Delaware Valley Ornithological Club
Time: 7:33pm (in BEEs Conf Rm)
Call To Order:
President: George Armistead
VP: Linda Widdop; Secretary: Gregg Gorton
Minutes from last meeting approved as submitted.
Attendees:
Members present: 38; Guests:
Reports from Council:
none
Committee Reports:
Membership Committee:
Bonnie Witmer
New Members: Alan Simon (present), Julie Greenberg, Ayyappan Nair
New applications received: Emily Choudhry, Bob Michener (present)
Field Trips:
Haddington Woods, Cobbs Creek Park Oct. 6, 2018@10am Meet at west end of Vine Street, one block past 65th Street
Leader: Tony Croasdale
Pileated Woodpecker, lingering migrants are possible
Discovery Center at East Park Reservoir NOTE: 2 DATES: Oct. 6 & Oct. 27, 2018@8am – 9:30am 3401 Reservoir Drive, Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, PA 19121
Leader: Keith Russell
Join Audubon Philadelphia for a bird walk on the grounds of the newly-opened Discovery Center–a project of the National Audubon Society and Philadelphia Outward Bound School. This site is now accessible to the general public after having been closed for thirty years, and is home to approxi-mately 150 bird species. This one-mile walk should yield some migrating passerines, raptors and waterfowl.
Free to all members and Non-members
Tannersville Cranberry Bog Oct. 27, 2018@10am – 1pm Delaware Water Gap, Stroudsburg
Leader: Cindy Ahern
Contact Cindy for more information:
Hidden Valley Saw-whet Owl Banding Station (Station run by Scott Weidensaul) Oct. 27, 2018@6:30pm – MN
Leader: Cindy Ahern NOTE: You must register! –> Contact Cindy (as above)
–>Please contact Linda 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/ )
Conservation Committee
Anne Bekker
Please send nominations for the Rosalie Edge Conservation Award, given for outstanding work in conservation by a person or persons who are non-members of DVOC.
Note also the ongoing planning for the renovation of FDR Park. Go to: https://myphillypark.org/what-we-do/capital-projects/fdr-park/?mc_cid=b6572caaff&mc_eid=5225f00f3e
Banquet Committee:
Lauren Diamond
November 15, 2018@6pm
Sheet Metal Workers’ Hall on Delaware Avenue
Speakers: Kevin Karlson and Pete Dunne
PLEASE REGISTER!
Cassinia:
Matt Halley
Please send any submissions to Matt: Matthewhalley@gmail.com
Communications:
Navin Sasikumar
Thanks to Lauren Diamond and Kate Garchinsky for the superb graphics work that they contributed for the DVOC table at the American Birding Expo. Sales included approximately 26 T-shirts, and approximately 40 people signed up to be placed on the weekly mailing list.
Programs:
Linda Widdop
October 18, 2018@ 7:30pm-9pm (in Commons)
Panel Presentation and Discussion by three Speakers “Tips and Techniques for Planning a Big Birding Trip”
Speakers: Martin Seltzer, Don Jones and TBA (professional guide)
http://dvoc.org/wp/activities/meetings/
Announcements:
George Armistead:
Received in the mail – “A Finding Aid for the DVOC Records in ANSP.Coll.074,” prepared by Evan Peugh (dated 9/12/18). This was turned over to Bert Filemyr and Matt Halley.
The Big Sit will be Sunday, Oct. 14, 2018@5:15am-dusk. This event will honor the memory of recently deceased member Henry “Hank” Hox. Join in both the birding and the reminiscing!
Gregg Gorton:
The Witmer Stone Award Committed is open for nominations. The award goes to a member of DVOC for an outstanding publication that is the result of ornithological research not done by a professional.
Gregg Gorton (for Rob Bierregaard):
The Julian Potter Award Committee is open for nominations. The award is given for field ornithological research by a member or non-member of DVOC.
Bonnie Witmer:
October 13, 2018@9am – 3pm The Fall Festival at the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge DVOC will have a table to public outreach–so, come on down!
There is a wonderful series of award-winning Birder Murder Mystery books, by Steve Burrows, including the first one, entitled A Siege of Bitterns– so check them out!
Local Notes:
Art McMorris: Gave his annual breeding season report on Peregrine Falcons in Pennsylvania. There are now 54 pair, including 7 pair in the Delaware Valley (a higher density than anywhere else in the state). This is an all-time high number. Forty pair bred successfully, and 107 young fledged, which gives a ratio of 1.98 per parental pair. Since the rate of successful breeding has exceeded the threshhold criteria for three years in a row, Art has applied to have this species status upgraded from endangered to threatened–which represents a huge success! Go to the Pennsylvania Game Commission Website if you would like to participate in the public comment period, which is now open: http://pgc.pa.gov
Gregg Gorton: There is a tower at the new Strawberry Mansion Discovery Center that is part of the Outward Bound ropes course. It affords great potential as a hawk-watching spot, though it sways a little bit, so scoping is somewhat difficult.
Matt Halley: Cape May has had outstanding flights of falcons and accipiters lately, and a Brown Booby was found, as well as a Connecticut Warbler at Higbee Beach. He also had a late Common Nighthawk in Mt. Airy.
Tony Croasdale: On October 2nd, Ben and Elliott Dziedzic located a Rock Wren at Dixon Meadow Preserve in White Marsh Twp. near Plymouth Meeting. A show of hands revealed that a dozen or so members of the audience had already gone to see it.
George Armistead: This is an irruption year for Red-breasted Nuthatches!
Holger Pflicke: A lot of birds have been moving in the night skies, as detected by his night flight-call recording equipment.
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Program Speaker:
Holly Merker
“A Raptor Warm-up”
This was a delightful overview and tour through the 14 regular raptor species in our area, chock-full of identification tips; and, including repartee with the audience. Excellent slides, most of them Holly’s own photos, were shown.
Holly Merker
A rapt audience learning about raptors
Business before pleasure (Holly’s talk)
Meeting Adjourned:
9:15pm
After Meeting at Cherry Street Tavern:
As usual, some eager members enjoyed beverages and bird-chat….