Upland Sandpiper
Hutter's Farm
Mammoth-Kecksburg PA
May 25 1996
Sedge Wren
3rd Bridge
Loyalhanna Creek
Latrobe PA
June 7 1997
Both species are listed as threatened in Pennsylvania by the PA Department of Natural Resources. A threatened species may become endangered within the foreseeable future throughout their range in PA. An endangered species is in danger of extirpation throughout their range in PA.
Endangered & Threatened Species of Pennsylvania: PA Game Commission || DCNR || Fish & Boat Commission
The Westmoreland Bird & Nature Club (formerly Westmoreland County Bird Club) formed on Feb 26, 1981 to promote interest in birds and conservation and to provide field trips in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania.
The first newsletter, Vol. 1 No. 1, was for March 1981. In that newsletter five field trips were scheduled. Seven people were listed as paid members. The newsletter is published five times a year. Membership meetings are held only three times a year in September, January and April since we are primarily a field oriented organization. Thirty or more field trips are scheduled every year and these are not entirely limited to birds. When the birds do not cooperate we concentrate on botany, herps (reptiles & amphibians) and insects. Butterfly & dragonfly walks are scheduled in the summer.
Club Membership: $7 individual/family. Paid memberships currently stand at 217. All Membership Dues are due in January, unless you joined after September 1st. See Join for details.
Current officers of the club
President - Tom Pearson
Vice President - Hope King
Secretary/Treasurer - Rose Tillmann
Newsletter Editor - Dick Byers
Bird Records - Karen Jackson
Archives Scrapbook - Carol Hassenger
Website - Tim Vechter
Outings Committee - Debbie Bryant (chairperson), Tom Pearson, Dick Byers, Hope King and Karen Jackson.
Where: The Barn at Donohoe Center
Date: Thursday, September 23, 2010
Time: 7:00 p.m. Doors open at 6:30
Speaker: Chuck Tague
Chuck Tague was the founder and publisher of the Nature Observer News, a monthly journal we all miss, that featured articles on the natural history of Western Pennsylvania. A long-time bird enthusiast, Chuck is currently the president of the Wissahickon Nature Club and former Education Curator for the Pittsburgh Aviary. Besides writing the Bird Watch column for the Peregrine, he leads bird walks for 3RBC, ASWP, River Quest and the Nine Mile Run Watershed Association. He was honored by GASP, received the 2002 W.E. Clyde Todd Award from ASWP, was named the Outdoor Person of the Year by the Butler Outdoor Club for 1998, and received the 1997 National Conservation Medal from the Daughters of the American Revolution. As you can see from the meeting subject title, his interests are not limited to birds. Meet in the Barn!
Directions: Turn north onto Donohoe Rd. from the Rt. 30 traffic light below the overpass to the Westmoreland Mall in Greensburg. Bearing right at the 1st intersection, go through the next light and look for the Donohoe Ct. sign on your right 1.7 miles north of Rt. 30.
Cancellation Policy: In the event of inclement weather, please call the field trip leader in advance to confirm if the outing is on or cancelled. The leaders have the right to cancel. Please check weather reports and road conditions. If there's any question, please call the leaders for confirmation. Car pooling is a good idea. Field trips are free and open to the public.
Join Tom Pearson for Henslow and Grasshopper Sparrows at the Sarver property outside Laurelville. There are dragonfly ponds and fields of botanical diversity with a view of Mt. Pleasant from this lofty hillside. As this issue goes to press we don?t as yet know if Matt will be available to tell us what management practices he is performing here. We will meet at 9:00 a.m. at the Jacobs Creek Wetland parking lot. See directions in the May 22 outing in this newsletter.
Fri. June 18 Moth Outing at Powdermill Nature Center
9:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m. at the Nature Center outside the old lecture room. This is not an overnight affair. We did not get enough people to make renting a cabin worthwhile. The building will be locked, so no facilities. Bring a flashlight. There are electrical outlets we can use for the UV lights.
Sat. June 26 Canoe Trip
On the Kiski River from Avonmore to Roaring Run Trail (7 miles). Call Dick Byers (724-593-3543) or email otusasio_AT_lhtot_DOT_com or esbyers_AT_gmail_DOT_com to register if you haven?t already done so by at least June 7. Let Dick know if you?ll be renting a canoe ($45) or kayak ($34) or if you?ll be bringing your own canoe for shuttle service ($10). Paddles, life jackets are included in the rental. Meet at the boat livery in Leechburg at 9:00 a.m. Directions: from the Route 22/66 cloverleaf, drive north on Route 66 all the way to Apollo. After crossing the bridge into Apollo, turn left and stay on Route 66 (River Road) for about 6 miles to the River?s Edge Canoe & Kayak livery, 3158 River Road, Leechburg.
Tues. July 13 Nature Book Club
The book to be discussed is the Pulitzer Prize nominee Living on the Wind by Scott Weidensaul, a monumental treatise on
bird migration - Donohoe Center in Greensburg at 7 p.m. We are one book behind schedule because we had to
cancel the February meeting. Push all books forward one meeting.
Sat. July 17 Ryerson Station State Park in Greene County
Meet Loree Speedy (724-518-6022 cell) mousemapper_AT_verizon_DOT_net at 10:00 AM to botanize the
interesting habitats of this unique park. Directions: Travel I-79 to Exit 14, Waynesburg. Head west on PA-
21 through Waynesburg for 22 miles to the Ryerson Park entrance (Bristoria Road) on the left. Continue about 1 mile to the park office, where we will meet.
Sun. July 18 Dragonfly Walk at Saint Vincent Wetlands
Join Tom Pearson (724-961-2219) at the wetlands at 10 AM. Directions: From the Arnold Palmer airport on Route 30 turn north onto Route 981. Go to the next stoplight and turn left. Continue on this road past the old Grist Mill on your right to the parking lot just beyond on your right.
Thur. July 22 WBNC Picnic at Keystone State Park
We have Pavilion # 1 rented from 8 a.m. until dusk and plan on eating the supper meal around 5:30 p.m. Come as early as you want to socialize, bird,
botanize, collect bugs, etc. This is a bring-your-ownpicnic. A charcoal grill and electricity is available. Extension cords for your electric cookware is a must as all the outlets (6) are in one corner. The club will provide a bag of charcoal and will light up the grill. Bats emerge from this pavilion shortly after sunset. Stay to watch the bat evacuation. Directions: The road into the park from New Alexandria is closed for bridge repair. Access the
park from Route 981 on Slag Road between New Alexandria and Latrobe. Coming from Latrobe, Slag Road is on your right as you come down the hill from the
981 strips parking lot. Turn right onto Slag Road, drive past the boat docks at the top of the hill and bear right. You’ll see Pavilion # 1 at the bottom of the hill.
Sun. July 25 Loyalhanna Access
This is a club first along the banks of the Loyalhanna Creek to see rocky outcrops, a Native American artifact site, paw-paw trees, mountain spleenwort, oak fern and birds. Meet Tim Vechter at the 981 strips parking lot where we had the spring walk and we will carpool from there at 9:00AM. Meeting place is the south side of the road just east of the turn-off to Pavilion # 1 Keystone S.P. in the previous outing.
Sat. Aug. 7 Mt. Davis
Join John & Paulette Zabkar (412-364-5820) to botanize Christner Road Bog at 1 PM. Directions: From the Donegal TP exit follow route PA 31 east for 2 miles and turn right onto PA 381 S toward Ohiopyle. Go 9 miles to PA 653 and turn left. Stay on PA 653 for 13 miles. In New Lexington, turn right onto PA 281 S and travel 7.5 miles to a left on Fort Hill Road. Go 3.5 miles on Fort Hill Road and turn left onto High Point Lake Road. Travel 2 miles to a left onto
SR 2004. In another 2 miles you will pass the Rock Road intersection. Continue another ½ mile to the well signed Mt. Davis Picnic Area parking lot on the right. Prepare for wet walking.
Sun. Aug. 8 Conneaut Harbor, Ohio for shorebirds
Meet Karen Jackson (724-668-7421) at the first rest stop (Slippery Rock) on I-79 north of Craneberry at 10 AM.
Sat. Aug. 21 King Reserve/Potter’s Corner in Murrysville
Join Alan Halperin of the Murrysville Trail Alliance for a walk on the King Reserve at 10:30 AM. This is the largest land holding of the Westmoreland Conservancy in Murrysville (96 acres) and has mature forest, a stream, pipelines and clearings. The walking is not level. Potter’s Corner is a small addendum across the road with the parking lot where you’ll meet. Because of the tree diversity on this little 3-acre addition to King, the WBNC has led two tree walks
here. Directions: From the McDonald’s light on Route 22 in Murrysville, turn north onto Sardis Road. Continue on Sardis Road through the next light for about 3 miles. You’ll pass Sloan School on your right and the Municipal Building on your left before turning right onto Crowfoot Road. Follow Crowfoot Road for about a half mile and you’ll see the parking lot on your right. If the lot is full, go back and park at Sloan Elementary school and follow a path though the woods to the parking lot.
Sun. Aug. 22 Cold Covered Dish at Marcy Cunkleman’s
It’s the annual garden show! Bring a chair. Drinks (except diet), paper products, table service and insect repellent will be provided. Bring your own
diet drinks and a covered dish to share. Come to see Marcy’s wildlife attracting garden. To protect Marcy’s daughter, wear no perfumes or hair sprays, please! RSVP 724-459-7229 or plant4nature@dishmail_DOT_net how many will be coming and what you’ll be bringing. Plan to arrive at 1:00 p.m. Marcy’s address for those of you wanting to use MapQuest is 292 Swisco Road, Clarksburg, 15725. Marcy says MapQuest will get you to their road, but not the right place. Swisco Road has wooden fences on both sides. Turn right off of Barkley onto Swisco. Look for their mailbox and a whiskey barrel on the right as you come up the driveway. If you get lost, call!
Note: Marcy Cunkleman's cold-covered dish is on August 22nd, NOT August 15 as stated in the newsletter. Pass the word to those you know without email.
Sat. Aug. 28 Bald Eagle Watch Allegheny Front
Meet Karen Jackson (724-668-7421) at the Allegheny Front at 11:00 AM. Bring a chair and lunch. Email Dick Byers for directions, address on masthead.
Sat. Sep. 11 Jacobs Creek Wetlands & Laurelville Reclaimed Strip-mine
for bird migrants, insects, wildflowers, and anything else we can find on these two sites. We will meet at the Jacobs Creek Wetlands for the birding part of this outing at 8:00 AM and sometime at mid-morning, say 10 o’clock, we’ll drive over to the Laurelville reclaimed strip-mine (Matt Sarver’s property) for late summer insects and check to see if the Henslow’s and grasshopper sparrows are still there. If you want to miss the early morning bird walk and just see the reclaimed strip mine, plan on arriving no later than 10:00 AM. No leader. Questions? Call Dick Byers (724-593-3453). Directions: From the Donegal Turnpike Exit head west on Route 31. Turn left (south) at the light at the bottom of 3-mile Heartache Hill in Laurelville and drive 1.4 miles to Whitebridge Road. Turn right and go .3 miles to the wetlands sign. Turn left into the wetlands, go through the gate and park at the first parking lot on the left.
Tues. Sep. 7 Forbes State Forest Demonstration Tour
Forester Robert McBride will begin with a video of Pennsylvania forest history followed by various visits to demonstration forests. Directions: From Donegal, travel south on PA 381to US Route 40. Turn right and travel US 40 for 6 miles. Turn left just before the entrance to Summit Inn onto Skyline Drive. Travel south on Skyline Drive about 5½ miles to the Forbes State Forest Maintenance Building on the left (¾ mile from the turnoff to Laurel Caverns). At 10:00 AM we will begin with the video and then travel short distances to the demo forest lands. Bring a bag lunch! Questions? Contact Loree Speedy at (see July 17 outing)
Tues. Sep. 14 Nature Book Club
The selection is Guns, Germs and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies by Jared Diamond. The Pulitzer Prize and Best Science Book winner for 1998 is about the behavior of human cultures and why history evolved in the direction it did. It links human history and biology in ways you never dreamed. Throw all your other history books away, read this one and join us at 7 p.m. in the Donohoe Center.
Sat. Sep. 18 Pump Station Road
for those confusing fall warblers. This is close to the peak warbler migration and leader Ken Byerly (724-468-8594) is very familiar with the area. Meet at the Delmont McDonald’s at 8:00 AM to carpool to the birding area. Directions: The Delmont McDonald Restaurant is about a half mile west of the Route 22/66 cloverleaf intersection on the north side of 22.
Sun. Sep. 19 Hawkwatch at the Allegheny Front
Meet Karen Jackson (724-668-7421) at the Front at 11:00 AM for a chance at the peak broadwinged hawk movement that always occurs sometime between Sep 16 & Sep. 26. Maybe we’ll get lucky and see the peak mass movement which often numbers over 2000 in a day. Bring a chair and lunch. Contact Karen or Dick Byers for directions. See masthead on 1st page for contact info.
Thur. Sept. 23 Club Meeting Butterflies of Florida
Details on 1st page (click here). We will be raffling off an updated copy of the poems published in the Syrinx and a copy of the Conservancy Corner Collection II. Bring lots of money to buy tickets. Directions to the Donohoe Center: From Route 30 at the Westmoreland Mall traffic light in Greensburg, turn north onto Donohoe Road. Travel 1.7 miles, bearing right at the first intersection and passing though the first traffic light. The Donohoe Center sign is on your right. The Barn is behind the main building.
Note: for the email addresses replace "_AT_" with "@", and "_DOT_" with ".", without the quotes. This is done to help foil spamming programs.
Please send check or money order, made out to Westmoreland Bird & Nature Club to:
Rose Tillmann
PO Box 188
New Derry PA 15671
$7 individual/family. $20 supporting membership.
Include your name and address for the mailing list. Phone number, Email address, etc., is optional.
All Membership Dues are due in January, unless you joined after September 1st.
You can print and use an online application form by Clicking here.
The PABirds email list: Birds and Birding in Pennsylvania
The list serves as a forum for birders to discuss all aspects of wild birdlife in Pennsylvania, including rare birds, bird finding, bird identification, bird behavior, backyard birding, trip reports, bird counts, and bird club information.
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above: Harlequin Duck at Keystone State Park, Nov. 19 2008
Reported by Linda Huber & Ken Byerly
Photograph by Dick Byers
