Posts Tagged ‘Monthly Meeting’
Monthly General Meeting – Tricolored Blackbirds
Four and twenty blackbirds baked in a pie. It was downhill from there. Glossy black with epaulets of red and white, the Tricolored Blackbird once abounded. In the 19th century, one author stated they were “the most abundant species in San Diego and Los Angeles counties.” Estimates set some colonies at more than a…
Read MoreMonthly General Meeting: Digging Up the Past
The “underground” conjures up images of wartime intrigue or noble resistance. Closer to home, underground is home to thousands of species supporting food webs and life cycles critical to the life around us. But to Paleontologist Tom Deméré, beneath our feet lies a map of life from the Cretaceous to the Pleistocene. The Carlsbad-Oceanside…
Read MoreAnnual Meeting & Film: The Messenger
2018 Annual Meeting and Election of Board of Directors will take place before the film. Su Rynard’s documentary The Messenger explores our deep-seated connection to birds and warns that the uncertain fate of songbirds might mirror our own. Moving from the northern reaches of the Boreal Forest to the base of Mount Ararat in…
Read MoreThe Birds and Beasts of Central Thailand
Just the mention of Thailand brings to mind all things exotic. For the wildlife enthusiast, Thailand offers a wonderland of tropical species to be found in its mountains, rainforests, and along its 2,000 miles of shoreline. Our tour guide is Professor Ed Henry. He taught social anthropology and ethnomusicology for 33 years at San…
Read MoreReluctant Neighbors — The Golden Eagles of Southern California
“Eagles hate people,” said Robert Fisher to reporter Marty Graham. “They hate dogs. They don’t mind vehicles; but as soon as a door opens and a person steps out, they take off and don’t come back for a week. If at all.” While the verb “hate” might sound like we are trapped in a…
Read MoreBVAS Monthly Meeting and Program: Tales from the Mammal Atlas with Scott Tremor
The food chain’s a great place to be if you’re at the top. Most of us mammals are not so fortunate. That situation can make for a wary existence, avoiding predators while searching for producers or prey. This reality may also explain why observing and studying mammals is no mean feat. Many are nocturnal, solitary,…
Read MoreBVAS Monthly Meeting and Program: Afoot & Afield in San Diego County
Afoot & Afield, first published in 1986, quickly became San Diego’s go-to guide. It introduced us to the diversity and natural wonders of our county, from desert to mountain to shore. By the time of author Jerry Schad’s death in 2011, four editions had been published. Dog-eared and highlighted, the books graced car trunks and…
Read MoreBVAS Monthly Meeting and Program: Monarch Butterflies with Bill Toone of Ecolife
Butterflies draw our attention and elicit our delight like few other animals. Lighter than air, these flashes of light and color are the most welcome of visitors. But one species stands out. And not just for its appearance. October’s presentation will introduce us to the amazing biology and journey of the eastern population of monarch…
Read MoreMonthly Program & General Meeting
Tropical Birding with Dr. Matthew Binns About three million years ago, the formation of the volcanic Isthmus of Panama joined the long separated continents of North and South America. This precipitated the Great American Interchange—the migration of fauna from one continent to another. The astounding diversity of species to be found in Central America and…
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