March Meeting Minutes

Cayuga Bird Club Meeting Minutes   9 March 2020 at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology              The meeting began at 7:30 pm. 

President Diane Morton welcomed members and visitors.
Thanks for cookies: Gladys Birdsall and Marie Read
Minutes approved  

Spring Ornithology with Steve Kress.  Tuesday evenings, March 24- May 12     - Class filled with 70 participants; email for fall to cayugabirdclub.president @ gmail.com  

Jody Enck reported on trip to Costa Rica   - 10 days total; 3 locations (showed many photos of birds from orange-collared manikins to tiny hawk); 260+ species.   Colombia trip planned for November .

Motus Tracking station update - American woodcock: tagged 4/27/19 Lake Erie Science/Nature Center (Cleveland,OH)   5:45pm 11/7 Wolf Island    8:45pm 11/7 Meyers Pt.    + 33 hours in Tennessee!!  

Friends of Stewart Park and Fuertes overlook repairs   - Arthur Allen fund raised money originally for stone overlook as a memorial to L. A. Fuertes   -issue of repairs set aside for next meeting   -interpretive sign perhaps by Cayuga Bird Club (~$500)??   -fundraiser March 12, multi-media by Katherine Gleason, tickets $10-50  5.  

Field Trips  
Past: Lime Hollow w/Matt Young; 2/22 E. Lake w/ Suan Yong; 3/1 around lake w/ Bob McGuire; 3/8 ½ day w/ Ken Haas (+5 others)    
New **: Phil McNeil ½ day      3/21 around lake w/Meena Haribal         3/29 Dryden Lake w/ Gladys Birdsall         4/4  Bob McGuire 1/2 day         4/11 Woodcocks & Owls w/Bob McGuire     Stewart Park public walks on Saturdays**

Marie Read - “Improve Your Bird Photography” on 4/18     at Stewart Park - if over 10, decisions made re: more than one group. **

Conservation Action Committee Report - Jody Enck     Sign up to help with ongoing habitat improvement projects     Beginning Sat., April 25 for 4 Saturdays - school group bird walks     Bird garden tours in June .

Announcements     a.  Osprey nest sightings contact cec22@cornell.edu     b.  “Welcome to Birdwatching” field trips (6), see Cornell Lab of Ornithology; 4/4-5/9, cost $50     c.  3/12 “Science of Seduction” , Lab of Ornithology 5:30pm w/ cash bar     d.  4/26-29 Finger Lakes Birding Festival     e.  4/13 Sarah Kaiser - next Cayuga Bird Club meeting**  

Reading of the List - Laura Stenzler - 101 bird species reported in the last week  

Guest Speaker - Meena Haribal - “Seeking Adventure in Africa”     Meena shared about her journey with Absolute Africa, a 62-day trip [$3000 basic pkg; Total $7000]     “Buses” with fridge/cooking needs; camp-style      Visited Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa     Treated us to nearly 100 pictures of various bird species and stories of other animal encounters, incl. an exciting adventure with elephants!! A thoroughly enjoyable evening. Meeting ended by 9 pm. 

 **Subsequently: due to COVID-19 restrictions, all CBC field trips/activities canceled until further notice.