The

PSO Pileated

March 2021 The Newsletter of the Pennsylvania Society for Ornithology Volume 32 Number 1

pabirdsorg

From the Presidentrsquos Desk

It is my sad duty to announce that we are once againcancelling our annual meeting ldquoAll Things Birdsrdquo thatwas scheduled to be held in Lancaster PA on September17-19 2021 This decision was made by a unanimous voteof the Board of Directors at our meeting on January 26 Itis a conclusion that came after careful consideration athorough discussion and a great deal of disappointmentThe two primary drivers of the decision were the con-tinued uncertainty regarding the status of the coronaviruspandemic and the number of commitments we needed tomake early in the calendar year

The status of the pandemic appears to be improving withadditional vaccines coming on line and the case hospitali-zation and death rates declining after the year-endholidays The uncertainties about the efficacy of thevaccines on emerging mutant strains and the possibilitythat we may struggle to reach ldquoherd immunityrdquo given thehesitancy of some communities to vaccinate make areturn to normal by fall questionable If we had waited afew more months to make our meeting decision we wouldhave had a better idea what September will look like

The catch relates to the need to decide sooner rather thanlater Our contract with the meeting site which was rolledover from our cancelled 2020 gathering has time fences init that would have cost us increased amounts of money ifwe had cancelled later Cancellation fees grow the closerto the meeting date were we to opt out Our quoted ratesfor meeting rooms food beverage and equipment werebased on the number of overnight rooms your presencewould generate If our attendance was lower than expectedbecause the Covid status did not improve then costswould rise and we would be billed for unused rooms Thegood news is that while cancelling now could have cost usseveral thousand dollars the facility in Lancaster has

released us from our contract with no penalty to the PSOWe are grateful to the Double Tree Resort by Hilton-Lancaster for their understanding

More important than financial consequences we did notwant to encourage our membership to participate in anevent that could potentially expose them to this virusWith the exception of the morning field trips all activitiestake place in indoor community rooms Many of us travela distance to attend Your Board of Directors weighed therisks and rewards and opted for safety

We are grateful to the Lancaster County Bird Club andtheir many members who had signed up to lead field tripsto show us the arearsquos premier hotspots We are thankfulfor the exhibitors who have been so loyal to these yearlyevents and supported us with their attendance We aregrateful for the understanding shown by our scheduledspeakers

My list of reasons for being a member of the PSO is along one I find so much to appreciate about this com-munity of birders and our work together for our statersquosavifauna For many of us one of the reasons close to thetop of that list is the opportunity once a year to gather tobird to learn to see old friends and to make new onesRegrettably Covid had other plans for us A great deal oftime and effort have gone into both of these cancelledmeetings by a wonderful team we call the Annual MeetingCommittee ndash Vern Gauthier Annette Mathes TedNichols Chad Kauffman Thank you for all you havedone We are truly grateful

Evan Mann PresidentSusquehanna County

-1-

THE INAUGURAL BREEDING BIRD BLITZ FOR CONSERVATION

PSO is launching a new initiative in2021 the Breeding Bird Blitz forConservation which will turn thepassion of Pennsylvanians forwatching and counting birds intofunding for bird conservation Teamsof birders across the state ndashfollowing strict COVID protocols ndashwill compete to identify as many

species as possible on one day between June 18 and June21 2021 Teams will enlist their friends to support theirefforts with a donation to support three critical birdconservation projects Bird-lovers of all ages and skilllevels are invited to visit wwwbreedingbirdblitzorg toform or join a team or to make a donation Our hope isthat PSO members will take the lead in organizing teamsin their areas to both collect valuable breeding seasonobservations and raise funds for these worthy projects

The Breeding Bird Blitz for Conservation (or the B4C)will direct its efforts towards conserving two priorityspecies whose populations are declining in Pennsylvania Northern Harrier and Wood Thrush Both species arelisted as Species of Greatest Conservation Need in thePennsylvania Wildlife Action Plan The Northern Harrieris state-listed as ldquothreatenedrdquo since its numbers aredeclining so rapidly Funds raised for the Breeding BirdBlitz for Conservation will be used to protect habitat thatthese species need extensive grassy fields for theNorthern Harrier and unfragmented forest for the WoodThrush

PSO will be partnering with Hawk Mountain SanctuaryManada Conservancy and Western PennsylvaniaConservancy All three organizations protect naturalhabitats through land purchases donations and conserva-tion easements and have identified projects that will utilizethe donations from the B4C to protect bird habitat HawkMountain will earmark the B4C funds for NorthernHarrier habitat protection while Manada Conservancy andWestern Pennsylvania Conservancy will protect WoodThrush habitat Funds raised by the B4C will be splitequally among the three organizations Every penny ofdonations received will support these projects as PSO iscovering all administrative costs associated with theprogram

So how does the Breeding Bird Blitz for Conservationwork Teams of two or more birders register through thewebsite and decide whether they will cover a singlecounty or a region of the state While drawing up the plans

for their ldquoBig Dayrdquo the team members will reach out tofriends to tell them what they are doing and ask for theirsupport with a donation All donations are made throughwwwbreedingbirdblitzorg where a donor can select ateam to support After the event teams will submit theirresults primarily through the eBird website The teamsthat raise the most funds and document the most specieswill receive special recognition

A few tips for PSO members looking to make the mostimpact with their teams

1 Organize your team as soon as possible Once youregister your team at the website you can begin tosolicit donations from friends

2 Keep separate eBird checklists at each site youvisit during your ldquoBlitz Dayrdquo Make sure to recordall species observed and record your effort Theseldquocomplete checklistsrdquo are a great resource for allthose studying Pennsylvaniarsquos breeding birds

3 Invite someone who is not a PSO member to joinyour team This is a great opportunity to introducethem to the organization and the great work thatwe do

4 Use email and your social media accounts to letfriends know about your effort and ask for theirsupport with a donation towards these greatconservation projects Remember to tell yourfriends your team name when they donate theywill select your team name from a drop-down listto ldquocreditrdquo your team with the funds raised

5 Remember birding is FUN Donrsquot stress if thatBlue-winged Warbler that was singing yesterdayjust wonrsquot show when you want it to If you canhave fun provide valuable citizen science dataand raise money for conservation in one daythatrsquos time well spent

ndash Brian ByrnesB4C Committeebrianjbyrnes79gmailcom

-2-

THE INAUGURAL BREEDING BIRD BLITZ FOR CONSERVATION

PSO is launching a new initiative in2021 the Breeding Bird Blitz forConservation which will turn thepassion of Pennsylvanians forwatching and counting birds intofunding for bird conservation Teamsof birders across the state ndashfollowing strict COVID protocols ndashwill compete to identify as many

species as possible on one day between June 18 and June21 2021 Teams will enlist their friends to support theirefforts with a donation to support three critical birdconservation projects Bird-lovers of all ages and skilllevels are invited to visit wwwbreedingbirdblitzorg toform or join a team or to make a donation Our hope isthat PSO members will take the lead in organizing teamsin their areas to both collect valuable breeding seasonobservations and raise funds for these worthy projects

The Breeding Bird Blitz for Conservation (or the B4C)will direct its efforts towards conserving two priorityspecies whose populations are declining in Pennsylvania Northern Harrier and Wood Thrush Both species arelisted as Species of Greatest Conservation Need in thePennsylvania Wildlife Action Plan The Northern Harrieris state-listed as ldquothreatenedrdquo since its numbers aredeclining so rapidly Funds raised for the Breeding BirdBlitz for Conservation will be used to protect habitat thatthese species need extensive grassy fields for theNorthern Harrier and unfragmented forest for the WoodThrush

PSO will be partnering with Hawk Mountain SanctuaryManada Conservancy and Western PennsylvaniaConservancy All three organizations protect naturalhabitats through land purchases donations and conserva-tion easements and have identified projects that will utilizethe donations from the B4C to protect bird habitat HawkMountain will earmark the B4C funds for NorthernHarrier habitat protection while Manada Conservancy andWestern Pennsylvania Conservancy will protect WoodThrush habitat Funds raised by the B4C will be splitequally among the three organizations Every penny ofdonations received will support these projects as PSO iscovering all administrative costs associated with theprogram

So how does the Breeding Bird Blitz for Conservationwork Teams of two or more birders register through thewebsite and decide whether they will cover a singlecounty or a region of the state While drawing up the plans

for their ldquoBig Dayrdquo the team members will reach out tofriends to tell them what they are doing and ask for theirsupport with a donation All donations are made throughwwwbreedingbirdblitzorg where a donor can select ateam to support After the event teams will submit theirresults primarily through the eBird website The teamsthat raise the most funds and document the most specieswill receive special recognition

A few tips for PSO members looking to make the mostimpact with their teams

1 Organize your team as soon as possible Once youregister your team at the website you can begin tosolicit donations from friends

2 Keep separate eBird checklists at each site youvisit during your ldquoBlitz Dayrdquo Make sure to recordall species observed and record your effort Theseldquocomplete checklistsrdquo are a great resource for allthose studying Pennsylvaniarsquos breeding birds

3 Invite someone who is not a PSO member to joinyour team This is a great opportunity to introducethem to the organization and the great work thatwe do

4 Use email and your social media accounts to letfriends know about your effort and ask for theirsupport with a donation towards these greatconservation projects Remember to tell yourfriends your team name when they donate theywill select your team name from a drop-down listto ldquocreditrdquo your team with the funds raised

5 Remember birding is FUN Donrsquot stress if thatBlue-winged Warbler that was singing yesterdayjust wonrsquot show when you want it to If you canhave fun provide valuable citizen science dataand raise money for conservation in one daythatrsquos time well spent

ndash Brian ByrnesB4C Committeebrianjbyrnes79gmailcom

-2-

An Unexpected York County VisitorBy Jady Conroy

Late last summer I kept reading encouragements to leavehummingbird feeders up for any stray migrants andhaving just refilled mine in the third week of September itstayed up I saw our typical Ruby-throated Hummingbirdsfor the last time on September 22 I always miss theirchattering and the buzz of their wings after they leaveThe weather cooled and a month passed Then the firstthing on the morning of October 23 I peered out thekitchen window as always prepared to see the usualassortment of woodland feeder birds Instead a tinywinged visitor rose up in front of the glass and therelooking in at me as though he was showing up for areservation was the smallest hummingbird I had everseen I was shocked I kept trying to imagine why thisbird was here so late in the year I assumed that I mightget a late ruby-throat but this would be the smallest oneimaginable Was it the runt of the brood Did it lose itstail Whatever it was it certainly was a frequent visitor tothe feeder and seemed to have some serious nutritionalneeds At that time it did not have any of the strikingcolors which make identification easier I did notice thathis bill was quite short and that he had a hunched posturewith wings just a bit longer than his tail I took lots ofphotos and shared them online asking for help to identifythe bird When someone suggested that it was a Calliope Iquickly dismissed that notion Why would a bird thatshould have been in southern California or Mexico bythen be visiting my yard That idea seemed preposterous

Within three days bander Sandy Lockerman came tocapture weigh measure and band him That was a mostinteresting process to watch and the opportunity to holdhim in my hand before he flew away was such anunexpected thrill

Sandy pronounced the bird to be a hatch-year maleCalliope Hummingbird (Selasphorus calliope) which wasa record for York County where I live At the time sheweighed him he was less than the weight of a dime andrated lsquoO+rsquo on the fat scale She had to create a specialtiny band for his diminutive size Who knows how long hehad been flying in the wrong direction before hedescended into my little hole in the woods And whyhere My only assumption was that he had followed thebird activity to my feeding station Lucky me Sandynoticed that he was molting and suggested that he mightstay with me for a while I promptly ordered a heatedfeeder as it was starting to dip down below freezing somenights Once word got out I started to get requests to hostvisitors So many people wanted to come and view thisrare bird I lost track of how many folks told me that this

was a life bird for them I was fascinated to learn that theCalliope Hummingbird is the smallest breeding bird inNorth America I have seen cicadas which were biggerthan this bird

During the eight weeks that we hosted this visitor whom Inamed Marty McFly we welcomed upwards of 140 guestsonto our property either in our backyard or on thescreened porch We had to schedule when they couldcome as we have limited parking and an obnoxiouslyfriendly dog We didnrsquot want her to knock over someonersquosexpensive optical equipment Almost every person whomade the trip was rewarded with excellent views of MartyIf he wasnrsquot at a feeder he was often found defending theentire back yard perched in a viburnum bush or in theserviceberry tree near the feeders We were amazed andentertained by his feistiness He frequently flew right intothe faces of larger birds and invited them to leave thatparticular perch Irsquom glad to say that none of the feederbirds seemed to take offense and just let him be It waslike watching a Chihuahua command a pack of Germanshepherds

During the time he was with us we observed the magentagorget feathers starting to emerge and sometimes theywould flash in the sun giving us a glimpse of what hisbreeding plumage will look like I would love to see himas an adult

I have to say something else about all the birders we metEspecially in these days of social distancing when we arenot going out and gathering in groups it was so rewardingand nourishing to have human contact with like-mindedpeople It seemed that as soon as I introduced myself tothe folks I met in my driveway and we began to talk aboutour woodsy property and all it offered we were no longerstrangers I could lead them past the messiest part of ourproperty the storage area under the porch without reallyworrying what they would think because ldquoOh looktherersquos the hummingbirdrdquo It was the perfect sort ofentertaining for me since I would rather pull weeds orplant flowers than clean the house Everyone we met wasso nice genuinely enthusiastic about birds native plantstravel etc I enjoyed talking to people and sharing storiesof birding adventures Some visitors helped me to pick outsome bird songs they heard on my property which I didnot recognize Someone helped me with technical eBirdissues and guarding my privacy Some coached me onhow to manage a large volume of strangers asking to visitOthers checked in on me periodically to see how I wascoping I felt surrounded by the community and lifted up

-3-

Jadys Calliope Hummingbird was photographed byRoss Gallardy

Jady is depicted here holdingthe Calliope Hummingbird She was so entralled that she

has no idea who took thephoto

Jady photographed the Calliope on her GartenmeisterFuchsia

by the connections Now when I see peoplersquos posts onsocial media I have faces to accompany the names (atleast what I saw above the masks -- lol) I even gotappreciative cards in the mail from people who visited Itwas very touching and made me glad that I had agreed tolet people come to share in this little wonder with myhusband and me

As the weather turned colder and the flowers Marty hadbeen enjoying finally faded I began to worry about howhe would survive And yet every day he was still here Ihad left all the flower stalks up this year and I often sawhim picking his way through them gathering insects orspiders He also picked things directly off the bark ofsome of the trees He seemed very resourceful I hadgotten used to seeing him perched in the bush outside thebathroom window If I sat on the deck to take photos hewould frequently buzz right over my head to get to hisfeeder He was such a unique little friend

Finally in mid-December a snowstorm was scheduled todump heavy snow on our part of the state I have a videoof Marty at the feeder with snow falling all around himWe got about eight inches and there he was the nextmorning December 17 right back at the feeder Wenoticed that he fed heavily that day and seemed to haveput on a lot of weight I even remarked to my husbandwhen Marty was still coming to the feeder nearer tosundown that was the latest we had ever observed himfeeding The next morning he did not show up as usual forbreakfast so we donrsquot know exactly when he left but wehave not seen him since Perhaps he decided that he hadenjoyed as much winter weather as he was prepared totolerate and decided to get out of town before it got anyworse We surely miss him and hope he is sipping fromtropical flowers now We felt very lucky to have beenchosen by this rare western vagrant and you can be surethat our hummingbird feeder will stay out next fall aswell

Certificates of Appreciation Awarded

PSO issues certificates of appreciation to individuals and organizations who have graciously allowed access to theirproperties to view rare or unusual birds The total number issued since 2007 is now 175 The full list can be found on thePSOrsquos website The second hummingbird listing was the remarkable reappearance of the Allenrsquos Hummingbird 18 dayslater and 11 miles due east Certificates of Appreciation recently awarded were

Townsendrsquos Solitaire Caledonia State Park Franklin Co

Snowy Owl Rachelle Heffner McKean Co

Allenrsquos Hummingbird Adrian Binns and Debby Beer Delaware Co

Allenrsquos Hummingbird Pete and Kat DeStefano Philadelphia Co

Hoary Redpoll Susan Braun Centre Co

-4-

Wayne Laubscher photographed these Long-earedOwls on their winter roost

Long-eared Owls hide by perching in denseevergreen conifers

Photo by Joe Kosack

TheRavenReporter

Tales ofDiscovery aboutPennsylvaniaBirds

PGC WildlifeDiversity Seeks Long-eared Owl Information

The Long-eared Owl is amysterious bird in Pennsylvania Now considered a state Threatenedbird species it has long baffledbird biologists and conserva-tionists It has a wide distributionthrough North America EuropeAsia and even northern Africabut it seems nowhere common The Long-eared Owl is near thesouthern edge of its breedingrange in Pennsylvania ThePennsylvania Game Commissionrsquos(PGC) Wildlife Diversity staffwants to learn more about the Long-eared Owl its habitat and distribution This is a tricky proposition becauseLong-eared Owls are vulnerable todisturbance at their roost and nestingsites Information about these roostingand nesting sites will help the agency ina future study of the species and will bekept confidential

One of the reasons that the Long-earedis so mysterious is that it is verynocturnal in its habits quite unlikely tobe seen during daylight unless it hasbeen flushed by humans or crows Theyhide by perching in dense growth ofevergreen conifers sometimes rightnext to a tree trunk which they imitatewith their mottled brown plumage Long-eared Owls often stiffen upstraight to make themselves even morecamouflaged One way they can betray themselves is byleaving a pile of pellets and their white excrement at theirroost These rodent predators invariably leave fur-coveredpellets full of mouse bones They also are quite faithful toa roost location so the telltale white signs accumulate

They can be loyal to roost sites over the years Long-earedOwls usually nest in conifer stands sometimes denseplantings Another possibility in Pennsylvania are thestands of Virginia pine scrub pine and eastern white pinethat occupy old burn sites on hillsides and ridgetops They sometimes nest at the same location of a winterroost but in smaller numbers Long-eared Owls oftenhunt in open habitats especially fields near a stand ofevergreens

Despite that the Long-eared Owl has a more northerlydistribution and prefers conifers most of the breedingrecords from the 2nd Atlas of Breeding Birds of Pennsyl-vania (2PBBA) were in the southern counties This may

be due to better coverage or thegreater availability of the mosaichabitats where they are morefrequently found

Of course it is good to learn thesounds made by the Long-earedOwl Unlike a Barred Owl thatwill hoot almost any time of theday or night Long-eared Owlshoot usually at dusk and indarkness The short hoot is easilymissed because it is so brief andsounds like just part of a call byone of the other owls or a distant

canine Long-eared Owls are earlynesters another reason that they areeasily missed By June they haveyoung ready to fledge so March andApril are probably the best months tofind active nesting pairs

To review more about the Long-earedOwl nesting in Pennsylvania pleasereview the species account in the2PBBA (pages 210-211) the PGCwebsite pages in the Endangered Threatened species section CornellLabrsquos All About Birds or your favoritebird reference book We all need tolearn more about this elusive andmysterious owl

To quote the PGC

ldquoTo protect the location of the birdswe are asking birders not to post their

observations on eBird or other platforms at this time butinstead to send all observations -- past or present--toGame Commission Wildlife Biologist Patti Barber atpatbarberpagov with ldquoLEOW Observationsrdquo in the

-5-

subject line The Game Commission is working witheBird to develop a process to allow these observationsto be entered while also protecting these sensitivelocations Observations submitted should include datelocation number of owls and evidence of owls in thearea (seen heard pellets feathers heard etc)

Pictures are welcome However if taking a pictureplease maintain enough distance as to not disturb thebirds Long-eared Owls often abandon roosts whendisturbed Please do not walk on private propertywithout ownerrsquos consent Thank you in advance foryour helprdquo

National Wetland Inventory Maps Are anUnderutilized Tool for Birders

Over half of the statersquos Endangered and Threatened birdsdepend on wetlands Various bird species live in differentkinds of wetlands so if you want to find the birds it reallyhelps to know which wetlands to visit So where do youget this kind of information Although a lot of digitalmaps are available such information is actually not easyto find The various readily available paper maps or thoseon the internet usually do not give much of a clueconcerning the type of wetland that is mapped Theanswer is to access the National Wetlands Inventory(NWI) maps that are available on line These are some ofthe most underutilized tools for birders

I personally have a long history with the NWI maps Finding them was a light bulb over the cranium momentfor me In the early days of my research on Yellow-bellied Flycatchers (YBFL) I was experiencing manychallenges figuring out which wetlands I should visit tosearch for the elusive ldquomoss tyrantrdquo So few previousrecords existed so it was difficult to have a good searchimage much less a mappable target We always havelimited time for such projects and my time for this projectwas even more limited then because I was employed fulltime as a biologist preoccupied at study sites far fromYBFL habitat And with time taken on BBS routes andother projects my search time was very limited toweekend mornings in June and early July The answerwas to get a fine-tuned search ldquoimagerdquo of which wetlandsto search I found the NWI maps which then were onlyavailable as large paper maps published by the US Fishand Wildlife Service Now it is much easier to explorewetlands on line and target wetland types for bird surveysand other projects The variety of wetlands are mostlydivided into two types in our state freshwater emergentwetlands and freshwater shrubforested wetlands Manysecretive wetland birds of concern live in emergentwetlands while the YBFL lives in forested wetlands

especially those dominated by evergreen conifers Youcan discern these by looking at the classifications ofwetland type on the NWI maps A series of codes are usedto classify the wetlands in a concise way So I looked forwetlands designated by the code PF04 designating that itis a Palustrine Forested (PF) wetland dominated byevergreen conifers (04) These conifer swamps are alsogood for locating Northern Waterthrushes BlackpollWarblers (especially where there also is shrub scrub)White-throated Sparrows and Canada Warblers Some ofthe most productive forested wetlands have a mix ofvegetative types The codes associated with the wetlandsalso suggest the understory of the vegetation sometimes ashrubby one by showing a variety of wetland types in oneldquoblobrdquo The maps do not have a lot of detail otherwise butindicate stream names and county lines that are helpful toidentify the locations If you were looking for hotspots for Alder Flycatcher youwould look for wetlands marked as ldquoPSSrdquo whichdesignates that the wetland is a Palustrine ldquoShrub Scrubrdquowetland If you were lucky you might find a NorthernHarrier around too Looking for American Bitterns They most often are found where there is a ldquoFreshwaterEmergent Wetlandrdquo (PEM) with some open water andshrubby vegetation American Coots and Pied-billedGrebes need some open water for their foraging so lookfor a wetland that has some areas colored in blue labeledas ldquoFreshwater Pondrdquo (PUBH) The maps also indicatethe kind of bottom and whether the pond is permanent orseasonal If you are looking for Prothonotary Warblersand other birds of riverine forested habitats these riparianhabitats also are mapped on the NWI

The wetlands mapper even allows you to see the size ofthe wetland and the size of the vegetative types foundthere Some species tend to be found where a mix ofhabitat types exist with the diverse vegetation found insuch ecotones Some bodies of water have wetlandsaround the edge or floating in the middle Of course thisinformation changes over time and these maps are a bitdated but I find the basic information is very useful forpre-surveying areas The wetland maps are organizedaround the old tried and true USGS topographic maps butthe website allows you to search seamlessly across thesemaps

There are many good sources of information aboutwetland birds so I will not give you a complete list Oneof them is a chapter that Cathy Haffner and I wrote in thebook Avian Ecology and Conservation A PennsylvaniaFocus with National Implications for the PA Academy ofScience It is called ldquoWetland Bird Communities BorealBogs to Open Waterrdquo This should be available in mostacademic libraries We included a lot of useful informa-

-6-

Evening Grosbeaks were present at various locationsincluding Yellow Creek State Park in Indiana County

where this male was photographedPhoto by Steve Gosser

This Common Redpoll was one of many in a flockfound by birders near Glade Lake SGL 95 in Butler

County Photo by Steve Gosser

tion about the various types of wetlands found in the stateand the birds and other wildlife found there

The National Wetlands Inventory Mapper is found herehttpsfwsgovdatamapperhtml Explore and enjoy

Pining for Irrupting Boreal Birds to Stay Around

It has been a wild and crazy winterof irruptive birds and fabulousfinches Although this may be oneof the biggest irruption events inrecent years my own memories ofEvening Grosbeak past flights farexceed those that have beenreported in Pennsylvania thiswinter Many reports of theirrupting finches are briefencounters not lingering flocksthat stayed for weeks There areseveral reports of CommonRedpolls and a few HoaryRedpolls some with large flocksstaying for longer periods whereabundant birch catkins providefood That cannot be denied butno broad irruption of speciesfilling all the woods and feedingstations of willing finch watchershas occurred Many of my ownobservations of boreal birdsvisiting the areas I survey werebrief and not repeated The wild resources seem to be thelimiting factor for these observedwinter irrupting birds The maps ofboreal bird irruption reflect theabundance and persistence of thefoods required by the birds The availability of theseresources changes each year In my own case only Red-breasted Nuthatches were retained where I study birdsand they focused on one species the eastern white pinefor most of their foraging Where the white pines did notproduce cones no Red-breasted Nuthatches could befound The Red Crossbills came and left quickly becausethere simply was not enough seed Perhaps manycontinued south away from prying optics Did theycontinue to the Central and Southern Appalachians Perhaps eBird data will tell us eventually but manymountain forested areas are not well covered by birders

As spring approaches we should be aware of thepossibility that some of our winter visitors will stay to nestin a few places There is a thin history of Evening

Grosbeaks nesting in the state and David Yeany II is ontheir trail right now (Go David) Finding a nestingpopulation of Evening Grosbeaks in Forest County or inany other part of the state would be exciting SinceEvening Grosbeaks have responded in the past to elmspanworm infestations perhaps they will respond toanother insect outbreak at another place in the state Iwill be looking for them

What about Red Crossbills nestingin Pennsylvania When they haveattempted to nest the crossbillsresponded to a set of conifersproducing seed cones into March Birders are advised to look inplaces where persistent seed conesare available for the crossbills tofind Most of the Red Crossbillsthat have been identified to theircall type were ldquoType 10rdquo whichtypically feed on Sitka spruce conesin the West but feed on a variety ofseed cones when they wandereastward They seem to be conegeneralists I saw them foraging onseed cones of eastern white pineand a very small crop of easternhemlock but I have seen evidencethat they feed on cones of Virginiapines and some exotic speciesincluding Japanese black pines atCape May Point The Type 10birds that I have heard soundedmore like a flycatcher call note thanthe sharp ldquokip kip kiprdquo flight notesof the Type 1 crossbills that I haveheard more commonly It is worthplaying recordings of these just tobecome familiar with the sounds

Please remember that in the distant past Red Crossbillshave nested in pine groves around Philadelphia and onLong Island where the seed cones were plentiful Theyare not necessarily confined to the ldquoBig Northrdquo Lots ofpitch pine cones might do

The Virginia pine also known as scrub pine or Jerseypine is one of the most underappreciated wildlife plants They grow quickly on ground disturbed by fire plow orbulldozer It is really a transitional species between an oldfield type habitat and a mature forest of oaks hickoriesmaples cherries and taller growing pines like the easternwhite pine which often grows in the same places Anattribute of Virginia pine that makes it particularlyattractive to conifer-loving birds is long seed coneretention Long after white pines have lost their seed

-7-

Jadys Calliope Hummingbird was photographed byRoss Gallardy

Jady is depicted here holdingthe Calliope Hummingbird She was so entralled that she

has no idea who took thephoto

Jady photographed the Calliope on her GartenmeisterFuchsia

by the connections Now when I see peoplersquos posts onsocial media I have faces to accompany the names (atleast what I saw above the masks -- lol) I even gotappreciative cards in the mail from people who visited Itwas very touching and made me glad that I had agreed tolet people come to share in this little wonder with myhusband and me

As the weather turned colder and the flowers Marty hadbeen enjoying finally faded I began to worry about howhe would survive And yet every day he was still here Ihad left all the flower stalks up this year and I often sawhim picking his way through them gathering insects orspiders He also picked things directly off the bark ofsome of the trees He seemed very resourceful I hadgotten used to seeing him perched in the bush outside thebathroom window If I sat on the deck to take photos hewould frequently buzz right over my head to get to hisfeeder He was such a unique little friend

Finally in mid-December a snowstorm was scheduled todump heavy snow on our part of the state I have a videoof Marty at the feeder with snow falling all around himWe got about eight inches and there he was the nextmorning December 17 right back at the feeder Wenoticed that he fed heavily that day and seemed to haveput on a lot of weight I even remarked to my husbandwhen Marty was still coming to the feeder nearer tosundown that was the latest we had ever observed himfeeding The next morning he did not show up as usual forbreakfast so we donrsquot know exactly when he left but wehave not seen him since Perhaps he decided that he hadenjoyed as much winter weather as he was prepared totolerate and decided to get out of town before it got anyworse We surely miss him and hope he is sipping fromtropical flowers now We felt very lucky to have beenchosen by this rare western vagrant and you can be surethat our hummingbird feeder will stay out next fall aswell

Certificates of Appreciation Awarded

PSO issues certificates of appreciation to individuals and organizations who have graciously allowed access to theirproperties to view rare or unusual birds The total number issued since 2007 is now 175 The full list can be found on thePSOrsquos website The second hummingbird listing was the remarkable reappearance of the Allenrsquos Hummingbird 18 dayslater and 11 miles due east Certificates of Appreciation recently awarded were

Townsendrsquos Solitaire Caledonia State Park Franklin Co

Snowy Owl Rachelle Heffner McKean Co

Allenrsquos Hummingbird Adrian Binns and Debby Beer Delaware Co

Allenrsquos Hummingbird Pete and Kat DeStefano Philadelphia Co

Hoary Redpoll Susan Braun Centre Co

-4-

Wayne Laubscher photographed these Long-earedOwls on their winter roost

Long-eared Owls hide by perching in denseevergreen conifers

Photo by Joe Kosack

TheRavenReporter

Tales ofDiscovery aboutPennsylvaniaBirds

PGC WildlifeDiversity Seeks Long-eared Owl Information

The Long-eared Owl is amysterious bird in Pennsylvania Now considered a state Threatenedbird species it has long baffledbird biologists and conserva-tionists It has a wide distributionthrough North America EuropeAsia and even northern Africabut it seems nowhere common The Long-eared Owl is near thesouthern edge of its breedingrange in Pennsylvania ThePennsylvania Game Commissionrsquos(PGC) Wildlife Diversity staffwants to learn more about the Long-eared Owl its habitat and distribution This is a tricky proposition becauseLong-eared Owls are vulnerable todisturbance at their roost and nestingsites Information about these roostingand nesting sites will help the agency ina future study of the species and will bekept confidential

One of the reasons that the Long-earedis so mysterious is that it is verynocturnal in its habits quite unlikely tobe seen during daylight unless it hasbeen flushed by humans or crows Theyhide by perching in dense growth ofevergreen conifers sometimes rightnext to a tree trunk which they imitatewith their mottled brown plumage Long-eared Owls often stiffen upstraight to make themselves even morecamouflaged One way they can betray themselves is byleaving a pile of pellets and their white excrement at theirroost These rodent predators invariably leave fur-coveredpellets full of mouse bones They also are quite faithful toa roost location so the telltale white signs accumulate

They can be loyal to roost sites over the years Long-earedOwls usually nest in conifer stands sometimes denseplantings Another possibility in Pennsylvania are thestands of Virginia pine scrub pine and eastern white pinethat occupy old burn sites on hillsides and ridgetops They sometimes nest at the same location of a winterroost but in smaller numbers Long-eared Owls oftenhunt in open habitats especially fields near a stand ofevergreens

Despite that the Long-eared Owl has a more northerlydistribution and prefers conifers most of the breedingrecords from the 2nd Atlas of Breeding Birds of Pennsyl-vania (2PBBA) were in the southern counties This may

be due to better coverage or thegreater availability of the mosaichabitats where they are morefrequently found

Of course it is good to learn thesounds made by the Long-earedOwl Unlike a Barred Owl thatwill hoot almost any time of theday or night Long-eared Owlshoot usually at dusk and indarkness The short hoot is easilymissed because it is so brief andsounds like just part of a call byone of the other owls or a distant

canine Long-eared Owls are earlynesters another reason that they areeasily missed By June they haveyoung ready to fledge so March andApril are probably the best months tofind active nesting pairs

To review more about the Long-earedOwl nesting in Pennsylvania pleasereview the species account in the2PBBA (pages 210-211) the PGCwebsite pages in the Endangered Threatened species section CornellLabrsquos All About Birds or your favoritebird reference book We all need tolearn more about this elusive andmysterious owl

To quote the PGC

ldquoTo protect the location of the birdswe are asking birders not to post their

observations on eBird or other platforms at this time butinstead to send all observations -- past or present--toGame Commission Wildlife Biologist Patti Barber atpatbarberpagov with ldquoLEOW Observationsrdquo in the

-5-

subject line The Game Commission is working witheBird to develop a process to allow these observationsto be entered while also protecting these sensitivelocations Observations submitted should include datelocation number of owls and evidence of owls in thearea (seen heard pellets feathers heard etc)

Pictures are welcome However if taking a pictureplease maintain enough distance as to not disturb thebirds Long-eared Owls often abandon roosts whendisturbed Please do not walk on private propertywithout ownerrsquos consent Thank you in advance foryour helprdquo

National Wetland Inventory Maps Are anUnderutilized Tool for Birders

Over half of the statersquos Endangered and Threatened birdsdepend on wetlands Various bird species live in differentkinds of wetlands so if you want to find the birds it reallyhelps to know which wetlands to visit So where do youget this kind of information Although a lot of digitalmaps are available such information is actually not easyto find The various readily available paper maps or thoseon the internet usually do not give much of a clueconcerning the type of wetland that is mapped Theanswer is to access the National Wetlands Inventory(NWI) maps that are available on line These are some ofthe most underutilized tools for birders

I personally have a long history with the NWI maps Finding them was a light bulb over the cranium momentfor me In the early days of my research on Yellow-bellied Flycatchers (YBFL) I was experiencing manychallenges figuring out which wetlands I should visit tosearch for the elusive ldquomoss tyrantrdquo So few previousrecords existed so it was difficult to have a good searchimage much less a mappable target We always havelimited time for such projects and my time for this projectwas even more limited then because I was employed fulltime as a biologist preoccupied at study sites far fromYBFL habitat And with time taken on BBS routes andother projects my search time was very limited toweekend mornings in June and early July The answerwas to get a fine-tuned search ldquoimagerdquo of which wetlandsto search I found the NWI maps which then were onlyavailable as large paper maps published by the US Fishand Wildlife Service Now it is much easier to explorewetlands on line and target wetland types for bird surveysand other projects The variety of wetlands are mostlydivided into two types in our state freshwater emergentwetlands and freshwater shrubforested wetlands Manysecretive wetland birds of concern live in emergentwetlands while the YBFL lives in forested wetlands

especially those dominated by evergreen conifers Youcan discern these by looking at the classifications ofwetland type on the NWI maps A series of codes are usedto classify the wetlands in a concise way So I looked forwetlands designated by the code PF04 designating that itis a Palustrine Forested (PF) wetland dominated byevergreen conifers (04) These conifer swamps are alsogood for locating Northern Waterthrushes BlackpollWarblers (especially where there also is shrub scrub)White-throated Sparrows and Canada Warblers Some ofthe most productive forested wetlands have a mix ofvegetative types The codes associated with the wetlandsalso suggest the understory of the vegetation sometimes ashrubby one by showing a variety of wetland types in oneldquoblobrdquo The maps do not have a lot of detail otherwise butindicate stream names and county lines that are helpful toidentify the locations If you were looking for hotspots for Alder Flycatcher youwould look for wetlands marked as ldquoPSSrdquo whichdesignates that the wetland is a Palustrine ldquoShrub Scrubrdquowetland If you were lucky you might find a NorthernHarrier around too Looking for American Bitterns They most often are found where there is a ldquoFreshwaterEmergent Wetlandrdquo (PEM) with some open water andshrubby vegetation American Coots and Pied-billedGrebes need some open water for their foraging so lookfor a wetland that has some areas colored in blue labeledas ldquoFreshwater Pondrdquo (PUBH) The maps also indicatethe kind of bottom and whether the pond is permanent orseasonal If you are looking for Prothonotary Warblersand other birds of riverine forested habitats these riparianhabitats also are mapped on the NWI

The wetlands mapper even allows you to see the size ofthe wetland and the size of the vegetative types foundthere Some species tend to be found where a mix ofhabitat types exist with the diverse vegetation found insuch ecotones Some bodies of water have wetlandsaround the edge or floating in the middle Of course thisinformation changes over time and these maps are a bitdated but I find the basic information is very useful forpre-surveying areas The wetland maps are organizedaround the old tried and true USGS topographic maps butthe website allows you to search seamlessly across thesemaps

There are many good sources of information aboutwetland birds so I will not give you a complete list Oneof them is a chapter that Cathy Haffner and I wrote in thebook Avian Ecology and Conservation A PennsylvaniaFocus with National Implications for the PA Academy ofScience It is called ldquoWetland Bird Communities BorealBogs to Open Waterrdquo This should be available in mostacademic libraries We included a lot of useful informa-

-6-

Evening Grosbeaks were present at various locationsincluding Yellow Creek State Park in Indiana County

where this male was photographedPhoto by Steve Gosser

This Common Redpoll was one of many in a flockfound by birders near Glade Lake SGL 95 in Butler

County Photo by Steve Gosser

tion about the various types of wetlands found in the stateand the birds and other wildlife found there

The National Wetlands Inventory Mapper is found herehttpsfwsgovdatamapperhtml Explore and enjoy

Pining for Irrupting Boreal Birds to Stay Around

It has been a wild and crazy winterof irruptive birds and fabulousfinches Although this may be oneof the biggest irruption events inrecent years my own memories ofEvening Grosbeak past flights farexceed those that have beenreported in Pennsylvania thiswinter Many reports of theirrupting finches are briefencounters not lingering flocksthat stayed for weeks There areseveral reports of CommonRedpolls and a few HoaryRedpolls some with large flocksstaying for longer periods whereabundant birch catkins providefood That cannot be denied butno broad irruption of speciesfilling all the woods and feedingstations of willing finch watchershas occurred Many of my ownobservations of boreal birdsvisiting the areas I survey werebrief and not repeated The wild resources seem to be thelimiting factor for these observedwinter irrupting birds The maps ofboreal bird irruption reflect theabundance and persistence of thefoods required by the birds The availability of theseresources changes each year In my own case only Red-breasted Nuthatches were retained where I study birdsand they focused on one species the eastern white pinefor most of their foraging Where the white pines did notproduce cones no Red-breasted Nuthatches could befound The Red Crossbills came and left quickly becausethere simply was not enough seed Perhaps manycontinued south away from prying optics Did theycontinue to the Central and Southern Appalachians Perhaps eBird data will tell us eventually but manymountain forested areas are not well covered by birders

As spring approaches we should be aware of thepossibility that some of our winter visitors will stay to nestin a few places There is a thin history of Evening

Grosbeaks nesting in the state and David Yeany II is ontheir trail right now (Go David) Finding a nestingpopulation of Evening Grosbeaks in Forest County or inany other part of the state would be exciting SinceEvening Grosbeaks have responded in the past to elmspanworm infestations perhaps they will respond toanother insect outbreak at another place in the state Iwill be looking for them

What about Red Crossbills nestingin Pennsylvania When they haveattempted to nest the crossbillsresponded to a set of conifersproducing seed cones into March Birders are advised to look inplaces where persistent seed conesare available for the crossbills tofind Most of the Red Crossbillsthat have been identified to theircall type were ldquoType 10rdquo whichtypically feed on Sitka spruce conesin the West but feed on a variety ofseed cones when they wandereastward They seem to be conegeneralists I saw them foraging onseed cones of eastern white pineand a very small crop of easternhemlock but I have seen evidencethat they feed on cones of Virginiapines and some exotic speciesincluding Japanese black pines atCape May Point The Type 10birds that I have heard soundedmore like a flycatcher call note thanthe sharp ldquokip kip kiprdquo flight notesof the Type 1 crossbills that I haveheard more commonly It is worthplaying recordings of these just tobecome familiar with the sounds

Please remember that in the distant past Red Crossbillshave nested in pine groves around Philadelphia and onLong Island where the seed cones were plentiful Theyare not necessarily confined to the ldquoBig Northrdquo Lots ofpitch pine cones might do

The Virginia pine also known as scrub pine or Jerseypine is one of the most underappreciated wildlife plants They grow quickly on ground disturbed by fire plow orbulldozer It is really a transitional species between an oldfield type habitat and a mature forest of oaks hickoriesmaples cherries and taller growing pines like the easternwhite pine which often grows in the same places Anattribute of Virginia pine that makes it particularlyattractive to conifer-loving birds is long seed coneretention Long after white pines have lost their seed

-7-

Wayne Laubscher photographed these Long-earedOwls on their winter roost

Long-eared Owls hide by perching in denseevergreen conifers

Photo by Joe Kosack

TheRavenReporter

Tales ofDiscovery aboutPennsylvaniaBirds

PGC WildlifeDiversity Seeks Long-eared Owl Information

The Long-eared Owl is amysterious bird in Pennsylvania Now considered a state Threatenedbird species it has long baffledbird biologists and conserva-tionists It has a wide distributionthrough North America EuropeAsia and even northern Africabut it seems nowhere common The Long-eared Owl is near thesouthern edge of its breedingrange in Pennsylvania ThePennsylvania Game Commissionrsquos(PGC) Wildlife Diversity staffwants to learn more about the Long-eared Owl its habitat and distribution This is a tricky proposition becauseLong-eared Owls are vulnerable todisturbance at their roost and nestingsites Information about these roostingand nesting sites will help the agency ina future study of the species and will bekept confidential

One of the reasons that the Long-earedis so mysterious is that it is verynocturnal in its habits quite unlikely tobe seen during daylight unless it hasbeen flushed by humans or crows Theyhide by perching in dense growth ofevergreen conifers sometimes rightnext to a tree trunk which they imitatewith their mottled brown plumage Long-eared Owls often stiffen upstraight to make themselves even morecamouflaged One way they can betray themselves is byleaving a pile of pellets and their white excrement at theirroost These rodent predators invariably leave fur-coveredpellets full of mouse bones They also are quite faithful toa roost location so the telltale white signs accumulate

They can be loyal to roost sites over the years Long-earedOwls usually nest in conifer stands sometimes denseplantings Another possibility in Pennsylvania are thestands of Virginia pine scrub pine and eastern white pinethat occupy old burn sites on hillsides and ridgetops They sometimes nest at the same location of a winterroost but in smaller numbers Long-eared Owls oftenhunt in open habitats especially fields near a stand ofevergreens

Despite that the Long-eared Owl has a more northerlydistribution and prefers conifers most of the breedingrecords from the 2nd Atlas of Breeding Birds of Pennsyl-vania (2PBBA) were in the southern counties This may

be due to better coverage or thegreater availability of the mosaichabitats where they are morefrequently found

Of course it is good to learn thesounds made by the Long-earedOwl Unlike a Barred Owl thatwill hoot almost any time of theday or night Long-eared Owlshoot usually at dusk and indarkness The short hoot is easilymissed because it is so brief andsounds like just part of a call byone of the other owls or a distant

canine Long-eared Owls are earlynesters another reason that they areeasily missed By June they haveyoung ready to fledge so March andApril are probably the best months tofind active nesting pairs

To review more about the Long-earedOwl nesting in Pennsylvania pleasereview the species account in the2PBBA (pages 210-211) the PGCwebsite pages in the Endangered Threatened species section CornellLabrsquos All About Birds or your favoritebird reference book We all need tolearn more about this elusive andmysterious owl

To quote the PGC

ldquoTo protect the location of the birdswe are asking birders not to post their

observations on eBird or other platforms at this time butinstead to send all observations -- past or present--toGame Commission Wildlife Biologist Patti Barber atpatbarberpagov with ldquoLEOW Observationsrdquo in the

-5-

subject line The Game Commission is working witheBird to develop a process to allow these observationsto be entered while also protecting these sensitivelocations Observations submitted should include datelocation number of owls and evidence of owls in thearea (seen heard pellets feathers heard etc)

Pictures are welcome However if taking a pictureplease maintain enough distance as to not disturb thebirds Long-eared Owls often abandon roosts whendisturbed Please do not walk on private propertywithout ownerrsquos consent Thank you in advance foryour helprdquo

National Wetland Inventory Maps Are anUnderutilized Tool for Birders

Over half of the statersquos Endangered and Threatened birdsdepend on wetlands Various bird species live in differentkinds of wetlands so if you want to find the birds it reallyhelps to know which wetlands to visit So where do youget this kind of information Although a lot of digitalmaps are available such information is actually not easyto find The various readily available paper maps or thoseon the internet usually do not give much of a clueconcerning the type of wetland that is mapped Theanswer is to access the National Wetlands Inventory(NWI) maps that are available on line These are some ofthe most underutilized tools for birders

I personally have a long history with the NWI maps Finding them was a light bulb over the cranium momentfor me In the early days of my research on Yellow-bellied Flycatchers (YBFL) I was experiencing manychallenges figuring out which wetlands I should visit tosearch for the elusive ldquomoss tyrantrdquo So few previousrecords existed so it was difficult to have a good searchimage much less a mappable target We always havelimited time for such projects and my time for this projectwas even more limited then because I was employed fulltime as a biologist preoccupied at study sites far fromYBFL habitat And with time taken on BBS routes andother projects my search time was very limited toweekend mornings in June and early July The answerwas to get a fine-tuned search ldquoimagerdquo of which wetlandsto search I found the NWI maps which then were onlyavailable as large paper maps published by the US Fishand Wildlife Service Now it is much easier to explorewetlands on line and target wetland types for bird surveysand other projects The variety of wetlands are mostlydivided into two types in our state freshwater emergentwetlands and freshwater shrubforested wetlands Manysecretive wetland birds of concern live in emergentwetlands while the YBFL lives in forested wetlands

especially those dominated by evergreen conifers Youcan discern these by looking at the classifications ofwetland type on the NWI maps A series of codes are usedto classify the wetlands in a concise way So I looked forwetlands designated by the code PF04 designating that itis a Palustrine Forested (PF) wetland dominated byevergreen conifers (04) These conifer swamps are alsogood for locating Northern Waterthrushes BlackpollWarblers (especially where there also is shrub scrub)White-throated Sparrows and Canada Warblers Some ofthe most productive forested wetlands have a mix ofvegetative types The codes associated with the wetlandsalso suggest the understory of the vegetation sometimes ashrubby one by showing a variety of wetland types in oneldquoblobrdquo The maps do not have a lot of detail otherwise butindicate stream names and county lines that are helpful toidentify the locations If you were looking for hotspots for Alder Flycatcher youwould look for wetlands marked as ldquoPSSrdquo whichdesignates that the wetland is a Palustrine ldquoShrub Scrubrdquowetland If you were lucky you might find a NorthernHarrier around too Looking for American Bitterns They most often are found where there is a ldquoFreshwaterEmergent Wetlandrdquo (PEM) with some open water andshrubby vegetation American Coots and Pied-billedGrebes need some open water for their foraging so lookfor a wetland that has some areas colored in blue labeledas ldquoFreshwater Pondrdquo (PUBH) The maps also indicatethe kind of bottom and whether the pond is permanent orseasonal If you are looking for Prothonotary Warblersand other birds of riverine forested habitats these riparianhabitats also are mapped on the NWI

The wetlands mapper even allows you to see the size ofthe wetland and the size of the vegetative types foundthere Some species tend to be found where a mix ofhabitat types exist with the diverse vegetation found insuch ecotones Some bodies of water have wetlandsaround the edge or floating in the middle Of course thisinformation changes over time and these maps are a bitdated but I find the basic information is very useful forpre-surveying areas The wetland maps are organizedaround the old tried and true USGS topographic maps butthe website allows you to search seamlessly across thesemaps

There are many good sources of information aboutwetland birds so I will not give you a complete list Oneof them is a chapter that Cathy Haffner and I wrote in thebook Avian Ecology and Conservation A PennsylvaniaFocus with National Implications for the PA Academy ofScience It is called ldquoWetland Bird Communities BorealBogs to Open Waterrdquo This should be available in mostacademic libraries We included a lot of useful informa-

-6-

Evening Grosbeaks were present at various locationsincluding Yellow Creek State Park in Indiana County

where this male was photographedPhoto by Steve Gosser

This Common Redpoll was one of many in a flockfound by birders near Glade Lake SGL 95 in Butler

County Photo by Steve Gosser

tion about the various types of wetlands found in the stateand the birds and other wildlife found there

The National Wetlands Inventory Mapper is found herehttpsfwsgovdatamapperhtml Explore and enjoy

Pining for Irrupting Boreal Birds to Stay Around

It has been a wild and crazy winterof irruptive birds and fabulousfinches Although this may be oneof the biggest irruption events inrecent years my own memories ofEvening Grosbeak past flights farexceed those that have beenreported in Pennsylvania thiswinter Many reports of theirrupting finches are briefencounters not lingering flocksthat stayed for weeks There areseveral reports of CommonRedpolls and a few HoaryRedpolls some with large flocksstaying for longer periods whereabundant birch catkins providefood That cannot be denied butno broad irruption of speciesfilling all the woods and feedingstations of willing finch watchershas occurred Many of my ownobservations of boreal birdsvisiting the areas I survey werebrief and not repeated The wild resources seem to be thelimiting factor for these observedwinter irrupting birds The maps ofboreal bird irruption reflect theabundance and persistence of thefoods required by the birds The availability of theseresources changes each year In my own case only Red-breasted Nuthatches were retained where I study birdsand they focused on one species the eastern white pinefor most of their foraging Where the white pines did notproduce cones no Red-breasted Nuthatches could befound The Red Crossbills came and left quickly becausethere simply was not enough seed Perhaps manycontinued south away from prying optics Did theycontinue to the Central and Southern Appalachians Perhaps eBird data will tell us eventually but manymountain forested areas are not well covered by birders

As spring approaches we should be aware of thepossibility that some of our winter visitors will stay to nestin a few places There is a thin history of Evening

Grosbeaks nesting in the state and David Yeany II is ontheir trail right now (Go David) Finding a nestingpopulation of Evening Grosbeaks in Forest County or inany other part of the state would be exciting SinceEvening Grosbeaks have responded in the past to elmspanworm infestations perhaps they will respond toanother insect outbreak at another place in the state Iwill be looking for them

What about Red Crossbills nestingin Pennsylvania When they haveattempted to nest the crossbillsresponded to a set of conifersproducing seed cones into March Birders are advised to look inplaces where persistent seed conesare available for the crossbills tofind Most of the Red Crossbillsthat have been identified to theircall type were ldquoType 10rdquo whichtypically feed on Sitka spruce conesin the West but feed on a variety ofseed cones when they wandereastward They seem to be conegeneralists I saw them foraging onseed cones of eastern white pineand a very small crop of easternhemlock but I have seen evidencethat they feed on cones of Virginiapines and some exotic speciesincluding Japanese black pines atCape May Point The Type 10birds that I have heard soundedmore like a flycatcher call note thanthe sharp ldquokip kip kiprdquo flight notesof the Type 1 crossbills that I haveheard more commonly It is worthplaying recordings of these just tobecome familiar with the sounds

Please remember that in the distant past Red Crossbillshave nested in pine groves around Philadelphia and onLong Island where the seed cones were plentiful Theyare not necessarily confined to the ldquoBig Northrdquo Lots ofpitch pine cones might do

The Virginia pine also known as scrub pine or Jerseypine is one of the most underappreciated wildlife plants They grow quickly on ground disturbed by fire plow orbulldozer It is really a transitional species between an oldfield type habitat and a mature forest of oaks hickoriesmaples cherries and taller growing pines like the easternwhite pine which often grows in the same places Anattribute of Virginia pine that makes it particularlyattractive to conifer-loving birds is long seed coneretention Long after white pines have lost their seed

-7-

subject line The Game Commission is working witheBird to develop a process to allow these observationsto be entered while also protecting these sensitivelocations Observations submitted should include datelocation number of owls and evidence of owls in thearea (seen heard pellets feathers heard etc)

Pictures are welcome However if taking a pictureplease maintain enough distance as to not disturb thebirds Long-eared Owls often abandon roosts whendisturbed Please do not walk on private propertywithout ownerrsquos consent Thank you in advance foryour helprdquo

National Wetland Inventory Maps Are anUnderutilized Tool for Birders

Over half of the statersquos Endangered and Threatened birdsdepend on wetlands Various bird species live in differentkinds of wetlands so if you want to find the birds it reallyhelps to know which wetlands to visit So where do youget this kind of information Although a lot of digitalmaps are available such information is actually not easyto find The various readily available paper maps or thoseon the internet usually do not give much of a clueconcerning the type of wetland that is mapped Theanswer is to access the National Wetlands Inventory(NWI) maps that are available on line These are some ofthe most underutilized tools for birders

I personally have a long history with the NWI maps Finding them was a light bulb over the cranium momentfor me In the early days of my research on Yellow-bellied Flycatchers (YBFL) I was experiencing manychallenges figuring out which wetlands I should visit tosearch for the elusive ldquomoss tyrantrdquo So few previousrecords existed so it was difficult to have a good searchimage much less a mappable target We always havelimited time for such projects and my time for this projectwas even more limited then because I was employed fulltime as a biologist preoccupied at study sites far fromYBFL habitat And with time taken on BBS routes andother projects my search time was very limited toweekend mornings in June and early July The answerwas to get a fine-tuned search ldquoimagerdquo of which wetlandsto search I found the NWI maps which then were onlyavailable as large paper maps published by the US Fishand Wildlife Service Now it is much easier to explorewetlands on line and target wetland types for bird surveysand other projects The variety of wetlands are mostlydivided into two types in our state freshwater emergentwetlands and freshwater shrubforested wetlands Manysecretive wetland birds of concern live in emergentwetlands while the YBFL lives in forested wetlands

especially those dominated by evergreen conifers Youcan discern these by looking at the classifications ofwetland type on the NWI maps A series of codes are usedto classify the wetlands in a concise way So I looked forwetlands designated by the code PF04 designating that itis a Palustrine Forested (PF) wetland dominated byevergreen conifers (04) These conifer swamps are alsogood for locating Northern Waterthrushes BlackpollWarblers (especially where there also is shrub scrub)White-throated Sparrows and Canada Warblers Some ofthe most productive forested wetlands have a mix ofvegetative types The codes associated with the wetlandsalso suggest the understory of the vegetation sometimes ashrubby one by showing a variety of wetland types in oneldquoblobrdquo The maps do not have a lot of detail otherwise butindicate stream names and county lines that are helpful toidentify the locations If you were looking for hotspots for Alder Flycatcher youwould look for wetlands marked as ldquoPSSrdquo whichdesignates that the wetland is a Palustrine ldquoShrub Scrubrdquowetland If you were lucky you might find a NorthernHarrier around too Looking for American Bitterns They most often are found where there is a ldquoFreshwaterEmergent Wetlandrdquo (PEM) with some open water andshrubby vegetation American Coots and Pied-billedGrebes need some open water for their foraging so lookfor a wetland that has some areas colored in blue labeledas ldquoFreshwater Pondrdquo (PUBH) The maps also indicatethe kind of bottom and whether the pond is permanent orseasonal If you are looking for Prothonotary Warblersand other birds of riverine forested habitats these riparianhabitats also are mapped on the NWI

The wetlands mapper even allows you to see the size ofthe wetland and the size of the vegetative types foundthere Some species tend to be found where a mix ofhabitat types exist with the diverse vegetation found insuch ecotones Some bodies of water have wetlandsaround the edge or floating in the middle Of course thisinformation changes over time and these maps are a bitdated but I find the basic information is very useful forpre-surveying areas The wetland maps are organizedaround the old tried and true USGS topographic maps butthe website allows you to search seamlessly across thesemaps

There are many good sources of information aboutwetland birds so I will not give you a complete list Oneof them is a chapter that Cathy Haffner and I wrote in thebook Avian Ecology and Conservation A PennsylvaniaFocus with National Implications for the PA Academy ofScience It is called ldquoWetland Bird Communities BorealBogs to Open Waterrdquo This should be available in mostacademic libraries We included a lot of useful informa-

-6-

Evening Grosbeaks were present at various locationsincluding Yellow Creek State Park in Indiana County

where this male was photographedPhoto by Steve Gosser

This Common Redpoll was one of many in a flockfound by birders near Glade Lake SGL 95 in Butler

County Photo by Steve Gosser

tion about the various types of wetlands found in the stateand the birds and other wildlife found there

The National Wetlands Inventory Mapper is found herehttpsfwsgovdatamapperhtml Explore and enjoy

Pining for Irrupting Boreal Birds to Stay Around

It has been a wild and crazy winterof irruptive birds and fabulousfinches Although this may be oneof the biggest irruption events inrecent years my own memories ofEvening Grosbeak past flights farexceed those that have beenreported in Pennsylvania thiswinter Many reports of theirrupting finches are briefencounters not lingering flocksthat stayed for weeks There areseveral reports of CommonRedpolls and a few HoaryRedpolls some with large flocksstaying for longer periods whereabundant birch catkins providefood That cannot be denied butno broad irruption of speciesfilling all the woods and feedingstations of willing finch watchershas occurred Many of my ownobservations of boreal birdsvisiting the areas I survey werebrief and not repeated The wild resources seem to be thelimiting factor for these observedwinter irrupting birds The maps ofboreal bird irruption reflect theabundance and persistence of thefoods required by the birds The availability of theseresources changes each year In my own case only Red-breasted Nuthatches were retained where I study birdsand they focused on one species the eastern white pinefor most of their foraging Where the white pines did notproduce cones no Red-breasted Nuthatches could befound The Red Crossbills came and left quickly becausethere simply was not enough seed Perhaps manycontinued south away from prying optics Did theycontinue to the Central and Southern Appalachians Perhaps eBird data will tell us eventually but manymountain forested areas are not well covered by birders

As spring approaches we should be aware of thepossibility that some of our winter visitors will stay to nestin a few places There is a thin history of Evening

Grosbeaks nesting in the state and David Yeany II is ontheir trail right now (Go David) Finding a nestingpopulation of Evening Grosbeaks in Forest County or inany other part of the state would be exciting SinceEvening Grosbeaks have responded in the past to elmspanworm infestations perhaps they will respond toanother insect outbreak at another place in the state Iwill be looking for them

What about Red Crossbills nestingin Pennsylvania When they haveattempted to nest the crossbillsresponded to a set of conifersproducing seed cones into March Birders are advised to look inplaces where persistent seed conesare available for the crossbills tofind Most of the Red Crossbillsthat have been identified to theircall type were ldquoType 10rdquo whichtypically feed on Sitka spruce conesin the West but feed on a variety ofseed cones when they wandereastward They seem to be conegeneralists I saw them foraging onseed cones of eastern white pineand a very small crop of easternhemlock but I have seen evidencethat they feed on cones of Virginiapines and some exotic speciesincluding Japanese black pines atCape May Point The Type 10birds that I have heard soundedmore like a flycatcher call note thanthe sharp ldquokip kip kiprdquo flight notesof the Type 1 crossbills that I haveheard more commonly It is worthplaying recordings of these just tobecome familiar with the sounds

Please remember that in the distant past Red Crossbillshave nested in pine groves around Philadelphia and onLong Island where the seed cones were plentiful Theyare not necessarily confined to the ldquoBig Northrdquo Lots ofpitch pine cones might do

The Virginia pine also known as scrub pine or Jerseypine is one of the most underappreciated wildlife plants They grow quickly on ground disturbed by fire plow orbulldozer It is really a transitional species between an oldfield type habitat and a mature forest of oaks hickoriesmaples cherries and taller growing pines like the easternwhite pine which often grows in the same places Anattribute of Virginia pine that makes it particularlyattractive to conifer-loving birds is long seed coneretention Long after white pines have lost their seed

-7-

Evening Grosbeaks were present at various locationsincluding Yellow Creek State Park in Indiana County

where this male was photographedPhoto by Steve Gosser

This Common Redpoll was one of many in a flockfound by birders near Glade Lake SGL 95 in Butler

County Photo by Steve Gosser

tion about the various types of wetlands found in the stateand the birds and other wildlife found there

The National Wetlands Inventory Mapper is found herehttpsfwsgovdatamapperhtml Explore and enjoy

Pining for Irrupting Boreal Birds to Stay Around

It has been a wild and crazy winterof irruptive birds and fabulousfinches Although this may be oneof the biggest irruption events inrecent years my own memories ofEvening Grosbeak past flights farexceed those that have beenreported in Pennsylvania thiswinter Many reports of theirrupting finches are briefencounters not lingering flocksthat stayed for weeks There areseveral reports of CommonRedpolls and a few HoaryRedpolls some with large flocksstaying for longer periods whereabundant birch catkins providefood That cannot be denied butno broad irruption of speciesfilling all the woods and feedingstations of willing finch watchershas occurred Many of my ownobservations of boreal birdsvisiting the areas I survey werebrief and not repeated The wild resources seem to be thelimiting factor for these observedwinter irrupting birds The maps ofboreal bird irruption reflect theabundance and persistence of thefoods required by the birds The availability of theseresources changes each year In my own case only Red-breasted Nuthatches were retained where I study birdsand they focused on one species the eastern white pinefor most of their foraging Where the white pines did notproduce cones no Red-breasted Nuthatches could befound The Red Crossbills came and left quickly becausethere simply was not enough seed Perhaps manycontinued south away from prying optics Did theycontinue to the Central and Southern Appalachians Perhaps eBird data will tell us eventually but manymountain forested areas are not well covered by birders

As spring approaches we should be aware of thepossibility that some of our winter visitors will stay to nestin a few places There is a thin history of Evening

Grosbeaks nesting in the state and David Yeany II is ontheir trail right now (Go David) Finding a nestingpopulation of Evening Grosbeaks in Forest County or inany other part of the state would be exciting SinceEvening Grosbeaks have responded in the past to elmspanworm infestations perhaps they will respond toanother insect outbreak at another place in the state Iwill be looking for them

What about Red Crossbills nestingin Pennsylvania When they haveattempted to nest the crossbillsresponded to a set of conifersproducing seed cones into March Birders are advised to look inplaces where persistent seed conesare available for the crossbills tofind Most of the Red Crossbillsthat have been identified to theircall type were ldquoType 10rdquo whichtypically feed on Sitka spruce conesin the West but feed on a variety ofseed cones when they wandereastward They seem to be conegeneralists I saw them foraging onseed cones of eastern white pineand a very small crop of easternhemlock but I have seen evidencethat they feed on cones of Virginiapines and some exotic speciesincluding Japanese black pines atCape May Point The Type 10birds that I have heard soundedmore like a flycatcher call note thanthe sharp ldquokip kip kiprdquo flight notesof the Type 1 crossbills that I haveheard more commonly It is worthplaying recordings of these just tobecome familiar with the sounds

Please remember that in the distant past Red Crossbillshave nested in pine groves around Philadelphia and onLong Island where the seed cones were plentiful Theyare not necessarily confined to the ldquoBig Northrdquo Lots ofpitch pine cones might do

The Virginia pine also known as scrub pine or Jerseypine is one of the most underappreciated wildlife plants They grow quickly on ground disturbed by fire plow orbulldozer It is really a transitional species between an oldfield type habitat and a mature forest of oaks hickoriesmaples cherries and taller growing pines like the easternwhite pine which often grows in the same places Anattribute of Virginia pine that makes it particularlyattractive to conifer-loving birds is long seed coneretention Long after white pines have lost their seed

-7-

Northern Goshawk has apparently declined sincethe 2nd Atlas and has abandoned many recently

occupied locationsPhoto by Jake Dingel

cones or the seeds with themVirginia pine cones are still hangingfor months They are scruffy littletrees with needles bundled in pairsand only two or three inches long They are somewhat similar to Scotspines but do not have the orangeupper bark that so distinguishes theexotic but common species Thehumble and neglected Virginiapines may be the ones that retaincrossbills nut-hatches and othersaround long enough to nest awayfrom their usual areas I havedocumented Red-breastedNuthatches nesting in a Virginiapine grove after a big irruptionsouth in fall and winter Since Virginia pines often growon ridge tops mountainsides and on private propertywhere few birders go they and their bird communities canbe easily overlooked I certainly will look for Red-breasted Nuthatches nesting in both Virginia and whitepine woods And meanwhile I also will look for them inthe boreal spruce forests of the state I hope that you dotoo

OTC Recommends Endangered Status forNorthern Goshawk

The Northern Goshawk is an iconic forest raptor with areputation for fierceness and mystery Unfortunately italso has declined in population and range over the lastseveral years The Ornithological Technical Committee(OTC) has been keeping an eye on this species for manyyears It was listed as a Species of Special Concern asearly as 1985 Status-Undetermined due to its elusivenessand because much of the big forest of Pennsylvania wasnot well surveyed by ornithologists at that point The firstBreeding Bird Atlas helped define the range of NorthernGoshawk (NOGO) in the state but it remained a bit of amystery The first PBBA was greatly supplemented byresearch conducted by Penn State graduate student TimKimmel working with Dr Rich Yahner 1988 ndash 1993 Adefinite decline in the number of blocks reported byvolunteers in the 2nd Atlas of Breeding Birds ofPennsylvania (2nd PBBA) occurred despite that much hadbeen learned about goshawks in the intervening years andseveral goshawk nesting sites had been found by birderssince the first PBBA In the 2nd PBBA (2004 ndash 2009)Northern Goshawks were detected in 86 (17) blocks 33fewer than the 119 of the first PBBA (1984-1989) as wellas a dramatic retraction in range It really looked likegoshawks had disappeared from previously occupied areassouth of Route 80 and east of Route 81 The breeding

range of a species is a veryimportant consideration concerningthe status and vulnerability of thespecies to eradication The OTChad decided that the NorthernGoshawk deserved a ldquoNear-Threatenedrdquo status after seeing theresults of the 2nd PBBA Some of usthought it should have been givenThreatened status then but thecommittee was concerned thatNOGO was overlooked in areasand its population may have beenunderrepresented by both Atlases

In response to these concerns theOTC formed a sub-committee to

study the goshawk and better determine its status rangehabitat associations limiting factors and natural history It invited two falconry groups to partici-pate in the projectsince falconers had knowledge of the goshawk nestingpopulation and are important stake-holders in raptormanagement Concentrated studies were conducted byPenn State Hawk Mountain the Central AppalachianGoshawk Project (Dave Brinker) and the institutionsrepresented by members of the sub-committee in the nextfour years Standard and revised protocols were used forNOGO searches which were well informed by a databaseof recent NOGO nest and territory records providedconfidentially by the participants I personally visitedNOGO sites I found in years previously and wasdisappointed to not find NOGO where I had found themrecently Sites were visited repeatedly because it is easyto overlook an elusive goshawk

A report was written by the sub-committee for the OTCand PGC which is advised by the committee After all thisspecies-specific work NOGO has apparently declinedeven more since the 2nd PBBA and has abandoned manylocations occupied recently NOGO seemed imperiled inthe state as a viable breeding species Not only that butthe hawk migration data and Atlas data from neighboringstates show a recent regional decline This is anotherimportant factor in its vulnerability in the state because thepotential source populations of a ldquorescuerdquo of the PAbreeding population is much less likely with a reducedregional population In December the OTC voted torecommend to the PGC that the Northern Goshawk should be listed as Endangered in PA Now it is up to the PGC toreact to this recommendation and begin a recovery of thespecies as it has tackled the recovery of Bald EagleOsprey and Peregrine Falcon so successfully It will be agreat challenge and PA birders will certainly be a part of

(continued on page 11)

-8-

Bloodroot - Sanguinaria canadensis

Recap of Board of Directorsrsquo Meeting

The Pennsylvania Society for Ornithology Board ofDirectors met on January 26 2021 with 17 directorspresent for the teleconference meeting

The fall meeting was discussed with three optionsconsidered

Move the meeting to 2022 at the Double Tree Plan to have the meeting this year with fewer people See what it would cost to cancel the meeting

Because of all the uncertainty a motion was made that the2021 fall meeting be postponed until 2022 The motionpassed unanimously

It was called to the boardrsquos attention that directorsrsquo andofficersrsquo terms are expiring this fall and this needs to beaddressed along with awards and scholarships

It was reported that after some discussion the Conserva-tion Committee decided to go ahead with the BreedingBird Blitz for Conservation (B4C) Some of the rules willbe modified and participants will have to follow Covidguidelines A disclaimer will be added saying that PSOwill not be responsible if someone gets Covid if theyparticipate

No grants were awarded last year because of a lack ofapplicants probably due to Covid We will try again thisyear This will be the second year that we have notawarded the Conservation and Earl Poole awards It wasproposed that we consider choosing award winners butwait to make the presentations when we have a meeting

PORC is now running smoothly with no backlog ofrecords to review Eleven boxes of old PORC recordshave been digitized They will eventually be put on thePSO website as a searchable database

The treasurerrsquos report was given and a slight downturn inmembership was noted possibly due to the coronavirusOtherwise PSO is still in good shape financially

Some background information was given on why thePennsylvania Audubon Council was formed andhow local chapters fit into this arrangement

A few issues have arisen with the Pennsylvania listservrecently We discussed what steps we could take Thisissue will be delved into further

A complete transcript of the meeting minutes may befound on the PSO website

ndash Roger Higbee Secretary

The Pennsylvania Native Plant Society advocates

conservation of native plants and theirhabitats and promotes the increased

use of native plants in the landscape

Do you know about Professor Douglas Tallamys newproject to enlist native plant enthusiasts across the countryto build a Homegrown National Park To learn moreabout this and the Pennsylvania Native Plant Society seehttpwwwpanativeplantsocietyorg

-9-

Bloodroot - Sanguinaria canadensis

Recap of Board of Directorsrsquo Meeting

The Pennsylvania Society for Ornithology Board ofDirectors met on January 26 2021 with 17 directorspresent for the teleconference meeting

The fall meeting was discussed with three optionsconsidered

Move the meeting to 2022 at the Double Tree Plan to have the meeting this year with fewer people See what it would cost to cancel the meeting

Because of all the uncertainty a motion was made that the2021 fall meeting be postponed until 2022 The motionpassed unanimously

It was called to the boardrsquos attention that directorsrsquo andofficersrsquo terms are expiring this fall and this needs to beaddressed along with awards and scholarships

It was reported that after some discussion the Conserva-tion Committee decided to go ahead with the BreedingBird Blitz for Conservation (B4C) Some of the rules willbe modified and participants will have to follow Covidguidelines A disclaimer will be added saying that PSOwill not be responsible if someone gets Covid if theyparticipate

No grants were awarded last year because of a lack ofapplicants probably due to Covid We will try again thisyear This will be the second year that we have notawarded the Conservation and Earl Poole awards It wasproposed that we consider choosing award winners butwait to make the presentations when we have a meeting

PORC is now running smoothly with no backlog ofrecords to review Eleven boxes of old PORC recordshave been digitized They will eventually be put on thePSO website as a searchable database

The treasurerrsquos report was given and a slight downturn inmembership was noted possibly due to the coronavirusOtherwise PSO is still in good shape financially

Some background information was given on why thePennsylvania Audubon Council was formed andhow local chapters fit into this arrangement

A few issues have arisen with the Pennsylvania listservrecently We discussed what steps we could take Thisissue will be delved into further

A complete transcript of the meeting minutes may befound on the PSO website

ndash Roger Higbee Secretary

The Pennsylvania Native Plant Society advocates

conservation of native plants and theirhabitats and promotes the increased

use of native plants in the landscape

Do you know about Professor Douglas Tallamys newproject to enlist native plant enthusiasts across the countryto build a Homegrown National Park To learn moreabout this and the Pennsylvania Native Plant Society seehttpwwwpanativeplantsocietyorg

-9-

Conservation Chat Room

Itrsquos Time to Order Native Plant Seeds ndash Gardening for Birds

Itrsquos a winter wonderlandndash the snow looks like itis crusted with diamondsbrilliant in the sunshine The sky is a vivid bluenever seen in thesummer and thecardinals are such astriking red against thesnow Itrsquos a red whiteand blue winter day withtemperatures in the teens

Even in the midst of enjoying the winter day my thoughtscoalesce on gardening Maybe itrsquos because Irsquom gettingbombarded with gardening catalogs The colorful fruitsand vegetables almost seem too gaudy ndash are tomatoesreally that red and is it possible to grow such orangecarrots I better start putting my seed order together

Some of the other gardening catalogs go in a differentstack These catalogs donrsquot sell vegetables or fruits butrather food for birds To be exact these catalogs sellnative plants which either feed birds directly by providingfruit or seeds or the plants are hosts for insects that birdsneed

Here are some tips if yoursquod like to garden for birds

Plant a native meadow in your side yard

My favorite source of native seeds is Ernst Seeds inMeadville Pa Call for a free catalog 800-873-3321 Website httpswwwernstseedcom

The catalog is a wealth of information on how to grow andmaintain native plants in a variety of different habitatsincluding wildflower meadows The catalog has specificinformation on how to prepare the site and what to grow indifferent habitats Various seed mixes are designed togrow in a variety of different lighting and moistureconditions I canrsquot stress enough that site preparation iskey to success The grass needs to be killed so the seedscan be spread on bare soil

Irsquove had really good results with these mixes from ErnstShowy Northeast Native Wildflower MixNortheastern US Roadside Native MixXerces Mid-Atlantic Pollinator Mix

The last part of the catalog is a great resource with aphoto of each species and detailed descriptions of theirhabitat requirement and growth characteristics

WARNING Ernst also sells non-native seeds so becareful what you order If you decide to purchase one oftheir seed mixes make sure that ldquonativerdquo is in the name ofthe mix or verify it with the sales team before you order

You can design your own seed mix or just buy individualpackets of seeds to plant drifts of native plants

To complicate things further the meaning of ldquonativerdquo isfluid Ernst calls some species ldquonativerdquo because theygrow in the US but research shows they donrsquot occurnaturally in Pa For example a wonderful pollinator plantcalled Anise Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum) is listed asldquonativerdquo in the Ernst catalog but some sources donrsquotconsider it native to our state

My go-to resource for native plants in our state is ldquoThePennsylvania Flora Project of Morris Arboretumrdquo Website pafloraorg This website shows you a state mapso you can see if the plant species is native to your county It also describes the habitat growth habit and explains ifit is a wetland plant and listed at the state or federalprotection level According to this website Agastachefoeniculum is not native to Pa but has escapedcultivation

Add native plants to your flower garden

If you are staying home due to Covid and donrsquot want tovisit plant nurseries you can order seeds or plants fromPrairie Moon Nursery Call for a free catalog 507-452-1362 or visit their website prairiemooncom

Since many of their plants are not native to Pa do yourhomework before ordering If you see a flower you wantcheck it out on pafloraorg to make sure itrsquos native to Pa

If you are willing to visit plant nurseries go tohttpswwwaudubonorgPLANTSFORBIRDSType in your zip code and Audubon will provide a list ofnurseries in your area that carry native plants You willalso see lists of plants native to your area that arerecommended for birds filtered by plant type

-10-

Native flowers like Ox Eye Sunflower (Heliopsishelianthoides) are important food sources for many birdsincluding this American Goldfinch These plants are easyto grow from seed and create bright spots of color in your

flower beds (Photo by Laura Jackson)

PSO Pileated Quiz(Answers on page 12)

How well do you know your Pennsylvania birdsrsquonames

1 What is the ldquoGyrrdquo in Gyrfalcon

2 Why is this duck named a Harlequin Duck

3 Why are jaegers called a jaeger

4 What is ldquopollrdquo as in Blackpoll Warbler and Common Redpoll

5 Why is this goose called the Barnacle Goose

Read Naturersquos Best Hope

If you arenrsquot really sure why itrsquos important to garden forbirds using native plants I highly recommend that youread Doug Tallamyrsquos newest book Naturersquos Best Hope

Dr Tallamy shows how homeowners can provide foodwater and space for birds all based on the foundation ofproviding native plants He makes the case that itrsquos reallyup to us to help insects and birds The same ecosystemsthat support birds also support us Our life support isgrowing weaker as we lose more birds Planting nativeflowers shrubs and trees does truly make a difference forbirds

Resources

Tallamy Douglas 2019 Naturersquos Best Hope TimberPress Portland Oregon httpswwwernstseedcompafloraorghttpswwwprairiemooncomhttpsmtcubacenterorgresearchtrial-gardenhttpswwwaudubonorgPLANTSFORBIRDS

Laura Jackson Conservation ChairBedford County

mljackson2embarqmailcom

The Raven Reporter (continued from page 8)

this recovery phase I am sure that you will hear more

about the NOGO status and challenges ahead

Good birding

Doug GrossPennsylvania Boreal Bird Project

Ricketts Glen State Park Bird ProjectDagross144verizonnet

Participate in the Breeding Bird Blitz for Conservation

June 18-21 2021

See page 2 of this newsletter for details

-11-

Answers to Bird Quiz (page 11)

1 It depends on which reference you check One saysldquoGyrrdquo refers to an Old High German language wordfor ldquospearrdquo another to an Old High German word forldquovulturerdquo You decide

2 The malersquos impressive coloration refers to the old-time stage buffoons who were dressed in a multi-colored costume

3 The origin is the German word Jaeger for ldquohunterrdquo

4 It refers to the top of the head

5 A very long time ago it was thought to hatch fromthe shell of a barnacle Let the PSO Pileated know ifyou can think of some even crazier names

PSO NewsletterThis newsletter is published four times a year by the PennsylvaniaSociety for Ornithology To renew your membership either pay online or send your check made payable to ldquoPSOrdquo to

PSO2469 Hammertown RoadNarvon PA 17555-9730

Membership Categories Individual $ 30 Family $ 35 Sustaining $ 45

Student $ 25 Electronic Student $ 10

PSO Officers and Directors Evan Mann ndash President 7evanmanngmailcom Deb Grove ndash Vice President dsg4psuedu Mike Fialkovich ndash Past President mpfialverizonnet Roger Higbee ndash Secretary rvhigbeewindstreamnetFrank Haas ndash Treasurer fchaasPAbirdsorgGreg Grove ndash PA Birds Editor gwg2psueduMargaret Higbee ndash Newsletter Editor bcoriolewindstreamnet

Eli DePaulis ndash elidepaulis1gmailcom Vernon Gauthier ndash verngauthier14gmailcom Doug Gross - dagross144verizonnet Laura Jackson ndash jacksonlaura73gmailcom Chad Kauffman ndash chadkauffmanearthlinknet Wayne Laubscher ndash wnlaubschercomcastnet Sandra Lockerman ndash sandylockermanyahoocomHolly Merker ndash hcybellegmailcom Emily Thomas ndash eht5002hotmailcom Linda Wagner ndash lwagner342msncomCarole Winslow ndash cjwinslow94gmailcom David Yeany ndash DYeanypaconserveorg

Pennsylvania Society for Ornithologyco R V Higbee3119 Creekside RoadIndiana PA 15701-7934

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

Non-profit OrganizationUS POSTAGE PAIDCreekside PA 15732

PERMIT NO 2