- RBA
* Pennsylvania
* Central Pennsylvania
* February 2, 2012
* PACE1202.02
Bird Highlights
GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE (Lancaster Co.)
ROSS' GOOSE (Lancaster Co.)
CACKLING GOOSE (Bedford & Lancaster Cos.)
EURASIAN WIGEON (Lancaster Co.)
SNOWY OWL (Cumberland Co.)
NORTHERN SHRIKE (Columbia & Juniata Cos.)
TOWNSEND'S WARBLER (Cumberland Co.)
COMMON REDPOLL (Juniata & Lebanon Cos.)
- Transcript
Hotline: Central Pennsylvania Birdline
February 2, 2012
To Report: TimeTraveler50@comcast.net
Compiler: Mark A. McConaughy
Coverage: Central Pennsylvania, Susquehanna River Drainage System
Transcriber: Mark A. McConaughy

Welcome to Pennsylvania Audubon's and the Patriot-News' Birdline. This Birdline covers sightings made primarily during the week prior to Thursday, February 2, 2012.

ADAMS COUNTY:
Four BALD EAGLES were seen on January 28 during a Winter Raptor Survey of the northeastern portion of the county (RP, PK).

BEDFORD COUNTY:
One CACKLING GOOSE was found on January 28 at the waterfront park that adjoins Fort Bedford (DSn).

CENTRE COUNTY:
A female MERLIN was seen on January 26 along Tadpoll Road (AL, JV).

Up to 2 SHORT-EARED OWLS were seen between January 28 and 29 along Rock Road at the east end of the State College Airport (JV, MH).

Up to 5 BALD EAGLES were observed between January 28 and 29 at various areas of Bald Eagle State Park (NB, BSn).

CLINTON COUNTY:
Two PEREGRINE FALCONS were observed on January 28 up river from the McElhatten Bridge (WL).

COLUMBIA COUNTY:
A NORTHERN SHRIKE was seen and photographed on January 30 along the northern part of Ridge Road about 2 miles northwest of Benton and about a mile south of Waller in Jackson Township (CM).

One ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK was observed on January 30 flying over the large fields northwest of Benton (JL).

CUMBERLAND COUNTY:
The SNOWY OWL continues to be seen through at least January 28, but it shifted its location on January 27 to a field along Route 533 which is the next road south of Mud Level Road (VG). The SNOWY OWL was seen about 0.5 miles west of the intersection of Route 533 and Oakville Road (VG). The SNOWY OWL was back at the field near the intersection of Duncan and Mud Level Roads on January 28 (TC, DK).

The TOWNSEND'S WARBLER continued to be seen through at least January 28 (JF). Andy Green welcomes visitors to his yard to see the TOWNSEND'S WARBLER. His address is 1133 Pine Road, Carlisle (paste these coordinates into Google Maps: 40.1126724,-77.277326). This is about half a mile east of the Kings Gap Store. Andy's driveway is gravel and is well-marked with the house number on a signpost as well as on a green mailbox. Visitors are welcome during daylight hours - the feeders are visible from the driveway on the creek side of the house. The bird can be seen best on the back deck of the home which Andy Green (the home owner) has graciously agreed too. You can drive down the long gravel drive and park in front of the red shed at the end but not in front of the garage on the left. Feel free to park along the driveway, but do not block it. Andy said it is o.k. to park on the grass shoulder. Andy says he has seen it since around. Please keep an eye out for other warblers that are feeding in this yard along the Yellow Breeches Creek - a PINE WARBLER and a YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT also come in on occasion.

DAUPHIN COUNTY:
One BALD EAGLE was observed chasing some COMMON MERGANSERS on January 28 along Swatara Road near Hershey (GK).

FRANKLIN COUNTY:
One BALD EAGLE was seen on January 28 soaring over the Franklin Farm Lane area (BO).

HUNTINGDON COUNTY:
One RED-NECKED GREBE was seen on January 31 at Raystown Lake just behind the dam breast (GG).

JUNIATA COUNTY:
One COMMON REDPOLL visited feeders near Red Rock Road in Mifflintown on January 28 (AT).

A light morph ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK was seen on January 28 or 29 along Metz Road northwest of Thompsontown (KH).

One light morph ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK was seen on January 28 or 29 along Route 235 near East Salem (KH).

The NORTHERN SHRIKE continues to be seen through January 30 near the falling down house along Troyer Road in Oakland Mills (AT).

Three BALD EAGLES and 2 light morph ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS were found during a Winter Raptor Survey conducted on January 31 (CK).

LANCASTER COUNTY:
The BALTIMORE ORIOLE continues to be seen through at least January 26 around Peach Bottom Village (BS, NS).

One BALD EAGLE was seen on January 28 perched in a transmission tower near Holtwood Dam (JS).

One BALD EAGLE was observed on January 28 flying over Wissler Run Park (JS).

One BALD EAGLE was seen on January 28 on Piney Island (JS).

Two BALD EAGLES were seen on January 28 at Muddy Run Reservoir (JS).
Middle Creek Wildlife Propagation Area yielded 4000 SNOW GEESE, 2 CACKLING GEESE and 3 BALD EAGLES on January 28 (ME). An estimated 5000+ SNOW GEESE were present on January 30 according to the PA Game Commission (JBi). January 31 yielded 2 adult Greenland GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE, 1 ROSS' GOOSE and at least 20 CACKLING GEESE (hutchinsii subspecies) (JB, TJ, AM).

One CACKLING GOOSE and upwards of 20 BALD EAGLES were seen on January 28 at Octoraro Reservoir from the Chester Water Authority boat launch off of Spruce Grove Road (JB).

A drake EURASIAN WIGEON was found on January 31 at Conejohela Flats near the discharge from the Washington Boro Water Treatment Plant in an area opposite Route 999 (ME, ML).

LEBANON COUNTY:
One MERLIN was found during a Winter Raptor Survey conducted on January 28 in the middle of the county (AS, GB, FH).

One COMMON REDPOLL was seen on January 30 at Lions Lake (TJ).

LUZERNE COUNTY:
One BALD EAGLE was seen on January 26 at Harvey's Lake (JD).

LYCOMING COUNTY:
A leucistic RED-TAILED HAWK was observed on January 29 along River Road in the Nisbet area just southwest of Williamsport (DF, SP).

MIFFLIN COUNTY:
One BALD EAGLE was seen on January 28 during a Winter Raptor Survey in the Ferguson Valley (BF, LP, DSw, JSw, SSw, ASw).

Two light morph ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS were seen on January 30 during a Winter Raptor Survey in the northeastern part of the Kishacoquillas Valley east of Route 322 (BF, LP, SSw).

CLOSING ANNOUNCEMENTS:
If you miss the usual Thursday postings of the Central PA Birdline on BIRDEAST and PABIRDS, I will also be posting it on my page web site at:
http://people.delphiforums.com/MCCONAUGHY/currentbl.htm

*PORC = Pennsylvania Ornithological Record Committee. Rare bird sightings should be documented with written descriptions and photographs whenever possible and sent to PORC for review. Send PORC reports to Nick Pulcinella, 613 Howard Road, West Chester, PA 19380.

The following people have contributed to this report: Jim Binder (JB), Gerry Boltz (GB), Justin Bosler (JB), Nan Butkovich (NB), Travis Clemens (TC), Jonathan DeBalko (JD), Mike Epler (ME), Dave Ferry (DF), Bob Fowles (BF), James Fox (JF), Vern Gauthier (VG), Greg Grove (GG), Molly Heath (MH), Kitt Heckscher (KH), Fritz Heilman (FH), Tom Johnson (TJ), Chad Kauffman (CK), Phil Keener (PK), Dave Kerr (DK), Gary Kinkley (GK), Alex Lamoreaux (AL), Wayne Laubscher (WL), Meredith Lombard (ML), Judy Lynn (JL), Andy McGann (AM), Chuck Musitano (CM), Bill Oyler (BO), Randy Phillips (RP), Louie Pleight (LP), Steve Pinkerton (SP), Art Schiavo (AS), Bob Schutsky (BS), Nancy Schutsky (NS), Jim Smith (JS), Dan Snell (DSn), Bob Snyder (BSn), Amos Swarey (ASw), David Swarey (DSw), Jesse Swarey (JSw), Stephen Swarey (SSw), Aden Troyer (AT) and Joe Verica (JV). I apologize if I have misspelled their names and I will also refrain from naming that person on request.

I would also like to point out that one of the people who regularly reports to the hotline is Bob Schutsky, owner of BIRD TREKS Tours. He leads birding tours in other areas of North and Central America. You can contact him at 717-548-3303 or at his new web site:
http://www.birdtreks.com
-End Transcript
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Mark A. McConaughy TimeTraveler50@comcast.net
Bushy Run Battlefield
P.O. Box 486
Harrison City, PA 15636-0468 (724) 527-5585 x103
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Counting since 23 June 2010.