Programs for 2019-20

The Piedmont Bird Club conducts a program in conjunction with its monthly meeting. Programs feature local, state, and (sometimes) national experts speaking on a variety of topics relevant to birds and birding. Programs are open to the public. We encourage all interested persons to attend.

Unless otherwise noted in the schedule below, the programs are held on the third Thursday of each month, October through April, at Kathleen Clay Edwards Family Branch Library, 1420 Price Park Road, Greensboro (see map).

An "Early Birds" social gathering begins at 6:30 p.m., and the program begins at 7:00, ends at 8:45.

Thursday, October 10

Note: This meeting is on the 2nd Thursday. It is a joint meeting with the T. Gilbert Pearson Audubon Society.
Program: Guilford County Parks: Past, Present, & Future
Parks play a vital role in establishing communities as desirable places to live, work, and play. Christopher Horrigan, Parks Division Director, will provide a brief overview of the history of Guilford County Parks before discussing their current day value to residents, and existing and future Parks Division priorities. Access to quality Parks and Recreation services supports safe, vibrant, and cohesive communities with clean air and water, strong economies, and healthy residents. Christopher Horrigan has spent 20 years working with communities to realize these outcomes, obtaining professional experience with zoos, museums, theme parks, and local governments, and a formal education from The Ohio Street University (BS Zoology) and East Carolina University (MS in Parks and Recreation Administration, Graduate Certificate in Public Management and Leadership).

Thursday, November 21

Program: "More Mocking from Mockingbirds"
In October 2016, Dr. David Gammon gave a talk to PBC titled “Mock-ingbirds Mocking Birds.” Recent findings made him realize that two words in this title are inadequate. Guess which two words, and then come hear about his cutting-edge research in vocal mimicry. Dr. Gammon is a biology professor at Elon University. He teaches a variety of courses that span the natural sciences and that integrate science with other disciplines. His professional interests focus on vocal mimicry in mockingbirds and science outreach with the broader public.

Bird of the Season: American Robin, Dennis Burnette

Thursday, January 16

Program:  “Avian Brood Parasites: A story of the evolutionary arms race between brood parasites and their hosts”
Brood parasites are birds that outsource the duties of parental care by laying their eggs in the nests of other species of birds. PBC member, Lynn Moseley, will explore why questions (why do these species benefit by letting another species raise their chicks?) and how questions (how do they trick their hosts, and how do the hosts attempt to outsmart the parasites?). Some of these adaptations are truly amazing. Dr. Moseley retired from Guilford College after over 30 years as a professor of biology. She taught courses in zoology, ornithology, animal behavior, and barrier island ecology. Her research interests include bird behavior, communication, and conservation. Lynn developed many opportunities to work with students in the field, on projects ranging from monitoring a nest of Bald Eagles 15 minutes from campus to banding neotropical migratory birds on a shade-grown coffee farm in the highlands of Nicaragua.
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Bird of the Season: Dark-eyed Junco, Joanie Lambert

Thursday, February 20

Program:  “Birds and Marine Life in Antarctica: Environmental Threats and Conservation”  (This is a joint meeting with the T. Gilbert Pearson Audubon Society.)
In January of 2019, PBC and TGPAS members Ann Van Sant and Roberta Newton travelled on the National Geographic ship, Explorer, to Antarctica. Through the use of stunning photography, Ann will present the variety of birds found on icebergs, at sea and on land; as well as species of whales and seals. Roberta will present threats to the environment including the rise in ocean temperature and microplastics; and conservation efforts in Antarctica to protect the environment above and below the water.

Thursday, March 19

Program: “Why Birds? The Importance of Birds to Conservation in North Carolina” 
Scott Anderson from the NC Wildlife Resources Commission will discuss his perspective on the future of bird conservation in our demographically changing state. Winding through the NC Birding Trail and other efforts by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission and partners, Scott will focus on conservation on the national scale and its local implications. Scott Anderson is a statewide bird conservation biologist with the NC Wildlife Resources Commission and serves as the NC Birding Trail Coordinator. He participates in statewide and national conservation efforts on topics ranging from bird- and fish-related conflicts to the use of social science in conservation. Scott has worked on research projects on a variety of species including Caspian Tern, Northern Goshawk, American Three-toed Woodpecker, Bachman's Sparrow, and Burrowing Owl.

​Bird of the Season: ​ Prothonotary Warbler, Ethan Rehder

Thursday, April 16

Program:  “Utilizing Modern Tools for Good Old-fashioned Bird Watching” 
How does one person spot a large number of species in a single day? Matt Wangerin, one of the top 100 eBirders in North Carolina, will tell us how he uses weather, radar, and programs such as eBird and BirdCast to determine when and where he will go bird watching. And he will share with us some successes and misses that he had by using these tools. Matt is an active member with Piedmont Bird Club and chairs the Field Trip Committee which includes organizing our field trips. He also leads several popular field trips each year, using his sharp eyes and ears for spotting many birds.

Bird of the Season:  Red-eyed Vireo, Howard Millican