May 2013 Meeting Minutes

President Linda Orkin called this last meeting of the year to order at 7:31 p.m., welcoming all. There will be a picnic next month on June 10 at Myer’s Point which is open to all. Bring a dish to pass and your own place setting. Colleen Richardson and Becky Hansen brought cookies for the meeting tonight. 

Speaking of recent birds of interest, people mentioned sandpipers at Stewart Park, waiting for the Great Blue Herons at the lab to pip, while the warblers are coming and Pine Siskins and Evening Grosbeaks remain, and that work is going to be done at Sterling Forest to help preserve Golden-winged Warbler habitat. 

Upcoming Monday night seminars at the lab are: 

• 5/20, Australian Songbirds, the Music of Nature, and the Nature of Music

• 5/27, How to do Bird Conservation the UK Way 

Vice President Paul Anderson gave the field trip report. There were 4 trips since the last meeting. 

• 4/21, John Confer, Cayuga Lake, included seeing Eastern Meadowlarks and Upland Sandpipers 

• 4/27, Stuart Krasnoff, South Hill Recreation Way, lots of Ruby-crowned Kinglets 

• 5/4, Suan Yong, Hammond Hill, lots of warblers including Mourning Warbler and hooting Barred Owls 

• 5/11, Laura Stenzler, Park Preserve, Prairie Warbler and a pair of Sharp-shinned Hawks 

Upcoming trips are: 

• 5/18, Carl Steckler, Owasco Flats and Bear Swamp 

• 5/25, Mark Chao, Finger Lakes Land Trust Challenge 

• 6/2, Paul Anderson, Lindsay-Parsons in West Danby 

• 7/13, kayak trip to Montezuma at a cost of $50-60. If interested, email Paul@grammatech.com 

The duck stamp is now also the migratory bird stamp and will be used to help preserve National Wildlife Reserve lands. They cost $15 and can be purchased at post offices and sporting goods stores. 

The next Conservation Action Committee meeting will be on May 21 at 7 pm at Candace Cornell’s house. 

The next subject was donations to various local groups. Candace Cornell made a motion that the club support the Cornell Lab of Ornithology competitive teams—the Sapsuckers and the Redheads—at the $100 level, to be divided equally between them, and the Finger Lakes Land Trust at the $100 level as well as Mark Chao’s Bird Quest at the $100 level. Cyndy Tkachuck seconded the motion. Discussion followed first, about the Cornell teams as to whether people wanted to contribute to both groups or just to the Redheads, the junior team. Some felt that the Sapsuckers were well supported by the advertising of the lab whereas the Redheads had no such backing and could use the money more. 

Ton Schat moved that an amendment be made to the motion that only the Redheads be supported. Susan Danskin seconded the motion. This amendment was voted upon and passed. Next an amendment was proposed increasing the donation from $100 to $250. Carl Steckler so moved. Ton Schat seconded the motion. Following discussion and a vote the amendment passed. 

A proposal that the club support the Redheads at $250 level was put into motion by Ton Schat, seconded by Carl Steckler, voted on and passed. 

Kathleen Strickland moved that the club support the Finger Lakes Land Trust at the $100 level each year for three years and Mark Chao’s Bird Quest at the $100 level for one year. Paul Anderson seconded the motion. It was voted on and passed. 

Another idea was to give grants of $50 to people interested in building outdoor cat runs to promote the concept of not letting cats roam free. It was decided that more specifics were needed for this idea, and we would take it up again in the fall. 

The NYSOA annual meeting will take place Nov. 1-3 in Queens, NY. 

We took up the discussion of signage in Stewart Park and our involvement in that. It was decided that it was too big a topic for this meeting and that we would devote the whole September meeting to it ,hoping for widespread participation from members. 

Susan Danskin read the bird list of the Cayuga Bird Basin. 

Cyndy and Richard Tkachuck presented a very interesting and entertaining talk entitled “Volunteering - Getting Your Feet Wet” telling of their adventures all over the world volunteering in various birding situations. 

Respectfully submitted, Becky Hansen