2002 - Bird sightings in Westmoreland County, southwestern Pennsylvania
Screaminghawk's
Birding in Westmoreland County, southwestern Pennsylvania
~~~ Year 2002 ~~~
Some bird sightings
m=male, f=female, pr=pair (1 male + 1 female), a=adult, im=immature, f/i=female or immature, b=breeding (summer) plumage, n=non-breeding (winter or basic) plumage, h=heard, s=seen, oh=overhead. An underlined entry means the sighting is somehow special, first of season, unusual, noteworthy; locally or regionally uncommon/rare, out-of-season, out-of-range, extralimital, etc.
Use the Edit & Find command from your browser's menu bar to search for a specific species name in this page. Most recent sightings are at the top of the list. Dates are formatted as month/day (mm/dd).
Red-tailed Hawk, Belted Kingfisher 4-5 along Loyalhanna Creek thru Latrobe (seen during a kayak float). One vocal Great Blue heron & Carolina Wrens (2), 12/22.
Three Trumpeter Swans (2a 1 im) at Saint Vincent Wetlands #2, 12/20 (thru 12/27). The two adults have green neck collars with yellow lettering, 8M0 & 7M5 (captive raised & released as part of a re-introducution program). The immature has no collar. The swans are also being seen at the lake, and have been present for a couple days. A male Kestrel hunting-hovering the grassy plot bound by the Rt30 West entrance ramp to Westmoreland Mall.
A flock (V-formation) of 75-100 Tundra Swans heading south over Latrobe, and a flock of 75~ Canada Geese, 12/8.
Swamp Sparrows 2, Song Sparrows, Belted Kingfisher at St. Vincent Lake and marsh, 12/6.
Song Sparrows, Swamp Sparrow 1, Ring-neck Duck 2f, Crows at Keystone State Park 12/3. Hairy Woodpecker 1m, Downy Woodpecker 1m, Red-bellied Woodpecker 1f, Black-capped Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Dark-eyed Juncoe, Cardinal, Chipping Sparrow 1, House Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, House Finch, Mourning Dove at feeders & suet in Latrobe.
A Chipping Sparrow at a feeder in Latrobe 11/28-12/3. A Hairy Woodpecker along old Edie-Rector Rd on Laurel Summit, 11-29.
A Ring-billed Gull flying around Laurel Shopping Center parking lot on Rt30 in Latrobe, 11/27.
A Raven flying low just above the traffic, at telephone pole level, along the center line of Rt22 in New Alexandria, 11/24.
A Turkey Vulture over Loyalhanna Creek Gorge, Chestnut Ridge, 11/19.
Ruffed Grouse heard drumming, Great Horned Owl hooting, Latrobe, 11/14.
Brown Creeper in woods along Loyalhanna Creek near New Alexandria, 11/13.
Osprey 1, Tundra Swan 4, Pied-billed Grebe, Ruddy Duck 1f, Coot 25+, Ring-billed Gull 2, Mute Swans, Mallards at Derry Lake, 11/12. At Somerset Lake in Somerset County birders reported seeing 13 Common Loons, 2 Horned Grebe, 2 Pied-billed Grebe, 3 Black Scoters (im), 2 Surf Scoters (1 im male), 2 Greater Scaup (f), a few Hooded Mergs, Ruddies, Bufflehead, 6 Double-crested Cormorant, 6 Bonaparte's Gulls, 25 Ring-billed Gulls.
Red-tailed Hawk, Raven, Osprey, Eastern Bluebirds, Pileated Woodpecker seen during a float trip down the Conemaugh River from Conemaugh Dam to Saltsburg, 11/10.
Raven in Linn Run Hollow 11/8 & 11/9.
Fox Sparrow 2, White-throated Sparrows, Song Sparrow, Rusty Blackbird 15+, Yellow-rumped Warbler 6+, Mallards, Ring-necked Duck 4, Canada Goose 4 along West Penn Trail Conemaugh River Lake, 11/3.
Tundra Swan 300+, Scaup 50~, Bufflehead 4m 4f, Ruddy Duck 50~, American Widgeon 5, Coot 50~ at Derry Lake, 11/1.
Raven 2, Red-tailed Hawk 2, Turkey Vultures, Hairy Woodpecker 2 Linn Run Hollow, 10/31.
At Jacobs Creek Park (Greenlick Run) in Fayette County a party of three local birders reported seeing 3 Brant, 75+ Snow Geese, 9 Tundra Swan, 4 Black Scoter, 15 Double-crested Cormorant, 1 Caspian Tern, 2 Bonaparte Gull, 50+ Common Loon (calling), 2 Pintail, 7 Wood Duck, 8 Gadwall, 4 Greater Yellowleg, 3 Dunlin, 2 Killdeer, 50+ Hooded Merganser, 25+ Black Duck, 10/31.
At Derry Lake the morning of Oct. 31 another birder reported seeing 100~ Ruddy Ducks, 25- Wigeon, Scaup, Ring-necked Duck, Bufflehead, Hooded Merganser, Green-winged Teal, Mallard, Coot, Black Duck, 50 Tundra Swans, 5 Double-crested Cormorant, 3 Pied-billed Grebe, and a Caspian Tern. At Latrobe Reservoir 50 Ruddy Duck, 10 Black Duck, 10 Hooded Merganser, a Canada Goose, a few Mallard. At Donegal Lake: 15 Green-winged Teal, 4 Bufflehead, 100 Ruddy Duck, 5 Coot, 5 Bonaparte's Gulls, 25 Hooded Merganser, 25 Scaup species, 25 Ring-necked Duck, 10 Black Duck, 1 Great Egret, 1 Great Blue Heron. At Acme Reservoir: 16 Hooded Merganser, 1 Pied-billed Grebe, 4 Widgeon, 50 Mallard, 4 Ruddy Duck. The weather the night before was a mixture of low thick cloud cover, mist, fog, drizzle, and an ice storm at higher elevations (2500+ft).
Black Scoter 16 (4m, 12f/i), Double-crested Cormorant 11, American Coot 6+ at Derry Lake, 10/30. Overcast sky, low cloudcover, persistant drizzle (ice at higher elevations), fog, is bringing down migrating birds.
Osprey 1im, Spotted Sandpiper at Keystone State Park. 10/26. The Osprey caught a Gizzard Shad in the marsh end of the lake. During a kayak float down the Conemaugh River from Conemaugh Dam to Saltsburg: Raven, Red-tailed Hawk, Belted Kingfisher, Carolina Wren, Great Blue Heron, Wild Turkey (a flock of 2 dozen~ flew across river), Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Yellow-shafted Flicker, Pileated Woodpecker, Turkey Vulture, Eastern Bluebird, Tufted Titmouse, Mallards, 10/26.
Sandhill Crane 1, Double-crested Cormorants 23, Great Blue Heron 1, Red-tailed Hawk 2, White-throated Sparrows at Conemaugh River Lake, 10/22. The cormorants were in two groups of 11 & 12 a couple miles apart.
A male Kestrel perched on the antenna atop the Citizens (Mellon) Bank building in downtown Latrobe, 10/21.
An adult Sandhill Crane at Conemaugh River Lake, resting & preening at a backwater marshy area on the Indiana County side of the river. Just after 3 pm the Crane took to flight, heading north over Aultmans Run. The Crane gained altitude & began circling & soaring, gaining more altitude, then began a long gradual glide towards the area between Lewisville & Clarksburg in Indiana County. Also 15 Wood Ducks, 10/20.
An immature Osprey hunting Keystone State Park lake 10/18.
Osprey 2, Winter Wren, Eastern Phoebe, Yellow-rumped Warblers, Eastern Bluebirds, Belted Kingfisher, Flicker (heard), at Loyalhanna Lake, 10/15. An Osprey caught a fish when I arrived. Two hours later an Osprey caught a fish as I was leaving. A Mockingbird along Bush Rd at Mannitto golf course.
Turkey Vulture, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Coopers Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Raven 2 soaring over Linn Run Hollow, Winter Wren 1. Osprey, American Goldfinch, Mockingbird 2, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Coot, Pied-billed Grebe, Great Blue Heron, Killdeer 30+ at Keystone State Park, 10/14.
Two Great Horned Owl hooting in woods near Latrobe, 10/13.
Osprey, Cormorant (1 overhead), Great Horned Owl (2 hooting) at Loyalhanna Lake, 10/12.
An adult Sandhill Crane at Conemaugh River Lake at backwater mudflats seen from the stone arch bridge near Livermore Cemetery, 10/9. A Raccoon swam across the river. A buck White-tailed Deer mosied along the shoreline.
A Great Blue Heron fishing in water up to its belly. The heron caught a fish big enough to keep the heron's head underwater for a few seconds. The heron carried the fish (I was at close range & could see the fish was a 12"~ Gizzard Shad) to the shore & dropped the fish on land, where it flopped around. The heron speared the fish through with a powerful thrust. (gizzard shad have vertically flattened bodies). The fish was stuck on the heron's bill. The heron swallowed the fish whole after the spearing. An Osprey took a fish from the lake. Keystone State Park, 10/8.
A group of six Eastern Bluebirds foraging in open grassy areas of Keystone State Park, 10/7. Around an hour after sunset the day-old crescent moon sets behind a distant wooded hill, in a clear sky.
An Osprey at Keystone State Park takes a fish from the lake, 10/6.
Winter Wren along Linn Run near Fish Run on Laurel Mtn, 10/5.
Savannah Sparrow, Osprey, Great Blue Heron, Red-tailed Hawk, Turkey Vulture, at Keystone State Park, 10/4. The Savannah Sparrow was on the sandy beach near the water's edge.
Common Nighthawk 1, Wood Ducks 6+, Green-winged Teal 2, Great Blue Heron 5+, Double-crested Cormorant 3, American Woodcock 3, Wild Turkey 1, Screech Owl 6, Great Horned Owl 1, Barred Owl 1 at Loyalhanna Lake while canoeing from 4:30pm to 1:30am, 9/21-22.
An escape Cockateil (male) flying about our neighborhood with a loud, raspy calling. The Cockateil is the normal coloration; grey body, white wing patch, yellow head with red cheek patch. At a distance it looked like a Mourning Dove in size, shape, & type of flight. The loud calling is what caught my attention, 9/18-21.
Eastern Phoebe, American Goldfinch, Pied-billed Grebe 1, Osprey 1 imm, Great Blue Heron 1-2, Belted Kingfisher 2, Screech Owl, Great Horned Owl, Barred Owl, at Loyalhanna Lake 9/16. The owls were heard at twilight & into the nite. A meteor flashed brilliantly while breaking apart in a split second of time.
A Kestrel along No. 10 School Rd in Derry Towneship. An adult Sandhill Crane, Greater Yellowlegs 2, Killdeer, Red-tailed Hawk (imm) at Conemaugh River Lake in backwater mudflats seen from the Livermore Cemetery bridge, 9/13. The crane was first reported by birders doing a shorebird & waterfowl survey 9/12.
An impressive display of Northern Lights occurred 9:30-10:00 PM, 9/7. The whole northern half of the sky had beams of colored light. A wide area of deep pink or rose beams. Other areas had blue-green beams. The beams would fade in & out, & subtly shift in the sky.
An Osprey fishing at Keystone State Park made three dives & came up empty each time, 9/4. The Osprey took a fish yesterday at the lake, 9/3.
An immature Bald Eagle soaring high in the blue sky over the Conemaugh River near Tunnelton, downriver from the dam, the mouth of Boatyard Run. This Bald Eagle is different than the other bald eagles i've seen recently (follow the bald eagle links in this page, links navigate from most recent at top, to bottom). This one had much more white than the others, it matched well the illustration of a white-belly II in the Peterson field guide Hawks of North America, 1st ed. Overall the underneath of the eagle was about half white & half black, alot of messy contrast on the underside wings & body. We watched the eagle soaring for 2 minutes or so. The eagle was soaring on fixed wings, 9/2.
An Osprey hunting & catching fish at Keystone State Park 8/31 & 9/1.
An Osprey at Keystone State Park dove once & caught a fish close to the shoreline at the beach area, 8/30.
Bald Eagle 1, Red-tailed Hawk 10+, Red-headed Woodpecker 2 adult, Spotted Sandpiper 4, Green-backed Heron, Great Blue Heron, Belted Kingfisher, Osprey 1, Turkey Vulture, Cooper's Hawk, Kestrel 2, Crows 20+, at Conemaugh River Lake, 8/27. As late morning thermals formed a flight of hawks & the eagle passed over. The eagle, an immature with white on the belly, & four Red-tailed Hawks worked the same thermal to a far height. Hawks made passes at the eagle.
An immature Peregrine Falcon fly-by low overhead at Keystone State Park, Spotted Sandpiper & Shelduck along Kiskiminetas River upriver of Apollo, Screech Owl & Great-horned Owl heard at dusk at Loyalhanna Lake, 8/26.
A Raven soaring over Rt981 between Latrobe & Rt30, a Broad-winged hawk soaring over 6th ward in Latrobe, 8/25.
A Broad-winged Hawk & a Red-tailed Hawk working the same thermal over 6th ward in Latrobe. Screech Owl & Barred Owl heard at Loyalhanna Lake at nite, 8/23.
Great Blue Heron 6~, Green-backed Heron 1, Belted Kingfisher 1, Osprey 1-2, Killdeer, Spotted Sandpiper, Turkey Vulture, Red-tailed Hawk seen on the Kiskiminetas River during a kayak trip from Saltsburg to Apollo, 8/22. Most of the fish-eating birds were seen within a few miles of the mouth of the Loyalhanna Creek.
Mallards, Wood Ducks 5, Green-backed Heron 4, Solitary Sandpiper 1, Peep (sandpiper) 1, Great Blue Heron 1 at Keystone State Park, 8/20.
A story: This afternoon (8/19) at Keystone State Park I witnessed a life & death struggle between a Mallard & a Snapping Turtle. I was driving across the causeway & noticed ducks in the marsh end of the lake. I turned around & parked at the causeway lot. With binocs & spotting scope I watched female mallards & wood ducks at a log on the near shoreline. Painted turtles were basking at a couple locations. Other painted turtles were moving around. There were Killdeer, Green-backed Herons, & a Solitary Sandpiper. Dragonflies were busy patrolling back & forth. An Amber-winged Dragonfly perched on the stem of an aquatic smartweed. Some ducks were dabbling in the shallows, others were basking on the shoreline. At the opposite shoreline of the marsh the flapping of a mallard caught my attention. A mallard bathing, I thought, or two mallards having a tussle. Looking through the binocs it became apparent the mallard was trying to fly but was caught on something. Perhaps a tangle of fishing line. It took some moments of watching the mallard, an adult female, trying to fly without success for me to realize that a snapping turtle might be the cause. Other ducks, Mallards & Wood Ducks, were attracted by the mallard's commotion. They swam near to the mallard that was struggling. They watched, some from in the water, some from on shore, with what appeared to be a mixture of bewilderment, confusion, curiosity. The mallard was fighting against some unseen & unknown force hidden in the muck beneath the water's surface. The struggle was taking place in shallow water a couple inches deep no more than 10 feet from shore, just out from the shoreline picnic table near the wetlands observation deck. The silty bottom muck is about a foot deep. The thought crossed my mind that I could wade out & rescue the mallard. I had done so once with a canada goose that was being held by a snapping turtle in the Loyalhanna Creek in Latrobe a few years back, though in that case I thought the Goose was caught in an old muskrat trap. From that experience I learned that freeing a duck being held by a snapper can be relatively easy. Grab the turtle's tail & start pulling. The turtle will let go. It was a tough choice to make. Take action to help the mallard, which doesn't help the turtle; or do nothing, which helps the turtle (so-to-speak), but doesn't help the mallard. I decided to let wild nature take its course.
The turtle remained hidden in the mucky bottom. The turtle had hold of the mallard's foot or leg. The mallard kept trying to move away, but couldn't. The turtle's movements were minimal downward tugs that countered the mallards efforts to escape. I don't know exactly how long it took, somewhere between 15 minutes to a half hour, before the struggle was over. The last time the mallard's head was above water it was smothered in muck. The mallard's final flurry of struggle was on her back, free leg flailing in the air, trying to roll or twist herself free. She died on her back with her head under water, from exhaustion as much as from drowning. It wasn't until after the struggle was over that the turtle became visible, raising his/her head out of the water beside the mallard.
After spending an hour or so at the beach I returned to the picnic table before leaving the park. The mallard was in the same spot, upside down & dead, an amber-winged dragonfly perched on her body. The snapping turtle was gone. Beside the mallard there was a depression in the muck where the turtle had been.
The next day there was no sign of the mallard, other than a few feathers left on the water.
A dead Crow found in Latrobe last month (July) tested positive for the West Nile Virus, the first confirmed case of the virus in Westmoreland County. The Crow was found on Ave. C in the 5th ward section of town. Two other birds have been found dead in the city, a Bluejay found on Madison Street in 5th ward, a Grackle found on Sloan Ave. in 4th ward, as of 8/15.
Great Blue Heron 2+, Belted Kingfisher, Red-tailed Hawk 3, Crows, Osprey 1, Cormorant 1, Eastern Wood Pewee, Green-backed Heron 1, Spotted Sandpiper 1, Turkey Vulture at Loyalhanna Lake, 8/11.
An adult Bald Eagle at Conemaugh River Lake, 8/9. The eagle flew past low over the river at Aultmans Run, began soaring above a steep hillside. A Red-tailed Hawk soaring higher above made a downward swoop at the eagle. When the eagle gained altitude he/she headed downriver & out of sight. What a majestic view, seeing the Bald Eagle in the bright sunlight (with the sun to my back) against the dark hillside & then against the clear blue sky. Moments later I saw 3 Redheaded Woodpeckers, an immature & 2 adults, in dead trees across the river from Aultmans Run. Other birds; Belted Kingfishers, Eastern Kingbird, Great Blue Heron, Turkey Vultures, House Wren. Some small shorebirds (too skittish & flighty to ID with binocs). A Northern Watersnake. The next day, Sat. Aug. 10, a kayaker saw an adult Bald Eagle perched in a Sycamore tree along the Kiskiminetas downriver from Saltsburg. The eagle then flew upriver.
Louisiana Waterthrush (heard), Red-eyed Vireo, American Redstart, Black-capped Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Eastern Wood Pewee, Hummingbird (f), Raven 2, Turkey Vulture 2, Red-tailed Hawk 1, Broad-winged Hawk 1, Black Timber Rattlesnake 2, Eastern Milk Snake 1, at an undisclosed location on Laurel Ridge. Osprey, Belted Kingfishers at Conemaugh River Lake, 8/8. A fisherman told me the Osprey had a nest in a tree. Pointing his fishing pole downriver to two large sycamore trees, "It's in one of those trees", he said, adding "I bring my boat down here often." I asked him how many young did the Osprey have, & he said he didn't know. I checked the trees out at close range & sure enough there is a Large nest in one of them, a partially dead sycamore that leans out over the water, on the Indiana County side of the river. Something to keep an eye on next year.
Osprey, Great Blue Heron 2, Belted Kingfisher 3, Spotted Sandpiper 1 at Loyalhanna lake, 8/2.
At Keystone State Park one Osprey 7/28, a Broad-winged Hawk 7/30.
Yellow-throated Warbler, Eastern Kingbird, Belted Kingfisher, Yellow-billed Cuckoo (fly-by), Acadian Flycatcher along Conemaugh River in Tunnelton, 7/27. The Yellow-throated Warblers were singing a second song suggestive of a version of American Redstart song. Mockingbird along Bush Rd at Mannitto golf course. Seventeen White-tailed Deer, 8 were bucks.
A Red-tailed Hawk perched on an antenna atop the Manor Highrise on Jefferson St in downtown Latrobe. Spotted Sandpiper, an adult & down-feathered young; Yellow-billed Cuckoo (heard), Great Blue Heron 5, Great Crested Flycatcher (heard), at Conemaugh River Lake, 7/26.
Two Raven flying over Saint Vincent Lake. Eighteen species of Dragonfly & Damselfly were identified during a club outing at the St. V. wetlands, 7/21.
Birds heard while canoeing Loyalhanna Lake; Great Blue Heron, Great-crested Flycatcher, Eastern Kingbird, Red-eyed Vireo, Eastern Wood Pewee, Acadian Flycatcher, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Blue Jay, Crow, Carolina Wren, Great Horned Owl, Screech Owl, Song Sparrow, Wood Duck, American Woodcock (taking to flight), Spotted Sandpiper, Killdeer, Pileated Woodpecker, Gray Catbird, Eastern Bluebird, Cedar Waxwing, Scarlet Tanager, American Goldfinch, Wood Thrush, 7/20.
Wood Thrushes, Grasshopper Sparrows, Field Sparrow, Kestrel (m), Red-tailed Hawk, Barn Swallows, Chimney Swifts, Wild Turkey, Owl (1 screeching, probably a Great Horned Owl), a six point buck in velvet, in local woods & fields, 7/19.
A young Osprey has fledged from one of the nests in the county sometime after 7/11 & before 7/19.
Birds seen & heard on a sunise walk in local woods, Hooded Warbler, White-eyed Vireo, Eastern Towhee, Wood Thrush, Robins, Red-eyed Vireo, Blue Jays, Crows, Tufted Titmouse, Black-capped Chickadee, Carolina Wren, House Wren, Cardinal, Indigo Bunting, 7/17.
An Osprey, Woodducks 15, Spotted Sandpiper 2, Belted Kingfisher at Conemaugh River Lake. Great Blue Heron, Green-backed Heron, Eastern Kingbird, Mockingbird, American Goldfinch at Keystone State Park, 7/16.
Indigo Bunting, Field Sparrow, Prairie Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, White-eyed Vireo, American Goldfinch, Scarlet Tanager, Wood Thrush, Carolina Wren, House Wren, Gray Catbird, Eastern Towhee, Mourning Dove, Rock Dove, Red-tailed Hawk, Barn Swallow, Blue Jay in woods & fields near the village of Mutual, 7/15.
Bald Eagle an immature (dark belly) circling above Keystone State Park. An adult Bald Eagle at Conemaugh River Lake, perched in a dead tree at the river's edge, upriver on the right-hand side from the 2rd bridge east of Bow Ridge, 7/13.
An American Woodcock flushed from a woodlot path in the village of Mutual, 7/12.
Savannah Sparrow, Grasshopper Sparrow, Field Sparrow, Vesper Sparrow, Bobolink, Kestrel (family) in grasslands of a reclaimed stripmine 5 miles northwest of Donegal Lake, 7/11. Three young Osprey & two adults in nest at the lake.
A male Kestrel using the top of an antenna as a hunting perch atop the Mellon Bank building in downtown Latrobe, 7/9.
Two Common Nighthawks in downtown Latrobe, 7/8.
A gull seen over the lower lake at Twin Lakes County Park during the Westmoreland Arts & Heritage Festival, 7/4.
Whip-poor-will 2 heard singing, Box Turtle, atop Chestnut Ridge above Derry (Y-St). Eastern Kingbird 2 (nest), Great Blue Heron 1, Green-backed Heron (heard), Sewickley Creek Wetlands, 6/28.
Least Flycatchers, Barred Owl (2 explosive barking calls), Veery, Hermit Thrush, Winter Wren, Canada Warbler, American Redstart, Black-throated Blue Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler, young Opossum in small tree , Box Turtle, at Linn Run Hollow, Laurel Summit, Fish Run Trail, & Weaver Road, 6/24.
Yellow-billed Cuckoo 2, Raven (heard), Eastern Kingbird, Eastern Wood Pewee, Acadian Flycatcher, Great-crested Flycatcher, Eastern Phoebe, Double-crested Cormorant 7, Great Blue Heron 3, Belted Kingfisher 1, Conemaugh River Lake 6/20.
Yellow-crowned Night Heron 1, Green-backed Heron 3, Great Blue Herons, Brown Thrasher 1, Yellow-shafted Flicker, Pileated Woodpecker, at an undisclosed location, 6/19. The Night Heron was seen when two kids walked thru the area causing birds to flush from the marsh.
Hooded Merganser 1f w/4 young (same as reported 6/8), Wood Duck 1 family, Hooded Warbler, Kentucky Warbler, Louisianna Waterthrush in two of the railroad cuts along West Penn Bicycle Trail, Black & White Warbler a male sang for 5 minutes without moving from an exposed perch in a dead tree, Yellow-throated Warbler, American Redstart, Spotted Sandpiper, Great-crested Flycatcher, Acadian Flycatcher, Eastern Kingbird, Double-crested Cormorant 6 perched in dead trees to roost for the nite, Conemaugh River Lake 6/18.
Osprey 3 young & 2 adults in nest. A third adult was present. Swamp Sparrow, 3 singing at Donegal Lake 6/17. Three female Spiny Softshell Turtles basking on rocks in Loyalhanna Creek in downtown Latrobe.
Birds coming to a feeder in 6th ward of Latrobe during June; Cardinal male & female feeding 2 young, Eastern Towhee, American Goldfinch, House Sparrows, House Finches, Chipping Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Common Grackle, Blue Jay, Tufted Titmouse, Downy Woodpecker, Mourning Dove, White-breasted Nuthatch.
Kentucky Warbler, Eastern Wood Pewee, Wood Thrush at Nature Park between Rt30 & Donohoe Road, Greensburg, 6/13.
An Osprey nest with 2 adults & 1 young, Westmoreland County, 6/9.
At Conemaugh River Lake; a family of Hooded Merganser, 1 female w/5 young; two families of Wood Duck; 1 female w/6 young, 1 female w/4 young. 6/8.
At a heronry in the county (undisclosed location) eight nests could be seen with a total of 25 young herons present, and 10 adults. More nests are present but hard to see because of trees with leaves. In April, before the leaves came out, 11 nests were seen. 6/7.
Savannah Sparrow, Vesper Sparrow, Eastern Meadowlark, Killdeer, Red-winged Blackbird, Common Grackle, Crow, Rock Dove, Mourning Dove, Orchard Oriole 6+, Purple Martin (at Martin houses) along farmland backroads between Kecksburg & the PA Turnpike. Swamp Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Spotted Sandpiper, Yellow Warbler, White-breasted Nuthatch, Red-winged Blackbird, Willow Flycatcher, Cardinal, Warbling Vireo (singing from nest), Saint Vincent wetlands in Latrobe, 6/3.
American Redstart, Hooded Warbler, Prairie Warbler, Black & White Warbler, Cuckoo, Turkey Vulture, Eastern Phoebe, also 5 Timber Rattlesnakes (3 yellow, 2 black), 1 Northern Copperhead, 4 Fence Lizards, 1 American Toad, at an undisclosed location, 6/1.
Whip-poor-will singing after sunset at a ridge road above Derry. Osprey, Double-crested Cormorant, Spotted Sandpiper 4, Warbling Vireo, Northern Oriole, Cardinal, a Box Turtle, 17-year Cicada droning, at Loyalhanna Lake, 5/30.
Orchard Oriole, Brown Thrasher, Grasshopper Sparrow, Hairy Woodpecker, Indigo Bunting, Cedar Waxwing, Rough-winged Swallow, Rufous-sided Towhee along Slag Rd near Keystone State Park & Rt981, 5/29. The 17 year cicada brood beginning to drone.
A young Great Horned Owl being harrassed by Blue Jays. Grasshopper Sparrow, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Common Night Hawk. Three buck (antlers growing) White-tailed Deer, one Doe, Box Turtle, in woods & fields west of Latrobe, 5/27.
Green-backed Heron, families of Canada Geese, Wood Ducks (some taking flight from perches in trees), Hooded Merganser 1f, Red-tailed Hawk young in nest soon to fledge, Turkey Vulture perched at tree at a rock outcrop overlooking the creek, Eastern Kingbird in nest high in Sycamore tree, Barn Swallow nests on underside of bridges, Spotted Sandpiper, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Eastern Phoebe young in nest on the side of a large boulder (a worn chiselled engaving in the rock says W. J. 1831), along Loyalhanna Creek seen during a kayak trip from Latrobe to New Alexandria, 5/27.
Dunlin 2 (in breeding plumage), Spotted Sandpiper 1, Wilson's Warbler 1 (singing), White-eyed Vireo, Eastern Phoebe with 2 fledged young, Willow Flycatcher, Yellow Warbler, Mallard female with 6~ young, Wood Duck female with 11 young, at Saint Vincent Wetlands 5/25. Other wildlife; Snapping Turtle, Painted Turtle, Muskrat, Red Squirrel.
Seven Turkey Vultures on the ground at a dead Groundhog in a field along Auen Rd, Yellow-throated Warbler, Prairie Warbler, American Redstart, Indigo Bunting, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Great-crested Flycatcher, Carolina Wren, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Great Blue Heron (vocal), Wood Thrush, American Woodcock (mating flight after sunset) at Conemaugh River Lake, 5/25. First Lightening Bug seen for the season. A brood of cyclical Cicadas beginning to emerge from their underground burrows.
Louisiana Waterthrush 2 carrying food to & from a nest hidden on a steep bank underneath Rhododendron thickets. Further downstream another waterthrush building a nest in an open area of a leafy steep bank, Loyalhanna Creek Gorge in Chestnut Ridge, 5/24.
Bobolink, Grasshopper Sparrow, Savannah Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Chipping Sparrow, Field Sparrow, Warbling Vireo (singing from nest in Red Maple), Brown Thrasher 2, Willow Flycatcher, Eastern Phoebe (nest in coke oven), Tree Swallow, Barn Swallow, Rough-winged Swallow, Bank Swallow, Yellow Warbler, Eastern Meadowlark, Common Loon, Green-backed Heron at Mammoth County Park, many in the vicinity of the coke ovens, 5/22. Along backroads in the area; Mockingbird 3, Turkey Vulture, Cedar Waxwing, Eastern Kingbird, Common Nighthawk, Vesper Sparrow.
Hermit Thrush, Veery, American Redstart, Broad-winged Hawk, White-breasted Nuthatch, Red-eyed Vireo, Chipping Sparrow, Robin along Summit Road on Laurel Mountain between Linn Run & Rt30, 5/21. Nights of freezing temperatures & record lows have shriveled & blackened the leaves of many ferns, the fertile fronds of Cinnamon Ferns, wildflowers, & the sprouting leaves of trees. The Hermit Thrush were singing. Not many birds singing because of the cold.
Blackpoll Warbler in the pine trees on the downhill ski slopes at Boyce Park, Monroeville, 5/19. Also Chestnut-sided Warbler, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Northern Orioles, Tufted Titmouse, Cardinals, Robins, Crows. Four Ring-billed Gulls in Monroeville business district along Rt22.
A Screech Owl being scolded by Chickadees & Titmice in a spruce tree on Chestnut Ridge, 5/17.
Acadian Flycatcher, Eastern Wood Pewee, Eastern Phoebe, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Yellow Warbler, Yellow-breasted Chat, Song Sparrow, Tufted Titmouse, American Goldfinch, Cedar Waxwing, Northern Oriole, Yellow-shafted Flicker 2 west of New Alexandria along the Loyalhanna Creek. Horned Lark 3, Vesper Sparrow 2 along Sherwood Rd west of Crabtree. Common Loon (winter plumage) at Derry Lake, 5/15. One Eastern Milk snake on the Twin Maple ridge road above Derry. Spring Peepers peeping atop the ridge.
Blackburnian Warbler on Chestnut Ridge, 5/14. Pink Lady Slipper orchids (200+) blooming. After sunset a thin crescent moon near Venus. Young Red-tailed Hawk in a nest along the Loyalhanna Creek between Latrobe & New Alexandria.
Golden-winged Warbler, Worm-eating Warbler, Hooded Warbler, Kentucky Warbler, Black & White Warbler, Yellow-throated Warbler on Chestnut Ridge in Loyalhanna Gorge. Common Nighthawk in Latrobe, 5/12.
Spotted Sandpiper 3, Least Sandpiper 1, Red-headed Woodpecker 1, Parula Warbler, Yellow-throated Warbler, Kentucky Warbler, Blue-winged Warbler, Magnolia Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler, Hooded Warbler, Cerulean Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Eastern Kingbird at Conemaugh River Lake. Yellow-breasted Chat, Osprey, Warbling Vireo, Rose-breasted Grosbeak (male making nest) at Loyalhanna Lake, 5/11.
Black-throated Blue Warbler, Turkey Vultures, Red-tailed Hawk, Veery, Broad-winged Hawk at Linn Run Hollow & Laurel Summit. Solitary Sandpiper at Spruce Flats Bog, 5/10.
Least Flycatcher, Great-crested Flycatcher, Brown Thrasher, Kentucky Warbler, Hooded Warbler, Yellow Warbler, Red-eyed Vireo, Spotted Sandpiper, Gray Catbirds, along Creekside Trail in Latrobe, 5/7.
Solitary Sandpiper 5, Spotted Sandpiper 1, small Peeps 3, Lesser Yellowlegs 1 at Saint Vincent wetlands. Rose-breasted Grosbeak 1m at yard feeder in Latrobe, 5/6.
Parula Warbler 3, Cerulean Warbler, Blue-winged Warbler, Prairie Warbler 3, Black & White Warbler, Kentucky Warbler, Hooded Warbler, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Indigo Bunting, Red-tailed Hawk 3, White-eyed Vireo, Carolina Wren, Tree Swallows, Wood Thrush, Gray Catbird, Conemaugh Dam & Bow Ridge, 5/5. A Black Racer snake.
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 1m, Turkey Vultures, Blue-headed Vireo 2, Eastern Phoebe, American Redstart 1m, Raven, Red-tailed Hawk, Great Horned Owl (harassed by Crows) in the Conemaugh River - Laurel Ridge Gorge (rt56 & rt403), 5/4. Also one Black Racer snake. The five naked-eye planets seen in the hour after sunset.
From a vantage point near Latrobe that offers a low western horizon & fairly dark sky a friend & I watched the naked-eye planetary display of Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Mars, & Mercury. All five planets were visible in the western half of the sky after sunset. Sunset was at approximately 8:15 pm. The planets became visible in the order of their brightness. Venus was the first to become visible, while the sky was still bright with sunlight. Then Jupiter became visible. Then Saturn. Mercury & Mars became naked-eye visible at 8:45 pm, both being approximately the same brightness. Mercury was high enough above the horizon to be in the blue of the twilight sky, just above the orange-red colors of sunset. Venus, Saturn, & Mars formed a triangle & were close enough to be seen at the same time thru wide angle 8x40 binoculars. Jupiter was off by himself. Mercury was naked-eye visible for over an hour, setting at 10:07 pm.
Hooded Warbler, Kentucky Warbler, White-eyed Vireo, Eastern Phoebe, Rose-breasted Grosbeak (1f), Northern Orioles (2m1f) in Ann Saxman Nature Park, 5/3.
A Broad-winged Hawk over Unity Street near Cramer Heights section of Latrobe. Least Flycatcher, Northern Oriole, Carolina Wren, House Wren, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Belted Kingfisher along Creekside Trail in Latrobe, 5/2.
Ovenbirds , Black-throated Green Warbler, Yellow-shafted Flicker, Ravens (a pair grappling in the air) on Chestnut Ridge (Baggeley). A Tufted Titmouse collecting nest material from inside the hollowed out bottom of a Sycamore tree. Spotted Sandpiper, Belted Kingfishers, Red-tailed Hawks along Loyalhanna Creek in Latrobe, 5/1. Pairs of Kingfishers have borrows dug into the creekbank at various (at least 3) locations along the creek. A Red-tailed Hawk is sitting on a nest.
Blue-winged Warbler at 3rd bridge, Latrobe, 4/30. Wildflower Golden Alexander blooming.
American Redstart 1 male along Four Mile Run Rd in Ligonier Valley. An Osprey sitting on nest in Donegal Lake. Wildflowers: Wild Oats, Greek Valerian, Wood-Betany, Dog Violet, Spring Cress, Marsh Marigold (hundreds of plants blooming in wetland along a small stream off a dirt backroad), 4/29/02.
Red-headed Woodpecker, Northern Oriole, Yellow-throated Warbler, Osprey, Red-tailed Hawk, Rufous-sided Towhee, Eastern Bluebird, Turkey Vulture, Cormorant, Rough-winged Swallows at Conemaugh River Lake 4/28.
On a WBNC outing: At Ann Saxman Nature Park; White-eyed Vireo, Warbling Vireo (heard), Scarlet Tanager (heard), Yellow Warbler (heard), Hooded Warbler (heard), Carolina Wren, American Goldfinch, Gray Catbird (heard), Red-tailed Hawk. Wildflowers blooming: Rue-Anemone, Marsh Marigold, Spring Cress, Golden Ragwort.
At Saint Vincent Wetlands; Solitary Sandpiper 2, Palm Warbler 3, Broad-winged Hawk 1, Turkey Vultures, Raven 2, Swamp Sparrow (seen & heard singing), Virginia Rail 2 (heard & seen), Baltimore Oriole (heard), 4/27. Altogether we had over 50 bird species.
Tree Swallows, Cliff Swallows, Barn Swallows, Rough-winged Swallows, Chimney Swifts, White-eyed Vireo, Brown Thrasher, Gray Catbird, Yellow Warbler, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, House Wren, American Goldfinch, Field Sparrow, Kestrel, Belted Kingfisher at 3rd bridge on the Loyalhanna Creek downstream of Latrobe, 4/26. The swallows were flying over the wetlands built last year.
Osprey 2, Cormorant 1, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 1pr nest-building, Wood Ducks 1pr, Ruddy Duck 1m in breeding plumage, at Loyalhanna Lake, 4/24.
Wildflowers on Chestnut Ridge above Hillside, 4/20: Rue-Anemone, Hepatica, Trailing Arbutus, Early Saxifrage, Pennywort.
Chimney Swifts in the village of Pleasant Unity, 4/19.
Greater Yellowlegs 1, Barn Swallow 1, Red-tailed Hawk 1 (2nd yr) at Keystone State Park, Blue-winged Teal 2pr at 3rd bridge wetlands just outside Latrobe. Purple Finches on Laurel Ridge above Laughlintown, 4/19.
White-eyed Vireo heard in Latrobe. Brown Thrasher, Black-throated Green Warbler at Braddock's Trail Park. Purple Martins 3, Warbling Vireo (heard) along Youghiogheny River in North Huntingdon Township (off Turner Valley Rd). Wood Thrush (heard), Pileated Woodpecker, Belted Kingfisher, Louisiana Waterthrush at Cedar Creek Park, 4/17. Wildflowers at Braddocks: Blue-eyed Mary (thousands carpeting the ground), White Trillium, Red Trillium, Drooping Trillium, Kidneyleaf Buttercups, Garlic Mustard, Canada Violet, Blue Violet, Spring Larkspur, Yellow Violet, Squirrel-corn, Dutchman's Breeches, Spring Beauty, Cut-leaved Toothwort, Toothwort, Trout Lily, Rue-anemone, Squawroot, Blue Phlox, Hepatica, Yellow Corydalis, Purple Dead-nettle Mint, Gill-over-the-ground Mint, Periwinkle, Coltsfoot, Jack-in-the-pulpit, Bloodroot, Virginia Bluebell (a few), Star Chickweed. Wildflowers at Cedar Creek: Virginia Bluebells (Cowslips) by the thousands, Twinleaf, Drooping Trilliums, Wild Geranium, Large-flowered Bellwort, Early Meadow-rue, Miterwort.
One Greater Yellowlegs at Keystone State Park beach, Rough-winged Swallows over Loyalhanna Creek in Latrobe, 4/16.
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Yellow-throated Warbler, Great Blue Heron, Eastern Phoebe along Little Sewickley Creek near Herminie 4/14. Flowers blooming: Spring Beauty, Trout Lily, Bloodroot, White Trillium, Red Trillium, Hepatica, Yellow Corydalis, Gill-over-the-ground, Wild Ginger, Blue Phlox, Dutchman's Breeches, Toothwort, Cut-leaved Toothwort, Garlic Mustard, Early Meadow Rue, Coltsfoot.
Louisiana Waterthrush, Field Sparrow, Brown Thrasher, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Red-shouldered Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Eastern Phoebe at Loyalhanna Lake (first four species were singing). The sapsucker was tapping rows of holes into tree branches & drinking the sap, revisiting holes as they refilled with sap. One large owl in flight through the woods (probably a Great Horned Owl). Meadowlark (heard), Mockingbird along Atlantic Rd, 4/11. Spring beauties & Bloodroots blooming.
Louisiana Waterthrush at Linn Run, 4/10.
Chipping Sparrows have arived in our yard, 4/9.
Carolina Wren, Brown Creeper 2-4, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 1f, Tufted Titmouse, Chickadees (at two nest hole sites), Yellow-shafted Flickers 2, Downy Woodpecker, Red-tailed Hawk 2+, Cooper's Hawk near nest in pines, Sharp-shinned Hawks, Wild Turkey, Cardinals, Golden-crowned Kinglets (singing), Rufous-sided Towhee, Eastern Phoebe, Turkey Vultures, Robins, Dark-eyed Juncoes. Some owl pellets (fur & bone) on the ground. Pileated Woodpecker workings. It was a nice, sunny spring day and most birds were singing, in Pitcairn & Monroeville, 4/7.
Winter Wren seen scurrying in & out of various holes of an old hollowed stump; Towhee, Carolina Wren, Screech Owl heard in woods near Latrobe, 4/6. A Canada Goose sitting on nest on pier of double arch railroad bridge spanning Loyalhanna Creek, can be seen from the Lloyd Avenue (Rt981) bridge. A dusk the planets Venus, Mars, Saturn, & Jupiter visible in the western sky.
An Osprey, eating a fish, at Loyalhanna Lake. Also Tree Swallows, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Wood Ducks, Eastern Phoebe, Turkey Vulture, Red-tailed Hawk, Tufted Titmice. Eastern Bluebird 1pr at Keystone State Park, 4/2.
Green-winged Teal (5m 3f), Pintail (1m 2f), Wood Ducks, Mallards, Canada Geese,
Great Blue Heron 9 at the Herminie wetlands 3/28. Snow Trilliums blooming.
Waterfowl at Derry Lake, 3/26, Common Loon 7, Red-breasted Merganser 47 (4m), Horned Grebe 6+, Pied-bill Grebe 1+, Ringneck Duck 1m 3f
Hooded Merganser, a lone male on Loyalhanna Creek in Latrobe. A Red-tailed Hawk sitting on nest at edge of town, 3/24.
Two Great Horned Owl heard & seen at Saint Vincent Lake, Latrobe, 3/17.
Eastern Phoebe heard, Fox Sparrow seen, at separate locations near Walton Tea Room Road (south of Rt30 between Greensburg & Jeanette), 3/15.
Two Turkey Vulture in the Loyalhanna Gorge, Chestnut Ridge, 3/7.
Kestrel, 1f 1m, hovering & hunting in strong winds over fields along Rt981 just north of Rt22 in New Alexandria. The female caught a vole, flying with her catch to a power line. A male landed beside her on the wire, appearring to want the catch. The female would have nothing of sharing her price, and the male flew off to hover over the field for himself, 3/3.
Eastern Bluebirds 3 (2m1f), Kestrel 1f, Pileated Woodpecker, Great Horned Owl, Screech Owl (last 3 species heard) in woods & fields west of Latrobe, 2/23.
A recently built Raven's nest in the Laurel Highlands, 2/16.
A Winter Wren in woods west of Latrobe, 2/15.
Two Brown Creepers in woods along Loyalhanna Creek near New Alexandria, 2/9. Also a Yellow-shafted Flicker, Pileated Woodpecker, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Belted Kingfisher, Red-tailed Hawks.
Two American Woodcock heard peenting, one seen in flight, in fields along Loyalhanna Creek near New Alexandria, 2/7. Also a Pileated Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Red-bellied Woodpecker.
Flock of 20~ gulls seen flying north over Westmoreland Mall, 1/27.
Two Ravens at Laurel Mtn ski slopes parking lot. Winter Wren, Robins in woods west of Latrobe. 1/23.
Great Horned Owl & Screech Owl heard in woods west of Latrobe, 1/22.
Yellow-rumped Warbler at suet, Brown-headed Cowbird (m) at feeder in Latrobe, 1/18.
Two Raven over Laurel Mountain Ski Slopes, 1/16.
Five Robins in Latrobe, 1/13.
Killeer 1, Eastern Bluebirds 4, Red-bellied Woodpecker 1, at Bush Recreation Area, Loyalhanna Lake; Kestrels, Common Grackles, Red-tailed Hawk at Crabtree; 1/12
Birds seen while cross-country skiing on 6+ inches of fresh snow (first of season) Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Black-capped Chickadees, Golden-crowned Kinglets, Brown Creepers 2, Tufted Titmouse, Downy & Hairy Woodpeckers, White-breasted Nuthatch, Dark-eyed Juncoe; Tree, Song & Field Sparrows at Keystone State Park, 1/7.
Swamp Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Kestrel, at St Vincent. Two Belted Kingfishers, Golden-crowned Kinglets along Loyalhanna Creek in the Chestnut Ridge Gorge, 1/3.
One Robin, Black-capped Chickadee, Blue Jay, White-breasted Nuthatch, American Goldfinch, House Sparrows, House Finches, Starlings; Hairy, Downy, & Red-bellied Woodpeckers in a yard with feeders in Latrobe, 1/1.