STATE COLLEGE BIRD CLUB

2023 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.

All meetings are open to everyone.  Due to COVID-19, please join us remotely through the Zoom link which will be available on the Listserv or by emailing the Bird Club President (see the main page for how to contact).

Regular Meetings: 


January 25, 2023 (Wednesday)
Regular Meeting
(ONLINE Zoom Meeting)
Program: Carl Engstrom will present a program titled  "Summer with the Tides: Fieldwork in the Saltmarshes of New Jersey".

February 22, 2023 (Wednesday)
Regular Meeting
(ONLINE Zoom Meeting)
Program:  Mary Birdsong will present a program titled
"Plovers, Terns, and Shorebirds Galore".

March 22, 2023 (Wednesday)
Regular Meeting
(ONLINE Zoom Meeting)
Program: Steven Feldstein will present a program titled "The impact of the weather on shorebird migration in western Alaska".


April 26, 2023 (Wednesday)
Regular Meeting
(ONLINE Zoom Meeting)
Program:  Zoey Greenberg will present a program titled "More Than Just a Pretty Face: Why Vultures Deserve a Second Look"
.

May 24, 2023 (Wednesday, 7:00pm)
Annual Photo and Sound Sharing (ONLINE Zoom Meeting)

Our meeting will feature the work of the Bird Club's audio recorders and photographers.  Each contributor will share and narrate some of their favorite sounds and or images of birds taken since May 2022.  Thanks to Nick Bolgiano and Betsy Manlove for organizing this year’s annual event. 

To submit, email up to five photos or sound files to Nick no later May 17.  Include the species, date and location of where the image was taken, or sound recorded.  Photo format should be the highest quality and JPEG, JPG or PNG are accepted.  Audio file format should be MP3 or .WAV.


During each meeting, Greg Grove will provide a brief summary of the noteworthy birds from the last 30 days.




Winter and Spring Field Trips of the State College Bird Club


These Bird Club field trips are open to all unless otherwise stated.


Sunday, March 19, 2023 (8:00am-11:00am)
Bald Eagle State Park

Trip Leader: Bob Snyder

Meet at the Swimming Beach parking lot.

We will be looking for migrating waterfowl: possibly various ducks and other waterfowl, Tundra Swans, Bald Eagles and winter hawks that may be in, or passing through the park while heading back north. 
Bring binoculars, a spotting scope (handy if you have one) and a camera. 
Please dress for the weather and time of year; we can still have snow squalls in late March and wear a pair of sturdy hiking boots, as we might walk down from the war memorial on the dam to Hunter Run Cove and the spillway marsh.

Saturday, April 01, 2023 (7:30am-9:30am)
Chicory Lane Farm, Spring Mills, Pa

Trip Leader: Joe Gyekis

ChicoryLane Farm is now managed for wildlife habitat, including old fields, young forest, and wetland. A network of many trails loop around the property. Be prepared for some mud and wet grass. We will look for a mix of resident and spring migrant birds. If rain is heavy, we will cancel, but we will continue as scheduled with light rain. Drive 20 miles east on Route 45 from Boalsburg then turn left onto Brush Mountain Road. Continue about 0.7 mile until you see a straight gravel driveway heading back to the right, at blue & white sign #246, into old field habitat. You can navigate in your GPS to 40.875564, -77.549939.

chicorylane.com

Saturday, April 22, 2023 (8:00 am-10:00am)
Birds and Coffee
Stan Yoder Memorial Preserve
450 W. Main St., Boalsburg

Trip Leaders: Karen Kottlowski, Peggy Wagoner Saporito, Susan Smith

Stan Yoder Preserve has a small parking area just off Main St.  More parking is available at nearby Blue Spring Park.  The Preserve has mostly level wide mown paths through woods and adjacent to fields.  We will be looking and listening for spring migrants as well as year-round species.  We will adjourn to The Pump Station Cafe for coffee after our walk.

Sunday, April 23, 2023 (7:30am-9:30am)
Musser Gap and Whitehall Farms

Join Jon Kauffman and recently appointed Musser Gap Conservation Director, Mike Toolan for a leisurely walk from Musser Gap to Whitehall Farms. This field trip will focus on Vesper, Savannah, and Grasshopper Sparrows as well as other spring arrivals. Participants will be led on an easy to moderate well maintained trail. Wear sturdy shoes and bring water. No facilities.

Meet at the Musser Gap Trail parking area off of route 45, 1 mile east of the Rt 45 and Rt 26 intersection.

Sunday, April 30, 2023 7:30 AM-9:30 AM
Bald Eagle State Park Beach

Trip Leader: Julia Plummer

Update: The forecast for Sunday calls for rain all day.  Therefore, we are moving the planned field trip from Scotia Barrens to Bald Eagle State Park.  Rainstorms are often a chance to look for shorebirds, waterfowl, terns, and more that set down in the rain.

Meet at the beach area: look for us in a pavilion if it is raining.  If the rain lets up, we'll walk around the area looking for birds.  Consider wearing appropriate footwear for walking in wet grass and trails.

Sunday, April 30 and Sunday, May 7 (8:00 AM to 9:30 AM)
Tussey Mountain Ski Resort

Join members of the State College Bird Club for guided walks at Tussey Mountain Ski Resort from 8:00 AM to 9:30 AM on Sunday, April 30 and Sunday, May 7.  We will walk around the pond and look for raptors behind the lodge.  We will meet in the main Tussey parking lot at the lower end across the street from the go-carts.  Restrooms are available.  In case of heavy rain or a thunderstorm, the walk will be cancelled.

Wednesday, May 17, 2023 (7:30am - 9:30am)
Search for Cerulean Warblers on the Lower Trail, Blair County

Please join Nick Bolgiano for a leisurely walk along a stretch of the Lower Trail in Blair County. The goal of this trip is to find Cerulean Warblers, in the core of their Lower Trail habitat. See keystonefund.org/success-story/a-perfect-habitat/ for more information on Nick Bolgiano's search for Cerulean Warblers. This stretch of the Lower Trail is also great for Acadian Flycatcher, Yellow-throated Vireo, Warbling Vireo, Wood Thrush, Louisiana Waterthrush, Yellow-throated Warbler, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, and Baltimore Oriole.

Please meet at the Mt. Etna trailhead parking lot at 7:30am (www.rttcpa.org/index.shtml). Travel West on Route 22 from the intersection of Route 453 at Water Street. Turn Left on Fox Run Rd at 3.3 mi (just after the westbound turns to 2 lanes, making this easier if traffic) or Left on Etna Furnace Rd at 4.6 mile. Continue Right near the river to reach the Mt. Etna trailhead parking lot. There is a modern outhouse available.

From the Mt. Etna trailhead parking lot, the group will walk South along the Lower Trail for 1-2 miles out and back.




Birding Events sponsored by partner organizations


112 Forest Resources Building
Thursday March 16 at 5:00 pm

Penn State Arboretum Avian Education Seminar will feature Amanda Rodewald, who will give a talk titled “Strategic conservation in an uncertain world:  it takes a village” in 112 Forest Resources Building.

Millbrook Marsh Tuesday walks at Tudek Park
Tuesday March 28, April 4, 11, 18, 25, and May 2 from 8 to 9:30 am at Tudek Park
 
Web page: https://www.crpr.org/mmnc-public-programs

Shaver’s Creek Migration Morning
Wednesday April 5, 12, 19, 26, May 3 and 10, 7 to 8:30 am at the center.

Web page: https://www.shaverscreek.org/public-programs-and-events/birdwalks/

Arboretum Bird Walks
Monday April 10, 17, 24, May 1 and 8,  8-9:30 am at the Overlook Pavilion.

Join a bird walk led by a local expert birder (Joe Gyekis, Margaret Brittingham, Julian Avery, or Deborah Grove). All levels of birding experience are welcome. The walk will begin in the Penn State Arboretum at the Overlook Pavilion.

Please dress for the weather, wear sturdy shoes suitable for walking on wet ground, and bring a pair of binoculars if you have them. Walks will be cancelled in the event of steady rain or snow.

Please contact Rebecca Horwitt with concerns or questions. Read about the Arboretum’s Avian Education Program at https://arboretum.psu.edu/programs/education/.

Pennsylvania Society for Ornithology Birding Festival will be held in State College May 19 to 21. 

Registration is now open for the PSO Birding Festival. Use this link for registration and information about the field trips, speakers, etc.  https://pabirds.org/BirdingFestival/BF.php

You can order a t-shirt without attending the meeting.






Previous schedules:

Spring 2022  Fall 2022
Spring 2021  Fall 2021
Spring 2020  Fall 2020
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