Happy New Semester!
We're back! Please join us at 7:30 on February 3rd for the next Monday Night Seminar at the Lab of Ornithology<http://www.birds.cornell.edu/Page.aspx?pid=1573>. As always, these seminars are free and open to the public. The doors open at 7:00. *Michael O'Brien & Louise Zemaitis, Cape May Bird Observatory Birds, Butterflies, and More: Ten Secrets to Never Having a Slow Day in the Field* Ever hear a birder complain that there's "nothing around," or see a butterfly-seeker pack up and head home because cloudy skies chased all the butterflies away? For those with a broad interest in nature, there should never be a boring day in the field. Every day is different, and everywhere you go, something amazing is happening. In this program, Cape May Observatory naturalists and birding-tour leaders Michael O'Brien and Louise Zemaitis will highlight a few ways to add richness to every outing. This coming Monday, and many more times throughout this semester, we will be streaming the seminar live. Be sure to bookmark http://dl.allaboutbirds.org/cornelllab-monday-night-seminars for quick access on Monday evening. And if you missed it, you can also watch the archived version<http://blog.allaboutbirds.org/2013/10/04/saving-antarcticas-pristine-ross-sea-public-seminar/?__hstc=132624273.2323bdcc7ef7bed16dcec999613d549e.1366034604572.1383052964405.1383232543563.181&__hssc=132624273.1.1383232543563&__hsfp=153550319>of the previous live streamed lectures. Hope to see you there! Marc *UPCOMING MONDAY NIGHT SEMINARS* *Feb 10 Cayuga Bird Club Meeting Leonardo Campagna, Postdoctoral Research Associate, Fuller Evolutionary Biology Program, Cornell Lab of Ornithology Exploring the Origins of Neotropical Avian Biodiversity *Leonardo Campagna will discuss his studies on speciation and the effort to understand what factors have contributed to the vast avian diversity of the Neotropics. He will talk about how geological events have promoted speciation and explore examples from his own work in which he uses a combination of molecular tools and bird vocalizations analyses to study the evolution of various groups of birds from a number of areas in South America. *February 20* **Note this is a Thursday* * Joseph Tobias, Oxford University Species Interactions in Birds: From Microevolution to Macroecology *Dr. Joseph Tobias of Oxford University will discuss interactions among species competing for the same food resources and how that competition may drive evolution in two directions. Competition could foster small genetic changes resulting in new subspecies or large changes that may result in new groups of birds. Drawing from work on birds and birdsong, Dr. Tobias will show that tracing evolutionary development in species over time challenges common assumptions about the consequence of species interactions, and sheds new light on broad-scale patterns in evolution. *February 24: Art Opening Denis Defibaugh, artist Afterlifes of Natural History *Natural History Museums are depositories of what was once alive. Artist and RIT Professor Denis Defibaugh is interested in the aesthetics and taxonomy of these specimens and feels they combine aspects of both art and science. Defibaugh uses film that is obsolete, allowing it to oxidize and eventually become a black sheet of film. His photographs of specimens are made during the deterioration process, creating moving images of preservation and decay--what he calls a "fading memory." *March 3 Rachel Dickinson, author Have Notebook and Camera Will Travel: Confessions of a Travel Writer Who Birds to Travel and Travels to Bird.* Freelance author and travel writer Rachel Dickinson has spent the past couple of decades roaming the globe in search of stories. Armed with a notebook and a little camera, she's written about far-flung places such as Siberia and the Falklands, and places closer to home including the Erie Canal and her hometown of Freeville. Her work has been published in a number of publications including *Audubon, The Atlantic*, and smithsonian.com. She is a regular contributor to *The Huffington Post* and *Men's Journal* online. *Dickinson's book, Falconer on the Edge: a man, his bird, and the vanishing landscape of the American West (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)* *March 10 Cayuga Bird Club Meeting Kevin McGowan, Cornell Lab of Ornithology Waterfowl ID: The Most Important Things* Do you deem distant ducks disturbingly difficult? Do you find figuring out female fowl frustrating and fraught with failure? This evening is engineered to enlighten, engage, and entertain, while welcoming everyone into the wonderful world of waterfowl. It will introduce the top two tips for telling tricky ID troubles apart: shape and color pattern. Kevin McGowan works in the Education section of the Cornell Lab, and has been creating distance learning courses about bird behavior and identification. He will share highlights from his Waterfowl ID webinar series. *March 17 Tom Stephenson, author; Scott Whittle, photographer The Warbler Guide: The Overlooked ID Points that Make Identifying Warblers Easy* Birder and author Tom Stephenson and photographer Scott Whittle will describe important but often overlooked ID clues for colorful and sometimes elusive warblers: overall contrast, subtle facial features, color impressions, feather edging, rump contrast, as well as foraging style, location, and behavior. Even viewing a warbler from below can reveal identity clues for many species. Stephenson and Whittle will also address some of the most challenging species to identify, compare them to similar species, and illustrate how even partial views can be used to identify warbler species. *Stephenson's and Whittle's book, The Warbler Guide, published by Princeton University Press, will be available for purchase and signing. * *March 24 Sara Kaiser, Cornell Lab Unraveling the Mysteries of Songbird Mating Systems* Sara Kaiser is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center. She'll discuss how habitat quality affects where and how often the seemingly monogamous Black-throated Blue Warbler mates outside its pair bond. Most male Black-throated Blue Warblers are "socially monogamous," meaning they are mated to a single female. However, all is not as it appears: up to 50% of Black-throated Blue Warbler nests have young sired by a male that is not the territory holder. Sara has been studying the mating system of these warblers in the hardwood forests of New Hampshire. *March 31 Margaret Barker, Elissa Wolfson, Chris Willett Building, Placing, and Maintaining Great Homes for Great Birds *Join authors Margaret Barker and Elissa Wolfson, along with woodworker Chris Willett as they share what they learned--and built--while writing and researching the Audubon Birdhouse Book (Voyageur Press, 2013). Find out how to build for birds that take up residence within birdhouses--including Wood Ducks, kestrels, and of course, bluebirds--as well as those such as Great Blue Herons, Ospreys, and loons that nest "outside the box." We'll explore the reasons behind birdhouse building, especially where natural habitat is scarce, the latest design innovations, and how people everywhere are helping birds by providing them with safe homes. *April 7 Taza Schaming, PhD candidate; Cornell Lab of Ornithology Clark's Nutcrackers: Pivotal Players in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem* Whitebark pine and Clark's Nutcrackers have a fascinating relationship. The trees provide the birds with rich, fatty seeds that have more calories per pound than chocolate. In return, the nutcrackers "plant" the seeds that grow whitebark pines as well as 10 other conifer species--trees needed to provide food for wildlife and to helping retain snow (and thus drinking water) on the upper slopes of the Rockies. Schaming will also provide insights into the social behavior of the Clark's Nutcracker. *April 14 Cayuga Bird Club Meeting Dr. John L. Confer, Biology Department, Ithaca College Saw-whet Owls: The Cute Factor Aids Science: 206,000 Birds Banded by Insomniac Banders Reveal Migration Patterns and Regional Reproductive Success* The Northern Saw-whet Owl is widely distributed and an intensive banding effort provides a data trove for this tiny raptor. Banding records combined with GIS analyses reveal exceptional detail about migration patterns in eastern and central North America which allows us to analyze temporal/spatial patterns of reproductive success for breeding populations in different portions of North America. * April 21 Anne B. Clark, Binghamton University; Kevin McGowan, Cornell Lab of Ornithology; To Know the Crow: Insights and stories from a quarter century of crow study* American crows have followed us into our suburban and urban neighborhoods, making them one of our most familiar birds. But they have socially intricate lives, with more complex goals than converging at your local dumpster--in fact, socially, they are probably more like us than any primate. Ithaca is home to the longest running study of marked American crows anywhere: it is now 26 years since Kevin first began banding them. Kevin and Anne will tell some of their stories, including tales of family values and treachery, stay-at-homes and travelers, dynasties and disease. * April 28 Alfonso Aguirre Muñoz, Director, Grupo de Ecología y Conservación de Islas Restoration of Mexican Islands and Conservation of Birds* The Mexican islands are among the most valuable natural ecosystems. While well preserved, invasive mammals have been a big threat to its biodiversity, even causing the extinction of some island species. In response, Mexico has eradicated 56 populations of invasive mammals from 36 islands, protecting 147 endemic species of mammals, reptiles, birds and plants. In addition, 227 colonies of seabirds have been protected. The eradication of invasive mammals from the approximately 40 remaining islands is a strategic goal achievable by 2025, thanks to the collaboration of local communities, federal government agencies, academic institutions, and NGOs, as well as national and international donors and funds. * May 12 Cayuga Bird Club Meeting Mia Boynton PhD, granddaughter of Louis Fuertes and independent writer Fuertes Revisited: A Bird Artist in His Setting *Mia Boynton, a granddaughter of Louis Fuertes and an independent writer, will talk about the research she has done for her recently completed biography of Louis Agassiz Fuertes, *Fuertes Revisited: A Bird Artist in his Setting*. Topics covered will include business realities of being a bird artist in the early 20th century, sources of inspiration for Fuertes, sources of difficulty, and the ways in which he survived. Copies of the book will be available for purchase. This seminar is one event in a series of events commemorating and celebrating the Cayuga Bird Club's 100 year anniversary *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 Cornell Lab of Ornithology 159 Sapsucker Woods Rd Ithaca, NY 14850 -- 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/ --
