Seasonal Editors204 BOOK REVIEW - The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Eastern North America..... Gene Whlieml 207 Summary of the Season - June - July 2003 ..... Dan Braunnig 208 Photographic

Seasonal EditorsDaniel BrauningMichael FialkovichDeuane HoffmanDouglas Kibbe Roberta Zwier

Department EditorsBook Reviews

Gene Wilhelm, Ph.D.513 Kelly Blvd.Slippery Rock [email protected]

CBC ReportNick Bolgiano711 W. Foster Ave.State College, PA [email protected]

Hawk Watch ReportsKyle McCartyKeith BildsteinHawk Mountain Sanctuary1700 Hawk Mountain RoadKempton 19529(610) [email protected]

NAMCBill Etter1030 Old Bethlehem Road,Apt#2Perkasie, PA 18944(215)-258-0229 [email protected]

Pennsylvania BirdlistsPeter RobinsonP. O. Box 482Hanover, PA [email protected]

Photo-QuizRick WiltrautJacobsburg EE Center835 Jacobsburg RoadWind Gap, PA 18091

Site GuidesRudy Keller71 Lutz RdBoyertown, PA [email protected]

Data TechnicianWendy Jo Shemansky1613 Aurelius StreetApt. 1Swissvale, PA [email protected]

Publication ManagerFranklin Haas2469 Hammertown Rd.Narvon, PA [email protected]

Contents

173 Editorial174 Black-capped Chickadee Irruptions in Pennsylvania. . . . Nick Bolgiano179 Modeling the Potential Impacts of Climate Change on the Summer

Distributions of Pennsylvania’s Nongame Birds . . . . . . Jeff Price183 Pennsylvania Bird Clubs- Birding Club of Delaware County and the

Presque Isle Audubon Society184 Digiscoping: Adding a New Dimension to Birding . . . . . . . . Elaine Ryan187 Pennsylvania Bird Lists For 2002 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Peter Robinson194 The Next 10 New Species for Pennsylvania . . . . . . . . . . Nick Pulcinella204 BOOK REVIEW - The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Eastern North America. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gene Wilhelm207 Summary of the Season - June - July 2003 . . . . . . . . . . . Dan Brauning208 Photographic Highlights210 Birds of Note - June - July 2003212 Local Notes231 Photo Quiz #1 Answer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rick Wiltraut232 Breeding Bird Tables244 Photo-Quiz #2

PENNSYLVANIA BIRDSJournal of the Pennsylvania Society for Ornithology

Volume 17 Number 3 June – July 2003

Nick Pulcinella - Editor-in-chief(610) 696-0687 [email protected]://www.pabirds.org

ILLUSTRATIONS:COVER: American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos). Presque Isle S.P., Erie, 10 July 2003 (Jerry McWilliams). Very unusualin mid-summer, this bird was present 8-12 July.

PENNSYLVANIA BIRDS 173 2003 – VOLUME 17 NO. 2

PENNSYLVANIA BIRDS (ISSN 0898-8501) is published four times a year by Pennsylvania Birds. Editorial and business offices are located at2469 Hammertown Road, Narvon, PA 17555-9730. Subscriptions, all in US$: One year U.S.A. $28.50, Canada $40, Foreign $45. Library rate$30. Single copies:, $5.50. Checks and money orders in U.S.$ only should be made payable to PSO. Copyright © 2004 by Pennsylvania Societyfor Ornithology. SECOND CLASS POSTAGE PAID AT NARVON, PA 17555POSTMASTER: Send address changes to PSO, 2469 Hammertown Road, Narvon, PA 17555-9726.

from the Editor...

The Summer issue coveringthe breeding season historicallycontains the least number ofbird reports as reflected in theLocal Notes section but theimportance of these reportscannot be understated. Thisyear we embark on the 2nd

Pennsylvania Breeding BirdAtlas Project. No doubt, therewill notable changes in breedingstatus and range from theprevious atlas completed in1989. I hope you will peruse thelocal notes and especially theBreeding Bird Table andbecome familiar with thecurrent and potential breedingspecies of your county. There ispotential for us to accomplishgreat work in the upcomingatlas. I hope you will also giveserious thought to thecomments supplied by Jeff Pricein his article that he has kindlysubmitted to our publication.

Nick Bolgiano presents aninteresting perspective onBlack-capped Chickadeeirruptions and Elaine Ryan wasobliging in reply to my requestfor an article on digiscoping bypresenting a very informativepiece on this increasing hobby.Peter Robinson continues hisyeoman work of compiling ourPennsylvania Bird Lists. Pleaseremember to submit your 2003lists as soon as possible.

Lastly, I thank all thosewho submitted their top 10 newstate species for my article.

County Compiler News.

In the previous issue Imentioned there would be anew compiler for Tioga County.What I failed to mentioned andfor which I need to apologize isthe lack of recognition to theoutgoing compiler Robert Ross.Bob was the Tioga compilerfrom fall 1990 through winter2002-2003. During his tenurehe never missed submitting asingle seasonal report. Ierroneously listed Bob as theTioga compiler for Spring 2003for which no report wassubmitted giving him a falseblemish on his otherwise stellarperformance. I hope you willhave continued good birdingfrom that attractive northerntier county.

Doug Gross, the newcompiler for Columbia County,will be submitting reportsbeginning with the Winterseason NOT the Fall season asmentioned in the previousi s s u e . A n y o n e h a v i n gobservation from ColumbiaCounty for the Fall season cansend them directly to the editor.

Corrigendum

Please note the photograph ofthe Glossy Ibis PB 17:120should be credited to KarlKugle and the last line of thecaption should read There were20 sightings of this species thisspring.

Also, the correction in the lastissue concerning the number ofbirds on the Official List wasincorrect. The number reportedin the last PORC report V17N1, page 25, was correct at 395.

Nick PulcinellaEditor-in-Chief


Black-capped Chickadee Irruptions in PennsylvaniaNicholas C. Bolgiano

Irruptions of birds from Canadaand the northern United Statessouthward during fall and early winterwere once thought to be irregularevents. But Aaron Bagg (1969) notedthat large alternate-year movements ofBlack-capped Chickadees (Poecileatricapillus) in Ontario during 1951-68coincided with Alma Chapman’sobservations of low natural foodsupplies in Maine. Subsequently, Bockand Lepthien (1972; 1976), and laterKoenig (2001), in analyses ofChristmas Bird Count (CBC) data,found North American counts of borealspecies synchronized with the Black-capped Chickadee irruptions,particularly of Red-breastedNuthatches (Sitta canadensis),Common Redpolls (Carduelisflammea), Evening Grosbeaks(Coccothraustes vespertinus), and PineGrosbeaks (Pinicola enucleator)(Koenig 2001). I previously discussedirruptive movements of northernfinches and Red-breasted Nuthatchesin Pennsylvania (Bolgiano 1997). Thatirruptions tend to occur in alternateyears appears to be related toalternate-year tendencies of trees tomast, or produce large numbers ofseeds. Synchronous masting can occurover vast areas, up to 2500 km in span(Koenig and Knops 1998, 2000). Inwinters when there are sufficientseeds, many boreal seed-eating birdsremain in northern areas; when seedproduction is low, they irrupt in searchof food (Bock and Lepthien 1976;Koenig and Knops 2001).

During late September to earlyNovember of irruption years, Black-capped Chickadees move southward,particularly along the edges of theGreat Lakes and the Atlantic Ocean.By the time the CBC begins in mid-December, these birds have largelydispersed. However, there are threeplaces in eastern North America whereunusually large numbers of Black-capped Chickadee have congregatedduring the CBC, all near wheregeographical leading lines meet thecontact zone between Black-cappedChickadees and Carolina Chickadees(Poecile carolinensis): southeasternPennsylvania, along the western end of

Lake Erie, and at the southern end ofLake Michigan (Figure 1). Lesscommonly, large numbers of Black-capped Chickadees have also appearedin northern Ohio and in northern NewJersey. Among these areas, it is fromsoutheastern Pennsylvania where thedata have exhibited the strongestsignal of regular irruptions. [Thecontact zone line of Figure 1 separatesthe more northern CBC sites whereBlack-capped Chickadees outnumberCarolina Chickadees from the moresouthern CBC sites where CarolinaChickadees outnumber Black-cappedChickadees during the years 1980-96(data from Shipman 1998) and issimilar to the zone of Harrap andQuinn (1995). This line is meant to bea general indication of the contact zoneand does not reflect local exceptions orrecent changes.]

Annual Dispersal of Black-capped Chickadees. Short-distancedispersal of juvenile Black-cappedChickadees is part of their annualcycle. Juveniles leave their parents inlate June to early July, about three tofour weeks after fledging, moving anaverage of about one kilometer (Smith1967; Weise and Meyer 1979). Flocksform in late August and September(Smith 1984); the new juveniles joiningwith non-parental adults can create anabundance of chickadees at somelocations. Juvenile chickadees are low

in the dominance rankings and manybecome flock switchers, moving fromflock to flock until they pair up, oftensubstituting for a bird that died (Smith1984). Chickadees seem to be able toassess the local abundance of food,such as conifer seeds or insects, at thetime of flock formation, with morejuveniles being tolerated by older birdswhen there are sufficient resources forall (Smith 1994). When food is in shortsupply, chickadees may move south inirruptive flights. Banding stationrecords indicate that juveniles typicallycomprise most, up to 80-85%, ofirrupting chickadees. In some years,however, more adults are involved(Bagg 1969; Finch 1969; Yunick 1981;Smith 1991).

Pennsylvania CBC ChickadeeTrends. A common method forexamining bird survey trends is togroup sites within geographicalregions, and that is the approach Iused here. The Pennsylvania regionswere based upon physiographicprovinces and the breeding zones forB l a c k - c ap p e d a n d C a r o l i n aChickadees. They include five sites inthe southwestern corner (Southwestregion), other sites on the AlleghenyPlateau plus Erie in the Eastern Lakeprovince (Allegheny region), Ridge &Valley sites, and two regions fromsouth of the Appalachian mountains:Southeast 1, below the Figure 1 contact


zone between Black-capped andCarolina Chickadees, and Southeast 2,above that zone. Sites were omitted ifthey d idn ’ t meet minimumrequirements: a current site of at least6 years duration and a mean of 25party hours/year. The trends of Black-capped, Carolina, and unidentifiedchickadee counts per party hour areshown in Figure 2, beginning in thefirst year past 1950 when party hoursexceeded 100. A CBC year is defined asthe year in which Christmas occurs.

The 1953-1983 Black-cappedChickadee data from southeasternPennsylvania exhibited the see-sawpattern evident of alternate-yearoscillations. However, changes in thispattern occurred after 1983. North ofthe contact zone (Southeast 2), theoscillating pattern appears to havedampened, as the year-to-yearvariability, measured by the standarddeviation, decreased by half (1.39during 1951-83 and 0.69 during 1984-2002). South of the contact zone(Southeast 1), large numbers of Black-capped Chickadees were not observedafter 1983. This drop-off could not beexplained by an increase inunidentified chickadees. Over time, thecounts/party hours of CarolinaChickadees have gradually increased,more so in recent decades, as theirbreeding range has expanded and thebreeding range of Black-cappedChickadees has correspondinglyretracted (McWilliams and Brauning2000; Hess, unpub. ms.) (Figure 2).

The year-to-year pattern of Black-capped Chickadees in the southeastsometimes deviated from alternatinglow and high values. For example, lowcounts occurred in both 1966 and 1967,while high counts occurred in both1968 and 1969. This particulardeviation was noted across easternNorth America for Black-cappedChickadees and other species (Bagg1969; Bock and Lepthien 1976). Ingeneral, high counts were more likelyto have occurred when Christmas fellin an odd-numbered year.

The oscillating pattern was mostpronounced at sites in and near theLehigh Valley: Bethlehem-Easton,Lehigh Valley, Reading, Lititz, andElverson. Though not as intense, italso occurred in a string of sites to thewest and south: Chambersburg, York,Harrisburg, Lancaster, Delaware

County (Glenolden), Wyncote,Pennypack Valley, and SouthernBucks County. The ending of theoscillation occurred simultaneously atthese sites; the dampening of theoscillation was not caused by the start-up of new sites.

In the Allegheny and Ridge &Valley regions, counts/hour from a fewconsecutive years alternated high andlow numbers, as in 1999-2002, but thisdid not occur over long spans as in thesoutheast (Figure 2). No cyclic patternwas apparent in data from theSouthwest region, where the count perhour of Carolina Chickadees andchickadee sp. gradually increased,while the count per hour of Black-capped Chickadees declined (Figure 2).These trends in southwesternPennsylvania correspond to a CarolinaChickadee range expansion and Black-capped Chickadee range retractionthat occurred there as well. Inaddition, some southwestern observersbelatedly recognized they were seeingCarolinas Chickadees rather thanBlack-capped Chickadees andsubsequently, more care was given tochickadee identification, with morechickadees not identified to species(Hess, unpub. ms.).

A similar correction has recentlybeen taking place in southeasternPennsylvania. Before 1997, nearly all

chickadees there were identified aseither Black-capped or Carolina.Increasingly, more chickadees thereare not identified to species,particularly at Harrisburg, Bernville,Hamburg, Reading, and Upper BucksCounty. In 2002 at Hamburg, only one

of 323 chickadees was identified tospecies. This uncertainty resulted fromfindings by Robert Curry and studentsfrom Villanova University that somechickadees breeding near HawkMountain were Black-capped-Carolinahybrids (L. Goodrich, pers. comm.).

Other Observations of Black-capped Chickadee Movements.That the spikes in southeasternPennsylvania CBC Black-cappedChickadee counts represent irruptingchickadees is corroborated byobservers’ reports to Audubon FieldNotes, American Birds, and NorthAmerican Birds. Although observers’reports in Audubon Field Notesindicated an irruption in 1951, thePennsylvania CBC data are equivocalabout this. However, there is closeagreement for the years 1954, 1957,1959, 1961, 1963, 1965, 1968-69, whenboth sources, the journal observations(summarized by James 1958 and Bockand Lepthien 1976) and thePennsylvania CBC data, indicate thatirruptions occurred. This agreementcontinued for the major irruptions in


the years 1975, 1977, 1983, and 1995,and the less extensive irruptions in theyears 1980-81, 1990, 1993, and 1999(Figure 2). The 1979 Pennsylvaniadata do not indicate an irruption,although a mass movement was notednear Lake Ontario that year (Kibbe1980). While the 2001 irruption wastermed “mammoth” (Paxton et al.2002), “major” (Bain 2002), and“massive” (Mactavish 2002) to thenorth, the Pennsylvania data indicatean irruption of moderate size, even ifall the unidentified southeasternchickadees were Black-cappeds.

The largest numbers and some ofthe most consistent reports of irruptingchickadees were from around LakeOntario. For example, near Rochester,New York, approximately 31,000Black-capped Chickadees wereobserved during October andNovember 1954 and 36,000 wereobserved in early October 1961(Beardslee and Mitchell 1965, cited byBagg 1969). Other locations fromwhere irrupting Black-cappedChickadees were consistently reportedinclude eastern Pennsylvania,southwestern Pennsylvania andneighboring parts of West Virginia, theAtlantic Coast from Nova Scotia andNew Brunswick to Cape Cod, andalong the western shore of Lake Erie.

Land features may funnel

irrupting Black-capped Chickadeesinto southeastern Pennsylvania: theKittatinny Ridge, the southernmostridge of the Ridge & Valley province,the Reading Prong of the New EnglandAppalachians, and the Lehigh Valleybetween them (Figure 1). Black-cappedChickadees are diurnal migrants andalthough they are sometimes observedat hawk watches and other observationposts (Bagg 1969; Smith 1991), fallhawk watchers at Hawk Mountainonly occasionally observe Black-cappedChickadees flying southwest along theridge (L. Goodrich, pers. comm.).

Band returns from westernPennsylvania sites (banding by RalphBell in Greene County and by RobertLeberman in Crawford County and atPowdermill Nature Reserve inWestmoreland County) indicate thatmigrant Black-capped Chickadeesthere tend to follow a northeast-to-southwest direction, with bandexchanges between Pennsylvania andNew York, Massachusetts, and Maine(Leberman 1965a,b; Bagg 1969). AtPowdermill, beginning in 1962, thehighest rates of Black-cappedChickadees captures occurred in 1963,1965, 1966, 1968-69, 1975, 1983, 1985,1995, and 2001, with all but 1966 beingyears with concurrently highsoutheastern CBC counts. Both datasets shared the tendency for post-1983

rates to be smaller than in the previoustwo decades (Powdermill NatureReserve 2003).

Influxes of Black-cappedChickadees may include birds thatappear to be different from the locals.Pennsylvania observers remarkedupon this during the irruption of 2001.Mirabella (2001, p. 243) noted fromBucks County that the newcomerswere “bigger and more brightlymarked” than local chickadees, whileKeller (2001, p. 241) commented onchickadees that stood out in BerksCounty because of their “bigger,brighter hockey stick shaped wingmarkings.” These differences maysimply be a contrast of Black-cappedswith local Carolinas or hybrids, butthese individuals may also have beenof the northern Black-capped race, P.a. atricapillus, which tends to be largerand more brightly marked than the P.a. practicus race of the Appalachiansnorth to central Pennsylvania (1957AOU checklist, cited by Harrap andQuinn 1995).

Why the Changes inChickadee Irruption Patterns? ThePennsylvania CBC data andobservations reported to AmericanBirds and North American Birdsindicate that Black-capped Chickadeeirruptions in eastern North Americabecame less frequent and intense after1983. What could have caused this?Irruption patterns in other species maylend insight. The apparent drop-off inBlack-capped Chickadee numbers issimilar in timing with declines in thenumber of irrupting Purple Finches(Carpodacus purpureus) and EveningGrosbeaks (Coccothraustes vespertinus)(Bolgiano 1997). While Breeding BirdSurvey (BBS) counts of these twospecies have sharply declined, Black-cappeds appear to be increasingthroughout much of eastern NorthAmerican. BBS counts of Black-cappedChickadees increased at statisticallysignificant rates during 1980-2001 inmost BBS regions of eastern Canadaand the adjacent United States wherethere are sufficient routes: AlleghenyPlateau, Northern New England, St.Lawrence River Plain, NorthernSpruce Hardwoods, and Closed BorealForest. Among regions to the north, itwas only in Southern New Englandwhere there is some evidence thatBlack-cappeds may be declining (Sauer


et al. 2003). The time span during which

Boreal Chickadees (Poecile hudsonica)irrupted in Pennsylvania coincideswith the peak Black-capped Chickadeeirruptions. When Boreal Chickadeesirrupt, it is typically a few weeks to amonth later than Black-cappeds(Carleton 1966; Finch 1970). InPennsylvania, Boreal Chickadees werepresent during 19 of 24 wintersbetween 1960 and 1984, the sameperiod when irrupting Black-cappedChickadee were mostly frequentlyfound. However, Boreal Chickadeeshave not been reported since(McWilliams and Brauning 2000). Wasthere a common cause to theirirruptions?

Large numbers of White-breastedNuthatches (Sitta carolinensis) aresometimes observed during the fallflying southwest along the KittatinnyRidge (Heintzelman and MacClay1971) and their CBC counts fromsoutheastern Pennsylvania also tend toalternate low and high values duringsome periods. To demonstrate, Icombined together, from the chickadeeanalysis, the two southeast regions andthe Allegheny and southwest regions.Counts/party hour from the southeasttended to show a see-saw patternduring 1956-65, 1975-85, and 1994-2002, but the see-sawing was not asevident during other times or otherregions (Figure 3). Does this patternimply that alternate-year irruptions inWhite-breasted Nuthatches are notalways the norm, analogous to whatoccurred for Black-capped Chickadees?

The CBC data from southeasternPennsylvania pose a mystery: Hassomething in northern forests changedso that chickadees are less subject tothe influence of alternate-year treemasting? The answer may be related tothe extent of mature boreal forests andthe Spruce Budworm (Choristoneuraf u m i f e r a n a ) i n f e s t a t i o n o fapproximately 1969-85, the largest onrecord. Up to 55 million hectares wereinfested by budworms during the peakyears of 1974-81, with the largestextent in northeastern Ontario andQuebec (Blais 1983; Howse 1995;Lachance 1995). One of thepredisposing conditions for thisinfestation may have been the largeexpanse of mature conifers (Blais 1983,1985), upon whose mast Black-capped

and Boreal Chickadees may have beendependent. The large-scale changes inforest ecology resulting from high treemortality may have been the switchthat dampened the chickadeeirruptions. Tree mortality neared amaximum extent around the time thatchickadee irruptions dropped off(Howse 1995; Lachance 1995), whichsuggests the connection.

The southeastern PennsylvaniaCBC data have provided one of the bestrecords of Black-capped Chickadeeirruptions. Can this area continue as ahaven for irrupting Black-cappeds asCarolina Chickadees expand theirrange and Black-cappeds retracttheirs? Will environmental factors,such as an increase in the extent ofsuburbs, contribute to the regionbecoming less favorable for nativeBlack-cappeds, as suggested by Hess(unpub. ms), and by extension, toirrupting Black-cappeds as well? Isuspect that we won’t know theanswers to these questions until thenorthern forests more closely resemblethe forests of 1954-83, when Black-capped Chickadees regularly irruptedin large numbers.

References:

Bagg, A.M. 1969. The changing seasons - Asummary of the fall migration season,1968, with special attention to themovements of Black-cappedChickadees. Audubon Field Notes23:4-12.

Bain, M.J.C. 2002. The fall migration -Ontario region. N. Amer. Birds 56(1):48-50.

Beardslee, C.S. and H.D. Mitchell. 1965.Birds of the Niagara Frontier Region.Bull. Buffalo Soc. Nat. Sci. 22:1-478.

Blais, J.R. 1983. Trends in the frequency,extent, and severity of sprucebudworm outbreaks in easternCanada. Can. J. For. Res. 13:539-547.

— 1985. The ecology of the Eastern SpruceBudworm: A review and discussion.Pages 49-59 in C.J. Sanders, R.W.Stark, E.J. Mullins, and J. Murphy(eds.) Recent Advances in SpruceBudworms Research. Proceedings ofthe CANUSA Spruce BudwormSymposium. Canadian ForestryService, Ottawa.

Bock, C.E. and L.W. Lepthien. 1972. Wintereruptions of Red-breasted Nuthatchesin North America, 1950-1970. Amer.Birds 26:558-561.

— 1976. Synchronous eruptions of borealseed-eating birds. Amer. Naturalist110:559-571.

Bolgiano, N.C. 1997. Northern finches andthe Red-breasted Nuthatch in thePennsylvania Christmas Bird Count.Pennsylvania Birds 11:187-191.

Carleton, G. 1966. The fall season –Hudson-St. Lawrence region.Audubon Field Notes 20:19-22.

Finch, D.W. 1969.The fall season –Northeastern Maritime region.Audubon Field Notes 23:13-23.

— 1970.The fall season – NortheasternMaritime region. Audubon Field Notes24:13-21.

Harrap, S. and D. Quinn. 1995. Chickadees,Tits, Nuthatches, & Treecreepers.Princeton University Press,Princeton, NJ.

Heintzelman, D.S. and R. MacClay. 1971.An extraordinary autumn migrationof White-breasted Nuthatches. WilsonBull. 83:129-131.

Howse, G.M. 1995. Forest insect pests inthe Ontario. Pages 41-57 in JJ.Armstrong and W.G.H. Ives (eds).Forest Insect Pests in Canada.Natural Resources Canada, Ottawa.

James, D. 1958. The changing seasons - Asummary of the winter season.Audubon Field Notes 12:256-260.

Keller, R. 2001. Local notes: Berks County.Pennsylvania Birds 15(4):241.

Kibbe, D.P. 1980. The fall migration -Niagara-Champlain region. Amer.Birds 34:158-159.

Koenig, W.D. 2001. Synchrony andperiodicity of eruptions by borealbirds. Condor 103:725-735.

— and J.M.H. Knops. 1998. Scale of mast-seeding and tree-ring growth. Nature396:225-226.

— and J.M.H. Knops. 2000. Patterns ofannual seed production by northernhemisphere trees: A globalperspective. Amer. Naturalist 155:59-69.

— and J.M.H. Knops. 2001. Seed-crop sizeand eruptions of North Americanboreal seed-eating birds. J. AnimalEcology 70:609-620.

Lachance, D. 1995. Forest insect pests inthe Quebec Region. Pages 27-39 inJ.J. Armstrong and W.G.H. Ives (eds).Forest Insect Pests in Canada.Natural Resources Canada, Ottawa.

Leberman, R.C. 1965a. Bird banding atPowdermill, 1964. Research report no.12. Powdermill Nature Reserve,Carnegie Museum of Natural History,Pittsburgh, PA.

— 1965b. Recent recoveries of Chickadees.E. Bird Band. Assoc. News 28:89-91.

MacLean, D.A. 1980. Vulnerability of Fir-Spruce stands during uncontrolledSpruce Budworm outbreaks: A reviewand discussion. For. Chron. 56:213-221.

Mactavish, B. 2002. The fall migration -Atlantic Provinces region. N. Amer.Birds 56(1): 22-24.


McWilliams, G.M. and D.W. Brauning.2000. The Birds of Pennsylvania.Cornell University Press, Ithaca.

Mirabella, A. 2001. Local notes: BucksCounty. Pennsylvania Birds 15(4):243.

Paxton, R.O., J.C. Burgiel, and D.A. Cutler.2002. The fall migration - Hudson-Delaware region. N. Amer. Birds56(1): 33-37.

Powdermill Nature Reserve. 2003.Powdermill Fall Banding Statistics.http://www.westol.com/~banding/Charts_Fall2001_BCCH.htm.

Sauer, J. R., J. E. Hines, and J. Fallon.2003. The North American BreedingBird Survey, Results and Analysis1966 - 2002. Version 2003.1, USGSPatuxent Wildlife Research Center,L a u r e l , M D ,http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/bbs/.

Shipman, J.W. 1998. Christmas Bird Countd a t a b a s e .ftp//ftp.nmt.edu/pub/people/john/cbc/.

Smith, S.M. 1967. Seasonal changes in thesurvival of the Black-cappedChickadee. Condor 69:344-359.

— 1984. Flock switching in Chickadees:Why be a winter floater? Amer. Nat.123:81-98.

— 1991. The Black-capped Chickadee.Behavioral ecology and naturalhistory. Cornell University Press,Ithaca, NY.

— 1993. Black-capped Chickadee. In TheBirds of North America, No. 39 (A.Poole, P. Stettenheim, and F. Gill,Eds.). The Academy of NaturalSciences; Washington, D.C.: TheAmerican Ornithologists’ Union.

— 1994. Social influences on the dynamicsof a northeastern Black-cappedChickadee population. Ecology75:2043-2051.

Weise, C.M. and J.R. Meyer. 1979. Juveniledispersal and development of site-fidelity in the Black-cappedChickadee. Auk 96:40-55.

Yunick, R.P. 1981. Skull pneumatizationrates in three invading populations ofBlack-capped Chickadees. N. Amer.Bird Bander 6:6-7.

Acknowledgment: I am indebted to themany observers and compilers whoseobservations were summarized for thisanalysis, to Robert Leberman for discussionof and references about banding data, toGreg Grove, Frank Haas, Paul Hess, andScott Weidensaul for valuable suggestionson this article, to Hess for sharing hisunpublished manuscript on shifts inchickadee ranges, and to Ralph Bell forsharing his chickadee banding data.

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Modeling the Potential Impacts of Climate Change on theSummer Distributions of Pennsylvania’s Nongame Birds

Jeff Price

Introduction

Imagine returning to your carafter birding on a hot summer's day.Opening the door, you stagger back asa wave of superheated air blasts out.That videotape of Rare Birds you forgotto return now looks like a snowmanleft in a greenhouse – because it was.The windows of your car acted verymuch like the glass in a greenhouse,trapping some of the incoming infraredwavelengths of light that then heatedup the inside of the car. If thegreenhouse effect didn't exist then thetemperature inside your car would notbe much higher that the maximumoutside temperature that day.

Water vapor, carbon dioxide(CO2), methane, and other trace gasesin the Earth's atmosphere act muchlike the glass in a greenhouse (or yourcar), helping to retain heat by trappingand absorbing infrared radiation. This“greenhouse effect” acts to keep theEarth 's surface temperaturesignificantly warmer than it wouldotherwise be. However, sincepre-industrial times, there have beensignificant increases in the amount ofthese greenhouse gases in theatmosphere. The current levels of thetwo primary greenhouse gases are nowgreater than at any time during atleast the past 420,000 years (likelymuch longer) and are well outside ofthe bounds of natural variability (IPCC2001).

Accompanying the increases ingreenhouse gases has been an increasein temperature. The 1990s were thewarmest decade and the 1900s thewarmest century of the last 1000 years.Of the more than 100 years for whichinstrumental records are available,1998 was the warmest year on recordand 7 of the top 10 years all occurredin the 1990s. The annual global meantemperature is now 1.1/F (0.6/C) abovethat recorded at the beginning of thecentury. Limited data from othersources indicates that the global meantemperature for the 20th century is atleast as warm as any other period since

approximately 1400 AD (IPCC 1996,2001). And, “There is new and strongerevidence that most of the warmingobserved over the last 50 years isattributable to human activities”(IPCC 2001). These activities includethe burning of fossil fuels, increases inagriculture and other land use changes(such as deforestation). Increases ingreenhouse gases (past and projected),coupled with the length of time thesegasses remain in the atmosphere areexpected to cause a continued increasein global temperatures. Modelsestimate that the average globaltemperature, relative to 1990 values,will rise by 2.5/-10.4/F (1.4/– 5.8/C) bythe year 2100 (IPCC 2001).

Warming due to increases ingreenhouse gases is expected to beeven greater in some areas, especiallyNorthern Hemisphere land areas.Models based on various scenarios forpopulation growth, economic wellbeing, improvements in technology,and fossil fuel use project annualaverage temperature increases of3/-18/F (1.7/C - 10/C) for the UnitedStates. These temperature changes areprojected to be highest in the north(Arctic) and in winter with lesserincreases in the south and in summer(NAST 2000). However, more recentmodels are projecting even greatertemperature increases with more of thechange occurring in summer thanpreviously thought. For example, thesenew models project averagetemperatures in Pennsylvaniaincreasing by 7/-15/F (3.9/–8.3/C) insummer and 8/-12/ F (4.4/-6.7/C) inwinter (Kling et al 2003).

How might these changes impactthe summer distributions ofPennsylvania's Nongame birds?

“Recent regional changes inclimate, particularly increases intemperature, have already affectedhydrological systems and terrestrialand marine ecosystems in many partsof the world” (IPCC 2001). Forexample, there have been changes in

growing season, earlier springgreen-up and earlier arrival andbreeding in some birds (Root et al2003). If these changes have beenobserved with only a small change(1/F) in the global average temperaturewhat might happen if the temperaturecontinues to rise? In addition to risingtemperatures, many climate modelsalso project an overall increase inevaporation - leading to increases inprecipitation (mostly in storms) butalso to overall declines in soil moisture.Shifts in the timing of precipitationand snowmelt are also possible (Klinget al. 2003). Even after emissions arereduced, CO2 concentrations,temperature and sea level will allcontinue to rise for a period rangingfrom decades/centuries (CO2stabilization, temperature rise) tomillennia (sea-level rise). Thus, climatechange will likely have a continuingimpact on Pennsylvania's birds andtheir habitats.

Projected habitat changes

Temperature, precipitation andsoil moisture are important factorslimiting the distribution of both plantsand animals. As the climate changes sowill plant and animal distributions. Ingeneral, the geographic range of NorthAmerican plants and animals will tendto shift poleward and/or upwards inelevation in response to temperaturechanges. Range shifts of wildlifepopulations will be dependent uponfactors such as the availability ofmigration corridors, suitable habitatsand the concurrent movement of forageand prey. Range shifts in plants will bedependent upon factors such as soiltypes, migratory pathways (e.g., nocities blocking the way), seed dispersalm e c h an i sm s an d p o l l i n a t o ravailability. It is very unlikely thatplant and animal species will respondin the same manner to climate change.The best available evidence frompaleoclimatic studies, models andobservations suggests that each plantand animal species will move


independently. Thus, communities aswe now know them will look differentin the future. There is sufficientevidence to indicate that manyecosystems have already begun tochange in response to observed climaticchanges (Root et al 2003).

Over the next 75-100 yearsmodels project possible major changesin the suitable climates of manyvegetative communities. For example,models estimate that climate suitablefor e lm-ash-cot tonwood andmaple-beech-birch plant communitieswill potentially become more suitablefor an oak-hickory forest (NAST 2000).Models of individual species projectpotential complete loss of balsam fir,red pine, northern white cedar, sugarmaple, yellow birch, American beech,aspen and black ash; potential majordeclines in the extent of eastern whitepine; and potential gains in species likeVirginia, loblolly and shortleaf pine,mockernut hickory, post oak, southernred oak and sweetgum (Iverson et al.,1999).

As many tree species arelong-lived and migrate slowly it couldpotentially take decades to centuriesfor species in some vegetativecommunities to be replaced by others(Davis and Zabinski 1992). However,as increased temperatures and droughtstress plants they become moresusceptible to fires and insectoutbreaks. These disturbances couldplay a large role in the conversion ofhabitats from one type to another.There could very well be instanceswhere existing plant communities arelost to disturbance but climaticconditions and migration rates limitsthe speed at which they are replaced.Thus, invasive species, grasslands andshrublands may transitionally replacesome of these areas.

Projected changes in birddistributions

Summer bird ranges are oftenassumed to be tightly linked toparticular habitats. This generalizationis only partially true. While certainspecies are usually only found inspecific habitats (e.g., Kirtland'sWarbler breeding in jack pines), othersare more flexible in their habitat use.Species found in a particular habitattype throughout their summer range

may not be found in apparentlyequivalent habitat north or south oftheir current distribution. Birds arealso limited in their distributions bytheir physiology and food availability.The link between physiology and thewinter distributions of many species iswell-established (Kendeigh 1934, Root1988a, 1988b). Recent research showsthat physiology plays a role in limitingsummer distributions as well (Dawson1992, T. Martin, pers. comm.). Often,the choice of a specific habitat may beto provide a microclimate suitable for aspecies' physiology. While habitatselection, food availability, andcompetition may all play a role ininfluencing local distributions of agiven bird species, looking at a species'overall distribution often yieldsdifferent results. This study examinedthe association between summer birddistributions and climate and howthese distributions may change withclimate change.

Methods

Logistic regression was used todevelop models of the associationbetween bird distributions (fromBreeding Bird Survey data) andclimate - the climate variables actingas surrogates for the many factorspossibly limiting a species distribution(e.g., physiology, habitat, foodavailability). One way of determininghow ‘accurate' these models are is tocompare how well the predicted speciesdistribution map (fig. 1b) matches amap of the actual distribution (fig. 1a)based on similar bird data (Price et al.1995). This comparison (and variousstatistical tests) indicates that at leasta portion of the summer distributionsof many North American birds can bemodeled accurately based on climatealone.

The next step was to examinehow bird distributions might change inresponse to climate change. For thisstudy, climate projections from theCanadian Climate Center (CCC) wereused to determine what the averageclimate conditions might be once CO2has doubled, sometime in the next75-100 years. For example, for a givenpoint the difference in average summertemperature between the “current” and“future” (both model derived) climatemight be +2/C. This value is then

added to the actual average summertemperature at that point to estimatewhat the climate at that point might bewith a doubling of CO2. A morecomplete explanation of methods usedto develop the models and maps hasbeen published elsewhere (Price 1995,Price in press).

These results were then used tocreate maps of the projected possiblefuture climatic ranges for almost allNorth American passerine birds (e.g.,fig. 1c). What these maps actuallyshow are areas projected to have theproper climate for the species, orclimatic range, under conditionsderived from the CCC model. While theresults of the models cannot be used tolook at the fine points of how a givenspecies' distribution might change,they can provide an impression of thepossible direction and potentialmagnitude of the change in thesuitable climate for the species. Themaps of projected summer climaticranges of birds was then comparedwith the information found in TheBirds of Pennsylvania (McWilliamsand Brauning 2000) to project howPennsylvania's avifauna might changeunder this climate change scenario.

Results

Species whose future climaticsummer ranges might excludePennsylvania (i.e., possibly extirpatedas summer residents) - Yellow-belliedFlycatcher, Alder Flycatcher, WillowFlycatcher, Least Flycatcher,Blue-headed Vireo, Tree Swallow,Bank Swallow, Red-breasted Nuthatch,Winter Wren, Sedge Wren,Golden-crowned Kinglet, Blue-wingedWarbler, Golden-winged Warbler,Nashville Warbler, Chestnut-sidedWarbler , Magnol ia Warbler ,Black-throated Blue Warbler,Y e l l o w - r u m p e d W a r b l e r ,Black-throated Green Warbler,Blackburnian Warbler, BlackpollWarbler, American Redstart, NorthernWaterthrush, Mourning Warbler,Canada Warbler, Savannah Sparrow,Swamp Sparrow, White-throatedSparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Bobolink,Purple Finch, Evening Grosbeak andPine Siskin.


Species whose future climaticsummer ranges in Pennsylvania mightcontract – Warbling Vireo, CliffSwallow, Black-capped Chickadee,House Wren, Gray Catbird, YellowWarbler , Cerulean Warbler ,Black-and-white Warbler, Ovenbird,Scarlet Tanager, Vesper Sparrow, SongSparrow, Rose-breasted Grosbeak,Baltimore Oriole, House Finch andAmerican Goldfinch.

Species whose future climaticsummer ranges in Pennsylvania mightexpand - Acadian Flycatcher,Loggerhead Shrike, White-eyed Vireo,Carolina Chickadee, Carolina Wren,N o r t h e r n M o c k i n g b i r d ,Yellow-throated Warbler, PrairieWarbler, Prothonotary Warbler,Louisiana Waterthrush, KentuckyWarbler, Yellow-breasted Chat,Summer Tanager, Blue Grosbeak,Dickcissel and Orchard Oriole.

Species whose future climaticsummer ranges might eventuallyinclude Pennsylvania - WesternKingbird, Scissor-tailed Flycatcher,Bell’s Vireo, Bewick's Wren, LarkSparrow, Bachman's Sparrow, PaintedBunting, Western Meadowlark andGreat-tailed Grackle.

Discussion

These lists are not all-inclusive,since results obtained from models ofsome species were not adequate toassess how their climatic ranges mightchange. Nor do the lists include thosespecies whose climatic ranges mayundergo little change. Finally, theselists are based on output from a singlecommonly used climate model. Usingoutput from different climate modelsmay therefore yield somewhat differentresults. In addition, the geographicscale of these models, like those of theunderlying climate change model, isrelatively coarse. As such, the modelsare unable to take into accountlocalized topographic changes and thepossible existence of suitablemicroclimates – the tops of mountainsand along rivers, for example.Therefore, some of the species whoseclimatic ranges are projected asshifting out of Pennsylvania may beable to persist in refugia if a suitablemicroclimate is available. This is muchthe same situation as currently existswith some more northerly species

Figure 1. A. Map depicting the distribution of House Wren as detected by theBreeding Bird Survey. This map is based on one found in Price et al. (1995). B.Map depicting a model of the distribution of House Wren based solely upon theclimate of 1985-1989. The scale represents the probability of the species'occurrence with shaded areas depicting the distribution of the species (i.e., areaswith suitable climate). C. Map depicting the possible distribution of House Wrenunder the doubled CO2 climate conditions projected by the CCC. The scalerepresents the probability of the species' occurrence - shaded areas depicting thedistribution of the species (areas with suitable climate for the species).


currently persisting in Pennsylvania inlocalized areas.

It is helpful to consider howspecies' ranges may change to knowwhat sorts of changes to look for in thefuture. As the average temperature(climate) increases, weather willcontinue to occur with some yearscooler and others warmer thanotherwise expected. So, colonizationwill most likely occur in fits and startsbefore a species can truly be consideredto be established as part ofPennsylvania's breeding avifauna. Insome cases, a species may startappearing as a vagrant, off and on, forseveral years before breeding isattempted. In other cases a speciesmay start breeding in an area, thenbecome extirpated, and then resumebreeding – possibly in greater numbersthan before.

How quickly distributionalchanges might occur is unknown - therate of change will largely depend onwhether limits to a given species'distribution are more closely linkedwith climate (especially temperature),vegetation, or some other factor. Therate of change will also likely be tied tothe rate of change of the climate itself.If the climate changes relativelyslowly, then species may be able toadapt to the new climate. However,many changes could occur (and areoccurring) relatively quickly. One pilotstudy found that the average latitudeof occurrence of some species ofNeotropical migrants has alreadyshifted significantly farther north inthe last 20 years, by an averagedistance of almost 60 miles (100 km)(Price and Root 2001; Price,unpublished data). In another study,the arrival date of 20 species ofmigratory birds in Michigan was foundto be 21 days earlier in 1994 than in1965 (Price and Root 2000; Root,unpublished data). Many other specieshave been found to be arriving andbreeding earlier, not only in the US butalso in Europe and elsewhere (Root etal. 2003).

Conclusion

Projected future rapid climatechange is of major concern, especiallywhen viewed in concert with otherpopulation stresses (e.g., habitatconversion, pollution, invasive species).

Research and conservation attentionneeds to be focused not only on eachstressor by itself, but also on thesynergies of multiple stressors actingtogether. These synergistic stresses arelikely to prove to be the greatestchallenge to wildlife conservation inthe 21st Century. Because anticipationof changes improves the capacity tomanage, it is important to understandas much as possible about theresponses of animals to a changingclimate.

Society may ultimately need toadapt not only to changes in ranges butalso to the loss of ecological servicesnormally provided by wildlife. Forexample, it may be necessary todevelop adaptations to losses tonatural pest control, pollination andseed dispersal. While replacingproviders of these services maysometimes be possible, the alternativesmay be costly. Finding a replacementfor other services, such ascontributions to nutrient cycling andecosystem stability/biodiversity aremuch harder to imagine. In manycases any attempt at replacement mayrepresent a net loss (e.g., losses of thevalues of wildlife associated withrecreation, subsistence hunting,cultural and religious ceremonies).

In summary, a high probabilityexists that climate change could lead tochanges in bird distributions. Even arelatively small change in averagetemperature could impact birddistributions within the state. Some ofthese changes could occur (and may beoccurring) relatively quickly. Whilethese changes may have someecological and, possibly, economiceffects, the magnitude of these effectsis unknown. Ultimately, the greatestimpact on wildlife and vegetation maynot come from climate change itself,but rather from the rate of change.Given enough time, many specieswould likely be able to adapt toclimatic shifts, as they have done inthe past. However, the currentprojected rate of warming is thought tobe greater than has occurred at anytime in the last 10,000 years (IPCC1996). This rate of change couldultimately lead to many changes inPennsylvania's nongame avifauna.

Birders can help scientist look forand document changes in bird rangesand populations. Besides participating

in regular events like the BreedingBird Survey or Christmas Bird Count,information is also needed on nesting,arrival and departure. If you, or yourclub, has 10 or more years of dataplease contact me at the address listedabove.

Acknowledgments

This study was funded by cooperativea g r e e m e n t s b e t w e e n t h e U . S .Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S.Geological Survey and American BirdConservancy. The views expressed hereinare solely those of the author and do notrepresent the official opinion of theEnvironmental Protection Agency nor theU.S. Geological Survey.

Literature Cited

Davis, M.B. and C. Zabinski. 1992. Changesin geographical range resulting fromgreenhouse warming: effects onbiodiversity in forests. Pp. 297-308 inR. L. Peters and T. E. Lovejoy. GlobalWarming and Biological Diversity.Yale University Press, New Haven,CT.

Dawson, W. R. 1992. Physiologicalresponses of animals to highertemperatures. Pp. 158-170 in R. L.Peters and T. E. Lovejoy. GlobalWarming and Biological Diversity.Yale University Press, New Haven,CT.

[IPCC] Intergovernmental Panel on ClimateChange. 1996. Summary forPolicymakers. Pp. 3-7 in J.T.Houghton, L.G. Meira Filho, B.A.Callander, N. Harris, A Kattenbergand K. Maskell, eds. Climate Change1995: The Science of Climate Change.Cambridge University Press,Cambridge, England.

— 2001. Climate Change 2001: Synthesisreport. R.T. Watson (editor).Cambridge University Press,Cambridge, England.

Iverson, L. R., A. M. Prasad, B. J. Hale andE. K. Sutherland. 1999. Atlas ofCurrent and Potential FutureDistributions of Common Trees of theEastern United States. GeneralTechnical Report NE-265. U.S.D.A.Forest Service, NortheasternResearch Station, Delaware, OH.

Kendeigh, S. C. 1934. The role ofenvironment in the life of birds.Ecological Monographs 4: 297-417.

Kling, G. W., K. Hayhoe, L. B. Johnson, J.J. Magnuson, S. Polasky, S. K.Robinson, B. J. Shuter, M. M.Wander, D. J. Wuebbles, D. R. Zak, R.L. Lindroth, S. C. Moser, and M. L.Wilson. 2003. Confronting ClimateChange in the Great Lakes Region:


Impacts on Our Communities andEcosystems. Union of Concerned Scientists,Cambridge, MA and Ecological Society ofAmerica, Washington, DC.McWilliams, G. M. and D. Brauning. 2000.

The Birds of Pennsylvania. CornellUniversity Press, Ithaca, NY.

[NAST] National Assessment SynthesisTeam. 2000. Climate Change Impactson the United States: The potentialconsequences of climate variabilityand change. Cambridge UniversityPress, Cambridge, UK.

Price, J. T. In press. Potential Impacts ofClimate Change on the SummerDistributions of Some NorthAmerican Grassland Birds. U.S.G.S.Technical Report.

— 1995. Potential Impacts of GlobalClimate Change on the SummerDistributions of Some NorthAmerican Grassland Birds. Ph.D.Dissertation, Wayne State University,Detroit, MI.

— and T. L. Root, 2000. Focus: effects ofclimate change on bird distributionsand migration Patterns. Pages 65-68in P.J. Sousounis and J.M. Bisanz,eds., Preparing for a changingclimate: the potential consequences ofclimate variability and change.University of Michigan, Atmospheric,Oceanic, and Space Sciences Dept.,Ann Arbor, Michigan.

— and T. L. Root. 2001. Climate change andNeotropical migrants. Transactions ofthe 66th North American Wildlife andNatural Resources Conference pp.371-379.

Price, J., S. Droege and A. Price. 1995. TheSummer Atlas of North AmericanBirds. Academic Press, San Diego,CA.

Root, T. L. 1988a. Environmental factorsassociated with avian distributionalboundaries. Journal of Biogeography15: 489-505.

— 1988b. Energetic constraints on aviandistributions and abundances.Ecology 69: 330-339.

—, J. T. Price, K. R. Hall, S. H. Schneider,C. Rosenzweig and J. A. Pounds.2003. Fingerprints of global warmingon animals and plants. Nature 421:57-60.

Director of Climate Change Impact StudiesAmerican Bird Conservancy

6525 Gunpark Drive, Suite 150, PMB146Boulder, CO 80301

PENNSYLVANIA BIRD CLUBS(an occasional feature spotlighting Pennsylvania Bird Clubs)

BIRDING CLUB OF DELAWARE COUNTY (BCDC)

Mailing Address: 532 Edgewood Avenue – Folsom, PA 19033

Brief history of club: Started by a group of involved Delaware County Birders inSummer of 1998. Expected membership was 40-50 members, Current membership>200. By decision of original members, Club would be a welcome place for Birders ofall skill levels.

Meetings: Marple Township Library, second Wednesday of months Septemberthrough May, June picnic at Ridley Creek State Park.

Club Publications: BCDC Newsletter 5 times throughout year.

Field Trips: 1 – 2 monthly throughout year, both in Delaware County, DelawareBayshore areas and New Jersey.

Favorite Birding Areas: Ridley Creek State Park, Rose Tree Park Hawk Watch(special Project of BCDC, Bombay Hook NWR, Cape May.

Club Projects Rose Tree Park Hawk Watch, Glenolden (Delaware Co.) CBC.

Club Website: www.jl-studio.com/BCDC

PRESQUE ISLE AUDUBON SOCIETY (PIAS)

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 1783 Erie, PA 16507

Brief history of club: In existence since Feb 1967. We are a member of theNational Audubon Society . We have a large membership of around 800 members inErie and Crawford county. We hold field trips, school events, educational events andprograms for our members & guests.

Meetings: Third Friday of the month at 7pm from September to May , excludingDecember. At the Shriner’s Hospital for Children in Erie on 1645 W. 8th ST. Erie, PA

Club Publications: We publish the Tern of Events every month except July & Aug. We have published several brochures on Pesticides, Lawn & Health.

Field Trips: Bird location & identification, Wildflowers both spring & summer, crosscountry ski trips, canoeing, Herptology, Eagles, waterfowl etc.

Favorite Birding Areas: Presque Isle State Park

Club Projects : Adopted the Important Bird Area in western Erie county, have beensurveying the birds all spring and summer. Educated the public on lawn chemicalhazards and have provided two organic lawn symposiums.Co-sponsor the Allegheny Nature Pilgrimage in Salamanca New York, Our 45th yearis coming up in 2004. We have around 700 in attendance for the weekend event atAllegheny State Park.

Club Website: www. presqueisle.org/audubon


Digiscoping: Adding a New Dimension to Birding Elaine Ryan

What could be more satisfyingthan a great day of birding? That’seasy - being able to take the birdshome with you, too! Many birdersalready own a spotting scope which canbe augmented to transform it into ahigh-powered lens for a digital camera.You’ve no doubt heard about it,perhaps you have even wondered abouttrying this yourself but are not sure ifit would be worth the trouble. Whatexactly is involved in putting togethera workable digiscope set-up? What arethe benefits of digiscoping and whatare the limitations?

Perhaps it is best to address thelast issues first. Why go to all thebother? The most obvious reason is ifyou are a birder who is also interestedin bird photography, this just makessense. By pairing a mid-ranged digitalcamera to your scope, it is aneconomical alternative to the expensiveset-up you would need (camera, tripodand telephoto lenses, bird blinds, etc.)to obtain comparable results.

In addition to that, mobility is ahuge factor. We are already luggingour scope and binocular around with uson our birding excursions. Imaginehaving to haul an entirely separate set-up for photography - hardly an optionunless you happen to own a mule.Aside from the scope, the remainingcomponents of a digiscope set-up canbe kept in a handy pocket or two (seephoto A). A major benefit of digiscopingvs. traditional photography is that youcan photograph birds in the mostunobtrusive and candid way possible.You need not interrupt the birds whilethey feed, tend their nests or whilethey are at rest. In most cases, you can

take shots from well outside a bird’s“comfort zone”. Close-up shots arepossible without having to sit in aportable bird blind for hours. (Seephotos B, C, and D - all taken whilestanding in the same place, the bridgeat Peace Valley Nature Center, BucksCounty).

Another huge benefit ofdigiscoping is that it can be a valuabletool to help document an unusualsighting. A picture can indeed be wortha thousand words, especially when itpertains to this. A clear, up-close photodisplaying field marks will almostalways settle any debate on theRecords Committee. If you arefortunate enough to view a rare birdthrough your scope, you have a goodchance of capturing it on camera, too,with just a few well-practicedmovements. By submitting photos fordocumentation, this is a hobby that canresult in many positive contributions tostate bird records. One caution: photoediting of a photo you intend to submitas documentation of a reviewable birdshould be kept to an absoluteminimum, limited to cropping andresizing only if the subject needs to beenlarged and lightening anunderexposed photo. Never alter thesubject in any way.

The limitation of digiscoping isthat it only works well under certainconditions. If you are looking to takeflight shots of raptors atop Hawk Mt.,warblers in migration, or dovekies outon the briny, you should probably lookinto spending the extra money for amore traditional set-up that can getthe job done. It is next to impossible tofollow birds in flight through a camerahooked up to a scope. In addition, no

matter what you are photographing,you will need a steady, stable base onwhich to work. At the levels ofmagnification the scope produces,places such as boats, boardwalks andbridges will usually be unsuitable sincethe slightest shake will producenoticeable blur. Also, if the lighting ispoor or if the wind is stronger than agentle zephyr, you will need a good mixof skill and luck to get desirableresults.

Keep in mind that all thesecaveats should not deter anyone whohas a desire to try it. You will certainlyfind many interesting subjects to keepyou busy and with practice andpatience, you can obtain impressiveresults. Still interested? If so, you willwant to know how to go about puttingtogether your own outfit. Start withwhat you already have. For most of us,that would be our spotting scopes.Most of the higher-end scopes with EDor APO lenses will yield the bestresults. Unfortunately, scopes of lesserquality will produce hazy-lookingimages and/or poor color quality thatwill not be worth the frustration youwill experience.

Most people today have zoomeyepieces for their scopes which canalso work very nicely for digiscoping,especially at the lower magnifications.However, if you have or can find agood-quality, wide-angle 20x - 30xfixed eyepiece, that is often the betteroption. Your choice of camera should bevery well-researched. Ever sincedigiscoping began to be popular withbirders, the camera most favored is theNikon Coolpix. There have been

Photo A - typical digiscoping outfit.

Photo B - taken with camera only

Photo C - taken using scope and camera(no zoom)


various models produced, but the onesconsidered most suitable are the 900,995 and the 4500 models. The reasonfor their popularity is that they allhave an internal zoom feature whichallows the camera to remain as close toeyepiece of the spotting scope aspossible regardless of zoom settings.

The body of these cameras alsoswivel so when attached to the scope,the angle of the LCD monitor can beadjusted for viewing ease. The badnews is that none of these models arestill being produced. It is possible topurchase them second-hand and someplaces offer them as factoryrefurbished products complete with awarranty. It is certainly possible to useother cameras for digiscoping, but it isimperative to check very carefully firstto see if there will be a way to affix it toyour scope.

Some cameras do not come withthreads surrounding the lens. If theonly adapter that fits your scoperequires this, your journey intodigiscoping will come to a screechinghalt. Also, do not be too dazzled by acamera’s high digital zoom feature.The more important feature to consideris amount of megapixels. Most photosdigiscoped at the highest digital zoomsettings are usually grainy anddisappointing anyway, so it is usuallybetter to take a photo at no zoom orlow zoom settings. The overall quality

will be better and you can always cropand resize the photo later. It is farbetter to spend the extra money for thehighest megapixel you can afford. Theoverall quality of your photos will bebetter as a result.

This brings us to the area wheremost digiscopers-to-be run into themost problems - how to get thatcamera to attach to the scope. Thereare actually a few extremely steadyindividuals who can take wonderfuldigiscoped photos with their camerasimply hand-held to their scope with asimple home-made device to preventlight from coming in at the edge of thelens. Unfortunately, if you drink morethan one cup of coffee a day, you areprobably not a good candidate for thistechnique.

The sharpest photos require asteadfast connection between the scopeand camera. In addition, you will needto keep the camera lens close enough tothe surface of the eyepiece andcentered properly on the eyepiece, orvignetting will occur (see photo E). Anadapter will help to facilitate both ofthese needs. Most of the leading scopemanufacturers have only recentlystarted to produce their own digiscopeadapters. Some attach the cameradirectly to the scope while others areelaborate bracket mount systems thatattach between the scope and thetripod. The camera is mounted to thebracket assembly and it can swing

away from the scope for ease of viewingand for focusing the scope. There arealso other adapters, such as theDigimount and Scopetronix modelsthat are made to accommodatedifferent brands of scopes, and can beordered via the internet. Be sure toorder the proper size and check if step-up rings will be necessary to fit yourcamera.

If you have the opportunity toattend a birding festival, visit thebooths where the major opticsmanufacturers are displaying theirequipment. At a recent Cape Mayshow, most vendors had one of theirscopes set -up for digiscopedemonstration. You are able to see itall in action and can ask lots ofquestions, too. Most representativeswere knowledgeable and very willingto talk about their products and offeradvice.

Don’t overlook the importance ofa sturdy tripod to help keep your set-up as steady as possible. Skimping onthis detail could undermine the wholeeffort. A helpful hint is to keep yourtripod set as low as possible formaximum stability and try to avoidraising the center arm high, if at all.Also, using the camera’s shutterrelease button directly will produceblurry photos. Some people manage toget around this by using the camera’stimer feature or they purchase ashutter release cable. And finally, ifyou have trouble seeing the LCD inbright light, you may want to purchasean attachment which will provideeasier viewing and many of thesehoods also magnify the image as well,making it easier to focus properly.

Once you have everythingtogether, learn how to use all of yourcamera’s features and practice settingup and changing settings to acquirespeed and agility - yes, kind of thesame idea as a gunslinger practicinghis quick draw. Start by experimentingon backyard birds. You do not want tobe fumbling hopelessly when that once-in-a lifetime bird turns up. There is nobest formula for camera settings, butbecause digiscoping is very dependenton bright light, most people find it bestto work in aperture mode so everythingelse adjusts around this primary need.

Some digiscopers make use oftheir camera’s automatic features,

Photo D- taken using scope and camera (3x zoom)


while others prefer to be in totalcontrol, using the manual mode andmanual focus. Either way can workjust fine. No matter what settings youlike, whenever possible, check yourresults in playback mode. If you findthe results are not satisfactory, makesome adjustments. White birds arenotoriously difficult to photograph.They can be easily overexposed whichis a situation not likely to be salvagedby photo editing. Learn to make quickchanges to the exposure setting. If thebird is cooperating, you can tweak thesettings several times. Doing that willincrease the odds that something willcome out to your satisfaction.

The best source of information fordigiscoping has always been theinternet. At present, I am not aware ofany books dedicated to this subject.Most digiscopers pass alonginformation via internet discussiongroups. A few workshops have begun toappear, offered through a few birdingorganizations. For now, the internet isstill the best place to look for start-uphelp. The following are some notablewebsites: On Yahoo Groups, there aretwo very worthwhile subscription lists:

1) digiscopingbirds - a discussiongroup where members share theirknowledge and experiences with alltypes of equipment and techniques.This site is a must for beginners. Youcan search the archives for informationor ask questions directly to the group.This site is user-friendly because youdo not have to have the posts sentdirectly to your e-mail address. Youcan browse at your convenience.

2) bird-pix - a site not as much fordiscussion, but mainly for posting birdphotos. It is not limited to digiscoping,but the majority of contributors aredigiscopers. This is a great source ofinformation for people who arepondering what to purchase sinceposters are asked to list the equipmentthey use with each photo they submit,giving you the opportunity to see whatkind of results can be expected if youpurchase the same equipment. Manymembers also include the actualsettings they used for the photo.Members are from all over the worldand therefore, so are their aviansubjects. The photography is veryimpressive, and the array of birds isnothing short of spectacular. YahooGroups recently stopped archiving

attachments so unfortunately, in orderto see the photos you will need to havethem sent directly to your e-mailaccount. The number of posts canexceed 20 per day, but it is well worththe trouble so you can “window-shop”for equipment, be encouraged andinspired by other digiscopers’ work andto just admire the beautiful birds youwill see there. You will soon want toshare your photos, too.

Other sites to check out include:www.birdforum.net - based in theU.K., it is host to photo galleries,discussion lists and more. There aregalleries and discussion listsspecifically for digiscoping, but it alsoincludes every other area of specialinterest to birders imaginable. A veryambitious site. You will need toregister. www.digibird.com - a superbsite for technical information.

Once you have all yourdigiscoping gear and figure out how touse it, you will have endless funcapturing feathered beauties.Unfortunately, as we are all painfullyaware, not every bird will allow youthe luxury of a long, detailed studythrough the scope let alone anextensive photo session afterwards.This, you will soon discover, is thedigiscoper’s dilemma - when to pryyour eye away from your scope andstart setting up the camera to get thata l l - i m p o r t a n t s h o t . M y

recommendation is to always observefirst, especially if this is the lifer forwhich you’ve been waiting. Since youmay only have a matter of seconds, it isfar wiser to consider photos as a bonus.After all, we are birders first andforemost. However, the added ability tokeep the bird’s image to study, shareand treasure forever makes digiscopinga worthwhile endeavor. I hope to seeyou in the field soon, happily clickingaway. Be sure to show me your photos -I can’t wait to see them!

202 Wiltshire DriveChalfont, PA 18914

Photo E - example of vignetting


Pennsylvania Bird Lists For 2002Compiled by Peter Robinson

A number of unusual species ofbirds were found in the state during2002, many of them staying longenough to become additions to birder’sPA and County Life Lists. A SnowyOwl found along the Lycoming/UnionCounty border on the Allenwood PrisonCamp property during a ChristmasBird Count was reported 12/24/01, thenwas seen from behind the White DeerBaptist Church by a number of peopleuntil at least 2/9. On 1/1 three PineGrosbeaks were reported nearMansfield, Tioga County, where theyappeared regularly until 1/5, and wereseen by a number of birders. A femaleHarlequin Duck that was found 1/29 atPresque Isle State Park in Erie Countystayed until at least 4/8, and was seenby many birders. On 2/28 a EurasianCollared-Dove was re-found inFairview Twp., Erie County, remaininguntil at least 6/18. Another EurasianCollared-Dove was in SE York Countyfrom late April until at least 5/26.Lancaster County’s Conejohela Flatshosted a Piping Plover 5/31-6/1. ACurlew Sandpiper was at the PennWarner Tract in Bucks County on 7/25,seen that day only by a few fortunatebirders. At a small pond at theImperial Grasslands, AlleghenyCounty, a Snowy Plover was found themorning of 8/6. Telephone callsresulted in the plover being seenduring that day by about 30 areabirders. The plover was at the pond asdarkness fell, several birders droveovernight from the eastern side of thestate, but the plover was not to befound at daybreak 8/7. A Ruff was atBristol, Bucks County, 9/27-10/5. Somebirders got to see a Yellow Rail thatwas at the Penn Warner Tract, BucksCounty, from 10/2 to 10/4. A ClapperRail was found at Bristol on 10/4 only,but long enough for several birders toget there to see it. Two King Eidersvisited the state – one 10/30-31 at LakeNockamixon in Bucks County, andsecond one 10/31 at a small pond in aresidential area in Chester Countythat stayed until at least 11/6. InJuniata County, a Green-tailedTowhee found 11/10 coming to a feedernear the village of Centre was seenuntil 11/31 by many birders. A Purple

Sandpiper spent 11/16 at Peace ValleyPark, Bucks County, long enough forsome to get to see it, but was not found11/17. On 11/18 a California Gull wasreported at Presque Isle State Park,Erie County and was seen by a numberof birders until at least 11/24. Ahummingbird that had been coming toa feeder in Lower Merion, MontgomeryCounty, since 11/5 was identified 11/26as a Calliope Hummingbird and wasseen last on 11/28. A Northern Gannetwas seen 11/30 flying off shore atPresque Isle State Park. A few birdersmade it through a bad snow storm tosee the Gannet on 12/1 and 12/2, thentwo Gannets were seen 12/3. A Black-headed Grosbeak that showed up 12/10at a feeder in southern LancasterCounty was seen until 12/17 by about50 birders.

There are 54 birders now whosePennsylvania life lists are 300 or more,an increase of one (John Salvetti) from2001. At 250 species or more, there arenow 112 birders, up 4 from lastyear’s108. Six birders are above the300 mark in the PA Life List-Unassisted category -- species that theperson found by themselves, or thatthey saw right after a bird was spottedby another person in the party withwhich they were birding, but notincluding “chase” birds.

The top PA Annual List reportedfor 2002 was Devich Farbotnik’s 294.Joyce Hoffmann was a close second at290. Devich was very busy birding inBucks County and elsewhere in thestate in 2002. Not only was his 294species the top PA Annual Listreported, but his 275 species for BucksCounty is a new all-time high countyannual list for any county. All but 19 ofthe species that he saw in the statewere found in Bucks County! Thisbirding effort also resulted in a 19species increase in Devich’s PA LifeList during 2002, moving him to 7th

place with 348, and an 18 speciesincrease in his Bucks County Life Listfor a total of 300.

Jason Horn decided to update hislist numbers this year, the first timesince 1995, and his PA Life List movesinto first place with 371 species.Jason’s PA Life List - Unassisted is

also in first place in that category with321 species. He now has, as well, firstplace County Life Lists of 271 forLehigh and 275 for Montgomery. Othernotable gains accomplished during2002 included Michael Schall’s 27 newstate species for a PA Life List total of292, Steve Farbotnik’s PA life Listincrease of 16 species for a 10h placetotal of 346, and Steve’s 14 species gainfor Bucks County for a new highcounty life list of 302.

Last year it took 258 species to beincluded in the top 50 PA Annual Lists,and this year 261 is the 50th. There arenow 11 birders with County Life Listsover 300 species – 7 for Lancaster, 2 forBucks, and 2 for Erie. Randy Miller’s316 for Lancaster is the highestCounty Life List. It now takes 263species to be included in the top 50County Life Lists. The two new top 50County Annual Lists were DevichFarbotnik’s 275 for Bucks and JerryMcWilliams’ 232 for Erie. It now takes230 species to make the top 50 CountyAnnual Lists.

Pennsylvania Life Lists

1 371 Jason Horn 022 363 Barbara Haas 013 362 Deuane Hoffman 014 360 Franklin Haas 015 353 Dave DeReamus 025 353 Eric Witmer 027 348 Tom Garner 017 348 Devich Farbotnik 029 347 Randy Miller 0210 346 Jerry Book 0010 346 Steve Farbotnik 0212 345 Bernard Morris 0012 345 Ken Lebo 0214 343 Rick Wiltraut 9814 343 Robert Schutsky 0016 342 Joyce Hoffmann 0217 338 Jan Witmer 9717 338 Richard Colyer 0017 338 Jonathan Heller 0217 338 Harold Lebo 0221 337 John Miller 9722 336 William Stocku 9723 334 Al Guarente 0224 333 John Fedak 0225 332 William Murphy 0026 329 Paul Schwalbe 9827 328 Peter Robinson 0228 327 Glenna Schwalbe 9828 327 Steve Santner 9930 326 Arlene Koch 0030 326 Jerry McWilliams 0232 324 Harry Franzen 9633 322 Fritz Brock 9834 319 John Ginaven 9835 318 Phillips Street 9936 316 Margaret Higbee 99


36 316 Ronald Leberman 0138 315 Evelyn Kopf 9539 314 Walter Shaffer 9939 314 Mike Fialkovich 0241 313 Harold Morrin 9642 311 Dana Shaffer 9942 311 Don Henise 0042 311 Bruce Carl 0245 308 Robyn Henise 0046 307 Ernest Schiefer 0046 307 Skip Conant 0248 306 Tom Clauser 0249 305 Gene Wilhelm 9250 302 Sam Stull 8550 302 Edward Pederson 9852 301 John Salvetti 0253 300 Larry Lewis 8853 300 Richard Timm 9755 299 Keith Richards 8256 298 Roger Higbee 9957 297 Allan Keith 9858 296 Ed Kwater 9658 296 Matt Wlasniewski 0160 295 Frank Windfelder 9860 295 J. Kenneth Gabler 0262 294 James Baxter 8662 294 George Malosh 9662 294 Terence Schiefer 9962 294 William Reid 0166 293 John Peplinski 9467 292 Carl Garner 9967 292 Michael Schall 0267 292 Allen Schweinsberg 0270 291 Mark McConaughy 0271 290 David Abbott 9871 290 Chuck Tague 9971 290 Dave Rieger 0274 289 Kevin Crilley 9875 285 Armas Hill 9675 285 Neal Thorpe 9777 284 James Gray 8378 283 Kerry Grim 9879 282 John Billings 9879 282 Thomas Reeves 0179 282 Dick Byers 0282 278 James Baird 8182 278 Merrill Wood 9184 277 Bonnie Baird 8185 274 Gloria Lamar 9285 274 Richard Koval 9987 273 Katrina Knight 9988 272 Scott Kinzey 9989 271 James Flynn 9790 270 Randi Gerrish 9991 269 David Kyler 9691 269 Aden Troyer 0091 269 Bill Etter 0294 268 Sarah Gerrish 9995 267 Harry Henderson 9196 266 Joe Meloney 9496 266 Scott Bills 9996 266 Sam Sinderson, Jr. 0299 265 Greg Grove 02100 261 Neil Troyer 02101 260 Dennis Miller 99102 259 Linda McWilliams 92102 259 Eugene Zielinski 00104 258 Steve Graff 00104 258 Bob Machesney 00104 258 Jeffrey Wentz 02107 257 Russell Ryan 93108 256 Ted Grisez 96109 253 Scott Bastian 99110 252 David Hawk 02111 251 Deborah Grove 01112 250 Stanley Glowacki 02113 249 Wayne Laubscher 02114 247 Jeff Payne 00115 245 Bill Reddinger 99115 245 Robert Frantz 00117 244 Harvey Troyer 99117 244 Retta Payne 00

119 242 Walter Fye 97119 242 Jerry Troyer 99121 240 Dale Gearhart 00122 239 Adam Miller 00123 238 Roy Ickes 99124 235 Gary Edwards 95124 235 Marjorie Howard 02126 232 Joe Strasser 94126 232 Voni Strasser 94128 231 Larry Brown 98128 231 Jim Mountjoy 00130 227 Marvin Byler 02131 226 Eli Troyer 99131 226 Stan Kotala 01133 225 Theodore Drozdowski 02133 225 Martin Page 02135 224 Arlene Brown 98136 223 Pamela Woodman 93136 223 Nick Kerlin 00138 219 Ann Pettigrew 96138 219 Daniel Snell 00140 214 Glenn Czulada 96140 214 Mike Ward 01142 213 Richard Murphy 99143 210 Gregg Gorton 01144 206 Benjamin Israel 00144 206 Dennis Weaver 00146 200 Fred Crowley 95147 199 Candy Krenzer 99148 190 Lewis Grove 00149 184 Leonard Hess 00150 182 Linda Hess 00151 180 Thomas Mason 99152 173 Helena Kotala 02

Pennsylvania Life Lists –Unassisted(Found by self, “Chase” birds notincluded)

1 321 Jason Horn 022 314 Deuane Hoffman 013 311 Jerry McWilliams 014 310 Robert Schutsky 005 305 John Fedak 026 302 Eric Witmer 027 291 Devich Farbotnik 027 291 Jonathan Heller 029 289 Franklin Haas 0010 279 Al Guarente 0211 275 Skip Conant 0112 273 Don Henise 0013 271 Ken Lebo 0114 263 Steve Farbotnik 0015 252 Dave DeReamus 0216 251 Neil Troyer 0217 247 Michael Schall 0218 244 Bill Etter 0219 240 Greg Grove 0220 226 Stan Kotala 0121 212 Jim Mountjoy 0022 207 Gregg Gorton 0123 206 Benjamin Israel 0024 205 Dennis Weaver 0025 204 Martin Page 0026 110 Helena Kotala 01

Pennsylvania Annual Lists 2002

294 Devich Farbotnik290 Joyce Hoffmann284 Peter Robinson267 John Fedak267 Michael Schall252 Mike Fialkovich250 Jonathan Heller238 Dave Rieger237 Jerry McWilliams234 Bill Etter228 Skip Conant220 Tom Clauser213 Neil Troyer

206 Mark McConaughy204 David Hawk203 Al Guarente202 Matt Wlasniewski201 Theodore Drozdowski198 Marvin Byler196 Dave DeReamus190 John Salvetti179 J. Kenneth Gabler159 Sam Sinderson151 Martin Page

PA Annual List > Personal Best

313 Deuane Hoffman 1998306 Robert Schutsky 1992297 Jason Horn 2000294 John Fedak 1998294 Devich Farbotnik 2002290 Joyce Hoffmann 2002288 Barbara Haas 1986288 Franklin Haas 1986284 Peter Robinson 2002278 Sam Stull 1979278 Gene Wilhelm 1983272 Randy Miller 1992268 Terence Schiefer 1985267 Jonathan Heller 1992267 Michael Schall 2002263 Jerry McWilliams 1983262 Ken Lebo 1995262 Walt Shaffer 1999260 Dana Shaffer 1999258 Steve Santner 1992248 Dave Rieger 2001231 Dave DeReamus 1990222 Matt Wlasniewski 1995219 Al Guarente 1998208 Sam Sinderson 1974186 John Salvetti 1999

Pennsylvania Annual Lists (Top 50)

1 313 Deuane Hoffman 19982 306 Robert Schutsky 19923 305 Deuane Hoffman 19924 303 Deuane Hoffman 20005 298 Deuane Hoffman 19976 297 Jason Horn 20007 296 Deuane Hoffman 19998 296 Deuane Hoffman 20019 294 John Fedak 199810 294 Devich Farbotnik 200211 293 Deuane Hoffman 199112 292 Jason Horn 199813 291 Deuane Hoffman 199614 290 John Fedak 199715 290 Joyce Hoffmann 200216 288 Barbara Haas 198617 288 Franklin Haas 198618 284 Peter Robinson 200219 278 Sam Stull 197920 278 Gene Wilhelm 198321 278 Joyce Hoffmann 199822 278 Jason Horn 199923 277 Deuane Hoffman 199324 275 Deuane Hoffman 199425 274 Jason Horn 200126 273 Joyce Hoffmann 199127 273 John Fedak 199928 272 Randy Miller 199229 271 Jason Horn 199330 267 Jonathan Heller 199231 268 Terence Schiefer 198532 268 Deuane Hoffman 198633 268 Deuane Hoffman 199534 268 Jason Horn 199635 268 Peter Robinson 199836 267 Peter Robinson 200137 267 John Fedak 200238 267 Michael Schall 200239 266 Randy Miller 1991

40 266 Devich Farbotnik 200041 265 John Fedak 199642 265 Joyce Hoffmann 199943 263 Jerry McWilliams 198344 263 Jason Horn 199745 262 Randy Miller 199346 262 Ken Lebo 199547 262 Walt Shaffer 199948 262 John Fedak 200049 261 Jerry McWilliams 199150 261 Jonathan Heller 1993

County Life Lists (100 Or More)

ADAMS213 Arthur Kennel 1995212 Carl Garner 1999198 Deuane Hoffman 2001193 Nonie Kennell 1995182 J. Kenneth Gabler 2002150 Steve Santner 1995144 Russell Ryan 1993124 Jeffrey Wentz 2002108 John Fedak 1998104 Don Henise 2000

ALLEGHENY238 Joyce Hoffmann 2002223 Mike Fialkovich 2002208 Ed Kwater 1996202 Sam Sinderson 2002201 Bob Machesney 2000189 Deuane Hoffman 1999188 Scott Kinzey 1999177 Randi Gerrish 1999175 Dave Rieger 2002168 George Malosh 1989159 Sarah Gerrish 1999144 Geoff Malosh 1991141 Greg Malosh 1991140 Margaret Higbee 1993139 John Fedak 2001138 Roger Higbee 1993122 Dick Byers 1999102 Steve Santner 1995

ARMSTRONG239 John Fedak 2000223 Margaret Higbee 1999211 Roger Higbee 1999188 Scott Bastian 1997185 Steve Graff 2000181 Deuane Hoffman 2000175 Bill Reddinger 1999133 Mark McConaughy 2002100 Steve Santner 1995

BEAVER199 Bill Hintze 2000171 Deuane Hoffman 1999168 Nick Kerlin 1996152 George Malosh 1998138 Scott Kinzey 1998124 John Cruzan 1994113 Geoff Malosh 1991113 John Fedak 1998112 Greg Malosh 1991108 John Snarey 1997102 Steve Santner 1995

BEDFORD208 Deuane Hoffman 1999152 John Fedak 2000133 J. Kenneth Gabler 2002122 Steve Santner 1995121 Richard Murphy 1999102 Randi Gerrish 1999102 Sarah Gerrish 1999

BERKS292 Ken Lebo 1999287 Jason Horn 2002


286 Harold Lebo 2002275 Kerry Grim 1998275 Matt Wlasniewski 2000270 Deuane Hoffman 1999253 Ernest Schiefer 1999247 Tom Clauser 2002209 Bernard Morris 2001207 Barbara Haas 1999205 Terence Schiefer 1998192 Larry Lewis 1988176 Al Guarente 2002174 Steve Santner 1995170 Randy Miller 2002162 Jonathan Heller 2001149 Kevin Crilley 1998145 Steve Farbotnik 2001139 Scott Bills 1992135 John Fedak 1999130 Bruce Carl 1998

BLAIR221 Stan Kotala 2001180 David Kyler 1996160 Deuane Hoffman 2000123 Helena Kotala 2002104 John Fedak 1998103 Steve Santner 1995100 Greg Grove 2002

BRADFORD230 William Reid 2001194 Ronald Young 1993168 Frances Biles 1985150 Randy Miller 2002148 Deuane Hoffman 2001111 John Fedak 2002105 Barbara Haas 1993102 Steve Santner 1995

BUCKS302 Steve Farbotnik 2002300 Devich Farbotnik 2002290 Jason Horn 2002257 Bill Etter 2002251 William Murphy 2000228 Stanley Glowacki 2002226 Deuane Hoffman 2000215 Harry Franzen 1996202 Stan Glowacki 1991176 Bernard Morris 2001157 Kevin Crilley 1998139 John Fedak 2000137 Al Guarente 2002129 Barbara Haas 2000121 Steve Santner 1995111 Thomas Mason 1999105 Jonathan Heller 2002

BUTLER267 Gene Wilhelm 1992202 Deuane Hoffman 2000199 Dick Byers 2000180 Bob Machesney 2000169 John Fedak 2000166 Ed Kwater 1996165 George Malosh 1989147 Randi Gerrish 1999144 Sam Sinderson 2002136 Sarah Gerrish 1999129 Margaret Higbee 1993122 Geoff Malosh 1991119 Greg Malosh 1991119 Roger Higbee 1993100 Steve Santner 1995

CAMBRIA225 John Salvetti 2002161 Gloria Lamer 1992147 Deuane Hoffman 2001131 John Fedak 1998103 Steve Santner 1995

CAMERON151 Deuane Hoffman 2000121 John Fedak 2002105 Steve Santner 1995

CARBON245 Rick Wiltraut 1998237 David Hawk 2002227 Jason Horn 2002206 Bernard Morris 1998205 Deuane Hoffman 1999202 Robert Frantz 2000144 Michael Schall 2002115 Steve Santner 1995105 John Fedak 2002102 Al Guarente 2002

CENTRE272 Merrill Wood 1991263 Harry Henderson 1991245 Rick Wiltraut 1998244 Terence Schiefer 1998232 Eugene Zielinski 2000226 Deuane Hoffman 2001218 Scott Bills 1992204 Greg Grove 2002184 Paul Schwalbe 1998182 John Fedak 2001162 Russ Ruffing 1991156 Deborah Grove 2002145 Steve Santner 1995145 Kevin Crilley 1998127 Barbara Haas 1999120 Jonathan Heller 2001111 Randy Miller 1998

CHESTER268 Larry Lewis 1988252 Barbara Haas 1996252 Phillips Street 1996246 John Ginaven 1998231 Joe Meloney 1994228 Al Guarente 2002227 Deuane Hoffman 1999209 Jason Horn 2002206 Theodore Drozdowski 2002193 Neal Thorpe 1995191 Martin Page 2002167 Steve Santner 1995147 Thomas Reeves 2001126 Jonathan Heller 2002120 Randy Miller 1998111 Terence Schiefer 1998109 Bruce Carl 1998108 John Fedak 1998

CLARION255 John Fedak 2001229 Walter Fye 1997209 Deuane Hoffman 1998200 Margaret Buckwalter 1996181 Gene Wilhelm 1992163 Bill Reddinger 1999151 Mark McConaughy 2002150 Fred Crowley 1995104 Steve Santner 1995

CLEARFIELD178 Deuane Hoffman 2001174 John Fedak 2001154 Eugene Zielinski 2000114 Paul Schwalbe 1998100 Steve Santner 1995

CLINTON246 Paul Schwalbe 1998180 Wayne Laubscher 2002168 Deuane Hoffman 2001130 John Fedak 2000120 Steve Santner 1995101 Barbara Haas 1994

COLUMBIA171 Deuane Hoffman 1999116 John Fedak 1999115 Richard Koval 1999100 Steve Santner 1995

CRAWFORD261 Ronald Leberman 2001244 Deuane Hoffman 2001223 Margaret Higbee 1999217 John Fedak 2001215 Marvin Byler 2002211 Sam Sinderson 2002208 Roger Higbee 1999201 Gene Wilhelm 1992164 Ed Kwater 1996152 Geoff Malosh 1991150 Greg Malosh 1991141 Randi Garrish 1999141 Sarah Garrish 1999124 George Malosh 1989123 James Flynn 1997117 Randy Miller 1998112 Steve Santner 1995107 Jonathan Heller 1998103 Don Henise 2000102 Terence Schiefer 1998100 Bill Reddinger 1999

CUMBERLAND269 Deuane Hoffman 1999261 Don Henise 2000259 Robyn Henise 2000247 Richard Colyer 1999208 Carl Garner 1998197 Steve Santner 1995176 George Wertz, Jr. 1986170 Mark McConaughy 2002165 J. Kenneth Gabler 2002154 John Fedak 1998125 Jonathan Heller 2001121 Randy Miller 2002

DAUPHIN271 Deuane Hoffman 2001240 Scott Bills 1999238 Mark McConaughy 1998235 Grace Randolph 1996234 George Wertz, Jr. 1986219 Steve Santner 1995211 Richard Colyer 1999175 Don Henise 2000156 John Fedak 2002138 Jonathan Heller 2002138 Randy Miller 2002128 William Reid 2001127 Merrill Wood 1991124 J. Kenneth Gabler 2002

DELAWARE289 John Miller 1985268 Al Guarente 2002259 Thomas Reeves 2001256 Barbara Haas 2000254 Skip Conant 2000226 Paul Schwalbe 1998224 John Ginaven 1999209 Deuane Hoffman 1999151 Jason Horn 1995130 Steve Santner 1995130 Martin Page 2001119 John Fedak 2001

ELK183 Linda Christenson 1997149 John Fedak 2002128 Deuane Hoffman 1999105 Steve Santner 1995

ERIE314 Jerry McWilliams 2002305 Donald Snyder 2002

291 Sam Stull 1985291 Joyce Hoffmann 2002289 Deuane Hoffman 2001274 Ed Kwater 1996268 James Flynn 1997273 John Fedak 2002263 Ronald Leberman 2001261 Mike Fialkovich 2002257 Jason Horn 2002253 Linda McWilliams 1992249 Barbara Haas 1996249 Margaret Higbee 1999237 Roger Higbee 1999236 George Malosh 1989233 Gene Wilhelm 1992231 Sam Sinderson 2002230 Dave Rieger 2002224 Randy Miller 2002221 Richard Colyer 2000218 Geoff Malosh 1991217 Greg Malosh 1991208 Steve Santner 1995204 Jonathan Heller 2002203 Bob Machesney 2000197 Terence Schiefer 1998180 Don Henise 2000178 Bernard Morris 1998177 Randi Gerrish 1997177 Sarah Gerrish 1997161 Marjorie Howard 2002146 J. Kenneth Gabler 1999144 Steve Graff 2000133 Greg Grove 2002110 Bill Reddinger 1999

FAYETTE162 Mark McConaughy 2002153 Deuane Hoffman 2000122 John Fedak 1999119 Steve Santner 1995117 Randi Gerrish 1999111 Ed Kwater 1996111 Sarah Gerrish 1999

FOREST161 John Fedak 1999143 Deuane Hoffman 2000141 Ted Grisez 1996108 Steve Santner 1995

FRANKLIN269 J. Kenneth Gabler 2002266 Carl Garner 1998215 Dale Gearhart 2000213 Jeffrey Walck 1989204 Deuane Hoffman 2001141 Don Henise 1997130 Steve Santner 1995114 John Fedak 1998

FULTON205 J. Kenneth Gabler 2000200 Daniel Snell 2000198 Carl Garner 1998194 Daniel Snell 1997188 Deuane Hoffman 2001152 Jeffrey Walck 1989119 Steve Santner 1995118 Robert Walker 1989115 Dale Gearhart 2000108 John Fedak 2001

GREENE194 Ralph Bell 1993163 Marjorie Howard 2002162 Deuane Hoffman 2001134 Roy Ickes 1996109 Steve Santner 1995109 John Fedak 2001103 Sam Sinderson 2000100 Mark McConaughy 2002


HUNTINGDON238 Greg Grove 2002229 David Kyler 1996219 Deborah Grove 2002181 Merrill Wood 1991178 Deuane Hoffman 2000171 Lewis Grove 2000167 John Salvetti 2002155 Eugene Zielinski 1998122 J. Kenneth Gabler 2002106 John Fedak 1998104 Steve Santner 1995

INDIANA264 Margaret Higbee 1999245 Roger Higbee 1999233 Gloria Lamer 1992232 Steve Graff 2000195 Anne Hedgpeth 1986194 Deuane Hoffman 2001184 John Fedak 2001161 Leonard Hess 2000160 Randi Gerrish 1999160 Sarah Gerrish 1999158 Mark McConaughy 2002157 Linda Hess 2000118 Steve Santner 1995104 Bill Reddinger 1999

JEFFERSON225 John Fedak 2000172 Deuane Hoffman 1998105 Bill Reddinger 1999104 Steve Santner 1995

JUNIATA234 Aden Troyer 2000215 Deuane Hoffman 1999129 John Fedak 2002118 Jonathan Heller 2002108 Steve Santner 1995

LACKAWANNA182 Glenn Czulada 1996158 Deuane Hoffman 1998158 William Reid 2001137 Richard Koval 1996136 John Fedak 2002103 Steve Santner 1995

LANCASTER316 Randy Miller 2002315 Eric Witmer 2002314 Tom Garner 2000306 Jerry Book 2000306 Robert Schutsky 2000304 Deuane Hoffman 2000302 Jonathan Heller 2002297 Bruce Carl 2002294 Barbara Haas 2000292 Jan Witmer 1997291 Harold Morrin 1996288 Jason Horn 2002274 Steve Santner 1995240 Larry Lewis 1988227 Al Guarente 2002224 Richard Colyer 2000212 Jim Mountjoy 2000209 Ernest Schiefer 2000201 George Wertz, Jr. 1986198 Pamela Woodman 1993196 Dennis Weaver 2000185 Terence Schiefer 1998184 Don Henise 1997166 John Fedak 1998160 Kevin Crilley 1998156 Matt Wlasniewski 2000148 Jeffrey Wentz 2002146 Steve Farbotnik 2001145 Bernard Morris 2000132 J. Kenneth Gabler 2001129 Mark McConaughy 2001

118 Margaret Higbee 1993108 Roger Higbee 1993

LAWRENCE210 Gene Wilhelm 1992158 John Fedak 2000138 Deuane Hoffman 2000102 Steve Santner 1995

LEBANON273 Randy Miller 2002236 Steve Santner 1995234 Deuane Hoffman 2001211 Jonathan Heller 2002208 Stephen Mallanson 1996202 Bruce Weaver 2000200 Bruce Carl 2002181 Jason Horn 1995152 George Wertz, Jr. 1986139 John Fedak 2002130 Don Henise 1997122 Barbara Haas 1996

LEHIGH271 Jason Horn 2002265 Fritz Brock 1998264 Bernard Morris 2000260 Rick Wiltraut 1998201 Deuane Hoffman 1999149 Michael Schall 2002136 Robert Frantz 2000109 John Fedak 2002103 Steve Santner 1995

LUZERNE280 William Reid 2001253 Richard Koval 1999216 Mark Blauer 1985194 Deuane Hoffman 1999181 John Fedak 2002149 Kevin Crilley 1998115 Bernard Morris 1998104 Steve Santner 1995

LYCOMING230 Paul Schwalbe 1998176 Deuane Hoffman 1999124 Steve Santner 1995119 John Fedak 1999103 Don Henise 2000

McKEAN229 John Fedak 2002154 Deuane Hoffman 2001117 Steve Graff 2000103 Steve Santner 1995103 Ted Grisez 1996

MERCER243 Neil Troyer 2002232 Harvey Troyer 1999231 Jerry Troyer 1999216 Eli Troyer 1999213 Deuane Hoffman 1998211 Gene Wilhelm 1992191 John Fedak 2000190 Neal Troyer 1998166 Marvin Byler 2002124 Steve Santner 1995103 Margaret Higbee 1993102 Randi Garrish 1999

MIFFLIN201 Deuane Hoffman 2000162 Greg Grove 2002113 John Fedak 1998108 Steve Santner 1995106 Deborah Grove 2002

MONROE222 Phillips Street 1996176 Jason Horn 1995

159 Deuane Hoffman 1999123 Bernard Morris 1998111 John Fedak 2001110 Steve Santner 1995

MONTGOMERY275 Jason Horn 2002260 William Murphy 1999255 Kevin Crilley 1998241 Harry Franzen 1996227 Bernard Morris 2001223 Neal Thorpe 1997217 Deuane Hoffman 1999184 Steve Farbotnik 2001152 John Fedak 2002144 Al Guarente 2002141 Gregg Gorton 2001137 Steve Santner 1995129 Thomas Mason 1999129 Michael Schall 2002116 Thomas Reeves 2001107 Robert Walker 1989100 Barbara Haas 1996

MONTOUR216 Allen Schweinsberg 2002214 Deuane Hoffman 2000212 Barbara Haas 1996140 John Fedak 1999119 Steve Santner 1995104 Kevin Crilley 1998

NORTHAMPTON269 Rick Wiltraut 1998266 Arlene Koch 2000261 Dave DeReamus 2002248 Jason Horn 2002241 Michael Schall 2002229 Steve Boyce 1990229 Bernard Morris 2001225 Deuane Hoffman 2001220 Brad Silfies 1990220 Dennis Miller 1998219 Adam Miller 2000112 John Fedak 2002106 Steve Santner 1995102 Randy Miller 2002100 Steve Farbotnik 2001

NORTHUMBERLAND219 Allen Schweinsberg 2002211 Deuane Hoffman 2000166 Barbara Haas 1993138 John Fedak 1999112 Steve Santner 1995

PERRY240 Deuane Hoffman 2000235 Richard Colyer 2000159 Don Henise 2000157 Steve Santner 1995141 Walter Shelly, Jr. 1992139 Dallas Dowhower 1992126 John Fedak 1998119 Mark McConaughy 2001117 Jonathan Heller 2001116 Randy Miller 2002

PHILADELPHIA290 John Miller 1985245 Frank Windfelder 1992243 Harry Franzen 1996243 Al Guarente 2002241 Barbara Haas 1996230 Skip Conant 2001219 John Ginaven 1998216 Thomas Reeves 2001208 Deuane Hoffman 1999184 Jim McKinney 1992167 Jason Horn 1995167 Gregg Gorton 2001163 Stephen Lawrence 1990

155 Steve Farbotnik 2001154 Steve Santner 1995129 Thomas Mason 1999120 Terence Schiefer 1998113 John Fedak 1998107 Kevin Crilley 1998101 Randy Miller 1998

PIKE201 Joe Strasser 1994201 Voni Strasser 1994165 Deuane Hoffman 2001144 Phillips Street 1996138 John Fedak 2001130 Michael Schall 2002101 Steve Santner 1995101 Barbara Haas 2001

POTTER218 David Hauber 1999160 John Fedak 2002145 Deuane Hoffman 2000104 Steve Santner 1995104 Paul Schwalbe 1998

SCHUYLKILL263 Tom Clauser 2002212 Deuane Hoffman 2001201 Mike Ward 2001177 Jason Horn 1995162 Bruce Carl 2002147 Dave Rieger 2002144 Bernard Morris 2001133 Steve Santner 1995127 Barbara Haas 2000113 John Fedak 1998108 Randy Miller 2002104 Al Guarente 2002

SNYDER205 Deuane Hoffman 1999199 Allen Schweinsberg 2002132 Steve Santner 1995108 John Fedak 1998

SOMERSET240 Jeff Payne 2000238 Scott Bastian 1999238 Retta Payne 2000177 Richard Murphy 1998159 Deuane Hoffman 1998149 John Fedak 2000126 Steve Santner 1995108 Randi Gerrish 1999107 Sarah Gerrish 1999

SULLIVAN172 Nick Kerlin 2000163 Skip Conant 2002135 Deuane Hoffman 2000115 Thomas Reeves 2001115 Randy Miller 2002108 John Fedak 1998104 Steve Santner 1995

SUSQUEHANNA183 William Reid 2001182 Jerry Skinner 1999150 Deuane Hoffman 2000116 John Fedak 2002105 Steve Santner 1995

TIOGA223 Larry Brown 1998215 Arlene Brown 1998205 Benjamin Israel 2000185 Deuane Hoffman 2001168 Bruce Carl 2001153 John Fedak 2002120 Steve Santner 1995

UNION


230 Allen Schweinsberg 2002160 Deuane Hoffman 1999132 Barbara Haas 1996117 Steve Santner 1995110 John Fedak 2001

VENANGO228 Gary Edwards 1995213 John Fedak 2001182 Deuane Hoffman 2000175 Gene Wilhelm 1992153 Nick Kerlin 1997103 Steve Santner 1995

WARREN227 Harris Johnson 1986227 Ted Grisez 1996222 John Fedak 2002153 Deuane Hoffman 2001114 Steve Santner 1995

WASHINGTON210 Margaret Higbee 1993209 Roger Higbee 1993197 Roy Ickes 1996161 Russ Ruffing 1991147 Deuane Hoffman 2001141 George Malosh 1989115 Sam Sinderson 2002106 John Fedak 1998100 Steve Santner 1995

WAYNE221 Joe Strasser 1994221 Voni Strasser 1994162 Deuane Hoffman 1998129 John Fedak 1998126 William Reid 1999102 Steve Santner 1995

WESTMORELAND223 Dick Byers 2002222 Mark McConaughy 2002208 Linda Christenson 1996188 Randi Gerrish 1999187 Sarah Gerrish 1999156 Deuane Hoffman 2000144 John Fedak 2001142 Margaret Higbee 1993137 Steve Santner 1995133 Roger Higbee 1993129 Richard Murphy 1999122 Sam Sinderson 2002120 James Flynn 1997

WYOMING251 William Reid 2001176 Richard Koval 1999152 Deuane Hoffman 2000143 Skip Conant 2000118 John Fedak 2000111 Steve Santner 1995

YORK255 Deuane Hoffman 2000242 Jeffrey Wentz 2002229 Russell Ryan 1993194 Steve Santner 1995185 Ann Pettigrew 1996172 George Wertz, Jr. 1986166 Jeff Pheasant 1995166 Carl Garner 1999160 Jason Horn 1995160 J. Kenneth Gabler 2002157 Jonathan Heller 2002154 Don Henise 2000153 Candy Krenzer 1999150 Randy Miller 1998138 Don Henise 1997111 Barbara Haas 1996109 John Fedak 1998

County Annual Lists (100 Or More)

ADAMS201 Arthur Kennell 1992144 Deuane Hoffman 2001140 Carl Garner 1991137 Carl Garner 1998126 Carl Garner 1999105 Deuane Hoffman 1998105 J. Kenneth Gabler 2000101 J. Kenneth Gabler 2001

ALLEGHENY167 Scott Kinzey 1998164 Scott Kinzey 1999163 Bob Machesney 1996159 Bob Machesney 1997127 Deuane Hoffman 1998127 Sam Sinderson 2002114 Sam Sinderson 2000110 Sam Sinderson 1999

ARMSTRONG201 John Fedak 1997177 Scott Bastian 1996152 Margaret Higbee 1993141 Steve Graff 2000133 Bill Reddinger 1998116 Bill Reddinger 1999113 Mark McConaughy 1998112 Deuane Hoffman 1998110 Steve Graff 1998

BEAVER186 Bill Hintze 1999161 Bill Hintze 2000124 John Cruzan 1994117 Deuane Hoffman 1999110 George Malosh 1974105 George Malosh 1975

BEDFORD223 Sally Dick 1997221 Tom Dick 1997155 Deuane Hoffman 1998

BERKS252 Ken Lebo 1995240 Ken Lebo 1999236 Ken Lebo 1997229 Ken Lebo 1996219 Ken Lebo 1998215 Matt Wlasniewski 1999210 Matt Wlasniewski 1998210 Matt Wlasniewski 2001208 Ken Lebo 2001202 Matt Wlasniewski 2002201 Matt Wlasniewski 2000196 Ken Lebo 2000187 Deuane Hoffman 1998173 Tom Clauser 2001152 Ernest Schiefer 1999151 Tom Clauser 2002149 Ernest Schiefer 1998

BLAIR143 Beryl Sternagle 1995141 Beryl Sternagle 2000126 Beryl Sternagle 1990121 Beryl Sternagle 1989

BRADFORD147 Ronald Young 1993146 Ronald Young 1992141 William Reid 1999128 William Reid 2001102 Deuane Hoffman 1996

BUCKS275 Devich Farbotnik 2002253 Devich Farbotnik 2001247 Devich Farbotnik 2000

231 Bill Etter 2002230 Bill Etter 2001224 Steve Farbotnik 1992217 Steve Farbotnik 1994210 Devich Farbotnik 1992166 Deuane Hoffman 1998

BUTLER245 Gene Wilhelm 1983229 Gene Wilhelm 1985225 Gene Wilhelm 1982122 Deuane Hoffman 1998

CAMBRIA177 John Salvetti 1992175 John Salvetti 1997174 John Salvetti 1995171 John Salvetti 1999165 John Salvetti 1998161 John Salvetti 2002

CAMERON119 Deuane Hoffman 1998

CARBON204 David Hawk 2002183 David Hawk 2000182 David Hawk 1999162 David Hawk 1996155 David Hawk 1998152 Robert Frantz 1999145 Robert Frantz 1995145 Robert Frantz 1998136 Michael Schall 2001131 Deuane Hoffman 1998

CENTRE224 Terence Schiefer 1985214 Terence Schiefer 1986211 Terence Schiefer 1984170 Deuane Hoffman 1998

CHESTER225 Larry Lewis 1988221 Larry Lewis 1983219 Larry Lewis 1986188 Theodore Drozdowski 2002174 Theodore Drozdowski 2001154 Theodore Drozdowski 2000145 Theodore Drozdowski 1999135 Martin Page 1999127 Deuane Hoffman 1998126 Theodore Drozdowski 1998122 Martin Page 2002117 Martin Page 2000

CLARION231 John Fedak 1998223 John Fedak 2000219 John Fedak 1996213 John Fedak 1997208 John Fedak 1999188 John Fedak 2001152 Deuane Hoffman 1998119 Mark McConaughy 1999115 Bill Reddinger 1999

CLEARFIELD155 John Fedak 1997102 Deuane Hoffman 1997

CLINTON117 Deuane Hoffman 2000115 Deuane Hoffman 1999

COLUMBIA117 Deuane Hoffman 1997112 John Fedak 1997111 Deuane Hoffman 1998

CRAWFORD208 Ronald Leberman 1994

202 Ronald Leberman 1989201 Gene Wilhelm 1992196 Ronald Leberman 2000180 Marvin Byler 2000174 Deuane Hoffman 1998172 Marvin Byler 2001167 Marvin Byler 2002

CUMBERLAND227 Deuane Hoffman 1989226 Deuane Hoffman 1998225 Deuane Hoffman 1992221 Deuane Hoffman 2000219 Deuane Hoffman 1999217 Deuane Hoffman 2001138 Carl Garner 1998

DAUPHIN234 Deuane Hoffman 1997231 Deuane Hoffman 1998230 Deuane Hoffman 2000229 Deuane Hoffman 1996226 Deuane Hoffman 2001224 Deuane Hoffman 1999210 Grace Randolph 1998

DELAWARE241 John Miller 1969211 Al Guarente 1996209 Al Guarente 1998184 Al Guarente 1999183 Al Guarente 2002182 Al Guraente 2000175 Skip Conant 1998172 Skip Conant 2000167 Skip Conant 1999142 Skip Conant 2001141 Skip Conant 2002

ELK116 John Fedak 1997113 Deuane Hoffman 1996

ERIE264 Sam Stull 1979256 Jerry McWilliams 1992252 Jerry McWilliams 1991246 Jerry McWilliams 1993245 Jerry McWilliams 1996240 Jerry McWilliams 1997239 Jerry McWilliams 1994239 Jerry McWilliams 2001238 Jerry McWilliams 1990238 Jerry McWilliams 1999237 Jerry McWilliams 1995237 Jerry McWilliams 2000232 Jerry McWilliams 2002218 Deuane Hoffman 1998215 Jerry McWilliams 1998212 Deuane Hoffman 1999202 Deuane Hoffman 2001151 Ronald Leberman 2000105 Steve Graff 1998

FAYETTE145 Mark McConaughy 2000112 Mark McConaughy 1998103 Deuane Hoffman 1998

FOREST144 April Walters 1993143 Richard Walters 1993132 John Fedak 1997

FRANKLIN215 Dale Gearhart 1999185 Carl Garner 1997180 Carl Garner 1993180 Carl Garner 1994178 Carl Garner 1999174 Carl Garner 1998156 Kenneth Gabler 1999


156 Dale Gearhart 2000152 J. Kenneth Gabler 2002149 J. Kenneth Gabler 1998148 J. Kenneth Gabler 2000144 Deuane Hoffman 2001133 J. Kenneth Gabler 2001123 Deuane Hoffman 1998

FULTON73 Daniel Snell 199728 Deuane Hoffman 199620 Deuane Hoffman 2001

115 Kenneth Gabler 1988112 Deuane Hoffman 1998108 Kenneth Gabler 2000

GREENE137 Ralph Bell 1985134 Ralph Bell 1986130 Ralph Bell 1990122 Deuane Hoffman 2000107 Deuane Hoffman 1998

HUNTINGDON205 David Kyler 1996194 Greg Grove 1994191 Greg Grove 1992191 Greg Grpve 2000190 Greg Grove 2002188 Greg Grove 2001180 Greg Grove 1998137 Deuane Hoffman 1998

INDIANA206 Margaret Higbee 1993203 Margaret Higbee 1991195 Steve Graff 1998186 Steve Graff 2000131 Deuane Hoffman 1998114 Mark McConaughy 1998107 Mark McConaughy 2001106 Mark McConaughy 2002100 Mark McConaughy 1999

JEFFERSON198 John Fedak 1997143 Deuane Hoffman 1996121 Deuane Hoffman 1998

JUNIATA188 Aden Troyer 1996176 Aden Troyer 1997172 Deuane Hoffman 2000170 Deuane Hoffman 1996167 Deuane Hoffman 1998167 Aden Troyer 2000166 Aden Troyer 1995166 Aden Troyer 1999158 Aden Troyer 1998129 Deuane Hoffman 2001

LACKAWANNA182 Glenn Czulada 1996161 Glenn Czulada 1995117 Richard Koval 1995103 Deuane Hoffman 1998103 William Reid 2001

LANCASTER268 Deuane Hoffman 2000255 Robert Schutsky 1992249 Jonathan Heller 1992242 Deuane Hoffman 2001239 Jonathan Heller 1993235 Deuane Hoffman 1998230 Deuane Hoffman 1999220 Jonathan Heller 2002216 Bruce Carl 2000214 Bruce Carl 1999197 Jim Mountjoy 2000186 Jim Mountjoy 1999185 Bruce Carl 1998

185 Randy Miller 1999185 Randy Miller 2000177 Randy Miller 1998

LAWRENCE210 Gene Wilhelm 1992118 John Fedak 1997110 Deuane Hoffman 1996

LEBANON222 Randy Miller 1999215 Randy Miller 1993213 Randy Miller 2002211 Randy Miller 2000205 Randy Miller 1996204 Randy Miller 1998179 Deuane Hoffman 1998171 Bruce Weaver 1999167 Deuane Hoffman 2001163 Bruce Weaver 2000161 Deuane Hoffman 2000

LEHIGH200 Bernard Morris 1984132 Deuane Hoffman 1998119 Deuane Hoffman 1997110 Michael Schall 2001

LUZERNE220 Richard Koval 1996219 Richard Koval 1995206 Richard Koval 1994153 William Reid 1999132 William Reid 2001121 Deuane Hoffman 1998

LYCOMING126 Deuane Hoffman 2000120 Deuane Hoffman 1999112 Deuane Hoffman 1997103 Deuane Hoffman 1998100 Don Henise 2000

MCKEAN219 John Fedak 2002151 John Fedak 2001119 Deuane Hoffman 1996

MERCER213 Harvey Troyer 1999212 Jerry Troyer 1999211 Gene Wilhelm 1992210 Neil Troyer 1999192 Neil Troyer 1997192 Eli Troyer 1999190 Neil Troyer 2001190 Neil Troyer 2002186 Neil Troyer 1998184 Neil Troyer 2000155 Deuane Hoffman 1998

MIFFLIN160 Deuane Hoffman 1998155 Deuane Hoffman 2000126 Deuane Hoffman 1997113 Deuane Hoffman 1996

MONROE103 Deuane Hoffman 1999101 Deuane Hoffman 1998

MONTGOMERY151 Deuane Hoffman 1999140 Deuane Hoffman 1998132 Deuane Hoffman 1997126 John Fedak 1997113 Michael Schall 2002

MONTOUR143 Deuane Hoffman 2000126 John Fedak 1997115 Deuane Hoffman 1997

112 Deuane Hoffman 1998

NORTHAMPTON210 Adam Miller 2000206 Michael Schall 2002203 Michael Schall 2000202 Michael Schall 2001189 Dave DeReamus 1990186 Adam Miller 1999174 Michael Schall 1999168 Dave DeReamus 1991164 Dave DeReamus 2001159 Dennis Miller 1996159 Michael Schall 1997151 Dave DeReamus 2002146 Dave DeReamus 1999133 Deuane Hoffman 1998

NORTHUMBERLAND157 Deuane Hoffman 1999147 Deuane Hoffman 1998144 Deuane Hoffman 1997128 John Fedak 1997

PERRY202 Richard Colyer 1997199 Deuane Hoffman 1995193 Deuane Hoffman 1996188 Deuane Hoffman 1998184 Deuane Hoffman 2000179 Deuane Hoffman 1999171 Deuane Hoffman 2001

PHILADELPHIA225 John Miller 1965208 Edward Fingerhood 1996162 Al Guarente 1992135 Skip Conant 1999133 Skip Conant 1998132 Skip Conant 2000127 Deuane Hoffman 1998120 Skip Conant 2001103 Skip Conant 2002

PIKE123 Michael Schall 2002112 Deuane Hoffman 1999109 Deuane Hoffman 2000

POTTER160 David Hauber 1992160 David Hauber 1995160 David Hauber 1999157 David Hauber 1993

SCHUYLKILL212 Tom Clauser 1999210 Tom Clauser 2001210 Tom Clauser 2002209 Tom Clauser 1996208 Tom Clauser 1997203 Tom Clauser 2000191 Tom Clauser 1987167 Deuane Hoffman 2001158 Deuane Hoffman 1998

SNYDER177 Deuane Hoffman 1998175 Deuane Hoffman 1996172 Deuane Hoffman 1997158 Deuane Hoffman 2000

SOMERSET222 Scott Bastian 1999216 Jeff Payne 1996216 Retta Payne 1996208 Scott Bastian 1994

SULLIVAN140 Nick Kerlin 1999130 Nick Kerlin 1995125 Skip Conant 1995

124 Nick Kerlin 1997123 Skip Conant 1999121 Skip Conant 2000118 Skip Conant 1998114 Skip Conant 2001114 Skip Conant 2002113 Nick Kerlin 1998112 Nick Kerlin 2000

SUSQUEHANNA145 Jerry Skinner 1999109 Deuane Hoffman 1997109 William Reid 2001107 William Reid 1999105 Deuane Hoffman 1996103 John Fedak 1997103 Deuane Hoffman 1998

TIOGA197 Benjamin Israel 2000174 Larry Brown 1998167 Larry Brown 1992163 Benjamin Israel 1999160 Arlene Brown 1992142 Arlene Brown 1998122 Deuane Hoffman 1998

UNION121 Deuane Hoffman 1999102 Deuane Hoffman 1998

VENANGO207 Gary Edwards 1995194 Gary Edwards 1991192 Russ States 1991113 Deuane Hoffman 1998

WARREN201 John Fedak 2002165 Ted Grisez 1992152 Ted Grisez 1985141 John Fedak 2001117 John Fedak 1997

WASHINGTON134 Russ Ruffing 1985132 Roy Ickes 1984100 George Malosh 1975

WAYNE127 Deuane Hoffman 1997121 John Fedak 1997112 Deuane Hoffman 1998

WESTMORELAND190 Mark McConaughy 1999179 Mark McConaughy 2000175 Mark McConaughy 2002163 Mark McConaughy 1998163 Mark McConaughy 2001

WYOMING196 William Reid 1999193 William Reid 1993188 William Reid 2001181 William Reid 1994134 Richard Koval 1994122 Richard Koval 1999105 Skip Conant 2000102 Skip Conant 1998101 Skip Conant 2001

YORK219 Bruce Fortman 1999214 Deuane Hoffman 1999202 Deuane Hoffman 2001196 Russell Ryan 1992191 Randy Phillips 1999189 Deuane Hoffman 2000182 Deuane Hoffman 1998178 Russell Ryan 1991153 Candy Krenzer 1999


110 Carl Garner 1999

County Annual Lists (Top 50)

1 275 Bucks Devich Farbotnik 20022 268 Lancaster Deuane Hoffman 20003 264 Erie Sam Stull 19794 256 Erie Gerald McWilliams 19925 255 Lancaster Robert Schutsky 19926 253 Bucks Devich Farbotnik 20017 252 Erie Gerald McWilliams 19917 252 Berks Ken Lebo 19959 251 Erie Gerald McWilliams 19839 251 Erie Gerald McWilliams 198811 249 Lancaster Jonathan Heller 199212 248 Erie Gerald McWilliams 198913 247 Bucks Devich Farbotnik 200014 246 Erie Gerald McWilliams 199315 245 Butler Gene Wilhelm 198315 245 Erie Gerald McWilliams 199617 244 Erie Gerald McWilliams 198518 243 Erie Gerald McWilliams 197918 243 Erie Gerald McWilliams 198120 242 Erie Gerald McWilliams 198420 242 Lancaster Deuane Hoffman 200122 241 Delaware John Miller 196923 240 Erie Gerald McWilliams 199723 240 Berks Ken Lebo 199925 239 Lancaster Jonathan Heller 199325 239 Erie Gerald McWilliams 199425 239 Erie Gerald McWilliams 200128 238 Erie Gerald McWilliams 199028 238 Erie Gerald McWilliams 199930 237 Erie Gerald McWilliams 199530 237 Erie Gerald McWilliams 200032 236 Lancaster Randy Miller 199132 236 Berks Ken Lebo 199734 235 Lancaster Deuane Hoffman 199835 234 Erie Gerald McWilliams 198035 234 Erie Gerald McWilliams 198235 234 Erie Gerald McWilliams 198735 234 Erie Ed Kwater 198935 234 Lancaster Jonathan Heller 199135 234 Lancaster Randy Miller 199235 234 Dauphin Deuane Hoffman 199742 233 Erie James Flynn 197943 232 Erie Ed Kwater 199243 232 Erie Gerald McWilliams 200245 231 Erie Deuane Hoffman 199645 231 Clarion John Fedak 199845 231 Dauphin Deuane Hoffman 199848 230 Erie Gerald McWilliams 198648 230 Erie Deuane Hoffman 199148 230 Lancaster Deuane Hoffman 199948 230 Dauphin Deuane Hoffman 2000

County Life Lists (Top 50)

1 316 Lancaster Randy Miller 20022 315 Lancaster Eric Witmer 20023 314 Lancaster Tom Garner 20003 314 Erie Jerry McWilliams 20025 306 Lancaster Jerry Book 20005 306 Lancaster Robert Schutsky 20007 305 Erie Donald Snyder 20028 304 Lancaster Deuane Hoffman 20009 302 Bucks Steve Farbotnik 20029 302 Lancaster Jonathan Heller 200211 300 Bucks Devich Farbotnik 200212 297 Lancaster Bruce Carl 200213 294 Lancaster Barbara Haas 200014 292 Lancaster Jan Witmer 199714 292 Berks Ken Lebo 199916 291 Erie Sam Stull 198516 291 Lancaster Harold Morrin 199616 291 Erie Joyce Hoffmann 200219 290 Philadelphia John Miller 198519 290 Bucks Jason Horn 200221 289 Delaware John Miller 198521 289 Erie Deuane Hoffman 200123 288 Lancaster Jason Horn 200224 287 Berks Jason Horn 200225 286 Berks Harold Lebo 200226 280 Luzerne William Reid 200127 275 Berks Kerry Grim 199827 275 Berks Matt Wlasniewski 200027 275 Montgomery Jason Horn 200230 274 Lancaster Steve Santner 199530 274 Erie Ed Kwater 199632 273 Erie John Fedak 200232 273 Lebanon Randy Miller 200234 272 Centre Merrill Wood 199135 271 Dauphin Deuane Hoffman 200135 271 Lehigh Jason Horn 200237 270 Berks Deuane Hoffman 199938 269 Northampton Rick Wiltraut 199838 269 Cumberland Deuane Hoffman 199938 269 Franklin Kenneth Gabler 200241 268 Chester Larry Lewis 198841 268 Erie James Flynn 199741 268 Delaware Al Guarente 200244 267 Butler Gene Wilhelm 199245 266 Franklin Carl Garner 199845 266 Northampton Arlene Koch 200047 265 Lehigh Fritz Brock 199848 264 Indiana Margaret Higbee 199948 264 Lehigh Bernard Morris 200050 263 Centre Harry Henderson 199150 263 Erie Ronald Leberman 200150 263 Schuylkill Tom Clauser 2002


The Next 10 New Species for PennsylvaniaNick Pulcinella

When we are out birding, thedesire to find a first state record isever-present. We hope the bird thatjust landed atop the dead snag or thedistant shorebird feeding on themudflat is a species never beforerecorded in Pennsylvania. I thinkbirders as a group are optimists anddreamers who have an inert sense ofdiscovery and feel that NEW BIRDawaits just around the next hedgerow.As Pennsylvania birders, we have aplethora of opportunities for newdiscoveries.

When I sat down to choose what Ithought the next 10 state birds mightbe I thought it would be a no-brainer.Pennsylvania is missing so manyspecies that have occurred multipletimes in nearby states or provincesthat I thought I could whip up a list of10 in no-time. My problem was thatthe list of 10 became 20, then 30, 40,50...soon I had a list of nearly 60 birdsof which I thought at least 30 werereasonable and equal choices. Trying towhittle the list to 10 was a frustratingexperience at best. Since the subject ofthe next state bird is one that isdiscussed and argued whenever webirders gather, I wondered whatselections my birding compatriots fromaround the state would choose.

I made a request of approximately50 Pennsylvania birders to puttogether a list of their next 10 newbirds for the state and to rank themwith points from 10 to one, meaning 10points their most likely to occur andone point as their least likely of the top10. I tried to obtain a cross section ofbirders from hardcore listers andchasers to those who consistently workonly their local patch, and from olderexperienced birders to some of ourstate’s younger keen birders. Happily,I received 33 lists (Table 1). Mostagreed the exercise was harder thanthey originally thought though Ireceived a few expletives about havingto “rank” the species, but, all-in-all,everyone agreed it was fun.

Formulating a list

In order to devise my list ofpotential species I used three methods:

first, which species have occurred innearby states and are long-overdue inPennsylvania; second, which speciescould turn up anytime and anyplace,and third, a “gut” feeling based largelyupon birding experience. Mostrespondents utilized a similar plan ofattack but various other methods werealso employed. Some were conservativeand logical and used the “Grand Prize”method as if a prize would be awardedif their species showed up first. As BillEtter wrote, “ I tried to approach it asif there was a primo case of beer ridingon the results; might say I’m playing itsafe”.

Others used a more scientificmethod. Geoff Malosh used fourconditions for his list: first, tendency ofthe species to show up out of range,particularly western migrantseastward; second, birds that appear onthe state lists of PA’s border statesand/or regularly in the Great Lakesregion and/or the mid-Atlanticseaboard; third, coverage of the species’preferred habitat and /or possibilitythat the species occurs but is sluffed offas a common bird. For instance,everyone looks at ducks and they’reeasy to see. Not everyone bothers tocheck every grackle in a flock of 5,000;fourth, ease of identification. Afterthis, he thought about it for a nightand then “guessed like mad”.

Holly Merker looked at vagrancytrends, birds that could be easilyidentified in the field and have a goodpotential for photographs (since thesebirds would have to be accepted byPORC). She also consulted the“Maryland Yellow Book” (Field List ofthe Birds of Maryland) and looked attheir rarities for species that werevagrant in that state, as it wouldn’ttake much for some birds to overshootinto Pennsylvania. John Fedak usedhunches and undocumented reports.Mike Fialkovich based his list onrecords in nearby states, particularlyalong the coast, or the general patternof vagrancy.

Jerry McWilliams’ strategy was tolook through hypothetical records inthe state and frequency of sightings innearby states , but said “some werejust a gut feeling”. Dave Wilton reports

using “part science, part experienceand part gut instinct”. Adrian Binnsseemed to sum it up best by saying“While most people no doubt took areal scientific approach, calculatingwhich species have come closest andhow often, all this math is far beyondmy capabilities. While I took theapproach that it is about time thesespecies showed up”. No matter whatmethod was used, whether the safeconservative or shoot from the hip, 69potential species were submitted.

The List

I think by asking for lists ranked10-1, most likely to least likely, ratherthan asking for an arbitrary next tenspecies, we get a better feel for whatspecies we really think will show upfirst, e.g both Yellow-billed Loon andIvory Gull received 7 votes to be placedon the list, but Yellow-billed Loonreceived 40 points while Ivory Gull 19.In cases where a species complex org r o u p w a s s u b m i t t e d e . g .Western/Clark’s Grebe, I gave bothspecies identical points.

Top Ten

(Numbers after the species namerepresent total accumulated pointvalue/number of votes)

1. White-faced Ibis (210/27) -Nearly everyone comments that thisspecies has either occurred already oris long overdue. Most people agree thatthe difficulty in dealing with thisspecies will be to make the positiveidentification. The species is expandingits range eastward (Patten and Lasley2000), there are nearly annualsightings in DE, MD, NJ, and NY andit has been recorded several times inboth OH and ON. Most sightings alongthe eastern seaboard are from Maythrough early July. Identification of alate summer dark ibis can befrustratingly difficult if good closeviews of eye and leg color cannot beobtained. To make identificationmatters worse, White-faced and GlossyIbis appear to be interbreeding(Arterburn and Grzybowski 2003), so


as Paul Hess states “only top-qualitycloseups of a bird’s face couldconclusively eliminate a hybrid.”Prediction - May through August. Itwould be hard to predict exactly wherethis species will show, and it is going toshow, since Plegadis ibis are observedall over the state, but John Heinz NWRat Tinicum, Wildwood Lake,Conejohela Flats or Presque Isle SPare areas with good habitat thatreceive plenty of coverage.

2. Allen’s Hummingbird(130/17) - Given that until just recentlymost Selasphorus type hummingbirdswere not positively identified and thefact that this species has occurred inboth NJ and DE, my guess is that thisspecies has already occurred inPennsylvania. With more and morelate fall hummingbirds attracted tolate blooming plants, feedersmaintained into early winter, and thesmall but growing number ofhummingbird banders willing to chaseand capture them, it is only a matter oftime before a positive identification ismade. To make a point of how closethis species has been to PA, the DEsighting was within one mile of the PAstate line. Prediction - mid-Novemberto early December anywhere in thestate.

3 . B l a c k - c h i n n e dHummingbird (126/16) - I wassurprised by the number of votes thisspecies received. Many peoplementioned the same factors as listedfor Allen’s Hummingbird as to whythey selected the species. I vacillatedwhether to place this species above orbelow Allen’s Hummingbird. Mythinking was that Black-chinned is amore common species within its range,wintering Black-chins are increasing inthe southeast and Gulf states, andthere are records from nearby ON andNJ. If given good looks, in bright light,an adult male can be identified withouthaving to be trapped. On the downside,very few if any late Archilochus areadult males and most of our late fallhummers are the Rufous/Allen’s type.Prediction - same as Allen’sHummingbird.

4. Western Grebe (124/17) -S e v e r a l p e o p l e s u b m i t t e dWestern/Clark’s Grebe for the list. Inrespect to those who stuck out theirneck and submitted a specific species,I split the group into two species much

in the same manner as the YOU (oh...what power). This species is already onthe hypothetical list based uponseveral sight records that did notcarefully separate the two forms whichwere considered subspecies at the timeand from a lost specimen taken nearLatrobe, Westmoreland, between 1898and 1906 (McWilliams and Brauning2000). Several people ranked this birdvery high on their list. Geoff Maloshgave the species 10 points, stating“Easy to spot, even for beginners.Identification to species could beproblematic, but this bird would likelystick around long enough for morethan one pair of eyes.” Paul Hesswrites, “We all know that more carefulstudy and documentation will be madenow that two listable species areinvolved.” Bob Schutsky, giving thebird seven points, says “big andidentifiable, regular annually on theEast coast. People love to scope bodiesof water.” Prediction - any large lake orreservoir from late November throughMarch seems most likely, though thereare several April records for OH(Peterjohn 2001).

5. Fork-tailed Flycatcher(95/16) - There is a hypothetical recordfrom 1893 of this spectacularMexican/South American breeder.There are several records from nearbystates and provinces and multiplerecords from the northeast (McCaskieand Patten 1994). This bird was alsolisted as “honorable mention” byseveral people who couldn’t seem to fitit into their top 10. The predominanceof records are from late summerthrough early winter with a lessernumber in spring. This is a showy birdthat is usually easily identified. Therecan be some difficulty with immaturebirds resembling Eastern Kingbirds,but even then, the longer tail should benoticeable. Prediction - July throughDecember anywhere in the state.

6. Long-billed Curlew (77/14) -There are a few unsupportedhypothetical reports (McWilliams andBrauning 2000). This is a big and easyto identify shorebird which won’t beoverlooked. Witmer notes that thisspecies is one of the more “lustedthings” for the Conejohela Flatsbirders. There are several records fromnearby states including a very recent(2002-2003) sighting from NJ.Prediction - Late October through

November on the Conejohela Flats orPresque Isle SP.

6. Sharp-tailed Sandpiper(77/14) - Tied for sixth place with theabove species, this shorebird isdefinitely overdue. It was number oneon two lists and when not listed amongthe top 10 was mentioned on severalsupplemental lists. Though extremelyrare, there are many fall records in theeast (Fialkovich and Hess 2003). Thereare three recent (2002) records for NJ(1) DE (2). A 2003 record for NJ wasapproximately 30 miles from PA.Identification can be a little tricky andmore than a few Pectoral Sandpipers,both adult and juvenile, have beencalled Sharp-taileds. Prediction - mid-August (adult) and mid-Septemberthrough mid-October (juvenile). I thinkit has potential to show up anywherein the state wherever shorebirdsgather in fall. Sharp-taileds have beenrecorded on both mudflats and grassyfields.

8. Boat-tailed Grackle (66/12) -I was a bit surprised to see this speciesrank so high. Boat-tailed Gracklebreeds along the Delaware Bay close toPA, but as Jeff and Retta Payne notewith their list “kind of home bodies butsure close enough to visit.” Fialkovichwrites “It’s interesting, I placedEuropean or western vagrants as morelikely than this common east coastbird, but they just don’t seem to movearound much.” This is essentially theheart of the issue: These birds hardlyever venture away from their preferredsalt-water habitat. Even in stateswhere they breed, they are rare awayfrom the nesting grounds. There arethree unsubstantiated reports from thesoutheast corner of the state(McWilliams and Brauning 2000) themost likely area for them to show. Twoof the reports are from December whenfeeding flocks of mixed blackbirds canbe found in southeast PA. Theseenormous flocks actually roost at nightalong the Delaware Bay in NJ and DE.Identification will be tricky. Separationfrom the similar and to me, morelikely, Great-tailed Grackle isessential. Prediction - March throughApril when blackbirds are movingnorth or December through Februaryamong the thousands of blackbirdsfeeding in the farmlands ofsoutheast/southcentral PA.

9. Bell’s Vireo (60/11) - Another


overdue species. There are twohypothetical sightings from ErieCounty. The last was 1959. Thisspecies breeds as close as central OH(rare) and IN. There are a few fallrecords from NY and NJ. Identificationof silent birds will be tough, as similarPhiladelphia Vireo and young White-eyed Vireos need to be ruled out.Prediction - October throughNovember. Todd Day, a birder fromVA, who heard about our top 10 list,predicts Bell’s Vireo “will be identifiedin the hand at Powdermill BandingLab.” I tend to agree, it may take thattype of documentation to add this birdto the state list.

10. Anna’s Hummingbird(51/7) - This was a real surprise.Hummingbirds were on nearlyeveryone’s final or supplemental listand when Anna’s was listed, it rankedfairly high. Despite the increasingnumber of wintering hummers in theeast, southeast and Gulf states, Anna’scontinues to be very rare (Bob Sargentpers comm). Despite this fact, there isone tantalizingly close record from NYof a bird present 18 Nov-11 Dec 1998 inBinghamton (Grosek 1998). There isalways hope. Prediction - late fall -early winter at a feeder anywhere inthe state.

Remainder of List: birds submittedthat did not score within the top-ten.

Loons/Grebes - medium to longdistance migrants with a good historyof vagrancy.

Yellow-billed Loon (40/7) -Receiving the same number of votes asthe previous species, this bird did notquite manage enough points to makethe top 10. It was also mentioned onseveral supplemental lists and DanHeathcote mentioned this species as “apersonal mission of mine.” Go Dan!There are records from IL (2), MD, MIand NY. Prediction - February-March,Presque Isle.

Arctic Loon (9/1) - Al Guarente’schoice. Extremely rare outside ofAlaska, an adult in CO in mid-November 2002 was only the secondrecord for the Lower 48. Prediction -any large body of water is a possibility.Crucial to identification will beseparating this from the rare andirregular Pacific Loon.

Clark’s Grebe (36/6) - This

species was listed six times as a resultof the Western/Clark’s Grebecombination submitted by severalpeople so the number of points is a bitskewed. No one specifically listedClark’s Grebe. The first confirmedAtlantic seaboard and eastern U.S.record was a bird in Virginia Beach,VA 1/1/03 (Iliff 2003).

Shearwaters/Storm-Petrels - strongfliers with wandering tendencies andapt to be brought inland with tropicalstorms.(July-Sept)

Audubon’s Shearwater (6/1) -Listed by Jeff and Retta Payne, whosaid “have to put a hurricane tossedbird on the list, but, is it the rightone?” Hard to tell. There is onehypothetical report of a small blackand white shearwater on the DelawareRiver below Philadelphia, August 1953after a storm. At least four wereassociated with tropical storms in VAduring the late 1990's (Brinkley et al.2001). Separation from ManxShearwater in stormy conditions maybe tricky. Prediction - large body ofwater following a tropical storm.

Herald Petrel (5/1) - Acting likea true pelagic birder, this was one ofthree pelagic species listed by PaulGuris. He writes that “PA seems to belacking a number of regularlyoccurring hurricane transported birdsand apparently with global warmingthey expect hurricane activity toincrease.” He also writes that “if globalwarming REALLY fires up, I’ll berunning pelagics out of Philadelphiasoon and getting all kinds of new PAbirds!” There are three reports listed inBrinkley et al. 1990 including one inthe Piedmont. There is a storm-relatedrecord from NY in 1934 (Levine 1998).Discussion of a possible PA sightingcan be found in Hess 1997. Prediction -large body of water following a tropicalstorm.

Wilson’s Storm-Petrel (22/3) -A few people were hedging their betsthat the birds reported duringHurricane Isabel will be accepted tothe state list. This species is numerousoffshore and has been expected to occurduring tropical storm activity.Prediction - large body of waterfollowing a tropical storm.

Band-rumped Storm-Petrel(30/4) - Similar to the previous species.A long-dead possible Band-rumped

Storm-Petrel was discovered near Erie,February 1998. This report is currentlyunder review by PORC. Though notnearly as numerous offshore asWilson’s Storm-Petrel, there were eightrecords reported in Brinkley et al.1990.All were in the coastal plain. Therewere also storm-related corpsesrecovered in DC, IN, ON and NC. Thisis another overdue storm-relatedspecies. Prediction - large body ofwater following a tropical storm.

Herons/Egrets - medium to long-distance wanderers, easy to see andidentify.

Little Egret (1/1) - Incrediblythis species received only one vote forthe top 10 list by Adrian Binns andwas included in only two supplementallists by myself and George Armistead.There are several documented recordsin nearby states. DE (2), VA (1), RI (1),MA (4), NH (2), NS (1), NF (1), PQ (1).Pennsylvania is handicapped in nothaving extensive coastline to attractlarge concentrations of herons andegrets. Prediction - April through Junewhen the two long head plumes help toseparate this species from the similarSnowy Egret. Probably in thesoutheast along the lower Delaware orSusquehanna Rivers. .

Reddish Egret (24/5) - Anundocumented bird was present atPresque Isle SP, 9 May 1953(McWill iams and Brauning) .Supposedly this bird was seen by manybut no photographs or writtendocumentation was made. Al Guarentenotes that the “next drought downsouth, I would certainly expect thisbird to be found in PA.” There was arash of sightings along the east coastin Spring-Summer 1991 (DE, MA, NY)but things have been quiet with thisspecies since. This species strays atleast annually to coastal NC.Prediction - post breeding wanderer,May through August, along the lowerDelaware or Susquehanna Rivers or atPresque Isle.Waterfowl - strong fliers, long-distancemigrants, easy to find and identify.

Trumpeter Swan (1/1) - Annualin the state, most are thought to befrom re-introduction programs fromnearby states. Jeff and Retta Paynepredict “they’ll be established as amigrant and officially countable before10 other new birds are added.”


Prediction - November through Marchanywhere in the state, hopefully abanded bird from a non re-introductionprogram.

Fulvous Whistling-Duck (19/6)- There are two hypothetical records,one for Middle Creek WMA and onefrom York County. Both reports arefrom the mid-1970's when this specieswas being found with some regularityin the mid-Atlantic states. The MiddleCreek bird was photographed. Thephotos taken by a Lancaster birder,who shall remain nameless, were laterdiscarded because they were not ofhigh quality. This species does notwander into the mid-Atlantic as oftenas in the ‘70s, but there have beensome recent sightings in DE, MD, andNJ. Prediction - March throughSeptember probably in the southeast oralong the lower Susquehanna River.

Kites/Hawks/Eagles - medium to long-distance migrants, known to wanderoutside of normal range both springand fall.

White-tailed Kite (3/2) - A veryrare vagrant to the east, there are onlya handful of documented records fromthe mid-Atlantic including abeautifully photographed bird fromCape May in 1998. While appearing ononly two lists, several people added itto their supplemental lists. This wouldbe a terrific find. Prediction - Aprilthrough June in open areas anywherein the state.

Ferruginous Hawk (9/3) - Adefinite long-shot. The occasional birdis found in fall at the Duluth, MNhawkwatch, but, it is extremely rare asone moves east. Pennsylvania is thehome of the hawkwatcher, with sitesspanning the breadth of the state.Hopefully, one will get lucky.Prediction - October through Novemberat a hawkwatching site near you.

Eurasian Sparrowhawk (6/1) -Tom Johnson’s choice. There is oneunaccepted report for NJ (Sibley 1997).Tom writes “It’s a possibility, albeit along shot - somebody will probably passover PA’s first Eurasian Sparrowhawk,calling it a lanky, "dark-morph" coop...”Prediction - October at one of the manyhawkwatching sites.Rails/Cranes - some species with long-distance migrations and habit ofturning up in strange places.

Limpkin (4/1) - Holly Merker’schoice. Reminiscent of the FulvousWhistling-Duck incursion of the 1970's,this species started to makeappearances in VA during that time. Itseemed just a matter of time that thebird would spread northward. Thewanderings were short-lived andexcept for a 1985 record form MD therehave been no vagrants. Prediction -May through June. I think one on theConejohela Flats would cause quite astir.

Whooping Crane (1/1) - Wow!.Joyce Hoffmann’s long-shot choice. Onthe surface you have to think this istruly a wild card, but maybe not. Iguess it is plausible that one of thecaptive bred Whooping Cranes that arebeing “taught” to migrate via anUltralight aircraft from WI to FL (seehttp://fathergoose.durham.net) mightwander a bit off course and stray intoour airspace. The birds “migrate” asclose as IL. Countability may pose aproblem. As for a true wild Whooper toget caught up with some SandhillCranes and head east...stranger thingshave happened and Sandhill Cranesare now annual sometimes in doubledigits. Prediction - March throughApril or October through Novemberprobably in the western third of thestate.Shorebirds - long-distance migrants,strong fliers with history of occurringoutside of normal range on a regularbasis.

Pacific Golden-Plover (25/3) -Listed only three times but given ahigh rating. I think this is due to therecent confirmed sightings in NJ(Crossley 2002) and MA (2002). A birdphotographed this fall in DE may alsobe this species. There is also a recordfor Bermuda and two from Barbados.This species may have occurred in PAbut was simply overlooked. Separationfrom American Golden-Plover is noeasy task, and good, clear photos andwritten documentation will be neededto add this species to the state list.Prediction - September, in areas whereAmerican Golden-Plovers are regularlyfound.

Northern Lapwing (16/5) -Overdue. Records from most nearbystates including OH. This is an easy toidentify bird and probably won’t be

overlooked in a large flock of winteringKilldeer. Prediction -December throughMarch, most likely in the eastern partof the state.

Spotted Redshank (2/1) - Oneof Dan Heathcote’s wild cards.Confirmed records for NJ (3), NY (3),OH (1), ON (3). Should not be toodifficult to identify, especially if anadult in partial breeding plumage.Nearby records are from late August(OH) through March (NY). Prediction -September through October, on thelower Delaware River or ConejohelaFlats.

Terek Sandpiper (1/1) - This isone of my wild cards. There is one eastcoast record for MA (YOU 1998). Thereis also a record for Trinidad andTobago (Taylor 2001) and two recordsfor Argentina and one for Brazil. Itseems a long-shot, but I’m thinking ifthis long-distance Eurasian migranthas made it once to the northeast andcan make it to the Caribbean andSouth America, it may show itself inthe mid-Atlantic. It is an easy bird toidentify. Prediction - July throughAugust in the eastern part of the statewhere large numbers of shorebirds arefound, e.g. Green Lane, John HeinzNWR, Conejohela Flats etc.

Red-necked Stint (22/6) -Overdue. This species also appeared onseveral supplemental lists. Paul Hesswriting about choosing this speciesover Little Stint said, “This was atossup with Little Stint. There havebeen 14 records of Red-necked since1975 from Delaware to Maine and atleast 13 records of Little since 1979from Delaware to Nova Scotia. I choseRed-necked because somewhat more ofits records have come from the mid-Atlantic coast, while more Littlerecords have been from thenortheastern coast.” An adult inalternate or partial alternate plumageshould not prove too difficult, but anadult in basic plumage or a juvenilewill be a challenge. Extensivephotographic documentation will beneeded to add this species to the statelist. Prediction - July, anywhere in thestate where large numbers of “peeps”are found, but most likely at PresqueIsle or the eastern half of the state.

Little Stint (30/5) - Surprisingly,this species scored higher than Red-


necked Stint. While appearing on oneless list, it garnered more favorablevotes. Much like the previous species,an adult in alternate plumage shouldnot pose too much difficulty, but afading adult or juvenile will needexhaustive documentation. Prediction -same as previous species.Skuas - long-distance migrants, tend tobe associated in PA with tropicalstorms.

South Polar Skua (3/1) - One ofTom Johnson’s wild cards. Though notnecessarily associated with tropicalstorms, I guess anything is possible.Finding this species would not doubtcause a stampede of birders. Prediction- any large body of water following atropical storm.Gulls - the ultimate wanderers.Identification not always straight-forward.

Black-tailed Gull (6/1) - Despiteseveral documented records frombordering states (MD, NJ, NY) andnearly a dozen records from the eastcoast from NF to VA, this speciesappeared on only one top 10 list. It wasmentioned on a few supplemental lists,but Bill Etter was the only person togive it points. Distant photographs of asuspected Black-tailed Gull at LakeOntelaunee, Berks, in January 2000were inconclusive. Documented recordsthis year from IL and WI show thatthis species is not necessarily a coastalprize. Prediction - November throughMarch anywhere in the state wheregulls gather.

Yellow-legged Gull (21/5) -There are approximately 10 recordsfrom NF of this European gull. Closerto home, accepted records exist forMD/DC (1) and VA (1). Severalunaccepted reports for NJ were nottotally convincing. Recent reports fromMA are under review. Matt Sharp,giving the bird seven points, writes“with one of the largest concentrationsof gulls in the ne. US at the TullytownLandfill, it is almost certain that thisspecies is occurring in the stateperhaps every year. I think it is mostlya question of getting diagnostic photoswhich is no trivial task.” Identificationof large white-headed gulls is stille v o l v i n g , a n d i m p e c c a b l edocumentation and photographs will beneeded to secure this species to the

state list. An understanding of thewide variation within the Herring Gullis important in identifying Yellow-legged Gull. An excellent source ofidentification material for this speciescan be found in Garner 1997 andGarner et al. 1997. Prediction -December through March, probably atone of the large gull concentrations inthe eastern part of the state.

Slaty-backed Gull (29/5) - Along-distance wanderer, this specieshas shown up all over the continent.Nearby, there is a good record from theNiagara Falls area and controversialrecords from MD and OH. Sightrecords seem to occur annually alongthe east coast from MA to FL.Prediction - December through Marchat Presque Isle State Park .

Glaucous-winged Gull (7/1) -Another species that has beenanxiously awaited by gull lovers tocross the continent. There is onecurrent sight report from theTullytown Landfill, Bucks underreview by PORC. Prediction -December through March at PresqueIsle or Tullytown.

Kelp Gull (5/1) - Largely aresident of the Southern Hemisphere,this is another of Tom Johnson’s picks.There have been several nearbydocumented records including one fromIN (1996) and the long-staying bird atSandgates, MD (1999-present). Themost recent report (2003) is a birdphotographed in CO. It has alsohybridized with Herring Gull on theChandeleur Is.,, LA. This species isexpanding its range in South America(Haase 1996 and Hayes 2002) so moresightings in North America can beexpected. Prediction - Novemberthrough March, anywhere there arelarge mixed gull flocks.

Ivory Gull (19/7) - There issomething about this species thatconjures up fantasies that are nearlymythical. Even those who did not listthis species in their top-ten desire it.Bob Schutsky writes, “I’ve pictured iton the Susquehanna a thousandtimes.” Ramsay Koury writes, “Maybejust wishful thinking, but think of thethousands of people it would attract.”Dan Heathcote writes, “I’d even chasethat one, and I hardly chase anything.”Mike Fialkovich seems to sum it up

with “We can only hope.” There are atleast 14 records for NY (Levine) nearlyevenly split between coastal andupstate, one OH record from theCleveland lakefront (Peterjohn) andfour from New Jersey (Walsh et al.1999). Prediction - January throughFebruary at Presque Isle.Terns - medium to long-distancemigrants, strong fliers, can be broughtinland with tropical storms.

Sandwich Tern (13/2) - Acoastal tern that breeds as far north asVA and regularly found in summeralong coastal DE, MD and NJ butrarely strays inland. This would be anextremely exciting find for PA.Prediction - July through Septemberalong the lower Delaware orSusquehanna Rivers.

Bridled Tern (26/5) - Seemsoverdue as a hurricane waif. Though itis often more numerous off the mid-Atlantic coasts in early autumn it iscomparatively scarce, especiallyinland, following tropical storms,whereas Sooty Tern, very numerousafter storms’ passage, is recorded inmuch smaller numbers than Bridled inthe same coastal waters (Brinkley etal. 2001). Prediction - August throughSeptember at large bodies of waterfollowing tropical storms.

White-winged Tern (16/2) - Itseemed that during the 1980's throughthe mid 1990's with near annualsightings from DE, this species wasdestined to show up in PA. Reports ofWhite-winged Tern have becomesporadic since and chances of a PAsighting have lessened. This specieshas paired with Black Tern and nestedin NY and PQ. Prediction - Julythrough September along theConejohela Flats or Presque Isle.

Large-billed Tern (1/1) - This isEric Witmer’s “long-shot”. He alsowrites that “finding this species wouldput PA on the map for the ABA’s 800species heavy hitting listers.”Interestingly there are reports from IL(YOU 1998), NJ (Kane 1989) and OH(McLaughlin 1979). In South Americathis species’ non-breeding behaviorfavors freshwater marshes and rivers.Prediction - late May through June atPymatuning, the Conejohela Flats,John Heinz NWR, Peace Valley Parkor the Delaware River marshes in


Bucks, Philadelphia or DelawareCounties.Alcids - some species are known towander long distances.

Long-billed Murrelet (37/8) -This species barely missed the top-tenlist by points but made the top ten byvotes. When not on a top-ten list it wasmentioned on many supplemental lists.A native of the northeastern PacificOcean, it regularly wanders outside itsrange and has occurred several timesin eastern North America including IN,MA, NC, NY(2), OH, RI, and SC. Mostrecently in Ithaca, NY (Steve andTaylor Kelling 2002). Prediction -December at a large lake anywhere inthe state.

Razorbill (1/1) - This would bean outstanding find. There is onehypothetical report listed inMcWilliams and Brauning of a birdshot in Pittston, Luzerne, but thecollecting data on the mountedspecimen could not be found.Prediction- December through March,on a large body of water in the easternpart of the state following a largecoastal storm with strong winds and aheavy dose of luck.Owls - some are long-distancemigrants, some irruptive.

Burrowing Owl (3/1) - Aninteresting selection by PeterRobinson. Surprisingly, there areabout 20 records of this species fromthe northeast including CT, MA, MD,NH, NY, OH, RI, and VA. There havebeen five records for Long Island alone(Levine 1998). This bird would causequite a stir and stampede. Prediction-October through December in openfields in the southcentral counties orreclaimed strip-mine areas in thewestern part of the state.Swifts - long-distance migrants, strongfliers, identification of flying birds maybe difficult.

White-collared Swift (2/1) -This is one of my wild cards. There arenine records for North America of thisMexican/South American species. Sixof the records come from FL and TXand one from CA. The remaining twoare enticingly close to PA: one fromTawas Point, MI 19 May 1996 (Dunn1996) and the other from Rondeau PP,ON 10 June 2002 (Rheinallt 2003).

Interestingly, both the MI and ONbirds were observed from a peninsulaprojecting into one of the Great Lakes.Prediction - May at Presque Isle SP.Hummingbirds - proven wanderersfrom the west, increasing sightings.

Broad-tailed Hummingbird(24/4) - The fourth of the “westernhummers” to be nominated. There area few documented eastern NorthAmerican records (IL, MI, WI) butrecently the species seems to beannual, DE (2001), NC (2001) and TN(2002). Prediction - November throughDecember anywhere in the state.

Green Violet-ear (21/5) - Thereare approximately 30-35 records of thishighly sought-after hummingbird ofthe Mexican/South Americanhighlands. Nearly a third of therecords are from TX, but, there areconfirmed records scattered across thecontinent (Newfield 2001). A 2003record from nearby WV is captivating.Prediction - May through August in amountainous area of the state.Woodpeckers - medium distancemigrants, some may be irruptive.

A m e r i c a n T h r e e - t o e dWoodpecker (23/4) - This speciesscored high on lists in which itappeared. There are four hypotheticalreports that lack sufficient detail to beaccepted. Prediction - Decemberthrough March anywhere in the state.Flycatchers - known to wander outsideof normal range, medium and long-distance migrants. Identification maypose a challenge.

Tropical Kingbird (6/2) - Therehave been at least 40 Tropical/Couch’sKingbird records in eastern NorthAmerica (Mlodinow 1998). Of the 17records identified by voice, camera orshotgun, nine were considered Couch’s,seven were reportedly Tropical, andone specimen identified as both. Theconfirmed Tropical Kingbirds werefrom CT, FL, LA, ME, MI, NC, and PQ.Recent reports came from FL(2001,2002) and ON (2002). Voiceseparation from Couch’s will be the keyto adding this species to the state list.Prediction - October through earlyDecember anywhere in the state.

Gray Kingbird (30/6) - Thisspecies scored well on several lists and

was mentioned on a few supplementallists as well. According to Armisteadand Iliff (2003), there are 36 recordsalong the Atlantic Coast north of theCarolinas. Away from the Atlantic andGulf coasts there has been a total of 18records, though only eight have beenaway from the southeastern states(Georgia, South Carolina and NorthCarolina). This does not bode well for abird to show up in PA. A factor in ourfavor is that most inland records comefrom the fall and that the Octoberrecords seem to be the most wide-ranging, having been recorded in MI,upstate NY (2) and ON (4). EricWitmer writes, “wanders up the entirecoast to Canada. An eastern PA recordcan’t be that out of the question.”Noting that most surrounding stateshave records of this species, Paul Hessadds, “Pennsylvania deserves one too,and we can legitimately hope to get itbefore long.” Hear! Hear! Prediction -September through November in thesoutheast portion of the state.Jays/Magpies - can be irruptive andwander outside of normal range.

Gray Jay (24/5) - The top pick byJohn Fedak, this species scored welland was noted on a few supplementallists. There are a few hypotheticalreports for the state, none of whichseem to hold up to scrutiny. Breeds asfar south as the Adirondacks. Winterirruptions that would bring this speciessouth into our state are few.Documented records close to PA havecome from Sullivan, Westchester,Dutchess and Ostego Counties, NY(Levine 1998). Prediction - Januarythrough March in the northern tiercounties of the Poconos.

Black-billed Magpie (6/1) -Selected by Peter Robinson andmentioned on a few supplemental lists.There are several hypothetical recordsfor PA believed to pertain to a smallnesting colony which resulted from theescape of several magpies from thePittsburgh Zoo in 1955. These birdsbecame established for at least 15years (McWiiliams and Brauning2000). There are three accepted recordsfor OH, all pre-1955. In addition to theOH records, the YOU (1998) listssightings for IL, IN, MI, WI, WV, NB,southern ON and souther PQ with thecaveat that many records pertain toescaped individuals. Prediction -


October in the western portion of thestate.Wrens - medium distance migrantswith a history of vagrancy.

Rock Wren (19/5) - There areconfirmed records from manysurrounding states and provinces. PAis overdue and as Geoff Maloshmentions, “PA is a big hole in thatvagrancy pattern.” Many who did notinclude this bird on their top-tenmentioned it on their supplementallists. Prediction - November throughDecember anywhere in the state.Thrushes - medium to long-distancemigrants, European and Asian specieswith vagrant tendencies.

Fieldfare (9/2) - Submitted onlyby myself and Arlene Koch, thisspecies was also mentioned on a fewsupplemental lists. Why not! There aresight records from DE, NY and NS(YOU). With several records fromeastern Canada and the New Englandstates, we should be next. Maybe thisbird will show up as Eric Witmerpredicts “at a DVOC meeting, a littleold lady in tennis shoes is going to say“there is a strange looking Robin in myyard this winter.” Don’t we all hopethis lady comes through. Prediction -February through early April,anywhere in the state.Thrashers - medium distance migrants,but know to stray eastward.

Sage Thrasher (17/4) - Not anannual vagrant east, but one that hasshown up enough that I agree with AlGuarente who writes, “We have to beoverlooking this guy.” There arerecords from several nearby statesincluding DE, MD, NC, NJ (2), NY (4),MI (2), and VA. Prediction - Octoberthrough December anywhere in thestate excluding mountainous areas.

Curve-billed Thrasher (4/1) -Not known as a long-distancewanderer, this is a bold prediction byArlene Koch. This species hasappeared in the eastern plains and WI,so what’s a few more hundred mileswith a strong tailwind. Prediction -October through December in thewestern part of the statePipits - medium distance migrants.

Sprague’s Pipit (10/2) -Extremely rare in the east, this species

was submitted by two of westernPennsylvania’s most active birders,Joyce Hof fmann and MarkMcConaughy. There are severalreports from surrounding states butfew accepted records. Not really knownto flock with American Pipits, solitaryindividuals or a small flock is likely tobe encountered. Prediction - Octoberthrough November in grassy areas inthe western part of the state.Warblers - medium to long-distancemigrants, western species known towander east.

Virginia’s Warbler (2/1) -Another gutsy call by Tom Johnson. Anextremely rare vagrant to the east,there are records for the Maritimes,ON, MI and NJ (banded). Let’s hopethe word spreads fast on this one.Prediction - November, probably atPowdermill Banding Lab.

Hermit Warbler (15/4) -Another species mentioned by a few asoverdue. This species garnered spotson several supplemental lists as well.There are several accepted records foreastern Canada (9), MA (2), CN (1)(Dunn and Garrett 1997), and IL hadits first in 2002 (Brock 2003). Key toacceptance will be eliminating a hybridHermit x Townsend’s Warbler, a recentdiscouraging event in NY (Block andConnor 2003 and DiCostanzo 2003).Prediction - November through earlyDecember, anywhere in the state.

MacGillivray’s Warbler (34/6)- Once again felt by some to be wayoverdue. Extremely rare in the east inlate fall, there are accepted recordsfrom NJ (Karlson 1998) and NY (Veitand Taylor 2000). Dunn and Garret listvagrant eastern records from MA (4),ON (1), GA (1) and a possible from FL.This species scored high on a few lists,nine points by John Fedak and eightpoints by Adrian Binns and wasmentioned on many supplemental lists.Matt Sharp writes, “exceptionallydifficult ID, though any Oporornis seenafter October is likely this species.”Prediction - November throughDecember anywhere in the state, butprobably at Powdermill Banding Lab.

Painted Redstart (1/1) - A wildcard listed by Devich Farbotnik. Thisspecies does have a history ofwandering far out of range and thereare records from two neighboring

states; NY 1979 (Levine) and OH 1970(Peterjohn 2001). Dunn and Garrett1997 also list eastern records for WI,MI, s.ON, MA, LA, MS, AL, and GA.Prediction - December, anywhere inthe state.Sparrows and Longspurs- mediumdistance migrants, some tendency towander. Identification can be tricky.

Black-throated Sparrow (16/5)- A rare vagrant to the east, there area few records from nearby states. OHhas two including a very bizarre Junebird (Peterjohn 2001). NJ has threeaccepted records including one thatwas approximately 20 miles from PA(Walsh et al 1999). The YOU listsseveral additional eastern sightingsincluding birds from nearby IL, MI,s.ON, s.PQ, and VA. A majority ofsightings are from feeders. Prediction -December through March at a feederanywhere in the state.

Smith's Longspur (7/21) - Arare spring and fall vagrant to theeast, this species received severalmentions on supplemental lists as well.Geoff Malosh mentions that “thisinnocuous long-distance migrantprobably has occurred with a flock oflaplands and was passed off.” Thereare from one to two records from eachof ME, MA, RI, CN, NY, NJ, MD, NC,and SC (Dunn and Beadle 1998). Fallbirds will be an identification problemand will require careful notes andphotos for acceptance. Paul Hessencourages us with all longspurs,“Let’s be sure to study the nonbreedingplumage of all four longspurs inadvance, so we will be better preparedto identify it.” Prediction - Novemberand April anywhere in the state wherefield birds (Horned Larks, SnowBuntings and Lapland Longspurs)occur.

Chestnut-collared Longspur(8/31)- This Great Plains breeder didmake the top-ten list by votes. Dunnreports that in the Mid-Atlantic,Northeast and Maritimes there areover 20 records from fall, spring andsummer. It remains unrecorded fromKY, IN and OH. NJ lists one from Jan-Feb and an amazing bird photographedin mid-June in Cape May. (Walsh et al.1999). NY has five accepted records;one winter, one fall, two spring and onesummer (June 6-8, 1982) (Levine


1998). MD has two accepted records,one fall and one summer (August 1906)(Hoffman and Davis 1998). Paul Hesscautions, “It has been recorded mostoften in the summer months in thenortheast, so we should not look for itmainly in the winter when we areaccustomed to seeing LaplandLongspurs.” Prediction - Novemberthrough April anywhere in the statewhere field birds occur. Again, alongspur found in summer is likely tobe this species.Blackbirds - medium distancemigrants. Some species with expandingranges.

Great-tailed Grackle (36/5) -This abundant, raucous blackbird ofthe western states is expanding itsrange northward from the Southwestbut not necessarily eastward. There isone accepted record (May 6, 1985) forOH (Peterjohn). As a result of itsexpanding range Paul Hess writes,“Any grackle that is conspicuouslylarger than a Common Grackle shouldnot automatically be considered aBoat-tailed.” I also endorse thisconcept. As mentioned previously,Boat-tailed Grackles have a tendencyto stick to saltwater areas, so anunusually large grackle found inreclaimed strip-mines in western PAwould likely be Great-tailed. Prediction- May through August in the westernpart of the state.

Shiny Cowbird (20/4) - ThisSouth American blackbird made itsfirst appearance in the U.S in 1985 inthe Florida Keys. During the late ‘80sand early ‘90s it seemed to bespreading rapidly north and westreaching GA, SC, AL, LA, TX and OK(Mlodinow). It seemed inevitable thatthe species would soon be found alongthe entire Atlantic and Gulf coasts. Forsome reason the expansion seemed tofizzle out even though a few birdsmade it to NC and one bird evenvisited Monhegan Is. ME in 1991. Thespecies finally made it to VA in 1998(Williams 1998). There are no recordsfrom adjacent states. A male Shinywould not be difficult to identify, but afemale would require documentationseparating it from female Brown-headed Cowbird and female Brewer’sBlackbird. Prediction - August wherelarge flocks of post-breeding cowbirdsoccur.

Finches - irruptive, known to wanderoutside of normal range.

Lesser Goldfinch (1/1) - AlGuarente’s long shot. This species isnot known to wander all that much.YOU lists records from KY and MEand sight reports from southern ONand NC. Identification should rule outaberrant American Goldfinch.Prediction - November through Marchat a feeder anywhere in the state.

Supplemental List: These are specieswhich were submitted as “honorablemention”, “If I could submit a longerlist, these would be on it”, “I wish Icould add these” etc. These birds didnot receive any points/votes. Birdsmarked with * have been recorded inadjacent states (OH, MD, DE, NJ, NY,WV).

Fea’s Petrel * (NJ)

Atlantic Puffin * (OH,DE,MD,NJ,NY)

Sooty Shearwater * (MD,DE,NJ,NY)

Groove-billed Ani * (OH,MD)

Manx Shearwater* (MD,DE,NJ,NY)

Green-breasted Mango

Neotropic Cormorant

Costa’s Hummingbird

Garganey* (DE,NJ)

Western Wood-Pewee * (MD)

Eurasian Kestrel* (NJ)

Gray Flycatcher* (OH, DE)

Prairie Falcon* (OH)

Dusky Flycatcher (PA -hypo.)

Mongolian Plover* (NJ)

Couch’s Kingbird

Mountain Plover

Cassin’s Kingbird

Bar-tailed Godwit * (NJ, NY)

Clark’s Nutcracker

Wood Sandpiper* (NY)

Cassin’s Sparrow* (NJ, NY)

Heermann’s Gull

Baird’s Sparrow* (OH,MD,NY)

Western Gull

McCown’s Longspur

Elegant Tern

Bronzed Cowbird

Brown Noddy* (NJ)

Hooded Oriole

Common Murre* (MD,NJ,NY)

Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch* (OH)

Omissions. Sometimes, what’sexcluded is as interesting as what’sincluded. The following species wereomitted from any list submitted, buthave occurred in adjacent states.(OH,MD, DE, NJ, NY, WV).

Yellow-nosed Albatross (MD, NJ, NY)

Eurasian Curlew (NY)

Mottled Petrel (NY)

Broad-billed Sandpiper (NY)

Buller’s Shearwater (NJ)

Eurasian Woodcock (NJ)

White-faced Storm-Petrel (MD, DE, NJ, NY)

Great Skua (MD, DE, NJ, NY)

Red-billed Tropicbird (NJ, NY)

Whiskered Tern (DE, NJ)

Brown Booby (NJ, NY)

Smooth-billed Ani (OH)

Mottled Duck (NY)

Williamson’s Sapsucker (NY)

Smew (NY)

Cordilleran Flycatcher (NY)

Harris’s Hawk (OH)

Brown-chested Martin (NJ)

Corn Crake (MD, NJ, NY)

Redwing (NY)

Azure Gallinule (NY)

Brewer’s Sparrow (NY)

Table 1. Summary of Lists

George Armistead

White-faced Ibis

Black-chinned Hummingbird

Long-billed Curlew

Pacific Golden-Plover

Sharp-tailed Sandpiper

Fork-tailed Flycatcher

Band-rumped Storm-Petrel

Yellow-billed Loon

Fulvous Whistling-Duck

Rock Wren

Adrian Binns

Allen’s Hummingbird


MacGillivray’s Warbler


Bell’s Vireo

Yellow-legged Gull


Shiny Cowbird

Little Stint

Northern Lapwing

Little Egret

Ben Coulter

White-faced Ibis

Western Grebe



Long-billed Curlew

Slaty-backed Gull

Red-necked Stint


Boat-tailed Grackle

Broad-tailed Hummingbird

Dave DeReamus

Pacific Golden-Plover

Great-tailed Grackle

Yellow-billed Loon

Shiny Cowbird

Western/Clark’s Grebe

White-faced Ibis

Chestnut-collared Longspur

Reddish Egret

Bell’s Vireo

Gray Jay

Bill Etter

Western Grebe

Anna’s Hummingbird

Gray Kingbird

Boat-tailed Grackle

Black-tailed Gull

White-faced Ibis

Hermit Warbler

Bridled Tern



Devich Farbotnik


White-faced Ibis


Shiny Cowbird

Northern Lapwing

Hermit Warbler

Slaty-backed Gull

Green Violet-ear


Painted Redstart

John Fedak

Gray Jay


White-winged Tern

A m e r i c a n T h r e e - t o e dWoodpecker

White-faced Ibis

Bell’s Vireo

Hermit Warbler

Yellow-billed Loon

Smith’s Longspur

White-tailed Kite

Mike Fialkovich


White-faced Ibis


Long-billed Curlew

Boat-tailed Grackle

Northern Lapwing

Red-necked Stint

Little Stint

Green-Violet-ear

Ivory Gull

Ross Gallardy

Bridled Tern

White-faced Ibis

Bell’s Vireo




Reddish Egret

Red-necked Stint

Ivory Gull

Razorbill

Tom Garner


Long-billed Murrelet

Pacific-Golden-Plover


Long-billed Curlew

Yellow-legged Gull

Boat-tailed Grackle

Bridled Tern

Western Grebe


Al Guarente

White-faced Ibis

Arctic Loon

Reddish Egret

Long-billed Curlew

Boat-tailed Grackle



Sage Thrasher


Lesser Goldfinch

Paul Guris

White-faced Ibis

Slaty-backed Gull



Bridled Tern

Herald Petrel


Green-Violet-ear


Yellow-legged Gull

Brian Hardiman



Wilson’s Storm-Petrel


Bell’s Vireo

Western/Clark’s grebe


Gray Jay

Long-billed Curlew


Dan Heathcote





Sage Thrasher

Ivory Gull

White-faced Ibis

Rock Wren

Spotted Redshank

Yellow-billed Loon

Paul Hess

Boat-tailed Grackle

White-faced Ibis

Western Grebe

Gray Kingbird



Red-necked Stint



Tropical Kingbird

Deuane Hoffman

White-faced Ibis



Yellow-billed Loon



Bell’s Vireo


Yellow-legged Gull


Joyce Hoffman

Western Grebe

Bell’s Vireo



Smith’s Longspur

Sprague’s Pipit

Boat-tailed Grackle

White-faced Ibis

Northern Lapwing

Whooping Crane

Tom Johnson

Little Stint

Sandwich Tern

White-winged Tern

Glaucous-winged Gull

Eurasian Sparrowhawk

Kelp Gull

White-faced Ibis

South Polar Skua

Virginia’s Warbler

Ivory Gull

Arlene Koch




Rock Wren

Fieldfare

Black-throated Sparrow

Curve-billed Thrasher

Bell’s Vireo

Ferruginous Hawk

Long-billed Curlew

Ramsay Koury

White-faced Ibis



Green-Violet-ear

Boat-tailed Grackle

Ivory Gull


Slaty-backed Gull



Geoff Malosh

Western Grebe

Boat-tailed Grackle

Bell’s Vireo

Rock Wren

Smith’s Longspur


Sage Thrasher

White-faced Ibis



Mark McConaughy

White-faced Ibis



Reddish Egret


Sprague’s Pipit

Gray Kingbird

Gray Jay


Long-billed Curlew

Jerry McWilliams

Yellow-billed Loon



Boat-tailed/Great-tailed Grackle

White-faced Ibis

Wilson’s Storm-Petrel



Red-necked Stint

Smith’s Longspur

Holly Merker


Long-billed Curlew

Western Grebe

Gray Jay



Gray Kingbird

Limpkin


White-tailed Kite

Northern Lapwing

Jeff and Retta Payne

Long-billed Curlew

White-faced Ibis



Audubon’s Shearwater

Ferruginous Hawk


Boat-tailed Grackle

Gray Kingbird

Trumpeter Swan

Nick Pulcinella

White-faced Ibis




Green-Violet-ear

Tropical Kingbird


Fieldfare

White-collared Swift

Terek Sandpiper

Peter Robinson

Western Grebe

Long-billed Curlew


White-faced Ibis

Black-billed Magpie

Bell’s Vireo

Sandwich Tern

Burrowing Owl

Reddish Egret


Bob Schutsky


Little Stint

White-faced Ibis

Western Grebe


Long-billed Curlew


Ivory Gull

Shiny Cowbird

Smith’s Longspur

Matt Sharp

White-faced Ibis

Western Grebe


Yellow-legged Gull



Bridled Tern




Jerry Stanley


Wilson’s Strom-Petrel

White-faced Ibis






Ferruginous Hawk

Long-billed Curlew

Dave Wilton



Slaty-backed Gull

White-faced Ibis


Western Grebe

Sage Thrasher

Bell’s Vireo

Boat-tailed Grackle

Smith’s Longspur

Rick Wiltraut

Black-chinned/Allen’s/Broad-tailed

White-faced Ibis




Red-necked/Little Stint

Chestnut-col lared/Smith’sLongspur


Hermit Warbler

Rock Wren

Eric Witmer



Yellow-billed Loon



Long-billed Curlew

Gray Kingbird


Ivory Gull

Large-billed Tern

Literature Cited

American Ornithologists Union(YOU). 1998. Check-listof North American Birds,7th ed. Allen Press,Lawrence, KS.

Arterburn, J. A. and J. A.Grzybowski.. 2003.Hybridization betweenGlossy and White-facedIbises. North AmericanBirds 57:136-139.

Block, A. and A. Connor. 2003.Possible Hermit Warbler( D e n d r o i c aoccidentalis), a First forNew York State, JonesBeach SP, Nassau Co.,11/28/02 to 12/1/02.Kingbird 53:2-4.

Brinkley, E.S., C. M.Stinson,B.Taber and B.Williams2001. Seabird RecordsA s s o c i a t e d w i t hHurricane Activity inVirginia in the Late1990's. The Raven.72:95-125.

Brock, K. J. 2003. RegionalReport: Illinois andIndiana. North AmericanBirds 57:202.

Crossley, R. 2002. NewJersey’s First PacificGolden-Plover. Recordsof New Jersey BirdsV28:57-60.

DiCostanzo, J. 2003. HermitWarbler or Hermit xTownsend’s Hybrid??Kingbird 53:5-8.

Dunn, J. L. 1996. First staterecord: White-collaredSwift (Streptoprocnezonaris) at Tawas Point,Iosco Co. MichiganBirds and NaturalHistory 3:277:282.

Dunn, J. L. and K. L. Garrett.1997. A Field Guide toWarblers of NorthAmerica. HoughtonMifflin Co., Boston andNew York.

Dunn, J. L. and D. Beadle.1 9 9 8 . L o n g s p u r sD i s t r i b u t i o n a n dIdentification in BasicP l u m age . B i r d e r sJournal 7:68-93.

Fialkovich, M. and P.Hess.2003. First ConfirmedRecord of Sharp-tailed

Sandpiper (Calidrisacuminata) in NewJersey. New JerseyBirds 29:59-61.

Garner, M. and D. Quinn 1997.Identification of Yellow-legged Gulls in Britain.British Birds 90:25-62.

Garner, M., D. Quinn and B.G l o v e r . 1 9 9 7 .Identification of Yellow-legged Gulls in BritainPart 2. British Birds90:369-383.

Grosek, R. J. 1998. Anna’sH u m m i n g b i r d i nBinghamton, New York.Kingbird 48:280-288.

Haase, B. 1996. Kelp GullLarus dominicanus: anew breeding speciesfor Ecuador. Continga5:73-74.

Hayes, F. E., G. L. White, M. D.Frost, B. Sanasie, H.Kilpatrick and E. B.Massiah. 2002. Firstrecords of Kelp GullLarus dominicanus forTrinidad and Barbados.Continga 18:85-88.

Hess, P. 1997. The “HawkMountain Petrel”: FirstPennsylvania Record,but which species?Pennsylvania Birds11:2-5.

Hoffman, M. L. and P. Davis.1998. Second Report oft h e M a r y l a n d / D CRecords Committee.Maryland Birdlife. 54:3-26.

Iliff, M. J. 2003. Middle AtlanticRegional Report. NorthAmerican Birds 57:186.

Kane, R., P.A.Buckley and J.Golub. 1989. Large-billed Tern in NewJersey: North America’sf i r s t c o n f i r m e doccurrence. AmericanBirds 43:1275-1276.

Karlson, K. 1998. First Recordo f M a c G i l l i v r a y ’ sWarbler in New Jersey.Records of New JerseyBirds 26:69-71.

Kelling, S. and T. Kelling. 2002.Long-billed Murrelet( B r a c h y r a m p h u sperdix)at Ithaca, NewYork 17-20 Dec. 2001.Kingbird 52:38-40.

Levine, E., editor. 1998. Bull’sBirds of New York State.Corne l l Un ivers i tyPress, Ithaca, NY.

McCaskie, G. and M. A. Patten.1994. Status of theFork-tailed Flycatcher(Tyrannus savana) inthe United States andCanada. Western Birds

25:113-127.

McLaughlin, V. P. 1979.Occurrence of Large-billed Tern (Phaetusasimplex) in Ohio.American Birds 33:727.

McWilliams, G. M. and D. W.Brauning. 2000. TheBirds of Pennsylvania.Corne l l Un ivers i tyPress, Ithaca, NY.

Mlodinow, S. G. 1998. TheTropical Kingbird Northof Mexico. Field Notes52:6-11.

Newfield, N. L. 2001. GreenViolet-ear . Birding33:114-121.

Patten, M. A. and G. W. Lasley.2000. Range Expansionof the Glossy Ibis inNorth America. NorthAmerican Birds 54:241-247.

Peterjohn, B. G. 2001. TheBirds of Ohio. TheW o o s t e r B o o kCompany, Wooster, OH.

Rheinallt, T. 2003. White-collared Swift: New toOntario and Canada.Ontario Birds 21:77:83.

Sibley, D. 1997. The Birds ofCape May. New JerseyAudubon.

Taylor, M.. 2001. The firstTerek Sandpiper Xenuscinereus in Trinidad andTobago. Cont inga16:66.

Veit, R. R. and M. E. Taylor.2000. First Record ofMacGillivray’s Warblerfor New York State.Kingbird:50:2-6.

Walsh, J., V. Elia, R. Kane andT. Halliwell. 1999. Birdsof New Jersey. NewJ e r s e y A u d u b o nSociety, Bernardsville,NJ.

Williams, B. 1998. The FirstRecord of the ShinyCowbird for Virginia.The Raven 69:34-38.

Acknowledgments

I want to thank everyone whotook time to submit a list, it wasgreat fun reviewing them. I alsowant to thank Al Guarente, PaulHess and Matt Sharp for theirinsightful comments and reviewof an earlier draft of this article.

613 Howard Road

West Chester, PA 19380


BOOK REVIEWGene Wilhelm

THE SIBLEY FIELD GUIDE TOBIRDS OF EASTERN NORTHAMERICA. Written and illustrated byDavid Allen Sibley. Cover illustrations ofNelson’s Sharp-tailed Sparrow (front flap),American Goldfinch (front and rear covers)and Wood Duck (on spine); 4,200+ colorillustrations. A Chanticleer Press Edition.Printed and bound by Dai Nippon PrintingCo., Ltd., Hong Kong. Published by AlfredA. Knopf, Inc., New York. 433 pp. April2003. $19.95 in USA bookstores.

Exactly three years ago DavidAllen Sibley, artist, naturalist andremarkable birder, shocked practicallyeveryone in the birding world when hiswork of many years was transformedseemingly overnight into a nationalbestseller – the fastest selling birdguide of all time with more than650,000 copies in print – the SIBLEYGUIDE TO BIRDS (see review in PABIRDS: 15: 6-9). This tome became a‘must-have’ guide for anyone interestedin birds and was called “a quantumleap” in bird guides this side of theAtlantic by some ornithologists. WaynePetersen, vice president of theAmerican Birding Association said:“The Sibley Guide’s open format,telegraphic field descriptions,consistency in artistic style andbreadth of plumage coverage combineto give North American birders a guidereminiscent of those produced in thefinest European tradition.”

Of course, there were a few –mighty few – legitimate complaintsabout the book: some colors of certainillustrated species were too dark, toolight or too small; the book containedtoo much information; and at 9.5inches long and 2.65 pounds weight, itwas more than many people wanted tocarry into the field.

ABOUT THE AUTHORDavid Allen Sibley was born in

upstate New York. By age five, he wastracing bird paintings from books andby eight he was banding birds with hisfather’s (a noted ornithologist in hisown right) crew at Point Reyes BirdObservatory in California. By twelve,

David had memorized hundreds of birdvocalizations by reading chartsshowing songs in field guides, takingnotes and being able to identify birdsfrom that, much like reading a songsheet. In sum, he lived for birds andbirding, dropped out of CornellUniversity in his freshman year andfor the next twenty years traveled theUSA immersing himself in the world ofbirds as few individuals ever have.From 1980 to 1990 he spent much ofhis time at Cape May, New Jersey, andat the same time led birding toursthroughout North America. From 1985to 1990 his travels focused on extendedstays in such birding ‘hotspots’ as CaveCreek Canyon in the ChiricahuaMountains of southeast Arizona; theLower Rio Grande Valley of Texas;Monterey, California; and southFlorida sketching and jotting detaileddescriptions about birds. This intensivetravel and bird study culminated in thepublication of his comprehensive THESIBLEY GUIDE TO BIRDS in the fallof 2000, followed by THE SIBLEYGUIDE TO BIRD LIFE ANDBEHAVIOR in the fall of 2001, andmore recently SIBLEY’S BIRDINGBASICS (see review in PA BIRDS:17:44) in the fall of 2002.

I list these background notesbecause I have had the privilege ofbeing with David Sibley personally atbirding festivals in the Rio GrandeValley of Texas and birding with himin the field. Actually, he is shy andquiet, a man who speaks hesitantlyand seems even ill at ease being thecenter of attention in social andprofessional settings. However, in thefield David is his real self: vibrant,even explosive about birds. In fact, heis a man after my own heart, hearingbirds long before seeing them. Indeed,the field is Sibley’s natural habitat, notthe indoor studio or laboratory ofornithology. Ironically, Sibley’s greatfield guide success keeps him insidemore and more, away from his birds.David also is humble and open-mindedenough to accept positive suggestionson how he can further improve hisworks. The bottom line for him is notmoney, fame or status but the love and

preservation of wild birds and how tobest communicate that value to thepublic at large.

FIELD GUIDESTherefore, it comes as no surprise

to me that now David Sibley hasanswered those earlier complaints bypreparing two guides specificallydesigned for use in the field andeminently portable: THE SIBLEYFIELD GUIDE TO BIRDS OFEASTERN NORTH AMERICA andTHE SIBLEY FIELD GUIDE TOBIRDS OF WESTERN NORTHAMERICA. Although I am notreviewing the latter guide here, let mequickly note that any birder whointends birding from Alaska tonorthern Mexico should obtain a copyof this companion guide that coversmore than 700 avian species west ofthe Rocky Mountains. Accounts includestunningly accurate color illustrations– more than 4,600 in total – withdescriptive caption text pointing outthe most important field marks. Eachentry contains new text concerningfrequency, nesting, behavior, food andfeeding, voice description and keyidentification features. Accounts alsoinclude brand new maps taken frominformation contributed by 110regional experts across the continent.In sum, the guide is an indispensableresource for all birders seeking anauthoritative and portable guide to thebirds of the West – and just $19.95.

Sibley states in the PREFACE ofhis eastern guide (p. 8): “During thetwelve years or so that I worked onTHE SIBLEY GUIDE TO BIRDS, Iwas guided by my desire to produce the‘ideal’ guide to bird identification. Iknew at the time that there are manyvisions of what the ‘ideal’ field guideshould include. I also knew thatbecause of continuing advances in thesubject of bird identification no bookremains complete for long. So what Iwas really aiming for was my personalideal guide, one that would include allof the things that I wanted in a fieldguide . . . . In these new guides, animportant consideration has been to


keep the books a practical size for usein the field. Rather than adapting thesize to fit the content . . . I have madethe content fit within the book . . . thatof creating a condensed version of THESIBLEY GUIDE TO BIRDS that willwork as a true field guide – accurateand complete while also portable andeasy-to-use.”

Let’s take a closer look at THESIBLEY FIELD GUIDE TO BIRDS OFEASTERN NORTH AMERICA todetermine if the author achieved hisgoal. As for former complaints of birdcolor and size, Sibley first does penciloutlines and sketches of each bird,then uses a special Artograph RT 210projector that transfers multipleimages of his drawings onto paper. Bysimply moving the projector up ordown he can easily adjust the size ofhis illustrations and whether more orless color is necessary. Compare thenew eastern field guide with the Sibleyguide and see the difference. As for thecomplaint of too much information, I,for one, want as much information asis possible about an avian species inthe smallest space possible, providedsuch information does not interferewith the clarity and detail of the colorillustrations. In my professionaljudgment, Sibley has masterfullyachieved a succinct balance amongspecies text, color illustrations andmaps. As to the complaint about sizeand weight of THE SIBLEY GUIDETO BIRDS, splitting the parent guideinto two offspring has taken care ofthat issue. However, let me stressagain, as I did in reviewing the parentguide, that book was never intended tobe carried into the field (note the wordFIELD was never included in the title),only to be used as a primary referenceat the end of the birding process. Ikeep stressing in all of my birdingworkshops (beginning, intermediateand advanced) to follow a few simplerules in this order: 1) study the bird aslong as you can, don’t let go of it untilit flies away; 2) take oral, written,vocal, visual and sketch notes aboutthe bird, and if you are in a group,have each person do the same; and 3)then, and only then, compare eachperson’s notes to the text andillustrations in Sibley’s guide. In fact,under rule one, I force my students tofollow a simple six-key process ofidentifying birds by 1) eye: size-shape-

color-pattern), 2) ear: song and callnote vocalizations, 3) habitat, 4)behavior, 5) field marks and 6) ecology.Note that field marks and the use of afield guide are second last in theprocess. By the way, it takes Sibley oneto four hours to do one complete birdillustration in his studio and thatexcludes the greater time spent in thefield. So my avian identification systemis miniscule by comparison to theintricate details and patience thatSibley demands of himself. And his endproducts prove it.

Sibley doesn’t waste any space inhis field guides. He has Parts of aStanding Bird and Head Feathers andMarkings on the inside front cover,Parts of a Flying Bird and Key to theRange Maps on p. 1 facing the insidefront cover. In his INTRODUCTION(pp. 8-15), Sibley states that the bookcovers the identification of 650 avianspecies in all states and provinces eastof the Rocky Mountains. It followsclosely the sequence and text of hisparent guide. A map on p. 9 shows thespecific boundary of this vast region.Classification of Birds (p. 9) mentionsthat the book follows the seventhedition (1998) of the AmericanOrnithologists’ Union (AOU) CHECK-LIST OF NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS,including the 42nd supplement (2000)and the 43rd supplement (2002) to thechecklist. Unfortunately, however, the44th supplement (2003) drasticallychanges the avian taxonomic sequenceto such an extent that it puts Sibley’sthree guides – and other recent guidesas well – in jeopardy. As Sibleyhimself says (p. 9): “ . . . and the listwill be a work in progress.” Otherconcise parts of the INTRODUCTIONinclude Birding with equipment,finding birds and learning to identifybirds briefly mentioned. Variation inAppearance (pp. 11-13) warns readersnot to expect any bird seen in the fieldto match exactly the illustration of itskind in the field guide. As Sibleyconcludes (p. 11): “Variation occurs inevery aspect of a bird’s appearance,behavior, and voice, and onlyexperience can teach you how torecognize the normal range of variationwithin a species.” GeographicV a r i a t i o n a n d S u b s p e c i e s ,Polymorphism, Wear and Fading,Changes in Posture and Head Shape,Light and Atmospheric Conditions,

Cosmetic Coloration and Staining,Aberrant Plumages, Bill Deformitiesand Hybrids are subjects brieflycovered in this section.

Molt and Plumage, LearningSongs and Calls and Finding RareBirds (pp. 13-14) appear next andSibley makes some accurate textualcomments: “It is sometimes said thatexpert birders make 90 percent of theiridentifications by ear. In forests, wherebirds are difficult to see, this isprobably true. It is also said that noaspect of birding is more frustrating forthe beginner and more difficult tomaster than voice identification. Thefirst step is simply to pay attention tobird voices. Learning bird songs can becompared to learning a foreignlanguage: the keys are repetition and(for rapid learning) total immersion. . .. Nothing, however, can replace actualfield experience: hearing a song,tracking down the singer, andwatching it sing.” Under Finding RareBirds Sibley says that while rarityhunting is one of the most importantaspects of birding, it does carry a hugemeasure of responsibility. You must beprepared to defend your identificationand to this end it is absolutelynecessary to take extensive notes andattempt to photograph or tape-record abird you think may be a rarity. I wouldgo so far as to say that as more andmore people (now estimated between65 and 85 million) take up birding, thebehavior of every individual birderbecomes more important. As Sibleysays: “In all situations you must firstconsider the welfare of the birds.” Inleading numerous small group birdingexpeditions on five continents the pastthirty years, I have been appalled bysome North American commercialbirding firms lack of ethical behavior inthe field. For example, using taperecordings and high power spotlightsat night to locate certain rare speciesdur ing bree d i n g season i sunprofessional and unethical. Add tothis an army of individual birders whodisturb birds at roosting and nestingsites, are disrespectful anddiscourteous to other birders and non-birders who may not appreciatesomeone climbing over or under fencesposted with ‘No Trespassing’ signs justto see a bird. What is urgently neededin the near future is a much strongerand bolder ‘Code of Birding Behavior’


by the American Birding Associationmodeled after the code for eco-tourismthat stresses human carryingcapacities. As Sibley himself concludesin Conservation (p. 15): “The outlookfor bird populations in North Americais mixed. All birds face a multitude ofthreats, and although some species areincreasing in numbers . . .thepopulations of many others aredeclining dramatically. Virtually all ofthese declines are related to humanactivities. The destruction ormodification of habitat is by far themost significant factor affecting birds.”

KEY TO THE SPECIESACCOUNTS (pp. 16-17) is followed byBIRD TOPOGRAPHY (pp.18-24). Theformer section is different and muchmore comprehensive than the originalparent guide. As Sibley explains (p.16): “The species accounts in this fieldguide are arranged in approximatetaxonomic order by family, genus, andfamily. Each group of related speciesbegins with an introductory sectiongiving the common name of the groupand the Latin name of the family (orfamilies) within the group. A briefsummary gives general characteristicsof the group and notes fundamentalsimilarities and differences among thegenera. Illustrations show the range ofvariation and size within the group.The information and illustrations forthe individual species accounts thatfollow are arranged in the same way onevery page to facilitate comparisonbetween different species.” The sectionincludes valid comments on names andmeasurements, species descriptions,status, habitat, behavior and voice.Sibley even includes Metric ConversionFormulas (p. 16) and a color Key to theRange Maps (p. 17). The maps showthe complete North Americandistribution of each species but readersmust remember that within themapped range, each species occurs onlyin appropriate habitat. Color keysindicate winter, summer, year-round,migration and rare. Green indicatesrare occurrence while the other colorsrefer to regular occurrence. A majorcriticism of Sibley’s parent guide wasthe inaccuracy of the range maps andI’m pleased to say that this time herelied on a cadre of consultants (pp.418-419) representing each state orprovince to make new mapsillustrating current information.

Pennsylvania is well covered literallyand figuratively by our own NickPulcinella and Barb and Frank Haasbut there is room for moreimprovement (see below).

BIRD TOPOGRAPHY is nearlyidentical to pp. 15-21 in the parentguide with the exception of Sibleyplacing Parts of a Gull before Parts ofa Shorebird and Parts of a Duck. Moltand Plumage appears on p. 13 in thenew field guide, before and on p. 22 inthe parent guide after BIRDTOPOGRAPHY. Frankly, I wouldprefer Sibley placing Molt andPlumage in the topography section andKEY TO THE SPECIES ACCOUNTSafter BIRD TOPOGRAPHY becausethe former section more logically leadsinto the species accounts thatencompass most space in the fieldguide. As I have stated before (PABIRDS: 17:44): “Sibley does such anextraordinary interpretation offeathers, in fact, that any reader willget ‘hooked’ on birds after seeing hiscolorful illustrations.” One minorcomplaint in the bird topographyillustrations is the use of the term‘mandible’ when Sibley refers to ‘uppermandible’ and ‘lower mandible’ (insidefront cover and p. 19). Perhaps ‘upperbill’ and ‘lower bill’ might be betterterms to use in common parlance butthe correct anatomical terms are‘maxilla’ and ‘mandible.’ In fact, mostbird field guides misuse the terms‘upper mandible’ and ‘lower mandible’.Check, for example, Kenn Kaufman’srecently published BIRDS OF NORTHAMERICA (p. 10).

The species accounts themselvesencompass the greatest amount of bookspace (pp. 25-515) and are artisticallyand scientifically marvelous. Iespecially appreciate the briefs u m m a r y g i v i n g g e n e r a lcharacteristics of each bird group,noting fundamental similarities anddifferences of each; the informationboxes containing identification aids toassist the reader to differentiatebetween confusing species (e.g.,Identification of Horned and EaredGrebes on p. 30); and illustrations ofjust about every species in flight,including above and below views. Thefield guide ends with a pageillustrating exotic finches (p. 416),ACKNOWLEDGMENTS (pp. 417-418),

MAP CONSULTANTS (pp. 418-419),INDEX (pp. 421-431) and QUICKINDEX (pp. 432-433).

SUMMARYI found precious little in this field

guide to dislike or complain about. Twopersonal preferences, as alreadystated, would be for Sibley to reversethe sequence of Key to the SpeciesAccounts and Bird Topography for asmoother flow into the bulk of thebook. I further believe that Molt andPlumage is better placed after BirdTopography where feathers areillustrated in detail. Again, theweakest part of the field guide,although tiny, is the accuracy ofspecies distribution on the range maps.In scanning western Pennsylvania forjust breeding species, I found a greatimprovement over THE SIBLEYGUIDE TO BIRDS. However, the fieldguide still lacks summer status forCommon Merganser (p. 88), Osprey (p.93), Northern Goshawk (p. 96), BaldEagle (p. 111), American Coot (p. 133),Wilson’s Snipe (p. 165), Short-earedOwl (p. 224) and Pine Warbler (p. 342)in western Pennsylvania. I believe thatDavid Allen Sibley has achieved hisgoal of producing an eminentlyportable, artistically beautiful,accurate and complete, lightweight,reasonable and easy-to-use ‘field guide’for all of us. Thanks, David.

513 Kelly Blvd.Slippery Rock, PA 16057


Summary of the Season – Summer (June-July) 2003Dan Brauning

A remarkable array ofinteresting records were generated bythe intrepid birders who slogged thefields and forests during this wetseason. Wet was the watchword. GeneWilhelm explained that “the stubborn,massive, low trough that formed lastwinter between the Great Lakes andthe Gulf of Mexico continued itsmeteorological sway through theentire period, forcing abundant warm,moist, Gulf air to be pumpednortheastward counterclockwisearound the low, bringing record-breaking rainfall to the southeast,northeast, Tennessee and OhioValleys and the Great Lakes regions.”Another compiler said “It made forbetter mosquito watching than birdwatching” and another simply,“wettest July on record.”

Did the heavy rains impact birdnesting? Eagle productivity was downsignificantly from nesting successrates in recent years, but it is notclear that the additional rainfall hadwidespread effects. Intensive nestingstudies of grassland birds did notshow reduced nest success. ThePowdermill Nature Reserve web siteidentified a notable increase in avianpox infections, probably a symptom ofwet weather. What of martins,swallows, and bluebirds, birdstraditionally sensitive to extensiveperiods of rain? No major impactswere reported, and high productivitylikely provided good food resources formost species.

Lingering waterfowl are anannual event, but the two separateJune records of Red-necked Grebe,one in Allegheny and 2 birds inDauphin, were exceptional finds.Truly summering waterfowl, such asthe Ring-necked Duck in Fultonmake one wonder about potential out-of-range breeding. Interest will bepiqued for that type of observationnext year while Pennsylvania’s 2nd

Breeding Bird Atlas is underway! One implication to the wet

summer, particularly into July, wasthe effect on shorebird habitat. Some

shorebird sites didn’t dry up andproduce the mudflats this winter.Marty McKay’s (Mercer) comment is acase in point: “Continued high waterlevels at Shenango River Res. madeshorebird observations impossibleJuly through mid August.” But, thelist of species was respectable fromsites like the Montour Fly Ash Basin,Montour, showing good numbers andsome variety over the season. June 1found good numbers of peeps inMontour and at the reliable shorebirdsite, Conejohla Flats, Lancaster,where water level is control by anhydro-electric dam. Occurrences ofRed-necked Phalarope andAmerican Avocet were the extent ofthe annual rarities. Shorebirdsotherwise were restricted toopportunistic locations such as thefarm pond described in Cumberland.This season formerly was the onlytime of year in which Lesser Black-backed Gulls were observedsomewhere along the Delaware River,but both June and July observationsare moving this bird to year-roundstatus!

Black Terns just dribble intothis period at the beginning of Junefrom wide-ranging counties, with onereport in Crawford which raises thehope of continued breeding at its lastlocation in the state. One of the mostbizarre summer records was Dick andPat Williams’ observation of 2 Gull-billed Terns in heavy rain alongPenn’s Creek, Snyder, on 6/7. Whilenot the first June record, these birdswere highly unexpected in centralPennsylvania away from theDelaware or lower Susquehannarivers, and even there with majorstorm events. Pending review, theseare the fourth (??) PA records, andonly the second record in June. TheKing Rail over-flight, near historichabitat in Philadelphia is mostcurious. This bird, suspected to beoverlooked in various situations, isnot easily detected here.

The intriguing report ofSwallow-tailed Kite (Berks) fits

recent patterns, particularly insoutheastern count ies . TheMississippi Kite reports (Bucks andLancaster) are increasing as well, butthe July report may be a first. Ahighlight for Pennsylvania was thefirst cliff-nesting Peregrine Falconsin 45 years. The recent PSONewsletter told some of that story.Restored to the state in urban areas,a full sense of recovery for this specieswon’t be achieved until birds havereturned to historical, natural habitat.With pairs on cliffs in Lycoming andMonroe, that milestone has beenachieved!

Other breeding season anomaliesinclude Ruby-crowned Kinglet inCentre, Evening Grosbeaks inBradford, and White-throatedSparrow in Bucks. These are bestconsidered non-breeding vagrants.

Historic comparisons are a bitdifficult to make this quarter, sincethis is the first instance of a June-Julyseasonal summary in PennsylvaniaBirds. The switch to the new seasonsnicely highlights breeding birds intime for next year’s Breeding BirdAtlas, but provides little easyreference to previous records ofaberrant shorebirds or ducks.Dauphin took the record of the countywith the most breeding species, 137for the season. Confirmed GreatE g r e t s , D o u b l e - c r e s t e dCormorant, and Peregrine Falconcertain contribute to that list.

Next year’s breeding seasonshould be enlivened by (have Imentioned yet?) the Breeding BirdAtlas. Look for the web site(www.pabirdatlas.org) for furtherinformation on how you mayparticipate in this exciting newproject.

61 WINDY LNMontgomery, PA 17752

[email protected]


PHOTOGRAPHIC HIGHLIGHTS

Clay-colored Sparrow (Spizella pallida). Reported as a possiblebreeder in the Piney Tract, Clarion. A few other individuals lingeredinto June in Crawford and Allegheny like this bird at ImperialGrassland Area, Allegheny, 28 May 2003 (Scott Kinzey).

Willow Flycatcher (Empidonax traillii). Geneva Marsh, Crawford, 2June 2003 (Scott Kinzey). One of the five species of empidonaxflycatchers that nest in Pennsylvania, the breeding status of WillowFlycatcher from possible to confirmed was reported from 30counties. See Breeding Bird Table.

Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias). This photo is of a previously unknown colony,14 June 2003, Delaware Water Gap Nat. Rec. Area , Monroe (Brian Hardiman).


Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia). This immature albino visited ayard in Langhorne, Bucks, 25 July 2003. (Bob Rossi)..

Mississippi Kite (Ictinia mississippiensis). Since 1994, this specieshas become an annual visitor to Pennsylvania. There were tworeports this summer season, a bird in Lancaster, 13 July and this birdin New Britain Twp., Bucks, 7 June 2003 (Dave Zamos). This may bethe first photograph of a live Mississippi Kite for Pennsylvania.

Gull-billed Tern (Sterna nilotica). These three birds were foundduring a steady rain in a flooded field near Troxelville, Snyder, 7 June2003 (Patricia Williams). A first county record. There are only threeprevious accepted records for the state.

Brown Creeper (Certhia americana). Found nesting at RaccoonCreek S.P., Beaver, 20 May 2003 (Scott Kinzey). This is a typicalexample of the nest, a cup of bark, moss, and conifer needlesattached beneath loose hanging bark.


Birds of Note – June and July 2003(Species not expected or reported in fewer than five counties this period)

Rare and unusual sightings for which details have been submittedwill be reviewed by the Pennsylvania Ornithological RecordsCommittee. “No desc” indicates that no description of the bird wassubmitted. Records for this summary are obtained from the LocalNotes submitted by each county compiler unless otherwise noted asfrom the Pennsylvania Birds list serve (PABL).

Birds in Italics are uncommon, but occur during this quarter in mostyears.

Birds Underlined occur at least 4 to 7 out of 10 years in this quarter.

Birds in Italics/Underlined occur fewer than 4 out of every 10 yearsin this quarter.

American White Pelican - Erie: Found by Ben Coulter on July8 at Presque Isle SP and subsequently seen by manyobservers on 7/11 and 7/12.

Red-throated Loon - Bedford: Gone by 6/7.

Horned Grebe - Lancaster: Put in an appearance at ConejohelaFlats on 7/24 for Eric Witmer; Montgomery: One in fullalternate plumage 6/10 (George Franchois)

Red-necked Grebe - Allegheny: Found at Imperial on 6/3 byDave Wilton, Mark Vaas, and Geoff Malosh; Dauphin: Tworemained to 6/11 at the Susquehanna River at Marysville(Dan Bogar).

American Bittern - Tioga: Two in the Muck by Duane Hoffman(to PABL).

Least Bittern - Bedford: Two first observed by Tom Dick on 6/7and appeared to nest in a remote flooded area of DunningsCreek Wetlands.

Snowy Egret - Dauphin: One was observed 6/5 on theSusquehanna River at Marysville; Lancaster: Three were atthe Conejohela Flats by 7/31; Montgomery: One seen byJason Miller on the Perkiomen Creek at Lower PerkiomenValley Park 6/14; Northampton: An immature, rare in thecounty, was seen at Green Pond 7/22-24 by Adam Miller andm.obs.

Little Blue Heron - Bucks: An imm. was at Newtown 7/25 (NickZahn); Lancaster: Two were present 7/31 and those numberswould rise even more in August (mobs).

Cattle Egret - Lancaster: On 6/23 there were 2 in an field alongthe west side of Becker Rd just south of Log Cabin Rd.Warwick Twp (Eric Witmer).

Glossy Ibis - Adams: an immature on 7/27 at State Game Lands249 (Don & Jen Gilbert); Lehigh: Jane Ostroski saw one ona farm pond in Lynn Township along Bausch Rd. on 6/16.

Trumpeter Swan - Bedford: An immature was last observed 6/1at the Dunnings Creek Wetlands; Venango: Nancy Bakerfirst located a mature, unbanded bird at a large gravel pitnear Cooperstown on 7/ 27. It was not seen on later visits tothe pit.

Northern Shoveler - Somerset: A late male (6/1) stopped at afarm pond near Berlin.

Ring-necked Duck - Fulton: Discovered by Dan Snell andRegina Reeder at Haines-Seville Wetlands Restoration Areaon 6/15 in breeding plumage and last found alive on 8/2 in

shabby eclipse plumage.

Greater Scaup - Bucks: A pair was at Nockamixon State Parkon 6/12 (Cameron Rutt, August Mirabella), the first everJune report for Bucks.

Lesser Scaup - Northampton: A female that showed up in Maywas present at the Martins Creek Fly Ash Basin thru theperiod; Montgomery: A male was found along Walt Road atGreen Lane Reservoir 6/27 (George Franchois).

Bufflehead - Butler: A single male in breeding plumage,remained on Lake Arthur until 6/15 (Gene Wilhelm).

Common Goldeneye - Lancaster: A female seen by JonathanHeller might possibly have been a carryover from lastseason's report. It was sighted at Conejohela Flats on 7/26and then in early August.

Ruddy Duck - Lancaster: At the Groff Farms golf course a malein full breeding plumage (Gerry Boltz); Somerset: One 6/3 atSomerset Lake was not totally unexpected, but a femalefirst detected 7/20 and present through the season waseither early or summering.

Mississippi Kite - Bucks: An adult posed nicely for Dave Zamoswho obtained video documentation on 6/7 in New BritainTwp. a short distance from Peace Valley Park; Lancaster:One was seen on the evening of 7/13 on the SusquehannaRiver near Marietta (Keath Leidich).

Swallow-tailed Kite - Berks: Possibly seen briefly flyingoverhead by Dave Pratt on 6/15. A description is provided inthe county summary.

King Rail - Philadelphia: In South Philly at 13th & Federal,George Armistead heard one flying over “kik..kik...kik ing.”

Common Moorhen - Crawford: Six were present at HM 6/21and 9 were seen 7/28 by Ron and Robert Leberman;Philadelphia: They now number only one or two pair atTinicum. Kate Somerville found another pair in the lagoonsoutside Ft. Mifflin.

Sandhill Crane - Butler: Gene Wilhelm reported that two pairsof nested in the tri-county area this year but it is too earlyto determine number of offspring; Dauphin: A lone bird wasstill being reported near Halifax in the beginning of June(Scott Bills) and may have been the same one frequentingLake Tobias, near Halifax, through 7/21 (Bob Keener);Susquehanna: Continue to be seen in SW Susquehannathrough the season (J. Skinner to PABL).

American Avocet - Lancaster: Two were on the flats July 27th(Eric Witmer and Tom Garner); Montour: At the MontourFly Ash pond on July 29, 1 was found by Wayne Laubscher.

Willet - Erie: Two on July 26 and 1 on July 27 at Presque Isle SP(from PABirds list serve).

Upland Sandpiper - Adams: one heard calling 6/13 alongPumping Station Rd., (Ralph & Deb Siefken); Butler: Theyhad a good breeding year with at least 3 pairs in 2 countysites (Gene Wilhelm); Centre: One seen just west (just a fewtelephone poles) of the intersection of Tadpole Road andHighway 45, a few miles south of State College (Joe Liparreported in PABL). Clarion: Three, possibly 6 were stillpresent at Mt. Airy on 6/25 (Carole Willenpart, Walt Fye)


and single uppies were found at Lake Lucy on 6/8 and atMount Zion on 6/7 by John Fedack.

Whimbrel - Erie: Six during evening of 7/12 at Gull Point and 17/23, also at Presque Isle (from PABirds listserve).

Red Knot- Erie: Four on 7/27 at Presque Isle (from PABirds listserve).

White-rumped Sandpiper - Bucks: present 6/1-6/4; Erie:present 6/5, Lancaster: 1 on 6/1 at the Conejohela Flats(Jerry Book, Deuane Hoffman, Jonathan Heller).

Short-billed Dowitcher - Bedford: 1 on 6/4 was late (Tom Dick).

Wilson's Snipe - Indiana: One was listed near Clymer 7/17 byEli Beiler.

Red-necked Phalarope - Lancaster: One at Middle Creek WMAuntil at least 6/4 (many obs.).

Laughing Gull - Carbon: Three at Beltzville Watershed on 6/13by David Hawk to PABL; Erie: Ben Coulter found 1 adult atPresque Isle 6/26 at the tip of Gull Point.

Lesser Black-backed Gull - Bucks: One was at Peace ValleyPark 7/15 (Cameron Rutt) and 3 were at Nockamixon StatePark 7/22 (Bill Etter, John Yerger), the first summer scoutsto reach the upper county this year; Northampton: Twelveon 6/1 along Mount Pleasant Road (report on PABL).

Forster's Tern - Bucks: Our first county report in June was 6/14at the Penn-Warner Tract, followed by a second atNockamixon State Park on 6/16, each by Devich Farbotnik.

Gull-billed Tern - Snyder: Three in summer/breeding plumageat 9:30-10:00 am on 6/7 in a flooded farmfield about 1 mileeast of Troxelville on the Penns Creek Road, with steadyrain (Dick and Pat Williams).

Least Tern - Lancaster: Seen 6/1 on the Conjehola Flats, manyobs. (to PABL)

Barn Owl - Bedford: Continues to use old grain silos at DunningsCreek Wetlands; Bucks: Devich Farbotnik reported 1 froma Bedminster Twp silo.

Long-eared Owl - Fulton: On 6/14 the distant vocalization washeard by Dan Snell.

Short-eared Owl - Lawrence: Suzanne Butcher observed 1 in theVolant Strips, an historic breeding location, on 7/2 (pers.com.).

Yellow-bellied Flycatcher - Philadelphia: On 6/6 one sangalong the Wissahickon Creek near Germantown.

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher - Chester: Reported by MargieFilman.on 7/1 and 7/2. The bird was seen off Mill Road, justnorth of Rte. 926 on July 1. It was seen again on 7/2 offWollaston Road, just south of Rte. 926 (Detailed descriptionprovided on PABL).

Sedge Wren - Butler: A colony of this rare bird continues toslowly increase from 6 pairs in 2001 to 7 pairs in 2002 and8 pairs this season (Gene Wilhelm).

Ruby-crowned Kinglet - Centre: was seen in bushes alongStrawband Beaver Road about 0.25 miles from Julian Pikeon 6/27 (Nick Bulgiano to Central PA Birdline).

Mourning Warbler - Monroe: an immature seen in early July byBen Jesup near Grass Lake in the Long Pond area;Susquehanna: Found by Bill Reid near Birchardville on theBBS route on 6/17 for the first time in 22 years running theroute.

Clay-colored Sparrow - Allegheny: One of the two reported inlate May was seen up to 6/1 at IMP by Mark Vaas; Clarion:Seen at Mount Zion (Piney Tract) on 6/14 by John Fedak,and 3, possibly 6, were seen there on 6/22 by RonMontgomery; Crawford: One along the western part of theDeer Run trail west of Boland Rd. in the Sugar Lake Unitof Erie NWR (Chris Lundberg on PABL).

Dickcissel - Butler: Clark Trautemian found a lone singing male6/24-28 in Evans City.

Blue Grosbeak - Bucks: It seems to remain a rare to occasionalbreeder with as many as three males on 6/14 at the Penn-Warner Tract (Devich Farbotnik), one pair starting to buildon 6/17 at Blooming Glen and a pair at Peace Valley Parkstarting 6/21 (Cameron Rutt), all locations where they havenested before; Delaware: Seen by John Miller behind thePhiladelphia International Airport on 7/13 delivering food,presumably to a young bird; York: one 6/6 along HaughsRoad (Jim Elliot) and two 6/17 along a bird survey route(Peter Robinson).

Evening Grosbeak - Bradford: A varying number were seen ata bird feeder at Echo Beach Road near Wysox from 5/10until 6/17 when two were observed by Anita Duvall, TerryDuvall.

Red Crossbill - Wyoming: Bill Reid found 1 male along ThurstonHollow Road in Eaton Twp on 6/5.


Local Notes - June and July 2003Adams County

Locations: Bullfrog Road (BFR), Mountain Road (MTN)

Only 82 species were reported during the June/July summer2003 season. A Pied-Billed Grebe at York Springs on 7/27 wasunexpected (DJG). Also on 7/27, an immature Glossy Ibis wasfound at SGL 249, at the 65 acre restored wetland pond on theeastern side of Gun Club Road, where it was seen soaring aroundthe pond at times (DJG). It stayed until at least 8/8.

An Osprey was seen 6/13 in Ortanna (RDS). A WildTurkey, with several poults, was found 6/10 on MTN (RDS). Theonly report of N. Bobwhite was one 7/17 at Long Pine RunReservoir (BM). Along Pumping Station Rd., an UplandSandpiper was heard calling 6/13 (RDS).

After several years of effort to improve the habitat to attractRed-headed Woodpeckers to his property in Fairfield, RustyRyan reported a nesting pair on 7/17. Without trying to attractthem, Art & Nonie Kennell had a pair of Wood Thrush nestingjust outside their front door on BFR. A few warblers were reported,including an immature Hooded Warbler, seen 7/25 at a watergarden on BFR (ANK).

Observers: Peter Robinson, P. O. Box 482, Hanover, PA 17331,(717) 632-8462 [email protected] (PJR), Don & Jen Gilbert(DJG), Phil Keener (PK), Art & Nonie Kennell (ANK), NancyLocher (NL), Bob Moul (BM), Rusty Ryan (RR), Ralph & DebSiefken (RDS).

Allegheny County

Location: Imperial (IMP)

The trend for this season was late dates for several species,perhaps delayed in their migration due to the rains in May.Interesting were late dates of Red-necked Grebe and BlackTern following their presence for the first time in several years.

Unusual was a very late Red-necked Grebe found at IMP6/3 (DW, MV, GM). Double-crested Cormorants remained inthe area through June and July (v.o.). A high count of 12 were atCoraopolis 6/7 and 1 was still seen at the Ohio River 7/21 (MV).Unusual was the presence of a Great Egret at the MayviewWetlands 7/13-22 (NN). Rare in the county, a Black Vulture wasseen in Harrison Twp. 7/18 (PH, DH). This species was lastrecorded in the county in June 2000. The Peregrine Falconsnesting at the University of Pittsburgh in Oakland fledged 4 young.The entire family of 6 were seen in flight 6/18 (KSJ). The pairnesting on the Gulf Building in downtown Pittsburgh had difficultythis year. Kate St. John writes: “Unfortunately there has been adouble territorial battle at the Gulf Tower. In early March theoriginal female (a wild bird banded in her first nest-year at Gulf)laid 2 eggs and then stopped. In late March she quit incubatingand disappeared, and another UNBANDED female appeared andlaid 4 eggs next to the original female's 2. The original male & thenew female began incubating. Then ... [the first week of April] nobirds were incubating at all. By Friday morning the reason wasapparent. In the foreground of the web-cam image, was a deadperegrine. The male had been beheaded, indicating a probablemale-vs-male territorial battle. So neither adult peregrine whostarted the nesting season at Gulf Tower is alive and there are now6 untended eggs.” The new pair renested producing 4 chicks thatfledged in mid-June (KSJ, WPC). The new male was hatched atthe nest site in Oakland in May 2002 and was probably responsiblefor the death of the original male that had been nesting at the GulfBuilding since 1991 (WPC).

A Bald Eagle was an unexpected summer visitor at theDashields Dam on the Ohio River on 7/21 (MV).

A few shorebirds passed through in June. A GreaterYellowlegs was seen at IMP 6/1-2 (MV), and also at the late dateof 6/22 (WS, DS). A Lesser Yellowlegs was there 6/9 (GM), and2 were seen 7/19 (MV), perhaps already moving south. TwoSemipalmated Sandpipers were at IMP 6/1 (MV), and a LeastSandpiper was seen 7/18 (MV). A group of 13 Dunlin were atIMP 6/1 with 2 remaining 6/2 (MV). A late White-rumpedSandpiper was seen at IMP 6/9-10 (GM, RT, MV). The birdappeared to be slightly injured, perhaps put down bythunderstorms. A Solitary Sandpiper was at Barati’s Ponds inSouth Park Twp. 7/30 (SSN).

Ring-billed Gulls are normally gone by May, but a group of13 along the Ohio River 6/1 were late (MV). Also unusually latewas a Caspian Tern at the Dashields Dam on the Ohio River 6/22(MV). A Forster’s Tern was seen at that location 6/1, which is abit late (MV). A late Black Tern was at IMP 6/5 (GM).

A Black-billed Cuckoo was seen carrying food to a RussianOlive at IMP 6/7 where it probably had a nest. A Yellow-billedCuckoo was seen in the same area carrying food (MF, BM). Ajuvenile Barred Owl was seen in Sewickley 7/12-31 (CK). Manyobservers reported a lack of Ruby-throated Hummingbirds thisyear.

A Least Flycatcher was at Sewickley 6/4 (CK), a bit of a latedate for this species which is normally not reported after springmigration. A Red-eyed Vireo was seen feeding a juvenile Brown-headed Cowbird in Pine Township in July (PL, SL). A PurpleMartin was seen in Sewickley 7/1 (CK). Previously I reported theonly known Purple Martin colony in the county was at Butler’sGolf Course in Elizabeth Twp. I learned there is another colony atthe Youghiogheny Country Club in McKeesport (KK, PMPA).

A Yellow Warbler was seen 7/19 at Snowden Wetlands inJefferson Borough (MF). At least 6 were present at Barati’s Pondsin South Park Twp. 7/21, and were still present 7/26 (SSN),probably southbound migrants. A Yellow-throated Warbler washeard singing at that location the same day (MF). A Yellow-throated Warbler was also singing in Sewickley 7/25 (CK).Interesting was the presence of a Black-throated Green Warbleron 7/19 at Sewickly Heights Park (CK). This species is not knownto breed in the county and it is unknown if this was a lone maleholding territory, or if nesting occurred. Another species whosebreeding status in the county is unknown is Ovenbird. A bird washeard singing at IMP 7/4 (MF), and they were present at Sewickleyin July where 3 were heard on 7/15 (CK). The last BlackpollWarbler of the spring was reported 6/1 at IMP (GM). LouisianaWaterthrush was present in Sewickley in July, which may shedsome light on when they leave. Two birds were there 7/5, 3 werethere 7/17, and 1 was last reported 7/25 (CK). An orange variantScarlet Tanager was seen at IMP 6/7 (BM, MF).

Savannah Sparrows are normally the most commongrassland sparrow, however, they did not appear to be numerousat IMP this summer (MF). One of the two Clay-coloredSparrows reported in late May was seen up to 6/1 at IMP (MV).Bobolinks were present along Bald Knob Road at IMP this year.Although they can be found nearby, they have not been in this areaof the strip mines for several years.

Purple Finches were reported through July at Pine Twp.(PL, SL) and Sewickley (CK). Normally they are not seen duringthe summer, however they have bred in the county in the past.This year, breeding was confirmed in Pine Twp. where 3 juvenileswere seen on 7/13 (PL, SL).


Observers: Mike Fialkovich, 805 Beulah Road, Pittsburgh,15235, (412) 731-3581, [email protected], Walter Hammond,Deborah Hess, Paul Hess, Joyce Hoffmann, Kate St. John, ChrisKnoll, Ken Kostka, Pat Lynch, Sherron Lynch, Bob Machesney,Dianne Machesney, Geoff Malosh, Neil Nodleman, Rob Protz,Purple Martin Preservation Alliance (PMPA), Dana Shaffer, WaltShaffer, Sam Sinderson (SSN), Jack Solomon, Sue Solomon, RyanTomazin, Mark Vaas, Western Pennsylvania Conservancy (WPC),Dave Wilton, Various Observers (v.o.).

Armstrong County

Locations and Abbreviations: Breeding Bird Survey (BBS), Dayton(DT), Elders Ridge (ER), Kittanning (KT), Margaret (MG),Shelocta (SH).

A Great Blue Heron was seen near KT 6/9. Two TurkeyVultures near DT 6/9 and 1 near Maysville 6/23 were the lonereports. The 24 Canada Geese spotted at Keystone Power Plantincluded family groups with some rather young birds for 7/2. A henMallard was also present there that day with 2 small ducklings. Afemale Northern Harrier was seen near ER on the EdgewoodGrassland Bird Survey 6/19 at the same stop where it had beenlocated last year. Two young Red-tailed Hawks were seen nearDT 6/9. Two adult Am. Kestrels were observed feeding 2 recentlyfledged young at the Keystone Cleaning Plant 7/2.

Single Wild Turkeys on 6/6 s.w. of SH and on 6/23 near MGwere the only reports. A Northern Bobwhite of undeterminedorigin was heard, but not seen, near Maysville 6/23. A pair ofKilldeer were extremely agitated and performing distractiondisplays at the Keystone Cleaning Plant 7/2. Keystone CleaningPlant yielded an adult Spotted Sandpiper and two young 6/25(RH); only 1 adult could be found 7/2.

Single Black-billed Cuckoos and single Yellow-billedCuckoos were listed on the KT and the MG BBS routes, 6/9 and6/23, respectively; the Armstrong portion of the SH BBS yielded 2Yellow-billed Cuckoos 6/6. An adult Red-headed Woodpeckernear DT 6/9 was unexpected. Purple Martins were present at theestablished colony near Elderton in early June. A Veery washeard singing from a very steep hillside above the Allegheny andthe town of KT on 6/9.

The Armstrong section of the SH BBS yielded 3 Blue-winged Warblers 6/6; 4 were counted on the MG route 6/23.Chestnut-sided Warblers were found only near Echo 6/9, nearMaysville 6/23, and near MG 7/2. Yellow-throated Warbler wasseen and heard near Cochrans Mills 6/6, the only report. PrairieWarblers were noted 6/6 s.w. of SH, near ER 6/23,6/28, and nearMG 7/2. Cerulean Warbler reports included 2 on 6/6 nearCochrans Mills, 1 on 6/9 near Echo, and 2 singing males near BrickChurch 6/23. Black-and-white Warbler was found only nearRobbs Fording 6/6. American Redstarts fared well on BBSroutes with counts of 10 on the Armstrong section of the SH route,3 on the KT route, and 5 on the MG route. Three Ovenbirds werestill singing near MG 7/2. Louisiana Waterthrush recordsinclude 2 near Robbs Fording 6/6 and 1 near Brick Church 6/23.Thirteen was a good count of Common Yellowthroats near MG7/2. The KT BBS yielded 6 Hooded Warblers 6/6; the MG route5 on 6/23; other reports included 1 near Crooked Creek 6/6 and 1near MG 7/2. A Yellow-breasted Chat near Spaces Corners on6/9 was the only report.

A Vesper Sparrow was listed 6/6 near Cochrans Mills.Savannah Sparrows were found 6/6 in Kiskiminetas Twp.; 6/9north of Bryan; 6/19, 23, and 28 near ER. GrasshopperSparrows were reported on 7 dates from 9 locations including 3-4on 6/19, 23, and 28 near ER. Four Henslow's Sparrows at ER6/23 and 2 at MG 7/2 comprised the only reports. A SwampSparrow was spotted at ER 6/23 and again 6/28. Six Bobolinks

on the KT BBS were the only ones noted. Orchard Oriolesincluded individuals on 6/9 north of Bryan and near DT, 6/23southeast. of Orchard Hills and near ER; the ER oriole was stillpresent 6/28. The Armstrong section of the SH BBS yielded 14Baltimore Orioles. Purple Finches included 1 near CrookedCreek and 2 in southeast Bethel Twp., both 6/6, and 2 near MG 7/2.

Observers: Roger and Margaret Higbee, 3119 Creekside Road,Indiana, 15701-7934, (724) 354-3493, [email protected] .

Beaver County

No report

Compiler: Jim Barker, 250 Neville Rd., Beaver, 15009,[email protected]

Bedford County

Locations: Dunnings Creek Wetlands (DCW), Shawnee State Park(SSP).

Heavy rain persisted through the summer with 5.6 inches inJune, 3.8 inches in July and 5 inches in August. The overall effectappeared to decrease fledgling production of swallows andflycatchers. The rain also increased the county incidence of WestNile Disease.

At SSP a Common Loon was found each month of summerwhile the Red-throated Loons were gone by 6/7. A pair of Pied-billed Grebes nested successfully at Teal Lake at DCW. TenDouble-crested Cormorants were counted on 6/1 (SSP). TwoLeast Bitterns, first observed on 6/7, appeared to nest in a remoteflooded area of DCW. Although fledglings were not observed, theadults lingered till early August. An immature Trumpeter Swanwas last observed 6/1 (DCW).

A four acre impoundment was drawn down 5/10 with nomajor shorebird arrival until June (DCW). An incredible number,780, shorebirds descended on this impoundment on 6/1 (countingwas also done by digital photos of different flocks flying). Combinedground and digital photography counts were as follows: 5 Black-bellied Plovers, 25 Semipalmated Plovers, 20 RuddyTurnstones, 380 Semipalmated Sandpipers , 8 possibleWestern Sandpipers, 2 Least Sandpipers, 16 Short-billedDowitchers, 7 possible Long-billed Dowitchers and 310Dunlin. Two Black Terns arrived on June 10th (DCW).

Barn Owls continue to use old grain silos at DCW. They canonly be seen exiting and entering at night. Just outside ofCenterville on Rt. 220 S. is a farm where Barn Owls have beenusing an active silo. On 7/17, the farmers activated the silo’smachine driven belts at the top. Unaware of the owls nesting tillthe adults flew out, they stopped the motors and found a dead chickand two healthy ones. Tim Flanigan, a local game protector,relocated the chicks to a barn roost adjacent to the silo. Checkingthe chicks the following day he found both had been predated uponby what he thought were raccoons. After discussing this withseveral farmers I found this situation not unusual. The birds liketo build their nests on the belts. If readers are familiar with barnowl sites It might be worthwhile to inquire as to their safety. I havesince heard of Barn Owl boxes that can be hung from the silos.

Both hummingbird and crow mortality was reported in lateSpring and early Summer. Dead Ruby-throated Hummingbirdswere found at several locations uninjured and away from buildings.Also usually active feeders were practically vacant according tosome local residents. Dead crows were found along Rt. 96 nearSSP and one was tested and found positive for West Nile Virus.Since a total of 7 birds (of which I examined 4) were found dead andwithout injury I suspect the rains and increased mosquito


populations have allowed West Nile to move into the county.

A Common Raven with two young were seen playing inthermals off the Allegheny Front on 6/12. A Red-headedWoodpecker was observed during the month of June at a feederon Pensyl Hollow Rd (js). Bedford is rapidly becoming one of thebest locations for finding Red-headed Woodpeckers. On July12th the following were heard singing at SSP:Yellow-belliedFlycatcher, Pine Warblers and Grasshopper Sparrows. All 5swallows and flycatchers were down in numbers as compared toprevious years at DCW. The three species with usually high countsin previous years were Tree Swallows, Barn Swallows andWillow Flycatchers. Rain and chilly weather seemed to occurduring nestling and post-fledgling periods. Possibly aerial foragingwas interrupted.

Observers: Tom Dick, Hidden Acre Farm,123 Hummer Lane,Cairnbrook, 15924, [email protected], [email protected] Allegheny PlateauAudubon, Jerry Fetter, Pete Galardy, Ross Galardy, Connie Hunt,Rosemary McGlynn. All entries without initials were made by thecompiler.

Berks County

Locations: Blue Marsh Lake (BML), French Creek State Park(FCSP), Hawk Mt. Sanctuary (HMS), Lake Ontelaunee (LO), StateGame Land (SGL) #110, Kittatinny Ridge (SGL).

Stragglers among the waterbirds included single imm.Common Loons at BML 6/2 (CRE) and LO 6/9 (MS), which isnormal. A record late Horned Grebe was also at BML 6/2 (CRE).The previous late spring record is of a bird seen at LO 5/15/1937 byEarl Poole. A Blue-winged Teal was at the farm pond on Old Rt.22 E. of Shartlesville 6/1 (MW). A female Red-breastedMerganser was at LO 6/19 (MW), and a male was there 6/22 and7/20 (MS). There are at least 4 previous summer records, the mostrecent from 1978 (KG). About 3 doz. non-breeding Double-crestedCormorants summered at LO as usual in recent years (RK).

In the last decade, the Glen Morgan Lake IBA nearMorgantown has hosted waterbirds that rarely breed in PA,notably Pied-billed Grebe, Least Bittern, Ruddy Duck,Virginia and Sora Rails, Common Moorhen and Am. Coot.Because this private IBA is officially closed to visitors, the currentbreeding status of these spp. is unknown. As reported in the lastissue, the first nesting attempt by Great Egrets in Berks wasunsuccessful. The pair was last seen on the nesting island 6/9 (MS).Later, a few birds were reported around the county through July.All of the known Great Blue Heron colonies were active, but notcensussed. A small colony of Green Herons at Gotwals pond, Oleyproduced at least 10 fledglings from 3 nests in May and June, andthese birds dispersed by the end of July (RK). Another brood of 4recently fledged young was seen there 8/16, sporting halos of nataldown and stubby wings incapable of sustained flight (RK). Theyran and clambered on the ground and on branches as they waitedto be fed. An ad. was seen delivering food 8/24, when the chickswere apparently still dependent. Was this a second brood producedby one of the original pairs, or a late nesting/renesting by anotherpair? A Black Vulture nest in a boulder den at FCSP produced 2chicks (see photo in Spring issue).

Early returning shorebirds that stopped at the Shartlesvillepond included 8 Least Sandpipers, a Pectoral Sandpiper anda Short-billed Dowitcher 7/13, and 6 Least and 2 PectoralSandpipers 7/17 (MW). A Barn Owl box in Rehrersburgcontained 4 young ready to fledge 7/31 (RB). The Red-headedWoodpecker pair at Kaufmann Rd., Oley Twp. was seen with 2juvs. through July (RK). The Green Heron nesting scenariodescribed above was echoed by Red-bellied Woodpeckers in BernTwp. (JS). Two pairs that regularly visit an especially sumptuous

feeder appeared with fledged young at the usual time in May andJune, and the young subsequently dispersed. In mid-August, adultsbrought 2 recently fledged, dark-headed, completely dependentjuvs. to the feeder, where they were still being fed in earlySeptember (JS). Is this an example of double broodedness by one ofthe resident pairs, or was it a late nesting by another pair?

The last Olive-sided Flycatcher of spring was at BML 6/1(CRE) and the first Least Flycatcher of fall was at Leesport 7/20(DK). A female Black-throated Blue Warbler feeding young7/20-26 at SGL, Shartlesville (EG,KG) provided only the secondbreeding confirmation for Berks. A female Canada Warbler wasfeeding young nearby 7/20 (EG,KG). Black-throated GreenWarblers were on territory at several locations on this SGL(TC,EG,KG). All 3 spp. are locally rare to uncommon nesters thatreach the southeastern edge of their PA breeding range on theKittatinny Ridge. At SGL, Stony Creek, where 11 warbler spp.nest, N. Parula was seen with fledged young in July (TC). Therewas evidence of late nesting by Ovenbird and La. Waterthrush.A female Ovenbird was flushed off a nest with 4 eggs at FCSP6/29 (RK), which is the late egg date for PA quoted in the Atlas ofBreeding Birds in Pennsylvania. At HMS, where Ovenbird is thesubject of a long term research project, 3 nests still contained eggs7/10, and 2 females were building nests during the first week ofJuly, which is extremely late (DB). Nesting success at HMS wasthought to be low, perhaps accounting for these late attempts (DB).A La. Waterthrush pair was feeding recently fledged young atFCSP 6/28 (RK). This pair had been feeding these chicks in the nestthe previous week (RB). This is the late end of the nesting seasonfor this sp. in Berks, where fledged young have been seen as earlyas the third week of May (RK). The headwater streams preferredby this sp. flooded not once but several times during May and June,perhaps destroying earlier streambank nests. Males were stillactively singing in District Twp. in the first week of July (RK) andat SGL 7/20 (KG), when these birds have usually raised their youngand preparing to leave. Grassland birds were scantily reported. Apair of E. Meadowlarks fledged ~2 young in the uncut grassparking lots of the Reading Fairgrounds (RK,JS). The new atlas isneeded to update us on the status of these and other spp.

The most tantalizing report of the period was of a possibleSwallow-tailed Kite briefly seen flying overhead by the observer(DP) through the windshield of his car while driving on Rt. 222near Gouglersville at 11:30 a.m. 6/15. He saw the bird as asilhouette against a gray sky, noting no color. He noted the long,narrow wings and very prominent forked tail, which appeared to beas long as the body. The bird seemed to be assuming a hoverposition, with body up and tail down, and the tail spread from tipto tip looked to be at least two-thirds as wide as the wingspread.The bird looked bigger and heavier than a tern, with a blunt ratherthan a pointy head such as a flying tern might appear to have dueto the pointed bill. He could not stop for a better look, and he hadnot previously seen a Swallow-tailed Kite, though this sp. cameimmediately to mind from illustrations when he spotted the bird.One to three Swallow-tailed Kites were seen by many birders inS. Berks 5/2/1995-6/10/1995.

Addendum to Spring 2003 report: A female White-winged Scoter(BML) 6/1 (JS), probably a record late date for the county.

Observers: Rudy Keller, 71 Lutz Rd., Boyertown, 19512, 610-845-7310, [email protected], David Barber, Rich Bonnett, TomClauser, Catherine R. Elwell, Ellen Grim, Kerry Grim, DeanKendall, David Pratt, Joan Silagy, Matt Spence, Bill Uhrich, MattWlasniewski.

Blair County

No Report

No Compiler


Bradford County

The extremely wet spring weather continued into thesummer, appearing to make breeding a bit later generally thanusual.

A Common Loon was seen 6/3 near the intersection of USRt. 6 and SR409 north of Wyalusing (WR), and a Double-crestedCormorant 6/24 on the Susquehanna River near Echo BeachRoad, Wysox (TG). Bald Eagles were seen frequently on theSusquehanna River throughout the county during the entiresummer (DB, MB). A Northern Harrier with young delighted anobserver on 7/16 in State Game Lands 12 on Barclay Mountain(DG).

A pair of Soras, probable breeders, were at the veryproductive marshy pond on US Rt.6 in Standing Stone Townshipon 6/3 (WR).This same observer had a close viewing of an UplandSandpiper landing across from a pond on Comisky Rd. on 6/3,near the intersection of US Rt. 6 and SR409, north of Wyalusing(WR).

Both Black-billed and Yellow-billed Cuckoos were heardin unusual profusion in the New Era vicinity and a few otherlocations in Bradford from 6/10 through 8/17 (TG). A CommonNighthawk was seen on 6/3 in the county (WR).

Eastern Kingbird pairs were considerably more in evidencethroughout the county this summer than previous ones, withbreeding confirmed near my home in the New Era vicinity for thefirst time since I moved back here in 1985 (TG).

Fifteen Purple Martins were seen the week of 8/11-17 in theSayre/Athens area (DP,SP). For the second summer in a row, Iwatched Cliff Swallows visiting a probable nesting site (concealedin the coverings of the bridge drain) under the bridge over theSusquehanna River at Wysox on 6/17 and other dates (TG).

A varying number of Evening Grosbeaks were seen at abird feeder at Echo Beach Road near Wysox from 5/10 until 6/17when two were observed (AD,TD).

Observers: Trudy Gerlach, RR2, Box 228, Wyalusing, 18853,(570) 746-9270, [email protected], David Buck, Melody Buck,Anita Duvall, Terry Duvall, Trudy Gerlach, Doug Gross, Don Paul,Skip Paul, William Reid, Bud Sechler, Ronald C. Young.

Bucks County

Locations: Blooming Glen (BLG), Haycock Twp (HYT), Peace ValleyPark (PVP), The Penn-Warner Tract (WNT), Nockamixon StatePark (NSP), Tinicum Twp. (TNT).

Weather extremes seem to be the norm, but after years ofdrought, this year was welcome. June was one of the coldest onrecord and rainfall near a record. July apparently varied greatlyfrom north to south with well above average temperatures in thefar north but average or below normal for most of the county.Rainfall varied similarly, being slightly above normal to the northto significantly less than normal in central and southern parts ofthe county. The result seemed to be a successful breeding seasonfor many common local nesters. However, do to the cool and wetspring and June, some species apparently started late, and fivefailed Bluebird nests at PVP was an indication that early nestershad a rough time. Some open nesting species were also suspectedof being washed out; e.g. orioles and tanagers seemed to vacatetheir territories early in some cases. Unusual were sporadic reportsof waterfowl species not normally found here in summer and thescarcity of shorebird sightings due to the high water. Farm fieldpools were helpful in this respect on preserved farmland in BLG .

Two Common Loons at PVP 6/3 (CR) were within thenormal occurrence dates but one there 7/4 (BL ), and one at

Morrisville 7/5 (BE, JY) were the first county reports in July. APied-billed Grebe was at PVP 6/10 (IB) and 7/30 (AM) for raresummer reports. After Double-crested Cormorant nest buildingin '98 and a failed nesting in '99 at PVP , there have been noadditional reports in spite of many remaining for the summer inthe county. Great Egret was reported in June more frequentlythan usual with one at Silverdale 6/4 (CR), one at PVP 6/7 (DZ)through 6/9 (KR), one 6/10 at TNT (AM, JMi, KK), and one at NSP6/12 (BE). They were seen on most trips to WNT during the period,as was Black-crowned Night Heron (DF). An imm. Little BlueHeron was at Newtown 7/25 (NZ). An adult Yellow-crownedNight Heron was a first for PVP 6/3 (RH) and complimented therecent annual records of immature birds. A Night-Heron speciesin TNT 7/1 was unusual at this time in the upper county (AM, JMi,BM).

Snow Goose was at TNT 6/30 and 7/1 (RF, AM, et. al). Apair of Greater Scaup at NSP on 6/12 (CR, AM) was the first everJune report. One or more male Ruddy Duck made the roundswith rare seasonal reports at Churchville Res. 6/23 (NZ), NSP 6/23(BE), Trumbauersville Sewer Plant 7/13 (BL), and Pine Run Dam7/15 (CR).

Osprey again nested on the lower Del. R. at the Phila.Co.border (DF). An adult Mississippi Kite posed nicely for videodocumentation on 6/7 in New Britain Twp. a short distance fromPVP (DZ). This was the only report this year. One to two BaldEagles including one adult were reported at PVP through 6/14 andan immature was there 7/26 & 7/27 (CR, DZ, AM). One 2nd yearbird was at Bradford Dam 6/25 (RF). An immature was atRushland 7/9 (MM, RM). An adult was at NSP 7/19 & 7/20 (DB).We are still waiting for a nest in the county. There were at leasttwo Cooper's Hawk nests at PVP but both were believed to havefailed (AM, HV). A nest in Doylestown raised at least one young(GG). A Red-shouldered Hawk was only seen once at NSP 6/16(BE) and one was reported south of Quakertown 6/4 (GG). A pair ofBroad-winged Hawks reported at NSP 6/21 to 7/8 provides hopethat this species still nests in the county (BE). A bird flushed atHYT 7/15 but not seen well is mentioned as a possible RuffedGrouse since any slim hope of survival in the county is worthmentioning (BE). N. Bobwhite was reported from SouthhamptonTwp. in June (LR) and TNT in July (KK), both undoubtedlyreleases.

Semipalmated Plover set a new late spring date with three6/1, 2 6/2, and one 6/6 in BLG (CR). One at BUT 7/26 (DF) was thefirst reported fall migrant. Two Greater Yellowlegs stopped inBLG 6/2 & 6/3, and one was in Buckingham Twp. 6/5 & 6/6 (RH).A returning bird arrived at BLG 7/22 (CR) but one at Pine RunDam on 7/13 beat the former early fall date by two days (CR).Solitary S. arrived 7/11 in BLG to match the early fall arrival date(CR). Least S. at the WNT 7/5 (BE) was the first fall migrantreport. A Semipalmated S. was at BLG 6/1 and two returnedthere on 7/23 (CR). Two White-rumped S. lingered in BLG from6/1 to 6/4 (CR). A Lesser Black-backed Gull was at PVP 7/15(CR) and three were at NSP 7/22 (BE, JY), all being the firstsummer scouts to reach the upper county this year. An adultGreater Black-backed Gull at NSP 6/22 is unexpected awayfrom the southern part of county at this time (CR). Only slightlyless unusual was one at NSP 7/22 (BE). Our first county report ofForster's Tern in June was 6/14 at WNT (DF), followed by asecond at NSP 6/16 (DF). A new early fall arrival date was set bytwo at NSP 7/22 (BE, JY).

There was only one Barn Owl report from a BedminsterTwp. silo (DF). One late Com. Nighthawk at HYT 6/5 (BE) andeight at PVP 6/6 were late migrants (DZ). A juv. Red-headedWoodpecker was seen 7/30 in Haycock Twp. at the only reportednesting site (BE). The rarely reported Alder Flycatcher was atPVP 6/2 (KR) for the second spring migrant there this year. TheUpper Makefield Twp. Purple Martin colony had 32 nests and


about 120 young (JM). One each Blue-winged Warbler, Black-and-white Warbler, and Amer. Redstart on 6/1 at BLG mayhave been late migrants (CR). A total of 13 warbler species werereported as probable or confirmed breeders at NSP and adjacentHaycock Mountain (BE, CR). Grassland restoration at NSP overthe years has greatly reduced the Yellow-breasted Chat to onlytwo pairs reported this year (BE). Three were at WNT 6/14 (DF).The Del. R. valley is the other remaining significant warblernesting area in the county. Yellow-throated Warbler, normallyalong the river, was unreported during the period. CeruleanWarbler based on reports, was scarcer this year. One was atVirginia Forrest Area 6/16 (AM), one was near Bowman's Hill 6/29(AM), and one was singing in Solebury Twp.( GG ).

Blue Grosbeak status seems to stay the same as a rare tooccasional breeder with as many as three males from 6/14 on at theWNT (DF), one pair starting 6/17 at BLG (CR), and a pair at PVPstarting 6/21 (CR); all locations where they have nested before. Afledgling was being fed at PVP 7/27 (AM). A singing SavannahSparrow in BLG on several dates in June and July indicatedbreeding there and was our only report (CR). Similarly,Grasshopper Sparrow singing in BLG from 7/11 on was a goodsign of nesting (CR) as were four singing in TNT (DF). One was atNSP 7/1 (BE). A leucistic juv. Song Sparrow was reported fromLanghorne in July (DJ, NZ, PR). A very late White-throatedSparrow stopped at PVP 6/7 to 6/8 (AM, DZ) adding a very rarereport for this season. A new late date for White-crownedSparrow was tallied on 6/16 in Pineville for only the second Junereport (MR). A Bobolink on 7/29 in BLG was probably the firstsign of migration by this species, which is well represented bymultiple breeding colonies in the upper part of the county. A countof 12 E. Meadowlarks in BLG 7/31 was good for this formerly verycommon local species (CR). It was believed that Orchard Orioleoutnumbered Baltimore Oriole by 4 to 1 along the lower Del. R.on 7/12 (BE).

EXOTICS:

Egyptian Goose, which was reported in the spring to havebred successfully, was seen at NSP through the period (BE).Chinese Goose also bred successfully at NSP but the two youngwere believed to have been food for a predator.

CONSERVATION NOTE:

In our recent county reports, reference to Blooming Glen hasbeen frequent thanks to a youthful observer, Cameron Rutt, withexcellent birding skills. However, with urban sprawl and forestfragmentation moving through the county, we should recognizethat these sightings would not be possible without the vision of onefamily. Henry and Charlotte Rosenberger, to the disdain of localdevelopers, have used their personal wealth to preserve 486 acresof scenic farmland. Of these, 283 acres have had the developmentrights purchased by the county and more are pending. Although theRosenberger's primary purpose is to preserve their Mennonitefarming heritage, they are also aware of good stewardship, havinginstalled erosion control features and restored streamside bufferswith native vegetation. They are an example of what can be doneby individuals and we all should be grateful. Cameron has prepareda "Birds of Blooming Glen" report for the Rosenbergers and othersin the community .Refer to "Fighting Bucks sprawl with the powerof wealth" in the Philadelphia Inquirer, August 22,2003 issue.

Observers: August Mirabella, 1443 Wheaton Lane, NorthWales, PA, 19454, [email protected], Ian Baldock,Dave Birchler, Lynn Collins, Bill Etter, Devich Farbotnik, RonFrench, Bob Friedermann, Gene Gladston, Ray Hendrick, DianeJoyce, Ken Kitson, Butch Lishman, Barbara McGlaughlin (BM),Bob Mercer (BMe ), Joe Majdan (JM), Judy Mirabella (JMi), M. J.Myers, Rich Myers, Ken Rieker, Patricia Rossi, Linda Rowan,Margie Rutbell, Cameron Rutt, Herb Volker, John Yerger, DaveZamos, Nick Zahn.

Butler County

Locations: Butler City (BC), Butler Township (BT), CenterTownship (CT), Evans City (EC), Jennings Nature Center (JNC),Lake Arthur (LAS), Miller Woods (MW), Moraine State Park(MSP), Saxonburg (SAX), Slippery Rock Borough (SRB), SlipperyRock Creek (SRC), Slippery Rock Township (SRT), Glades (SGL95), Wolf Creek (WC).

Again, weather dominated the June-July county report. Thestubborn, massive, low trough that formed last winter between theGreat Lakes and the Gulf of Mexico continued its meteorologicalsway through the entire period, forcing abundant warm, moist, gulfair to be pumped northeastward counterclockwise around the low,bringing record-breaking rainfall to the southeast, northeast,Tennessee and Ohio Valleys and the Great Lakes regions. In fact,the weather pattern was so unusually tenacious thatmeteorologists struggled to quantify it based on its complexity.There was a great deal of rain but not always record amounts. Itwas almost constantly muggy and sticky in the East but notunusually hot or cool. There was a constant threat ofthunderstorms but not necessarily an unprecedented number forthe summer months. However, two meteorological facts can beemphasized. For one thing, the summer of 2003 lacked successivefronts moving through the East as in a typical year. The massivecloudbanks essentially were stuck in place, forming and reformingas the unstable atmosphere bubbled and churned. For another, thetrough extended for much of the summer, dipping farther inland forperiods away from the Atlantic Coast. The upper atmosphere jetstream, that normally retreats into Canada for much of thesummer, was shaped like a "baritone saxophone," plunging sharplyto the southwest and then curving northeastward just as sharplyto outline the trough.

Slippery Rock Borough, located in the far northwesterncorner of Butler, recorded only five consecutive days in June (25thto 29th) without rain and a total of 5.85 inches of rain for themonth. July was even more extreme in amount of precipitationwith 12.95 inches of rain recorded for the month and a total 18.80inches for the two-month period.

Because of the abundant precipitation, water birds andgrassland birds had an excellent breeding year by comparison tothe last three years. The Green Heron is holding its own with 10confirmed breeding sites. The Great Blue Heron colony of 13nests in Ring Swamp adjoining SRC was abandoned this year andthe birds started a new colony farther east. The Hooded andCommon Mergansers continue increasing their breeding siteseach year. At least 5 female Hooded Mergansers that occupiedWood Duck boxes fledged an average of 6 young each while 8female Common Mergansers were observed almost dailythroughout the period along a four-mile stretch of WC northwest ofSRB and others were recorded on SRC. The latter species prefersfast-moving water and rapids of creeks with mature ripariandeciduous woods that contain many tree cavities whereas theHooded Merganser readily nests in Wood Duck boxes inmarshes and swamps. An important question: Where do the maleHooded and Common Mergansers go after they mate? By theend of May all males had vacated the region. One pair of WoodDuck still nested in a dead tree cavity in SRB, the fifth consecutiveyear for doing so. The amazing thing is that the nest site is 50 feetabove ground level but only 25 feet from a busy thoroughfare. Asingle male Bufflehead; in full breeding plumage, remained on LAuntil 6/15 (GW) and a Red-breasted Merganser on LA until 6/5(DY).

The Osprey had 6 active nests this year in the county (5 lastyear), 2 on LA and 4 atop communication towers. Each nestproduced 2 fledglings. Another Osprey pair attempted to nest atopcrossbars on a high voltage power line but surrendered infrustration because of strong winds continuously blowing sticks


away (lucky pair). The Bald Eagle likewise did well with a newnest in the MSP Propagation Area producing 2 fledglings. BothOsprey and Bald Eagle are seen almost daily now patrollingMuddy, Slippery Rock and Wolf Creeks and hopefully it will be amatter of time before active nests occur along these enticingstreams. An annual reconnaissance of a squaremile in SRBharbored a pair of N. Harrier and Sharp-shinned Hawk withprobable nesting and the following active nests: 1 pair Cooper'sHawk (2 young), 2 pairs Red-shouldered Hawk (3 young), 1 pairBroad-winged Hawk (2 fledglings), 1 pair Red-tailed Hawk (1fledgling), and 1 pair Am. Kestrel (4 fledglings). The same squaremile had 3 young Ring-necked Pheasant, 2 Ruffed Grouse, 17Wild Turkey and 2 N. Bobwhite that have been in the same areafor three consecutive years (GW). Likewise, 2 N. Bobwhite wereobserved 7/21 in CT (DY). The Sora was the only rail recorded inMSP (GW) with no evidence of reproduction, perhaps due to highwater levels this year. Two pairs of Sandhill Cranes attempted tonest in the tri-county area this year but extremely high waterlevels apparently prevented success. A third pair roamed the areaall summer (GW).

Local SRB Killdeer adapted to so much standing water thisyear by nesting on the flat roof of the SR Area Elementary School(GW). The Upland Sandpiper had a good breeding year with atleast 3 pairs in 2 county sites (GW). Unusual was a lone RuddyTurnstone 6/12 at MSP (DY). Common Snipe and Am.Woodcock were down in numbers this year with the favoritebreeding spot in SRB being totally destroyed by a new housingdevelopment (GW). The 21 Ring-billed Gulls 7/10 at LA increased7/24 to 93 before tapering off (DY). Only 3 Common Terns 6/18were recorded at LA (DY) during the period.

Black-billed and Yellow-billed Cuckoos were scarcebreeders this year with a lack of tent caterpillars and bagwormsand both species were still singing as they migrated early in SRBbetween 6/28-31 (GW). The E. Screech, Great Horned andBarred Owls bred successfully in SRB this period. The 3Common Nighthawks in downtown Butler were the only onesreported and it seems that this species is becoming a rare breederin the county (GW). Whip-poor-wills, on the other hand, are doingwell near and in MSP.

The Red-headed Woodpecker still has three breeding sitesin SRT and 1 male individual was recorded 6/23 in EC (CT).Moreover, the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker colony in SRB continuesto expand with 6 nesting pairs in 2002, 2 pairs in 2001 and 1 pairin 2000 (GW). Juveniles of the year tested their unique morse codetapping ability on neighbors' and our own gutter drains. Localdevelopment is conducive to the colony expanding with strewn andleaning dead trees. A pair of Pileated Woodpecker in SRBproduced 2 fledglings and the family of 4 roamed the local area allperiod long. Empidonax flycatchers, especially Alder and Willow,were abundant breeders in MSP. The E. Kingbird had amarvelously successful breeding year and gave the local hawkfamilies in SRB a continuous fit by dive bombing the raptors goingto and from their nests (GW).

White-eyed and Yellow-throated Vireos bred in averagenumbers but the Blue-headed Vireo was down in numbers withonly 1 pair nesting in SRB compared to 3 pairs in 2002. Warblingand Red-eyed Vireos were numerous breeders with 15 pairs ofthe latter species in SRB (GW). Purple Martins encounteredinclement spring weather in Georgia that apparently affected thenumbers of pairs nesting in Pennsylvania this year. Nevertheless,51 pairs returned to MSP of which 47 pairs produced 233 eggs, 196hatchlings and 168 fledglings and another 23 pairs returned to SAXof which 21 pairs produced 114 eggs, 95 hatchlings and 93fledglings (KK). At least 285 Cliff Swallow nests were built thisseason at MSP and another 25 nests were occupied at SOL 95(GW). There were no reports of breeding Red-breasted Nuthatchin the county but a probable nesting of the Brown Creeper in

MW, MSP and SRB after both species bred successfully in SRB andelsewhere between 1999-2002. Also, the Carolina Wren in SRBwas reduced to just 1 pair this period from 4 pairs last year. Acolony of the rare Sedge Wren continues to slowly increase from6 pairs in 2001 to 7 pairs in 2002 and 8 pairs this season (GW). TheVeery had an excellent breeding season and was recorded in 10new county sites, probably due to the wet conditions (GW). Unusualwere 2 singing male Gray-cheeked Thrushes 6/14 in SRB but ahousing development in SRB reduced the Wood Thrush from 10pairs last year to 7 pairs this year (GW). A male N. Mockingbirdsang the whole month of June in EC (CT), another individual wasrecorded 7/24 at MSP (DY) and an active nest found in SOL 95, along-time favorite haunt (GW). At least 10 breeding sites of theBrown Thrasher were recorded in MSP this period (GW) andanother 10 sites throughout the county (GW). A few late migratingwarblers, such as 1 Nashville 6/15, 1 Magnolia 6/8-15 (DD) and1 Blackpoll 6/5, lingered in MSP (DY), and a singing maleMourning Warbler 6/1-3 in SRB was a pleasant surprise (GW).The pair of N. Waterthrush returned to SRB for the thirdconsecutive breeding year and 3 pairs did the same in MSP (GW).The Hooded Warbler was down this year with just one pair inSRB but the Yellow-breasted Chat continued to do well in MSPwith 5 pairs vs. 3 pairs last year (GW). The grassland species, suchas Savannah, Grasshopper and Henslow's Sparrows,Bobolink and E. Meadowlark, had excellent breeding successthis season because farmers could not mow supersaturated fieldsuntil they dried in late June. If only we could get farmers to do thisevery year. The most unusual grassland species was a lone singingmale Dickcissel 6/24-28 in EC (CT). The 15 breeding pairs ofOrchard Orioles recorded this period in MSP and environs werethe highest number ever and the species bred at 10 other sites inthe county as well (GW). The Baltimore Oriole increased from 3pairs in 2002 to 5 pairs this year in a square-mile study area inSRB apparently caused by more edge (GW). Finally, a total of 67species and some 694 individuals were tabulated on the annualBreeding Bird Survey (BBS) 6/15 in the eastern part of the county(KK). A small colony of 25 pairs of Bank Swallow nested this yearin a gravel pit west of MSP (JW), the only county record.

A total of 4 possible, 4 probable and 122 confirmed speciesnested in Butler in 2003.

Observers: Gene Wilhelm, 513 Kelly Blvd., Slippery Rock,16057-1145, (724) 794-2434, [email protected], BartramianAudubon Society, Dave Darney, Mike Fialkovich, Ken Kostka,Three Rivers Bird Club, Clark Trautemian, Gene Wilhelm, JoanneWilhelm, Debra Yovanovich, Joan Wilver (JW)

Cambria County

Locations: Beaverdale Sportsmen Camp (BC); Dean State GameLands (DSGL); Dysert (D);

Elton (EL); Lilly Mtn. (L); Patton Area (PA); Prince Gallitzin StatePark (PG).

Most Cambria water bird reports are from the heavily usedPG. The lake has three large marinas, an extensive campground,six day use areas and numerous boat launches. Despite all thisactivity some species do manage to breed and some, like the GreatBlue Heron, don’t breed, but can be found at the lake all year.Though Green Heron were no confirmed this year, historicallyfamily units are present in the marsh area. Wood Duck are asuccess story, in part, thanks to the numerous nest boxes erectedaround the lake.

John Salvetti reported a family of 4 N. Harrier (2 adults and2 juveniles) at Blandburg Grassland on July 2 and Ross Gallardyconfirmed Red-shouldered Hawk in the Elton Area.

Virginia Rail were present throughout June and July. Dave


Gobert reported 1 Forester’s Tern 6/17 at (PA). On July 21, aSharp-shinned Hawk gliding over Ebensburg was mobbed by 40 -50 Chimney Swifts. JS writes, “I have never seen this action bymy peaceful Chimney Swifts prior to the viewing.”

The Atlas of Breeding Birds in PA does not show any Yellow-bellied Sapsucker present in Cambria during the “safe dates,”but this year they were confirmed in 2 separate locations. DG had2 adults and 2 juveniles near his home in PA and Judy Johns had3 separate pair around BC with one immature seen 7/26.

Acadian, Willow, and Least Flycatchers seem to be doingwell this season. JS reports up to 4 Com. Raven at Dysart (D).DG and JS confirmed Horned Lark at a new location (DSGL),where they observed several adults with young. A healthybreeding population of Cliff Swallows reached a max of 100 at PGon 7/31 (JS).

The Lamer’s June BBS route near Hinkston Resevoir yielded2 of the 6 separate locations where Veery were found throughoutthe county. Hermit Thrush seem to be “holding their own” withreports coming in from all our observers.

The “confirmed” warblers include: Yellow, Chestnut-sided,Black-throated Green, Ovenbird, and Com. Yellowthroat. The“probable” breeding warblers are: Magnolia, Black-throatedBlue, Prairie, Black-and-white, Am. Redstart, LouisianaWaterthrush, Hooded and Canada.

DG mentions that Henslow’s Sparrows “are hard to findthis year”, but noted that Grasshopper Sparrow number are up.Both species were confirmed, as well as: Chipping, Field, Vesper,Savannah, Song and Swamp. JJ sent reports of Dark-eyedJunco at BC and JS reports a pair of Juncos on Lilly Mountainseen taking food to the nest. RG noted Purple Finch on 6/15 (5)and 7/20 (4) near ELT, well within the safe dates of the first Atlasof Breeding Birds in PA.

It is with regret that we submit this out last report as non-resident compilers for Cambria County for the last 13 years. Weappreciate all the efforts of those observers who provided us withdata throughout the years. Gloria Lamer and Georgette Syster..

Observers: Gloria Lamer 724-349-1159, 515 Laurel Run Rd., PennRun, PA 15765; Georgette Syster 724-349-6293, 428 Laurel RunRd. Penn Run, PA 15765; Alice Beatty, Rory Bower, Ross Gallardy(RG), Dave Gobert (DG), Judy Johns (JJ), Clayton Lamer, JohnSalvetti (JS).

Note: New compilers beginning with the Fall Migrationseason. John Salvetti 519 E. Crawford Street, Ebensburg, PA15931, [email protected]; Dave Gobert 287 Beech Street,Patton, PA 16668,[email protected]

Cameron County

No Report

No Compiler

Carbon County

No Report

Compiler: David Hawk 521 Walnut Street, Leighton, 18235,(610) 377-2407, [email protected]

Centre County

No Report

Compiler:Eugene Zielinski,1322 Old 220 Rd., Bellefonte 16823,

(814) 353-8212, [email protected]

Chester County

Locations: Struble Lake (SL),

Birds seen during this period, but not very likely breeding,are Double-crested Cormorants, Great Blue Herons, GreatEgrets, Ring-billed Gulls, Ruddy Ducks, and a Brewster'sWarbler.

Larry Lewis and Ted Drozdowski reported the Double-crested Cormorants, Great Blue Herons, and Great Egrets.Ted found the birds on a canoe trip down Brandywine Creek. Larryfound his birds at several sites around the county. Double-crested Cormorants were also seen in other locations in thecounty by other birders. Black-crowned Night-Herons may benesting in the county. Two adults and one immature bird werefound at the Church Farm School in July by (LL and GS).

Ruddy Ducks, the only diving duck remaining in the countyduring the summer, were located in several places. There was noapparent nesting taking place.

An Osprey was seen at the Perkiomen Reservoir inPhoenixville on 7/1 and 8/6 (RW) at Kurtz's Fish Hatchery on 6/22by (LL) and his nature club and at Coatesville Reservoir, SL, andChamber's Lake (lingering all summer). LL suggested that it mightbe the same bird moving from one lake to another. Two adult BaldEagles with two immature birds with them are in the Cochranvillearea. The abandoned nest was seen and then the birds were locatedon a farm pond nearby in mid-August. In mid-July, two adults andone immature bird were seen at SL. Both of the sightings were by(LL).

Cuckoos were very scarce. BB reported the only Yellow-billed Cuckoo for Chester County. His daughter Laura and hediscovered an adult with a young bird in their backyard on 6/16.The birds were not seen after that. Paul Earley reported two Red-headed Woodpeckers on Wylie Road in Chadd's Ford in mid-July. Another Red-headed Woodpecker was found on Mt.Pleasant Road in Honey Brook Township by (LL). Red-headedWoodpeckers could be found on Mt. Pleasant Road every year forseveral years and then disappeared. It is good to have I them backin the county again.

A Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, seen on 7/1 and 7/2 wasreported by Margie Filman. The bird was seen off Mill Road, justnorth of Rte. 926 on 7/1. It was seen again on 7/2 off WollastonRoad, just south of Rte. 926. The bird could not be located againalthough several people tried to find it. TD saw some largenumbers of some species along the Chester County side ofBrandywine Creek on his 13.1 mile trip: 18 Acadian Flycatchers,48 Warbling Vireos, 21 Northern Rough-winged Swallows, 28Yellow Warblers, 51 Song Sparrows, and 12 BaltimoreOrioles. He had a total of 54 species. A Brewster's Warbler wasdiscovered n the West Valley Nature Center by (BB) and (TD)during West Chester Bird Club's Breeding Bird Count.

Bobolinks were found in the county by (BB), (TD) and (LL).They were found near Marsh Creek, in Newlin Township, and inthe Doe Run area. Hopefully, the birds found some meadows thatwere not mowed so that their nesting efforts were successful. Muchof the breeding bird information that I have received for this periodcame from N&SP. Nick has a banding station in West Chester inan area that draws a considerable number and variety of birds. Theseason seemed pretty slow with few reports for Chester County onthe PA Birds listserv. Thank those who posted their sightings.

Observers: Eleanor Wolf, 148 Harvest Lane, Phoenixville,19460, 610-933-6414 [email protected], Barry Blust (BB),Ted Drozdowski (TD), Paul Earley, Margie Filman, Larry Lewis


(LL), Nick and Sharon Pulcinella, Grier Saunders, Rick Robinson,West Chester Bird Club, Eleanor Wolf, and Richard Wolf.

Clarion County

Locations: Clarion Area (CA), Cook Forest (CF), Curllsville (CV),Mt. Airy (MA), Mt. Zion (MZ), Shippenville (SV).

A strong windstorm on 6/12 destroyed one of two Great BlueHeron nests at Rimersburg. The fate of the nestlings wasunknown (SM). These nests were on a well-traveled road, hence,well-monitored. We suspect the same storm may well have doneconsiderable damage to the heron colony on the lower reaches ofthe Clarion River which is very inaccessible and not well-monitored. However, the later storms of 7/21- were probably afterthe fledglings were out of the nests and not so vulnerable.

A Sharp-shinned Hawk’s nest on their property was finallydiscovered on 7/15 by RW &CW. Alerted by a crow ruckus on 7/16,RW watched a Great Horned Owl attack the nest and kill one ofthe adults. However, the remaining adult successfully raised thefour nestlings. On 7/30 they all survived a bad storm which blewthe top of the nesting tree down. By 8/11 they had left the nestingarea (CW).

Three, possibly six, Upland Sandpipers were still presentat Mt. Airy on 6/25 (CW, WF). In addition single Uppies werefound at Lake Lucy on 6/8 (JF) and at MZ on 6/7 (JF). The Clay-colored Sparrows were seen at MZ on 6/14 (JF), and 3, possibly6, were seen on 6/22 (RM). High Bobolink numbers droppedconsiderably between 6/23 and 6/25 at MA (WF), although theycontinued to be seen through 7/16 at CV (CW).

On 6/22 at MZ 3 Alder Flycatchers were seen and heardwell (RM). This species is rare in the county compared to theWillow Flycatcher. Two first-year Orchard Orioles at MA on6/22 surprised observers (WF, CR).

Observers: Margaret Buckwalter, 249 Maple Dr.,Shippenville, 16254 (814) 782-3925, Hendrika Bohlen, PaulBrown, Paulette Colantonio, John Fedak, Mike Fialkovich, WalterFye, Mike Leahy, Ron Montgomery, Sally Mortimer, Carl Rowe,Rose Spreha, Carole Willenpart, Richard Willenpart.

Clearfield County

No Report

Compiler: Eugene Zielinski,1322 Old 220 Rd., Bellefonte16823, (814) 353-8212, [email protected]

Clinton County

No Report

Compiler:Wayne Laubscher, 749 E. Croak Hollow Rd., LockHaven 17745, (570) 748-7511, [email protected]

Columbia County

No Report

No Compiler

Note: New compiler beginning with the Winter season. DougGross, 144 Winters Road, Orangeville, PA 17859, (570) 458-4568, [email protected].

Crawford County

Locations: Conneaut Marsh (CM), Conneautville (CV), ErieNational Wildlife Refuge (ENWR), Hartstown Marsh (HM),Linesville Fish Hatchery (FM), Pymatuning Geese ManagementArea (PGMA), Pymatuning’s Jamestown State Park (PJSP),Woodcock Lake (WL)

A Common Loon was present at WL 7/3 (CL) and 7/6 (RL).A pair of Pied-billed Grebes were found at MM on 7/28 (RCL).Green Herons were seen in higher than usual numbers at areamarshes producing 6 to 7 adults per trip. Unusual were the twosightings of Black-crowned Night-Herons, one at CV 6/10 andone (TCN) at CM 7/30 (RCL). Only one Great Egret was reportedthis period at MM 6/21 (MB). Wood Duck numbers were downcompared to the last several years with a high count of just 15 birdsat CM 6/29 (RFL). Hooded Mergansers faired much better withcounts of 11 (7/13 and 7/19) and 12 (7/28) at FM (RFL). They werealso found at ENWR (MF), CM (RFL) and Pymatuning Lake (RCL,RFL). Single Ospreys were seen at CM 6/4, CV 6/10 (TCN), andPJSP 7/23 (RCL). The PA Game Commission reported 15 activeBald Eagle nests in Crawford County (I have not heard yet ontheir success). A N. Harrier was found at PGMA 7/29 (RCL). ACooper’s Hawk was observed at CM 7/28 (RCL, RFL). Broad-winged Hawks nested again at Saeger Mill Meadville and wereseen daily through July 26 (RFL). Only one report of Virginia Rail1 at CM 6/23 (RFL). Soras were present at CM 6/23 (RFL) and onewas seen still calling at HM 6/29 (RFL). Six Common Moorhenswere present at HM 6/21 and 9 were there 7/28 (RFL, RCL).

A Solitary Sandpiper was found at CM 7/29 (RCL) and agood count of 25 on 7/30 (RCL, RFL). An Upland Sandpiper wasseen at (PGMA) 6/23 (RFL). Also 1 there (MF) and another (BVN)6/27. Three Least Sandpipers were found at WK 7/13 (RFL). Theonly report of Black Tern was of 1 at HM 6/21 (MB). A good findwas a Yellow-billed Cuckoo at MM 6/18 (MB). A Black-billedCuckoo was spotted at CM 6/27 (MF). E. Screech Owls werereported at MM 6/1 and 6/10 (MB). A Barred Owl was found atSM 7/27 (RCL). Common Nighthawks were here only once indowntown Meadville 6/29 (RFL) and the only report of a Red-headed Woodpecker was from CM 7/29 (RCL). A Yellow-belliedSapsucker was at CM 6/15 (RFL) and on 6/27 (MF) found twoadults and two young there. Most of the usual flycatcher’s werepresent here but seemed to be calling less and lower in numbersperhaps due to the cold and wet weather.

A good number of N. Rough-winged Swallows were notedat MM (RFL, MB). A good count of 250 Bank Swallows were seenat SM 7/3 (MB). The Cliff Swallow colony at Pymatuning FMtotaled about 80 nests and a high count of adult and young on 7/19numbered around 250. Brown Creepers apparently nested againat MM with single birds found there 6/22 and 7/3 (MB). A pair ofSedge Wrens were found near ENWR at Teepleville 6/10 (RCL).One bird was hear and seen at PGMA 7/31 near the Miller pond(RCL). As usual Marsh Wrens did well at CM. A Blue-grayGnatcatcher was seen at CM 6/23 (RFL) 1 on 7/3 there (MB) andone at MM 7/6 (MB). Wood Thrushes did well here, no sign ofdecline as did Veerys (RFL). N. Mockingbirds nested at MM witha family group there 7/31 (MB). White-eyed Vireos continue toexpand in the ENWR with 3 noted there 6/10 and 5 on 6/20 (CL).Numbers of Blue-winged Warblers seemed down here with onlytwo reports, at MM 6/8 (MB) and 1 at CM 6/23 (RFL). ThreeMagnolia Warblers were present at MM through 6/8 (MB). ACerulean Warbler was found at Pymatuning’s Ford Island 6/23(TCN). A pair of Louisiana Waterthrush were present at MM 6/1and 7/3 (MN). A Northern Waterthrush was seen there 7/16(MB). Always a good find this far north was a Yellow-breastedChat near New Richmond close to the ENWR 6/20 (CL). For thesecond summer in a row, I had Dark-eyed Juncos in my yard uptp 6/15 a 2 were present at MM up to 7/20 (MB). An OrchardOriole was seen at MM 6/11 (MB) and 2 were found at CV 7/18(TCN).


Observers: Ronald F. Leberman, 11508 Pettis Rd, Meadville,16335, (814) 724-5071, Marvin Byler, Michael Fialkovich, ChrisLundberg, Robert C. Leberman, Thomas Clare Nicell, BobVanNewKirk, Mary Ann Van NewKirk.

Cumberland County

No Report

Compiler: Deuane Hoffman, 3406 Montour St., Harrisburg17111, (717) 564-7475, [email protected]

Dauphin County

Locations: Haldeman Island (HI), SGL 246 near Middletown(MGL), No. American Migration Count on 5/10 (NAMC), StonyCreek Valley (SCV), Susquehanna at Ft. Hunter (SFH),Susquehanna from Harrisburg (SHB), Susquehanna fromMarysville (SMV), Susquehanna from Millersburg (SMB),Susquehanna from Royalton (SRT), Susquehanna from WestFairview (SWF), Wildwood Lake (WL).

A number of non-breeding species lingered into the beginningof June. Three Black, three Common, and 11 Forster's Ternswere spotted 6/1 SWF along with three Common Loon, twoCommon Goldeneye, three Bonaparte's Gull, and sevenDunlin (DH,RK,RR,DS). A lone Sandhill Crane was still beingreported near Halifax in the beginning of June (SB) and may havebeen the same one frequenting Lake Tobias, near Halifax, through7/21 (BK). A Blackpoll Warbler was found along the towpath WL6/2 (TJ). A Snowy Egret was observed 6/5 and two Red-neckedGrebes remained to 6/11 SMV (DBg).

Another Bank Swallow colony was discovered inLondonderry Twp. along Brinser Rd. 7/22 (PF); and an AlderFlycatcher was located nearby along Hillsdale Rd. 7/25 withWillow Flycatchers. The 7/25 date is five days past the "safedates" established for the Alder Flycatcher for the previousBreeding Bird Atlas project but is certainly worth investigationnext season as the second Atlas project is undertaken.

Observers: Patricia and Richard Williams, 3 Parkside Ave,Hummelstown, 17036, (717) 566-6562, [email protected],Scott Bills, Dan Bogar, Deuane Hoffman, Tom Johnson, BobKeener, Ramsay Koury, Regina Reeder, Dan Snell.

Delaware County

Locations: Darby Creek (DC), Darlington Tract (DT), DelawareRiver (DR), John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum-Delaware Co. portion (TI), Philadelphia International Airport(PHL), Ridley Creek State Park (RCSP), Tyler Arboretum (TY).

It might have been the rain in July that tied the 17consecutive-day record that has stood since the 1860's, or the lackof birds and nesting success that resulted from it, but 99% of myusual contributors responded to this request for records with“Nothing to report.” August is a vacation month and this newlydefined summer season of June and July, without May attached,can be nicely summarized in the Breeding Bird Form. However,comments about the breeding status of some species might be ofinterest.

Black Vulture has not been confirmed breeding since thelate 1980's although the species continues to increase in number.SJ reported an Osprey over Chanticleer on 7/29 and wondered ifit was an unmated bird or if it was wandering after a nest failure.The wet weather did not deter the Media Broad-winged Hawkpair from successfully raising at least one chick. A young birdmade such clumsy passes at Mourning Doves at a feeder that

eventually the doves didn’t fly away. Several dove-kills in Julysuggested it’s learning curve must have improved (DM). A loneBroad-winged over the Ridley Park surprised TM as he drovealong I-95 on 7/25. The bird was being chased by Red-wingedBlackbirds.

The water level at Springton Reservoir returned to normal,eliminating the shorebird habitat that produced weeks of goodpeep-viewing last year. Less than 100 Least Sandpiper andfewer than a dozen Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs were seenalong DC at TI during July. My first glimpse of Forster’s Ternwas in late July, but surely they were along the DR and DC earlier.A Ringed-turtle Dove became a regular visitor to Bob Feuer’sMarple feeder in the week of 7/27. The bird was approachable,appeared to be tame, and was thought to be an escapee. Yellow-billed Cuckoos apparently nested along the “Bridle Trail” atRCSP (AG) and two birds were seen at TY at the end of July (CJ).

The Aston Purple Martin colony fledged 18 birds this yearcompared to 62 in 2002 (DM). Likewise the Glenn Mills colony hadonly162 hatchlings banded this year compared to 250 last year(JM,DM). A gourd rack was erected at the Pennsylvania ResourcesCouncil on Providence Rd., Media, and after playing of the dawnsong for just 10 days in mid-July (admittedly a bad time to start,but better than waiting until spring!), several second-year birdswere visiting the gourds, roosting in the sycamore trees, andremained in the area until August (DM). These birds could havecome from a declining colony in Marple. Cliff Swallows werefound at SR again this year.

E. Bluebird nest box monitors reported that nestingcommenced 10-14 days later than usual and clutch size was smaller(BB). The Blue Grosbeak was seen behind PHL on 7/13delivering food to the same location, presumably a young bird (JM).

Contributors: Doris McGovern, 209 Dogwood Rd., Media, PA19063 (610) 565 8484 [email protected] , BobBodine, Denis Brennan, Al Guarente, Chet Johnson, SherylJohnson, Tom McParland, John Miller, Martin Page, Edie Parnum,Tom Reeves, Alice Sevareid, Rick and Sharon West.

Elk County

On 7/3 I had this message confirming breeding of the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker in Elk County. According to the Atlas, at thattime, this species had not been confirmed as breeding in thatcounty. The Yellow-bellied Sapsucker was seen by RonMontgomery on 7/3 in Elk, just outside of Forest, between Belltownand Loleta, 2.9 miles SE of Loleta on SR 2003. It was an adultfemale feeding what I gather to be a young male because it had ahint of red on the neck.

No compiler

Observer: Margaret Buckwalter

Erie County

No Report

Compiler: Jerry McWilliams, 3508 Allegheny Road, Erie16508, (814) 868-3059, [email protected]

Fayette County

A group of 4 Ruffed Grouse were seen together at OhiopyleState Park 7/27 (CK, KS).

Warblers reported at Ohiopyle State Park 7/27 included Black-throated Green, Cerulean, Black-and-white, AmericanRedstart, Ovenbird, Common Yellowthroat and Hooded (CK,


KS).

Observers: Mike Fialkovich, 805 Beulah Road, Pittsburgh,15235 (412) 731 - 3581, [email protected], Chris Knoll, MarkMcConaughy, Kathy Saunders.

Forest County

Locations: Allegheny National Forest (ANF), Buzzard Swamp (BS),Cook Forest (CF), Tionesta (T), Tionesta Lake (TL) and Outflow(TL).

An immature Bald Eagle was seen near Kellettville on 6/14(TJK). The more interesting breeding birds found this periodincluded Bald Eagle – a nest with one visible young was observedon 6/18 – and a Northern Goshawk nest was found on 5/27(FJM). A Wild Turkey was seen sitting on her nest near a CookTrail at CF on 5/28. A Northern Saw-whet Owl was heardcalling near Tionesta almost nightly from 3/7 through 5/10 (FJM).

Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, Red-bellied Woodpeckers,and Acadian Flycatcher were observed on several dates in Juneand July in the German Hill area (FJM). An Alder Flycatcher wasfound near Kellettville on 6/14 (TJK). A Horned Lark wasobserved on 6/8 in the Red Brush area. Northern Rough-wingedSwallows nested under the TL Outflow bridge, and CliffSwallows were found nesting at the Kellettville bridge (FJM).

The fifty bluebird boxes at TL (some located at theKellettville Campground) fledged 24 E. Bluebirds, 37 TreeSwallows, and 12 Black-capped Chickadees this season.Notably, there were no successful House Wren nests this year(FJM).

A Hooded Warbler was observed feeding young on 7/6 nearTionesta, and a Canada Warbler was found feeding young on 7/13at ANF (FJM).

White-throated Sparrows were a nice surprise at BeaverMeadows the week of July 28. (CJR) On the Grassland BreedingBird Survey conducted on 6/ 8 or 9, Bobolinks, Savannah,Grasshopper, Vesper, and Field Sparrows as well as Golden-winged Warbler were found in the Red Brush area. (JF)

Observers: Flo McGuire, HC 1 Box 6A, Tionesta, 16353, 814-755-3672, [email protected], Hendrika Bohlen, MargaretBuckwalter, Gary Edwards, Deb Freed, John Fedak, Tom andJanet Kuehl, Flo and Jim McGuire, Judy and Ron Montgomery,Carl and JoAnne Rowe, Fran and Jack Williams.

Frankin County

No Report

Compiler: Dale Gearhart, PO Box 155, Shady Grove, 17256,(717) 597-3979, [email protected]

Fulton County

Locations: Akersville Road (AR), Fulton County CREP Route#1(CREP1), Fulton County CREP Route #2 (CREP2), Fulton CountyCREP Route #4 (CREP4), Haines-Seville Wetlands RestorationArea (HSWRA), Meadow Grounds Lake (MGL).

Just making it into the June period, a group of threeCommon Loons were located at MGL on 6/3 (DS). The HSWRAprovided the rest of the waterfowl highlights for the period. On5/26, the wetlands were full of new beginnings: several Mallardchicks, 8 Wood Duck ducklings, and a few Canada Geesegoslings were noted. Highlight of the quarter was the drake Ring-necked Duck discovered at HSWRA on 6/15 (breeding plumage)

and last found alive on 8/2 (shabby eclipse plumage) and to ourdismay with a subsequent visit on 8/17 Regina and I located duckremnants along the shoreline. Optimistically, none of theseobservations would have occurred if it were not for the collectivestewardship to create this 20 acre wetland. Kudos to PennsylvaniaD.O.T. for helping to create and maintain!!

Two noteworthy raptor records make the list for the summerquarter: a female Northern Harrier was discovered on CREP1 on5/19. According to Atlas of Breeding Birds in Pennsylvania, 5/15 to7/25 are considered the Atlas Safe Dates for N. Harrier. TwoCooper's Hawks (one immature) were observed flying side-by-sideon 6/15 directly over HSWRA. Just five days previous on a FranklinCREP route, I discovered 2 Cooper's Hawks flying side-by-side.In the Cooper's Hawk life cycle, is this the peak for juvenile'slearning to fly dispersal?

On 6/14, while traveling CREP1, two American Woodcockswere flushed from the side of the road. On 6/14, the distantvocalization of a Long-Eared Owl was heard a few stops later(DS). A Barred Owl was seen perched along AR on 5/26 (DS,RR).Three Whip-poor-wills were heard along CREP4 on 6/15 (DS.)

A lone Solitary Sandpiper seen on 7/19 was an early fallmigrant at HSWRA (DS). The Red-headed Woodpeckercontinues to be difficult to find in the summertime.

Purple Martin colonies were noted along CREP1 on 6/14and in McConnellsburg 7/06 (DS). Breeding swallow species ofconcern in Fulton presently include the Cliff and Bank Swallows.Although appropriate habitat for Bank Swallows is found in thesouthern Fulton areas, the stone quarries are not open to thepublic. Both species have disappeared since the last Atlas project.In fact maybe the Barn out-competed the Cliff and the N. Rough-winged out competed the Bank Swallow for nest sites- or maybethe truths can be found from the wintering grounds.

Several birds at the upper northern range limits not recordedthis year include: territorial Northern Bobwhites, White-eyedVireos, or Blue Grosbeaks. One southern species that continuesto grow in numbers into Fulton is the Fish Crow. During thequarter, Fish Crow was noted at Big Cove Tannery, FTRP, andBuck Valley (DS).

The cool hemlock ravine of Roaring Run Trail at AR (JamesBuchanon SF) will undoubtedly supply the county's best chancesfor northern breeders. A trip in very late May, allotted discovery ofa Brown Creeper nest, singing Black-throated Green andBlackburnian Warblers, Blue-headed Vireos, and a territorialNorthern Junco (DS,RR). Acadian Flycatchers were numerousat AR as well (6 in a one mile stretch).Cerulean Warblers werelocated along Summit Road (James Buchanon SF) 7/19 and a pairat Redbud 6/14 (DS).

The CREP Grassland surveys once again noted stronghealthy populations of Eastern Meadowlarks, Grasshopper andField Sparrows. Ten to twenty-three individuals for each specieswere noted for each CREP route (DS). The presence of eight Ring-necked Pheasants along CREP2 on 6/3 was noteworthy (DS).

Observers: Dan Snell, PO Box 653, Shippensburg, PA 17257,(717) 530-8313 (new phone number), [email protected],Regina Reeder.

Greene County

Locations: Antonacci Farm- Jefferson Twp.(AF), Big Shannon Run -Perry Twp.( BSR), Country Club Road - Morgan Twp. (CCR), CragoAvenue - Franklin Twp. (CA), Creek Road - Monongahela Twp.,(CR), Drift Ridge Road - Wayne Twp.(DRR), Falls Hollow Road -Greene Twp. (FHR), Hunting Hills Road - Monongahela Twp.(HHR), Kennel Road - Morgan Twp. (KR), Kern Farm - MorganTwp. (KF), Meadowbrook Road - Morgan Twp. (MR), Ralph Bell


Farm - Morgan Twp. (RBF), SGL 302 at Enlow - Richhill Twp.(Enlow), Strawn Hill - Wayne Twp. (SH), Walnut Hill - DunkardTwp. (WH).

Greene experienced a very wet June and July. June was cooland July only warmed up a bit. Gardens were late but wildflowersand fruit were plentiful. Every area that occasionally held waterafter a rain was now a full-fledged pond. And every pond had atleast one pair of Canada Geese. Great Blue Herons wereplentiful. SS kept a close watch on a heronry of 9 active nests onFHR. She reported a high of 10 birds, with every nest occupied.There are 6 heronries known in the county -- 2 are 25-30 nests, butthe birds are seen county wide. More exploration is needed. WoodDucks and Mallards also had a good year. KK's favorite littlefarm pond on CCR had several adult Wood Ducks with youngabout half the size of the parents. Mallard families were alsopresent at the pond. A pair of A. Black Ducks were found (KK) onCR.

A Red-tailed Hawk juvenile was observed on WH (EK). Itwas perched on a dead limb out in the open just a few yards fromthe road, but did not fly as cars passed near it. A lone RuffedGrouse chick was seen by CP on DRR. In late June, 2 WildTurkeys with a total of 13 babies were seen on KR (KK). Theyoung were small for the date and KK wonders if it may have beena second nesting after a first nest failure due to all the rain in Mayand June. J/DA had a pair of Killdeer and their 3 young to contendwith every time they drove out their long graveldriveway at AF.

Yellow-billed and Black-Billed Cuckoos were scarce, butwere still heard singing into August (KK at KF). TRBC had a goodview of a Black-billed Cuckoo perched in the open on theirexcursion to Enlow on 7/20. KK had an Eastern Screech Owlsoftly calling its young in mid-July through the night at KF. AnEastern Wood Pewee at the nest was a treat for the TRBC inEnlow on 7/20. RKB saw young Common Ravens flying at RBF.Despite the cool rainy weather, RKB and J/DA each report a goodpopulation of Purple Martins this year. RKB reports 20-30 pairand J/DA counted at least 30 adults. J/DA state they add moregourd houses every year as they feel the birds favor them over the"bought houses". RBK was called to see hundreds of PurpleMartins gathering nightly at Rohanna's Golf Course and Pond.(There was also a nice write up in the local newspaper about thisstaging of the Martins.) J/DA also had Tree Swallows nesting insome gourds. ML at BSR had many nesters in her yard thissummer including Eastern Phoebe, Eastern Bluebird, HouseWren, Carolina Wren, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, andTufted Titmouse.

NP reported 10 Cedar Waxwings on DRR the first twoweeks of June, and a young Scarlet Tanager on SH in late July.NP had 6 juvenile Eastern Towhee on DRR and SS reported thesame at HHR. TRBC had an outing at Enlow and found a familygroup of Scarlet Tanagers. The family was composed of an adultmale, adult female and one juvenile begging food. They also hadhad the pleasure of observing a Louisiana Waterthrush walkingalong a wet trail. For the last three summers a Worm-ratingWarbler has been present near RBF (RBK). Given the properhabitat (of which there is not a lot in Greene), Grasshopper andSavannah Sparrows can create quite a ruckus. There is hayfieldand pasture on both sides the road at a spot on MR that containsat least 3 singers of each species (KK).

On CA, in a large yard with several spruce trees on a quietstreet in Waynesburg, several Common Grackles includingjuveniles (yellow eyes, black bills, overall black, short tails) wereseen (KK). Sometimes confirming nesting species is not a beautifulthing. I was weeding the flower bed near an old dead pine in thefront yard. A newly fledged gray-brown bird of medium sized wasbegging loudly in the top branch of the tree. I didn't have my binocswith me and the tree is rather tall, so I was not getting a good

enough look at the baby to be sure what it was, that is, until itsYellow Warbler "parent" came and fed the young Brown-headedCowbird a snack. Oh well, at least it confirms both species asnesters! (KK).

A big thanks to all the observers who keep an eye and ear onthings through-out the County! Thanks to Mike Fialkovich forsending the TRBC report on the Enlow trip. If there are others whocome to bird in Greene, I would be happy to list your "finds".

Observers: Kathy Kern, 322 Kennel Rd, Waynesburg, 15370,[email protected], John and Dolores Antonacci,Ralph K. Bell, EdKern, Mary LaPlante, Carroll Phillips, Nancy Phillips,Sally Sisler, Three Rivers Bird Club report sent by MikeFialkovich.

Huntingdon CountyA cluster of Great Blue Heron nests was found at a new

location in Rothrock State Forest in N. Huntingdon county in June(LG). A brief count (to minimize disturbance) indicated at least fournests. Three of these nests were seen to contain at least 4,3, and 1young birds respectively upon a subsequent visit. A complete countof nests, which are in White Pines, will be done after the nestingseason.

During the 2003 breeding season, three Breeding Bird Survey("BBS") routes were run for the 12th consecutive year withinRothrock State Forest, each route consisting of 50 3-minute stops(GG, NB, DK). Most of the 150 stops are in Huntingdon county andthe remainder are in Centre and Mifflin counties. In 2003, 67species were recorded on these routes (average = 60). The ten mostfrequently recorded species in 2003 are shown along with their 12-year average in parenthesis. Most frequently recorded species on2003 Rothrock BBSs

1. Red-eyed Vireo 236 (174) (12-yr avg.)

2. Ovenbird 142 (156)

3. Scarlet Tanager 91 (70)

4. Eastern Towhee 59 (80)

5. Black-throated. Green Warbler 50 (26)

6. Common Yellowthroat 44 (48)

7. Wood Thrush 36 (49)

8. Eastern Wood-Pewee 33 (36)

9. Acadian Flycatcher 31 (26)

10. Hooded Warbler 27 (19)

Among relatively common species (averaging over 5 recordsper year) on the Rothrock BBS routes, 6 were found in record highnumbers in 2003. These include Scarlet Tanager, Black-throated Green Warbler, and Hooded Warbler listed above.The latter two species set new high records for the second year ina row and Black-throated Green Warblers were nearly doublethe 12-year average. Also recorded at record high levels in 2003were Blue Jay, American Robin, and American Goldfinch.Red-eyed Vireo, Veery, Chestnut-sided Warbler, and Black-throated Blue Warbler had their second highest counts on theBBS routes in 2003.

Five relatively common species were found in record lownumbers on the three Rothrock BBS routes in 2003.

Record lows

1. Mourning Dove 5 (ave = 11)

2. Eastern Phoebe 6 (12)

3. American Redstart 19 (25)


4. Eastern Towhee 59 (80)

5. Indigo Bunting 5 (8)

Eastern Towhees are a common bird in Rothrock. Howevertheir numbers are declining as evidenced by looking at clusters ofthree-year averages over the 12-year count period for the BBSroutes. Average Towhee number for 3-yr period 1992-1994 106

1995-1997 80

1998-2000 69

2001-2003 64

Additionally among common Rothrock species, Yellow-billedCuckoo, Brown Creeper, Wood Thrush, Worm-eatingWarbler, and Brown-headed Cowbird had their second lowestBBS counts in 2003. Only three Yellow-billed Cuckoos wererecorded on the Rothrock BBS routes in 2003 (12 year avg. = 19).This low number is in contrast to recent years when 75, 22, and 31were recorded in 2000, 2001, and 2002 respectively. In 2003 therewas very little gypsy moth activity in Rothrock unlike thepreceding three years. Caterpillar defoliation was especially highin 2000 coinciding with our highest-ever Yellow-billed Cuckoocount.

Observers: Greg Grove, RR 1, Box 483, Petersburg 16669, (814)667-2305, [email protected]; Nick Bolgiano, Greg Grove, LewisGrove, David Kyler.

Indiana County

Locations: Blue Spruce County Park (BS), Indiana section of thePW Breeding Bird Survey (PW BBS), Clymer (CM), Elders Ridge(ER), Indiana (IN), Parkwood (PW), Shelocta (SH), Yellow CreekState Park (YC).

The presence of two Double-crested Cormorants at YC6/24 (MH,BO,SS), 7/1 (MH,DJ,SS,LW), and 7/15 (MH,BO,LW) ledto much speculation. Two pairs of Great Blue Herons attemptedto nest at the ER strips again, but unfortunately, high winds felledone of the trees, so one nest was unsuccessful. An adult GreenHeron was accompanied by three demanding fledglings inGrandma’s Cove at YC on 7/1 (MH,DJ,SS,LW). A hen Wood Duckwas spotted with 7 ducklings on 6/17 (MH,BO,SS,LW), and anotherwas accompanied by 2 on 7/15 (MH,BO,LW) at YC.. A henMallard was noted with 9 ducklings on 6/1 (EB) near CM.

An Osprey was present near Two Lick Reservoir 6/9 (EB),and according to Jim Myslivy, head of maintenance at YC, anOsprey frequented YC periodically through June and July. Anadult Bald Eagle was present at YC 6/24 (MH,BO,SS) and 7/1(MH,DJ,SS,LW), but again the maintenance staff spotted it morefrequently. Sharp-shinned Hawks were territorial on ReservoirHill in IN (PJ), and Cooper’s Hawk was found near SH (MH,RH)through the summer. A Red-shouldered Hawk at YC, lastrecorded 6/10 (MH,GL,BO,SS,LW), was the lone report. Broad-winged Hawks, which were seen carrying nesting material duringthe last period, continued at YC with reports 6/10(MH,GL,BO,SS,LW), 7/1 (MH,DJ,SS,LW), and 7/15 (MH,BO,LW);another pair was consistently present near SH (MH,RH), and 1 wasat BS 6/29 (EG,JG,MH,RH).

A N. Bobwhite was an unexpected find near CM 6/9 (EB,RB)and again 7/15 (EB). Spotted Sandpiper reports were limited to2 at YC 6/3 (MH,LW) and 1 near Two Lick 6/9 (EB). A Wilson'sSnipe was listed near CM 7/17 (EB). American Woodcock wasfound 6/10 (EB) near CM and in Dark Hollow 6/23.(EF,MF,MH,RH). Two Black Terns appeared at YC 6/3 (MH,LW).Both cuckoos were more numerous this summer. Black-billedCuckoo reports included 1 near PW 6/8 (MH,RH) and 1-2individuals at YC 6/10 (MH,GL,BO,SS,LW) and 6/17 (SS).

Yellow-billed Cuckoo was noted at YC 6/17 (MH,BO,SS,LW) and6/24 (MH,BO,SS) and near Hillsdale 7/17 (MM).

Great Horned Owls were noted only at YC 6/28 (JM) andnear SH 7/8 (MH,RH); Barred Owl, only at Nolo 6/14 (DB). Asingle Common Nighthawk in IN 6/9 (CG,MG,MH,RH) was thelone report. The only Whip-poor-wills recorded were 1 nearCreekside 6/9 (MA) and 2 in Dark Hollow 6/23 (EF,MF,MH,RH).CG found two Ruby-throated Hummingbird nests in her yard;one in early June with 2 young, which successfully fledged, wasabout 20 feet high in a red maple. The second nest in mid-July waslocated 25 feet up in another red maple and this nest, too, wasprobably successful.

A Red-headed Woodpecker found 6/1 (LC,RC) nearKenwood was still present the following day (RC). Red-belliedWoodpecker fledged young from a cavity near the YC park office6/24 (MH,BO,SS), and the adults brought young daily to a feedernear SH in mid-July. Fledgling Downy Woodpeckers were found6/24 (MH,BO,SS) at YC, 6/29 (EG,JG,MH,RH) at BS, and 7/2(MH,RH) near SH. Adult Hairy Woodpeckers took advantage ofthe suet feeders near SH where the food-begging calls of theiryoung were readily satisfied through mid-July (MH,RH). Amongmany reports, Pileated Woodpeckers were found near IN 6/1(DJ) and near Hillsdale 7/17 (MM).

The PW BBS 6/8 (MH,RH) yielded 7 Acadian Flycatchers;a singleton was found near CM 6/22 and 7/6 (EB), and 3 were notedat BS 6/29 (EG,JG,MH,RH). For the first time since 1991, AlderFlycatcher could not be found at YC; one continued near HomerCity 6/17, 27 (RH). Two Willow Flycatchers were present at YCthroughout the period (v.o.). No Least Flycatchers were reported.E. Phoebe was still on nest 7/2 (EB) near Strongstown. The PWBBS yielded 3 Great Crested Flycatchers 6/8 (MH,RH); YCreports included 1 on 6/24 (MH,BO,SS) and 2 on 7/1(MH,DJ,SS,LW). Two Eastern Kingbirds were recorded almostdaily near CM 6/5 through 7/27 (EB), and 2 were at YC throughoutthe period (v.o.); BM reports nesting once again in her Center Twp.yard.

Two White-eyed Vireos and 3 Yellow-throated Vireoswere found on the PW BBS 6/8 (MH,RH); another White-eyed wasat YC 6/24 (MH,BO,SS). BS yielded 3 Yellow-throated Vireos6/29 (EG,JG,MH,RH). Blue-headed Vireo was found only at YC6/10 (MH,GL,BO,SS,LW) and 6/17 (MH,BO,SS,LW). A WarblingVireo was still singing at YC 6/10 (MH,GL,BO,SS,LW) and 6/24(MH,BO,SS). Red-eyed Vireo maxima included 36 on the PWBBS, 14 at BS 6/29 (EG,JG,MH,RH), and 17 at YC 7/1(MH,DJ,SS,LW). Young Blue Jays began appearing at feeders 6/1(DJ) near IN and 6/18 (MH,RH) near SH. The American Crownest at YC, found in May, was empty 6/10 (MH,GL,BO,SS,LW), butthe young were very much in evidence; high count was 42 at YC6/24 (MH,BO,SS). The large concentration of crows in one littlearea led us to believe they were feeding on a carcass, butinvestigation revealed they were eating Juneberries. CommonRavens included at Penn Run 1 on 6/3 (GL); at Strongstown, 4 on6/5 and 2 on 7/15 (AB,GL); and 1 at Nolo 7/23 (GL). One HornedLark near PW 6/8 (MH,RH) and 2 near CM 6/21, 30 (EB) were theonly ones reported. Six Purple Martins near CM 6/24 (EB) werenot mentioned thereafter. Two Tree Swallow nests near INfledged 8 young 6/13, 15 (DJ); nests fared pretty well at YC as 45individuals were counted.7/15 (MH,BO,LW). N. Rough-wingedSwallows once again nested under the two bridges at YC; bestcount was 5 on 6/24 (MH,BO,SS). Cliff Swallows included 2 at YC6/3 (MH,LW), 1 near CM 6/9 (EB), and 2 near SH 6/21 (MH,RH).At the end of July EB reported that 19 Barn Swallow nests nearCM had been successful; his high tally was 99 on 7/19.

Black-capped Chickadees still seemed to be down innumbers with YC’s best count of 6 on 6/17 (MH,BO,SS,LW). Atleast 1 Red-breasted Nuthatch continued in our yard near SH


with last report 7/2 (MH,RH), but cat-sitter CG remembers hearingone in late July while we were on vacation . Brown Creeper waslisted only at YC on 6/10 (MH,GL,BO,SS,LW) and 6/17(MH,BO,SS,LW) and near SH on several dates after 6/18 (MH).After the harsh winter, Carolina Wren was found at only 4locations in the county during the period (v.o.). Although they havedisappeared from Nolo (GL,GS), House Wrens nested successfullyat YC, near IN, and near SH (v.o.). Eight Blue-grayGnatcatchers was the high count at BS 6/29 (EG,JG,MH,RH). DJreported 3 recently fledged young E. Bluebirds on 6/1 and anothernest containing 4 eggs on 6/13; 1-2 individuals were present nearCM throughout the period, but no mention of nesting was made.A Wood Thrush built a nest at eye level along the ObservatoryTrail at YC, but this nest was abandoned; however, fledglings werefound in the same area 7/1 (MH,DJ,SS,LW). On 6/8 the PW BBSyielded 29 Gray Catbirds; DJ noted a nest with young on 6/13near IN. SG continues to be “plagued” with N. Mockingbirdswith as many as 8 individuals present near IN during the period;his yard and surrounding fields seems to be the mockingbirdhotspot! Only 5 Brown Thrashers were spotted (v.o.) at 4locations. Cedar Waxwings were nest building at YC 6/10(MH,GL,BO,SS,LW), and 6/17 (MH,BO,SS,LW) the adult appearedto be incubating eggs.

Six Blue-winged Warblers were counted on the PW BBS;3 was the high YC count 6/10 (MH,GL,BO,SS,LW) and 6/17(MH,BO,SS,LW). The Golden-winged Warbler that had beensinging on territory at YC in May was replaced by a Blue-wingedWarbler; no others were reported. N. Parula was recorded onlyat Blairsville 6/8 (MH,RH) and at YC 7/1 (MH,DJ,SS,LW). Firstfledgling Yellow Warblers appeared at YC 6/24 (MH,BO,SS).Chestnut-sided Warbler reports included 3 on 6/8 (MH,RH) onthe PW BBS and 2 on 6/19 (JS) at SGL 273; YC’s best count was 3on 6/24 (MH,BO,SS). The Magnolia Warbler continued onterritory at YC and was seen carrying food 7/15 (MH,SS,LW).Black-throated Green Warbler counts included 3 at YC 6/17(MH,BO,SS,LW), 2 near CM 6/22 (EB), and 6 near Hillsdale 7/17(MM). One to 3 Blackburnian Warblers were found at YCthrough 7/1 (MH,DJ,SS,LW). Pine Warbler continued to singnear SH through 7/7 (MH,RH). YC harbored a singing PrairieWarbler 6/10 (MH,GL,BO,SS,LW), and 6/17 (MH,BO,SS,LW), and1 was still singing near IN 7/31 (SG). Two Blackpoll Warblerslingered at YC 6/3 (MH,LW). Two Black-and-white Warblerswere tallied on the PW BBS 6/8 (MH,RH), and singletons werelisted at SGL 273 6/19 (JS) and near CM 6/22 (EB). BS continuedto be the “hotspot” for American Redstarts with high count of 5territories on 6/29 (EG,JG,MH,RH). Worm-eating Warbler wasnoted only at SGL 273 on 6/19 (JS). The PW BBS 6/8 (MH,RH)yielded 13 Ovenbirds; 9 was a good tally at YC 6/17(MH,BO,SS,LW); 3 were counted near CM 6/9, 19, and 22 (EB).Laurel Run at YC harbored a family group of LouisianaWaterthrushes 6/24 (MH,SS); 1 was still present 7/1(MH,DJ,SS,LW). Kentucky Warbler reports included 2 on thePW BBS 6/8 (MH,RH), 2 at SGL 273 6/19 (JS), 1 at YC 7/1(MH,DJ,SS,LW), and 1 near CM 7/6 (EB). Young CommonYellowthroats were observed 6/29 (EG,JG,MH,RH) at BS and7/15 (MH,BO,LW) at YC. Hooded Warblers included 7 on the PWBBS 6/8 (MH,RH), 3 at SGL 273 6/19 (JS), 2 near CM 6/22 (EB),and 2 at YC throughout the period (v.o.). Single Yellow-breastedChats were listed only near Blairsville 6/8 (MH,RH) and at YC 7/1(MH,DJ,SS,LW).

Scarlet Tanagers numbered 5 at YC 6/10(MH,GL,BO,SS,LW) and 6/17 (MH,BO,SS,LW) and at BS 6/29(EG,JG,MH,RH). Eastern Towhees were well reported with topcount of 11 at YC 6/17 (MH,BO,SS,LW). The Indiana section of theEdgewood Grassland Bird Survey on 6/19 (MH,RH) yielded 10Field Sparrows, 2 Vesper Sparrows, 6 Savannah Sparrows,1 Grasshopper Sparrow, and no Henslow’s Sparrows. Theonly other Vesper was found near PW 6/8 (MH,RH). Other

Savannah reports included 1 near SH 6/6 and 1-3 near CMthroughout the report period. The one near SH lost its habitatwhen the field was plowed and tomatoes planted shortly thereafter.Two Grasshopper Sparrows were noted near McIntyre 6/8(MH,RH), the only other report. No Henslow’s Sparrows werereported during the season. Six Swamp Sparrows, noted only atYC were counted 6/10 (MH,GL,BO,SS,LW).

Unusual was the report of a pair of N. Cardinals that builta nest atop a light fixture on a Nolo porch (GS); GS theorized thatthe porch roof offered sufficient cover during this very wet nestingseason. An adult Rose-breasted Grosbeak was seen carryingfood near IN 6/6 (DJ); other grosbeaks were noted at YCthroughout the season, and 3 were near CM 6/22 (EB). The PWBBS 6/8 (MH,RH) yielded 24 Indigo Buntings; 6 were found nearCM 6/22 (EB); YC’s high of 5 occurred 7/15 (MH,BO,LW). SingleBobolinks were seen only near Dayton 6/9 (MH,RH) and nearWest Lebanon 6/19 (MH,RH). Seven E. Meadowlarks werecounted on the Indiana section of the Edgewood Grassland BirdSurvey on 6/19 (MH,RH). Single Orchard Orioles were found 6/5(BM) in Center Twp., through 6/22 (EB) near CM, and on 6/24(MH,BO,SS) at YC, YC’s lone report; Orchard Orioles normallynest at YC, but no evidence of nesting was found this year. Therewere at least 4 active Baltimore Oriole nests in the mainrecreational area of YC this summer (MH, DJ,LW); as many as 11adults were counted in the park on 6/24 (MH,BO,SS). SevenPurple Finches were tallied near IN 6/1 (DJ); singletons werefound near Dayton 6/9 (MH,RH) and near SH through 7/7(MH,RH); 1-2 remained at YC through the end of the season (v.o.).House Finches were feeding young near a SH feeder 6/18 (MH).

Observers: Roger and Margaret Higbee, 3119 CreeksideRoad, Indiana, 15701-7934,

(724) 354-3493, [email protected], Morris Anderson, AliceBeatty, Dave Beatty, Eli Beiler, Rachel Beiler, Lee Carnahan,Roger Carnahan, Steve Graff, Ed Griffith, Joyce Griffith, CarolGuba, Michael Guba, Margaret Higbee, Roger Higbee, Dory Jacobs,Pat Johner, Gloria Lamer, Beth Marshall, Mark McConaughy, JimMyslivy, Brian Okey, John Salvetti, Scott Speedy, Linda Wagner.

Jefferson County

No Report

No Compiler

Juniata County

No Report

Compiler: Toby Petersheim, RR2, Box 539, Mifflintown, 17059

Lackawanna County

Locations: Newton Twp. (NT), Scranton (SCR)

The following birds were observed the whole period: GreatBlue Heron, Turkey Vulture, Fish Crow at SCR. In addition,1 immature Bald Eagle was seen flying over near Lance Pond w.of Clark Summit on 6/22, and a Cooper’s Hawk was seen in NTon 6/13. A N. Bobwhite of uncertain origin was seen in NT 6/13.C. Nighthawk - single birds seen / heard several times at SCR and2 Warbling Vireos were at NT, 6/13 An. Orchard Oriole - 1, NT,6/13

On 6/13, one birder in NT tried unsuccessfully to find aHenslow’s Sparrow which Rick Koval recorded a few days earlieron a grasslands survey. This is the only Henslow’s Sparrowwhich I know of in N.E. PA in 2003


No Compiler.

Observers: Rick Koval, Bill Reid

Lancaster County

Locations: Susquehanna River, Conejohela Flats (CFSR),Middlecreek WMA (MC).

The summer season was unusually cool and wet throughmost of June. The remainder of the summer was a bit warmer, buttemperatures were still below normal for the most part. A solitaryRed-necked Grebe carryover from the spring invasion remainedat 'the rocks' on the Susquehanna River until at least June 2 (JH).One out of place Horned Grebe also put in an appearance atCFSR on 7/24 (EW). Egrets were present all summer at CFSR andthe numbers began to build as the summer went on. By 7/31 asmany as 18 Great Egrets, 3 Snowy Egrets and 2 Little BlueHerons were present and those numbers would rise even more inAugust (JB, DH, JH, BS, EW). Cattle Egrets are rare sights in thecounty recently so two birds seen in a field along the west side ofBecker Road in Warwick Township 6/23 (EW) were noteworthy.

This was another successful year for the Black-crownedNight Heron rookery near Oregon. At least 45 chicks were presentamong the nests based on a June 26 count (JBo). However, noYellow-crowned Night Herons were reported anywhere in thecounty this year. This has become an increasingly rare visitor inthe county the last several years and there are no nesting recordsthat I am aware of for the last several years either.

Several Snow Geese spent the summer at MC (m.ob.) Thesebirds most likely represented the 'wounded' from the huntingseason as many of them appeared injured. A solitary Mute Swanalso spent the summer at CFSR (BS,et al). Mute Swans have beenmore regular visitors on the river and at MC the past several yearsalthough at times the origin of these birds is a bit uncertain.Several other straggling species of waterfowl where noted in thecounty during the summer. One female Common Goldeneyemight possibly have been a carryover from last season's report. Itwas sighted at CFSR on 7/26 and then in early August (JH). A maleRuddy Duck was observed in a small pond near the hole #2 teearea of Groff Farms Gold Course in Mount Joy on 7/3 (GB). FourRuddy Ducks were also observed at MC on 7/24 (JBo).Mississippi Kites have been reported in the county in spring onseveral rare occasions. This summer one was seen on the eveningof 7/13 on the Susquehanna River near Marietta (KL). The bird wasobserved for about ten minutes during which time it slowly huntedand chased insects and worked its way upriver. This year therewere multiple successful Osprey and Bald Eagle nests. Thelargest concentrations of these birds is at the Holtwood Dam whereone eagle nest and two Osprey nests are visible. On 6/11 eachOsprey nest had two chicks and the Bald Eagle nest held 3eaglets. The first eagle fledged on 6/23 and as of 7/18 all the eagletshad fledged and were alive and well (JS).

As expected, shorebirds were the cause of much of the birdactivity this summer. The spring migration carried over pretty latethis year as evidenced by the presence of the Red-neckedPhalarope at MC until at least June 4. Least Sandpipers wereseen at MC and CFSR for another week or so and then reappearedin early July. The activity began to pick up at CFSR whenSemipalmated Plover and 8 Semipalmated Sandpiper wereseen in addition to 30 Least Sandpiper (TJ). Solitary Sandpiperwas at MC on 7/24 (JBo) and by the 27th the variety was beginningto pick up. That day eleven species of shorebirds were recorded onthe flats including 2 American Avocet, Sanderling, PectoralSandpipers and Short-billed Dowitcher (EW). On 7/31 14species were sighted at CFSR including 17 Semipalmated Plover,2 Greater Yellowlegs, 5 Lesser Yellowlegs, 1 Willet, 1 RuddyTurnstone, 1 Sanderling, 23 Semipalmated Sandpiper, 2

Western Sandpiper, 127 Least Sandpiper, 3 PectoralSandpiper, and 2 Short-billed Dowitcher (DH). Terns remainedfairly scarce although several Caspian Terns did begin to put inan appearance at CFSR toward the end of July.

This summer Red-headed Woodpeckers were seen atseveral locales. A pair was found near the intersection of East Ebyand Farmland Roads near New Holland and were observed at leastthrough June 15 (DB, JB). Unfortunately these birds experiencedan ongoing struggle with starlings. It is uncertain how much of aroll these introduced birds have played in the population decline ofRed-headed Woodpecker in the county. Surely they have playeda part although the decline in suitable habitat is also undoubtedlya factor. Red-headed Woodpeckers were also observedthroughout the summer on private property near Paradise (JH) aswell as near Manheim (TH) and near Quarryville (BG). Most of thesongbirds seen this summer were regular breeders, but a report ofHooded Warblers breeding in State Game Lands 156 isnoteworthy (TH).

Observers: Jonathan Heller, 716 Bentley Ridge Blvd,Lancaster, 17602, (717) 940-6067 [email protected], JerryBook, Gerry Boltz, Devin Bosler, Justin Bosler, Bruce Carl, JeffFisher, Ron Ferry, Tom Garner, Barry Grimecy, Deuane Hoffman,Tom Hopson, Tom Johnson, Jeff Karnicky, Keith Leidich, RandyMiller, Bob Schutsky, Jim Smith, Glenn Stauffer, Eric Witmer.

Lawrence County

No Report

Compiler: Randy Stringer, 409 Shady Drive, Grove City,16127, [email protected]

Lebanon County

No Report

Compiler: Randy Miller, 607 Woodland Dr., Manheim 17545(717) 664-3778

Lehigh County

Location: Leaser Lake (LL)

There was quite of bit of rain during June and July in Lehigh.It made for better mosquito watching than bird watching. Myfavorite activity is sitting in my backyard watching birds but themosquitoes always chased me inside. A Common Loon (JO) wason LL on 6/5. The Loon (JL) was still seen on 6/8. An Osprey (JO)was also seen at LL on 6/5. A Glossy Ibis (JO) was seen on a farmpond in Lynn Township along Bausch Rd. on 6/16. A Yellow-billedCuckoo (JL) was heard on game lands 205 near Game PreserveRd. on 7/6. A Red-headed Woodpecker (JO) was seen hangingaround bird feeders near New Tripoli on 6/10. It was also seen acouple of times after that date.

A singing White-eyed Vireo (JL) gave some nice views ongame lands 205 near the shooting range on 7/20. Also on gamelands 205, a Nashville Warbler (JL) was seen on 6/30. At least 3Cerulean Warblers (JL) were seen and heard on Blue Mountainabove LL on 6/8. Worm-eating Warblers (JL) and HoodedWarblers (JL) were also heard in this area on 6/8. An unusualsummer sighting for Lehigh was a Dark-eyed Junco (RH) seen on6/8 at Lehigh Gap. An Orchard Oriole (JO) was seen near thewest parking lot at LL on 6/5. This is a reliable spot to seeOrchard Orioles and it can be seen here in most years. Finally,Bernie and Pauline Morris reported that they had a Rose-breasted Grosbeak visiting their feeders for the summer. Theyalso observed Cooper's Hawks raising a brood in a park near Macungie.


Observers: Jon Levin, 1899 Aster Rd, Lehigh, 18062, (610) 366-9996, [email protected], Jane Ostroski, Robert Hoopes.

Luzerne County

No Report

Compiler: Rick Koval, 305 William St., Plains 18705, (570) 829-4381, [email protected]

Lycoming County

No Report

Note: New compiler beginning with the Fall Migrationseason: Steve Pinkerton, 1852 Log-Run Road, Williamsport,PA 17701, (570) 494-1308, [email protected]

McKean County

No Report

Compiler: John Fedak, 26 Race St., Bradford 16701, (814) 275-4086, [email protected]

Mercer County

The wettest July on record surely took a heavy toll on groundnesters, but the effect is difficult to assess. Continued high waterlevels at Shenango River Res. made shorebird observationsimpossible July through mid August.

A post script to the displaced Osprey pair story related inthe previous issue: The birds did indeed manage to construct a nestatop the slippery, round water storage tank near the HeadquartersBldg. on Lake Rd. at SRR. (They must have had access toChimney Swift saliva to help the nest adhere there). They evenpossibly fledged one young.

An almost albino (dark eyes were noted) Mourning Dovewas watched underneath a feeder 7/16 at SRR. Three Red-headedWoodpecker were a welcomed sight 6/11 on the Trout Island Rd.hiking trail. They were probable breeders in a stand of dead treesin a very wet area. A House Wren, nesting at SRR, frequentlygave a distinctive "chirp" at the end of his familiar song. To thebaffled observer, this weird chirp sounded like a Baltimore Oriolecall note, until finally deciphered.

The possible breeding of Cerulean Warbler at Sandy Lakeis noteworthy (NT). Four Henslow's and 5 Savannah Sparrowand 3 E.Meadowlark were found at Spring Rd. 6/27 by MF butsadly, Vesper Sparrow, formerly present, were absent. TwoDark-eyed Junco at SGL (NT) indicate possible breeding.

Observers: Marty Mckay, 841 East Lake Dr, Transfer, 16154,Suzanne Butcher, Mike Fialkovich, Allen Troyer, Daniel Troyer,Jr., Eli Troyer, Harvey Troyer, Jerry Troyer, Melvin Troyer, NeilTroyer.

Mifflin County

Margaret Kenepp had another nest of Carolina Wrens againthis year. They have been raising young in her flower pot for quitea few years already. Our neighbor had a couple nests of CliffSwallows in his barn again this year. I don’t see very many in BigValley. (J. Swarey)

The Louisiana Waterthrushes were nesting in my area

again this summer. They come right into my backyard and walk upthe ramp, up onto my porch, bobbing their tails up and down. (M.Kenepp)

We heard a Whip-poor-will calling once or twice thissummer. They seem to be declining, as we don’t hear near as manyas we did years ago. I found something this summer that I waspretty excited about. We have some sour cherry trees in ourbackyard and one day I saw a Red-headed Woodpecker carry offa cherry. The next day I saw two adults in the cherry tree. I sawthat they flew out into our neighbor’s pasture where there are somebig dead trees. After lunch I went out to see if I can find a nest.After being out for about a half hour I saw them go into a hole withfood, and then I saw the young too. We don’t have many Red-headeds here in Mifflin County, but I think they’re coming backslowly as we’re starting to see more and more. They’re such abeautiful bird. (J. Swarey).

Observers:Jesse Swarey, 59 Cortland Apple Ln., Belleville17004, (717) 935-9910, Margaret Kenepp.

Monroe County

Locations: Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area(DWGNRA), Monroe County Environmental Education Center(MCEEC).

The summer was a wet one with above average rainfall andthe wettest June on record for the Pocono region. 120 spp werereported for the season. A special thank you goes out to EdieParnum and Pocono Avian Research Center's (PARC) Darryl andJackie Speicher for their efforts and reports.

The Brodhead Creek Bald Eagle nest was successful for a2nd consecutive year, fledging one young in late July (DS). ANorthern Harrier, a state "Candidate-At Risk" species, wasreported 7/5 from Long Pond, a known breeding location (EP). TheMt. Minsi Peregrine Falcon pair, on the Monroe-NorthamptonCounty line in the Delaware Water Gap, were observed at leastinto July, with no evidence of nesting (JK). Red-headedWoodpeckers continued in the swamp at DWGNRA'sheadquarters near Bushkill with 4 adults seen 6/14 (BH). Yellow-bellied Sapsucker and Alder Flycatcher were reported in Junefrom Spruce Lake and Two Mile Run, respectively (DS). CommonRaven was noted at Two Mile Run near Blakeslee on differentoccasions in July (EP, DS).

Golden-winged Warbler was notably absent from theTannersville Bog this summer (BH, DS). Nashville Warbler wassinging in the Tannersville Bog in June (BH) and reported at TwoMile Run in June and July (EP, DS). Magnolia Warbler wasreported at Skytop and Two Mile Run in June and July (EP, DS).After what seemed like heavy movements of Black-throated BlueWarblers this spring, none were reported during the breedingseason. Yellow-rumped “myrtle” Warbler was also found atSkytop and Two Mile Run during June and July (EP, DS). AWorm-eating Warbler was banded 6/6 at MCEEC and heardsinging at this location 6/20 (DS). This is MCEEC's first breedingseason record for this species. Northern Waterthrush wasrecorded in the Tannersville Bog 6/24 (BH).

The Nature Conservancy's Bud Cook forwarded a veryinteresting report of an immature Mourning Warbler seen inearly July by Ben Jesup near Grass Lake in the Long Pond area.Street and Wiltraut in "Birds of the Pocono Mountains -1986-1996"list the Mourning Warbler as a former breeder in the Poconos inthe early 1900's. Canada Warbler was singing in the TannersvilleBog through June and July (BH, DS). Breeding White-throatedSparrow and Dark-eyed Junco were recorded by DS at Two MileRun and Bobolinks were observed at Long Pond in June and July(EP, DS).


PARC completed its 2nd annual breeding bird surveys at 8Greater Cherry Valley sites under the auspices of The NatureConservancy. 88 spp were recorded including Cerulean Warbler,listed as a "Species of National Concern" by the U.S. Fish andWildlife Service. Ceruleans were found in ridge-top deciduousforest habitat. PARC also continued operation of banding stationsat 4 Pocono locations this summer- MCEEC (in its 4th season),Skytop ( 4th season), Two Mile Run (3rd season), and Spruce Lake(3rd season). This effort is part of the MAPS (Monitoring AvianPopulations and Survivorship) Project, a continent-wide bandingstudy coordinated by the Institute for Bird Populations.

Observers: Brian Hardiman, MCEEC, 8050 Running ValleyRd, Stroudsburg, PA 18360, (570) 629-3061,[email protected], Bud Cook, Brian Hardiman, Ben Jesup,Jacki Katzmire, Edie Parnum, Darryl and Jackie Speicher.

Montgomery County

Locations: GLR- Green Lane Reservoir (GLR), Lower PerkiomenValley Park (LPVP), Unami Creek Valley (UCV).

The breeding season was probably about average inMontgomery. Temperatures continued below average, andprecipitation was well above average during the period. As is oftenthe case, we had a few exceptional dates for birds we consider"migrants."

A Common Loon at Walt Rd, GLR 614 was unexpected onthat date (SG). Even more of a surprise was a Horned Grebe infull alternate plumage there 6/10 (GF). This represents the firstsummer record for the species in our region. Double-crestedCormorant were at GLR until at least 6/22, and possibly throughthe end of the period (mobs). Will this be our next confirmedbreeding species in Montgomery?

A Great Egret at Church Road GLR 615 was anotherunexpected visitor (KC). It was preceded by a Snowy Egret on thePerkiomen Creek at Lower Perkiomen Valley, Park 614 (JM). Anadult Black-crowned Night Heron was at Walt Road, GLR 7/18(GF). Sadly, this bird remains a difficult find in our county.

Out of season waterfowl at GLR included a male LesserScaup at Walt Road 6/27 and a male Common Merganser 6/11(GF). At LPVP 5 female Common Merganser lingered throughthe period (JM).

Bald Eagle was sporadic at GLR throughout the season, butthe presence and behavior of some Osprey led to some speculationamong local birders. A 6/19 observation by GF reads as follows: "Osprey are not expected at GLR late June through August.Osprey # 1 approached from the south over Knight Rd bridgeheading toward Rte 663. It wheeled and dropped into the water,catching a fish. (It then) flew off to the south from whence it came,no circling, no looking for a place to chow down, over Knight Rdbridge, and out of sight. Osprey # 2 quickly appeared from theright (north) following the path of # lover the bridge and out ofsight. ...Could we have a pair surreptitiously nesting on theReservoir somewhere south of the Knight Rd bridges? By the way,Osprey #3 was enjoying supper on a snag on the sewer plantpeninsula the entire time." (GF) Compiler 's note: The ruggedterrain and expansive forest in this area, coupled with the lack ofaccess from land or water make this a very real possibility. Severalother seasoned GLR observers noted similar behavior and flightpaths used by Osprey this summer as described by Franchoisabove.)

Broad-winged Hawks returned to two former breedinghaunts in the UCV after an apparent absence in 2002. Althoughthe birds were seen and heard well into July, breeding was notconfirmed this year (KC).

Given the prodigious quantity of rainfall this summer, it islittle surprise that 2003 will not be remembered as the "year of theshorebird" at GLR. To illustrate this with numbers, GLR's averagerainfall from May through July is 13.36." This year's total for thesame 3 months was a hefty 20.24"! A Black Tern was at Walt Rd.,GLR 6/1-2 (GF, mobs). Another intriguing report was that of amedium-sized Sterna tern with uniform gray wings from above anda short red bill. Although the bird may have been an Arctic Tern,it did not allow sufficient looks for definitive ID or documentation(GAP). Another medium-sized white tern was overhead near GulphMills 6/7, but the description lacked sufficient detail to concludeanything further (mobs).

Yellow-billed Cuckoo were present throughout the seasonat both Walt Road and the Green Lane Nature Center, althoughbreeding was not confinned (GF, KC). An apparent AlderFlycatcher was singing at Walt Road, GLR 6/27 through 7/6.Unlike some other Empids in recent years, this bird uttered onlythe Alder Flycatcher call (GF). Our first fall migrant BankSwallows were noted 7/18 when 8 birds flew over Walt Road. (GF).

Brown Thrasher is still a difficult bird to find in westernMontgomery, so a report of an adult with a fledged youngster onHock Rd, GLR was a welcome one (GF). A Dark-eyed Junco inUpper Gwynedd Township 6/16 was certainly unexpected at thattime (A J M). In an area where productive grassland is hard to find,a singing Grasshopper Sparrow in Lower Salford Township on7/27 was another good find (CR). On a related note, Bobolink werepresent, albeit in modest numbers near GLR throughout theperiod. Orchard Orioles were found in their usual hauntsincluding LPVP, UPVP, and GLR (mobs).

Observers: Kevin F. Crilley, PO Box 100, Summeytown, 18084,(215) 234-6867, [email protected]. George Franchois, JoeGreco, Steve Grunwald, Jason Miller, Augie and Judy Mirabella,Cameron Rutt.

Montour County

No Report

Compiler: Jon Beam, Montour Preserve, 500 Preserve Rd.,Danville 17821, (570) 437-3131, [email protected]

Northampton County

A Pied-billed Grebe in breeding plumage was at theMartins Creek Fly Ash Basin from 7/22 thru the period. Therewere many reports of Great Egrets in June and July. Animmature Snowy Egret, rare in the county, was at Green Pond7/22-24 (AM, mobs). A female Lesser Scaup that showed up inMay was present at the Martins Creek Fly Ash Basin thru theperiod. There were at least 6 active Osprey nests near theDelaware River (MS). The Osprey pair nesting along MarshfieldDrive built a nest on top of the old nest. The Red-shoulderedHawk reported in the Spring Report at the Minsi Lake area wasstill present on 7/22 (MS). At least one of the Peregrine Falconsat the Delaware Water Gap was still being seen regularly into July.

The first southbound shorebirds began showing up at the endof the second week in July. Lesser Yellowlegs and SolitarySandpipers were at Green Pond on 7/12 (AM). On the same day,Least Sandpipers were at a pond by Easton High School (DD).Pectoral Sandpipers showed up on 7/14 at the Easton HighSchool pond (BW).

A rare summer resident for the county was an adult Red-headed Woodpecker, being seen along W. Dannersville Roadnear Bath 7/6 to 8/3 (MS, BW). On 7/27, a Yellow-throatedWarbler was singing at the Bethlehem Boat Club. There were agood number of reports of Grasshopper Sparrows during the


period. They were reported at Delps Rd., Lily Hill Rd. (BW),Easton (RW), and Jacobsburg State Park (MS).

Observers: Michael Schall, 1149 Mickley Ave., Whitehall18052, 610-435-2781, [email protected], Dave DeReamus(DD), Adam Miller (AM), Bill Weber (BW), Rick Wiltraut (RW).

Northumberland County

No Report

No Compiler

Perry County

No Report

Compiler: Deuane Hoffman, 3406 Montour St., Harrisburg17111, (717) 564-7475, [email protected]

Philadelphia County

Locations: Army Corps Property (ACP), Delaware River (DR), JohnHeinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum-Philadelphia portion(TI), Wissahickon Creek (WC).

Non-breeding Laughing Gulls were still present along theDR at the end of July. This year they could become year roundresidents? Am. Black Duck has not nested at TI in several yearsor more. Ask Mike McMenamen, although many birders assumethey must nest there. The second most likely spot might be theACP adjacent to the Girard Point Bridge. Although there wasplenty of wet ground, extensive earth moving activity by theengineers throughout the warm months made that extremelyunlikely. The disturbance combined with heightened securitymeasures prevented the assessment of the usual 25 BankSwallow nests. Farther north on the DR two Osprey pair nestedagain. At least one young bird was seen in each nest in June, butthe outcome is not known. The Pennypack Creek nest can nolonger be viewed from the fire academy due to increased securitymeasures. The Parkway and 17th was an unusual place for a Am.Kestrel to be catching a small bird 7/27 (CM). We have George’spersonal assurance that the following report was in no wayconnected to Belgian Ale, “...the evening of 6/6 at about 11:40 p.m.I was in my backyard in South Philly at 13th & Federal and hearda King Rail flying over "kik..kik...kik ing away” (GA).

This year Least Bittern nests were harder to find at TIbecause of the extremely high water that topped even JM’s veryhigh waders. Green Heron nests were. The most reliable placeto see a bittern family was at the “first horseshoe” along the dikeat TI. Common Moorhen now number only one or two pair at TI.KS found another pair in the lagoons outside Ft. Mifflin and otherscould be breeding around the sludge ponds at the water companyrecycling facility, but security concerns prevented exploration (Isthere a pattern here which must be addressed before the new Atlascommences?). Mute Swan bred in those ponds and Great Egretwere present continually.

Shorebird reports from TI included modest numbers ofSemipalmated and Least Sandpipers that could be seen throughthe spadderdock that obscures the mud flats along the DarbyCreek. Both Common and Forster’s Terns were observed overthe DR and at TI on 7/11 (DB, GG).

Common Nighthawk is scarcer in the city now that newroofing materials are used on flat roofs. They were seen along I-95in the first week of June and over the Wistar Institute at U. Pennon 7/24. On 6/6 a Yellow-bellied Flycatcher sang along the WCnear Germantown and a Least Flycatcher was there 5/31 and at

TI 6/6 (JM). A Carolina Wren was singing away in Fitler Squareon 7/24 (CM). More and more birders remark about the apparentdecline of the Am. Crow. Carolina Chickadee is now beingmentioned in the same breath as being less numerous and birdersare wondering if the Chickadee and what other species might fallvictim to West Nile Virus.

Only some Blackpoll and Magnolia Warblers werereported on 6/2 and 6/3 respectively by KS. I did not get anyreports about the Yellow-throated Warbler that had beennesting along the WC. The Yellow-breasted Chat, which was theonly Chat I knew of nesting in Philly, was not seen or heard in thequarter by any of the faithful bird walk leaders.

Reports from nest box trails for E. Bluebirds and TreeSwallows indicate they commenced nesting about two weeks laterthan usual and clutch size was smaller. At Spring Lane on 6/2 E.Meadowlarks were seen.

Contributors: Doris McGovern, 209 Dogwood Rd., Media PA1 9 0 6 3 - 1 6 0 3 . ( 6 1 0 ) 5 6 5 - 8 4 8 [email protected], George Armistead,Denis Brennan, Gregg Gorton, Chuck Hetzel, Hank Hox, SteveLawrence, Jim McKinney, John Miller, Edie Parnum, Bill Reaume,Keith Russell, Matt Sharp, Alice Sevareid, Kate Somerville, Rickand Sharon West.

Pike County

No Report

Note: New compiler beginning with the Fall Migrationseason. Mike Brubaker

Assistant Director PEEC, RR 2 Box 1010, Dingman’s Ferry,18328

Potter County

No Report

Compiler: David Hauber, RR 2 Box 153, Coudersport 16915,(814) 274-8946, [email protected]

Schuylkill County

The breeding season in Schuylkill did produce a few Whip-poor-will records including 3 at SGL-110 near Port Clinton on 7/2.White-eyed Vireo appears to be a species on a slight increase,although it is still rather uncommonly found during the breedingseason. Blue-headed Vireo seems to be down some as a breederover the past couple of years. One Yellow-throated Vireoterritory was active for most of the summer at SGL-132 nearHegins. Barring this single territory and sometimes one or 2 at theLandingville Dam, this species is very difficult to find on aterritory. This vireo is an extremely rare breeder, at best, in thecounty. Next to Red-eyed, Blue-headed are our next commonsummer resident vireo. Warbling Vireo is not even found as asummer resident on an annual basis.

A species which has increased in spring sightings over thepast few years is the Alder Flycatcher. At least a few of thesebirds appear to attempt to set up territories and can be observeduntil the end of June. This year, one bird remained until 7/ 8 at theSwatara State Park, near Suedberg. However, there has been noevidence of any nesting attempts with this species.

Brown Creeper also has been observed less during thebreeding season in recent years, although it is reliable at areaswith tree species such as Norway spruce, Scotch pine, and red pine.Red-breasted Nuthatch and Golden-crowned Kinglets also


make use of the same areas, with the kinglets being in greaternumbers of the two species.

Hermit Thrush can be found during the breeding season athigh elevations, but is rather scarce. Brown Thrashers werefound to be breeding in the Hidden Valley area (AML). We maycurrently have just a few Golden-winged Warbler territories, butno breeding activity has been confirmed in a couple of years. Evenwith just a few possible territories in recent times, this species hasnoticeably decreased. Blackburnian Warblers continue to makeuse of larger Norway spruce stands. Finding a territorialBlackburnian in an area without Norway spruce would be a veryrare occurrence here. A Cerulean Warbler was residing at SGL-132 near Hegins until June 5(MW). After this date, we had noobservations of this species in the county.

Our nicest surprise bird of the summer were three PurpleFinches that came to a feeder in the South Tamaqua area (BB).They did use this area for most of July, but there was no evidenceof any nesting.

Observers: Dave Kruel, 540 Pine St., Pottsville, 17801, (570)622-3704,

[email protected], B. Birosik, AM Liebner, M Ward.

Note: New compiler beginning with the Fall Migrationseason Tom Clauser, 213 Deerfield Dr.Pottsville, 17901, 570-622-1363, [email protected]

Snyder County

No Report

No Compiler

Somerset County

Locations: Payne Property (PP), Somerset Lake (SL), QuemahoningReservoir (QR)

The wet spring continued into the third week of June whenmore seasonable weather finally settled in. Rainfall continued to besufficient through July which broke the drought cycle of recentyears. The cool, late, wet spring resulted in many migrants beingseen late. Three Common Loons at QR 6/3 decreased to one inbasic plumage by 6/14 (JP ,LP). A Horned Grebe at SL wasunexpected on the late date of 6/1. Double-crested Cormorantswere down to 3 at SL on before disappearing. A late maleNorthern Shoveler (6/1) stopped at a farm pond near Berlin. ARuddy Duck 6/3 at SL was not totally unexpected, but a femaleRuddy first detected 7/20 and present through the season waseither early or summering. A Red- breasted Merganser was atQR on 6/3. Possible breeding Common Mergansers on theYoughiegheny River below Confluence were not pinpointed andmay have bt in either Somerset or Fayette County (fide AM).

Ospreys nesting at both Somerset and Cranberry Lakesfledged young but a previous nest at SGL 111 showed no sign of useand possible disturbance by ATVS (AM) Intriguing was a BaldEagle in juvenile plumage at High Point Lake on 6/10 (JP , LP).How far was this bird from its nest? A female Northern Harrier7/3 on an old strip mine near Addison was a possible breeder (AM).An adult Sharp-shinned Hawk seen throughout the season at PPand occasionally carrying prey was a probable nester. Red-shouldered Hawk pairs were seen soaring in at least 3 locations.Wild Turkey broods seemed small with only 3 to 4 poults, thispossibly due to the wet spring.

Late migrant shorebirds included 2 Dunlin and 2Semipalmated Sandpipers at SL on 6/1. Four Common Ternsbriefly fished across QR on 6/3, while on the same date a lateCaspian Tern was sitting on the fishing pier at SL (JP , LP). Four

Common Nighthawks were seen over SL on 6/1 and two on 6/4.This species has not been found breeding in uptown Somerset inthe past few years. A good count of seven singing Whip-poor-willsSouth of Berlin on Allegheny Mountain was made on the eveningof 6/11 (JP , LP).

An immature Red-headed Woodpecker was seen North ofBerlin on 7/9 (JP). On a sad note a pair being watched nearRockwood had their nest tree cut down just before the youngfledged. This happened even though the landowner was told of thebird's presence and their general plight (AM).

Willow Flycatchers were common in the Stoneycreekheadwater's shrub-scrub swamps. Several Yellow-throated andWarbling Vireos were found near Confluence 6/10, as was theonly White-eyed Vireo reported (JP , LP). All six swallow specieswere found in a migrant flock 6/3 at QR, but no nesting PurpleMartins were reported for the County. A cluster of 47 BankSwallow burrows in a pile of quarry material South of HighpointLake may be a relocation of the former colony at Highpoint (AM).Carolina Wrens survived the winter and were found along theCasselman and Yough. Rivers.

Yellow-throated Warblers possibly deserted their usualnesting haunts at Confluence after an outbreak of anthracosisdefoliated the sycamores in late May. Encouraging were the goodnumbers of Cerulean and Golden-winged Warblers found inseveral spots. Two male Prairie Warblers were at Hidden AcresFarm in June (ill). Yellow-breasted Chat were detected near FortHill 6/10. Open country sparrows were all present in their usualhaunts. Unusual was a singing Dark-eyed Junco at a rather lowelevation along the Allegheny Highlands Bike Trail near Rockwoodon 7/13.

Orchard Orioles were found in three spots near Confluence6/10 but not reported elsewhere. Purple Finches had a goodnesting season at PP but no Pine Siskins present this season. Asalways, more observers are welcome.

Observers: Jeff Payne 9755 Glades Pike, Berlin PA 15530,Scott Bastian, Sally and Tom Dick, Ross Gallardy, Anthony Marich,Lauretta Payne.

Sullivan County

No Report

No Compiler

Susquehanna County

Birds observed June July 2003 - Bill Reid

I observed 75 species in Susquehanna County through thesummer months of nesting. Most of these were observed on theRush Breeding Bird Survey which I ran on June 17th with JerrySkinner as my assistant.

The most interesting bird was a Mourning Warbler foundnear Birchardville on the BBS route on 6/17. This is my 22nd yearrunning the route, and I’ve never recorded a Mourning Warbleron the route before.

As in 2002, the total of Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers heardwas as much as the total of all other woodpeckers combined.

The Rush BBS route always produces a good number ofwarblers. Twelve species found this year was about average for theroute. In addition to the Mourning warbler a Yellow-breastedChat was also found, and a 13th species was found after the routewas completed.

Observers: Bill Reid, Jimmy Skinner


Note: New compiler beginning with the Fall Migrationseason: Robert W. Blye, Jr., Hidden River Farm, 300Sanatoga Road, Pottstown, PA 19465, 610 327-2502,[email protected]

Tioga County

No Report

Compiler: Jeff Holbrook 2631 King Circle, East Corning, NY,14830, (607) 936-5059, [email protected]

Union County

No Report

No Compiler

Venango County

Locations: Allegheny River (AR), Buttermilk Hill NatureSanctuary (BHNS), Kahle Lake (KL)

All-in-all it was a pretty uneventful period from a birdingperspective; not so weatherwise. It rained, and rained, and rainedsome more; then, for good measure, it stormed. Micro/macroburstshit the county on July 21 wreaking havoc. Acres of trees wereflattened, property damage in Oil City and other areas wasextensive, but fortunately no serious injuries were reported. TheAR and many area streams flowed full the entire summer. By theend of July there still were no mud flats in the county -- not that wehave any to brag about during drier years, but this year there arenone.

The breeding season highlights were not the breeding birdsbut the nonbreeders that either remained or made appearancesduring the period. An immature Common Loon summered on KLand one Double-crested Cormorant was present most of July.NB first located a mature, unbanded Trumpeter Swan at a largegravel pit near Cooperstown on 7/ 27 (NB, JS, KG, RS, GE).According to locals, it had been there for several days and flewbetween two gravel pits. It apparently did not remain as it was notseen on later visits to the pit. A single American Coot was seenperiodically at KL in both June and July.

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker again nested at BHNS. Anotheryear passed without recording a successful Purple Martin colony.An adult male American Goldfinch lacking any yellow colorationwas a frequent feeder bird in Seneca (MK).

Observers: Gary Edwards, 224 Meadow Road, Apt. 9, Seneca,16346 (814) 676-3011, [email protected], Ed Atts, NancyBaker, Dave Edwards, Joyce Fleming, Kathie Goodblood, MegKolodick, Jerry Stanley, Russ States, Tom Wescott.

Warren County

No Report

Compiler: Ted Grisez, 10 Belmont Dr., Warren 16365, (814)723-9464

Washington County

No Report

No Compiler

Wayne County

No Report

No Compiler

Westmoreland County

No Report

Compiler: Robert C. Leberman, Powdermill Nature Reserve,HC64 Box 453, Rector, 15677, (724) 593-7521

Wyoming County

The most intriguing record from Wyoming county during thisperiod was a Red Crossbill which I (Bill Reid) found alongThurston Hollow Road in Eaton Twp on 6/5. The bird was feedinghigh in Hemlocks along the road and was constantly giving theRed Crossbill “jit-jit” or “jit-jit-jit” call. It was there for at least10 - 15 minutes. The bird could not be located again, though I andothers looked for it a number of times in the days following. Thebird is listed as “possible” in the “code” because it could easily benesting anywhere in any direction within 1/4 mile or more fromwhere I found it.

Another interesting record was a Black Vulture which RickKoval found near Mehoupany 7/23. A Black-crowned NightHeron which I saw at a small pond on Keelersburg Rd (EatonTwp.) 7/15.

My daughter-in-law, Katy Reid, two granddaughters, AmeliaReid age 10 and Miriam Reid (and I also!) had a great thrill on 7/23when Katy spotted an adult Bald Eagle which landed in a tree inmy yard along the Susquehanna River on So. Eaton. Unfortunately,my son, Tom, who has always wanted to see one, missed the bird.

Sixteen Common Mergansers, 14 young and 2 adults, werefound in the river at So. Eaton on 7/14. The amazing thing was thatone of the adults was in the mate plumage, quite a rarity insummer! The river levels were high, so we did not have any earlyfall records of shorebirds there.

Several observers noted that number of flycatchers andswallows were down this year. Are there fewer insects in the areabecause of the hard winter 2002-2003? Veery numbers and WoodThrush numbers were also down this year. This is a disturbingtrend which has been going on for several years.

The Blackburnian Warbler in my yard as So. Eatoncontinued singing each day until 7/26. Ovenbird was last heardsinging (if that’s what you call it) on 7/29 and Black-throatedGreen Warbler until 7/31. A couple of Yellow Warblers wereheard into August and Common Yellowthroats even longer. On6/25 a Yellow-breasted Chat was calling across the river from myplace in So. Eaton. I could hear it from my home, probably 150yards away!

Once again, no Henslow’s Sparrows were reported in thecounty.

Observers: Bill Reid, 73 W. Ross St., Wilkes-Barre 18701 (570)836-2734, Joe DeMarco, Sady Goodwin, Doug Gross, Jim Hoyson,Edwin Johnson, Rick Koval.

York County

Locations: Codorus State Park (CSP), Lake Redman (LRED), LakeWilliams (LWMS), Long Arm Reservoir (LAR)

There were 101 species reported during the June/July 2003summer season, including 14 species of warblers.

A few Common Loons lingered in the county, with 1 at


LRED on 6/1 (AS), 3 at CSP on 7/22 (KL), and 1 at LAR on 7/24(AMS). At LRED there were 4 Great Egrets on 6/2 and 10 on 6/10(AS). As usual, Black-crowned Night-Herons nested at thecolony in the city of York, and 9 were seen at LWMS on 6/5 (JLD),as well as 5 at LWMS on 6/27-28 (AS). Unusual was the successfulnesting of Yellow-crowned Night-Herons at the Black-crownedNight-Heron colony in York. An adult Yellow-crowned Night Heronwas seen there 4/10, then an adult and an immature were seenthere on 6/11 (PJR).

There were two sightings of Osprey, 1 on 6/10 at LRED (AS),and 1 on 7/24 at LAR (AMS). There were several reports of BaldEagles seen at LWMS, LRED, and CSP. There are no knownOsprey or Bald Eagle nests in the county away from theSusquehanna River, but it would not be a big surprise to learn thatthere is one, especially a Bald Eagle nest. There were 6 reports ofRinged-necked Pheasant, one report of a single Wild Turkeyalong a bird survey route on 6/16 (PJR), and one report of a singleN. Bobwhite on 7/6 near East Berlin (JLD).

No Black-billed Cuckoos were reported. There were only2 reports of Yellow-billed Cuckoo – 2 on 6/15 along a bird surveyroute (PJR), and 1 on 6/30 in Wrightsville (JLD). In northern YorkCounty, a neighbor called Rich Stevick on 6/8 to say that he and hiswife had heard and seen a N. Saw-whet Owl – twice – thatevening at their home, and got to within 10 feet of it. That is aninteresting report because while they do migrate through, Saw-whet Owl nesting is unknown in the county, and is quiteuncommon in the rest of the state. The only report of CommonNighthawk was a 7/22 sighting of “several” of them in the city ofYork (KL).

Karen Lippy reports that CSP has one of the largest and mostsuccessful E. Bluebird nest box trails in the state. Thirteenvolunteers maintain and monitor the boxes. The first successfulnesting in the boxes was in 1981, when 4 fledged. Since then 3600E. Bluebirds have fledged from the boxes, including 277 in 2002,but only 106 this year because of cold and wet weather.

Yellow-throated Vireos, an uncommon nester in thecounty, were found at 4 different locations along bird survey routes6/16-26 (PJR). A Prothonotary Warbler was found 6/9 at IndianSteps, along the Susquehanna River.(JLD). Kentucky Warblerswere found at 2 locations 6/16 and 6/17 along bird survey routes(PJR). A Hooded Warbler, another uncommon nester in thecounty, was found 6/8 at Messiah College (RS). The 3 Yellow-breasted Chat sightings were all along the Susquehanna River –1 just north of Indian Steps 6/9 (JLD), 1 at Otter Creek 7/10 (JLD),and a pair at Lock 12 (JS). Three Blue Grosbeaks were found –one 6/6 along Haughs Road (JE), and two 6/17 along a bird surveyroute (PJR). Seven Orchard Orioles were found at six locations.

Observers: Peter Robinson, P. O. Box 482, Hanover, PA 17331,(717) 632-8462 [email protected] (PJR), Fred Clark (FC),Jack & Lil Downs (JLD), Jim Elliot (JE), Phil Keener (PK), KarenLippy (KL), Ann Pettigrew (AP), Anna May Shaffer (AMS), JimSmith (JS), Al Spiese (AS), Richard Stevick (RS)

Answer to Photo Quiz #1Rick Wiltraut

It’s pretty obvious to see that this bird was photographedat sea, which should help narrow down the identification. Atfirst glance the bird appears to be some sort of gull, having awhite body and a gray mantle, although most of this is notvisible in the photo. It also appears to be small bodied andlong-winged. The key mark to this bird is the small, unmarkedbill, which is actually a pale yellow. This would narrow theidentification down to either an adult Mew Gull or an adultBlack-legged Kittiwake, the only two gulls found in easternNorth America with unmarked yellow bills. Mew Gulls are rarewinter vagrants to eastern North America from Europe(Common Gull) and the west coast of North America (Short-billed), usually found in large groups of gulls at or nearlandfills, often with Ring-billed Gulls. Mew Gulls haveunmarked yellow bills in summer when their heads are purewhite. In winter their bills are duller, with a thin dark band(sometimes lacking, especially on American race) and theirheads are streaked with gray, particularly on the lower nape.Mew Gulls are usually more restricted to the coast and inlandlocations, rarely wandering far out at sea. Black-leggedKittiwakes are regular winter visitors offshore, often seen onpelagic trips following the boat or around fishing fleets. Theyare occasionally blown inland during storms. The bill of anadult Black-legged Kittiwake remains yellow and unmarkedthroughout the year. Besides the unmarked yellow bill, winteradult Black-legged Kittiwakes have a gray hind neck andblackish ear-spots. In strong winds, kittiwakes will oftencareen in deep arcs like a shearwater. This adult winter Black-legged Kittiwake was one of many I’ve photographed off thecoast of New Jersey during pelagic trips to the Hudson Canyon.

Jacobsburg EE Center835 Jacobsburg RoadWind Gap, PA 18091

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281

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PO =

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PO =

Pos

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roba

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NSY

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IA B

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S24

3

2003

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LU

ME

17

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EED

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102

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147

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2562

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1544

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5756

127

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ERSE

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6253

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676

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OC

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5570

128

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O8

8429

121

PO

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03

34

12

11

13

PR

156

155

910

87

411

29

CO

1028

1526

2213

258

2622

3016

4

Tota

l29

3430

3434

2734

1731

3433

176

PO =

Pos

sibl

e

PR

= P

roba

ble

C

O =

Con

firm

ed


Photo Quiz #2

Can you identify this bird?

Documents

Seasonal Editors204 BOOK REVIEW - The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Eastern North America..... Gene Whlieml 207 Summary of the Season - June - July 2003 ..... Dan Braunnig 208 Photographic