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Upland Informer
Volume 37 Issue 1 Official Newsletter of the Bartramian Audubon Society Fall 2018
Editor- Nancy Baker
Check us out online at www.bartramianaudubonsociety.org
www.facebook.com/Bartramian
Upcoming BAS Membership Meetings
Our membership meetings are held the second Monday of the
month at 7:00 p.m. at the Jennings Environmental Education
Center, 2961 Prospect Road, Slippery Rock, PA. The Educa-
tion Center is located on Rt. 528 just west of its junction with
Rt. 8- about five miles south of Slippery Rock. The meetings
are free and open to the public.
October 8, 2018-Monday-Hawkwatching: An Ocean in the
Sky.
Dr. Brian M. Wargo, President and Saturday Counter at the
Allegheny Front Hawk Watch and author of “Bird!” An Ex-
ploration of Hawkwatching, will share his photos and stories
of many days spent scanning the sky for migrating raptors.
Along with providing a feel for hawkwatching by relating his
own experiences, he will share identification tips and record
keeping methods. Dr. Wargo teaches at the University of
Pittsburgh. He will have copies of his book available for pur-
chase.
November 12, 2018-Monday-Mushrooms and Other Foods
from Oak Trees.
Pennsylvania's oak trees don’t just provide food and suste-
nance for wildlife—they can furnish dining opportunities for
humans, too! Adam Haritan from LearnYourLand.com will
discuss the edible and medicinal species that grow in associa-
tion with oak trees, with special emphasis on mycorrhizal,
saprophytic, and parasitic fungi. Acorn harvesting and pro-
cessing will also be discussed, including how to turn raw
acorns into delicious, edible flour.
Hen of the Woods Mushroom
December 10, 2018-Monday-Annual Holiday Potluck and
Hog Island Presentations.
Enjoy good food and good company at our annual holiday
potluck; bring a dish to share and your holiday spirit. Our
teacher and student scholarship winners will tell us about their
experiences at the Hog Island Audubon Camp in Maine.
Upcoming Activities
October 6, 2018-Saturday-Fall Birds at Jennings Envi-
ronmental Education Center
As winter approaches, residents and migrating birds from the
north visit our area to rest and feast on fall seeds and berries.
Join Jennings staff and Bartramian members for a fall bird
walk to enjoy these feathered friends from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00
p.m. Participants will meet at the prairie entrance, and explore
field, forest, and wetland habitats, encountering migrants such
as warblers, and more. Bird enthusiasts of all experi-
ence/knowledge levels are welcome. There is no fee or regis-
tration required. In addition to co-hosting field trips, Jennings
supports the mission of the Bartramian Audubon Society by
hosting our meetings.
November 3, 2018-Saturday-Wolf Creek Narrows
Meet at the parking lot beside the bridge at 9:00 a.m. for a
moderate hike along the creek through the Woodlands. For
more information, contact our Field Trip Chair, Martin Carlin,
at 724-355-7492 or [email protected].
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December 15. 2018-Saturday-Butler CBC The 54th Bartramian Audubon Society Butler Christmas Bird
Count (CBC) will be held on Saturday, December 15, 2018.
The Butler CBC is a 15-mile diameter circle centered just
north of Moraine State Park and includes Slippery Rock and
Slippery Rock University, Wolf Creek Narrows Natural Area,
McConnells Mill and Moraine State Parks, and the towns of
Portersville, Prospect, Muddy Creek, and Euclid. Anyone is
welcome to join the CBC as field or feeder observers. If you
are interested in participating, contact Mary Alice Koeneke
and Glenn Koppel at: [email protected].
December 30, 2018-Sunday-Pleasantville CBC
The circle for this count encompasses the area approximately
from Titusville in the northwest to Pleasantville to Tionesta in
the northeast south to President east to Oleopolis and Rouse-
ville and then north along the western edge of Oil Creek State
Park. The count is centered on the historic ghost town of Pi-
thole. Please feel welcome to participate in this count. As-
signments can be made for an area easy to get to if you are
unfamiliar with this count. Also needed are feeder watchers
who live in the area. If you are unsure if you are in the count
circle, call and ask. This is a more northern count than the
Butler count, so expect some more northern species. If you
are interested in helping, contact Russ States at 814-676-6320
(please talk to the machine), or [email protected].
December TBA-Grove City Christmas Bird Count
Activities in Review
The 2018 Sandy Creek Butterfly Count
Snowberry Clearwing Moth
The 2018 North American Butterfly Association (NABA),
Sandy Creek Butterfly Count was held July 7. Mostly sunny
skies and light winds made for perfect butterfly weather. The
surveyors this year were Glenn Koppel, Mary Alice Koeneke,
Neil, Samuel, Harvey, Marvin, Edward, Rachel, Ruthann, and
Naomi Troyer; Curt Lehman and James Monroe. We started at
8:30 AM at Triple Link Road, walking the abandoned rail bed.
Water levels were again very high but no issues for butterflies.
No Broad-winged Skippers were found for the fourth year in a
row and for the first time in several years, no Harvesters were
seen. After a lunch break, the group headed to the Polk wet-
lands, in State Gamelands 39. Button bush was in full bloom
and helped increase the tally of butterflies including: 7 Balti-
more Checkerspots, 12 Monarchs along with 1 Snowberry
Clearwing Moth and 6 Cecropia Moth caterpillars. Overall,
the count found 33 species and 301 individuals which was one
species higher, and nearly 50 percent more individuals than in
2017. The number of Monarchs (19) seen was significantly
higher than in 2017 (3) and is a good sign for the species. The
improved results in 2018 are most likely due to better weather
conditions.
The complete list of butterflies recorded is as follows:
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (13), Cabbage White (5), Clouded
Sulphur (11), Orange Sulphur (1), Banded Hairstreak (3),
Eastern tailed Blue (8), Summer Azure (3), Great-spangled
Fritillary (26), Aphrodite Fritillary (2), Meadow Fritillary (7),
Pearl Crescent (42), Baltimore Checkerspot (7), Question
Mark (3), Eastern Comma (10), Gray Comma (6), Painted
Lady (1), Red Admiral (3), Red-spotted Purple (1), Viceroy
(3), Northern Pearly Eye (10), Appalachian Brown (8), Com-
mon Wood Nymph (13), Monarch (19), Silver-spotted Skipper
(26), Horace’s Duskywing (2), Wild-indigo Duskywing (6),
Least Skipper (2), Peck’s Skipper (4), Northern Broken Dash
(12), Little Glassywing (16), Delaware Skipper (2), Black
Dash (2), Dun Skipper (24).
Summer Activities
Bartramian Audubon Society is not as active during the sum-
mer months, with no program meetings and only an occasional
field trip. But your club does not go completely dormant.
Along with the Sandy Creek Butterfly Count, described in
detail in a separate article, we took part in some other worth-
while activities. Our 2018 Sustainability Award Winning
organization, Allegheny Aquatic Alliance, sponsors an annual
“Connie Q Canoe Trip Celebration” on the Connoquenessing
Creek. At the post-paddle picnic, Bartramian President Jef-
frey Hall entertained the group with a presentation on “Birds
of Canoeing,” introducing fifteen species that are likely to be
seen in, over, and alongside out local waterways. “Cele-
brate the Bloom,” Jennings Environmental Education Center’s
annual festival in honor of the wildflowers of Jennings Prairie,
has been a nature highlight of the summer for many years.
Bartramian Audubon Society has led an early morning bird
walk as one of the festival’s field trips since the beginning.
This year, a record number of participants, over 30, showed up
to take part in the walk. Gene Wilhelm, Martin Carlin, and
Jeffrey Hall guided this group across the prairie and into some
of the surrounding woodlands. Although midsummer is not
the best time to find birds, they were rewarded with good
looks at a number of species, along with the flowers and but-
terflies for which the prairie is renowned.
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Education
For teachers: Opportunities and Resources!
Audubon Adventures Available for Classroom Use
Bartramian Audubon sponsors and funds Audubon Adven-
tures curriculum materials for students in grades 3-6 in
schools in Butler, Lawrence, Mercer and Venango Counties.
Audubon Adventures classroom learning kits include printed
student magazines and access for teachers to online instruc-
tional guides, assessments, interactive games, other teaching
modules and resources. The standards-based content and ma-
terials can be integrated across multiple subject areas. The
theme for 2018-2019 is “Get To Know Birds”. Students
will discover the basics of bird identification by learning and
using field marks or characteristics like colors, markings, size,
shape, and even sounds.
Learn more about Audubon Adventures at
http://www.audubonadventures.org/. Then contact Brandi Mil-
ler-Parrish, the chapter’s Education Chair, at 724-787-9438 or
[email protected] to arrange to receive the materials.
A limited number of sponsored subscriptions will be available
on a first-come, first-served basis. Act quickly, so that orders
can be placed and materials received early in the school year.
Hog Island Audubon Camp Scholarship for Educators
Each year Bartramian Audubon awards one scholarship for a
teacher within the chapter’s four-county area to attend the
“Sharing Nature: An Educator’s Week” session of Audu-
bon Camp in Maine on Hog Island. Open to teachers of any
grade level or subject area, this session offers practical ap-
proaches, methods, lessons, and activities for engaging both
children and adults with nature. Participants are inspired and
energized through interaction with instructors and fellow edu-
cators, as they learn about and explore the forest, intertidal and
ocean ecosystems of the scenic Maine coast. Find details
about this extraordinary learning opportunity at:
http://hogisland.audubon.org/sharing-nature-educator-s-week
The application period for the Hog Island scholarship for
July 14-19, 2019 is now open, and will close on February 28,
2019. The application form is available on the chapter’s web-
site or by contacting our Education Chair at 724-787-9438 or
Join Bartramian Audubon and Jennings for Citizen Sci-
ence and Learning
Bartramian Audubon Society and Jennings Environmental
Education Center collaborate in offering opportunities for
learning how individuals can help researchers gather important
data about bird population and migration trends, as well as
increasing their own birding skills. The center partners with
the chapter in the annual Butler County Christmas Bird Count
(December 15) and the Great Backyard Bird Count (February
15-18, 2019). Details and registration for these events, as well
as other bird and nature-related programs will be available on
DCNR’s Calendar of Events at http://events.dcnr.pa.gov/, by
e-mailing [email protected], or calling 724-794-6011.
Odds and Ends
The National Audubon Society’s annual photo con-
test is one of the most prestigious photography competitions in
the world. This year, Bartramian Audubon Society, with the
cooperation of Jennings Environmental Education Center, will
be hosting an exhibition of some of the award-winning images
from the current contest. The photos will be displayed at Jen-
nings from April 3-24. This will be the only western Pennsyl-
vania location for this traveling exhibition. More details will
be given in the next edition of the newsletter, along with our
website and Facebook page.
From the President
You should be proud to be a mem-
ber of the Bartramian Audubon
Society—I certainly am! Although
we’re a small group, we accom-
plish so much. Our Sanctuary pro-
gram has involved a remarkable
number of your neighbors in hands-
on protection of the natural values
of their property. We provide, at
no charge, environmental education
materials that are used in many
grade school classrooms through-
out our region. Scholarships we award support the work of
students at Slippery Rock University and Westminster Col-
lege, as well as sending a local educator to Audubon camp in
Maine every summer. Original research carried out with our
participation aids in the conservation of our natural heritage.
Monthly programs provide entertaining and informative talks
about a wide variety of nature topics. Field trips take our
members to fascinating local areas. And there’s a lot
more…None of this would happen without the efforts of a
dedicated group of volunteers…a congenial and interesting
group of people who, in the past few years that I’ve lived in
northwestern Pennsylvania, it has been my pleasure to get to
know. But, as in any organization, there’s always more to
do…if only we had more people to help.You have talents that
can make a difference—to Bartramian Audubon Society and
to the environment. It might be something as simple as tally-
ing birds at your backyard feeder during our Christmas Bird
Counts or signing a petition in support of conservation or do-
nating refreshments for an evening program. Or it might be
more involved—contacting prospective speakers for our even-
ing program or talking to landowners about becoming a Sanc-
tuary or taking a position on our Board. Or something in be-
tween—as you can imagine, there’s plenty to do. We’d love
to have your help.If you are interested in helping make Bar-
tramian Audubon Society an even more effective organization
and an even more effective voice for the preservation of our
natural world, please speak to me or any of our Board mem-
bers at one of our monthly programs, or e-mail us at bartrami-
[email protected]. Thanks!
Jeffrey Hall
President
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BARTRAMIAN AUDUBON SOCIETY
P.O. BOX 315
SLIPPERY ROCK, PA 16057
Paper-Free Newsletter The Upland Informer is now available online. It can be
viewed at our website www.bartramianaudubonsociety.org by
clicking on the newsletter link and then clicking on the issue
you wish to view. The newsletter is in the PDF format, so you
must have a PDF program on your computer. Read only pro-
grams are available free at Adobe.com and other sites.
Bartramian Audubon Society would like to encourage its
members to begin to receive the Upland Informer online. As
each newsletter is published, members who have elected to do
this will receive an email informing them that the next issue is
now available online, and they can then view it at their leisure.
For the Bartramian Audubon Society, this will mean a savings
both in paper costs and postage costs. For our environment it
will mean less paper and less fuel usage in delivery.
To enroll in this program, please email our Membership Chair,
Becky Lubold at [email protected]. Please put
Attn: Membership in the subject.
Membership Reminder ......Becky Lubold, Membership Chair
We welcome the many of you who have recently joined Bartramian
Audubon Society.
As a reminder, the expiration date of your membership with the BAS
should be on your address label. Please renew in a timely fashion as
to not miss future newsletters. If you have any questions about your
membership status, feel free to contact the membership chair, Becky
Lubold at [email protected]. Attn:Membership
B&B and Wildlife Sanctuary renewals are handled by the sanc-
tuary chair in June each year. The $15.00 or more per sanctuary
checks should be made payable to BAS and mailed to BAS Sanc-
tuary Chair Kathie Goodblood 170 Keith Lane, Franklin, PA
16323
_____$15.00 BAS Sanctuary Renewal-includes
membership and newsletter
Bartramian Audubon Society
Associate and Newsletter Application
Please check below
_____$15.00 BAS Membership fee- includes newsletter
_____$10.00 Electronic Student Membership
Please send this form along with your name, address, and e-
mail with payment to the:
Bartramian Audubon Society
PO Box 315
Slippery Rock, PA 16057
PRSRT. STD.
US POSTAGE
PAID
OIL CITY, PA
PERMIT # 145
National Audubon Society
Membership Application Please enroll me as a NEW member in the National Audubon Soci-
ety. This membership will include membership in the National
Audubon Society and Audubon magazine and the local Bartramian
Audubon Society and the local chapter newsletter, the Upland
Informer, but excludes the BAS Sanctuary Program.
Current introductory membership offer $20.00
Student/Senior (62 and above) membership $15.00 _________________________________________
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Please send this form with payment to
National Audubon Society Membership Data Center PO Box 422250 Palm Coast, FL32142-2250 Renewing members should use the coupon mailed to them by NAS COZU180Z rev 1/10 7XCH
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Upland Informer
Volume 37 Issue 2 Official Newsletter of the Bartramian Audubon Society Spring 2019
Editor- Nancy Baker
Check us out online at www.bartramianaudubonsociety.org
www.facebook.com/Bartramian
Upcoming BAS Membership Meetings
Our membership meetings are held the second Monday of the
month at 7:00 p.m. at the Jennings Environmental Education
Center, 2961 Prospect Road, Slippery Rock, PA. The Educa-
tion Center is located on Rt. 528 just west of its junction with
Rt. 8- about five miles south of Slippery Rock. The meetings
are free and open to the public.
March 11, 2019-Monday-Wood Duck Nest Boxes: A Mo-
raine Success Story
Over the last four years, Specialty Outdoors, an outdoor edu-
cation program based in Butler, has monitored and improved
100 wood duck nest boxes at Moraine State Park. Each year
the hatching rate has increased and now an average of 300 to
400 young are fledged each year. Russ Cawthorne of Special-
ty Outdoors will explain how this program insures successful
nesting by selecting optimal habitat, box size, location, nesting
material, and predator guards.
April 8, 2019-Monday-Reciprocity in Action: What Birds
Can Teach Us About Connections Between People and
Nature
Dr. Becky Thomas’s research has taken her to Hawai’i, Be-
lize, the western US, and back home to western Pennsylvania,
and has caused her to reflect on the connections of people to
nature. In this presentation, she will examine relationships
with birds through the lens of cultural anthropology and share
lessons learned working with communities and natural re-
source management agencies to address conservation chal-
lenges. Dr. Thomas is an assistant professor of Parks and
Conservation and co-director of programming at the Slippery
Rock University Macoskey Center for Sustainable Systems
Education and Research. We will also be celebrating Member-
ship Appreciation Night.
May 13, 2019-Annual Awards Night
At our annual Awards Night on May 13, Bartramian Audubon
Society will honor institutions, organizations, and individuals
for their contributions to conservation. The Society will also
recognize new participants in its Sanctuary Program and
award scholarships to college and to Audubon Camp. Stu-
dents from Slippery Rock University and Westminster College
will receive scholarships to assist in their study of wildlife and
conservation issues, and a local teacher and local high school
student will be given grants to fund their participation in the
education program at Audubon's Hog Island Camp in Maine.
Landowners who have enrolled their property in Bartramian
Audubon Society's "Wildlife Sanctuary" or "Bird and Butter-
fly Sanctuary" programs this year will be recognized and re-
ceive the signs that designate their participation. These pro-
grams have protected nearly 7,500 acres, from extensive
woodlots to backyards, throughout Western Pennsylvania.
Upcoming Activities
April 3-24, 2019- Audubon Photography Awards Exhibit
Award winning photos from the 2018 Audubon Photography
Contest will be on display at Jennings Environmental Educa-
tion Center from April 3 to 24, hosted by Bartramian Audubon
Society. This is one of the most prestigious awards in nature
photography. The winning photographers and their stunning
photographs were selected from more than 8,000 entries sub-
mitted by photographers from all 50 states, Washington, D.C.,
and 10 Canadian provinces. The display includes the Grand
Prize winner, winners in the Professional, Amateur, and Youth
divisions, and other images from the top 100 entries. Jennings
is the only location in western Pennsylvania where this travel-
ling exhibit can be seen. The photos will be displayed in the
newly renovated exhibition area of the Environmental Educa-
tion Center. Information about each photograph and photog-
rapher will be available. There is no admission charge to visit
Jennings Environmental Education Center or this special exhi-
bition.
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Activities in Review
December 15, 2018-Butler Christmas Bird Count (CBC)
….Mary Alice Koeneke and Glenn Koppel, Compilers
The Butler Christmas Bird Count (CBC) occurred on 15
December 2018. A total of 53 participants observed and tallied
birds during the day within the 15-mile diameter circle deline-
ating the Butler CBC. For the second year, we welcomed a
group from the Robert A. Macoskey Center for Sustainable
Systems at Slippery Rock University who participated in the
Butler CBC. Temperatures ranged from a minimum of 39F to
a high of 49F. The day began cloudy with light rain develop-
ing later in the afternoon. Winds were primarily from the east
and 5-10 MPH. Field participants reported open water for
Lake Arthur, as well as creeks and streams. The total number
of species observed was 76 plus 2 count week (cw) species,
which was higher than average (67). Most species were found
in numbers within the range of averages over the 54 years of
the Butler CBC; however, the total number of individuals
(5,481) continued to be lower than average (8,861) despite
decent weather conditions and open water on the date of the
count. A localized ice storm; frozen water; and snow for an
extended period of time in November may have contributed to
the absence and the near absence of some species as birds
moved out of the area seeking better conditions and did not
return. American Coot (1; avg. 184), Eastern Bluebirds (8,
avg. 33); Yellow-rumped Warbler (0, avg. 1), European Star-
ling (1,401, avg. 2,016), Dark-eyed Junco (160, avg. 396) and
noticeably low numbers of Icterids (Red-winged Blackbirds,
Common Grackles and Brown-headed Cowbirds) may have
been particularly affected. The total number of individuals for
the three species of Icterids combined in 2018 was 13; howev-
er, a combined average for the same three species is 646.
American Tree Sparrows (35) also continue to be observed in
lower than average (478) numbers.
Highlights included high counts of Canada Goose (748, avg.
302); Common Merganser (24, avg. 2) and Hooded Merganser
(71, avg. 13). The tally for Wild Turkeys (65) was above aver-
age (44) though the tally has declined for three years in a row
(88 in 2017; 129 in 2016). Rough-legged Hawk was found for
the first time since 2014. Rusty Blackbirds (18) were found on
the Butler CBC for the second time since 2011. All wood-
pecker species were at or higher than average, especially Red-
bellied Woodpeckers (57; avg. 25) and Hairy Woodpeckers
(26, avg. 2). American Robins were more common in 2018
resulting in a count of 316 (avg. 552) compared to 2017 when
only 30 were found. Weather conditions most likely caused
the drop in American Robin numbers for 2017. For the first
time since 2012, 3 Evening Grosbeaks were reported for the
Butler CBC.
Butler CBC 2018 Results: Canada Goose 748, Wood Duck 1,
Gadwall 4, Mallard 52, Canvasback, 6, Ring-necked Duck 3,
Lesser Scaup 6, Bufflehead 22, Surf Scoter (cw),Common
Goldeneye 3, Hooded Merganser 71, Common Merganser 24,
Red-breasted Merganser 6, Ruddy Duck 11, Ring-necked
Pheasant 1, Ruffed Grouse 1, Wild Turkey 65, 1, Great Blue
Heron 1, Bald Eagle 6, Northern Harrier 1, Cooper’s Hawk 9,
Red-shouldered Hawk 5, Red-tailed Hawk 23, Rough-legged
Hawk 1, American Kestrel 12, American Coot 1, Sandhill
Crane 4, Bonaparte's Gull 1, Ring-billed Gull 119, Herring
Gull 10, Rock Pigeon 137, Mourning Dove 280, Eastern
Screech Owl 2, Great Horned Owl 4, Barred Owl 2, Belted
Kingfisher 6, Red-headed Woodpecker 2, Red-bellied Wood-
pecker 57, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 1, Downy Woodpecker
69, Hairy Woodpecker 26, Northern Flicker 7, Pileated
Woodpecker 8, Blue Jay 184, American Crow 215, Horned
Lark (cw) Black-capped Chickadee 210, Tufted Titmouse, 52,
Red-breasted Nuthatch 5, White-breasted Nuthatch 63, Brown
Creeper 11, Carolina Wren 22, Winter Wren 4, Golden-
crowned Kinglet 30, Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1, Eastern Blue-
bird 8, Hermit Thrush, 2, American Robin 316, Northern
Mockingbird 4, European Starling 1,401, Cedar Waxwing
132, American Tree Sparrow 35, Chipping Sparrow 4, Song
Sparrow 38, Swamp Sparrow 7, White-throated Sparrow 43,
White-crowned Sparrow 1, Dark-eyed Junco 160, Northern
Cardinal 144, Red-winged Blackbird 12, Rusty Blackbird 18,
Brown-headed Cowbird 1, Purple Finch 2, House Finch 34,
Pine Siskin 2, American Goldfinch 61, Evening Grosbeak 3,
and House Sparrow 255.
The Players: Betty Antal (9), Betty Arenth (1), Bob Bahus (1), Brendyn
Baptiste (5), Beverly Barnett (11), Kim Berry (1), Marcia
Brown (9), Larry Brown (9), Suzanne Butcher (34), Gene
Butcher (25), Martin Carlin (3), Ruth Crawford (36), Dave
Darney (23), Debra Darney (24), Charles Davis (16), Sharon
Davis (17), Barb Davis (20), Kati Edmiston (1), Mike Fleszar
(1), Carol Guba (1), Emily Herring (1), Margaret Higbee (14),
Roger Higbee (14), Mimi Linda Hoffmaster (1), Debbie
Kalbfleisch (6), Ben Kehoe (2), Mary Alice Koeneke (5),
Glenn Koppel (5), Sami Lawrence (2), Becky Lubold (7),
Brandi Miller-Parish (1), Oscar Miller (4), David Neely (4),
Katie Nowland (1), Richard Nugent (13), Mark Sempf (1),
Lyn Sempf (1), Dave Schmeltzer (1) Debbie Schmeltzer (2),
Jacob Smith (2), Ramona Sohri (1), Sandy Stillwagon (1),
Mark Swansiger (20), Sandee Swansiger (19), Stephanie Tay-
lor (2), Josh Thomas (2), Becky Thomas (2), Christy Tichy
(9), Claire Torso (2), Linda Wagner (18), Robert Walczak (4),
Joanne Wilhelm (25), Gene Wilhelm (37).
Grove City CBC December 2018 …Brendyn Baptiste, Compiler
Snow Goose 1, Canada Goose 419, Mute Swan 4, Mallard
203, American Black Duck 2, Canvasback 1, Green-winged
Teal 1, Common Goldeneye 3, Common Merganser 4, Ring-
necked Pheasant 4, Wild Turkey 12, Rock Pigeon 202,
Mourning Dove 235, Sandhill Crane 31, Common Loon 1,
Great Blue Heron 4, Northern Harrier 3, Sharp-shinned Hawk
1, Cooper’s Hawk 6, Bald Eagle 7, Red-shouldered Hawk 1,
Red-tailed Hawk 25, EasternScreech Owl 2, Great Horned
Owl 4, Belted Kingfisher 1, Red-bellied Woodpecker 32,
Downy Woodpecker 42, Hairy Woodpecker 14, Pileated
Woodpecker 1, Northern Flicker 4, American Kestrel 1, Blue
Jay 156, American Crow 65, Common Raven 2, Horned Lark
21, Black-capped Chickadee 139, Tufted Titmouse 37, Red-
breasted Nuthatch 7, White-breasted Nuthatch 43, Brown
Creeper 5, Carolina Wren 6, Golden-crowned Kinglet 26, Ru-
by-crowned Kinglet 1, Eastern Bluebird 51, Hermit Thrush 1,
American Robin 7, Northern Mockingbird 2, European Star-
ling 2033, Cedar Waxwing 37, House Finch 82, Purple Finch
3
1, Common Redpoll 7, American Goldfinch 67, American
Tree Sparrow 123, Dark-eyed Junco 340, White-throated
Sparrow 23, Song Sparrow 36, Swamp Sparrow 8, Red-
winged Blackbird 10, Northern Cardinal 176, House Sparrow
416.
53rd Pleasantville CBC, December 30, 2018
….Russ States, Compiler
Great Blue Heron 2, Canada Goose 384, Mallard 80, Common
Goldeneye 1, Hooded Merganser 4, Common Merganser 120,
Bald Eagle 25, Sharp-shinned Hawk 1, Cooper’s Hawk 2,
Red-tailed Hawk 25, Rough-legged Hawk 3, Ring-necked
Pheasant 1, Ruffed Grouse 3, Wild Turkey 30, Rock Pigeon
41, Mourning Dove 119, Eastern Screech Owl 9, Great
Horned Owl 3, Barred Owl 1, Belted Kingfisher 5, Red-
bellied Woodpecker 28, Downy Woodpecker 72, Hairy
Woodpecker 26, Northern Flicker 1, Pileated Woodpecker 10,
Eastern Phoebe 1, Blue Jay 276, American Crow 110, Com-
mon Raven 13, Black-capped Chickadee 269, Tufted Tit-
mouse 106, Red-breasted Nuthatch 3, White-breasted Nut-
hatch 150, Brown Creeper 107, Carolina Wren 15, Golden-
crowned Kinglet 13, Eastern Bluebird 36, Hermit Thrush 3,
American Robin 2, European Starling 197, Cedar Waxwing
13, American Tree Sparrow 21, Song Sparrow 13, Swamp
Sparrow 3, White- throated Sparrow 45, Dark-eyed Junco253,
Northern Cardinal 104, House Finch 23, Pine Siskin 3, Ameri-
can Goldfinch 69, Evening Grosbeak 30, House Sparrow 238.
Total 53 Species.
3013 Individuals
First time on count – E. Phoebe
Bold number indicates High count for that species.
Bold Species indicates new or unusual species for the count.
Notable species – Red-shouldered Hawk, N. Flicker, Evening
Grosbeak
Highest number ever for: Bald Eagle, Great Horned Owl
(ties), Downy Woodpecker, White-breasted Nuthatch
2nd highest numbers for: Hairy Woodpecker (ties), Common
Raven, Carolina Wren (ties), House Sparrow
Count Week Seen – Bufflehead
Statistics: 8 species have been seen all 53 years, 8 species
have been seen 52 of 53 years, 21 species have only been seen
on one count (one of which we had this year). Dec 30, 2018: 3am to 5:00pm. Temp. 29-36F; Snow cover – 0 in.,
Still waters open, moving waters open; wind 0-5mph; Overcast in
morning, clearing in afternoon. Observers: 20 in field in 10 parties, 4 feeder watchers.
Time/distance: 84 total party hours; 316.75 total party miles;
including 9.75 hours & 13.75 miles on foot and 67.5 hours &
303 miles by car. Plus 4.75 hrs and 17.5 miles owling. Plus
13 hours at feeders.
Education
For teachers: Opportunities and Resources!
Audubon Adventures Available for Classroom Use
Bartramian Audubon sponsors and funds Audubon Adven-
tures curriculum materials for students in grades 3-6 in
schools in Butler, Lawrence, Mercer and Venango Counties.
Audubon Adventures classroom learning kits include printed
student magazines and access for teachers to online instruc-
tional guides, assessments, interactive games, other teaching
modules and resources. The standards-based content and ma-
terials can be integrated across multiple subject areas. The
theme for 2018-2019 is “Get To Know Birds”. Students
will discover the basics of bird identification by learning and
using field marks or characteristics like colors, markings, size,
shape, and even sounds. Learn more about Audubon Adven-
tures at http://www.audubonadventures.org/. Then contact
Brandi Miller-Parrish, the chapter’s Education Chair, at 724-
787-9438 or [email protected] to arrange to receive
the materials. A limited number of sponsored subscriptions
will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Hog Island Audubon Camp Scholarship for Educators
Each year Bartramian Audubon awards one scholarship for a
teacher within the chapter’s four-county area to attend the
“Sharing Nature: An Educator’s Week” session of Audu-
bon Camp in Maine on Hog Island. Open to teachers of any
grade level or subject area, this session offers practical ap-
proaches, methods, lessons, and activities for engaging both
children and adults with nature. Participants are inspired and
energized through interaction with instructors and fellow edu-
cators, as they learn about and explore the forest, intertidal and
ocean ecosystems of the scenic Maine coast. Find details
about this extraordinary learning opportunity at:
http://hogisland.audubon.org/sharing-nature-educator-s-week
The application period for the Hog Island scholarship for
July 14-19, 2019 is now open, and will close on February 28,
2019. The application form is available on the chapter’s web-
site or by contacting our Education Chair at 724-787-9438 or
Membership News
To all of our seasoned and new chapter members, we hope
that the new year has gotten off to a great start for you! Like
Punxsutawney Phil, we’re looking forward to the beginning of
spring, with interesting programs beginning in March and field
trip opportunities that you’ll find described elsewhere in this
newsletter and, as updates occur, on our web-
site https://www.bartramianaudubonsociety.org or Facebook
page https://www.facebook.com/Bartramian.We’re looking
ahead, also, to some exciting new partnership efforts with Jen-
nings Environmental Education Center and The Birdwatchers
Store, both located near Slippery Rock. Did you know that our
members receive a 10% discount on purchases at The Bird-
watchers Store, generously offered by new owners Dave and
Lori Kwasnick? (The “Frequent Feeder” program is exclud-
ed.)We invite you to continue to support and become more
involved with Audubon. Here’s a reminder to chapter (Associ-
ate) members: we ask that you renew your membership at the
beginning of each year, in order to continue to receive
the Upland Informer and other benefits. You can use the form
on the back of this newsletter to renew. The form also allows
the option for new memberships in National Audubon Society,
which includes membership in our chapter. Thanks for caring
about birds and the natural world.
4
BARTRAMIAN AUDUBON SOCIETY
P.O. BOX 315
SLIPPERY ROCK, PA 16057
Membership Information: We appreciate all who support
our organization as members and invite others to join us.
There are three options:
• Membership in National Audubon Society (includes a
one-year subscription to Audubon magazine, printed quar-
terly, AND chapter membership, with our seasonal news-
letter, the Upland Informer.)
• "Associate" membership in our local chapter,* which
includes receiving only our chapter newsletter, either via
postal mail or, to reduce paper and energy use and costs,
via e-mail.
• Student membership in our local chapter,* which
includes receiving our newsletter by e-mail only.
To join, cut out, complete, and mail this form, indicating
which type of membership you desire, and including the
appropriate payment. Membership in National Audubon
also is available via the organization’s website at:
https://action.audubon.org/donate/chapter-
membership?chapter=U18
*A note about chapter membership renewals: Our local mem-
bership cycle extends from January 1 through December 31.
Members should renew at the end of each year for the next.
Questions about Audubon membership should be directed to
Membership Chair Becky Lubold at bartramianaudu-
[email protected]. Include “Attn: Membership” in the subject
line.
(Please be aware that landowners who have previously applied
and have had their property accepted as either a Wildlife Sanc-
tuary or a Bird and Butterfly Sanctuary will renew their sanc-
tuary status in June of each year, separately from chapter or
national membership. Questions about sanctuary program
renewals should be directed to the chair of that program,
Kathie Goodblood, at [email protected].)
National Audubon or Bartramian Audubon Society
Membership Application *Please check membership type and newsletter delivery choice.
____ $20.00 National Audubon membership (Write check
payable to “National Audubon Society” (FOR NEW
MEMBERS ONLY. Renewing members should use
forms received from the national organization.)
____ Receive Bartramian Audubon’s Upland
Informer via postal mail
____ Receive Bartramian Audubon’s Upland
Informer via e-mail
____ $15.00 Bartramian Audubon Society Associate
(chapter) membership with newsletter (Check
payable to “Bartramian Audubon Society”)
____ Receive Upland Informer via postal mail
____ Receive Upland Informer via e-mail
____ $10.00 Student membership E-mail delivery
available only. (Check payable to “Bartramian
Audubon Society”)
Name____________________________________________
Mailing address____________________________________
Town/City_______________________ State___ Zip______
E-mail address ____________________________________
Phone (optional)___________________________________
Please mail this form with payment to:
Bartramian Audubon Society; P.O. Box 315:
Slippery Rock, PA 16057
PRSRT. STD.
US POSTAGE
PAID
OIL CITY, PA
PERMIT # 145
1
Upland Informer
Volume 37 Issue 3 Official Newsletter of the Bartramian Audubon Society Summer 2019
Editor- Nancy Baker
Photos-Jim Hubenthal
Check us out online at www.bartramianaudubonsociety.org
www.facebook.com/Bartramian
Upcoming BAS Membership Meetings
Our membership meetings are held the second Monday of the
month at 7:00 p.m. at the Jennings Environmental Education
Center, 2961 Prospect Road, Slippery Rock, PA. The Educa-
tion Center is located on Rt. 528 just west of its junction with
Rt. 8- about five miles south of Slippery Rock. The meetings
are free and open to the public.
September 9, 2019-Monday-Tanzania Tapestry
Tanzania Tapestry: Serengeti…Ngorongoro Crater…Olduvai
Gorge…Zanzibar…Lake Victoria…names that conjure up
images of nature at its most exotic. Join Jeff Hall for a visit to
these and other sites in Tanzania that reveal the majesty of the
elephant, the grace of the cheetah, the stunning power of the
martial eagle, the kaleidoscopic beauty of the lilac-breasted
roller, and so much more. Photos of the wildlife of this East
African nation are accompanied by facts, legends, and stories
of adventure.
Activities in Review
May 13, 2019-Annual Awards Night
THE HELEN R. FERGUSON FUND SCHOLARSHIP IN
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES AT WESTMINSTER
COLLEGE PRESENTED TO ERIN WARD
Dr. Helen Boylan, Erin Ward,and Jeff Hall
Erin Ward is a sophomore Environmental Science major at
Westminster College. Along with her outstanding academic
achievements, she is active in numerous extracurricular activi
ties, including the ALLARM water quality outreach and re-
search program. Erin is also on the cross-country and track
teams, and won the conference championship in the 800 meter
run.
THE MIKE ALLEN STARKER ECOLOGY SCHOLARSHIP
IN ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES AT SLIPPERY ROCK
UNIVERSITY PRESENTED TO CHRISTA OXLEY
Dr. Heike Hartmann and Christa Oxley
Christa Oxley is a junior at Slippery Rock University, major-
ing in Geography with a concentration in Environmental Stud-
ies and Sustainability. Christa has excelled in her scholastic
work while being an integral part of a wide range of activities
at SRU, including the literary magazine, inclusiveness issues,
and environmental awareness.
“SHARING NATURE: AN EDUCATOR’S WEEK”
CAMP AT HOG ISLAND, MAINE SCHOLARSHIP
PRESENTED TO JULIE AIKEN
Julie Aiken and Brandi Miller- Parrish
2
Each year Bartramian Audubon awards a scholarship to a local
teacher to attend “Sharing Nature: An Educator’s Week” at the
Audubon Camp in Maine on Hog Island. Julie Aiken has re-
ceived the scholarship for 2019. Julie is a 2nd grade teacher at
South Butler Primary School in Saxonburg, PA. She is very
excited about attending the camp, networking with other edu-
cators, getting fresh ideas and learning new techniques to in-
corporate into her classroom. We congratulate Julie and wish
her well in her travels to the Maine coast.
AWARD FOR SUSTAINABLE CONSERVATION BY AN
INDIVIUAL PRESENTED TO DEAN KILDOO
Ron Kildoo, Dean Kildoo, Dr. Gene Wilhelm, and Suzanne
Kildoo
The Purple Martin, our largest swallow, nests colonially in
human-made houses and gourds in western Pennsylvania.
However, it isn’t easy persuading these beautiful birds to es-
tablish a new breeding colony as many people can attest.
Nevertheless, Dean Kildoo, born January 29, 1929, decided to
give it a try after George English, owner of the Evening Star
Motel on Route 108 near I-79, gave Dean plans for a Purple
Martin house. In 1970, Dean built a house of 10 rooms and
had two martins that first year. In 2002, 75 martin pairs pro-
duced a record 298 banded fledglings. Perhaps reproduction
could have been higher that year if a May deep freeze had not
occurred. A total of 19 adults died. To keep the other adult
martins from dying of hunger, Dean scrambled 23 chicken
eggs and placed the food in each occupied dwelling unit. Such
kind gesture saved the colony which, in turn, reciprocated by
producing a staggering 3.973 fledglings per adult pair for an
all-time colony record. By 2003, Dean had continued attract-
ing martins by gradually adding more houses and gourds re-
sulting in 4 houses, 3 with 14 apartments and 4 gourds each, 1
house with 18 apartments and 4 gourds, 1 rack of 16 gourds
and another rack of 12 gourds for a total of 104 dwelling units.
2012 was the one and only year that all rooms were occupied
by 93 martin pairs. Besides late spring freezes, other major
dangers for the colony include road kills, hawk predation, and
dwelling competition from European Starlings and House
Sparrows. Dean has solved the road kills by erecting a wire
with hanging red and yellow tags next to his road frontage and
he vigorously controls invasive avian dwelling competitors.
Several years ago Dean erected a sign reading “Purple Martin
Sanctuary” and, indeed, it is. BAS in 2003 presented Dean
Kildoo with the Award for Sustainable Conservation by an
Individual and the special title of “Benefactor of the Purple
Martin.” Margaret Mead, famous anthropologist, said years
ago that it takes just one person at a time to change the world
for good. Indeed, Dean, you have definitely changed the world
in approaching 50 years of complete dedication for the Purple
Martin. Simple math in that time frame illustrates that you
alone helped Purple Martins produce at least 15,465 eggs,
13,570 hatched martins, and 14,035 fledged youngsters to
date. These are awesome numbers. Congratulations, Dean, and
continued Purple Martin success long into the future.
AWARD FOR SUSTAINABLE CONSERVATION BY A
BUSINESS PRESENTED TO GROWING TOGETHER
Dr. Robert Arnhold, Kendal Kuhns, Marena Toth, and
Bob McCafferty
The Growing Together Aquaponics program was created by
Dr. Robert Arnhold, recently retired professor of Adapted
Physical Activity in the Physical Education Department, SRU,
with the support and partnership from the North Country
Brewery Company (NCBC), Slippery Rock. Dr. Arnhold had
a vision for a transition program using an aquaponics system
at the same time that Bob McCafferty had a strong urge to
create a sustainable farming solution to the growing mass-
producing, non-sustainable agriculture system. Once the two
gentlemen met the vision became a plan. Bob McCafferty do-
nated space in his Slippery Rock canning facility, electricity,
water, as well as donated the NFT(nutrient film technique)
rack for the system. Currently the system is serving 10 high
school students, 6 adults, and 4 college students, all with disa-
bilities. All student employees who work within the program
learn the entire system with the intention of independently
taking care of the process. Tasks include feeding the tilapia
fish, sowing seeds, harvesting plants, packaging produce, fish
and plant care, problem solving, testing chemicals, and
maintenance. The program hopes to instill in the students the
positive idea of a new urban farming solution that saves water,
offers growing plants all year round without having to wait for
seasons, and a universal system that requires no soil, and can
be done in any environment. All of the grown produce is re-
turned to the NCBC restaurant and has made it onto their
menu. The name “Growing Together” was purposely chosen
to represent the plants, fish, and students of all abilities grow-
ing together. Although retired, Dr. Arnhold continues to work
diligently within the system. The program is now in the good
hands of Wendy Fagan, SRU, current program director, Ma-
rena Toth, Master of Science, SRU Adapted Physical Activity,
3
program coordinator, and Kendal Kuhns, SRU graduate assis-
tant. Congratulations, for becoming such a dynamic entity in
helping people and the local environment in this new urban
farming model for the here and now and the future.
AWARD FOR SUSTAINABLE CONSERVATION BY A
BUSINESS PRESENTED TO FRANKFERD FARMS
Becky Lubold, T. Lyle and Betty Ferderber
T. Lyle and Betty Ferderber accepted one of this year’s awards
on behalf of their business, Frankferd Farms Foods, based in
Saxonburg. Founded in 1985, Frankferd Farms distributes
more than 4000 mostly organic foods and additional items to
locations in five states, to families and businesses that em-
brace non-chemical foods for themselves and their customers.
Their own certified organic farm and solar-powered mill are
the source for many of these products. Others come from local
and regional farms and companies that share the Ferderbers’
concerns for the health of humans and the planet. In accepting
the award, T. Lyle noted that organic farming and other sus-
tainable practices at the farm and business benefit communi-
ties and all creatures, including the fourth generation of their
family, their grandkids, who play, run, and learn on the farm
where he and Betty have worked for over forty years.
AWARD FOR SUSTAINABLE CONSERVATION BY AN
ORGANIZATION PRESENTED TO FRENCH CREEK
VALLEY CONSERVANCY
Judy Acker, Brenda Costa, and Jeff Hall
French Creek Valley Conservancy is a private land trust
which protects and preserves water quality and land in the
French Creek watershed through conservation easements. In
addition, it undertakes and supports research and education
about both aquatic and terrestrial habitats and organisms in the
area. The French Creek flows from New York through Erie,
Crawford, Mercer, and Venango Counties, and joins the Alle-
gheny River in Franklin. Accepting the award for the Con-
servancy were Brenda Costa, Executive Director, and Judy
Acker, Education and Outreach Specialist.
NEW SANCTUARY
Connie Haswell and Kathie Goodblood
The Bartramian Audubon Society’s award winning Sanctuary
program recognizes landowners whose property possesses
natural qualities which provide habitat for animals and plants.
Wildlife Sanctuaries comprise twenty or more acres; Bird and
Butterfly Sanctuaries can be any size. Connie Haswell re-
ceived a Bird and Butterfly Sanctuary sign from Sanctuary
Chair Kathie Goodblood for her twelve acre property in Butler
County.
Odds and Ends
The NatureBridge Alcoa Scholars program, hosted by Na-
tureBridge and the Alcoa Foundation, is an immersive, two-
week environmental science program that allows high school
students to learn and grow in some of the world's most beauti-
fully protected lands; 63 students (including our own Joshua
McCoy) from six countries and five U.S. communities will
travel to Yosemite or Olympic National Park. Joshua will be
going to Olympic National Park in the state of Washington.
Here he will have hands-on science experiments and research,
outdoor experiential learning, and social emotional learning
activities designed to connect scholars to nature, sustainability,
and each other. Joshua was one of BAS' National Audubon
Society Hog Island, Maine, scholars in 2017. Congratulation
Joshua. Gene Wilhelm, Ph.D.
4
BARTRAMIAN AUDUBON SOCIETY
P.O. BOX 315
SLIPPERY ROCK, PA 16057
Membership Information: We appreciate all who support
our organization as members and invite others to join us.
There are three options*:
• Membership in National Audubon Society (includes a
one-year subscription to Audubon magazine, printed quar-
terly, AND chapter membership, with our seasonal news-
letter, the Upland Informer.)
• "Associate" membership in our local chapter only,
which includes receiving only our chapter newsletter, ei-
ther via postal mail or, to reduce paper and energy use and
costs, via e-mail.
• Student membership in our local chapter, which in-
cludes receiving our newsletter by e-mail only.
To join, cut out, complete, and mail this form, indicating
which type of membership you desire, and including the
appropriate payment. Membership in National Audubon
also is available via the organization’s website at:
https://action.audubon.org/donate/chapter-
membership?chapter=U18
*Questions about national or chapter membership should be
directed to Membership Chair Becky Lubold at bartrami-
[email protected]. Include “Attn: Membership” in the
subject line.
(Please be aware that landowners who have previously applied
and have had their property accepted as either a Wildlife Sanc-
tuary or a Bird and Butterfly Sanctuary will renew their sanc-
tuary status in June of each year, separately from chapter or
national membership. Questions about sanctuary program
renewals should be directed to the chair of that program,
Kathie Goodblood, at [email protected].)
National Audubon or Bartramian Audubon Society
Membership Application *Please check membership type and newsletter delivery choice.
____ $20.00 National Audubon membership (Write check
payable to “National Audubon Society” (FOR NEW
MEMBERS ONLY. Renewing members should use
forms received from the national organization.)
____ Receive Bartramian Audubon’s Upland
Informer via postal mail
____ Receive Bartramian Audubon’s Upland
Informer via e-mail
____ $15.00 Bartramian Audubon Society Associate
(chapter) membership with newsletter (Check
payable to “Bartramian Audubon Society”)
____ Receive Upland Informer via postal mail
____ Receive Upland Informer via e-mail
____ $10.00 Student membership E-mail delivery
available only. (Check payable to “Bartramian
Audubon Society”)
Name____________________________________________
Mailing address____________________________________
Town/City_______________________ State___ Zip______
E-mail address ____________________________________
Phone (optional)___________________________________
Please mail this form with payment to:
Bartramian Audubon Society; P.O. Box 315
Slippery Rock, PA 16057
PRSRT. STD.
US POSTAGE
PAID
OIL CITY, PA
PERMIT # 145