programs - birding club of delaware county (bcdc)madison river at the 6 mile marker while the rest...
TRANSCRIPT
1
The Birding Club of Delaware
County is a birding club located in
Delaware County, Pennsylvania,
with the purpose of expanding indi-
vidual interest in and study of wild
birds.
The Birding Club of Delaware
County is open to birders and bird
watchers of all skill levels.
Membership is from September
through August.
Meetings are held the 2nd Wednesday
of each month from September
through June at the Marple Township
Library Meeting Room. Meetings
begin at 7:30PM.
Visitors are always welcome.
For additional information regarding
membership, please contact John
D’Amico at 610-566-1461
or email [email protected].
Websites
BCDC: www.bcdelco.org
RTPHW: www.rtphawkwatch.org
All materials, illustrations and photos
are copyrighted 2010, by the Birding
Club of Delaware County, all rights
reserved.
November 2010
Volume 13, Issue 2
1 Programs
2 Field Trip Schedule
3 Birding Yellowstone
By Peter & Kris Wade
4 Powdermill Banding
By Lauren Johnson
5 Accidental Birder
By Noel Kelly
6 Member Profiles
8 Birding Grand Isle (2)
By Mariana Pesthy
10 Bluebirds 2010
By Alice Sevareid
11 Darlington in October
By Dave Eberly
12 World Series of Birding
By Bill Roache
N E W S L E T T E R
Inside This Issue
November 10: Jim McVoy
Fifty Birds in Fifty States In 1997, Jim and Sue McVoy embarked on a quest to find at least
fifty species of birds in each of the fifty US states. Some states gave up
their birds in a matter of hours; others were stingier. One state had to be
visited three times; Hawaii, twice (it was a dirty job, but. . .). Rock
pigeons appear on forty-nine of their state lists. Where did they miss
them? Jim and Sue saved Alaska for their fiftieth state, visiting it in 2009,
the year of Alaska's fiftieth anniversary of statehood. Which unsuspecting
bird was the fiftieth bird in the fiftieth state? In his presentation, Jim
shares travel stories and favorite birding spots around the country and
tells all.
Jim McVoy was born and raised on a dairy farm near Syracuse, NY.
He did his undergraduate studies in music theory and composition at
Syracuse University followed by graduate work at the Eastman School of
Music. From 1970-1979 he taught at Elizabethtown College. He then
moved to West Chester University where he taught until his retirement in
2005. Jim now offers his time as a volunteer for the Stroud Preserve, the
Land Trust and Tri-State Bird Rescue and Research.
December 8: Win Shafer
Birding the Appalachian Trail Win Shafer and his son Blake (AKA Birdman and Li'l Wayne) spent 4
1/2 months in 2009 hiking the entire 2175 miles of the Appalachian Trail
from Springer Mountain, Georgia to Mt. Katahdin, Maine. Being in the
mountains and woods in many different life zones during spring
migration afforded incomparable opportunities for bird observation.
Win's program is a travelogue of his unique adventure and birding
experience.
January 12: David Barber David is a research biologist at the Acopian Center for Conservation
Learning at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary.
Programs
2
BCDC FIELD TRIPS
November 6, Saturday Crosslands Field Birds
8:00 AM. Meet at the Crosslands Center, off of Route 926.
Leader: Dale Kendell 610-793-0291
November 13, Saturday Hidden Valley Saw-whet Owl Banding For directions and time contact the trip leader.
Leader: Sheryl Johnson 610-649-4621
November 21, Sunday Lakes of Chester County
7:00 AM. Meet at Boscov's parking lot at Exton Mall for a 3/4-day trip. Bring a lunch.
Leader: Holly Merker 610-733-4392
December 4, Saturday Eagles at Conowingo, Plus Perryville Park
8:00 AM. Meet at the Fishermen’s parking lot below the Conowingo Dam.
Leader: Janis Zane 610-361-8477
December 11, Saturday Forsythe & Barnegat Waterfowl & Short-eared Owl
8:00 AM. Meet at the parking lot at Forsythe NWR (Brigantine) for a full-day trip.
Leader: Tom Mc Parland 610-331-1863
December 18, Saturday Glenolden Christmas Count
Annual Christmas Bird Count in Delaware County, PA
Coordinator: Nick Pulcinella 610-696-0687
January 1, Saturday Big Al does Big Day in [Coastal] Delaware
6:00 AM. Meet at McDonald's at I-95 & Route 452 in Aston, PA.
Leader: Al Guarente 610-566-8266
January 15, Saturday Waterfowl
9:00 AM. Meet at Roosevelt Park in Philadelphia, PA.
Leader: Tom Reeves 610-361-8027
IMPORTANT NOTES Please contact the field trip leader in advance so you can be notified of any changes.
Plan to arrive 15 minutes prior to departure time.
Please check our website at www.bcdelco.org for updates.
Field Trip Coordinator: Al Guarente, 610-566-8266
3
This was a first-time trip for Peter and a return
visit for Kris who came with her family 40 years
ago. After we flew into Salt Lake City, our first day
birding started at Willard Bay State Park. Our first
bird was a Yellow Warbler and then we got a pair
of Bullocks Orioles. More Yellow Warblers, a
Western Tanager, and an Olive-sided Flycatcher
rounded out the visit. Heading north, we came to the
Bear Lake NWR, which was closed on a Sunday.
But nobody told the birds: Outside the refuge we
saw a Western Meadowlark on every other
fencepost and a dark-morph Swainson’s Hawk on a
nest. We also found Cinnamon Teal and plenty of
Western Kingbirds. Heading for Grays Lake NWR
on the Great Bear Lake Road, we came to a
mountain pass where Broad-tailed Hummingbirds
mobbed the feeders at the visitors center. On the
way, we saw Nighthawks in daytime flight, White
Pelicans, Cliff Swallows and Yellow-headed
Blackbirds. Gray’s Lake itself was a
disappointment: The lake was all but dried up at the
end near the shuttered refuge, and no birds were
around.
We went on to four days at Grand Teton
National Park. There, we got a nesting pair of
Trumpeter Swans and their cygnet at the Elk NWR
in Jackson just outside the park. A female Harrier
also put in an appearance. There were Mountain
Bluebirds, a Brewer's Sparrow and Vesper
Sparrows. We saw what we could only identify as
oversized Chipping Sparrows, and that's exactly
what they were, definitely bigger than our usual
eastern customers! We also got Common
Mergansers, American Wigeons, Lesser
Goldfinch, and a Willow Flycatcher. Black-back
Woodpecker and Williamson’s Sapsucker were
target birds that we missed, but we did get a Red-
naped Sapsucker instead. While hiking, we
observed several Green-tailed Towhees and a
Black-throated Gray Warbler. We saw several
Blue Grouse at the top of Signal Mountain near
sunset, just sitting next to and in the road. We stared
at one of them through our scope for 10 minutes
from 30 feet and he finally hopped up on the curb -
not afraid of anything! The next day while hiking,
we got a probable Sage Grouse, a much more skittish
bird. Finally, we witnessed an apparent territorial
fight between a Gray Jay and several Mountain
Chickadees near Jackson Lake.
Upon entering Yellowstone on a snowy mid-
June day, we went to Yellowstone Lake where we
heard a report of a Common Loon sighting. We can
see these guys locally all the time in the winter but
they migrate north in the summer! We never did find
the loon, but we did find Barrow’s Goldeneye,
close to Fishing Cone Geyser, What a beautiful
duck! We were also greeted by Townsend’s
Solitaires in several places, always on talus slopes,
which they like. There were many light-morph
Swainson’s Hawks making appearances with all
those tasty Yellowstone varmints running around as
potential snacks. While watching geysers and
mudpots in the Norris Geyser Basin, we had a Ruby-
crowned Kinglet in a tree over the boardwalk.
There were several others in various places, most
with very pronounced ruby crowns. We saw another
Trumpeter Swan near the west entrance in the
Madison River at the 6 mile marker while the rest of
the crowd was watching a Bald Eagle nest across
the road.
After four days in Yellowstone, we headed north
for a day in Glacier National Park. A Swainson’s
Thrush made a cameo appearance and his cousins
kept up a delightful serenade. We had no luck
finding a Gray-crowned Rosy Finch. The high passes
that they inhabit were full of snow and the road was
closed!
On our way back from Glacier to Salt Lake City,
we had two final memorable sightings. The first was
a Common Loon family in full summer plumage on
a remote lake in Montana. Further south, we got
close up mid-day looks of Nighthawks asleep in
trees at the Camas NWR in Idaho.
Birding Yellowstone and Other Western Parks By Peter and Kris Wade
Trumpeter swan at Yellowstone
4
This year I was looking forward to the beginning of
September, excited about waking up at 6 AM every morning,
not to go to the first day of school, but to go to an Advanced
Bird Banding Workshop at Powdermill Avian Research
Center (PARC). Powdermill, in southwestern Pennsylvania,
is one of the foremost bird banding operations in the country.
From September 7 through 12, I joined five adults (from NM,
TX, NY, WI and IA) to assist PARC staff in their daily
banding operation.
Actually, waking up at 6 AM wasn’t so bad, because
the workshop participants stayed in a house right next to the
banding lab. I could roll out of bed and walk a few steps to
the first of the nets. The variety and number of birds caught at
Powdermill astounded me. We caught many warblers of
more than 15 species including Connecticut, Mourning, Hooded, Wilson’s, Magnolia, and
Blackburnian. We also netted Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Purple Finch, Indigo Bunting, various
flycatchers, and a plethora of Ruby-throated Hummingbirds. (Hummingbirds sound like buzzing
bees in the nets because their wings are moving so fast.) By far the most exciting birds we banded were
an American Woodcock and a Sharp-shinned Hawk.
The main focus of the advanced workshop was learning how to age birds in the hand, a critical
part of data collection in bird banding. I learned two main ways to determine the age of a bird. First,
we looked at the plumage. In most birds, their first pre-basic molt, when they start to get adult
plumage, is not complete. The young birds molt some
feathers, but not others. The experienced bander can pick out
these differences, or molt limits, in the bird’s feathers. If the
bird has molt limits, it is aged as a hatching-year bird.
The second method for aging a bird was through the
technique of skulling. Young birds undergo a process called
skull pneumatization. When birds hatch, they have only one
layer of bone that forms their skull. As they grow older they
begin to grow a second layer of bone. This second layer is
separated from the first by a layer of air and is connected by
columns of bone. By parting the feathers, you can look
through a bird’s skin to see its skull. If there are bright white
areas and less-bright areas, this indicates that the bird is
(Continued on page 6)
Banding at Powdermill By Lauren Johnson
Lauren holding an American Woodcock.
Photo by Ashli Gorbet
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Photo by Lauren Johnson
5
The Accidental Birder, or What I did on my Summer Vacation (from BCDC)
By Noel Kelly
I had no special birding trips planned for my summer; however, as it sometimes goes with
birding, it is often better to be lucky than prepared.
In mid-July I received a disturbing phone call from California. My mom had a heart attack, and
could I fly out and be her personal Physical Therapist and House Elf until she got back on her feet? Of
course I could. Mom and I are very close, and it is to her I attribute my passion for birding. When we
visit she plans trips to Half Moon Bay, The Pinnacles, Panoche Valley or some other west coast
birding hot spot. I wasn’t expecting anything like that this time. As luck would have it, Mom’s birding
buddy, Martha, and her husband came by early one morning. Surprise! I was going birding!
We decided to stay local to the Santa Clara Valley as recent sightings looked interesting. Our first
destination (traditionally our lunchtime destination in this area) was Maria Elena’s Mexican Restaurant
just outside Don Edwards Park on the San Francisco baylands. Sure enough, two blocks down the road
we saw our first target bird. First one, then three Eurasian Collared Doves roosting on a power line
and a TV aerial antenna. Our next treat was an adult Peregrine Falcon plucking its prey from his high
perch. Feathers snowed down like winter in Philadelphia. Our second target bird was a Red Neck
Phalarope which had recently been seen along the railroad tracks (a rough and stony trail). Martha and
I decided to look for Sora and rails first and finish with the tracks on the way out. We spent a few
minutes watching peeps on the muddy shores with a flock rising up every once in a while and lighting
down gently on an open shoreline. One flock meandered back and forth before landing in the pond
which lay between the railroad tracks and us. Wait a minute!? Peeps in the water? A quick look with
our scope confirmed a flock of 38 Red-necked Phalarope, some with alternate plumage. That was
easy!
After we had our fill, we still had time to cross the valley to Russian Ridge and explore the
coastal range. As usual, the best bird of the day was in the parking lot: a male and female Black-
throated Gray Warbler. Our target bird for the area was a Band-tailed Pigeon, for which we did not
have to wait long. Several flocks flew over our heads giving us great views. We finished the day with
falafel pizza, which Mom enjoyed very much. By the way, Mom is doing fine. She is back to birding
two times a week.
My second “accidental birding” occurred on a drive back from Branson, MO to Kansas City with
my cousin and our two sons. We were looking for a popular fishing spot when we spotted a Scissor-
tailed Flycatcher hunting from a wire fence. A lifer for me! It turned out not to be our last. The road
had sentries of STFC about every half-mile. As we drove back onto the main road I caught a glimpse
of something white perched in a tree near an open field. It was my first Swainson’s Hawk. My
excitement was contagious and my cousin asked me to take him out birding the next day. After several
emails and hours of Googling and plotting our course, we picked two reliable spots for finding Sedge
Wren, Bells Vireo, and Buff Breasted and Upland Sandpipers. We dipped on all of them!
Like I said: Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than prepared.
6
Member Profiles Mariana Pesthy is compiling short interviews to introduce BCDC members to each
other via our newsletter. You may be next!
Marion R. Murphy
Growing up, my family did not know much about birding. Yet, I recall
my mother always feeding the birds when I was a child, and I continue
to do so. Looking back it seems that I have dabbled at birding for the
past 30 years or so. While raising two sons we learned the common
backyard birds such as Jays, Cardinals, Crows, and Mockingbirds that
came to our feeders. We also enjoyed visits to Middle Creek and
Bombay Hook where friends took us to see Snow Geese and shore birds.
I have always enjoyed being outdoors and my interest in birding
was a natural development. About 20 years ago I got my first pair of
birding binoculars. I began to attend regular bird walks offered by the Wild Bird Center stores at Exton
and Gateway Shopping Centers. Church Farm School was a frequent stop. My birding knowledge
expanded to include winter ducks. Three years ago Laura Tracy introduced me to BCDC and Tyler
Arboretum. At Tyler, with Tom Reeves leading bird walks, my birding shifted to another gear and
became fun for me.
My favorite bird is the Eastern Bluebird. Laura Tracy and I managed the Bluebird Trail in
Willistown Township for 20 years. Naturally, I became very attached to these beautiful birds.
I have yet to have an “Aha” moment in birding. I do have a few moments of “Wows,” such as
when I saw a white immature baby Blue Heron in Cape May this fall. I was also elated to have spotted
a Pileated Woodpecker in my backyard. Also included is my first sighting of a Dickcissel this fall. I
am reluctant to call myself a birder as I feel I have so much more to learn. But, when asked, I can
honestly say that I enjoy birding very much.
growing the second layer of bone. Adult birds will have a skull that is fully or mostly complete. Young
birds will not. Therefore, I learned that if I saw that difference, I could call the bird a hatching-year
bird.
My week at Powdermill helped improve my bird-banding skills greatly. I would love to go back
to visit again. It was a great experience. Powdermill holds a beginner bird-banding workshop in the
spring. I highly recommend it for anyone interested in banding and learning more about birds in the
hand! Check out their website, http://www.powdermillarc.org/default.aspx, for interesting information
and summaries of banding data.
(Continued from page 4: Powdermill Bird Banding)
7
Edie Parnum
I’ve been birding for almost 30 years and a BCDC member
almost from its inception. I got started when I went on a
guided bird walk on Cape Cod. The habitats there were
varied and included ocean, shoreline, marsh, field, and
forest, so I saw many different kinds of birds. All these
years later I still remember how astonished I was seeing
common birds such as Great Egret, American Goldfinch,
and Baltimore Oriole. I immediately became an
enthusiastic birder and remain so to this day.
Rose-breasted Grosbeak is my favorite bird. It’s
stunning and can be seen in our area, even coming to feeders sometimes. Of course there are even more
beautiful birds that I’ve seen in far-away exotic locations, e.g., Lovely Cotinga, Purple-crowned
Fairy, Resplendent Quetzal, Eurasian Hoopoe, and Carmine Bee-eater. The pictures of these birds
don’t do them justice; you must travel to see them in the wild.
From my birding experiences, two memories stand out:
1) The migration of Broadwings in Veracruz, Mexico. There were thousands and thousands,
possibly a million, of birds streaming by. The sky was completely full of black dots, which
were the hawks high in the sky. And they kept coming hour after hour all day long.
2) Shorebirds feeding on horseshoe crab eggs on Delaware Bay. On a May day about 25 years ago,
the Semi-palmated Sandpipers, Ruddy Turnstones, Sanderlings, and Red Knots were so
numerous they completely covered the shoreline at Reeds Beach in New Jersey. All were
feeding voraciously. When I go there now, it’s the Laughing Gulls that are the most numerous.
I urge BCDC members to create habitat for birds on their properties. Get rid of your lawn, or most
of it anyway. Plant native plants, especially trees and shrubs, to host the native insects that our birds
eat. Oaks are the best. I always look in the oaks for the spring warblers because the oak bud worms
hatch just when these birds are passing through. My best backyard bird was a Connecticut Warbler
walking along a branch in thick vegetation at the back of my property.
Welcome to BCDC! The Birding Club of Delaware County is pleased to announce these new members.
Elaine Brody - Paoli
William and Rosemarie Barry - West Chester
Alice and Ronald Gaither - Aston
Eric Weislogel and Kellie Given - Newtown Square
Marcia Martin – Swarthmore
Also, members Lewis and Judy Norton moved from this area to Eureka, California a few years
ago. They still receive BCDC News & Notes just to see what’s going on.
We appreciate their continued interest!
8
Birding Grand Isle, Louisiana (Part 2) By Mariana Pesthy
Editor’s Note: Read Part 1 of the spring 2010 trip to Grand Isle by Mariana and Andy Pesthy in the
September 2010 issue of the BCDC newsletter.
We were too late for the warblers as most of them had already come and gone. Even so, we saw a
Tennessee Warbler feeding on a poison ivy vine and a mixed flock of Northern Parula, Black-
throated Blue, Black and White, Magnolia, Yellow-rumped and Myrtle Warblers. We saw many
Vireos: Blue-headed, Red-eyed, Yellow-throated and Warbling, plus several Ovenbirds, all in the
oak chenier forests. And there were ever so many Tanagers, both Scarlet and Summer. One late
morning at the Nature Conservancy Griletta Tract, we were surrounded by a dozen Scarlet Tanagers,
most of them adorned in vivid red with silky black wings!
As mentioned, our best birding was at the dike path to the salt marshes near the Grand Isle Port
Commission. On the inland side is a 10-foot deep trench of shallow slow-flowing water. On the side
facing Barataria Bay are the marshes, a vast span of green grass and blue water. Walking along the
dike path, we often found Water Thrush, Sora, Common Yellowthroat, Greater and Lesser
Yellowlegs, and occasionally a Sandpiper or two wading in the ditch. On the marsh side we often saw
larger birds such as Cattle, Great and Snowy Egrets and Great Blue and Tri-color Herons. Several
times we saw flocks of Glossy and White Ibis flying in from the marshes and landing to feed in the
fields next to the dike ditch. All the while, we could hear the Rails – King and Clapper – clamoring
loudly from behind the grasses. It was music to our ears. Walking up and down the dike path enough
times, we even caught glimpses of these secretive creatures walking from one patch of seagrass to
another! At dusk on our first full day of birding, we saw a shape standing at the seagrass edge: It was
that of a Clapper Rail preening in the gathering darkness. Watching in utter silence, we noticed water
squirting up out of the mud in the shallows, making a tinkling sound as it fell in arches into the marsh
water. This mystified us until the next day when we saw in bright daylight that these were oysters
spitting water while feeding.
As if this were not enough, there were birds for us to follow on the dike path itself. Flocks of
Dickcissels, Bobolinks and a reliable pair of Inca Doves would be feeding on the ground ahead of us.
They would fly away a little distance at our approach and then drop down again a little further on to
forage on the path. In this manner we followed them for 20 yards or more, training our field glasses
and camera on them, giggling like the silly birders we are. We were particularly fond of the Inca
Doves, as they allowed very close approach. They look cute in their tan scale-like scallop feathers and
astonished us with a flash of rufous primaries as they lifted their wings.
This dike path was truly a treasure trove. The few trees growing along it yielded surprises too: Osprey,
Belted Kingfisher, Indigo Bunting, Orioles, Tanagers and many Swainson’s Thrushes. A bold
Cattle Egret landed by the water’s edge a few feet from us and insisted on staying there as we walked
by. One late afternoon we spied an over-tired Yellow-billed Cuckoo hiding in a small tree at eye level
in plain sight. It was obviously too exhausted to fly off, but we could not avoid passing near it. At a
safe distance we managed a couple of pictures with zoom and discreetly looked away when we got
close. To allow it some undisturbed rest, we passed by, keeping as much distance as we could from
(Continued on page 9)
9
where it was hiding without falling into the ditch ourselves! It worked. We could see its shadowy shape
in the tree from the other side. Still and all, our best sighting was that of a King Rail flying from the
marsh side over the dike, affording us a great view of it landing on the slope of the ditch and running to
the grassy field just beyond.
When things slowed on Grand Isle we went over to Port Fourchon, about a 40-minute drive to the west.
All along Fourchon Road are marshes, mud flats, shrubs, and fields with lots of shore birds. Unlike
downtown Grand Isle, there were plenty of road shoulders here for us to stop and look. At a boat
launch we found three pairs of Least Terns nesting a few feet from each other on an old rough
concrete parking area. Their choice of nesting location seems dubious until one realizes that the
concrete ground retains heat and the eggs are well-camouflaged. The Least Terns were endearing in
their cooperative behavior with their nesting neighbors, taking turns guarding the eggs while one or
more flew off to fish and bring back their catch of small fries for their roosting mates. We witnessed
them chasing off invading gulls and petrels repeatedly.
Before Fourchon Road turns in front of a bridge leading to a beach, there is a large paved area leading
to a dock for large ships. We parked and walked towards the piers where we saw some interesting birds
circling in the sky. On our way we saw Seaside Sparrows, Plovers and Ruddy Turnstones and a
Roseate Spoonbill feeding on shallow waters at a distance. When we finally got close to the pier and
the circling big birds, we raised our glasses to see a flock of six Magnificent Frigatebirds.
Further down Fourchon Road near the beach on the west side is a large lagoon where we saw lots of
small shorebirds like Semipalmated, Piping Plovers, Ruddy Turnstones and Sanderlings busy
probing in the mud. At another spot by the road where water parted the banks of grass, we found
Willets, Wimbrels, and Glossy as well as White Ibis walking along the water’s edge.
We understand that winter birding is excellent for shore birds and raptors around Grand Isle and Port
Fourchon. With the oil spill seemingly under control at the time of my writing (summer 2010) it
remains to be seen as to how severely the birds will be affected when they return this fall to Grand Isle
and nearby Gulf areas.
If you go:
Be sure to get a bridge pass before approaching the bridge to Grand Isle. There are no toll booths. A
pass costing only a few dollars can be pre-purchased along Route 1 at various commercial
establishments. Neglecting to do so would be costly (fines up to well over $100). Visit
www.geauxpass.com for detailed information.
Some useful Louisiana birding websites:
http://www.birdlouisiana.com
This is an all inclusive Louisiana birding information web site. From the map you can see we literally
only dip the toe of the Louisiana boot this spring!
http://grandisle.btnep.org/
This is a useful website especially if you want to visit Grand Isle for spring migration. Our schedule
did not afford us the opportunity to visit during the Grand Isle Spring Birding Festival, but the
information provided here was most helpful for our trip. This page has a link to a downloadable
“Birding Trail Map.”
(Continued from page 8: Grand Isle)
10
This winter there should be more bluebirds flying around due to the efforts of the Delaware County
Bluebird Trail Monitors group. There could be as many as 386 baby bluebirds. That is the number of
bluebirds the group, many of whom are BCDC members, fledged from their boxes this summer.
Our group is now in its 13th year. We monitor sites all over the county: Parks such as Ridley Creek
State Park; schools such as Delaware County Community College; retirement communities such as
White Horse Village; office campuses such as SAP on West Chester Pike; plus Hildacy Farm Preserve,
Edgemont Memorial Gardens, and various farms and backyards.
The 386 bluebirds fledged this year were 24 more than last year. We also encourage tree swallows to
nest in our boxes, and this year 282 tree swallows fledged.
Many people put forth a lot of effort! Rick West continued to rehab boxes and help build and install
predator guards. He and Sharon spent a long Sunday helping Evelyn Kritchevsky and Eileen Brzycki
fit boxes with predator guards. At Lima Estates, Don Cameron moved boxes and installed new ones
early in the summer and, with the help of Pat McElreavey, got quite a bumper crop of bluebirds. Tom
Reeves fought house sparrows all summer at Granite Farms and finally got a bluebird pair and
fledglings, the first in three years of effort. Sue and Vance Downing fed raisins to a bluebird pair only
to have them move out of the Downing’s box into that of a neighbor to lay their eggs. The birds
continued to visit to get the raisins. All of us visit our boxes once a week or biweekly to make sure the
birds are not being attacked by predators such as house wrens or getting leaks in the roof.
We send a report of our numbers fledged to The Pennsylvania Bluebird Society each year. They also
are interested in the number of white eggs we get. Normally bluebird eggs are blue, although up to 4%
may be white. The female produces the blue egg color, but some may not be able to produce it, so the
eggs turn out white. The babies still come out blue since it is the structure of the feather and not a
pigment that makes the bluebird blue. This year we had 20 white eggs, more than the usual 8 or 10.
We have 30 volunteers around the county. If you are interested in joining our group give me a call at
610-544-9057, or send me an email at [email protected].
Bluebird Trail 2010 By Alice Sevareid
We welcome members’ contributions to our newsletter, so if you have reports, announcements, reviews, poetry, essays,
or photographs that would be of interest to our BCDC birding community, please submit them to the editor:
Chris Blidan, e-mail: [email protected] (phone: 610-566-0937).
The deadline for the January newsletter is Wednesday, December 22, 2010.
Club questions or suggestions? Contact Sheryl Johnson, President: [email protected].
Suggestions for or leading of field trips? Contact Al Guarente, Field Trip Coordinator: [email protected].
Bird sightings to report? Contact Dave Eberly, Bird Reports Editor: [email protected].
11
Darlington Tract in October By Dave Eberly
BCDC sponsored a bird walk around the Darlington Tract on Saturday, October 23, and eleven of us
were there to enjoy a gorgeous fall morning. The temperature was a refreshing 39 degrees at the 8 a.m.
start. We encountered the first scattered frost of the season along the way, but by the time we finished three
hours later it was 60 degrees under clear skies and bright sun. The fall colors seemed at their peak. We
walked a clockwise loop starting on the trail that leads into the woods across Darlington Road from the
parking lot. We finished by walking the road from Rooster Tail Farm back to the lot. Total distance was
about two miles.
The first bird of interest was a Winter Wren heard calling and seen by a few of us. After walking
through the cool woods and climbing a couple hills we entered the open fields where the sun and birds
greeted us warmly. Numerous Chickadees were along the edges and we heard both Carolina and Black-
capped, eventually spotting a definite Black-capped Chickadee among the birds that flitted in and out of
view. Al Guarente then picked out an Eastern Meadowlark flying around the sunny meadow. All got good
looks at this uncommon county bird. The best bird of the day was a juvenile Red-headed Woodpecker that
flew onto the top of a tall tree at the top of the ridge. Again, all got good looks at this even more uncommon
species for Delaware County before it took off for parts unknown.
Overall we tallied 49 species. Other highlights were approximately 30 Purple Finches, including at
least three males, a Nashville Warbler, many Palm Warblers, Pine Siskin (heard but not seen), and nine
species of Sparrow, including Fox, Lincoln's, and White-crowned. We were also treated to a good
number of Golden-crowned Kinglets, a few Ruby-crowned Kinglets and Yellow-rumped Warblers, all
letting us know that winter was on the way. It was a great morning with nice weather, beautiful fall color,
congenial company and a good variety of birds.
Oh, I mustn't forget another rare sighting, the bright orange Conan blimp headed to the Phillies game.
On May 15, the BCDC Cape Island Coyotes (sponsored by Exelon/PECO) took on the challenge of a
“Big Day” in the New Jersey Audubon Society’s World Series of Birding for the 8th consecutive year.
Our team this year welcomed back previous member Nick Pulcinella, even as we lost Jim Lockyer to
the “Left” coast. Weather leading up to the Big Day was warm and wet, and a hopeful front showed up,
but about 18 hours too early to produce a fall-out.
Some scouting and Big Day highlights: Male alternate plumaged Wilson’s Phalarope; Red-headed
Woodpecker; singing Cerulean Warbler and Summer Tanager in adjacent trees; Parasitic Jaeger; (Continued on page 12)
World Series of Birding By Bill Roache
12
all of the expected Swallows and Vireos; and a Mississippi Kite. Night birding produced
disappointing results, i.e. no Nightjars or Owls or most Rails.
We ended up driving about 50 miles, hiking about 10 miles, and scoring 139 species, finishing third in
our division. Some regrettable misses included the aforementioned “night” birds, plus Peregrine
Falcon, Hairy Woodpecker, White-breasted Nuthatch, and Chipping and Savannah Sparrows.
Over my many years of participating in the WSB, I’m always curious about which bird I will see or
hear on Sunday, the day after the competition. A few years ago, after the Awards Brunch, I arrived
home to find a Mississippi Kite circling over the house. This year’s “day after award” goes to the two
Soras calling from the Meadows as I replaced the dead battery in my truck!
The Coyotes would like to thank our corporate sponsor Exelon/PECO for eight years of generous
support. We would also like to thank all of the club members and especially non-members who
annually and generously pledge. Please make all pledge checks out to BCDC and send to me: Bill
Roache, 1388 Dermond Road, Drexel Hill, PA 19026.
2010 Cape Island Coyote Team
David Eberly, Al Guarente, Tom McParland, Nick Pulcinella, Bill Roache
(Continued from page 11: World Series)
Many movies contain scenes which include birds. Some are even about birds. Here are five questions
about bird-related movies or movie scenes. Feel free to use any resources you like to find the answers.
A particularly good place to go is www.imdb.com.
Name the movie with the bird event described. (Answers later.)
1. John McGiver bags his 250th lifer, a Great Blue Heron, in this 1962 effort starring Jimmy Stewart.
2. In this picture, Victor Mature gets ready for a night of romance, but instead gets a lecture from
Patricia Neal on saving the California Condor.
3. Burl Ives and Christopher Plummer are antagonists in what flick dramatizing the egret slaughter
for the millinery trade at the turn of the 20th century?
4. Blair Brown and John Belushi spark a romance while she studies Bald Eagles in this city-boy
woos country-girl effort.
5. Smack yourself if you can't ID this 1963 Hitchcock thriller which kept Americans away from their
feeders like "Jaws" later kept them out of the water.
Movie Birds Quiz By Carl Perretta