July 2009: Wingbeat

A Message from the Board of Directors

After completing a thorough Executive Director search, the Board of Directors has unanimously voted to appoint Acting Executive Director Jill Bluso Demers as Executive Director. We were very happy with the recent direction of the Bird Observatory and Jill's demonstrated ability as Acting Executive Director. We welcome her as our new Executive Director.

California Fall Challenge

This is our 13th annual California Fall Challenge, the San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory's most important fundraising event. The funds raised help us to continue to apply science to the conservation of birds and their habitats. We offer multiple ways that you can participate, including Guided Trips, our First Annual Click Off photo contest, a bird-a-thon where you can compete for the Mewadlt Cup and much more! Join us at the Kick Off Party on Thursday, September 10th to celebrate the beginning of the Fall Challenge, which runs from September 11th through October 11th. Fundraising prizes will be awarded at the Annual Meeting on Sunday, October 25th. Click below to see what you can do to support conservation science!  
          
             Attend a Guided Trip
             Participate in a Photo Contest
             Be a Fundraiser
             Go Birding with your Friends and Family
             Compete in our Bird-a-thon for the Medwaldt Cup
             Donate a Fundraising Prize

If you aren’t sure how to help, feel free to contact Lindy at outreach@sfbbo.org or by phone at 408-946-6548.

Introducing the 1st Annual SFBBO Fall Challenge:

"CLICK OFF!"

The San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory (SFBBO) is delighted to announce its first annual Click Off!- a photo contest highlighting the bird and habitat diversity found in the Bay Area and beyond. The Click Off! is a great way for you to share your best photos and win valuable prizes – including incredible photo workshops and display space at the Don Edwards Wildlife Refuge Environmental Education Center – all while supporting SFBBO, an organization dedicated to the conservation of birds and their habitats through science and outreach.

Winners will be selected from six categories including: Bird Portraits, Endangered Species, Birds in their Habitat, Bird Behavior, Human Interaction, and Birds of the World. Also, a People's Choice Award will be selected on from the category winners. The winners will be announced at the Annual Meeting at the conclusion of the Fall Challenge on Sunday, October 25th. Please see our Click Off! web page for more information.

Submission Period
Participants can begin submitting images to the SFBBO on July 27th, 2009.  Submission must be received before October 9th, 2009.

Special Events

A Bird in the Hand: Banding Demo Sat. July 25th from 7:30am-9:30am at the Coyote Creek Field Station

Western Bird Banding Association Annual Meeting
WHEN: Fri.-Sun. Aug. 28-30th
WHERE: Sobrato Center for Non-Profits, 600 Valley Way Milpitas, CA 95035
Registration is now open for the 2009 Western Bird Banding Association (WBBA) Meeting, hosted by the San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory.  The WBBA registration fee covers all of the field trips; including: a field trip with Alvaro Jaramillo along the San Mateo Coast and a field trip with Executive Director Jill Demers to South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project sites; a hummingbird banding workshop lead by Rita Colwell; banding demonstrations and workshops at Coyote Creek Field Station; and scientific paper presentations.  Separate registration is also available for the Friday night BBQ at Palo Alto Baylands and the Saturday Banquet and Keynote Address.  The Keynote Speaker will be Dr. John Y. Takekawa of the USGS Western Ecological Research Center, San Francisco Estuary Field Station, presenting “Adventures in Capturing and Tracking Waterbirds across the Globe: Advancing our Understanding of Migration through Satellite Telemetry.” To register for the event or for more details please see the WBBA Flyer, or contact outreach@sfbbo.org.

News on the Fly

California Gull Research and Monitoring Program Mentioned in Bay Nature
The Bird Observatory’s California Gull Research and Monitoring Program is mentioned in the July-September issue of BayNature www.baynature.org. The news segment, “Ear to the Ground,” reports on news from the community and the natural world.

Request for Volunteers

Gull Band Hunt
SFBBO needs your help! Next time you're out birding around the Bay; don't ignore those gulls, check to see if they're part of some important research for the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project. Last year we tagged almost 300 California Gulls with field-readable number bands as part of an effort to determine what will happen when the salt pond used as their colony is flooded to restore the coastal marshes. These bands are in addition to the regular metal bands used by other projects, and consist of three white numbers on a black background which should be readable through a scope. We need information about the date, location, the number on the band (if you can read it), and anything else you can tell us about what the gull was up to.

If you see one of these gulls (even if you can't read the exact numbers on the band), or if you have more questions about the project, please email Carley Schacter at cschacter@sfbbo.org.

Avian Disease Prevention Program
We are currently signing up volunteers for the Avian Disease Prevention Program. Every year, from June – November, we monitor two local sloughs by boat for signs of botulism and other diseases. By removing sick/injured birds and carcasses, we can reduce the risk of a major outbreak, or at the very least, catch an outbreak early and to help reduce the impact. We’re looking for volunteers who can commit to at least one 4-6 hour survey per month. Volunteer duties include helping to prep, launch, and clean the boat; surveying the slough and shoreline for dead/sick/injured birds; and helping to capture dead/sick/injured birds with a net. Volunteers are NOT required to drive the boat, but should be prepared to get wet and be willing to handle birds (with gloves).

A copy of the volunteer manual is available on our website http://www.sfbbo.org/science/water_projects.php?proj=adp

Volunteers Needed for the Western Bird Banding Association Annual Meeting
WHEN: Fri.-Sun. Aug. 28-30th
WHERE: Sobrato Center for Non-Profits, 600 Valley Way Milpitas, CA 95035
We need volunteers to help with the WBBA Annual Meeting. Please see the description above and the WBBA Flyer for more information about the conference. Here are some of our current volunteer needs. Any volunteer efforts are appreciated.

-Volunteers to shuttle participants to various field trips and workshops. (We need as many volunteers as possible for this.)

-Welcome Desk: handling registrations, giving out packets, name
badges etc. (Several volunteers needed.)

-Assistance with setting up and taking down for Friday Dinner at Palo Alto Baylands (3 people or more.) Additionally, a person to run donation only bar.
 
-Setting up and taking down for Saturday Dinner at Sobrato (3 people or more.) Additionally, a person to run donation only bar.

If you are interested in volunteering please contact Lindy at outreach@sfbbo.org.