THE CLAPPER RAIL SpringThe 2015 Clapper Rail Volume 20, Number 1 Volume 25, No. 2 www.brooklynbirdclub.org Young Birders Club By Rob Bate th th On April 25 and 26 the Brooklyn Bird Club proudly hosted one In This Issue of the monthly expeditions of the Young Birders Club (YBC) of the New York State Ornithological Association (NYSOA). Sixteen Young Birders Club ........................1 young birders and their parents were treated to an exclusive Warbler Workshop by Tom Stephenson on Saturday afternoon, a My 40 Years Birding .......................3 night flight watch on top of the Empire State Building led by Sparks!...................................... 4 Nadir Souirgi (founder of the Harlem Bird Club) and finally a Mute Swans .................................5 bird walk in Prospect Park on Sunday morning led by Tom Stephenson and co-hosted by local Brooklyn YBC members Gabe 2015 IMDB Birdathon ......................7 Newman and Noam Klotz. Book Review ................................8 The NYS Young Birders Club http://www.nysyoungbirders.org is Species ID: Thrushing ........ .............9 a group of incredible kids between the ages of 10 and 19 who Feeding the Birds .........................10 have been completely smitten by the love of birding. Through the inspiration of then 15 year old Hope Batcheller, the club was Evening Presentations ...................11 formed in 2008 under the sponsorship of NYSOA, and Batcheller Winter/Spring Trips ......................12 became the club’s first President. At that time Hope had already developed a great love of birding and had sought out the company of fellow birders to help her hone her skills and share birding information. Her problem was that she felt like the extralimital bird in a large flock of birders whose median age was closer to retirement than high school graduation. Having The Brooklyn Bird Club formed, with mixed success, a Yahoo chat group aimed at President: Rob Bate generating a community of young birders, Hope then boldly presented the idea of a young birders club to the governing The Clapper Rail board of NYSOA Editorial: Monica Berger, Bobbi Manian, Carena Pooth heard the call and took up the challenge. Hope and Tracy Meade, Ann Murray Carena put out the word, calling together isolated young birders Production: Janet Zinn from all over the state. Ken and Kim Kaufman, who had formed the first young birders club out of the Black Swamp Bird Observatory in Ohio, leant their expertise and advice in setting © 2015 The Brooklyn Bird Club up the rules, guidelines and charter for the NYS YBC. The initial response was phenomenal and enthusiastic. These kids, often birding in isolation away from any birding peer group, now found-like minded birders their own age to socialize, share information and travel with. to exciting. birding . spo .ts far. afield.. 1 Spring 2015 Cornell. Benjamin Van Doren, Brendan Fogarty, The founding trip of the YBC was held in August of Nathanial Hernandez and Menachem Goldstein (of 2008 with renowned birder, Ornithologist and NYS Queens) have all enrolled at Cornell to study at the Lab Avian Records Committeeman Shai Mitra. Mitra led the of O. Lila Fried at Oberlin, Jacob Drucker at Hampshire initial group of 8 young birders on a tour of Jamaica College, Brent Bomkamp and Scott Wieman at Williams Bay Wildlife Refuge during peak shorebird migration College and Ben Goloff at Swarthmore are all pursuing and treated them to a rare White-faced Ibis along with or completing conservation studies’ programs. a host of other migratory shorebirds. 2008 saw membership at 11 members and now in 2015 the YBC The American Birding Association and other has grown to its current 46 members, with a growing organizations have birding camps in spectacular roster of alumni. Besides members themselves and locations where the young birders often spend part of their families, the YBC has sponsoring organizations their summers honing their skills and widening their and the BBC is proud to be one of 22 such sponsors. birding knowledge. Often the wider world of Additionally the YBC has 38 adult supporting members, ornithology offers these young birders many 8 of which are graduates of the club. opportunities they might not otherwise have found. Jacob Drucker, an original member of the YBC, has participated in an expedition banding Spoonbill Sandpipers is China. Many YBC members go on to pursue research and birding opportunities in Alaska, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Canada and elsewhere, putting them in the company of scientists doing important field research. Since 2009, the YBC has fielded their team, “The Razorbills,” to compete in the annual World Series of Birding in Cape May and environs during mid-May, and they use the money they raise to help fund a scholarship program to finance trips and participation in YBC events. In 2011, the BBC dedicated its Birdathon to the YBC to help build this important NYSOA, formed in 1946, was originally called the scholarship fund. And, adult sponsors also support the “Federation of New York State Bird Clubs.” Each YBC, which has dispersed $14,000 since 2012 to month a sponsoring club hosts an outing in their area support the club activities. for the YBC and makes the special habitats and special features in their areas accessible to the young birders. These kids have experienced special behind-the-scenes looks at the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology (the Lab-of-“O”), the skins collection at the Museum of Natural History, and they have had a chance to do bird banding during migration. Now they have one of Tom Stephenson’s Warbler Workshops in their toolkit and the experience of night flight seen from the Empire State Building. These very special birding experiences and the opportunity to socialize with a peer group of like- minded young birders has led a number of college- bound members who have “aged out” of the club to pursue studies in Ornithology and Conservation at various universities. Hope Batcheller herself has graduated from Cornell University and was a fixture in the Laboratory of Ornithology during her time at 2 . The Clapper Rail The young birders club idea has been catching on in for birding and nature; additionally, I have become an recent years, and I count at least 35 clubs in the United upstanding member of the Brooklyn Bird Club. That States (http://ebird.org/content/ybn/clubs/) and the Tanager became a divine moment, propelling me into idea seems about to go international. A club like this the fascinating world of birds. takes a lot of work and, besides Hope Batcheller, Joe Hernandez, current YBC President, and the other young Since that day, I have embarked on a lifelong journey birders themselves, a big round of applause needs to go gathering many friends and building up many out to the adults who have done so much to get the cherished memories. Starting in Prospect Park, the effort off the ground and keep it going. greatest of city parks, I learned my skills as a birder, identifying all those terrific species—especially my Carena Pooth, NYSOA’s current Vice President has led beloved warblers; I am a fortunate and lucky person. the project from the beginning with deep involvement When I started journeying beyond Prospect Park, it and commitment. She tells me, with a deep sigh of was at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge where I learned of relief, that she couldn’t do it alone and thankfully she the Brooklyn Bird Club. A small postcard on the doesn’t have to because many parents and other adults visitor’s center bulletin board said there was a field trip help out: Annette Lehner, the club’s first Adult that weekend to High Tor State Park. It was led by Ron Coordinator and current Treasurer; Sue Frieberger, and Jean Bourque, outstanding citizens of the New York the current Trips Coordinator; Scholarships birding circuit. On that trip 37 years ago, I met my first Coordinator Kelly Liao, and mentor/advisors Herb BBC members and outstanding people, among them a Thompson and Mary Batcheller have managed to larger than life club celebrity, Esther Swayer. It remains shoulder much of the heavy lifting in raising each new an unforgettable trip. Through the years, I have played brood of young birders. a large part in the Brooklyn Bird Club, and I am still active. I remember well my thrilling year as club I invite all BBC members to think of the YBC if you’d president in 2009; it was momentous as we all like to make a birding-related donation. They make it celebrated the Brooklyn Bird Club’s centennial. I am easy: now enjoying my role as president emeritus. https://nybirds.org/membership/NYSYBC/donation.html Another great way to help is to become an adult supporting member for a $20 yearly fee. And, of course, if there are any potential YBC members or their parents reading this please don’t hesitate to reach out and join the club itself. Membership information can be found at this link: http://nysyoungbirders.org/membership.html The YBC can change your life (parents – get ready for a lot of driving.) My 40 Years Birding By Peter Dorosh Peter and friends at High Tor It’s hard to imagine how the time flies since the day I saw my career bird, a spectacular male Scarlet Tanager Fast forward to this year when I celebrated my 40th in my backyard 40 years ago. As a 14 year-old teenager year of birding. I returned to High Tor for the first time living under the shadow of the Brooklyn Queens since my inaugural club trip to mark this significant th Expressway, who would have expected such a beautiful milestone. On April 25 , along with five club members, species of bird to show up in such an unlikely place? we celebrated my milestone—whatever birds we saw.