Stanislaus Audubon Society Birding History

• 1904 – 1908 Annie M. Alexander collects the first documented Stanislaus County bird specimens near the town of Grayson.

• 1910 – 1919 Joseph Mailliard, Joseph S. Dixon, Joseph Grinnell, Tracy I. and W.D. Toomes all collect specimens for the U.C. Berkeley Museum of Vertebrate Zoology. Mailliard provides the first county record for BROWN PELICAN and W.D. Toomes provides an report of EMPEROR GOOSE.

• 1932 Charles H. Feltes begins a 50 year history of banding birds in Modesto. He bands the county's only record of BOHEMIAN WAXWING.

• 1944 Grinnell and Miller publish "The Distribution of the Birds of " which incorporates the findings of the early collectors. This book is a milestone as it is the first detailed published account of the distribution of the birds found in Stanislaus County.

• 1952 The first Los CBC is held on December 23rd, 1952.

• 1973 A group of Stanislaus County birders decide to branch off the San Joaquin Chapter of the National Audubon Society and form the Stanislaus Audubon Society. Founding members included Rene Blondeau, John Geisler, Jim Foster, Bill and Cari Amundsen.

• 1976 First LaGrange/Waterford CBC is held on December 19th, 1976

• 1979 Don Lundberg donates $100,000 to Stanislaus Audubon for the purposes of preserving habitat in Stanislaus County.

• 1980 The chapter by filing papers with the State of California on August 21, 1980. The board officers were Linda Frugé - President; Erwin Salomon - Vice-President; Deborah Bradford - Secretary and Evan Faulke - Treasurer.

• 1985-1992 Harold Reeve and Eric Caine actively bird Stanislaus County and 36 new species for the Stanislaus County Bird List. Including such finds as BRANT, TUFTED DUCK, LONG-TAILED DUCK, SURF SCOTER, and PACIFIC GOLDEN-PLOVER, WANDERING TATTLER, SOLITARY, STILT and SANDPIPERS, SANDERLING, FRANKLIN, WESTERN and SABINE'S GULLS, LONG-TAILED JAEGER, PINYON JAY, BROWN THRASHER, CHESTNUT-SIDED, MAGNOLIA and VIRGINIA'S WARBLERS, SWAMP SPARROW and RUSTY BLACKBIRD.

• 1986 Christman Island is purchased from the Lyon's family. Stanislaus Audubon contributes $100,000

• 1987 The San Joaquin River NWR is officially established with 2,300 acres of easements and fee title.

• 1988 The first Caswell/Westley CBC is held on January 3rd,

• 1988 Harold Reeve publishes Birds of Stanislaus County A Checklist and Date Guide.

• 1997 Stanislaus Audubon launches its website.

• 2000 The STA_Birds begins on July 24.

• 2011 The Birding Sites of Stanislaus and Merced Counties" booklet is Published.

• 2012 S.A.S. Facebook is set up.

• 2012 Bird Records Committee is established

• 2015 Harold Reeve is the first Stanislaus County birder to record 300 species observed in the county on January 6.

• 2017 Eric Caine is the second Stanislaus County birder to record 300 species observed in the county on December 30.