PROGRAM |
8 - 9 |
Registration / COA Marketplace |
9 - 9:20 |
Welcome / Business Meeting
Steve Mayo, COA Vice President will present a brief overview of the state of COA, followed by elections of officers and board members.
Jerry Connolly, Program Chairman will welcome the membership and introduce the first presenter of the day.
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9:20 - 10:15 |
Video Presentations from Migration Productions
Shawn P. Carey
Looking Skyward: A Passion for Hawkwatching
Hawkwatching has become one of the most popular types of "bird watching". This film examines why people watch hawks, examines some of its long, storied history, and explores some of the prime locations for viewing hawk migration (Hawk Mountain and Cape May). Footage includes a wide range of raptors in flight as well as interviews with Pete Dunne, Bill Clark, and others.
Birders' Exchange (ABA)
The Birders' Exchange film is a video brochure designed to explain how people can help in donating used equipment (binoculars, tri-pods, scopes, cameras, etc.) that in turn is sent to people in Central and South America that have little or no equipment. The film explains the program’s origin, how you can help, who receives the donated equipment, and why it's so important that we help with such a project. The Birders' Exchange program is managed by Betty Petersen with ABA.
In 1994, Shawn and good friend Jim Grady started Migration Productions as a way to present their multi-image slide presentations to a live audience. Since then, they have presented programs to Mass. Audubon, ABA, Manomet, HMANA, Waterbird Society, and many local bird clubs. Migration Productions is now the premiere bird related multi-media presentation company in New England. |
10:15 – 10:25 |
Mabel Osgood Wright Award Presentation |
10:25 – 10:35 |
Betty Kleiner Award Presentation
This is a new COA award honoring the memory of Betty Kleiner, whose name is synonymous with The Warbler, COA’s flagship publication. The award recognizes a deserving author or artist in the field of ornithology. |
10:35 – 10:55 |
Break - COA Marketplace
A time to socialize, purchase COA Raffle tickets and check out vendors’ offerings of bird-related items. |
10:55 - 11:55 |
The Singing Life of Birds
Donald Kroodsma
Come listen to birds as you've never listened before, using what they have to say as a window on their minds, using what they have to say not just to identify them but to identify with them. Hear a song sparrow work through his repertoire, or listen to conversations among crows and jays. Don will also explore the mysteries of birdsong -- how birds learn to sing, why some sing and some don't, and why songs vary from bird to bird and even from place to place. We'll learn to truly listen to our most common birds in ways many of us have never imagined possible.
Donald Kroodsma is a renowned specialist in the interpretation of bird songs, and author of the widely acclaimed and award-winning THE SINGING LIFE OF BIRDS. Don is a University of Massachusetts Professor Emeritus of Biology. |
Noon – 1 |
Lunch at Founder’s Hall Cafeteria followed by dessert (Osgood Cake!) back at Chapman Hall |
1 - 2 |
Asian Birds West to East and Back Again
Robert DeCandido, PhD
Southeast Asia is home to birds that have no close relatives in the new world, most notably the Babblers (family Timaliidae). These include Wren-Babblers and Scimitar-Babblers. Other types of Babblers include the Laughing-thrushes, Mesias, Sibias, Minlas, Fulvettas and Yuhinas. Some Southeast Asian birds might be more familiar such as the Shrikes, Forktails (thrushes), Barbets and Parrots. And then there are the raptors: Hawk-eagles, Bazas, Harriers, Honey-buzzards, Kites and Fish-Eagles. Bob will show images of these birds that have been taken with film and digital media, and including those that have been digiscoped. He'll discuss what is happening to the forests of Borneo and mainland Malaysia/Thailand; and detail his discovery of a globally significant raptor migration watch site in Thailand.
Robert DeCandido is self-employed in New York City as a leader of bird walks, an environmental consultant and a photographer. |
2 - 2:15 |
Break - COA Marketplace |
2:15 - 3:15 |
The Spotted Owl of the Connecticut Shore?
Sparrows, Seal Level, and the Need for Preemptive Conservation Planning
Chris Elphick
Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrows are not the most glamorous of Connecticut's birds, but they are one of the highest conservation priorities in the state, with a significant portion of the world population found along the shore of Long Island Sound. Chris has been directing a study on these sparrows, and other saltmarsh birds since 2002. The countless field hours and wealth of data collected make Chris uniquely qualified to speak on the natural history of our tidal marsh-nesting sparrows, and the conservation challenges they face in their southern New England stronghold.
Chris Elphick is Assistant Professor of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology at the University of Connecticut. He was Lead Editor and authored sections of THE SIBLEY GUIDE TO BIRD LIFE AND BEHAVIOR. |
3:15 |
COA Raffle and Silent Auction
The ever-popular Raffle will conclude our day with many prizes including avian artwork and valuable birding equipment donated by artists and vendors. Raffle tickets will be available throughout the day. |
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REGISTRATION INFORMATION
COA Annual Meeting April 14, 2007
Middlesex Community College • Chapman Hall • Middletown, CT
Early Registration: $10.00 per person (pre-pay only)
Must be received by April 9
[Registration at the door: $15.00]
Hot and cold buffet lunch: $12.00 per person (pre-pay only)
Click here to download a printable PDF schedule & registration form (24 kb)>> |
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