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Our Club president, Shirley Devan, was selected by WHRO and Dominion Power to receive one of six 2012 Community Impact Awards. Her award was in the category of the Environment. The award brings a $1000 donation to the organization of her choice. She has decided to divide the award between the Williamsburg Bird Club and the Coastal Virginia Wildlife Organization (for their 50th Anniversary).

Watch this video produced for the award ceremony (and aired on WHRO-TV)

Join us Wednesday, April 18 for Calypso Birding in Trinidad & Tobago, a presentation by Randy Thrasher that features the birds and sights that Randy and his wife Sue enjoyed while traveing in that country of two islands in the summer of 2009. Randy is a VSO Life Member and has become passionate about videotaping birds and other animals. He and his wife have had an opportunity to go to far-away places to bird. Smaller birds are not often seen in nature presentations because of the difficulties with video recording them, and this is Randy's greatest interest.

Plan to join us on April 18 at 7:30 pm in Room 150, Millington Hall on the W&M campus. Lois Ullman will be providing the refreshments. Don't forget to use your parking permit.

Bird Club members Alice and Seig Kopinitz say they've had their first Ruby-Throated Hummingbird sighting of the year! Get your feeders out. The appropriate feeding solution for your hummingbird feeders is four parts water to one part sugar. Please do not use artificial sweeteners (such as Splenda). Nor should you use corn syrup, molasses, honey, or fruit juice. A sugar and water mixture most closely matches the contents of the nectar hummingbirds get from flowers. Also, please do not use food coloring. The best practice is to boil the water and let it cool to room temperature, then mix in the sugar. The solution should be room temperature when you pour it into your feeder and when you place your feeder outside. Please do not place an extremely hot or refrigerated solution outside for the birds. Regularly clean your feeder and replace the solution every 2-3 days, especially if it becomes cloudy.