Lancaster County Bird Club
preservation of our native bird life.
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Lancaster County Bird Club |
| Lancaster, Pennsylvania | |
| Founded December 8, 1937 | |
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to secure the cultivation of public sentiment in the preservation of our native bird life. |
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This is the seventh edition of the Research Issue. It represents the field activities of the Lancaster County Bird Club and its efforts to provide a record of scientific significance of the bird life occurring in Lancaster County. The issue includes two new reports--one representing the Club's participation in the North American Migration Count for the first time and the second the 1995 results of the Pennsylvania Wintering Populations of Bald Eagles.
The following reports are included in this issue:
The annual survey of wintering Bald Eagles was held during the first and second full week of January 1995. A similar survey was also held in 1996.
In 1995, volunteers put in 78 hours on the count. The total number of Bald Eagles observed was 56 (24 immature, 32 adult), not including those along the Delaware River. The Delaware River Valley Count (upper and middle sections along Pennsylvania's border) showed 51 birds in the valley. The total count within Pennsylvania's borders, including both sides of the Delaware River, was 107. Of that 107, 15 were in the lower Susquehanna River area, two were at Octoraro Lake, and one was at Middle Creek WMA, for a total of 18 Bald Eagles in the County or adjacent waterways.
For those of you who remember the early 70s, these numbers are stunning. Wildlife can recover! We can make a difference!
On May 11, 1996, the Fifth Annual North American Migration Count (NAMC) took place, with Lancaster County being a participant for the first time. There were 33 participants covering various areas across the County, which included the three Warbler Walk areas. The final species total for the County came in at 163, which was the fourth highest total in the state. The complete listing for the state can be found in the publication, "Pennsylvania Birds."
Some highlights from the count, which included some winter holdovers were Evening Grosbeak (3), Purple Finch (2), Brown Creeper (1), Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (3), Ruby-crowned Kinglet (4), Common Loon (6), Snow Goose (1), Common Snipe (1), and American Pipit (35).
There were sightings of 29 warbler species, along with American Bittern (1), Least Bittern (1), Sora (3), Marsh Wren (1), Lincoln's Sparrow (1), Glossy Ibis (6), and King Rail (1).
If anyone has an interest in helping with the NAMC on May 10, 1997, please feel free to contact either Bruce Carl (Akron 859-4179) or Randy Miller (Manheim 664-3778). We are looking forward to having more participants and better coverage in 1997.
The 21st annual Solanco CBC was conducted by 69 participants on Sunday, 22 December 1996. Skies were mostly cloudy, with SW winds up to 15 mph, and temperatures ranging from 20 to the low 40's. Many of the farm ponds were frozen, but Muddy Run, Octoraro Lake, and the Susquehanna River were ice free.
One-hundred-five species were identified, slightly above the most recent 10-year average of 102. The 217,990 individual birds that were counted is slightly above average. Eight species were tallied in record high numbers, three tied their highest levels, and two reached all-time lows. These will all be discussed later. Fifty species were found in numbers greater than or equal to their 10-year average, and forty-six were seen in less than average numbers.
Every year we have added at least one species to the cumulative list and this year was no exception. This year's addition was a Marsh Wren found by slogging through a marshy phragmites stand at Octoraro Lake. We lie at the fringe of this species' winter range; it is much more common 50-100 miles south and nearer the coast. That is now the fourth species of wren to have been found on the Solanco CBC.
Record high counts were made for eight species. There were 26 Bald Eagles, topping the previous high of 23 in 1989. Wild Turkey jumped from 10 last year to 23 this year; this species seems to be proliferating across the country. Winter Wrens were abundant, especially along the River where I tallied 12 in 2 miles of shoreline. Golden-crowned Kinglet nearly doubled its previous high of 154. There were 27 Hermit Thrushes, topping the record of 22 set in 1979. Eastern Towhee is thought to be decreasing in the eastern U.S. but we keep finding more and more. Fox Sparrow jumped from one last year to 16. And finally, Rusty Blackbird more than doubled its previous high of 12 seen in 1990.
While many raptors appear to be increasing in numbers, American Kestrel took a surprising swing downward. Only 51 were found, less than half the record high of 116 in 1986. This species bears watching, especially with prime habitat that exists in the count circle. The closely related Merlin was found again this year for the fourth time in the last twelve years.
The big surprise was House Sparrow. The total of 631 is half of last year's tally, 400 less than the previous low in 1993, and less than one-third of the record high in 1983. House Finch is also showing a decline from highs of 1600 in 1988 and 1990 to recent counts of 1100 (1993), 900 (1994), 550 (1995), and 316 in 1996. This is the same time period during which the disease conjunctivitis has been found in this species; it seems to be taking its toll.
Other species of interest include the Double-crested Cormorant which has now been seen three of the last six years. This species is undergoing a population explosion in the eastern U.S. and was found nesting in PA for the first time last summer. The Eurasian Wigeon is back; eight years, same pond, going strong. We seem to find an Osprey about every five years; this year's was at Octoraro Lake, catching a fish. After three N. Saw-whet owls in the first 18 years, we've now found 4 in the last two years, all of which were calling. This species deserves more effort in those pre-dawn owling hours. The call is easy to imitate and the birds do respond.
Yellow-rumped Warbler is our only regularly wintering warbler species, but two more are beginning to show a trend. Palm warbler has been found for three consecutive years and Common Yellowthroat for four out of five. And finally, unusual blackbirds are on the upswing, including Yellow-headed and Brewer's. Keep searching those flocks for Pennsylvania's first Bronzed Cowbird or even Shiny Cowbird. They are on their way.
Thanks to each and every one of you for your continued support and participation. Thanks to Jack Hubley for the TV coverage on WGAL's Wild Moment. Bird Treks and the Lancaster County Bird Club once again sponsored the count.
Please reserve Sunday, 21 December 1997 for the 22nd annual count.
Thanks for your support!
P.S. The 21-year cumulative species list now stands at 157 with the addition of the Marsh Wren.
The 60th Lancaster Christmas Bird Count was held on Saturday, December 28, 1996. There were 36 participants. The day started with drizzle, but the sun broke through briefly around 11:00 a.m. The rest of the day was cloudy. Temperatures ranged from the mid-30s to the mid-40s.
Ninety species and 113,000+ individuals were found. Numbers were inflated by 50,000+ Ring-billed Gulls and 20,000+ Snow Geese. It was a good count. Ninety species is the third highest for Lancaster, surpassed only by 1970 and 1991. The preceding 10-year specie average is 82. Of course, best birds include the five warbler species found along the discharge stream of the sewage disposal plant at Washington Boro, a veritable "oasis" for late lingering or semi-hardy birds. These were Yellow-rumped, Palm, Pine, Black-and-white, and Nashville Warblers. Yellow-rumped are usually found on this count and Palm Warblers in five of the last six years. Pine Warblers are found occasionally, but new to the count were Black-and-white and Nashville. It is rare to find birds such as these this far north in winter, but the combination of a mild winter (only one or two cold snaps) and a good wintering spot ("oasis") seem responsible.
Other birds of note are the two Chipping Sparrows, one found in Pequea Township, the other on the York County side of the count. These were the first since 1973. The first Purple Finches in five years were nice birds.
Missing for the first time in over twenty years were Common Snipe. I believe they were here, but the weather's to blame. All open water, so the birds weren't forced into a few favored spots where we usually find them.
Again, an excellent count! My thanks to all who participated--without your help, we wouldn't have a Christmas Count. And, I'd like to extend an invitation to all to join us next year. It doesn't take skill, just a desire to look for birds. The more eyes the better!
What a foggy day! As Bruce Carl said, the Lititz Count has been known for some extraordinary weather. Some of us remember, though, that we had a day like this quite a few years ago. It made for a different kind of birding, it's true.
Our "lucky" bird of the day was our one and only Turkey Vulture! The roosts were empty, so the vultures were flying, but who could see them! We had some other notable misses, probably due to the fog, like Red-shouldered Hawk, but fog or no fog, where are the Turkeys? None this year. They, and such birds as Mockingbirds, Pileated Woodpeckers, Fish Crows, and Horned Larks, were probably undercounted due to the fog. I say this because these species are often found due to their vocalizations, and the Count Day's fog seemed to quiet the birds, as well as reducing our viewing distance. Of course, waterfowl viewing was severely limited at Middle Creek and elsewhere.
Major drops in numbers occurred for Rock Doves, Mourning Doves, White-breasted Nuthatches, Carolina Wrens, and House Finches. We understand that the contagious eye disease has had a big effect on the finches, and although we had an expanding population of Carolina Wrens as of Count Day last year, the remainder of last year's winter decimated them again. But, the other three species??? The only major jumps in numbers were Song and White-throated Sparrows.
Randy Miller graciously accepted the responsibility for two sections and added Pied-billed Grebe to our list. He had 500 of the 502 Cowbirds seen. David Wright had our only Snow Geese. The Swegers found our only Phoebe--only one other Phoebe has been seen in the last ten years. The Garners got us our only Snow Bunting, Fish Crows, and Snipe--34 of them!, and had six species of sparrows. Dick Pohner and the McKinnes had 22 Killdeer all at the same place. As (almost) always, Fred Habegger and company found our only Red-headed Woodpecker, and they also found our only Ruby-crowned Kinglet. Middle Creek produced, besides the waterfowl, our only Harriers, Meadowlarks, and Yellow-rumped Warblers, and was one of only a few sections to have Grackle, Red-winged Blackbirds, and Horned Larks. Middle Creek had eight species of ducks on count day, while other teams added Wigeon, and three more species seen in Count Week: Ring-necked Duck, Ruddy Duck, and Oldsquaw. Three teams found Grouse this year, and four teams had Winter Wrens. Six teams had Bluebirds and, although their numbers are down from the last few years, they are doing extremely well, given last year's winter. Keep those Bluebird boxes producing! Feeder counters tallied our only Red-breasted Nuthatch, Pileated Woodpecker, and (yes) Turkey Vulture! As always, they can also be depended on to add Cooper's and Sharp-shinned Hawks to our numbers as well.
1996 was another exciting year for Lancaster County birders. The 270 species which were reported will represent the fourth time in five years that 270 species or higher have been recorded.
Three new species were added to the 20-year cumulative list which now stands at 320 species, and the yearly average has been raised to 253.
The new species include Sooty Tern (1 adult, 1 immature) seen on the Susquehanna River Conejohela Flats (SRCF) after Hurricane Fran, a Wood Stork, which was found along Hammer Creek off Pumping Station Road, and a Black-legged Kittiwake, also seen on the SRCF.
September 7, 1996, the day after Hurricane Fran headed north through western Pennsylvania, was a very special day on the SRCF. Highlights include Sooty Tern (1 adult, l immature), Parasitic Jaeger, Merlin, Glossy Ibis, and Sora. The twenty species of shorebirds tallied for the day tied the one-day record. The combination of 65 species seen and total numbers seen probably made this one of the best days ever on the SRCF.
Other highlights for the County during the year included Barnacle Goose, first since 1982, and Trumpeter Swans (2 adult, 3 immature) (the origin of these two species has not been determined), White Ibis (second in six years), Lancaster County's first sightings of immature Little Gulls, Gull-billed Tern (second in three years), King Rail (only the second sighting in the last seven years), Sedge Wren (second in four years), Loggerhead Shrike (first since 1990), and the two separate sightings of Brewster's Warbler, a Blue-winged/Golden-winged hybrid.
The 1996 Shorebird Report for the Susquehanna River, Conejohela Flats, once again shows how important this area is to these long-distance migrants as they pass through our state. Much, but not all, of the data obtained for the season came from the shorebird census (conducted by Bob Schutsky), which was commissioned by Acres International for Safe Harbor. This study involved randomly-selected four-hour coverage periods on most days, and ran from mid-April through the end of October. The studies done during the two previous years by LCBC members were normally seven or eight hours per day with fewer days of coverage.
The estimated season total for 1996 was 12,143 migrant shorebirds. This total is based on a method of calculation unlike that used by the LCBC, but it produced a result that was within the range of the LCBC estimates for the last two years. The "birds per hour" amount is almost identical for the 1996 and 1994 surveys. The 1996 "scientific and unbiased" study corroborates the LCBC data recorded in previous years and confirms the significance of the Conejohela Flats.
The first half of the spring migration was comparatively poor. Strong north winds, cold weather, and high river levels kept shorebird numbers low. This was in direct contrast to 1995 when excellent conditions existed and resulted in very high spring counts. The remainder of the spring migration was routine. Fall migration was normal, except for little habitat being exposed during much of August and Hurricane Fran in September.
Seasonal high-count levels were exceeded for 13 species. This was no doubt a direct effect of the increased number of observation hours. Twenty-five species of shorebirds were recorded, which was the same as each of the past two years. Thirty-two species have been recorded in the last five years, and the historical total holds at 37.
Noteworthy observations on the Flats last year are highlighted by a pair of Sooty Terns, a Parasitic Jaeger, and 20 species of shorebirds, courtesy of Hurricane Fran. Pennsylvania's and the Flats' second confirmed sighting of Gull-billed Tern was tallied. Throw in three Least Terns and the Flats had a "seven-tern" year. A group of six Willets, a flock of 22 Stilt Sandpipers, a very cooperative Red-necked Phalarope, and the tough-to-find Avocet and Whimbrel put the icing on the cake.
Geese and Swans were well represented. Canada, Snow, White-fronted, Ross', and Barnacle Geese were seen, as well as Tundra and Trumpeter Swans. Little Gulls put on a good show in early April, and Franklin's Gull was found for the fourth time in seven years.
Bald Eagles were especially numerous this past year from March through mid-October. Up to five immature birds were seen at one time and at least three different adults. An Osprey was putting sticks in the nest basket near season's end. Only two Peregrines were noted, but Merlins were about normal at seven. Toss in a few Red-necked Grebes, Red-throated Loons, and a Sedge Wren and the 1996 season on the Conejohela Flats looks like a winner!
It is probable that the study commissioned by Safe Harbor will not be repeated in 1997. However, LCBC members will still be checking the Flats frequently and recording observations. Please report any noteworthy sightings to me at Lancaster 569-2354. The extensive record-keeping from the fifties, sixties, eighties, and nineties may well prove to be the salvation of one of Pennsylvania's most important bird areas.
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