Western Regional News

Founded in 1925

80th Annual Meeting, Fall 2005

The 80th Annual Meeting of the Western Bird Banding Association will be held 29 Sep to 2 Oct 2005, and hosted by Tree Swallow Nesting Projects, Inc. and Santa Monica College.

The Setting

The first southern California meeting in almost 15 years will be held in Camarillo, California, halfway between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara near the Pacific Ocean. Camarillo is situated in the middle of the Oxnard Plains, a major migration flyway for many species of birds, most notably shorebirds; and within a mile of the meeting venue is a well known migration trap for fall warblers, where as many as 17 species have been seen on a single trip.

Within an hour's drive are some of the premier bird watching areas in California. To the south is Malibu Lagoon and to the north is Goleta Slough. Both areas serve as the centers of Christmas Bird Counts that typically lead the nation. The venue is also near the Sespe Wildlife Refuge, home of the California Condor.

Camarillo is also a short distance from tourist attractions such as Disneyland, Universal City, and Magic Mountain.

Conference Activities

The annual meeting plans to offer field trips to places like the Saticoy Ponds and Laguna Tarns, both popular birding spots in the Oxnard Plains.

Another field trip is scheduled to Hopper Mountain National Wildlife Refuge to find condors. An all-day trip is being planned to hit the coastal hot spots.

There will also be vendors such as local wildlife artists, Avinet, Inc., etc. Ojai Raptor Center will be bringing animals to see up close and personal.

Bird banding will be conducted in Zuma Canyon, part of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. Zuma Canyon has a typical California chaparral vegetation. Wrentits, Spotted Towhees, California Towhees, Song Sparrows, and Common Yellowthroats are common residents.

Friday evening's speaker will be Jan Wasserman, president of the Tree Swallow Nestbox Project. Saturday evening's speaker will be Don des Jardins, Ventura County birder and photographer.

Call for Papers and Posters

Abstracts are now being accepted for posters and oral presentations (20 minutes). Papers and posters should reflect original research or summarize existing information and should address some aspect of capturing, banding, ageing and sexing, or marking birds. Acceptable topics include: results from studies, use of techniques, analysis of study results, and/or the value of bird banding in conservation. The entire abstract including title, author(s), address(es), and

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text must not exceed 350 words. Abstracts should include: 1) Title; 2) Name(s), Affiliation(s), and address(es) of the author(s); 3) Email address(es); 4)Summary of the information to be presented.

For multiple-authored papers, put an asterisk* after the name of the person presenting the paper. Under the abstract, indicate whether the paper is an oral presentation or a poster. Under the abstract, give the name and email address of the person to contact if questions arise, indicate A-V needs for presenting oral presentation (including PowerPoint software version).

All talks and posters should state the study objectives; describe study methods and analysis of data; and discuss the significance of the research. We expect to allot 20 minutes per oral presentation, which should include three or four minutes for questions and discussion. Dialogue between presenters and audience is a hallmark of all meetings of WBBA.

Posters should fit within a width of six feet. Standard guidelines for poster sessions should be followed and can be obtained from Walter H. Sakai below. Poster presenters are expected to be available for extensive discussion with meeting participants.

We prefer all submissions and queries be via email. Abstracts and descriptions should be included as text in body of e-mail message or as an attached file in Word or WordPerfect only.

Submit abstracts and descriptions to Walter H. Sakai by 15 Aug 2005. All corres- pondence regarding presentations should be sent to:

Walter H. Sakai

Life Sciences Department

Santa Monica College

1900PicoBlvd

Santa Monica, CA 90405-1628

Tele:310-434-4702 FAX: 310-434-3624 email: sakai_walter@smc.edu

Hotel/Meeting Venue Information

The meetings and meals will be held at the Ventura County Superintendent of Schools Conference Center at the Camarillo Airport. There is a block of rooms reserved for registrants at the Days Inn in Camarillo (165 Daily Drive, Camarillo,

93010; 805.482.0761) up until a week before the meeting. Mention Tree Swallow Nesting Projects, Inc., or WBBA to get the group rate. Continental breakfast is served from 6am to 9am. Several chain restaurants (Marie Callenders, Carrows, etc.) and other food options (Noah's Bagels, Starbucks) are nearby.

For those on a budget, California state parks campgrounds are on the coast at McGrath State Beach and Big Sycamore Canyon in Point Mugu State Park. Be warned that both lock the campground gates during certain hours.

For questions about volunteering to help at the meeting, scholarship sponsorship, or any additional information, contact Jan Wasserman (bandlady@treeswallows.org).

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS

WBBA welcomes the following new members who joined during the 2004-2005 fiscal year. We are pleased to have them as part of our flock and look forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship!

Jamie Acker, Bainbridge Island WA; Karen S "Kay" Alderson, Santa Monica CA; Stephen J. Baran, Chattaroy WA; Juliette A. Bryson, Cupertino CA; Anne Clark, Puyallup WA; David Craig, Salem OR; Stephen Fettig, Los Alamos NM; William E. Haas, Chico CA; Nancy Hanna, Walnut Creek CA; Christine Hass, Vail AZ, Kimberly Hollinger, Arcata CA; Christine Kent, Burnaby BC; Cleveland Public Library, Cleveland OH; Ronald J. Lynch, Burley ID; Cindy McCormack, Spokane WA; Dianne Parrott, Livingston TX; John Pollinger, Los Angeles CA, Keith Robillard, Vancouver WA; Janet Ruth, Corrales NM; Ashley Sutton, Weldon CA; Bill Taylor, Tucson AZ; Jim Tietz, Arcata CA; and Brad Wahlin, Provo UT.

WBBA also wishes to thank its sustaining members - Howard Drawers, Tricia Campbell, Dawn Garcia, Joe Kahl, Kristine McBride, Dan Sherman, and Pamela L. Williams - for their generous support.

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Vol. 30No 1