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Date: 12/19/25 6:17 am From: Gary Metzger <glmetzger55...> Subject: Re: cancel Arb owl walk and Re: Stone Mt Hawk Watch summary 2025
Yep, that must have been a fascinating presentation, and kudos to Paul and Kraig for their amazing work and to NYSEG for supporting them! Some years back the local utility in Lycoming County erected a pole topped with a Lycoming Audubon constructed osprey nest platform along Pine Creek. Although the Pine is a very good fishery and ospreys regularly “fish” there in season, the platform has never been used. I always thought that was because of the active BE nest just up the creek from that location… Gary > On Dec 18, 2025, at 5:07 PM, Gyekis, Joseph Peter <jpg186...> wrote: > > This was supposed to follow the last message, sorry for the double send > https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.scbirdcl.org%2FSCBCminutes%2Fscbcminutes202001.html&data=05%7C02%<7CSCBIRDCL...>%7C680fe6452136487abeaa08de3f094bb1%7C7cf48d453ddb4389a9c1c115526eb52e%7C0%7C0%7C639017506339503752%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=iRVYw0keazSWwPAUJmBd3H0B3EEZZNUe4ky28KryiyA%3D&reserved=0 <https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.scbirdcl.org%2FSCBCminutes%2Fscbcminutes202001.html&data=05%7C02%<7CSCBIRDCL...>%7C680fe6452136487abeaa08de3f094bb1%7C7cf48d453ddb4389a9c1c115526eb52e%7C0%7C0%7C639017506339530364%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=eGdCofJDjL1HQdm0J82P23FH3xa7IrDsjc4vpby%2BKFo%3D&reserved=0> > > From: Nick Bolgiano <nickbolgiano...> > Sent: Thursday, December 18, 2025 4:53 PM > To: Gyekis, Joseph Peter <jpg186...> > Cc: <SCBIRDCL...> <SCBIRDCL...> > Subject: Re: cancel Arb owl walk and Re: Stone Mt Hawk Watch summary 2025 > > Many raptor people tend to believe that Bald Eagles are causing the Osprey decline in the interior via competition and predation of young. That is what I am inclined to believe. But we are not 100% sure. No other good alternative has been proposed for this decline. > > Several years ago, a speaker from New York state talked to the State College Bird Club about his power company providing Osprey platforms around the Finger Lakes, improving their ability to tolerate Bald Eagles. I think that the competition is intense on many lakes in eastern Canada and the Northeast. Coastal Ospreys, as those in Florida, are probably not facing the same kind of intense competition. > > Nick Bolgiano > > On Thu, Dec 18, 2025 at 2:03 PM Gyekis, Joseph Peter <jpg186...> <mailto:<jpg186...>> wrote: > Hi Everyone, > > Two things, first the owl walk at the Arboretum for 6 pm on Friday is cancelled due to predicted 20 mph winds. > > Second, thanks Greg for the interesting summary. > > The Osprey decline is interesting. It's quite patchy on the eBird trends map. https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fscience.ebird.org%2Fen%2Fstatus-and-trends%2Fspecies%2Fosprey%2Ftrends-map&data=05%7C02%<7CSCBIRDCL...>%7C680fe6452136487abeaa08de3f094bb1%7C7cf48d453ddb4389a9c1c115526eb52e%7C0%7C0%7C639017506339550769%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=LmEGhxb%2FEGcTLC2pvfB2GAOyGc7XC9O3JcCPOXxT%2B6k%3D&reserved=0 <https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fscience.ebird.org%2Fen%2Fstatus-and-trends%2Fspecies%2Fosprey%2Ftrends-map&data=05%7C02%<7CSCBIRDCL...>%7C680fe6452136487abeaa08de3f094bb1%7C7cf48d453ddb4389a9c1c115526eb52e%7C0%7C0%7C639017506339570327%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=HQ6U41Blo44tJ%2F9%2BrOzrfVDNNSJtoe0Oes373vrIYvs%3D&reserved=0> > > My experience in Cape Cod and the Everglades lines up with the strong increases shown there (they were super abundant, nests everywhere), and I've heard from locals in Maryland about the severe decline of nesting Osprey in the Chesapeake (how much this has to do with the absurd density of Bald Eagles there, I don't know, but there were very few eagles in Cape Cod where the Osprey were shining). > > The thing I hadn't known about and am not sure if the data is dense enough to verify is the downward trend in Osprey in the Canadian interior (note the pale red wash across Ontario and Quebec in the link above). I wonder why. Again I wonder if Bald Eagles have anything to do with it. > > Joe > > From: State College (PA) Bird Club <SCBIRDCL...> <mailto:<SCBIRDCL...>> on behalf of Grove, Gregory William <gwg2...> <mailto:<gwg2...>> > Sent: Thursday, December 18, 2025 12:32 PM > To: <SCBIRDCL...> <mailto:<SCBIRDCL...> <SCBIRDCL...> <mailto:<SCBIRDCL...>> > Subject: Stone Mt Hawk Watch summary 2025 > > 2025 season Stone Mt summary : Records since 1995. > Stone Mt. is on the Huntingdon/Mifflin border, between McAlevys Fort and Allensville. > > 2025:The Good: Another big year for Bald Eagles. Above avg. (over 31 years) for Broad-wings and Golden Eagles. > A Swainson's Hawk - seen two days:Oct 14 (Nick Bolgiano, Pedro Miranda) and Oct 15 (Jen Lee, Connor Schmitt) > > The Bad: Record Low #s for FIVE species despite above avg. coverage. Considering 31 years of data, five record lows is astounding IMO. I blame some of it on frequent unfavorable wind, but one must wonder about declining numbers, for Osprey and Kestrel in particular. > Osprey, Sharp-shins, Cooper's, Red-shoulders,, Kestrels. - record lows > > Averages below are TEN-YEAR RUNNING average > > Hours of observation – 479; avg = 485 > > Osprey – 30; avg = 50 Record low > Best day - 5 Aug 29 > > Bald Eagle –294; Avg = 217 Second highest > High day 19 on 9/7 > By month: Aug - 14, Sept - 78, Oct - 85, Nov - 113, Dec - 4 > > Northern Harrier – 36; avg = 43. (18th straight year below long term 31 year avg). > > Sharp-shinned Hawk – 389; Avg = 702. Record low > Best day was 43 on Oct 10 > > Cooper’s hawk – 47; Avg = 80. Record low > > N Goshawk. – 0; Avg = 2. Fourth straight year with zero. (endangered in PA). > > Red-shouldered Hawk – 16; Avg = 44. Record low > > Broad–winged Hawk - 2410. Avg= 2750. > High days 675 (9/17), 612 (9/12) > > Red-tailed Hawk – 371; avg = 515. (second lowest ever) > Best day 32 on 10/27 ( a remarkably poor "high-day" count) > > Rough-legged Hawk - 0; Avg = 1. > > Golden Eagle - 126; Avg= 145 > Best days- 12 on 11/16 and 11/27 > > American Kestrel– 29; Avg= 71. Record low > High day - 5 on 10/8 > > Merlin – 19; Avg = 35. > > Peregrine Falcon – 14; Avg = 26. > > Unidentified = 22 > Turkey Vulture - 301 > Black Vulture – 11 > > Total raptors excluding vultures = 3806; Avg = 4705 > > Greg Grove (compiler), Pedro Mirana, David and Trudy Kyler, Nick Bolgiano, Jen Lee, Ron Crandall, Connor Schmitt, , Jon Kauffman, Doug Wentzel, Jen Anderson, Josh Potter, and staff from Shavers Creek. > > > > > Greg Grove > eBird reviewer: Blair, Cambria, Clearfield, Huntingdon, Juniata, Mifflin > PBA Regional Coordinator > Stone Mt. Hawk Watch, Winter Raptor Survey > Huntingdon, PA. >

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