February DFO Meeting ** Invite any entomology people you know!
David Leatherman and the Dragonflies and Damselflies of Colorado Monday, February 22, 2010, 7:30 PM February finds David Allen Leatherman making a return visit to DFO’s podium from his northern Front Range haunts of Ft. Collins and its environs. Warning: David states, “No one prone to Nature addictions should attend, because these creatures (the “odes”) can hook you.” Before you say, “Where are the birds?”, remember David’s last amazing presentation to DFO, in March of 2008, titled “Learning More About Birding by Learning More About What Birds Eat.” On that evening he convincingly illustrated for us that a broader understanding of the natural world and its interrelationships will enable us to find more birds! While in the field birding we have all observed dragonflies and damselflies, the “odes” (Insect Order Odonata), patrolling the edges of steams and ponds and “hawking” for insects over meadows or open fields. Dragonflies and damselflies begin their lives in the water and emerge to become skillful terrestrial predators; some consider them to be the insect equivalents of mountain lions and bobcats respectively. These insects have amazing adaptations including compound eyes which contain as many as 30,000 lenses, giving these creatures a complete 360 degree view of the world around them. And dragonflies “invented” jet propulsion as an escape maneuver over 300 million years ago. Many birders know that during the mating and egg laying process the male dragonfly or damselfly will grasp the female by the neck and they will fly in tandem. In 1934 Arthur Cleveland Bent documented an astounding event in Ontario in which a huge dragonfly had grabbed a ruby-throated hummingbird by the neck and was holding it on the ground until the human observers intervened. In "The Dragonflies and Damselflies of Colorado" David will try to tie in as much bird information as possible, but essentially the presentation will be about this group of "watchable" insects. He will discuss the names, lore, and lives of the Order Odonata, and also survey the major groups present in Colorado. Currently the unofficial state roster stands at 105-108 species, with a potential for 5 or so more. The talk will be accompanied by David’s photographs. David was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio. While still in junior high school his interest in birds was triggered by the sighting and identification of a male Blackburnian Warbler, which is still his favorite bird. He earned a degree in biology from Marietta College, and a Master of Forestry degree from Duke University. From 1974 to 2005 he was employed as a forest entomologist with the Colorado State Forest Service with a primary focus on the mountain pine beetle. He has been a longtime member of the Colorado Field Ornithologists and is a former editor of the CFO Journal. He also served as an adjunct faculty member in CSU's Bioagricultural Science and Pest Management Department. He has a major interest in birds and their food habits, and is an award winning wildlife photographer. He has seen well over 400 bird species in Colorado and has played a significant part in three First State Bird Records for Colorado: Slaty-backed Gull, Tropical Parula, and Brown-crested Flycatcher. He also has collected numerous specimens for CSU’S Gillette Museum of Anthropod Diversity and has contributed at least five species of insects new to science and dozens of new state records. He credits Roseate Skimmers found in Fort Collins in 2007 and his friends Bill and Inez Prather for his newfound interest in “odes.” Join David for a most informative evening examining another fascin ating aspect of Colorado’s natural world. For further information on “odes” see: Bagging Big Bugs (1995) and also a Guide to Colorado Insects (2006), both by Whitney Cranshaw and Boris Kondratieff of Colorado State University Dragonflies through Binoculars (2000) by Sidney W. Dunkle March 22, 2010 Ted Floyd, Bill Schmoker, and Nathan Pieplow -- Birding 2.0 -- Using Technology to Become a Better Birder April 26, 2010 Nathan Pieplow -- Spring Migrant Refresher Course on Calls and Songs The Denver Field Ornithologists monthly meetings are held in Ricketson Auditorium at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science in City Park. These meetings are free and open to the public and occur on the 4th Monday of each month August through April (except December). Park on the north side of the Museum and walk around and enter through the Museum's west door. Plan to arrive by 7:15 p.m.; DOORS OPEN BY 7:00 AND ARE LOCKED AT 7:30 P.M. If late, you can enter through the security/volunteer door, but this does create problems for our hosts at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds". To post to this group, send email to cobirds@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to cobirds+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/cobirds?hl=en?hl=en Visit the CFO Website at: www.cfo-link.org