Domestic ducks are often dumped by the public because they don't know any
better. However, domestic ducks typically cannot fly well and are prone to
frostbite and bumble foot (foot infections) and don't live very long in the
wild without support. And sometimes with support, they don't live through
the first winter. We see these poor domestics almost every winter with
severe frostbite. They are just not made to live in the wild.
Disclaimer: We don't take domestic ducks unless it is injured and there is
no owner. We fix them up and find a home for them. But if they are owned
or there is nothing wrong with them, we refer them to Facebook pages that
will help them with placement like homesteading sites or Chicken Tenders in
PA.
On Mon, Jul 22, 2024 at 6:49 PM Lynn Sprott <
<0000cb09de78248d-dmarc-request...> wrote:
> Much better guess and better picture! Thanks Audra!
>
> Lynn Sprott
> Professor of Psychology
> Jefferson Community College
> Watertown, NY
> <lsprott...>
> ------------------------------
> *From:* State College (PA) Bird Club <SCBIRDCL...> on behalf
> of Young, George Spencer <g3y...>
> *Sent:* Monday, July 22, 2024 6:17 PM
> *To:* <SCBIRDCL...> <SCBIRDCL...>
> *Subject:* Re: Duck?
>
> You don't often get email from <g3y...> Learn why this is important
> <https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentification> > ⚠* External Warning:* Treat Links & Attachments with caution
> Much better guess than Egyptian Goose.
>
> Thaks!
> George
> ------------------------------
> *From:* State College (PA) Bird Club <SCBIRDCL...> on behalf
> of Audra Hixson <00003f1751219c1a-dmarc-request...>
> *Sent:* Monday, July 22, 2024 6:13 PM
> *To:* <SCBIRDCL...> <SCBIRDCL...>
> *Subject:* Re: Duck?
>
> Hi
>
> I was there recently and have these pictures of the bird. I believe it is
> a Muscovy duck.
>
> Take care,
> Audra
>
> > On Jul 22, 2024, at 5:17 PM, Lynn Sprott <sprott.lynn...> wrote:
> >
> > I don’t know if this picture is good enough to really see, but I just
> wanted to confirm that this must be an escaped domestic or something,
> right? I’ve seen it a couple of times now on Spring Creek at Fisherman’s
> Paradise. It has quite a prominent red eye ring and kind of reminds me of
> Egyptian geese I saw in Europe.
> >
> > <IMG_4632.jpg>
> >
> >
> > Sent from my iPhone
> > Lynn Sprott
>
Much better guess and better picture! Thanks Audra!
Lynn Sprott
Professor of Psychology
Jefferson Community College
Watertown, NY
<lsprott...><mailto:<lsprott...> ________________________________
From: State College (PA) Bird Club <SCBIRDCL...> on behalf of Young, George Spencer <g3y...>
Sent: Monday, July 22, 2024 6:17 PM
To: <SCBIRDCL...> <SCBIRDCL...>
Subject: Re: Duck?
You don't often get email from <g3y...> Learn why this is important<https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentification> ⚠ External Warning: Treat Links & Attachments with caution
Much better guess than Egyptian Goose.
Thaks!
George
________________________________
From: State College (PA) Bird Club <SCBIRDCL...> on behalf of Audra Hixson <00003f1751219c1a-dmarc-request...>
Sent: Monday, July 22, 2024 6:13 PM
To: <SCBIRDCL...> <SCBIRDCL...>
Subject: Re: Duck?
Hi
I was there recently and have these pictures of the bird. I believe it is a Muscovy duck.
Take care,
Audra
[cid:<02137984-8c64-4c1c-9194-35cbe543dcc0...>]
[cid:<aaa4f4e3-5072-495a-939d-1bbefe5af3a3...>]
> On Jul 22, 2024, at 5:17 PM, Lynn Sprott <sprott.lynn...> wrote:
>
> I don’t know if this picture is good enough to really see, but I just wanted to confirm that this must be an escaped domestic or something, right? I’ve seen it a couple of times now on Spring Creek at Fisherman’s Paradise. It has quite a prominent red eye ring and kind of reminds me of Egyptian geese I saw in Europe.
>
> <IMG_4632.jpg>
>
>
> Sent from my iPhone
> Lynn Sprott
Thaks!
George
________________________________
From: State College (PA) Bird Club <SCBIRDCL...> on behalf of Audra Hixson <00003f1751219c1a-dmarc-request...>
Sent: Monday, July 22, 2024 6:13 PM
To: <SCBIRDCL...> <SCBIRDCL...>
Subject: Re: Duck?
Hi
I was there recently and have these pictures of the bird. I believe it is a Muscovy duck.
Take care,
Audra
[cid:<02137984-8c64-4c1c-9194-35cbe543dcc0...>]
[cid:<aaa4f4e3-5072-495a-939d-1bbefe5af3a3...>]
> On Jul 22, 2024, at 5:17 PM, Lynn Sprott <sprott.lynn...> wrote:
>
> I don’t know if this picture is good enough to really see, but I just wanted to confirm that this must be an escaped domestic or something, right? I’ve seen it a couple of times now on Spring Creek at Fisherman’s Paradise. It has quite a prominent red eye ring and kind of reminds me of Egyptian geese I saw in Europe.
>
> <IMG_4632.jpg>
>
>
> Sent from my iPhone
> Lynn Sprott
I was there recently and have these pictures of the bird. I believe it is a Muscovy duck.
Take care,
Audra
> On Jul 22, 2024, at 5:17 PM, Lynn Sprott <sprott.lynn...> wrote:
>
> I don’t know if this picture is good enough to really see, but I just wanted to confirm that this must be an escaped domestic or something, right? I’ve seen it a couple of times now on Spring Creek at Fisherman’s Paradise. It has quite a prominent red eye ring and kind of reminds me of Egyptian geese I saw in Europe.
>
> <IMG_4632.jpg>
>
>
> Sent from my iPhone
> Lynn Sprott
It does have a lot of features consistent with Egyptian Goose, but the back part of the wing seems grey instead of the russet that shows up in eBird photos and other shots I've seen from Africa.
Best of luck sorting out what this is. I'll try to stop by Fisherman's Paradise sometime soon to see if I can spot it.
George
________________________________
From: State College (PA) Bird Club <SCBIRDCL...> on behalf of Lynn Sprott <sprott.lynn...>
Sent: Monday, July 22, 2024 5:17 PM
To: <SCBIRDCL...> <SCBIRDCL...>
Subject: Duck?
I dont know if this picture is good enough to really see, but I just wanted to confirm that this must be an escaped domestic or something, right? Ive seen it a couple of times now on Spring Creek at Fishermans Paradise. It has quite a prominent red eye ring and kind of reminds me of Egyptian geese I saw in Europe.
I don’t know if this picture is good enough to really see, but I just wanted to confirm that this must be an escaped domestic or something, right? I’ve seen it a couple of times now on Spring Creek at Fisherman’s Paradise. It has quite a prominent red eye ring and kind of reminds me of Egyptian geese I saw in Europe.
Date: 7/22/24 10:48 am From: Tom Pluto <mapturtles...> Subject: Somewhat interesting birding observations from Boalsburg.
Purple Finches On Thursday (7/18/24), I saw a female Purple Finch flitting about the backyard. I was rather surprised as I've only seen the species here in the winter. Shortly after I heard an unfamiliar call I suspected it might be a Purple's (I confirmed it later on the internet). Soon after the call, the male showed up. They were both sitting on a branch together not far away when I went for my camera. Of course, they were gone when I got back. I haven't seen or heard them since. I'll submit the observation to the BBA soon.
Ruby-throated Hummingbirds Last week (7/15/24), we had four Hummers (3 females/immatures, 1 male) flying about the feeders and yard. The females/immatures were chasing each other; chasing Mom or territorial behavior?
Yeah, I know they are territorial. This was kind of humorous one of the females (immature?) was flying close circles around a perched House Wren (It reminded me of pesky deer flies circling your head when in the woods.). Anyhow after 5-10 seconds and the Wren would not take the hint, the Hummer poked the Wren in the rump. It left then. It (they) were also hassling a Chickadee and House Finch.
Also, seems like a lot more bird activity lately since the heat wave "broke." Or is it that because I am more willing to leave the AC? Anyhow, I probably have seen/heard 30-35 species from the backyard in the last week.
Date: 7/22/24 9:52 am From: Nick Bolgiano <nickbolgiano...> Subject: an interesting bird vocalization
I was atlasing in western Clinton County yesterday and heard something that was unfamiliar to me. At about 645 a.m., I entered East Branch Swamp Natural Area, in a patch of mostly mid-sized white pines and spruces. I heard 3 sets of calls, each of resonant and clear notes, fairly loud and about one minute apart and from 15-20 feet up one of these trees. It sounded mildly aggrieved and moved off.
The first two sets of notes I described as "pwup-pwup-pwup-pwup" and the third as "pwoo-pwoo-pwoo".
Date: 7/22/24 9:09 am From: Julia Plummer <julia...> Subject: Re: Red Crossbill movements in Sproul State Forest, Centre & Clinton Co
That's exciting news, Nick. I was out in Quehanna Wild Area yesterday and
heard one calling as it flew over. I was ~1 mile NW of Hoover Farm
Wildlife Viewing Area. I'm excited to hear of their continuing presence in
the state.
On Mon, Jul 22, 2024 at 11:51 AM Nick Bolgiano <nickbolgiano...>
wrote:
> I have been atlasing in Sproul State Forest in northern Centre and western
> Clinton, mainly in seven blocks along route 144. Between July 6 and 21,
> I've had seven encounters with Red Crossbills over a 10-mile stretch,
> roughly Allen Dam Rd in the south to Fish Dam Scenic Area in the north. Not
> a huge number, but not just a few individuals either. The key to finding
> them is knowing their "jip-jip" or "jip-jip-jip" flight call.
>
> Consistent with Dr. Cody Porter's recent request to the PA Birds
> listserve for RECR observations, this increased activity seems to be
> related to cones starting to open on the relatively abundant and widespread
> Pitch Pines there. The cone crop doesn't seem to be huge, but there are new
> cones on many widely-scattered trees.
>
> My encounters seem to be random intersections with crossbill movements.
> While the RECR irruption last fall-winter into PA was probably driven by
> the excellent White Pine cone crop, it is possible that any renewed
> breeding activity could be related to the current Pitch Pine cone crop.
>
> Nick Bolgiano
> State College
>
I actually thought I heard one last night in Bellefonte area, but I’d just
gotten back from a trip—I’ll keep my ears open the next couple evenings!
Cheers,
Lynn
Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire. – W. B.
Yeats
On Wed, Jul 17, 2024 at 7:04 AM Donna Hughes <dmhughes55...> wrote:
> Last night along Marengo Road in Half Moon township, we distinctively
> heard a Bobwhite.
>
> Has anyone else heard/seen Bobwhites locally?
>
> I know the Game Commission is releasing them, but that’s in southern
> counties.
>
> *Donna M. Hughes*
> <dmhughes55...>
>
Date: 7/15/24 4:54 pm From: Jon Kauffman <jvk5019...> Subject: Re: Sweet and Swifts 7/17/24
Hello all,
Due to predicted thunderstorms for Wednesday, the Sweets and Swifts gathering will take place this Thursday, July 18th.
Hope to see you there,
Jon
> On May 17, 2024, at 8:07 PM, S.B. Smith <sbsmith333...> wrote:
>
>
>
> Dear Bird Club,
>
> We have a new field trip to add to the calendar: Jon Kauffman will be leading Sweets and Swifts on Wed. July 17. Come on out to see the show!
>
> Susan Smith
> VP Field Trips
> State College Bird Club
>
>
>
> Wednesday, July 17, 2024 (8:15 pm – 9:15pm or until the last swift disappears)
>
> Rain Date: Thursday, July 18, 2024
>
> Sweets and Swifts at Ferguson Township Elementary School, Pine Grove Mills
>
> Come enjoy an amazing evening flight of Chimney Swifts as they circle above Ferguson Township Elementary before they dive one by one into the chimney to roost for the night. The town of Pine Grove Mills and the nearby elementary school can observe dozens of circling swifts during the day. During dusk, one may gain a better understanding how many swifts are actually utilizing the school's chimney during this unique time where swifts finally come to rest. Historical counts range from 97 to 197 individuals!
>
> Bring a lawn chair or blanket and a favorite baked or non-baked sweet dish to share with others while enjoying the evening sunset. Who will bring the best-looking and tasting Chimney Swift themed cookie?
>
> This field trip is open for all to join.
>
> Trip Leader: Jon Kauffman
Date: 7/11/24 12:03 pm From: Bryant, Don <dab14...> Subject: Rat poison in raptors and other wildlife
Hi,
The attached article appeared in Science Magazine today and might be of interest to some of you….
don
Donald A. Bryant, Ph. D.
Academy Professor
Ernest C. Pollard Professor Emeritus of Biotechnology
and Professor Emeritus of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
The Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA 16802
Date: 7/1/24 6:53 pm From: Wayne Laubscher <wnlaubscher...> Subject: Blue Grosbeak, near Loganton, Clinton Co., 6/30
I received a report from Amos Hershberger that he found a Blue Grosbeak yesterday morning about 150 yards southeast of the intersection of Spring Lane and Rt. 477 (Long Run Road) on the north side of Rt. 477 on a utility line. It appeared to be either an immature male or a female. Coordinates are: 41.059128, -77.324780. This spot is about one mile northwest of the Loganton/ Rt.477 exit of I80. Do not park in people's driveways. There is an open field road about 100 yards southeast of the spot on the north side of Rt. 477 where it may be possible to park.
Wayne Laubscher Lock Haven <wnlaubscher...> "Owl be back"
Date: 7/1/24 9:37 am From: Rob Dickerson <radickerson...> Subject: Request for Photos
Do you have some great photos of any birds taken in Pennsylvania from March 1, 2024 - May 31, 2024? Or a picture of a notable/significant sighting from that period?
I am currently accepting photo submissions through end of day July 10 to be considered for publication as space permits in the Pennsylvania Society for Ornithology (PSO) Spring 2024 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 SPRING in the subject line to simplify processing.
- Please do not submit me 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!
Date: 6/30/24 5:38 am From: rimwhite <rimwhite...> Subject: Re: Fwd: Remembrance tree for Nancy Ellen in Circleville
I was out there this morni g walking dogs and took these photos. Beautiful tree. Ilene White -------- Original message --------From: Nick Bolgiano <nickbolgiano...> Date: 6/29/24 5:51 PM (GMT-05:00) To: <SCBIRDCL...> Subject: Fwd: Remembrance tree for Nancy Ellen in Circleville ---------- Forwarded message ---------From: Kiernan, Michael Terence <mtk...>Date: Sat, Jun 29, 2024 at 4:02 PMSubject: Remembrance tree for Nancy Ellen in CirclevilleTo: <nickbolgiano...> <nickbolgiano...>
Hi Nick,
I hope you are well and savoring all those wonderful Central PA woodland birds. I miss them and our dense Penns woods . I’m living now in Montara, CA near my daughter Michaela in Montara (off coastal Hwy 1, 30 miles south of SF). All the CA birds appear to be brown! No plethora of warblers, no nesting bluebirds, no cardinals, no pileated and red bellied woodpeckers though there are acorn woodpeckers, pigmy nuthatches, flights of brown pelicans, and CA quail nearby.
I’m sure Nancy Ellen, however, would have pivoted immediately and amassed a massive list of western birds by now!
Speaking of that prodigious and enthusiastic birder, I thought you might like to know that the Ridge and Valley Outing Club ( RVOC) with whom we hiked in State College for decades, recently installed a remembrance tree for Nancy Ellen in Circleville Park. (It is near the lower ballfield. If you come into the parking lot from the Valley Vista side and walk the path that goes along the ballfield towards the woods, the) tree is planted in the triangular section of grass at the intersection of all the paths). It’s a nexus Nancy Ellen knew well and birded.
Perhaps you could share the news with Bird Club friends.
Date: 6/29/24 2:51 pm From: Nick Bolgiano <nickbolgiano...> Subject: Fwd: Remembrance tree for Nancy Ellen in Circleville
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Kiernan, Michael Terence <mtk...>
Date: Sat, Jun 29, 2024 at 4:02 PM
Subject: Remembrance tree for Nancy Ellen in Circleville
To: <nickbolgiano...> <nickbolgiano...>
Hi Nick,
I hope you are well and savoring all those wonderful Central PA woodland
birds. I miss them and our dense Penns woods . I’m living now in
Montara, CA near my daughter Michaela in Montara (off coastal Hwy 1, 30
miles south of SF). All the CA birds appear to be brown! No plethora of
warblers, no nesting bluebirds, no cardinals, no pileated and red bellied
woodpeckers though there are acorn woodpeckers, pigmy nuthatches, flights
of brown pelicans, and CA quail nearby.
I’m sure Nancy Ellen, however, would have pivoted immediately and amassed a
massive list of western birds by now!
Speaking of that prodigious and enthusiastic birder, I thought you might
like to know that the Ridge and Valley Outing Club ( RVOC) with whom we
hiked in State College for decades, recently installed a remembrance tree
for Nancy Ellen in Circleville Park. (It is near the lower ballfield. If
you come into the parking lot from the Valley Vista side and walk the path
that goes along the ballfield towards the woods, the) tree is planted in
the triangular section of grass at the intersection of all the paths).
It’s a nexus Nancy Ellen knew well and birded.
Perhaps you could share the news with Bird Club friends.
If you're using eBird on your phone, start by setting eBird to the PA Atlas Portal (portals can be changed in settings). Please make sure to use short checklists (less than 1 miles and less than 1 hour). Check the map in the eBird app - if you have it set to the PA Atlas Portal, it will show you the block boundaries so you can keep checklists within a block.
Then go out and look for evidence of breeding. Things are easier now because everything is safe to count with a breeding code. There are a lot of codes, but don't let that discourage you. To start out, you might focus on marking birds that are singing (S), birds carrying food (CF), and even recently fledged birds (FL).
Date: 6/26/24 9:37 am From: Grove, Gregory William <gwg2...> Subject: Whip-poor-will surveys in Rothrock SF
For the 15th year, Diane Bierly, Deb Grove, and I did 3 Whip-poor-will surveys in the northern (main) section of Rothrock SF.
Our total number of Whip-poor-wills was 45 at the 30 standardized survey points (3 x 10 stops, 6 min. each). The 15-year average is 47 and the range has been 33-63.
The three routes:
Harry's Valley and Tram Rd. on south flank of Tussey Mt, west of Rt 26 (Huntingdon Co.)
Cooper's Gap area/Broad Mt./Kettle Rd./Rag Hollow Rd. (Huntingdon and Mifflin)
Alan Seeger NA/Thickhead Mt./Bear Meadows NA/Treaster Kettle Rd. (Huntingdon and Centre)
Another RSF route (started 2020) in the Trough Creek Valley area of Rothrock SF (southern section; Huntingdon Co) produced 19 Whips on the 10 stops.
Barred Owls were heard at 6 stops on the 4 routes.
Greg Grove
eBird reviewer: Blair, Cambria, Clearfield, Huntingdon, Juniata, Mifflin
Stone Mt.Hawk Watch, PA Winter Raptor Surveys
<gwg2...>
