STATE COLLEGE BIRD CLUB

2020 Spring Calendar for Bird Club meetings and field trips,
and other birding events

Additional details of field trips may be posted to the State College Bird Club listserv group.

Regular Meetings:

January 22, 2020
Regular Meeting
7:00 p.m. Foxdale Village Meeting Room
Program: Paul Paradine and Kraig Senter will give a program titled "Ospreys and Overheads - Working Together to Build and Rebuild."

February 26, 2020
Regular Meeting
7:00 p.m. Foxdale Village Meeting Room
Program: Julian Avery will give a program titled "It's a noisy world! Experimental effects of industrial noise on cavity-nesting birds."

March 25, 2020 (ONLINE ONLY - due to COVID-19)
Regular Meeting
7:00 p.m. Foxdale Village Meeting Room
Program: Lauren Schricker will give a program titled
“Making the most of managed forest: using automated recording units to monitor bird arrival and diversity in Sproul State Forest.”

April 22, 2020
Regular Meeting
7:00 p.m. (ONLINE ONLY - due to COVID-19)
Program: Nick Bolgiano will give a program titled "Evidence for West Nile Virus-Related Avian Declines in Pennsylvania"

May 27, 2020
Special Meeting
7:00 p.m. (ONLINE Zoom Meeting)
Photography 2019-2020
Our meeting will showcase the work of Debra Grim, Nick Kerlin, Margaret Sprott, Kazumi Ohira, Deb Rittelmann, Lou Saporito, Larry Ramsey, Jean Miller, Nick Bolgiano and Bob Snyder.  Each will share and narrate five of their favorite images from the last year and feature mostly birds of Central Pa and a few from afar.  Thanks to Jen Lee and Ro Fuller for organizing this special event.

Greg Grove will also provide a brief summary of the noteworthy birds from the last month, and as always, all are welcome to attend.  Please join us remotely through the Zoom link which is available on the Listserv or by emailing the Bird Club President (see the main page for how to contact).

Winter and Spring Field Trips of the State College Bird Club

Wednesday, January 29 (7:00-9pm)

Owl Prowl

Diane Bierly will lead an owling field trip on Wednesday, January 29. This will be
a listening activity, which requires standing around in the cold for up to 25
minutes at a time. Binoculars are not necessary but you might want to bring a
flashlight. The group will meet at the Boalsburg Military Museum parking lot along South Atherton Street at 7:00 pm and then carpool to various habitats in hopes to hear Great-horned Owl, Barred Owl, and Eastern Screech Owl.


Sunday, March 22, 2020 (8am – 11am) (CANCELED due to COVID-19)

Exploring Bald Eagle State Park Field Spring Migrants.

Join Bob Snyder in exploring Bald Eagle State Park in search of waterfowl, shorebirds, and early spring migrants.

Meet at the Milesburg McDonald's (gravel truck lot to form up) at 8:00 AM.  The group will bird until 11:00 or longer if the activity is high.  Please dress to suit the conditions and bring water and a snack if desired.  There are primitive restrooms open at Lower Greens Run and two other locations in the main park area.

If the weather looks like rain that Sunday, a decision will be made on Friday, March 20th, to cancel or reschedule the trip.
 
This field trip is open to members and non-members.

 
Saturday, April 11, 2020 (7am-10am) (CANCELED due to COVID-19)

Birdwatching at Prince Gallitzin State Park

Looking to build your Cambria County bird list or exploring new habitat? Join DCNR Environmental Education Specialist, Tony DeSantis, and State College Bird Club member, Jon Kauffman, as they explore Prince Gallitzin State Park for early spring migrants. Prince Gallitzin State Park encompasses 1,635-acre man-made lake that supports a diversity of migrating waterfowl with surrounding trails providing excellent opportunities to observe early songbird activity.

Participants will be lead through an easy to moderate trail system as well as multiple viewing points for scanning the lake. Wear sturdy shoes, bring a snack, and water. Facilities are available.

The group will meet at the Home Depot on North Atherton, State College at 7am for carpooling and caravanning.  Participants can also choose to meet at the Prince Gallitzin State Park office off Marina Rd at 8am.

This field trip is open to members and non-members.  


Saturday, April 18, 2020 (7:30am-10:00am) (CANCELED due to COVID-19)
 
Walk at Rhoneymeade, Centre Hall, Pa
 
Surrounded by a mosaic of hedgerows, successional woodlands and forest, Rhoneymeade farm is 150 acres, certified organic (primarily hay), with a 6-acre arboretum at its center. We will take about 2 hours of gentle hiking. Be prepared for a bit of mud if it is wet, but nothing extreme. We will look for a mix of returning breeding and migrant birds including gnatcatchers and kinglets, catbirds and thrashers, various hayfield sparrows and meadowlarks. Rhoneymeade Arboretum and Sculpture Garden is 9 miles east of State College, midway between Linden Hall and Centre Hall. Follow Rt 45 E out of Boalsburg for 4.5 miles past the junction with 322, then turn left on Rimmey Rd. Climb the hill ~0.3 mi until the road forces a sharp left, and then just around the corner you'll see the parking area is on the left. This field trip is open to members and non-members.

 177 Rimmey Road, Centre Hall, PA 16828.
www.rhoneymeade.org/
 
Trip Leaders: Joe Gyekis and James Lesher
 

Saturday, April 25, 2020 (8am-10am) (CANCELED due to COVID-19)

James Cleveland Memorial Trail

Join Julia Plummer for a beautiful and lush forest walk on the James Cleveland Trail and surrounding Bald Eagle State Forest. This eBird hotspot has recorded over 80 species during spring migration and is known for its great opportunity to observe nests of Great Blue Herons. Participants will be led through an easy to moderate (mostly easy) 1.5 mile trail. Wear sturdy shoes, bring a snack, and water.  No facilities.

Directions: Traveling south on Rt 144 from Pleasant Gap, turn left onto Greens Valley Road. Travel 3.5 miles to James Cleveland Memorial Trail Head.

This field trip is open to members and non-members.

 
Sunday, May 17 (7:30am-9:30am) (CANCELED due to COVID-19)

State Game Lands 33 Powerline right-of-way (ROW) Walk

The December bird club meeting welcomed Carolyn Mahan as she spoke of the use of electric transmission line rights-of-way by breeding birds in State Game Lands 33 (SGL 33). Join Professor of Biology at Penn State Altoona, Brad Ross, as he explores SGL 33 in the field to observe birds of early successional habitat including Chestnut-sided Warbler and Eastern Towhee and hopefully a generous assortment of spring migrants.

Participants will be lead through the project site on an easy to moderate trail. Wear sturdy shoes, sunscreen, bring a snack, and water. No facilities.

Directions: The group will meet at the Home Depot on North Atherton, State College at 7:00am for carpooling and caravanning. 

This field trip is open to members and non-members.

Birding Events sponsored by groups other than the Bird Club

Spring 2019  Fall 2019
Spring 2018  Fall 2018
Spring 2017  Fall 2017
Spring 2016  Fall 2016
Spring 2015  Fall 2015
Spring 2014  Fall 2014
Spring 2013  Fall 2013
Spring 2012  Fall 2012
Spring 2011  Fall 2011
Spring 2010  Fall 2010
Spring 2009  Fall 2009
Spring 2008  Fall 2008
Spring 2007  Fall 2007
Spring 2006  Fall 2006
Spring 2005  Fall 2005