New to the area

[Andy Donnelly]

Hi:

I am getting ready to move to Medford in about a month, and I wanted to find out what resources there are for folks who are new to the area, in particular getting out with others who know the birding in Jackson County, or at least findng people who can point me to some better birding locations. I am not a novice birder, but may not be that familiar with the birds of Oregon, especially the calls/songs. And like I said, I am not familiar with where to go birding in the area or the state. I am especially interested in things I haven't seen often, and coming from Central Texas I think there may be quite a few things I'd like to seek out. 

I will certainly be joining RVAS, but I don't think they are doing field trips just yet, nor in person meetings. I have found the hotspot guide on the RVAS web site, and I have a couple of older guides to birding in Oregon, so that will be a start. There appears to have been a guide to Ashland birding on the KBO web site at one time, though that page seems to have disappeared. 

Any help or advice would be appreciated. Or if you don't mind somene tagging along on a birding outing, give me a shout. I anticipate being here by early to mid October.

Thanks.

Andrew Donnelly

Austin, TX but soon to be Medford, OR

acado...@gmail.com

PS- And if anyone knows much about where to go herping in the area/state, I am almost equally interested in snakes and lizards and spend about as much time looking down as up when I am in the field.