Hello All,
Please join us at 7:30 on October 21 for the next Monday Night Seminar. As always, these seminars are free and open to the public. Doors open at 7:00. *Warbler Plumage Patterns that Make Capturing Insects Easier* *Speaker: Ron Mumme, Professor of Biology, Allegheny College. Host: Walt Koenig* The striking plumage ornaments so characteristic of birds are usually thought to serve as social and sexual signals. In the parulid warblers however, conspicuous plumage patterns can serve an entirely different function: startling potential insect prey and enhancing foraging performance. Professor Mumme will examine the role of plumage pattern in the foraging behavior of the Slate-throated Redstart of Central and South America and the Hooded Warbler of eastern North America. *More Upcoming Seminars* *November 4**--**Seminar and Book Signing* *Natural History, Aesthetics, and Conservation* *Speaker: Harry Greene, Professor and Faculty Curator of Herpetology, Cornell University. Host: Miyoko Chu* Greene will describe how natural history enhances our appreciation for organisms and environments, thereby influencing value judgments that ultimately underlie conservation. He will explain how an 18th Century philosopher’s distinction between “beauty” and “sublime” can be used in the context of Darwin’s notion of “descent with modification,” then illustrate this approach with frogs, rattlesnakes, African megafauna, longhorn cattle, and California Condors. Greene’s new book “Tracks and Shadows” will be available for signing. *November 11 Cayuga Bird Club Meeting and Seminar* *Songbirds Rise Above the Din* *Speaker: Elizabeth Derryberry, Assistant Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Tulane University. Host: Laura Stenzler* Noise, whether from a crowded city or nature itself, may be enough of a nuisance to convince birds to change their tune. Derryberry will talk about her studies on current and historical songs of White-crowned Sparrows in San Francisco and Marin County, California. She compares songs from urban and rural locations to see how these songs have evolved in each location. Cayuga Bird Club meeting and speaker, starting at 7:15 with cookies and conversation. Bird club business begins at 7:30 followed by the speaker presentation. All are invited and welcome. *November 18* *Behind the Scenes With Bird Cams* *Speaker: Charles Eldermire, Bird Cams Project Leader, Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Host: Miyoko Chu* There's a lot more to Bird Cams than providing live, streaming video of cute nestlings. Eldermire will take listeners behind the scenes of this hugely popular Cornell Lab project. He'll discuss some of the unexpected pleasures and problems that arise when unscripted natural history plays out before the eyes of millions of deeply engaged fans. *December 2* *Climate Change, Food Caching, and Winter Breeding: The Story of a Declining Gray Jay Population* *Speaker: Ryan Norris, Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph. Host: Irby Lovette* A bird of the Canadian boreal forests, Gray Jays breed in late winter andrely on cached food to survive. But at the southern edge of the bird’s range in Algonquin Park, Ontario, the jays have been declining for the past 20 years. One hypothesis is that increasingly warmer fall temperatures are spoiling cached food. Using data from a banded population that spans more than 50 years as well as a series of novel experiments, Norris presents results that test both the assumptions and predictions of the “hoard-rot hypothesis.” *December 9 Cayuga Bird Club Meeting and Seminar* *The Way West: Birding with a Microphone* *Speaker: Bob McGuire, sound recordist, former CBC president, and editor of "Birding the Cayuga Lake Basin." Host: Laura Stenzler* McGuire says recording bird song is his excuse for getting outdoors and for traveling. He’ll describe a trip to record birds in Texas, Arizona, California, and Oregon. The talk will include photos of the birds, their habitats, and a selection of recordings. Cayuga Bird Club meeting and speaker, starting at 7:15 with cookies and conversation. Bird club business begins at 7:30 followed by the speaker presentation. All are invited and welcome. *Seminars are held at 7:30** **p.m. in the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's Visitor Center auditorium except on night indicated as Cayuga Bird Club meetings, with club business at 7:30 p.m., followed by the seminar. Doors open at 7:00 and close when the auditorium is filled. Seminars are free and open to the public. * Marc Devokaitis Public Information Specialist Cornaell Lab of Ornithology -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --