All field trips are open to members and
non-members.
Please contact Kathy
Bechdel for questions or information about the field
trips
Sunset Bird Count at Sayer's Dam
Wednesday, September 2, 7:15 pm - 8:15 pm
Wednesday, October 7, 6:15 pm - 7:15 pm
Wednesday, November 4, 4:30 pm - 5:30 pm
Wednesday, December 2, 4:15 pm - 5:00 pm
Trip Leader: Joe Gyekis
Meet for bird watching at Sayer's Dam at the northeastern end of
Bald Eagle State Park. We will meet at the PFC Foster Joseph
Sayers Statue and War Memorial. If the birding is busy at the
dam, we will stay there, if not, we will walk half a mile down
to a small wetland nearby (see
map).
Target birds include various water birds on the lake and
possible robin/blackbird roost near the wetland.
This field trip is open to members and non-members.
Heron Watch at Fisherman's Paradise
Tuesday, September 8, 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm (Raindate
September 10)
Trip leader: Julia Plummer
Heronry at Fisherman's Paradise, at the end of Spring Creek
Road, Bellefonte, PA. Watch the Great Blue Heron return to
their roosts on the hillside behind the fish hatchery.
Meet at the gate to the fish hatchery on the bridge between the
first two parking areas. Bring a folding chair to set up
along the fence.
This field trip is open to members and non-members.
Chicory Lane Farm
Saturday, September 12, 8:00 am - 10:00 am
Trip Leader: Joe Gyekis
Chicory Lane Farm is managed for wildlife habitat, including old
fields, young forest, and wetland. A network of mowed trails
loop around the property. We will look for a mix of resident and
fall migrant birds. First will be a gentle walking loop, then we
will climb the hill to look at the sky from the high meadow,
feel free to join one or both halves. If rain is heavy, we will
cancel, but we will continue with light rain.
Click
here for more details about the trip.
Restroom is available.
Drive east on Route 45 from Boalsburg about 1.5 miles past the
bridge in Spring Mills 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 or
this link
This field trip is open to members and non-members.
Tudek Park
Saturday, September 19, 10:00 am - 11:00 am
Trip Leader: Constanza Ehrenhaus
This walk will be designed for beginner birders, especially
families with children. Of course, all are welcome. The area is
stroller-friendly, and the walk will be kept to one hour to fit
younger learners' attention spans. We will meet in the parking
lot.
This field trip is open to members and non-members.
Penns Prairie at Tri-County Municipal Park, Centre Hall,
PA
Sunday, September 27, 7:30 am - 9:00am
Trip Leaders: Andrew Bechdel and Leigh Rix
Penn's Prairie is a multi-purpose park integrating recreation,
wildlife conservation, and historical prairie restoration and
preservation. The park is located at
2400 Upper Brush
Valley Road, Centre Hall, PA 16828.
Join Andrew Bechdel and Leigh Rix (Watershed Specialist and
Education Coordinator for Centre County Conservation District)
for a leisurely walk throughout Penns Prairie Park outside
Centre Hall, Pa. This newly developed, multi-purposed park
provides opportunities for a variety of avian life such as
nesting grassland sparrows, Red-headed Woodpeckers, and American
Kestrels. Although this park has been open to the public since
August of 2018, an understanding of avian life is still in the
works and we hope to increase community efforts in helping
understand the changes throughout the development of the park.
www.pennsprairie.com
This field trip is open to members and non-members.
Canoe Creek State Park
Saturday, October 3, 8:00 am - 9:30 am
Trip Leader: Connor Schmitt
Connor Schmitt will lead a walk through a variety of habitats at
one of Blair County's top birding spots. The walk will
include scanning the lake for waterfowl, walking through a
meadow and on a boardwalk that hugs the lake. This field
trip is also sponsored by the Juniata Valley Audubon Society.
After entering the park, drive straight to the T in front of the
large parking area. Turn left and park at the farthest lot
next to a picnic pavilion and the restrooms.
This field trip is open to members and non-members.
Bee Wilder Farm, 143 Charming Ln, Spring Mills,
PA 16875
Saturday, October 24, 9:00 am - 10:30 am
Trip Leader: Joe Gyekis
Bee Wilder Farm is part homestead, part farm sanctuary, and part
wildlife reserve, where we will have a gentle walk around the
property among the plantings of native trees and flowers,
looking for birds of old field and forest edge habitat and, if
weather is appropriate, active migrants in the sky.
https://beewilder.farm/
Outhouse style restroom is available.
Drive east on Route 45 from Boalsburg about 9.5 miles to Decker
Road, turn left and continue north for just over a mile, then
turn right on Manor Rd and continue east for another mile before
turning right on Bitner Hollow Road. After half a mile, Charming
Lane will be on the right, proceed to the end of the lane. Also
see Google Maps directions.
Bald Eagle State Park
November 8, 8:00 am - 11:00 am
Trip Leader: Bob Snyder
We will meet at the Swimming Beach at Bald Eagle State Park and
visit various locations around the main park area including the
beach, winter launch, the Sunken Road Overlook. Additional
possible locations will be a drive to the top of the dam for a
short walk down the service road to view Hunter's Cove and the
emergency spillway marsh at the dam.
We will be looking for waterfowl on the lake and also hope to
find winter birds such as Northern Shrike, Snow Buntings,
American Pipits and American Tree Sparrows.
Please consider the weather and wear appropriate cold weather
gear and sturdy boots. An orange vest is also
recommended. Binoculars, spotting scopes and cameras are
also encouraged.
This field trip is open to members and non-members.