upland informer · 2018. 7. 19. · of folks about the importance of monarchs through her...

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Upland Informer

Volume 36 Issue 1 Official Newsletter of the Bartramian Audubon Society Fall 2017

Editor- Nancy Baker Check us out online at www.bartramianaudubonsociety.org www.facebook.com/Bartramian

Upcoming BAS Membership Meetings

Our membership meetings are held the second Monday of the month at 7:00 p.m. at the Jennings Environmental Education Center, 2961 Prospect Road, Slippery Rock, PA. The Educa-tion Center is located on Rt. 528 just west of its junction with Rt. 8- about five miles south of Slippery Rock. The meetings are free and open to the public.

……Photo by Jeff Hall

November 13, 2017-Monday- Monarchs

Monarch butterflies have fascinated scientists and non-scientists for decades. The seemingly-impossible migration they make each fall is probably their greatest mystery. Why do they go to the same location every year? How do they know how to get there? How can they fly that far with those tiny wings? Kimberly Vensel, aka Butler Butterfly Lady, is a Butler County photographer who also happens to have a pas-sion for the Monarch butterfly. She has been raising Mon-archs for 8 years and has successfully raised and released over 3,000 Monarch butterflies to date. She has taught thousands of folks about the importance of Monarchs through her educa-tional presentations and will be here teaching about the amaz-ing transformation of Monarchs - from egg to caterpillar to chrysalis to butterfly - on November 13. Come out and learn about these magnificent butterflies!

December 11, 2017-Monday- Annual Holiday Potluck and Hog Island Presentation Enjoy good food and good company at our annual holiday potluck; bring a dish to share and your holiday spirit. Our student scholarship winner, Joshua McCoy, will tell us about his experiences at the Hog Island Audubon Camp. In addi-tion, we'll have a free book 'exchange'--bring any bird/nature books you are ready to pass on and take any that catch your eye. You don't have to contribute a book to take one, and you don't have to take any in order to get rid of yours.

Upcoming Activities December 16. 2017-Saturday-Butler CBC The 53rd Bartramian Audubon Society Butler Christmas Bird Count (CBC) will be held on Saturday, December 16, 2017. The Butler CBC is a 15-mile diameter circle centered just north of Moraine State Park and includes Slippery Rock and Slippery Rock University, Wolf Creek Narrows Natural Area, McConnells Mill and Moraine State Parks, and the towns of Portersville, Prospect, Muddy Creek, and Euclid. Anyone is welcome to join the CBC as field or feeder observers. If you are interested in participating, contact Mary Alice Koeneke and Glenn Koppel at: [email protected]. December 31, 2017-Sunday-Pleasantville CBC The circle for this count encompasses the area approximately from Titusville in the northwest to Pleasantville to Tionesta in the northeast south to President east to Oleopolis and Rouse-ville and then north along the western edge of Oil Creek State Park. The count is centered on the historic ghost town of Pi-thole. Please feel welcome to participate in this count. As-signments can be made for an area easy to get to if you are unfamiliar with this count. Also needed are feeder watchers who live in the area. If you are unsure if you are in the count circle, call and ask. This is a more northern count than the Butler count, so expect some more northern species. If you are interested in helping, contact Russ States at 814-676-6320 (please talk to the machine), or [email protected].

http://www.bartramianaudubonsociety.org/

http://www.facebook.com/Bartramian

mailto:[email protected]

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Activities in Review

White M Hairstreak The 2017 Sandy Creek Butterfly Count …...Report compiled by Neil Troyer The 2017 NABA Sandy Creek Butterfly Count was held July 8. Cloudy skies and a brief early shower chased the first group back to the cars around 8:30am but as clearing skies and warmer temperatures returned so did the butterflies (and drag-onflies) and a nice variety of species was recorded for the day. Due to the Game Commission’s regulations requiring a special use permit for groups of more than 9 people, we split the group into two. The first group, consisting of Glenn Koppel, Mary Alice Koeneke, Harvey, Naomi, Neil, Rachel, Ruth Ann and Samuel Troyer, and Curt Lehman started at 8:30 at the Triple Link area parking lot. The second group consisting of members of the Wissahickon Nature Club included Dianne and Bob Machesney, Dana and Walter Shaffer, Kim Metheny, and Jean Chess, started from the same parking lot at 10:00am. The water levels at the swamp at SGL130 were high from all the rain in June. No Broad-winged Skippers were found, the third consecutive year they were missed. A noteworthy species found here by Ruth Ann and netted by Samuel was a White M Hairstreak, a species new to the count. Other highlights here included a Black Dash, Northern Broken Dash, Crossline Skipper, Gray Comma, Northern Pearly Eye, Appalachian Brown, and 3 Harvesters, An interesting observation by Neil at this location was watching an unidentified Dragonfly eating a low flying Harvester. Dragonflies were fairly common and were possibly preying on the butterflies.The two groups met at mid-day back at the parking lot and over lunch exchanged notes and consolidated butterfly totals. Both groups also listed wildflowers and plants identified was somewhere close to 80. Some of the highlights include 3 species of Monarda, Alle-ghany Monkey Flower, Turtlehead, and Striped Wintergreen. A total of 27 butterflies including 2 larva of Viceroy were here at the Triple Link area.

Though singing had slowed considerably, the highlights of birds found included Broad-winged Hawk, Blue-headed Vir-eo, Marsh Wren, both Northern and Louisiana Waterthrush, Magnolia Warbler and Dark-eyed Junco.The group next head-ed to the impoundment at the Polk wetlands. As we walked around the impoundment there Bob Machesney gave us an excellent course on dragonfly identification. A nice find here were 5 Baltimore Checkerspots, an expected species for this site. The complete list of butterflies recorded is as follows: Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (6), Spicebush Swallowtail (1), Cabbage White (4), Clouded Sulphur (6), Orange Sulphur (4), Harvester (4), White M Hairstreak (1- new for count, Eastern-Tailed Blue (12), Summer Azure (3), Great Spangled Fritillary (16), Meadow Fritillary (1), Pearl Crescent (14), Baltimore Checkerspot (5), Question Mark (3), Eastern Comma (4), Gray Comma (3), American Lady(1), Painted Lady (1), Red Admi-ral (8), Viceroy (2 cats), Northern Pearly Eye (4), Appalachi-an Brown (3), Brown sp (1), Common Wood- Nymph (1), Little Wood Satyr (1), Monarch (3 + 2 cats), Silver-spotted Skipper (16), Wild Indigo Duskywing (5), Crossline Skipper (1), Northern Broken Dash (11), Little Glassywing (9), Black Dash (2), Dun Skipper (21). A total of 32 species of butter-flies, 184 individuals, and 4 caterpillars were counted.

Education For teachers: Opportunities and Resources! Audubon Adventures Available for Classroom Use Bartramian Audubon sponsors and funds Audubon Adven-

tures curriculum materials for students in grades 3-6 in schools in Butler, Lawrence, Mercer and Venango Counties. Audubon Adventures classroom learning kits include printed student magazines and access for teachers to online instruc-tional guides, assessments, interactive games, other teaching modules and resources. The standards-based content and ma-terials can be integrated across multiple subject areas. The theme for 2017-18 is “Birds, Bees, Flowers & Trees.” Three related learning modules develop students’ understanding of the interconnectedness of natural systems, particularly the functions and importance of birds, bees and native plants:

• Native Plants, in which students learn why plants are the foundation of life on the earth.

• Bird Migration, which explains the importance of healthy habitats to birds’ journeys, and how conser-vation of these habitats benefits many species, in-cluding humans.

• Insect Pollinators, which describes the characteris-tics of native bees, as well as the importance of their partnerships with flowering plants to people and healthy environments.

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Learn more about Audubon Adventures at http://www.audubonadventures.org/. Then contact Becky Lubold, the chapter’s Education Chair, at 814-330-2550 or [email protected] to arrange to receive the materials. A limited number of sponsored subscriptions will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Act quickly, so that orders can be placed and materials received early in the school year. Hog Island Audubon Camp Scholarship for Educators Each year Bartramian Audubon awards one scholarship for a teacher within the chapter’s four-county area to attend the “Sharing Nature: An Educator’s Week” session of Audu-bon Camp in Maine on Hog Island. Open to teachers of any grade level or subject area, this session offers practical ap-proaches, methods, lessons, and activities for engaging both children and adults with nature. Participants are inspired and energized through interaction with instructors and fellow edu-cators, as they learn about and explore the forest, intertidal and ocean ecosystems of the scenic Maine coast. Find details about this extraordinary learning opportunity at: http://hogisland.audubon.org/sharing-nature-educator-s-week The application period for the Hog Island scholarship for July 15-20, 2018 is now open, and will close on February 28, 2018. The application form is available on the chapter’s web-site or by contacting our Education Chair at 814-330-2550 or [email protected]. Join Bartramian Audubon and Jennings for Citizen Sci-ence and Learning Bartramian Audubon Society and Jennings Environmental Education Center collaborate in offering opportunities for learning how individuals can help researchers gather important data about bird population and migration trends, as well as increasing their own birding skills. The center partners with the chapter in the annual Butler County Christmas Bird Count (December 16) and the Great Backyard Bird Count (February 16-19, 2018). Details and registration for these events, as well as other bird and nature-related programs will be available on DCNR’s Calendar of Events at http://events.dcnr.pa.gov/, by e-mailing [email protected], or calling 724-794-6011.

Odds and Ends

RARE GULL AT KAHLE LAKE

Sabine's gull breeds north of Hudson's Bay or on the Alaska coast, then migrates down the Pacific to offshore Peru or through Greenland and across the Atlantic to southern Africa. Pennsylvania isn't included in any of those areas, but big storms in early September evidently blew a young Sabine's gull off-course and it ended up at Kahle Lake in Clarion & Venango Counties on September 5th. It continued to be seen there for the next few days, by local birders and also many trav-eled from Pittsburgh and other more distant locations. Thanks to Bartramian Audubon members Jerry Stanley and Kathie Good-blood who originally located the gull. And if a rare gull isn't enough, a family of sandhill cranes stalked alongside Route 38 on the drive to Kahle Lake!

…..Photos by Jeff Hall

http://www.audubonadventures.org/


http://hogisland.audubon.org/sharing-nature-educator-s-week


http://events.dcnr.pa.gov/


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BARTRAMIAN AUDUBON SOCIETY P.O. BOX 315 SLIPPERY ROCK, PA 16057

Paper-Free Newsletter The Upland Informer is now available online. It can be viewed at our website www.bartramianaudubonsociety.org by clicking on the newsletter link and then clicking on the issue you wish to view. The newsletter is in the PDF format, so you must have a PDF program on your computer. Read only pro-grams are available free at Adobe.com and other sites. Bartramian Audubon Society would like to encourage its members to begin to receive the Upland Informer online. As each newsletter is published, members who have elected to do this will receive an email informing them that the next issue is now available online, and they can then view it at their leisure. For the Bartramian Audubon Society, this will mean a savings both in paper costs and postage costs. For our environment it will mean less paper and less fuel usage in delivery. To enroll in this program, please email our Membership Chair, Russ States at [email protected].

Membership Reminder ......Russ States, Membership Chair

We welcome the many of you who have recently joined Bartramian Audubon Society. As a reminder, the expiration date of your membership with the BAS should be on your address label. Please renew in a timely fashion as to not miss future newsletters. If you have any questions about your membership status, feel free to contact the membership chair, Russ States – [email protected]. B&B and Wildlife Sanctuary renewals are handled by the sanc-tuary chair in June each year. The $15.00 or more per sanctuary checks should be made payable to BAS and mailed to BAS Sanc-tuary Chair Kathie Goodblood 170 Keith Lane, Franklin, PA 16323

Bartramian Audubon Society Associate and Newsletter Application

Please check below _____$15.00 BAS Membership fee- includes newsletter _____$15.00 BAS Sanctuary Renewal-includes membership and newsletter _____$10.00 Electronic Student Membership Please send this form along with your name, address, and e-

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PO Box 315 Slippery Rock, PA 16057

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Please enroll me as a NEW member in the National Audubon Soci-ety. This membership will include membership in the National

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Informer, but excludes the BAS Sanctuary Program. Current introductory membership offer $20.00 Student/Senior (62 and above) membership $15.00 _________________________________________ Name ___________________________________________ Address ___________________________________________ City State Zip Please send this form with payment to National Audubon Society Membership Data Center PO Box 422250 Palm Coast, FL32142-2250 Renewing members should use the coupon mailed to them by NAS COZU180Z rev 1/10 7XCH


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Upland Informer

Volume 36 Issue 2 Official Newsletter of the Bartramian Audubon Society Spring 2018



Our membership meetings are held the second Monday of the month at 7:00 p.m. at the Jennings Environmental Education Center, 2961 Prospect Road, Slippery Rock, PA. The Educa-tion Center is located on Rt. 528 just west of its junction with Rt. 8- about five miles south of Slippery Rock. The meetings are free and open to the public. March 12, 2018-Monday What eBird Can Do For You…And What You Can Do For eBird Holly Merker will reveal all about the widely used eBird pro-gram, in a presentation that caters to all birders, including those new to eBird. She will explain how eBird is used by birders and researchers alike. If you have ever wondered "what's all the fuss about eBird?" this talk will address those questions and more. For those already using eBird, you'll learn new ways this powerful tool can be of use to you, from your own backyard to your travels across the globe. Come learn how your bird sightings can make a difference for conserva-tion science! Holly Merker has been the Lead Reviewer and State Coordinator for Pennsylvania eBird since 2005, and is also on the eBird Hotspot Editing Team for PA. Holly is an avid birder, and a birding instructor for the American Birding Association and National Audubon. When not using eBird, Holly can be found teaching watershed ecology to thousands of school students annually in her job as a professional envi-ronmental educator in Downingtown, Chester County, PA Special opportunity: Earlier in the day on March 12, join Holly Merker for an "in-the-field" tutorial and birding trip, while we use the eBird Mobile App! On this trip, we will go over how to use best practices while eBirding in the field, and we will have fun finding birds together! The exact time and location of this trip have yet to be determined. See our web-site or Facebook page for further announcements. You can attend either or both the daytime field tutorial and the evening program.

April 9, 2018-Monday- Bird Population Dynamics and Habitat Disturbance

How well do birds deal with changing environmental condi-tions? Black-backed woodpeckers in South Dakota’s Black Hills prefer forests recently disturbed by wildfire or insect infestation. When forest management seeks to mitigate or minimize disturbances, does the woodpecker population suf

fer? Dr. Christopher Rota has studied these issues and will share some of his findings and conclusions with us. Dr. Rota is an assistant professor of Wildlife and Fisheries Resources at West Virginia University. His research focuses on population characteristics and habitat use of diverse wildlife species, from mule deer in North Dakota to Canada warblers in West Vir-ginia. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Missouri. This is our “Donors Appreciation Night.” Along with an in-formative and entertaining program, we’ll have pizza and oth-er special refreshments as our way of saying “Thanks” to our members and friends. May 14, 2018-Monday- Awards Night At our annual Awards Night on May 14, Bartramian Audubon Society will honor institutions, organizations, and individuals for their contributions to conservation. The Society will also recognize new participants in its Sanctuary Program and award scholarships to college and to Audubon Camp. Stu-dents from Slippery Rock University and Westminster College will receive scholarships to assist in their study of wildlife and conservation issues, and a local teacher and local high school student will be given grants to fund their participation in the education program at Audubon's Hog Island Camp in Maine. Landowners who have enrolled their property in Bartramian Audubon Society's "Wildlife Sanctuary" or "Bird and Butter-fly Sanctuary" programs this year will be recognized and re-ceive the signs that designate their participation. These pro-grams have protected nearly 7,500 acres, from extensive woodlots to backyards, throughout Western Pennsylvania.

Activities in Review December 16. 2017-Saturday-Butler CBC The 53rd Bartramian Audubon Society Butler Christmas Bird Count (CBC) Mary Alice Koeneke and Glenn Koppel, Compilers After a cold, snowy week the Butler Christmas Bird Count (CBC) occurred on 16 December 2017. Temperatures ranged from a minimum of 23F to a high of 39F on a cloudy day with southwest winds of 4-15 MPH. Field participants reported partially open water for creeks and streams while open water areas such as Lake Arthur were mostly, to partly frozen. Snow



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depth averaged 5 inches. Given the conditions, feeder watch-ers had a choice assignment. The total number of species ob-served was 72 plus 4 count week (cw) species, which was higher than average (67). Most species were found in numbers within the range of fluctuations in numbers over the 53 years of the Butler CBC; however, the total number of individuals (5,481) was lower than average (8,955) likely affected by weather conditions, especially the presence of open water and accessibility to some areas. There were some highlights in-cluding a record high count of Cooper’s Hawk (11); Northern Mockingbird (13); and Yellow-rumped Warblers (14). A Mer-lin was the first since 1998 and only the second ever recorded on the Butler CBC. Rusty Blackbirds (16) were found on the Butler CBC for the first time since 2011. Waterfowl and American Coot were hard to find; however, during the count week period, Northern Pintail and Green-winged Teal were reported. Both species are relatively uncommon for the Butler CBC. Wild Turkeys (88) were found in double the average (43) number though the tally has declined for two years in a row (88 in 2017; 129 in 2016). Only 58 Rock Pigeons were counted (avg. 362) though Mourning Doves (635, avg. 285) were quite common. All woodpecker species were at or higher than average, especially Red-bellied Woodpeckers (70; avg. 24). [Weather conditions kept field observers from accessing the Red-headed Woodpecker colony so none were counted for 2017]. For the second year in a row, Black-capped Chickadees were found in lower numbers (170, 165 in 2016, avg. 238). American Robins were hard to find for everyone and resulted in a record low count of 30 (avg. 562; 740 in 2016). European Starlings (830) continue to be found in numbers lower than average (2,039). American Tree Sparrows also continue to be observed in lower than average (484) numbers; 2010 was the last year they were found in numbers above the average (746). Dark-eyed Juncos (496) were above average (394) and have been found in larger numbers since 2010. Without the feeder survey from the Birdwatcher’s Store in Slippery Rock, the numbers of Brown-headed Cowbirds would be far less; feed-ers at the shop accounted for 126 individuals of the total 129! Butler CBC 2017 Results: Tundra Swan 100, Canada Goose 44, Mallard 38, Northern Pintail (cw), Green-winged Teal (cw), Ring-necked Duck 2, Bufflehead 6, Hooded Merganser 5, Ruddy Duck 11, Ring-necked Pheasant 1, Ruffed Grouse 1, Wild Turkey 88, Horned Grebe 11, Pied-billed Grebe 5, Sandhill Crane 2, Bald Eagle 5, Northern Harrier 1, Sharp-shinned Hawk 3, Cooper’s Hawk 11, Red-shouldered Hawk 2, Red-tailed Hawk 38, Merlin 1, American Kestrel 12, American Coot 10, Ring-billed Gull 14, Herring Gull 1, Rock Pigeon 58, Mourning Dove 635, Eastern Screech Owl 1, Great Horned Owl 4, Barred Owl 1, Northern Saw-whet Owl 1, Red-bellied Woodpecker 70, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 2, Downy Woodpecker 69, Hairy Woodpecker 50, Northern Flicker 12, Pileated Woodpecker 18, Blue Jay 241, American Crow 339, Common Raven 1, Horned Lark 30, Black-capped Chickadee 170, Tufted Titmouse, 101, White-breasted Nuthatch 65, Brown Creeper 10, Winter Wren 1, Carolina Wren 17, Golden-crowned Kinglet 39, Eastern Blue-bird 33, Hermit Thrush, 1, American Robin 30, Northern Mockingbird 13, European Starling 830, Cedar Waxwing 155, Yellow-rumped Warbler 14, American Tree Sparrow 166, Chipping Sparrow 7, Field Sparrow 2, Song Sparrow 42, Swamp Sparrow 5, White-throated Sparrow 32, White-

crowned Sparrow 2, Dark-eyed Junco 496, Northern Cardinal 238, Rusty Blackbird 16, Common Grackle 203, Red-winged Blackbird 122, Brown-headed Cowbird 129, Purple Finch 1, House Finch 106, Pine Siskin 1, American Goldfinch 133, Lapland Longspur (cw), Snow Bunting (cw), House Sparrow 359. Participants: Betty Antal (8), Brendyn Baptiste (4), Beverly Barnett (10), Marcia Brown (8), Larry Brown (8), Suzanne Butcher (33), Gene Butcher (24), Martin Carlin (2), Ruth Crawford (35), Dave Darney (22), Debra Darney (23), Sharon Davis (16), Barb Davis (3), Margaret Higbee (13), Roger Higbee (13), Debbie Kalbfleisch (5), Mary Alice Koeneke (4), Glenn Kop-pel (4), Becky Lubold (6), Daniel McCoy (2), Joshua McCoy (2), Oscar Miller (3), David Neely (3), Richard Nugent (12), Karen Peterson (2), Cathy Setzer (11), Terry Steele (2), Chris-ty Tichy (8), Linda Wagner (17), Robert Walczak (3), Barb Wiles (3), Joanne Wilhelm (24), and Gene Wilhelm (36). In addition to the contributors named above, 24 new volunteers joined the Butler CBC: Tom Domer, Molly Donahue, Jeff Donahue, Dave Kosar, Sandy Kosar, Debbie Schmeltzer, Steve Smith, Celia Taylor, and Claire Torso as well as a group of 15 from Slippery Rock University’s Robert A. Macoskey Center for Sustainable Systems Education and Research: Kate Bernard, Carl Criss, Keith Criss, Shawn Davis, Jim Eckert, Kelly Hart, Sara Isacco, Ben Kehoe, Sami Lawrence, Keith Olash, Janice Reeg, Jacob Smith, Josh Thomas, Becky Thom-as, and Casse Welsh. Welcome, and we hope you will join us again next year. Macoskey Center for Sustainable Systems Education and Re-search Joins the Butler CBC Our diverse birding group at the Macoskey Center of Slippery Rock University included graduate and undergraduate stu-dents, faculty, and a few local community members. Some were experienced birders and others were anxious to learn more about our feathery friends while helping to collect data for bird conservation on this special day. Early in the morning a Cooper's Hawk flew down from the apple tree near Harmony Road and landed about 5 feet from the feeders. It was a pleas-ant surprise for us, but not so pleasant for the Black-capped Chickadees. Later on, we spotted two more Cooper's Hawks along the Yellow Trail. It was an exciting day for everyone! Jacob Smith,Graduate Assistant The Robert A. Macoskey Center for Sustainable Systems Edu-cation and Research, Slippery Rock University

Macoskey Center Birdwatchers on Macoskey Center Trail … Photo by Dr. Becky Thomas

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December 26, 2017-Tuesday-Grove City CBC The 2017 Grove City Christmas Bird Count was held on Tuesday, December 26th after having to be rescheduled from the 23rd due to rainy weather. The weather on the 26th, how-ever, was mostly sunny, with temperatures staring out at 9 degrees at 6:40 am and a high of 17 with snow showers ending the day. This year’s total of 77 species crushed last year’s 58 species. This is due largely in part to Lake Latonka hosting a variety of waterfowl that was not present last year. Likely the most interesting bird for the day was a Ross’s Goose, found by Mary Alice Koeneke and Glenn Koppel, that was a part of the large flocks of waterfowl at Latonka. Despite the number of American Tree Sparrows being down to 200 after a total of 1625 last year, the count still boasted the second highest count, after Linesville, for the greatest number of American Tree Sparrows. Another species which was absent from the count, and was scarce on many CBCs in northwestern PA was the American Robin. 12 were seen in 2016, but none were seen in 2017. Eastern Bluebirds, on the other hand, were still plentiful. Other notable species for the day included 3 Snow Geese, a high count of 205 Sandhill Cranes, 2 Killdeer, a Northern Saw-whet Owl, a Northern Shrike, 170 Horned Larks, an American Pipit, 2 Lapland Longspurs, 50 Snow Buntings, an Eastern Towhee, and 2 Pine Siskins. Thanks to all that participated! Number of Participants: 11, Total Hours: 41.5, High Temp: 17, Low Temp: 9, Participants: Brendyn Baptiste (2), Martin Carlin (1), Barb Dean (2), George Dean (2), Mary Alice Koeneke (2), Glenn Koppel (2), David Neely (2), Neal Troyer (2), Samuel Troyer (2), Robert Walczak (2), Gene Wilhelm (2) Species:Greater White-fronted Goose–cw, Snow Goose – 3, Ross’s Goose–1, Canada Goose–1573, Tundra Swan– 48, Northern Shoveler–2, Gadwall–3, American Wigeon– 1, Mallard – 343, American Black Duck – 6, Northern Pintail –4, Green-winged Teal–9, Redhead–1, Ring-necked Duck– 2, Greater Scaup–2, Lesser Scaup–2, Bufflehead– 1, Hood-ed Merganser–2, Common Merganser–8, Ruddy Duck– 2, Ring-necked Pheasant–1, Wild Turkey–64, Common Loon –1, Northern Harrier–8, Sharp-shinned Hawk–5, Cooper’s Hawk–10, Bald Eagle–7, Red-shouldered Hawk–10, Red-tailed Hawk–56, Rough-legged Hawk–1, American Coot-12 Sandhill Crane–205, Killdeer–2, Ring-billed Gull- 7, Rock Pigeon–413, Mourning Dove–156, Eastern Screech-Owl– 1, Great Horned Owl-1, Northern Saw-whet Owl–1, Belted Kingfisher–2, Red-bellied Woodpecker–34, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker–1, Downy Woodpecker–45, Hairy Woodpecker–18, Northern Flicker–2, Pileated Woodpecker–5, American Kestrel–4, Northern Shrike–1, Blue Jay–137, American Crow -150, Horned Lark–170, Black-capped Chickadee–188, Tufted Titmouse–59, White-breasted Nuthatch–50, Brown Creeper–3, Carolina Wren–3, Golden-crowned Kinglet– 51, Eastern Bluebird–45, Northern Mockingbird–7, European Starling–320, American Pipit–1, Cedar Waxwing–10, Lapland Longspur–2, Snow Bunting–50, American Tree Sparrow–200, Dark-eyed Junco–315, White-crowned Sparrow–6, White-throated Sparrow–7, Song Sparrow- 9, Swamp Sparrow – 3, Eastern Towhee–1, Northern Cardinal-178, Red-winged Blackbird-3, Brown-headed Cowbird–1, House Finch– 62, Pine Siskin– 2,American Goldfinch – 93,House Sparrow – 292.

December 31, 2017-Sunday-52nd Pleasantville CBC Canada Goose-1320, Am. Black Duck-36, Mallard-91, N. Pintail-1, Bufflehead-5, Common Goldeneye-18, Hooded Merganser-10, Common Merganser-164, Ruffed Grouse-1, Wild Turkey-13, Great Blue Heron-4, *N. Bobwhite-1, Sharp-shinned Hawk-1, Cooper’s Hawk-2, Bald Eagle-20, Red-shouldered Hawk-4, Red-tailed Hawk-33, Rough-legged Hawk-3, Rock Pigeon-6, Mourning Dove-104, E. Screech Owl-7, Great Horned Owl-1, Short-eared Owl-1, Belted Kingfisher-6, Red-bellied Woodpecker-32, Downy Wood-pecker-57, Hairy Woodpecker-30, Pileated Woodpecker-14, American Kestrel-1, Blue Jay-335, American Crow-111, Common Raven-3, Horned Lark-16, Black-capped Chickadee-241, Tufted Titmouse-106, Red-breasted Nuthatch-1, White-breasted Nuthatch-97, Brown Creeper-5, Carolina Wren-6, Golden-crowned Kinglet-48, E. Bluebird-1, Am. Robin-1, Eur. Starling-114, Lapland Longspur-1, Snow Bunting-3, Am. Tree Sparrow-102, Song Sparrow-14, Swamp Sparrow-2, White-throated Sparrow-21, White-crowned Sparrow-1, Dark-eyed Junco-732, N. Cardinal-111, Red-winged Blackbird-1, Brown-headed Cowbird-6, House Finch-8, Pine Siskin-57, Am. Goldfinch-182, House Sparrow-209. Total 58 Species *includes N. Bobwhite at feeder, probably escaped bird. 4531 Individuals (highest ever) 1st time on count – N. Pintail, Short-eared Owl, Lapland Long-spur Only 2nd time for Horned Lark, last one was in 2012, only 3rd time for Snow Bunting last one was in 1989 Bold number indicates High count for that species. Bold Species indicates new or unusual species for the count. Notable species – Red-shouldered Hawk, Am. Kestrel, Brown-headed Cowbird Highest number ever for: Mallard, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, Hooded Merganser, Common Merganser, Red-shouldered Hawk (ties), Hairy Woodpecker, Dark-eyed Junco 2nd highest numbers for: Canada Goose, Bald Eagle, Red-bellied Woodpecker, House Sparrow Statistics: 8 species have been seen all 52 years, 8 species have been seen 51 of 52 years, 19 species have only been seen on one count (three of which we had this year). Jan.. 1, 2017: 5am to 5:00pm. Temp. -8-14F; Snow cover – 2 – 5 in., Still waters frozen, moving waters mostly open; wind 0-5mph; Over-cast in morning, partly clearing in afternoon, light flurries in p.m. Observers: 16 in field in 8 parties, 3 feeder watchers. Time/distance: 57 total party hours; 327 total party miles; including 14.5 hours & 22.75 miles on foot and 42.5 hours & 304.25 miles by car. Plus 1.75 hrs and 12 miles owling. Plus 9.75 hours at feeders. Compiler: Russ States Count Circle includes area within 15 mile diameter circle, center 4 miles SSE of Pleasantville. Count area boundary includes Enterprise to the north, Tionesta to the East, Eagle Rock to the south, and Pa. Route 8 to the west. *** Thanks to all who participated in the count this year. Hope to see you again next year*** russ

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We welcome the many of you who have recently joined Bartramian Audubon Society. As a reminder, the expiration date of your membership with the BAS should be on your address label. Please renew in a timely fashion as to not miss future newsletters. If you have any questions about your membership status, feel free to contact the membership chair, Russ States – [email protected]. B&B and Wildlife Sanctuary renewals are handled by the sanctuary chair in June each year. The $15.00 per sanctu-ary checks should be made payable to BAS and mailed to BAS Sanctuary Chair Kathie Goodblood 170 Keith Lane, Franklin, PA 16323 _____$15.00 BAS per Sanctuary Renewal-includes membership and newsletter


Please check below _____$15.00 BAS Membership fee- includes newsletter _____$10.00 Electronic Student Membership Please send this form along with your name, address, and e-



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Upland Informer

Volume 36 Issue 3 Official Newsletter of the Bartramian Audubon Society Summer 2018



Our membership meetings are held the second Monday of the month at 7:00 p.m. at the Jennings Environmental Education Center, 2961 Prospect Road, Slippery Rock, PA. The Educa-tion Center is located on Rt. 528 just west of its junction with Rt. 8- about five miles south of Slippery Rock. The meetings are free and open to the public. September 10, 2018-Monday-Patagonia: Nature at the End of the Earth

The Patagonia region of southern Chile and Argentina has long been a lure for those who seek adventure or solitude or natural wonders. Vast plains, snow-capped mountains, and iceberg-laden glacial lakes are the setting for an almost star-tling array of wildlife: Guanacos (the wild ancestors of lla-mas), flamingos, rheas, parakeets...The Straits of Magellan and Tierra del Fuego host penguins, albatrosses, petrels, and more. This presentation will survey many of the highlights of "the uttermost part of the earth." BAS President Jeff Hall will present the program.

Upcoming Activities Sunday, July 22 – Annual Picnic Two Mile Run County Park in Venango County is the site of this year’s annual picnic. We’ll start grilling between 5:00 and 5:30 pm; arrive around 4:00 for a walk on the trails, or earlier to explore the park on your own. Bring a dish to share and your own place setting. We will provide hot dogs and drinks. The covered Fishing Pier Pavilion has picnic tables and restroom facilities. From the light in downtown Franklin at the intersection of US Route 322 and 13th street, turn north to stay on 322 and proceed across the bridge. Move right to turn onto Route 417 toward Rocky Grove. Drive 6.2 miles on 417, then turn right onto Baker Road (there is a sign for Two Mile Run County Park.) After 1 mile, bear left as Baker Road merges onto Cherrytree Road. Proceed .5 miles on Cherrytree Road (passing by the boat launch) and turn right onto Beach Road, just after the one-lane bridge. The next right, after about 100 yards, leads to the Fishing Pier.

Activities in Review May 8, 2017-Annual Membership Meeting and Awards Night President Jeffrey Hall conducted a short business meeting in which a new slate of officers was elected. President-Jeffrey Hall, Vice-President-Martin Carlin, Treasurer-Russ States, and Secretary-Dave Neely. Upcoming events were announced before the awards ceremony. Awards were then presented.

THE HELEN R. FERGUSON FUND SCHOLARSIP IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES AT WESTMINSTER COLLEGE PRESENTED TO ANDREW KEARNEY

Dr. Patrick Krantz and Andrew Kearney

Andrew’s plan is to work as an environmental engineer where he can use his “passion for the environment and skills in math and science to work to solve the ongoing challenges of main-taining a healthy balance between the environment and an expanding human population.” He has accepted an internship the Pennsylvania DEP for the summer. The award was pre-sented by Dr. Patrick Krantz, Director of the Outdoor Labora-tory at Westminster. THE MIKE ALLEN STARKER ECOLOGY SCHOLARSHIP

IN ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES AT SLIPPERY ROCK UNIVERSITY PRESENTED TO ANNA BURTCH

Anna Burtch and Dr. Heike Hartmann



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Anna Burtch from Grove City, PA finished her second year at Slippery Rock University and while doing this, she was al-ready a junior by academic standing. Her first major is Geog-raphy with a Concentration in Environmental Studies and Sus-tainability and she has a 4.0 major GPA. Anna has recently declared a second major in Park and Resource Management. In the future she would like to pursue a graduate degree in the field of sustainability. Her award was presented by Dr Heike Hartmann, Dept. of Geology, Geography, and the Environ-ment, S.R.U.

“SHARING NATURE: AN EDUCATOR’S WEEK” CAMP AT HOG ISLAND, MAINE SCHOLARSHIP

PRESENTED TO TINA ZACHERL

Tina Zacherl and Becky Lubold

Each year Bartramian Audubon awards a scholarship to a local teacher to attend “Sharing Nature: An Educator’s Week” at Audubon Camp in Maine on Hog Island. Tina Zacherl has received the scholarship for 2018. Tina teaches science to sec-ond and third graders at South Butler Primary School in Sax-onburg. She is very excited about attending the camp, learn-ing more about birds (including puffins!), and bringing back new knowledge and ideas to enhance her school’s science curriculum. Congratulations to Tina, and best wishes for a wonderful adventure on the Maine coast. Her award was pre-sented by Becky Lubold, BAS Education Chair.

GENE AND JOANNE WILHELM SCHOLARSHIP TO ATTEND THE “COASTAL MAINE AVIAN STUDIES PROGRAM FOR TEENS” PRESENTED TO MOLLY

ALAYNE DONAHUE, QUINN HILTON, AND ROBERT THOMAS LIPNICHAN III

Molly, Robert, and Quinn

Molly Donahue is a student at Moniteau High School, West Sunbury and lives in West Sunbury. She has completed nu-

merous science classes. Molly is also an avid photographer. She is intrigued by birds and has had the pleasure of studying them in National Parks where her parents were park rangers. Molly has volunteered at Moraine State Park preparing blue-bird boxes and led a gifted school program on owls. She wants to learn as much as she can at Hog Island camp to ensure that she improves and protects nature back home. Quinn Hilton is a student at Neshannock High School and lives in New Castle, PA.In 2016, he participated in the Water-shed Challenge, an environmental education competition in the Shenango Valley/Pymatuning area in northwestern PA. He studied the general principles of ecology in a Science Olympiad competition. Quinn is also a musician, loves ice hockey and tap dancing, and is a keen wood carver/painter. He wants to learn about the potential possibilities of a career in ornithology at the Bird Studies for Teens program. Robert Lipnichan lives in Bruin and attends Saint Joseph’s High School, Natrona Heights, PA. Robert attended the Clar-ion University Summer Honors Academy for Fisheries and Wildlife Biology in July 2017, earned Eagle Scout rank on August 30, 2017, conducted research on solar cells and LEDs for Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science competition, and has received awards for all of the activities mentioned. Robert wants to attend the Bird Studies for Teens program to learn more about birds( especially puffins), to identify birds by their sounds , more about their lifestyles, and why birds are so im-portant to our natural ecosystems everywhere in the world. Good luck this summer in Maine. We look forward to hearing about your Audubon camp experiences in December. AWARD FOR SUSTAINABLE CONSERVATION BY AN

ORGANIZATION PRESENTED TO ALLEGHENY AQUATIC ALLIANCE

Christina and Mike Handley, President and Vice President

Allegheny Aquatic Alliance’s mission is to restore the waters of Western Pennsylvania to their natural state by removing and combating pollution, reinstating the organic environment, and educating the community of the threats to our waterways in order to empower and encourage public action for water-shed preservation.

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AWARD FOR SUSTAINABLE CONSERVATION BY A BUSINESS PRESENTED TO ECO SHEEP

Sam Hopkins, Founder

EcoSheep®, located in Cranberry Township, PA, is the leader in eco-friendly bicycle lubricants. Every year bike owners apply nearly 6.3 million gallons of harmful petroleum to their bicycles to lubricate their chain and gears. This petroleum has nowhere to go, so it winds up in our soil and waterways, pol-luting our environment and making a green activity not so green anymore. Eco Sheep® solves this problem by produc-ing lanolin based, petroleum-free bicycle chain lubricants. These lubes out perform petroleum and are non-toxic, biode-gradable, and sustainable. Eco Sheep’s lanolin lubricants are the only EPA Safer Choice® and USDA BioPreferred® designated bike lubes in the world.

AWARD FOR SUSTAINABLE CONSERVATION BY AN

INDIVIDUAL PRESENTED TO DR. JULIE SNOW

Dr. Julie Snow and Dr. Gene Wilhelm

Dr. Julie Snow is a friend of our chapter who shared her in-sights about climate change with us in a compelling program a few years ago. Tonight’s award is for her direct activism as founder of Rock Roast, a non- profit, student driven company at SRU. Rock Roast brings to our area shade-grown coffee from the rainforests of Nicaragua produced by local farmers in the area using growing techniques that protect the canopy

forests that provide habitat for both tropical birds and many migrants that return to NW Pennsylvania.

NEW SANCTUARIES

Sanctuary Chair Kathie Goodblood presented the new Sanctu-ary owners. Bird and Butterfly Sanctuaries: Martin Carlin, Butler County, Pennsylvania; Michelle S. Fielding, Mercer County, Pennsylvania; Jennifer Keller-Birkes, Butler County, Pennsylvania, and Jim and Leslie Hubenthal, Lawrence Coun-ty,Pennsylvania.

Michelle Fielding, Leslie and Jim Hubenthal, Jennifer Keller-

Birkes, and Martin Carlin

In Memory of Helen Ruth Ferguson Helen had three loves in her life: God, teaching, and birds and she truthfully combined all three into a trilogy of continuous life-giving expressed faithfully in her marvelous execution of helping church, fellow human beings, and wild birds. I’d like to stress her personal input with Audubon. She was a strong voice in urging three Slippery Rock University undergraduate students to start the process of petitioning the National Audubon Society for a chapter to fill the geographic void between Western Pennsylvania Audu-bon Society and Presque Isle Audubon Society. Helen quietly and effectively persuaded conservation friends to become National Audubon Society members. In the autumn of 1982, the name “Bar-tramian” was suggested and approved by the membership because a shore bird, the Upland Sandpiper (Bartramia longicauda), nested on the SRU campus at that time. In 1983, the species became the chapter’s logo as well. The Bartramian Audubon Society became an official chapter of the National Audubon Society on Monday 21 March 1983 and is doing well thirty-five years later, thanks in no small measure to Helen Ferguson. Helen later became an excel-lent President of the chapter and graciously funded the annual Hel-en B. Ferguson Scholarship in Environmental Science at Westmin-ster College, New Wilmington, Pennsylvania for a worthy under-graduate student interested in environmental issues. Gone from our physical midst but not forgotten. Gene Wilhelm, Ph. D

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We welcome the many of you who have recently joined Bartramian Audubon Society. As a reminder, the expiration date of your membership with the BAS should be on your address label. Please renew in a timely fashion as to not miss future newsletters. If you have any questions about your membership status, feel free to contact the membership chair, Russ States – [email protected]. B&B and Wildlife Sanctuary renewals are handled by the sanc-tuary chair in June each year. The $15.00 or more per sanctuary checks should be made payable to BAS and mailed to BAS Sanc-tuary Chair Kathie Goodblood 170 Keith Lane, Franklin, PA 16323

_____$15.00 BAS Sanctuary Renewal- includes membership and newsletter


Please check below _____$15.00 BAS Membership fee- includes newsletter _____$10.00 Electronic Student Membership Please send this form along with your name, address, and e-



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