This was a hybrid meeting, broadcast on Zoom.
Call to Order: Navin Sasikumar
Call to Order: 7:30 PM
Attendees: 11 on Zoom
In person: 20
The last meeting’s minutes were approved unanimously.
Committee Reports
Membership – Rebecca Reicherter
No report.
Field Trips – Peter Hamner for Linda Widdop
If you wish to lead a field trip, contact Linda: linda@techimpact.org
Upcoming field trips:
| DATE | TIME | TRIP | LEADER |
| February 7 | 11:30am – 1:00pm | Winter Gulls at Glen Foerd | Holger Pflicke |
| February 8 | 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm | Borski Gull Watch – Borski Park | Holger Pflicke |
| February 15 | 9:00 am – 11:00 am | Great Backyard Bird Count – East Laurel Hill Cemetery | Navin Sasikumar |
| February 15 | 9:00 am – 11:00 am | Great Backyard Bird Count – West Laurel Hill Cemetery | Rob Karchnyak |
| March 7 | 7:300am – 6:00pm | Winter Gulls at Glen Foerd | Holger Pflicke |
Conservation – Peter Hamner for Rob Karchnyak
Rob Karchnyak is likely to meet with Bass’s Chief of Staff on February 17. Keith Russell confirmed he’ll be joining the virtual meeting.
Jason Hall, Judy Stepenaskie and Rob put together a support letter to make Philadelphia a Bird Town and they are hoping to pass along the letter to other environmental clubs/educators to have them sign on as well. If anyone wants to help they can email Rob directly at karchnyak@gmail.com.
Navin Sasikumar also reported that the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation announced its 2025 grant awards for the Delaware Watershed Conservation Fund. Bird Safe Philly and the Wildlife Management Institute are recipients of a grant entitled, “Increasing connectivity for migratory birds in the Delaware watershed by reducing bird collisions.” This three-year grant will provide nearly $500,000 to Bird Safe Philly and partners efforts to educate and mitigate
for bird collisions with glass through 2028.
Billings – Art McMorris
Art McMorris announced the winner of the 2025 Billings Big Year Competition: Christian Shiebe. Christian totalled 280 species and the Yellow-headed Caracara was a new bird for the competition. Christian is the youngest winner at 15 years old.
Cassinia – Holger Pflicke
No report.
Announcements
Navin Sasikumar announced that Alan Simon’s college Earlham College is offering a new scholarship for young birders, awarding $2,500 per year for all four years to recipients, expanding access for students eager to combine academic study with field-based discovery. Endowed scholarships are also available for vertebrate zoology faculty-student field research and general ornithology expenses. Earlham College is an elite undergraduate liberal arts college in Richmond, Indiana, and has a long history of producing successful natural history graduates.
Navin also reported that the City Nature Challenge will be April 24-27th. The challenge includes Philadelphia and its bordering counties competing with other cities in a bioblitz.
Local Notes
Barbera Basset stated that Lake Lily in Cape May has low water levels but has Tundra Swans, Mute Swans, 2 Trumpeter Swans, 6 Redheads, Common Mergansers, and Canvasback. The Lighthouse pond also had Common Merganser. Canada Geese are everywhere and Brant can be found in nearby fields. Almost 200 American Woodcock froze/starved to death and were collected for the Academy.
Linda Rowan reported Fox Sparrows in Levittown, Bucks County, PA, as well as several Rough-legged Hawks in Falls Township by the landfill on Bordentown Rd.
Martin Dellwo had a Sharp-shinned Hawk at Lardner’s Point and a Common Raven carrying nesting material. Lots of ducks are at Pennypack on the Delaware, specifically Red-breasted Merganser, Ring-necked Ducks, American Black Duck, and Common Goldeneye. Martin also had a perched Short-eared Owl at Philadelphia Airport.
Martin relayed that 2 swans attempted to land on a turf field at Temple campus. One took off west, leaving the other. It spent the night and was rescued the next morning by Tri-state Bird Rescue & Research. Birders are trying to determine if the bird is a Trumpeter or Tundra Swan. The swan weighed half of a regular Trumpeter Swan’s weight but many of the characteristics point to a Trumpeter. Maria Pacheco noted that the bird seemed small in hand.
Martin also reported a potential Glaucous-winged Gull in Sayreville, NJ, which would be a first-state record.
Karyl Weber asked about providing more knowledge to people regarding how to help birds deal with this cold snap and snow.
Programs – Patrick McGill
The February 19th meeting will be a hybrid meeting with George Armistead giving a talk on the lives of seabirds that feed on squid.
Evening Program
Robert Driver (in-person) – Evolution and functional characterization of olfactory receptors in birds
Robert Driver gave a talk on the evolution of bird olfactory receptors and the latest research on a bird’s potential for the sense of smell. Researchers have determined that birds have many more olfactory receptors than previously thought and the receptors are present in the correct tissue and cell type relevant to smell, and that the receptors respond to odors.
Gallery
Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned at 9:15 PM.