CBC Schedule 2014-2015

115TH ANNUAL CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT

BBC members are encouraged to participate in the 115th Christmas Bird Count, which will take place from December 14, 2014, through January 5, 2015. Sponsored by the National Audubon Society and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. More than 30 count circles are located entirely or partly within Massachusetts. Count dates confirmed as of press time are listed below; changes can happen, however, so participants should contact the count compiler at least a week in advance. Compilers, contact the webmaster if you have an update.

Date to be Determined

Buzzard’s Bay: Jeremiah Trimble (508) 498-9646

Cape Cod: Blair Nikula

Groton-Oxbow: Ron Lockwood (978) 779-5367

Marshfield: Sue MacCallumm (781) 837-9400

Mid-Cape Cod: Peter Trimble and Jeremiah Trimble

Newport County, RI/Westport, MA: Robert Emerson (401) 455-0700

Plymouth: Trevor Lloyd-Evans (508) 224-6521

Stellwagen Bank: Simon Perkins (978) 369-1284 

Taunton/Middleboro: James Sweeney

Truro: Tom Lipsky

Tuckernuck: Simon Perkins (978) 369-1284

Worcester: John Liller

Saturday, December 13

Andover: Donna Cooper (978) 470-2717

Sunday, December 14

Cape Ann: Jim Barber and Jim Berry

Central Berkshire: Tom Collins (413) 499-2799

Greater Boston: Robert Stymeist

Northampton: Jan Ortiz and Janice Jorgensen

Tuesday, December 16

Sturbridge: Mark Lynch (snow/ice storm date December 17)

Saturday, December 20

Athol: Dave Small (978) 413-1772

Millis: Elissa Landre

Northern Berkshire: Pam Weatherbee (413) 458-3538

Quincy: Glenn d’Entremont (781) 344-5857

Springfield: George C. Kingston (413) 525-6742

Sunday, December 21

Newburyport: Tom Young (603) 424-4512

Westminster: Charles Caron

Saturday, December 27

Cobble Mountain: Seth Kellogg (413) 569-3335

Quabbin: Scott Surner (413) 256-5438

Uxbridge: Strickland Wheelock

Sunday, December 28

Concord: Norman Levey, website (preferred)

Greenfield: Mark Fairbrother (413) 367-2695

Nantucket: Ken Blackshaw (508) 238-0209 and Edie Ray (meeting the night before)

January 1

Southern Berkshire: Rene Laubach (413) 623-8803

Twelve Tips for Inspiring Young Birders

The Brookline Bird Club has a long history of its experienced birder members encouraging and supporting rising young birders, and, for decades, has been scheduling trips targeted to children and families. But how do you give youngsters that experience that makes them birders for life? And once they’ve got the spark, how do you keep supporting their interest? The following are tips from BBC trip leader and educator Dave Hursh on how to inspire and lead trips for young birders:

1. Get the word out! Once they're on a bird walk, getting kids excited about birding is the easy part. But many families who would love to participate just don’t know about the resources available to them. Let your friends and coworkers with children know about the Brookline Bird Club, and encourage them to give it a try. Or, if you have school-aged children, consider spreading the word through a school newsletter or parent network.
2. Know your audience. Different age groups will tend to respond more readily to different aspects of birding, so it’s important to try to determine early on the character of any particular group. The fantasy aspect of walking through the woods looking for birds may appeal more to younger children, while older kids may enjoy more the “collecting” aspect, such as completing a checklist, or the "cool factor" of finding a rarity.
3. Scout a route. While it’s good advice to scout ahead for any trip, when leading a trip for kids, it’s especially critical to have some spots staked out where you know that birds will be found and visible. You don’t want a child’s first birding experience to come up empty. Keep the element of surprise - you don’t need to let on that you know what’s going to be there!
4. Find a nest. Depending on the season, it's good to locate a nest or two in advance. Hawk nests are wonderful, but even a robin's nest is appealing. This kind of sighting allows kids - even very young kids who may not be proficient with binoculars - a guaranteed experience of observing something stationary and also a fascinating piece of nature.
5. Bring a scope (if you can). New birders cannot always use their binoculars effectively. Having a scope ensures everyone can get an up close look at an oriole, phoebe, tanager, or any other relatively stationary bird. Plus, many kids have never have looked through a telescope before, and will think it’s cool.
6. Learn names. Try to learn each of the kids' names as quickly as possible and continue to address each kid by name throughout the day, especially the quieter and shy kids. Address each kid in turn every few minutes or so, to make each one feel involved and comfortable speaking.
7. Provide a foundation. At the beginning, it can help to introduce some of the birds that might be seen on the trip, showing pictures from a print field guide or a phone, and highlighting the adventure of trying to track down these different birds. The approach to introducing the birds may be different depending on the age group and personalities of the kids present that day, and someone experienced working with kids can adapt to match the tone of the group.
8. Let them find the bird. Dave describes a trip with 10- and 11-year-olds a few years ago where he told the kids if they found a Northern Waterthrush, which was "probably impossible," then their parents would have to do their homework that night. After intentionally walking right by the spot where a waterthrush had been scouted, one of the kids spotted it, and they worked to identify it. On realizing what it was they all started jumping up and down screaming in excitement that they had found a waterthrush, and exclaiming that their parents were going to have to do their homework (the parents were there and had fun going along with it).
9. Build a narrative. Especially with young kids, the goal is to create a memorable and an impactful experience. Dave will plan an "arc" for the walk, with a beginning (introducing the potential birds, dramatizing the adventure, highlighting the idea of the rarities), a middle (birding around different habitats, general exploration and pointing out songs, nests, or any other teachable moments), and an end (usually leading toward known spots, nests, or location of an aforementioned "rarity,"). The "rare" bird doesn't have to be of hotline caliber, but can be a flashy or big bird (think scarlet tanager or great horned owl) that is something he’s explained the group will be lucky to find, creating the “big moment” of the trip. This appeals to the young child's sense of fantasy and wonder, and creates a truly magical moment in finding the bird later on.
10. See birds! Focus on birds that are easy to see, rather than birds that are frustrating. Even a very common birds like a robin or mallard can be a good opportunity, if the bird is showing well, rather than spending time on birds that are moving fast and are tough to see. In general, go for birds that are perched and out in the open, but in some cases if group members are old enough, they may be up for the challenge of finding a bird that is more difficult to see. It always is important to consider the character and abilities of the group.
11. Stay positive. Sometimes birds may not cooperate and not everyone will see the bird. Stay positive and maybe switch to a funny topic, or start directly talking to the kid or kids who missed the bird about something else. Even something as simple as, "So what's your favorite bird so far?" will keep the conversation going and get them thinking positively.
12. End on a high note. It is great to try to end with something exciting, so if there is a hawk nest or rarity staked out, save that for last.

Leading trips for kids is about having fun, adapting your style to the group present, and feeling that you're on an adventure with them. In short, you have to be a leader who remembers what it's like to be a kid!

Young Birder Scholarship

The BBC is pleased and proud to announce that it has established an annual Young Birder Scholarship to nurture interest in bird study and conservation among young birders. The 2015 scholarship will cover the full cost ($995) of the Coastal Maine Bird Studies for Teens program at National Audubon’s Hog Island camp during the week of June 21-26, 2015. The cost includes housing, boat travel, and all meals. The scholarship recipient will be responsible for the cost of transportation to and from the camp.

Applicants must be New England residents, ages 14-17, and must submit a written application and two letters of reference. Preference will be given to applicants with individual or family BBC memberships. To be considered a member, an applicant may join the club at the time of application.

Completed applications must be received by the BBC by January 10, 2015. The selection and notification of the recipient will be completed by February 15, 2015. You can click on these links to read the complete application instructions and download an application form:

• Application Instructions
• Application Form

The scholarship fund will be supported through member donations. To donate, you can designate an amount on the “BBC Young Birder Scholarship” line on the back page of the club bulletin when you renew your membership or, especially for life members, at any other time you might wish to donate.

Jonathan Center Recognized

The BBC is proud to honor Jonathan Center.

Jonathan joined the club as a young man in 1983 and became a board member in 2001.  While on the board, he has worked hard and long for us.  He has taken the minutes, both of club meetings and board meetings for many years, quietly, with no fuss and always right on topic.  Those of us who have taken minutes when 5 people are talking at once know what a difficult job this is.  He has been on the field trip subcommittee for many years.  He has also mailed out trip leader packets for all our trip leaders, every trip, every season, year after year after year.  Talk about a big job with very little dazzle!  But wait – there's more!  Jonathan was on both the 90th and the 100th celebration committees.  Those of you who joined us for our 100th gala remember 100 door prizes – really great prizes.  Well, all of that was due to Jonathan.  Every single bit of it.  He made calls, he made follow-up calls.  Some of the donors needed half a dozen calls, but Jonathan persevered.    And even more.  During our club big year, any time a rarity showed up, Jonathan stepped up to run a trip if needed.  He was always there, with the club's best interest at heart.  And during all this time, he continues to lead his regular trips and inspire new birders, as he always has.  All of these tasks he did and still does gently and graciously.

Jonathan has been a frequent traveler with Bill Drummond, who had this to say about Jonathan:  “It's always a pleasure to run into Jonathan in the field, because he loves to share the birding experience with others.  When you talk to Jonathan about birds, you see a person who is sharp, detail-oriented, and careful about identification.  When he traveled with me, he's always been an asset to the group, as well as being a likable and often humurous traveling companion.  I have enjoyed birding with Jonathan wherever our hobby takes us.”

For all these and other reasons, Jonathan is an amazing gift to the club and all of us.  We're proud to know him and thrilled to be honoring him.

2014 Brookline Bird Club Annual Meeting

Friday, April 11 at 7:30 PM
Social Hour and Light Refreshments at 6:30 PM
Geological Lecture Hall, Harvard University
24 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA

Our guest speaker, Dr. Neil Hayward, will present

“The Accidental Big Year”

In 2013, Dr. Neil Hayward was diagnosed with a Big Year. The temporary insanity resulted in almost 250,000 miles of travel, taking him to the remote and mystical corners of this continent: Barrow, the Dry Tortugas, Newfoundland, and Adak. And a place they call New Jersey. By year’s end, he’d netted 750 bird species and set what may be a new ABA record. In this talk, Neil will take a Big Year and apply cutting-edge high pressure technology and condense it into a Big Hour. Come hear about exotic birds, remote places, volcanoes, polar bears, Aleutian plumbing and more!

*Government health warning: Big Years can be contagious.

Dr. Neil Hayward grew up near Oxford, England and has been hooked on birding since the age of 7. After earning a PhD in genetics from Cambridge University, he moved permanently to the US in 2005 to head up the US operations of the biotechnology company Abcam. He left in 2011 to pursue a consulting career as owner of Cambridge Blue Consulting. Neil is currently on the BBC Board of Directors and will also serve as the newly appointed field trip coordinator.

Social hour and light refreshments will begin at 6:30 PM. Meeting and lecture will begin at 7:30 PM.

Members and guests are cordially invited. Admission is free. Parking is free at the 52 Oxford Street garage (opposite Everett St). Tell the guard you are attending the BBC meeting.

Birder’s Exchange Program Donations: please bring your used binoculars and other birding equipment. For more information, go to Birder's Exchange.

“On the Wing: A Celebration of Birds in Music and Spoken Word” Connects Composer, Mass Audubon, and Nature

New Work Premiers in February with Five Performances at Four Venues

Inspired by his love of nature, particularly birdlife, composer and Berklee College of Music Professor Andrew List has created a uniquely collaborative performance piece that marries music, song, poetry, and expert commentary on birds.

On the Wing: A Celebration of Birds in Music and Spoken Word exalts birds as symbols of wonderment, freedom, and beauty. On the Wing will showcase 12 original songs by List, played by noted pianist George Lopez, Artist-in-Residence at Bowdoin College, and sung by renowned mezzo-soprano Krista River. Interspersed through the song cycle will be poems written and recited by poet and Babson College English Professor Mary Pinard (who also wrote lyrics to the music), and commentary by Wayne Petersen, Mass Audubon’s Director of Important Bird Areas and an expert guide.

The program will conclude with a question-and-answer period between the artists and the audience, moderated by List.

“Creating On the Wing is a fulfillment of a life-long desire to make a special work that celebrates birds and the natural world,” List said. “I draw most of my inspiration as a composer from the outdoors and nature, which have always been a grounding force for my music.”

Ornithologist Petersen, who has traveled the globe on behalf of birdlife, said the performance piece has great potential for connecting people to nature in an original way.

“When Andrew proposed this project, I was immediately intrigued because of our shared love of birds,” Petersen said. “And the way he has reached out to colleagues in the worlds of music and literature to join him in this concert series has re-affirmed for me how nature can inspire artists and build communities.”

VENUES, DATES, TIMES

Thursday, Feb. 13, 7:30 pm David Friend Recital Hall 921 Boylston St. Berklee College of Music
Friday, Feb. 14, 4 pm; Saturday, Feb. 15, 7:30 pm Sudzinski Recital Hall Bowdoin College, Brunswick, ME
Tuesday, Feb. 18, 5:30 pm Glavin Chapel 231 Forest St. Babson College, Wellesley
Sunday, Feb. 23, 2:00 pm Addison Gallery of American Art at Phillips Academy, Andover
Wednesday, Feb. 26, 7:30 pm David Friend Recital Hall 921 Boylston St. Berklee College of Music Boston

Winter 2014 Meeting

Friday, February 28, 2014 at 6:30pm
John Glenn Middle School 99 McMahon Rd, Bedford, Massachusetts 01730

Our guest speaker, Mr. Norman Smith, will present

“Snowy Owls to Saw-whet Owls”

Since 1981, Norman Smith has spent countless days and nights, in every imaginable weather condition, observing, capturing, banding and color marking Snowy Owls at Logan International Airport. Data has been collected on roosting, hunting and 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, what questions remain and how this project developed to include research on Saw-whet Owls.

Norman Smith is a self-taught naturalist who has worked for the Massachusetts Audubon Society since 1974. His current position is Director of Blue Hills Trailside Museum and Norman Smith Environmental Education Center in Milton, Massachusetts. Norman has studied birds of prey for over 35 years, including rehabilitating the injured and successfully fostering over 1,000 orphaned hawk and owl chicks into adoptive nests. His ongoing long-term projects include trapping and banding migrating hawks and owls in the Blue Hills Reservation, banding nestling hawks and owls, and doing research on snowy owls and other raptors wintering at Boston's Logan International Airport. He has also traveled to Alaska to study snowy owls in their native tundra habitat. His research work has been published in National Geographic, National Wildlife, Ranger Rick, Yankee, Massachusetts Wildlife, Bird Observer, Birding, Sanctuary, Geo, Nature, Grolier Encyclopedia, Owls of the Northern Hemisphere and Owls of the World. His mission is to use the information gathered from his research to stimulate a passion in everyone he meets to help us better understand, appreciate and care for this world in which we live.

Preceding Norman’s presentation will be a viewing of “Epic Journeys: Tracking the Migrations of Shorebirds in the Western Hemisphere”, the latest documentary by Shawn Carey and Jim Grady of Migration Productions. Each year millions of shorebirds make an amazing round-trip journey between the Northern and Southern hemisphere. Migration Productions’ newest video, “Epic Journeys”, looks at three shorebird species—Red Knot, Piping Plover and Semipalmated Sandpiper—and the challenges these species face during each of their monumental annual treks. To view a trailer of the film, go to http://www.migrationproductions.com/video-epic-journeys/.

Social hour and light refreshments will begin at 6:30 PM. Meeting and lecture will begin promptly at 7:30 PM.

Members and guests are cordially invited. Admission and parking are free.

Birder’s Exchange Program Donations: please bring your used binoculars and other birding equipment. For more information, go to www.aba.org/bex/

Snowy photo by Shawn Carey