Noel J. Cutright Bird Club
2016 CALENDAR
The Riveredge Bird Club held its first meeting in March 1986. That makes this year our 30th Anniversary! The club brings together those who enjoy observing and learning more about birds and sharing these interests with others. All activities are free and open to the public. Attend a meeting or field trip to become a member and receive our bimonthlyelectronic newsletter, The Timberdoodle News. The club was renamed in honor of its founder in 2014.
Meetings are held on the first Tuesday of each month, January through November, at
RIVEREDGE NATURE CENTER
4458 Hawthorne (Hwy. Y)
Newburg, WI 53060
262-375-2715
Pre-Meeting Bird Hikes: From May through October: At 6 p.m., a bird hike across the variety of habitats at the center precedes the 7 p.m. bird club program. Additional field trips are listed below and others will be announced via email.
7 p.m. Tuesday Jan. 5
An Inside Look at 'BirdWatching'
Chuck Hagner is editor-in-chief of BirdWatching Magazine, a highly-regarded national publication. And we are lucky that he's also a Wisconsin resident, a member of the Wisconsin Society for Ornithology and a board member of the Western Great Lakes Bird & Bat Observatory. Hagner has been editor of BirdWatching since 2001. He joined the magazine after a successful career as a writer and editor at Time Life Books, where he contributed to dozens of volumes on a variety of topics. In his talk to the bird club, he will outline how he and his staff choose stories, select photos and pull together each issue; tell a story or two about the wonderful people he's had the good fortune to work with; and pass along lessons learned from almost 15 years of publishing about birds and birding.
7 p.m. Tuesday Feb. 2
Why Does the Wild Bird Sing
Maureen Leonard is a behavioral ecologist who specializes in animal communication, and her research has focused on singing on the nest in birds. She teaches in the Sciences Department at Mount Mary University in Milwaukee. She is a former board member of the Wisconsin Society for Ornithology and chaired its Research Committee.She plans to answer a question many of us have asked: Why does the wild bird sing? Her talk will key in on the real function of bird song and about singing on the nest.
7 p.m. Tuesday March 1(Our 30th Anniversary!)
Spring is Sprung
Kate Redmond is a longtime close friend of the club and the perfect writer and photographer to help us celebrate our 30th anniversary. “Spring is Sprung” starts out with a short review of the “science” of winter (distance from the sun, angle of the planet) and moves into the meteorological start of spring, March 1. Warning:The photos are very colorful and may prove a shock to the eye after a drab winter. Special anniversary treats will be served and a surprise or two is likely….
6-9 p.m. Tuesday April 5
Breeding Bird Atlas Update and Training
This meeting of the club will be used to offer a regional update and training exercise for the second year of the second Wisconsin Breeding Bird Atlas. The program will focus on Milwaukee, Ozaukee and Washington counties' experience with the atlas in year one and scheduled lead participants include the three county atlas coordinators -- Mike Wanger, Scott Diehl and Dani Baumann – along with two principal atlasers from Riveredge and the Cedarburg Bog -- Mary Holleback and John O’Donnell — and WBBA II steering committee members Bill Mueller and Mike Reese. More details will be provided in the months ahead – and refreshments will be served.
Hike at 6 p.m., program at 7 p.m. Tuesday May 3
Identifying and Protecting Stopover Sites
Kim Grveles is a conservation biologist with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. She coordinates the Wisconsin Stopover Initiative, a partnership project focused on protection of the important habitats needed by birds – known as “stopover sites” – as they migrate through Wisconsin’s Great Lakes basins.Kim will discuss the initiative’s effort to identify important stopover sites including the Kettle Moraine and the work being done by partners to protect, enhance, and create new habitat for migratory birds throughout the state.
Hike at 6 p.m., program at 7 p.m. Tuesday June 7
Jean Lord and the Birds of Pine View
Led by founder Jean Lord, the Pine View Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Center and its corps of dedicated volunteers have rescued, mended and advocated for animals for 35 years. Although Jean has been the face of Pine View for more than three decades, she will quickly correct anyone if they call her the lifeblood of the Town of Fredonia wildlife care facility.“It’s not about any one person,” Jean told the Ozaukee Press. “It’s a collaborative, passionate endeavor. It’s about the earth, the wildlife and the community. This is about the volunteers. This is about networking and the people who support us. This isabout the animals.” She brings her story and some of the birds she has rescued to our June meeting.
Hike at 6 p.m., program at 7 p.m. Tuesday July 5
Birding the Last Frontier: Alaska
From ptarmigans to curlews and auklets to eiders, join longtime club memberJohn O’Donnell to explore the challenges and rewards of birding major Alaskan hotspots such as the Pribolof Islands, Nome, Attu, Gambell and Barrow.John has led seven birding trips in Alaska and has participated in five others -- and says he is not yet finished with the Last Frontier state.
Hike at 6 p.m., program at 7 p.m. Tuesday Aug. 2
Bird City: New Leadership, Expanded Horizons
Dr. Bryan Lenz has returned to Wisconsin to take over as director of the Bird City Wisconsin community recognition program and offers us an update on its growth, its new emphasis on protecting birds from windows and cats, as well asthe organization’s work to develop similar programs in other states, including Minnesota, Indiana and Iowa. Is your community a Bird City? Learn how you can help make it one. Plus, Bryan looks back on his work in the jungles of Brazil to offer a look at Harpy Eagle-primate interactions in the Amazon.
Hike at 6 p.m., program at 7 p.m. Tuesday Sept. 6
Protecting the Spots We Love
Shawn Graff is executive director of the Ozaukee Washington Land Trust and will be here to highlight the role OWLT has played in preserving so much land that also is great bird habitat -- projects that have attracted at least $4,000 in bird club dollars and political support (e.g., Lion's Den, Forest Beach Migratory Preserve and The Vinyards). And many others that our club has sponsored field trip to enjoy. Shawn and OWLT also have underpinned the work of the Western Great Lakes Bird and Bat Observatory, which Dr. Noel Cutright founded 25 years after he founded the Riveredge Bird Club that now bears his name.
Hike at 6 p.m., program at 7 p.m. Tuesday Oct. 4
Orioles of Montserrat
Dr. Andy Cassinichairs the Conservation Committeeof the Wisconsin Society for Ornithology. He is a conservation biologist and ornithologist who recently completed his Ph.D. in Zoology at UW-Madison. His research involves estimating the conservation parameters for the critically endangered Montserrat Oriole. “My work involves estimating genetic diversity and evaluating the potential for genetic rescue using captive populations. I am also modeling habitat variables in order to better guide land management decisions on the Caribbean island of Montserrat. Finally, there is an education component to my research, in which I am looking at the effectiveness of different ways of delivering conservation information. I also am teaching Conservation Biology classes at UW-Madison and at Alverno College, and in the spring, I will again be teaching a field ornithology class at UW–Madison.”
Program at 7 p.m. Tuesday Nov. 1
Integrity and Equity in Bird Research: Collaborating with Urban Youth
Tim Vargo, manager of research and citizen science at the Urban Ecology Center in Milwaukee, will talk about his experiences collaborating with young scientists in Milwaukee who are carrying out original ornithological research. He will also discuss systemic inequities that make us uncomfortable but need to be addressed in order to make strides toward democratizing citizen science research.
BIRDATHON/BANDATHON
May 21, Saturday - Dawn to Dusk
Birdathon/Bandathon
Join us in the main parking lot at 6 a.m. to explore the Back 40 or show up anytime later for this all-day birding and banding event on RiveredgeNatureCenter property. The bandathon will be conducted near the Mushroom and Sugar Inn area. The barn will still be open early in the a.m. for birders who need the bathrooms at that end of the property. The Visitor Center will also be open after 9 a.m.Bird Club members are encouraged to make and collect pledges since no dues are collected and this continues to be the club's only internal fund-raising event.
FIELD TRIPS
As announced by Dennis Panicucci, Field Trip Coordinator, (262) 673-3898
Friday, Jan. 1, New Year's Day
Let's get the new year off to a good start with a half-day field trip leaving from Port Washington. Start your 2016 bird list on New Year’s Day with the rest of us. They tore Harry’s down, so for those interested in breakfast, we'll meet at 6:30 a.m. at the McDonald's on N. Wisconsin St. in Port Washington. That is on the north side of town just off Hwy. 43. Get off at the Hwy 32/ H exit and go about one block south. Those wanting to sleep in can meet us down at the harbor boat launch area at 7:30 a.m. We'll explore the harbor, and then head north from there to find some neat winter birds. We'll be done by noon so you can catch your favorite bowl game on TV.
Sunday, April 3
Our Annual Noel J. Cutright Pike Lake/ Hartford Area Field Trip: Meet at the Jackson Park & Ride at 7 a.m.
Sunday, May 1
Port Bike Trail Warbler Walk: Meet for breakfast at McDonald's at 6 am. Late risers meet at bike trail at 7 a.m.
Saturday-Sunday, May 28-29
Save this weekend for theSouthern Wisconsin and Wyalusing State Park Field Trip: Come bird the hot spots from the Southern Kettle Moraine to Wyalusing with us. Always a great trip. Details will be offered later.
OHER DATES TO NOTE
Great Backyard Bird Count: Feb. 12-15 Bird watchers of all ages count birds to create a real-time snapshot of where birds are.
WSO Convention: May 13-16 in Racine; see wsobirds.org for details.