Field Trips
September 22, 2012
Fall Warbler Walk in Stony Creek Valley
This is the fall version of our annual May trip through the Stony Creek area with warbler expert Tom Smith. A great way to learn how to identify many warblers in their “confusing” fall plumage! To get to the meeting place, drive along Stony Creek Valley Road, past the two power lines, to where the macadam ends. Meet at 7 AM. Contact Tom at 921-2461 for more details.
October 6, 2012
Annual Ralph Kinter Memorial Wildflower Walk
Wildflower expert Dan Welte guides a trip to the Cornwall area to search for gentians and other fall wildflowers. Meet at noon at the Harrisburg Wal-Mart parking lot off Route 322 to carpool. Contact Dan at 728-0421 or dcmawelte@paonline.com.
October 7, 2012 (Sunday)
Waggoner’s Gap Hawk Watch
Join Audubon PA’s Director of Conservation Paul Zeph to view raptors and other species in their fall migration. Learn about Audubon projects at Waggoner's Gap and opportunities to help in the upkeep of this area. Meet at 11AM in the Hawk Watch parking lot. (Get map from Paul or AAS website.) Contact Paul at 691-0288 or pzeph1@verizon.net.
October 13, 2012
Hershey Gardens
Join AAS for a custom tour of the historic Hershey Rose Garden led by Horticulture Specialist Barbara Whitcraft. We’ll see a fall rainbow of mums, roses, and late season annuals, along with many species of birds that visit the Gardens. Contact Arlene Buchholz at abvetlab@yahoo.com for details. There will be a per-person fee of $8.50 for this trip.
October 25, 2012 (Thursday)
Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, Kempton, PA
Bill Anderson leads this trip that starts with a talk at the Acopian Center, followed by a trip to the visitor center and a live raptor demonstration at the amphitheater. After a light lunch and visit to the education center, we’ll head to the hawk watch sites. Meet at the Radisson Hotel parking lot in Camp Hill. Contact Bill at 579-2049, 737-0603, or wanderingdoc@me.com at least one week in advance for meeting time and other details.
November 17, 2012
Eagles at Conowingo Dam
Long-time birder Ed Smith leads a trip to the Conowingo Dam and lower Susquehanna River to watch for Bald Eagles, gulls, and other species. Contact Ed at 960-9441 or SmithE@awkengineers.com.
December
Christmas Bird Counts
Become a citizen scientist for the day by participating in this century-old annual event. Contact one or all of the circle compilers for a team assignment and details:
Harrisburg CBC--Saturday, December 15, 2012. Contact Deuane Hoffman at 564-7475 or corvuscorax@comcast.net
New Bloomfield CBC--Saturday, December 22, 2012. Contact Ramsay Koury at 761-1871 or rkoury123@aol.com
!NEW! York Springs CBC (Cumberland, Adams, and York)—Thursday, December 27, 2012. Contact Vern Gauthier at 385-9526 or pabirder@gmail.com
Curtin CBC--Thursday, December 27, 2012. Contact Scott Bills at 896-8859 or sbills@pa.gov.
Newville CBC--Saturday, December 29, 2012. Contact Bill or Linda Franz at 776-4463.
January 19, 2013
Juniata County Winter Birding
Join Aden Troyer and Chad Kauffman in search of Short-eared Owls, Lapland Longspurs, Pine Siskins, and other winter birds. Contact Aden at 463-3117; or Chad at chadkauffman@earthlink.net, 436-8257, or 994-6715. Meet at the Lost Creek Shoe Shop, where you can browse their extensive selection of birding optics, with hands-on testing and expert advice from the owners.
February, 2013
Ramsay’s Annual Winter Mystery Trip
Ramsay Koury, our own “birder extraordinaire,” leads a fabulous day-long trip. Ramsay selects the locations and date based on what birds are being seen where. Space limited. Date and time to be announced. Contact Ramsay at 761-1871 or rkoury123@aol.com. Check the December-January newsletter and www.appalachianaudubon.org for details.
March 2 or 3, 2013
Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area
We’ll have an exciting day of snow geese, tundra swan, waterfowl, eagles and many more species at the peak of their migration. Contact Judy Bowman at 761-3815 or bowma99@aol.com. Check the February newsletter and at www.appalachianaudubon.org for details.
March 10, 2013 (Sunday)
Ned Smith Waterfowl Watch
We join the Ned Smith Center for Nature and Art in Millersburg for this annual Susquehanna River watch of migrating waterfowl. Experts will be on hand to assist with species identification. Dress warmly. Contact Beth Sanders at the Ned Smith center at 717-692-3699 or Judy Bowman at 761-3815 or bowma99@aol.com.
April 6, 2013
Wildflower Walk at Pine Hill
Jane Earle takes us through the wooded ravine at Pine Hlll Arboretum in East Pennsboro Township to look for early spring wildflowers such as Dutchman’s breeches, toothwart, saxifrage, trout lily, and blue phlox. 1 PM. Contact Jane at janeearle7@msn.com or 728-4241 for meeting location.
April 20, 2013
Haldeman Island
Scott Bills of the PA Game Commission guides this trip, which will afford great looks at ducks in breeding plumage, a Bald Eagle nest, warblers, snipe, shore birds, and maybe a Caspian Tern or gallinule. This is a walking trip of 2-3 miles. Meet at the island at 9 AM. Contact Arlene Buchholz at abvetlab@yahoo.com for details.
April 27, 2013
Reservoir Park, Highspire
Jane Barnette takes us to a new trail at Reservoir Park in Highspire to see a variety of spring birds. Meet at J.C. Penney’s parking lot (Swatara Square) at 7 AM. Contact Jane at 657-2055 or jbird558@aol.com.
May 4, 2013
Warbler Walk in Stony Creek Valley
Join warbler expert Tom Smith in this annual trip through the Stony Creek area to see, hear, and learn about many species of warblers. Meet at 7 AM by the PPL substation along Stony Creek Valley Road. Contact Tom at 921-2461.
May 5, 2013 (Sunday)
Warbler Walk at State Game Lands 230
Pete Lusardi leads a walk along the base of the Blue Mountain in Carlisle Springs to look for the migrating and summer resident warblers and other songbirds. Meet at 7 AM in the easternmost parking lot. Contact Pete at 243-6419 or pjlusardi@aol.com
May 11, 2013
Pennsylvania Migration Count
Join this annual scientific study of counting as many bird species as possible within the day. Dauphin County contact: Carl Juris, 564-1479 or hbgbrdrs@verion.net; Cumberland County contact: Vern Gauthier, 385-9526 or pabirder@gmail.com.
May 18, 2013
Breeding Birds of the Tuscarora State Forest
Cumberland County Compiler Vern Gauthier guides a search for warblers and other woodland breeders of the Tuscarora Ridge. We’ll also stop at local fields to search for Bobolinks, Dickcissels, and Blue Grosbeaks. Registration for this program is limited. All participants must register by contacting Vern at 385-9526 or pabirder@gmail.com.
June, 2013
Fort Indiantown Gap Grasslands
Only one percent of Pennsylvania’s native grasslands still exist. David McNaughton of Fort Indiantown Gap, will give us a tour of unique grassland habitat, which holds Grasshopper Sparrows, Blue Grosbeaks, Blue-winged and Prairie Warblers, American Kestrels, and rarer species like Golden-winged Warblers and the Regal Fritillary Butterfly. Meet at Ft. Indiantown Gap Community Club Boxcar Café at 8 a.m. Date to be determined. Check the May newsletter and www.appalachianaudubon.org for details.
All field trips are free of charge (unless otherwise noted) and open to the public. Please contact the trip leader before going on any field trip. For more information on any trip, call Judy Bowman at 761-3815.
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Other Events
September 15, 2012
Fall Native Plant Sale
Come to the Meadowood Nursery in Hummelstown from 9:00 AM- 1:00 PM. Details in the September newsletter and at www.appalachianaudubon.org.
September 28-29, 2012
AAS Annual Birdseed Sale
We’ll be at the Boscov’s in Camp Hill on Friday from 3:00 PM-8:00 PM and Saturday from 9:00 AM- 2:00 PM. Saturday is our Bird Feeding Festival! Details and pre-order information in the September newsletter and at www.appalachianaudubon.org. Order online!
April 27, 2013
Spring Native Plant Sale
Come to the Meadowood Nursery in Hummelstown from 9:00 AM- 2:00 PM. Details featured here and at www.appalachianaudubon.org. |