If you've been reading my posts lately you know that Friday and Saturday were pretty full days. On Friday night, I had the pleasure of listening to a presentation by Kenn Kaufman about migration from a birds point of view, in support of a shade-grown Bird-friendly Coffee program that is being administered by the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center. I am not as eloquent in my descriptions, so I will just recommend you to a few sites to do a little research on your own, and let you be the judge of your own actions:
Birds and Beans
Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center
Saturday was very long day. Massachusetts Audubon held their annual Birder's Meeting, and I as attending as a vendor representing the Brookline Bird Club. Paul & Diana were there also to help with setting up as they have done for the last several years, so Pam and I picked them up about 6am and headed west to Worcester where the meeting was being held this year. The BBC table was set up between Lanny McDowell, another of New England's fine nature and bird photographers (and let me tell you we do have quite a few - a little intimidating for a guy like me posting point-and-shoot photography) and the Pentax and Swarovski tables. Cool - I knew that it was going to be a good day. I also had a chance to chat with Kenn a bit in the morning, who is really a genuinely nice and humble guy with a great sense of humor, and it was a true pleasure to meet.
As a vendor, I wasn't able to attend all the lectures and workshops throughout the day because we had to make sure somebody manned the table and was there to answer questions. (I wasn't the only BBC member there - I was accompanied by Jonathan C so we could tag-team and visit other tables, pick-up swag, etc - I picked up a few books, because as Pamela so succinctly put it I am "addicted to books") During one of the early presentations (and when there were few people around) a Red-tailed Hawk came by, swooped down and grabbed a rodent, then flew back up to a branch with it's breakfast and very quickly ate it. Of course, anybody in the vicinity got killer looks (no pun intended) as it all happened about 50 ft outside the windows where the Pentax and Swarovski tables were set-up. I spent a good deal of time chatting with the Swarovski rep that was there - Gail Fisher, who is the repair manager - and I'll be sending my EL's out to her today to get them 'serviced' after 5 years of very hard use. I've been meaning to do this for a while, but when is ever a good time to be without your favorite bins?
Also in the vendor area were tables set up from several of the National Wildlife Refuges in the New England area as well as one or two of the "friends" groups. There was a real emphasis on connecting birders with the USFWS and the NWR system at this meeting. Unfortunately, I was unable to attend the associated programs, so I cannot say anything about them. As long as I have been birding and been aware of it, I have been a big supporter of the National Wildlife Refuge system, and purchase a few duck stamps each year in support of them. Are you a birder? Do you have a duck stamp? If not you should really help do your part to conserve land and preserve space for both for our birds and other wildlife. You can read more about the program here.
There were a few programs I was quite determined not to miss though - the first was one by Kenn, who gave another great presentation with the same goal, but with a different approach. Then Lee Allen Peterson spoke about reflections and the legacy of his father, Roger Tory Peterson. I've read the recent bios that have come out about Roger, so I was familiar with his life story, but it was interesting to hear anecdotes from the families point of view. And I would be remiss if I didn't mention how much Lee looked like his father!
In all it was a good day, with lots of socializing with like-minded (bird-minded) individuals.
Sunday morning, I woke up, threw on some clothes and joined Paul for a Menotomy Bird Club walk at Horn Pond in Woburn, which is just a few blocks from our house. It was fine day, with some nice birds, including two Great-horned Owls. The GHOs have been there for a few years, and we know that they must be trying to breed there, but haven't been able to confirm it yet. (Paul is dying to confirm it for his block on the breeding bird atlas project.) Knowing where they tend to hang out, we were able to get pretty good looks while keeping a safe distance. And this was the first time I was able to get a few (mostly) unobstructed photos in lighted area. Not the best photos, and rather heavily cropped, but some of my better ones so far. I only took a few quick ones then left as we don't wish to disturb them.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
A little more on this past weekend...
