September 2006
Friday, September 1 — Harrison Hills Park (by participant Sarah Gerrish)
Thirteen birders met on a cool, damp, overcast morning for a walk led by Jack and Sue Solomon and assisted by Paul Hess. As the morning progressed the group expanded to 17.
Things started off very quietly. Some of us were hoping that the pending rain storm would bring down the migrants. Suddenly a wave of warblers flitted among the trees. Along the creek Jack spotted a Canada Warbler. An adult male and a female Hooded Warbler put on quite a show for everyone, along with several Magnolia Warblers and an American Redstart. There were a few Black-capped Chickadees, Tufted Titmice, and Northern Cardinals. Farther along there were Blue-winged, Black-throated Blue, Chestnut-sided, and Nashville Warblers.
When we reached the restrooms a decision was made to retrace the creek instead of the trail parallel to the river overlook because of the strong wind from the east. We got a good view of a female Eastern Towhee and heard an Acadian Flycatcher.
Back at the parking lot we had good numbers of birds including a great view of an immature male Black-and-white Warbler and a couple of American Redstarts. Also seen was a Scarlet Tanager, and Glenn Matteson spotted a Rose-breasted Grosbeak.
We then drove over to the soccer fields and walked to the pond. The pond was just a big puddle and the island was no longer an island, because nearly all of the water had drained through a hole in the overflow pipe! But the dam had just been repaired, and there was a nice mudflat. In the adjacent brush we had Black-throated Green Warblers and a Blackburnian Warbler. Paul spotted an elusive Wilson's Warbler. On the mudflats three Solitary Sandpipers initially caused a bit of debate and confusion about which species they were.
By the end of the walk we had 13 warbler species and a total of 39 species – a very rewarding outing.
Species List (39 total, including 13 warbler species) Compiled by Paul Hess:
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Solitary Sandpiper (3) Mourning Dove (1) Chimney Swift (1) Ruby-throated Hummingbird (4) Red-bellied Woodpecker (1) Downy Woodpecker (2) Pileated Woodpecker (1) Eastern Wood-Pewee (4) Acadian Flycatcher (1) [Empidonax flycatcher species (3)] Red-eyed Vireo (8) Blue Jay (5) American Crow (2) Black-capped Chickadee (8) Tufted Titmouse (6) White-breasted Nuthatch (4) Carolina Wren (3) Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (2) American Robin (5) Gray Catbird (2) |
Blue-winged Warbler (1) Nashville Warbler (1) Chestnut-sided Warbler (2) Magnolia Warbler (8) Black-throated Blue Warbler (2) Black-throated Green Warbler (6) Blackburnian Warbler (1) Black-and-white Warbler (2) American Redstart (6) Common Yellowthroat (5) Hooded Warbler (2) Wilson's Warbler (1) Canada Warbler (1) Scarlet Tanager (1) Eastern Towhee (2) Northern Cardinal (10) Rose-breasted Grosbeak (1) Brown-headed Cowbird (1) American Goldfinch (8) House Sparrow (1) |
Sunday, September 3 — Lower Buffalo Creek Watershed (by leader Larry Helgerman)
September is a great month for birding in Western Pennsylvania. Temperatures tend to be mild, and it is an opportunity to see a nice variety of species – birds you may have seen last spring or ones that eluded you. Important Bird Area 80 in Washington County seems to be getting better for birds. It is located in and around State Gameland 232, which in recent years has increased in size by the acquisition of thousands of acres, much of the area formerly agricultural fields. This transitional acreage is adding to the diversity, and reclaiming a number of wetlands can only be a good thing.
The 12 participants were greeted to a partly cloudy 60-degree morning with calm winds. Weather predictors said no rain. Hmm. With the tail of hurricane Ernesto still spitting a few light sprinkles on and off, we headed uphill in search of birds of open country. Red-tailed Hawks, American Kestrels, Eastern Meadowlarks, Barn Swallows, Savannah Sparrows, and Eastern Bluebirds were just a start. Lots of speckled fledglings were trying out their young wings.
Next we went back down the valley to the newly refurbished and beautiful red-covered bridge. Here we began our first walk of the day. Along with the avian life the group was enthralled with all the aspects of nature on this late-summer day. Going up a small hill we hit the first of a few waves of Neotropical migrants. The birds were flitting through the treetops, zipping back and forth. The light created silhouettes of many birds, but we were still able to get good views here and there, identifying Blackburnian and Magnolia Warblers as well as Yellow-throated and Warbling Vireos. A few of the vireos even sang. I know that a few species escaped our checklist because we had only fleeting glimpses of fall warblers moving fast in the treetops.
We made our way though the old scout camp fields, collecting countless seeds on our clothes, and spotted a Wood Thrush, Cedar Waxwings, a Hooded Warbler, and families of Eastern Towhees.
Next we drove back to the Greencove Wetlands for a lunch break, and then we were off on our second walk. The wildflowers were amazing! The areas surrounding the wetlands were just beautiful the Ironweed, Joe-Pye Weed, Wingstem, Ox-Eye's and the Jewelweed. Wow! This was the nicest wildflower display I have seen in the IBA. Areas where I normally take groups were so thick with flowers that we couldn’t enter them.
Walking around the wetlands we enjoyed watching a number of Green Herons, some flying about and others posing on branches. Mary Grey almost jumped out of her skin when a male Ring-necked Pheasant flew out by her feet. We watched Wood Ducks with their young, and swallows and swifts flying about. Up in the fields, flocks of chipping Indigo Buntings in transitional plumage zipped about. We started noticing Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds early in the day, and every place we explored seemed to have a few more. Now, amid Jewelweed above the wetlands, the hummers were everywhere, and we just stood watching one after another. This was really nice!
Winding our way back to the cars, we wrapped up our outing with many juvenile Red-winged Blackbirds and a few golden-colored Bobolinks, and a very cooperative Brown Thrasher. It was another fine IBA-80 September outing.
Species List (57 total species)
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Canada Goose Wood Duck Wild Turkey Great Blue Heron Green Heron Turkey Vulture Red-tailed Hawk American Kestrel (3) Rock Pigeon Mourning Dove Yellow-billed Cuckoo Chimney Swift Ruby-throated Hummingbird (20+) Belted Kingfisher Red-bellied Woodpecker Downy Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker Northern Flicker Eastern Wood-Pewee Eastern Phoebe White-eyed Vireo Yellow-throated Vireo Warbling Vireo Blue Jay American Crow Barn Swallow Carolina Chickadee Tufted Titmouse White-breasted Nuthatch |
Brown Creeper Carolina Wren Eastern Bluebird Wood Thrush American Robin Gray Catbird Northern Mockingbird Brown Thrasher European Starling Cedar Waxwing Magnolia Warbler Blackburnian Warbler Black-and-white Warbler Common Yellowthroat Hooded Warbler Eastern Towhee Chipping Sparrow Field Sparrow Savannah Sparrow Song Sparrow Northern Cardinal Rose-breasted Grosbeak Bobolink Red-winged Blackbird Eastern Meadowlark Brown-headed Cowbird American Goldfinch House Sparrow |
A partly cloudy morning with intermittent light rain early, partly cloudy afternoon. Temps. low 60s warming up to 70. Winds calm. Areas covered: 2 miles SR-221; 1 mile SR-4024; 1 mile SR-4059; Walked T-611 Buffalo Camp Rd. and Scout Field 3 miles. Walked Greencove Wetlands 2 miles. Participants: Neil Nodelman, Ellen Hamiel, John Oleyar, Dave & Paty Niedfeldt, Carol Baker, Thomas & Nancy Moeller, Mark Leist, Robin Sanahouse, Mary Grey, and Larry Helgerman leader.
Saturday, September 9 — Presque Isle (by participant Margie Kern) (View Photos)
Fifteen participants came on this outing, mostly seeking migrant warblers. Things were slow at most places, with the best hot spot being Fry's Landing. At that location the warblers included Black-throated Green, Magnolia, Palm, Blackpoll, Yellow-rumped, Nashville, Bay-breasted, and a female Black-throated Blue. Also seen were a female Scarlet Tanager, a Red-breasted Nuthatch, and Red-eyed and Philadelphia Vireos.
A Red-headed Woodpecker and a pair of Purple Finches were the highlight of Sidewalk Trail. At Thompson Ba y were three Pied-billed Grebes, three Green Herons, one Greater Yellowlegs, and three Common Terns. Several Ruby-throated Hummingbirds were seen during the day, and we found an American Redstart and a Cooper's Hawk on Long Pond Trail.
Other birds mentioned by members of the group included a Bald Eagle at Geneva Marsh and Sandhill Cranes at I-80, both species seen along I-79 by Randi and Sarah Gerrish. Our totals at Presque Isle were 11 warbler species and 56 total species.
Species list:
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Canada Goose Wood Duck Mallard Pied-billed Grebe Double-crested Cormorant Great Blue Heron Green Heron Turkey Vulture Cooper's Hawk Greater Yellowlegs Ring-billed Gull Common Tern Mourning Dove Chimney Swift Ruby-throated Hummingbird Belted Kingfisher Red-headed Woodpecker Downy Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker Northern Flicker Eastern Wood-Pewee East ern Phoebe Eastern Kingbird Warbling Vireo Philadelphia Vireo Red-eyed Vireo Blue Jay Tree Swallow |
Black-capped Chickadee Tufted Titmouse Red-breasted Nuthatch White-breasted Nuthatch Carolina Wren House Wren Swainson's Thrush American Robin Gray Catbird European Starling Cedar Waxwing Nashville Warbler Magnolia Warbler Black-throated Blue Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler Black-throated Green Warbler Palm Warbler Bay-breasted Warbler Blackpoll Warbler American Redstart Common Yellowthroat Wilson's Warbler Scarlet Tanager Eastern Towhee Northern Cardinal Rose-breasted Grosbeak Purple Finch American Goldfinch |
Monday & Tuesday, September 25 & 26 — Birds & Beer (by Don Gibbon)
I showed up at 7:10PM on the 25th, which was Monday. The announcement had called for us to be there on Tuesday the 25th, and since we had been too late for this phenomenon last year, I didn't want to miss it this time.
Jack and Sue were there too, but no one else. The sky was empty when I arrived but soon there were a couple of hundred chittering swifts flying in all directions in the air space surrounding and above the tall yellow brick chimney. The cloud of birds seemed to swirl aimlessly like planets which had lost their orbits around a low-gravity sun. But in a few minutes, sluuurp.... and down shot a black streak into the chimney at full tilt, as if the individual bird had gotten caught in a powerful vacuum slot. Then another, and another... no pattern, no predictability, a least as far as I could see... sluurp, sluurp, down they went, one after another... and soon the sky had gone silent, sucked bare of birds. Most amazing to us humans, just an ordinary end-of-the-day for the chimney swifts. Who knows where they'd be if they didn't have chimneys? It's hard to imagine evolution working so rapdily as to develop this interdependency among species. But if we really come down hard on Global Warming and stop burning coal... and thus don't need chimneys any more, where will they be?
Eveything's connected to everything else, said John Muir.
