2013 Central Mass Birding Calendar
This calendar lists upcoming events such as bird trips, meetings, and special events such as breeding bird surveys, Christmas counts, etc. To contribute a listing, you can email to rsquimby@wpi.edu or call Rick Quimby at (508) 853-5021 and leave a message. This is not intended as a discussion forum for birding-related topics (MASSBIRD serves this function well), so please confine your submissions to the listing of events that will be of interest to Worcester County birders.
The previous year's listings are archived here.
Here are the current birding events listings in chronological order:
There are 389 species of birds that are considered "Endangered" by BirdLife International. An additional 197 species are considered to be "Critically Endangered" meaning that if something is not done quickly, these species will soon become extinct. An additional 4 species are effectively extinct in the wild, but hang on in small captive populations. Why are so many species of birds in trouble and what can be done about it? Tonight on Inquiry we talk with ERIK HIRSCHFELD, a freelance writer, guide and consultant in ornithology. Together with Andy Swash and Robert Sill, they have written THE WORLD'S RAREST BIRDS, a state of the art volume that describes and illustrates all of those endangered bird species and explains why those species got to be so rare. It is one of the finest books on the challenges facing the natural world today and what it will take to save these endangered species for future generations. To listen to this interview, go to: http://www.wicn.org/podcasts/audio/erik-hirschfeld-worlds-rarest-birds(submitted by Mark Lynch).
Why do certain species of plants, birds and animals become rare? Are all rare species on the verge of extinction? Which species that are common today will become rare in the upcoming years? These are just a few of the complex questions about the nature of rarity that ERIC DINERSTEIN attempts to answer in his new book THE KINGDOM OF RARITIES. Eric Dinerstein is the Chief Scientist for the World Wildlife Fund, where he has spent the past 24 years working to save rare species around the world. Tune in tonight for an informative and fascinating look into the lives of creatures like the jaguar, the one-honed rhinoceros of Nepal and the Kirtland?s Warbler of Michigan. To listen to this interview, go to: http://www.wicn.org/podcasts/audio/eric-dinerstein-kingdom-rarities(submitted by Mark Lynch).
Tonight on Inquiry we welcome back internationally acclaimed birder, photographer and author RICHARD CROSSLEY. His identification guides are innovative, fun and like no other nature guides. With Jerry Liguori and Brian Sullivan, Richard has authored a new guide titled THE CROSSLEY ID GUIDE: RAPTORS. Tune in tonight and learn about hawks, accipiters and eagles, and how to identify them in flight. To listen to this interview, go to: http://www.wicn.org/podcasts/audio/richard-crossley-raptors(submitted by Mark Lynch).
North American warblers are among the most beautiful of our migrant breeders, but identifying them can be a real challenge. Though often colorful, they are also small, very active and often stay high up in foliage or hiding in dense cover. Writer, photographer, musician and bird tour guide TOM STEPHENSON, along with Scott Whittle, have written and created a new, state of the art guide to this group of birds titled THE WARBLER GUIDE. Tune in tonight and find out what it takes to produce a groundbreaking natural history book in the age of digital media. Also find out: what's with all the sonograms? To listen to this interview now, go to: http://www.wicn.org/podcasts/audio/tom-stephenson-warbler-guide(submitted by Mark Lynch).
Inquiry welcomes back internationally acclaimed birder, photographer and author RICHARD CROSSLEY. Tonight, Richard talks about the grassroots organization called PLEDGE TO FLEDGE that aims to encourage birders from around the world to turn on friends, neighbors and anyone to the wonders of the natural world through an appreciation of birds. For more information, go to: http://www.globalbirdinginitiative.org/pledge-2-fledge/ To listen to this interview, go to: http://www.wicn.org/podcasts/audio/richard-crossley-pledge-fledge(submitted by Mark Lynch).
Tonight we talk with the one and only MIKE O'CONNER, the owner of Bird Watcher's general Store and author of a great newspaper column on birds. A second collection of these funny and informative pieces has been publish as WHY DO BLUEBIRDS HATE ME? MORE ANSWERS TO COMMON AND NOT SO COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT BIRDS AND BIRDING. Tune in tonight and learn about why there are no birds at your feeder, who the James Bond of birds was, and all about That Quail Robert. To listen to this show now, go to the following podcast link: http://www.wicn.org/podcasts/audio/mike-oconner-why-do-bluebirds-hate-me(submitted by Mark Lynch).
Alexander Wilson founded American ornithology and his eight-volume masterwork remains one of the great American scientific endeavors. Though many people know of John James Audubon, few people have even heard of Wilson or know much about his life. Tonight on Inquiry we will help to change that when we speak with EDWARD H. BURTT JR., The Cincinnati Conference Professor of Zoology at Ohio Wesleyan University. His new book, written with William E. Davis Jr, is ALEXANDER WILSON: THE SCOT WHO FOUNDED AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY. This book is a long overdue biography of Wilson as well as a beautiful appreciation of his art and an assessment of his work. To listen to this interview, go to: http://www.wicn.org/podcasts/audio/edward-h-burtt-jr-alexander-wilson(submitted by Mark Lynch).