Out & About: Local birds featured in Audubon calendar

Local birds featured in Audubon calendar

OUTSTANDING – The Spokane Audubon Society is offering monthly reminders that Eastern Washington residents are blessed with birds.

The 2015 Birds of Eastern Washington calendar is on sale for $10 at the club’s website, spokaneaudubon.org.

The images are donated by chapter members who have the dual qualities of being gifted photographers and ardent birdwatchers who spend a lot of time in the field.

This year’s calendar is dedicated to the late Bob Griffith, a member who contributed exceptional images to the cause of conservation.

A captivating image of a northern pygmy owl by Tom Munson graces the cover.

The birds featured each month are the best images submitted to judges who made the final selection, said Kim Thorburn, club member. A wide range of species is featured. The bird of the month is one that might show up in this area at that time of year, she said.

Featured in the 2015 calendar are the brown creeper for January, redhead for February, tundra swan for March, rufous hummingbird for April, warbling vireo for May, Bullock’s oriole for June, tree swallow for July, black-headed grosbeak for August, Wilson’s snipe for September, trumpeter swan for October, dusky grouse for November and wood duck for December.

A smaller image of a notable bird for each month is included.

Wilderness adventure featured in program

OUTGOING – Alaska wilderness endurance traveler and adventure filmmaker Luc Mehl will present a program featuring some of his mind- blowing expeditions, 7 p.m. on Monday at Mountain Gear Corporate Office, 6021 E. Mansfield in Spokane Valley.

Mehl has traveled more than 4,000 miles through wilderness in the past six years, including a bike-ski-raft traverse of Denali, a self-supported 30-day traverse over Mount Logan (highest mountain in Canada) and a traverse of Pico de Orizaba (highest peak in Mexico).

He’s known for refining ultralight travel techniques – incorporating tools such as ice skates and pack rafts – to average 40 miles a day in the raw backcountry of the Alaska Mountain Wilderness Classic adventure races.

The event is free, but donations will be accepted for the Inland Northwest Backcountry Alliance.