Upcoming Programs

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• HMBC Holiday Party and Program - Birding New Mexico

  • When
    2 Dec 2024
  •  
    6:30 PM - 8:00 PM
  • Location
    Five Rivers EEC

  Birding New Mexico with Sue Adair

  All three of the major bird tour companies include a Winter New Mexico trip on their rosters, and after visiting herself Sue now understands why! Sue and her husband John spent 4 weeks in New Mexico in January/February 2023, and she is eager to share the birds and other natural features of this wonderful state. Her trip included  multiple visits to the incomparable Bosque Apache National Wildlife Refuge as well as too many of the state parks of South-Central New Mexico.

  Sue has been an avid birder for almost 40 years and has traveled across the country and on many international trips to find birds and enjoy the natural world. Sue is also a professional artist concentrating on drawings of wild birds for the past 15 years.

  
  

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• Program - The Plumage Trade: How Fashion Killed a Warden, and How Tea Parties Killed Fashion.

  • When
    6 Jan 2025
  •  
    6:30 PM - 8:00 PM
  • Location
    Zoom ONLY

  Here is the story of the people who nearly wiped out Florida's abundant long-legged waders in a drive to profit from their plumes, and the people who gave their time and their lives to stop them. A game warden took a bullet to protect egrets, another one vanished with barely a trace, and two women in Boston became turn-of-the-twentieth-century influencers to save the birds. The result: the first official chapter of the National Audubon Society, and an end to the plumage trade.

  Bestselling author Randi Minetor writes the Birdfinding and Best Easy Bird Guides series for Falcon Guides/Globe Pequot Press, and is the author of Backyard Birding and Butterfly Gardening for Lyons Press. Her most recent book, The Complete Language of Birds, is an encyclopedia that unites classic illustrations, science, folklore, and mythology about more than 400 bird species around the world. Her story about the plumage trade appears in her book Death in the Everglades: Accidents, Foolhardiness, and Mayhem in South Florida. She writes for Birding Magazine and North American Birds, and serves as president of the Rochester Birding Association in upstate New York.  

  
  

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• Program - Birding and Eclipse Excursion to Reelfoot Lake, Tennessee

  • When
    3 Feb 2025
  •  
    6:30 PM - 8:00 PM
  • Location
    via Zoom only

  Speaker: John Carson

  This presentation will describe a group trip to Reelfoot Lake in Northwestern Tennessee. Reelfoot Lake is a unique geologic feature formed when the area surrounding the Reelfoot River sank during the series of earthquakes that occurred near New Madrid Missouri in the early 1800s. This caused the Mississippi River to flow into the Reelfoot river – devouring the Reelfoot River and leaving a lake 20 miles long and seven miles wide-the largest natural lake in Tennessee. A unique ecosystem, the lakes average depth is only 5 ½ feet [maximum 18 feet] and it has many stands of bald cypress trees growing in the lake. It is regionally renowned for fishing, waterfowl and its large population of Bald Eagles.

  Our trip was planned to coincide with the April 8th solar eclipse. Since Reelfoot Lake was just outside the zone of totality we took the Dorena-Hickman Ferry across the Mississippi on the morning of the 8th to watch the eclipse at Big Oak Tree State Park in Southeastern Missouri. Conditions were perfect, and a number of stunning photographs were obtained.

  In this presentation you will learn about a unique area of the country with a unique history as well as some of the birds we observed during our travels. There are some nice photographs that will be shared.

  This program will be presented by John Carson, and will be his first presentation about any topic outside of his career as a clinical pharmacist at St. Peter’s Hospital [now retired]. I am 69 years old, originally from Brooklyn [before it was cool] and have lived in the Capital Region since 1986.

  Much of the photography was done by Laurie Keefe. Laurie has been a member of the HMBC for 3 years and a member of the board for a year and a half. She started birding and taking photos during the pandemic.

  
  

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• Program - Annual meeting

  • When
    24 Apr 2025
  •  
    5:30 PM - 8:30 PM
  • Location
    Five Rivers EEC and Zoom

  speaker Dr. Jeremy Kirchman of the New York State Museum

  5:30PM - Social/pizza

  6:30PM - Annual business meeting

  7:00PM - Program

  Members will receive direct email notice closer to the meeting date. Times and details may be subject to change
  

  More details TBD.

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• Program - Galapagos: In the Footsteps of Darwin

  • When
    5 May 2025
  •  
    6:30 PM - 8:00 PM
  • Location
    Five Rivers EEC and Zoom

  Speakers: Scott Stoner and Denise Hackert-Stoner

  Straddling the Equator 600 miles off the coast of Ecuador, these volcanic islands offer the nature lover a variety of unique species in the beautiful and pristine habitats that support them. Darwin’s observations there in 1835 became the basis for his theory of natural selection.

  We’ll explore how a single species of finch, arriving 2 million years ago, rapidly evolved into approximately 18 species. We’ll also see and try not to step on the fascinating marine and land iguanas as we ‘visit’ colonies of nesting albatrosses, frigatebirds and boobies, and view uncommon species such as Galapagos Rail and Paint-billed Crake.

  We’ll explain why these tropical islands actually support a population of penguins!

  Finally, we’ll discuss the iconic giant Galapagos tortoises, learn their sad history and promising future on their home, Las Islas Encantadas.

  

  

  
  

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• Program - Wandering with a Good Camera

  • When
    2 Jun 2025
  •  
    6:30 PM
  • Location
    Five Rivers EEC and Zoom

  Alan Mapes has been a birder from a young age, but in retirement he finally bought a good camera and long lens for bird photography. Lacking the discipline of a really talented bird photographer, he has been birding and just grabbing photos as time and opportunity present. Alan will share some of his images and ideas for enjoying bird photography without the drive or worry about being professional at the craft. Having dabbled with older style camera gear decades ago, he will contrast that experience with the remarkable equipment now available.

  Alan joined NYSDEC after graduating from Cornell with a Wildlife Science degree, spending much of his career at Five Rivers Environmental Education Center in Delmar. After directing the center from 1978-1995, he moved to the agency central office, overseeing its education centers and summer youth camps. After retiring, Alan was active for 10 years with a sea kayaking center, guiding and instructing. He now lives near Saratoga Springs. 

  

  
  

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