Birding News and Features

Rusty Blackbird Blitz Again!

Last year, birders throughout the country scoured the countryside for wintering Rusty Blackbirds to help us understand their distribution and find important local concentrations (hotspots).  We learned a lot, but there is much more to learn. We want to blitz for several years to both locate more hotspots and determine how stable these hot spots are from year to year.  In Pennsylvania, we are at the northern edge of the winter range of the species so we can better define where that distribution lies.  Already, the information gained is being used to implement research and conservation efforts! 

With your help, the “Return of the Rusty Blackbird Blitz” will be bigger and better than the original. It is an important project because of the steep decline of this wetland songbird.  There are many good places in Pennsylvania where Rusty Blackbirds might visit in the winter.  They not only like bigger wetlands (think Tinicum marsh, Quakertown wetlands, Pymatuning swamp, Geneva marsh), but also lake edges, wet woods, and smaller wetlands.   The survey takes place January 30 thru February 15th, 2010.

New Year's Resolution: eBird!

eBird is for all birders, so anyone can make a contribution.  Why not start the New Year right and begin documenting your field observations in eBird? 

Occasionally we hear about birders who tried eBird once, but then did not return because they felt they were not qualified to contribute, or that eBird caters only to “expert” birders. This is not the case at all! At eBird we believe that all bird observations have value. You need not be a globetrotting expert—some of the most valuable checklists are repeated observations from people who have never looked for birds outside their own backyard! You need not know every bird that flashes through your binoculars either, the eBird data quality process guards against many potential identification errors. Furthermore, the exchange of information between experts and beginners during this process is a valuable learning tool. We want eBird to be used by birders of all skill levels: our only request is that you try to use eBird to its fullest capacity, report the birds you see and hear to the best of your ability, and err on the conservative side if you are unsure about your identification.

Hawk Mountain Sanctuary Celebrates 75 Years

Pennsylvania is at the crossroads of raptor migration and at the cutting “edge” of raptor conservation.   Why do we say that?  The river of raptors pours by several of the state’s ridges and summits each autumn in a spectacular display. This migration along the Kittatinny Ridge or Blue Mountain and threats to those hawks inspired the founding of  Hawk Mountain Sanctuary by Rosalie Edge in 1934.   With great energy and conviction, Mrs. Edge and her supporters purchased what became known as Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, the world's first refuge for birds of prey. The mission of Hawk Mountain Sanctuary is to conserve birds of prey worldwide by providing leadership in raptor conservation science and education, and by maintaining Hawk Mountain Sanctuary as a model observation, research and education facility.  In all of these aspirations, it has been very successful. Several of the state’s species of special concern and priority species of wildlife action plan are raptors. 

PA eBird Presentation Ready to Roll!

Ready for a presentation about eBird?  Ready to give an eBird talk? Brian Byrnes of Audubon Pennsylvania has developed a power point slide presentation about Pennsylvania eBird. The new PA eBird presentation is a basic “why and how” tutorial presentation. It will allow more people to become ambassadors for eBird and for keeping good bird records.  Its main goal is to introduce eBird to people and show them how it works.  It gives an overview of the basic objectives of eBird as well as our state’s goals. The presentation is designed so almost any competent birder can give this presentation. Every record counts, so help us spread the word about eBird. 

New Eastern Pennsylvania Birding and Wildlife Guide Available

The Eastern Pennsylvania Birding and Wildlife Guide is a newly published, easily-used, handy-sized, and informative book that presents birding information for 13 eastern counties ranging from the Pocono Northeast to the Philadelphia area in the south.   Eastern Pennsylvania may contain some metropolitan areas, but it also is home to many birds and good places to enjoy them.  Indeed, the Delaware and Schuylkill river valleys can be considered the cradle of American ornithology and a hotbed for recreational birding.  This region has been the home to many of the most notable names in ornithology including Alexander Wilson, John James Audubon, and Spencer Fullerton Baird.  The region gave all these ornithologists as well as many others the inspiration to make discoveries about birds and nature close to the nation’s birthplace.  As Scott Weidensaul states in the beginning of this new birding guide: “Eastern Pennsylvania is a birding paradise.”  The birding locations include many places listed as PA Important Bird Areas or locations that support locally important bird populations, but also places with good birding that are close and easily accessible to thousands of birders in the Northeast.  The variety offer opportunities for birding in all seasons and many habitats.  Birders can assist bird conservation by visiting these sites and reporting their observations to eBird and other citizen bird projects.