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"
APRIL - JUNE 2005

Friday, April 8, 2005 - Club meeting at 7:30 p.m. at the Farm & Home Center, 1383 Arcadia Road, Lancaster. "Birding the Adirondacks: A Boreal Bonanza" by Bill Barber is a comprehensive program describing the relationship between bird life, ecology, and history in the Adirondack Park in upstate New York. While wide-ranging, the program offers details on many Adirondack year-round and migratory species. There is an emphasis on boreal habitat and bird life. Mr. Barber has enjoyed this area for 46 years and leads birding and hiking trips into the park. SPECIAL NOTE: This is the Annual Meeting of the Club, at which time election of officers and directors will take place.

Saturday, April 9, 2005 - Field trip consisting of birding along the Susquehanna. Meet at 7:30 a.m. in the parking lot of the John Wright Restaurant along the river in Wrightsville. This is prime time for migrating Bonaparte's Gulls and with luck there might be a few Little Gulls mixed in. Other target species will be loons, grebes, and a variety of waterfowl. The group will also try for Yellow-throated Warbler at their breeding locales near Safe Harbor. Leader: Jonathan Heller (Lancaster 940-6067 or e-mail jmheller@paonline.com).

Wednesday, April 20, 2005 - A mid-week trip to Safe Harbor Park and Shenk's Ferry led by Jim Smith (Rawlinsville 284-4458 or e-mail Jimsmith0212@aol.com). Being held in honor of Shirley Bubb, it is hoped that those who had accompanied Shirley on previous trips to these areas for birds and wildflowers would join Jim and share their memories of her. Meet at 7:30 a.m. at the Taco Bell area at Kendig Square Mall, south of Lancaster.

Wednesday, April 27, 2005 - A new trip this year: Birding the Lower Susquehanna River Gorge will be led by Jim Smith (Rawlinsville 284-4458 or e-mail Jimsmith0212@aol.com). Meet at 7:30 a.m. at Lock 12 parking lot (first right after crossing the Norman Wood Bridge). Be prepared to car pool.

Friday Monday, April 29 May 2, 2005 - By popular demand, this spring trip to bird the Delmarva Peninsula is back on the schedule with Bruce Carl serving as leader (Akron 859-4179 or e-mail carls@dejazzd:com). Trip plans: Friday - bird hotspots in Delaware; Saturday and Sunday - Chincoteague NWR and lower Delmarva Peninsula, including Kiptopeke SP, Eastern Shore NWR, and possibly the Chesapeake Bay Bridge islands; Monday - bird our way home with stops in Maryland and Delaware. In past years this trip has observed over 100 species each day. Meet at 5:00 a.m. at the A. C. Moore parking lot in the Lancaster Shopping Center, located just south of Route 30, between Routes 272 and 501. Reservations a must!

Saturday, May 7, 2005 - Sally and Darryl Lownsbery (Millersville 872-2102) lead this trip to the Ted Parker Natural Area, looking for spring migrants and early nesters. Meet at the Ted Parker Natural Area at 7:30 a.m.

Wednesday, May 11, 2005 - An early evening walk through Landis Woods Park in Manheim Township led by Jane and Leon Schreffler (Lancaster 569-0789 or e-mail jsschreffler@juno.com). Meet at 5:30 p.m. at Boettcher House parking lot. Enter from Route 501, either from Hillside Lane (between Brook Lawn Farm Market and Neffsville Mennonite Church) or from Meadow Lane (just north of Neffsville Mennonite Church).

Friday, May 13, 2005 - Picnic meeting at Middle Creek WMA. Meet at 4:00 p.m. at the Visitors' Center for early birding walk. At 6:00 p.m., picnic lunch (bring your own) at Sunfish Pond picnic area. Birding until dusk after a brief business meeting. In case of rain, picnic will be held in the Visitors' Center meeting room.

Saturday, May 14, 2005 - Lancaster County Warbler Walks and the North American Migration Count (NAMC). Three locations for the Warbler Walks, all beginning at 7:00 a.m. with the leaders and designated meeting sites, follows:

• Middle Creek WMA - Leader Fred Habegger (Akron 859-2521) - Meet at the Visitors' Center parking lot.
• Chickies Rock County Park - Leaders Thom Kurtz and Nancy Clupper (Lancaster 299-9406) - Meet at Breezy Point Overlook.
• Central Hammer Creek - Leader Bruce Carl (Akron 859-4179 or e-mail carls@dejazzd.com) - Meet at the parking lot at the intersection of Route 322 and Pumping Station Road, west of Brickerville.
• Note: The NAMC is being combined with the Warbler Walks and will be done in other areas of the county. Call Bruce Carl if interested in doing an area for the NAMC.

Sunday, May 15, 2005 - Safe Harbor Observation Site. Sally and Darryl Lownsbery (Millersville 872-2102) will lead this trip which is almost in their backyard. A good place for Chat, Blue Grosbeak, and Prairie Warbler. Meet at 7:00 a.m. at Safe Harbor Park, Warehouse Road area (just across the bridge).

Saturday, May 21, 2005 - Larry Coble (Elizabethtown 367-5083) will lead this trip for Riverside Birding along the old canal trail between Falmouth and Bainbridge. This trip was canceled in the fall due to conditions left by flooding. Meet at 8:00 a.m. at the Pennsylvania Fish Commission Falmouth Access off Route 441.

Saturday, June 5, 2005 - Our 2004-2005 activities for the year end with this "mystery trip" led by Randy Miller (Manheim 664-3778), Meet at 7:00 a.m. at the junction of Route 117 and Pinch Road in Mt. Gretna. Depending on bird reports, this trip may go to Stoney Valley near Indiantown Gap, or could bird the state game lands around Mt. Gretna, or Swatara Creek SP, or the Furnace Hills. These are only some of the possiblities--there are others! Randy will decide.

Club officers and members of the executive committee for 2005-06 will be elected at the Annual Meeting on Friday, April 8, 2005. The Nominating Committee will be presenting the following slate of candidates at the meeting:

SPECIAL CONTRIBUTIONS

Memorial contributions received since January l, 2005, include:

The Board of Directors extends their sincere thank you to these members and friends for their generosity.

As winter comes to an end and outdoor activity increases, make sure you check all the field trip opportunities provided through the Club. A lot of volunteer time goes into the leading of these endeavors and I think all of us need to voice our appreciation to the leaders of these activities and field trips. We really need to get more people involved in leading these activities. We can't expect the same people to do this year after year after year.

Reading Public Museum - The Museum, in collaboration with the Baird Ornithological Club, is presenting a retrospect of the legacy of three significant Berks County birding individuals. Entitled, "Influenced by Birds--Berks County Giants and Their Legacies," it honors Levi Mengel, Earl Lincoln Poole, and Maurice Broun. Museum guests may view the exhibit from April 2 through August 28, 2005. Regular hours are Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday 11:00 a.m to 5:00 p.m.; Wednesday 11:00 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Sunday noon to 5:00 p.m. Admission is $7.00 for adults; $5.00 for senior citizens and children; Museum members and children under four are free.

Member Suggestions - With the election of officers and directors at the April meeting, the new Board will be meeting later in April and May to plan next year's programs and field trips. You are encouraged to give your suggestions to any Board member. If you are suggesting a program, it would be helpful to have a phone number or e-mail address to make contact with a speaker simpler.

Editor's Note: Please report your sightings to Barbara Hunsberger, 984 Woodridge Boulevard, Lancaster, PA 17601. She prefers to have reports sent to her e-mail address: phunsberger@comcast.net, but will accept mail or phone reports (Lancaster 393-4091). Remember, our focus is not just on rare or uncommon birds, but also on more common species that appear in unusual numbers, out-of-season, or exhibiting behaviour that would be of interest to our members. Your help is needed in making this column a way of recording the county's birdlife. If you send a report to the Pennsylvania Bird Serve List or make a verbal report at a Club meeting, please send that report to Barb also. Thanks for your help!

MEMBERS IN THE NEWS BY BETTINA HEFFNER

A few days after Christmas, Jan & Pat Witmer flew to California to visit relatives and view the Rose Bowl Parade. While there, they did get to do a minimal amount of birding. At the Tucker Wildlife Sanctuary in Modjeski Canyon, among the birds observed were Acorn Woodpecker, Lesser Goldfinch, and Anna's Hummingbirds. They also visited the Tyler Arboretum on the Cal State-Fullerton Campus and were greeted by lots of hummingbirds, plus Black Phoebes, Wilson's Warbler, Mockingbirds, Coots, Audubon's Warblers, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, and Wrentits. From a point along the coast at Palos Verdes, they saw migrating Gray Whales. There was a Peregrine Falcon sitting on a nearby fence post and lots of Brown Pelicans along the shoreline. White Pelicans and shorebirds were also seen at a refuge in Anaheim.

Peter & Barbara Hunsberger were mentioned in the "New Era" in early February as having spotted a Varied Thrush at Middle Creek WMA on January 31, 2005. Peter & Barbara are volunteers for the Breeding Bird Atlas and as they were scouting the area behind the Visitors' Center they saw the bird. Tom Amico photographed the bird for the article. This thrush breeds in the western United States and Canada. Good spotting!

Establishing good riparian borders is critical for healthy waterways. Good borders have plantings that help filter out pollutants, prevent flooding, and encourage diverse insect life which in turn encourages fish and other aquatic life. Larry Coble is hoping the community will respond to his "adopt a creek" program which will do a lot to create and protect riparian borders along the Conoy Creek and its tributaries in the Elizabethtown area. Larry and his program were featured in the "Intelligencer Journal" on February 2 and included his photo along Negley's Run. For more information on the adoption program, you may call Larry at Elizabethtown 367-5083.

Playing the final movement of Grieg's piano concerto, Tyler Reigel, son of John & Sharon Reigel, was a finalist in the Senior Instrumental Music Competition at the Fulton Opera House in February 2005. Competing for the first time, Tyler placed second in this event sponsored by the Women's Symphony Association and the Lancaster Symphony Orchestra. Tyler is a senior at Warwick High School and studies piano with Xun Fan at the Pennsylvania Academy of Music. An article about the event, along with photos of the participants, appeared in the "Intelligencer Journal" on February 28. Congratulations Tyler!

CROW PROBLEM UPDATE BY JAN A. WITMER

Many of you probably saw the letter in the "Lancaster New Era" which the Lancaster County Bird Club sent stating our opposition to the plan to use poison to combat the crow problem in the Lancaster area. Copies of that letter were sent to each of the County Commissioners, Pennsylvania Audubon, the mayor of Lancaster City, and the municipal managers for Manheim Township, the Borough of East Petersburg, and East Hempfield Township, and the USDA Wildlife Services Officer Chris Croson. One response was received from Manheim Township. As of this writing, it appears nothing will be done this season.

In the most recent newsletter of the Pennsylvania Society of Ornithology (PSO), the PSO president wrote about this problem. He urged the membership to become active when this plan is again proposed next year. Make phone calls, write letters, send e-mails. Whether or not you belong to PS0, you can make your feelings known to the proper person at the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture: Secretary Dennis Wolfe, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, 2301 North Cameron Street, Harrisburg, PA 17110. You may also e-mail Governor Rendell at http://sites.state.pa.us/PA.EXEC/Governor/govmail.html.

Current membership is 394, which is four more than this time last year.

A warm welcome to our new members, with an invitation for them to join us on the many field trips scheduled for this spring. This is a way of getting acquainted--both with other Club members and the various good birding spots in our area. Hopefully, many members will be able to attend the picnic meeting in May at Middle Creek WMA, which is an informal meeting of fun, fellowship, and birding!

• New Members:
  
  Hofferth, Ms. Madalyn H., 6482 Cherry Street, East Petersburg, PA 17520
  Kramer, Walter, 103 Hillside Circle, Camp Hill, PA 17011
  Preheim, Mr. & Mrs. Loren (Rosalie), P. O. Box 716, Brownstown, PA 17508-0716
  Rettich, Ms. Judy, 134 Gery Court, Ephrata., PA 17522
  Wise, Ms. Lori L., 1645 Furnace Hill Road, Denver, PA 17517
• Old Friends Returning:
  
  Rutbell, Ms. Margie, 6064A Upper Mountain Road, New Hope, PA 18938
  Stoner, Mr. & Mrs. John (Janet), 728 Fulton Street, Akron, PA 17501

REVIEW OF COMPLETED EVENTS

Friday, January 14, 2005 - A large crowd of over 120 enjoyed Cliff Jones' presentation on India. Through his excellent pictures, Cliff shared many of the sights he experienced on this 2004 trip--from tigers and the Taj Mahal to the many beautiful birds, Cliff thrilled us all with the wide variety of beautiful scenes from this intriguing country.

Saturday, January 15, 2005 - Leader Fred Zimmerman had 13 people on this trip to the Cape Henlopen area. Birding Broadkill Beach, Cape Henlopen SP, Silver Lake, Indian River Inlet, and Gordon Pond, the group identified 65 species on this clear, wintry day. Most notable observations included Brown-headed and Red-breasted Nuthatches, Red-breasted Merganser, Great Cormorant, Purple Sandpiper, all three Scoter species, Canvasbacks, Pintails, Lesser & Greater Scaup, Horned Grebe, Common and Red-throated Loons., Greater Yellowlegs, Yellow-rumped Warbler, and Long-tailed Duck.

Friday. February 4, 2005 - Club member, Steve Rannels, presented his program, "An Inordinate Fondness for Bugs" to a packed house. His powerpoint presentation covered a wide variety of creatures. It included beautiful pictures of caterpillars, butterflies, moths, dragonflies, etc. Steve's excellent commentary gave us quite an education into the realm of the natural world with a lot of emphasis on survival strategies. An excellent program!

Sunday, February 6, 2005 - Eighteen people enjoyed a beautiful sunny, mild afternoon birding in the countryside to the north and west of Ephrata. In spite of not finding many Horned Larks and no Snow Buntings or Lapland Longspurs, it was nice just to be outdoors. Unusual sightings included 11 Red-tailed Hawks in one tree and two adult Bald Eagles, one of which remained perched in a tree long enough to allow everyone a good look! The afternoon concluded at Middle Creek WMA with an unsuccessful effort to locate the Varied Thrush that had been observed there every day during the previous week. A total of 25 species was observed. Jan Witmer served as leader.

February 18-21, 2005 - The trip to Canada, led by Thom Kurtz and Nancy Clupper thrilled the 19 participants. With the advance notice of northern owls in the Ottawa area, the group was not disappointed. Visiting Amherst Island on Saturday, the group had outstanding looks at Boreal Owl, had a Short-eared Owl fly right overhead, and a distant view of a Snowy Owl. After an early breakfast at the Ottawa motel Sunday morning started out fantastically with close-up viewing of about ten Great Gray Owls in a distance of about one-half mile. Other owls viewed included Great-horned and Northern Hawk Owl. Other observations included Barrow's Goldeneye and a few people saw several Bohemian Waxwings. Sightings of coyotes, several porcupines up in the trees, and two Snowshoe Hares added to the enjoyment of this trip. A total of 33 bird species was observed.

Saturday, February 19, 2005 - This trip to the New Jersey coast, led by Gary Shirk, birded at Point Pleasant, Shark River Inlet, and the Barnegat Lighthouse areas. The five participants observed 52 species, with outstanding views of waterfowl, mostly within 250 feet. These included 30-40 Harlequin Ducks, 200+ Long-tailed Ducks, 200+ Black and Surf Scoters, with the trip ending with a Peregrine Falcon at the Barnegat Lighthouse.

Saturday, March 5, 2005 - On this sunny, calm morning, fresh ice on the lake limited waterfowl activity and viewing opportunities for the group which accompanied leader Fred Habegger on the tour around Middle Creek WMA. A total of 53 species was identified, including 15 species of waterfowl. In addition to the large numbers of Snow Geese and Tundra Swans, other notable sightings included Common Goldeneye, Hermit Thrush, imm. Redshouldered Hawk, and two adult Bald Eagles.

Friday, March 11, 2005 - Over 100 people enjoyed Bill Evan's program, "Nocturnal Night Calls of Migratory Birds." Through recording and slides, he explained how birds and their night migration could be tracked and tallied and how this information is used in population studies of different bird species. Hazards encountered by birds during night migration was presented with special mention of the danger presented by towers and some of the windmill power farms. A very interesting program!

Saturday, March 12, 2005 - Due to a conflict, the leader had to cancel this trip.

Sunday, March 13, 2005 - The annual trip to the Mt. Gretna area in search of courting Woodcock, led by Larry Coble, was again successful. The nine birders observed five calling and displaying American Woodcocks among the 29 species identified. Other sightings included a pair of Wood Ducks, Hooded Mergansers, and two Fox Sparrows.