**MEETING-The regular monthly meeting will be held on Monday, April 11, at 7:00 PM, Room 204, Activities Bldg., First Presbyterian Church, Leon Sullivan Way, Charleston.  The program will feature a Free Books Event, as we continue to pare down and find new homes for all but the most essential and important books of our chapter collection. 

 

**NEWS-

    Picnic Alert-Our traditional site for the May meeting/covered dish supper may change. Be sure to check the next newsletter for details.

 

    The "observations" portion of the April meeting should be fun and interesting, as migrants and nesting take center stage.  A Sandhill Crane was seen at the lane leading to the heron rookery near Buffalo and several Cinnamon Teal were noted in Lincoln County.  Copies of the April calendar listing bird arrival and departure dates are still available from ellis_6511@msn.com.

 

    Cemetery Walks-Sunday morning bird walks at the historic Spring Hill Cemetery will begin again, on April 14.  Russ Young will lead; groups will meet at 8:00 AM at the Mausoleum.  Dates listed below.

 

    New River Birding and Nature Festival-Have you made reservations yet?  Some chapter members who enjoyed the event last year can recommend that you try the dinner program, May 3, featuring Hummingbird bander Bill Hilton, Jr. and/or the Wednesday dinner choice of Bird Watcher's Digest publishers Bill & Elsa Thompson and TV's "Nature Nut," John Acorn.  See www.birding-wv.com.

 

    North American Migration Count-Join birders nationwide as we use try to take a statistical "snapshot" of our areas birds on Saturday, May 14.  Volunteers are welcome; we count species and numbers of birds seen within each county.  Feeder counts are helpful too.  Need more info?- ellis_6511@msn.com or 586-4135.

    

**CALENDAR-

    April 11-Handlan Chapter Meeting

    April 17-Bird Walk, Spring Hill Cemetery...also 4/24  5/1  5/8  5/15

    April 22-EARTH DAY

    May 1-7 New River Birding and Nature Festival 

    May 9-Handlan Chapter Meeting 

    May 14-NORTH AMERICAN MIGRATION COUNT

    May 14-Keep Cats Indoors Day, sponsored by American Bird Conservancy, www.abcbirds.org/cats