|
|
Lancaster County Bird Club |
Lancaster, PennsylvaniaFounded December 8, 1937to secure the cultivation of public sentiment in the
|
"CALL NOTES"
OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2005
Sunday, October 2, 2005 - Field trip to Memorial Lake State Park near Indiantown Gap for the morning then to Second Mountain Hawk Watch for lunch. and the afternoon. Leader: Rosemary Spreha (Harrisburg 657-0271 or e-mail rspreha@excite.com). Meet at 7:00 a.m. along Route 934, just north of I-81, near the Indiantown Gap Military Cemetery.
Friday, October 14, 2005 - Club meeting at 7:30 p.m. at the Farm & Home Center, 1383 Arcadia Road, Lancaster. Featured tonight is our program designed especially for our younger members, but appropriate for all ages. Beth Carricato, wildlife rehabilitator from the Dauphin County Wildlife Reserve, will present the program, utilizing live specimens. We'll also have a report from our youth scholarship winner, Andrew Odell, on his scholarship activities. NOTE: Program will be presented first, prior to business meeting.
Saturday, October 29, 2005 - Leader Larry Coble (Elizabethtown 367-5083) will conduct a stationary river birding drop-in activity anytime between 7:00 a.m. and noon, rain or shine, at the East Donegal Riverfront Park. Entrance to the park is via Vinegar Ferry Road, off Route 441, just beyond the old Armstrong Industries buildings.
Friday, November 11, 2005 - Club meeting at 7:30 p.m. at the Farm & Home Center, 1383 Arcadia Road, Lancaster. Tonight's program is entitled, "Nature's Footprints." Presented by Tom Powers, affectionately known to many of us at Second Mountain as the "Snake Man," the program will give us clues as to how to identify the creatures whose tracks we see in the dirt, mud, snow, etc. Sounds like a very informative program!
Friday-Sunday, November 11-13, 2005 - The annual fall trip to Chincoteague, Virginia, and the Delmarva Peninsula led by Gary Shirk (Lancaster 291-2172 or e-mail glshirk@verizon.net). Advance reservations a must! Meeting arrangements will be provided when registering with the leader for the trip.
Friday, December 2, 2005 - Club meeting at 7:30 p.m. at the Farm & Home Center, 1383 Arcadia Road, Lancaster. NOTE: This is the first Friday of the month! After an absence of a year, Hank Kaestner, the McCormick Spice Man, is back to present another of his birding travels, "Birdwatcher's Odyssey 2004-2005." Hank always presents an interesting program concerning various parts of the world.
Christmas Bird Counts - To participate on these counts, you can sign up at Club meetings or contact the compiler. Your help is needed on these counts!
| I N M E M O R I A M |
| ELISABETH DOREEN SHAW RUSSELL |
|
Elisabeth Russell became a member of the Club in the early 1970s, and possibly prior to that. She was born in England in 1928 and when she first joined members on the LCBC field trips, she entranced us with her British accent. She had a distinguished career in the academic world--full scholarship to Oxford, attaining both B.A. and M.A. degrees--followed by teaching positions at Franklin & Marshall College, Lancaster Country Day School, and culminating with 20 years at Elizabethtown College, retiring from there after serving as chairperson of the English Department for 19 years. Her love and enthusiasm for nature and the outdoors were infectious to those around her. Elisabeth passed away in August 2005. Our sincere sympathy is extended to her husband Robert and her family. |
PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE BY JAN WITMER
I have a number of items to report to the membership:
l. During the summer, the Board of Directors approved the $100 sponsorship for a youth team known as "Team Juvies." Led by Andrew Odell, the team also includes his sister Margaret and a friend, Zachary Miller. They will be doing a Birdathon known as the Kiptopeke Challenge as a fundraiser to benefit the Coastal Virginia Wildlife Observatory and its programs.
2. The Holtwood Environmental Preserve has a Bald Eagle nest on the York County side of the river, just north of the Holtwood Dam. This nest has been active for the last seven years. PPL is considering a webcam for this nest site, something like they have for the Peregrines nesting on the Rachel Carlson building in Harrisburg, or at Blackwater NWR for the Bald Eagles there. PPL is looking for partners in this endeavor and an exploratory meeting was held at the Holtwood Preserve on Thursday, September 1, with the following groups represented: the Pennsylvania Game Commission, York Audubon, the Lancaster County Bird Club, and PPL officials. A positive response from all parties led to a decision to continue to pursue the possibility of having a webcam in place by the beginning of 2006. PPL and the Pennsylvania Game Commission will be the prime participants, with other groups as cooperating partners. More information will be shared at future Club meetings and in newsletters as it becomes available.
3. North Museum is in the midst of a program to encourage the local Boy Scout groups to utilize the museum's facilities, etc., to enhance their Merit Badge Program, especially those related to nature activities. Museum personnel approached Leon & Jane Schreffler, who are working on the Museum's bird collection, to see if the LCBC would be interested in assisting them in any way. The Board will be looking at this request, realizing, however, that it would require a lot of volunteer time. Some phases of the program would be easy to accommodate, but others would not. If any of you would be willing to help out in this project or have any suggestions, the Board would like to have them from you ASAP. We don't want to make any commitment to help and then find out we don't have enough personnel willing to do it.
4. A word of THANKS to all of you who have contributed monies to the Club over and beyond the dues that you pay. Your extra financial support of the Club and its activities is greatly appreciated. Acknowledgement for those who have chosen to contribute in the form of a memorial gift or to honor someone will be found in another article in this newsletter.
5. Recently, I was made aware of a publication, Lancaster on the Move, a guide to free and low-cost physical activity for you and your family. Provided by Lancaster General Hospital and the Lancaster County Planning Commission, it includes a listing of parks and recreation areas that are one acre or larger. It is free! You can pick a copy up at the Customer Information Services Desk at Lancaster General Hospital or at the Campus. They plan to revise the booklet every two years.
6. The Guidelines and Application for the Harold B. Morrin Scholarship, sponsored by the Lancaster County Bird Club, are included with this newsletter. If you have any questions on the scholarships, please call me at 738-1855.
MEMBERS IN THE NEWS BY BETTINA HEFFNER
Two of our members have recently expressed themselves in letters to the editor. In the Sunday News on July 3, 2005, David Rempel Smucker wrote about eating contests. He wrote, "Food, a necessity for human life, signifies an opportunity for sharing and for communion with the natural world and our fellow humanity. Our wealthy North American society is beset by problems of obesity, malnutrition, and hunger, but such a contest encourages dysfunctional attitudes and behavior." On the issue of school tax reform, Genevieve Tvrdik encourages fairness in changing the tax structure. She wrote in the Intelligencer Journal on August 11, 2005, "It would be much fairer to raise the money for schools through an increase in the state personal income tax, where people with higher incomes pay a greater amount of tax."
Long-time member Russell Mack, President of the Lancaster Chapter. of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), was mentioned in the Ephrata Review on July 6, 2005. On behalf of the ACLU, he presented Ephrata High School with a copy of The Bill of Rights: A History in Documents by John J. Patrick. One goal of the ACLU is to educate young people about the United States government and the rights of the people. His photo was included.
PSO Pileated is the newsletter of the Pennsylvania Society for Ornithology. July's issue mentioned Sandy Lockerman as being elected to their Board of Directors for a three-year term. In the same issue, Nick Pulcinella was mentioned regarding his report at the annual meeting as chairperson of the Pennsylvania Ornithological Records Committee (PORC). The PSO acknowledges that his committee has a difficult job in verifying rare sightings and that it is grateful for its hard work. Nick's presentation included some examples of reports of sightings that needed input of consultants for verification. So, if the Ivorybilled Woodpecker was sighted in Pennsylvania, Nick would be on the case, along with PORC committee members Dan Heathcote and Eric Witmer.
The Ned Smith Center Nature and Arts Festival was held in July in Millersburg, Pennsylvania, and two members facilitated workshops. Larry Coble on mollusks and Jay George on propagating wildflowers. The festival is an annual event. To learn more about the center and its activities you may call (717) 692-3699.
Columnist Jack Brubaker, "The Scribbler" of the Lancaster New Era, recently had reason to contact Bob Schutsky about songbird attacks. Bob informed the Scribbler that bird attacks are rare and that modern communications has made isolated incidents seem more common than they actually are.
On a recent birding trip to southeastern Arizona, Robert Coley added his 500th bird in the ABA area, the Violet-crowned Hummingbird. With an excellent view, it was a fitting bird to mark this milestone. In addition to the hummingbird, the group found a roosting Sawwhet Owl and a Reddish Egret, both rare in the area. Some of the other 178 species found in the various canyons, wetlands, and mountains were the Mexican race of the Spotted Owl, Rose-breasted Becard, Elegant Trogon (several excellent views), Montezuma Quail (equally stunning views), Black Tern, Rufuous-winged Sparrow, Elf Owl, Five-striped Sparrow, Calliope Hummingbird, Lucifer Hummingbird, Botteri's Sparrow, and Varied Bunting. A bonus in Ramsey Canyon, which was closed at the beginning of the trip because of a wild fire but later opened, was a close look at a Black Bear. The weather was relatively cool because the monsoon season started while Bob was there, resulting in a number of rainbows in front of black storm clouds over high mountains. What a beautiful mental picture!
BIRDS ON THE MOVE (June l, 2005 to August 31, 2005) BY BARBARA HUNSBERGER
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 List Serve or make a verbal report at a Club meeting, please send that report to Barb also. Thanks for your help!
| June 17 - | Several nesting Northern Rough-winged Swallows, 2 Belted Kingfishers carrying minnows to nest cavity, a recently-fledged Catbird, 1 Brown Thrasher feeding young, l Red-tailed Hawk with juvenile, and Eastern Kingbird attending nest observed along a creek near Umbletown Road, Salisbury Twp., near Gap - Chuck Chalfant and his grandson. |
| July 1 - | A Green Heron nest with three young observed in a residential area of Manheim Township - Leon & Jane Schreffler |
| July 2 - | 1 Golden-crowned Kinglet (rare for Lancaster County in breeding season), 1 Grasshopper Sparrow with recently-fledged young, 1 Spotted Sandpiper, 5 Yellowbilled Cuckoos heard singing in different locations, 1 Acadian Flycatcher, numerous White-eyed Vireos, Red-eyed Vireo carrying food, 1 male Scarlet Tanager, 1 Savannah Sparrow, numerous Blue-gray Gnatcatchers and Indigo Buntings, and several Northern Parula observed during atlasing two blocks in the Octorara Lake area with a total of 66 species observed - Chuck Chalfant |
| July 10 - | 4 immature Black-Crowned Night-Herons near their home in Ephrata - Jan & Pat Witmer |
| July 15 - | 1 Monk Parakeet observed in his yard on Eastland Avenue, Lancaster - Daniel Ness July 19 - An immature Peregrine Falcon, circling 1/2 mile north of East Petersburg by the B & O quarry, just above Route 72, perhaps 50 meters above - Jay George |
| July 22 - | 12 Double-crested Cormorants, several dozen Great Blue Herons, 12 Great Egrets, 1 Snowy Egret, 1 Green Heron, 2 adult and 5 immature Bald Eagles, 2 Osprey, 12 Killdeer, 1 Spotted Sandpiper, 1 Semi-palmated Sandpiper, 1 Least Sandpiper, 2 Great Black-backed Gulls, several Herring Gulls, 12 Ring-billed Gulls, 1 Caspian Tern, 1 Kingfisher, 12 or more Purple Martins, hundreds of Bank Swallows, 50 or more of both Tree and Barn Swallows, and a Yellow-billed Cuckoo calling on the Conejohela Flats of the Susquehanna River - Chuck Chalfant and grandson |
| August 4 - | 1 Yellow-billed Cuckoo at his home, northeast of Manheim - Jay George |
| August 12 - | Bald Eagle flying over Valerie Drive in Ephrata - Gerald Trout |
| August 12 - | 1 Broad-winged Hawk at 410 Kendig Drive, Manheim - Jay George |
| August 12 - | 1 Cooper's Hawk along South Penryn Road in Manheim - Jay George |
| August 13 - | 1,000+ Purple Martins along Weaverland Road, near Churchtown - Ramsey Koury Leon & Jane Schreffler, Gerald Trout, and Jan & Pat Witmer |
| August 15 - | 1 Ruby-throated Hummingbird at feeder in their yard--a first for their yard list--in Ephrata - Jan & Pat Witmer |
| August 17 - | 1 immature Little Blue Heron, 1 immature Bald Eagle, 1 immature Northern Harrier, some Royal Terns, 8 adult and 4 immature Eastern Bluebirds observed at Middle Creek WMA - Jay George and Evan Eshleman |
| August 26 - | 1 roosting Common Nighthawk, Baltimore Orioles, 3 common woodpecker species, Chimney Swifts (soaring), Great Blue Heron, Carolina Wren, Common Yellowthroat, Red-eyed Vireo, Song Sparrows, Indigo Buntings, noisy flock of Titmice and Chickadees, including a female Redstart, a young female Chestnut-sided Warbler, a fully-marked Canada Warbler, Phoebe, Pewee, White-breasted Nuthatch, and a Yellow-billed Cuckoo, sitting low on an exposed limb, at Lancaster County Central Park - Glenn Shaffer |
| Last week in August - | A large variety of shorebirds were observed on the Conejohela Flats of the Susquehanna River as the fall migration began in earnest. Chuck Chalfant and others visited the area several days that week. The following is a list of the shorebirds and other species as reported by Bob Schutsky: 23 species of shorebirds, including 22 Black-bellied Plovers (mostly adults, but including 1 or 2 juveniles, 1 American Golden-Plover, 20 Semi- almated Plovers, 160 Killdeer, 6 Greater Yellowlegs, 11 Lesser Yellowlegs, 1 juv. Solitary Sandpiper, 6 Spotted Sandpipers, 1 Whimbrel, 9 Ruddy Turnstone, 6 Sanderlings, 75 Semi-palmated Sandpipers, 1 Western Sandpiper, 212 Least Sandpipers, l Dunlin, 2 Stilt Sandpipers, 3 juv. Buff-breasted Sandpipers, 1 non-breeding adult Ruff (probably female), 13 juv. Short-billed Dowitchers, 2 Wilson's Snipe on the Conejohela Flats of the Susquehanna River. Additional birds of note included 4 adult and 13 immature Bald Eagles, 2 Osprey, a Merlin that took a Killdeer, 2 immature Peregrine Falcons, 16 Black Terns, 6 adult Caspian Terns, 136 adult and juv. Forster's Terns - Bob Schutsky, Tom Amico, Chuck Chalfant, and Deuane Hoffman |
SPECIAL CONTRIBUTIONS
Tributes and memorial contributions received since July 1, 2005, include:
The Board of Directors extends their thank you to these members for their generosity.
If you have any questions regarding items in the newsletter, Club
meetings/programs, or field trips, please feel free to contact a
member of the Board of Directors. For your convenience, their names
and phone numbers are listed below:
|
MEMBERSHIP NEWS BY PAT WITMER
If you have not paid your dues for 2005-2006, this is the last newsletter you will be receiving. Paid members will have a "7/06" on their label.
Unpaid members should send their renewal form to our treasurer, along with their 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 and dependent children); Sustaining Individual - $30.00. Mail your completed form and check to Jonathan Heller, 206 Newcomer Road, Mt. Joy, PA 17552-8401.
Current membership stands at 312, 20 less than this time last year. A hearty welcome to our new members! We hope you will find time available to attend the various Club functions, which are 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 various good birding areas. You will find the more knowledgeable birders are willing to help our newer members.
New Members:
REVIEW OF COMPLETED EVENTS
Saturday, August 27, 2005 - Bruce Carl led a group of seven members of the LCBC on a walk along Hammer Creek on Pumping Station Road and a visit to Speedwell County Park in northern Lancaster County. They observed 58 species with the best birds being Mourning Warbler and Yellow-bellied Flycatcher at Speedwell County Park. A total of 11 species of warblers were found with other highlights being Blackburnian, Magnolia, Canada, Northern Waterthrush, and Black-throated Green. Most numerous warblers were Redstarts and Chestnut-sided. Other notable sightings included Least Flycatcher, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, 3 or 4 Yellow-throated Vireos, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Scarlet Tanager, Baltimore Oriole, and a large flock of Common Grackles.
Friday, September 2, 2005 - The first Club meeting of the season featured the slide program, "Birding in Trinidad and Tobago." Presented by Club member Genevieve Tvrdik, the program gave us an excellent sampling of the tropical vegetation and many of the colorful birds found in this small country just off the coast of Venezuela. With the Asa Wright Nature Center and its program, this is an excellent place to get a good sampling of tropical birding with about 400 bird species having been recorded here.
Saturday, September 10, 2005 - Leader Steve Rannels had 13 participants on this trip to the Furnace Hills. A total of 41 species were observed. Most notable sightings were: close looks at a juvenile Broad-winged Hawk, numerous Scarlet Tanagers, a Tennessee Warbler, and good views of a Parula Warbler. Other sightings included many Walking Sticks, Crickets and Katydids, Red-spotted Purples and Tiger Swallowtails.
Saturday, September 17, 2005 - Overcast and foggy weather with temperatures in the mid60s met leaders Thom Kurtz and Nancy Clupper for this scheduled trip to Pumping Station Road and Second Mountain Hawk Watch. Even though no one contacted them, they decided to check out Pumping Station Road by themselves and were able to identify 29 species. They did not go to Second Mountain, since rain was in the forecast. Best observations were Northern Waterthrush, Chestnut-sided, Magnolia, Black-throated Green, Blackburnian, and Canada Warblers, and American Redstart. There were also various empidonax types, an Eastern Wood-Pewee, Veery, Swainson's Thrush, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, and Ruby-throated Hummingbirds. A surprisingly good morning!
Created for the Internet on ... 30 September 2005