AUBURN – The Stanton Bird Club’s first meeting of the new 2008-09 birding season will be held Monday, Oct. 6, at the High Street Congregational Church. A chicken dinner will be served from 6 to 7 p.m. The annual meeting and monthly speaker will begin at 7.

The Chewonki Foundation of Wiscasset will present “Birds of Prey – New England’s Majestic Raptors.” Staff will explain what birds of prey are and how their survival techniques differ from species to species.

The program compares and contrasts the special hunting adaptations of nocturnal and diurnal raptors, including their talons, their sharp, curved beaks and their different wing and tail shapes.

Participants will have the opportunity to see three of Chewonki’s non-releasable raptors. In addition to viewing the predators of the sky up close, participants will also handle and examine feet, wing, and skull specimens to better understand the birds.

The Chewonki Foundation is a recognized leader in offering an array of environmental education programs, traveling natural history programs, wilderness trips and workshops for adults, families and groups.

The meeting and presentation are free and open to the public. Dinner costs are adults, $10; children, $7. Those interested in dinner should send a check payable to Stanton Bird Club, to Tom Hayward, 107 Nichols St., Lewiston, ME 04240 or call 782-5238 to make reservations.

For a listing of the 2008-2009 monthly meetings, field trips and to view the newly published 2009 Stanton Bird Club calendar of birds, visit the Stanton Web site at www.stantonbirdclub.org.

For more information on the club, call 782-5238, visit the Web site or e-mail questions to StantonPR@,yaboo.com.