Three Rivers Birding Club
Bi-monthly Membership Meeting
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
6:30 - 9:30 PM
Phipps Garden Center, Shady Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA
Sixty-six members and visitors were in attendance. After a social hour filled with telling recent birding stories, munching treats provided by a few members, and selecting from the large collection of free birding materials, President Jack Solomon called the meeting to order at 7:30 PM.
Jack started with two "vital announcements." First, the Pittsburgh Symphony invited 3RBC to put together an eight-minute presentation to go along with the Fiddlesticks family concert this Saturday at Heinz Hall. Joan Tague is working on this show. Second, Jack informed the audience that Phipps Garden Center now prohibits the use of non-recyclable plastic and paper products. However, he still encourages members to bring treats to share; just be mindful of the plates, etc. that you use. The Hospitality Committee has provided some of the new faux paper products now on the market.
Vice President Jim Valimont took charge of the business agenda and called on Bill Parker to report. Bill announced that the Oil Region Alliance of Business, Industry and Tourism is hosting an Oil Region Birding Festival on May 10, 11 & 12. Also, The Lake Erie Wing Watch is holding a weekend birding event on April 11-13 in Hudson, Ohio. Check the Internet for details.
Paul Hess shared two items of interest. A full-page article from the Valley News Dispatch featured Steve Gosser, a club member and an outstanding photographer whose work has appeared in our newsletter. Ted Floyd, a native Pittsburgher and editor of Birding magazine, has a new birding field guide that will be released on May 27. Since Paul is an editor for the Smithsonian Field Guide to the Birds of North America, he was able to give us a glimpse of the new book. You can bird with Ted when he is in town on May 12; check the 3RBC website or The Peregrine for more information. May 13 has been declared Ted Floyd Day by the city of Pittsburgh--how exciting!
Larry Helgerman reminded us about the "Total Ecology Extravaganza" at Enlow Fork on April 27 and the West Virginia Wildflower Pilgrimage being held on May 8-11, at Blackwater Falls State Park, Davis, West Virginia. These total ecology events will provide programs for a wide variety of interests.
Jim Valimont and Don Gibbon asked everyone to mark their calendars for a Sierra Club meeting on Wednesday, October 8. That is when Dudley Edmondson, a nature photographer who uses his talent to try to change the way people of color see themselves with regard to the natural world, will be the guest speaker. Three Rivers Birding Club is cosponsoring this program.
Outings Director Steve Thomas mentioned the upcoming outing to Yellow Creek State Park on Saturday, April 5. Details of future outings can always be found on the 3RBC website and in issues of The Peregrine. Of special note is the Pennsylvania Society for Ornithology Annual Meeting to be co-hosted by 3RBC and the Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania on May 16-18.
Bird Reports Editor Mike Fialkovich listed some noteworthy bird sightings from February and March. These included the following: Greater White-fronted Geese, Ross's Geese, Snow Geese, Harlequin Duck, Sandhill Crane, a fallout of Horned Grebes, Long-tailed Ducks, thirty Red-throated Loons, Surf Scoters, Barrow's Goldeneye (later identified as a Goldeneye X Hooded Merganser), Eurasian Wigeon, Little Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, lingering flocks and a few individual Common Redpolls, and Pine Siskins. A hybrid Cinnamon/Blue-winged Teal was a very unusual visitor.
Bob VanNewkirk reported on the outing he led to the Pymatuning area on March 29. Memorable among the 71 species were two Cackling Geese, Red-throated Loon, Rough-legged Hawks, at least 20 Bald Eagles, American Pipit, Horned Lark, and loads of Rusty Blackbirds (a declining species) feasting on a huge supply of midges.
Mike Fialkovich introduced the evening's guest speaker, Bob Mulvihill. Although he needed no introduction to most of the audience, Mike complimented Bob on his enthusiasm and listening skills, which help him to problem solve as he leads many volunteers throughout Pennsylvania into the last year of the 2nd Pennsylvania Breeding Bird Atlas survey.
As the Project Coordinator of the 2nd PBBA, one of Bob's responsibilities is getting people involved in the project and that he did. He gave them a homework assignment! He polled the audience to determine how many people were already working on the atlas survey and how many were not. The "were nots" then received special instructions about how they could help. Birders were assigned to take note of the first case of bird breeding behavior they noticed after the meeting and then e-mail the information to Bob or use the postcards he provided, or use the 800 number to share their sightings.
Bob's impressive PowerPoint program, energetic style, and humor kept the audience focused on his message. He traced the evolution of the 2nd PBBA from the first Breeding Birding Atlas of Britain and Ireland completed in 1968. The Duke of Edinburgh later expressed concern of human impact upon avian survival and the need for accurate information concerning the changing distribution of bird species since they are bio-indicators of the environment.
Pennsylvania contains a great variety of avian species due to its latitude, mountains, and forested areas. Bob wants to surpass the influential first PBBA by using more volunteers and recent technological advances. This technology allows more precise geo-referencing, storing unlimited bird sightings per block, and analyzing data for breeding phenology, habitat associations, fine-scale ecological distributions, and stewardship categories. He used the categories of Common and Widespread (62 species), Regionally Rare (77 species), Education Outreach Focus (6 species), Statewide Rarities and Species of Special Concern (68 species), and Conservation Interest (40 species) for the Commonwealth's breeding birds. The Gap Analysis Program that provides specific locations for special surveys of nocturnal, wetland, and rare and/or difficult to detect birds should increase reportage for these species. Bob demonstrated how to use the project's website, such as toggling between the first and second atlases' results.
Our speaker reminded the audience that ultimately the success of the PBBA depends upon the dedication, accuracy, and patience of the volunteers. He commended club member Dick Nugent for recording species reports in more blocks than anyone else. Bob concluded his inspiring presentation by stating, "Being an Atlas Volunteer is for the breeding birds!" At the end of the program and even before the end of the question and answer session, birders flocked to the side table to buy PBBA t-shirts and to pick up newsletters, vehicle signs, postcards, field cards, handbooks, and other literature to help with the survey. Bob's enthusiasm is contagious.
In a final order of business, Sue Solomon supervised the door prize raffle. Besides the many books, totes, and birding paraphernalia offered by club members, there were bluebird boxes and an official PBBA t-shirt donated by our guest speaker. Thanks, Bob.
Submitted by Pat and Sherron Lynch
Co-secretaries of Three Rivers Birding Club
