Date: 6/2/25 4:16 am From: Grove, Deborah Shuey <dsg4...> Subject: Broad Mountain BBS route
I ran my Broad Mountain USGS Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) route on Friday morning May 30. A BBS route consists of 50 stops every ˝ mile starting ˝ hour before sunrise and counting birds for 3 minutes. This is one of three non-randomized routes that Greg set up in 1993 in Rothrock Forest. The route starts in Huntingdon county at the maintenance yard at Greenwood at Rag Hollow Rd and goes up Broad Mtn to Alan Seeger and then over to Cooper Hollow roads and then back to Stone Creek Rd, entering Mifflin and Centre counties along the way.
It was a clear morning and no breeze on top of Broad Mtn that increased the number of birds I could hear.
AND NO CICADA NOISE!! We have seen some but maybe only early emergent.
After 33 years there are definite trends. Forty-eight species for this year is also my average over the last 19 years when I took over. 516 individuals are above my average of 467. Unfortunately, some stops had a lot of noise because the creeks were roaring from recent rain!
However, there were some new records. Twelve Common Ravens echo records of the increase seen in Christmas Bird Counts in the area. At one point I had 3 sounding an alarm as they flew above me. Tufted Titmouse had a modest 11 individuals but still an increase. Gray Catbirds tied other records at 9. There were 10 Cedar Waxwings this year, a species that can be variable as some of these were flyovers. Although a modest number, there were 5 Dark-eyed Juncos and I always am amazed that these “northern” birds breed on Broad Mtn. However, the BIG new record was 100 Ovenbirds! This was up from 88 in 2022. The clear quiet morning might have contributed to this but there were several stops that lowered counts because they were so noisy that I could only hear very close birds.
I enjoy the warblers that pop up especially Canada Warblers which were only noticed at 2 stops. These birds were near the very loud areas at the high streams with lots of rhododendrons. The 32 Hooded Warbler were only 4 below the record 36 last year. This bird has shot up from about 5 or 6 in early years, supporting a trend of increasing across the Appalachians in PA. Worm-eating was at 5, Louisiana Waterthrush 4 – others probably lost in the noise, Black-and-White down from 16 to 8, and other species heard are below in the list. However, missed are some that are variable from year to year such as Cerulean, Yellow-rumped (on top of Broad Mtn), Northern Parula, and even less often, Pine and Magnolia. BUT at stop 49, I heard a different song and having only 3 minutes to count, I strained to get it and it was a Northern Waterthrush! This species is what I consider a migrant and non-breeder for this northern breeder because the habitat was not right even though the stop is less than 2 miles away from Bear Meadows at a higher elevation where they have occasionally nested.
No cuckoos this year. No Whip-poor-wills that are usually heard at some of the first 3 stops. Flycatchers were well-represented with even 3 Least Flycatchers. 3 Blue-headed Vireos but 63 Red-eyes. No Winter Wrens at the overlooks as I came down Broad Mtn on the Alan Seeger side. And no Hermit Thrush in this area either. Wood Thrush at 21 are still higher than early years which were at an average of 10. Towhees holding steady as well as Chipping Sparrows. Tanagers holding steady although down slightly this year.
Another new species was a Red-winged Blackbird. There is a spot on Cooper’s Gap Rd that has cattails and one was loudly declaring its presence. I have also had a Blue-winged Warbler here before which was very unexpected! A Baltimore Oriole was also heard at this stop and has only been heard once before on this route but at another site in 2021. Checking eBird, I see that Jon Kauffman also had one close by the cattail stop in 2022.
Here is the Trip Report. Because the USGS has had funds cut, this may be the last year for BBS routes. Most have been run since the late 60s, nearly 60 years. But, they will probably be considered non-essential. It was touch and go for the agency to get money for postage to mail our packets. So so sad.
The photo is of a stop at the Standing Stone Trail that comes down from the fire tower at Broad Mountain and crosses Alan Seeger Road. I used this trail for training when I was getting ready for the 25K Hyner Trail Challenge.
Wild Turkey
1
Mourning Dove
4
Downy Woodpecker
1
Pileated Woodpecker
8
Great Crested Flycatcher
1
Eastern Wood-Pewee
15
Acadian Flycatcher
18
Least Flycatcher
2
Eastern Phoebe
8
Blue-headed Vireo
3
Red-eyed Vireo
63
Blue Jay
6
American Crow
7
Common Raven
12
Black-capped Chickadee
7
Tufted Titmouse
11
Cedar Waxwing
10
White-breasted Nuthatch
3
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
3
Gray Catbird
9
Veery
8
Wood Thrush
21
American Robin
9
American Goldfinch
4
Chipping Sparrow
6
(Slate-colored Junco) Dark-eyed Junco
5
Song Sparrow
1
Eastern Towhee
32
Brown-headed Cowbird
2
Ovenbird
100
Worm-eating Warbler
5
Louisiana Waterthrush
4
Black-and-white Warbler
8
Common Yellowthroat
13
Hooded Warbler
32
American Redstart
13
Blackburnian Warbler
9
Chestnut-sided Warbler
6
Black-throated Blue Warbler
9
Black-throated Green Warbler
11
Canada Warbler
2
Scarlet Tanager
14
Northern Cardinal
4
Indigo Bunting
2
Eastern Screech-Owl
1
Baltimore Oriole
1
Red-winged Blackbird
1
Northern Waterthrush
1
