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"
JANUARY - MARCH 2004

Friday, January 9, 2004 - Club meeting at 7:30 p.m. at the Farm & Home Center, 1383 Arcadia Road, Lancaster. Last year at our January meeting, Hank Kaestner thrilled our Club with his program, "A Bird Watcher's Odyssey - 2002." He returns this year with "A Bird Watcher's Odyssey - 2003." As a spice buyer for McCormick & Company, he has made many trips to places all over the world. Using these trips as a means of furthering his birding interest, he seized upon these opportunities to photograph many of the birds he observed and shares them with us this evening.

Saturday, January 17, 2004 - Club trip to Cape Henlopen and the Delmarva Coast. Leader is Fred Zimmerman (Landisville 892-3046). Meet at 6:00 a.m. at the A.C. Moore area of the Lancaster Shopping Center located between Routes 501 & 272, just south of Route 30. Birding stops will include Cape Henlopen State Park, Silver & Spring Lakes in Rehoboth, and Indian River Inlet. Expected birds are both Brown-headed and Red-breasted Nuthatches, loons, eiders, scoters, gannets, etc. Dress for winter weather and bring snacks; lunch will be indoors.

Friday, February 6, 2004 - SPECIAL NOTE: This is the first Friday of the month. Club meeting at 7:30 p.m. at the Farm & Home Center, 1383 Arcadia Road, Lancaster. Tonight's program features Steve Hoffman, one of the founders of Hawk Watch International. Currently working with Pennsylvania Audubon and the Important Bird Area (IBA) program, Steve will bring his identification expertise and enthusiasm for hawks to us with his program, "Advanced Raptor Identification."

Sunday, February 8, 2004 - A field trip for winter field birds, raptors, and waterfowl. Meet at 1:00 p.m. at Martin's Country Market, along Route 322, just west of Ephrata. Leader - Jan Witmer (Ephrata 738-1855). Target birds will be Snow Buntings, Horned Larks, Lapland Longspurs, Rough-legged Hawks, Red-tailed Hawks, and waterfowl.

Friday-Monday, February 13-16, 2004 - Trip to Canada for special winter species including finches, owls, etc. Leaders - Thom Kurtz and Nancy Clupper (Lancaster 299-9406). Reservations a must! NOTE: A nominal fee will be assessed among the trip participants for a Canadian guide familiar with the area and the location of target species.

Saturday, February 21, 2004 - Trip to New Jersey Coast including Shark River Inlet, Manasquan River, and Barnegat Light. Meet at 5:30 a.m. at the Reading Interchange of the Pennsylvania Turnpike along the access road just east of Route 222. Leader - Gary Shirk (Lancaster 291-2172 or e-mail glshirk@dejazzd.com).

Saturday, March 6, 2004 - Middle Creek WMA field trip led by Fred Habegger (Akron 859-2521) and Bruce Carl (Akron 859-4179 or e-mail carls@desupernet.net). Meet at 6:00 a.m. at Stop #1 (optional, to see the birds leaving the lake to feed in surrounding areas) or at 7:30 a.m., also at Stop #1, to begin checking the areas on the refuge.

Friday, March 12,2004 - Club meeting at 7:30 p.m. at the Farm & Home Center, 1383 Arcadia Road, Lancaster. Tonight's program, "Britain's Seabird Colonies," is presented by Adrian Binns. Britain's shorelines host some of the most important and easily accessible seabird colonies in the world with no les s than 19 species calling this home, including Auks, Storm-petrels, Shags, Great Skuas, and Gannets. We will visit some of these sites and strive to get an understanding of how so many species can coexist within such a small area. Adrian has led eco-tours in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Trinidad & Tobago, India, England, and Morocco.

Saturday, March 13, 2004 - The annual trip to Chester County led by Joe Meloney (Honeybrook 610-857-5113). Meet at 7 :00 a.m. at the junction of Routes 322 and 10 in Honeybrook. Primarily looking for waterfowl, this trip often observes some early spring migrants.

Sunday, March 14, 2004 - This evening trip meets at 5:00 p.m. at the junction of Route 117 and Pinch Road in Mt. Gretna. Leader Larry Coble (Elizabethtown 367-5083). Major target observation for this trip is the mating flight of the American Woodcock. Bring a flashlight!

Well, it's up and running!! The Lancaster County Bird Club's own Web Site! It's not complete yet, but missing items will be completed as time permits. Just go on line and search www.lancasterbirdclub.org to get to the site. Look it over and let us know what you think of it. We welcome any suggestions you may have.

A special thank you to Club member Dave Schwenk for auditing our financial records for the past year 2002-2003. Dave, who serves as president of the Second Mountain Hawk Watch and as compiler of all the Watch's records, found time in his busy schedule to do this for us. As a retired accountant from AMP, he assured us that the financial records were accurate and in good shape. Thanks again to Dave for his services!

Also, I want to acknowledge and give our great appreciation to those Club members who contributed funds over and beyond their dues in support of the Club's activities or in honor or memory of a special friend or person. According to our records they are:
Dr. Charles Alexander
William & Joanna Bailes
Valerie Barnes
Ronald & Dorothy Bensinger
Raymond and Shirley Bubb
Marjorie Bushong
Robert & Dorothy Cushman
David Dearolf
Peter & Jodi Fox
Tom Garner
Dr. Jim & Sue Goddard
Chet & Thelma Kauffman
David, Julie, & Sarah Kubitsky
Ken & Jane Light
Richard & Karen Light
Darryl & Sally Lownsbery
Karen Lowrie
Tom & Gail McKinne
Keith & Judith Maurice
Carl & Phoebe Mellinger
Joseph & Peggy Parr
Reginald & Jane Pattey
Dr. Eugene & Bonnie Rannels
Bill Rutter
Glenn Shaffer
Gerald Trout
Barry & Ann VanTassel
Dennis & Judy Weaver
Larry & Karen Widdoss
Dr. James & Antoinette Willwerth
and Dr. D. B. Witmer.

Hopefully, I have not missed anyone. If I have, I apologize and please inform me of any omission so that I can acknowledge you in the future.

Finally, a last reminder that applications for the Harold B. Morrin scholarships are due by February 1, 2004. The Club has two scholarships available--one for a student and one for an adult. Check the last issue of "Call Notes" for details or call me at 738-1855. The information is also on our Web Site, listed above. You can print it right from the Site.

The following contribution was received during the last quarter of 2003:

After our November Club meeting at Franklin & Marshall College, a woman's brooch was found and turned in to me. It has the letter "J" in the middle. This was announced at the December meeting, but no one claimed it. The owner can claim it at the January meeting or call Jan Witmer at Ephrata 738-1855.

Current Club membership is 356, a drop of 35 over this time last year, but only nine below two years ago.

Welcome to our new members! If you don't know many Club members, please join us on a field trip, which is a good way to get acquainted. I think you will find our members both friendly and helpful to those beginning their new hobby of birding.

• New Members:

Kate Miller, age 9, thought that banding Saw-whet Owls would be neat so, with the help of her parents, Randy & Donna Miller, she participated in the banding project this fall at the Ned Smith Center. She wore a head lamp and helped carry the owls from the mist nets to the banding station. She worked with Scott Weidensaul and even met the owl that she adopted. Two photos with Kate are part of the Pennsylvania Saw-whet Owl Banding Project which can be found on the internet under Discovery.com. Once at this Web Site, go to Animal Planet and do a search for "Owls." You'll have a link for the slide show of the banding project.

Laura Lockard, daughter of Jay & Linda Lockard, was inducted into the National Chemistry Honor Society, Gamma Sigma Epsilon. Laura is a junior chemistry major at Lycoming College in Williamsport. This achievement was cited in the Ephrata Review in October. Congratulations Laura!

Bob Coley's been doing a little birding! This fall he enjoyed a three-week birding trip to southeastern Peru, which included the Pacific shore near Lima, the high and low Andes, and the Amazon Basin. The group ticked 654 species, 324 being new for Bob. His favorite birds were the White-tufted Sunbeam, Amazonian Parrotlet, Saffron-crowned Tanager, and Royal Cinclodes. Among the mammals seen were seven species of monkeys, some at very close range. He visited historic Inca ruins, including those at Pisac and Machu Piccu. In 2002 he visited Ecuador, birding the Amazon Basin, the high Andes, the Pacific shore, and the Galapagos Islands. His life list grew by 320 once he added the birds of the Galapagos. That same year he visited Kenya, including the Masai Mara. This trip added over 600 lifers to his list.

"Local Nature Lover Helps Others Learn" was the headline for John McGonigle's article about Gayle Lawrence in the "Outdoors" section of the Sunday News on October 3, 2003. Gayle is an official hawk counter at Second Mountain Hawk Watch and half of the article was about the hawk watch and Gayle's expertise in helping others learn about raptor identification. John was there to see her in action. The other half of the article was about Gayle's lifelong interest in nature and how her vacations, as well as her job with a commercial greenhouse, are nature-related. A photo of Gayle counting hawks was included in the article.

Clyde McMillan-Gamber reminds us of the beauty of winter trees, bushes, and ground cover in his contribution to the "I Know a Story" column in the Sunday News on December 14, 2003. Clyde took a look at the community of Mt. Gretna and described the natural beauty of the plant life that's displayed this time of year and which makes, in his opinion, Mt. Gretna stand out in its beauty. It's a good reminder to keep a close look at outside wonders all through the year and to take a day trip to Mt. Gretna in the winter. Thanks, Clyde!

Editor's Note: We encourage you to share your birding news by giving Bettina Heffner your entries at Club meetings, by calling her at Lancaster 393-2546, or mailing your information to her at 539 North Mary Street, Lancaster, PA 17603.

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!

This is the way the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology announced the 7th Annual Great Backyard Bird Count for this coming winter. The dates are February 13 through 16, 2004. The event will create a continent-wide "snapshot" of which bird species are where and in what numbers--information critical to monitoring the health of their populations. Participants simply keep track of the birds they see on any or all of the count days, then log their sightings into the Birdsource database at www.birdsource.org/gbbc.

Developed and managed by Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology and Audubon, with sponsorship inpart from Wildbirds Unlimited stores and the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the GBBC will help researchers understand the status of the birds that people all over North America so enjoy. Instructions for participating can be found at the Web Site listed earlier in this article. There's no fee for registration. Those who are not online can try their local library, Internet Cafe, or other public online locations. Some Wildbirds Unlimited store owners are online to accept observers' reports.

Some of the findings over the past years include the following: regional declines in American Crow populations in areas with high presence of West Nile Virus; increase in numbers of Dark-eyed Juncos in the east, probably being driven to feeders because of the severe winter; expansion of Eurasian Collared-Doves northwestward from Florida.

How will this winter compare to the last six? What will it reflect about our bird population? The participation of novice and expert bird watchers alike will help answer these questions. The Great Backyard Bird Count has become an important means of gathering data to help birds, but it can't happen unless people take part. Please consider participating in this event.

The American Bird Conservancy has a book entitled, "The American Bird Conservancy Guide to the 500 Most Important Bird Areas in the United States." Published by Random House, the price is $25.95. The book identifies the most significant places for birds and bird conservation in all fifty states. It identifies and describes places essential to rare, declining, or migrating birds. Each entry includes the reason the site was chosen, its ownership particulars, visitor information, and a detailed account of habitats, species, and conservation issues. For more information, see www.abcbirds.org. To purchase, go to http://shop.abcbirds.org.

Saturday, September 13, 2003 - The scheduled trip to Waggoner's Gap Hawk Watch had to be canceled due to heavy rain.

Sunday, October 5, 2003 - On this nice autumn day, leader Rosemary Spreha had only one participant on the Memorial Lake part of the trip, but was joined by a few others at Second Mountain Hawk Watch. A total of 38 species was identified with the most outstanding ones being Magnolia Warbler, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Eastern Towhee, an Osprey sitting in a tree and later hunting over the lake, three Sharp-shinned Hawks, and a Northern Goshawk. Other interesting observations for the day included a Black Bear crossing the road on the way to the hawk watch, four baby Copperhead Snakes along with an adult female Copperhead, and one baby Black Rat Snake.

Friday, October 10, 2003 - Tonight's Club meeting featured Elaine Gruin, Education Coordinator for ZooAmerica. The program, "Creatures of the Night," took a look at the adaptations that make nocturnal creatures successful. It featured a tarantula, a snake, a bat, a skunk (deodorized, of course), a Barred Owl, and a Screech Owl. An exciting part of the program was when she carried these live specimens around the room to allow closer observation by the audience.

Sunday, October 12,2003 - Larry Coble led a group of six participants on the Pennsylvania Canal Towpath Trail along the Susquehanna River between Bainbridge and Falmouth. A spectacular fall day with 60� temperatures led to the observation of 40 species even though waterbird sightings were limited by the high water level of the river. Among the 40 species were large numbers of Blackpoll and Yellow-rumped Warblers. Other sightings included seven Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, a Blue-eyed Vireo, two Red-breasted Nuthatches, two Hermit Thrushes, and two Black-throated Green Warblers. A large Snapping Turtle and several American Toads were also observed along the trail.

Saturday, October 18, 2003 - Leader Dave Gochnauer's trip to world-famous Hawk Mountain Sanctuary resulted in the identification of 26 species. Among the observations were a close Common Loon, three Bald Eagles, and a Peregrine Falcon. Only one participant joined Dave for this trip.

Friday, November 7, 2003 - World-renowned naturalist and author Kenn Kaufman thrilled a crowd of over 200 with the program, "A Birder Looks at Butterflies." Weaving an interesting, and at times comical, commentary with the excellent slides, he pointed out some of the similarities and differences of watching birds and butterflies. This program challenged birdwatchers to take advantage of their interest in nature to expand that interest to other natural phenomena, particularly butterflies. A concluding highlight of this evening was the book autographing session at the end of the program.

Friday-Sunday, November 14, 2003 - The annual fall trip to Chincoteague NWR, Virginia, proved again to be one of our most successful field trips. Leader Gary Shirk had eleven participants and, in spite of high winds, they identified 112 species for the weekend. Major sightings were: Peregrine Falcon, White Pelican, Brown-headed Nuthatch, Fox Sparrow, Common Eider, Pine Warbler, Northern Gannet, and Pileated Woodpecker. Other sightings included Sika Deer, Delmarva Fox Squirrel, and Chincoteague Ponies. An additional culinary highlight were the excellent steamed and fried oysters!

Saturday, December 6,2003 - The trip to the Conowingo Dam area for wintering Bald Eagles was canceled due to the impending snow storm.

Friday, December 12, 2003 - The program tonight was presented by Cindy Dunn, Director of Outreach for the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Her slide presentation, "Birds of the Susquehanna," not only included many of the common birds found along the river, but also turned out to be a lesson on the geography, geology, biology, and ecology of the river basin from the beginnings in New York state to Port Deposit, Maryland. Cindy has canoed the entire length of the river, including the West Branch and some of its tributaries over a period of 12 years, primarily through participating in the Susquehanna River Canoe Sojourn. A very interesting and informative program was enjoyed by our holiday season audience.

The results of the three Christmas Counts will be published in the Annual Research Issue of "Call Notes."