Sussex Bird Club | Plant It and They Will Come, with Ashley Kennedy
Sunday, February 13 | 2:00 PM Eastern Time | Online and In-Person
Your yard might look beautiful, but how do you know if it’s contributing to the local ecosystem? Numerous studies from around the world suggest that insect populations are currently in decline. This in turn, affects birds who rely on insects for food. To determine which insects are most important in bird diets, Ashley Kennedy, a board-certified entomologist, conducted a citizen science project

Ashley Kennedy is a Board-Certified Entomologist, a Science Policy Fellow of the Entomological Society of America, and an environmental scientist for the state of Delaware. She completed internships/seasonal positions at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, the National Zoo, and the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute and studied animal behavior during her undergraduate studies at Johns Hopkins University. Her doctoral dissertation research in Doug Tallamy’s lab at the University of Delaware focused on bird-insect food webs, specifically, investigating which insects are the most important in birds’ diets.

She crowd-sourced images of birds with their arthropod prey. More than 7,000 photos were contributed by participants across North America, demonstrating that caterpillars are the preferred prey for most terrestrial breeding birds. If you want to turn your yard into a better wildlife habitat, come learn about the food webs that connect plants, insects, and birds so you too, can make a difference!

Our general meetings are open to everyone and are held 8 months a year:

January, February, March, April, May, September, October, and November.

The meetings are held at the Lewes Public Library, 111 Adams Ave., Lewes, Delaware, on the second Sunday of the month at 2 pm.

Each month we have a guest speaker with an interesting presentation about birds. Come early to socialize before the official program!

The Sussex Bird Club was formed in 1982 by its first president Bill Fintel, and has grown to over 100 members. Meetings are held at the Lewes Public Library seven times a year, generally on the second Sunday of the month. (There are no meetings in June, July, August, or December.) Business transactions are kept short, and there is always an interesting program related to wild birds. The Sussex Bird Club’s primary objective is to promote the knowledge and enjoyment of wild birds through guided field trips and monthly meetings about various aspects of birding. Our meetings, field trips, and events are open to all. We have an exciting schedule of field trips to the many outstanding birding areas within Sussex County, as well as trips to birding hotspots beyond Delaware’s borders. Beginning birders are always welcome, and birders of all levels will enjoy the camaraderie and the variety of birding experiences.  Our members are interested in bird conservation, and many volunteer in other capacities, such as monitoring piping plover nests or supporting the Hawk Watch at Cape Henlopen State Park. More detailed information on these and other activities can be reached via the menu bar at the top, or by clicking on the buttons below, or by sending an email to sussexbirdclub@gmail.com. “

All copy and pics from the websites: Lewes Library | Sussex Bird Club