This was a hybrid meeting, broadcast on Zoom.
Call to Order: Navin Sasikumar
Call to Order: 7:30 PM
Attendees: 14 on Zoom
In person: 17
The last meeting’s minutes were approved unanimously.
Committee Reports
Membership – Patrick McGill for Rebecca Reicherter
We received 3 new member applications for 4 new members
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 |
| May 9 | 8:00 am – 9:00 am | Fernhill Park | Holger Pflicke |
| May 9 | 9:30 am – 11:30 am | Upper Roxborough Reservoir with the Andorra Library | Holger Pflicke |
| May 9 | 10:30 am – 12:00 pm | Pennypack Park with Fox Chase Library | Sean Bradley |
| May 10 | 8:00 am – 10:30 am | West Fairmount Park | Holger Pflicke |
| May 10 | 8:30 am – 11:00 am | Morris Park | Sean Bradley |
| May 13 | 7:30 am – 9:00 am | Wednesday Spring Bird Walks at Lorimer Park & Fox Chase Farm | Linda Widdop |
| May 14 | 7:00 am – 8:30 am | Independence Hall Spring Bird Walks | George Armistead |
| May 13 | 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm | Girard Estates with Thomas F. Donatucci Sr. Library | Holger Pflicke |
| May 14 | 8:00 am – 9:30 am | Thursday Bird Walks at Harriet Wetherill Park – Montgomery County | Martin Selzer |
| May 16 | 7:30 am – 9:30 am | East Fairmount Park – Boxer’s Trail | Holger Pflicke |
| May 16 | 8:00 am – 10:00 am | Fisher Park | Sean Bradley |
| May 16 | 10:30 am – 12:00 pm | Tacony Creek Park with Lawncrest Library | Sean Bradley |
| May 16 | 10:30 am – 12:00 pm | Northern Liberties with Ramonita G de Rodriguez Library | Holger Pflicke |
| May 17 | 9:00 am – 11:00 am | Schuylkill Center | Holger Pflicke |
| May 20 | 7:30 am – 9:00 am | Wednesday Spring Bird Walks at Lorimer Park & Fox Chase Farm | Linda Widdop |
| May 21 | 8:00 am – 9:30 am | Thursday Bird Walks at Harriet Wetherill Park – Montgomery County | Martin Selzer |
| May 24 | 8:00 am – 10:00 am | Dixon Meadow Preserve with Liberty Bird Alliance | Troy Bynum |
| May 27 | 7:30 am – 9:00 am | Wednesday Spring Bird Walks at Lorimer Park & Fox Chase Farm | Linda Widdop |
| May 30 | 8:00 am – 10:00 am | Bird Walk at the Discovery Center | Manny Dominguez |
| May 30 | 8:00 am – 11:00 am | The Great Marsh Institute (Chester County) with Liberty | Bernard Brown |
| June 14 | 8:00 am – 10:00 am | Dixon Meadow Preserve with Liberty Bird Alliance | Troy Bynum |
| June 27 | 8:00 am – 10:00 am | Bird Walk at the Discovery Center | Jason Hall |
| July 12 | 8:00 am – 10:00 am | Dixon Meadow Preserve with Liberty Bird Alliance | Troy Bynum |
Conservation – Rob Karchnyak
The Conservation Committee is seeking thoughts on the Heinz Restoration plan.
The Philadelphia City Council passed a resolution designating Philadelphia as a Bird Town. Rob is also taking the initiative to West Virginia.
Cassinia – Holger Pflicke
Final edits are going out and mid June will be layout time.
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.
Gregg Gorton stated that Spencer Trotter’s name is being taken off parts of Swarthmore’s campus after a review of his actions with Native American graves, among other things. Additions will be added regarding this where he appears in the DVOC.
Patrick stated that the club’s recent presentations are now up on its YouTube channel.
Patrick announced that the second May meeting will be May 28th and it will be a joint collaboration with the Academy of Natural Sciences for the annual Cheryl Beth Silverman Memorial Lecture featuring a conversation with Isaiah Scott. It will not be live on Zoom but it will later be posted online.
Debbie Beer announced that the Raven LunaChicks will be participating for the 5th time in the World Series of Birding in Cape May in the Limited Geographic Area category for Gloucester County after finishing second last year in the total competition.
The Greater Philadelphia Birdathon is taking place this weekend from 5 PM tomorrow to 5 PM on Saturday.
Navin announced that the ID period portion of the City Nature Challenge has been extended to May 10th.
Tanya Burnett stated that 60 minutes had a segment on bird watching with Anderson Cooper. It is available OnDemand.
Local Notes
Barb Bassett stated that a Glaucous Gull has been appearing in Cape May, NJ. Magnolia Warbler and Cape May Warblers in Gloucester County. A Yellow-breasted Chat has been singing at the Flood Gates in Gloucester County. She also had a pair of Wood Ducks at the Discovery Center.
Patrick had 4 Common Raven babies getting ready to fledge on Red Lion Road, and Raven babies have fledged on the Delaware River. The American Kestrel family is still hanging around there. He also had a pair of Purple Martins at the Northeast Airport. There has been a Yellow-Crowned Night Heron at John Heinz and Awbury Arboretum.
While scouting, the Raven Lunachicks came across Glossy Ibis in Gloucester and they also found a colony of nesting Bank Swallows.
Linda Rowan walked at Silver Lake Park in Bucks County in the late afternoon. Birds seen include: Common Yellowthroat, Wood Thrush, male Orchard Oriole, female Baltimore Oriole, and lots of Robins and Catbirds.
Sean Bradley heard a Hooded Warbler singing in Cresheim Woods on Monday. Tuesday, he heard a Blackburnian Warbler and a Tennessee Warbler by Mount Pleasant Mansion in East Fairmount Park. Today at work, he heard and saw a few Laughing gulls fly over The Discovery Center.
Robert Karchnyak had 68 species in total at FDR park on Tuesday morning.
Manny Dominguez had an Ovenbird on the walk to the Academy tonight.
Martin Dellwo reported Elise Greenberg had Cerulean Warbler and Summer Tanager at The Woodlands. There has been a Worm-eating Warbler at Rittenhouse. Dunlin and Black-bellied Plover have been at Heinz.
Victoria Sindlinger had a Summer Tanager and White-eyed Vireo at Heinz as well as a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher at Brigantine Forsythe.
Manny Dominguez reported 230 White Ibis flew over Green Lane in Montgomery County.
Nilesh Shah had lots of Purple Martins at Longwood Gardens.
Karyl Weber stated that George Armistead led a nice walk at Independence Hall and they had a nice surprise when Holger pointed out a fly-over by a Common Loon.
Programs – Patrick McGill
The May 28th meeting will be a joint in-person meeting with the ANSP Silverman Memorial Lecture Series: A Conversation With Birder Isaiah Scott.
Evening Program
Tanya Burnett (in person) – Panama DVOC Field Trip Report
Tanya Burnett gave a talk on her DVOC hosted field trip to Panama from January 16-20, 2026. This was the first DVOC field trip to Central America. She discussed planning the trip and all the great birds seen by the group.
Gallery
Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned at 9:20 PM.