July 1, 2010, 7:30 PM – Informal Summer Meeting
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Next Meeting
July 1, 2010, 7:30 PM – Informal Summer Meeting
FULL 2010 MEETINGS / PROGRAMS SCHEDULE
• All who have an interest in birds are invited to attend functions of the DVOC.
• Meetings are lively proceedings, with a featured speaker or a special forum as well as reports from the various committees, announcements, and general field notes.
• Club meetings are held on the first and third Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. beginning the third Thursday of September through the first Thursday in June. Unless otherwise arranged, all meetings are held at the Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, PA beginning at 7:30 pm. (Directions to the Academy) Less formal summer meetings are held the first Thursday in July, August, and September.
120th Annual Members Meeting- Followed by Refreshments
Since the founding of our club in 1890, the first meeting of every year has been the “Members’ Meeting.” The meeting will feature the Annual Election of Officers and Council members, reports by the Treasurer and Trustees, and a review of the area’s Christmas Bird Count results, compiled by Debbie Beer. Hear of surprises, trends, etc., in this century-long census of our resident birdlife. We will then adjourn for socializing over snacks and drinks, organized by Bonnie and Phil Witmer.
Jane Henderson, “A Trip to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands”
The diversity of bird life in Ecuador is overwhelming: one sixth of the species on earth can be found within its borders. Equally diverse are the habitats, from the rain forests of the Andes to the volcanic moonscape of the Galapagos Islands. Jane will take us on a virtual tour of mainland Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands, places that have inspired generations of birders and naturalists.
Robert Kirk, “Behind the Scenes of a Field Guide”
Robert Kirk will explain the many steps involved in the creation and publication of field guides and other books about birds and nature. Robert is the Executive Editor for Biological Sciences and Natural History for the Princeton University Press, a world leader in the publication of field guides.
Ornithological Study - Frank Windfelder - "Identification of Scaup"
Doug Gross, “Recovery of Endangered Birds in Pennsylvania: the Birds, the Process, and New Challenges”
Doug will review the Pennsylvania bird species of concern list and the recovery process, using the Bald Eagle as an example of a successful recovery. He also will review other challenges we face in bird conservation in the state. Doug is Endangered Bird Specialist with the Pennsylvania Game Commission, and is well known for his lively, informative and entertaining presentations.
Julie Hagelin, “Tales from a Tangerine-Scented Seabird: Sex, Perfume and Parasites of Crested Auklets”
Those who have been close to a Crested Auklet breeding colony know that these unusual birds smell like freshly-peeled tangerines, but no one has taken this observation as far as Dr. Julie Hagelin, Assistant Professor of Biology at Swarthmore College. Come and hear about these remarkable birds, learn about their social lives, breeding biology and much more, and hear about Julie’s field studies working with the indigenous Yup’ik of St. Lawrence Island, Alaska. Julie will also describe how the auklet work applies to the recovery of another scented avian species-- the critically endangered Kakapo of New Zealand.
Ornithological Study - Frank Windfelder - "Eye-arcs and Orbital Rings"
DVOC member Win Shafer and his son Blake (AKA Birdman and Li’l Wayne) spent 4 1/2 months in 2009 through-hiking the entire 2175 miles of the Appalachian Trail from Springer Mountain, Georgia to Mt. Katahdin, Maine. Being in the mountains and woods in many different life zones during spring migration afforded incomparable opportunities for bird observation. Win will give a travelogue of his unique adventure and birding experience.
Ornithological Study - "In the Field: Bonaparte's Gulls and Black-headed Gulls" - Bert Filemyr
Bud Cook, “Birds of the Boreal Barrens of Northeast Pennsylvania”
The Pocono plateau in northeastern Pennsylvania embodies the region’s boreal heritage, harboring species tolerant to cooler temperatures reminiscent of its glacial past. It is a vast landscape of glacial till barrens interspersed with swamps, bogs, marshes and shallow ponds surrounded by red spruce, balsam fir and eastern hemlock – woodlands more characteristic of Canada’s northern climate. The bird life has a decidedly northern flavor, including many species that are rare or absent elsewhere in the state. Bud Cook, Director of The Nature Conservancy’s Northeastern Pennsylvania Office, will describe the three major barrens sites in the region: Long Pond, Moosic Mountain, and Arbutus Peak. They have many similarities, but each has its own distinctive features, its own rarities. Each has public access, trails and great birding. The Nature Conservancy and other organizations have been actively conserving and managing habitat at each place.
Ornithological Study - Chris Walters -"Nesting Strategies of the Little Guys with the Big Guys".
Dyana Z. Furmansky, “Rosalie Edge, Hawk of Mercy”
Most of us know Rosalie Edge as the fearless woman who single-handedly saved Hawk Mountain from the gunners, but that is only the tip of the iceberg. We didn’t know that she was also trying to keep it out of the hands of the National Audubon Society—and the DVOC. In Rosalie Edge, Hawk of Mercy, a recently released, brilliantly written and engaging biography, Dyana Z. Furmansky reveals Rosalie Edge as an unsung giant of conservation, “the activist who saved nature from the conservationists.” Even more important than establishing Hawk Mountain Sanctuary and many similar successes, Edge fundamentally changed the direction of conservation in America. She deserves to be credited as the person who launched the modern environmental movement more than 30 years before the publication of Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring. Come hear Dyana Furmansky explain how, in her talk about the remarkable woman without whom nature and birding would not be what they are today.
Click Here for Frank Graham’s review of Furmansky’s book in Audubon.Copies of "Rosalie Edge, Hawk of Mercy" will be available for purchase and signing at the meeting.
Ornithological Study - Steve Kacir - “Notes on an Aberrant White-Winged Gull”
Andy Wilson, “Results of the Second Pennsylvania Breeding Bird Atlas - a Sneak Preview”
During the 5 years 2004-2008, Pennsylvania has been engaged in a huge undertaking: to identify, map and count all the breeding birds in the state. The amount of data generated by this effort is overwhelming: over 3,000 volunteers spent over 100,000 hours in the field and logged over 850,000 breeding bird records. Dr. Andy Wilson is now engaged in digesting and crunching this huge amount of data to generate a picture of Pennsylvania’s breeding avifauna and the changes that have occurred during the 25 years since the first Pennsylvania Breeding Bird Atlas. Come hear a sneak preview of this effort and the many surprises that are emerging.
Minutes of this meeting
Hernán Arauz, “Birding in Panama: The Avian Crossroads”
Hernán founded Panama's first ecotourism business over 20 years ago. He is equally at home birding the foothills of Cana as the highlands of Chiriqui, trekking the jungles of Darién, diving the San Blas islands, or evoking Panama's pirate stories in mossy Caribbean ruins. He brings new eyes to a neotropical adventure and brings Panama's colorful past to life. Hernán will talk about the birds and ecosystems in different areas of Panama, illustrated with incomparable photos of birds, scenery, lodges and recreational areas.
Cathy Haffner, “Sharing the Shoreline: Status, Research, and Recovery of Great Lakes Piping Plovers”
One of the rarest birds in the Great Lakes region is slowly making a comeback thanks to the perseverance and dedication of countless conservation partners. Cathy will highlight on-the-ground recovery efforts for this endangered population as well as her work on Piping Plover space use and its implications for conservation action. Could Piping Plovers return to Pennsylvania? Join us to find out. May Run reports instead of Ornithological Study
Held at the Palmyra Cove Nature Park, Palmyra, NJ (beside the Tacony-Palmyra Bridge)
Short presentations including:
"Blizzard or Quetzels? Easy choice!"– Rick Mellon
Hosted by Paul and Anita Guris at their home in Green Lane, PA
Details TBA
Rain Date, August 1st, 2010 (Sunday)
Held at the Palmyra Cove Nature Park, Palmyra, NJ (beside the Tacony-Palmyra Bridge)
Short presentations including:
Rushton Farm Bird Banding Station – Lisa Kiziuk, Doris McGovern
Tom’s Birding Quiz #2 – Tom Bailey. Test your knowledge of North American birds, birding and birders. A prize will be awarded to the winner.
Held at the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge (Tinicum), Philadelphia, PA
Short presentations including:
Global Warming: the Impact on Birds – Phil Witmer
Bird-Safe Glass Demonstration Project at Heinz – Gary Stolz
Identification of Wigeon – Frank Windfelder
Adrian Binns, “A Naked Safari: Tales of East Africa”
Join DVOC favorite Adrian Binns for humorous stories from his birding and wildlife tours in East Africa. Renowned for its peerless concentrations of wildlife, this truly remarkable part of Africa is home to a huge variety and abundance of birds and mammals, particularly in the savannas and eastern edge of the rain forests. There is so much more than just seeing “The Big 5” and saying you have been on safari. Come prepared for encounters and stories from the world’s most famous wildlife sanctuaries.
TBA
George Armistead, “PORNithology: the Birds and the Birds and the Bees”
There are 10,000 species of birds in the world, and some of them have some pretty odd and unusual breeding strategies. DVOC member George Armistead has birded on seven continents, both on his own and as a leader for Field Guides, Inc., and has witnessed some pretty unusual bird behavior. His description of the things that birds will do in order to leave more little birds on the planet promises to be as entertaining as it is informative.
TBA
Program – Scott Weidensaul, “Messing Around with Birds (for Fun and Science)”
Join Scott Weidensaul for a lighthearted exploration of his many avian research projects, from banding hawks and tiny saw-whet owls to studying the migration of western hummingbirds that aren't supposed to be in the East in December (but are). Best of all, learn how anyone with some enthusiasm and time can make important contributions to the science and conservation of birds, and have a great time doing it.
TBA
Members’ Photography Night
Prizes will be awarded in four categories: Birds, Natural History (non-avian flora and fauna), Scenery and Birders
Additional programs will be posted as they are scheduled.
