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Lancaster County Bird Club |
Lancaster, PennsylvaniaFounded December 8, 1937to secure the cultivation of public sentiment in the
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"CALL NOTES"
APRIL - JUNE 2007
Friday, April 13, 2007 - Club meeting at 7:30 p.m. at the Farm & Home Center, 1383 Arcadia Road, Lancaster. Tonight's program features Jim Binder, refuge manager at the Middle Creek WMA. The program, "Management Activities at Middle Creek WMA" will highlight the various programs of habitat management that are being utilized to promote both game and non-game wildlife species on the refuge. SPECIAL NOTE: This is the Annual Meeting of the Club, at which time election of officers and directors will take place.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007 - A mid-week field trip to Safe Harbor Park and Shenk's Ferry, led by Jim Smith (Holtwood 284-4458 or e-mail Jimsmith0212 [AT] aol [DOT] com) will combine birding and wildflowers. Meet at 8:00 a.m. at Safe Harbor Park (tennis court area).
Saturday, April 28, 2007 - A new trip area this year! Leader Bruce Carl (Akron 859-4179 or e-mail carls [AT] dejazzd [DOT] com) will lead us into some areas of southern Lancaster County that are not birded very often, even though they possess great habitat. Meet at 5:00 a.m. near the Taco Bell in the Kendig Square Shopping Mall in Willow Street.
Friday. May 4, 2007 (first Friday) - Note the change of week here! In an effort to get more members to attend the Club's picnic meeting, we have moved the date away from the Pennsylvania Migration Count Day. We will again be at the Middle Creek WMA. Bring your own picnic lunch! Meet at 4:00 p.m. at the Visitors' Center parking lot for early birding. The picnic will be at 6:00 p.m. at the Sunfish Pond Picnic Area, followed by a brief business meeting, then more birding until dark. In case of inclement weather, we will meet in the Visitors' Center.
Saturday, May 5, 2007 - Leader Jim Smith (Holtwood 284-4458 or e-mail Jimsmith0212 [AT] aol [DOT] com will take us to various areas along the lower Susquehanna River Gorge. Meet at 7:30 a.m. at the Lock 12 parking lot (cross Norman Wood Bridge to the York Side; take the first right after crossing the bridge). Be prepared to car pool.
Wednesday, May 9, 2007 - A half-day (morning) birding walk around Landis Woods Park, led by Leon & Jane Schreffler (Lancaster 569-0787 or e-mail jsschreffler [AT] juno [DOT] com). Meet at Boettcher House parking lot at 8:00 a.m. 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).
Saturday, May 12, 2007 - Warbler Walks and the Annual Pennsylvania Migration Count - Bruce Carl is coordinator and compiler of the Lancaster Pennsylvania Migration Count. If you want to participate in an area other than the Warbler Walks, contact Bruce (Akron 859-4179 or e-mail carls [AT] dejazzd [DOT] com) for details.
For the Warbler Walk areas, meet at one of these locations at 7:00 a.m.:
Saturday, May 19, 2007 - Safe Harbor Park and Observation Site - Leader - Doug Anderson (Lititz 627-3707 or 572-3944 or e-mail doug [DOT] anderson [AT] pennmanor [DOT] net). Meet at 7:00 a.m. along Warehouse Road, just across the bridge from Safe Harbor Park on River Road. There's a fair amount of walking on this trip, but most is level and on paved surfaces. Early morning will be spent along the Conestoga River. Mid-morning we'll go to the Observation Site area. Past trips to this area have produced Orioles, Tanagers, various flycatchers, Yellow-throated Warbler, Cerulean Warbler, Yellow-breasted Chat, Prairie Warbler, and sometimes Blue Grosbeak.
Saturday, May 26, 2007 - Leader Larry Coble (Elizabethtown 367-5083) will take you birding along the Susquehanna River in the northwestern section of the county. Meet at 8:00 a.m. at the Pennsylvania Fish Commission Falmouth Access off Route 441.
Saturday. June 2, 2007 - Mystery Trip - Leader Randy Miller (Manheim 664-3778) will have scouted several areas for breeding species and he'll decide where to lead the group. Meet at the junction of Route 117 and Pinch Road in Mt. Gretna at 7:00 a.m.
This officially ends the 2006-2007 schedule of activities for the Lancaster County Bird Club.
ANNUAL MEETING - ELECTION OF OFFICERS AND EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Club officers and members of the executive committee for 2007-2008 will be elected at the Annual Meeting on Friday, April 13, 2007. The Nominating Committee will be presenting the following slate of candidates at the meeting:
MEMBERSHIP NEWS BY PAT WITMER
Current membership is 396, which is 12 more than this time last year.
A big WELCOME to our new members, with an invitation for them to join us on any of the many spring field trips. This is a good way to get acquainted with other Club members and also to familiarize yourself with some good birding areas. Hopefully, many members will plan to attend the picnic meeting at Middle Creek WMA in May -- this is an informal evening of fun, fellowship, and birding!
New Members:
| I N M E M O R I A M |
| DONALD B. WITMER, M.D. |
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Dr. Donald B. Witmer, a member of the Lancaster County Bird Club for almost twenty years, passed away on January 23, 2007. Dr. Witmer's medical practice was located in the Willow Street area from 1947 to 1988. He was very active in the community, serving in various capacities: Deputy Coroner for southern Lancaster County, 12 years on the Lampeter-Strasburg School Board, was a member of several medical societies, and on the staff of the Lancaster General Hospital. He was also a member of the Willow Street Lions Club. Following his retirement, Dr. Witmer became active with the Lancaster County Conservancy. He served as a volunteer at Shenk's Ferry Wildflower Preserve and at the Philadelphia Electric's Muddy Run Park. In his later years, he became interested in birdwatching and woodworking, which led him to become involved with the Lancaster County Elementary Envirothon. He contributed his hand-made birdhouses as prizes for Envirothon award winners. |
| ROBERT W. STEVENSON |
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Bob Stevenson passed away on February 4, 2007. Bob was a chemical engineer who retired after forty years with Armstrong World Industries, where he served as a senior research scientist. His volunteer efforts included the Boy Scouts, Good Schools PA, also serving as a reading tutor at the John Price School and volunteering at Hospice of Lancaster County. Bob's membership with the LCBC goes back over fifty years, during which time he served in various offices, including being Club President from 1957 to 1960, and also being on the Board of Directors. He loved to go on Club field trips and was an active participant for many, many years. Bob was also a member of the Lancaster County Historical Society. We extend our deepest sympathy to the families of these two deceased members. |
MEMBERS IN THE NEWS BY BETTINA HEFFNER
Our Christmas Bird Counts received quality coverage by the media. Sunday News Outdoors Editor John McGonigle spent the morning of the Southern Lancaster County Count with Barbara & Frank Haas and wrote about his positive experience in his column on December 24, 2006; he included his photo of the Haases. He mentioned Bob Schutsky as the founder of the Southern Lancaster Count in 1974. John reported enjoying a visit with Maxine Montgomery whose home's natural surroundings provide a worthy stop for counters.
Our Lititz counters were joined by naturalist and TV personality Jack Hubley who spent quality time with leader Bruce Carl and counters Elaine & Chuck Chalfant. Jack's experience was presented on his "Wild Moments" piece on WGAL-TV on January 5, 2007, and again on January 7th; a group photo of the counters was included.
And, the local bird counts were mentioned again in the media in an article in the Intelligencer Journal on February 19, 2007. This time, the counts were a part of a broader topic of Lancaster County as a great locale for migration observation and birding in general. The article is appropriately entitled, "Birds of Paradise...and Lititz, and Gap" and was written by Carla DiFonzo who interviewed Jan Witmer, Tom Raub, and Jane Schreffler and also mentioned our Club. Tom Amico's beautiful photo of a male cardinal was included.
Ann Bodling has been hired by the Manada Conservancy of the Hershey-Hummelstown area to fill a new role as Native Plant Project Facilitator. The Conservancy has received a grant from DCNR through its Wild Resource Conservation Program to fund its new project, "Incorporating Native Plant Species into the Built Environment of Manada Conservancy's Focus Area to Counter Loss of Biodiversity Due to Development." Ann's role will be one of a consultant, educator, and, hopefully, motivator in promoting the utilization of native plants in the home landscape.
BIRDS ON THE MOVE (December 2006 to February 2007) 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!
(The first three sightings were received too late for the last issue.)
| Oct. 20 - | Rose-breasted Grosbeak in my backyard feeder at 108 Haskell Drive in Manheim Township - Becky Nolt |
| Nov. 20 - | 1 Belted Kingfisher at the Dillerville Swamp - Becky Nolt |
| Nov. 26 - | 1 House Wren in Bainbridge - Gayle Lawrence |
| Dec. 3 - | Highlights of Conejohela Flats, Susquehanna River: 163 Tundra Swan,_2 Green- winged Teal, 2 Hooded Merganser, 1 adult Bald Eagle, 22 Snow Bunting (flyover flock). At wastewater treatment plant on Blue Rock Road: 7 American Pipit and 1 Blue-gray Gnatcather - Deuane Hoffman |
| Dec. 3 - | Highlights of Middle Creek WMA: 3 Northern Harrier, 3 Red-tailed Hawk, 1 Pere grine Falcon, 1 (Gray Phase) Eastern Screech Owl, 12 Ruddy Duck. 13 Northern Shoveler, 8 Gadwall, 18 Bufflehead, 2 Hooded Merganser, 20 Common Merganser, 1 Sandhill Crane - Drew Weber |
| Dec. 7 - | 11 Horned Larks at the intersection of Earhart & Colebrook Roads, and 1 dead Cooper's Hawk along shoulder of Route 283 - Jay George |
| Dec. 12 - | 2 Palm Warbler, 1 Blue-gray Gnatcather, and 1 Winter Wren along Blue Rock Road near Lancaster Susquehanna Water Pollution Central Plant - Barry Bell |
| Dec. 17 - | 1 Northern Shrike on Silver Springs Road off River Road, and 1 unidentified Empidonax Flycatcher at Muddy Run - Ed Sigda, Jack Sigda, Barry Blust, and John McNamara |
| Dec. 18 - | 4 Northern Shoveler, 4 Hooded Merganser, 1 Belted Kingfisher, 20+ Black Duck and flocks of Tundra Swan at Middle Creek WMA - Becky Nolt |
| Dec. 31 - | 1 female Baltimore Oriole and 1 Winter Wren drinking at birdbath at his home in Peach Bottom - Bob Schutsky |
| Dec. 31 - | 1 Sandhill Crane, 1 Common Raven, and 1 Ash-throated Flycatcher (new species for Lititz Christmas Count) at Middle Creek WMA - Bruce Carl |
| Jan. 1 - | 1 Baltimore Oriole, flock of Horned Larks, and 1 Sharp-shinned Hawk - West Fairview Road, off Clay Road - Glenn Shaffer |
| Jan. 3 - | 1 Chipping Sparrow (in almost breeding plumage) in Peach Bottom - Bob Schutsky |
| Jan. 5 - | 1 Merlin - along Spring Garden Road in Salisbury Twp. - Chuck Chalfant |
| Jan. 6 - | 20 Bald Eagles - Smyrna area and 5 Bald Eagles (2 adult, 3 imm.) east of Strasburg Railroad off Route 741 - Tom Raub |
| Jan. 7 - | Tom went back to the same area where he received a report of some individuals firing shots at the eagles the night before. |
| Jan. 7 - | 1 Snowy Owl at 729 Long Lane, Lancaster - Bill & Jo Bailes |
| Jan. 10 - | 1 Cackling Goose at Greenfield Corporate Center ponds - Devin Bosler |
| Jan. 10 - | 1 Peregrine Falcon near Fairmont Nursing Home, Farmersville - Frank Haas |
| Jan. 12 - | 1 Great Blue Heron stalking prey in field along Marietta Pike between Centerville and Running Pump Roads (no water nearby) - Barbara Hunsberger |
| Jan. 12 - | 10 Bald Eagles east of Strasburg and 22 Bald Eagles near Smyrna - Tom Raub |
| Jan. 17 - | 1 Winter Wren, 2 Brown Creeper, 1 Golden-crowned Kinglet, and 30 Common Goldeneye at Chiques Rock County Park - Chuck Chalfant |
| Jan. 19 - | 1 Ruffed Grouse in fence row beind Vistors' Center at Middle Creek WMA - Glenn Shaffer |
| Jan. 24 - | Highlights of the 46 species from the Wednesday morning birding group: 1 Bald Eagle, 1 Sharp-shinned Hawk, several Red-tailed Hawk, several American Kestrel, 1 Merlin, 1 Pileated Woodpecker, 75+ White-throated Sparrow, 1 White-crowned Sparrow and 100+ Snow Geese in flight - Drumore Twp. - Chuck Chalfant |
| Jan. 31 - | 30 Cedar Waxwings at their home in Ephrata - Jan & Pat Witmer |
| Jan. 31 - | 2 male Red-winged Blackbirds eating black-oil sunflower seeds at his feeder in Valleybrook - Leon Schreffler |
| Feb. 3 - | 2 flocks of Horned Larks (one of 200+, the other of 250+), 3 Snipe, 3 Killdeer, 10 Common Mergansers, 8 Red-tailed Hawks, 1 Kestrel, 1 Cooper's Hawk, 1 Northern Harrier, 6 American Pipits, 1 Kingfisher, 1 Great Blue Heron, and a Great Horned Owl on the nest - in the New Holland farm country - Leon & Jane Schreffler |
| Feb. 5 - | 4 Horned Larks along West Hershey Road, north of Manheim - Jay George |
| Feb. 6 - | 1 Rough-legged Hawk in New Holland farm country - Leon Schreffler, Bob Hunsicker, and John Payne |
| Feb. 7 - | 1 Greater White-fronted Goose - east branch of Octorara Creek - Chuck Chalfant |
| Feb. 7 - | 20 Horned Larks along South Colebrook Road, just south of Sporting Hill - Jay George |
| Feb. 12 - | 1 Cooper's Hawk, sitting on garden wall eating a Cardinal, 1 Great Horned Owl in neighborhood of 984 Woodridge Boulevard - Peter & Barbara Hunsberger |
| Feb. 13 - | 1 juvenile Cooper's Hawk observed making an unsuccessful hunting foray in our yard. Most birds scattered, but 1 Hairy Woodpecker froze in place on the suet feeder and 1 Red-breasted Nuthatch froze in place on the sunflower feeder - Peter & Barbara Hunsberger |
| Feb. 17 - | 110 Horned Larks along Hostetter Road, just outside Manheim - Jay George |
| Feb. 19 - | 100+ Horned Larks, 1 Snow Bunting, and 81 Dark-eyed Junco near Penryn - Tom Hopson |
| Feb. 19 - | 2 adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 2 Hooded Merganser, 14 Bufflehead, 12 Common Goldeneye, 30 Greater & Lesser Scaup, 1 female White-winged Scoter at the Susquehanna River, between Wrightsville and Accomac - Jonathan Heller |
| Feb. 27 - | 3 Red-necked Grebe, 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 2 Pileated Woodpecker, 2 Meadow- lark, and 8 Fox Sparrow - southern Lancaster County and along Susquehanna River - Chuck Chalfant |
| Feb. 28 - | 15 Wood Duck, 5 mature Bald Eagles, 2 Bufflehead, 3 to 5 Red-tailed Hawk - Pequea Campground and Susquehanna River - Chuck Chalfant and Wednesday morning birding group |
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:
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REVIEW OF COMPLETED EVENTS
Friday, January 12, 2007 - The 100 people who attended this Club meeting were treated to a presentaton by Paul Guris. The topic was "Pelagic Birding in the Mid-Atlantic Region." With an outstanding commentary and excellent slides, Paul covered the variety of life forms that might commonly be seen on pelagic trips in this area, with particular emphasis on bird species. Currently the owner of See Life Paulagics, a company specializing in pelagic trips, Paul has been busy leading pelagic trips since the 1980s and therefore has a lot of experience and knowledge of pelagic species.
Friday-Saturday, January 20-21, 2007 - This year, leader Fred Zimmerman decided to make the Cape Henlopen and Delmarva Coast trip a two-day affair. This provided considerably more birding time. In spite of some windy, cold conditions, the five trip participants identified 85 species while birding in many of the well-known locales between Bombay Hook NWR in the north and Indian River Inlet to the south. Some of the highlights were Red-breasted and Brown-headed Nuthatches, Northern Gannet, Purple Sandpiper, Great Cormorant, Bald Eagle, Peregrine Falcon, and Short-eared Owl.
Friday, February 9, 2007 - Over a hundred people braved the cold, wintry weather to attend the LCBC meeting this evening. They were treated to a very interesting program presented by Gene Wingert, a retired high school biology and biochemistry teacher of 35 years. He continues his teaching at Dickinson College and Harrisburg Area Community College. His program on autumnal/vernal ponds took us through a complete year in the life of a single pond. The program chronicled the amazing activity that takes place in the life of this pond. From microorganisms to various salamanders and frogs, the audience was enthralled by the wide range of biological action taking place. An excellent program -- and very well presented -- gave everyone a great insight to the value of these wetlands which are often overlooked by many who venture into our outdoor areas.
Saturday, February 25, 2007 - The date for this winter trip to the northern New Jersey shore was postponed a week due to the freeze-up being experienced. In spite of this, leader Gary Shirk had three people on the trip and even though very windy, the group observed 58 species including 35 Harlequin Ducks, 75+ Purple Sandpipers, Canvasback, Peregrine Falcon, Red-necked Grebe, Great Cormorant, and Sharp-tailed Sparrow. Northern Gannets were observed in the distance.
Friday-Monday, February 16-19, 2007 - Due to lack of interest, the Canada trip was canceled.
Friday, March 9, 2007 - Tonight's program was presented by Dan Mummert, the Pennsylvania Game Commission Wildlife Diversity Biologist for Southeast Pennsylvania. His presentation, "The Pennsylvania Game Commission's Barn Owl Restoration Program," gave the audience an interesting look at the PGC's efforts to halt the decline in Barn Owl population in the state. The program information included the Barn Owl's physical adaptation, their special habitat needs, how the PGC is gathering information on this species, and ended with an appeal for public assistance in helping to restore Barn Owl as a resident species to some of its former areas. All-in-all, a very informative program.
Sunday, March 11, 2007 - The annual woodcock trip to the Mt. Gretna area and State Game Land #145 was again successful in having woodcocks perform their springtime mating ritual. Leader Randy Miller had seven participants on this trip. In addition to the four woodcocks displaying, a total of 30 species were identified. A highlight of the trip was non-avian when a coyote was heard howling near Colebrook.
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