State College Bird Club

25 Feb. 2009

The State College Bird Club met at Foxdale Village on 25 Feb. 2009.  Thirty-two members and guests attended; Deb Grove presided.

Business

Dorothy Bordner read the treasurer's report and checklist.  Attendees reported 86 species within a 25-mile radius of Old Main since 1 Jan. 2009.  A possible Cackling Goose was reported at the Duck Pond, but the observer wanted confirmation before claiming it.  It was not included in the checklist.  The Secretary was unable to attend this meeting, and the January meeting had been cancelled due to inclement weather, so no minutes were read.

Board members suggested that the Club donate $400 to the Tussey Mtn. hawk watch; The motion was approved by the membership.

Announcements

• Jon Kaufman reported on his first day at the Tussey Mtn. hawk watch, during which he had both sunshine and two Golden Eagles.
• Nick Thomas, Environmental Educator at Bald Eagle State Park, shared plans for birding programs at the park, including a slide show by Bob Snyder on Feb. 3and weekly bird walks.  Check the calendar of events at http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/parks/baldeagle.aspx.
• Nick is looking for volunteers and attendees at the Bald Eagle Birding Festival on April 18, from 2pm to 8pm.  The festival is an expanded version of the annual woodcock festival, with bird walks, raptors from Shaver's Creek, Robyn Graboski representing Centre Wildlife Care, and children's activities.  Bird walk leaders are needed. 
• Another volunteer opportunity consists of the Clearwater Conservancy's International Migratory Bird Day celebration at Musser's Gap.  The date has not yet been fixed but will depend partly on the availability of bird walk leaders.  Contact Deb Grove for more information.
• David Reddington of Troop 83 reported on the results of his Boy Scout project, for which Bird Club donated funds last year.  David build phase one of an extension to the rehabilitation shelter on Scott Pierman's (spelling?) property in Stormstown.  The shelter is used by Centre Wildlife Care.  David put in 300 hours of work designing the building, installing concrete footings, and raising the framework.  The shelter will be completed by another Boy Scout, Nate Mormon (spelling?), this summer.

Upcoming events

• 28 Feb.  Big Valley field trip, led by Greg Grove
• March program will be Pat Shipman on “Taking Wing”

Presentation

James Dunn, a native of South Dakota, presented a slideshow about birding there.  He finds the state to have a far greater variety of habitat and birding opportunities than many people might think.  The birders there are few, but friendly, even posting their phone numbers on their listserv.  Jim divides the state into three regions—east of the Missouri River, west of the river, and the Black Hills.

The east area has potholes and moraines and lots of habitat for breeding waterfowl and waders, wrens and rails.  Trees are smaller, less dense, and more sparsely distributed than in Pennsylvania, so every clump of trees has great potential for good birds.

Piping plovers and least terns breed on the sand bars of the Missouri, and owls winter on its islands.  Dams on the Missouri provide open water in winter that attracts many interesting gulls and other birds.

West of the river is drier, with grasslands, badlands and mesas.  Large concentrations of pheasant attract large numbers of wintering predators such as bald eagles, golden eagles, gyrfalcons and snowy owls.  Here breed Sprague's pipits, burrowing owls, grouse and prairie chickens.  Poorwills are found among the cedars on the mesas.

The forests of the Black Hills offer three-toed, black-backed and Lewis's woodpeckers, goshawks, Virginia's warblers and the country's easternmost dippers. 

South Dakota is a meeting of eastern and western species.  All seasons are rewarding for birding; migration is particularly rich.

Minutes taken by Debra Grim

Recorded by

Nan Butkovich, Secretary