For now, due to concerns of COVID-19 virtual meetings will continue rather than return to the Academy of Natural Sciences.
Zoom Meeting: Instructions for meeting registration were announced on website and weekly digest.
7:00 PM The Pre-Meeting discussed recent bird sightings
Call to Order: President Linda Widdop
Call to Order: 7:30PM
Registrants: 63 (43 signed on for the meeting, some with more than one person per device)
Linda welcomed all to the meeting and introduced the officers.
Minutes from the last regular meeting on October 21, 2021 were approved.
Committee Reports:
Membership Committee: Barb Bassett for Bonnie Witmer
New Members: No new members since the last meeting.
New Applications: Elizabeth Cesarini, Gabriel Galson, Amada Schneider, Jonathan and Carla Rinde (household membership), Frank Keaney
Nominating Committee – Art McMorris
The Nominating Committee is developing a slate for the next secretary and two councilors. Art McMorris, chairperson of the Nominating Committee, acknowledged the rest of the committee: Anita Guris, Linda Timlin, and George Armistead.
Banquet: Gregg Gorton for Lauren Diamond
The next meeting will be the Annual Banquet. It will be virtual again this year. The speaker will be DVOC member, Holly Merker. Register here: Ornitherapy
Watching birds is not only fun, but good for you! Learn why getting your daily dose of ornitherapy is just what the doctor ordered…. Ornitherapy, or the mindful observation of birds, benefits our mind, body,
and soul.
Call for Photos for Banquet Slideshow
Linda Timlin is organizing a slideshow of DVOC members to be played during the 2021 virtual banquet. Please submit photos of DVOC members to dvoc.banquet.slides@gmail.com by November 16th for inclusion in the slideshow.
Billings – Art McMorris
Go birding! See https://dvoc.org/about/committees/billings/ for more information.
Field Trips: Linda Widdop
There are many Field Trips to choose from. Look for new trips added to the schedule on our website: DVOC Field Trips. Read about the completed field trips. Email Linda Widdop, linda@techimpact.org, if interested in leading any winter trips.
Participants must follow all the COVID-19 Guidelines as posted on the website and must sign a participant release to attend the field trip.
Local Notes (from the chat)
Martin Dellwo: New bird species for the Rittenhouse Square hotspot today: Palm Warbler! It and a Golden-crowned Kinglet were acting like sparrows, foraging on the lawn. Also there today, a Brown Creeper, multiple Dark-eyed Juncos, a Carolina Wren, and at least 5 Hermit Thrushes. All are ‘seasonal’ but not common there, except the thrushes. A Nelson’s Sparrow and a Grasshopper Sparrow were both seen at Pennypack on the Delaware. Also, a Dickcissel was observed there (and possibly two, pending photo comparisons). Another Dickcissel was reported with photographs by Ben F. at Bartram’s Garden. Pennypack on the Delaware also had White-crowned, Lincoln’s, Field, Swamp, Savannah, White-throated, and many, many Song Sparrows.
Patrick McGill: Surf Scoter and a Nelson’s Sparrow at Pennypack on the Delaware and White-winged Scoter at Frankford Arsenal boat launch on 10/30. Houston Meadow had a Yellow-rumped Warbler “Audubon’s” with a bright yellow throat on 11/4. 3 American Pipits, 3 Eastern Meadowlarks, a Vesper Sparrow, a Dickcissel, and an Orange-crowned Warbler were all at Pennypack on the Delaware on 10/31. Also, others had a Cattle Egret fly over that I missed, and it was first for POD. Two Bank Swallows and 2 Common Ravens have been hanging at NE Water Treatment Plant. The Common Ravens may be nesting in the abandoned warehouse across the street from WTP.
Susan Sherman: Red-breasted Nuthatches and Purple Finches at Peace Valley (Bucks County, PA) again this year.
Barb Bassett: Anhinga 10/22 Beanery which was a state bird for many observers, including some DVOC members. On 11/2, a Swainson’s Hawk was seen on Seagrove Ave and the Hawkwatch in Cape May. Several sparrows species have been seen at various places around Cape May, including Clay-colored, Vesper, White-throated, White-crowned, Song, Savannah, Nelson’s, Saltmarsh, and Seaside. Juvenile White Ibis are still flying south as seen from the Cape May Hawkwatch. On 10/30, 31 Black-legged Kittiwakes were seen leaving the bay fairly close to shore from Alexander Ave, Cape May Point. Most were juveniles but some adults were also observed. This was the morning after the Nor’easter. The tide rose during the night and was flowing out in the morning. A late Scarlet Tanager was seen in Cape May Point on Oct 31st.
Kaitlyn Evans: Cape May 10/23 Vermillion Flycatcher
Debbie Beer: On Halloween day, Oct 31, I led a bird walk at Hildacy Preserve, Media PA, for the Birding Club of Delaware Valley (BCDC) which tallied 40 species! Highlights are: Red-breasted Nuthatch, Blue-headed Vireo, Red-shouldered and Red-tailed Hawks, Belted Kingfisher, a full sweep of woodpeckers (Pileated, Hairy, Downy, Red-bellied, Northern Flicker and Yellow-bellied Sapsucker), Palm and Yellow-rumped Warblers, Brown Creeper, Song, Swamp and White-throated Sparrows.
Debbie Beer: Al Guarente led a mini-pelagic on the Cape May-Lewis Ferry on Oct 30. He had 3 Parasitic Jaegers at close range and Northern Gannet, Royal Terns, Lesser Black-backed Gulls, etc.
Announcements
Judy Foulke: Please join Bucks County Birders on November 23rd at 7pm. Jenny Uehling will speak on North American parrots. Email bucksbirders@gmail.com for a Zoom link.
Programs: Gregg Gorton
The speaker for the next regular meeting on December 2nd will be Rob Fergus.
Three Million Years of Birdwatching: How Birds Made Us Human
For millions of years, humans have been watching and copying bird behavior. Many of the behaviors that we take to be inherently human—including walking upright, using tools, language, writing, music, dance, sewing, pottery, home building, and flight—were perfected by birds long before we became human. This presentation looks at the shared history of humans and birds and how we may have become human by copying these behaviors from birds in our shared environment.
More information at https://dvoc.org/wp/activities/meetings/ for this and other upcoming meetings.
Evening Program
A Tale of Many Penguins by Ardith Bondi
The presentation by Ardith was fascinating. She described the penguin species and showed where they are distributed. Comments by the participants included; “wonderful, incredibly informative, and beautiful presentation”; “wonderful presentation and delightful photos”; very informative talk and wonderful pics”.
Adjournment
After the presentation and questions, the meeting was adjourned at 9:20pm.