Spring 2008 Alpine

May 1st-3rd, 2008 Alpine, TX

Field Trip signup as of 25 Apr

Get your TOS T-shirt at the meeting!!! The shirts look like this (see link below) and cost $15.

TOS T-shirt Picture

Box Lunches now available for pre-order. Box lunches consisting of a ham & cheese sandwich, chips, a pickle, a cookie and a bottled water are available for $8 per lunch. If you are interested mail the payment to:

TOS, 110 Indian Warrior Lake Jackson TX 77566

Lunch signup as of 25 Apr

This meeting’s Alpine location will allow us to access both the Davis Mountains and Big Bend areas. David Poteet, Kelly Bryan and I working on a field trip slate which will include the TNC's Davis Mountains Preserve, Big Bend NP, Big Bend Ranch SP and some of the more exciting private ranches in the area. Those trips will not be finalized until our next newsletter which will have the full registration.

We will be headquartered at Sul Ross State's Espinosa Center. If you would like to book your hotel in anticipation for this event we have reduced rates negotiated at the locations listed below. Use the code CVB-2 when making your reservations. For more information and other potential accommodations go to http://www.alpinetexas.com/accommodations.html If you have issues with reservations or finding a room, feel free to contact the Alpine CVB at 432-837-2326. Sunday House $60 for a single king 2010 East Hwy 90, Alpine, TX 79830 (432) 837-3363 or 800-510-3363 across street from Espinosa Center Holland Hotel $60 for single queen 209 West Holland Alpine, TX 79830 (432) 837-3844 or 800-535-8040 La Loma Inn $60 for single bed (no smoking and no pets) 402 N. Peach (432) 837-9567 Hope to see you there!

- Ron Weeks TOS President

Dan Lane and John O’Neill to Speak At TOS Spring 2008 Meeting

It is not often that we get two keynote caliber speakers at one meeting, but our Spring 2008 May 1st-3rd in Alpine will have just that. Dan Lane will be speaking on the “Birds of Peru”. Dan received a master’s degree from Louisiana State University in 1999 studying New World barbets. While there he got the tropical birding bug by joining John O'Neill on several expeditions to Peru. He apparently still has it and has remained at LSU's Museum of Natural Science as a research associate and continues to participate in research expeditions to South America. Dan along with a team of top-notch artists illustrated birds for the “Birds of Peru” field guide. He was featured in the July/August 2007 issue of Birding magazine which outlines his discovery of a new species of bird, a Rufous Twistwing. The amazing part of the story us he did so without leaving the LSU campus! He has also discovered two other new species in Peru: a undescribed tanager and the Scarlet-banded Barbet. John O’Neill is the retired director of LSU's Museum of Natural Science and the force behind LSU's neo-tropical bird studies program until his retirement 3 years ago. John has been visiting Peru since his first visit in 1961 and has discovered new species of birds in Peru. On one of his trips he discovered a new species and genus of tanager, the Orange-throated Tanager. In 2006, John discovered the White-breasted Parakeet and Jocotoco Antpitta that were previously unknown in Peru. John is also an accomplished bird artist as evidenced by his "Great Texas Birds" and is co-author and contributing artist for the "Birds of Peru" which was published in November 2007 by Princeton Field Guides. John will be speaking on "Discovering new species of birds - what's it like?"