Field trips

• June 3 (Sat.) Hopewell Big Woods Trail 7 am Breeding birds of grassland & edge habitats. A wide trail meanders through open fields bordered by woodland. Meet at trail parking lot on Center Rd. adjacent to Union Twp. maintenance facility. Coordinators: Rudy Keller 610-845-7310, Sheila Martin 610-858-6005 Meeting Loc.: 165 Center Road, Douglassville PA 19518 

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• June 10 (Sat.) Green Hills Preserve Butterflies 10am (with Mengel Natural History Society) Extensive open fields & some wooded habitat. Directions: From Rte. 10, go west on Rte. 568 (Kurtz Mill Rd.), right onto Gunhart Rd. Parking lot is on the right. Coordinators: Karl Gardner 610-987-3281, Ryan Woolwine 484-883-6461 Meeting Loc.: Natural Lands' Green Hills Preserve, 553 Gunhart Rd, Mohnton, PA 
• June 17 (Sat.) Kernsville Dragonflies & Damselflies 10am (with Mengel Natural History Society) - Directions: Rte. 61 north, right on Jetson Dr. (across from Cabela’s), right on Industrial Dr., left on Kernsville Dam Rd. Coordinators: Mike Slater paplantings@gmail.com, Karl Gardner 610-987-3281 Meeting Loc., @big parking Lot: John Bartram Trail, Hamburg, PA, 40.5624, -75.9947 
• June 24 (Sat.) Nolde Forest EEC Moth Night 8:30 pm (with Mengel Natural History Society) - The leaders will hang sheets with UV lights & bait trees with rotten fruit//beer to bring in the night insects for viewing. Bring a flashlight. Meet at Mansion parking lot. Coordinators: Ryan Woolwine 484-883-6461, Jim Eckert 610-373-1064, Karl Gardner 610-987-3281 Meeting Loc.: 3025 New Holland Rd, Reading, PA 
• July 15 (Sat.) Wildflowers & Pollinators at Union Meadows West 10 am (with Mengel Natural History Society) A meandering path through this former ball field converted to a pollinator meadow provides good access for observing a variety of species. Directions: Route 724 (East Main St., Birdsboro) (turn opposite St. Michael's Cemetery) Park in the ball field parking lot. Coordinators: Mike Slater paplantings@gmail.com, Linda Ingram (610- 621-7473) Meeting Loc.: 980 E Main St, Birdsboro, PA 19508 Aug. 5 (Sat.) Blue Marsh Butterflies 10am (with Mengel Natural History Society) Coordinators: Karl Gardner 610-987-3281 & Ryan Woolwine 484-883-6461 Meeting Loc.: Blue Marsh Visitor's Center, 1268 Palisades Dr, Leesport, PA 19533 
• Aug. 19 (Sat.) Angelica Park Butterflies 10am (with Mengel Natural History Society) Meet in the parking lot adjacent to Berks Nature, the entrance is off Rt. 10, Morgantown Rd., at the big sign for Alvernia University. Coordinators: Karl Gardner 610-987-3281, Ryan Woolwine 484-883-6461 Meeting Loc.: Berks Nature Angelica Creek Park, 575 St Bernardine St, Reading, PA 19607 *(GPS address are included as given by Google Maps) **Includes Fall Tues. walks, the Spring Tues. walks to be announced in 2023. 

 Trip report from Linda Ingram:

After a streak of warm and sunny days, Sunday morning was clouded with light rain.  Remarkably, seven intrepid BOC birders gathered for our walk.  For a few it was a first-time visit to this open location which has become increasingly popular for field species and yields respectable numbers of woodland residents and migrants.  But not quite today.  As the rain shifted from drizzle to put-your-hood-up, we stalwartly phished and scanned the tall grasses adjacent to the trail.  Efforts were abandoned an hour into the morning, a respectable 17 species were sighted; including the spectacle of 133 robins in a few large flocks, flights and a perched flock of cedar waxwings totaling 40, a lone fox sparrow.

We will return here in the spring.

 View the eBird checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S121992037 

8:00 am 

Wide trail meanders through open fields bordered by woodland. Previous seasons were excellent for field and edge species, including late migrants and wintering birds. Meet at trail parking lot on Center Rd. adjacent to Union Twp. maintenance facility. Coordinators: Linda Ingram 610-621-7473, Peter & Jane Wolfe. Meeting Location: 165 Center Road, Douglassville PA 19518

Immature Song Sparrow photo by Mike Slater

 Flash Birdwalk 

at Union Meadows East

FRIDAY OCTOBER 14TH 

at 8:00 am 

As we had hoped, we had good looks at many sparrows including Swamp, White-crowned, Lincoln's plus the regular ones like Song and White-throated.

We had a nice comparison of Downy and Hairy woodpeckers together on one tree which Russ Hoffman captured in the photo above! The full ebird checklist is here. 

Afterwards some of us went to the 2 year old butterfly meadow at Union Meadows west and got to enjoy over 100 American Goldfinches eating the seeds of the native perennial Swamp Sunflower (Helianthus giganteus)

as shown on our eBird list

We met at Union Meadows East parking lot, trailhead for the Schuylkill River Trail,  Rte.724/East Main St. in Monocacy, 2 miles east of Birdsboro. 

Coordinator: Mike Slater paplantings@gmail.com Meeting Location: 100 Campbell Ford Road, Douglassville PA 19518 

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The photo of a Downy and a Hairy Woodpecker on the same tree is by Russ Hoffman.

October 11 (Tuesday) Kernsville Dam Recreation Area - Desilting Basin 8:00 am

This recently augmented wetland habitat is continuing to produce interesting sightings. 

Coordinator Mike Slater was joined by 6 other birder for a lovely morning of birding. Even though the air was cold at the beginning the sun warmed thing up to a comfortable temperature.

The highlight was many amazing, close looks at palm warblers on the trail. We saw 46 species which are on the group's eBird checklist here. 

Afterwards four of us stopped at the storm-water detention pond at Hamburg Commerce Park off Rte 61 and saw some sandpipers, including a White-rumped, 3 pectoral and l0 least sandpipers along with 23 killdeer.  Some of Mike's video of them feeding is here and there are more pictures on 

the eBird Checklist

Photo of a palm warbler in the parking lot by Mike Slater

The latest eBird Reports for Berks County

Photo: A Merlin at Blue Marsh Lake.

 by Mike Slater