Three Rivers Birding Club
Bi-monthly Membership Meeting
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
6:30 - 9:30 PM
Phipps Garden Center, Shady Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA
The Pittsburgh Penguins (hockey team, not birds) cooperated by scheduling their playoff games around our 3RBC meeting schedule. The heavy rains, heavier traffic jams, and heaviest parking snafus we have ever run across did not cooperate, but even they could not keep 66 birders, including six first timers, from coming out to see Chuck Tague's "Birds in Action." And the birders were not disappointed!
After an hour for everyone to socialize, snack, and select freebies from the large selection of books, magazines, fresh rhubarb, t-shirts, and assorted birding paraphernalia, the meeting was called to order at 7:30 by President Jim Valimont. He welcomed the visitors, thanked members for providing snacks, and reminded everyone to help themselves to the freebies.
Vice President Bob VanNewkirk announced a birding camp for young birders that he will be teaching at Beechwood Farms from June 15-19. Twenty-seven children are registered for the classes and outings at Beechwood, North Park, Todd Nature Reserve, and Pymatuning. Transportation will be provided. Bob asked for birders to help lead some of the outings. Contact Bob to volunteer to assist him for a half-day or full-day outing. What a great way to get them started young!
Paul Hess filled in for our program co-directors. He described the program scheduled for August 5 about nesting of Common Nighthawks that are not as common as they used to be. Tim Hoppe, Wildlife Diversity Biologist for the Pennsylvania Game Commission, will be the guest speaker.
Outings Director Steve Thomas mentioned that the spring outings would come to an end in the next few days with walks led by Chuck Tague. They will resume again in August with a shorebird outing; get details from the 3RBC website and The Peregrine.
Generous donors provided so many door prizes that Sue Solomon was able to hold more than one drawing during the evening.
Bird Reports Editor Mike Fialkovich informed the audience that the PSO's Annual Meeting was held in Morgantown, Berks County, near Reading. Highlights in that area included a Western Meadowlark, Red-necked Phalarope, and Black-necked Stilt. Next May the meeting will be held in nearby Erie.
Although there was no one big day for warbler sightings in the area, Mike listed plenty of interesting birds that had been reported. Rivers and dams, parks and backyards, and other favorite hotspots yielded Red-necked Grebe, Great Egret, Black-crowned Night-Heron, Merlin, Upland Sandpiper, Willet, Bonaparte's Gull, Forster's and Caspian Terns, Snowy Owl which made the Pittsburgh news, Olive-sided Flycatcher, Fish Crow, Brewster's and Lawrence's Warblers, Pine Siskin, White-winged Crossbill, Blue Grosbeak, Little Gull, Ruddy Turnstone, Eastern Screech Owl, Semi-palmated Sandpiper, Orchard Oriole, and Ruffed Grouse, to name a few.
Don Gibbon reminded the audience that listening to birds migrating at night can be a fascinating experience to enjoy even in the middle of the city.
Jack Solomon recognized Laura Hansen in the audience, owner of Wild Birds Unlimited stores in the Pittsburgh area, and thanked her for her generous contribution to 3RBC. The club used some of the money when we were co-hosts of the Pennsylvania Society for Ornithology annual meeting last year.
Jack introduced Chuck Tague, the guest speaker for the evening. Chuck is president of the Wissahickon Nature Club and well known for the many times he has shared his wealth of knowledge about nature with many members of the audience. Using his "penchant for loquacity," as only Jack can, he proclaimed Chuck to be "the King of Natural History."
Chuck began his "Birds in Action" program with a photo essay "Migration Memories 2009" of what birding was like at Crane Creek/Magee Marsh, Ohio, this spring. The huge assortment of brilliantly colored warblers brought back great memories to the lucky people who had gone on the outing and made the others quite envious of what they had missed. The tanager, eagle, thrushes, Whip-poor-will, woodcock, cuckoo, and even the eastern fox snake helped to rub it in, too.
The remaining program was divided into photo essays showing how birds do not just pose in profile the way we see them in field guides. Birds fly, skulk, scamper, scurry, feed, swim, dive, sing, preen, scratch, stretch, court, raise young, keep watch, and defend territory. Using photos with impeccable clarity and color, matched with bird sounds and songs, and a brief saying to describe each picture, Chuck thrilled the audience. Sometimes several photos were tied together to tell a story. For example: "The eagle spies-and when she flies-she always spooks the coots."
Some crowd favorites were the most roseate Roseate Spoonbill flying against a teal blue sky, a red-morph Eastern Screech-Owl completely camouflaged against a tree trunk, the banshee-like scream of a Limpkin, a Black Skimmer casting a pellet, a spectacularly plumed Great Egret ready for mating season, and the huge swarm of birds at a landfill. Close-ups of bird's eyes, a bird looking straight at us, and birds in the perfect breeding colors are brief glimpses we catch when we are in the field. With Chuck's perfect timing, extreme luck (his remark), great patience, and photography expertise, these once in a lifetime experiences can be enjoyed over and over again.
Submitted by Pat and Sherron Lynch
Co-secretaries of Three Rivers Birding Club
