mail a check to our PO Box. (Details on Page 4.)

A big Thank You to Sandra Conn for taking on the management and migration of our website!

Thursday April 6 - Member Travel Showcase

Speaker - Patricia Deventer

Hear about CAAS Board Member's recent travels to Antarctica!

Spring Bird Walks - Saturday Mornings in April and May at Fenner Nature Center Walks begin at the parking lot at 8am. Learn about the spring migrants moving through the area. Beginners and birders of all ages are welcome.

Thursday May 4 - Migration in MidMichigan at Capital City Bird Sanctuary

Enjoy a walk at this local Michigan Audubon managed property and see what birds are moving through! If you are new to eBird, helpers will be available during this walk to help get you started. Please download eBird and complete your registration prior to the walk.

Thursday, June 1 - Member Walk and Ice Cream Social at Fenner Nature Center

Join CAAS members and guests for a quick annual meeting followed by ice cream and a walk around Fenner.

MSRW website -

The Straits of Mackinac in Michigan forms a unique convergence of land and water. The tapering shape of the lower peninsula concentrates migrating birds at its northern tip in the spring as they await appropriate conditions to cross the Straits. To a lesser extent, Lakes Michigan and Huron tend to funnel migrants to fly south over the Straits in the fall. Hawks and owls are of particular concern to conservationists because of their position at the top of the food web.

Their numbers and migration timing provide valuable insights into ecosystem conditions. Because of its geography, the Straits is one of the best places in the country for studying raptors in both the spring and fall migration seasons. Because of this national significance and the region’s significant visitation by tourists, it is an ideal place to educate the general public about this natural resource.

Mackinac Straits Raptor Watch conducts scientific research on migrating birds of prey in the Straits of Mackinac area of Michigan. They monitor and count migrating raptors and band owls, both in Spring and Fall.

This research aims to support raptor conservation and inform and inspire the residents and visitors of northern Michigan about these magnificent birds. They record and report data on hawks, eagles, kites, falcons, and owls and share them with professionals and the public.

Researchers also observe the numbers and timing of associated non-raptor migrants in the same region if funding is available. For example, in the fall of 2020, Mackinac Straits Raptor Watch also counted waterbirds migrating over the Straits and measured and tagged southbound migrating Monarch butterflies (aka “Super Monarchs,” or “super generation Monarchs”).

MSRW’s raptor research has proven useful in identifying changes over time at the Straits of Mackinac. What local trends mean in the broader context of raptor populations and their movements is not yet clear. Fluctuations in counts may reflect changes in population size or may result from other factors such as year-to-year differences in wind and weather patterns, which are known to affect migration routes and timing. MSRW will continue counts, and will examine data together with the counts recorded at other hawk watches across the Great Lakes and Midwest region. Their aim is to build a better understanding of raptor migration patterns, and to use that understanding to inform policy, raptor habitat conservation, and raptor research priorities.

Hawks move or migrate during the middle of the day when the sun has warmed the ground to form thermal currents, or updrafts. These are general guidelines, and depending on weather conditions, movements may occur earlier or later in the day.

A typical season will operate as follows:

In March, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

In early-April, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

In mid-April, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

In late-April & May, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

In March and early-April, most raptors fly between the canopy height and 500 feet high, so they are visible to the naked eye.

From mid-April through May, some raptors will be riding much higher thermals when approaching the Straits, and will not be visible with the naked eye. The use of binoculars will help detect these high kettles of migrating raptors.

If you would like to visit one of the MSRW sites, Hawk watch begins March 5th and wraps up on June 5th.

Depending on conditions, the Mackinac Straits Raptor Watch operates on one of two sites near Mackinaw City, MI that are about a mile apart from each other. They are both directly off of W. Central Avenue. The below map shows the two sites in relation to each other in Mackinaw City.

The site that is used most often early in the spring is behind the Mackinaw City Recreation Complex

The secondary site is a gravel pit/field about 1 mile west of the Recreation Complex on the south side if Central Ave. Look for a Hawk Watch sign near the location to turn off West Central Ave

Both locations and additional information about visiting is available at www.mackinacraptorwatch.org

Area Events

Check out our Facebook page at facebook.com/capitalareaaudubon for events around the state and much more!

Michigan Native Plant Conference

March 5, 9am - 5:30pm

Kellogg Center, East Lansing, MI

Hear from Keynote Speaker Dr. Meredith Ann Zettlemoyer about “Extinction in our Backyards: Human Effects on Michigan Prairies.” Dr. Zettlemoyer presents an indepth study of the decline of native tallgrass prairies in southwest Michigan. She examines the conditions and traits that may influence species vulnerability to local extinctions. There will also be opportunities to network, learn and ask questions A delicious lunch will be served. In addition, there will be five webinars presented throughout the year featuring an array of exciting topics. Registration and full conference details are available atwildflowersmich.org/wam-conference

Spring Bluebird Festival

Saturday, March 25

Prince Conference Center

Grand Rapids, MI

This all-day educational event will include programs on bluebirds and other bird topics, a Bluebird Expo, children's activities, and a nature hike at the Bunker Interpretive Center. The keynote program will feature naturalist and filmmaker Charles St. Charles who has been working with MBS on a fascinating film highlighting bluebirds nesting cycle. General Admission is Free! For more information on the event, go to: www.michiganbluebirds.org/springfestival

MI Audubon Spring Tour Registration

Spring Birding Tour Registrations open soon, and will see out quickly. View the dates and registration details on their calendar atwww.michiganaudubon.org/calendar/

Gardening with Native Plants Class

March 21, 7-9pm

Harris Nature Center

Taught by Vern Stephens of Designs by Nature will provide participants an opportunity to ask questions and learn about the importance of native plants. Participants will also learn which species will be most successful on their property. For registration information, visitwww.meridian.mi.us/community/explore -meridian/harris-nature-center