[DVOC] E-Mail Update - Number 07-38 - 9/30/07

Sun Sep 30 13:55:06 PDT 2007

The Delaware Valley Ornithological Club  (DVOC) Weekly Update

Upcoming Meeting (Details at  <http://www.dvoc.org/> www.dvoc.org under
"Meetings") 
This Thursday - October 4th- 7:30 pm
Held at the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia
Program - Lillian Armstrong - "New Jersey Birding and Wildlife Trail Guides"
New Jersey's Birding and Wildlife Trails program provides information on
great wildlife viewing areas throughout the state. Detailed driving trails
are now available for the southern-most part of the state and the Hackensack
River Watershed, and work has begun on the Skylands region. This program
plans to cover the whole state over the next several years. 
Ornithological Study: Adrian Binns - "Fecal Sacs"

Second of the Season Invitation to Members!
Tour the Academy's Department of Ornithology
    DVOC is happy to again extend a special invitation to all members! 
For our members who have not yet had this opportunity, the club is offering
another special behind-the-scenes tour of the Ornithology Department at the
Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia. The DVOC has a long-standing
relationship with the Academy and, in particular, with its Ornithology
Department. The bird collection includes close to 200,000 bird study skins,
and thousands of tissue samples, making it one of the largest such
collections in the world. Many of the Academy's ornithologists have played
important roles in the DVOC as far back as its early development, and have
over the years made its resources available to club members for their
purposes of increased knowledge of birds.
    On October 4th, 2007 at 6:00pm, Nathan Rice, Collections Manager and
member of DVOC Council, will lead a group of new members through the
Ornithology Department, not normally open to the public. Should you decide
to participate, you will see some of the thousands of study skins, which
include specimens from all over the world, including rare and extinct
species. You will have the opportunity to speak with Nate about the history
of this spectacular collection, and learn how the specimens are prepared,
stored and used for scientific research today. 
    We hope you will join the club for this activity! To do so, please
contact Connie Goldman by e-mail or phone. (e-mail preferred; address on
DVOC's website). Because of space and safety limitations in the collection
area, this tour is limited to the first 10 members who express interest. We
look forward to hearing from you soon!
Connie Goldman (e-mail on the website)
Chair, Membership Committee
215-355-9310

Fall 2007 Larus (our newsletter)
The Fall 2007 edition (Volume 34 No. 2) of the Philadelphia Larus has been
posted on the DVOC website ( <outbind://3/www.dvoc.org> www.dvoc.org). 
It is a *.pdf file that can be read on-line or can be printed out from your
computer. 
This is now the primary delivery method for our newsletter. Larus has always
had lots of great information, but the size and content was limited somewhat
due to the printing and mailing costs. An on-line version does not have
these kinds of limitations. Members who have have opted not to receive Larus
electronically will still get a paper copy of the newsletter. Although it
will be a greatly abbreviated version, the paper copy will still have the
kinds of information members need. We hope that all members will opt to
forgo the paper version and receive Larus electronically. To decline the
printed version and to receive only the electronic version, please send an
e-mail to the editor Naomi Murphy ( <mailto:ndmurphy3 at hotmail.com> ndmurphy3
AT hotmail.com [Substitute @ for AT) now!

Call for Nominations
It is time for Club members to submit nominees for the Julian K. Potter, the
Witmer Stone Award and the Conservation Award. Full criteria and information
is at
http://www.dvoc.org/Misc/2007/Nominations.htm

Upcoming Field Trip: (Details and directions at www.dvoc.org
<http://www.dvoc.org/>  under "Field Trips") 
October 6 (Saturday) SHARP-TAILED SPARROWS AT TUCKERTON MARSHES, NEW JERSEY 
We should get great looks at Salt Marsh Sharp-tail's as well as being able
to compare all races of Nelson's. A walk along 7 Bridges Road will add
additional species. We have gotten Clay-colored Sparrow in several years.
Bring high boots or wellies. Pack a lunch if you will follow us to
Brigantine NWR afterwards. Meet at the end of 7 Bridges Road at 7:30 sharp!
Leader: Frank Windfelder

Request for Used Field Guides - from DVOC member Tony Croasdale
I am working with Americorps VISTA (volunteers in service to America) at
John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge in Philadelphia/ Delaware County.  One
of the major projects I'm working on is with inner city youth. There is a
fourth grade birding club that visits the refuge every Wednesday and I will
be initiating similar programs with other schools and community groups.   I
am putting out a call for donated field guides so I can supply these groups
with valuable learning materials.
Any kind of field guide would be appreciated, new or used. "First field
guides" are great too-I will be working with kids from grade school to high
school so guides of all levels are appreciated. Also the subject matter does
not need to pertain only to birds, guides on insects, mammals, reptiles and
amphibians, trees etc would be appreciated as well. You may care to have a
guide that has cackling goose and dusky and sooty grouse but that old
outdated guide would still be a valuable resource for a beginning birder. 
I am accepting donated guides via the Friends of Heinz Refuge.
8601 Lindbergh Blvd, Philadelphia, PA 19153
You can also bring the books directly to John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge
and either ask for me or leave them with the Friends of Heinz Refuge's
Tinicum Treasures Nature Shop located in the visitor center at John Heinz
NWR. 
You can find me at most DVOC meetings if anyone wants to talk with me there.

DVOC Website Page of the Week
Following up last week's page
(http://www.dvoc.org/Publications/TrackingStone.htm), check out
http://www.dvoc.org/Publications/AdditionalStone.htm

Website Enhancements This Past Week
Windfelder Philadelphia Big Year Update (Now 223!)
____________________________________________________________________________
________________________
Report Your Sightings to the Delaware Valley RBA
The Delaware Valley RBA is posted on Thursday evenings at
<http://www.dvoc.org/RBA/Current/Active/Index.htm>
http://www.dvoc.org/RBA/Current/Active/Index.htm
Report your sightings to  <mailto:rba at dvoc.com> rba at dvoc.com. 
The general guidelines of what to report are on the Delaware Valley Rare
Bird Alert Page -  <http://www.dvoc.org/RBA/Current/Active/Index.htm>
<http://www.dvoc.org/RBA/Current/Active/Index.htm>
http://www.dvoc.org/RBA/Current/Active/Index.htm

Merchandise Available!
Both DVOC merchandise and Nikon/DVOC Lagerhead Shrikes merchandise are
available at our on-line store. 
http://www.cafepress.com/nikondvoc
http://www.cafepress.com/dvoc

Information on the Club and Club activities are at  <http://www.dvoc.org/>
www.dvoc.org

--------------------------------------------------------------------
Questions or comments about this weekly digest should be directed to
<mailto:webmaster at dvoc.org> webmaster at dvoc.org 
--------------------------------------------------------------------
You are being sent this message because you are subscribed to the DVOC
E-mail list. This is a moderated list used for posting information about the
Club, conservation issues in the Delaware Valley area, and alerts of
exceptional bird sightings.
You can manage your subscription at
http://dvoc.com/mailman/listinfo/dvoc_dvoc.com
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://dvoc.com/pipermail/dvoc_dvoc.com/attachments/20070930/92d5fee3/attachment-0001.html 