Meetings & Programs

Ian Stewart - Ornithologist working at the Delaware Nature Society.
 

This presentation describes an experiment conducted recently in southeastern PA where most of the invasive non-native plants were removed from 10 woodland plots but left in place in 10 comparable plots to see if it affected their use by nesting birds. It also describes an observational study conducted in the fall to see if insect-eating birds prefer to feed in native or non-native plants. These results will be of interest to anyone involved in restoring habitat for bird conservation.

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.

Presenter: Dorothy Bedford
 

When Dorothy Bedford’s sister started writing up her WWII family trilogy, based on her parent’s diaries and letters, Dorothy hadn’t dreamed of visiting PNG, where her father was an Army officer under MacArthur. As she got drawn into her sister’s research, the opportunity to visit in the guise of birdwatching became compelling.  Last August, Dorothy visited Port Moresby and the Western Highlands with P.I.B for Birds-of Paradise and other specialties. She’ll share photos and stories.

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.

Katie Fallon
 

Vultures are often overlooked, underappreciated, and unloved, despite the vital roles they play in healthy ecosystems. Worldwide, vultures are primarily scavengers; they can help stop the spread of disease by quickly and efficiently removing dead animals from the landscape. Unfortunately, due to poisoning, direct persecution, habitat loss, and other threats, vultures are more likely to be threatened or endangered than any other group of raptors. But in the Western Hemisphere, Turkey and Black Vultures counter this trend and are increasing in number. Based on Katie Fallon’s recent book, this fun presentation will explore the life and times of the noble Turkey Vulture, including its feeding, nesting, and roosting habits, migratory behaviors, and common misconceptions. Katie will also discuss what it’s like to be up-close-and-personal with Turkey and Black Vultures through her work with the Avian Conservation Center of Appalachia

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 John Mercer
 

A review of the trip I took with Hawk Mountain and ProNatura to view the River of Raptors in Veracruz, Mexico. A chronological travel log of what we did and what we saw, with pictures of birds, sites and interesting critters, but mostly birds. A terrific trip especially for raptor lovers, but we also did a lot of other birding and some cultural visits, making this a well rounded and delightful trip.

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 Brian Quindlen
 

The Upper Main Line YMCA in Berwyn, Pennsylvania is unlike most other YMCAs. It is situated on a 54-acre campus in the suburbs of Philadelphia. Twenty of these acres contain the Cassatt Preserve, which is part of the first conservation easement in the state of Pennsylvania. This property contains a unique history for both the habitats and the people who have enjoyed it over the last century. Serving first as a summer estate, then a Norbertine monastery, and finally a YMCA, this property would eventually be home to a robust youth birding program and environmental education center. This program is a tribute to history of the habitats, people, and birds that make this property special.

Brian “BQ” Quindlen is an avid birder, photographer, digiscoper, and educator from Malvern, Pennsylvania. As a Pennsylvania state certified K-6 elementary school teacher and K-12 environmental educator, BQ connects students with nature in a formal education setting. Also, BQ is the leader of the Garnet Valley Trailblazers nature program, an environmental education club and summer camp that takes students from first through twelfth grade birding.
 

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. If you have photos to contribute see below.

- Make sure to label each photo with the bird species name and the location where the photo was taken. This can be done by including the info in the filename or by providing a separate list of the photos with this info.

- Get the pictures in electronic format to Luc Jacobs by Monday May 15th (earlier is appreciated)

- You can use any of the following methods to share the files:

- upload the pictures to Dropbox and email the link to jacobsluc52@yahoo.com
- upload the pictures to WeTransfer and email the link to jacobsluc52@yahoo.com
- mail a thumb drive to Luc Jacobs, 511 Annadale Drive, Berwyn PA 19312
- hand over a thumb drive to Luc Jacobs on any of the coming bird walks (contact Luc to know whether he will be participating in a specific walk)
- email Luc at jacobsluc52@yahoo.com or call Luc at 610-644-8285 (home) or 484-706-1999 (cell) to discuss an alternative method

 
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.

Pat Sutton

Every-day gardeners who transition into wildlife gardening often have a hard time rethinking the many tasks they’ve tackled for years, tasks that are highly hazardous to the very wildlife they are working so hard to attract and benefit. Pat Sutton will open your eyes to a world of life hidden in fallen leaves, which to her are anything but leaf “litter.” She will uncover the secret lives of butterflies and moths, bumble bees and other beneficial pollinators, salamanders, fireflies and so much more through the winter months, all tucked safely in and under leaf litter. As late winter and early spring arrive, she will showcase the many native wildflowers that so easily bust through the deepest leaf litter and light up shade gardens throughout her yard.

Pat Sutton lives near Cape May, New Jersey, the world renowned migratory crossroads that is famous for its hawk, owl, songbird, shorebird, dragonfly, and Monarch butterfly migration. She has keenly studied the natural world for over 30 years.

Pat and her husband Clay’s landmark book, Birds and Birding at Cape May (Stackpole Books, 2006), is the in-depth result of their efforts over many years documenting and protecting the migration and the hometown that they so love. Pat and Clay Sutton together have co-authored How to Spot Butterflies (1999), How to Spot Hawks & Eagles (1996), and How to Spot an Owl (1994), all published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Pat has been a working naturalist since 1977, first for the Cape May Point State Park and then for 21 years with New Jersey Audubon’s Cape May Bird Observatory, where she was the Naturalist and Program Director (1986 to 2007). Pat has a Masters Degree from Rowan University in Environmental Education and an undergraduate degree in Literature from the State University of New York at Oneonta. Today, Pat is a free-lance writer, photographer, naturalist, educator, lecturer, tour leader, and wildlife habitat / conservation gardening educator. Pat is a passionate wildlife habitat gardener and advocate for butterflies, moths, bees (all pollinators), birds, dragonflies, frogs, toads, and other critters. Pat has taught about wildlife-friendly and native plant gardening for over 30 years. Sutton’s own wildlife garden is a “teaching garden” featured in many programs, workshops, and garden tours.

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.

Mary Birdsong
 

Join Erie Bird Observatory’s Mary Birdsong, who will introduce us to EBO’s mission and programs and provide a recap of the 2023 nesting season for endangered Great Lakes Piping Plovers and Common Terns at Gull Point, Presque Isle State Park. She will also share general information about birding the park.

Mary Birdsong is co-founder and Lead Shorebird Monitor for Erie Bird Observatory. She has been monitoring shorebirds, particularly Piping Plovers since 2015. She active in Presque Isle Audubon, is also a freelance writer and artist. She shares her home with her husband Mike Plyler and two gray tabby cats, and is the proud Busia to three granddaughters. 

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.

Wayne Laubsher
 

Going north in the winter for birdwatching?  Yes!  It's quality more so than quantity as this program highlights the various far northern specialty bird species that appear in Ontario and even the northeastern U.S. during certain winters.  Irruptive species of raptors and finches, wintering northern species of waterfowl and gulls, and the occasional western vagrants will be covered.  Where and when to find them and reasons why they show up so far south of their normal range will also be discussed.  The emphasis of the program will be on the areas of southern and eastern Ontario and also a few nearby areas in Quebec.

Wayne is the Clinton County compiler for the PA Birds publication and a member of the Lycoming Audubon Society board as well as the Northcentral PA Conservancy Technical Committee. He also coordinates the Audubon CBC centered in the Lock Haven area. He is a native of the Lock Haven area in Clinton County, residing in Swissdale. Some of Wayne’s recent work was as a bio aide for the PA Game Commission. Since 2019 he has been the Mosquito Disease Control Coordinator for Centre, Clinton, and Clearfield Counties conducting WNV surveillance. Wayne also bands owls and hummingbirds in his spare time.

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.

Ross Gallardy

Ross Gallardy grew up in Pennsylvania but has travelled the world extensively searching for birds. He specializes in self-guided expeditions on a reasonable budget, and will share with us some of his most memorable birding experiences as well as his strategies for planning his expeditions. Traveling to far-flung corners of the globe with a backpack and strong determination, Ross has seen more than 7,600 of the world’s 10,625 bird species, including a new species he discovered in Tanzania in 2021.
 
Ross lives in Chester County with his wife and birding companion Melissa, and their new little baby birder born last fall.

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.

Judy Stepanaskie

The story of the peregrine falcons nesting in the steeple of St. John the Baptist RC Church in the Manayunk Neighborhood of Philadelphia.

Judy has always loved nature and the outdoors and even spent a year as an intern at a nature center but didn’t start birding until she was in her 40’s. She was there on the Green Lane Bridge over the Schuylkill River in Manayunk when the two peregrines were first spotted in February 2011, and has been watching them ever since. She was nicknamed the ‘Peregrine Godmother’ in an article by Mike Weilbacher, formerly the Director of the Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education.
 
Judy bought a camera to photograph the peregrines and is now an avid photographer as well as an avid birder. Her photos of the peregrines have been shown on WPHL 17 and in the Philadelphia Inquirer. They have also been published in Mike Weilbacher’s 2023 book: Wild Philly - Explore the Amazing Nature in & around Philadelphia, Timber Press, and Bernard S. Brown’s 2022 book: Exploring Philly Nature - A Guide for All Four Seasons, Temple University Press.
 
Judy received an undergraduate degree from West Chester State College and worked as a chemist. She later went on to earn a master’s degree in environmental science from Drexel University. She then went into the field of Occupational Health and Safety, working as an Industrial Hygienist until she retired in 2015.
 
Since retiring Judy has been active in bird conservation. She is the co-chair of the PA Audubon Council’s Renewable Energy Committee and was honored by the Wyncote Audubon Society in Dec. 2022 with the Edward Hicks Parry award for her work with this committee. She is a fellow of the Delaware Valley Ornithological Club and has also been active with Bird Safe Philly.

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.