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FOUR SEASONS BREEZE | AUGUST 2023 35 Birding CLUB In the heat of our summer, it can seem like both people and birds are on vacation. But actually, there are still birds around. They are just quieter in July and August after the young have hatched, and they have different jobs to do. They don't need to sing to attract a mate or defend their territories quite so much, but they still call to each other to warn about predators and to teach songs to the babies. Their big job for the summer is molting. Birds have to replace all of their feathers because they have worn out over the last year. While growing new feathers, they can't fly as well and are more vulnerable, so they hide quietly in the brush. Even our Four Season mallards that hang out at the windmill and the pond on Trail A are unable to fly for about a month. The male duck loses his bright colors and looks brown and gray like the female. These birds and others might look scruffy, but they are just getting ready for migration, if they are birds that move with the fall, and then for pairing up with a new round of nests and eggs and babies to feed and teach. You can still see and hear birds if you're patient, especially if you're out early. The colorful pictures here were taken on a warm day at Big Morongo. Gerrie Karczynski, our leader, reports that there are still cool morning spots and lots of birds to see at Whitewater. Of course, if you get to the beach, you'll have a chance to watch shore birds like California Gulls and Brown Pelicans. And there's always the picnic table by the "roundabout" on Trail B, where a Great Horned Owl and baby, a Cooper's Hawk, and lots of Towhees have been spotted. Just wait and they'll come. For more information about the club and our next bird walk, 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 summer weather. We hope everyone is enjoying their vegetable harvests or beautiful gardens as the result of spring gardening efforts. 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. We want to welcome new members to the Garden Club Steering Committee – Margi Spies and Toni Madsen. Welcome aboard! For information or suggestions for future topics, please contact pwayne1@outlook.com. ~ Pat Wayne Our Book Club selection for Aug. 8 is Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus. Here is a brief description from Amazon.com: "Chemist Elizabeth Zott is not your average woman. In fact, Elizabeth Zott would be the first to point out that there is no such thing as an average woman. But it's the early 1960s and her all-male team at Hastings Research Institute takes a very unscientific view of equality. Except for one: Calvin Evans; the lonely, brilliant, Nobel–prize nominated grudge-holder who falls in love with — of all things — her mind. True chemistry results. But like science, life is unpredictable. Which is why a few years later Elizabeth Zott finds herself not only a single mother, but the reluctant star of America's most beloved cooking show Supper at Six. Elizabeth's unusual approach to cooking ("combine one tablespoon acetic acid with a pinch of sodium chloride") proves revolutionary. But as her following grows, not everyone is happy. Because as it turns out, Elizabeth Zott isn't just teaching women to cook. She's daring them to change the status quo. Laugh-out-loud funny, shrewdly observant, and studded with a dazzling cast of supporting characters, Lessons in Chemistry is as original and vibrant as its protagonist." 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 Oriole at Big Morongo, picture by Gerrie Karczynski Vermillion Flycatcher at Big Morongo, picture by Gerrie Karczynski Barn Owl at Big Morongo, picture by Gerrie Karczynski

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