Minutes – Nov. 1, 2018

Delaware Valley Ornithological Club

Time: 7:35pm (in BEES)

Call To Order:

President: Marty Dellwo (for George Armistead)
VP: Linda Widdop; Secretary: Gregg Gorton
Minutes from last meeting approved as submitted.

Attendees:

Members present: 18; Guests: 2

Reports from Council:

none

Committee Reports:

Membership Committee:

Bonnie Witmer
New Member: Joanne Woods

Conservation Committee

[Secretary’s choice to post below:]

Note the ongoing planning for the renovation of FDR Park.  The next meeting will be on Wednesday, November 14, 2018@6pm at South Philadelphia High School (Broad St. and Snyder Avenue)

Go to this link for details: https://myphillypark.org/what-we-do/capital-projects/fdr-park/?mc_cid=b6572caaff&mc_eid=5225f00f3

Banquet:

Navin Sasikumar

For Banquet tickets ($49.50), please go to the DVOC website.

Note that there will be an Art Show again this year!

And, please submit photographs of DVOC birders to Bonnie Witmer, who will set up a “slide” show of those images submitted, which will be shown during the social hour before the dinner.  Bonnie: bonnie.witmer@verizon.net

Field Trips:

Waggoners Gap                                                                                                                                                            Nov. 3, 2018@10am-4pm                                                                                                                                          Waggoners Gap Road, Landisburg, PA 17040

Trip Leader: Tony Croasdale & Dan Efroymson

Free to all members and non-members.

This trip is timed to see Golden Eagles and hopefully Northern Goshawk. While the drive to the site is farther than to Hawk Mountain, you can drive almost to the lookout! Afterward, the group will repair to Harrisburg for a pint at Millworks.

 

Explore FDR Park in South Philly                                                                                                                          Nov. 4, 2018@8am-10am                                                                                                                                        1500 Pattison Avenue and S. Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19145

Trip Leaders: Holger Pflicke & Gregg Gorton

Free to all members and non-members

FDR Park is one of the top 3 birding destinations in Philadelphia!  There is an initiative to renovate the park, so this is an opportunity to see it and to hear from Holger about the planning process.

Meet at the Parking Lot just east of the gazebo (GPS: 39.903522, – 75.178762)

 

Discovery Center at East Park Reservoir                                                                                                                Nov. 10, 2018@8am-9:30am                                                                                                                                    3401 Reservoir Drive, Philadelphia 19121

Trip Leader: Keith Russell

Free to all members and non-members

 

Glen Foerd on the Delaware                                                                                                                              Nov. 11, 2018@10am-12pm                                                                                                                                      5001 Grant Avenue, Philadelphia 19114

Trip Leaders: Pete Kurtz and Matt Halley

Free to all members and non-members

http://www.glenfoerd.org/

 

–>Please contact Linda Widdop if you want to lead a trip outside Philadelphia: Linda@techimpact.org

–>Please contact Tony Croasdale if you want to lead a walk inside Philadelphia (for DVOC’s BirdPhilly initiative): Tony.croasdale@gmail.com

(Details for all walks/trips can be found at http://dvoc.org/activities/field-trips/ )

 

Programs:

Linda Widdop

DVOC Annual Banquet                                                                                                                                              Birds of Prey                                                                                                                                                November 15, 2018@6pm-10pm
Speakers: Kevin Karlson and Peter Dunne

http://dvoc.org/wp/activities/meetings/ 

 

Winter Gull ID: the How & Where                                                                                                                          Dec. 6, 2018@7:30pm-9pm                                                                                                                                    Speaker: George Armistead

 

Photography Night                                                                                                                                                    Dec. 20, 2018@7:30pm-9pm

Photos will be judged according to the following categories:

Birds (you may submit up to 5); Fauna (up to 3); Flora (up to 2); Scenery (up to 2); Birders (up to 2); DVOC area (up to 2)

Please submit photos for judging to Linda Widdop: linda@techimpact.org

Full details at: http://dvoc.org/activities/photo-contest/

Announcements:

Marty Dellwo:  Please register for the banquet and spread the word to others!

Local Notes:

Bert Filemyr:  currently, there are irruptions of Red-breasted Nuthatches, Pine Siskins, Purple Finches, and Evening Grosbeaks–so watch for those!

Bonnie Witmer: maybe the dry season in Canada, with many forest fires, had something to do with the irruptions.  Also, she had a Great Horned Owl at her home in Radnor.

Brian Quindlen: an Evening Grosbeak was seen at Rick Robinson’s House in Coatesville, PA.

Joe Freiberg: had a fly-by Evening Grosbeak at Hawk Mountain; and, Evening Grosbeaks have been seen in Maine.  He also had a Raven near Landsdale.

Marty Dellwo: there has reportedly been a massive influx of sparrows in Maine.  And, a Lark Sparrow was found Friday, October 26th, on the Delaware River Trail near Washington Avenue behind the Sheet Metal Workers’ Hall. A Clay-colored Sparrow was found in Andorra Meadow.

Linda Widdop: reported a large flock of Chipping Sparrows.

***********

Program Speaker:

“Winter Birding in Ontario”

Speaker: Bert Filemyr

Bert gave a lively, often humorous, and well-informed talk (as we have come to expect!)–replete with his own (and a few others’) fine photos–on birding the area around and just north of Lake Ontario in Winter, focusing on four areas he has visited over the years. Many in the audience added stories and comments, and posed informative questions.

Bert points the way northward

 

Key Winter birding areas around Lake Ontario

 

Rick Mellon adds stories from his many trips northward in Winter

 

Summary slide “just to be clear”–note icicles! — Brrrrrrrr!!

 

Meeting Adjourned:

9:15pm

After Meeting at Cherry Street Tavern:

As usual, some eager members enjoyed beverages and bird-chat….