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Pennsylvania Bird Atlas 3

Jeff Kenney & Angela Romanczuk

The massive undertaking to catalogue Pennsylvania’s breeding and non-breeding birds known as Pennsylvania Bird Atlas 3 (PBA3) is already underway. PBA3 will only be possible through the efforts of thousands of volunteers carefully logging their data through early 2029. Years of future conservation and land management decisions will be based upon the data collected in the next five years. This session with Chester County Atlas Co-Coordinators Jeff Kenney and Angela Romanczuk will detail how you can contribute and will provide answers to any questions you may have.

 

Jeff Kenney has lived in Chester County for most of his life. Having been introduced to birding as a child by his father Mike, Jeff’s passion for birds and nature was mostly dormant until being rekindled in 2020. Now an avid (and moderately obsessive) state and county lister, Jeff’s favorite place to bird in Chester County is the Crows Nest Preserve/State Game Lands 43 complex in Elverson. Jeff currently resides in Phoenixville with his two dogs, Vita and Grits, and is a founding board member of In Color Birding Club, as well as a Force of Nature volunteer with Natural Lands.

 

Angela Romanczuk has lived in multiple Pennsylvania counties, but has spent most of her adult life in Montgomery and Chester counties. While Angela has always loved being outdoors, it wasn’t until 2020 that she was introduced to birding. She now enjoys exploring under-birded areas all over Pennsylvania and is forever on the lookout for the American Woodcock. Angela’s favorite local places to bird are Crow’s Nest Preserve in Chester County, Congo Road Open Space in Montgomery County and her backyard. She is a founding board member of In Color Birding Club and a Force of Nature volunteer with Natural Lands.

 

Note: This meeting will be held in person at the meeting house and via Zoom. Zoom signon will start at 7:15 to enable the meeting to begin at 7:30.

Event Series Every Thursday Morning Exton Park, Exton, PA

Every Thursday Morning Exton Park, Exton, PA

For: Seasonal birds

Place: Exton Park, 8:30 a.m.

Leader: Various leaders in conjunction with Friends of Exton Park

Note: Formerly known as Church Farm Pond and now a part of Exton Park, this pond and surrounding wetland had been a popular birding spot for years.

Directions: From the intersection of Routes 30 and 202, drive west along Route 30 and turn right on Valley Creek Blvd. At the end of the road, make a left on Swedesford Road and park in the gravel parking lot on your left where the perimeter trail starts. This is a 1.5 mile walk and will take between 1.5 and 2 hours.

Exton Park

Event Series Every Thursday Morning Exton Park, Exton, PA

Every Thursday Morning Exton Park, Exton, PA

For: Seasonal birds

Place: Exton Park, 8:30 a.m.

Leader: Various leaders in conjunction with Friends of Exton Park

Note: Formerly known as Church Farm Pond and now a part of Exton Park, this pond and surrounding wetland had been a popular birding spot for years.

Directions: From the intersection of Routes 30 and 202, drive west along Route 30 and turn right on Valley Creek Blvd. At the end of the road, make a left on Swedesford Road and park in the gravel parking lot on your left where the perimeter trail starts. This is a 1.5 mile walk and will take between 1.5 and 2 hours.

Exton Park

Event Series Every Thursday Morning Exton Park, Exton, PA

Every Thursday Morning Exton Park, Exton, PA

For: Seasonal birds

Place: Exton Park, 8:30 a.m.

Leader: Various leaders in conjunction with Friends of Exton Park

Note: Formerly known as Church Farm Pond and now a part of Exton Park, this pond and surrounding wetland had been a popular birding spot for years.

Directions: From the intersection of Routes 30 and 202, drive west along Route 30 and turn right on Valley Creek Blvd. At the end of the road, make a left on Swedesford Road and park in the gravel parking lot on your left where the perimeter trail starts. This is a 1.5 mile walk and will take between 1.5 and 2 hours.

Exton Park

Westtown Lake, PA

For: Wildflowers and migrating and resident birds

Google MapPlace: Westtown School cabin parking lot, 8:30am.

Leaders: Tim and Janny Sterrett (484-678-8528, timsterrett@gmail.com)

Note: This is a half-day trip. This is a walk that will cover about 2 miles over some hilly areas and take around 3 hours.

Directions: From West Chester, follow Route 3 east to Westtown Way road, turn right. Take the next left, follow Walnut Hill Road until you see Westtown School entrance. Turn right then park in first parking lot on the right.

Westtown School

Event Series Every Thursday Morning Exton Park, Exton, PA

Every Thursday Morning Exton Park, Exton, PA

For: Seasonal birds

Place: Exton Park, 8:30 a.m.

Leader: Various leaders in conjunction with Friends of Exton Park

Note: Formerly known as Church Farm Pond and now a part of Exton Park, this pond and surrounding wetland had been a popular birding spot for years.

Directions: From the intersection of Routes 30 and 202, drive west along Route 30 and turn right on Valley Creek Blvd. At the end of the road, make a left on Swedesford Road and park in the gravel parking lot on your left where the perimeter trail starts. This is a 1.5 mile walk and will take between 1.5 and 2 hours.

Exton Park

Chester County Parks Birding Series: #1 – Warwick County Park

For: Early spring migrants such as Louisiana Waterthrush

Place: 191 County Park Rd., 8:00 a.m.

Leader: John Mercer (484-459-2062, mercer1135@aol.com), Patty & John Werth (pattyww@comcast.net)

Note: The Chester County Parks system has seven wonderful parks which provide excellent birdwatching opportunities.  Join us as we explore all seven of the parks, one per month, in 2024.

The 535-acre Warwick County Park in northern Chester County includes dense hardwood forest, wetlands, meadows, and riparian areas along a section of French Creek, an "exceptional value" stream. This diversity provides excellent habitat for birds. This 1.5 to 2 hour walk on mainly flat (and possibly muddy) terrain on unpaved trails will cover approximately 2 miles. A modern restroom is on site. This walk is a collaboration of WCBC and Valley Forge Audubon Society
 
Directions: From the intersection of Routes 100 and 23, proceed west on Route 23 for 3.4 miles. Turn left onto County Park Road (entrance is somewhat hidden) and continue 0.3 miles to the entrance to Warwick County Park, on the left. Follow the drive to the last parking lot on the left.

The Great Marsh

For: Spring Migrants

Place: 28 Moores Road, Elverson, PA, 7:00 a.m.

Leader: Mike Coulter. If you plan to attend please email the Great Marsh Institute at lori@greatmarshinstitute.org to let them know to expect you. This will help them to organize and keep groups small. This event is free but donations are always welcome via Paypal or donations at the door. Note that the time has been shifted an hour earlier this month.
 
Note: Join local birding expert Mike Coulter as he guides us through the Great Marsh, an ancient periglacial marsh and the largest marsh in Southeastern Pennsylvania.
 
This event is hosted by the Great Marsh Institute, a non-profit with the mission of supporting scientific studies and educational opportunities for all! This event is free, but donations of any amount are welcome to support the Institute! For full trip details see here. This will be about a 3 hour walk. Conditions could be muddy and very wet so wear appropriate footwear.

Please note that the property is private but you can always visit during our planned trips.
 
Directions: The marsh is off of Rt. 401 four miles northwest of Rt. 100 at Ludwig's Corner. Lat/Long = 40.127651, -75.767697 or use 28 Moores Road for GPS directions. Meet at the grassy parking area at the top of the hill near 28 Moores Road. Once you turn off of Rt. 401 on to Moore's Road proceed 1/4 mile along the gravel road. You will cross a bridge and at the 1/4 mile mark make a right up the hill on the paved part of the drive. This is the first right after the bridge. At the top of the hill you should see other cars parked in the meeting area.

Struble Lake and Marsh Creek State Park, PA

For: Waterfowl, snipe

Google MapPlace: Struble Lake Parking lot, 8:00 a.m.

Leader: Jim Russell (610-399-1580, jrussell73@verizon.net)

Note: This is a half day trip. There is minimal walking involved.

Directions: From Downingtown, take Route 322 west about 7 miles then take a slight right onto Chestnut Tree Road (after Sunoco gas tanks.) In about 3 miles bear left at stop sign onto Morgantown Road. The parking area for Struble Lake is 0.5 miles on the left.

Struble Lake

Marsh Creek State Park

My Patagonia: Scenery, Cryptic Mammals, & Birds, Birds, Birds!

Speaker: Sheila Martin

Jump on board with WCBC member Sheila Martin as we pictorially explore untamed Patagonia - where some of the world’s most stunning landscapes are filled with wildlife to the max!

 

Moment by moment, the experience of hiking the walkways around Iguazu Falls is simply nature at its finest.  And, for Sheila, when Plush-crested Jay & Chestnut-eared Aracari appeared in the parking lot, she knew it would be days of incomparable sighting thrills, including up to two dozen dizzying endemics to follow, just in that pre-tour locale!

 

Atlantic coastal Argentina in November offers exceptional close-up wildlife observation, straight down to the straits of Tierra del Fuego - with Red Knots ready to migrate, and Austral Negrito & “Loica” ever-present. Farther inland, we find the best puma viewing on the planet!  It was southern-hemisphere springtime ’22 - and all the breeding birds were showing off their best. While in Chile, the quaint atmosphere, friendly locals and Patagonia Sierra-finch, Tufted Tit-tyrant plus Magellanic Woodpecker further enriched her experience.

 

Relive with Sheila her outrageously memorable jaunt through a stark & jaw-dropping part of the globe, full of scenery, wild mammals, and birds, birds, BIRDS!

 

Note: This meeting will be held in person at the meeting house and via Zoom. Zoom signon will start at 7:15 to enable the meeting to begin at 7:30.