John Mercer
John details his 2023 trip of February 15 to 22 to Thailand, describing his birding in Phetchaburi Township, and touching Kaeng Krachen National Park and the Coast.
Note: This meeting will be held in person at the meeting house and via Zoom. Zoom signon will start at 7:15 to enable the meeting to begin at 7:30.
Jeff Kenney & Angela Romanczuk
The massive undertaking to catalogue Pennsylvania’s breeding and non-breeding birds known as Pennsylvania Bird Atlas 3 (PBA3) is already underway. PBA3 will only be possible through the efforts of thousands of volunteers carefully logging their data through early 2029. Years of future conservation and land management decisions will be based upon the data collected in the next five years. This session with Chester County Atlas Co-Coordinators Jeff Kenney and Angela Romanczuk will detail how you can contribute and will provide answers to any questions you may have.
Jeff Kenney has lived in Chester County for most of his life. Having been introduced to birding as a child by his father Mike, Jeff’s passion for birds and nature was mostly dormant until being rekindled in 2020. Now an avid (and moderately obsessive) state and county lister, Jeff’s favorite place to bird in Chester County is the Crows Nest Preserve/State Game Lands 43 complex in Elverson. Jeff currently resides in Phoenixville with his two dogs, Vita and Grits, and is a founding board member of In Color Birding Club, as well as a Force of Nature volunteer with Natural Lands.
Angela Romanczuk has lived in multiple Pennsylvania counties, but has spent most of her adult life in Montgomery and Chester counties. While Angela has always loved being outdoors, it wasn’t until 2020 that she was introduced to birding. She now enjoys exploring under-birded areas all over Pennsylvania and is forever on the lookout for the American Woodcock. Angela’s favorite local places to bird are Crow’s Nest Preserve in Chester County, Congo Road Open Space in Montgomery County and her backyard. She is a founding board member of In Color Birding Club and a Force of Nature volunteer with Natural Lands.
Note: This meeting will be held in person at the meeting house and via Zoom. Zoom signon will start at 7:15 to enable the meeting to begin at 7:30.
Rob Fergus
Description:TBD
Bio:TBD
Note: This meeting will be held in person at the meeting house and via Zoom. Zoom signon will start at 7:15 to enable the meeting to begin at 7:30.
Speaker: Sheila Martin
Jump on board with WCBC member Sheila Martin as we pictorially explore untamed Patagonia - where some of the world’s most stunning landscapes are filled with wildlife to the max!
Moment by moment, the experience of hiking the walkways around Iguazu Falls is simply nature at its finest. And, for Sheila, when Plush-crested Jay & Chestnut-eared Aracari appeared in the parking lot, she knew it would be days of incomparable sighting thrills, including up to two dozen dizzying endemics to follow, just in that pre-tour locale!
Atlantic coastal Argentina in November offers exceptional close-up wildlife observation, straight down to the straits of Tierra del Fuego - with Red Knots ready to migrate, and Austral Negrito & “Loica” ever-present. Farther inland, we find the best puma viewing on the planet! It was southern-hemisphere springtime ’22 - and all the breeding birds were showing off their best. While in Chile, the quaint atmosphere, friendly locals and Patagonia Sierra-finch, Tufted Tit-tyrant plus Magellanic Woodpecker further enriched her experience.
Relive with Sheila her outrageously memorable jaunt through a stark & jaw-dropping part of the globe, full of scenery, wild mammals, and birds, birds, BIRDS!
Note: This meeting will be held in person at the meeting house and via Zoom. Zoom signon will start at 7:15 to enable the meeting to begin at 7:30.
Jeff Buler
Dr. Buler will share highlights of recent and ongoing research by his lab and colleagues in the field of aeroecology: the study of the ecology of flying animals aloft. He will talk about how he uses radar and telemetry technologies to make new discoveries into 1) how the Mid-West corn belt is a man-made migration barrier for forest birds, 2) the aquatic nature of Purple Martins in our region, and 3) the reintroduction of Northern Bobwhites into Pennsylvania.
Jeff Buler is a Professor in the Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Delaware. His broad research interests include avian ecology, landscape ecology, remote-sensing, and conservation biology. Dr. Buler established the Aeroecology Program at the University of Delaware in 2011. He is an international leader in the development of novel methods and software for using weather surveillance radars to study the broad-scale distribution, movement, and habitat use patterns of birds, insects, and bats.
Note: This meeting will be held in person at the meeting house and via Zoom. Zoom signon will start at 7:15 to enable the meeting to begin at 7:30.
Vinobha Karthik Panner Selvam
Birding in India offers both overwhelming and exhilarating experiences, with a higher density of birds and people per square mile compared to the US. Imagine traveling alongside an Indian immigrant and avid birder, reconnecting with his deep-rooted love for nature as he rediscovers the avian treasures closer to home in the tropical forests he almost forgot.
Vinobha Pannerselvam is a Data Consultant by profession and recently found birding as his life’s passion and purpose. He travels regularly to India and spends time enjoying South Indian birds during his travel. He served in a few conservation boards locally and he currently serves as President of Bucks County Birders & is a board member of Warrington Environmental Advisory Council (EAC).
Note: This meeting will be held in person at the meeting house and via Zoom. Zoom signon will start at 7:15 to enable the meeting to begin at 7:30.
Coordinated by Luc Jacobs. Here is the info for photos:
NOTE: This meeting will be held in person at the meeting house and via Zoom. Zoom signon will start at 7:15 to enable the meeting to begin at 7:30.
Faridah Dahlan & Ingred Rochon
Did you know that molecular and microscopic identification of feathers plays a key role in aviation safety? The Smithsonian’s Feather Identification Lab processes over 11,000 wildlife strike cases each year to determine which species of birds are involved in collisions with aircraft – the first step to implementing preventative measures to keep both birds and people safe. Learn how the lab identifies both whole feathers and fragmentary bird remains (aka “snarge”) using the Smithsonian’s collection of 600,000 bird specimens, as well as the resources of the museum’s Laboratories of Analytical Biology.
Presenter Faridah Dahlan is a molecular specialist who has worked for the Feather Lab since 2008. Ingrid Rochon began working at the Smithsonian in 2016 as a museum technician, joining the Feather Lab in 2023 as an apprentice microscopist under Dr. Carla Dove.
Note: This meeting will be held in person at the meeting house and via Zoom. Zoom signon will start at 7:15 to enable the meeting to begin at 7:30.
Club Member Sheila Martin
This is a continuation from last last spring. Jump on board with WCBC member Sheila Martin as we pictorially explore untamed Patagonia - where some of the world’s most stunning landscapes are filled with wildlife to the max! Moment by moment the experience of hiking the walkways around Iguazu Falls is simply nature at its finest. And, for Sheila, when Plush-crested Jay & Chestnut-eared Aracari appeared on the parking lot, she knew it would be days of incomparable sighting thrills, including up to two dozen dizzying endemics to follow, just in that pre-tour locale! Atlantic coastal Argentina in November offers exceptional close-up wildlife observation, straight down to the straits of Tierra del Fuego - with Red Knots ready to migrate, and Austral Negrito & “Loica” ever-present. Farther inland, we find the best puma-viewing on the planet! It was southern-hemisphere springtime ’22 - and all the breeding birds were showing off their best. While in Chile, the quaint atmosphere, friendly locals and Patagonia Sierra-finch, Tufted Tit-tyrant plus Magellanic Woodpecker further enriched her experience. Relive with Sheila her outrageously memorable jaunt through a stark & jaw-dropping part of the globe, full of scenery, wild mammals, and birds, birds, BIRDS!
Note: This meeting will be held in person at the meeting house and via Zoom. Zoom signon will start at 7:15 to enable the meeting to begin at 7:30.
Tom Lindeman
Birds, native plants and pollinators have CO-evolved over the millennia. The importance of the inter-connected relationships among them has a critical impact on the ecosystem. We will discuss how individuals can make a difference in fostering these relationships and help create a healthy habitat for all concerned.
Tom "Dedko" Lindeman is:
- An Educator, Consultant, and Interventionist as an Ambassodor for The Xerces Society and a local Advocate for DarkSky International.
- A student/observer of honey bees" in central-eastern Pennsylvania (village of Egypt in central eastern Pennsylvania) and has been housing bees, packaging honey products, relocating swarms, making new friends, and sharing "Bee Talk' presentations with civic, education, and fraternal groups. Tom believes there is much to learn from the honey bee "superorganism" behaviors and how they can be applied to human society. He maintains an actively-managed website, www.Dedkosbees.com
- A career educator, holding advanced degrees in education of the deaf/hearing impaired, as well as an administrator of education programs for adjudicated and disadvantaged youth.
He and his wife Diane have two adult children and four grandchildren.
Note: This meeting will be held in person at the meeting house and via Zoom. Zoom signon will start at 7:15 to enable the meeting to begin at 7:30.
Hank Davis
I became passionate about Hummingbirds on a trip to Cuba with the Delaware Nature Society in 2013. Since then, I have traveled to Ecuador 3 times, Costa Rica 2 times, Brazil 4 times, Mexico once, Trinidad & Tobago once, and Peru once. I still have many more countries to go to. I would love to see all 360+ species but realize that will not happen. There are places where one just does not go to see Hummingbirds. So far, my life list is 160 species, of which I have photographed 149. This presentation is primarily a photographic journey of my quest to see Hummingbirds.
Hank Davis is originally from New York City but has lived in the Delaware Valley for 50+ years. Upon his move to the area, he gained an appreciation for nature and open space. Ultimately, this led to a career in horticulture that lasted many years. Since his retirement, he decided to pursue his lifelong passion in photography. While his primary photographs are of horticulture, he has recently included birds, dragonflies and butterflies to his portfolio.
Hank also serves the community by volunteering to take photographs for the Delaware Nature Society, Bucktoe Creek Preserve, Longwood Gardens and the Delaware Center for Horticulture.
Note: This meeting will be held in person at the meeting house and via Zoom. Zoom signon will start at 7:15 to enable the meeting to begin at 7:30.
Jason Weckstein
Jason Weckstein, Associate Curator of Ornithology at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University and Associate Professor in the Department of Biodiversity, Earth, and Environmental Science, Drexel University will talk about iconic specimens from the Academy of Natural Sciences Ornithology Collection. The Academy of Natural Sciences Ornithology collection is approximately the 6th largest bird collection in the world and is the 2nd largest University based bird collection in the world. The collection is worldwide in scope and houses a large proportion of the described bird species in the world. Jason will touch on some of his favorite specimens in the collection including endangered, extinct, and little known species from around the world.
Jason Weckstein obtained his BS in Natural Resources from the University of Michigan (1993), his MS in Zoology from the University of Minnesota (1997), and his Ph.D. in Zoology from Louisiana State University (2003). For his dissertation, he reconstructed the coevolutionary history and host-parasite associations between toucans and their ectoparasites using DNA sequences. After the Ph.D. he continued studying birds and parasites as a postdoctoral fellow at the Illinois Natural History Survey, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, where he stayed on as a staff scientist until joining the Biodiversity, Earth, and Environmental Sciences faculty and Academy of Natural Sciences in 2014 as an Associate Professor/Associate Curator.
Weckstein is a fellow of the American Ornithological Society and has authored over 80 peer-reviewed publications and delivered over 50 presentations at universities and both national and international scientific meetings. He has over 20 years of experience working in natural history museums and has conducted research on birds and their parasites in the United States, Canada, South Africa, Ghana, Malawi, Nicaragua, Brazil, and Mexico. In addition to teaching, training, and research, Jason's additional interests at the Academy of Natural Sciences include collections building, curation, and public outreach.
Weckstein’s research focuses on three main areas: 1) avian comparative biology and evolutionary history, 2) biodiversity of birds and their parasites, and 3) coevolutionary history of birds and their parasites. He utilizes field collected bird and associated parasite specimens and analyzes their DNA sequence data to reconstruct their ecology and evolutionary history.
Note: This meeting will be held in person at the meeting house and via Zoom. Zoom signon will start at 7:15 to enable the meeting to begin at 7:30.