To Conserve and Restore
2/22/15
By David Brown
The mission of the Lycoming Audubon Society is “To conserve and restore natural ecosystems, focusing on birds, other wildlife, and their habitats for the benefit of humanity and the earth’s biological diversity.” Education is an important part of this mission. With the ending of the environmental education programs at the PPL Montour Preserve at the end of last year I was reminded of the impact those programs had on the local public's knowledge of nature. The first organized bird walk I ever attended was at the preserve and led to my deeper involvement in the birding community. In addition to Lycoming Audubon's bird walks and public programs, this column is a tool for us to share our passion for birds. Multiple writers will cover the topic of birds from different angles, but ultimately we seek to get more people in our local area interested and informed about birds.
Approximately 250 species of birds have been recorded in Lycoming County and over 200 of those are seen each year. Late February is a great time to see our area's winter birds before they migrate. Readers with a bird feeder may have noticed a recent irruption of Pine Siskins, a northern species of finch that arrives in our area in large numbers some winters. A lucky few may also see a Common Redpoll, another northern finch that is being seen in small numbers in the local area this winter. Dark-eyed Juncos and American Tree Sparrows hop along the ground beneath feeders looking for fallen seed. A drive through local farmland will reveal flocks of Horned Larks and Snow Buntings in the fields and Rough-legged Hawks perched on the smallest branches at the tops of trees. Buffleheads, Redheads, and other diving ducks congregate in unfrozen stretches of the Susquehanna River. In March and April, skeins of Snow Geese and Tundra Swans migrate north, while gulls and terns stop to rest at a thawing Rose Valley Lake. By May, the winter finches will have headed back north and the warblers will be back from Central and South America. Some species will just be passing through on their way to more northerly breeding grounds, but others will stay and breed. These next few months are some of the best for bird watching and a perfect time to get started.
Observing birds is easy and can be done by anyone. The basic tools are a pair of binoculars and a field guide. Don't think that birds can only be seen in the early morning and in certain times of year. Birds are everywhere and can be seen at all times of day. We need more eyes to count the common birds and find the rare ones. We need people to notice the decline of the Golden-winged Warbler and the arrival of the invasive Eurasian Collared-Dove. We hope you will join us in person on a bird walk or at least in spirit as we recount our bird lore.
