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.

Check out the May 4, 2017 newsletter for a list of upcoming outings.

Doug Oster presented Getting Started Early in the Garden. . Even though he was battling a scratchy throat, Doug gave a great presentation, using lots of examples from his own home garden.  He recommends all organic gardening, lots of mulch to keep the weeds down, using homemade compost and starting seeds early under grow lights. Peas were planted on St. Patrick’s Day and radishes last winter for microgreen addition to salads today.   Corydalis lutea is a nice early blooming perennial.   Check out his newsletter at http://everybodygardens.triblive.com/newsletters/

Mike Fialkovich presented nature in Southern California.  From 234 feet below sea level at the Salton Sea to just over 8000 ft. above sea level in the San Bernardino Mountains, the Channel Islands and deserts, Mike’s program  showed the wide variety of nature Southern California has to offer.

Burrowing Owl

The Eastern Coyote is present in all 67 counties of Pennsylvania.  WCO Thomas Kline educated us on the coyote’s traits,  habitat and some common misconceptions.

He had a video of suburban coyotes that had been radio-collared.  They were then able to follow them at night and record their behavior.  Coyotes are the number one predator of Canada geese, eating both the eggs and the young. They are opportunistic, feeding on whatever is easiest to obtain.  Road kill and small mammals make up a large part of their diet. They will also eat fruit, like fallen apples and wild grapes, when available.

Thanks to Dick Nugent for leading the New Year’s Day hike at Irwin Road, North Park.

And thanks to Kate St. John for submitting these photos.