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Hampshire Bird Club

EVENTS

Events are the lifeblood of the our club and you are encouraged to participate in as many events as you like. We hope to see you at one of the upcoming events soon!

Upcoming events

    • November 14, 2024
    • 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM
    • Online


    Owls are one of the most fascinating, most mysterious group of birds one can encounter. From their unique physical appearance (have you ever seen an owls eyes?) to their remarkable stealth and their evolved hearing and hunting, they are certainly worthy of discussion. During this online session we'll work to demystify this group of birds and give you concrete steps you can use in the field to find and identify owls! The presentation will allow for plenty of time for your questions on this or any birding related topic.

    Zoom meeting link

    Meeting ID: 815 3612 5398 (if asked)
    Passcode: 843818

    Learn more about the Birding for Everyone program.

    All Birding for Everyone events are free and open to the public.


    • November 16, 2024
    • 5:45 PM - 8:00 PM
    • Nash Hill Rd, Williamsburg, MA 01096


    Owls can be tricky to find but, darn it, we're going to give it a shot. Join us for this special Birding for Everyone evening event where we will listen for (and hope to see!) these nocturnal raptors. We will meet at the Henhawk Trailhead, which will put us right in the middle of perfect habitat for multiple species of owls. At most, we will walk half a mile on flat dirt roads. Please bring headlamps or flashlights and dress warmly!

    Map link: https://maps.app.goo.gl/XSKA8E1DNyuQfEidA

    Register: https://bit.ly/2024bfe

    Questions? Email dallard@hampshirebirdclub.org.

    Learn more about the Birding for Everyone program.

    All Birding for Everyone events are free and open to the public.

    • November 22, 2024
    • 8:30 AM - 11:00 AM
    • Silvio O. Conte NWR – Fort River Division, Hadley, MA
    • 12
    Register

    Join Bill Randolph for an exploration of the different habitats at the Conte Refuge, beginning with a leisurely 1.2 miles on a flat, fully accessible boardwalk trail looking for late fall songbirds, woodpeckers and raptors. Benches and lookout areas are situated along the trail. For those who wish to continue in the second half of the trip, we will explore the adjacent grasslands with views of the Holyoke Range and marshes for waterfowl and wetland birds. This portion of the trip involves a mostly flat dirt/rocky road with some slight hills. In total we will meander 2–3 miles. It is always interesting to see how the bird community changes from late summer to late fall. Meet at the Silvio O. Conte parking lot at 69 Moody Bridge Road in Hadley – plenty of parking is available, plus a porta-potty. Questions? Email Bill at warandolph@comcast.net. Limited to 12 participants. (E, Accessible)

    Field Trip designations:
    (E) – Easy conditions, fairly accessible for most, usually flat terrain on improved trails or roads. 
    (M) – Moderately difficult, more challenging trail conditions, short steep sections, longer hikes. 
    (S) – Strenuous conditions, muddy or rocky trails, steep sections, difficult footing in part.

    • December 03, 2024
    • 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM
    • Online
    Register

    Christmas Bird Count - Feeder Watcher Workshop, Tuesday, Dec. 3, 7 p.m.

    We will talk about what to do if you are planning to be a feeder watcher for the Christmas Bird Count. We will review which birds are common feeder birds, how and when to submit a rare bird report, how to complete the Google form, and how to not overcount the birds. Bring your questions! Click the Registration button to Register.

    To join, click here: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82462008685?pwd=PjnZGQMYCg6CTNujn0a6E8lOszQ5Ok.1 

    Meeting ID: 824 6200 8685 Passcode: feeder

    • December 09, 2024
    • 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM
    • Online
    Register

    Christmas Bird Count - Participants Meeting, Monday, December 9, 7 pm. 

    What is the Christmas Bird Count? We’ll talk about the purpose of the Christmas Bird Count, which is simple: count birds and have fun!  Some questions we’ll answer: Do you have to know all the birds? How do you get assigned to a team and CBC area? What are the commonly seen Christmas Bird Count birds? There will be (easy) quizzes! Please bring your questions. Click the Registration button to Register.

    To join us, click here https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83990398524?pwd=Dilao6udrS2ZRzaGkoy26ScmiQ6L9a.1 

    Meeting ID 839 9039 8524 Passcode: 125988


    • December 10, 2024
    • 7:15 PM - 9:30 PM
    • Wesley United Methodist Church


    Every December, HBC's program is.... you! Have you ever wanted to talk to the club about something, but not felt like you could keep it up for an entire meeting? Did you take a birding trip recently and want to share a few photos? Do you want to tell people about your favorite birding spot, or favorite bird species, or favorite fellow birder? This is the meeting for you! Several club members get to share the night, each of you talking for 10-15 minutes and showing a few slides (or not). And this year, we will be holding the members' meeting in person, for the first time since 2019! Email Program Chair Josh Rose if you'd like to participate.

    • December 11, 2024
    • 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM
    • Online
    Register

    Christmas Bird Count Team Leaders Meeting, Wednesday, December 11, 7 pm.  

    We will review the guidelines, how to handle rare bird reports-- especially if you did not actually see the rare bird, how to keep track of and record reporting effort, using Merlin, using eBird, and other odd questions. Bring more questions. Click on the Registration button to Register.

    To join, click here https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82620273475?pwd=nkKwHb4SjsP8DkJBp7Ud1CLEiYXMQH.1 

    Meeting ID 826 2027 3475 Passcode: 094571

    • December 13, 2024
    • 8:30 AM - 11:00 AM
    • Cemetery Road Area, Hadley, MA
    • 12
    Register

    Join Bill Randolph as we explore the fields and fallow farmlands that attract winter migrants such as horned larks, snow bunting and various raptors. We will also walk along the Connecticut River in search of bald eagles, waterfowl and sparrows darting about the riparian vegetation. Dress appropriately; this location can be windy and cold. Plan on a 2-mile trek on mostly flat, uneven ground that may be icy or muddy - shoe spikes can come in handy. Meet at the Transfer Station on N. Branch Rd off of Cemetery Rd in Hadley. Please note there are no facilities or rest areas at this location. Questions? Email Bill at warandolph@comcast.net. Limited to 12 participants. (E/M)

    Field Trip designations:
    (E) – Easy conditions, fairly accessible for most, usually flat terrain on improved trails or roads. 
    (M) – Moderately difficult, more challenging trail conditions, short steep sections, longer hikes. 
    (S) – Strenuous conditions, muddy or rocky trails, steep sections, difficult footing in part.

    • December 15, 2024
    • 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
    • Mostly Hampshire County
    Register

    The largest birding event in Western Massachusetts is the Northampton Christmas Bird Count.  It covers 24 hours (rain, sleet, snow, or shine) midnight-to-midnight December 15. 2024.The goal for the 24 hours is to find, identify, and count all birds within a 15-mile diameter “count circle” centered in the Hadley Cemetery on Cemetery Road.

    Some folks start searching at midnight for owls. Others begin at sunrise. Some spend the entire day, others a couple of hours. No one is too young or too senior to participate. Beginners are welcome – we’ll make sure you join a group with at least one experienced birdwatcher.  We hope you’ll join us for this great day. You will probably make new friends, learn a bit, laugh a lot, and get a great workout.  We’ll be hosting a Zoom meeting for participants before the event. 

    MANO (Northampton) CBC Circle


    • December 16, 2024
    • 6:30 PM - 9:30 PM
    • Online
    Register

    Christmas Bird Count Compilation Meeting!  Monday, December 16, 6:30-9:30  pm.  

    We’ll share our stories from the CBC and our accounts of the best birds, along with special photos from the count on the 15th, and, of course, there will be laughter. We will find out if we broke our record of 92 species! Click the Registration button to Register.

    To join, click here https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86803258495?pwd=nuHl3HdUMHf6TbtboniPoSoQcm4WKK.1 

     Meeting ID 868 0325 8495 Passcode:  count


    • January 14, 2025
    • 7:15 PM - 9:30 PM


    • January 16, 2025
    • 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM

    Snowy Owls to Saw-whet Owls with norman smith

    Since 1981, Norman Smith has spent countless days and nights, in every imaginable weather condition, observing, capturing, banding and relocating Snowy Owls at Logan International Airport. Data has been collected on roosting, hunting and behavior while on their wintering grounds. Since 2000 satellite transmitters have been attached to owls to learn more about their movements. Find out what has been learned to date, what questions remain and how this project developed to include research on Saw-whet Owls.

    Norman Smith is a self-taught naturalist and raptor specialist who has worked for the Massachusetts Audubon Society since 1974. He recently retired as Director of Blue Hills Trailside Museum and Norman Smith Environmental Education Center in Milton, Massachusetts where he had worked for the past 50+ years and has taken on a part time role to continue his research on raptors.

    Norman has studied birds of prey for over 50 years, including rehabilitating the injured and successfully fostering over 1,000 orphaned hawk and owl chicks into adoptive nests. His ongoing long-term projects include trapping and banding migrating hawks and owls in the Blue Hills Reservation, banding nestling hawks and owls, and doing research on snowy owls and other raptors wintering at Boston's Logan International Airport. He has also traveled to Alaska to study snowy owls in their native tundra habitat. His research work has been published in National Geographic, National Wildlife, Ranger Rick, Yankee, Massachusetts Wildlife, Bird Observer, Birding, Sanctuary, Geo, Nature, Grolier Encyclopedia, Owls of the Northern Hemisphere and Owls of the World.

    His mission is to use the information gathered from his research to stimulate a passion in everyone he meets to help us better understand, appreciate and care for this world in which we live.


    • February 11, 2025
    • 7:15 PM - 9:30 PM


    • March 11, 2025
    • 7:15 PM - 9:30 PM
    • Wesley United Methodist Church


    • March 11, 2025
    • 7:15 PM - 9:30 PM
    • Wesley United Methodist Church

    The Falkland Islands or Islas Malvinas are a very remote South Atlantic archipelago with two main islands, East and West Falkland, plus an additional 776 smaller islands, most of which are not inhabited. However, several that are host some of the islands’ amazing wildlife, including five species of penguins, which on certain islands have thousands of birds during the nesting season.

    For this program we will explore two locations on Saunders Islands, The Neck, which has three nesting penguin species plus nesting Black-browed Albatross. Then onto The Rookery with its impressive colony of Southern Rockhopper Penguins and a staggering number of Black-browed Albatross. After that we will explore Sealion Island and our first look at Elephant Seals, Sealions and the Killer Whales that prowl the waters looking to feast on them. Next up is Bleaker Island with its beautiful mile long beach where you can watch Gentoo and Magellanic Penguins as they ride the waves onto the sandy shores. Finally, we will end our photographic adventure at Volunteer Point which has the largest nesting King Penguin population in the Falklands.

    All of this plus a look at the lodges one can stay at, the food and some of the people you will meet along the way. I will share my advice on traveling to this fantastic location plus many tips to help you plan your own Penguin adventure to the Falkland Islands.

    Shawn Carey (Migration Productions) produces bird and wildlife-related multimedia presentations, videos and photo workshops that have been presented all over the United States. Shawn moved from his home in Pennsylvania to Massachusetts in 1986 and started watching birds in 1988. Already with an interest in photography and now birds, Shawn began to combine the two in 1991. By 1994 he and good friend Jim Grady started Migration Productions as a way to present their multi-image slide presentations to a live audience.

    Migration Productions has been presenting programs to groups like Mass Audubon, Eastern Mass Hawk Watch, Hawk Mountain Sanctuary and countless others since 1994. Migration Productions offers the finest quality bird/wildlife programs with stunning photographs, videos, soundtracks, and interviews with many people involved with bird watching and natural history topics.

    Shawn’s photos have been published in the Boston Globe, New York Times, Science, Mass Audubon's Sanctuary, and many others over the last 20+ years. In 1997 he started teaching bird photography workshops (Fundamentals of Bird Photography) for Massachusetts Audubon and is an instructor for Summer Fields Schools on Cape Cod for Mass Audubon's Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary.

    • April 08, 2025
    • 7:15 PM - 9:30 PM
    • Wesley United Methodist Church


    • May 13, 2025
    • 7:15 PM - 9:30 PM
    • Wesley United Methodist Church


    • June 10, 2025
    • 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
    • Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary, Easthampton

    Our final fling of the spring, before HBC goes on its summer hiatus. BYO picnic dinner and drinks, and we can all share how our spring birding went, and what we have planned for the summer. We aim to start eating around 6, but come early to see what birds are breeding in or still migrating through Arcadia, or to help us set up chairs and tables for the picnic. See you there!

Past events

November 13, 2024 Waterfowl ID with Mike Locher
November 12, 2024 HBC's November meeting, featuring Elizabeth Vierling: "Cruising the Arctic for Birds and Bears"
November 03, 2024 Field Trip: Halloween Pilgrimage to Satan's Kingdom and Hell's Kitchen
November 02, 2024 Field Trip: Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary
October 26, 2024 Field Trip: Fitzgerald Lake Conservation Area
October 26, 2024 Canceled - Field Trip: Dead Creek WMA and Lake Champlain Valley
October 25, 2024 Field Trip: Silvio O. Conte NWR – Fort River
October 21, 2024 Big Sit: Silvio O. Conte NWR – Fort River
October 19, 2024 Birding for Everyone: Ashley Reservoir, Holyoke
October 17, 2024 Birding for Everyone: Bird Feeders
October 17, 2024 Field Trip: Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary and West Meadows
October 16, 2024 Birding the Southern Maine Coast
October 13, 2024 HBC New Member Bird Walk, Sun., Oct. 13, 7:30-9 AM
October 12, 2024 Field Trip: Silvio O. Conte NWR – Fort River
October 11, 2024 Field Trip: Fitzgerald Lake Conservation Area
October 08, 2024 HBC's October meeting, featuring John Green: "Nature Odyssey - West"
October 07, 2024 Do It Yourself Field Trip, Monday, Oct. 7, 7-8 p.m.
September 22, 2024 Field Trip: East Meadows
September 21, 2024 Birding for Everyone: Mount Holyoke Summit House, Hadley
September 21, 2024 Birding for Everyone: Mount Holyoke Summit House, Hadley
September 19, 2024 Birding for Everyone: Identifying Hawks
September 16, 2024 Hawk Watches at Skinner State Park
September 15, 2024 Field Trip: Mt. Greylock State Reservation
September 12, 2024 Identifying Hawks in Flight with Paul Roberts
September 10, 2024 HBC's Fall Picnic
September 06, 2024 Field Trip: Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary
August 17, 2024 Birding for Everyone: Station Road Rail Trail, Amherst
August 15, 2024 CANCELLED Birding for Everyone: Sparrows
July 20, 2024 Birding for Everyone: Pulaski Park, Holyoke
July 18, 2024 Birding for Everyone: Apps, Field Guides, and eBird
June 18, 2024 Field Trip Leader Workshop
June 15, 2024 Birding for Everyone: Quabbin Park, Goodnough Dike
June 13, 2024 Birding for Everyone: Herons
June 13, 2024 Getting Your Friends Into Birding
June 13, 2024 Field Trip: Notchview Reservation
June 11, 2024 HBC June Picnic!
June 09, 2024 Field Trip: Montague Sandplains and More
June 08, 2024 Field Trip: Knightville Dam
June 07, 2024 Field Trip: William Cullen Bryant Homestead
June 03, 2024 Do-It-Yourself Field Trip
June 01, 2024 Field Trip: DAR State Forest
June 01, 2024 Field Trip: Station 43, South Windsor, CT
May 25, 2024 Field Trip: Hilltown Rambles (Canceled)
May 22, 2024 Field Trip: Wildwood Cemetery
May 21, 2024 Herps--the other Birds with Joe Wicinski and Bill Benner
May 19, 2024 New Member "Big Sit" and Bird Walk: Fort Hill Division of the Conte Refuge
May 19, 2024 Field Trip: Mount Auburn Cemetery, Cambridge, MA
May 18, 2024 Birding for Everyone: Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary, Easthampton
May 18, 2024 Field Trip: EQLT Rail Trail, Ware
May 17, 2024 Field Trip: Fitzgerald Lake Conservation Area
May 16, 2024 Birding for Everyone: Warblers and the Importance of Focusing on One Bird at a Time
May 14, 2024 HBC's May meeting: A Botswana Wildlife Safari Adventure, with Dr. Curt Griffin!
May 12, 2024 Field Trip: Wildwood Cemetery
May 11, 2024 Field Trip: Mineral Hills Conservation Area
May 10, 2024 Field Trip: Sweet Alice Conservation Area
May 06, 2024 Do It Yourself Field Trip
May 05, 2024 Field Trip: Quabbin Park
April 25, 2024 Field Trip: Silvio O. Conte NWR – Fort River
April 21, 2024 Field Trip: Quabbin Park – Hank’s Meadow
April 20, 2024 Birding for Everyone: Fort River Wildlife Refuge, Hadley
April 19, 2024 Field Trip: Fitzgerald Lake Conservation Area
April 18, 2024 Birding for Everyone: Identifying Warblers
April 16, 2024 Loons with Dana and Bob Fox
April 12, 2024 Field Trip: Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary
April 09, 2024 HBC's April meeting: "Birds in a Warming World", with Ethan Clotfelter!
April 01, 2024 Do It Yourself Field Trip
March 19, 2024 What Do You Know About Condors? Maybe Not Enough
March 16, 2024 Birding for Everyone: Lake Wallace, Belchertown
March 14, 2024 Birding for Everyone: Identifying Ducks
March 13, 2024 RESCHEDULED: AMERICAN WOODCOCKS BIRD WALK
March 12, 2024 HBC's March meeting: Birding the Mountain Kingdom of Bhutan, with Lois & Al Richardson!
March 10, 2024 Field Trip: Great Pond
March 09, 2024 New Member Bird Walk: Easthampton Community Gardens
March 06, 2024 American Woodcocks-Learn their habitat and how to find them
March 04, 2024 Do It Yourself Field Trip
February 20, 2024 Merlin Sound ID with Grant Van Horn
February 17, 2024 Birding for Everyone: Turners Falls Power Canal, Turners Falls
February 15, 2024 Birding for Everyone: Learning Bird Songs
February 13, 2024 HBC's February meeting: Italy, with Marco Valtriani! (on Zoom)
February 11, 2024 Springfield Crows Field Trip
February 09, 2024 Springfield Crows Online Presentation
February 05, 2024 Do It Yourself Field Trip
January 20, 2024 Birding for Everyone: Fannie Stebbins Wildlife Refuge, Longmeadow
January 18, 2024 Birding for Everyone: What Gear Do I Need?
January 16, 2024 Rehabilitating Birds with Judy Pasko
January 09, 2024 HBC's January meeting - Motus: Migration Tracking’s New Frontier, with Scott Weidensaul!
January 08, 2024 Do-It-Yourself Field Trip
December 18, 2023 Christmas Bird Count Tally Party: 89th MANO CBC Results
December 17, 2023 Christmas Bird Count
December 13, 2023 Christmas Bird Count Team Leaders Workshop: Overview
December 12, 2023 HBC's annual members' meeting!
December 11, 2023 Christmas Bird Count Feeder Watchers Workshop: Overview
December 09, 2023 Hadley Owls
December 06, 2023 Christmas Bird Count Participants Workshop: Overview
November 25, 2023 Birding for Everyone: Honey Pot, Hadley
November 25, 2023 Cape Ann or Plum Island
November 21, 2023 RESCHEDULED Birding for Everyone: Owls
November 18, 2023 Birding for Everyone: Owls
November 15, 2023 Woodpeckers, Woodpeckers, and more about Woodpeckers with Dana and Bob Fox
November 14, 2023 HBC's November meeting: "Funny Bird Sex: Stories Birds Tell About Birds and People" with John Nelson!
November 12, 2023 New Member Bird Walk: Arcadia Marsh and Oxbow
November 12, 2023 Dead Creek WMA and the Lake Champlain Valley
November 08, 2023 Unity Park - Turners Falls
November 05, 2023 Berkshire Lakes
October 28, 2023 Birding for Everyone: Ashley Reservoir, Holyoke
October 22, 2023 Quabbin Park – Hank’s Meadow and Gate 52
October 21, 2023 Birding for Everyone: Bird Feeders
October 18, 2023 Fort River Division of the Silvio Conte NWR
October 17, 2023 Birding Cape Cod with Chris Walz
October 10, 2023 Member Meeting Program: National Audubon's Migratory Bird Initiative and Bird Migration Explorer, with Chad Witko
October 08, 2023 East Meadows
October 01, 2023 Winsor Dam
September 23, 2023 Birding for Everyone: Mount Tom



Hampshire Bird Club, Inc.

Post Office Box 3637
Amherst, MA 01004-3637


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