Academy of Natural Sciences is closed due to COVID-19. First Ever Official Zoom Meeting
7:00 PM Pre-Meeting to assist with any technical issues and have attendees ready for official meeting at 7:30 PM. Instructions for meeting registration and how to use Zoom were announced on website and weekly digest.
Participation went smoothly. While waiting for official meeting start, Linda Widdop shared photos of warblers in her yard and Frank Windfelder shared a red-headed Woodpecker photo .
Call to Order: President: Linda Widdop
Call to Order: 7:28pm
Linda welcomed all to the First Ever Zoom Meeting due to COVID-19.
March 5, 2020 was the last in-person meeting which was held at the Academy of Natural Sciences. Minutes from this meeting approved as submitted.
Attendees are encouraged to use chat to share local sightings and questions.
Registrants: 77, including 13 non-members (some had more than one person per device)
Reports from Council
Linda introduced officers and Council: Vice President: Gregg Gorton; Secretary: Barb Bassett; Treasurer: Marty Dellwo; Editor: Matt Halley changing to Holger Pflicke; Current Councilors: Lauren Diamond, Rob Bierregaard, Anne Bekker, Brian Quindlen, Katrina Rakowski, Dan Efroymson, George Armistead (immediate past president).
Committee Reports:
Membership Committee: Bonnie Witmer
May 2020: Philomena Coppertino, Susan Scanlon, Kris Chirapongse, John Smyth June 2020 Olivia Walling, Cathy Wilkes, Scott Flanegin, Susan Fischer JULY 2020: Jean Merrittt, Denise Barkhardt AUGUST 2020: Susan Sherman SEPT: Brittany Grabois, Dwight Molotsky, Rebecca Sameroff
Conservation: Anne Bekker
Council approved two proposals in August:
$500 to help with the removal of invasives in Carpenter’s Woods – our first bird sanctuary and Philadelphia’s representative Old Growth Forest. This will help mitigate the dependence on herbicide.
$4000 toward habitat development and signage for the East Falls River Landing project (partnering with Audubon PA and the East Falls Development Corporation). A new boat launch will be built along an un-interpreted, under-birded but heavily-trafficked section of the Schuylkill River. Our project will present this as a bird- and nature-viewing opportunity, rather than just a recreation site, and establish bird-friendly habitat in what we hope will become a continuous corridor from the Wissahickon canoe launch to Laurel Hill Cemetery. The new eBird hotspot (“Schuylkill River Trail – East Falls”) represents the only hotspot between the Green Lane Bridge about 2 miles to the north and “West River Drive” on the opposite side and about a mile to the south. Bird it!
It’s time to think about the Rosalie Edge Award – to be given to a non-DVOC member who has made significant contributions to conservation. We will be presenting the award virtually this year. Please send Anne (anne.sarah.bekker@gmail.com) your nominations – with a brief write-up – by Friday, 10/9.
Billings: Art McMorris
Art was not present. No report.
Banquet: Lauren Diamond
Unfortunately, the banquet will not be in person this year. The virtual affair will be held on November 19th and there will be a speaker. More details to follow.
Cassina: Linda Widdop for Matt Halley/Holger Pflicke
All members should have received the latest edition of the Cassina. Matt Halley did a great job. Holger Pflicke will be the next editor. It is not too soon to start thinking of the next articles.
Field Trips: Linda Widdop
Anne Bekker lead a joint field trip with the Philadelphia Botanical Club. Eighteen socially distant participants enjoyed Nescopeck State Park, Luzerne County, PA for 10 hours. For now, DVOC is holding off any further field trips due to COVID-19 restrictions and will review what other organizations are doing.
Programs: Gregg Gorton
October 1, 2020 at 7:30 pm via Zoom; meeting opens at 7pm
The Cassatt Preserve: The Headwaters of Birding at the YMCA
Speaker: Brian Quindlen
at https://dvoc.org/wp/activities/meetings/
Announcements:
Frank Windfelder gave a shout out to Bert Filemyr for being the club’s treasurer for many years.
The Photo Contest will be held during the second December meeting, 12/17. Get your photos ready now. We are looking for a coordinator and three judges. If interested, please contact Gregg at homoaves@gmail.com
Local Notes
Bert Filemyr, Marty Dellwo, Alan Mart, and Barb Bassett saw the Little Stint found by Yong Kong at Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge.
Marty Dellwo and Alan Mart saw the Masked Booby (appropriate for the times) on the Coast Guard jetty in Cape May via the Osprey and the Skimmer boats.
Steve Mattan had many warblers in his yard, including Hooded and Black-Throated Blue.
Anne Bekker had a least 8 Black-Throated Blue Warblers in her yard. In Carpenter’s Woods, one of the barred owlets (one fledged on 6/1; one on 6/5) has made several appearances in Carpenter’s (8/21 through 9/5). Before that, she was probably the last to see any of them on 6/24. Where have these birds, not known to disperse widely, been spending their time, undetected, with so many eyes and ears in and around the Wiss? There have since been a couple of reports of one of them (one of “ours”?) at Awbury. Stay tuned.
Jack Mahon had the usual “mudpipers” around Salem and Cumberland Co sod farms.
Theresa O’Malley had a Dark-eyed Junco in September, Yeadon, Delaware County. A Pileated Woodpecker moved into her backyard in Folcroft, Delaware County.
Cecilia Deemer finally had a Brown Thrasher show up in her yard, Pennsauken, NJ, yesterday.
Katrina Rakowski has a recurring Carolina Wren in her city yard.
Bonnie Witmer had Black-Throated Blue Warbler, American Redstart, Rose-Breasted Grosbeak, Ruby Crowned Kinglet, Common Yellowthroat in yard in Wayne, Chester County, PA.
Barb Bassett and Bert Filemyr had a Buff Breasted Sandpiper in a mud puddle across from Kingsway HS, Gloucester county.
Barbara Granger has had a lot of variety at our birdfeeders in Wyncote, PA including many juveniles.
Ken Walsh was at Hawk Mountain on Sunday. His best birds were a gray-cheeked thrush and a female golden-winged warbler.
Alan Crawford noted that there were 747 American Kestrels at the Cape May Hawk Watch on Monday.
Judy Foulke has had very little bird action at their feeders since a Cooper’s Hawk has taken up residence.
Today Barb Bassett saw at least 22 Caspian Terns at Floodgates, Logan Township, Gloucester county, NJ.
Peter Burns had a Great-Crested Flycatcher at Ft. Washington day use area today.
Martin Dellwo noted there have been some good birds in Philly recently, some found by George: Red-headed Woodpeckers, Yellow-breasted Chat, Connecticut Warblers.
Linda Widdop had 10 warbler species in her Montgomery County PA yard: Black-throated Blue, Black-throated Green, Black and White, Bay-breasted, Northern Parula, American Redstart, Common Yellowthroat, Tennessee, Chestnut-sided, and Magnolia!
Evening Program:
The Real James Bond: A True Story of Identity Theft, Avian Intrigue, & Ian Fleming
Jim Wright took us through the life and history of the real James Bond, including his ties to Philadelphia. It was a fascinating tale. The book may be purchased at https://www.realjamesbond.net
Adjournment
Linda Widdop adjourned the meeting at 9:04 pm.
All were invited to continue the conversation at a virtual Cherry Street Tavern.