Seasonal Report - Fall 2016

Lycoming County Fall 2016 Summary

The early fall featured little rain and hot temperatures. Much like last year, Great Egrets were fairly common along the river. Another notable river sighting was the female-type Red-breasted Merganser that summered near the Williamsport Dam, which was seen through mid-August. Merlins were seen in good number in August and the rest of the season, with some promise for nesting sites in Williamsport and South Williamsport, none of which were found. Shorebird numbers seemed to be down, and no rare shorebirds were observed during the fall. In contrast, Blackpoll Warblers seemed particularly numerous throughout much of the fall.

The only major weather event during the fall was October 21, where localized heavy rain, over 8 inches in some places, caused serious flooding in some areas of the county. Road closures prevented access to Rose Valley Lake that day, so it is unknown if there was fallout from the system. The flooding caused some habitat changes at Mill St. which will have to be assessed for impacts to what is one of the best birding spots in the county.

There were 3 outstanding records this fall that clearly jump out as highlights. The first of these was an Eared Grebe found on September 11 at Rose Valley Lake. Next, what was shaping up to be the clear "bird of the fall," was a first county record Cave Swallow observed and photographed near the Williamsport Dam on October 27. However, the swallow was outdone by the third Pennsylvania record of Black-chinned Hummingbird, which was first seen in Montoursville on November 11. Other county first-of-years from this season included Semipalmated Sandpiper, Black Tern, Philadelphia Vireo, Rufous Hummingbird, Marsh Wren, Surf Scoter, Northern Goshawk, Evening Grosbeak and Red Crossbill (Olive-sided Flycatcher and Yellow-bellied Flycatcher first-of-year eBird records were also added, but had been previously observed in the county in 2016). Eared Grebe, Cave Swallow and Black-chinned Hummingbird are PA review list species, and documentation was sent to the Pennsylvania Ornithological Records Committee (PORC) for the sightings. These were the fourth, fifth and sixth review list observations in the county this year (previous: Parasitic Jaeger at Rose Valley Lake on 5/1, Summer Tanager at Canfield Island on 5/8, Summer Tanager at Mill St. on 5/11). In total, 187 species were recorded in Lycoming County this fall.

Observer abbreviations include: Bobby Brown (BB), David Brown (DB), Deb Brown (DeB), Bob Brown (BoB) (BB, DB, DeB, BoB collectively as Browns), Eric Hartshaw (EH), Steve Pinkerton (SP), Norwood Frederick (NF), Andy Keister (AK), Dan Brauning (DanB), Haley Benshaw (HB), Evan Houston (EvH), Lauri Shaffer (LS), Jared Hollick (JH), Rob O'Donnell (RO), Jayne Bartlett (JB), Joe Yoder (JY)

Waterfowl

A female-type Red-breasted Merganser that summered near the dam continued to be seen through mid-August (DB). The species was also seen at Rose Valley Lake on 10/23 (SP) and 11/4 (DanB) and Canfield Island on 11/5 (DanB). 2 Lesser Scaup were observed at Rose Valley Lake on 8/22 (EH) and 9/12 (DeB, EH, AK) and possibly summered at that location. The species also was noted a few times at Rose Valley Lake in November (EH, BB, DeB, BoB, SP). The only Gadwall of the fall was seen at Rose Valley Lake on 11/3 and 11/4 (EvH, et al.). American Black Duck reports were scattered throughout the fall, with a high count of 13 at a pond in the Montgomery area on 11/24 (Browns). A Northern Shoveler was observed from Mill St. on 9/16-19 (BB, et al.) and at Indian Park on 11/29 (DB), along with a flock of 9 seen at the Williamsport Dam on 11/9 (BB). The only Northern Pintail sighting was a flyby at Canfield Island on 10/4 (Browns, EvH). Green-winged Teal were seen early in the fall on 9/4 and 9/13 at SGL 252 (BB, DB, AK). There were also sightings at Mill St. on 10/22 (BB, SP, EH) and Rose Valley Lake on 11/4 (DanB) plus a few November sightings at the Williamsport Dam, including 5 on 11/26 (Browns). There were several Ring-necked Duck reports at Rose Valley Lake throughout late October and November. A Surf Scoter was found at Rose Valley Lake on 11/3 and continued on 11/4 (EvH, et al.). The scoter was associating with a Long-tailed Duck on 11/3-4, and a group of up to 5 Long-tailed Ducks was seen on the lake a few days later on 11/6 (NF, SP). Ruddy Ducks were seen fairly consistently at Rose Valley Lake in October and November, plus a few reports on the river. A Snow Goose in a field along Rose Valley Road on 11/30 (DB) provided the first ever November eBird record for that species in Lycoming County.

Other Waterbirds

Much like last year, Great Egrets were seen with regularity in August and September along the river and at SGL 252. 6 were seen at SGL 252 on 8/7 (BB, DB, DeB), which represents the county high count for the species. Along with the high count of egrets, the same checklist produced at least 40 Great Blue Herons, which is another county high count. The last Great Egret sighting was at SGL 252 on 9/25 (BB, DB, AK), and the last Green Heron sighting was at Mill St. on 10/9 (BB). The only American Coot of the season was reported from SGL 252 on 9/13 (AK). One of the highlights of the fall was an Eared Grebe found at Rose Valley Lake on 9/11 (SP). The bird was also seen the next day by many other observers. It was possibly the same bird seen at Montour Preserve (Montour County) on 9/10, which may have relocated overnight, as there was no conclusive evidence of the grebe at that location on 9/11. Eared Grebe is a review list species for Pennsylvania, and documentation was sent to PORC. The only prior record of the species in Lycoming County was 4/29/1988, which was also at Rose Valley Lake. Double-crested Cormorant reports were common and widely scattered as is typical, but one report that stands out is the 140+ that migrated over the Route 15 Overlook in multiple groups on 11/4 (DB, et al.)

Raptors and Owls

Black Vultures continue to be seen regularly in Lycoming County, with numerous sightings throughout the fall, including a notable count of 34 in a field along Warrenville Road on 11/26 (BB, DeB, BoB). Turkey Vultures continued to be seen in the landfill area up through the end of November, so they may end up wintering in that area like last year.

Osprey sightings were mostly concentrated in September and October, but the first-of-fall sighting was a bird with an injured leg on 8/3 that was seen from Mill St. (BB) and the Williamsport Dam (DB). A very late Osprey was observed along Commerce Park Drive on 11/17 (AK). At least 53 Golden Eagles were observed in Lycoming County throughout the fall, including 27 migrating over the Route 15 Overlook on 11/6 (BB, DB, et al.). The fall's only Rough-legged Hawk, a dark morph, was also seen migrating over the Overlook that day (BB, DeB). The only known Northern Goshawk sighting for the year so far was an immature migrating past North White Deer Ridge on 11/12 (JY). Red-shouldered Hawk sightings seemed more numerous than is typical. The big Broad-winged Hawk days at the Route 15 Overlook were 580 on 9/16 (Browns) and 525 on 9/21 (DB).

All 3 of our typical falcon species (Peregrine Falcon, American Kestrel and Merlin) were seen regularly throughout the fall. Merlins are usually somewhat hard to come by, so the regularity of the sightings is notable for that species.

Notable owl observations include a Northern Saw-whet Owl at Mill St. on 8/30 (BB, SP) and Short-eared Owls at Mill Hill Road on 11/18 (DB, SP) and 11/25 (BB, DeB, BB, SP).

Shorebirds

Fall shorebird migration was not terribly productive, with relatively few birds seen, and no rarities found. Perhaps the best shorebird report of the season was 4 Lesser Yellowlegs and a Semipalmated Sandpiper (county first-of-year) at Mill St. on 8/8 (BB, DB, HB). Killdeer were seen through the third week of October, plus a report at the River Walk along Commerce Park Drive on 11/8 (DB). Least Sandpipers were only seen a few times during the fall: 8/15, 9/1, 9/3, 9/6, 9/19 (BB, DB, EH), all of which were along the river. The lone Wilson's Snipe sighting was at Mill St. on 10/10 (BB). American Woodcock was recorded several times during the fall. At least 3 Greater Yellowlegs were observed at SGL 252 on 9/2 (BB). As expected, Spotted and Solitary Sandpipers were regularly seen, with the last sighting of both coming in early October.

Gulls and Terns

Ring-billed Gulls were seen regularly throughout the fall and Herring Gulls were observed a handful of times, mostly along the river. The only observation of Bonaparte's Gull was a flock of 10 at Rose Valley on 11/3 (BB, et al.). Terns were fairly scarce this fall. A Forster's Tern was seen flying past the Mill St. Boat Launch after a thunderstorm on 8/10 (Browns). A fallout of county first-of-year Black Terns occurred on a very rainy 8/21, with 7 being seen flying by the Williamsport Dam (BB, DeB, SP) and a group of 23 discovered downstream foraging over the river along Commerce Park Drive (BB, DeB). The 23 count appears to be an all-time high count for Lycoming County.

Hummingbirds

The Winter Hummingbird Contest produced a few reports this year. On 10/20, hummingbirds were reported both in Unityville and outside of Montoursville, which had both been seen in prior days. Neither bird was photographed or seen after, so they are of unknown species.

On 10/25, a report came in of a hummingbird not far from SGL 252. This bird was photographed and confirmed as either a Rufous or Allen's Hummingbird the following day, 10/26 (DB). The bird was seen off and on for a few weeks, but was difficult to capture and band, which was necessary to conclusively identify it to species. Wayne Laubscher finally succeeded on 11/25 and confirmed the ID as an adult female Rufous Hummingbird. She continued to be seen through the end of November (updates to be provided in our winter report).

The best bird of the fall in Lycoming County was a very cooperative adult female Black-chinned Hummingbird that was seen in Montoursville from November 11-15 (DeB, BoB, BB, et al.). The bird regularly visited feeders during her stay and was seen by many observers who travelled from all over the state to see her. She was banded on November 12 by Wayne Laubscher and was last seen around 8:30am on November 15 (DB). That bird not only represents the first Lycoming County record of the species, but was also only the third Pennsylvania record, with the previous ones coming in 2012 and 2013.

Flycatchers

It was a pretty quiet season for flycatchers. An Olive-sided Flycatcher was observed at SGL 252 on 8/28 (DB, BB), which was the only sighting of that species this fall. Additionally, a Yellow-bellied Flycatcher was seen at SGL 252 a few days later on 9/2 (AK). The 7+ Eastern Wood-Pewees observed at SGL 252 on 8/28 represents the all-time high count for Lycoming County on eBird. A late Eastern Phoebe was observed along Commerce Park Drive on 11/17 (AK) and another at Rose Valley Lake on 11/30 (DB).

Swallows

There were a few late swallow reports this fall. At Mill St., a Cliff Swallow was seen on 9/30 (BB, DeB, BoB) and Barn and Bank Swallows were mixed into a large flock of (non-late) Tree Swallows during a rainstorm on 10/1 (BB). A Northern Rough-winged Swallow was observed at Rose Valley Lake on 10/15 (Browns, SP). The major swallow sighting for the fall was, of course, the first county record of Cave Swallow near the Williamsport Dam on 10/27 (Browns). That sighting appears to have been the first-of-year for that species in Pennsylvania, and documentation was submitted to PORC since it is a review list species.

Warblers

Blackpoll Warblers seemed particularly numerous throughout September and October, with 20 or more being observed in one place on some occasions, but overall it was a fairly quiet fall for warblers, although 26 species were still recorded. Louisiana Waterthrushes, which had no prior fall eBird records in Lycoming County, were observed on Mill St. on August 1, 5, 6, 9 and 14 (BB, et al.). Northern Waterthrushes were recorded at Rose Valley Lake on 9/18 (NF), Canfield Island on 9/20 (DB) and Mill St. on 9/30 (DB). A Blue-winged Warbler was seen at Mill St. on 8/29 (BB, DeB, BoB) and SGL 252 on 9/13 (AK). Northern Parulas were seen at the Williamsport Dam on 9/22, 9/29, 10/6 and 10/8 (DB) as well as SGL 252 on 9/4 (DB, BB, AK). Like normal, Bay-breasted Warblers were fairly scarce, but were observed at the Route 15 Overlook on 9/15 (Browns), Canfield Island on 9/28 (BB, SP) and the Williamsport Water Authority on 9/9 (DB), 9/11 (JB), and 9/26 (DB). Blackburnian Warblers were only recorded on 3 occasions: Mill St. on 8/1 (BB), Algerine Swamp on 8/23 (EH) and the Williamsport Dam on 10/1 - 10/2 (DB, DeB). Late Yellow Warblers were recorded at the Williamsport Dam on 9/21 (DB) and 10/2 (DB, DeB) and at Mill St. on 10/2 (Browns). Pine Warblers were seen at White Deer Golf Course on 9/2 (AK), Rose Valley Lake on 9/18 (NF), and along the Pine Creek Rail Trail on 10/7 (RO). The 90 Yellow-rumped Warblers at Mill St. on 10/16 (BB, SP) represents the all-time Lycoming County high count on eBird. Prairie Warblers, which were somewhat hard to come by this year in general, were only observed at Lime Bluff Recreation Area on 8/19 (LS) and the Route 15 Overlook on 9/9 (AK). Canada Warblers were reported on 8/3 along the Pine Creek Rail Trail (JH) and at the Williamsport Water Authority on 9/11 (JB). An early Wilson's Warbler was photographed at Lime Bluff Recreation Area on 8/19 (LS), with additional sightings at Canfield Island on 9/25 (BB, DeB) and on the river walk along Commerce Park Drive during a Lycoming Audubon Society walk on 10/1 (EH, et al.). A probable Connecticut Warbler was also observed at Mill St. on 9/29 (BB), but the sighting was too brief for 100% certainty.

Warbler species recorded this fall:

• Ovenbird
• Louisiana Waterthrush
• Northern Waterthrush
• Blue-winged Warbler
• Black-and-white Warbler
• Tennessee Warbler
• Nashville Warbler
• Common Yellowthroat
• Hooded Warbler
• American Redstart
• Cape May Warbler
• Northern Parula
• Magnolia Warbler
• Bay-breasted Warbler
• Blackburnian Warbler
• Yellow Warbler
• Chestnut-sided Warbler
• Blackpoll Warbler
• Black-throated Blue Warbler
• Palm Warbler
• Pine Warbler
• Yellow-rumped Warbler
• Prairie Warbler
• Black-throated Green Warbler
• Canada Warbler
• Wilson's Warbler

Sparrows

There were not too many surprises in the sparrow family this fall. The initial push for both Dark-eyed Juncos and White-crowned Sparrows seemed to be the first week of October. The first White-throated Sparrow of the fall was reported 9/24 (BB, DB), but a member of the Lycoming Audubon Society Facebook group indicated that they summered in South Williamsport and were seen visiting feeders. Swamp Sparrows were seen consistently throughout the fall. Lincoln's Sparrows were found regularly through their expected window during late-September and early-October. American Tree Sparrows started arriving the first week of November, with only a small overlap with Chipping Sparrows, as is typical, and Fox Sparrows preceded them by about a week. Savannah Sparrows were only found at Mill St. during the fall. One of the most interesting sparrow sighting of the season was an Ammodramus sp. that was possibly a Nelson's Sparrow, which was very briefly seen at Mill St. on 9/30 (BB, DeB). Another notable sighting was a Gambel's White-crowned Sparrow (western subspecies that is rare in PA) at SGL 252 on 11/27 (BB, DB).

Finches

Purple Finches were seen regularly throughout the fall, including a high count of 25 at SGL 252 on 9/25 (BB, DB, AK). Pine Siskins were observed in Ralston on 10/7 (NF). There were also a couple of sightings of the rarer winter finches in the county, which hadn't been reported in Lycoming County for several years. An Evening Grosbeak was photographed in Ralston on 11/12 (NF). Several Red Crossbills were observed at the Williamsport Water Authority on 11/17 (DB), including Type 2s, eastern Type 10s and a Type 1.

Other Sightings of Note

One of the big stories of the fall throughout Pennsylvania was an invasion of Red-breasted Nuthatches. Indeed, Lycoming County had an elevated number of reports throughout most of the fall. Notably, 2 were seen at Mill St. on 9/11 (BB, DB), a new species for that eBird hotspot, which doesn't really contain typical habitat for that species.

Normally an elusive species, cooperative Black-billed Cuckoos were photographed at the Route 15 Overlook on 8/18 (DB) and 9/3 (Browns).

Philadelphia Vireos, which are uncommon migrants usually only seen in the fall, were seen on 3 occasions this fall. The first was at SGL 252 on 9/4 (BB, DB, AK). The second sighting was at Mill St. on 9/25 (BB), which was a new species for that eBird hotspot. The third sighting was at the Williamsport Water Authority on 9/26 (DB).

One of the better finds of the fall was a Marsh Wren at Rose Valley Lake on 10/29 (SP, et al.).

American Pipits were seen on several occasions this fall. The first sighting was a single bird at the Williamsport Dam on 9/14 (DB). Small groups were seen on Mill St. on 10/4 (EvH, BB, DB) and 10/22 (BB, SP, EH) as well as Rose Valley Lake on 11/3, and a single bird at Rose Valley on 11/8 (EvH). There were several sightings of the species in Cogan House during November, including a count of 65 on 11/6 (SP).

Common Nighthawks were regularly seen during the end of August and beginning of September, including a high count of 152+ at the Williamsport Dam on 8/21 (BB, DeB, SP).

There were not too many notable icterid sightings from the fall. Rusty Blackbirds were spotted at Rose Valley Lake on 10/15 (Browns, SP) and 11/3 (EvH), and at a private residence outside of Williamsport on 10/9. Mill St. continues to be the hotspot for Eastern Meadowlarks, with a high count of 22 seen there on 9/27 (BB, DeB, BoB). A somewhat unusual late sighting of Brown-headed Cowbird was recorded in Cogan House in a flock of Horned Larks on 11/20 (Browns). The high count of 6,400+ Common Grackles was in Montoursville on 9/6 (Browns).

Horned Larks were found mostly in the usual locations during the fall, with all sightings coming in November. Flocks of 300 or more were seen in Cogan House, and small groups seen at Rose Valley Lake and near Salladasburg. Snow Buntings were seen mixed in with the lark flock in Cogan House on 11/20 (SP, Browns) and were also seen at Rose Valley Lake on 11/6 (NF, SP) and 11/8 (EvH).

Conclusion

Overall, it was a fantastic fall with some great sightings, and with an amazing find already in December (King Eider) before this report was published, we are hoping the winter keeps up with the flood of rarities that Lycoming County has hosted this year.

The Fall 2016 report was compiled and written by Bobby Brown. Our seasonal reports cover March-May (Spring), June and July (Summer), August-November (Fall) and December-February (Winter) to better line up with migration, breeding and wintering timings.