|
|
Lancaster County Bird Club |
Lancaster, PennsylvaniaFounded December 8, 1937to secure the cultivation of public sentiment in the
|
"CALL NOTES"
OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2006
Sunday, October 1, 2006 - Field trip to Memorial Lake State Park and Second Mountain Hawk Watch. NOTE: Change in leadership. New leader is Randy Miller (Manheim 664-3778). Meet at 7:00 a.m. along Route 934, just north of I-81, near the Indiantown Gap Military Cemetery. The morning will be spent in the park searching for migrant passerines; afternoon at the hawk watch.
Friday, October 13, 2006 - Club meeting at 7:30 p.m. at the Farm & Home Center, 1383 Arcadia Road, Lancaster. Tonight's program will be presented by staff members from the Lancaster County Conservancy. Entitled, "Save What's Important - Grow Smart," will take a look at various areas that are part of the Conservancy's preserves and the role of the Conservancy in preserving areas of the county in the future.
Friday, October 27, 2006 - Field trip to one of the Saw-whet Owl banding stations that is a part of the Ned Smith Center's banding program. Rosemary Spreha is the leader (Harrisburg 657-0271). Limited to 15 participants. This is an evening trip; the banding site is near Hidden Valley Golf Course in Schuylkill County. Participants must contact Rosemary for directions to the banding station, where they must be present by 6:30 p.m.
Saturday, October 28, 2006 - A "drop-in" morning of birding along the Susquehanna River. Larry Coble (Elizabethtown 367-5083) will be on hand at the East Donegal Riverfront Park, located at the western end of Vinegar Ferry Road, off of Route 441 north of Columbia. He'll be located at the park from 7:00 a.m. until 12:00 noon (rain or shine).
Friday, November 10, 2006 - Club meeting at 7:30 p.m. at the Farm & Home Center, 1383 Arcadia Road, Lancaster. Our program tonight takes us traveling to southeastern Europe and the Georgia area in the Caucasus region. "Raptors of Georgia and Other Bird Specialties of the Caucasus" will be an introduction to the dynamic ecology of this region and will focus on the birds of the highland steppes, badlands, and alpine habitat. Special attention will be given to the spectacular raptor migration along the Black Sea coast. Speaker for the evening will be Rafael Antonio Galvez, who has authored several books on birds of the region. Plans call for him to have some of his books for sale.
Friday-Sunday, November 17-19, 2006 - The annual trip to bird the Delmarva Peninsula and Chincoteague NWR will be led by Gary Shirk (Lancaster 291-2172 or e-mail glshirk [AT] verizon [DOT] net). Reservations a must!
Friday, December 1, 2006 - Club meeting at the Farm & Home Center, 1383 Arcadia Road, Lancaster. NOTE: This is the first Friday of the month! Club member and one of Pennsylvania's leading birding enthusiasts Frank Haas will be the speaker this evening. His program, "Adak - Gambling on Birds," will be the story of his trip to this island, halfway out the chain of Aleutian Islands - an adventure and a gamble on finding some of the Asiatic strays that touch down on this island in their migratory wanderings.
Christmas Bird Counts - If interested in participating in any of these counts, please contact the coordinator or sign up at a Club meeting.
PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE BY ANN BODLING
Autumn always seems to me a time of forward-looking change and possiblility, in part because of my awareness of the wonder of the fall migration. As I am writing, the woods are still alive with warblers and thrushes, the fields with sparrows, the gardens with hummingbirds, and the skies with raptors. By the time you are reading this, most of the warblers, thrushes, and hummingbirds will have left but the fields will be filled with northern sparrows and the raptor migration will carry on for another couple months. There is still life everywhere we look.
The Lancaster area will be expecting the arrival of its migrating winter crow population again soon, as well. Since crows do not always inspire the same sense of wonder as do the other migrants, we are especially grateful to have had Dr. Kevin McGowan come to present a program on the Hidden Life of Crows at our September meeting. As the Bird Club seeks to be a resource to the Lancaster community concerning the best options for managing the wintering crow roost, we thank Dr. McGowan for consenting to be our long distance consultant and guide through the winter roosting season.
And now for some general announcements -
During the summer, the Board of Directors again approved a $100 sponsorship for the youth team known as "Team Juvies." Led by Andrew Odell, the team 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. We will be looking forward to hearing Team Juvies report and results!
Special thanks to all who contribute money to the Club, over and above your annual dues. Your extra financial support of the Club and its activities is greatly appreciated and allows us to support avian conservation and educational efforts that we might not other�wise be able to provide.
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 contact me at 367-8340.
Please check out the many programs and field trips the Club has to offer this year. There is surely something for everyone!
RECENT BOARD ACTIONS:
At a Board of Directors meeting held on September 11, 2006, the following action was taken in order to avoid any situations that could compromise the Club and its positions on controversial issues:
SPECIAL CONTRIBUTIONS:
Tributes and memorial contributions received since July 1, 2006, include:
The Board of Directors extends their thank you to these members for their generosity.
| I N M E M O R I A M |
| FLORENCE E. LEINAWEAVER |
|
Florence Leinaweaver passed away on September 1, 2006, at the age of 96. "Flossie," as she was known to many of us, was a long-time member of the Club. For seven years, she served on the Board of Directors as newsletter secretary. She was a very active Club member, being present at most of the meetings and a participant on many field trips, both to local areas, as well as on trips to the shore areas and Chincoteague NWR. She had many interests and in addition to birds enjoyed golfing, playing when she was in her 90s. Known for her pleasant personality and sense of humor, she will be missed by her many friends. Our sincere sympathy is extended to her family. |
MEMBERSHIP NEWS BY PAT WITMER
If you have not paid your dues for 2006-2007, this is the last newsletter you will be receiving. Paid members will have a "7/07" 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; Regualar 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.
Our current membership is 312, exactly the same as it was last year at this time!
Since several members have requested that their membership in the LCBC not be shared with other organizations, I want to reassure our members that it has been the policy of the LCBC for many years not to share our membership listing with anyone.
A friendly welcome to our new members! We hope you will find the time to attend 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:
BIRDS ON THE MOVE (June 1, 2006, to August 31, 2006) COMPILED 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 [AT] comcast [DOT] 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 PABIRDS Listserv or make a verbal report at a Club meeting, please send that report to Barb also. Thanks for your help!
| May 24-27 - | 1 Blackpoll Warbler at 550 Kendig Drive, Manheim - Jay George |
| June 1 - | 1 Red-headed Woodpecker on Long Lane in Brecknock Twp. - Anne Hurst |
| June 4 - | 44 Wood Ducks (8 females with 36 young) seen during a float trip on the Conestoga River around Lancaster. 1 Yellow-throated Warbler in Lancaster County Central Park near Rockford Plantation - Tom Amico |
| June 6 - | 1 Green Heron in pond which was a new bird for yard list in Bainbridge; seen again on June 29 - Gayle & Chuck Lawrence |
| June 7 - | 44 species by the Wednesday morning birding group at Landis Woods; highlights include several Indigo Buntings, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Great-crested Flycatcher, Brown Thrasher, and a singing Wood Thrush - Pam Fisher |
| June 14 - | 44 species by the Wednesday morning birding group at Holtwood Preserve/Face Rock Overlook; highlights included Blue Grosbeak, Yellow-breasted Chat, Prairie Warbler, Orchard Oriole, Willow Flycatcher, and two Osprey nests with young. In the afternoon, Pam Fisher had a pair of Blue Grosbeaks, Yellow-throated Vireo, and Worm-eating Warbler in the same area. Pam Fisher |
| June 24 - | 1 Black-bellied Whistling Duck on the Alcoa Marsh along Fruitville Pike - Tom Amico & Leon Schreffler |
| June 28 - | 1 Cooper's Hawk taking a leisurely bath in their neighbor's birdbath in Ephrata - Jan & Pat Witmer |
| June 30 - | 3 Bald Eagles, 56 Wood Ducks (including many broods of young), 1 Black Tern (in full breeding plumage) - due to rising water levels, observations were made from bank of the Susquehanna River instead of from the Conejohela Flats. The following were some of the species floating on debris: Great Blue Heron, Double-crested Cormorant, Wood Duck, Green Heron, and Tree Swallow - Bob Schutsky |
| July 1 - | 1 Blue-winged Warbler and 1 Yellow-billed Cuckoo behind Vistors' Center at Middle Creek WMA - Nancy & Tom Hopson |
| July 4 - | 1 mature Bald Eagle east of Intercourse - Gerald Trout |
| July 8 - | 6 imm. Black-Crowned Night-Heron, 1 Louisiana Waterthrush, Spotted Sandpipers, 12 Prothonotary Warblers during a kayak trip around Weise and Bair Islands on Lake Aldred; also saw 1 mature and 1 imm. Bald Eagle - may have found a new nest - Tom Raub |
| July 10 - | 6 imm. Barn Owls banded at Middle Creek WMA - Nancy & Tom Hopson |
| July 25 - | 1 imm. Bald Eagle observed flying above the Conestoga River south of Terre Hill - Gerald Trout |
| July 25 - | 4 adult and 5 imm. Black-Crowned Night-Herons near spillway at Speedwell Forge Lake. Birds seen in the area since July 4. Nests in pine trees near spillway; may be some of the adults from the abandoned Creek Road Rookery - Glenn Shaffer |
| Aug. 1 - | 3 imm. and 2 adult Barn Owls observed using the Bat House near the Visitors' Center at Middle Creek WMA as a nest box - Nancy & Tom Hopson |
| Aug. 6 - | 6 Sedge Wrens along tour road at Middle Creek WMA; there were at least two pairs, with one pair confirmed as beeding there - Tom Raub, Jonathan Heller, & Randy Miller |
| Aug. 14 - | Ruby-throated Hummingbird basking in the sun at three different times on the mulch near one of their feeders along Signal Hill Lane in Lancaster - Henry Michel |
| Aug. 19 - | Highlights of Conejohela Flats observations: 48 Black Tern, 223 Killdeer, 162 Least Sandpiper, 7 Short-billed Dowitcher, 7 Semipalmated Plover, 1 adult and 6 imm. Bald Eagle, and 5 Osprey - Bob Schutsky |
| Aug. 27 - | Highlights of Conejohela Flats observations: 12 species of shoreblrds, including 14 Short-billed Dowitcher, 2 Long-billed Dowitcher, 39 Semipalmated Plover, 86 Least Sandpiper, 3 Buff-breasted Sandpiper, 2 Baird's Sandpiper, 37 Black Tern, 11 1mm. and 3 adult Bald Eage, 6 Bobolink, and 2 Merlin - Bob Schutsky |
| Aug. 29 - | 12 species of shorebirds on the Conejohela Flats including 1 Black-bellied Plover, 5 Greater Yellowlegs, 16 Lesser Yellowlegs, 2 Sanderling, 106 Least Sandpiper, 2 Short-billed Dowitcher, 1 Buff-breasted Sandpiper that came to within six feet of Cameron Rutt, and 1 female Peregrine Falcon chasing Yellowlegs - Deuane Hoffman |
| Aug. 31 - | 1 imm. Bald Eagle and 1 Cooper's Hawk near White Horse - Gerald Trout |
MEMBERS IN THE NEWS BY BETTINA HEFFNER
(Editor's Note: Please mail items for this column to Ms. Bettina Heffner, 539 North Mary Street, Lancaster, PA 17603-3009, or give them to her at meetings.)
Robert Coley spent three weeks last October birding eastern Australia from the York Peninsula to Tasmania, locating 370 species; 333 were lifers. The outstanding birds were the largest: the Southern Cassowary and the Emu. Among other favorites were the two species of Kookaburras, Fairy Wrens, Babblers, Robins, and parrots, parakeets and their relatives. While all of the land was beautiful, the island state of Tasmania was his favorite because of the city of Hobart and the surrounding mountainous countryside.
In February, Bob spent over three weeks in Thailand, traveling from the Gulf of Thailand to the Burmese border. Of the 345 species seen, 276 were lifers. The outstanding birds were the extremely rare Spoon-billed Sandpiper (a standout among the other shorebirds), the Giant Nuthatch (the largest in the world), and the Collared and Black-thighed Falconets, the smallest raptors in the world. Other very appealing birds were the horn bills, bulbils, sunbirds, and woodpeckers. Bob had time to visit historic sites such as the Grand Palace and many temples in Bangkok, the old capital of Ayutthaya, the site of the bridge over the River Kwai, several villages of the "hill people," the highest point in Thailand, and an army outpost overlooking the Burmese border.
Kiptopeke is the Accawmack Indian word for "big water." Since 1963, Kipotpeke State Park in coastal Virginia has been the site of bird population studies by the Coastal Virginia Wildlife Observatory (CVWO). Our Club has learned about some of the birding activities there from the Odell family. The CVWO newsletter is called Coastal Flightlines. The August issue pictures Margaret and Andrew Odell as members of "Team Juvies," one of the birding teams which made up the 2005 Kiptopeke Challenge, a birdathon fund raiser for the CVWO. Along with Andrew and Abigail Odell, our Club is listed as a financial contributor. For more information about CVWO, you may go online to www.cvwp.org or write to CVWO, P.O. Box 1225, Virginia Beach, VA 23451
Our Club's monthly meetings are advertised in local papers. Often it amounts to just a few lines in a column of other events. Our Crow meeting was an exception. In addition to the usual coverage, an article by Maria Coole in the Sunday News on September 3, 2006, featured our speaker and upcoming meeting. Quoted was President Ann Bodling regarding the educational role of our Club and our possible involvement in "coming up with effective solutions in the management of wintering crow roosts." The program was very well attended and an exciting start to our program year.
Landview is the news magazine of the Lancaster County Conservancy. In this autumn's edition, John Stefan was featured as one of the chairmen for the Conservancy's annual appeal, as well as a new board member. He has a "distinguished record of community service," including being a member of the Conservancy since 1983. He's quoted as saying, "I appreciate how important the Conservancy's work is and recognize what the organization has been able to accomplish for the benefit of the residents of Lancaster County." His photo and that of family members is included. Many of our members are Conservancy members as well. Thank you, John, for your activism and best wishes for a successful 2006 Annual Appeal. For information about the Conservancy, you may 392-7891 and/or go on-line to www.lancasterconservancy.org.
REVIEW OF COMPLETED EVENTS
Saturday, August 26, 2006 - Sixteen participants joined leader Bruce Carl on this trip to Speedwell County Park and Pumping Station Road. Cloudy and damp weather conditions were present throughout the morning that might have contributed to the morning's bird sightings which were hard to come by. Forty-five species were tallied for the morning, including the following: Nice looks at Yellow-billed Cuckoo and Baltimore Oriole & three different Sharp-shinned Hawks. One comparison that can be made to show how the morning of birding went was that there were as many woodpecker species (5), including Red-bellied, Downy, Hairy, Pileated, and Northern Flicker, as there were warbler species (5) including Chestnut-sided, Magnolia, Black & White, Redstart, and Canada.
Friday, September 8, 2006 - The season got off to a great start with September's program, "The Uncommon Crow: the hidden life of a common but misunderstood bird." Dr. Kevin McGowan from Cornell University gave a very informative, and enlightening program about crows. An unusually large crowd of approximately 175 persons attended and were amazed at some of the interesting facts about crows that were presented. Hopefully, this program will be the start of the Club's efforts to contribute to a humane solution to the local area's efforts to deal with the large crow roosts found here during the winter months.
Saturday, September 9, 2006 - Leader Steve Rannels was accompanied by 13 participants on this beautiful day. There were reasonable flocks of migrants, but difficult to see individuals in many cases. They had a good count of 44 species, including nine warblers, some close Sharpies, two American Kestrels, a ridge-flying Great Blue Heron, and three unidentified shorebirds (likely yellowlegs by size). There were lots of insects, including a Saddleback and an Imperial Moth Caterpillar. All enjoyed ginger snaps and Methodist cookies.
Saturday, September 16, 2006 - This trip to the Pumping Station Road area and then to Second Mountain Hawk Watch was led by Thom Kurtz and Nancy Clupper. Six participants joined them at Pumping Station Road, where the group got drenched by a downpour of rain before continuing on to Second Mountain. A number more Club members met the group at Second Mountain, where it was not raining. Among the hawk sightings were a couple of Bald Eagles, one Merlin, two Peregrines, and several hundred Broadies.
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:
|
Created for the Internet on ... 5 September 2006