Local Sightings - thanks to Dave DeReamus from LV Audubon Society

NOW FOR THE BIRDS! (It seems that the Blue Grobeaks are making the rounds!)
Sightings from the CHERRY VALLEY N.W.R., Monroe County included:
BLUE GROSBEAK - 1 on 7/22 (near the intersection of Blakeslee and Poplar Valley Roads).
Sightings from the MARTINS CREEK PPL POWER PLANT area, Northampton County
included:
BLUE GROSBEAKS - 2 during this past week.
Sightings from the PEN ARGYL area, Northampton County included:
At the Grand Central landfill:
BLUE GROSBEAK - 1 during this past week.
Sightings from PLAINFIELD TOWNSHIP, Northampton County included:
BLUE GROSBEAK - 1 during this past week (along Bender's Church Road).
Sightings from HEIDELBERG TOWNSHIP, Lehigh County included:
Snow Geese - 2 on 7/21 (along Central Road).
Sightings from NORTH WHITEHALL TOWNSHIP, Lehigh County included Peregrine Falcon - 1 on 7/21 (at Maple and Greenleaf Streets).
Sightings from the ALLENTOWN area, Lehigh County included:
Peregrine Falcon - 1 on 7/20 (at the PPL Building).
Sightings from GREEN LANE RESERVOIR, Montgomery County included:
At the Deep Creek Lake area:
Purple Martins - ~130 on 7/24.
Sightings from PEACE VALLEY PARK, Bucks County included:
Lesser Black-backed Gull - 1 on 7/21
Purple Martins - 61 on 7/21.
Also Bald Eagle, and Spotted and Solitary Sandpiper.

Critters!

Backyard pests can really take the spark out of bird feeding or gardening or even just enjoying being outside. They eat, they dig and eat, they intimidate, they smell, they ruin feeders, they destroy bulbs or newly planted annuals, perennials and vegetable plants, and they poop.

  Whether they are squirrels, bears, chipmunks, rabbits, groundhogs, deer, skunks, grackles, starlings, cowbirds or cats, they are not usually part of our bird feeding plan.

  How do you deal with them? One thing I used to try was sprinting across the yard, waving arms and “telling” the offending beast what to do. Well, those sprinting days are now gone…

Some change in food can help. Offer safflower to keep away starlings, grackles and squirrels. Add hot pepper (capsicum) to seed to deter mammals; birds don’t taste the spice. While unsubstantiated, citrus peels may keep cats away from the area where the peels are sprinkled. “Irish Spring” soap hanging from branches may keep deer away. Moth balls and marigolds don’t deter young rabbits. Both are just something they must go around to get to what they really want to eat.

Bears? Bring in the feeder at night.

Squirrels seem to raise the hackles of many mostly because they just don’t stop eating! There are feeders touted as “Squirrel-Proof.” Some may slow them down, but there are others that really do work. The Bird House has some with which customers have expressed great satisfaction. Baffles on poles work but there are limits and conditions.

We can’t control nature, but we can sometimes try and tweak it a little.

Water

  All birds need water - for drinking and bathing. When you add water to your backyeard, you may attract additional species such as robins, thrushes, vireos, orioles and warblers that other wise might not be drawn to the feeders.
  Water is easy to provide; all you need is a bird bath or shallow dish for drinking and bathing. The dish does not have to be big, just 1 or 2 inches deep as birds prefer to bath in water that is only up to mid-thigh. You can vary the depth by placing flat rocks in various spots. Sprinklers can provide a low-tech approach that even hummingbirds will enjoy on the wing.
  Keep the bird bath clean! Feathers and droppings should be removed frequently. A quick scrub with a brush each time you fill the bath will make the chore less arduous.
  Place the bath in an area that birds are already visiting but not too close to feeder to keep falling seed out. A bath near a bush or small tree will provide a perch while birds preen and dry off as well as a look out for a predator.

Summer To-Do's

• Fill feeders the same time each day. Birds will get to know your routine.
• Monitor seed for webbing, larvae or insect infestation. Pantry moth traps help alleviate the problem.
• Clean hulls from under feeders. Sunflower seed hulls are toxic to grass and if left to build up, can kill a patch of grass. It is also helpful to move the feeder a few feet to give the grass a chance to recover.
• Move suet feeders to the shade to slow melting.
• Clean hummingbird feeders every time you fill them which should be about every 4 days in this hot weather. High sugar content can cause mold build-up. If you notice the nectar is cloudy, change it right away. Use soap and hot water and brushes to get into small spots. Rinse very well.
• Clean bird baths with one part bleach and 10 parts water. Brushes help, too. Rinse very well.
• Clean seed feeders, too. Wet seed that sits on the bottom can get moldy or sprout. Not good for birds! Submerge the feeder in a bucket of soapy water and scrub with a bottle brush. Rinse and dry in the sun before filling.
• Freeze blueberries and other small fruits for winter feeding when the birds really appreciate sweet treats.
• Keep bird baths scrubbed free of algae. Use a bath protector to slow algae and organic growth. Use a "Water Wiggler" or a dripper to keep water moving. Birds notice it more and moving water prevents mosquito eggs from hatching.

Local bird sightings

The following birds have been reported in the Lehigh Valley area during the week ending June 29, according to Dave DeReamus, with the Eastern Pennsylvania Birdline, which is sponsored by the Lehigh Valley Audubon Society.


Sightings from the MARTINS CREEK PPL POWER PLANT area, Northampton County,
included:
BLUE GROSBEAK - 1 pair on 6/28. Also, American Kestrel, Willow Flycatcher and Orchard Oriole.

Sightings from PLAINFIELD TOWNSHIP, Northampton County, included:
BLUE GROSBEAK 1 on 6/28 (along Bender's Church Road). Also, Willow Flycatcher, Grasshopper Sparrow and Orchard Oriole.

Sightings from LEHIGH UPLANDS PRESERVE, Lehigh County, included:
Yellow-throated Vireo, Scarlet Tanager, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, and
Worm-eating Warbler.

Sightings from UPPER SAUCON TOWNSHIP, Lehigh County, included:
Bank Swallows (behind the Rave theater).

Sightings from PEACE VALLEY PARK, Bucks County, included:
PROTHONOTARY WARBLERS - 2 adults with young during this past week (at the
Chapman Road bridge). Also, Bald Eagle and Eastern Meadowlark.