Local birding in the news

This editorial appeared in our local paper the Centre Daily Times on Monday, March 31. It's just beautifully written, and the sentiment is oh so close to my heart. Also--I know Dave Brandes' brother; he's my birding friend from work, Hillel, whom I've mentioned on the blog before, the one who showed me brown creepers for the first time on the walking trail at our workplace. Hillel is such a great guy, and he sent me this piece. I'll have to go there for a Hawk Watch soon and get some photos.

Our View
Eagles in flight offer a reward
A mere seven miles from the oblivious rush of downtown State College, a few hearty souls, hot chocolate in hand and binoculars pressed against anxious eyes, patiently but excitedly scan the sky.

Is there a more majestic, a more inspiring sight than an eagle, riding unseen seasonal currents on its annual journey northward in spring or south again in autumn?

Thirteen years ago, Dave Brandes, a Penn State hydrology and engineering student, was walking with his dog along the Mid-State Trail when he spied a golden eagle circling overhead.


He returned the next day and was rewarded: He saw 15 more golden eagles and —eureka!— four bald eagles, and thus, with a fortunate discovery by an observant lover of nature, began the annual spring raptor count on Tussey Mountain.


Gradually, more bird enthusiasts got involved and, in 2001, it became a full-time, February-through-April effort to tally hawks, ospreys, falcons and, yes, eagles on, as it turns out, one of the busiest raptor migration routes east of the Mississippi River.


As of a week ago Friday, 215 goldens — a record — had been observed and counted at the hawkwatch site, just a short walk from the Jo Hays Vista, named for a legendary Centre County educator, in the Rothrock State Forest south of Pine Grove Mills.


The Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center, the State College Bird Club, The National Aviary and others now sponsor the watch, which Dan Ombalski coordinates.


It is one of those rare endeavors that combines the pure research of the scientist with the enthusiasm and passion of the volunteer hobbyist.


And it came about almost by accident. We say almost because the careful observation and appreciation of our natural surroundings is never accidental.


And those who do take the time and make the effort enrich not only their own lives, but ours — those of us who are too busy, too involved or too unaware to notice.


Just knowing that hundreds of eagles have silently passed by only a few miles away is inspirational.


Seeing them, of course, is even more so.


One, alone, is worth the effort.

The Case of the Mystery Egg. Status: Case closed.

blatantly and unabashedly stolen from Susan's blog

Note: I was trying to get my post up about this little "mystery" before Laura and Susan did, but Blogger was being a pain about uploading my photos. Still--here's my side of the story!

You remember the "mystery egg" I found on the marsh a couple posts ago?

Well, um... it wasn't an egg.

It was a little plastic ball.

How could I have been so incredibly wrong? you ask. I'll tell you why: Because I didn't touch it! I thought it was an egg, so I figured I'd better not touch it! I couldn't really tell, but it looked like an egg to me.

So of course Susan, aka Science Chimp Junior, just pushed aside the grass, grabbed up the "egg," and noted the -um- plastic seam on it:

"Hmmmm" indeed! "Sure," I said, "laugh it up!" But if it had been a rare egg, and I had scared its mother away with my scent... yeah, they wouldn't be laughing then!

Laura and Susan came into town for my commitment ceremony with Kat, and on Sunday morning they came out to the Marsh House and went birding with me! What a blast we had. Here are a few of the very few photos I took, as I was too busy laughing and scaring birds. We did find some more interesting "mysteries" to investigate on the marsh:

Here, Grissom and Willows work a particularly bloody crime scene:
I love the serious look on Susan's face here. She and Laura wondered whether it was a tree swallow--look at this brilliant irridescent blue feather:
They decided it was likely a mallard. (Oh, and note that Susan is wearing her Ruthie J-knitted gloves.)

There was evidence everywhere, including blood:


We also came upon some coyote poo! Susan pointed out the fur:

and the bits of bone and grassy matter:
It was so much fun being with someone else who has to pick up everything and touch everything and try to figure stuff out. I thought I was observant, but these two are far more watchful and knowledgeable about things than I am. It was a real pleasure to bird such familiar territory with new eyes.

Even if they did bust my mystery egg wide open, and what "yoke" there was, it was on me.

Revised and updated yard bird list

the view from Long Pond to my house, the second white blob from the left

Based on my conversations with Laura and Susan, I've updated my yard list: 66 species! (fireworks sounds)



Before, my list had 35 species: 35 different kinds of birds that had actually landed in my yard. But when I count the marsh and Neighbor Ed's yard (both places I can see from my yard) and the air above my yard and the marsh, then I get 66. 35 isn't bad, but 66 absolutely rocks.

What do you consider a "yard bird" when making out your list? Or do you even bother to keep count?