Allentown Public Library Children’s Program

Barbara Malt

Originally Published in April - June 2024 Quarterly Newsletter of The Lehigh Valley Audubon Society

With spring in sight, LVAS gave a children’s program on migration at the Allentown Public Library on March 9. We talked about migration – including what is it, what birds and other animals migrate and why, and who goes how far. Then, we played bird bingo to practice our ID to welcome arriving migrants. Last, kids ran around finding bird pictures in the children’s room to fill out a scavenger hunt card and decode a message. They all took home a bird ID sheet and a bird tattoo.

LVAS Vice President, Barbara Malt, teaching about bird migration at Allentown Public Library, Spring 2024

Sixteen children and 9 adults attended. This was part of a library series on nature instituted by the Allentown Environmental Advisory Committee (EAC) and organized by EAC intern and LVAS member, Felice Cragin. Funding for the internship was provided by Bird Town Pennsylvania.

Children playing Bird Bingo at Allentown Public Library from LVAS Newsletter April 2024

LVAS Donates Birding Backpacks

Barbara Malt

Originally Published in January - March 2024 Quarterly Newsletter of The Lehigh Valley Audubon Society

LVAS recently donated four birding backpacks to the children’s room at the Allentown Public Library. Each knapsack contains a field guide, a child-friendly pair of 6x Kowa binoculars, and simple instruction sheets in English and Spanish . Many thanks to our partners who helped make this possible: Lehigh Gap Nature Center for design/layout and Spanish translations, LL Bean for donating the knapsacks, and Kowa for donating the binoculars! What a team effort!

If you live in Allentown or any municipality that has library privileges with Allentown, you can check out a birding knapsack for up to three weeks. Parents and teachers out there, please alert any child or parent who may be interested!

Photo of LVAS Board Member, Barbara Malt, delivering Birding Backpacks to Allentown Public Library

2023 Lehigh Valley Christmas Bird Count Summary

Originally Published in January - March 2024 Quarterly Newsletter of The Lehigh Valley Audubon Society

Orange-crowned Warbler

On December 16th, 2023, 40 counters participated in the 2023 Lehigh Valley Christmas Bird Count. This marked the 80th year of this particular count, and 124th year of the Audubon Christmas Bird Count overall. 86 species and 40,826 individual birds were counted. Highlights included the first ever sighting of an Orange-crowned Warbler in the Topton area, a wintering Eastern Phoebe near Fogelsville, Cackling Geese in Allentown, and a Wilson’s Snipe in the western part of the circle. High counts were achieved for Green-winged Teal and Common Merganser, with 67 and 73 individuals respectively. Only 22 Black Vultures were counted, likely an impact of the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza outbreak. Thank you to all of the counters who participated! The 2024 count is tentatively scheduled for Saturday, December 21, 2024.

Wilson’s Snipe

Observers: Terry Master, Barbara Malt, Brian Stamper, Stephen Kloiber, Mark Boyd, Chris Sipos, Makayla Hernandez, Brandon Brogle, Luke C . Miller, Kennedy Sullivan, Jenith Flex, Felice Cragin, Grant Stephenson, Jason Horn, Brandon Swayser, Jon Mularczyk, Steve Smith, Frank Dickman, Dan Klem, Peter Saenger, Jim Funk, Todd Underwood, Todd Watkins, Fritz Brock, Jeff Hopkins, Joe Zajacek, John Mitchell, Anne Wenninger, Carl Veltri.

CBC4KIDS 2023

Barbara Malt

Originally Published in January - March 2024 Quarterly Newsletter of The Lehigh Valley Audubon Society

Photo of CBC4Kids Participants 2023

Another CBC4Kids is in the books! We were lucky with the weather – the field count part of the activities took place after the night’s rain ended and before the high winds really kicked up . Our teams this year were the Gnarly Nuthatches, Ninja Crows, and Marauding Mallards . They spotted 355 birds, of 37 different species! Highlights included Bald Eagle, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, and American Wigeon . As usual, we wrapped up with a tally and sharing favorite sightings, snacks, and a visit to the Muhlenberg bird museum . Kudos to the nine children and their family members who turned out despite somewhat dire weather predictions . And thank you to the LVAS volunteers who helped in the classroom and in the field – Mark Boyd, Felice Cragin, Dan Pokras, and Paul Sherrer . (Organized by Barbara Malt and Chad Schwartz with assistance from Peter Saenger)

Bethlehem-Easton-Hellertown Christmas Bird Count for National Audubon Society 65th Year – December 30, 2023

Elaine and Don Mease

Originally Published in January - March 2024 Quarterly Newsletter of The Lehigh Valley Audubon Society

Thank you for participating in our 65th Bird Count for the Bethlehem-Easton-Hellertown Area and Audubon’s 124th Year!!

A total of 86 species were recorded.

The Western Kingbird was a new species for us. It was seen at the Archibald Johnson Preserve by many observers before and after, as well as by our team on count day.

Numbers for Geese or Vultures reported by the feeder counters were included in the field count.

The Snow Geese were mostly at the Nazareth Quarry, however there were MANY flocks over the entire circle that day. The ones seen at the southern edge were probably from Merrill Creek. We tried to account for that.

The Chickadee count will be listed as Chickadee Species for Audubon. The Black-capped and Carolina Chickadee are appearing in our area recently and are known to hybridize as well. ID can be difficult.

Thanks to Grant Stevenson and Kaitlyn Sommer for taking on the task of counting the crows at a roost in the western edge of the circle.

We have a cumulative list for all the past years, if anyone is interested. We don’t list past years because of so many variables in weather and effort, but it can be sent out, if requested.

If you have any questions don’t hesitate to call or email us. Next year’s count will be December 28, 2024.

Count Area: A circle 15 miles in diameter with its center on Applebutter Rd ., 0 .3 mile east of the Bethlehem City line

Weather: A .M . overcast; P .M . overcast; Low - 30; High - 44; still water, rivers and streams open; ground muddy

Observers: 53; 14 at feeders with 65 hours; 39 in the field in 18 parties totaling 116 hours and 399 miles, plus 2 hours and 4 miles owling

Field counters: Jane Barker-Hunt, Virginia Derbyshire, Dave DeReamus, Linda Freedman, Anne Frye, Marilyn Hessinger, Jason Horn, Tim and Stephanie Kita, Arlene Koch, Pete Kwiatek, Gerald, Jonathon and Robert Lahr, John Landis, Barbara Malt, Mike and Penny Maurer, Elaine and Don Mease, Carole Mebus, John Mularczyk, Brad Orey, Dan Pokras, Jason, Michelle and Aidan Porter, Chuck Pyro, Sharon Roehrig, Kyle Rogers, Barbara Ryan, Pam Schmaldinst, Ed Sinkler, Mike Skinner, Kaitlyn Sommer Family, Grant Stevenson, Jennifer Tucci, Emma Walters, Joseph Yuhas, Joe Zajacek, Dan Zmoda Feeder counters: Tom Ahern, Glenn Breidenbach, Leslie and Thaddeus Encelewski, Julie and Gary Hofbauer, Margaret Hood, Pete Jarrett, Barbara Johnson, Vivian Noblett, Barbara Ryan, Ruth Smith, Maryann Snyder, Sherry Strock

Bethlehem-Easton-Hellertown Christmas Bird Count Results 2023

GREAT BACKYARD BIRD COUNT 2023

Originally Published in April - June 2023 Quarterly Newsletter of The Lehigh Valley Audubon Society

Brandon Swayser and Sunny, the Barred Owl

Here at LVAS, we don’t just count birds for the Great Backyard Bird Count – we party! The Great Backyard Bird Count party is a joint project of Lehigh Valley Audubon Society (LVAS) and Wildlands Conservancy. We met at the Trexler Building at the Dorothy Rider Pool Wildlife Sanctuary, where feeders were set-up in front of windows. Adults and children alike watched the feeders, practiced their bird ID, and counted the birds. They were enthralled by the chance to view education birds, Sunny the Barred Owl and Nittany the Red-tailed Hawk, up-close, with lots of good info and background stories on these two birds by Brandon Swayser. With cooperative weather, many participants also enjoyed the option to take a guided walk through the woods and along the creek to see what else could be found. Many cookies and pretzels were consumed, bird puzzles were done, and pine cone snowy owls were made.

Participants at Great Backyard Bird Count - Photo by Ello Soto

Twenty-three species were spotted altogether, with highlights including four Common Mergansers and a Red-tailed Hawk and Turkey Vultures circling overhead. A big thanks to our LVAS volunteers who helped with approximately 42 visitors: Jim Funk, Colette Cragin, Paul Sherrer, Janet Farley, Karen Campbell, Dan Pokras, and Betty Abrams. Special thanks to Wayne Frick for bringing his Chirpsounds technology to pipe bird vocalizations inside for learning sound ID.

Participants at Great Backyard Bird Count - Photo by Ello Soto