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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"
OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2008
Welcome back to Lancaster County Bird Club as we embark on a new year of sharing and learning together. We are in the thick of the autumn migration now with its compelling invitation to venture out and experience our natural world in a new way. The frenzy of spring migration and the dedication of rearing young are past. Now many of our familiar birds are moving on, nudged by unseen and little understood forces that propel them towards traveling to their winter homes. At this time warblers are still trickling through, the hawk migration is in full force and waterfowl are on their way. There is ample time for us to still be out in the midst of the migration and to take part even as observers.
This is also an excellent time of year to pay attention and to learn the various trees and shrubs that are often a part of the backdrop of birding. Unlike the seemingly indistinguishable mass of green in spring and summer, autumn foliage color helps us pick out individual trees and is in fact an aid to learning tree identification. Look for golden yellow hickories, tulip poplars and hornbeams, orange sassafras and sugar maples, bright red black gums, red maples and chokeberries, purple ashes and blackhaw and arrow-wood viburnums. As we become acquainted with the trees and shrubs that sustain the birds we care about, we will find ourselves drawn even further into the natural world that is their home. And we will find that there is always something yet to discover and learn.
Hope your autumn season is filled with lots of good birding and grand discoveries.
Sunday, October 5, 2008 - Field trip to Memorial Lake and Second Mountain HawkWatch: Leader Rosemary Spreha (Harrisburg 657-0271 or e-mail rspreha [AT] gmail [DOT] com. Meet at 7:00 a.m. along Route 934, just north of I-81 near Indiantown Gap. Birding in the morning for fall migrants; afternoon at the hawk watch.
Friday, October 10, 2008 - Club meeting at the Farm & Home Center, 1383 Arcadia Road, Lancaster, at 7:30 p.m. Dr. Art McMorris from the Pennsylvania Game Commission will present tonight's program, Peregrine Falcons: The Saga of Recovery. He will talk about the natural history of Peregrine Falcons, their population history in Pennsylvania and North America, their decline and extirpation during the 1940's and 1950's, how they were re-introduced into the wild, and the status of the population today. Dr. McMorris oversees the PA Game Commission's peregrine program.
Sunday, October 19, 2008 - A NEW trip exploring areas in northern Lancaster County along Route 897 from near Reinholds to Middle Creek WMA. We will be searching for late fall migrants (warblers, thrushes, grosbeaks, etc.) and early winter arrivals (Purple Finch, Red-Breasted Nuthatch, White-crowned Sparrow among others) in the woodlands/fields and will look for waterfowl at Middle Creek WMA. Leader Bruce Carl (859-4179 or e-mail carls [AT] dejazzd [DOT] com) will meet the group at 6:45am at the Ephrata Wal-Mart parking lot behind Arby's located at the Ephrata Route 322 exit of Route 222.
Saturday, November 1, 2008 - A visit to one of the Saw-whet Owl banding stations operated through the Ned Smith Center. This is an evening trip and will run late into the night. Limited to 15 participants. Trip is full. The 15 participants who have already signed up for this trip should meet at 6:30 p.m. at the banding station at Hidden Valley in Schuykill County. Leader and bander Rosemary Spreha will provide directions. Contact Rosemary (rspreha [AT] gmail [DOT] com or at 717-657-0271) if you are interested in going to the banding station on another date. She may be able to arrange for some additional participants on other dates.
Friday, November 14, 2008 - Club meeting at the Farm & Home Center, 1383 Arcadia Road, Lancaster at 7:30 p.m. Noted naturalist and TV personality Jack Hubley will present tonight's program. Entitled, Critters Beyond Your Back Door, it will feature some of the animals that you might commonly encounter in you own neighborhood, possibly your own backyard. Jack will include some live specimens in his presentation. Bring your children and grandchildren along.
November 21-23, 2008 - The annual fall trip to bird the Delmarva Coast and Chincoteague NWR - Leader Gary Shirk (Lancaster 291-2172 or e-mail glshirk [AT] verizon [DOT] net). Reservations are a must! Please contact Gary as soon as possible for trip details.
Friday, December 12, 2008 - Club meeting at the Farm & Home Center, 1383 Arcadia Road, Lancaster at 7:30 p.m. Tonight's program, Rhapsody in Blue: A Celebration of North American Waterbirds, will be presented by Maryland photographer, Middleton Evans. Mr. Evans traveled to the continent's wild perimeter in search of glorious North American water birds. He made 38 trips over a five-year period to complete his "wish list" of alluring species, captivating behaviors and pristine habitats.
Christmas Bird Counts - The LCBC sponsors three counts:
Please contact the coordinator of each count to get involved. You don't have to be an expert! It's a good time for beginners to get familiar with various areas in the county. You will be put on a team with leaders who are acquainted with their areas and know where to seek out the birds.
| I N M E M O R I A M |
| Chester T. Kauffman |
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Chester T. Kauffman passed away on Friday, September 19, 2008 at the age of 93. "Chet" was a long time member of the Lancaster County Bird Club, having been a member over 40 years. In years past, he attended meetings regularly and participated on many field trips. He was a farmer and also worked for a seed company. His hobbies, in addition to bird watching, included bowling, hunting, and being an avid sports fan. Our deepest sympathy is extended to his wife Thelma and his family. |
If you have not paid your dues for 2008-2009, this is the last newsletter you will be receiving. Paid members have a "7/09" on their label.
Members who need to renew should send their renewal form, along with a check made payable to the Lancaster County Bird Club, to treasurer, Roger Stoner, 1650 Princess Anne Drive, Lancaster, PA 17601. In case you have misplaced your form, dues are as follows: Student - $5.00; Regular Adult - $15.00; Family - $25.00 (includes parents and dependent children); Sustaining Individual - $30.00.
Our membership is currently 295, which is 13 less than this time last year.
Welcome to our new members: We hope you will find the time to attend various Club functions, which are both educational and enjoyable. Joining the group on field trips is a good way to become acquainted--both with Club members and with various good birding areas. You will find the more knowledgeable birders willing to help our newer members.
New Members:
Old Friends Returning:
SPECIAL CONTRIBUTIONS
Tributes and memorial contributions received since July 1, 2008, are as follows:
The Board of Directors extends a sincere thank you to these members and also to those members, who included an additional contribution for Club support with their membership renewal, for their generosity.
The Lancaster County Bird Club Board of Directors has approved the following contributions for the 2008-2009 year:
| Lancaster County Conservancy - | $500 |
| North Museum (for the Ornithology Department) - | $400 |
| Ned Smith Center (for Saw-whet Owl Project) - | $200 |
| Lancaster County Elementary Envirothon - | $500 |
| Delmarva Ornithological Society (Land Purchase Fund) - | $500 |
| Team Juvies (Sponsorship in Kiptopeke Birdathon) - | $100 |
| Total - | $2,200 |
Congratulations to LCBC Board Member, Mike McKinne, who was honored as Volunteer of the Year by the Lancaster County Conservancy. Mike received his award in June during the Conservancy's annual picnic meeting. He has assisted the Conservancy in land acquisitions including the negotiations with PPL to protect 3,500 acres along the Susquehanna River. In addition, his photographs have been used by the Conservancy for the newsletter, website and other publications. You may learn more about the Conservancy at the Lancaster County Conservancy website.
The July 16th issue of the Susquehanna Outdoors, a publication of the Lancaster Newspapers, included two of our members. Frank Haas was mentioned as the coauthor of the PA Game Commission's The Birds of Pennsylvania. The book includes information about 295 species most likely to be found in our state. Colored illustrations, nesting details, best viewing sites, range and other information is included. More information about the book can be found at the Game Commission's website or by calling 1-888-888-3459. The book was last released in 2004 and traces its ancestry back to the 1888 book by B.H. Warren, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture's Ornithologist, Report on the Birds of Pennsylvania: with Special Reference to the Food Habits.
LCBC Board Member, Jim Smith, was included in an article on our area's butterfly counts along the Susquehanna River. Jim is a naturalist with PPL. Regarding seeing butterflies, he's quoted as saying "The best day is a warm day with just a little bit of humidity and not too much wind that blows them around making flight difficult. Wait until about 10 a.m. when the day warms up and then the butterflies come out." And that's just the beginning of his knowledge! To see a list of butterfly species seen in the counts, you may go to the PPL Environmental Preserves website.
Call Notes Editor and LCBC Board Member, Barbara Hunsberger accompanied by her husband, Peter, spent two weeks birding and hiking in Montana this summer. They spent several days in St. Mary, MT, hiking and birding in Glacier National Park. Species observed included Western Tanager, Towsend's and MacGillivray's Warblers, and an American Pipit in the snow by Iceberg Lake. From June 29-July 6, they stayed at Pine Butte Guest Ranch for a birding workshop with David Allen Sibley as the leader. Barbara and Peter both agree that birding with David Sibley was a once in a lifetime experience. He was very generous with his time and expertise, leading all the bird walks, giving evening lectures and an ad hoc drawing class by the ranch's hummingbird feeders. David is a delightful person to be with and has a good sense of humor. A multitude of habitats are available from this Nature Conservancy ranch including, riparian areas, a prairie fen, wetlands, and mountain habitats. Barbara and Peter identified a total of 123 species, including two life birds: Sharp-tailed Grouse and Northern Goshawk. Other wildlife seen on the trip included four black bear, moose, elk, big-horned sheep, mountain goats, mule and white-tailed deer, and prairie rattlesnake.
Editor's Note: Please report your sightings to Glenn Shaffer, 221 Maxson Rd, Lancaster, PA 17601. He prefers to have reports sent to his e-mail address (twoshaffers [AT] yahoo [DOT] com), but will accept mail or phone reports (717-569-2519). 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 behavior that would be of interest to our members. Your help is needed in making this column a way of recording the county's bird life. If you send a report to the Pennsylvania Birding List or make a verbal report at an LCBC meeting, please send that report to Glenn also. Thank you for your help!
| June 4 - | 1 Horned Lark, 6 Grasshopper Sparrows, 3 Scarlet Tanagers, 10 Eastern Meadowlarks, 5 Green Herons, 5 Ring-necked Pheasants, 4 Wild Turkeys, 5 Willow Flycatchers, 4 Acadian Flycatchers, 3 Yellow-throated Vireos, 8 Veery, 5 Yellow Warblers, 10 Bobolinks - Total Count 71 - Middle Creek - Chuck Chalfant with Wed. Group |
| June 4 - | 1 Blue-winged Warbler, 1 Chestnut-sided Warbler, 1 Black & White Warbler, 1 American Redstart, 1 Black-throated Blue Warbler - Elder Run Trail at Middle Creek - Linda McKinne & Barbara Hunsberger |
| June 5 - | 1 Grasshopper Sparrow - Field near Susquehannock State Park Entrance - Ann Pettigrew |
| June 6 - | 1 Virginia Rail - Woods Edge Park - Total Day Count 58 with Chickies Rock County Park - Chuck Chalfant with Wed. Group |
| June 16 - | Black-crowned Night-Herons (Number undetermined) - In nests in trees at Ephrata Hospital Campus - Pat Witmer |
| June 19 - | Cliff Swallows (Number undetermined) - River Road Bridge at Safe Harbor Park with nests under bridge - Tom Raub |
| June 19 - | 1 Western Sandpiper, 4 Hooded Mergansers (3 Chicks with mother), 9 Bald Eagles, 1 Forster's Tern, 6 Great Egrets, 4 Prothonotary Warblers (singing) - Conejohela Flats - Bob Schutsky |
| June 19 - | 1 Sandhill Crane - Herr Street near the Community Park, Washington Boro - Intelligencer Journal article by Stephanie Weaver with quotes from Leon Schreffler and Ann Bodling |
| June 23 - | 1 Hooded Warbler, 1 Chestnut-sided Warbler, 2 Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, 2 Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, 1 Ovenbird feeding a Cowbird fledgling - Middle Creek at intersection of Elders Run Trail and Horseshoe Trail and at power line cut - Pam Fisher, Barbara Hunsberger, Linda McKinne |
| July 6 - | 5 Horned Larks - Wissler Rd. south of Clay - Glenn Shaffer |
| July 6 - | 4 Glossy Ibis - Flyover during Army Band concert at Long's Park - Glenn Shaffer |
| July 8-12 - | 2 Eastern Screech Owls - Front yard in Gap - Chuck Chalfant |
| July 12 - | 1 White Ibis (imm), 1 Sandhill Crane, 1 Pied-billed Grebe, 52 Great Blue Herons, 3 Caspian Terns, 16 Bald Eagles (13 imm) among the shorebirds, - Conejohela Flats - Bob Schutsky |
| July 13 - | 1 Glossy Ibis, 6 Black-crowned Night-Herons (nesting, 4 imm) - Eastern Lancaster County - Chuck Chalfant |
| July 13 - | 60 Least Sandpipers, 3 Spotted Sandpipers, I Solitary Sandpiper, 8 Killdeer, 10+ Wood Ducks, 5 Great Egrets, 12 Great Blue Herons, 1 Green Heron, 1 Bald Eagle (adult) - Bluegill Rd, Octoraro - Chuck Chalfant |
| July 13 - | 1 Bobolink, 2 Yellow-billed Cuckoos, 2 Savannah Sparrows, 1 Grasshopper Sparrow, 1 Eastern Meadowlark, Mt. Eden Road, Octoraro - Chuck Chalfant |
| July 14 - | 1 Hooded Warbler feeding a Cowbird chick- Laurel Rd. at Middle Creek Wildlife WMA - Bill Knapp |
| July 15, 16 - | 1 White Ibis (imm), 1 Sandhill Crane, 102 Killdeer, 161 Least Sandpipers, 1 Pied-billed Grebe, 55 Bank Swallows, among 55 total species - Conejohela Flats - Devin Eby-Bosler, Deuane Hoffman, Bob Schutsky, Drew Weber |
| July 17 - | 1 White Ibis (imm) - Double ponds on left past stop #1at Middle Creek WMA - Barry Bell |
| July 20 - | 1 Eurasian Collared Dove - Puseyville Rd near Octoraro Creek bridge - Tom Raub |
| July 20 - | 1 Sandhill Crane - Continued to be seen at Avocet Point, Conejohela Flats - Bruce and Sherri Carl |
| July 21 - | 87 Least Sandpipers (Including numerous juveniles), 20 Wood Ducks, 2 Semipalmated Sandpipers, 1 Baltimore Oriole - Low water edges of Octoraro Lake IBA - Drew Weber |
| July 21 - | 3 Grasshopper Sparrows (1 fledgling) - On airport fence at Millport Rd and Kissel Hill Rd Circle - Mickey Cashman |
| July 24 - | 10+ Orchard Orioles (No adult males) - Upper boat launch area at Speedwell Forge Lake - Glenn Shaffer |
| July 25 - | 1 Juvenile Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, 4 Black-crowned Night-Herons, 23 Wood Ducks, 5 Green Herons, 2 Willow Flycatchers, 8 Yellow Warblers - Alcoa Marsh at Red Rose Commons - Devin Eby-Bosler |
| July 26 - | 2 Pectoral Sandpipers, 62 Least Sandpipers among 6 shorebird species, 1 Sandhill Crane, 58 Great Egrets - Conejohela Flats - Devin Eby-Bosler, Bob Schutsky |
| July 28 - | 1 Black Tern, 75 Killdeer, 39 Great Egrets, 3 Semipalmated Plovers - Conejohela Flats - Bob Schutsky |
| July 29 - | 1 Little Egret (By majority consensus after international debate) - Blue Gill Rd at Octoraro Lake IBA - Chuck Chalfant |
| Aug. 2 - | 1 Northern Waterthrush, 2 Solitary Sandpipers - Woods Edge Park, S. Centerville Rd. - Glenn Shaffer |
| Aug. 2, 3 - | 5 Little Blue Herons (imm), 1 White Ibis (imm), 2 Bonaparte's Gulls (imm),141 Great Egrets, 1 Cattle Egret, 4 Snowy Egrets, 78 Killdeer, 302 Least Sandpipers, 4 Pectoral Sandpipers, 21 Lesser Yellowlegs, 28 Semipalmated Plovers, 4 Caspian Terns, 8 Forster's Terns, 3 Black Terns - Conejohela Flats - Devin Eby-Bosler, Bob Schutsky |
| Aug. 3 - | 1 Northern Pintail, 1 Blue-winged Teal, 22 Wood Ducks - Pond across from the white shed at Middle Creek WMA - Randy and Kate Miller |
| Aug. 5 - | 1 Western Sandpiper, 145 Semipalmated Sandpipers, 57 Least Sandpipers, 4 Semipalmated Plovers among 8 shorebird species - Octoraro IBA - Devin and Justin Eby-Bosler |
| Aug. 6 - | 3 Common Mergansers -On rocks at power station at Safe Harbor - Glenn Shaffer |
| Aug. 7 - | 1 Blue Grosbeak - Middle Creek WMA - Anne Hurst |
| Aug. 8 - | 2 White-rumped Sandpipers, 1 Snowy Egret (imm) - Blue Gill Rd., Octoraro Lake - Gary Kinkley |
| Aug. 8 - | 1 Horned Grebe, 1 American Coot, 1 Bonaparte's Gull, 1 Glossy Ibis, 16 Forster's Terns, 10 Caspian Terns, 8 shorebird species - Conejohela Flats - Justin Eby-Bosler, Devin Eby-Bosler, Bob Schutsky |
| Aug. 9 - | 1 Sandhill Crane - Garden on River Rd near Blue Rock Rd - Dave Warren |
| Aug. 9 - | 1 Red-headed Woodpecker - Buck Run Road - Pam Fisher |
| Aug. 10 - | 1 Peregrine Falcon, 1 Blue Grosbeak - Rail Bed at Lancaster County Conservancy Turkey Hill site - Glenn Shaffer |
| Aug. 16 - | 1 Black Tern , 1 White-rumped Sandpiper - Conejohela Flats - Cameron Rutt |
| Aug. 18 - | 1 Common Nighthawk - Middle Creek WMA - Pam Fisher |
| Aug. 19 - | 1 Whimbrel, 1 American Golden-Plover, 13 Semipalmated Plovers, 1 Wilson's Snipe among 11 shorebird species, 1 Broad-winged hawk, 1 Red-shouldered Hawk, 43 Wood Ducks, 66 Great Egrets, 1 Bonaparte's Gull, 1 Black Tern, 5 Caspian Terns, 9 Forster's Terns - Conejohela Flats - Devin Eby-Bosler, Justin Eby-Bosler, Bob Schutsky |
| Aug. 21 - | 8 Sandhill Cranes - Flying north just north of Manheim - Shirley George |
| Aug. 25 - | 1 Kentucky Warbler with hurt wing and neurological damage - Southern Lancaster County - Jim Smith |
| Aug. 26 - | 4 Blackburnian Warblers, 1 Cerulean Warbler, 1 Cape May Warbler among 13 warbler species, 1 Yellow-bellied Flycatcher 1 Least Flycatcher, 1 Willow Flycatcher, 1 Philadelphia Vireo, 5 Blue Grosbeaks, among 55 total species - Lancaster County Central Park - Drew Weber |
| Aug. 27 - | 1 Buff-breasted Sandpiper, 1 Whimbrel, among 9 shorebirds, 25 Bobolinks (flyover) - Conejohela Flats - Drew Weber, Justin Eby-Bosler |
| Aug. 28 - | 1 Hudsonian Godwit, 1 Sanderling, 2 American Golden-Plovers, among 13 shorebird species, 31 Green-winged Teal, 20 Blue-winged Teal - Conejohela Flats - Drew Weber, Justin Eby-Bosler, Bob Schutsky |
| Aug. 30 - | 2 Baird's Sandpipers among 12 shorebird species, 1 Redhead - Conejohela Flats -Justin Eby-Bosler, Bob Schutsky |
| Aug. 30 - | 1 Black-bellied Plover - Conejohela Flats - Eric Witmer, Tom Garner |
Saturday, June 7, 2008 - Randy Miller's mystery field trip ended up on the five-mile loop trail at Governor Dick Park. Randy had one participant for this trek and they observed 37 species. Species of note were Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Wood Thrush nest building beside the trail, Brown Thrasher eating a caterpillar, Worm-Eating Warbler, Scarlet Tanager, and Rose-breasted Grosbeak. They also heard 17 year Cicada.
Saturday, August 30, 2008 - There were 10 participants including leader Bruce Carl on this trip visiting Pumping Station Road and Speedwell County Park. The group identified 54 species for the day, which included 11 species of Warblers. Warbler highlights included Magnolia, Black-throated Blue, Chestnut-sided, Pine, Northern Waterthrush, Worm-eating and Canada. Other notable sightings were Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Willow Flycatcher, many Eastern Wood Pewees and nice numbers of Ruby-throated Hummingbirds feeding at almost every patch of Jewel Weed along the trails.
Saturday, September 6, 2008 - Steve Rannels and one other participant spent only two hours on this field trip to the Cornwall Fire Tower Trails due to heavy fog turning into heavy rain. There was one good feeding flock with about 20 species including 7 species of warblers and one Philadelphia Vireo. Warbler species included Blue-winged, Black-and-White and Magnolia.
Friday, September 12, 2008 - The first club meeting of the new season featured Jeffrey Gordon with the topic, The Ten Most Important Birds in North America During the Past 30 Years. Looking back over the past three decades, Mr. Gordon presented, through photographs and stories, his ten individual birds that made a difference to all of us, whether we personally saw them or not. From the Newburyport Ross's Gull to the Ivory-billed Woodpecker, Jeff shared his selection of ten birds that changed the world. Incidentally, a number of LCBC members, including Harold Morrin, went up to see the Ross's Gull. Other species mentioned in his talk included Pale Male, the famous Red-tailed Hawk of NYC, a Spoon-billed Sandpiper in Vancouver, and a controversial hybrid Gray-headed Yellowthroat in Texas. Mr. Gordon is a writer, tour leader and naturalist who lives in Lewes, DE, and currently serves as Field Editor for Bird Watcher's Digest.
Saturday, September 13, 2008 - Randy Miller led a walk to SGL 145 looking for migrants. There were eight participants in the group. Although it was a fairly quiet morning, the group observed 3 Sharp-shinned Hawks, 2 Red-tailed Hawks, and some White-eyed Vireos, Magnolia and Black-and-White Warblers, and American Redstart. At the Second Mountain Hawk Watch they had 4 Osprey, 1 Bald Eagle, 5 Northern Harrier, 94 Broad-winged Hawks and 7 Red-tailed Hawks.
The Lancaster County Bird Club is pleased to announce that it is now accepting applications for the Harold B. Morrin Scholarship. The purpose of the scholarships is to provide financial support for educational or research experiences which promote or develop an interest or leadership in natural history, with a preference given to the field of ornithology. Application guidelines and forms are available at the LCBC web site on the scholarship page or at the monthly LCBC meetings held at the Farm & Home Center. Applications are due to LCBC President Ann Bodling, 39 Trail Road South, Elizabethtown, PA 17022, by February 1, 2009 and scholarship awards will be decided by March 1, 2009.
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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eBird, a premier birding database, launched in 2002 by the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society has generated tremendous participation by citizen ornithologists, both nationally and internationally. The PA Game Commission has joined with the PA Society for Ornithology and Audubon Pennsylvania to bring about Pennsylvania eBird. The web site can be found at www.ebird.org/content/pa or at the Pennsylvania Game Commission home page. Check out the site and join the many other birders who list their sightings on eBird.
Created for the Internet on ... 29 September 2008