Bird the Ridge Hike Series: Conservation through Observation

Visit www.kittatinnyridge.org to learn more about the Kittatinny Ridge.

Public Hikes

Delaware Water Gap Region

June 2nd, 2013 l 7:30am - 3:00 or 4:00pm

Heavy rain cancels

Appalachian Trail - Wolf Rocks and Cherry Valley Overlook

Hike the Appalachian Trail along the Kittatinny Ridge north of Bangor, PA.  Total 10 miles, moderate pace but frequent stops, with some rough terrain and rock scrambling but minimal exposure. Hike will start at the trailhead, go 2.5 miles in one direction and comeback where people can drop out, then go in the other direction and come back.

MEETING PLACE: Parking lot on west side of Rte 191. From North: Exit I-80 at 191 South. Proceed on 191 S for about 8 miles to Rt. 611. Continue approximately 2 miles south on 191 from 611. Parking on right. From South: At Wind Gap follow Rte 512 North to Bangor, left on Rte 191 North, go about 4.25 miles, lot is at top of hill on left after yellow pedestrian crossing sign. Parking is limited. Carpooling is recommended.

For details on parking options at the trailhead email the leader by Friday May 31.

Pre-registration is not required. Quest ions?

Susan Charkes, susan@suasncharkes.com

Lehigh Gap Region

June 8th, 2013 l 6:15pm - 10:00pm

No rain date

Lehigh Gap Nature Center

A 5-6 mile nighttime hike at the Lehigh Gap Nature Center. This moderate to difficult hike ascends about 1,000 feet and includes listening for the Eastern Whippoor- will during the last mile when walking

back down on Translater Lane.

MEETING PLACE: Lehigh Gap Nature Center

Pre-registrat ion is not required. Quest ions?

lgnc@ptd.net or 610-760-8889

Hawk Mountain/Pinnac le Region

June 2nd, 2013 l 10:00am

Thunderstorms cancel

From Port Clinton to Hamburg Reservoir

Shuttle to Port Clinton, and enjoy a five-mile hike on the Appalachian Trail. Expert birder Dave Kruel will educate the group on bird identification and help collect data on the number/species of birds identified

on the hike to contribute to a larger Ridgewide citizen science effort.

MEETING PLACE: Meet at the Hamburg Reservoir NE of Hamburg at the end of Reservoir Rd, one mile north of Mountain Rd and 1.5 miles north of Old US 22. No intersection with I-78.

MUST PRE-REGISTER:

Karl Gardner at 610-987-3281 or

kargardner@aol.com

Swatara Gap Region

June 14, 2013 l 8:00am - 3:00pm

Rain date June 25th

Birdwalk in Fort Indiantown Gap Grasslands

Only one percent of Pennsylvania’s native grasslands still exist. David McNaughton of Fort Indiantown Gap, will lead a tour of unique grassland habitat, which holds Grasshopper Sparrows, Blue Grosbeaks,

Blue-winged and Prairie Warblers, American Kestrels, and rarer species not found elsewhere in the region.

Meeting Place: Meet at Ft. Indiantown Gap Community Club Boxcar Café at the intersection of Clement and Fisher Avenues.

Pre-registration is not required. QUE STION S?

David McNaughton, davmcnaugh@pa.gov

717.861.8408

Susquehanna Water Gaps Region

June 1, 2013 l 7:30am - 12:00pm

Rain date June 2nd

State Game Lands 211 - Cold Spring Trail to Rausch Gap and back along the railroad bed.

Join Susquehanna Appalachian Trail Club for a citizen science birding along the Kittatinny. Leisurely pace, moderate terrain, 5 miles.

Meeting Place: Meet at Memorial Lake State Park- Upper Road Parking area, near restrooms, Grantville, PA. www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/findapark/memoriallake/

MUST PRE-REGISTER:

Lorrie Preston at 717-732-5615 or

lpreston5156@gmail.com

Susquehanna Water Gaps Region

June 1, 2013 l 9:45am - 2:45pm

No rain date

Along the Appalachian Trail to the Cove Mountain shelter

This is an 8 mile hike on the Appalachian Trail up to the Cove Mountain shelter, where the group will stop for lunch and return. The hike will include birding stops, but otherwise this will be a relatively fast paced hike. The approximate total elevation change is 1000 feet.

Meeting PLac e: Duncannon at Tubby’s parking lot

MUST PRE-REGISTER:

Peter Johnson at 805-300-4698

North Mountain Region

June 9, 2013 l 1:00pm - 2:30pm

Rain date June 16

Tuscarora Trail atop North Mountain

Join Paul Zeph, Audubon PA’s Director of Conservation, for a fun, family ramble along the Tuscarora Trail atop North Mountain. Learn about nesting songbirds, listen for singing Cerulean Warblers, and enjoy the scenic vistas of the Cumberland Valley.

Meeting Place: Waggoner’s Gap HawkWatch Parking Lot

Pre-registration is not required. QUE STION S?

Paul Zeph, pzeph@audubon.org

717-574-6668

WHAT TO BRING:

Bring water, sunscreen, insect repellent, a hat, binoculars, snacks and fluids. Wear sturdy, close-toed hiking shoes preferably with ankle support; many of the walks will include hiking on uneven or rocky surfaces.

Dress for the weather, but long pants are recommended.

Lehigh Valley Wild reports record number of Golden Eagles at Bake Oven Knob

Lehigh Valley Wild is a blog about outdoor recreation in the Lehigh Valley region, covering activities and updates across hunting, fishing, hiking, kayaking, geocacheing, bird and everything in between.  Guest blogger, Gary Bl0ckus, reported that hawkwatchers recently counted a record number of migrating Golden Eagles along the Kittatinny Ridge at Bake Oven Knob in Lehigh County.  Experts point to Hurricane Sandy as the likely cause of the migration phenomenon, but visit the Lehigh Valley Wild blog post to learn more!

Record number of Golden Eagles at Bake Oven Knob

"Nothing like an October weekend at Hawk Mountain"

Hawk Mountain, perched right along the Kittatinny Ridge on the border of Berks and Schuylkill Counties, is one of the best places in northeastern North America to view the annual autumn hawk migration.  The 2,600 acre Sanctuary offers superb hiking in every season and the chance to see large numbers of hawks, eagles and falcons each autumn.  A must see for birders, outdoor enthusiasts and Appalachian Trail hikers visiting the Pennsylvania section.  Click on the image at right to see views of Hawk Mountain in Autumn courtesy of the Hawk Mountain Sanctuary facebook page.  

This post is to remind us of better weather days, but hope all remain safe and sound throughout Hurricane Sandy.

Hawk Mountain Sanctuary featured in Audubon Magazine

Famed Kittatinny Ridge observational, research and education facility, Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, was just highlighted in Audubon Magazine as the number 1 site of the top 10 places to watch raptors in his Audubon Guide to Hawk Watching.

Kenn Kaufman of Audubon notes: "A beautiful setting and a rich history make this a must-visit destination for raptor fans.  When the northwest winds strike the Kittatinny Ridge, they create updrafts.  Migrating raptors in fall can ride these cushions of rising air for miles, gliding effortlessly toward the south-southwest, then connecting to other ridges along the Appalachian chain as they continue their journeys.  

Visit Audubon Guide to Hawk Watching to read more.

Migration Fest coming up at Lehigh Gap Nature Center

The weekend of September 28-29th be sure to make it over to Lehigh Gap Nature Center at the base of the Kittatinny Ridge in Slatington, PA for Migration Fest 2012!   This weekend-long festival is a celebration of the autumn migration and Appalachian ecology of the Kittatinny Ridge and Corridor.

Outdoor and environmental education activities for the whole family range from grassland hikes to hawk identification programs to live amphibians and reptiles on display and much more.   Events kick off on Saturday, September 29th at 9:00am.   Visit the Lehigh Gap Nature Center web site for more information or click here to download the Migration Fest Flyer.

Annual Autumn Hawkwatch begins at Hawk Mountain on August 15th

Photo: Audubon PA

Starting this Wednesday, August 15^th, the famed Annual Autumn Hawkwatch begins at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary along the Kittatinny Ridge on the Schuylkill/Berks County border.  Open 9am-5pm, the Hawkwatch season will run from August 15^th to December 15^th daily.

Hike to the North Lookout and participate in this annual ritual. Bald eagles, kestrels and Ospreys are among the first migrants!

Visit the Kittatinny Coalition recreation page to learn more about birding along the Ridge and other Hawkwatch sites.

Track Bird Observations on Kittatinny Ridge eBird

eBird is a real-time, online checklist program that has revolutionized the way that the birding community reports and accesses information about birds. Launched in 2002 by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and National Audubon Society, eBird provides rich data sources for basic information on bird abundance and distribution at a variety of spatial and temporal scales.

Visit the Kittatinny Ridge dataset on eBird Pennsylvania for bird observation data specific to the Kittatinny Ridge and Corridor!  Avid birders should consider registering with eBird to submit your own observations and contribute to the data collected along the Ridge.

Celebrate Bald Eagle's Recovery in in PA

Bald Eagle sighted on Haldeman Island.  Photo: Kathy Burd Bauer.

Bill Uhlrich of the Reading Eagle reports the amazing recovery of the bald eagle and its nesting expansion into Berks County - now with five active nesting pairs in the county and over 25 adults and young counted.  

Read the full article here:
Bill Uhlrich: Celebrate Bald Eagle's recovery in state

Another nesting site along the Kittatinny Ridge and Corridor is on Haldeman Island (State Game Land 290) in Dauphin County, an island along the Susquehanna River just north of its confluence with the Juniata River.  Closed to public access.  PA Game Commission Land Management Supervisor, Scott Bills, recently led a birdwatching hike in conjunction with Duncannon Borough's Appalachian Trail Community celebration where new birders were able to view the nesting site and treated to a few scenes of soaring adult bald eagles above.