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We've all heard the saying, "birds of a feather flock together." So why is it that we often see a solitary hawk riding the wind currents over the freeway between here and Redlands, or a Phoebe hopping down the sidewalk ahead of us, all alone? Well, it turns out that birds, just like people, have jobs that are more easily done separately, and others that are better accomplished in groups. And just like us, some birds, because of their personalities or situations, are more likely to live and work by themselves, and others in more social situations. Often, the birds that live alone are those whose solitary existence is an advantage to their survival. For example, roadrunners in the Southwest live where resources are scarce and can't support a large population. Birds of prey, like the Great Horned Owls and the Cooper's Hawks that have staked out the arroyo between Trails A and B, are territorial and don't encourage competitors to move in on the small birds, frogs, mice, and insects that are their food sources. Even the Nuttall's Woodpeckers here usually mate, nurture their babies and teach them to fly, and then send the kids on their way, so mom and dad can go back without them to their established territories. Other birds benefit from the advantages of social interaction and cooperation. Mourning Doves, Chickadees, House Finches, and Bushtits all hang out sometimes in groups with others of their species to share information on food sources, warn each other of predators, and some even migrate together. The geese and ducks we see flying reportedly save 70 percent of their energy by traveling together in a V-formation that reduces drag and air resistance and creates an upward draft to help them fly more easily. Join us for our bird walk the first Saturday of the month at 8 am at Trail A in The Lodge parking lot. You may see some birds that are loners and some that are party animals, and maybe even the crow that served as Bill Cooper's model for the picture at left. For more information, contact Gerrie Karczynski at gerrie201516@gmail.com. ~ Kathy Hull Our Book Club selection June 11 is e Last Animal by Ramona Ausubel. Here is a brief description from Amazon.com: "Teenage sisters Eve and Vera never imagined their summer vacation would be spent in the Arctic, tagging along on their mother's scientific expedition. But there's a lot about their lives lately that hasn't been going as planned, and truth be told, their single mother might not be so happy either. Now in Siberia with a bunch of serious biologists, Eve and Vera are just bored enough to cause trouble. Fooling around in the permafrost, they accidentally discover a perfectly preserved, 4,000-year-old baby mammoth, and things finally start to get interesting. The discovery sets off a surprising chain of events, leading mother and daughters to go rogue, pinging from the slopes of Siberia to the shores of Iceland to an exotic animal farm in Italy, and resulting in the birth of a creature that could change the world — or at least this family. e Last Animal takes readers on a wild, entertaining, and refreshingly different kind of journey, one that explores the possibilities and perils of the human imagination on a changing planet, what it's like to be a woman in a field dominated by men, and how a wondrous discovery can best be enjoyed with family — even teenagers." Our meetings are held on the second Tuesday of each month at 9:30 am in the RCN, Room #3. All of our book selections are recommended by book club members. 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 your name on our mailing list, please contact me at michelesrosen@gmail. com. ~ Micki Rosen FOUR SEASONS BREEZE | JUNE 2024 41 Birding CLUB Book Club "Crow Drinking and Roma Tomatoes" by Bill Cooper

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