Dear Conococheague Auduboners and friends –
The days are still hot, but some nights are cooler. Fall must be coming! In my backyard I’ve recently seen a very young Northern Cardinal and several young Blue Jays. It seems late for both species to be fledging. More typical are the young American Goldfinch, one of the latest breeding birds in our area.
Member donations are our main means of support. So, if you haven’t already, please make whatever contribution you can and mail it to Conococheague Audubon Society, P.O. Box 20, Fayetteville, PA 17222. If you are a local-only member, this is also the standard time to renew your membership. Local-only membership costs $15 for the year; please consider making a donation as well.
We continue to hope one of you will volunteer to contact local media outlets as Publicity Chair. Please contact me (Valerie Barnes). If you are interested in joining Terri Kochert at our display table at the Chambersburg Farmers Market on September 24, please contact Terri.
Our activities begin this month:
- Year-round , BIRD WALKS. SOAR (Studying Ornithology Around the Region) walks, 8:00 AM first and third Saturdays; various locations in Franklin County. Larry and Sharon Williams, 717-655-7414; or The Institute, 717-762-0373, https://natureandcultureinstitute.org/events/.
- Sept. 10, 2022, Saturday, FIELD TRIP. 7:15 AM for FALL MIGRANTS. Meet at 7:15 AM at the Park and Ride, Scotland Exit 20, I-81 northbound. One mile walk in wet grass at Heisey Orchard. Then by car on Michaux SF roads with additional walk(s) of up to half mile, with trip ending between 12 and 1 PM. Bring binoculars and snack. Bill Oyler, 717-360-5191, oylerbill@gmail.com.
- Sept. 12, Monday, MEETING. 7:00 PM Weird and Wonderful Birds, Jeanne Verhulst. A fun look at unusual birds. Speaker via Zoom. Arranged by Janet Tice.
- Sept 20-22, Tues.-Thurs., FIELD TRIP. Trip to Cape May NJ for WARBLERS. Options for migrating raptors and seabirds. Bring scopes and binoculars. Find and make your own motel and meal arrangements. Signup deadline is Sept. 16. Sue Greer, 443-255-9559, sgreer412@gmail.com.
Check the calendar event on our website for updates.
The American Ornithological Society establishes the official common English names for bird species. AOS is trying to change harmful and exclusionary English bird names in a thoughtful and proactive way to address racial and cultural issues associated with some species’ names. Just for fun, the National Audubon Society is asking for suggestions about renaming several species currently tagged with someone’s last name. You can submit your ideas online. According to a recent email, NAS established a Board Task Force to “examine the name and the legacy of John James Audubon. This initiative is integral to the organization’s mission to root itself in equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging and the need to interrogate our present decisions through the prism of the Audubon that we would like to become in the future.”
If you would like to order a Conococheague Audubon T-shirt, please check out your options on the Chapter T-Shirt page of our website. Contact Donna Hocker, Treasurer, to place your order. We must order at least 12 at a time, any mix of sizes.
Enjoy the end of summer and early fall. Good birding!
Valerie Barnes, President