Folks, The following are the New Haven Bird Club's activities for October. Thanks, Larry Bausher, West Haven NHBC Publicity Director Indoor Meeting: Thursday, October 14 — Kevin Burgio. Monk Parakeets in Connecticut: What Are They Doing Here? 7:30 PM. Refreshments and social half-hour at 7:00 PM. The Jones Auditorium of the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, 123 Huntington St., New Haven, CT. Free and open to the public. For more information: www.newhavenbirdclub.org or call 203.288.3087. Some people consider Monk Parakeets pests; others consider them unique and beautiful. But however they are viewed, they’re building large stick nests along the coast, often on utility poles, where the nests sometimes cause power outages and fires. Our speaker, Kevin Burgio, an ecology and evolutionary biology Ph.D candidate at UConn, has been studying Monk Parakeets since his undergraduate days. The goal of his continuing research is to develop a non-lethal, safe, and cost-effective method to prevent Monk Parakeets from nesting on the poles, thus alleviating the clash between the birds, utility companies, and a public concerned with safety. Tonight Kevin will use photographs, graphs, and video footage to illustrate his research. He’ll also provide background information on the biology of the parakeets, suggest how they initially came to North America, and describe past and present management tactics. The talk will provide interesting data to help answer the question, “Where will the Monk Parakeets go from here?” Field Trips: Kellogg Environmental Center/Osbornedale State Park, Derby. Saturday, Oct 2, 8:00 AM. Free and open to the public. The park supports a wide variety of birds, from Pileated Woodpecker and Green Heron to Bald Eagle and warblers. Rarities have occurred here, most notably the Western Flycatcher a few years ago, a first state record. Habitat includes two small ponds, meadows, low brush, and trees. Note: It can take up to 2 hours to walk the pond area. An extended bird walk will be offered along the red trail, which can take 1-2 additional hours, depending on activity. This portion of the walk has two steep hills and will take us to an area that can have very good birding. Meet at the Kellogg parking lot: 500 Hawthorne Ave., Derby. Leader—Maria Stockmal: 203.488.3876, m.stockmal@snet.net Connecticut Ornithological Association Sparrow Workshop, Silver Sands State Park, Milford. Free and open to the public. Sunday, October 3, 8:00 AM. (Rain date: Oct 17) Join Frank Mantlik and other top birders to study the finer points of sparrow identification. No pre-registration is necessary. The workshop is free and open to the public. Contact—Tina Green: 203.247.2660, tina@renaissancestudios.com First Wednesday Walk : Osbornedale State Park, Derby. Free and open to the public. Wednesday, October 6, 8:00 AM Join us as we visit this fine birding location. Its varied habitat includes freshwater ponds, fields, and woods, and attracts shorebirds, waterfowl, raptors, and songbirds. Rarities have occurred here, most notably the Western Flycatcher, a first state record, found a few years ago. Leader is Roy Harvey. Meet at the Kellogg Environmental Center parking lot, 500 Hawthorne Avenue, Derby. Contact—Tina Green: 203.247.2660, tina@renaissancestudios.com THE BIG SIT! Sunday, October 10. Free and open to the public. Established by NHBC, The Big Sit!® has become an international event, with birders participating on four continents. The object is to record as many species of birds as possible in a single day from one 17-foot diameter circle. The circles for the event are located strategically at a number of birding hot spots throughout the state. Join other birders in one of these circles or create your own. For further information, go to the Birders' Digest website, <birdwatchersdigest.com> , or contact John Triana at 203 758-7203 or jtriana1@sbcglobal.net. Evergreen Cemetery, New Haven. Sunday, October 17, 8:00 AM. Free and open to the public. Cemeteries can be great places to bird. Join us as we look for fall migrants in the historic and serene setting of Evergreen Cemetery. And as we look for birds on their migration south, we'll visit the gravesites of several former NHBC members. A cemetery administrator, as our guest speaker, will tell us about Evergreen’s notable history. This is a great trip for all as the walking is easy, on flat ground. Meet at the parking lot outside the cemetery's office on Ella Grasso Boulevard. Leader—John Triana: 203.758.7203, jtriana1@sbcglobal.net. Hammonasset State Park, Madison. Free and open to the public. Saturday, October 23, 8:00 AM. Visit one of Connecticut's best fall birding spots, where the abundance of some migrants and sightings of less common species can make for a truly memorable trip. The walking is easy, as it is on level ground. Meet at the park entrance (I-95 to exit 62 and follow the connector to the park). Leader: Flo McBride: 203 288-6777 or jmcbride@yale.edu.