All field trips are open to members and
non-members.
Please contact Kathy
Bechdel for questions or information about the field
trips.
Thursday Bird Walks at The Penn State Arboretum
Thursday, January 30
Thursday, February 27
Thursday, March 27
Meet at
8 am at the
Overlook Pavilion (paid
parking available at law school, free parking at Sunset Park),
end around
9:30am.
Sunday, March 30, 2025 (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 12, 2025 (8-10AM)
Shaver's Creek Environmental Center, Aerie Classroom
Sound Recording Workshop
Registration required:
https://forms.gle/2UEiyxX6jMY1Zj459
Join Julia Plummer to learn about
recording bird sound.
We will discuss audio recording techniques then practice these
on a short bird walk. In the classroom, we will discuss methods
of processing your audio, using the free software Audacity (
https://www.audacityteam.org/).
We will also discuss pros and cons of different audio recorders
and microphones as well as the benefits of recording birds (for
personal learning and enjoyment as well as contributing to
science). Participants are encouraged to bring a sound recording
device (e.g., cell phones, digital voice recorders, and other
types of audio recorders) and a laptop with Audacity installed.
We will have some extra laptops to loan out. No experience
needed. Workshop is
limited to 18-20 people so please
register.
Contact
Julia
Plummer with questions about the workshop.
Saturday, April 19, 2025 (8:00am-10:00am)
Chicory Lane Farm, Spring Mills, Pa
Trip Leader: Joe Gyekis
Chicory Lane 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.
http://www.chicorylane.com
Saturday, April 26, 2025 (9:00am-10:00am)
Tudek Park
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 near the restrooms at the upper parking lot. To get to
Tudek park: from Martin St, go down Herman Dr and park in the
parking lot near the restrooms or the larger parking lot if the
other one is full.
Wednesday, May 14, 2025 (7:30am - 9:30am)
Search for Cerulean Warblers on the Lower Trail, Blair
County
Trip Leader: Nick Bolgiano
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.
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.
Sunday, May 18, 2025 (8:00am -10:00am)
Plummer's Hollow
Trip Leader: To be announced
Join us on for a 2-hour excursion at Plummer's Hollow Private
Nature Preserve slightly
east of Tyrone. The location is
a nearly 700 acre forested hollow owned by naturalist and author
Marcia Bonta and her family. It is home to a biodiverse forest
and open field habitat that has an eBird species count of 229
species. In the spring the hollow is alive with many spring
ephemerals such as foam flower, trillium, jack-in-the-pulpit,
wild geranium, lady slipper orchids, and many others. Birds,
mammals, reptiles and amphibians all are frequently found by
visitors of the hollow. The walk will be along
Plummers
Hollow Rd which parallels Plummers Hollow Run. The road is
gravel and well maintained for easy walking. There is a gentle
climb as you proceed up the hollow. From the parking area to the
forks (upper extent of the public trail) is about 1 mile. There
are a few places to stop and rest along the way. The time of the
walk is subject to each walker as there are many sites to take
in along the way. What to bring: your naturalist eye,
binoculars, camera, water bottle, nature journals, and walking
sticks if needed. There is cell service for most providers
throughout the walk area. I recommend a restroom stop just prior
to arriving as the only facilities are at the top of the hollow.
Park at the I-99 Park n Ride or the lot on Rt. 453. Both
are located approximately .5 miles from the entrance to Plummers
Hollow. Rd off of Rt. 453. Carpool to the entrance where
there is a small parking area for only 6-7 cars.
https://plummershollow.com/
Find us on
Facebook under Friends of Plummer's Hollow
Private Nature Preserve