Three Rivers Birding Club
Bi-monthly Membership Meeting
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
6:30 - 10:00 PM
Phipps Garden Center, Shady Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA
Sixty-six 3RBC members and visitors gathered at 6:30 PM for socializing, networking, snacking, and selecting free birding literature. President Jack Solomon called the meeting to order at 7:30 PM and found that five people, including a second grader, were attending their first 3RBC meeting. Jack briefly mentioned that he had had a heart attack, was recovering well after having stents implanted, and was pleased to see everyone. The audience was pleased to see Jack, too.
Jack announced two upcoming events that are being sponsored by other organizations. The first is a walk on August 8; check with Don Gibbon or the Sierra Club for more information. The second is the Todd Nature Fest on August 4; Jack will be a leader. The day of activities is sponsored by the Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania.
Vice-President Jim Valimont conducted the remainder of the business meeting. He began by thanking the Hospitality Committee and other members who brought treats.
Bob Machesney, Treasurer, announced that the annual 3RBC picnic at Moraine will be held a little earlier this year; reserve Sunday, October 7, on your calendar. Steve Thomas, Outings Director, reported that outings are planned for almost every weekend in September. Watch for details in the newsletter and on the website. He requested that anyone interested in leading an outing in October or November drop him a line.
Paul Hess, Editor of The Peregrine, suggested that members look at the copy of the newsletter on the website to see how great the photos from the July/August issue really look. The mailed copy was not well done by the printing service. Paul also informed members of the recent death of Dr. Kenneth C. Parkes, curator emeritus of birds at Carnegie Museum of Natural History.
Neil Nodelman, Program Director, said that the guest speaker on Wednesday, October 3, would be Steve Carbol of Naples, Florida. Steve, known around Pittsburgh for his work at the National Aviary and for his bird drawings in The Peregrine, will talk about exotic birds.
Bird Reports Editor Mike Fialkovich shared information from Susan Smith about the Purple Martin Conference and Festival set for August 17 and 18 at the Tom Ridge Environmental Center in Erie, PA. Mike had flyers available, and more information is located on the 3RBC website.
Mike reported the progress of the BBA efforts in region 71, reminded atlassers that even a small amount of information in a block can be useful, and also made detailed results and newsletters available. There is only one year left to complete this important survey. Tom Kuehl reported that he too has data in every block of region 73 in the Laurel Highlands.
Tom mentioned that the Audubon Exhibit at Ned Smith Center in Millersburg is worth the trip to the central part of the state. The exhibit will be open through September 29.
Highlights of Mike's recent bird sighting reports included an American Avocet on the Allegheny River near Etna, a Swainson's Warbler that was reported in June at Settler's Cabin Park but has since moved on, and a partial-albino Red-tailed Hawk at Homestead Cemetery. Jim Valimont shared information about the Chimney Swifts in his chimney and Indian Pipes in his yard. Jack Solomon reported on the Monday outing with Chuck Tague and Esther Allen; there were few birds, but the Purple Fringed Orchid was memorable. Jack reminded everyone of the annual Chimney Swift evening coming up on August 29. Mark VanderVen was surprised to find a Bald Eagle when he was looking for a Peregrine Falcon near the Cathedral of Learning.
Pat and Sherron Lynch, Co-secretaries, conducted the door prize drawing. Three lucky members, including two of the first timers, chose their prizes.
Mike introduced the evening's first speaker, Mark VanderVen, a Pittsburgh native who worked with Mike at Hillman Library. Mark then showed slides of his search for the Ivory-billed Woodpecker from January through May of this year. Auburn University organized a group of as many as 13 searchers to live in and study the swamps of the Choctawhatchee in the Florida panhandle, where they did transects and marked trees with signs of scaling and nest cavities. They survived threats from water moccasins, alligators, and getting lost, but Mark never saw the elusive woodpecker and can't say for sure that he really heard it either.
Mike also introduced the evening's main speaker Geoff Malosh. He told about Geoff's bird-chasing adventures and praised him for his very descriptive writing. Besides being an outstanding nature photographer, Geoff is a member of the Pennsylvania Ornithological Records Committee, an atlasser in 15 blocks spread over three regions, works two Breeding Bird Survey Routes for the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, and recently became chief editor of the Pennsylvania Society for Ornithology's Pennsylvania Birds
Geoff wowed the audience with the first part of his program, "Wild Bird Photography in the Digital Age," by showing about 40 pictures he has taken in some of his favorite birding locales. From Bald Eagles in Adak, Alaska, to American Oystercatchers in his favorite photography spot, Fort De Soto Park, Florida, the details in the pictures were exquisite. Geoff shared how he uses Adobe Photoshop to adjust brightness, cropping, and position to improve his raw file images; he used an out-of-focus photo to show that you "can't fix everything." Geoff also discussed the ethics of digital bird photography. His demonstration of cloning to eliminate background clutter really impressed both photographers and non-photographers alike. A series of before-and-after photographs modeled how changes can make a good photograph into a great one.
In the next segment of the program, Geoff illustrated various photography techniques. Vertical framing, more than one species in a shot for comparison, the rule of thirds, be lucky, always have the camera in your hands, unnatural settings, move around, flight photography, silhouettes, juxtaposition, birdscapes, and much patience were some of the keys which contributed to Geoff's success. He concluded his program by showing what he believes to be his 16 best pictures, his favorite being a Painted Redstart. Geoff admits that he has shot about 28,000 photographs.
Members stayed to ask questions and chat about the presentations until Jack had to remind them that we had to leave the building by 10 PM.
Submitted by Pat and Sherron Lynch
Co-secretaries of Three Rivers Birding Club
