FEBRUARY PROGRAM

“Endangered, Extinct, and Little Known Birds from the Collections of the Academy of Natural Sciences: Some Remarkable Stories about Avian Diversity”

7:30 PM, Friday, February 17,2023

Upper Dublin Public Library, 520 Virginia Drive, Fort Washington, PA 19034

Jason Weckstein, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Department of Biodiversity, Earth, and Environmental Science, The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University

This meeting was rescheduled from January 20th to February.

This is a hybrid meeting and registration via Eventbrite is necessary to get the ZOOM link or announcements about the meeting. We ask that everyone who may have registered in January to reregister for this February meeting. We encourage everyone to consider attending the  “in-person” meeting but it can also be enjoyed virtually. For more information, go to the Wyncote Audubon website to register via Eventbrite.

FIELD TRIP

MIDDLE CREEK WILDILFE MANAGEMENT AREA,

Sunday, 2:00 PM, February 26, 2023

Join our field trip leader, Judy Stepenaskie, at 2:00 PM at the Middle Creek WMA Visitors Center in Stevens, PA. Witness the spectacle of over 100,000 snow geese gathering on their way north. We’ll also see tundra swans and other waterfowl. We are starting late so that we can watch the huge flocks flying over us, as they move from the lake to the fields in the late afternoon. For those interested in staying till dusk, we’ll look for Short-eared Owls. Please register for this Field Trip with Eventbrite. This will enable us to communicate, via email, any last minute directions or postponement of the field trip in the event of snow or other unforeseen circumstances. This is a joint field trip with the Delaware Valley Ornithological Club.

ABINGTON BIRD TOWN WALK

Tuesday, February 21, 2023, 8:00 AM to 10:00 AM

Lorimer Park from the 800 Welsh Road Parking Lot

Join Jennifer Sherwood, Chair of Abington Bird Town for this monthly bird walk at Lorimer Park. We will walk portions of the Pennypack Trail and trails in Lorimer Park, an official Audubon IBA (Important Bird Area). These walks are being sponsored by the Abington Bird Town, and the Abington Environmental Advisory Council, and supported by the Wyncote Audubon Society. Directions: Meet at the 800 Welsh Road Parking Lot, Huntingdon Valley, PA 19006. This lot is for access to the Pennypack Trail off the intersection of Terwood and Welsh Road.

CHELTENHAM BIRD TOWN WALK

Saturday, February 18, 2023, 8:00 AM to 10:00 AM

Tookany Creek Park from the Central Avenue Parking Lot

Join Judith Gratz for this monthly bird walk at Tookany Creek Park. We will walk portions of the trails along the Tookany Creek in the Park, part of an official Audubon IBA (Important Bird Area). These walks are being sponsored by the Cheltenham Bird Town, and Sustainable Cheltenham, and supported by the Tookany Tacony Watershed Partnership and the Wyncote Audubon Society. Directions: Meet at the Parking Lot at the Central Avenue 

UPPER DUBLIN BIRD TOWN WALK

The Schedule for Walks with Nilesh Shah will resume in April 2023

AUDUBON CLIMATE WATCH

WINTER CYCLE:

January 15 through February 15, 2023

Come join volunteers from the Wyncote Audubon Society as we participate in the upcoming winter cycle of the Audubon Climate Watch Community Science Program. Our volunteers will be conducting a dozen “point counts” in each of ten “Climate Squares” in Philadelphia and Montgomery Counties. Contact Nilesh Shaw, Wyncote Audubon’s Climate Watch Coordinator at wyncoteaudubon@gmail.com if you would like to participate on one of our Climate Watch Teams. 

THE GREAT BACKYARD BIRDCOUNT IS HERE!

PRESIDENTS’ WEEKEND

Friday, February 17^th through Monday, February 20^th

The Great Backyard Bird Count is a worldwide event and an easy way for anyone anywhere to get involved in this community science program. You can count birds in your yard, a local park, school, or just about anywhere for a period of 15 minutes or more. Folks can participate multiple times through the weekend and submit a new checklist each time you count. Details on participation and submitting your observation can be found at birdcount.org. Birds Canada, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the National Audubon Society, and Wild Birds Unlimited sponsor this annual GBBC. You can join Wyncote Audubon in a number of GBBC events through the weekend.

GBBC COMMUNITY EVENT AT FOX CHASE FARM!

8500 Pine Road, Philadelphia, PA 19111

10:00 AM to 2:00 PM Saturday, February 11, 2023 

Wyncote Audubon Volunteers and the staff at Fox Chase Farm are cohosting a Great Back Yard Bird Count Prep Event. This is a family event and will provide activities and information to prepare folks to participate in the GBBC over Presidents’ Weekend.  The Wyncote volunteers will provide information on common winter bird identification, help with making pine cone bird feeders, information about the GBBC, bird walks, information on preventing bird collisions at windows, and more! This is an “open ended” event with a variety of stations for kids, parents, and teachers – stop by and visit the activity centers at any time during the event and/or go on a guided bird walk. Stay as long as you would like! The staff at Fox Chase Farm are reaching out to the teachers and schools they serve and Wyncote Audubon is reaching out to the cadre of Audubon Adventures schools we have supported over the years. Some of the activities will be inside the Fox Chase Farm “classroom” and other stations will be nearby – dress for the weather conditions.

BRIAR BUSH NATURE CENTER GBBC EVENT!

1212 Edgehill Road, Abington, PA 19001

9:30 AM to 11:30 AM, Friday, February 17, 2023

Join our Wyncote Audubon volunteers and Briar Bush staff to kick off Presidents’ Weekend and the GBBC at the Griscom Observatory to conduct counts of the birds visiting the bird feeders at the Briar Bush Nature Center. Learn about the common birds that visit the feeders and help conduct several counts through the morning. Learn how you can participate on your own through the reminder of the weekend from your on house, apartment, or neighborhood.

PRESIDENTS’ DAY BIRD WALK AT TACONY CREEK PARK!

Meet by the Deer Painting on the Trail Near the Park Entrance at Bingham Street and East Ashdale Street, Philadelphia, PA 19120

10:00 AM to 11:30 AM in Tacony Creek Park

Join the Tookany/Tacony Watershed Partnership and the Wyncote Audubon Society for this GBBC Bird Walk in Tacony Creek Park, FREE! We will meet by the deer painting on the trail located near the park entrance at the intersection of Bingham St and E Ashdale St. Open to all families and individuals. Binoculars will be on loan for participants. Learn about some of our common winter birds that frequent the park. Help us with this event on the final day of Presidents’ Weekend and the GBBC! Register Here

Questions? doryan@ttfwatershed.org | 215-744-1853

BIRD SAFE PHILLY

Volunteers Needed for Spring Migration 2023

Members of Wyncote Audubon have been important to the successful 2021 launch of “Lights Out” and “Bird Safe Philly.” We look to expand our efforts in the coming year. Bird Safe Philly is gearing up to be ready for Spring Migration for 2023 and we need VOLUNTEERS! Volunteers are needed from April 1, 2023 through May 31, 2023.



• We need folks willing to give one morning a week at 8:00 AM to transport injured birds, as needed, from center city to the SCEE Wildlife Rehabilitation Clinic
• We also need individuals willing to monitor a walking route from 5:30 AM to 8:00 AM one day a week to collect, document, and transport birds that have perished due to collisions with center city buildings. These casualties are collected by the Academy of Natural Sciences where they are used in ongoing avian research.

To volunteer or learn more details about these opportunities contact Robin Irizarry and Stephanie Egger at wyncoteaudubonsociety@gmail.com. More details about these opportunities are also available at https://www.birdsafephilly.org.

Wyncote Audubon Society | wyncoteaudubonsociety@gmail.com | wyncoteaudubon.org

STAY CONNECTED

Website and Emails for Wyncote Audubon By: