Conococheague Audubon Society

PO Box 20, Fayetteville, PA 17222

ConAudubon@outlook.com

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Conococheague Audubon

Conservation

Issue or accomplishment related to conservation

February 2026 from the President

By Valerie BarnesPosted on Posted in Birds, Conservation, Get Involved, Monthly Message, News

Winter is COLD. Birds are flocking to our feeders. This week I’ve had four special visitors: Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Eastern Bluebird, and Hermit Thrush. In spite of careful looking, I haven’t seen any Pine Siskins (yet!). May you enjoy many good birds in your yards, too.

SOAR Bird Walks will take place on the first and third Saturdays (7 and 21 February).

Our next regular meeting takes place on February 9, Monday, at 7:00 PM. Our own Doug Powless will present Notes from PA Atlas Observing.  Our regular meetings occur at St. Luke Evangelical Lutheran Church (off Route 997, near Scotland exit off I-81) 2695 Luther Dr, Chambersburg, PA 17202. Please join us in person or via Zoom. We welcome everyone.

Join us on a winter field trip February 20 – 22, Friday – Sunday to Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge for WATERFOWL.  Leave from the leaders’ home at 9:00 AM Friday. Bring scopes, binoculars, and lunch.  Make your own motel arrangements.  Leaders are Eric and Rhetta Martin, 717-597-8675, home or 223-205-7910, Rhetta.

We’re already starting to plan for our next season. Please submit budget requests covering  June 1, 2026 – May 31, 2027 to Donna Hocker no later than March 15, 2026.

We continue to seek volunteers for these positions: Film Chair and Vice President. Please contact me to offer your services. Thanks to Jim Hook for volunteering to be Conservation Chair and Donna Hocker for being willing to serve as Hospitality Chair, as long as we find a new Treasurer.

Thanks to all who have made a donation. If you would like to, please send your check to Conococheague Audubon Society, PO Box 20, Fayetteville, PA 17222. Good birding!

August 2025 from the President

By Valerie BarnesPosted on Posted in Birds, Conservation, Get Involved, Monthly MessageTagged ,

I hope you are having a wonderful summer filled with good birds and fun outings. Things are pretty quiet in my yard, with a surprise Ovenbird popping in for a quick visit last week. Young Woodpeckers continue to explore the world in their dorky ways.

Joe and Vanessa Miller have volunteered to organize our highway clean-up day on September 27, 2025.  This is part of PennDOT’s Adopt-A-Highway program. We have “adopted” 2 miles of PA-997 from I-81 west to Main Street, Scotland. It is easy walking on wide shoulders. Supplies are provided. Meet at 9 AM at the Scotland Park & Ride, I-81 northbound exit 20.  Even if you are unable to pick up trash, we need a driver to shuttle supplies, and we need a pickup truck to carry filled bags. Please join us to help beautify PA. Contact Joe and Vanessa at 717-377-6507 or millerhouse@embarqmail.com.

Bill Oyler will lead our first field trip of the season on Monday, September 1 for FALL MIGRANTS. Meet at 7:15 AM at the Park & Ride, Scotland Exit 20, I-81 northbound. Field trip includes walking in wet grass at Heisey Orchard and other possible walks as we travel Michaux SF roads, with field trip ending by 1:00 PM. Bring binoculars and snack or lunch. Bill Oyler, 717-360-5191, oylerbill@gmail.com.

Year-round SOAR (Studying Ornithology Around the Region) walks continue at 8:00 AM on the first and third Saturdays at various locations in Franklin County. Larry and Sharon Williams, 717-655-7414; or Buttonwood Nature Center, 717-762-0373, https://buttonwoodnaturecenter.org/ .

The first regular meeting for our new season will be on September 8. Ron George and Tracy Snyder will dazzle us with excellent bird photos to illustrate their Bird is A Verb program – terrific for beginning and experienced birders alike. They’ll start the evening earlier than usual, at 6 PM, with birding outside St. Luke Evangelical Lutheran Church; so, bring friends and family who are new to birding! . Bring binoculars if you have them. The meeting will start, as usual, at 7:00 PM.

We have a new logo depicting a Northern Cardinal. Now you can support Conococheague Audubon Society by making a donation and selecting a hat! Three colors of the baseball-style hat are available – Royal Blue, Khaki crown with Royal Blue bill, or Khaki crown with Charcoal bill. All are 6-panel, unstructured, low-profile garment-washed cotton, with a mesh lining and a tuck-away leather back strap and buckle. One size fits all. We’re asking for a donation of $20 to defray the cost. Come to a meeting to see the hats in person and select the ones you want. Decals depicting the new logo are also available.

We’ve finalized the Activities List for the upcoming season and will be mailing it to you soon, along with our annual fundraising letter. Please make whatever contribution you can and mail it to CAS, PO Box 20, Fayetteville, PA 17222.

Volunteer opportunities include Hospitality Chair and Conservation Chair. Three officers are ready to step down as well: Valerie Barnes from being President, Lisa Coombs from being Vice President, and Donna Hocker from being Treasurer. Please contact an officer ASAP with questions and/or to volunteer.

We’ll be posting the new activities on this website over the coming weeks, so check the calendar for updates and details.

July 2025 from the President

By Valerie BarnesPosted on Posted in Birds, Conservation, Monthly Message

The (Northern) House Wrens finally decided that my nesting box was acceptable, and the female (presumably) has taken up residence. I’ve seen her squirming around in there a few mornings, so I think she was laying eggs. Exciting!

The only unique summer activity we have scheduled is the Norlo Park Native Plants garden event set for 6 PM on Monday, July 14. This year Josh Donaldson has named it Beyond Beauty: Native Plants & Pollinators Event. The rain date is July 16. Come see all the beautiful plants in the garden and get inspired! Josh Donaldson, 717-264-6920.

Year-round SOAR (Studying Ornithology Around the Region) walks continue at 8:00 AM on the first and third Saturdays at various locations in Franklin County. Larry and Sharon Williams, 717-655-7414; or check Buttonwood Nature Center, 717-762-0373, https://buttonwoodnaturecenter.org/ for locations.

We’re finalizing the Activities List for the upcoming season and are still looking for a program, a Hospitality Chair, and a Conservation Chair. Please contact me ASAP with your ideas and/or to volunteer. We need to print the AL soon for mailing in August.

The first regular meeting for our new season will be on September 8. Ron George and Tracy Snyder will dazzle us with excellent bird photos to illustrate their Bird is A Verb program. They’ll start the evening earlier than usual, at 6 PM, with birding outside St. Luke Evangelical Lutheran Church. Bring friends and family who are new to birding!

Check the calendar on our website for possible late-breaking additional updates and details.

Good birding!

June 2025 from the President

By Valerie BarnesPosted on Posted in Birds, Conservation, Monthly Message

Our activities for this season are almost complete. MANY THANKS to all who made them possible – our officers Lisa, Donna, Debbie, and Terri; our directors Anne, Dave, Jim, John, Larry, and Sharon; committee chairs Janet, Dave, Lynn, Dorian, Terri, John, Ruth, Lisa, Jane, Josh, Anne, and Sue; and our field trip leaders Bill, Bob, Debbie, Jim, Eric, Rhetta, Larry, Larry, Sharon, and Donna. Life would be dull without Conococheague Audubon, and our chapter would be in a pickle without your help.

We had a great Beginning Birders’ Workshop on Saturday, June 7 at Caledonia State Park. In spite of the light rain, the 6 adults and 3 children improved their binocular skills, saw/heard 35 species of birds, enjoyed refreshments, and passed the bird quiz with flying colors.

Volunteer opportunities:

  • Ruth Barton is stepping down as Hospitality Chair. The main duty is setting up a table in the back of our meeting room to welcome newcomers. Please contact Val Barnes (717-352-4397) to volunteer.
  • John Greer is stepping down as Conservation Chair. The main duties are to stay on top of conservation issues and keep our membership informed. It’s also terrific, but not mandatory, if you write a short article for each Naturally newsletter. Please contact Val Barnes (717-352-4397) to volunteer.
  • Help Bob Mulvihill find Loggerhead Shrikes in our area sometime this month; tentative dates are the week of June 16. Bob plans to walk in areas that look promising, after getting permission from landowners. If you have good property for Shrikes, or are willing to go out with Bob to look for them, please contact Bob directly at 412-522-5729.
  • Coordinate with the Pennsylvania Audubon Council on behalf of Conococheague Audubon about the Bird Habitat Recognition project. Please contact Val Barnes (717-352-4397) to volunteer.
  • Bluebird Trail monitors. Contact Lynn or Dorian Runt.
  • Garden care. Contact Josh Donaldson.
  • North Square Farmers Market, Chambersburg, PA on June 28, 2025 from 8:00 – 12:00. Contact Terri Kochert (263-3692) to help

Check the calendar for possible late-breaking additional updates and details about our activities..

Please bring family and friends to our events – we welcome new faces! Everything is open to everyone and is free.

Good birding!

April 2025 from the President

By Valerie BarnesPosted on Posted in Conservation, Monthly Message, Outreach, ZoomTagged , ,

According to a recent press release from the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources,

“Shapiro Administration Launches Statewide Program to Replace Invasive Trees and Shrubs

Pennsylvanians can replace up to five invasive trees and shrubs with native species through the new statewide Pennsylvania Invasive Replace-ive Program— registration now open for May events”.https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dcnr/newsroom/shapiro-administration-launches-statewide-program-to-replace-inv.html

“The program aims to replace some of Pennsylvania’s most problematic invasive species, including:

The April 14 annual business meeting will feature elections and reports from the year as well as a program, Radio-tracking Passerines in Early Successional Habitat, by Grace Muench. Plan to participate! We need at least 30 votes for the election to be valid, so if you haven’t voted yet, please do. Jeff Schmaltz and Mike Fagan are running to fill our two director openings. Leaders will be reporting status for the 2024 season, so plan to join us in person or participate via Zoom.

Volunteer needs:

  • Ruth Barton is stepping down as Hospitality Chair. The main duty is setting up a table in the back of our meeting room to welcome newcomers. Feel free to talk to Ruth about what else is involved. Please be hospitable!
  • John Greer is stepping down as Conservation Chair. The main duties are to stay on top of conservation issues and keep our membership informed. It’s also terrific, but not mandatory, if you write a short article for each Naturally newsletter. Who is willing to be our collective conscience about conservation?
  • To honor Rhetta Martin’s son Jason, join us for a work session at the Michaux District Forest Office, 10099 Lincoln Way East, Fayetteville, PA 17222 at 8:30 AM on Wednesday, May 7. We’ll be helping to plant native seeds and plugs around the office. Wear gardening garb and bring a trowel or shovel. You need to submit a volunteer form: DCNR Conservation Volunteers. Action: Contact Josh Donaldson to volunteer.
  • Greencastle-Antrim Middle School Trout Release day, with nature-related activities, at Caledonia State Park on Thursday, May 15. Last year the schedule had us arriving at 8:30 to set up and leaving by 1:30; we assume this year will be similar. Action: Contact Terri Kochert to volunteer.
  • Buttonwood asked CAS to set up a display table on April 26, 2025 to celebrate Earth Day at Pine Hill Recreation Area, 12684 Mentzer Gap Rd, Waynesboro, PA. Volunteers will be needed from 11 AM – 4 PM. Action: Contact Larry and Sharon Williams to volunteer.
  • June 14, 2025 Appalachian Trail Festival, Red Run Park, Waynesboro, PA from 9:00 – 3:00. Action: Contact Terri Kochert to volunteer.
  • June 28, 2025 North Square Farmers Market, Chambersburg, PA from 8:00 – 12:00. (Just one time this summer.) Action: Contact Terri Kochert to volunteer.
  • Beginning Birders’ Workshop on June 7 at Caledonia. Planning meeting at 6 PM before the April General Meetings. Action: Contact Janet Tice to volunteer.

Please bring family and friends to our events – we welcome new faces! Everything is open to everyone and is free.

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