Upcoming Programs
Regular Meetings of the MBC are held at 7:30 pm on the second Wednesday of each month at the Union Congregational Church, 176 Cooper Ave., Upper Montclair, NJ. All programs are open to the public. There are no meetings during July, August, or December.
UPCOMING MEETINGS;
Wednesday, July 8 via Zoom: Meet the Real James Bond presented by Jim Wright
Ornithologist James Bond was a noted naturalist/adventurer who wrote the landmark Birds of the West Indies -- and the victim of the world’s most famous identity theft. Jim Wright, author of the lavishly illustrated new biography “The Real James Bond,” will talk about Bond’s book, his birds, his solo expeditions to the Caribbean, and his connection to Ian Fleming and 007. Might be a little spy talk, too. Via Zoom.
In his spare time, Jim writes “The Bird Watcher” column for the Bergen Record and other Gannett newspaper in NJ, spies on birds, and serves as a marsh warden at the Celery Farm Nature Preserve.
More info on Bond and the book on Jim Wright’s blog: https:\www.realjamesbond.net
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PREVIOUS MEETINGS FOR THE 2019/2020 CALENDAR:
Sept 11 2019: Wildlife In Costa Rica presented by Debbi Bifulco.
Debbi was born and raised in Alaska, which started her love of the natural world. She began taking photos in her 20’s and now is almost always found with a camera in hand. She lives in Andover Township with her husband, two indoor cats and a yard full of wild things!
Debbi will take you through 11 days in the rain and cloud forests of Costa Rica in search of birds, bugs, bats, frogs and vipers. Enjoy the fabulous fauna of the tropics, from the resplendent Quetzal to tiny Honduran White Bats.
October 9, 2019: Mammals of the Americas presented by George Nixon.
George is a long time member of the Montclair Bird Club and is a retired teacher.
We all have a basic understanding of mammals, as it is the class to which humans belong. We usually encounter the common ones like deer and squirrels. If we are out at night, raccoons, skunks, and opossums may be seen. The majority of mammals are secretive and often go undetected. They have filled every niche available from herbivores to carnivores and live in all habitats from forests and deserts, from tropical rainforests to polar regions, and in the water and air. In this program we will examine the characteristics off each group of mammals to gain a better appreciation.
November 13, 2019: MBC 100th Year Celebration
Keynote Address: Made In New Jersey presented by Rick Wright
Celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the Montclair Bird Club at our November member ship meeting. A hot catered buffet dinner (including a vegetarian choice) will begin at 6:30 pm followed by our Limerick and Photo Contests and keynote address by bird club member Rick Wright. Tickets for the dinner are $10 before Nov 1st or $12 by Nov 10th. Send checks to Donna Traylor, 34 Gunn Rd., Branchville, NJ 07826.
Rick Wright is a native of southeast Nebraska, and currently lives in Bloomfield. He studied French, German, philosophy , and life sciences at the University of Nebraska, where he also worked in the bird collections of the State Museum. He earned an M.A. and Ph.D. in German at Princeton University. Among his scholarly publications are two books on the Latin and German animal literature of the late Middle Ages. He is also the author the American Birding Association’s field guides to birds of New Jersey and Arizona, and of the Peterson Reference Guide to North American sparrows. Among his other activities, he leads a popular series of Birds and Art tours in Spain, France, Italy Germany and Austria.
The forests and marshes of New Jersey have been America’s “birding playground for more than two centuries, and a surprising number of species were discovered and described for the very first time right here. Join Rick in a light-hearted look at some of the personalities, adventures, and birds that gave science its earliest glimpses into the richness of the North American avifauna.
January 8, 2020: Travels in Tanzania presented by Keith Utter
The program will cover Keith’s journey to summit the Uruhu peak, which is the highest peak on Mt. Kilimanjaro, and his photo safari through the Tarangire and Serengeti National Parks, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, and the Ngorongor Crater.
Kieth is a professional photographer living in Northwestern New Jersey. He is semi-retired after 45 years in the construction industry. A graduate of the New York Institute of Photography, his photos have appeared in the NJ Herald, the Star Ledger and the NY Daily News, as well as architectural and sporting magazines, and calendars. A collection of his photos are on permanent display at the Bon Secours Medical Center in Port Jervis. His photographic “adventures” include trips to the high peaks of Colorado, the glaciers of Iceland, and the Galapagos Islands.
February 12, 2020: All About Snakes presented by George Nixon
“Chances are that you have ophidiophobia, a fear of snakes, or at the very least don’t care for them, Snakes are probably the most reviled and persecuted animals on the planet for a variety of reasons. These include religion as the root cause of a variety of misconceptions about snakes, or possibly it is ingrained in the human genome from prehistory when we had to =avoid animals in the environment that would or could harm us. The program will address these myths and explain how, in truth, snakes are fascinating and very beneficial animals that lead complicated lives, balancing on the edge of life and death. The presentation will examine the natural history of snakes and hopefully help those attending gain a better appreciation for these curious and wonderful animals.
George Nixon is a long time officer of the Montclair Bird Club and has traveled widely throughout the United States, Central and South America studying and photographing wildlife, including birds, insects, amphibians and reptiles. He is a past president of the Urner ornithological Society and member of the New Jersey Records Committee for birds.
March 11, 2020: Second Annual Scholarship Award Presentation
This year, our scholarship speakers will be two Montclair High School students.
Devon Sukhdeo will speak on the Long Term Effects of Budget Cuts to Environmental Agencies
Despite the growing threat of climate change, New Jersey has made major cuts to state environmental agency staff and funding. These agencies are responsible for the regulation of laws protecting the environment. It is important for the prosperity of nature that we continue to support these programs; otherwise many species of plants and animals could greatly suffer.
Lukas Karapin-Springorum will speak on the Effects of Climate Change on North American Bird Phenology, which is the study of cyclic and seasonal natural phenomena, especially in relation to climate’s impact on animal and plant life. An introduction to the effects of climate change on North American bird species is conveyed by the findings of an important recent research article titled “Phenology of nocturnal avian migration has shifted at the continental scale.” This research, using decades of weather data from 143 weather stations to identify migratory bird flocks, provides a vital quantitative analysis of the effects of climate change on the timing of bird migrations. Additionally, I aim to identify how this research fits in with existing knowledge of migratory patterns.
The Audience will learn about this specific research article and its implications and will gain an understanding of the methods used and conclusions drawn from this research, and how it informs future research on migratory bird phenology.
May 12, 2020: Special members meeting via Zoom
The next regular meeting of the Montclair Bird Club will be a teleconference and a fun online quiz via Zoom. A Zoom invitation will be sent on Tuesday, May 12, for the meeting on Wednesday, May 13, at 7:30pm. You will be able to start joining the meeting at 7:15pm.
If you are not familiar with using Zoom, we will have a practice session on Monday, May 11, at 3pm. The practice session invitation will be e-mailed on May 10.
June 10, 2020: Panama: the canal, some monkeys, and birds presented by Sandy Sorkin
The virtual June Meeting of the Montclair Bird Club will be via Zoom. An invitation for the meeting will be sent on Tuesday, June 9th for the meeting on Wednesday, June 10th at 7:30pm.
I wrote about my trip to Panama in the April 2020 issue of the Broadwing, and this discussion will highlight more birds and be less of a discussion about being consumed by army ants. Most of the pictures will be from Canopy Tower, Canopy Lodge and along Pipeline Road. Pipeline Road is a premier birding location that was last paved during World War II.