An Annotated List of Cumberland County Birds Upated 2016
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
PENNSYLVANIA BIRDS Seasonal Editors Journal of the Pennsylvania Society for Ornithology Daniel Brauning Michael Fialkovich Volume 30 Number 3 Jun 2016 - Jul 2016 Nick Bolgiano Geoff Malosh Greg Grove, Editor-in-chief 9524 Stone Creek Ridge Road Department Editors Huntingdon, PA 16652 Book Reviews (814) 643 3295 [email protected] Gene Wilhelm, Ph.D. 513 Kelly Blvd. http://www.pabirds.org Slippery Rock, PA 16057-1145 (724) 794-2434 [email protected] CBC Report Nick Bolgiano 711 W. Foster Ave. Contents State College, PA 16801 (814) 234-2746 [email protected] 135 from the Editor Haw k Watch Reports Laurie Goodrich Keith Bildstein 136 First confirmed breeding record of Virginia Rail in 410 Summer Valley Rd. Orw igsburg, PA 17961 Allegheny County . Geoff Malosh (570) 943-3411 goodrich@haw kmtn.org [email protected] 138 Annotated List of Cumberland County Birds . Vern Gauthier PAMC Chuck Berthoud 4461 Cherry Drive 148 Book Review: Waterfowl of North America, Europe, and Asia Spring Grove, PA 17362 . Gene Wilheim [email protected] Franklin Haas 2469 Hammertow n Road 150 Summary of the Season: Summer 2016 . Dan Brauning Narvon, PA 17555 [email protected] 153 Suggestions for Contributors – Publication Schedule Pennsylvania Birdlists Peter Robinson P. O. Box 482 Hanover, PA 17331 154 Birds of Note – June through July 2016 [email protected] Data Technician 157 Photographic Highlights Wendy Jo Shemansky 41 Walkertow n Hill Rd. Daisytow n, PA 15427 162 Local Notes – Summer 2016 [email protected] Publication Manager Franklin Haas Inside back cover – In Focus 2469 Hammertow n Rd. Narvon, PA 17555 [email protected] Photo Editor Ted Nichols II 102 Spruce Ct. Annville, Pa. 17003 Photo submissions: [email protected] General correspondence: [email protected] Northern Harrier (Circus cyaneus). Recently fledged Northern Harrier at Piney Tract (SGL330) Clarion 19 Jul. Harriers are rare breeders in the state. During the second Breeding Bird Atlas, nesting was Layout Deb Grove confirmed in only 24 blocks scattered in 18 different counties, mostly in the northern half of the state. [email protected] Clarion is the center of harrier breeding activity, this season confirmed at two locations with pairs present at two more. (Anthony Bruno) ... from the Editor Compiler news soliciting photos – and it’s worked, almost Lawrence, Washington), Tom Dick Brian Quindlan is stepping down too well! For the spring issue, for (Bedford), Rudy Keller and Matt as compiler for Delaware. His excuse has example, he received a couple hundred Wlasniewski (Berks), Mark Bonta something to do with being busy with photos. (Blair), Trudy Gerlach (Bradford), grad school and thesis writing. Brian has From submitted photos, we select August Mirabella (Bucks), Oscar been writing excellent reports since 2013 one for the front cover and up to six for Miller (Butler), Dave Gobert and we thank him for his contributions to the inside back cover feature In Focus (Cambria), Brendyn Baptiste Pennsylvania Birds. I am happy to (also in color). An average issue of (Cameron, Elk), Nan Butkovich announce that Sheryl Johnson will Pennsylvania Birds contains about 5-7 (Centre), Holly Merker (Chester), take over coverage of this small but pages with black and white prints. At a Carole Winslow (Clarion), Diane important county on the lower Delaware maximum of six per page, this means we Bierly (Clearfield), Wayne Laubscher River, sharing with Philadelphia the print around 50 photos as an upper limit. (Clinton), Doug Gross (Columbia), Rob John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge, one Some quick Math shows we can not use Hodgson (Crawford), Vern Gauthier of the state’s most important locations for all the photos we receive; in fact, at the (Cumberland, Perry), Annette Mathes both birds and birders. current rate of submission, less than half (Dauphin), Sheryl Johnson (Delaware), At the opposite corner of the state, will be printed. Poor quality is rarely the Jerry McWilliams (Erie), Flo McGuire Scott Stoleson will take over in Warren, reason a photo is not used - the great (Forest), Bill Oyler (Franklin), Amy a county which has not been covered in majority are excellent. We simply don’t Evans (Fulton), Marjorie Howard recent years. Scott is a research scientist have the space. Selection of which photos (Greene), Greg Grove (Huntingdon), with U.S. Forest Service – among his to use – and more painfully, which not to Margaret Higbee (Indiana), Thomas projects is work on Cerulean Warblers. use – has turned out to be one of the Glover (Jefferson), Chad Kauffman While on the subject of compilers, more difficult tasks for the new editors! (Juniata), Pamela Fisher (Lancaster), the following counties have no compiler: All of the above leads to this point: If Tim Becker (Lebanon), Bill Etter Carbon, Lackawanna, McKean, Montour, you submit a photo that is not used, don’t (Lehigh), Jonathan DeBalko (Luzerne), Northumberland, Potter, Tioga, and give up. Eventually photos of yours will Dan Brauning (Lycoming), Neil Union. Please contact me if interested. be used. Further, we don’t trash unused Troyer (Mercer), Jon Kauffman photos. They are saved, possibly to be (Mifflin), Brian Hardiman (Monroe), Pennsylvania Birdlists used if we need a photo of a particular Brian Henderson (Montgomery), One outcome of the recent survey of species in a feature article. Michael Schall (Northampton, Pike), PSO membership is that we will bring All photos are welcome. Photos of Dave Rieger (Schuylkill), Jason the Pennsylvania Birdlists feature back state rarities get top priority, even if of Weller (Snyder), Jeff Payne (Somerset), into Pennsylvania Birds. Recall that this fair or poor quality, as long as they allow Rob Megraw (Sullivan), Evan Mann past year the lists were moved to the identification. Photos of birds providing (Susquehanna), Gary Edwards and PSO website. In the recent survey of PSO first or second county records are also of Russ States (Venango), Scott Stoleson members, the lists were rated of high high priority, as are photos documenting (Warren), Josh Jones (Wayne), Tom importance by many, as they always new or rare nesting records for the state Kuehl (Westmoreland), Joe DeMarco have been. (And as usual, there are a few or a county. Photos showing interesting (Wyoming). opponents of listing). Furthermore, some behavior are always of interest. respondents indicated they never or Photos should be send to Ted at the CORRIGENDA rarely use a computer, perhaps do not special email address on the inside cover own a computer, and therefore of course ([email protected]). They can be The Winter Season summary will not see the lists (or anything else) on sent anytime but definitely not later than issue Vol. 30, No. 1 highlighted 7 House Wrens on the Southern line. about one month following the close of Bucks CBC. However, that report Given these results, the lists will any given season. was entered into the CBC data return to the printed journal. The most base in error. No House Wrens recent issue of our newsletter, PSO Photo Correction were found on that CBC. Pileated, includes the usual paper form In the spring 2016 issue of for submitting list updates (through Volume 30 (No. 2), the photo of the A Black-headed Grosbeak was December 2016) and birdlists compiler Yellow-crowned Night-Heron on the In reported in the Winter Season Peter Robinson (who has been doing this Focus page (inside back cover) was taken Volume 30, No. 1 in the Birds of Note for 17 years) will send his usual by Dave Kerr on 16 May on the and Summary of the Season as being in both Bucks and Northampton, announcement by email towards the end Conodoguinet Creek in Cumberland. resulting in a first record for Bucks. of the year. However, examination of maps of the County compilers as of area showed the bird was seen only in Photos December 2016: Phil Keener (Adams, Northampton, no closer than 100 feet This is the second issue for which York), Mike Fialkovich (Allegheny, to the Buckss line, and therefore Ted Nichols has served as Photo Editor. Fayette), Marjorie Van Tassel should not be considered the first Ted has been very enthusiastic about (Armstrong), Geoff Malosh (Beaver, record for Bucks. PENNSYLVANIA BIRDS (ISSN 0898-8501) is published four times per year by The Pennsylvania Society for Ornithology. Editorial and business offices are located at 2469 Hammertown Road, Narvon, PA 17555. Subscriptions, all in US$: One year U.S.A $30, Canada $48, Foreign $62. Library rate $33. Single copies: $9. Checks and money orders in U.S. dollars only should be made payable to PSO. Copyright © 2016 by the Pennsylvania Society for Ornithology. PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT EPHRATA, PA 17522 and additional entry offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to PSO, 2469 Hammertown Road, Narvon, PA 17555. PENNSYLVANIA BIRDS 135 2016 – VOLUME 30 NO.3 First confirmed breeding record of Virginia Rail in Allegheny County Geoff Malosh Virginia Rail is a very rare breeder mid-May. The birds were using an area tiny indication of the white flank barring in Pennsylvania. In summer they occur of thick reeds where a small boardwalk they show later in life. They also had primarily in the marshes of the Glaciated and causeway crosses through the entirely black bills with a small pale Northwest and Northeast, with very wetland, and they were frequently seen cream-colored tip. On 26 June and 30 sporadic summer records at wetlands and heard in this area. After about 14 June, they looked more or less the same, throughout the rest of the state. During May, however, things got quiet at the only slightly larger, and with more white the second Pennsylvania Breeding Bird marsh. By this time most of the on the front of the chest and belly. They Atlas period, they were found in just 153 interested county birders had their ‘tick’ were also already capable of very short blocks out of 4937 total blocks statewide anyway, and the birds themselves flights by 30 June, basically just able to (3.09%), and due to their secretive nature became quiet and reclusive.