Lancaster County Bird Club
	Lancaster, Pennsylvania
	Founded December 8, 1937
	to secure the cultivation of public sentiment in the preservation of our native bird life.

"CALL NOTES"
OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2003

Sunday, October 5, 2003 - A trip to Memorial Lake and Second Mountain for late songbird and hawk migration led by Rosemary Spreha (Harrisburg 657-0271). Much of the morning will be spent around Memorial Lake near Indiantown Gap and then the group will go to the Second Mountain Hawk Watch. Meet at 7:00 a.m. along Route 934, just north of I-81.

Friday, October 10,2003 - Club meeting at 7:30 p.m. at the Farm & Home Center Building, 1383 Arcadia Road, Lancaster. Tonight! s program, "Creatures of the Night," wlill be presented by the staff from Hersheypark' s ZooAmerica. It will feature live creatures. Their programs are always popular with the young folks, so bring your children and grandchildren with you. A Special Note: The program will be presented at the beginn_g of the meeting, before the business portion, so come early!

Sunday, October 12,2003 - Leader Larry Coble (Elizabethtown 367-5083) invites all to join him for an autumn walk along the Canal Trail from Bainbridge to Falmouth. This is a three-mile walk along the Susquehanna following what remains of the old Pennsylvania Canal towpath. In addition to taking a look at the canal locks, the group should encounter lingering thrushes and warblers in this riparian bottomlands. Checks will be made at river vistas to look for waterfowl and shorebirds. Meet at 7:00 a.m. at the Pennsylvania Fish Commission's Falmouth Access Area off Route 441, north of Bainbridge.

Saturday, October 18, 2003 - Field trip to world famous Hawk Mountain Sanctuary for migrating raptors at a time of year when a variety of species can be observed. Note: There is an entrance fee charged for non-members of the Hawk Mountain Sanctuary Association to go to the lookouts. Leaders Fred Zimmerman (Landisville 892-3046) and Dave Gochnauer (Lititz 627-2425). Meet at 7:00 a.m. at the A.C. Moore (formerly Service Mechandise) parking area of the Lancaster Shopping Center between Routes 501 and 272, just south of Route 30.

Friday, November 7, 2003 - Club meeting. SPECIAL NOTE: This is a change to the first Friday of the month and a change in location for the meeting. The meeting will be held at 7:30 p.m. at Franklin & Marshall College in Kaufman Science Hall (where we used to meet), in the William M. Hackman Physical Science Laboratory (formerly Peiffer Science Hall). World renown author, birder, and naturalist Kenn Kaufman will present tonight's program, "A Birder Looks at Butterflies." Come early--we expect a crowd since we've sent invitations to bird clubs in surrounding counties to join us for the evening.

A description of the program follows: Does butterfly watching have any advantages over bird-watching? Well, consider: If you're pursuing butterflies you never have to go out in cold or wet weather, you don't have to lug a heavy telescope around, and you don't have to go to sewage ponds or garbage dumps. Hmm, where do I sign up? After writing several field guides to birds, Kenn has completed a butterfly field guide in exactly the same format, giving him plenty of opportunity to think about how the two groups compare. Here he'll give a birder's perspective on butterflies, including the thrill of the search, official names, identification challenges, and life listing, as well as a look at butterfly conservation and the inside secrets of what the butterflies are REALLY thinking about!

Friday-Sunday, November 14-16, 2003 - The annual fall trip to the Delmarva Peninsula and Chincoteague NWR. Reservations a must! Contact leader Gary Shirk (Lancaster 291-2172 or e-mail glshirk@dejazzd.com) for details. This is a great trip with participants usually observing over 100 species.

Saturday, December 6, 2003 - Field trip to Conowingo Dam to view the Bald Eagles that congregate in the area during winter. Meet at 7:30 a.m. at the parking area of the A.C. Moore store in the Lancaster Shopping Center between Routes 501 and 272, just south of Route 30. Leader - Jan Witmer(Ephrata 738-1855).

Friday, December 12, 2003 - Club meeting at 7: 30 p.m. at the Farm & Home Center, 1383 Arcadia Road, Lancaster. The program for tonight will be "Birds of the Susquehanna," presented by Cindy Dunn, who currently works as Director of Outreach for the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. The program is about her canoe journeys on the Susquehanna River, spanning 12 years, and will cover everything from Lake Otsego, New York, to the birding hotspots of the Lower Susquehanna. It combines images and stories of the river, plus the birds that depend on it.

Christmas Bird Counts - The Club sponsors three Christmas Bird Counts in the county. Persons interested in participating can sign up for these counts at Club meetings or by contacting the individual compilers by phone. The counts are as follows:

The purpose of this message is to keep members informed of decisions and discussions by the Board of Directors in recent months. In addition to planning the meetings and field trips for the 2003-2004 year, the Board again has decided to donate funds to local organizations and projects that help to promote the Club ' s goal as listed at its founding in 1937--"to secure the cultivation of public sentiment in the preservation of our native bird life." Those donations are as follows:

The Board, since an inquiry was made last year, is looking into the possibility of creating a Web Site. This is in a preliminary stage where proposals have been solicited and we are investigating these now. A decision will have to be made as to whether or not the benefits of this kind of communications tool will justify the expenses. The membership will be informed when a decision is made.

Finally, a reminder that the Club offers two scholarships to be awarded to provide financial support for educational or research experiences which promote or develop an interest or leadership in natural history. The guidelines and the application form are included in this newsletter.

Memorial contributions received since July 1, 2003, include:

The Board of Directors extends their thanks to these members for their generosity.

If you have not paid your dues for 2003-2004, this is the last newsletter you will be receiving. Unless you recently mailed your dues to Jonathan Heller, paid members will have a "7/04" on their label.

Unpaid members should send their renewal form to our treasurer, along with your check made payable to the Lancaster County Bird Club. In case you have misplaced your renewal form, dues are as follows: Student - $5.00; Regular Adult - $15.00; Family - $25.00 (includes parents & dependent children); Sustaining Individual - $30.00. Mail your completed form and check to Jonathan Heller, 206 Newcomer Road, Mt. Joy, PA 17552-8402.

Current membership is 315, 37 less than this time last year.

Welcome to our new members! We hope you will find the various Club activities both educational and enjoyable. If you don't know many members, please join us on field trips as this is a good way to become acquainted--both with Club members and with the various good birding areas. You will find the more knowledgeable birders are willing to help our newer members.

• New Members:

Editor's Note: Please report your sightings to Randy Miller, 607 Woodland Drive, Manheim, PA 17545 (Phone 664-3778). Your sightings can be reported to him by mail, phone, or at Club meetings. Our focus is not just on rare or uncommon birds, but also on more common species in unusual numbers, out-of- season, or exhibiting behavior that would be of interest to our members. Your help is needed in compiling this column!

Better late than never! In August 2003, I received the following entry from Paul Brubaker. He mailed it on March 15, 2002! Paul, you can relive your big adventure by reading your own words here. Thanks for your entry...

In late February 2002, Paul Brubaker and his son JB spent one day in Phoenix, AZ, and three days backpacking in the Grand Canyon. Although not a birding trip, they saw a number of interesting birds. The Desert Botanical Gardens in Tempe yielded Cactus Wren, Gila Woodpecker, Gambel's Quail, Curve-billed Thrasher, Verdin, Abert's Towhee, and Pyrrhuloxia, as well as more common species. While hiking in the canyon, Canyon and Rock Wrens, Spotted Towhee, Scrub Jay, many Ruby-crowned Kinglets, and other species were seen. The highlight birds were four California Condors that were observed for two and a half hours as they soared back and forth across the canyon near Plateau Point! A sad but interesting find was a road-killed Cougar near Flagstaff.

Rick & Donna Schoenberger spent the last two weeks of June in the Tucson, AZ, area. They were there to attend a wedding on June 21, but Rick saw an opportunity to spend some time birding one of the country's hotspots, so they went down a week earlier. With the assistance of some local contacts who offered their services, Rick was able to add 83 life birds! Highlights were Gray Hawk, Harris's Hawk, 11 species of Hummingbirds including White-eared, Violet-crowned, Lucifer, and Plain-capped Starthroat, Elegant Trogon, Rose-throated Becard, Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet, Black-tailed Gnatcatcher, and Black-capped Gnatcatchers feeding their young, Red-faced Warbler, Painted Redstart, and, of course, Greater Roadrunner.

And, celebrating a marriage made fifty years ago, Carl & Phoebe Mellinger were included, along with a photo, in the Sunday News "Anniversaries" in August 2003. The couple have six children, 13 grandchildren, two step-grandchildren, and one great-grandchild. A family dinner marked the celebration, as well as a 12-day Alaskan cruise in late May and early June. They traveled by train, bus, and cruise ship from Fairbanks to Vancouver and went on birdwatching tours at Anchorage and Haines. New birds were: Horned Puffin, Marbled Murrelet, Mew Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Arctic Tern, Pacific Loon, Pelagic Cormorant, Barrow's Goldeneye, American Dipper, Willow Ptarmigan, and Northwestern Crow. Some other highlights seen were a flock of 2,000 White-winged Scoters, and thousands of Black-legged Kittiwakes along with Arctic Terns nesting on the rock cliffs in Glacier Bay. They also saw a Grizzly Bear with three cubs.

Bowling and birding--two talents of Ray Stafford, that we know of. Ray, among others, was honored at the Lancaster Bowling Association's annual banquet in July. He was pictured in the Intelligencer Journal holding a plaque for his achievements in the 800 series. Congratulations!

Jim McMullin is president of Grave Concern, which is dedicated to historic cemetery preservation and restoration. The Sunday News on July 3 ran an article on how Jim, with the help of his son Pat, reinstalled a nineteenth century grave marker back in the Lancaster Cemetery. The marker had been found in the yard of a house on Sixth Street in the city. A photo of Jim and Pat at work on the reinstallation was included. Thanks for this important work Jim. Do you keep a list of cemetery birds?

On August 9, 2003, Ann Mease and Kurt Bodling were united in marriage in a shady picnic grove off Penryn Road. Blessed day that it was, the heavy rains held off until after the picnic, but just in time for the nuptials, which were luckily celebrated under roof in the picnic pavilion. All celebrants wore name tags that indicated the affiliation with the happy couple. Wearing "Bird Club" labels were Joan Renninger, Bettina Heffner, and Randy, Donna, Kate, and Benjamin Miller. Randy was in charge of the bird guest list which included Turkey Vulture, Carolina Wren, Indigo Bunting, American Robin, Mourning Dove, Northern Flicker, Barn Swallow, Blue Jay, Fish Crow, Tufted Titmouse, Wood Thrush, Northern Cardinal, House Finch, American Goldfinch, and House Sparrow. Late arrivals were Catbird, White-breasted Nuthatch, and Downy Woodpecker. Ann & Kurt honeymooned in the Adirondacks. We can meet Kurt at Bird Club meetings. Congratulations! Welcome Kurt!

Hedgerows between fields in southeastern Pennsylvania are pleasurable during crisp, sunny October days. They are long, lean woods of trees, shrubs, weeds, and grasses. All are pretty and interesting with brightly colored leaves and berries, and lingering flowers. All offer food and shelter to wildlife in farmland where little other wildlife habitat exists.

Autumn leaves are an obvious part of hedgerows in October. Poison ivy and Virginia creeper are the most common and lovely of fall foliage in the hedges. Poison ivy leaves are orange, yellow, and red-- all on the same vine. Creeper foliage is red. The warm colors of both vines stream down abundantly, like banners, from their tree supports.

Common trees and shrubs that have beautiful autumn foliage are also lovely in hedgerows. They include staghorn sumacs with their lance-shaped, red leaves, ailanthus with their and yellow ones, sassafras with orange, red, and yellow leaves, Japanese barberries with their red and yellow foliage.

Pokeweed is a perennial that has bright red stems, and develops red leaves in the fall. This plant, like poison ivy, is considered undesirable. But its colored leaves are breathtaking.

Brightly-colored berries are common in hedges in the fall, but not always obvious. Staghorn sumac trees, multiflora rose, barberry shrubs, and deadly nightshade vines have red berries. Hackberry trees, Virginia creeper vines, and pokeweed have deep-purple ones. Bittersweet vines have orange berries; those of the red juniper trees and tearthumb vines are blue; while poison ivy has dirty-white ones. Interestingly, the berries of hackberries taste much like raisins, and juniper berries are really small, fleshy cones.

Rodents and a variety of migrating and wintering birds eat berries in the hedges. American robins, eastern bluebirds, yellow-rumped warblers, cedar waxwings, mockingbirds, and starlings are some of those species.

Wild grapes, crab apples, black locust beans, wild cherry seeds, black walnuts, and acorns are other foods along hedgerows that feed birds and mammals, such as mice, squirrels, red foxes, skunks, and opossums through fall and winter.

Late-blooming flowers add beauty to hedgerows in October. A kind of aster with small, white blooms dominates, followed closely by a species of goldenrod. Brown knapweeds with their pink blossoms are along many hedges, along with left-over blue chicory flowers, white Queen Anne's lace blooms and yellow butter-and-eggs blossoms.

Certain other weeds and grasses are attractive along hedges in fall. Milkweed seeds on fluffy, white parachutes erupt from gray pods and are carried away on the wind. Brown flower heads of teasel appear sculptured and bristly on tall, thorny stems. Purpletop grass seed head shine dull red in the sunlight. Seeds of weeds and grasses are winter food for mice, song sparrows, cardinals, and a wintering fringillidae.

Hedgerows are riddled with shelters in older trees and in the ground. Abandoned woodpecker holes and cavities caused by wind ripping limbs off trees are homes to chickadees and their small, feathered associates, screech owls, American kestrels, opossums, and gray squirrels. Deserted groundhog holes in the soil offer shelter to skunks, red foxes, raccoons, and cottontail rabbits. Fallen logs and rock piles provide cover for those same mammals, plus chipmunks, mice, weasels, shrews, snakes, and other small critters.

Hedgerows offer much beauty, and food and cover for wildlife. They are valuable in farmland habitats where little other shelter for wild animals exists.

August 31,2003 - This trip to Speedwell County Park and Pumping Station Road area was led by Bruce Carl. Sunny, cool conditions with temperatures mainly in the 60s greeted the eight participants. Fifty-six total species were identified. Among the 11 warbler species the migrant highlights included Blackpoll, Canada, Nashville, Black-throated Blue, Magnolia, and Black-throated Green. Other notable observations were two immature Bald Eagles and three Empidonax Flycatchers, one of which was identified as an Acadian Flycatcher.

September 5, 2003 - The opening meeting of the 2003-2004 season was highlighted by the program "Birds of Japan.11 Guest Speaker Armas Hill not only showed us beautiful slides of many of the birds and areas of Japan, but also through his anecdotes of personal experiences gave us an insight to the very different culture to be found in this country. Some of the outstanding birds included in his slides were Japanese Crane, Siberian Crane, White-napped Crane, Hooded Crane, Blakiston's Fish Owl, and Steller's Sea-Eagle.

September 6, 2003 - A group of 25 birders greeted leader Steve Rannels on this three-mile hike along the trails at the Cornwall Fire Tower in the Furnace Hills area. A nice sunny day was enjoyed by all as 39 species (40 was predicted by the leader) were identified. Notable sightings included seven species of warblers (Blackburnian the best). Others on the list were two Olive-sided Flycatchers, two Philadelphia Vireos, and Pileated Woodpecker. Lots of caterpillars, katydids, and walking sticks were also observed. Closing out the list of nature sightings were numerous Red-spotted Purple Butterflies and a very close Mourning Cloak.

September 20,2003 - Leaders Thorn Kurtz and Nancy Clupper's trip to Pumping Station Road and Second Mountain had mixed results. Foggy conditions in the morning made it difficult to identify many of the birds at the Pumping Station Road area. In spite of the fog, the group was able to identify Philadelphia Vireo, Magnolia Warbler, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, and Scarlet Tanager. At the hawk lookout, a good flight of Broad-winged Hawks (over 700 for the day), along with sightings of Merlin, Osprey, and Bald Eagle highlighted the day. There were eight participants on the Pumping Station Road portion of the trip, two of whom continued on to Second Mountain. Twenty-six species were identified for the day.

The Harold B. Morrin Scholarship
Sponsored by the Lancaster County Bird Club

Guidelines

1) The purpose of the scholarships will be to provide financial support for educational or research experiences which promote or develop an interest or leadership in natural history, with a preference given to the field of ornithology. Examples of fundable activities are listed below but are not meant to be exhaustive.

2) Support of up to 75% of the cost of an educational course or research project, with a maximum of $400.00 per person, will be offered each year to no more than one youth and one adult.

3) Youth applicants must be at least 12 years of age, but shall not have reached their 19th birthday prior to February 1st of the year the grant is made.
Adults are those individuals 19 years of age or older as of February 1st of the year the grant is made.

4) Consideration will be given first to Club members and then residents of Lancaster County.

5) Each applicant will complete an application form including an essay, not to exceed 300 words, explaining the applicant's intended use of the scholarship monies.

6) Each recipient will report to the Club members at the conclusion of the experience. Reports may be verbal or written. Written reports will be published in Call Notes.

7) The President of the LCBC will appoint a Scholarship Committee consisting of three (3) members, with at least one (1) from the Board of Directors, to consider all applicants, the size of the grants, and who will receive them. The Committee's decisions will be final.

8) Applicants must apply by February 1st and a decision will be made by March 1st of each calendar year.

9) An individual will not be eligible to receive the grant more than twice.

10) All applicants will be notified by mail as to the Committee's decision.

11) A Certificate/Award will be presented to each scholarship recipient at the Club's regular March meeting.

The Harold B. Morrin Scholarship

Application

Name_____________________________________________________  Date_________________

Address__________________________________________________  Phone________________

City________________________________________________  State________  Zip________

____ Adult Scholarship (19 & older) 
____ Youth Scholarship (12-18) School Grade_____________________

Member of the Lancaster County Bird Club ____ Yes     ____ No

Have you received a Lancaster County Bird Club Scholarship in the past ____ Yes ____ No

If yes, what was the year of the scholarship award _______________________________

Total cost of activity for which the scholarship will be used ___________________

Please explain, in 300 words or less, how you would use the
scholarship money (attach a separate sheet if needed.)

Send completed application to:

Lancaster County Bird Club
Jan Witmer, President 
967 Clearview Ave. 
Ephrata, PA 17522