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Navigating through seasonal changes

“I feel like I am up there flying with them.”

So spoke a birder who had made her way to the top of the observation tower at the Discovery Center last weekend. We had spotted some swifts who were soaring over our heads and were captured by the joy that emanated from their movements across the sky.

We all love birds for different reasons, though I suspect that this sentiment might resonate with many of you. I know it did for me. Birds help us imagine what it might be like to leave the ground and shed whatever burdens that might weigh us down. We can feel like we are flying with them and sense the joy and freedom that comes with their flight.

Fall’s weather pattern shifts will bring with them winds that will propel birds south. They’ll find landscapes like the Kittatinny Ridge where those wind currents create ideal conditions for birds to save energy as they migrate to their winter homes. Below you’ll find information about some of the best places along the Ridge to watch this magic. We also have tours in both Baltimore and Philadelphia where you can experience migration this month.

Enjoy your flight,

--Suzanne

Eastern screech owl in tree. Photo: Heidi Wise

I Bird I Vote Conservation and Policy Summit in Pennsylvania

There are just over three weeks left to register for Audubon Mid-Atlantic's inaugural Pennsylvania I Bird I Vote Conservation Summit! We have a fantastic line-up of policy leaders ready to discuss conservation, renewable energy and, of course, birds in PA. The summit will take place from the afternoon of Friday, October 24th until Saturday October 25th at the Penn Stater Hotel and Conference Center in State College, Pennsylvania. During this gathering of bird lovers from around the state, we will explore the challenges facing birds and their habitats and will present advocacy solutions for attendees to consider. We will learn from Pennsylvania’s environmental champions and will share ideas and experiences from the Audubon community in the commonwealth. Join us! The agenda includes:

Keynote address from Pennsylvania State Ornithologist Sean Murphy of the Pennsylvania Game Commission, who will discuss the State Wildlife Action Plan and the Game Commission’s efforts to increase bird habitat across the state.

Discussions with state conservation and policy leaders including Evan Endres, the Nature Conservancy’s Pennsylvania Director of Government Relations and Policy, and National Parks Conservation Association Senior Program Manager Renee Reber; as well as staff from PennEnvironment, the PA Solar Center, Conservation Voters of PA and more!

Kim Brand, Managing Director of Community Building at National Audubon will lead a discussion on connecting Audubon action at the local level with hemispheric conservation outlined in Audubon's Flight Plan, and how to build a strong community for bird advocacy.

Policy sessions exploring how Pennsylvania factors into federal policy impacts with Federal Affairs Manager Zachary Spencer and Senior Director of Climate Policy Sam Wojcicki of the National Audubon Society, and Andrew Loza, Executive Director of WeConservePA.

Networking with Audubon Mid-Atlantic, Audubon chapters, the Pennsylvania Audubon Council, and community members from across the state.

Friday morning includes an optional field trip for those arriving early; it will be led by a team of Audubon's forestry and conservation experts. The registration fee for both days is $125 and includes all conference sessions, the Friday field trip, a group dinner on Friday, Saturday breakfast and lunch, as well as coffee and snacks on both days. There are limited discounted hotel rooms still available – be sure to use the link that you receive after registration! More information about the summit is available on the registration page. See you in October!

Event information.

Audubon’s Philadelphia Birding Weekend

Philadelphia Birding Weekend is back! From Friday, October 10 through Sunday, October 12, Philadelphia Birding Weekend will welcome all to celebrate birdwatching in the city! Throughout the weekend, birders and nature lovers of all ages are invited to explore both familiar and new birding spots across Philadelphia, right at the peak of fall migration.

Tickets are free! Several trips have already filled, and space is limited for the remaining excursions - so don’t wait to reserve your spot! This year’s trips include Whitby Meadow, where birds are nesting and raising young among Audubon’s recent native plantings; a scenic paddle on the Strawberry Mansion reservoir; and the magnificent Tookany/Tacony-Frankford Watershed.

Celebrate our local birds and nature around Philadelphia’s landscapes during this exciting weekend. Trip details and event registration is available on our website.

Participants on a bird tour.

October Film Screenings in Pennsylvania

On October 15th at 6:00pm, join Audubon at the Discovery Center in Philadelphia for a showing of the documentary “Bird Walk”, a close look at a Montgomery County, Maryland former golf course turned public park. Bird Walk focuses on the birds and birdwatchers who have flocked to this 131-acre site, and on the citizen campaign which lobbied to preserve this open space as a public park. We will be joined, via Zoom, with Director and Filmmaker Cintia Cabib to answer your questions about the documentary! For more information on the event, please visit the registration page here!

On Wednesday, October 22nd, visit the John James Audubon Center from 6:00pm until 8:00pm for a special screening of the short film The Arctic: Our Last Great Wilderness and discover the breathtaking beauty and fragility of this remote ecosystem. After the film, stay for a meaningful discussion about the migratory birds that depend on the Arctic and the urgent efforts of groups like the Alaska Wilderness League to protect this unique environment. Learn how Audubon’s conservation work in Canada connects to federal and state advocacy efforts in the U.S., and how supporting renewable energy policies in Pennsylvania can help protect Arctic habitats and birds like the Tundra Swan, Snow Goose, and so many more. More information and registration here.

Red-winged blackbird on plant. Photo: Griffen Brandt

Travel Along the Kittatinny Ridge during Fall Migration

Fall migration is in full swing across the Mid-Atlantic, and there’s no better place to witness migratory raptors up close than along Pennsylvania’s Kittatinny Ridge! Each year, at least 20 species of raptor take advantage of the Ridge’s thermal air currents to “surf” their way through the commonwealth. Top spots include Waggoner’s Gap in Cumberland and Perry counties - a former Audubon-owned property recently gifted to the Pennsylvania Game Commission; Hawk Mountain in Berks and Schuylkill counties, and Pulpit Rock in Berks County along the Appalachian Trail.

Audubon and partners recently restored a five-acre section of the Hamer Woodlands at Cove Mountain Preserve - an important stopover habitat for migratory birds traveling the Ridge. The area is also open to the public for hiking and birdwatching. During a recent spring migration survey, observers recorded 47 different bird species using the site.

Audubon’s Keith Russell was also recently featured in an article about fall, where he speaks on the current peak of the migration season.

We hope you’ll get outside this month to experience the raptors, songbirds, and many other migratory species making their journey through Pennsylvania’s skies!

Red-shouldered hawk in flight. Photo: Hugh Pendery

Upcoming Events in the Mid-Atlantic

Bird Tour of Lakeland Park in Baltimore

Don’t miss the bird tour of Lakeland Park - one of Baltimore’s green gems and the focus of Audubon’s recent forest restoration project in partnership with the Lakeland community and Baltimore City Department of Rec & Parks. The tour will take place in Baltimore on October 18th, from 8:00am until 9:30am. We will look for feathered friends in this southwest Baltimore park and discuss our partnership to improve the park’s forest for birds and people. Audubon and Baltimore Bird Club experts will lead us in search of avian friends! No experience necessary. Read more about the event and register for your spot here.

Little Sit at the John James Audubon Center

On Sunday, October 26th from 8:00am until 11:00am, the John James Audubon Center will host a Little Sit – a community science event that invites participants to remain in one location and identify birds that fly nearby. Volunteers from the Valley Forge Audubon Society as well as staff from Audubon Mid-Atlantic will be present to lend their expertise. Come for the entire program, for an hour, or just drop in to say hello. The “Little Sit” is a miniature version of a birding “Big Sit”, where observers remain within a 17-foot circle while counting every bird that comes along. This will not be a bird walk – it truly is a bird sit where we let the birds come to us! More information here.

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Audubon Mid-Atlantic
3401 Reservoir Drive, Philadelphia, PA 19121
(610) 990-3431 | audubon.org

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