Meetings

Unless 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 (profile - courtesy of The Gettysburg Times) 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.

Local Bird Sightings in 2022

Although the number of species recorded in the Christmas Bird Count in 2022 was lower than usual that was not reflected in the eBird reports for Adams County and the local IBAs for the complete year. In fact there were a number of new species as well as reports of species not see locally for many years. Someone tried to tweak the numbers by releasing Indian Peafowl and Red Junglefowl, but they did not succeed.

A trio of new sparrows were recorded, Clay-colored, Nelson, and Harris. The Marsh Wren had eluded recording in the county in the past although there were observations in all surrounding areas. Marsh Wrens were observed in two separate places in the county in 2022.

Among the species not see locally for many years were: Sandhill Crane, Snow Bunting, Black-bellied Whistling Duck, and Dunlin.

Meetings and other Activities

Great Backyard Bird Count, Friday, 17th February Location: Eisenhower Farm. Walk leader: Cy Deitz. Start at 9 am.

Enter the property from Business 15 /Emmitsburg Road. If coming south from Gettysburg, turn right onto Eisenhower Farm Road, just after passing the one-way exit from Confederate Avenue. A dark mailbox with white numbers (250) is at the entrance road. (The brown sign indicating the turn has been temporarily removed.) This entrance is located on the right about 2 miles south of the McDonald's on Steinwehr Avenue. Proceed down the drive and follow the signs to VISITOR PARKING. You will travel along the winding, gravel road to the parking area.

Monday, March 20 Dr. Andy Wilson, Local Nocturnal Bird Migration. Andy teaches in the Department of Environmental Studies at Gettysburg College

Refreshments and social time: 7:00 PM

A brief business meeting followed by the program: 7:30 PM.

Location: Ag Center in Gettysburg at 670 Old Harrisburg Road, Gettysburg.
Free and open to the public

Beginner's Bird Walk, Saturday, 4th March Location: Eisenhower Farm. Walk leader: Linette Mansberger.

Monday, April 17 Dean Rust, “The Beloved and Charismatic Bluebird”; Dean is president of the PA Bluebird Society

Refreshments and social time: 7:00 PM

A brief business meeting followed by the program: 7:30 PM.

Location: Ag Center in Gettysburg at 670 Old Harrisburg Road, Gettysburg.
Free and open to the public

Beginner's Bird Walk, Sunday, 7th MayLocation: Eisenhower Farm. Walk leader: Linette Mansberger.

Monday, May 15 Linette Mansberger, “Birds, Beasts, and Beauty - The Bountiful Island of Papua New Guinea”;

Travel to the South Pacific through Linette Mansberger’s photographic presentation of her 2022 trip to Papua New Guinea. The program will include a tiny bit of geography, a little bite of history, and a bounteous amount of beauty from this island country located just below the equator.

Refreshments and social time: 7:00 PM

A brief business meeting followed by the program: 7:30 PM.

Location: Ag Center in Gettysburg at 670 Old Harrisburg Road, Gettysburg.
Free and open to the public

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:

• South Mountain
  
• South Adams County Grasslands

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

Tel.: 717-809-3911

Mail: SMAS, P.O. Box 3671, Gettysburg, PA 17325.

Field Trips

FIELD TRIPS - Field trips will be planned on an annual basis and a tentative list will be sent in late December to those on our email list. Details for day trips will be announced in the monthly email blasts, and details for overnight trips will be announced a few months in advance. Also, information can be found on this website. Each monthly email will list a contact person and a meeting place and time for the upcoming events. If you are not on our email list, you can contact Mike Bertram at the2nomads@gmail.com or call 717-809-3911 (please leave a voicemail) if you have questions or need other details. Field trip cancellations will be announced by email as soon as possible and also on this website. ظ¤ش╪ذ

Monterey Pass, Waynesborough

On the 5th of November SMAS visited Monterey Pass, Waynesborough. 28 species were observed.

Song Sparrow



Northern Harrier
photos by Kevin Hall and Linette Mansberger

Gettysburg National Military Park

On Sunday 13th September ran a bird walk in conjunction with Gettysburg NMP at Eisenhower Farms, . On a cold and windy day 23 bird species were found.

American Crow

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

Photos by Linette Mansberger

Evergreen Cemetery, Gettsysburg

On the 7th January SMAS took a walk through Evergreen Cemetery, Gettysburg. 19 species were observed..

White-breasted Nuthatch


Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

photos by Linette Mansberger

Big Run, Newville

On the 28th of January SMAS birded at Big Run, Newville. 33 species were observed including a pair of Horned Larks.

Educational Initiatives

South Mountain Audubon sponsors educational efforts on natural history in the local schools. On the 29th April it sponsored a presentation by Hershey Zoo America at the Bermudian Springs Elementary School