Februayr 12, 2012 You are cordially invited to attend the next Aiken Audubon meeting for a presentation by Eric DeFonso on "Birding Peru." When: Wednesday, February 15 Time: 6:30 p.m., doors open for treats and socializing;7:00 p.m. program starts and usually ends about 8:30 p.m. Where: Colorado Division of Wildlife, 4255 Sinton Road, Colorado Springs (please use rear entrance where the classrooms are located) Program is free and no RSVP is required. With a checklist of about 1,800 species, including 103 endemics, Peru is a destination on many world-birders’ minds. Peru is a large country with a staggering array of habitat types and elevations, ranging from dry tropical forests to moist montane forests, vast intermountain valleys, high-elevation puna grasslands, and rocky coastal breeding grounds among the richest oceanic surface waters in the world, to the legendary lowland Amazonian rainforests.
In 2011, northern Colorado birding regular Eric DeFonso embarked on a year-long journey through much of tropical South America, and spent over three months in Peru. While there he explored these highly diverse habitats, learning about the birdlife firsthand and often alone, and also serving as a volunteer for 2 months at a private reserve not far from Manu National Park. He will share his remarkable experiences in Peru as he searched for birds typical of the region as well as rare and localized endemics, and will also discuss the conservation challenges in a country feeling immense pressure to develop yet so rich in natural treasures. Eric DeFonso began birdwatching 18 years ago as a casual hobby, but his interest has now turned into a consuming passion. He has a Masters degree in Atmospheric Science from the University of California, Davis, and worked in the private sector in computing for several years before changing course and following his love of birds wherever it leads him. He has since become a certified Master Naturalist for the City of Fort Collins, served on the Board of Directors for Fort Collins Audubon, worked as a volunteer educational bird handler at the Rocky Mountain Raptor Program, and in addition to photography he also has become an experienced bird-sound recordist, logging recordings. Hope you can join us! Christine A. Bucher Secretary, Aiken Audubon Society Perched on the edge of Palmer Park, in Colorado Springs -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/cobirds?hl=en.
