Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Bird
Skinning Basics
Presented by Dr. Andy Jones
The Cleveland
Museum of Natural History's ornithological
collection contains over 30,000 specimens. Most
of the specimens are prepared as "round skins",
also known as "study skins". These specimens
differ from the taxidermy mounts that you see on
display throughout the museum galleries. Rather
than trying to capture the exact shape and
posture of the living bird, the skins emphasize
long-term storage (a Red-bellied Woodpecker in
the collection is over 170 years old) and the
capture of data that will be of interest for
ornithologists. Major research in ornithology
de-pends on research collections like this one.
But how does one skin a bird? Instead of giving
a talk illustrated with slides, Dr. Jones will
actually prepare a specimen and talk through the
process. There will be a live video projection
of the process onto a screen so that everyone
will be able to see what is happening. Yes,
there could be some guts and gore involved, but
the overall process is fascinating. It has not
changed much in the last few centuries, and
remains an important technique in ornithology.
About Dr. Andy
Jones . . .
 Andy
Jones, Ph.D. is the William A. and Nancy R.
Klamm Endowed Chair of Ornithology at the
Cleveland Museum of Natural History. Andy was
among 35 prominent American ornithologists to be
named an Elective Member of the American
Ornithologists' Union in 2009. After completing
his Ph.D. at the famous Bell Museum of Natural
History, Department of Ecology, Evolution, and
Behavior of the University of Minnesota, Dr.
Jones coauthored research that revised the
taxonomy of the terns of the world, and is
pursuing similar work on the pygmy‐owls. His
work also involves the evolutionary history of
birds in the Philippines and Appalachians. Andy
is an editorial consultant to the Cleveland Bird
Calendar, chair of the research committee at
Black Swamp Bird Observatory and former editor
of The Ohio Cardinal.
Guests are always
welcome
Saturday, December 22, 2012 all day
Cleveland Christmas Bird Count
If you
are interested in participating in this important
data-collecting effort, please contact Jerry Talkington
at
jerry073352 AT att.net or 440-946-0063 to sign up with a group and take
a specific area.
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January |
 |
Monthly Meeting
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
7:30 p.m.
The Origin
and Evolution of
Praying Mantises
Presented by
Dr. Gavin Svenson
Research using DNA has
revealed a complicated history of distribution and
evolution within the praying mantis in-sect group. With
the origin of praying mantises at the beginning of the
Jurassic (most modern lineages originating during the
late Cretaceous) many of the divergences appear to be
associated with the breakup of the supercontinent
Gondwana, when all the continents of the southern
hemisphere were one land mass. Dr. Svenson will discuss
his research that aims to create a new and accurate
classification system for praying mantises that reflects
true evolutionary relationships.
About Gavin . . .
As of January Dr. Gavin Svenson has been the curator of
invertebrate Zoology at the Cleveland Museum of Natural
History. Following more than 10 years of fieldwork,
Svenson has amassed one of the most diverse praying
mantis collections in the world. With approximately
5,000 specimens, the Museum now houses this premier
praying mantis collection and it forms the core of
Svenson's research efforts and plays a central role in
the research endeavors of the world's praying mantis
biologists.
Guests are always
welcome
|
February |
|
Monthly Meeting
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Lake Erie: Ohio’s North Coast
Presented
by Jim McCormac
Lake Erie
is one of Ohio's greatest natural resources. It's
certainly our most conspicuous feature, and plays an
enormous role in influencing the Buck-eye State's flora
and fauna. But Lake Erie is only one of five Great Lakes
which collectively form a massive ecosystem housing 20%
of all of the fresh water on Planet Earth. That’s enough
water to cover the lower 48 states to a depth of nearly
10 feet.
Although Lake Erie is the smallest of the five lakes by
volume, it is probably the richest and most diverse. The
lake supports a world class fishery, is of global
significance to migratory birds, and plays host to
numerous rare plants and animals. This program will
start as a water droplet, and plunge into the Great
Lakes at the upper end of Lake Superior. We’ll then take
a quick and wild ride through the system and ultimately
into the Atlantic Ocean before returning to Lake Erie,
taking a look at what makes our Great Lake so special.
About
Jim...
Jim works for the Ohio Division of Wildlife,
specializing in nongame wildlife diversity issues,
especially birds. Prior to this current position, he was
a botanist with Ohio Department of Natural Resources. He
was inaugural president of the Ohio Ornithological
Society and served seven years as secretary of the Ohio
Bird Records Committee. Jim was the 2009 recipient of
the Ludlow Griscom award, given annually by the American
Birding Association to individuals who have made
significant regional contributions to ornithology. He is
author of Birds of Ohio (Lone Pine 2004); The Great
Lakes Nature Guide (Lone Pine 2009); and Wild Ohio: The
Best of Our Natural Heritage (Kent State University
Press 2009). The latter won the 2010 Ohioana Book award.
Jim writes a column, Nature, for the Columbus Dispatch,
and has authored or coauthored over 100 scientific and
popular articles in a variety of publications.
Field Trip
Sunday February 3, 2013
Perkins
Beach, Edgewater Park, Cleveland
Target Species: Gulls and Waterfowl
9:00 a.m.
Leader:
Tim Krynak, naturalist at South Chagrin Nature Center,
Cleveland Metroparks will
conduct this walk for KBC and Western Cuyahoga Audubon
Society members.
Winter birding can be wonderful on Lake Erie. Join us at
Perkins Beach. We will bird there, then follow the birds
to Wendy Park and other hotspots along the west side, as
weather and sightings dictate.
Directions: From east—Take I‐90 west, exit onto
Rt 2 when downtown and follow Rt 2, the Shoreway,
passing the first exit for Edgewater. Stay right for the
Lake Rd. exit. Turn right at the end of the ramp
(north). Parking is by the lake.
From west—Follow I‐90 east, exit at West 117th Street,
turn north to Clifton Road, turn right (east) onto
Clifton. At West Blvd turn left (north) into Edgewater
Park. Look for parking on the left by the lake.
Note: There are no facilities at Edgewater in
winter. |
