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 ninth edition of the Research Issue. It represents the field activities conducted by the Lancaster County Bird Club within the county. This issue reflects the Club's commitment to documenting the county's birdlife. It shows the dedication and hard work of many of our members in pursuit of this goal. Since the gathering of this information is usually great fun for those participating, I would encourage all Club members to take advantage of the Club's activities to get out and enjoy the county's birds and thus assist in the compilation of this data.
This year's issue includes the following reports:
The seventh annual North American Migration Count (NAMC) was held on Saturday, May 9, 1998, with Lancaster County again participating in this event for the third straight year. All of the "Warbler Walk" areas were included in this count, along with other areas like Octorara Lake, Susquehanna River Conejohela Flats, Chicques Rock, and the Safe Harbor-Pequea Creek area, just to name a few.
There were 37 people in the field and they identified 161 species for the day. Compare this year's total to 1996--163 species and 1997--161 species and to say the least we are very consistent. As in past years, the complete listing for the state can be found in the publication Pennsylvania Birds.
The weather conditions for count day were less than favorable, even though our species count does not reflect this. Temperatures ranged from the low 50s at pre-dawn to the mid 60s by late afternoon. Winds were light with intermittent light rain and some heavier showers throughout the day at all locations.
Highlights for the day include the following: Least Bittern (1), Glossy Ibis (1), Snow Goose (128), Red-breasted Merganser (2), Black-bellied Plover (1), Dunlin (1), Common Tern (2), Bald Eagle (8), Blue Grosbeak (3), Prothonotary Warbler (2), Yellow-headed Blackbird (1), and Tricolored Heron (1).
Other notable sightings include Purple Finch (19), Golden-crowned Kinglet (1), Ruby-crowned Kinglet (7), Hermit Thrush (1), Virginia Rail (1), and Least Flycatcher (1).
The 37 participants this year were down from the 54 we had in 1997 and only slightly above the 33 in 1996. Hopefully, in 1999 we can get back to the numbers we established in 1997. This is a great time of year to be out birding for beginners or advanced birders alike. Please contact me at (717) 859-4179 if you have any questions or if you have an interest in helping out on May 8, 1999.
Another excellent count was conducted by 65 participants on this typical early winter date as 111 species were recorded, the second highest number in the history of the count (112 in 1994). Total number of birds was 976,942. Highlights included Red-throated Loon, five Double-crested Cormorants, two Greater White-fronted Geese, Ross' Goose, 27 Bald Eagles, Peregrine Falcon, 97 American Coot, Laughing Gull, Black-headed Gull, 86 Screech Owls, 47 Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, 15 Pileated Woodpeckers, 246 Carolina Wrens, 77 Winter Wrens, 34 Hermit Thrush, 822 American Pipits, Pine Warbler, American Redstart, and 32 Fox Sparrows. Also, 400,000 Red-winged Blackbirds, almost 300,000 Common Grackles, and 30,000+ Brown-headed Cowbirds were exceptionally high numbers. An additional species, Red-breasted Merganser, was observed during Count Week, but not on Count Day.
Thanks to all the participants. Hope to see all of you again on the 1999 count which will probably be on Sunday, December 19, 1999. Also, an invitation is made to anyone else who is interested in joining the count in 1999. Contact Robert M. Schutsky, 115 Peach Bottom Village, Peach Bottom, PA 17563-9716; Phone (717) 548-3303; Fax (717) 548-3327; e-mail: birdtrek@epix.net.
It was a good count despite the facts that the count was held the day after Christmas, participation was down, and the weather turned colder earlier in the week. With the help of one grackle, 93 species were tallied. Total numbers were over 86,000--over half of them starlings.
Waterfowl were well represented, both in species and numbers. Ten Pied-billed Grebes are the highest in recent years. Most of the American Crows were found in the northern part of the count circle near Lititz. Late lingerers included House Wren and Gray Catbird. House Finch numbers continue to drop. The 242 recorded is the lowest since 1,024 were counted in 1993.
My thanks to all who participated. Without you, there would not be a count! Next year's count will probably be held on Saturday, January 1, 2000. What will the participation be that day?
Last year at this time as I was finalizing the results from the Lititz Christmas Bird Count, I thought to myself that 95 species was an exceptional number for this count and that days like this don't come around that often. I have since been informed that in 1975 101 species were tallied on this count and that reaching the 90-species plateau has happened only about three or four times in the past 23 years, including last year's results.
After being so excited about last year's count, one can only imagine how I felt when this year's species count reached 99! Yes, 99!
To have reached such lofty numbers in back-to-back years on this count may have been unprecedented. But looking at 1997 and 1998, there are similar circumstances that may have contributed to each of these counts being so productive. The weather for both years was alike in that the fall and early winter were on average warmer than usual. Also, having near ideal weather conditions on count day of each year also contributed to finding the birds that were out there. And last, but not least, was having the enthusiastic participants helping out with the count. If not for them, the count would not be. Many thanks to all 38 participants and the ten feeder watchers for their time and effort put forth on count day.
Now to some of the highlights:
Twenty-one species of waterfowl which included the following--two Ross' Geese, one Greater White-fronted Goose, 20,000 Snow Geese, three Mute Swan, all three merganser species, 80 Northern Shovelers, 43 Ruddy Ducks, and two American Coot.
The following species found on this year's count tend to be used as indicators of how the warmer-than-usual conditions in the fall and early winter affect a count like this one--two Eastern Phoebe, three Gray Catbird, one Brown Thrasher, one Pine Warbler, 14 Eastern Towhee, 16 Fox Sparrows, two Double-crested Cormorants, and one Black-Crowned Night-Heron.
Other highlights of the count were one Barred Owl, two adult Bald Eagles, four Pheasants, five Common Snipe, three Northern Harriers, ten Hermit Thrush, one Merlin, 44 Rusty Blackbirds, one Lapland Longspur, six Pine Siskin, 11 Common Grackles, 34 Purple Finch, and two Red-headed Woodpeckers.
This was the first year in some time that there was coverage in each of the count sections. Hopefully, next year we can expand to get more people in areas where help is needed, especially in some of the larger sections where more walking would prove to be beneficial. Reading a report like this one just might peak some interest in 1999.
Thanks again to all who helped on this year's count! Have a goad year of birding in 1999!
The year of birding for 1998 in Lancaster County was somewhat uneventful. Compared to the last six years where we averaged 270 species a year, the 257 species reported this year was a considerable drop off. The lack of rarities in the county was the main reason for this year's species count, because if there were any here, nobody saw them.
The 22-year cumulative list increased to 321 with one new species being added and the yearly average remained at 254.
The new species was a well-described Townsend's Solitaire found along Pinnacle Road in southern Lancaster County. The bird was first seen in December 1997 and remained until about early February 1998. Unfortunately, by the time word got out about this, the bird had already left the area. With more documentation, this could been Lancaster County's first official sighting of Townsend's Solitaire.
Thirty-two species of waterfowl were found in 1998 with highlights that included Richardson's race of the Canada Goose, Greater White-fronted Goose (third year in a row), Ross' Goose (an amazing eighth year in a row) with as many as four being seen at Middle Creek WMA in March and two more were found in December. Snow Geese were again well-represented at Middle Creek in the spring and they arrived back in October with numbers increasing to about 20,000 birds by year's end. This marked the first time that the Snow Geese stayed this long and increased in numbers during the fall season at Middle Creek.
Some other highlights for 1998 were Tricolored Heron (only the third sighting in eight years), Glossy Ibis (fourth in five years), Least Bittern (third year in a row), and Common Black-headed Gull (third in four years). Two notable misses were Eurasian Wigeon (first miss in ten years) and Iceland Gull (first miss in eight years).
Twenty-seven species of shorebirds were identified with 26 species found on the Susquehanna River Conejohela Flats alone. Some highlights included Black-necked Stilt (first since 1995 and only second in six years), Willet (fourth year in a row), and Whimbrel (six years in a row). This bird has become almost annual in May along the River. A good count of 16 Whimbrel was recorded on May 25, 1998. Other sightings were Red-necked Phalarope (second in three years), Red Phalarope (second year in a row), and Buff-breasted Sandpiper (seen again in 1998 after being missed in 1997).
Thirty-five warbler species were seen or heard this year with the only regular migrant missed being Connecticut Warbler.
Other notable sightings for the year were Sora (a high-count of ten on the Susquehanna River Conejohela Flats on September 20, 1998), Marsh Wren, Lincoln's Sparrow, Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow, Yellow-headed Blackbird (seventh year in a row), Brewer's Blackbird (first since 1995), Upland Sandpiper, Cattle Egret, Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, and Orange-crowned Warbler.
Middle Creek WMA, hopefully, has added two new breeding birds to this area, the first being the pair of Bald Eagles that successfully built a nest this past year. As of early February 1999, the pair has been seen in mating behaviours at various times. This could lead to possible egg laying within the next one and a half months. Keep your eyes open and stay tuned for this possible event in 1999. The second species is Barred Owl, which has been heard calling at two different locations around the Middle Creek area the last two years. Both of these species were thought by many to be overdue as possible breeders at MCWMA.
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