August 1, 2004

Pennsylvania
*Schuylkill County
*August 1, 2004
*Birdline: 570-622-6013
*Compiler: Tom Clauser

Comments: Nice numbers of Great Egrets in the county this week,
including one in a most unusual location. Swatara State Park hosted
Great Blue Heron, Green Heron, and Black-crowned Night-Heron, as well as Great Egret. So much rain during July causing water levels to
be quite high, with very little in mudflat areas to be found, thereby not
much in shorebird activity for our county.

Species Highlights:

Great Egret
Black-crowned Night-Heron
Northern Harrier
Common Nighthawk
Hermit Thrush

SWEET ARROW LAKE: (dd)
Birds from 7/26 thru 7/31 included 3 GREAT EGRETS, Green Herons, Great Blue Herons, Belted Kingfishers, Cedar Waxwings, 2 NORTHERN
HARRIERS, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Wood Thrush, HERMIT THRUSH,
Eastern Wood-Pewee, Great Crested Flycatcher, Eastern Kingbirds,
House Finches, Carolina Wrens, Common Yellowthroats, Red-eyed
Vireos, and Indigo Buntings.

SWATARA STATE PARK: (tc)
Birds seen during the evening of 8/1 included an immature BLACK-
CROWNED NIGHT-HERON, 2 GREAT EGRETS, Green Heron, 2 Great
Blue Herons, White-eyed Vireo, 4 Eastern Phoebes, Brown-headed
Cowbird, Turkey Vulture, 12 American Goldfinches, 2 Tufted Titmice,
Red-bellied Woodpecker, 2 Northern Flickers, 4 Cedar Waxwings,
Eastern Wood-Pewee, 2 Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, 3 Carolina Wrens,
2 Common Yellowthroats, 20 Barn Swallows, 6 Eastern Bluebirds, 2
Field Sparrows, 19 American Robins, Red-winged Blackbird, 3 Northern
Cardinals, 13 Wood Ducks, and a ton of mosquitoes.

POTTSVILLE: (bmc,tc,mw)
On 8/1 there were 2 Cooper's Hawks seen at the top of Main Street in
Mt. Carbon, just outside the gate of Calvary Cemetery.
On 7/28 there were 5 Broad-winged Hawks seen in this same general
area.
On 7/28 a GREAT EGRET was seen flying over the Gordon Nagle Trail,
just outside Pottsville. A Cooper's Hawk and a Black-throated Blue
Warbler were also seen near the railroad in this area that same day.
During the week a Red-tailed Hawk was seen flying over the Pottsville
High School football field, practically every day during cross country
practice.
On 7/31 a very dark adult Red-tailed Hawk was seen circling over South
Centre Street in Pottsville, and then out over the Tumbling Run Watershed.
During the week COMMON NIGHTHAWKS were still being heard nightly
over the rooftops of downtown Pottsville.

CRESSONA: (ge)
On 7/27 another GREAT EGRET was standing outside of Eifert's
Clothing Store, and then seen taking a stroll up to the Cressona Agway.

SUMMIT STATION: (ss,ds)
Birds reported from this area include Green Herons and Chimney Swifts.

HIDDEN VALLEY: (aml)
Birds for the week include Great Blue Heron, American Kestrel, Red-
tailed Hawk, Northern Flicker, Killdeer, Eastern Kingbird, Indigo Bunting,
Gray Catbird, and Turkey Vulture

Contributors: Barbara McGinley-Clauser, Tom Clauser, Denise Donmoyer, Glennis Eifert, Ann Marie Liebner, Dan Schwartz, Sandy Schwartz, and Mike Ward.