Mid-Atlantic Round-Up

Audubon Mid-Atlantic

(Audubon Mid-Atlantic is the merger of Audubon Pennsylvania and Audubon Maryland-DC.)

Insect conservation: If you missed the September AMA Webinar about insect conservation with guest Nate Reagle, you can watch the recording here: https://youtu.be/HazXyKF_dD4?si=aAGfsgBlLqjbEZEf

Lights Out Harrisburg: Appalachian Audubon Society and National Audubon Society are among the leaders of a collaborative effort to protect night-flying birds spring and fall migration seasons. Businesses, municipalities and residents across the country are invited to participate from August 15 – November 15 and April 1 – May 31 by turning off (and/or dimming) exterior and interior lights during the overnight hours of 12 a.m. to 6 a.m.

Some examples of reduced lighting are: Turning off exterior decorative lighting, pot and flood-lights; substituting strobe lighting wherever possible; Reducing atrium lighting wherever possible; turning off interior lighting especially on higher stories; pulling window coverings while working late; Down-shielding exterior lighting to eliminate horizontal glare and light directed upward; installing automatic motion sensors and controls wherever possible; and avoiding over-lighting with newer, brighter technology

These actions will help reduce nighttime bird collisions and save countless migratory bird lives each year.

October 19 – “Taking Action on Single Use Plastics,” a webinar by Pennsylvania Audubon Council; Heidi Shiver of Bird Town Pennsylvania; Faran Savitz (PennEnvironment’s Zero Waste Advocate); and Richard Metz. This conservation issue was identified as high-priority by the network, and will include a review of the Pennsylvania Audubon Council’s Education and Outreach Statement for “Elimination of Single use Plastics” with Sue Murawski, the lead author for the statement.

Follow bird migrations next fall: This time next year, visitors to both the John James Audubon Center at Mill Grove, Audubon, PA and the Discovery Center in Philadelphia will be able to experience migration in new ways. Audubon plans to install a MOTUS tower at Mill Grove, along with interactive kiosks that will link to Audubon’s Migratory Bird Initiative’s on-line tool. A MOTUS tower picks up signals emitted by transmitters that have been placed on birds. A growing network of towers across North and South America allows us to track their hemispheric movements, allowing Audubon to determine where to focus its work on behalf of birds.

The interactive Migratory Bird Explorer kiosks planned for the Discovery Center will use data from University of Pennsylvania’s MOTUS tower to help the public understand how migratory birds are using Philadelphia’s parks and other green spaces. To learn more or to support this project, contact Wendy Christie at wendy.christie@audubon.org .

Virtual Birding

Cornell Lab of Ornithology

October 19 – “Birds of the World” Discovery Webinar Series presents “Searching for Lost Birds: How Targeted Expeditions Aid Bird Conservation.” What is a “lost bird?” What is involved in the re-discovery of a species lost to humans for a long time? And how do other species gain by investing resources in searching for lost birds?

John Mittermeier, Director of the Search for Lost Birds at American Bird Conservancy will share stories from recent expeditions and tell how these searches support worldwide conservation efforts.

Registration is required for real-time attendance at noon EST or to receive video at a later time. To register for this hour-long webinar: https://cornell.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_LURUaE9sQg-u3y0iiaMXYg#/registration

October 25 – It’s tough to catch the eye of a potential mate when you’re dressed all in black with no fancy feathers to jiggle around. But a tiny bird called the Blue-black Grassquit has found a way. Learn about this fascinating species of Mexico and Central America during the 2023 Paul C. Mundinger Distinguished Lectureship, presented by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

The free Mundinger lecture will take place at 5:30 p.m. October 25 on the Cornell University campus. This is an in-person and virtual event. To register for the virtual lecture: https://cornell.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_6ZtucHc-QaOTCmr2OfA8Fw

It’s officially Fall, and birds are coming through. Enjoy these lovely days and cool nights. Our visiting Flamingos are gone; one flew away and the other died en route to a different rehabilitation place. It was sad to see them go, but what a glorious time it was to have them visit! This winter’s finch forecast is available. See https://finchnetwork.org/winter-finch-forecast-2023-2024?mc_cid=e9ddf5df38&mc_eid=42119ad7ac .

Roy Brubaker, Forest District Manager at the Michaux State Forest informed me about a public meeting Wednesday, October 18 from 5:30-8:30 p.m. at the South Mountain Fish and Game Meeting room; 11547 Loop Rd, Fayetteville, PA 17222. The session gives the public the opportunity to express ideas about plans to repurpose the South Mountain Golf Course property as the next location for the Michaux Resource Management Center (district headquarters and visitor center). Roy states: “please understand our primary objective at the District, Bureau, and Department level is to ensure the expression of community care interests surrounding the Michaux — both its history and its future – during our public input meeting on 10/18.” If you have opinions about this topic, please attend the public meeting.

Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful is sponsoring clean-up efforts to keep trash out of our oceans. If you organize and register an event, they will provide some supplies. Visit https://www.keeppabeautiful.org/programs/pick-up-pa/ .

Conservation Chair John Greer reminds us the best way to limit the amount of plastic that ends up in the environment is to reduce our use of plastic in the first place.

TIP: Reduce your plastic consumption by buying products in cans or glass, and then recycling them. Note that recycling glass is increasingly difficult as many centers no longer accept glass. We will continue to search for options.

Youth contest entries are due at the October 9 meeting! Come early (6:45 p.m.) to submit your best bird photos and list of bird species observed this year. Come for the program “Birding Antarctica” presented by Mike and Cheryl Saylor.

The Big Sit® is scheduled for October 7-8, 2023. Select your 17-foot diameter circle and sign up to participate. Report your results via eBird. It’s a great excuse to sit outside on a beautiful fall day and watch birds!

Thanks for your support for Conococheague Audubon and the birds! If you haven’t mailed in a donation yet, it’s not too late. Please make out your check to Conococheague Audubon and mail to CAS, PO Box 20, Fayetteville, PA 17222.

News from the Region – October 11, 2023

October 2023 From the President

Fall Migrants Field Trip – Heisey/Michaux SF

Intro to Birding