D Holmes
Increasing Local Kestrel Populations
In an effort to bolster American Kestrel populations locally, Ben Nickley started a nest box project in Berkshire County. With the help of organic farmers, local non-profits, community members, and town and state governments, he installs, monitors, cleans, and maintains kestrel boxes. Join us as he describes this work that benefits our most colorful local falcon.
On Whip-poor-wills & Nighthawks
The unmistakable call of the Eastern Whip-poor-will is a sound worth listening for on moonlit summer nights. A favorite late-summer ritual for many nature lovers is watching for Common Nighthawks in the late afternoon and evening skies. Both birds are aerial insectivores - birds that catch insects on the fly. Patti Steinman, of Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary, will discuss the life histories, behaviors, ecological niches, and population statuses of these remarkable birds, and conservation efforts underway on their behalf. She will also share locations where you can observe them.
Members’ Night
Join us for our annual tradition of featuring the birding exploits of our own members.
Al LaFleche will display the work of local nature photographers in the Allen Bird Club.
Al and Lois Richardson will take us on a trip to view the tropical birds of exotic Vietnam.
George Kingston will bring us up close and personal with the breeding birds of Iceland.
A meeting not to be missed!
Winter raptors: Hawks, Eagles, and Owls
Some of the most sought-after birds in New England are the many species of winter raptors. Some of these amazing birds are permanent residents in our area. Others move south out of their northern breeding grounds during the late fall and winter to hunt over area forests, fields, and salt marshes. Join us as Bill Gette, former director of Joppa Flats Education Center, will describe the different feeding strategies employed by the various species and review the many aids to field identification. Did you know that female raptors are bigger than their male counterparts? Did you know that some species of owl hunt in the daytime?
Conservation Efforts in Belize
Visit Central America as Jeff Ritterson, field ornithologist at Mass Audubon, provides an update on his work in Belize in collaboration with Programme for Belize, a comprehensive initiative for the conservation and protection of natural resources. In 2023 the Allen Bird Club donated binoculars to help Jeff in his efforts to establish a bird club at a local school. See what has sprung up from these “seeds” that were planted!
Shorebird Conservation
An avid birder working at Manomet Bird Observatory, Lisa Schibley will share her expertise about shorebird conservation and the International Shorebird Survey, of which she is North American coordinator. She will address current issues facing shorebird populations and describe some local “shorebird hotspots.”
Brazil: Pantanal, Cerrado, and Amazonia
Join Kathy and Myles Conway on a trip to central Brazil for jaguars, macaws, and other wildlife.
Conserving Local Habitat and Avian Biodiversity
With so many avian species suffering habitat decline recently, it is imperative we do all we can to mitigate this situation in order to preserve the birds we all so love. Bill DeLuca, senior manager of migration ecology at the National Audubon Society, will share with us ideas for creating local habitat for migrating songbirds in an effort to conserve avian biodiversity.
Allen Bird Club
P.O. Box 1084
Springfield, MA 01101
Email: info@allenbirdclub.org
