Are you enraptured with raptors? Then don’t miss our January members meeting on Thursday, January 9, at 7 p.m., featuring Bethany Thornton. Look for us in the Barbara Weitz Community Engagement Center on UNO’s Dodge Street campus. Park in Lot E, directly north of the building. Tell the attendant that you are with the Audubon Society, and you will not have to pay.  

Bethany, an avid birder, served as the Hitchcock HawkWatch Coordinator for the 2017 and 2018 seasons after working at many birding venues across the U.S. Her stint at Hitchcock convinced her to settle in the Omaha area, and she currently works at Lauritzen Gardens, helping to care for their natural spaces and curating their bird list. Three raptors from Fontenelle Forest will join Bethany for what promises to be an exciting evening.

The Fall HawkWatch at the Hitchcock Nature Center has been an annual event since it was established by ASO members Loren and Babs Padelford in 1992. Along the Missouri River migratory corridor, the Loess Hills offer an optimal location for the HawkWatch, with an overall seasonal average of 13,000 birds representing 20 distinct species.