This was a hybrid meeting, broadcast on Zoom. We had a speaker and a live audience in the BEES classroom and the meeting was broadcast on Zoom.
Call to Order: President Barb Bassett
Call to Order: 7:30 PM
Attendees: 8 in person, 5 on Zoom
Perri Strawn moved to approve minutes of the last meeting and Martin Dellwo seconded the motion. The minutes were approved unanimously.
Committee Reports
Field Trips – Linda Widdop
If you wish to lead a field trip, contact Linda: linda@techimpact.org
Upcoming field trips:
| DATE | TIME | TRIP | LEADER |
| May 3 | 7:00 – 11:00 | Higbee Beach for Spring Migrants | Linda Widdop |
| May 3 | 8:00 – 9:30 | Fernhill Park | Holger Pflicke |
| May 3 | 10:00 – 12:00 | East Falls Birding with Falls of Schuylkill Library | Holger Pflicke |
| May 4 | 8:00 – 10:30 | Pennypack Park | Holger Pflicke |
| May 7 | 7:30 – 9:00 | Wednesday Spring Bird Walks at Lorimer Park & Fox Chase Farm | Linda Widdop |
| May 7 | 4:30 – 6:30 PM | FDR Park with South Philly Library | Holger Pflicke |
| May 8 | 7:30 – 10:00 | Thursday Mornings at Wetherill Park (Montco) | Martin Selzer |
| May 10 | 9:00 – 11:00 | Center City birding with Parkway Central Library | Holger Pflicke |
| May 10 | 10:00 – 12:00 | Carpenter’s Woods | Edge |
| May 10 | 4:00 – 6:00 PM | Morris Park | Edge |
| May 14 | 7:30 – 9:00 | Wednesday Spring Bird Walks at Lorimer Park & Fox Chase Farm | Linda Widdop |
| May 15 | 7:30 – 10:00 | Thursday Mornings at Wetherill Park (Montco) | Martin Selzer |
| June 4 | 7:00 – noon | Lakehurst Naval Air Station for Upland Sandpipers | Bob Horton |
Membership – Barb Bassett for Rebecca Reicherter
No new members since the last meeting.
Conservation – Rob Karchnyak and Perri Strawn
Rob did a walk with the Save the Meadows group at FDR, with the idea of categorizing FDR as “Stop-over Habitat” to help preserve it from more development and mentioned there was a hearing on June 1st that he would be attending.
Billings – Art McMorris
Go Birding!
Cassinia – Barb Bassett Holger Pflicke
Holger is looking for short articles for the next issue. Submissions will be due in September.
Communications – Navin Sasikumar
No report.
Announcements
Raven LunaChicks will be participating in the World Series of Birding, they are currently scouting to finalize their route. The event takes place on May 10 and folks can donate through the DVOC website. Donations will help support DVOC and Bird Safe Philly.
DVOC will be updating some of the bylaws of the DVOC Constitution. These updates will be mailed to members, and then they will be voted on.
City Nature Challenge ended, but folks can still upload and identify submissions until May 4th.
Saturday May 3 at Laurel Hill there is a City Nature Challenge ID party.
Local Notes
Barb Bassett Clarksboro, Gloucester county had Black-throated Green, Northern Parula, Common Yellowthroat warblers, Veery, Wood Thrush, and Pileated Woodpecker
Patrick McGill had Meadowlarks displaying at NE Philly airport this weekend and a singing Savannah Sparrow which could be the returning breeding pair – Awbury Arboretum on his lunch break today he had singing Parula, Nashville Warbler, and male Black-throated Blue Warbler. Singing Rose-breasted Grosbeak. And Wood Thrush and Gray-cheeked Thrush.
Patrick also mentioned birder Cheryl Rizzo took photos of a Crested Caracara flying over Pennypack on the Delaware (POD) last Friday, the 25th
Manny Dominguez had a Clay-colored Sparrow at the Navy Yard on Tuesday, and a nice variety of warblers lately too, Worm-eating Warbler and Prairie Warbler.
Navin Sasikumar had a Great Egret, Snowy Egret, and Little Blue Heron at John Heinz NWR, all in one photo!
Programs – Navin Sasikumar
Next meeting: May 29, 2025
A special meeting with Dexter Patterson (in-person) – Birding is for Everyone – a joint presentation with the Academy in the Auditorium
Evening Program
Jazmine da Costa – Stewarding Philadelphia’s Rich Network of Public Space for Habitat, Health and Joy
Jazmine da Costa gave an excellent talk starting with a brief history of the William Penn Foundation and the work she does within the organization. She then highlighted some of the core values and goals of the foundation that concentrate on providing opportunities for communities that have been most affected by economic inequity, racial discrimination and other forms of injustice. These opportunities come through programs in art, culture, environment, public space, as well as democratic and civic initiatives, workforce training and outreach.
Adjournment
After the presentation and some questions, the meeting was adjourned at 9:00pm.