Birding Adventures TV recently hit Pennsylvania and focused on John James Audubon and Hawk Mountain Sanctuary. Good to see local spots being highlighted! There is some good history information and some nice raptor shots to enjoy.

Birding Adventures TV in PA by Drew Weber - Nemesis Bird - birding and ornithology in Pennsylvania and beyond

For the first month of the 2012 yard contest we had 27 entries. I know there are a lot more birders in PA that bird in their yard so hopefully you all add your yard to the contest. Read the rules at the Yard/Patch competition page. The top yards in the three bigger categories recorded over 30 species. The top eBirders were also closing on 30 checklists for their yards which is impressive, almost one a day. Check out the most updated rankings.

Category 1: Urban yards, apartments, and condos
Observer	Yard Name	Checklists	Species
Peter Keyel	Squirrel Hill, Allegheny, US-PA	17	14
Alyssia Church	Stratford Apt, Centre, US-PA	4	11
Steve Brenner	State College Park Apts, US-PA	2	7
Amy Davis	Davis Apartment, Chester, US-PA	3	5
Category 2: Suburban Yards surrounded by suburban yards
Observer	Yard Name	Checklists	Species
Nelson Weber	E Broad, US-PA	5	21
Nick Kerlin	Ridge Ave., Centre, US-PA	6	16
Category 3: Suburban yards adjacent to good bird habitat
Observer	Yard Name	Checklists	Species
Brian Henderson	East Norriton (Swede Rd/Stony Creek), Montgomery, US-PA	29	39
Gordon Dimmig	B&G, Elizabethtown, Lancaster, US-PA	9	27
Carl Engstrom	Engstrom's Yard, Centre, US-PA	14	25
Shawn Collins	My Backyard Crawford County, US-PA	8	25
Chad Kauffman	Kauffman Lane Yard, US-PA	2	24
Donna Mohney	Donna's Yard, US-PA	3	13
Andrew Weber	Toftrees, Centre, US-PA	6	13
NateFronk	Vairo Village, Centre, US-PA	5	8
Category 4: 1 to 5 acre yards
Observer	Yard Name	Checklists	Species
Joe Sebastiani	Sebastiani Yard, Avondale, Chester Co., US-PA	7	37
Michael Gardner	Mike's Yard, Chester, US-PA	3	30
Greg Grove	Grove Yard, McAlevys Fort, Hunt. Co, US-PA	5	29
Margaret Brittingham	StoneRow Lane Home, Centre, US-PA	5	18
Timothy Schreckengost	Kramer, Jefferson, US-PA	5	13
Jim Fiorentino	Iron Valley Dr, Lebanon, US-PA	1	11
Stephen Kloiber	Pen Argyl, Northampton, US-PA	1	11
Category 5: Yards more than 5 acres
Observer	Yard Name	Checklists	Species
Corey Husic	Husic Property, Monroe, US-PA	24	33
peter lusardi	Lusardi, Cumberland Co., US-PA	4	23
michael dreibelbis	MyFarm, Centre, US-PA	7	22
Carole Winslow	Maple Glen Farm, Clarion Co., US-PA	2	20
Jay Zook	Zook, Mifflin, US-PA	3	18
Timothy Schreckengost	Rochester Mills, Indiana, US-PA	21	14

2012 Yard Contest – January results by Drew Weber - Nemesis Bird - birding and ornithology in Pennsylvania and beyond

Over the past week I’ve been cleaning out American Kestrel nest boxes in Marion and Levy Counties. These boxes are most commonly mounted on utility poles or longleaf pine trees. Over the years, debris can pile up in nest boxes and make them nearly unusable for kestrels, especially if a squirrel has moved in.  If a box has been used by kestrels, the floor is covered with a thick layer of bug parts, usually with a few pellets and feathers mixed in, and the walls are covered in white wash.  If the debris isn’t too thick, we leave it, or add some wood shavings so the kestrels have somewhere to lay their eggs; they won’t bring in nesting material.  Right now, pairs are starting to check out their nest boxes, and are perching very close to them. It is not uncommon to be dive-bombed by angry kestrels, but more often, the adults just sit on a powerline nearby and scream. One female sat within 10 meters of me, and waited rather impatiently for me to clean out the box. Still others sat at far distances and could have cared less that a human was investigating their nest cavity. Eggs will start being laid at the end of the month, so when I check boxes again in early March, I should start seeing them.

Sometimes, other cavity-loving critters can move into nest boxes. The big roomy space is irresistible to the three kinds of squirrels you can find inFlorida; the southern flying squirrel, the eastern gray squirrel, and the fox squirrel, and all are intent on stuffing the boxes full of leaves, moss, and babies.  Gray squirrels live absolutely everywhere in Florida and are extremely common.  These are likely the bird seed addicts that live in your back yard; they range in color from gray to grayish brown.

Fox squirrels are much less numerous, and are distinguishable from gray squirrels by their enormous size, bushy tail, and “black mask” that most adults show. There are 3 subspecies of fox squirrel inFlorida. The Big Cypress Fox Squirrel is found in the Everglades, and Sherman’s Fox squirrel is found in central Florida (where I am); both are listed as threatened. The third is found in the panhandle.  Because they are threatened, we don’t mind that they take over nest boxes. Natural cavities in Florida are hard to find for all critters, so I am always glad to find the yellowish-brown bodies of baby fox squirrels in a box (although most of the time, I find gray squirrel babies!).  Adult fox and gray squirrels can both be pretty defensive of their nests, and more than one time, an angry parent squirrel has stood its ground in the nest box, or run up the pole *while* I am on the ladder at their nest! While I don’t think I’d ever get attacked by a squirrel, an adult squirrel is pretty much the scariest thing to see when I open the door to a nest box. It even beats spiders and snakes.

baby eastern gray squirrels

Fox squirrel sitting on nest box

Fox squirrel sitting on nest box; refusing to leave!

On the not-so-intimidating side of squirrels is the southern flying squirrel. There is no way I could ever be afraid of those huge dark eyes on that super soft-looking little body.  On chilly mornings, I’ve found up to 5 flying squirrels huddled together in nest boxes, and the last thing they want to do is leave their warm bed. If they don’t have babies, I give them a little poke, and most of them scatter while I clean out the box.  I am sure they jump right back into the box after I leave though, because unlike the other 2 squirrel species, they choose to run up poles and trees rather than down.

Southern flying squirrel waiting for his chance to slip back into the nest box...

By far my favorite thing to see when I open a nest box is an Eastern Screech-Owl. Some are wide-eyed and awake and others are flat-out comatose. I haven’t found any on eggs yet, but I imagine my nest box checks in a month will reveal some.  So far, I've encountered 4 different screech-owls. I didn't get a good look at the first, the second two were red phase, and the third was a gray phase. The gray phase owl was holding onto two eastern spadefoot toads!  He was at first alert and active within the box, but then decided to completely shut down and go into "camo" mode, holding tightly to his spadefoots.

Eastern Screech-Owl - Red phase; this owl was active and "bill-clapped"

Eastern Screech-Owl - Red phase; this owl never opened its eyes and I had to move it around to look for eggs!

I also encounter many other nests made by a variety of cavity-nesting birds (think Eastern Bluebirds, Great Crested Flycatchers, European Starlings), but I'll save that for another post!

Eastern Screech-Owl - gray phase (with eastern spadefoot toads)

Eastern Screech-Owl with eastern spadefoot toad

What’s in the box? by Anna Fasoli - Nemesis Bird - birding and ornithology in Pennsylvania and beyond

Here are the January totals for the patch list competition. We managed to get 50 different patches entered into the competition although we really need some more entries in Category 1 and 2. These are the smaller patches so if you find yourself birding a local park or maybe a spot close to work, please add it in. These smaller patches won't get as many species which is fine, since you will only be compared with other small patches.

Right now there is a heavy Centre County bias so I am hoping that others can start to add more patches in. It is never too late, especially if you are already putting your stuff into eBird. This competition will be more fun with lots of people and patches in the different categories.

2012 Patch Contest – January results by Drew Weber - Nemesis Bird - birding and ornithology in Pennsylvania and beyond

Since it is February 1st, we have randomly selected a winner of The Big Year DVD. The lucky recipient of this giveaway is Bennet Susser. Hopefully they enjoy the movie as much as I did. Thanks to everyone who participated in this giveaway and left comments on our facebook page, we really appreciate any discussions and input for the blog!

The Big Year DVD Winner by Drew Weber - Nemesis Bird - birding and ornithology in Pennsylvania and beyond

I was very excited to get my hands on the newly released Cotingas and Manakins by Guy M. Kirwan and Graeme Green. Some of my favorite birds that I saw during a trip to Costa Rica in 2004 were Long-tailed Manakin and Snowy Cotinga. Snowy Cotinga's are neat because, of course, they are all white which is a pretty unusual plumage.

I particularly enjoyed the 'toledo' call of the Long-tailed Manakins that seemed to echo back and forth through the foilage where they were hiding. They do this neat thing where the males will duet back and forth which you can hear in the clip below from xeno-canto.

This is probably the easiest family monograph to flip through from cover to cover due to its gorgeous photography and quality illustrations. There is extensive information on range, distribution, subspecies, measurement, calls and life histories for each species which I am sure will prove invaluable to anyone studying this group of birds, as well as birders looking to learn more about these colorful gems.

The book begins with broad information on the entire group including conservation efforts and needs. This is followed by the color plates which are very nicely done and then each species gets its own account, many with multiple photographs.

Overall, it is a fantastic book that is worth adding to your library if you are making the trek to Central/South America, or you are as fascinated with these birds as I am.

• 624 pages.
• 34 color plates.
• around 400 color photographs.
• 130 species.

Book Review: “Cotingas and Manakins,” by Guy M. Kirwan and Graeme Green, Princeton University Press (2011).

Buy it at Barnes&Noble : Cotingas and Manakins

Review: Cotingas and Manakins by Drew Weber - Nemesis Bird - birding and ornithology in Pennsylvania and beyond

2012 is my third calendar year birding in Centre County, PA. So far I have only birded in the county during the fall semester of 2010 and the fall semester of 2011. I have never birded in Centre County during the spring or summer. During the two fall semesters that I have been in the county for, I have managed to rack up a Centre County species list of 221. Of all the counties I have ever birded in, I love adding species to my Centre County list the most. Three hundred and two species have been reported into eBird for Centre County, so I still have a lot of potential species to try to add to my list, however I have gone through the remaining species and narrowed the list down to my 25 Most Wanted. Below are the 25 species in order of taxonomy, with some comments concerning their respective history in Centre County.

1 - Cackling Goose

This species is seen regularly in other parts of the state, particularly the southeastern corner, but is quite rare in Centre County. Cackling Geese are most often found during spring migration mixed in with large groups of Canada Geese. Bald Eagle SP and the Duck Pond seem to be the two most likely locations for me to be able to see this species within the county. In addition, I bet a Cackling Goose mixed in with the thousands of Canada Geese I see pass over Jo Hays Vista during fall migration, would also be reasonable.

2 - Trumpeter Swan

As far as swans go, only Tundra and Mute Swan have been reported in Centre County, however I think we are due for a Trumpeter Swan. This is a species I have seen a number of times in other areas of PA and feel like its only a matter of time before we find one here in Centre County. Bald Eagle SP and Colyer Lake would be the most likely locations for this species in my opinion.

3 - Greater White-fronted Goose

Another rare goose, especially in central PA - there have only been a handful of records in Centre County. My chances for this species are even less than my chances for the previous two waterfowl species, but I am going to keep my hopes up and wait for the day that I drive over to Colyer Lake and see a Greater White-fronted Goose mixed in with the Canada Geese.

4 - Eared Grebe

Horned Grebes are quite common during both spring and fall migration through Centre County but their western counterpart, the Eared Grebe is very rare. There have only been three records of this species in the county - one at the Duck Pond, one at the PSU Retention Pond, and one at Bald Eagle SP. I think its quite a long shot that I should get this species, but it seems reasonable to hope, especially if I put in enough hours at Bald Eagle SP during migration.

5 - American Bittern

This species' absence on my Centre County life list is due entirely to the fact that I have not been in the county during the spring and early summer, when American Bitterns are most commonly-encountered. I don't think there should be any problem finding this species this spring.

American Bittern (Photo by Alex Lamoreaux)

6 - Cattle Egret

This species is uncommon to rare in PA and is only casually seen in Centre County. The most recent sighting was of a handful of birds that spent at few days at the Polled Hereford Farm last spring. With more and more birders out in the county on a daily basis, I believe reports of Cattle Egrets will increase and hopefully I am around to go see one.

7 - Glossy Ibis

This species is pretty much in the same boat as Cattle Egret - they are rarely seen in the county, although we do have quite a bit of decent habitat that could lure them into stopping, and hopefully a birder will be there to get the word out. Most reports of Glossy Ibis are single birds during the spring months, with a record high count of eleven birds seen by Merrill Wood in 1983!

8 - Northern Goshawk

Of the regularly occurring diurnal raptors in Centre County, the Northern Goshawk is the only one I have not yet seen. Goshawks are rare in this part of the state and are typically only seen during migration when they pass by hawkwatches. I make sure I spend lots of time up at Jo Hays Vista during fall raptor migration, so I think one of these days I am bound to be sitting up there in the bitter cold and snow, and get lucky enough to see a goshawk cruise past.

9 - Common Gallinule

This is a rare species in Centre County, but is often reported a few times during spring migration, with the most recent sighting at Scotia Pond last spring. I think with all the wetland habitat around the county, this is a very reasonable species to try to find and add to my list this spring.

Common Gallinule (Photo by Alex Lamoreaux)

10 - Virginia Rail

Virginia Rail is an uncommon, but widespread species in Centre County and is most often reported in May. I believe that if I go out in search of this secretive species enough, I should not have any issue with at least hearing one respond to playback...but we will have to wait and see.

11 - American Avocet 

12 - Short-billed Dowitcher

13 - Stilt Sandpiper

Last August 8th, while I was baking in the hot sun of southwestern Arizona, I got a text alert from the SCRBA that said there was an American Avocet, multiple Stilt Sandpipers, and a whole flock of Short-billed Dowitchers foraging alongside other shorebirds at Colyer Lake. Needless to say, I was jealous. I am very proud of my shorebird list for the county so far, but adding the above three species would be amazing.

American Avocet (Photo by Alex Lamoreaux)

14 - Buff-breasted Sandpiper

There are only a few records of this species from Centre County and all were birds pushed down by storms during fall migration. With the hundreds of acres of plowed fields around Centre County, I think it is only a matter of time before we are able to find Buff-breasted Sandpiper. The fields along North Nixon Rd look ideal for this species during the fall, but despite nearly daily checks last year we could not turn up a Buff-breasted Sandpiper - hopefully this year things will be different.

15 - Wilson's Phalarope

Of the three phalarope species, Wilson's is the most commonly reported in Centre County. The most recent report was of a bird that hung out at Julian Wetlands for three days last May. I think chances are pretty good that we should be able to find one again this spring.

16 - Any interesting gull species

I am not going to be picky for this one - I just want some sort of gull that isn't a Herring, Ring-billed, or Bonaparte's. The problem with gulls in Centre County is that we don't have any location that draws in gulls. There are no massive landfills in Centre County and we don't have a major river flowing through the county. Occasionally during the winter, decent numbers of Ring-billed and Herring Gulls gather at Bald Eagle SP, so I think my best bet for finding anything out of the usual would be there.

Would it be too much to ask to see a Lesser Black-backed Gull loafing on the swimming beach at Bald Eagle SP??? (Photo by Alex Lamoreaux)

17 - Eurasian Collared-Dove

With this species successfully spreading to more and more parts of the country, I believe that the one bird seen last spring here in Centre County (representing a new county record) won't be the last. The many small towns surrounded by farmland throughout the county seem like ideal locations to find Eurasian Collared-Doves - I'll be on the lookout!

18 - Snowy Owl

The winter of 2011/2012 has so far been an incredible invasion year for Snowy Owls into the lower 48 states. Pennsylvania has already had a number of reports during the past few months, including at least four birds that were spotted south of Centre County. It would be a shame if we couldn't find one here in Centre County.

19 - Rufous Hummingbird

With more and more people being informed to leave their hummingbird feeders up during the late fall and winter, reports of Rufous Hummingbirds (and other western hummingbirds) have sky-rocketed. It is not at all unreasonable to think that Rufous Hummingbirds are no longer 'vagrants' to Pennsylvania, but more likely regular migrants through the state - although very unlikely detected without luring them in to a feeder. I pretty much guarantee that if each member of the State College Bird Club would put up and maintain a hummingbird feeder throughout the late fall and winter, we would have at least one Rufous Hummingbird reported in the county every year.

Rufous Hummingbirds migrant through Centre County - we just need to keep feeders up and lure one in. (Photo by Alex Lamoreaux)

20 - Ash-throated Flycatcher

This species is probably the most outlandish and unlikely one on this list. There are no records of this species in central PA however, I think that with enough birders out in the field around Centre County, searching carefully through our best hotspots, we could definitely stumble into one of these beautiful western Myiarchus flycatchers with a bit of luck.

21 - Purple Martin

Not much to say about this one - should be pretty simple to get once summer comes around. Only birding in this county during the fall months has meant that I have not yet had the opportunity for a Purple Martin and I can't wait to fix that.

22 - Marsh Wren

The Marsh Wren is considered regular though uncommon in Centre County. Millbrook Marsh and any of the various wetlands around the county seem like very reasonable locations for this species during migration and even breeding season. With some effort, I think this shouldn't be a hard species to pick up.

Marsh Wren (Photo by Alex Lamoreaux)

23 - Orchard Oriole

Another one of those species that I have not yet seen in the county because I have never birded here during the spring and summer. I should have no trouble finding this species in May and June at a number of local hotspots, particularly Millbrook Marsh.

24 - Cerulean Warbler

This is the only regularly occurring warbler species I have left to see in Centre County. Cerulean Warblers are very difficult to find during fall migration however they are found yearly during spring migration and quite a few breed in the county. I am hoping to add this beautiful but declining warbler to my list as soon as possible.

25 - Grasshopper Sparrow

The large expanses of reclaimed strip mines in the northern portion of Centre County have created wonderful breeding habitat for Grasshopper Sparrows. Grasshopper Sparrows are present during fall migration but are difficult to find and their migration patterns through the county are a mystery, however during spring and summer when the bird's are singing and defending their breeding territories, I have heard they are fairly easy to find.

My Top 25 Most Wanted Centre County Species for 2012 by Alex Lamoreaux - Nemesis Bird - birding and ornithology in Pennsylvania and beyond

This Townsend's Warbler was found by Dr. Andy Green in his backyard in Cumberland County, PA. It constitutes the fourth documented record of this species for Pennsylvania. Dr. Green has been an extremely generous host to bird watchers who have "chased" this bird, to visit and see it for themselves.

See more videos on Youtube.

The PA Townsend’s Warbler music video by Andy McGann - Nemesis Bird - birding and ornithology in Pennsylvania and beyond

This video was made by The Big Year publicists to build some anticipation for the release. Like Robert at Birding is Fun!, I am not sure how to take this clip. I don't think that it at all goes with the movie which I enjoyed and is actually kind of offensive. Leave a comment on your thoughts!

Video link

Uncovering The Big Year by Drew Weber - Nemesis Bird - birding and ornithology in Pennsylvania and beyond

Yesterday morning, I drove around some agricultural areas near Woodward, PA in search of winter raptors. I was rewarded with distant but still satisfying looks at five Rough-legged Hawks in addition to a few Red-tailed Hawks and American Kestrels. Running alongside one of the roads we drove was a small creek that hadn't yet iced over. Perched on telephone wires above the creek were a male Belted Kingfisher and a male American Kestrel. The two birds were about 100 feet apart from each other. I have always sort of thought of the Belted Kingfisher as filling the same niche as the American Kestrel, only it hunts aquatic animals whereas the kestrel hunts terrestrial animals. Being able to see the two species side-by-side, the kingfisher scanning the water for prey and the kestrel scanning the tall grass for prey, was such a neat sight and I thought I would share some photos with you all.

American Kestrel - male (Photo by Alex Lamoreaux)

Belted Kingfisher - male (Photo by Alex Lamoreaux)

Kestrel and Kingfisher by Alex Lamoreaux - Nemesis Bird - birding and ornithology in Pennsylvania and beyond