Events

Last year Bruce Beehler spoke to the Anne Arundel Bird Club in March of 2007 for the annual Heise Lecture. Bruce has been involved in expeditions to New Guinea for years. If you missed his talk he had fantastic stories, as well as an amazing array slides of New Guinea and it's stunning birds. Click HERE to watch Bob Simon's recent 60 Minutes report with Bruce about his travels to this Garden of Eden!

(View The Details For Our Next Event!)

Friday, October 3, 2008, Monthly Meeting (Map) at 8 p.m.

"Birding the Bering Sea: Western Alaska Specialties and Asian Vagrants."

Phil Davis, Secretary, MD/DC Records Committee.

Any avid ABA lister must sooner or later trek to the Bering Sea region to tick off Western Alaska specialties such as Red-legged Kittiwake, Whiskered Auklet, and Common Ringed Plover and, at the same time, hope to encounter some Asian vagrants along the way. Phil Davis recently completed his 12th trip to western Alaska and has compiled a dynamic multimedia presentation on the birds, birding locations, and key target species of Western Alaska. His presentation introduces Alaska birding locations at Attu, Shemya, Adak, Dutch Harbor, the Pribilof Islands, Gambell, and Nome. In addition to the "common" seabirds of the Bering Sea (murres, puffins, guillemots), his presentation includes photos and discusses such species as Emperor Goose, Steller's, Spectacled, and King Eiders, Willow and Rock Ptarmigan, Arctic and Yellow-billed Loon, Red-faced Cormorant, Pacific Golden-Plover, Common Ringed Plover, Gray-tailed Tattler, Bristle-thighed Curlew, the Vega, Slaty-backed, Ivory, and Ross's Gull, all three jaegers, Whiskered Auklet, Bluethroat, and Northern Wheatear.

Asian vagrants will be discussed such as Bean Goose, Smew, Lesser Sand Plover, Common Greenshank, Black-tailed Godwit, Long-toed Stint, Siberian Stonechat and Siberian Rubythroat.

Phil has extensive birding experience in western Alaska, where Phil has journeyed twelve times and has spent the equivalent of over six months in the and leads birding tours in the Western Alaskan Aleutian Islands and the Bering Sea islands for High Lonesome BirdTours. Phil published an article in Birding magazine on the Western Alaska Red-faced Cormorant and is working on a more detailed monograph on the history and status of that species in the Northern Bering Sea region. He has served as the Secretary of the MD/DC Records Committee for over fourteen years.

Friday, November 7, 2008, Monthly Meeting (Map) at 8 p.m.

Goshawks: Driven by Their Prey!

David Brinker, Maryland Department of Natural Resources Natural Heritage Program.

Admired by people for its aggressiveness, courage, flight prowess, and hunting ability long before the dark ages, the Northern Goshawk is an ultimate avian forest predator in the northern hemisphere. For centuries they have been used for falconry throughout Europe and Asia. David Brinker will detail answers about this fascinating raptor and answer the questions: What makes Goshawks tick? Why are they important to us? Are goshawks still increasing in the Central Appalachians? Do breeding adults migrate? What drives the massive goshawk incursions from Canada and might we experience once in the near future? Since 1977, David has studied Goshawks in both Northeastern Wisconsin and the Central Appalachian Mountains. Initiated in 1994, the Central Appalachian Goshawk Project has monitored 90 Goshawk nesting attempts, banded 46 nesting adults, and investigated winter movements of breeding adults from NW Pennsylvania down the Appalachian Mountains through the high country of West Virginia. David will explain the ecology and natural history of this incredible inhabitant of the forest around us.

In 1985, while at the University of Maryland's Appalachian Environmental Laboratory David worked on a survey and census of Maryland's colonial nesting waterbird species. He was the first, and to date probably the only, person to radio track Black Skimmers. In 1987 he discovered Maryland's first Brown Pelican nest. Since then he has continued to monitor the expansion of breeding pelicans into the Chesapeake Bay and has coordinated the banding of over 13,500 Brown Pelicans. Since 1990, David has worked for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources where he established their colonial nesting waterbird project and is currently a regional ecolo-gist for the MD DNR's Natural Heritage Program. David chaired the Maryland Ornithological Society's Research Committee for 10 years. Friday, December 5, 2008, 8 p.m. In Search of Glorious North American Waterbirds. Middleton Evans, Maryland-based photographer and author of Rhapsody in Blue: A Celebration of North American Waterbirds.

Traveling to the continent’s wild perimeter in search of glorious North American waterbirds was the adventure of a lifetime for Maryland-based photographer Middleton Evans. He made 38 trips over a five-year period to complete his “wish list” of alluring species, captivating behaviors and pristine habitats. A remarkable trip to Florida in 1998 inspired the project with ten days of daily surprises. This work resulted in a beautifully narrated collection of 320 photographs, representing over 150 species in his new book. Highlights include a Great Blue Heron grappling a plump muskrat, a remarkably friendly King Eider, dancing Western Grebes and a huge crèche of fledgling Greater Flamingoes, yet nothing would eclipse sitting in a Bald Eagle nest on Middleton Island, Alaska. Middleton Evans will present these glorious moments with waterbirds captured on film.

He has spent the majority of his 20-year career documenting the many faces of Maryland, and he was featured in the MPT documentary film Images of Maryland: 1900 – 2000, chronicling the state’s most distinguished lensmen of the twentieth century. Evans has a special passion for birds. An extraordinary 10-day Florida bird marathon in 1998 served as the genesis for Rhapsody in Blue. While compiling Rhapsody, Evans made hundreds of trips to his favorite pond in Baltimore’s Patterson Park, documenting an astounding 120 bird species, for a book just released this year, The Miracle Pond that he also will share with attendees.

Friday, January 2, 2009, Monthly Meeting (Map) at 8 p.m.

Confessions of a Spice Merchant and World Class Birder.

Hank Kaestner, Life List: 6,874 Species and Counting.

Marylander Hank Kaestner will enthrall all who attend with tales of his 53 years of birding, including as a spice merchant for McCormick to exotic destinations. Beginning in 1955 at age 10 when he was in Mexico City visiting his grandparents, and saw a brightly colored red and black bird he identified later as a Vermillion Flycatcher, Hank became hooked on birding. Taking Chan Robins’ advice, he found work in a job that would allow him to see many birds around the globe and saw almost all of the 6,874 species working for McCormick. McCormick sent me to many exotic (and birdy) locations including trips looking for vanilla in Madagascar, cinnamon from Sumatra, saffron from Spain, and nutmeg from Grenada. One common thread will be the birding done with his brother Peter, whose job at the State Department resulted in his living all over the world and how Hank always found a way to meet his brother to go birding together! Peter is currently the world’s third-ranked birder (8,059 lifers at last count), and in Colombia he discovered a new species, the Cundinamarca Antpitta (Grallaria kaestneri).

The audience for this epic journey of birding and spices will hear and see a lot about rare and exotic birds and learn a bit about spices around the world. Birds you will glimpse and hear about include the Ribbon-tailed Drongo, the Ebony Myzomela, Madagascar Blue Pigeon, Long-Tailed Ground Roller, Sind Woodpecker, Arabian Partridge, White-crested Spadebill, the São Tomé Spinetail, Pirre Bush-tanager, and the now extinct Lake Atitlan Grebe. His field work—187 trips to 127 countries, and counting—has added flavor to billions of meals and filled his Clements Birds of the World checklist with thousands of rare species. Lately it has also allowed him to create new livelihoods for farmers in developing countries, and to preserve wildlife habitat. While Hank Kaestner learned field marks at a prodigious pace, he also became an all-American lacrosse star at Johns Hopkins University. After graduation he planned to study ornithology at Cornell but instead went with McCormick in their procurement division that allowed him to become a Man for All Seasonings. Hank is working with local farmers in Sumatra and Central America for eco-sustainable practices including reviving vanilla cultivation by Maya growers in Guatemala, only in shade-grown plantations that will preserve habitat for neotropical birds.

Friday, February 6, 2009, Monthly Meeting (Map) at 8 p.m.

Ducks Unlimited: How DU Works for the Conservation of Waterfowl Nationally and in Maryland.

Steve Linhard, Former Ducks Unlimited Chairman of the Annapolis Chapter & the AA County Area.

Steve Linhard, an avid sportsman, conservationist and active volunteer with Ducks Unlimited (DU), described DU’s national and Chesapeake Bay campaign to conserve, restore and manage wetlands and associated habitats for North America's waterfowl. DU was started in 1937 by sportsmen concerned with the loss of wetlands as waterfowl populations had plunged to unprecedented lows. DU is now backed by more than one million supporters with conservation projects throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico and in Latin America and the Caribbean. DU is now the world’s largest and most effective private waterfowl and wetlands conservation organization and has conserved more than 11.6 million acres of waterfowl habitat in North America. Steve detailed how DU works closely with biologists and ecologists to evaluate habitat needs and to monitor how birds respond to various environmental changes and to then restore, protect, and purchase wetlands and to educate landowners to foster bird conservation.

Steve focused on Ducks Unlimited efforts through the Chesapeake Bay Ecosystem Initiative to fulfill the annual life cycle needs of waterfowl by restoring, enhancing, protecting and managing wetland and associated uplands while improving the water quality of the Chesapeake Bay watershed. DU has conserved more than 53,000 acres of habitat in the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem already, positively affecting waterfowl, other birds, and other wildlife and improving the quality of life for people. Since the Bay region lost half of the wetlands and half of its riparian base, steep declines in water quality and bay grasses occurred with a 70–80 percent decline in waterfowl production. Steve Linhard lives in Annapolis and serves as Treasurer for the Maryland Legislative Sportsmen’s Foundation and the Maryland League of Conservation Voters. He also served on the Severn River Commission, Annapolis Environmental Commission and was on the Board of the Chesapeake Wildlife Heritage. He previously worked for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.

Thursday, March 12, 2009, Monthly Meeting (Map) at 8 p.m. Quiet Waters Park, Annapolis.

A Hummingbird Obsession: A Lifelong Quest for Hummingbirds.

Special Guest: Nancy Newfield

Nancy L Newfield, co-author of Hummingbird Gardens, presents a fascinating photographic story detailing her more than 30 years of study and adventure in pursuit of the world’s smallest birds. Nancy began studying hummingbirds in 1975 and pioneered the practice of landscaping to provide natural food sources for them and thus learned the best ways to attract them to any garden. Her major study has concerned the discovery and documentation of hummingbird populations that spend the non-breeding season in southern Louisiana rather than the traditional tropical region. She handles 400-500 hummers of 8-9 species each winter as part of the study, which began as a 5-year project in 1979 and is now in its 29th year. At the time of the initiation of the project, only 11 other people were federally permitted to band hummingbirds.

Now, nearly 30 years later, Newfield is the most senior hummer bander in the United States and Canada. Including breeding season and demonstration banding, Newfield has banded more than 18,000 hummingbirds of 15 species in Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, and Arizona. She has authored 4 books as well as more than 250 papers and articles. Newfield delivers 30 or more lectures annually and, until her recent retirement, she organized birding tours to Central and South America through her HummerQwest. She presents her amazing program detailing her more than 30 years of study and adventure in pursuit of the world’s smallest birds.

Friday, April 3, 2009, Monthly Meeting (Map) at 8 p.m.

The Birds of the Everglades and South Forida.

Paul Bithorn, Field Trip Leader of the Tropical Audubon Society (TAS), Florida.

There are very few birding destinations in the world that have the allure of the Florida Everglades. The “River of Grass” is home to several endangered species of birds, including the Wood Stork, Everglade Snail Kite, and the “Cape Sable” Seaside Sparrow. Paul Bithorn, a Miami native, an endangered species in his own right, will share his vast knowledge of the Everglades fauna and flora as well as other South Florida birding hotspots. Paul served for many years as a board member of TAS and has led field trips for over 20 years for many environmental and civic groups. He also served as Mayor of his hometown, the Village of Virginia Gardens, for nine years and encouraged his residents to xeriscape by planting native species of plants and shrubs.

He has contributed to several bird-finding guides, including the ABA’s A Birders Guide to Florida, Fourth Edition, A Birders Guide to the Bahama Islands, the Falcon Guide: Birding in Florida and Parrots of South Florida. His documentation of parrot species in Miami was featured in the June/July issue of the National Wildlife Federation magazine. His presentation as a Florida master birder will include photos of the birds of the Everglades, South Florida specialties such as Roseate Spoonbills, Wood Storks, and Great White Herons, many pelagic species, exotic species and the mythical Ghost Orchid. Paul saw his first Black-capped petrel on a recent pelagic trip. Some of the interesting rarities seen in south Florida include Masked Duck, White-tailed and Red-billed Tropicbirds, Red-footed Booby, Cuban Pewee, La Sagra's Flycatcher, Fork-tailed Flycatcher, Western Spindalis, Bananaquit, and Yellow-faced Grassquit.

Friday, May 1, 2009, Monthly Meeting (Map) at 8 p.m.

Five Reasons Why Even Real Birders Can Enjoy Backyard Birds: Attracting, Feeding, and Caring for Wild Birds.

Bill Herald, Owner with Gail, Wild Bird Center in West Annapolis.

A widely accepted tenet of those engaged in birding as a main hobby is that real birdwatchers don't own birdfeeders. It’s kind of like that old saw about how real men don't eat quiche. Like most such factoids and elements of folk wisdom, it is most often incorrect. Many serious birders actually do own a feeder and maybe a bird house or two. Indifference to backyard birding may stem from the common nature of most backyard birds. Or, perhaps such birders feel that they might not be seen as serious birders if they feed the finches, too. For whatever reason, backyard birds are definitely the minor leagues of our hobby.

The presentation by Bill Herald faces up to the secret shame of many birders who actually enjoy backyard birds, too. In a light-hearted look at this aspect of our interest, the Bill will explore five reasons for enjoying backyard birds that you may not have considered. He will also look at a variety of bird houses, feeders, and other gear designed to attract birds and bring the joy of birding to our homes. Learn how best to attract hummingbirds, orioles, woodpeckers, and goldfinches, how to keep squirrels from your feeders, and how to prevent disease in birds at feeders. Bill Herald, and his wife Gail, own and operate The Wild Bird Center in Annapolis. They are members of the Anne Arundel County Bird Club and enjoy occasional bird walks, but they find that operating a retail store 7 days per week cuts into their time with nature. Bill is a former corporate executive and management consultant. Gail is a commercial real estate attorney. Both hold graduate degrees from The University of North Carolina and undergraduate degrees from Duke University.

Dinner with speakers at 6:00 p.m. before the meetings at:
Applebee's Neighborhood Grill & Bar
2141 Generals Hwy
Annapolis, MD 21401-6722
Call Gerald Winegrad beforehand if interested (410-280-8956)