[DVOC] Weekly Digest - Number 09-19 - 5/10/09

Sun May 10 15:07:58 PDT 2009

The Delaware Valley Ornithological Club  (DVOC) Weekly Digest 

World Series of Birding Results
Nikon/DVOC Lagerhead Shrikes World Series of Birding Team competed in the
26th annual event on Saturday May 9th. We are pleased to announce that the
team identified 229 species during the competition which resulted in a first
place finish. Congratulations to this team, the club's official team, and
all other teams in the competition. Many club members participate in this
competition on several other teams. Please seen the paragraph below to see
how money raised by the Lagerhead Shrikes is used by the club for
conservation.

2008 Conservation/World Series of Birding Fundraising

DVOC is pleased to support the "Willistown Conservation Trust Bird Banding
Station in Rushton Preserve" as our 2009 Conservation project.  The proceeds
from our World Series of Birding team fundraising will be donated to WCT for
this project.  See our Conservation section for more details, and send in
your pledge form now.  Our winning DVOC team Nikon/Lagerhead Shrikes has
begun preparing for the big event, and we appreciate your support!

More information is at http://www.dvoc.org/Misc/Donating.htm

The 2009 Pledge/Donation form is at
http://www.dvoc.org/WSB/WSB2009/2009WSB_PledgeForm.pdf 

Or you can just e-mail your pledge to treasurer at dvoc.org

Upcoming Meeting

Thursday May 21, 7:30 pm at the Academy of Natural Sciences

Program - Bert Filemyr, "The Apostrophes - Stories Behind Birds Named in
Honor of People"

Almost 100 North American bird names honor individuals. This talk will
describe how a person gets honored and stories behind those people so
honored. Particular emphasis will be placed on names with a Delaware Valley
area connection - Harris, Cassin, Audubon, Wilson, etc.

There will be no Ornithological Study this meeting. Instead there will be a
World Series of Birding Report

Big Day Reports

Doing a Big Day in May has been a tradition at DVOC. Get together with some
friends, pick a single 24-hour day, a birding location, and see how many
species of birds you can find. Afterwards, download the DVOC Big Day Report
Form, fill it out, and submit your results to Frank Windfelder. If you wish,
come to the June 4th DVOC meeting and tell us about it in person. This
includes teams participating in the New Jersey World Series of Birding"

Upcoming Field Trips  

MAY 11 (Monday) - GLOUCESTER COUNTY "RUN", NJ (WEEKDAY) 

We will spend most of the morning at Glassboro Woods WMA looking for
southern swamp breeders such as Kentucky, Prothonotary, and Hooded Warblers,
Acadian Flycatcher, and Scarlet Tanager. For the afternoon, we will hit a
couple "off the beaten" path areas in the county for additional breeding
birds. 

We will meet at 7:00AM at Glassboro Woods WMA on Carpenter - the west (Rt.
47) end. Pull into the parking area by the gate.

(This DVOC trip is free to members and non-members.

Leader: Sandra Keller

MAY 13-14 (Wednesday, Thursday) - BIRDING TRIP TO THE LOWER POCONOS, PA
(WEEKDAYS)

We will bird the most likely spots on the way up on Wednesday (bring your
own lunch). We will spend the night in a luxurious cabin on a private 4,000
acre preserve, http://www.graystonespreserve.com . The preserve has had 69
species nesting including Bald Eagle and Woodcock. We will dine there on
Wednesday night and then look for owls at dusk. We will have breakfast in
our cabin the following morning and hike the preserve looking for warblers
along a premier trout stream. We will again bird targets of opportunity on
our way back Thursday arriving home late in the evening. The cost is
$130/person double occupancy. This includes van or SUV transportation
depending on numbers, dinner on Wednesday night and breakfast Thursday
morning. We will leave from Havertown at 7:30 AM on the 13th. 

(This a special offer and a private opportunity for DVOC members. All
arrangements are being made by Phil Witmer and Greystone Preserve. There is
a fee for this trip which is not set by DVOC. If the trip is not filled by
club members it may be opened to non-members.)

For more information contact Phil Witmer at 610.446.1312 or
pnw at themissionworksllc.com

Another Reminder of a Travel Opportunity
January 6 - 16, 2010 - SPECIAL TRIP TO BELIZE FOR DVOC MEMBERS 

Club member Tony Croasdale and Wildside Nature Tour leader Kevin Loughlin
have combined their talents and connections to bring an incredible birding
opportunity in Belize and Guatemala to DVOC members. Kevin and Tony have put
together an 11 day birding trip to Belize and Guatemala. Glenn Crawford the
most renowned guide in Belize will be guiding this entire trip and will be
joined by resident guides at each location This trip will begin at Crooked
Tree which is on a lagoon of the New River and is famous for its
congregations of water birds notably Jabiru, Boat-billed and Agami Herons
and Black-collared Hawk. A guided boat trip will search for birds along the
New River and Spanish Creek. The surrounding pine savanna and galley forest
is home to Yucatan endemics like Olive-throated parakeet, Black Catbird and
of course Yucatan Jay, Yucatan Parrot and Yucatan Woodpecker. Next the trip
will head south to the Cockscomb Basin for birds like Crimson-collared and
Passerini's Tanagers, Green and Red-legged Honeycreepers and White-necked
Jacobin. The trip will then move on to the Cayo district on the other side
of the Maya Mountains in Western Belize. Black Rock Lodge, a true
"off-the-grid" eco-lodge located in a spectacular gorge on the Macal River
will be the base of operations as the trip explores this region. Besides
exploring Black Rock's extensive grounds for Emerald Toucanet, Tody Motmot,
Royal Flycatcher, Ornate Hawk Eagle and Sungrebe the trip will visit other
locations in Cayo District. Trips to Mountain Pine Ridge and Chiquibul
Forest Reserve will hopefully turn up rarities like Keel-billed Motmot and
Scarlet Macaw. Orange-breasted Falcon usually extremely rare and elusive
though out its range has its stronghold in this region. Night hikes and
rives will likely turn up Northern Pootoo and Vermiculated Screech Owl as
well as mammals like Kinkajou and Agouti. The trip will also spend two days
at the legendary Mayan ruin of Tikal in Guatemala. Tikal is surrounded by a
national park and is renowned for its abundant and confiding wildlife. Of
special note is the presence of big game birds like Occelated Turkey and
Great Curassow.
This a special offer and a private opportunity for DVOC members. All
arrangements are being made by Wildside Nature Tours. There is a fee for
this trip which is not set by DVOC. If the trip is not filled by club
members it may be opened to non-members.

For more information go to http://www.wildsidetoursinc.com/dvoc/ 

Items Available for Purchase at DVOC Meetings

DVOC Hats - $17 each (or $20 by mail)

DVOC car window stickers - $1 each
"Birders Conservation Handbook: 100 North American Birds at Risk" by Dr.
Jeff Wells - only $25 (limited supply)

"Song of the Blue Ocean" by Dr. Carl Safina - signed by author - A $17 value
now only $12 (limited supply)

Information on the Birds of North America discount program is available at
http://www.dvoc.org/Membership/DVOC_BNA.htm 

Bert Filemyr and/or Jeff Holt will have copies of their book "The Composite
Prints of the Audubon's Birds of America" available at most meetings - $12
each

____________________________________________________________________________
________________________

DVOC is on Facebook. Check out
http://www.facebook.com/pages/DVOC-The-Delaware-Valley-Ornithological-Club/4
9975018421 

The DVOC has a discount program for Birds of North America Online. Check out
http://www.dvoc.org/Membership/DVOC_BNA.htm 

Report Your Sightings to the Delaware Valley RBA
The Delaware Valley RBA is posted on Thursday evenings at
<http://www.dvoc.org/RBA/Current/Active/Index.htm>
http://www.dvoc.org/RBA/Current/Active/Index.htm
It is also available at 215 240 7547
Report your sightings to  <mailto:rba at dvoc.com> rba at dvoc.com or 215 240 7547
The general guidelines of what to report are on the Delaware Valley Rare
Bird Alert Page -  <http://www.dvoc.org/RBA/Current/Active/Index.htm>
http://www.dvoc.org/RBA/Current/Active/Index.htm

Merchandise Available!
Both DVOC merchandise and Nikon/DVOC Lagerhead Shrikes merchandise are
available at our on-line store. 
 <http://www.cafepress.com/nikondvoc> http://www.cafepress.com/nikondvoc
 <http://www.cafepress.com/dvoc> http://www.cafepress.com/dvoc

Information on the Club and Club activities are at  <http://www.dvoc.org>
www.dvoc.org

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