This page last updated 9/1/10

Disaster in the Gulf of Mexico

The impact of the gulf oil spill on wildlife and plant communities looks more and more devastating. Cornell Lab of Ornithology, American Birding Association (ABA), and National Audubon Society are recruiting volunteers and asking for donations to help. If you follow the links and go to their websites, you can find out more about how you can contribute.
                                                                           — Maury Lacher

NYSOA Annual Meeting & Raffle

Mark your calendar for this year’s annual meeting of NYSOA (New York State Ornithological Association) the weekend of October 22-24 in Auburn, NY, just outside the Montezuma Wetlands Complex. This is one of the biggest ornithology and birding oriented events in the state, and it is open to NYSOA members and non-members alike. Birders from across the state return to this event every year to renew friendships, attend fascinating workshops and presentations, and enjoy that special camaraderie that fills the air wherever birders come together.

Come and enjoy field trips to Montezuma, which now includes many acres added recently by NYSDEC, The Nature Conservancy, and National Audubon. Other great field trip destinations for the weekend include Fair Haven Beach and Little Sodus Bay, Derby Hill, and Onondaga Lake.

In addition to field trips, there will be workshops, a paper session, and a wonderful banquet highlighted by guest speaker Richard Crossley, well known for his engaging presentation style as well as his superb bird guides, excellent photography, and amazing birding capabilities.

To add to the excitement this year, NYSOA is holding a raffle especially for birders. The top prize is a $1600 Vortex zoom spotting scope, and there are numerous other valuable prizes selected especially for birders. The drawing will be held at the banquet in Auburn on October 23rd. Participants need not be NYSOA members and need not be present to win, but why miss out on all the fun? For full details about this year’s annual meeting and raffle, and to download the registration form and raffle tickets, visit the NYSOA website at www.nybirds.org.

Now Available Online
57 Years of The Kingbird
in a Searchable Archive

The New York State Ornithological Association (NYSOA) announced in January the launch of a new online data base of its quarterly onithological journal, The Kingbird. Now, for the first time, researchers, students, and the birding public are able to perform keyword searches of the thousands of articles published in The Kingbird since its inception in 1950. The archive is accessible free of charge on the NYSOA website.

The archive of The Kingbird represents an investment by NYSOA in the future of New York State’s birds — to the tune of $15,000 and well over 100 hours of skilled volunteer work. The new data base currently contains about 8 million words on nearly 16,000 pages comprising over 5,200 files. In addition to the searchable archive, there is an online library of 228 full issues, a special supplement, and 4 ten-year indices available for download or online browsing. The public archive and library will be updated at least once a year to ensure that it always includes all but the most recent 8-12 issues of The Kingbird.

Those who have submitted notable records over the years to their local clubs will find that their names are mentioned in the quarterly regional reports in The Kingbird. Check it out — go to the online archive and search for your name!

With deep gratitude to past members who made bequests to NYSOA for educational purposes, and to all those who have contributed writings and observations to The Kingbird over the years, we encourage you to explore, utilize, and enjoy the archive – and to spread word of it to others who share our passion for birds.

Club Activities

With the exception of a small number of special "members only" events, all of our activities, including walks and monthly meetings, are open to the public free of charge.  Our monthly meetings feature speakers from various organizations who bring us fascinating presentations on wildlife and the environment.  Join us at 7:30pm on the fourth Monday of each month (except in November, when our meeting takes place at the Annual Dinner, and in July and December, when there is no meeting).  Unless indicated otherwise on our calendar page, meetings are held at the Freedom Plains Presbyterian Church parish hall, located on Route 55, about 3/10 mile west of the Taconic State Parkway, across from Arlington High School.  Check our calendar for our schedule of meetings, bird walks, and other events.
 

Join the Club! Our club, founded in 1958, promotes conservation and research in ornithology and provides opportunities for the study and observation of birds and other wildlife. If you're not a member yet, please consider supporting us by joining up! We welcome birders of all ability and experience levels!

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