Date: 5/8/25 8:17 am From: KATHLEEN BECHDEL <0000d165c6a818d5-dmarc-request...> Subject: May 17 Event at Bald Eagle State Park
Hello, all,
This Saturday, May 17, the State College Bird Club will be sponsoring a table at the Spring Birding and Activity Fair at Bald Eagle State Park from 12 - 4 pm.
We are looking for volunteers to help represent our club at this event. We will be under a tent to protect us from the weather. Please let me know if you can offer an hour or two of your time. For more information about the event, click the link below.
From the Mt. Etna trailhead parking lot, the group will walk South along the Lower Trail for 1-2 miles out and back.
Sunday, May 18, 2025 (8:00am -10:00am)
Plummer's Hollow
Trip Leader: To be announced
Join us on for a 2-hour excursion at Plummer's Hollow Private Nature Preserve slightly east of Tyrone. The location is a nearly 700 acre forested hollow owned by naturalist and author Marcia Bonta and her family. It is home to a biodiverse forest and open field habitat that has an eBird species count of 229 species. In the spring the hollow is alive with many spring ephemerals such as foam flower, trillium, jack-in-the-pulpit, wild geranium, lady slipper orchids, and many others. Birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians all are frequently found by visitors of the hollow. The walk will be along Plummers Hollow Rd which parallels Plummers Hollow Run. The road is gravel and well maintained for easy walking. There is a gentle climb as you proceed up the hollow. From the parking area to the forks (upper extent of the public trail) is about 1 mile. There are a few places to stop and rest along the way. The time of the walk is subject to each walker as there are many sites to take in along the way. What to bring: your naturalist eye, binoculars, camera, water bottle, nature journals, and walking sticks if needed. There is cell service for most providers throughout the walk area. I recommend a restroom stop just prior to arriving as the only facilities are at the top of the hollow.
Park at the I-99 Park n Ride or the lot on Rt. 453. Both are located approximately .5 miles from the entrance to Plummers Hollow. Rd off of Rt. 453. Carpool to the entrance where there is a small parking area for only 6-7 cars.
Sunday, June 15, 2025 (8 am - 9:30 am)
Penns Prairie at Tri-County Municipal Park, Centre Hall, PA
Trip Leaders: Jon Kaufman and Andrew Bechdel
Details and directions are coming!
Wednesday, July 16, 2025 (8:15 pm – 9:15pm or until the last swift disappears)
Sweets and Swifts at Ferguson Township Elementary School, Pine Grove Mills
Rain Date: Thursday, July 17, 2025
Come enjoy an amazing evening flight of Chimney Swifts as they circle above Ferguson Township Elementary before they dive one by one into the chimney to roost for the night. The town of Pine Grove Mills and the nearby elementary school can observe dozens of circling swifts during the day. During dusk, one may gain a better understanding how many swifts are actually utilizing the school's chimney during this unique time where swifts finally come to rest. Historical counts range from 97 to 197 individuals!
Bring a lawn chair or blanket and a favorite baked or non-baked sweet dish to share with others while enjoying the evening sunset. Who will bring the best-looking and tasting Chimney Swift themed cookie?
Date: 5/6/25 8:07 am From: Gyekis, Joseph Peter <j99...> Subject: World Migratory Bird Day
Dear State College Bird Club,
To celebrate World Migratory Bird Day, the borough has declared the holiday for Saturday May 10th and encourages borough residents to sign a Lights Out pledge to protect migrating birds from light pollution (see message from Bird Towns leader and boro sustainability officer Jasmine Fields below).
We're also going to have an evening bird walk at the Arboretum<https://arboretum.psu.edu/events/night-bird-walk-3/> that Saturday at 7:30 pm to celebrate.
Joe
The Borough of State College has declared Saturday, May 10, as World Migratory Bird Day. This years theme is Shared Spaces," highlighting the significant role that city planning plays in supporting migratory birds.
Migratory birds and their habitats are declining in Pennsylvania due to the impacts of urbanization. The State College Bird Town Committee invites you to join the campaign to raise public awareness about human-caused bird mortalities.
Date: 5/6/25 3:41 am From: Constanza Ehrenhaus <cxe1169...> Subject: Re: PNPS festival
Thank you, Merrill, for having us!
It was such a positive experience! I look forward to collaborating again
next year!
Coty
On Mon, May 5, 2025 at 11:04 PM Merrill David <mer22david...> wrote:
> Thank you so much, Coty, Amber, Joe, for presenting and tabling and
> helping to make the Central PA Native Plant Festival such an informative
> and enjoyable success!
>
> Happy Planting!
> Merrill
>
>
> On Mon, May 5, 2025 at 8:29 AM Constanza Ehrenhaus <cxe1169...>
> wrote:
>
>> Good morning, bird club,
>>
>> Last Saturday, we attended the Pennsylvania Native Plant Society Festival
>> at Millbrook Marsh.
>>
>> Joe Gyekis and I tabled at the Bird Town State College stand with Anna
>> from the sustainability office. People were interested and excited about
>> the information we had to share and we even had people from other counties
>> saying they would like to bring this initiative to their municipality.
>>
>> Amber Wievel and I presented about creating habitat for birds by
>> gardening with natives, and Amber did a terrific job explaining how to
>> tackle a project like that at home. We had about 35 attendees.
>>
>> I want to thank the organizers who made this possible despite the
>> tremendous challenges last week; some of them were still lacking
>> electricity and internet. The festival was very successful and people
>> braved the rain to show up.
>>
>> Have a great week!
>>
>> Coty
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Constanza Ehrenhaus.
>>
>>
Date: 5/5/25 8:04 pm From: Merrill David <mer22david...> Subject: Re: PNPS festival
Thank you so much, Coty, Amber, Joe, for presenting and tabling and helping
to make the Central PA Native Plant Festival such an informative and
enjoyable success!
Happy Planting!
Merrill
On Mon, May 5, 2025 at 8:29 AM Constanza Ehrenhaus <cxe1169...>
wrote:
> Good morning, bird club,
>
> Last Saturday, we attended the Pennsylvania Native Plant Society Festival
> at Millbrook Marsh.
>
> Joe Gyekis and I tabled at the Bird Town State College stand with Anna
> from the sustainability office. People were interested and excited about
> the information we had to share and we even had people from other counties
> saying they would like to bring this initiative to their municipality.
>
> Amber Wievel and I presented about creating habitat for birds by gardening
> with natives, and Amber did a terrific job explaining how to tackle a
> project like that at home. We had about 35 attendees.
>
> I want to thank the organizers who made this possible despite the
> tremendous challenges last week; some of them were still lacking
> electricity and internet. The festival was very successful and people
> braved the rain to show up.
>
> Have a great week!
>
> Coty
>
>
>
> --
> Constanza Ehrenhaus.
>
>
Date: 5/5/25 5:29 am From: Constanza Ehrenhaus <cxe1169...> Subject: PNPS festival
Good morning, bird club,
Last Saturday, we attended the Pennsylvania Native Plant Society Festival at Millbrook Marsh.
Joe Gyekis and I tabled at the Bird Town State College stand with Anna from the sustainability office. People were interested and excited about the information we had to share and we even had people from other counties saying they would like to bring this initiative to their municipality.
Amber Wievel and I presented about creating habitat for birds by gardening with natives, and Amber did a terrific job explaining how to tackle a project like that at home. We had about 35 attendees.
I want to thank the organizers who made this possible despite the tremendous challenges last week; some of them were still lacking electricity and internet. The festival was very successful and people braved the rain to show up.
Date: 5/2/25 11:01 am From: Wentzel, Doug <djw105...> Subject: Countdown to Birding Cup 2025
Greetings all,
Five hours and counting to the start of Birding Cup 2025! At last tally we have 95 birders on 25 teams that will take to the field this evening at 7 pm to begin the 24 hours of the Birding Cup and the associated categories like the Birding Boot, County Cup, Potter Mug and the Micro Cup. Plus another 20 individuals further afield contributing as Global Birders. All funds raised this year will be used for grassland bird habitat enhancement at Musser Gap! Thanks to all those Bird Club members who are joining the fun this evening and to those that are <https://give.psu.edu/birding-cup-2025>sponsoring a team <https://www.shaverscreek.org/public-programs-and-events/birding-cup/>. We appreciate you!
Hope to see many of you at the Birding Cup finish line tomorrow at Shaver’s Creek to learn what new surprises turned up in Central PA during the event's 24 hours. I’m especially excited for first time “big day” birders — nothing quite like the experience. For those participating in the event, I wish you safe, responsible and joyous birding!
Best wishes,
Doug
Ps. Thanks to those that answered the call to help with the finish line support on Saturday night. We are all set to welcome the teams.
Doug Wentzel
Program Director & Naturalist
Shaver's Creek Environmental Center
The Pennsylvania State University
3400 Discovery Road
Petersburg, PA 16669-2114
Date: 5/1/25 5:02 pm From: Peggy Wagoner Saporito <raven966...> Subject: State College Bird Club meeting minutes, April 23
Hello Everyone,
Sorry for the delay in getting this out. We are still without power and just now able to access wifi. In the meantime, hope you are all enjoying the otherwise sunny spring weather, and for those of us without power, hope you are all faring well.
Here are the minutes from last Wednesday's meeting
Date: 4/29/25 9:27 am From: Wentzel, Doug <djw105...> Subject: Volunteers needed for Birding Cup tally on Saturday evening, May 3
Greetings all,
A special request from Siara for a few extra hands on Saturday evening. I know many club members are birding, or have made a donation <https://give.psu.edu/birding-cup-2025> to support bird habitat at Musser Gap, and this will be one more way to join the greater Birding Cup effort.
Thanks in advance and hope to see you at Migration Morning tomorrow at 7 am!
Best,
Doug
Hello!
Shaver’s Creek is looking for a few volunteers to help with the Birding Cup ceremony! Below are the details of the date, time, and roles we hope to fill.
Ceremony: Saturday, May 3, 7:00 pm
Volunteer arrival time: ~6:15 pm (no later than 6:30 pm)
Commitment: ~3 hours
Roles:
1-2 people – checklist counting
1 person – copy checklists and “run” to the counters (this could be a good job for an older child/teen if their parent/guardian is also volunteering)
Benefits:
Snack food will be provided
Free t-shirt and sticker if interested
Sense of accomplishment for knowing that you contributed to our annual fundraiser, made it a successful event, and helped guide very tired birders through the finish line!
Please let Siara Glenny <mailto:<sjg381...> know if you or someone you know is interested or have any questions.
I appreciate everyone who makes this event successful!
Doug Wentzel
Program Director & Naturalist
Shaver's Creek Environmental Center
The Pennsylvania State University
3400 Discovery Road
Petersburg, PA 16669-2114
Date: 4/29/25 8:19 am From: Constanza Ehrenhaus <cxe1169...> Subject: PA Masters Naturalists program open for the fall.
The PA Master Naturalists are offering a training program for volunteers in Centre County this Fall. They are currently accepting applications for this Fall course. Do you have additional questions? Contact Josie Marino at <jmarino...>[image: Centre County Flyer 2025.png] [image: Fall 25 Application Open General 2.png]
Date: 4/26/25 10:15 am From: Nick Bolgiano <nickbolgiano...> Subject: 2025 Tussey Mt hawk watch summary
2025 was the 25th full season of the spring hawk watch at Tussey Mt,
staffed daily Feb 20-Apr 25. Achieving a 25th season is an excellent
milestone. The watch site is located on the top of Tussey Mt, the second
ridge from the north and west in the western Ridge-and-Valley physiographic
province and near the boundary between Huntingdon and Centre counties. The
watch’s primary focus is monitoring the spring Golden Eagle migration.
The 2025 official counter was Adam Richardson, who has been a raptor
watcher in Montana and New York. The 2025 watch was conducted on 63 days,
with 484 hours of watching, the highest effort since 2012. Watch times were
extended on those April days with particularly favorable S/SE winds. Season
totals are shown in Table 1.
*Table 1. 2025 season totals and 10-year averages (2015-2024). *
*Species*
*2024*
*10-year average*
*2025 Ranking*
*Comment*
Turkey Vulture
290
180
above average
Highest since 2017
Osprey
84
81
average
Bald Eagle
125
72
above average
New site high
Northern Harrier
41
21
above average
Highest since 2011
Sharp-shinned Hawk
232
159
above average
Highest since 2014
Cooper’s Hawk
53
24
above average
Highest since 2011
American Goshawk
0
<1
6th consecutive year without any
Red-shouldered Hawk
46
38
average
Highest since 2015
Broad-winged Hawk
1485
964
above average
4th highest total
Red-tailed Hawk
316
269
above average
Highest since 2021
Rough-legged Hawk
1
2
First in 4 years
Golden Eagle
150
166
below average
American Kestrel
68
42
above average
2nd highest to 166 in 2001
Merlin
10
6
above average
2nd highest to 16 in 2001
Peregrine Falcon
4
2
Total
2981
2063
above average
3rd highest total
There are two aspects about the 2025 count at Tussey Mt that stand out: 1)
an early Golden Eagle flight that ended with 150 total birds, a somewhat
below average number but a value similar to that of several other recent
years; and 2) very good numbers of many raptors that mostly flew past on
days when the wind was particularly favorable from the S or SE.
Golden Eagle was the only species with a below average total, although the
150 total was similar to totals from 2016, 2018, and 2019 (156, 150, 147,
respectively). The overall trend over the last 25 years has been
hill-shaped, with a peak during 2008-2015 when 200 or more Golden Eagles
were counted in six of eight years. Numbers have declined in the last 10
years, with this year’s total being one of the middle values in that span
(Figure 1). I’m not sure why Golden Eagle numbers were lower during the
first seven years, but the observed decline during the last 10 years is
almost certainly real and is likely related to recent winters being milder
than previously. Nevertheless, the Tussey Mt hawk watch continued to count
the most Golden Eagles during spring in the Eastern Flyway; our Golden
Eagle observations are the most important results from our site.
The Golden Eagle cumulative curve shows how the season unfolded for that
species. A record-high February total of 41 moved this season’s total ahead
of any other season by the end of the month. During the 2nd and 3rd weeks
of March, this season’s Golden Eagle total tracked the long-term mean.
There was a steady flight with at least one Golden Eagle counted on 29
straight days, the high count was 18 on March 13, but there were no big
days. Once the main Golden Eagle migration ended around the end of the 3rd
week of March, Golden Eagle numbers dropped off quickly, with most of the
remaining Golden Eagles being counted during favorable S/SE wind days
(Figure 2).
The spring hawk watch season functions like two seasons within one: the
first four weeks when we count most of the Golden Eagles, Turkey Vultures,
and Red-shouldered Hawks and many of the Bald Eagles and Red-tailed Hawks;
and April, when we count most of the Ospreys, Northern Harriers,
Sharp-shinned and Cooper’s Hawks, Broad-winged Hawks, and American
Kestrels. How we do during April depends upon experiencing good S/SE winds.
This season, we experienced good S/SE winds on April 2, 14, 18, and 21 and
those winds moved the majority of April raptors through our region. The
peak was April 14 with 766 birds and the 2nd-best was April 18 with 446
birds.
Above-average numbers were counted for nine species: Turkey Vulture, Bald
Eagle (a new site high), Northern Harrier, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Cooper’s
Hawk, Broad-winged Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, American Kestrel, and Merlin. The
Broad-winged Hawk flight was excellent with a pronounced peak period. The
numbers of Bald Eagles, Sharp-shinned Hawks, Cooper’s Hawks, Red-shouldered
Hawks, and Red-tailed Hawks were sustained throughout their migration
periods. Notable were the 41 Northern Harriers and 68 American Kestrels,
two species with recently-observed declines.
Thanks to our sponsors, Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center, the State
College Bird Club, and individuals. Also, thanks to Adam’s diligence and
to the many people who visited and helped to spot migrating raptors; we
appreciate all the good help.
Date: 4/25/25 4:45 pm From: Wentzel, Doug <djw105...> Subject: Plant Sale tomorrow at Shaver's Creek
Hi all,
I’ll be hosting our annual Native Plant Sale tomorrow at Shaver’s Creek, from 10 am to 5 pm. This is a joint venture with the Penn State Student Farm and the Garden in Centre Hall.
Should be a nice day to do some birding and find some plants to add to your backyard. Hard to anticipate the turn out, but we could sell out quickly, or not.
Below is the plant list of what we have, plus Amy from the Garden will also have additional species to sell.
Hope to see you,
Doug
Lobelia siphilitica Great Blue Lobelia
Lobelia cardinalis Cardinal Flower
Veronicastrum virginicum Culvers Root
Tiarella cordifolia Foam Flower
Packera aurea Golden Ragwort
Eupatorium fistulosum Joe Pye Weed
Aster - novae-angliae New England Aster
Physostegia virginiana Obedient Plant
Vernonia noveboracensis Tall Ironweed
Chelone glabra Turtlehead
Baptisia australis Wild Blue Indigo
Phlox divaricata Wild Blue Phlox
Penstemon digitalis Beardstongue Foxglove
Monarda didyma Bee Balm
Gillenia trifoliata Bowmans Root
Asclepias tuberosa Butterfly Weed
Liatris spicata Dense Blazing Star
Heliopsis helianthoides False Sunflower
Salvia lyrata Lyre-Leaved Sage
Allium cernuum Nodding Onions
Filipendula rubra Queen of the Prarie
Asclepias incarnata Swamp Milkweed
Campanula americana Tall Bellflower
Doug Wentzel
Program Director & Naturalist
Shaver's Creek Environmental Center
The Pennsylvania State University
3400 Discovery Road
Petersburg, PA 16669-2114
SE winds at 12-19kph. Visibility was limited to Warrior’s Ridge due to a
haze in Stone Valley. Mostly cloudy skies for the entire count made for
excellent spotting conditions. Low temperature of 15C at 08:00 and a high
of 22C by noon.
Raptor Notes
OS 2 (82) SS 3 (229) CH 1 (53) BW 3 (1473) ML 1 (10) UB 1 (20) Total 11
(2955)
Any hopes of cracking 3k for the season were quickly dashed by the
lackluster flight. Despite this I enjoyed each and every individual that
passed by the cut this morning. A favorite sighting was a MERL low near the
blinky cell tower at the base of Leading Ridge. I was able to get on it in
the scope and watch the dark mysterious falcon’s wings flapping gracefully
like pistons. It made the flight special by flying right up the cut head on
before blinking out over the canopy.
I thought perhaps the Leading Ridge BW had found a mate as two soared into
view close downhill in the cut at 11:20. However, the one kept climbing
higher before peeling out to the NW. The other returned to its forested
ridge. Perhaps another day soon it will find its mate for the season. At
11:38 the COHA was again performing its wing display over Stone Valley.
Non-raptor Notes
Another nice pulse of COLO in the morning hours. Several flocks of 12 -15
BLJA’s again migrated past the cut. I have enjoyed hearing a call they make
before rallying across the cut or from Leading Ridge onto the Flanks of
Tussey Mountain.
Mourning Dove 3
Killdeer 1
Common Loon 12
Double-crested Cormorant 3
Great Blue Heron 2
Black Vulture 2
Turkey Vulture 11
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Pileated Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 1
Eastern Phoebe 1
Blue Jay 56
American Crow 1
Common Raven 1
Tufted Titmouse 1
White-breasted Nuthatch 1
Eastern Bluebird 2
American Robin 1
Purple Finch 1
Pine Siskin 1
American Goldfinch 4
Field Sparrow 2
Eastern Towhee 2
Brown-headed Cowbird 6
Common Grackle 3
Ovenbird 3
Black-and-white Warbler 1
Palm Warbler 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 2
Black-throated Green Warbler 6
Visitors
None
Next Day Forecast
Scattered showers, mainly before 2pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 69.
West wind 5 to 13 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of
precipitation is 50%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an
inch possible.
Date: 4/25/25 9:50 am From: KATHLEEN BECHDEL <0000d165c6a818d5-dmarc-request...> Subject: Field Trip tomorrow
Just a reminder...
Saturday, April 26, 2025 (9:00am-10:00am) Tudek Park
Trip Leader: Constanza Ehrenhaus
This walk will be designed for beginner birders, especially families with children. Of course, all are welcome. The area is stroller-friendly, and the walk will be kept to one hour to fit younger learners' attention spans. We will meet near the restrooms at the upper parking lot. To get to Tudek park: from Martin St, go down Herman Dr and park in the parking lot near the restrooms or the larger parking lot if the other one is full.
Warm day, but with nice S breezes it didn’t feel as hot as yesterday.
Light, but inconsistent SE winds didn’t help the flight much at 6-11kph.
Visibility was good again like yesterday with views to Stone Mountain
during the entire count. Mostly high cirrus clouds to begin the count, but
these burned off by 11:00. By noon a few low cumulus clouds drifted in from
the SW, but most burned up as the pushed over the ridge. Low temperature of
17C at 08:30 and a high of 30C by 15:00.
Raptor Notes
TV 2 (286) OS 2 (80) BE 5 (123) SS 4 (226) CH 2 (52) RS 1 (46) BW 11 (1470)
RT 1 (314) UR 1 (42) Total 29 (2944)
Another slow day at the cut. The flight looked promising in the 10:00 hour
with BW’s getting moving and a few SS’s. However, by 11:00 the flight had
slowed to a trickle for the rest of the day.
Another BW exhibiting resident behavior was detected at 09:36 with a few
primaries missing. At 09:59 the immature RT flew S along the ridge top. At
11:37 a BW parachuted down onto Leading Ridge to perch in the forest. At
13:18 the SS flew S through cut below the canopy of the forest.
Non-raptor Notes
Several nice size flocks of BLJA migrating through. They seem to stage
together before venturing across the cut which is interesting.
Mourning Dove 3
Chimney Swift 1
Double-crested Cormorant 9
Great Blue Heron 1
Turkey Vulture 11
Broad-winged Hawk 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Downy Woodpecker 2
Pileated Woodpecker 1
Blue-headed Vireo 1
Blue Jay 54
American Crow 1
Common Raven 1
Black-capped Chickadee 1
Tufted Titmouse 1
Tree Swallow 4
Barn Swallow 1
White-breasted Nuthatch 1
Eastern Bluebird 1
House Finch 1
Purple Finch 3
American Goldfinch 5
Field Sparrow 2
Eastern Towhee 2
Brown-headed Cowbird 5
Common Grackle 8
Ovenbird 1
Black-and-white Warbler 1
Palm Warbler 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 1
Black-throated Green Warbler 10
Visitors
Jon Kauffman came out to take the sign down. I visited with a nice family
from DE who had spent the morning down at Shavers Creek. I was happy they
got to see a BW while up at the cut.
Jon Kauffman
5 hikers
Next Day Forecast
Showers likely, mainly after 2pm. Increasing clouds, with a high near 74.
Calm wind becoming south 5 to 7 mph in the afternoon. Chance of
precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an
inch possible.
Date: 4/23/25 8:05 pm From: Wayne Laubscher <0000d35f1ba89b38-dmarc-request...> Subject: Red Crossbill, Eastville, Clinton County, 4/21
Jacob and Jesse Kauffman reported a Red Crossbill on Schwenks Road off of McCall Dam Road south of Eastville on April 21. This is the same area where a few sightings were reported in October and November of last year. It is uncertain if a recording was obtained. With all of the western call types apparently having returned out west after the 2023-24 irruption, it is likely that this bird was a Type 1 or 12, both of which are generalist foragers.
Scorcher. Light NW winds at 6-11kph for most of the count. Really good
visibility to Stone Mountain for the entire count. Partly cloudy skies to
begin with, high cirrus. These burned off by 13:00 leaving the blue sky of
death to locate high flying raptors in. Low temperature of 10C at 08:00 and
a high of 27C by 15:00.
Raptor Notes
TV 5 (284) OS 2 (78) BE 3 (118) SS 5 (222) CH 2 (50) RS 3 (45) BW 7 (1459)
RT 3 (313) UB 2 (19) UR 1 (41) Total 33 (2915)
Slow but steady flight that peaked in the 10:00 hour. It is interesting to
note that more than half of the day’s raptors were picked up low moving
down Stone Valley. It wasn’t until 11:20 that I saw my first BW up on the
ridge. Late in the afternoon I lucked out getting on some sky-high BE’s
under a cloud that had formed directly above the ridge. Jacqui McKee also
picked up some extremely high TUVU following the same line which helped the
numbers out to close out the day’s effort.
At 10:12 the resident COHA was performing its wing display over Stone
Valley. At 11:07 three adult BE’s were in a skirmish over Leading Ridge. At
15:30 the first resident OSPR of the season was spotted flying S over Stone
Valley probably enroute for Lake Perez and a tasty trout.
Non-raptor Notes
The resident FISP has secured a mate. I see them together several times
during the day. I also think EATO has secured a mate as I hear some
interesting calls coming from the same shrubbery. A PAWA visited the cute
briefly, possibly migrating through. I heard its call note, then got eyes
on it in time to get a good look. It then flitted off the N side of the
ridge.
Mourning Dove 4
Double-crested Cormorant 2
Great Blue Heron 2
Turkey Vulture 10
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Downy Woodpecker 1
Hairy Woodpecker 1
Pileated Woodpecker 2
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 1
Blue-headed Vireo 1
Blue Jay 7
American Crow 1
Common Raven 2
Black-capped Chickadee 3
Tufted Titmouse 1
Tree Swallow 2
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 1
Barn Swallow 1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1
White-breasted Nuthatch 1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 1
European Starling 6
Eastern Bluebird 1
American Robin 1
House Finch 2
Purple Finch 1
American Goldfinch 14
Field Sparrow 2
Eastern Towhee 4
Red-winged Blackbird 2
Brown-headed Cowbird 3
Common Grackle 2
Ovenbird 1
Black-and-white Warbler 1
Palm Warbler 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 1
Black-throated Green Warbler 15
1 helium balloon, a shiny blue star with some ribbon attached.
Visitors
Jacqui and Dave McKee joined me late in the afternoon to help spot a few
migrating raptors. They gave me a really nice card and gift which I greatly
appreciated. They have been great help late in the survey season helping
spot migrating BW’s. It has been awesome sharing some great flights with
them this season and I hope our paths cross again. Certainly, when I
reflect on my time spent on Tussey Mountain it will include great times
with them and many others.
Jacqui and Dave McKee
Next Day Forecast
Mostly sunny, with a high near 81. Calm wind becoming south around 6 mph in
the afternoon.
Date: 4/23/25 10:29 am From: Peggy Wagoner Saporito <raven966...> Subject: Last week to apply - SCBC Grant money
Greetings Everyone,
Hope you are all enjoying this nice spring weather and have the opportunity to enjoy some of your favorite spring migrants/arrivals. With all of this exciting bird activity, don't forget that there is only one week remaining to apply for State College Bird Club grants to support avian conservation in our area.
The *April 30 deadline* is fast approaching. We encourage everyone to apply who has a project or research or educational activity related to avian conservation.
SCBC has $1416.00 available for distribution from the SCBC Endowment managed by Centre Foundation. These funds will be distributed either as several small grants or one large grant. Activities that could be funded include (but are not limited to): *Projects*: - setting up or maintaining bird boxes at a public park or installing bird safe window treatments in a public building. *Research* : - helping with costs of materials, equipment, transportation or professional conference fees related to conducting avian research. *Education*: - helping with costs of materials, equipment, transportation or professional conference or workshop fees related to avian educational activities.
We look forward to your ideas. Please pass this notification onto students or others who are doing any activities related to bird conservation who may be interested in applying.
Everyone interested in applying for funding should complete the grant application submitted as a PDF attachment by April 30, 2025 to Susan Braun ( <braun3112...>). Applications will be reviewed in May by the SCBC selection committee (Susan Braun, Deb Escalet and Peggy Wagoner).
Applicants will be notified about funding decisions by June 1, 2025. Any questions regarding the funding or application can be directed to selection committee members: Susan (<braun3112...>), Deb (<d5me16...>) or Peggy (<raven966...>). Anyone interested in joining our selection committee, please contact any one of us.
Thank you and we look forward to receiving applications to support birds in our area.
Surprisingly cool in the morning with NW winds at 12-19kph and clouds in
place. Visibility was excellent for the entire count as the air quality was
superb after the rain again last night. Mostly cloudy skies giving way to
partly cloudy high cirrus clouds in the afternoon. Low temperature of 11C
at 08:00 and a high of 20C at 14:00.
Raptor Notes
OS 4 (76) BE 1 (115) CH 1 (48) BW 12 (1452) RT 2 (310) Total 20 (2882)
No lift off occurred which isn’t surprising considering how cool it was
this morning. The flight was slow and steady, peaking in the 09:00 hour
with BW’s and one RT migrating out over Stone Valley.
Resident raptors were quite active during the count. At 08:13 a COHA was
spotted out near Stone Mountain performing its wing display flight. At
08:38 an AK shot through the cut low on the S side of the ridge heading
south. At 13:03 a RSHA was heard putting up a fuss and it eventually
appeared low in the cut heading S. At 14:30 a SSHA shot across the cut from
right behind me.
Non-raptor Notes
OVEN on the walk into the cut this morning. The CATE had me pondering what
they were late in the afternoon. Three of them flying together on the line
the COLO tend to take. A FISP was quite active in the low bushes on either
side of where I stand. At one point I was sitting on my rock seat and I
believe he may have made a friend as they hung out just feet away together.
Later in the day one of them was singing from the EATO’s spot, but became
quiet suddenly. It was giving the bird side eye and was in an alert
posture. Seconds later a SSHA shot though the gap just behind it, never
seeing the FISP.
Mourning Dove 1
Caspian Tern 3
Great Blue Heron 1
Turkey Vulture 8
Downy Woodpecker 1
Hairy Woodpecker 1
Pileated Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 2
Blue Jay 1
American Crow 1
Common Raven 2
Black-capped Chickadee 3
Tufted Titmouse 1
White-breasted Nuthatch 1
European Starling 2
Eastern Bluebird 2
American Robin 1
House Finch 1
Purple Finch 2
American Goldfinch 3
Field Sparrow 2
Eastern Towhee 2
Brown-headed Cowbird 2
Common Grackle 4
Ovenbird 2
Black-and-white Warbler 2
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 2
Black-throated Green Warbler 7 y
Date: 4/22/25 7:20 am From: Julia Plummer <julia...> Subject: Bird Walk at Millbrook Marsh Nature Center -- Apr 22, 2025
This morning, a group of 20 birders joined Susan Braun and I for the
birdwalk at Millbrook Marsh. We saw plenty of evidence that spring
migration is kicking, as well as opportunities to observe birds exhibiting
breeding behaviors (e.g., a cardinal feeding his mate and a robin on a
nest). Most of the group picked the multiple warbler species as the
highlight for the morning. We had an active group of Yellow-rumped
Warblers, Palm Warbler, and Yellow Warbler providing us with excellent
views. Farther down the creek, we heard the song of the Louisiana
Waterthrush though we were not able to see the bird.
Milbrook Marsh bird walks continue next Tuesdsay at 8AM.
Julia
Millbrook Marsh Nature Center
Apr 22, 2025
7:53 AM
Traveling
0.89 miles
92 Minutes
All birds reported? Yes
Comments: Submitted from eBird for iOS, version 3.2.2 Build 3.2.21
3 Canada Goose
3 Mallard
3 Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)
2 Mourning Dove
1 Turkey Vulture
1 Bald Eagle
2 Red-tailed Hawk
2 Red-bellied Woodpecker
1 Downy Woodpecker
2 Northern Flicker
1 Eastern Phoebe
3 Blue Jay
2 American Crow
1 Black-capped Chickadee
3 Tree Swallow
1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet
1 White-breasted Nuthatch
1 Northern House Wren
2 Carolina Wren
3 European Starling
2 Eastern Bluebird
12 American Robin
1 House Sparrow
2 House Finch
1 American Goldfinch
1 Chipping Sparrow
4 White-throated Sparrow
5 Song Sparrow
6 Swamp Sparrow
1 Eastern Meadowlark
30 Red-winged Blackbird
6 Brown-headed Cowbird
2 Rusty Blackbird
4 Common Grackle
1 Yellow Warbler (Northern)
1 Palm Warbler
3 Yellow-rumped Warbler
6 Northern Cardinal
Strong SE winds for the entire count at 29-38kph. Visibility was excellent
for the entire count to Stone Mountain. Mostly cloudy skies for the entire
day made for excellent spotting conditions. Low temperature of 11C at 08:20
and a high of 24C at 13:00.
Raptor Notes
OS 16 (72) BE 8 (114) NH 4 (40) SS 24 (217) CH 5 (47) RS 1 (42) BW 113
(1440) RT 28 (308) AK 5 (68) ML 2 (9) UR 1 (40) Total 207 (2862)
The flight got underway in the 10:00 hour with BW’s beginning to surge
along the ridge top. SS’s and OS got moving as well. A memorable OS came
through at the close of this hour as it had packed a lunch possibly from
Lake Perez of what looked like a nice trout. Good on the OS for planning
ahead when lighting out for new territory. Brief lull in the following hour
then in the noon hour the flight picked up again with excellent diversity.
The flight was steady from noon on and then peaked in the 15:00 – 17:00
hours. The raptors were really pounding the same line which made getting on
them easier. The 16:00 hour saw a total of 9 species of migrating raptor
which may be one of the most diverse hours of the season. Nick peeled out
at 16:30 with the threat of rain and thunder looming. However, as the
official counter at Tussey Mountain the protocol dictates I stay until I
can hear the tower snap and the lines sizzle before I can leave my post.
Fortunately, other than a few droplets on the tablet rain and thunder never
did form and I picked up an excellent pulse of birds in the 17:00 hour to
close out a stellar day.
Resident RT’s on Leading Ridge and Warrior’s Ridge during the count. At
09:57 the Leading Ridge BW got into an incredible skirmish with one of its
kind over Leading Ridge. Pretty impressive as I have yet to see BW’s
dogfight. At 15:39 a COHA was performing its display flight near Stone
Mountain. Towards the end of the 16:00 hour a resident SSHA was gliding to
the S of the cut before moving S along the ridge.
Non-raptor Notes
Nice pulse of COLO in the morning. The usual band of trouble makers made
visits to the forest near the OP. EATO getting his hop scratch on, BAWW
singing briefly and of course BNWA singing later in the day.
Canada Goose 2
Mourning Dove 3
Ring-billed Gull 3
Common Loon 5
Double-crested Cormorant 54
Great Blue Heron 2
Black Vulture 3
Turkey Vulture 8
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 1
Blue-headed Vireo 1
Common Raven 1
Black-capped Chickadee 3
Tree Swallow 1
Barn Swallow 1
American Goldfinch 15
Field Sparrow 1
Eastern Towhee 3
Brown-headed Cowbird 3
Black-and-white Warbler 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 1
Black-throated Green Warbler 2
1 helium balloon
Visitors
George Young was up bright and early and picked a swell day to experience
migration. He was great company as always and put me on several of the
day’s birds.
George Young
1 hiker
Next Day Forecast
Sunny, with a high near 70. West wind around 7 mph.
Date: 4/21/25 3:01 pm From: Gyekis, Joseph Peter <jpg186...> Subject: Bird Towns PA walk on April 22 at 6:30 pm and ... Dogwoods Available!
Hi All,
Reminder if anyone wants a beginner-level bird walk in the boro and in the evening: this Tuesday at 6:30 at Lederer Park (tomorrow).
Also new news about itthere will be young flowering dogwood trees available for anyone who wants them, free to a good home, thanks to the First Energy/West Penn Power's donation to the borough for their Pollinator Garden Initiative.
If anyone can't make it to the walk but wants a dogwood tree (or five!), they can stop by the Municipal Building during normal operating hours and ask for Jasmine Fields.
Joe
.
________________________________
From: State College (PA) Bird Club <SCBIRDCL...> on behalf of Gyekis, Joseph Peter <jpg186...>
Sent: Monday, April 7, 2025 10:18 PM
To: <SCBIRDCL...> <SCBIRDCL...>
Subject: Bird Towns PA walk on April 22 at 6:30 pm
Hi Everyone,
If you'd like to join some members of the local Bird Town Pennsylvania committee of State College for a gentle evening bird walk at Lederer Park on April 22nd at 6:30 pm, please join us.
We'll look around for birds in the park, talk about what the bird town committee is planning to get involved in, and hopefully enjoy the beautiful spring air if the weather cooperates.
I also wrote the little piece below in my personal capacity to summarize my thoughts on the committee! I'm enthusiastic to partner with the bird club and all kinds of people interested in wildlife and conservation in the area to make State College a great place for birds to live and breed.
Thanks,
Joe
State College joins the Bird Town Pennsylvania movement
Bird Town Pennsylvania works in partnership with local municipalities and like-minded organizations to promote community-based conservation actions to create a healthier, more sustainable environment for birds, wildlife, and people. Under the leadership of Jasmine Fields from the State College Borough Sustainability Office, Richard Novak of the US Fish and Wildlife Service, Joe Gyekis and Coty Ehrenhaus of State College Bird Club, and Laura Jackson of Juniata Valley Audubon, our town has joined this movement.
In the past year, we have begun hosting events to promote bird safe glass, educate students in local schools about birds and bird conservation, collaborated with the Pennsylvania Native Plant Society on educational programs for gardeners, provided bird walks for World Migratory Bird Day, and more.
We hope to continue promoting events to improve habitat and make birds safe in our borough in the years to come, and collaborate with other nearby municipalities interested in becoming Pennsylvania Bird Towns.
We invite allies in wildlife habitat and bird conservation-friendly communities to speak with us about opportunities to collaborate on future initiatives of shared interest by emailing me at <jpg186...> or <gyekis9...> or perhaps attending some of our events such as a Bird Appreciation Walk at Lederer Park on Tuesday April 22nd at 6:30 pm. We are also looking for information about chimneys with active Chimney Swift nests in the State College borough this summer and major Chimney Swift roost chimneys in the borough in the later part of the summer.
Observation start time: 09:00:00 Observation end time: 14:45:00 Total observation time: 5.75 hours
Official Counter: Craig Kochel, Ken Tucker
Observers: Craig Kochel, Ken Tucker, Phil Park
Visitors: Several sightseers
Weather: 100% over cast about 11:30, then partly cloudy til later in afternoon started become overcast again
Raptor Observations: Moderate flight early in the day, then dying in the afternoon. Several Redtails and one Bald Eagle seen several times not counted. Several Turkey And Black Vultures not counted as at least some of them were back and forth on the mountain.
Date: 4/21/25 6:09 am From: KATHLEEN BECHDEL <0000d165c6a818d5-dmarc-request...> Subject: Bird Club field trip this Saturday
Hello, all,
Please see information below for our Saturday event.
In addition to this opportunity, we encourage you to join the following:
Tuesday, April 22 from 8 - 9:30 am at Millbrook Marsh Wednesday, April 23 from 7 - 8:30 am at Shaver's Creek Environmental Center Thursday, April 24 from 8 - 9:30 am at PSU Arboretum
Saturday, April 26, 2025 (9:00am-10:00am) Tudek Park
Trip Leader: Constanza Ehrenhaus
This walk will be designed for beginner birders, especially families with children. Of course, all are welcome. The area is stroller-friendly, and the walk will be kept to one hour to fit younger learners' attention spans. We will meet near the restrooms at the upper parking lot. To get to Tudek park: from Martin St, go down Herman Dr and park in the parking lot near the restrooms or the larger parking lot if the other one is full.
Fairly cool start to the morning which was welcome after yesterday’s
scorcher. 12-19kph NW winds for most of the count. Visibility was really
good during the entire count with views to Stone Mountain and beyond. I
believe it may have rained a little last night as all the haze was gone
today and the air quality was superb. There were high cirrus clouds for the
entire count which made for excellent spotting conditions. Low temperature
of 9c at 08:40 and a high of 23C at 15:00.
Raptor Notes
TV 1 (279) OS 4 (56) BE 2 (106) SS 2 (193) CH 1 (42) BW 11 (1327) RT 3
(280) Total 24 (2655)
Slow but steady flight with BW’s leading the flight. They would surprise me
throughout the day as they were indeed flying on top of the ridge even in
the NW winds. I got lucky in the 09:00 hour as I hadn’t really been looking
to the NW and caught one naked eye trying to sneak by. I then tracked back
on the flight line it took and picked up 3 others that where in tow
streaming out on the same line. Despite frequent scope scanning over Stone
Valley and Stone Mountain that didn’t yield much.
Resident raptors were mildly active during the count. RT’s out over stone,
BE’s in skirmishes on Warrior’s Ridge and the BW on Leading Ridge.
Non-raptor Notes
There were several BAWW up at the OP this morning. Really enjoyed getting
good looks at them. BGGN made it up for a first of the year too.
Mourning Dove 5
Common Loon 1
Black Vulture 1
Turkey Vulture 5
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Downy Woodpecker 1
Pileated Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 2
American Crow 1
Common Raven 3
Black-capped Chickadee 5
Tufted Titmouse 1
Tree Swallow 3
Barn Swallow 2
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1
White-breasted Nuthatch 1
Brown Creeper 2
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 1
Northern House Wren 1
Purple Finch 2
Pine Siskin 1
American Goldfinch 8
Field Sparrow 1
Eastern Towhee 2
Brown-headed Cowbird 7
Black-and-white Warbler 2
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 1
Black-throated Green Warbler 6
Visitors
David Stiemling from Wagoners Gap HW was up in the afternoon and helped put
me on several migrating raptors. His timing was perfect as there was
another pulse while he was up and we got to see a few migrants moving N.
David Stiemling
18 hikers
Next Day Forecast
Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm, mainly after 5pm. Mostly
cloudy, with a high near 68. South wind 7 to 11 mph, with gusts as high as
24 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts of less than a
tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Also in the afternoon bird club members had a nice time talking with members of other conservation-related organizations and visiting members of the public at the Earth Day event in the borough building.
Joe
P.S. If you have a friend who wants to join this bird club email list, the easy way is to get them to send a blank message to
<scbirdcl-subscribe-request...>
There will be another step for them to complete after a message is sent to them with further instructions. There are also instructions on the bird club web page how to do it a more complicated way that often frustrates people.
If anyone ever wants to leave the bird club email, simply send a blank message to
Warm. Light NW winds to start the count shifting to the W by 13:00.
Visibility was limited to a haze for the entire count over Stone Valley
limiting views to Warrior’s Ridge. Clouds came and went, but built steadily
again in the afternoon. Despite a forecast of thunderstorms and rain, all
that weather stayed over the Allegheny Front. Low temperature of 21 C at
08:00 and a high of 29C by 13:00. The count was called off at 15:00 due to
flight tapering off.
Raptor Notes
OS 1 (52) BE 3 (104) NH 1 (36) SS 12 (191) BW 47 (1316) RT 1 (277) AK 1
(63) UR 1 (39) Total 67 (2631)
Arrived early on to mop up the last BW’s of yesterday’s movement. Lift off
didn’t disappoint as my first bino pass I got a SSHA and second pass
yielded a BW. Based on that, I am sure raptors were moving right at dawn as
it was very warm and the winds were good all night. I had 44 of the 67
raptors for the day by 09:30 which is when the count is usually supposed to
start. BW’s led the flight, however there was a nice push of SS’s too. By
noon I couldn’t find a migrating raptor no matter how hard I scanned either
in bins or out over the Stone Valley. I may have been limited on the Stone
Valley side though as a heavy haze had developed.
Resident raptors detected were of course the RT’s and BE’s. The resident BW
was out on Leading Ridge zipping around during the afternoon. I tracked it
down onto the W face of Leading Ridge and got to watch it perch through the
scope.
Non-raptor Notes
On the walk into the cut I was greeted by many BTNW that may have arrived
overnight on the warm S winds. Lots of zee zee zee zee zo zeet going on.
EATO was on territory holding down the fort when I arrived at the cut. He
was belting out his song and could care less as I set up my gear. He then
descended into the bushes to get his hop scratch on. I heard some loud chip
notes directly behind me and got on a BAWW looking sharp. It got its
nuthatch on by foraging under branches upside down.
duck sp. 1
Chimney Swift 1
Double-crested Cormorant 14
Great Blue Heron 1
Black Vulture 1
Turkey Vulture 10
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Downy Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 2
Blue-headed Vireo 1
Blue Jay 1
American Crow 1
Common Raven 1
Black-capped Chickadee 2
Tufted Titmouse 1
Tree Swallow 1
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 1
Barn Swallow 1
White-breasted Nuthatch 1
Red-breasted Nuthatch 1
Brown Creeper 2
American Robin 2
House Finch 1
Purple Finch 6
American Goldfinch 3
Field Sparrow 1
Eastern Towhee 2
Brown-headed Cowbird 7
Common Grackle 2
Black-and-white Warbler 1
Pine Warbler 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 2
Black-throated Green Warbler 5
Visitors
None
11 hikers
3 runners
Next Day Forecast
Mostly sunny, with a high near 67. North wind 5 to 8 mph.
Thank you for sharing this information. Amazing and exciting find.
Deb
On Sat, Apr 19, 2025 at 3:25 PM <bluebird6771...> <
<000056793b0161d0-dmarc-request...> wrote:
> Just received a report from the Bird Banding Office that a male Northern
> Cardinal that we banded at the Arboretum at Penn State on 10/19/2013 was
> found along the Bellefonte Rail Trail on 3/29/2025. When banded it was an
> AHY (after hatching year) bird, so makes it at least 12 years old.
>
> Oldest banded NOCA is one banded in PA in1956 and lived to be 15 years 9
> months.
>
> Nick Kerlin
>
Date: 4/19/25 12:25 pm From: <bluebird6771...> <000056793b0161d0-dmarc-request...> Subject: Old Cardinal
Just received a report from the Bird Banding Office that a male Northern Cardinal that we banded at the Arboretum at Penn State on 10/19/2013 was found along the Bellefonte Rail Trail on 3/29/2025. When banded it was an AHY (after hatching year) bird, so makes it at least 12 years old. Oldest banded NOCA is one banded in PA in1956 and lived to be 15 years 9 months. Nick Kerlin
Strong SE winds for the entire count peaking at 29-38 kph at 17:00.
Visibility was excellent to Stone Mountain for the entire day. Clouds came
and went, mostly high cirrus. Fortunately, enough of a haze from the clouds
stuck around all day to provide excellent spotting conditions. Low
temperature of 10C at 08:00 and a high of 26C by 16:00.
Raptor Notes
TV 5 (278) OS (51) BE 8 (101) NH 3 (35) SS 24 (179) CH 4 (41) BW 365 (1269)
RT 17 (276) GE 3 (150) AK 2 (62) ML 2 (7) UB 1 (17) Total 446 (2564)
GE Immature 16:05, Immature 16:33, Immature 17:47
The flight got underway in the 09:00 hour with a total of 30 raptors making
their way past the OP. BW’s led the flight obviously, with all the birds up
on the ridge top in the SE winds. Excellent diversity too, with 6 species
in that hour. In the 11:00 hour the hourly total nearly doubled with a
notable uptick in BW’s. Today was much easier than yesterday as they were
pretty much pounding the same line over the cut, just getting higher and
higher as it warmed up. At 13:00 the flight lulled dropping to about half
the hourly totals prior at 25 raptors coming through. I thought maybe the
flight was going to taper at this point, but was pleasantly surprised when
the biggest push of the day came in the 14:00 hour with 89 raptors coming
through. Again, the BW’s lead this hour with 79 total coming through and
nice diversity as well. From 15:00 – 18:00 the flight was steady at about
25ish raptors per hour. Staying late paid off as BW’s clearly were going to
fly until sunset. In the 18:00 I picked up another 52 BW’s and again the
diversity was good too. I also got an excellent look at the sharpest
looking immature GE of the season with beautiful wing patches. All the GE’s
that flew over the OP late in the day made their way over me effortlessly
without hesitation as I just blend in to the surroundings in the cut. By
the 19:00 hour I was wore out from all the scanning over an 11.5-hour
effort.
Resident raptors were quite active in the favorable S winds. RT’s gliding S
along the RT and Leading Ridge throughout the day’s effort. The BWHA spent
some time low on Leading Ridge and might have gotten chased off by the RT’s
whose territory that is. Late in the count there was 3 BE’s in a skirmish
over Stone Valley.
Non-raptor Notes
The COLO made another excellent push in the morning hours. The DCCO’s were
on the move again as well. There has been a huge gap since my first of the
season detection of CHSW, but got a loner ripping through the cut today.
The first BHVI of the season showed up late in the afternoon and was quite
vocal. Clearly it can belt out its song plenty loud enough over the high
winds. It bounced around in the trees behind me for a bit before flying
directly overhead to the S side of the cut to take up singing again.
Canada Goose 15
Mourning Dove 3
Chimney Swift 1
Common Loon 71
Double-crested Cormorant 16
Great Blue Heron 1
Black Vulture 2
Turkey Vulture 5
Downy Woodpecker 1
Pileated Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 1
Blue-headed Vireo 1
Blue Jay 1
American Crow 5
Common Raven 9
Black-capped Chickadee 1
Tufted Titmouse 1
Tree Swallow 3
European Starling 4
American Robin 1
House Finch 2
American Goldfinch 6
Field Sparrow 1
Eastern Towhee 2
Brown-headed Cowbird 2
Common Grackle 3
Visitors
Jacqui and David McKee brought their daughter who is in town along with her
daughter’s boyfriend up to catch a spectacular BW migration. The McKees are
killer spotters and I greatly appreciate their help point out birds as
always. I also had two other visitors whose names I didn’t get, one of whom
studies asteroids. They too got to see a BW a minute during their visit.
Jacqui and David McKee (with their daughter and her boyfriend)
2 more visitors I didn’t get their name
2 runners
12 hikers
Next Day Forecast
A slight chance of showers between 9am and 2pm, then a chance of showers
and thunderstorms after 2pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 81. West wind 8
to 11 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts
possible in thunderstorms.
Date: 4/18/25 12:42 pm From: Nick Bolgiano <nickbolgiano...> Subject: Re: April 23rd 7 pm: Bryce Robinson presents “The Red-tailed Hawk Project"
Next Wednesday's bird club topic, The Red-tailed Hawk Project, is timely
because the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's Living Bird magazine's recent
issue has a cover article by Scott Weidensaul on this very topic. There are
generally thought to be about 16 subspecies of Red-tailed Hawk and this
project is a collaboration among researchers to determine where the
different subspecies winter and summer. For example, some of the Red-tails
that winter in the Central Plains are dark - where do they breed? The Hawk
Ridge hawk watch typically records a handful of dark Red-tails every fall -
where do they breed? Do some subspecies that are mostly light-colored have
some dark individuals? Those types of puzzles are why the Red-tailed Hawk
project started.
This topic would be a good one to advertise on the PA Birds listserve,
particularly if the speaker will be presenting via Zoom, as outside
observers will be able to easily follow along.
Nick Bolgiano
On Thu, Apr 17, 2025 at 9:16 AM Thomas, Brady Scott <bst5117...> wrote:
The morning started off cold on Tussey Mountain. NW winds at 6-11kph to
start at 08:00. The NW winds peaked at 20-28kph by 13:00. By the close of
the count the winds had shifted to the SW at 6-11kph which is likely why
the last few hours of the count saw another pulse of migrating raptors.
Visibility was excellent with views for the entire day to Stone Mountain.
Blue skies for the entire day made detecting sky-high BW’s a chore. Low
temperature of -1C at 08:00 and a high of 17C by 16:00.
Raptor Notes
TV 3 (273) OS 5 (39) BE 1 (93) SS 3 (155) BW 83 (904) RT 8 (259) AK 2 (60)
UF 1 (2) UR 3 (38) Total 107 (2118)
Once it warmed up enough in Stone Valley the flight got underway at 09:00
with 16 migrants moving through. BW led the flight with a total of 83
coming through. Almost all of the raptors on the count were picked up by
scope scanning Stone Valley and Mountain. The flight appeared to lull in
the 11:00 hour, but I have a hunch BW’s were going sky high in the blue
sky. This likely made them next to impossible to detect. I completely
lucked out in the 13:00 hour and got on the largest kettle of the day over
Stone Valley. Again, I was scoping Stone Mountain and noticed the kettle. I
then went to the bottom of the kettle and started picking up the BW’s
streaming in from Stone Mountain to the bottom of the kettle so I could get
a good count. Suddenly what seemed to be another slow hour had some good
numbers on the boards. It wasn’t until the 15:00 hour that I started to see
BW’s up on Tussey Mountain. I have found that once the sun is directly over
the ridge it gets more traffic. I was thinking of calling the day at 17:00,
but after picking up another 8 BW’s I decided to close out the count at
17:30 with 4 more raptors.
Resident raptors were quite active making use of the excellent thermals. At
11:20 the adult RT was kiting on Leading Ridge. At 11:54 the Stone Valley
COHA was out performing its display flight over the power line cut in Stone
Valley. At 12:23 the immature RT was spotted moving S along the top of
Tussey Mountain. At 15:27 the first resident BW of the season was detected
to the S of the OP, then it moved down onto Leading Ridge. At 17:05 a local
SS flew the exact same line as the BW noted above.
Non-raptor Notes
The WITU was getting rowdy near the cut. Nice pulse of COLO early in the
morning. DCCO’s got in on the movement as well. First BARS of the season,
aka micro falcon. RCKI started to get riled up, but moved on.
Wild Turkey 1
Mourning Dove 3
Common Loon 26
Double-crested Cormorant 17
Black Vulture 1
Turkey Vulture 5
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Downy Woodpecker 1
Pileated Woodpecker 2
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 1
American Crow 2
Common Raven 1
Black-capped Chickadee 7
Tree Swallow 8
Barn Swallow 1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1
Golden-crowned Kinglet 1
White-breasted Nuthatch 2
Brown Creeper 1
Eastern Bluebird 1
American Robin 3
American Goldfinch 11
Field Sparrow 1
Brown-headed Cowbird 2
Common Grackle 2
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 1
Visitors
None
2 hikers.
Next Day Forecast
Mostly sunny, with a high near 76. Light southeast wind becoming south 5 to
10 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 22 mph.
Date: 4/17/25 8:10 am From: KATHLEEN BECHDEL <0000d165c6a818d5-dmarc-request...> Subject: volunteers for Saturday
Hello, all,
This Saturday, April 19, the State College Bird Club will be hosting a table at the Earth Day Celebration at the State College Borough Municipal Building and Sidney Friedman Parklet in downtown State College. The event is from 12 - 4 pm and we are looking for volunteers to help. If you can join us for an hour or more, we would appreciate your help. It would be great if a few representatives of the Bird Club could be at our table to explain what we do, where we bird and how people can join the club. If you would like to help, please respond to this email and let me know when you can be there. Click on the link below to learn more about the Earth Day Celebration.
Cold, cloudy morning with a few snow flurries to begin the survey. Strong NW winds at 29-38kph Increasing to 39-49kph by 10:00. Visibility was excellent. Mostly cloudy skies for the entire count, although the sun did peak out a few times. Low temperature of 1C at 08:40 and a high of 6C by 13:00. The count was called off at 14:00 due to the poor conditions for migrating raptors and increasing winds.
Raptor Notes
TV 2 (272) BE 1 (92) SS 1 (152) BW 3 (821) RT 2 (251) Total 9 (2011)
Slow flight which was to be expected considering the less-than-ideal conditions for migrating raptors.
At 10:31 the resident immature RT glided through the cut and into the gap. At 13:55 an adult BE was spotted far out over Stone Valley gaining altitude. It eventually moved S down the valley.
Non-raptor Notes
Mourning Dove 1 Common Loon 6 Turkey Vulture 4 Pileated Woodpecker 1 American Crow 1 Tree Swallow 2 White-breasted Nuthatch 1 American Goldfinch 1 Brown-headed Cowbird 1
Visitors
None
Next Day Forecast
Areas of frost before 8am. Otherwise, sunny, with a high near 60. Calm wind becoming west around 5 mph.
Date: 4/16/25 8:49 am From: Wentzel, Doug <djw105...> Subject: Migration Morning, April 16 and Birding Cup team update
Greetings all,
This morning’s walk was the coldest April Migration Morning in recent memory, and the strong winds made for challenging birding. So a special thanks to the 18 people that joined Joshua and I on our ramble from Shaver’s Creek to the Stone Valley office and back. Highlights included a close to the shoreline Common Loon, FOY Black-and-white Warbler, and aerial performances by Bald Eagles and Ospreys among others. Complete eBird lists below.
Thanks to Wiscoy for Animals for their long standing support! We have three more Wednesday morning walks — hope to see you.
We are just over two weeks out from the start of the Birding Cup, and this year the proceeds are going to habitat enhancement projects at the Musser Gap Greenway in Centre County (adjacent to the soon to be opened Whitehall Road Regional Park). We are 1/5 of the way to our goal of $15k. See if you can find the smiling faces of bird club members amongst the 15 creatively named teams <https://give.psu.edu/birding-cup-2025>. Please consider adding a team or supporting your favorite bird club member!
Warmly,
Doug
Shaver's Creek Env. Center, Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, US
Apr 16, 2025 7:10 AM - 7:35 AM
Protocol: Traveling
0.287 mile(s)
20 species
Canada Goose 2
Mourning Dove 2
Bald Eagle 3
Downy Woodpecker 1
Pileated Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker 1
Eastern Phoebe 1
Black-capped Chickadee 3
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1
Golden-crowned Kinglet 1
White-breasted Nuthatch 2
Brown Creeper 1
American Robin 3
Purple Finch 2
American Goldfinch 36
Chipping Sparrow 2
White-throated Sparrow 4
Brown-headed Cowbird 5
Pine Warbler 2
Northern Cardinal 1
Stone Valley Recreation Area--Lake Perez, Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, US
Apr 16, 2025 7:46 AM - 8:23 AM
Protocol: Traveling
0.463 mile(s)
33 species (+1 other taxa)
Canada Goose 5
Wood Duck 2
Mallard 2
Greater/Lesser Scaup 1
Bufflehead 1
Ruddy Duck 7
Common Loon 1
Double-crested Cormorant 3
Great Blue Heron 1
Black Vulture 2
Turkey Vulture 2
Osprey 2
Pileated Woodpecker 1
Blue-headed Vireo 1
Black-capped Chickadee 2
Tufted Titmouse 2
Tree Swallow 8
Barn Swallow 2
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1
Golden-crowned Kinglet 4
White-breasted Nuthatch 2
Brown Creeper 1
Carolina Wren 1
European Starling 1
Eastern Bluebird 2
American Robin 3
Chipping Sparrow 1
Dark-eyed Junco 1
Song Sparrow 1
Eastern Towhee 1
Red-winged Blackbird 1
Brown-headed Cowbird 2
Black-and-white Warbler 1
Pine Warbler 1
Doug Wentzel
Program Director & Naturalist
Shaver's Creek Environmental Center
The Pennsylvania State University
3400 Discovery Road
Petersburg, PA 16669-2114
Date: 4/16/25 5:54 am From: KATHLEEN BECHDEL <0000d165c6a818d5-dmarc-request...> Subject: Swifts and Sweets Field Trip
I know July seems far off, especially with the "winter" weather we have been experiencing, but put this on your calendar!
Wednesday, July 16, 2025 (8:15 pm – 9:15pm or until the last swift disappears)
Sweets and Swifts at Ferguson Township Elementary School, Pine Grove Mills
Rain Date: Thursday, July 17, 2025
Come enjoy an amazing evening flight of Chimney Swifts as they circle above Ferguson Township Elementary before they dive one by one into the chimney to roost for the night. The town of Pine Grove Mills and the nearby elementary school can observe dozens of circling swifts during the day. During dusk, one may gain a better understanding how many swifts are actually utilizing the school's chimney during this unique time where swifts finally come to rest. Historical counts range from 97 to 197 individuals!
Bring a lawn chair or blanket and a favorite baked or non-baked sweet dish to share with others while enjoying the evening sunset. Who will bring the best-looking and tasting Chimney Swift themed cookie?
Date: 4/16/25 5:19 am From: KATHLEEN BECHDEL <0000d165c6a818d5-dmarc-request...> Subject: Birding Field Trip this Saturday
Hello, all,
Just a reminder that we have a Field Trip this Saturday. Please see information below.
Saturday, April 19, 2025 (8:00am-10:00am) Chicory Lane Farm, Spring Mills, Pa
Trip Leader: Joe Gyekis
Chicory Lane Farm is now managed for wildlife habitat, including old fields, young forest, and wetland. A network of many trails loop around the property. Be prepared for some mud and wet grass. We will look for a mix of resident and spring migrant birds. If rain is heavy, we will cancel, but we will continue as scheduled with light rain. Drive 20 miles east on Route 45 from Boalsburg then turn left onto Brush Mountain Road. Continue about 0.7 mile until you see a straight gravel driveway heading back to the right, at blue & white sign #246, into old field habitat. You can navigate in your GPS to 40.875564, -77.549939.
Warm and cloudy morning with light NW winds at 1-5km. By noon the NW winds
had picked up to 29-38kph which pretty much killed the flight. Visibility
was mostly excellent after the rain last night with good views to Stone
Mountain. Mostly cloudy skies to start, but every hour or so they would
burn off significantly only to rebuild in 30 minutes as multiple rain and
hail squalls blew over Tussey Mountain later in the count. Low temperature
of 6C at 11:00 when the hail and thunder blew in. High temperature of 12C
at 09:00.
Raptor Notes
TV 3 (270) OS 2 (34) NH 2 (32) SS 11 (151) BW 174 (818) RT 2 (249) GE 2
(147) UA 1 (8) UR 2 (35) Total 201 (2002)
GE Sub 08:36, Adult 10:30
Several milestones for the spring count were achieved during the day’s
effort. I have now put in 400.97 hours of observation time for the season.
I had been looking forward to the 1,000 raptors for the season, but in a
couple days I have managed to now cross 2,000 raptors for season. It will
be very interesting to see how these final days of the 2025 season pan out.
The early morning start didn’t disappoint with 40 raptors moving through in
the first 30 minutes of 08:00 hour. The morning was primarily compromised
of BW’s that had likely bedded down in the forest overnight. The morning
sun breaking through the clouds occasionally on the BW’s low on Leading
Ridge was all-star. Seeing these graceful long distance travelers making
their way from Central and South America along the ridges of Tussey
Mountain is one of the many gifts of time well spent in the cut. In the
second half of this hour, I started to see small kettles of less than 10
individuals out over the fields in Stone Valley near the blinky cell tower.
There was a nice pulse of SS’s in this hour too. A lone SA GE was spotted
circling out over the gap quite close to the OP. I was lucky this eagle was
so close as I had been fixated on tracking sky high BW’s. Having good
camouflage helps as this eagle streamed right over the powerline never
hesitating like many do when there is lots of traffic in the cut. In the
09:00 hour the BW’s started to get much higher with the buteos being
detected high up above leading ridge. I really lucked onto a few groups
that had snuck by sky high under a large cumulus cloud to the S of the OP.
Fortunately these BW’s then hopscotched over to Tussey Mountain almost
directly over the cut so I could get a good count. A memorable close
encounter was a BW that flew right through the cut from N to S to join a
kettle down at the base of Leading Ridge. Nothing like following the BW’s
to where the party is. By 10:00 the flight had started to shut down before
the first round of rain, thunder and hail arrived around 13:30. After that
I hunkered down at the truck for about 45 minutes before coming out for a
second attempt to count between 14:20 and 15:12. I did pick up another RT
and BW to close out the day with 201 raptors before another round of rain
made its way over Tussey Mountain with associated high winds, cooler temps
and thunder.
TUVU were the only resident raptors detected.
Non-raptor Notes
I’m enjoying seeing HETH on the trail in to the cut. One NOFL was going
absolutely bonkers before the weather rolled in. If Crandell doesn’t come
back I may have to name that flicker. While the flicker was going berserk
there were several BCCH skirmishes behind me in the forest. At one point
two were arm’s length away having worn each other out in a bout of fee
beeyee. This of course got all the other small passerines interested and
the WBNU, DOWO, EAPH and even a RCKI got cued up. Across the cut a BTNW got
in on the jam and eventually the first MYWA’s of the season started singing
too. Pretty raucous bird party while I was trying to focus on spotting
distant BWHA’s.
Common Merganser 4
Mourning Dove 2
Common Loon 2
Double-crested Cormorant 9
Great Blue Heron 1
Turkey Vulture 7
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Downy Woodpecker 1
Pileated Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker 2
Eastern Phoebe 1
Blue Jay 1
American Crow 2
Black-capped Chickadee 5
Tufted Titmouse 1
Tree Swallow 1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1
Golden-crowned Kinglet 2
White-breasted Nuthatch 2
Eastern Bluebird 1
Hermit Thrush 2
American Robin 1
House Finch 2
Purple Finch 5
American Goldfinch 2
Field Sparrow 1
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored) 1
Eastern Towhee 1
Red-winged Blackbird 1
Brown-headed Cowbird 7
Common Grackle 2
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 2
Black-throated Green Warbler 1
Visitors
None
Next Day Forecast
Mostly cloudy, with a high near 46. West wind around 17 mph, with gusts as
high as 37 mph.
Date: 4/15/25 8:59 am From: Robert Snyder <birdphotoginpa...> Subject: Recent fallout at Bald Eagle SP
There was a fallout of Common Loons and Red-throated Loons (sorry, but I
missed the loons) and waterfowl between 4/10-13. I did catch some waterfowl
on Saturday, 4/12/25.
Noteably: 25 White-winged Scoters and a first for me Surf Scoter that was
traveling with a flock of 30 Lesser Scaup. I did get some photos of 14
Bonaparte’s Gulls that were at the Swimming Beach and saw a large flock of
30(?) of Red-breasted Mergansers as they flew past. At the Sunken Road, I
picked up 6 Horned Grebes in winter plumage (no photos), near the SE corner
of the lake and 25 Ring-billed Gulls at the dam.
SE winds at 12-19kph to start the morning. By 11:00 the SE winds had
subsided a bit to 6-11kph. By 14:00 the SE winds had picked back up to
12-19kph which is when the flight began to pick up. Visibility was good
most of the day to Stone Mountain. Mostly cloudy skies until about noon
when the sun burned through, although a high cirrus stayed in place all day
which made for excellent spotting conditions. By 13:00 lower and thicker
clouds built in again. Low temperature of 7C at 08:00 and a high of 22C by
13:00.
Raptor Notes
TV 2 (267) OS 7 (32) BE 9 (91) NH 5 (30) SS 38 (140) CH 7 (37) RS 5 (41) BW
(635) RT 23 (247) GE 4 (145) AK 18 (56) ML 3 (5) UA 2 (7) UF (1) UR 7 (33)
Total 766 (1801)
GE imm 10:05, unk 11:31, unk 15:30, imm 16:15
Interesting flight today as far as the surprise ending. The flight got
underway int the 10:00 hour with a dozen raptors moving through including 7
BW’s. These first BW’s of the day were frequently spotted in groups of 2
out of nowhere below horizon so there is a good chance they bedded down in
the area overnight. We also picked up our first GE of the day. By the 11:00
hour the SS’s rallied with 13 moving through now leading the BW’s. This
continued into the noon hour with the SS’s leading the BW’s with another 13
to 11 coming through. A nice pulse of RT’s came through in this hour as
well. By 13:00 the BW’s began a steady ramp up with 29 coming through which
helped the hour close out with 48 birds. By 14:00 another 43 BW’s came
through and going into the 15:00 hour I thought it was going to be a nice
taper to the end of the days survey with 31 BW’s moving through. By 16:00
though, we started to see kettles of BW’s at times throughout the area.
Some were on top of the ridge in the gap, some were over Leading Ridge,
some out over Stone Valley and one significant kettle formed under some
TUVU out over Happy Valley. 171 BW’s total came through in this hour and it
is noteable that the AK’s really picked up with 7 ripping through the cut.
Going into the 17:00 hour I again thought the flight might taper off, but I
remembered my time spent at Chestnut Ridge scoping the far southern horizon
near the pinch of Long Island Sound. So, when there wasn’t BW’s visible in
bin’s I began scanning the horizon out over Stone Mountain. I got onto the
first of two several large kettles numbering approximately 60 and 50
individuals. These kettles appeared to be over the gap near Sideling Hill,
but were likely over Warrior’s Ridge. During this entire hour I kept
picking up small kettles of BW’s every time I scoped Stone Mountain. In
this hour I kept seeing solo BW’s using powered flight to wing low down
Stone Valley. I stayed until 19:00 just to make sure the flight had
finished and was happy to pick up another 18 raptors to close out an all
star day on Tussey Mountain. Based on the behavior of these late day BW’s
and depending on the weather tomorrow morning there could be another good
lift off.
Resident raptors were active today with both the immature and adult RT’s
kiting over Tussey Mountain and Leading Ridge. An adult BE was spotted a
couple of times during the count as well. At 14:50 a nice looking adult
male AK came zipping through the cut heading south along the ridge.
Non-raptor Notes
The COLO were leading the raptor flight in numbers through the early part
of the day’s effort. The first group of 13 were spotted at 09:19. They
fanned out beside each other in a line such that it looked like they took
up the entire horizon over Stone Mountain. Not in a line like geese or
DCCO’s, but winging beside each other in a horizontal line if that makes
sense. Several groups of 11 and eventually 15 came through. DCCO’s appeared
to be migrating and GBHE’s got in on the action as well. I think Crandall
has possibly moved on, or has given up during the busy days on Tussey
Mountain.
Canada Goose 2
Wild Turkey 1
Mourning Dove 5
Ring-billed Gull 3
American Herring Gull 2
Common Loon 103
Double-crested Cormorant 24
Great Blue Heron 11
Black Vulture 2
Turkey Vulture 8
Red-bellied Woodpecker 2
Pileated Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker 1
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 1
Blue Jay 1
American Crow 1
Common Raven 2
Black-capped Chickadee 4
Tree Swallow 3
Golden-crowned Kinglet 1
White-breasted Nuthatch 1
Eastern Bluebird 2
American Robin 4
American Pipit 1
House Finch 2
American Goldfinch 1
Field Sparrow 2
Fox Sparrow 1
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored) 4
Eastern Towhee 2
Red-winged Blackbird 1
Brown-headed Cowbird 8
Common Grackle 2
Visitors
Jacqui and David Mckee where up early to catch the days flight. I was happy
that they both got to see the incredible COLO flight and the beginning of
an incredible BWHA flight. David picked out our first GE of the day which
was helpful as well. Both were great company as always and helped with many
of the days detections.
Jacqui McKee
David McKee
5 hikers.
Next Day Forecast
Showers likely before 2pm, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm
between 2pm and 5pm, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 5pm.
Partly sunny, with a high near 55. Breezy, with a west wind 11 to 16 mph
increasing to 17 to 22 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 46
mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts of less than a
tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Strong NW winds at 20-28kph to start the count, picking up to 29-38kph by
09:00. The NW winds set down significantly by 15:00 to 12-19kph which is
when the flight picked up. Visibility was excellent for the entire count to
Stone Mountain. Mostly cloudy skies kept things cool until 15:00 which
again is when the flight surged. Low temperature of 4C at 08:24 and a high
of 16 by 16:00.
Raptor Notes
TV 6 (265) OS 2 (25) BE 6 (82) NH 3 (25) SS 13 (102) BW 8 (9) RT 7 (224) AK
4 (38) UA 1 (5) UR 5 (26) Total 55 (1035)
Slow but steady flight in the morning hours with 14 migrants moving through
before noon. By noon the winds had subsided a little and it began to warm
up. From noon through 14:00 another 20 migrants moved through. For the
first time this spring the 15:00 hour was the busiest of the day with a
total of 19 migrants coming through. The first good push of BW’s was
detected high out over Happy Valley with 3 streaming in formation together.
During this hour migrants were all spotted streaming so like this past
Wednesday they had gained altitude elsewhere and were already streaming out
by the time we got on them. SS’s peaked during this hour with a total of 5
moving through, sometimes quite high as well. They were significantly
closer to Tussey Mountain than the BW’s. SS’s led the flight with a total
of 13 moving through. Surprisingly the flight shut down promptly in the
16:00 hour with just one SS and UR detected.
Resident raptors were fairly active with both the immature and adult RT’s
kiting in the gap throughout the day.
Non-raptor Notes
Crandall was around this afternoon, but quite subdued compared to
yesterday. He wasn’t mobbing any of the resident raptors.
Canada Goose 1
Mourning Dove 5
Common Loon 10
Double-crested Cormorant 5
Turkey Vulture 5
Red-headed Woodpecker 1
Downy Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker 1
American Crow 3
Common Raven 2
Black-capped Chickadee 6
Tufted Titmouse 1
Tree Swallow 6
Golden-crowned Kinglet 3
Eastern Bluebird 1
American Robin 1
Purple Finch 1
American Goldfinch 2
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored) 3
Brown-headed Cowbird 5
Visitors
Jacqui McKee was up in the afternoon and was great help as always spotting
distant small raptors.
Jacqui McKee
18 hikers.
Next Day Forecast
Cloudy, with a high near 60. Calm wind becoming south around 6 mph in the
afternoon.
Date: 4/13/25 11:36 am From: Julia Plummer <julia...> Subject: Sound Workshop report
Yesterday, I was joined by six enthusiastic birders interested in learning more about sound recording. I really enjoyed everyone’s interest and questions about recording, processing, and equipment. I planned the workshop for 2 hours but we ended up going for three hours! We spent a little time outside collecting some recordings and found noticeable differences in the number of species detected by Merlin. Joe Gyekis had a good suggestion to try putting one’s phone or microphone in a trash can kid to amplify the sound.
Special thanks to Doug Wentzel and Joe Gyekis for their help in putting on the workshop. Hopefully we can offer the workshop again in the future.
Date: 4/13/25 6:20 am From: Rob Dickerson <radickerson...> Subject: Request for Photos
Request for Photos
Do you have some great photos of any birds taken in Pennsylvania from December 1, 2024 - ebruary 28, 2025? Or a picture of a notable/significant sighting from that period?
I am currently accepting photo submissions through end of day April 25 to be considered for publication as space permits in the Pennsylvania Society for Ornithology (PSO) Winter 2025 issue of Pennsylvania Birds.
**Important Note** Images submitted must be high-res and are preferred to be horizontal shots. Submitted images must be able to be cropped to 1050px x 700px with a resolution of 300 px/in for horizontal images. If space allows high-quality vertical portrait shots may be used, but they take up the space of 2 photos in the layout used by the journal. Vertical photos submitted must be able to be cropped to 1050px x 1313px at 300 px/in.
Some further instructions... If your submission does not follow the instructions below or contain the info requested below, it will not be processed!
- Submissions for consideration **must** be taken during the above date range and emailed to <radickerson...>, please make mention of the word WINTER in the subject line to simplify processing.
- Please do not submit me dozens of images for consideration, please do some initial limiting/judging of selections on your end that reflect the best of your work. However, if you have 15 different images of truly notable sightings in the state from this period, I'll gladly accept them for consideration!
- VERY important! For each image attached to the e-mail, you must include a description in the body of the e-mail for that image. Best format to follow: Species Name - Location, County, DD Month. Sentence about significance if known/applicable. (Photographer Name) Example: Antillean Nighthawk - Presque Isle SP, Erie, 12 June. This bird represented a first state record and was observed through 1 July. (John Doe)
- Please also submit your photos for consideration in full resolution or as close to full resolution as possible as these will be printed. Your photo also may be considered for a cover shot and a 250KB image just won't work for that! I need to be able to crop your photo to fit the space as it permits in the journal and a precropped / low-resolution image is problematic for that. It's safe to say that if you're sending me an image under a megabyte in size, it isn't going to be the resolution I need to work with. I also need room to crop the image to the specs used for the newsletter (exact specs posted above) and an extremely tight crop may not allow me to do that.
- Photos selected for printing in the issue will be credited to the photographer, please DO NOT submit watermarked/signatured images or they will not be considered. The image should be clean of any add-ons.
Thanks for considering submitting your photos for consideration for our statewide ornithology journal!
After the rain and fog lifted a count was initiated at 12:45. NW winds at
20-28kph peaking at 29-38kph by 15:00. Visibility was mostly good at 25km
except when a few brief rain squalls made their way across Stone Valley.
Mostly cloudy skies for the entire count. Low temperature of 6C at 12:45
and a high of 7C by 15:00. Light of and on drizzle during the entire count.
Raptor Notes
OS 1 (23) BE 2 (76) SS 4 (89) CH 2 (30) Total 9 (980)
A decent and steady push of migrating raptors were moving along Tussey
Mountain once the rain, fog and ceiling lifted in the afternoon. In the
noon hour 2 CH migrated past the OP, one quite high and the other shooting
through directly in front of me. It was so close I wouldn’t have seen it as
I was busy tracking the high bird from a seated position. The low bird came
inches from my knees and I enjoyed it looking over its wing at me once it
saw movement as it made its way past the stone barricade. I’ve really
enjoyed the days with no visitors when I get these close encounters. It
lets me know I have my camouflage dialed. In the 13:00 hour I began to
start to see SS and it was impressive to see them getting going in
less-than-ideal conditions. With how much precipitation we have had in the
last week accompanied with fog on Tussey Mountain I am sure these raptors
are ready to migrate.
TUVU were the first resident raptors moving again once the rain abated. The
adult RT whose territory seems to include the gap has lost ground to the
AMCR noted below.
Non-raptor Notes
Another nice push of COLO early in the count with two groups of 7 each.
There is a new sheriff in town near the OP and it is an AMCR. Going forward
its name shall be Crandall. Crandall earned its notoriety during the days
effort by mobbing other crows and CORA that flew past the cut. Later in the
count I noticed it repeatedly going after the resident RTHA whenever it was
spotted kiting in the gap. Crandall was fierce and consistent enough that
the RTHA moved out every time which is impressive considering how fiery
RTHA’s are. Towards the end of the count the largest herd of GCKI I have
seen yet this season moved up the cut and foraged behind me. They were
joined by TUTI, BRCR and of course BCCH.
Canada Goose 3
Mourning Dove 3
Common Loon 16
Turkey Vulture 9
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 1
Red-headed Woodpecker 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Downy Woodpecker 1
Hairy Woodpecker 1
Pileated Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 1
Blue Jay 2
American Crow 3
Common Raven 1
Black-capped Chickadee 2
Tufted Titmouse 1
Golden-crowned Kinglet 7
White-breasted Nuthatch 1
Brown Creeper 1
American Robin 1
American Goldfinch 1
Fox Sparrow 1
Visitors
None
3 hikers.
Next Day Forecast
Mostly sunny, with a high near 58. Northwest wind around 7 mph.
Date: 4/12/25 5:26 am From: Blizard, David A <dab22...> Subject: Re: Tussey Mountain Daily Summary 4/11
Article on crane migration in Nebraska in today’s NYT..
Sent from my iPad
On Apr 11, 2025, at 8:30 PM, B Richardson <poecile.gambeli...> wrote:
Official Counter
AB
Total observation time
3 hrs (368.45)
Observers
None
Weather
Despite only light rain mist on and off during the day a stubborn fog hung on the ridge of Tussey Mountain. By 14:00 it was lifting rapidly and by 14:30 the count was initiated. SE winds at 1-5kph for the beginning of the count, but by 17:00 the winds had set down. Visibility came and went during the 3-hour effort with max views to the base of Warrior’s Ridge. Cloudy skies for the entire day. High temperature of 5C at 14:30 and a low of 4C by 17:00.
Raptor Notes
BE 1 (74) Total 1 (971)
One adult BE winged past the OP on the S side of the ridge.
TUVU where the only resident raptors detected during the short effort. These were seen moving very low over Stone Valley and Leading ridge at 15:09.
Non-raptor Notes
Mourning Dove 3
Turkey Vulture 2
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Pileated Woodpecker 2
Blue Jay 1
American Crow 2
Common Raven 1
American Goldfinch 2
Field Sparrow 1
Visitors
None
Next Day Forecast
Rain likely before 2pm, then a chance of sprinkles, mainly after 3pm. Cloudy, with a high near 50. North wind around 5 mph becoming calm. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Tussey Mountain Hawk Watch
State College, Pennsylvania, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 11, 2025
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Despite only light rain mist on and off during the day a stubborn fog hung
on the ridge of Tussey Mountain. By 14:00 it was lifting rapidly and by
14:30 the count was initiated. SE winds at 1-5kph for the beginning of the
count, but by 17:00 the winds had set down. Visibility came and went during
the 3-hour effort with max views to the base of Warrior’s Ridge. Cloudy
skies for the entire day. High temperature of 5C at 14:30 and a low of 4C
by 17:00.
Raptor Notes
BE 1 (74) Total 1 (971)
One adult BE winged past the OP on the S side of the ridge.
TUVU where the only resident raptors detected during the short effort.
These were seen moving very low over Stone Valley and Leading ridge at
15:09.
Non-raptor Notes
Mourning Dove 3
Turkey Vulture 2
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Pileated Woodpecker 2
Blue Jay 1
American Crow 2
Common Raven 1
American Goldfinch 2
Field Sparrow 1
Visitors
None
Next Day Forecast
Rain likely before 2pm, then a chance of sprinkles, mainly after 3pm.
Cloudy, with a high near 50. North wind around 5 mph becoming calm. Chance
of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of
an inch possible.
Date: 4/11/25 6:23 am From: Julia Plummer <julia...> Subject: Scoters and loons
I had eight male white wing scoters at lower green run this morning. There are also upwards of 100 common loons and about 45 red throated loons at Sayers dam. Big fallout yesterday during the rain.
Date: 4/10/25 12:49 pm From: Jon Kauffman <jvk5019...> Subject: Shaver's Creek Birding Cup May 2-3
Greetings all,
As we approach the middle of April, many of us are taking note of new spring arrivals and how the soundscape in our backyard changes day to day. It's wonderful to be connected to local spring phenology and it's just as wonderful to be around those that share the aliveness of spring. From connecting to familiar faces at the hawkwatch to sharing moments at local bird walks and local outings, I appreciate those opportunities to connect with myself, others, and the natural world through the State College birding community.
For many, the Shaver's Creek Birding Cup is another opportunity to connect to those that we may have not seen in a year's passing. It's a time to take an opportunity to catch a glimpse of neotropical migrants as they glean in the canopy above us. A time to set aside the comings and goings of personal and work life and simply enjoy being immersed in the flora and fauna for 24 hours. That's if you choose to stay awake ;). And for me, it's a time to reciprocate the gifts that have been given. What can I do, to give back to the avian life to show appreciation and practice reciprocity?
I am pleased to share that this year's Shaver's Creek birding cup funds will help give back to avian life in supporting the Musser Gap Greenway with enhancing biotic communities that support the needs of avian life through habitat improvements. I encourage all to find friends and partake in this event whether as a team, a team supporter or as a day-of supporter. Registration is open, teams are signing up, and all are welcome to be part of a fun event to share with others.
Date: 4/10/25 5:57 am From: Blizard, David A <dab22...> Subject: Re: Tussey Mountain Daily Summary 4/9
An early bird counter, Victor started a Christmas bird count in 1956 at the age of 16 in Freeport, Texas. At one annual count, 226 species were recorded.
Sent from my iPad
On Apr 9, 2025, at 11:11 PM, Blizard, David A <dab22...> wrote:
Victor Emmanuel, a revered birder, has died at age 84. There us an obit in the NYT.
Sent from my iPad
On Apr 9, 2025, at 6:44 PM, B Richardson <poecile.gambeli...> wrote:
Official Counter
Adam Bradley
Total observation time
8 hrs (365.45)
Observers
Shelly Culbertson
Weather
NW winds to start the count at 1-5km. By 10:00 the winds had shifted to the SE at 6-11kph which was ideal. The winds then became light and variable at noon for an hour. From 13:00 on the winds were primarily NW at 6-11kph. Visibility was good, although in the afternoon a haze developed. At one point late in the afternoon some heavy smoke started to move into Stone Valley from the vicinity of Sideling Hill. High cirrus and a few lower cumulus clouds developed by 11:00 which helped with spotting birds. Low temperature of -2C at 09:00 and a high of 10C by 16:00.
Raptor Notes
TV 6 (259) OS 1 (22) BE 2 (73) NH 2 (22) SS 7 (85) CH 2 (28) BW 1 RT 6 (217) GE 1 (141) AK 3 (34) UB 2 (16) UR 3 (21) Total 36 (970)
GE Immature 15:51
Slow start to the days flight with only a few raptors migrating between 09:00 – 11:00. At the top of the 11:00 hour the flight got under way with a nice pulse of 5 SS’s. There was a lull in the noon hour, then the flight picked up again in the 13:00 hour with some nice diversity. The first BWHA of the season was spotted in the gap rising higher and higher on a good thermal. It then folded in and broke out to the N of the tower. 3 AK’s also came through in this hour. The flight remained pretty consistent for the next couple hours peaking again in the 14:00 hour with some more nice diversity. RT’s in particular picked up and the one GE of the day was spotted far out over Stone Valley quite high. As with many migrating raptors during the latter part of the afternoon it had already gained altitude somewhere out of sight to the S and just materialized as it was passing by the OP. The immature eagle was already folded up and streaming by quite quickly.
The resident raptors were fairly active as well making good use of the thermals. There were a few RT skirmishes over Leading Ridge and two BE’s got in a skirmish here as well at 10:57. Later in the afternoon there were 4 BE’s involved in a skirmish in this same vicinity.
Non-raptor Notes
Awesome flight of COLO during the survey, nearly besting the raptor flight. They flew over Tussey Mountain during the entire effort. The largest group totaled 7 individuals at 11:17. The COLO were flying sky high, frequently flying large arcs to gain even more altitude over Tussey Mountain late in the afternoon. Resident songbirds were quite subdued surprisingly considering how nice a day it was. One HETH was spotted on the walk in to the site.
Mourning Dove 3
Common Loon 27
Black Vulture 1
Turkey Vulture 7
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Hairy Woodpecker 2
Pileated Woodpecker 1
American Crow 1
Common Raven 2
Black-capped Chickadee 1
Tree Swallow 5
White-breasted Nuthatch 4
Hermit Thrush 1
American Robin 1
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored) 7
Red-winged Blackbird 1
Brown-headed Cowbird 1
Visitors
Shelly Culbertson was out visiting from Nevada. She was great help spotting as always and found the one GE of the day.
3 hikers.
Next Day Forecast
Rain before 9am, then rain and snow between 9am and 10am, then rain after 10am. High near 47. Southeast wind 3 to 8 mph. Winds could gust as high as 21 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. Little or no snow accumulation expected.
Tussey Mountain Hawk Watch
State College, Pennsylvania, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 09, 2025
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: 4/9/25 8:11 pm From: Blizard, David A <dab22...> Subject: Re: Tussey Mountain Daily Summary 4/9
Victor Emmanuel, a revered birder, has died at age 84. There us an obit in the NYT.
Sent from my iPad
On Apr 9, 2025, at 6:44 PM, B Richardson <poecile.gambeli...> wrote:
Official Counter
Adam Bradley
Total observation time
8 hrs (365.45)
Observers
Shelly Culbertson
Weather
NW winds to start the count at 1-5km. By 10:00 the winds had shifted to the SE at 6-11kph which was ideal. The winds then became light and variable at noon for an hour. From 13:00 on the winds were primarily NW at 6-11kph. Visibility was good, although in the afternoon a haze developed. At one point late in the afternoon some heavy smoke started to move into Stone Valley from the vicinity of Sideling Hill. High cirrus and a few lower cumulus clouds developed by 11:00 which helped with spotting birds. Low temperature of -2C at 09:00 and a high of 10C by 16:00.
Raptor Notes
TV 6 (259) OS 1 (22) BE 2 (73) NH 2 (22) SS 7 (85) CH 2 (28) BW 1 RT 6 (217) GE 1 (141) AK 3 (34) UB 2 (16) UR 3 (21) Total 36 (970)
GE Immature 15:51
Slow start to the days flight with only a few raptors migrating between 09:00 – 11:00. At the top of the 11:00 hour the flight got under way with a nice pulse of 5 SS’s. There was a lull in the noon hour, then the flight picked up again in the 13:00 hour with some nice diversity. The first BWHA of the season was spotted in the gap rising higher and higher on a good thermal. It then folded in and broke out to the N of the tower. 3 AK’s also came through in this hour. The flight remained pretty consistent for the next couple hours peaking again in the 14:00 hour with some more nice diversity. RT’s in particular picked up and the one GE of the day was spotted far out over Stone Valley quite high. As with many migrating raptors during the latter part of the afternoon it had already gained altitude somewhere out of sight to the S and just materialized as it was passing by the OP. The immature eagle was already folded up and streaming by quite quickly.
The resident raptors were fairly active as well making good use of the thermals. There were a few RT skirmishes over Leading Ridge and two BE’s got in a skirmish here as well at 10:57. Later in the afternoon there were 4 BE’s involved in a skirmish in this same vicinity.
Non-raptor Notes
Awesome flight of COLO during the survey, nearly besting the raptor flight. They flew over Tussey Mountain during the entire effort. The largest group totaled 7 individuals at 11:17. The COLO were flying sky high, frequently flying large arcs to gain even more altitude over Tussey Mountain late in the afternoon. Resident songbirds were quite subdued surprisingly considering how nice a day it was. One HETH was spotted on the walk in to the site.
Mourning Dove 3
Common Loon 27
Black Vulture 1
Turkey Vulture 7
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Hairy Woodpecker 2
Pileated Woodpecker 1
American Crow 1
Common Raven 2
Black-capped Chickadee 1
Tree Swallow 5
White-breasted Nuthatch 4
Hermit Thrush 1
American Robin 1
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored) 7
Red-winged Blackbird 1
Brown-headed Cowbird 1
Visitors
Shelly Culbertson was out visiting from Nevada. She was great help spotting as always and found the one GE of the day.
3 hikers.
Next Day Forecast
Rain before 9am, then rain and snow between 9am and 10am, then rain after 10am. High near 47. Southeast wind 3 to 8 mph. Winds could gust as high as 21 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. Little or no snow accumulation expected.
Tussey Mountain Hawk Watch
State College, Pennsylvania, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 09, 2025
-------------------------------------------------------------------
The workshop will include techniques for sound recording, a short walk outside to make some bird recordings, an introduction to editing with Audacity, and discussion of recording equipment.
NW winds to start the count at 1-5km. By 10:00 the winds had shifted to the
SE at 6-11kph which was ideal. The winds then became light and variable at
noon for an hour. From 13:00 on the winds were primarily NW at 6-11kph.
Visibility was good, although in the afternoon a haze developed. At one
point late in the afternoon some heavy smoke started to move into Stone
Valley from the vicinity of Sideling Hill. High cirrus and a few lower
cumulus clouds developed by 11:00 which helped with spotting birds. Low
temperature of -2C at 09:00 and a high of 10C by 16:00.
Raptor Notes
TV 6 (259) OS 1 (22) BE 2 (73) NH 2 (22) SS 7 (85) CH 2 (28) BW 1 RT 6
(217) GE 1 (141) AK 3 (34) UB 2 (16) UR 3 (21) Total 36 (970)
GE Immature 15:51
Slow start to the days flight with only a few raptors migrating between
09:00 – 11:00. At the top of the 11:00 hour the flight got under way with a
nice pulse of 5 SS’s. There was a lull in the noon hour, then the flight
picked up again in the 13:00 hour with some nice diversity. The first BWHA
of the season was spotted in the gap rising higher and higher on a good
thermal. It then folded in and broke out to the N of the tower. 3 AK’s also
came through in this hour. The flight remained pretty consistent for the
next couple hours peaking again in the 14:00 hour with some more nice
diversity. RT’s in particular picked up and the one GE of the day was
spotted far out over Stone Valley quite high. As with many migrating
raptors during the latter part of the afternoon it had already gained
altitude somewhere out of sight to the S and just materialized as it was
passing by the OP. The immature eagle was already folded up and streaming
by quite quickly.
The resident raptors were fairly active as well making good use of the
thermals. There were a few RT skirmishes over Leading Ridge and two BE’s
got in a skirmish here as well at 10:57. Later in the afternoon there were
4 BE’s involved in a skirmish in this same vicinity.
Non-raptor Notes
Awesome flight of COLO during the survey, nearly besting the raptor flight.
They flew over Tussey Mountain during the entire effort. The largest group
totaled 7 individuals at 11:17. The COLO were flying sky high, frequently
flying large arcs to gain even more altitude over Tussey Mountain late in
the afternoon. Resident songbirds were quite subdued surprisingly
considering how nice a day it was. One HETH was spotted on the walk in to
the site.
Mourning Dove 3
Common Loon 27
Black Vulture 1
Turkey Vulture 7
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Hairy Woodpecker 2
Pileated Woodpecker 1
American Crow 1
Common Raven 2
Black-capped Chickadee 1
Tree Swallow 5
White-breasted Nuthatch 4
Hermit Thrush 1
American Robin 1
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored) 7
Red-winged Blackbird 1
Brown-headed Cowbird 1
Visitors
Shelly Culbertson was out visiting from Nevada. She was great help spotting
as always and found the one GE of the day.
3 hikers.
Next Day Forecast
Rain before 9am, then rain and snow between 9am and 10am, then rain after
10am. High near 47. Southeast wind 3 to 8 mph. Winds could gust as high as
21 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. Little or no snow accumulation
expected.
