Overview and ActivitiesQuick LookNext Meeting: Monday 28th January - Cheasapeake Bay presented by B. J. Small |
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MeetingsUnless indicated otherwise, all SMAS Programs are held at the Adams County Agricultural Resource Center, 670 Old Harrisburg Road, Gettysburg, PA at 7:30 pm (refreshments at 7 pm). A room number for the SMAS meeting will be posted on the front lobby entry inner door. Bonnie Portzline is happy to give her presentation ‘Birds with a Gettysburg address’ to interested parties. The presentation is based on her wonderful photographs of local birds. Saturday 19th January York Audubon Society field trip - Trip to Gettysburg National Battlefield for our annual Winter Wildlife Watching tour with licensed guide Dave Weaver. Coordinator: Tish Swam 717-235-2578. Meet inside the Visitors’ Center at 12:45 for the 1:00 P.M. tour. Fee required. Inclement weather date is Jan. 26. Thursday 24th January Bird Walk at former Gettysburg Country Club. This will be a scouting trip for our February Field Trip where we will be partnering with the Gettysburg National Military Park to participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count during Presidents’ Weekend. Meet in the parking lot of the restaurant - Sidney at Willoughby Run - 730 Chambersburg Road, Gettysburg at 8 am. Any questions - contact Deb at 717-677-4830 or siefkend@embarqmail.com Monday 28th January, B.J. Small from the Chesapeake Bay Foundation will be presenting. Saturday 9th February Bird Walk at Oakside Park, Biglerville. Meet at the parking lot off route 394; time: 9 am. Any questions - contact Deb at 717-677-4830 or siefkend@embarqmail.com Monday 11th February Conococheague Audubon Society meeting - 7:00 PM. Birds of Antarctica and South America, by Earl Nollenberger. Monday 11th February York Audubon Society meeting - Talented Hanover photographer Bob Anderhalt presents, “The Birds of Magee Marsh: My 100 Best Photographs”. Luther Memorial Church, Time: 7:00 P.M. Friday 15th February. Great Backyard Bird Count at former Gettysburg Country Club. South Mountain Audubon is partnering with the Gettysburg National Military Park to participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count. Join us for this citizen science project! Meet in the parking lot of the restaurant - Sidney at Willoughby Run - 730 Chambersburg Road, Gettysburg at 8 am. Any questions - contact Deb at 717-677-4830 or siefkend@embarqmail.com February 22 - 24 Conococheague Audubon Society field trip - Blackwater NWR, Maryland, auto tour for WATER-FOWL. Leave from Martins’ home 6 PM Friday. Bring scopes, binoculars, CBs and lunch. Make your own motel arrangements. Eric and Rhetta Martin, 717-597-8675. Saturday 9th March Bird Walk at Oakside Park, Biglerville. Meet at the parking lot off route 394; time: 8 am. Any questions - contact Mike at 717-809-3911 or SMAS@southmountainaudubon.org Monday 11th March, Marci Mowery from the Pennsylvania Parks & Forest Foundation will be presenting on birding and kayaking in the State Parks. Tuesday 12th March Conococheague Audubon Society field trip - 7:00 PM. Tentative outing for WOODCOCKS. For up-date, contact Bob Kochert, 717-263-3692. Saturday 6th April Annual York Audubon Society Banquet at East Berlin Area Community Center, 405 North Avenue, East Berlin, PA 17316. Come early for silent auction, raffle and 50/50. Dinner served at 6:00 P.M. Afterwards, professional photography instructor Sean Quintilian presents: “The Egret and the Water Droplets; the Photographic Journey of Sean Quintilian.” He has gathered images from all over North America for 30 years, honing his skills as a nature photographer. He will take us on a journey of learning and mistakes to capture the perfect image. Cost: $24 per person. (The dinner will be just $20 for those who reserve by March 28.) Make checks payable to York Audubon Society. Mail to Barb Fisher, 81 Old Westminster Road, Hanover, PA 17331. Reservation deadline: April 1, 2019. Barb’s phone # is 717-632-4926. Monday 8th April Conococheague Audubon Society meeting - 7:00 PM. Spring Warbler Tune-up Saturday 13th April Bird Walk at Oakside Park, Biglerville. Meet at the parking lot off route 394; time: 8 am. Any questions - contact Mike at 717-809-3911 or SMAS@southmountainaudubon.org Thursday 25th April York Audubon Society field trip - Join Carolyn Mathur near the Lake Redman boardwalk on Ironstone Hill Road for “The Big Sit”. It’s similar to a tailgate party for birders as we tally bird species while snacking. We sit in a circle facing outward toward the water, the woodland and the wetland,. Starts at 7 A.M. Bring binoculars, a chair and snacks. Arrive when you want. Stay as long as you want. Leader: Carolyn Mathur 717-309-7899. Thursday 2nd May York Audubon Society field trip - Warbler watch at Rocky Ridge County Park to look for these migrating feathered jewels. Leader: Alice Frick 717-843-6675. Bring binoculars, chair and field guide. Meet at 7:30 A.M. at the first parking lot. May 8 - 11 YORK AUDUBON SOCIETY & NATURESTABLER EXPLORATIONS, LLC hosts a trip to Magee Marsh and Ohio’s Northwestern Shore. See flyer for details. May 10 - 12 Presque Isle Audubon hosts a Festival of the Birds at Presque Isle. See Presque Isle Audubon website for details. Monday 13th May York Audubon Society meeting - join educator, naturalist and photographer Tony “Doc” Schoch for a presentation about the other winged beauties titled “Damsels and Dragons—Flies, that is!” Learn about their anatomy, life cycle, identification as well as tips on photographing these amazing creatures. Luther Memorial Church, Time: 7:00 P.M. Thursday 16th May YORK AUDUBON SOCIETY & NATURESTABLER EXPLORATIONS, LLC hosts a trip to Central Park. See flyer for details. Citizen Scientists Wanted!
The Pennsylvania Amphibian & Reptile Survey is looking for interested citizen scientists to participate in their survey in this area. Willingness to record and report amphibian and reptile observations is needed. The 2 websites listed below provide more information on the project, the opportunity to sign up, and links to help with identification of herps: PARS and Pennsylvania Herp Identification For more additional information contact the Adams County coordinator Sue Muller. Her email address is: adams@paherpsurvey.org The South Mountain Audubon Society aims are to conserve and restore natural ecosystems, focusing on birds, other wildlife, and their habitats for the benefit of humanity and the earth's biological diversity focusing on Adams County, PA. The Society works towards those aims with meetings, birding trips, and conservation activities. There are 2 Important Bird Areas locally: Click here to join National Audubon and the South Mountain Audubon Society. Please select U17 as the Chapter code from the drop down menu on the form. If you only want to join the South Mountain Audubon Society only then sign up at the next event you attend. The annual membership is $15. The Society can be contacted in the following ways: email: SMAS@southmountainaudubon.org |
Field TripsFIELD TRIPS - Field trips will be announced in
the quarterly newsletters (when possible) and on this website. Each field trip
will list a contact person and a meeting place. Please be sure to notify
the listed contact person of your planned attendance so that you can be
alerted to any changes in the schedule or meeting place. Bird Arrivals and DeparturesThe friendly competition of documenting the dates of bird arrivals and depatures in Adams County in 2018 has finished. The winners were: Cy Dietz (summer resident arrivals), Bonnie Portzline (pass-thru migrants), Linette Mansberger (summer resident departures); and Kathy King (winter resident arrivals). Feedback is requested on the concept and a web page which documents the dates. The competitoion will be run again in 2019. Local Bird Sightings in 2017 and 20182017 and 2018 were very productive years for new and rare species being recorded in the area:
South Mountain Important Bird Area (covering parts of Adams, Franklin, and Cumberland Counties) Adams County (excluding sightings in the IBAs already noted) Further details including lists of all the bird sighted can be found on the Bird Lists page. See map for the definition of the IBA areas. Hawk Mountain
Field trips to Oakside Park, BiglervilleThe monthly bird walks at Oakside Park, Biglerville continue (see left column). 31 species were observed in September including a number of additions to the Park bird list. Duck DriveOn the 13th November SMAS Members took a drive around Adams County Lakes & Ponds. The highlights of the tour were Hooded Mergansers and a Bald Eagle.
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Broad-winged Hawk
