May 13 - Chickens, Grouse, and Cranes....Oh My!
But first, the annual business meeting, with officer and board elections
Join BBC member Pam Spaulding on a photographic journey into the heart of spring, where prairie-chickens and grouse perform their ancient dances upon the leks.
As winter loosens its grip, thousands of migrating Sandhill Cranes gather along the timeless flow of Nebraska's Platte River.
Witness the rituals of these four wild species--and if you haven't seen them in person, Pam's spectacular photos will make you want to make the trip next year.
Before Pam's presentation, the Beckham Bird Club will conduct its annual business meeting, which includes election of officers and directors.
The Nominating Committee has put forth the following slate:
○ President: Meg Brown
○ Vice-President: Kevin Flowers
○ Treasurer: Steve Brown
○ Secretary: Pam Spaulding
○ Director: Karen Bonsell
○ Director: Christine Hayden
○ Donovan Jones and Carol Besse will continue to serve until 2026, when their terms expire.
Our meeting is on Tuesday, May 13 at 7:00 p.m. at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 2822 Frankfort Ave, Louisville, KY 40206, 38.254256, -85.689458. St. Mark’s is at the corner of Frankfort Avenue and Kennedy Ave. Please enter by way of the back door near the parking.
As winter loosens its grip, thousands of migrating Sandhill Cranes gather along the timeless flow of Nebraska's Platte River.
Witness the rituals of these four wild species--and if you haven't seen them in person, Pam's spectacular photos will make you want to make the trip next year.
Before Pam's presentation, the Beckham Bird Club will conduct its annual business meeting, which includes election of officers and directors.
The Nominating Committee has put forth the following slate:
○ President: Meg Brown
○ Vice-President: Kevin Flowers
○ Treasurer: Steve Brown
○ Secretary: Pam Spaulding
○ Director: Karen Bonsell
○ Director: Christine Hayden
○ Donovan Jones and Carol Besse will continue to serve until 2026, when their terms expire.
Our meeting is on Tuesday, May 13 at 7:00 p.m. at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 2822 Frankfort Ave, Louisville, KY 40206, 38.254256, -85.689458. St. Mark’s is at the corner of Frankfort Avenue and Kennedy Ave. Please enter by way of the back door near the parking.
LIGHTS OUT, LOUISVILLE!!
The Beckham Bird Club and the Louisville Audubon Society ask for your help in protecting birds during peak Spring migration – April to the end of May – simply by turning off all non-essential lights from 11:00 p.m. - 6:00 a.m. Because most birds migrate at night – navigating by the moon and stars helps orient them in darkness – bright lights from city glow attracts and disorients them and increases their vulnerability to collisions with buildings. Survivors of building strikes may find themselves on the ground and then face additional daytime hazards – foot traffic, predators and traffic. An estimated 1 billion birds die annually from building collisions. You can help dramatically reduce the hazards from light pollution for nocturnally migrating birds by turning off all non-essential lighting. To learn more visit lightsoutlouisville.org
HOW TO BECOME A MEMBER OF THE BECKHAM BIRD CLUB
Here are the Top Five Reasons to become a BBC member for 2025 (and every year thereafter):
1. Support BBC programming. Your dues pay for our meeting venues, speaker fees and support BBC activities such as the picnic and annual dinner.
2. Stay informed about what the BBC will be doing in 2025. Renewing your membership means you will continue receiving the newsletter and other updates.
3. Your dues help BBC remain visible in the community by paying the costs of the BBC website.
4. Your dues pay for printing the BBC membership directory and allow us to periodically update our technology (laptop, projector, etc.).
5. MOST IMPORTANT REASON: You reap the psychic reward of being a part of and supporting a great organization.
TOP TWO REASONS TO JOIN OR RENEW IMMEDIATELY:
1. It helps the BBC budget.
2. It's good for the environment.
Here's a handy guide to the renewing or restoring or starting your membership in the Beckham Bird Club.
Memberships are for the calendar year and dues are due by January 1. However, if you are joining for the first time or rejoining after a lapse in membership, paying your dues after October 1 also gets you a membership for the following year.
You may join either directly through this website using PayPal or credit card or, if you want to pay by check, by downloading, printing and sending in the membership form, which is also on the website.
Here are the details:
BBC MEMBERSHIP FORM DOWNLOAD LINK
The BBC board encourages you to renew early and hopes that you will encourage non-member birders or bird lovers of your acquaintance to join.
1. Support BBC programming. Your dues pay for our meeting venues, speaker fees and support BBC activities such as the picnic and annual dinner.
2. Stay informed about what the BBC will be doing in 2025. Renewing your membership means you will continue receiving the newsletter and other updates.
3. Your dues help BBC remain visible in the community by paying the costs of the BBC website.
4. Your dues pay for printing the BBC membership directory and allow us to periodically update our technology (laptop, projector, etc.).
5. MOST IMPORTANT REASON: You reap the psychic reward of being a part of and supporting a great organization.
TOP TWO REASONS TO JOIN OR RENEW IMMEDIATELY:
1. It helps the BBC budget.
2. It's good for the environment.
Here's a handy guide to the renewing or restoring or starting your membership in the Beckham Bird Club.
Memberships are for the calendar year and dues are due by January 1. However, if you are joining for the first time or rejoining after a lapse in membership, paying your dues after October 1 also gets you a membership for the following year.
You may join either directly through this website using PayPal or credit card or, if you want to pay by check, by downloading, printing and sending in the membership form, which is also on the website.
Here are the details:
- Go the membership tab at the top of this page.
- You will see a list of membership categories, with the dues for each and a yellow button that says “Donate.”
- Click on the button. It will take you to PayPal.
- Enter the amount you wish to pay (we encourage you to renew at the highest level you can) and then DESIGNATE YOUR CONTRIBUTION FOR MEMBERSHIP (this is the default choice). THIS IS SO WE KNOW YOU ARE PAYING DUES, RATHER THAN MAKING A DONATION.
- IMPORTANT TO NOTE: Dues payments in excess of the amount for the membership category specified will be deposited into the general fund unless otherwise designated by the member making the payment. In other words, if you sign up as a contributing member at the $30 dues level, but pay $50, the extra $20 will go to the general fund, unless you designate for another purpose, such as Birdathon. SINCE PAYPAL TAKES A CUT OF YOUR DUES AS A PROCESSING FEE, PLEASE CONSIDER ADDING AN EXTRA 5% TO YOUR DUES PAYMENT TO OFFSET THE FEE.
- Select payment either through your PayPal account, if you have one, or by credit card.
- If you select credit card payment, you will be asked for credit card information, including your name and address, (don’t worry, it’s a secure site) and then be asked to create a PayPal account. Doing so will simplify the process next time. (Just remember to write down your password and save it where it can be relocated.)
- IF YOU HAVE BEEN A MEMBER BEFORE AND HAVE NEW CONTACT INFORMATION (ADDRESS, EMAIL, PHONE), YOU CAN ADD A NOTE LETTING US KNOW. PLEASE DO SO.
- YOU ALSO MAY SHARE YOUR ADDRESS WITH BBC BY CHECKING THE BOX THAT SENDS IT TO US TO ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR GIFT.
- Complete the transaction by following the PayPal prompts. You will get an email confirmation of your payment.
- AND JUST IN CASE, please take the following IMPORTANT STEP: Please email your name, address, email and telephone number to [email protected] so we can keep our membership roster up to date.
BBC MEMBERSHIP FORM DOWNLOAD LINK
The BBC board encourages you to renew early and hopes that you will encourage non-member birders or bird lovers of your acquaintance to join.
A MESSAGE FROM THE BBC BOARD
In response to member concerns and after careful consideration, the Beckham Bird Club board has determined that field trips will now be no-smoking and no-vaping events. The current policy of asking participants who smoke and vape to step away from the main group has proven both ineffective and unworkable. Therefore, effective immediately, participants are asked to refrain from smoking or vaping for the duration of the field trip. We thank you in advance for your cooperation.
In response to member concerns and after careful consideration, the Beckham Bird Club board has determined that field trips will now be no-smoking and no-vaping events. The current policy of asking participants who smoke and vape to step away from the main group has proven both ineffective and unworkable. Therefore, effective immediately, participants are asked to refrain from smoking or vaping for the duration of the field trip. We thank you in advance for your cooperation.
How to Get Involved With Birds and Birding
- Attend Beckham Bird Club meetings, especially if you have never been to one.
- Come along on a Beckham Bird Club field trip, especially if you have never been on one.
- After doing the first two things on this list, join the Beckham Bird Club. It's easy to do on this website from the Membership tab
- Obtain a good pair of binoculars and both a hard copy and phone app field guide. Use them frequently.
- Join the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology's eBird and Merlin sites. They're free and easy to use, and they are a great way to record your bird observations and find and identify birds.
- If you have a yard, research how to make it bird friendly by adding native plants, feeders and water sources.
- Make your home bird safe by turning off unneeded indoor and outside lights, especially during migration, closing blinds, and applying decals to make windows more visible to birds to reduce collisions.
- Join the Kentucky Ornithological Society (KOS).
- Subscribe to the birdKY listserv via KOS. It's a great way to know what's going on with birds in Kentucky.
- Attend one of the KOS meetings in April or September.
- Donate to the BBC Birdathon.
- Familiarize yourself with the American Birding Association's Code of Birding Ethics (see Birding Ethics under the Conservation tab above) and adhere to it when birding.
- Get out and bird in one of Kentucky's least-birded counties. Kentucky has a substantial portion of the counties with the fewest eBird checklists. You can help fix that.
- Attend a birding festival in Kentucky or elsewhere.
- Take a child birding.
- Donate your old/unused binoculars and scopes to nature centers, school groups interested in birding.
- Bird, bird, and bird some more.