Monthly Message – Page 14 – Conococheague Audubon

January 2021 From the President

By Valerie BarnesPosted on January 3, 2021January 3, 2021Posted in Birds, Monthly Message

Hello fellow nature lovers,

It’s difficult to think that Christmas 2020 has come and gone. It may have been a difficult time for some of you. I am sure you are resilient in maintaining family relationships despite the Covid-19 restrictions, if only being able to do so virtually. I have no doubt that you are quite content to leave 2020 behind. We are all now hopeful for a more promising, life-filled 2021.

Some of you have signed up to see the Short-eared Owls typically seen on the Gettysburg Battlefield. Unfortunately, none have shown up yet. My husband, Bob and I were over in Gettysburg Dec. 28, 2020 and didn’t see any. We staked out last year’s location to no avail. We were not the only ones. There were four other people staking them out as well. There have been no Gettysburg sightings of SEOs posted on ebird.org.

Speaking of Short-eared Owls (SEOs), they have been seen at the Hopewell Township Park, near Shrewsbury, York County, on Dec. 29, 2020. That is a long one hour 40-minute trip to make with the end possibility of “getting skunked.” Bob and I saw SEOs about three years ago at that same park. We led a trip there because there were no SEOs being seen in Gettysburg. Our group saw no SEOs that particular evening. Thus, I will keep you posted if any SEOs are seen in Gettysburg.

The recent Christmas Bird Count (CBC) under the direction of Valerie Barnes was a success. According to Val’s report, there were 80 different species recorded by 55 observers. A total of 18, 492 birds were seen by these observers. There were some excellent birds recorded. As you may already know, the Rufous Hummingbird which has been showing up at Kathy Lauver’s since mid-October was still seen on Dec. 19, CBC count day. The Townsend’s Solitaire and seven Evening Grosbeaks are still being seen at Caledonia State Park. During the CBC the other following birds were seen: Peregrine Falcon, Brown Thrasher, Eastern Meadowlark, Lesser Scaup, Bufflehead, one lone Eastern Screech Owl, Merlin, 8 Snow Buntings, Eastern Towhee, Wilson’s Snipe, and Purple Finch. The following birds reached an all-time high count: Cooper’s Hawk (26), Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (25), Common raven (15), Carolina Wren (157), Hermit Thrush (16), and Northern Cardinal (636). I am grateful to the Zone Captains and all the participants in this year’s CBC count. As usual, Val Barnes did a fantastic job of keeping all the numbers straight. She will have a detailed report in the March Naturally.

There will be NO January Covered Dish dinner this year due to the Covid restrictions.
Our Feb. 8, 2021 general meeting will be done via Zoom. John Greer will speak about Birds of the Far North: An Icelandic Adventure. This should be a “cool” presentation. Don’t miss it!
I will send the Zoom link in my ‘February at Conococheague’ letter.
I am sorry that you missed December’s meeting with Bob Keener and his Birds of Ecuador. It was replete with splendid photos and amusing anecdotes. Please don’t miss our February Zoom meeting.

For your viewing pleasure I have included this two-minute video put out by National Audubon Society.

Enjoy! May you all have a wonderful New Year!

“Hope smiles from the threshold of the year to com, whispering ‘it will be happier’…”~ Alfred Lord Tennyson

Terri Kochert

December 2020 from the President

By casbirdsPosted on December 2, 2020March 3, 2021Posted in Monthly Message, Uncategorized

Hello fellow nature lovers!

It seems like déjà vu all over again! Here we are in “lockdown” mode again. I hope that you are all healthy. If you did get Covid-19, I hope you weathered it well.

I do have some sad news to share with you. On Oct. 16, 2020, we learned of the passing of long-time member Martha “Marty” Buckey, wife of George Buckey. We are saddened with her loss.

Marguerite Fries, CAS board director, informed me that Norlo Garden now has a cement plaque dedicated to Corinne Anderson next to the Hackberry tree planted in her honor by Josh Donaldson, CAS Garden chair. Corinne was one of the Master Gardner’s who helped plan and plant the Norlo Garden. Please see the attached photo of her plaque.

On a lighter note, there has been a bonanza of vagrants seen in our local area lately. In early Nov. Donna Hocker saw Evening Grosbeaks at her feeders. Gavin Anderson and Dave Ebbitt had a Golden Eagle up at the Mountain Look out off Tower Road. Kathy Lauver still has a Rufous Hummingbird outside her home. A Townsend’s Solitaire and a flock of Evening Grosbeaks (12-15) have been seen on a regular basis behind the headquarters at Caledonia State Park since about Nov. 17th. Val Barnes has one Common Redpoll and 100+ Pine Siskins at her feeders since Nov. 20th. Bill Oyler discovered a Lapland Longspur and a Snow bunting along Church Road near Pleasant Hall in mid-November. Many of us have been busy “flocking” to these sightings and taking photos of these “gems”. Truthfully, they have been “lifers” for many people in our area. These birds are mainly from Canada, the northern USA, or west of the Mississippi River.

Speaking of seeing birds, if you are interested in seeing Short-eared Owls, please sign up for our SEO field trip by Dec. 14 with Bob Kochert. Either sign up by sending Bob an email (bobterri81@comcast.net) or call 717-263-3692 with your contact information: name, email, phone number. He will get back to you about the afternoon he will lead the field trip to Gettysburg to see them. You will be required to travel in your own vehicle, wearing a mask upon exiting the vehicle.

We hope you plan to participate with the Christmas Bird Count on December 19. This year there will be changes due to the Covid-19 restrictions. We are encouraging you to go out either alone or with a family member. Record and report your findings directly to your Zone Captain, who will make a report to Val Barnes, our Christmas Bird Count chair. Please abide by the NAS guidelines of wearing a mask and social distancing. If you feel uncomfortable participating in the field, don’t. No shame, no complaints from any of us. Also, if watching and reporting the birds at your bird feeders, please contact Marguerite Fries (717-263-2934) with your report instead of contacting Joan Bowen. Please note that there will NOT be a CBC tally dinner this year, due to Covid-19 restrictions.

You are also invited to participate in the Newville area Christmas Bird Count on January 2, 2021 with Vern Gauthier as the chairperson. Call him at 717-385-9526 or email him of your interest in participating (verngauthier14@gmail.com ).

Regrettably, our excellent Nature Film series scheduled for January, March and April of 2021 are ALL canceled. CASD is not renting out their school district buildings until perhaps the fall of 2021.

Other news of interest: the January Covered Dish Dinner has been canceled due to Covid-19. Awards typically made at the January Dinner will be made during the December Zoom meeting. Yes, this December we will NOT have an in-person meeting at Norlo Park Community Center for our December 14 meeting. Instead, you can “tune in” via our Zoom link from the comfort of your own home. Also, our speaker for December will be Bob Keener with his Birds of Ecuador presentation (originally scheduled for October). (Dave Graff will be rescheduled for next season).

We ask you to please have your computers, smart phones, and tablets turned on and ready to go by 6:59 PM with the following information displayed on your “page”. You can click on the first Link, wait to be accepted, and then you should be able to see the screen. Since we are using the free Zoom for “40 minutes”, there will be a need to have a second meeting at 7:35. We will pause and switch over to the second link. This should give us plenty of time to finish our meeting by 8:10 or so. We hope you take advantage of this opportunity.

Please take note: I will send out a second notice with this same Zoom information on Saturday, Dec. 12, for your convenience. You won’t have to go back in your email history to locate it.

Conococheague Audubon December Mtg – Part 1

Time: Dec 14, 2020 07:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us04web.zoom.us/j/7211203928?pwd=RXNwMjZpQVNvSHJGRld3cWZFQjJiZz09

Meeting ID: 721 120 3928

Passcode: cardinal20

—————-

Conococheague Audubon Mtg Part 2

Time: Dec 14, 2020 07:35 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us04web.zoom.us/j/71862617448?pwd=SW9aLzI3MlRYTWYydkRNanhOK2cydz09

Meeting ID: 718 6261 7448

Passcode: K7zEjK

Though it seems as though I have written of many negative events, please read our next Naturally newsletter for information about our 2019-2020 passionate and gifted Youth Contests winners. Also, please go on-line to the Franklin County Visitors Bureau Visit Franklin County PA|Great Moments Along the Way (explorefranklincountypa.com) and check out the Festival of Trees. You may place your bid on the available trees and wreaths until Dec. 4 at 7 PM. All proceeds support the Cancer Society. CAS has a beautiful white wreath decorated by Val Barnes, Marguerite Fries, and Debby Hook. Check it out in-person or on-line by clicking on the above link and the Festival of Trees “button”. You must either email or call the bureau directly to place your bids. See their website for more information.
May you all have a Merry Christmas!

Terri Kochert

November 2020 from the President

By Valerie BarnesPosted on November 2, 2020November 2, 2020Posted in Monthly MessageTagged birds, Zoom

Hello fellow nature lovers,

Most of the beautiful fall colors have waned. We all look forward to the culmination of the election on Nov. 3, 2020. Again, I encourage you all to go to the polls to vote (if you have not already mailed in your ballot). Whatever the outcome, life goes on. We have much to be grateful for, living in these United States of America. Prayerfully the rights and privileges we already experience will continue.

Just a reminder to all that we are looking for a new Vice President. Ken Higley, due to extenuating circumstances, has stepped out of that role. So, if you know of anyone wishing to serve CAS in that capacity, please advise me ASAP.

We are about to experience our first ever CAS Zoom meeting. Harry Campbell of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, according to his company’s COVID-19 protocols, will be joining us at Norlo Park Community Center via Zoom instead of in person at our November 9, 2020 general meeting. The title is Chesapeake Baby: Saving a National Treasure. The Zoom meeting will begin at 7:15 PM and will last a total of 40 minutes. Please note: WE WILL STILL BE MEETING at Norlo Park Community Center at 7 PM. Prior to the Zoom meeting, the Youth Contests Winners will be announced and awarded their prizes. Please join us as we acknowledge both the photography merits of the Best Bird Photos and more so, the tenacity of the Longest Bird List winners. I believe you will be greatly surprised with the skill expressed by our winners. We are grateful to all who participated in this year’s Youth Contests. Please come to encourage our young people.

An errant Rufous Hummingbird has created quite a stir in the birding community. All were rushing to get a look and possibly to get a photo or two. I have included a few photos, taken by Bob Keener, in the above attachment. Also, many had the opportunity to see a migrating flock of 90 American Golden Plovers along Mud Level Road in Shippensburg, Oct. 16, 2020. Also seen in October were Least and Solitary Sandpipers, a Wilson’s Phalarope at the Keefer Road pond, a Brant at the Greencastle Antrim Commons, Pine Siskins, a Red-breasted Nuthatch, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, and a raft of 30 Buffleheads at the Long Pine Dam on October 31.

CAS is inviting anyone to participate in our general meeting on Nov. 9, 2020 via Zoom or in person. Please find below the actual link to the Nov. 9 Zoom meeting. IF you feel uncomfortable about using Zoom, perhaps you can join one of our three practice sessions THIS COMING WEEK. Use the same link for any of the practice sessions and for the real meeting at 7:15 PM on November 9.

CAS Practice Zoom 1 (2020-11-03 at 11AM)

CAS Practice Zoom 2 (2020-11-04 at 4 PM)

CAS Practice Zoom 3 (2020-11-04 at 7:30 PM)

Regular meeting via Zoom: Nov 9, 2020 07:15 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us04web.zoom.us/j/7211203928?pwd=RXNwMjZpQVNvSHJGRld3cWZFQjJiZz09

Meeting ID: 721 120 3928

Passcode: cardinal20

I hope to see your smiling face Nov. 9 at the Norlo Community Center at 7 PM.

Until then, please vote. Good birding to you, one and all!

Terri Kochert

October 2020 from the President

By casbirdsPosted on October 5, 2020December 2, 2020Posted in Birds, Monthly Message, Uncategorized

Hello fellow nature lovers,

I trust that you are doing well. The shore birds have largely passed through the area. We have had reports of Stilt Sandpipers at the Greencastle Antrim Ponds, a Merlin, a Northern Harrier and of course, a Eurasian Collared Dove, at the Greencastle Reservoir. There have been sightings of Canada Warblers, Mourning, and even Connecticut, Warblers at the Heisey Orchard in Scotland area and along the Stillhouse Hollow Road. Flocks of various warblers, Chimney Swifts, vireos, and Common Night Hawks were located along the Cumberland Valley Rail Trail by Tom Dougherty. Please let me know if you still have any Ruby-throated Hummingbirds at your feeders. My husband, Bob, and I saw our last “hummer” at our feeders on Sunday. Sadly, they too are migrating on their long journey south to the Amazon region for the winter.

I have two bits of breaking news, though I will confirm in a later message to you all about the hopeful Zooming of our October 12 meeting. In my September letter I announced our breaking news about Conococheague Audubon having its own Facebook page. There are now 21 members. Dave Cooney has recently posted some great photos of a female Blue Grosbeak, a Palm Warbler along Portico Road, and an Eastern Phoebe. https://www.facebook.com/groups/647514482542153 (Copy and paste into your browser for viewing.)

Breaking News: Our intention is to make our Monday, October 12, 2020, 7PM general meeting with Bob Keener presenting his Birds of Ecuador available to those staying home, desiring to see it via Zoom. I will forward the Zoom link as we approach the date. The plan is to still meet at the Community Center as usual. The program will be available via Zoom for those who desire to see it that way. We intend to make the link available too via our website.

Don’t forget! The two coinciding Youth Contests exhibits are due October 12, 2020 at Norlo ParkCommunitycenter at 6:45 PM. We are inviting the young people to stay for our presentation on the Birds of Ecuador. Due on October 12: Best Bird Photos from Dec. 1, 2019 -Oct. 12, 2020 and/or your Longest Bird list from the same dates, Dec. 1, 2019-Oct. 12, 2020. Please visit our website for the details. http://www.ConococheagueAudubon.org (Copy and paste into your browser for viewing.)
Youth Contests Awards: Awards will be presented before our Nov. 9, 2020 general meeting: Chesapeake Bay: Saving a National Treasure.

Other dates of interest to our members:
Announcing: The Big Sit Day, Oct. 10, 11. You, a family member and/or friend, choose an area, a 17’ circle, to observe the birds within that area. Tally the species, numbers, etc. and hours spent on this project. Report this to eBird.org.
Announcing: Get Out and Count on eBird’s October Big Day On October 17, join birders across the globe by participating in October Big Day—a 24-hour opportunity to count and celebrate the birds both near you and around the world during migration. Visit eBird’s October Big Day page to learn more about this event and its role in the inaugural Global Bird Weekend. (To get to this link, you will have to highlight the link, right click on it, and click “Open Hyperlink.”)

For your viewing pleasure watch this short 1:05 video of “Three Hummingbirds Share One Feeder Port in west Texas” on September 3, 2020 during migration https://youtu.be/jUw2QM3qFDg (To get to this link, you will have to highlight the link, right click on it, and click “Open Hyperlink.”)

May you have some good birding days ahead. Look forward to my email about a future Zoom link to view our October 12, 2020 general meeting.

Terri Kochert

September 2020 from the President

By casbirdsPosted on September 3, 2020September 8, 2020Posted in Monthly MessageTagged birds

Hello fellow nature lovers,

It is difficult to believe we are quickly approaching the latter part of 2020, though for some of us, it has not been the kindest of years. Things have the “appearance” of getting “back to normal.” Children are “back to school”. The evenings arrive earlier; the days are shorter. We are also looking forward to the beginning of our 2020-2021 Season at Conococheague.

Breaking news: Conococheague Audubon now has its own Facebook page for those who participate in Facebook. This is for you to post your photos of birds, wildlife, and plants. Ifyou are not a member of CAS, you will have to “request” to join. Once the administrators approve, you may post your photos. This is NOT for advertising any of your events. To connect, go to “Conococheague Audubon” or the following address:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/647514482542153

Please take note of these important September events:

Sept. 5 FIELD TRIP at 7:30 AM to see the Fall Migrants. Meet at the Park and Ride, Scotland Exit 20, I-81 northbound. There will first be a half-mile walk in wet grass at Heisey Orchard. Come prepared with the proper footwear. Bill Oyler requests that participants drive their own vehicles and that they maintain social distancing upon exiting the vehicles. Wearing masks is required when closer than 6 feet. Please call Bill Oyler, 717-360-5191, in advance if you wish to attend. You will also need to sign your name upon arrival at the Park and Ride.
Sept. 14 our First MEETING. At 6:30 PM please stroll through the Norlo Park Garden for a self-tour. Upon entry into the Community Center, please wear a mask and seat yourselves six feet apart from others. Our speaker will be Brittany Clark of the Penn State Extension Office. Her topic is Icky Invasives; insects in our Forests, such as the Spotted Lanternfly.
Sept. 19 FIELD TRIP Meet at 9 AM at Big Lots, 184 Southgate Mall parking lot next to Washington Street for a stroll along the Cumberland Valley Rail Trail. Wearing masks is required, but we will take “mask breaks” during our journey for those who need to. Social distancing is required. Call Terri Kochert in advance of the event, 717-263-3692, of your intentions to participate. You will need to sign your name upon arrival at the trail.
Sept. 26 FIELD TRIP at 11 AM for Hawk Migration. Leave from Sunnyway Foods parking lot, 49 Warm Spring Road, Chambersburg, to go to the “Pulpit.” Beginning hawk watchers are welcome. Bring binoculars. Bring your masks. Please call Bob Carmack, 717-597-8631, in advance of the event of your intentions to participate. You will need to sign your name upon arrival at Sunnyway Foods.

*Please remember that Youth Contests’ entries: 5” X 7” bird photos and longest list of bird species for the year, Dec. 1, 2019-Oct. 12, 2020, are due Oct. 12, 2020 at our regular Monday night meeting.

Here is some good news on the Conservation front:

A federal court has rejected efforts to weaken the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. In the past few years there was pushback from the federal government to undermine the decades old treaty protecting birds. This judge ruled it “illegal” to do so. The treaty stands as written.
Earlier this month, the President signed into law the Great American Outdoors Act, a historic bipartisan conservation law, which will provide parks, and public lands the protection and care they deserve, with permanent, mandatory funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund at no additional cost to taxpayers.
The Delaware River Watershed has recently been named, ”River of the Year.” There are plans to celebrate this recognition with virtual and safely in-person events. I will keep you posted of their planned events.

For those of you with children ‘back to school virtually,” perhaps you are looking for a “field trip.” I suggest you check out the “Pick Up Pennsylvania 2020” campaign from Sept. 1 – Nov. 30. Please see the attached flyer about this.

Friends, I hope to see you at one of our scheduled September events. Until then, please enjoy this eight- minute documentary video on the hatching and eventual fledging of two hummingbirds.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gU_pJ8PAWwQ&feature=emb_rel_end

Happy Birding!

Terri Kochert