Monthly Message – Page 10 – Conococheague Audubon

February 2022 From the President

By Valerie BarnesPosted on January 31, 2022January 31, 2022Posted in Monthly Message, ZoomTagged Zoom

Dear Fellow Nature Lovers,

Though this is still late January, 2022, please receive this as my February letter. I hope you are all staying warm during these frigid temperatures.

I have many events to bring to your attention today. Here they are in order of importance.

I am still in need of a Vice President. I may also add that May 1, 2022 is just around the corner. That’s the date CAS is to install a new president. Please submit your request to serve in this capacity to Terri Kochert at conaudubon@outlook.com.
Debby Hook has served as our chairperson for the Education: Outreach committee for many years now. Besides making presentations to the Master Gardeners, Kiwanis Club, Tuscarora Wildlife Education Project (TWEP), NETwork Ministries, and the North Square Farmers Market, Debby has made other presentations, too, in her past tenure as Education: Outreach Chair. Debby is stepping down as of May 1, 2022. She has personal obligations that no longer allow her the flexibility to serve in this capacity. Hence, CAS needs an Education: Outreach Chair. Please submit your request to serve in this capacity to Terri Kochert at conaudubon@outlook.com.
From Swans to Songbirds: Winter is for Birding webinar sponsored by Audubon on Feb. 3, 2022. You’ll receive a confirmation and Zoom details within a few days of registration. Upon arrival at the Audubon Pennsylvania website, click the blue Details button to register for this event.

Upcoming CAS events:

Feb. 14, Monday ZOOM or HYBRID MEETING 7:00 PM Snowy Owl: A Visual Natural History

Presented by award-winning author and wildlife photographer, Paul Bannick of Seattle, WA. Arranged by Jessica Ferguson. [Terri will send out the Zoom invitation on Feb. 13, 2022. Or you may visit the calendar event on our this website for the Zoom invitation.] Mr. Bannick will not be present at St. Luke. Mr. Bannick will be Zooming his presentation from Seattle, WA. Those who wish to view the Zoom presentation at St. Luke are welcome to come to St. Luke.

Feb. 18-20, Fri.-Sun. FIELD TRIP Blackwater NWR, Maryland, auto tour for WATERFOWL.

Leave from Martins’ home at 6:00 PM Friday. Bring scopes, binoculars, and lunch. Make your own motel arrangements. Eric and Rhetta Martin, 717-597-8675.

Great Backyard Bird Count: The 25th annual GBBC will be held Friday, Feb. 18-Monday, Feb. 21, 2022. As most of you know, the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) is a free, fun, and easy event that engages bird watchers of all ages and experience in counting birds to create a real-time snapshot of bird populations. Participants are asked to count birds for as little as 15 minutes (or as long as they wish) on one or more days of the four-day event and report their sightings online at birdcount.org.

Scientists at Audubon, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and Birds Canada/Oiseaux Canada use the data gleaned from these annual counts to better understand population trends and highlight important locations for future conservation efforts. Every checklist you submit is appreciated greatly.

I hope to see many of you on our Zoom meeting from St. Luke on Feb. 14, 2022 to see the Snowy Owl presentation. Don’t miss it!

Terri Kochert

January 2022 From the President

By Valerie BarnesPosted on January 19, 2022January 19, 2022Posted in Monthly Message, ZoomTagged films, Zoom

Dear Fellow Nature Lovers,

I hope you had a lovely Christmas time spent with family and friends. Now it’s time to ring in the New Year. Realizing that 2021 is behind us, it’s important to look back at our accomplishments, in spite of COVID restrictions. Later in my letter I will present links to the successes of National Audubon and some Zoom events through Mid-Atlantic Audubon.

Here are some of our own Conococheague Audubon highlights for 2021.

Captivating, informative, and stellar meetings (if I do say so myself):
- Feb. Birds of the Far North: An Icelandic Adventure
- Mar. Homeland Security: Native Trees Are a Bird’s Refuge
- Apr. Field Guide & App Comparison
- May Invasive Plants: Not For the Birds
- Sept. Cape May Fall Migrants
- Oct. Wood Thrush Nest Success and Productivity in Central Pennsylvania Contiguous Forests
- Nov. Research and Techniques in Ornithological Illustration
- Dec. The Beauty and Fragility of the Everglades

Outreaches:
- CAS Volunteers engaged 337 individuals at the local Farmers Market with brochures and enticing poster.
- Outreach to twelve Hispanic and African American youngsters and their five teachers at NETwork Ministries in Chambersburg
- Outreach to twelve 5^th-6^th grade girls at Tuscarora Wildlife Education Project, Mercersburg, PA

Thus, we reached out to 366 individuals this year!

Though we are forced to cancel our two January events because of the recent Omicron Covid outbreak, we are still making plans to move forward in February. Here are the two canceled January events: the Jan. 10, 2022 Covered dish dinner and the Jan. 20, 2022 free nature film.

~~Jan. 10, Monday~~ MEETING CANCELED 6:00 PM Covered dish dinner and members’ photo show. All are welcome.
~~Jan. 20, Thu~~~~rsday~~ FILM CANCELED

Though it’s only January, please make your plans now to be on hand to view our February Zoom meeting with Paul Bannick, nationally renowned and award-winning wildlife photographer from Seattle, WA area. He will share with us his incredible photos of Snowy Owls in his Feb. 14, 2022, 7 PM presentation of Snowy Owl: A Visual Natural History. Again, we thank Mr. Jim Bousum of Bousum’s Trucking, LLC in Chambersburg and Petersburg, PA for sponsoring Mr. Paul Bannick’s Snowy Owl presentation. I know that all will be thrilled to see one of our favorite birds captured on film. You may view this presentation in person at St. Luke Evangelical Lutheran Church or from the comfort of your own home. I will send out the Zoom link for this presentation Sunday evening, Feb. 13, 2022.

Also, I am still looking forward to showing the remaining two free National Geographic films: Last Stand of the Great Bear on March 24, 2022 and In Search of the Jaguar on April 14, 2022 at our new film location: Living Faith Chapel, 8770 Possum Hollow Rd., Shippensburg, PA 17257 at 7:30 PM with door prizes and a free pair of binoculars for one young person.

It is with regret that I inform you of the passing of one of CAS Charter Members, Carl Garner, on December 27, 2021. He was an excellent birder and a meticulous record keeper of the birds he saw throughout the past 60 years of the existence of CAS. It’s possible his list goes back even before the 1961 establishment of Conococheague Naturalists, a.k.a. Conococheague Audubon Society. Dr. Dave Ebbitt has undertaken the extraordinary task of submitting electronically Carl’s lists to ebird.org. Kudos to Dave for working on a dauntless task. Family and friends will greatly miss Carl Garner. May he rest in peace.

NAS Highlights of 2021 short video on Eight Wins for Birds in 2021

Audubon Mid-Atlantic (Audubon MD-DC and Audubon PA have been combined into one now.)

Though there are many things I could bring to your attention, please view the following two announcements:

An hour and a half Zoom webinar on Jan. 6, 2022 Bringing Climate Action Home from 6:30 PM-8PM.

From Swans to Songbirds: Winter is for Birding on Feb 3

Upon arrival at the Audubon Pennsylvania website, click the blue EVENTS button to register for this event. You’ll receive a confirmation and Zoom details within a few days of registration.

Another interesting 16-minute video called American Kestrel Box Program with Tom Sayers

Remember. We are still looking for any interested able volunteers who would be willing to install eight American Kestrel boxes before March 31, 2022.

Also, I found a short 3-minute video on Five Facts about American Kestrels by National Audubon featuring Rita McMahon of the Wild Bird Fund

National Audubon also chose the top ten bird videos, which you will find as you scroll down the page to view each of the ten short videos. Enjoy!

Also, anyone interested in being my Vice-president? Please contact me ASAP at 717-263-3692 or conaudubon@outlook.com .

May you all have a wonderfully healthy and successful New Year!

Terri Kochert

December 2021 From the President

By Valerie BarnesPosted on December 5, 2021December 17, 2021Posted in Birds, Monthly Message, Zoom

Christmas Greetings to all you Fellow Nature Lovers,

December is here; the end of the year is fast approaching! I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving and are now gearing up for the joyous Christmas season.

The Franklin County Visitors Bureau is currently conducting their Festival of Trees with many decorated trees, wreaths, and swags by local businesses and organizations such as our very own Conococheague Audubon Society. Thanks to Val Barnes, Marguerite Fries, and Debby Hook, we have a “bird seed packet” wreath and swag available for bids at the Visitors Bureau. You place your vote for the “best” item by paying $1, which corresponds to four votes. Silent auction bids can be placed in person, via phone at 866-646-8060 or by emailing fcvbfestivaloftrees@gmail.com. Silent auction amounts will be displayed in the Visitors Center and online. Current bid amounts were updated daily at explorefranklincountypa.com. Final votes for favorites and final bids for the silent auction closed at 7 PM on December 3 with winners being announced the same night. All proceeds will benefit the Cumberland Valley Breast Care Alliance.

I need to bring to your attention that we are still in urgent need of a Vice President to serve the remainder of the term, from now until April 30, 2022. Then, the Vice President becomes President on May 1, 2022 and will serve until April 30, 2024. I am willing to train the new recruit. Also, CAS needs someone to serve as the Records Compiler, keeping track of all birds seen during our CAS field trips. Field trip leaders submit the final species list to Donna, and she then inserts the bird species onto an Excel worksheet. Donna Hocker has served in this capacity since 2009. She is willing to train her replacement. Please call Terri Kochert at 717-263-3692 or email me at conaudubon@outlook.com to let me know that you are interested in either available position. Thank you, Donna Hocker, for your many years of service in this role!

I am glad to announce that our two Youth Contests for the Longest Bird Species List and the Best Bird Photo will begin again December 1, 2021 and run through October 10, 2022 when the lists and bird photos will be submitted at our regular general meeting at St. Luke. Remember: there is a monetary prize ($50, $35, and $25) available to the first three winners in each of the two contests. So, get your list started now! Get those winter birds on your list, and then go for the spring migrants. Winter birds make great photos too!

These are the upcoming CAS events.

Dec. 13, Monday MEETING HYBRID: SPEAKER WILL BE PRESENT AT ST. LUKE, BUT CAN ALSO BE VIEWED VIA ZOOM

7:00 PM The Beauty and Fragility of the Everglades by Dave Graff, Floridian naturalist. Arranged by Terri Kochert.

Winter FIELD TRIP: Sign up by Dec. 14, for possible visit to Gettysburg Battlefield for SHORT-EARED OWLS (name, contact information). Bob Kochert, 717-263-3692, will advise as to sightings. Meet at Norlo Park Community Center.

Dec. 14, Tuesday NEW CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT (Buchanan Trail)

All day, Franklin/Fulton Counties. For information, Vern Gauthier, 717-385-9526 or verngauthier14@gmail.com

Dec. 18, Saturday CHAMBERSBURG AREA CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT

All day, Chambersburg area. For information, call Valerie Barnes, 717-352-4397. There will be NO tally dinner this year.

Dec. 29, Wednesday YORK SPRINGS CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT

All day, York Springs area. For information, Tim Johnson, 717-409-4805, tj359@sbcglobal.net

Jan. 1, 2022, Sat. NEWVILLE CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT

All day, Newville area. For information, Vern Gauthier, 717-385 -9526 or verngauthier14@gmail.com

Sadly, with the uptick in COVID-19 cases, CAS has decided to cancel our first nature film, originally scheduled for January 20, 2022. We hope we will be able to resume showing the films later in 2022. We have also decided to cancel the annual covered dish dinner scheduled for January 10, 2022.

Though most migrants have passed through our area, we have some new winter visitors. Here are some of the good birds seen during the month of November: Common Golden-eyes, Red-breasted Merganser, Merlin, Eastern Phoebe (a slow-moving migrant), American Black Duck, Common Merganser, Gadwall, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Green-winged Teal, Northern Pintail, Northern Shoveler, Golden-crowned Kinglet and Red Crossbills (seen the week before Thanksgiving, a one-day sighting). That’s a nice list of ducks!

For you neophyte/beginning birders, I found an eleven-minute video that may interest you. It’s called Identify Your Common Backyard Birds (Central and Eastern USA).

I also found an interesting article you may enjoy. It’s from National Audubon from five days ago. It’s called, “Ask Kenn: What’s Up With Bird Color Morphs and Phases.”

I hope to see many of you via Zoom or in person on December 13. Perhaps it will feel more like the Florida weather as portrayed in Dave Graff’s presentation instead of the chilly temperatures we currently are experiencing. For those preferring to Zoom, here’s the link information:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/7211203928?pwd=RXNwMjZpQVNvSHJGRld3cWZFQjJiZz09

Time: December 13, 2021 07:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Meeting ID: 721 120 3928

Passcode: cardinal20

Continue to feed the birds, count them, report your findings to Marguerite Fries on Dec. 18 if you live inside the Chambersburg CBC circle, and enjoy watching them as they flit about.

Merry Christmas!

Terri Kochert

November 2021 from the President

By Valerie BarnesPosted on November 1, 2021November 1, 2021Posted in Birds, Monthly Message, Zoom

Dear Fellow Nature Lovers,

With the cooler weather and the recent dreary, gray, quiet days I trust you are doing well. There are fewer birds in our midst, thus the pervasive silence. It’s time to get your bird feeders up for the winter. Perhaps you never took them down.

Some of our active birders have located some lingering migrants in recent days: a Snow Goose on Mountain Road, a Cattle Egret, a Tree Swallow, a Gray Catbird, a Stilt Sandpiper, Least Sandpiper, Yellowlegs, a Peregrine Falcon, and of course, the Eurasian Collared-Dove in the Greencastle area. Please report other migrants and errant species as you see them.

Because our next CAS general meeting will be a hybrid—in person meeting plus our Zoomed speaker (and any others who wish to view the presentation from home via Zoom), I thought it best to give you a bit of a preview. First of all, few of us are artists. Some of us have used our creativity to produce what we consider “amazing” works of art, though considered “amateur” by others. Many more of us appreciate and value the trained, detailed, and artistic abilities of those when we view their professionally-finished products. On Monday, November 8, 2021 we all are in for a treat. Thanks to Valerie Barnes and Anne St. John, we shall be introduced to the intricacies and rigors of working as a bona fide Certified Science Illustrator, through our guest speaker, Liz Wahid. She will explain the inherent as well as learned techniques of drawing birds. Much of it requires researching the subject matter, studying the subject with a keen eye for detail, and the application of refined drawing techniques to make the subject appear lifelike. The title of her presentation is Research and Techniques in Ornithological Illustrations. You do not want to miss this one.

In addition to this exciting bird illustration presentation, we will also be introducing the winners of our Annual CAS Youth Contests and granting them their awards. We’ll announce and show the winning photos of the Best Bird Photo Contest. We’ll also announce the winner of this year’s Longest Bird List Contest. Winners will be announced prior to hearing from Liz Wahid, Certified Science Illustrator.

Though many of us have finished with the harvesting of fruits and vegetables from our gardens and have laid our gardens to rest over the coming winter months, there are those who are already planning for Spring’s arrival. One aspect of Spring planting may be to expand your native plants garden areas. If so, you may want to participate in the online free webinar offered on November 16, 2021 at 7 PM EST (6 PM CST) through a landscaping group called Wild Ones. It will be presented by Larry Weaner, FALPD, the president and founder of Larry Weaner Landscape Associates and developer of New Directions in the American Landscape (NDAL). His topic is “The Self-Perpetuating Landscape: Setting a Process in Motion.” You will learn principles and protocols for creating dynamic, ecologically rich landscapes where nature does much of the “planting.” Once you register at the following link, you will be sent the webinar link via email. A recording will also be available to the public on our YouTube channel in the days following the event. The registration link to the webinar is:

https://wildones.org/self-perpetuating-landscape-registration/ (If it doesn’t direct you immediately to the registration page, please copy and paste this address into your browser.)

Though it is November 1, 2021, it is time to plan to participate in our Chambersburg Conococheague Audubon Christmas Bird Count on Saturday, December 18, 2021. If you’ve never participated before, that’s an excellent reason to get involved in citizen science and do your part in counting our local birds. You can do so from the comfort of your own home if you live inside the circle area, or you can venture out into one of the five different zones. Please contact Valerie Barnes for the most current information. Call her at 717-352-4397.

Again, here are the items of importance for this month.

Nov. 8, Monday ZOOM or HYBRID REGULAR MEETING

7:00 PM Research and Techniques in Ornithological Illustration by Liz Wahid, Certified Science Illustrator. Arranged by Valerie Barnes and Anne St. John. Youth Contest Winners announced tonight.

Nov. 16, Tuesday Online Webinar through Wild Ones

7 PM. “The Self-Perpetuating Landscape: Setting a Process in Motion.” By Larry Weaner, FALPD, founder of Larry Weaner Landscape Associates. Pre-register online.

Dec. 18, Saturday CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT

All day, Chambersburg area. Call Valerie Barnes, 717-352-4397 if interested in participating.

I hope to see you Monday, Nov. 8, 2021 at 7 PM at St. Luke Evangelical Lutheran Church, 2695 Luther Drive, Chambersburg, PA 17202 (off route 997, near the Scotland exit of I-81). For those preferring to Zoom, here’s the link information:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/7211203928?pwd=RXNwMjZpQVNvSHJGRld3cWZFQjJiZz09

Time: November 8, 2021 07:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Meeting ID: 721 120 3928

Passcode: cardinal20

Prepare to be astounded!

Give thanks every day and keep looking up!

Terri Kochert

October 2021 from the President

By Valerie BarnesPosted on October 4, 2021October 4, 2021Posted in Birds, Monthly Message, ZoomTagged birds, Zoom

Hello Fellow Nature Lovers,

Can you feel the nights getting cooler? Fall is definitely upon us.

A few good birds are still being seen in the local area. Bill Oyler saw a Baird’s Sandpiper at a newer location, along the Woods Road Warehouse retentions ponds near Mainsville, PA. A Stilt Sandpiper was seen at the Greencastle Reservoir by Carl Garner and Dave Ebbitt on 28 September. Bill Oyler also saw the elusive Connecticut Warbler in the Heisey Orchard on Monday. October 1 Tom Dougherty had a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker and Philadelphia Vireo in the Hunter’s Chase subdivision, Chambersburg.

A group of us from Conococheague Audubon journeyed to Cape May, NJ on Wednesday, September 22 – Friday, September 24, 2021. Our new directors, John and Sue Greer, led the trip. They were very prepared! They ventured to Cape May on Monday and had a day and a half to explore the birding areas. With colorful maps in hand, they greeted us at a new place for us, the Garrett Family Preserve, established by The Nature Conservancy. Though we didn’t see much there this time, it’s wonderful to add a new birding site.

Over the course of the remaining two days, we visited the Cape May Point Hawk Watch and the trails behind the Hawk Watch at the Cap May Point State Park. We were able to see a Eurasian Widgeon, both Green- wing and Blue-wing Teal and Black Duck in the nearby ponds. We also got good looks at various fall-plumaged warblers by the cedar trees before entering the trail. We saw numerous Northern Parulas. That was such a treat! We arose early Thursday intending to catch the “Morning Flight” as described by our September 13, 2021 meeting speakers, Chris and Rebecca Payne. Alas, at Higbee Beach Management Wildlife Area we saw little bird life either on the platform or in the open meadows. We were able to see Stilt Sandpipers, both Yellowlegs, Teals, Shovelers, both Snowy and Great Egrets, Royal and Forster’s Terns, and a Peregrine Falcon by the Nature Conservancy South Cape May Meadows. Some of us visited Nummy’s Island late Thursday afternoon where we saw American Oystercatchers, a Black-bellied Plover, Boat-tailed Grackles, one Sora, and one Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow. On Friday we visited the Wetlands Institute, seeing a group of Willets, two Wilson’s Snipe, a Little Blue Heron and Tri-colored Heron. We had a group of White Ibises fly over. We also had one juvenile Black-crowned Night-heron. By the Stone Harbor Point we saw many Sanderlings, Ruddy Turnstones, Semipalmated Sandpipers and Semipalmated Plovers, and both Great and Lesser Black-backed Gulls. Though we didn’t see many birds at the Avalon Sea Watch, it was great to visit with the lone recorder of passing species. Overall, it was a terrific outing! Even the weather cooperated. Though much rain and stormy weather had been forecasted, we avoided most of it.

Again, a reminder that our October 11, 2021 general meeting will be held at St. Luke Evangelical Lutheran Church, 2695 Luther Drive, Chambersburg, PA (off Route 997, near Scotland exit of I-81). Our speaker will be Eric Zawatski, a Penn State graduate presenting via Zoom about the Wood Thrush Nesting Success here in Central PA Contiguous Forests at 7 PM. I will send out the Zoom invitation on Sunday, Oct. 10 for those desiring to watch it from the comfort of their own homes. ***That same evening, Oct. 11, 2021, ALL Youth Contest participants should arrive by 6:45 PM to hand in both their Longest Bird Species List and their Best Bird Photos.

Note: There is a change in our fall birding Field Trip schedule. There will now be a Hawk Migration Watch Field Trip on Oct. 16, 2021. Meeting place is still at Sunnyway Foods parking lot, 49 Warm Spring Road, Chambersburg at 11 AM to head out to the “Pulpit” searching the skies for a few hours for passing hawks and other raptors with Bob and Marion Carmack. Beginning bird watchers are welcome. Bring binoculars. Call 717-597-8631.

For your viewing pleasure, please check out Audubon’s 2021 Top Ten Videos.

I hope to see you at St. Luke on Oct. 11, 2021 (with your mask) at 7 PM for the meeting and/or 6:45 PM for the Youth Contest participants.

Happy Fall to each of you,

Terri Kochert