This is the tent at Gilbert Water Ranch on a cold morning in January where birders line up for a tour.
Gwen Grace
Desert Rivers Audubon offers Family Bird Walks in local parks, both Chandler and Gilbert. Find the white tent in the park to locate the Audubon area. There they provide binoculars and an experienced bird leader to point out the species in the park during a one-hour walk. Bring the children, as there are binoculars for them also. The parks have lakes, mud, and shallow areas with natural habitats that draw different bird species. Join a Free Family Bird Walk.
Chandler Oasis Park: Chandler Heights Road and Lindsay Road. Walks are on the first Saturday of the month. The next one is Feb. 4 from 8 to 11:30 a.m. Find the white tent where one can sign up for a walk and peruse the book store for additional bird guides and learning.
Gilbert Water Ranch: Just east of the library at Guadalupe and Greenfield is the Gilbert Water Ranch. Walks are offered the third Saturday of the month. The time is also from 8 to 11:30 a.m. The next walk is Feb. 18. The Water Ranch always has surprise birds visiting. Many bird species are identified.
The Audubon Monthly Speaker program is available at the Gilbert Library at Greenfield and Guadalupe. It is in person and on Zoom. To register for the Zoom meeting, just visit the website Desertriversaudubon.org and request it. It’s more fun in person, and the cookies are good!
Monthly Speaker Programs: On Feb. 14 Richard Cachor Taylor will speak on “Hummingbirds.” Rick Taylor is an expert on the birds of Arizona, especially trogons, which he has been studying in the Chiricahua Mountains and beyond since the late 1970s. In this talk, he covers the hummingbirds that may be found here. He will sign his latest book, Birds of Arizona, at the meeting.
The Desert Rivers Audubon Society supports education, the environment, conservation, and the Western Rivers programs. There are programs for children and classroom support. Visit the website, Desertriversauduabon.org.