The Evanston North Shore Bird Club

Program: "Man & Gull - A Complex Relationship" - Amar Ayyash

Tuesday, October 28, 2025

Among the world's “seabirds”, gulls are the most accessible to humans, invading our most immediate surroundings. Gulls are sometimes perceived as second class avian creatures. This, along with the identification challenges they present and their readiness to hybridize, has created a love-hate relationship for many birders. Yet some gulls species are among the most coveted bird species on any birder's list (think Ross's Gull and Ivory Gull). This presents us with an interesting juxtaposition. Do we like some gulls and look past others? Amar Ayyash will take us through an entertaining and intriguing exploration of the natural history of gulls, including their thorny taxonomy, and he'll share some of their lesser-known adaptations and quirky behaviors.

Amar coordinates the Annual Gull Frolic on Lake Michigan and is the author of the recently published The Gull Guide.

Location: In-person 7:30 p.m. at Robert Crown Community Center

Program: “Do migrating birds use Monteverde's restored forests? What the research tells us.”

Tuesday, November 25, 2025

Presenter: Debra Hamilton, Monteverde Institute Costa Rica

With the great loss of tropical forests in the past 50 years, the question of what happens to migratory birds on their overwintering grounds is urgent. Are restored forests providing the habitat they need? What do migrants encounter when they return each year to Costa Rica, a country long recognized for its leadership in environmental stewardship? Debra Hamilton, research affiliate with the Monteverde Institute and president of the Costa Rican Conservation Foundation, will share insights from her and collaborator Luisa Moreno's work tracking these birds at banding stations and studying how reforested landscapes and native tree plantings on agricultural land are shaping their survival. Debra has studied the use of agricultural windbreaks as micro-corridors for forest dwelling birds, avian community changes in relation to climate change, and started the MoSI (overwintering survival of neotropical migratory birds) station in Monteverde. She was a founding member of the Costa Rican Conservation Foundation, an organization with the mission to protect and restore forest habitat on Costa Rica’s Pacific slope to aid the recovery of the Three-wattled Bellbird (Procnias tricarunculatus). Her publications include articles on vocalizations, habitat use, and frugivory patterns of bellbirds, as well as tropical forest restoration topics. Working alongside a dedicated team of naturalists, she explores how restoration, conservation, and human pressures are reshaping the future for migratory birds in the tropics.

This program is at 7:30 on zoom and will be recorded. The zoom “doors” will open at 7 pm.

Program: “HOW BIRDS FLY: The Science and Art of Avian Flight - Peter Cavanagh

Tuesday, January 27, 2026

Peter Cavanagh will give a Zoom presentation on January 27^th at 7:30pm CST entitled “How Birds Fly” illustrated by his photographs, videos, and diagrams. He will discuss the evolution of flight, aspects of avian anatomy that enable flight, and provide insights into how birds achieve the amazing aerodynamic feats that exceed the capabilities of modern aircraft. He is known for the explanation of complex topics in an understandable way, and the material will be accessible to all people interested in birds.

Peter Cavanagh is a scientist, author, and bird photographer who lives in the San Juan Islands of Washington State. He is drawn to the study of bird flight by his experiences as an instrument-rated private pilot, his professional training in anatomy and biomechanics, and his passion for nature and the outdoors. Peter’s images have been featured in the Audubon Society’s Top 100 Bird Photographs of the Year. He is the author of 100 FLYING BIRDS: Photographing the Mechanics of Flight and HOW BIRDS FLY: The Science and Art of Avian Flight — both from Firefly Books. He has traveled widely to photograph birds on every continent.

Zoom doors open at 7.

Program: “Saving Chicago’s Nighthawks” – Edward Warden

Tuesday, March 24, 2026

Once a common sight devouring insects at every night game, the increasingly un-common nighthawk is now in steep decline. Despite being one of the fastest disappearing birds in North America, very little data exists on why and how to stop it. In 2021, Chicago Ornithological Society launched a volunteer monitoring program to fill the gap, one of the only such efforts in the country. This presentation will highlight what the deal is on these birds, what’s been learned so far, and how to ensure Chicago remains a haven for these mysterious creatures.

Edward Warden is a lifelong Chicago resident, birder, and urban naturalist. Over the last 20 years he has worked with organizations across the Chicago region to foster community and appreciation for the urban environment through stewardship, conservation action, social media, and interpretive programs. He currently serves as President of the Chicago Ornithological Society and works as the Stewardship Program Manager at the Chicago Park District. Nightjars are a particular passion of his and he is the founder of the Chicago Nighthawk Project, a community science project launched in 2022 to help track and observe them.

Location: This program is in person at the Ecology Center, 7:30pm.