The Delaware Country Bird Club, founded by Edward Burtt, PhD, is beginning its' 30th year of dynamic programs, monthly newsletters and fellowship. Please note the meetings will be held at the lodge classroom at Deer Haven Preserve located at 4183 Liberty Road, Delaware, OH 43015. Thank you to Preservation Parks of Delaware County for allowing our bird club to meet at this exciting new location. Deer Haven Preserve is adjacent to Liberty Township's Havener Park. The two parks share a main access driveway and walking trails are connected, providing about 3 miles of trails between the two parks. Leashed pets are allowed on the trails, except for along the Tree Swallow Trail, which is within the Bird Sanctuary. The Deer Haven property was donated to Preservation Parks in 2006 by Phyllis A. Havener and her family. The park is home to the Amy Clark/Bader Bird Sanctuary. John W. Bader Jr. donated funds to the Park District to develop the Bird Sanctuary in his wife's honor. The park was opened to the public in 2008, and The Lodge nature center opened in 2009. Dates can be found on the Preservation Parks Calendar at this link: http://www.preservationparks.com/events-calendar/ and on the Columbus Audubon Calendar of Events: http://www.columbusaudubon.org/index.php/events-calendar/columbus-audubon-ca lendar-view Social time and refreshments begin at 7:00 PM; the meetings and programs start at 7:30 PM. September 28th: "Strangers in Paradise: How Birds Change in Their New Island Homes" - Dr. Blake Mathys, Ohio Dominican University. Humans have moved many species of birds around the world; islands have been especially welcoming to these avian invaders. Dr. Mathys captured birds from these introduced island populations and compared their body sizes and dimensions to individuals from their native ranges. Many of the island birds have changed, although not necessarily in the ways that one would have expected. His research has shown that introduced species can very quickly develop new body dimensions in unfamiliar habitats, and he was also able to encounter many interesting animals, people and places during his time doing field work. Blake Mathys has always been interested in nature and animals. He majored in Biology at Ohio Northern University with a minor in Field Biology. Following graduation he spent a couple of years working as a roaming field biologist monitoring elephant seals in California and endangered sparrows in the Florida. Everglades and migrating raptors in Washington state. His Ph.D. research at Rutgers University focused on birds introduced to islands. For the last three years he has been Assistant Professor of Environmental Science at Ohio Dominican University and has been enjoying the opportunity to expose undergraduate students to the exciting natural world around them. We have a very robust and information filled newsletter and wish to thank our editor Christina Voise. If you wish to receive the newsletter, please email her at [log in to unmask] Next program: October 26th: "Full Annual Cycle Research in the Birds of Ohio" - Dr. Chris Tonra, The Ohio State University. Delaware County Bird Club Staff: Program Coordinators: Darlene Sillick & Rich Bradley & Amy Tovar Newsletter Editor: Christina Voise ( <mailto:[log in to unmask]> [log in to unmask]) Reporters: Dick Tuttle and Ed Lux ______________________________________________________________________ Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. Please consider joining our Society, at www.ohiobirds.org/site/membership.php. Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list. You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at: listserv.miamioh.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]