Conococheague Audubon Society

PO Box 20, Fayetteville, PA 17222

ConAudubon@outlook.com

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Conococheague Audubon

Birds

Information about recent bird sighting, behavior, news

August 2022 from the President

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

Dear Conococheague Auduboners and Friends,

Shorebirds are starting to come through. If you are interested, some good places to visit are Antrim Commons, the Greencastle Reservoir, and local farm ponds. Songbirds won’t be far behind.

Our leaders have settled the upcoming season’s activities and will be mailing it to you soon. In the meantime, you may access the Activities List file here. We are starting to put the activities into the calendar on this site, so stay tuned. Our first meeting will be on September 12th and Bill Oyler will lead our first field trip on September 10th. We will meet again at St. Luke Evangelical Lutheran Church (off Route 997, near the Scotland exit of I-81), 2695 Luther Dr, Chambersburg, PA 17202, with Zoom as an option for most meetings.  Two nature films will be shown at two locations in November and March: Chambersburg Area Middle School South and Living Faith Chapel. When you receive the annual mailing, check your address label to see when your membership expires.

We are still looking for someone to contact local media outlets with Publicity about our activities. Most of this happens through Facebook. If you are on Facebook, please step up. We need your help! There are also two Saturdays left when Terri Kochert will set up a display table at the Chambersburg Farmers Market (August 27 and September 24). Please contact Terri if you can join her between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. Folks enjoy stopping by to talk about “their” birds.

This year, almost 2,500 photographers from across the United States and Canada submitted nearly 10,000 photographs and videos to Audubon’s 13th annual Audubon Photography Awards. Check out the winners!

Enjoy the rest of summer and good birding,

  Valerie Barnes, President

July 2022 from the President

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

Dear Conococheague Auduboners and friends – 

Some Scarlet Tanagers are still singing, and the House Wrens seem to be feeding whoever is in the nest box. Summer is definitely here! 

Terri Kochert has graciously agreed to be our Outreach coordinator. (I hope her arm isn’t too sore after the twisting I gave it.) She has been involved in most of our outreach activities for the past few years, and, like Debby Hook, really enjoys engaging with the public about birds and Audubon. Please offer her your support by volunteering to help at such events. Or, help in advance by preparing materials for display. Bottom line: we need your help! 

In that vein, there are three more Chambersburg Farmers’ Market Saturdays for us this summer: July 23, August 27, and September 24. The time is brief for each day, just 9 a.m. until 11 a.m. It’s a great way to spend part of a Saturday morning, and you can visit the rest of the market booths while you are there. Corn should be available starting this week. J Please contact Terri (717-263-3692) if you want to help.  

We are on hiatus as far as meetings and field trips go. Our next meeting will be on September 12th and the next field trip is September 10th. We will be posting the schedule later this summer and sending you the new Activities List in August. We are still looking for someone to contact local media outlets with Publicity about our activities. Most of this happens through Facebook these days. So, if you are familiar with Facebook, please step up, or we won’t have as much engagement with the community. Contact me (Val Barnes) at conaudubon@outlook.com or 717-352-4397 to learn more. 

To celebrate the joy birds bring to our lives, National Audubon released Volume II of For the Birds: The Birdsong Project, produced by Grammy Award-winning music supervisor Randall Poster. In collaboration with some of the world’s greatest musicians, artists, and actors, the collection features all-new tracks by artists including Yo-Yo Ma, Elvis Costello, Very Nice Person, Hania Rani, The Flaming Lips, Michael Uzowuru, Mary Lattimore, Matthew McConaughey, Inara George and Van Dyke Parks, Jeff Goldblum, Stephin Merritt, and many more. Listen now at https://www.audubon.org/birdsong-project

According to a press release from Pennsylvania’s Department of Conservation and Natural Resources: On June 17, 2022, “leaders from seven state agencies today highlighted the importance of protecting native species, which are critical to protecting our natural resources, at a stream restoration site at Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission headquarters. Governor Tom Wolf has proclaimed the first Pennsylvania Native Species Day.”  

“Pennsylvania has 2.2 million acres of state forests, millions of acres of state park and game lands, and private forestlands that must be protected from invasive species,” DCNR Assistant State Forester Matt Keefer said. “Protecting our native plants and forests is critical to keeping Pennsylvania landscapes beautiful and productive for future generations.” 

Conococheague Audubon promotes native plants through the Norlo Park garden we established and maintain. Check it out, and contact Josh Donaldson (717-264-6920) if you want to help pull weeds or plant natives in the garden. You might also consider planting more natives on your own property. They are easier to maintain than non-natives, and benefit birds and other species as well. 

Here’s hoping you have a safe and happy Fourth of July. Stay cool and may you see lots of good birds. 

  Val Barnes, President 

May 2022 from the President

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

Hello Fellow Nature Lovers, 

Migration is upon us! There have been sightings of a few warblers already. Bob Keener had a Black and White Warbler, John Greer had a Yellow Warbler.  We saw Wilson’s Snipe and Purple Martins off Wenger Road. We had our first Hummingbird on April 25. At Larry Lehman’s we saw a Yellow and Palm Warblers, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Baltimore Oriole, Gray Catbird, and Green Heron on April 26. Larry also has nesting House Wrens. On April 29 we had a Black-throated Green Warbler on Stillhouse Hollow Road and an Indigo Bunting at our feeder! It’s so wonderful all these signs of new life!   

Announcement from our PA urban centers: 

“The first season of the annual Lights Out Harrisburg program began April 1 at the start of peak spring migration and runs through May 31 when most winged migrants will have passed through Harrisburg. In the fall, Lights Out Harrisburg and peak migration will occur between Aug. 15 and Nov. 15 as birds travel south. Although the request is for lights out during these peak migration periods, light pollution is something to consider all year for Pennsylvania’s resident birds. 

Harrisburg joins Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, and more than 30 other cities nationwide, with Lights Out programs. The National Audubon Society, along with partners, established the first Lights Out program in 1999 in Chicago.” 

By Christina Novak ra-dcnrpress@pa.gov <ra-dcnrpress@pa.gov 

Interested in serving as a wildlife mentor? 

The Wildlife Leadership Academy is seeking interested adults to be volunteer mentors wildlife/fisheries focused summer field schools.  Adult mentors learn alongside Academy students, serving as the primary mentors for the participating youth throughout the 5-day residential summer field schools.  Positions are available at each of the 2022 field schools, which will focus on white-tailed deer, bass, brook trout, turkey, and bear. (Five different weeks volunteer mentors are needed. June 13-Aug 6, 2022.) 

Interested in becoming a mentor for Wildlife Leadership Academy?  Apply online today at www.wildlifeleadershipacademy.org/adult-mentor-application 

Upcoming and ongoing events here at Conococheague Audubon:  

Our newly revised Bluebird Trail at Penn National under the direction of Lynn and Dorian Runt, plus many volunteers, have seen plenty of action.  They have recorded thus far five bluebird nests with 4-5 bluebird eggs each.  If you want to help, please call 717-352-3995. 

Please consider participating in one of our many activities.  You will be glad you did! 

May 5, Thursday FIELD TRIP

6:30 AM Path Valley for SPRING MIGRANTS. Leave from Keener’s home, 5207 Heisey Road. Bring scopes, binoculars, and lunch. Bob Keener, 717-532-9723 or 717-658-8765.

May 6, Friday      FIELD TRIP   

6:00 PM Lehman property for SPRING MIGRANTS. Meet at 750 Tallow Hill Road, Chambersburg, to walk around a pond, meadows and woods.  Larry Lehman, 717-263-7203.

May 9, Monday   MEETING

7:00 PM Is Sustainability Impossible or Inevitable? by James P. Hamilton. Arranged by Ron George.

May 14, Saturday                 FIELD TRIP

7:00 AM Little Cove for SPRING MIGRANTS.  Meet at the entrance of Buchanan’s Birthplace State Park. Bring lunch and binoculars.  Valerie Barnes, 717-352-4397or Donna Hocker, 717-491-2171.

May 14, Saturday                 WORK DAY

9:30 AM Work at NORLO PARK native garden. Bring garden tools and gloves. Josh Donaldson, 717-264-6920.

May 16-18, Mon.-Wed.     FIELD TRIP

Trip to Magee Marsh, Ohio, for WARBLER MIGRANTS. Bring scopes, binoculars, and lunch.  Make own hotel arrangements.  Sign up by Feb. 27.  Bob and Terri Kochert, 717-263-3692.

May 21, Saturday      FIELD TRIP

5:30 PM Edenville area for WHIP-POOR-WILLS and BOBOLINKS.  Leave from Sunnyway Foods parking lot, 49 Warm Spring Road, Chambersburg.  Bring scopes and binoculars.  Eric and Rhetta Martin, 717-597-8675.

June 4, Saturday, 7:45 AM     BEGINNING BIRDERS’ WORKSHOP. Meet at Visitors’ Center in Caledonia State Park, Fayetteville; park in first parking lot beyond Visitors’ Center. Bring binoculars; a few pairs available for loan. Pre-register with Dave Cooney, 717-264-2116 or Janet Tice jwtice1@comcast.net, 717-372-0379.  (This is such a great bonding and learning opportunity for parents and children and/or grandparents and grandkids.  It will be great fun for all!  Why not check it out?) 

As I step in to my new role as Immediate Past President (IPP) of CAS, I want to say a huge “Thank You” to the MANY people who helped me along the way.  The list goes beyond the following list, but I especially want to thank Debby Hook (my IPP)for her tremendous guidance and assistance.  I thank Val Barnes for her computer skills getting the Zoom meetings up and running during these past two years of Covid and her gracious patience through it all. I also want to thank Donna Hocker, Treasurer, and Rhetta Martin, Recording Secretary, for their patience and wise advice along the way.  I was surrounded by a kind and helpful team of board of directors.  Thank you all for all your help! 

As I step down as president, CAS will continue running smoothly with Val Barnes as your next CAS President.  I wish Val, Lisa and the rest of the team another two fabulous years of continued success! 

Continue looking up and keep birding! 

Terri Kochert

Guatemala Community Cloud Forest Conservation (CCFC) Capital Campaign

By Valerie BarnesPosted on Posted in Birds, Conservation

Dear Fellow Nature Lovers,

Community Cloud Forest Conservation (CCFC) in central Guatemala has launched a capital campaign to purchase 390 acres on which the center is built.  They intend to establish a wildlife sanctuary with Guatemala’s National Council for Protected Areas and restore the habitat for species of special conservation concern. We have an opportunity to contribute to the capital campaign and invite you to make a donation. We will bundle the donations and forward them to CCFC. If our total contribution reaches $1,000, that will enable CCFC to purchase and reforest one acre. A couple who are members of the Conococheague Audubon Society has offered to match up to $1,000 of your contributions. So, if we collectively donate $1,000, it will become $2,000, thanks to these generous donors.

Through education, reforestation, sustainable development, leadership scholarships, and ecological improvements to agriculture, CCFC focuses on alleviating poverty and protecting forests in the highlands of Guatemala. As stated on their website, “CCFC believes that holistic human / community development through education and capacity building is the key to conservation and development in Guatemala’s central highlands. Education, especially for young women, is key to building peace in this region.”

In 2018, seven CAS members, including my husband Bob and myself, joined a group from Virginia Society of Ornithology on a bird watching trip to CCFC. Rob and Tara Cahill, managers of CCFC, helped us to see 200 different bird species. We stayed at the CCFC facility and witnessed the impact it has on the local culture and economy. We birded with many of the center’s young students who are learning about birds and conservation. We also interacted with a group of 40 teachers participating in an in-service session.

CAS has remained connected with CCFC by annually donating money for one young woman to continue her education beyond sixth grade. Public education in Guatemala is provided for students through sixth grade, but older students must pay for their education, uniforms, and books.

The sanctuary CCFC plans to establish will protect not only 15 endemic bird species but also “our” wintering birds as well, such as Wood Thrush, Olive-sided Flycatcher (near threatened status), Golden-winged Warbler, Blue-winged Warbler, Louisiana Waterthrush, Worm-eating Warbler, Kentucky Warbler, Cerulean Warbler (near threatened status), Blackburnian Warbler, Canada Warbler, Prothonotary Warbler, Bay-breasted Warbler, Yellow-billed Cuckoo and Dickcissel.

CCFC plans to reforest the land and manage the sanctuary in perpetuity. Reforested areas will provide habitat and food for the area’s unique wildlife, including 33 bat species that have been seen on CCFC land.

Community Cloud Forest Conservation is a non-governmental, not-for-profit, conservation and human development organization, incorporated in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania and registered with the Internal Revenue Service of the United States as a 501(c)3 tax exempt entity. CCFC is governed by a volunteer board of directors.

The Conococheague Audubon Society Board of Directors endorses the CCFC efforts and authorized me to ask you to consider making a special donation to this project. You may write out a check to “Conococheague Audubon Society” and send it to:  Conococheague Audubon, PO Box 20, Fayetteville, PA 17222. Please indicate “CCFC donation” in the memo area of your check. We will accept donations until July 1, 2022.

Thank you for caring for birds and conservation matters, both here in the U.S. and where our birds winter.

Terri Kochert

March 2022 From the President

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

Hello Fellow Nature Lovers,

There are many Conococheague Audubon events coming up in the near future. So, let’s get right to it.

March 5, Saturday  FIELD TRIP. 6:30 AM Middle Creek WMA, Lancaster County auto tour for WATERFOWL. Meet at the Park & Ride, Scotland, Exit 20, I-81 northbound. Bring scopes, binoculars, and lunch. Contact Eric and Rhetta Martin, 717–597-8675.

March 8, Tuesday  FIELD TRIP NEW DATE. This is a deviation from the Activities List. It’s supposed to rain Monday, March 7, in the afternoon, evening. On Tuesday, March 8, it’s to rain in the AM, but be cloudy in the afternoon. 5:45 PM Tentative outing for WOODCOCKS at Heisey Road orchard. Meet at the Park & Ride, Scotland, Exit 20, I-81 northbound. Bring flashlights. Contact Bob Kochert, 717-263-3692. 

March 14, Monday  MEETING/HYBRID. 7:00 PM Forest-Bird Restoration by Ron Rohrbaugh, Director, Conservation Science and Forest Programs, Audubon Mid-Atlantic . Arranged by Terri Kochert. The speaker will give the presentation from a remote location via Zoom. Come to St. Luke Evangelical Lutheran Church or view from home.

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

Meeting ID: 721 120 3928  Passcode: cardinal20

I am excited to report that we are resuming the showing of our FREE nature films, beginning 7:30 PM, Thursday, March 24, 2022 at Living Faith Chapel, 8770 Possum Hollow Road, Shippensburg, PA. Film is: Last Stand of the Great Bear. (National Geographic) Great Bear rainforest of British Columbia. Brown, black, “spirit” bears, wolves, and salmon fishing. Doors will open at 7:00 PM. There will be free door prizes too.

Election News: The April election of CAS officers and directors will take place between March 14 and our April 11, 2022 meeting. I will be sending you the ballot via an extra email this month for the express purpose of voting for the listed nominees. Though voting will take place at the Annual Business meeting, April 11, 2022, CAS will also accept voting by proxy, by email, or other electronic means if you are not able to physically attend our meeting. Thus, you may vote early via email or by phone. We’ll appreciate receiving your vote as early as possible. There is a quota of votes needed to validate the election. Please vote immediately when you receive the ballot

Magee Marsh May Field Trip Date Change: Although May seems to be distant from today’s date, I need to bring another schedule change to your attention. In our CAS Activities List we have advertised a trip to Magee Marsh May 2-4. This will need to be changed. Though the Biggest Week in Birding WILL take place this year (after two years of cancellations due to Covid), it is scheduled for May 6-15, 2022. CAS has its final 2021-2022 season meeting on May 9, 2022. So, the CAS Magee Marsh trip will be scheduled for Monday, May 16-Wednesday May 18, 2022. More information about this trip will follow next month.

Calling All Photographers: If you enjoy taking photographs, please send your best bird photos to National Audubon for be selected for their best bird photos.

CAS needs your help: I am putting out a plea for anyone interested in helping for an Earth Day Outreach on Saturday, April 23, 2022 from 10 AM to 2 PM in downtown Chambersburg. Contact me as soon as you can to offer your assistance.

Everglades Info: With Dave Graff’s excellent Florida exposé of the beauty and fragility of the Everglades, I thought I would include a few articles from Audubon Florida about some of the Florida projects to revive the Everglades and the species found there.

“Wandering Spoonbills Tell Us What We Need to Protect the Everglades,” by Chad Witko. Jerry Lorenz of Audubon Florida tracked this species to shed light on how the iconic “River of Grass” is changing, for better or worse.

“12,000-acre Everglades Restoration Project Complete,” by Kelly Cox. The C-44 canal was first dredged in 1923 to divert flood water from Lake Okeechobee to the St. Lucie estuary. It has taken decades and millions of dollars of funds to restore the C-44 area.

Good birding to you all as the weather breaks and Spring arrives!

Terri Kochert

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