Meetings & Programs

Andrew Farnsworth

BirdCast is a collaborative project that employs the expertises of computer scientists and ornithologists to harness the power of big data to study movements of birds and, more broadly, capture the spectacle of bird migration. I will be speaking about monitoring bird migration with data collected by citizen scientists and the US weather surveillance radar network to forecast where, when, and how many birds will migrate and to observe these movements in near real-time at a continental scale. I will discuss magnitudes and extents of migration, challenges of monitoring birds' nocturnal movements at scales relevant to their biology, and ways we use radar to remotely sense interconnected patterns in time and space. Birds truly represent dynamic and global communities, and recent trends in methods and analyses showcase what may be the future of bird migration research and conservation to study birds' complex roles in terrestrial, aerial, and aquatic systems. In the age of big data and observation, the potential of what remains for us to learn is inspiring.

Andrew Farnsworth is a Visiting Scientist in the Center for Avian Population Studies at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Andrew began birding at age 5 and quickly developed his long-standing fascinations with bird migration. His current research applies remote sensing technologies, including weather surveillance radar, audio and video recording and monitoring tools, citizen science datasets, and machine learning techniques, to study bird movements. Andrew received his BS in Natural Resources from Cornell, MS in Zoology from Clemson University, and PhD in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Cornell University. He lives in New York, NY with his wife Patti and two daughters Aja and Elle. Andrew is also active in his family foundation, whose mission includes support for climate change education, promoting women's health and rights, children's education, and land conservation. He is also a musician when time and space allow.

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.

Will Williams - Sustainability Director – Borough of West Chester

Mr. Williams will present on past, present, and future projects, initiatives, and policy related to ecological sustainability and habitat restoration in the borough. Will is a Chester County native and avid birder, who lived in West Chester for 12 years and worked for the borough for six. Recent additions to his lifelist include a Yellow-billed Cuckoo in Delaware, a Cerulean Warbler in Chadds Ford, and a Great Tit in Morocco.

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.

Tina Morris

As the bald eagle, our national symbol, was facing extinction in the continental U.S. in 1976, Tina Morris was beginning her graduate work at Cornell University. By luck and circumstance, she was selected to reintroduce the species into New York State in the hope that eagles could repopulate eastern North America.  Young, female, with no experience, she faced the challenges of saving this iconic bird while striving for acceptance in the unfamiliar male-dominated world of raptor biology. Playing mother to seven eagles forced her to transcend the isolation of field research to rescue an endangered species while in turn rescuing herself.

Tina completed her graduate work in ornithology and wildlife biology at Cornell in 1978, writing her thesis on the adaptations of hacking techniques to reintroduce bald eagles. Following her studies at Cornell, she worked for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Nature Conservancy for several years, focusing on endangered species and critical habitat conservation, before embarking on a 23-year career teaching English and biology. Since her retirement in 2020, she has devoted her time to her own writing, especially creative non-fiction with a science or nature focus. Thirty years ago, with four children in tow, Tina and her husband bought a farm in northern Massachusetts, which they manage as a wildlife sanctuary, promoting biodiversity and habitat protection for species in decline.

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.

Nancy Fraim

Nancy's presentation covers all aspects of a bluebird’s life during the year and how we can help them survive and thrive. It includes everything from identifying a bluebird, to nesting behaviors, as well as how to attract and protect them. The power point is filled with many photos and video clips which she had taken throughout her years as monitor. Lots of tips and tricks will be presented for not only bluebirds but other cavity nesters too.

Nancy Fraim taught elementary students for 39 years. After retiring, Nancy became Chester County Coordinator for the Bluebird Society of PA, a Board member and Membership Chair. She shares her bluebird knowledge on BSP’s Facebook page and gives many talks to schools and organizations.
Nancy and her husband live in Downingtown.

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.

Sean Murphy

The Pennsylvania Game Commission’s Recovery Division is charged with the conservation and management of all protected birds and mammals. From managing Threatened and Endangered species to coordinating statewide surveys, the agency has a wide range of avian projects with an equally wide range of partners. The presentation will highlight recent accomplishments, the agency’s role in bird conservation in Pennsylvania, and upcoming opportunities to support and help.

Sean joined the Wildlife Recovery Division of the Pennsylvania Game Commission in 2019 and leads the Protected Birds Section. A Pittsburgh native, he received a Bachelor of Science from Penn State and Ph.D. from the City University of New York. Before joining, he worked as a Wildlife Biologist for a few NGOs (in Massachusetts) and the U.S. Geological Survey (in Oregon). He currently lives in the Harrisburg area and spends most of his free time with his family and coaching youth soccer.

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.

Michael Academia

Michael Academia, a recent M.Sc. graduate from the William & Mary Biology Department. He believes the "Chesapeake Bay is an ecological treasure and should be treated as such for the next generations. We have the world’s largest breeding population of ospreys and our Chesapeake Bay population should be conserved as our stronghold." Michael won the prestigious William Andersen Award at the 2022 International Raptor Research Conference for his research involving ospreys and the localized depletion of Atlantic menhaden in the Lower Chesapeake Bay. This recognition is very special to Michael and reflects his hard work and dedication to ospreys, the fish they depend on, and the environments in which they thrive.

Michael conducted his studies as part of the Center for Conservation Biology. The Center has been focused on osprey research since 1970 and over the past 50 years generations of graduate students have worked with ospreys. The collective and substantial work of these students provides insight into the response of ospreys to changing menhaden availability. Currently, Michael’s manuscript is in the peer review process and will be featured in the Journal of Raptor Research. He is also active in harvest policy procedures to enact change based on the scientific evidence gathered.

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.

Bryce Robinson

In this presentation, Bryce will outline the work of the Red-tailed Hawk Project, including many stories of surprising things the working group has learned in their investigation into the unknowns of this common species.

Bryce W. Robinson is postdoctoral researcher at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, where his research focuses on the evolution of diversity in the Red-tailed Hawk. As part of this work, Bryce co-created and leads the Red-tailed Hawk Project, a working group that aims to fill knowledge gaps in our understanding of the life history and evolution of the species. Additionally, Bryce is an ornithological illustrator whose work has been featured in scientific papers, on journal covers, and in logos for organizations and events. To learn more about the Red-tailed Hawk Project, visit www.redtailedhawkproject.org.

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.

John McNamara

TBD

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.

John McFarland

TBD

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.

Will Krohn

Purple Martins are the largest species of swallow in North America and, in the east, they nest almost entirely in human-constructed nesting colonies. Southeastern PA is one of two strongholds for Purple Martins in the state, and some of the largest colonies in Pennsylvania are in Chester and Delaware Counties. Purple Martins are a model organism for studying the migration and movement of songbirds due to their large size, conspicuous nature, and proximity to humans. They’re also a strong indicator of overall ecosystem health. Will's research seeks to uncover the rates at which young Purple Martins return to and disperse from the natal colony after hatching. Understanding how far Purple Martins travel from the natal colony is especially important since humans must construct all nesting colonies for the species. Purple Martins have declined by approximately 38% since 1970, so quantifying the rates and distances at which martins disperse will be a key tool for the conservation and management of the species. The Pennsylvania Game Commission and potentially other agencies will be able to use the information he collects in determining where they can best construct new colonies to bolster populations and connectivity, helping steer the recovery of this beloved bird.

Will Krohn is an M.S. student in Wildlife Ecology at the University of Delaware, studying dispersal in Purple Martins for his thesis. Will received his B.A. from Colgate University in 2023, where he double-majored in Biology and Environmental Studies. Since graduating, Will has worked as a technician on numerous avian research and conservation projects around the country, and in 2025, Will started his Master's at UD. Will is originally from Bucks County, PA, and he is an avid PA birder. In his free time, Will also enjoys rock climbing, hiking, and anything else that gets him out in nature.

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.

John Mercer & Dorothy Bedford

TBD

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.

Coordinated by TBD 

Every year, we end our meetings and presentations on the first Monday in June with a showing of members' photos.  If you would like to contribute and show your photos, below is the process for getting the photos to TBD.  This is quite a bit of work for the coordinator, so please get your pictures to TBD as soon as you can.

1. Maximum 50 photos per participating member
(depending on the number of people that want to show pictures, TBD may need to make a selection and pair the numbers down a bit.  We think the absolute maximum number of photos should not exceed 300.  E.g. if 7 people send 50 photos each, TBD will take out 7 photos per submission to bring it down to 301).

2. The photos need to be in JPEG format.  Ideally each photo file should be 2Mb or less.  However, if you don't know how to compress your files, TBD with do so himself if it becomes too much for the Powerpoint presentation file

3. Each file name should include the name of the bird.  If you want to also show on the slides the location where the photos were taken, please include the name of the location also in the file name, or include a Word document with the cross reference of location to the file name.  TBD will then make sure that the location is shown on the slides.

4. The photos should preferably be sent to TBD via websites such as DROPBOX or WETRANSFER.  These services are free if you don't exceed 2 Gb for the 50 photos combined.

5.TBD's email address is TBD

6. Please make sure to get your photos to TBD by May 15th at the very latest.  Earlier submissions are encouraged.

7. If you want to give the photos to TBD on a memory stick or a CD, get in touch with him via phone (cell: TBD) or via email to discuss day, time and location to hand over the memory stick or the CD, You can also mail a memory stick or CD to his home address at 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.

Zoom Link to Meeting