NHBC Indoor Programs

All indoor programs will be held on the second Thursday of the month, with the excpetion of the September meeting which is the first Thursday.  There are no indoor programs in June, July, or August. The social half-hour begins at 7:00 PM; the program at 7:30 PM.  All meetings will be held in the Jones Auditorium, CT Agricultural Experiment Station, Huntington St., New Haven. The facility is wheelchair accessible with a ramp and elevator.  [Directions to CAES Jones Auditorium]

2007-2008 Schedule

Please note that this year only the Sept. meeting will be held on the first Thursday of the month.

Thursday, September 6, 2007
Raptor Predation: The Physical Basis for the Different Predatory Modes of Hawks and Falcons - Diego Sustaita

Fall migration is sure to spark birders' curiosity about raptors, so what could be timelier than hearing about some aspect of the behavior of these magnificent predators? Giving specific attention to raptors' predatory modes, Diego Sustaita, a UConn doctoral candidate in Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, will discuss his research on the mechanical bases for the differences in predatory behavior in different classes of raptors. Hawks, for instance, tend to rely on their feet; falcons tend to use their beaks. Find out why and how these raptors' predatory modes differ.

Thursday, October 11, 2007
Who Gives a Crab? The Conservation and Ecology of Horseshoe Crabs in Long Island Sound - Dr. Jennifer Mattei

Crises abound, threatening migrating birds at their winter habitats, at their summer habitats, and at the all-important way stations along their migratory routes. Threats to available food supplies during migration are a critical concern, given the enormous energy requirements of migrating birds. Dr. Mattei will discuss a key food source of many migrating shorebirds, especially Red Knots, that is under siege on our Long Island Sound. It is the horseshoe crab, Limulus polyphemus, a "living fossil" that has existed on Earth for more than 350 million years and is unique to North America's Atlantic Coast. Dr. Mattei teaches ecology and evolution at Fairfield's Sacred Heart University, where she is Associate Professor and Biology Dept. Chair. Tonight she will also discuss an exciting science literacy and research program, called "Project Limulus," which she has launched, supported in part by Connecticut's Long Island Sound License Plate Fund.

Thursday, November 8, 2007
Multi-media Birding Presentations-Shawn Carey

Enjoy multi-media slide presentations covering a variety of nature topics ranging from shorebirds ("Vision of Birds" and "At the Water's Edge") to the scenery and wildlife of Arizona. Stunning photography and insightful narration bring to life common as well as extraordinary nature experiences, with the intent of inspiring us to expand our own birding adventures. Shawn, president of the Eastern Massachusetts Hawk Watch and an officer in several Massachusetts Bird Clubs, combined his expertise and enthusiasm for both photography and birding to become a founding partner of Migration Productions, established in 1994 and now a leading bird-related multi-media presentation company.

Notice! A Bonus: Birder Tag Sale at the November Meeting!
Do you have a bird-related item in your house that you've loved but it never gets used anymore? Do you need to make room in your birding library for all the great new bird books appearing these days on the market? Or maybe you've finally cleaned the attic and have found treasures of avian art that you realize you must at last, even if reluctantly, part with. Bring it all to the November meeting. We'll price items at $1 and $5. Proceeds go to the Club's General Fund.

Thursday, December 13, 2007
Guatemala: More Than the Next Costa Rica - Frank Gallo

An expert birder and experienced tour guide, Frank will lead us on a trip to Guatemala, his new favorite birding location and a country still relatively unknown to birders. The perfect antidote for a dreary December and a stimulus for birding adventures of your own, Frank's lively description of his trips to Guatemala will provide an entertaining and highly informative evening. An accomplished photographer, Frank will illustrate his talk with superb photos of many of the colorful birds found in this increasingly popular Central American birding destination. A past president of NHBC, Frank now is Director of Coastal Education for the CT Audubon Society. He is the author of two children's books, Bird Calls and Night Sounds, and currently is working on a bird-finding guide for CT and RI.

Thursday, January 10, 2008
Tessellated Swamphens & Stoned Peacocks: The Wonders of Birding Art Museums - Mark Lynch

How many of us have ever considered art museums as the venues of our next birding adventures? Mark Lynch uniquely combines separate areas of expertise as an outstanding naturalist and long-time teacher and docent at Worcester Art Museum. An expert ornithologist, he was a founding member of the Massachusetts Avian Records Committee and was a regional editor for the Bird Finding Guide to Western Massachusetts. He and his wife Sheila are regional coordinators for their state's multi-year Breeding Bird Atlas. With the aid of her excellent photographs, Mark will lead us on a delightfully surprising and enlightening ornithological tour through art museums.

Thursday, February 14, 2008
Snowy Owls to Saw-whet Owls - Norman Smith

Since 1981, Norman Smith has spent countless days and nights at Boston's Logan Airport, in every imaginable weather condition, observing, capturing, banding, and color-marking Snowy Owls. He has collected extensive data on the owls' roosting, hunting, and other behavior while on their wintering grounds. Most recently, satellite transmitters have been attached to owls to learn more about their movements. Find out what has been learned to date about these beautiful and fascinating birds, what questions remain in this research project, and how the project unfolded to include research on Saw-whet Owls. A self-taught naturalist who has worked for the MA Audubon Society since 1974, Norm currently is Director of Blue Hills Trailside Museum and Chickatawbut Hill Education Center in Milton, MA.

Thursday, March 13, 2008
Supporting CT Migratory Songbirds through Rehabilitation, Reducing Negative Impacts, and Birdscaping - Jayne Amico

Jayne, a state and federally permitted rehabilitator of songbirds since 1998, will speak about her work at her non-profit center, The Recovery Wing, Inc., located in Southington. There she cares for hundreds of songbirds every year. Jayne will also discuss ways to reduce negative features that impact songbirds around our homes and localities, and she will give helpful pointers on birdscaping, landscaping a yard by choosing and placing plants that ?? provide food, nesting spots, and shelter for birds. Currently president of the CT Wildlife Rehabilitators Association, Jayne teaches songbird rehabilitation at CT DEP training seminars for new rehabilitators and at wildlife conferences in and out of the country. She also has a banding permit and is involved with banding and studying vagrant hummingbirds in the Northeast.

Notice! A Bonus: Birder Tag Sale at the March Meeting
Here's another chance to clean house. Do you have a bird-related item that you've loved but it doesn't quite fit in with your décor anymore? Need room for your expanding library of bird books? Or maybe you've cleaned the attic and have found treasures of avian art that you'd like to share with other birders. Bring it all to the March indoor meeting. We will price items at $1 and $5. Proceeds go to the Club's General Fund.

Thursday, April 10, 2008
Conservation Across Landscapes - Dr. Robert Askins

Fragmentation of natural landscapes into smaller, often isolated patches poses threats to many species dependent on large continuous habitat expanses. Negative effects of habitat fragmentation are especially evident from studies of forest birds in northeastern United States as well as in other habitats in North America, Asia, and other continents. Dr. Askins will discuss the effects of and approaches to combating the progression of habitat fragmentation. Professor of Biology at Connecticut College in New London, Dr. Askins teaches courses in ecology, ornithology, and animal behavior. An author published widely in scientific journals, his research focuses on the ecology and conservation of migratory birds in both their northern breeding areas and tropical wintering areas. His book about the ecology and conservation of North American birds (Restoring North America's Birds: Lessons from Landscape Ecology) was published in 2000 and has since been reissued in a second edition.

Thursday, May 8, 2008 - 6:00 PM  - Annual Banquet

Join us for the Club's Annual Banquet-always good company, great food, and a memorable program. Reservations required; please watch the spring Club newsletter for reservation forms and other information.

Please remember to bring cash to the banquet to pay for your drinks at the cash bar and to buy tickets for the raffle!

Bill Burt
Marshes: The Disappearing Edens

William Burt is a naturalist, photographer, and writer with a passion for wild places and elusive birds-especially marshes and the shy birds that inhabit them. Tonight Bill will discuss the creation of his most recent book, Marshes: The Disappearing Edens. His photography is stunningly beautiful, not only capturing the shy birds of the marshlands but also celebrating the allure of these unique habitats. We will reap the wonderful benefits of his countless hours spent in marshes all over the continent documenting that habitat's quiet, yet spectacular appeal. Burt's photographs and stories have appeared in numerous nature and wildlife magazines, and he is author of two distinguished books on birds: Shadowbirds (1994) and Rare and Elusive Birds of North America (2001), based on a 16-year pursuit of America's 20 most alluring "mystery birds." Burt's traveling exhibitions have been shown at 26 museums across the U.S. and Canada.

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