BSBO proudly introduces our new Birds at Home Virtual Learning Series

Although the way we gather has changed, we can still come together virtually to celebrate birds, birding, and bird conservation! Join BSBO and our outstanding lineup of speakers for fun, informative, interesting, and uplifting virtual presentations and workshops - delivered to you in the comfort of your own home! 

Check back often as we'll be adding more speakers SOON! 
Pricing
BSBO Members: FREE
Students: FREE
Non-members: $5.00

Click here to join our flock!
Privacy
Any private information submitted to Black Swamp Bird Observatory (including email) will never be shared or sold to third parties.  
Using Zoom
If you are new to Zoom and are unsure of how it works, feel free to contact BSBO at: staff@bsbo.org

Click here for a link to Zoom's website and a quick tutorial.

Or here for a list of
​Zoom FAQs.

September

Basics of Identifying Fall Warblers
​with Kenn Kaufman

In springtime, warblers are among the most popular and celebrated of birds, filling the trees with variety and color. In fall, however, they’re often regarded with less enthusiasm. Many warblers wear fall plumages that are less colorful than their spring attire, and young warblers on their first southbound migration may be drabber still, leading some birders to lump them all as “confusing fall ​warblers.”
Date: Saturday, September 12
Time: 07:00 PM EDT
Duration: 45 mins with a 15 min Q&A
About Kenn
​A lifelong naturalist, Kenn Kaufman did not really focus on birds until the age of six, but since then he has tried to make up for lost time, pursuing birds in all fifty states and on all seven continents. Now working as a freelance editor, writer, and book producer, he and his wife Kim make their home in Oak Harbor, Ohio.

​Kenn is a field editor for Audubon magazine, and writes a regular column for Birder’s World magazine. Most of his energy currently goes into book projects, including his own field guide series, Kaufman Field Guides, published by Houghton Mifflin Company of Boston. This series now includes volumes on North American birds, butterflies, mammals, insects, a field guide to Advanced Birding, and a regional guide to Nature of New England and Field Guide to the Nature of the Midwest, which was published in April 2015. In spring 2005, Kaufman Field Guides published the first Spanish-language guide to North American birds. Kenn’s other books include Lives of North American Birds, Kingbird Highway, and Flights Against the Sunset. His latest book, A Season on the Wind: Inside the World of Spring Migration, was published in spring 2019. He has also written scores of magazine articles and columns on I.D. topics, and has taught I.D. workshops all over the U.S. and Canada.  To learn more about the Kaufman Field Guide series, click here.
Registration Closed
In this program, heavily illustrated with photos, Kenn Kaufman will review the best methods for identifying fall warblers, including patterns of variation and which details to focus on first. After an overview of the whole family, he’ll discuss the few species that are genuinely challenging, with specific field marks for telling them apart. By the end of the program, he hopes you’ll agree that fall warblers are beautiful in their own way and not so confusing after all. ​​​
The Enigma of Bird Behavior
with Dr. John Kricher

Little green folks from distant galaxies are unlikely to live among us but a fascinating and diverse array of clever, intelligent feathered creatures called birds are very much part of our world. Birds have amazing sensory abilities, reaction times, memory capabilities, and birds really do think. In their unique ways, birds are smart. 
But bird thinking is not the same as human thinking. Birds exhibit a rich repertoire of unique behaviors that combine strong instinct with often highly perceptive learning and memory skills. In his newest book, Peterson Reference Guide to Bird Behavior, John Kricher describes the broad range of bird behaviors and why it is that behavior watching is so rewarding. This webinar will provide an overview of why all birders should become behavior watchers.
Date: ​Saturday, September 26
Time: 07:00 PM EDT
Duration: 45 mins with a 15 min Q&A
About John
​John Kricher taught ecology and ornithology at Wheaton College (Massachusetts) for 48 years. His quest to learn ecology and to watch birds has taken him over 30 countries and to all of the continents. He is a fellow in the American Ornithological Society and past-president of both the Wilson Ornithological Society and the Association of Field Ornithologists. He has authored ten books, most notably The New Neotropical Companion (2017). His most recent book is Peterson Reference Guide to Bird Behavior (2020). He lives with his wife Martha Vaughan in Hingham, Massachusetts.

October
Black & Brown Faces in America's Wild Places with Dudley Edmondson

Join us for a special presentation and conversation with world-renowned photographer, Dudley Edmondson. Dudley will share his journey to creating his beautiful and highly acclaimed book, Black and Brown Faces In America's Wild Places, his experiences in the field, and the inspirational stories of the individuals whose work he featured in his book. 
Date: Saturday, October 10
Time: 07:00 PM EDT
Duration: 45 mins with a 15 min Q&A
About Dudley
​Dudley Edmondson is an author, public speaker, and filmmaker whose passion is nature and getting People of Color outdoors.​

Dudley has considered himself a nature advocate ever since he discovered its ability to heal the mind and body as a young boy. ​

Mr. Edmondson enjoys several outdoor recreational activities including; birdwatching, mountain and fat biking, fly fishing, trail running, and more. ​

​Dudley has been invited into communities across the country to help get urban youth and youth of color into the outdoors. He also spends a great deal of his personal time working with youth in his community through local youth serving agencies.  He just really enjoys inspiring them.
​The Mirrorless Camera
​with Noah Buchanan
The Mirrorless Camera program is designed to inform and educate people on the pros and cons of Mirrorless cameras as well as clear up misconceptions that are commonly known about them. This program will touch on the following topics:
  • Mirrorless vs DSLR
  • Lens options
  • Explanation of the electronic viewfinder
  • In body stabilization
  • Adaptability of old lenses and different mounts
  • Entry level and professional level options​
  • And more!
Date: Wednesday, October 21
Time: 03:00 PM EDT
​Duration: 45 mins with a 15 min Q&A
About Noah
Noah Buchanan is an Outside Sales Developer for Hunt's Photo and Video and has been working with them for 4 years. He enjoys building relationships with all his customers and considers many of them close friends. Photography has been a passion of his for the past 10 years and he loves being able to talk about it with everyone! Noah's main interests in photography revolve around landscape and unusual scenes in nature. Prior to working for Hunt's, Noah attended New England School of Photography (NESOP) for 2 years studying photojournalism.
About Hunt's
With Hunt's you receive extremely competitive pricing as well as the kind of service that comes from being a third-generation business. Hunt understands that being in the modern digital age doesn’t mean you have to miss out on traditional values such as great customer service. With Hunt’s Photo and Video you get the competitive pricing that you have been looking for and still get world class customer service, all while helping BSBO’s OYBC program fulfill the important mission of encouraging, educating and empowering our youth conservation leaders. ​
Hunt’s is donating 5% of all BSBO related sales back to BSBO's Ohio Young Birders Club through the end of 2020! ​

​To reach BSBO’s personal sales consultant, contact Noah Buchanan, Hunt’s Outside Sales Developer, at 781-462-2356 . 
​Noah can assist you with questions regarding cameras, flashes, lenses, and other types of photography equipment.  

When you call, please be sure to use the code “BSBO”. 
Vulture: The Private Life of an Unloved Bird with Katie Fallon

Vultures are often overlooked, underappreciated, and unloved, despite the vital role they play in healthy ecosystems. Worldwide, vultures are more likely to be threatened or endangered than any other group of raptor, but in the United States, Turkey and Black Vultures may be increasing in number. Based on Katie’s recent book, this presentation will discuss the life and times of the noble Turkey Vulture, including its feeding, nesting, and roosting habits, migratory behaviors, and common misconceptions.
Date: Saturday, October 24
Time: 07:00 PM EDT
Duration: 45 mins with a 15 min Q&A
About Katie
Katie Fallon is the author of the nonfiction books Vulture: The Private Life of an Unloved Bird (2017) and Cerulean Blues: A Personal Search for a Vanishing Songbird (2011), which was a Finalist for the Reed Award for Outstanding Writing on the Southern Environment. Katie is also the author of two books for children. She has taught creative writing at Virginia Tech and West Virginia University, and teaches in the low-residency MFA programs at Chatham University and West Virginia Wesleyan College. She is a founder of the nonprofit Avian Conservation Center of Appalachia as well as current President of the Mountaineer Chapter of the National Audubon Society. Her first word was “bird.”

November

The Road Less Traveled
with Kaylee McCaskey

Nothing is inconsequential in this world, for better or for worse. Life is a series of choices - and we have to choose to defend the Earth. Drawing on both her personal experiences and the wisdom of well-known writers and conservationists, Kaylee delivers a heartfelt message designed to inspire nature lovers of all ages. 

* A note about this presentation: Kaylee first delivered this presentation during BSBO's Ohio Young Birders Conference in 2019, and it was SO INCREDIBLE that we just knew we had to share it with a wider audience! 
Date: Saturday, November 7
Time: 07:00 PM EDT
Duration: 45 min with a 15 min Q&A
About Kaylee
​Kaylee McCaskey is 17-years old and a student member of BSBO's Ohio Young Birders Club! A nature lover from birth, she began officially birding in 4th grade. At the present time, she has enjoyed birding in 48 states and 5 countries. Though her personal life list is currently somewhere around 400 species, she is more concerned with spending intimate moments observing birds rather than adding to her list. Kaylee is a member of the Ohio Young Birders Club, Black Swamp Bird Observatory, Toledo Naturalists' Association, American Birding Association, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, National Audubon Society, and Ohio Ornithological Society. Recent accomplishments include receiving a silver medal for the ABA Young Birder of the Year Contest writing module in 2017, and being one of 16 teens worldwide chosen to attend the 2019 Cornell Young Birders Event. Her current goals for the future include completing the Cornell Lab’s online “Advanced Bird Biology” course, finishing her educational children’s book featuring Sandhill Cranes, attending the ABA teen trip to Costa Rica, and majoring in conservation biology/environmental science.
Registration Will Open SOON
Saving the Bald Eagle
​with Mark Shieldcastle

From just four breeding pairs in the late 1970s, the Bald Eagle has made an astonishing recovery in Ohio and across the continent. This presentation will take you through the recovery plan, the field work, and how a dedicated team of volunteers came together to help wildlife officials save this majestic bird. 
Date: Saturday, November 21
Time: 07:00 PM EST
Duration: 45 min with a 15 min Q&A
About Mark
Mark Shieldcastle has a degree in Wildlife Management from The Ohio State University. He was on staff at Ohio State with the Ohio Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit before accepting a position with the Ohio Division of Wildlife where he spent thirty-two years as a Wildlife Biologist specializing in avian research. In 2012 he retired from his position as Project Leader of Wetland Wildlife Research. Mark was a founding member of BSBO and currently serves as the Director of Research. He has conducted research on Bald Eagle, colonial waders, terns, wetland breeding birds, woodcock, shorebirds, colonial passerines, waterfowl, rails, cranes, migrating raptors, and migrating passerines.

Mark has authored or co-authored papers on passerines, Bald Eagles, cormorants, and contaminant issues with birds.  He developed recovery plans for the Bald Eagle, Osprey, Common Tern, Black-crowned Night-Heron, and Sandhill Crane in Ohio.  
Registration Will Open SOON

December
Warblers Like You’ve Never Heard Them Before with Donald Kroodsma

Once you are attuned, every singing bird becomes interesting. That’s every individual, whether flycatcher, vireo, chickadee, wren, thrush (no such thing as “just a robin”), sparrow, blackbird, grosbeak, or . . . especially warblers. Among the dozen or so warbler genera are, of course, all those good lookers, and such a fine variety of singers. 
Date: Saturday, December 5
Time: 07:00 PM EST
Duration: 45 min with a 15 min Q&A
About Donald
Donald Kroodsma is a birdsong scientist and professor emeritus of ornithology at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. As a research scientist, he published widely on birdsong for more than 50 years, with lifetime achievement awards from the American Ornithologists’ Union and the Wilson Ornithological Society. More recently he has authored books that introduce the general public to birdsong: the John Burroughs Medal-winning The Singing Life of Birds, The Backyard Birdsong Guides, Birdsong by the Seasons, and Listening to a Continent Sing (while bicycling from Virginia to Oregon). His most recent book (2020), Birdsong for the Curious Naturalist, is a basic, how-to guide that teaches anyone—from beginner to advanced birder—how to listen. He lives in Hatfield, Massachusetts.
Registration Will Open SOON
One sings through the night. Another sings a simple, repeated song by day but an ecstatic, airborne ramble by night. Especially intriguing are the species in three genera, including the abundant Setophaga, that use different songs in different contexts; one song (or set of songs) is used in aggressive situations (and in the dawn chorus), another song (or set) especially throughout the day by unpaired males seeking a mate. And there’s the mysterious, rapid cultural change of learned songs throughout the breeding range. And the case of unused songs, blurted out every once in a while. Warblers rock!
An eBird Evening with Dr. Andy Jones and Jason Guerard

eBird has become the go-to resource for keeping your bird observations in one easy to use database. It’s a wealth of information and an increasingly powerful tool that is useful to birders on a local, state, and national level.

​As eBird records reviewers, Andy & Jason will give insight into the review process and what to expect if your record is flagged. 
Date: TBD
Time: 07:00 PM EST
​Duration: 45 min with a 15 min Q&A
About Andy
Dr. Andy Jones is an expert on birds and their evolutionary history. He specializes in comparative phylogeography, a field that compares the geographic patterns of genetic variation among populations of a species with those of other species occupying the same habitat. These comparisons can answer questions about how ecological and evolutionary processes have influenced the distribution of species across a geographic region. The patterns of genetic variation can also determine the relatedness of populations within a species, in some cases showing that a single species is actually two or more.
 
As a high-schooler, Jones was an avid birder. He was curious, though, about why the scientific names of the birds in his field guides sometimes changed. His interest in finding the answer was in part what led him to the work he’s now pursuing.
 
Jones made his first discoveries in this field as a graduate student. He conducted genetic analyses of tissue samples of seven bird species of the Philippines, taken from collections at various museums. In each of these species, he determined that each island population in this archipelago had evolved in isolation from each other—often for millions of years. The evolution and taxonomy of Philippine birds remains one of his research interests.
 
Since joining the Museum in 2006, Jones has also conducted research on the comparative phylogeography of bird species in the Appalachian Mountains. He is investigating how populations of bird species found in a high-elevation habitat called the Canadian Zone compare genetically with populations found in similar habitats at lower elevations farther north in the boreal forests of Canada. The results are helping to explain how those species, which include Black-capped Chickadee, Veery and Black-throated Green Warbler, responded to habitat changes during and after the last ice age. As an offshoot of this research, Jones is investigating whether geographically isolated populations of the Black-throated Green Warbler constitute a separate subspecies that merits conservation measures.
 
Jones’ research interests have broadened during his years at the Museum. His participation as a co-instructor for John Carroll University’s tropical field biology course takes him to the rainforest of Costa Rica at least once annually. This opportunity has opened an opportunity to study motmots. These colorful kingfisher-like birds have been observed hunting poison dart frogs, a surprising diversion from their usual diet of insects, lizards and fruit.soon!
About Jason
​Jason Guerard is a native Floridian who grew up exploring the woods and family farm, which became the basis for his love of the outdoors and environmental ethic. He earned a degree from Northland College in Ashland, WI, majoring in Outdoor Education/Natural History. Jason brings a diverse background of rich experiences to the Outreach Director position including research, environmental education, and retail management. He spent a number of summers working at the Audubon Camp in Maine on Hog Island, where he was instrumental in delivering ornithological programs along Maine’s mid-coast to teens, families, and adults. While working with the University of Maryland, he studied Grasshopper Sparrows on a restored grassland on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Jason has spent more hours than he can count scanning the skies atop hawkwatch platforms such as Braddock Bay in Hilton, NY and Cape May, NJ. He returned to Cape May years later to live and bird year round while working for the Cape May Bird Observatory as the Sale Manager of the Northwood Center nature store. Jason has an extensive background in bird monitoring (he is a US Army Corps of Engineers certified bird monitor), guiding/leading field trips, and brings ten years of bird banding experience. He has led a World Series of Birding team to victory (more than once), enjoys photographing nature, and loves to share his passion for birds with the community he surrounds himself with. Most of all, he enjoys spending time outside with his family.
Registration Will
Open SOON
Discussion will include: 
  • Date entry tips and shortcuts
  • The various types of data output available (maps, bar charts, graphs, and count data)
  • How birders can use this data to further their personal knowledge of avian status and distributions locally and nationally​
​
  • How eBird is useful for the traveling birder and those searching to find specific species in their own region
  • Sharing eBird checklists and the importance of sharing checklists
Birds and People: A Powerful Connection
​with Kimberly Kaufman 

With rich, vibrant colors, beautiful and bizarre songs, intricate nests, and astonishing feats of migration, birds enrich our lives in myriad ways. In this lively and beautifully illustrated presentation, Kimberly Kaufman will explore a few of the reasons she believes birds captivate us beyond any other aspect of nature, and why natural areas are essential components of our quality of life.
Date: Saturday, December 19
Time: 07:00 PM EST
Duration: 45 min with a 15 min Q&A
About Kimberly
Kimberly Kaufman is an Ohio native whose lifelong love of the outdoors grew into a passion for birds in the 1990s. She monitored nesting Bald Eagles for the Ohio Division of Wildlife and ran bluebird trails before she began banding migrant songbirds for the Black Swamp Bird Observatory (BSBO). Kim became the observatory's education director in 2005 and then executive director in 2009, a position she still holds. Kim played a key role in starting the highly successful Ohio Young Birders Club, a group for teenagers that has served as a model for youth programs. She also co-founded The Biggest Week In American Birding, now one of the largest spring birding event on the continent. She is a contributing editor to Birds & Blooms magazine and coauthor of the Kaufman Field Guide to Nature of New England and Kaufman Field Guide to Nature of the Midwest. In 2015, Kimberly received the American Birding Association's prestigious Chandler Robbins Award in recognition of her contributions to bird education and conservation. 
Registration Will
Open SOON