7:35 PM Academy of Natural Sciences – Serengeti Room
Meeting called by President Steve Kacir
Secretary Linda Widdop
Attendees 20
Guests Joe Rucker, Terese Catanitch, Brittany Stewart, Nancy Hoffman, Liz Hoffman, Ken Walsh
Opening Remarks Steve Kacir
Minutes from last meeting approved by members in attendance.
Committee Reports
Banquet – Steve Kacir
Steve Kacir announces that the committee chair is still vacant and asks attendees to contact him if they are interested. Anita Guris and Barbara Granger will provide assistance to new chair when selected. Brittany Stewart announces that she will volunteer to take over as Banquet Committee Chair. Applause erupts.
Membership – Phil Witmer
Phil Witmer announces and welcomes new member Phil Bynam and Margaret Rohde. Brittany Stewart’s membership application was read to membership.
Conservation – Phil Witmer
Phil Witmer reports that conservation funds were raised in 2014 for American Kestrel Partnership. 3 nest boxes were built and installed at Green Lane Park in Montgomery county. 2 were occupied and monitored by Phil Witmer.
Cassinia – Matt Halley
Matt Halley reports that Scott McConnell is writing the obituary for Alan Brady. Members are asked to share information about Alan that may be helpful in this endeavor. Things are on track for June publishing. Space is available in this issue if anyone wants to submit content.
Billings Big Year – Art McMorris
Art McMorris announces that the committee is reviewing 2015 checklists and asks for members to join the fun in 2016.
Field Trips – Matt Halley – filling in for Tony Croasdale
Steve Kacir will lead a trip – February 20th Saturday(Rescheduled from 30 JAN 2016) Falls Township Community Park for Gull Watching
Sandra Keller will lead a trip – February 21st (Sunday) 8am – Late Winter Birding at Palmyra Cove Nature Park, Palmyra, NJ
Details of all upcoming field trips can be found at http://dvoc.org/FieldTrips/FieldTrips2016/FieldTrips2016.htm
Communications – Linda Widdop
Linda Widdop provides an update that the committee has approved plans for website development. Committee members will undertake the development starting soon. Navin Sasikumar will lead the development.
Interns Fund – Art McMorris
Art explains interns fund history. Many club members have donated to this fund, especially Hart and Jewel Rufe who have been most generous. DVOC to contribute $3000 to support ½ of the intern stipend. ANS will provide the other ½. Intern fund returned $600 from 2015. Members made up the difference of interns fund earnings and other contributions this week. Bert will send money to ANS this week. Jason Weckstein has candidate starting.
Programs – Steve Kacir
Steve announces next 2 talks.
March 3, 2016 – Rick Wright – “Fire Under Glass: A Field Guide to the Hummingbirds of France”
Youth Birding – Steve Kacir
Steve Kacir reports on behalf of Cindy Ahern – asks for ideas for youth birding field trips to be sent to Cindy. Barbara Granger has resigned from committee due to family obligations.
Announcements
Matt Halley announces that a party of volunteers met to begin to enter Julian Potter’s records into eBird. Dale Twining’s records are being entered into eBird by his granddaughter. Records are stored at Academy on cards.
Steve Kacir – Looking for people to help contribute content to DVOC FaceBook page.
Art McMorris is asking for reports of cliff nesting Peregrine Falcons in PA. 46 nesting pairs in PA last year but only 8 pairs on cliffs. Others on bridges or other structures. Please report any sightings to Art. Feb/March is the time to see pair bonding behavior. Look for whitewash on ledges.
Local Notes/Sightings
Feb 6th – Steve Kacir reports on Pelagic trip out of Cape May. 15 Fulmars, 195 Dovekie, Common Murre, 109 Razorbills, 21 Puffins, 12 Kittiwakes, Iceland Gull with Thayer’s intergrade possibilities, and the star – Great Skua stealing food from Great Black-backed Gulls etc.
Bert Filemyr – Barnacle Geese seen at FDR park in Phila first found on Friday. Appear to be wild birds – no bands, do not come for bread handouts which points to being wild birds rather than raised. Someone will need to write a report to PA records committee in order to have the geese verified as “countable”. Discussion and history of countable birds follows. Banded Barnacle Geese were found (shot and photographed) in 1980s etc led to acceptance in state records.
Bert Filemyr – a report of a Smew at Delaware Water Gap from yesterday has been discounted as false claim.
Main Program
Joel Fry The White Tail’d Buzzard: New evidence for William Bartram’s Painted Vulture from Florida
Adjournment
Steve Kacir Adjourns the meeting at 9:15 PM
The usual suspects plus a few guests then assembled at Cherry Street Tavern for continued discussion and fun.