Meetings of Interest

A young Scarlet Tanager from a previous banding session.

It's been a bit too hot and humid to get out into the field banding but I have been watching a few new occurrences around the area. Yesterday I saw a flock of American Robins moving along that looked like birds ready to leave. I've also been seeing Canada Geese once again flying around the area after having been flightless for a while as they molted their flight feathers.

I did get a couple of guesses as to the identification of the underwing shown in a previous post. It is indeed the under side of a thrush wing (Swainson's Thrush to be exact). Good job to those who recognized it!

The current Ornithological Newsletter lists some upcoming meetings that may be of interest to birders out there. Even if you don't attend a meeting once in a while, it is interesting to see just how many specialized groups are out there. Below is a list, with contact information, for meetings coming up in the next few months.

Western Bird Banding Association 2008 meeting
Sept. 5-7, 2008
Boise Idaho

Eleventh International Grouse Symposium
Sept. 11-16, 2008
Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada

The 11th North American Crane Workshop
Sept. 23-27, 2008
Wisconsin Dells, WI
contact: jane_austin@usgs.gov

Raptor Research Foundation Conference
Sept. 24-28, 2008
Missoula, Montana

32nd Annual Conference of the Waterbird Society
Nov. 5-8,2008
South Padre Island, Texas

International Meetings

The XII Congress of the Mesoamerican Society for Biology and Conservation
Nov. 10-14,2008
San Salvador, El Salvador

36th Pacific Seabird Group Meeting
Feb. 22-25, 2009
Hakodate, Hokkaido, Japan

Seabird Group 10th International Conference
March 27-30, 2009
Bruges (Brugge), Belgium


I'll try to post lists like this once in a while and as I find meetings that are closer to home I will post those also.