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FOUR SEASONS BREEZE | JULY 2023 35 Birding CLUB When I joined the Four Seasons Birding Club earlier this year, I had no idea what I was getting into. I thought learning about the birds we would see on our monthly walks on trails A and B was just a matter of adding a few local additions to my basic bird knowledge. Come to find out that the American Birding Association lists 623 species in Southern California, and the members of our club have recorded seeing over 128 of them right here! In fact, this past month, Four Seasons made the Riverside County rare-bird alert with three unusual sightings along Potrero Creek — a Purple Finch, a Townsend's Solitaire, and a Pine Siskin. Even experienced birders can be a little shaky on identifying both common and unusual birds above and around them, and it's not as if birds stand still, posing in a position where you are easily able to study their size and configuration and coloring, but it's always fun to give it a try. Last month's walk was an exercise in group detective skills. Almost immediately, we spotted two intriguing birds on trail B. We trained several pairs of binoculars on them and listened carefully. Linda Miller was finally able to take clear pictures that revealed them to be a Cooper's Hawk and a Mourning Dove. Mysteries solved! The members of the group who visited the San Jacinto Wildlife Area in May were able to identify a Great Horned Owl with a baby owl in the nest, a rare Bufflehead Duck with his edgy hairdo, and five Shoveler Ducks enjoying a swim, using their unusual beaks to shovel up their food. The June field trip to Big Morongo also provided some interesting bird sightings in a new setting. We will begin our next walk on Saturday, July 3 at 8 am at the start of trail A near The Lodge. Join us and bring your best Sherlock Holmes skills. For more information, please contact Gerrie Karczynski at gerrie201516@gmail.com. ~ Kathy Hull Community Garden Club The Gardening Club is on hiatus for the summer months while we all enjoy the start of warmer weather. We hope everyone is enjoying their vegetable harvests or beautiful gardens as the result of spring gardening efforts. Even now, our community is ablaze with lush beautiful blooms — especially the roses. Stay tuned for news of our next speaker event on Sept. 23 and save Oct. 20 for the annual outside dinner party with live music. For information or suggestions for future topics, please contact pwayne1@outlook.com. ~ Pat Wayne Top le: Cooper's Hawk at Four Seasons, picture by Linda Miller Top right: Mourning Dove at Four Seasons, picture by Linda Miller Le: Bufflehead Duck at San Jacinto Wildlife Area, picture by Gerrie Karczynski Our selection for July 11 is e Last Piece by Imogen Clark. Here is a brief description from Amazon.com: "The chaotic but happy equilibrium of the Nightingale family is thrown into disarray when Cecily — whose children can't remember her ever being remotely spontaneous — disappears to a Greek island with no warning or explanation. Her reasons for doing something so out of character are a total mystery to her three daughters: high-powered executive Felicity, unfulfilled GP Julia, and organized mother-of-five Lily. What connection could she possibly have with Kefalonia? But Cecily has gone to continue a story she thought ended decades ago — one that could have a huge impact on her family. And when she returns, she'll have to tell them the truth. Will Cecily be able to hold her family together once she reveals her big secret? And might she discover that she's not the only one with a story to tell?" Our meetings are held on the second Tuesday of each month at 9:30 am in the RCN Room #3, and someone volunteers to lead the discussion about the book we have chosen for the month. For more information about the Four Seasons Book Club or to get on our mailing list, please contact me at michelesrosen@gmail.com. ~ Micki Rosen Book Club

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