Aiken Audubon Society

NOVEMBER MONTHLY MEETING | THE BIRDING DICTIONARY
2025-11-19 18:30 - 20:30 (America/Denver) | Colorado Parks and Wildlife Office, 4255 Sinton Rd, Colorado Springs, 80907
Join Rosemary Mosco, author of the new book The Birding Dictionary, for an entertaining and enlightening look into birding terminology.
Rosemary is an author, illustrator, and speaker whose work connects people with the natural world.
She’s written and drawn for The New York Times, Audubon, Rewiring America, the PBS Kids show Elinor Wonders Why, Ranger Rick, and more, and makes a regular comic strip in the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Living Bird magazine. She creates science books for kids and adults and the nature comic Bird and Moon, which won the National Cartoonists Society’s award for Best Online Short Form Comic and was the subject of an award-winning museum exhibit. Her climate change comics were exhibited at AAAS headquarters and the Peabody Essex Museum. She gives engaging talks and workshops to groups of all ages.
Rosemary is a graduate of the Field Naturalist Program. She judged a bird tattoo contest (twice!) and co-founded an event celebrating invertebrate butts.
You can learn more about her in this Audubon profile.
This is an in-person meeting held at the Colorado Parks & Wildlife Office; 4255 Sinton Road 80907. Our entrance to the building is located on the EAST side (back side) of the building; not the main entrance. Parking is encouraged in the south and west parking lots.
Snacks & Bird Talk (meet & mingle) 6:30pm
Meeting announcements 7:00pm
Program Presentation 7:15pm
Zoom Link: Join Zoom meeting
Meeting ID: 577 018 0765
Passcode: [REDACTED]
Photo by Adrianne Mathiowetz.

JANUARY MONTHLY MEETING:THE EFFECTS OF WILDFIRE SMOKE ON MIGRATING BIRDS
2026-01-21 18:00 - 21:00 | Colorado Parks and Wildlife Office, 4255 Sinton Rd, Colorado Springs, 80907
Join Aiken Audubon with Megan Miller presenting her research on The Effects of Wildfire Smoke on Migrating Birds.
Wildfire smoke is an emerging threat to birds at both the individual and population level. Limited studies associate smoke exposure with slower weight gain in House Wren nestlings, reduced banding capture rates and poorer body condition among those captured birds, and large-scale avoidance behavior from migrating birds. Megan investigated whether exposure to poor air quality could affect the oxidative balance system in passerines migrating through Southern Colorado during spring and fall migration.
Megan Miller has been a part of Colorado’s birding community since her first Christmas Bird Count in 2006. She completed a bachelor’s degree in Wildlife Biology in 2017 at Colorado State University and then spent some time doing field work across the country. She has worked on projects studying birds in apple orchards, seabirds, black-throated blue warbler ecology, and migration banding stations. In January 2025 she completed her masters degree at Colorado State University Pueblo on the impact of wildfire smoke on migrating birds. Megan received a grant from Aiken Audubon to help fund this research.

This is an in-person meeting held at the Colorado Parks & Wildlife Office; 4255 Sinton Road 80907. Our entrance to the building is located on the EAST side (back side) of the building; not the main entrance. Parking is encouraged in the south and west parking lots.
Snacks & Bird Talk (meet & mingle) 6:30pm
Meeting announcements 7:00pm
Program Presentation 7:15pm

photo credit:Megan Miller

FEBRUARY MONTHLY MEETING: Grasslands to Woodlands: breeding and migration ecology of priority species at range periphery in the Great Plains.
2026-02-18 18:30 - 21:00 | Bear Creek Nature Center, 245 Bear Creek Rd, Colorado Springs, CO, 80906
Two important notes about our February meeting: Change of venue to Bear Creek Nature Center and Death by Chocolate themed snacks.

Join Aiken Audubon with Steven Brenner presenting Grasslands to Woodlands: breeding and migration ecology of priority species at range periphery in the Great Plains.
The Great Plains of North America is home to many imperiled grassland bird species. As grassland ecosystems continue to decline across North America, information on populations of priority grassland birds in different regions is critical to develop regional and range-wide conservation plans. Additionally, the Great Plains is often described as a biological crossroads where “East-meets-West”, offering unique opportunities to study many species at range periphery. This talk will highlight some of the recent research conducted in Nebraska on a variety of different bird species during the breeding and nonbreeding seasons, from nesting behavior to tracking hemispheric migrations.
Stephen Brenner is an Avian Biologist with the National Audubon Society – Great Plains region. Stephen has worked on a variety bird-related research projects across the US and internationally before settling in western Nebraska. He will be presenting his program via zoom.

This is an in-person meeting held at the Bear Creek Nature Center 245 Bear Creek Road 80906. Please note change of venue for this meeting.
Snacks & Bird Talk (meet & mingle) 6:30pm. Death by Chocolate – please bring your favorite chocolate snack to share for this annual favorite
Meeting announcements 7:00pm
Program Presentation 7:15pm

photo credit:Steven Brenner

March Monthly Meeting:Birding Mongolia with Mike and Gana Endres
2026-03-18 18:30 - 21:00
Birding in Mongolia
Join naturalist, author, and professional photographer Mike Endres of Little Wing Photo as he shares his experiences of traveling Mongolia in search of birds, culture, and scenery. He will be joined by his wife Gana, a native of Mongolia, who will share her personal knowledge of Mongolian culture and history. Five of the fifteen species of cranes can be found in Mongolia, mostly in the Khurkh River Valley in the eastern part of the country. This will be an entertaining presentation for those interested in this part of the world or maybe planning a trip to there.
Mike has had a decades long interest in wildlife photography, especially cranes. His lengthy time in the Army has provided him with opportunities that most will never experience. During that time, he always had a camera in hand and a willingness to explore the wildlife and culture of whatever part of the world he happened to be in. Join him for an evening of entertainment as he shares his experiences from numerous visits to Mongolia, including his own wedding.
This is an in-person meeting held at the Colorado Parks & Wildlife Office; 4255 Sinton Road 80907. Our entrance to the building is located on the EAST side (back side) of the building; not the main entrance. Parking is encouraged in the south and west parking lots.
If you would prefer to attend via zoom, here is the link:
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/5770180765?pwd=[REDACTED]

Snacks & Bird Talk (meet & mingle) 6:30pm
Meeting announcements 7:00pm
Program Presentation 7:15pm

photo credits:Mike Endres
