Film takes flight

Arizona Audubon shares tales of Pale Male at this year's Nature Film Festival in Scottsdale

I’ve got a serious case of bird envy. Turns out there’s a Red-tailed Hawk who thinks he’s got his own Fifth Avenue penthouse in NYC.

I’d be lucky to catch a cab on Fifth Avenue, let alone perch there long enough to ogle the passersby.

The bird, dubbed “Pale Male,” started “raising his young atop a Fifth Avenue high-rise” during the 1990s. Apparently it wasn’t enough for “Pale Male” to garner the attention of urban “birdwatchers, movie stars, poets, children, dogs, reporters and celebrities.”

He’s flying high on the prospect of fame, having already starred in one movie. Naturally it’s called “Pale Male.” But come Wed, June 15, he’ll be spotted near a Scottsdale high-rise as “The Legend of Pale Male” is screened at Harkins Camelview 5 Theatre — where I enjoyed seeing “The Beaver” with my daughter Lizabeth Monday afternoon.

The latest tale of “Pale Male” is one of two films being shown during Audubon Arizona’s “9th Annual Nature Film Festival & Silent Auction.” Don’t expect “Pale Male” to coast in for the event. He doesn’t do personal appearances.

Your family can read about Pale Male before enjoying the Nature Film Festival together

I wonder how he feels about sharing top billing with a bunch of hummingbirds. Their film, titled “Hummingbirds: Magic in the Air,” will also be shown that evening.

Sounds like a fun way to introduce kids to the magic of film festivals — especially if you couple the evening with reading about “Pale Male” or birds of other feathers.

The Audubon Arizona event kicks off at 5:30pm with a “picnic supper” and silent auction. Organizers promise “one-of-a-kind” items including “unique art, jewelry, restaurant certificates, sporting and cultural events.” Also “travel-themed packages, including local resort stay-cations and a thrilling African safari!” Films start at 7pm.

It’ll be quite a step up for me, since most of my animal time involves watching nature shows on PBS. Lately I’ve had great fun getting to know more about birds featured in the BBC “Wild Australasia” and “Wild Caribbean” series. (I remember my mom doing the same thing when she was my age.)

Hummingbirds: Magic in the Air from the PBS Nature series will also be shown

Seating for the film festival is limited, and RSVPs for advance admission are due no later than June 12.

Tickets are just $25 in advance and $30 at the door (if space is still available) — and include the two bird films, a picnic supper, popcorn and soda.

You can pop for a VIP ticket if you’d like to enjoy reserved seating and express auction check-out. VIP tickets are $100, and include a $75 donation to Audubon Arizona.

General admission and VIP tickets can be purchased through Valerie Ramos at 602-468-6470, ext. 103 or vramos@audubon.org. They’ll be held for you at the door. Unless, of course, part of the “Pale Male” entourage sweeps down to snatch them up for nesting material.

— Lynn

Note: Lizabeth and I both enjoyed “The Beaver,” but wouldn’t recommend it for children. It’s solid storytelling with fine acting and direction. Those who find its premise absurd don’t know the power of depression. Watch the credits carefully for a movie-related website with mental health resources.

Coming up: Arizona arts with a Tony Awards® twist?

The Merry Widow?

Trixy Trimble is ruling her own roost these days (Photo: Christopher Trimble)

We have a precious little lovebird named Trixy who has been singing, and swinging, a bit more than usual these days.

I jokingly referred to her as “the merry widow” Thursday morning as Lizabeth was enjoying a bit of Trixy time before heading off to school — but Lizabeth was not amused.

Because Trixy is flying solo after the loss of her lifelong companion, Taffy, who now shares a lovely bit of earth in our garden with a tiny rodent named Gidget who met a similar fate about a year ago. Both were high energy animals, and we like to think they just ran themselves right out of steam — living life to the fullest before meeting their fate.

While Lizabeth was at school Thursday morning, Christopher and I headed to Ingleside Animal Hospital to have Trixy’s wings clipped. She’s a whole lot safer not being able to escape her cage for the wide open spaces of the house we also share with a cat named Pinky. Next we headed to the pet store for a small cage Lizabeth can keep in her room for Trixy together time.

It was a bit of a bird theme day as we also went in search of jewelry with a bird motif. We wanted to find a little something to honor one of Christopher’s colleagues who is retiring from her position with the Center for Native and Urban Wildlife at Scottsdale Community College.

My first thoughts were of Laurel Burch earrings, because they often feature creatures like cats and birds — and because I remember my mother wearing them when I was a child. Nowadays they’re harder to find, unless — like my daughter Jennifer — you’ve mastered the fine art of Etsy.

We ended up at the Phoenix Art Museum because it’s right next to Phoenix Theatre, where Lizabeth has afternoon classes with fellow theater students at Arizona School of the Arts. They helped us locate all kinds of bird fare — from origami paper crane earrings to a graphite carving in the image of a bird.

We also found brightly colored kitchen gadgets inspired by birds, a coloring book and note cards featuring bird art by wildlife artist Charley Harper, some hip bags (big and small) with a playful bird motif, and a couple of contemporary pins with whimsical bird designs.

I spent part of Thursday evening enjoying the Scottsdale ArtWalk, where I found more works inspired by dogs, pigs and rabbits than birds — but Trixy will never know unless she learns to read before my gallery photos get folded into a future “art adventures” post.

It’s always easy to get a bird fix at the Nina Mason Pulliam Rio Salado Audubon Center, a fun place for kids and grown-ups to enjoy indoor exhibits and outdoor adventures. They’ve got a fun little retail area where my favorite finds are plush birds that make authentic sounds.

I jumped on their website recently and found all sorts of goodies — ways to help wildlife displaced by natural disasters, news of wildlife advocacy efforts in D.C., tips for “e-birding” and Arizona results of the “Great Backyard Bird Count.”

Their summer camps, all sporting intriguing names, are noted on the website too. Think Teen Naturalist. Bird Blitz. Pollinator Power. CSI Audubon. Click here to learn more about summer options for children and teens — or to explore their many programs.

Trixy’s agent might object to my speaking on her behalf, but I have a feeling she’s a firm supporter of all things Audubon — and grateful we didn’t stumble on a tiny tutu with her name written all over it.

— Lynn

Coming up: Music meets summer at the MIM, Stage Mom picks for the 2011/12 season, Art adventures: Scottsdale ArtWalk, Moms in musical theater