May 2011
Volume 13, Issue 5
Inside This Issue
1
Programs
2
Field Trip Schedule
NEWSLETTER
3-4 Member Profiles
By Mariana Pesthy
Programs
May - June
5-6 Bird is the Word
By Amy Langman
7
8
Tom Reeves named
BCDC Fellow
By Doris McGovern
and Sheryl Johnson
Movie Birds Quiz &
“I‟d like to see…”
By Carl Perretta
The Birding Club of Delaware
County is a birding club located in
Delaware County, Pennsylvania,
with the purpose of expanding individual interest in and study of wild
birds.
May 11 - Kevin Loughlin
Peru - Manu to Machu Picchu
Best known for the iconic ruins of Machu Picchu, Peru is home to nearly 2000 species of birds!
Amidst rubble from ancient Inca and pre-Inca structures we can find endemic Inca Wrens and
Green-and-White Hummingbirds. Colorful tanagers flock in the canopy of the cloud forest and the
endangered Spectacled Bear can still be found here... with luck. Following the rivers as they flow
east out of the mountains we come to the Amazon Basin where, in Peru, the mighty Amazon River
is formed. Oxbow lakes hidden deep in the forest offer glimpses of Giant Otters, as the unlikely
Hoatzin growls and grumbles from the tree-lined shores. Macaws and parrots color the sky with
reds, greens, yellows and blues as they flock to the clay licks. Join BCDC member, Kevin Loughlin,
for this color-filled photographic journey through the mountains, forests and rivers of Peru!
June 8 - Annual BCDC Picnic
The Birding Club of Delaware
County is open to birders and bird
watchers of all skill levels.
Membership is from September
through August.
Meetings are held the 2nd Wednesday
of each month from September
through June at the Marple Township
Library Meeting Room. Meetings
begin at 7:30PM.
Visitors are always welcome.
For additional information regarding
membership, please contact John
D‟Amico at 610-566-1461
or email [email protected].
Websites
BCDC: www.bcdelco.org
RTPHW: www.rtphawkwatch.org
All materials, illustrations and photos
are copyrighted 2011, by the Birding
Club of Delaware County, all rights
reserved.
1
Who: You! Your Family! Your Friends! All are welcome!
Where: Ridley Creek State Park, Area #8
When: Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Picnic starts around 5:00 pm. (Pavilion available at 8:00 am.)
BCDC Provides: Soft drinks, Ice, Water, Charcoal, Lighter Fluid, Plates, Napkins, Cooking Utensils
You Bring: Your food, plus some to share (if desired)
Have a great summer!
We welcome members’ contributions to our newsletter, so if you have
reports, announcements, reviews, poetry, essays, or photographs that
would be of interest to our BCDC birding community, please submit them
to the editor:
Carl Perretta, e-mail: [email protected]
The deadline for the September newsletter is Wednesday,
August 24, 2011.
IMPORTANT NOTES
Please contact the field trip leader in advance so you can be notified of any changes.
Plan to arrive 15 minutes prior to departure time.
BCDC FIELD TRIPS
May 1, Sunday
Spring Migrants in Heislerville and Bivalve, NJ
8:30 AM. Meet at the Wawa at Routes 47 & 347 in Mauricetown, NJ
Leader: Chris Langman
May 1, Sunday
610-566-4091
Spring Migrants at Haverford College
7:30 AM. Meet at Haverford College at the south visitor parking lot
Leader: Sheryl Johnson
May 7, Saturday
610-649-4621
Chester County Migrants at White Clay Creek
6:45 AM. Meet at Painters Crossing at Routes 1 and 202
Leaders: Chris and Jamie Pugliese
May 11, Wednesday
610-431-9533 (Chris)
Brandywine Conservancy’s Laurels Preserve
7:30 AM. Meet at the parking lot off Apple Grove Rd. near PA Rt. 82 in Unionville
Leader: Kevin Fryberger
May 14, Saturday
610-721-3719 or [email protected] for details
Spring Migrants at Crum Woods
7:30 AM. Meet at the field house at Swarthmore College
Leader: Dave Eberly
610-543-3499
Please check our website at www.bcdelco.org for updates.
Field Trip Coordinator: Al Guarente, 610-566-8266
2
Member Profiles
Mariana Pesthy is compiling short interviews to introduce BCDC members to each other
via our newsletter. You may be next!
Andrew Hopkins - in his own words
I am 14 and have been a member of BCDC for about two
years. My interest started with my friend Barbara
Seymour who introduced me to birds about five years
ago, then about two years ago she took me to my first
BCDC meeting. I have been in love with birds ever
since.
My favorite birds are Bufflehead, Ruddy Duck, Eastern
Screech Owl, Green Heron and Reddish Egret. The
second edition of the Peterson Guide is my favorite field
guide and I use a good pair of Bushnell binoculars. I
enjoy birding at the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge
at Tinicum, and at Ridley Creek State Park. I also like the
Jefferson county woods where my father and I hunt. My
L to R - Rufous, Andrew, Whiskey
most memorable bird moments are seeing a male red-phase
Eastern Screech Owl in my backyard and my first sighting of a male Scarlet Tanager while hunting. My dad and
I are avid hunters and members of the Ruffed Grouse Society. I went to two wildlife camps to learn about the
Chesapeake Bay and the Ruffed Grouse. Aside from birds and hunting I also enjoy a wide-ranging variety of
activities which include swimming, guitar playing, gardening, woodcarving and feather collecting. Most
recently, I began a collection of bird books.
My bird book collection had begun before I realized how interested I was in birds and wildlife. It started back
when my grandmother and I went to a bookstore together. The only bird book I had at the time was an old
Audubon field guide to eastern birds. At that bookstore I found the 5th edition of the Peterson bird guide and I
love it for the art and the newer and more up-to-date information. As time went on my interest in birds grew
deeper because of my friend Barbara Seymour , who further kindled my interest. I soon realized that I was
interested in collecting bird books, both old and new. My collection grew, and fast. Books I bought, and books
I found through donations, gifts and Amazon web store began filling my bookshelves. Soon I realized I had
found a passion and a dream for the future. My goal is to reach 10,000 or more books eventually. As of now the
count for my collection is 161. There are also a few special books I am searching for. One is an entire second
edition of Peterson collection and the other is the John James Audubon book of North American birds. To help
me get to my goal I am checking out not just bookstores but book sales, library cleanouts, and even my school.
If you or anyone you know have personal libraries that are being cleaned out, I would love to be notified. I am
mainly looking for old books to add to my collection. Please spread the word to your friends and their friends of
my quest. I would greatly appreciate any help to assist me towards achieving my goal.
3
Member Profiles
Mariana Pesthy is compiling short interviews to introduce BCDC members to each
other via our newsletter. You may be next!
Chris Pugliese
I formally joined the BCDC in its second year,
but prior to that time, I became acquainted with
club members Jim Lockyer and Dave
Washabaugh through the Rose Tree Park Hawk
Watch.
I was a nature enthusiast for most of my life,
but started taking a more serious approach to
birding about 15 years ago, when I developed a
keen interest in raptor migration. My brother
Jamie also had a lot to do in piquing my interest
in birding. My raptor fascination eventually led
me to waterfowl and passerines. I must say that
joining the BCDC gave me a great opportunity
to expand my birding horizons.
As a raptor enthusiast, I love Peregrine Falcons, but I enjoy the owls as well. Pileated Woodpecker is another
favorite because it looks so primeval.
I mostly use the National Geographic Field Guide, but refer to Sibley's Guide quite often at home. Thayer‟s
"Guide to Birds of North America" has been a great resource for bird song identification. For raptors, "Hawks
from Every Angle" by Jerry Liguori, and Wheeler's "Raptors of North America" are indispensable.
My favorite birding spots would include Cape May and White Clay Creek State Park, but the good old Bridle
Trail at Ridley Creek is as good as anywhere in my opinion.
One cold November day back in 1999, I witnessed 27 Golden Eagles and 28 Goshawks pass overhead at
Waggoner‟s Gap Hawk Watch near Carlisle PA.
The ultimate for me however, was a birding trip to Veracruz, Mexico where I had about 165 lifers.
I am a landscape architect, and also enjoy woodworking and gardening.
4
Bird is the Word
Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)
A column from Amy Langman
Since we will likely be observing these graceful and majestic birds overhead and at our favorite coastal and local
haunts during the spring and summer, I thought I would focus on this one-of-a-kind species found almost around
the world.
The Osprey is found on each continent, except Antarctica. It is known
to have 4 subspecies, which show minimal variation among them.
Ninety-nine percent of the Osprey‟s diet consists of fish. The Osprey
will dive feet first into shallow water to capture its prey. If the prey is
too big, the Osprey could potentially be drowned because it cannot
release the prey due to barbed pads on the soles of the feet that help to
grip the fish. The rare adaptation of closeable nostrils may help an
Osprey evade this situation momentarily.
Most people have seen Ospreys in flight and perched on a nest or
platform. Their “M” shape while in flight is very distinctive and
makes them appear more gull-like than raptor-like. They have long, narrow wings that span more than five feet,
with primaries consisting of four long „fingers‟ and one short „finger‟, and a dark wrist and secondaries. They
have a white body and coverts on the underside and are completely dark on the back except for the white crown.
While perched, the dark eyestripe and yellow eye are unmistakable (the eye is orange on a juvenile bird).
Besides owls, Ospreys are the only raptor to have a reversible toe allowing 2 toes to the front and 2 toes to the
back to secure prey. The Osprey call is a short, shrill whistle(s). I always compared it to the sound of a
repetitive mew of a kitten.
The Osprey prefers coastal areas and back bays mainly, and is also found along rivers and inland lakes if water
is shallow enough to fish. The Osprey typically dives from approximately 100 feet or less and has specialized
eyesight to see fish through the shallow water at these heights.
“Our” North American birds winter in South America and Eurasian birds winter in Africa. The Australian
Osprey population is considered non-migratory. A cold front in mid to late August can bring migrant Ospreys,
with their numbers peaking from late September to early October. According to the BCDC website, Rose Tree
Park‟s Hawk Watch has its highest Osprey concentrations in September and early October, but has reported
Osprey sightings as late as November 28 (2004). Migrants can linger and now are recorded by citizen scientists
into December and later. Spring migrants are less concentrated along flyways similar to other raptors and
typically begin in mid-March and peak mid-April. When a spring hawk watch was conducted prior to 2008,
Rose Tree Osprey sightings peaked in April accounting for typically 70 percent or more of the tally.
Ospreys are monogamous during their average lifespan of 7 to 10 years. Breeding age begins anywhere from 3
to 7 years of age. The nests are large, located in or around water, and constructed of sticks in trees, on rock
pinnacles, man-made platforms, or channel markers (even on cranes, conveyors, and cell phone towers). I‟m
noting conveyor belts because Chris and I observed an Osprey pair nesting on a mobile conveyor at a power
plant in Marmora, New Jersey in the early 2000‟s. The nest, which is reused yearly, is „refreshed‟ with bark,
sod, grasses, vines, and refuse found in nearby surroundings.
5
Two to four buffy, chicken-egg sized eggs with heavy red
or brown spots around the large end of the egg are laid and
incubated by the female for approximately 5 weeks. The
young are downy white and fledge about 2 months after
hatching. Because the eggs do not hatch simultaneously
(up to 5 days apart), the older hatchlings may starve the
younger hatchlings by monopolizing the food provided by
the parents if food is scarce.
Bubo owls and Bald Eagles are the only major natural
predators of nests and subadults. Following a severe population decline caused by DDT and other pesticides, the current estimated worldwide population of Ospreys has rebounded to a stable population of 460,000 individuals.
Humans have revered the Osprey throughout the years. Pliny the Elder and Shakespeare have included them in
their writings and referred to this magnificent bird as the fish(ing) hawk, fish(ing) eagle, and sea hawk. There are
multiple entries in John James Audubon‟s Writings and
Drawings regarding the Osprey, which he would like to
name the Imperial Fisher. “No sooner does the Fish-Hawk
make its appearance along our Atlantic shores, or ascend
our numerous and large rivers, than the Eagle follows it,
and, like a selfish oppressor, robs it of the hard-earned
fruits of its labour.”
The Osprey has been immortalized on postage stamps and
honored by product names, sports teams (i.e., the Seattle
Seahawks), and a military aircraft. It is also Nova Scotia‟s
official bird.
The oldest living Osprey, a female of 26 years, is breeding
in Scotland currently with her 3rd mate and has laid 59 eggs to date over 21 years of breeding. If her current
egg hatches, it will be her 49th chick. You can view the 24-hour webcam at http://www.swt.org.uk/wildlife/
webcams/loch-of-lowes/
All photos/Amy Langman
Bird Trivia
What bird helped convince the House Un-American Activities Committee
that Alger Hiss was lying about not knowing Whitaker Chambers during its
1948 hearings?
Answer: Prothonotary Warbler
6
Tom Reeves named BCDC Fellow
Doris McGovern and Sheryl Johnson
On Wednesday, April 13, Tom Reeves was named a Fellow
of the Birding Club of Delaware County in recognition of his
contributions to the club and to birding in the region. The
following are excerpts taken from remarks made by Doris,
who presented the award.
The list of birders introduced to birding by Tom Reeves is
long. In the years before there were bird clubs such as
BCDC, if you wanted to learn about nature, you had to go to
Tinicum to walk with and listen to Tom Reeves. People
"learned" to recognize and understand birds and bird life.
Tom shared his mnemonic devices for remembering songs
and calls, made sure we all saw special birds and answered
Back: L to R - Scott Tuttle, Sue Downing, Don Storey
even the most odd-ball question with respect. But Tom
Carol Storey, John D’Amico Front: Vance Downing, Tom Reeves
didn‟t only look at birds. So, if you were on a bird walk with
Tom, you would also be stopping to look at the flowers or the
trees. In particular, you would be noting the invasive species. If he started a phrase with "You know
something..." you knew you were in for some little tidbit of natural history knowledge.
Teaching birding for a week at summer day camps, Tom got kids interested in birds and trees, interrelating all
aspects of nature to enhance their experience. His games involving birds and trees were fun for all ages. He
mentored scouts in pursuit of bird merit badges and Eagle Scout's tackling their big projects. He attended weeklong Scout Jamborees (sleeping in a tent in VA in August!) where he manned the bird badge table interacting
with thousands of interested young boys.
Tom taught night school bird courses for many years. Many of his followers took his courses again and again.
When you meet them on the trail, they all credit Tom's enthusiasm for getting them into birding.
Welkenweir preserve is an hour away, but for years Tom ran their bird program by doing bird walks and finding
bird walk leaders for them. Tom and Skip Conant also led walks at Haverford College, sometimes with 50
people in tow! Tom's history at Tyler Arboretum and at Tinicum is long and eventful. No volunteer has
represented FWS at more birding events than Tom. At Tinicum he has lead more than 15 walks each year for
more than 30 years. When the Tyler Arboretum bird group encountered some political challenges, Tom kept the
program going. He led their now defunct Bird-a-thon each spring, and he still leads 4-5 van trips to birding hot
spots to raise money for the Arboretum. Tom has led bird walks for BCDC and for all the local bird clubs,
including 3-day New England trips that were favorites of many.
In addition to being a trip leader, over the decades Tom has brought birds and birding to the public's attention,
giving his varied bird talks to all ages from schools, to garden and men's clubs, to senior centers. Always a
gentleman, Tom has been kind and patient with hundreds of folks as they "got into birding." For his
contributions to our club and his much larger role in advancing birding and educating countless individuals
throughout his lifetime, I am pleased to present Tom Reeves with the Birding Club of Delaware County‟s
Fellow of the Year award.
7
Carl Perretta’s Movie Birds Quiz
Many movies contain scenes which include birds. Some are even about birds. Here are five questions about
bird-related movies or movie scenes. Feel free to use any resources you like to find the answers. A
particularly good place to go is www.imdb.com, and www.google.com will also supply many answers. If you
can’t stand waiting, email me at [email protected] for the answers.
Name the movie with the bird event described. (Answers in the September issue.)
1. During Operation Desert Storm, a reporter and her U.S. Army escort observe a flock of Siberian
Pelicans trapped in a pool of escaping crude oil.
2. The preservation of the "Icelandic Snow Owl" was the goal of a benefit gala attended by Jim Carrey and
Jeff Daniels in this morons-on-the-road buddy picture.
3. Sean Connery plays a J.D. Salinger-like reclusive novelist and birder who spies a bird from his NYC
apartment and proclaims, "Connecticut Warbler, probably strayed from the park." It was actually a Yellow
Warbler.
4. Donald Pleasance gives a birding lesson to an assembly of POWs. The lesson includes the song of
Bonelli's Warbler and the field marks of the Masked Shrike.
5. Ship's physician Stephen Maturin discovers "two new species in as many minutes," one of which is the
Galapagos flightless cormorant, in this nautical tale of the British navy's defiance of Napoleon's plans to
dominate the seas. The same character is later accidentally shot by a marine aiming at an albatross.
Answers to the March 2011 Issue Quiz
1. Hoot!
2. Mars Attacks!
3. Tin Cup
4. March of the Penguins
5. Enemy of the State
A New Feature - ”I’d like to see…”
by Carl Perretta
I invite BCDC members to send me something that they’d like to see when birding. I’m not
talking about species you’d like to add as lifers, we’ve all got plenty of those. I’m talking about
things you’ve seen in the field guides or read about that you hope to observe one day. It might
involve a very common species. I’ll give an example. I’ve never seen a naturally built House
Sparrow nest. I’m not talking about a nest in a dryer vent or under an air conditioner, I’m
talking about the woven nests they are capable of building in something other than a man-made
structure.
Ever seen the ring on a Ring-necked Duck, or a shrike’s prey impaled on a thorn or fence?
Maybe you’re getting the idea now. Send me your ideas, and I’ll compile them for a future issue.
8