Minutes – March 19, 2026

This was a hybrid meeting, broadcast on Zoom.

Call to Order: Patrick McGill

Call to Order: 7:30 PM

Attendees: 10 on Zoom

In person: 17

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:

DATETIMETRIPLEADER
March 218:30am – 11:00 amTacony Creek ParkHolger Pflicke
March 254:45am – 6:45amPennypack Park with NE Regional LibraryHolger Pflicke
March 288:00 am – 10:00 amBird Walk at the Discovery CenterPatrick McGill
April 17:30 am -9:00 amWednesday Spring Bird Walks at Lorimer Park & Fox Chase FarmMartin Selzer
April 28:00 am – 9:30 amThursday Bird Walks at Harriet Wetherill Park – Montgomery CountyMartin Selzer
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 – Perri Strawn

Rob Karchnyak, Jason Hall and Keith Russell are meeting with City Councilmember Cindy Bass to advocate that Philly become a Bird Town, which helps with conservation efforts. They are planning to meet again next month.

Billings – Art McMorris

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

Cassinia – Gregg Gorton for Holger Pflicke

Papers will be going out for editing and the process is ongoing.

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.

Gregg Gorton reported that he received an email from Julie Ellis from the Wildlife Futures with PennVet that there will be an event March 24th at the Schuylkill Center at 6pm seeking feedback on the The Nature Record project. The Nature Record is the first comprehensive, independent, evidence-based assessment of how nature is doing in the United States and how changes in nature are shaping our lives, communities, and economy.

Local Notes

Manny Dominguez and Patrick have seen Ospreys in the area recently.

Patrick also reported that he had a Common Raven being mobbed by crows on his block in Germantown.

Sean Bradley stated he was the first person to submit eBird data for Fernhill Park for the month of March.

Programs – Patrick McGill

The April 2nd meeting will be a hybrid meeting with Amber Rice giving a presentation on chickadee hybridization.

Evening Program

Bryce Robinson (in-person) – The Red-tailed Hawk Project

Bryce Robinson gave a talk on the work of the Red-tailed Hawk Project, which is a working group that aims to fill knowledge gaps in our understanding of the life history and evolution of the species. He discussed their variety of plumages and their relationship with subspecies, as well as their migration.

Gallery

Adjournment

The meeting was adjourned at 9:05 PM.