| For
more photos, see the Annual Meeting 2005
Report submitted by the Ralph T. Waterman Bird Club delegates.
NYSOA
2005 Annual Meeting
Hosted By Hudson-Mohawk Bird Club
by
Tim Baird
September 23-25 provided perfect weather for the 2005 NYSOA Annual meeting
at the Albany Marriot on Wolf Road in Albany, NY. One hundred sixty-two
attendees settled in for a stimulating and informative weekend of field
trips, meetings, paper sessions, displays, good food, and friendly people.
Friday evening’s reception was followed by workshops informing
participants about digiscoping, NY eBird, monitoring IBAs, and the Mountain
Birdwatch program. Presenters of posters were available to answer questions
about their displays in the corridor of the workshop area.
At Ann Lee Pond, the delegates were determined
not to miss a single bird. |
Hudson-Mohawk Bird Club set up a table containing items to be raffled that
included many objects of art, photographs, books, and more. In the
main conference area, vendors showed their wares, and several groups
had displays providing information about their activities.
Saturday morning was filled with field trips to local areas of
interest. American Bittern, Merlin, Gray-cheeked Thrush, Orange-crowned
Warbler, and Lincoln’s Sparrow are included on the list of
species observed.
The delegates of NYSOA clubs met to hear about our organization’s
past year from the officers and various NYSOA committees. Items
of interest to members were discussed. The delegates elected Officers
and three Directors, as well as the Nominating and Auditing Committees
for 2006 |
The NYSOA officers elected for 2006 are: Andy Mason, President;
Bill Ostrander, Vice President; Tim Baird, Corresponding Secretary;
Brenda Best, Recording Secretary; and Bill Reeves, Treasurer.
Three NYSOA Directors were elected to two year terms, they are:
Phyllis Jones, Berna Lincoln, and Bob Mauceli.
The Papers Session on Saturday afternoon was well attended and
provided a variety of informative presentations of New York related
bird research. The Papers Session was capped off by Max Wheat’s
traditional reading of poetry providing passion, humor, food for
thought, and a writing lesson in Max’s inimitable style.
Saturday evening’s banquet included the presentation of
NYSOA awards. Atlas 2000 pins were presented to volunteers in
recognition for the completion of ten or more Atlas blocks.
David Bird of McGill University in Montreal gave a humorous and
enlightening talk on the sex lives of birds. Dr. Bird is the Director
of the Avian Science and Conservation Centre. His interests involve
research on predatory birds, human-wildlife interactions, ecotourism,
and the communication of science to the public.
|
Keynote Speaker Dr. David Bird
|
Immature
Bald Eagle
sighted during the
Hudson River cruise trip |
Many meeting attendees completed their visit to Albany aboard the
Dutch Apple for a cruise on the Hudson River. Passengers were treated
to a description of the history of the area with many historic sites
pointed out along the river. Sightings of a Peregrine Falcon and
several Bald Eagles highlighted the voyage.
NYSOA thanks the Hudson-Mohawk Bird Club, Lynn Huntington, the
conference chair, and the Conference Planning Committee. Kim Corwin
and Kathryn Schneider were particularly helpful. Thanks to the leaders
of the field trips and all who made this meeting a great success.
NYSOA encourages you to plan on attending next year’s Annual
Meeting in Oneonta on September 29th through October 1st. |
Published
in New York Birders, October 2005
For
more photos, see the Annual Meeting 2005
Report submitted by the Ralph T. Waterman Bird Club delegates. |
