Bird Day

Wow – talk about an OUTSTANDING event! I hope you were there because, if not, you missed the event of the season. This past Saturday we hosted Bird Day at Schlumberger – a fundraiser for the Bird Rescue Center of Sonoma County. With the super-human assistance of about 15 volunteers we were able to pull off something that was both educational and entertaining.

The action started at 9:00 AM when three local bird experts armed with binoculars, a vineyard map and coffee and breakfast treats (supplied by Downtown Bakery in Healdsburg) began leading walks around our spectacular bird-filled estate. Meanwhile, Wild Birds Unlimited of Santa Rosa had scopes set up to check out and chat about the multitude of birds on our feeders. As the birders returned they were quite pleased to find plates full of pizzas and bruschetta topped with goodies from the organic garden made by Winemaker (and chef) Mike Brunson. And, of course, there were some killer wines poured for all (and an old-school lemonade stand run by Mike’s kids, Taylor and Zack).

The highlight of the day was a presentation by the Bird Rescue Center. Four volunteer handlers busted out some incredible raptors for a fun and informative show & tell. These folks know their birds and were delighted to share their knowledge with the enthralled crowd. Who knew that the Western Screech Owl doesn’t actually screech? Or that a barn owl can actually hear the heartbeat of a mouse from a distance? Or that a turkey vulture is really an incredibly beautiful bird when you get to see one up close, eye to eye?

Some vital statistics for the day:

Total attendance: 147 (including a great turnout of kids!)

Total bird walks: 11

Total bird species identified: 25

Number of pizzas consumed: 48

Raptors displayed by Bird Rescue handlers: 6 (Kestrel, Merlin, Red-tailed Hawk, Turkey Vulture, Western Screech Owl, Great-horned Owl, Barn Owl).

Percentage of happy and enlightened guests: 100

Total raised for the Bird Rescue Center: $605

Those are some pretty impressive numbers. And in light of the success of Bird Day we have already started to plan a whole series of Nature-related activities for next year. Stay tuned for even more cool, fun, informative and thirst quenching events in 2010. In the meantime, check out the website for a list of what else is going down at Schlumberger for the remainder of the year.

Happy Harvest!

Tony