Conococheague Audubon Society

PO Box 20, Fayetteville, PA 17222

ConAudubon@outlook.com

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Conococheague Audubon

Year: 2021

UPDATED March 2021 from the President

By casbirdsPosted on Posted in Birds, Monthly Message, Uncategorized

Hello fellow nature lovers,

Today is a “ducky” day in two different ways.  First, we are getting drenched with rain.  I believe nearly all the snow will be gone soon. We also will be seeing some warmer temperatures this week to come.  It appears that spring is on its way!

Secondly, as the Brits use the word “ducky,” they mean that whatever they’re referring to is wonderful. Thus, I have some “ducky news” to share with you.  I now have a competent, capable, vibrant Vice President.  Her name is Jessica Ferguson.  She’s very handy with the computer, knowing where to find information. She’s full of ideas and helpful too. She is a budding photographer and an intense neophyte birder, desiring to learn everything she can about birds.  She and her husband have four children and they’ve been in the area for fifteen years. Working for Waste Connections, Scotland, PA, Jessica plans to take college classes this fall, pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science through American Public University in West Virginia.  I am so thrilled to have her as my vice president!  Welcome, Jessica!

There are several things to bring to your attention concerning near future CAS events.

Don’t forget to sign up if interested in this Saturday’s March 6, 2021 auto tour to Middle Creek WMA, Lancaster County to see Snow Geese and other waterfowl.  Contact Eric and Rhetta Martin at 717-597-8675.  Meet at the Park & Ride, Scotland, Exit 20, I-81 northbound at 6:30 AM.  Bring scopes, binoculars, CBs, and lunch.   

  • March 8, 2021, Monday, at 7 PM a Zoom meeting: Homeland Security: Native Trees Are a Bird’s Refuge with Scott Willard. Please follow the following Zoom instructions. We will not be meeting in person. 
  • To participate in our Zoom presentation, you need to download “Zoom” onto your computer, tablet, or cell phone. Once you have it downloaded, save this email and/or flag it until Mar. 8, 2021.  I will also send out a Zoom reminder with the Zoom link on Sunday, March 7, making it more easily accessible.  On Monday, March 8, at about 6:50 PM, turn on your computer, open the email, press the link, and you will be invited in by our tech guru, Val Barnes closer to 7 PM.  You may choose to be connected via “video” where we will see your face, or you can connect via “audio only”.  If you choose audio, you/we will see your name, but not your face.  You will be able to see and hear the presentation without being seen.  Once you have been invited, I ask you to kindly “mute” yourself until the end when John will entertain questions.  At that time, you will need to “unmute” yourself before speaking.  Too many unmuted voices at the same time create echoes and sound distortion.  So, please, mute yourselves until you have a question to ask.  I thank you in advance. For your information, there will be NO interruption this time. Here is our Zoom link: 

Conococheague Audubon is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Conococheague Audubon’s Zoom Meeting

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

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

Meeting ID: 721 120 3928

Passcode: cardinal20  

  • March 9, 2021 Tuesday.  Join us for our annual field trip to see the Woodcocks at Heisey Orchard Road.  Meet at the Park & Ride, Scotland, Exit 20, I-81 northbound at this new new time: 6:00 PM. Bring flashlights and binoculars.  Notify Bob Kochert 717-263-3692.
  • Remember that we will be holding our annual business meeting and elections on Monday, April 12 at 7 PM. Prepare to vote for two new directors nominated to serve a three-year term: John and Sure Greer. You may vote during the meeting or in advance via email by sending a message to our email account.
  • For your viewing pleasure, check out the following link for live webcams of Bald Eagles and other birds.

Hoping to see some of you on upcoming field trips,

  Terri

February 2021 From the President

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

Hello fellow nature lovers, 

I hope you are warm and cozy, enjoying this beautiful snow.  With the second month of 2021 upon us I do have some good news to share with you. The Short-eared Owls did indeed make their long-awaited appearance along Bigham Road, just off Pumping Station Road in the Gettysburg area.  Bob and I took eight different people to see them.  Bob and I were there three times seeing the owls.  While we saw only two at dusk the first time, the second time we were rewarded with quite a show of six SEOs early, around 4:15 PM.  The third visit we saw four of them also around 4:20 PM.  That was quite a chilly visit!  Our visits were January 14, 16, and 18. 

I also want to introduce you to our own CAS Feb. 8, 2021 meeting at 7 PM via Zoom.  Our speaker for the evening is John Greer, presenting his Birds of the Far North: an Icelandic Adventure.  Again, to participate in our Zoom presentation, you need to download “Zoom” onto your computer, tablet, or cell phone. You do not have to establish a Zoom account to watch our programs. Once you have Zoom installed, save the monthly email or access this post on Feb. 8, 2021.  If you save the email you might want to set a reminder on it so that your email program reminds you.  On that date, at about 6:50, open the email, press the link, and you will be admitted by our tech guru, Val Barnes close to 7 PM.  You may choose to be connected via “video” where we will see your face, or you can connect via “audio only”.  If you choose audio, you/we will see your name, but not your face.  You will be able to see and hear the presentation without being seen.  Once you have been invited, I ask you to kindly “mute” yourself until the end when John will entertain questions.  At that time, you will need to “unmute” yourself before speaking.  Too many unmuted voices at the same time create echoes and sound distortion.  So, please, mute yourselves until you have a question to ask.  I thank you in advance. For your information, there will be NO interruption this time in the presentation as we had last month.  

Here is information for our Zoom link: Topic: CAS Feb. 8, 2021 Birds of the North by John Greer. Time: Feb 8, 2021; connect a little before 7 PM. Join Zoom Meeting:

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

Meeting ID: 721 120 3928; Passcode: cardinal20. Note: you won’t need this information if you click on the link.

Speaking of owls, I would like to share with you that Gettysburg College through Professor Ryan Kerney will be zooming a presentation by Jonathan Slaght, PHD about fish owls from Russia on Wednesday on February 10, 2021 at 5 PM.  Jon spent four years studying these birds from 2006-2010.  He has written a book about his experience called Owls of the Eastern Ice.  The complete title of his presentation on Feb. 10 is Owls of the Eastern Ice: Negotiating Blizzards and Eccentrics in Pursuit of a Conservation Degree.  Since you already have Zoom downloaded onto your computer now, press the following Zoom link at 5 PM:

  https://gettysburg.zoom.us/j/98422749544  The meeting ID is 9842274+544.  

Get ready and excited for the Great Backyard Bird Count on Feb. 12-15, 2021!  You have four days to record how many birds of each species you see within 15-minute intervals.  You can report as often as you’d like during the four days.  Then, you should report your responses using e-bird.  There’s a lot of information about this great birding event on this link:   Great Backyard Bird Count  Once you get onto that site, there is a short video about this event on the first page, plus other kinds of information. 

Thus, here are all the February events: 

  • Feb. 8, 2021 at 7 PM.  Zoom meeting with John Greer presenting his Birds of the Far North: an Icelandic Adventure 
  • Feb. 10, 2021 at 5 PM.  Jon Slaght, PhD presents his Owls of the Eastern Ice: Negotiating Blizzards and Eccentrics in Pursuit of a Conservation Degree 
  • Feb. 19, 20, 21, 2021.  CANCELLED overnight auto trip to Blackwater NWR, Maryland for waterfowl has been cancelled.  
  • March 6 field trip to Middle Creek WMA, led by Eric & Rhetta Martin.  We meet at 6:30 AM at the Park & Ride, Scotland, Exit 20, I-81 northbound.  Bring scopes, CBs, and lunch.  Contact Eric and Rhetta if you intend to go (717-597-8675).   

Birds that have been seen in the vicinity:  Ruddy Duck at Greencastle Reservoir; Common Redpoll, Short-eared Owls in Gettysburg; Snow Bunting, Horned Larks, and Lapland Longspur along Church Road near Pleasant Hall; and a Wilson’s Snipe along Rowe Run by Bill Oyler.   

If interested in helping out with the 2021 PICK UP PENNSYLVANIA campaign March 1- May 31, 2021, please see the flyer with registration information/links.     

Stay safe and healthy!

Terri

January 2021 From the President

By Valerie BarnesPosted on Posted 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

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