Hills Creek State Park Bird Walks

Our annual spring bird walks at Hills Creek State Park will resume Saturday April 1 at 8:00 AM and continue every Saturday morning through April and May. Participants should meet at at the park office. There should be a good variety of  waterfowl on the lake through the next couple of weeks, and as the trees and shrubs leaf out, large numbers of land migrants will begin to be seen, including ovenbirds, common yellowthroats, pine, palm, black-throated green, black-and-white, and yellow warblers, rose-breasted grosbeaks, and even hummingbirds. Bald eagles are present, and ospreys are returning to the area, and we can expect to see them regularly. As spring progresses, more migratory land birds will arrive, their numbers increasing through May. There are no fees, and birders of all levels or anyone just interested in birds are welcome to attend. No prior notification is required. Just show up. Please bring binoculars and wear sturdy shoes and subdued clothing.

Tioga/Potter County Big Day Competition

 Do you enjoy outdoor adventures, watching wildlife, and especially identifying birds? Saturday May 13th, the Tiadaghton Audubon Society will be hosting a Big Day Birding event in which teams of 4-10 people will be trying to locate as many different species of birds as possible within Tioga and Potter Counties in a 24 hour period. A lunch is to follow at 12:30 pm on Sunday May 14th at The Burning Barrel restaurant in Ansonia (cost not covered by TAS). In the middle of the spring migration, when hundreds of species will be moving through our area, this is an event that the outdoor enthusiast will not want to miss! From beginner to expert, this is event is for you! If you would like to participate, please contact project coordinator Rich Hanlon (email) or at 412-992-6648 to start or sign up for a team.

TAS Big Day Event Instructions

Date: Saturday May 13th midnight to midnight. Lunch to follow on Sunday May 14, 12:30 pm at The Burning Barrel, 5440 Route 6, Wellsboro (Ansonia), PA (cost of lunch not covered by TAS).
Boundaries: Area for the Tiadaghton Audubon Society Big Day will include but not exceed the borders of Tioga and Potter counties.

Teams:
 -at least 4 and not more than 10 people on each team.
 -each team has a team leader who is proficient at bird ID and knows the area.
 -the team leader is responsible for putting together her or his team.
 -everyone who wants to be included in this event will be able to be part of a team.
 -all are welcome regardless of proficiency of or experience in bird identification.

Listing species:
 -At least 80% of a team’s recorded species must have been located by all team members.
 -ABA recording rules apply:  http://listing.aba.org/aba-recording-rules/
 -Identification is on the honor system.

Sponsorships: Each team is responsible for finding their own sponsors. Sponsors will be people who would like to donate “x” amount of money per species located by the team which they are sponsoring. Funds raised will be donated to the Northcentral Pennsylvania Conservancy.

Prize for the winning team: TBD.

All participants are invited to lunch at their own cost at 12:30pm on Sunday May 14 at The Burning Barrel. A representative from each team should bring a paper copy of their team’s results which displays the total number of species and the name of every species that was recorded.

March Meeting -- Birding by Ear -- Rescheduled to March 22nd

Please join the Tiadaghton Audubon society on Wednesday March 22nd at 7:30 PM

at the Gmeiner Art and Cultural Center in Wellsboro for a program on Birding by Ear, to be presented by chapter member Rich Hanlon. Rich has led educational programs since 2010 and has amassed an impressive knowledge of bird identification, including songs and calls, from his life long passion for the natural world. Rich will guide the audience through bird vocalizations and offer tips for the field. There will also be a business meeting (open to the public), which will begin at 6:30, followed by the program at 7:30.