November 3, 2008:  South Africa in Spring (Actually Fall)

Dr. Dennis Paulson

Dennis Paulson showed us a dazzling array of bird species from his two weeks in Namibia in April 2008, and now he's going to follow up with photos from another two weeks spent in South Africa on the same trip. He and his wife visited the highlands of that country for a few days, then dropped down to the coastal plain of KwaZulu-Natal all the way to the Indian Ocean. While visiting numerous game preserves, some of them among the most famous in the world, they observed and photographed many species of birds as well as some of the charistmatic mammals for which the continent is famous. And don't be surprised at photos of dragonflies and other smaller creatures they encountered.

January 5, 2009:  The Birds of Marymoor Park

Michael Hobbs

Michael Hobbs will discuss the birds of Marymoor Park.  Michael has been conducting a weekly, year-round bird survey at this popular King County park since April 1994.  His walks started out as solo jaunts, but for most of the trips, he's been joined by Brian Bell.  In recent years, he's opened up the walks to many birders, but the focus remains on trying to see and document as many birds and bird species as possible - to date, some 850 visits and 204 species.  Michael will present a virtual tour with maps and photos, as well as information about the birds and their status.  Additionally, he'll discuss his ideas about the process of censusing birds and the analysis of the data collected.  Michael has been birding in Washington State for over 20 years, and is a Seattle Audubon Master Birder.  He's been on the Board of the Friends of Marymoor Park since its inception over a decade ago, and has long been an active volunteer with WOS.

February 2, 2009: Biological and Political Impacts of Barred Owls in the Pacific Northwest

Lisa Hayward

Lisa Hayward has been studying Spotted Owls in Northern California for four years as a post-doctoral research associate in the Center for Conservation Biology at the University of Washington. At the February WOS Meeting, she will talk about the recent spread of Barred Owls through the range of the Spotted Owl, how Barred Owls affect Spotted Owls, and how managers and policy makers are responding.

March 2, 2009: The Owl and The Woodpecker:

Encounters with North America's Most Iconic Birds
Paul Bannick

Award-winning photographer Paul Bannick will take you on a visual journey of 11 key North American habitats through the needs of all 41 of North America's owl and woodpecker species.  This stunning photographic study will be accompanied by field stories, and rich natural history derived from thousands of hours in the field. His talk will look at the way owls and woodpeckers define and enrich their habitat and how their life-histories are intertwined.

Paul Bannick specializes in the natural history of North America, with a special focus on his beloved Pacific Northwest. Paul has coupled his love of the outdoors with his skill as a photographer to create images intended to foster intimacy between the viewer and subject in order to inspire education and conservation.

To see samples from his book, The Owl and the Woodpecker, click here.

April 6, 2009: Wildlife Recovery

Dr. John Huckabee

In 2008, the PAWS Wildlife Center reached the milestone of having cared for over 100,000 animals since it began wildlife rehabilitation activities in 1981. The center works with wild species found in the Pacific Northwest with the aim of restoring their health and returning them to the wild. Dr. John Huckabee is a wildlife veterinarian who has worked for the PAWS Wildlife Center since 1998, seeing on average about 175 species of wildlife annually. His presentation will focus on what is involved in treating and rehabilitating wild birds and mammals, illustrated with examples of both commonly encountered and very unusual cases. One such case is that of a Laysan Albatross that was found in downtown Seattle in April 2005.

Dr. John Huckabee graduated as a DVM from Texas A&M University in 1985. He practiced in small animal hospitals and veterinary emergency clinics in the Houston, Texas, area for several years. He has been actively involved with wildlife rehabilitation and has worked closely with wildlife rehabilitators throughout his professional career. Since 1991, he has worked exclusively as a wildlife rehabilitation veterinarian. Dr. Huckabee moved to this area to work with PAWS in 1998, and has served on several nonprofit boards of directors, advisory boards, steering committees, task forces, and editorial boards since the late 1980s. He has made presentations at numerous wildlife and veterinary conferences.

Directions: From I-5, take SR 520 East.  Take the Montlake Blvd. NE exit and turn north towards the University of Washington campus. Stay in right lane and go north on Montlake Blvd. over the bridge and past the stadium.  The road will curve to the right around the Montlake Fill and merge with NE 45th St.  You will quickly approach a five-way intersection.  At the intersection, turn right onto Mary Gates Memorial Drive.  The Center for Urban Horticulture is two long blocks down on the right.  There is plenty of free parking at the facility.  We use the main meeting room, the backside of which faces the road. Bus numbers 25, 65, and 75 all stop at NE 45th and Mary Gates Memorial Drive.

Map: For a map, click here.

Washington Ornithological Society. PO Box 31783. Seattle WA. 98103-1783.

Email us: information@wos.org