Date: 1/27/26 10:44 am From: Robert Snyder <birdphotoginpa...> Subject: Christmas Bird Count for the Bald Eagle SP Circle
Hello All,
Here is my report from the Bald Eagle SP CBC that was held on Sunday Dec.,
28, 2025.
The Bald Eagle SP Christmas Bird Count (Audubon Count #126) for 2025-26
Results
The Bald Eagle SP Count was held on Sunday, December 28, 2025. There were
10 parties consisting of 14 participants in the field from 7:00 am to
3:07pm. The weather was fair for late December and most roads were
passable, except for some in high elevation areas. Temperatures ranged from
18 degrees in the morning to 30 degrees by 1 pm with about 0.5” to 1” of
snow/sleet on the ground and some ice under the snow that made walking a
little dicey. The sky was overcast and the rain held off until 1 pm
(thankfully). The lake was approximately 75% iced-in, and Bald Eagle Creek
was ice-free.
The number of species for the Count was 59, just a little below the
expected average of 62: ranging from 51 to 71 over the 45 years of the Bald
Eagle SP count. The number of individuals observed was 3,998 which was a
little on the low side. I’ve been compiling the Count since 2004 and the
total number of individuals seen per count year, has ranged from a very low
2,239 on 12/30/2018 to a high of 7,053 on 12/31/2006.
Diane Bierly was owling for 1.63 hours and covered 12 miles in Marsh Creek
valley. Three species of Owls were reported; *Eastern Screech Owl* (4
Bierly, 1 Mark Nale). In addition, 2 *Great Horned Owls* and 1 *Northern
Saw-whet Owl* were reported by Diane, who also observed a perched *Golden
Eagle* along her route through the Marsh Creek valley; only the third
report of a migrating Golden Eagle over all 45 count years.
Five American *Black Ducks* and a *Merlin* were found by Nick Bolgiano at
the canoe put-in on Bald Eagle Creek just off the west end of Dowdy’s Hole
Rd. Three *Lesser Scaup* and one *Bufflehead* were seen at the Marina docks
in the main part of Bald Eagle SP (Ro Fuller, Susan Braun, Jenn Lee). Two
raptors were seen at Letterman Campground; 1 *Northern Harrier* (Fuller)
and 1 *Red-shouldered Hawk* (Ro Fuller) and another *Red-shouldered Hawk* was
observed at Summit Hill Rd. (Mark Nale).
A total of 58 *Wild Turkeys* were reported from opposite ends of the
circle; 2 by Mark Nale from Laurel Run Road at the NW end and 56 by Kurt
Engstrom from the SE end, in the Lamar area: 49 in the fields along Hoy Rd.
and 7 from fields along Rodgers Rd.
I’ve attached the report for Bald Eagle SP Circle (PABE) below as a pdf
file.
Bob Snyder
Compiler Circle PABE
Bald Eagle State Park (centered from the traffic light in Howard).
--
Do the best you can, where you are, with what you have.
Theodore Roosevelt
