I'm Going to the 67th Annual New York Birder's Conference!

Every year, the New York State Ornithological Association (NYSOA), with the assistance of a local bird club, organizes the Annual New York Birder's Conference. This conference is great fun, three days of interesting presentations, posters, booths, birding and socialization with other birders. Last year, the 2013 conference was in my home county, hosted by my local club, the Queens County Bird Club. This year, the conference is hosted by the Cayuga Bird Club and will take place in Ithaca, New York.

Me at 2013 NYSOA Conference with New York State Young Birder's Club (NYSYBC)
and Jim Currie, host of Nikon Birding Adventures TV

Ithaca is a place that I have dreamed of going to for a while now, partly because of the great birding I hear about up there and partly because of The Cornell Lab of Ornithology and their various resources for nutty birders like me. Their live-streaming Red-tailed Hawk Cam, which has partially taken over my life, has also contributed to this intense desire.

Interestingly enough, my father, the cofounder of a New York City software company, has a business event on the campus of Cornell University only a few days before the conference. Due to this fact, my parents decided to just go up there for both events and stay an extra two days. This was a decision I approved of. It gives more time for birding in a new area. 

So in mid-September, I shall depart my house, sit in the back of a car for five hours and get out of said car in Ithaca, NY, in order to bird like mad for five days and attend the 67th Annual New York Birder's Conference. 

I hope to see some of you there!