Folks, The following is an announcement of the September meeting of the Birds in Words book group and the bird club's October schedule of activities. The Birds in Words NHBC Book Group will meet at Whitney Center at 7:00 on September 22 in the upstairs conference room to discuss Sy Montgomery's book, Birdology. THE PUBLIC IS INVITED to this discussion. The Whitney Center is located at 200 Leeder Hill Drive, Hamden, CT. From Whitney Ave. turn onto Putnam Ave. and then right onto Leeder Hill Drive. Park on the road and go to the main desk, sign in and ask directions to the meeting room. If you have any questions contact Kris Johnson: krisjohnson99@snet.net or 203-288-3087. Indoor Meeting: Thursday, October 13, 2011 — Shannon Kearney-McGee Ugly Places for Beautiful Birds. Please Note: The Oct. meeting will be held at the Peabody Museum. See directions at the end of this program description. Social half-hour at 7:00, program begins at 7:30. For more information call 203-230-1697 or visit www.newhavenbirdclub.org. Nobody likes to see a rough clear cut in a forest or enjoys being prickled by brambles in a field—except, that is, for the Golden- winged Warbler! Unfortunately, the “ugly” shrubland places that some birds need are often prime targets as development pressures rise or these areas are left to grow into forest. Thus, more than 80% of the birds in the Northeast that rely on shrubland habitat—among them the Golden-winged Warbler, Yellow- breasted Chat, and Brown Thrasher—are in significant decline. Shannon will discuss recent CT DEP research to estimate the abundance and distribution of shrubland habitat that is currently protected and managed. The goal is to determine how many shrubland birds we can hope to support in the future. Shannon’s entire career focus has been the research and monitoring of bird species in greatest conservation need. Employed by DEP for 6 years, her previous12 years of research took her as far west as CA (seabirds) and as far east as Cape Cod (grassland birds). In CT she has studied woodland raptors, owls, whip- poor-wills, chimney swifts nighthawks, and shrubland birds, among others. The Environmental Science Center, 21 Sachem St., is directly behind the Peabody. Some street parking is available on Sachem, free after 7 pm. There is also a Peabody Visitors Parking Lot at the far south end of Yale Lot 22. Its entrance is one block north of the museum, opposite Humphrey St. Enter lot, go straight ahead, turn left at end of drive. Continue to end to second yellow gate. Turn left into parking area. Enter ESC through Sachem St. main entrance, on the SW corner of the building, close to intersection of Hillhouse Avenue and Sachem. From parking lot walk along far right side of building to the ECS entrance. Go straight down hallway to a circular vestibule. There are 3 hallways. One on the right goes to a stairway. Second hallway on the right leads to a corridor. Room 110 is on this corridor; it’s the first room on the right. Field Trips: Family Bird Walk at Lighthouse Point Park, New Haven. Free and open to the public. Saturday, October 1, 9:00 A.M. This trip is oriented toward families that are interested in learning about birds. The focus will be on fall migrants, especially hawks. Bring binoculars and a field guide if you have them, appropriate clothing, and a little bit of curiosity about birds and the natural world. All ages are welcome. Meet at the hawk watch station in the park. Leader— Corrie Folsom-O’Keefe; 203.630.9640, jubilee832001@yahoo.com Kellogg Environmental Center/Osbornedale State Park, Derby. Free and open to the public. Saturday, October 1, 8:00 A.M. Join past- President Maria Stockmal as she leads a walk at this fine local birding location. The environmental center and state park boast a variety of habitats, including open fields, woodlands, and ponds. We’ll be looking for fall migrants, including warblers, vireos, flycatchers, and sparrows. Meet at the Kellogg parking lot: 500 Hawthorne Avenue, Derby. Leader—Maria Stockmal: 203.488.3876, m.stockmal@snet.net First Wednesday Walk : Osbornedale State Park, Derby. Free and open to the public. Wednesday, October 5, 8 A.M. Join us as we visit this fine birding location. There is varied habitat including freshwater ponds, open fields, and woods. Rarities have been found here, most notably the Western Flycatcher, a first state record, a few years ago. Meet at the Kellogg Environmental Center parking lot, 500 Hawthorne Ave., Derby. Leader—Bill Banks. Contact—Tina Green: 203.247.2660, tina@renaissancestudios.com THE BIG SIT!® Sunday, October 9. Free and open to the public. Established by NHBC, The Big Sit!® has become an international event, with birders participating on four continents. The object is to record as many species of birds as possible in a single day from one 17-foot diameter circle. The circles for the event are located strategically at a number of birding hotspots in the state. Join other birders in one of these circles or create one of your own! You don’t have to be a hard-core birder to join in the fun. The event is now run by Bird Watcher’s Digest. For details, go to the Bird Watcher’s Digest website: <birdwatchersdigest.com> or contact—John Triana: 203.758.7203, jtriana1@sbcglobal.net Evergreen Cemetery, New Haven. Free and open to the public. Saturday, October 15, 8:00 A.M. Join us as we look for fall migrants in the historic and serene setting of Evergreen Cemetery. This is a trip co-sponsored by the NHBC, the New Haven Museum, and Evergreen Cemetery. We'll visit the gravesites of several important and interesting people from New Haven's past while seeking birds on their way south. This is a great trip for all as the walking is easy on flat ground. Meet at the parking lot outside the cemetery office on Ella Grasso Blvd. Leader—John Triana: 203.758.7203, jtriana1@sbcglobal.net Hammonasset State Park, Madison. Free and open to the public. Saturday, October 15, 8:00 A.M. Visit one of Connecticut's best fall birding spots, where the abundance of some migrants and sightings of less common species can make for a truly memorable trip. The walking is easy, as it is on level ground. Meet at the park entrance (I-95 to exit 62 and follow the connector to the park). Leader: Flo McBride: 203 288-6777 or jmcbride@yale.edu. Thanks, Larry Bausher, West Haven NHBC Publicity Director