Denver Field Ornithologists

Program Features

Monday September 22

Lynn Wickersham, the Project Manager for the Colorado Breeding Bird Atlas, will provide the DFO a quick update on the project and share the initial results and analysis.  She will specifically address the following.

 

Brief Update

- Project Background, Purpose and Methods

- Regions and Regional Coordinators

Initial Data and Analysis

- Results after Year 2 (2007-08)

- Highlights of Volunteer Efforts (Photos, Interesting Observations)

- Discussion of Noticeable Trends for Colorado’s Breeding Birds

Lynn will let us know how we can get involved with this important project.  With 12 years of experience as an avian ecologist, with a particular expertise in population ecology of passerine birds, Lynn is the statewide Project Manager for the Colorado Breeding Bird Atlas II Project (COBBA II), working under a grant facilitated by the San Juan Institute of Natural and Cultural Resources at Fort Lewis College.  She is also the co-principal, with her husband John, of Animas Biological Studies (ABS), in Durango, Colorado, an organization conducting avian
research and monitoring in Colorado and New Mexico.  

Lynn has a B.S. in Wildlife Biology from Colorado State University and an M.S. in Biology from Arkansas State University.  For her Master’s degree research, Lynn directed a two-year project comparing nesting success of early successional passerine birds in regenerating forests subjected to two silvicultural treatments and evaluated postfledging survival and habitat use of yellow-breasted chats (Icteria virens). 

Prior to taking on COBBA II and ABS, Lynn worked for five years as an environmental consultant for Ecosphere Environmental Services in Durango where she served as lead biologist and project manager for a  variety of avian research and monitoring projects in Colorado and New Mexico.  Prior to working as an environmental consultant, Lynn spent one year as the songbird monitoring coordinator for Hawks Aloft, Inc., located in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  She continues her work with gray vireos in New Mexico, examining nesting success and nest site selection, site fidelity, and survival at Kirtland Air Force Base. She also assists her husband with
regional raptor nest monitoring in northwestern New Mexico.

All DFO meetings are interesting and the company of bird watchers is always worthwhile to keep.  DOORS OPEN BY 7.00pm AND ARE LOCKED AT 7.30pm.  Mark your calendar for each meeting and plan to come by 7.15pm. Meetings are held at the Ricketson Auditorium in Denver Museum of Nature & Science. Park on the north side of museum and walk around to the west door. If late, you can enter through security/volunteer door, but this does create problems for our hosts at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science.

Future Dates and Speakers:  Mark your calendar now for the following fourth Mondays of the month.  Kevin Cook, a local Fort Collins nature writer and travel leader, will put forth some new perspectives on listing and  enjoying wildlife watching and the wild on October 27, 2008.  On November 24, the engaging world bird watcher, John Drummond, will present his photos and knowledge of birding in Venezuela. 

On January 26, 2009, Dr. Hugh McIsaac from the University of Denver will share from his research on bird navigation.  Dr. John Demboski, of the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, will share some of his special knowledge about the bird skins collection at the Museum on February 23, 2009.  A few more special speakers will round out the Spring 2009 schedule.

 Note:  We do not have a December 2008 meeting. 

“The Big Sit!”

When: Sunday, October 12, 2008 (stop by anytime from dawn through dusk, come for an hour or stay all day!)

Where: Chatfield State Park’s Heronry Overlook platform (just follow the “Big Sit” signs)

What is it?

A Big Sit is similar to the birding event called a “Big Day”, in both events participants try to count as many species as possible, the difference is that in a Big Day you travel all over a geographical area whereas during a Big Sit you sit (or stand) in one location and count as many species as possible.

Bring your own chair (or use the bench seating provided by State Parks) and your favorite beverage and snacks and help us find birds.  We’ll keep a Big Sit “day total” and do “hourly counts” so that every hour the birds are “new” and we start over and count the birds we see.  This means that whenever you can come there will be “new” birds to add for the hour and maybe even the day!

This is a nationwide event (see “The Big Sit!” website at: http://www.birdwatchersdigest.com/site/funbirds/bigsit/bigsit.aspx).  This will be the sixth year Denver Field Ornithologist has sponsored the “DFO Insaniacs” and we’ve had the highest “Big Sit” count for Colorado five years running!  Several other Colorado “Big Sits” have already registered this year, so come help DFO’s Big Sit at Chatfield stay on top!

For additional information or questions, please call Joey Kellner at (303) 978-1748.