People have been recording bird species in Stanislaus and Merced Counties for over a hundred years. Both counties now have bird lists of over three-hundred species. And despite the seeming improbability, almost anyone can learn a hundred local birds—it just takes a jolt of awareness and a willingness to open your eyes to the hidden world around you.

Getting started is always a major hindrance to acquiring such knowledge, but Stanislaus Audubon Society’s Dave Froba has taken a lot of the difficulty out of that part of learning local birds. He’s also produced a good, strong, jolt of awareness. In Wings Over Our Two Counties, Froba provides an introduction to local birding that covers everything from a typical back yard to visits to our spectacular wildlife refuges.

Himself an experienced birder and avid backyard bird watcher, Froba has distilled decades of knowledge into a one hour romp through Merced and Stanislaus Counties that features a panoply of bird species ranging from tiny hummingbirds to giant White Pelicans.

Learning the “when, what, and where” of local bird lore is the major first step in acquiring the foundation upon which to build a working knowledge of the birds around us. Froba has managed to make that step entertaining as he focuses on aspects of nest-building, dive-bombing, foraging, and flying that make birds and bird behavior so fascinating.

For those who’ve never realized our region hosts everything from Avocets to Whimbrels, Wings Over Our Two Counties will provide a thrilling introduction to a natural world too often unseen by Valley citizens. The film also provides an excellent foundation upon which to build a growing knowledge of local bird life.

Wings Over Our Two Counties will be shown with the highly acclaimed The Central Park Effect at Modesto’s State Theater on Sunday, April 12. Showtime is 3:00pm. Bird guides and local experts will be available in the lobby before and after the films.