September ZOOM Program
Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025 at 7:00 pm
RaptorQuest: Chasing America’s Raptors
With Scott Harris

Note: The speaker will be virtual this month, but during the presenta-tion we will be hosting a watch party with snacks and refreshments at the church. Please join us!
Scott Harris spent 17 months, chasing 53 raptors across 34 states – his version of a Raptor Big Year. His book RaptorQuest: Chasing America’s Raptors is about his adventures, misadventures, successes, and failures along the way. From -36 degree days, to ones over 100 degrees, to just getting on the bird just in time, to the frustrations of missing one by minutes. It’s about the birds – of course – but it’s also about the people he met, the things he learned, and why he’s already working on his next adventure.

About the Speaker:
Scott Harris became an avid birder when he and his wife, Randi, retired to South Carolina in March of 2020. It was a hobby he never imagined himself participating in, but now can’t imagine living without. Scott has written more than fifty books in the past ten years, but RaptorQuest is his first entrée into the world of birding and birds. In addition to his writ-ing, Scott also hosts a podcast – NaturallyScott – that focuses on birds, wildlife, and the great outdoors, and just signed a book deal for his upcoming book Why We Love Birds: 52 Birders on Birding.
In addition to his bird-related hobbies, Scott has the largest collection of John Steinbeck’s Travels with Charley in the world, and plays harmonica in a blues band.

Each fall, as raptors ride the thermals along the Modoc Rim, a dedicated group of observers gathers to witness one of nature’s great migrations. This year’s Hawk Watch will take place on Friday, September 26, from 9 AM to 3 PM, and we invite you to be part of it.

Whether you’re a seasoned birder or simply curious about the spectacle of falcons, eagles, and hawks soaring overhead, Hawk Watch offers a rare opportunity to connect with the rhythms of the Klamath Basin. Bring your binoculars, a scope, sun protection, and a sense of wonder. The viewing site is accessed via a steep gravel road just north of Hagelstein Park, followed by a short hike through brush to the rim. If you’d like to participate, please email Kevin Spencer at rriparia@charter.net.

This annual event is held in honor of Patricia Buettner, a visionary biologist whose early support helped launch Klamath Bird Observatory’s Upper Klamath Field Station. Patty’s legacy lives on through the Avian Internship Memorial Fund (AIM Fund), which supports KBO’s long-running internship program.

First Wednesday Bird Walk

Join RVAS for our monthly outing to Denman Wildlife Area. Walks begin at 8:30 am and end before noon, and are led by Jim Hostick. The gate will be open from 8:00 – 8:20 am. Participants need to purchase an ODFW Area Parking Permit at the ODFW Office, Sportsman’s Warehouse on Delta Waters and Highway 62 in Medford, or at Bi-Mart. We request that all participants be vaccinated for COVID-19.

Directions to meeting spot: We will meet at the entrance off Agate Rd. between 1/4 and 1/2 mile past the fire station on the left side of the road. Coming out Table Rock Rd., turn right on Antelope Rd. and go to the light on Agate Rd. and turn left. The fire station will be on your left at the corner of Ave. G and Agate Rd. Go 1/4 to /12 mile past the fire station and the gate will be on your left. Coming out on Highway 62 to Antelope Rd., turn left and go to the next light. Turn right and continue to the gate on Agate Rd.