Birds – Page 3 – Conococheague Audubon

August 2024 from the President

By Valerie BarnesPosted on August 11, 2024August 11, 2024Posted in Birds, Monthly Message, OutreachTagged birds, donate

Shorebird migration seems to be underway. Recently folks have seen a Baird’s Sandpiper at the farm pond along White Church Road. Subscribe to eBird alerts to be notified about Franklin (or other) County rarities so you know what’s in the area.

Terri Kochert reports that a woman who sets up at the Chambersburg Farmers’ Market makes tote bags from birdseed bags. What a cool idea! You might want to make your own or give your bags to her to use.

John Greer reminds us to save the date for the PA Adopt-A-Highway clean up scheduled for Saturday, September 28 at 9 AM. Supplies will be provided. Sign up with John: 443-255-8871, jngreer@aol.com

According to an article about “Bird Olympics” in the Washington Post, on a race of birds flying horizontally, the Mallard would win, with a speed of about 103 mph. While we often think of the Peregrine Falcon’s fast dive (at about 242 mph), it’s the Mallard that flies fastest horizontally. Who knew?! In terms of flying quietly, the Barn Owl is hard to beat. And an Ostrich could outrun any human in the 100 m dash – finishing in just 6.04 seconds. Birds are pretty amazing!

If you haven’t already received it, keep an eye out in your snail mail for our annual fundraising letter and the 2024-2025 Activities List. We depend on and appreciate your financial support. Good birding!

July 2024 from the President

By Valerie BarnesPosted on July 9, 2024July 9, 2024Posted in Birds, Conservation, Monthly MessageTagged birds, flowers

Summer is officially here and resident birds are breeding. If you see evidence of nesting, please eBird via the PA Atlas Portal so that your records are counted in the 3rd PA Bird Atlas Project.

The Norlo Park Native Plants Garden gang, under the expert guidance of Josh Donaldson, planned an event for Monday, July 15 at 9 AM. Josh invites you to come and learn about the plants, butterflies, bees, and birds that enjoy the garden. (Rain date is July 17 at 9 AM.) Bring a folding chair to use as you listen to the speakers. Josh reports that they saw the first Spicebush Swallowtail caterpillar in the garden this spring!

Terri Kochert plans to set up a display table at the Chambersburg North Square Farmers’ Market the last Saturday in July, August, and September. Contact Terri to volunteer. If you are at the market to shop, please stop by and say hello.

Conservation Chair John Greer sends this reminder; SAVE THE DATE: Saturday, September 28, 2024. Please spend a couple hours helping us pick up trash along Route 997 as we kick off our participation in PENNDOT’s Adopt-A-Highway program. Training and supplies will be provided. More details to follow. Help beautify our area and clean up the environment.

We’re finalizing the activities for the upcoming season; you’ll get an Activities List in the mail in August. I hope you have a good summer and see lots of good birds. Our next regular meeting will be Monday, September 9 at 7 PM, with Jeanne Verhulst sharing her birding tour of Eastern Australia. As always, please check our website to make sure an event’s plans are unchanged. Thank you for your continued participation and support.

January 2024 From the President

By Valerie BarnesPosted on January 7, 2024January 7, 2024Posted in Birds, Monthly MessageTagged birds, donate, films

As 2023 draws to a close, let us share our wishes for peace around the world and hopes for our planet and its fauna and flora. Let this be a year when we all do what we can to be good stewards for our communities, feathered friends, and our friends and family.

Sometime this winter, Bob and Terri Kochert plan to lead a trip to the Gettysburg area to see Short-eared Owls, if the owls start appearing on a regular basis. Contact the Kocherts to sign up.

Our annual covered dish dinner and members’ photo show will take place on Monday, January 8, 2024, at 6 PM at St. Luke Evangelical Lutheran Church. All are welcome. Members typically contribute one dinner item (casserole, meat, vegetables, salad, pasta, fruit, rolls, etc.) and/or a dessert. Coffee, tea, and pots/jugs of water will be provided. Bring your own table setting, including a napkin, flatware, plate, bowl, and mug/cup. Let’s try to avoid plastic and disposable items! If you have a few photos you wish to share, please bring them on a USB thumb drive.

Our second nature film, Season of the Osprey, will be shown Thursday, January 18, 2024 at 7 PM at Chambersburg Area Middle School South. Admission is free, but donations are welcomed.

The Art Sale to benefit Conococheague Audubon is expected to continue through January at Wallspace Gallery and Framing, 1769 Lincoln Way East, Chambersburg, PA 17202. Members James and Deborah Wheeling are selling 140 fine art bird prints collected over 50 years and will generously donate all proceeds to CAS. Many prints are numbered and signed. 34 artists are represented, including Robert Bateman, Guy Coheleach, Ray Harm, and Roger Tory Peterson. Most prints are unframed, but approximately 16 framed prints are still hanging at Wallspace. Regular gallery hours are Tues-Fri 10-4:30, Sat 10-2; other times by appointment, 717-264-7210. Browse the catalog online at Wallspace.com or in person at the gallery.

Our Treasurer, Donna Hocker, asks that committee chairs, directors, and officers submit budget requests for the June 1, 2024 – May 31, 2025 season by February 1, 2024. If anyone else has ideas about potential expenses or income for the upcoming season, please contact a committee chair, director, or officer as soon as possible.

It’s always a good time to make a donation to Conococheague Audubon Society and mail it to PO Box 20, Fayetteville, PA 17222. Anyone interested in joining our leadership team? Please contact conaudubon@outlook.com and tell us what you would like to do.

May 2024 be full of good health, good cheer, and good birds!

Scott Weidensaul for 11 December meeting!

By Valerie BarnesPosted on December 7, 2023December 7, 2023Posted in Birds, News, Zoom

The originally-planned presenter (Steve Huy) for our December 11 meeting is unavailable, but a colleague has volunteered to make the presentation. Instead of Steve, we will hear from SCOTT WEIDENSAUL about Project SNOWstorm. Scott Weidensaul is the author of more than two dozen books on natural history, including the Pulitzer Prize finalist “Living on the Wind” and his latest, the New York Times bestseller “A World on the Wing.” Weidensaul is a contributing editor for Audubon and writes for a variety of other publications, including BWD and Living Bird. He is a Fellow of the American Ornithological Society and an active field researcher, studying saw-whet owl migration for more than 25 years, as well as winter hummingbirds in the East, bird migration in Alaska, and the winter movements of snowy owls through Project SNOWstorm, which he co-founded. Scott will be presenting via Zoom. This is a rare treat!

December 2023 From the President

By Valerie BarnesPosted on November 30, 2023November 30, 2023Posted in Birds, Monthly Message, Zoom

Colder nights have settled in and our winter visitors are here. Juncos flit around under the shrubs and feeders. Brown Creepers hug the tree trunks. Can our first snowfall be far off?

If you haven’t already, do stop by the Festival of Trees at the Franklin County Visitors Center on the square in Chambersburg. Our white birch tree is really lovely, as are many other trees and wreaths. The Festival ends Saturday, December 2, so time is running out!

The opening reception for the sale of Jim and Deb Wheeling’s collection of bird prints went well last Saturday. The collection will be available at Wallspace Gallery and Framing through January. You can view the collection online at Wallspace.com. The catalog is accessible from the homepage or under Exhibits | Current Exhibit. The shop is at 1769 Lincoln Way East, Chambersburg, PA 17202. Regular hours: Tues-Fri 10-4:30, Sat 10-2. Other times by appointment, 717-264-7210. The prices are really reasonable; at least 22 of the 140+ prints have already been sold. When I was there earlier this week, there were still some framed prints on the walls upstairs at the gallery. Remember that the proceeds are all being donated to Conococheague Audubon Society.

Our regular meeting program at 7 PM on December 11 is Project Snowstorm, by Steve Huy. Project SNOWstorm uses innovative science to understand snowy owls. The program will be available in person at St. Luke Evangelical Lutheran Church or via Zoom.

Visit the calendar on this site to see other upcoming activities.

Thanks for your support for Conococheague Audubon and the birds! If you haven’t mailed in a donation yet, it’s never too late. Please make out your check to Conococheague Audubon and mail to CAS, PO Box 20, Fayetteville, PA 17222.

Take care, stay warm, and good birding!