STATE COLLEGE BIRD CLUB

25 April 2007

The State College Bird Club met at the State College Borough Building on 25 April 2007.  Thirty-nine members and guests attended; Greg Grove presided. 

Business

Deborah Grove read the March meeting minutes, which were approved.  Dorothy Bordner read the checklist.  Attendees reported 124 species within a 25 mile radius of Old Main since the March meeting.  Species of note included Red-necked Grebe, Northern Goshawk, and Swainson’s Hawk.

New officers were elected: 

       Deborah Grove – President

       Susan Braun – Vice-President for Field Trips

       Ro Fuller – Vice-President for Programs

       Dorothy Bordner – Treasurer

       Nan Butkovich – Secretary

Upcoming activities:

• Doug Wentzel reminded everyone that the Shaver’s Creek Birding Cup is coming up the first weekend in May.
• There will be a pot-luck dinner at 6pm at Millbrook Marsh on 23 May.  All are invited.
• The Pennsylvania Society for Ornithology is having its annual meeting in Harrisburg the third weekend in May.
• Bob Snyder will run a field trip up to Black Moshannon State Park the last Sunday in May.

Other announcements:

• Dave Ombalski reported that there were 152 Golden Eagles seen at the Tussey Mountain Hawk Watch – an average year.
• Dave also had Breeding Bird Atlas t-shirts available for sale.  This is the penultimate year of the 2nd BBA project.

Presentation

Douglas Gross, Endangered Species Coordinator for the Pennsylvania Game Commission, spoke on the “Recovery of Endangered Birds in Pennsylvania.”  He started with an overview of threatened species, including causes for Bald Eagle declines.  In order to restore a species to a healthy state, a four-step process is needed:  address the cause of the decline, assure that appropriate habitat is available, restore the population, and monitor the recovery.  In the case of Bald Eagles, the growth of the nesting population in Pennsylvania is estimated at about 15% per year.  However, there are continuing threats: poisons, shooting, habitat loss, and other human interference.  Many other species are also cause for concern; for example, over 50% of Pennsylvania wetlands have been lost, and many endangered or threatened species are wetland birds. 

Recorded by

Nan Butkovich, Secretary