On Thursday, March 8, 7:30 pm. Brian M. Wargo presented Hawkwatching, an Ocean in the Sky. Dr. Brian M. Wargo  showcased the esoteric and often unknown activity of Hawkwatching using pictures and stories, which he has documented in his book, Bird: An Exploration of Hawkwatching. The audience was quizzed on naming photos of hawks in flight, from different angles.  Brian pointed out  characteristics that help in IDing hawks. He showed examples of his record keeping and spreadsheets for 80 different hawk watch sites. He hopes to encourage the next generation to volunteer at hawk watches since this gathered info is so valuable.  He said he chose the photo for the cover of his book because he is always cold and this is how he is usually dressed for hawkwatching!  Brian is the President and Saturday Counter for the Allegheny Front Hawk Watch.  You can view his latest count data at:  www.hawkcount.org.

The following club outings have been scheduled.  More info below as date approaches.

1. Sunday, April 15, 1:00 – Trillium Trail, Fox Chapel, Loree Speedy – C:724-518-6022, loreespeedy@gmail.com

2. Friday, April 20, 1:00 – Linn Run State Park, Grove Run Trail, Westmoreland County – Loree Speedy

3. Sunday, April 22, 1:00 – Bradys Run Park, Beaver County, Judy Stark – C: 41 2-327-9527, starkj2@aol.com

4. Friday, April 27, 10:00 – Raccoon Creek Wildflower Reserve, Beaver County – Dianne Machesney – C: 412-523-0368, diannem15237@aol.com

6. Saturday, April 28, 10:00 – Friendship Hill National Historic Site, Fayette County – Westmoreland Bird and Nature Club

7. Sunday, April 29, All Day – Enlow Fork Natural Area, Greene County, http://enlowfork.tripod.com/

8. Saturday, May 5, 10:00 – Moraine State Park, McDanels Launch Area, Butler County – Bonnie Isaac – C: 724-944-7160, IsaacB@CarnegieMNH.org

9. Sunday, May 6, 1:00 – Butler-Freeport Trail, Monroe Road Trailhead, Butler County – Adam Haritan, LearnYourLand.com

10. Monday, May 7, 10:00 – Wolf Creek Narrows, Butler County – Dianne Machesney

11. Saturday, May 12, 1:00 – Limestone Run, S.G.L. 51 near Dunbar, Fayette County – Loree Speedy

12. Saturday, May 19, Cedar Creek Gorge, Westmoreland County – Mark Bowers, C: 724-454-4012, monarda55@gmail.com

13.June 9, 2018: Coopers Rock in West Virginia with Allison Cusick, near Morgantown, WV

14. June 10, 2018: McCune Trail, Ohiopyle State Park, Fayette County

15. June 16, 2018: Chalk Hill Bog, S.G.L. 51, Fayette County

16. June 23, 2018: Eden Hall Campus, Chatham University, Gibsonia, Allegheny County with Bonnie Isaac

17. July 21, 2018: Duff Park from the new entrance, Murrysville, Westmoreland County

Getting stuck in traffic and having technical difficulties didn’t stop Don Weiss from  presenting Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Park, the Crown Jewels of the National Park System, with a little help from Monica Miller,( who was on time but not in possession of the flash drive the program was on!)  The wildlife, scenery, and thermal features are like no other place in N. America, or the world.  Known as the Serengeti of N. America, it was the world’s first national park.  They experienced weather from the 20’s and snow to the mid-70’s and cloudless sunshine.  They saw wildlife from ground squirrels to a grizzly with cubs.  Flowers were  everywhere and the snow-capped mountains inspired and impressed.

Thank you to Judy Stark, who made our holiday favors this year.  An ornament filled with milkweed seeds.

This night was our Annual Holiday Christmas party and Cookie Exchange. The table was overflowing with goodies and the mulled cider hit the spot on a cold evening.

Tim Manka continued our annual tradition of reciting “The Night Before Christmas”

The club will be on hiatus for the winter.  See you at our next meeting March 8, 2018.

COLORDO

From the mountains to the prairies, Mike Fialkovich showed the amazing array of nature and scenery he experienced during a trip to the Pawnee National Grasslands and Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado last June. Twenty-two members enjoyed Mike’s photos of birds, flowers, trees, mammals and landscapes taken during a birding trip sponsored by  W. PA Audubon and led by Brian Shema. Mike said he got seven life birds during the trip and numerous life plants, especially alpine plants from the tundra.

 Walt Schaffer presented Birding Merritt Island. Merritt Island is a census-designated place in Brevard County, Florida, located on the eastern Florida coast, along the Atlantic Ocean. Walt and Dana have birded Merritt Island, Florida many times.  We learned why it’s such a good place to bird as they took us on a tour of the Island.

27 attendees learned to look closely at the birds and to watch behavior. A series of photos of a wood stork highlighted fishing techniques.  Another series of a reddish egret and a snowy egret showed that birds can learn hunting strategies from each other.

Our November meeting speaker unfortunately had to cancel, but  Mike Fialkovich is graciously stepping in with a program about Colorado.  Su Varley reported seeing a red bat, which Bob Machesney said are migrating now.

Wetland at Whiskerville Gamelands

We kicked off the first meeting of the new season with a wine/cheese spread. Our Treasurer, Dianne Machesney, presented a program about Wetlands.  We learned how a wetland is made, the difference between bogs, fens, marshes and swamps.  How our wetlands are endangered and what we can do to help.

Dues for the year are being collected now.

Outings are free and open to the public.  Bring your friends.  Trails are wheelchair accessible.  Dress for the weather: wear a hat and expect muddy trails.  Bring your binoculars and field guides, lunch and beverages.

July 29, Saturday, 10:00 am. Jennings Prairie, Wissahickon Nature Club.   Visit the unique ecosystem at Jennings Prairie.
This is the perfect time to explore the relict prairie.  The hot weather brings the stunning Blazing Star and some of the other dazzling summer flowers to peak performance. The goldenrods of fall will begin to show. Don’t miss the spectacular butterflies that grace the prairie with their breathtaking beauty. Flycatchers, vireos, tanagers, Common Yellowthroats and Cedar Waxwings sometimes make an appearance.  We may come across a Red Eft, the larval form of a Red-spotted Newt.
Wear a hat and sunscreen.  Bring binoculars, field guides, water and a lunch.
Directions From Pittsburgh: take I-79 North to Exit 99, New Castle/ Butler.  Drive east on Route 422 roughly 5.8 miles to the Prospect Exit.  Turn left (north) onto Route 528.
Continue on Route 528 for about 7 miles.  Meet in the Jennings Environmental Center Parking Lot on the left (west) side of the road.

 All Members Night A Tribute to Chuck Tague.

20 plus members ( and one well-behaved dog) brought slides, photos and memories in honor of our past-President, Chuck Tague.  Attendees shared a nice array of snacks and cookies as they reminisced.   What a great way to celebrate the life of a man who has done so much for nature and our environment and especially for the Wissahickon Nature Club.

This was the last meeting of the season.  See you in September!

June Bernard presented Magical Monarchs.

We discovered interesting facts about the life cycle of  these bright orange and black butterflies, their amazing  metamorphosis and their incredible annual 3,000-mile tricountry  migration. Monarchs begin to arrive from Mexico in our
area mid-May to early June. June provided information on
where to find eggs and caterpillars, examples of simple
equipment needed to raise and release them and gardening
tips on which nectar and host plants will attract them.  We learned
how we can become  citizen scientists by tagging and
releasing Monarchs for the fall migration through the University
of Kansas’ Monarch Watch program. Monarch butterflies are in
decline due to rapid loss of habitat across North America.