Date: 5/14/26 12:09 pm From: Nick Bolgiano <nickbolgiano...> Subject: Tussey Mt hawk watch 2026 season summary
2026 was the 26th full season of the spring hawk watch at Tussey Mt,
staffed daily Feb 25-Apr 27. The watch site is located on the top of Tussey
Mt, the second ridge from the north and west in the western
Ridge-and-Valley physiographic province and near the boundary between
Huntingdon and Centre counties. The watch’s primary focus is monitoring the
spring Golden Eagle migration and so most of this summary is devoted to the
Golden Eagle count.
The 2026 official counter was Tom Filip, from Philadelphia. This was Tom’s
first hawk watching experience and he did an excellent job. The 2026 watch
was conducted on 54 days, with 407 hours of watching. These numbers are
similar to other seasons, so the annual goal of consistent effort across
seasons was attained. Season raptors totals are shown in Table 1.
*Table 1. 2026 season totals and 10-year averages (2016-2025). *
*Species*
*2026*
*10-year average*
*2025 Ranking*
Turkey Vulture
208
194
average
Osprey
52
84
below average
Bald Eagle
88
78
average
Northern Harrier
16
23
average
Sharp-shinned Hawk
93
164
below average
Cooper’s Hawk
26
27
average
American Goshawk
0
0.2
Red-shouldered Hawk
26
36
average
Broad-winged Hawk
578
1074
below average
Red-tailed Hawk
232
273
average
Rough-legged Hawk
2
1
Golden Eagle
224
157
3rd highest
American Kestrel
36
46
average
Merlin
4
6
Peregrine Falcon
1
3
Total
1609
2206
below average
The Golden Eagle is the main focus of our hawk watch for the following
reasons: 1) central Pennsylvania is within the Golden Eagle’s main spring
migratory corridor within the Appalachians and the Eastern Flyway; 2) the
Tussey Mt hawk watch annually counts the most Golden Eagles during the
spring of any Eastern Flyway site, as well as of any North American watch
site east of Michigan; and 3) as we count relatively few of the other
raptor species, especially compared to Great Lakes spring sites, Golden
Eagle is over-represented in the raptor array that migrates through here.
Some of the higher Golden Eagle season totals at Tussey Mt followed winters
that were cold and snowy. Because there was a cold and snowy period during
Jan-Feb, I was optimistic for a good count before the season started. I
believe that when there is considerable cold and snow, many Golden Eagles
move farther south in the Appalachians and they tend to return in a more
compact array. When the winter is mild, I think that the opposite occurs:
many Golden Eagles do not fly as far south and are less compact in space on
their return. (I intend to explore this Golden Eagle-weather connection
more in the future and think that this count-weather connection will
indicate that some recent lower totals are not the result of a population
decline, but were weather-related.)
The 2026 Golden Eagle count of 224 ranked 3rd highest in our 26 years. This
was only the 7th season with 200 or more Golden Eagles and the first since
2015 (Figure 1). They constituted 13.9% of all raptors tallied. How the
season progressed was most interesting.
The February tally of Golden Eagles was nine, which was on the
low-to-moderate side. The only season without any Golden Eagles tallied in
February was 2015, the season when we counted the most, 239. I remember a
lot of snow on the ground to start that season.
March 3-6 were days of rain and fog, during a period when the Golden Eagle
migration typically would have been ramping up. The March 7 watch started
at 1300, when the fog cleared. Winds were strong, at 13-16 mph, from the S.
We counted 27 Golden Eagles that afternoon, while the Allegheny Front hawk
watch (AF) counted 40.
The next day, March 8, we counted 80 Golden Eagles, with the vast majority
(73 of 80) tallied before noon. The wind was light from W (4-7 mph) until
10 and then moderate NW (8-12 mph) with thermals. The Golden Eagles had
been held up for some days and they were ready to go; multiple eagles were
seen together in numerous moments. AF counted 19 this day.
This total of 80 Golden Eagles was a new single-day record not only for
Tussey Mountain but also for Pennsylvania hawk watches (the previous high
was 74 at AF on October 24, 2015). The previous Golden Eagle single-day
record at Tussey Mt was 62 on March 3, 2008. The only higher Golden Eagle
count in PA was a count of 89 by Greg Smith on March 13, 2015 along the
Allegheny Front in Centre County, across from the Bald Eagle Mt-Eagle field
site, that has not been documented in Hawkcount.org or eBird.
There were only two other days in 2026 with double-digit Golden Eagle
totals, 10 each on Mar 13 and 20. Golden Eagles were seen on 37 days, with
totals of 9 in February, 193 in March (3rd-highest March total), and 22 in
April. The cumulative chart shows that the 107 Golden Eagles on March 7-8
put our season tally well ahead of most previous years and only the 2008
and 2015 Golden Eagle totals (225 and 239, respectively) ended ahead of the
2026 total (Figure 2).
The spring hawk watch season functions like two seasons within one: the
first four weeks when we count most of the Golden Eagles, Turkey Vultures,
and Red-shouldered Hawks, plus many of the Bald Eagles and Red-tailed
Hawks; and April, when we count most of the Ospreys, Northern Harriers,
Sharp-shinned and Cooper’s Hawks, Broad-winged Hawks, and American
Kestrels. In 2025, the season totals for nine raptor species were above
average, while the 150 Golden Eagles were below average. In 2026, only the
Golden Eagle total was above average, the Osprey, Sharp-shinned Hawk, and
Broad-winged Hawk totals were below average, while the other totals were
average. Much of this is wind dependent. We didn’t experience the same
degree of favorable S/SE winds in April, 2026, as in the previous year.
Thanks to our sponsors, Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center, the State
College Bird Club, and individuals. Also, thanks to Tom’s diligence and
learning ability and to the many people who visited and helped to spot
migrating raptors.
Date: 5/14/26 5:48 am From: KATHLEEN BECHDEL <0000d165c6a818d5-dmarc-request...> Subject: Bird Walk Friday - Date Change
Hello,
Please note the date change for the Cerulean Warbler walk at the Lower Trail for tomorrow, Friday, May 15.
Friday May 15, 2026 (7:30 am - 9:30 am) Search for Cerulean Warblers on the Lower Trail, Blair County (Note the date change from the 13th to Friday 15th)
Date: 5/13/26 8:25 am From: S.B. Smith <sbsmith333...> Subject: Fwd: eBird Report - Lower Trail--Mt. Etna Trailhead (Blair Co.), May 13, 2026
Greetings Bird Club!
Turns out the notification of the Lower Trail field trip being rescheduled
for Friday went to my spam folder. There were six of us this morning and
the rain held off, so we saw what we could see. A highlight was a pair of
Baltimore Orioles.
I may be back on Friday for another go at the elusive Ceruleans.
Susan Smith
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: <do-not-reply...>
Date: Wed, May 13, 2026 at 11:16 AM
Subject: eBird Report - Lower Trail--Mt. Etna Trailhead (Blair Co.), May
13, 2026
To: <sbsmith333...>
Lower Trail--Mt. Etna Trailhead (Blair Co.), Blair, Pennsylvania, US
May 13, 2026 7:47 AM - 9:07 AM
Protocol: Traveling
0.308 mile(s)
20 species (+1 other taxa)
Canada Goose 2
Chimney Swift 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 2
Downy Woodpecker 1
Great Crested Flycatcher 2
Eastern/Western Warbling Vireo 1 We heard its song and saw its gray
back and pale yellow breast
Red-eyed Vireo 2
American Crow 1
Common Raven 1
Carolina Wren 1
Gray Catbird 2
Brown Thrasher 1
Wood Thrush 1
American Goldfinch 1
Song Sparrow 1
Baltimore Oriole 2
Louisiana Waterthrush 1
American Redstart 2
Northern Yellow Warbler 1
Pine Warbler 2
Yellow-rumped Warbler 1
Date: 5/11/26 4:40 am From: Rob Dickerson <radickerson...> Subject: Call for Photos - Winter
Do you have some great photos of any birds taken in Pennsylvania from December 1, 2025 - February 28, 2026? Or a picture of a notable/significant sighting from that period?
I am currently accepting photo submissions through end of day May 24 to be considered for publication as space permits in the Pennsylvania Society for Ornithology (PSO) Winter 2026 issue of Pennsylvania Birds.
**Important Note** Images submitted must be high-res and are preferred to be horizontal shots. Submitted images must be able to be cropped to 1050px x 700px with a resolution of 300 px/in for horizontal images. If space allows high-quality vertical portrait shots may be used, but they take up the space of 2 photos in the layout used by the journal. Vertical photos submitted must be able to be cropped to 1050px x 1313px at 300 px/in.
Some further instructions... If your submission does not follow the instructions below or contain the info requested below, it will not be processed!
- Submissions for consideration **must** be taken during the above date range and emailed to <radickerson...>, please make mention of the word WINTER in the subject line to simplify processing.
- Please do not submit dozens of images for consideration, please do some initial limiting/judging of selections on your end that reflect the best of your work. However, if you have 15 different images of truly notable sightings in the state from this period, I'll gladly accept them for consideration!
- VERY important! For each image attached to the e-mail, you must include a description in the body of the e-mail for that image. Best format to follow: Species Name - Location, County, DD Month. Sentence about significance if known/applicable. (Photographer Name) Example: Antillean Nighthawk - Presque Isle SP, Erie, 12 June. This bird represented a first state record and was observed through 1 July. (John Doe)
- Please also submit your photos for consideration in full resolution or as close to full resolution as possible as these will be printed. Your photo also may be considered for a cover shot and a 250KB image just won't work for that! I need to be able to crop your photo to fit the space as it permits in the journal and a precropped / low-resolution image is problematic for that. It's safe to say that if you're sending me an image under a megabyte in size, it isn't going to be the resolution I need to work with. I also need room to crop the image to the specs used for the newsletter (exact specs posted above) and an extremely tight crop may not allow me to do that.
- Photos selected for printing in the issue will be credited to the photographer, please DO NOT submit watermarked/signatured images or they will not be considered. The image should be clean of any add-ons.
Thanks for considering submitting your photos for consideration for our statewide ornithology journal!
I would love to come on the Lower Trail cerulean warbler walk next Wednesday morning, and I wondered if by chance anyone will be traveling from State College and might be willing to give me a ride.
Date: 5/6/26 2:43 pm From: Wentzel, Doug <djw105...> Subject: Migration Morning, May 6th, rain edition; PLUS special invite from Sierra Club for another walk tomorrow, May 7
Greetings all,
Despite a steady rain, 21 folks joined Alexa, Brady and I on the walk this morning from the Stone Valley office porch to the boardwalk at Shaver’s Creek. Highlights included a lingering Bufflehead, 3 Common Loon, swallows lined up on the wire, and good looks at a pair of Baltimore Oriole. Thanks to all who joined our weekly walks and our generous sponsor, Wiscoy for Animals. Special shout out to Adan for keeping our eBird checklist (see below).
The rain did get in the way of a walk that was scheduled for today but fortunately has a rain date for tomorrow.
So you are invited to join Margaret Brittingham, Thursday, May 7th (8 to 10 am) at a special property at Halfmoon Valley Road. See the link for details and to RSVP, or show up and sign the form when you arrive. Thanks to Kelly Forest for the invite.
Shaver's Creek Env. Center--Boardwalk, Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, US
May 6, 2026 7:06 AM - 8:23 AM
Protocol: Traveling
0.518 mile(s)
36 species (+1 other taxa)
Canada Goose 14 2 families
Wood Duck 1
Mallard 3
Bufflehead 1
Common Merganser 1
Spotted Sandpiper 1
Solitary Sandpiper 4
Common Loon 3
Double-crested Cormorant 1
Great Blue Heron 3
Osprey 1
Downy Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker 2
Red-eyed Vireo 3
Blue Jay 1
Tree Swallow 20
Purple Martin 1
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 2
Barn Swallow 10
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 2
Carolina Wren 1
European Starling 2
Gray Catbird 1
Eastern Bluebird 1
Wood Thrush 1
American Robin 2
American Goldfinch 2
Chipping Sparrow 2
Song Sparrow 3
Baltimore Oriole 2
Red-winged Blackbird 7
Common Grackle 2
Ovenbird 3
Louisiana Waterthrush 2
Common Yellowthroat 1
Northern Yellow Warbler 1
bird sp. 2
Date: 5/5/26 1:01 pm From: Julia Plummer <julia...> Subject: Re: Bird-safe windows at new Park Forest Middle School Construction.
Thank you so much for your work on this, Coty!
Julia
On Tue, May 5, 2026 at 12:53 PM Judy Sinn <junebugg1910...> wrote:
> What exciting news, Coty!
> Thanks for your efforts on this.
> Judy Sinn
>
> On Tue, May 5, 2026 at 5:46 AM Constanza Ehrenhaus <cxe1169...>
> wrote:
>
>> Hi SCBC,
>>
>> Last night was a great night at the school board meeting. The school
>> board approved installing bird-safe glass in the new Park Forest Middle
>> School front glass expanse. This is a huge win and one we all can feel
>> proud of!
>>
>> They rejected the proposed bird-safe windows for the stairwell, but there
>> is a catch. I offered to help with finding the money, and they are open to
>> this. We now need to get the dimensions and timeline for the project and
>> get to finding $100K. For this, we all can be involved. If you know of
>> generous donors, or grants that can be appropriate, please, let me know.
>>
>> Money for the district is tight, and this is a big step forward. We need
>> to demonstrate to them that this community cares about these
>> implementations.
>>
>> Thank you so much for your support!
>>
>> Coty
>>
>> --
>>
>> Constanza Ehrenhaus.
>> Trillium Pennsylvania founder
>> State College Bird Club, Outreach and Social Media Manager
>> State College Bird Town PA committee, school liaison
>>
>>
On Tue, May 5, 2026 at 12:53 PM Judy Sinn <junebugg1910...> wrote:
> What exciting news, Coty!
> Thanks for your efforts on this.
> Judy Sinn
>
> On Tue, May 5, 2026 at 5:46 AM Constanza Ehrenhaus <cxe1169...>
> wrote:
>
>> Hi SCBC,
>>
>> Last night was a great night at the school board meeting. The school
>> board approved installing bird-safe glass in the new Park Forest Middle
>> School front glass expanse. This is a huge win and one we all can feel
>> proud of!
>>
>> They rejected the proposed bird-safe windows for the stairwell, but there
>> is a catch. I offered to help with finding the money, and they are open to
>> this. We now need to get the dimensions and timeline for the project and
>> get to finding $100K. For this, we all can be involved. If you know of
>> generous donors, or grants that can be appropriate, please, let me know.
>>
>> Money for the district is tight, and this is a big step forward. We need
>> to demonstrate to them that this community cares about these
>> implementations.
>>
>> Thank you so much for your support!
>>
>> Coty
>>
>> --
>>
>> Constanza Ehrenhaus.
>> Trillium Pennsylvania founder
>> State College Bird Club, Outreach and Social Media Manager
>> State College Bird Town PA committee, school liaison
>>
>>
--
Constanza Ehrenhaus.
Trillium Pennsylvania founder
State College Bird Club, Outreach and Social Media Manager
State College Bird Town PA committee, school liaison
Date: 5/5/26 9:53 am From: Judy Sinn <junebugg1910...> Subject: Re: Bird-safe windows at new Park Forest Middle School Construction.
What exciting news, Coty!
Thanks for your efforts on this.
Judy Sinn
On Tue, May 5, 2026 at 5:46 AM Constanza Ehrenhaus <cxe1169...>
wrote:
> Hi SCBC,
>
> Last night was a great night at the school board meeting. The school board
> approved installing bird-safe glass in the new Park Forest Middle School
> front glass expanse. This is a huge win and one we all can feel proud of!
>
> They rejected the proposed bird-safe windows for the stairwell, but there
> is a catch. I offered to help with finding the money, and they are open to
> this. We now need to get the dimensions and timeline for the project and
> get to finding $100K. For this, we all can be involved. If you know of
> generous donors, or grants that can be appropriate, please, let me know.
>
> Money for the district is tight, and this is a big step forward. We need
> to demonstrate to them that this community cares about these
> implementations.
>
> Thank you so much for your support!
>
> Coty
>
> --
>
> Constanza Ehrenhaus.
> Trillium Pennsylvania founder
> State College Bird Club, Outreach and Social Media Manager
> State College Bird Town PA committee, school liaison
>
>
Date: 5/5/26 2:46 am From: Constanza Ehrenhaus <cxe1169...> Subject: Bird-safe windows at new Park Forest Middle School Construction.
Hi SCBC,
Last night was a great night at the school board meeting. The school board approved installing bird-safe glass in the new Park Forest Middle School front glass expanse. This is a huge win and one we all can feel proud of!
They rejected the proposed bird-safe windows for the stairwell, but there is a catch. I offered to help with finding the money, and they are open to this. We now need to get the dimensions and timeline for the project and get to finding $100K. For this, we all can be involved. If you know of generous donors, or grants that can be appropriate, please, let me know.
Money for the district is tight, and this is a big step forward. We need to demonstrate to them that this community cares about these implementations.
Thank you so much for your support!
Coty
--
Constanza Ehrenhaus. Trillium Pennsylvania founder State College Bird Club, Outreach and Social Media Manager State College Bird Town PA committee, school liaison
Date: 5/3/26 2:09 pm From: Kurt <000000926143b032-dmarc-request...> Subject: Re: Road open to Scotia south end?
I think it will only be open for the duration of Spring Gobbler season which ends May 30.
Kurt Engstrom
Sent from the all new AOL app for iOS
On Sunday, May 3, 2026, 2:59 PM, Ilene White <0000d79c4117508d-dmarc-request...> wrote:
Hi All,
I was at Scotia about ten days ago and the road to the South end was blocked off by the range so you could not drive through. Is it open to drive through to the south end now? Thanks,
Ilene White
Date: 5/3/26 12:10 pm From: Susan Braun <braun3112...> Subject: Re: Road open to Scotia south end?
It’s open to drive through.
On Sun, May 3, 2026 at 2:59 PM Ilene White <
<0000d79c4117508d-dmarc-request...> wrote:
> Hi All,
> I was at Scotia about ten days ago and the road to the South end was
> blocked off by the range so you could not drive through. Is it open to
> drive through to the south end now? Thanks,
> Ilene White
>
Date: 5/3/26 12:10 pm From: Nash Turley <nashuagoats...> Subject: Re: Road open to Scotia south end?
I drove all the way through yesterday
On Sun, May 3, 2026 at 2:59 PM Ilene White <
<0000d79c4117508d-dmarc-request...> wrote:
> Hi All,
> I was at Scotia about ten days ago and the road to the South end was
> blocked off by the range so you could not drive through. Is it open to
> drive through to the south end now? Thanks,
> Ilene White
>
Date: 5/3/26 11:59 am From: Ilene White <0000d79c4117508d-dmarc-request...> Subject: Road open to Scotia south end?
Hi All, I was at Scotia about ten days ago and the road to the South end was blocked off by the range so you could not drive through. Is it open to drive through to the south end now? Thanks, Ilene White
Date: 4/30/26 12:05 pm From: Constanza Ehrenhaus <cxe1169...> Subject: Re: Public comment for bird safe glass- SCASD board meeting, May 4th 7PM
Hi all
Amy Bader, from the school board, just emailed me saying that it would not
be helpful to have many people offering public comment, that one or two
people would be okay to answer some questions, but she thinks there is
enough traction that the board can support it.
I will talk to her and see if it makes sense that someone goes, given that
this would not be public comment before the discussion, but sometime after
they have discussed other topics.
Thank you all who considered to come.
If you still would like to express your opinion about this or other topics,
you can always email the board at <all-board...>
Thanks a lot!
Coty
Constanza Ehrenhaus.
On Thu, Apr 30, 2026, 12:16 PM Merrill David <mer22david...> wrote:
> Coty, do you know if there's a way to submit comment if we can't be there?
> (I tried clicking the Public Comment square, but nothing happens.)
>
> Merrill
>
>
> On Thu, Apr 30, 2026 at 8:39 AM Constanza Ehrenhaus <cxe1169...>
> wrote:
>
>> Good morning, Bird Club,
>>
>> Next Monday May 4th at 7 PM there will be a State College School District
>> board of directors meeting where they will be discussing the new Park
>> Forest Middle School construction. They may be voting for the inclusion of
>> bird safe glass in one of the window expanses, and the technical team
>> putting the budget together recommended *not* to do this. However, there
>> are board members inclined to do it.
>> I plan to go to the next meeting to offer public comment in favor of
>> this, and it would be helpful to have more than one person advocating for
>> it.
>>
>> I want to remark that the inclusion of the bird safe glass would be below
>> 1% of the total budget for this new building, but it is recommended against
>> "To keep costs low".
>>
>> The meeting starts at 7PM in Panorama Village, next to Mount Nittany
>> Middle School.
>>
>> Thank you!
>>
>> Constanza
>>
>> [image: image.png]
>> --
>> Constanza Ehrenhaus.
>>
>>
Date: 4/30/26 9:16 am From: Merrill David <mer22david...> Subject: Re: Public comment for bird safe glass- SCASD board meeting, May 4th 7PM
Coty, do you know if there's a way to submit comment if we can't be there?
(I tried clicking the Public Comment square, but nothing happens.)
Merrill
On Thu, Apr 30, 2026 at 8:39 AM Constanza Ehrenhaus <cxe1169...>
wrote:
> Good morning, Bird Club,
>
> Next Monday May 4th at 7 PM there will be a State College School District
> board of directors meeting where they will be discussing the new Park
> Forest Middle School construction. They may be voting for the inclusion of
> bird safe glass in one of the window expanses, and the technical team
> putting the budget together recommended *not* to do this. However, there
> are board members inclined to do it.
> I plan to go to the next meeting to offer public comment in favor of this,
> and it would be helpful to have more than one person advocating for it.
>
> I want to remark that the inclusion of the bird safe glass would be below
> 1% of the total budget for this new building, but it is recommended against
> "To keep costs low".
>
> The meeting starts at 7PM in Panorama Village, next to Mount Nittany
> Middle School.
>
> Thank you!
>
> Constanza
>
> [image: image.png]
> --
> Constanza Ehrenhaus.
>
>
Date: 4/30/26 5:40 am From: Constanza Ehrenhaus <cxe1169...> Subject: Public comment for bird safe glass- SCASD board meeting, May 4th 7PM
Good morning, Bird Club,
Next Monday May 4th at 7 PM there will be a State College School District board of directors meeting where they will be discussing the new Park Forest Middle School construction. They may be voting for the inclusion of bird safe glass in one of the window expanses, and the technical team putting the budget together recommended *not* to do this. However, there are board members inclined to do it. I plan to go to the next meeting to offer public comment in favor of this, and it would be helpful to have more than one person advocating for it.
I want to remark that the inclusion of the bird safe glass would be below 1% of the total budget for this new building, but it is recommended against "To keep costs low".
The meeting starts at 7PM in Panorama Village, next to Mount Nittany Middle School.
Date: 4/29/26 9:16 am From: Wentzel, Doug <djw105...> Subject: Egrets, Loons, King Rail and more at the Migration Morning walk, April 29.
Hi All,
Despite the gray skies we had an enthusiastic group of birders for the walk this morning. We split up into two groups and saw a good diversity of birds, including the continuing King Rail, a pair of Great Egrets, both Red-throated and Common Loon, and Purple Martins checking out the box at the lake shore. We have multiple checklists from two groups and suffice to say, it was a great morning! Thanks to Wiscoy for Animals for their continued support.
And of course, Birding Cup teams are getting excited to take to the fields, forests, and wetlands to enjoy “big day” birding and raise funds for bird conservation and education. Still need a team to support? Bad Optics would love to have your backing and we need 26 more donors to make it an even 50 for the 50 years of Shaver’s Creek.
Date: 4/28/26 7:02 pm From: Gyekis, Joseph Peter <jpg186...> Subject: Re: Remove from list
If anyone ever wants to leave the bird club email list, simply send a blank message to
<scbirdcl-unsubscribe-request...>
If you know someone who wants to join the bird club email list, the easy way is to send a blank message to
<scbirdcl-subscribe-request...>
There will be another step for them to complete after a message is sent to them with further instructions.
________________________________
From: State College (PA) Bird Club <SCBIRDCL...> on behalf of Jas Fields <jfields0167...>
Sent: Tuesday, April 28, 2026 9:44:34 PM
To: <SCBIRDCL...> <SCBIRDCL...>
Subject: Remove from list
Good evening,
Can you please remove me from this mailing list? Thank you!
Date: 4/28/26 2:53 am From: Constanza Ehrenhaus <cxe1169...> Subject: Re: Last day of the hawk watch season
My highlight was seeing a Golden Eagle. I've been going every season and I
always miss them by minutes. Bonus points because the sun made it shine.
You now need a well deserved rest!
On Mon, Apr 27, 2026 at 9:41 PM Thomas Filip <thomasfilip0660...>
wrote:
> Hi everyone,
>
> It’s the last day of the Tussey Hawk Watch season so I just wanted to say
> thank you to John, Nick, Matt for letting me stay at his place the past
> couple of months, everyone who came up to the mountain, everyone I met at
> the bird club, and anyone else who helps make this hawk watch possible. I
> really enjoyed meeting and talking to everyone, it made my experience here
> a lot more enjoyable. I don’t think I could have asked for a better season
> here.
>
> Our big record 80 Golden Eagle day was obviously the highlight of the
> season, that will always stick with me, but I wanted to share some of the
> other birds and fun experiences that stuck with me as well.
>
> -
>
> The Mute Swan that flew over, its wingbeats sounding like a chuchu
> train as it went. This was probably my favorite just because it was so
> bizarre. https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Febird.org%2Fchecklist%2FS310797879&data=05%7C02%<7CSCBIRDCL...>%7Cf8f4411b781a4d01bc5c08dea50be7e9%7C7cf48d453ddb4389a9c1c115526eb52e%7C0%7C0%7C639129667895672916%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=Le9Ze6PHx3A2RrRfzSYt6HHZ%2BcqEHrmFjnbVXFBu334%3D&reserved=0 > <https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Febird.org%2Fchecklist%2FS310797879&data=05%7C02%<7CSCBIRDCL...>%7Cf8f4411b781a4d01bc5c08dea50be7e9%7C7cf48d453ddb4389a9c1c115526eb52e%7C0%7C0%7C639129667895706593%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=mOJNVoNxXXK5TPOT%2BBK%2FARVbsHsxqsvVzjUabJWIH%2Bw%3D&reserved=0> >
> -
>
> The Tundra Swans that flew over on our big Golden Eagle day at just
> the right place to be perfectly illuminated by the sun, which made them
> shine a really beautiful bright white like I’ve never seen before.
> -
>
> Seeing the Turkey Vultures freak out and hightail it out of the area
> whenever they saw a Golden Eagle coming was always funny to me.
> -
>
> The pair of ravens that I saw carrying nest material on day one in
> February and then eventually carrying food in April almost every day. The
> first time we saw it carrying food it had a flying squirrel in its mouth,
> which was bizarre but kinda fun to see.
> -
>
> Ken spotting a Golden Eagle because I called out a Turkey Vulture, and
> I ended up missing the eagle because I was on the vulture.
> -
>
> Ken spotting a Peregrine Falcon because Nick called out an Osprey,
> thankfully I did not miss this one. I would have been pretty upset as this
> was our first of the season and I had been complaining to Nick all April
> about not seeing one.
> -
>
> Joe Sabo coming all the way from Pittsburg, waiting the whole day to
> see a Golden Eagle, and then when his chance came, struggling to get on it
> and almost missing it. Nick had to let him use his scope and Joe had to
> stand on his tippy toes just to see through it, but he finally got on the
> bird before it left. Nick and I were both at our wits end trying to get him
> on this bird for what felt like minutes, but we both laughed at the end.
> -
>
> Julian’s class coming up one morning, one of the students half
> heartedly mumbling “oh there’s some loons”, and I look up to see 20+ loons
> flying low directly over us. That kid might not have been excited, but I
> sure was.
> -
>
> The tour group coming up from the Bald Eagle State Park Nature Inn and
> getting to see a Golden Eagle right away. I was about a couple minutes into
> my talk when Nick spotted it and all eyes were on the eagle after that, and
> no one was interested in my talk after that. Nick got a kick out of this
> one for a while.
>
>
> I’m sure there’s more that will come to me later, but these were the best
> birds and moments off the top of my head. I’ll undoubtedly be in central PA
> for some reason or another, either for birding or maybe even to do another
> season at Tussey here, so I hope I get to run into some of you again.
>
> Thanks again for a great season,
>
> Tom
>
>
Date: 4/27/26 6:41 pm From: Thomas Filip <thomasfilip0660...> Subject: Last day of the hawk watch season
Hi everyone,
It’s the last day of the Tussey Hawk Watch season so I just wanted to say
thank you to John, Nick, Matt for letting me stay at his place the past
couple of months, everyone who came up to the mountain, everyone I met at
the bird club, and anyone else who helps make this hawk watch possible. I
really enjoyed meeting and talking to everyone, it made my experience here
a lot more enjoyable. I don’t think I could have asked for a better season
here.
Our big record 80 Golden Eagle day was obviously the highlight of the
season, that will always stick with me, but I wanted to share some of the
other birds and fun experiences that stuck with me as well.
The Tundra Swans that flew over on our big Golden Eagle day at just the
right place to be perfectly illuminated by the sun, which made them shine a
really beautiful bright white like I’ve never seen before.
-
Seeing the Turkey Vultures freak out and hightail it out of the area
whenever they saw a Golden Eagle coming was always funny to me.
-
The pair of ravens that I saw carrying nest material on day one in
February and then eventually carrying food in April almost every day. The
first time we saw it carrying food it had a flying squirrel in its mouth,
which was bizarre but kinda fun to see.
-
Ken spotting a Golden Eagle because I called out a Turkey Vulture, and I
ended up missing the eagle because I was on the vulture.
-
Ken spotting a Peregrine Falcon because Nick called out an Osprey,
thankfully I did not miss this one. I would have been pretty upset as this
was our first of the season and I had been complaining to Nick all April
about not seeing one.
-
Joe Sabo coming all the way from Pittsburg, waiting the whole day to see
a Golden Eagle, and then when his chance came, struggling to get on it and
almost missing it. Nick had to let him use his scope and Joe had to stand
on his tippy toes just to see through it, but he finally got on the bird
before it left. Nick and I were both at our wits end trying to get him on
this bird for what felt like minutes, but we both laughed at the end.
-
Julian’s class coming up one morning, one of the students half heartedly
mumbling “oh there’s some loons”, and I look up to see 20+ loons flying low
directly over us. That kid might not have been excited, but I sure was.
-
The tour group coming up from the Bald Eagle State Park Nature Inn and
getting to see a Golden Eagle right away. I was about a couple minutes into
my talk when Nick spotted it and all eyes were on the eagle after that, and
no one was interested in my talk after that. Nick got a kick out of this
one for a while.
I’m sure there’s more that will come to me later, but these were the best
birds and moments off the top of my head. I’ll undoubtedly be in central PA
for some reason or another, either for birding or maybe even to do another
season at Tussey here, so I hope I get to run into some of you again.
Date: 4/27/26 6:02 pm From: Gyekis, Joseph Peter <jpg186...> Subject: Re: Tussey Mountain Hawk Watch (27 Apr 2026) 59 Raptors
Lovely. Thank you Tom, I have enjoyed all of your updates from the ridge.
________________________________
From: State College (PA) Bird Club <SCBIRDCL...> on behalf of Thomas Filip <thomasfilip0660...>
Sent: Monday, April 27, 2026 8:38:46 PM
To: <SCBIRDCL...> <SCBIRDCL...>
Subject: Tussey Mountain Hawk Watch (27 Apr 2026) 59 Raptors
Tussey Mountain Hawk Watch
State College, Pennsylvania, USA
Observation start time: 08:15:00
Observation end time: 15:15:00
Total observation time: 7 hours
Official Counter Thomas Filip
Observers: Ken Bowman, Nick Bolgiano
Weather:
Wind S/SE, light at start, but mostly 8-12 mph, mostly sunny with a few clouds later in the day.
Raptor Observations:
Migrating raptors include 8 OSPR, 3 BAEA, 3 RTHA, 40 BWHA, 2 SSHA, 2 TUVU and 1 PEFA.
Overall a modest but fun last day. Strong thermals and mostly clear skies pushed the birds very high up, making spotting difficult. We thought today could have been a big Osprey day. While 8 isn't what I'd call a big day, it was our high count for the season. However, the real raptor highlight of the day was the Peregrine Falcon, out first and only of the season. It was spotted by Ken who saw it when Nick and I were looking at an Osprey. Thank goodness he was here to save the day again. I have been complaining all of April about not seeing a single Peregrine, and had Ken not been here today we wouldn't have gotten one. Thank you Ken!
This was the last watch day for 2026. We recorded 224 Golden Eagles, the 3rd highest seasonal tally in 26 years. As this is the species that we focus on, it was a very successful season. Numbers of Ospreys, Sharp-shinned Hawks, and Broad-winged Hawks were below average, as April winds were less favorable.
The passerine highlight of the day was undoubtedly the single EVGR flyover. A female/immature, it flew over while I was eating my lunch. I froze when I heard the call and got on it quickly when I heard it a second time. I've been hoping for a EVGR flyover all season and I'm glad it finally happened on the last day.
Also notable was the 83 BLJA we had today. There were 2 large groups, one with about 35 and one with about 45. When the second group of 45 came through, about 10 broke off and started to make a fuss, perhaps because they noticed a hawk sitting in the woods.
Other flyovers include 1 DCCO, 8 BARS, 1 AMPI, and 29 AGOL. The AMPI seemed a bit late to me as I haven't had one here since March.
There was a noticeable increase in the number of local passerines, most notably the BAWW. They seemed eager to start claiming territory and were singing and calling into the afternoon.
The local raven was seen carrying food back to its nest again a couple of times. I spotted those ravens carrying nest material on my first day here, so it has been nice to see that their nest seems to have been successful.
Not a bird, but I saw the Red-backed Vole that lives in the rocks pop out briefly one last time.
Predictions:
Last day, so no predictions needed! But in case anybody is curious, it's supposed to be S/SSE wind tomorrow with a good chance of rain. If the rain holds off it could actually be a decent day in the morning.
Date: 4/27/26 5:39 pm From: Thomas Filip <thomasfilip0660...> Subject: Tussey Mountain Hawk Watch (27 Apr 2026) 59 Raptors
*Tussey Mountain Hawk WatchState College, Pennsylvania, USADaily Raptor Counts: Apr 27, 2026SpeciesDay's CountMonth TotalSeason TotalBlack Vulture000 Turkey Vulture264208 Osprey84452 Bald Eagle32888 Northern Harrier01016 Sharp-shinned Hawk25893 Cooper's Hawk01226 American Goshawk000 Red-shouldered Hawk0326 Broad-winged Hawk40578578 Red-tailed Hawk3100232 Rough-legged Hawk012 Golden Eagle022224 American Kestrel02136 Merlin024 Peregrine Falcon111 Unknown Accipitrine024 Unknown Buteo012 Unknown Falcon001 Unknown Eagle014 Unknown Raptor01012 Total:599581609Observation start time: 08:15:00 Observation end time: 15:15:00 Total observation time: 7 hoursOfficial CounterThomas FilipObservers: Ken Bowman, Nick BolgianoWeather:* *Wind S/SE, light at start, but mostly 8-12 mph, mostly sunny with a few clouds later in the day.*
*Raptor Observations:Migrating raptors include 8 OSPR, 3 BAEA, 3 RTHA, 40 BWHA, 2 SSHA, 2 TUVU and 1 PEFA.*
*Overall a modest but fun last day. Strong thermals and mostly clear skies pushed the birds very high up, making spotting difficult. We thought today could have been a big Osprey day. While 8 isn't what I'd call a big day, it was our high count for the season. However, the real raptor highlight of the day was the Peregrine Falcon, out first and only of the season. It was spotted by Ken who saw it when Nick and I were looking at an Osprey. Thank goodness he was here to save the day again. I have been complaining all of April about not seeing a single Peregrine, and had Ken not been here today we wouldn't have gotten one. Thank you Ken!*
*The passerine highlight of the day was undoubtedly the single EVGR flyover. A female/immature, it flew over while I was eating my lunch. I froze when I heard the call and got on it quickly when I heard it a second time. I've been hoping for a EVGR flyover all season and I'm glad it finally happened on the last day.*
*Also notable was the 83 BLJA we had today. There were 2 large groups, one with about 35 and one with about 45. When the second group of 45 came through, about 10 broke off and started to make a fuss, perhaps because they noticed a hawk sitting in the woods.*
*Other flyovers include 1 DCCO, 8 BARS, 1 AMPI, and 29 AGOL. The AMPI seemed a bit late to me as I haven't had one here since March.*
*There was a noticeable increase in the number of local passerines, most notably the BAWW. They seemed eager to start claiming territory and were singing and calling into the afternoon.*
*The local raven was seen carrying food back to its nest again a couple of times. I spotted those ravens carrying nest material on my first day here, so it has been nice to see that their nest seems to have been successful.*
Date: 4/27/26 4:19 am From: Peggy Wagoner Saporito <raven966...> Subject: Final week to apply for SCBC grants
Greetings Everyone,
This is a reminder that this Thursday, *April 30 *is the* deadline* to apply for our State College Bird Club grant. We encourage anyone who has a project, research or educational activity related to avian conservation to apply.
SCBC has $1463.00 available for distribution from the SCBC Endowment managed by Centre Foundation. These funds will be distributed either as several small grants or one large grant. Activities that could be funded include (but are not limited to):
*Projects*: - setting up or maintaining bird boxes at a public park or installing bird safe window treatments in a public building.
*Research* : - helping with costs of materials, equipment, transportation or professional conference fees related to conducting avian research.
*Education*: - helping with costs of materials, equipment, transportation or professional conference or workshop fees related to avian educational activities.
Everyone interested in applying for funding should complete the grant application submitted as a PDF attachment by April 30, 2026 to Susan Braun ( <braun3112...>). Applications will be reviewed in May by the SCBC selection committee (Susan Braun, Deb Escalet and Peggy Wagoner).
Date: 4/25/26 11:34 am From: Kurt <000000926143b032-dmarc-request...> Subject: Re: Nest question
Looks like a House Finch nest with a cowbird egg. I don't know if the finches abandoned the nest because of the cowbird egg or activity from door being used or they don't start incubating until last egg is laid. Only suggestion I have is to wait a few more days and monitor activity.
Kurt Engstrom
On Saturday, April 25, 2026 at 02:24:29 PM EDT, Ilene White <0000d79c4117508d-dmarc-request...> wrote:
Fellow birders,
Friends of mine came home from vacation and found this nest on a wreath on their door. I’m thinking a cowbird egg among robin’s eggs but I’m not sure. They have not seen any bird fly away from the nest. Their question to me is whether the nest building bird would come back to sit on the nest. They are willing to avoid using that door if the bird might return but haven’t seen any bird around since their return on Friday. Any advice I can pass along?
Thanks,
Ilene White
Date: 4/25/26 11:24 am From: Ilene White <0000d79c4117508d-dmarc-request...> Subject: Nest question
Fellow birders,
Friends of mine came home from vacation and found this nest on a wreath on their door. I’m thinking a cowbird egg among robin’s eggs but I’m not sure. They have not seen any bird fly away from the nest. Their question to me is whether the nest building bird would come back to sit on the nest. They are willing to avoid using that door if the bird might return but haven’t seen any bird around since their return on Friday. Any advice I can pass along?
Thanks,
Ilene White
Date: 4/24/26 5:05 pm From: Thomas Filip <thomasfilip0660...> Subject: Tussey Mountain Hawk Watch (24 Apr 2026) 187 Raptors
*Tussey Mountain Hawk WatchState College, Pennsylvania, USADaily Raptor Counts: Apr 24, 2026SpeciesDay's CountMonth TotalSeason TotalBlack Vulture000 Turkey Vulture062206 Osprey13846 Bald Eagle02585 Northern Harrier01016 Sharp-shinned Hawk25691 Cooper's Hawk01226 American Goshawk000 Red-shouldered Hawk0326 Broad-winged Hawk184538538 Red-tailed Hawk097229 Rough-legged Hawk012 Golden Eagle022224 American Kestrel02136 Merlin024 Peregrine Falcon000 Unknown Accipitrine024 Unknown Buteo012 Unknown Falcon001 Unknown Eagle014 Unknown Raptor01012 Total:1879011552Observation start time: 08:30:00 Observation end time: 14:30:00 Total observation time: 6 hoursOfficial CounterThomas FilipObservers: Nick BolgianoWeather:NW wind when I arrived, shifted to NNE by 10:00. Wind speed at a low 4-8mph the whole day. It started off cloudy when I arrived but completely cleared up within the next hour. Around 11:00 rain clouds started to come in, but we didn't get a drop as the clouds went around us on both sides of the ridge, giving us an interesting view. The rain finally hit the Hawk Watch just before 15:00 as I got into my car.Raptor Observations:1 OSPR, 184 BWHA, and 2 SSHA.*
Date: 4/24/26 4:20 pm From: Peggy Wagoner Saporito <raven966...> Subject: Re: Reminder: Bird Club Grant applications due soon
Hello Everyone,
One more week before the April 30 deadline for grant proposal submissions.
We look forward to hearing from you with your ideas for bird conservation
projects, education or research.
Grant Selection committee
Peggy, Sue and Deb
On Wed, Apr 8, 2026 at 9:21 AM Peggy Wagoner Saporito <raven966...>
wrote:
> Greetings Everyone,
>
> This is a friendly reminder that the *April 30 deadline* to apply for our
> State College Bird Club grant is approaching. We encourage everyone to
> apply who has a project or research or educational activity related to
> avian conservation.
>
> SCBC has $1463.00 available for distribution from the SCBC Endowment
> managed by Centre Foundation. These funds will be distributed either as
> several small grants or one large grant. Activities that could be funded
> include (but are not limited to):
> *Projects*: - setting up or maintaining bird boxes at a public park or
> installing bird safe window treatments in a public building.
> *Research* : - helping with costs of materials, equipment, transportation
> or professional conference fees related to conducting avian research.
> *Education*: - helping with costs of materials, equipment, transportation
> or professional conference or workshop fees related to avian educational
> activities.
>
> We look forward to your ideas. Please pass this notification onto students
> or others who are doing any activities related to bird conservation who may
> be interested in applying.
>
> The *application is attached* below in Word and PDF formats. The
> application form can also be accessed on the Home page (bottom, center) on
> our website: https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.scbirdcl.org%2F&data=05%7C02%<7Cscbirdcl...>%7C88ce89ce4db443f61d4a08dea2581099%7C7cf48d453ddb4389a9c1c115526eb52e%7C0%7C0%7C639126696282161686%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=291fIUs0Ko74oH1T42TzWkVVlCdeYablI2qOptREl0Y%3D&reserved=0 >
> Everyone interested in applying for funding should complete the grant
> application submitted as a PDF attachment by April 30, 2026 to Susan Braun (
> <braun3112...>). Applications will be reviewed in May by the SCBC
> selection committee (Susan Braun, Deb Escalet and Peggy Wagoner).
>
> Peggy, Sue and Deb
>
>
Date: 4/24/26 5:03 am From: Gyekis, Joseph Peter <jpg186...> Subject: City Nature Challenge: post State College area wildlife to iNaturalist now to Monday
From the website:
Join the Borough of State College in the 2026 City Nature Challenge to help document and celebrate the wildlife, plants, insects and fungi that call our community home. The City Nature Challenge is one of the largest community science events in the world, held annually to document urban biodiversity. This friendly global event encourages people of all ages to find and photograph as many wild organisms as possible in their cities. The observations you upload contribute real ecological data that researchers and conservation groups use to better understand and protect biodiversity.
How to Participate: Observation Period (April 24-27)
Take photos of wild organisms within State College Borough (wild = not planted, placed or cared for by people).
For a better chance of finding wildlife, explore urban trees, street gardens or one of the Boroughs 13 parks and parklets.
Upload your observations to iNaturalist between April 2427. All observations made within the Borough during the observation window will automatically be included in this project.
Date: 4/22/26 8:51 pm From: Thomas Filip <thomasfilip0660...> Subject: Tussey Mountain Hawk Watch (22 Apr 2026) 67 Raptors
*Tussey Mountain Hawk WatchState College, Pennsylvania, USADaily Raptor
Counts: Apr 22, 2026SpeciesDay's CountMonth TotalSeason TotalBlack
Vulture000 Turkey Vulture561205 Osprey23543 Bald Eagle12484 Northern
Harrier01016 Sharp-shinned Hawk15388 Cooper's Hawk11226 American Goshawk000
Red-shouldered Hawk0326 Broad-winged Hawk49346346 Red-tailed Hawk796228
Rough-legged Hawk012 Golden Eagle022224 American Kestrel02136 Merlin024
Peregrine Falcon000 Unknown Accipitrine024 Unknown Buteo012 Unknown
Falcon001 Unknown Eagle014 Unknown Raptor11012 Total:677001351Observation
start time: 08:00:00 Observation end time: 17:00:00 Total observation time:
9 hoursOfficial CounterKen Bowman, Thomas FilipObservers: Connor Schmitt,
Nick Bolgiano, Tom FilipWeather:Partly cloudy with SW winds gradually
shifting to WNW by the end of the day. Wind was mostly 3-8mph but increased
in the last couple of hours to 12-16mph. Low of 8℃, high of 24℃.Raptor
Observations:No GOEA spotted today.*
*Other migrating raptors include 2 OSPR, 1 BAEA, 7 RTHA, 49 BWHA, 1 SSHA, 1
COHA, and 5 TUVU.*
Observation start time: 09:00:00 Observation end time: 14:00:00 Total observation time: 5 hours
Official Counter: Darrell Smith
Observers: Diane Stewart, Jen Lee, Ken Bowman, Ken Tucker, Phil Park
Visitors: Diane Stewart, Ken Tucker, Jen Lee, Cindy Bickel, Phil Park and Ken Bowman. We were all there to celebrate Earth Day on Jacks. A lot of good catching up since last fall for most of us. Some interested site seers of the overlooks.
Weather: Warm with moderate winds out of the east turning to the south. Mostly cloudy during the majority of the day.
Raptor Observations: Immature BE at 1:50. A good flight of Broad-wings and a good mix of other raptor species. A really good look at a Merlin.
Non-raptor Observations: A Towee, Black & White Warbler, Blue gray natchatcher, 6 Loons, 6 Purple Martins, 1 Barn Swallow, 1 Great Blue Heron, A least 7 Yellow Swallowtail Butterflies. Nemo made a fly by. Many local Turkey Vultures.
======================================================================== Report submitted by Darrell Smith (<oleagleye...>)
Date: 4/22/26 3:20 pm From: Thomas, Brady Scott <bst5117...> Subject: Re: April 22nd 7 pm: Dr. Jim Kellam presents “Sensory Perception in Woodpeckers and Other Ongoing Bird Research at a Small College Campus"
Good evening all,
Due to a family emergency, Dr. Kellam will not be presenting tonight.
We will still hold a meeting for our officer elections and a few other business items, which will be hosted on zoom as well.
Since it's Earth Day, and the weather is quite lovely this evening, after the meeting business, we can go on a sunset bird walk around Millbrook Marsh to wrap up this month's meeting.
This month, on Wednesday, February 22nd at 7pm, Dr. Jim Kellam will be presenting a program titled Sensory Perception in Woodpeckers and Other Ongoing Bird Research at a Small College Campus.
The meeting will take place in the Spring Creek Education Building. There will also be a zoom link available to those that cannot make it in person. The link to register is https://psu.zoom.us/meeting/register/roLkaPsWQ72jAdDUdQpoQg Jim is a Professor at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. He teaches Ornithology, Wildlife Biology, Conservation Biology, and Exercise Physiology in the Department of Biological Sciences. He earned his Ph.D. from Purdue University and over the course of his career has studied various species of woodpeckers, crows, and songbirds. He looks forward every spring to leading student teams at the World Series of Birding in Cape May, New Jersey, and in summer he runs an Ornithology Camp for high schoolers. Presently, he is training to handle raptors on the glove for use in educational programs. He is married with two adult children and a bunch of cats. He is a competitive swimmer and 3x Ironman Triathlon finisher.
[cid:d4cd600c-cf94-4084-9190-495a9829c5c6]
Downy Woodpecker in hand
I look forward to seeing you there!
Brady Thomas
(he/him)
Education Program Coordinator
School Programs and Summer Camp
Shaver's Creek Environmental Center
3400 Discovery Road
Petersburg, PA, 16669
Observation start time: 09:00:00
Observation end time: 16:00:00
Total observation time: 7 hours
Official Counter Nick Bolgiano, Thomas Filip
Observers: Nick Bolgiano
*Weather:*
Wind NW 10-19 mph and partly cloudy.
*Raptor Observations:*
strong NW wind in April, especially on 2nd day in a row, is not a good wind
for this site.
*Predictions:*
predicted wind: SSW 8-10 mph Tuesday afternoon. Then 3 days of W/WNW wind.
As our season ends on Saturday and rain is forecast that day, tomorrow
afternoon forecast may be the best.
Date: 4/20/26 9:16 am From: Constanza Ehrenhaus <cxe1169...> Subject: Volunteers needed for events
Hi SCBC members,
The State College Bird Club is becoming more popular and many events would like to have our presence to talk to people about what we do. Since normally it is a small handful of us and we also have other obligations, we could use some extra hands for some of these events. So, please, consider donating a couple of hours to continue to support the club growth.
What would this mean?
We need people to be at the Bird Club's table. Sometimes the event coordinators have something specific in mind (for example, we are going to be talking about native plants for birds at the PNPS festival), but most times we just need people to talk about what the club does. For example: we organize outings, we fund conservation and education projects in the area, we bring in speakers. I could definitely help you with this if you feel unsure of what needs to be communicated. You don't need to be there the whole time, so especially for long events it would be really useful to have a rotation of people.
We are getting ready for several events and we could use some members to help in the following:
5/30 Frog Fest at Muddy Paws Marsh 1PM -4 PM August (exact date?) CrickFest at Coburn Park 10 AM- 4 PM 9/26 The Great Outdoors at Mountain Edge Farm in Bellefonte, 11 AM- 5 PM
Please, let me know if you would be interested in any of these, or if you would want to be in a volunteer list that we can reach out to when we need people.
This is volunteer week! Thank you for being there for the Bird Club!
Date: 4/19/26 3:53 pm From: Wayne Laubscher <0000d35f1ba89b38-dmarc-request...> Subject: American Avocets at Ohl/McElhatten Reservoir, Loganton, Clinton Co. 4/19
David Rothrock and Amos Hershberger just reported 28 American Avocets at the Ohl/McElhatten Reservoir near Loganton. This is the second county record. The previous record was one at this same location.
Wayne Laubscher Lock Haven <wnlaubscher...> "Owl be back"
Date: 4/19/26 3:53 pm From: Thomas Filip <thomasfilip0660...> Subject: Tussey Mountain Hawk Watch (19 Apr 2026) 10 Raptors
*Tussey Mountain Hawk WatchState College, Pennsylvania, USADaily Raptor
Counts: Apr 19, 2026SpeciesDay's CountMonth TotalSeason TotalBlack
Vulture000Turkey Vulture056200Osprey03139Bald Eagle12181Northern
Harrier01016Sharp-shinned Hawk05085Cooper's Hawk01125American
Goshawk000Red-shouldered Hawk0326Broad-winged Hawk6287287Red-tailed
Hawk186218Rough-legged Hawk012Golden Eagle222224American
Kestrel02136Merlin013Peregrine Falcon000Unknown Accipitrine024Unknown
Buteo012Unknown Falcon001Unknown Eagle014Unknown
Raptor079Total:106111262Observation start time:08:45:00Observation end
time:14:15:00Total observation time:5.5 hoursOfficial CounterThomas
FilipObservers:Weather:Moderate NW winds in the morning at 9-13mph, after
13:00 the wind quickly picked up and was 18-22mph when I left. Cloudy in
the morning, partly sunny in the afternoon. There was a snow/hail squall
around 11:55 that lasted for about half an hour. Low of 4°C, high of
8°C.Raptor Observations:2 GOEA spotted today.*
*sub-adult: 10:00, 10:40*
*Other migrating raptors include 1 BAEA, 1 RTHA, and 6 BWHA.*
*It seem low thermals discouraged many BWHA from coming through today, but
the 2 GOEA did not seem to mind the conditions. Both were much lower than
the ones in the past few days, offering nice looks. No raptors were seen
after the snow squall cleared, despite the clouds clearing as well. The
wind was getting very strong when I left, perhaps too strong for even the
eagles to fly in.*
Date: 4/18/26 6:25 pm From: Julia Plummer <julia...> Subject: eBird Report - Millbrook Marsh Nature Center, Apr 14, 2026
On Tuesday, Susan Smith and I led the walk at Millbrook Marsh. There were 24 people attending the walk, and 31 species seen and/or heard on our walk. Some of the highlights noted by the participants included: observing an Eastern Meadowlark and a Bald Eagle perched up on the hill towards the hospital, and the numerous Downy Woodpeckers. We observed a pair of Downy Woodpeckers copulating; there were at least six in the marsh frequently calling throughout the walk.
Next week's walk is 8-9:30AM - meet at Millbrook Marsh near the paviollion.
Julia
Millbrook Marsh Nature Center, Centre, Pennsylvania, US Apr 14, 2026 7:48 AM - 9:16 AM Protocol: Traveling 1.057 kilometer(s) 31 species
Canada Goose 3 Mallard 10 Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) 5 Mourning Dove 5 Bald Eagle 1 Red-tailed Hawk (borealis) 1 Downy Woodpecker 6 Northern Flicker 1 Blue Jay 2 Black-capped Chickadee 3 Tree Swallow 10 White-breasted Nuthatch 1 Northern House Wren (Northern) 1 Carolina Wren 4 European Starling 10 Northern Mockingbird 1 Eastern Bluebird 1 American Robin 30 House Sparrow 5 House Finch 6 Purple Finch 1 American Goldfinch 2 Chipping Sparrow 2 White-throated Sparrow 5 Song Sparrow 2 Swamp Sparrow 6 Eastern Meadowlark 3 Red-winged Blackbird 30 Brown-headed Cowbird 6 Common Grackle 10 Northern Cardinal 3
Date: 4/18/26 5:39 pm From: Constanza Ehrenhaus <cxe1169...> Subject: Tudek Park Walk- April 18th
Today we had the children's walk at Tudek Park, and we had a total of 20 people. Four children and their adults, some people who had joined the Woodcock Watch, and some first timers, enjoyed the lovely morning. The weather was just perfect, pleasant temperature, no wind, and gentle sunshine.
The birds collaborated, with great views of a group of Gold and House Finches enjoying some birch catkins, and a Red-Bellied Woodpecker that stayed for a very long time at a hole, calling repeatedly. We wanted to believe he was talking to a female inside the nest, but we could not confirm if it was a nest or if there was a female in it, however this awarded us great views of the bird. We enjoyed a Field Sparrow serenading us for the whole duration of the walk, and the slow song song of a newcomer Blue-headed Vireo.
The best thing was the crowd. Rarely have I had such an enthusiastic bunch, soaking in each bird with pleasure, keeping a slow pace to get as much as possible from each new sighting. The conversation with the young eBird assistant was stellar, and the sheer enjoyment of the participants, made this walk one of my favourite walks so far.
Date: 4/17/26 4:51 pm From: Thomas Filip <thomasfilip0660...> Subject: Tussey Mountain Hawk Watch (17 Apr 2026) 52 Raptors
*Tussey Mountain Hawk WatchState College, Pennsylvania, USADaily Raptor
Counts: Apr 17, 2026SpeciesDay's CountMonth TotalSeason TotalBlack
Vulture000 Turkey Vulture255199 Osprey13038 Bald Eagle12080 Northern
Harrier0915 Sharp-shinned Hawk04984 Cooper's Hawk11125 American Goshawk000
Red-shouldered Hawk1326 Broad-winged Hawk40236236 Red-tailed Hawk383215
Rough-legged Hawk012 Golden Eagle219221 American Kestrel12237 Merlin013
Peregrine Falcon000 Unknown Accipitrine024 Unknown Buteo012 Unknown
Falcon001 Unknown Eagle014 Unknown Raptor079 Total:525501201Observation
start time: 07:30:00 Observation end time: 15:30:00 Total observation time:
8 hoursOfficial CounterThomas FilipObservers: Ken BowmanWeather:**One of
the nicest days we've had in terms of weather in awhile. NW wind in the
morning started at 6-8mph, rose to 8-12mph at 10:00, at which point the
wind shifted NNW and gradually lowered to 4-7mph by the end of the day.
Mostly cloudy in the morning, partly sunny in the afternoon. Low of 16℃,
high of 27℃.*
*A nice day despite northerly winds. The majority of raptors seen today
were in the morning. I suspect today's movement had more to do with
yesterday afternoon's SSW wind, which may have brought raptors close to
Tussey then.*
*Both GOEA were spotted by Ken today, and I didn't get to see either of
them. The first he spotted about half an hour before I arrived. The second
one he spotted at the same time I spotted TUVU. I was confused at first why
he was calling the TUVU a GOEA until we realized we were looking at
different birds, but by then the GOEA had passed. Thank goodness Ken was
here today to pick up my slack.*
*A surprisingly good loon day, considering all of our previous good loon
days have been on S or SSE wind. We had 107 COLO flyovers, a high count for
the season, with the largest flock today being 23. A few flew directly
overhead, low enough that we could hear their wing beats.*
Date: 4/17/26 5:59 am From: Kathy Bechdel <0000d165c6a818d5-dmarc-request...> Subject: Bird walk tomorrow
Saturday. April 18, 2026 (10:00am - 11:00 am) Tudek Park
Trip Leader: Constanza Ehrenhaus
This walk will be designed for beginner birders, especially families with children. Of course, all are welcome. The area is stroller-friendly, and the walk will be kept to one hour to fit younger learners' attention spans. We will meet near the restrooms at the upper parking lot. To get to Tudek park: from Martin St, go down Herman Dr and park in the parking lot near the restrooms or the larger parking lot if the other one is full.
This field trip is open to members and non-members.
Date: 4/16/26 5:24 pm From: Thomas Filip <thomasfilip0660...> Subject: Re: Tussey Mountain Hawk Watch (16 Apr 2026) 27 Raptors
*Sorry, I forgot to include the GOEA in the table I just sent out, here is
the accurate table.*
*Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 16, 2026SpeciesDay's CountMonth TotalSeason
TotalBlack Vulture000 Turkey Vulture052196 Osprey12937 Bald Eagle11979
Northern Harrier0915 Sharp-shinned Hawk14984 Cooper's Hawk11024 American
Goshawk000 Red-shouldered Hawk0225 Broad-winged Hawk17196196 Red-tailed
Hawk480212 Rough-legged Hawk012 Golden Eagle117219 American Kestrel12136
Merlin013 Peregrine Falcon000 Unknown Accipitrine024 Unknown Buteo012
Unknown Falcon001 Unknown Eagle014 Unknown Raptor179 Total:284971148*
On Thu, Apr 16, 2026 at 8:20 PM Thomas Filip <thomasfilip0660...>
wrote:
Date: 4/16/26 5:20 pm From: Thomas Filip <thomasfilip0660...> Subject: Tussey Mountain Hawk Watch (16 Apr 2026) 27 Raptors
*Tussey Mountain Hawk WatchState College, Pennsylvania, USADaily Raptor
Counts: Apr 16, 2026SpeciesDay's CountMonth TotalSeason TotalBlack
Vulture000 Turkey Vulture052196 Osprey12937 Bald Eagle11979 Northern
Harrier0915 Sharp-shinned Hawk14984 Cooper's Hawk11024 American Goshawk000
Red-shouldered Hawk0225 Broad-winged Hawk17196196 Red-tailed Hawk480212
Rough-legged Hawk012 Golden Eagle016218 American Kestrel12136 Merlin013
Peregrine Falcon000 Unknown Accipitrine024 Unknown Buteo012 Unknown
Falcon001 Unknown Eagle014 Unknown Raptor179 Total:274961147Observation
start time: 09:30:00 Observation end time: 15:00:00 Total observation time:
5.5 hoursOfficial CounterThomas FilipObservers: Weather:Mostly sunny with
SW/SSW winds today, 4-8mph in the morning, increasing to 8-14 in the
afternoon. Low of 23℃, high of 32℃.Raptor Observations:1 GOEA spotted
today.*
*unknown: 11:02*
*Other migrating raptors include 1 OSPR, 1 BAEA, 4 RTHA, 17 BWHA, 1 SSHA,
and 1 COHA, 1 TUVU, and 1 AMKE. Just like today, our GOEA today came
through fast and high up. Thermals seemed even stronger than yesterday and
I suspect there were more raptors in the afternoon that were so high I
couldn't spot them. Most of the BWHA that I spotted today were in the
morning.*
*A fun day for finches. I had 59 PUFI and 129 AGOL flyovers, both high
counts for the season. 2 HOFI and 4 PISI also flew over. Other passerine
flyovers include 20 BLJA, 1 PUMA, 1 TRES, 2 NRWS, 4 BARS, 2 EABL, 1 COGR,
and 5 YRWA. Also 17 DCCO.*
Date: 4/16/26 9:28 am From: Thomas, Brady Scott <bst5117...> Subject: Re: April 22nd 7 pm: Dr. Jim Kellam presents “Sensory Perception in Woodpeckers and Other Ongoing Bird Research at a Small College Campus"
This month, on Wednesday, February 22nd at 7pm, Dr. Jim Kellam will be presenting a program titled Sensory Perception in Woodpeckers and Other Ongoing Bird Research at a Small College Campus.
The meeting will take place in the Spring Creek Education Building. There will also be a zoom link available to those that cannot make it in person. The link to register is https://psu.zoom.us/meeting/register/roLkaPsWQ72jAdDUdQpoQg Jim is a Professor at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. He teaches Ornithology, Wildlife Biology, Conservation Biology, and Exercise Physiology in the Department of Biological Sciences. He earned his Ph.D. from Purdue University and over the course of his career has studied various species of woodpeckers, crows, and songbirds. He looks forward every spring to leading student teams at the World Series of Birding in Cape May, New Jersey, and in summer he runs an Ornithology Camp for high schoolers. Presently, he is training to handle raptors on the glove for use in educational programs. He is married with two adult children and a bunch of cats. He is a competitive swimmer and 3x Ironman Triathlon finisher.
[cid:d4cd600c-cf94-4084-9190-495a9829c5c6]
Downy Woodpecker in hand
I look forward to seeing you there!
Brady Thomas
(he/him)
Education Program Coordinator
School Programs and Summer Camp
Shaver's Creek Environmental Center
3400 Discovery Road
Petersburg, PA, 16669
Date: 4/16/26 8:17 am From: Thomas, Brady Scott <bst5117...> Subject: April 22nd 7 pm: Dr. Jim Kellam presents “Sensory Perception in Woodpeckers and Other Ongoing Bird Research at a Small College Campus"
Hello Bird Club, and Happy Spring!
This month, on Wednesday, February 22nd at 7pm, Dr. Jim Kellam will be presenting a program titled Sensory Perception in Woodpeckers and Other Ongoing Bird Research at a Small College Campus.
The meeting will take place in the Spring Creek Education Building. There will also be a zoom link available to those that cannot make it in person. The link to register is https://psu.zoom.us/meeting/register/roLkaPsWQ72jAdDUdQpoQg Jim is a Professor at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. He teaches Ornithology, Wildlife Biology, Conservation Biology, and Exercise Physiology in the Department of Biological Sciences. He earned his Ph.D. from Purdue University and over the course of his career has studied various species of woodpeckers, crows, and songbirds. He looks forward every spring to leading student teams at the World Series of Birding in Cape May, New Jersey, and in summer he runs an Ornithology Camp for high schoolers. Presently, he is training to handle raptors on the glove for use in educational programs. He is married with two adult children and a bunch of cats. He is a competitive swimmer and 3x Ironman Triathlon finisher.
[cid:d4cd600c-cf94-4084-9190-495a9829c5c6]
Downy Woodpecker in hand
I look forward to seeing you there!
Brady Thomas
(he/him)
Education Program Coordinator
School Programs and Summer Camp
Shaver's Creek Environmental Center
3400 Discovery Road
Petersburg, PA, 16669
Date: 4/15/26 5:17 pm From: Thomas Filip <thomasfilip0660...> Subject: Tussey Mountain Hawk Watch (15 Apr 2026) 17 Raptors
*Tussey Mountain Hawk WatchState College, Pennsylvania, USADaily Raptor
Counts: Apr 15, 2026SpeciesDay's CountMonth TotalSeason TotalBlack
Vulture000 Turkey Vulture152196 Osprey02836 Bald Eagle01878 Northern
Harrier0915 Sharp-shinned Hawk14883 Cooper's Hawk0923 American Goshawk000
Red-shouldered Hawk1225 Broad-winged Hawk8179179 Red-tailed Hawk376208
Rough-legged Hawk012 Golden Eagle116218 American Kestrel12035 Merlin013
Peregrine Falcon000 Unknown Accipitrine124 Unknown Buteo012 Unknown
Falcon001 Unknown Eagle014 Unknown Raptor068 Total:174691120Observation
start time: 09:15:00 Observation end time: 15:45:00 Total observation time:
6.5 hoursOfficial CounterThomas FilipObservers: Weather:Partly cloudy,
W/WSW winds at 8-15mph, some gusts that felt like they were coming from NW.
Low of 23℃ and a high of 30℃.Raptor Observations:1 GOEA spotted today.*
*unknown 13:56*
*Other migrating raptors include 3 RTHA, 1 RSHA, 8 BWHA, 1 SSHA, 1 TUVU,
and 1 AMKE.*
*The GOEA today was very high up and almost snuck through as it quickly
flew past overhead. Most of the other raptors today were also high up due
to strong thermals. The other notable sighting today was a distant
unidentified accipitrine that gave me a strong impression of an immature
AGOS.*
*A local BWHA seems to have set up shop near the hawk watch. I spotted one
take off while walking on the trail and saw and heard it a few times later
throughout the day.*
Observation start time: 08:00:00
Observation end time: 15:00:00
Total observation time: 7 hours
Official Counter Nick Bolgiano
Observers:
*Visitors:*
Connor Schmitt
*Weather:*
Wind initially S mostly 5-10 mph, then SSW at 1100, then SW around 1200
with higher wind. Most birds were in the first hour, dropped off quickly
after, SW wind is not generally a good direction here.
*Raptor Observations:*
*Non-raptor Observations:*
Earliest Black-throated Green Warbler in eBird for this site.
Date: 4/14/26 1:49 am From: Julia Plummer <julia...> Subject: Re: Colombia bird pictures 2026
These are beautiful, Nick. The colors are extraordinary. I really liked the
Gray-breasted Mountain-Toucan, Crimson-mantled Woodpecker, and
Moustached Puffbird. And what a tail on that Long-tailed Sylph!
Julia
On Mon, Apr 13, 2026 at 8:54 PM Nick Bolgiano <nickbolgiano...>
wrote:
