January 2007 Outings

Lawrence County Farm Country

Jim Valimont will lead at least two outings in search of Snow Buntings, Horned Larks, Lapland Longspurs, Rough-legged Hawks, Sandhill Cranes, and Shorteared Owls. Jim will determine the dates to have the best chance of viewing these winter birds (which is when there is snow on the ground).

Attendance will be limited. Call Jim in early January to reserve a spot, and he will contact you when the dates are set. Preference will be given to those who have not been on previous Lawrence County winter trips. Participants will meet at noon in the park-and-ride lot in Cranberry Township to organize carpools. The lot is at the intersection of Routes 19 and 228 (across from Denny's). Enter the lot from the service road, accessible from behind the Burger King on Route 19.

Saturday, January 6 — Western Shenango Lake & Mosquito Creek Lake, Ohio

Scott Gregg, Karena, and Marianna will guide us on a winter raptor outing. Meet the Gregg family at McDonald’s in Hermitage at 9 AM. Call Scott if you plan to attend so that he has your contact number if the trip is rescheduled. The weather will be a deciding factor.

Mosquito Creek Lake in Ohio can be a winter raptor magnet for Bald Eagles, Rough-legged Hawks, Northern Harriers, Red-shouldered Hawks, and Red-tailed Hawks (and maybe a few other surprises). Many ducks and gulls are sometimes present at Mosquito Creek Lake. If time permits, we may also check the Grand River Wildlife Area. Bring a bag lunch or eat at one of several nearby fast-food restaurants in Cortland or Warren, Ohio. Dress for cold conditions. From Pittsburgh take Route I-79 north to Route I-80 west to Route 18 north. McDonald's is on the left as you enter the shopping area of Hermitage.

Saturday, January 20 — Presque Isle

Isle: This will be  leaderless outing. During winter a variety of gulls can be seen. Meet at 9 AM at the first parking lot on your right in the park. Gulls, waterfowl, and rare winter species such as Common Redpoll and Snowy Owl are our targets. Bring a lunch or eat at a nearby restaurant. Dress very warmly in layers. A ski mask may help, because the wind off the lake can be painful. The park is at the north end of Route 832 in Erie. Take I-79 north to the Route 20 exit at 26th Street (Exit No. 43). Keep left at the fork in the ramp. Merge onto Route 20 west. Turn right (north) from Route 20 onto Route 832 and go 2.1 miles to the park. Total distance from Pittsburgh is about 130 miles. Estimated driving time: 2.5 hours.

Thursday, January 25 — University of Pittsburgh, Hillman Library

The University of Pittsburgh's recently restored original edition of John James Audubon's Birds of America will be shown to the Three Rivers Birding Club by Charles Aston, head of Pitt’s Special Collections & Rare Books Department (in Hillman Library) and an authority on the Darlington Library's Audubon copy of The Birds of America. Pitt’s collection is the Audubon/Havell edition of life-size, hand-colored, engraved prints, (considered by many to be the finest print ornithological work ever published). Moreover, this collection has been recently dis-bound, cleaned, and restored and the individual prints are now easily accessible. Among the prints to be displayed for us will be the Peregrine Falcon, Ivory-billed Woodpecker, Passenger Pigeon (now extinct, and the only bird of the collection which Audubon painted in Pittsburgh) and the highly controversial (at least in the 1850s) kingbird defending its nest against a serpentine intruder. Also, other original editions of ornithological art will be on view including Alexander Wilson's American Ornithology.

If there is a particular Audubon bird print you would like to see, please make your request at least two weeks before the meeting. Remember that there are a total of 435 Audubon prints in the work; we will be seeing only a small fraction of those, but these will be available “up close and personal” on what is certain to be a memorable evening.

Contact Eric Marchbein with reservations, requests, or questions. We will meet in the Special Collections Reading Room, 363 Hillman Library (3rd floor), University of Pittsburgh, at 7:30 PM..