April 2017
Heather Wolf Presents: Birding at the Bridge: In Search of Every Bird on the Brooklyn Waterfront
Heather Wolf will talk about her book “Birding at the Bridge: In Search of Every Bird on the Brooklyn Waterfront” and her urban quest to document and photograph the birds of Brooklyn Bridge Park. Heather is a birder and photographer and is a web developer at theCornell Lab of Ornithology. She leads bird walks, teaches birding classes and documents the birds of Brooklyn Bridge Park on her blog, brooklynbridgebirds.com. Heather’s photos are currently featured in the Museum of the City…
Find out more »September 2017
Lisa Manne Presents: Migration Mysteries: Variation in Migration Distances Under Climate Change
Lisa Manne, Assistant Professor of Biology at the College of Staten Island, will present Migration Mysteries: Variation in Migration Distances for North American Short-distance Migrants Under Climate Change Under climate change, bird ranges are tending to shift toward the poles. There are good reasons to believe that winter ranges might be shifting at the same rate of speed as are breeding ranges. Her lab is testing this assertion with long-term data for short-distance North American migrants. They found a…
Find out more »October 2017
Marie Read presents: Sierra Wings: Birds of the Mono Lake Basin
Marie Read’s photography of California’s iconic Mono Lake and environs reveals the fascinating birdlife of this spectacular birding hotspot, which is a Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network site of International Importance. Tufa towers rise above the surface of Mono Lake’s highly saline/alkaline water, which teems with brine shrimp and alkali flies. Many breeding and migratory birds, including California Gulls, Wilson’s and Red-necked phalaropes, and Eared Grebes are attracted to the feast. Pinyon Jay, Violet-green Swallow, Sage Thrasher, and Lewis’s and…
Find out more »November 2017
Steve Nanz and Janet Zinn Present: Wild and Wonderful Cuba!
Birders have been quick to take advantage of easier access to Cuba by US residents, attracted by the lure of 27 endemic species, warm Caribbean weather, and a fascinating culture. Last March four Brooklyn Bird Club members took a trip together to this wonderful country in search of birds, music, and of course, mojitos. Join Steve and Heidi Nanz, Janet Zinn, and Alan Baratz as they recount their trip in photos, and answer any questions you may have about traveling…
Find out more »January 2018
Doug Gochfeld and Sean Sime Present: Victory at Sea: Offshore in the Age of Big Data
Join pelagic junkies Doug Gochfeld and Sean Sime as they discuss how Brooklyn became the "go deep or go home" pelagic mecca and how analyzing seabird data Atlantic-wide has paid immediate dividends in NY waters. Since the 1970’s New York based pelagics have evolved from “Let’s go offshore” trips to nowhere to targeted strikes overlaying sea surface temperature, wind, and chlorophyll charts in concert with our ever increasing knowledge of seasonal bird movements. With each new trip unknowns are becoming…
Find out more »February 2018
The Messenger — A documentary screening
Join the Brooklyn Bird Club and NYC Audubon to learn about the many conservation issues threatening migratory birds as we screen The Messenger, the award-winning documentary exploring our deep-seated connection to birds and the uncertain fate of migratory songbirds. View the trailer here: http://songbirdsos.com/
Find out more »March 2018
Members’ Photo Night
Join us for the ever-popular Members' Photo Night and enjoy images of birds and nature presented by the many talented photographers in the club. Members Chang Peng, Heidi Cleven, August Davidson Onsgard, Don Riepe, Jennifer Kepler, and Rusty Harold will be presenting.
Find out more »April 2018
Rivers, climate change, and birds: Patterns of avian diversity across western and central African tropical forests
Presented by Jerry Huntley, Chapman Postdoctoral Fellow at the American Museum of History. Using genetic information gathered from natural history collections and field expeditions to West Africa, Jerry Huntley's team examined 70 species of African forest bird. From this data, they hope to have a better understanding of how potential barriers to movement within the forest (such as rivers and savannahs) and historical climate change have shaped the distribution of birds that we see today, especially from a genetics standpoint.
Find out more »May 2018
Climate, human effects, and the collapse of Caribbean bat biodiversity.
Presented by Angelo Soto-Centeno, professor of Evolutionary Biology at Rutgers University – Newark and most recently a postdoctoral fellow at the American Museum of Natural History. Angelo was born in Puerto Rico, and since early childhood he experienced island biodiversity first hand. His fascination with animals that can fly led him on a path to study bats, a group of one the most misunderstood mammals worldwide. Today, he travels the Caribbean islands searching and documenting living and fossil species of…
Find out more »June 2018
Katie Fallon presents: Vulture: The Private Life of an Unloved Bird
Vultures are often overlooked, underappreciated, and unloved, despite the vital role they play healthy ecosystems. Worldwide, vultures are more likely to be threatened or endangered than any other group of raptor, but in the United States Turkey and Black Vultures may be increasing in number. Based on Katie Fallon’s new book, this presentation will discuss the life and times of the noble Turkey Vulture, including its feeding, nesting, and roosting habits, migratory behaviors, and common misconceptions. Katie Fallon lives in…
Find out more »July 2018
Film Screening: Young of the Year
Between the predators, the tourists, and the long migration ahead, life is a challenge for the roseate tern, especially during the first summer of life. This documentary follows the first summer of life for a cohort of terns as they prepare for their first long migration from the coast of Massachusetts to the beaches of Brazil. Presented by filmmaker Kris Holodak, a screening of the film will be followed by a Q&A with Kris about her experiences in creating this film.…
Find out more »September 2018
Jason Gregg Presents: Working to Prevent Migratory Bird Slaughter in the Mediterranean
For the past two years, Jason Gregg has traveled with the Committee Against Bird Slaughter to join other activists in the fight against widespread poaching of migratory birds in Cyprus, Italy, and Spain. Each year, twenty-five million birds are killed by poachers in the Mediterranean area. Jason J. Gregg is a conservation biologist and activist based in the United States. He has worked with Point Blue Conservation Science, the Bird Conservancy of the Rockies, the Peregrine Fund as well as…
Find out more »October 2018
Bobby Horvath presents WINORR: Wildlife in Need of Rescue and Rehabilitation
Wildlife in Need of Rescue and Rehabilitation (WINORR) is a non-profit, volunteer organization serving New York City, Nassau, and Western Suffolk Counties. They provide professional care for sick, injured, and orphaned wildlife. WINORR rescues and cares for wild animals received through the Department of Environmental Conservation, local police, animal hospitals, humane societies, animal control, as well as the general public. The state and federal governments license us to provide this service. In addition to rehabilitation, WINORR also provides information and…
Find out more »November 2018
John Connors Presents: Chimney Swifts and People
A Chimney Swift is an enigmatic little bird that spends almost its entire life airborne. When it lands, it can’t perch—it clings to vertical walls inside chimneys or in hollow trees or caves. This species has suffered sharp declines as chimneys fall into disuse. John Connors is a naturalist, environmental educator and one of the leaders in Wake Audubon’s on-going effort to educate the public about Chimney Swifts. John recently retired from the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. In…
Find out more »January 2019
Jake LaBelle Presents: The New York Seascape
The New York Bight encompasses more than 16,000 square miles of coastal and ocean waters from Montauk, New York, to Cape May, New Jersey. It is an ecological treasure trove, providing critical migration routes for globally threatened species, including sea turtles, whales, and sharks, as well as nursery grounds and critical habitat for hundreds of other marine species. Note: Due to a family matter, Jake LaBelle will sub in for the original presenter, Noah Chesnin. Jake is a Research Coordinator,…
Find out more »February 2019
Eric Powers Presents: Quail vs. Ticks
“Ranger Eric” as students know him, is a biologist, teacher, photographer, outdoorsman, and overall nature-lover. He started leading nature hikes in 1987 as a Park Ranger in Colorado until he served two years in the US Peace Corps as an Environmental Education Officer. Since then, he has been running nature centers in Colorado, Alabama and New York. In 2005 he started, “Your Connection to Nature” (YC2N), dedicated to meaningful environmental education programs and eco-tourism, these programs connect classrooms to field…
Find out more »March 2019
Grace Markman Presents: Homegrown Strategies: Saving our Native Flora
Grace has worked as a field botanist and educator in New York City and the Northeast for over thirty years. Her workshop will focus on successful strategies that have been utilized to conserve and promote our native flora. A power point presentation will be given on creative projects initiated by both individuals and small groups in New York City and the Northeast. Can you help initiate a native plant arboretum or create a new plant corridor? We will consider positive…
Find out more »January 2020
The Galapagos: Home of Evolution Presented by Bobbi Manian and Tom Stephenson
Note: This meeting will be held at the Brooklyn Public Library, Central Branch Six hundred miles off the coast of mainland Ecuador sit a chain of volcanic islands that are home to a range of fascinating and unique animals. Because of its isolation, the Galapagos has served as a workshop in evolution. The slight variation of some of the birds from island to island triggered the imagination of Charles Darwin, which led him to develop his world-changing theory of evolution.…
Find out more »February 2020
How to Take Better Photos of Birds: Presented by Tom Stephenson and August Onsgard
Birds make beautiful pictures. And photos can be useful in making tough IDs and also serve as memories of great experiences. But birds can be very difficult to photograph well. This workshop covers everything you need to know to make great, sharp bird photos. We will cover camera basics, how to set up for different conditions, advanced tips and tricks for the field; and also the importance of post-processing and how to make a good photo look professional. Tom Stephenson's articles and photographs are in museums and…
Find out more »March 2020
CANCELLED: eBird: The Ferrari You Haven’t Taken Out of First Gear! Presented by Sean Sime
NOTE, THIS EVENT IS CANCELLED DUE TO COVID-19 RELATED SUSPENSION OF PUBLIC PROGRAMS AT BROOKLYN PUBLIC LIBRARY. To be rescheduled at a later date. Sean Sime, a professional photographer, eBird regional reviewer and long time member of the Brooklyn birding community will lead an interactive discussion on eBird's functionality beyond "just checklists" and how we as birders barely scratch the surface of its' utility. In this meeting Sean will be giving us a brief overview of eBird, what his contribution…
Find out more »September 2022
Wikimedia Commons Photography (and Contest!) with Ryan McGrady
Location: Info Commons of Main Branch of Brooklyn Public Library** When you type the name of a bird into a search engine, one of the first links that inevitably pops up is Wikipedia. If you search for images of that bird, one of the first you'll see is likewise from Wikipedia. Even images used elsewhere on the web may have originated on Wikipedia's sister site, Wikimedia Commons, which is the world's largest free media repository. Wikipedia is where a large…
Find out more »October 2022
Olmsted Trees With Stanley Greenberg
Location: Info Commons of Main Branch of Brooklyn Public Library** Fundamental to renowned landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted's vision in his park designs was the role of time. He had the ability to see a plot of land for what it was in the raw undeveloped state, as well as to visualize how his designs would translate several decades into the future after the trees and shrubs he planted had rooted and spread and integrated with the space. This concept,…
Find out more »November 2022
eBird the Ferrari You Haven’t Even Taken Out of First Gear! With Kings County eBird Reviewers
Location: Info Commons of Main Branch of Brooklyn Public Library** Join your local eBird reviewers for an interactive presentation to learn more about the functionality of eBird beyond “just checklists” and how we as birders have barely scratched the surface of its utility. In this meeting a few of your regional reviewers will give us a brief overview of eBird, what data intake looks like from the review side, and most importantly, the many ways eBird can better our birding…
Find out more »April 2024
Tom Stephenson Presents: How to Study and Memorize Bird Songs (and just about anything else)
How to Study and Memorize Bird Songs (and just about anything else) Presented by Tom Stephenson BROOKLYN PUBLIC LIBRARY, INFO COMMONS LAB, CENTRAL BRANCH AT GRAND ARMY PLAZA Identifying the warblers and other species singing in the field is one of the most enjoyable and satisfying aspects of birding. However, trying to learn and remember the important ID points of bird vocalizations can be difficult and sometimes very frustrating.’ This lecture will cover many new techniques that make it easier…
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