Meeting Minutes

The meeting was called to order at 7:00 by Vice-president Vic Laubach.

Membership: Four new members were announced. Current membership is 202.
Recent Sightings: White-throated Sparrows and Juncos are still here. Waterthrushes and warblers are starting to arrive. Also seen have been a Solitary Sandpiper, Bonaparte’s Gulls, a Eurasian Collared Dove, a Western Tanager, and Ruby-crowned Kinglets. One Ruby-throated Hummingbird was seen in Greenville.
Field Trips: (1) McCormick Farm on April 22 with Jo King. (2) Augusta Springs on April 25 with Rich Wood. (3) Springdale Water Garden on May 8 with Tish Folsom. (4) Bells Lane on May 4 with Penny Warren. (5) Blue Ridge Parkway on May 2 with Andrew Clem.
Community Events: The ABC will have booths at Earth Day in Staunton on April 25 and Riverfest in Waynesboro on May 2.
Barn Owl Project: ABC members Antonio Martinez, Rich Wood and others are initiating a nesting box project to increase nesting habitat for Barn Owls. Antonio has made one box that was installed in a local barn in March. Discussion ensued about how to create more boxes and to work with local land owners to install them.
Packs and Tracks: This organization has 2 motorized trail chairs to loan to anyone wanting to go on hikes but has mobility issues. Rich Wood and Antonio Martinez tried one out on trails at Augusta Springs and found it easy to use and applicable to areas not too steep or with difficult obstacles. The club needs to advertise this service and make it available for appropriate hikes.
Birds and Brews: The next B and B will be at Ann C line’s house on April 29 at 5:30 pm. B and B will continue through the summer.

Our May meeting will be a hike and brunch at McCormick Farm on May 16.

Officer Elections: Andrew Clem made a motion and Allen Larner seconded to elect the following members to board positions for 1 year: Vic Laubach for vice-president, Marilyn Nash for secretary, Mona Bearor for treasurer. There were no nominees for president. The motion passed unanimously.
Program: Steven David Johnson gave a remarkable program, “River and Pond Conservation Photography”. Steven is a renowned wildlife photographer with a specialty in underwater photography.

The meeting adjourned at 8:30 pm. Submitted by Marilyn Nash, Secretary

The meeting was called to order at 7:04 pm by Vice-president Vic Laubach.
Membership: Mona Bearor reported the club currently has 199 members. She was also asked about our January donation drive for the Wildlife Center of Virginia. Mona reported a very productive amount of cleaning products, pet food, seed, baby food, and monetary donations were collected and the WCV was very appreciative.
Sightings: Birds are starting to become more active. Sightings include Woodcock, Tundra Swan, Cormorant, Tree Swallows, Catbird, Pine Warblers, Brown Creeper, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Chipping Sparrow, Wood Ducks, Eagles, Great Horned Owls, Goldfinches, and a Crested Caracara in Rockingham County.
Field Trips: Jo King will lead a hike at McCormick’s Farm on 3/11, Tish Folsom will lead a hike at Spring Dale Water Gardens on 3/13. Allen Larner will lead folks to Highland County on 3/21, and Andrew Clem will lead a hike to the Boy Scout Camp on 3/28.
Education and Conservation: ABC members have been assisting a veteran create bird/wildlife habitat at the newly established Veteran’s Community Garden near the Frontier Culture Museum in Staunton.

The ABC will have booths at 2 upcoming community events: Earth Day in Staunton on 4/25 and Riverfest in Waynesboro on 5/2. Volunteer help is needed for Riverfest.

Program: Linda Matkins gave us a wonderful program on Sea Turtle Nest Monitoring in North Carolina.

The meeting adjourned at 8:30 pm.
Respectfully submitted,
Marilyn Nash, Secretary

The meeting was called to order at 7:00 pm by Vice-president Vic Laubach.
Former ABC President Jack Holt is doing well after surgery.
Antonio Martinez announced that Friends of the Middle River is inviting the ABC to a spring float/birding trip. Details will be forthcoming.
Field Trips: Jo King will lead a trip to McCormick’s Farm on 2/18/26. Penny Warren will lead a trip to Bells Lane in Staunton on 2/20/26. Three members took a pelagic trip to the Outer Banks and in spite of extremely cold weather found Dovekies, Razorbills,
Skuas, gulls, Gannets and more.
January 2026 Challenge: Robyn Puffenbarger reported that 10 ABC members accepted a challenge to find 100 species during the month of January in the Augusta County/Waynesboro/Staunton area. Seven members succeeded and found it to be a fun adventure that made the cold days of January go faster. Next year there will be more information for anyone that wants to participate.
Christmas Bird Counts: The Augusta CBC found 78 species with a highlight being a Tennessee Warbler. The Waynesboro CBC found 67 species with a Merlin and Peregrine Falcon being highlights. Weather was challenging and likely contributed to lower-than-normal numbers.
Programs: Lynne Parks and Marilyn Nash gave a beginner birding talk at the Staunton Public Library. Rich Wood gave a talk through the Augusta Parks and Rec Department on owls.
Nature Camp: Scholarships were awarded to 8 students for the camp this summer. These scholarships are made possible by funds raised through the fall annual seed sale.
Program: Andrew Rapp of the Coastal Virginia Wildlife Observatory shared information about several important and fascinating research projects being conducted. Among them are the Kiptopeke Hawk Watch, Sunset Beach Morning Flight (another migration count), College Creek Hawk Watch in the spring, Monarch Migration, Craney Island Waterbird Count, and a Pollinator Project.
The meeting adjourned at 8:30 pm. Submitted by Marilyn Nash, Secretary

The evening began at 6:00 with a potluck hors d’oeuvre social. This took the place of our usual December holiday dinner which was cancelled due to weather. Door prizes were distributed by Linda Matkins to the delight of all. Donations were collected to deliver to The Wildlife Center of Virginia. The meeting was called to order at 6:53pm by Vice-president Vic Laubach.
Membership: Mona Bearor reported we currently have 234 members. Not all have renewed their membership and will be removed from the list in March if they don’t renew. To better understand why people don’t renew Rich Wood is going to prepare a letter seeking information from non-renewers.
Recent local sightings: Sandhill Cranes are at Bell’s Lane and a Peregrine Falcon was seen at Ridgeview Park in Waynesboro. Also seen locally are Short-eared Owls, a Snow Goose, Ross’s Goose and a Tennessee Warbler.
Field Trip: Jo King will lead a walk at McCormick’s Farm on January 21.
We still have a few “Birds of Augusta County”, edited by Allen Larner. See Mona if you want to purchase one.
The Virginia Society of Ornithology has completed the second Virginia Breeding Bird Survey. It is available on their website. The ABC contributed financially and with information to this survey.
Christmas Bird Counts: Data is still being tallied, but the Augusta count estimates seeing/hearing 68-70 species. Information from the Waynesboro count will be forthcoming.
Seed Sale: Profits from the very successful sale are approximately $9,000. This money will provide scholarships for Nature Camp.
Education: On 2/6 Rich Wood will give an Owl Program through the Augusta Parks and Recreation Department. On February 9, Lynne Parks and Marilyn Nash will give a beginner birding program at the Staunton Library.
Program: “When Birds Collide” was presented through zoom by Carla Dove from the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. Dr. Dove demonstrated how her department identifies birds that have collided with airplanes. Through this work airports are better able to decrease these dangerous collisions for both planes and birds. Methods include altering habitat around airports so birds are not attracted to the area, scheduling flights at times that decrease risk, employing dogs to clear runways, etc. A new book by Chris Sweeney, “The Feather Detective” explores the life of Roxie Laybourne, the pioneer in forensic ornithology and mentor to Dr. Dove.
The meeting adjourned at 8:20 pm. Submitted by: Marilyn Nash, Secretary

The meeting was called to order at 7:00 pm by Vice-president Vic Laubach.
New member Luanne Goodloe was welcomed.
Recent sightings: Six Cattle Egrets were seen in Verona, and a Rough-legged Hawk seen on Guthrie Rd. in Stuarts Draft. Hooded Mergansers, American Pipits, a Fox Sparrow, and Lapland Longspur have also been seen recently in the area. The Hawk Watch witnessed 220 Cormorants and 18 Bald Eagles in one day. They have also seen Ring-billed Gulls and 3 Herring Gulls.
Field Trips: A highlight this month was a trip to Highland Retreat banding station to see Northern Saw-whet Owls. Robyn Puffenbarger coordinated this event and hopes to make it an annual trip. Participants were treated to the banding of several of these charismatic little owls. Additional trips this month will be to McCormick Farm, Chimney Hollow, and Bells Lane.
Christmas Bird Counts: This year the Augusta CBC will be December 14 and coordinated by Allen Larner. The Waynesboro CBC will be January 4 and coordinated by Crista Cabe.
Bird Seed Sale: The sale was another huge success with over 9 tons of seed sold. The Expo pick-up site in Fishersville went very smoothly and in addition to ABC volunteers, there were several enthusiastic and very helpful Nature Camp scholarship recipients helping.
Holiday Party: The annual ABC holiday party will be December 8 at 6:30. Members are asked to bring side dishes and the club will provide meat and drinks. Door prizes are always a highlight of the evening. We will again be collecting items to donate to the Wildlife Center. More information will be forthcoming. The WC treats thousands of injured and orphaned birds every year and they appreciate our support.
Virginia Society of Ornithology – The second Breeding Bird Atlas has been completed and is now online. 203 species have been found to breed in Virginia.
Program: Bruce Beehler presented “Flight of the Godwit: Traveling in Search of the Hudsonian Godwit”. We learned that Godwits are “super migrators” traveling between northern Alaska / northwest territories of Canada all the way to Chile and Argentina. These amazing birds can live up to 25 years.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:25 pm. Submitted by Marilyn Nash, Secretary

The meeting was called to order at 7:00 by former president Rich Wood.
Field Trips: Recent trips have been to Madison Run, Augusta Springs, Route 610, and McCormick Farm. Sightings include a Yellow-breasted Chat, Least Flycatcher, Philadelphia Vireo and Bald Eagles. Lots of warblers are being seen including a Black-throated Blue. Linda Matkins had a Peregrine Falcon in her yard.
Seed Sale: Crista reported that the seed sale information is now on our website. The 10/31/25 deadline for ordering is earlier this year. Volunteers are needed the day of pickup on November 8^th at Expo. Three Nature Camp Scholarship recipients will be there to help.
Birds of Augusta County: The updated Birds of Augusta County publication, edited by Allen Larner is now available for purchase for $14.00. Pre-sales were robust.
Membership: We now have 218 members. Everyone was encouraged to renew their membership when ordering seed.
Holiday Party: Our annual party will be December 8, 6:30 at Covenant Presbyterian Church. The club will provide drinks and main course and everyone is asked to bring a side dish or dessert. We will be collecting items to donate to The Wildlife Center. More details will be forthcoming.
Nature Camp: Applications are now being accepted for the 2026 camp sessions. The application and more information is on our website.
Birds and Brews will resume in the spring.
Program: Rich Wood gave the presentation, “A Trek Through the Canadian Rockies”. Rich and wife Theresa enjoyed a trip to Calgary, Alberta, and British Columbia. The scenery was spectacular. They learned that Canadians and visitors love their wild places and many of those places can be quite crowded, but well worth seeing.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:15 pm. Submitted by Marilyn Nash, Secretary

The meeting was called to order at 7:05 by Vice-President Vic Laubach.
Recent Sightings: A variety of birds are being seen locally, including a Golden Eagle. On Rt. 610 many warblers were seen including a Yellow-throated, Canada, Blackburnian, and Chestnut-sided. A Blue-winged warbler was seen at the hawk watch along with Blue Grosbeaks.
Field Trips: In August Jo King reported 44 species at McCormick Farm including 5 swallow species. Upcoming trips include Rt. 610, Augusta Springs, and Chimney Hollow. Information will be on the website.Membership: Ramona Bearor reports we are now up to 219 members, including 10 that joined over the summer.Hospitality: The next Birds and Brews will be at Plaza Antigua on 9/23.
Bird Seed Sale: Crista Cabe reported that the online store will be up and running soon. Seed pick-up will be on November 8th at Expo. Volunteers are needed to help.
Conservation: The native plant gardens at the Augusta County Library and Montgomery Hall Park are doing well due to hard work by Lynne Parks and Ann Cline. Lynne and husband Chris have been completing bird surveys at the Lyndhurst Ponds for the Department of Wildlife Resources in their efforts to improve habitat.
Education: (1) Nature Camp applications will be on our website soon. The application deadline is December 15th. (2) Rich Wood will be conducting a 4-week Beginning Birding Class in October through the Augusta County Parks Department. There will be 3 weeks of class and then a field trip. The club bought binoculars for anyone to borrow that needs a pair. (3) Rich is editor of our newsletter which will be published quarterly.
Hawk Watch: The Hawk Watch began August 15 and will continue through November 30th. 482 raptors have been counted so far with Ospreys and Bald Eagles doing well. Two Mississippi Kites, 1 Golden Eagle, and 1 Merlin have been counted. Vic shared that usually the third week of September brings the most birds, with a majority of those being Broad-winged Hawks. The most variety of birds is usually seen the first week of October.
Birds of Augusta County: The records for the 5th edition of the Birds of Augusta County has been compiled by Allen Larner and Mona Bearor is coordinating the printing. Pre-orders are being taken.
Blue Ridge Packs and Tracks: Paige French represented this non-profit organization that provides Track chairs for hiking, hunting, birding and other outdoor activities for those that have mobility issues and otherwise might not be able to be active outside. They are an all -volunteer organization and provide an attendant for those using the chairs. The chairs are suitable for a variety of ages. Paige brought one of their 2 chairs for all to see. The ABC gave a generous donation in support of this work.
Program: Flight Risk: Bird/Glass Collisions. Lynne Parks gave a sobering program on the 1 billion birds, primarily song birds during migration, that die every year from glass collisions. Surprisingly more die from low-rise buildings with 1-6 floors and our homes, rather than the high-rises that we might expect. 107 different species have been documented losing their lives for this reason. We learned that birds that are stunned, rather than die outright, might fly away but actually highly likely to die later due to injuries not readily evident. If you find a stunned bird, it’s important to get it to a wildlife rehabilitator as soon as possible. Fortunately, there are things we can all do to decrease glass collisions: (1) Turn off outside lights between 10 pm and 6 am during migration season (2) Any outside lights that must be left on should face downward rather that up to the sky. Blue LED lights are worse for birds than warmer colored bulbs. (3) Use motion sensors to turn on outside lights so the lights aren’t on continually. (4) Place bird feeders either within 3 feet of a window or 30 feet away from the window. (5) There are a variety of ways to treat the outside of glass to prevent collisions, such as markings on the glass including decals and dots, Acopian BirdSavers (hanging cords) or other hanging objects, create patterns on the glass with soap or tempura paint, UV reflective glass, patterned film applications, and window screens. You can also close blinds and move plants away from the window. “Lights Out Baltimore”, StopBirdCollisions.org, The National Audubon Society, and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, are all good resources for how to decrease bird/glass collisions.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:40 pm. Submitted by Marilyn Nash, Secretary