Minutes – April 2, 2026

This was a hybrid meeting, broadcast on Zoom.

Call to Order: Patrick McGill

Call to Order: 7:30 PM

Attendees: 20 on Zoom

In person: 12

The last meeting’s minutes were approved unanimously.

Committee Reports

Membership – Patrick McGill for Rebecca Reicherter

We received 7 new member applications.

Field Trips – Peter Hamner for Linda Widdop

If you wish to lead a field trip, contact Linda: linda@techimpact.org

Upcoming field trips:

DATETIMETRIPLEADER
April 87:30 am – 9:00 amWednesday Spring Bird Walks at Lorimer Park & Fox Chase FarmLinda Widdop
April 98:00 am – 9:30 amThursday Bird Walks at Harriet Wetherill Park – Montgomery CountyMartin Selzer
April 1110:00 am – 11:00 amPenn Treaty Park with Fishtown Community LibrarySean Bradley
April 1110:00 am – 12:00 amRittenhouse Square with Philadelphia City InstituteHolger Pflicke
April 128:00 am – 11:00 amPoquessing Creek ParkHolger Pflicke
April 123:00 pm – 5:00 pmDixon Meadow Preserve with Liberty Bird AllianceTroy Bynum
April 157:30 am – 9:00 amWednesday Spring Bird Walks at Lorimer Park & Fox Chase FarmLinda Widdop
April 168:00 am – 9:30 amThursday Bird Walks at Harriet Wetherill Park – Montgomery CountyMartin Selzer
April 189:30 am – 11:30 amCenter City birding with Parkway Central LibraryHolger Pflicke
April 199:30 am – 11:30 amPennypack on the DelawareHolger Pflicke
April 227:30 am – 9:00 amWednesday Spring Bird Walks at Lorimer Park & Fox Chase FarmLinda Widdop
April 238:00 am – 9:30 amThursday Bird Walks at Harriet Wetherill Park – Montgomery CountyMartin Selzer
April 258:00 am – 9:30 amBartram’s GardenBen Filreis
April 258:00 am – 10:00amBird Walk at The Discovery CenterBarb Bassett
April 259:00 am – 11:00amAwbury Arboretum with Dwight Evans Library of West Oak LaneSean Bradley
April 2510:00am – 11:30amGirard Estates with Thomas F. Donatucci, Sr. LibraryHolger Pflicke
April 297:30 am – 9:00 amWednesday Spring Bird Walks at Lorimer Park & Fox Chase FarmLinda Widdop
April 308:00 am – 9:30 amThursday Bird Walks at Harriet Wetherill Park – Montgomery CountyMartin Selzer
May 27:00 am – 11:00 amHigbee Beach for Spring MigrantsLinda Widdop
May 67:30 am – 9:00 amWednesday Spring Bird Walks at Lorimer Park & Fox Chase FarmLinda Widdop
May 78:00 am – 9:30 amThursday Bird Walks at Harriet Wetherill Park – Montgomery CountyMartin Selzer
May 137:30 am – 9:00 amWednesday Spring Bird Walks at Lorimer Park & Fox Chase FarmLinda Widdop
May 148:00 am – 9:30 amThursday Bird Walks at Harriet Wetherill Park – Montgomery CountyMartin Selzer
May 207:30 am – 9:00 amWednesday Spring Bird Walks at Lorimer Park & Fox Chase FarmLinda Widdop
May 218:00 am – 9:30 amThursday Bird Walks at Harriet Wetherill Park – Montgomery CountyMartin Selzer
May 248:00 am – 10:00 amDixon Meadow Preserve with Liberty Bird AllianceTroy Bynum
May 277:30 am – 9:00 amWednesday Spring Bird Walks at Lorimer Park & Fox Chase FarmLinda Widdop
May 308:00 am – 10:00 amBird Walk at The Discovery CenterManny Dominguez
May 308:00 am – 11:00 amThe Great Marsh Institute (Chester County) with Liberty Bernard Brown
June 148:00 am – 10:00 amDixon Meadow Preserve with Liberty Bird AllianceTroy Bynum
June 278:00 am – 10:00 amBird Walk at The Discovery CenterJason Hall
July 128:00 am – 10:00 amDixon Meadow Preserve with Liberty Bird AllianceTroy Bynum

Conservation – Rob Karchnyak

There’s a chance City Council will be introducing the Bird Town Resolution on April 9th during open council. Rob Karchnyak was invited to enter in a statement but hasn’t received confirmation as to if it will happen that day. Rob passed the invite on to Jason Hall, Keith Russell & Heidi Shiver (Bird Town President).

Manny Dominguez reported that there are efforts in place to add more Purple Martin colonies after they nested on the Crescent Trail.

Billings – Art McMorris

Go birding! Art McMorris stated that Christian Shiebe, the youngest winner, will be presented the award at the April 16th meeting and give a short talk on their efforts. Members of the Billings family will be present.

Cassinia – Holger Pflicke

No report.

Announcements

Patrick McGill repeated that the American Birding Association community weekend will take place from May 22-25 in Philadelphia with gathering points, social happy hour, and bird walks.

Patrick also reported that the City Nature Challenge will be April 24-27th and that it is “not a competition this year.” The challenge is a bioblitz and the local area includes Philadelphia and its bordering counties. This is a worldwide challenge with hundreds of cities across the globe participating. 

Patrick announced that the second May meeting will be May 28th and it will be a joint collaboration with the Academy of Natural Sciences. It is unclear if it will also be available on Zoom.

Local Notes

Manny Dominguez had a very early Great Crested Flycatcher at the Navy Yard on March 27, Laughing Gulls are also back, and had some Bonaparte’s Gulls on the Delaware river the last few days as well.

Manny also added that a Virginia Warbler’s was seen in Montgomery County. It is the reported first record for Pennsylvania.

Linda Rowan has had a Red-Tailed Hawk on the nest on her property. It is the 10th year they have nested there. There was some work done on the power lines so it may fail.

Peter Hamner stated there is a Harris’s Sparrow in Monmouth, NJ. It has been there for about a month now.

Programs – Patrick McGill

The April 16th meeting will be a hybrid meeting with Blake Goll giving a presentation on Building a Relationship With Nature Through Your Yard. 

Evening Program

Amber Rice (in person) – Chickadee Hybridization, Cognition and the Microbiome

Amber Rice gave a talk on how hybrids of Black-capped and Carolina chickadees demonstrate reduced spatial memory and problem solving skills when compared to their adult counterparts. These deficiencies likely play a role in maintaining the species barrier and are potentially explained by genetic incompatibilities as well their microbiome.

Gallery

Adjournment

The meeting was adjourned at 9:10 PM.