October Meeting Minutes

Cayuga Bird Club, Oct. 9, 2017  President Jody Enck called the meeting to order at 7:30.  He thanked Gladys Birdsall and Linda Clougherty for bringing cookies. early dues are payable now by cash, check, or PayPal.  Mark Chao led two bird walks to the Freese Rd. Community Gardens looking for fall sparrows on Oct. 7 and 8.  One highlight was seeing a Nelson’s Sparrow nearby on Bluegrass Lane.  An 8-member recreation team sponsored by the bird club, the Arrogant Bustards, participated in the Muckrace on Sept. 16. The Muckrace is a fundraiser for Montezuma and Bob McGuire thanked all who had contributed.  The team found 98 species, coming in second in their category. Also on Sept. 16 the bird club had a table at the annual Migration Celebration at the Lab.  Upcoming field trips:

• • Oct. 21, Gladys Birdsall will lead an all-day trip to Montezuma.  Meet at the lab at 7:30.

  • Oct. 28, Gary Kohlenberg will lead an all-day trip to the hawk watch at Franklin Mountain.

  • Nov. 4, Suan Yong and Bob McGuire will lead an owling trip at 6 pm.

  • Nov. 11, Wes Blauvelt will lead a loon watch meeting at 6:40 am at Taughannock Falls State Park.

For further information check the bird club website.  The yearly NYSOA meeting will take place in Buffalo Nov. 10-12.  Jane Graves and Kevin McGowan are the official delegates for the club.  Roger Farrell, a long time bird club member and treasurer, passed away recently.  A sympathy card for his wife, LeMoyne, was circulated for people to sign.  Susan Danskin talked about the annual budget for the club and said that the treasurer’s report will be in the Nov. newsletter.  The election of officers was held. The slate was:

• • President, Wes Blauvelt

  • Vice-President, Diane Morton

  • Treasurer, Susan Danskin

  • Recording Secretary, Becky Hansen

  • Corresponding Secretary, Colleen Richards

  • Board member, Jody Enck

Carl Steckler moved that the slate be voted on.  Donna Scott seconded it.  The vote passed.  Donna Scott will give a talk about her trip to Machu Picchu at the Lansing Library at 7pm on Oct. 10. Jody Enck will participate in the Partners in Flight symposium in Honduras at the end of October. Information about the club trips to Honduras and Costa Rica next year is available at the front table. Susan Danskin will send out tax acknowledgments. Kevin McGowan read the list of the birds of the Cayuga Basin.  The speaker for the evening was Suan Yong whose talk was entitled “Who goes there? Birding with Infrared Thermography.”  He described how his thermal imaging camera works and showed photos of many creatures he had found in hidden places.  Respectfully submitted,  Becky Hansen Recording Secretary