September 14, 2009 Book Signing

Cayuga Bird Club Program

Joel Baines

NYS College of Vet Medicine

"Native plants for native birds: a guide to planting for birds in and around Ithaca, NY"

The Cayuga Bird Club published "Native Plants for Native Birds: A Guide to Planting for Birds In and Around Ithaca New York" this past year.  It is a collection of articles written over five years by Joel Baines for a column in the Cayuga Bird Club Newsletter. The book includes stunning photos by David Ruppert and features articles full of practical information about plants native to the Ithaca area that attract birds, including preferred growing conditions, deer resistance, and more.  Joel will speak about Native Plants in this context, and will be available to sign books, which you can purchase at the Wild Birds Unlimited store, right at the Ornithology lab.

September 21, 2009

Russ Greenberg

Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center

"The science behind Bird-Friendly Coffee"

September 28, 2009

Dave Ewert

Sr. Conservation Scientist, The Nature Conservancy 

"Stopover sites for landbirds in the Great Lakes: Identification and Protection"

Dave Ewert, Senior Conservation Scientist for the Great Lakes Project of The Nature Conservancy, will give an overview on how they are working to identify key stopover sites from Minnesota to New York. Local areas like Braddock Bay, Derby Hill and Eastern Lake Ontario are world renowned for the concentration of birds during migration.  Effective conservation of migratory birds requires the protection of a network of stopover sites where birds can rest and restore.  Our project will improve the understanding of the threats to and quality of critical stopover habitats around the Great Lakes and guide our conservation efforts accordingly.

October 5, 2009

Pedro Fernandes

Artist, Cornell Lab of Ornithology

"Rendering Wrens - from fieldsketch to final art"

This seminar will allow to follow the steps of science illustrator Pedro Fernandes and the development of a double-poster for Cornell Lab's Project NestWatch. From the first fieldsketches in Carmel Valley, CA to the final stages of poster assemblage in Ithaca, NY, get to know the processes behind bird illustration.

October 12, 2009

Cayuga Bird Club Program

Jody Enck

Department of Natural Resources, Cornell University

"Meeting old bird friends and making new ones: connecting with migrant and resident birds in northeastern Mexico"

A life-long birder, Jody Enck traveled to el Cielo Biosphere Preserve in southwestern Tamaulipas Mexico in April. In his presentation, Jody will share lots of photos and stories from his trip.

October 19, 2009

Walt Koenig

Senior Scientist, Cornell Lab of Ornithology

"Birds and the Periodical Cicada Problem"

For over 300 years scientists and naturalists have been flummoxed by the periodical cicada.  Their habit of emerging only every 13 or 17 years has been attributed to many sources, with predation pressure from breeding bird populations a consistent favorite.  In this talk Walt will break down the various theories relating to birds and cicadas using Breeding Bird Survey data to try and answer to question of birds' role in the unique natural history of periodical cicadas.

October 26, 2009

Jeff Podos

Associate Professor, University of Massachusetts-Amherst

"What's in a song?"

As is true for the vocalizations of many animals,  the songs of birds contain a wealth of information of potential interest to listeners.   A growing body of evidence, from a wide range of songbird species, indicates that songs are especially useful as indicators of a singer's quality -- including his social status, developmental history, and ability to perform physically challenging motor patterns.   This seminar will cover some of the field's most recent advances on this topic, with special focus on recent research on sparrows and warblers.

November 9, 2009

Cayuga Bird Club Program

Matt Carling

Postdoctoral Associate, Cornell Lab of Ornithology

"Bird speciation: insights from Lazuli and Indigo Buntings"

Ever since Darwin penned 'On the Origin of Species,' birds have been at the forefront of speciation research. In fact, much of what we know about the importance of geography, ecology and behavior in the formation of new species has resulted from studies of birds. That said, we know relatively little about the genes important in bird speciation. This talk will discuss what we can learn about the processes of speciation by focusing on studies of Indigo and Lazuli buntings.

November 16, 2009--Book Signing!

Olivia Gentile

Author

"Birding Planet Earth: The Passion and Adventures of Phoebe Snetsinger"

Olivia Gentile, author of Life List, a new biography of one of the world's most storied birders, discusses how Phoebe went from being a sheltered and frustrated suburban housewife to a globetrotting, intrepid, and sometimes reckless adventuress. After being told she was dying of cancer at age 49, Phoebe hit the road, determined to see as many bird species as possible. But against all odds, she didn't get sick; instead, she spent the next two decades taking hundreds of trips to the most rugged corners of the earth, amassing a breadth of ornithological knowledge to rival any professional's, and seeing more bird species than anyone in history. (See www.oliviagentile.com for more about Gentile and Life List)

December 14, 2009

Cayuga Bird Club Program

Ron Rohrbaugh

Extension Associate, Cornell Lab of Ornithology

"Lost and found: when is a species really extinct?"

In recent years numerous birds from around the world, such as the Cebu Flowerpecker, have been rediscovered after going unseen for decades. Using the Ivory-billed Woodpecker as a case study, Ron will discuss the difficulties in searching for ultra-rare species and how complacency can lead to premature declarations of extinction.