RBA
* Pennsylvania
* Philadelphia
* January 31, 2006
* PAPH0131.06
* Birds mentioned:
Red-throated Loon
Eared Grebe (extralimital)
Great Cormorant
GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE (pa)
Cackling Goose (pa)
Canada Goose
Snow Goose
EURASIAN GREEN-WINGED TEAL (pa)
Redhead
Ring-necked Duck
Greater Scaup
Lesser Scaup
Common Merganser
Ruddy Duck
Bald Eagle (feature)
PRAIRIE FALCON (pa, belated)
GYRFALCON (extralimital)
Killdeer
Greater Yellowlegs
Least Sandpiper (pa)
Iceland Gull (pa)
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
SNOWY OWL (pa)
Short-eared Owl
Northern Shrike (extralimital)
Tree Swallow
Palm Warbler
HARRIS' SPARROW (pa)
BULLOCK'S ORIOLE (or hybrid) (pa)
Purple Finch
White-winged Crossbill (extralimital)
Evening Grosbeak (extralimital)
Mourning Cloak
Red Admiral
Anglewing (sp.)
Philadelphia Birdline
Date: January 31, 2006
Number: 215/567-BIRD
To Report: Armas Hill, 302/529-1876 (VOICE)
302/529-1085 (FAX)
Compiler: Armas Hill
Coverage: Delaware Valley, and southern New Jersey
Transcriber: Risė Hill
For Tuesday, January 31st, this is the
Philadelphia Birdline - from the Academy of
Natural Sciences in Philadelphia, and supported
by a number of bird clubs and individuals. I'm
Armas Hill, glad to be with you.
Last week, in upstate Pennsylvania, a SNOWY OWL
was seen Sunday, January 22nd to Tuesday, January
24th, near the Penn State Campus in Centre County.
Then, on Wednesday, January 25th, it was found a
couple miles away on the grounds of the Rockview
Correctional Institution. The OWL was noted, not
by inmates, but by birders driving along Route
220 between markers 77 and 78, about a mile north of the Dale Summit exit.
Yesterday, January 30th, another birder was lucky
enough to see the SNOWY OWL, at 4:30 in the
afternoon, along Route 220, on the sign for exit
78A (as one would head toward State College).
That birder pulled off the sxit ramp and watched
the owl for several minutes. The bird did not
seem bothered by the highway traffic.
Also in upstate Pennsylvania, the HARRIS' SPARROW
noted here a while back as being seen in Juniata
County, was seen again this week on Sunday,
January 29th. Again, in Oakland Mills, at the feeders at the shoe shop.
The previously-reported BULLOCK'S ORIOLE (or
hybrid) in Bethlehem, PA continued to be seen on
Sunday, January 29th. It was seen about noon.
The EURASIAN GREEN-WINGED TEAL, noted here last
time as being north of Lancaster, at a pond in
the Red Rose Common shopping center, off the
Fruitville Pike, has continued to be seen.
On Saturday, January 28th, it was seen by 8
o'clock in the morning, with 3 AMERICAN GREEN-WINGED TEAL.
Yesterday, Monday, January 30th, the spot was in
heavy fog most of the morning. Before noon, about
a dozen GREEN-WINGED TEAL flew in. The EURASIAN
TEAL was among them. It was also seen later yesterday, about 4:15pm.
Among the ducks at Lake Galena, at Peace Valley,
in Bucks County, lately, there have been about
1500 COMMON MERGANSERS. That may be a slightly
conservative count of these birds, mostly males.
Maybe 200 LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS were at Lake
Galena on January 26th. The count was 184, but
there were others elsewhere around the lake. A
single ICELAND GULL was there that day. The GREAT
BLACK-BACKED GULL count there at Peace Valley the
previous day was 58.
The 9 GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE noted last time
as being seen at Peace Valley were seen
subsequently, on Saturday, January 28th, a few
miles to the north as geese would fly, at Lake Nockamixon.
CACKLING GEESE (at least 4) were among CANADA
GEESE in the Peace Valley area on January 28th.
CACKLING GEESE were noted on the Birdline last
time as being at a few places. Yet another
location for them recently has been the
Coatesville Reservoir in Chester County, where,
on Saturday, January 28th, there were 3 of them,
along with 2 white SNOW GEESE, 1 "blue" SNOW
GOOSE, and both SCAUP, and RING-NECKED and RUDDY DUCKS.
A place with a lot of SNOW GEESE lately has been
the Nazareth Quarries in Northampton County PA. A
birder there on Sunday, January 29th, said that
there were "thousands", certainly more than
50,000, not just covering all the water, but also
with many on the slopes all along the edge of the quarry.
Another birder there on Monday, January 30th,
reported only 500 to 1,000 when he was there.
A place at times with a lot of SNOW GEESE is the
Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area, along the
Lancaster-Lebanon County border. Sunday, January
29th was not one of those times. A birder who
went there that day couldn't find a single SNOW GOOSE.
An unusual bird for Pennsylvania in January has
continued. A LEAST SANDPIPER has been in
Cumberland County since January 1st. It was still
there, nearly a month later, on Sunday, January
29th, with 2 KILLDEER, at the Stoughstown Road
farm pond. Stoughstown Road runs south from Route
11, east of Shippensburg. The pond is on the
northwest side of the I-81 overpass.
SHORT-EARED OWLS have been seen lately in the
Gettysburg area in south-central PA. 6 were seen
at dusk yesterday, January 30th.
Everything here so far has been in Pennsylvania.
Now, some BIRDS (& BUTTERFLIES) seen yesterday,
January 30th, in New Jersey, at Cape May, where it was a balmy 65 degrees:
vocal RED-THROATED LOONS, GREAT CORMORANT, a
REDHEAD and both SCAUP at Lily Lake, 7 GREATER
YELLOWLEGS, 6 TREE SWALLOWS, 5 western PALM WARBLERS, and 20 PURPLE FINCHES.
BUTTERFLIES in that Cape May report included:
MOURNING CLOAK, RED ADMIRAL, and an ANGLEWING.
* Pennsylvania
* Philadelphia
* January 31, 2006
* PAPH0131.06
* Birds mentioned:
Red-throated Loon
Eared Grebe (extralimital)
Great Cormorant
GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE (pa)
Cackling Goose (pa)
Canada Goose
Snow Goose
EURASIAN GREEN-WINGED TEAL (pa)
Redhead
Ring-necked Duck
Greater Scaup
Lesser Scaup
Common Merganser
Ruddy Duck
Bald Eagle (feature)
PRAIRIE FALCON (pa, belated)
GYRFALCON (extralimital)
Killdeer
Greater Yellowlegs
Least Sandpiper (pa)
Iceland Gull (pa)
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
SNOWY OWL (pa)
Short-eared Owl
Northern Shrike (extralimital)
Tree Swallow
Palm Warbler
HARRIS' SPARROW (pa)
BULLOCK'S ORIOLE (or hybrid) (pa)
Purple Finch
White-winged Crossbill (extralimital)
Evening Grosbeak (extralimital)
Mourning Cloak
Red Admiral
Anglewing (sp.)
Philadelphia Birdline
Date: January 31, 2006
Number: 215/567-BIRD
To Report: Armas Hill, 302/529-1876 (VOICE)
302/529-1085 (FAX)
Compiler: Armas Hill
Coverage: Delaware Valley, and southern New Jersey
Transcriber: Risė Hill
For Tuesday, January 31st, this is the
Philadelphia Birdline - from the Academy of
Natural Sciences in Philadelphia, and supported
by a number of bird clubs and individuals. I'm
Armas Hill, glad to be with you.
Last week, in upstate Pennsylvania, a SNOWY OWL
was seen Sunday, January 22nd to Tuesday, January
24th, near the Penn State Campus in Centre County.
Then, on Wednesday, January 25th, it was found a
couple miles away on the grounds of the Rockview
Correctional Institution. The OWL was noted, not
by inmates, but by birders driving along Route
220 between markers 77 and 78, about a mile north of the Dale Summit exit.
Yesterday, January 30th, another birder was lucky
enough to see the SNOWY OWL, at 4:30 in the
afternoon, along Route 220, on the sign for exit
78A (as one would head toward State College).
That birder pulled off the sxit ramp and watched
the owl for several minutes. The bird did not
seem bothered by the highway traffic.
Also in upstate Pennsylvania, the HARRIS' SPARROW
noted here a while back as being seen in Juniata
County, was seen again this week on Sunday,
January 29th. Again, in Oakland Mills, at the feeders at the shoe shop.
The previously-reported BULLOCK'S ORIOLE (or
hybrid) in Bethlehem, PA continued to be seen on
Sunday, January 29th. It was seen about noon.
The EURASIAN GREEN-WINGED TEAL, noted here last
time as being north of Lancaster, at a pond in
the Red Rose Common shopping center, off the
Fruitville Pike, has continued to be seen.
On Saturday, January 28th, it was seen by 8
o'clock in the morning, with 3 AMERICAN GREEN-WINGED TEAL.
Yesterday, Monday, January 30th, the spot was in
heavy fog most of the morning. Before noon, about
a dozen GREEN-WINGED TEAL flew in. The EURASIAN
TEAL was among them. It was also seen later yesterday, about 4:15pm.
Among the ducks at Lake Galena, at Peace Valley,
in Bucks County, lately, there have been about
1500 COMMON MERGANSERS. That may be a slightly
conservative count of these birds, mostly males.
Maybe 200 LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS were at Lake
Galena on January 26th. The count was 184, but
there were others elsewhere around the lake. A
single ICELAND GULL was there that day. The GREAT
BLACK-BACKED GULL count there at Peace Valley the
previous day was 58.
The 9 GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE noted last time
as being seen at Peace Valley were seen
subsequently, on Saturday, January 28th, a few
miles to the north as geese would fly, at Lake Nockamixon.
CACKLING GEESE (at least 4) were among CANADA
GEESE in the Peace Valley area on January 28th.
CACKLING GEESE were noted on the Birdline last
time as being at a few places. Yet another
location for them recently has been the
Coatesville Reservoir in Chester County, where,
on Saturday, January 28th, there were 3 of them,
along with 2 white SNOW GEESE, 1 "blue" SNOW
GOOSE, and both SCAUP, and RING-NECKED and RUDDY DUCKS.
A place with a lot of SNOW GEESE lately has been
the Nazareth Quarries in Northampton County PA. A
birder there on Sunday, January 29th, said that
there were "thousands", certainly more than
50,000, not just covering all the water, but also
with many on the slopes all along the edge of the quarry.
Another birder there on Monday, January 30th,
reported only 500 to 1,000 when he was there.
A place at times with a lot of SNOW GEESE is the
Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area, along the
Lancaster-Lebanon County border. Sunday, January
29th was not one of those times. A birder who
went there that day couldn't find a single SNOW GOOSE.
An unusual bird for Pennsylvania in January has
continued. A LEAST SANDPIPER has been in
Cumberland County since January 1st. It was still
there, nearly a month later, on Sunday, January
29th, with 2 KILLDEER, at the Stoughstown Road
farm pond. Stoughstown Road runs south from Route
11, east of Shippensburg. The pond is on the
northwest side of the I-81 overpass.
SHORT-EARED OWLS have been seen lately in the
Gettysburg area in south-central PA. 6 were seen
at dusk yesterday, January 30th.
Everything here so far has been in Pennsylvania.
Now, some BIRDS (& BUTTERFLIES) seen yesterday,
January 30th, in New Jersey, at Cape May, where it was a balmy 65 degrees:
vocal RED-THROATED LOONS, GREAT CORMORANT, a
REDHEAD and both SCAUP at Lily Lake, 7 GREATER
YELLOWLEGS, 6 TREE SWALLOWS, 5 western PALM WARBLERS, and 20 PURPLE FINCHES.
BUTTERFLIES in that Cape May report included:
MOURNING CLOAK, RED ADMIRAL, and an ANGLEWING.