Jacobsburg State Park and Hollo Road ~ September 24, 2024

With the slight possibility of showers moving into the area, I decided to do a short loop around Jacobsburg State Park. In the area across the road from the Henry's Woods parking lot, I ran into a nice-sized group of birds that included Eastern Wood-Pewee, Red-eyed and Blue-headed Vireo, and warblers that included Black-and-white, Black-throated Green, Chestnut-sided, Magnolia, Northern Parula, and American Redstart. Northern Flickers and Blue Jays were evident all morning. I ended up with an impressive total of 17 and 52 respectively.

I walked along the edges of the upper fields and came across another good group of birds. This Yellow-billed Cuckoo was one of them.

Yellow-billed Cuckoo

Along with the cuckoo were Red-eyed Vireo, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, House Wren, Brown Thrasher, Hermit Thrush, Cedar Waxwing, Eastern Towhee, Common Yellowthroat, Scarlet Tanager, and Indigo Bunting. An American Kestrel and a Common Raven were also seen flying over the fields.

Common Raven

Soon after, I found another small group of birds that included Blackpoll, Black-and-white, and Black-throated Green Warbler, Northern Parula, and American Redstart.

Blackpoll Warbler

Down beside the ampitheater, I saw Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Red-eyed Vireo, Magnolia Warbler, Black-and-white Warbler, American Redstart, and a Brown Creeper.

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

Magnolia Warbler

Brown Creeper

I ended up with a really good total of 46 species for the morning.

On the way home, I stopped at the Hollo Road retention pond, which held 18 Green-winged Teal, a Blue-winged Teal, 9 Killdeer, one Greater and 5 Lesser Yellowlegs, 6 Least Sandpipers, and an Eastern Phoebe.

Green-winged Teal

A Blue-winged Teal (left) and a Green-winged Teal (right).

Blue-winged Teal

Eastern Phoebe

---

Bear Swamp and Another Marsh Wren at East Bangor Dam ~ September 23, 2024

After using the bathroom at Lake Minsi, I did a quick scan of the lake and saw a Great Egret, a Great Blue Heron, and a Common Raven.

I birded the early morning at Bear Swamp. At the powerline cut, I found Red-shouldered Hawk, Pileated Woodpecker, Red-eyed and Blue-headed Vireo, Common Raven, White-throated Sparrow, Indigo Bunting, and warblers that included Magnolia, Black-and-white, Black-throated Green, Northern Parula, and Common Yellowthroat.

Blue-headed Vireo

White-throated Sparrow

Indigo Bunting

Magnolia Warbler

A Wood Thrush and a 'fly-by' group of 50 Red-winged Blackbirds were also seen there.

I then drove to East Bangor Dam. I tallied 11 Wood Ducks, 4 Double-crested Cormorants, a Great Blue Heron, 2 Pileated Woodpeckers, 9 Northern Flickers, and at least 50 Red-winged Blackbirds. In the cattails along the railroad tracks, I saw 3 Swamp Sparrows, a Common Yellowthroat, and my second Marsh Wren for the month! As usual, this skulker played hide-and-seek as I tried unsuccessfully to get unobstructed photos of it.

Marsh Wren

On the way back home, I stopped at the Hollo Road retention pond and saw 18 Green-winged Teal, 8 Killdeer, one Greater and 3 Lesser Yellowlegs, one Semipalmated and 2 Least Sandpipers, a Great Blue Heron, 2 American Goldfinches, and a Brown-headed Cowbird among at least 100 Red-winged Blackbirds.

---

St. Luke's Anderson Campus Area ~ September 22, 2024

I had to be back home by noon, so I birded the nearby St. Luke's Anderson Campus grounds. A Great Egret was on the non-active sprayer in the middle of the pond, and a Green Heron was along the edge of the cattails.

Great Egret

Green Heron

I spotted a good-sized line of 58 Lesser Black-backed Gulls flying west in the direction of the Bethlehem landfill and got a poor, long-distance photo of most of them.

Lesser Black-backed Gulls

I then walked the area below the pond, which held a couple Indigo Buntings, an Eastern Phoebe, a House Wren, and a White-throated Sparrow among several Song Sparrows.

Indigo Bunting

Eastern Phoebe

Looking back towards the pond, I spotted an Osprey circling high over the hospital. When I heard a Killdeer and then spotted it, I realized it had been flushed by a Cooper's Hawk, which eventually gave up the chase, flew in my direction, and passed right overhead.

Cooper's Hawk

At the treeline next to the parking lot, I found a nice group of birds that included Cape May Warbler, Black-and-white Warbler, American Redstart, Northern Parula, and Rose-breasted Grosbeak.

Northern Parula

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

The patch of sunflowers by the pond held about 50 American Goldfinches. I ended up with 40 species for the morning.

---

Little Gap and Two Area Ponds ~ September 21, 2024

I arrived at Little Gap just after sunrise. It was cloudy but not too cool. I was walking along the pipeline when Joe Yuhas joined me. The two of us slowly walked up towards the top of the mountain when Adam Miller showed up. The three of us found some birds partway up that included Red-eyed Vireo, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Red-breasted Nuthatch, 'fly-by' Cedar Waxwings, and warblers that included Magnolia, Black-and-white, Black-throated Blue, Northern Parula, and American Redstart.

Up at the banding station, we added Chestnut-sided Warbler to the list along with a 'fly-by' American Black Duck that Joe spotted.

Atop the mountain, we ran into one of the best group of warblers I had seen all Fall. In that group, we found an Eastern Phoebe, a few Red-eyed Vireos, Chickadees, Tufted Titmice, a few Ruby-crowned Kinglets, and warblers that included an Ovenbird, a Bay-breasted, 2 Blackpolls, 2 Black-and-whites, 2 Black-throated Blues, 2 Black-throated Greens, a Blackburnian, 2 Tennessees, several Magnolias, a Chestnut-sided, a Yellow-rumped, a few American Redstarts, and several Northern Parulas.

Blackburnian Warbler

Farther along the Appalachian Trail, we added 2 Brown Thrashers, several Eastern Towhees, and 2 Common Yellowthroats, the 14th warbler species of the morning. A couple Sharp-shinned Hawks and 2 Chimney Swifts were also seen. On the way back down, I added Pileated Woodpecker and a Wood Thrush.

On the way back home, I stopped at the Hollo Road retention pond and found 14 Green-winged Teal, one Greater and one Lesser Yellowlegs, and 6 Least Sandpipers.

My last stop was at the Newburg Road retention pond. There, I found a Great Egret and 13 Tree Swallows among the Canada Geese.

Great Egret

---

Another Pond Run ~ September 19, 2024

Around noon, I stopped at the Regency Boulevard retention ponds. The south pond held the continuing Hooded Merganser and 2 Green-winged Teal.

Hooded Merganser

Over in the north pond, there was a Great Blue Heron and a Killdeer.

The Newburg Park pond was a little more productive. The Northern Shoveler was there along with a Blue-winged Teal.

Northern Shoveler

Blue-winged Teal

Shorebirds seen there included a Pectoral Sandpiper, 2 Lesser Yellowlegs, and 8 Killdeer.

Pectoral Sandpiper

Lesser Yellowlegs

At the Hollo Road pond, I saw 2 Blue-winged Teal, 11 Green-winged Teal, 2 Lesser and a Greater Yellowlegs, 2 Semipalmated and 3 Least Sandpipers, and 7 Killdeer.

The 'east' Northwood Avenue retention pond held a Wood Duck and a Great Blue Heron.

---