State College Bird Club ZOOM Meeting
March 27, 2024


Presiding: Doug Wentzel

Recording: Peggy Wagoner Saporito

Attendance: 39

Meeting Format: Zoom

Treasurer’s report:(Karen Kottlowski):

SCBC balance in the checking account is $3823.00 and savings account is $5576.55. Upon the request of last month’s presenter, Amber Wiewel, her honorarium was donated to Hawk Mountain Sanctuary. Centre Foundation sent to the SCBC an anniversary card to acknowledge the first full year of our endowment fund with the foundation. The annual distribution of funds from this endowment will be sent shortly.

Bird Club Field Trips

Susan Smith (VP of Field Trips) recently sent a reminder email to the listserv regarding the variety of trips that will be occurring in April. The first is scheduled for April 7 at Bald Eagle State Park led by Bob Snyder. Details for all SCBC sponsored trips can be found on our website https://www.scbirdcl.org/schedule.current.html.

In addition, other birding opportunities include weekly walks during April and the first half of May at Spring Creek Park sponsored by Millbrook Marsh and led by SCBC members each Tuesday beginning April 9, and Migration Morning at Shaver’s Creek each Wednesday beginning April 3 and continuing through May 8.

Announcements/Other Activities

As a reminder, applications for bird conservation grant(s) are due April 30. Over $1000 is available from our endowment to support avian projects, research or education in our region. Questions can be directed to the grant selection committee, Peggy Wagoner, Susan Braun, Deb Escalet, or Roana Fuller.

The meeting sponsored by Nittany Valley Environmental Coalition on March 15 to share information and to begin developing collaborations among organizations was attended by SCBC board members, Doug Wentzel, Doug Mason, Susan Smith and Brady Thomas along with members of around 20 other Centre region environmental groups.

The Earth Day event, Sunday afternoon, April 21 at Millbrook Marsh will include information tables. Doug W. will be at the SCBC table and is looking for others to join him. If you need more information, contact Doug or come to the event and join Doug at the table for a bit.

Whitehall Park is almost open for access connecting to Musser Gap trails.

Shaver’s Creek Birding Cup (May 3-4) registration is now open.

There will be a native plant sale at Shaver’s Creek on Saturday April 27.

The April 8 deadline to sign up for the Clearwater Conservancy’s Master Naturalist program is fast approaching. For details see: https://www.clearwaterconservancy.org/

Kaitlyn Stouch, the new PSO newsletter coordinator, who lives here in State College, requested volunteers to help her send out around 250 newsletters each quarter.

Registration for PSO’s annual birding festival to be held this year in Washington, PA, May 31-June 2 will be open on April 1. Sign up early because field trips fill up fast.

Our April SCBC meeting will include elections for four open board positions: two at-large board members, VP of Field Trips and Treasurer. Susan Braun, Deb Escalet and Kathy Bechdel are on the nominating committee.

Greg Grove briefly discussed the Breeding Bird Survey. Birds such as cardinals, ravens and pigeons are already beginning to breed. Greg encouraged us to consider signing up for blocks in lesser birded areas within our region such as some of those in Blair, Clinton and Clearfield counties. Margaret Brittingham is the Centre county coordinator and Julia Plummer is our Allegheny regional coordinator.

Andrew Bechdel gave us an update on the Tussey Mountain hawk watch. With the 147 golden eagles that have been counted to date, it looks like this season is on track to reach the average total of around 160. Other species that have been moving through include red-tails, red-shouldered hawks (27) and a few peregrines. Raptors that can be expected in April include kestrels, osprey, more sharp-shinned hawks, and finally broad-winged hawks at the end of the watch season. Andrew thanked all of the visitors to the watch for their help spotting birds and general support during those times when there are inevitable lulls in the flight.

Greg Grove gave an update on Old Crow Wetland. Not surprisingly, the PA Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) approved Rutters application to build the truck stop. The Coalition to Save Old Crow Wetland has hired 2 lawyers to appeal the decision, so the threat to the wetland is ongoing.

Exceptionally Notable Bird Sightings: Greg Grove’s (Short) Summary
(March 1 - 27, 2024; Centre and its contiguous counties)

March is known for the numerous species of ducks and golden eagles migrating through our region. An early appearance of a Virginia rail at Driebelbis wetland (former Julian) has been present for most of the month. Interesting shorebirds have been seen at Fairbrook wetland/Tadpole road area including 35 Wilson’s snipe, greater yellow-legs and pectoral sandpiper.  A black-crowned night heron was reported in our region. Continuing from sightings in the winter, norther shrikes were reported at Mid-State Airport. Tree swallows have begun to arrive and a few purple martins have been reported in Mifflin and Juniata counties. A brown thrasher was reported in Blair county. Pine warblers are being seen and an orange-crowned warbler (mostly considered a western species) has apparently spent the winter here and continued to be reported this month.

Annual Photo and Audio Show: hosted by Betsy Manlove and Nick Bolgiano.

We enjoyed a delightful evening of photographs from some far-flung spots such as Madagascar, South America, Africa and the southern US as well as a variety of our favorite avian (and several mammalian) neighbors from here in the Centre region. This generous group of 13 photographers each shared and briefly discussed each of their five photos. Thanks to photographers: Constanza Ehrenhaus, Chad Kauffman, Larry Ramsey, Bill Rafton, Lou Saporito, Deb Rittlemann, Ken Tucker, Nick Bolgiano, Joe Gyekis, Alan MacEachren, Don Bryant, Graham Gorgas and Kyle Smith, and to Nick and Betsy for setting up and hosting this event. To wrap up the evening, Julia Plummer shared several of her recordings with their associated sonagrams including rarer birds such as red crossbills and some favorites such as woodcock.